This was supposed to be a Reyna chapter, but I was hit by Nicospiration and I decided to write this instead. It turned out kind of full of wonky funkiness-my Nicospiration needs some work. But hey, it's a chapter, right? And it's got some Drew-bashing in it, so that's nice.
TheGoldenGroups (guest): You need to post that fanfiction somewhere, because that thing is flipping EPIC. It really irritated me last night also, because you had put the first half but not the second half, so I had to go to bed not knowing if Percy survived or not. That's torture, my friend. Torture. Seriously, though, you should be writing fanfiction obsessively-you're really good. Good grammar, sentence structure, storyline, etcetera. I'd read anything you wrote. Did you figure out how to post your writing? You have an account, right? If you have any troubles, just PM me, 'kay?
loloree (guest): You lucky duck. You've arrived and read this fanfic just in time to receive the TRIPLE UPDATE (echo, echo, echo...)
AresWarMax152 (guest): Cool-eo dude. And I like this name.
Paarth Dahima (guest): Thanks, dude. See, I might've taken offense to being called a dude-I am a girl-but I call people that all the time. And, also, I am a very generous, kind, laid-back person that does not get offended. (Unless someone calls you cute. Shut up, Percy, no one asked you.)
Abhu (guest): Thanks! People tell me that a lot-I'm still not sure if it's true. ;)
Me (guest): I apologize for not updating sooner today-I did have school, you know. Also, I don't update in the mornings. And, yes, I know Wisconsin-I live in Indiana.
daughterofzeus911: Right now, it's just Percabeth deaths-but that is most likely going to change, although it won't be limited to couple deaths. It's basically every major character that's going to die at the hands of-well, me. I actually wrote a Nico death one-shot recently...but I won't post that for a bit. And it made me cry-yes, while I was writing it, and when I went back and read it, and then again when I read it for the third time. And I get you, I really do-I don't want them to die either, and yet I am writing a fanfic where they die numerous different times.
Guest (guest): Yes, Rick would be proud, wouldn't he? I wonder if he'd be open to reading fanfiction after he finishes The Blood of Olympus...it'd be super cool if he read this.
Carrot Seven: It is not the gorgon poison, although it is something from Tartarus. And how it ties into Annabeth's dream...wow, I didn't really think about that. Geez, you guys read more into my writing than I do. Of course, I might be doing all that stuff subconsciously...I'm really not sure.
sassyxdobby (guest): First, I must say: I like your name. It's awesome. And now: Thank you very much. And don't worry, the cliffhangers are killing everybody, it's not just you.
Leolover (guest): But I like saying things are fantastically craptastic. It's fun. ;) And I am sorry I don't expand on Leo's plans much. Here, I'll tell you a secret about it: Most of the time, I have no idea what his plans are. Also, I'm terrible with mechanical things. Oh, and if I made your day when I mentioned Leo in a dress...then you are really going to like chapters to come. It'll probably in the late eighty-somethin' chapters and nineties, so look for it.
centarsarejurks (guest): My name is Courtney.
URawesome (guest): Awww, thanks! And you are very welcome!
Flyawayfree (guest): Did I really? Hmmm... ;) Also, good fanfic, you should post it. If you want to, have TheGoldenGroups review it too-her fanfiction was impeccable. But yeah, yours is great. Oh, but if you want it to be actually published someday, don't post it, because I'm 99% sure you can't publish fanfiction...Oh, and the answer to your question is c.) none of the above! Although I suppose it's similar to b...But my rainbowy is unique in ways you cannot fathom, because I am a strange child that may or may not be a little mad.
woohoofanfic (guest): I apologize. I don't generally put swear words in here-and I also don't generally swear myself, either. I just felt that she would have in that situation. It doesn't happen very often at all, I promise.
RMS Titanic (guest): You might be a legacy of Apollo-several of the things you guessed were correct, although I won't tell you which things those were. Actually, though, for your sake, I hope you aren't a legacy of Apollo-then you'd be related to Octavian. Ick.
Rajell Cellar (guest): See, that's what I'm worried about too. And, you know, you and your sister think very much alike.
