𝕓𝕣𝕠𝕜𝕖𝕟 𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍

closed starter for: @necrmnce· location: outside the hecate cabin, just before sunset

     if  there  was  one  thing  about  avalon  balinor  that  was  instantly  clear  when  you  earned  her  friendship,  it  is  that  she  is  essentially  a  overly-loyal  golden  retriever  of  a  demigod,  and  would  come  and  bother  you  with  the  smallest  things  that  she  found   exciting   –   which  is  what  she  her  current  reasoning  was  for  her  incessant  knocking  on  hecate  cabin  door.  when  she  came  face-to-face  with  brooklyn  as  the  door  swung  open,  a  child-like  grin  spread  across  her  face.  using  one  hand  to  grab  brook’s,  avalon  used  her  other  to  point  towards  the   sky,  “the  sun  is  setting  and  it’s  going  to  be  a  beautiful  one   –   come  watch  it  with  me  at  the  fireworks  beach?”

   “ oh my god,  never let me drink anything from mr. d every again. ”     her forehead rests against the table at breakfast ;  the cool wood makes her feel somewhat human again.  brook is next to her,  and things feel better — much better,  and andromeda thinks its safe to assume last night wasn’t some odd figment of her imagination.   (  there’s too much relief in her chest for it to have been a nightmare,  but too much talk of rotten relationships to be a dream.  link haunts her thoughts more than usual,  but brooklyn’s presence pulls her out of her own mind.  )   it isn’t a hangover that plagues her — andromeda supposes it was a horrible concoction of whatever transpired last night.  she has a vague idea here and there :  another night of being disappointed with men,  too much wine,  and hugging brook like her life depended on it —– and then she woke up in her bed.     “ and to think,  i made out with — gods know who — for this ?  no ma’am,  i’m sticking to shitty box wine and southern comfort,  thank you very much. ”     /     @necrmnce·  !

   S   I   B   L   I   N   G   S   were a blessing - sometimes a slightly annoying blessing that kept leaving their stuff all over the cabin , but a blessing nonetheless . - - if asked , sizhui would maintain that he doesn’t have favourites , but he can’t help but feel closer to brooklyn . it may just be the closeness in age ( running around camp declaring them as twins has never lost it’s allure . ) it might be because she appreciates a trick ( the mirror had been incredible once he’d gotten over his initial fear - - he made one handsome donut even if he does say so himself ) “ BROOK - “ he yells dramatically . “ BROOK ! BROOK  - “ sizhui stops dead in the middle of their cabin , head tilted back, full of so much energy that he’s practically vibrating . “ BROOKLYN !! “ @necrmnce·

{   🔥   }   ————   𝔠𝔩𝔬𝔰𝔢𝔡   𝔡𝔦𝔞𝔩𝔬𝔤𝔲𝔢   𝔣𝔢𝔞𝔱𝔲𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤   BROOKLYN   FORDE   !

          THERE’S   BAD   BLOOD   BETWEEN   THEM   and   finn   chose   to   transform   that   feeling   into   something   he   could   benefit   from   rather   than   falter   .   she   was   tough   and   he   knew   that   a   lot   more   than   he   should    ,    from   a   time   when   they   could   trust   each   other   ,   that   time   didn’t   seem   to   exist   anymore   .   now   they   were   in   the   same   room   ——   sparring   in   the   arena   ,   something   finn   was   not   good   at   .   sure   he   had   the   skills   any   demigod   should   ,   but   he   was   better   at   fighting   with   his   tools   and   gadgets   ,   not   a   sword   .    yet   ,   it   was   necessary   to   keep   practicing   those   skills   so   he   did   .   with   a   sword   in   hand   ,   one   he   picked   up   from   the   rack   ,   he   crossed   the   room   to   where   she   was   waiting   her   turn   .   

