Heya! I do not have a lot of experience on the subject of transgender, but I wanted to try and write this anyway. If any of you think I wrote something wrong, please tell me how to do it better! Also, I'll start uploading twice a week again, starting this week. This will last throughout my entire vacation.

Harper was looking out over the sea. He took a deep breath. Today was a good day. He felt masculine and fit. He had put off his binder a few minutes ago, before coming to the beach. That made him feel a bit sad, but not a whole much.

He felt a tap on his shoulder. 'Heya, Harper.'

'Huh? Oh, hello, Eileen.' Eileen took a deep breath.

'Nice sea air today.' Harper raised his eyebrows.

'That... alright.' Eileen sighed.

'Hello, have you ever smelled the air of the sea? It is great.' Harper sniffed.

'Yeah, it is kind of nice.' Eileen fell into the sand, right next to him.

'For an Aphrodite kid, you do not have a lot of spiritual connection.'

'What does being an Aphrodite kid have to do with having a lot of spiritual connection?'

'Don't know, but it fits better than a daughter of Ares and spiritual connection.'

'I guess you are right.' Eileen laid down.

'Hm. Don't tell other people, but I really like relaxing on the beach.' Harper grinned.

'That is not very Ares-kid like.'

'You got me. How are you feeling?'

'Like a man.'

'Great.' Her smile got weaker. 'Me too, sadly enough.' Harper looked at her.

'Is that why you came here? To get a bit of peace?'

'I guess. That does sound kind of weird, right? But it gets my mind of off things - even though I do nothing.'

'It's peaceful. Maybe your brain needs to get used to that.'

'Don't know.' She got a lipstick out of her pocket and put some of it on.

'You can put lipstick on without a mirror?'

'Yes.'

'Witchcraft.' Eileen snickered.

'Don't you get to witness Drew putting on her make-up every morning?' Harper shrugged

'Touché.' It stayed quiet for a little while. The sea was calm that day - Poseidon must have been in a good mood. A sea shell washed up on the shore. Harper raised one of his eyebrows. 'That doesn't happen often here,' he muttered. He stood up and picked up the shell. 'Look, it's gorgeous.'

Eileen snickered. 'It looks like any other seashell.' She fell silent for a few seconds. 'Harper?'

'Hm?'

'Do you sometimes feel... like they do not understand it?' Harper turned around.

'I am a yearrounder because my dad kicked me out.'

'Yes, but I mean... the other campers. Chiron. Even though they are supportive, they...' She shrugged. Harper looked at the seashell.

'Sometimes... well, sometimes, they are kind of... ignorant. I mean, of course, most campers and of course Chiron try to understand, but still...' Harper opened his mouth a few more times. 'I think you understand what I mean. I mean...' Eileen held up her hand.

'I know, I was the one who asked, I do not need all those words.' She stared at her feet. Harper twirled the shell around in his hands. 'Eileen, it is really gorgeous. Look.' He showed the daughter of Ares the shell. Eileen stared at it and shrugged.

'I guess it looks nice.'

'It has the colour of your eyes.' Eileen rolled her eyes.

'Take it easy, son of Aphrodite.' Harper grinned. He sat down again and sighed. Eileen tugged on her shirt. 'I wish the transition would go quicker.'

'You say that pretty bluntly.'

'Don't you feel the same?'

'I do, partly. Yet, my mother gifted me a lot of clothes that I think are enchanted - they make me feel really masculine. So that helps.' Eileen sighed.

'The Ares cabin would be good for you. Don't get me wrong, I love me a good fight, but it does not help with feeling very feminine.' Eileen fiddled with her lipstick.

'Are... are there any other people you talk to about this?' Harper asked. Eileen shrugged.

'Yeah, my mother, Chiron sometimes, Dionysus...' She looked at Harper. 'Do you?' Harper shrugged.

'Not a lot. I cannot talk to my dad, obviously, and, well...' He shrugged again. 'I don't know if Chiron will fully understand and talking to Dionysus of all people just...' Eileen snickered.

'I get it, Harp. To be honest, I don't think I would have started talking to him if it wasn't for the fact that one day I just looked up who the gods of gender were. There were more names than just his, but it seemed easier.' She shrugged. Harper snickered.

'An Ares kid reading?'

'Now you are reaching dangerous territory.'

'Bring it on.'

Eileen jumped up. 'Alright.'

'I was kidding.' Eileen shrugged and sat back down.

'If you say so.' They stayed silent for a while. Harper slid the shell into his pocket.

'Eileen?'

'Hm?'

'I just thought of something. Do you know that one myth were Poseidon turns some girl into a dude and then gives him a bunch of armour?' Eileen shrugged

'Chiron might have mentioned it once, but Chiron mentions a lot of things.'

'Well, I was thinking, what if this is some sort of sign from Poseidon? Like, the shell?'

'You think he cares?'

'Apparently Dionysus cares enough to listen to you.'

'Yes, but he works here.' Harper shrugged. 'I wondered who copied that shrugging habit from who,' Eileen remarked. Harper turned to her and shrugged again. Eileen sighed. 'If you want to be like that.'

'Yes, but shells never wash up on this shore. It must be a sign.'

'If it makes you happy.'

'It does.'

'Good for you then.' They heard a horn go off in the distance. 'Curfew.'

They got up and walked towards the camp without saying anything. In the distance, they heard the buzzing of their fellow campers. Eileen held up her shoulders.

'Are you nervous?'

'Have you ever had the displeasure of talking to Julian? From the Hermes cabin?' Harper rolled his eyes. 'Yes.'

'He is coming right this way.' Harper stared at the floor. He felt Eileen clench her muscles. They slowly walked further.

'You two, quit doing this.'

'We're walking, Julian,' Eileen said. She sounded angry, but kind of sad as well. Harper looked away. Julian rolled his eyes. 'I feel uncomfortable with you two around.'

'Welp, same here.'

'It is very weird of you two. Our Ancient forefathers didn't think of this nonsense.'

'Read a book, Julian.'

'We are straightly related to them, that's what I mean.' Eileen didn't react. Harper looked up a little. He saw that Eileen was looking past Julian, to someone else

At that moment, Dionysus grabbed Julian by the shoulder. 'To the big house, immediately.' Julian freezed. 'What, why? No!'

'Go.' Julian opened his mouth. 'No comments. Get out of my face.' Julian closed his mouth. He quickly ran away to what was absolutely not the direction of the Big House. 'I can find you either way, this just makes it more difficult!' Dionysus yelled after him.

He looked towards Harper and Eileen. 'Are you two alright?'

'I was,' Eileen answered. Harper just nodded.

Does he bother you two more often?' He asked Eileen nodded.

'Sometimes, but he started to do it less after I punched him in the face during training a few days ago and the rest of my cabin just pointed and laughed.'

'Good for you.'

'Yes. Now go to your cabin and if anybody acts like that, tell them I'll get them.

'Will do.' Eileen pulled Harper along, who was still staring into the distance.

'You shouldn't freeze if they try to act like that, Harp.' Harper shrugged.

'I Always get so uncomfortable around him. Luckily, he doesn't touch me a lot either, because he know then Piper and Michael will get him. Well, and you, I guess.' Eileen put her arm around his shoulder.

'They stand behind you, Harper. So do I.' Harper slid his arm around Eileen's shoulder.

'Same with me, Eileen.'