JWade318: Right on target, JWade.
(guest): Oh, come on. My teachers don't do things like that. It's not fair. :( *momentarily pouts* but cool-eo for you!
Riordan 111 (guest): Yes. Since I am so close to his writing, I am close to him. We might as well be related-and so, to me, he will forever be known as Uncle Ricki.
ariadne0318: I think I should trace my genealogical history or something to see if I'm distantly related to Rick, because people are constantly asking me if I am. And if I am related to him, that would provide a wonderful explanation for my supremely excellent cliffhangers.
DaughterOfTheTrident: Thank you. And I find it very gratifying that someone appreciates my paragraphs, because their are so many fanfiction writers out there who seem to have issues using them, and that don't even use correct grammar. How dare they.
iceandfire105: I appreciate the compliments, and I cannot give spoilers, but I will give you a hint...*whispers* Not soon.
Dylan (guest): Thank you, Dylan, for making me laugh. I don't know why, but it makes me laugh every time someone calls me a troll. And you did it even better than most. I think it might be because pretty much everyone in the fandom calls Uncle Ricki a troll, and to be called the same thing kind of puts me on his level. Which is weird...and I'm slightly confused by the way my mind works. Oh well.
Artemis's huntress101: It is something from Tartarus. And you had a good guess. More than that, I will not say...
Aliana (guest): The twists and turns are what keep it interesting, my friend...VERY interesting. *strokes imaginary beard*
Awesomeness (guest): That's really cool that you have a cousin named Annabeth. It's not really a very common name, so that's just awesome.
sheltie26: Wow. You're like the tenth person to guess that. Honestly, am I not being mysterious enough?
drinkingthestarswithbob: Do not be worried, friend. Do not be worried at all.
Whew. *wipes forehead with hand dramatically* You guys are awesome reviewers and all, but I didn't get to the end of Chapter 75 reviews until page 7. There were other chapter reviews mixed in their as well, but still...
Enjoy! Next chapter will be...in like, two minutes.
Chapter LXXVII
Nico
Nico feels like an idiot. Not that it's exactly a new feeling for him, or anything, but he feels like a serious, total, complete and utter moron. He should be wearing one of those stupid cardboard dunce hats.
The reason wasn't a particularly obvious one. And it was kind of stupid too. But Nico didn't really care about that-he just continued berating himself in his head.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. He thinks, remembering his actions during the meeting. His feelings.
Every time he looks at Connor's moony expression, he feels a flash of anger, and another feeling that's all too familiar. And he knows exactly what it is, because he feels it every time he sees Percy and Annabeth together.
It's jealousy. And all through that stupid meeting, that exact same feeling had made him act like an idiot.
I was acting like an overprotective boyfriend. Nico thinks, shaking his head in disgust at himself. And losing my temper at Drew? What in Hades was that? Drew never bothered me like that before.
The meeting had ended maybe twenty minutes ago, and Nico had found himself on the beach, mentally yelling at himself. Reyna had stayed behind at the Big House to finalize the treaty with Clarisse and Chiron, and Nico would have stayed as well, but he needed time to clear his head.
So, here he is. Kicking at the sand, staring at the ocean, and scolding himself for acting stupid.
Hades' underpants, it sounds like something Percy would do.
Nico winces at the familiar ache in his chest when he thinks about Percy-still painful, even if it's lessened. He wonders if he'll ever be able to see, hear, or think about Percy without hurting so much.
Probably not.
Of course, it's a nice thing to hope for. That pain has been with him for so long, though, it's like someone stitched it into his heart or something. It feels permanent.
And then there's that new, warm, light feeling he feels whenever he's around Reyna-it's like eating ambrosia, or drinking nectar. She brings back all of his good memories-the ones before Bianca died.
A part of him, though, is afraid of getting over Percy. Because loving Percy might cause him pain-unbearable pain-but his feelings for Percy had been...safe. Percy would never return his feelings...so Nico never had to act on them. As much as it hurt, as much as he wishes Percy would feel the same, as long as he didn't, Nico didn't have to worry about doing something wrong...making the person he loves hate him...chasing him away...
