Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/12760866.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Underage
  Category:
      F/M, M/M, Multi
  Fandom:
      Percy_Jackson_and_the_Olympians_&_Related_Fandoms_-_All_Media_Types,
      Percy_Jackson_and_the_Olympians_-_Rick_Riordan, The_Heroes_of_Olympus_-
      Rick_Riordan
  Relationship:
      Hades/Persephone_(Percy_Jackson), Nico_di_Angelo/Will_Solace, Hazel
      Levesque/Frank_Zhang, Jason_Grace/Piper_McLean, Annabeth_Chase/Percy
      Jackson, Hades/Persephone/Hecate, Lou_Ellen/Drew_Tanaka
  Character:
      Persephone_(Percy_Jackson), Hades_(Percy_Jackson), Nico_di_Angelo, Will
      Solace, Hazel_Levesque, Frank_Zhang, Reyna_Avila_Ramírez-Arellano, Jason
      Grace, Piper_McLean, Annabeth_Chase, Percy_Jackson, Drew_Tanaka, Zeus_
      (Percy_Jackson), Tartarus_(Percy_Jackson), Alcyoneus, Grandma_Zhang_
      (Percy_Jackson), Hestia_(Percy_Jackson), Hecate_(Percy_Jackson), Hera_
      (Percy_Jackson), Lou_Ellen, Marie_Levesque, Jeanne_Antoinette_Poisson
  Additional Tags:
      Mother-Son_Relationship, Mother-Daughter_Relationship, Suicidal_Thoughts,
      Loneliness, Homophobia, Homophobic_Language, Racism, Racist_Language,
      Recovery, Married_Life, Infertility, Attempted_Rape/Non-Con, Kidnapping,
      Other_Pantheons, Egyptian_Gods_are_idiots, Celtic_Pantheon_is_awesome,
      Badass_half-sister, Pre-The_Trials_of_Apollo, Post-The_Heroes_of_Olympus,
      Homosexuality, The_Zhang_family_are_badasses, Christmas_Dinner, Hera_is
      queen_bitch, Demeter_is_an_ass, Persephone_is_awesome, Hazel_is_Princess
      witch_of_the_underworld, Nico_is_a_Prince_Cinnamon_Roll_of_the_underworld
      too, Fluff, Angst, Hamilton_References, Polyamory, Gratuitous_Smut,
      Threesome_-_F/F/M, Full_Shift_Werewolves, Vampire_Turning, Character
      Turned_Into_a_Ghost, Eating_Disorders, Mean_Girls_References, Disney
      References, Spirit_Animals, Pirates, Mercy_Killing, Soul_Bond, Banshee
      Powers, Smoking, Hazel_loves_to_smoke, Drunken_adventures_in_Ireland,
      chicken_nuggets, Meeting_the_Queen_and_stealing_her_mug, Skinny_Dipping,
      Public_Nudity
  Stats:
      Published: 2017-11-21 Updated: 2017-12-28 Chapters: 10/20 Words: 76838
****** Falling down and Getting Back up ******
by Quxxnrandomness
Summary
     I don't like Persephone being portrayed as a selfish-cow so here she
     is being motherly to Nico, who gets many hugs and kisses, and Hazel,
     who is so badass she's a Princess. Also some angst appears, Demeter
     is a bitch to the House of Hades, everyone hates Hera, Hades is cool,
     Hestia is a prankster genius, Hecate is queen of snark and I love
     this world. The basic premise for this work is working through pain;
     emotional (Nico Di Angelo), physical (Persephone) and spiritual
     (Hazel Levesque) with a heck ton of references, supernatural
     creatures, gayness, gratuitous violence, sex, drugs and smoking
     involved. Most of the work is supported by my Pinterest page which
     shows a lot of the details behind my work and explains better, under
     Rebecca Collins (it has a house thing on fire in the picture and
     loads of pins connected to it.
Notes
     This is set before Trials of Apollo but after Heroes of Olympus.
     There is swearing, references to suicidal tendencies, racist/
     homophobic language, hate crimes, other pantheons, and other
     disturbing triggers so be warned. I don't own this world, Rick Riodan
     is a genius, and I hope you enjoy.
***** POV - Persephone *****
Chapter Summary
     Ok, this is definitely NSFW territory straight off the bat. There
     will be sexual explicit content in this work and a lot of it with be
     detailed so just warning you now for all of that just in case. Now;
     this work is a consequence of my own interpretation of Rick Riodan's
     world but a lot of its themes are adult so Trigger Warning in place
     for: Racism, Sex, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Lesbian Sex, Gay
     Sex, Polyamory, and flash-back references to sexual assault as well
     as some references dotted here and there. I've changed up the ages a
     little because I still feel a little weird at having a 13 year old
     Hazel go for a 16 year old Frank - it's a little creepy so here she
     is fourteen-about to go onto fifteen and he is 16 years old exactly.
     Also the time period is just after Heroes of Olympus with no Trials
     of Apollo because Rick isn't finished with it and I don't want to
     constantly revise everything as a result. A/N: This is a work in
     progress so be aware of some revision of chapters at time to time.
                       Falling_down_and_Getting_back_up
                               By_R._L._Collins
===============================================================================
I can do this, I am a Goddess of Springtime, Queen of the Underworld and the
dreaded Lady of Destruction, I can do this.
Persephone opened her eyes and allowed herself a small intake of breath as she
started her journey across the Fields of Punishment in complete silence as she
tried to ignore the screams of the damned. Her small hands clenched the folds
of the coarse material of her shielding cloak that hid her from the prisoners
around her; a wedding gift from Artemis herself to help her travel the world
during the midnight hours of late winter without observation so she could go
about preparing the earth for the coming spring without anyone knowing. Her
bare feet made not a sound as she travelled the secret road through the torture
meadows for since she was a child she had always had a lightness to her step
where she could travel in event the deepest of snow and yet leave no trail
behind nor sink into the frozen tundra's of the tops of the mountains of Greece
in her search for winter flowers when her mother was away on business. Her
slightly pointed ears picked up even the smallest pebble falling around her, so
alert was her senses as she kept her eyes focused and ahead of her so as to be
ready if one of the more violent prisoners were to interfere in her journey.
Truly, she would prefer to travel by the more safer roads but her mission
tonight had to be done in secrecy and in complete discretion in fear of gossip
ruining her pristine reputation so she kept to the shadows and away from the
light.
Finally reaching the edge of the fields of Punishment, she quickly located the
hidden passageway that led all the way up to her husband's Palace with more
than a little relief over not being disturbed by the mortals she'd passed by.
The passageway was a secret that Hades had taught her many eons ago; a winding
road meant to serve as an escape in case of the Palace being overrun by enemies
cut deep into the rock so that only the most daring of individuals would choose
it for the pits of fire below and the unsteady steps discouraged all others.
The Palace was being watched by a great deal of undead soldiers chosen directly
by her husband but Persephone knew their scheduled movements and found it
almost effortless to slip into their shared chambers without being detected.
Torches of green fire sparked and began to burn in her presence but she quickly
adjusted them to glow a crimson red as her preference allowed as she folded up
the cloak to place on a nearby obsidian and crystallised glass coffee table
before readjusting the thin scraps of fabric that clothed her lithe body.
For eighty years Persephone had begrudgingly respected her husband's want to
abstain from their marital bed in favour of sleeping alone so as to grieve his
precious Maria Di Angelo. Truly, she was glad that he did not touch her in
those early years because of her jealousy and hatred for his mistress had made
the mere thought of his touch foul and unpleasant to think about. He had lusted
after a mortal woman and had given her two children to bare witness to his
wanton desire to betray their marriage vows - something Persephone had found
difficult to bare but as it was pure lust and not love she had accepted the
separation with ease so as to let him have time to wash off that Italian
whore's scent before he would come to her again. That was the deal, a couple of
years grace so that he could reconcile himself with his slut's demise and then
would come willingly and eager to their bed without delay. Only there was a
delay - eighty years of it - and each one of those years had made Persephone
more and more furious at the lack of attention or care he'd shown her and now
she found herself reaching the conclusion that perhaps he did not know how to
approach her now or mistakenly thought her indifferent to their lack of
intimacy so was his nature.
Hades, after all his Godly power and influence over one of the biggest domains
in the Olympian world, was still as nervous about even talking about activities
reserved for the bed chamber - a trait Persephone found endearing and sweet. He
fumbled and stuttered terribly the first time they had been given time alone
together after their wedding and on the night they were to consummate their
love; Persephone had delighted in gaining his virginity as he took hers with
glee. She loved his tenderness towards her body, his sweetness of his scared
yet anxious smiles as he approached her that night with words of love and
adoration on his pure lips. Truly, he was one of the most chaste and innocent
of men she'd ever beheld and she loved the opportunity it gave her to inform
him of her more amorous side. She gained his lust that wedding night by teasing
him with an innocent game of chase that she'd loved ever since her early years
playing with the nymphs and minor Goddesses in her mother's domain - sweetly
making his blood sing in want for her as she darted through the walls of their
home with a joyful shriek of giggles as he ran after his wife with all the
grace of a bull in want for the rut. Oh how she loved to use the skills of her
youth to encourage his vigour as they collapsed into the warm sheets of their
bed in a sprawl of hair and bodies as he gained his revenge by tickling her
into hysterical hiccups and giggles with hands so warm and gentle that she did
not hide her wanton desire for them as she pulled them seductively towards her
mouth to give small nips and seductive sucks to his groaning delight.
She then tempted him more into the warm haven of her spread legs that night by
recounting in a perfect coy and innocently lustful manner about her first
strains of lust she'd gained from said games of chase. She told him of the day
when she accidentally came across one of her handmaidens locked in an
impassioned state with her mortal lover who looked at her with such desire that
Persephone found herself stripped bare of her virgin innocence in exchange for
a new seductive desire for something like that for herself. Hades had listened
with awed desire as she told him of the thoughts of desire she'd experienced
that day to find the pleasure of skin upon skin, the gentle groans and mewls
escaping lover's mouths, and the bliss that she'd seen come over them both as
they reached their wanton ends. She wanted to have someone to drive into her
with the mortal man's power, to feel herself be lifted above and below him, as
she pulled him into her deepest parts where only she herself knew. To have that
blush radiate down her dark breasts as sweat gathered upon her brow at the
strenuous activity, mixing her own body's desire with that of a man who'd give
her everything she had ever dreamed of in exchange for knowing her as only a
bedfellow could. To feel her lover's milk spray between her thighs as she
locked her legs around him to preserve the feeling of bliss he would give her.
Persephone's wanton desire had been born that day, as she told him, to the
point where she had slipped off towards her rooms to satisfy her own new-born
curiosity. Her hands, she empathised sadly, were not as skilled nor as
sufficient as an alternative to what looked like a very large piece of a man's
anatomy but in that moment of passion she did not care. Her first blissful
escape away from maidenhood, a small but muffled cry of relief, and it was all
hers - and Hades had found himself enrapted by the tale as he sucked and licked
at her body as his cock rubbed against her wet thighs slicked with sweat and
the sweet womanly cream he'd pulled from her. Then they made love for a full
two weeks of blissful delight; pulling thousands of words of delight, mewls,
groans and more than a few hiccupping laughs which had brought them so much
joy.
Persephone rubbed her thighs together as she recalled it all, and hoped will
all her heart that tonight could rekindle that loving devotion of their early
years of marriage ... perhaps even this time she could finally achieve another
dream of hers to bare her husband's child. Then he would love her truly
forevermore as his trueborn Wife, Queen, and the Mother of his legitimate heir.
To that end, Persephone quietly went to work on preparing for a ritual she'd
heard said about by some travelling Slovakian immortals on their way to a hunt
that would possibly allow her this victory. The ritual was simple enough;
combining the elements of the world together and placing the result under the
marital bed with a few whispered spells to guide the magic to her awaiting womb
so she quickly started by taking possession of a nearby paper knife on her
husband's desk to drip a small drop of her golden blood onto a small empty
goblet inscribed with lustful images of lovemaking. The small cut into her
thumb healed quickly and caused very little notice to the Goddess as she added
a small crushed handful of Pomegranate tree leaves from the small plant in the
corner to represent earth, a small amount of rose water taken from her personal
bottle in the bathroom to represent water, a lit cinnamon scented aromatherapy
stick from the crystal vase on top of the bedroom's impressive looking
fireplace to represent fire, and finally a small Raven's feather from the
balcony from the domesticized flock her husband owned to represent air. "With
humble mind, I call to thee. With willing heart, I long for thee. Child of
Earth, Wind, Fire, and Sea - into my life, I welcome thee!" she chanted as she
mixed the blood, feather, seeds, rose-water and scented stick into a thick
brownish mixture with her finger before placing the enchanted goblet under her
bed as she let loose a desperate prayer for this endeavour to work.
She fidgeted again as cleaned off the dirtied finger in the bathroom to rid
herself of the mixture's remainers before taking a long and hard breath to calm
herself. She then re-arranging the fabric that covered her as she draped
herself over the chasse lounge that they had won in a drunken game of cards
with a certain French mistress who's breasts (Persephone was sure to say) were
not the shape of Champaign glasses but rather as two beautiful apples that
Persephone had the pleasure of biting quite happily. That blessed lady, full of
charm and invigorated wit, had won Persephone's heart as soon as she walked
through the doors of Versailles and the night of their traditional game of
cards - she had been daring enough to ask her husband if he wouldn't mind for
them to retire with the lady for a night of pleasure Persephone was sure she'd
never forget. The way that most extra-ordinary of beauties had looked under her
as she trembled against the white sheets of her boudoir thanks to the Goddess'
talented tongue while Hades' rutted away behind them with groaning enthusiasm
was wonderful to behold. The feeling of her soft skin, the way she bit her lip
as the pleasure over took her, and the mewls of contentment as Hades finally
milked himself dry onto their shared skin was beyond what words could say.
Honestly; Persephone had felt herself ready to call the Madame her feminine
soulmate at that point - the sweet candle of light that burned deep within the
confines of her soul - which furthered the blow when her life was tragically
blown out thanks to a mysterious illness. Persephone would have just continued
the arrangement happily after her passing; but tragically since she was a true
Christian - she had passed on into a different realm of death that was closed
to Persephone's pleas rather than the Isles of the Blessed which Persephone was
sure she deserved. Then came the dark days after when Persephone closed off her
heart to her husband's antics in grief and accepted that his lustful ways were
a direct response to losing both of them to grief and death respectfully.
But now she was ready to try again; ready to shake off her grief and relight
the happiness that her husband had given her in their marriage bed and allow
him back into her ardent heart.
Persephone took up a seductive pose reminiscent of the nude modals of Paris as
she awaited her husband in eager nervousness. The torches on the walls filled
the chamber with a seductive crimson glow that gleamed on the pieces of gold
that Persephone had chosen for the reconciliation of her marriage; creating a
fierce image of lust that would more than likely stir his loins to her purpose.
She had prepared so carefully for this moment, and had perfectly tailored
herself to her husband's tastes without fail. She'd endured hours of pain in
the waxing parlours of Olympus, took several scented baths in the hot springs
of Volcanos, and had even suffered the awkwardness of walking into a mortal
lingerie high-end shop to buy the clothes she wanted her husband to unwrap her
in. The lingerie was made specifically for this night, having been handmade in
excruciating detail by the very best of craftswomen under the impression
Persephone was buying it for a ultra-wealthy middle eastern lover thanks to the
expensive cost of getting it done quickly and with the finest of materials
known to man or immortal.
It consisted of a beautifully elegant bustier made of the finest black satin
with real golden silk thread embroidery that depicted floral designs of lilies
and golden roses, matching panties with hosiery that allowed for a knife sheath
that Hades' had a special appreciation for when he was allowed to use it to cut
the lingerie from her body if he was good, and a show stopping Satin kimono
that reached just past her feet so it lingered on the floor when she stood with
extra lace detailing around the short-sleeves in matching floral designs to the
bustier. On her exposed right arm was one of her most prized possessions; an
enchanted bracelet in the style of a coiled viper with glowing ruby eyes and a
length of black onyx scales tinted with the finest gold along the edges for a
body that was given to her as another joint wedding present by Hestia and
Hecate. The viper was alive in a way with Hecate personally making it capable
of becoming a lethal weapon if necessary in combat in that it would slither
down her hand so she could whip her opponent and allow the small head to strike
with a bite that delivered a specialised poison that could take down even an
Olympian for a few hours so she could kill or run away from potential
attackers. In it's prone form, it took the shape of the Greek symbol of
eternity, the Ouroboros, which meant it was curled into a circle or hoop,
biting its own tail which the girls had joked reminded them of Persephone's
tendency to bite when aggravated or put her own foot in her mouth when nervous
as she at times spoke without thinking. Finally, on her left hand in pride of
place was her wedding ring that had never been removed except for cleaning. The
ring's top was shaped in the likeness of a half of a ripe pomegranate and set
with 10 garnet oval cabochons and a silver shank designed to look like the
pomegranate branch with a small pomegranate fruit which adorned with a 1.6mm
faceted red garnet. Overall; it was admittedly garnish and slightly ugly in
modern times, but Persephone had always thought its' design to be a perfect
reminder of the things she was prepared to do in order to have her way and a
way to secretly state the truth that she had purposely eaten the seeds which
had 'captured' her and 'imprisoned' her in the underworld with Hades despite
her mother's wishes.
In all; the image created was that of a Queen bound forever to her King and
Lord husband who according to the noises outside was about to enter. Persephone
took a deep breath in as she pushed up her cleavage and mussed her hair into
the most seductive Parisian style possible as Hades entered the room, muttering
adorably to himself under his breath while riffling through papers. For a
moment, it seemed like he hadn't even noticed her presence as he went about his
normal solitary night-time routine as he put his work away in the drawer of his
desk and took a small gulp of red wine from an awaiting crystal decanter to
clear away his thoughts of the day. She watched him with a seductively coy
smile as he yawned slightly into his hand before turning towards his bed.
And caught sight of her.
Persephone delighted in the physical jaw-drop of her husband as his eyes raked
over her form with shock and awe, taking extra time on her pronounced breasts
and muscled legs, as he struggled to find words to fit his surprise. She
smirked as his breath caught when she slowly rose from her prone position so
she could slowly strut with a pronounced wiggle of her hips towards him. The
floor was cold under her feet but somehow that kept her centred as she kept her
face as blank yet coy as possible under his intense stare. Truly, if he wanted,
he could render any woman to maddening desire with those beautifully haunting
black eyes that hooked onto her soul so long ago and had possessed her ever
since. She studied him with a burning wanton desire as she noted the way his
hand clenched and unclenched with obvious want to take her in hand and bend her
over something without delay so that his bulging problem could be dealt with in
the most bestial of ways. Her husband had the stamina of a raging bull when
tempted, giving long and powerful strokes that seemed to go on forever as he
would pound into her with a fury not fit for public consumption. His favourite
designer suit fit him to perfection, highlighting his firm frame and creating
an aura of power that belonged to him as her King and Master but Persephone
knew the truth. In their bed, she was master and he her humble servant bound to
please and serve to her mercurial will. His tie was a very catching detail,
Persephone made a mental note to use it soon to restrain him to the bed if he
ever got out of hand and touched when she directed otherwise.
As soon as she was within range of his body; Persephone pulled at the suit's
soft flaps so her skin was within a milimeter of his as her face brushed softly
at his cheek with a delicate-barely there glancing friction that made his eyes
go impossibly dark with desire. Her lips nuzzled his cheek as she spoke in a
low purr; "You are so cruel to me, my Lord!", that made his eyes flutter and
his body begin to shake with anticipation. Her left hand caressed his chest
with feather like touches in slow and maddening circles around his pecs and
hard nipples; driving him to let out a pronounced groan of pleasure as her
breath grew hot on his neck and her leg 'accidentally' graized his inner thigh
as she curled around him like a cat. "Do you take pleasure in my agony, my
Lord, in knowing that you have made me so displeased in my solitude on earth
that I have crept into our rooms half-mad with lust?" she asked as she nibbled
on his earlobe with the tiniest bit of pressure, knowing it was a secret area
on his body that made him hard whenever she played with it. Hades' moaned at
that, nuzzling her cheek as she pressed tiny kisses to his jaw line with
innocent chasteness that contradicted the daring 'accidental' brush of the back
of her hand to his pant line. He pushed forward unthinking to try to claim a
sweet kiss but she leaned away in time as she punished him with a hard grab at
his clothed cock. Her husband yelped slightly at the pressure she palmed him
with, as she slid away from his face so she could carefully remove his
unbuttoned jacket with added aggression so as to inform him of her displeasure
at his sudden forwardness. She tugged it down his arms violently, before
throwing it behind her without a care if it wrinkled or not - his servants
could deal with that.
"So forward, my lord, to try and kiss me after leaving me unfulfilled and
burning for you on the battlefield? The way you moved as you fought those
Giants, the sweat on your brow and the snarl on your face made my thighs drench
with want - but you left me there, my lord, so cruelly and I had to make do
with my tiny fingers!" she whispered as she traced the back of his shoulders,
making him shudder at the dirty talk. "So small compared to you, but what could
I do? My cruel husband had left me all alone and I needed to cum so badly, my
Lord. I had to duck away in the middle of it, you know, had to lean against a
tree so that I could slide my hands down my dress and play with myself because
you looked so good my Lord. I wanted your cock so much that I had to thrust
three of my fingers shallowly inside of myself in order to cum; stretching
myself so sweetly because of you. My breasts ached for want of you, for thought
of you, that every time I rubbed myself I had to cup them too. So cruel to
leave your poor wife wanting like that, when you have such lovely large hands
and such a wanton cock. I remember when I saw it on our wedding night; so big
and thick that I didn't think you could fit inside me until you showed me you
could. Do you remember how tight I was? How I stretched to your giant cock as
you took me from behind like a wild animal, how I screamed your name as you
tore me apart? Wanted you to do it again, but you were so cruel my Lord and
left me alone!" Persephone crooned as she took small yet firm bites out of his
skin and squeezed his firm buttocks while Hades squirmed and groaned at the
dirty talk radiating from his wife's tender lips. She took pity on him; kissing
him lightly on the mouth, delighting on his soft lips that had given her so
much pleasure before. She hummed the tiniest of moans, curling her fingers into
his hair as she yanked him closer and into a deeper kiss. Her tongue invaded
his mouth harshly, not waiting for permission, as she tasted the nectar and
ambrosia he'd had for dinner along with the wine from before while extracting
powerful grunts of passion from his willing mouth. She sucked greedily on his
tongue, making him moan and whimper in turn as she worked to get him so turned
on he wouldn't know up from down.
"Let me please you, my lady, let me earn your forgiveness as your humble
servant. I ache for you, let me show you how much I love you - how much I want
to make you happy!" he groaned into her ear, pulling back Persephone's control
onto his own terms as he looked at her with a wicked grin that made her almost
come undone. Devilish bastard always knew she loved power games, well he's in
for a shock because for that - she wasn't going to make it easy for him.
"Words, words, words. Strip for me, oh humble servant, I want to see how much
this 'ache' is but words on wicked tongues!" she chuckled darkly as she moved
back mockingly when he almost tripped over himself to accommodate his wife's
demands. She slowly allowed her eyes to again trail down his body, admiring
every perfect line of his torso as he stripped off his shirt and tie, the
perfect planes of his muscular chest, and the perfect ripped ridges of his
muscular stomach. Her eyes went lower, tracing the twin lines between his hips,
the thin trail of dark hair that led down, and then her eyes landed on an
offending pair of trousers that blocked her view. He watched her darkly as he
slowly them off too, causing her to gasp softly involuntarily and for her eyes
to widen at the sight that beheld her as her removed his boxers in one sweeping
gesture. She had forgotten how huge he really was, how his cock jutted brazenly
out of a neat thatch of dark hair, rearing high like a fearsome dragon, the big
dark-reddish tip level with his stomach. It was long and thick, and Persephone
longed to have him put his fierce appendage to work within her soaking wet
core.
Hades' watched her lustful stare proudly, stepping towards her with a predatory
grace like a beast in the field, with eyes glittering in mischievous want. Her
gaze had become transfixed on his erection, which bobbed with his every
movement, so she hadn't noticed the movement till he pulled her forward with a
domineering manner as his lips crashed together with hers in a fury of teeth
and tongue as they fought for control over the moment. No. She was in control,
she was the master here, and he was misbehaving!
She grabbed him by his hair, not caring for the painful yelp he gave, as she
threw him onto the bed for his punishment. Hades hit the silk covers hard,
before pushing himself up with a defiance that could not be tolerated. "Such a
greedy servant, I think, to demand what I have not given so wantonly. I think
you should be punished, for such an offense as denying your Lady her pleasure
and then demanding it for yourself; let me think ... ah, I have just the
punishment in mind!" she mock-pondered as she pushed him down again while
slowly discarding the kimono robe so she could stand on the edge of the bed and
thus have room to kneel before his waiting cock on the cold floor with a look
of daring that made Hades groan at the sight.
Her gaze dropped to her favourite part of her husband, observing silently how
well-endowed he was as it pointed towards her boldly, as if begging for her
forgiving touch. She congratulated herself on landing such an impressive beast
as she observed the large and turgid shaft with appreciation. There were
several bluish veins, and a large vein in particular grew from the root of his
groin and traveled the long length of his arousal, stopping at the thick
mushroomed head. Instead of placing her hand directly on him, Persephone
reached out and moved her hand to his upper thigh, massaging the flesh
tauntingly, before moving inward. Her fingers came in contact with his dark
hair and she curiously coiled them in the thick curls. Lifting her hand, the
Goddess again moved it until it hovered above his erection, and then she grazed
the head of his member with her fingers. Hades hissed and jumped in both shock
and pleasure at her touch, before throwing his head back with a groan.
Encouraged by her Lord husband's pleasured sound as well as her growing
fascination at how far she could tease him, Persephone began to circle the head
with her fingers. She played with the round edge before sliding all the way
down his length and to his base, causing him to let out a deep groan. She
traced the large bluish vein and admired the feeling of the pulse of blood
underneath the pads of her fingers. Then she gently followed its path to the
heavy sac below before trailing her fingers back up again.
Hades let out another hiss of pleasure when she dragged her fingers up again to
circle his swollen tip, jerking in surprise when she finally wrapped her small
right hand as much as she could around his aching cock. "Wife, please!" he
begged prettily with a deep moan as he slightly thrust his hips into her hand.
The needy sound that escaped her husband made Persephone's stomach clench and
her core quiver. She tightened her grasp a little. She again marvelled at the
paradox of how soft his skin was, yet how hard his shaft was beneath, like
steel sheathed in velvet. Giving a soft squeeze, the Goddess began to stroke up
and down his length like he had taught her before on nights long ago in the
blissful comfort of their honeymoon. Her other hand curiously moved lower and
she gently cupped one of the heavy sacs below his length, before squeezing the
other one. The pleased grunt that escaped from him at her touch had her
attention diverted from what she was doing to see his furrowed brow and
strained features. She felt feminine pride swell within her at his obvious
pleasure, and she quickened the pace of her hand. Looking back down, Persephone
noticed the semi-translucent, whitish liquid seeping from the small slit on his
tip which she recognised with pride at her abilities as a lover. She stroked
him one more time before pressing her thumb on his swollen head, spreading the
liquid around it. His cock jerked almost violently from her touch, the sight of
it causing hot liquid to slide down her nether lips.
A growl escaped Hades; a warning that she should slow down or else the entire
night would be for nothing, as she caressed him. Her hand slowly left his cock
so as to test her own ready core with added seductiveness; finding herself wet
and completely ready for him without any need for anymore foreplay. Persephone
stood up from her position on the floor, slipping off her panties slowly to his
delight, as she straddled his waiting body with ease; leaning down just enough
to catch his lips in a sweet kiss as she smiled at the thought of her final
gift to him. "Dear Lord husband, do you want to know a secret?" she asked
playfully as she steadied herself with planted hands upon his chest.
"Dearest Lady love, I think I do!" he responded with a devilish wink and a
small yet noticeable thrust of his cock up towards the haven of her thighs -
though she would not permit him to enter her just yet.
She leaned down carefully, draping her still clothed breasts across his chest
naughtily, as she whispered her final act of seduction in his ear. It was a
secret revealed to her by Hera of all people, during the victory feast, when
she was so into her cups that she could stand to be near her husband's bastard
daughter. "When you take me tonight, I want you to know that because of my
divine healing, I will be as untouched as the night we first made love!" she
whispered lovingly into his ear as he groaned at the knowledge. Sure, she was
apprehensive over losing her virginity again after the first time felt like she
was being ripped apart, but she felt overjoyed at the prospect of a new start,
a new chapter of her marriage to a man she loved so desperately. This was her
triumph, the crowning moment of her life when she finally took back her husband
and made him hers forever. Persephone felt her power grow as she let him guide
her down onto the head of his cock as she rubbed it against her slick folds and
swollen nub. This was everything she had ever wanted and Persephone threw back
her head as she moaned in happiness and joy, allowing him use his iron grip on
her hips to brush against her feminine folds in order to coat his entire length
with her slick fluids before carefully dipping the tip of his cock into her
entrance. She felt him meet a bit of resistance, so he pulled back slightly
before pressing against her tiny opening a couple more times until finally he
pushed the bulbous head inside her with an upward thrust. She winced slightly
at the sensation, tightening her hold on him as she took in the bliss of having
just the tip of him within her. She pushed down a little more, slowly sliding
him in as they both groaned at the feeling of her burning sheath contracting
around him as it stretched to his girth. They paused when the head of his cock
nudged against a barrier - her newly reformed maidenhead.
"Oh, crudele amante, prendimi dentro di te e cavalca forte prima che
impazzisca!" her husband chanted as he looked at her with glazed and half
lidded eyes at the glancing touch it. For a moment, Persephone smiled as she
took pride in making her husband look so pleasured that he could barely contain
himself before a sharp blade cut through her happiness with a butcher's skill.
She froze as her mind started to go into complete and utter shock. No ... it
couldn't be ... he wasn't ... oh, by all the Gods, please don't say he's ...
Persephone scrambled her mind in fear as she went rigid in his grasp. Italian,
she hated hearing him speak Italian in bed together - the accent too snippy and
angry to be used in words of lust or love - so why was he talking about a
mistress in it? He knew after all that she loved hearing him speak French, the
language where they had first found themselves feeling complete with the
blessed Madame who'd shared their bed and heart with a sweet smile and a
glowing goodness about her. Why the world was he speaking Italian and asking
for his mistress unless he was ... no, Persephone wanted to cry out, not this.
Anything but this! She looked at him in fear for the first time as she
struggled to stop herself from vomiting in disgust. How fucking dare he even
think about ... about his tart when in bed with her and asking for her by that
vulgar title! To think of his precious Mistress Maria when she was dead and
cold in the ground and his living and breathing wife was about to forgive and
forget anything bad between them.
How could he do this to her?
Furious beyond words, she scrambled off him and went for the knife in her
garter as the snake bracelet slithered down her other hand in readiness for
combat. She was going to castrate him, strangle him, poison him, skin him and
then cut his digusting throat while burning his dying body with Greek fire so
he couldn't reform! She was going to ... she was going to ... Persephone's head
spun as she held the blade towards him in fury as the whip twisted around her
hand in preparation to protect herself from her disgusting husband and the
truth. "My love?" his words burned her as she felt herself retching in pain and
revulsion.
"How could you!" she whimpered in pain as looked at him with grief-stricken
eyes as tears rolled down her face, "What type of man are you to do that to
me?". Maria, that Italian bitch, must be rolling in her grave laughing right
now, as Persephone clasped a hand to her mouth at the feeling of bile reaching
up her throat like a clawed hand of reality. Hades, her lawful husband and male
soulmate, was thinking about another woman when his true and loyal wife was
giving herself to him in order to maintain himself and make himself capable of
going through with it. He tried to touch her but she shrank away from his touch
as she looked in horror at her own situation; stupid girl, too in love to
realise that her own husband loved another and that ghost was never going away.
Humiliation burned through her like a wildfire as she weakly dropped the blade
to the floor with a numb clang while the bracelet slackened onto her arm. Shame
numbed her body like an ice bath on an awaiting firestorm as her defences
crumbled at the thought. She needed to get away, to flee her husband before she
did something that he would be sure to punish her for. A new cloud of fear took
over her as she observed him rise from the bed with his cock still hard from
thoughts of his dearest, dead, love. He was obviously was in pain from the
state of discomfort at being left wanting ... would he force her to help him
finish up? Did he have it in him to drag her to the bed and force himself on
her while muttering more dirty wants for his mistress, while she screamed and
pleaded him to stop? Could he grip her wrists and bend her over the bed as she
kicked and wailed for mercy; she knew he was strong enough but did he have the
potential? Her breaths grew short and terrified at the thought of it, of how
little power she really had over their relationship for it was obvious now she
had little in the bedroom if he needed his Mistress to make him even the
slightest bit eager for a woman's flesh. He was stronger than her, more
influential on Olympus than her, and she was in his domain without permission
or anyone knowing about it. Stupid girl, she thought hysterically, to not tell
anyone where she was going or who she was going to meet.
She had to get out; flee before he could assault her or before she would
either be sick or commit homicide.
Persephone slowly crept backwards, eyes centered on the threat of the very man
she had once loved so he couldn't distract her and thus get her to stay in a
room that was quickly shrinking in size. Then, in a blind panic at her state of
undress, she lunged to grab her cloak as she made a run for it. Hades shouted
for her to stop but she ignored him and kept running; terrified that the
stories of the Big Three's tendency towards rape was true for all of the
brothers. She remembered horrific whispers of stories from Olympus of how when
the last Olympian Riot when a few of the Gods had tried to make Zeus more of a
benevolent ruler that a curious nymph had ventured into the home of Zeus after
overhearing traumatising painful screams and whimpers of pain coming from the
King's bedchamber. The nymph had disappeared shortly after that but had managed
to tell a friend how she had spotted Hera after coming out of her room with
bite and claw marks littering her body as her husband looked on with a cruel
scowl so to escort her to Tartarus for her punishment. It was said they glowed
gold with blood, and that the Queen's hands shook in fear and shock, while the
stone guards at the door looked on in unabashed horror. Was that to be her fate
when her cursed body was forced to come back to her husband later on in the
year as the agreement between him and Demeter had ruled it so?
Hot tears streamed down her face as her now burning hot fingers desperately
gripped tight on the thin sheet of cloth that shielded herself from the Palace
Guards. They watched her run past, silent and reproachful, and she knew that
soon the gossip would be out that Persephone had been seen running away from
her husband's room in tears because she was stupid enough to risk a stupid plan
to win him back and had lost everything because of it. Her face grew red hot
with shame as she avoided their eyes; disappointment, unlovable, frigid,
unclean - the words rippled through her mind as she made her way to her garden
- the only solace she had in life after her one desire had failed her.
When she was young, she had dreamed of finding a man who would fit her ideal
description of a good husband. He must be tall, she had thought, with a strong
manner about him and a powerful amount of repressed rage and pleasure hidden
within. He must be mysterious and aloof but still capable of showing torrid
love and devotion to me and only me when we are alone together. Decently
equipped and full of good vigour to be sure, a stallion of passionate virtue
and unholy amounts of stamina to keep her enthralled. Above all, however, she
had wanted a man who was loyal to her and to her alone with not a single hint
of desire to look elsewhere or at anyone but her. She had seen her father and
plenty of her fellow immortals stray from their wives and lovers without a
single care for their affections - seen the broken way Hera looked at the women
her husband strayed away with and the resolved unhappiness Amphitrite dealt
with her husband's lechery with her own handmaidens - and Persephone knew she
never wanted to have man like that but she guessed now she had finally lost her
fight with that one for there was no doubt in her mind that Hades had both
loved and still loved Maria Di Angelo with all his heart.
She remembered when she had first came across Hades, looking every inch of a
maiden's fantasy come to life, after he announced his love for her and desire
to make her his Queen - and like a fool she had accepted him gladly into her
bed and heart. She had thought him above such things to love others, for in
those moments of initial decades of joyful marriage Persephone had known true
fidelity and passion. When she married him and brought him to her marital bed;
she had thought herself triumphant to be able to shape the virgin God to her
sexual will as she let him take off her clothes with shaking fingers. When he
looked upon her with that awe inspired face of desire, she had thought him the
most potent of drugs for when she opened her legs to him and he revealed
himself in full glory Persephone had nearly yelled in triumph had it not been
for the daze of lust she felt for the man she had risked everything for. Their
first coupling was slightly hurried, slightly painful, and slightly awkward to
be sure but once she had let him let loose his bestial side there was no
regrets on her part. Her legs burned with ache, her parts felt bruised and
battered, and her lips bitten - she had finally achieved her burning desire in
her newly wed husband. The second time was the most passion she had ever felt
as she reigned over her husband and let loose her deviant side as she bit and
clawed him in a fury of wanton wickedness. Hades had been surprised for sure at
the sight of a maiden bride loving him with such wildness that even Aphrodite
could not claim to know but he was enthralled rather than maddened with it and
pleaded that she would show him every part of her that lay cruelly dormant for
so long.
Then came the reality of what her desires had caused her and Persephone let
loose a saddened and humiliated gulp of despair as she took in the fruits of
her own actions. The chases that had toned her legs in childhood allowed her to
dash quickly towards a respite in the isolated garden away from taunting eyes
and her body clenched with pain rather than desire for its master's despair
driven agony. How could she have been so stupid as not to see what was right in
front of her the whole time? That Hades, her husband and perceived soulmate,
had the capacity now to love others as he had once loved hers to the point of
envisioning them in place of his his true wife. Why did he have to think of his
whore! Why did he have to treat his wife with such cruelty, to show her a small
glimmer of happiness before snatching it away again with cold, unloving,
fingers. How could she possible live with herself now, to know that her mate
had chosen another in his heart and now carried that woman around even after
her death to the point of forcing her visage onto his wife during their
lovemaking. Humiliation gave her noise as she let loose a horrified wail of
pain as she reached the centre of the garden; causing her to let loose her
powers as both daughter of Demeter and Zeus and Queen of the Underworld, as she
allowed the ground to tremble beneath her in a furious earthquake that
destroyed the statues around her, killed off every single pomegranate tree with
a burst of sorrow at their suffocating symbolism with a rain of acidic water
from the atmosphere above her, destroyed the mounds of precious stones Hades
had gifted her with a mass of fiery geysers born from the ground, pulled at the
air to create a devastating storm that blew away the poisonous scrubs her
mother had placed to tempt her daughter to murder her unworthy husband and to
conceal her wailing, before finally creating a wall of black thorns to conceal
her shameful state of mind. A display of earth, wind, fire and water that
cruelly mirrored her childish rituals from before when her mind so was innocent
and naïve to think her husband could ever love her enough to bare children with
her. After she was done raging and had collapsed into a small heap; the garden
was completely destroyed as was her will to live.
Persephone gave up on dignity as she thought over the situation she was in and
shortly thereafter threw up beside the dying stump that was the Pomegranate
tree that had bared the fruit that had allowed her union to her cheating
bastard of a husband. How could he betray her like this? Didn't he know that
Maria Di Angelo was a dead woman, and that he had a living, immortal, and
beloved wife? Did he even care for her dignity, her honour and sense of respect
to use her body as a way to fuck his dead whore? To imagine that his mistress
was the one who was about to lose her virginity again to and not his wife's?
Did he understand that Persephone loved him far more than Maria ever did? That
she was a worthier Queen and Wife than that woman ever was?
No, it seemed not, and ... and ... and Persephone slowly began in her sorrow to
accept the reality that she wasn't enough for him.
She was his Queen, his wife, and his lover but even that seemed hollow now as
she looked realisitically at her life. She was a Queen without an heir, a wife
who lived half the year apart from her husband, and had refused him to her bed
for so long that she could not find a reason why he should love Persephone in
exchange for Maria. Maria had given him two beautiful children who were their
father's greatest delight, Maria was always there to hold him whenever he did
wish when she was alive, and Maria most of all had given herself up to him when
he desired a bed partner and found his wife cold to the touch. She realised
then that it wasn't truly the woman's fault - sure she had slept with a married
man but it was her husband and Persephone herself who should share the blame
for it. Had her husband been loyal to her, and she desirable to him, then Maria
Di Angelo wouldn't have even existed in her mind and ... and she would still be
alive. Probably married somewhere to a lovely Italian man who would give her
children and make her happy instead of being long dead and having one of her
children follow her and the other ... the other ... well he wasn't too far from
the grave to be honest last time she had seen him in battle.
Oh Gods.
Nico Di Angelo, the apple of his father's eye and his greatest pride, and what
had she done to him? Casted him aside, assaulted him with verbal attacks, and
turned him away from her with every rude or hurtful comment that passed by her
lips. Horror took her over as she considered her part to play in the poor boy's
life; what had she done? She had turned away a grieving child, a mere babe, and
mocked him to the point of despair for no reason other than being the ghostly
fruit of a union that had consumed her husband in his entirety. How cruel did a
woman have to be to harm a boy to get back at his dead mother for things
Persephone herself was unable to give. She was a monster, a twisted shell of a
woman, to do such things! To say such things! By all the Gods, she was the
villain of her own story, and yet she blamed an innocent for her own
shortcomings. She needed to make things right, to fix this, so that her soul
could be purified again. So she could remove this twisted stain from her
character and re-write her own life by acting in a manner befitting of a true
woman of dignity and goodness. There was no way about it, Persephone closed her
eyes and breathed deeply, she was damned if she didn't heal the rift between
her and her stepchildren for her soul was as black as sin right now and the
guilt of her evil was destroying everything Persephone was or stood for. Now
was the time to heal and mend; for though she would never forgive her husband
for his treachery, it was now evident to her that Nico Di Angelo and Hazel
Levesque were the subject now of her contrition and repentance. She would
dedicate her entire life to achieving it, sacrifice anything to gain it, and do
anything they wished of her to deserve it. 
How to go about gaining this forgiveness; Persephone did not know as she rose
up from the darkness around her to face the coming struggles ahead. Perhaps a
peace token of some kind, a personal gift to the children so that they could
know she cared for them along with foot and drink to nourish them as a good
friend would provide? She just hoped that it wasn't too late, as she looked
over the devastation she'd brought to the sanctuary of her past. Cautious
stares caught her eye as a few of the more bravery members of the dead
hesitantly came closer to inspect the damage and cause of the garden's
destruction. She pulled the cloak tighter around her nude body to hide it from
their prying eyes as she squared her shoulders, held her head high and put on
her most convincing smile. She then snapped her fingers to summon some clothes
from her private closets in the underworld; something bright and cheery that
would hide the pain behind her eyes. She then pulled off her wedding ring and
threw it bitterly into the ground in disgust as the snake bracelet on her arm
twisted its way up her back as it curled into her hair to hold it in place so
it wouldn't distract her focus from the task at hand. She shrugged on the
clothes and used her powers to summon a diamond mirror so she could hide her
grief from the world with a layer of thick makeup before shattering it on the
ground after she was done.