          finn   didn’t   stand   right   by   her   side   .   instead   ,   he   stood   a   few   paces   behind   her   and   carefully   clinked   his   sword   against   hers   ,   flashing   a   smirk   with   evil   tones   lingering   just   beneath   the   surface   .   he   expected   his   presence   to   leave   an   ill   taste   in   her   mouth   ,   but   he   told   himself   he   wouldn’t   care   …   so   he   wouldn’t   .   “   want   to   go   one   on   one   with   me   ,   forde  ?   ”   a   light   chuckle   parts   his   lips   ,   and   he   sways   a   step   toward   her   .   “   just   remember   that   you   and   i   are   on   the   same   team   again   .   no   reason   to   fight   for   blood   ,   ”   it   was   probably   insensitive   but   it   was   better   than   apologizing   ,   at   least   from   his  standpoint   .   /   @necrmnce​

     .・。.・゜☆ .・☾   if  anyone  had  considered  that  brooklyn  could  reevaluate  the  way  she  handled  things ,  the  way  she  treated  people ,  especially  after  her  last  conversation  with  jesse ,  then  they’d  be  wrong .  her  loyalty  wasn’t  given  easily ,  neither  was  true  friendship  from  her .  this  was  exactly  why  when  someone  had  wronged  her  or  broken  that  trust ,  they  were  nearly  permanent  on  her  shit  list.  this  included  both  finn  and  dana ,  two  people  she  once  trusted  with  her  life  but  chose  titans  over  her .  brook  had  seen  him  come  in ,  waiting  her  turn  at  a  practice  dummy  and  watched  him  cross  the  room  over  to  the  same  side  she  was  on .  

     “ i’m not mad. ”     the words are barely above a murmur,  but it’s all she can manage.  seeing brook so hindered makes her own throat tight with emotion ;  andromeda has never been one to wall up her feelings but she can’t exactly sort them,  nevertheless express them right now.  the mention of link always makes her feel a bit sick,  and the alcohol in her system does nothing to help that feeling.   (  she spent days washing his blood off her hands,  despite them being clean by the first pass through water.  she spent even longer trying to forget her failed attempt to heal him,  and longer trying to force the memory of his lips out of her mind.  )     “ he … ”     her brow furrows and eyes squeeze shut,  as if she closed them hard enough,  it would all make sense and the puzzle pieces would fit together.  but the more she thinks about it,  the heavier the weight in her stomach is.  she can’t speak ill of the dead,  but the conflicting feelings bombarding her make andromeda wish she could grab lincoln myers by his shirt collar right about now.   (  was she blind ?  was it right under her nose the whole time ?  or was she just bound to have bad luck in the romance department ?  note to self:  give aphrodite the biggest strawberries at dinner.  )   eyes remain closed,  and she mentally volleys link’s face out of her mind.  her hand is limp as brooklyn toys with it ;  the gesture is the only thing keeping the nausea at bay.     “ he never even let on.  he just let me think ——– and jesse ————– ”    her mind is moving at a million miles an hour and at the speed of molasses at the same time.     “ i wish someone would’a told me — brook,  i never would’a —– ”

                    he    hates    explaining    himself .    despite    the    fact    that    jesse    was    never    truly    happy    with    a    conversation    until    it    stumbled    onto    the    topic    of    him    —-    ninety    nine    percent    of    the    time ,    explaining    his    motivations    was    a    waste    of    his    breath .    other    people    couldn’t    deal    with    not    being    a    part    of    his    equation ,    and    for    that    he    factored    them    out    even    further .    most    demigods    didn’t    make    it    past    their    mid  -  twenties ,    and    jesse    was    starting    to    think    that    it    was    because    they    didn’t    think    about    themselves    enough .    half    of    his    fellow    campers    suffered    from    hero    complexes ,    succumbed    to    the    siren’s    song    that    was    martyrdom .    jesse    only    wanted    to    keep    himself    alive ,    and    for    some    reason    —-    none    of    them    could    accept    that .

          ❛     listen ,    brook    —-     ❜          he    starts ,    putting    his    arm    out    in    front    of    her    to    stop    her    for    a    second    —-    just    a    second .          ❛     it’s    not    that    i    don’t    care .    it’s    that    i    have    to    care    about    myself    more .    i    do    care    about    myself    more .    i    have    to    protect    myself .    so    i    don’t    end    up    sad .    or    wishing    i    had    more .    i    want    to    be    happy    with    myself    as    i    am .    hating    things    about    your    life    is    a    waste    of    fucking    time .    you    only    get    so    much .    less ,    'cause    we’re    demigods .    or    demititans .      ❜           he    amends ,    tilting    his    head    a    bit    —-    one    corner    of    his    mouth    quirking    up    slowly    into    a    crooked    half    smile .

