Drip Drop (open)

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Clare was on guard duty. One of her least favorite things to do. At least it was cool enough that the heavy armor wasn’t too stuffy. And judging from the clouds rolling in, there was rain coming. All the better. Not just because it was water and, well, let’s face it, she had a thing for water. But she also loved storms. They had a certain grace and power to them that fascinated her. Which might be odd for a daughter of Neptune to be marveling at the work of another big three god. She wondered what her dad would say if he knew her thoughts. She hadn’t seen him in so long. Then again, there was trouble stirring. No doubt the gods were busy. But she did miss him. That was probably true for any demigod though. Honestly she was lucky just to have met him at all. A rumble of thunder rolled in from the distance. She smiled. Sure enough, a storm was coming.

In more ways than one. The camp was in trouble. One person killed, two attacked, and the name of Saturn whispered everywhere. It was just like the last war. Or at least, the time leading up to it. She was waiting for some of the other symptoms to pop up too: the people disappearing, either dead or working for the Titan. Monsters starting to attack in droves. She glanced at the vegetation on the other side of the divided highway that ran on either side of the Caldecott Tunnel as though it might be waiting to spring a few monsters on her. Wouldn’t be the first time it had happened.

A thick, heavy raindrop plinked on her helmet and she looked up. The sky was dark now, the sun completely hidden behind steel clouds. A second time, thunder rolled across the ground like a rolling pin of sound. She shifted her armor, thankful for the leather and metal now that the rain was starting to come down. It made interesting sounds if nothing else. Even if she was immune to getting wet. She held out her hand and a few raindrops fell in her palm, cool and wet.

Tag: open
Word Count: 364
Notes: and just like that, my muse goes away

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Okay, so maybe he wasn't put into the Praetor position to spy on his girlfriend to find out exactly what tasks she would have for the day, but he rarely got to his lovely girlfriend that something that can be perceived as creepy actually brightened up his day. Plus it meant that she was alive and healthy. And at the moment his girlfriend was valiantly protecting the camp entrance and Jason was, well, Jason was bouncing a rubber band ball while ignoring the looming pile of papers to his side. Now he knew why there were always two preators, this was way too much work for one person. Jason desperately hoped that Remus would make a swift recovery so that he could do paperwork. As bad as it sounded Jason was dead serious. Remus had the most experience in this position while Jason had near none. Prior to this he was working as an infirmary head. Medical terminology, no big deal. Funding for the camp, uh, no deal.

Jason pushed himself out of his chair with a huge sigh. He had to get out of here, get some fresh air. His lips curled into a smile. He could kill two birds with one stone. He could get out of the principia for a bit and get some fresh air while checking in on his lovely Clare Bear. Therefore, that was exactly what Jason headed on to do. He strode out of the building, giving the regular curtly nod at anyone who greeted him. He was on a mission, may not be important to some people but it was important to him.

Finally he reached his destination as he saw the back of the familiar blonde facing him. Even in armor she looked good. No offense to the goddess, but in Jasons opinion, Clare was even more beautiful than Venus. Venus' kid, Cupid, sure hit Jason with a pretty strong arrow when he set them up at the Valentines Dance. Out of all the girls Jason had been with, and he had been with a lot, none compared to Clare. Even in the rain she was toughing it out for her job, her duty to the camp, while other girls would find something to complain about it.

He walked up behind Clare. "I don't suppose you need an umbrella, do you?" Jason said with his usual goofy grin plastered upon his face.

words: 412
notes: just you know, careless shipping to no end

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Clare was watching a young bird hurry back home to its nest before the worst of the rain hit. The way the bird swooped and curved its way through the air was so graceful. It was a lot like watching fish or other aquatic wildlife. So natural and beautiful. Graceful and fluid. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the cool drops landing on her face, or at least what part of it was exposed from under the helmet. The water slid down her cheek, but didn’t leave a trail. Perk of being Poseidon’s kid. That didn’t mean she didn’t feel the cool though. She checked that her gladius was safely in its sheath at her side and wrapped her arms around herself. It was warm enough out, but she liked to feel cozy. Her bunk in her barrack was testament to that. Despite the warm California weather, she had a fleece blanket on her bed and a stuffed fish too. There really was nothing like curling up with a stuffed animal, a fuzzy blanket, and a good book. Well, almost nothing.

There was always being near at all to her boyfriend. She owed Cupid a huge thanks, not that she hadn’t already given him a good deal of offerings for it on Temple Hill in the hall of the minor gods, for hooking her up with Jason Kyoto at that dance. She’d dated before, but never anyone like Jason. And no, she didn’t mean the movie star, or the renowned healer, or the praetor, or any of his fancy titles. Just something about him in particular was different than anyone else here. He was kind and gentle and happy and fun. And a perfect gentleman too! And he really did love her for who she was, even if she could be a little bit on the silly side at times. He accepted her for her. And she loved him for who he was too. Everything about him.

