ACHILLES + PATROCLUS [p. jackson]

1.2: A MOMENT OF PEACE

You know you're invested in a character and story you're creating when you're coming up with AUs despite only just starting.

BTW, if anyone wants to hear the AU, I'll post an extra chapter explaining it. I won't write it, but it's giving me a lot of perspective on Rip.

     CAMP ALWAYS WAS A SAFE PLACE. The familiar, uniform building lining the stone roads that wound throughout all of New Rome like snakes. The people were a lot less simple then their uniformity looked from the outside, from all corners of the world, of all backgrounds and beliefs, but united because of them, not in spite.

As Rip stalked throw the other soldiers and spirits, the quiet mutterings proved that for once, the most terrifying yet mix-matched army in the Western World was all on the same page for once. Whether that was a good thing remained to be seen.

Nobody stopped the praetor, and many parted like the Red Sea. The look on his face was enough to stop even a raging Minotaur in its tracks, and though the Legion was mighty, even they were not brave enough to face him one-on-one.

Of course, that did not stop the whispering. Most had heard what he had said to Percy, and whatever that meant was enough to send them into a gossiping frenzy worse than when Reyna and Jason were seen spending some quality time together.

Only Rip truly knew they were trying to keep appearances. Nearly every pair of praetors had ended up together, and there was a lot weighing on the children of two of the most powerful gods to follow that trend. 'Imagine a legacy of Jupiter and Bellona! They would be unstoppable!'

But relationships never truly seemed to be Reyna's thing, or even Jason's. Sure, many tried their hands, but were either politely told off, or woke up the next day in the infirmary without a  clue just how they got there.

Reyna was absolutely terrifying when angry.

He just did what they did, and ignored it - for now. He was certain those who spoke out of turn would find their ways into the unicorn stables eventually.

Finally halting in front of the principia, Rip turned his gaze back down the road, watching as Percy looked around with wide, confused eyes, like a fish out of water. Reyna looked on with a look of utter annoyance, while Frank and Hazel kept him moving forward.

Nodding to the Legionares on guard duty - Carmella and Hadassah - he slipped inside the principia. Rip smiled softly as he was greeted by the familiar metallic barking from the statues as they raced up to him, silver and gold tails wagging back and forth, cutting through the air like twin blades.

Rip paid no mind to the medals glinting on the wall (he had gawked at them enough when he first entered the principia all of those years ago), but dipped his head in recognition to the mosaic glinting above him. Lupa, give me strength.

He moved and perched himself carefully down on one of the two chairs facing the door, eyes darting around the scrolls scattered across the table. The hounds took their places on either side of the chairs, ears perked and eyes laser focused on the door.

He hated sitting in this chair, it felt so wrong to sit where the greats all once sat, where his best friend once sat, and where he should be sitting now, reassuring Rip's worries and fears. He could almost hear him, however faint and near unfamiliar his voice seemed. 'C'mon, Aggie, Percy's gonna love you. And if he doesn't, I will pull a Dad.'

Jason tended to threaten to 'pull a Dad' nearly every other week when some snobbish legionare or veteran talked down to Rip, Ollie, or anyone else who their seniors percieved were lower than Jason. Pulling a 'Dad' was as simple as a snap of his fingers on a particularly cloudy day, and a smiting would occur.

He never did it, of course. But it was the thought that counts.

And so, despite all the fear and worry building up inside of him, he leaned back, steadied his quivering hands, and tried to look every bit the praetor Jason was.

I know, not a lot, but moments with no dialogue and a whole lot more world building make my heart sing.

Whenever there's a new legionare character, they get the first name that comes to mind. Carmella and Hadassah will probably never be mentioned again, along with Walter from the previous chapter.

But if you want one of these blink-and-you-miss it characters to be named after you, or even your OCs, please feel free to drop their name down below, and maybe what legion and parent you want. No children of the Big Three, of course.

I think 'pulling a Dad' is one of my favorite concepts I've ever written, honestly, and was almost the title of this chapter.

Agrippa: But when all hope seemed lost, I had an epiphany!
Agrippa, earlier: I'm going to throw myself into the sea.

Rip, honey, I know Percy's your beloved and all, but I reccomend not doing that.

Again, please reply if you want to hear about this AU (hint: it's a dark! AU), make your voices heard.