𝓕𝓲𝓷𝓮 𝓛𝓲𝓷𝓮 // Clarisse La Rue

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓔𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓮𝓮𝓷

Florence didn't enjoy her dinner, a chill creeping up her spine as they sailed past North Carolina. Gods, she hated that place.

After she finished her dinner she walked to Clarisse's bedroom. She knocked on the door with a sense of urgency. She had to know what the oracle had said, now more than ever.

"Who is it?" Clarisse drawled.

"It's me, Florence." Florence informed.

"... come in." Clarisse said with annoyance.

Florence walked in to find Clarisse in an oversized shirt, her hair in a low ponytail. Her face looked tired and she seemed softer without all the greek battle armor. But that softness was gone the moment she opened her mouth:

"What do you want, princess?" Clarisse asked from her spot at the foot of the bed.

"I want to know what the oracle said." Florence said.

"I already told you, you're on a need to know basis." Clarisse chastised.

"Fine, La Rue, but I need to know! I just defended you to my friends without even knowing what I was defending you for, don't you think I deserve to know?" Florence raised her voice.

Clarisse was silent for a long moment. "Fine..."

She patted the spot beside her at the edge of the bed and Florence took a seat, making sure to be far away enough that they didn't touch.

"That stupid oracle said and I quote: You shall sail the iron ship with warriors of bone, You shall find what you seek and make it your own, But despair for your life entombed within stone, And fail without friends, to fly home alone."

"Fail without friends?" Florence asked after analyzing the words.

"That's why I let you come along. I thought I had ticked off that box but now I'm not sure..." Clarisse admitted. "...Can I ask you a question?"

Florence nodded.

"Why didn't you just use your powers to get me to tell you, or to get me to bring you on the quest? It would've saved you a lot of time." Clarisse states.

Florence shrugs. "I know you think I'm some ruthless monster but I don't actually like to use my charmspeak on other people unless it's an emergency. I don't like forcing people to do things they don't want to do, they resent you for it."

"I think we have very different ideas of what is an emergency..." Clarisse said bitterly and Florence looked at her.

"What do you mean by that?" Florence asked although she had an idea of what Clarisse might've meant.

"Nevermind... I have to get some sleep and you should too."

Florence nodded, she stopped on Clarisse's doorway.

"Good night, Clarisse." Florence said, Clarisse's name rolling off her tongue much more softly than it usually did.

Clarisse was silent for a beat before responding.

"Good night, Florence."

Florence was taken aback by the way her name felt in Clarisse's voice. The way she pronounced the vowels and the consonants. It was strange to hear. So strange it made Florence's cheeks burn slightly but she didn't understand why. She decided to sleep it off.

꒰🕊꒱

Florence was rudely woken up by a skeletal crewmate after what felt like a mere half hour of sleep.

"Lady Florence, we're approaching the entrance. We have to find Lady Clarisse!"

Florence jumped from bed.