       .・。.・゜☆ .・☾   she’s  already  moving  his  arm  away  from  her ,  face  twisted  in  light  disgust .  he  said  those  words  as  if  they  were  an  easy  thing  to  do ,  not  knowing  how  many  lives  were  lost  at  her  hand  and  her  ability  to  still  see  them ,  still  communicate ,  that  was  never  going  to  be  easy .  she  felt  like  a  harbinger  of  doom ,  less  so  than  a  hades  kid ,  but  still  felt  like  darkness  had  no  choice  but  to  follow  her .  jesse  saying  he  had  to  protect  himself  feels  like  bullshit ,  it  made  her  feel  like  bullshit ,  they  attracted  monsters  and  had  a  life  sentence  stamped  over  their  forehead  from  the  time  they  were  born ,  but  within  the  barrier  of  camp  there  was  no  threat  to  life .  as  quickly  as  her  walls  had  gone  down ,  they  shot  back  up ,  distancing  herself  from  him  once  again .  she  looks  up  at  him ,  annoyed  and  hurt  all  the  same .  “ you  didn’t  have  to  protect  yourself  from  me . ”  she  says .  they  were  close  enough  to  their  cabins  now  that  if  she  really  wanted ,  she  could  walk  home  alone .  “ i  was  never  a  threat  to  your  or  your  happiness .  there’s  a  difference  between  caring  about  yourself  as  self  preservation  and  being  selfish .  you  using  me  as  a  free  thirty  day  trial  for  your  relationship  with  andromeda  was  selfish .  learning  how  to  survive  isn’t . ”  her  lips  curve  into  the  tiniest  smile ,  shaking  her  head  at  him .  “ goodnight  jess , thanks  for  walking  me  home . ”

     her chest is still tense,  despite the breezy laughter that accompanies brooklyn’s.   (  but her voice was too heavy for this all to be resolved in a under a minute.  no,  there’s more,  the bag is only beginning to open,  something else was on her mind —-  )     “ yeah,  but what about you ?  you don’t —– ”     the smile slowly fades from her lips,  and her head is still shaking adamantly,  insistently.     “ you don’t —- don’t be the martyr,  brook,  you – your happiness matters too —– ”     but she’s off again,  the topic of jesse blazing red hot.  as nice as it is to not be the only one left in the dust by him,  andromeda isn’t happy to be sharing it with brook — she was always much stronger than her when it came to boys ;  to see her so flustered and pressured like a dam about to break sends shock - waves of guilt through her chest.     “ if it makes you feel any better,  he doesn’t give a shit about me either. ”     fingers tuck a strand of hair behind brooklyn’s ear,  offering a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes and turns more bittersweet than comforting.  but before she can muster up any more words of advice she should’ve taken herself,  another name hits her like a brick wall in her path,  and her voice breaks.     “ this was before ——————- link knew ?  link knew before ——– ?  that – that was before jesse was even a thought in my mind —– and – and you and i were still —- ”

   “ oh. ”

  and the dread in her gut is gone,  just like that.  why,  she can’t put her finger on just yet.  while this isn’t optimal,  this also …  wasn’t nearly as bad as she had thought it might’ve been.   (  now that she comes to think about it —- what exactly was andromeda predicting as the outcome of this conversation ?  she hadn’t even thought about the possibility of cheating ;  jesse wasn’t dishonest and brooklyn wouldn’t have said it so calmly.  at least,  they don’t exist like that in her mind.  )   but she can’t muster any exact feeling —– in it’s place is an odd,  echoing sensation where the anxiety was,  an empty pit where brooklyn’s words bounce back and forth until it’s dizzying.    “ okay, ”     she hears herself say.  everything feels still as she struggles to grip this.  her voice sounds far away and she’s aware of how eerily steady her expression is ——– and then something clicks.    “ oh my god, ”     back straightens as she leans forward slightly,  brown eyes widening with the sudden realization.   (  the wave of nausea that she had been fighting so hard to keep down returns.  )     “ five years ——— you —- i broke girl code and you didn’t even tell me ?  i — brook,  i never would’a – if i had known ——-”

