ice

coolest kid around "we could set ourselves on fire-there is cleansing in the flames!" looking for moots!

[ice2468]

Hi could you write a Jason grace fic about where he dates a black daughter of Apollo who’s like the embodiment of the sun?☀️

hi!!! omg yes i LOVE this idea as a child of apollo myself!!! also i made it in camp half blood i hope you don't mind <3 if you do just send another request and i'll do one in camp jupiter?

if i had to choose her or the sun (jason grace x reader)

sitting with your boyfriend at the campfire was your favorite part of the week. you enjoyed playing the guitar before finally getting your marshmallow game on, and he would stare at you with such love in his eyes! it was honestly adorable. then you'd go to sit with him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "you were glowing," he'd tease softly.

you'd just grin and get yourself a s'more. with the slight crowd in your cabin, sleeping with jason was a must. mr. d didn't know, and you both would like to keep it that way.

whenever you'd cuddle with him, he'd comment on how warm you were against him. "i wish we could stay like this forever," he'd smile.

when you two met, it was love at first sight! he had just arrived at camp-half blood with his friends, and you had been so welcoming, so kind, that he didn't know how to respond. you walked up to him as he sat alone in the pavilion.

"hi, you must be new here! what's your name? can i sit here?" you smiled, sitting opposite to him with a tray of food in your hand. he looked up his face red. you were beautiful, like nothing he'd seen before. he sputtered, pushing up his glasses. his face was red, and you'd just giggle. "oh, um, jason. it's, it's-" he took in a deep breath, smiling and putting out a hand to shake after you introduced yourself. "it's very nice to meet you." jason was a very awkward flirt.

at drew's sweet sixteen party, you had come in this wonderful dress, with your hair all done. "you-you, um, look very nice," he'd smile and say, giving a thumbs up. you grinned, twirling around in your dress. "thank you, jason!"

you found it adorable! a nerdy guy that was also really hot?

so you had made an effort to talk to him more. ask about his interests. "me? um, i like sparring," he laughed awkwardly. "i've never really thought about what, um, what i'd like to do. sorry?" "no no no, don't apologize!" you pouted, holding his hand. "i mean, that's what camp's for, right? to find out what you like to do?" so jason made it his mission to start doing things with you. he learned of your love for the arts, for your hobbies and passions, and even tried to learn pottery. he believed you to be oblivious. you weren't!

in fact, you were the one to initiate your first kiss.

the two of you were canoe riding, per your request. the canoe was about to tumble over, and in an effort to keep it stable, jason had leaned in much too close to your face. a cliche movie scene, if you will.

you grinned. "hi jas." he blushed, staring into your warm eyes. "h-hi-" and then you kissed him! nearly losing control of your canoe, but you managed to get balanced again. not without jason getting absolutely soaked, though!

you swore that you saw thunder clouds in the sky afterwards, but jason would deny deny deny.

[ice2468]

The Lovers

hi guys! bit of a quickie cuz i have to sleep soon <3 do you guys have any x readers you'd be interested in? date: may twenty-third, 2026

wc: 609

warnings: mentions of suicidal tendencies, sh, vomit, pills and an attempt. put yourself first if this makes you uncomfortable and don't read <3

xxiii.

aella couldn't sleep or eat. she felt like she was suffocating. jason was dead, in fact, she knew he was going to die. she felt it.

travis had gotten a job outside the waystation, on a construction site like before. without having to pay for housing, they were saving up money fast. "i think another year of this and i'll be able to go to school," he'd smile and tell aella at night.

she thought she'd never get out of the waystation. it was too comfortable, too friendly. jo would come in everyday, trying to get aella to eat.

from what she had heard, leo wasn't much better. he had been trying to keep himself busy, with a million new inventions. aella wasn't sure how he was so active; she wanted to go to bed and never wake up.

this is stupid, she'd think, staring up at the ceiling. i didn't know jason that well. why has his death affected me so much?

it was like luke's death all over again. this time, a different blond boy with a scar on his face died an unfair death, one she was sure could've been prevented, for the benefit of the gods.

she couldn't take it anymore. in the middle of the night, she went to the kitchen, grabbing her pill bottle from the top cupboard. she got a bottle of water and swallowed them, one by one. the high was amazing, she felt as if she could do anything.

leo shook her awake with broken sobs. "please, please, aella, i can't lose you too," he cried.

when aella opened her eyes, it was still dark outside. how'd he find her? she sat up slowly, her head throbbing, "i'm fine. go back to bed, leo." "you're not fine!" he whisper-screamed. "something happened! you're-you're passed out on the kitchen floor with bloody arms!" she looked back at her forearm, open wounds littering it. the kitchen knife was beside her, her blood tainting it. "oh, um, yeah, i-" she had no excuse. she had no rhyme or reason, she was pathetic. she looked back up at leo's tearful gaze and hugged him tight, careful not to stain his clothes. "i miss jason," she mumbled quietly.

he sobbed into her, for so long, aella was worried georgina would walk in.

after bandaging up her arms, aella led leo back to his room.

sliding into bed beside travis, he whispered, "where'd you go?" "mmf, shut up, please." he had gone back to sleep, but that wasn't the last she'd heard of it. "where were you last night?" he asked when she'd woken up in the morning. "i just got up for a midnight snack," aella sighed. she hated lying to travis, but how would she tell him what she had just tried to do? travis scoffed, "bullshit, i'm not stupid, aella." he stared at her quietly. aella tried holding his gaze, but she was about to throw up and was extremely dizzy.

"you overdosed! holy shit, aella!" he exclaimed in realization. "oh my gods, why would you-" travis grabbed her arms in shock, pressing against the bandages hidden under her sleeves. she winced. "would you mind continuing this conversation after i used the bathroom?" a little insensitive, but she was so close to throwing up all over travis and their really comfortable bed. he didn't respond, pulling down her sleeves. "oh my gods, aella-" "bathroom!" she got up quickly, trying to hold her vomit in. thankfully, she made it to the toilet before spilling her guts out. travis watched from afar, with a disappointed look on his face.

he's been clean. why couldn't she?

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hi guys! sorry for all the dark themes in this chapter :( just another sad part of aella's story! i WAS going to continue but im lowkey too lazy.

-ice <3

[ice2468]

The Lovers

hi guys! this'll probably be another shorter chapter, sorry <3 i wanted it to be longer but i got likek so busy today and i am literally falling asleep. sorry!

date: may twenty-second, 2026

wc: 925

xxii.

aella felt uncomfortable. she felt tired, she felt an aching feeling in her soul. like something bad was going to happen.

her life felt like it was playing out like a badly told story. was this supposed to be foreshadowing? it just made her feel sick.

going to the backyard, it seems like she wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep. lityerses was there, too, training with a dummy. "lit? what are you doing up so early?" aella asked, trying to force a smile. she yawned loudly.

he shrugged, scoffing, "i could ask you the same thing. it's none of your business." "it just seems a little dark to be training," aella laughed. "what if you take your own eye out?" "i'll train as much as i want." "what for?"

he frowned, putting his sword away. he opened his mouth, as if to reply, but only small sounds came out. aella raised an eyebrow. "i don't know? i've been training my whole life, i can't stop now," he finally replied. aella had never felt particularly maternal, but lityerses was too young to give his life away for training. like, sure, he was midas' evil soldier son, but he still wore a red bandana on his head like an eight year old who has just discovered fashion.

aella smiled, "i think you should go back to bed, lit."

"excuse me? you're not the boss of me!" he protested.

"lityerses, come on! do you really want to spend some of the funnest years of your life training? if i were you, i'd be hanging out with my friends all day! and then sleeping, which you should do."

after a little more convincing, the son of demeter finally agreed. she brought him back inside, gave him a warm glass of milk, and stopped him at the door. "good night, lit!" she smiled. "good night, aella!" maybe the idea of motherhood wasn't so bad after all.

crawling into bed with travis again, he mumbled, wrapping his arms around her. "missed you," he yawned quietly. she laughed and kissed his cheek, "go back to sleep." "can't i have a proper kiss first?" "fineeee," aella dramatically replied, giving him a kiss on the lips. surprisingly, they didn't taste like alcohol.

travis quitting was one of the best things to happen to their relationship. he had been much less irritable, and had some of that childlike wonder that had made aella fall in love with him in the first place. he had been throwing more pranks, careful not to push anyone too far. leo had been loving it, too, they were having a contest on who could throw the best prank.

when valentine's day finally came, travis got aella a bouquet of flowers and some earrings, gifts for a day they've only ever celebrated once, when they were nineteen. "oh, travis! i'm so sorry, i haven't gotten you anything! but thank you so much," aella gushed over him. it was such a sweet gesture! she immediately tried on the earrings, staring at herself in the mirror. travis's arms wrapped around her waist as he kissed at her neck. "you look so pretty," he sighed. "best gift of all is a girlfriend like you." the waystation was decorated for the occasion, work that georgina, calypso, and aella all spent time together to do. aella taught georgina to make those paper flowers that she thought looked so pretty, and they'd hung them around the doorframes.

it was great, to bond with a quiet girl like georgina. to be honest, that empty look in her eyes reminded aella of her younger self.

lester, also known as apollo (like, the god, apollo!) mentioned that georgina could be his kid, but he wasn't sure. to be honest, that part of aella that betrayed camp half-blood thought, "how could you not recognize your own kid?" yet she'd learned to keep those kinds of thoughts to herself.

speaking of lester and meg, they'd been gone for a while. not that aella truly minded. it would've been nice to bond with meg, yet she could do fine without her.

the women in the waystation were truly inspirations. aella would sit and talk to jo all the time, whether it be with coffee or breakfast, or while drawing. and emmie was like a maternal figure to her, always caring for her.

on march twenty-third, aella woke up in the middle of the night with an extremely nauseous feeling. her body felt like it was burning, and the name "jason" kept replaying in her head, with various of what seemed like deathly images. she immediately went to the bathroom, throwing up and unfortunately waking up travis. he frowned, coming to her side and holding her hair back. "aella, baby, what's wrong? did you take anything?" she shook her head, throwing up more and more. that night, she fell asleep beside the toilet, travis by her side. she didn't understand why he refused to leave her.

when lester and meg came back to the waystation, she heard leo ask where his friend, jason, was.

lester said he had been killed, by caligula.

despite being on the side, aella started sobbing. snot came out her nose so violently she was afraid she was bleeding. she and jason were friends, weren't they? the worst part was, she knew it would happen. not for sure, but she could feel it.

does that make her as guilty as caligula for his death? why hadn't she said something, what could she have said to prevent jason's fate?