Time to focus, she thought bitterly, you have a job to do.
At least she had a plan of action now; to gain forgiveness from her
stepchildren and find a way to rid herself of the horrific marital mess she'd
been dealt with. Mentally she summoned the strength to put on a mask of
reassuring pleasantness so she could achieve her objectives without constantly
feeling nauseated or aggravated by her own dour circumstances. Demeter had
shown her a long time ago the benefits of such a mask when dealing with the
subject of men but Persephone had forgotten to utilise. Concealing what you
feel, her mother had said once, is a politeness that will save you years of
heartbreak in the long run. All women, both mortal and immortal, have to use
them because if a man they love knows what they are thinking, it gives them
power over you and thus gives them the ability to hurt their women carelessly,
cruelly, and constantly. It may sound sexist, but in reality there is some
truth to the tale that most men find the emotions or opinions of women
irrelevant - especially in the bedroom it seemed after this last few hours.
And if there was something Persephone could not do; it was allow herself to be
humiliated again as she plastered on her fake mask and spun off into the
shadows to start her new life away from such crushing disappointments as
marital bliss.
I can do this, Persephone thought quietly, I can do this.
***** POV - Nico *****
                       Falling_down_and_Getting_back_up
                               By_R._L._Collins
===============================================================================
There’s just something wrong about having a fag attend camp; the little freak
gives me the creeps!
The words raced through Nico’s mind as he stepped into the shadows and
reappeared at a beach front – was it a beach front? Nico didn’t know; his mind
too clouded to consider the absent thought until his senses picked up the
crashing of the waves – it hurt him. Hurt his ears, by the Gods can’t he ever
find somewhere that was peaceful and quiet? Never any quiet anymore; always
something to do or someone in the way. Nico considered for a split moment when
the last time he had ever managed to sleep properly without collapsing from
exhaustion. Not during the time after … after …. After Bianca. No, his heart
was too heavy with grief to do that and anyway under the ground there was too
many dangers to consider sleeping in anything but small bursts that did nothing
to combat his sense of exhaustion because every sound could have been a monster
or someone watching him to see when he would let down his defences. The two
Wars had forced him upright and alert, with any sign of weakness being a cause
for danger to befall his friends – especially after Tartarus. Gods he didn’t
think he could ever properly sleep after that – with so many images keeping his
body rigid and panicked from the unholy horrors that stabbed at his eyes and
filled his mouth with muffled screams. In fact; he couldn’t actually remember
sleeping that well to begin with, so the point was pretty mute.
He was definitely sure something was wrong with him like the girls had said.
After all; he’d always known that he was a freak. A creepy, un-social,
terrifying, crazy, gay son of Hades who’s very being seemed at times against
nature. No wonder people scrambled away from him; who’d want to associate with
someone like that! A small part of him wanted to argue that he had friends who
did love him, but years of experience had told him otherwise. They didn’t love
him, no one could love him. He was cursed – anyone he’d ever loved had died
after all. His mother, Bianca, Percy and Annabeth it seemed that one time when
they fell into Arachne’s trap and plunged into the darkness. His track record
was pretty discouraging against people ever finding him a possible subject of
affection and his so-called friends must be pretending in order to do something
to him. Maybe they were just gaining his trust so that when eventually he did
blow – they could sneak up beside him and stab him in the back to protect their
own loved ones. They were all probably thinking it – how to get rid of him when
his temper took over again.
Nico’s battle reflexes went into overdrive at that point with his body
twitching at any slight disturbance around him and his breathing becoming rapid
and unhinged. He was wrong, a mistake of nature, a freak! His so-called
‘friends’ were going to kill him. Maybe he would kill his friends? Who knew
really – after all he did to Bryce could he ever be called human? He’d
destroyed another living soul and that has to be a sign of him being a monster
didn’t it.
Monster. Freak. Demon. Abomination. Monster … he was a monster!
Nico clenched his fists together as he stared out blankly at the water’s edge;
mentally trying to will away the inevitable panic attack that always followed
the manta’s re-emergence in his mind. His teeth bit painfully down on his
bottom lip, already calloused from the cold autumn air, to silence the scream
building up in his throat – making his mouth taste the bitter iron of the
trickles of blood that resulted without gagging. Everything was too much.
Everyone around him was too much.
No, not too much … too little.
It was a naïve wish, the type of childish nonsense that had been beaten out of
him from years upon years of heartbreak that he was forced to experience and
live through. A frail want for love that had poisoned his mind into thinking
maybe at last he had found acceptance with the Campers and was finally safe
again. But he wasn’t, he never could be and Nico was so tired of dreaming
otherwise. His mind flashed rapidly through the various cases of bad luck that
seemed to follow him in a steady stream of self-loathing. His legs game up
under him as he dropped into a frightened ball; was it always this cold? Nico’s
teeth chattered from a sudden shift in temperature as his arms prickled from
goose pimples breaking out along his arms. His body was shaking, he observed
with a strange and terrifying detached thread of thought, not seizure shaking
but small shakes a person with prolonged frost bite that made his body feel
numb yet pained like a thousand pins were jabbing into his skin. He wiped sweat
off of his forehead, even though he was freezing. He couldn't’ breathe
normally, as he was trying to catch his breath. His mind raced faster, and
faster as vague and unconnected dashes of thoughts danced across it like rocks
skipping across a lake. He felt like he was drowning, freezing and definitely
unhinged as his eyes slammed shut from the immense strain of holding himself
together.
Was that a sound? A predator? Should he get up to protect himself? Why get up?
Stay and get eaten; a gory death for a monster is a fitting end after all for
someone like him. A Monster. A Freak. A Demon. Abomination. Not worthy of life.
Why can’t he die, why could he never find the strength to die. It was so cruel!
Couldn’t he have a single moment of peace for himself?
A vague and blurry outline shifted in front of him, but his gaze was glassy and
unfocused, so he couldn’t make them out. Was this the person who would end his
suffering? He didn’t know whether to thank them or end himself before they
could for the grim satisfaction of for once choosing the method of his fate. He
tried to breath, to take one last sweet gasp of air to treasure on the way down
to his father’s house where the stale air would be his only solace. Solace.
Will … oh the Gods he must be so angry right now. Shadow travelling was
something Nico had promised not to do anymore after all; doctor’s orders.
He would be angry, so angry right now with him. Did Will have any plans on
hurting him? He was a doctor after all, but Nico had seen him in battle before
and he knew that he could kill if motivated. And boy did Nico just give him
some motivation so when Will most likely found him – no doubt the boy would
punch him one for the disobedience. Will was very strong, he may not look it,
but Nico had seen him fireman lift a couple of Ares kids once without breaking
a sweat, so no doubt Will could definitely do some damage if he ever put his
mind to it. Nico thought about Will punching him a lot; not in a friendly ‘hi
bro!’ way like Percy and Jason did but in a ‘what the fuck you freak!’ way. It
was a horrible conclusion he had imagined to every situation Nico had posed in
regards to Nico confessing his crush on the doctor and no matter how many times
Reyna had told him that Will would never harm him – Nico had a very difficult
time believing it. After all; it was a sin no matter how many people tried to
tell him it wasn’t.
He was unnatural, a lecherous pervert of the most disgusting kind who should be
shunned and beaten until the gay went away. He couldn’t remember much about his
life in Italy or in America when they emigrated over with his mother, but he
could remember as clear as day one scene of a man being beaten with a rod at
church while a woman screamed horrifying things at him. It had scared him,
especially that young, and Nico supposed this fear was one of the reasons why
the memory was so clear. The man had been caught kissing another man and now
the woman was accusing him of sodomising children because of his illness making
him a sexual deviant or something like that. He remembered the sobbing man
crying and the sound of his skin breaking from the blows as it got violent
enough for blood to be drawn even there at the sacred steps of the Church his
mother had taken them to for Mass. Nico had been haunted for weeks when the
memory slapped him in the face after he’d collapsed from exhaustion just before
he’d found Percy at New Rome and the sheer amount of pain he’d felt from the
revealed memory had almost crippled him then.
He was the man in the church now; only the Campers had decided that beating
Nico to death would be too hazardous enough for their health and so had
resorting to crude comments at the bonfire that night. Two girls from Hermes
had been in conversation together all throughout the festivities and eventually
Nico managed to listen in on what they were saying. Horrible things really like
how Nico should attend some other camp to get himself ‘straightened out’ and
how its shame that chemical castration isn’t more common place for people like
him.
The whispered words had burned his ears; they knew.
How the fuck did they know? Jason had sworn that he would never reveal Nico’s
secret and strange as it was for a child of Hades to trust a child of Zeus – he
knew that after everything he’d been through with the boy that he could trust
his word more than anyone. So, who had told him about his condition? Probably
Percy, that utter fucking idiot had probably blurted it out at dinner one night
and now everyone was probably going to reach for their torches to lynch him
before he corrupted any of the children at camp. He should go, he should hide,
he should flee.
A howl echoed in the distance, pained and afraid, and Nico shivered as it made
him begin to wake from the catatonic state he was in. “Got to go, I’ve got to
go!” Nico muttered to himself as a wave of sickness made him sharply shut his
mouth before he puked up everywhere. He felt a hand graze him and a lurching
sensation brought him back down to the earthly plane with a sickening gasp as
he felt the world pinching and pulling him in all different directions. He
couldn’t see; was it really this late? Gods, it had felt like a few moments but
maybe he’d been sitting there freaking out for hours – his legs felt numb
enough to justify it. So dark, so cold, so alone – it was just like Tartarus
all over again, just like the jar all over again. Nico hated the dark now, it
whispered and taunted him so anytime he’d wake up in the darkness of Cabin 13
there was always the risk he’d be screaming or darting away into the corner in
a panicked moment of terror that always freaked Hazel out every time she was
woken up by her brother’s mental breakdowns. A wave of guilt heaped onto him,
Hazel … was she ok? If people knew he was gay – did they start to think Hazel
was infected with the same sickness too? Frank would protect her, he loved her
deeply and Nico always appreciated that, but the taunts would break her mind
faster than anything Gaea could do – he should leave, take the heat off her so
people wouldn’t hurt her.
Hazel ... Got to protect little sister; Nico's mind shouted at him.
A hand was holding his face and he could make out the identity of the person
now to be his always pissed off step mother Persephone herself looking at him
with those piercing brown eyes that always seemed to curse him every time they
landed on him. Oh Gods, she was watching him break down. He couldn’t deal with
her insults today, couldn’t deal with her barely covered disgust over
everything Nico ever did. Why her? Hadn’t he suffered enough. The darkness set
in and Nico’s mouth allowed but one word to escape him in a terrified and
gasped panic; “Dark!”. Really, that was all he could do? Might as well have
thrown his parentage in her face for all the good it would do. Why would she
care about him feeling terrified of the dark, no doubt she was here to berate
him for something or turn him into another of her plants like before. Maybe
that was a good thing – life as a pansy might be better than the one he was
being given and maybe he’d even be able to rest in peace on the beach front
instead of having to face the inevitable walk back to camp to meet the
disgusted stares of everyone again.
Small specs of light seemed to shine down on them. Fireflies, his mind supplied
as he watched the little insects dart around and light up the blanket of
darkness that had set over them. He realised in that moment that he loved them,
loved the little insects that had answered his prayers and had illuminated the
darkness surrounding him. They were so pretty, darting around kindly to some
unspoken melody with a grace and rhythm no mortal could ever understand. He
said a private prayer to the Gods of whom ever had dominion over the trivial
things; thanking them for the kind gesture. His eyes focused a little on
Persephone before he realised three things.
One; somewhere between collapsing at the beachside and becoming aware of his
surroundings he’d gained possession of a blanket made of the softest sheepskin
he’d ever felt. Really; it was so warm, so soft and so calming that for half a
moment he wondered if it was the golden fleece hanging on Thalia’s Tree at Camp
and whether he should be prepared for that damn dragon to start raining down
vengeance on the person who’d stolen its treasure before he noticed the pure
white colour as opposed to the golden sheen of that particular fleece along
with the fact that this one was a lot fresher than the ancient treasure hanging
from that familiar tree. He pulled it closer; snuggling into the warmth it
provided against the frigid air and the comfort that it brought him was
overwhelmingly making him want to sob in thanks to whoever had gifted it to
him.
Two; under the two of them was a cotton picnic blanket with the cliché pattern
of red and white check that seemed to be one of those unspoken American
tradition that movies always portrayed in really bad horror films where two
teenagers get horrifically torn apart by some monster after making out on the
clichéd blanket like idiots. There was even a picnic basket that smelled
heavenly to Nico’s rumbling stomach that ached for the treats hidden inside;
with the scent of fresh bread and sweet strawberry jam making him near drool
with want. He knew he should be eating better, doctor’s orders and all, but
after the experience with Persephone’s pomegranate seeds in the Jar he’d always
felt sick after eating mortal food and so took very little portions and very
small bites at dinner times as a result. A mere sandwich now filled him up and
anything past a small plateful made him violently sick as if his stomach was
rebelling even against itself. Therefore; Nico had been eating like a mouse
ever since the War and the almost emancipated look on his frame in the mirror
every morning was the result.
Finally, three; that Persephone was gently rubbing small circles on his arms
with a reassuring yet pleading look on her face that was so strange Nico felt
like he’d been sucked into an alternate dimension. Her eyes were slightly puffy
though, with faint trails that seemed to be from tears that had been quickly
covered up with a few layers of makeup, so Nico was vaguely confused as to what
could make a Goddess cry so bitterly. Her fingers, soft and gentle to the touch
like he’d imagined his mother’s hands to be like, were small and dainty with
the nails being short, clean and well maintained so each time she stroked a
circle they wouldn’t scratch him. Normally Nico was adverse to touch but this
was … wonderful really, motherly in a way that Nico had been craving ever since
he’d got out of that damn Casino as a kid with Bianca and no mother beside
them. So, light, barely there but so wonderfully there at the same time, they
were like tiny kisses that Nico clung to like a life line to get him out of the
shadows of the panic attack desperately. He took a hurried breath, breathing in
a homely smell of cinnamon and apples that pervaded around the Goddess – making
him crave the flaking sweetness of a fresh apple pie made sweet with a lightly
dusting of sugar with a fiery vengeance. He also suddenly wanted to take a long
and peaceful walk through the woods in order to satisfy the other scent that
could only be described as being like fallen leaves kicked into piles for
children to dive on as the seasons changed.
Persephone kneeled in front of him, dressed in an outfit so absurdly mortal
that he'd thought that maybe she wasn’t even Persephone at all for just a split
moment. His eyes concentrated on a cream coloured woollen beanie that graced
her head, with a small cream puff ball at the top that slumped a little to the
right in an adorable way that almost made Nico smile a little. Her hair was
drawn back into an elegant pony tail underneath the hat with a gold and black
ornate hairband holding it in place - a snake he noted with glowing ruby eyes
as it ate its own body with ravenous want that looked off considering the
sweetness of the rest of the outfit. A thin morning sun coloured wool cardigan
draped down to her hip that contrasted wonderfully against her casual looking
cotton dress that was primarily white with orangey-yellow floral patterns
fading on it like tiny spiderwebs frozen with frost that glimmered slightly in
the fireflies’ dim yet comforting light. Underneath she wore some black
leggings to protect against the cold which led Nico’s gaze down to a pair of
what looked like tan coloured leather boots that reached up to her calf and
were obviously very comfortable compared to Nico’s own falling apart converses
that were always needing repairing.
Overall; she looked like an ordinary but aesthetically pleasing girl – not
something Nico was prepared for after seeing her so often in full length gowns
in the underworld. Maybe it was just an summer-fading-into-autumn thing or
maybe just being above ground made her less formal than her underworld
counterpart because no one was calling her the Queen of the Underworld up here.
Approachable, Nico would describe her as, like she’d share a cup of coffee with
you and chat about her semester at some arts collage with a genuine smile on
their face. The touches were so wonderful, Nico didn’t want to ruin the perfect
moment by talking so eventually Persephone broke the silence between them with
a small sigh of relief at probably sensing his now level breathing and awake
eyes. “… Just breath now ok? Everything here is safe; the darkness is gone, and
you are loved and protected here. Your family is protected, and your sister is
alive and happy thanks to you. Hazel is ok, your camp mates are ok, everything
is ok. There is no danger here; no one wishes you harm and everyone here loves
you deeply. I need you to remember that Nico; the love of your friends can you
think of it. Think of Hazel, think of Reyna, Think of Jason, and Piper, and
Percy and Annabeth. Think of ... think of your father and how you are a very
important and brave person who he couldn’t be happier to call son. You are not
in any danger; you have a future which is bright and happy. You are going to
help Hazel in her schoolwork, help her with her train when her wedding day
comes and hold her children when they come to visit. You have a future, and
that future is happy and alive. Keep that thought very safely in your mind;
it’s a happy one so I want you to imagine it and then let it fill you up, so it
can dispel any bad thoughts you may be having. Then remember to breathe!” she
spoke softly, with a warming tone that made him think of a roaring fireplace
and safety. Nico concentrated as he breathed. In, out, in, out he murmured as
the panic attack slowly faded away into the dark recesses of his mind. That
wasn’t exactly the reaction he was expecting from Persephone on discovering him
basically being a complete mess. So easily she could have broken him down
further by making fun of him until he cried but she didn’t … why didn’t she.
Persephone had never hidden her distaste for his existence before – a fact he
was both angered and grateful for because although it hurt at least she wasn’t
lying to him or going behind his back to get revenge on the illegitimate
offspring of her husband. She didn’t like him, he didn’t like her, she turned
him into plants, and he insulted her verbally to her face. That was the status
quo; so why change now.
“Before you ask; no, I am not nor, would I ever make fun of someone having a
panic attack – I’ve had plenty before and I know how terrifying they are – nor
am I going to ask you about why you are here and not tucked up in bed like the
other children are. Hazel knows where you are as do the rest of the other
campers, I have left them strict instructions through Chiron to leave you alone
for now and not to disturb you tonight while you recover. I’ll be right here as
you do so; so, you can vent, scream, cry or rant over whatever you want but I
don’t think being alone is the best course of action right now. Now; would you
like a cup of hot chocolate? It’s quite chilly and I’ve been reliably informed
that chocolate is a cure-all for whatever ails anybody ever from panic attacks
to the odd murderous mood swing!” she smiled sweetly, and Nico thought that if
this was a trap then Persephone was a damn good actress to pull of such a
genuine act. Still he hesitated a few moments before nodding his assent towards
the hot drink; delivered a small yellow mug with white geometric shapes for
decoration and looking absolutely mouth-watering with its perfect ratio of pink
and white marshmallows and a soft layer of cream that definitely would give him
a sugar high later on. A small stick of cinnamon rose out of the depths of the
mug which he carefully removed so he could quietly munch down without making
too much mess. The actual drink itself was neither too hot nor too cold, and
was almost enough to make Nico want to just curl up and sleep for the rest of
the week thanks to the haze it created in his mind.
Persephone herself just sat there, delicately eating from a small bowl of ripe
strawberries that she dipped lightly into a saucer of melted white chocolate
with nimble amusement. Why she even decided to indulge in mortal food was
beyond Nico’s understanding, after all Olympians to his knowledge normally just
consumed Nectar and Ambrosia for sustenance with Mr D being the only who seemed
interested in consuming mortal things in his consumption of Pepsi and wine but
that was just because of his role so it didn’t count. Maybe she just wanted to
indulge or perhaps she was just using the fruits as a diversion while she
waited for her stupid step-son to quit crying about his sad life, so she could
do whatever Goddesses normally do. Either way; it wasn’t his place to talk
about what she did or didn’t do – it would just cause another argument between
them and he admitted to like the comfortable silence between them as for a few
moments he could pretend that he wasn’t living the life he was dealt with and
that he was just having a picnic with his mother or something like that.
A small giggle woke him from his thoughts; great now she was laughing at him –
well silence over! Nico prepared himself for a barrage of insults but was
stunned when she gestured to a small dollop of warm cream that had gathered
somehow on his cheek to the Goddess’s amusement. Nico didn’t know whether to
find the noise offensive or adorable; because it was definitely one of the most
musical things he’d ever heard with its light and tinkling nature. In that
moment; she wasn’t some all-powerful Goddess who looked at him like he was
roadkill because of his illicit existence but a friend, a maternal figure like
Reyna and thus a fallible creature just like him with her own weaknesses and
problems to deal with and her own demons to fight. Human, mortal even, in a
certain light and Nico blushed as he quickly brushed away the offending cream
with a small swipe of the back of his hand.
“You know; you are very cute when you want to be!” Persephone mused as she
reached for her own drink – a crystal glass full of what looked like either a
very deep brown apple juice or sherry – which she casually sipped with the
elegance of a well-bred lady of status. Nico’s ears burned red at the comment;
a deep shade of crimson that was made worse by the paleness of his skin after
so long in the shadows. A furious tirade of anger built up inside him but was
cooled as soon as Persephone spoke again. “At times I think you look almost
exactly like your father ... you certainly have the quirks of him down. The
fierce blush when he’s embarrassed on his ears, the slight wrinkle of the nose
when he’s grumpy about something or other. You even have the habit it seems of
double-knotting your shoes like him because of his general clumsy footwork when
he’s annoyed meant that one time he tripped over some pleading soul and
faceplanted into a marble column and thus has never forgotten to tie them
properly again. But there it is; your mother’s smile, the same warmth and
determination passed down to you by a woman who had ... who had loved and been
loved by ... my husband to the very end. You look a lot like her you know?”
A cloud seemed to come over Persephone over the mention of Nico’s mother; a
sore subject to be sure and instantly the reference cooled any hint of
amusement that the image of his father falling over and embarrassing himself
had produced. Did he really look like them that much? He’d always been very
observant of his father’s character and features as he often tried to find the
similarities between himself and the God. He had his father’s dark hair, he
figured, and some of his other characteristics like his infamous fatal flaw of
holding grudges and being generally quite sombre in nature but what did he
inherit from his mom? He remembered very little of her after all the waters of
the Lethe did and Hades definitely didn’t like to speak much on the subject of
Maria Di Angelo unless absolutely necessary because of the discomfort it
brought Persephone herself and because the subject seemed to raw and painful to
itch at again. There was also a concerning look of ... something when she
brought up his father. Maybe they had a fight and she was hiding out here until
he had calmed down?
He’d always wanted to know though, and the desire must have been plain on his
face because Persephone’s dark eyes seemed to study him closely before speaking
again. “The similarities are quite striking when you look closely. In my
jealousy when I discovered my husbands' ... attraction to your mother I admit
to hiring some friends of mine to find out about her so I could somehow use it
against her to take back my husband's attention. According to them; she was a
very petite woman, a subject she was quite touchy about because she had to keep
asking her taller father and Hades to get things down from cabinets when she
cooked. Very expressive as well, with a mouth like a sailor and a huge array of
Italian curse words that often got thrown at Hade’s way when he annoyed her or
acted above her by accident. He mentioned her proclivity towards gesturing a
lot when speaking – even breaking his nose once when he snuck up behind her
when she was speaking to her annoying neighbour to her continued guilt.
Talented with the Piano, and had a voice like the most beautiful opera singer
on the planet – that’s how he courted her you know? Took her to the Italian
Opera for three weeks going so she could listen to the music and play it from
ear at home on an ancient piano her family had owned for generations upon
generations. She also loved her family, often calling on her mama and papa
every day when Bianca was little for advice or just a general chat on her way
back from the shops to their continued delight as they loved having a
granddaughter to dote on despite Maria not being married. Their names were … I
think it was Isabella and Gabriel if I remember my friend telling me correctly
… housewife and butcher by trade and very stern towards Hades when he saw them
because he never married Maria to legitimise Bianca. Anyway; let’s just say
Hades had quite a couple of near death experiences from Mr Di Angelo’s
assortment of butcher knives whenever they came to visit and leave it at that.
But Maria loved him, with all her heart and soul, and I … I can’t say I blame
her in the end!” Nico watched Persephone close her eyes as if to wave off the
urge to cry that Nico himself was definitely feeling. So, his mother was
temperamental it seemed, expressive and passionate in nature, and very
musically inclined. Nico filed away the information for later within the
deepest recesses of his mind, so he could ponder its implications for later.
Nico smiled sadly a little at the words, both out of grief of never knowing
what sounded like a very independent and strong woman and out of respect for
the woman in front of him who was trying so hard to not let the past get
between them again. He reached out a hand to place on hers in reassurance as he
studied the pained look on her face and the shuddering breath she took as she
opened her eyes once again to face the reality of the situation. Maybe this was
the reason for her wet cheeks and the fading yet ever present despair that lay
within those dark eyes? “Don’t feel bad about it; after all it was her decision
to love a married man and my husband has always had a weakness for women of
strength – not yours. You are my husband’s child, out of wedlock obviously but
still you are his son and I … I admit to allowing my jealousy blind me to your
innocence of that and I’m sorry for it!” Persephone looked down as she spoke
the words, obviously full of remorse and guilt for her treatment of him in the
past – and for one single moment he considered the ramifications of what she
was saying.
She was apologising. She was genuinely taking responsibility for a past
mistake; something that not many Gods had ever had the strength of character to
do and, yet this woman was strong enough to admit it outright. Nico felt a wave
of grateful confusion come over him as he whispered a quiet thank-you,
frightened of breaking the rare moment.
Persephone looked up, with a face of regretful sorrow as if she couldn’t quite
understand why he was thanking her. “I mean it, Nico, I am truly sorry for my
actions and the horrid way I’ve been treating you. I let my jealousy and
paranoia overwhelm me and that is not acceptable. When I found out about
Maria’s existence, and was informed by my friends about her location, I admit
to secretly following your father along when he visited your family for what
must have been the second to last time before she … before she passed away. I
had convinced myself that she was just another Marie Levesque and that the
affair would end shortly after the birth of Bianca but what I saw … well I was
terrified of it. It was a Sunday I think; the sun was shining overhead, and
your mother must have thought that as a treat she would take the two of you out
to the park. I remember how she looped her hand around his as he walked with
you and Bianca playing in the sand in front of them; how she smiled so softly
and sweetly that it made even the stoic Hades blush and stammer like a
terrified schoolboy. How her voice was so beautifully curt yet melodic with her
accent curling around words like she was reciting a very dramatic yet sarcastic
poem. It … it broke me. This was not like the other affairs, this was not one
that I could just pretend didn’t exist, Maria Di Angelo was there to stay it
seemed and I was terrified of her in that moment. After all; she could so
easily have replaced me if she ever spoke the words what with the amount of
devotion that Hades obviously had for her and the respect she had gained from
him from their long courtship greatly contrasted my own frigid and cold
treatment of him in that era as he pulled away more and neglected our marriage
in favour of supporting his other children instead. I had no children by him,
and there Maria was with two perfect heirs ripe to be placed in honour while I
was cast down and mocked for the shell of a marriage I clung to. It’s the
perils of being a queen I suppose, to live in fear of being replaced by someone
younger and more beautiful because they could provide while I could not. I have
never been able to give a child to my husband, never been able to have the
sweet joy of holding my own flesh and blood for the first time and watching
them grow up under my guidance. I am a Queen with no heir, a position of
dangerous connotations because no matter how much Hades may claim to love me –
as he can never truly make the fear of being replaced go away. I wanted so much
to have a child in those early days of marriage, to secure my position and
ensure that my husband’s legacy was secured. I did everything I could,
consulted with so many doctors and fertility Gods that I should have been able
to do it but year after year of trying has led to nothing. I’ve screamed at
every single one of my relatives, begged Hera and Artemis for the chance to be
a mother, but nothing has worked. So … so that’s why when I see you and Hazel,
when I am reminded that other women instead of me have been blessed with
children that I get …. I get so angry that I forget that it is not their fault.
That I am punishing innocent people for my own failures instead of taking
responsibility for my own weaknesses … and I regret it. I regret it deeply.
That’s why I came here today … to try and ask your forgiveness for my actions
even if I don’t deserve it and to plead for another chance at it!”
The outpouring of emotion was only furthered when she knelt in front of him,
desperately trying to appeal to him in order to gain the forgiveness she so
obviously craved. Nico felt sorry for her, truly sorry because he had before
treated his father’s wife with so little care or appreciation for how difficult
Nico’s very existence must be for her. To live in fear of being replaced; how
painful a prospect and how familiar. Her eyes were watering with shamed tears
as she awaited his verdict with a look of pained desperation. In that moment;
Nico was quietly reminded of the cautionary words of William Blake in his poem
about 'A poison tree' (poetry after all was one of Hazel's most beloved
pastimes apart from horse racing and annoying her big brother by having
extraordinarily long showers just so she could tease him about being late to
the War meetings despite it being all her fault ... they really needed a
bathroom schedule ...) in regards to the situation evolving now. How did it go
again? Hazel always seemed to hum poetry under her breathe when she was nervous
so it wasn't too hard to remember.
"I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And I watered it in fears,
Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.
And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright;
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine,
And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole:
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree."
A caution of holding grudges, Nico noted, which as a child of Hades - he tended
to do. He felt right in admitting himself that he wished to avoid that
particular fate; and so finalised his mind towards giving forgiveness. He would
forgive her, of course he'd forgive her. It was natural for her to be jealous
and afraid of Nico, Bianca, and Hazel because they were, at least back then,
very real threats to both her marriage and position as Queen. Nico breathed
deeply as he spoke; “You want to try again?” with a soft look of understanding.
A peace truce, a white flag to stand against the infighting of before. And
something he truly wanted to experience again now he knew the reasons behind
her what seemed like before petty behaviour. 
“With all my heart; I want to. I should have reconciled myself sooner to my own
faults, but my pride and ego have always blinded me. I know I do not deserve
it; I have acted disgracefully to you from day one and I have treated you worse
than I should have. When you came to us I should have taken you into my arms;
should have held you tight and took away your pain over losing your sister but
I didn’t. I tore at you, insulted you and belittled a boy – a child going
through unimaginable amounts of pain – and that will be one of my greatest
mistakes and failures. I readily admit to it; I made a mistake and I can only
hope for your forgiveness for my actions which have been unmistakeably evil and
wrong!” Persephone spoke fragmentedly as she looked him in the eyes with a
courage beyond that of any mere God or Hero. She was truly a woman of character
that she would be prepared to apologise to her husband’s bastard son so
honestly and with so little pomp or derision.
The words were truthful, and Nico’s heart knew his response. “I … I forgive
you. And …. And I want to start over – to turn over a new page and start
again!” his words seemed to not be heard for a moment but then a look of
shocked relief spread over her face and for a moment Nico thought she might hug
him. Nico was still getting used to the whole touching thing though, so he
permitted her to hold his hand in thanks as she smiled a smile that could rival
the sun and stars in its hope filled brightness. He took a breath and shook her
hand as he said the next fateful words; “Hello; my name is Nico Di Angelo – I’m
a son of your husband and you are?”
“Well; everyone calls me by Persephone but as you are family I suppose you
could call me by my actual name of Kore in private if you want? Now do you want
something to eat because if your stomach keeps rumbling like that you’ll cause
an earthquake!” she laughed, a small yet tinkling giggle as she moved to cut
open a small loaf of fresh bread that’s scent signalled it was probably Pane
casareccia – Nico’s personal favourite and the food that Ambrosia always tasted
like whenever he needed. Quickly slicing the bread, Persephone gestured to him
a small collection of jams for his usage and he quickly handed her his
favourite which was an orange marmalade with ginger that just tasted so good on
the spongy soft bread. She quickly took the jar and spread the contents
generously across the now buttered surface of the slice before handing it to
him gently.
A thought occurred to him.
“Perseph-!” Nico stopped himself before continuing; “Kore. You mentioned before
that you had experience with panic attacks; was that because you’re a Goddess
of Spring and you spend half the year away from your domain? Because if it is
then maybe I could …!” Nico didn’t get to finish because he noticed immediately
that her face tightened and her fingers twitched at the question. For a moment,
Nico didn’t know if he had offended or embarrassed or maybe annoyed her –
probably all three. Stupid!
“No … um … not from that. I … well … I …. I spent a few months in Tartarus a
very long time ago and its never … it’s never really healed over. It was after
the first time Hades cheated on me with Leuke, an Oceanid, and I wanted to be
alone for a while to try and deal with my own broken heart and pride at being
just another Olympian bride bound forever to another God who would disregard
his marital vows for the sake of a pretty face. As I wandered; I began to cry,
and the sound attracted the attention of … Him!” Kore/Persephone spoke quietly
as Nico looked in shock at the admission. She had been in Tartarus too? Why
hadn’t he been told? Surely Hades must have known about this, but the line
about Leuke made him feel even more sympathy for Persephone/Kore and anger at
Hades for neglecting his wife in favour of chasing down women like his brothers
before him.
“Who?” Nico asked softly, not wanted to spook her but still curious about the
tale that had never been told before now.
“Alcyoneus. He had reformed at that time despite your father’s attempts
otherwise and happened upon me by accident while trying to excavate a way into
the Underworld, so his warriors could overwhelm my husband and thus destroy
Hades without the Olympian’s interference. Then he discovered me and well …
after that it gets blurry. I remember faint hints of Tartarus itself, the
horrible feeling of never seeing sunlight again, a tragic longing for something
I just can't describe and being so weak that I felt myself beginning to fade
away. Eventually I must have escaped Alcyoneus’ prison because I found myself
being tended to by Hecate on the tops of one the Roman mountains after she
found me wandering in a distressed and unhinged manner. She tended my physical
wounds and managed to brew together a potion from the waters of Lethe to make
me forget the pain and suffering of that place, but my mind has never truly
forgotten it, so I suffer horrid nightmares and chronic panic attacks every
time winter gets too powerful for me to endure. I have survived however; and
so, will you – I promise that!” Persephone/Kore stated with adamant
stubbornness and Nico didn’t know if it was for his sake or hers. Nico knew
that using the waters of Lethe was possible for an Olympian to be affected by
but he couldn’t quite blame her for doing so because Nico wanted to do the
same. He would have to had it not have been for the terrible fear of losing all
his memories again like last time; Nico would have ran straight to the river
without hesitation if it meant he’d be somewhat at peace again. Truly; he felt
a wave of respect gather in him for the woman who’d faced such a terrifying
trauma and yet still stood strong and as proud as ever.
“I’ve never heard of any myths tell of that; I would have thought it would have
been celebrated for a Goddess of Spring to survive and escape the darkness all
on her own. Why aren’t you?” he asked gently again, growing bold in her
honesty. They were talking, speaking as equals instead of mortal enemies and it
felt so good to talk to a familiar again.
“Of course not; I covered it up so none of the Olympians would use it as a
weakness that they could take advantage of. Your father can never know of it
... I can never show weakness on that front but Hecate knows. It’s pretty much
the reason why me and Hecate get along so well – well that and she is a pretty
badass lady with her witchy powers and all. Don’t tell her I said that though
because that girl is seriously not in need of another ego boost at the moment!”
Persephone/Kore spoke dismissively, as she obviously used the comedy of the
memories to hide her real pain that shone from her eyes. She didn’t want to be
adored for her captivity, didn’t want to be followed around by her trauma,
didn’t want to be defined by it even if it meant concealing the event from
those she loved. How hadn't he noticed how broken she looked before?
“Hazel speaks highly of her!” Nico supplied in order to help her get pasted the
obvious amount of sober and awkward air of Persephone/Kore as she attempted to
hide her weaknesses like before. Changing the topic was the only way Nico saw
to keep the conversation alive at that point.
“And Hecate speaks highly of Hazel; been moaning ever since the war ended and
Hazel refused her tutelage. Keeps going on and on about the stubbornness of
Hades and how badass she could make your sister if given a chance and a couple
of months of tutoring. Practically wants to adopt her just like Hestia does
with you!” Nico looked at her with shock; not quite believing it. He believed
that his little (maybe older – Nico didn’t know) sister could cultivate respect
from the Goddess of witchcraft well enough. After all; it was Hazel Levesque,
one of the strongest people he’d known except perhaps Reyna, but Hestia
actually thought highly of him. That was something he couldn’t understand.
“Hestia?” he asked as he pondered the reason for this statement. Why would
Hestia want to adopt him? Of course; he always spoke to the Goddess whenever he
saw her because he recognised a forgotten and lonely soul a mile away. She was
quite sweet actually, with a quick wit and a golden smile that made him forget
everything bad in his life for a few moments. They spoke about various things;
the dangers that the Camp was in, the exploits of the God’s past mistakes and
other frivolous things but all the time she’d been patient with him as she
walked him through various issues he was confused about like she was his elder
sister Bianca reborn to explain the actual usage of the strange bleeping thing
people spoke into (a telephone). Even in the underworld, Nico had seen and
spoken to her, and this was often very curious because Gods as Nico knew could
not enter the domain of others without permission. Perhaps it was the presence
of the flame which allowed her entry or the fact that Hades, no matter you’re
actual opinion on it, was really a home to everyone – the last home they could
ever have. Either way; she was probably the most easily approachable and
kindest Goddess he’d ever spoken to and a feeling of joy came over him at being
considered worthy enough to be adopted by the woman.
“Yeah; she’s been whispering your praises ever since you spoke to her that
night years ago at the campfire. Thankfully she’s been a little less
melodramatic than Hecate but still just as fiercely proud of the man you have
become. The House of Hades’ pride and joy, she calls you both with you being
the pride because of your awe-inspiring bravery and Hazel being his joy because
of her sweet and yet vicious temperament. I do have to give you a word of
warning though because I’m pretty sure I saw her with her knitting needles out
again and last time that happened there was a minor incident where Zeus was
cursed to keep spitting out strands of wool every time he spoke because he
insulted her technique. Love that girl but she’s a little scary when she
forgets the whole 'peace is love' routine and goes dark side; so be sure to
take whatever knitted monstrosity she gives you with good faith because I’d
hate to admit you to the Underworld with a similar injury!” Persephone/Kore
used her elbow to gentle poke him in the stomach lightly as a small chuckle
escaped him. The idea of Zeus with a mouthful of rainbow coloured wool was
absurdly funny to him, and the praise given by Persephone/Kore was beyond
words. He was his father’s greatest pride? Warmth filled pleasure at being
acknowledged and praised by the Goddess filled him up with a strong conviction
to do his father proud from that moment on. He would give honour to the House
of Hades; and he would dedicate his life to establishing a reputation of
respect for his family among those who’d snarked at him. Suddenly the cruel
comments of the girls seemed less and less significant when this knowledge was
given to him. After all; he was his father’s pride and they were just mean
idiots who barely even knew their parents. Take that!
“Maybe she’ll turn my head into a ball of yarn or strangle me with a knitted
rainbow noose?” he snorted in laughter at the idea, please let that actually be
a thing! He would give both arms to sit in on that person as they approached
the halls of judgement with that around their necks. Just the look on
Jefferson’s face would have been worth it!
“More likely she’ll stick the needle where the sun doesn’t shine. That reminds
me; I have a gift for you!” Persephone/Kore looked away, so she could pick
through what looked like a very packed woven backpack beside the picnic basket
with an expression of apprehension on her face as well as annoyance because it
wasn’t obviously where she could reach it. A few small cursed mutters and
finally she faintly cheered quietly as she held out a little silver rectangular
device to him that looked completely alien. A telephone maybe, but he’d never
seen something like this before.
“I have no clue what this is?” he asked as he carefully studied the small thing
with furrowed eyebrows. Connected to it was a long dangling set of earphones
but the device could have been a flying saucer for all he knew.
“It’s an iPod, long story short the creator of it annoyed me so now he’s fixing
the Underworld Wifi for eternity and as a result so I got possession of it and
its been sitting unused for a few years until I thought of you. It’s a music
device that the mortals created; just use the little wheel to change the song
and change the volume. I’ve downloaded a couple thousand songs onto it and
thought that maybe if you ever feel like everything is getting too much that
you can just plug it in and get some peace and quiet away from everything. Most
of the selection is early 20th century music like swing but there’s some Blues,
some Jazz and even a couple early rock ‘n’ roll tracks that I thought might
make you feel more at home. Just flick through it and you can make your own
mind up; and if you don’t like anything then just tell one of the Campers and
they will be able to help you modify it with their laptops. Its got warding so
it won’t attract any monsters and near indestructible so you won’t have to
worry about accidentally destroying it. Even managed to replicate the spell
that Percy has on that silly sword of his so it won’t get lost in the middle of
the battle! What do you think?” Nico was stunned to receive a gift with such
obvious heartfelt intent behind it. She was giving him a lifeline, a way to
block out the darkness and retreat into nostalgia and peaceful memories. He
looked at her for a moment, before pulling her close into an intimate embrace
in thanks for the regard she had shown him as he tucked the device into his
pocket. Ever since Bianca died; Nico had found himself unable to stand physical
contact but for at least this time he let down that guard, so he could properly
treat his new … friend with the same intimate thought as she did him. He
whispered a thank-you to her for the present; smiling at the feeling of warmth
that radiated down her dark skin onto his pale hands. Was this what it felt
like when Maria Di Angelo held him close?
“You are very welcome, Nico, now if I’m not mistaken there was something that
forced you out here and I’m anxious to make sure that you are safe here so I’m
not going to ask for details – only if there is someone here who is making you
unhappy!” a sharp look of hidden yet still present anger revealed a little more
of the mysterious nature of his step-mother. A hidden vicious creature
dedicated to protecting her own; a mama bear waiting to maul anything that
harmed her family. The thought brought him comfort as he tried to piece
together a real reason for his presence on the cold shores of the beach front.
It was difficult; but Nico tried to answer as truthfully as he could. “It’s
just … I feel lost. I’ve been trying to repair my life ever since … ever since
Bianca died but every time I take a step forward – everyone else just shoves me
away. I hear them whispering, you know, about me being weaker than the other
members of the Seven. It’s been a week since the War ended and still I’m out of
breath if I train for longer than an hour and my shadow travelling is extremely
temperamental so I’m not free to go where I want where people don’t stare at me
as I pass them by. It’s like every time I go anywhere in this stupid camp
here’s always going to be whispers and cruel gossip said about me and it hurts
because I am trying but I just don’t know what else to do. They won’t let me
train new campers because they say I haven’t recovered and been cleared by my
Doctor yet, but I know it’s because they don’t want their younger siblings
around me. They don’t want me anywhere near them because …. Because they think
I’ll infect them. They think I’ll make them go dark, that I’m dangerous and
thus not to be trusted around them. They call me names behind my back; monster,
freak, demon child, abomination and I just can’t tell them to stop because then
they will flinch away in fear again and … and … I know I won’t survive that.
