It's been a while since I've logged in my demigod diary that Chiron makes us use. But, to be completely fair, after the trip to the Oracle (Rachel Dare, aka pookie, aka Red), I completely lost my ability to glow in the dark.
'How?', you may be finding yourself asking, and in response I shall tell you a story.
Once upon a- ugh, what am I? A Disney princess? Anyways, after we sat down with Red (Rachel's initials, and my nickname for her), and she gave us stale crackers and warm iced tea; something she really needed to invest in with her parent's money should be a full-sized refrigerator, and not the one the camp gives the cabins. Anyways, she looked uncomfortable.
I noticed her walls were painted white, instead of her usual murals of prophetic dreams and visions, on the dark cave walls.
"Rough few days," Rachel sighed. "Haven't been having any visions or anymore. It sucks, because I was finally getting used to the snake hissing occasionally." She sounded very dejected at the fact she couldn't hear the occasional hiss of a serpent. I, personally, would look for the snake and put it in terrarium to observe (and maybe make antivenom if it was poisonous. But, alas, I could barely even remember where penicillin came from.).
"And you'd thought that having a blank canvas would get the brain juices flowin'?" Leo chimed in, his hands in his pockets, more than likely to look for mints. "Y'know, primer and stuff like that."
Rachel looked at him, confused, and rightly so.
"What?- No-" Rachel was staring at him like he just said 2+2= rubber, or something like that, which wouldn't be too far off for Leo. "Well, you're right about the 'blank canvas' thing, but the primer? Where in Hades did you get that from?"
Leo shrugged. Rachel looked at me, and I followed his example. She sighed.
"Anyways, Jacks said you could help us with a situation." Tyler chimed in. "Considering you can't do anything prophetic right now- no offense- we might just leave-"
From the back of the cave, we heard a laugh from Connor Stoll and Katie. Connor threw a spider and our friend. Typical. I rolled my eyes and refocused the conversation.
"Tie-dye, just because Red doesn't have any prophecy blessings, doesn't mean she can't help us... Right?" I added in.
Rachel nodded. "I helped Percy out at the Battle of Manhattan, right? Why can't I help another hero out again?" Rachel beamed. I've never seen her so excited to go out on the field again. Man, etiquette school really does stuff to you (long story).
"Okay, so recently, because of a certain problem called 'Lester Papadopoulos,' my magical abilities have been on the fritz." I said while trying to make my fingers glow in the well-dimmed cave. Sadly, I just made the area around my hands darker. "We were hoping you could help with that, at least."
I then told her the story, Nico, Leo and Tyler adding on to parts I didn't quite catch because I was horrified at my parentage randomly changing. After the story was finished, I let out a long sigh. "So, that's about it."
Red nodded, a double-finger gun pushing up on her nose and lips; an attentive pose, used in pop culture media to show a character was intently listen and considering options (though most times, the character[s] had already made their mind up about the decision. So glad my magical ability to describe and explain stuff wasn't taken away. Pretend I rolled my eyes while I said that.).
"I see..." The oracle finally said. Then shrugged. "I dunno man, this seems outta my expertise. I think Annabeth is more suited for this kinda stuff. She's over at the Big House right now, I'm pretty sure. She should understand what's happening to you more than I do."
I sighed, and chewed on a stale cracker from the small, sad coffee table. I reluctantly coughed on the dry cracker in my mouth, and I managed to choke it down with the warm Arizona Green Tea (not sponsored, by the way). "Thank anyways, Red. Always a good time- CONNOR STOLL, BACK AWAY FROM THAT SPIDER, IT IS DANGEROUS." I shouted to the lone twin who was trying to lick the Arizona Red-haired Tarantula. A dejected 'aww...' could be heard shortly after from the back of the cave.
We all headed out, after thanking Rachel, and headed to the Big House. On the way there, I felt more spiritually attuned. Not to myself, but to the environment around me. How does Nico deal with this all the time?! It's so weird. And even worse, I felt more attracted to the shadows than normal, which, no thank you, I've dealt with more than enough times through my life(s).
I started to space out, and recall my time in the early to mid-1700s America. My mother, a woman from a 3rd generation family of Spaniards who moved to England, who's great grandfather was of Irish and German descent, was baking a pie for me in our small colony. This was before the war happened, by the way, and she was making a strawberry pie. The sweet aroma of the tart strawberries baking in the crust was delightful. I remembered myself eating the pie, and looking up at my mother who made it.
Except... I couldn't see her face anymore...
It was like the shadows that I had been enveloped in that defied space-time, seemingly started to envelope my memories.
