to live is to fight

" children ʙᴇᴛʀᴀʏᴇᴅ their { parents } by b e c o m i n g their own ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ " brent ☓ 𝟚𝟘 ☓ αяєѕ

[brentvales]

maceyburkes:

Macey laughed as he picked her up with no trouble, “You should just carry me around like this everywhere so I never have to walk.” Wrapping an arm over his shoulders, Macey lifted her head as they walked inside and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Do you think anyone’s here?” Her lips had moved over to his ear and she had quietly asked the question, her fingers drawing aimless lines on the back of his neck.

"I think,” he murmured, turning his head so their lips were only just not touching, “we’re alone.” He carried her into the bathroom, closing the door with his foot, and set her down in front of the shower. He leaned back to lock the door, then returned to his place standing just inches from her. “You ready?” he asked, but he kissed her again to moment the words left his lips.

[brentvales]

acreeves:

Alexander enjoyed running probably a lot more than most people in this world did. It was a chance to free their mind from literally everything going on around them and after that councilor meeting well– a run was the very first thing on their mind. Stretching up, they summoned a small breeze to help themself cool down and paused when Brent stopped. “Morning,” they replied with a nod and a smile. “Good run?”

“A much needed one,” Brent answered with a genial smile. “Do you run every morning? I had no idea.”

[brentvales]

ellie-winters:

Ellie was drinking coffee, sitting on the side of the Morpheus cabin porch. “Morning,” she says, vaguely remembers him as Brent, the one kid who showed up with the one girl at the hot tubs the day of the fight with Blue. “Out for a run?” she asks.

Brent nodded. “Yeah. You look a little appalled at the notion.” He smiled a bit. “You’re Ellie, right?”

[brentvales]

maceyburkes:

“Good, ‘cause Miranda will probably sleep until noon.” Macey studied his face, looking down at her. Being with Brent had become so comfortable, more comfortable than Macey ever thought it would. She watched as his face reddened, the idea about why made her heart do a few somersaults up her throat then dive back down into her ribcage. But she hoped, just like he did, that she was hiding it well. Biting on her lip to hold back a laugh, Macey reached up and lightly pinched his cheek, “That blush really brings out your eyes.” Finally, the laugh escaped and she high-tailed it to the Ares cabin, knowing he’d catch up. “If I fall and bust my ass in there,” She called behind to him, “You’re so dead.”

Brent gave her a five second head start before he chased after her. It didn’t take very long for him to catch up to her, and once he did, he wound his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground. “You can’t bust your ass from up here,” he said, scooping her legs up and holding her bridal style.

[brentvales]

jacobriveras:

“You think so? You think I can– you think I can be me again?” He was cold so much so that he had taken to wearing a jacket wherever went despite how hot it was outside. It was supposedly a side effect of being in the Underworld for so long. Listening to Brent speak though made him feel warm– warm in a way that he hadn’t felt in a long time. It was nice to know that he had someone who… someone who wouldn’t let him this alone. His smile is weak and his voice is quiet, but he still manages to speak. “Thank you. That was the scariest thing about the Underworld. The loneliness.”

Brent refuses to let his frown show as Jacob speaks. It’s hard to listen to him, because the words sound hauntingly like the ones he might have said a few years back, had he found anyone he was capable of confiding in. He was glad, relieved even, that he was possibly becoming that person for Jacob. “You don’t have to be alone anymore,” he reassured him. “That was the hardest thing to understand, and also the most important.”

[brentvales]

jacobriveras:

“You didn’t do it.” He says as he looks down at the spear again and if he squints the right now, tilts his head up a little he is sure that he can see blood trickling down. When he thinks about the war– he thinks about the son of Hades that he killed, the one who was taunting him in the underworld during his torture. If he had been a better person, if he hadn’t been trying to prove something maybe he would be more okay. “I’m not really trying to stay in shape, I can barely eat anything as it is without vomiting. I just–,” his voice cracks a little and he curses himself. “I just want to be me again.”

"You will,” he says immediately. “I promise, you will. It’s not...” he sighed, pressing his lips together. “It’s not easy. But you don’t have to deal with it alone.” He wishes his advice was as easy as it sounds. “I won’t pretend I know what it felt like, but I can at least try to help to make everything more bearable.” Upon hearing about Jacob’s return, Brent had felt a desire to help the son of Nike. But it isn’t until now, talking to him in person, that he suddenly feels fiercely protective.

[brentvales]

wyattseveride:

Wyatt had woken up earlier than he’d wanted and couldn’t get back to sleep. Feeling restless as he tossed and turned was something that he’d unfortunately gotten used to. He finally pulled himself from his own bed. Recently, his nights were more equally balanced between staying the night in his own cabin and staying the night at Cabin Four. Wyatt quickly dressed himself in whatever he had at the ready. He quietly closed his door behind him and made his way out of the cabin, hoping to get a head-start on his day. Starting with breakfast. He only made it a few steps though before Brent caught his attention. “Hey, mornin’,” He greeted back, turning to look at him. “–Sup? Just get done with a run?” Wyatt asked. “You should’ve knocked or somethin’, I would have joined you.”

Brent shrugged. Truthfully, he would have loved to have company on his run, but he had noticed the tiredness of his brother in the past few weeks. He pretended that he hadn’t, and didn’t say anything, but Brent figured that he would let Wyatt sleep in. “I didn’t know if you were here,” he answered; it was a believable excuse. “Tomorrow morning, though, we can go together.”

