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Chapter Text

November 2013

There were only a few demigods at camp this year; nine in total. No cabin had more than one demigod, which made every demigod here a head counselor, at least until the summer campers returned.

There wasn’t much to do other than train or play a game of pinochle with Mr. D. He and Nico were usually the ones who played with Mr. D, unwinding their years of trauma to the god of madness. Out of all of the campers here, Will and Nico had the most experience with the demigod world, making them the leaders of the camp.

Will wondered who would take their place next year, when he and Nico would be in New Rome attending their first year of college. Possibly Austin and Kayla if they stay year-round next year. If not, it would probably be Ellis, as he was around for both the war with Gaea and the Roman Emperors.

It was strange thinking he wouldn’t be at camp next year; he had been here since he was ten. He had seen many campers come and go, many from his cabin... It still hurt to think about it.

Nico startled him slightly as he came from behind him. The son of Hades grabbed his hand, leaned towards his ear, and whispered, "Cecil definitely snuck in grape soda."

Will narrowed his gaze and searched for Violet. She was by the strawberry fields, enthusiastically teaching Lucy a handshake. Violet was a daughter of Dionysus, and at times, she reminded him of her late half-brother Dakota. She had an obsession with anything grape-flavored, and if she got her hands on a grape soda…

Let's just say, not even her father can snap her out of her craze. The last incident, Will had to tie her to a bed to prevent her from trying to get a piggyback ride from the harpies. For being only fifteen, Violet had a surprising amount of strength and agility that kept them all on their toes. Chiron had to toss out everything grape-flavored two years ago after she accidentally set fire to Athena's cabin.

"I'll talk to Cecil," Will whispered back. "You keep an eye on her, especially since Lucy is with her."

Nico shot him a look, which he promptly ignored. Nico never liked being on babysitting duty, but Will was closer to Cecil and knew how to get him to talk. Besides, Will was kind of awkward around Lucy.

Lucy is nothing less than an angel, but she keeps calling Will her uncle. Technically, it's true as she is the daughter of Aristaeus, but it makes him uncomfortable, especially since there's only a seven-year age gap between them. He tried to gently tell her not to call him that, but all the other campers, including his boyfriend, encourage it.

Will made his way towards the sword arena to find Ellis and Cecil having a match. Cecil is more advanced at swordsmanship, mostly everyone in the Hermes cabin is, but he was no match for the son of war. Ellis had the upper hand and disarmed him as Will got closer.

He waited on the outskirts until Ellis officially declared victory. Cecil brushed off his armor, then smiled at Will. "Has the archer decided to try his hand with swords?"

"I'm no archer," Will said, frowning. "I was actually..." He trailed off as something shiny sticking out of Cecil's pocket caught his eye.

“…Actually decided to do something other than ogling his boyfriend.” Ellis finished.

Will rolled his eyes. "I do not ogle my boyfriend, Ellis."

Ellis snorted, "I'll pay you fifty bucks to say that in front of Ezra."

Will would rather take on Ellis and Cecil with a sword than to ever talk about his boyfriend to Ezra. Ezra is one of the newer campers; he came here during the summer of the fight against Nero. Ezra is the son of Eros, and Eros was at the bottom of the list of gods Will wanted to meet. Even with Ezra’s parentage, Will set it aside and gave him a chance. Ezra seemed kind for the first week, but over time, his aggression became apparent.

If it wasn’t for Nico, Will would have endured an arrow through his backside. Ezra was aiming at him with an arrow before Nico summoned a skeleton to scare him off. Given Nico’s history with Eros, it was safe to say that Nico didn’t get along with Ezra.

“I'd rather not,” Will said. "What I came here for-" he walked swiftly up to Cecil. "What is this?" Will asked as he pulled out the shiny card from Cecil's pocket.

It was a holographic Mythomagic card. With enough squinting, Will read the card. It was Thanatos. He was sure it was a rare card, not even Nico had it.

Cecil snatched it back from his grasp. "That's not yours," Cecil said, turning his nose up.

“I’m confident it’s not yours either,” Will said. “If I were a betting man-”

“Which you are not,” Ellis and Cecil said in unison.

Will held up his hand. "Then I would say you either stole it-"

“I did not,” Cecil said, crossing his arms.

“Or you got it for an exchange.” He finished, knowing exactly what he had exchanged it for. Even with being the son of treachery, Cecil couldn’t hide his lip twitching.

“What did you exchange to get the card?” Ellis asked.

"Grape soda," Will said for him.

"Seriously?" Ellis scoffed and pushed Cecil to the ground. Ellis put his left foot on Cecil's chest to hold him in place. "What crossed your mind, thinking it was a good idea to give Mr. D's child grape soda? Do you not remember what she did to Cabin Six?"

Cecil groaned and batted away Ellis's foot. "But she had the card."