I tried my best to remember her face. I couldn't.
As if, I, the person who can sing beautiful songs to make Dryads and flowers cry, heal any wound, and can manipulate the shadows, couldn't move this one... It hurt... Not physically, but emotionally. I felt the warm tears fall off of my neck and onto the orange shirt fabric that I was wearing.
I felt a warm hand touch my left shoulder, like a friend would, and the other person (who smelled like freshly mowed grass), firmly grasped the other. Each of them different, but still able to covey the same message: 'Are you okay?'
The answer was simple. But I couldn't tell them, not anyone. Not yet, at least. Not even Tyler as I snapped back to reality and the image of my mother was no longer reflected from my inward eye.
Because I'm bored, here's chapter 3 just because I can :)
Chapter 3
Leo gives me life advice
I know, not the best thing to say after getting re-claimed by Hades. (is it claiming or did Hades just destroy my parentage? I'm not sure. This hasn't really happened to anyone... I think.)
Leo walked up to me, placing an arm around my shoulder. 'I think you might be a kid of Hades.'
I stared at him blankly. 'What the Hade- well, my... whatever he is- is that supposed to mean?'
'I mean you got claimed. Dipstick.'
'I know what you mean Leo, but how did I get claimed if Apollo is, technically, biologically my father?'
'You're asking me like I know how humans work,' Leo said with a look that said I'm more of a machine knower, not a human knower. 'Sure. I build things with sentient consciousnesses all the time- with the help of Pipes of course- but I'm better at robo-genetics, not homeo-genetics.'
I facepalmed. A nice, loud slap to the front of my forehead. I drug my hand down my face, stretching my features before they snapped back to how the were before. 'It's not even real human genetics.'
Tyler huffed. He had a small look of jealousy on my face. Quick backstory. Tyler and me go back to the beginning of my time at camp. Me and Leo go back to a few minutes after my beginning of camp.
Now, when I saw Tyler, it wasn't love at first sight, if you can describe it that way (I am Cupioromantic, interested in dating, not really into the lovey dovey stuff. I still do it to make Tyler happy though). In fact, my first "crush," after my first boyfriend (Andy), was Leo.
Now, let me explain. After seeing a cool, good-looking guy that can talk to trees, and seeing a fire gremlin that has a sick ass (in the donkey sense) robo-dragon, covered in machine oil, burning trees- who wouldn't fall immediately?
I ended up finding out he had a girlfriend though and cried in a pillow for two days. Not a good day in the infirmary. Especially since I was laying in a medical cot near the sick children unit with the privacy curtain surrounding me with no walls nearby. A lot of people cried that day. But that's a story for another time.
Tyler snapped me out of my flashback. Literally. Because not only was I recounting my tail, I was also staring- like HARD staring- dead at Leo's face. I shook my head when I realized that he was snapping in my face. 'Helloooooo?... Earth to Jacks...' I finally registered him saying.
'Wuh-' I noticed Tyler looked angry, and was pouting. 'What did I do?'
Leo cleared his throat. 'You were staring at me. For like, three minutes without blinking.' Leo looked like he was on the verge of laughing. I felt myself blushing in embarrassment.
'I was flashbacking, I wasn't paying attention! I swear!' I put my hands up, in a swift moment, a flick was administered to the bridge of my nose. 'Ow!- Tyler!-'
'You're still staring!' Tyler said, moving my gaze away from Leo with a finger.
I rubbed the bridge of my nose from where he flicked. 'Tyler, I swear I was flashbacking, I swear on Styx.' Tyler relented.
'Fine. But this should be the last time I see you looking at another guy for extended periods of time, okay?' He huffily (not a word) placed a small kiss on my forehead before I can say anything else. I know he got jealous, a lot, but usually it was just his weird way to flirt with me. So I assumed that was what he was doing.
'So, now that... whatever just happened has passed, does anyone know what to do now?' Connor Stoll thankfully interrupted and asked. 'I mean, since Apollo became a technically biological human, and I got poked in the eye, the Oracle hasn't been oracle-izing quite right.' Usually, I would've been severely irritated by the misuse of word creation and have the undescribable need to punch someone in the gut and correct them, but it seems my correctional wordsmithing capabilities had left with my parentage.
'"Oracle-izing" isn't a word dipstick.' Nico said for me. Nico has been slowly learning the entire english dictionary because of him spending time with- ugh, Will.
'On the contrary, fellow not-entirely-straight man.' Leo said. 'Isn't Apollo looking for new words constantly?'
