Children of Loss Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Nico groaned as he dragged himself out of bed. The banging on the door was going to give him a headache. He flung the door open to glare at the offender. Connor grinned back at him from the other side of the doorway. Nico groaned. “How are all of you morning people?” Nico mumbled, running a hand through his morning hair.

Connor pouted as he followed Nico into his suite. “We aren't, we just know how to put on appearances,” he explained. “You should see Travis and I when we get out of bed, it's like a zombie apocalypse started.”

Nico giggled. “Do you have to go bang on his door too?” He walked into his bedroom, Travis following behind him. He went through his closet, picking out clothes for the day.

Connor grinned. “No, all I have to do is roll over to see what he looks like in the morning.”

Nico froze in place, his eyes having widened from the statement. “You sleep in the same bed?” Nico asked.

Connor frowned, cocking his head to the side. “Yeah, so? My brother and I have always been close, even before we came here. When you live on the streets together, you get used to sharing the same sleeping space.”

Nico pursed his lip, casting his eyes downward. He hadn't thought of that. “You were fortunate to have each other out there, though.”

Connor nodded. The twins were rarely ever serious, and it always made Nico uneasy when they were. “You ready for tonight?” Connor asked, changing the subject.

“I think so. What's going to be happening today?”

Connor clicked his tongue. “Getting everything organized upstairs.” He let out a long sigh. “It'll be a last minute time period to get schedules changed, for the rest of the weekend anyways, not tonight's schedule.”

Nico nodded. “What will all of you be doing? Besides...talking to Percy?”

Connor chuckled. “You are jealous,” he teased. Nico pouted. He gathered his clothes and headed for the bathroom. Connor leaned against the doorframe and continued talking. “The entire floor will be under maintenance, which basically means it will be getting cleaned and used for last minute practice.”

“What do I need to do when I get back?”

“You'll have to ask Percy, who will be up on the top floor, so drop by.”

Nico nodded. “Alright, well, I need to get a shower, so you can wait outside,” Nico said, shutting the door.

“But showers are more fun with company,” Connor whined through the door.

Nico rolled his eyes and slipped out of his underwear. He turned on the shower and slipped inside, letting the hot water cascade across his body. He was surprisingly calm, considering what he would be doing in a few hours. Well, he was only going to have to walk around in a speedo. He would probably be more nervous next week. Nico grabbed his shampoo and started to lather his hair.

After he was finished with his shower, Nico opened the glass door and grabbed a towel. He toweled his hair first before wrapping the cloth around his waist. He quickly brushed his teeth and reached for his clothes. He looked around in confusion, cursing when he realized he forgot to get underwear.

He cracked the door open, peering outside to look for Connor. “Connor?” he called out to try and get the brunet's attention.

Connor poked his head around the corner of the living room. “Yes?” he called back with a grin.

“Can you go bring me some underwear?”

Connor's grin became impish. “Why don't you just come out and get them?”

“Because, I'm naked,” Nico huffed.

“All the more reason to come out,” Connor teased, leaning against the hallway. Nico sighed and opened the door the rest of the way. He glared at Connor as he walked past him to reach his bedroom. Before Nico knew what was going on, Connor's fingers had slipped down to his towel and unfastened it from around his waist. “Whoops,” Connor said innocently as the towel fell the ground.

Nico's hands flew down to cover his crotch, leaving his ass completely exposed. Connor's eyes lit up as they roamed down to Nico's newly exposed flesh. “Connor!” Nico yelled, making a dash for his bedroom.

Connor followed him inside, grinning like a mad man. Nico huffed as he opened his drawer one handed, his other hand too busy covering himself. When he had some boxers picked out, he shut the drawer, tossing Connor another glare as he slipped his boxers on. He was surprised, however, to find Connor standing right in front of him. Nico's eyes widened as Connor flung him on the bed. Nico yelped as he landed on his soft mattress.

He looked up to find Connor crawling on top of him, once again reminding Nico of a cat. “C-Connor, I need to get dressed. I need to get to school,” Nico stuttered.

Connor pouted from his position above Nico. “But school's not as fun as what I want to do.” Connor's grin returned as he pressed his hips down against Nico's. Nico fought back a moan as Connor rolled his hips. Connor descended on Nico's nipple, licking the piece of pink flesh. Nico arched his back, his eyes now tightly shut. His legs unconsciously found their way around Connor's hips as Connor bit lightly on his nipple. Connor raised Nico's hips, grabbing the bottom of Nico's boxers with one of his hands. He slowly started pulling the fabric down.

Nico's mind caught up with him, his eyes snapping open. His hand flew down to the hem of his boxers, holding the fabric there. Connor pulled back from Nico's chest with a pout. “I r-really need t-to get dressed,” Nico stuttered.

Connor sighed and climbed off of Nico. “Fine, but if you ever change your mind, my brother and I would be glad to play with you.”

