out of his own free will , zach had headed down to the forge to see if he could convince some hephaestus kids into making new arrows for the hunters . he wanted to do something nice for them and artemis , feeling like he owed them that much . an arm jut out into the sun , into his path , drawing him to a halt . his eyes traveled up the length of the glittery bracelets to the face of the other . he stares him hard in the face for a long moment , expression entirely blank for a solid five seconds . “ …. dude i don’t even know what that means . ” his blunt statement is partnered with a small shrug , a smile breaking his features easily . “ who are they all for ? ”
❪ 💗 ❫ the side eye offered by abel to the sole male hunter of artemis is nothing compared to that of his siblings' —- lily scorned alone was a force to be reckoned with . abel is subtle with his distaste , far too polite to ever make it known . he removes his arm from the other's path compliantly , stepping back a bit . he hasn't forgotten the repeated capture the flag offences he'd suffered at the hunter's hand , and his slightly petty nature made sure of that . ❛ it's a fancy word that make people believe stuff like these are of more value . technically they're the same as any other piece . but 'cause they're made special for somebody , they're more valuable . all about labels , y'know ? ❜
( 🍓 . ) she wants ten . they look so good that she reaches out , running her finger over one of the bracelets . and lily feels such a glow of pride when she looks at them and her brother . filching one is easy - slips it onto her delicate wrist and gives him a tongue - in - teeth smile . a challenge in its own . ❛ and it’s speaking to me , ❜ she tells him , raises an eyebrow as she loops her arm through his own . ❛ you’ll let your favorite sister have it , right ? ❜
❪ 💗 ❫ he knows as soon as lily extends an arm towards him that she’s going to take one —- or ask for one at the very least . he allows her the thrill of the crime , a slow smile dawning on his features . he’d make jewellery for pretty much anybody at camp that asked with a semi - smile , but he revelled in making things for his siblings . ❛ yeah . all yours . ❜ he concedes , directing his attention back to their path towards cabin ten . ❛ it’s rose quartz . easy to find , but . pretty , or whatever . ❜
like a raven, his eyes are immediately drawn to beautiful things. the shinier the better. where he and the birds differ, is that he feels no need to acquire them for himself. he’d consider himself more of a casual admirer, preferably from a distance, without the near-blinding glint that reflects off of one of the stones. he grimaces, a hand coming up to shield his eyes. “ good for them. ” he responds dryly, the kindjals in his hands a reminder of why he’s come to the forge. “ — if you’re done showing off, i could use some help. ” after five years, you think he’d be able to tell the difference between an aphrodite kid and a hephaestus kid but he’s not the best with names and faces. not when he doesn’t know someone very well — or at all.
❪ 💗 ❫ abel all but knew that most people found hades kids alluring —- they were uncut gems , infinitely powerful and the literal spawn of satan . but nova sat in a strange space for him —- one that lived between desire and admiration . he knew little about the other demigod , but he often found himself gravitating towards him casual observation was almost too lax a term for it —- he’d painted a picture of what nova must be like in his mind , all while the other barely knew abel existed . to speak to him now was a complete severance of abel’s suspension of disbelief —- nova is a real person and not just an object of abel’s misplaced and muddled affections . ❛ it’s not —- i’m not showing off , ❜ he defends himself , stung in a way that makes him feel childish . ❛ like , i’d give you one if you wanted . ❜ he’s far more excited about the suggestion than he should be , eyeing the daggers in the other’s hands . ❛ and i’m the wrong guy to ask about weapons . the last guy you should be asking , honestly . ❜
JETT SPENT THE MORNING IN THE FORGES , sharpening and polishing his daggers —— a task he did once every two weeks if his training kept up to routine . he kept music blasting in his ears , laser like focus on the chore . the album down to earth by stevie wonder on repeat , a favourite of his father’s . memories of his childhood back in arizona with his father and half - siblings , afternoons in their backyard listening to the albums his father and step - mother collected from the time they were jett’s age . he remembers the first vinyl his father bought for him —— nearly an hour spent in the record store listening to him talk all about the best artists to ever exist . it was there that they got that album together , now easily accessible on his mp3 —— kept close to him at all times . a place in the sun , his all time favourite , was the song playing as he exited the forges and when he crossed abel . he pulled one bud from his ear and lowered the volume of his music , offering a welcoming smile when the other began to speak . his eyes glanced over the bracelets , taking each one in before returning his gaze to abel . “ they’re nice ! did you make all of those today ? ” he asks curiously , holding off on giving his complete admiration . “ ‘cause that would be impressive . ”
❪ 💗 ❫ it was his mother's influence that gave abel his ability to craft dozens of pieces in one day . if it weren't for his supernatural control over all things jewelry , it would take him days to make even one of the bracelets that adorn his arms like bejewelled sleeves . ❛ yeah , all of them are from today , ❜ he admits , ❛ and if i was the type of guy to toot my own horn , i wouldn't admit that being an aphrodite kid is basically cheating . ❜ if abel had to assign himself one of the deadly sins , it surely wouldn't be pride . in fact , most compliments made his skin crawl —- the opposite of the generally unanimously agreed upon stereotype of a son of aphrodite .
