#kazuma absolutely WILL protect him and all the kiddos at camp! tRY HIM HE DARES YOU! 😤

[howthesleeplesswander]

(from tidaltow! ovo <3)

“Okay, okay— Lay off for a second; hold on.”

Out of breath, Percy staggered back a few paces, his free hand lifted in surrender. He was sloppy. He knew he was sloppy, and he didn’t need Kazuma to chastise him for that—much less keep pressing him with one stroke after another across the entirety of the arena. The training dummy he’d ended up nearly tripping over somehow managed to look smug without an actual face. Percy bumped off its helmet with the hilt of his sword as a show of who was boss here.

—given that he wasn’t accomplishing too much else at the moment.

He looked back at Kazuma, and he was pretty sure his shoulders slumped from more than just exhaustion. “Look, I’m trying”—so Kazuma hadn’t uttered a word, but Percy had seen his expression and felt he better jump to his own defense ahead of time—“but I guess everything’s on vacation today—I dunno. Can we take five or something?” Percy tossed Riptide from his left hand back to his right. That felt better. That felt… yeah, right.

But, sure, okay: learning to fight with his nondominant hand was important. He’d give Kazuma that. Didn’t make it any less annoying.

Answered! || @tidaltow

((AHHH tysm for starting us off with this lovely ask, my dear! ;u; 💕 We immediately love Percy so much asfkldfs BUNDLES HIM UP AND RUFFLES HIS HAIR TTOTT))

When Kazuma pushed his pupils, it was intentional. Most kids at Camp Half-Blood were painfully young—but one of the first lessons that every demigod learned was that age didn't matter. Not to destiny. Not to gods or monsters (though at times he questioned if there was a difference, truth be told).

Someone had to prepare them. That was the sole reason why he still returned to camp even in adulthood: he had no loyalty to the gods, but if he could help the other children they mistreated and discarded, he felt it was his duty to do so.

It was more Percy's tone than the words themselves that led Kazuma to take heed. Relaxing from his stance, he too tossed his sword back to his right hand and lowered the point to the ground. After so many hours spent training together, on top of becoming friends outside the arena, he didn't just notice the dejection weighing his young pupil's voice and shoulders—he knew how unusual it was for a boy so full of fight.

Kazuma's expression softened. He sheathed Karuma with an effortless flourish. "Very well; a short break, then." They'd been at it for nearly an hour now. A brief respite was deserved—especially in favor of focusing on something much more important. A few quick strides brought him to the edge of the arena and back again. One hand offered Percy a bottle of water while the other rested on his shoulder.

"You know, this exercise is supposed to be difficult. Even with your skill, it'd be a shock if this were easy for you." He fell quiet as he studied his pupil. "Or is there something else that's bothering you?"