“I'm sure you would,” Nico grumbled as he adjusted himself in his boxers. He made his way back to the bathroom so he could hurry getting dressed. He was going to be late if he kept getting distracted.

The ride to school was fairly quiet. Connor kept the music on loud, and seemed to be in a world of his own. Nico would watch him from time to time, intrigued by his persona. The twins were probably the most unpredictable of the Lost Kids. The others probably didn't even know what to expect from them. It was moments like this that got Nico wondering what their real face was. Was it the mischievous side, or was it this almost dark and serious expression that Nico sometimes found on all of the Lost Kids. He wanted to believe it was the prior one, but given their past, Nico doubted it was that one.

“You and your brother are confusing,” Nico blurted out before he could stop himself.

Connor looked over at him and chuckled, his hand reaching over to turn down the volume. “I like to use the words fun and interesting.”

“I just don't understand you.”

Connor raised an eyebrow, returning his vision to the road. “I thought Travis told you about our history?”

“He did,” Nico started. “I just-you both remind me of imps, or something. You seem like you are always up to something, and I don't think anyone can predict what you two will do next.”

Connor hummed to himself, tapping the steering wheel. “I think that makes life more interesting, doing the unexpected.”

“But is it all an act? A mask to protect yourself?”

Connor chuckled. “What, because we are a little messed up, we can't have fun?” Connor's smirk lessened until it was barely noticeable. “We're all messed up, Nico. You just have to find a way to cope with the stuff we deal with.” Nico nodded. “The first thing you have to realize about this world is that people suck. People only care about themselves. They are greedy bastards, nothing more, nothing less. Every one of those people that come to the Lotus makes me sick. All they want is a good time, and they don't care how much it costs. They come in there demanding certain things be done to them, or they come in there to do shady deals. It's all about money, that's what people care about. That's what makes the world turn.”

Nico frowned as he watched Connor's face darken as he spoke. Connor's knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. He let out a long sigh and glanced over at Nico from the corner of his eye before turning back to the road. “That's what you're jaded about?”

Connor blinked. “What?” he asked in confusion.

“Will said-”

Connor cut him off. “Ah, you mean, what we hate about the world. Yes, I hate greed. They all want for themselves. They could be helping the world, but instead they throw their money away for sex and illegal trades. It makes me sick, knowing that they could keep people off the streets, if they just used their money for something better.” Connor turned his head to look at Nico for a few seconds, a dark look in his eyes. “You better hurry, you don't want to be late,” Connor whispered.

Nico blinked and looked out his window. They were at school. He had not even realized they had arrived. He turned back to Connor and gave him a small smile, grabbing his backpack from the floorboard. “Thanks again for the ride, Connor,” Nico said as he got out.

“Don't mention it, Nico.” Nico shut his door and began walking towards his school. He heard a window roll down behind him. “Good luck at school today, sweetie! Make good choices!” Connor called after him. Nico groaned and covered his face. That didn't take long for the twin to get back to his usual self.

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Nico knocked on the door to Percy's office. He had gotten a text while at school to drop by and see Leo, so he had dropped his backpack off and came straight to the office. He opened the door to find Leo and Rachel sitting at their desks, busily typing away at their keyboards. They looked up and greeted Nico, Leo rising from his desk.

“There you are. Percy said you'd be dropping by,” Leo said, holding his hand out. “I need your card.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “My card?” he asked. “What for?”

“Leo needs to give you an upgrade so that you can reach the top floor on your own,” answered Rachel.

Nico nodded and fished his card out of his wallet. Leo snatched the card from him and sat back down at his desk. “This will only take a minute,” Leo mumbled. “So, Nico, I haven't gotten to talk to you very much since you've been here. How have you been?”

Nico sat on the corner of Leo's desk. “I've been doing ok,” he replied.

“Ready for tonight?” Rachel asked, brushing some of her hair behind her ear.

“As ready as I'll ever be, I guess.”

“I'm sure you'll be more nervous next weekend.”

Nico groaned. Leo chuckled. “Don't scare him, Rachel,” Leo said. He slid the card through a machine next to the computer and handed the card back to Nico. “There you go. You'll do fine, I'm sure.”

Nico smiled. “Thanks,” he replied. He slipped the card back into his wallet and looked back at Leo. “So, I don't suppose either of you could help me figure something out, could you?”

“What's up?” Leo asked, sliding his chair away from the computer.

“I'm just confused about the Lost Kids. They and Percy keep sending mixed signals.”

Leo gave a long sigh and Rachel buried her head behind her computer. “Long story,” Leo mumbled. “They're just complicated, Nico. They treat both of us the same way, but that's because we don't do what they do.”

Nico cocked his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“We don't get on the stage and get naked,” Rachel replied.