They said it today before breakfast - right in front of Hazel who must have
overheard the whole thing and now I think she's going to be disgusted with me
so I've probably just lost my sister or at the very best left her to their
mercy like a coward because I can't stand other people's judgements on me. It’s
worse on nights on the bonfire though as the Seven keeps trying to get me
involved in their games but each time they do it just makes it worse because
they reference or have games that I don’t know about. I was born before all of
it and its embarrassing to keep having to ask for explanations like I’m stupid.
I get confused all the time and their explanations just make me more confused
and round and round it goes till someone starts laughing and then I have to
just run out of there because I’m sure by that point that they hate me. Then I
have to face the dark again because of course I have to escape through shadow
travelling and what used to be something that reassured me – now it just feels
suffocating and my senses just go all over the place like there’s something
watching me, and I just can’t see it. I see things, flashes of Tartarus in the
dark that torment me and forces me to a state of panic like before. It happens
a lot at night too; in fact, I’m completely terrified of sleeping because every
time I close my eyes my mind tells me that there’s a monster just in front of
me about to hurt me and kill my sister because I wasn’t alert or strong enough
to stop it. Then I have to consider Hazel, whose got her own life ahead of her
with Frank and New Rome, and though I know it’s wrong – I don’t want her to go.
I don’t want to lose another sister, but I have to keep quiet because it’s
wrong to guilt her into staying with me instead of allowing her to do what she
loves. So, I stay quiet but it’s just killing me because I’ll lose her and
Reyna and then there’s a chance that they will forget about me. Everyone leaves
me; they say they won’t, but the winter break is coming, and people are going
to leave camp to go back to their families. Piper is heading home with Jason,
Percy and Annabeth are going to Sally’s and I’ll be left all alone again. Why
do I always get left behind?”
Nico started to breath heavily as a second panic attack began to creep in and
his instincts were fighting to make him leave the previous safety of the picnic
blanket for the shadows, so he could breakdown in private. He resisted though;
knowing that he neither had the energy to do so nor the will as he knew now
that Persephone/Kore would protect and comfort him through it. He trusted her
to do that.
“Look at me Nico! Look at me; and believe me when I tell you that you will
never, never be alone again. Your friends will not leave you – sure they have
their own lives, but you can visit them any time you want, and New Rome is your
home too as an Ambassador to Pluto, so you can go with Hazel and be with her if
you ever wanted to. No one will abandon you again; I give my oath on the River
Styx that I won’t either. I will be here, Hazel will be there, Reyna will be
there, Jason will be there, hell even Percy will be there. Whatever those girls
said about you will not change that. You are not alone; I give my word!” He
watched her eyes for any hint of treachery but saw nothing but truthful honesty
and soft concern that radiated from her very being. Nico considered her words;
considering how she may be right and how different his life was now from the
scared yester years of before. He often forgot or mistook his friend’s interest
in him to be malevolent in nature, a consequence of living in seclusion for so
long, and he knew that was something he’d have to work on in the future if he
decided to let them in.
Nico noted for the first time a small journal lying open with small cursive
writing littering the page on the Goddess’ lap along with a small ballpoint pen
in her hand. “What are you writing?” he asked, curious at its appearance. When
had that appeared? Somewhere between his rant and almost-breakdown he supposed,
and Nico tried to twist his head, so he could read the neat yet old fashioned
notes that littered the pages of the tanned leather book. It seemed old, not
ancient times old though – more like something you would find in the early 20th
century given its relative faded colour from the slightly tinted yellowing
pages. A curious thing; perhaps she had been writing in it something to do with
her duties as Queen of the Underworld while he spoke – not out of rudeness but
rather a small occupation like the other campers had to calm their ADHD
tendencies. Did the Gods have ADHD and Dyslexia too?
“When I was recovering from Tartarus; Hecate suggested that I should write a
list of activities and tasks to do to keep my body active and to improve my
situation by taking a long, hard look at my flaws and how to fix them. While
you have been speaking; I’ve been drafting a similar list for you and how I
help you along with your recovery process. You are free to disagree or argue
with them if you wish but I do ask that you trust me enough to see that I am
trying to help you out rather than just overdoing it and that I have good
reasons for each of these tasks that I hope you take into account. Do you trust
me enough to allow that?” Persephone/Kore asked honestly, with a slight hint of
nervousness that betrayed her fears to him that he did not trust nor think good
enough of her to think that her actions were with good intentions. Nico’s face
softened as he slowly finished the slice of bread that she’d given him before
as he considered the option of listening to her. If she had been through
Tartarus and knew the same trauma that Nico’s mind (now free from the
restraints of wartime) was battling than it stood to reason that she was the
best person to help with his problems.
He was nervous though since taking suggestions and doing another’s bidding
wasn’t exactly easy for him but the hope of getting better and recovering from
his wounds made the offer very desirable. He wanted to fix himself, to restore
himself to the bubbling and happy child he was when he first came to Camp Half-
blood all those years ago, if not just for himself but also for the sake of
Hazel and those who he knew were concerned for him like Reyna and Jason – with
the two of them being Nico’s almost siblings thanks to their acceptance and
patience with him. Will often tried to do it but he ... he couldn't talk to him
about these things because of how he felt about him and the awkward air that
surrounded him now that Nico knew he liked the Doctor but couldn't do anything
about it out of fear of being rejected or attacked as a perverted freak. But
with Persephone he wouldn't have that would he since she was ... well not as
close to all of this as the rest of them were. She was an unbiased sounding
board who'd be able to empathise with him a lot better than most because of
their shared experiences; so why not take her up on her offer?
Finally, after thinking the offer over fully, he spoke up “I think I can do
that; what do you suggest I do?”
“Well; first I think we have to deal with your obvious self-esteem issues so
tomorrow I’m asking you if you would allow me to make the arrangements for you,
Hazel and me to go visit some friends of mine in Brooklyn to help fix that.
These friends are completely trustworthy and have a deep amount of affection
for me, so they will find the prospect of helping us to be a privilege since I
do help them out at times with a few minor scuffles with ancient bad spirits
when I have the time. Now; I know you already are aware of other Pantheons
existing in the world because of a certain incident involving that flea bag
Anubis in New Orleans last winter so it’s not going to be such a shock to you
when I reveal that the Celtic Pantheon does exist in America. They are very
reclusive and don’t get involved in mortal stuff much anymore, but they are
willing to help us out and thus lets us all avoid my fellow Goddesses for a
while as we can all agree Aphrodite is a little too much at times to be
allowed. Now; when we head to Brooklyn the first thing I suggest to do is to
meet with a friend of mine called Clíodhna since she’s pretty easy going and
humorous with others not to mention she is the Celtic Goddess of Beauty, so I
suggest we work on your wardrobe, hair, and outer appearance first with her
help. Don’t worry about the cost – I’m married to the God of Riches – and don’t
worry about looking ridiculous. Look at me; I have an excellent eye for fashion
and Clíodhna has never steered me wrong. Plus; I think Hazel would love some
time with her favourite brother to bond over bad 1930 fashion choices and that
sort of thing is a normal experience for any sibling, so it will help normalise
you back into peace time life. There will be no danger from monsters either
since they have learned to leave me and those around me alone, so you’ll be
perfectly safe! What do you say about that?” Persephone peered at him, as if to
ask whether she was being too forward with her suggestions.
Truthfully; Nico was excited to have a break from Camp life and to have some
bonding time with his family. He knew his choice of clothing wasn’t exactly the
best so having his sister alongside him would be of help and he loved to spend
time with her anyway. The girl was seriously one of the most powerful yet
astute people he’d ever known, and he was fiercely proud of the woman she had
become and, so he did not mind her accompanying them. He had also never visited
Brooklyn before because of the Egyptians being annoying and thus not exactly
the best place for a child of a Greek Pantheon to go. Honestly from what he had
witnessed of Anubis himself; he couldn’t care less for the Egyptians if he
tried because that dog-boy was truthfully completely up himself and egotistical
to the last as if he was better than him just because his Pantheon was slightly
older. Ass. The news that there was another Pantheon in the borough came as a
bit of shock, what’s next the Pantheon of holiday spirits? Was Santa Claus
going to start yet another apocalypse and the Easter Bunny’s Demi-God – would
that be a right name for it – children going to have to stop it? Honestly it
made his head hurt. “So, the Celtic Pantheon is real too? Well I suppose we can
meet with her; I could do with some changes of clothes – I’ve been sort of
borrowing Camp clothes for a while now and I keep having hair fly in my face
when I’m training so that’s ok! What else?”
“Well; Clíodhna rooms with another friend of mine called Brigid, Celtic Goddess
of healing, so I think she’ll be perfect at doing a through health check to
help you base your recovery in. She’s very soft spoken so you’ll feel at ease
with her as she makes sure that you are well taken care of. We would want to
check on the condition of your teeth, eyes, and other minor injuries you’ve
taken this week that I’m sure will greatly benefit you in ordinary life. I
would recommend normally for the camp infirmary, but I’ve seen their equipment
and supplies so Brigid might be able to do a better job than them at the moment
while they deal with the worst of the injuries from the battle. Though; that
being said you may want to visit them anyway to talk to that really cute blond
one since he seems very interested in your welfare!” Nico spluttered at the
accusation; now how did she know about him? Honestly he was going to kick Percy
Jackson's ass for spreading rumors like that around camp - did he want Nico to
get lynched or beaten up?
Of course, Will would be mildly interested, not every day you stop a fading
case Nico supposed, but to show it to his step-mother enough for her to take
notice? He considered the Doctor for a moment as he tried his best to recall
every interaction they had ever had together. Now; Nico had little to no
experience with flirting so perhaps … no. No, not again. He’d just told Percy
that he had a past crush on him and that was the worst thing he’d ever had to
experience in his life. Sure; he liked the guy a little – it was hard not to
what with his way of getting along with pretty much everyone, the fact that
he’s got that kind, caring, and empathetic aura around him that people go mad
for and he was extremely … athletically built. He was the son of the sun God
and looked every bit the part with his strikingly kind blue eyes, nimble
surgeon’s fingers and that really annoying trait of being so tall that Nico
felt he’d have to stand on a chair just to make the height distance bearable.
The eldest son of Apollo was definitely attractive, therefore, but Nico’s stay
in the infirmary had exposed him to a few quirks that somehow had endeared him
to the Ghost King. Like his obsession with documentaries about horrible medical
accidents and serial killers that Nico accidentally found out about because
he’d borrowed the guy’s phone in order to learn more about the modern age and
found a tv watchlist for what looked like every gory drama, documentary and
horror show imaginable. Then was his habit of sleeping pretty much anywhere
when he was on a really long shift and couldn’t find it within himself to leave
the infirmary but was falling asleep on his feet. Several times while trying to
sneak out, Nico had found him lying down in between medical cots or underneath
desks or even one time against the giant industrial bin behind the big house
for all the used materials from the infirmary, leftovers from dinner and Nico
had almost broke a rib laughing at the image of the guy practically sandwiching
himself between foul smelling garbage in order to catch a few winks of sleep.
Ok … maybe Nico had been a little slow to say he was intrigued by the blonde
Doctor but there was no way in Hades that Will felt anything other than Doctor-
Patient empathy with him was there? I mean there was that time on the second
day of Nico’s imprisonment in the infirmary that Will opened up about his
childhood in Texas and how he missed his ‘ma’ and the way of doing things over
there in a way that just wouldn’t line up in Nico’s mind to be Doctorly
manners. Nico remembered for a moment the adorable frown on Will’s face as he
spoke enthusiastically about how the dining pavilion’s magic just couldn’t
quite replicate the right way of making sweet tea and how many sweeteners he’d
had to add in order to get it decent enough to be drinkable. He’d also come to
learn about a strange obsession of Will in that he always wanted to own
chickens because all his friends had them at school, but his mom never bought
them because of how annoying the clucking would be in the morning – a sore
point that would make his upper lip go into a sort of pout that damn near made
Nico walk into a wall because it was so fucking adorable. He also remembered
the heat of his cheeks when one of the Demeter girls began to have a really
animated conversation in Spanish with Will; and how when he heard Will’s
southern drawl mix with the Spanish quickly paced manner Nico almost walked
straight up to the guy and kissed him on his damn sweet-talking mouth. Will
said it was because so many families in his community immigrated over so the
school board offered a couple night classes to some of the kids so they could
integrate better and with Will being a complete southern gentlemen – he’d
dedicated himself to being able to hold his own against them in conversational
Spanish as a result. Nico’s cheeks flared pink at the memory; what was he
talking about again?
“Will is just doing his job, that’s it!” he quickly blurted out as fast as he
could when he noticed Persephone’s grin had grown big and bigger at the dazed
silence that her words threw him into. How long had he been gaping at her as he
tried to splutter together an appropriate response; an embarrassingly long time
his mind supplied. Nico quickly wanted to slap himself in the head, but his
head replied with a few choice images of Will in slightly suggestive poses that
his 1930s mind just couldn't cope with without going into full blown blush mode
so he decided to just think about his favourite things to keep his mind
focused. Hazel, Ghosts, Playing with Cerberus, murder, magic tricks, Hazel -
murdering Hazel's boyfriend Frank whenever he tried to kiss his innocent sister
a little too much - hell even a few planned pranks that he'd blame on the
Stolls and secretly bust a gut laughing from the side-lines. All the good
things!
“Really Nico; I’ve been living with your father for how many years now and I
know his traits when he’s brooding over someone he loves – our dining table
still has the marks from where he carved my name when he was still trying to
pluck up the bravery to court me – so who are you trying to fool!” Persephone
teased as she took a small sip of her sherry with a pronounced raised left eye
brow that just empathised her point. Nico’s back prickled with the accusation,
but her tone didn’t sound like she’d be launching into a sermon on the sins of
homosexuality. Rather it was maternal, soft and gentle but with the added hint
in the background that she could kick my ass if I lied to her.
“It … it doesn’t bother you?” Nico tried to process her seemingly easy
acceptance of him as a homo; was it really this easily accepted in modern
times? The girls from before and the whispers around camp told him that there
was still people with prejudices against being gay, but Nico remembered the
faces of Jason and Reyna when they found out about him. They accepted him just
as quickly as Persephone presumably was now, almost effortlessly putting to
rest his fears over being lynched for something he’d hidden for so long. It
just seemed so implausible to him that it was almost laughable!
“Nico; where do you think I spend my time in the underworld? The Fields of
Punishment? No – I hang out in the fields of Elysium and believe me that place
is a hot bed for sexual promiscuous behaviour and you’d be surprised at how
many gay couples end up there. For Olympian sake; I walked in on Achilles and
Patroclus one time and I still don’t know how they bent their limbs that way
but believe me it was very much an education in relationships. Gods above; the
only other person I ever loved apart from your father ... was a woman so you
don't have to worry about judgement from my end. You are gay; and that makes
perfect sense to me so know that the only issue I have is with whoever breaks
your heart because you may need to form a line of people who’d beat the living
daylights out of that asshole! Other than that; I promise you that I have
absolutely no issue with your sexuality in the slightest!” she smiled up at him
as she gently cupped his face, so he could meet her eyes and see the soft truth
to her words, but loosely so if he wanted to he could back away from the
contact without much fuss. He wondered after the identity of this mystery woman
Persephone had spoken of and whether Hades knew about this before judging that
to be a little too personal a thing to ask someone. He also thought about his
talks with Achilles before in the underworld and if one of the fiercest
warriors in history could be engaged in a long-term relationship beyond the
grave then maybe … just maybe Nico could try again when he was ready and healed
from the heartbreak that was Percy Jackson.
“But so many people say that it’s wrong … I’ve seen it! They say it’s a sin, an
abomination! How can you be ok with it?” he prodded as he voiced the basis of
his underlying fears about coming out and starting again with a guy he’d
developed an attraction to. She wouldn’t judge him for his words, it seemed,
but he had to make sure. Had to be sure that she wasn’t going to hurt him and
that she was telling the absolute truth.
Nico leaned into her touch; the warmth of her hands on his cheeks was so
refreshingly sweet, as he savoured the feeling in case she rejected him like so
many had before her.
“You are talking to the Queen of the Underworld, Nico, I know what is a sin and
what is not. You are not sinful for loving a man just because you are a man as
well nor am I sinful for loving both men and women equally. Actually; that
reminds me actually since the third thing we are doing after your check-up is
we are going to the Brooklyn Public Library for some informational books on
that subject and to catch you up on current historical events, so you don’t
feel like this oblivious time traveller anymore. I have an in-date library card
to get us in and the staff there are very friendly, so you shouldn’t feel too
awkward on asking for help on such things. Believe me; being educated on such
things will definitely help in establishing you as a Camper here not to mention
I’d recommend talking to the Isis cabin when you can because they host LGBT+
party nights which would provide a talking board to discuss any complaints or
confusion you have over it. But first; let me assure you that you are not and
will not ever be an abomination – I swear that to you!” she spoke as one of her
hands left his cheek to draw a crude cross over her heart to accentuate the
point across to him - with a thin glimmer of a golden outline where her finger
drew remained for a few seconds before fading away. A Goddess' promise, Nico
reminded himself, a binding contract that meant she was serious and wouldn't
break her word - he'd learned about it a little from Hestia when they talked a
while back.
A library, Nico thought, well, … maybe that wouldn’t be too bad. Books were
always a little difficult for Nico to read thanks to his dyslexia, but he
trusted in them a lot more than people. Books gave facts, figures and knowledge
that could be trusted to inform – people gave judgements, biases and emotional
arguments based on nothing but opinion. It would be nice to understand the
nature of what he was – a diagram of why he was this way and what this way
actually meant for him. Not to mention he was pretty tired of not knowing about
basic historical contemporary events and the fact that his education was pretty
stunted. He liked to know things, liked to be able to know what people were on
about and being a kid from the 1930s – Nico wanted to see how things from his
era was viewed in retrospect.
But the second option … that he wasn’t ready for yet.
“Ok; the library will be good idea to see, Hazel loves books so she’ll adore us
for taking her and you’d be able to distract her with some Keats or Rossetti
while I have a look but the whole Isis thing … I’m scared of that. I mean I
know I have to confront it, I do, and I know somehow everyone has managed to
find out about it but the prospect of talking about it publicly …. Still feels
kind of wrong to me. I don’t want to discuss it openly, nor do I want to
confirm everyone’s beliefs on it, until I’m comfortable so maybe give that
thing a pass for now!” Persephone nodded, and a breath of relief escaped from
Nico as she slowly lowered her hands from his cheeks to grasp his hands in
support. It was so nice to have someone to talk to after so long without
company; to have a person ready to jump in and fix his broken soul was
something he’d been craving for years and low and behold here was his previous
evil stepmother coming to his rescue and waving her magic wand – or glass of
sherry – around to help with that. Though Nico was adamant that if she broke
out singing; Nico was going to pelt her with strawberries until she looked like
a walking, talking fondue.
“Ok; that’s perfectly fine! Just know that people in camp are there for you in
that regard and if ever you do have an issue – they are there to ask and I know
they value confidentiality so don’t be scared to do so. Now the next thing on
the table is you are under weight and in desperate need of bulking up, so I’d
recommend that when we leave you should pack a backpack of small snacks to take
with you so that you can build up your calorie intake without the pressures of
a main meal. I’d also recommend taking a water bottle or two and filling it at
breakfast with a smoothie or shake so to help keep you hydrated. I’ll have a
talk with Hephaestus about making a magic one that is constantly refilling
itself afterwards; he owes me a favour anyway for the vine prank he pulled on
Aphrodite three weeks ago so that should help you there!” Nico fixed her with
an uncertain smile as her eyes drifted to his small frame in concern. His
weight was a little bit of a sore point at this point because of Will fucking
Solace’s constant prodding at dinner for him to consume platefuls of endless
healthy salads and bread rolls. He was on the small side of course, anaemic
Will fucking Solace had said once, but he had good reason to be – a fact that
Will didn’t quite appreciate.
“It’s just … ever since the Jar I’ve found it harder and harder to eat a full
meal. It’s like my stomach has shrunken down and no matter what I do it just
won’t let me eat enough to feel content. I’ll consider the water bottle idea –
it’s a good one and it might be handy when on quests when food is hard to come
by – so I’d appreciate you helping me out on that one!” Persephone smiled
sweetly at him at the concession to her plan of action. Maybe if he started
drinking his calories instead of eating them, that might trick his stomach into
getting bigger again after the Jar incident. Easily transportable calories that
he could down without too many problems and still flash in the face of Will
fucking Solace whenever he saw him. Perfect.
“It’s fine, I’m here for you, anyway aren’t I? Anyway; as I was talking about
with getting help from the other cabins – I also think you should be talking to
the Hypnos kids because you honestly look like death warmed over and you need
to stabilise your sleeping patterns with routine and safety nets to keep it in
place. I’d recommend buying a sketch pad and a night light while we are in
Brooklyn for that as it may allow your mind to deal with the horrors of
Tartarus and dispel your fears over the darkness if a small light is on at all
times in your room. Lots of people need them so it shouldn’t be too hard to
come by to obtain while we are there. And finally, I’d also recommend getting a
calendar, so you can plan ahead for the future – remember you have free reign
over yourself and no one can decide your fate but you. Make your own path, go
to school and study something you love. Fall in love. Visit your father and me
in the Underworld. Travel the world. Go thrill seeking by riding roller
coasters. Anything you want – you do, and you do to the fullest because from
now on its your life to live. Maybe even explore your own Italian culture by
taking a trip to Little Italy when you are strong enough – that might be fun!
Just live life, Nico, and don’t waste one moment of it!” Persephone pulled him
closer into a gentle yet final hug; and Nico wanted nothing more than to burrow
closer and be wrapped in the concern and safety of her embrace. While Nico
loved personal space and not touching people, this embrace was excepted from
that preference because it filled him with such reassurance and care that he
was pretty sure, yet another apocalypse could start, and Nico wouldn’t be any
wiser. Please let her keep her word, Nico prayed desperately, please don’t
leave me alone again.
He pulled away, slowly and remorsefully, but he knew being held too long was
not going to help matters further. Fortunately; Persephone didn’t seem to mind
as she quickly gathered up the items of the picnic into the basket, folded the
blanket they were sitting on into an impossibly small cracker sized square and
then pulled him to his feet with a steady yet gentle hand. With a sweeping
gesture; both the basket and the backpack quickly disappeared into the void, as
she smoothed down his hair, pulled the sheep fleece blanket around him more
securely, and then looped her arm round his like he was her knight and she his
lady. “Good, now let’s get you into bed – you look like you’re going to drop
any moment!” she laughed quietly as Nico found himself smiling genuinely at her
coddling.
What a surprising twist to a god-awful day, Nico mused, pun a little intended.
***** POV - Hazel *****
                       Falling_Down_and_Getting_back_up:
                               By_R._L._Collins
===============================================================================
I have a big brother!
Hazel smiled widely as she felt herself become lighter and more happier than
she'd ever been before at the safety and warmth of being at last able to bond
with her sibling. She had dreamed often in her old life in New Orleans and
later Alaska to have a sibling to play with and protect her against her
mother's temperamental mood swings, and now she had one in her big brother Nico
whom she could share everything with. She joyfully walked with him to
breakfast, delighting in the fact that today was so peaceful and warm from the
hot summer sun that would help her plans bear fruit as Nico's temperament
drastically improved when exposed to the quiet light of morning. The night
before, Hazel had been startled awake by a sudden revelation that she didn't
know much about her brother and now in the light of day she was determined that
today she would finally crack the hard shell of mystery that was Nico Di
Angelo. She knew the small things about him; how polite he was to the outcasts
of the world, how brilliantly sarcastic and snarky his mind worked, and how
desperately loving he was towards those who had the fortune to be loved by one
Nico Di Angelo but beyond that he was a stranger to her. Who was this boy who'd
taken on Titans, Giants, Monsters and mad men? What drove him to protect his
loved ones with such overwhelming gusto that he'd been rendered infirm in the
camp's hospital for three days as they worked to combat his rapidly fading and
weak body? How did he still retain his gentle nature despite everything?
She bumped his side playfully as he made a rather funny remark about how
Clarisse La Rue had nearly eaten him alive when he accidentally woke up her
godchild with his loud Italian mannerisms when he was arguing with Coach Hedge
about the healing powers of dirt - delighting in this easy going version of him
that was so charismatically content that she felt herself hung on every word.
When she suggested breakfast that morning; Hazel was so grateful for her big
brother's escort so they could bond in such a way as this and the opportunity
to get him to eat after living on barely anything for so long. She was finally
feeling useful in helping her brother to regain his strength and heal from the
trauma of the past that it threatened to overwhelm her with delight at finding
out his rather cutting yet playful personality hidden under the angst and pain
of his exterior. It also helped to eliminate the worries she'd felt about
entering the dining Pavilion in Camp Half-blood on her own as before when she
was at Camp Jupiter she preferred to eat in her quarters or outside out of pure
habit as she had always done since childhood so having Nico with her was
wonderfully pleasing in that she never found herself feeling worried when in
her big brother's presence because she knew he would always keep her safe.
Hazel, after all, was from another time when people like her weren't supposed
to go into big public areas like the Pavilion with the rest of the children
because they were seen by the other white kids as 'making the food smell funny'
or 'dirtying the civilised atmosphere with their negro ways'. The first time
she'd ever eaten in the boundaries of Camp Jupiter after being resurrected;
Hazel had been absolutely terrified of eating in the fancy Roman dinner halls
and had practically started shaking at the prospect of actually sitting down at
the table with the white kids for fear of being attacked for not understanding
her place. It was Frank who had calmed her down enough to force the small bowl
of soup down her throat but even with him there, she still took to eating
quietly and in solitude in the corners near the exits just in case and when she
got to Camp Half-blood - it was no exception as she normally hid in the quiet
areas of the Big House so as not to get in trouble. With Nico there though; she
finally felt safe enough to walk outside in public without fear as she knew him
to be the strongest warrior brother she'd ever had the luck to have.
And they were able to talk so that was massively encouraging in growing their
sibling relationship into a lasting one. They were really talking, not about
Camp life or fighting or Frank or medical stuff, but real brother and sister
talking while she sipped from the novelty 'Life is short, so am I' water bottle
Nico had given her the night of the Victory Bonfire when kept complaining about
the line at the refreshment table. She'd learned little things about him like
his favourite breakfast meal being marmalade on toast, Italian brewed
capachinno was his go-to coffee order, his obsession with magic tricks that
made him shadow travel to various events to see the modern greats in comparison
to his hero Houdini (of whom Nico cursed for not living long enough for Nico to
see preform in person), the fact that he always double-knotted his shoes before
getting up in the morning, and even the when his birthday was (January 28th,
1924 and with hers being December 17th, 1928 they had agreed that he was to be
the elder sibling). It was amazing to see him open up and speak about how
annoying Americans were with their unbelievably intricate coffee orders and
stupid accents that made America seem like a theme park complete with crazy
characters and bad food. He was so enthusiastic; so confident and charming that
Hazel accidentally choked on a sip of water when he started making these
ridiculous puns (Why do ghosts use elevators? To raise their spirits). The
water tasted slightly off, but Hazel put that down to it being left in the hot
sun while the two of them argued about shower times and having to literally
near tackle Nico to get him to allow her to redress the werewolf scars on his
arm as his Doctor had told him to do, so the choking fit nearly made her gag
when it got stuck at the back of her mouth. It made her stop and hunch over a
little, as Nico went a little ahead still making jokes - not yet realising that
she'd stopped.
Then he just went rigid as he stopped in his tracks as he had stood stock still
with his back to her.
Confused, she jogged towards him but as she moved there was like this ... fuzzy
feeling in the back of her head that just wouldn't go away. She'd squeezed and
blinked several times in an attempt to make the blurriness go away, shaking her
head slightly to clear it, as she neared him from his left. "Nico?" she called,
finding her throat dry and itchy like a hundred pieces of sand had lodged its
way inside of it as she alerted him to her approach as she always did so she
wouldn't spook him. Concern flooded her face as she noticed the sliver of sweat
on his brow, his eyes wide with shock, and his complexion so pale that Hazel
thought that he might as well be a stone. Her mind was clouded though so she
didn't have the alertness in her to reach forward to stop him as he took a slow
and horrified step back as he entered the shade of a nearby tree and
disappeared. The dizziness of her mind at that moment had made her stumble
slightly as her eyes took in the sight of her big brother fleeing her side as
she struggled to understand the situation. "What ...?" she'd mumbled as she
forced herself to concentrate on the spot where her brother had once been
before she realised what had happened. Nico was gone. Nico. Was. Gone. Why was
Nico gone?
"... see that? Abandoned his little sambo bitch like the fucking little greaser
he is, not just a faggot but a motherfucking coward!" A voice raised above the
misty soup that was her mind at that moment. Hazel had felt herself take a
sudden intake of breath as she tried to look at its source; a daughter of Ceres
(Demeter) with mucky brown hair and eyes who wore her Camp Half-blood orange T-
shirt tied in a knot around her waist to show off a lot of skin and a small
Jeans shorts which had made Hazel's 1930s sensibilities want to cringe. She
closed her eyes at the sight of the orange, finding the colour to be too vivid
for her eyes to handle at that moment, as she had tried to remain upright
despite gravity pulling her down instinctively to her knees in fear over the
girl's words. The slurs had made her instinctively want to flee, to hide and
keep herself away from big crowds that might have the same opinion. A layer of
bile grew within her throat at the recognised reference to her brother - Nico
wasn't a coward! Nico was brave. Nico was strong. Nico was her brother. How
dare they, Hazel had thought as she forced herself to look the girl in the eye
despite her instincts telling her to back down and be submissive so as to avoid
punishment for offending the white girl. A big patronising grin was on the
girl's face as she gloated in her victory over ... over ... she had driven her
brother away. Nico had fled because of this white bitch who'd ... who had done
what?
The bitter resentment building in her ego over being patronised battled at that
moment with her ingrained notions of bowing to the demands of the girl to avoid
being attacked. Her pride had been smarted over having her brother referred to
in such a demeaning and horrifying manner, as the thought overcame her inner
fear of confrontation to trigger a new range of emotions that bubbled inside
her frothy mind. A bestial sense of ... pack loyalty overcame her - this girl
was hurting her sibling, need to protect pack, have to find pack, not safe
else, and strength in numbers. Her mind had blurred at the sudden sense of
animal instincts that were overtaking her; 'have to protect my pack' was all
her mind at that time was thinking as the fog began to clear in front of the
primitive barrage of consciousness. The primitive animalistic mindset had
twisted her perception as new things began to grow in the place of the human
one like the smell of antiseptic from the infirmary nearby on a girl's skin who
was lying in a bunk near the window or the way she heard the birds in the trees
panicking from the unstable earth below squawking in a way that made her
instincts want to bite at them to make them stop. Her body had begun to grow
... numb to everything around her as though she had been dunked into an icy
riverbed and her drowned as she began to forget to breath under the pricks of
cold under her skin. It made her uncomfortable, like her body was getting ready
for something her conscious and newly animalistic senses couldn't quite
understand.
Then a radiating pain erupted over her body; forcing her to curl up into a
foetal position on the ground as her body changed from its human form to ...
something else. An itch started on her left arm, which soon grew into a
prickling sensation that began to gradually run up and down her arm. The itch
then went from annoying to outright painful like a thousand needles prodded her
dark brown skin, or at least that's what it felt like as hairs erupted onto her
arms, her face, her neck, everywhere they could go. She couldn't speak, shock
and pain numbed her voice box, as long feral claws grew out in a blinding agony
from where her human nails used to be and her arms and legs dislocated slightly
from their spots in her joints as they reshaped themselves to this cruel new
experience. She looked away for just a moment to look for help on the faces of
horrified campers drawn to her by the noise of popping joints and when she
looked back, large clumps of black hair had grew all over her hands as they
reshaped themselves into the paw prints of a canine. No. No. NO! 
The heat was becoming unbearable, her whole body burning up like she had been
chucked into a bonfire. Hazel found herself pushing herself backwards into a
nearby pillar with her slightly dislocated limbs in the agony it caused as her
mouth opened only to allow buckets of blood to erupt from her throat which had
fallen onto the ground in a sharp splash. Her breathing became laboured as her
organs began to shove up against one another. With every beat of her heart,
they ballooned in size pushing out against her ribs and the soft skin of her
belly looking for the room to grow as her body let loose a horrific CRACK! She
howled out in agony as her back arched upwards, snapping and slithering around
beneath her growing thick hide of fur. Tears leaked from the corner of his
eyes, running in a small stream down her burning face. Gasps were all she could
manage now as her organs continued to swell within her body and with every beat
of her overly large heart. Her clothes had ripped off in the pain as her
ribcage popped near her sternum as her ribs expanded, though it brought relief
as she finally had room to breath with her now immense lungs. CRACK! Her chest
was forced outwards as her ribs widened, pressing against her skin. The hair
grew at an alarming rate at this point, all around her torso and arms. It even
began to grow around her widening pelvis as her underwear ripped off to her
shame. She could at that moment feel similar changes happening to her feet as
they did to her hands; she could feel the pads of dead skin forming on the
bottoms of her feet.
Hazel's entire body was in an inferno of pain, and she couldn't tell how long
she stayed in that agonising state because all sense of time was flung out of
the window by that point. Sweat poured freely from her; every spasm sent
droplets of the salty liquid flying everywhere. But, the burning had settled
mainly in her bones, they were expanding, stretching out her skin, and she
began to reform into a different longer shape. Muscles and sinews let out weird
gurgling noises as they begin to swell and thicken, filling out her stretched
yet compacted form. CRACK! CRACK! Both of her knees snapped forwards and locked
in a partially bent position. Her toes started to shrink back to her feet, the
bones were being compressed and were also widening spreading out the width of
her feet. Her ankles bones elongated, the same pops and cracks as her insteps
narrowed and lengthened, changing the entire shape of her feet, her big toe
disappearing into her leg. Opening her eyes, she could see that her legs no
longer looked like human legs, they resembled the back legs of a wolf; powerful
and muscled, as any regular wolf would have.
Oh, by the Gods of Olympus, her terrified mind thought in horror, I look like a
Goddamn Wolf. She found herself looking down at her body with a sense of horror
as it twisted into something horrible and monstrous. Her emotions shifted from
pain and fear to sheer terror, unabashed agony and unrelenting fear at what was
happening to her. Another painful pop makes another noise leave her, but what
came out was a garbled mess, her voice deepened more and more, sounding like
the pained cry of a monster. The hair begins to thicken into blackish-reddish
dark cinnamon coloured fur with the feeling of millions of needles poking at
her skin. A thin layer of hair grew around her face, as her nose blackened,
covered in moisture. There was a pressure in the front of her skull, as the
bones her face push outward. At the base of her spine, a thin bone began to
poke out, stretching her skin, forming a tail. It began to grow tiny hairs,
pointing outward. Hazel, on all fours, backed up in utter despaired agony as
shrieks escaped her pained mouth which shortly turned into blood-curdling
yelps. Tears were still readily falling down her face. Hair had turned into a
thick hide of fur. Her ears rose to the top of her head, expand, opening up and
dramatically enhancing her hearing, resembling the ears of a canine - a wolf.
Her tail pokes outward more, having grown hairs like the rest of her monstrous
body until it finally fully formed, tucked between her legs. Her eyes burned as
they changed, she blinked a couple of times before they became like that of a
wolf, yet still retaining her rare golden coloration. Her face began to push
out, even more, reshaping, forming the muzzle of a canine. A strange sensation
twinged in her jaw and then her teeth changed. Fangs sliding down from the gum
lining of her teeth, growing out into daggers while her molars became edged.
New teeth tore through her gums to fill in the empty space. Her newfound muzzle
was now equipped with fangs, larger than an average omega wolf, made for
parting flesh from bone.
A fierce howl erupted as the changing finished; both in anguished confusion and
in want for her instinctual desires - her pack and a good meal.
She sniffed the air as she took in the scent of the hastily retreating circle
of campers that had come to watch the girl's pain in fascination as she caught
many of them with distinct smells of meet for her hungry frame to consume. She
could practically taste the ripeness of the sausages they'd eaten, the burned
black crisp of bacon, and the watery yet salty taste of fried eggs that had
stained one of the camper's shirts. The scent was delightful; a meal - her mind
had thought - for her pack, must call pack to location for feeding. She stood
shakily on her four legs again as her body rustled against the slightly
overgrown grass of the courtyard - making the pleasant smell of fresh grass
envelop her nuzzle as her eyes studied the crowd for the sight of her pack. A
snarl erupted upon her failure, no pack here her mind had said as she turned
around to pick up the trail - causing the crowd to flinch back in fear. Need my
pack, need brother, need strength in numbers to take down this new bounty of
food - her mind raced as she began to scent the area to find her sibling. The
scent of family, love, and those burgers Nico loved so much caught her
attention as her ears fluttered in recognition despite the weakening strength
of the scent. She smelled the ground thoroughly to pick up the trail, but found
a dead end as it vanished just as quickly as she had picked it up with a
lingering trail of scent coming from their nest but Hazel was sure he was not
there since the scent would have been stronger and she would have heard
breathing coming from the cabin such was her intensely sensitive hearing. Not
there, her mind had understood, not at nest, not near me, have to pick up the
trail quickly or it will be lost.
She moved to go off into the inviting woods, hoping that he might be wandering
there, when a body prevented her movements which left her stunned as her body
instantly went into a state of intrigued desire at its sudden presence.
Hazel wanted to roll around in the scent, wanted to roll over and present her
neck sensually to the Alpha in front of her so he could nip it with the carnal
first steps of mating, as she felt his presence come over her. The scent was
raw, masculine and definitely the scent of a potential mate so she quickly drew
herself low to show off her lithe lupine form to this new male. The male was
familiar but her confused and newly changed mind couldn't place him; only that
there was a certain ... warmth to him that she craved to experience so she
looked up to see what this new wolf was like. It wasn't a wolf, only a human
but he had ... a ... animalistic scent to him that made her nose twitch in
confusion as her head hung to the side in both the desire to be smelled and
curiosity. He was capable of being one of her kind by the smell; she just
needed to tempt him into joining her in lupine form and become head of her pack
at her side.
The fur on the male was darker than hers and his pelt was a pale white, muscled
from battles and definitely intriguing as she watched him approach cautiously
with his hands in front to show he meant no harm. Of course he meant no harm,
he was delightful and Hazel crawled on her belly slightly to approach him as
she daringly glanced a touch of her snout to his leg in a moment of bravery.
Nicely defined limbs were the first thought in her mind, good for chasing,
hunting, and mating her full with his pups as she drew closer slightly to his
side as he bent warily over a strange human thing on the ground that had her
scent on. She liked that he was investigating her scent, as she let him near
her with a fierce wave of pride at being noticed by this Alpha, and watched
fascinated as he lifted the object off the ground slowly as he kept his nicely
coloured eyes on her coy yet flattered form - they reminded her of freshly dug
mud that made chases between wolf and prey more exciting. She eyed him happily
as her mind wandered to her nest and the ways to make it more suitable for them
both to live in and raised their pups in as her paws twitched with the need to
use blankets off the bed of this man so his scent could be introduced to them
straight away as their leader. Her brother would love to help raise the
children, he certainly had the calming and sweet personality for it, and no
doubt this man would like to have a helping second in command to keep their
nest and pups safe from harm. She lay on the floor, crossing her legs
underneath her head as she waited for him to stop looking at her scented object
and say something so she could know the timbre of his voice.
Then a new scent approached and she snarled in irritation at it as she
immediately rose to her feet at the challenger.
A female scent, Beta, and unclaimed it seemed drew close to the new male and
Hazel was infuriated at the presence as well as curious at the eerily sweetness
of it that remaindered her of the coolest spring water or the tastiest part of
a kill. The female was smaller than she, with black fur and luminous green eyes
like the leaves on a new-born sapling that was full of life and brightness. Her
movements were haulting, unsure and cautious as Hazel watched her intently move
towards them, making her predator senses stand on edge for this one could not
change as the male did to her kind yet her mind flashed a desire otherwise.
Having a second in command beta female would be useful in the long run, and
Hazel wasn't unprepared to admit that the female did have her curiosities about
her like the faint smell of mint that made Hazel's nose twitch or the obvious
bravery at approaching a fully grown wolf without a claws or teeth drawn to
protect herself. That being said - Hazel's lupine mind reasoned that because of
the lack of a pack and thus the presence of immediate danger, she needed to
stop this beta from breeding instead of herself in order to establish herself
as the alpha female in the pack order. No, her mind screamed, need to make this
clear - my mate, my pup's father, my Alpha, leave.
She pulled herself into a dominant position as she watched the new threat go
near him, snarling at her presence in warning as her body reacted in kind as
her lips pulled back, her fangs bared, her ears pulled forward, and her eyes
grew wild and threatening. She stood tall on her feet, starting to move forward
towards the threatening female as she got way too close to the male that was
still holding her scent in that strange human container of some kind. A growl
thundered from her throat as the female dared to touch the male, urging her to
move to intercept as she placed herself dominantly in front of the startled and
now retreating female who'd taken her scent marker in the exchange. In a blind
she gnashed her teeth threateningly at the retreating threat, prepared
completely to defend the new interesting male from others so he could see how
fierce a mother she could be to their pups, snapping violently at the girls
heels as she drove off the threat with almost blinding speed as the girl moved
quick to avoid the biting grip of her teeth. She stared after the female in
instinctual hatred as she ascertained that the girl was leaving before turned
around to face the new male again who seemed to have a scent of ... fear and
concern that made her whine slightly in annoyance. No, she was saying with the
whine, you are mine - don't concern yourself with her, don't fear her survival,
don't look at her - look at me.
Hazel decided maybe to distract him by giving invitation to play, pushing
herself into a deep forward facing bow like she was stretching with her rump
slightly raised and her tail wagging slightly. She whined to gain his attention
as she darted to the left, happy his eyes was on hers, as she wagged her tail
again to get him to at least move from his prone position. He watched her
confused, as his forehead crumpled slightly and his mouth moved to a
misunderstood frown to her disappointment. No playing, he didn't want to play,
her mind had told her as she lowered her head in disappointment with her tail
hanging limply in sadness. Her mind told her maybe he was too serious in his
duties as Alpha to play; maybe he would like to see battle with rivals rather
than to grab her tail teasingly as she was sure her sibling might do. Sibling
lost, her mind reminded herself, as she looked towards the spot that his scent
was last situated with a growl of annoyance so no playtime now - she needed to
establish a pack hierarchy, get this male to help her find her sibling, and
then provide a large feast big enough to allow for her body to recognise there
was plenty prey available for pups.
An annoyingly high pitch laugh came from the side of her which made her snarl
in rage.
