#like percy slept on the floor for her

[mydairpercabeth]

show percabeth is eating book 1 percabeth up

[leaawrites]

Take away the pain

Percy Jackson x daughter of Apollo!reader

Warnings: Blood, open body, might be disturbing, mentions of organs, broken limbs, nightmare, mentions of death, mentions of wounds, scratch marks, tight throat, female reader,

Category: angst, a bit of fluff, comfort

summary: after reader has a nightmare Percy comforts her.

Masterlist

Blood. It was everywhere. Soaking her clothes, staining the fabric in a crimson color. Her body felt weightless, but she felt alive. Her limbs were broken, they were shattered, thorn by the ends. Her chest was open. She couldn’t feel it, but she saw it. It wasn’t neatly opened by a knife. She wasn’t slashed or stabbed by a human creature. It was a hole. She was opened by something more forceful. Part of her organs were laying beside her. Her skin was opened.

The stone beneath her feet was flat, sanded smooth by millions of feet walking over it. But hers couldn’t feel it. She couldn’t make her mark on it. She couldn’t polish it with her own. She destroyed it.

Her body was weightless and she wasn’t alive.

Her eyes opened, sweat was soaking the shirt she slept in. Her hair was a mess. Nothing felt real anymore. But it was real. This was real.

Her hands clutched her chest, fearing to feel it soaked. But all she felt was skin to skin. A body moved on the other side of the bed. Percy pulled the blanket up to his face, probably fighting with his own nightmare.

The air in camp Half-blood felt clearer at night. No one was awake at this hour, the sky was dark, nature was silent. A tree moved from the wind, somewhere something else moved through the night, making sounds through the leaves that covered the ground.

Y/n gently removed the blanket from over her body, hoping she wouldn’t wake Percy in doing so. Her feet were soundless on the wooden floor. Tears were pricking on the edge of her eye. Her eye lids felt heavy from the water forming beneath them.

Being a kid of Apollo was great in her eyes. She couldn’t complain too much. However, one thing that made her want to change her godly parent, were the wounds she’d seen. The blood that has been on her hands while trying to safe someone else. She saw people in pain that she wanted to pull them out of, often that was Percy. If there was a way of taking their pain and put them onto her she would gladly do it. But she couldn’t.

Slow rivers were trailing down her face as she sat down on the stairs, watching the outside in hope of forgetting what she saw. It may wasn’t real, but it felt realistic enough to scare her. Images came flashing back into her mind. And every time they did, she shut her eyes, imagining his face. The way he would smile at her whenever he saw her. Until it was forgotten.

“What did you dream about?” Of course he knew that was the reason she was up. Of course he felt whenever she wasn’t by his side, even when his eyes were closed and his body was on stand-by.

Y/n moved her fingers over her neck, scratching her fingernails against the soft flesh. It hurt, she noticed. The simple motion made her throat feel tight, it felt like strings were laced around it, pulling themselves together by the second. A deep breath in the pain began to gave up on paining her even more.

“I was dead,��� she said, her voice shaking while she spoke. Percy sat down beside her, looking confused at the raw explanation. “My chest was ripped open, there was blood everywhere and my body wasn’t my body anymore. Percy, I- I was nothing more but a dead, rotting body. Nothing more than flesh split open, with broken bones.”

Percy knew about the dreams she had before. They were mostly about other people dying, never her. He put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her body into his chest, the other covered his face.

"It was just a dream," he assured the girl. It pained him to see her so broken over what others called her gift. He didn't know what he would do if he saw what she saw.

"But can I be sure of that? What if it was all just a vision of what will be in the future?" There were a hundred thoughts on her mind. Most of them bad ones. If this was all a vision, when would it happen? When would whatever ripped her open rip her open?

Kissing her head, he softly spoke, “Nothing will hurt you. I won’t let it.”

“How can you be so sure about that?” She asked, thinking back on the girl who was in the infirmary a few days ago. She was on a quest, abandoned by her other two acquaintances. He told me he would never leave me, she recalled the girl tell her. Percy wasn’t like this, but what if something acquired him to go away? What if someone was the reason why he wasn’t there?

Percy thought back to his mother. He believed she would always be there, until she wasn’t. But he got her back. He believed, that if you truly loved someone, that nothing could make you turn away from them. “Because I love you.”

It was his only reasonable answer to that question. He would protect her as long as he loved her. There was nothing that could make him turn away when she was hurt.

The pain on her neck left completely when Percy planted a kiss on the back of it. He made the pain disappear. The string detached from another, leaving her to breath freely and purely. The pain from her stomach unraveled when she felt his skin against it. He was what she needed when the pain was too much. With Percy everything felt lighter. Every one of her problems solved around him. He was the light she needed on dark day for her sun to shine.

[targaryenluvs]

— INTO HIS ARMS

pairing: yandere!percy jackson x fem!gf!reader

summary: percy decides to scare you back into his arms, of course you need him, you couldn’t survive without!

warnings: combat, injuries, blood, kinda creepy oc, kinda backwards views/manly views, obsessed?? guilt, makeups, hugs

a/n: part one —this is kinda inspired by @supercutszns fighting chance!

you hadn’t slept all night.

thinking about your fight with percy and the fact that he was for once alone, because of you. alone in a huge cabin all to himself just because he was worried about you and another boy.

but on the other hand, he was over reacting. it was getting hard for you to be with percy in all honestly, as much as you loved him it seemed like he would never let you be. you were conflicted, did you want to be with him and put up with his jealousy? or break up with your bestfriend and be miserable?

the entire morning, all you could think about was your dilemma. even as you sat through tactic and strategy with annabeth and your group, percy was on your mind as well as behind you. “percy, y/n, you’ll be with me.” annabeth spoke as everyone split apart. you sighed, even with annabeth you knew she’d plop on her cap and disappear, you were stuck with percy.

“i’d rather scout for the other flag.” murmurs and whispers rung out around you as everyone wondered why on earth percy would want to seperate from you. “fine, let’s get moving.” you turned to look back at him, but he was already gone.

great, he was pissed. but why? he was the one acting irrational, and you just wanted a break. percy was acting as if you were in the wrong.

as you expected, annabeth disappeared soon enough, leaving you to yourself. you sat on a log, over looking your surroundings. engrossed in your pathetic attempts to entertain yourself, you hadn’t noticed the approaching enemy footsteps.

you tried to stand but the sword at your throat stopped you. “don’t move, where’s the flag?” you turned your head slightly to view the boy, but he was unrecognisable. he could tell you didn’t know, “you don’t even know my name do you?” you closed your eyes as your hand curled around the hilt of your sword, you lifted it promptly, clashing with his sword.

the two of you began to fight, loud clashes rumbling through the thick forest as you gained ground, merciless in your pursuit. you were close to winning, he was losing energy and the slashes you’d landed had him wincing. eventually you managed to slam the sword out of his hand, causing him to trip and land on his butt. “do you give up?” his chest was heaving, you expected him to be mad, but a smile came across his face, “no.”

the yells came from behind you, three of his teammates charging towards you as you picked up his sword and ran. chucking it away, you continued running as you heard their taunts, “where do you think you’re going sweetheart?” laughs echoed around, “give up!” you ended up at the shoreline as you turned around and viewed all three of them.

“what’re you gonna do now huh?” the blonde headed boy looked vicious and ready to fight, you weren’t one to stand down, “beat your ass into the floor probably, three on one? real mature.” his smirk was wiped off as he snarled, “shut up!” he ran at you, dumb idea, you dashed to the side as he ran past you, being pushed into the floor whilst you grabbed his sword and threw it into the water.

the other two charged at you, you were good of course, but two fully trained older teens? you weren’t so sure. you’d slipped on the watery shore, causing a gash along your arm. the blood ran down your arm as your hand clutched the sword, “where’s your back talk?” the other boy smirked as you laughed, “up your ass.” you shouted as you brung the sword up, slashing his shoulder before you pushed him onto the floor.

what you hadn’t noticed was the blonde boy staggering to his feet, his friends sword in his hand. he came at you from behind, slamming the handle into your back as you screamed out in pain. your head slammed against the floor, your arm ached and your eyes were hazy. the boy chuckled as the tip of the sword rested on your chest, the sword trailed around your chest, “my names toby, by the way.”

“that’s a pretty stupid name toby.” percy spoke as the boy turned, “what do you want jackson?” percy’s smile was oddly wide, but soon enough it dropped, “for you to never mess with my girlfriend, ever.” the boy pointed his sword at percy, “is that right? how old are you anyways? five? you couldn’t beat me on my worst day.” percy took a step forwards as toby took a step back, “first of all, i could easily beat you, and second, the minute you laid your hands on her, it became your worst day.”

the water slammed into toby from behind, a large wave and toby shouted out, his entire body was in excruciating pain. “help! please!” toby clawed at the floor as the water seemed to drag him in, but the shouts and cheers of your team and luke waving the opposite teams flags drowned him out.

percy rushed to your side, “are you okay? can you hear me?” you nodded lazily, “my arm, percy my arm.” he peeled off your armour hurriedly before rolling up your sleeve. the blood was flowing still, but all percy could think of was how badly he wanted to put a million more cuts in toby and his friends. the campers saw the scene, the two boys on the floor, toby’s hands flapping around in the water, trying to keep himself afloat.

the water, the water will heal her.

the same voice from before was in his head, and he decided to listen. he picked you up, dragging you near the water. the campers watched intently as percy’s hand hovered above the water, a line of water formed as he directed it to your arm. and soon enough the gash was gone and you were okay. he clutched onto your face, “y/n, i’m so sorry, i should’ve been there with you.”

you shot up, hugging percy tightly. “it’s not your fault, thank you for saving me. but percy, you used the water.” percy hadn’t even realised in all honestly, he’d only been concerned with you. he glanced at toby, an idea in his head. he reached his hand out, and suddenly toby was dragged back to shore.

shouts and cheers came from the campers, and as you looked up, you noticed the trident above his head, “perce.” he looked at you intently, “what’s wrong?” your hand pointed upwards as he viewed it. chirons voice boomed, declaring him as the son of poseidon.

but all he could find himself caring for was you, clutching onto him and smiling, “i’m so happy for you percy.” your arms held onto him as his slithered around your waist, “i’m sorry, for everything. i’d very much like to move some of my things back to your cabin. if you’ll take me back percy?” he smiled, “of course.”

percy had been claimed, and he now had you again, back in his arms once more, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever let go.

[lady-ashfade]

Following The Tune

Percy Jackson x UnknownGod! Half-blood reader. (The reader is the child of the “Unknown” god, other wise known as Caias)

—£ Again, I have not finish the books so I’m making up my own gods/plot and stuff. I just find it fun. Also, reader has a sword like Percy, the pen.

—£ This is just a plot i made up, I just have a oc story in like so I did it! Please don’t hate because it has nothing to do with anything really (Or maybe it does)

—£ Warnings: Slight!Oc!Reader, slight angst, new lore to follow, all over the place, comfort.

The moment you laid your eyes on Percy Jackson- you knew he was different. Everything about him sang a different song the rest here. It was a familiar tone. When you learnt of what he had to face to get here made you guilty, knowing while you were dry and safe he had to face that same doom you faced.

“Maybe, just maybe…” you whispered while he slept. He look almost peaceful but the crinkle in his brows said another thing. Taking a step forward you close your eyes and tried to listen for something. Your senses elevate as you tried to sniff him out. Every was calling out but you couldn’t hold it for too long.

A creek in the floor boards threw you off and took you out of your powers, turning around there stood annabeth with a raised brow and her arms crossed. “I told you not to be in here.” You sighed and picked up your bag. Walking passed her and out of the door but she caught your wrist in her hands. “What did you feel?”

Snatching your arm away from her, a annoyed huff left your lips. “Nothing, not like you ever listen anyway.” You made it out the door before she could say anything to stop you. Now, you didn’t hate annabeth. It was just, no one ever liked to listen to you. She always thought she knew everything and when someone needed something from you- They tried to suck up to you.

But in the years you could call her somewhat of a friend, like everyone else. But there was no trust.

Which is way you made it out of the camp in the same way you always have, with no one noticing. You were the only half-blood in your cabin, no one to stick with at times. So being alone made it easy to slip away from time to time but it was always dangerous to go out. But you always had luck on your side.

Taking a step through the barrier you smiled feeling the human feeling of the air. Making your way to the road you followed, stopped a few times to figure your way to things. Took a few buses with the money you hoarded. 

Smirking when you stepped out on the pavement at your destination. It stunk. The streets sang with chatting of all the mortals, and the smell of greasy food. “Home.” Is what it reminded you of but there was a stench you didn’t like but continued to go about your way into the apartment building.

The empty cabin was looked over by Chiron and Grover, Luke standing by with his arm crossed. “How can they keep getting out like that? I don’t understand.” Grover pondered his thoughts out loud. “Get it from their farther.” Luke commented and shrugged, he smirked again at the thought of you.

“They’ll be safe, hopefully. Does anyone know why they lift this time?” Chiron looked at the boys as the taller one just shrugged again almost uninterested. Grocer shifted nervously and he looked down trying to not say anything but he gave up when the attention was on him.

“They visited Percy before they left. I don’t know why, maybe that has something to do with it?” The older man sighed and closed his eyes, the stress lines already showing. He nodded and walked out without a word while the boys looked at each other. It was a worried look but all they could do was await your return.

It was stupid. He was stupid. He smelled. The apartment smelled of beer that burned your noses and gave you a headache. All he did was sit on the couch and scream at the computer in his lap as you stared at him behind the wall. He was to busy to hear the door open. But you were thankful as his attention was so focused on the screen that he didn’t notice you. All you had to do was focus.

Closing your eyes you calm yourself and let your senses take over and watch for you. Slowly you got ahold of his mind which was dirty to look at, that it made you feel filthy. Making him tired you heard him yawn and feel his body start to give up. Opening your eyes you watch him drift off while he was confused as to why he felt so tired.

Once he was out cold you walked around the apartment with one idea in mind. To find a photo. Sally Jackson and her younger son, Percy Jackson. They weren’t hard to find and you found a wall of them on in the hallway. So many pictures of the family. He was so little and smiling with no clue of the hard world he knew now, his mother still by his side. But all of them had Gabe in them while little Percy glares daggers at him.

Moving on you looked on the tables for just a single photo to take back to him, one small memory to have with him. Then one image become clear.

“Don’t go to far,” her voice sounded lovely. The sun beaming down on the two of them, the sound of waves soothed the soul. “I wouldn’t mom.” It was Percy, you could seem them clearly. The day was beautiful. She smiled at her son as she watches him run off towards the waves, she knew. Watching him play in the water gave a high pitched sound in your ears.

This memory was different. You didn’t search for it. It was a forbidden memory.

The scene became dark and windy. No one seemed to notice and continued to play and smiled like they were. The waves clashed harder on the shore as the wind whistled through the ears. In the both places you covered your ears and tried to pull yourself out of it but nothing was working. Thunder clashed down from the clouds near the sand you walked one, making you jump each time.

“You wish to know? Weak, so very weak. I only show the truth little one,” the darken voice made you tense and watch black smoke come closer as it swallowed everything up. “Just like your father, always looking for trouble. But unlike him, you aren’t as well hidden.” Sometime touched your face, making you scream out in pain as it stung your cheek.

“Let this be known.”

You were pulled out, crushing over for your breath. Placing a hand up on your cheek you felt the pain and wet feeling, pulling it back you saw the red stain. “Blood.” Panicked you looked at the picture that gave you the vision and grabbed ahold of it. It was a core memory, one not to be messed with. Grabbing ahold of it you threw it in your bag quickly.

You frozen when you smelled that dreadful smell again, the sound of something heavy making the flooring creek. Turning around slightly your eyes went wide and took a step back trying to keep yourself from screaming. The large black figure with claws bigger then your face as it’s body took up all the hallway it squeezed itself into. It was your blood. It smelled you.

The green scales on it’s legs you could see made you feel sick, the empty face made you go white. Sprinting to the open window where the fire escaped was it knew what you were going to do and followed you, reaching out for you. Jumping over the railing and down the steps you cried out in fear as it crawled down the building. The screeching alone made you go crazy.

It was one of the faceless. Something your father had made, something that should have been on your side. But your father lost his war to hades and everything had been taken from him. He went into hiding, ignoring the prayers to him and turned his back on mortals. Until he had you. One last chance to be forgiven and have something to his name.

But he was coward, he lost his war and mind. There was nothing in him that you wanted to call your father, for his creations killed your mother. Maybe that’s why you wanted Percy to have the one thing you did not. Something to look at and never forget her face, her smile, the warmth.

“No, No. Nope.” You jumped down and the other way into the alleyway to get out of sight from people. From your pocket a pen, the cape flipped off and the shining blade lit up the shade. The figure come into the alley and looked at you, moving so slowly towards you. It wasn’t a smart choice but your parent wasn’t known for his smarts. But fleeing was.

Just one step…

Blackness started to take over your vision and you limped over the camp line, holding your stomach as something warm and sticky leaked all over your shirt. You used all your might to get to the camp alive, once you did your body gave out. Muffed voices called out to you but you couldn’t see clearly as blurry outlines leaned over you. When you were picked up the last thing you could remember was someone calling’s your name but you didn’t know who.

Percy watch in confusion as someone was rushed away, no one was saying anything. They were blood red, huge cuts across their shirt and skin. As he stared at them he could remember something he saw in a dream. That face…was watching him for a moment while he slept.

Something blinding hit his eyes and made him turn away. He blinked a few times and stepped back to see what it was. A brown frame facedown in the grass, it looked broken and bloody. He bends down and picked up the backpack, then the picture frame.

“Don’t go too far Percy.”

He saw his mom standing in a sunhat while her hair blew over her face, her arm wrapped around his smaller body. The cartoon shark trunks made him cringe, he used to never go swimming without them. This was a picture of him and his mom….What was it doing here? And why was it with someone he didn’t know.