“Or have sex with customers,” Leo added.

“So, they hold it against you?” Nico asked.

They both nodded. “It's complicated, like I said,” Leo sighed. “We make about the same as they do, while getting to keep our clothes on.”

“But that's because we do more work than they do,” Rachel continued.

“Yes, but they have the harder work.” Rachel raised an eyebrow at Leo. “What? I'm just saying I can understand their concern.”

“How come the two of you don't do that?” Nico asked.

“Well, Leo was underage when he got here, not to mention, very smart,” Rachel explained.

Leo shrugged. “I guess I was somewhat like you, Nico. I didn't really find myself angry at the world, like the others do,” Leo said, giving Nico a sad smile. “As for Rachel, she was smart and 'untainted' as well. The others probably couldn't do our jobs, and Percy saw promise with us when it came to this job. He needs people to help him run this branch of hotel chains.”

“He'd probably lose his mind if he didn't have help,” Rachel added.

Leo stood up, drumming his hands on his desk. “Well, I think you better get upstairs. It's always interesting to look at on weekends like this.”

Nico nodded and said his goodbyes to Leo and Rachel. He walked back out the door and to the elevator. He slid his card into the slot and hit the seventieth floor button. He smirked to himself when the elevator started rising. It was official, he was part of the Lost Kids.

The elevator opened to the split hallway, but there was no one currently at the podiums. Nico shrugged and stepped out of the elevator, heading down the right hall to the boys' side. He could already hear the music playing as he walked up the stairs, as well as a few voices. He stood in the middle of the stairs for a moment, trying to calm his nerves. It all felt real now. It was happening, he was going to be displaying his body for people's enjoyment in a few hours. He shook his hands and continued up the stairs, jaw dropping when he reached the top.

The wall that would separate the boys' side from the girls' had been moved away, displaying the full stage. The stage itself looked like something out of Carnevale. There were two giant antique mirrors hanging from the ceiling towards the back of the stage, one for each side. Four golden ropes descended from the ceiling as well, two of which the twins were currently hanging from. The wings of the stage were lined by fans made of feathers. Several masquerade masks had been pinned onto the curtains.

“Wow,” Nico sighed. He jumped suddenly when he felt an arm around his shoulders.

“Enjoying the view?” Apollo purred into his ear.

“I just like the theme.”

“It's pretty fun. We do this theme maybe twice a year. We'll have to get you a costume for the next time around, I suppose.”

“It's just fun to look at this. I don't know, it just seems like a fantasy, or something.”

“Our job is to entertain, Nico,” Apollo reminded him. “It doesn't mean we can't have fun in the process, though. You'll see that we actually enjoy the time on stage.”

“Why?” Nico asked, turning his head to look at Apollo.

“We just get to have fun on the stage. We aren't on our backs, having some old man try and get it up, we can just let loose up there. Dancing is fun. I mean, we are taking our clothes off, but there's just something fun in the performances we give.” He smirked at Nico. “Pay attention tomorrow night during my performance, and you'll see what I mean.”

Nico nodded and walked off, receiving a pat on the back from Apollo. He searched the room for Percy, wanting to find something to do like Connor had said. He found Percy in one of the booths with Annabeth and Luke, the girl practically in Percy's lap. Nico sighed, deciding to go ahead and walk over. He'd have to make sure not to look too directly at Percy right now. He knew he couldn't have the green eyed young man, but it still stung to see others throwing themselves at him.

When he reached the booth, Annabeth was in the middle of rubbing Percy's upper thigh, while Percy had his right hand slung around Luke's shoulders. He looked up when Nico reached them, giving Nico a smile. “Hey, Nico,” Percy greeted him. Nico waved, fidgeting slightly. Percy noticed this and cleared his throat. “Give me a moment,” he said, grabbing Annabeth's hand and placing it on the table. Luke and Annabeth tossed Nico a glare, pulling their phones out while Percy talked to Nico. “What can I do for you, Nico?”

“I was just wondering what I needed to be doing right now,” Nico asked.

“Hmm.” Percy tapped his finger on the table, looking around the room. “Just watch the others practice for a moment. I want you to get a better idea of what you'll be dealing with next weekend. After that, go help Silena and Piper backstage, they are sorting through the wardrobes and could use some help.”

Nico nodded. He walked over to the stage, where Will sat on the edge. Will smiled at Nico as the smaller boy approached. “Hey there,” Will greeted him. “How was school?”

“The same as usual,” Nico sighed, climbing up onto the stage next to Will. “So, I'm supposed to be watching you guys practice.”

“Ah, well, as you can see, Apollo's running through last minute changes to the routines. They'll get started in a minute.”

Nico glanced over to where Apollo stood in front of the other Lost Kids, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. “Apollo's in charge of the performances?” Nico asked.