Well, except maybe the part where everyone else seemed to have seen how wonderful he was and made him their leader. Now he seemed to have such little spare time. She was glad for him, of course, but she missed him. Missed visiting him in the infirmary. She was always shy to stop by the principia. The camp needed him. Maybe she’d stop by and bring him something. She wasn’t quite sure yet just what that would be, but it would be something. She needed to see him again. And he needed a break once in a while. Especially now that he was the only one doing all the work. While she felt bad for Remus, it was Jason she was most worried for. Yes, she would go and visit him. Maybe bring him something to eat like she used to when he worked at the infirmary. She had a feeling he was likely skipping meals again; no telling how much stress he was under. She checked her watch. Another hour and fifteen minutes of guard duty before she could go visit him. She sighed.

Only to be startled by a voice from behind her. She turned and a bright smile lit her face at the one who greeted her. She took off her helmet and dropped it to the ground as she threw her arms around Jason. “Jason! I was just thinking about you actually. I’m sorry I haven’t visited in a while. I was going to today though.” She let go of him and laughed. “I think I’m fine without the umbrella, but we can step a little more under the cover of the tunnel if you like.” She stepped under the overhang of the tunnel and smiled at him. “See? Still a good lookout spot. So what brings you out here? How have things been at the principia?” She took her eyes off him long enough only to kneel down and pick up her helmet so it wouldn’t get drenched and filthy laying on the ground in the rain.

Tag: Jason
Word Count: 673
Notes: the cuteness is back! Yay!

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It was a good thing Jason was used to Clare throwing herself at him in a hug, otherwise he might have fallen backwards, especially with all her gear on. Talk about being hit by a linebacker! He let out a chuckle but couldn't help feeling proud of his girlfriend. Even with everything going on, both of them having responsibilities, she was still going to take time out to see him. That was the makings of a great girlfriend. "You still can if you want. I was just in the need of fresh air and I might have looked up what the fourth cohort was assigned to do today..." Jason said before he could think. Wow, way to come off as slightly creepy, hopefully Clare would know that he meant it only so that he could see her, and not to be a stalker boyfriend.

As he was lead under the overhand with Clare chatting at him he noticed the helmet on the ground and went to pick it up, but Clare beat him to it. "Well, you bring me out here of course. And things at the Principia...." Jason rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to think of a nice way to explain the situation. One that didn't make it sound as bad as it actually was. He glanced at the helmet in Clares hands and gingerly took it from her, using his shirt to polish it with the rainwater that was on it.

"There, spotless." Jason said as he gave a grin to Clare before looking at the metal which was polished just enough to see a bit of a reflection. It had been awhile since Jason had taken a chance to look at himself. Therefore he hadn't realized just how much older he looked, and this was just from his time working in the principia. Had he been creasing his brow that much to leave an indention between the eyebrows? Had he ran his hand through his hair that much that it was now sticking up in all ends? Jason let out a sigh, he figured sitting behind a desk made him still look presentable to see Clare, the least he could have done was run a brush through his disheveled head. He glanced back up at Clare, he didn't want her to worry about him. He handed her back the helmet.

"Things at the Principia have been alright. It's nice to take control of things and do it my own way without Mr. Stick in the mud Remus telling me about how things have been done in the past and the glory that was former Rome. Didn't anyone pass him the memo that this is New Rome, not Ancient Rome?" Jason said with a chuckle, hoping to add some humor. In all honesty, Remus wasn't that bad to work with, but he was a stick in the mud sometimes. Couldn't blame him though, with all the work and stuff going on at camp. The campers would be lost without him, hence why Saturn probably felt the need to get rid of him. Now everyone was depending on Jason until Remus got better and that was enough stress in itself. He hadn't even been a praetor for a year, he hadn't gotten into the job yet. He was still learning, but he couldn't let people know that, that would spread fear and moral would lower and at a time like this, with war on the brink of any day, he needed the campers morale to be high.

words: 626
notes:

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Clare couldn’t help but grin. It felt like forever since she’d seen Jason! And seeing him again brought back that wonderful butterflies feeling she always got around him that she loved so much. Especially when he came all the way out to the less than exciting tunnel opening edge of the camp just to see her! Wasn’t he just the sweetest boyfriend in the world? “I think I will then! I have a break in training later, so I’ll stop by.” While some might consider it stalkerish, she thought it was sweet that he had gone to the trouble of checking up on where she’d be. Perks of being a praetor, sounded like! She was happy for it though. It meant seeing him sooner rather than later.