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thanks for reading, i hope you've enjoyed!

-ice <3

next chapter

[ice2468]

The Lovers

hi guys! wow so much support for the will solace x reader AND the last chapter? thank yall so much i love you guys! i've been listening to "vampire empire" a TON today so if this chapter kinda matches it that's why lol

date: may twenty-first, 2026

wc: 489

warning: lots of mention of being uncomfortable with sex? like a lot of mention on how it feels like growing up sexualized and stuff like that.

xxi.

"do you want kids?" travis asked quietly, shoving a spoon of cereal in his mouth.

they had been eating breakfast in the kitchen. it was around six am, they were up early because aella couldn't sleep, and therefore, neither could travis.

aella looked up with a confused smile. "hm?" "nothing, nevermind," travis laughed. "i don't think i'd be a great father, anyways." "oh shut up!" aella grinned, hitting his shoulder lightly. "you'd be a great father! you've practically raised connor, and he turned out fine!" he shrugged, "debatable..."

the couple laughed about it, yet travis had that lingering feeling. what if they did have kids? would they be capable parents? or would they end up as bad as he did? aella had never felt comfortable with sex, not ever since luke. sure, she and travis did things a few times, but afterwards, she'd always feel that weird empty feeling.

it wasn't nice, to be objectified. with luke, she had shown so much of her body that it felt dirty. travis didn't deserve things that were dirty.

at the mention of starting a family, aella realized how much she'd hate being pregnant. she believed it to be that dirty feeling, yet, constantly. she hadn't gotten her period in a long time, not with all her drug usage and how underweight she was.

in the middle of the day, she found travis drinking. it was three pm, he was sitting on the porch watching the view with a beer in his hand. "travis? could i talk to you?" she asked. bad start to a conversation, but whatever. he shrugged, putting his drink down. "sureee. what's up?"

"why do you drink so much?" "excuse me?" he asked, getting up a little. "i just-you always seem to have a bottle in your hand. why?" "because i'm an alcoholic, aella," he frowned. "you knew this." aella laughed, "did i? i don't think so." "if you have a problem with my drinking, you should tell me. i'll try stop if you ask me to."

travis stood up, holding aella from behind and kissing her cheek. "could you? i don't like the idea of you inebriated most of the time. it's unsafe," aella frowned. "okay. i'll quit." two new people arrived at the waystation a few days later. a teenage boy named lester, who was quite dramatic and spoiled for his appearance, and a little girl named meg.

aella crouched down to meg's level with a grin. with her, she had some sort of vegetable spirit? "hi there! my name's aella! you're a cute little girl, aren't you?" "i'm not a little girl. i'm twelve." aella laughed, "oh my mistake. my name's aella and my mom is eris. what's yours?" "meg. demeter," the girl replied, folding her arms. then she turned to the boy, "come on lester, time to go to sleep." lester just sighed dramatically, following meg. "it was wonderful to meet you, aella!" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

wow. very short chapter. it was meant to be longer, but im REALLy tired and want to sleep. sorry guys! -ice <3

next chapter

[ice2468]

Capture the Flag (Will Solace x Wheelchair!Reader)

hi guys! probably gonna be a short blurb but ive had this idea for SO long and i just NEED to put it in writing.

summary: you, a demigod in a wheelchair, desperately want to participate in capture the flag, just once! but things go wrong, and you end back in the infirmary with your situationship/kind of boyfriend?, will solace.

word count: 678

"will, please, just once! i won't get hurt, how could i?" you plead with your friend and infirmary doctor, will solace. you had needed a wheelchair for as long as you could remember, so in camp, you were never allowed to participate in capture the flag. it was actually quite heartbreaking: the main event of the month and you couldn't join in? will frowned, "i don't think so, sunshine. your vitals aren't looking that good..." "i'll be on clarisse's team! what could possibly go wrong when i'm with clarisse?" you frowned, rolling a little closer to will and giving him your best puppy dog eyes.

he sighed and smiled, "alright, honey." will leaned down to kiss your head, and you hugged him, grinning. "thank you, thank you, thank you! you won't regret it!" he did in fact, regret it.

during capture the flag, one of the girls from the aphrodite cabin had simply pushed you into the water. you fell out of your wheelchair, attempting to get back to shore, but eventually passed out.

turns out, you were passed out for a long time. long enough to really worry will. when you woke up, he was sitting beside you, asleep on an uncomfortable plastic chair. "will?" you asked, rubbing your eyes. he woke up suddenly, frowning. "sunshine! you're okay, thank the gods." he smiled and moved forward. "how are you feeling? you had a fever. percy saw you in the water and brought you here."

you frowned, sitting up a little. will quickly pushed you back down, tutting. "no, not yet. just rest for me, baby." you laughed a little, "i think i've rested enough. did we win?"

"that's not what's important," will pursed his lips. "i regret letting you participate. you're hurt now." will had that upset golden retriever look on his face, and you were going to cry. you sat up again, despite his protests, and shook your head. "i wanted to. it was a good experience, despite how it ended." will got up slowly, sinking down onto the cot. he moved some hair out of your face, letting out a long sigh. "is there anything i can do for you, love? maybe get you some ambrosia?" you frowned. this would be a little awkward of a response. "how about you lay down with me?" will paused, a bit flustered, but got under the thin blanket with you, holding you close. the boy was literally a ray of sunshine, and his warm body comforted you.

you were woken up the next morning by will, trying to get up. "sweet pea? sorry, i just have to get to work." "mmph, five more minutes..." you responded, holding him closer. his face was red, but he snuggled a little longer with you. will was completely and utterly in love. your constant adorable drowsiness, the way you'd 'accidentally' roll your wheelchair over anyone you didn't like, your sweet smiles and soft eyes...he didn't know what to do.

everyone knew it. well, at least, everyone but you.

after about twenty minutes, will got up, careful not to wake you. he got you a plate of food and some ambrosia, and was sitting at his desk, doing paperwork.

you slept in a lot that day. once you finally woke up, will was looming above you, checking your temperature. "you're really pretty," he complimented, without even thinking. you blushed, "thanks." awkward silence filled the room. then will leaned down and kissed you. it was so soft, experimental, even. you wrapped your arms around his neck, closing your eyes.

he slowly pulled away, staring down at you as he held your face. "i'm sorry. i should've asked for your consent. i'd understand if you didn't like me that way-" he frowned. such a sad face, and for what? "no! will, i do like you! gods, come here," you kissed him again, pulling him onto the cot.

clarisse walked in, shocked when she saw the makeout session you and will were practically having. "oh my gods, they finally got together! travis, come see this!"

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[ice2468]

The Lovers

hi guys! lowk so tired right now BUT i wanted to start where the last chapter finished off. i've been OBSESSED with writing today i MIGHT do a little will solace x reader... date: may twentieth, 2026

wc: 793

xx.

dying felt a lot different than aella thought it would. it was loud and overwhelming, nothing like that quiet peaceful feeling that are described in stories. the cyclops in front of them was stomping through town, about to grab her and presumably eat her.

travis was thinking on his feet. aella'd never truly seen him stressed; he always remained with a calm and mischievous composure. he grabbed aella by the arm and ran, as fast as he could...into a brick wall.

yet they went right through it? suddenly they were in a bustling house with a little kid playing in the backyard. aella felt completely out of it. was this just another hallucination? she walked over to the kid, "um, hello, do you know where we are?"

the girl had this quiet, eery look as she looked up at aella. silence. then, jo walked out. "aella! oh, you made it!"

aella ran over to her, hugging her tight. this woman with was so motherly and kind, and had given her so much yet so little. travis was standing there awkwardly, looking down at the little girl with a quiet sigh.

when aella finally pulled away, he asked her, "aella, you know these people?" "yeah! yeah, um, when i went to the laundromat by myself, i met jo, and we had this great talk, um, she's part of the reason i wanted to come to indiana." "oh, well, on that note," travis smiled, putting a hand out to shake. "nice to meet you, jo. i'm travis, aella's boyfriend." "nice to meet you travis. who might your godly parent be?" travis looked back at aella, asking for permission. it wasn't everyday you met fellow demigods. "hermes." "oh! i remember the hermes cabin, so crowded and loud. is it still like that?" "yeah," he laughed. "who's your godly parent?" "hecate!" jo smiled. "oh, we shouldn't talk here. how about you come inside the waystation and meet the rest of our residents?" heading inside the waystation, it was like a maze. the doors were quite oddly shaped, and seemed to disappear and reappear as they walked. "don't worry, i know it can seem confusing, but you get used to it!" jo smiled as she lead them through. the first resident aella recognized was leo. her face lit up and she walked over to him as soon as she entered the living room. "leo! oh my gods, you're alive!" she grinned, giving him a hug. he laughed, nodding. "of course i'm alive!" a light haired girl beside him sat awkwardly, fidgeting with her hands in her lap. "oh, aella, this is calypso. my girlfriend."

aella laughed, "oh my gods! calyspo, if he sucks at being a boyfriend, just know this is his first time, haha."

calypso just rolled her eyes.

the next resident aella met was a curly haired boy with a lot of scars on his face. he was sitting down at the dining table, sharpening his sword. he kind of reminded her of clarisse. jo started, "lityerses, this is aella. aella, lityerses." "hi," he replied quietly, not looking up. "lityerses is the son of king midas and demeter. we're very happy to have him here." "well, it's nice to meet you! do you mind if i call you lit? lityerses is kind of a handfull," aella grinned. gods, why was she being so awkward. "i don't really care." he shifted his focus back to his blade after looking up for a moment.

