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Although Oliver had spent four years in the twenty-first century, he still understood very little about it. Mostly because his time in this era was either spent in a secluded camp for demigods or the underworld. Both places probably weren’t the most accurate representations of the current state of the world today but that was all the young Demigod had as a reference. The scientific and social breakthroughs that humanity had made over the years made Oliver feel like he was living in a fictional novel for children. Flying vehicles, carriages that pulled themselves without horses, and many other whimsical things had been invented while Oliver was in stasis. Even the way humans interacted with each other had drastically changed and it all seemed like too much. So, Oliver’s father had spent a year with him in the underworld in an attempt to allow Oliver to read up on the modern world and adjust before being sent back to earth. But once he had returned to earth, Oliver often found himself yearning to go back to the underworld. Things there made more sense, there was a clear chain of command and a simple order to things that put the young Demigod at ease.[break][break]

Despite the confusing nature of this world, literature slowly allowed him to piece things together. A bit of history one month, a bit of science the next, some sociology here, and a bit of philosophy slowly allowed the young demigod to understand the teens around him and the state of the planet. Today he intended to catch up on science, so Oliver had a copy of Stephen Hawking’s "a brief history of time" clutched in his left hand. A lit cigarette slowly burnt between his lips as he strolled through the forest in search of a peaceful reading spot. Preferably somewhere with a large tree to provide shade, somewhere quiet and safe from the constant chaos of the other demigods. The further he walked, the more the silence of the forest took over.[break][break]

Oliver took a drag from the cigarette he had balanced between his lips as his pace slowed down. Then he calmly released a small cloud of smoke while allowing his completely black eyes to scan the foliage for a comfortable place to have a seat and read. All he could hear now was the occasional chirping of birds and the continuous sound of a nearby river flowing. So, Oliver followed the sound of the water hoping that he’d find a large tree to sit under near the riverbank. But as he walked closer and closer to the river, he felt something strange in the air. He couldn’t really explain it, but he had felt a similar aura in certain parts of the underworld. He took yet another drag of his cigarette and released a puff of smoke as the strange aura in the air grew even stronger the more he walked.[break][break]

“Ahh the river of Phlegethon” Oliver spoke to himself nonchalantly as he finally remembered what part of the underworld, he had felt this strange aura in. Something beyond the river gave off massive amounts of the same unsettling energy he was feeling now. Sadly, his father had never allowed him anywhere near that river while living with him in the realm of the dead. So, Oliver was more than curious about what was giving off this kind of aura in the realm of the living. He followed the sound of the river, as well as the strange energy in the air until he found the source of both. At the epicenter of the strange energy in the air, Oliver found a woman with curly blonde hair dressed in a sundress.[break][break]

Since Oliver had felt this feeling in the realm of the dead before, he initially assumed the woman was drowning someone in the river. He approached from behind her and all he could see from that angle was that she was crouching near the river with her hands in it, so the assumption that someone was being drowned was the only one that made sense. The woman’s golden locks seemed a bit unkempt as strands of hair escaped a loose ponytail. When Oliver stepped closer he accidentally stepped on a twig, which caused it to crack and alert the woman of his presence. When she looked back, he decided to talk since he had already been detected. ”Pleased to make your acquaintance. just make sure you bury whoever your drowning with some food or alcohol. The underworld has long and dreary queues for newcomers. Having a snack would really help .” He spoke bluntly and nonchalantly before taking another long drag from his cigarette and releasing smoke into the air. His British accent was as thick and audible as ever.
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He had been around enough death to become somewhat desensitized to it at this point so even if his guess was right and this woman was indeed drowning someone, it wouldn’t have bothered Oliver in the slightest. But this odd energy in the air on the other hand was definitely something Oliver was still curious about, he could feel his thoughts become just a bit louder than usual.

