February 21, 2020, 09:13
Chesapeake Bay, Virginia
The entire apartment felt bigger now that all of her things had been packed away into boxes. Most of her furniture had been donated or sold. Her streaming setup was wrapped in so much bubble wrap even Piper had thought it was overkill.
Annabeth shivered, and she was pretty sure it wasn't from the biting winter wind. She was leaving behind most of her life on the East coast, but she'd never felt more sure about a decision. She did one last sweep around the echoey space to make sure she hadn't left anything behind. All she came up with was a pen that had been left on a window sill. She rejoined Piper in the kitchen, each grabbing a final box and locking the door behind them.
"You ready?" Piper sat in the driver's seat of the UHaul. "Nothing we still need to do in Virginia?"
Annabeth grinned at her girlfriend. "Definitely nothing left here."
The white and orange truck rumbled westward.
February 24, 2020, 09:23
Long Island, New York
Sparky aka Jason Grace
Sparky
Good morning 3
waterboy
isn't it like 6 for you?
Sparky
That's morning
waterboy
In theory yes
Sparky
Any plans today?
waterboy
Content, probably
Sparky
As in OF or twitch?
Sparky
If twitch wanna stream together?
waterboy
Always
February 25, 2020, 13:13
Los Angeles, California
VALORANT WITH THE NEW ROOMIE!
pied_piper
Valorant
"So Annabeth doesn't play Valorant-"
"I'm notoriously horrible at first person shooter games." Annabeth agreed. "But I'm here for moral support and because Piper asked me to."
"You make it sound like I forced you to." Piper shoved her. "I asked very nicely, chat, and she agreed."
"She did ask nicely." Annabeth smirked. "For me to play with her. And then when I said no she said I had to at least be there."
"That is accurate." Piper said.
"There was coercion."
"That's inaccurate." Piper corrected. She took a moment to see what chat was spamming. Apparently, Gil had just nosed her way into the room. "Gil's here?" She scooped up the cat that was now weaving between her ankles. "I know chat, she is adorable." Gil squirmed out of her arms and leaped to Annabeth. "But Annabeth is her favorite, and it's kind of insulting."
"Well, you're my favorite, so it all evens out."
"I feel like this is an attempt to get me to do something for you later."
"More like a pre-apology for when I kick your ass later today when we play Mario Party."
"I see how it is." Piper rolled her eyes. "But you won't let me beat you at valorant?"
Annabeth shook her head. "You say that like you're any good at it."
"Better than you."
…
"Remind me again how many games you've thrown, my dear?" Annabeth raised an eyebrow in condescension.
"Look, I'm having a bad luck day." Piper protested. "I'm just gonna switch to league, at least I know I'm good at that."
February 25, 2020, 18:24
San Francisco, California
"All's fair in love and Mario Party." Will said. "I'm not going to go easy on you."
"You're so mean to me."
Nico could feel Will's eye roll even without any visual. "You're planning on doing the exact same thing to me, Sunshine."
"Yeah, yeah." Nico smirked. "Maybe. Will you at least gang up with me against Annabeth?"
"Obviously." Will said. "Speaking of, where is she?"
He was answered by two green circles joining the call in quick succession.
"HEY NICO!"
"Jesus Christ, Piper." He immediately turned down her volume in the call. "What was that for?"
"Psyching out my competition. I plan to win this."
"A noble, but futile goal." Annabeth said.
"All is fair in love and Mario Party." Will repeated.
Nico deafened and muted himself. "Mods, could one of you start a prediction for who will win? Thank you." He re-entered the conversation.
"Are you comparing Mario Party to war?"
"No, he's right." Piper said. "It's the most violent game I know."
…
"You asshole! You corpsebreath worm!"
Will laughed maniacally as he stole a star from Piper.
"This stinks of homophobia. Everyone, cancel this man."
"We're literally all gay here." Annabeth said. "Drink, Nico, Piper accuses us of homophobia."
"I'm regretting turning this into a drinking game for myself." Nico said, but he took another sip.
They entered into a mini game.
"Not the chimps!" Annabeth groaned. "Fuck these chimps, they're the worst." Will eventually emerged victorious.
"Homophobic."
"Drink!"
"Stop it, Piper!"
"We're all queer!" Will said, "We're all fucking rainbows!"
"Quite literally." Annabeth snorted.
"Not me." Nico said, his words slightly slurred. "I'm a cis straight bro."
"Jason, is that you?" Piper asked.
"Sunshine, I have it on good authority that you're not."
"Just a rainbro."