The frame was broken, the glass shattered but he managed to pull the picture out and stand up when Grover called for him. He threw the bag over his shoulders and followed to the room were they had brought the camper he didn’t know. Percy refused to leave, he needed to talk to them. Everything was so confusing and maybe he could get some answers.

He stood at the corner of your room while watching over you, almost protectively. Percy clings onto the photo of his mom, while staying with you. Even started to eat lunch in your room and desperately waited for you to wake. You mumbled in your sleep while panicked and sweating up a storm. The meds they have you took longer to work and the cut on your cheek seemed to stay black while healing, a permanent scar.

“Percy…” the soft voice caught him off guard. Looking at you he noticed you still out like a light. You repeated the words his mother said just as sweet and caring.

Twitching in the bed, you started to groan louder and try to speak but nothing back out of your mouth. Seeing such destress made him scared, it was unlike anything he has seen before. “Y/n.” He walked close to the bed. He learned your name from the others.

“Wake up,” he shook you slightly in hopes to make you somehow wake up. Your body felt hot, too hot. “You’re freaking me out.” Maybe if I hit them with a pillow it will work, he thought to himself. A few seconds of pushing your shoulders and calling your name, he finally saw your eyes open for the first time.

Shifting your eyes in the light and away from the blurry vision you were spooked when something grabbed ahold of you. Jumping back you shoved his hands away, going as far back as possible. The last thing you remember was the faceless creature.

But you didn’t see the creature, but a boy with his hands held out in front of himself. The look on his face matching the slight fear and confusion you felt. “Percy?” You whispered and tilted your head to the side. He nodded and slowly lowered his arms while looking over you for any sign not to trust you. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I get that a lot.” He half joked full of sarcasms.

“No, no. You need to leave.” Your hands grip the side of the bed. It clicked in his brain that you didn’t move from your curled up place on the bed, your body still tense and shaking. You were scared of him.

“I’m not going to hurt you- Really, I just want answers.” He inched back to make you more comfortable. You watch him point to the corner, “You had a picture of me and my mom, why?” You look at the photo on the table and then back to him. You kept quiet and looked at the door trying to get him to leave but he didn’t budge.

His nose let out of huff, “Look, I’m not mad- Kinda weirded out but, I just want need some type of answer. No one around me tells me anything. Just give me something.” That’s when you saw him, truly saw him.

You looked at your younger self, standing before you with teary eyes while holding themselves close. No one wanted anything to do with you. It was easy to be forgotten and bullied. A nobody begging for a chance to prove themselves. Percy Jackson was just searching for a place in this world like you.

“I saw you the night before you came. I saw your mother, I saw everything happening but I had no clue.” Pulling your legs up and crossing them while covering yourself with your arms. “You deserve a photo of her, something I never had. Sometimes i follow the tone that’s showed to me,” Percy sat down on the bed listening to your story with all his attention and you could see his guilt, sadness and confusion.

“I heard the tone when I lost my mom, when I was claimed,” you look at the bed next to you, “And when i saw you enter the camp.”

“What does that mean?” Your shoulders go up and down as you hum without a true answer. “That you’re important.” His own shoulders drop down as he looked down at the floor in defeat. He got answers with the price of more questions

It was silent in the room. It was slightly uncomfortable but you could handle it. Then he spoke up, “Thank you by the way, it’s nice to see her.” You meet his eyes once’s again.

“You’re welcome, Percy.” Both your lips curled into a small smile. Maybe new friends were to be made this year.

[iichfilwypj]

why, why, why | percy jackson

ღ percy jackson x daughter of hypnos! reader ღ warnings: ANGST (shocking tbh we know it is not gonna last) ღ wc: 646 pt 1 - pt 2 - pt 3 - pt 4 - pt 5 - pt 7

He carefully opened the door, trying not to make a sound. As he stepped further into the room, his eyes immediately found her, lying asleep so peacefully. She was curled up in the bed, the blanket draped over only half of her body, and the lamp beside her illuminated her face brightly.

Oh God, this was agony. The worst kind of pain he had ever felt.

She was so close, yet so far away. He knew she didn’t like him; the past few days, she had been distant, pulling away. A part of him, the selfish part, wished it was something else, like her damn period or something like that.

He stared at her; it became more difficult with each passing moment. He approached slowly, avoiding the mattress where he slept on the floor, and sat on the bed beside her waist. 

He thought it was impossible, but up close, she was even more beautiful. 

But she wasn’t his.

He quietly switched off the lamp and glanced at her once more. He couldn’t pull himself away just yet.

He noticed something in her hand, clenched against her side. The moonlight revealed it—a locket. He smiled faintly as he recognized it. He had given it to her a few months ago on her birthday. She had never worn it, and Percy found himself wondering if she didn’t like it.

"I really loved this gift, Percy." Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She was sitting on the bed, rubbing her eyes and yawning. She looked at him with bloodshot eyes, and in his gaze, she saw only despair. She frowned. “Are you okay-?”

"Tell me why," he said abruptly, his voice rough and shaking. She looked at him, her eyes filled with confusion and concern. Her hand reached out toward his face, but the moment her fingers came close, he intercepted it and pressed it tightly against his chest. "Why don't you see it? Why don't you feel the same? Why?"

The words hung in the air, raw and desperate. 

She had no idea what to say. Should she apologize for not being able to express her emotions? For closing herself off and distancing from him? For fearing that he wouldn’t love her the way she loved him?

That was no excuse. The boy standing before her looked like he was on the verge of falling apart, like he might shatter if she stayed silent for another second. 

She began to bite her nail, trying to ignore the intensity of his gaze. But she couldn’t for long, as she suddenly felt a gentle hand on her chin, lifting her face so her eyes met his. "Dreamy, I—"

He seemed to be in pain, his eyes filled with an emotion so raw that it made her heart skip a beat. She could see it in the way his brows furrowed, his jaw tightening as if the simple act of speaking was causing him distress. 

He was close to losing it. He wanted to tell her everything inside him. He wanted to say that he liked her –no, that he loved her. That he was in love with her, obsessed, whatever the word was. That he couldn't live without her. 

Percy loved her, deeply loved her, in a way that made her feel whole. But she wanted more.

And she waited, her breath caught in her chest, thinking that in this very moment, the thing she wanted was going to happen.

But instead, she only received an embrace, a soft kiss on her forehead, and a final look from him. He stood there for a moment, his eyes filled with a sorrow she couldn’t quite understand, and then he spoke, his voice quiet, distant. “I’m going to sleep.”

And with those words, he turned away, leaving her in the silence, alone with her own aching heart.

hi :) do i like this? NO I HATE IT NO ME GUSTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA i want them to kiss and love and all that but i don't want to rush it! anyways stay tune ;) ahre ni se si se dice así JAJAJA

[ameagrice]

Capsize

chapter thirty | fine line

percy jackson x fem reader

There are silver streaks shared by Annabeth and Percy, scattered through their hair.

It’s something that will connect them forever, you know for certain. It’s a symbol of a shared strength.

It’s just one more thing to make your heart melt.

Realistically, you should feel nothing but proud of them both, and in your own way, you do. But there has been too much loss to feel any sort of good from the ending, and you can’t get Zoe Nightshade’s death from your mind.

“I can see the stars, my lady,” she whispered, so gently you’d barely heard her at all. The wound on her side gaped, and bled, the golden ichor of an immortal on her way out. An inch of a smile appeared on her face, struggling, before it dropped, and the light faded from Zoe Nightshade’s eyes. A wisp of silvery light lifted from her lips, drifting up into the air, before it, too, faded.

In the sky, the stars showed an image of a girl, running across the sky. Zoe Nightshade had, finally, found her peace.

Atlas was in his rightful place. His daughter had been stolen from the world. Luke Castellan was kicked to his death by Thalia’s action.

Except, they couldn’t find a body.

Body, upon body, upon body. They just kept piling up.

Bianca; Zoe; Luke. Lost lives; people who could have had so much more than they were given.

But Gods who couldn’t care any less.

And if you had to, you’d bet they didn’t even know their names.

You could see now, just why Luke was so angry. Because you felt it too. And it was terrifying.

“You don’t believe me about Luke,” Annabeth said, sounding faded amongst your thoughts. “We’ll see him again. He’s just under Kronos’s spell.”

Thalia jolted away, somehow seemingly unbothered by the height at which you travelled in the sky, Artemis in the lead. “There it is,” she pointed, sitting up. “It’s started.”

“What’s started?” Percy leaned forward, catching your hair between his hand on the seat he held onto. You didn’t say anything.

High above the Empire State Building, Olympus was its own island of light. A mountain ablaze with torches and braziers.

“The Winter Solstice,” she breathed. “The Council of the Gods.”

In the early-morning darkness, torches and fires made the mountainside palaces glow twenty different colors, from bloodred to indigo. Apparently no one ever slept on Olympus. The twisting streets were full of demigods and nature spirits and minor godlings bustling about, riding chariots or sedan chairs carried by Cyclopes. Winter didn’t seem to exist here. The scent of the gardens in full bloom, jasmine and roses and even sweeter filled your senses. Music drifted up from many windows, the soft sounds of lyres and reed pipes.

Towering at the peak of the mountain was the greatest palace of all, the glowing white hall of the gods.

You touched ground outside towering, silver gates, just inside the courtyard. Pegasi travel was rather terrifying, and you were much more than glad to be alive and on the ground. Olympus glowed with warm, the kind that settled in your bones. The warm wind, blowing from nowhere, shifted your hair when you clambered down to the ground.

“Yeah,” Percy muttered.

“Huh?”

Percy froze. “Uh—the horse. Sorry! Pegasi.”

A laugh escaped you, startling in the night. Thalia turned, eyebrow raised. “Why are you talking to a horse? It didn’t say anything.”

“Didn’t I tell you? Haven’t I told you?” He averted his gaze.

“What,” you landed your hand on your hip, waving the other to the pegasi. “You talk to animals now, too, like Grover?”

“Just sea creatures. And horses. Pegasi, sorry!”

“Yeah, you’ll really have to explain that later,” you trailed off. “We’ve got more important matters at hand.”

The Pegasi flew off, leaving yourself, Percy, Thalia and your sister together. You liked to think, years later, laying on the glass floor of a ship, that you were all trying to gather the courage after everything to step inside the giant building, and face gods you had once only ever heard about in stories.

Side-by-side, you walked into the throne room.

Twelve enormous thrones made a U around a central hearth, just like the placement of the cabins at camp. The ceiling above glittered with constellations—even the newest one, Zoë the Huntress, making her way across the heavens with her bow drawn.

All of the seats were occupied. Each god and goddess was about fifteen feet tall. Under their judging eyes, despite your own mother being one of them, you were uncomfortable.

“Welcome, heroes,” Artemis said.

“Mooo!”

That was when you noticed Bessie and Grover, the latter standing at the side of a pool of water which Bessie swam in.

“Grover! You made it.”

He started to run towards your friends, then stopped, and looked back at Zeus, who up close, felt a lot scarier than he looked. You only realized then, that there was a major difference in terror of humans, and the intimidation of gods. You could deal with this kind.

“Go on,” Zeus nodded once. But he wasn’t looking at Grover—he was looking at Thalia.

None of the gods spoke. Grover’s hooves echoed on the marble floor, Bessie the Ophiotaurus mooing warmly at your arrival.

You took the time to observe the gods up close, because you might never get the chance to again. Artemis, looking as if she hadn’t ever even been hold hostage, watched the exchange between Percy and Grover. Percy’s father, Poseidon, dressed so casually you might have laughed in other circumstances, had this sort of barely-there smile on his face, bright eyes shining just the way Percy’s own did, too. Apollo, sunglasses covering his eyes, had his earbuds in, golden head of hair tilted back to the ceiling. And…

Ares. It was impossible to not feel him looking at you. Why the special interest, you wanted to ask. Do you see yourself in me? You wondered. Do I see myself in you?

Your eyes met his dark ones, a stark difference, between the extreme fatigue, and the colors. Your eyes burned with exhaustion and the tears you had shed since yesterday. He wore his signature black leather jacket, dark, dark hair being tousled by Aphrodite’s touch. When it was obvious her husband wasn’t looking at her, perched at his side, her love-ridden smile slowly fell away, and those sparkling eyes fell on you as well.

Or maybe it’s you, I see myself in. Too romantic. Too caught up in feelings. After all, you only had so much love to spare between friends, and the dead ones.

What do you see in me? You were desperate to ask, curiosity clawing at your chest. Why am I the way I am?

Gods sometimes took a special interest in heroes. All the tales told you so. You just had to wonder, what would come of this.

Ragged and bruised, you felt as though you were being picked apart under the watchful eyes of so many olympians.

You hadn’t realized Grover was doing the rounds until he yanked you into a hug. You found it in yourself to hug him back—at least he was still alive.

“Glad you made it,” you whispered.

“You too.” He nodded. Neither of you smelled amazing after this quest, but it went uncared for. A trouble shared is a trouble deeply understood.

“You have to convince them,” he said to the remaining four of you. “They can’t do it!”

“Do what?” You blinked.

“Heroes,” Artemis called. The goddess slid down from her throne and turned to human size, a young auburn-haired girl, perfectly at ease in the midst of the giant Olympians. She walked toward your little group, her silver robes shimmering. There was no emotion in her face. She seemed to walk in a column of moonlight.

“The Council has been informed of your deeds,” Artemis spoke loudly, addressing everyone in a steady, clear tone. “They know that Mount Othrys is rising in the West. They know of Atlas’s attempt for freedom, and the gathering armies of Kronos. We have voted to act.”

There was some mumbling and shuffling among the olympians, as if they weren’t all happy with this plan, but nobody protested.

“At my Lord Zeus’s command,” Artemis said, “my brother Apollo and I shall hunt the most powerful monsters, seeking to strike them down before they can join the Titans’ cause. Lady Athena shall personally check on the other Titans to make sure they do not escape their various prisons. Lord Poseidon has been given permission to unleash his full fury on the cruise ship Princess Andromeda and send it to the bottom of the sea. And as for you, my heroes…”

She turned to face the other immortals.

And that, was the moment you saw your mother for the first time.

Dressed in a beautiful white dress, draped over one shoulder, her eyes, as gray as your own, as gray as Annabeth’s appeared lost in thought. You took the chance to just look at the woman you never thought you would meet.

“I gotta say—” Apollo cleared his throat. “These heroes did okay.” He began to recite. “Heroes win laurels—”

“Um, yes, first class,” Hermes interrupted with a side-eye in his brother’s direction. You were unable to help the smirk. “All in favor of not disintegrating them?”

A few tentative hands went up: Aphrodite, Demeter, Apollo—waving his iPod.

“Hang on a minute,” Ares growled, sitting up on his throne. He pointed at Thalia and Percy, on the other side of Annabeth. “These two are dangerous. It’d be much safer, while we’ve got them here—”

Don’t say anything, you begged yourself. Even Annabeth elbowed you.

“Ares,” Poseidon interrupted. “They are worthy heroes. We will not blast my son to bits.”

“Nor my daughter,” grumbled Zeus. “She has done well.”

You leaned forward around your sister, who visibly shook, pale, in need of a lie down from the looks of things. Thalia blushed—you grinned wickedly. All the things you could do with this moment in the future.

Athena cleared her throat. Annabeth sighed. The goddess leaned forward. “I am proud of my daughters, as well. But I agree—there is a security issue with the other two.”

Annabeth elbowed you a little too late, this time.

“Mother!” You exclaimed.

Your heart dropped and splattered on the ground. Never had you addressed her as such. And never had she looked you in the face the way she did now.

Too late to back out, now.

“How can you just—”

Athena cut you off with a girl, but calm look. “It is unfortunate that my father, Zeus, and my uncle, Poseidon, chose to break their oath not to have more children. Only Hades kept his word, a fact that I find ironic. As we know from the Great Prophecy, children of the three elder gods…such as Thalia and Percy…are dangerous. As thickheaded as he is, Ares has a point.”

“Right!” Ares said. “Hey, wait a minute. Who you callin’—”

He started to get up, but a grape vine grew around his waist like a seat belt and pulled him back down.

“Oh, please, Ares,” Dionysus sighed. “Save the fighting for later.”

Ares cursed and ripped away the vine. “You’re one to talk, you old drunk. You seriously want to protect these brats?”

Dionysus gazed wearily. “I have no love for them. Athena, do you really think it wise to destroy them?”

“I do not pass judgement,” she said. “I only point out the risk. What we do, the Council must decide.”

“I will not have them punished,” Artemis cut in hotly. “I will have them rewarded. If we punish heroes who do us such a great favour, then we are no better than the titans, are we not? If this is Olympian justice, I will have none of it.”

“Calm down, sis,” Apollo scoffed. “Chill. Jeez, you need to lighten up.”

“Don’t call me sis! I will reward them!”

“Well, perhaps. But the monster must be destroyed. We have agreement on that?”

“Bessie?” Percy burst out. “You want to destroy Bessie?”

Your heart swelled. Gosh, he cared. It was lovely.

And then you wanted to slap yourself.

What was up with the emotions lately?

Poseidon frowned. “You have named the Ophiotaurus Bessie?”

“Dad,” Percy said. “He’s just a sea creature. A really nice sea creature. You can’t destroy him.”

Poseidon shifted uncomfortably, a trait Percy shared with him, you noted. “Percy, it’s power is considerable. If the titans were to steal it, or—”

“You can’t,” Percy insisted.

Zeus opened his mouth, looking as though he was getting antsier by the second. But you had experience with this sort of thing that needed a good negotiation, so you cut in.

“Controlling the prophecies never works. Isn’t that true?” You tried, stepping forward. All eyes landed on you, and you swallowed. “Have we not just experienced it? Are we not experiencing it now? The Ophiotaurus is innocent. Killing something like that is wrong. It’s as wrong as Kronos eating his children just because of something they might do.”

