rare pair project

After the rare pair ship weeks last October the project is back and this time we want to organise a pjo/hoo rarepair mini bang! art by alynsylum and anxiouspineapples

[percyinpanties]

th rare pair project

so… my health came in the way of this. I pretty much let it go to waste… which is sad, really, since I always enjoyed doing it. 

I wanna redo the blog, brainstorm for some events, create sideblogs for said events yada yada yada… and I’ve learnt my lesson: I can’t do that alone.

so  - is anyone interested in reviving the rarepairproject with me?

[whimsikyaarts]

“Percyve the Darkness”

My half in the collab for @rarepairproject with @xagrok!

[ccwriter1411]

Love Brings You Home

So, I came out of my shell to write a fic for the PJO Rare Pair Project @rarepairproject. Artwork has been created by @poeziru and I’ll share it as soon as it’s ready.

It’s a Peter Pan AU of sorts. I’m not finished yet but I figured I better post the first part some what near the post time. :D

Read it on Ao3

[purple-urself]

xxx

My art submission for the @rarepairproject in collaboration with this amazing fic by @pjoheadcannonsandaus!

[rarepairproject-blog]

Love Brings You Home - Companion Art

[talysfics]

Soldiers of Love

Summary

With the Prophecy of the Seven a few years in the past, Eros makes Jason an offer to help him finally overcome Juno’s tampering with his memories—with an agenda of his own. Just as Jason begins to identify the feelings he’s been compelled to ignore for years, Nico is issued his own challenge by the God of Love, and Jason is dragged into it.

Information

Word count: 15k (5 chapters)

This is the fic I wrote for the PJO Rare Pair big bang @rarepairproject. Art by @jasongracings will be coming shortly—I’ll be sure to link to it when it’s there!

Thanks to @carpedm87 for beta-reading the whole thing and supporting me through this!

Read the fic on AO3

[aravenlikeawritingdesk]

the strongest type of magic

a pipabeth rumpelstiltskin au written for @rarepairproject with the WORST TITLE IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSE 

anyway it’s here at my ao3

[rarepairproject-blog]

Yay! Looking forward to reading this one!

[pjoheadcannonsandaus]

Falling for Fire

I participated in the @rarepairproject so here is my entry! Ship: Leo/Hazel Words: 5024 (Longest single chapter thing I wrote) Ao3

Hazel looked at the elfish latino. Maybe in lush, maybe in admiration, maybe the fact that he was the one keeping this bronze death trap in the air. But she could not deny the fact that he looked exactly his grandfather. Maybe not as elfish, but the facial features were the same and his personality was close except the sarcasm and jokes are much higher.

She watched as he was fixing something, like always. Gods if it wasn’t for him they would have be backpacking all through Europe through Mother Earth’s territory.  But now they were going on a trip to Greece and Rome for fun. Everyone was on the trip to do some bonding and learning about their ancestors.

“Hey, can you pass me some water?” He sat up and wiped sweat off his brow. He’s been working on the main controls for about three hours now without a break.

She passed his bottle of water that he left there for him to drink. But for three hours, she watched him. Work and tinker with wires to make sure that they would stay in the sky. Three whole hours of debating if he was her Sammy reincarnated.

“Thanks Hazel. I thought I fixed all of the kinks, but I guess not.” Leo sighed after downing half of his bottle.

“At least you can figure out how to fix it. That’s a good thing.” Hazel told him.

“For now, yeah.” He replied, wiping his hands off on his pants. “I think next time I’m just going to rebuild his main controls again. It’s getting old.”

“Well, it’s working for now and that is all that matters.” Hazel sat down next to him.

Leo looked at her. His brown eyes were soft and warm like Sammy’s. But she had to stop comparing him to Sammy. He wasn’t Sammy. He was Leo, her friend.

“How’s Frank doing? You two still strong?” Leo asked before taking another sip of water. “Or has power went to his head?”

“Frank’s good. We’re just friends though. He’s so busy with his praetor duties that we barely had any time to spend. And being friends would be better than trying to force a relationship.” She told him.

“Are you okay, though?” Leo asked. Concern was filling his eyes and voice. She could have sworn that was coming from Sammy.

Stop thinking that. He isn’t Sammy. He’s Leo Valdez. She thought to herself.

“I’m fine. It felt more natural that way anyways.” She told him. “And the age gap, it was a bit weird. But then again I’m older and younger than everyone on here.”

“Oh right! I forgot about the whole dying and coming back to life thing. Have you been adapting well to modern technology?”

She smiled a bit thinking about what she had learned in the past few months: cellphones, iPads, laptops, tablets, and other electronics. Everything was so different than what she remembered. And the months it took for her to learn everything.

“It’s a struggle. I recently learned how to use an iPad that Annabeth built. How does the screen know where I’m touching? Is it magic?”

Leo chuckled, a familiar sound to her ears. “Motion sensors. Kind of like a mouse on a computer or laptop. But it might be more complicated for me to explain than just accepting the fact that you can use your fingers to click on stuff.”

“Thanks for saving me the trouble then.” She smiled.

Leo smiled back and looked up at the ceiling. “I wish cellphones and laptops weren’t monster magnets. I can probably learn how to fix things a lot faster than trial and error.”

“Kids of Hephaestus are like walking ‘Fix It’ manuals.” Hazel told him. “You can literally fix anything with no problem. You rebuilt and fixed a dragon for Jupiter’s sake! You can’t tell me that this would be on the World Wide Web.”

Leo slightly chuckled. “It’s called the Internet or Web. No one calls it by it’s full name, old lady.”

“I am not old!” She retorted. “I’m only thirteen.”

“And also eighty something.” Leo pointed out. “So, you’re old, technically.”

“I know how old I am. I’m not counting the years I missed when I died. There’s so many things I missed. Did you know Disney made a black princess? Her name is Tiana, I think, and that movie is amazing!”

“Never heard of it. I never had time to watch movies.” Leo told her before taking another sip of his water.

“We should have a movie night and watch it. It’s great!” She smiled.

“Sounds like a plan.” He finished off his water. “Well I better get back to work. You should go do something fun with the others. Watching me fix things isn’t that fun.”

She reluctantly got up and slightly smiled at him. “See ya around.” She left him alone before she walked to the deck where the others were chatting.

Hazel could see Percy and Annabeth chatting away about something which made Annabeth smile. Piper and Jason were whispering to each other, Jason was making Piper giggle. Then there was Frank. He was sipping a coke as he stared into the open sky.

She took a deep breath and went over to Frank. They haven’t talked much but she didn’t feel like third wheeling on anyone’s conversation.

“Hey.” Hazel greeted as she held on to the railing to the right of him. “How are you doing?”

Frank looked at her and smiled a tiny bit. “Hey. I’m doing well. I’m glad to go on this vacation. But I also feel bad that I left everything up to Reyna.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it. She can make the entire legion do the chicken dance if she wanted to.” Hazel told him. “She’ll make it through the week.”

He nodded and looked out to the open the sky. Hazel followed his gaze to look at the white clouds and blue skies. She thought she was on a plane, but if she reached out too far, she would plummet to her death. She took a step back.

“I miss hanging out with you.” Frank whispered so quietly she had to strain to hear it.

She looked at him. His head was down, his eyes were looking at the railing. He looked sad.

“I do too. But I think it’s better if we hang out as friends.” Hazel told him. “Like having dinner together with Reyna or train.”

Frank nodded. “Okay.”

Keep reading

[rarepairproject-blog]

Yay! Amazing work! :) :)

[not-for-granted]

~More Sunset Boulevard~

A Beryl Grace and Tristan McLean fanfic spanning eight years of turbulent romance and drama, on and off camera. 

Will also post to my fanfiction account, seen here. 

Hope everyone who reads will enjoy! 

More Sunset Boulevard

~The first meeting~

Like many Hollywood romances, it began at a very wild, wild party. Also like few (but still a surprising number) of Hollywood romances, it also began in the bathroom.

It took place at a swanky new manor, owned by some producer who wanted to break into directing, and with no expense spared. Unfortunately exorbitant spending paired poorly with a distressing lack of taste in fashion. Decor was garish, the music from a cover-band managed to be simultaneously the worst vibes of the ‘80’s and still otherwise entirely forgettable, and the guest list was comprised the most desperate and the most dismissive people in show business. Naturally they waged an unspoken war of passive aggression against each other. Directors were beset on all sides by up-and-coming and has-been actors trying to make an impression for a role, the most needy hoping just for the vague promise of an audition. Actors were plagued by fans who gate-crashed, or more opportunistic sharks offering business cards, declaring themselves agents, co-producers, or vague titles of similar semi-importance. At least half were posers, and it took experienced players of the Hollywood game to sift through the dregs and dross. Writers and tech specialists just huddled together validating each other.

But the biggest deals weren’t made with an exchange of cards and numbers, “your people call my people”, more often it was an exchange of fluids. A few (or more) drinks, a bit of tongue with a kiss, a dozen rooms reserved for the sorts of depravities only the hyper-privileged would think of.

So, this 'love’ story starts in one of the seven bathrooms, on a decidedly cheap and sour note.

The bathroom in question had a marble sink basin and steam shower, smelled like basil and lime scented candle (which was very different from either actual basil or actual lime) and a mix of regurgitated canapés and liquors. Beryl’s poisons of choice for the evening included a few finger foods that looked to be puffed shellfish and lightly pickled cucumbers with a mix of white wine with tonic, and a cosmopolitan for both the taste and for the fancy glass they were served in since it paired well with her latest haircut. At the moment, she was poison of choice for a co-director or something with minimal responsibility and disproportionate power over an upcoming film. Even his name sounded fake, but Hollywood was full of assumed names and false faces so she didn’t think much of it. Didn’t think much of him either, but through the lenses of her cosmopolitan she could almost pretend his murky brown eyes were blue.

Couldn’t pretend he was a better kisser.

The biggest problem right now though was the faucet digging into the small of her back. “Mm, not so fast–”

He broke off the kiss completely. “Don’t ruin it by talking.” Mr. Co-Director, she never got his name, resumed trying to French with a spastic tongue, hands fumbling up her dress until he reached her garters. 

Beryl squirmed, trying to get comfortable, trying to get the least bit dignified. He only took her gyration for encouragement and pressed on his assault. This was supposed to be a much simpler romp, a chance to improve her chances for getting a call-back that was supposed to go to Nicole Kidman before she dropped out without warning. Had Beryl ever tried to pull a diva stunt like that she would’ve been blacklisted from any picture, but she wasn’t a household name or married to a household name or even sleeping with a household name. Maybe this was an all-time low? Not like she hadn’t done worse but… 

She could try to get out of this with some basic dignity intact, without the torn dress and ripped stockings that was the defining mark of an amateur trying to start sleeping her way up to stardom, or the fading star screwing her way back into relevance. 

“Get off,” she demanded, trying to push him back with heel of her hand on his chest.

“I’m trying babe, stop talking about it.”

Dammit if she didn’t deserve some professionalism from this coked-up imbecile. Bathroom this nice, this roomy, there were options beyond necking and pawing each other like a couple of teenagers. She could’ve hung her dress up on the hook and he’d have gotten a glimpse of the new lingerie she had for feeling slinky, they could’ve gotten cozier on a few of the luxurious looking towels overtop the tiles, and then she’d have a chance to fix her makeup with a proper mirror to assess the state of her deshabille, but instead he had her pressed up against the sink so hard she thought it was happy to see her… and more impressive than him for that matter.

And still he wouldn’t stop, and when she heard the rip of fabric that had to be from her dress, Beryl snapped. “Get off me!" And this time she kicked the jerk hard enough to get him stumbling into the shower stall. 

"You goddam bitch!” He clutched his chest where she had kicked him with stiletto heels. “Don’t you know how this works?" 

"Yes, with me not working for you,” she snapped back, smoothing out her dress and assessing the damage. Too high and ragged for her to play it off as a designed slit, maybe if she hadn’t worn the stockings and suspenders, maybe if she had gone with the silver number instead of her aqua-blue chiffon instead. She may have been out of work and she may have resorted to these sorts of… arrangements to jumpstart her career, but she was established and she was used to the upper echelons of the business enough to have some class. At the very least serviceable technique. Not this loser.

Definitely was the cosmopolitan to blame. She wasn’t drinking those again, maybe just martinis from now on.

Now Beryl Grace certainly hadn’t been in a lot of major motion pictures, but she had been in enough to have soaked in the tired cliché that the put upon spunky heroine stood up to the bully and the bully backed down. Sadly this was a lie, as in the real world more often than not the coked up bully just waits waits for you to turn around and hits you.

The pain was sudden and it was tremendous, but the biggest worry Beryl had wasn’t for her safety but for image. She had been struck, sucker punched really, in the back of the head hard enough she was propelled into the mirror hard enough to crack it. A piece of glass broke off and shattered in the sink, and Beryl was staggering blindly against the countertop, feeling the fresh welt on her head and a new cut slick with blood.

“You should’ve seen that coming, if you weren’t so busy looking at your wrinkles.” The rejected jerk muttered, making a poor attempt at a joke about ‘objects in mirror closer than they appear’ or something. Maybe he was nervous, maybe he realized he had gone too far. “Oh get up, you’re not a good enough actress to sell this, you’re fine–”

It all felt thick and runny between Beryl’s fingers, and she felt like she was going to throw up (again), and what if she had a scar right on her forehead, makeup would never be able to cover that–!

“I said get up, you’re fine!” Co-director coke-head demanded, grabbing a fistful of her hair.

Beryl wasn’t hurt, surprised, or panicked enough to start doing the 'insensible’ thing and scream, she had her career to think about and people finding out about this would just ruin any silver screen chances faster than if the paparazzi got pictures of her children. Single mother actresses were lucky to star in pinko off-Broadway plays. She struggled quietly as possible, biting his wrist and flailing with her arms, but all she managed was yanking off a cufflink with her teeth and nearly swallowing it.

“Sir?” That was a new voice… please don’t let it be someone important, thought Beryl. Thankfully it wasn’t anyone she recognized, and he was dark-skinned enough to be a waiter here. “Should I get help? The lady seems to need a change of scenery, maybe a hospital–?”

“Mind your own business, Kemosabe!" 

"Tonto,” Beryl’s new rescuer corrected with a long-suffering sigh that had to be real, not acted out. 

Wasn’t what the jerk was expecting. “What?”

“Tonto called the Lone Ranger 'Kemosabe’,” he explained patiently, “and it was a term of endearment so you probably didn’t mean it that way. But honestly I’m still just relieved someone here didn’t just assume I was Mexican. I’m still going to hit you now.”

There wasn’t another warning, Sir Lancelot in the cheap suit just decked the woman-beating jerk with a southpaw cross that gave Beryl a vindictive spark of delight. Mr. Bigshot with the little package landed by the toilet, fittingly enough, with at least two teeth scattering to make noise like dice on the tile floor.

Suddenly Beryl noticed that even though he was dark enough to be related to her gardener, and though dressed like he was late for a court appointment, her rescuer (wincing and clenching his bleeding left fist, erasing her doubts he really was human) was actually quite cute. More than passable for cute even. If he was one of the gate-crashing novice actors trying to make a lasting impression, he definitely made the wrong sort with this director.

Well, co-director, so screw that piece of shit. 

“Thank you,” she stage-whispered, turning on the most expressively vulnerable, grateful eyes she could for his benefit. But it was wasted, or so she thought, because he was already getting her a washcloth off the counter for her face. “Can you get me out of here? Please?”

“That’s probably a good idea.” He agreed fast enough that she knew she was right and he wasn’t supposed to be here, and he made a much bigger impression than he had meant to. “Do you have any friends–?”

“Not here,” she said quickly. Truth was she didn’t have any friends in the whole state, let alone these strangers she was invited with here. She got them both walking out, holding on to his arm and keeping close so no one noticed her ripped dress. The washcloth? Well as long as there wasn’t any blood seeping through she had a migraine and that was it. He matched her well enough that they managed to turn some hungry, jealous stares as they hastily weaved through the manor out towards the front gate.

“Do you need a ride?” He offered hesitantly, knowing how that must sound. His trepidation was endearing, the younger man was a lamb among lions in the Hollywood hills when he wasn’t throwing punches at (semi-)important people.

Still she was lucid enough and with enough leftover anger and fear to act a little indignant in the face of perceived insult. “I’ll be fine, I haven’t had that much to dri–”

But he stopped her mid-lie, “I just mean you’ve a bonk on the head.”

Bless him, he was actually concerned. That warranted some honesty. But just a little. “I took a cab,” she admitted ruefully. She didn’t tell him that her driver quit and she couldn’t afford another.

He only smiled back, teeth very straight and even. “So did I,” he laughed, looking relieved. 

“Do you want to share?” She offered. 