"You don't even like Mythomagic," Will said.

“I don’t.” Cecil agreed. “But someone else does.”

"No," Will raised his finger. "You will not bribe my boyfriend to do your dirty work."

"You don't even know what I was going to ask," Cecil said, struggling to get up.

"I don't need to." Will crossed his arms. "Since you're the one who gave her the soda, you can help Nico get her to the infirmary before she does anything drastic."

Cecil huffed, "Fine."

“Ellis, can you go with them just in case Violet becomes violent?” Will asked. “I’m going to need to set up the infirmary for her.”

"I guess," Ellis rolled back his shoulders. "She'd better not have any weapons on her."

“Last I checked, she didn’t,” Will said. “She was showing Lucy a handshake.” He shook his head. “I only hope that she didn’t break Lucy’s hand.”

“Don’t worry,” Cecil said, standing up fully. “I will bring your niece to the infirmary if she is injured.”

Will rubbed his forehead. "She's not my niece."

Cecil and Ellis shared a smirk. "Better get the infirmary set up," Ellis said, clapping Will on the shoulder. Then they walked down to the strawberry fields to assist Nico.

Will shook his head before heading back to the infirmary. He made a checklist in his brain as he walked. He needed rope, nectar, bandages, The Bee Gees, don't ask, and mint salve.

He went straight for the cabinet to grab the rope and bandages. He tied the rope to the bed; he found no joy in restraining patients, but it needed to be done with certain patients. He set the bandages on the table beside the bed. He got out the radio and set it on the counter, further away so she couldn’t touch it. The nectar was already set out from prior patients, so all he had to do was get the salve. He walked over to a drawer and pulled out a container that the Demeter kids made before they left for the summer. He turned to put it on the table, but he froze dead in his tracks.

Sitting on the bed was a girl, drenched from head to toe, shivering, her lips tinged blue. But the girl wasn't Violet; it was Mindy.

Will blinked and rubbed his eyes, but when he opened them, she was still there. He dropped the container of salve, and it crashed to the floor, breaking into many pieces.

“Will!” Nico ran towards him, his hands hovering over his shoulders, unsure if it was wise to touch him. His dark eyes moved around the room frantically, looking for the source of unease.

“Will, are you alright?” Cecil asked. He and Ellis were by the door, holding a very unstable Violet. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

Did he see a ghost? If he did, then Nico should also be able to see her, but Nico didn't even seem to notice.

Will shook his head. "I- I'm fine," he stuttered. "Let's get-"

“Cold!” Violet giggled and pointed at the bed.

Will's hands turned to ice. Could Violet see her? Or was she rambling like she always does after drinking her grape soda?

“Will, what’s wrong?” Nico asked, squeezing his shoulder. “You look really pale.”

Violet's giggles became louder. "The floor is going to get all wet!"

“Please tell me that doesn’t mean she needs to pee,” Ellis whined. “Because I’m not supervising that.”

Will quickly turned away from everyone, trying to mask his panic. There was no doubt in his mind that they were sharing the same delusion. He ignored Nico's questions and walked over to the radio, turning it on and switching it to The Bee Gees.

Luckily, when he turned around, Mindy was gone. "I think she was just rambling nonsense," Will said, his voice a bit shaky. "Set her on the bed."

Ellis and Cecil set Violet on the bed. She giggled, her eyes wide and unfocused.

“Violet, I need you to stay in this bed,” Will ordered, his voice becoming stronger. “Can you promise me that?”

Violet was too far gone to engage in conversation; instead, she said, "The pillows are polka dots."

The pillows didn't have polka dots on them. It was just a white pillow.

“Alright,” Will sighed. “I’m going to trust that you will stay in this bed. If not, then we may have to use the rope.”

Violet had nothing else to say. Instead, her eyes remained fixed on the ceiling.

“Ok….” Ellis said, shifting on his feet. “I’m going to go now.”

“Can you tell Chiron that I won't make it to archery practice?” Will asked.

“Sure,” Ellis said as he left the infirmary.

Cecil went to join him, but stopped before exiting. "Are you sure you're alright, Will? You looked spooked when we came in."

He nodded and let out a little laugh. "Sorry." He bent down and picked up a small piece of rope. "I must've dropped a piece of rope on the floor when I was setting up, and it looked like a snake. I dropped the container in shock, wasting a perfectly good salve."

"Oh..." Cecil let out a small laugh. "That makes sense. I hope you don't mistake any more rope for snakes in the future. I'll see you later."

“See you later.”

Nico waited a good minute after Cecil left and said, "You're a horrible liar."

“Nico…”

“You don’t have to tell me now,” Nico said. “But will you tell me later?”

Will nodded. "Of course."

Will scratched the back of his neck as he grabbed a broom to sweep up the mess. "I'm going to have to fill out a report to Chiron."