"the little girl you met outside is georgina. my daughter," jo smiled. aella nodded, "oh, alright. i had the sense she isn't really sociable? not that i mind, i love kids!" travis's eyes darted to aella's for a second, as if questioning her honesty. jo began speaking, only to be interrupted by another old woman, with lighter features, "jo, give it a rest! let them settle in." the woman looked at aella and travis, "it's nice to finally meet you both. i'm emmie. jo has talked about you two a lot." aella blushed. awkward. she didn't like being talked about, not at all. "you're welcome to stay in the waystation as much as you'd want. we get guests all the time, and the help with the chores is the best part!" emmie led the couple to their room, and aella saw thalia. "thalia! oh my gods, thalia!" she was speaking with lityerses, but upon hearing aella's voice, grinned. "aella! oh my gods, aella!" she mocked, before running over and hugging her. "you're staying here?" aella asked.

thalia shrugged, "momentarily, yes. i come and i go, like the wind." both girls grinned.

aella slept extremely well that night, holding travis close. a new home. with new people.

a home she would never betray.

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hi loves! i hope you've enjoyed this chapter! i finished it fairly quick so i think ima write some more but im RELALYY YHappy we're finally in the waystation!!!

-ice <3

next chapter

[ice2468]

The Lovers

hi guys! thank you SO much for the support on the later chapters haha, it makes me so so happy! for this chapter i really wanted to get on with it, so it's set maybe a couple of weeks before lester and meg find the waystation? also sibling reunion yayay!

date: may nineteenth, 2026 wc: 962 xix.

arriving in indiana was the best aella ever felt. she was asleep when they arrived, but travis gently woke her up. "aella? we're here, can you call aaron and ask for his address?" it was still dark outside, with the sun peeking out in that perfect way. aella snapped a photo before heading to the payphone instead the gas station.

"aaron? it's aella. we're finally in indiana!" she squealed. aaron yawned into the phone, "that's um, great, aella. how about we get breakfast together? there's this great place in indianapolis, called like, the baker's mastery or something?" "yeah! we'll be there, can you give me the address?" aella grabbed her notebook and a pencil, writing it down quickly as aaron spoke. "i'll meet you there at nine. okay? okay." click.

ugh, nine was so far away! it upset aella, to be honest. she'd never say it to his face, but she missed her baby brother so much. and indiana was a completely new state, with new people to meet and new places to go! she was a little nervous.

travis came out of the gas station carrying a few bags of food. "clerk was asleep, didn't even notice me," he snickered. aella smiled, "we're heading to indianapolis. here, um, i wrote down the address. we're getting breakfast!" "aella, we don't have the money to afford a fancy breakfast," travis frowned. "aaron'll understand. come on, let's get this show on the road!" aella lightly hit his arm, heading back into the van. she drove for the rest of the ride, per travis's request. he was tired, and it was important to him aella could do these things by herself. travis couldn't always be around.

in the back, he was drinking again, going through a travel guide. indianapolis was busy, aella realized once they arrived. it was around seven am, already with bustling streets. it was a scary city. still, aella tried her best to find the cafe aaron was talking about in time. "travis? babe, could you help me out? i'm not sure if we're in the right block-" no response.

aella parked somewhere quiet, before heading to the back of the van to see travis passed out with the booklet on his face. she sighed and tried shaking him awake. it wasn't often travis drank that much, and she wanted to know what was wrong. "travis? travis, wake up." it took him another hour to wake up. aella had eventually figured it out, but she was worried she'd be late. "hm? what time is it?" "travis! oh my gods, we're late! come on, clean up." aella went through their drawers, putting on a clean shirt and jeans. she was stressing so much, and she didn't know why. inside, she could hear aaron speaking, saying, "i'm sure they'll be here any minute." it absolutely broke her heart! she never wanted to leave her brother waiting.

when she was close enough, aella wrapped aaron in a tight hug, kissing his head. "aaron! oh my gods, you don't know how much i've missed you!" she squealed, holding him tight. the girl sitting next to him, with dark skin and short dyed blue hair, frowned, staring up at aella. "excuse me, um..." she started.

aella laughed, pulling away. "sorry! sorry. who are you?" she smiled politely, putting a hand out to shake, "i'm aella, aaron's big sister, haha."

it was awkward. too awkward. travis greeted aaron, too, and they sat down. aella's stomach growled. "sorry, the road trip was pretty long. it's so nice to finally meet you..." "sarah. aaron's girlfriend." "of course, sarah! i've heard so much about you," aella smiled. then, looking back at aaron. "is it okay if you get us the dinner? i'm sure you're totally slimed with university, so it's okay if you can't." "no, it's fine. i know you guys are struggling with money," aaron responded. he was eating an omelette. aella shrugged awkwardly, watching sarah's judging stare, "we're not exactly struggling! we're just...finding our place in the world!" "so, um, sarah, tell me a little about yourself. how did you meet aaron?" travis asked, looking up from the menu. nice save, aella mouthed to him. he grinned. "oh, i met him in dr. panansky's lecture. we sat next to each other, and totally hit it off. we've been dating for three months now." "eee! so cute, sorry. you're just way out of his league," aella giggled. "don't i know it," sarah responded with a grin. sarah was cool and kind. aella was obsessed with her hair. despite her mean resting face, she was actually quite kind, and aella noticed the way her brother looked at her. "i totally approve of you two," aella started. "y'all are way cuter than travis and i." aaron blushed, "aella, stop embarrassing me." she raised her hands in surrender, laughing, "sorry! sorry, i just think that aaron is totally good enough for you, sarah." sarah laughed, "do you two study?" "i'm saving up to study law, yeah. it might take a while," travis responded. "and you, aella?" the blue haired girl asked. shit, shit, shit, what to respond? aella had no idea what she wanted to do tomorrow, let alone for the rest of her life? she started sweating profusely. her hands were shaky. she forced a smile, but it felt awkward and eery. the table went quiet, but aella's thoughts felt so loud. then, everyone moved on. travis took up a conversation with aaron with how the van's mattress was the most uncomfortable place on earth.

after the breakfast was over, aella was filled with that blissful feeling again. she hugged the couple before tehy left, a big smile on her face. that's when they were faced with a fucking cyclops.

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dun dun dun!!! cliffhanger!!!! sorry guys i am NOT writing anymore today. it's already like really long and i have stuff to dooo but i hope you enjoyed! sarah is so cool omg im gonna draw her i think

-ice <3

next chapter

[ice2468]

The Lovers

hi guys! again, NO IDEAS for this chapter unfortunately, but they say bad writing is better than no writing, right?

date: may eighteenth, 2026 wc: 806 xviii.

soon, the couple had made it to pennsylvania. it was fine, not aella's favorite place, but there had been a carnival that instantly caught aella's attention. "oh my gods, travis, we should go! play carnival games, get cotton candy-c'mon! what's the point of leaving camp to enjoy our twenties if we won't actually enjoy them!" "it could be fun," travis shrugged. "and we could get to meet some new people..." "i'll get my wallet!" the carnival was amazing. there were these lanterns that floated slightly in the air. at one of the shops, aella got a digital camera for ten dollars. total steal!

"travis! oh my gods, you have to get me that turtle plushie! it's soooo cute, please?" he grinned, "of course, my fair maiden." he handed five bucks to the worker. "alright, it's a pretty easy game. all you have to do is knock all the cups down." travis nodded, and after about three tries, he got all the cups down. the employee handed him a giant turtle plushie. "you wouldn't mind holding it, right?" aella smiled, giving it a hug. travis rolled his eyes. "do i have a choice?" aella shook her head and kissed his nose.

sitting at the nearby café, travis had already made friends with a blond guy named elijah. when aella got back from picking up their order, travis waved her over. "aella! come meet elijah!" she smiled, stepping into the space beside travis. he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "elijah, this is my girlfriend, aella. she's the one i've been traveling with." elijah grinned, leaning his head back. he looked high. he put out his fist for a fist-bump, "sweet, nice to meet you, little lady." aella laughed, bumping her fist with his. "what are you doing in pennsylvania? you don't really seem like the type," aella wondered aloud. he shrugged, "i go wherever the wind takes me, man." aella giggled, looking back at travis. he shrugged and smiled. elijah began rambling, "you know, when i was in california, there was this huge bear that like, attacked me and my friends. it was totally sick. i got this sick scar from it." after getting high with him, his stories started seeming funnier than they were scary. travis won aella two more plushies, and kissed her head once she got into the van. "you looked really nice today. did you do anything different?" he asked. she shrugged, turning around and changing into her pajamas. "i wore, makeup? maybe? shit, i don't remember," she laughed. aella cuddled up beside him. he shrugged his arms around her. "elijah's cool." "mhm." when aella and travis first started dating, he confided in her with his lack of friends. yes, he was charming and kind, but that was about it. he felt like a side character in people's lives, showing up every once in a while to pull a prank. "luke betraying the camp didn't help much either," he would add. "suddenly no one wants to go anywhere near the hermes cabin." travis was a great guy, sure, but that was it. everyone thought of him as boring, one-sided, just a prankster and a thief.

yet he was so much more. he had cared a lot about the law, despite his kleptomania, and had a strong sense of justice. he couldn't stop drinking after luke died because being sober reminded him of his older brother.

in ohio, it was boring and dry. they had been staying in a motel of a small town for a while, and travis had taken up a job in a cafe.

the people there were judgy. whenever aella would leave the van or room, people would stare, whisper, or even point. she had no idea why, she thought she looked pretty normal.

one boy even started laughing hysterically, shouting, "mommy! mommy, look at that homeless girl!" technically, she was homeless, but it still hurt! aella's new digital camera was the light of her life. suddenly, she was taking photos of anything and everything, and she believed the quality to be great.

