saccharine.

we ate HONEY and nothing else for many summers. our throats, c o a t e d with rich syrup formed H E A V Y lustrous words and our SKIN glowed, like our sustenance would in S U N L I G H T. we knew no taste but sweetness — sweet tongues and SWEET eyes. we lived on GOLD; it was only ever gold. flecked H O N E Y that oozed from the h e a v e n s. we ate HONEY and nothing else for many summers.

[godlyborn]

"I mean, I'm all ears if you need," Beck said. "Though, I have to admit, I was a Mama's Boy before my Mom died, so I may be a little bit partial to opinions." Beck adored his mother, she taught him everything she knew, she was why he loved science. "But if I a little backstory too, I'll try my best to be pretty neutral with any advice. Or I can just be a sounding board."

[halfmortals]

Kendall sighed, holding her tea. "It's a lot, Beck," she started, her voice soft. "My mom isn’t just a regular overbearing parent— she’s, well, she runs a cult dedicated to Nyx. I grew up surrounded by darkness, literally. I was raised to be her, uh, successor. I grew up with so many strict rules and, actually, quite awful ideals. She fostered other kids too, but we were just tools for her plans." She glanced up, her expression pained. "When Abel came around, everything changed though. I was looking to escape, by then, and somehow, he helped me get out. I feel guilty sometimes, like I’m betraying her, but I know leaving was the right choice," she sighed, "But lately, she's been trying to reach out. I got a package from her. it didn't say it was from her, but, I know how she acts and I know it was from her; trying to taunt me." She expressed.

[dramaticaddicts]

Willem for HUMO

[godlyborn]

Lulu let out loud laugh at Caspar's joke, rolling her eyes playfully. "Who knows, maybe Lulu is short for Delulu and you just don't know that. Delulu is actually my government name, it's on my birth certificate."

[halfmortals]

Caspar laughed as Lulu rolled her eyes, clearly enjoying their banter. "Well, Delulu Carson, the artist formerly known as Lulu, I stand corrected," he teased, leaning back slightly with a smirk. "I should have known better than to question your mastery." He chuckled, the kind of easy, familiar expression that he often shared with his best friend. "But honestly, that’s why I love hanging out with you. You always turn something simple into something ace. Whether we're doing art like this or just talking, I always have fun." He grinned.

[trashydemigodmess]

The flower shop was long but narrow. Buckets of pre-wrapped bouquets, varying succulents and cacti in cute planters, and full sized plants of all kinds lined shelves on one side; Varying lotions, creams, candles, and other small gifts lined the walls on the other. Sheathes of drying florals hung from the ceiling, creating the illusion as you walked along the checkerboard floors that you were in some sort of upside down garden. A varying playlist of soft indie music filled the room.

Behind the counter, Rae was fussing with a collection of alien-looking plants: Tubular little buckets, fuzzy appendages like sea anemones, spiky snapping mouths and bulbs, all in varying shades of deep red and yellowish green. Hearing the chime of someone coming through the door, she turned, wiping the soil from her hands on her apron. "Please ignore the mess over there. I know it's giving, like, Little Shop of Horrors, but I promise they're harmless." She chuckled as they approached the counter, "Anyways, how can I help you?"

[halfmortals]

Wyatt had barely stepped inside before the scent of fresh flowers wrapped around him, a welcomed refresh. He took a second to breathe it in before turning his attention to Rae. “Damn, and here I was hoping for a man-eating plant situation,” he teased. His eyes flicked to the strange plants she’d been tending to. “Though, I gotta admit, they look like they’ve got a little fight in ‘em. He then made his way over to the counter and drummed two fingers on the top of it. “Actually, I was hoping you could help me pick something out. Figured I’d stop by, see how you’re doing, maybe leave with something nice. Got any recommendations?” There was a teasing edge to his voice, but the way he watched her— like he was really trying to catch up, really trying to be here— made it clear that flowers were far from the real reason he’d stopped in.