"Well, well, Zhang - looks like your black bitch has become a real bitch
complete with her very own tail! Look at her, isn't she pathetic trying to
scare off the creepy witchling and wagging her tail like the lust-driven nigger
she is! Can hardly stop herself from trying to make some half-breed pups with
you from what I see, even in wolf form. What? You going to turn into a wolf too
and fuck her from behind like the freak you are?" the threatening female dared
to say in Hazel's presence as she approached the male violently scented as the
words made the male's flesh grow pinkish in hue. His mouth fell open slightly
in shock and waves of anxiety, embarrassment and shame erupted from him which
only reinforced Hazel's protective mind as she again situated herself between
the female and the alpha without hesitation with a threatening snarl of hate in
her muzzle with growing need to kill the threat before it hurt the male or her
chance of breeding pups with him. She wanted the pups mentioned so badly it
physically hurt, as her instincts made her mind think of being breed full of
this strong males brood with large protruding stomach and her mate's scent mark
on her so strong that no other male would dare come any where near her -
knowing her claimed body was for one Alpha and him alone as he was for her. She
took a warning nip of the space between them as she displayed her long canine
teeth in wrathful glory to protect that instinctual urge - only the female
didn't back down but rather laughed again.
"What's wrong, little pup, am I insulting your owner? You know I ...!" she
didn't get a chance to finish as the moment the girl decided to put a
threatening hand towards her, instinct made her surge forward to clamp down on
offending ligament with full force - making her canines instantly pierce into
the fragile flesh of the threat and made her mouth become slick with blood as
the girl screamed in agony. Not fulfilled with the holes she'd left in the
flesh, she used her clamping jaws to tear further into the flesh by pulling the
arm from left to right as her teeth dug in deeper to the girl's skin to the
point of almost being at the bone before letting go so she could pounce on the
exposed throat to bring a lethal blow down on her for her actions towards her
but a body flung itself into her to throw her to the side as she did so. The
male stood in front of her now in a stunning lupine form with deliciously
strong limbs built for holding down his mates and a shimmering black coat that
made him look threatening to his enemies; and for a moment she actually wagged
her tail happily at seeing him in this more agreeable form before she noted the
protective stance he took to the girl who was writhing in agony as her siblings
pulled her to safety with a trail of blood spilling out of her destroyed limb.
A snarl erupted in displeasure at the thought of him taking the now mutilated
bitch as his mate as she fought the urge to display her neck in submission as
she had before.
Her mind couldn't comprehend such a thing, as in her soul she had already
chosen him as mate, father to her unborn pups, and Alpha, so she took it as a
personal affront to have him protect another like he should be protecting her.
He should be on her side, helping her deal with this mangy bitch of an omega so
he could form a pack with her and her sibling as Hazel wanted with her gaining
the role of his Alpha mate alongside him in battle and in their nest. She stood
enraged at the thought of that desire going unrecognised as her prospective
mate spoke to her in the lupine language of snarls urging her to stand down but
she refused with a running leap as she took a feral bite at the Alpha's left
leg as she grappled him. He moved to get out of the way but she was persistent
and nipped him hard enough to draw flesh blood to show her murderous intentions
at being both denied her kill and her mate as she so deserved. In her mind, she
started to come out of the wolf's consciousness as she remembered the moment
she was human when her sibling pack mate fled the girl's snarls in fear -
further driving up her wrath as she drew another slit of blood from a well
aimed scratch on his thigh as he backed up to avoid her teeth and claws while
still trying to make her stop with a commanding aura and scent that made her
head ache as she continued not to listen. She continued to get close to nip at
him as she tried to make him get out of the way so she could fulfil her sacred
duty to her pack without the Alpha's interference and eventually she cornered
him as she managed to get a good enough bite hold on his weakened and bleeding
leg to make him whimper in pain as she brought her canines down hard enough to
hit muscle and lame him as much as possible in the process. The action went
against everything she should have been doing with the Alpha at the time; she
should be a good breeding bitch who let her Alpha mate fill her with pups and
claim her as his mate for life but family bonds pulled that biological need
from her mind as she moved to go after the retreating bloodied girl enraged.
Then something pierced her leg, a small prick that at first her mind thought
was that there was another Alpha that had intervened and was now trying to pull
her off the other but the canine impression wasn't there - only a single tooth
could have made such a impact which didn't make sense to her in the slightest.
She yelped in pain as she fell to the side to avoid further attacks, tail
around her legs as she whined to let her displease known. Then a reversal of
pain occurred as she felt her body shrink, lengthen and generally burn back
into her human form as she damn near passed out from the agony of it; whining,
yelping and growling as a result. A giant blanket wrapped around her naked body
as the shock kicked in at the sudden transformation back into her human form
and mind as the Alpha, no man, from before reverted too but in a lot more
sleeker and non-painful fashion as yellow coated, no haired, boy came to him to
wrap the damaged limb spluttering in blood and to apply foul smelling things to
it that made her head hurt.
A lingering yelp in her human voice occurred as someone dared to touch her
again as she sat shaking in a ball on the ground, making her skin ache as it
processed the stretching feeling it had been experiencing over the last few
hours. "Don't!" she begged as they pulled her up, making sure the blanket
covered her nakedness, so that she would stand again. It was agony on her legs,
as if thousands of splinters of glass were inside of her thighs and heels, and
she fought the urge to scream loudly - settling on a small groan that she tried
to muffle as best she could because her confused mind couldn't figure out what
danger she was now in. "Hazel!" a voice cried out ... Frank, her mind asked as
it tried to reconcile him with the injured leg of the Alpha wolf from before
only to near black out as he touched her burning skin. This time she couldn't
stop the scream which radiated out of her, causing the ground to shake under
her powers and for the plants nearby to wither and die as the girl swayed
disorientated and scared at the feeling. She began to shake again, her whole
body caught in a frenzied loop of agony and rage that she couldn't quite
control. He tried again to touch her arm despite the scream and as a result she
unconsciously nearly broke his nose with a well timed and strong slap to keep
him from her twisted skin.
"Let. Me. Go!" her voice roared as she let loose an earthshattering growl that
split the floor below her - though Frank dragged her away from falling down the
now growing fissure. Her words were low and hoarse, and though the smaller
parts of Hazel knew she should be calming down if she wanted to help her
brother and figure out what had just happened - she was still enraged with
being rejected, humiliated and further more harmed by his touch which caused
her puckered and aching skin to blister.
" ... Hazel, this is not you. This is whatever the hell was in that water
bottle so you need to take a breath and calm down so we can help you. Please
stop fighting and just breathe!" his voice soothed as the scent of reassurance
echoed out of him, causing her mind to feel slightly foggy again under its
influence. She still tried to yank her way out of his embrace though,
uncomfortable with even the most sweetest of touches as it burned her so badly
that it felt like she'd been spit-roasted over a cauldron of dragon fire. The
feeling of agony worsened when she began to feel the static electricity now
invading the courtyard as well as the stench of another Alpha who smelled wrong
and terrifying to the nose. Jason Grace, her leader and Praetor, approached her
warily with his sword drawn and her eyes fixed on it as the metal itself warped
under her glare so that it couldn't be used against her. Son of Zeus, her mind
poisoned, not to be trusted - didn't trust Nico before, accused him of being a
spy, don't trust him, he's an alpha, not safe around him, don't let him near
you. She flinched out of his way on instinct, not even caring of the distinct
look of hurt on his face at her reaction to him as she tried to move towards
the woods to find her brother and get away from the monsters around her.
She felt Frank behind her straighten, making her come off the ground thanks to
his tight hold on her struggling body from behind and his larger height -
further infuriating her as now she felt the distance between her and her
domain. She bit his arm hard to make him drop her down slightly, causing a
little trickle of blood to enter her mouth again which she then spit out when
he obeyed her request but she was still pissed by the still tight hold on her
mid section which felt warm and uncomfortable in the heat. She cursed in words
that mama would have washed her mouth out for speaking but she was so angry
that it didn't matter because they were holding her back from her duty. Nico
was one of the kindest people in the world - sure he was outwardly untrusting,
rude, vengeful and hard to pin down to strangers but after the life he had led
who wouldn't be - and these people were preventing her from gaining back her
brother and her retribution against the animal who hurt his feelings and made
him feel unwanted. She hated the girl with all her soul for that, and a deep
protective instinct remained from her time as a wolf which made her
bloodthirsty enough to want to eat the girl's heart while she was still alive
and screaming for mercy for the disrespect. She wanted to hurt them; to make
them feel the humiliation that they gave to her sweet brother and as her anger
grew so did her magic as it began to spiral out of control. Huge mounds of gems
appearing around her in her anger as Frank tried his best to make her calm down
by whispering repeatedly for her to 'breathe in, then breathe out' as the
mounds became more and more sharper in their design like spikes of diamonds,
gold, and sapphires. 
She vaguely heard Jason ordering a couple of Mars (no Ares) campers to go to
where the girl had been taken to put her under 'protective custody' so that
Hazel wouldn't be able to get to the girl in her rage before slowly approaching
her like a wounded animal which she certainty was not. "Hazel! What happened?"
he asked quietly, trying his best to keep her from getting pissed off at his
closeness and failing as she swiped at him with a hand to make him get out of
her comfort zone. It was bad enough to have one Alpha near her and touching her
when it was one she felt connected to - it was another to have this one near
her, one who had already been claimed and smelled horrific to her fragile sense
of smell.
"... From what I heard and saw, the Richmond girl from Ceres' - sorry Demeter's
- cabin voiced a very offensive opinion right in front of Nico and when he
fled, whatever was in that bottle was triggered. Lou Ellen thinks its a
transformation potion but she's not sure because its missing a few key
components like pain suppressors and the mandrake root she mixes with her pig
bombs to make it faster on the subject. There's also a nasty amount of
stimulants that she couldn't identify at all to get rid of any resistance to
the whole thing which I'm pretty worried about as well as trace hallucinogenic.
Hazel's been shot full of a blocking tranquiliser to stop the transformation
and keep her in a human form but I don't think she likes you near her much. I
think she only lets me near her because she inwardly trusts me but I don't
think I'll be able to get her contained if she goes off on one so try not to
get close! I think we should get her somewhere, quickly, before her humanity
comes back and she becomes more upset!" Frank's voice echoed in her mind as she
took a breath of his scent to keep herself from trembling in shock, regretting
it instantly at the snarl erupting from her mouth at the mention of another
girl from Frank's lips which made both of them jump in shock at the sudden
noise, but still the breath helped to settle her mind on something other than
the overwhelming pain.
Hazel's mind tried instead to focus on other things, like how Frank's voice was
like an aphrodisiac to her ears, with its wonderful Canadian influences heard
clearly when he tried to pronounce his O's and A's and she felt herself growing
more sleepy as she listened to his strong heartbeat behind her. Frank looked at
her gently after she voiced her objections to the girl, tucking her closer to
his chest to stop her from getting further infuriated, as she took in the scent
of damp wood that clung to him like a forest floor after rainfall which was
pretty strong as the back of her head was basically under his neck at this
point where most of his scent was located. She liked this position though, as
the residues of panicked pain began to soften at the tighter grip he placed on
her, as her inner wolf felt happy to be contained in this manner with her Alpha
right behind her, protecting her from getting harmed by a surprise attack to
her flank. His strange scent was coating her as it should do, making her smell
half-way between the fire of war and the dampness of the sea - a contradictory
but beautiful combination that she never wanted to leave. Her mind started to
run with images of him during the battle with Gaia; of him covered in sweat and
blood as he tore down the enemy's defences with frighteningly passionate eyes
that made her legs grow wet with desire and fury. An image of carnage
surrounding them flashed in her mind with blood still damp around them as he
held her as tight as he did now but for other more passionate reasons before
she realised he would never let her do it because of his gentle nature; still
it felt good to dream.
"I agree, she's always been the more emotionally expressive one out of the
Hades siblings and we've still got to find her brother before it gets dark.
Hopefully Nico will be found soon, but until then we need to make sure that
when she does come out of this ... animalistic state - maybe we should have her
put in the infirmary private room so that we can keep an eye on her?" Jason's
voice was irritating her ears, making Hazel snarl slightly at the way he kept
referring to her like she wasn't even there and shouldn't be consulted on just
what was happening to her. She hated too, the way that he pointed out a
weakness in front of potential enemies like he wanted them to know how to harm
her and her pack - threat, her mind stated again, he's a threat to her people
and must be eliminated. She felt the change fighting to take over again as the
instinct to protect her family and her safety, but the drugs from the dart from
before were preventing her from summoning it again. She felt the imprint of a
knife sheath on Frank's belt, a weapon she could use to protect her mate and
pack perhaps? She let Frank believe she went a little slack as she supposedly
relaxed as she palmed it away from him to hide within the confines of the
blanket around her, it was a small bladed thing but adequately sharp if used
correctly in the way that her claws could do.
"I don't think that would be wise ... too many scents may confuse her too much,
and we don't want her more disorientated then she already is!" Frank replied as
she nearly scratched his eyes out with her new weapon for his patronising words
that let doubt seep into the minds of her prey as to whether she could be an
effective member of the pack. For the first time in the confrontation; she
actually attacked Frank in order to make him let her go as she blindly swung
behind her aiming at his shoulder and ribs as his weak spot with the blunt
pommel of the knife while also kicking towards the bandage in his leg to force
him to stumble. She needed to find Nico, needed to make him understand that he
was safe, and the Camp was home - she didn't need to have Frank on her side to
do that if he thought her so weak. She needed to convince her brother that she
was his home and he was hers; so they had to be together no matter what
everyone else thought or said. That would be what would make her a valued part
of her pack, and this Alpha would not stop her in her mission to protect it -
even from him.
She watched Jason warily, he was still a bigger man than she and had the muscle
and strength she was lacking from her transformation so he would gain an
advantage in open combat. She analysed his face as she figured out that her
only chance to take him down and get away to protect her brother would be to
use psychological or emotional weapons rather than physical ones but she still
drew the knife edge and held it defensively in her hand to dissuade him from
approaching her. "Hazel, we are not here to harm you! Put down the knife and
let us help you, we're all friends here alright?" the son of Jupiter tried to
persuade as he took a small step forward towards her, only to jump back when
she let loose an elegant swipe of the blade in his direction in warning.
"Friends; right so you've always been my pack's ally? Never doubted our loyalty
or insulted us behind our backs? Never treated me like I'm something fragile
instead of the Roman I am? Don't lie to me - I can smell the fear and distrust
in your words!" she hissed as she stood sideways, using the reflective sheen of
the blade to keep one eye behind her on a doubled over Frank while her other
eye was on Jason who had backed up a little with a guilty look in his eyes.
"I admit to questioning Nico's loyalties when we first found out about his
imprisonment by the giants!" he confessed, causing her to bare her teeth as she
took another swipe at the boy that nearly landed a glancing blow had he not
jumped back. "But I swear I am not your enemy; I have always supported your
commitment to the fifth legion, and I have shown my trust in Nico both at the
House of Hades when I drank the poison he offered without complaint and in
Croatia when he ... either way I am your ally. I will always be your friend and
ally; just put down the blade and let me show you!" he tried as she snarled
once again at the hesitation in his voice. Croatia, where Nico went with Jason
to find the Diocletian's sceptre and returned ... unnerved by the whole thing.
Jason's face wasn't too hard to read, he knew something about Croatia and no
doubt the girl from before knew to because Nico never was unnerved by anything
but what happened there, and he was going to tell her or she'd break every bone
in his body and send him into the abyss that was the rapidly growing main
fissure in the ground before them. If she knew about Croatia, then she would
have the tools she needed to protect her pack, so she advanced quickly on the
Roman with a murderous gaze.
"What happened in Croatia, Jason, tell me or I will skin you alive and make
your precious girlfriend watch!" she snarled as she caught sight of a terrified
Piper nearby, trying to go unnoticed as she attempted to out-flank her. Jason
bristled at the threat but did not speak so she decided a more direct and more
physical urgency was needed. Summoning the strength of her inner wolf, she
slammed the boy into the wall with a choke hold on his throat and the knife's
edge just hovering inches away from his left pupil as he let loose a shocked
gasp of surprise. "TELL ME!" she roared, slicing his cheek enraged as little
trails of blood trickled down from the wound as he wiggled to get out of the
hold she held him in.
"I can't ... Nico ... Nico should tell you ... Not my place to tell!" he
spluttered as he attempted to take gasping breaths of air. She felt Frank
approaching from her back, Piper approaching from her left and Jason pulling
away slightly using his superior strength - boxing her in and making her feel
trapped among them all. She hated being trapped; she wanted to run, to chase
down her pack and use them to counter these human aggressors so she used a
nearby flower pot to knock the Roman unconscious, used the blade to open up a
huge open gash on Piper's exposed arm from elbow to shoulder, and finally
ducked under Frank's attempt to grab her as she used her teeth the bite down
hard on his outstretched flesh with all the power her jaw could give her
causing a rather bad bite-mark that left him howling in pain as he stumbled
back onto his ass. She would have done more but at that time another dart found
its way into her exposed shoulder causing her to hiss out obscenities that
would have made her mother blush with the violence of them. A rushing black
caught her then, as she passed out in a heap - yet again under the influence of
another damn drug.
-
"... Hazel? Can you hear me?" Frank's voice called her out of the fog as she
awoke again in absolute pain from a blistering heat within her, making her legs
burn with ache and her brow to be slick with sweat as her body battled with the
urge to collapse under the strain of being awake. She sniffed the air in fear
as she tried to scent out where she was, finding both reassurance and comfort
at being back in her own cabin where she could easily defend herself and find
familiarity in the scent of her home. The smell of Nico's masculine pine fresh
deodorant hit her nose with full force, along with a cocktail of the chocolaty
scent of the candies she'd sneaked away from the big house for them to eat last
night in mock celebration over his triumphant return from the Ares Cabin where
he'd stolen away some pyjamas and effects for them both to salvage because of
their lack of possessions and the discarded McDonalds that she'd managed to
convince the Stoll twins to get for her and Nico to calm him down one night
from his night terrors. Warm feelings of happiness at the good memories flooded
her brain as the call for her family grew within her soul once again as it had
before, but Frank's added damp sandalwood scent that added a layer of comfort
to the mix that made the call less and less urgent.
"Frank?" she murmured as she curled her body towards his position on the bed,
pressing her body into his at all the points she could. The cotton fabric of an
unfamiliar Camp Jupiter shirt and a loose pair of drawstring sweatpants making
the want for human contact annoyingly muted. Her head slowly pulled its way
onto his lap as she snuggled close, finding happiness in the gentle touches of
cold cloth to her brow and the attention she was getting from her boyfriend,
until she noticed the white bandage on his thigh and arm scented with
antiseptic and the defined scent of the Apollo kids - a toffee infusion with
hints of pine and resin that was surprisingly pleasant despite the clinical
after burn of the other chemicals on his skin. "What happened?" she whispered
as she ran a finger gently along the white wrappings, find not quite
acclimatised to the situation yet and concerned for the safety of Frank as
anger bubbled up at whoever hurt him. The wrapping was rough to the touch and
Frank slowly lowered the cloth in his hand as he ran a gentle glancing finger
down her outstretched hand with a gentleness only he could provide.
"Thank the Gods of Olympus that you're awake. Its pretty bad out there, Haze,
Chiron and Reyna are absolutely furious with what happened and well ... Jason
and Piper are still in the infirmary under Will's management. Only reason why I
was even allowed in here was because I had to use my Praetor role to force them
to let me in to care for you because of the fever that Apollo kid Austin gave
you from too much Nectar injections to stabilise you. No one's dead though, so
at least there's that!" Frank alluded as he held her close while brushing her
hair out of her sweaty face making her mind momentarily fritz out as she
inwardly cursed at being such a mess in front of him. Hazel tried to remember
what had happened, as she purred slightly at the gentle touches - happy to be
so close to someone so sweet and kind as Frank was to fight to be at her side
when she needed him. She really loved the Roman; the cute way his eyes danced
slightly when he got excited in that warlike manner of his father and the
respectful way he always showed her in his frequent sparing matches with her
where he never took it easy because of her gender or skin colour. Even the
annoying way he bopped her nose when she made a snide comment about the
bromance between Percy and Jason that left him in doubled over laughter to the
point of accidentally turning into a screaming goat to his eternal
embarrassment. Hazel brought his hand to her cheek lovingly as she kissed his
palm with the gentleness matching his own sweet treatment of her, letting the
heat of his palm serve as a lifeline against the fog in her mind as his eyes
fluttered at the gesture before pulling herself up on the other arm on the bed
so she could properly reward his attentiveness with a chaste kiss to the cheek
that made him mumble with shyness.
"My hero!" she murmured in her typical Southern-French accent as she brought
his lips to hers in a sweet yet innocent manner that had always been there
since the very start of their romantic relationship. His lips were warm and
firm as they chased after hers gently, making her melt into his arms as they
gathered her to him as tightly as he could with one of his hands on the crook
of her neck to stabilise her against him while the hand she'd joined her
fingers to wrapped around her waist. The faint taste of his breakfast meal -
his favourite poached egg and bacon on toast with a small glass of orange juice
that reminded him of what his mother made the last morning he saw her before
she went to Afghanistan - made her mouth curl in happiness as she closed her
eyes to relish it. She loved the tight hold he had over her body made her feel
protected from any danger, making her voice a small disappointed moan as he
leaned back enough to rest his forehead against hers. "I love you, Frank
Zhang!" she whispered as she took in the look of awe in his eyes at her words,
and she meant them completely as she committed to memory the sweet yet short
kiss, and the chaste passion he inspired in the brief touch that made her lips
tingle in response. Instinctually she pulled him close again before he could
respond, wanting to be engulfed again in the bright fire his lips created
within her heart as she caressed his neck with utter care and sweetness while
her lips moved fervently to show him just how much she adored his company. A
soft moan escaped her when Frank ran a curious hand down her back and she
tugged at the hair on the lower part of his head to make him groan
enthusiastically at the roaring heart flaring within them.
He pulled back slowly, watching with a small smile as Hazel opened her golden
eyes to look at him in wonder at the luck she had to find her soulmate so young
in life while they both panted hard as they stared into each other's eyes.
Frank sighed as he leaned down to bury his face on her neck, placing a soft
kiss there and causing her to shiver at the intimacy of the touch pleasantly.
"You have no idea how happy you have made me, Hazel, in these blissful few
months since we started courting and you have no idea how long I have wished to
hear you say those words to me!" he whispered sweetly into her ear before he
nuzzled her hair, "because I, Hazel Levesque, love you with everything I have!"
he admitted as her cheeks took on a dark reddish hue. No one had ever spoken
such passionate and loving words to her before. She shyly looked away from
Frank's intense gaze, since his eyes always made her shiver with delight, but
Frank would have none of that. With a small nudge of his nose in warning, Frank
pulled her onto his lap and held her against him, causing her to squeak
slightly at the passionate action, before he crashed his lips to her sweet
ones.
Hazel immediately surrendered herself into his warm embrace, the gentleness of
his mouth against hers, and she wound her arms around his neck. She couldn't
get enough of his soft lips, instinct making her grip him close as she wanted
more of this passionate side of her boyfriend turned love of her life. She
wanted more, wanted to feel more, as he pressed her soft body closer to him and
tangled his fingers through her tangled and messy tresses before he gently
pulled her head back so he could deepened the kiss. He groaned when Hazel felt
herself accidentally moaning quietly as she tangled her own fingers through his
dark hair while his large hand ran down her back, causing shivers to run down
her spine as his wonderful mouth continued to delight her. She had never been
kissed like this before, she had never felt this wonderful before, and she was
enjoying every second of feeling Frank's warm lips and having his strong arms
wrapped around her so tightly. Then the warmth began to gather fuel as she felt
like a fire was spreading across her skin. She could feel her need for him
growing the longer he kissed her and held her soft body against his. The need
to rip his clothes off and let him take her right there on the cabin floor was
becoming more and more urgent that she was concerned she was going insane.
Reluctantly she let him pull away from her lips again and sighed mournfully
when she no longer felt them, but she did not want to frighten him away with
her eagerness or make him think she was too wanton in her ways and thus create
doubts as to her character. Still the dreamy look plastered itself across her
face as she took in small gasps of air to replenish her screaming lungs; "Was
the beast captured then?" she asked innocently as she snuggled closer in his
embrace.
"Beast?" his voice asked curiously as he started to play with the snarled ends
of her hair - making Hazel make a note to find a decent hairdresser sometime
soon to make it look a little less messy and to get rid of the split ends she
knew were pretty much ruining any hairstyle she'd ever try in the meantime.
"Yeah ... the beast, was it captured? The one that hurt Jason, Piper and you?
And me from what I can see, though I don't think I have any injuries on me so
maybe that Ambrosia injections Austin used must have done its job ... can't
quite remember how I got them though ... was I knocked out or something in the
battle?" she asked, slightly dazed by both the kiss and her foggy mind which
prevented her from remembering what had happened.
Frank froze quickly making her jolt in fear as she quickly grasped his face in
alarm to search for answers to his sudden frigid posture. "You ... you don't
remember?" he started hesitantly as he looked deep in her eyes with a now
uncomfortable intensity as if he didn't believe her. Why wouldn't he believe
her? She loved him, she'd never lie to him or try to mislead him - never had
and never would because she knew that truth was the backbone of their
relationship now. She tipped her head to the side in confusion as to the cause
of his doubt for her, answering his question as she continued to try and pick
at her mind to make herself remember what was concerning him so. "... Haze ...
you were drugged!" she took a large intake of shocked breath as her heart
started to race in fear at what his words meant. "Someone drugged your water
bottle, we don't know who, with a bunch of ... really powerful stimulants and a
pretty nasty transformation potion that Lou Ellen was absolutely disgusted at
because it was specifically designed to hurt you ... made you go crazy for a
bit, but we don't blame you!" he quickly reassured as she flinched at what he
was saying with disbelieving eyes. "You were completely out of your mind on the
stuff, everyone could see that and everyone is really angry that someone would
poison you like that!" she scrambled off the bed as the memories started to
flood back. The pain of the transformation, the loss of her brother as he fled,
the taste of that Ceres girl in her mouth, the screams of onlookers as she
fought with Frank, the horror on Jason and Piper's face as she fought them and
finally the full force of the day's events literally made her collapse to her
knees in shock.
"NO!" she yelled in disbelief as she looked at him in concern that he was going
mad. "I would never, EVER, hurt my friends or you. Especially you! I wouldn't
... I would ... I - no, you are mistaken Frank! I ... I ...!" she shuttered
against the sobs as she began to break down in tears. "But I ... I couldn't ...
I wouldn't ... but what if .. No ... please Gods no .. I hurt ... screaming ...
I'm a monster! I hurt ... no ... please say I didn't!" she gasped as she began
to feel black spots in her vision and a shiver of cold running down her spine
as the room span in freefall. She curled into a ball on instinct, protecting
herself from the flashbacks with utter horror as she felt herself drifting in
consciousness thanks to the panic attack. Suddenly she hurdled forward as she
threw up everything she had in her stomach onto the floor in disgust of her
actions and the pain they caused; making her throat feel acidic as her body
convulsed in revulsion at what she had done. The mass of sick she'd produced
and the shivering cold spreading over her body sent her down a very dark path
of inner hatred as she struggled to reconcile herself with the images in her
head. "Oh Gods of Olympus, kill me, please kill me! I'm a monster, I hurt my
friends! How could I hurt my friends? I should be dead, oh Gods let me be
dead!" she screamed out as Frank tried to comfort her despite her now shocked
body forcing her to her feet to pace along the floorboards in a tirade of
terror. The shock forced her heart rate higher and higher as her mind jumped
from one thing to another without coherency, making her start to talk nonsense
as her body began to convulse more and more. Finally, she collapsed on the
floor in a seizure as her mind drifted between worlds, completely disconnected
from the pain of reality blissfully while she faintly heard shouts of alarm
around her.
Eventually the drifting stopped as she awoke yet again in the cabin but in a
recovery position as strange voices started to invade the void of silence that
she had been previously in. " ... she's breathing, Gods that was terrifying!
All stats look like they are stabilising but her heart rate is dangerously high
so I think we'll need to treat for high blood pressure - a common ailment among
people with African decent in high stress situations. No signs of paralysis or
stroke so that's good, but she will need rest after this and I'll start looking
into diagnosing and treating her as soon as she can get into the infirmary.
It's good you called out to us Frank, could have been a lot worse!" the female
voice stated as Hazel began to rouse herself up from the prone position she was
in on the floor. Someone had placed a rather comfortable pillow - Nico's she
guessed from the scent - under her head and had laid her down on her side in a
position that made her both comfortable and relaxed which she was immensely
grateful for.
"... Fr ... Fra ... Frank?" she mumbled as she attempted to clear the drowsy
feeling yet again from her mind. Warm arms embraced her with utter gentleness
as she let loose a quiet cry of relief at the warmth it provided her still
trembling body. Safety, warmth and happiness flooded her system as she laid her
head down on his chest to steady herself against the vertigo of getting up. "
... hungry ... when ... when's dinner?" she mumbled as her stomach rumbled in
time with his chest as a deep belly laugh erupted from him.
"Oh Gods, Hazel, you scared the living daylights out of me! Thought you were
going to ... going to ... food is on the side, Kayla was bring it to us when
she heard me ... heard me ... um, we've got a range of sandwiches and juice if
you're up to it?" He stuttered as his hand caressed her hair to reassure
himself that she was alive and alright. Hazel smiled at the now obvious scent
of ham and cheese as the food was placed within her eye line. Without
hesitating her hand darted out as she quickly stuffed her mouth with the bread,
tearing it quickly apart with her hands as she consumed it without even a hint
of manners or politeness. She ate like a wild animal, barely even chewing as
she swallowed down sandwich after sandwich before practically downing a whole
pitcher of juice by herself within the course of a few minutes without even
having the manners to pour it into the accompanying glass. Her body screamed
for oxygen but the need to eat was too powerful to ignore as she finished the
platter without delay. Finally feeling full she managed to take a small breath
as she snuggled back into Frank's now trembling embrace as he and a mystery
girl were in the midst of absolute hysterical laughter at the action. "Hungry
much?" he asked her before kissing her head gently and wrapping his arms around
her body. She loved his hugs, so warm and cuddly like a giant bear ... Nico's
hugs were good but he was such a skinny thing that it felt like a scarecrow was
trying to hold her instead of her big bear of a boyfriend but still they were
pretty special because her brother only ever let her hug him and no one else -
well, apart from Reyna of course.
"Nico!" she murmured as she felt herself drifting off a bit. The thought of her
brother jolted her body as she sprung upright, looking desperately around for
him as she scanned the room for his presence. The smell of bleach hit her nose
from where someone had mopped up the sick from before and the new girl's quite
potent floral deodorant was pretty sickening but no Nico. "Where's my brother?
Tell me where is my brother? Did something happen? Where's my brother?" she
babbled as her heart rate sprang right back up. She began to panic again as she
practically nearly broke her neck as she turned quickly to look in the bathroom
en-suite to find the missing member of her family. Frank tried to calm her down
yet again but she couldn't stop the trembles from taking over again. "Where the
fuck is my brother?" she swore loudly as her anger increased in size, making
her want to tear the occupants of the room apart as she looked for a weapon to
force the location of her brother out of them.
"Hazel! Hazel! Your brother is safe, I swear it, he's coming back soon but in
the meantime you need to calm the hell down or you'll trigger another fit! You
need to stay here and wait for him, he won't be long now!" Kayla tried to
persuade but this only made her growl in hatred at not being with her sibling
and for her attempts to order her around. She had enough with being ordered
around today, of being stuck with needles today, of having to deal with stupid
humans today. She felt her bones popping again as the drugs to prevent her
change were shortly wearing off and the potion of transformation earlier was
triggering her initial stages of the change, along with the faint movement of
the rocks under her feet and the mist around her that would be useful weapons
in getting past this girl to find her brother.
"Hazel, please calm down! Please!" Frank pleaded as she considered what they
were trying to get her to do. She didn't want to wait in the dark, she wanted
to run, to scream, to cry and plead for Nico to show himself so nothing Frank
could say could repair the betrayal she felt when Frank moved to block the door
and her only exit from her. She surged forward, driven by instinctual sibling
love, as she tried to get past him but he just kept holding her back as Kayla
stepped out of the open door to avoid being hurt. "Stay here and calm down!" he
ordered, and that was the last straw.
"You bastard! Let me out! I want my brother, I want Nico, now get out of my
fucking way!" she cursed before falling back into old routines as she tried to
punch him out so she could escape the prison that was cabin thirteen. Frank was
obviously holding himself back, counting to force the frustration out of him so
he wouldn't get angry at his girlfriend, but boy was she pissed off at him.
Half out of her mind with; she started to scratch, bite and claw her way to get
him to let her go as he made her stay in the cabin by force - taking each of
her blows with quiet pained stares that Hazel's heart roared at in hatred and
more than a little bit of desire at seeing her imprinting teeth and finger
nails on his skin.
She started pacing again, walking back and forth like a chained lion as she
stared at Frank in fury and bitterness for standing guard over her instead of
bending her over the bed to relieve her aching body of its newfound desire as
the wolf inside reared its head again to make her want him but even this urge
was at odds with her desire for her brother's safety. She snarled when he
actually tried to appease her with sweet words instead of lustful and obedient
ones, biting him when he tried to embrace her both in rage and jealousy that he
was able to go home after to his siblings but she wasn't allowed to do so for
hers. In all, she did everything she could to get him to get out of her way so
she could protect Nico from himself as well as get Frank to blow his lid and
give over to the aggressive lust she had been feeling. If she was calmer, if it
wasn't Nico, if it wasn't for that last haunted look she remembered on her dear
brother's face then she might feel guilt for the hurt look on her boyfriend's
face, but he could go to the underworld right now for denying what was her
rightful place as Nico's sibling to find, protect, and bring her brother home.
She began to mutter to herself, going slightly mad in the silence of Cabin 13
and the claustrophobic air that enveloped her, and it took everything in Hazel
not to scream loudly at the top of her lungs at the injustice of it.
What did he know of the sufferings of her beloved brother, Hazel started cursed
loudly in front of Frank as her love and desire for the boy waned off in her
anger and fear she had for both the safety of her brother and the paranoid
thought of him not loving her enough to relieve her suffering. She began to
snarl then, as doubts flooded her and paranoia invaded every pore of her body.
What urged Frank to confine her like a prisoner instead of letting her rip
those spoilt girls apart for harming her brother's self-confidence before
pushing against a wall to relieve the ache between her legs? And what secret
did Jason know earlier that he wouldn't tell Nico's own sister? Was she even
Nico's sister if she couldn't get past one man like Frank? As if she really
deserved that title now that she looked back on it; looked back on all the
warning signs that spoke as to how badly Nico was recovering from the War. The
way he looked so tired of everything, the way his hands buried themselves into
his sides when near people he didn't like nor know, the way his eyes were dark
with a lack of sleep and worse of all how skinny her big brother looked. Hazel
had never seen him eat much, since before then Nico didn't really like to eat
in the Pavilion because of the overcrowding and his stay in the infirmary, but
today was supposed to be different. They were supposed to get closer and yet
did Hazel really deserve to know her big brother after she had been neglecting
him all this time, so she could help stupid Jason and the stupid Romans after
the stupid War with stupid Gaia.
Gods, she was the worse sister in the world.
Dear father if you're listening, Hazel prayed in desperation, I need your help.
I know I'm not supposed to talk to you, because of the whole death thing, but
Nico's gone and I'm scared. Please, please, help us! I know you are very busy
with the underworld and everything but if you could just tell me where Nico is
and then I could find him and ... and ... Hazel closed her eyes as tears began
to form again. What was the use? She had no one to blame for this but herself,
for she had not been there for her big brother when he needed it most after all
the times he was there for her. She would most likely just make everything
worse, stupid girl, because Hazel knew she didn't deserve the boy who'd given
her everything and received nothing in return. She started to whimper as tears
broke her resolve, making her wrap her shaking hands around herself as she bit
her lip to keep the mournful wails from erupting in her throat at the
loneliness that bubbled up inside her. Somehow being away from her brother, her
flesh and blood, was more painful and lonely than decades of standing still in
the Fields of Asphodel clinging to the memory of her dead mother as the dead
around her stood as silent as a crypt.
Hazel shut her eyes tight to prevent herself from thinking too hard of that
time and instead took a deeper breath as she started around the room to find
something to occupy her body while her mind tried to think of a way to escape.
Relying on her mother's domestic training and her schooling in Home Economics
(a class in school she always got high marks in); she began to let instinct
take over as she buried herself in cleaning up the Cabin which both soothed her
inner wolf's need to tidy her den and brought a sort of silent tranquillity she
could only find when her hands and mind were busy. She looked around to figure
out what needed doing first as she spotted the little mess beside her bed that
would serve her need to control a little of the chaos in her life well. Hazel
quickly knelt as she began to create order from chaos while smoothing out the
multi-coloured pile of sweet wrappers so they could be colour coded and put
away as a reminder of the good times with her sibling. Not to mention they made
beautiful colours when the sunlight shone through them, making her hope to use
them to perhaps create something new out of them like a rainbow lantern or some
flowers that Nico could finally touch without wilting them. Then came the
MacDonald's wrappers that were quickly binned, with Hazel taking the keepsake
of her happy meal toy (a black dragon from a movie that had came out recently
that Nico adored) which she placed alongside the stack of wrappers solemnly
inside her bedside cabinet. After that she utilised an old dustpan and brush to
sweep away the dust beneath the bed on the marble floor, before treating a
minor stain in the stone floor from some ketchup that had accidentally dripped
with a plastic dinner bowl full of hot soapy water. She felt Frank eyes on her
from his place guarding the front door but thanks to the bed's placement it
concealed her own face as she scoped out how to get out of this situation while
scrubbing vigorously at the floor. Moments went by and Hazel bit her lip to
silence the hiccupping sobs still radiating out of her throat at not being near
her brother, finally ending when the stain rubbed away and the floor was once
again clean. As if she was moving to her feet again, Hazel noted several
creases in the bedcovers that irritated the living Hades out of her as the
thought of Nico obsessively smoothing down the itchy covers that morning came
to her. He would not be pleased to see the tiny creases thanks to his military
school training so she quickly remade it to his precise instructions, hoping
that he wouldn't notice when he finally returned.
Most likely he would though ... Nico was sweetly strange in that way.
As she returned the now dirty water to a spot near the bathroom door as well as
the dustpan and brush; Hazel's eyes caught the small pile of Pyjamas from the
Ares Cabin that Nico had stolen in order to have something comfortable to sleep
in. Her hands softly traced the edges while taking in the minty scent of her
brother's deodorant once again to calm her mind a little. Everything they owned
was either stolen, rubbish or destroyed beyond compare - but what could they do
when neither of them had the money to go to the Camp Store to buy new things?
Nico wasn't proud of stealing, in fact he despised it, but desperation to help
them had made the crime permissible and to be honest so did she but what else
could they do? "Those are from our Cabin!" a soft voice from behind her
started, Frank again, as she whirled around to glare at him for interrupting
her spiral of depression. "Why are you stealing things Haze?" he tried as he
made the motion to try and take them from her, making her snarl in response as
she held them closer possessively.
"Why the fuck do you think, dickhead?" she spat, trying her best not to flinch
as he drew forward at being crowded while pulling the clothes to her body in a
tight hold to prevent him from taking them back. She moved as far back as she
could with her heckles raised up high so he would think her bigger than what
she was. The possessive need not to lose one of their meagre possessions
dominated her mind as she spotted Kayla daring to venture back into the Cabin
apprehensively at the sudden raised voice. The child of Apollo was small, but
still the idea of two against one was not something her mind could stomach - at
least now if she kept talking she could make a run for it, causing her to
stealthily use her other hand to feel behind her for her brother's spare knife
on his bedside for a better defence but of course he'd taken it that morning
for extra protection so she grasped at nothing.
Frank paused, eyes wide as he suddenly looked around at their cabin for first
time it seemed - a judging shine in his eyes that pissed her off was still
there when he spoke again; "You could just ask for some from the Camp Store! I
know the Stolls are good enough to ...!" Hazel hated hearing the accusation,
the inherent pity in his voice that made her body quake in anger at his tone
which cut straight through her and injured her pride. To some, the fact that
their cabin was barely even possessing most of the inherent things needed for
ordinary life was sad but to her it was a triumph because at least they had
something. Hazel's mind flashed to the small mentions of her brothers time
homeless after his blood sister Bianca had passed on, of the look of cold
reluctance at mentioning how desperate things got and how terrifyingly poverty
stricken he had been in those first few weeks before he'd learned that stealing
for necessity was better than starving alone in the gutters. Hazel remembered
her own childhood where her moma had to often go hungry in order to feed her
bastard daughter and keep a roof over their heads, how bad it got to one winter
to the point of eating rats to survive and stealing little pieces of firewood
to keep the fire going in their little home. Her family was at least lucky
enough to have a home and now she had a big one to share with her big brother;
who cares what they had to do in order to live - at least they had each other.
"We don't need your fucking charity!" she spat angrily, infuriated that he
didn't understand that a family was worth not having much because at least Nico
had her and she had him. She didn't hate charity, not the physical act at least
but she had been raised in a time where a person had to pick themselves up by
their bootstraps and work for what they wanted - taking handouts was a sign of
weakness to her and she was not willing to destroy her pride for a comfortable
set of Pyjamas at this point. She had Nico, why want for more? "Nor do I care
what you think, we can do fine on our own as we always do!" she followed
pushing him back with the flats of her palm as she manoeuvred her way away from
her brother's bunk so to have a little space from his attitude and judgement.
"I wasn't saying it like that ..." Frank backtracked quickly as he stupidly
held up his hands in a way he must have thought would calm her. Who was he
really kidding?
"What patronisingly as if you were some damned hero for taking care of a couple
of outcasts? We know what we have, and its a lot more than you do - so excuse
us, oh sainted protector for valuing family more than things we can easily get
ourselves without your unwanted help. I think I'd rather die than accept
charity from a self-involved do-gooder, at least then I would have my pride
rather than being looked down on by someone who's never had to steal in his
life!" she growled accusingly, back stepping over towards the door as Frank let
out an angry growl at the implication for no real reason. Frank had a normal
childhood with his mother, Frank had a home and a roof to sleep under, Frank
didn't know true hunger or having to survive by any means necessary - what
could he know of their lives?
"For Olympus sake Hazel, I'm not trying to insult you or Nico - I know you both
have had bad lives and I'm just trying to say that its not patronising to be
kind!" Frank roared back, anger taking over from his sweet demeanour as his
immortal father's more mercurial tendencies slipped out, startling the healer
behind him. Finally he was allowing that façade to come down so the real beast
could emerge as it so wanted to - maybe now she could get him so worked up that
he wouldn't notice her small moves to get closer to the exit. She always knew
being a son of Ares or Mars if you like meant you were more susceptible to fury
than most but damn it Frank never let it loose. It was a cause of ire within
her to never get to see the true man behind her ... ex? Boyfriend's exterior
but at least now she could say he was showing his true colours at last.
