keeping watch [sapphire]

"Watching the Christmas tree. Are you freaking kidding me?"

"P-Please, Isaac," the younger boy pleaded, "I just can't m-make it today."

Isaac took in his half-brother's appearance. Disheveled, his hair sticking up in all sorts of directions, beads of sweat forming and running down his forehead... there's also the fact that he was pale as a ghost, his nose a bright shade of red and his eyes ringed with shadows. The blanket draped around him gave him the appearance of a giant burrito.

Sighing, Isaac dragged his hand down the side of his face in exasperation. "For how long?"

"J-Just five hours. You w-won't be alone, they assign the shifts in p-pairs."

"And who's going to be there with you?"

The boy shifted nervously on his fluffy slippers. "I d-don't know the name... but they t-told me he's an Ares kid."

"Oh for crying out loud," Isaac groaned, already shaking his head for what felt like the nth time. "No, just no."

"Isaac please! I'll owe you b-big!"

Isaac looked down at the burrito-like Rudolph of a boy. Well, he was running a bit low on cash... and drachmas...

"Twenty bucks."

"What?"

"That's the price of my hire. Take it or leave it."

The boy cast a crestfallen look around the empty Hephaestus cabin, before giving a grim nod.

"... Alright."

Well, that went well. Isaac resisted the urge to smirk. "Good. What time am I supposed to be there again?"

"One hour ago."

"Well crap."


Five minutes later, clad in a thick jacket he borrowed from another one of his siblings, Isaac made his way towards the humongous Christmas Tree. He remembered working on the thing's lights along with a few others. As if he could have done it alone. More than a hundred baubles had been used for it. Just imagine how many Christmas lights it needed. Maybe double the number of baubles? Or triple?

Although, now that he was standing in front of the giant pine tree, he thought the effect was quite nice. Colorful. Hundreds of little lights twinkling down, their rays reflected by the shiny baubles.

He smiled, letting his eyes run from the star down to the very bottom, where a boy seemed to be examining the presents. The smile immediately melted off Isaac's face. Son of Ares, huh? No doubt another warfreak. Let's see how this goes.

Hands shoved deep inside his pockets, Isaac walked up to the boy. "Hey -"

Plot twist, the Ares kid whipped around the exact moment he stepped close. Then suddenly, he was on the snow-covered ground.

Isaac took a few steps back, just as the son of Ares snapped. "Here's an idea, watch it!"

And I thought it wouldn't get worse.

Isaac tried to suppress the scowl threatening to take over his features, but his forehead still creased. "Sorry," he muttered, not sounding apologetic at all. The way he spoke definitely suggested that the word was wrenched against his will.

Still keeping a respectable distance, Isaac continued, "I take that you're the Ares kid who's supposed to guard the presents for the next four hours?"

As if that needs any confirmation...