[yungimmortals]

Undeterred by his brother's introspective mood, Graves stood facing the adjoining wall, tossing a spray can from hand to hand. He'd been lucky enough to find some blank retail space across the corner and was trying to figure out what cool thing he could make with the supplies on hand. "Huh?" Cyrus' tone took Graves by surprise and he turned, normally jovial expression slipping slightly. "You comin' up empty, man? You good?" He set the can down next to the others that had spilled over his bag and moved to stand beside Cyrus, looking at him with apprehension.

[halfmortals]

Cyrus let out a breath, rolling his shoulders like he could shake off the weight pressing down on him. "'M fine," he said, but even he didn’t sound convinced. His gaze flickered back to the wall, to the empty space that used to hold something his. Now, it was just... gone. Just like a lot of shit in his life lately. He exhaled through his nose, running a hand through his hair. "I dunno, man. Usually, I come out here, and it just hits— like, I see it before I even touch the wall. But right now? It's just... blank. Feels like my head’s the same way." He let out a low chuckle, humorless. Cyrus kicked one of the cans lightly with the toe of his sneaker, watching it wobble before it settled again. His fingers twitched, itching for the creative spark that just wouldn’t come. He glanced at Graves, a little desperate for direction— not that he'd ever say it outright. "Maybe I just need go take a smoke break."

[yungimmortals]

Faust paid no attention to the mess, instead firing off a few quick texts. Her nails clacked against her phone screen as her fingers flew across the keyboard. "Don't worry about it, babes," she said, without looking up. Side-stepping a short stack of books on the floor, she made it over to Davina and pocketed her phone. "Oh. Wow." For once, Faust was speechless as she stared at the colorful fish. "This is like, blowing my mind a little. They're so cute. Which one is your favorite?"

[halfmortals]

Davina smiled, pleased by Faust’s reaction. “I love them all, obviously,” she said, tilting her head as she watched the fish swim in lazy circles. “But if I had to pick… probably Leandros.” Her eyes followed the fish as they moved. “He’s just got so much personality, you know? Always up to something.” She glanced at Faust, grinning. “Kind of like you, honestly.” She observed. “Good energy, a little unpredictable, and fun to have around.” Turning back to the tank, she raised her brows. “I actually read that some fish recognize their owners. Like, they remember faces and voices, or something. Isn’t that wild?” She looked at Faust expectantly, knowing she wasn’t usually the type to be fascinated by things like this, but hoping to drag her into her excitement anyway.

[yungimmortals]

As a master of not-overthinking, following Caspar's instruction to relax came naturally to Koda. She was not, however, a master of graceful movement (unless you counted on the battlefield). "A spin? Um, sure!" She chirped, though the movement was a little wobbly. "How was that? I can do another, better probably!" It was endearing, the way her brother threw himself fully into every new project. They were a lot alike, Koda thought as she watched him behind the lens. "No problem, Cas! You know I'm always down to get creative. Plus this time, I'm trying something new!"

[halfmortals]

Caspar grinned, adjusting the camera slightly as he reviewed the footage. “That was great! But yeah, if you wanna do another, go for it. Just, like— Think ‘graceful forest spirit’." He explained from behind the camera. He loved this part— the experimenting, the tiny adjustments, the way he could take something ordinary and make it feel like magic through the lens. And Koda? She was the perfect creative partner. His eyes flicked up at her last comment, curiosity piqued, "You've never really be in front of the camera like this before? I don't know why, but I'm surprised. It just feels like something creative you would have done at some point, y'know." He expressed.

[yungimmortals]

"They can certainly be terrible," Wes immediately agreed, though his words carried a fondness to them as he bent to pick up a few of the scattered weapons that littered the ground. "If not for you, they may have been full impalements, so I would say you are doing your job well." He offered Ariana a smile, as he hefted the steel and brought them over to where she had been gathering the other weapons. "Before...I used to do the same. I was an instructor for the younger campers, and I felt much of the way you're feeling now. It's hard work but...I think it's a privilege too. To see the younger generation of heroes learn the things we had to. Ah." Wes looked embarrassed, averting his eyes from Ariana's face. "i sound like an old man."

