Week Twenty Four: The Descendant: Acceptance

  Elli put her feet in the water slowly, dabbing her toe is, she shivered. Celeste was already in the water and ushering for Elli to join her, Celeste wasn’t far out but Elli still wasn’t the greatest swimmer.

  “I’ll teach you!” Celeste exclaimed. “Come on!” She laughed.

  Celeste had a rough childhood despite her happy moods. With an abusive father in law and a mother who wouldn’t speak up for herself, Elli wondered how Celeste couldn’t have gone back for revenge. Then again, when had anything that followed the path of revenge help anyone? Elli sighed. Pushing herself off the dock, Elli strain to keep up, forcing herself into a float, Celeste swam over to her.

  “Watch me.” She smiled, “You kick with your legs and then left arm and right arm alternate.

  Elli sighed. “I’d rather go get the life jacket.”

  Taking her hand, Celeste brought Elli to a lower part of the lake. “You shouldn’t drown here, You can probably stand actually.” she laughed.

  Doing so, Elli sighed. “Do I have to learn how to swim?”

  “It’s fun!” Celeste insisted. “Trust me!”

  Elli sighed. Will told her to get out of her shell because it wouldn’t only make her condition worse but in reality, Elli didn’t know why she needed to learn how to play instruments, swim, act, or do any of this arts and sports that Celeste was making her do. She was fine with her crochet and secluded habits. It had become a regular part of her life so why did she have to change now. Doing as instructed, Elli smiled as she swam all the way back to the dock and lifted herself out of the water, exhausted.

  “See!” Celeste smiled. “It wasn’t that bad!”

  Elli smirked as Celeste laid down next to her handing her the towel they brought from the cabin.

“It’s fun to swim!” Celeste grinned. “And play instruments, and sing, and talk to people!” Elli glanced at Celeste tiredly.

  “It’s not as fun to talk to people when all you can hear is their life story play out in front of them.”

 Celeste laughed, hiding a nervous feeling. “Don’t be silly.” She smiled.

  “No.” Elli sighed. “I know exactly what your step dad did to you and your mother.” Elli frowned. Suddenly, the bright gleam in Celeste eyes were lost.

  “I know everything about you, Celeste. There’s not as much as Nico, thankfully. You’re life is seriously simple compared to his but overall…” Elli sighed. “No demigod has a smooth life. Descendant of the Olympians or not.

  Unexpectedly, Elli watched as Celeste arms wrapped around her waist, Celeste didn’t say anything but Elli knew what she was thinking. After laying their together for a moment, Celeste let go and then sat up.

  “At least you’ll get to know everyone on a personal level, right?” Celeste smiled.

  Elli smirked and sat up. “I’m not sure that’s what I want.”

  Celeste nodded in understanding. “Well, it’ll help you understand why the person is who they are since you know their background from the start.”

  Elli shook her head. “I can be around people, some people but being around more than a few makes my head spin. Why do you think I’m not with Will, Nico, Annabeth, and all of them? I can be by Nico all day but the rest of them? All together?" Elli shook her head.

  Taking her hand, Celeste giving a reassuring smile. “I’m sure you’ll find your settings.” she nodded.

  “I’m not so sure of that.” She sighed, scooting closer, Elli looked at Celeste in amusement.

  Celeste blushed. “Does it bother you?”

  Elli shrugged. “Well, I don’t know.” She smirked. “I’ve never really had a chance to interact with anyone that way so I don’t know what I prefer.”

  Feeling Celeste cuddle up with her, Elli thought of Nico. “Does this…” She questioned. “Bother anyone at the camp?”

  Celeste looked at Elli in wonder. She wished she could look into Elli’s eyes and know everything about her. Some people would love to have the talent that Elli had, yet Elli hated it.

  “Most don’t say anything, if they are interested in the same gender.” Celeste blushed. “But we’re alone, if anyone was okay with it would be Percy, I believe, because he seems he most accepting but you said it yourself, he’s in The Big House with all your other friends.”