Will nodded. “Percy put him in charge of routines shortly after he arrived, from what I hear anyways. Since he actually studies dance, he's the best suited for it. I hear Percy used to do it until Apollo arrived, but he let Apollo handle it after that. Percy's a busy guy, doesn't have a lot of time to teach us dance moves.”

Nico nodded his head. He glanced back over to where Percy, Luke, and Annabeth sat, a frown appearing on his face. Annabeth was actually in Percy's lap now, grinding her hips down onto Percy. Luke had made himself busy with rubbing Percy's chest, trying to keep Percy's attention on him. Nico let out a loud sigh to which Will chuckled at.

“Still jealous I see,” he teased.

“I just don't get why he won't do any of that with me,” Nico mumbled.

Will arched an eyebrow. “Percy doesn't really do anything with us, it's a matter of letting us do stuff to him. The only time he does anything is when it's time for the actual sex. He doesn't go to any of us for it, we go to him.”

Nico blew out a long breath, still staring at Percy. Will nudged him and hopped off the stage. Nico looked at him in confusion until he saw the Lost Kids were getting ready to perform. He climbed off the stage and followed Will over to a table. Apollo jumped off the stage and walked over to the table Nico and Will were now occupying. The Lost Boys walked over to their side of the room, sitting down on the stage to watch the girls perform.

Nico watched as the girls did their performance, shimmying their bodies, slapping their asses, and bending over to show their clothed butts. “It's much more exciting when it's the real thing,” Apollo whispered. “Wait until tonight when they're in their costumes, it looks nothing short of amazing.”

“I'm sure,” Nico replied with a smile. Apollo leaned back in his chair and slipped his arm behind Nico, pulling the boy's chair closer to him. As the song finished, Apollo stood up. Nico clapped with Will and Apollo as the girls gave a playful bow.

Thalia smirked at Nico when she saw him clapping. She reached for the hem of her shirt and lifted it up. Nico's face darkened as he got an eyeful of her see-through bra. The girls all giggled at him, while Will chuckled and pat him on the back. “You better get used to seeing stuff like that, Nico. You'll be seeing a lot more of it,” Will laughed.

“Good job, girls,” Percy said. Nico turned his head to the booth where Percy sat. Annabeth was already standing up and Percy was sliding out himself. He stood up and walked over to the front of the stage, where he started talking to Apollo.

Nico frowned, his eyes trained on Percy's crotch. Will leaned over and waved a hand in front of his face. “See something you like there, buddy?” he teased.

Nico's face felt burning hot. “I-I wasn't looking at...you know,” Nico stuttered.

Will's eyes widened in amusement. “Looking for a bulge?”

Nico pouted. “Why would you think that?”

Will arched a brow. “Well, you were staring right at his crotch.” Will leaned back in his chair, his eyes flickering to Percy for a brief second before they returned to Nico. “You're not going to see anything, though.”

“Why do you say that?”

Will shrugged. “Percy has control over his body. The only time he really gets hard is when it's time for sex. I guess it was all those years of practice just gave him have total control.”

Nico's lips curled down into a frown, his eyebrows furrowing. That really didn't make sense. “Are you sure?” Nico asked.

Will nodded his head, giving Nico an odd look. “I mean, Annabeth was practically fucking him right over there, but as you can see, he's flaccid.”

“Interesting,” Nico mumbled.

Will's face contorted further in confusion. He started to open his mouth to say something, but Percy suddenly appeared at their table. “Will, get to the stage, you need to practice,” Percy ordered. Will nodded and hurried off to join the others on the stage. Percy turned his gaze on Nico. He smirked and rested his hand on the table. “So, did you enjoy that?”

Nico nodded. “Yeah, I can't wait to see the real thing tonight,” Nico replied.

Percy's smirk grew. He chuckled and winked at Nico. “I'm sure. Now, I need you to get backstage and help Silena and Piper out. After that you can go get some food. When you come back, wear some loose clothing, just make sure to have the speedo on underneath the clothes.” He stood back up to his full height. “Go backstage when you arrive, the twins will have something for you when you get there.”

Nico nodded, standing up. His eyes raked over Percy's body once, still taking in what Will had said. Nico looked back up to Percy's face, where Percy was giving him an amused look. “Sorry,” Nico mumbled.

“Don't be sorry,” Percy chuckled. He snapped his fingers. “Oh yes, before I forget, I need to talk to you about your schedule next week.”

“Okay.”

“Well, you'll still meet with the boys after school, but you'll have private lessons with Apollo in place of lessons with me.”

Nico pouted. “Oh.”

Percy chuckled and ruffled Nico's hair. “Cheer up, I'll probably drop in on your lessons with him, just to make sure that you're getting the hang of things.” He grabbed Nico's shoulders and guided him towards the backstage door. “Now, off you go.”