Admitting his fear is the first step to getting over it, though, right? So he's making progress.
Nico sighs and runs his fingers through his hair-it's getting a little too long for his liking. He's never liked it short, but it's just getting ridiculous.
He hears footsteps behind him, and turns to find Drew sashaying towards him from across the beach, a flirtatious smile plastered on his face.
Nico groans, and tilts his head back to glare at the sky. His day just got about a hundred times worse.
"Hey...Nico, isn't it? I'm not pronouncing it wrong?" She greets him, widening her eyes worriedly.
Gods, that's almost the same exact line Connor started with when he flirted with Reyna. He hadn't been fully awake for that, really, but he could still hear them fine.
"No. It's a pretty straightforward name." Nico replies, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice.
"Just checking. I'm terrible with names." She answers, smiling sheepishly.
Nico ignores her. Maybe if he does that, she'll go away.
No such luck, of course-instead, she sways closer to him.
"You're very powerful, Nico. That little display back in the meeting room? I was very impressed. Very." She tells him, lowering her eyelids in what she must think is a sexy way.
She's now so close, Nico can't help but see her-and actually see her, not just glance at her, recognize her, and look away.
She's only a little shorter than him-so, tall. She's Asian, with flawless, fair white skin barely touched by the sun, and light brown almond-shaped eyes. She has dark, perfectly styled ringlets, and, on top of that, even more perfect makeup that brings out her eyes and highlights her high cheekbones. She's wearing a much too tight Camp Half-Blood t-shirt with even tighter shorts-and these shorts are short. She has several gold bangles on both wrists and rings on both hands-and several necklaces on top of that, including her Camp Half-Blood necklace.
She's curvy in all the right places, with certain...assets...that Nico can't help but noticed, since she's posing in a way that shoves out her chest so she's practically touching him.
Nico shuffles back a bit, trying to put some distance between them, but Drew just leans in more and puts her hand on his shoulder, feeling his arm.
"Oooh, you have some muscle, don't you?" She gushes, batting her eyelashes.
I think I'm going to be sick. Nico thinks. How do you get away from persistant girls?
"And your hair is such a nice color. Look, it matches mine!" Drew giggles, holding up a ringlet of her hair to some of his. It isn't really true; Nico's hair is black, and Drew's is more of a dark brown. But Nico's tongue is glued to the roof of his mouth in disgust. And maybe a little bit of...apprehensiveness.
It is not fear. Nico isn't afraid of girls. That would be stupid. He's just never had to deal with them before.
"But it is a little long." Drew says, and Nico sighs in relief when she steps back. Even if it is to put up her fingers like a picture frame and squint through them. "You'd look so much better with short hair-not that you aren't handsome now." Much to his horror, she steps closer to him again. "How do you feel about short hair?"
Nico leans back and looks warily down at her. "I like it long." He answers awkwardly, trying to step away.
Drew seizes his arm with a surprisingly strong grip and holds him there while she leans forward, trailing her fingers up his arm. "You're very powerful, very mature, for...what is it? Fifteen? Sixteen?"
Nico swallows and tries again, unsuccessfully, to pull away from her. Where is Reyna when you need her? He thinks desperately. "Um...fourteen, actually."
Drew's eyes widen in delight, and he sees a weird smile on her face-like a kid who just won free candy. It makes him feel like she's trying to manipulate him...Actually, scratch that, he already knows that's what she's trying to do. But the weird smile freaks him out.
She hides it quickly, though, so quickly anyone else might've thought it was their imagination.
Nico's smarter than that. She's trying to manipulate him for her own purposes-Drew's always had a thing for powerful guys, especially sons of the Big Three. Apparently she'd even tried to go after Percy once, a little while after the Titan War. Needless to say, it hadn't gone well.
Then she tried to get Jason, when he arrived at camp-again, according to a different source. Nico hadn't been there.
And now, as stupid as it is, she wants Nico. And she thinks she can get him.