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When the blonde stood up, it quickly became easy to notice the absence of a floating corpse in the river. Not even a fish had been harmed by this woman, yet Oliver still felt a strange aura emanate from her. This blonde demigod gave off an aura that made him homesick for the underworld, and since it clearly wasn’t the aura of death, Oliver couldn’t tell what it was. Maybe it was related to her power, or maybe they might have been genetically related. The wild look in her eye, the messy hair and the fact that she was in the river with her bare feet definitely made it seem like she was strange enough to be a child of Hades too. Oliver was convinced that his father had hundreds of kids no one knew about somewhere out there, since Hades had managed to convince the other gods that Oliver was dead for more than three centuries. so, what would stop him from having more hidden offspring?[break][break]

When she finally spoke to him the first thing she did was call him morbid, which amused Oliver a little. He let out a subtle chuckle while sitting down beside the riverbank. Then he watched her scrunch her cute button nose before turning her back on him. ”I apologize, discussing something that is a normal and natural part of everyone’s life is strange and tremendously rude of me. ” Oliver spoke with his usual nonchalant tone which was nearly impossible to read. Then he paused for a second to take another drag of his cigarette and exhale the smoke before he continued speaking. ”its much healthier to completely ignore the concept of death and pretend it doesn’t exist,until it comes for you” Since she had her back turnt to him, Oliver decided to lay on his back and looked up at the clouds to avoid being accused of staring at her gluteus maximus, even though a part of him wanted to. While laying down, he used his book as a makeshift pillow then continued smoking.[break][break]

When she asked to bum a smoke off him, it took a second for Oliver to process the strange question. Luckily, the sentence had “a smoke” in it, which made the slang much easier to decipher. He didn’t feel like sharing this particular cigarette with anyone, so he reached into his pocket and pulled out a beat-up Marlboro box. Clearly, the box had been hidden in several uncomfortable places resulting in the external wear and tear, but luckily its contents hadn’t been squashed. Oliver gave the box a brief shake and felt two objects move around inside it. The first was a small gas lighter, the second object in the box was the last cigarette of the month, which meant he would have to wait for another delivery when the next month began. ”sure.” Oliver sat up straight and handed her the Marlboro box before returning to his previous position of laying on his back, then he took another drag from his cigarette while looking at the clouds.
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It was probably strange for a camper to have this kind of contraband, but he had managed to secure his supply line before even coming to camp. During his time in the realm of the dead, Oliver and his father had managed to get along due to their shared love of nicotine and literature. As a result of that connection, he had managed to convince his father to send him a pack of cigarettes and a new book once a month. It was the only thing Oliver had ever asked for, and it was probably the only thing he would ever get. So once each month, he would wait for one of his father’s minions, a hellhound, or even a walking corpse to deliver him a package with a new book and a box of smokes. These two necessities were all that kept him sane in this military camp he was always confined to. ” well since we've established that you aren't on a killing spree you may continue your impression of an eerie river spirit. I shall not bother you again.” he spoke while chuckling a little. in reality, she hadn't done anything strange, he just enjoyed messing with her a little.

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Oliver paused to flick some ash off the tip of his cigarette, then he placed it between his lips and inhaled smoke once again. his cigarette balanced loosely between his lips as he watched her. He had noticed a brief look of discomfort make its way onto her gentle features when he handed her the cigarette box, and that look roused his curiosity. He knew his words couldn’t have been the source of her discomfort, because she didn’t seem like the type that cared for the words or opinions of others. At least That was his first impression of her, but maybe Oliver just wasn’t as good at reading people as he had initially assumed. He quickly shrugged off that thought when he saw the other demigod take the first drag from her cigarette. Oliver watched the blonde inhale deeply and close her eyes, a peaceful look momentarily made its way onto her face. A look that even made Oliver smirk a little, mostly because he knew exactly what she was feeling. ” it’s been a while, hasn’t it? You’re stronger than I am. I would have gone mad after a month or so. ”[break][break]

After speaking he looked back up at the clouds for a moment to think. Then once he was sure about his next statement he spoke. ” from next month onward, feel free to find me around camp whenever you need another cigarette.… or if you ever want to help me mess with the Romans a little.” he looked up at her and smiled a little while watching her sit down next to him. From the first moment he had seen her until now, her blue eyes always seemed pensive, she seemed to always have a lot on her mind for some reason. which was a stark contrast to Oliver’s own empty black eyes. He had no ties to this world at all anymore. Since he had nothing and no one to care for in this foreign world, there wasn’t much for him to think about, except finding ways to entertain himself while he existed. Maybe that was why some of the gods were such frackers, some of them probably just didn’t have any ties to this world and existed to entertain themselves. Like Oliver.[break][break]

