The conversation with Artemis following the Gods leaving was not pleasant.

Not in the least.

She screamed and insulted and just… fumed. She was mad. Very mad.

It made me worry she would accidentally kill me.

"I refuse to come to a compromise with an idiotic boy like you!" she had said.

"That's understandable," I had said.

It was mostly stuff like that, the conversation. Mostly just never deciding anything. Even after a half an hour, we hadn't decided anything at all.

It was only until Hestia intervened that we actually accomplished some things.

She suggested that I just start a new life in the forest that Artemis and he hunters occupied. She said that if Zeus were to ever check in, he wouldn't realize that Artemis and I weren't actually with each other at all, and probably assume I was on a solo hunt.

It was a good suggestion, a great one really, and though Artemis was hesitant in letting me live in her territory, she agreed.

…

The transition was hard of course. I told basically no one of my plans besides Annabeth, who asked to come with, which I refused to allow her to do. She threatened me if I didn't allow her to come, but I had no plan on agreeing. I told my mother too, of course, who was worried that I would get myself killed out in the forest, or that another war would break out and take me from her, but she understood, and begrudgingly approved of the idea.

I packed very little, bringing mostly clothes and weapons. Anaklusmos, as always, sat comfortably in my right pocket, and everything else tucked horridly into a backpack that used to occupy school items.

The trek there was short, for all I did was venture into the dining pavilion, make a small blessing to Artemis, and she appeared in front of me with a glare, hesitantly placed a finger on my shoulder, and transported us both into her forest.

"You're to live here…" she muttered, before walking over to a small pile of twigs and starting a fire.

"Do I have any restrictions?" I asked.

"My camp is thirty kilometers North of here. You are not to set foot anywhere near there…" She glanced at me with her hardened gaze.

"Sure thing," I said, taking a spot on the ground next to where she stood. "Anything else?"

"What?"

"Any other restrictions?" I stared up at her from the ground and she gave me a confused look. "What can I kill and what can't I?"

"Oh…" she mumbled, crumbling onto the ground next to me, cross-legged. "Kill anything you want, just don't over work the landscape. Not too many animals, just kill what you need."

"And is there anything I should know about the terrain here? Mountains… valleys… monsters…" I mumbled the last part.

"There's a mountain range maybe forty kilometers West, we travel there sometimes if we need skins. The goats up there have fantastic fur." She poked the fire. "I suggest traveling there if you need any."

"Ok."

It got quiet, and I suddenly realize the beauty of the place. It was late, late enough that the stars were out and the moon just barely emerging after the sunset. Growing up in the city, you never saw much of the stars, and so the little balls of light were comforting.

I leaned back into the thick grass of the clearing we stationed ourselves in, putting my arms behind my head. A quick glance to the right, and all I saw was Artemis' auburn hair running down her back, glowing from the fire and moon light. To the left was just trees, but a small flower rooted into the base of a tree glistened contrastingly with the darkness of the forest. The light from both the moon and fire reflected off of it, while other things seemed to absorb the light and it became one with the scenery.

I rolled over to the flower and stared at it.

"It's edible, you know," called Artemis. "That flower."

I stared at her for a moment, watching the way her eyebrows relaxed ever so slightly from their glare at the sight of the flower.

"Naw," I said, turning back to the flower. "I wouldn't eat something so beautiful."

She said nothing, and the silence returned. I rolled back to my place next to her, and suddenly realized that she seemed too comfortable around me.

"Why aren't you like…" She glanced down as I started. "trying to kill me or something?"

A sigh escaped her and her shoulders hunched farther over. "I'd like to think not all men are shit until they prove they are."

"But-"

"But often times they are… you haven't given me a reason to kill you yet, besides being apart of this whole… thing… but that's not your fault."

"Hm…" I smiled slightly.

"What?" she quietly demanded, putting force into her voice but clearly not angry.

"Nothing… just that you really aren't like you play off to be… and people seem to be wrong about you."

"What does that mean?"

"You seem to put on a facade, as if everyone's expectations of you caused you to make yourself something you're not."

"What are everyone's expectations of me…?"

"That you're the almighty biased man hating virgin goddess."

"Well, it's a mouthful but I like the title."

We both laughed quietly.

It was silent again for a bit.

"Thanks…" she muttered.

"Huh?"

"Thanks… for saying that." She stared down at me, her eyes tender. "No one ever really… compliments me… even if that wasn't totally supposed to be one."

"Oh…" I sat up, glancing at the fire then back at her. "No problem."

There was a long time of silence after that, consisting of both of us just watching the fire, which had grown immensely since our talk first began. Artemis continued to fuel it with twigs lying around, but a few times I was asked to leave and gather more.

Eventually, she parted with me, but gave me a structure, like a tent but sturdier, and I was left on my own.

I didn't know when I would see her or her hunt next, but as I lay down in a small cot, my items neatly stored for the night but meant to be better organized tomorrow, I couldn't help but think how interesting that night was.

And now I can look back on that moment and say that that was the beginning of a real relationship with her.

The goddess Artemis and Perseus Jackson.

What a fucking odd pair we were.

Aha yeah so this happened. I know it's short but I'm roughly half way through chapter 4.

Also, for anyone who wants to say Artemis is OOC, I know. I'm fully aware of the ArtemisOOC-ness. I don't need you telling me. Right now, I don't want her to be like other people have her seem, all cold and angry and just like, not enjoying life. She's a good person, and in my opinion, to have her go from SUPER CRAZY ANGRY I HATE PERCY AND ALL MEN to oh...he's so cute...WAIT WHAT AM I THINKING. That just doesn't seem like something someone would do unless they have bipolar disorder. Now if you want to say she does the "cute" thing but then gets angry and treats Percy like shit because she's angry then that makes sense.

Oh oh... also I'm reading Great Expectations in english rn so that's why I brought up the expectations thing because expectations affect a lot of us and I wanted to bring it in there for the moral of "Don't be someone you aren't because of how others expect you to act" and also the quote "I am not who you think I am; I am not who I think I am; I am who I think you think I am" is really important and just remember that stuff guys cause your own expectations of yourself are more important than others expectations.

"THE ONLY WAY TO STEAL IS TO STEAL FROM THE MAFIA."