Zeus looked to be considering it. You breathed heavily, in a mild panic after consulting the king of the gods head on. If he wanted to, you could be zapped out of existence in less than a second.

“And what of the risk? Kronos knows full well, if one of you were to sacrifice the beast’s entrails you would have the power to destroy all of us. Do you think we can let this possibility remain? You, my daughter, will turn sixteen on the morrow, just as the prophecy says.”

“You have to trust them,” you tried, pleading with your eyes. “Please, you have to trust them.”

Zeus scowled. “Trust a hero?”

“She is right,” Artemis nodded slowly. “Which is why I must first make a reward. My faithful companion, Zoe Nightshade, has passed into the stars. I must have a new lieutenant. And I intend to choose one, but first, father Zeus, I must speak with you privately.”

Zeus beckoned Artemis forward, leaning to listen as she whispered to him.

“Annabeth,” Percy whispered from behind you. “Don’t.”

“What?”

“Look, I need to tell you something. I couldn’t stand it if—I don’t want you to—”

Artemis turned. “I will have a new lieutenant, if she will accept it. Thalia, daughter of Zeus, will you join the Hunt?”

Your jaw almost dropped. Stunned silence filled the room.

“I will,” Thalia said firmly. She moved to your side, and then a little bit further ahead. Confident.

Zeus rose, his eyes full of concern. “My daughter, consider well—”

Don’t let him change your mind, you prayed. Hold your ground.

“Father, I will not turn sixteen tomorrow,” she shook her head. “I will never turn sixteen. I won’t let this prophecy be mine. I stand with my sister Artemis. Kronos will not tempt me again.”

She knelt down before Artemis, and repeated the same words Bianca had uttered what felt like years ago at the cliff side in the snow and weary sunlight.

When she had finished, she hugged each of you and said a few words. You felt awkward, putting your hands into your coat pockets, when Thalia stood in front of you. For once, there was no spiteful comments from either one of you. She smiled small, looking rejuvenated the same way Bianca had, as if the quest had never happened.

“You’re a good friend,” she nodded. “You’re brave. You’ve got what it takes to help them with this prophecy.” And then she leaned in, and hugged you just as she had with Annabeth and Grover and Percy. “Trust yourself.”

Thalia went and stood with Artemis, and the atmosphere changed instantly.

“Now, for the Ophiotaurus.”

“The boy is still dangerous,” Mr. D. opposed. The beast is a temptation to great power. Even if we spare the boy—”

“No.” Percy said firmly. “Please. Keep the Ophiotaurus safe. My dad can hide him under the sea somewhere, or keep him in an aquarium here. But you have to protect him.”

“And why should we trust you?”

“I’m only fourteen. If this prophecy is about me, that’s only two more years.”

“Two years for Kronos to deceive you,” Athena uttered. “Much can change in two years, young hero. It is only the truth. It is bad strategy to keep the boy alive. And the animal.”

Poseidon stood. “I will not have the creature destroyed if I can help it. And I can, help it.”

He held out his hand, and a spear shimmering with blue light appeared. “I will vouch for the boy and the safety of the Ophiotaurus.”

“You won’t take it under the sea!” Zeus stood suddenly. “I won’t have that kind of bargaining chip in your possession.”

“Brother, please,” Poseidon sighed.

Zeus’s lightening bolt appeared in his hand, and the whole room filled with the smell of ozone.

“Fine,” Poseidon nodded. “I will build an aquarium for the sea creature here, with the help of Hephaestus. The creature will be safe. The boy will not betray us. I vouch for this on my honor.”

Zeus thought about it. “All in favor?”

A dozen hands went up, besides Mr. D, your mother’s, and Ares just sat looking bored.

“We have a majority. And so, since we are not destroying these heroes, I imagine we should reward them.”

—

There are parties, and then there are Olympian parties. And Olympian parties are filled with gold and beautiful colours, exotic flowers and the Muses music, braziers of fire, and delicious food and drinks. It became busy very quickly, and before you knew it, you found yourself stumbling into a corner to get yourself together. All you wished to do was go to your cabin and cry. To let it all out.

“This doesn’t look like you’re partying.”

“What the hell are you? A spy? Just leave me alone.” You shoved yourself further into the corner just away from all the partying, a quiet corridor devoid of anything but cold marble and tall, golden ceilings.

Ares hummed lowly. You didn’t have to see him, shoved into the corner like a child, but you knew he was just on the other side of it.

“I’ll let you off just this once, demigod.”

You rolled your eyes. The marble edges dug into your back uncomfortably from how hard you were trying to disappear for a few minutes. “What do you want? Spit it out.”

“If you weren’t her’s, I would say you’re one of mine. You’ve got the fire, I’ll give you that. And my wife has taken a special interest in you and that boy. Her business is my business, you’ll understand. Since you’re her business, now, you’re my business, too.”

You wanted to scream at him to leave, to go away so you could breathe for five minutes. But…you really wanted to know what he had to say. Curiosity always got the better of you.

“I don’t want to be anybody’s business,” you settled on, weakly. “I’m my own person.”

“Whatever, kid. I’m just here to pass along a message.”

“Which is?”

“She says, you’re doing exactly what you should be doing.”

“Oh, really?”

You shoved away from the corner, and paused.

He’d already gone.

—

Making your way back into the crowd was the last thing you wanted to do, but it would be best to show your face for a little while. Eventually you made your way back to Percy. He smiled as you popped up next to him, and then slowly frowned. His green eyes glistened under all the lights.

“You’ve been crying,” he reached up, and then lowered his hand, unsure of what to do.

You laughed pitifully. “Yeah.”

Because, really, what more could you say? It was rather obvious. And you sounded as if you’d just developed the world’s worst cold and stuffy nose.

Percy still stared at you, concerned. It was touching, really.

“I’m just tired.” You nodded. “I promise. When we get back to camp you might not see me for a couple weeks. I’m about to fall off the face of the earth in sleep mode.”

He smiled, tight-lipped, those eyes dancing across your face. For the first time ever under Percy’s eyes, you felt self-conscious.

“I’ll clean up later. My dad always says I look like I’ve just done thirty rounds of coke after crying. It’s funny because it’s true,” you tried lightly.

Percy’s dark curls shook. “No,” he denied. “I think you look…I think you look pretty—uh—I mean—”

Your heart jumped into your throat, and suddenly it was difficult to breathe. Because AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

“Uhm—” you frantically tried for something to do; hair behind your ears, leaning back and forth on your heels. “Thank you. Thanks.” Heat flooded your cheeks. Percy was already scarlet in the face, nodding frantically, avoiding your eyes.

When you looked up, Athena watched from a distance, and then looked away, as if she hadn’t been interested at all. But you weren’t about to let her ruin what just happened—Percy called you pretty.

“I was thinking,” he shoved out. You turned your head, blinking expectantly. “I owe you a dance, don’t I? We got interrupted at Westover Hall, right?”

This time, you allowed yourself to smile, your heart and lungs expanding.

“Right.” You took his hand, shaking.

The music played on, a gentle tune of the future, the past, and the present.

—

Chiron greeted you all at the Big House with hot chocolate and toasted cheese sandwiches. Grover went off to his satyr friends, telling them all about his brief experience with Pan.

Annabeth, Percy and yourself sat with Chiron by the fire. A couple of others joined you, too—Clarisse, back from a quest of her own it seemed. Her hair was cut short, like somebody had hacked it with scissors without a care, and there was a jagged scar on her chin. For once, she kept quiet.

“I got news,” she said glumly. “Bad news.”

“I’ll fill you in later,” Chiron said with forced cheerfulness. “The important thing is you’ve prevailed. And you’ve saved Annabeth!”

The Stoll brothers were there, too. You hadn’t even looked Travis in the eye. The high of the short dance with Percy had worn off, that tiny spark of normality had gone, and left you with the sadness you’d been feeling before it. You struggled with getting Bianca and Zoe’s deaths from the front of your mind, and Thalia’s moving on. Everybody was leaving, it felt like. And everybody was too happy for what had happened along the way.

Percy, sitting next to you in front of the fire, felt the same. You could tell by the sheer look of something bordering on a deep sadness he had.

You didn’t speak.

Annabeth talked about Atlas, and where she had been kept. She yawned the whole way through, still shaking with weakness even after some ambrosia.

Chiron’s positivity spread a little bit to you tired campers, but in the end, the unwavering need to go somewhere and cry won. You set down your mug of hot chocolate, and walked away. Another chair scratched the floor behind you, as you walked away toward the fields.

“Let her be,” you heard Chiron utter. “She needs time.”

You heard happy babbling just as you wandered away, boyish, childish talking. You looked to the left, and there was Nico di Angelo, two figurines in hands, talking to himself the way children tend to do. Every organ in your body twisted painfully, and you got away before he could see you. You couldn’t be the one to tell him Bianca was long gone. You still didn’t want to believe it yourself.

The air was bitter cold, your fingertips numb already. Snow fell lightly as you wandered into where you probably shouldn’t have been. You didn’t get far until his voice caught you up.

“Scout?”

You stopped, the snow crunching quietly. Behind you, Travis grew closer until he was right in front of you. You hadn’t even realized how tall he’d gotten until you saw him again, like seeing him in a different light.

Bundled in a red sweater and jeans, a coat and scarf atop of that, he still shivered.

“I just need to go for a walk. I’ll be alright later.” You shrugged.

Silence captured the air. Until he said, “Chiron…mentioned what happened to Nico’s sister. And the Hunter girl. Zoe. I’m—I’m so sorry.”

The first tear fell without any effort. And then you grew too cold too quickly. And crumbled.

He enveloped you instantly, as if without thought—like the action would be unknown, to hesitate in your arms. Against his warm, soft chest, Travis’s heart beat gently against your ear, his hands coming up carefully to your back, to your shoulder.

Safety.

And at the end of it—Travis.

You allowed yourself the tears. Your hands scrunched at his shirt. He smelled of the outside weather, of wind

of life.

—

PAIN. So, we’ve reached the end of Titans Curse! How are we feeling so far about relationships and eve thing? Feedback is always appreciated!

taglist: @bl6o6dy @embersparklz @lilyevanswhore @rottenstyx @rory-cakes @i-am-scared-and-useless-bisexual @marshmallow12435 @lantsovheiress @distinguishedmakerpandapatrol @twsssmlmaa @gayandfairycore @padsfirewhisky @emu281 @charlesswife @jessiegerl @crackerphobic20 @mata0-0mata @jccc1000 @xx-all-purpose-nerd-xx @nothankyou138 @i-love-books-and-the-bible @obxstiles

if they’re not highlighted, it wouldn’t let me tag you!

this chapter’s quite short. I didn’t want to drag it out too much.

aaaaand I’ve added a few more songs to the playlist (on my profile if you don’t have it saved!) if you want to give them a listen. thanks for reading!

[justabooknerdposts]

Percabeth Drabble: Fall in Love Questions

*Okay, so the idea for this came to me a few years ago—I was watching The Big Bang Theory and it was the episode where they discuss this list of questions that will allegedly make two people fall in love.  Sheldon and Penny decide to go through them—spoiler alert, they don’t fall in love, but they say they do feel closer at the end.  So anyway, I went online to find the questions, out of curiosity, and then, after reading them, I thought it might be a fun writing exercise to play with this as if Percy and Annabeth were answering the questions.  So here it is! 

The Scene: The Jackson-Blofis apartment, early fall.  Percy and Annabeth are sitting cross-legged on the floor beside the coffee table, leaning back against the sofa—a half empty pizza box sits in the middle of the coffee table, as well as a couple of partially full glasses of Coke.  Golden sunset light is coming through the window.  The baby monitor is also on the coffee table, showing Estell sleeping in her crib.  This is Percy and Annabeth’s first visit back to New York since heading off to New Rome University.  Tonight, they’re baby-sitting, giving Paul and Sally a chance to go out to dinner and a movie.

Re-runs of a sit-com are playing in the background as Percy reached for his third slice of pizza.  The characters on the TV show were talking about a list of questions that will allegedly make two people fall in love after answering them together.  So, Annabeth nabbed Paul’s laptop and, while Percy was debating a fourth slice of pizza, she looked them up.  After scanning the list, she told Percy, “Let’s try it.”

He looked over at her, right in the middle of taking his first bite of his fourth slice.  “What?”

“Let’s try it,” she said again, showing him the list on the computer.  “It might be fun.”

Percy looked skeptical, like their definitions of “fun” didn’t exactly line up.  “But we’re already in love.”

That drew a smile from Annabeth.  “I know.  But we might learn something new.”

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“Nope.”

“Alright.”  Percy finished his fourth slice of pizza, then took a drink of his Coke.  “Hit me with the first one.”

Annabeth kissed him on the cheek, then turned back to the questions on the laptop.  The TV droned low in the background.  On the monitor, Estelle’s chest rose and fell as she slept on her back, one arm curled up around her head.  The air conditioner chugged in the window, fending off the last heat of late summer as it gave way to early fall.  Percy’s arm lay along the couch cushions, lightly touching Annabeth’s shoulders.  He had his legs stretched out beneath the coffee table and she was sitting criss-cross, her left knee resting on his right.  It was a peaceful, relaxing evening.  Scrolling to the first question, Annabeth began to read.    

Set 1

1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

[CAVEAT for them, can’t be each other or anyone you could just call up for dinner right now].

P:  My mom’s parents.  I never got to meet them, and I think it’d be kind of cool to get to know them.  Learn more about that part of my family and all.

A:  My mom.  I know that’s almost like cheating, but I would honestly just love to sit down and have dinner with her and just, you know, talk.

2. Would you like to be famous? In what way?

P:  Absolutely not.  I mean, when I was younger, I kind of wanted to be a famous skateboarder, but after everything, nah, I don’t want to be famous.  I just want to live my life.

A:  I’d like to be a famous architect.  But you already know that.

3. Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?

P: Sometimes.  I did before we were dating, when I would call you, sometimes, just to make sure I didn’t sound like an idiot.  And sometimes now, if it’s an important call and I don’t just want to blurt out whatever.

A:  Not usually.  If it’s a really important call, like a phone interview, then yeah, I might have some notes, but usually not.

P:  Huh, that’s kind of funny.  Almost seems like it would be the other way around.

A:  Yeah.  Interesting.

4. What would constitute a "perfect" day for you?

P:  Has to start with sleeping in, for sure.  Maybe my mom making pancakes.  Hanging out with my family.  Hanging out with you.  Just chill.  Maybe at the beach.  Pizza for dinner, obviously.  Hanging out with some friends and playing video games.  Then you and I curling up and watching a movie…and sometimes not watching the movie.  I guess just chilling with the people I love.  What about you? A:  Okay, for me, this might be a little bit in the future.  But waking up in my own home, um preferably next to you, and it’s still early, and I just make some coffee, go to my own office, which has lots of light, and I just sketch for a few hours.  Then, when you wake up, we go out to breakfast, or brunch, whatever, and then just hang out.  Maybe go walk around a park or something, go to a matinee movie or show, maybe meet some friends for a late lunch or early dinner, then yeah, I like the idea of coming home, curling up on the couch together, and watching a movie.  Just normal, relaxed, you know?

P:  Yeah.

5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?

P:  Not gonna lie, I was singing in the shower this morning.  And, uh, I sang to Estelle yesterday.  She likes when I do “Under the Sea.”

A:  I don’t sing.  I mean, I guess I kind of hummed to Estelle the last time I watched her.  And, oh, shoot, you know what, I did sing to Peleus before, because lullabies calm him down so he doesn’t eat people.

6. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?

P:  I have no idea.  I mean…mind, I guess?  That’s a weird question.

A:  Mind, definitely.  But yeah, that’s kind of a strange question.

7. Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?

P:  Do I even have to answer this one?

A:  No, we’re skipping this.

8. Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common.

P:  Oh, wow, this is an interesting one.  Um, I think we both really care about our friends.  We’re both good at putting important stuff first, especially when we really have to.  And, uh, good-looking?

A:  Dork.  But I really like those first two, and I agree.  I think we’re both tough, like resilient.  I think we both always want to do the right thing.  And I think we both have a good sense of humor.

P:  I like those, too.

9. For what in your life do you feel most grateful?

P:  Being here right now with you.  And, in general, for the people in my life.

A:  Same.  About the people in my life, too.  But I’m definitely most grateful we can just sit here together like this right now.

10. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?

A [humorless laugh]: Pretty much everything.  I guess, if I had to say something specific, better communication.

P [takes her hand and laces their fingers together.  She smiles and gestures for him to go]: I don’t think I’d really change anything my mom did, like as a parent.  If I was going to change anything, it would have been that Smelly Gabe wouldn’t have been around and I wouldn’t have had to go to all those boarding schools.  They usually sucked.

11. Take four minutes and tell your partner your life story in as much detail as possible.

P:  Don’t we already know all this?  Are you getting out a stopwatch?

A:  Yes.  It’s one of the questions.  So get ready, Seaweed Brain, you’re going first.

[8 MINUTES LATER]

P:  Okay, that was actually kind of cool.  What’s the next one?

12. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?

P:  I’m still pretty jealous that Frank can change into animals and I can’t.

A:  Is that seriously your answer? P [considers a moment]: Yes.  I mean, otherwise, I like my abilities.

A:  Yeah, they are pretty cool.  And you have a lot of good qualities. P: I do? A: Yeah, Seaweed Brain.  You definitely do.

P:  Aww, thanks, babe. [He kisses her cheek].  Okay, what’s your answer?

A [after considering]:  Honestly, I wouldn’t mind being able to breathe underwater or will my clothes dry.  That would be useful.  Especially hanging around you. [Nudges him with her shoulder].  For qualities, though, I could probably do better not getting so focused on my own stuff sometimes, so maybe paying attention to what other people need more.

P [shrugs]:  Maybe, but I like your intensity about stuff.  That’s one of your best qualities.

A [looks surprised]:  Really?