"Yes it fucking is, you motherfucking dumb ass! The second you let a person
patronise you like that is the moment you lose any standing in the world that
you have, you would have to be so freaking idiotic not to know that! Neither I
nor my brother want nor need your sort of pathetic kindness nor do I care to be
looked at like that. We are children of Hades - we do what we have to and we
don't ask for help to do it! We are the survivors, the ones who work with what
we got and I don't fucking need no pity handouts to be happy. I don't need your
help, how many times do I have to say it? I don't need help as a girl, I don't
need help as a black girl, I don't need help as a black, poor, girl - so back
the fucking hell off! I never asked for any preferential treatment, I never
asked to be caged in this motherfucking prison, I never asked for you to
publically shame me by dragging me off, and I never asked for you to intervene
earlier - I. Don't. Need. You. To. Save. Me!" she shouted as he turned a
particularly scarlet level of red in shame which satisfied her immensely. He
was crying, Hazel could see that, and his hands were shaking while Kayla was
looking more than a little bit scared at the outburst of emotion but she didn't
give a flying fuck at that moment. She could feel tears trickling down her
cheeks and her nose felt stuffy as she grabbed a small hankie off the side of
her bunk to blow her nose before tucking it into her sweatpants' pocket. A
thought occurred to her then. "Who dressed me?" she asked quietly, in shock as
a crimson blush overtook her dark skin as a fury of embarrassment flooded her
mind.
Frank looked thunderstruck at the change of tone while Kayla simply took a
hesitant step forward as she slowly opened her quaintly tiny mouth, "I ... I
did - Reyna ordered for a spare set of clothes from the Roman encampment to be
brought while you were out!" she stated calmly though she had a slight tremor
in her wording as she fidgeted under Hazel's weighted stare. Hazel felt herself
seize up in shame as she considered the immediate dangers of the girl's words,
terrified beyond all else about what they would mean.
"Would you be able to testify that you were alone when this happened and that
no ... men were present at the time?" she asked quietly but with an edge of
nervous fear as she twisted her hands in absolute anxiety based terror. Hazel
felt her mind go back to her childhood again as she remembered the looks of
disgust and words of abuse her own mother endured as an unmarried mother -
heaven knows how many times the pastor of the local New Orleans Church verbally
directed his forceful sermons at her supposed wanton behaviour and status as
the local harlot for it. Hazel didn't know how her mother didn't crack under
the streams of unrelenting judgement and believed fully that she could never
survive it if she was given the same treatment.
A look of confusion overtook the daughter of Apollo as she stared in amazement
at the question; "Only Reyna was in the room at that point, why?"
Hazel looked her dead in the eye as utter relief filled her mind at having
another woman testify for her; "It is bad enough as a negress to walk outside
in public without a chaperone - to have public knowledge of my ... improper
state in a room where a male was present would be a point of absolute shame and
danger to my person. I may be a Mulatto but even I know that a girl with that
sort of reputation or gossip around her - especially a black one - will be
publically degraded as a harlot who'd open her legs for a few pennies and thus
in danger of attack or lynching for her ways. I thought that was obvious? Now,
this has been fun and all but I'd really like to go find Nico - so bye!" Hazel
blurted as she took a running leap towards the door, uncomfortable with how
they were both staring at her like she was speaking another language. The
movement hurt her legs but she needed to get out, needed to flee their
patronising and insulting staring, so she could protect her family - which made
it so much more frustrating when Frank swung her around just as she reached the
door by her waist, making her gasp at the violence of it as he nearly gave her
whiplash.
"Hazel, I will not say it again! Stay in Cabin thirteen and calm the hell down
- you are going to bring on another seizure if you act like that - now explain
how the hell you got that idea into your head. No one thinks you are a harlot
for getting drugged and undergoing the trauma of the last few hours - that I
give my word on - and Nico is absolutely fine and will return soon, everything
is fine, just calm down!" Frank tried to control his rage as it was obvious at
that point he was losing patience with her but she just snarled as she fought
her way out of his intimate embrace so she could face him head on. The
statement that her brother was fine and coming back to her should have made her
happy but all she felt was a void inside of her that wouldn't fill until she
found her brother and had him safely where she would protect him from
everything in the world. But Nico was not there, so how could she feel anything
but anger in the meantime as her own opinion on what she wanted was surely not
to be acknowledged.
Hazel let loose a terrifying growl in a much more higher volume as the arrogant
fool actually tried to approach her again, making her finally snap as she
slapped him so hard the boy fell to the ground in shock and pain. She stalked
towards him on the floor as she spoke venomously; "Do you not understand that
my brother is in pain right now? That those monsters hurt him and that you are
stopping me from protecting the only family I have left. You and your fellow
campers are disgusting for what you have done to him, for what you have done to
me and mine! Your kind have poisoned me, made me endure unimaginable agony,
jeered at me, insulted me, insulted my brother, knocked me out, embarrassed me
in front of my enemies and prevented me from being there to comfort the only
person in the world who has never harmed me. You think you have any fucking
right to keep me here against my will in a cage where I can neither help nor
comfort my own flesh and blood because in someway you think you have the
motherfucking right to dictate my life because we are dating? I am older than
you, Frank Zhang, and I have been through more than anyone ever should so don't
ever think you can patronise or demean or order me around just because you are
bigger than me. I will never forgive you or any of you for this! As soon as my
brother returns, we are leaving this shithole and I will never come back!"
The look of hurt on his face was massive but he had earned it for not sticking
by Hazel's side and for thinking he could dictate her actions to Jason earlier.
Betrayer, traitor, ass ... the list of names she called him after he limped off
to lick his wounds with a shocked Kayla trailing after him grew larger every
second her brother wasn't in her arms. The girl actually tried to get Hazel to
submit to going to the infirmary for more tests but was quickly shut up by a
plastic bedside table thrown her way, forcing her to turn tail and run for it.
She knew then that any hope of reconciliation with the man who'd she loved was
now gone from her; but if it was a choice between Frank and Nico - she would
always, always, choose her brother because he would always choose her. Tears
grew in the corner of her eyes but she held her head high as she had when he
left her with a broken walk when he realised her utter disgust for his touch
that spoke volumes on how ashamed he was of his actions. Good; then he would
learn to never mess with Hazel Levesque and to never break the sibling bond
between her and her brother. If he ever was in the same room as her again;
Hazel was sure he'd treat her with more caution than before and for some reason
that made her smile against the tears and heartbreak. Better to be respected
than loved; that was the line wasn't it?
Hazel's stomach twisted into an uncomfortable knot as she desperately scanned
yet again the horizon of the Camp; desperately hoping for a mere glimpse of her
brother's unkempt yet sweetly adorable nest of hair to quell the fear that was
quickly consuming her. She nervously paced back and forth, wearing down the
wood at the doorstep of Cabin 13, with every moment of guilt and fear pulling
at her to run into the woods shouting Nico's name despite the danger of a
monster attack. After Frank left with Kayla, she hurried to right the cabin as
she eliminated all signs that the day's events ever happened so as not to
concern her brother when he arrived back into their place of safety. She wanted
her big brother, the brave and valiant knight who'd been there for her ever
since her resurrection. Who'd never judged her; never made her feel guilty or
ashamed for any mistakes she had made in the past. Who'd, despite being
completely opposed to physical touch, fought against himself to kiss her
forehead and whisper how it was going to be all right - that she was safe, and
he would protect her against the monsters in her head and on the battlefield.
Who'd always somehow sneaked portions off his plate and onto hers despite
looking as skinny as a stick himself. Who made her laugh when he introduced her
to this magic trick he learned in Atlanta with a coin that he'd made come
literally out of her ears and to this day Hazel couldn't figure out how he did
it. Who'd escort her towards the bathroom and public areas when she got
frightened about using a typically 'white' area and feared being lynched for
trespassing. Who'd spoken so kindly to her when she broke down crying after the
shock and adrenalin of the War had finally worn off on the floor of their
shared cabin. Who'd accepted her for herself without looking at the colour of
her skin or any of her faults because to him, he'd said, they were only part of
the story of Hazel Levesque. Her brave and strong big brother; who withstood so
much abuse and hardship to the point of fleeing in agony because of that bitch
from before, and Hazel knew his suffering was all her fault because she was too
weak to destroy their enemies and go after him out of sentiment.
A small glow shimmered in the distance which caught her eye ... Was that
fireflies? Hazel loved fireflies, their warm and comforting glow reminded her
of home in New Orleans and how they always gathered outside the windows of the
apartment like a cloud of stars to dance and play in the night-time breeze.
Then she saw him; Nico, emerging from the dark with a woman holding onto him
like a mother would as she gently helped him towards the cabin. Hazel rushed
out of the cabin like she was on fire and Nico quickly noticed her as she threw
herself into her top speed to reach him. A moment of hesitation stopped her in
her tracks as she silently asked for permission to touch her brother but with a
small nod of consent; Hazel launched herself into his ready embrace.
Hazel loved hugs, loved the warmth and the comfort they brought against the
cold reality of the world. But this wasn't a small friendly hug or a hug from
someone as a form of curtesy - no this was a pick-me-up-off-my-feet, spin me
around, hold me close, and stay with me forever because I never want to part
from you again hugs. Hazel quickly broke apart slightly as she scanned him for
injuries, for any hint of pain or hurt, before slamming herself close again
with a "Never do that to me again!" as she snuggled her head into his chest.
Her big brother wrapped his hands around her so tight it was hard to breathe
but Hazel didn't care if she died and went to the underworld at that point
because all she wanted was to comfort and keep her brother safe for the rest of
his life.
Slowly she drew back as she remembered the woman; a pretty teenager with kind
chocolate eyes that seemed eternally despondent despite obvious attempts to
hide it. Her dark skin like Hazel's like fresh turned earth and her scent was
as sweet as a bakery of treats with wafts of cinnamon, honey and fresh turned
bread radiating off her and placing Hazel in an almost dreamlike trance. Surely
if this girl and Aphrodite were in the same room together, Gods help Hazel
decide who was more beautiful because although Aphrodite was stunning to look
at - this girl had a naturally occurring beauty that came through her small
smiles and warmth of character rather than just her good looks. Hazel noted her
clothes were pristine in their condition, but rather than being just
aesthetically pleasing, they rather had a more simple and purposeful way about
them to endear Hazel or lookers on. A mass of long black hair was perfectly
braided into an upside down crown that was slightly hidden under the crochet
hat but still elegantly natural enough to draw the eye. Everything screamed
comfort, mother, sweet, nature and kindness about her. Instantly; Hazel knew
she had found a friend who'd always be welcome in her mind because she had
returned her big brother to her.
"Hello, Hazel Levesque, it has been a long time!" the woman spoke in a
beautiful accent that reminded Hazel of a courtly English lady with her sweet
deliverance of words in a poetic manner befitting a period drama. There was an
inner dignity to it, a strength and independence that bended knees and brought
proud men low, but also a sweetness and innocence that Hazel wanted to wrap
herself in. It was like her voice was an exquisite rose lightly wet with the
tears of those who tried to pluck it but wept at causing it pain with a
thousand thorns protecting its fragile petals from destruction. Who was she,
and why did Hazel's head hurt when she looked at her?
An image resonated through Hazel's mind of her trial when she chose the fields
of Asphodel to save the soul of her mama; of a lady wrapped in the softest
looking silks standing hidden in the shadows as she made that fateful decision.
The woman was so beautiful, but her mouth was passive and her eyes cold and
dispassionate as she looked upon the proceedings without interest. Hazel
remembered her desperate wish at that moment for the woman's name and identity,
but she kept silent as the lady turned around with impossible grace as she left
Hazel behind in a cloud of questions and tear soaked decisions. "You were
there, at my Trial in the Underworld, I remember seeing you there!" she spoke
as her mind rattled with questions and her body clung closer to her brother if
the woman posed a threat.
"Yes, as Queen, I attend all Trials of Judgements for my ... husband's
children, so I can be assured of their fairness and to spare my husband from
appearing himself to see his child when they have reached their inevitable end.
Your end and judgment was a short one, an honourable sacrifice I salute to as a
daughter myself, and your ... father was proud to hear your self-sacrifice did
honour and credit to his name though he was concerned at your decision to
wither away rather than share in the delights of Elysium for a woman who'd
shown only greed and cowardice instead of protecting her child as was her
sacred duty. I do not speak ill of the dead, surely she was a proud woman in
her life, but she did act without considering her child and that is not
excusable!" Hazel almost started cursing again before she took in the impact of
the woman's words. For so long she had tried to defend her mother's actions as
a result of Pluto not being there for her mother or other people's shunning of
her out of misplaced bigotry, but the truth was that Marie Levesque was human.
She made mistakes as all humans do; she asked for riches because as a black
woman living in the South in the 1930s who performed unorthodox religious
practices - she wasn't going to get enough money to pay for an illegitimate
child on her own and that was understandable.
However; Hazel considered the fact that despite being in the right of being
outraged - Marie Levesque never really understood that it was her own doing
which caused Hazel to be cursed because she ignored Hade's warning and didn't
word her request correctly. She took Hazel away from her father, away from
Sammy, away from her home and made her live in practical isolation until her
death. Therefore; Hazel now began to understand that she still made the
decisions to help Gaea and thus doomed herself until she realised her mistake
at the last possible moment. Hazel spoke back at last therefore; "She did what
she could, but I agree my mother was prideful and committed a terrible thing to
help Gaea, so I take little offense to it. I take it you are Prosepine -
Persephone sorry - and the wife of my father?" 
"Yes; I am Persephone; Goddess of Springtime, Flowers, Young Life, Renewal and
the Balance of Nature. Queen of the Underworld, protector of the Dead and
consort to Lord Hades, your divine father, now can you help me get Nico here
into the Cabin before he collapses from exhaustion because he's looking very
peaky and I'm fairly sure its past your bedtime!" She spoke sweetly as she
helped a dumbstruck Hazel lift the slightly dazed Nico towards the cabin by
wrapping an arm under both of his armpits. Hazel noted how light Nico was, a
dangerous sign if ever there was one that Hazel could probably fireman's lift
him with almost no effort required. She needed to help him get better - and at
least now there would be no Frank to distract her from healing her brother's
obvious distress. She planned the next few steps to make him eat more in her
head - maybe she could convince him to help her learn cooking, or try new
exotic dishes or maybe even have him introduce her to Italian cuisine while he
got introduced to Caribbean/French food that her mother liked to feed her when
she was younger. Hazel's mind drifted then to the way that Persephone's eyes
seemed to flood in despair at the very mention of her husband and Hazel's
father; was this why she was here? Was she having an argument with her husband
and happened to come across Nico by accident? It seemed plausible given the
obvious sadness and misery mentioning him did to her face and Hazel was struck
with the desire to hug her until she reminded herself that it wasn't exactly
the best idea considering they did not know each other.
Eventually they got him standing up inside the cabin and Hazel noticed a small
girl tending to the fireplace nearby that she hadn't noticed before - Hestia?
Before Hazel could even get a word of greeting to the other Goddess; Persephone
beat her to it. "Thanks Tia; I owe you one!" Persephone spoke low, conscious of
the fact that Nico was practically falling over himself with exhaustion. The
girl looked over to Persephone with a small smile of thanks for the
acknowledgement before her face fell as she picked up on the grim atmosphere
surrounding the three of them. She looked most concerned at Persephone herself;
like she could tell something was wrong but a quick shake of Persephone's head
signalled to make sure the other Goddess wouldn't start asking questions at
that moment. Hazel was thankful for the lack of questions at that point because
she was slightly panicking over the fact that the Goddess was very close to see
the reality of their living arrangements in their less than ideal predicament
in night clothes. She knew that Nico's pyjamas weren't exactly in the best
condition since he was forced to steal them from the Ares Cabin; was it polite
for a Goddess to see a boy of Nico's age in really ill-fitting spacemen pyjamas
that had to be held up thanks to the general weight and height of the last
possessor being immensely different from her slight and slim brother. They
laughed about it at the time but it would be a little mortifying if in his
sleep derived state Nico accidentally dropped his trousers in front of a Maiden
goddess and their stepmother. Said pyjamas were on the edge of Nico's vampire
crypt like bed and as soon as Persephone saw them Hazel was sure she nearly
burst out laughing.
"By the Gods, why didn't you say that you needed clothes this badly! That does
it; tomorrow when we shop for some new clothes - I am so going overboard! I
mean I can stand a lot of things in life but damn I am not going to tolerate
any family members of mine doing without adequate pyjamas!" Persephone ranted
to herself before snapping her fingers to summon out of nothingness a small
pile of what looked like plain white long-sleeved cotton pyjamas, some socks, a
toothbrush and a few other hygienic products which she held loosely in her
hand. "These should do for the meantime; thanks be to me for thinking of having
an emergency supply of everything within Camp Boarders in case dear old dad
turns me mortal one of these days. Gender neutral style, shouldn't be too
baggy, and there's plenty of supplies there to deal with that slight bad breath
problem from not brushing your teeth as much as you should - and yes I caught
that Mr! Now go get changed for bed, no arguments! We'll be right outside if
you need anything!" she called as she practically pushed the now startled awake
Nico into the private bathroom with a small tsk of amusement.
Hazel was similarly startled; Nico was going where tomorrow? "Lady Persephone
...!" she started, trying to come up with a way of working on that question
without seeming overly rude as well as point out that they didn't need her
charity so she didn't need to buy them anything but the Goddess beat her to the
punch. Good thing too as Hazel was fairly sure that she wouldn't want for a
bastard daughter of her husband's Roman counterpart to rebut a gift - who knows
how she would punish them for the insult. So she resolved in her head quickly
to ensure that the Goddess wouldn't go too 'overboard' as she put it and to see
if she could limit the price of such gifts as best she could to decrease the
uncomfortable feeling in her chest.
"No need for that; manners are all well and good but I'm fairly sure Nico's not
going to be in there forever, so we have limited time to waste. Tell me what
you can of today, leave nothing out, and I'll dedicate myself to making sure
that your brother smiles again!" Persephone smiled again but it was more with
reassured concern that instantly endeared her to the girl. Hazel immediately
recounted the whole thing as best as she could, taking care not to say much
about her attacks on Jason and Frank in case Persephone thought she was a
lunatic. The frown on Persephone's face worsened and Hazel watched curiously as
the woman brought out a small journal which she opened up and began to write
down something that Hazel couldn't quite make out. There was a lot of scribbles
on it though, maybe a schedule or something like that, but the way she was
writing it made it look something like a mass of ideas like that of a mad
genius. She did say that she was 'dedicating' herself to making sure Nico
'smiles' so it was probably a mass of ideas on how to achieve that - an
ingenious thing that Hazel really hated herself for nothing thinking of earlier
- along with information on events that caused Nico to turn in on himself and
retreat from people. 
"Well; that would explain how distraught he looked when I found him!"
Persephone sighed sadly as she shut the book with a pronounced snap. Hazel
hadn't realised until the sound jolted her that she was drifting ever closer to
the woman with the subconscious intent on trying to read over her shoulder.
"Hazel are you doing anything tomorrow?" she asked with a ring of concern.
"No madam!" Hazel replied back quickly as she shrank back guiltily for
attempting to invade her brother's privacy.
"Persephone, please, none of that madam nonsense since we're family. Now; I'd
like to take your brother on a trip tomorrow to Brooklyn after breakfast to see
some Celtic friends of mine and I'd like you to come along for both moral
support and so I can spoil my stepchildren a little after the torrid events of
the last couple of years. Are you able to come with us?" Hazel shifted on her
spot; considering the words and trying her best not to panic as she realised
she'd have to come clean about what she had done to her supposed 'friends'.
Sure, she may of hated them at that moment for splitting her from her brother
when he needed her most but now that she thought back it was a little
aggressive of her to physically start attacking people she had once thought
loved. She had attacked the leader of the Roman Army, his girlfriend, a
daughter of Ceres, and her boyfriend along with Will's sister; so there had to
be consequences for it surely?
"I ... I ... I would like to come along but I'm afraid ... I may not be able
... well; I kind of ... maybe ... got poisoned with a magic potion that turned
me into a wolf, nearly bit the leg off the girl who was teasing Nico, nearly
killed my ... nearly killed Praetor Frank Zhang, returned to human form,
threatened Jason Grace with a knife, knocked him unconscious with a vase, badly
cut Piper Mclean, attacked Frank Zhang again, got knocked out, woke up here,
and finally attacked Frank and Apollo's daughter Kayla with a bedside table. So
I might have to stand trial for attempted murder, thievery, assault,
threatening a superior, and vandalism tomorrow so ...!" even the words seemed
hollow as Hazel struggled to keep herself together as she considered what the
punishment she might have to endure because there was no way she was getting
away Scott free. Why had she gone so overboard? Hazel looked at herself
honestly and reminded herself of her situation. She was fourteen years old, a
War survivor, who had already died, been subjected to culture shock, watched/
caused her mother to die horrifically, been stuck in limbo for who knows how
many years, drugged by a traumatising potion that turned her into an animal and
was so close to losing her other remaining family member who was basically
wasting away because of his severe mental and physical trauma. She was entitled
to get a little protective over him, in fact she had more than earned the right
to protect her brother and those who stood in her way were not like to do it
again. Her actions had shown that at least even though her trial would most
likely go against her; trials against people like her often did after all.
"You were under the influence, a minor, and protecting the liberty and safety
of a loved one. I'm sure Chiron will understand one small trip is easier to
bear if you are supervised than a displeased Goddess; what were the
circumstances of these attacks?" Hazel looked at her and Hestia, who at this
point was quietly in-braiding Persephone's hair with nimble and intimate care,
while watching them with those warm brown eyes that swirled slightly and
crackled like the flames she sat near. Despite the obvious staring; Hazel
didn't feel unease rather she felt warm and comforted to have female friends
who she could depend on for advice and support. Annabeth and Piper were nice
but talking to them was difficult to near impossible if it was about her
wellbeing because there was always a risk they would reveal it to their
respective boyfriends and thus she could never have a firm sense of privacy
with them - not to mention Piper was currently having her arm stitched back
together thanks to her knife work so that friendship was over.
"Jason ... he wouldn't let me punish the girl who upset my brother and wouldn't
tell me some information that would have explained why he reacted so badly to
it so I hit him in anger ... then there's Frank who stopped me from getting my
revenge on the girl who hurt my brother and then imprisoned me in this cabin to
cool down after Lou Ellen drugged me yet again with a sleeping dart. A few
major injuries; possible amputation of the girl's arm from the depth of the
wound I left on her, a possible laming from the bite on Frank's leg, a
concussion from the Vase on Jason's head, a really large cut down Piper's arm
because she tried to out-flank me, some scratches, some bite marks and a few
other injuries ... I just got so angry that I couldn't help it ... my powers
just started to act up and the wolf just ... because they made me so ... so
pissed off!" she recounted in the quietest voice she could so Nico wouldn't
hear from the bathroom. She would never hear the end of it if he found out;
most likely he would blame himself and then go into a self-loathing tangent.
Nope, he might just go off the deep end ranting at Frank about ordering around
his sister before personally going on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge against whom
ever poisoned her in the first place. No, she was going to have to protect him
by keeping it quiet for now until he was better and then she would tell him so
they could get revenge together without fear of him being too traumatised to
help.
"I can twist a version of events that to get you off with a couple of minor
punishments; in fact I am about to enter the room where they are all taking
Council ... wow, you weren't kidding about defacing Frank Zhang! I'll negotiate
a lighter sentence for you and fix the area around the Big House while you
sleep so Nico won't ever know about it. I'll give you the full judgment when
you wake up tomorrow privately when they are done debating it!" she spoke
softly with eyes slightly glazed over. Ok, that was weird, a good weird because
it meant that Nico wouldn't freak out if the Goddess had to go plead Hazel's
case but still weird if two Persephone's were at the camp at the same time.
Imagine if they did 'War Games' with a couple of hundred Persephone's ... it
would be carnage!
"So you are in two places at once ... that's pretty weird!" she spoke up to
voice her thoughts as her mind pictured each God being attacked by themselves.
It was enough to give her a headache and she wasn't even the one with thousands
of her running around.
"You get used to it, I'm the Goddess of Springtime and Queen of the Underworld
so being in multiple places at one time is the only way I can ever get my work
done. So many pieces of paperwork, so much to prepare for, and so little time.
Speaking of time; Nico sounds like he's finishing up so you might want to get
changed yourself!" Persephone did the whole snap thing and a similar pile of
white clothing and toiletries appeared out of thin air. Hazel gathered them in
her hands as she swapped places with a sleepy looking Nico as he exited the
bathroom. Smiling and pleased to see him look a little less for wear; Hazel
went onto her tip toes to place a small affectionate kiss on his head as a
small thanks for always being there before entering the en-suite to change.
Inside the care package was a range of items with the main one being a matching
set of a pure white long-sleeved pyjama top and a black and white tartan
bottoms with drawstring ties. There was also refreshingly a new pair of black
underwear, thank the Gods, and even a new matching sports bra which Hazel
nearly cried with joy for. When she had first arrived out of the Underworld,
Nico had provided basic clothing for her to wear so she could blend in with the
Romans by stealing a small measure of gold from their father's palace and the
sight of the new developments in underwear was a great relief because 1930s
clothing was not in many forms as comfortable as the modern day's equivalent.
There was also the fact that Camp Half-blood was good for many things such as
adventure and exploration but their laundry was lacking something terrible
thanks to the overpopulation of Romans and Greeks living together and needing
to get things cleaned off. The infirmary thankfully had its own laundry for
medical uniforms so there wasn't cross-contamination but still there was quite
a waiting list for washing clothes and Hazel admitted that her last bra had
been getting a little uncomfortably gross. Fortunately the simple white one
provided was perfectly her sized, though she wouldn't wear it to bed because it
would just annoy her too much so she placed it gently in her private cabinet
and quickly changed in silence.
After, when she began to reach for the door, a faint murmuring of conversation
caught her ear as she heard her brother's voice; " ... but what if I lose
control again? Each time I close my eyes ... the nightmares ... they just get
worse and worse. What if I start to lose it in the middle of the night? What if
... what if I hurt Hazel? I ... I don't ... I don't have much control when I'm
like that and every time I could sink the entire cabin into the ground! I could
start swinging my sword around and accidentally ... accidentally murder my own
sister. It's not safe for her to be here, its not safe for anyone to be here! I
see it when I come out of the trance in the morning; the look of fear in her
eyes and I know its because of me. Because I terrify her and she knows that I
could hurt her and I don't want to but I know I can and that scares the living
daylights out of me!"
Hazel's hands shook as she held them to her mouth so she wouldn't reveal her
presence. She shouldn't be eavesdropping but to hear the true extent of the
damage done to her big brother was something she just needed to hear. Curse
Gaea, curse fucking Hera, curse all the Gods for making him like this. Now
Hazel understood the strange look in Nico's eyes from the last few nights when
she caught him desperately trying to force himself into a corner after waking
up screaming from a nightmare. He wasn't afraid of some random monster, Hazel
realised with an earthshattering and stomach churning shock, he was afraid of
himself. Afraid that if he'd even allow himself to drop his guard that Hazel
would be a causality; no wonder he tried his best to stay awake. No wonder he
never wanted to talk about his nightmares or cringed away from her touch as she
tried in the past to assure him he was safe. Tears grew in Hazel's eyes as she
tried her best to hold in a heartbroken sob at the broken wreckage that was her
big brother's soul before she quickly wiped them away with a resounding swipe.
No. No. No. Hazel wasn't going to let him close himself off and drive himself
away from her. She was his sister, his little sister, and she was not losing
him no matter what. She straightened her back as she pulled herself together.
Nico needed her and she would be there for him no matter what, no matter who
pulled her away and no matter how much he tried to get her to leave. Now was
the time that she show herself to be his flesh and blood - because she was
going to make him better. She was going to dedicate herself to his wellbeing
like nothing before and she wasn't going to let him have one more day when he
felt this self-doubt and terror grip him.
Striding from the bathroom; Hazel quickly grabbed Nico's surprised face and
looked him in the eyes with a look of pure resolve.
"Listen to me Nico Di Angelo! I will not, nor never will be, afraid of you nor
will I ever leave you again. We will survive this and I will help you to get
better. You are my brother and I am your sister; we are all we have in this
world and I refuse to let you push me away or hurt yourself because of what has
happened to you. I'm not saying it will be easy but I promise I won't stop
trying; I just need you to promise you will try as well!" Hazel stated, leaving
no room for debate as she glared at him - daring him to refuse or shy away from
her - and kept his eyes fixed on hers. Nico looked shocked at the fury behind
her words, but Hazel refused to apologise as she pleaded silently with her eyes
for him to help her try to mend the broken parts of himself. She just needed
him to agree, to help kick start the journey, and then she was sure they would
be able to achieve anything they wanted because he was. Not. Going. To. Leave.
Her. Again.
"She speaks the truth, Nico, we are here for you. Now, you say that you are not
comfortable with sleeping because you believe you are a danger to yourself and
others in your dreamlike state - fine, let's remedy that. I give you my word
that I will keep watch throughout the night, and if you show any signs of
becoming unstable or if the nightmares get too vivid, then I can and will pull
you out of them. I will stay all night to do this and I swear that if you do
become violent then I will protect your sister and keep you from doing anything
to the cabin and to the camp if need be. I am a Goddess of the Underworld and
Nature; I have enough power within me to restrain you if necessary and I will
not allow anyone to be harm you or be harmed by you on my word as a Goddess!"
Persephone did this weird thing then of crossing her heart with a sideways
scratch that seemed to glow like a golden stream against her earthy black skin;
a binding contract Hazel mused as she watched the golden scratched cross fade
into her flesh. 
Nico looked at them both uncertainly but still he nodded, not obviously
trusting himself to speak, and settled into the bed he'd claimed for his own in
silence. Content at the silent consent to her presence; Persephone quietly
tucked her brother in before whispering a sweet goodnight and then escorting
Hazel away to her bed and did the same. Hazel smiled at the action, remising
sadly about the many times her own mother had done the same action but somehow
it did not sting too much to have another do the same motherly action. Maybe
because she was still thirteen years old and had lost her mother so was now
desperate for a maternal figure or maybe it was just the comforting nature of
Persephone's presence that made Hazel feel safe and protected behind the
powerful woman who'd volunteered herself despite the very existence of Nico and
Hazel being a very real reminder of her own husband's infidelity. Whatever it
was; Hazel was grateful for the gesture as she silently watched the Goddess
gather Nico and Hazel's clothes and fold them into neat piles on one of the
spare beds. Each movement the woman made was purposeful, clean and nimble as
she smoothed down creases and elegantly gathered the material into the shape
she wanted. Hestia sat on the floor next to her, looking slightly concerned at
the obvious despair in Persephone's eyes but obviously letting the woman have
her own space. Persephone's mouth was moving slightly as she silently mumbled
words that Hazel couldn't quite make out but were obviously critical of the
condition of the clothing in front of her as her eyes glared at the rips and
wear done to the borrowed items with obvious annoyance. It was ... kind of
adorable in a way with the slight pout at the mouth that reminded Hazel of a
little child who'd got her dinner all over her face and was now having a silent
temper tantrum over it. Who knew that the Goddess of the Underworld could get
so annoyed over something so small as unkempt clothing?
With that last humorous thought; Hazel slowly drifted off to sleep to the quiet
sound of a cackling fire, murmured annoyance and her brother's soft snoring
snorts that reminded her so sweetly of baby pigs ... and then viciously hunting
them down and tearing out their throats.
***** POV - Frank *****
                       Falling_Down_and_Getting_back_up:
                               By_R._L._Collins
===============================================================================
What just happened?
Frank took a shaking breath as he limped weakly towards the Greek Infirmary on
the orders of a severely annoyed daughter of Apollo, trying his best not to let
out groans of pain as he clutched the wounds on his leg with his battered arm
to stop the wounds from gushing too much blood. If he was to guess, he most
likely would have to undertake yet another round of Ambrosia and Unicorn
draught under the watchful eye of the Greek Head Doctor William Solace - a
prospect he was slightly dreading as he had promised the guy that he wouldn't
try to aggravate it much before taking off after the stretcher carrying the
unconscious body of his (hopefully still but after that argument it was
doubtful) girlfriend so he could keep her company till she awoke from the
powerful tranquiliser dart lodged in her body. The teenager might seem relaxed
outside of his clinic on music night as he listened to his fellow camp mates
sing out bad 90s renditions but Frank swore that he'd either somehow trained
under Lupa to get a Wolf Stare that could make Jason Grace freeze in place or
had some serious guts to face down anyone till they eventually gave into
undertaking any medical procedure they were trying to sneak out of. Even Nico
Di Angelo himself couldn't stand up to the guy - that was how persuasive the
young healer could be and Frank was not looking forward to informing him of the
fact his injuries had been opened up and worsened after restraining the
hysterical yet somehow still captivatingly stunning Hazel Levesque.
"Frank!" a frightened shout rang out as he slightly stumbled into the
infirmaries' doorstep, letting a small groan of pain as tendrils of pain
radiated up his body from the now fully reopened wound from his girlfriends'
razor sharp teeth. The bite had already twinged a little when he was waiting
for Hazel to awake from the drug induced slumber and the action of having to
restrain her from running out into the woods screaming her brother's name had
definitely not helped matters. Frank looked up to see the concerned face of
Jason as his fellow former Praetor wrapped an arm around his waist to help him
towards an unoccupied cot nearby, as he let out a prayer of thanks that the
ceramic flower pot hadn't done too much damage to the guy's head because he had
heard the impact sound of it breaking over Jason's skull and it was loud.
Frank collapsed into the cot with a shuddering cry as his leg finally gave out
on him, to the alarm of the campers and Romans around him as the adrenaline of
the day left him cold and in so much agony. To be honest, this was not the way
he had planned for today to go - nearby bashing his head in on the cot bed's
headboard as the injuries on his body caused by the girl he ... he ... he
loved. For the Gods sake, he was supposed to be relaxing today and getting some
quality time with her so they could figure out exactly what this new
relationship meant for the two of them. He had planned everything, a small
picnic on the beach, maybe a gentle hike in the woods and a candle lit dinner
for two as they watched the fireworks planned for today's bonfire in
celebration of their victory over Gaia but then it all went wrong. He had woken
up early to put together the small breakfast feast from a small thermal flask
of hot chocolate to the chocolate brioches that Hazel adored which he had
managed to convince the Harpies to make specially for this special breakfast -
dodging the mocking laughter of his fellow bunkmates at the cheesy idea of
having a picnic with his girlfriend, who thought it was absolutely hilarious at
the nervous state it had rendered him in as he went over again and again the
various items he needed to remember or else it would all go down the drain.
He'd been just about to walk towards her cabin when he noticed the commotion
and from there on it just went insanely bad - first Nico shadow travelled to
who knows where, then Hazel stated to have a panic infused breakdown, then she
turned into a wolf, and finally tried to rip their tormentor's arm off with her
bare teeth before she turned on him. Frank had known Hazel to have a slight
angry side to her with the frequent cursing under her breath that she'd learned
from the 'helpfully informative' rest of their cohort in the weeks they had
spent there but he had never known such ... passionately pure hatred before
that burned within the girl who'd enchanted him for so long. She was all over
the place - happy, then sad, then playful, then psychopathically insane, then
happy again - and Frank could have blamed it on the drugs in her system but he
... he knew better.
If there was one thing that could make Hazel Levesque go absolutely bat crazy
over it was her brother - Nico Di Angelo, the one person on earth who Hazel
hero worshiped to the extreme. Frank had listened to her rants and ravings
about how amazing her big brother was for days upon end, how kind yet fiercely
strong her was, how he definitely needed a haircut, and how no one could ever
beat him in combat because he was legitimately the best swordsmen ever. She
praised him without end, and when even the slightest hint of insulting
behaviour was seen by anyone in the direction of her big brother - she was
vicious in correcting them to the point of making more than a couple of
seasoned Roman Legionnaires cry their eyes out as a result of her verbal smack
downs. Hazel adored her big brother and there was no one in the world who could
ever dissuade her of what she termed to be an unwavering fact; they could
convince her that red was blue or 2+2=3 before that could ever happen. Frank
never felt threatened by this - family was something he understood after all
and he felt the same way about his mother's untarnishable memory so he had
never questioned how devoted his girlfriend was to hers but today was something
else. She had actually attacked a girl, and Frank knew that if he wasn't there
to defend the screaming abuser then they would be cleaning the blood from the
ground right now as well as a set of twisted and unmoving bones because that
was just how violent she could get when she was angry and a wolf.
Gods above, his girlfriend had turned into a wolf - a real, actual reddish-
blackish wolf - and Frank was sure that he would never forget the screaming
wails that escaped her agonised form as he watched in horror at the grotesque
way her bones broke and dislocated to form the lupine anatomy that it was
forced into. It made his blood run cold and his mind to grow fuzzy with
absolute terror for the girl who was his greatest friend, love, and companion
as she endured a fate no one deserved to suffer. The idea of her in pain went
against everything he'd ever stood for and he would have given anything for the
torture to be given to him instead rather than the beautifully tragic yet
resilient love of his life. He loved Hazel Levesque, that point was beyond
dispute, and anything that caused her to cry deserved a slow and unrelenting
death followed by an eternity in the fields of punishment in her realm. He had
already given his silent oath on everything he'd ever held dear that if he ever
discovered who had drugged his girl - he would not stop until they were nothing
but a broken wreak in the deepest hole he could find. Forget honour, forget
oaths to his Roman duties, forget ethics - all that mattered was that Hazel
would never cry again and Frank could never express his distress at having
contributed to that pain by following Jason's orders to contain his hysterical
lady who had at one point expressed true love for him and the next tried to
scratch his eyes out before openly falling apart before his eyes while
clutching the meagre possessions he'd stupidly implied were a sign of needing
help.
Why had he done it? Why had he opened his big fat mouth and commented on the
ratted pyjamas that truly he had no business in talking about? They were old
and tattered, it was no crime for his girlfriend to sneak them away - hell he'd
give her the clothes on his back if she wanted them - even if they were from
his cabin so why had he started that disasterous sequence of events by
offending her so badly and so crudely. Truly, he never should have spoken
anything about it - it wasn't his business, it wasn't his life, and unless
Hazel wanted to - the children of Hades had no reason to give him an
explanation at all why they had to steal from the campers in order to survive.
They deserved everything the campers of Camp Half-blood and Camp Jupiter had to
offer as heroes and they knew that so why did he stupidly think it needed
pointing out. He understood her rage, her absolute offense at the implication
that they were just stealing things for pleasure because Hazel wasn't like that
nor was her brother. They would never steal anything or do anything criminal
unless it was for survival sake or to protect their loved ones because they out
of everyone in the Greek or Roman world had the dignity and honour of being
undisputed in terms of their golden ethics and morality. They were not
criminals, they simply were trying to survive and Frank had done nothing but
insinuate otherwise when he made that stupid comment. If he could take it back
he would, if Hazel would accept his absolute regret he would do anything to
make this right, but the damage had been done. He had implied the very worse of
her and her beloved brother - he had to pay the consequences for his actions
and if that meant she never wanted to see him again and was leaving the camps
for good then it was on his head not hers.
He should have been more watchful of his temper, his tongue, and his attitude
because right now - they seem to have cost him everything.
A warm feeling spread across his body as he was injected with what felt like a
high dose of unicorn draught and strong hands forced him to drink from a glass
of liquid that reminded him of a mug of hot chocolate that his mother had given
him after he woke from a particularly bad nightmare when he was a kid. "Damn
it, Zhang, stop undoing all my good work - I swear if I have to re-stitch one
more wound because another fucking Roman pops their stiches again and the
entire camp will be speaking in rhyming couplet till the next apocalypse rolls
round!" William Solace muttered angrily, though Frank could see the exhaustion
behind his eyes well enough. Not many of them had been sleeping well ever since
the defeat of Gaia a mere week ago; and already the effects were being seen
with raised tempers in the leaders from sleep deprivation and a almost zombie
like state for others where they just walked around in a trance like manner as
they sought to finish the mountain of things the War had called for. Transports
for the Roman visitors, supplies for the Greeks, disputes between the two
camps, the screaming from different cabins at night as Romans and Greeks alike
imprisoned themselves behind emotional baggage - it was not exactly the most
healthiest thing to be a half-blood right now.
"Sorry!" Frank mumbled back as he tried to move to a better position for the
Doctor to work with, conscious of the eyes that captured every slight detail as
nearby sick campers tried to figure out what was happening. That was one thing
Frank found daunting about his Praetor role - the public scrutiny, because no
matter how much paperwork he wrote, how many council meetings he sat through,
and how many disputes he resolved ... Frank knew his position was a fragile one
and one tiny misstep could end everyone's trust in his ability to do his job
forever. Hazel always told him to be mindful of that, to act with the honour of
a Roman but the enthusiasm of a Greek so people would know that he took the
sacred duty they gave him with absolute respect and appreciation. He needed to
watch his step now if he didn't want people to think either he or Hazel were
giving signs of not being able to do their respective roles - for both their
sakes.
Doctor Solace grumbled slightly under his breath as he worked to stitch
together the newly torn flesh of his arm and leg, carefully threading his way
as a nearby younger son of Apollo worked to keep the area he was working on
clear of blood, before quietly whispering under his breath "... how's Hazel?"
so quietly Frank struggled to even hear it this close up. There was a note of
concern in his eyes as Frank considered the different platitudes in how to
respond given the public audience, since he couldn't exactly lie to the guy who
most people were convinced was severely crushing on Hazel's brother - the 'tiny
Italian hero to end all heroes' in Hazel's own words. Frank took a moment to
consider it, the obvious signs were there of course with the enhanced concern,
nervous yet determined gestures, and intimate glances when Nico was imprisoned
for his three day recovery that Frank noted with interest when Hazel
practically decided that either the healers of the Apollo cabin could all join
together and literally throw her out or allow her to take a permanent spot
nearby to keep an eye on him during the majority of the day to keep the fear of
losing her only family member left alive at bay. The son of Apollo was very
attentive during that time, seemingly obsessed with making sure the Di Angelo
boy wouldn't be left alone for even a minute as he calmed Hazel's fears by
volunteering to stay with him while Frank practically dragged her from the
infirmary to eat and do the basics in terms of human hygiene. Frank could tell
with his no nonsense attitude that Doctor Solace was perfect in terms of a
potential love interest to the son of Hades so he was comfortable with letting
him know the extent of today's damage - just not with everyone listening in.
Frank was about to respond with a request to tell him later in private when
another voice shouted out, "Crazier than Mr D on Crack Cocaine - seriously how
the Hades do you even date that lunatic?" Frank fought the urge to growl and
snap at the daughter of Apollo who swaggered into the infirmary with an air of
superiority. Hazel was not crazy - traumatised maybe, drugged out of her mind
definitely, but she was completely sane apart from the dependency on her
brother and slight obsessiveness over learning every single fact imaginable
about every poet and poem known to man. Seriously, she muttered lines of Keats
and William Blake all the time and could recite from memory every sonnet from
Shakespeare without prompt or issue to the point where either she was a secret
daughter of Apollo or she had a problem because no dyslexic girl with ADHD
could ever hope to obsess that badly over something so bizarre. She recited
poetry while riding the Roman horses, training with her spata - Hades knows how
many times he'd catch her muttering them while supposedly sleeping in her bunk
in the fifth cohort barracks when he was 'volunteered' to wake her up for dawn
time training.