“About Violet?” Nico asked.

Will nodded. "I have to record every incident that requires treatment in the infirmary."

"I can fill it out," Nico offered. "After all, I was the one who watched her."

Will handed him the clipboard after he was done sweeping up the glass. "Thank you!"

Will sat beside his boyfriend, resting his head on his boyfriend's shoulder as he filled out the paperwork. Violet was already passed out with "Stayin' Alive" playing loudly next to her.

“Turn that shit off.” Violet groaned from her bed.

Will turned off the radio. "How are you feeling?"

Violet threw a pillow at him, and Will ducked. "I'm taking that as a sign that you don't feel well but you have enough energy to chuck someone."

He fluffed out the pillow before handing it back to her. "I'm sorry it's not polka dots."

Violet frowned at him. "What?"

“Do you not remember anything?” Will asked.

"I remember talking to Lucy, but that's about it," Violet said.

“You don’t remember seeing a drowning girl?”

"A drowning girl?" Violet asked. "No, but now I want to remember. It's a shame that I can never remember my haze."

“Maybe,” Will said. “You should stop putting yourself into the haze as you’ve been told.”

“C'mmooon ,” Violet whined, “It’s fuuun and it tastes soo good. Who else can take any beverage and mimic the effects of being under the influence?”

“I don’t think that’s something to brag about-“

“Please,” Violet rolled her eyes, “You’re just jealous that you can’t do it.”

“I’m not jealous,” Will snorted. “Addiction is no laughing matter-”

“I’m not addicted,” Violet huffed. “Why does everyone assume I’m addicted?”

“Should I remind you of February 2011?”

Violet’s face turned a bright hue of red. “No!”

“Okay then,” Will said, sitting back down on a bench. “You’re free to go, but Chiron and your father have already been informed about your stay.”

Violet groaned.

"You have no one to blame but yourself," Will said.

Violet stuck her tongue at him before leaving. Will tidied up before he left the infirmary.

He sat next to Nico at the campfire, roasting marshmallows. His mind went back to the infirmary. He hadn't had an episode in almost two years, and he didn't know what triggered it. He wasn't sure if he needed to mention it to Mr. D. or if it would be a one-time thing. He hoped for the latter.

Chapter Text

After a week without further incident, Will decided not to tell Mr. D about the infirmary. He figured it was an isolated incident. The more he thought about it, the more questions he had. 

Out of all the deaths in the Battle of Manhattan, Mindy’s death was the only one that remained a mystery. If you asked anyone in the camp, they would shrug their shoulders and say that she was one of the casualties of the Williamsburg Bridge. Part of him felt ashamed; he was there on that bridge but he didn't see her fall or her body on the bridge. The rest of him felt a strange sense of bliss. 

In the aftermath, Mindy wasn’t on his mind as much as his other siblings. The deaths of Lee, Bradley, and Cyrus, whom he had witnessed firsthand, haunted his dreams for years. Hearing the details of other deaths; Michael, Avery, Ashley, Zoey, Elliott, and Hannah, wore him down, causing his imagination to fill in the picture. With Mindy, he only knew where she died. His blissful ignorance of her death saved him from her voice poisoning his mind. 

But why her? He didn't even know if she had drowned; That was his main theory since there was no body, but it wasn't proven. Maybe guilt weighed on him subconsciously. But what triggered it? He hadn’t had an episode in over a year, and it was just Octavian then. 

Will decided it was probably best not to think about it anymore, in case it manifests into something more serious. Ellis had already forgotten what had happened in the infirmary and had instead fought with Ezra. Cecil had told the story of him being afraid of ropes all over the camp, which wasn't much. Despite Nico's claims that he was a terrible liar, Cecil still believed him. He had to watch out for Violet; even though she doesn't remember what she saw in the infirmary, Will still told her about the drowning girl.

He was right to be wary, because three days later, Violet told Nico about it. He hadn't heard the whole conversation, but the parts he had heard had put him on edge. 

“I was talking to Lucy." Violet said, gesturing vaguely toward the stables where Lucy was. "Then there was a drowning girl and something to do with polka dots."

"Drowning girl?" Nico asked. "I remember the polka dots, but I don't recall you talking about a drowning girl."

Violet shrugged. "I don't remember it either. I'm just going off what Will told me when I woke up. "

"Huh," Nico said, his eyes locking hard into Will's. "I'm sure you'll stay away from the soda from now on."

"I honestly can't tell whether you're being sarcastic or just have high expectations that are misplaced," Violet said with a frown. 

"I'll let you figure that out." Nico said as he walked away from Violet and towards Will. Nico grabbed his wrist and dragged him into Cabin 7. 

