Chapter Text
The morning after my little crisis was a peaceful one. Asterion and I enjoyed a relaxing breakfast together by the luscious strawberry fields together while the rest of the camp was at the dining pavilion. I'd decided last night that as long as I was stuck in Cabin Eleven, I would eat at the cramped tables as little as possible. It wasn't that I thought I was too good for them! I just didn't like being on literal edge the entire time I tried to eat.
"Blue Coke and fruit salad for breakfast... This is the life, Asterion." I declared with a mouthful of blueberries that Luke nicked for me. (He was supposed to be helping me, but a few of his actual cabin mates needed him.) The strawberries were part of the large punnet that Mr. D had designated for my bull friend, but Asterion didn't seem to mind sharing them with me.
"Moo!" Said Asterion, presumably in agreement. My darling boy was no longer in drab tighty whites, and was now in a rich orange and light blue one-shoulder chiton. It suited him well, showing off his sturdy arms. I wonder if there was a lady bull (or gentleman bull, we don't judge here) I could introduce to him... Eh, I'd ask Mr. D about it later. Right now, I had bigger priorities than matchmaking. We had a mission to accomplish!
"Hmm... I wonder..." I stood from my place near Asterion and stepped closer into the fields. Deciding to test the Demeter theory, I stared intently at the rows upon rows of delicious red berries and visualized them growing even more. A deep breath in, a deep breath out. Yet, after several minutes of this, nothing happened.
"You aren't going to get anything done by just staring at them. Even I have to use my hands."
"Ack!" I fell backwards and landed right on my butt— thankfully, it was mostly my pride that was wounded by this. "Hey, what gives..." I trailed off as my eyes traveled upwards.
"Here, my bad." A cherubic boy with gorgeous— and I mean gorgeous— wine-dark eyes and pale blond ringlets held out his calloused hand to me...
Gods damn, was every guy here a knockout?! Praise be Aphrodite for blessings these boys. Mhmm, a real feast for mine eyes...
"Uhh... Hello? Earth to Ari?"
I coughed before I took his hand, stumbling as he pulled me up. He was kind enough to steady me. "H-how do you know my name?"
The boy nodded towards a sunbathing Asterion. "You don't need to be a child of Athena to make that guess... Testing your powers, I see. I can help, if you'd like. I'm Castor, by the way."
"I'd love the help! I'm Ari. Although, you just said it so clearly this introduction of mine is... wow, you're..." I couldn't help but be drawn into his eyes. Eyes that promised freedom, promised revelry. If only I'd just follow him anywhere...
I blinked rapidly. Shaking my head, I averted my gaze to his hands instead. "Are you Mr. D's son, by any chance? You've got crazy eyes... In a good way! I love the color! They're so... magnetizing. Is that how you get all the girls?" I winked and nudged his soft side with my elbow. I enjoyed his physique— Castor was built for hugs and adoration. I didn't discriminate when it came to body types: my type was blond and could kick my rear. Castor looked like he could beat me up, but wouldn't harm a fly. I liked that in a boy. (Grover called me "boy-crazy." I preferred to be called a connoisseur of good lookers.)
The blush on his cheeks was a source of enjoyment for me. I circled him playfully, a cat with her prey. "You're so nice for offering to help me. Do you have any ideas as to which god I should test next? I don't think I'm made for plants and dirt..."
"Uhh... I... um..." Castor blinked slowly, seemingly unconsciously drawn closer to me. The pupils of his wild eyes were blown wide. "How could you be anything other than one of Lady Aphrodite's daughters?"
I preened at his words before deflating. I used Asterion as back-support when I plopped back on to the ground. A pathetic whine escaped me. "That's what I keep hearing! But she hasn't claimed me yet, so it can't be her. She's the goddess of love! She wouldn't forget about one of her children... Luke says some kids never get claimed. What if that's me?"
Castor, out of whatever trance I managed to put him in, flashed me an unreadable look. He settled beside me and gingerly caressed one of the strawberry blossoms. Before I could ask what he was doing, a vivid little strawberry grew from white flower. "Lady Demeter's kids can do that even better than I can— even better than my brother, Pollux. Why don't you try? Just touch one of the blossoms and feel it grow beneath your fingertips."
Eagerly, I reached out to one of the flowers. Yet, try as I might... nada. "At least I didn't kill it..."
"You've definitely got that going for you." Castor gave me an encouraging smile. "We can strike out Cabin's Four and Twelve— though, Dad would have claimed you years ago if you were one of his. He doesn't seem like it, but he's actually a total softie."
I didn't believe him whatsoever, but I nodded anyway to be polite.