P:  Yeah, definitely.

A [leans over to kiss him]:  I like this question thing.  Alright, we’re moving on to the second level.  Or set.  Whatever.

Set 2

13. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?

A: I think I’d want to know that we’re okay in a few years.  Like, I wouldn’t want the details spoiled, necessarily, because as much as I love planning, it’s also fun if some things are a surprise, but I’d like to know, just in general, that we, you know, kind of get our happy ending. [blinks quickly and swipes hand across eyes]  Oh wow, I don’t know why that made me kind of tear up.  Okay, you answer.

P [considers for a few moments]:  Honestly, after all the shit we’ve gone through dealing with prophecies, I’m not sure I’d even want to look.  I like your answer, but I think I’d like to just be…what’s that phrase?  Blissfully oblivious about the future.  And yeah, sometimes surprises are nice.  Good surprises, I mean, are nice.

14. Is there something that you've dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven't you done it? P: I have to think about this.  You go.

A:  I’d really like to go to Falling Water, Frank Lloyd Wright’s place he designed.  But I haven’t had a chance to go yet.  I used to say the Parthenon, but we’ve been there.  I wouldn’t mind going back, someday, though, when we could actually spend some time there and enjoy it.

P:  Good to know.

A:  There was one highlight of the Parthenon trip though.  [smiles at him, and he returns it].  So what’s your answer?

P [looks down]:  So, I don’t know if this is really a dream, but I’ve wanted to talk to my mom about just…Gabe…and our life before I found out I was a demigod.  For a long time.  I just never want to bring it up though, don’t want to bring up the bad memories, you know?  And I usually try not to look back too much, or dwell on stuff, but I just feel like it’s something we should talk about at some point.  Dang, I actually didn’t really realize that until I had to think about it just now.

A [quietly]: I think that’s a good idea.  Maybe one evening when it’s just you two?  It might be good for both of you.

P:  Yeah, maybe.  [deep breath].  Okay, next question.

15. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?

P:  Great, easy one.  Saving Olympus.

A:  Yeah, being designated official architect of Olympus was pretty good.  I feel like we could be more thoughtful with this one, though.  What would you say is your greatest accomplishment outside of hero stuff?

P [groans]: You never settle for an easy answer, do you? A: Nope.

P:  That’s okay.  It’s another one of the things I like best about you. [kisses her cheek again when she smiles at him].  Okay, outside of hero stuff?  I’m pretty proud of graduating from high school.  And getting accepted to college.  Because I wasn’t sure that was something I would ever be able to do.  So it feels pretty good.  Surviving almost two years as your boyfriend feels pretty good too. A: Graduating definitely feels like an accomplishment, especially after the past couple years.  But I am actually going to say our relationship, truthfully, because I never thought I’d have something like this.  It wasn’t in my plans, at all.  But coming up on our second anniversary, and going to college together, definitely feels like an accomplishment.

[question answering is briefly interrupted]

A: Percy, we really need to finish this.  I don’t think you’re supposed to take breaks.

P:  Fine.  What’s up next?

16. What do you value most in a friendship?

A:  Loyalty.  And honesty.  Those kind of go together.

P:  Yeah.  And somebody who does the right thing, even when it’s not easy. 

17. What is your most treasured memory?

P:  Underwater kiss.  For sure.

A: Under the Parthenon.  Easy.

18. What is your most terrible memory?

P:  Damn.  I mean, leaving Beckendorf, thinking my mom was dead, thinking Tyson was dead, thinking you might be dead when you were kidnapped, everything that happened in the Titan War, leaving Bob and Damasen at the Doors, a bunch of other stuff.  Should we do that four minute thing again?

A: Right?  What would you say the worst moment was, though?

P: Truthfully…well, no.

A: What? P:  I was going to say when we were dangling over that pit and I realized I couldn’t pull you up.  That was terrible.  But actually, what happened with Akhlys was worse.  When I realized you were afraid of me and what I was doing.  That’s my most terrible memory, because I was out of control and I was enjoying hurting her, and I don’t ever want to be that person again. [clears throat]  Um, your turn.

A: That’s pretty high on my terrible list, too, because that’s not you, Percy.  And yeah, leaving Bob and Damasen at the Doors was awful.  And so much that happened in the Titan War…everything with Luke…Silena…and, gods, those months when you were missing.  That was miserable.  But if I had to pick an absolute most terrible memory, it would probably be after the arai attacked, when you were dying of the gorgon’s blood poison curse, and I didn’t know how to save you.  Because all I could think, other than I can’t lose him, was that you were only there because of me.  Because I didn’t think to cut the spider silk off.  And if you died, that was my fault.  And I would have to live with that.

[brief silence, holding hands]  Okay, next question, right?

P: Uh, yeah, definitely.

19. If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?

P:  Why did these suddenly get so depressing?  And honestly, that’s how I’ve been living for years.  So, no, probably not.  Other than maybe I’d spend less time on homework and more time hanging out with the people I love.  And I would eat only junk food.

A: I believe that.  I don’t know if I’d really do anything different.  Maybe, yeah, spend more time with the people I love.  Maybe try to complete some additional sketches and leave plans for how they could be implemented.  But otherwise, like you said, we’ve been living that way for years.  Now, for the first time, we kind of don’t have to as much.  So, moving on.

20. What does friendship mean to you?

P:  Didn’t we already answer this one?

A:  No, that was about what do you value in a friendship.

P [stares blankly]: Are those different?

A:  Yes.  What do you value is like traits, what friendship means to you is more…I don’t know…broad.  Or something.  I mean, friendship is incredibly important to me.  Especially when I wasn’t getting along with my family, my friends became my family.  So yeah, it’s important.

P:  Yeah, me too.  It’s important.  I mean, especially with what we’ve been through, you need people you can rely on, who you know have your back and care about you.  So yeah, friendship is important to me.  Is that the right answer?

A [rolls eyes]: There’s not one right answer, Seaweed Brain.  But yes, that works.  Moving on.

21. What roles do love and affection play in your life?

P:  They’re good things?  I don’t know how to answer this one either.

A: Try.

P: Okay, I mean, if you want the deep answer, isn’t it all about love?  Not just romantic stuff, although that’s obviously important, but like love for family and friends, too.  I’ve only been able to do some of the stuff I’ve had to do because I love you, my family, and my friends.  Love gives you strength.

A: Wow, Percy.  That’s…that’s a really great answer.

P [shrugs]: It’s true.  What’s yours? A: I think, for me, because of how I felt when I was little, love and affection are almost painfully important to me.  If I want to go really deep, I think I associate them with acceptance.  When Thalia and Luke first took me in, they gave me hugs and tousled my hair and stuff like that, and acted like they wanted me around.  That blew my mind.  When I got to camp, Chiron would pat my shoulder or head when I did well.  Grover and Tyson give hugs to show they care.  So does your mom.  Piper, too, actually.  And then you came along, obviously.  And even when we were younger, just sitting by you, or holding your hand, always made me feel better.  So I guess, to me, love and affection go together.  Like physical affection is such a clear way people show that they care about you.  I know it’s not the only way, but it’s definitely important. [blushes]  Anyway, next question.

22. Alternate sharing something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. Share a total of five items.

P:  Sweet, another easy one.  Okay, your eyes.

A: That’s very sweet, but it says “characteristic”, not “attribute.”  I think it means more internal stuff.

P: What happened to no wrong answers?  But I’m sticking with my answer, because, I mean, yeah, I think your eyes are beautiful, but they can also be fierce and intense and scary, so I still think it fits.

A:  Okay.  Your heart.  You have a really good heart, and I’ve always loved that about you.

P: Thanks.  I’ve always been amazed by your strength.  Like, just with everything.  You have more guts than anybody I’ve ever met.

A: Thanks, Percy.  I love your sense of humor.  You can always find something to lighten the mood, even when things are really bad.

P: I do my best.  I was going to say your intelligence, but that feels like a given, so I’m going with your passion for architecture and stuff.  Like, I love watching your face light up when you talk about stuff you’re excited about.

A: Really? P: Yeah.

A:  So, you can be goofy, and that’s great, but when something’s really important, you get this intense focus that I really appreciate.  And your confidence.  I admire that too.

P: I have confidence? A: Yeah, babe, you do.  Like when you were leading everyone during the Battle of Manhattan?  [smiles slyly] It was pretty hot.

P: Good to know.  Okay, my turn.  I like how you genuinely care about people and you want to help them.  I don’t know if everybody always sees that, but I do.  And I really admire that.

A [biting lip, trying not to smile]:  Thanks.  That means a lot.  You also just took my next one about you, because it was basically that.

P [grinning]: My bad.  You can still use it, too, if you want.

A: No, I’ve got a few others still.  Like the fact that you’re an amazing big brother.  Like how you stood by Tyson that first summer he came to camp, which I know wasn’t easy.  And seeing you playing with your baby sister is the cutest thing ever.

P: Well, it helps that Estelle is adorable.

A: That doesn’t hurt.  Okay, last one each.

P: Already? 

A: Yep.

P: Dang, I liked this question.  Okay, I like how you always manage to surprise me.  Ever since we met and you told me I drooled in my sleep.

A [leans forward and kisses him quickly]: I like your arms.

P: Huh? A [shrugs]: Your first one was my eyes, my last one is your arms.  You have nice muscles.  And, you know, you’re a very impressive swordsman, so it still falls under that characteristic thing.

P: Huh.  Again, good to know.  How many questions do we have left?

A: A few.  Ready to move on?

P: Yeah.  Let’s go.     

23. How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people's?

A: Oh gods.  Is this for real?

P: Do we want to just skip this one?

A [sighs]: No, we have to answer them all.  So, my family is getting better, but I don’t think I’ll ever describe them as close and warm.  Although things with my dad are much better.  And everything with Magnus is good.  But my childhood was definitely not happier than other people’s.  Your turn, Seaweed Brain.

P: I’m definitely close with my mom.  And Paul and Estelle.  And they’re all warm.  So’s Tyson, obviously.  Things with my dad have been good, can’t complain.  I doubt my childhood was happier than most other people’s, but there were some good moments, too.  But…never mind.

A: What?

P: But one day, in the future, like way out, when I have kids, I want to make sure they have a genuinely good childhood.  I mean, I’m going to do my best to make that happen.

A [holds his eyes for a long moment]: I love that idea.

P: Cool. [swallows hard] Um, next question? 24. How do you feel about your relationship with your mother?

A [facepalms]: You have got to be kidding me.

P: My mom’s awesome.  Next question.

Set 3

25. Make three true "we" statements each. For instance, "We are both in this room feeling _____."

P: Okay, this is another kind of weird one. 

A: A bit.  Three true “we” statements each.  Okay, so we are both in this room feeling vulnerable?

P: Yeah, that’s true.  We are both demigods.

A: Percy!

P: What?  It’s true.

A: That’s practically cheating.

P: Okay, fine, that one doesn’t count.  How about we are both learning some new stuff about each other?

A: Yeah.  Nice to know we can still do that.  And we both believe we can build a future together.

P: Definitely true. [pauses, thinking] We believe in each other.

A: We do.  And we put each other first, or at least we try our best.

P: I agree with that.  And, most importantly, we love each other.

A: Absolutely.

P: That was a good one.  What’s next?

26. Complete this sentence: "I wish I had someone with whom I could share _____."

A: Umm…I have no idea how to answer this.

P: Yeah, I’m coming up blank. 

A: I mean, my first thought was maybe my love of architecture, but Malcolm and I have great discussions.  Leo, too, is great for talking about engineering and design type stuff.  And everything else I talk with you about.  Or Piper.  Or your mom.  Sometimes friends at school.

P: Yeah, maybe I’m not thinking deep enough, but I think you and I have a lot of those types of conversations.  Or I talk to my friends.  Or my mom.  I thought about my love of video games.  But guys from camp and school are around for that. 

A: Does it count if we at least had a discussion about how we don’t have an answer?

P: I’m good with that.  Next.

27. If you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for him or her to know.

P:  Gee, Annabeth, if we were friends, what would I need to know?

A [laughs]: Okay, I’m guessing this question is for people who don’t really know each other.  But if I was going to give an honest answer, even if you already know it, it would probably be helpful to know about my history, and why I hate people letting me down.

P: That’s actually true.  I mean, I felt like I understood you better once I learned some of that stuff.  Kind of similar, I think it would be important for someone to know how important my mom and family are to me.

A: Definitely.

P: And you, obviously.  That was a given.

A: Ditto, Seaweed Brain.

28. Tell your partner what you like about them; be very honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you've just met.

A: This is interesting.  I mean, I feel like we were pretty honest last time.  That was definitely not stuff I would say to someone I just met.

P: Same.  But I might be able to come up with something else.

A: Yeah, me too.  So, even more honestly, what I like about you is that you’re reliable.  I know you always have my back and I can count on you.  For me, that means everything.  And I also love that you’re kind and sweet and respectful and funny and cute and smart and strong and…well, a lot of things.

P [kisses her]: Sorry, couldn’t help it.  I love that you’re just yourself.  You don’t try to change to impress anybody.  I mean, I know you put a lot of pressure on yourself to do well and achieve your goals, and that’s impressive, too, but you’re always still Annabeth.  You stay true to yourself.  And I love that.

[brief kissing interlude]

A: Okay, let’s finish these last few questions.

29. Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life.

A: Oh gods.  Um, okay, this one time, I started my period in the middle of class and had to wear a sweatshirt tied around my waist the rest of the day to cover up the small spot on my jeans.  Your turn.

P: I dangled from a billboard in Times Square in my underwear.

A: You what? P: Yeah, it was a whole thing with Grover and Apollo and it was pretty humiliating, so I never told you about it.  Next question.

30. When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?

P: In front of another person?  When we found out about what happened to Jason and everybody at Camp Jupiter.  I cried in front of you when we went back to your dad’s house.

A: Yeah.  I think that was my most recent time, too.  What about by yourself?

P: I mean, I’m not a big crier, usually.  I might have been upset about all that again, but the time that comes to mind, honestly, was after Estelle was born.  I don’t know why, but I remember standing at my bedroom window, looking out at the city, and I got all choked up.  But that was like, good crying.  Like, my mom was happy, she has Paul, now they have Estelle, I have this great family, this amazing girlfriend, I was getting ready to graduate high school and go to college.  I think I was just kind of amazed that was all real.  What about you? A: Honestly, I think it was something similar.  On the drive out to California, we stayed in that one hotel that had a balcony, looking out over that lake?  I couldn’t sleep, so I went out on the balcony, and I was just looking out, and thinking about everything.  Like that this was really happening.  And it was kind of overwhelming, but in a good way.  And I might have cried a little bit, but happy tears.

P: I didn’t know that.  You could have woken me up.

A: I know.  It was okay though.  I think I just needed that moment to process everything, you know?  Anyway, next one.

31. Tell your partner something that you like about them already.

A: Okay, this has to be for people who don’t know each other.

P: Yeah, but we can make it work.  Unless you’re out of nice stuff to say about me? A: Not even close, Seaweed Brain.  I like how honest you’re being with all this.  It’s really nice.

P: You too.  And I like that smile you keep giving me occasionally, when you like one of my answers. A: I am? P: Yeah.  It’s cute.  Next question.

32. What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?

A: Sexual assault.

P: Yeah, pretty much anything related to abuse.  Not funny.

A: Moving on.

33. If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven't you told them yet?

P: Wow, that’s an interesting question.  So, I think I do okay about telling people stuff.  But if I’m being honest, I might regret not telling Paul he’s a great guy and I really appreciate everything he’s done for my mom.  And for me.  I mean, I think he knows, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually told him.  Not for any reason, just haven’t.  But maybe I should.

A: I’m sure he’d love that.  And yeah, I don’t think there’s anything I’d regret not telling you. [nudges him with her shoulder].  But I think I’d wish I told my dad that I’m glad we’re getting along again.  And I appreciate the support he’s given me about my college choices.  I just don’t do well being emotional around him.  He’s not great at that either.

P: But I bet he’d love to hear it. 

A: Yeah.  Okay, we’re holding each other accountable.  Sometime before the end of the year, so no major rush, just when it feels natural, we’re going to tell them both, Paul and my dad, what we just said.

P:  Deal.  How many questions are left? A: Just three.  Almost there.

34. Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?

P:  Huh.  Assuming I have my camp necklace on and Riptide is in my pocket, I guess I’d want to grab maybe some pictures?  Or the Minotaur horn.  There’s not much stuff I’m that attached to otherwise, though.

A: Same.  My camp necklace, definitely, but if I have that on already…probably pictures.  Oh, my sketchbook.  I’d definitely grab my journal and my sketchbook.  Is it okay that that’s two things?

P: They’re in the same category, so sure.  Also, we’re making up our own rules as we go anyway, and I’m fine with that answer.

A: Great.  Moving on.

35. Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why?

P: These are some strange questions.  But I guess if the point is to really get to know somebody….Anyway, I’d be devastated, obviously, if something happened to you or my mom, same with Paul or Tyson…or my dad, but I forget about him sometimes for something like this because…well, you know.  But if we’re talking about disturbing, it’s Estelle, hands down.  Just because she’s still so little.  It doesn’t feel like anything should happen to her, like she should just be in this protective bubble because she’s a baby.  I don’t even want to think about anything happening to her.  So, your turn.

A: Ugh, I can’t even stand the thought of something happening to Estelle.  Talking specifically about my blood-related family, yeah, if something happened to my dad, or Bobby or Matthew, or even my stepmom, I’d be devastated.  And probably feel really guilty, somehow, too, for not spending enough time with them.  Most disturbing, though, would have to be if something happened to Magnus.  Just because, you know…he’s already dead.  So it would be awful not knowing what else happened to him or where he went, like if he’s trapped somewhere worse or something. [pauses]  And obviously, if something happened to you, I’d be completely heartbroken.  Then I’d stomp down to the Underworld and drag your butt back.