    her  reaction  is  among  the  (  many  )  reasons  he  doesn’t  regret  his  choice.  the  only  thing  that  gives  him  pause  is  that  brooklyn  isn’t  a  damsel  in  distress.  she’s  better  with  a  sword  than  most  people  here  and  he  has  met  the  ground  countless  times  by  her  hand  in  training.  she’s  strong,  in  the  arena  and  out  of  it,  and  she  doesn’t  need  a  white  knight  to  defend  her  honour.  he  treads  carefully  in  the  seconds  between  her  question  and  his  carefully  constructed  explanation.  he  doesn’t  know  how  to  explain  that  while  he  did  it  for  her,  indisputably,  he  also  did  it  for  himself.  he  did  it  because  jesse  van  houten  deserves  to  be  taken  down  a  few  pegs.  and  no,  he  doesn’t  regret  it.  “  i’m  okay.  ”  that’s  what  he  prefaces  with,  reaching  up  to  hold  her  hand  at  his  chin.  it’s  a  low  comfort  but  one  none  the  less,  he  hopes.  “  i  just  got  into  a  fight.  ”  it’s  not  as  careful  as  he’d  hoped,  but  it’s  something.  it’s  natural.  (  he’s  never  lied  to  her  and  he  isn’t  about  to  start  now.  )       the  next  part  is  what  he  chooses  to  treat  delicately  ;  not  for  jesse’s  sake,  because  he  doesn’t  deserve  any  sway  with  brooklyn  now.  but  because  brooklyn,  for  some  reason,  cared  about  him  once  upon  a  time.  “  it  was  with  jesse.  ”  his  free  hand  reaches  out  for  hers,  another  pull  of  direction  to  tell  her  he’s  fine,  he’ll  be  fine  and  so  will  this  conversation.  (  jesse  is  always  somewhat  of  a  hot  water  topic,  so  he  wants  to  ensure  they  both  dip  their  feet  into  the  water  before  they  dive  in  head  first.  it’s  …  different  to  every  approach  he’d  take  were  this  anyone  else.  )  “  and  before  you  say  anything,  ”  as  he’s  certain  she  will  (  he’ll  listen,  he  always  listens  ),  “  i’d  do  it  again.  ”  thousands  of  times  ;  probably  until  he  was  blue  with  bruises  and  she  was  green  with  anxiety.  “  he’s  a  real  piece  of  work,  brook.  ”  the  what  did  you  see  in  him  goes  undisclosed.  she  was  never  the  problem.  

                    his    head    starts    shaking    before    brooklyn’s    even    halfway    through    her    first    sentence .          ❛     i    don’t    worry    about    anything .    i    still    try .    i    just    know    that    luck’ll    get    me    in    the    end .    it    has    my    back .    that’s    my    power .    i    can’t    use    magic    or    shoot    fire    out    of    my    ass    or    anything .    like    —-    for    gods’    sake .    you    guys    can    let    me    have    this    one    thing .     ❜          she    stumbles    into    him ,    but    the    subtle    brush    of    her    arm    against    his    is    familiar .    he    brings    a    hand    up ,    placing    his    palm    between    her    shoulder    blades    for    a    moment .    steadying    her    is    almost    a    reflex ,    though    he    hasn’t    spent    time    with    her    this    effortlessly    in    what    feels    like    eons .           ❛    i    think    that’s    the    hardest    part    for    people    to    swallow .     ❜     he    muses ,    eyes    trained    as    far    ahead    of    them    as    his    incrementally    fuzzy    brain    will    allow .          ❛     most    of     you    can’t    accept    that    i    like    being    this    way .     ❜          he    searches    for    her    gaze    out    of    the    corner    of    his    eye .         ❛     i    don’t    need    to    be    everyone’s    favourite    guy    all    the    time .    or    fucking    —-    ever .    i’ve    been    the    important    people’s    favourite    already .    at    least   for   a   bit .    and   that’s   enough .      ❜