“No, that wouldn’t… I live kinda far.” He sighed. Definitely struggling actor. “And I have to get straight home for the sitter and everything–”

If she had been more curious, or genuinely interested about him beyond appearances, maybe Beryl would’ve asked him about 'sitter’; if he had a pet or a child, or if that child came with a spouse and if his wife was working too or if she was even still in the picture. But she didn’t, she just helped flag down a cab, ripped dress good for showing a little leg. There was no doubt in her mind that there had to be a wife at one point, as she smugly noted he paid entirely too much attention to the exposed leg and garter to be anything but straight.

Cute and chivalrous and straight, in this town? What would they think of next? Then again, Beryl was spoiled by a glut of handsome, or outright gorgeous men, so she didn’t think anything of it. Romance was ruined for tonight anyway, until he opened the cab door for her and gave an unsolicited “Tristan.”

“Hm?”

“Tristan McLean, it’s um…” He tousled his dark chocolate brown hair for lack of anything else to say, embarrassed. 

“That’s nice,” she commented nonchalantly, slipping off her heels and tossing them in the backseat of the cab. Then, feeling charitable, “I’m Beryl–”

“Grace, Beryl Grace,” he smiled slightly. “I know.” He shrugged as if to say 'naturally’.

It did wonders for her ego. In a rush of gratitude and flirtatious mischief, she stood tiptoe to kiss him on the lips. It held a bit longer than she had anticipated, long enough for him to kiss back quite well, and she arched her back appreciatively before breaking away to climb in the cab.

“Catch you later,” she promised, grinning. She shut the door and enjoyed the look of longing and blushing bemusement on his face. Then she paid the cabby and gave him her address, forgetting about it entirely, privately declaring the whole party a bust.

Truthfully neither of them thought much of it at all… that only changed with the latest tabloid photo. That changed everything.

~the first (few) dates~

It took about six months for the people who should’ve taken most interest to finally start paying attention. Six months for them to notice to notice their clients were in the paper. Gossip rags, sure, but still a front page with a photograph and everything. A clear sign that Tristan McLean was considered a low priority by his talent agency, though that was about to change when his assistant Jane told him that his agent had found him an opportunity of a lifetime.

“BERYL GRACE LANDS NEW MYSTERY MAN”

“You absolute dog,” his agent, a stocky sleaze in a pinstriped jacket overtop a stained basketball jersey named Richard 'Chaz’ Crowe, grinning as he slapped greasy hand over the tabloid photo. “You magnificent sonofabitch, when was this a thing? It’s perfect, and you didn’t even know? Bah! Youth and beauty is wasted on babes and bimbos. You’re lucky you’ve got me, I’m leading you away from wolves.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tristan admitted honestly.

Jane, his assistant, elbowed him subtly. It was an overly familiar move on her part. She had been very attentive since he…

Well it had been a mistake sleeping with her but that he could say he could afford an assistant in this town meant the world. It made all the difference in meetings like this to have her take notes and speak for him when he felt out of his depth. He couldn’t afford this service otherwise and he wasn’t at risk of falling in love with Jane. Though some days he wasn’t sure if she hadn’t fallen in love for him, which would make things awkward, but he doubted it. Jane had been doing odds and ends for would-be-stars since she was in her early twenties, naïveté and innocence had probably been stamped out of her to leave behind a reptilian social climber in pantsuits.

There might’ve been more to Jane, Tristan hoped that there was, but when he was being perfectly honest with himself he didn’t really care. Maybe this town was changing him in ways. He wasn’t sure he liked what he was becoming.

Another overly familiar elbow to Tristan’s side. “I’m sorry Mr. Crowe, I didn’t–”

“Don’t call me that, that Australian bastard is dead to me, it’s ‘Chaz’ babe.”

“Right, Chaz, I didn’t think this was a big deal at all. We met once at a party. She seemed unwell and needed to leave early. She was pretty formidable.” Should he mention the kiss that took him completely off-guard? No, that was private.

Then again he glanced under the headline and that private moment was caught in a shot that made it seem like Beryl was all but ready to drag him into the cab. Oh, so much for that.

“Poor, trusting Tristan,” Chaz sighed. When he shook his head pityingly like that, his artful, gravity-defying combover started to come unraveled. Tristan didn’t have the heart to point it out. “This is a move, a play. Older woman cozies up to younger, upcoming star, suddenly the papers are all 'what’s he see in her?’ and 'hope for women over forty’–”

Tristan pointed out glibly, “Isn’t she young enough to be your daughter?”

“Son, I’m trying to help you, don’t go hurting my feelings like that with slander.” Chaz reflexively checked, then fixed, his combover. “And it gets you public. I always said, the target demographic for you…?”

“Women fourteen to forty,” Tristan recited.

“Bah, what do I know? What do you know? If the country gets more chances to see that beautiful bronze mug of yours it’ll be nine to ninety-nine, every single one’ll want you to stick a feather in their cap.”

Tristan tried not to grind his teeth, but Chaz was already apologizing for the incidental slur. Wasn’t like Tristan hadn’t dealt with worse anyway, and sleaze or not, Chaz was one of the few agents that respected his wishes not to appear typecast in token “Indian” roles. All he had said was that Tristan would have to slog through some shit before he got halfway decent roles.

While Tristan was prepared to work hard, having already resigned himself to taking no shortcuts in this showbiz life, this wasn’t one like any shortcut he had imagined when he made that particular vow. It was making him uncomfortable thinking about it, but Piper going to public schools in this town filled him with immeasurable dread.

If nothing else he was a fan of Beryl’s work, she seemed quite professional, his unfortunate first meeting with her aside. Not counting that kiss either because that? That kiss, that was something else entirely.

He glanced over to Jane. She just kept writing in her notepad, glancing between him and the tabloid picture of him embracing Beryl Grace with an expression more opportunistic greed than jealousy. After all, this was a chance for one of her stars to get much needed publicity. Maybe she was as impersonal about their affair as he thought after all. A bit disappointing, but good to know.

“So should we set up a… meeting?” Tristan looked between his agent and assistant. He almost called it an date, but that’d be mortifying, definitely crossing over into gigolo territory.

“Oh you’re already handled baby bear,” Chaz assured with a slimy wink that reminded Tristan uncomfortably that gigolos had to come with pimps.

“We’ll set you aside for an upscale brunch,” Jane announced, with a definitive stab of her pen into note paper, looking quite pleased with herself. “You will show up, make small talk to iron out any scheduling issues the two of you might have individually for the next month, take the time to set aside a day for a public date, and agree to escort to any events with one veto each afforded. I’ve already used yours so that you can plan your daughter’s birthday.”

“But that’s not a sure thing,” Chaz added hastily.

“No, it is a pretty certain thing,” Tristan corrected evenly. No matter how famous he ended up getting, he promised himself he would always make time for Piper.

Of course he would never be able to tell how famous he would get, especially now, but the thought was there.

“Checks will be split,” Jane continued, only to pause and look over to Tristan from her notes. “The time will be 11:35 AM, don’t let her drink.”

“But you just said it was set for 11:35?”

Jane gave him a much longer a look, halfway between pitying and patronizing. “I know.”

…

Beryl’s publicist didn’t like her.

She’d known that for the longest time now, but it came suddenly back to her attention when she had to find out she was in the paper herself. She would’ve found out sooner but she had stopped paying attention to anything that wasn’t front page and related to her for about a year and a half. She had been disappointed until now.

Once she  discovered the tabloid, after a short victory dance in her living room alone, she called him up and harangued him into submission. She demanded to know why they weren’t setting appointments up with this very photogenic young man, finding if he was represented by anyone. She looked positively glowing in his arms, like he was giving back her old spark

That thought made her sad. She knew it wasn’t real. He couldn’t compare to her reality. The important thing was that it looked enough like real in the paper.

Her publicist spent the morning “apologizing” profusely, and  tracked down the mystery man to set up a quaint brunch meeting. Beryl curtly told him it was acceptable, and hung up, still secretly giddy.

So what if she had to play the bitch to get what she needed? She had played other roles before and played them supremely, this was nothing she couldn’t handle.

Fetching her scissors she made to add the latest photo to her personal photo album. This was definitely worth chronicling for posterity, her legitimate return to spotlight. Frowning when she couldn’t find the glue, she called out “Jason? Has your sissy been in momma’s things again?”

Soft and deliberate padding of socked feet was her only warning before her youngest, Jason, came to peer around the corner. Maybe it was the lighter coloring of hair maybe it was seeing more of his father’s jaw in his developing features, but for all the talk of parents loving children equally well…she had a favorite, special little boy.

“Thal’s touched glue for sool.” Frustrated, Jason tried again, face scrunched up. “School.”

“That so?” It was hard not to have a favorite when that girl was the competition. Just the other day she had found cigarettes in that little future lesbian’s jacket, and she she calls about her skipping class from all the teachers. And then a fire? Ugh. Probably from smoking.  

Nasty habit, she mused, pouring herself a little celebratory Irish Coffee. “Jason baby, could you go get mommy’s scrapbook and glue? Thank you sweetie.”

Jason obeyed immediately, and Beryl felt definitely pride. Such a lovely boy. Things could’ve been so different if…

She wasn’t going to think about that though. Focus on the present and the future, don’t dwell on what almost happened in the past. Especially with the future looking so bright.

Looking like a kiss that was almost electric.

…

The two of them met for brunch.

Tristan took the time to actually shop for and buy a new suit. He didn’t wear a tie, but he hadn’t gotten any complaints, especially with the top two buttons undone. He wondered if it was possible for a man to be slutty, decided not to risk unbuttoning the third.

In contrast Beryl arrived in an outfit that looked like she had planned it in advance for about a week. The tight periwinkle dress that made it to her knees only allowed for walking thanks to a generous slit that bared her whole knee and half of her cream-stocking clad thigh, with matching gloves that didn’t quite make it to her elbows, and a pair of stunner shades.

Layman’s terms, she dressed like someone imagined a movie star would dress. She had no trouble pulling off the look and she knew it judging by the habitual swing of the hips, and the coy smile that gave away that she knew people were looking.

But still: whoa.

He pulled the chair out for her, it was only chivalrous… then again, he found it was also helpful for checking out how a woman was wearing her dress. Not just ass grabbing, actually paying attention to how a dress fit could factor into how smoothly Tristan could peel it off his date. They had always been very appreciative of his attention to detail, and the anticipation. Beryl’s current ensemble left a deal of tanned back exposed with just a clasp behind the neck, on her left side barely visible was the proper zipper to get it slid all the way off. All these details Tristan habitually filed away.

“Thank you for meeting me,” Tristan began politely.

She waved his pleasantries off unconcernedly. “Please, don’t. It’s the least I could do.”

“Yes I’m glad that–” Tristan fumbled with his words when she took off her stunner shades to meet his eyes with a heavy lidded, practiced sultry minx look. “I’m just glad it’s under better circumstances.”

She shrugged nearly bare shoulders. “That was nothing, let’s not ruin such a perfect day. Have you ordered?”

“My first time here,” he admitted, “but I ordered a pitcher of the sweet tea.”

For a moment she stared at him, lips pursed, calculating. He worried he’d offended her, that she’d seen through his ruse to get her away from mimosa or sangria. After a few moments though, to his relief, she only asked “not decaf I hope?”

He smiled, with all his charm. “Not if it’s proper sweet tea.”

She laughed like he imagined Daisy Buchanan would laugh ever since he read a torn cover copy of The Great Gatsby. Maybe that should’ve been a warning. Maybe it was just his imagination. Either way he asked short questions and made short quips and subtle jokes throughout the rest of their first “date” just for more chances to get her to talk excitedly about old performances, dream roles, to listen to her laugh again.

Perhaps he was a sucker for that laugh, because he definitely agreed to more than he should’ve. By the end of the night, she’d ended up talking him into a date every two weeks when the original plan was once a month, and he’d be wearing a tie or a silk shirt next time. He also agreed to send flowers to her dressing room if she got that part of Lady MacBeth, though he did manage to talk her down from two dozen roses down to a dozen. It wasn’t much but it made him feel like he had a bit more of a spine.

“What about PDA?” It was surprising that he had to be the one to bring it up, almost as surprising that it wasn’t brought up yet.

“Save it for the cameras?” Beryl sipped her tea, gauging his reaction.

“I thought that too,” Tristan started slowly, cautiously. “Then again, well, we didn’t know the during the first kiss, so if we only turn it on for obvious swarms of paparazzi and play this out we’ll get caught. Right?”

Beryl’s nodded approvingly. “So we what, handle this method acting?”

“I’d rather not,” Tristan winced. “I’ve known some pretty big asshole method actors.”

“How can you tell?” Beryl smiled wryly, and it was a deal more genuine than the ‘come-hither’ smiles she shot at him between requests and probing questions. “Maybe they’re just deep in character for someone who’s written as an asshole?”

“No one can play an asshole that well unless they’re full of shit,” Tristan denied flatly. “Anyone who plays it that well that quick I don’t want anything to do with off-camera.”

Another laugh, and he knows he said the right thing. “Alright then, we play this natural, shouldn’t be so hard.”

“You’re a pretty good actress,” he teased, smiling back as he raised his own perspiring glass of tea. “Or so I’ve heard.”

“I’ve done a few things,” Beryl breezily admitted as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, no doubt deliberately showing off a profile of her gorgeous neck and delicate wrist. “But really, I mean, I’m not going to have much trouble faking it with you.”

“And I don’t think I’ll have much trouble pretending to be in love with you either,” Tristan admitted. It was true, he pretended for a while since…well since Piper’s mother. With more women than he probably should have ever gotten involved with.

Then again, heartbroken didn’t mean dead, and certainly not impotent. Clearly though Beryl thought he meant something else, judging by her eyes widening in something between surprised and alarmed. Great, last thing he needed was for her to think he was a crazy fan who lucked into a fake relationship with her. He wasn’t crazy.

“I mean, we’re both good at what we do and we’re not a bad match. On paper anyway.”

“Or in the papers,” Beryl added with obvious relish that made her seem more dangerous. Like a rattlesnake rattle. “We just need to agree to boundaries and keep it professional.”

Tristan held his arms wide in an open, exaggerated ‘of course’ gesture. “Boundaries and professionalism are no problem.”

She giggled, sipped her sweet tea. “No problems, no unnecessary unscripted drama.”

“Of course. Just play it natural.”

“Naturally.” Beryl smiled, toyed with her straw.

…

“Natural” lasted about four months and then they end up in bed at her place.

Either way, Beryl was impressed with both of them for different reasons. It turned out Tristan McLean was something of a romance prodigy: soul of a poet and body of a bodice-ripper pirate off a paperback.

It had been a while since she had actually seen the original movie, and she never did read the book, but Beryl was certain that people were supposed to swoon at Wesley’s “as you wish” and not Inigo’s “You killed my father, prepare to die”. When Tristan read it aloud though, that wasn’t the case. She had hitched her rocket to the right shooting star. Or something to that effect.

It was hard to keep them all straight, she might’ve had a pair of martinis tonight. Oh and a daiquiri but that seemed so long ago.

Drinks aside she was impressed with herself, impressed that she had lasted this long. Sure the two of them had agreed to keep things professional, or rather “natural”, but that just meant they were “naturally” letting things go further and faster.

Between her being up for consideration as a guest appearance on Law & Order and him being understudy for a staged production of “The Princess Bride”, they had grown closer and closer. Maybe not emotionally, he hadn’t talked about his past that much and neither of them introduced the other to their respective children (thank goodness) but boundaries continued to be tested and they continued to test them.

Dinners with ‘friends’ got steadily more regular, and they’d sit closer and closer together.One dinner they sat so close that she didn’t notice or object when his hand stayed on her knee until the check arrived. And their kisses in public were reserved to shy pecks on the cheeks or brief touches of lip, but then she’d put a hand on the small of his back or tuck a finger in the waistband of his jeans to feel beginnings of well-trimmed fuzz that she realized she wasn’t faking her flirting for possible cameras. No, she actually craved him.

And when they were watching B-movies together, something they called “research” but was really a way to unwind and laugh at the misfortune actors trapped in contracts playing ridiculous clichés, it was clear he wanted her too. She didn’t blame him, that was unstoppable, but how he pursued it was new and exciting. The first night he had paid more attention to the movie than her, then asked her about it in-depth, arguing about quality of the lead actresses. Then they were laughing together at bad special effects around the dead-serious fading action stars fast approaching their forties and fifties.

By the third time she had gotten used to his hand on her knee, but when it strayed into the hem of her skirt and ‘twanged’ one of her nylons with a deliberate flick, she knew he was wanting more. Just careful about it, careful to tell her where there wouldn’t be cameras to catch her rebuffing or arguing. Which was considerate, since they hadn’t scheduled a break-up or a fight yet. Trying that without a script could get messier than necessary.

No she resolved to let him down gently, in private, with the courtesy and professionalism they had agreed to going into this. He deserved that much, both of them did.

Again, that was the plan, really it was. Problem was those martinis. Alright, and the daiquiri she supposed.

