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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐉𝐄𝐖𝐄𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐒

𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑏𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑟𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑦𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑔𝑖𝑟𝑙 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝐵𝑟𝑎𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑇𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑒𝑛 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑠 𝑝𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑦𝑚𝑏𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑏𝑒ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠． 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑢𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛（𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑛 𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑔𝑛 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑟）𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑠ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑎𝑚𝑒？𝑂𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟？

𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑒 𝐴𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒 （2006） 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑄𝑢𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒 （2023）

Stay tuned……

xoxo,

xxCocoiixx

The Elysian Idol extract: Belladonna from different povs - Luke edition

"𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐕𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐏𝐔𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐓 𝐁𝐄𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔, 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐎𝐍."

"I got it"

"If you got it, I wouldn't have to say it for the hundredth time"

Luke stood a few paces away from Bella who was gripping the sword tightly. Luke's critical eyes swept over her the smaller girl, her knees were shaking slightly, she kept shifting her white sneakers against the dirt and it was obvious that the sword was too big for her by the way she struggled to keep it balanced.

She had to learn he told himself. If not now, within the safe confines of the camp, then never. He wasn’t used to being so harsh with her. Bella wasn’t like Annabeth who dusted herself off and got back up again. Bella was fragile, used to a soft word and a kind touch. Reassurance that tomorrow would be alright or risk her world shattering into a waterfall of tears.

But reassurance couldn’t be guaranteed, that much he knew. He slowly began sick at the possibility. Of Bella being subjugated to a fate an iota worse than she deserved. And in Luke’s opinion that little girl deserved everything and more. Day by day he was plagued by the anticipation of what’s to come. So rather than being swallowed by the storm he decided to push ahead of it.

Bella wasn’t exactly receptive to that logic, or much logic usually….

"Clearly I'm trying my best Luke."

Luke sighed. As brassy as Bella was, it wasn't often that was truly frustrated, especially at others. The clipped tone she was exhibiting now caused a pang of guilt in his chest.

His voice softened this time around. "Just- swing for me one last time. Your weapon will choose you, but only if you try"

Belladonna huffed through her nose. Her delicate features scrunched up as her focus was locked onto her target, a limp and frail straw man in the distance.

Breaking into a sprint, she raised the sword and swung as hard as she could, determined to cut the head off the straw dummy.

To Bella's surprise, her movements screeched to a halt. Her arms were almost completely stretched above her head and her torso was leaved forward at an awkward angle. Bella blinked when she looked up to see when her sword was cut. The blade was lodged right in the middle of its "neck" she tried pushing it through and pulling it out the opposite way. Neither direction budged.

"I think it chose the dummy."

Luke walked up and with little effort pulled the sword out of the dummy. He returned the sword to her only for him to freeze at the sight of her familiar tearful pout. Her round eyes somehow like got even rounder and bigger and shinier like baby doll.

Uh oh.

She didn’t accept the sword. Instead she moved around him and her body plopped onto the grass that was on the sidelines of the arena. She had her back facing him with a slouched posture that would make Silena frown.

Luke made sure to lean the sword against its resting spot before taking a seat next to her on the ground. The whole thing put him in a much younger, more childlike headspace.

"It takes practice" he offered soothingly.

The young girl practically scoffed.

“I reckon it does”

"You wanna talk?”

There wasn’t an explicit yes or no from her so for a few moments they basked in silence.

“Do you know what else takes practice?” She suddenly asked.

“No.”

“Kips”

Not what he thought she was going to say. Though at this point he was used to her not always making sense. And in her defence she has become quite the acrobat

“Y’know once I learned I wanted to do tricks like that I practiced. Every day before the crow calls. And now I could do it upside down and with my eyes closed if I wanted”

He nodded. Unsure of what to do or say. 

"I'm not a fighter Lu.” Her voice was so soft, practically a whisper at that point. The finality of it all, her being ashamed to look at him in the eye, broke his heart.

"That's not true." He was eager to protest.

Belladonna stayed silent. Suddenly finding more of an interest on the dust ruining her wide legged jeans. She didn't know how to tell him that it was true. Or that the other campers reminded her and family every day that Cabin 10 was useful in anything battle or strategy related.

"You're just different. And there's no better way to prove it than in capture the flag tomorrow when we steal the blue flag together, side by side. Wouldn't that be cool?"

She moved to lean her head against Luke's arm. She told herself it was to make herself more comfortable but there was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she didn't want to openly show her distress.

"I can't. Silena and Clarisse sorted out an alliance yesterday. I'm team red again. I got a way you can make it up to me though”

“How?…”

Usually favours for Bella involve labour. He wanted to at least mentally prepare for whatever outrageously convoluted request she was about to ask of him.

"If we cross paths in Capture you can let me win”

That made him laugh aloud.

“And why would I do that”

And risk his shot at glory was also on the tip of him tongue. Though he, and everyone else at camp knew that kleos is worth dust to her unlike most demigods.

“As compensation. For being on a team that has lost so many times it has a pernicious effect an’ all”

“That’s….a mouthful. Where’d you hear a word like that?”

“Oh Annabeth said it” “Y’know I had to look it up myself. She surprises me everyday, that girl she’s as smart as all get out” Bella gushed

Luke couldn’t help but be doubtful either shrug didn’t fully understand the definition of “pernicious” (which was the likely option) or she truly didn’t care.

“Are you sure that you’re alright with what she said”

Bella shrugged cluelessly. “I’m fine. I’m sure she’s just stressed after carrying an entire team on her back since forever”

“Wait! No changing the subject” Luke groaned in response.

“Come on, pretty please!”

She had that look in her eye. That weird, annoyingly irresistible Bambi look in her eye but the scary part of it all was a slight glint of mischievousness in the corners. That gleam that shone, knowing she has already won the battle.

Luke had to break eye contact and rub at his temple. If this cost his team the victory and Annabeth found out, because she always does, she would lose her mind. But the corner of his lips couldn’t help but quirk upwards at the sight of her brighter mood.

“I’m not allowed to say no to you, am I?”

The little girl rung out her perfect laugh that resembles a ringing bell before looking up at him again. His brown eyes were warm with understanding and soft encouragement. He was at least trying to make her feel less like a complete failure of a demigod. Bella grinned playfully at the older boy with her nose high up in the air, like she was confident about her odds.

“Nuh uh”

He shook his head at the thought. Belladonna always got what Belladonna wanted it seems. She just had those doe like face that seemed to trick people into serving her before they had even realised what they had given up. Loving Bella was probably as easy as breathing.

But this was Belladonna. The girl in the tattered white dress and a plastic rhinestoned crown with half the gems missing. The girl he swore to protect since she was seven. Belladonna deserved more. And as her brother he would give her the world if she asked.

"Alright then, you have yourself a deal little lady"

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