[halfmortals]

Ariana snorted, tossing a stray dagger onto the pile with a little more force than necessary. “Yeah, well, if you’re an old man, what does that make me?” she teased, arching a brow at him. “I’ve been here long enough to practically have my own historical marker.” She sighed, rolling her shoulders as she glanced over at Wes. His words stuck with her, even if she didn’t want to admit it. A privilege. She hadn’t thought about it like that in a while. Most days, it just felt like babysitting a bunch of walking, talking disasters waiting to happen. But… maybe there was something to watching them grow into the kind of warriors that might actually stand a chance out there. After all, if anyone, she knew how bad it could get. Ariana picked up another sword, absently running her fingers along the hilt. “You’re not wrong,” she admitted, reluctant but honest. “It’s just hard to think about the big picture when you’re stopping a twelve-year-old from taking a javelin to the face.” She smirked at him. “So, what? You volunteering to help me out next time, old man? Might as well put all that experience to use.”

[yungimmortals]

"The one and only," Drew confirmed with a cocky grin. He felt slightly let down that Lilith didn't recognize him from that night at the bar, but being recognized for his fame was enough of a buzz. "That true? If it is, it's music to my ears." He drummed his fingers on the doorway, dropping a tidbit of information for her. "We're Roman demigods, whatever the difference is. My brother and I decided the West Coast camp was not the fucking vibe and a few years ago, hightailed it out here first chance we got." Lilith's question made Drew laugh hard enough that he unhooked his fingers from the doorframe to clutch at his side. "I sure as shit have opinions. I could probably help ya out. You rearranging?"

[halfmortals]

Lilith smirked at his reaction, rolling her eyes playfully as she folded her arms. “I am rearranging,” she confirmed, glancing around the room like she was sizing up a battlefield. “Or maybe just… perfecting. You know, getting the vibes just right.” She gestured toward the poster she had just put up, then the few others stacked on her bed, waiting for a place on the walls. “This is a very serious process, Drew. I can’t have just any placement. The feng shui has to be impeccable.” She turned back to him, one brow quirked as she leaned against the edge of her desk. “So, since you’re so full of opinions, tell me— where should Siouxsie go? Is she worthy of centerpiece status, or should she be part of the collage?” As she picked up the poster of Siouxsie and the Banshees, there was a glint in her eyes, like she was challenging him to take this as seriously as she did. “This is your moment to prove your taste.” She joked.

[yungimmortals]

"Debating what?" She started, then narrowed her eyes at Pierce's comment. It wouldn't be anything you hadn't seen before— No. "Tell me that doesn't mean what I think it means?" Faust grilled him, immediately dropping her pout for a slightly hurt expression when he set his phone face-down and out of her reach. She was so used to sharing everything with him that the gesture made her feel shut out in a way she found she did not like. Not one bit. Fine. If he wanted to be like that— "Work is just fine!" Faust's voice rose in a way that made it sound distinctly un-fine but she didn't break eye contact with Pierce, challenging him with her eyes. "My coworkers are wretches but I actually am learning things and you'd know that if you had been listening instead of making googly-eyes at your phone for the past twenty minutes."

[halfmortals]

Pierce winced. He hadn’t meant to shut her out— well, okay, maybe he had a little bit, but only because he wasn’t sure he wanted to have this conversation with her. Not yet. Not when he didn’t even know what he was doing. He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “Faust,” he started, but hesitated. He glanced at his phone, then at her, then back at his phone like it might have an answer for him. Spoiler: it didn’t. “Look, it’s not what you think. I’m just… talking to her. That’s all.” He tried to keep his voice even, like this was no big deal, like saying it out loud didn’t make his stomach twist. He could tell immediately that his answer did nothing to soothe Faust. If anything, it probably made her more agitated. “And I was listening,” he added quickly, trying to steer them back into calmer waters. “Your coworkers are the worst and you’re learning despite them, not because of them. I swear I heard that part.” He offered a small, placating smile. “I’m just— distracted. It’s complicated.” His voice softened and he pulled out the puppy dog eyes at the last part, as if that alone would make her go easy on him.

