I love how Nico will come into someone's life and just worm his way in without trying
Percy: Thought he was annoying and was very pissed at him for a long time but when they find him in Mark of Athena he's ready to keel over with worry when he sees the state Nico is in
Jason: Scared and uncomfortable around Nico, literally more on edge when he's upset than he is around monsters, but one solo adventure with a surprise traumatic encounter with Cupid and he adopts Nico on the spot
Reyna: goes on a cross globe trip by necessity with him and ends up spilling her deepest secrets, not even put out by him literally turning someone she knows into a ghost
Hades: Kept him at arms length for 70 years and treated him like dirt but Nico lays into him once and suddenly Hades musters the forces of death against Kronos and even Persephone and Demeter tag along
Persephone: Still jealous of Maria 70 years after her death and takes it out on Nico...until The Sun and The Star where she suddenly lets him steal pomegranates from her garden and gives Will advice about him and how to navigate a relationship with a child of the Underworld and doesn't ask for anything in return, not even acknowledgement
Nemesis, Hypnos and Epiales: Fuck man, they interact with the kid once and decide that what their mother is doing to him fucking sucks, time to save him and probably piss Nyx off for a few thousand years
Mr D.: the self proclaimed hater of all heroes makes no secret out of the fact that he likes and respects Nico
Will: Basically falls in love with him after a week of steady interactions after Nico spent years pushing everyone away
Nico di Angelo has the ability to make connections with and move the heart of anyone and he doesn't even realize it
23 notes
·
View notes
Nico di Angelo headcanons in no particular order
Being the goth and underworld prince he is he has an interest in old headstones and likes to sketch the most impressive ones for fun but the most withered ones he copies down so someone will remember. Will plans to take him to Europe for the most goth sightseeing trip ever
While at the Lotus Hotel he picked up playing the piano from the staff, though it never occured to him that someone learning to play really difficult pieces within a month was weird. Because of how bonkers the whole experience was he also promptly forgot about it after they left
Even though he never went back to school after Percy and co saved him and Bianca he got the education everyone else did...just don't ask him who is teachers were cuz all of them were ghosts and you wouldn't believe him anyway
Cuz the Hades cabin is always empty unless Hazel comes over it's basically been unofficially renamed into just Nico's cabin. Mr. D just shrugged when asked if it could be redecorated and when Nico came back from a trip to the underworld he found a very smug Will, Jason and Hazel inside, ready for a "Cabin Reveal Bash" that was basically just a slumber party. Reyna was busy but sent her love and a fridge worth of energy drinks "for refueling"
He once accidentally reanimated a cat skeleton. It's around camp...somewhere...
Gets extremely Italian when he's annoyed or frustrated, with lots of gesticulating. Will loves it, Leo keeps trying to film it. The memory card always inexplicably ages beyond recognition within seconds. How strange.
Has a sketchbook with drawings of the people he cares about next to his bed. They're all rendered in loving detail. There's Will, Hazel, Reyna, Piper etc...but there's another that's just Bianca, Maria and Jason. He keeps it under his pillow and if there are some splotches where tears fell, no one will ever know
14 notes
·
View notes
An imperfect symphony
Summary: Tempest comes to visit Percy in New York. Unfortunately, he has bad news.
Notes: Alright folks, here’s the deal. I am reading the entirety of the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles for the first time so I am totally new to this series! I finished the Burning Maze and I read the first few chapters of the Tyrant’s Tomb and all I could think of was “what will Percy, Annabeth and Nico think?”. The others of the Seven and Reyna know about Jason by know. I assume Nico felt it. That leaves Percy and Annabeth.
Here’s my take on how Percy finds out. Again, I haven’t even finished this series yet so I do not know how Percy will eventually find out (no spoilers please!) (I assume he does), but this idea just got stuck in my head.
Title is from a quote about horses, because yes, I Googled “quotes about horses”: A horse in the wind – a perfect symphony.
As I said, I am new (hello!) so I can’t remember right now if Percy’s horse powers also apply to Godly horses. I’m pretty sure this doesn’t work in canon since Tempest isn’t really a horse, but a storm spirit, but as they say, it’s my fic and I decide the reality of the situation! Enjoy!
AO3
--
Horses aren’t supposed to materialise in the living room of a New York apartment, but horses also aren’t supposed to be made of clouds and thunder.
My mom called me. I was in my bedroom, studying for upcoming tests, when she yelled my name. The tone in her voice startled me and I drew Riptide before running towards the living room.
Tempest was standing on Paul’s newly bought rug. I lowered my sword in shock. I haven’t see Tempest in a while and I definitely didn’t expect him to be here in my apartment.
My sword turns back into a pen and I tell mom and Paul that everything is alright.
“Heya, buddy,” I say and I walk towards Tempest. He lowers his head and I scratch him. “Where’s Jason?”
Percy Jackson, his voice echoes in my head. I know my mom and Paul must hear neighing, but as usual, I can perfectly understand him.
“Yeah. That’s me.”
To my surprise, Tempest’s front legs buckle and he falls to the ground. I try to catch him, which is stupid since he is literally a horse, but it’s an instinct. Once he’s on the ground, I crouch in front of him.
I come to bring bad news, he says solemnly.
Bad news. Well. I am used to that. I’ve had enough bad news to last a lifetime and I am still in high school.
