Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter.
The Ever Twisting Wind: Threshold Breakthrough
Chapter Twenty One: Halloween Masquerade
Beta: ShadowofAxios
"Camp is holding a costume party for Halloween?" Andi asked with a raised eyebrow as she heard the daily report of the latest news as gathered by her servants. "Since when did Camp even celebrate Halloween?"
"Apparently Bianca suggested they try it out this year." Wendy informed her with a shrug as she put aside the clipboard she'd been referring to during the briefing. "She wanted to have a taste of how it's celebrated since she missed out on the chance since it only really took off while she was stuck in time inside the Lotus."
"I can see her reasoning." Andi said, nodding understandingly. "But Chiron agreed?"
"He didn't say no and deferred to Mr. D. Since he is the party god, do you think he'd disagree?"
Andi nodded. That made sense. As Camp Director, was the only one who could rein Mr. D in at all when it came to matters at Camp Half-Blood. As despite appearances Chiron was someone the wine god respected enough to at least hear out. Most of the time at least. Thus, without Chiron putting his hooves down, there was no way Andi's Olympian brother would let the opportunity for a party slip him by.
"Do you think it would be too forward to invite Will before he does me?" Andi asked her partner even as she mentally penned the invitation she intended to send her lover.
"A little too late for that, Andi." Ida said as she walked into the dining room where the goddess and her Aurae lieutenant were having their working breakfast, her arms weighed down by a hefty stack of letters and scrolls. "He's already sent his. It came in with the rest of the mail."
As she said that, she handed Andi a rather plain looking envelope.
Taking it from her consul, Andi opened it and quickly read the simple invite that Will had penned. Quickly writing a quick positive reply Andi conjured a new envelope, sealing it and summoned the messenger of the gods.
"Lord Hermes, mail for Will at Camp Half-Blood."
"Got it." Her speedster of a brother said with a fraction of his usual enthusiasm as he blurred through the room, taking the outstretched letter in the process.
"Thanks Lord Hermes!" Andi shouted after the messenger god, even as she stood and headed towards her bedroom.
"Andi?" Ida asked questioningly.
"I've got to pick out a costume and get it ready." Andi told her oread mentor. "Just put my correspondence in my office, I'll handle it later."
Wendy and Ida exchanged a smiling look behind the goddess' back, amused at their mistress' lovestruck antics.
Just as she was about to set out for the party, Andi inspected her costume one last time in the mirror of her bedroom inside her palace. Dressed up in a black leather leotard and jacket, fishnet stockings and a pair of thigh high heeled combat boots, the goddess of the Wild made for quite a fetching Black Canary in her own totally unbiased opinion.
"Are you sure about the fishnets?" Wendy asked, staring at Andi's powerful toned legs.
"Yeah. Why?"
"Doesn't that character dress like a prostitute though?"
Andi shrugged. "That's stereotyping. Besides, what happened to women being able to wear whatever they want as being liberating?"
"Fair. I mean, Will is going to be a drooling idiot when he sees you. All the other little boys there too. And just wanted to point out that's what some people might say is all."
Andi tightened her jacket, pushing out her chest. "I'm hoping to get lucky tonight."
"You have to be lucky?" Wendy tilted her head to the side in confusion. "You're a goddess. You want some, all you need to do is just summon him to your bed. Just make sure to shut your door and put up a sign first. I don't want to walk in on you or something."
"I will." Andi assured her with a giggle.
"Good." Wendy replied with a satisfied nod of her head. "So you ready to go? 'Cos you're gonna be late if you don't leave soon."
"Yeah, I am." Andi said after one final inspection of her costume and an application of her powers to make her hair blonde for the occasion to finish it off. "Thanks for covering for me at the nature spirits party. Tell them all I'm really sorry."
"Don't mention it. And it's the Council of Cloven Elders' own fault for being so slow in sending their invite anyways." Wendy told her with a dismissive wave of her hands. "It's not like they didn't know Camp would be holding their own party and you'd be attending it."