each time abel walks into the forges empty handed , he comes out with bracelets lining each arm . maybe it's the most efficient way to transport them back to the aphrodite cabin , or maybe it's just his favourite way to not so subtly flex on his fellow demigods . ❛ oh , these old things ? ❜ he holds his arms out , letting the light hit the stones he'd painstakingly placed in a blistering hot corner of the forges while he was withering under the disapproving glares of hephaestus kids . ❛ they're bespoke , or whatever . ❜ he notes with a massive grin on his face —- whether or not the other had asked .
below the cut is a list of ten wanted connections ! if you’re interested in any of them , like this post or dm me on discord ! first come , first serve y’all .
— platonic .
a gaming friend . they met on xbox live before either of them came to camp , and cultivated a few years of friendship over that . imagine their mutual surprise when they met up in person for the first time at a camp for demigods .
bad influence . abel is an incredibly decent person . he doesn’t tend to stray from what’s politically correct or expected of him , and he’s probably neve really let loose in his life . this person helps him come out of his shell , despite the fact that the whole time he’s with them he’s probably trembling nervously .
combat trainer . abel is useless with a weapon , and this muse is the one person who hasn’t given up on him . they spar weekly , despite abel’s tendency to drop his weapon and curse himself out for it . maybe they can see some improvement , but abel surely can’t .
— romantic .
ex with unresolved feelings . they dated sometime over the last three years that he’s been at camp , they broke up , and he’s never gotten over it . they’re the reason that he endlessly simps for others and wants to give them everything they could ever want . seeing them around just ruins his day instantly because he’s overwhelmed with emoness .
mutual crushes . they both have a crush on each other , but neither of them have the balls to make the first move . abel thinks that they wouldn’t give him the time of day , so he just admires them from afar .
unrequited crush a . abel is absolutely obsessed with them , but they barely know he exists . he isn’t even a blip on their radar , despite the fact that he goes out of his way to be where they are most of the time . nova gallo
unrequited crush b . abel is also absolutely obsessed with them , but they do not feel the same way . he can’t help his feelings , though —- so they still get the same longing stares at unrequited crush a . it’s up to you whether they actively try to tell him to stop , or if they just awkwardly ignore the situation as a whole .
— adversarial .
superficial acquaintance . perhaps they’re doing it unknowingly , but this person fully takes advantage of abel’s kindhearted nature . he often finds himself wondering why he bends over backwards for them , but he’ll never say anything to them , just stew in frustrated silence .
capture the flag nuisance . this person knows that abel’s totally useless on the battlefield , and uses that knowledge to their advantage in capture the flag . abel doesn’t hate them , they’re more considered a constant annoyance in his life .
romantic rival . they’re seeing / are interested in the same person abel is , and he hates that with a passion . he’ll never pass up an opportunity to sneer at the mention of their name , but he’ll likely never start an actual fight with them over it . it’s driven by jealousy , but they’re easily his least favourite person at camp .
