A.N. yay! I love sequels! I personally have never written one for my other stories, so first timer! Yeah! For all of those who were (or weren't) wondering, no, the darkest powers I'm talking about are not Kronos. I believe he is dead and gone. (well then whatever could it be?) Enjoy this story! We will have a new love in this story along with tons of Niccaria! Oh, this is just a filler for the next chapter. I don't think we should start it off on a sad note! No! a happy one! So enjoy!
This one goes out to my friend Future Mrs. Seaweed Brain who always gave me the best reviews! (and threatened me in most of them. Thanks for the motivation!)
Disclaimer: yay! I love these! No, I'm not Rick. So…I don't own Percy Jackson. Nor do I own Super Smash Bros.
Playing Cards With the Dead
A Stripping Celosia
As Nico spent more and more time with Viscaria, the more he noticed the things he missed before.
Like, to name just a few, she has a temper. A major temper. You'd think he would've noticed it with how many times he's seen her angry, but compared to Hades, it was nothing.
Boy was he wrong.
"It's my fatal flaw." She said when he brought it up.
"What?" he asked, baffled.
"What, didn't think I had one?"
"No, no, no. Every hero has one. I just thought…"
"What?" now she was intrigued. And ready to be pissed if need be.
"Well, I dunno, that you loved flowers too much? I mean, it almost got you killed."
She relaxed. "I know. I thought that would be it too. But I met Athena once, and she said that anger is a powerful emotion, and it happens to be my worst and fatal flaw."
"But, with Clarisse, you were so…not angry."
She laughed. "I try to control myself, Nico. Isn't that what you are supposed to do? Fight your fatal flaw?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, I suppose." not that he did, or anything.
"You don't?"
"No, I do." he lied. Of course he didn't.
Grudges were hard to fight off.
--
Another thing he noticed: Viscaria and her brother were a lot alike. Not just the little brother-and-sister characteristics that people have to use a magnifying glass to catch, they were alike alike.
He was even a year older. Sure, they had their little spats every now and then, and they fought and punched like normal brothers and sisters. They did it daily.
But they also showed rare acts of love and kindness to each other. If she asked him not to do something in all seriousness, then he wouldn't do it. If she cried (Nico wouldn't know, Viscaria rarely cried in front of him) then he would comfort her. No hugs or anything, he'd just say things to make her feel better. He could be a nice brother sometimes.
And you know how much she loves flowers? Their meanings and such? Well, Adonis had a similar disability. His were cards. He didn't do magic tricks (because he sucks. Trust me, Nico would know) But he taught card game after card game to Nico, ones he didn't even know existed.
And yes, each card had their own meaning. He didn't even know cards had meanings! Sure, the ace of spades means death or whatever, but Adonis got it down to where the ten of clubs meant something!
Between the two Ahura siblings, Nico now knew every meaning of card and flower there was. Sometimes it annoyed him, but he put up with it.
He was, after all, in love with one of them
--
Another thing he noticed. Viscaria was a nerd. Not the 'wear glasses and do my homework' nerd. The video game playing, movie watching, TV worshippin nerd.
Nico loved it. And in their huge freakin house? It was the best summer of his life.
Yeah, he visited Viscaria every other day.
--
At the moment, Nico, Viscaria, and Adonis were playing some Super Smash Bros Brawl.
"Please! You think you can beat me with your measly little Star Fox?" Viscaria trash talked to her brother.
Adonis snorted. "We'll see, my young apprentice. I don't think your gay little Marth could touch this."
"Oh, it's on!" Viscaria called. "Oh, please Nico. I thought you said you've played this game before! Lucas? Lucas? He sucks!" she said as they waited for it to load.
"Hey! I bet I am gonna beat both of you." Nico smiled. Yeah, he knew Lucas sucked.
"You better not go easy on us, di Angelo." Adonis glared at him.
"Oh, don't worry, I won't" he smirked at them. Adonis had a feeling he meant it. That smirk was kinda creepy.
"Yeah, Nico. No pussy playing." Viscaria didn't seem to notice the scary smirk.
"Nico, shut your woman up." Adonis said.
Nico was about to say something to him, but it was done loading.
Oh, it's on.
"Nico! What the hell? I'm your girlfriend! You were supposed to go easy on me!" Viscaria yelled at him.
"Hey, 'No pussy playing.' I'm just following your rules, sweetie." Nico smirked at her.
"Dang, Nico. You just beat us with Lucas. Why don't you play as someone who we all know sucks?" Adonis offered.
Nico laughed. "Just softening the blow for when I beat you again?"
"No. You will lose this one. You're playing as King Dedede!" Viscaria and Adonis started to do the wicked witch laugh at the same time. It kinda freaked Nico out a little.
Nico held back another smirk. They didn't know how much he played this game, did they?
"Nico!" Viscaria yelled.
"Yes, my dear?" he asked innocently.
"Knock it off!"
"What? I'm just doing what you wanted me to do."
Viscaria took a deep breath. "I will kill you for this."
Adonis slowly got up off the couch. "I'll just leave you two alone…" And he fast walked out of the room.
Nico started to laugh. "I thought I told you I was good at this game!"
"Yeah, but I didn't know you were that good!" she hit him in the peck.
"Thanks for the compliment." she raised an eyebrow. "Hey, maybe you forget, but I was left in the Locust Hotel for many years. They had a Wii."
"Oh, shut up!" and she slumped on the couch, arms folded and in full sulk mode.
Nico tried to hold it in. He really did. But it kinda just…leaked out.
"So, should we play strip brawl? Whoever loses has to take an article of clothing off?" (hey, he's a fifteen year old boy, what did you expect?) Viscaria's head whipped to him, and she was glaring with bereavement in her eyes. "Kidding! I was kidd-" he was cut off. Viscaria lunged for him.
"You pig!" she shrieked at him.
He got up and started to run. Viscaria was hot on his heels.
Remember that life lesson I taught you about running and laughing at the same time? Well, add yelling to the list, and you pretty much need an oxygen tank.
Nico finally had to call it quits in the newly added flower room. He weaved through a few of the rows and rows of flowers, but collapsed on the floor after while.
"What…what were we fighting about again?" Viscaria crumpled next to him. They practically ran the whole house.
"Um…how much of a pig I am?" Nico offered. Hey, he was too tired to care if he was supposed to lie or not.
"Oh…yeah…pig." she muttered. He smiled at her.
"Sorry. Just slipped out."
She rolled her eyes. "Right."
"Hey, it did! Since when do I ever talk like that?" he reached for her hand.
She thought for a moment. "Never, I think. I guess you only get that way when you get cocky." She chuckled.
He pulled her closer, and she pulled herself onto his lap. His kissed her hair as they caught their breath.
"Here." she said after a while. She handed him a flower, a prickly looking one with neon orange colors.
"What is it?"
"You should know! I told you about it last week!"
"Hmmm…"
"Oh, come on! You already forgot?" she looked kinda sad, even though she was joking.
"Of course I didn't forget. This is a celosia. 'Silliness or Floppery.' Nice."
"Your welcome." she snuggled back into his arms.
He held the flower. As long as Viscaria didn't die every time she grew him a flower, and he didn't kill it every time he touched it, he didn't mind memorizing their meanings.
REVIEW!!
p.s. was Nico too OOC? I think he was ok, since he just got a girlfriend and such, so he deserves to be alittle happy. But if it bothered you too much, just wait, I suppose…
REIVEW!! because this is my second Percy Jackson story!
Aces and Eights