#emmria

The amphitheater at Camp Half-Blood hums with wild energy as The Saja Girls finish their final song, the last notes of their performance still vibrating through the cheering crowd of demigods. Golden torches flicker around them, casting warm light on their glittering armor-inspired costumes as they catch their breath. No battle formations now—just six demigod girls basking in the celebration of Percy Jackson's birthday, surrounded by their friends and siblings.

Xaveria, daughter of Tyche, drops onto the edge of the makeshift stage, her lucky charm bracelet glinting as she stretches her legs toward the crowd. Emma, Aphrodite's daughter, collapses beside her without hesitation, their thighs pressing together from hip to knee.

A plush heart arcs through the air, from an enthusiastic child of Hermes, and Xaveria catches it with a breathless laugh. She holds it up between them, the cheap fabric glowing under the lights.

"Ems, look," she says, voice still rough from belting high notes all night. She presses the toy to her chest, right over her pounding heart. "Someone gave me their heart."

Emma’s gaze drags from the plush to Xaveria’s face, slow as honey. Her lips curl in that infuriating half-smile that always makes Xaveria’s stomach flip. "Better hold onto that tight." She leans in, close enough that her breath ghosts across Xaveria’s cheek. "We both know how careless you are with precious things."

Xaveria’s pulse stutters. She shoves at Emma’s shoulder, but her fingers linger in the mesh of her crop top, twisting the fabric between them. "You're impossible," she mutters, but the words come out too soft, too fond.

Emma’s eyes drop to Xaveria’s mouth, just for a second, but it's enough to steal Xaveria’s breath. When she leans back, the movement is deliberately casual, but Xaveria sees the way her throat works when she swallows.

A water bottle appears between them. Their hands brush reaching for it, then freeze. Emma’s fingers slide over Xaveria’s instead, warm and sure.

"Thirsty?" Emma asks, thumb tracing idle circles over Xaveria’s knuckles.

Xaveria’s cheeks burn. She should pull away. She doesn't. "You're so annoying," she says, but she's biting her lip to hide a smile.

Nearby, Leo—Hephaestus' daughter—has commandeered the mic stand, crooning an off-key love song directly into Saturn's flushed face. Apollo's daughter groans and covers her eyes, but she's laughing. One hand fists in Leo's shirt to keep her close.

"I swear on the Styx, I'll push you into the lake," Saturn threatens, but the way her other arm wraps around Leo's waist betrays her.

At the stage's edge, Seeta and Lilly—both Athena's daughters—are entertaining the crowd. Seeta kneels to take a camper's camera, snapping ridiculous selfies with her tongue out. Lilly drapes herself over Seeta's back like a living cape, blowing kisses to the Ares cabin.

"You weigh more than my philosophy textbooks," Seeta complains, but she's grinning as she reaches back to pinch Lilly's thigh.

Lilly gasps dramatically. "After I carried you through that last song? The betrayal!"

A camper's sign flashes near the front: THE SAJA GIRLS OWN MY WHOLE HEART. Seeta points at it with a wink. "Damn right we do."

The torches burn brighter, bathing them in golden light. In this moment, they're not just demigods—they're something more fragile, more real. Six girls who became family despite their godly parents.