AN: Wow I was not expecting to write a new chapter so soon but here it is!
There's something scary about Ymir's smile, Christa thinks, but it's too late to back out now. The sun is beginning to set, and Ymir is walking along the trees, looking for something.
"What trick?" Christa asks again.
"Well, Hermes is the god of travelers, right?" Ymir says.
She tries not to laugh at how ridiculous the older girl looks, spinning around in the shrubbery. Christa rolls her eyes instead. "And thieves." she points out.
"Hey, I've never stolen anything before!" Ymir claims, pacing back and forth between some shrubs and a bush.
"I find that hard to believe."
Ymir motions her to come over, and Christa daringly walks to her. The brunette is grinning for a moment, but then she frowns.
"Shit. Um, I've never done this with another person before but..." she trails off.
"But?" The shorter girl presses on.
"I think you need to hold on to me." Ymir looks incredibly flustered.
Now Christa laughs. "Ymir if you wanted to fool around you could have just said so."
Ymir's jaw drops and she looks over Christa's head. "No I'm serious!" She glances back down. "If you wanna go you have to hold on."
It's Christa's turn to turn red as she reluctantly wraps her arms around her waist.
"But you know, if you wanna fool around we can do that later." Ymir suggests. Before Christa can utter a response the world goes cold and pitch black. Everything is a blur. Christa feels like she's going to be sick.
She shuts her eyes and holds on to Ymir tighter. She hears a few muffled apologies and feels a tense Ymir hold her back.
The movement stops, but she remains in her position.
"You can open your eyes now. I hope you like California."
Christa blinks her eyes open and gasps. There's a bright sky and the view of the ocean.
"How did you- wow."
Ymir's holding her breath- Christa's still holding on to her.
"You can let go now." Ymir laughs, trying to keep it from being awkward for the other girl.
Christa wordlessly lets go of her hands and starts walking towards the beach.
"You brought us to California." she states.
"I just said that."
"California is on the west coast."
"Glad you know your geography."
"You got us here in less than ten minutes."
"Six minutes and a half, to be exact."
"How?"
"Shadow travel." Ymir stretches casually. She yawns. "I could go for a nap."
"Are you serious?" Christa asks, appalled.
Ymir shoots her a dirty look. "I literally just teleported us from sea to shining sea and you're surprised that I'm tired?"
Christa looks bashful. "Sorry I wasn't thinking…"
Ymir yawns again, and sits under a tree, on the grass that borders the sand. "Just wake me up in fifteen minutes…" She begins snoring instantly.
Christa sits next to her. The whole transition from being a regular mortal girl to a half-blood hasn't been easy, even though it's been three days since her mother told her about Camp. She looks at Ymir fondly. This little escape has been strange but nice. Christa shudders to think of the trouble they could get into, she's not sure of all the rules, but she's pretty sure they broke at least fifty.
She glances over at the beach, it's not very crowded surprisingly. There's a few swimmers, sunbathers, and a dog. She's tempted to walk over to the shoreline, but she imagines she'd stick out in her orange Camp Half-blood t-shirt. Plus, she doesn't want to leave a sleeping Ymir by herself.
Ymir. Their relationship is strained but simple. She leans over to touch Ymir's face but swiftly brings her hand back. They barely know each other, but already Christa is falling for her. Christa's known she liked girls since she was eight. She's never had much luck though, despite her angelic appearance, she's been known for her attitude and well, friendlessness. She always had to move around, she assumed it was because of the Reiss industry but now she wonders if there's more… she always knew she wasn't the daughter of Rod Reiss, but her mother…
Her thoughts are interrupted by a gorgeous woman in a vintage black and white striped swimsuit, who is headed over her way. Please don't acknowledge us, she prays. But the woman does. Christa frowns for a second, and then her mind turns to mush. The woman's appearance keeps changing, from one beautiful figure to the next, looking at her is like looking at the clouds.
"Hello, Historia." she says, breathtakingly.
Christa attempts to correct her by saying "Christa" but her words come out untranslatable.
The lady gestures for Christa to follow her, and she's very enchanting. Christa wants to go. But with guilt she looks at Ymir, she can't just leave her lying there.
"Don't worry about…your friend. My attendants will look after her, she won't even realize you're gone." Sure enough, there are several doves flying around Ymir peacefully and cooing. Christa walks after the woman in a trance, to a fancy cabana she swears wasn't there a minute ago. The lady sits down on an expensive looking beach chair, Christa does the same.
"I'm sorry your father couldn't make it, there are certain rules he must abide to when it regards his children." the woman chirps.
"My father?" Christa murmurs.
"Mhm! My boyfriend." the woman literally pulls a mirror out of thin air, admiring herself.
My dad has a girlfriend?...Oh."
"You're Aphrodite." she states, embarrassed, looking down. "Goddess of Beauty, Love and…" her face reddens. "Sex."
"That's right." the goddess chirps, applying lipstick that is changing colors. "Don't worry dear, you're not the first hero I've come to visit, and you won't be the last." she sighs happily, as if she knows all about the love lives of future half-bloods who have yet to be born.
"Why are you here exactly?" Christa asks, putting her guard up, her head becoming clearer.
"I was born from the sea." Aphrodite explains. "And I couldn't exactly ignore the two girls who are the highlight of Olympian gossip now, could I? Especially when your romance took me by surprise."
"The what?" she squeaks, covering up her face.
Aphrodite laughs giddily. "There's nothing to be ashamed about, be proud, before you know it the two of you will be bigger than Helen and Paris!"
Her stomach churns. "I…we barely know each other." she admits.
"So?"
"So it's not love."
"Not yet, don't worry, I have great plans in store for you."
"Thanks?"
"You're welcome, dear." Aphrodite applies more eye shadow.
"Um, Aphrodite?"
"Yes?" the Goddess of Love looks at her quizzically.
"Does no one care that we're, uh, lesbians?" she manages to get out.
Aphrodite laughs so loudly she's sure Ymir will wake up, being only twenty feet away.
"Honey, we're Greek!" she laughs again, shrill. "Did you not know why olive oil was invented?" she giggles. "Historia Reiss, you're talking to the Goddess of Love, what is it you mortals say, 'love is love?' What kind of power would I have if it only affected the heterosexual population?"
Christa feels relieved.
"Besides," the goddess adds. "My daughter Sappho was bisexual. She wrote some beautiful poetry, and her legacy is still here, thousands of years later."
The sun is beginning to set.
"Oh look at the time!" Aphrodite exclaims. "Historia, love is both a blessing and a curse. Only you can choose how your fate with Ymir turns out." She snaps her fingers, and they're both standing- the cabana is gone. "Also dear, your father claimed you because he believes you will make him proud." She gives Christa a longing glance. "If only it were one of my daughters who fell in love with you." With a poof, she is gone.
Christa walks back to Ymir. She's awake, and trying to scare some doves away. Christa laughs softly, but feels nervous, looking at the taller girl.
"Where've you been? And help me get these stupid birds to leave me alone!"
A dove flies over to Christa and she holds up her hand, petting it.
"I was talking to someone."
Ymir gives her a skeptical glance. "Someone?"
Christa's heart races. "Aphrodite."
Ymir nearly falls but quickly composes herself. "What did Aphrodite talk to you about?"
"She uh…said my dad claimed me for a reason. And some other things."
"What other things?" Ymir's face is flushed.
"Well-" Christa gasps. "Ymir, where did those skeletons come from?"
Ymir turns around, shocked to see six marching skeletons headed their way.