“ right, natural melancholy, of course. should’a guessed. ” she bumps his shoulder teasingly with her own, careful to not risk spilling his drink. ( hey, it isn’t every day mr. d is permitted to have alcohol, nevertheless the campers allowed. not that it stops everyone. ) she feigns annoyance as the glass is moved protectively away from her, eyes rolling before she offers a chuckle. “ christ, we’re like walking taylor swift songs, aren’t we ? ya gotta give it to her, though, it ain’t easy bein’ dumb ‘n full of love. somethin’ tells me she’s a bit smarter than us, though, since at least she’s makin’ money offa’it. ” although a bright laugh accompanies her words, something about the sentiment makes her exhale the sigh that’s sat heavily on her chest. ( abel doesn’t deserve this any more than she does. there was nothing wrong with having a big heart, and the gods know they understand that —- but why did it always feel like a punishment ? cupid’s arrows were still arrows, and shit did they hurt. at the end of the day, at least they each understood it’s sting. ) “ hey, ” she begins, turning to face him. “ better to ’ve loved ‘n lost than to never’ve loved at all, right ? we’ve got more balls than half the people here, in my opinion at least. ”
with others , abel is a listener . he doesn't give away his emotions for free —- despite having so many of them to spare . he'd rather be the shoulder for someone else to lean on , especially when he considered the fact that most people weren't as empathetic as he was . he saw it as a handicap , most days . with andromeda , he was more readily a person who shared —- which often resulted in them going back and forth in mushy prose for half an hour at a time . ❛ sometimes i feel ungrateful , you know ? like —- i could use my powers to get whoever i want . i could have whatever i want . but i don't want to have it just because of who my mom is . ❜ he explains, putting his wine down on the bench in between them so he can twist his bracelet around his wrist . ❛ maybe i have no balls , for not using them . but i think it's fucked up . don't you think it's kind of fucked up ? ❜
Earlier in the day, the north woods would’ve made quite the lovely sight, dressed in bright reds and golds as Demeter busied herself with her daughter’s departure to the Underworld. She was too busy to make it to the Hecatomb, apparently.
Poseidon, god of the seas, most important person living on Olympus after Zeus, made it.
Min didn’t care; really, they didn’t.
As the sun set, the woods’ deceptive beauty faded, revealing the shadows among which monsters freely pranced. Perhaps stumbling into there at that time, drunk off of the wine brewed by Dionysus himself, wasn’t Min’s brightest idea, nor was it worth the effort. Nestled between the tree branches, they finally gave up trying to call their mom. The signal was just fine—they’ve personally scouted the woods for that area—but both her personal and work phones went unanswered, which only meant she wasn’t home and didn’t want to be disturbed.
They’ve got a good guess where she was and although they’d never begrudge her the respite, it would’ve been nice to have at least one of their moms be present.
Min shuddered as a cold gust of wind threaded through the intermingling branches and dragged its icy fingers over their warm cheeks. They forgot how terribly cold it gets at night this time of the season. At least it was sobering.
Not as sobering as the sudden sound of footsteps, though. How humiliating it is for a demigod of their age to forget the cursed woods were always crawling with monsters. Their hand flew to the dagger strapped to their thigh—Demeter’s gift, how funny—and just as they moved to adjust their position, their foot slipped.
I sure hope no one sees that, was their last coherent thought before their body met the ground.
But when were the Fates ever that kind.
abel didn't carry a weapon —- he was useless with them . when he'd first arrived at camp , he'd gone through the entire weapons barracks , looking for the one that the ares kids swore would eventually present itself to him . though it was commonplace for demigods to find the weapon that worked for them , there was no such luck for the son of aphrodite . the hilt of a sword felt alien in his hands , as did the shaft of a spear or the wood of a bow . when he made his rare trips past the camp's protective borders , abel went empty handed —- save for his iphone .
his reaction to the sudden noise up ahead is visceral , but not threatening in the least —- he starts , ever so subtly . ❛ oh , shit —- ❜ he exclaims , brow furrowed —- and remains standing for a second , taking in the situation before he's reminded that he should probably help . ❛ my bad . ❜ he insists , holding out a hand to help them up . ❛ you don't have to pull out the strap or anything , though . ❜ he notes , comically referencing the knife fastened to their leg .