Oliver had considered sneaking out of camp several times just to get a better understanding of what the world out there was really like, reading about it in books and hearing stories from other people just wasn’t enough anymore. He wanted to experience it himself. But he had never actually snuck out because he never had a guide from this era to help him navigate the confusing modern world. But maybe, with enough convincing the blonde demigod would help him out with that.[break][break]

Oliver was snapped out of his thoughts when she tossed his lighter back at him. He didn’t move to catch the lighter, instead, he continued laying on his back and allowed it to land on his chest. When she asked him a question he calmly nodded, ” well, I am a child of hades if that’s what you’re asking. However, I’m Not sure if that’s directly linked to my morbid nature since my siblings aren’t the same way… May I attempt to deduce your parentage?” he sat up straight and looked at her closely. A bit too closely, Oliver briefly invaded her personal space to get a good look at her. Then After a few seconds of taking in all her features, he finally spoke ” hmm, big blue eyes with a distant look in them like a sailor at sea, and you have an affinity for bodies of water like the river you were just in. I would guess you’re related to Poseidon. ”


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Oliver slowly inhaled and savored what he knew would be the last drag of his cigarette, then he released the smoke from his lungs while looking at the little stub that remained. It had clearly been used up and had served him well. Once he was done with his cigarette his dark eyes began looking for a suitable place to dispose of his cigarette bud, then he suddenly focused on the river. Before he knew it, his fingers had formed a makeshift catapult and were prepared to launch the stub like a projectile. His left eye closed so he could aim properly, then without warning, he flicked the stub right into the river and smirked a little at his accurate shot. The moment his small projectile hit the surface of the water it released an audible hiss as its last embers fizzled out and it was carried away by the current of the river. Immediately after his little playful cigarette flick, his attention returned to the demigod that sat beside him.[break][break]

Luckily, Oliver had turned around just in time to see a smile grace her features and he took a second or two to enjoy her bright smile. On the outside, he looked as nonchalant and disinterested as usual. But internally, he could feel a part of him being warmed by the blonde demigod’s smile. The warm ember caused by her smile was equivalent to his cigarette stub he had thrown in the river. It lasted for a moment before it was quickly swallowed up by the river of darkness within him and fizzled out. Just like how his stub had fizzled out mere seconds ago. Oliver was slightly phased by the brief warmth her smile had caused in him, but he easily managed to push that thought out of his head for now. When she spoke about liking both of his ideas a small smirk made its way onto his face. Oliver’s troublemaking ways had made him feel like a porcupine in a petting zoo or a piranha amongst salmon. So, being acquainted with other piranha’s that swam these waters was definitely a step in the right direction for the dark-haired demigod.[break][break]

Her question about the origins of his smokes seemed like an innocent enough inquiry so he didn’t mind answering it. ” Once a month father sends a hellhound or a corpse to deliver a pack of smokes and a book. It seems like asking for a lot, but it's all I’ve ever asked him for in three centuries and some change, so I guess it balances out. ” although his father was a particularly difficult man to be around, he was still fair to some extent so Oliver was okay with him. He had never expected the god of the underworld to be nurturing in any way, so his father’s hands-off approach to parenting didn’t bother Oliver at all. He knew Hades cared for him and his siblings, he just showed it in much more subtle ways than most gods. Oliver was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the blonde demigod chuckle at his guess and reveal her parentage and her name.[break][break]

In response, Oliver chuckled at his own horrible guess before he responded. ” fracking I was way off on that one. Dionysus sounds like a really fun parent… please don’t tell me that means you have an immunity to alcohol. That would be more like a curse than a power.” he spoke then paused for a second to take a better look at her. ” Wait, disregard that question. You look too young to be drinking anyway kiddo” he commented teasingly while patting her head gently. He obviously didn’t intend to be mean; he was just playing with her again. In all honesty he didn't even know how old she was. Then he realized he hadn’t reciprocated the gesture of her introduction, so he quickly rectified that in order to avoid being considered rude. ” I am Oliver of house Belmont. But I prefer Olly” a slight hint of humanity entered his tone for just a second as he remembered his family and the simplicity of life in the Belmont manor. ” I have a question for you Dani, do you ever miss the world outside of the camp?”