Frank settled upon a threatening glare as he spoke up, "Hazel is ... a little
off right now, but she's actually one of the sweetest people in the world, a
crucial member of the Seven heroes, and my girlfriend so I suggest you talk
about her with more respect, Doctor!" Frank always hated when people spoke
badly of people when they weren't there to defend themselves - especially when
said person was the woman who had confessed love to him for just a few hours
before. By the Gods she looked beautiful when she spoke those wonderfully
powerful words to him with a sleepy smile and hair that looked utterly messy
yet to his eyes more perfect than any stupidly complicated hairstyle he'd ever
seen. Her eyes were a soft golden like the first rays of sunlight through
stained glass, while her voice was that perfectly raspy and low quality that
Frank could barely stop himself from thinking it the perfect vocal equivalent
of melted caramel which made him want to shudder in remembering because it was
that good. The warmth of her sweet breath, the softness of her palms as they
caressed his cheeks, and the distinct feeling that time itself had slowed down
when she kissed him fiercely with more passion than Frank had ever known would
definitely haunt him tonight as he clung to the good parts of the events of
today rather than the terrible ones. He wanted to remember this day as the day
Hazel Levesque called him her 'Hero' and that she loved him - not the day when
she screamed every insult and obscenity in the book at his face while trying to
rip his throat out because he'd picked a fight that most likely just cost him
said love.
Kayla leaned against the nearby door, ignoring the glare of annoyance at her
disrespect levelled by Frank and the look of caution Frank noted William Solace
was throwing her as well. "Well, I'm not quite sure how to tell you this Zhang,
but your girlfriend makes crazy look sane and right now she's one tea cup away
from being the mad hatter so I don't think she can be put on a pedestal any
longer. Seriously, who the hell gets so defensive over pyjamas anyway? Not to
mention she's one of the most foul-mouthed patients I've ever come across, and
the racist language isn't appealing in the slightest - like who refers to
themselves like that in the modern world? I don't understand how in the world
you even fell for her!" Kayla ranted as the patients nearby looked at each
other with raised eyebrows at the blunt remarks. Frank knew he often was guilty
of putting her as Kayla was putting it 'on a pedestal' - but considering how
impressively she handled herself in battle and how wonderfully sweet she could
otherwise be to those she loved, what else could he do but consider her his
perfect lady love. A flicker of images played in his mind as he remembered how
oddly beautiful she looked when she handled the blade from earlier, a look of
battle in her eyes and her lithe form moving with such sudden rage it had been
hard to actually restrain himself from acting ungentlemanly towards her later
when she was kissing him again. That kiss ... when before they had only
professed chaste and sweetly small kisses, the kiss she bestowed upon him as
she awoke had been nothing but passion unrestrained. The noises she had made,
little moans and whimpers that would make his blood run hot with desire that he
knew was wrong given their unmarried status but a much bigger part of him
begged for him to steal more of them with every passing moment away from her.
In short, Hazel Levesque had possessed him body and soul - and Frank knew he'd
never love someone in the way he loved her.
She was so violently delightful; one moment chastely giggling 'my hero' as she
kissed his cheek before the next moment practically sitting in his lap as they
gave into the passionate wonder of having confessed their love. Her violent
temper had left him strangely ... happy because in truth Hazel had never looked
better than when she was annoyed at something. Every little swear that passed
through her lips made his head fuzzy, her rapid breathing as she raved made him
practically having to force himself to remain looking into her eyes and not the
dark skin at her pulse point where he ached to kiss, and then there was the
fact that before when she was just coming out of her transformation that she
was clothed in only a rather large blanket was something he'd never be able to
forget. Frank knew it wasn't honourable to think that way but he was young, in
love, and his girlfriend was practically glowing while spitting insults and
attacking his friends so he didn't much care at that point how weird it was to
love someone who'd practically ripped his leg off with her bare teeth. Hades,
she could set fire to his life stick and he'd probably thank her for the lovely
sight of her before he bit it - maybe he'd even try to escape Elysium if he
could to see if she had visited her own father in his underworld palace
sometime so he could ask for one last kiss.
Will Solace awoke him from his thoughts by a hissing shout, "Kayla! That is not
how healers talk about their patients nor does it qualify for a reason why you
left her alone, unattended, in her recovery!" before expertly wrapping a tight
bandage around his now clean and neatly gauze covered injuries in a manner that
seemed almost effortless. Frank looked sharply at the girl, practicing his wolf
stare to see if that would shut the girl up so he wouldn't have to defend his
girlfriend's honour while in his less than desired condition. Bow and arrow
might be a good weapon to learn but Frank wasn't afraid to come to blows if it
meant the girl would stop bad mouthing the girl he loved. Hazel Levesque was
... was not the sort of girl you'd talk bad about - given her selection of
high-powered friends and the fact her brother could and had taken on whole
armies basically by himself to the point of wading through monster dust on the
battlefield. Nico. Frank prayed to his father and the Gods that he wasn't hurt
because if he was and Frank had been the one to hold back his devoted sister
from defending him - Hazel would slit his throat while he slept and parade
around in his flayed off skin till she got bored and went to the Fields of
Punishment to torment him for the rest of his existence. What had he done?
"Sorry Will but I'm not being hit in the head by a plastic bedside table - I
don't care how severe the condition of the patient is! I'm tired, I'm hungry,
my feet hurt, and someone has messed up the water pressure in the cabin so I
haven't had a shower yet and won't till the Hephaestus guys sort it out. I am
certainly not caring for a girl who's gone loco crazy with teeth, I don't care
how much of a crush you have on her brother!" Kayla barked back as she got
comfortable in a nearby chair, curling up like some feral feline without a care
for the venom she was spitting with every word. Frank forced himself to breath
and calm down, violence wouldn't solve anything at this point and he wasn't
capable to doing anything about it anyway in his condition. His leg burned
slightly from the pain still and his arm felt pinched like a monster giant crab
had gripped him tight in its giant claws - no heroics could be done like this.
Besides, by the looks of it the Doctor might get to her first judging by the
outraged scarlet hue on the guy's face.
Will spluttered out denials, "I ... I ... I ... I don't have a crush on Nico!"
as he stared at her enraged by her accusation. Frank sighed at his
obliviousness as did the rest of the healers milling about around them while
the patients either snorted or outright laughed till they groaned clutching
their injured bodies from the vibrations. He looked around bewildered, with no
small amount of annoyance for his sister's statement as he stared down each one
of the patients - daring them to contradict him and every single one of them
did in their own little way. Frank was sure if it was him who'd had his crush
practically shouted from the rooftops by his obnoxious younger sibling - he
would feel exactly the same way, angry, scared, in denial, and utterly
terrified of people informing the object of said trust all about it. He had to
hand it to the young Doctor that he was able to stay in the same room even,
most would run like there was Hellhounds on their trail from the embarrassment
or start a potentially very violent brawl but maybe it was just shock that kept
the guy pinned into the spot he stood in. Maybe it was duty perhaps, but
whatever it was Frank was sure more than ever that the guy was lying.
Kayla moved to stand directly in front of her elder brother and Head
Councillor, before opening her big mouth again. "So the whole brooding, short,
dark haired hero type doesn't appeal to you? Gods above Solace - the freaking
whole camp probably knows how you've had the hots for the guy for like forever
and that he's more gayer than a New York Pride Parade on LSD!" Frank reached
for his sword, furious about how disrespectful she was being towards his
girlfriend's brother - who he desperately wanted to have like him for Hazel and
his own sake. Nico was ... strange, Frank would admit, but no one deserved to
be outed like that and he didn't want Hazel to hear it either as she was still
in the dark regarding such things about her brother's personal life. How would
she react, Frank wondered, given 1930s beliefs about homosexuality to hearing
about her brother being homosexual? No doubt she'd freak out, break some
things, and generally be in denial till the end of time in hopes that she could
'cure her brother' in order to 'protect him' or something like that. He wasn't
judging, it was pretty mind boggling to be honest and when he heard the rumours
circulating about the eldest Pluto's child's sexuality Frank himself was pretty
much in shock because it just ... didn't seem like it could be real. Everyone
had thought that Nico was straight and crushing hard on Annabeth, at least
until it was gossiped about that it was really Percy Jackson who'd been the
subject of the crush and that the guy was basically still in the deepest depths
of the closet on the whole issue. Frank didn't get the attraction - Percy
Jackson just didn't seem like the best subject of a crush because A) he loved
Percy like a brother but the guy was oblivious as a blind badger with 90s style
headphones on and B) it was well known that Percy and Annabeth (or Percebeth as
the Aphrodite Cabin called them) was the 'it couple' in Camp so there was no
chance for anyone to get with the guy anyway. Thus, it was pretty much a shock
to hear about the whole thing until of course the moment when he caught Nico
accidentally checking out Will Solace's midriff during a particularly rigorous
archery session ... and then the whole thing started to make sense as rather a
case of hero worship than a crush with Will Solace being Nico's 'true first
crush' instead. It was all rather teenage drama and Frank was sure that the guy
wouldn't appreciate the spotlight so he hoped the subject would change soon
before he had to publically behead the daughter of Apollo to get her to stop
talking.
Will stared at her again, looking like a goldfish with large eyes and a mouth
that opened and closed ever so often, before he spoke again. "Even ... even if
that was true - which it is not! - that still doesn't excuse leaving her alone
without supervision after the trauma she's just endured! Now what's her
condition so I can head over there and do your job for you, Apollo knows I
don't have enough to do anyway!" Will's Texan accent began to show as
frustration took over the Doctor's face, making him look more and more fiercer
as he rounded the conversation back to a more comfortable subject to Frank's
relief.
"A few minor cuts and bruises, nothing too bad because of the Nectar you let
Austin inject (a complete recipe for disaster if you ask me since he can't
measure for shit) as well as a huge fucking seizure which lasted around two and
a half minutes, but she remained breathing. After she ate the entire platter of
sandwhiches you sent over as well as the jug of juice like an animal before she
went full blown crazy pants and we had to book it!" Kayla mumbled as she began
to give into the look of fury and disappointment her brother was giving her.
Thank the Gods she at least had the shame to blush guiltily at the dressing
down her brother was giving her or he would think her mad. Frank rose slightly
from his prone position as he tried to choke down the memories of that
particular detail of the most terrible day of his life ... before ultimately
failing as his mind flickered images of watching Hazel lying on the floor of
her cabin as she drifted between death and life. The horrid shaking which set
his teeth on edge and made him want to scream in frustration at not being able
to help her - rather being ordered to back away so that Kayla could keep an eye
on her breathing even if every nerve ending was shrieking at him to hold her
close to his chest where he could protect her. That was his natural instinct
with dealing with her though - to gather her close so he could keep her from
harm and protect her back from surprise attacks, and it didn't hurt that Hazel
was just the right height to tuck her comfortably under his chin where her
natural scent of hot chilies and coffee grounds clung best his skin. 
Frank turned to the nearby window as he tried to figure out the time, making a
crude guess that is was almost dusk judging by the slowly retreating sunlight
as Apollo bid goodnight to the world below. He looked around to see campers,
Greek and Roman alike, just milling about in unbearable silence as Frank
supposed they were trying to figure out the truth of the events of the morning
which he guessed must be pretty varied thanks to idle or uninformed gossip.
Ever so often he caught some of them risk glances at Cabin Thirteen with varied
expressions from fear, to concern, and even to outright hatred in many of the
Venus Campers who'd heard about the maiming of Piper early on. That was to be
expected - Hazel's drugged up hysteria and paranoia had scared many who were
already still jumpy from the War and no doubt they were concerned as to the
effects of having four Big Three Children in the Camp for this prolonged period
of time. If it was up to Frank - the Romans would have left quicker but Reyna
had often pointed out that it was their people who'd attacked Camp Half-blood
so restoring relations between them would take more time so he'd acquiesced to
her request to slow transportation back to New Rome as a result. She wanted to
have time to let the wounded heal up long enough for safe travel, to help with
the rebuilding work by having teams of Greek and Roman Campers, and at the end
of it - have a formal celebration where a treaty of alliance would be signed by
Lupa and Chiron as a matter of formally recognising the end to the civil war
between the fractions. All good and responsible things, but looking back -
Frank should have just grabbed Hazel and her brother before running for it
because if he did then none of the chaos of the morning would have happened. In
New Rome, the three of them would be safe, happy and away from the horrors that
had forced one of them to flee, the other to rage, and him to his bed where he
couldn't. Do. Anything. To. Help them.
"Kayla! I don't give a flying Hera about how insulting she is when she's pissed
off, you should have a calmer head and dealt with it using your training - not
giving over to some immature strop and walking away from a potential health
risk!" Will's voice rang through Frank's ears, prompting him to action as he
was pulled back from the regretful spiral of his mind. Regrets would do nothing
to help this situation, only managing the destructive aftermath could do that
and given the distrust and fear in the eyes of the patients obviously listening
in - he had to act fast to prevent a lynch mob from erupting. Damn Kayla for
voicing her toxic opinion so openly, did she want a riot on her hands or
something?
Frank resisted the urge to growl as he forced himself upright, gaining the
worried explanations of the two Doctors, as he breathed through the pain of
having weight put on his injured leg. Pain was manageable, so was this
situation - at least until the healing draughts wear off. "Will Solace - I am
not an invalid and I have work to do so don't even think of ordering me to lie
down and rest!" Frank ordered, using all of his remaining effort to regain
authority over the situation. He was a son of Mars, a legacy of Poseidon, and
the Praetor of Camp Jupiter so Frank judged that he should have enough power in
him to enforce his words as he forced his face to become impassive. Sure his
leg felt like it was on fire and his arm was bitten and scratched to the
Underworld and back but that was physical pain not mental so he could deal with
it with slow breathing and a resilient mind. "Kayla, go and cool off - you are
no good to patients like this and while you are at it, please note that if Nico
ever hears you referring to his little sister is such terms again then I am
sure no one will ever find your body. I apologise for not informing you of how
Hazel gets when she is angry, and I ask you not to judge your patients so
quickly in return. As for the issue you have with the ... way she referred to
herself; you will have to reconcile yourself with it as I have myself because
language like that is practically innate for her. Hazel swears like a sailor
practically all the time - in fact if you want to blame someone for it, then I
suggest you talk to the fellow members of the Fifth Cohort since she learned
quite a bit from them - and her supposed racism is merely a result of her own
upbringing in a very racially enflamed South during the 1920s and 30s, not a
modern day character flaw as you are so kindly suggesting!" Frank tried his
best to inform them as he took a glancing look outside to keep an eye on Cabin
Thirteen in case there was an issue. Sure it was pretty ... hard at first to
hear Hazel refer to herself using racial slurs more suited to Neo Nazis and old
school Republican politicians but Frank never really blamed her for it. That
was the way things were back then, and he never expected her to magically
change her entire world view over the course of a mere summer - rather he hoped
that maybe one day he could convince her to look at her own hands and see more
than just the colour which had restrained much of her life ... preferably maybe
with a small band of gold if she so chose it.
Wait what?
Since when had he been thinking that far ahead in their relationship? Well ...
he maybe ... kinda ... okay, maybe sometimes he'd wonder what music they would
play for their first dance ... definitely something old school, maybe a swing
song from her decade like a Benny Goodman or an Andrew Sisters record, and
maybe he'd made some discrete inquires into some of the best dancers in Camp in
order to surprise her with being able to dance to that sort thing but other
than that, no. Well ... he maybe also had wondered after Nico made that off
comment about being flower boy at their wedding whether he'd be asking him for
permission to marry her or maybe her father (an ordeal he really hoped he'd
never have to do because to be honest Pluto scared the living daylights out of
him). And there was that time when he made a mental note to have a wedding
buffet with a lot of gumbo because seriously Hazel loved Shrimp Gumbo like it
was her own child so maybe ... who was he kidding, he'd marry her tomorrow if
she asked him to. A shocked noise to his left belonging to Kayla he supposed
woke him from images of a delightful Levesque girl battling it out with him
over their marital last name (would they hyphen it Levesque-Zhang or Zhang-
Levesque?) as she stumbled out "The 1920s?" in a voice of disbelief.
Frank sighed as he considered his options; neither of the children of Pluto
enjoyed talking about their personal life being very private individuals but if
he didn't curtail rumours then there was going to a major problem at hand. It
really wasn't his place to tell her anything too personal but maybe he could
just limit it to the specific details that was needed and beg for forgiveness
from them both later, preferably with food because Hazel really should eat more
given the ease he had in picking her off the ground slightly earlier. "Long
story short - Hazel is undead and Nico was in a prison world, hence they were
born in the 1920s but look like teenagers, and trust me its pretty much a sore
point for them both. Nico seems to be a little better adjusted because his
memory was erased by the waters of Lethe but Hazel remembers everything in
crystal clear detail. She remembers not being able to vote, not being able to
use the same facilities as 'white folks', the lynch mobs, KKK, and its been a
pretty bad road to get her out of that way of thinking. Why do you think she
doesn't eat in the public without Nico or me accompanying her for safety, or
why she always keeps quiet during quiz nights? For her father's sake; she
practically freaked out the first time she saw me because she though I was
Japanese guy who was going to kill and eat her as that was what all the
American propaganda conditioned her to think - it took a full weekend for Nico
to convince her I wasn't a threat and a fortnight for her to feel comfortable
enough to talk alone with me without him there to reassure her. She's always
apologised for that though and she's been trying her best to readjust to modern
values, but she stumbles sometimes so trust me when I say its not a fun thing
for her to deal with!" Frank confessed, trying to keep the focus on things that
were more public matters. Everyone knew that those events happened, it was a
case of public record after all, and therefore not as personal as details
specific to them and the three cases he listed were also well-known in the
Roman Army because its pretty hard not to notice when one newbie soldier avoids
being near another, when said newbie didn't eat with the others and why she
didn't interact during public gatherings such as quiz nights in the Fifth
Cohort Barracks. Nothing too personal, yet nothing too non-descript either so
people wouldn't think it wasn't serious enough to take notice of.
Frank took a deep breath and prayed to all the Gods, Roman and Greek alike,
that they would forgive his words before looking back towards the occupants of
the infirmary hesitantly. 
The varied reactions around him made him comforted to know it wasn't a bad
choice, with a mixture of looks of awed shock, to sympathetic sadness, to even
a few people gritting their teeth in resolute anger - not at her but with her -
such as Will's brother Austin at the familiar tale of racially based horror.
Jason in particular had the good grace, Gods of Olympus he needs to spend a
little less time around Jackson, to hesitate in his quiet murmurs to his
neighbouring bunkmate and girlfriend as he held her hand to lessen the pain of
having her forearm stitched back together by one of the Apollo healers. Frank
could see him close his eyes slightly in an attempt to keep calm and rational
before he turned his head to meet Frank's own eyes with a silent 'be careful
what you say here, Zhang' warning. Even Kayla looked ashamed, looking down
again at her feet with a look of pure guilt and shame on her face harder than
anything her brother had managed to install in her. Apparently there was
nothing that could get a person to feel disgusted with their actions than to
remind them that the person they act against is a human being too.
Will Solace was the first to properly react by speaking, "Oh Gods of Olympus!
Give me a minute to get my first aid kit, I'll head out there immediately -
Gods above why didn't Nico mention being born in another decade? Think of how
many vaccinations he'll need!" as he dashed off towards a nearby desk stacked
with random medical files and crisp wrappers. A large part of Frank cringed at
the chaotic mess that littered the surface that seemed so at odds with the rest
of the infirmary which was crisp, hygienic and blindingly bleached to the
lightest shade of white. Moving slowly thanks to his injuries, Frank situated
himself to lean against the pillar at one end of the desk which provided some
support as he concealed himself more from prying eyes by utilising the nearby
screen as a shield against them. Jason joined him, shooing away the concerned
expression on Piper with a sharp look as he stood opposite in order to enforce
his newfound protectiveness towards Nico and subsequently his sister. He
watched as the Doctor quickly grabbed what looked like a dark green toolbox
which he began to frantically stock with all sorts of bandages, medical
threads, pills, and some comically funny looking smiley faced band aids as he
muttered down a list of vaccines he'd need to inject when Nico returned as well
as Hazel - something Frank knew would most likely end with Nico submitting
reluctantly to the shots while Hazel would probably throw him through a window
at this point.
Kayla unhelpfully regained what she must have believed to be righteous
indignation as she spoke again, "That still doesn't explain why I should
forgive her for being a crazy pants possessive girl who throws things when
she's pissed off! Its not as if we're some Nazis trying to racially profile her
or something, so why did she get so upset over some freaking pyjamas?" Frank
took a readying breath again as sharp spikes of pain radiated up his leg as she
spoke from the pain. No doubt he'd be feeling that tomorrow at swords practice
with Clarisse; he'd have to dose up some pain pills in order to get through
that. Clarisse was good at many things, but taking it easy on her younger
brothers was not one of them unless it was his younger sister on the Greek side
Maisie Good in which case she could set Clarisse's hair on fire and get away
with it. No doubt she'd already have a specially designed fear-stoking speech
for the training, something along the lines of "toughen up maggots, or you'll
all be doing laps nude - not you though, Maisie, you're an angel and we're
thrilled to have you here!" or other.
Frank tried to focus on the present to keep the pain from showing as he spoke
up again in defence of the lady in question with a haze of rage clouding his
judgement. "Kayla ... it's not as simple as that - although you don't seem to
see it. When I made that comment about stealing, it may have seemed harmless to
you but then again you are not a child of Pluto/Hades because they are very,
very sensitive to such things. Their father is the representation of the Final
Justice in the world so to accuse them of committing even a minor crime like
stealing pyjamas must be extremely insulting and degrading towards their
morality they get from him. Its like accusing a Daughter of Nemesis of being
too wrathful or a Son of Hephaestus of not having creativity - Hazel and Nico's
sense of justice is ingrained inside their minds and by insulting that, it made
her rightfully infuriated. Then you have to take into account her own personal
history, because Hazel Levesque lived most of her childhood was spent in
practical squalor and near permanent starvation thanks to the fact her mother
couldn't afford the basics needed to survive. Her own grandmother was a slave
born in a Southern plantation, and her mother used her mother's mystic
teachings and other types of magic to get the money they needed to eat even
though customers were scarce. It's no wonder that she would hold her small
amount of possessions close as a result of all that, and thanks to the 1930s
Depression Era negative view of charity - to offer her help would be an almost
slap in the face to her pride and dignity. And I'm sorry that your fragile
sensibilities have been injured by her vulgar words, but sometimes you have to
just deal with it because that is just how she is. Hazel Levesque is ....
insane sometimes, a combination of being socially isolated for her entire first
life and then surviving a very tragic series of events that Hazel eventually
died by drowning underwater in her own mother's arms to delay the return of the
Giants. Then you have to add the fact that even after she died - she was given
no heroes rest because she gave up her chance for Elysium so her mother
wouldn't be forever imprisoned in the Fields of Punishment for her actions in
life. She spent decades waiting in the Fields of Asphodel in hopes of seeing
her mother again, never speaking and completely conscious of every single
maddening moment of her time in limbo. It was only through the grace of luck
that her brother managed to restore her to life and even after she suffered
every day from crippling flashbacks and bouts of self-imposed isolation - so
are you really surprised she is like this? For the Gods sake, Kayla, just give
the girl a freaking break!" Frank's voice was almost growling as he spoke
thanks to his anger and pain levels. Thankfully, he kept his volume level low
so that only those closest to him would hear because Jason seriously looked
almost about ready to kill him for blurting out Hazel's tragic backstory so
loosely.
Yep, Hazel was going to kill him.
"I ... I ... I didn't know ...!" Kayla spluttered as she looked finally at
everyone in hopes of finding support for her statements, before quickly
excusing herself and vacating the room. With her gone, Frank found himself
breathing easier yet the tightening noose of fear that if Hazel ever found out
that he ever revealed private information about her in his babbling anger - she
would most likely either eat him or flay him alive over hot coals so she could
have her meat medium rare. Crap.
Frank turned to the stunned faces of Jason and Will, taking into account the
fact that most likely Hazel would end up interacting with at least one of them
by tomorrow, as he closed his eyes to take a steadying breath. "
 
"We need to supervise Hazel so she doesn't harm herself, that's the priority
right now. I'll set up a councilling schedule for them both and see about
getting them the help they need - but right now the seizures are the main
concern. Kayla, wake up Austin and tell him he's on call - I'll be with her
till I can convince her to come to the infirmary when she calms down!"
"I'll go with you!"
"You will stay still on that cot bed and recover or I'll have Jackson freeze
you there! I'm used to her brother's attitude, his sister won't effect me!"1f
"Will, you are dead on your feet! How long has it been since you last took a
break or slept or I don't know - showered?"
"I can't think about that right now, I have a patient to see - I'll deal with
those things later!"
"Hey Doc? Do you see those lights too man, because either I'm high or there's
something up with the fireflies around here!"
"That's ... that's Nico!"
"Who's with him?"
"Looks like Persephone has got him - huh, thought they hated each other on
account on you know him being her husband's bastard?"
"She did say she'd found him but I didn't think she'd actually escort him back
to his cabin, wonder what's up with that?"
"Don't know, Hazel never met the woman before - she's only spoken to her dad
like once or twice maybe?"
"Wow, at least she seems recovered!"
"Yeah ... I'm going to go over there - make sure they're ok and everything!"
"Oh relax will you, they seem fine - you on the other hand need a shower
because no offense Will but you stink worse than the Stolls!"
"Kayla, please just stop talking!"
"William Solace, Praetor Zhang and Grace - there is a Council Session that is
about to confer, you are required to attend!"
"Zhang!"
"I'm going to this Council whether you like it or not, Doctor, so either you
help me up or I'll turn into a skunk and spray all over you!"
"Fine, I swear you Romans will run me into an early grave!"
"Don't say that Will, if you die - then who'll be asking Di Angelo to the
Winter Solstice Bonfire Celebrations?"
"Shut it Kayla, or you'll be speaking in limericks till you die - which judging
on whether Nico finds out you left his baby sister to fend for herself might be
sooner than you expect!"
***** POV - Will *****
""""""""""""
***** POV - Persephone 2 *****
                       Falling_Down_and_Getting_back_up:
                               By_R._L._Collins
===============================================================================
These years have broken my family beyond belief and what do I have in the end
to show for it?
Persephone sighed slightly as she reclined against the cold floor,
absentmindedly using the journal in her lap to sketch her husband in a number
of insulting caricatures, while she waited for the opportune time to wake her
charges from their slumber. Admittedly, she had been thinking a lot about the
events of yesterday in regards to her ... what? Ex-husband or current husband,
Persephone didn't have the courage to know. Truthfully, she was absolutely
terrified about what the future may bring to a newly divorced Goddess of Spring
now that she'd thrown off her wedding ring, raised a blade to her husband in
their bed chamber and reconciled with his bastard children - a fact that now
brought both maternal joy and unending fear that she'd mess everything up. When
they spoke to her it was as if a new light had been struck within her soul as
she consoled them, tucked them into their beds, and watched over them as they
slumbered - a light of maternal, feminine, unbreakable love that for so long
she'd been denied. It was exhilarating to interact with them now, and
Persephone mused on why her immortal counterparts did not do so themselves for
these two brave souls before her were beyond her level of heroic. 
 
 
Children are so sweet when they are sleeping.
Persephone smiled slightly at the soft snorting snores and the slight
hiccupping laughter of the two children under her care while holding in a small
giggle at how innocently sweet they looked in the morning light. While Hazel
seemed to be the picture of bliss - it seemed her brother was more like the
picture of a disgruntled troll as they took their well-deserved rest. The girl
was sprawled out and cuddling the corner of her blanket, obviously enraptured
in a good dream, as she giggled quietly to herself. In comparison, Nico seemed
to be more rigid as he had curled himself up in a ball to protect himself from
the horrors of the world but he still kept his childlike innocence with the pig
like snores that erupted ever so often to Persephone's amusement. A
metaphorical personification of their own reactions to the world with Nico
withdrawing so as not to be harmed and Hazel reaching out to pull people she
loved closer to her; and they looked adorable while doing it.
How Persephone wished she could have that peace right now; but her marital
problems had kept her mind depressingly awake and mercurial at best. How to
proceed from here plagued her mind as she kept replaying the look on her
husband's face when his cock grazed her inner thighs as he made the fatal
mistake of using his wife's body to fuck his beloved Maria Di Angelo. She could
ask for couples counselling as they so often had done in the past when a
problem arose in their marriage but she feared it was too late for that because
nothing could erase the agony of that crucial moment both sexually and
emotionally. She had been left denied of her dignity, her pleasure and her
rightful place in her marital bed - a slight that required more serious action.
Divorce it seemed was the likely scenario; a terrifying prospect for it opened
her up to the aggressive affections of others which married life had sheltered
her from along with the possibility of being killed or worse by her own husband
when she was forced back into the underworld by those damned pomegranate seeds
for shaming him. Themis, her father's second Titaness wife, had told her of the
many times she'd almost be set upon and violated by hounding suitors after Zeus
had discarded her - only surviving because of her terrifying offspring were the
Fates which had scared her prospective rapists away. She spoke of how terrified
she was when Zeus had commanded her to agree to the separation and to give up
her position as Queen. How he spoke coldly to her as if he had not once loved
her with his Master Bolt gripped tight as incentive to do whatever he wished.
Persephone knew her position without her husband's influence was weak as the
forgotten daughter of the King and Goddess of Springtime - one of the reasons
why she had cultivated many friendships with other Pantheons was to rectify
that failing.
But what else could she do? Allow herself to be used as an object for her
husband to pretend fuck his dead mistress? Continue on with this shameful
charade until the broken shards of her heart finally bled her dry of feeling
and leave her a soulless shell of what she was? No; her pride would not allow
that nor would she ever forgive her husband for thinking she would live with
anything less than what she deserved. Persephone cringed at the idea of having
to face Hera again when the Council convened for the Solstice - how she would
be angered at the breaking of a marriage she herself had blessed - so she could
obtain her divine dissolution from the Queen of the skies. She would have to
endure the stares, of course, of her fellow immortals in their inevitable
confusion, amusement and lust. Who would not want to try a little of the warmth
of a former Queen's thighs to see just how her former husband was missing? No
doubt Poseidon would try something - the vulgar bastard had always lusted after
her during her maiden years so he could see just how pretty her flower could
bloom and he was often very difficult to allude - and her mother ... well her
mother would never let her live it down how right she was never to marry a man
like Hades. Demeter would have to be avoided for a couple of centuries for that
very reason so Persephone hoped she would be able to find sanctuary among her
other immortal friends. Hestia and Hecate were the obvious choices for that
matter; they had often been of great comfort when the prospect of her husband's
infidelities had broken her in the early days of her marriage.
In regards to that; Hestia had shown restraint, thankfully, in questioning her
earlier and had merely decided to await the coming day for any in depth
investigations when she wasn't so exhausted with the winter workload of keeping
the hearths lit despite the chill in the air. She dreaded that fated moment
when she would have to admit to yesterday's humiliating events. To say that
your own husband, who vowed fidelity and loyalty to you, had attempted to
breathe life into his dead mistress during reconciliation sex wasn't exactly
something you could do in polite company like her Maiden friend. So instead she
had simply asked her for some favours that would speed along her new charges'
recovery, such as getting Hephaestus to create some bigger on the inside
closets (she'd seen some British guy on the mortal TV have something to its
like a while back and had immediately demanded the same for her private
chambers in the Underworld) in exchange for her mother's cookie recipe which
should feel like a betrayal as Demeter was highly secretive over that detail
but Hephaestus could be trust with it. After that she asked for a personal
favour by Hestia to create a second enchanted snake bracelet for Hazel made of
silver with emerald eyes as a way of reconciliation and protection like the
Ipod was to Nico, which she agreed to do once the Goddess promised not to let
the Demigod misuse it and would deliver it for Hazel as soon as possible.
Finally she then asked if she could contact Hecate and have her drop round
tomorrow night with the request she would look into having the Pomegranate
seeds curse removed; a message that was delivered by Hestia instead of
Persephone herself because in her pre-divorce phase she wasn't wanting to take
the risk of getting intoxicated with the pain of her situation and then
drunkenly sleeping with her best friend and thus making every interaction with
her immensely awkward and shameful because she deserved more than that.
Seductively beautiful Hecate; Persephone's most truest friend, confidant and
frustration. At first Persephone couldn't stand the bitchy witch because of her
ratting out her location to Demeter on Persephone's location forcing her to
consume the pomegranate seeds as a last measure to ensure Hades had become her
husband but as time went by they became more familiar - though they both could
argue to the sun went down and came back up again such was their stubbornness
and pride at being right. Then Tartarus happened and suddenly Hecate was her
best friend and protector, gaining a reputation for putting herself at risk no
matter how many times Persephone had told her not to in order to preserve her
honour. She couldn't remember how many times she had to literally cross swords
with the woman to prevent her from killing the odd mortal or minor God who made
passing unfriendly or too friendly remarks at her but it was definitely in the
high hundreds. But nothing really happened after that; until of course Madame
De Pompadour's passing.
Persephone remembered the night her feelings towards the Goddess changed from
platonic friends to something more. It was a Thursday, three months after the
death of the Madame, on the hottest day in July that she had ever experienced
in France when she ventured into the rural countryside to a remote lake heated
by an underground hot spring in the outer parts of the French countryside that
the Goddesses of Olympus had favoured when the flame of the West was still
within French borders. She had arrived at the springs in the early hours of the
morning by horseback, and had been enchanted by the calming atmosphere of the
lake with the twin image of the bright, full moon rested tranquilly on the
middle of the small, dark blue lake capturing her grief-stricken soul. The
leaves of the trees danced elegantly as a soft breeze blew by as she remembered
making her way to the edge of the lake and dropped to her knees. She had
scooped some water into her cupped hands and splashed it onto her head,
shuddering as the cold water came in contact with her heated flesh, running
down her head, face, and neck just like the Madame's kisses had done all those
months ago before she had passed away without warning. She remembered shaking
her head to clear the morose thought from her mind and debating whether to
throw herself into the lake with clothes on and all in order to cool down her
heated blood from the summer weather. She had sat on her hunches while this was
happening, as her eyes had drawn to the strange sight of something resting on
the edge of the water near her caught her eye. She had grabbed the object and
realized it was a bar of soap after that. Strange, she had thought as she had
turned the wet soap over, Where did this come from?
Then she had been startled by a small movement in the calm lake caught her
attention as she looked over at the water, squinting. A person's head had
emerged from the lake, not realizing she was there. Persephone's eyes had
widened and her mouth fell open once she recognized who it was. Hecate had been
playing with her hair that she had placed over her shoulder, covering her
chest. She was in the middle of the small lake and in the centre of the moon's
reflection. Her wet hair and skin gleamed under the moon's soft light, making
her look ethereally beautiful. She was humming a sweet melody as she caressed
her wet hair. She had known it was inappropriate from him to be there, staring.
She had known that she should respect her friend's privacy and should have gone
off to wait for the other Goddess to finish. She had known she shouldn't have
been thinking about another so close after the loss of her dearest love, but
she couldn't. Her body could not seem to obey her commands to leave the place.
She was too mesmerized by the enchanting yet oblivious woman before herm. She
remembered feeling her thighs twitch and her palms sweat as she fantasied about
the woman before her - of running up and kissing her sweet lips, of brushing
her hair into smooth ringlets, of holding her pretty body in her arms while she
sucked and caressed her body into completion. Then; Hecate seemed to sense
something and Persephone actually turned herself into a lily pad in fear of
noticed - staying there long after the woman left because her mind was still
processing the deep seated desire she had begun to possess for the witch. Ever
since; she had been careful not to touch the woman in fear of combusting into
flames with desire for she knew that her husband was distant and taking another
woman to bed as the Madame had been was too painful to consider for it felt
like a betrayal to love a woman after losing her soulmate and fears of her
husband's refusal to grant a similar arrangement with the Goddess had prevented
her from voicing her lust for her though they had remained as friends.
Hecate could definitely help her out with the whole pomegranate thing as she
knew the underworld's magic better than anyone and when her mother had demanded
before for a solution to the shared living situation - Persephone had thought
to see a little glimmer of hesitation that seemed to be indicative of her
concealing a possible way out from her smothering mother. Hopefully she would
be able to find out for sure the following night while her charges were
distracted by other matters. Charges. Persephone couldn't hide the happy smile
that the word gave to her; she finally had someone to tend to other than her
ungrateful husband or the citizens of the underworld who'd didn't have much
emotion to spare. The only living thing who'd she been able to shower with
affection so far had been Adonis (a saddening tale of a past attempt at
motherhood that had left her heartbroken and her reputation almost in shambles
after Aphrodite spread the false rumour that she had slept with the boy she
wanted so badly to call son - something Persephone categorically denied because
the only thing that happened between them was a mistaken kiss that Adonis had
placed on her that she had quickly stopped as she did not feel that way towards
a boy who she knew as a son) and Cerberus (though she doubted their weekly
walks would be possible if she went ahead with divorcing his owner). Maybe she
could demand the pup as part of the settlement, that would be a great comfort.
The early morning rays of light from the slightly ajar door drew Persephone's
attention as she noted the growing need to wake the children from their deep
slumber. In the night, Nico had twice woke in utter terror and it was through
the combined effort of herself and Hazel that they were able to talk him down
to quiet rocking on the floor until he eventually drifted back off to sleep
thankfully. The consequence was that although Persephone really wanted to get a
fresh start on the day with minimal interaction with the rest of the campers so
that Nico wouldn't start to feel uncomfortable again - she just couldn't force
herself to wake them up after finally getting them settled. Particularly since
they were just so cute with their little noises and twitching noses every time
they got annoyed at something in their dream worlds like baby rabbits.
Maternal and amused feelings aside; they really needed to get up so taking a
deep breath - Persephone stood from her place next to the fireplace where
little Hestia lay curled up in the ashes like a tiny, grey eeyore onesie
wearing, dragon with big puffing cheeks that just ached to be pinched. She knew
the consequences, however, for waking a tired, fireplace hogging, Goddess
however was most likely a very disappointed pout or a loose brick to the face
so she avoided the temptation of tempting fate for a simple squeeze of those
apple sized globes. She stretched thoroughly, waking her tired joints, before
quickly conjuring some mugs and saucers out of nothingness with a lazy twist of
the wrist. Then she prepared herself mentally for the day as she hid the grief
and sadness over her own life away in the darkest depths of her mind so as to
not worry the children she'd sworn to protect and make whole. For a moment she
debated whether to give her half-blood step children with serious ADHD
disorders something so stimulating as organically and sustainably grown fresh
coffee but given the fact that she'd rather them hopped up on caffeine than
dragging their feet because they were so behind on getting ready it was
ridiculous. She quickly concluded then that just this one time it could be
forgiven so she conjured a sweet Hazelnut Cafe au lait in the Parisian style
for Hazel as she softly shook the girl out of her slumber.
A sleepy smile awaited her as the girl yawned so hard her jaw must have fallen
off as she stretched herself on the bed like a giant feral cat that Cerberus
often chased on their walks together as a mortal woman through the streets of
Manhattan and what probably looked to mortals like an oversized Rottweiler with
a pink rhinestone collar (the handsome pup took a shine to it in the shop one
day and was decent enough to let Persephone equip it in a way that all three
heads could share it - at least when Hades wasn't looking). A few joints
clicked to Persephone's worry before the girl looked over at the small mug
being offered. "T'ank you!" a sleepy reply came as she took a large sip and
shuddered at the sudden intake of sugar. It seemed to do the job though because
in the next few moments Hazel was in the bathroom with a pile of clothes that
Persephone had compiled last night thanks to the Celtic Goddess of Beauty,
Cliodhna or Cleo for short, doing her a quick solid before setting to work
preparing for their later visit. Truthfully, the Goddess sounded a little too
over enthusiastic over their Celtic Knot Communication (or CKC as they called
it in their Pantheon, a method of using a piece of fabric manipulated into said
knot that if held up and activated with some Celtic chanting - would enable
easy to use communication anywhere in the American Eastern Seaboard) which made
Persephone feel nervous that today might get a little too much for the children
since Cleo was often too talkative for her own good. Hopefully she would behave
and the Goddesses could get their work done without too much fuss.
Then came the hardest task; waking the beast that was a sleep deprived Nico Di
Angelo before noon. Honestly there was several ways to do it which came to mind
from air horns, to getting Cerberus to sit on him, or maybe even getting a full
orchestra to wake him up with some loud Beethoven on repeat but she resisted
the urges that would have been so easy in the past when they were at each
other's throats and instead simply started singing the Andrew's Sister' 'Boogie
Woogie Bugle Boy' as softly as she could as a nod to his wartime origins and
because she enjoyed the catchy beat and finger snapping melody of the piece.
"He was a famous trumpet man from out Chicago way. He had a boogie style that
no one else could play. He was the top man at his craft but then his number
came up, and he was gone with the draft. He's in the army now, a-blowin'
reveille, he's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B!" she sang happily as
Nico groaned in annoyance but Persephone was inwardly pleased to see him smile
secretly at the playful wake up call. The boy rubbed his eyes lazily and looked
like he was about to go back to sleep - something Persephone just couldn't
allow - so she kept singing along to the showtune until eventually she got him
to get up from his hovel.
"Alright, alright, I'm up!" the boy mumbled but today was a new day for all of
them and that meant no one was allowed to be a grumpy pants. So, taking the
risk of a brick to the head from her fiery immortally lazy friend, she kept
belting out the lyrics to Nico's continued annoyance till even he was muttering
along and tapping a slight rhythm on the corners of the bed as he made it to
Persephone's joy. Eventually, with a little shoulder prodding, he actually
began to sing along loudly while slightly laughing at her making a complete
show of it - complete with hand gestures, finger clicking, and even a cheeky
shimmy - as she was determined to make him smile. They even got a little ditty
from Hazel from her place within the echoing walls of the bathroom as she
started to jam out too with a slightly flat rendition that made both Persephone
and Nico break down in laughter at its ridiculousness. Overall it was a pretty
good start to the day as Nico quietly sipped his small cup of Italian style
Expresso and Hazel finished up with her shower time.
