Chapter 47

Clarisse.

Extra long chap<3

“Are you serious? She’s finally back, back here- with you, after months, and you still don’t know how to approach this? Have I taught you nothing?“

“Ugh- I’m trying! It’s so embarrassing, every single time I try, I just become so aware and it’s like- I’m probably the first in my cabin to even attempt at such a thing.”

“It’s not that hard, Clarisse. Everything you’ve told me so far is like, a giant indicator that she’s liking it so far!”

“Yeah, Silena. ‘So far’. What if I go too far? And she’s still getting used to camp again. She’s sensitive right now.”

Clarisse let out a stressed groan as she paced back and forth besides Silena Beauregard’s bed. It’s just less that a week since they had been back at camp. She hadn’t had time to visit Silena yet- they had become good friends last year. And Clarisse was pretty prideful of the fact she currently had not one, but two people that didn’t mind her presence at all.

Little by little, her and Kayla had settled back in. Clarisse’s cuts on her face had completely healed, and only two had left scars. Kayla’s wings were behaving well after the grooming Clarisse had done a few days ago. She’d turned in the writing to Chiron and given a copy to Annabeth, and that was with a lot of Clarisse’s help. And for both of their sakes: Kayla had finally gained a little bit of confidence to walk around on her own again. She wasn’t exactly sure where the girl was right now, but atleast it wasn’t here.

The only part that wasn’t sorted was the mental part, but neither of them wanted to discuss that.

“Sensitive- all the more reason she needs someone right now. Let me think… oh, you! You both went through alot of the same things. If she’s not gonna run away from anyone, it’s you. Plus,too far is like, stabbing her, or threatening to kill her.”

“I think I’ve done both of those things before.”

Silena rolled her eyes and continued with her makeup. “That was before, this is now. Come on, you’re telling me she accepted a silent offer to cuddle and go to sleep, and you think she doesn’t like you? You’re so stupid. I thought with all of that time in the Labyrinth, it would have knocked some sense into you! All of those conversations you probably had with yourself to keep sane, and you’re still just as stupid in the romance section.”

“Hey! Uncalled for, Sil.”

She twisted around in her seat, crossed one leg over the other, and tilted her head. “Do my curls look okay?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Anyway, as i was saying- just go for it. Kayla is such an open minded person, you know that. I’m sure she’d be able to see a kiss coming from a mile away, you know.”

“You have no idea who you’re talking about.” She rubbed her face and closed her eyes. Maybe she should just accept her fate. None of her brothers were good at romance. Why would she be any different? How her father of all people managed to get Aphrodite, Clarisse had no clue.

“I just wish I could have done this months ago, last year when we spoke about this. That night I was supposed to. I feel like I’m starting back at square one or something.”

“Look, what happened that night, happened. You didn’t even manage to get a word in. That’s not going to happen again, is it? Her quest is done. So is yours. And how can you say you feel like your back at square one when you’re closer than ever? You two have surived alot together, alright? Look, if it helps, buy her a gift every now and then just to hype yourself up… or better yet, just go for it.” She chuckled, opening her jewelry box up.

“What gift?” Clarisse asked in a defeated tone, sitting down on the edge of her bed and slouching.

“What necklace? This one, or that one?”

“That one.”

“Gift, mh- oh! Speaking of necklaces, what about jewelry? A ring? Necklace?”

“Mh, She doesn’t really wear jewelry. Nothing other than her scythe.”

“Oh,” Silena said in distaste, grimacing. “Uh, foodie? Or how about some flowers? Music? Clothes?”

“Not a dinner date. Flowers are too obvious, plus she hates flowers, mh, music? Music.”

“See? There’s something.”

“Tapes, she likes my Walkman- Walkman!” Clarisse exclaimed. She quickly hushed herself with a cough and a grumble, relaxing her stupid smile. “Get her, her own walkman, and the tapes she lost last year. She’s so desperate for music, I haven’t ever heard her complain about the state of that Walkman. There’s a crack in the headphones, it’s all scruffed up and everything.” She snickered, shaking her head.

“Perfect! See? Don’t be tight, either. You have the money?”

“Ye- uh, huh, no.”

Silena sighed. She smiled and turned around, only to face Clarisse with a wad of cash. “Pay me back or don’t, it’s okay.”

“Uh,” Clarisse reclined her head in shock and confusion, shaking her head abruptly. “Silena, thanks, but I really can-“

“Take. It.” She shoved it into her chest, dropping it. “Go get her, tiger.”

Oh, that was so embarrassing. “As much as I appreciate this… never, ever say that again.” She mumbled, standing up slowly as she picked up the money from her lap. “Thankyou… thankyou very much, I will update you, uh, at some point.” She nodded.

Silena had a giant, proud grin on her face. “I’m so glad you’re back and okay, Clarisse. And you better let me know.”

With that, Clarisse escaped the grasp of the Aphrodite cabin quickly.

The first time Clarisse had gone to Silena for uh, romantical help, was the day she sort of accidentally blew Kayla off to say she was helping Silena train. She knew Kayla remembered that; it sort of tied into the ‘help’ conversation they had the other day. Clarisse knew it did.

Seriously, how ironic was it that you blow the girl you like off for a girl you needs advice from? How more stupid can you get? Stupid, stupid, stupid. And she had assumed Clarisse liked Silena. Ugh.

She grumbled some words of annoyance and stuffed the money in her pockets. Clarisse didn’t understand herself sometimes. Not a single part of her. So stupid to anything but war. Better yet, of all the girls, and the one she ends up head over heels for is- Gremlin?

Regardless, she was happy that was the one she ended up head over heels for. But boy, was she asking for a ride.

Kayla.

Being alone for Kayla often came with so many inside thoughts she didn’t know what to do with herself. The irresistible urge to get up and do anything. Talk to herself to rid of buzzing ears. She missed her guitar back at home in her Aunt’s place. It was the perfect remedy for a hectic mind.

But since the Labyinth, the world was almost silent. She couldn’t rid of the ADHD ofcourse, those stupid thoughts and inside voices were still here there and everywhere, but they were so much more quiet.

Just quiet enough that she could focus on one thing at a time. Like the pace of her walking, her wings flapping gently with a mind of their own, the sound of sticks breaking under feet as she trudged further into the forest. Even the very, very slight hum of her scythe as she held it besides her. Her book was in the other hand, ready to take on a few new tricks.

Clarisse had made sure that she got back on her feet pretty fast, which she was grateful for. Within the first week, and she’d already been forced to go on three lone walks around camp. This time, she had succeeded in doing so herself. She didn’t take Clarisse’s actions as rude- they helped her alot. Without being told so bluntly that she needed her independence back, she might have tried to follow someone around for the rest of her days after that.

The birds tweeted loudly up in the treetops as the wind hit Kayla just right. Mixed in with the sun beaming down through the tree branches, it was perfect. Nostalgic, even. Nice, calm. Like if she payed attention to the birds just long enough they might start telling her everything is okay.

The stream she was advancing towards played a gentle melody of running water up ahead. That stream marked the border of camp. It was a lovely view, even if on the other side of the stream could be demigod murder territory.

Besides that point; it was where she needed to be if she wanted to free these Labyrinth spirits. She couldn’t let them out in camp- she wasn’t sure why. She just knew she couldn’t. It was the same thing on Calypso’s island. You just couldn’t.

According to the book, the reverse spell for reaping souls was quite easy. Kayla couldn’t imagine it. Why was there a reverse spell in the first place? Does her dad sometimes reap the wrong soul, have to apologise and give a life back? That would be quite funny. The thought made her snicker.

She took her time on the walk. Sat down against a tree trunk and read the spell, got carried away and read ten more- practiced said ten spells before finally refocusing.

“Stand… in… sun,” She read aloud slowly. “Tch, what type of ritual is this?”

Okay, maybe she had missed the part where shifting into some shadow realm was needed, so it would have been easy. Now, she was having to squeeze her eyes shut and imagine stupid things while trying to remember that controlling breathing was supposed to help.

That didn’t last very long.

“What are you doing all the way out here?”

“Ah!”

Clarisse pursed her lips to stop herself from laughing. Kayla knew that yelp had sounded pathetic.

“How did you know I was out here?” She turned fully, stepping back over the stream to enter camp.

“I tracked you, footprints and all that. Why are you outside of camp by yourself? I mean- you came prepared.” She raised an eyebrow at the Scythe. Kayla still rarely ever had her scythe out.

“I’m trying to release these spirits, I just need to enter some stupid state of mind, and I can’t.”

Clarisse huffed a smile. She stepped closer, the leaves and sticks crunching beneath her combat boots. She had a backpack with her hands on the adjustment cords that she fiddled with relentlessly. It wasn’t like Clarisse to twiddle her hands about at all. “I can help?”

“What’s in the bag?” Kayla asked, leaning her head around to peek over. Clarisse twisted her body to stop her from doing so. Huh.

“Wha- nothing. Can I help?”

“Not really… have you got hunting gear with you?” She pondered, trying again to peer over her arm.

“Hey, nosy.” Clarisse pushed her by the shoulder gently and let out a chuckle. “Can you stop? I said will you let me help you.”

It was a nice offer, but she doubted Clarisse would be able to help. All she had to do was focus, and she couldn’t do that if Clarisse’s voice was flowing through her ears. “Well, no… not really. I just need to focus, and I thought maybe I’d be able to do that here, with the birds and, well, nature. But I can’t. My ears keep veering off.”

Clarisse huffed and nodded in defeat. “That’s fair,” She mumbled, looking around. “I- uh…”

She tilted her head. “You what?”

“I mean- I still think I could help, if there’s too many sounds, to just focus on one thing.”

Oh? What did that even mean? She cleared her throat, running her thumb up and down her Scythe. “One… thing?”

“Yeah,” Clarise nodded, taking the backpack off her shoulders to retrieve something inside. Oh. Just that. Oh. “I wanted to save it after you’d finished this, but if it’ll help, then I may aswell just give it you now.” She grunted as she pulled it out, untangling a wire with great effort.

“A… walkman? Are those tapes?” She smiled. “But I already have your walkman and some tapes.”

“Here,” She shook her head, offering it over. “Yeah, you have mine, but it’s broke and dirty. I thought you’d appreciate a new one- well, not new, but it’s redesigned. And especially some new tapes. Even a Jeff Buckley one in there,” She pointed to the stuff as Kayla gasped at it in excitement, dropping her scythe to the floor carelessly. Clarise flinched. “Be careful with that thing.”

Kayla flicked her eyes upwards. She discarded the warning, a big smile on her face. “It’s red.”

“Yeah,” She smiled with a shrug. “Had to go around like, fifteen vintage stores, and nine refurbished tech stores, but I found one. It’s completely redesigned, clean inside and out, absolutely no worries of it breaking, and hopefully, you’re not gonna lose the tapes, dummy.” She flicked Kayla’s forehead.

“You remind me of red.” She snickered, analysing the headphones. You weren’t supposed to say that aloud, dimwit.

“Haven’t you said that before? And why is that, cause i’m always angry? I don’t think I’m always angry.” She nudged her shoulder with a smirk, making Kayla stumble back slightly. She chuckled. “I mean, I was gonna say cause it’s your favourite colour, but now that you say it…”

“Oh, wow. Dork. You’re so rude.”

“Rude? Im not rude, I’m grateful, I am so grateful right now. I mean, don’t these things cost a fortune these days?”

“I… have connections. What can I say?”

Kayla hummed, placing a tape in and shoving the others into her pocket. She pressed play, shoved the walkman in her other pocket, and put the headphones on. She swayed her head side to side as a tune started to play. “Chris Rainbow?”

She watched Clarisse’s face light up, her hand reach out then pull back. “Ah! Uh- that’s- you should listen to all those songs, there’s some good songs on that tape.”

Well, ofcourse there would be, wouldn’t it all be Chris Rainbow? An odd one for Clarisse to buy- actually, now she thought of it, she hadn’t looked at what tape she’d put in. Kayla furrowed her brows, digging into her pocket. On the back, in black, scribble writing with a marker read:

Handle with care.

“Handle with care? Seriously?” Kayla asked. Her confusion didn’t waver. She turned her head up to Clarisse, who looked the most timid Kayla thought anyone must have ever seen her. She never even looked this bad in the Labyrinth. She messed with the skin of her knuckle repeatedly, while scuffing the forest floor up with her shoe subconsciously. Her mouth moved in uncertainty. “I made it.” She admitted.

Oh. “Made- made like- now? Like- for me? Or am I just being-“

“Yes, for you, idiot,” She rolled her eyes, looking away. She turned back to Kayla a little more put together. “I just- ugh, I wasn’t expecting you to listen to that specific tape while I was here, you know? Like, I bought you another Jeff Buckley one, another No Doubt one, do you know-” She rambled, pausing, before scoffing with a snicker and carrying on. “I spent an eternity hunting down such good cassette tapes? And then I made that one, it took forever, but still, I-“

“You are so un-hostile right now, it’s scary.” Kayla tilted her head. The song switched to a song from 10cc. She wondered where the music inspiration for this tape had come from.

“Well, I could say the same thing about you. All your bratty, witty comebacks lately aren’t all that witty.”

“Hey, I’m getting there, don’t be so sure just yet. They’re not gone for good.”

“Good, starting to miss them.”

Kayla went to retort back with a cheeky smile. She hesitsted, instead settling for picking her scythe back up. Could she atleast get the damn spirits out first? “Okay, let me try focus with the music, alright? Just sit down besides that tree or something.

“I’ll keep an eye on you.” She agreed as Kayla walked away, backing up to the end of camp. She jumped over the little stream, then sat down and focused, closing her eyes. There was no way she could focus after that entire thing. Infact, her chest was shaking with adrenaline. That nervous adrenaline. Clarisse had bought her a new walkman, spent godknows know long trying to find it, along with some tapes and making her own?

Oh, there was no way Kayla could focus on shadow travelling. Clarisse was here, too, watching her. She could almost feel the stare burning into her back. She had been acting so odd, too. Nervous? Then again, why had she even gotten her such a thoughtful gift? Was Kayla catching this right? There was no way, right?

No, stop- focus, Kayla. Focus.

Oh, come on, who am I fooling? Didn’t she risk her life a hundred times for me this year alone, and it’s only April. She took herself down into the Labyrinth, for goodness sakes. Maybe Calypso really was right, maybe-

“Ugh, I can’t do it! I can’t focus.” Kayla stood up abruptly, spinning around. Her voice echoed back to her, making her shriek.

Clarisse hadn’t heard a thing- she was snooping in the Thanatos spell book, deep in interest.

“Clarisse?”

Nothing. Again, her voice echoed back. She looked down at herself. Her shadow was much more prominent, almost black. Her own body was translucent. Still visible, but barely. The world was quiet. She couldn’t hear anything other that this weird sound of emptiness. Imagine being stuck in some form of container. So quiet, the silence bounces back at you. Maybe even how it sounds when underwater. Was this what her dad felt on a daily basis?

Looking at her scythe, the search of it now showed a bright white in certain places. She guided it around in the air, then held it up above her head. Just like that, four white lights escaped and fled off into the world- no stopping around. At the speed of light, they fled off into the universe.

“Perfect,” She whispered, bashing her scythe on the floor to have it reappear around her neck. “Not even a thankyou, you amnesia ridden spirts, you’re welcome. Now how do I get out?”

“Kayla?”

Flicking her eyes up, Clarisse had rushed forward, her eyes focused on the black shadow. “Where are you?”

“Right here?”

Perhaps her voice only just broke through the sound barrier- Clarisse reacted to the voice, looking up in confusion, yet couldn’t reply with anything. “Is that you?”

“Hello?”

Clarisse grimaced. She stepped forward over the stream, only to purposefully step on her shadow in curiousity. Kayla yelped- she hadn’t been expecting it to feel like someone had tickled her insides. She tried to exit like you would a bad dream- tell yourself you know it’s a dream and you want to wake up. Except, telling herself she’s a shadow and she wants to step back onto Earth. It worked. She took up her space on land once more, appearing from pure particles of air. Clarisse jumped and let out an ungodly yelp. “That wasn’t funny! That shouldn’t even be possible, you freak.”

Yet, Kayla was doubled over laughing at her reaction.

“Stop laughing!” She whined, pushing her ever so slightly forceful. Kayla accepted her fate and tumbled over lazily. “I can’t!” Kayla giggled, shaking her head. “You have such a prissy scream, I forget your voice can go that high sometimes!”

“Stop, laughing! I’m taking my gift back.” She threatened. It was an empty threat; Kayla could see the smirk on her face.

“What? No, no! That’s such a horrible thing to do!”

