Hee...After this certain poll on my other story, The Keys, I had a really random idea. Then this happened. :D

Our little Tulio needs some help in the romance department...or so Cabin Ten thinks. This story takes place before The Keys so don't be expecting any spoilers about that story here :P

I don't know how long this bad boy will be, but it shouldn't be that big.

I need to stop getting new story ideas and work on my bigger ones...but I really love this idea :3 It will be about the legacies, so don't be expecting much Seven interference.

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize as canon. And yes, Chel is the same one from the Road to El Daycare chapter in my story Adventures in Parenting. Miguel might make an appearance, too, but that's still uncertain.


The Aphrodite Discovery

One: Let's Play

~A month before the events in The Keys~

"So, who's next on the matchmaking list?"

Mark Grace rolled his eyes. He was the current head of the Aphrodite Cabin, and as such made rules on how the cabin behaved when it came to other campers' relationships. He allowed his uncles and aunts (though he still called them siblings) to play 'matchmaker' as long as the matches were appropriate and they didn't try to break them up right after.

That didn't mean Mark actually participated in the game. He was a single camper, and as such felt it would be hypocritical of him to set others up when he didn't have someone to call his own.

His cousin, another legacy named Chel, thought carefully at the question that had been directed at her—the head matchmaker. The other Aphrodite cabin mates surrounded her, desperately wanting to know who was next on the list.

Chel's brown eyes flashed. She snapped as if a light bulb had gone off in her head. "I got it! We haven't done Hephaestus in a while, right?"

The others nodded. Mark huffed in annoyance and went back to reading his magazine on the bed.

"Well then, I know the perfect guy! He'll be a bit of a challenge, since he doesn't like coming out a lot, but maybe we can change that."

"Who is it?" one of the girls asked. "We need a challenge!"

"Tulio Valdez."

Mark's magazine dropped onto his chest. She can't be serious, he thought. There's no way Tulio will go for a match-up.

Apparently his siblings were thinking along the same lines. "Him?" sputtered a boy. "You want to match him up with someone?"

Chel shrugged. "You guys said you wanted a challenge, and Tulio is a pretty big one."

"But he's so…"

"…so Leo-like."

Mark raised an eyebrow. Leo-like? In looks maybe. In hobby-preferences, maybe. But in attitude? They're nothing alike. Tulio can't crack a cheesy joke to save his life! No, Leo didn't rub off on Tulio when it came to personality, that's for sure!

"Exactly why he's a challenge!" Chel waved her hands around excitedly. "Tulio Valdez is always looking lonely when he shows up for camp events. He needs a lady in his life! All agreed?"

The matchmakers all nodded, some of them looking rather nervous.

One actually spoke up, "What if Esperanza catches on to the match and doesn't want us interfering?"

That was the main reason people didn't go near Tulio. To be friends with Tulio, you had to be friends with his twin sister Esperanza. If Tulio didn't like you (which was hard, since Tulio was so mellow to begin with) then Espie didn't like you. And if Espie didn't like you, you got burned—literally.

And if Espie didn't like someone getting too close to her twin? Well then, that someone better step back a few hundred miles.

There had only been one case in the entire world where someone got too close to Tulio. Her name had been Maria, a daughter of Bacchus. It had been a few years ago; Maria was on CHB Leave after earning the right in the Legion for the first time. She assessed that she liked Tulio right from the get-go and started clinging to him. She twirled her fingers through his curly hair, tried intertwining her fingers with his, laughed at everything he said (funny or not), and flat-out flirted with him. It was pretty awful to watch. Tulio didn't show any signs of recognizing the come-ons. Either he was oblivious or he just didn't care.

But Esperanza cared. She had been downright pissed that someone was snuggling up to Tulio in that way so blatantly.

One day, when Maria was somehow separated from the internal fire user, Espie cornered her and confronted the Roman about it. Maria must have said the wrong thing, because she had ended up in a full body cast with third-degree burns riddled all over her body. The Romans thankfully didn't press charges since Maria was a wild flirt anyway, but Chiron had ordered Espie to not enter camp for the rest of the summer. Needless to say, it was a good thing the Valdez household was fireproof.

So, because of that incident, people steered clear of Tulio—especially girls that weren't already friends or Hephaestus siblings.

"As long as our matches don't over-flirt with him, I don't think Espie will be a problem," Chel concluded. "And if Espie brings it up, then I'll…" she gulped. "I'll handle her."

Mark snorted.

Chel glared at him. "Got something to say, counselor?"

Mark raised an eyebrow. "I was just thinking that you'd probably handle Espie in the same way a goldfish would handle a cat."

"Your point being?"

"She'd eat you."

Other people snickered. Chel narrowed her eyes at Mark. "Then how would you handle her, O Wise One?"

He shrugged. "How would I handle her anger at someone matching up her brother? Simple: I wouldn't try matching her brother up with someone."

Chel rolled her eyes and turned away. "Your opinion has been noted, dear cousin, but we all think it's time for Tulio to get on his own feet and stop relying on Espie. Now, anyone got any suggestions on the perfect girl for Tulio?"


A/N: Heh, over-protective Espie. So, let the game for Tulio's love begin!