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Nico exited the elevator, Clarisse and Ethan were now at their booths. It would be another ten minutes before customers got to come up, so they were currently unoccupied. “Well, well, if it isn't the new kid. Finally made it up to the big boys' club, eh?” Clarisse said, scribbling something down on a clipboard with a smirk.

“I guess so,” Nico replied, walking past the booths.

Ethan chuckled. “Don't mind her, Nico. We're here to keep you guys taken care of. So, if you have problems with the customers, we got you're back,” said Ethan.

Nico gave him a small smile. “Thanks.” He hurried off down the hall, running up the stairs. The room was cast into the darkness it had been in the last time Nico had been up here during business hours. The wall was still open, so Nico was assuming that the Lost Kids would be performing together this weekend.

He headed backstage, where he found six of the Lost Boys. A door close to the one Percy had taken Nico down last time was opened this time. The boys looked to be getting ready, Butch and Apollo already in their speedos. The twins, Octavian, and Luke, were putting on costumes. The twins were dressed to look like jesters. They had on white tights underneath some black puffy shorts. Their shirts were white as well, with black designs elaborately embroidered over the fronts and backs. Their heads were covered with black and white hats, which had several pointy ends, each with its own bell. Their entire faces were covered in masks, each sporting a different one. The one Nico assumed to be Travis, due to the small variation in height, had a half sun on the left side of his mask, while Connor's had a crescent moon on the opposite side of his mask.

Luke's costume made him look like a Venetian noble from the pages of history on his way to a party. His pants were black with golden embroidering down the sides. On both of his hands he also wore black gloves. His shirt was blood red with a black crease running vertically down the center. His arms had black silk wrapped all the way down his arm and around his hands. Nico then noticed the blond was completely barefoot, which he thought was a little odd, until he noticed the same about all the boys in costumes. In his left hand was his mask, it was only large enough to cover from above his eyes down to his nose. Below each of the eye slots, there were gold designs hanging downwards.

Octavian had green tights on. There was a black belt wrapped around his waist with a golden belt buckle. His hands were covered with white silk gloves that extended up into a green coat he had on. The coat matched the pants, but it had green and white feathers lining the opening. One difference with his ensemble and the others' was that he did not have a shirt on, giving Nico a full display of Octavian's torso. Nico couldn't recall ever seeing Octavian shirtless, but he suddenly wished he had. He couldn't get a good look at it, but from what he could see, Octavian was defined, not as much as Will or Apollo, but he had some abs. Octavian's mask was white with green designs swirling across the sides and top of the mask.

“Hey, Nico,” Butch greeted him as he approached.

“Well, look who's finally here,” voiced Luke. “Ready to start playing with the big boys?”

Nico raised an eyebrow. “I'm sorry, I'm trying to take you seriously, but then I look at what you're wearing,” Nico replied.

Everyone but Luke and Octavian cracked up, the twins rolling in a fit of laughter. “Alright, Nico, you need your own mask,” Apollo chuckled.

“Percy said to see the Stolls,” Nico informed them.

“We have your mask right over here,” they said simultaneously. It still creeped Nico out the way they did that.

They walked over to a mirror and retrieved a mask off the desk. They jogged back over and handed the mask to Nico. The mask was like Luke's, in that it only covered the same portion of Nico's face. It was white with a small circle of blue tracing the left eye, while the right side of the mask was covered in blue. The right side was designed so that the blue descended away from the eye, until it reached the bottom of the mask, swirling inwards near the bottom. It was beautiful, Nico thought.

“You need to hurry and get out of those clothes,” Octavian mumbled, slipping his mask onto his face.

Nico looked down, uncomfortable with what he was going to have to do. He handed his mask back to Connor while he slipped his shirt over his head, earning whistles from the twins. Nico rolled his eyes and took the mask back from Connor. He slipped the mask over his face, which oddly enough, made him smile. It felt fun to be wearing it. Perhaps Apollo had been right about this part of the job being fun. He walked over to the mirror where he fixed his hair, having become messy when he pulled off his shirt. He slipped out of his pants and shoes, picking them and his shirt up, and setting them in a pile with the other boys' clothes.

“Now what?” Nico asked.

“Butch and I are about to head out onto the floor, so you can just follow us when we go,” Apollo said.

“We need to show him where to drop off and pick up orders,” Butch reminded the blond.

“Oh yeah, that's right, we haven't taken you by the other backroom. Well, it's not really a backroom. It's just a small room out on the floor. Come on, we'll show you.” With that, Apollo and Butch walked off, pushing the door open, and the three of them emerged back into the main room. A few customers were starting to come in, which meant Nico's night was about to begin. They headed towards two doors which would normally have been split by the wall that was currently gone. Butch pushed the door open for them, and Nico found himself in a room similar to the break room in the bar. This one however, had a variety of liquor bottles lining the back wall. Three large stacks of glasses sat on the right corner of the back wall. There was a sink nearby, on the left wall, and a refrigerator on the opposite side of that.