Her mood, and her expression, changed abruptly to concern though. It sounded like things weren’t going so well at the Principia. Then again, he was on his own right now, wasn’t he? That couldn’t be fun, or easy. “Things getting really bad? Is there any way I can help? I know I’m not authorized to do the actual work, but I can bring you food or keep you company or I’ve even been told I give pretty good shoulder massages.” Which might sound weird, but she had grown up where her mom would tackle any problem with a quick massage while you vented what made you so upset, all the while both females nursing hot chocolate, because who didn’t like chocolate. So long story short, she’d learned the method from her mom and had used it when some of the other girls in her cohort had gotten upset over this or that. And now that she thought of it, she felt ad she hadn’t done so before. “Tell you what, how about later today we can combine all three? I’ll look up a fun new recipe to try, bring that for you, hang around about, and give you a massage all at the same time! And you know my ear is always there for you if you need to rant about anything. Gods know you probably need it.” She was getting excited about these plans now! She knew someone who was head chef at one of the restaurants in New Rome that she might be able to get a lesson from in making something Jason-worthy (which in her mind, were high standards indeed. He was worth the best, after all).

She paused when he took her helmet, wondering what he was doing. Though her unspoken question was quickly answered. She smiled. Wasn’t he thoughtful. Though when he seemed to lose himself for a moment, she worried. “Jason?” Maybe working in the principia was getting the better of him. She was glad he was out of there for a bit, and now not just because it meant seeing him. She took the helmet back when he offered it, though it didn’t erase her worry. She laughed at his words though. Yeah, she imagined working in close quarters with Remus Stone so much had to be taxing on anyone’s sanity. “Well, at least you get something of a break then, right? So I’m not sure if I should be hoping for Remus’ speedy recovery or hoping he takes a little more time off for your sake,” she added with a laugh. “Oh, but first, while you’re here, I have something for you.” Without giving him a chance to respond to that, she leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before settling back down on her feet and smiling. “I’m really glad you came to visit. And that things are going well for you. How long are planning on taking a break?”

Tag: Jason!
Word Count: 620
Notes:

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Jason smiles when she said that she would try to stop by later. Perhaps he could try to get rid of his disheveled look and try to make a decent appearance for her. Heck, perhaps he'd even throw all the work to the side and laugh as the paper falls, just so he could live in a moment alone, just him and his girl. He would never let her do the work anyways, even if she was authorized. Well, she had some authority in the work, but only if it concerned the fourth cohort. Ever since Weingarten left for the quest there wasn't much paperwork associated with that cohort at the moment. Well, except for the notes of praise that some of the legionnaires would send about their favored centurion. Reading those made Jason a proud boyfriend.

"A massage from you? Geesh, am I dreaming?" Jason said with a jester smile. Of course just having her company would be enough to compensate for his dreariness. It actually made him want to fast forward time to them actually hanging out later this evening, but that would also mean fast forwarding to there meeting right now to a close, something Jason didn't want to do. "That sounds wonderful Clare Bear. I might just hold you to that." Jason said using his favorite nickname he came up for her.

Jason smiled as Clare laughed at his joke concerning Remus. God, perhaps he didn't cause too much worry with him phasing out for a moment. That was good, the last thing he wanted to do was causing his girlfriend to worry. Already relationships throughout camp were feeling the strain as people became suspicious of others siding with the Titan. He didn't want that to happen with him and Clare.

The kiss. That surprised him. He stared at her wide eyed until he closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth of her lips pressed against his and the slight smell of saltwater that always followed along with the daughter of Neptune. Even if it was a quick kiss, it meant a lot to him and he smiled down at her as she asked her last question. "Depends on if I get more kisses or not." Jason said in his signature flirtatious style that made a lot of girls swoon over him before he finally settled on having Clare Fontaine win his heart. The one girl who never really tried to go for him, was the one who made him crazy in love. He really needed to send more thanks to Venus and cupid for that one.

words: 466
notes:sorry that its so short, I was having muse trouble >.<

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Clare loved that smile of his. Well, truth be told, she loved everything about him. He was such a great boyfriend! The best of the best! He was sweet and thoughtful and gentle and fun and handsome to boot. She considered herself to be the luckiest girl in the camp by far. She beamed. “Nope, not dreaming! And hold me to it or not, I already plan on it and only your specific request for me not to could stop me now,” she joked. She took one of his hands in both of hers and held it just for the sake of being in contact with him.

She really loved Jason. She thanked Venus for him regularly. Oh, and Cupid too since they’d met on his holiday. She’d never forget that day. It had been so much fun. Before meeting him, she hadn’t been sure there was such thing as love at first sight. Like it only happened in movies. At least that was what some nasty girl who had been picking on her once had said. Clare wasn’t fond of the incident, as she had been much younger, twelve probably, and had accidentally lost control of her powers and nearly drowned the older girl. Completely on accident. But she had gotten written up despite her little-kid protests that she hadn’t meant to hurt anyone. Come to think of it, she wondered if Jason knew about that. Word had gotten around quite a lot at the time. She hoped he didn’t. She didn’t want him to think poorly of her. Not that he couldn’t just access her files whenever he wanted now that he was praetor. No, he wouldn’t think poorly of her. He was too nice for that. And it had been an accident.