“What happened?” my mind is reeling. What could he be referring to? I haven’t heard anything yet, but again, all demigod communication is off. If Tempest is the first to reach me, then what does that even mean.
Where did Tempest even go?
Really, why isn’t Jason with him? Jason is basically his human the same way I am Blackjack’s human and Hazel is Arion’s.
My stomach falls.
In that moment, I know, but I don’t want to believe it.
“Tempest, where’s Jason?” I ask again, sounding desperate, and the dread only grows.
Have you ever heard a horse cry? I have, actually. A lot of horses died in the wars, but nothing could prepare me for the wail that Tempest lets out.
He is dead, Tempest tells me, Jason Grace is dead.
Around me, glasses of water shatter. My mom yelps and Paul also has to jump away from an incoming shard. As for me... for a few second I feel absolutely nothing.
Jason Grace cannot be dead.
I stare at Tempest, as if I am waiting for him to tell me that he got it wrong, but that doesn’t happen. A sob escapes from my throat and I lean my head against Tempest. A small electric shock runs through me, but I don’t care. The next thing I know, I am full on sobbing and my mom puts her arm around me.
She doesn’t ask me what happened. I am not sure if I have the words to say it.
Tempest sadly tells me about a boat and a spear. He tells me that Piper was there too, together with two people he didn’t recognise. A teenage boy with a bow and quiver and a little girl with a bright green dress and glasses.
I recognise them as Apollo and Meg.
Tempest says that Jason’s last words were instructions. Tempest needed to save the others, which he did. And once they were safe, Piper demanded that Tempest went back for Jason, but it was already too late. Tempest carried Jason’s body to shore. When a mortal appeared, he turned around and left.
And then I came here, Tempest finishes his story.
I don’t know how long I am sat on the floor, sobbing in my mom’s arm, holding Tempest’s face. I don’t want to believe this, but Jason sacrifising himself is definitely something he’d do, because he is such a good person. Not is. Was.
He was sixteen. Like me, he was trying to find his way into this new post-war world. I feel sick. I didn’t go along with Apollo and Meg because I needed to study. Should I have gotten along and prevent this? But could I have prevented it?
I feel like I didn’t get to know Jason well enough. We were friends, but I thought I’d have time to get to know him even more. Once Annabeth and I would go to college in New Rome, Jason would be there too, busy with his plans to rebuild Temple Hill. We’d stroll around New Rome together. We’d have friendly sparring matches. We’d travel between the camps with others by our side... but that time is lost.
Tempest and I cry. I’ve seen a lot of death. Being a demigod means that there’s a high chance you die early. I’ve lived through two wars. Still, it never gets easier and Jason was one of my friends.
My friends.
“The others. Do they know? Demigod communication is a mess...”
I do not know, Tempest answers, Piper knows. She will make sure Jason will go to Camp Jupiter.
“But someone needs to tell Camp Half-Blood.”
Jason was part of both camps. Nico is still at camp, so maybe they already know, but even if they do, I have to go to camp. I have to be there.
I wipe away my tears, to no avail, and I try to stand up. My mom helps me. I am still a wreck and grief is overtaking me, but I have a mission. I need to get to camp. I need to tell the others. Camp Half-Blood also needs to remember Jason.
“Can you take me there?” I ask Tempest, but to my surprise, he says no.
Jason was the last person who ever rode on my back, Tempest explains, I’d like to keep it that way.
I nod. I understand
I will send help. Someone else can take you to camp, Tempest says. He gets up as well.
“Where will you go?” I ask.
Anywhere, Tempest answers shortly. That’s fine. He’s a free storm spirit and he can go where he pleases. I was always so grateful for Tempest help.
“I will not forget you,” I pet him again. It’s a goodbye. “We will not forget you.”
Don’t forget Jason, Tempest says in return.
“I won’t.”
And just like that, his body dissolves into the air. A string of dark storm clouds dematerialises, leaving a lightning scorch mark on the rug. For a while, it is silent apart from my sobs. My mom is holding me again and she says nothing. She doesn’t even know what just happened, so I try to tell them, but every time I try to say Jason’s name, a new round of tears hit me.
But eventually I manage to croak out the three words.
“Jason is dead.”
“Oh. Oh honey,” my mom seems lost for words too.
“I need- I need to go. I need to tell the others.”
“Of course,” my mom sounds strained. The idea of me going away after hearing someone we know has been killed must be terrifying, but she understands that I need to go to camp.
“I will be back,” I tell her.
“Be safe,” she says in return.
She tightens her hug.
“Uh, guys...” Paul trails off. He’s staring at the window and my mom and I follow our gaze.
Blackjack is flying outside of the window. My mom lets go of me so that I can walk towards him. I open the window and the cold airs hits my face. The tear tracks feel cold.
Hi boss, Blackjack sounds sad, Tempest told me you have to go to camp.
“Yeah.”
I’ve never dreaded going to camp this much. I turn around to tell my mom and Paul goodbye for now, and then I leap out of the window and land on Blackjack’s back. Together we fly to Long Island.
--
Notes: Thanks for reading. If you want some more pain, the fic for even when i’m far away, i’ll always be in your heart by Rehearsal_Dweller is a great one about Nico finding out.
1 note
·
View note