"Still wish I could be there, so tell them sorry." Andi insisted. "I really need to work on my instances."
"I will." Wendy reassured her. "And you really should but you can do that later. Time for you to go. Unless you're aiming to be fashionably late?"
"Not this time," Andi said with an amused shake of her head. "See you later, Wendy."
"Bye, Andi!" Wendy said with a wave even as the goddess teleported down to Camp Half-Blood.
Will paced nervously next to the central hearth of Camp waiting for his lover and date for its inaugural Halloween Costume Party: The Greek goddess of the Wild, Breezes and Wizardry.
"You don't need to be so nervous, William." Lady Hestia said from where she sat next to the firepit poking at the flames with one hand while she cradled the Pithos of Elpis with the other, dressed for the occasion in a costume that made her look like Rosie the Riveter.
"Um, yeah I know, Lady Hestia. I'm just having date jitters. I don't want to mess up."
The child sized goddess giggled, flaming eyes dancing with merriment. "True, being the consort to a goddess can be difficult, but if you were ill fit, Andromeda would have departed from you already."
"That's not really comforting, Lady Hestia."
The goddess of the hearth just shrugged.
"Sorry. I'm a maiden goddess. I don't know the first thing about offering romantic advice. Though," the goddess paused, turning to the storage vessel that she carried everywhere nowadays. "I might have to learn how. I doubt my baby will follow in my shoes in the relationship department and I want to be ready when the time comes for them to come looking for me for advice."
"Uh-"
"Maybe this will help," Andi said as she materialized from nowhere and handed the other goddess a thick tome. "It's a collection of every guide on child rearing ever written."
"Oh!" Lady Hestia cried out in delight as she accepted Andi's gift. "Thank you Andromeda! This is indeed a most thoughtful baby gift."
"Of course! Only the best for my future cousin and their amazing mother."
"You are too kind. But I think I have taken enough of your time, your date is getting impatient."
Will was not! He was honestly far too busy staring at Andi to get impatient. Her Black Canary costume was very flattering. It showed off her divine figure spectacularly, both her perfect breasts and her eye catching legs.
"Thanks Will. I'm glad you like my costume." Andi said with an amused chuckle, pulling Will back to the present. "And I have to say, you make a good Green Arrow. You look good in green. I'll have to get a more detailed look. Later~"
Will blushed at the suggestive little hint his lover was giving on what they'd be doing after the party tonight.
"T-Thanks," he stammered out as he struggled to get over the dry throat that Andi's sexy costume had left him with. "I, uh, just wanted to match your outfit."
"And it was a brilliant idea," Andi assured him with a lick of her lips.
"Ugh! Are you two going to the party? Or just spend the whole night just standing here flirting?" Bianca said with a disgusted sound from nearby.
Will jumped and spun to face the daughter of Hades, finding that she was accompanied by her brother and Silena.
"Don't be so jealous, Bianca." Andi giggled. "I could flirt with you too, if it helps, but I don't think you worship me that much!"
Her laughter was like a breeze and was like music to his ears.
"What are you guys doing here?" He asked, blinking curiously.
"Will was late," the elder di Angelo, who had dressed in a long flowing dress, a pair of fake wings and a halo to pass for an angel for the party, said. "We came to see what was keeping him."
"All three of you?"
"I wanted to see what Lady Andi's costume was." Nico, dressed up as Batman from the 1960s live action television series, said with a grin. "You look great by the way, my lady. Very sexy."
"Thanks Nico."
"I just trailed along for the heck of it." Silena offered as an explanation. She was dressed in a leather jumpsuit that she had matched with a pretty cream colored Noir style trench coat from Saint Lauren that must have cost a small fortune.
"Silena, looking nice." Andi beamed. "Though I have to say you missed out on a Catwoman opportunity. So detective?"
"Nah," Silena shook her head. "I'm Trinity from the Matrix if she had fashion sense."
"I honestly couldn't tell," Will admitted even as both di Angelos nodded in agreement with his assessment.