[yungimmortals]

"Very sure," Jaime admitted, growing more embarrassed with each passing second. He was a gentle giant, at home in the forest with it's dappled light and leafy canopies, but here in this clearing he looked even more like a deer in headlights than the person he had just caught by surprise. "The path hasn't been cut back in a while. I must have stepped off it without realizing. Did you construct this shrine?" He peered past the stranger, curious. His face was familiar to Jaime and it took him a moment to place it: this was River. The person Xavier had been switched with. What were the odds of them running into each other? Here in this secluded clearing of all places?

[halfmortals]

River studied Jaime for a moment. He could tell the other wasn’t lying— Jaime had a kind of energy that made it hard to imagine him being deceptive, at least in River's opinion so far. Still, River’s wariness lingered, his fingers idly adjusting the corded bracelet on his wrist. “That’s right,” he finally said, nodding toward the shrine. “I built it. Or, well, I maintain it. I read that most shrines don’t last long if they aren’t tended to. Nature takes them back.” His gaze flickered toward the small altar, noting how the honey was already beginning to glisten in the heat. “You know about Pan?” It wasn’t exactly uncommon for people around here to know more than him about the pantheon, but River's godly parent was lesser known, so it still surprised him. The bodyswap incident had left him hyper-aware of how people looked at him these days— like they were expecting him to be someone else. Like he was supposed to still be that version of himself. “You’re one of Xavier’s friends, aren’t you?” His voice was neutral, but his posture remained tense. He had no idea what Jaime thought of him, only that people always had opinions.

[yungimmortals]

Wes looked a little unsure of the ramen flavor he had picked but if he was one thing, he was stubborn. The so-called 'Lovely Hot' would have to do. "Cheese? Is that good?" He supposed it was, since Michio claimed it as a top flavor. "Uh." Wes scratched at his jaw. "I handle it," he said evasively, trying to remember the last thing he had that would constitute as 'spicy' and drawing a relative blank. "And you?" He asked to be polite.

[halfmortals]

Michio smirked, already sensing that Wes might be in for a surprise. "Oh, I love spicy food. The hotter, the better," he said, grabbing a pot and filling it with water. "But don’t worry, if it gets too intense, I’ve got some tricks to help. Milk, honey, a spoonful of sugar— though, personally, I think the best way is just to suffer through it and build tolerance." He tossed a wink over his shoulder before setting the pot on the stove. As the water started heating up, he turned back to Wes, arms crossed. "Cheese ramen is actually way better than it sounds. It’s kinda like mac and cheese but with noodles instead of pasta. If you like creamy stuff, you’d probably be into it." His grin widened slightly. "But I respect the choice. ‘Lovely Hot’ is a bold move. We’ll see how you fare. He leaned against the counter, watching Wes with open curiosity. "So, what made you decide to come downstairs and socialize tonight? Not that I’m complaining— just surprised. You usually keep to yourself."

[yungimmortals]

"Forever? No way, dude!" Joel shook his head, trying to dismiss Auggie's worries. "When I was in high school, I had a rough time with insomnia. But then Jade and I came here and bam! Sleep comes easier here. Protection spells are the way to go, fo sho." He still had some sleep issues, but that was less a failure on the charm's part and more of a curse-type problem, so he left it out of his story. "Anytime you need, dude. I'll come by. And if you need a change of scenery, you can always crash with me and Jadey. We've got plenty of space over there." Joel eyed the snacks, then picked up the box of tea and opened it, taking out two packets. "I'll make some of this and we can get settled in. The charm is crazy. It's my dad's symbol and the one over our cabin is made of dreamglass, which I'm pretty familiar with so I think I can yoink one pretty quick in the dreamscape. You just hang it up, either on the front of the cabin above the entrance or like, maybe it would be super-strong if you hung it over your bedroom door. I dunno." Rustling around the cabin, he found a kettle and proceeded to fill it with some water. "What have you been dreaming about anyway?"