"indiana is just a few hours away," she'd whisper to herself at night.

she never thought of herself with having separation anxiety, but being so far from aaron was getting to her. she'd been taking care of him his whole life, then he just ups and leaves? so she called him. "aaron? this is aella."

he yawned, "aella, it's like, two am. is there something wrong? i have class tomorrow morning." "no! no, nothing! i was just wondering if you were okay. i'm in ohio right now." "okay," he mumbled into the phone, half-asleep. "i don't know when we'll be in indiana, but soon, i swear!" "okayy." "and i also have a ton more stuff. i'm working on getting a job there." "okay. good night, aella." click.

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hi loves! i hope you've enjoyed this chapter lolll i feel like aella's character changed a bit! but it's great. i wonder how indiana will be like? -ice <3

next chapter

[ice2468]

The Lovers

hi guys! i tried to get started on writing early but im lowkey so tired. also are the roman numerals confusing? they're the same as the date, so like how today's the seventeenth, it's also chapter seventeen. should i change it? i thought they were like aesthetic and cool but now that we're getting so far in they kinda just look ugly

date: may seventeenth, 2026 wc: 872

xvii.

aella's second job was a subway station. she was handing out tickets, even got a name badge and everything, and worked til late. it gave her something else to do.

one of her coworkers was an egyptian man named omar who spoke english well. he would often talk to aella about how difficult it was living in new york, and all she would do is smile and nod.

to be honest, these small social interactions comforted aella. to be around other people, and just...not alone. she couldn't handle being alone, not anymore. it meant vulnerability, weakness, and a chance to get hurt.

she wasn't strong enough to fight for herself, she never was.

she would ask you, the reader, to feel empathy for her, but she knew she didn't deserve it. aella was a bad person.

she took a swig of a bear stolen from travis's stash, a little after her shift ended. omar looked back at her. "why do you drink?" he asked, moving to stand beside her.

aella furrowed her eyebrows closer together, looking back at the bottle, "i don't know. it's kind of an impulse." "doesn't it make you sick afterwards?" "i mean, yeah. but it's worth being sick if i get to be cool and chill for a bit." aella paused. this would be a great moment to be a little less self-centered and learn more about omar. "do you drink?" she asked with a smile. omar shook his head, "no, no, of course not. i could never." "that's good," aella shrugged. "i wish i never started." "can't you stop?" he asked. "or is it addicting, like smoking?" "very." aella laughed awkwardly. omar frowned. "i'm sorry." when travis arrived, she got in the van quietly. "you took one of my bottles." "were you drinking at the construction site?" aella grinned. travis rolled his eyes, "i was thinking, maybe after a couple of weeks..." "we go to indianapolis?" aella's face lit up. she got up and hugged travis tight, giving him a kiss. "oh my gods! i'll see aaron again! i can't believe it!" he smiled and patted her back, shrugging. "i missed the sucker anyways." he leaned in for another kiss.

aella's mood was amazing the next few weeks. it was like she was on a high. she cleaned the entire van, organized their clothes, and hadn't gotten in any trouble at work.

soon, her first paycheck came in, as she requested in cash. nearly $150. when she saw travis, she was waving the envelope around. "we're rich! can you believe it?" he laughed, helping her inside. "we should celebrate!" he took out some fancy wine from the cooler, pouring it into their paper cups and bumping them together. "cheers!" he grinned, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

having travis around made aella excited and hopeful. travis was funny, he did magic tricks and put fart pillows at her seat, but he was also serious and kind.

she wondered how it felt, being so far away from his mom in south carolina, or his brother connor in camp half blood, or even luke.

it wasn't like he and luke got along at all, either. but they were still brothers. that had to count for something, right?

aella would then stare into the night sky and wonder what her mother was doing. or father, for that matter. probably drinking his life away, just like she was. when aella stayed awake at night thinking of how she may have wronged travis, she'd whisper all her bad thoughts to him and watch them disappear. then he'd hold her closer and yawn, asking when she'd ever let him sleep.

finally, the day of the trip came. aella got as much food and water as she could hold, and said bye to omar. "thanks a lot, omar. you've been a great friend, but now i gotta leave!" "where are you going?"

"i'm gonna visit my brother." aella wondered that if she went back to the laundromat, would she see jo again? was jo even real?

ultimately, she decided against it.

travis drove most of the trip, despite his ongoing slightly intoxicated state. at one of the stops, he'd asked aella to distract the cashier while he stole some food, but they got caught. quick, excuse time.

aella looked back at him, before coughing loudly. "please man," travis begged, still holding about five chip bags in one hand. "my girlfriend's like, really sick, we just need some food for the road before we get to the out of state hospital. she's already so skinny, please-" aella groaned loudly and dramatically, clutching her stomach. "no! vanessa!" travis waled out, going to her side. he looked up at the cashier. "you wouldn't let a poor girl starve to death, would you?" ultimately, the cashier let them both go, with a loud sigh and role of the eyes. back in the van, aella and travis were cheering. "gods, that was amazing! you gave me a name and everything, haha!" aella high fived him.

travis wrapped an arm around her shoulders, grinning, "we should do this more often." he kissed her quietly.

aella fell asleep midway through the ride. lucky, indianapolis wasn't as far as they thought.

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wow loves today's was kinda long, sorry! i kinda got really into it LOL. iti was also really fluffy which i hope yall enjoyed! angst is coming soon enough dont worry

also waht do we think of omar? i am BEGGINg for more arab rep PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

-ice <3

next chapter

[ice2468]

The Lovers

hi guys! this'll be another really short one sorry :( ive been socializing for 10 hours and NEED sleep but i hope you enjoy this chapter! im thinking of making like a watchlist with all the chapters date: may sixteenth, 2026

wc: 938

xvi.

the next few days were awkward and quiet. travis had taken up a second job at a construction site, so aella was in the van all day. she was drinking a lot more.

to be honest, losing her job felt a little pathetic. aella was capable, at least she felt she was. she didn't feel as if her problems controlled her life, but it sure looked like it.

she was also faced with a problem. her clothes stank. so did travis's, from working all day. so she drove to a laundromat and slid some change into the slot. travis's shift ended at eight pm, and it was six thirty. if the wash finished in time, maybe she could surprise him? she felt horrible about leaving him to do all the work. she knew how badly he wanted to go to college.

aella also hadn't mentioned her call with aaron yet. she was tempted to do another, but remembered being warned about how phone towers can attract monsters to her location.

she was snapped out of her daydreaming session by an older woman snapping her fingers in her face. "hello dear? are you alright?" the woman asked. she had an inviting smile and had been sitting on one of the waiting chairs, yet gotten up just to talk.

aella looked up, moving her greasy hair out of her face. "hm? yeah, i'm just waiting for the cycle to, um, finish." at this point in time, aella hadn't realized just how horrible she looked. the night before she got so high she passed out, and now she was standing in a laundromat by herself with greasy hair and baggy clothes that were old enough to be her grandmother's. she hadn't been eating well, to the point where you could see her hollowed out cheekbones, and her consistent drinking caused her to constantly have a dazed look in her eyes. she couldn't even remember how she drove here.

the woman frowned. "you don't look alright. are you with anyone?" "um, i'm waiting for my boyfriend?" she replied with an awkward laugh. "alright, um, any family with you?"

why was she asking so many questions? am i going to get kidnapped? maybe she's a gorgan?

so many thoughts were going thorugh aella's head.

"aella." the woman smiled, "well, it's very nice to meet you aella. my name is jo." watching aella's confused reaction, jo asked, "is something wrong?" and aella simply broke down, telling her everything. "oh my gods, my boyfriend and i, we used to be at this camp? but we're too old for it now, and there was a huge battle, and-and my brother, aaron, he just left! he's at university now, just like that! my uncle got kidnapped, and now i'm scared to ask my boyfriend if we can head to indiana, because that's where aaron is, but i don't know! i don't know! i'm so fucking scared, i just don't know what to do!" she sobbed, burying her face in her hands and sitting down. jo frowned, sitting beside her and rubbing her back. "a camp?" she eyed the washing machine and the orange shirt inside. "camp half-blood, you mean?" aella nodded, trying to wipe her tears away. what was she doing, telling this random, very kind and understanding woman, her entire life's story? "oh, honey, listen. you won't tell anyone except your little boyfriend, alright?"

aella nodded. jo continued, "there's this place. right where you're headed, i think. indianapolis, indiana. you just go behind this brick wall, and i'll meet you there, okay?" "what? what do you mean, brick wall?" "aella. please. i understand. i'm a demigod, too, okay? daughter of hecate. it's a safe place for those like us, you just have to be willing to join." before aella knew it, the laundry cycle was over. the beeping rang in aella's head over and over until she couldn't hear the woman's words anymore. then it went silent. she quickly took the clothes and left for the van.

it was seven fifty five pm. if she drove fast enough, she wouldn't leave travis waiting. she couldn't.

thinking about what jo said over and over again. she couldn't imagine a safe place, not one without someone like luke.

when she made it, it was eight fifteen. travis was waiting outside the gate with a tired look on his face, alone.

aella felt horrible.

he quietly opened the door and entered, laying down on their mattress. "what took you so long?" he asked quietly. she could tell he wasn't upset, just confused. aella shrugged, "i washed our clothes. i'm sorry." should i tell him? what if he says no? he's done so much for me already. but he loves me! isn't that what people who love each other do? can i really ask him to sacrifice more of his life for me?

a million thoughts were going through her head. travis sighed, grabbing a bottle from their cooler and taking a long swig. "travis, um, i called aaron." he raised an eyebrow, "you called aaron." "yeah," aella laughed, scratching the back of her neck. "um, and he asked that we go to indianapolis." not a complete lie. "indianapolis is really far." "we have enough money for gas. you can steal food." "i don't want to steal food, aella. i want to become a lawyer. lawyers don't steal," he frowned, sitting up. he was serious, more so than ever before. "i think we should stay in one place," he continued. "stability would be good for us right now." "could that one place be indianpolis?" "i'm sorry aella, i don't know."