        .・。.・゜☆ .・☾   she  doesn’t  argue  with  him  back .  there  was  no  point  in  disagreeing  with  something  that  he  had  known  to  be  true .  “ shooting  fire  out  of  your  ass  doesn’t  even  sound  fun . ”  brooklyn  comments .  his  hand  on  her  back  is  almost  familiar ,  but  the  familiarity  doesn’t  stop  her  from  tensing  up  at  his  touch .  “ i  don’t  take  that  from  you ,  i’m  one  of  the  few  that  will  actually  entertain  you . ”  it  might  just  be  the  fact  that  they’re  neighbors ,  but   nine  times  out  of  ten ,  as  long  as  she’s  not  having  the  worst  day ,  she’ll  sit  and  play  whatever  game  he’s  in  the  mood  for ,  even  if  it  comes  at  the  expense  of  her  wallet .  brook  watches  the  ground ,  focusing  on  the  heel  toe  movement  of  her  feet  in  attempt  to  avoid  bumping  into  him  again .  her  lips  draw  together  as  he  speaks  and  she  tries  to  understand .  “ i  know  you  don’t  particularly  care , ”  she  starts ,  “ but  what  you  do  still  hurts  people . ”  raising  a  hand ,  she  runs  it  through  her  hair ,  still  not  looking  back  at  his  face .  “ which  i  guess  is  why  you  do  it  right ?  not - good - people  don’t  care  if  they  hurt  others . ”

    something subtle shifts in brooklyn’s expression ———- was she … uncomfortable ?  oh no.  if it was worth making brooklyn uneasy,  it was fairly safe to say andromeda would feel the same in regards ;  the simple fact of it leading to hot butterflies already churning in her stomach.   (  jesse plus i need to tell you something plus you deserve to know is one equation that’s surely going to haunt her nightmares.  )   despite the heavy buzz of alcohol,  she’s rather unfortunately sobering for this conversation specifically ;  expression cloudy and unreadable.  as much as she wants to hear this — and she does:  if it bothers brook,  it bothers her,  no matter how long the break in their friendship was — but everything else becomes so acutely distracting.  a pebble beneath her bare foot,  the loose string at the hem of her dress,  the grasshoppers in the distance —— she resists looking away from brooklyn,  but andromeda so badly wants to think about anything except whatever has made brooklyn tense up around her.  head inclines in a nod,  and she’s sure to keep her voice level.     “ you’ve got the stage,  forde. ”

   “ eh, i can promise you they’ve seen worse over the years ; they’re more …  forgiving than you’d think. ”     considering the years of damage in the forest from capture the flag alone,  andromeda tries to give them the credit they deserve.   (  so what if she was a tree - hugger ?  she’s literally the daughter of the original tree - hugger.   someone had to do it.   )   

   between the alcohol already downed and the sudden mention of him, she’s almost dizzy despite the fact that she’s sitting.   (  it’s fair to say that this conversation might just warrant another drink.  )   her own inner distaste is mirrored on brooklyn’s face, and andromeda gives her a gentle nudge with her knee.     “ hey, we can talk shit if it’ll make ya feel better. might be therapeutic. ”     for whom, she doesn’t specify.  something makes her think it’d be to both of their benefits,  and she doesn’t need more evidence than the fact that brooklyn lives next door to him.  despite the mischief that sparkles in her eyes,  she won’t speak ill of her exes,  no matter how badly things went —- she can’t bring herself to —- her step - ma would have her neck if she did.  but that won’t stop her from agreeing with anything brook has to say.   (  there’s always going to be a part of her that loves jesse,  but she’ll be damned if anyone thinks it’s blind love.  no,  she knows as much as anyone else what a menace he can be.  she might’ve been lovesick,  but her eyes and ears still work just fine.  )   