her smile blossoms at his question, and she can’t help but play along, expression turning earnest and serious as hands are placed on the back of his shoulders for further examination. “ no, no doormat signs, just a kick me one instead. ” she brushes off his shoulders as his posture returns, one hand remaining to draw a circle of two between his shoulder - blades. ( they make good sounding - boards for each other ; it was always easy to fall into a reliable pattern of duality between them. )
she debates another swig of his wine —- she’s already downed two glasses from someone ; andromeda isn’t above batting her eyelashes to sneak a drink or two from some poor sap when the need arises. ultimately, she decides against it, given that the fire is starting to look like it has a twin. “ somethin’ happen ? i mean, as of recently —- because you know i’d be more than happy to kindly suggest some poison ivy as your solution, if it’s that type’a problem, of course. ”
❛ oh , kick me –- okay . a classic . i guess i can't complain . ❜ the smile that slips onto his lips is miniscule . half of the time he's content with their mutual misfortune —- without it , he's sure they'd have next to nothing to talk about . andromeda is his confidante , and though he's not the most secretive person —- wearing his heart on his sleeve seems like less of a vulnerability when hers is just as susceptible . he doesn't like to think of a reality in which she and him hadn't become the friends they are , so he doesn't .
her loyalty is unwavering , and abel's never met a person like her . that being said , he hadn't met many people outside of his classmates and his father's employees growing up in new york city . ❛ nah , nothing specific —- ❜ he admits , holding his drink closer to himself so that her already inebriated self doesn't get any ideas . ❛ it's my natural melancholy . ❜
they each have their respective friends outside of each other, but abel makes camp feel like home. he isn’t her oldest friend, but he’s easily her best friend. regardless of their camaraderie, a certain amount of bonding follows after someone has seen the other at such low points. ( well, she wouldn’t call it low, per se, only heart - broken. it happens to everyone, but it was always easier to piece yourself back together with the help of someone who has been down that road more than once. she jokingly labeled it the depression recession, of which required all hands on deck to get back on your feet. ) she steals a sip from his glass as the question is posed.
“ no, i don’t think there’s anything wrong with us. ” her voice is soft, but she knows he’ll hear it. a sigh is exhaled, and another sip is taken. “ well, which ‘ wrong ’ are we referring to tonight ? ”
abel watches passively as she takes a sip of his drink , fingers still wrapped around the glass . it's long gone warm , but he's still nursing it —- holding onto it for longer than he should , like he does most things . he and andromeda together are a mix of level - headedness and melodrama , contradictory as they were complimentary . they traded the traits back and forth , and abel was fairly certain that was why they worked .
he knew what andromeda’s answer would be before she even opens her mouth to respond , and he nods in assent while she speaks . ❛ i dunno . last time i checked i don't have a sign taped to my back that says i'm a doormat . ❜ he complains , twisting his body with a jerk so she can look for him . ❛ do i ? be honest . 'cause i don't think i do . ❜
andromeda was the easiest person to spend time with at camp . spending time with her was like breathing —- a reflex that you only noticed when you thought about it . mr. d's famed hecatomb wine warmed abel's body from his stomach outwards , acquired for the first time without any questionable means . he can't stop staring at the bracelet on his wrist , one of his own creation —- with the fading coals of the fire reflecting off of its gems . ❛ do you think it's something wrong with us ? ❜ he asks , looking at her out of the corner of his eye —- once again launching into the why am i single speech in her presence .
ever since he was young , abel's guilt had a way of eating him alive from the inside out . if he lied to his father —- even a white lie , he'd pick at his dinner in a shameful silence until he'd blurt out the truth . he hasn't forgotten using his charmspeak on fernanda , and even worse —- it's been keeping him up at night . he stumbled over the grassy fields at camp each day like a dead man walking , and his usual ornate jewelry pieces were starting to look like metallic dog shit —- for lack of a better description . it needed to stop , and nobody was better to receive a sleep inquiry than a kid of hypnos . he plops himself down in front of ashley at lunch —- after a half an hour of furtive glances from the aphrodite table . ❛ hey . what's up ? ❜ he asks , pressing forward before she can respond . ❛ do you , uh —- what do you happen to know about sleep ? anything ? ❜ he asks , eyebrows raised in feigned cluelessness .
location : outside the demeter cabin , afternoon .
abel had spent the first half of his day in the forges , with half of that time allotted to convincing the more stubborn hephaestus kids to give him more than fifteen minutes at a time with the flames . now , he's speed walking towards the demeter cabin , a couple new holes in his shirt courtesy of flying sparks and a rose - adorned bracelet with andromeda's name on it all but burning a hole in his pocket . “ —- drom ! ” he calls , thumping an open palm on one of her cabin's columns twice . “ if you're not in there , i'm gonna collapse into a pool of tears . ” perhaps not totally true , but close enough .