Silena just shrugged uncaringly.
"Okay~" Andi said, expressing her own skepticism. "That coat is enchanted though, where did you get it?"
"Lord Hephastues gave it to me. It has a charm that ups my agility. Apparently one of the things Mother and Lord Ares didn't tell me about my guns, Love and Hate," Silena explained as she caressed the guns that Will only just noticed she had holstered at her hips. "Is that they had an inbuilt enchantment that made sure I never missed. The damned thing doesn't take into account the limits of my body though and whenever I used them it forced me to contort into some very uncomfortable poses. The coat fixes that by giving me the agility to keep up with the aimbot."
Will joined the demigods in wincing at that. Trust the gods to give gifts without taking things like human limits into account.
"I'm glad you found this out in Camp and not in a real fight." Andi said with a frown.
"Have to agree with that," Silena agreed with a wry grin. "But that's enough time wasting. Let's head to the party already. I want to actually get a chance to party tonight. So let's go to the Big House already!"
"Sure." Andi said as she hooked an arm around Will's right one and they began walking towards the Big House.
As they approached, Will spotted Chiron sitting on the porch dressed up in his Charles Xavier outfit, bald cap, wheelchair and all. He mostly looked the part, though it seemed he had refused to shave his beard.
"Is the Big House really going to be big enough for everyone?" Andi asked as she eyed the administrative building of Camp Half-Blood skeptically.
"It shouldn't be a problem. There aren't that many of us here in Camp to attend." Will reassured her. "Most of those who had survived the Battle of Manhattan that were old enough have moved on to college."
"Yup," Silena added. "Clarisse, for example, went off to University of Arizona while even Travis from Cabin Eleven left to pursue his education."
"And you didn't?" Andi asked the daughter of love worriedly.
Silena laughed darkly.
"Me, go to college?" The berserker of love said, still chuckling. "After everything that happened to me, I am not even thinking about it. At least not now. I'm not in the right headspace at the moment. Don't know if I ever will be."
"Silena, don't talk like that." Andi chided.
"Yeah," Bianca agreed. "Maybe you can go next year? After you've had a break and find your feet again."
"I think I'll be trying a few things to find my place in the world." The child of love shrugged. "I have a few job ideas I always wanted to try out. It should be fun."
"Like what?" Nico asked, curiously.
"Bodyguarding? Maybe becoming a private investigator?" Silena said with a shrug. "I'm not totally sure yet. But enough serious talk already! It's time to party! Party!"
"I have to agree with Silena there," Mr. D said as he suddenly appeared out of nowhere to stand next to their little group. "Leave your worries aside for now and come in! It's party time!"
"Enjoying the party, dear Sister?" Dionysus asked, his face brimming with merriment as he was sipping some fruit punch and wearing a classical chiton. A laurel wreath dotted with grape vines around his head was wrapped around his head like a crown. He had caught Andi while she went to get a drink from the punch bowl while Will and her friends mingled with the other Campers.
Someone's in a good mood. Andi mused and smiled back.
"Thank you Brother. It's wonderful to see you in your element. I'm sure the Campers are lucky to have such a view."
"Indeed!" He beamed, pointing his fruit punch at her. He took a long sip, seemingly emptying the cup thrice over as it refilled itself before it ever left his lips. "Now that Hephestuas is here, I can boss him around to do some of the work for me. It's so good not being the big disappointment right now!"
Andi nodded at this as she made a cup of fruit punch appear in her hand. "That's great to hear. Has he been adjusting well?"
"Bah!" The wine god blew a raspberry. "He's always been a grump. He should be happy that his children are all clamoring to work with him, but he's as stiff as his automations at times. Some flesh bag interaction might do him some good. Now, let me get a good look at you. Hm, getting lucky later, Sister?"
Andi smiled impishly at that.
"Heh, good. It's a party! Be lively, be merry, be euphoric!" The wine god declared as he took another sip of his drink. "Nothing like a good party to set a mood after all."
"Are you drunk?"