She made the right call taking her shoes off, the heels on the hardwood might’ve woken up the children and she’d be mortified if this was the night one of them walked in.

But try as she might she couldn’t keep down the case of the giggles when he muzzled her neck. “Take me to bed.”

“As you wish,” he vowed playfully, lips on the shell of her ear. He had told her he knew this trick but she didn’t believe him, but with a few sharp twists of his tongue and sudden pressure he had removed both her earrings. He took the time to break apart from her to drop them from his lips into his palm and put them on the vanity, not dropping his a devious smile.

Oh but she wasn’t having any of that. “I don’t want the farmboy, give me Dread Pirate Roberts.”

“Well in that case,” he growled as he advanced, forcing her to back up against the foot of her bed, unbuttoning the rest of his shirt. “I should warn you; the Dread Pirate Roberts takes no prisoners!”

He lunged which caught her off-guard and gave her another frightful fit of the giggles, and she let out an 'ooft!’ of surprise when he picked her up and threw her bodily to bounce disoriented on silk sheets. She had just enough time for one luxurious stretch to show all her legs in the bunched up dress to tease him, but only that much time and then he was on her, and she was pleading for him to hurry and take no prisoners.

He ignored her pleas though, and handled her clothing with reverence that frustrated her and made her shiver with want.

She was glad he didn’t though, it must have cost hundreds, that one slinky number she picked out just for him. The lingerie she was being worshiped in right now must’ve cost two or… o-or… oh…

Calculating the cost of her wardrobe could wait.

“Please… please there… love me…” she hated how broken her voice was sounding when she urged him on. Hated how she sounded closer to tears than satisfaction, and yes satisfaction was definitely coming.

No, this wasn’t her begging. This was a sure thing, a home run. He was more than a little in love with her. She could tell this, she wasn’t ever going to get left again. She wasn’t only for being used, she wasn’t possessed, and she wasn’t going to be alone.

No, he was going to love her and Tristan McLean didn’t have a wife and a family somewhere else. He’d grow old and she’d not hate herself seeing him staying young while she was wasted away.

She didn’t mind his kisses were the imitation of that electricity, she could fake the sparks if it meant not being alone.

Oh…

…

Boundaries definitely got crossed.

This whole thing felt like a mistake. Tristan expected, had accepted, the whole thing being a lie but not one that’d go this far.

But it had been months and he hadn’t tried since he had met Beryl at that party, since then he hadn’t tried to forget and try to love someone else.

He had to try again after all, he refused to begin to think that something in his heart wasn’t just broken but dead.

Oh, and Beryl certainly hadn’t any complaints, no.

Honestly she seemed more surprised than turned on (and she was plenty turned on) when he took charge in bed. It wasn’t like she didn’t know what she was doing, but he had to prove something and he had taken great satisfaction in making her beg, curse, and most definitely scream. He had a love-bite all across his collarbone where she had latched teeth to his clavicle when he pulled her sideways into his lap and she desperately muffled her screams biting down on him hard enough to feel like she had broken skin and bruised bone.

Not that she hadn’t given as good as she got. She had risen to every challenge, rode him like a she was rodeo star, holding back another scream biting her fist stuffed against her mouth. Then again when he pressed up against her and into her, forcibly and repeatedly from behind, he could make out just over the knocking headboard that same cry of want muffled into her pillow.

They tried nearly everything in a short time, with more definitely to come. But the problem arose in missionary, where and whenever he looked into her eyes when he was trying to lose himself in her and saw the truths that chilled him even as he dripped sweat and satisfaction; she wasn’t who he wanted her to be, and she was trying to do the same exact thing he was.

So he drowned out her pleas to love her, harder or faster or anyway else, ignored her eyes being too desperate, greedy, and faded, and he buried his face in her hair and buried the rest of him deeper still.

No matter though. In the beginning of the night the illusion held, but at the start of the day he knew better. He’d not be able to love this lonely, wanting, grasping creature any more than he had loved another since Piper’s mother, not so completely and purely. Something was wrong with him that he could not be in that place again with someone else. But maybe that she couldn’t either was a sign of hope and not despair.

Or maybe she was recovering and he was dragging her down, maybe he wasn’t giving her enough credit. He doubted it though.

Who could really tell? Maybe it all meant nothing. Oh, Tristan doubted that most of all but he found comfort in that lie.

Food for later thought then, with food for thought ready to wait behind actual food. Least he could do was make some breakfast. He didn’t think he’d step on any toes, however well off Beryl might be this seemed a very private, compact home that probably didn’t have a chef, maid, or butler he might end up running into.

So he pulled on his jeans and stuffed feet into his boots, having worn down the heels enough not to worry about waking up ‘lady company’ on his way tiptoeing out of boudoirs. He spared a look behind at Beryl, curled up as lithe, naked, and satisfied as a well fed cat in tangled sheets, smile on her face making her look decades younger.

Tempting as it was Tristan opted not to wake her with a kiss. His notably successful experience taught him women responded better to well-cooked bacon than half-baked imitations of fairytales.

Downstairs, the metallic fridge had scarce space to observe his reflection but it was enough for him to notice a few angry looking scratches Beryl made against his hips. He chuckled, and opened the refrigerator to dig through and find milk that was thankfully still fresh, two eggs, and some unopened packets of Canadian bacon. He shut the door, bacon packets in teeth, and set it all down on marble countertop before looking for a pan to scramble the eggs.

It took a whole history of improv classes for him not to scream and panic at the tiny “Mad Max” extra already sitting at table watching him critically, eating string cheese.

She had blue eyes, sharper blue than Beryl, but had the same chin and faint smattering of freckles across nose and cheekbones destined to grow sharp and aristocratic. There the similarities ended, both coloring and fashion, with this girl having long and messy dark hair done up in choppy leonine mane that made her seem wild but smaller. She had a faded leather jacket overtop striped pjs, and the bizarre picture was completed with hot-dog slippers, one with felt mustard Velcro and the other with felt ketchup.

Beryl did mention she had children from a previous relationship in passing, but he didn’t think they were home. He didn’t think at all, and now Tristan made sense of all the times Beryl muffled her cries of pleasure, and now he felt immensely guilty about the noisy headboard. Most of all though he wished he was wearing a damn shirt. He had no idea how old this, um, girl-child was but she certainly was giving him an analytical look far beyond her years.

When she did speak, it was softer than he had expected. “So,” she nearly trilled, when he had been expecting a growl. “Are you my new dad or whatever?”

Oh.

Oh crud.

“It’s a bit more complicated than that,” Tristan began honestly, not to mention awkwardly.

He had no idea how right that was going to turn out to be.

~a few years’ worth of fighting/drama~

If it wasn’t for their children, none of this would ever have gone so far, which perfectly summed up all Beryl’s complicated feelings towards kids in general. They were cute, especially at first, and they loved unconditionally until they started talking back. Best of all though, and Beryl didn’t believe this until Jason started to walk on his own, children really did make you feel young.

When they were little of course, and then they started to give you grey hairs. Thalia’s mouthy little preteen self must’ve cost her hundreds in hair-dye. 

Of course they loved Tristan though.

From past experiences, she had assumed he left before morning when she woke up alone. When she smelled food, her initial pleasure died immediately at the thought of Thalia using the stove again, and she quickly threw on a robe and sprinted down.

The domestic scene caught her off-guard, but not in an upsetting way. Rather an alien sort of happiness; it was the first time in her life Beryl had seen a family breakfast with family members who could stand each other. Idly, and pessimistically, she wondered if her joining in would spoil that.

“You cook,” Beryl noted, looking over Tristan flipping a second-helping of bacon for Thalia and Jason. Her wild-child daughter slurped down all orange juice that Beryl had been reserving for her mimosas, and Jason sat regally in his booster-seat, carefully using his colorful plastic breakfast spoon. His face was still a mess though, until Thalia proved she was good for something by cleaning up his cheeks with a napkin.

“Not too much,” Tristan demurred. “Oh, you’re out of milk.”

Honestly Beryl didn’t remember buying milk. She sat down and ate sparingly, watching Tristan clean a glass wearing a spotless apron that she didn’t remember buying either. It wasn’t a bad view. Certainly wasn’t bad cooking.  

“He seems nice,” Thalia murmured through bits of eggs.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Beryl snapped reflexively. Taking stock in this new development demanded all her attention. … “Come again?”

“I’d love to but I really have to go.” Pausing in the middle of pulling on her sundress only to give him a wink, Beryl returned to her extensive vanity to browse through lipsticks. She had an impressive collection of shades and colors Tristan couldn’t name. 

“No, you know what I mean,” he insisted. “Why can’t you find a sitter?” “My usual one has a thing, completely unreliable.” Beryl picked a shade of maroon with an erotic sheen. “Why should I spend my money to hire a stranger? I have you. And the kids love you. Jason always asks about you. Well he also thinks Triskets are named after you but he’s still a good judge of character.”

Now Tristan was starting to worry about the presumption. They’ve had this 'arrangement’ for close to a year now, and apart from a few dozen breakfasts he prepared the morning after he spent the night he hadn’t really interacted with Thalia or Jason to the 'babysitting’ extent. “Beryl, I might’ve had plans.” “Well, do you?”

“No, well… no.” He thought about it. “I’ve been reading through scripts but so far the only thing I learned was avoid titles with Roman numerals.”

“That’s nice.”

“Piper, I don’t have a sitter for her on this sort notice.”

“That’s perfect.”

“Beryl, no, you have to listen. I can’t just leave her by herself–”

“I heard you Tristan,” Beryl interrupted breezily, trying on sunglasses. “Bring her over.”

“What?”

“Bring her over, she and Jason are the same age, aren’t they?” Beryl picked her sunglasses, apparently by rhinestone ratio, and was now pursuing her collection of handbags. “And Thalia could benefit from some more responsibility. And you keep saying how you want Piper to make friends?”

That actually did sound tempting. “I guess that could work.”

“Of course.” Beryl picked out a small, sparkly clutch that matched her sunglasses. 

“But look, favors aside, you can’t spring these things on short notice anymore.”

“I wouldn’t if it wasn’t important.” Now her tone was getting defensive. “Didn’t I tell you my usual sitter was unavailable, unreliable, and by the time I’m finished absolutely un-hirable?" 

"Fine, I said I’d do it. Might be nice." 

"Of course." 

"What’s the occasion?”

“I’ve a date.”

Now Beryl turned to him, looking over her sunglasses at him, one stenciled eyebrow (when did she redo those?) raised almost incredulously. Clearly the answer was supposed to be obvious. 

“I’m glad you’re clearing that up,” Tristan managed, though it came out a little more clipped than he would’ve liked it to. “Clears up a lot.”

“You’re not upset, are you?” Beryl asked, gaze probing. 

“A little but I don’t see why I should be,” he answered, tone a little more even than before now that he was prepared. “I hardly kept us exclusive.”

“Works out perfectly,” Beryl smiled. “And you’re still the best man to have on my arm.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Tristan assured cheerily. He kept up his forced smile until she left, and only then did he fall back in bed fighting the urge to go out and hit something. 

Took him a minute to remember he really was still seeing other people if his casual arrangement with Jane counted. He nearly forgot. 

Guess that was the sort of man he was becoming. … The first day of school for Jason was resurfacing bad memories. Beryl’s breakfast of toast with pistachio butter was in danger of resurfacing too, bile rising in the back of her throat worse than any stage fright. She willed herself to hold it together, last thing she wanted was to be one of those mothers who was crying just as much as the clinging toddlers.

She couldn’t help it though, it was like she was back getting ready to leave him all over again and… No. She made her choice, she made the right one, and she’d be right back. She refused to believe otherwise.

“You’ve got your lunch?”

“Yes mom." 

"All your books?”

“Yes mom, and pencils." 

"Good, good,” she took a fortifying breath. “Don’t be scared, or at least don’t let the other kids know you’re scared.”

“I’m not.” If Beryl was being completely honest, Jason looked more prepared for this than she felt by a miles. He had always been a thoughtful little prince, except now he was standing at attention to wait for permission to walk up to the front door with other first graders, completely at ease.

Definitely his father’s son. Her beautiful boy.

“You’ll make plenty of friends,” she boasted.

“Yes mom.”

“If you get nervous you can ask to go to the nurse and you get her to call me right away.” She smiled sweetly. “Alright?”

“I’ll try not to bother you.”

“You won’t,” though Beryl wasn’t sure that was a good thing if she didn’t get another role. She was well on her way to being put out to pasture as an actress unless she established herself in serious roles, and soon. On a lighter note, for them both, she added “and you’ll have at least one friend going in, you’ll never guess who..?”

Jason waited patiently, knowing his mother well enough to not deny her the big reveal.

“Piper,” she cooed. Those two were just the cutest together. Even if she and Tristan hadn’t gotten involved, and if she was completely unbiased, she’d still love how photogenic her little prince looked with the teeny Cherokee beauty queen. The playdates between the two of them were Hallmark card level adorable. 

Now Jason reacted, his stoic expression shifting briefly into something like terror, then sulky. “I don’t feel so well.”

“Oh hush,” she laughed, lightly guiding him to the stairs. “Love you baby!” Oh to be young and have your biggest problems be cooties and puppy-love butterflies-in-the-stomach. 

Speaking of, she’d have to check her answering machine when she got back home. Maybe one agency had gotten back while she was out.

“Excuse me? Um, excuse me?” Beryl Grace was tapped on the shoulder, and when she turned around there was a woman in her mid to late 20s who looked as excited as a high school girl. She wasn’t not pretty but judging by the sweater vest with the food stain on it, she had given up on whatever dreams came independent of motherhood years ago.

She immediately put Beryl on edge. “Can I help you?” Though what she really wanted to ask was, in most sarcastic tone possible, 'do I know you?’ But she knew enough from her years of being single mother with Thalia that making enemies at her children’s school only would come back to haunt her.

Besides, women like this tended to travel in herds or packs.

“Are you, and I’m so sorry if I’m off, but are you..? Aren’t you Beryl Grace?”

Sure enough, she was surrounded. Apparently this was a pack of mothers and not of herd. For a brief moment Beryl wondered if the heard about her from all of Thalia’s old schools before she was sent to New York. Thankfully that didn’t seem to be the case, their faces were more expectant than accusatory. And it always felt good to be in the spotlight, to be center of attention. “Oh, shoot. Yes that’s me, I didn’t want this to become this whole scene–”

“OhmyGod you know Tristan McLean!”

What? “Why yes… yes I do.”

“You’re dating Tristan McLean,” the lead soccer mom gushed, and some of the others were blushing, making spectacles of fanning themselves or giggling like teenagers, even the one with short hair that Beryl would’ve bet her left leg was a lesbian. 

“Yes, have been about…” Now Beryl pretended to think about it, feigning a convincingly sly smile. “Oh nearly two years now. The time just flies by, where does it go?" 

"You have got to dish,” one of the women pleaded, and the others soon echoed the request excitedly. 

Beryl halfheartedly 'dished’ some scandalous gossip, not willing to pass an opportunity to be center of attention. The rest of her was focused on bottling up seething jealousy. … Tristan had some reservations about this, but the only way he would’ve been able to afford to live in a place as nice as the Grace family’s home and pay for Piper’s tuition was if he took that modeling deal.

While the offered money was good, the articles of clothing he’d be expected to wear put him at ill-ease. The day he oiled up his chest and posed in what amounted to a leather washcloth for everyone to see was the day he’d bash his brains out with a brick. 

Besides, it only took a little convincing from Beryl in a tight wrap-around dress (which he already figured out how to untie one-handed) and from Piper’s infectious delight that she and her 'boyfriend’ would be moving in together. Piper actually believed it was Jason’s idea and that he invited them both over. Which Tristan had to admit must seem a great deal more romantic than moving in with your girlfriend-of-convenience to avoid having to jump through financial hoops. Plus he liked to think maybe this was Beryl’s way of coping with a slightly emptier nest after she was sent to a… Camp in New York. He doubted it though; he was there to drive Beryl to drop off Thalia off at the airport and the young girl practically sprinted out. 

Tristan couldn’t find a fault with Beryl’s relationship with Jason, but then again that was one good kid. On that much he agreed with Piper. They were getting old enough that they might be needing the talk, and Tristan wasn’t looking forward to that at all.

Besides, Jason was too good a young man to worry about all that now. In fact, right now he was helping bring up boxes for the move.

Maybe too many at a time. “Whoa there son, hold your horses. You don’t need to be setting any records.”

“Piper asked me to help,” Jason replied matter-of-factly, looking terribly resigned.

Tristan smiled, hiding a twinge of worry. This was becoming more the norm for the boy, though he only got these glimpses of Jason’s feelings when Piper wasn’t around to (more or less) speak for him. It didn’t seem like healthy behavior even if a crush was involved. “Jason, I appreciate how good a friend you’ve been to Piper these past few years but really, you don’t have to do something just because she asks, not if you don’t want to.”