Will sat on his bed and waited. Nico leaned against the bunks with his arms crossed. "When did Violet see a drowning girl? She never said anything about a drowning girl when I was there. "

"Nico-" Will started lifting his palms in a placating gesture.

"And don't you dare tell me she said it when I left, because she was knocked out cold when I decided to leave." 

Will sighed, "I don't quite know what she saw-"

"That's bullshit, Solace,"  Nico  said.  "You  saw  something in that infirmary, and it wasn't no rope."

"Violet alluded to what I saw," Will said, his shoulders slumped. "She said the words, 'Cold and the floor will be wet.'" 

"So you saw a drowning girl." Nico said, pressing harder, "It can't be Michael, so who did you see drown?" 

Will broke eye contact. "I don't know if she drowned; no one does."

"Mindy." Nico put the puzzle pieces together. "Did you see Mindy?" 

"Yes." Will answered. He didn't like talking about his dead siblings with his boyfriend any more than he liked talking  about it in therapy with Mr. D. 

"Have you talked to Mr. D about this?" Nico asked

"No, it hasn't happened since." 

"Will, you hallucinated Octavian two months after you saw him for the first time. You need to see Mr. D before it happens again, it's only been a week."


"It's different this time." Will said. "There's no voices. With Octavian, they were constant. It was the voices that drove me to light up in flames, not the hallucination."


"I still think you need to talk to Mr. D about it. " Nico said his posture softening. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner? "


"I don't know what triggered it," Will buried his face into his hands. "Or why Violet saw her too."


"It could be anything. Was it her birthday?"


"Mindy's birthday isn't until February."


"It's probably something you saw that subconsciously reminded you of Mindy." Nico came over and sat next to him on his bed. "As for Violet, I'm not sure. Perhaps it's her parentage."


Will didn't think rope or mint salve had brought back any memories of Mindy. Mindy had powers in Music and a minor advantage in precognition. She was slightly better in healing than the other campers, but her skills didn't compare to any of the healers of Cabin Seven.


"You're probably right." Will sighed.


"I'm always right." Nico said, moving his hand to squeeze Will's leg. "If it's her death that's causing it, my offer still stands."


Will shook his head, "She's at peace; there's no need to summon her with a Happy Meal."


"Okay then," Nico stood up and offered him a hand. "Let's see if Ellis pummeled Ezra yet."

"Pass." Will said, placing the cards face down on the table. 

Mr. D raised an eyebrow. "Really?" 

"There are only two players!" Will said in frustration. "I don't have a trump suit to strengthen my hand and I don't even have enough Aces to make up for the trick taking." 

"Hmmph." said Mr. D, playing an ace of the trump suit after calculating the meld. Will only had a pinochle in his hand. Everything else was useless.

"Tell me, Will," said Dionysus, winning another turn. "Music has an effect on the mind, doesn't it?" 

Will rubbed his forehead as he looked at the score: 120 to 38, "Music can alter the mood, I suppose."

"Exactly!" Mr. D began to deal another turn. "Now, I may not be your father, but music has a greater effect on the mind of a demigod than on that of an ordinary mortal.”

Will frowned. "Why is that?" 

Mr. D shrugged. "The same reason most demigods have ADHD or dyslexia: survival." 

Will looked at the hand he had been dealt. “I bid 20.”  He placed the cards face down on the table. "I know it sounds stupid coming from the son of Apollo, but what do you mean by for survival? 

"I bid 21.” Mr. D said. “Think about it this way: What songs do you usually listen to before or during a fight?" 

He thought for a moment. ""Stayin' Alive", "Another Bites the Dust", "Eye of the Tiger", "We Are the Champions" - Oh, and I'll raise it to 22.”

Mr D looked at his cards. "I’ll have to pass. The reason for you listening to these songs is to increase faith and determination amongst the demigods."

"So why did Nero have it queued in his tower when we invaded?" Will asked, counting his meld points. 

"He had demigods on his side; Peg was one of them at one point." 

"Meg." Will corrected. "I think that makes sense. “Stayin' Alive" actually has several meanings, great for CPR and great for-" 

"sobering up." concluded Mr. D. "Yeah, this song does the trick. What a terrible hangover song, though.”

Will won this time, bringing the total to 120 to 66. "Okay, noted.”

"What I mean is, whenever you're stressed, listen to music that relaxes you," said Mr. D.

“I  guess 'The Final Countdown' isn't a  good  choice. ” Will  mused.

Mr. D's eyes widened. "No! Don't talk about that song!” 

Will frowned, “Why?” He  asked.  “Did  you  know Europe?” 

“I will  not  talk  about  it!  And neither will  your  father! “ Mr.  D  said  shortly.  “Don’t  go  asking  him  either. ” 

“Okay.” Will  agreed,  not  wanting  to  stress  the  god  further.  “Sorry  for  bringing  it  up. ”

“Deal the cards, William.”