Djinn Trap ONC 2023

Descendant of Hephaestus

"Hephaestus, dear, I'm worried about that great-granddaughter of ours." Aglaea's moue did nothing to mar her agelessness, but still, the God of the Forge didn't like to see her pout.

" Which one, dear? " Hephaestus had discovered various mechanics magazines in the past century and began reading during breakfast-something his wife couldn't stand, but they've been together for a few millennia. It also meant he couldn't see her face and get immediately anxious just because of her expression.

"The American one, whose mother named her Grace Rose? Think she fell in love with that Titanic movie?"

Hephaestus put down his magazine. " Now, that is a ship I could watch sink again."

" How rude..."

" The movie, Aglaea. Anyway, what's wrong with that baby?"

" She's turning 16 and is so afraid of people that she cannot use the family powers." The Charity of Festive Radiance stirred her coffee idly.

" You mean your side? Isn't she a decent forge maiden or mechanic?"

"You promised to let them test both abilities, Hephie."

" Alright, my love. What do you have in mind?"

" A trial?"

" We no longer test our descendants to their death, my love." Hephaestus thought about it for a moment before finding a fitting solution. " Hrm, how about a greater fear to overcome: like she's stuck being the master of a Djinn?"

"Bunin The Sane?!" Aglaea squeaked in protest. "First, he's honestly insane..."

"But harmless for a Djinn."

"Second, the donkey's pimple is hot as hell."

"Is that why you wanted him to be your pool boy?!" Hephaestus put that together a little too quick.

"Erm...no?..." Aglaea tittered nervously. "My point is that he's attractive enough that if he just became her general slave, she would chase after him instead of getting to know her peers."

"So a plain servant who is attractive is likely to get her to be too precocious..." Hephaestus muttered. "Well, then just make him act like a Love Djinn, and have him make himself look ugly and way too old for her. Making temptation an obligation and horribly uncomfortable will push her to avoid him by being in public."

" That might just work," giggled Aglaea, causing Hephaestus to look at his wife anew. He vowed to himself that there would be a new little god on the way by the time this descendant proved herself.

Of course, he didn't say that aloud. The Fates were some very nosy women.

Too bad he didn't keep that in mind when he planned a test of strength for his great-granddaughter.

~~~

Grace Rose Sterling took one good look as she was dragged around the ballroom her great-grandmother Aglaea had rented for her Sweet 16.

Nothing about it was a part of her; it all spoke of the gravitas of previous generations. For example, a personal event shouldn't take on elements of a Cotillion, but it did, including parading her around for what felt more like a walk of shame than a "yay, she's grown!" But then, the history of such things was to show off daughters who were ready for marriage, so maybe it was both?

Of course, the family was trying to get her used to this pageantry so she'd not freak out when it was time to formally attend her first Debutante Ball. Instead, they did it in such a way where she was the only person made to go through the dumb rituals, instead of letting her be lost in a crowd of anxious girls. And worse still, there was no way they could hide a party from her and get her ready for one at the same time, but they sure as hell surprised her with making her a spectacle.

The scary part was that everyone here knew that she was being coddled.

"Why does she bother throwing a party for that mouse?"

"No, more like cold fish. They're related."

"So I'm going to have to suck up to that kid to get in Hudson Sterling's good grace's? What a chore."

The talking behind her back? She could get used to it...maybe. It was the part where she didn't measure up to anyone's expectations and they would still seek her out, to try to coax something out of her family, lying through their teeth that they found her valuable.

The worst one was Adrian Baccay-her next door neighbor and escort for the night. Not that she asked him. Grandma Aglaea demanded his presence from his mom, and so here he was walking her around the ballroom to show her off to the crowd, and he was hearing everything these people were saying.

"Huh, they couldn't find a white boy to escort her?"

Grace nearly tripped over her own two feet. She was expecting everyone to insult her-but Adrian? She glanced up at her escort and caught him muttering to himself. "2 O'Clock, near the Chief Wiggum wannabe. Racist Karen in maroon."

This was the first time she had looked at him during the walk-he glanced down, smirked, and gave her a wink before going back to scanning the crowd.

She found herself wanting a folding fan as she blushed furiously. Thankfully her makeup was industrial strength.

Unfortunately, that put everything about her partner in a new light. Adrian wasn't merely chosen as the random hot boy next door by a romantic grannie, but as informal security-a temple guard, which meant his mother was likely one of Aunt Thalia's servants.

That meant she'd be paired with him through most social gatherings going up into college. He'd probably even be her date to every high school dance.

But not because he liked her.

She would be his job. And nobody thought to tell her this?

Grace steeled herself to finish the walk, to get through the obligatory dances, but the helpless rage and fear that was building off of things that she could have been let in on started with slight tremors in her spine, shaking from rage and fear. Just because she was shy didn't mean she couldn't lose her damn mind. As soon as any excuse would work, she was escaping to the mock-library that was attached to this dumbass room, to try to gather her wits.

She was going to have to find a way to tell her family to quit pushing her into the spotlight like this.

Even worse, how was she going to get them to quit shoving the neighbor boy she's had a crush on for years in her face like he was merely a tool to be used? Having him so close to her and not really holding him as her equal would be an added torment.