“Really? Is that the way it is with you and my mom?” Jason asked levelly, looking Tristan hard in the eye for reaction. 

This time Tristan wasn’t able to completely mask his embarrassment or worry. “That’s not completely the same Jason, I mean, love is complicated.”

Now Jason raised an eyebrow. “Love?" 

Tristan hadn’t actually been in trouble with the law, apart from that misunderstanding with police after an 'unscripted’ fight he and Beryl got into. He played both defendant and lawyer on different shows though, but never got cross-examined as convincingly as now. "Adults,” he amended, for Jason’s benefit. “Adults are complicated.”

“Uh-huh,” Jason hefted the boxes purposefully, going inside Chateau Grace. “Please don’t call me son.”

Ouch. … The very first time they went to the beach, they hadn’t brought the kids and picked a place with plenty of sun and privacy. Beryl thought those trips were the closest she had come to being perfectly happy with Tristan; but that changed when Piper turned thirteen and was sent to… learn self-control in New York with Thalia at that special Camp. 

Now he insisted on bringing the children. All the while Beryl fought tooth and nail against it (once literally, but she was only trying to slap sense into him, honestly) but Tristan wouldn’t drop it. 

Maybe he wanted to spend time with all the kids for a change, maybe he wanted to show off the body that got him considered for that King of Sparta movie. It was down to him and some Scottish actor now, and Beryl was betting on Tristan for the role since he didn’t have to worry about accent slipping.

She could’ve been wrong, except now they weren’t on a private beach, and Tristan spent most of his time by the water signing autographs. And maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if most of those autographs weren’t for college girls with itty-bitsy swimsuits. 

She pretended not to notice, and he pretended she wasn’t watching… until he deliberately met her eyes, signing a girl’s cleavage in waterproof marker.

Beryl ground her teeth, letting out a frustrated huff, looking for an ally. 

Unfortunately Piper was out in the water with Jason, teaching him to surf. Despite all Jason’s protests when he was apart from Piper, he didn’t seem to mind as much now since she brought a bikini. And despite her self-avowed tomboy-isms, Piper never seemed to mind falling over into Jason’s arms every time she convinced him to go along with some new game.

Oh to be that young and stupid again. 

That left Beryl with just Thalia to talk to… great.

“So,” she attempted. “Tell me about this Percy Jackson boy, he sounds interesting.”

Thalia looked suspicious, the sun darkened up the freckles along the edge of her brow to make for a more expressive look of disdain. “He’s Jason’s age. And we’re just friends.”

“Well what about that Luke boy, he seemed nice-?”

“Well turned out he wasn’t.”

“Oh. Well I’m sorry.”

“We don’t have to talk.” Thalia put her headphones back on. “Luke is dead, Percy is dating a girl who’s like my little sister, and Jason is practically dating a girl who I can’t stand who’s basically my stepsister. I haven’t dated since Luke and all the boys and girls” Thalia gave Beryl a nasty look at that reminder, “you introduced were horrible.”

Yes, so Beryl made some unfortunate assumptions about her daughter’s dating experiences, but she didn’t think it was uncalled for her to think outside the box when it came to Thalia’s romantic interests. She had tried to keep an open mind. “Wait, Luke died?”

“Mhmm, and we’re all caught up.” Thalia turned up the volume on her CD player. “Thanks.”

Beryl pushed her sunglasses back on to cover up how fast she started blinking to keep back tears.

This was unbearably unfair.

Since when did no one recognize her? And when did she become the bad guy?

~betrayals, a wreck, and reconciliation~

Tristan respected Jason’s wishes, didn’t bother to act like he was suddenly father of the year material. Still, he couldn’t stop from worrying.

Jason and Piper dated on-and-off, and that worried him enough, except Piper seemed convinced she and Jason were meant to be while Jason seemed to be less sure. He had been writing letters (seriously, Tristan came to terms with Jason being an 'old soul’, but what boy his age didn’t have a cell phone?) to someplace with a California zip code. Meanwhile he hadn’t made an effort to give Piper a Skype chat.

That wasn’t even the worst part. Yes, Tristan disapproved of his daughter pursuing a boy who was indecisive and noncommittal about a relationship. Also was worried that Jason felt trapped in a relationship built up by expectations and didn’t see a way out that didn’t involve a lot of hurt feelings. Yes Tristan was worried about both of them being hurt, but he was more worried about how Jason seemed to have already been hurt and kept silent.

First he suspected Piper was pressuring him but he shut down that train of thought, believing it was both too ridiculous and horrifying to take seriously. Besides, it wouldn’t explain things like the books Jason had taken to reading. At first it was mostly history books, but all with 'war’ as the theme, and then books on PTSD.

Tristan had even found notes with Jason’s handwriting in one of scripts for a proposed Jonathan Netanyahu biopic Tristan had been preparing for. They were distressingly extensive notes.

They were the notes of someone who had seen some very real shit go down.

Really this brought things like Jason’s somber maturity, his mysterious contact in L.A., all that purple he kept wearing, and his firsthand accounts of losing friends to violence all to an unmistakable conclusion… but how was Tristan supposed to tell Beryl her son was in a gang?

Worse, how could he get Beryl to listen?

He headed to Beryl’s room. He had taken the guest bedroom after they had agreed to start sleeping in separate rooms about eight months ago, claimed it was more comfortable. Really though, this was easier on them both to keep their own… affairs in order. Tristan took pride, at first, in keeping things discreet. There never was any lipstick on his collar when he came home, or perfume on his clothes. When he did start to slip up, Beryl didn’t notice or didn’t show any sign that she cared.

Maybe that, plus his worry that Jason was not only two-timing his daughter but in a gang, was what put him already on edge when he saw Beryl was getting ready for another date.

“You get a callback?” He knew that was a longshot, she was dressed too slinky for business.

“Better,” she smiled, putting in earrings with a smile Tristan hadn’t seen for a while.

When she didn’t elaborate Tristan tried to press on. “Beryl, about Jason… I’m a little worried about his… mental health and wellbeing.”

Beryl gave him a long and contemptuous look, went back to putting on mascara.

“… Beryl this is important, I’m worried Jason might’ve gotten involved with–”

“Oh pft, I thought you’d be more open-minded.”

“Beryl are we talking about the same thing right now? I’m worried Jason might be involved in, well, in a gang.”

“Well she is Hispanic” Beryl mused, “but the gang thing seems a stretch.”

“… wait. What?”

“Oh don’t be so surprised, he’s made friends with a girl in his club. Name begins with an R, with like three last names, I wouldn’t be able to tell you what they are.”

This wasn’t expected. “Does Piper know?”

“He’s told her.” Beryl slipped on a pair of strappy heels.

“Beryl I really think we should talk more about this.”

“Agree to disagree, I made plans.”

“This is Jason’s mental and emotional well-being. I’d hope you could put aside your own bullshit for this and start acting like you cared about your family as much as you did your career.”

“How dare you. Is this really what you think this is?”

“Of course not, my mistake, you haven’t had a career in a decade. You never were really serious about acting or work at all, just getting into the papers.”

“That worked out very well for you, as I remember” she snapped.

“It made me as much a part of this family, more than you try to be most of the time, so one of us–”

“You are not part of this family, you are not Jason’s father, and Jason is in fine health. It’s what I’m going to tell his father tonight.”

That hit him in the gut like a sledgehammer. “He contacted you?”

“Just out of the blue,” Beryl sniffed haughtily. Then she added with maximum venom, “hasn’t Piper’s mother ever tried to keep in touch with you? No..? Well I guess you just didn’t leave a big enough impression on her to care about the family you might’ve had.” She put on a light coat. “Keep that in mind before you start looking down on my choices, I’ve been doing pretty well. Oh, and I might be late tonight so don’t bother waiting up. Thanks 'hon.’”

…

Beryl returns home, early.

Everything was going so smoothly. Everything was magical. For a change she was back in the finest restaurant without riding on Tristan’s coattails, drinking glass after glass of fine wine, with gorgeous blue eyes locked on her like she was the only woman that mattered.

She should never have thought that she really was, because the second she brought up his wife everything felt a shit. Oh he was proud of how the children turned out, he was always proud of the children, and he made sure to tell her she had aged gracefully and he was still a big fan of all of her movies. Even the recent ones.

There hasn’t been a movie with her in it for the last five years, and the last one was direct to DVD and had Roman numerals in it.

And she has aged, gracefully doesn’t matter, and he hasn’t and never will. He didn’t want her anymore, he just wanted to make sure she still wanted him. Damn him she did, just when she thought maybe she had a chance at going through the motions of being happy she throws it all the way for him.

He called her out of the blue and he disappeared into the night just as quickly. She goes home early and she doesn’t go in her bedroom because she doesn’t want to see herself in the full length mirror with running mascara, and she doesn’t go into the guest bedroom because she can’t face Tristan. She goes into her daughter’s old room instead, because where a normal girl might have a vanity mirror Thalia had posters of Nirvana and Xena and…

Tristan McLean’s oiled up chest.

Beryl tore down the poster of that trashy sword-and-sandal imitation-epic “King of Sparta” with an indignant howl of rage before collapsing in the messy twin bed to scream her frustrations into a grungy pillowcase.

Of course if there was a conspiracy to keep her from being happy, Thalia would be in on it.

…

The next few days, Tristan doesn’t go back to the Grace home. He stays with Jane, he goes to parties, he rents hotel rooms.

Whenever Thalia visits, it’s usually for work, and she usually rents hotel rooms. Tristan never asked what she did, or maybe he did and never found out, but it paid well enough to keep her in upscale hotels with a new leather jacket for every occasion.

Neither one of them are strapped for cash then, but when they unexpectedly meet up, both of them still say they ought to share a room to save some money.

That’s what they tell themselves, that’s not what happens.

There is a rational part of him that insists he did nothing wrong, nothing illegal. Then a vindictive side (much larger than he would like) that says this is justice, perfect revenge. And a buried, lustful creature in the pit of his stomach demands he take more and more until he forgets everything else.

He does, repeatedly, and they’re both satisfied several times each.

Then it’s over, really over, this time with a chill in the room that gets both of them to realize how empty they feel.

Tristan tries to listen in the silence but his conscience isn’t speaking to him. He feels trapped and sick.

Always the brave girl, now Thalia is the first to get ready to flee, sliding out of bed and pulling on boyshorts and jeans in one impatient tug. When she slides on her shirt, he tries to say something.

“We shouldn’t hav–”

“I know… believe me, I know.”

One name she mentioned in passing comes to mind, and he can’t stop himself from asking “Who was Luke?”

She pauses in the middle of tying up the laces of her left boot. “A boy I thought I loved.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why?”

“Because… you got disappointed.”

“He liked blondes better.”

“Oh.”

“And then he died,” her voice cracked in the middle of pulling on her right boot. “Killed himself.”

“I’m…” There’s no fixing this, or coming back from this. He’s been with college girls and starlets Thalia’s age. He’s had romances that felt real and flings without expectations. Never with a woman that he remembered as a girl who wore hotdog slippers around the house until they fell apart.

“It’s fine. Guess I never really knew him.”

“Maybe.”

“Guess I never knew you either. Didn’t think of you like this.” Didn’t think you were like this goes unspoken but he can hear it crystal clear in the silence.

“… I didn’t think of you at all.”

If his words hurt, she doesn’t let it show. “Did you love Piper’s mother at least?”

“I might’ve… could have if she gave me the chance.”

“What was her name?”

He laughed, and it’s as bitter as he feels. “I can’t even remember.” He hadn’t admitted that to anyone before.

Then Thalia asks the question he never could answer. “How messed up are you?”

…

Of course Beryl finds out. Thankfully the press don’t, and that’s a miracle by itself. It would’ve killed her if the tabloids got hold.

The car wreck nearly killed them both, and in the state she was in Beryl almost would’ve preferred it.

She didn’t make sense of the darkness, of the white noise after the world turned into thunder and screaming, and she doesn’t want to go back to the pain. But she doesn’t know anything else and she’s so afraid.

Then she was rescued, like in a fairytale, by a shining knight. It was like she imagined, though far less glamorous than she had wished. She always wanted him to swoop in and rescue her.

Except the eyes weren’t blue, and she knew it had to be Tristan. Funny, she thought she would rather die than be in his arms again. That seemed stupid now.

“Somebody up there must really like you.”

Beryl spun around. “What?”

There was a slim man in a uniform, not military but like for a bike messenger service, something decidedly unglamorous that he wore with distinction. “I said 'someone up there must really like you’, though honestly I can’t tell why.”

What happened to the car accident? She thought for sure she was being pulled out, she thought she saw Tristan…

Sharp whistle. “That way,” the messenger pointed with a pair of snakes(?) on a stick, remarking “in case you have questions–”

Beryl looked, and her car in shambles, practically flipped on its side. Further away, following a trail of crushed glass and red smears, she saw Tristan kneeling over a woman. His hands pumping furiously on her ribs in a frantic tempo. It must’ve been agony for him, his hands were splintered lumps of fractures and shredded skin.

Her face was obscured by blonde hair caked in enough blood to turn it a rust color, and her clothes in worse shape from where they were torn when Tristan dragged her from the crash.

When Tristan dragged her from the crash.

No… Oh no…

“'fraid so,” the messenger sympathetically clicked his tongue. “Don’t worry though… not your curtain call just yet.”

Beryl’s world turned black and red in a sudden burst of fear and pain.

…

The first person he ends up calling is Piper, he had to ask one of the nurses to help him dial the numbers. With the medication and the gauze, his fingers don’t seem real. Feels more like stiff, wet gloves. Tristan didn’t even want to know how they would feel when the pain meds ran out.

Piper is in a panic, tearful and hugging him tightly, but she rallies. Damn if his girl wasn’t strong enough for them both when he felt like falling to pieces.

She tells him that she’s called Jason, and he’ll be on his way. She tried but she could not reach Thalia, but Tristan tells her he knows what hotel to call.

Piper knows. That’s all it takes for her to figure out what has happened. She had a nose for gossip, romance, and scandal that was completely at odds with her disdain for Hollywood bullshit. Her expression goes tight lipped for a moment, but she doesn’t judge him yet. He knows it’ll come later, but for now Tristan is glad to wait.

“You saved her life,” Piper says at last, judiciously. “That has to count for something.”

“Yes I… I suppose so.”

“Of course it does.” She hugs him, more carefully this time.

He never wants to let her go. Tristan knows all the things that he wants to say to her, that he wants her to be happy, and that she deserve someone who loves her just as much as she loves them, that the perfect life she’s imagining will always be more complicated…

He manages to tell her that he loves her, and that will be enough for now.

She leaves to call Jason again, to contact Thalia, and he goes to Beryl’s room.

There’s a lone nurse there in pink scrubs, he’s not sure what she’s doing. Looks important though. “Sir, she needs her rest, and only family should be back here.”

“Right now I’m all that she has,” he insists. “I’ve called her family, our kids I mean. They’re on their ways, they should be? They should be but right now it’s just me.” He feels like he’s flubbing his lines at an audition, only so much worse.

The nurse nods patiently. “She seems like a lucky woman.”

“It’s more complicated than that.”

Now the nurse smiles, but eyes are looking sad… and change colors. “I know. Press the button if you need anything.”

It takes her walking away for Tristan to recognize her voice, or at least to think he does. He just remembers she was probably the most beautiful woman he had seen since…

He sits down next to Beryl and holds her hand. It seems so much more papery and frail, but he feels a pulse where his fingertips touch her wrist. It’s enough to get him to hope and he needs it, especially when his insides feel like they’re being tied into knots.

Not certain who or what he’s praying to, he bows his head and whispers over and over “please please… please…”

…

When Beryl wakes up her head is pounding, it hurts when she breathes, there’s a drip-drip from an IV, the TV is playing old movies, and Tristan doesn’t notice. She lets him think she’s still asleep a little longer, watching him watch the TV.

It’s the iconic final scene of ’Sunset Boulevard’, with the delusional silent film star all misguided glamour descending from the staircase, soaking in the attention of the news cameras with desperate, heartbreaking pleasure.

Of course she notices the similarities, and judging by the queasy look on his face Tristan does too.

The poor man deserved a fairytale romance. Then again, so did she at one point, she’s sure of it. How’d they end up with this? With each other?

She clears her throat and he changes the channel in a hurry, a rerun of ’The Brady Bunch’ starts playing instead.

“I’ll… I’ll get someone, a nurse–”

“No. Not yet.” Her voice is so hoarse, which makes sense given her throat feels like sandpaper. Worse than any hair-of-the-dog she’s ever had, or ever will have again. After what nearly happened… “It still could be so much worse,” she says aloud, surprising him.

He laughs weakly, clumsily brushing back hair with bandaged, ruinous clubs for hands. “I guess so.”

“I think… I think you should move out.”

“I was thinking the same… I’ll look for places.”

“A new castle for the king of Sparta?”

“Something like that.”

“…You’ll manage to visit?“

"I… I’ll try. If you’d like.”