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hi guys! i hope you've enjoyed thsi chapter!! ended on a little cliffhanger hahhaa (not that big a deal tho) also finally introduced a trials of apollo character yayy! this is set maybe a couple of months before lester and meg join the waystation! -ice <3

next chapter

[ice2468]

The Lovers

hi guys! i know the last one was REALLy long lol but i am literaly falling asleep as iw rite this so this one will be MUCH shorter.

date: may fifteenth, 2026

wc: 573 xv.

life on the road was difficult. the camp van had a singular very itchy mattress that aella was 50% was infested with bed bugs. she and travis had never slept together in one bed within a year of dating, so the first few times were awkward.

often, travis would find a place to park for free and they'd stay there for the night. they were heading to the grocery shop downtown for him to try and get hired.

aella didn't know what she could work as. she wanted to go to college, she wanted to get smart, but now all the credentials she had were school up to the tenth grade. travis reassured her that their connection with the gods would help, but aella didn't feel so certain.

then travis got the job! aella was certain his shining smile and slightly crumpled clothes were the tiebreakers, and he had been getting as much hours as he could. one night, while sitting on the edge of the road and drinking with travis, aella got an idea. "how about we stay in a motel for the night? with a clean bed?" "what's wrong with our mattress?" travis grinned. aella rolled her eyes, "you know what's wrong with it." "i like cuddling with you." aella rolled her eyes. "how much cash do we have?" travis shrugged, opening up his wallet. he hadn't thought of getting a credit card due to fear that he would be punished for all his thievery, so he was paid strictly in cash. "seventy bucks. are you sure, aella?"

"yes! travis, baby, please?" travis sighed and nodded. aella felt bad asking so much of him. she didn't know why she was so needy, she just knew that she was. on the way to the motel, aella made him stop at a payphone. she took out a quarter and the crumpled paper connor gave her from her pocket. she dialed aaron's new number. travis was half asleep inside the van. "hello?" aaron's voice crackled through. aella could cry. her baby brother was all grown up. "aaron! it's me, aella. i'm calling from a payphone." "shoot, aella, i'm sorry. i had to leave, you wouldn't understand. i want to make something of myself, you know?" "it's okay, um, can we just like, grab breakfast sometime? i want to know how you're doing. i'm better now." that was a lie. aella was desperate. "sure, i'm in indiana. call me before you come, okay?"

the call ended. that night at the motel was the best sleep aella had ever gotten. the next day, she had a job interview at walmart and got the job! despite the low pay, it gave her something to do all day, other than just drinking and sleeping.

then she had her first meltdown. it was horrible. when travis came to pick her up after the shift ended, aella had lost her job within one week of having it. "what happened?" travis asked, rubbing her back.

aella just shook her head, rocking back and forth, "i-i saw-p-please-mercy-" she sobbed.

she couldn't explain what she saw. luke? her mother? it was a punishment from the fates, that she was certain. why was she like this? why couldn't she stop? that night aella took her pills in the first time since they left camp. she took a little too many, and ended up passed out beside travis on the side of the road. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

hi loves! i hope you've enjoyed this VERY short chapter lol im going to sleep now!

-ice <3

next chapter

[ice2468]

The Lovers

hi guys! we are SLOWLY arching into trials of apollo territory! lowkey didn't know how to transition this from the last chapter but i hope you enjoy!!! PLEASE send requests of headcanons or SOMETHINg because i want to WRITEEEE date: may fourteenth, 2026

wc: 1909

xiv.

after aella turned twenty-one, she felt like a stranger at camp. since aaron wasn't there anymore, she and the younger campers weren't that close. she got weird looks as she entered the pavilion.

she needed to leave.

it was this itching feeling, having to stay in one place for so long, she felt dependent on it. she was an adult now! she could drink and smoke legally! she should be in some university! so she went to travis. "i think we should leave camp." "what?" travis laughed awkwardly. "you can't be serious. camp is our home." aella frowned, cupping his face, "travis, look at us. we're in our twenties, stuck in a camp with kids barely older than fourteen. i want to do something with my life, you know? not just..stay here." his face contorted. travis had been in camp long before aella joined, that she knew. she felt guilty, asking him to leave. "i'll figure something out." she smiled and kissed him, "thank you." she headed to the aphrodite cabin, just to check in on piper. she had decided to stay in camp after defeating gaea with the rest of the seven, and they seemed to enjoy it. she'd been mourning leo after believing he was dead, only to come back. with a girlfriend.

she wanted to be friends with piper. she was kind and effortlessly pretty. but aella couldn't. the daughter of aphrodite reminded her too much of silena.

she thought about how when the underworld gates opened, if any of her late friends tried to escape. if they did, should she be happy? annoyed? upset? silena had chosen the wrong side, luke had lead the wrong side, after all. but so had aella.

what gives her the right to survive?

"hi, um, piper. i wanted to check up on you?" aella would smile as she knocked on the door, peeking her head through to see who was inside. drew tanaka would respond, "it's just me."

after piper had joined, drew had become practically invisible. she was no longer the prettiest or the coolest with the best makeup. it was like a part of her identity was stolen.

"oh, hi drew! how are you doing?" aella awkwardly replied, hands clasped together behind her back.

"okay. piper's in the training grounds." aella felt guilty. "well, um, what about you? what are you doing right now?" drew grinned, "just, uh, doing my nails. do you want me to do yours?" "sure!" aella slipped into the seat beside her, holding out her hands. "what's your favorite color?" drew asked.

aella shrugged, "green, maybe?" "green is an ugly color for nails," drew laughed. "how about pink?" aella smiled and nodded. it was hard to hold still while getting her nails painted, but she managed.

an hour had passed and aella didn't even know it. she and drew were laughing, gossiping about the recent events at camp. "this was fun!" aella smiled, lifting her hands to see her fresh manicure. "um, yeah," drew grinned. "lots of fun." aella bowed dramatically. "i had a wonderful time, fair maiden. we must do this again!" she grinned, in an overly dramatic low pitched voice.

"why of course! in fact, you can come by anytime you want," drew replied, trying her best to match. about a week went by with no follow-up from travis. aella wanted to ask him, but making things weird with travis out of all people would kill her.

finally, he came to her cabin, knocking quietly. "aella?" she stood up immediately. she was kind of waiting for him, as pathetic as it sounded. "yeah?" "i agree with you. we should leave. i was thinking, maybe i get a job at the grochery store? we can live in camp's old van, until we can afford something. and you can get a job, too. maybe, um, if we got my dad's blessing, we could even go to university?" he smiled. aella got up and hugged him close, "that would be amazing-thank you so much! i love you. i love you soo sooo much!" she pinched his cheeks, giving him a kiss. he blushed and patted her back, "i would do anything you asked, aella." "when are we leaving?" "whenever you're ready." aella had so many goodbyes to say. will, clarisse, drew, piper, leo, nico, even annabeth and percy.

she wished she could go to camp jupiter, to give jason a big hug and tell him how proud she was of him. and to see hazel and frank again? they had been dating last she saw, thoroughly in love.

aella first packed her stuff. it was easy because she's never had much to begin with. just pills, clothes, and sentimental items like uncle t's broken glasses or her mother's necklace.

the next day, she decided, she would say goodbye to everyone. it would be her last morning of giving will breakfast, the last time she'd train with clarisse, the last time she'd go to drew and ask her for help with her makeup. it would be her last jokes with piper and leo. it would be the last time she'd ever calm annabeth down and give her a hug, telling her it would be alright.

maybe she was making a mistake? maybe she shouldn't leave camp behind, but looking into travis's big brown eyes, she knew it had to be done eventually. she could never stay here forever, with her history.

she packed that night. the next day she followed her usual routine.

she first headed to the infirmary to give will the tray of food she always did. nico was there, too, sitting on a cot and getting bandaged up.

"am i interrupting anything?" aella smiled and asked. if this were to be their last memory of her, it should be a good one. will shook his head, "no, no, of course not!" "that's good. i hope you two know how much i love you, right? i might not always be here when you need me, but i'm always going to support you."

a little too sentimental for her taste, but what could she say? she's a sucker for vague goodbyes. "yeah, we know," nico replied, avoiding her gaze. "you're good, aella. better than most."

she wasn't, but she appreciated it.

next was clarisse. she knocked on the door to the ares cabin, holding her blade. "fancy some training with your best friend?" aella grinned. clarisse rolled her eyes, looking behind aella. "sure. where is she?" "ha ha," aella replied sarcastically, dragging clarisse out of her cabin and into the training field. "you know how much better i am than you, right?" clarisse grinned.

aella shrugged, "can't a girl just have fun with her friend doing what she knows she loves?" of course, aella was to the ground in seconds. it really made her second guess why the hell luke ever wanted her on his side.