Hazel, Thalia, and Calypso sat on one of the two couches in the room, while a man that Nico had never seen before sat in a chair in the corner of the room, next to the small bar. Nico looked the man over, feeling an immediate sense of uncertainty about the man. There was just something about the way he looked at Nico, and the smile on his face, that made Nico feel uneasy.

He had a chubby face and a red nose, probably from alcohol consumption. His hair was so black and styled with gel that it looked almost purple in the lighting. His blue eyes were also horribly bloodshot. He was a little on the chubby side, and wore a tiger-striped button-up shirt and black pants.

His eyes crinkled at the sight of Nico, making the young boy fidget. “Oh, Apollo, who's this?” the man asked.

Nico glanced up at the blond next to him. Apollo's eyes had visually turned a darker shade of blue and his jaw had tightened. “This is our new addition, his name is Nico,” Apollo grunted. He turned his angry eyes upon Nico, nodding to the man. “Nico, that's Dionysus, the...bartender up here.”

Nico looked back at the man, giving him a timid wave. The man smiled back at him. Butch grunted and stepped in front of Nico, crossing his arms over his chest. “Oh, Butch, must we act so uncivilized?” Dionysus asked in amusement, pouring himself some alcohol.

Nico glanced at the girls on the couch, who seemed to be making a point not to look at Dionysus. They were dressed similarity to the boys, being in bathing suits. They also had masks, each of theirs placed in their laps. Thalia's looked unique, it was nothing but silver-looking metal crafted into the most beautiful designs. Instead of having something painted across it, there were holes to form the mask's designs. It seemed like all the people working the floor could only wear small masks, as her's also only covered a portion of her face.

Hazel's mask was also silver, with what looked like diamonds embedded around the eyes. The right side of the mask was what really drew Nico's attention. It was shaped so that it would curve around and up the side of the wearer's face. There was also a large black feather attached to the right side to complete its look.

Calypso's mask reminded Nico of the Jack-of-Blades mask from Fable. The mask was white for the most part, but had red, black, and gold, scattered across it as well. Lines were drawn between the eyes, looking like string tied into knots. Red spread across the top of the mask, right above the eyes and curving around the outside of the eyes. On the right side of the mask, a black rose was attached to it.

“Hey, Nico,” Hazel greeted him. Nico waved back.

“Are you ready for this?” Thalia asked.

“I think so,” Nico replied. He wasn't completely sure, considering his pulse was racing pretty fast.

Finally, Apollo and Butch put their masks on, allowing Nico a chance to see them. Apollo's had to be the most meaningful of the masks Nico had seen, a music sheet drawn across it. Gold lined the border of the mask, and spread out, covering some of the music sheet. The space over Apollo's nose was black with the gold border around it, forming a perfect triangle. It was beautiful to look at, and went well with Apollo's features. His eyes shined so perfectly through the mask.

Butch's mask resembled flames. Nico couldn't quite decide on the design, debating between an imp, goblin, or a representation of the Egyptian goddess Bast. Pointed ears were on either side of the mask. A golden 'V' ran down the center of the mask, right between the eyes. The eyes were also surrounded by gold. The rest of the mask, however, was colored red. It was interesting to look at, to say the least.

“Alright, we better get out there,” Calypso said, standing up. “Remember, Nico, this works the same as the bar downstairs, but you need to pay even less attention to their business.”

Nico nodded. He definitely knew better than to do that at this point in the job. “Your mask has to stay on at all times while on the floor,” Hazel informed him. He nodded his head again. Apollo pushed on Nico's lower back, ushering him to the door with the others. Nico turned his head back to look at Dionysus as he was going, receiving a crooked smile from the man.

The room had already filled while they had been in the bar room. Nico watched as the others grabbed a pen and pad from a table by the door, Thalia tossing him one for himself. Nico thanked her and began to walk off, but Apollo grabbed his arm in a tight grip. Nico turned his head to look at the blond in confusion, only to be met by a serious look on Apollo's face.

“I need to talk to you real quick,” Apollo said.

“What about?” Nico asked.

“I figured someone had told you about Dionysus, but I guess not. You need to talk to Percy, tomorrow. Just don't take anything from Dionysus.” Nico looked back towards the door, but Apollo grabbed his chin and forced him to look back at him, a fierce look in his eyes. “I mean it, Nico. Nothing. If he offers you something, don't take it. Do you understand?”

Nico nodded his head slowly, a little confused by what was happening. Apollo hadn't even been this upset when he saw Nico was being bullied. “I promise I won't.”

Apollo let out a long breath, releasing Nico's arm. “Good, just see Percy tomorrow. It's time you learned the rules around here.”

“There are rules?” Nico asked, arching a brow.