"On the party vibes," Mr. D said with a mischievous wink.
"Okay~ I'll take your word on it." Andi allowed with a chuckle. "So where is Hephestuas?"
"I did say he was a grump, didn't I? He's still in that cave of his-"
"Bunker Nine?"
"Yes, that place." Mr. D agreed with a nod. "He's stuck in there working on whatever project has caught his attention today. Something something dragon. I don't know, his spawn have been whining about it."
"Hope he knows to keep whatever he is working on safe to keep around the Campers."
Mr. D waved his hands dismissively. "If he doesn't I'll just turn his toy into a squirrel. I might hate these brats, but dealing with their irate parents if I didn't would be more trouble than it's worth."
"Andi, what's taki- Oh! Mr. D, sorry I didn't see you." Will said as he wandered over.
"Tired of waiting your turn with your lover, little boy?"
"He isn't little." Andi smirked and winked at Will. His blushing face was always the cutest.
Dionysus laughed, the purple in his eyes swirling with his humor, before he shot Will a look. One that kept his good humor but was still undeniably serious.
"Andromeda is one of the few sisters of mine I can actually tolerate and I will be most upset if you hurt her." The god of madness warned Will. "So hurt my sister and you will wish for death, boy."
"Aww." Andi said, feeling the sweet gesture in her divine heart. "Thank you Big Brother."
"Don't get used to it. Now go play with your boy toy. Shoo." He waved dismissively.
Andi chuckled and grabbed Will by the arm so as to oblige by dragging him away from the Olympian.
About half an hour later inside the Big House and with the party in full swing all around her, Bianca was standing in a corner psyching herself up, rehearsing her words in her noggin repeatedly, trying to fill them with brimming confidence.
"I can do this. I'm amazing. Just go up to him and lay it straight. Eye of the tiger! Go time!" She whispered to herself as she lifted the trailing skirt of her white gown and strode forward with the most righteous of purposes!
"Hey! Connor!" She beamed at the older boy, back straight and oozing confidence.
The son of Hermes turned around from the conversation he was having with a few of his siblings. He was dressed as a classic robber, complete with black and white clothes, a domino mask and a small black cap. "Oh, hey Bianca. What's up?"
"Can we talk? Somewhere private?" She asked, amazed she hadn't stuttered at all. Yes, it was going perfectly!
"Sure?" He said as he cocked his head and offered her that dazzling smile of his.
Nodding, the daughter of the underworld spun on her heel and marched off. And just as she planned he followed! Good, she had to be assertive and firm.
You're a badass. You survived a war with only a little over a year of training. You've got this!
After finding a quiet spot on the Big House's porch far from everyone else, she turned to look at Connor, mustering all her divine courage!
"Conner, I-I've liked you for a while now and I want to go out with you!" She declared, she blurting out her words in haste so she wouldn't lose her nerve.
Once the words left her, Bianca's shoulders eased as the tension left them.
Damn! Why isn't he responding? Bianca thought to herself with growing alarm as the son of Hermes just stood there without replying. I've been rejected haven't I?
She was pulled out of her thoughts when Connor leaned in and kissed her cheek.
"It's very brave of you to confess like that, Bianca." The boy said with a smile that made the daughter of Hades' knees weak.
Maybe I have a chance after all.
"You're a good girl but-"
Dammit! Bianca thought as she felt the bottom of her stomach fall out and her heart turn to stone.
"-you are way too young for me. I like you, but not in that way. I hope we can still be friends?"
...Friendzoned and rejected. Fantastic. Ugh, I want Dad to open a hole in the ground and let me die! She thought as her body shook a little, but she refused to cry. The daughter of Hades was tougher than that!
She had to be.
Nodding stiffly, her eyes stinging, the Italian girl said. "I-I understand. Thank you for being honest, Connor."
"I… it's okay. Are you alright though?"
"I'll be fine!" She said, her voice coming out higher than she'd have liked. "I just, you know, need to be alone for a while. Have fun at the party."