[brentvales]

maceyburkes:

Macey pursed her lips together in a smirk, feeling her breath catch at the bottom of her throat as he spoke. She hadn’t thought of it, and quite surprisingly walked into the statement without realizing. Her pace slowed to a halt and she turned to face him. Eye-level with his chest, Macey had to look up to fully see his face, and push herself up onto her toes as well as place a hand on the back of his neck so she could reach up to kiss him. Which was a very different kind of kiss than the one she had given previously. “Mmm,” She pretended to think about the question before pulling her lips away to speak. “Well, we gotta do our part to save the earth, right?” Her smirk had grown into a full grin, and she momentarily turned to look at everyone heading into the Rec Building. “I might even be willing to hold off on the pancakes and reverse my plan, if you want.”

“I think that’s a great idea,” he replied, eyes shut and lips tingling from the kiss. “The pancakes will be there when we get back.” He gently inched her back toward the cabins, glancing back at his own before looking back at Macey. He thought he was doing a fairly good job of hiding the fact that his heart was hammering inside his ribcage, though he felt the flush on his cheeks and was sure she could see it, too. “My siblings are probably all out by now,” he offered, praying to every god he was on speaking terms with that he was right.

[brentvales]

aubennett:

“Not really. I…got my ass handed to me during training?” she offered. “Almost died falling in the shower, but then again it’s never really safe trying to shower in the Hermes cabin without a lookout. What about you?” she asked.

Brent shrugged. “Training and more training. And hanging out with Macey. Uh, we had a family game night a while ago, but it’s been pretty quiet. Not that I’m complaining. And if you want to work on not getting your ass handed to you, I can try to help with that.”

[brentvales]

jacobriveras:

He looks down at the spear on the ground and kneels down to grab it, the metal feeling cold against his palm. “I had planned on it, but it doesn’t–,” there isn’t a gentle way to say that it reminds him of death, but hey when had he ever been gentle? “–all I can see is myself dying when I try to train.” A sigh escapes him as he finishes speaking. “I know who I am– I just can’t… Be that.”

Jacob’s words hit him just a little too close; his chest tightens as he looks at the boy’s expression, working to control his own. Again this place reminds him of the havoc the gods have caused, tearing up people’s lives and leaving them to put it back together. Brent took a deep breath. “I’m sorry,” he offered. “Do you think, training with someone will help? Or... there are other ways to stay in shape, if that’s what you’re going for.”

[brentvales]

unicornavery:

Avery lifts her coffee cup taking a drink from it, teasingly. She points at Brent. “Nothing is better than coffee, except maybe gymnastics,” she says. 

"Then let’s do gymnastics tomorrow morning. You can teach me.”

[brentvales]

rosie-castro:

“Macey won’t go on those with you because she has common sense and stays in bed.” She pokes his shoulder tentatively, and then makes a big show about wiping it on her shirt. “Also you’re gross.”

Brent laughs, shaking his head. “I’m sweaty. It’s perfectly normal.”

[brentvales]

rosie-castro:

“You’re sweaty,” she says instead of a greeting, giving him a cheerful wave. “It’s like, early. And you were running. You’re disgusting.”

"Oh please, it’s not that terrible.” The son of Ares plops down on the steps of the Hermes cabin, blowing a piece of hair out of his face. “Is this why Macey won’t go on these with me?”

[brentvales]

unicornavery:

Avery hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before so she was up pretty earlier. She looked up from her sketchbook at Brent. “You, my friend, are covered in sweat. What did you do? Run to the city and back?”

"I went for a run, kiddo,” he answered with a small grin. “You should join me. It’s better than coffee.”

[brentvales]

maceyburkes:

“Yeah, the day I start running with you is the day you quit smoking, kid.” Macey chuckled, a sarcastic, lopsided grin on her face as he pulled away from the kiss, “Which means it’ll probably never happen.” She squeezed his hand, now feeling much more awake than she was before, despite the sloppy, sleepy bun sliding down her head and the baggy t-shirt she was wearing. “But yes, please, I can hear the pancakes calling my name.” With a large, fake, sniff, Macey leaned towards the dining hall and nodded. “Pancakes, then I need to shower. My hair’s gross. And you’re sweaty.”

Brent winced at the comment, but quickly stored it into the back of his mind as Macey pulled him toward the dining hall. He took a slightly wider step to press behind her, tightening his grip on her hand. “Sounds like a plan. Do you want to save water this morning?” he asked playfully, his voice a low murmur as they started to approach other campers.

[brentvales]

jacobriveras:

“Not at all.” His response is eerily casual because at this point in his second life, he is okay with not being okay. The son of Nike exhales a breath and run his hand down his face, wondering when this stuff was supposed to get easier. Jacob supposed that death didn’t get easier and this was the price that came with being a hero (if he even was one).

Brent has to admit that he is taken aback at the bluntness of Jacob’s response. But he nods anyway, testing out a sympathetic smile. “Alright, well, that’s okay,” he replies easily. "Were you training?” he asks, pointing to the spear.

[brentvales]

maceyburkes:

Macey rubbed her eyes as she walked down her cabin steps, still full of sleep and momentarily blurring her vision. A stifled yawn came just in time for her to see Brent arrive back from his morning run. She rolled her eyes—though her mouth did the opposite and smiled at the sight of him—and casually strolled over, mimicking his voice. “Morning,” She replied, stretching her arms over her head. When he got close enough, her hands naturally wrapped around his waist in a hug. “God, why are you such a morning person? Can’t you just sleep in for once so I don’t feel as lazy?”

The sight of his girlfriend evoked a wide grin. His focus shifted to her, while the rest of the world was still trying to catch up to his realm of focus. Brent leaned over to plant a kiss to the top of her head. “One day I’ll get you on a run with me and then you’ll be a morning person, too,” he told her, half-jokingly. Then he kissed her sweetly, catching her hand in his. Only now was he ready to face the day. “Breakfast?”