“Not many,” Apollo chuckled, his face soon returning to its dark expression. “You just need to hear this stuff from Percy. Just listen to my advice, ok? The others will tell you the same thing. Be careful with that man.”

Nico nodded again. “Okay, I'll be careful.”

“Thank you,” Apollo sighed in relief. “Now that that is out of the way, let's get to work.”

It was around the second table that Nico went to that he noticed a difference in business up here, compared to business in the bar. For starters, a lot of the customers did not look as friendly as the ones downstairs. He tried not to overhear, really he did, but he just could not help it. By the sound of what the two men at his table were talking about, Nico wasn't sure if they were dealing in slavery or a prostitution ring. Either way, it made him feel uncomfortable serving them, and even more uncomfortable when they looked up at him.

Percy came in right before the show was going to start, and Nico saw the Lost Kids all start to make their way over to him. Were they going to fight to the death for the chance to be Percy's waiter, or something? He tried to make his way over as well, but Thalia beat them all to him. Nico let out a long sigh as the black haired girl smiled and leaned over Percy's small booth.

“You'll have to be quicker on your feet next time, Nico, if you want that job,” Butch said, patting Nico on the back.

“Why is everyone fighting over him?” Nico asked.

Butch smirked. “It's just how we are. It's sort of a bloodbath up here. All of us want to work up here because both the floor and the stage pay better.” Butch leaned in closer to whisper to Nico. “It also allows Percy's server to have more time to talk to him, in case they want to work on their hours.”

Nico nodded as Butch walked off. He stared back at where Thalia was still flirting with Percy. He was going to get that position this weekend, if it was the last thing he would do. The room suddenly fell quiet as the lights darkened even further than it already was. Nico stood where he was, wanting to watch the opening for tonight's show. He wanted to see how they would kick tonight off, considering the theme.

Two spotlights turned on as the music began, focusing on the two ropes hanging from the ceiling. Nico recognized the song as David Guetta's “Turn Me On”. As the beats of the song began, Travis and Connor started descending, upside down, from the ropes. They landed gracefully on the ground, crossing each other with backflips. Once they finished the curtain in the back was opened, revealing the stage to the audience. The Lost Kids were on stage, in their full costumes. They stood frozen like statues until the line, “Make me come alive”,  played in the song.

Up on the stage with Luke, Octavian, and the twins were Silena, Piper, Reyna, and Annabeth dressed just as extravagantly as the boys. Silena wore a golden dress with black fur around the shoulders. Her mask was golden as well, taking the form of a butterfly. Piper's outfit was pure white. The dress was large and puffy, with silk and lace scattered across it. Her mask was similar to the one Hazel wore, except hers was pure white, with a white feather on the side. Reyna's was a matching outfit to the one Octavian wore, except hers was a dress, obviously. It looked like she had an umbrella stuffed up under her dress from the way it spread out. Her mask was green, but did not cover her left eye, curving in a crescent shape around it. Annabeth's dress seemed to wrap around her, completely black. There was some transparent purple silk wrapped around her shoulders, that traveled up to her head. Her mask was white, with purple designs drawn across it. A single purple teardrop was drawn right below the left eye.

They carried an air of being marionettes as they began to move, dangling their arms every time they moved. Luke started out by slouching forward, his arms swinging in front of him. Silena's head fell off to the side to give a similar effect. It was actually entertaining to watch them put on a performance with this theme. Finally, they reached up and acted like they were tearing the strings away. They approached the front of the stage, lining up in a row. The twins stayed together, leaning against one another, while Octavian had an arm wrapped around Reyna's waist, dipping her back a little. As the beat picked up, they dropped to the ground, pounding the floor with their palms.

As they rose back up, they removed a piece of clothing. A belt, some silk, hats, and an umbrella skirt were thrown to the side of the stage. They all leaned forward, running their hands down their right or left leg, splitting half each, and then slid it back up, caressing their upper thighs as they ascended once again.

The girls popped their hips out and fell backwards, one of the guys catching each of them. The girls reached up and ripped the shirts away from their respective guys, giving the audience a nice view of each of the guys' torsos. Dresses were then removed, leaving the girls in fishnet stockings and tight corsets.

The girls fell into the guys' chests, raking their hands down the firm torsos. The guys spun the girls around and they spread out a few inches. They stomped their left and then right foot as the song hit two thumps during the song. When the lyrics from earlier repeated, the guys ripped their pants off, now leaving them in either speedos or man thongs. The only real thing now covering the kids, were the masks and the underwear.

Silena and Connor got down on the ground, crawling across the stage. They laid themselves on their sides, raising their legs up in the air. Nico's eyes widened a little as he watched both of them stick their legs straight up. Luke and Travis hovered over them, dropping down to the floor on top of them. They ran a hand up Connor and Silena's legs, thrusting their hips down in time with the music.