"ha. i win," clarisse gloated as she helped the other girl up. aella hugged her tight, "of course you did. you're the best fighter here." clarisse paused, laughing awkwardly and patting aella's back, "um, thank you?" next was the aphrodite cabin. she knocked on the door, once, twice, thrice, before coming in.

piper and drew were arguing. drew was throwing clothes at piper, piper was shouting. to be honest, it was a little overwhelming. "um, girls?" aella asked, trying to make her presence known. drew stopped to look at her. "oh. hi aella." piper smiled and waved, "hi! do you need anything?" drew rolled her eyes, "don't even bother talking to her, aella. she'll suck the life out of you and steal all your fucking clothes!" piper rolled her eyes, "that's rich! why would i ever steal your clothes, our sizing is totally different!" "i'm not even going to talk to you right now," drew responded, turning away. aella laughed awkwardly. sisters. "if now's a bad time, i can come back later. i just wanted to hang out?" "maybe later, aella. we're kinda in the middle of something?" piper laughed. "no problem!" aella smiled. she stood there for a second, like an awkward aunt who clearly no one wanted to be there, before hugging drew and piper as close as she could.

"woah, uh, a little close," drew laughed. "shut up drew!" piper grinned and hugged back. then she went to see percy and annabeth. aella never felt particularly close to percy, they were just too different. in all honesty, he was a little too much like luke.

annabeth was kind. she was smart, and unlucky for her, she knew it. she was the only daughter of athena to complete her mother's quest, which is how aella knew that she would grow up and succeed in architecture, or anything she dreamed of.

annabeth told aella what happened when she and percy fell into tartarus. he was terrifying. aella couldn't imagine how travis would be in a situation like that. she couldn't even imagine how he was during the battle of manhattan.

aella found annabeth and percy in the poseidon cabin, with percy telling her about all the new skating tricks he'd learned.

aella knocked on the door. "hey? annie? percy?"

percy looked up. "aella! hi!" he smiled. "can i come in?" "of course," annabeth rolled her eyes. "sorry about percy's manners. i swear sally taught him better, but-" percy grinned, "i was gonna say she should come in!" "of course." aella shrugged, coming in quietly and closing the door behind her. "i just wanted, to, um, thank you guys? you two have taught me so much, about myself. i know we kind of got off to a bad start, with me joining luke and stuff..." percy's expression angered at the mention of the traitor. "...but i appreciate you guys. annie, you're a great kid. you're going to do such amazing things-what am i even saying? you've already done amazing things! and i'm so proud," aella leaned down and opened her arms for a hug. annie returned it.

"and percy," aella started after pulling away. "you're one of the best demigods i've ever met. you're funny and kind, and you don't deserve to be treated like this by the gods. it's not your fault, okay?" she smiled and hugged him, too.

she could see the confused expressions on the couple's faces, but left without saying a word. if it wasn't a vague and unclear goodbye, was it really aella doing it? it was at about six pm when aella realized she'd forgotten about leo. she felt horrible.

so she went down to the bunker. leo was working on a bell-esque gadget. "leo!" "aella!" "leo!" "aella!" the two burst out laughing. "what are you working on?" "nothing. actually, it's amazing! it's a bell that will hopefully ring whenever there's a loud sound nearby." "that sounds amazing," aella grinned. "how does it work?" as leo droned on and on about his new invention, aella let her mind wander. she truly felt for the kid. he reminded her of herself too much. or maybe, she was just projecting. "leo?" "what? i'm not doneeee," he whined. aella smiled and hugged him. "no, no!" he wailed. "not human touch! pleaseee, my hands are all grimy!" "oh shush," aella laughed. "you know i don't care." when it was all over, aella was socially exhausted.

she headed to the hermes cabin. "travis?" "are you ready now?" he asked quietly. "mhm," aella handed him her suitcase.

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wow. kinda a long chapter lol? idk i jusrt had SO much to say!! i hope you enjoyde! travis is SUCH a sweet boyfriend i loveee themmmmmm! aella being vague and cool and mysterious is so funny lol. thank you so much for reading!

-ice <3

next chapter

[ice2468]

The Lovers

hi guys! omg i am so so happy like yall will not BELIEVe. i got so many likes on my last post and i feel great. it's just so great! thank you to everyone who reads my stupid chapters lol! for this one i didn't really know what to do but i wanted to build aella's relationship with the lost trio! date: may thirteenth, 2026 wc: 883 xiii.

aella attempted to avoid the new campers as best she could, though her best wasn't all that good. soon enough, she found herself stuck in the infirmary with jason as will left to get more ambrosia.

she was standing there awkwardly, holding will's tray as always.

jason smiled, holding his stomach. "uh, aella, right? i was hoping i could talk to you."

"i don't think that's such a good idea," aella responded with an awkward laugh. it was too much, to be honest. if she had to be near him one second longer, she was worried he'd start blackmailing her or telling her to smoke his cigarette.

jason frowned, standing up and pushing his glasses up. "what's up with you and um, your friends, like staring at mine? i don't want to start any conflict, you know? i have a really important quest."

she took in a deep breath. should she tell him? she shouldn't, jason seemed innocent in all this.

the words came out before she could stop them. "there, um, there was this guy, luke. he looked a lot like you. he was, um," aella stopped. she didn't know how to describe luke anymore. jason frowned, "my sister mentioned him. i don't get it, what did he do that was so bad?"

aella just shrugged. there was no way she could tell the young boy, it would be like admitting to a crime. she had joined luke, after all. she could be considered just as guilty as he was.

when will finally came back, aelal put the food on his desk and left without saying a word. talking to clarisse about it later, she rolled her eyes and leaned back.

"of course they wouldn't understand. they're new. just scare them off, that's what i do." aella laughed, "i'm not as scary as you, clarisse." she looked up and smiled, "it's just-it's not their fault they're so similar. charlie and luke are long gone, and using these new demigods to replace them is unfair." "what about silena?" aella asked before she could stop. she really needed to work on that. "shut up." aella started feeling something wrong, deep in her body. her hands twitched, and she'd been drinking a lot more, maybe even as much as travis.

a few months later, jason and piper had to leave. so much had been going on so fast. aella didn't know why she felt like she was so out of control, like she was just living in an empty husk of herself, watching her do things as if she wasn't really the one doing them.

travis had noticed. he stayed over at the eris cabin more.

when nico had disappeared, aella had set out to find him.

travis seemed worried when she left. sometimes, aella wondered why he never went on quests himself. he was clearly capable and strong.

"i need you to be safe, alright? i'd feel horrible if you weren't. our one year is coming up, you have to be back in time for our one year!" "i will, travis. but i need to find nico, he's our friend! he's just a kid, you know." on the quest, aella had met a few others. hazel and frank, roman demigods, son of mars and daughter of pluto respectively. hazel was sweet and young with pretty hair and sweet hazel eyes. frank was big and strong, but to be honest, he was really kind and reserved. he didn't have all that much to say at times, but he'd hold open the door for any part of the seven and clearly liked hazel.

annabeth and percy were as close as ever once he'd been found. annabeth told aella what had happened. when she saw percy at camp jupiter, she judoflipped him before kissing him.

when the group got seperated and it was just aella, jason, and piper, they had finally found nico, stuck in a jar eating pomegranate seeds. he looked so malnourished and tired, aella could cry. she never thought of herself as particularly maternal, but she cared for nico, and seeing him in that state hurt her.

accompanying hazel on their quest to find thanatos, when she saw him chained up, something dawned on aella.

that was uncle t. his eyes were the same, his hair a bit longer and expression much more tired, but she could remember that face anywhere.

when he saw her, he smiled. "aella, my dear, i am so sorry. i wish you and aaron could have stayed." aella could sob. "uncle t, i-i've missed you-" she tried reaching out with shaky hands. he shook his head, "that's enough. please. go back home. this isn't your prophecy to fulfill. you have so much in store for you, my dear. i'm sorry."

when aella finally made it to back to camp half-blood, aaron was nowhere to be seen. she asked around best she could, before finding out aaron had went off to college!

connor gave her a paper with aaron's new phone number, though it was a little messy and there was no way to notify him at camp.

it felt like everything she loved was falling apart. that everyone she loved needed to leave her. it didn't help that she was always the common denominator.

at least travis was there.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- hi loves! i hoped you enjoyed this chapter lol! thank you so SO much for all hte support i LOVE writing lol!!! a little angst but ive been waiting to write this for SO long. i also desperately want to write x reader fics but have NOOOO inspiration, please send requests! -ice <3

next chapter

[ice2468]

The Lovers

hi guys! i am lowkey SO SO happy and it feels kinda pathetic but i got two likes on my last post and it made me SO happy. like omg??? you like my fic enough to like it?? it was so great omgggg. this chapter i'll hopefully get into hoo but idk if i have a ton of time to write cuz i have to get up early tomorrow

date: may twelfth, 2026

wc: 981 xiii.

while aella had been training, travis walked up to her, tapping her shoulder. "AHH!" she raised her sword to fight. travis laughed, "aella, it's just me, chill, please." he was hiding something behind her back, and if aella looked closely, she could see connor giving him a thumbs-up. aella smiled, "hi travis! sorry, i'm just on edge, you know how it is." "yeah, yeah, totally. no worries." why was he being weird? "what was going on?" are you okay, she wanted to ask, but she'd hate to make things weird with her new best friend. "what? no, no, no! everything's great! i just, wanted to, um, ask you something." oh. phew. oh. no, he can't possibly- "i was wondering if you would agree to going on a date with me?"

oh my gods. oh my gods! this was really happening. aella felt like she could cry.

noticing her silence, travis frowned. "shit, i went too far, didn't i? don't worry, aella, i get it. we're friends, that'd make it weird. no worries!" "no, no! i'm just shocked, is all," she smiled brightly. she didn't think she's ever felt so happy. travis grinned and leaned down to hug her.

the date that night was amazing. travis took aella to the strawberry fields. he had set up a picnic fit with cute sandwiches and aella's favorite soda.