For some reason, the whole thing reminds him of his and Bianca's last dance at Westover Hall, before Dr. Thorn kidnapped them and everything, when they'd been watching a gang of girls roam around the room and occasionally capture an unsuspecting boy to cover him in ribbons and makeup.
"Um...Drew...I really...maybe you should...um..." He stumbles over his words, trying to tell her to GO AWAY with a more subtle approach.
It doesn't work.
Drew leans closer, fluttering her eyelashes, and stops only an inch away from his face. "Yes? What should I do?" She asks in a whispery, suggestive voice.
Nico leans farther and farther away from her, and even attempts to rip his arm out of her grip-he doesn't want to be subtle about it anymore-but she's like a freaking shark. She won't let go.
"He's trying to tell you to beat it, Drew. You know, as in: Go away." Reyna's familiar voice says, and Nico almost melts in relief. He looks over to see her striding across the sand towards them-a much different walk from Drew's, and way more preferable.
Drew scowls and leans away from him-only fractionally, but it's still something, right? "What are you doing here? Did you get tired of hanging around with your new girlfriend?"
Reyna's expression turns to thunder, and she glares at Drew as if imagining her death.
Drew continues, oblivious to the danger she's obviously in. "I get it, really, I do. You couldn't have Jason, because that tramp Piper stole him from you, and other boys lost meaning to you. It's nothing to be ashamed of." She puts on a simpering, sympathetic look, but Nico can see a gleam of wicked enjoyment in her eyes that just makes him even more creeped out.
Drew's words register in Nico's mind, and suddenly all he wants to do is sock her in the face. But he holds back, because, a.) She still has his right arm trapped in a death grip, and b.) This is Reyna's fight.
Reyna looks coolly at Drew. "And look at you, so pathetically desperate that you won't take a hint."
Drew recoils in shock at the insult and murderous rage contorts her face. She growls at Reyna wordlessly, obviously at a loss to what to say since her insult backfired.
"Careful, sweetheart." Reyna drawls in a pretty good imitation of Drew's voice, looking at the girl sympathetically. "Frowning will give you wrinkles."
Drew shrieks in anger and stomps away, her fists clenched at her sides. A few yards away, she whirls around to glare at Reyna. "I swear to the gods, Reyna, you are going to regret that."
"Shut it, dog-face." Reyna shoots back at her, not the least bit intimidated.
And with that, Drew marches away like a toddler throwing a tantrum and disappears over the edge of the beach.
"She needs to learn how to control her temper." Reyna comments thoughtfully, shaking her head at the girl. "Giving in to anger only shows weakness."
"I don't like her very much." Nico grumbles, rubbing his arm.
Reyna turns to him and raises an eyebrow. "You know, you were perfectly capable of dealing with that yourself. After nearly summoning an army of dead to kidnap her, I would have thought you could tell her to get lost with no problem."
Nico looks at the ground and mumbles excuses. "I figured it'd be better if I didn't make her hate us more."
Reyna looks at him like Really? That's what you're gonna go with? and looks as if she might be about to say something, but then she just shakes her head. "Come on, Shadow Boy, it's sunset. We need to get going."
"Going where?" Nico asks, confused.
"Back to the legions, obviously. A peace treaty only works if both sides agree." Reyna explains impatiently.
"Why am I going?" Nico says. Not that he's not exceedingly happy that she's including him.
"You didn't think I was going to go alone, did you?" Reyna asks him, raising her eyebrow again. "Besides, Shadow Boy, I trust you to watch my back."
Nico tries as hard as he can to suppress his grin, but it doesn't work. He probably looks like an idiot. "Okay."
"Well, if you're coming, let's go." Reyna tells him, gesturing for him to follow her and leading the way back to Half-Blood Hill.
Nico jogs to catch up with her, trying to keep his face neutral. But on the inside, he's bursting with that radiant, warm feeling, and he feels like he's far up in the sky, where no one can touch him.
She said she trusts me. He thinks, and there's a new lightness to his step that he hasn't felt in a long time as he walks beside Reyna to confront her army of Roman warriors.
So, like I warned you, kind of a weird chapter. But the weirdness abates a bit in the next couple chapters, I promise.