'He's a 16 year old-ish teenage boy with acne, I doubt he needs to look for new words right now.' I said. 'Wait- What did you say?-'
He ignored me and went on.
'Now now, let Uncle Valdez teach you youngins something about good old machine building.' He sat down in a chair while slapping boths his hands on his repsective knees. Kinda like the southern USA way of someone slapping the knees while standing up while saying, "Welp, it's getting late. Have yerself a good time pardner," (I have no clue what the modern South was like, I was from the Nothern Colony in Pennsylvania, and the south wasn't all grammas baking you apple pies and people fighting alligators with a beer in hand back before I was stuck in the Erebo pocket space).
'We're technically the same age.' I said bluntly. Leo shushed me in response.
'I don't care. I'm Uncle Leo Valdez, Tofu Taco Expert, and Bad Boy Supreme.' He said like it gave him authority (it didn't). 'Anyways, just because you can build a whole machine, including the parts, it's not always necessary when you have other materials to help you.' Leo said with surprising maturity. I half expected a sound machine to play a loud mooing sound from somewhere in his pockets. 'Everything has a place and it's better to build a place for it, then build something that already exists.'
'As a practicing engineer, poet, artist, temporary philosopher, the designated friend therapist and farmer, that made absolutely no sense.' I said with a frog blink.
Leo shrugged. 'Not everyone's a machine builder. You should probably take the "practicing engineer" part out of your title.'
Tyler stepped in. 'Leo, not the time.' He said impatiently. 'Get to the gist, dumbass.'
Leo put his hands up with his signature impish grin. 'Hey, don't go and try to rush a master perfeccionando su oficio*.' (*To translate, he said, "perfecting his craft." You're welcome.)
Tyler rolled his eyes. 'Olvídalo, idiota. Date prisa y termina lo que estás diciendo*.' (*To translate, again, in basic, he said, "Forget about it, idiot. Just hurry up and finish what you're saying.")
Leo rolled his eyes. 'Alright, alright. I'll cut to the gist: Just because the Oracle is broken, doesn't mean Rachel can't help.'
Surprisingly, that made sense. Even for Leo. Too much sense...
'Leo, who replaced you and gave us a proper person?' I asked with twinge of confusion. 'When did you start dishing out advice as good as your Tofu Tacos?'
'It's a talent of mine.' Leo said while shrugging it off as if it was something natural. He later told me that he was high off of oil fumes and couldn't remember a single thing about what was happening. Which makes sense when he then said, 'Anyone else hungry? I ate not too long ago, but I feel starved.' He rubbed his stomach. 'Didn't I have ice cream? Where did it go?...'
Leo then wandered off to the cabin's minifridge and raided for food.
Tyler then said, "So... I guess we're going to get Red?'
'Yeah,' I said while scratching the back of my neck. 'I guess so. Would she even help?'
Tyler shrugged. 'Maybe. But we'll never know unless we ask.' And so, he gathered Katie and Connor while Leo followed us, with snacks cradled in his arms like a baby, towards the Oracle Cave of Mini Delphi.
i, uh, may have slightly burnt myself baking biscuits.
help :')
OMGG ARE YOU OKAY???
(ooc: Sorry for the late replies and stuff, I was at my dad's house 😔)
Please don't put ice on it immediately, it could cause shock depending on how bad the burn is. Submerge it into warm water, and slowly progress to lower and lower temperatures. After that, don't cover it. Covering it is bad or something (idk, it's been a while since I had to deal with a burn).
A fanfic of my own character that kinda goes into the lore of my character, altering the story to where they have multiple personalities inspired by the schizophrenic episodes of the Greco-Roman gods (and ofc @bright-side-of-the-moon)
Chapter 1: Will loses track of a patient.
IT WAS A DAY LIKE NO OTHER.
I was doing rounds- checking I was stocked on bandages, my list of patients with allergies, my medicine was stocked, I had plenty nectar and ambrosia, watering my sunflower given to me as a welcome gift by Will Solace when I got claimed, playing my morning playlist of Conan Gray, Olivia Rodrigo, Em Beihold, Claire Rosinkranz, Camilla Cabello- the usual.
Until I get interrupted by a knock on my office door.
I stop playing my music and head to the door, opening it with slight annoyance.
"Yeah? Who is it-"
"Hey, sorry Jacks, I know you're doing rounds but... we have a medical emergency in cabin 3," The person said. It was my freckled, suntanned, tall, blond brother. Will Solace. He was never good at telling me when there was medical emergencies. Especially during the morning.