[halfmortals]

Auggie hesitated for a moment, his fingers idly fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve. “It’s… weird,” he admitted, voice a little quieter now. “I mean, nightmares are supposed to be scary, right? But these don’t even feel like dreams. They feel very real.” His brow furrowed as he tried to put the feeling into words. “Like, I wake up and for a solid minute, I still feel like I’m there, wherever there is. And there’s always this—” He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “I don’t know. I don't know how to explain it. A presence, maybe? Like something’s watching me. I never see anything, but I know it’s there...” He glanced up at Joel, trying to gauge his reaction. He then chuckled. “If we weren't demigods, this would sound so crazy, but sometimes… I swear I hear something. Like, whispering.” Auggie ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated with himself. “It's frustrating because I already have enough problems with sleep, as it is.” He forced a small smile, trying to shake off the tension. “So yeah, if you think this charm is gonna help, I’m all in. I just—” He exhaled, rubbing his face. “I just wanna sleep without feeling like something’s waiting for me on the other side, you know?”

[yungimmortals]

"Losing my touch? Ouch." Drew clutched his chest, pretending to be hurt. "Can't believe you'd gut me like that, Cami. That's cold." He watched her smile faltered and was curious, but she continued her thoughts before he could voice his and the moment passed. "Well, if you won't be scared, then I think you'll have a great time. Fight a monster? I do that shit every time I look in a fucking mirror. Easy." Running a hand through his bleach-blonde hair made it stand straight up, but Drew didn't seem to care. He flashed another troublemaker's grin at Camira. "Sound like you're in. C'mon. If you fall behind, something might try to get ya." Maybe he was trying to scare her a little, but he liked that Camira had put her feelings aside to charge in after him. Plus, she was an aura or something like that. Would monsters in the woods be drawn to a magical being like her? Maybe they'd see something cool. "Damn,'" he said aloud. A few feet into the brambles, the path forked and Drew stopped short. "Yo. Cami. Which way you wanna go?"

[halfmortals]

Camira wrinkled her nose at Drew’s dramatic chest-clutch, but a small laugh escaped her anyway. "Oh please, you’ll live," she teased, nudging him lightly with her elbow. But as soon as they crossed into the woods, her amusement wavered a bit. The air felt heavier here— thicker, like it carried secrets in its breeze. She wasn’t sure if it was just in her head, but it felt like the trees were listening. She stepped up beside Drew, peering down both paths. The left had trees packed closer together, while the right had slightly more space. The leaves rustled and Camira shivered. "Well," she mused, "left looks like we’ll get stabbed by branches, so, right it is. If you're looking for an adventure, this is the way to go." Her tone seemed more like she was attempting to be convincing, maybe to Drew maybe to herself. She turned to Drew with a smirk, masking her apprehension. "Unless you are losing your touch and want to take the less-fun way?" She tilted her head, her eyes glittering with slight challenge. "I won’t judge. Much." She really just didn't want to go the way with the crowded trees.

[yungimmortals]

Swapped…bodies? Right. That had happened. It felt more like a fever dream. He frankly couldn’t believe it wasn't a dream, if he was being honest. Who did that body snatcher sort of thing? Jaime blinked. "That is frustrating," he agreed, speaking slowly to give himself time to gather his thoughts. "I imagine River is just as frustrated though. Especially for someone not as entrenched in demigod life as you have been. Or-- well, I suppose I don't quite know if that is true. But I'm sure it was just as much of a shock to him. Maybe...give him time to warm up? If you're interested in befriending him, it may be best to attempt getting to know him without bringing up the, er, incident?" The suggestion seemed to simple, but Jaime was unsure the best course of action. He'd never had his consciousness swapped with someone else's after all. "If I can help, I will."

