𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐒 - luke castellan.

iv, pinecone's fate

p i n e c o n e ' s  f a t e
venus.

━━━━━━━

After sharing a sweet kiss with Luke, she was going back to her cabin when she heard a few campers talking about Percy and the selection.

"Annabeth was a good choice but Grover and Venus? I think he made a mistake,"

"Especially Venus!"

"She's useless, I don't get why Percy even chose her," 

The smile after being with Luke had fallen off of her face. She sighed and shook her head before continuing to walk to her cabin. She needed a good sleep to be energized.

After Luke talked to Percy and gave him a gift, he went to Venus's cabin where she was still packing. He stood by the door and leaned against the door frame watching her struggle to keep things in her backpack and then he observed.

"Are you sure that's an appropriate outfit for a quest?" He asked her. He wasn't judging. He just didn't want her to face complications.

She looked up, the annoyance falling from her face and she smiled, standing up. "Yes? I will complete a quest in a skirt and look good doing it," she said, confidently and he chuckled.

"Also, I am so annoyed. I have to fit all of my things in a small backpack," Venus complained while he sat beside her and removed all of her clothes and things from the bag.

"That is because you are going on an adventure and not a vacation, Ven. And you're also supposed to fold clothes to create space," he said while folding her clothes and putting them neatly in the bag and then putting all of her things in the bag with ease.

"I feel scared," she confessed looking at him.

"You'll be fine, I promise," he said, closing her bag and then looking at her.

"But what if I'm not?" she asked. "What if... I die or something?"

"Then I'll burn down the Gods," he said and she assumed he was being sarcastic. She rolled her eyes.

"Don't die on me, Venus," he said, holding onto her hands.

"I'll try not to," she smiled, leaning in and kissing his cheek. He smiled at her before reaching into his pocket and handing her a bag of candy.

"To remember me by," he answered before she asked. She smiled and kept it in the side pocket of her bag.

They stood up and she hung her bag over her shoulders before leaning in and hugging him tightly. He hugged back and after a while, they pulled away.

"You might need to change out of those boots. Heel boots aren't the ideal," he said and she groaned before going to change her shoes.

"The most powerful being in the universe's best idea to save his daughter's life... was to turn her into a tree?" Percy asked after the Satyr told him about what happened to Thalia.

"She was the bravest demigod I ever knew. She fought valiantly, and she met a hero's fate," Annabeth said after being by the tree.

"She met a pinecone's fate," Percy said. Venus's jaw dropped, Grover gave him a look, and Annabeth glared at him.

"Forbidden children are always in danger, even the strongest ones, even Thalia," Annabeth said. "And you are not Thalia. Do exactly as I say, and maybe you survive this. Are we clear?" She said and then walked away with Venus,

"He is stupid. He is actually stupid," Annabeth said to her, angry at Percy's words.

This was going to be a long journey.