"I can't help them," I sigh. "I was just about to reorganize my files in alphabetical order again-"
"Well- I- uhh- As Head Counselor slash Medic, I demand you go check on your patient!" He said, puffing out his chest and pointing a finger in the air.
I just stared at him for a while.
"It's been a week and you're pulling that card on me?"
"Just go down-"
"No."
"Pleeeease?"
"Hmm.... no."
"I'll give you unlimited access to all patient files."
"Where's the camper?" I throw on my lab coat.
"New that would getcha."
"I need blackmail on the Stoll brothers, I take wins where I can get them." I adjust something slightly out of place on my coat then walk past Will.
Will shrugs. "Fair enough."
We walk towards the strawberry fields, making small talk on the way. You know, the usual.
"How many people died last week?" I ask nonchalantly, as if death doesn't bother me anymore.
"Surprisingly, one," Will says while stepping over a mushroom that looked like it was on the verge of exploding. "He fell off of the rock climbing wall."
"Was he drunk?"
"Nope."
"Was he wearing any safety gear?"
"Also, nope."
"Well no duh, it's written on a giant sign to wear the proper equipment with supervision if you want to climb on the wall," I hop over a loose root in the ground. "It's literally the number one rule."
"It was an Ares kid."
"Okay, that makes much more sense."
We make it to the fields, with no one to be seen. Nobody. Anywhere, no matter where you looked. Not a single Satyr, bug, or demigod.
"Uh... Will?" I turn to him and bat my eyes. "Where's. The. Damn. Patient."
"How should I know?!"
"YOU'RE THE HEAD MEDIC. THAT'S YOUR JOB."
"NUH-UH- wait, no. You actually have a point. Am I gonna get fired?" Will was panicking, I was pissed, and we have a missing (probably dying, let's be honest) patient that's nowhere to be seen. "Oh gods, what do I tell Nico?!-"
"Calm down. You find that patient, before Chiron and Mr. D have your practicing license for a month. I'll go ask any nearby campers if they seen anyone..." I pause for a moment. "What did you say this patient looked like again?"
"I- uh.... Girl, very pretty, smelled like-"
"Let me remind you, you have a boyfriend that I know very well."
"Shut up," Will's face taking on the same hue of the strawberry milk served at lunch. "As I was saying, she was a daughter of Aphrodite. She was supposedly having a heat stroke-"
"Why would a child of Aphrodite be all the way out here in the Strawberry fields?" I interrupt. "Sorry, my bad. Please continue."
"-That caused her to pass out," Will continued, albeit, very annoyed. "She was saying something about needing water, and a Cabin Three kid went to the lake to purify some water for her to drink."
"That all?"
"No, she passed out and... well... You know the story from there."
I hum in thought. Being the gremlin I am, I walk away back to my office. "If she's not here, that means she's okay, or someone else is already treating her. Now about those medical documents-"
"What." Will said incredulously. "Not even gonna look for her?- What if there's a dead camper on my hands, and you just walk away?"
I nod. "Pretty much, yeah."
Will stares at me, dumbfounded and slowly getting more and more pissed off. "You're a terrible medic."
"If there's no patient to treat, there's no problem to meet." Ignoring Will's comment, I continue walking away. "I need to finish my rounds."
"You're fired."
I stop dead in my tracks, slowly turning around. "What?"
"You. Are. Fired"
"Y-you can't fire me?!" I walk up to him. "Only-"
"I don't care. Go to the Hermes cabin. And stay there. You're license is officially revoked."
"W-what..." I mumble, terrified. "Y-you can't do this to me- you're taking away my entire purpose-"
"That's the point," He folded his arms, towering over me, the damn Texan. "Get out my damn sight before I do something I regret."
"B-but my documents... My patients- You- you can't do this to me!"
"You are dismissed."
I felt the tension build up in my chest. My grip on my reality slipping away. The tears welling up in my eyes, burning hotter than any of the forges in Cabin 9. My breath became warm, my throat closing up and becoming dry as the tears fall off of my cheeks like rain. My nose and cheeks redder than any strawberry in the field.
I grip onto Will's shirt, falling to my knees and crying into Will's shirt. "P-please W-Will.... D-don't do this...." I sob.
"You have till the Harpies come out to move." Will said coldly, walking past me. Muttering and mumbling to himself to calm himself down as I slowly fall to the floor. Curling into a ball and clutching my stomach as my tears turn the dirt underneath my face slowly turning to mud with my tears.
So that was chapter 1 !!
Thank you so much for reading and I really hope you enjoyed!
A like would be greatly appreciated because it really supports me (you don't have to if you don't want to) :]