Hestia had even started to wake up, to Nico's amazement at her childish fashion
choice, as she too took a sip of her own breakfast refreshment of sweet Nectar
with a tinge of mint that she'd grown accustomed to before heading outside to
soak up the rays of the sun. That girl was more cat than God at times, lazing
about in warm places and occasionally knocking over things just to be annoying;
though she was sweet and pretty enough to get away with it even while wearing
her favourite Winnie the Pooh themed pyjamas. Dionysus had introduced her to
the Winnie the Pooh world a few years back and so far the Goddess was
completely obsessed with the depressed ass who'd earned a special place of
honour in Hestia's mind thanks to the character being one of Hestia's favoured
creatures and being adorably negative like Hestia could be if she hadn't slept
enough or if someone stole from her sweet supply. The myth of Hestia being this
neutral character who wouldn't fight someone wasn't exactly true when you find
yourself being hunted down by a snicker's crazed immortal girl with a bread
knife and a slinky as one God of War had unfortunately found out. 
Eventually, Hazel emerged in her new clothes and the distance was instantly
noticeable from the hysterical girl of yesterday. The slightly torn and dirty
Camp Jupiter purple shirt and noticeably ill-fitting jeans had been replaced
with an outfit designed specifically to reflect the girl's beautifully dark
skin tone. "I went with a casual yet fashionably fierce theme with this look!"
she explained as Hazel looked slightly uncomfortable in the new getup. "While
you look absolutely fantastic in purple; I thought that a beautiful emerald
green palette offset with black and earthy toned colours would get your skin to
both glow and also makes you more in-tune with nature and therefore more
natural in tone. The black riding boots are from 'Ralph Lauren' since I know
you are an accomplished equestrian and they provide the most comfort while
walking yet still provides the height you need to gain an advantage in an
argument while the black skinny jeans are from 'Levi Strauss & Co' to make you
feel more relaxed and casual. With regards to the top half of the outfit; I
thought that you might enjoy the loose and lightweight emerald green flutter
top I sourced from 'Opening Ceremony' that is made from ethically sourced
cotton. The flutter brings to mind the flapper dresses of the 1920s when you
were born while the Green brings out your eyes perfectly. Nice and slimming yet
organic in nature and not over-the-top, what do you think?" she asked nervously
at Hazel's reaction. Truly, she thought that it was almost painful not to add
jewellery or anything too ostentatious but the pricey designer brands helped
with her fashion agony as Hazel looked at herself in the cabin window's
reflection in wonder.
"It's pretty, like not trying too hard, but still quite new and bold. I like
it!" she smiled as she moved towards the Goddess to hug her in thanks. Hazel
had obviously washed it during her time in the bathroom as Persephone could
smell a faint scent of blueberries from Hazel's shampoo when the girl rested
her head under the woman's head. She smiled relieved at the reaction before
calmly retrieving the rapidly cooling coffee Hazel had placed on her bedside so
the girl wouldn't lose this morning bliss to exhaustion. A noticeable blush had
spread nicely down her charge's face as she took the mug to sip sweetly at the
drink with her ears nearly turning a bright tomato colour in time.
"Now, you!" she announced as she hurried a dazed and slightly apprehensive Nico
inside the bathroom with what she hoped would be the instrument to a serious
ego boost when everyone spotted it. Time for some girl talk, Persephone mused
as she turned to the still self-conscious Hazel Levesque with a confident
smile. Right, just one last thing to boost this girl's confidence up as much as
outward appearances could allow. Persephone quickly wandered over to the door
where she'd hung the finishing details of the children's clothes and passed
over to Hazel the two items hidden there for the girl to model. First; a
practical looking dark green leather jacket that reached the upper thigh and
hugged Hazel's curves just right with a silver zipper running straight up the
chest line and high royal looking collar that would ensure maximum strength and
badassery in the garment. The other item was an authentic Gucci Hobo bag to put
her things in made of the same coloured fabric as the leather jacket with a
Gucci engraved barrel clasp and lined in cream fabric hiding the lightweight
bronze shielding with one side zippered pocket and two slip pockets. Persephone
had thought that it would be the right style for the general practicality of
the outfit in its size but also as a means of establishing power through pricey
designer labels that spoke volumes as to their prestige. Both items were from a
Persephone's own private closet in Washington where she hid a large stash of
accessories to use as collateral if she ever needed it. Now that she was on the
verge of divorce; having a trove of potential sources of income would be
instrumental in gaining her financial independence from her soon to be ex-
husband.
"I can't take this! A Nigra like me would be hunted down for wearing anything
that flashy!" Hazel spoke up as she realised the intention Persephone was
getting at. Persephone winced at the now outdated name that many now would call
offensive and impolite; having personal experience with such things thanks to
her own dark skin back in the early days when the Olympians first moved to the
Americas. It wasn't like she could just change herself like the rest of the
Goddesses could as the notions of race came about; Persephone's skin was a
fixed point in her appearance thanks to her raw connection to the earth and
soil so she'd faced a lot of problems when segregation started up to the point
of not really wanting to walk among the mortals and instead spending time with
her mother where no one would look at her weirdly or patronise her mistakenly.
Though she did enjoy turning the more rougher ones into parrots or baby bats
and selling them to pet shops once in a while.
"First of all; in the present I can assure you that women of colour are
perfectly alright to wear whatever the hell they want and if anyone tries to
talk to you like you can't then just give them a good old smack in the head to
reset their minds back to the twenty-first century. There are still problems
for black women like you and me but I assure you that no one should or could
stop you from being as powerful in whatever you want to wear. Secondly; it is a
gift from me to you; because every strong woman knows that they need battle
armour if they are facing an enemy they can't flat out kill like bigoted
morons. The leather is enchanted to be resistant to damage and the bag is lined
in bronze so any electronics you put in there won't make the monsters around
you aware of your presence. Just give it a try!" Persephone motioned as Hazel
hesitantly put on the jacket and somehow grew in height and confidence thanks
to the power a leather jacket can give a girl. In its entirety; the outfit was
strong, bold and confident just like its wearer and Persephone was proud to add
just a hint of confidence back to the girl who'd basically broken down
horrifically just a few short hours ago or had thought that the colour of her
skin was a block to doing anything she wanted. Hazel looked at herself in the
reflection of the glass windows of the cabin, slightly doubting herself, but
still she thanked Persephone for the gifts and wore them quietly and by and by
more and more proudly. "Now; tell me is there anything else you are worried
about?" she asked, curious if she could help mend Hazel's inner turmoil as she
was trying with Nico.
"I ... I ... It's just so difficult!" Hazel collapsed down on the corner of the
closest bed as she let go of the worries she'd been carrying so long. "I just
get so confused all the time and everyone just looks at me like I'm this ...
this idiot! I don't come from this time and everyone tries to forget it but its
so difficult sometimes to remember things are different now. I freeze up every
time I have to enter a public place because I'm scared of being rejected out of
it as it's a 'white' area ... or the time when I tried to visit the hospital to
visit Nico and I embarrassed myself like a fool after asking after the
'coloured' area and everyone just stared at me till I went away. I nearly
fainted when I saw the Aphrodite girls for the first time! There was so much
skin on show and they didn't even act like it bothered them like that was
normal to show practically everything and walk around half nude. When I first
sat in on a Council meeting, there was voting and I got called out for not
doing it and everyone seemed to be annoyed at me like I should know that I was
allowed to do that. I can't ask questions because then people just start to
whisper how dumb I must be not to have learned everything by now or they
explain in a way that's just so patronising as if I didn't already feel bad
enough. I know Frank hates me for it because I can't shake the feeling that if
we kiss or hold hands in public then some white guy is going to start screaming
sermons on me about how 'nigra women are sinful' and how we are 'only good for
breeding young 'uns' with our own kind'. Then there's Nico ... my big and brave
brother who has always been there for me but when he needs me ... I just freeze
up or I don't understand. He is my big brother but I keep failing him again and
again ... like yesterday. I should know how to help him, know how to make him
feel better about himself, but I have absolutely no idea how to do that! I
don't know how to act at times ... should I make a joke or should I tell him
something inspiring; I don't know! I don't know anything, I'm just a stupid
girl who can't ... who won't ... whose just so useless!" she broke off into
sobs as she hid her eyes in her hands and began to rock back and forth in
frustration and sorrow. Persephone pulled her into a close embrace, allowing
her the time she needed to cry, as she stroked her hair reassuringly. She
considered the two broken children in her charge from broken pasts from broken
families who desperately needed help to mend themselves back together again.
She didn't know how to fix them, she had no training in such things nor did she
have much experience looking after them, but damn it if she wasn't going to at
least try.
"Listen to me if you can, Hazel Levesque!" she murmured quietly as the girl
nestled herself into the embrace, "I know you don't know me too well and that
you feel at odds with your surrounding but let me just get one thing clear. You
are an incredibly powerful black woman who has no need for other's opinions
about herself because your opinion is the only thing that matters. When you
lived in the 1920s; you were looked down on for the colour of your skin because
of the time you were living in made you feel lesser than or not as important as
others. Now there is greater manoeuvrability and greater acceptance of all
people regardless of race; not completely but enough that you don't have to
live in fear of it. Don't wear the history of your past like shackles, rather
as armour displayed proudly so everyone knows the battles you've face and the
ones you are prepared to still fight. You survived through a time of turmoil
and hatred, be proud of it and let it be known that you are stronger than what
everyone else thinks you are! Sure, it will be difficult and you most likely
will have to wade through the filth of the very worst of humanity at times but
you have so many others who just want to support and respect you for who you
are. You have fought Giants, you gave your life to stop the apocalypse, you
chose eternal limbo to save your mother, you have powers many can only dream of
thanks to your magic - so believe me when I say that you are strong. You are a
survivor, and you have plenty to give before you end up back in the dirt so
don't ever let yourself forget it!" Persephone listened to her breath in the
power of her words. Every single one of them was true; this mere slip of a girl
had survived the unimaginable and should be proud of it. She could never be
useless or stupid or foolish or dumb because everything she had gone through
had always and always would prove her otherwise.
"Thank-you!" her voice cracked as she raised her head up to meet the Goddess'
eyes with puffy eyes and shaking lips. Persephone smiled before letting go of
the girl slowly so she could find her own strength on her own terms. She
brought her hand up to brush away in-spilled tears and carefully re-arranged
her hair so to fix its mussed appearance. She then snapped her fingers to bring
a small wad of tissue for Hazel to blow her nose on before pulling the girl to
her feet as the door to the bathroom opened to reveal the new version of Nico
Di Angelo.
Wow. That was all Persephone could muster at the sight of her stepson stepping
out of the room with nervous eyes and twitching hands. The broken boy from
before with ratty Camp Half-blood shirt and a head full of worries had been
replaced with, to Persephone's mind, a triumph of fashion that highlighted
every good characteristic that his mother's Italian heritage possessed. She
stood up and moved to the side of him so as to explain her method in choosing
each piece of the outfit in turn so that Nico would feel more comfortable in
his own skin. "As you can see; the look here was about practicality, durability
and ease of movement while also showing off Nico's more admirable qualities.
The shoes are hard wearing and meant for rugged terrain, with genuine leather
and comfortable sheep fleece lining for strength and warmth in challenging
environments. Tan leather on the outside is perfect for water proofing, with
well made laces that won't thread and with a lot of versatility for both urban
and rural environments. Then we get onto the jeans which are dark navy and
skinny fitted to highlight the calf muscles and thighs. After that we look at
the top half which I've made to be all about layers since you have a low body
fat ratio and I want you to be able to survive colder and harsher environments.
The first being an ordinary white cotton T-shirt with a round neckline, the
next is a dark navy plaid flannel that brings a little extra colour to the
palette and finally the bomber jacket which brings a little familiarity to the
whole get up. The sheep fleece inside is the same as the one in the shoes and
comes from a prize winning ram from Aristaeus' own private flock - enchanted to
bring warmth, comfort and peaceful thoughts to its owner. The tanned leather is
directly sourced from Apollo's own sacred cattle as I have a deal to provide
him with rubies for his girlfriends meaning that it won't tear easily from
combat or exploration. The style of the jacket is old time aviator reminiscent
of Amelia Earhart (still pissed about her death) and the flyers of old, which
is good because from what I see you pull it off quite nicely. The fit is
perfect, not being too tight or too loose around the ribbed hem and not too
long since its cropped just at the waistband of the jeans as its supposed to.
The effect is it creates a flattering silhouette, accentuating his shoulders
and creating the illusion of height by elongating his legs because I see your
pretty self-conscious about it. Also I'd like to note the warmth the navy of
the flannel and jeans brings to the entire outfit as well as using it as a
replacement for your signature colour of black - making you more approachable
and casual while at the same time respecting your want for a palette that's
sombre to reflect the personality of its wearer. So voila!"
Hazel clapped slightly at the explanation, smiling despite her earlier state as
she took in the many details that made the simple outfit so uniquely Nico Di
Angelo. Now that she looked at it critically, she could see how simplistic and
similar it was to Nico's normal outfit but still had a few adjustments that
Persephone hoped wouldn't make him dislike or distrust her. Nico himself seemed
more settled after the explanation as he stood a little less rigid than before;
as he studied the hem work on the sleeves with interest. "Well; I don't know
about you Nico but I can guarantee that it looks fantastic and that you'll be
beating the girls off with a stick when they see you looking that dapper!"
Hazel chimed in as she hurried to her bedside table to pack a few essentials
for the road. Nico smiled gratefully at her for a moment at the reassurance but
his frown re-emerged when her back was turned - girls, she'd said. He wasn't
out to his sister and that was obviously had caused some tension within him as
she believed that he would be a lot happier to be open with his sibling but the
1930s had deeply traumatised him with its blatant homophobia making him expect
rejection and derision for something he couldn't change. They would have to
work on that; Persephone judged quickly before striding over to fix the mop of
hair that had almost completely obscured the boy's vision.
"Honestly, how have you not walked into a door with hair this long?" she
grumbled as she tried to make the mass stay flat - giving up after the fourth
trial thanks to frustration and Nico's snarky under the breath remarks about
how even his hair was as uncooperative as he was to his sister's chortled
laughter. "Now; I know you are both nervous about the potential fallout of
yesterday's events," Persephone spoke up seriously, "As you most likely are
aware; people fear what they do not understand or know about. I will not lie,
most of the Camp has by now heard a tall tail or two about what happened so it
is very likely that most will have questions or suspicions regarding it. There
will be whispers, gossip and speculation - but I advise you to disregard most
of it as idle lies made up by bored or insecure people who think making up
falsehoods will gain them popularity. Remember that most of them have never
actually met either of you and that no one knows the full story of what has
happened to either of you as a result. You at both strong children of Hades/
Pluto and you have saved this Camp and New Rome multiple times; you have no
need to feel ashamed about who you are. Now; heads high, shoulders squared and
think 'murder' and you'll do great!" Persephone counselled as she snapped her
fingers to change her clothes from yesterday's yellow and white innocence to a
new and more personal combination.
The look started with a beautiful daffodil yellow Italian Balmain's pre-fall
2015 collection trench coat. The coat was perfectly feminine with its single
button fastening and flounced ruffle lapels that added a little style to the
piece. Her actual outfit was a recreation of a dress she'd once seen in one of
the mortal movies called 'Titanic' from a scene where the plucky damsel is
forced to escape the inevitable ice cold water but spruced up a little to make
it more contemporary and practical with yellows, blacks and whites instead of
lilacs, whites and pinks. The basic design of an empire waisted chiffon and
lace yellow, white and black gown was kept but the hem line was shortened to
just above the knee so she wouldn't have to deal with a full length skirt and
the lace design on the chest was floral sunflowers rather than geometric to
illustrate her position as Goddess of the Springtime. This was beautifully
paired with a Ralph and Russo Eden heeled soft yellow and white lace pumps with
golden ornamental filigree rose stems and thorns along the heal and sides for a
truly feminine but fierce design that Persephone was sure was going to make her
heels ache in the end of the busy schedule she had planned but she was prepared
to sacrifice comfort for fashion if it meant that the overall look was cute.
Hey if she was going to be divorced soon, she might as well wear as much colour
as she could with as much flair as could be allowed and the soft pink really
contrasted well against her skin tone.
After all; they had to put on a show if they were to become more respected as
affluent members of society; and as a soon-to-be divorcee - Persephone was
going to get her full money's worth of Hade's credit cards before she was done
with him.
 
Persephone is sitting by the fire where Hestia has curled up and is sketching
plans to create a new home like her own cabin for the children by the use of a
bubble universe and has already created a blueprint for a preliminary try at
making a closet for both of them to use to be developed upon later. She thinks
about the night before with Nico's night terrors and having to stop Hazel from
transforming by using scent markers (Nico's deodorant) to calm her down and a
wolfsbane tonic to relieve the symptoms. She then is forced to wake the
children in order to arrive at the 'Lucky Shoe' store on time which she does
with a wolfsbane laced choc au latte coffee and Nico with a cappuccino with a
side of white chocolate biscotti for both and bugle boy from company B as a
wake-up song. She then explains her fashion choices for the both of them before
giving Hazel a leather jacket and explaining that Armor is needed for the days
ahead. She then talks to the children plainly about what they need to do going
forward is to be difficult but necessary, so they must put on a show to gain
what they want: respect, confidence and love. She is asked by Hazel to borrow a
piece of parchment and a calligraphy pen while she uses an old copy of
'Shakespeare's sonnets' in Ancient Greek that was on her bedside table to write
a break-up letter to Frank out of shame and guilt for attacking him and for the
words she had said accompanied with a crystallised white Calla lily that she
ties together with a length of black ribbon. There is obvious tension in the
girl as she covers the bruises left from Frank holding onto her on her arms and
waist with her long-sleeved top and the jacket to ensure Nico doesn't see them
and freak out. They exit the cabin to find a beautiful bouquet of black calla
lilies on the doorstep, but Persephone simply puts them into the torch flame as
she thinks they are from Hades which gives Hazel the idea of the crystal lily.
***** POV - Nico 2 *****
                       Falling_Down_and_Getting_back_up:
                               By_R._L._Collins
===============================================================================
Thank the Gods for lazy Campers.
Nico had been nervous about appearing in public after yesterday but thankfully
they had managed to get to breakfast quite early so most of the campers were
not yet seated at the long rows of picnic tables draped in white and purple
cloth. The only inhabitants of the dining Pavilion was an exhausted looked
Reyna crouched over a pile of paperwork and Clovis from the Hypnos Cabin who
was slumped over in the corner with a Mr Men pillow under him and a fluffy
blanket cast over his prone body. Nico smiled slightly at seeing the Praetor of
the Romans who was more like a sister to Nico than a friend, before frowning at
her obviously frazzled state in worry. It was just like Reyna to drive herself
to the edge working her ass off to take care of her people without realising
the toll it was taking on her own body; a trait Nico admitted applied to him as
well.
"Reyna!" he called quietly as he strode over to the Ares Cabin's table - no
doubt a compromise to the fact that her mother Bellona had no Roman equivalent
so the Greeks would have to accommodate her with Bellona's twin brother Mars/
Ares - which caused the normally stoic girl to jump in surprise (another sign
of her terrible condition since Reyna normally sensed when people were near
her).
"Nico?" Reyna asked with a face of pure shock as her eyes drifted over his
newly gifted change of clothes. Nico's hand twitched as he fought the urge to
shrink into the shadows to avoid her inspecting gaze, keeping his eyes centred
on hers and swallowing back his nervousness over getting her approval on the
changes Persephone had done to his usually monochrome clothes. She smiled in
amazement as she opened her mouth again; "You look amazing! Did the Lady
Proserpine ... I mean Persephone ... do this because its definitely a good look
for you. Look you even got back your jacket, and the flannel definitely was a
good choice for you!"
Nico looked down at the ground to hide his deepening blush at her words. Did
she really think he looked that good? Nico admitted that his old look was a far
cry less about looking good and more about scrounging up something just to keep
out the cold. The loss of his favourite aviator jacket was a deep personal loss
to him because of its history but the new one was definitely an improvement
with its powerful enchantments and soft fleece insides that Nico wanted to just
curl up in. The blue flannel and the jeans were different from his normal black
but it was dark enough that it wasn't as jarring as it could have been. For so
long, Nico had taken to wearing black as a way of mourning for Bianca and a way
to not attract attention from people who were always trying to either kill,
avoid, or aggravate him, but he had to admit the navy was a good change for him
as a reminder to live in the moment. The extra layers also helped him conceal
any physical weaknesses from onlookers like the werewolf scratches that
permanently scared his upper arms or his generally thin frame from his poor
diet so that was handy if he wanted Will Solace to stop fussing every time he
saw him. Nico's mind stuttered at the thought of the Doctor as he considered
the reaction he might get from him from the change in clothes, would he look as
impressed as Reyna did or would he think that Nico was trying too hard and
ground him again in the infirmary so he could mother him to death. "Thank-you!"
he muttered shyly as he tried to think of something to say.
"Nico!" a call came from the side of him, Hazel's call Nico recognised, as she
waved him and Reyna over. Nico quickly helped her sort out and pick up the
stack of official look Camp Jupiter letters that she had been working on;
letters of sympathy it seemed to the relatives of those who had perished in the
War. No wonder she looked exhausted if she had been working on trying to find
the right words to inform a family that their loved one wasn't going to come
home to them again. Reyna smiled slightly with a weary kind of effort as she
walked beside him to where Hazel and Persephone were standing. "Forgot to
mention that because there's so many Romans here in camp; I gave up our table
along with Percy and Jason for morning breakfasts so no one has to sit on the
floor while we have a whole place to ourselves. Normally I just eat breakfast
in the Recreation Room across the courtyard because its too loud out in the
Pavilion, so I was wondering if you'd like to sit in there because its nice and
quiet and there's no Hermes kids trying to prank you every twenty seconds. You
can come too Reyna, you look like you could use some company!" Hazel stated
cheerfully as she balanced two trays of breakfast things on each arm like a
waitress. Nico felt a wave of relief at the prospect of eating away from
curious eyes as well as pride for his sister's generosity towards the Roman.
"Sure; want me to help you with those?" he gestured to the trays politely as he
noticed the small wobble in her hands at holding the heavy boards. She had been
doing ever since yesterday, as if all of her energy had been taken away and she
was running on her reserves, and Nico felt increasingly guilty for it as he was
sure him disappearing off must have scared her by the look of her face when
Persephone escorted him back last night.
"Nah, me and 'Seph can handle it! You just bring your gloomy arse and we'll be
fine!" she joked as she shifted their weight slightly, causing a faint
clattering sound as plates moved slightly at the movement. Nico rolled his eyes
at the comment, inwardly happy that his sister felt close enough to him to talk
that way to him, as he ignored her comment as he reached over to help her
anyway. No way was he going to let her get in trouble with the cleaning harpies
about broken plates because his sister was too stubborn to accept help. Hazel
wrinkled her nose in annoyance with an adorable pout that made her look even
more funny in Nico's mind and in a spell of playfulness and spurred on by the
lack of strangers in the room - he mockingly stuck out his tongue in a childish
taunt.
Reyna laughed by his side as she tucked the stack of letters under her arm
before her face turned serious. "Are you sure you want me to join you? I'm not
exactly full of energy or good vibes at the moment!" she asked with a doubting
expression that the two siblings quickly and silently decided wasn't
acceptable. Reyna looked oddly just as terrible as Nico was; with the same
haunted look to her eyes and a pronounced amount of darkish bags under her eyes
from a lack of sleep and comfort. The consequence of trying to restore calm to
her people and get them back into their home territory while also dealing with
the injured and dead soldiers from the War - many of which Reyna knew
personally. Her normally impressive frame sagged under the wait of all those
possibilities and as a child of Hades Nico knew when a person looked like hell
because he had been there both metaphorically and literally. She needed friends
who would be brave enough to make her admit her own pitiful condition and who
would help her to recover from the sorrows of War; and the children of Hades
and Pluto were now definitely on her side.
"That's precisely why we want you there; besides you look like you could use
the company so follow me!" Hazel spoke cheerfully as she led us towards the
Recreation room with a look that dared Reyna to refuse. Nico, on his part,
simply fell into step alongside Persephone and Reyna as they travelled the
small distance to get to our destination. It was comforting to feel close to
both of them; two strong and powerful influences who had both given him a
sympathetic ear and a new take on life with Reyna preaching acceptance while
Persephone vowed healing and protecting him as reward for his forgiveness.
Truly, he was grateful for their friendship because now at least there was a
faint sliver of hope within him which should have been beaten out of him by now
but thanks to their gentle encouragement - it now seemed to take root in their
kind affection for him - but there was also a slight annoyance to it in that
both of them refused to practice what they preached. Obviously Reyna didn't
care for other's opinions of her outwardly but Nico could sense that it deeply
affected her to be seen as not being enough for her own people when she
inevitably made mistakes or accidentally neglected some part of her duties.
Thus; this walking state of exhaustion that even a zombie would be concerned
about and don't get him started on Persephone. It was quite obvious to him now
that she was half-way to falling apart herself over something ... something
that had happened recently that had deeply left her scared and confused as to
her place in the world. If she would only talk about it, hell even a slight
mention of why she was so upset would be preferable at this point, but instead
she just attempted to ignore it or conceal it deep within herself so as not to
worry Hazel and him. So stubborn in their ways, so affectionate towards the
broken remnants of Nico's own soul, yet so blind as to their own broken natures
because they felt the need to protect him and Hazel from further problems.
Nico sighed as his thoughts were interrupted by an incredulous Reyna as she
took in the amount of food that Nico and Hazel carried on their respective
breakfast trays. "Wow, did you leave anything for the rest of the Camp or are
we going to have to fight the entire Mars cabin because I don't think I can
take another moment of that Sherman Yang guy's gushing about the new modals of
tanks coming out this year and their battlefield benefits if he could convince
the Vulcan cabin to chip in to buy one!" she complained loudly as a small yawn
overtook her, to her blushing embarrassment. She was right though; it was an
awfully large amount of food and Nico wondered if this was part of Persephone's
plan to fatten him up and get rid of the sickly green colour to his skin that
overtook him when he used his powers too much. Worry clouded his mind as he
panicked over how to refuse a Goddess' fussing because he had no doubt in his
mind that there was no way he could eat all this by himself because he'd
explode!
"Ares was always the loud mouth of us all; I can't tell you how many times me
and Hestia have had to physically restrain Athena whenever he complained that
her battle plans weren't gory enough. I can't imagine having to room up with
his kids, you have my sympathies Praetor Reyna, and no there's plenty of food
left for the Camp - but considering you lot are basically bags of bones at this
point I'm tempted to just strap you all to a chair to force feed this lot down
your stubborn ass throats!" Persephone laughed darkly as she took a comically
exaggerated breath of frustration. Nico on his part thought back to his
interactions with the Ares Cabin members; and to a certain promise by Clarisse
La Rue for a sparring match for the ages. He would have to wait a couple of
weeks for his strength to come back but he was intrigued at taking her up on
the offer. The elder girl was a formidable warrior in her own right and it
would interesting to match blades with her more aggressive fighting traditional
Greek style vs his more fluid style that utilised a range of different methods
taught to him by the dead masters of old. It would certainly be something to
look forward to in the future, if only Clarisse could tear herself away from
Gleeson Hodge's new-born son to do it - the girl was seriously committed to her
role as Godmother to the boy and everyone at camp knew to watch themselves if
ever they were even the slightest bit close to the kid because there was
nothing more terrifying than angry maternal Clarisse with a kid in her hip and
a sword in her hand.
"It's not so bad I suppose when Frank helps them out since him and Clarisse
seem to have adopted each other but last night he wasn't there so it was just a
nightmare to even be within earshot of them!" Reyna spoke happily as they
reached the Recreation Room, a dour looking room that looked almost dilapidated
thanks to the constant use by the campers. Paint on the walls was peeling off
and the floors were worn so far down that Nico was happy to be wearing shoes
because he was sure if he didn't then he would get a foot full of splinters.
Then there was the sweaty frat boy smell that pervaded most of it but then most
of Camp smelled like that anyway because of the lines to the shower blocks
being so long so he could understand that. Though, because of Nico's experience
at crashing at various hostels across America during his darker years, it
wasn't that bad. There was pretty much basic furniture with multi-coloured
plastic chairs, a few scuffed bar and coffee tables, a Nacho-cheese machine
that looked beat up as all hell, and a large ping-pong tables sitting pride of
place.
His eyes glazed over the room to find to his surprise a pretty average looking
piano with one of those interactive screens where music sheets should be -
wasn't Music Night ages ago? Will probably forgot to get his cabin to move it
... he forgets sometimes to even eat when he's working in that infirmary ...
Nico should go see him soon. Yes; he should go see him and then ... and then
he'll do something stupid and Will won't be able to stop himself from laughing
at him and then Nico would probably shadow travel to China in embarrassment.
Nope; not going to happen.
His mind moved onto Reyna's words and a particular question stuck in his mind;
"Why wasn't Frank there?" he asked curiously as they all removed their jackets
to sit down comfortably on the plastic chairs. Was the guy hurt? Nico looked to
Hazel and saw ... something wasn't right. There was a look of rage, sorrow and
pain that she had quickly hidden but Nico had seen it and his mind saw red as
he fought with himself not to stride out of the room and physically drag the
Roman down to the Underworld. Hazel was fidgeting like a frightened rabbit,
pulling on her jacket sleeve like she was trying her best not to blurt
something out. That wasn't good ... but last time he had seen them both
together they had seemed happy enough so what happened?
Reyna's reply almost made him blow his top. "Oh he was ... um ... helping Will
Solace with the infirmary because a couple of kids got sick ... speaking off is
that bacon I see?" she lied as she attempted to hide her near slip up by
distracting him. Her words seemed at first like she was about to tell him
something until something stopped her in her tracks as she doubled-back on her
explanation - with Hazel providing a not-at-all-subtle cough to interrupt her
so Nico knew it was serious. What were they hiding, did Frank break his sisters
heart or act improper towards her? No, his instincts told him, that wouldn't
sound like Frank ... but what did he know - he'd only met the guy a few weeks
ago and people can hide their true natures easily enough. Nico resolved to ask
Hazel when they were alone again as he didn't want her to use the excuse of
other people to lie to him nor did he want to make her uncomfortable.
"Yep; we've got marmalade on toast for Nico with fruit salad and chocolate
milk!" Persephone stated as she handed him his plate and fruit cup along with a
small plastic cup. His stomach rumbled as he took in the sight of the toast,
and he quickly picked up some plastic cutlery off the other tray to get
started. "Chocolate chip brioches with a side of fried eggs and bacon for Hazel
as well as Cranberry juice because its an absolute lifesaver!" she handed the
girl her plates as Hazel quickly began to dig in to the bacon with ravenous
fingers, "and finally for you Reyna there's a full American breakfast to keep
your strength up since you look a little peaky!" Reyna took hers in turn and
began to crunch away on a succulent sausage with gusto. Nico felt Persephone's
gaze on him as he looked at the meal in front of him nervously, hoping that he
could at last finally eat something without feeling intensely nauseous
afterwards. He took a small bite of the bread, hoping his favourite marmalade
would help it go down better, but found that it was almost like swallowing
sandpaper laced with arsenic. He covered the choking sound he made as his body
tried to reject and retch out the offending material but pretend coughing into
his napkin and reaching for the milk in hopes that the liquid could help wash
it away. The milk was almost ice cube cold, refreshingly so given the growing
heat of the summer morning, and Nico quickly developed a strategy of dipping
the bread in the milk in order to soften it despite Reyna's obviously grossed
out face. Hazel must have thought the idea interesting because the next thing
he knew, Persephone was ewwing at the girl's now egg yolk covered chocolate
brioche which she was ravenously eating despite the oddness of the action.
It took a little while for the bread to slowly go down his throat so he kept
changing it up by alternating between bites of toast and pieces of fruit from
the salad. His favourite was the small glazed cherries, followed shortly by the
small pieces of apples, but he point blank refused to eat the Kiwi because it
looked like snot coloured balls of shit and so he sneakily pushed little pieces
of it onto Hazel's plate. She pointedly ignored the little growing mound of
snotballs, using her fork instead to keep stealing bits of banana and cherries
off him which he tried to fend off with a little fork vs spoon action but
quickly conceded because Hazel was pouting too much for him to be legal. Even
Reyna got in on the action by stealing by dagger point a few pieces of
blueberries when the two were distracted by their cutlery wars; gigging
slightly at the siblings antics. Thieves, he was living with barbarous thieves,
and he loved it. 
Eventually ever plate was scrapped clean as each of them leaned lazily back in
their chairs with satisfied grins on their faces.
Reyna must have been still cautious about dining with an Olympian however as
she dutifully arranged the finished plates into an ordered pile before turning
to the Goddess with a serious expression on her face. "Thank you Lady
Persephone for inviting me to eat at your table!" she stated formally as she
nodded respectfully as Nico supposed she'd been taught as Praetor of New Rome.
Persephone smiled kindly to her, whipping out a napkin to stubbornly clean off
a small egg stain on a pouting Hazel's face, as she regarded the Roman. "No
need to worry about it, Reyna, from what I hear you did your mother proud in
the War so its a privilege to help out. Though I am worried; did you get any
sleep last night dear?" Persephone's voice grew motherly again; something Nico
realised was a continued trait with her as they started to mend their
relationship, as she looked at Reyna like she wanted to create a giant
marshmallow pillow fort and just trap her in there until she recovered - and
Nico mused that most likely him and Hazel would join her so they could snuggle
up in a big sticky but comfortable dog pile.
Reyna seemed to preen slightly at the mention of praise from her mother and the
concern she was getting from the Goddess before returning to her formal manner
as she attempted to keep herself from smiling too much. It was a pretty smile,
Nico judged, not a smile of vicious intent or mocking laughter but a true and
sweet and honest one that could brighten a person's day just a little whenever
someone sees it. "I managed to sleep a little, my lady, and I've had a couple
of five hour energy drinks. Director Chiron has placed me in the Mar's cabin
and its impossible to hear yourself think in there much less sleep so my
condition is a result of that but I am perfectly capable of doing my duties
nonetheless!"
Persephone sighed at the obvious attempt to hide her exhaustion. "Praetor
Reyna, don't you know yet that you are always welcome to stay in ... my
husband's cabin? It's quiet and no one will disturb your rest, if you're not
freaked out by the coffin beds!" she joked as she took a small sip of nectar
from a gilded crystal and gold Champaign glass elegantly. Nico noticed again
the little hesitation at the mention of his father and grew worried at her
almost scared reference to him; intriguing him as to what exactly happened
between the two Gods to make her so apphrensive towards Hades but from her tone
he understood it was nothing good which surprised him because out of all the
Olympians he had thought his father one the better ones in terms of his
relationship with his children and wife. Perhaps an argument got out of hand or
they disagreed on a public issue? No ... not that; something else. Something
personal enough to make her afraid of her husband and nervous whenever she was
forced to mention him in conversation; marital problems perhaps of a deeper
nature? Hazel seemed to be on the same wavelength because she too had seemingly
caught to hesitation and silently glanced at Nico in hopes he knew. Honestly he
didn't understand much about his father's relationship with Persephone; he knew
that the God was regretful of his affairs, loved her enough to stand Demeter
talking about cereals, and was confident with her fighting skills enough to
have her by his side in battle but other than that it was a mystery how they
interacted as wife and husband. Then Nico noticed something ... her ring finger
... it was bare. Persephone always wore her wedding ring, never even taking it
off for gardening, for as long as he knew her so when he saw the slightly pale
imprint he knew that the marriage was in deep shit. What the hell did his
father do to get his wife to take off her wedding ring and talk about him in
the way she did? Hopefully, in time, Persephone would feel comfortable enough
in the siblings to confide as to the nature of the problems between her and
Hades but for now he would not push. Their relationship was already on fragile
ground with the reconciliation and Nico didn't want to stir problems that would
destroy all the progress they had made so he stayed silent and silently pleaded
with his sister to do the same thing and respect the woman's privacy in this
matter.
Reyna lifted an amused eyebrow as she asked curiously; "Coffin beds?" in a tone
of confusion as she looked at the siblings for an explanation.
Hazel sighed as if she was annoyed; "Yeah, apparently the guys who decorated it
thought we were vampires or something. Comfortabe enough though, just a little
weird!" She then took a large gulp of her cranberry juice before shuddering
slightly at the taste. Nico wondered why she had been given the drink when she
obviously did not enjoy it; perhaps a health thing or a girl thing that
Persephone was helping her with? It did look gross though, like a cup of
watered down blood, and the taste must have been digusting because Hazel eyed
it with a look of annoyance that Nico found a little adorable.
"Strange ... thank-you for the invitation, my lady, I'll head over as soon as I
send these off. Now; how are you all after last night? Jason told me a little
but I think that he might be understating it a little!" Nico saw his little
sister straighten and glare warningly at the Praetor as if to tell her to have
caution with her words while Persephone stiffened as she held her cup tight
within her hands. They both knew something, and Nico was sure it wasn't good.
He replied dismissingly at the events of last night on autopilot; "Just some
idiots poking fun, nothing I haven't heard before!" as he tried to decipher the
information he had on hand about last night to understand a little about what
was going on. They were heading to breakfast, the girls insulted him, Nico
vanished into the shadows, he was calmed down by Persephone, and then he
returned to a relieved Hazel - that was as much as he knew so far so somewhere
after he vanished and before he returned, Hazel must have experienced something
bad that would make that look on her face credible. Perhaps she did know what
the girls were saying and was now disgusted by him or maybe she didn't believe
it and had gotten angry at the girls for the false rumours? The second option
was more credible given that his sister was extremely protective of him and
thought that as his younger sibling - she was entitled to watch his back by any
means necessary despite his protests that he could take care of himself. If she
knew about him being gay then he was sure she wouldn't react so relieved when
he returned or tried to convince him that she would stay by his side no matter
what. Instead she would probably be more than a little disgusted by his
preferences and the 1920s perception of it would have triggered ... a rather
bad reaction to say the least. She'd probably try to find out how to fix him
... wasn't there something about that on the mortal TV once about camps that
did that? Nico didn't think he could stand it if she tried that; instinctively
his back shivered at the thought as some distant feeling came through from his
past in Italy with Bianca and his mother nothing ever good happened from
sending people in 'Camps' for their differences - the world had enough history
books to evidence of that.
Reyna always saw through any of his attempts at diversion; "It's not nothing,
Nico. We were all worried about you, Hazel especially, and you should have
heard that Doctor of yours rave on and on about how he's going to imprison you
in the infirmary next time he sees you so 'the damn fool doesn't go
disappearing on me again!'. Are you sure you're ok?" Hazel was stiff as a board
at the mention of her, how badly had she reacted? He had seen his little sister
move labyrinths, fight giants with the help of witches, and had heard of her
preventing the rise of Gaia even at the cost of her own life - so how badly did
she injure people when he was in danger? He thought back to the mention of
Frank from before ... Frank ... had he tried to calm her down and instead been
injured in her temper? Was that why she looked so uncomfortable, but then why
hadn't she gone to visit him? Maybe a guilty conscience had weighed her down -
in that case Nico needed to find a way to help her because there was no way in
Hades that he was going to let his little sister's life go down the drain just
because of him.
"We're working on it, actually that's why we're up so early!" Hazel spoke up
suddenly, obviously sensing her brother's brooding and trying to help him out
as usual by filling in the gaps in conversation. He looked at her properly this
time; trying to figure out the differences from when before and after the
incident, as he made the glass of chocolate milk refill with a quick command
except this time there was extra foam because he definitely needed something to
cover his abrupt silence. Hazel's face seemed ... older? More exhausted? More
... done with it all yet trying to hold on 
"Was wondering about that too; thought you slept like the dead before noon?"
"Don't mock the nap, I'm Italian - only the Spanish have us outbeat on the joys
of a good Siesta!"
"You don't siesta, Nico, you go into full hibernation mode like a baby bear!"
"Not a baby or a bear!"
"Actually, that sounds like a perfect nickname for you, Little Bear!"
"Fine; Hazey-Daisy!"
"You two are idiots!"
"Why doesn't anyone have a nickname for you?"
"They wouldn't dare!"
"Hey MacaReyna, oy!"
"I hate both of you!"
"Oh shush, you love us! Back to topic; Persephone woke us up so she can take us
to Brooklyn for the day to get a few things sorted!"
"Why Brooklyn and what kind of things?"
"A complete and utter revival of his fashion sense; some friends of mine are
based there and have agreed to the challenge. They both need a whole new
wardrobe, plus Nico really needs a haircut and both of them need Doctor's
appointments because I don't think they've been to the dentist or optician in
their lives. Might also go the library as well while we're out; you need
anything?"
"No, my lady, I'm fine!"
"I insist, besides their father is paying for it and I'm determined to give him
a heart attack when my credit card bill comes through ... is that a piano I
see?"
"Yeah; the Apollo cabin hosts Music Nights sometimes but with the infirmary
full they've probably forgotten to put it back in their cabin again ... maybe
Nico could help them? After all; he's overdue with a check up and Will Solace
has been quite adamant that he keep up with his appointments - Doctor's
orders!"
"Maybe the Doctor could know by now that I don't take kindly to being told what
to do?"
"Nico, just go to the damn appointment - at worse Will might refuse you a
lollipop at the end of it!"
"I don't want a damn lollipop!"
"No," "But I think Solace might like to see you eating one!"
"Shut the fuck up, MacaReyna!"
"Just think about it, little bear, now I'm off to your lair - pray for me that
no tall, dark, and ravenous vamps try to eat me will you?"
"Is that Beethoven's moonlight sonata?"
"Yeah; you know how to play?"
"A little; there was a couple of pianos in the malls when I was ... absent from
Camp and I sort of messed around with it. I don't know why I know how to play
it ... probably muscle memory perhaps that hasn't been wiped away by the Lethe
from my childhood?"
"Then sit down and let's battle!"
"So ... how is things with dad?"
"Things are ... complicated right now!"
"Complicated like taking off your wedding ring?"
"We ... I ... I can't ... He um!" "While we were fucking; he started whispering
dirty talk to his dearly dead Italian Mistress; your mother!"
"Oh Gods; what did you do?"
"Held a knife towards him, then panicked, ran for it, had a mental breakdown in
my garden, threw away my wedding ring and came up here to make amends with you
two while preparing to divorce the bastard!"
"I'm sorry!"
"I've said it once, Nico, and I'll say it again - this thing between your
father and me is neither the fault of you nor your mother really. We've been
growing apart for a while now and it's just been recently when I've come to
understand my marriage is basically dead in the water!"
"What started it; may I ask?"