"is it too much? i'm sorry if it's too much. i just wanted it to go perfect, you know?" aella shrugged, "it's okay. it's kinda cute." "oh? um, okay," he grinned, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

the date went great, to be honest. travis was funny and kind, and even held her hand. they went down to the lake and sat by it, removing their shoes and dipping their feet in the water. "your converse are really cool," she smiled.

he shrugged, "really? i always thought they were a little dirty. i stole them, haha." "no, no, um, it's nice. they look, uh, lived in." "well, what's the point of having them if i'm just going to preserve them? it would drive me crazy," travis grinned. "how about i get you a pair? what's your shoe size?" "no! no, i'd feel too bad."

"you shouldn't. i offered?" he laughed. she shrugged, "i guess, but i wouldn't want to burden you? you know?" "you could never. i, uh, really like you, you know?" that night, aella couldn't stop thinking about it. she was tempted to wake aaron up and rant to him about it, but she knew she couldn't. if silena was still around, she would go to her and squeal about how a guy who wasn't completely evil was flirting with her and going on dates with her, and then she'd sleep over in the aphrodite cabin and wear something nice the next day in an effort to impress. she wished she was a teenager again.

after their fourth date, travis asked aella to be his girlfriend.

he made it a big dramatic gesture during the campfire, asking in front of everyone. aella was a little embarrassed, but she felt so safe around him with his stupid big brown eyes. "yes! of course i'll be your girlfriend, travis, oh my gods!" everything was great! she and clarisse had finally become friends again afterwards, and she and aaron were talking more. "i'm so glad you're dating someone like travis. way better than luke," aaron would say.

aella would then smile, "i like him a lot more than i could've ever 'loved' luke."

"of course you do. how could you ever love someone like luke?" everything was going amazing. until percy jackson went missing.

annabeth had been sent into a panic. she was pacing around the athena cabin all day, according to malcolm, and she wasn't eating.

travis and aella, along with others, had been tasked with going out in new york and looking for him. only problem was, travis was stealing everywhere.

he was also always drunk. aella knew she didn't have the right to judge, but suddenly she couldn't remember the last time she saw him without a bottle.

to no avail, she and travis had to go back to camp.

"i didn't realize how much i missed the streets of new york," aella smiled. travis shrugged, "yeah, i mean, other than the monsters, it's been great. only if there was somewhere normal we could stay away from them." "i wish," she laughed. then, a boy named jason grace joined camp, and oh gods. aella felt like it was luke all over again. the boy was a son of zeus, strong and powerful with blonde hair and blue eyes, with a scar on his face. when she first saw him, she started tearing up. aella wanted to welcome him to camp, but she couldn't.

he joined with a girl and a boy, the same way with luke. and the girl, piper, was a daughter of aphrodite, whom argued with drew tanaka for the spot of aphrodite counselor. leo, on the other hand, looked scarily like charlie.

it was all too much. they were just like luke, silena, and charlie. her heart broke.

aella confided in travis about it and he held her close while taking a swig of his drink. "fuck, aella, i get it. that kid, jason? he's like, a copy of luke. it's actually insane, i think the fates are messing with us," travis laughed. she hated it for a bit. whenever she was near any of the trio, her hands would shake, she'd go silent, and she'd start crying. aella never thought of herself as particularly mournful, but wow. jason, piper, and leo's presence in camp was just too much. aella knew her friends saw it, too. clarisse was especially rude to piper for reasons the daughter of aphrodite would never know, and annabeth's eyes lingered on jason for moments too long.

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hi loves! i hope you've enjoyed this chapter lol...things were getting too happy and i wanted to get the ball rolling so i HAD to add the angst at the end. btw this is now set in the lost hero! thank you so m uch for reading

-ice <3

next chapter

[ice2468]

The Lovers

hi guys! FINALLy continuing LOL my fingers HURTT from playing but its okay! i lowkey didn't know what to do for this chapter at first...its HOPEFULLY gonna be pretty fluffy tho!

date: may eleventh, 2026 wc: 631

xi.

things at camp had been going great. clarisse was finally letting her guard down a little, will didn't absolutely despise aella, aaron was growing up and travis was her new best friend. the two hung out every single day.

in fact, one morning when aella woke up, she couldn't find any of her makeup. it was driving her insane, it was like the whole drawer was missing. when she mentioned it to travis, he grinned.

"what? why are you making that face. did you steal it?" he lifted his hands in a show of surrender, "how dare you accuse me of such crimes? i would never!"

aella wasn't entirely convinced, and it didn't help that her makeup magically appeared in her drawer an hour later. "you look fine without makeup, though. real pretty," travis would smile and say as they ate lunch in the pavilion. she rolled her eyes, "you're just saying that." "c'mon. you really think i'd lie to you?"

"yeah?" aella shrugged. travis smiled and patted her shoulder, "we should work on that, then. trust is a very important aspect of all relationships."

"okayy," she laughed. "how do you suggest we build trust?" "trust fall, obviously. c'mon, we can get clarisse and annabeth to join!" she shrugged, "um, alright." next thing aella knew, travis had brought everyone to the training grounds. "hello everyone and welcome to trust falls! all you gotta do is fold your arms, and lean back like so...and trust that your partner will catch you!" aella, of course, caught clarisse immediately. she would've felt horrible if she hadn't. she was desperate for clarisse's forgiveness.

when aella fell, travis held onto her waist to catch her. she attempted to look back at him, but his face was red and he was hiding it.

"trav?" "hm?" "you can let go now." "oh. sorry." aella laughed. she felt like a schoolgirl with a crush! blushing and playing trust games. what was next, truth or dare? oh, how ironic that truth or dare was next.

the older campers were doing a campfire together. percy and annabeth were making s'mores together, clarisse and chris were talking, and rachel was there, too.

rachel elizabeth dare was the new vessel for the oracle, aella had heard. she was nice and pretty with curly red hair that aella had never seen before, and the two girls were talking about painting.

travis soon slid into place beside her, taking a sip of a beer. "hey girls," he smiled.

rachel rolled her eyes, "travis. could you please return my paint pallet?" "i don't know what you're talking about, rachel." she groaned and got up, leaving to go sit with clarisse instead.

"oh, so you're always this insufferable?" aella rolled her eyes. he smiled, "of course not, my dear! only with you." annabeth then got up. "truth or dare time!" next to her, percy was clapping and looking up at her with the most loving eyes. it was so cute. aella elbowed travis. "look at that lovely couple! i swear, they're made for each other. he shrugged, "i guess so." annabeth grinned. "aella, truth or dare?" "dare. hit me." she shrugged, looking between travis and aella. "i dare you to kiss travis. as long as you both consent, of course." aella raised an eyebrow, looking back at the son of hermes. he shrugged and nodded.

and they kissed. it was amazing, despite the faint taste of alcohol on his lips.

when she pulled away, travis was staring into her eyes. it was quite romantic for a moment, before the game continued. midway through, travis whispered, "want a sip?" "yeah! giveeeee," aella grinned, whisper-shouting back. the alcohol was great, aella wondered where he got it from? probably stole it, that was for sure.

she was happy.

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i hope you enjoyed this chapter guys! lowkey its kinda boring but again if i dont write for one day i will nmever write again

its fluffy and sweet okay! leave me alonee <3 -ice <3

next chapter

[ice2468]

The Lovers

hi guys! today im trying the all lowercase style of writing just cuz i think it looks better? my fingers hurt SO much from playing ukulele lol

date: may tenth, 2026

wc: 1454 x.

aella felt good about her life. she was hanging out with newer people who didn't absolutely hate her for her betrayal (like travis), and she was trying her best to repair her relationships with those who did! she had actually started looking forward to speaking with will every morning. he was often stressed and tired, so aella attempted to crack jokes to lighten the mood. there was also nico di angelo, a son of hades. he, much like aella, didn't have his own cabin, despite being a son of the big three. after the war had ended though, rumor had it percy jackson demanded that cabins for minor gods were to be built, which aella found pretty cool.

she first met nico while grabbing will's food from the pavilion. he was sitting on a table by himself, picking at his plate.

"hey! i don't think we've met?" she smiled, sliding into the space in front of him.

the brown haired boy looked up, "hm? uh, i guess not. i'm nico." "aella, great to meet you, nico! could you be that son of hades?"

he shrugged, "yeah?" "wow! wow. i'm a daughter of eris myself. how do you feel about the minor gods' cabins being built? i'm really excited. i'd love to help out, but i'm supposed to be on stable duty for five months as punishment." "punishment?" she shrugged, trying to keep the conversation light, "yeah, for um, like, betraying camp, i guess? i swear it's not like that anymore, though! i'm good, i swear-" "i get it." "you do?" she grinned. "yeah. if it weren't for percy and annabeth, i would've probably joined luke, too."

