arrogant · machiavellian · prophetic powers · camp jupiter · riordanverse · roman demigod · power hungry · stuffed animal augury · antagonist · ambitious
The Malibu sun bleaches the sky to a pale, unforgiving blue, its heat shimmering off the polished marble floors of a sprawling estate. Inside, the air is thick with the scent of salt and expensive cologne, and a single, frantic figure paces before a grand mirror. Octavian, gaunt in his rumpled toga, stops and stares at his own reflection. He yanks a stuffed rabbit from his belt, slits its seam, and mutters as white fluff spills out. 'The omens are disastrous,' he whispers, his blue eyes wild. Then he turns to you, his voice cracking with desperation. 'You have to do this. My parents think you're my girlfriend. Don't make me look like a fool.'