          .・。.・゜☆ .・☾   the  laugh  brooklyn  gives  her  is  the  equivalent  to  extra  air  pushed  from  her  nose ,  the  smile  she  attended  weak  at  best . “ ah ...  yeah  you  know  a  vent  session  could  solve  a  lot  of  things . ”  she  nods  agreeing ,  but  the  actually  execution  and  frustration  or  anger  that  should  follow  that  isn’t  there .  her  hands  run  cold  as  she  thinks  of  what  to  say ,  how  to  tell  andromeda  just  one  of  the  things  that’s  been  weighing  on  her  mind  since  it’s  happened .  she  sighs and  rests  her  hands  on  top  of  her  head  for  a  moment ,  counting  to  ten  before  finally  speaking  up .  

                    her    muttered    ew    is    like    a    stab    to    the    heart    —-    except    instead    of    hurting    him ,    it    just    forces    out    a    single    chuckle .    he’s    no    stranger    to    ill    words ,    especially    not    from    those    that    he’d    supposedly    wronged    as    he    did    brooklyn .    his    shrug    is    loose ,    his    lips    sealed    for    once    in    a    blue    moon .    it’s    not    often    that    he    falls    silent ,    but    the    alcohol    sloshing    in    his    belly    as    he    walks    alongside    her    is    surely    a    contributing    factor .          ❛     when    you    talk ,    it’s    not    so    bad .     ❜          a    weak    admittance    from    a    selfish    man ,    but    one    nonetheless .    her    feigned    interest    is    transparent    to    him ,    but    it    only    makes    him    like    this    version    of    her    more .    the    version    of    brooklyn    in    this    moment    is    tolerable    —-    almost    likeable ,    again.    something    she    hasn’t    been    since    she    came    back    from    her    quest .          ❛    i    wanna    say    it’s    because    i’m    trying ,    but    it    isn’t .     ❜          he    swings    his    arm    between    them    as    they    walk ,    ever    fidgety .          ❛    guess    the    sacrifice    changed    me .    maybe    you’ll    think    i’m    a    good    person ,    now .     ❜          a    joke    —-    one    on    the    more    unbelievable    side .

         .・。.・゜☆ .・☾   she  can’t  help  but  smile  to  herself ,  the  weak  admittance  still  admittance  and  thus  another  victory  for  her .  she  wonders ,  if  only  for  a  moment ,  if  things  were  different  or  they  never  dated  at  all ,  if  he  would  have  noticed  her ,  if  maybe  they  could  have  gotten  along  ,  but  the  thought  is  rendered  silent  by  the  cold  reality  of  truth .  the  short  answer  is  no .  he  wouldn’t  have  even  looked  her  way  if  she  wasn’t  giving  him  the  attention  he  wanted .  the  silence  around  them  is  easy ,  easier  than  any  lack  of  speech  between  them  had  been  before ,  and  admittedly  an  almost  welcomed  change  of  atmosphere .  “ you  don’t  try  at  anything ,  unless  it’s  making  other  people  look  stupid  when  they  play  casino  games . ”  she  corrects .  her  ever  so  slightly  uneven  gait  changes  her  trajectory  away  from  from  straight ,  her  arm  brushing  against  his .  the  feeling  alone  is  enough  for  brooklyn  to  pull  her  arms  in ,  crossing  them  in  front  of  her  chest  and  turning  it  into  a  shrug  as  an  answer .  “ you  and  i  both  know  that’s  not  true . ”  this  time ,  a  real  smile  finds  its  way  to  her  face .  “ i  haven’t  came  up  with  a  spell  for  that ,  gods  know  you’d  need  it . ”

                    he’s    oblivious    to    the    consequences    of    his    actions .    in    love ,    in    war    —-    he    holds    on    to    the    golden    net    that    is    luck ,    always    at    the    ready ,    always    catching    him    before    he    can    hit    the    ground .    it     was    that    combined    with    his    maternally    inherited    aura    of    unpredictability    that    inflated    his    ego    beyond    repair .    perhaps    other    demigods    had    powers    that    were    inherently    more    —-    that    could    alter    the    physical    and    the    metaphysical .    but    without    tyche’s    blood    in    his    veins ,    he’d    be    half    of    himself    —-    both    literally    and    figuratively .    brooklyn    was    one    of    the    casualties    of    his    inconsiderate    lifestyle ,    and    still    he    refused    to    let    her    go .    his    misplaced    sense    of    ownership    over    those    that    he    got    close    to    and    his    claws    were    permanent .