  Elli blushed, looked Celeste over. “I’m about to go on a quest to save Prometheus…” She muttered. “Couldn’t you have waited until I got back?”

  Shaking her head, Celeste looked at Elli’s lips and licked her own. Looking away in embarrassment, Elli looked out at the lake. “Are you sure about that?”

  “If you don’t want to I’ll wait.” Celeste smiled placing a kiss on Elli’s cheek. “But please, if you make me wait, you better come back.”

  A frown met Elli’s lips. What exactly was she supposed to do. Find Prometheus? How would she find him and why did she have to do it? Elli smirked. She didn’t ask for any of this. She wanted to be back at the station solving murders or even the small cases like who didn’t pay their bills.

  Feeling a soft touch of her lips, Elli snapped out of her daydreaming and met Celeste eyes. Face flushed, Elli froze. Holding the kiss, Celeste pulled away and gave Elli the best bear hug she could muster. “Happy belated birthday, Elli” She said as Elli could feel the tears fall on her shoulder.

  She didn’t mean to pry at Celeste life. It was automatic, the moment the words gave a hint of memory Elli was bound to plunge into it, unfreezing and putting her arms around Celeste, Elli gave her a good squeeze.

  “He hasn’t done it to you since you joined camp.” She said as she made Celeste face her. Celeste had three more beads than Tucker meaning she had been at the camp for seven years.

  “Seven years of peace, right?” Elli tried to give a small smile.

  Celeste looked away in despair. “I have reoccurring dreams about it. I wake up in tears and one of my sibling always is there when I awake but it’s still not enough to make the memories go away.” She said, tears still steaming down her face.

  “If it makes you feel better I’ve seen people with histories worse than yours.” Elli smirked. “And not like Nico or Annabeth or Percy.” She shrugged. “More like, people who have gone through the same thing as you but to worse levels.”

  Now a fear lit up in Celeste’s eyes. “You mean, people get treated worse?” She said in a choking fear.

  Elli sighed. She didn’t mean to make her think of everything that could have happen to her, the thought might eat Celeste alive. Pulling her in closer, Elli looked in Celeste’s eyes seeing the fear and feeling every pulse that made Celeste’s heart aches. Meeting Celeste lips again, they kissed letting the silent tears fall until Celeste sucked in a breath.

  “Th-thank y-you.” She said shaking and Elli smile to give her another small kiss.

  “When I get back we can hang out more, okay?” Elli smiled. “For now, let’s get back to the cabin and change I’m starting to get cold.” Elli laughed nervously.

  Heading back to the Apollo cabin silently, Elli watched as people gave friendly smiles and waves, somehow, everyone didn’t seem to be mad at her for being who she was. But how? Elli looked deep into a guy for the Apollo cabin as he opened the door for the two. Tilting her head, she asked him, not meaning to say but think it to herself. “You take pity on me?”

  Caught off the guard the guy replied. “Everyone has their backgrounds as a demigod. No one has it easy.”

  “But.” Elli said shaking her head. “No one’s mad at me, I can feel the fear everyone has for me but no one’s mad at me.”

  “For being someone you can’t control to be?” The guy questioned.

  “Looks like to me you’re wanting us to blame you for something you have no control over.”

  Elli smirked. “But, I’m not one of you.”

  “Yea…” The Apollo guy looked out the door before he stepped inside himself and shut it. “So I don’t like Ares but that doesn’t mean all his kids are bad, I mean look at Anguish! He even sounds like a tough guy. And he is. But he’s more patient than any of the other Ares kids and the most open.”

  Elli’s eyes widened. “Oh no!” She exclaimed.

  Celeste and the guy looked at her in confusion. “What is it, Elli?” Celeste questioned, setting Elli’s clothes out on the bed.

  “I forgot to go to the rock climbing wall to train with Aguish!” She said looking sunk.