P [grins]: Obviously. A: Alright, last one.

36. Share a personal problem and ask your partner's advice on how he or she might handle it. Also, ask your partner to reflect back to you how you seem to be feeling about the problem you have chosen.

A: Wow, this is kind of tough.  I mean, I already usually talk problems through with you.  And honestly, at this particular moment, I don’t have one. [pauses, looking pleasantly surprised] Wow.  I don’t have any serious problems right now.  That’s possibly the first time that’s ever happened.

P: Nice.  So nothing right now? A: Not really.  I mean, I’m a little nervous about starting college, especially with balancing UC Berkeley and New Rome, but I think it’ll be okay.  Any advice on how you’d handle that? P [small laugh]: Honestly?  Not well.  I don’t think I’d be great at running back and forth and balancing everything.  But you will be.  You’re good with organization and time management and everything, so you’re going to be fine, Wise Girl.  If I had to guess, I think you’re just nervous because you want to do well.  But you will.  Because you’re awesome.

A [smiling]: Aww, thanks, babe.  What about you?  Any problems right now? P [shakes head]: Nothing major right now.  Well, actually, now that I’ve said that…I’m kind of worried about my major.  Like for college.

A: Really?  Why?

P [shrugs]: I mean, marine biology kind of makes sense, because of my dad and all.  But I’m not like a major science guy or anything.  So I’m a little worried about it.  Any thoughts? A [considers for a few moments]:  That makes sense.  So it sounds like you’re a little worried you’ve chosen something that you can do, not necessarily something you want to do?

P: Yeah, pretty much.  I mean, I never really thought much about what I’d want to do for a major or a career.  I never thought I’d get this far.

A: That makes sense.  Do you want my advice?

P: Isn’t that the point of this question?  Also, yes, I’d want to hear it anyway.

A: I think you should just stick with it for this first semester, maybe this first year.  Most of the classes are gen eds anyway, so they’ll apply to any major.  Maybe keep an open mind during your classes and see if anything jumps out at you.  There might be something you’ve never even thought about that you end up loving.  And if you decide to change majors, I think that’s totally fine.  And I support you one hundred percent.

P: Thanks, Annabeth.  And I like that idea.  It makes sense.

A: Cool.  [leans forward and kisses him lightly on the lips].  So that’s the end of the questions.

P: Sweet.  Although that was kind of cool.  Is there anything else?

A: Yeah.  The last part is four minutes of eye contact.

P: Holy shit.  Four minutes?

A: That’s what it says.

P: Isn’t that awkward? A [rolls eyes]: Only if you make it that way, Seaweed Brain.  Just relax.  It’ll be fine.  [gets out phone for stopwatch again] Alright, time starts now.

[4 minutes elapse, which include some laughing, some comments, but also following the rules]

A: And that’s four minutes.  Done.

P: Cool.  So, what does that mean? A: Apparently we’re supposed to feel closer.  Do you think it worked?

P [considers]: Actually, yeah, I think so.  I mean, it was nice to talk about some different stuff that we might not have otherwise.  So yeah, I think it worked.

A: Agreed.  That was actually kind of fun.

P: Yeah.  But now can we just relax?  And maybe make out?  Just throwing that out there.

A: Gods, yes.

And that was the end of the question and answer portion of the evening.

[justafandomgvrl]

Heyy it's MJ right?

I saw your post about being ill, I hope you feel better soon!

I thought maybe some Percy x reader headcanons would be nice? With some fake-dating to lovers?

I honestly don't really mind, just love me some Percy :))

Thank you! Starting to work slowly through the requests now as yesterday was my Grandad's funeral. I'm so grateful to everyone who sent them in 🤍🤍

Fake Dating to Lovers, Percy de Rolo x Reader

- the two of you didn't really get along at first. when you joined Vox Machina, his exact words were "we don't need another arsehole".

- appropriately, you flipped him off.

- you never really found a need to interact with each other besides snide remarks and half hearted insults that neither of you really believed.

- until the rest of the team decided you were a perfect distraction for a long con.

- the two of you were forced to play a loving, engaged couple. him some young noble from a far off land, you his fiancée from a nearby town.

- you hit a few bumps to start with. he gripped your hand all too tightly, squeezing till it felt your knuckles would pop out of place.

- he refused to share the bed with you so he slept on the floor. which would have been chivalrous, if he hadn't taken the warmest blankets with him.

- you would step on his feet while the two of you danced. he was never quite sure whether it was intentional (it was) or if you were just clumsy.

- you're not sure when it happened, but something changed.

- maybe it was in the way your bodies fit together whilst you danced.

- maybe it was the way he smiled at you when you were pretending to be in love around the nobles you were staying with.

- maybe it was in the way your hand moulded with his and he thought it felt like you had been built for him.

- maybe it was in the way he was transfixed just by watching you brush your hair.

- you began to help him when he couldn't sleep. pulling him into the bed and holding him when the nightmares came.

- he found himself blushing whenever he heard you laughing.

- wishing he knew how to make it happen himself.

- goosebumps started appearing on your skin when he ran his thumb over your knuckles.

- the nobles you were staying with as a way to keep them busy whilst vox machina destroyed their reputation (they had done a lot of wrong to their workers and the town they lorded over) began to suspect you weren't truly engaged.

- so Percy held your face, brushed your hair from your eyes, and kissed you.

- and you couldn't breathe but it was in the best way. your body relaxed against him as he used just the right amount of pressure.

- from then, the two of you were inseparable.

- Vax and Vex teased Percy about it the second you were all reunited. Keyleth was just so happy for her best friend. Scanlan was, well, Scanlan. Pike took money from him after winning their bet that this would happen. Grog was a little confused but happy for the two of you.

- Percy kept the ring that they had used for the fake engagement. He tinkered with it and refined the jewel, and after a year, he gave it to you once more, this time in genuine.

- you pulled him to his feet without answering him and held him as tight as you could, nodding your head against his shoulder.

[minibeth]

soon you’ll get better (but it’s chronic) part 1

fandom: percy jackson

characters: Nico, Percy, Annabeth

about: Nico has a sudden onset of a chronic illness and struggles to get a diagnosis

summary: Nico faints in the dining pavilion

word count: 632

notes: post TLO, eventual solangelo

ao3 link: <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/

Nico di Angelo knows that something is wrong with him.

Why won’t anyone listen?

Nico was used to feeling fatigued. Shadow traveling would leave him exhausted, and usually, he would sleep for a day or two, and wake up feeling right as rain. Until one day, when he got out of bed and felt his heart start racing. Okay. He was okay. He was probably just drained from using shadow travel to run an errand for Chiron the other day. Nico started to get ready to walk over to the dining pavilion and meet Annabeth, who had left a note for when he got back asking to talk to him. He walked across his cabin to the ornate dresser that held his clothes. However, after a few steps he stumbled, feeling his vision blur for a moment. That’s strange. Nico never continued to feel woozy after he’d slept and replenished his strength.

Nico sorted through his drawers before reaching down to pick up the hoodie he’d worn the previous day off the floor. When he stood up again, his head swam. He could hear his heart thumping loudly in his ear. Geez, I get it, you can slow down now. Nico slumped to the floor and felt his wrist at his pulse point. He wasn’t exactly a child of Apollo, but Nico was pretty sure that his heart wasn’t supposed to beat that fast. Nico grabbed a half-empty water bottle from his nightstand, drinking the remaining water in two large gulps. He wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his hoodie and stood up slowly, steadying himself before walking out of the cabin. I’ll take a nap after breakfast. I just have to make it through breakfast.

When he got to the dining pavilion, Nico noticed Percy waving at him from a table, where Annabeth sat next to him. Nico slid onto the bench across from them, noticing that the couple had already filled their plates.

“So, Nico, I was thinking that you could help me with some renovation ideas I have for Cabin 13. Could you come by after we eat and give some blueprints the go-ahead?” Annabeth glanced at him as she methodically buttered her toast.

Nico blinked in surprise, then quickly worked to keep his face from showing any disappointment. “Uh, yeah, I can do that.” There goes my nap. Nico loved her, but Annabeth had a talent for making 5 minutes turn into 5 hours when she was talking about her designs.

Percy groaned in faux irritation. “She’s been working on those blueprints for forever.” He took a bite of his blueberry muffin and shook his head. “I’m losing my girlfriend to your open floor plan.”

Annabeth punched his arm. “That’s not true, Seaweed Brain! Are we or are we not having a movie night tonight? And don’t talk with your mouth full in front of my client! It’s very rude.” She winked at Nico, who gave a weak smile. “You’d better hurry if you want some food. I saw Travis and Connor heading over there, and they looked like they had something up their sleeves. Literally.”

Nico never had a large appetite, especially after shadow traveling, so he just willed his goblet to fill with chocolate milk and held it up to show Annabeth. “I think I’m okay with this. I’m probably too late to avoid bugs in my eggs, anyway.” Annabeth’s brow furrowed slightly, but she didn’t say anything.

Nico drank his milk and waited for Annabeth to finish, so they could walk together to Cabin 6. When she and Percy got up, he swung his legs over the bench and stood up quickly. That was a mistake. Nico lost his footing and stumbled, gripping tightly onto the picnic table for support. His heart was pounding again, faster now. Is this what a heart attack feels like? His airway wasn’t obstructed, but he could hear himself gasping for breath. Nico felt like he was having an out-of-body experience, watching himself struggle to stay upright. As if on cue, his legs buckled, and he fell back, falling into someone. Nico struggled to keep his eyes open as he heard voices talking over each other, but was unable to distinguish what was being said. He could feel his eyelids fluttering as his head lolled back. Someone started shaking him and saying something, but Nico ignored it as his consciousness quickly faded. One little nap wouldn’t hurt. And he was so…so…tired.

[nerdthatsiriuslylovesteaxx]

Helpless part 55, how lucky we are to be alive right now

"PERCY JACKSON YOU BETTER FUCKING TELL ME WHY MY BROTHER ALMOST DIED!" An iris message appeared in his cabin, making Percy fall back onto his bed. It was around eleven in the morning; the words didn't process in his mind for a few seconds. Hazel had tears streaming down her face, eyes red with bags under her eyes as if she hadn't slept.

"Hazel, what are you talking about? He's been in the infirmary... Will is- he was fine I-"

"WHAT THE FUCK GOING ON? THIRD FUCKING TIME, WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING."

"I'll go check on him okay?" Hazel took a deep breath,

"Thank you Percy, I'd like to have some words with Solace when I get to camp, Reyna would to, I'm sure." The anger in her eyes would have made anyone else run in fear, he understood the pain, the anger, the fear, the sadness.

"H-hey I'm sure he'll be fine." He forced the words out of his mouth, he was also pretty fucking mad at Will, he'd told them he'd be safe in the infirmary, what the fuck happened? He waved his had through the message, breaking the connection before running to the infirmary. He tried to stay calm, he needed to, he knew it couldn't be Will's fault, Nico would be fine, he had to be fine. He opened the door, unlocked as always.

"Solace! Where are you?"

"He's in the second room, to the left, he's been a wreck all morning so be careful and be gentle."

"Thanks Kayla."

"No problem." He walked towards the room, the door had just been left open, he pushed it open and was scared of what he saw. Nico was laying on a bed, the only movement being the rise and fall of his chest which was likely induced by one of the machines hooked to him, next to him, sitting on the floor was Will Solace, head down in the knees crying silent tears. He sat down next to him,

"Everything okay?"

"Shit I'm so sorry, did anything happen?" Fuck he was meant to be working,

"Hey, man it's okay. Take a breath, what happened?"

"I- I was off for a little while and Nico- he- we think he shadow travelled out. He started drinking, the amount would have been okay for most people but it was in such a short span of time and he's already really weak because he still hasn't recovered from using his powers and he used them again and he lost a lot of blood not that long ago. He's in a coma, he probably will be for a while, I don't know if he's even going to wake up, ever. I know I was meant to tell Hazel and Reyna but I'm too fucking scared to and, shit there's something I need to show you." He spoke through sobs, his heart breaking with each word, hands shaking as he took off the blanket that was covering Nico. Dark shadow-like streaks covered his arms and neck probably covering his entire body, when Will touched them his hand went through. His skin was even paler than normal, he was cold to the touch, the only thing that made him alive was the fall and rise of his chest. Percy was too stunned to say a single word, he look at the small boy, so close to death and he felt guilty. He hadn't been able to help, it was too late, he hadn't been able to protect him, to stop all the horrible things from happening.

"I don't know what else to do, if we increase the dose of nectar it might start to burn him, I'm going to try so mortal meds soon. I don't think any of them are made for underworld power exhaustion butthey might help, I mean legally I can't give anything to him, he has a history of drugs and legally I'm not allowed to give him over a certain amount because it's bad for addiction. Right now none of that matters, I just need to keep him alive."

"Mate, I know it's your job to take care of others but please remember to take care of yourself. You look like shit, maybe get someone to cover for you for a day or two. There's a lot going on, a war ended pretty recently, there's a bunch of new campers coming in, your brothers missing and you've got a lot of people in the infirmary so just remember to let yourself breathe for a second yeah? You're not in this alone; also Hazel and Reyna already know."

"Did Jason call?"

"No, Hazel can feel when people are close to death or have died. Wait Jason found him again? Shit, I hope he's holding up, last time he was worried sick, we both were."

"He had Leo with him, I hope that helped him."

"It probably did, I'm gonna go, I- it just scares me to see him like this. If you ever need help in any way I'm free okay?"

"Thanks Percy, tell me if you hear anything about Austin."

***

[agereoneshots]

The next morning, as the group stumbled into the kitchen, Keyleth happily called to the others.

"I have gifts for everyone! Wait here!" The others looked around wondering what she could have for them.

"She definitely made them herself." Vax concluded, the others nodded.

"My guess, flower bouquets." Scanlan suggested.

"No, she'd make something that would last a while." Percy commented. Keyleth came back setting each gift down in front of the recipient.

"I made stuffed animals for everyone! A bear for Vex, a black cat for Vax, a crow for Percy, a dog for Scanlan, a hummingbird for Pike, and a lion for Grog!" As the others thank Keyleth for their gifts, Percy fought the urge to grab his and squish it against his chest.

"Do you not like yours?" Percy looked up at Keyleth.

"No! I love it!" Percy stumbled over his words as his still foggy brain told him he was too young to know how to speak.

"You haven't even touched it. Is something wrong?" Pike, ever the mom friend, asked gently. Percy couldn't help the tears pricking his eyes. Sighing, he took the bird and hugged it close.

"I'm fine....just...." Percy took a deep breath and, despite his brain practically screaming at him at this being a horrible idea, he decided to be truthful about what was bothering him knowing there was no other way out. "Sometimes....my...my brain makes me feel....younger....than I actually am....I know it's weird and I'm probably the only one who does this." Percy was aware he was rambling.

"No you aren't." Grog stopped him. "I do too." Percy looked over and blinked at him.

"Sometimes the big guy is a little guy." Pike shrugged. Percy hugged his crow closer, brain fogging over even more.

"I...I do something pretty similar. Sometimes my brain makes me feel more...more like a dog than a child? If that makes sense?" Scanlan looked around the table, waiting for someone to tell him no.

"of course it does!" Keyleth glared daggers across the table, getting her message across.

"Since....since everyone else is sharing...." Vax started.

"We do something similar to both actually." Vex finished.

"While we don't....really have it where we feel younger or like an animal, pretending is stress relieving." Vax explained.

"Pretending is just the best word we got. We do get into a mindset that tells us we're younger or that we're a dog or a cat, we can just....turn it off or on? At will?" Vex clarified. Suddenly, Keyleth got an idea.

Percy slept curled up in one of the sitting room lounge chairs with a blanket over him, crow stuffie in his arms, as he slept. Keyleth sat in a nearby chair. Scanlan laid his head in her lap, chewing gently on his new dog stuffie's leg as Keyleth scratched his head, calling him a good boy. Grog and Vex sat on the floor, playing with each other quietly so they wouldn't wake the baby. Pike and Vax sat near them, watching their respective little.

[startanewdream]

(still slowly catching up with the prompts for @hinnyfest. Prompt #11: Nightmares)

***

Snape’s face was contorted with hatred. Harry struggled against the invisible ropes that bind him, but it was hopeless; he could only watch as Snape raised his wand, his voice cold and unstoppable: “Avada Kedavra!”

He cried; a mute scream that never left his throat, as the green spell hit Dumbledore—no, it wasn’t Dumbledore. It was Ginny, her red hair spread like flames around her as her body floated in the air, shining under the green light of the Dark Mark, gone—

Then she opened her eyes; there was no warmth in her brown eyes, no smile on the lips that had greeted him every morning for the last weeks.

“This was your fault,” she accused; there was no defense. She was right, and Harry was sorry, but sorrow didn’t bring anyone back to life, didn’t change anything.

“This was your fault,” she said again, and Harry blinked, waking up with a joint. The light burned his eyes as they adjusted to the scene around; he wasn’t on the top of the Astronomy Tower, but rather on the grounds, by the shadow of a tree; the day was warm, bright, and he remembered how he, Ginny, Ron and Hermione had decided to spend their time outside. Harry hadn’t had the heart to disagree; all he knew was he wanted to be with them as much as they could, enjoy these last days before…

Before.

He hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but Ginny had coached him into laying his head over her lap (promptly ignoring Ron’s comments about whether it was decent) and then, as she took a book to read, she’d started running her hand through his hair. Her touch was so soft, so relaxing, that he’d drifted off to sleep without even noticing it.

That hadn’t been wise; his sleep had been filled with the same nightmare lately and if he’d screamed like he used to—

“Suggesting I should take Divination, really,” added Ginny.

“It was an older brother’s prank,” Ron said. “Percy recommended it to me, it was only fair that I did the same to you.”

“Percy? Thanks a lot, Ron.”

“You’re welcome, Ginny.”