"Ah, um... Cabin Eight is an honorary cabin, so that's off the list... No offense, but you don't strike me as a daughter of Lord Ares or Lord Hephaestus... Ari, it's entirely possible that you're a daughter of a minor god. Many of them don't bother claiming their children because they don't see a point— the kid would be stuck in Cabin Eleven anyway."
"But that's not fair! Why isn't there at least one big cabin for all the children of minor gods, if they're so hellbent on not giving them cabins of their own?" It felt like a boulder in my belly the more I thought of it, my blood boiling with righteous wrath. Even if I didn't end up being the daughter of a minor god and I was a Hermes kid or whatever— the system in place was cruel and unjust. Why hadn't anyone torn it down yet?
"You sound like..." Castor paused before shaking her head. "I almost considered Lady Nemesis, but she always claims her children right away."
"Why should my parent determine who I am or what I believe in? That sounds... limiting. Reductive, I think the word is." I nestled closer to Asterion, who was currently enjoying a food coma. "Whoever my divine parent is better have a damn good excuse for forgetting me... As should the parents of every unclaimed kid here." It wasn't just that I'd be stuck in Cabin Eleven for the foreseeable future. It was everything: the schools I'd been unfairly expelled from, the frayed clothes on my back, GABE... My poor mother. How dare some jerk knock her up then leave her to fend for herself without any help? I don't care if they're a god, NOBODY treats my mom that way.
My nails dug into my palm before I steadied my breath. "What's it like being Mr. D's kid?"
Castor grimaced before looking away, appearing almost... ashamed? "Well, he, um, lived with me and my brother and mom for most of my life..."
"..." I stared at him and he stared back at me. "That's... that's awesome, dude. I'm happy for you." I smiled at him and squeezed his shoulder. "I'm serious... I love that. See, that's how it should be." It did a lot to calm me down, knowing that at least one god took responsibility and looked after their own. If only the rest of those deadbeats took a page from Mr. D's book.
Castor seemed shocked by my reaction. "You... Huh. Most people don't share your point of view when they learn that..." Castor tentatively settled closer to me. "I... don't have a lot of friends other than my brother. I'm on good terms with Cabin Four, but most people don't want to be friends with Mr. D's spoiled twins..."
My hand found its way to Castor's. I gave it a gentle squeeze. "Now you're my friend. Asterion will be your friend, too. I think he's technically your step-uncle, so he's actually your family, too!"
"...Lady Philotes, Goddess of friendship. That's who I'm placing my bets on."
I beamed at Castor's suggestion. "I like the sound of that. I'll keep her in mind during my next prayer..." I nudged him again. "Say, you don't seem at all scared of Asterion."
He shrugged. "Why would I? My dad wouldn't have let Asterion into the camp if he were an actual threat. I trust his judgement."
Castor was about to say something else when this agitating voice cut him off.
"Well, well, well. Look at you, Newbie. Sucking up to Mr. D's son. Clever."
I looked up and saw the attractive girl with a rancid attitude from Cabin Five. She towered over me and Castor, her choppy dishwater blonde hair still held back by the ugly crimson bandana. UGH! There was so much waster potential here!
Castor narrowed his eyes, his previously friendly demeanor dying. "Clarisse." He greeted curtly. "You never come out to the fields."
"I heard the Minotaur was out here. Had to get a glimpse of it myself."
It was then that I noticed the massive spear in her hands. It took all of two seconds to figure out her plan.
"Lay a hand on my friend and you'll regret—"
"Save the threats for those who can follow through on them." Clarisse snarled. "What would you even do, Pipsqueak? Bat your lashes at me?"
It was my turn to narrow my eyes. "No, but try me and I'll shove that electric spear of yours straight up your—"
"OKAY!" Castor clapped his hands and turned to Clarisse. "Stand down, both of you. But mostly you. Clarisse, you can't kill the Bull of Minos. My dad gave the green light to keep him."
The brutish daughter of Ares snickered and leaned against her spear. "Oh, no! Extra chores and no dessert! The horror!" She moved to shove me onto the ground. "That monster over there is a ticking time bomb. Somebody has to protect the camp from it before your little enchantment on it breaks— and that someone's me."
"Alright, that's enough." Castor stepped in between me and Clarisse. He met her eyes and held her intense gaze. "Do you really think that's the only punishment you'd get for unjustly killing my stepmother's brother? Did you really forget who my dad is?"
Clarisse shuddered and dropped her spear, clutching her hair and pulling at it violently. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT GET OUT—" She screamed and fell to the ground beside me. The shouting woke Asterion, who began to panic and bolted off into the trees.
Without hesitation, I ran after him. I could still hear Clairsse's yelling as I beelined to my friend. For a moment, I kind felt bad for her until I realized she was literally planning on killing Asterion, so I didn't bother stopping Castor.
She was tough, wasn't she? She could take care of herself. A bully like her didn't need a pipsqueak like me to save her.