She thinks on it. “Yes. I wouldn’t mind.”

“Then I wouldn’t mind either.”

“If you have the time,” she amends.

He nods back, assures “I’ll make time.”

That would be a trick even the king of gods never managed for Beryl. Maybe Tristan would though.

“I love you,” she admits, even though she’s not sure what sort of love she has for him after all this. The man she built up, dragged down to her level, who pulled her out of a wreck? Almost a decade and she didn’t even know what to make of him, or her feelings for him.

He just smiled his best young Harrison Ford. “I know.”

She snorts, closing her eyes and feeling how tired, sore, and thirsty she was all in one wave of exhaustion. “You’re being a real method actor right now,” she warns.

“You too.”

“Hm?”

“… I love you too,” Tristan admits, softly.

And Beryl can tell he’s just as unsure about it as she is, and that only makes sense given everything that happened between them. It’s how she knows it’s real too.

Good. They’ve done enough pretending.

[rarepairproject-blog]

Still impressed you took on a pairing this rare1 Absolutely amazed by the work that went into this :))

[percyinpanties]

Pairing: Jason/Percy Marvel/superhero Au, loads of angst, eventual happy ending. 10.8 k atm - chapter & being updated in weeks to come!

Here we go, my entry for the @rarepairproject ! I shall link my wonderful artists’ work as soon as they post it, but since this is not a finished piece either I would feel bad giving them anything but all the time they need.

I am planning to update this in bigger, abt. 4k long chapters, as I have large plans for the plots and for once, actually everything thought through beforehand. It would mean the world to me if you let me know what you think, as it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything but a little drabble/ficlet. :)

[rarepairproject-blog]

Yay Posting and Sharing Time!

I was absent the last week, since I had to move earlier than expected and no access to internet at all. So I’m very sorry I answered many questions only today, a little late.

Thanks to everybody who has participated in this project and still is doing so! It means the world to me!

I know organisation wasn’t very smooth which, since I am doing it by myself, is very much my fault. I did have some help sending out messages and going over summaries, so a huge thank you to @annieismyfavourite!

I’m still very happy with how many people participated and are still working on their entries, which I will share as soon as they get done. Plus, I think I learned a few things for possible future projects ;)

If you have any feedback to give, message me or send an ask, I’m always looking for hints and tips for the next time :)

As for posting - take your time if you need to and notify me as soon as your done aso I Iwon’t forget to share.

 From my part, this is the end of the mini bang, but of course I will still share any late entireds.

 If I haven’t shared yours, give me a nudge and I will fix that of course. I haven’t been able to find a few corresponding fics or artworks just now, ao I am afraid I might have forgotten someone who already posted :(

[redroseworks]

Bασίλειο και η Αγάπη

Απόλλων πεθαίνει

The kingdom of Delphi was once ruled by a kind king named Apollo Papadopoulos and whoever was his spouse for the time being, at the time of his death it was a young man named Paolo Montes. King Apollo had six children in all. The eldest was Lee Fletcher, the son of his second wife, and his heir. Second was Octavian Rome, son of his second wife, and back up heir slash Lee’s advisor. Next was Michael Yew, the son of a mistress he had while married to Octavian’s mother, and the commander of the Army of Delphi. Then Will Solace, son of his fourth wife, and the royal doctor’s apprentice. After Will was born Kayla Knowles, Apollo’s only daughter, was born with her mother being unknown besides a last name, also Kayla is Micheal’s appreciate. Last is Austin Lake, son of his fifth wife, and Austin is a very talented musician.

King Apollo Papadopoulos died one night of a heart attack. His third husband, Paolo, was found weeping over his body by Kayla the next morning. Kayla had ran out and found Chiron, the royal doctor and Will. When they had returned to the room, Paolo was still crying. They had to pull him away from the body.

The funeral happened the next morning. Octavian was late and Kayla glared at him as he sat far away from her as he could. She was seating next to Michael, Paolo, Lee and Lee’s husband, Prince Castor of Bacchus. Will and Austin were assisting in the funeral service, as King Apollo had requested prior to his death. Kayla blinked back her tears. There was no way she would cry in front of all these people.

Paolo placed a hand on her shoulder, “Your Papa was a good man. He was always very proud of you.”

“I-i-i…thank you.” Kayla whispered.

The following day, Lee was crowned King and Castor was made king consort. Kayla was happy for them, Lee was a lot like Apollo in many ways and Castor was pretty nice. She was really surprised when the two asked to talk to her after the coronation. They also told her to change out of her coronation dress, because she looked like she was dying in it. Which she pretty much was. Drew, her personal maid, had made her wear a corset and had added an extra petticoat.

Kayla slipped into her room, with Drew following close behind. “My lady, you know if you wanted a quickie, you should have waited for the party to end. It only would have been a couple more minutes.” Drew whispered into her ear after closing the door. Drew kissed Kayla’s neck.

Kayla rolled her eyes, “I need to change because Lee wants me to meet with him and Castor in the throne room after the party. They told me to dress like myself.” Kayla said.

“So a pair of pants and a tunic? How boring.” Drew said before she bit Kayla’s neck. Kayla moaned quietly and pushed Drew away.

“You can pick the tunic out, after you help me out of this murderous dress.”

“Fine. And I get to redo your hair?” Drew ran her hand down Kayla’s back.

Kayla nodded, “Now, get to work my love.” She smiled.

She met Drew four years ago when Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Apollo’s sixth wife decided that Kayla needed a personal maid and hired Drew. The two girls fell in love two years later, when Kayla was thirteen and Drew was fifteen. Now two girls being in love wasn’t a problem and Kayla’s family knew that, like her father, she liked both boys and girls. But Drew was a maid, and as her father said royals don’t love anyone lower than the middle class. Drew was also the daughter of a witch in Athens, Delphi’s greatest enemy. And so a public relationship would put Drew in danger of being killed for coming into Delphi.

“You know, I love undressing you.” Drew said, as she untied Kayla’s corset.

“Really? I always thought you liked having me as your doll.” Kayla said.

“I do. But I like this more.”

In the Kingdom of Bacchus, a not very kind but fun loving king, Dionysus Dee and their wife, Ariadne. They had two sons twin, Pollux and Castor. No one knew which twin was the eldest so many thought it would have been hard to pick an heir. But Pollux became the heir after Castor told King Dionysus that he didn’t want to be king. And Castor was married off to Lee. The two had been good friends since they were young and many people thought they were dating. Pollux was determined to be a great king one day. He wanted to go down in history as the greatest and strongest king in all of Bacchus history. When Pollux heard that Castor’s father-in-law died, he automatically left to the Castle of Delphi. Riding on horseback he arrived during the coronation, where Castor told him to meet him and King Lee in the throne room after the party. Pollux walked up to the line of thrones as guests left. Castor smiled from his throne.

“So what do you wish to talk about my kings?” Pollux said.

“We must wait for one more person. How about you take a seat.” Castor smiled.

Pollux nodded and sat down in the throne next to Castor.

Castor had changed since last Pollux saw him, he seemed more serious. Then again he was a king consort now. Not quite a king but he still had a lot of power just handed to him. Castor had always been the more carefree twin. Now for the time being he had more power then Pollux. Of course another change was that Castor was wearing Delphian clothing, that was probably what made he so serious.

Pollux jumped at the sound of a door slamming. He recognized Princess Kayla instantly. And she was glaring at him.

When he first meet Kayla she had called him a stick in the mud. She had also kicked him. She had been ten and he had been thirteen. Nowadays they were on better terms because they both understood military talk. They also both made lewd jokes about Lee and Castor.

“Pollux please stand.” Lee said.

Pollux stood up and nodded at Kayla. She just rolled eyes.

“We had a talk last night about you two,” Lee said, “Me and Castor believe it would be in the best interest of both kingdoms if you two were to marry.”

“What?” Both Pollux and Kayla yelled at the same time.

“I have already sent a letter to father, if they approve of the union you two will be engaged. King Apollo had talked about it with us before-, um well he had said that a second relationship between the two countries would allow us to avoid war for years.” Castor said.

Pollux stared at him. He wanted to shout about Ethan, his boyfriend. But Ethan happened to be a convict. An ex-knight who was to never step foot in the palace agian. All because he stole a sword.

He did not want to marry Kayla, she was a child pretty much.

Kayla threw open Will’s door. Will quickly covered himself up while his boyfriend, Nico di Angelo, just waved at Kayla.

“Hello, Kayla.” Nico rolled his eyes.

“Hi, death boy….Will! You would not believe the amount of bullshit I just heard! They’re marrying me off to Pollux!” She yelled.

Will rolled his eyes, “Listen I love you and that’s tragic but can you give me a second to get dressed?” He asked.

Kayla sighed and stepped out the door.

This wasn’t the first time she has done this. Will fucked Nico pretty much every night. He loved Nico very much so Kayla didn’t see a problem with it. Through some people thought that in was unfit for him to be in bed with someone from Hades.

When Will opened the door his breast were out.

Kayla thought of how he had tried to remove them when they had first came in, and even through he doesn’t do anything dangerous like that anymore, everyone knows not to bring up his gender and parts. Him and Lee were both like that, but Lee never tried to cut off his boobs. Some people think that Kayla would be pissy about it, because she has no sisters, but she never was.

“So you are gonna marry Pollux?” Will said.

“Most likely, yes.”

“Kayla, you have three more people ahead of you for the throne maybe more if me or Lee gets pregnant. If you are to marry Pollux you would become a queen and you would have your own army. Plus I’m sure you can take whichever severant has been giving you hickeys.” Will patted her head.

Kayla blushed. “Perhaps marrying him wouldn’t be the end of the world and anyway his father must approve first so it’ll be a day or two before we know. Also you’re an asshole, when i told you I was fucking a serverant, you promised to never mentioned it again.” Kayla snarled at him.

“Good, now night. I have other things to attend to.” Will winked at her before closing his door.

The kingdom of Delphi was a very different world at night. It was dangerous and there was no rules.

But of course Pollux slipped away into the night, into the arms of a thief with one eye. Ethan had come along with Pollux to Delphi. And he was already getting into trouble based upon the blood on his hand.

“So, what’s up? You seem distracted.” Ethan asked him.

“Castor and King Lee want me to marry Kayla.” Pollux said.

“Ha! I heard she known to punch people in the gut or shoot arrows at them.” Ethan kissed Pollux’s cheek.

“Yes, she does do that. She’s a vicious little thing.”

“Little, indeed. If you were to fuck her, you would have to bottom or you would crush her.”

Pollux laughed.

He remembered when he had first met Ethan, they were ten and Ethan was nothing but a page. But Pollux took a quick liking to him after Ethan punched a knight for harassing Pollux’s secret little brother, Dakota, who was dressed as a girl in order to sneak into the palace to visit Pollux and Castor.

They shared a kiss when they were twelve and right then and there, Pollux realized he was in love with Ethan.

They shared many secret kisses for years. He loved Ethan more then anything in the whole wide world. But there was a few problems. His father would never approve of him courting someone who claimed to be an orphan and was a foreigner. Also Ethan was a known trouble maker. Stealing things, getting into fights and breaking rules.

When they were sixteen, they made love for the first time. Upon leaving Pollux’s room, Ethan accidentally took Pollux’s sword.

No one told Pollux until after they had punished and exiled Ethan.

Pollux was heartbroken until Ethan showed up at his window that night. He was missing an eye.

Pollux and Ethan never stopped seeing each other and were never caught for two long years.

Kayla locked her door and smiled at Drew. She walked over to Drew and kissed her.

“Are we gonna have some fun tonight?” Drew said.

“Oh yes, my dear.” Kayla said.

Drew pushed her onto the bed. Then Drew climbs onto the bed herself. Kayla now sat in between Drew’s legs.

“I already took off my petticoat and bloomers.” Drew said as she hiked up her skirt with her hands. Kayla comes face to face with Drew’s cock.

Without thought, Kayla takes it into her mouth. Drew shudders just slightly above her. Kayla swirls her tongue around the head. Drew huffs out a heavy breath and bucks her hips, threatening to choke Kayla.

She press her tongue up against Drew’s dick and slide back up to lick the drops of pre-cum from the dripping tip. 

Drew moans.

“Kayla…please let me fuck you.”

“In a second.” Kayla giggled.

Pollux was in Ethan’s bed. Ethan’s dick was in his ass.

Pollux was screaming Ethan’s name into a pillow.

He felt like he was on cloud nine.

It had been months since Ethan and him fucked last. It felt so good to be so close to him again.

“Drew, I am not wearing that!” Kayla protested.

Drew was holding up a dark blue dress with diamonds all over it, so that it looked like the night sky.

“But it’s your Aunt’s favorite and you are having tea with her.” Drew said.

“Fine.” Kayla gave up and allowed Drew to put her into the thief magnet.

At the funeral Kayla’s aunt, the Duchess Artemis Papadopoulos, had invited her to tea the morning after the coronation.

Artemis was a strange lady, even through she was the older twin she had turned down the crown and ran eight orphanages. She had two adopted daughters, Zoë and Thalia, who were runway princesses from far away kingdoms. Honestly she was very strange.

“Do you want me to come with? You always get so stupid when you see Artemis.” Drew said as she tied up the back of Kayla’s back.

“No. I’ve got this.” Kayla said.

Drew rolled her eyes and laughed.

“Oh hush you, I do have this in the bag.” Kayla stuck out her tongue.

“Ethan, I have to go to the palace now. Duchess Artemis wanted me to have tea with her.” Pollux said, pushing his cuddly boyfriend off of himself.

“No~ Stay with me forever.” Ethan whispered.

“I must go. But I’ll be back tonight.” Pollux said.

“Fine. Have fun with your future aunt in law.”

“That isn’t even a word plus if my father says no then there will be no marriage.”

“I really hope there isn’t one. Through being a mistress sounds like fun.”

“You’re so cute.”

Kayla was gonna kill her Aunt. Okay not really but Kayla felt like it.

Pollux was sitting at the table slipping tea with Artemis.

“Pollux, Auntie, nice day isn’t it?” Kayla said.

“Yes, it is. Now I want to speak with both of you about the betrothal.” Artemis smiled at her.

Kayla frowned. She hated the idea of being married to Pollux. It wasn’t that he was a bad person, it was the fact that she was in love with Drew. And it felt like she was betraying Drew. First off, she hadn’t even told her yet and heir would be expected.

She sat down and glared at Artemis.

“I can tell you two don’t want to be married. And as long as Dionysus say no you won’t have to.” Artemis said.

“I know.” Pollux and Kayla said at the same time.

“Now if you two end up having to get married, murder is never the answer to get out.” Artemis smiled at Kayla.

Kayla recalled that Artemis once was married to some guy named Orion. And that he was found with an arrow in his back during a hunting trip. Oh dear gods, did Artemis kill her husband?

She scooted a little bit away from Artemis and took note to ask about it later.

Then she asked for a cup of tea.

ο βασιλιάς κοιμάται

Kayla found herself, once again, finding someone she cared about with his husband sobbing over him.

She found herself running to get Will and Chiron.

But she did not find herself mourning agian.

Because instead of dying Lee was just put into a magical sleep.

“It was a potion known as ‘Giant’s Club’ it’s made of very rare ingredients. Somebody had slipped it into Lee’s wine.” Will said.

He and Micheal were sitting in the hall with Kayla, while Austin, Castor and Pollux were sitting in Lee’s room. Octavian was no where in sight.

“Why are you saying it so quietly? What else does it do?” Micheal asked.

“One of the ingredients only can be found in Bacchus…Mike calm down. I highly doubt Castor or Pollux would try to harm Lee.” Will had grabbed Micheal’s arm.

“Well shit, whoever poisoned him is probably trying to start a war.” Kayla said.

This couldn’t be happening she told herself.

A war right now would be awful.

Micheal looked at her, and she knew exactly who they just thought of as a suspect. Octavian.

It would make sense, if people found out what Lee was poisoned with then Octavian would rule instead of Castor. Until someone found a cure.

“If someone, not naming anyone, made people believe that Castor betrayed Lee and gave him the potion then that someone might try to become King.” Micheal said.

“Micheal we all know you’re talking about Octavian.” Kayla rolled her eyes.

“Let’s not start pointing fingers. Anyway the cure

“What is the cure?” Kayla asked Will.

“…the tears of a boy witch. They’re very rare as most witches have daughters. And you have toget the tears without force.” Will said.

“Then I’ll go get some.”

“You would have to go to Athens. We can’t send you on your own.” Micheal said.

“I’ll take Drew. And some others I guess.”

“How would your maid help?” Will asked.

“Her mother was a witch. Don’t look at me like that, she isn’t a witch. But she can get me into Athens.” Kayla said.

Will and Micheal stared at her. Then Micheal nodded.

“Take Pollux and Austin with you.” They said.

“..fine. Wait! Why Austin?” Kayla asked.

“Witches like musicians.” Will said.