Nico felt his face heat up as he continued to watch the Lost Kids. He yelped when he felt someone press up against his behind, turning around to find a grinning Apollo. “Enjoying the show?” Apollo asked over the music.

“It's interesting, to say the least,” Nico replied.

Apollo chuckled. “Wait until tomorrow. I have a better opening planned.”

“Why not have it for tonight, since it's the actual opening night?”

“Because I want to be in the performance,” Apollo said with a wink. He hummed to himself, still pressed against Nico's bum. “You know, Nico, you have a really nice ass.”

Nico's face turned even redder, turning his face away from the blond. “Shut up,” he mumbled.

“If you ever wanted to lose that virginity of yours, I'd be glad to help you out,” Apollo whispered in his ears before chuckling and walking off.

Nico glared at the blond as he sauntered over to one of his tables, his eyes falling down to Apollo's perfect butt, that the speedo very much complimented. Nico sighed to himself. His attention returned to the stage as clapping erupted in the room. The Lost Kids all stood frozen in place for a few seconds before blowing kisses to the audience and walking backstage.

Nico got himself back to work as they prepared for the next performance. He didn't need to get in trouble on his first night, and he knew that several eyes would probably be on him to see how he did. Checking his suspicions, he glanced over to Percy's booth, where sure enough, Percy's eyes were trained directly on him. Percy smirked at him and raised his glass up at him. Nico blew at his bangs and went to his next table.

Nico threw on a flirtatious smile as he came to the table. Two women sat at the table, one black headed and the other a brunette. “Hello there, my name is Nico. Is there anything I can get you very fine ladies to start off with?” he asked, adding a wink for good measure.

The women did not act like the ones downstairs usually did, who were usually more subtle when they eyed the workers. These women had no qualms about raking their eyes up and down Nico's near naked body. “Well, aren't you...adorable,” the brunette said, biting her lip.

Nico could already tell this job would be different from what he had been accustomed to at the Lotus. He now knew why Percy had told him several times to keep his innocence. It was probably going to be a challenge to keep it. Nico quickly hid the frown that he could feel appearing on his face, replacing it with the standard flirty smile.

Throughout the night, Nico became more and more aware of the behaviors of the people up here. He was also aware of all the looks he was getting, most of them coming across as predatory. He felt like a gazelle about to be taken down by a lion.

The night finally came to an end at three in the morning. Nico collapsed into a booth with Octavian, Apollo, Thalia, and Luke. His head landed on Apollo's shoulder, completely exhausted. He let out a groaning noise as Apollo started rubbing his back. The door to the break room opened and Percy came out with Dionysus. The room seemed to grow eerily quiet as the Lost Kids watched the two, a heavy tension in the air.

Dionysus slipped a wad of cash into Percy's hand and Percy mumbled something to the chubby man. Percy's eyes narrowed at the man as he fished something out of his back pocket and handed it to Dionysus. He pointed a finger at Dionysus and said something else, not looking too happy about whatever they were discussing. The two then glanced over at the booth, looking straight at Nico. Percy grabbed Dionysus jaw roughly and turned Dionysus's chubby face to look back at his, whispering something else to the man.

“What's going on?” Nico whispered.

Luke looked up from his phone, looking bored, and glanced over at the scene. “They're just doing business,” the blond said, returning to his game.

“Don't worry about that stuff, Nico,” Thalia added, giving him a stern look.

Percy walked off from Dionysus and came up to their booth. He grabbed the glass that Octavian was in the process of raising to his lips, and took a sip for himself. “Yes, Percy, you can have that,” Octavian mumbled as Percy handed it back to him.

Percy smirked. “Sorry, just needed something and didn't want to order something new,” he apologized.

“Eh, don't sweat it.”

“You guys did great tonight.”

“Thanks, boss,” the twins sang in Percy's ears, suddenly appearing beside him. They rested their heads on Percy's shoulders, lacing their fingers together around his body.

Percy finally turned his attention to Nico. “I'm actually impressed, Nico. You did well tonight. Let's hope you continue this streak for the remainder of the weekend,” he said with a smile. He glanced at Apollo to speak to him. “Don't forget, you need to work with him this coming week. I need him able to dance like the rest of you by this time next week.”

Apollo nodded, giving Nico's shoulder a squeeze. “I'll work him extra hard,” Apollo teased with a wink.

“What happens tomorrow?” Nico asked. It was the weekend, so he didn't know what he could expect this time around.

“We'll be back up here after lunch, so come back up here after you eat and help out,” Percy said,  slapping his palm onto his fist. Percy's smile suddenly fell. “And you'll need to come by my office as well. Do that first, then you can come up here to work.”

Nico nodded. Tomorrow sounded like it would be another interesting day, but then again, what day wasn't interesting at the Lotus?