"Rainbro?" Annabeth laughed
"Leave me alone." Nico said. "I meant rainbow. You all knew that. We don't have to talk about it. I'm so fucking drunk right now."
February 26, 2020, 00:17
Tumblr, #pied_piper, #annabeth mechanitus
frazzled jellyfish
And they were roommates (oh my god, they were roommates)
[Image description: Piper is grinning at Annabeth. There is a caption that reads, "Annabeth is her favorite, and it's kind of insulting]
[Image description: Annabeth is smiling back. The caption reads, "Well, you're my favorite, so it all evens out."
February 26, 2020, 00:59
Stan Twitter
Actual gremlin nico stan
No because they're actually rainbros LET HIM SPEAK
fiona pussinboots
The rainbros need to become a thing i am living for this dynamic
February 26, 2020, 08:48
Nico di Angelo depresso_espresso
This is my sign to stop drinking on stream i cannot wake up to shit i said trending for a third time
pied_piper piper mclean official
Give the people what they want neeks
Nico di Angelo depresso_espresso
1) Never call me that 2) you're never going to let me live this down
pied_piper piper mclean official
No because that's the one good idea you've had
Nico di Angelo depresso_espresso
Hurtful
abc annabeth mechanitus
Anyway, so you're streaming with us again today?
Nico di Angelo depresso_espresso
?yes
February 28, 2020, 12:15
Tumblr, #pied_piper, #annabeth mechanitus, #and they were roommates
Informal Plague
YOU CAN'T TELL ME THEY AREN'T DATING
[video description: a video compilation of all the times Annabeth has called Piper, 'my dear' with dates from August to February]
sizzling oddball
I'm actually losing my mind over here like there's no way this is our collective imagination, right? They're actually in love
February 29, 2020, 15:45
Sonoma, California
mrs o leary is the best of us
blue
Jason and i are no longer friends
Oblivious Blond #2
That's a terrible way to say that we're dating
The doctor friend
You mean you haven't been for the past six months?
blue
I know but we never actually said anything ~officially~
blue
Just to make sure we're all on the same page
Her Majesty
This feels like a test run for a twitter announcement
Oblivious Blond #2
Oh god no
blue
Nah we're good not being public
allergic to sleep
They always find out
The doctor friend
Babe, not the time
The Moral Compass™
Congrats I guess?
The mom friend
Hey delphi entertainment y'all want to stream later
certified pyromaniac
Yeah when
The mom friend
Whenever
The Moral Compass™
I'm down
Her Majesty
Sure
Get out of jail free card
Honestly feeling left out
Get out of jail free card
Rainbros hang out with me
allergic to sleep
We're not seriously calling it that
Oblivious Blonde #1
Yes we are
Oblivious Blonde #1
Also whenever wherever babe
blue
disgusting
Oblivious Blonde #1
Let me be gay, percy
March 2, 2020, 12:02
Los Angeles, California
"I don't know if you've checked your subreddit recently but it's all theories that we're dating." Annabeth scrolled through her phone and sipped on her coffee.
Piper's eyes lit up. "Do you want to gaslight twitter?"
"Always."
"I'm thinking we post increasingly coupley photos and shit for like a week and then I'll post a video titled something super clickbaity like, "I've been hiding this from you for months, only to talk about something unrelated."
"That's so mean. Do it."
…
"Hey guys. I've been keeping this a secret from you for a while now, but it's long overdue that we talked about it." Piper did her best to keep a straight face, but it was hard when Annabeth was behind the camera with the most shit-eating grin on her face.
"I didn't want to talk about this when it happened and was still new, because last time, it felt like immediately talking about it online took away some of the actual experience. You want to be able to bond without people gawking, you know?" Annabeth gave her a thumbs-up.
"But it's been a few months, so I think it's time you finally met someone who has stolen my heart." Piper lifted a tiny kitten into frame.
"This is Sappho, Gil and DK's little sister! She's an albino Scottish fold and she's only a couple months old. She was a Christmas present from my girlfriend." Annabeth took her cue to walk into frame, and kissed Piper on the cheek.
"Oh yeah, also, I'm dating Annabeth."
March 9, 2020, 12:00
Los Angeles, California
I'VE BEEN HIDING THIS FROM YOU…
pied_piper
6.66M subscriber
151, 692 Comments
"Does it bother you at all?" Annabeth asked, reading through comments congratulating them and scoffing that she was only using Piper to grow her own channel. "Just the way people think they should get a say in everything you do?"
Piper reached out and took the phone out of Annabeth's hands, setting it face down on the table.
"Not anymore. They think they know me. But not like you do."