"Let's move to Bizet's Habanera 'Le amour est un oiseux rebelle' and I'll tell
you!" "The cause of our marital problems started a long time ago in the 18th
century when your father and I had fallen in love with living in Paris and
French life so we stayed there despite the Flame of the West moving on to other
lands secretly despite the urging of the rest of the Gods to join them in Spain
and later England. It was 1745 and we were attending a masked ball in honour of
the Dauphin's marriage to the Infanta Maria Teresa of Spain; enjoying the
dancing, the card games and the excess of the French Court who were so ...
beautifully vulgar yet perfectly sophisticated in their manners. Hades had just
moved off in search of an acquaintance of ours who had been in possession of a
certain wine we both had been in the mind to buy when ... when she entered and
it was like everything had changed. She was so wonderfully Greek, dressed in
the visage of Artemis with a bow strung across her back and a smile that lit a
fire in me that I had never known before while I was in the dress of myself so
when Hades returned I immediately asked for him to introduce us. She was
dazzling in the candle light; a ray of innocence and virtue in an otherwise
corrupt and decedent court, and I couldn't help but feel a helpless sense of
falling in love for the second time in my life. Sure she was attempting to gain
the interest of the Dauphin, but I couldn't help but feel love for the woman
even if we had never spoken before. Hades was bemused by my attraction and
strode over just after she had gained the Dauphin's public declaration of
affection to introduce us both without delay as I attempted to catch her eye
over the crowd. They made their way over to me and I swear the sky was falling
and the earth was shaking because she was so wonderfully sweet with the bluest
eyes you could ever see and locks of golden hair more finer than any cloth I
had ever owned. After, we arranged to converse in a series of letters that gave
fruit to my attraction after Hades permitted her to join us in the marital bed
despite risking the Dauphin's wrath as he had fallen for the girl too. She was
so clever, practiced in culture and arts to the point where when Athena herself
met her one rainy day in her private apartments after a fiasco with the Norse -
she was proclaimed the best of womankind and we named her our 'Second Wife'
despite Hera's objections. Then ... then ... she passed away and all our
happiness was cut tragically short. I was driven to drink outrageously before
going on hunger strikes and mass hysteria from the grief while my husband just
faded away from me as he took it a lot more stoically as he seduced girl after
girl to rid the pain of her loss from him ... and now we're here at the
crossroads and there's the oncoming train of reality rushing at us but I won't
allow your father to drag me down with him just to sit by his side as he puts
another woman's face onto mine in order to cope with his obvious grief for both
Jeanne and Maria!"
"Jeanne ... you were in love with Madame De Pompadour?"
"Yes, and I relished every moment of it; good and bad, despite it all. She was
my soulmate and now that she is gone - I can clearly see now that she was the
last chapter in my marriage because without her there is no music, no clothes,
no money that could ever make us whole again!"
" ... she was a woman though?"
"Yes; that had never bothered me - in fact I still support the view that
gaining the love of a woman at that time was one of my greatest
accomplishments. I don't mean to be sexist in stating this view but
realistically speaking; women have more at stake when it comes to courting,
because biologically, they look for security both financially and emotionally
in relationships so that they can safely have children while men have emotional
and physical needs that are easier expressed. In terms of my courting of
Jeanne, it was far more difficult because 1) We were both women, 2) She was a
favourite of the Dauphin and 3) because we both were already married to our
respective husbands at that time. Hades was more than happy to have another
wife and I was overjoyed at being able to love the woman of my dreams who'd
treated me so sweetly and kindly that I was amazed she wasn't divinely
inspired!"
"She sounds wonderful; ... I'm sorry for your loss!"
"Hey Nico; I'll be right back ok?"
"So; now that I've discussed my marriage - I think we should finish with
Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries to entertain our evesdroppers!"
"When did you all get here?"
"We weren't evesdropping ... ok maybe we were but I swear it wasn't
intentional. We just heard the music from outside and got curious!"
"Yeah; it's not like we thought we'd hear about two Gods and a French Mistress
... oh Gods that sounds like the start of a funny joke!"
"How about Two Gods, a loving relationship and a brick to the face?"
"You are never going to let that go are you?"
"Nope!"
"We should so have you two playing during sparring matches; it would be amazing
to see Percy get his ass kicked by Annabeth to the sound of the Sugar Plum
Fairy!"
"Hey why would Annabeth be able to ... no wait, she's Annabeth of course she'd
kick my ass but does it have to be that? It should so be done to the soundtrack
of Finding Nemo!"
"Dork!"
"Fuck1"
"Solace; what the hell happened?"
"I ... I ... um!" "I was um ... getting ... when I ... um ... uh!"
"Hey Rapunzel, found my hoodie yet?"
"Shut the fuck up Austin and eat your fucking skittles!"
"Oh, you talk to your mother with that mouth?"
"No I talk to yours and tell her about your sugar habits. Then I'd recommend a
fucking diet, you prick, doctor's orders!"
"That's low, sunshine, snitches get stiches y'know!"
"No; annoying dicks get stiches after being 'accidentally' stabbed with a
scalpel!"
"Need a hand, Doc?"
"Um ... yeah, thanks ... sorry about that!"
"Nah, you should hear me and Hazel when we get in an argument; we get vicious!"
"What do you say 'Gosh darn it, doll, you're such a nitwit wet blanket - well
you're a spotted dick?"
"We may be from the 1920s, Solace, but I've never called anyone a nitwit in my
life!"
"What a bunch of fags!"
"What the Hades did you just say!"
"You heard me; fucking faggots the two of you. Came here to eat and you two are
just being disgusting - can't you just go and kill yourselves already?"
"Shut the hell up, Brienna, that's a terrible thing to say!"
"Well it's true! Disgusting queers are two steps away from fucking; what if a
child went by and witnessed that shit? Shouldn't be allowed to be near each
other in public! And to have one as a Doctor; what if he starts coming on to
his patients and transmits his disease?"
"Ok; let's get some things straight. One; Homosexuality is not a disease. Two,
I have been a medic on the battlefield for longer than you have been in this
camp and I've never violated by Hippocratic or ethical codes. Three, if a
younger camper asked for LGBT+ information am perfectly happy to inform them on
it. Four; telling someone to kill themselves is never acceptable. Finally five;
saying such disgusting stuff about campers while their much more powerful
friends are in the room with them is a terrible idea because I'm pretty sure
they all can kick your orangeade ass to the curb - starting with me!"
"As if a scrauny twink like you could ever take me on!"
"Bring it, you Vitamin-Clown!"
"I gather your name is Brienna?"
"Yeah, what's it to you?"
"Nothing ... just wanted to ask you a small question, do you mind?"
" ... no ... of course not!"
""Well, Brienna, I'm having difficulty believing you are actually who you say
you are - in fact I don't believe you to be a homophobe at all you see I think
you are protecting someone and doing their business like a sad old whipped
bitch. You certaintly have the signs - the bad breath and tooth decay from a
long term chronic case of anorexia to make yourself desirable to them, the
layer after layer of concealer on that obvious shiner of yours from your
'truest love', the way your hands are shaking from not having a fix I suppose,
and even the faint smell of piss which just surrounds you sweetheart. So my
question is this; who are you working for?"
"I'm not working for anyone!"
"Come on ... tell me ... just between us girls ... no one else has to know do
they ... you want to tell me don't you?"
" ... I can't ... she'll ... crossed a line ... how are you doing this?"
"Sweet heart you can tell me anything ... you want to tell me don't you ...
look at me ... LOOK AT ME!"
"Drew Tanaka!" "It was Drew Tanaka; she hates Will for rejecting her advances
as he's a fag and Nico for embarsing Philip Dravers - her crush - in sparring
practice. She told me to do it; told me that if I got them to leave camp she'd
love me again, she'd leave Philip and come back to me ... now she'll know and
... and ... and!"
"Percy Jackson, I advise you to take Miss Brienna here to Chiron so she can
give her statement officially, and Miss McLean I expect you to escort Miss
Tanaka to the Big House for disciplinary action for bullying, coercion,
assault, abuse of power, and a whole range of other things before I personally
punish the bitch myself. In fact; I may still with a Poison Ivy Curse - they've
always been the most painful and since its a curse then she'll never be able to
relieve the itch and maybe she'll tear her own skin out by the end of it ...
yes, I think that might be funny to watch! Go on now; chop chop!"
"Doctor Solace; I commend your bravery at confronting her with such passionate
vigour - please enjoy the rather large garden I've just grown outside of your
infirmatory full of healing herbs as reward and to hide that God awful paint
job out back. You have all of the Olympian God's thanks for saving the lives of
their children on multiple occasions and have proven to be a fantastic Doctor
on your own merit regardless of your parentage. Thank-you!"
"As for the rest of you; please inform Chiron that Nico will be giving him his
witness statements at a later date tonight because I've just realised we are
very much behind schedule and must pop off! Thank-you!"
"So ... how was Frank?"
"Shut up; we were just talking!"
"Oh really, did the smudged lipstick happen while you were talking?
"Hating you right now!"
"Ha, ha!" "Now; we must dash - the shop is just down the street from here and
Cleo is going to be pissed off if we don't hurry up!"
"Stephie, your later than a harlot's period!"
"Cleo, you fucking whore, how have you been?"
"Good, met a nice chap down the street - God damnit do the Puente Ricans know
how fuck!"
"Vulgar as ever, I see, please let me introduce my charges, Nico and Hazel!"
"Nico and Hazel - meet the depraved and bawdy queen of Celtic drama, Cleo -
Goddess of Beauty!"
"Ah, enchante madame! Your benefactor, Lady Persephone, has told me all about
you, but she did not tell me how beautiful you are. For a woman like me, that
is almost a crime!"
"I'm sure that a woman like you tells every woman she is beautiful. Is that not
a crime also?"
"Ah, I like her! Fiesty and quick-witted; definitely a woman to look out for!"
"Ah, this must be Nico then! My Gods; I thought you were your handsome father
then - you definitely have the charismatic air to you!"
"Thank you, Miss!"
"And polite to boot; thank goodness for Italian manners! I swear every time
Hades comes in here it's like he's looking for trouble"
"That's probably because every time he comes in - you throw salt over his
head!"
"It's tradition; drives away bad spirits! Anyway; come inside - it looks like
we've got a lot to do!"
 
They enter the Pavilion where Nico sees Reyna writing notification of death
reports for the dead roman causalities, so they invite her to breakfast, so
they can talk causalities, roman power, damage to Greek infrastructure, her
efforts to protect Nico, her parentage, and finally Reyna's welfare as she
seems exhausted so they offer Cabin 13 to serve as a sleeping quarters while
they are out so Reyna can welcome in Hecate to create the closet prototypes
that Persephone has ordered. For breakfast, Hazel consumes a lot of meat in the
breakfast such as four sausages, bacon, blood pudding, and plenty of eggs to
feed the wolf inside but tries to eat normal food as well like a brioche
covered in egg yolk and fruit off Nico's plate like melon, apples, and
blueberries as Persephone’s thorned plants creep around them in a protective
cocoon to ensure that Nico doesn’t feel too uncomfortable in the sunlight. 
Throughout this conversation Nico gets the impression that Hazel was involved
in some confrontation but does not feel confident in asking what as it seems to
keep the girl on edge, barking each time it is referenced and even bringing
Reyna herself to heel when pushed too far. They then begin to get interested in
hobbies (Poetry, horses, and Hiking for Hazel - Magic tricks, history, and rock
climbing) where upon they stumble upon their musical gifts of Violins and
Pianos to the point where they play a duet of Clare de lune that draws the ears
of Lou Ellen who calls Hazel away so they can talk while Nico and Persephone
continue on with the piano with Moonlight Sonata, Carmen and Ride of the
Valkyries where Persephone reveals details of her relationship with Madame de
Pompadour and Nico reveals his want to find out what happened to his sister.
The music then draws the attention of the Seven as they return from the
infirmary with an obvious cloud of disquiet from before. Will walks into a wall
as Nico asks about the injuries on Piper, Frank and Jason which allows them to
hide their cause to protect him from finding out what happened - causing a cute
scene where Will who stutters when addressing Nico in his new clothes and
swearing at Austin for losing his shoe in the first place. They speak a little
about his treatments and he tells them about going to Brooklyn with Hazel to
get a second opinion from an actual doctor jokingly as he asks after Hazel.
Nico addresses the elephant in the room while staring pointedly at Frank. Jason
mentions that Hazel has been roofied with a potion in her drink, which combined
with Hazel's change of clothes, obvious smell of bleach, attempts to hide the
bruises, uneasiness around Frank being mentioned, sudden craving for meat, and
obviously faked smiles makes Nico assume that he either raped, beat, or
otherwise caused harm to his beloved little sister and so gives him two minutes
as Praetor to explain himself before Nico personally revenges his sister's
dishonour with a cold fury. Frank and Jason try to explain what happened but
when it is mentioned that Hazel was alone, unconscious, drugged, and sick when
in Cabin 13 - Nico makes Frank swear upon the legacy of his family, his mother
and the Firewood that holds his life in balance that he hadn't attacked Hazel
or molested her in anyway. He takes in all this information coldly, finally
resolving to get Hazel's point of view and informs Frank in no uncertain words
not to speak, see, write, or otherwise interact with her until then so he can't
cover for himself. This creates a lot of tension between the two, but Nico is
resolute that no credence is given to Frank's story until Hazel tells him
otherwise and that till then - Frank is a viable target for the wrath of Nico
in order to protect her dignity. Hazel comes back at the moment where Frank
argues back that he finds it offensive to be called a rapist and abuser when
Nico has nothing to do with it - to which Nico fires back that it has
everything to do with him the moment someone decided to make his sister
miserable or bruised. It is then when he feels a blade to his throat.
***** POV - Hazel 2 *****
 
Plot: Hazel listens to the first part of the Midnight Sonata before noticing
Frank hanging around at the door so she tells him she'll be right back before
walking in silence with him to a storage room for privacy so they can talk
about what happened. Hazel at this time is feeling guilty now that the dust has
cleared about attacking Frank and after a few tries to make a genuine apology
that didn't sound fake - she eventually resolves on letting go of her pride
visibly the only way she can by kneeling down in a show of submission that she
hates as she asks for his forgiveness. He doesn't reply so she raises herself
up with a "Well? ... fine, just let me embarrass myself while you just stand
there laughing. Why did I even try?" as she moves to leave. Frank then moves
quickly to push her against the far wall while holding both of her hands above
her head. 
A shiver raced down her spine at the heated look Frank was directing at her.
Her eyed widened when Frank drew so close that her breasts where crushed to his
chest and he raised her hands beside her head. Her heart was beating wildly in
her chest and she became a bit dazed as his strong sandalwood scent invaded her
senses like a woodfire doused in caramel scented water. "You drive me crazy,
woman, how could I not forgive you?" he growled huskily at her.
She opened her mouth to respond when he drew close, slowly as to give her time
to say no, before crushing his firm lips onto hers. She melted against him as
Frank devoured her mouth, capturing her lips with such passion that it took her
breath away. This kiss was different - more wild than tender - from any they
had shared so far. Never had she known such passion, such fire in a kiss. It
was feral and deliciously unchaste and it stripped her of the want to argue the
point further with him as sensual pleasure took over. Hazel could feel her
heart pounding a fast tempo against her ribcage and she gasped when her body
began to warm up quickly and her breasts began to tingle again. Her nipples
began to ache and she unconsciously rubbed them against Frank's hard chest in
order to ease the ache, but instead the sensation caused a spark to flare right
to her core. The feeling caused the wetness to increase in her nether regions
as a searing heat began to grow in the depths of her body, arousing longings
that were completely delicious in her captured state.
Seduced completely by this new show of desire; she wrapped her tongue around
his as her blood pounded hard in her head, giving her face a rosy blush. Frank
must have felt the same amount of arousal as he brought his right leg forward,
wedging his thigh between Hazel's legs and began to roughly rub against her
warmth. All rationality left her and was replaced by a desire so great that it
left her with no other option than to burn away the ache by moving her hips
against his hard thigh as she allowed him to dominate her tiny frame. She
smirked as she kissed him eagerly as she tried to get out of his grip so she
could touch him while she continued to enjoy the incredible sensation she was
experiencing in her untouched core so to gain back power in the submissive
position. Her breasts began to beg to be touched and underneath her lace bra
and beneath the firmness of his muscular chest her nipples hardened even more.
Eventually Frank felt content enough with her soft moans and whimpers that she
freed her wrists while he tangled one hand in her hair as his earthy brown eyes
plunged to the depths of her golden orbs. 
He moved her head to the side so he could slant his mouth against hers,
greedily taking what she had to offer, while his other hand moved up from her
side to touch a breast, too far gone to stop himself and think about what he
was doing and the directness that he'd never seemed to possess before. When she
groaned encouragingly at his touch, he cupped her covered breast more firmly
and began to knead it, causing her to let out a moan into his hot mouth. This
seemed to trigger even more longing for her as he wrapped his hands around
Hazel's thighs, and lifting her up slightly and wrapping her legs around him,
he pressed his painfully erect cock against her warmth, eliciting a loud gasp
from her. My Gods, she'd created a monster and she was so proud in her hand in
doing so. She could feel herself getting so wet and her stomach began to coil
in a tight spring at the newfound bravery her timid boyfriend had gained. Hazel
was not to be outdone though, as pried herself from his hot lips and arched her
back with a loud moan, shoving her head against the rough bark of the tree
behind her and grabbing tightly to Frank's muscular arms at the massive
pleasure she was experiencing. She began to frantically move her hips to press
herself closer to the hardness between his strong thighs as she sought to bring
herself to the edge of reason. 
This scene is interrupted when he gets a little too into it as he reaches under
her shirt but she decides to keep the power she holds over him by pushing him
down onto the floor as she straddles him and makes him understand she'll never
kneel to him again so he should treasure the memory of it. She notes his smirk
at the position as she whispers "Now; this is moving a little too fast - I'm a
proper southern lady Mr Zhang and you'll make me so untidy!" He moves to get up
as she pushes him back down again, "Especially since we're not courting yet!"
which he quickly asks her on a date for that evening for the Campfire
Celebrations and Fireworks. She pretends to think about it before saying "I'd
be honoured for your escort, Mr Zhang!" before kissing him chastely and
murmering "Though I am disappointed that I wasn't able to emply everything in
my power to have made you accept my sincere apologies. Maybe it would be best
that you don't know what I had in mind ... after all I don't know how you if
you could handle it!" she kisses him one more leaning kiss before skipping out
of the door to overhear the interaction between Will Solace and Nico and the
Homophobic girl. The rage comes back causing a small tremor to radiate from her
though Persephone stops her with a look while she uses the Desire power against
the girl to force a confession. She is then taken away in the cloud to the shop
where there is Latin American music 'Havana' music playing because its their
shared favoured music choice because of the sheer passion and joy of it. While
the two converse about Latin American men, she confronts Nico about what the
girls were saying but Nico says to wait till later for the private
conversation. She finds out that the Celtic Pantheon is smaller than the Greek/
Roman one because of the lack of Pagans praying to them and the lack of real
estate. Cleo then introduces herself to the children and gets one of her
assistant Banshees to take their measurements while she talks with Persephone
about the different styles of clothes she wants for their wardrobes. For Hazel
- the palette they are sticking to is purples, earthy tones of green and brown,
golds and avoiding Pink, Red, and especially blue which makes her look washed
out or odd and going for three styles of dressing her to reflect her age,
position and personality.
They then talk about styles with a magic mirror that shows Hazel in various
fashion getups with her helping them to develop a rulebook on choosing clothes
with her ticking yes or no on each style and writing comments while Nico gets
his measurements taken personally by Cleo so he can feel comfortable not near
Monsters while he wears his Ipod to block it out. Hazel decides on clothes that
are more exotic in taste with bold or intricate patterns reminiscent of
bohemian/equine cowboy/cute/Latin American Salsa summer style. For her jackets;
she chooses trench coat, leather jackets, poncho and kimono cardigans. For her
dress type she chooses; empire, wrap, sun, strapless, and one shoulder dresses
that cut a fitted figure around her hips as she's self-conscious of her wide
hips. For her skirts she chooses layered, flounce, tulle and handkerchief
styles with demine shorts and skinny jeans. Her shoe choices are riding, pumps,
ankle boots and thigh high healed boots for extra height. Her hat wear is
slouchy crochet beanie, cloche, beret, and Gatsby while she prefers a one-piece
swimming costume. Most of her tops are camisoles, strappy and knitwear with
sweetheart, off the shoulder, and flutter cuts. Most of her preferred material
is cotton, lace, taffeta, wool, tulle, and chiffon with no fur at all because
Hazel disagrees with it. Thus her outfit are functional and practical with
hints of sexiness and sweetness. She decides as well with Persephone on various
designers to help with creating more former classy gowns for official business
from Coco Chanel, Versace, Dior, Vera Wang and Alexander McQueen. She also
receives an already premade evening outfit in three different luxury boxes for
her date tonight with Frank.
With Nico; they decide on him having more monochrome colours with hints of
blues, greens, and browns while avoiding reds, pinks, and yellows which don't
work with his skin tone at all. Together with the girls they help him create a
casually relaxed style of James Dean/Rocker/Flanel/1930 Newsboy tone. For his
jackets; he decides on Aviator, bomber, hoodies and a few leather ones to test
Will's patience. For his suit style they decide on the Italian style with
designs from Armani, Brioni, and Zegna to have a slim and athletic build with
charcoal and navy colour base with white and black shirts and various coloured
ties. For trousers they decide on skinny jeans and for shoes they allow dress
shoes, converses, Chelsea's, and sneakers. Then the top styles are band shirts,
waistcoats, plaid flannel overshirts, henleys and T-shirts as well as some
1930s things like newsboys caps, button up shirts, and pull over cardigans.
Nico decides on cotton, leather, polyester, demine and silk for the suits.
Then Cleo uses the same mirror to get pictures of Reyna from the children's
memories and starts assembling another clothing line just for the girl in the
palette of reds, golds and purples with hints of vibrancy with the styles being
very intense and energetic with wild patterns and asymmetrical designs and tons
of colours like a carnival. Each piece had to be a statement of fierce
professional power and vibrancy with a couple of business skirt suits thrown in
and a huge array of designer shoes from Jimmy Choo, Prada, Chanel, and Gucci
along with an array of sunglasses for extra badassness from Prada, Ralph Lauren
and Ray-ban as just another gift. She also buys a lot of sporty typed fashion
for her from Nike like running shoes and other branded sportswear like shirts,
yoga pants and other things like that in white, black, grey and red.
Hazel asks why she is spoiling them and Persephone tells them that its her way
of making up for the years of bad luck that the children have been having and a
thank you from the Gods indirectly for saving them all. Not to mention it
brings custom to a friend and helps establish the children as the richest, most
affluent, most beloved and most respected members of camp so that people will
see them as being better than what they first believed them to be - a 13 Black
girl and an emo crazy person.
After this; Cleo has the daughter Banshees wash and prep their hair for styling
with Nico - hair to get rid of the tufts of black hair that stick up in curls
like baby bat wings and cuts it short but not too short that its shaved rather
she makes it more softly curly and low-maintenance for a messy yet innocent
look. She cuts it to mid-length and then applies a little styling mousse to get
it a wet and crisp look that is beyond attractive with his high Italian facial
features in his cheeks from Maria and the dark brown-almost black eyes of his
father. Hazel in the meantime has her hairstyle done so that her shoulder-
length curly cinnamon brown hair is changed into a mass of perfectly
constructed coils that reminds Hazel of a French aristocrat yet still makes her
look still adorable and badass. The tight coils are then finally pulled back
with a thick white head band that empathises the cinnamon colouring into a more
innocent and vintage theme.
During this process; Nico listens to music while Hazel holds his hand so being
close to people doesn't scare him. Hazel also talks to him about how she's
excited to finally be able to spend time with him without the War or monsters
getting in the way and so they play 20 questions while the women work on them
and Persephone shops for weapons to add in the secret compartment at the back
of their respective TARDIS wardrobes for safety like spears, swords, bow and
arrow sets, shields, full sets of Greek/Roman armour, a small pair of battle
axes and finally a little case of antidotes for common poisons just in case.
She also steals a pack of Gauloises cigarettes for her own use.
Finished, they wait as Persephone pays her tab with Cleo and then they visit
Brigid who approaches them slowly with a very small and demure voice that
endears her to the children as she takes a variety of tests on the both of them
and examinations to ensure their health. She first allows Nico to have Hazel in
the examination room with him while Persephone waited outside so he could feel
relaxed in the woman's presence as she has him sit on a dentist table so she
can preform an examination of his eyes, teeth and overall health easier. The
exploration of his mouth, done slowly so he doesn't vomit at the sensation,
shows his need to have his wisdom teeth taken out and the eye test shows that
he is suffering from near-sightedness from the darkness so needs glasses which
she quickly gets ordered so Hermes can post them after they are made. The
general exam shows that he is lacking in calcium, certain vital vitamins and is
slightly anaemic so she puts him on a blood drip while she redresses and heals
the werewolf scratches on his arm. After this she gives him a small baggie of
medicines for pain, boosting multivitamins, iron tablets, a lollipop, and
liquid sunshine to help him from developing rickets from the lack of sunlight
as well as orders to drink more dairy, stay active in the sun, and develop a
stable routine to get through the day.
Nico leaves as Hazel has her examination which reveals that Hazel has very
high-blood pressure from her recent stresses and as she is from African descent
that needs to be treated with grape juice, a healthier diet, and amlodipine
which is a Calcium channel blocker that reduces blood pressure by widening the
blood vessels. This is warned to give her headaches, and stomach aches so she
is told to have more fibre and to sleep more often than what she is. She then
goes on about period problems where is told about treatments for the pain such
as hot water bottles, hot showers, chocolate, yoga, and finally orgasms. She
then asks Brigid about sex during this time because she is worried about
consent ages in New York, consequences and what it actually is so she is given
a complete sex talk revolving around the Consent, Contraception, and
Cooperation (consent in what you actually want to do, contraception in what you
don't want to happen after, and Cooperation in receiving and giving pleasure on
both ends). She is told about the reproductive systems, methods of getting
ready for sex, what sex actually does to people, and finally about birth
control methods such as how to put on a condom and even gives her an implant as
she is still on her last day of her period. She is also told that in New York,
the minimum age is 13 if the person is no older than four years, but that she
should probably try experimenting with her own body first before allowing
another to try as it allows her to know if there's any irregularities. After
this talk; Hazel is given a load of goodies paid for on Persephone's account
such as sanitary pads, tampons, a small hot water bottle, a small bottle of
lubricating oil, a small guidebook on sex, an aromatherapy candle, some
chocolate bars, some massage creams, a water bottle of grape juice, and a box
of condoms.
As they come out of the medical exam room, Persephone proposes that soon they
should go to a spa for some bonding time with Hazel as they say their goodbyes
so they can get to the library soon so they can avoid the rush hour traffic.
She introduces the subject on how the two of them were feeling about their
education levels and what they were thinking of doing as jobs in the future
with Hazel wanting to give back because of her second chance and Nico wants to
learn more about law so he can help out in the Room of Judgment in the
underworld and his role as Ghost King but they don't know for sure. Persephone
supports their decisions and supposes that they could look for books at the
library on the matter as they get into Jules-Albert's limonene. Hazel asks what
exactly Persephone does when she is not busy helping her husband with running
the underworld and Persephone states that she has a range of pursuits such as
running a florists, being a wildlife photographer and helping out animal
welfare and Greenpeace societies out of bad spots. Hazel is happy with this
stance and they talk about helping with charities and the problems with the
world at the moment now that Pan is gone - Persephone, Demeter and Artemis are
having to pick up the slack in the wild world.
They finally end up at the library, where they quickly try to find the least
offensive looking employee there - a girl with fair skin, deep blue eyes, a
mischievous, lopsided smile, and a caramel brown hair that she usually puts
bright coloured bubble-gum pink streaks in. She is the same height as
Persephone and wears a casual library assistant blue T-Shirt, skinny yet
slightly tattered jeans, and a pair of combat boots and calls herself Sadie
Kane. The girl chews gum as she writes down where they can find the various
books they need off the crappy library computers, mentioning how her brother is
forcing her to intern there because he caught her and her boyfriend making out
instead of studying so is probably now trying to give the shovel talk to him.
Hazel asks innocently what a 'shovel talk' is and Persephone replies that it is
the "If you hurt him/her I will break you" talk given as a warning to a
romantic partner from a concerned party, usually family or a close friend. Nico
looks uncomfortable and Hazel confronts him about it so he mentions how he did
give one to Frank when he started dating Hazel and actually demonstrated how he
could bury him without needing an actual shovel. Hazel is touched as the
brotherly gesture so she kisses his cheek then bickers with him about being
adorable after following Sadie around to the information on LGBT+, Racial
history and modern historical events 1900-2000s.
 
Starts with her walking off with Lou Ellen so she can apologise for snapping at
her heels yesterday but is confronted by Lou Ellen as she starts to apply a
layer of goo to her arm to heal the bruises left on her skin before being
berated for not heading to the infirmary after Nico returned so she can have a
check up to ensure the drugs had worn off. Hazel is confused at her brisk
treatment before asking how long the transformation potion would affect her but
since it is a potent blend Lou Ellen can't say only that she should drink a
tonic of wolfsbane to keep it at bay and to wear a specially made bracelet cuff
of pure silver inscribed with the triple moon symbol with a large moonstone
setting in the middle to heal and help her control her transformations in the
meantime which is a gift from Hecate herself. Hazel notes the rest of the
Hecate campers (Camila, Agatha, Mariana, and an adopted Hispanic camper
Gabriella who left the Demeter Cabin as she is pregnant with another fallen
camper's child Jaime Blake son of Ares and doesn't want her sisters to steal it
away from her as she is only fifteen years old and they want her to give it up
for adoption in New Rome). Irish Camila O'Connell is the calmer one, preaching
peace and tranquillity, with a talent for candle making while British Agatha
Archer works more in tune with the woods and biological creatures and is
Gabriella's best friend. Spanish Mariana Cortez is the youngest at six years
old with a habit at pyrotechnics and explosions that the others try to restrain
as she is a known arsonist in her home town when her powers came undone.
Finally, Lou Ellen Blackstone (also known by her real name of Layla Ellenie
Whiterock which she changed to prevent her father from finding her and exacting
revenge for her taking his left eye out with a fork to get away from his
drunken hands) is more joking and humorous, but carries the burden of being the
eldest and is haunted by her past causing her to be promiscuous in her love
life and attire. The four adopt Hazel as an honorary Hecate daughter because of
her strength and magic, allowing Lou Ellen to magically inscribe a few
protection tattoos using an Egyptian wand made of Hippo bone and empowered with
an amber crystal to help her focus her magic and become more adept at sensing
her own lupine senses so she can smell, see, hear, feel, and taste in a greater
degree. They talk about the lupine form and discuss the different behaviours
she was experiencing as a result with Agatha explaining wolf biology and her
instinct to mate and create a viable pack with Frank which leads her to
announce her intention to break up formally with him in order to keep the split
on her terms yet end it admirably with honour instead of harsh words. She can't
stand knowing she caused him pain even in a drugged state, yet can't take back
the harsh words she said to him because all of them were true despite her love
for him as he denied her agency as she hurt him physically. The girls all agree
to help her move forward with her life after it and want a girls day which
leads Marianna to blurt out about Nico being gay which scares the life out of
Hazel to the point of rushing back to find him. When she moves, she finds a
whole new world has opened up to her with her enhanced senses and she sneaks up
on Nico confronting Will before placing a blade on her brother's throat
jokingly to tease him about lowering his guard. Hazel then selects a nearby red
rose growing in a flower pot which she strokes pointedly as she talks aloud
about how everything feels different in wolf vision. She then rounds on
Annabeth as she has drawn her blade like Percy as she psychologically analyses
them to make them both back off such as pointing out the spider in the corner
to get Annabeth to freak out and forcing Percy into a state of shock by
crowding him to trigger his claustrophobia so to get them to admit to needing
therapy to get rid of Tartarus thus making them leave the room. After that she
gives her letter of request for medical leave from the Roman Army for an
undeterminable amount of time, which Reyna readily grants, along with orders
for her to go and rest in Cabin 13 in solitude. Then she rounds on Piper and
Jason, getting Jason to obsess on stopping the rumours surrounding Nico by
making him feel guilty for failing his team and by getting Piper to punish the
Demeter Cabin for their actions by pointing out the smell of sex on their
bodies to embarrass them into obeying her orders. Then she finally gets Frank
to leave as she hands him the letter professionally and coldly, remarking off
hand about how he smells like sweat from beating his frustrations out on the
events of yesterday with Clarissa in the training field and how he really
should learn how to block judging by the pool of blood that is causing bruises
which she can hear with the enhanced senses and comments on his self-damaging
nature which he should really work on. She then uses gardening sheers to snip
the head of the rose off right in front of an indignant Piper (whose mother has
the rose as her symbol) as she replaces the stem in the vase before asking
Persephone if she can transport the Hecate girls with them to Brooklyn, so she
can talk with Nico more calmly in private.
Persephone does't say much else because as soon as they are away from the
crowds - she draws a knife and holds Sadie at blade point to get her to admit
to being an Egyptian and that she won't harm the children because she doesn't
trust them much after going dark during the Apophis thing and not giving help
when she called for it against Gaea along with another incident where Hathor
tried to seduce Hecate to her unconscious jealousy. They argue a little as to
which was more important and Sadie promises to get the Gods through Anubis -
who is still in the doghouse for an incident regarding the Romans in Egypt and
taking them to the Egyptian afterlife instead of the Roman one which caused
Hades to have a lot of debates with Osiris about proper lines of communication.
Hazel overhears all this while looking for a book on segregation and is
overwhelmed at the show of motherly protectiveness shown by Persephone and the
idea of Egyptian Pantheons and who knows how many others.
Eventually she is called away by Nico to read a little on LGBT+ and they both
agree to read about it more in private at the cabin later on so get a good
stack of lore on it, racism, history, witchcraft and underworld legends as well
as stuff on their chosen carriers. They load these books into the car as they
say goodbye to Sadie - who promises to stay in touch with Hazel as she is
interested in the Egyptian magic of Isis (who is in the doghouse with
Persephone at this point) through dreamwalking with the Duat and the Hades'
control over dreams until the guys in cabin 9 can fashion phones that don't
attract monsters but Sadie still gives her Sadies' phone number just in case.
Nico mentions how strange their lives have gotten and Hazel agrees but her
stomach growls so Persephone laughs and escorts them to the restaurant L'Artusi
for some authentic Italian cuisine.
***** POV - Hecate *****
Plot:
"Sooooo, what are you going to wear to the big shindig?"
"Did you know that the episode 'Shindig' from the TV show fireplay filmed its
sword fight scene specially so that the 'Country Bear Jamboree' barn from the
Walt Disney production facility wasn't seen in the background so to ruin the
take?"
"A show cancelled far too soon, rip the magnificent shininess that was Firefly
may it never be forgotten; Fox executives are still burning in the Field of
Punishment for that - but seriously, what are you wearing?"
"I ... I thought that my black robes would be enough!"
"Cate, you can't keep moping around in those things like before; Persephone is
about to become a free woman again! It's your big chance to woo her into being
your broomstick side along as you both romantically shoot off into the sunset -
which won't happen if you look like a collage student having a mental breakdown
over their dissertations. So I'll ask again, what are you going to wear?"
"I thought maybe a hoodie or a poncho?"
"By the Graces; you are freaking impossible! Stop wearing cloaks, full stop,
and get something pretty or I'll shove your head into an aquarium!"
"You know I don't know how to dress myself; can't you do it?"
"Fine; you're just fortunate that I know you enough to be prepared!" "Here;
this should work!"
She handed Hecate what looked like a large white dress box with golden ribbon
detailing along the corners which she delicately undid so to see inside. The
outfit inside was ... immodest to say the least with a Alexander Wang black
mini skirt, a double breasted black trench coat with Victorian esque corseted
ribbon to lace it up at the back to create a ruffle effect, and a grey ribbed
sweater with a ... very questionable plunging V-neck that laced up like
everything else. On top of all this came a pair of velvet over the knee in
height boots that were almost dominatrix in the way the lace detailing at the
back handled.
"I ,,, I'm not quite sure it's ,.. well ... did you know that in 1907, Annette
Kellerman, an Australian swimmer, was arrested on a Boston beach for public
indecency for wearing a one-piece swimsuit which got people so angry that
perceptions of the indecent outfit changed forever her?"
"Trust me it's a hell of a lot better than what you were thinking of wearing!"
"Ok, fine I'll wear it and get laughed at ... but only if you help me do this
bracelet thing for Seph. She needs it urgently and I don't want to let her
down!"
"Of course you don't after all this is your chance to sweep the damsel off her
feet with all your ... charming personality!"
"
 
Hecate is helping Hestia to craft the snake bracelet Persephone wanted in her
Spirit Realm as Hestia attempts to get the Goddess talking about her long time
crush on Persephone and now that she is apparently divorcing Hades - what she
will do about it? Hecate voices her concern that making her choice regarding
the Goddess may not be in the woman's best interests as she doesn't want to be
a rebound for her but an actual partner who Persephone could grow to love.
Hestia remarks how romantic Hecate is; a person who still believes in courtly
love and devotion despite the eons that have gone by and Hecate reminds her
that she has always loved Persephone ever since she was a girl playing chase in
the garden as she was the only Goddess who wasn't suspicious of her. She
instead simply smiled joyfully with a reddening face from the excitement of the
game and cheered on Hecate to go and catch her if she could; daring her wrath
by coming up with cute nicknames such as 'Katy', 'Kitty', and 'Sweetie' as she
encouraged her along. She tells her that even after having to walk the woman
she loved down an isle to her groom, having to hold her while she cried after
being in Tartarus, watching her nearly fade away from Jeanne's death, and
finally having to fight opposite her in a War neither of them wanted to be in -
how could she not believe in devoted true love? She helps charm the material as
she remembers the day when she had stumbled in holding back while Persephone
was married and had gone on ahead of Persephone to a hot spring lake that she
knew the Goddess loved so she could entice her into loving the Goddess.
Unfortunetly the girl just ran away instead of joining her in the water but she
was encouraged by a nearby Nymph's report that she had looked at Hecate with
unquestioned desire before thinking better on it and if there was attraction
between them then there was a possibility of love later on when the divorce was
finalised and Persephone was ready to move on. She believes in honour after
all, and that a happy ending for the both of them is only possible if it is
fought for - no matter the time it takes to get there. She imagines Persephone
as a Queen in her fantasies and now takes the form of a loyal knight of her
lady in order to ensure that later on she will be remembered and thought on
kindly and with respect and possible love.
Hestia reminds her that chivalry is long since dead and that it will be time
soon that the lecherous suitors start popping up again as they did before but
Hecate has already planned the road ahead and create a gift further to
illustrate her devotion by creating a magical solution to her problem with the
seeds in the form of a potently powerful knife that can pierce but not
permanently harm a Goddess' skin so she can remove Persephone's stomach and
destroy the seeds that have taken root to trap her in the underworld under her
curse as well as a drink that will numb the pain of the treatment and give
pleasant dreams. Hestia is not convinced a roofie and a deadly weapon are
sufficient courting gifts but she also says she is giving some very special
things just for Persephone - a magic mirror that she can use to keep tabs on
Hecate to ensure fidelity along with chains to fling her into the abyss if ever
she cheated on her. A spyglass and a rope are not romantic in the slightest but
a way for Persephone to grow to love and trust again via the gifts that ensure
it. What else is more precious to her anyway than that?
Hestia still cautions that she should act fast before Apollo, Hermes, or
Morpheus make their moves on the Goddess to make her their immortal wife or
Poseidon tries yet again to mate with her - a practical reason why getting the
bracelet done on time is useful she says as they enchant it with their combined
magic with Hestia warming the furnace for it with ancient magic and Hecate
using her own witch powers to help her along. She plans to give it to
Persephone that night at the Fireworks along with the promise to remain in the
Camp with her to help her with her friend's divorce as well as to care for her
children who are having trouble with creating smoke bombs that block out the
light in a cabin to get back at the Hermes Cabin - something she is pretty
excited for because she loves her children deeply despite them being born of
getting furiously drunk with their respective fathers when the hurt of seeing
Persephone got too powerful to handle. She doesn't mind men or women as most
Gods don't but will only ever love Persephone for the rest of her life so
having children with men is a way of gaining a family before that happened as
they both can't have children together thanks to Persephone being barren and a
woman. She wishes to talk to them more often though because the communication
mirror in their cabin is having troubles thanks to an Apollo arrow flying
mistakenly into the cabin by Will Solace's mistake. Throughout this
conversation, Hecate mentions random trivia as a character quirk as a Goddess
of knowledge while gestulating randomly.
 
Her dark hair barely came down to her shoulders. There is a green
shimmer that surrounds her like an aura. Her face is like a Greek
statue—pale, beautiful, and ageless. one young woman in a dark, sleeveless
gown. Her hair set in an Ancient Greek style high-set ponytail. Her gown seemed
to ripple as if the cloth was ink spilling off and wears sandals. Carrying two
old-fashioned reed torches, she was accompanied by a black_Labrador_retriever
and a polecat. She was described as "beautiful, but deathly pale." Just her
presence makes the area she is in engulfed by magic and strong condensation of
the Mist.
 
***** POV - Persephone 3 *****
Hazel and Nico go into a nearby alley to discuss the events of yesterday and
homosexuality in the modern age, that the Hecate girls cloak and place
silencing runes on so they can have privacy. Persephone doesn’t tell them
though that she is an adept lip reader and thus can understand that Hazel just
used the prior performance to get the attention back on to her so that Nico can
slip away to a rendezvous location in Paris so to escape the consequences of
being gay as she hands him an emergency backpack concealed in her bag full of
things for Nico to escape with such as spare clothes, drachma, ambrosia,
nectar, snacks, and toiletries. Nico informs her that homosexuality is legal
now in the United States, but Hazel is still anxious that he is not being
accepted and is therefore in danger. He remarks back that she is in danger and
asks calmly for her version of yesterday’s events which she tells him
haltingly as she notices him becoming more and more concerned. She asks him if
he thinks she is a monster, to which he asks whether being gay made him one
too? She replies back that despite what was said in Church about it being a
sin, she knows Nico and judges it to be just a pack of lies just like how they
use to say about black people, so she’s given up completely on religion as a
result. He says that no matter what she does, Nico will always take her side as
he knows siblings have each other’s backs. Resolved, they judge that the best
way to handle the situation is by gaining alliances by love (Nico’s role) and
strength (Hazel’s role) as Nico can make friends with even the strangest of
people while Hazel’s newfound strength makes her ideal to portray their
family with the will and power to dominate over others. They divide up
potential allies between themselves with Nico taking the Apollo, Athena, and
Aphrodite Cabins while Hazel takes the Hecate, Ares, Hephaestus, Hermes, and
Nemesis Cabins to fight against the Demeter and other homophobic or racist
campers. They decide to have Persephone as their family member, which delights
Persephone, and agree to have her as a sort of cool sister/aunt as her being
their mother is a little weird because of their dead mothers. Issues resolved,
they remerge to head towards ‘The Lucky Shoe’ with Persephone and the
Hecate girls as they speak about how badass the wolf inside of Hazel is and how
Nico’s brotherly instincts are absolutely adorable kinds of hot.
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