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His question would serve as a way of assessing her willingness to venture out of the camp’s borders and if she would potentially be a good guide for him in the outside world.

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Oliver ran a hand through his messy dark hair while listening to the blonde demigod enquire about his age and how he could be three centuries old. Honestly, he was as confused as her about the circumstances of his life and the forward leap in time he had unwillingly taken. He still remembered his last day in his own timeline and there hadn’t been any indication that his life would take such a weird turn. Oliver had awoken far earlier than what would be expected of a young noble on that day, he vividly remembered how the manor was filled with the scent of breakfast and the sounds of the house servants setting the table and boiling the bathwater. While waiting for the rest of his family to wake up he snuck into his grandfather’s study and used his grandfather’s tobacco pipe while playing the piano to entertain himself. He remembered the sun’s rays being reflected from their silver cutlery, and the soft music playing in the background as he enjoyed breakfast with his family. He even remembered the boring tutor that tried to teach him about politics and the new fencing instructor his family had hired on that day because he had surpassed his last fencing instructor in skill. Then when he finally went to sleep after a long day, he remembers waking up in the underworld three centuries later with no explanation.[break][break]

Obviously, he did all he could to return home or at least find out what had happened to him. Sadly, his father was quite cagey about the details. Whenever Oliver enquired, He was merely told that it was for his own good. But for some reason, he found it difficult to believe that existing in a world where everyone and everything he cared for had died and turned to dust ages ago. At some point during his year in the underworld he became aware that his family was somewhere there too, he stubbornly searched for them despite his father’s warnings. And when he finally found them in the underworld, he instantly regretted it, he wished he had never searched for them at all and did his best to forget the entire ordeal. He preferred to remember them as they lived.[break][break]

When Dani asked if he was a vampire or something, it allowed Oliver to escape his own thoughts and return to the present moment. He forced himself to chuckle and forget about what he had been thinking about before he spoke. ” To be honest with you, I have no idea what happened. I went to sleep on a regular night in May 1703 and then I woke up in the underworld. For that entire year I was in the underworld I was convinced I was dead. Despite being told otherwise…. Sometimes I still think I died centuries ago.” Oliver did his best to act and sound as nonchalant as usual while shrugging.[break][break]

The blonde demigod beside him clearly didn’t enjoy the joke about her age, or the pat on the head. The darkness he had felt in her built up and showed itself in her eyes and her facial expression, but more so in her eyes. Despite the fact that their eyes differed quite a lot in color, when he looked into her blue eyes Oliver saw a look that he often saw when he looked in the mirror. Then when she issued a verbal challenge, he smirked. A beautiful woman telling him to come closer, many men would have swan dived into that situation in a millisecond, But Oliver knew better. Based on what he had seen from her and her general aura, he knew that underestimating her would be a big mistake. Especially if she was as dangerous he assumed she was. But on the other hand, Oliver was never the type of person to shy away from a challenge. As a young man with nothing to lose but his own life, he welcomed risk and danger with little to no hesitation or concern for his life.[break][break]

Oliver calmly looked into her eyes for a second to distract her while using his umbrakinesis to gain control of her shadow, just as a little insurance policy in case she attacked him. Then he began moving closer to her. ”Fine. If you insist.” he spoke while moving closer. He didn’t know what she had planned or why she had issued the challenge, but he was about to find out the answer to both of those questions at the risk of his own physical wellbeing. [break][break]
He was raised to be a gentleman, so he didn’t want to get too uncomfortably close to her. He got a bit closer than he had been before, when he attempted to guess her parentage but he refused to get any closer. He maintained a small smile to match her own challenging smirk then he continued speaking while half expecting her to punch the living Hades out of him because of how close he was. ” well, I haven’t been outside of camp.. ever. I intend to change that. But I need someone who is familiar with the world of today to guide me.”