Bianca, not wanting to hear any more pity from the handsome boy, ran away to a corner to cry. Andi appeared by her side moments later and offered her the silent support that she needed. Something that Bianca greatly appreciated even as she allowed the goddess to pull her into a hug and offered her shoulder for her to cry into. Something she made liberal use of.
After making sure Bianca had calmed down and asking Silena to watch out for her, Andi decided it was time to move on to her main reason for attending the party. Though on the way to that, she ended up running into a couple more of her friends.
"Hey Azeios, Lucy, what are you two doing here?" Andi asked as she spotted the two standing at the edge of the forest as she led Will away from the Big House for some fun in the woods.
"Keeping watch, Lady Andi." Azeios replied said with a pleasant grin. "We are security after all."
"You guys didn't take the night off to join the party?" Andi asked with a frown.
"No want to go party. Need dress up! Too troublesome!" Lucy opined with a roll of her eyes as one of her talons scratched a wing.
"Err… Don't you guys already cosplay all the time?" Will asked, confused and looking incredibly cute in the process.
"That different." Lucy insisted.
"How?"
"It isn't, young William." Azeios explained, cutting off what would likely have been Lucy's rambling explanation even before she could get started. "It's just that many of our costumes are not ready. They were damaged quite a bit in the Battle of Manhattan. And many of us are perfectionists, who refuse to participate unless their costumes are perfect. The rest of us are skipping as well out of solidarity with our fellows."
"Oh. Cool." Will nodded.
"Very! I can see why you guys enjoy dressing up." Andi did a small twirl, showing off her costume. "It's really nice and seeing Will's face is priceless."
"Andi!" The boy hissed with red cheeks.
Man becoming a goddess really made her a tease, huh?
"Lady Andi, you going in woods for roll in grass?" Lucy asked, looking Will up and down with narrowed eyes.
"Yup," Andi admitted unabashedly even as Will blushed brightly.
"Then we'll be sure to keep others away." Azeios promised.
"Thanks Azeios. I appreciate it."
"I do too." Will added hastily even as Andi began dragging him past the two friendly monsters.
"Enjoy the sex!" Lucy shouted excitedly, causing Will to blush even harder.
"Oh, I will!" Andi shouted back, making the son of Apollo's blush start literally glowing.
"You didn't bring Will back with you?" Wendy asked curiously as Andi teleported back into her palace, directly into her bedroom where the Aura was waiting for her.
"No," Andi said with a playful grin. "I didn't need to take him home to have fun with him."
"You two had a romp in the woods?"
"Mm, in some very comfortable flowers I made. It was like making love on a cloud~"
"I can imagine." Wendy said with a blush. "I'll have to give it a try someday."
"You should." Andi agreed as she began to undress. "Though I wonder who my little Wendy will think worthy of her? I'll be judging them harshly!"
She giggled at the thought, like she was a judgemental older sister.
Wendy's pout made her giggle all the more.
"So it was a good thing? Besides the sex I mean?"
"Yeah, it was." Andi replied absently as the goddess getting frustrated with the process of undressing, simply used her magic to do so instead leaving her nude. "Time with family and friends are always good, especially at a party."
Done and done! Thanks to Nameless and Axios as always!
A small chapter, yes, but I felt it was a nice fluff/filler chapter. Andi having some fun, Bianca trying her luck with love and just a grand ol' time for other characters.
Nameless: Yup. Just a short chapter about a party that establishes how things are developing at Camp Half-Blood since the end of the Battle of Manhattan. It's not a perfect look but more will be revealed as the story continues to develop. We don't exactly want to spoil everything yet.
Ah, Dionysus continues to be a favorite of mine to write. He's just so dry or bombastic when you need him to be. Truly, he is the voice of the writers! XD
Nameless: Mr. D likes Andi? Yes, he does. At least, as he said in the story, more so than he does most of his various half-sisters. Being a misanthropic god, he usually doesn't get along with any of them but he can do that much with Andi so that's a step up right there.
You know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps!