ᴄᴀᴠᴇ ᴄᴀɴᴇᴍ: ᴘᴀʀᴛ ɪɪ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴄᴀʙᴇᴛʜ/ꜱᴏʟᴀɴɢᴇʟᴏ ᴘʀᴏᴊᴇᴄᴛ

ꜰᴏʀᴇᴡᴏʀᴅ

Spider Bites: The Percabeth/Solangelo Project was originally conceptualized as a fun future fic for those Heroes of Olympus fans who are coming to terms with being well out of Rick Riordan's targeted age group, but of course, all ages are welcome to read responsibly. The first book in this series was released more as a rom-com with some dark undertones, but I never meant for it to come across as angsty (whether or not you interpret it as angst is up to you). Cave Canem is much darker. I'm using this piece to unpack some of the trauma that Percy and Annabeth were dealing with throughout Spider Bites, so it is imperative that you read the warnings in the next part.

Cave Canem picks up just a day or two after the ending of Spider Bites. Percy and Annabeth are on a plane, courtesy of New Rome, on their way to Europe to finally get to the bottom of the mystery from the first book. Who is this Marty McFly guy that Annabeth hooked up with? Why aren't those monsters going to Tartarus? What is Pothos planning? Why won't Annabeth open up to Percy, and goddamn, why can't they just kiss and makeup? All in good time, friends.

I wasn't planning on answering any of these questions myself until I realized that the Spider Bites recipe called for a sequel, which left an interesting task for me. I had to figure out what Pothos was planning! It came to me through an aggressive red pen on a sheet of paper with succulents on it. When I sat back and discerned my gods-awful handwriting, I knew that this sequel had to happen.

Cave Canem is a little shorter than Spider Bites, only rounding out to about thirty chapters (thank the gods). The chapters are a little longer than in Spider Bites, which should sustain us until I can get my crap together and finally write the WIP I've had a finished outline for over a year.

I don't like the brain fog writing this piece put me in, and I can genuinely say it almost didn't happen a couple of times. Despite my love-hate relationship with Cave Canem, I'm proud of it, and it's like a child to me. Please don't be shy! I get my validation in numbers, so votes fuel me. I love interacting with readers and hearing what you all think, so comments are much appreciated as well. A recommendation always means more from a reader than from the author herself, so if you happen to know anyone who would enjoy an unhinged Percabeth fanfiction such as this, you know what to do.

Maybe you've been waiting for this for over a year, or maybe you just finished Spider Bites yesterday. Either way, this one goes out to you. I probably would not have given Spider Bites a sequel if it wasn't received on here the way it was, and I sincerely thank you for motivating me.

Maybe you just so happened to stumble upon this, and you've never read anything of mine before. To you I say, firstly, thank you for being here, and yes, this is a sequel. You don't technically have to read the first one to enjoy this (I like to think I did a decent job catching you up), but you might like to read my book Spider Bites: The Percabeth/Solangelo Project before you dive into this one.

As always, thank you so much for the support. Let's finish this thing out together, alright?

Grateful forever, 

Red

A Running List of Things I Regret to Say are Not in This Story:

- Absinthe (because I have to be a little bit cooler than Annabeth)

- Hot Hungarian men who dance with you and make you feel pretty and wanted for once in your life

- Hostels (because again, I have to be a little bit cooler than Annabeth)

- Budapest (I am so sorry, Budapest.  You deserve better)

- Pompeii erotica

- Being a little bit tipsy when you see Michelangelo's David

- A hyperfixation on the Colosseum

- Ryanair

- Hilly Coos

- Hozier Lesbians

- Your friend's hot cousin