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The closer Oliver got to this woman, the more powerful the aura he felt from her became. Her presence excited the darkness within him, and that excitement manifested itself in the physical world through their shadows. Both of their shadows had slowly become pitch black since he had moved closer to her. But of course, Oliver hadn’t noticed that at all, and why would he? His eyes were already content with looking at the blonde demigod and his mind was too focused on their conversation. So darkening shadows seemed rather inconsequential. Oliver looked and sounded quite disinterested and nonchalant while discussing the details of his time skip. But behind his indifferent facade, he actually felt a bit of discomfort whenever he discussed the topic since it inevitably resulted in memories of his loved one’s resurfacing. Luckily, the blonde demigod’s mouth fell open in surprise just in time to provide a bit of comic relief to the situation and put Oliver at ease. Watching her delicate features produce that surprised facial expression allowed him to smile in amusement and escape his thoughts so he could return to the present moment with her.[break][break]

In all fairness, her surprised expression was completely justified considering what he had just told her about himself. Oliver understood just how insane and whimsical his time-travel story sounded. Especially since he couldn’t provide any kind of physical evidence to substantiate his story. He knew that having conversations like this with people would earn him a padded cell and weekly visits from doctors who use words like cognitive and spectrum. But he didn’t really mind if she thought he was crazy. When she asked if he had spent time with ghosts and ghouls during his year in the underworld he released a single chuckle before nodding, ” yeah I did. surprisingly ,those ghosties are a livelier bunch than most of the Romans we have here….but they also taught me that Legends and losers inhabit the underworld as equals. ” the underworld had thoroughly forced several harsh lessons about reality into his head. One of them was to never judge a person by their social status.[break][break]

Oliver had learned the meaninglessness of earthly social status when his family, A noble family was found in the same spot in the underworld as ordinary house servants, gardeners, and other common people. Witnessing that, allowed him to understand that his successes and failures on earth wouldn’t mean sh*t in the long run. While this may have disheartened other people, it allowed him to focus on getting as much fun and pleasure out of life as possible while he could. ” the best we can do while we live is have fun and enjoy each other’s company. ” The last part of his statement carried a bit of a flirtatious tone to it. He couldn’t help but flirt just a little, it would have been impossible not to while looking into her big blue eyes from this range. His dark eyes slowly took in the cute freckles that decorated her face, her delicate button nose, and her full pouty lips. Oliver could feel the darkness within him reach out to something in her. Something remarkably similar to his own darkness.[break][break]

When he noticed her lean forward, he felt something push him forward as well until their faces were only a few inches apart. The darkness inside him was practically reaching out to her madness and could almost touch it. the moment she asked if he wanted her to show him around, he nodded just a little before he verbally responded. ” yeah, I’d like that.” after speaking he closed his eyes, then he closed the distance between them by leaning forward until their lips met. The moment Oliver felt her soft lips against his, something surged through his entire body, he began kissing her slowly while Their shadows combined to form a wide pitch-black circle on the ground beneath them. Without warning Black flames erupted from that dark circle and surrounded them both. Because they were both seated, the flames were tall enough to almost reach their shoulders.[break][break]

Even though they were surrounded by roaring black flames, no additional heat could be felt, so Oliver hadn’t noticed anything while kissing her. Then he slowly pulled away from the slow passionate kiss after a few seconds. His eyelids felt heavy when he tried to open his eyes again, and a small smile was plastered on his face until he looked around and saw black flames roaring viciously around them. The look of confusion on his face made it evident that he wasn’t responsible for this, or at least he didn’t think he was. He hadn’t seen his powers behave like this before, heck he didn’t even know if these were Hades flames, normal shadows, or something else entirely. All he knew is that he couldn’t feel any heat, despite how intensely these flames were burning. Maybe this is why the darkness in him had been reaching out for her so much. Maybe his darkness was like a flammable oil, and it detected something like a lighter living within her. All he knew was that they were dealing with forces that mortals couldn’t understand.[break][break]





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