"oh? that's-that's great! wow-i should go. i gotta give will his food." "what, why?" nico frowned. "oh, it's just like, part of my routine? i realized he's always too busy to come eat breakfast, so i've started bringing it to him. it's great! if only he'd actually hold a conversation with him, haha-" "could i come with you?" "to the infirmary? sure!" nico followed aella there. he was pretty short, she thought. and young, younger than aaron? but he seemed sweet enough.

when aella knocked on the infirmary door and entered, she could sense the awkwardness in the air. "hi will! I'm just bringing your food!" "alright, tha-" once he made eye contact with nico, he smiled brightly. "hey nico! why are you here? are you injured?" "what? no, um, i just met aella and wanted to join her." "oh. alright. you're welcome to stay if you want!"

nico looked back at aella as if asking if it was okay. it was sweet! she grinned and nodded with a raise of her eyebrow. "okay," nico replied, sitting down on one of the infirmary chairs. "i'll leave you two to it. feel welcome to share the food!" she placed the tray in front of will.

aella spent the rest of the day with travis. he was surprisingly sweet, and was helping out to build the new cabins. she and him had been sitting by the lake, listening to music together. it was getting late, and she leaned her head against his shoulder.

travis went completely still and looked down at her. then, he slowly raised his hand and wrapped it around her.

about ten minutes before curfew, he attempted to wake her up gently, to no avail. "aella? aella, wake up. we need to get back to the hermes cabin." "mmf...five more minutes..." travis frowned, thinking for a moment. if they stayed out there too long, the cleaning harpies would probably eat them. so he did the only logical thing. picked her up and took her back to their cabin. the next day was capture the flag, the first she's participated in since she left camp. of course, being on the athena cabin's team meant that she was against the clarisse la rue.

it had been especially stressful when clarisse had singled her out especially. she shouted out, attempted to hit aella with her spear. "clarisse, please, chill out!" she laughed nervously, attempting to dodge her attacks. she used her shield to block the moves, but it was no use. clarisse tripped her and she fell into the lake.

next she knew, she was in the infirmary and soon had a cast on her leg. will had treated her reluctantly and given her a crutch to help her walk. "i can't thank you enough." "no problem. um, listen, i get that it can get really painful, so here are just some painkillers, alright? don't take too many." "i won't haha!" aella forced a smile. how the fuck was she supposed to resist that? aella had gone through three weeks without taking the painkillers. yeah, the pain was horrible, and travis often asked her why she wouldn't take just one, but she didn't feel like she should. aella had always been and still was just too scared.

and then she finally gave in. she swallowed four at once. it wasn't strong enough, and she couldn't resist sneaking to the infirmary and taking something stronger. she only took two, well, actually twelve, before passing out.

next thing she knew, will was trying to wake her up as she laid on the infirmary floor. aaron was behind him crying, and clarisse was just staring with this cold, unfeeling stare, trying to keep all the emotions she was feeling inside. "aella? aella, can you answer me, please?" will frowned.

aella let out a groan of pain, rubbing her head, "what did i do?" "you relapsed-shit aella, you relapsed! why would you do that? you were doing so well, and just-shit! this is so bad, this is so so bad-" aaron had started pacing around the room. clarisse stopped him.

"listen aella, we're just going to get you on the cot, and try and see if i can give you some nectar to make the pain go away, okay?" "no, no no, please-" when will tried to help her up, this horrible pained feeling hit her right in the chest, and she collapsed again. after that, everyone was just a little too nice to the girl. clarisse offered to carry her things when aella went to watch aaron train, and travis refused to let her participate in building the new cabins.

it was a horrible feeling, being pitied.

when aella had finally gotten her cast off, she thought things would go back to normal. they didn't. she saw clarisse and chris talking about the next party in the dionysus cabin. "woohoo, party!" clarisse folded her arms, "aella, i don't think you should go." "what?" aella frowned. "why not?" "because there's gonna be some alcohol-it's not a good idea." aella wanted to shout at clarisse and accuse her of babying her. she wanted to punch her in the face and stomp on her feet.

but she didn't, because she had always been and still was too scared. "oh, um, alright." the night of the party, no one was around. aella was sitting on the steps of the hermes cabin, reading a book. travis sat down beside her.

"hey, aella. what're you doing? i thought you'd be at the party." "i could say the same about you," she grinned. he shrugged, "i got out for a second." he then took out a bottle of alcohol from his bag. "want a sip?" she grinned, "sure!" aella and travis had spent the rest of their night getting drunk and spilling all their deepest secrets. "yeah, and then my uncle t was like," she forced a deep voice. "what the hell? this game is so difficult, how can you find this entertaining?" she went back to her normal voice. "then aaron and i were like, 'uncle t, it's just the legend of zelda!" travis laughed, wrapping an arm around aella's shoulder and taking another swig around her shoulders. "oh my gods! how long did you guys live with him?" "like, a year. but it was great! best year ever!" "well, where is he now?" she shrugged, taking the bottle from travis and drinking a long swig, "definitely not having as much fun as us!" travis grinned back at her, standing up. "wanna go skinny dipping?" "excuse me?" she laughed. "isn't it too cold?" "i'll keep you warm. c'mon, let loose with me!" aella grinned, getting up. "alright!" she finished up the bottle and left on the steps as she joined travis in the lake.

aella hadn't had that much fun in years. despite her soaked hair and the terrible cold, getting drunk and swimming with travis was wonderful! he was funny and playful, and she felt like if she showed her soul to him, he wouldn't be disgusted.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- i hope you've enjoyed the chapter loves! I LOVE the way the lowercase looks and i might edit the rest of the chapters to look the same LOL

-ice <3

next chapter

[ice2468]

The Lovers

hi guys! hopefully this will be short because i REALLy need to sleep lol so im sorry if its bad

date: may ninth, 2026 wc: 975 ix. The weeks following Luke's death were rough. Aella felt that sick feeling in her stomach that wouldn't go away, and would've given anything for the privilege to sulk in the Hermes cabin all day. But sulking wasn't going to win her back her good reputation. So she got up early in the morning, and took the best food from the pavilon.

One knock on the door. "Hello? Will, I brought your food." "I don't need your food," Will scoffed. Aella could see through the small gap in the door he was doing paperwork, probably pertaining to the lost demigods from the Battle of Manhattan. She took in a deep breath, "Um, okay. I'll just leave it outside the door, okay?" Aella could imagine that Will was far too prideful and angry to accept the food outright. If she had been someone else, she would be, too, so the daughter of Eris knew she had to take things slow. And she was okay with that! She's been looking for slow her whole life, in fact. Next stop was the Athena cabin. Annabeth was sitting on her bunk which what looked to be a grown up Percy Jackson. Aella had never learnt much about the kid, but she could tell Annabeth liked him, and that was usually enough. "Um, Annie-I mean Annabeth, could I train with you sometime later today?" Percy looked to the blonde girl, then back at Aella with a frown on his face. He was clearly protective of the girl, that she was sure of. "I don't know, Aella. I'm still processing everything that's happened-" "And that's okay!" The older girl cut her off. "No worries, really! You just know where to find me, um, right? I don't want to pressure you, at all." Aella irked herself out with how much she was acting like her father whenever he upset someone. "Yeah, okay. She gets it. Bye," Percy responded for Annabeth. Aella took it as a sign that he didn't like her much. "Bye! You two have fun!" Aella forced a polite smile. Finally, Aella left for the training grounds. Aaron had been sword-fighting with a son of Athena, whom she soon learned was named Malcolm. It was cute. Aaron was as good as Luke had been, focused and brilliant. He wasn't afraid to try and use his larger stature to his advantage. When he beat Malcolm, Aella walked over to the two. She felt so proud of the boy he'd become. Even though he was only sixteen, he was so kind, and stronger than she ever could be. "Aaron! Wow, you're great! You mind giving this old lady a try?" Aella grinned. The boy smiled when waving goodbye to Malcolm, but frowned when looking back at his older sister. "What, like, sword-fighting you? I don't know..." he frowned, folding his arms. "What? Not like you're actually going to hit me." Aella didn't really know why she was trying to get a rise out of him. Maybe it would've made her feel better if he was angrier at her, and not just disappointed. "Fine," he grinned back. Aella grabbed one of the borrow-able swords provided and readied herself. Truth was, she didn't think Aaron would actually attack her, not really. So imagine her surprise when it was actually quite a difficult fight. In fact, she was on the ground in seconds. "You were saying?" "Wow, Aar. When did you get so good?" He folded his arms, "While you were fighting for Chronos." She sighed, "I wanted to talk to you. I just-it was complicated. Luke was going to tell everyone about my, um-" How was she supposed to phrase this in a way that wouldn't make her seem crazy? Five years ago, no one would believe her over Luke. "Your problems?" "Mhm. Yeah." Aaron looked conflicted. He wouldn't blame her, of course not. He knew all his sister went through each day. But on the other hand, both siblings knew it was her fault deep down. She couldn't stay without male validation, she couldn't keep away, she couldn't say no. She was always much too scared. After a few more moments of silence, Aella stood up. "I-I should go. I'm on clean-up duty tonight." "Yeah, um, okay." Aaron hugged her. Aella's heart melted. She held onto him tight and closed her eyes. He was much taller now, much older, but he still felt like her younger brother.

Aella also had decided to head to the Ares cabin, as a last ditch effort to try and repair her friendship with Clarisse more than anything else. "Clarisse?" "Come in." Clarisse was sitting on her bed, sharpening her spear. A little intimidating. "What do you want?" "I just wanted to start over. We've been friends for so long." "We're clearly not anymore! You're a traitor, why would I be friends with a traitor?" "I'm not, it wasn't like that! Please, just give me a chance!" "Leave." "What?" Aella's expression dropped. Seriously? Clarisse didn't even look up, "I'm asking you to leave. Do I have to repeat myself?" "No, no, I, um...I'll see you later?" No response. Later that evening, Aella was sitting in the Hermes cabin when Travis walked in. "Aella?" "Hm?" "Oh, um, hi." Awkward. "Mr. D asked me to supervise you during stable duty? Sorry, I know it's weird." Why was Travis so weird all of a sudden? "No, it's fine. Just give me a second." In the stables, it was even more awkward, and the smell of horse manure wasn't helping at all. "Can I get you some water?" Travis asked. He was practically twitching from sitting down so long, and Aella felt horrible. "Yeah, um, yes please?" she gave a smile. Anything to make it less awkward honestly. That night, Aella went to bed feeling fulfilled, a feeling she didn't recognize. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

hi loves! i hoped you've enjoyed chapter nine lol! im thinking of changing the typing style to all lowercase cuz i just think it looks better but honestly idk if i shouldddd because i also value grammar! so idk pleaseee tell me what yall think

-ice <3

next chapter