“So I can give them Austin if they want to kill us all?” Kayla smiled.

“No!” Micheal and Will glared at her.

“It’ll all be okay. Okay?” Pollux hugged Castor, who was still sobbing.

“What if he doesn’t wake up? What if he dies? What if there is no cure?” Castor cried.

“He will wake up. We will find a cure.” Pollux said.

Castor just nodded. Pollux could tell he was trying not to cry too much.

Pollux felt awful about the fact that he couldn’t do anything. It reminded him of when they were kids and their grandmother had died. Castor was heartbroken for weeks. No one could cheer him up. Castor was always the more sensitive twin.

“Don’t worry, someone will find a cure.” Austin said. The young boy was playing with Lee’s harp. He wasn’t playing it, he was just holding it. Twirling it around.

Pollux felt like a stranger in this room. He never knew Lee very well.

So he slipped out into the hall where the others were…laughing?

“Did I miss something good?” He asked.

“Just siblings being siblings.” Kayla said.

“Your wife was being a little shit.” Will smirked. Pollux took a step back. Of course Kayla told her other brother.

Both Pollux and Kayla glared at Will.

And Micheal glared at Pollux.

Okay, for someone only four feet tall Micheal was pretty scary.

“Excuse me?” Micheal said. Pollux took another step back. He really didn’t want to get his ass kick.

“There’s a chance me and Pollux will have to get married. But it’s only a small slight chance.” Kayla said.

Micheal rolled their eyes and Pollux got the ‘I can and will kill you if you lay your dirty hands on my baby sister’ vibe from them.

This was turning out to be a pretty shitty day.

Kayla looked at her travel companions. It was two days after Lee was poisoned. They were finally going to go find a cure.

She glanced at Drew, who was arguing with Pollux over why they shouldn’t take a horse.

Austin was playing his saxophone while they waited for the two to stop fighting.

After Kayla had told Drew that she had to unfortunately marry Pollux, Drew was rather rude to Pollux.

Only yesterday did they get the news of the engagement from King Dionysus. And to be honest, Kayla was pretty done with the universe at this point.

After about ten minutes of the argument Kayla spoke out, “Pollux, Drew knows stuff about Athens. They don’t use horses there. Horses are seen as a bad omen. So no horses and let’s get going.”

Drew smiled at her and then smirked at Pollux.

Pollux sighed, “Okay fine. No horses. But if we’re going on foot we need someone who’s good at traveling from place to place. I happen to know a guy.”

“Sure. Can he fight?” Kayla asked.

“He’s a criminal so of course he can fight.”

Pollux knocked on Ethan’s inn room door.

“I was wondering when you would be back, darling.” Ethan said when he opened the door.

Pollux blushed and pointed at the others behind him.

“Oh. How lovely, a whole group.” Ethan rolled his eye.

“Yeah. We need to get through the Border Forest.” Pollux said.

“Anything for you, princely.” Ethan said.

After Ethan grabbed his sword and bag, introductions were made.

“I am Ethan Nakamura. Princess Kayla, Prince Austin, a pleasure to meet you. And who is the pissed off lady?” Ethan asked.

“Madame Drew Tanaka, daughter of Queen Aphrodite of Troy.” Drew said.

Pollux, Austin and Kayla gasped.

Troy was a far eastern country in which the queen had more lovers and spouses then Apollo. And it was known for it’s riches and cruelty in war.

“Ah, that explains the coldness of your eyes. But not your state of dress. A Delphian maid dress isn’t fit for a princess.” Ethan said.

It was rather strange through Pollux had dressed as a beggar from time to time in order to sneak out to see Ethan. He had no room to judge.

“How about we just start heading out. King Lee needs us to find the cure.” Drew said.

Ethan nodded and smiled at Pollux.

Pollux could tell this was gonna be a long trip.

Kayla pulled Drew aside when they had left the city.

“You’re a princess? I thought your mom was a witch.” Kayla asked her.

“I have two moms. One a witch, one a queen. I’m sorry I never told you but I am a runaway princess…and I just wanted to leave my past in the past.” Drew said.

“…it’s alright. Why did you runaway?”

“I told you my older sister died. And that I loss my home right after. Well the truth is that I ran away when Silena died. My mother wanted me to be the new heir and I just couldn’t. I couldn’t replace her.” Drew looked down at the ground.

“Oh…sorry I asked.” Kayla placed a hand on Drew’s shoulder as they walk behind the boys. She wouldn’t push it. She could tell she was making Drew uncomfortable.

They were walking along a beautiful country side. The Border Forest loomed in the back ground.

Legend told that the forest was calm during the day but at night it was cruel. People came back only to die or if they went completely mad.

Monsters dwelled in the forest. Some say there is a beast that is all creatures at once.

“So who wants to step in first?” Pollux asked.

The others looked away from the forest. Pollux sighed and stepped into it.

Ethan followed him, then Kayla and Drew stepped in at the same time. Austin went in last.

Night came fast. They had only been in the forest for maybe two hours.

“So we rest for now?” Kayla asked.

“I think that would be a good idea. Since we have a long day ahead of us.” Drew smiled at Kayla. There was something about the way she smiled that seemed off.

So they made camp. Three tents in a line with a bon fire.

Austin had agreed to take the with watch, armed with a bow, some arrows and his saxophone.

Pollux and Ethan slipped into their tent.

“Thank you for coming. I love you.” Pollux whispered.

“If you are to die, I want to be by your side. And I love you too.” Ethan kissed Pollux’s cheek.

Kayla woke up to the sound of Austin yelling. She jumped out of the tent with Drew’s dragger in her hand.

Austin was on the ground a bear towering over him.

“Hey! Ugly!” Kayla screamed. She had to save Austin.

The bear looked at her, it’s eyes were literally glowing gold.

“Yeah you! Look at me!” She yelled.

The bear walked towards her. Austin still laid on the ground, but he appeared to have no harm done.

Then she heard a girl scream. It sounded like she was saying Frank.

Kayla turned around to see a small girl with dark skin and cinnamon colored hair. Her eyes too were gold but they didn’t glow.

The girl spoke words of another language and the bear fell on it’s belly.

“I’m sorry. Eidolons haunt these woods. Frank would never harm anyone, I can assure you.” The girl said.

“Um, he’s your bear?” Kayla looked at the girl like she was insane.

“No. He’s my husband. He’s a shape shifter.” The girl blushed.

“Oh.”

“I’m Hazel. And you are?” The girl smiled.

“Princess Kayla of Delphi.”

“…Frank should be returning to normal soon. He’ll want to apologize a lot. He’s a softie.” Hazel said.

Kayla nodded and look back at Austin, whom was now standing up looking at Frank, who was turning back to human.

Ethan pushed Pollux against a tree, they had told Austin that they were checking around the forest for a few moments.

Pollux smiled at Ethan, then kissed him.

“I love you.” Pollux said when they parted.

“I love you too. Even through you’re engaged to Princess Shortie.” Ethan chuckled.

“Oh be nice. She hates the engagement as much as I do. Plus you’ve seen how she looks at Drew.” Pollux rolled his eyes.

“And they think they are so sneaky but by Gods they’re so obvious.” Ethan said.

“Enough talk of them. Let’s have some fun.” Pollux smirked.

“You kinky bastard. I am not having sex with you in the woods.” Ethan laughed.

“Okay, fine. But you’re still going to kiss me right?” Pollux asked.

“Duh.” Ethan said before kissing him again.

Then they hear a twig break.

Ethan pulled away and drew his sword.

A girl stood with a torch and a spear. She was obviously pissed.

“Hello there. I’m Prince Pollux of Bacchus. We mean no harm.” Pollux stepped out in front of Ethan.

The girl stared at him before bowing. “I’m looking for a chubby boy and a short girl. The boy might be a bear right now. Help me or I will kill you both here and now.” The girl lifted up her spear and it turned into a sword.

From behind her stepped two dogs that appeared to be metal. In the crappy torch light, Pollux could see their sharp teeth.

“Okay, okay we’ll help you. Ethan put your sword away.” Pollux smiled as Ethan placed his sword back into his scabbard.

“I am so so very sorry. Eidolons normally stay away from us, with Hazel around but I went to look for food and- I’m really sorry.” Frank, the shape shifter said.

Kayla sighed. “Considering you didn’t really hurt anyone, it’s fine.”

“Plus you seem nice.” Austin added.

Kayla rolled her eyes at Austin.

“So why are you two in the Border Forest.” Drew glared at the pair. Kayla hit her lightly on the arm.

“We live here with our- um our very good friend in a cabin not too far from here. We all have curses.” Hazel said.

Kayla felt a little bad for them, Hazel was so small and Frank was such a sweetie. It was hard to believe that they were cursed.

“What kind of curses?” Drew smirked at them.

“I rather not talk of it with strangers.” Hazel’s eyes seemed to darken.

“Hazel! Frank!” A voice came from the behind Kayla.

A lady in a cloak ran pass her and hug the pair. This must be the friend Hazel was talking about.

“REYNA! Why in hell are you out here?” Hazel yelled.

The lady, Reyna, nervously rubbed the back of her head. “Hazel, I’m okay. I have my weapon and the dogs.”

Hazel walked over to Reyna and started looking over her.

A growl came behind Kayla.

She turned around to see Pollux, Ethan and two metal dogs.

She waved at the two guys.

Then Drew whispered in her ear, “Reyna is pregnant.”

“Huh?”

“The cloak lady is with child. A child of magic, I can sense it.” Drew whispered.

“So?”

“I know this is bad but we need to convince them to help us. Don’t I’ve me that look, Will taught you a few medical things so maybe you can offer a check up and advice for help through the woods.” Drew said.

Kayla nodded. Drew had a point they did need help.

Μέσα από το δάσος

The cabin of Hazel, Frank and Reyna was cute for being in an evil forest.

Pollux was definitely grateful for a real roof over his head.

The trio were nice enough to offer them help before Drew had the chance bribe them with Kayla’s slight knowledge of healthcare.

So now the eight of them were drinking tea in a cozy cute cabin.

“Will you three help us through the forest?” Ethan asked the trio.

“Yes. On one condition.” Reyna said.

“Sure whatever you want.” Kayla said.

“Make magic legal in Delphi.” Hazel said. She eyed Austin and Kayla.

“Deal.” Kayla and Austin said at the same time.

Magic legal in Delphi? Pollux knew it was stupid for it to be illegal in the first place but he could see the backlash of the anti-witch people.

He kept his mouth shut. Even if things took a bad turn when magic was made legal in Delphi.

Pollux knew that they had to get the cure for Lee no matter what.

Drew awoke to the sound of a door opening.

She crept pass her travelling companions and slipped out the open front door.

Reyna was out on the porch of the cabin.

“Long time no see.” Drew said.

“Six years.” Reyna smiled.

“You have a wife and a husband and a baby on the way. Good for you.”

“And you are in love princess who has magic in her blood.”

“How can you tell?”

“I can’t. Hazel can.”

“Oh. Oh yeah.”

“You love her, right?”

“More then anything. Except for myself.”

“Good. You’ve been eating, right?”

“Yes. I’m pass that part in my life.”

“You were twelve with an eating disorder. You ran away before anyone knew you were better.” Reyna placed her hand on Drew’s shoulder.

“I ran into Rachel Dare. She helped me. I’m sorry I never wrote you. Do you want to catch up?” Drew frowned.

“It’s okay. My mother died, my father got worse so me and Hylla well…he’s dead now. We ran away. Hylla became Queen of the Amazons. I know you heard that Amazons took over my homeland and have turned it into Amazon. At some point I met Hazel ” Reyna twisted the ring on her finger. It had the crest of her mother’s family on it.

“I became a maid. I fell for my boss and after I fuck her I make her teas that prevent her from ending up with child like you. I really do love her. She looks at me differently.” Drew smiled.

“Well, old friend I’m off to bed. Night.” Reyna slipped back inside.

The pair were friends as children. They meet during a ball at Drew’s mother’s palace. Drew had dumped a cup of wine on Reyna’s head and Reyna ripped Drew’s dress. The two quickly became friends when their mothers sent them to sit in a guest room for the rest of the evening.

Good times. Good times.

Kayla woke up curled up in Drew’s arms.

Little did she know what laid ahead in the day.

The day started out nicely.

Hazel, Frank and Reyna started leading Pollux and the others through the Forest.

Then Pollux heard the voice.

“My woods. No one should be this far.” Over and over again.

He tried to ignore it by focusing on Reyna’s metal dogs. The little beasts were terrifying but for some reason they seemed more friendly the longer he was around them.

Of course, they just had to start barking.

Pollux, Ethan, Kayla, Frank and Reyna drew their weapons.

Gems flew out of the ground and circled around Hazel.

Drew had a pink bottle in her hand.

A woman stepped out of a tree.

“This is my forest. Go away.” The woman glared at them. Branches reached out and grabbed at their legs. Pollux cut through the ones he could reach. Ethan and Reyna cut through the rest.

When she was free, Hazel stepped closer. “I am the step-daughter of Persephone.”

The woman frowned even more. “Of course you are. I told her not to marry your father. Cheating bastard.”

“Will you allow me and my companions passage through your neck of the woods?” Hazel smiled at the woman. Pollux was getting more and more confused. He looked over at Ethan but he was just as confused as him.

“You didn’t defend your stupid father so yeah sure. But beware of my sister’s forest. Hera’s her name. She’s a real bitch. Loves killing. So her woods are deadlier.” The woman smiled and went back into the tree.

“Explain?” Kayla asked Hazel.

“There are four queens who control these woods. Demeter doesn’t have a real kingdom, just plants. My stepmother is her daughter. I don’t know much about the three others. So onward?” Hazel smiled at the group. Pollux didn’t know whether or not it was magic but Hazel’s smile made him have more energy then before.

The woods became dark and Kayla swore she could hear the plants screaming.

This was a place of death.

Something told Kayla to run. To run far away from this place.

She looked at Austin and knew he felt the same way.

She really wished she had focused more on her surroundings.

Large beast, hybrids of a cow and a peacock, had surrounded the group.

Kayla nocked an arrow and aim at one.

While she shoot one, another attacked Austin.

It hovered over him. Kayla saw his blood on the beast teeth.

Her hand shook as she nocked another arrow.

The arrow began to create a green and gold smoke.

She aim and fired.

When the arrow hit the beast, black patches formed on its skin. The beast pull away from Austin and ran off.

Kayla went to Austin. He had deep scratches and bites.

“You’re gonna be okay. Okay, Austin?” Kayla said, her voice breaking. Her hands became covered with his blood as she tried to stop he bleeding like Will and Chiron had shown her. She couldn’t lose her baby brother. She just couldn’t.

She blacked out on top of her wounded brother’s body.

Pollux pulled water onto Kayla’s forehead. The poor little thing had passed out.

“She’ll be fine. She’s a fighter.” Ethan said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“I know but just sitting here is awful. I’m trying to wake her up.” Pollux said.

“She’ll be lucky to have you as a husband.”

“Ethan…” Pollux looked at his boyfriend.

“Don’t worry. I’m not jealous. I just love to mess with you, Pol.” Ethan laughed.

Kayla stared at the man in front of her.

He had the same nose and hair color as her.

“Kayla…it’s been a longtime since I’ve seen you.” He said.

“Who are you?” Kayla said.

“I wish I can say. I’m only here to help keep you from dying, your Aunt needed me so she could heal you from afar. Also I’m sorry about Apollo…I have to go. Goodbye, my sunshine girl.” The man said before fading away.

In his place stood Artemis.

“Kayla please hurry. I have reasons to believe that Octavian was the one who poisoned Lee.” She yelled at Kayla before everything went black.

Kayla awoke.

She was in her tent and Drew was sitting next to her.

“You passed out on top of Austin. And don’t worry about him Reyna knows some healing stuff.” Drew said.

“So he’s alive?”

“Yes.”

“Thank goodness.”

Pollux stabbed another one of the cow peacock things.

Kayla and Austin were still weak from the first attack and Reyna and Drew were taking care of them. So him, Ethan, Hazel and Frank were fighting off the awful creatures.

Kayla watched as the others fought with one of the beasts.

She hated being a damsel just standing hiding behind Pollux and Ethan with Drew holding her up.

Pollux smiled at Kayla. He was gald she didn’t die, he found her amusing and the royal family of Delphi didn’t deserve anymore lost.

“So, Hazel how long until we reach the end of the forest? Or at least this part?” Pollux asked the short girl leading them.

“This part is only a long bit longer. Next is a part that is known as the woods of night. Men die in it. But not women, children and animals.” Hazel said.

“Um if you haven’t noticed me and Ethan are men.”

“Yeah…how do you feel about wearing a dress?” Reyna asked.

“Oh. Pollux has no problem with wearing dresses.” Ethan said while winking.

“Ethan!” Pollux blushed.