[halfmortals]

Xavier scoffed, shifting his weight so he was half-leaning against the couch arm. "Give him time? Jaime, it's been months," he stressed, shaking his head. "I get that it was a lot, I do. But at some point, wouldn't you think the weirdest part would be not acknowledging it? Like, imagine if I got hit by a truck and lived, but every time someone mentioned it, I just left the room. That'd be weirder than the truck, right?" He groaned, running a hand through his hair before setting his DS aside. "And it's not like I bring it up constantly. I have tried just talking to him about normal stuff, but it’s awkward. We’ll be having a totally fine conversation, and then the second I ask anything even slightly personal, he finds an excuse to bail." Xavier tapped his fingers against his knee, frowning. "I dunno. Maybe I’m overthinking it. Maybe he just doesn’t wanna be friends." The words sat heavy in his mouth, and he hated how bitter they sounded. "But if that’s the case, I wish he’d just say that instead of acting like I don’t exist."

[hvlfwygod]

Len looked up from their own DS, raising an eyebrow. “Do you hear that sentence?” they asked, teasing. “Ever since we switched bodies. No big deal.” They giggled, paused their game, then scooted closer to Xavier on the couch. “I don’t think it’s suuuuper weird to need some space, you know? Sometimes huge things makes people run away.” Even Len didn’t know what to think of that entire situation most of the time, and they’d barely been aware of the problem until after the fact. But they knew that wasn’t really an answer Xavier would be happy with. “How have you tried bringing it up?”

[halfmortals]

Xavier sighed, pressing the pause button a little harder than necessary. “I dunno, like… casually? I’ve tried joking about it— like, ‘Hey, remember when I had to figure out how to shave your stupid face?’— but he just changes the subject. I even brought up that one time he—” He stopped himself, shaking his head. “Never mind. Point is, he acts like it never happened, and I don’t get why." He frowned, staring at the little pixelated hamsters on the screen. “It’s annoying,” he muttered. “Like, I get that it was weird, but it happened to both of us. Why am I the only one willing to talk about it?”

[halfgclden]

“Okay, so I’ll basically give a little intro, then you introduce yourself, feel free to list all your socials, whatever you need. Doesn’t have to be a clean cut, I’ll be editing it all later anyway, so if you forget anything, we can add it in later, alright?” Jade held up a thumbs up in question, and almost immediately changed it to the symbol for OK and leaned into their mic, voice changing from the one reserved for friends to the one that sounded like it was resonating deep within them, beckoning one to “come, join us, as we delve into the mystery…”

They were sitting with their knees curled up to their chest in the closet-pantry-storage room they’d converted to a soundproof recording studio, and beckoned with their hand to tell their guest that it was their turn to speak. “Joining us now is an eyewitness who’d like to add their own experience to the record books. Why don’t you introduce yourself, special friend?”

[halfmortals]

Hunter shifted uncomfortably in the cramped makeshift studio, knees brushing against the wall. It was a tight fit, and his legs had started to fall asleep, but oddly enough, he felt safe here— like he could talk without being judged. He had been craving that more and more lately. Taking a breath, he leaned into the mic, mentally double-checking his social handle. “Uh, hey. I’m Hunter, you can find me on Instagram at 'hunterisnotgreen', and I'm also on Twitter too, if you're into that.” He paused, wondering for a split second if anyone would actually believe him. But then, reassuring himself, he realized it didn’t matter— not everyone needed to. The right people would. "I’ve been getting more into this supernatural stuff recently, you know? And, uh, I guess I’m here to talk about something interesting I saw a few years ago back when I was living in California." Hunter felt the familiar tingle of nervousness, but he pressed on. "It was weird, and, honestly, it still freaks me out a bit, but like I said, I've been trying to get more into this kinda stuff." His voice carried a mix of anticipation and slight vulnerability as he settled into sharing his experience, glancing at Jade again for that silent reassurance.