But back to the topic at hand. No, she hadn’t thought love at first sight a real thing since that incident years ago. She’d wanted to believe it, but deep down she wasn’t so sure. Until she met Jason. Then she knew it was true. He was perfect, and, well, how could she not fall for him? It was a wonder he had been single, now that she thought about it. And actually, she had better stop thinking so much. Now she was the one in la-la land. She grinned at his flirting. He was so cute. “Well, if you insist.” She wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and pulled him close, kissing him again.

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Jason chuckled. Like he would ever insist on Clare not showing up to bother him. Okay, maybe on Monday mornings where Jason is in a half daze and ends up going to his deck still decked out in his sleep attire and not even brushing his hair. But hey, at least that shows he had gone to sleep the night before, right? Even if it was only for a couple of hours it obviously counted. He squeezed the hand that she had intertwined with his softly. "I would be a fool to stop you from visiting me." Jason said softly as he leaned his forehead against hers. Just being close to his girlfriend seemed to elevated the increasing stress he always seemed to fine. Her bubbly optimistic attitude was always able to put a smile on his face. Gods, he was lucky.

As she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him in close to kiss, he gladly kissed her back while smiling. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tight against him. He didn't want to let go, ever for fear of losing her into the breeze that was making her blonde hair dance about. He broke the kiss and leaned in against her ear. "I love you Claire Fontaine. He kissed her cheek as he leaned away and looked into her eyes. "You make living worth it." Jason said, also surprised by his words. Honestly, here he was doing perfectly scripted quotes that could make a social media site go into an internal craze of shipping, yet he was doing it all by himself. No scripts, no director, no props, no acting. He loved it. Jason was able to say pleasing stuff to the girl of his dreams without reciting a book or movie. It was brilliant, sure, in the past he often used his great memorization of corny love quotes to entrance women but he didn't need to do that now. No, Claire seemed to have entranced him, and not in some weird Venus girl type of way, not, just her pure natural beauty was enough for her to inflict a spell like a siren over him. He loved her, he knew that with all that he is. He didn't want to spend a single day away from her, a single moment, but life wouldn't grant him that, so he would just be patient and wait for those well deserved moments that made the patience worth it.

words: 422
notes:sorry that its so short

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Clare smiled and closed her eyes when he rested his forehead on hers. She could stay like this, right here with him, forever. “Be careful or I’ll use that as the all clear to come visit you every day. Actually, that’s a rather appealing idea, not I mention it.” She laughed softly. It really was. She could use the excuse of making sure he wasn’t overstressing or maybe bringing him food or something like that. She was trying out a new cookbook she’d gotten in New Rome, so why not let him be her judge? It was a perfect reason to see him more often. That and gods knew he needed breaks. She was glad he was out here instead of in that stuffy principia, not just because she liked to see him, but because being cooped up like that all day was probably enough to drive anyone crazy.

His embrace was so warm, so strong, so safe, she felt completely at home in it. She wished she could stay just like this forever, she realized she was thinking for the second time in five minutes. But it was true. Any moment that she was with him was perfection. And his kiss was so sweet, so perfect too. She could almost feel Cupid’s arrow lodged in her heart, but had no desire to take it out. She wanted to be with Jason and that was all that mattered right now. Though she vaguely hoped that didn’t sound too stalkerish. Well, at least she hadn’t said it out loud or something. Though thinking of it, she may as well have when she said she’d visit every day. Clare! Shut up shut up shut up!

She yanked herself back from her thoughts when the kiss broke, a little disappointed. His words, though, made her smile. And the way he looked into her eyes. His crystal blue ones were so beautiful and betrayed his gentle, kind heart. And that look he was giving her. It was enough to make even the most hard-core rough and tough girl swoon. And she by far was not the most hard-core rough and tough type. She all but melted. “I love you too, Jason Kyoto. I couldn’t imagine life without you.” And it was true. Ever since she’d met him last Valentine’s Day, life had been a whole lot brighter. (No pun intended, since his dad was god of the sun…) She didn’t want it any other way. She’d never been as happy as she was with him. Even with whisperings of a war coming, she felt safe as long as she was with him. “So… you have to tell me, for reference’s sake, what sorts of food do you like best? Or do you want me to surprise you?”

Tag: Jason
Word Count: 463
Notes: no worries, mine was short too! (*cough* mine are always short v.v *cough*)