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly; when she lowered her head, her gaze met Harry’s. A soft smile lifted her lips; Ginny was bright and shining as the day, nothing like the sight that had been haunting his nightmares lately. It was both relieving and painful; he knew what he had to do to keep her safe, and still…

“Sorry,” she said in a low voice. “Didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“I shouldn’t have slept anyway,” he said, embarrassed; he moved to raise, but Ginny held him.

“No, stay. You look like you need some sleep.” She looked ahead for a moment. “We all do, I bet.”

He stole a glance at Ron and Hermione before saying in a small voice. “I don’t wanna bother. My… my dreams haven’t been quiet.”

Her eyes clouded, troubled; Harry didn’t think she was fooled into thinking he was just having nice dreams. Then Ginny took a deep breath as if pulling herself back together, closed her book and moved just enough to lay next to Harry, over the towel they had spread on the floor.

“Let’s sleep together, then.”

“What did you—”

“Oh, shut it, Ron.” She shook her head at her brother, before winking at Harry; he felt his face flushing. “I mean in a very proper way. Wake us up before dinner, okay?”

Ron mumbled something, but as Hermione touched his arm, he agreed to look away.

Harry smiled despite himself. “You will get me in trouble with your brother,” he said, a line that he’d said many times before to Ginny and, just as before, she looked unfazed.

“Forget him, let’s just take a nap.” She grabbed her backpack for a pillow, then offered her arm for him. 

“Shouldn’t you rest in my arms?”

“You can do it next time,” she teased. Darkness threatened to overwhelm him—there would not be a next time, they couldn’t be together anymore…

She must have sensed his hesitation, for Ginny took his hand, intertwining their fingers. “Just close your eyes.”

He did.

“You are safe,” she whispered. “Everything is gonna be fine.”

It didn’t occur for Harry to question her. With his eyes closed, every part of him seemed in tune with her; the smell of flowers; the sound of her soft breath; the softness of her skin; his heart reacting to their closeness. Ginny was warm and tender and so alive. He would do everything he needed to keep her safe—to make everything fine—, but tomorrow; today he just wanted to have a nice dream with her.

[rememberinggranger]

I Saw Rise in the Heat

Morning clarity is a funny thing. The start to a new day beckons a decision. One can choose to carry over their previous day. Bring the memories and emotions with them. A continuation. Or, view the new day as a fresh start. Make the conscious decision to forget and wipe the slate clean. Begin anew.

Hermione was desperate for the latter.

Newly risen sunlight beamed into the room through sheer drapes that were stained from wear and time. Specks of dust danced around the morning rays only appearing when shone in the light. The smell of a homely musk filled the room from the wooden furniture and untouched linen in neat piles. Lingering decorations that Percy left behind shared space with the few belongings Hermione brought into the Burrow. On the bedside table sat a framed unmoving photo of her parents on opposite sides, a sizable gap awkwardly settling between them.

A gap where Hermione once stood before she erased herself from their narrative, and with it, her image from the photo.

Faint clattering and Weasley voices seeped into the room. Paired with the scent of sausage and egg, Hermione knew she’d slept in a little later than she intended. She could hear the residence of the burrow hurriedly flitting about, readying themselves for their own respective days.

Hermione sat on the edge of the bed, fingernails clawing into the mattress below as she tried to suppress the yesterday that lingered.

Today was a new day. She planned to march into that Manor with her head held high, exuding confidence. Malfoy promised not to interfere and she firmly believed it was for the best. She’ll deliver the news that Ron and Harry would like to speak with him and finish her research.

It was a simple plan. A plan she can follow through on.

Except for the fact that every time she closed her eyes, yesterday's events flooded back into her subconscious against her will. Hermione’s perception of Draco Malfoy was eroding. His reputation was diminishing before her, replaced with this new version of Malfoy she’d only just met. The discovery of his softness and how gentle he could be. How much pain he’s endured. The things he was forced to do for the sake of his loved ones. His willingness to keep them safe. To keep her safe.

The shared touch. Both of them, branded. Their silent truce.

It was all too confusing for Hermione to unpack. So she decided not to. Once she was through with the library, this wouldn’t be an issue any longer. He will cease to take up space in her waking thoughts. She will never have to see Draco Malfoy in this capacity, so intimately, ever again. That was a promise.

Hermione stood up, ready to start her day with a new found conviction. She took a few steps on the cold hardwood floor and threw open the doors to the wardrobe. Deciding what to wear came easier today. There wasn’t a need for business attire as Malfoy knew now that she wasn’t there on behalf of the Ministry. She chose a well loved pair of blue jeans and a crimson cashmere jumper. If she was going to be hunched over books for the better half of her day, she’d rather be comfortable and warm.

One glance in the mirror and she realized she had neglected her now frizzing lion's mane that framed her face, puffs and spirals wildly splayed in each direction. The spell-gone-wrong was not kind to her curls. She made the quick decision to deal with it later and twister her locks into a tight bun in the back of her head, a few pieces falling out and framing her face as she did so. Glancing to her small makeup bag, she decided against reaching in. There was no one at the Manor she was trying to impress.

Especially not Draco Malfoy.

With her hand on the bedroom’s doorknob, she exhaled deeply, readying herself for the questions and concerns of her day's agenda, mustering the courage to open the door and walk through.

When she reached the bottom of the staircase, she was nearly taken down by Ginny who was rushing and donning her Harpies uniform.

“Sorry! I’m late!” The blur of Ginny announced, as she made for the exit, the sound of the front door slamming in her wake.

Hermione looked up toward Ginny’s room and watched as Harry Potter sauntered through the doorway buttoning his shirt. A small giggle bubbled up as Harry stopped in his tracks, eyes wide knowing full well he’d been caught.

“You’re not supposed to be in her room, Harry.” Hermione sang playfully, poking fun. Letting herself joke with her friend if only for a moment.

“What Molly doesn’t know won’t hurt her.” Harry countered in a hushed tone, returning Hermione’s amusement.

Hermione pretended to zip her mouth shut and toss the key over her shoulder as they met at the bottom of the stairs, both falling into a hardy laugh.

“Please tell me you’ve changed your mind.” The air of amusement shifted into seriousness. Hermione dropped her smile.

“I haven’t. I’m going alone.”

Hermione didn’t let him say another word. She rushed over to the table, grabbed a slice of toast from the breakfast scraps left behind, slipped into her shoes, and out the front door she went.

Harry’s footsteps were heavy trailing behind her, desperately trying to get a word in before she left. Hermione was keen on ignoring him.

“If you’re not back by dinner, I will not hesitate to come get you, Hermione!” Harry screamed in her direction, but it reached deaf ears.

She took a few steps away from the threshold and vanished from sight, only to reappear among the tall hedges of Malfoy Manor.

As she approached the ominous entrance, a pang of anxiety took hold. She remained strong in her demeanor, not letting her intrusive thoughts sway her. After brushing toast crumbs from her jumper, she knocked on the door and waited to be let inside once more.

[halothenthehorns]

Chapter 13: I BUY SOME NEW FRIENDS

Annabeth woke up with the crystal clear feeling that something was right.

She felt the back pressed against hers, warm and breathing, and smiled. She wished she could just lay there forever, but she knew. They had to finish this. She had to get her boyfriend back.

The worries and fears still lingered in her like flickering shadows waiting to drag her down. What if Percy came out of this different, or changed? What if this latest interference was what finally pushed him to far? She'd have liked to stay up reading some more, but as soon as Percy had settled asleep she'd been right behind him, even as her mind lingered on Luke. She knew why Percy had seemed quiet, maybe a tad resentful of her yesterday, and it meant the world to her he hadn't pushed her away and slammed the door in her face as she lay on the ocean floor now, replaying her own quest over and over in her head without the aide of his memories.

One too many wrong assumptions on her part had started them off, of course.

The truths at the end of those tunnels still didn't sit right with her some days. Nico finding his sister only for a goodbye. Tyson had found Brairies, only for him to run away. Grover found Pan, but had to let him go. Percy found an incredible power within that almost destroyed him and scared him to abandon everything. She had found Daedalus, only to find he wasn't the savior she needed. They all found truth about the person they admired, known and dreamed most only to find them wrong.

Then it was her turn to accept the truth too. The memories Hestia had given Percy only reinforced that she needed to give her own past a good hard look.

Admitting that she had been wrong about her hero wasn't something she ever thought she could do. It's not easy when one's role model turned out to have a fundamental flaw in their character. It is often worse to lose the idea of them than to lose them to death. She now needed to accept the truth about Luke. She never knew him, only the version of her hero she'd met that first day. She made him her everything without completely knowing him and holding on it for a long time.

She'd held on to the past and lived in the present while planning everything for the future.

And lose a love...to worse than death.

Now that it finally came down to it, the truth that she'd avoided all along didn't hurt as much as she'd feared it would as she rolled over and gently placed her hand on Percy's arm. He slept on, even as he leaned back some and muttered where the sun had gone. She squeezed gently as she began to sit up and his muttering increased while the drool kept his face glued well to the pillow.

She was tempted to let him have his rest and go around to see if the others were awake, she had a feeling she was one of the first ones up, but the second her eyes went to the door, her nails sunk into her boyfriend's arm in protest. She didn't care she told herself it was paranoia, all she felt was the instant fear gripping her tight until she looked back down, and began vigorously shaking him awake.

...

There wasn't much commotion and fanfare as breakfast was had and they all settled in, Percy more eagerly than anyone to hopefully, finally, finish this once and for all. His life at least. He'd feel guilty later they'd have to start all over again when they got to Jason's and it was another long slog of nonsense.

Alex came in last, Magnus noticed as he fiddled with a kabab stick as a very horrible toothpick. She was adjusting a dark pink, full-sleeved popcorn shirt that showed off her midriff, running her hands around in joy over the material as her floor-length green skirt billowed around with a long slit up one side clean up to her hip, showing hints of the pink and green chucks beneath. She yawned her proper pronouns to the others while finishing pulling her hair into a twist on top of her head.

Thalia hadn't let herself be distracted from the important things though. Teasing Percy. "Your mom would be so disappointed in you!" She grinned at him as she read the new title, instantly distracting him and of course causing nothing but interruptions. "You're better than that young man, you can make real friends by sharing common interests."

"How much do I have to pay you to go away?" Percy rolled his eyes.

"You could never afford it," she snorted. "Rachel couldn't afford it!"

"The real friends are the ones you're stuck with along the way," Will snorted.

"Stuck like horse glue," Alex snickered, "do you think Blackjack would be offended by that or love it?"

"Depends entirely on who he's stuck to I'd guess," Percy sighed.

"You, obviously," Alex rolled her eyes while Annabeth swatted at her to get her to start already.

Mrs. O'Leary was the only one happy about the sleeping city.

"Dogs are just like that," Annabeth agreed with joy. "I remember one time I failed my spelling test and I got my dog to jump around with me when I made it a fake A."

Percy grinned at the idea of a five-year-old Annabeth in clothes that fit her, jumping around her furniture with a Doberman twice the size of her barking and bouncing along every step. "What was your dog's name?" He asked, pleased beyond words he could finally ask her something like that casually instead of hoping Magnus would know. Percy had a feeling even if he did, he wouldn't be happy sharing, with his obvious aversion to all dog-shaped things.

"Frostine," Annabeth grinned. "I used to play Candyland with her. She was Queen of the Ice Cream Sea, and my dog's eyes were that shade of blue. Plus, we all know raspberry is the best flavor."

Percy threw his head back and laughed at the painted picture, causing a ripple of the others to join in.

Percy wanted to ask what had happened to her, but Thalia had a sense that's why he leaned forward and seemed eager to continue the conversation, and Thalia started reading loudly to avoid that sad conclusion. Her stepmother had insisted the dog needed to be given up when she became pregnant. It was one of many times Annabeth had sat on her lap and fought back tears she didn't have to anymore as she played with the other homeless teenager's mutts.

We found her pigging out at an overturned hot dog stand while the owner was curled up on the sidewalk, sucking his thumb.

"Argus was clearly doing a great job," Jason snorted.

"I told him to watch her," Percy shrugged without concern. "As long as he was watching her eat, I guess he's technically still doing his job."

Argus was waiting for us with his hundred eyes wide open. He didn't say anything. He never does. I guess that's because he supposedly has an eyeball on his tongue. But his face made it clear he was freaking out.

"I would be too," Jason nodded. It was always a cautious, often stressful feeling to move around when others were asleep. He couldn't imagine fighting a whole war around that.

"What about the airport?" Magnus frowned. "And helicopters? I'm surprised you didn't hear those crashlanding by getting to close to Olympus or the pilots falling asleep at the wheel too."

"Hopefully like the cars they just, sunk to the ground nice and slow," but Percy was guessing at best, more than a few fenderbenders had been in sight. In fact the idea made his head hurt quite a lot what he was missing-

Annabeth gave him a little nudge. Just a gentle pressure and release, enough he looked around at her with the same quiet worry in his eyes she was so sorry to see every time.

He smiled at her though. Taking just that breath to appreciate the silence that spoke for them both of being there together before Thalia hastily read on.

I told him what we'd learned in Olympus, and how the gods would not be riding to the rescue. Argus rolled his eyes in disgust, which looked pretty psychedelic since it made his whole body swirl.

"Cool," Alex grinned. "Hey doc, which drugs do I take to make everyone look like that."

"None," Will frowned at her in concern. "Please do not ingest random things Alex."

"Killjoy," she huffed.

'Better than asking which god would curse her eyes to see that,' Magnus kept the thought to himself lest he set it upon Alex's brain.

"You'd better get back to camp," I told him. "Guard it as best you can."

He pointed at me and raised his eyebrow quizzically.

"I'm staying," I said.

Argus nodded, like this answer satisfied him.

"That was never in question," Thalia rolled her eyes. "He probably wanted to know what you planned on doing."

"Something crazy I'm sure," Percy shrugged.

"Well that went without saying," she snorted.

He looked at Annabeth and drew a circle in the air with his finger.

"To infinite and beyond?" Will scratched at the back of his neck, feeling weird for still being sort of out of the loop even this late in the game, but it's not as if every cabin had run every strategy by him while he'd been doing inventory on how much supplies they had.

"Yes," Annabeth agreed. "I think it's time."

"For what?" I asked.

Argus rummaged around in the back of his van. He brought out a bronze shield and passed it to Annabeth. It looked pretty much standard issue—the same kind of round shield we always used in capture the flag. But when Annabeth set it on the ground, the reflection on the polished metal changed from sky and buildings to the Statue of Liberty—which wasn't anywhere close to us.

"Whoa," I said. "A video shield."

"I was never really joking about you taking over the planet," Alex told Annabeth. "Now it's just one step closer to being true."

"That is a seriously overpowered thing that would have been nice to have all this time," Magnus said, "but I'm guessing the CIA's going to show up here in a second and confiscate it too, so," he trailed off with a deeply concerned look that his cousin might be on a few watch lists right along with Percy.

"I didn't have Deadulus's laptop all this time," Annabeth reminded. "And, um, well, Beckendorf had a few mistakes before he got it working right. That thing that might have exploded camp if he didn't keep an eye on it, yeah, good chance it was a prototype of this."

"One of Daedalus's ideas," Annabeth said. "I had Beckendorf make this before—" She glanced at Silena.

"Um, anyway, the shield bends sunlight or moonlight from anywhere in the world to create a reflection. You can literally see any target under the sun or moon, as long as natural light is touching it. Look."

"You have a gods eye view," Jason savored the words on his tongue. Words that felt powerful right down to his core, it made him feel lightheaded for a moment.

"I wonder if we can use it to spy on Hollywood, see what the next blockbuster is shooting today," Percy grinned, before he oofed as Annabeth elbowed him. "But yeah, Kronos too, obviously importante'," he finished with a strange, bad Spanish accent at the end.

We crowded around as Annabeth concentrated. The image zoomed and spun at first, so I got motion sickness just watching it.

Thalia turned verdant at the mere idea and knew she'd never be very good at using this thing.

We were in the Central Park Zoo, then zooming down East 60th, past Bloomingdale's, then turning on Third Avenue.

"Whoa," Connor Stoll said. "Back up. Zoom in right there."

"What?" Annabeth said nervously. "You see invaders?"

"No, right there—Dylan's Candy Bar." Connor grinned at his brother. "Dude, it's open. And everyone is asleep. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Percy threw back his head with laughter he'd tried his very hardest to suppress at the time, so they knew at least he was thinking what Connor was thinking.

"Connor!" Katie Gardner scolded. She sounded like her mother, Demeter.

"Isn't it so fascinating and impressive how we can emulate our parents, oftentimes when spending no significant development around them," Jason said in a whistful kind of voice, obviously a thought bubble that had been in his head long before this. It popped quite suddenly as he glanced at Thalia, and then grimaced at the idea of Beryl and Zeus/ Jupiter/ if he thought about it to long it gave him a splitting migraine because all he could pull together was Mrs. O'Leary but he knew that wasn't right!

"Not so much," Alex's tone was mild, but Magnus heard the stony anger layering beneath. He watched her for a few extra moments and saw with her hair pulled up like that, there was something on the back of her neck. He would have leaned in to get a closer look if it wouldn't have been super obvious.

"This is serious. You are not going to loot a candy store in the middle of a war!"

"Both sentences could coexist," Percy told her with a tragic frown. He'd only restrained himself at the time telling her because of responsibility and leadership and whatever.

"Oh I'm sure they did," Nico rolled his eyes. Hermes might have broken out of his murdery/ sad funk over Luke to praise those two for their priorities.

"Sorry," Connor muttered, but he didn't sound very ashamed.

"Yeah, I got that too," Annabeth sighed, making them all chuckle she was as aware as anybody no scolding had stalled many hands.

Annabeth passed her hand in front of the shield, and another scene popped up: FDR Drive, looking across the river at Lighthouse Park.