                    his    head    shakes    before    he    can    even    will    it    to .    jesse    doesn’t    want    her    sympathy ,    and    though    she    doesn’t    voice    it    —-    the    part    of    him    that    had    studied    her    every    expression    out    of    curiosity    when    they    were    together    knows    that    it’s    there ,    if    miniscule .          ❛     i’m    walking    you    home .     ❜          it’s    disingenuous    —-    he’s    walking    himself    home .    they    are    neighbours ,    after    all .    even    so ,    he    sidestepped    her    preceding    comments    in    favour    of    proclaiming    it .          ❛     jasper    and    i    gave    tyche    cash    for    the    offering .    shit    we    won    off    of    the    rest    of    you    soft    heads .     ❜          he    answers    her    next    question ,    never    one    to    skip    over    an    opportunity    to    talk    about    himself .          ❛     but    i    kept    like    half    of    my    shit    and    told    her    what    i    gave    her    was    all    i    had .     ❜           the    grin    that    slips    onto    his    features    is    luminous ,    and    he    aims    at    her ,    looking    for    an    acknowledgement    of    his    pure ,    unadulterated    craftiness .

          .・。.・゜☆ .・☾   “ ew . ”  the  monosyllabic  word  falls  flat  from  her  mouth  at  his  statement  to  walk  her  home  before  she  even  had  the  chance  to  register  that  she  was  saying  it .  a  look  of  surprise  crosses  her  face  momentarily ,  brooklyn  shocking  herself  with  the  automatic  response .  she  chalked  it  down  to  the  wine  in  her  system  and  the natural  irritation  jesse  raised ,  shaking  her  head  to  dismiss  the  comment .  rather  than  waiting ,  brook  sticks  a  foot  out  and  turns  her  body  away  from  his ,  taking  off  to  her  cabin  and  not  prolonging  their  shared  company .  being  around  him  made  her  uncomfortable ,  like  the  fact  she  had  been  hiding  anything  that  happened  for  five  years  was  making  her  feel  sick . 

ignoring  the  feeling  in  her  chest ,  looks  at  jesse  with  a  fake  look  of  interest ,  trying  to  follow  along  in  his  story .  when  they  were  still  stuck  in  the  hermes  cabin ,  brooklyn  had  always  gave  hermes  an  offering ,  even  when  she  knew  who  her  mother  was .  the blatant  disrespect  for  someone  who  could  obliterate  her  was  something  she  was  sure  only  jesse  could  master .  “ i’m  sure  she  didn’t  notice ,  besides  you  won  it ,  yours  to  do  what  you  please  with . ”  brooklyn  offers .  looking  up  at  him ,  she  muses  to  herself  for  a  moment ,  “ you’re  less  insufferable  at  the  moment  than  you  typically  are . ”

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.

          .・。.・゜☆ .・☾   brooklyn  had  only  snuck  of  into  the  woods  to  try  and  call  her  dad ,  maybe  let  him  know  she  had  actually  gotten  to  spend  the  day  with  her  mom .  her  nose  was  glued  into  her  phone ,  thumbs  typing  a  quick  text  to  see  if  he  was  busy  with  work  before  trying  to  call ,  when  she  heard  the  distinct  sound  of  a  startled  demigod  scrambling .  the  person  in  question  came  into  her  line  of  sight  just  as  they  hit  the  ground ,  a  genuine  smile  crossing  her  features .  “ dude ,  it’s  just  me . ”  she  says .  tucking  her  phone  back  into  her  pocket ,  she  holds  a  hand  out  to  help  them  up .  it  was  a  combination  of  min  being  andromeda’s  sibling  and  the  fact  that  she’s  been  having  a  really  good  day  that  led  to  the  unusual  kindness  radiating  off  her ,  and  she  wasn’t  going  to  switch   the  flip  for  no  reason .  “ yelling  at  some  trees ? ”