Pollux looked at the others. Drew and Kayla were laughing, Hazel was fanning herself, Frank was blushing, Reyna was raising her eyebrows and Austin was just looking at everyone with a confused face.

“Well then, um I have two dresses in my pack. Hopefully it’ll be enough. Austin should be fine without one because he’s so young.” Hazel said.

“Me too. I rather not die today.” Ethan snickered.

Kayla had to admit it was pretty funny seeing Pollux and Ethan in dresses, not that it is wrong for them to be wearing dresses. Her father used to wear dresses quite a lot.

She took note as the tress appeared to become silver. And how she had seen at least twenty deer.

The place felt inviting. It felt a bit like home.

“Kayla, this place reminds me of Auntie A’s castle. Silver and deer.” Austin whispered to her.

“Hmh…yeah. Maybe Artemis has been here before. She does go on hunting trips to gods know where.” Kayla said.

“Yeah. Yeah. It’s just Hazel said there was a queen who controlled these woods and I don’t know maybe Auntie A is one of them?” Austin said.

“You might be right.” Kayla nodded.

“About what?” Drew piped in.

“Pollux and Ethan are together.” Austin said.

“…I can see, they’re not good at hiding it.” Drew said.

“Neither are you two.” Austin muttered.

Kayla looked at him. How. Did. Her. Thirteen. Year. Old. Brother. Know. She knew that Will knew but that was only because she told him.

“I saw you two kissing about a year ago. You guys really aren’t good with hiding spots.” Austin said.

“I like you, kid.” Drew chuckled.

Pollux squirmed in the dress he had to wear.

When he wore dresses they were normally of Bacchian fashion. Loose and short. Comfortable and no one else saw him in them except for Ethan.

This dress was obliviously from Hades. Dark colors, thick fabric, all screamed Hadeian. Not to mention it was very tight on him.

He looked over at Ethan. His dress was of Roman fashion. Similar to Bacchian but slightly more concentrative. Probably fair more comfortable.

Pollux did find it odd that anyone would have Roman clothes since the fall of Rome to the Amazons.

Kayla stopped dead in her tracks.

She could hear music.

Dance music. Like the kind her father loved to play the most. Like the kind her aunt danced too.

Then she saw her. Artemis. Her aunt.

She appeared to only be wearing a cloak made of animal skins.

Artemis looked Kayla in the eye and smiled.

“Welcome to my woods. Don’t worry, lucky for you all, I won’t kill anyone. Especially not my darling niece and nephew. Oh. I better change my clothes.” Artemis said.

In an instant her cloak turned into a silver gown.

“What the literally fuck?” Kayla yelled.

“I guess I should explain. Anyone care for some tea? It’s Rooibos tea. Good for pregnancies, Reyna.” Artemis smiled at Reyna.

Reyna glared at Artemis.

“My mother was a witch, she did a lot of magic dealing with pregnancies.” Artemis said as of it was the most normal thing.

Kayla’s grandmother was a witch but magic was illegal in Delphi. It was a hard thing to swallow.

Austin stumbled back a bit.

“So tea? And I’ll explain and tell you what’s been going on in the palace in the last day.” Artemis waved her hand and a table and tea set appear.

Kayla glanced at the others. Frank was back to human form and Hazel started to sit down.

“Where to begin. Oh yes. My mother being a witch! That’s why she was really killed. Not plotting against my stupid father. Me and my brother inherited powers from her. I have magic of the hunt, the moon and stars, wildness, children, and women. Apollo had magic of the sun, truth, music, healing, and diseases. Both of us have powers over archery.” Artemis said.

“Again what the fuck?” Kayla asked. She had a hard time processing this.

“I know this is a lot to take in but we’ll discuss it another day. Right now we have to talk about Octavian.” Artemis frowned.

“Was Micheal right?” Kayla asked.

“Yes. They were right. Octavian was the one to put Lee in the sleep.”

“Is he in jail?” Austin shouted.

“Sadly no. The way I found out involved magic. But listen, he is trying to turn people against Castor. Things are going bad really fast.” Artemis said.

“Is Castor okay?” Pollux asked.

“For now.” Artemis sipped her tea.

“Aunt Artemis, we don’t have time for tea. We have to get the cure before Octavian tries to become king.” Austin said.

“I know. But Austin you cannot go into Athens. If you do you will die? Now good bye dears.” Artemis said.

In a flash of light her and Austin were gone.

“Shall we continue on?” Pollux asked.

“Yes.” Kayla said.

η φωτιά

The silver woods quickly disappear into burnt trees. The temperature increased.

Ethan was glad he and Pollux had been able to take their dresses off. His shirt and pants were barely bearable in the insufferable heat.

Ethan pulled off his shirt. He knew his back and hips were covered were covered in scars. He knew someone was bound to stare.

Some caused by fights. Some caused by himself.

He glared at Kayla who started to stare at him.

She was going to be Pollux’s wife. Even if she was in love with Drew. She was gonna be able to stand next to Pollux in public.

And the thought of being just a mistress sounded awful to Ethan.

He wanted to marry Pollux. He wanted to be the one people saw with Pollux in public.

Kayla poured some water on herself as Hazel lead them through the burnt forest.

Maybe like in the deadly part with the peacows, they wouldn’t run into the queen of this part of the woods.

She was pushing away the thoughts of her grandmother being a witch.

It was insane. It seemed impossible. Then agian she had never meet her grandmother, Leto. She was killed long before Kayla was born.

They soon reached the end of the forest. Pollux smiled at Ethan.

They were in Athens. No one was dead. They only had to deal with monsters once.

“Let’s rest for the night.” Frank said.

They all agreed.

Kayla snuggled against Drew.

“I love you~” Kayla said.

“I love you too.” Drew hugged her.

And they stayed like that, not speaking, just laying in each other’s embrace.

Despite being in a tent on a dangerous quest to save her brother, Kayla felt pretty happy.

It was nice to be held without the fear of being caught.

Kayla kissed Drew’s neck.

The tent flapped opened and Kayla pulled away from Drew.

A lady with cold grey eyes stood with a dragger.

“Oh hello. Please don’t hurt us.” Drew said, the way she said it made Kayla never want to hurt her.

“Charmspeak? Really? You’re one of Aphrodite’s children aren’t you?” The lady snarled.

“…yes. I am.” Drew said.

“I guess I can’t arrested you or your friends then. Well as long as you tell me why you’re here.”

“My brother was poisoned and the only cure is boy witch tears.” Kayla said.

“….you’re the princess of Delphi aren’t you?” The lady glared at her.

“I am. And as soon as I return to my home I am going to make magic legal in Delphi as a request by the trio who helped us through the forest.” Kayla said.

The lady glanced at Drew and then agian at Kayla then she left.

Kayla and Drew followed her.

Their companions were all also outside of their tents. A boy who looked like the grey eyed lady was glaring at them and another boy smiled at Drew.

“Mitchell!” The lady yelled at him.

“Yes, Lady Annabeth.” The boy who had smiled at Drew asked.

“Give these people some tears so they can be on their way.” Annabeth said.

“Alright. I think I got a vial in my pack. How about you and Malcolm go on ahead. I’ll be a minute.” Mitchell said.

Annabeth nodded and the other boy, Malcolm tossed a bag to Mitchell.

Then the pair disappeared leaving behind Mitchell and two piles of feathers.

Mitchell ran to Drew and hugged her.

“I missed you sis!” He cheered.

“Of course you did. Now get off of me, please.” Drew said.

Kayla stared at the boy. He did have the same eye color as Drew and Kayla knew that siblings didn’t always look alike.

Mitchell pulled a small jar out of his pocket.

“Here you guys go. I better go soon. But remember to visit someday. Me and Malcolm had a cute little girl. The spell we used was so simple. But Malcolm was so insufferable while he was pregnant. Her name is Melanie. You would love her.” Mitchell smiled at Drew.

“Sure. If I can.” Drew patted his head.

The two hugged good bye and Mitchell threw a bottle on the ground and disappeared.

“So you also have a brother? We need to talk more about your past.” Kayla said.

“Later. When Lee’s better.” Drew patted Kayla’s head.

“One question, is that Malcolm guy Mitchell mentioned like you. Like Will and Lee?” Kayla asked.

“Huh? Oh because he had a baby. No they did a spell that makes it so two males or females can have a biological baby together.” Drew said.

“…oh.” Kayla said. Something about what Drew just said made Kayla think back to the man from her dreams.

The group made their way back into the hot burnt forest.

Pollux glanced at Ethan, who was once again shirtless.

One scar stood out to Pollux in particular. It was shaped like a scythe. Ethan had gotten it from a guy named Kronos, a leader of a cult that fell apart a year ago.

Pollux remember the break they took when Ethan had joined them.

He was gald to have Ethan back.

The heat made Kayla so sweaty that her dress was soaking as she walked through the woods.

“Is this taking longer then last time?” Kayla asked.

“I think so.” Drew said. Kayla couldn’t help but to notice that she looked kinda hot all sweaty.

Kayla groaned.

She glanced around the woods, looking for a a sliver tree or something.

But what caught her eye was a little kid.

“Do you guys see the girl?” Kayla pointed at the kid.

“Hey! You! Kid!” Ethan yelled.

The little girl walked towards them. As she got closer Kayla noticed she was on fire.

Also that she holding a box.

“Come, here.” The girl said.

Kayla unwillingly stepped forward. She reached out.

“The cake will help you love through my fire. I would put it out but it keeps the forest in balance.” The girl smiled and handed Kayla the box.

Pollux watched as the little girl erupted into flame after giving Kayla a box.

“I think flame girl wants us to eat the cake inside of here. Something about her fire?” Kayla said.

Kayla opened the box and pulled out a yellow cake.

Everyone went up to her and pulled off a piece.

It tasted like dirt. Pollux had a hard time swallowing it.

But still he ate the awful cake.

The deeper they went into the woods, the hotter it became.

Then Kayla saw the large fire.

“What the fuck?” Kayla yelled.

The little girl was standing in the fire.

“You need to return to your home. Now.” The girl said.

“Wait why? We’ve only been gone for about three days.” Kayla asked.

“Your brother Lee and your brother Castor are in danger. Now step into my fire and all of you will be in the castle of Delphi.” The girl said.

Pollux and Kayla glanced at each.

“Let’s go.” Kayla said.

She grabbed Drew’s hand and closed her eyes. Into the flames she stepped with Drew right by her side.

Pollux watched as the first five went into the fire.

“You ready?” He asked Ethan.

“Of course.” Ethan smiled.

Pollux slipped his hand into Ethan’s and together they walked into the fire.

When Kayla opened her eyes, she found herself standing in Lee’s room.

She was alone but she was holding the bottle of tears that Drew had been carrying.

She ran to where Lee was sleeping and opened the bottle.

Pollux found himself and seven others in the throne room. Kayla has no where to be seen. Austin was was standing next to Drew instead. Octavian was sitting on a throne. The king’s throne to be exact.

“What the hell?” Octavian yelled at them.

“Uh. Hi. Kayla is probably curing Lee right now.” Austin said smugly.

Octavian glared at him.

“Ha. Ha-ha.” Octavian laughed. Pollux stared at him like he was crazy. Why was he laughing?

Kayla smiled when Lee opened his eyes.

“Good morning buttface.” He mumbled. Kayla hugged him tightly. He was awake.

“Your awake! Oh thank goodness! I didn’t think you would actually wake up!” Kayla cheered.

“How long was I out?” Lee asked.

“A few days. I think five or six.” Kayla answered.

Pollux woke up in a cell. There was two other people in his cell but it was too dark to tell who it was.

“Hey who else is in here?” He whispered.

“Me.” A young boy’s voice said. Austin. The poor boy sounded hurt.

“What happened?” Pollux asked.

“Octavian had some strange guards attack us. One hit you over on the head.” A woman voice came. Reyna.

“Are you guys okay?” Pollux asked.

“Octavian decided to attack me himself. So no I’m not okay. Everything hurts.” Austin said.

“Hazel protected me even through I could have handled myself. But one of the guards got Hazel and another got Frank. I had to give myself up.” Reyna said, she sounded pissed off at herself.

“You did what you could, you and Frank have a baby on the way so you did good by not fighting.” Pollux assured her.

“Me and Hazel actually. But that’s besides the point. We’re locked up.” Reyna said.

“Yeah….did you guys see where they took Ethan?”

“He got knocked out too but it was more bloodier. He’s alive and somewhere in a nearby cell.” Austin said.

Pollux cursed. They had to get out of here.

Kayla was stuck. She had locked herself and Lee in Lee’s bedroom.

A dead guard laid in front of the door. Kayla had killed him by bashing a chair over his head a few times. This day wasn’t gonna end well.

“I can’t believe Octavian would turn the guards against us.” Lee said.

“I can,” Lee glared at her, “Sorry but you’re his older brother. You mainly think of him as a baby so yeah. I don’t know why you wouldn’t be surprised. But I’m not surprised.” Kayla said.

“He’s our brother, I would never suspect one of my own siblings of treason or any other crime. Now we need a plan. We need to save our home.” Lee said.

“Oh I’ve got a plan but you’re not going to like it.” Kayla smiled.

Lee rolled his eyes and nodded. “I don’t care. I’ll do it.”

Pollux did his best to wrap some of Austin’s wounds with strips from Reyna’s dress.

“When we get out, I want to kill him.” Austin grumbled.

“Only if Kayla hasn’t killed him already.” Pollux chuckled softly.

“You know even if you don’t love her, you’ll make a good husband.” Austin smiled at him.

“Thanks, I guess.” Pollux said as he finished putting the fabric on Austin.

Ethan tried wiping the blood off his face but there was too much. His whole body was in pain.

A dead body was covered with a blanket in the back of the cell. It smelled awful.

But on the bright side of things, Frank was sitting across from him in the cell. But he too, was covered in his own blood.

“Hey kid, how old are you?” Ethan asked. The guy had a baby face but he was so big.

“Sixteen….why?” Frank asked.

“Well I’m bleeding out and so are you. Might as well get to know the person I’m gonna die with.” Ethan laughed bitterly.

“…I would shapeshift but I’m too hurt.” Frank said.

“I would have fought better but I got stabbed.” Ethan cracked a smile.

“So you’re dating a prince?”

“And you are married to a witch and a runaway princess.”

“Life is strange.” Frank gave a small chuckle.

“And short.”

“Indeed.”

Drew watched as Hazel used magic to pull a gem from goodness knows where to the cell.

“What are you doing?” Drew questioned the little witch.

“Bringing help.” Hazel smiled widely at a corner.

Drew looked over to where she was staring and saw the wall open up.

Two boys stepped out. Will and Nico.

“How?” Drew asked.

“Nico’s my brother. I sensed his sword and then a few gems near him so I got his attention.” Hazel said.

“Oh. So di Angelo is the son of Pluto?” Drew said.

“Yup. And the heir to Hades.”

“Okay…well let’s hurry up and get out of here.” Drew glanced at the two boys walking towards their cell.

μια μεγάλη μάχη

Kayla smiled at Lee. “You ready?” She asked. If they didn’t move the quickly the guards would burst thought the doors.

“Always.” Lee nodded at her. She threw the rope they made out of a bed sheet out of the window.

“I’m going down…and Lee if it comes down to me or Octavian, I wouldn’t hesitate to kill him.” Kayla said.

“I know. You’re my favorite so…I would rather you live than him.” Lee cracked a small smile.

Kayla smiled back and then started climbing down the rope. She was going to kill Octavian. Even if she doesn’t have to kill him.

When she was halfway down she could hear the guards Octavian bribed and blackmailed taking Lee away.

She moved even quicker.

Then the rope was cut loose.

She only fell a few feet and luckily landed in some brushes.

Drew smiled as Nico and Hazel got Ethan and Frank’s cage opened. Soon they would all be free. But there was a terrible smell coming from the cage.

“Will. Heal them quickly. Please.” Hazel said. The small girl’s voice was full of worry.

Drew watched in awe as Will healed the two guys in a matter of seconds. It was amazing. But then she remembered the smell.

“What’s that smell?” Drew asked, for it smelled like death.

“There’s a body in the back. We don’t know whose it is.” Frank said.

Will went into the cell and came out seconds later. “It’s Castor.” He said. His face was as pale as a ghost. Or Octavian’s.

“Let’s go find Reyna and Austin now…before they die too.” Drew said. She knew it sounded cold. But they couldn’t just sit and mourn.

“And Pollux.” Ethan added.

“Yeah, yeah him too. He’s probably with one of the others so…” Drew rolled her eyes. Honestly she didn’t care how gay Pollux was, she didn’t want him to marry Kayla. Which isn’t probably the most important thing for Drew to be focused on right now. But with everything she’s giving up and been through, she deserves to be selfish.

Pollux was very surprised when the six people came to help him out. He thought he would die alone in a cold dark jail in the Castle of Delphi. Definitely not where he pictured himself dying.

As soon as the jail was opened, Pollux kissed Ethan.