"This will let us see what's going on across the city," she said. "Thank you, Argus. Hopefully we'll see you back at camp . . . someday."

"Because that's not ominous at all," Thalia frowned at her. Obviously it was a dire situation, but that was just bleak.

"Ominous is what I voted Percy and Annabeth name their firstborn," Will smirked.

Percy choked on air and might have exploded on a blush while Annabeth gave him A Look that kept him silent for a bit as Thalia kept going.

Argus grunted. He gave me a look that clearly meant Good luck; you'll need it, then climbed into his van. He and the two harpy drivers swerved away, weaving around clusters of idle cars that littered the road.

I whistled for Mrs. O'Leary, and she came bounding over.

"Hey, girl," I said. "You remember Grover? The satyr we met in the park?"

"WOOF!"

I hoped that meant Sure I do! And not, Do you have more hot dogs?

"Both?" Alex of course had to play up the previous joke.

"Both," Magnus all to happily agreed.

"Both!" The two cheered before snickering.

"I need you to find him," I said. "Make sure he's still awake. We're going to need his help. You got that? Find Grover!"

Mrs. O'Leary gave me a sloppy wet kiss, which seemed kind of unnecessary.

"Entirely disagree," Will gave Percy a grin. Percy didn't have nearly as strong a look as Annabeth to keep him shut up, but he wished he did as Will continued, "and I'm sure it all depends who the kiss is from too."

"Will," Annabeth sounded more exasperated than stern while Percy tried to strangle his own chagrin. "Stop teasing him."

"Well you're no fun," Will huffed before flashing a grin same as her.

"And it's not going to happen Annabeth, he's been free game this whole time," Thalia shrugged.

"I know," she sighed. Mostly she was just jealous still she wasn't here for it all.

Then she raced off north.

Pollux crouched next to a sleeping policeman. "I don't get it. Why didn't we fall asleep too? Why just the mortals?"

"This is a huge spell," Silena Beauregard said. "The bigger the spell, the easier it is to resist. If you want to sleep millions of mortals, you've got to cast a very thin layer of magic. Sleeping demigods is much harder."

I stared at her. "When did you learn so much about magic?"

Silena blushed. "I don't spend all my time on my wardrobe."

"Only like, fifty percent," Thalia nodded seriously.

"Imagine how dangerous this girl would be if she wore sweatpants one day," Alex snorted.

Magnus was still lagging a few sentences backwards wondering about the intricacies of this magic spell. Would he have fallen asleep? He assumed he wasn't strictly mortal anymore, but he didn't assume he was half Greek either.

"Percy," Annabeth called. She was still looking at the shield. "You'd better see this."

The bronze image showed Long Island Sound near La Guardia. A fleet of a dozen speedboats raced through the dark water toward Manhattan. Each boat was packed with demigods in full Greek armor. At the back of the lead boat, a purple banner emblazoned with a black scythe flapped in the night wind. I'd never seen that design before, but it wasn't hard to figure out: the battle flag of Kronos.

"Scan the perimeter of the island," I said. "Quick."

Annabeth shifted the scene south to the harbor. A Staten Island Ferry was plowing through the waves near Ellis Island. The deck was crowded with dracaenae and a whole pack of hellhounds. Swimming in front of the ship was a pod of marine mammals. At first I thought they were dolphins. Then I saw their doglike faces and the swords strapped to their waists, and I realized they were telkhines—sea demons.

"Who got the short straws of coming via water?" Thalia looked pained at these pawns. It's like Kronos wasn't even trying.

"Or he's trying to make it so Percy can't be everywhere at once," Jason said shrewdly. While Percy went down to deal with two simultaneous attacks, the rest of Camp would have to fight without him.

The scene shifted again: the Jersey shore, right at the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel. A hundred assorted monsters were marching past the lanes of stopped traffic: giants with clubs, rogue Cyclopes, a few fire-spitting dragons, and just to rub it in, a World War II-era Sherman tank, pushing cars out of its way as it rumbled into the tunnel.

"Why does everyone get a tank besides me?" Percy sighed. "We should at least get something as cool. Like monkeys on horses, or the gargoyles coming to help. I'll take dinosaurs with machine guns!"

"Well now you're just asking for to much Percy," Jason said with a faint smile. "Would have been better off asking for another sand dollar."

"What's happening with the mortals outside Manhattan?" I said. "Is the whole state asleep?"

Annabeth frowned. "I don't think so, but it's strange. As far as I can tell from these pictures, Manhattan is totally asleep. Then there's like a fifty-mile radius around the island where time is running really, really slow. The closer you get to Manhattan, the slower it is."

She showed me another scene—a New Jersey highway. It was Saturday evening, so the traffic wasn't as bad as it might've been on a weekday. The drivers looked awake, but the cars were moving at about one mile per hour. Birds flew overhead in slow motion.

"Wow," Alex murmured. The idea did not sit well with her that the gods could combine their might and do this to the whole world if they ever wished. The kind of power that needed to be reminded every once in a while they could be toppled. Also one of the reasons she liked Percy so much.

"Kronos," I said. "He's slowing time."

"Hecate might be helping," Katie Gardner said. "Look how the cars are all veering away from the Manhattan exits, like they're getting a subconscious message to turn back."

"I don't know." Annabeth sounded really frustrated. She hated not knowing.

"Can you even imagine a time before Google though," Annabeth sounded just as annoyed now. "All those great experts expected to figure everything out because they were the first in untested waters, and half of them probably figured it out without their lives being threatened."

Percy agreed she was one of the greats who had managed that and just nodded he almost understood the idea. Being the only child of the Big Three around camp was as close as he could imagine.

"But somehow they've surrounded Manhattan in layers of magic. The outside world might not even realize something is wrong. Any mortals coming toward Manhattan will slow down so much they won't know what's happening."

"Like flies in amber," Jake Mason murmured.

Magnus was really worried for one second that if one more person even made a vague Jurassic Park reference they really were going to get a T-Rex in this, but he waved that off as just pessimistic thinking.

Annabeth nodded. "We shouldn't expect any help coming in."

Maybe not from the way she expected, but how about up? Nico thought to himself with a faint smile. He really hoped when they got to that part Percy wouldn't start freaking out about the zombie apocalypse and see him as a threat too, even for a second.

I turned to my friends. They looked stunned and scared, and I couldn't blame them. The shield had shown us at least three hundred enemies on the way. There were forty of us. And we were alone.

Percy and his friends had always been alone on nearly every quest they traveled, relying only on themselves and the occasional godly intervention. The weight of that didn't hit as hard on Annabeth as it might have some of the other campers as she'd looked to Percy, addressing them all. She'd been lucky, in one sense, having more experience than some of those guys older than her.

"All right," I said. "We're going to hold Manhattan."

Silena tugged at her armor. "Um, Percy, Manhattan is huge."

Annabeth swallowed the traitorous, painful knot in her throat as she wondered if Silena was pointing that out to discourage them. If she'd wanted them to surrender to Luke's side without a fight.

If Silena had thought they'd consider that for even a second, she'd been more delusional than Annabeth herself in her youth.

"We are going to hold it," I said. "We have to."

"He's right," Annabeth said. "The gods of the wind should keep Kronos's forces away from Olympus by air, so he'll try a ground assault. We have to cut off the entrances to the island."

"They have boats," Michael Yew pointed out.

"You have a Percy," Magnus snorted. He'd been flinging them around in here like plankton without even trying. He had complete confidence Percy could snap his fingers and deal with those boats.

The problem would arise when he looked at the kids on those boats, and how willing he'd be to disarm them. Nobody was going to sit around and tell Percy what the right answer to that was going to be.

Percy grinned in thanks. He did have a pretty good gut feeling that went well enough, which was always a good omen. They probably didn't have many of those left.

An electric tingle went down my back. Suddenly I understood Athena's advice: Remember the rivers.

"She was, warning you to guard from all sides?" Alex raised a brow. It seemed obvious advice to her, not something a wisdom goddess would fill the need to emphasize. She couldn't think Percy was That Dumb, or that her own daughter wouldn't consider such things.

Percy no longer had that sand dollar in place, but he ran his hand curiously over his beaded necklace all the same.

"I'll take care of the boats," I said.

Michael frowned. "How?"

"I can't believe he questioned that," Thalia scoffed.

"I don't think he was around that day I threatened to throw a river at you," Percy grinned as he glanced at Will, who nodded in silent agreement. Percy turned back to Thalia to fast to see his smile slipping away. "I'm sure some of the guys around there think what we can do gets exaggerated," Percy's grin was tinged with an adrenaline rush fueled by the end. His nerves were almost tingling with excitement. He was ready, he was excited to hear about the chaos he'd bring on these monsters who threatened his home.

"Just leave it to me," I said. "We need to guard the bridges and tunnels. Let's assume they'll try a midtown or downtown assault, at least on their first try. That would be the most direct way to the Empire State Building. Michael, take Apollo's cabin to the Williamsburg Bridge.

Will would bet one of his kidneys Micheal had been proud to be the first cabin named. That his older brother had puffed up his chest and grinned that same maniac smile Percy just had at being the first option to come to Percy's mind. He couldn't be mad, he couldn't even hold onto as much sadness as he knew would come soon enough when the results were plastered all over that page in blood. He just managed a proud smile for his siblings too for that moment.

Katie, Demeter's cabin takes the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. Grow thorn bushes and poison ivy in the tunnel. Do whatever you have to do, but keep them out of there! Conner, take half of Hermes cabin and cover the Manhattan Bridge. Travis, you take the other half and cover the Brooklyn Bridge. And no stopping for looting or pillaging!"

"Awwww!" the whole Hermes cabin complained.

"Percy just being a complete killjoy aside," Alex chuckled, "can we rewind back to the part where you decided to split that entire cabin in half?" She knew there were more kids in there than the others, but it still surprised her there were enough to split forces like that.

She only remembered as the comment left her mouth though that the unclaimed kids would have been in that category too. Any child that might have gone with any other cabin, or just not known where to go period also would have fallen in line with them. Gods, wouldn't that be a mess of a feeling? Loki had given her exactly two good things, an identity she could choose to ignore, and her shapeshifting. To not have that as she fought for her life was not an idea she easily pondered.

"Silena, take the Aphrodite crew to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel."

"Oh my gods," one of her sisters said. "Fifth Avenue is so on our way! We could accessorize, and monsters, like, totally hate the smell of Givenchy."

"No delays," I said. "Well . . . the perfume thing, if you think it'll work."

"I'm impressed you knew that was a perfume," Annabeth admitted, the brand hadn't rung any of her bells.

"Well I didn't assume they were sniffing purses," Percy shrugged.

Six Aphrodite girls kissed me on the cheek in excitement.

"Like, all at once in a flash mob, or did they form a line?" Thalia asked in mild concern if Annabeth had started stabbing her own troops before Silena got the chance.

"They formed a line," Percy frowned, "I should have charged them, one of them got way to close to my mouth."

"Drew's always wanted her chance," Annabeth grumbled.

"I'm over here offended for the Hermes kids!" Alex was still snickering. "You just gave this lot permission to go raiding their favorite store, but a few innocent water balloons filled with greek fire go missing and you're going to disaprove?"

"Depends how relevant that thieving is," Percy rolled his eyes. "No monsters going to blink at having a nice watch chucked in their face unless Tyson made it."

"I'm sure Rollex will get right on that design flaw," Alex chuckled.

"All right, enough!" I closed my eyes, trying to think of what I'd forgotten. "The Holland Tunnel. Jake, take the Hephaestus cabin there. Use Greek fire, set traps. Whatever you've got."

He grinned. "Gladly. We've got a score to settle. For Beckendorf!"

The whole cabin roared in approval.

Percy was flooded with the same sense of admiration as when he first saw that, those boys and girls who hadn't even hesitated to dive into what had gotten his friend killed by following his lead. He wondered if Nico were there, would he be so cavalier about following one of Percy's plans? Or would he be frowning in disapproval and trying to come up with his own ideas that would get him thrown in another cell under Hades's palace. He almost couldn't blame him as Bianca's ghost shimmered to mind right alongside Beckendorf's. How many more were going to join after today?

"The 59th Street Bridge," I said. "Clarisse—"

I faltered. Clarisse wasn't here. The whole Ares cabin, curse them, was sitting back at camp.

"She's not even there and she's out here ruining your day," Nico nodded.

"Girl strives for perfection at everything I guess," Percy scowled. He wasn't even sure how she would have responded upon being there. While she'd handed over the reigns to Annabeth without question during that quest, and she'd mellowed out quite a lot since dating Chris who also wasn't there, he just had that feeling like she would not have gone along quietly with wherever he assigned her cabin without some remark.

"We'll take that," Annabeth stepped in, saving me from an embarrassing silence.

"Woman's great at many a things, but that's definitely what she's best at," Magnus snorted.

Annabeth grinned with pride and gave her cousin a grateful nod while Percy didn't bother arguing the point. He'd just assumed Annabeth would be by his side during the battle, delegating her siblings hadn't even crossed his mind.

She turned to her siblings. "Malcolm, take the Athena cabin, activate plan twenty-three along the way, just like I showed you. Hold that position."

"You got it."

"I'll go with Percy," she said.

"You really shouldn't be wasting your breath right now guys, there's going to be enough trees torn down over in the battery tunnel in a second," Jason snorted.

Annabeth gave him a little smirk and promised, "I'll plant a few extra seeds when we get home to make up for it."

"Then we'll join you, or we'll go wherever we're needed."

Somebody in the back of the group said, "No detours, you two."

There were some giggles, but I decided to let it pass.

"Somebody get this guy a safety vest, he'll make a great crosswalk guard one day," Will nodded at him.

"That was you, wasn't it?" Percy frowned in vague recognition of the voice before puberty made it crack.

"No," Will blinked innocently, a look that Percy couldn't quite decide how much he believed.

"All right," I said. "Keep in touch with cell phones."

"We don't have cell phones," Silena protested.

Annabeth's brain still couldn't seem to stop itself overanalyzing everything she'd said and done. Had she not wanted to keep communication open? Why would she draw attention to herself at the idea? Silena was one of the few at camp that did have a cell phone and everyone knew it, she and Beckendorf had gotten a plan together for her birthday.

Though now that she thought about it, Annabeth hadn't seen it recently. She wondered if she'd tried to flush the thing away after the explosion.

I reached down, picked up some snoring lady's BlackBerry, and tossed it to Silena. "You do now. You all know Annabeth's number, right? If you need us, pick up a random phone and call us. Use it once, drop it, then borrow another one if you have to. That should make it harder for the monsters to zero in on you."

Everyone grinned as though they liked this idea.

Jason didn't, considering monsters were going to be crawling literally all over the city in moments, but he wasn't going to argue the point. He held his tongue and would not be the one to take away a second of hope.

Travis cleared his throat. "Uh, if we find a really nice phone—"

"No, you can't keep it," I said.

"Aw, man."

"You might as well go over and stomp on him already Percy, ruining this boy's day," Alex chuckled.

"I'm sure you and the Stolls will make me regret my morals someday," Percy rolled his eyes.

"Hold it, Percy," Jake Mason said. "You forgot the Lincoln Tunnel."

I bit back a curse. He was right. A Sherman tank and a hundred monsters were marching through that tunnel right now, and I'd positioned our forces everywhere else.

"The obvious strategic move, they'll never see that coming," Thalia laughed. She'd clearly gotten there at the perfect time to also save his butt. She and Annabeth could make matching shirts out of that one day.

Then a girl's voice called from across the street: "How about you leave that to us?"

I'd never been happier to hear anyone in my life.

"Yes!" Thalia cheered by doing an actual fist pump before jabbing a finger at Annabeth. "Take that you little nerd! I'd never get him to admit that out loud!"

"Yeah, yeah," Percy twirled his wrist around in mock agreement. "Thalia saves the day again, another story at eleven about gas prices going up, change the channel already."

"Well it's no fun if you agree Percy," Thalia huffed while Percy smirked that had not only been the point, but Annabeth could stop muttering about her sister calling her a nerd again.

A band of thirty adolescent girls crossed Fifth Avenue. They wore white shirts, silvery camouflage pants, and combat boots. They all had swords at their sides, quivers on their backs, and bows at the ready. A pack of white timber wolves milled around their feet, and many of the girls had hunting falcons on their arms.

"Thalia's back," Alex said pointedly in case anybody missed that. Though if somebody was actually sleeping in here it really was on them.

"And she didn't even threaten to shoot any of us, it was a great day," Will rolled his eyes.

The girl in the lead had spiky black hair and a black leather jacket. She wore a silver circlet on her head like a princess's tiara, which didn't match her skull earrings or her Death to Barbie T-shirt showing a little Barbie doll with an arrow through its head.

"No, no, now Thalia's back," Percy snorted.

"Yes, thank you for picking me out of the crowd I was in front of, your genius levels of perception go unmatched once again," Thalia scoffed.

"Thalia!" Annabeth cried.

The daughter of Zeus grinned. "The Hunters of Artemis, reporting for duty."

Jason grinned. He was still kind of, sort of hurt Thalia had never told him what she suspected the truth to be about even a sliver of where he came from, but that didn't stop his glow of pride that this was his sister. A badass with a title like that she didn't even need to back it up, rallying in for the backup Percy had always needed in times like this.

Thalia saw that grin and smiled hesitantly back. Even knowing she'd messed up, she didn't know how she'd go back and fix it, but it was a nice feeling for a second that they could still move forward.

There were hugs and greetings all around . . . or at least Thalia was friendly. The other Hunters didn't like being around campers, especially boys, but they didn't shoot any of us, which for them was a pretty warm welcome.

"We were even invited back to Camp for showing such restraint," Thalia grinned in agreement.

"Spoiler alert Camp still exists I guess," Percy rubbed at his temple but still smiled anyways as he repressed a shiver. Gods he wished this day was over with already, he was so sick of having a constant headache over things that should have felt as natural as the rainfall.