“Well then stop laughing! My girly scream is not for your entertainment.” Clarisse argued. Kayla wiped tears from her eyes and pulled herself up, managing to get herself over the stream before bursting out into a fit of laughter once more.

Why she was laughing so much, she didn’t know. Clarisse had made her way too happy with such a cool gift, and that scream topped it all off. Her giggles intensified as her ribs got attacked with Clarisse’s hands. Now it was her turn to let out a high pitched scream, which Clarisse failed to cover her mouth for in time. She fell to the floor once more, attempting to hit her away.

“That sounded like a murder scream, Kayla,” She chuckled. “I am not murdering you, ow! Don’t pull my hair!”

“Get off me, you big loser, get off- my ribs! Stop!” Unfortunately, the fact she had swatted Clarisse in the face three times and had her other hand in a tight grip in her hair, meant Clarisse was now fully focused on getting payback. She yelped and fell onto her back, her wings flexing in a harsh flutter to deal with being squished into the ground. Clarisse did not let up. She was so close, using her knee to prevent any accidental blows to the stomach. “Get off my hair, you gremlin!” She grunted, her hand moving to tickle further up her ribs.

“No, eat dirt!” Kayla retorted, trying so, so hard to push her face to closer, off to the side, and into the dirt. Kayla missed her stupid fights she picked with people. The stupid shit she was know for. This felt like one of those stupid times, just… less intentional harming.

Clarisse let out some comical worried squeal from the back of her throat as Kayla did not rest on her grip. But, both of them being stubborn; Kayla didn’t let go, and Clarisse didn’t stop. She said some words that went through one ear and out the other about being kind and not making her eat dirt, yet she was way too giggly to pay attention. She didn’t even realise Clarisse was fully straddling her until the tickling died down. She gasped for a breath, her grip loosening ever so slightly.

“Here, I stopped, I surrender, now let go of my hair!” She whined, pulling her head up- face to face with Kayla. Or trying. “Let go.”

“No!”

There was no threat to tickle, or smash a brand new Walkman. Her breathing evened out, and she locked her eyes with Kayla’s.

“I think… you should really let go.” She breathed out, her top teeth peeking through from a small smile. Her eyes looked lively- which was crazy to think Kayla used to see them as nothing but deathly and angry-looking.

Despite the protests, Kayla didn’t let go. She knew she should. It was dangerous territory, one that Kayla was not familiar with in the slightest. Yet, her hands stayed in her hair like she wouldn’t be able to let go even if she tried. She repeated a much more quiet, “No,” as her own smile dissapeared. Not into a frown. Definitely not. Something else entirely.

In this position, Kayla forgot it had been a stupid scuffle to begin with. The silence reminded her much of the shadow realm: calm, peaceful. Tranquil, even. She was able to focus solely on Clarisse’s face.

With a few more uneven breaths, Clarisse’s breathing steadied itself. Or more so, she seemed to hold it in. Her head dipped ever so slightly, and Kayla was very positive her grip on the hair had not been the cause of that. “You’re annoying,” She murmured.

Kayla barely found it in herself to speak. Words? What were they? “You love it.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” She retorted quietly. Her words trailed off like she didn’t quite have it in her to finish her sentence, whatever she would have said. Her voice was nothing other than a gentle murmer, too. Since when could Clarisse sound so gentle? That was… not common.

“Clarisse…”

Clarisse didn’t let her finish. Her head dipped down to let their lips meet, just ever so slightly at first. It was hesitant, like she wasn’t sure if she was allowed to commit. Yet when Kayla didn’t make an effort to pull away, she made it a full, gentle kiss.

It wasn’t smooth, or practiced. Probably not a good kiss, if she had to think about Clarisse’s time right now.

To be honest, her brain had to rewire itself. She didn’t even think to kiss back at first. When she did, it felt clumsy. Just how Kayla had been imagining it to go, pretty much. Not that she’d been imagining it at all. No, never.

Kayla’s hand had settled into a gentle hold on the back of Clarisse’s head, her fingers sliding into her hair instead of keeping the harsh grip. Clarisse’s own hands had found themselves comfy, too. One stayed gently caressing Kayla’s ribs, and the other was keeping her from squishing Kayla, her forearm pressing into the ground.

…

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I know this was basically 2 chaps put together, but it was worth it right?? RIGHT?? I hope you all enjoyed. More to come hehe.