“I get that you two are happy to see each other but we need to get going.” Nico di Angelo said. The ambassador of Hades glared at them. Jeez, did he gives Pollux the creeps. It was as if he could see into Pollux’s soul.

“Oh yeah. Sorry.” Pollux said. But then a thought crossed his mind. Where was Castor? Why hadn’t they found him yet? Could he be..no he can’t be be dead. At least not yet.

“…we have to go now. If I’m correct there is a person carrying golden arrows and a gold bow heading towards the throneroom. My guess is that it’s Kayla.” Hazel said.

“How can you tell that?” Austin asked.

“My magic can sense gems and metals. Also Nico can sense souls and just told me when a person Frank and Reyna’s age is heading towards the place where Octavian is.” Hazel smiled at him.

“Uh..okay.” Austin said.

“Now we need a plan. Luckily military plans are sorta my thing. And Pollux’s thing.” Ethan said.

“I know a lot of shit on surprised attacks.” Reyna piped in.

Pollux nodded. As did the others.

Then they began making the plan.

Pollux and Drew were to join Kayla. Nico, Hazel, Reyna and Frank were to keep guards away. Will, Austin and Ethan were to be hidden backup for Kayla, Drew and Pollux.

First off Nico had to send Pollux and Drew to Kayla by using the shadows of the castle.

Pollux’s world became completely dark for only a few seconds.

Kayla almost screamed when Drew and Pollux appeared out of nowhere like a pair of ghost.

“Shh.” Drew placed her finger against Kayla’s lips. Then they told her about Ethan’s plan.

Luckily it didn’t really interfere with her plan.

“Alright let’s do it.” Kayla smiled at Drew.

Pollux took a deep breath as he and the two girls reached the throneroom.

He looked at them. Kayla nodded and Drew rolled her eyes.

He opened the door.

Kayla walked into the throneroom. The throneroom that she used to play in when she was a small child. The throneroom where she took her first steps, where she said her first words. The throneroom where she could die in or kill her own brother in.

“Kayla…what a pleasure.” Octavian yelled from Lee’s throne.

“I wish I could say the same for you.” Kayla snarled at him.

“You little brat. I am your king. Bow to me!” He shouted.

“No! Lee is king not you.” Kayla screamed like a toddler.

Octavian smirked at her and then he waved his hand.

Kayla almost threw up at what she saw. It was the worse thing she’s seen since her father died.

Two bodies hung from the ceiling above her. Lee and Micheal.

Ethan glanced at the two brothers he was with. Austin was shaking and Will had started crying.

The two of them were too stunned to actually move.

Ethan couldn’t blame them. One of their own brothers just killed their other two brothers.

He ran towards the others.

“NO!” Kayla shrieked.

She ran at Octavian with an arrow in her hand. He wasn’t a fighter. She could take him down. She was a fighter. She was a warrior. Octavian just a power hungry asshole.

He killed her brothers. Her older brothers. Their brothers. His own brothers.

Pollux smiled slightly as Ethan ran to him. Even with the horror of death, Pollux was happy to see that Ethan was alive.

“Pollux, there’s something I need to tell you.” Ethan frowned.

“What is it?” Pollux asked.

“Castor is dead. His body was in my and Frank’s cell. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier.” Ethan said. His eyes were watery.

Pollux started crying, his twin was dead. He sunk to the floor. Castor was the one who was always there for him since the beginning.

Kayla quickly reached Octavian. He tried to block her with his sword. But she was too fast and to skilled for the idiot.

It was only a matter of seconds before she stabbed him in the gut. As she pulled the arrow out, he fell to the ground.

Then he laughed, “I killed dad too. How does that make you feel, huh sis? I saw it all before hand. You weren’t supposed to kill me. I was to be king! Me! I was to be king!!!”

Kayla stabbed him again. And again. His blood spattered on her. But she did it again.

Even when he was dead she kept stabbing him. His blood was starting to cover her.

He killed them. He killed her dad. Her brothers.

This monster killed them. He fucking killed them. He killed some of the most important people to her.

She didn’t stop stabbing until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Behind her stood Will and Austin. She broke down crying.

Her two living brothers hugged her, ignoring the fact that she was covered in Octavian’s blood. Their brother’s blood. The brother who killed their father and other brother.

“It’s okay..” Will whispered into her ear. His voice was cracking.

“You’re king now.” Kayla choked out between sobs.

Will just nodded and hugged her tighter. He was shaking.

The three siblings stayed like that for the longest time. No one dared to try to separate them.

A week later Kayla found herself sitting in front King Will, King Nico and King Dionysus.

Pollux sat next to her. She knew why this meeting had been called.

“Even through we are at peace, our bond with Delphi is weak with the death of-” King Dionysus stopped himself before he said his name. Castor. It was similar to how Will, Austin, her and really anyone didn’t speak of Micheal and Lee directly.

“…uh yeah as King Dionysus was saying the bond is weak and he has been told of people being upset that Octavian killed his son.” Nico said.

Kayla knew where this was heading. “You still want us to wed?” She rolled her eyes at the three kings. Yup. She was right. As she always is.

“…yeah.” Will said, shrugging his shoulders. Kayla bit down on her tongue to stop herself from insulting or offending any of the idiot kings she was in the room with. She really liked her head so she didn’t want to lose it anytime soon.

She really did not want to marry Pollux. And she knew that Pollux didn’t want to marry her. She had a girlfriend and he had a boyfriend.

But if she had to, she guessed she rather be marrying Pollux then someone like Prince Leo of Forges. She heard he flirted with anyone who wasn’t related to him.

Pollux left the throneroom as soon as him and Kayla were dismissed. What fucking dumbasses his father, Nico and Will were. Will and Nico even knew about Kayla and Drew and him and Ethan.

Pollux was annoyed. He really didn’t want to marry Kayla. Despite all she’s been through and all she’s done, she was still just a kid in his eyes.

Partially because she was so small and short. But mostly because of Ethan.

He sighed. It could always be worse. He could be marrying Princess Clarisse of Sparta. That girl could kill a fully grown man by the time she was five, and that was fifteen years ago so..

So marrying Kayla wasn’t the worse thing.

Drew bit down on Kayla’s nipple.

Kayla pulled back a bit. “Ow..” She whined.

“Sorry. Was that too hard?” Drew asked.

“Yeah..I mean I don’t mind it rough but not too rough…are.you okay? You seem kinda zoned out?” Kayla asked.

Drew looked at Kayla. The younger girl was on her own bed, naked as the day she was born, laying below Drew, on silk pillows.

Beautiful. She was so beautiful and she was Drew’s girlfriend.

But in a month she was to be Pollux’s wife. His queen. She would someday have to have an heir.

“I guess I was thinking about Pollux…not in that way but..” Drew frowned.

Kayla looked up at her and smiled. “Drew, I love you. Not Pollux. Me and Pollux being married is all politics. He has a boyfriend just like I have you. And I love you. And I never want to lose you. I know this sounds manipulative, but I can’t lose you.”

Tears had formed in her eyes.

“Come here…it’s okay to cry. I won’t judge. Drew rolled onto her side and hugged Kayla tightly.

“I-I-I-I…just want them back. They shouldn’t have died.” Kayla sobbed.

Drew stroked Kayla’s hair as the smaller girl cried.

Ethan held Pollux lovingly. He never wanted to let go of him.

Pollux was all he had left. His mother disowned him. His father was dead. His brother and stepfather were on the same page as his mother. Pollux was all he had. As creepy as at sounds, it’s not like Ethan couldn’t live without him. He could. It would probably be awful and lonely for awhile but he would live without Pollux.

Even if he was a bit broken. He was his.

“You’re gonna be okay.” Ethan whispered. Kayla probably couldn’t comfort him like Ethan.

Ethan almost slapped himself for that thought. Kayla wasn’t a bad person and he knew she sure as hell didn’t want to marry Pollux considering she had an ex-princess now-maid for a girlfriend. She was pretty much just a child.

A child who had to marry a guy she didn’t love because her older brother kill her brothers and brother-in-law.

Ethan kinda felt a little bit bad for her.

γάμος

Kayla looked down at her dress. Her wedding dress. The sparkling white fabric fit her perfectly. It was long and made of silk.

She hated it.

Her bedroom door opened. In came Reyna, Hazel and Drew.

“Hey.” Drew said. She went over and hugged Kayla. Hazel joined her too.

“I would hug you too but I’m as big as a watermelon.” Reyna laughed.

Kayla cracked a smile. She was glad they were here for her.

Oddly these two outsiders she meet five months ago have become two of her nearest and dearest friends.

She smiled at them as someone else slipped into her room.

Will.

“Hey sis.” He hugged her.

“What’s up?” Kayla asked him.

“Well, uh someone is here to talk to you. Privately.” Will looked at the three other girls.

Kayla glanced at them. Drew was glaring at Will and Hazel and Reyna were glanced back and forth between him and each other.

“Ladies, trust me this person wouldn’t hurt Kayla. Please. I think if you guys hurry you can try to get Pollux to where a dress.” Will smiled at them weakly.

“Okay. Fine we’ll leave.” Drew waved her hand at the other two.

Will left not too long after them.

For awhile Kayla sat alone.

Then again her door opened. The man who looked like her from her dream with Artemis now stood in her doorway.

“So random guy. Who are you?” Kayla asked him.

“I’m your other father. You were born with a spell.” He said.

Kayla gasped. She never thought of that. Hell magic used to be illegal in Delphi until a few months ago. She always wondered who her mother, well now father, was. All her other siblings knew who their other parent was.

She was the only one who hadn’t known.

“So where have you been my whole life?” Kayla snapped at him.

“My sunshine girl. I’m the son of a witch. I wasn’t aloud here. Apollo would sneak me into the castle. And when you were born well people would take notice. I’m sorry. You don’t have to try to have a relationship with me if you don’t want to.” He said.

“I…maybe someday. It would be nice to have a new family member. I’ve lost so many.” Kayla frowned.

“Really? Thank you. Now I’ll be off. Good day.” He said before running off to goodness knows where.

Kayla stared at where he had stood. Her other father. It felt weird to think about but also kinda nice.

At least it gave her something else to think about besides the wedding.

Pollux gave Kayla a small smile as she said the vows the Delphian priest was telling to repeat.

“I, Princess Kayla Knowles of Delphi, daughter of the late King Apollo Papadopoulos, sister of the late King Lee Fletcher, sister of the late general Micheal Yew, and sister of the young King William Solace, accept this bond between me and Prince Pollux of Bacchus, son of King Dionysus and Queen Ariadne, brother of the late King consort Castor.” She finished.

Then it was the Bacchian priest turn to tell Pollux what to say.

“As your husband I promise to honor you and never to harm you. I swear to protect you and care for you.” Pollux said. He liked how short Bacchian wedding ceremonies were. Very much unlike Delphian ceremonies.

They seemed to like to dragged things out for a long time.

Luckily they settled on a mostly Bacchian wedding, mainly because Kayla wanted it done with.

Late at night, after the wedding Kayla found herself following Hazel into the garden. A garden that after tonight she’ll barely see again.

What she saw was shocking.

Drew stood under a tree in a white dress with Will. Reyna, Nico and Frank stood off to the side.

Then she glanced over and saw Ethan dragging Pollux out here as well.

“Ethan and Drew thought this would be a good idea. Think of it as a special kind of wedding.” Will said.

Pollux beamed brightly at Ethan.

“I promise to love you until the end of time. And to never stop making jokes about you being married to a dwarf, sorry Kayla.” Ethan said.

Kayla threw a pebble at Ethan’s head. “I am not a dwarf.” She snarled.

Kayla smiled at Drew.

“I, Drew Tanaka, ex princess of Troy, swear to be yours. Also I promise to fuck your brains out whenever I can.” Drew winked at her.

“Drew! My brother is right here!” Kayla glared at her.

{Three weeks later}

Kayla laid in Pollux’s bed with Drew. Pollux and Ethan were in the next room. This was how they were to live.

Not that she minded.

Pollux sat across from Kayla.

“Okay so do you think it would work if you like fucked a cup and I took your sperm and just put it in me?” Kayla said.

“Maybe, gods this sucks. At least we have many years until we really have to do that. Maybe we can get a spell to help us?” Pollux suggested.

“Yeah. I’m sure if it works for two people of the same gender that it’ll work for us. Now onto how much power will I have when I’m your queen.” Kayla raised an eyebrow at him.

“We will have equal power, okay? Now what about what we do if someone catches one of us with Ethan or Drew.”

“Refuse to speak about it. Say that they’re an idiot.”

“Sure. Might as well.” Pollux nodded.

Drew frowned as she watched Pollux and Kayla smile and wave at a crowd.

She wanted to shout Kayla was in love with her. Not that blondie. True she was on good terms with him but it still pissed her off.

Ethan rolled his eyes at the ‘happy couple’ that everyone thought Pollux and Kayla were.

The two were friends and nothing more.

Kayla kissed Drew. The two of them were soulmates even if Kayla was married to Pollux.

Even if she would one day have to carry Pollux’s kid. Even of one day she would have to rule a kingdom with him.

She loved Drew. And that was all that mattered in the end.

Pollux kissed Ethan. His boyfriend. His true love.

He loved him and only him.

The End?

[redroseworks]

@rarepairproject

[rarepairproject-blog]

Aw, I loved this!

[knishy-deactivated20230216]

My racheyna art for @rarepairproject

It’s not my best, but I love it 

[rarepairproject-blog]

So cute ;)

[astrcldust]

Pipabeth Mermaid/Pirate AU

Read on Ao3

Summary: At first, they were never meant to meet. It seemed as if everything in the world was working to keep them apart. But, once fate makes a decision, nothing else matters. Fate seems to go against rules a lot, doesn’t it? Fate will do anything and everything to unite two people, no matter what it takes. Fate doesn’t “play by the rules.” Piper and Annabeth. They were fate. This is the story of the pirate and the mermaid. 

Words: 18,794

Warnings: Violence (fighting scenes), An interrogation, which involves some abuse (it’s not that intense), Death and execution is mentioned

Notes: Here it is! My fanfiction for @rarepairproject. I worked very hard on this and I’m pretty proud of myself. (It’s the longest fic I’ve ever written :O) Be sure to check out @rachelfuckingdare‘s edit to go along with this story because she’s amazing!

At first, they were never meant to meet. It seemed as if everything in the world was working to keep them apart. But, once fate makes a decision, nothing else matters. Fate seems to go against rules a lot, doesn’t it? Fate will do anything and everything to unite two people, no matter what it takes. Fate doesn’t “play by the rules.” Piper and Annabeth. They were fate. This is the story of the pirate and the mermaid.

~

“Annabeth, wake up!” yelled the voice of her stepmother. Annabeth turned over and groaned. Just five more minutes, the girl thought. Her stepmother wasn’t having it.

Keep reading

[rarepairproject-blog]

So many perfect little moments! You did an amazing job with this!

[pjolesbian]

𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙳: The Pirate and The Mermaid by @sayhellotothepoodlepercy

Fate seems to go against the rules a lot, doesn’t it?… Piper and Annabeth. They were fate. This is the story of the pirate and the mermaid.

my half of the project for @rarepairproject! also posted on tumblr :)

[rarepairproject-blog]

wow look at that! It turned out so beautiful!!

[sincerelyhecate]

my heart is a compass

Title: My Heart is a Compass (and It Points to You)

Pairing: Luke Castellan/Ethan Nakamura

Length: 12.6k words

Summary: Ethan was a pirate with a broken compass and Luke was the treasure he never thought he needed.  Fantasy!AU - pirates and merpeople. You can also read the chapter-ed version on AO3 and FFNet.

Rating: Teen Audiences and Up

Note: This fic is written for the @rarepairproject 2016 Mini-Bang. This work is also beta-ed by @likemybonfireheart, who also provided their amazing artworks! It was a great pleasure working with you!

The night felt almost mystical in its silence. The wooden hull of a frigate silently creaked as it drifted slowly across the dark waters of the bay, red sails fluttering in the midnight air. The moon was nowhere to be seen, its absence went unnoticed by the stars.

The tide was high that night.

Captain Ethan Nakamura sat idly on the bow of the ship, his posture composed yet cautious. He appeared to be deep in thinking, lower lip bitten and eyebrows furrowed. His first mate, Alabaster Torrington, manned the helm quietly; he knew better than to disturb his friend’s odd silence. Besides, steering a massive frigate amidst these strange waters requires great concentration, and Alabaster could not risk the safety of the ship as it was.

Mystical.

Keep reading

[rarepairproject-blog]

Again, I very much enjoyed this! Such great work!

[bonfire-art]

“My Heart is a Compass”

Here is my fanart for @sincerelyhecate’s awesome fanfiction for this year’s @rarepairproject.

It’s a really great experience to be part of this project and working with @sincerelyhecate was a real pleasure!!

Hope you all enjoy our work and have a nice day!!

[rarepairproject-blog]

Wow! Looks Great!