"Where have you been the last year?" I asked Thalia. "You've got like twice as many Hunters now!"

She laughed. "Long, long story. I bet my adventures were more dangerous than yours, Jackson."

"Still willing to hedge that bet?" Percy smirked.

"You spent a few weeks in the Labyrinth, don't get me started on my months," Thalia nodded. "What exactly are you willing to cough up?"

Percy opened his mouth, the two absolutely would have started sitting around gambling money neither of them probably even had until Annabeth got their attention in fond exasperation.

"Complete lie," I said.

"We'll see," she promised. "After this is over, you, Annabeth, and me: cheeseburgers and fries at that hotel on West 57th."

"What is it with you two and cheeseburgers?" Jason chuckled, still sounding a little awkward, but also leaning forward eagerly in his seat to be included. "Other food groups exist you know."

"And they can all go on a good cheeseburger," Percy nodded as if he'd agreed.

"Putting two things between a bun doesn't make a cheeseburger Percy," Thalia rolled her eyes. "I crave meat and cheese!"

"Sure it does," Percy was winding up for another fight already and Annabeth looked ready to pull her hair out. "Had this chicken parmesan leftovers the other night I put between two brioche buns," he paused and gave a chef's kiss. "Master Italian Burger."

"Can I disagree?" Nico frowned.

"Chicken makes it a chicken sandwich not a burger you bottom feeder! And if you put marinara anywhere near me without cheese sticks I'll smother you," Thalia huffed.

"Okay food police," Magnus laughed, "you two are making me hungry already and we've just started."

Jason and Nico exchanged exasperated looks they'd been accidentally ignored in those two over there, but had a quick muttered conversation to resolve this by making them give a cook off later. They could argue over a grill all they liked as long as they got to reap the rewards.

"Le Parker Meridien," I said. "You're on. And Thalia, thanks."

She shrugged. "Those monsters won't know what hit them. Hunters, move out!"

She slapped her silver bracelet, and the shield Aegis spiraled into full form. The golden head of Medusa molded in the center was so horrible, the campers all backed away. The Hunters took off down the avenue, followed by their wolves and falcons, and I had a feeling the Lincoln Tunnel would be safe for now.

"Just a feeling, a hunch really, a barely flickering lightbulb," Thalia nodded sagely as she tapped the side of Percy's head.

He swatted her away and called her a few things that would have made Aegis cringe.

"Thank the gods," Annabeth said. "But if we don't blockade the rivers from those boats, guarding the bridges and tunnels will be pointless."

"You're right," I said.

I looked at the campers, all of them grim and determined. I tried not to feel like this was the last time I'd ever see them all together.

"Well thanks Percy, now we're all thinking that," Alex said with an awkward smile. She'd never even met those kids and she knew they weren't all going to make it to the next camp bonfire.

Her tone wasn't light, exactly, she wasn't making fun of Percy, she was just being a smartass. Like she would have been had she actually been there and knew same as him that would be the last thing they'd hear from her.

"You're the greatest heroes of this millennium," I told them. "It doesn't matter how many monsters come at you. Fight bravely, and we will win." I raised Riptide and shouted, "FOR OLYMPUS!"

"Nice speech," Annabeth placed her hand on his shoulder.

He waited for her to follow that up with, 'for a seaweed brain' or something, but when she didn't he sat up straight in his seat. He put his hand over hers and wondered if this was how Zeus felt all the time being on top of the world.

They shouted in response, and our forty voices echoed off the buildings of Midtown. For a moment it sounded brave, but it died quickly in the silence of ten million sleeping New Yorkers.

Percy had never been a fan of silence. Sitting around waiting in hard plastic chairs for the teacher or principal to come yell at him. The disappointed silence when even his mother couldn't say a nice thing about why he'd been expelled this time. The long, absent silences when Annabeth either couldn't, or wouldn't talk to him.

This silence felt deeper. He already knew a predator was waiting in the next shadow for them all. The cheer from his friends followed by the deep, ear piercing night was like something right out of a horror film, and he was walking right into the final act. He glanced at Annabeth and worried with a deep fear he couldn't wait to shake how they made it out of this.

Annabeth and I would've had our pick of cars, but they were all wedged in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Annabeth frowned that felt like some kind of metaphor in there for her past if she'd ever had the whim to draw one. This section of Percy's life had started with him and Rachel cruising down an open stretch of beach without a care in the world. Her? She got to pass her dream car of a 1967 Chevy Impala, it's fender in ruins, she hadn't even gotten a chance to look at the hood! While she and Percy were racing to end another world ending disaster. Again.

None of the engines were running, which was weird. It seemed the drivers had had time to turn off the ignition before they got too sleepy. Or maybe Morpheus had the power to put engines to sleep as well.

"That, hurts my brain," Magnus said, each word clearly a pain.

"We really haven't had any major instances of the gods toying with our machinery," Alex agreed, tapping her chin in fascination. "Hephaestus obviously benefits from it, but hasn't interfered with it has he?"

"I imagine they all have mixed feelings about each new thing invented," Annabeth grinned. Hermes was probably offended at the idea of ATM's because it made thieving just a bit harder. Zeus had probably made global warming increase by accident he'd be so happy about a lightbulb being invented. She'd tried asking her mom on an Olympus field trip once how she felt about the sowing machine and she'd given her a look of such mixed emotions she'd felt the need to hide under her cap before waiting around for an answer.

Most of the drivers had apparently tried to pull to the curb when they felt themselves passing out, but still the streets were too clogged to navigate.

Finally we found an unconscious courier leaning against a brick wall, still straddling his red Vespa.

We dragged him off the scooter and laid him on the sidewalk.

"Sorry, dude," I said. With any luck, I'd be able to bring his scooter back. If I didn't, it would hardly matter, because the city would be destroyed.

"You get credit for the consideration though," Will still said in delight the thought even crossed his mind. Connor and Travis probably would have tried to smuggle that into their backpack in parts.

"Where did you even learn to ride a Vespa?" Magnus asked rather than imagining his cousin clinging to Percy's back on it. "I didn't question you on Ares's motorcycle-"

"What? When?!"- Annabeth tried to interrupt.

"- because, godly machine, whatever, intuitive, but this?"

"Same deal as a motorcycle man, like you said. Just, hold down the lever thingy, twist the twisty part, and it goes," Percy shrugged.

"Lever thingy?" Annabeth groaned, for now distracted from her cousin not able to shut his trap about a mission Clarisse wouldn't want her to know about. "It's called a clutch Percy! Gods seaweed brain, how did you not get us killed?"

"I don't need to know the names of all the parts to get from A to Z Wise Girl," Percy rolled his eyes.

"It's A to B, gods," she groaned.

Percy had never struggled to see the family resemblance here and was actually amused it seemed to be growing more pronounced the longer they were around each other again.

I drove with Annabeth behind me holding on to my waist.

Alex could not let that one pass without a wolf whistle, of course, but Percy didn't care. Everybody in the room might as well have fallen asleep around him as he smiled at the memory of how warm she'd been as she'd held on without hesitation and put the helmet on while glaring at him as she buckled it up. He'd heard her grumbling about this model's gas intake and how she wished she had time to make modifications all the way down the street.

We zigzagged down Broadway with our engine buzzing through the eerie calm. The only sounds were occasional cell phones ringing—like they were calling out to each other, as if New York had turned into a giant electronic aviary.

"Never get tired of your visuals Perce," Nico said with a grin.

"I'd say any time, but I'm not going to lie, I'm looking forward to every one of you getting out of my head," Percy shrugged.

Our progress was slow. Every so often we'd come across pedestrians who'd fallen asleep right in front of a car, and we'd move them just to be safe. Once we stopped to extinguish a pretzel vendor's cart that had caught on fire. A few minutes later we had to rescue a baby carriage that was rolling aimlessly down the street. It turned out there was no baby in it—just somebody's sleeping poodle. Go figure. We parked it safely in a doorway and kept riding.

The acts of general kindness did surprise them. Will felt like hugging the pair. They were in the middle of bracing for a war and still taking the time to show why they'd won, how everybody had come together at the end without even realizing they were doing it.

We were passing Madison Square Park when Annabeth said, "Pull over."

I stopped in the middle of East 23rd. Annabeth jumped off and ran toward the park. By the time I caught up with her, she was staring at a bronze statue on a red marble pedestal. I'd probably passed it a million times but never really looked at it.

The dude was sitting in a chair with his legs crossed. He wore an old-fashioned suit—Abraham Lincoln style—with a bow tie and long coattails and stuff. A bunch of bronze books were piled under his chair. He held a writing quill in one hand and a big metal sheet of parchment in the other.

Alex narrowed her eyes and had a nice long rant about Abraham Lincoln ready to go if anybody gave her half a chance. The president that made her believe in politics and voting and how a good deed could still be layered with bad history.

"Why do we care about . . ." I squinted at the name on the pedestal. "William H. Steward?"

"That's why Mr. D called me that one time," Will popped the side of his head. "I never knew he was calling me someone famous!"

"Will, I worry about you," Nico looked at him strangely for somehow managing to remember all the variations of his name the god had called him.

"That's nice," he chuckled.

"Seward," Annabeth corrected. "He was a New York governor. Minor demigod—son of Hebe, I think. But that's not important.

"Bet it was important to him," Jason frowned. That was probably the most notoriety a child of Hebe had ever gotten. Percy probably didn't even know who Juventas was.

It's the statue I care about."

She climbed on a park bench and examined the base of the statue.

"Don't tell me he's an automaton," I said.

"Where did you get that idea from?" Magnus asked in instant dread while Nico swallowed a new pit of disgust. He probably had his own collection of kidney stones by now from the heavy feeling in him every time they were mentioned around here.

"The way she looked at it, you'll learn that expression quick," Percy sighed. Her gray eyes lit with excitement to examine something, the weariness and way she angled herself to draw her knife at a moment's notice. Like approaching a wild animal raised by people. She might have a good idea what she was doing, but didn't assume it was harmless.

Annabeth smiled. "Turns out most of the statues in the city are automatons. Daedalus planted them here just in case he needed an army."

"Why?" Magnus's voice cracked with pain as he said that right from his soul.

"I was thinking the same thing," Percy agreed way to casually after a statement like that.

"To attack Olympus or defend it?"

Annabeth shrugged. "Either one.

"That's not a shrugging kind of statement Annabeth!" Magnus yelped.

"I'm sorry Magnus," Annabeth said it like she actually meant it too.

"Don't feel to bad," Thalia shook her head as she grinned at Magnus's familiar look of constipation. "He freaks out like that over everything."

"I think hearing the smartest guy alive ever made an army for an ambiguous reason is worthy of some freaking out!" He protested.

"Yeah, but like, also, eh," Percy shrugged. "We have bigger things to worry about."

"No! No eh!" Magnus couldn't hold a scowl, he was to tired of dealing with this.

"Our little fruit cake, always keeping us in perspective of what normal people should freak out over," Alex helpfully added while Magnus looked at her in tragic betrayal because he couldn't deny a word of that while his cousin was still smiling a happier look than he'd ever dreamed she'd have with the miserable life he'd been hearing of her; so he decided to let it go too.

That was plan twenty-three. He could activate one statue and it would start activating its brethren all over the city, until there was an army. It's dangerous, though. You know how unpredictable automatons are."

"Uh-huh," I said. We'd had our share of bad experiences with them.

"I'd like it on record I'm on Magnus's side here with the particular shrugging off of what you're doing," Nico raised his hand.

"Duly noted," Thalia nodded her head fairly like the good child of a leader she sometimes acknowledged she was. "Any other objections before we move on to what happened, opinions be damned?"

Silence was her answer, and Nico and Magnus exchanged looks at being trapped in here with this group of nut jobs.

"You're seriously thinking about activating it?"

"I never question if Annabeth is seriously thinking about anything," Will admitted. "If the idea crosses her mind I just assume she's willing to do it."

"That's terrifying," Percy finally said like the situation called for, and all because he could now never again assume Annabeth didn't have a plan rolled up her sleeve to over-analyze the menu in food section groups.

"I have Daedalus's notes," she said. "I think I can . . . Ah, here we go."

She pressed the tip of Seward's boot, and the statue stood up, its quill and paper ready.

"What's he going to do?" I muttered. "Take a memo?"

"Shh," Annabeth. "Hello, William."

"Bill," I suggested.

"Bill . . . Oh, shut up," Annabeth told me.

"See if I ever try to help you again," Percy grinned.

"Yes, I'll wait with bated breath in fear of that day," she nodded.

 The statue tilted its head, looking at us with blank metal eyes.

Annabeth cleared her throat. "Hello, er, Governor Seward. Command sequence: Daedalus Twentythree. Defend Manhattan. Begin Activation."

Seward jumped off his pedestal. He hit the ground so hard his shoes cracked the sidewalk. Then he went clanking off toward the east.

"He's probably going to wake up Confucius," Annabeth guessed.

"What?" I said.

"Another statue, on Division. The point is, they'll keep waking each other up until they're all activated."

"And then?"

"Hopefully, they defend Manhattan."

"Do they know that we're not the enemy?"

"I think so."

"That's reassuring." I thought about all the bronze statues in the parks, plazas, and buildings of New York. There had to be hundreds, maybe thousands.

"No, no, no, no," Magnus seemed stuck on a loop like that until Alex patted his shoulder, breaking him out enough to splutter, "this is how apocalypses get started!"

"Kind of already in one," Percy shrugged. "End of days, reaping of souls on the horizon, etc."

Magnus looked mildly apologetic, but not enough to actually say he was sorry his cousin was creating one while the other was in progress. Was he the only one who noticed she'd yet to mention how to turn them back off?!

Then a ball of green light exploded in the evening sky. Greek fire, somewhere over the East River.

"We have to hurry," I said. And we ran for the Vespa.

We parked outside Battery Park, at the lower tip of Manhattan where the Hudson and East Rivers came together and emptied into the bay.

"Wait here," I told Annabeth.

"As opposed to waiting in some other cliche location for her lost lover to return that isn't a beach?" Alex shook her head at Percy. "For shame, why would you ruin such banality?"

"Alex," Percy spluttered in pain.

Annabeth tossed her hair over her shoulder and sniffed, "I'm no one's damsel, thank you."

"Fair enough," Alex bobbed her head in agreement while Percy was glad to skip past whatever the heck had just happened.

"Percy, you shouldn't go alone."

"Well, unless you can breathe underwater . . ."

She sighed. "You are so annoying sometimes."

"Only sometimes?" Percy asked with mild hope in his voice. That sounded better than her thinking him a coward at all times.

"Like the times he doesn't offer to make water cacoons for you?" Jason agreed it felt like Percy wasn't trying his hardest here, he'd throw a fit too.

"Yes, like those," Annabeth gestured impatiently at him while frowning at Percy. He knew she hated to be left out.

Percy gave Jason a dislikeable look. He had enough to concentrate on without splitting his attention.

"Like when I'm right?

"Yes, every damn time you're right," Annabeth sighed.

Thalia snorted, hard, as she tried to keep reading around the joke she had no idea she'd just made. More like every dam time.

Trust me, I'll be fine. I've got the curse of Achilles now. I'm all invincible and stuff."

Annabeth didn't look convinced.

Percy tried not to feel to hurt. He'd feel the same way if she walked off and left him behind to handle something. He knew they worked better together.

"Just be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you. I mean, because we need you for the battle."

"You are strictly used as a weapon only, no other traits applicable," Alex said in a crappy robot voice.

"Yes, creator," Percy almost managed to say with a blank face and monotone voice before they broke out laughing.

I grinned. "Back in a flash."

I clambered down the shoreline and waded into the water.

Just for you non-sea-god types out there, don't go swimming in New York Harbor. It may not be as filthy as it was in my mom's day, but that water will still probably make you grow a third eye or have mutant children when you grow up.

Thalia made a few grumbling complaints about human pollution Percy couldn't blame her for. He didn't have to be attached to some nature god to feel the same. Being immune to the water was probably the only thing that saved him from floating in a pool of muck and trash. It was disgusting, and just kind of sad to see something connected to Pan that was barely visible for what it should be.

I dove into the murk and sank to the bottom. I tried to find the spot where the two rivers' currents seemed equal—where they met to form the bay. I figured that was the best place to get their attention.

"HEY!" I shouted in my best underwater voice. The sound echoed in the darkness. "I heard you guys are so polluted you're embarrassed to show your faces. Is that true?"

"I just heard it live," Jason sighed, making sure the others didn't miss it. "It didn't even cross his mind to say hey, mind having a chat guys? Nope, just straight to the insults!"

Percy mock-cleaned out his ears and looked around. "Sorry sparky, you say something?"

"Don't waste insults you were clearly saving up for Thalia, that's just lazy Percy," Jason rolled his eyes.

"Thank you for answering your own interruption," Percy nodded like nothing had happened as he watched Thalia.

A cold current rippled through the bay, churning up plumes of garbage and silt.

"I heard the East River is more toxic," I continued, "but the Hudson smells worse. Or is it the other way around?"

"Definitely the other way around," Alex added in helpfully as if she had a clue what she was talking about. "In some meanings, Hudson means Son of Hudd, and that just sounds like a gross profession." Percy had already known full well who his second pick would be next time he needed to tick off a god, but it was still nice to have it confirmed in moments like this as he nodded his thanks.

The water shimmered. Something powerful and angry was watching me now. I could sense its presence . . . or maybe two presences.

I was afraid I'd miscalculated with the insults. What if they just blasted me without showing themselves? But these were New York river gods. I figured their instinct would be to get in my face.

"It always fascinates me how Percy knows so perfectly well everything about New York but generally doesn't act anything like I think they would," Will said.

"Don't stereotype my civilians," Percy said in a posh kind of voice like he was ruler of New York. Possibly including the gods? Will knew he was overthinking a goofy joke, but he couldn't help it.

Sure enough, two giant forms appeared in front of me. At first they were just dark brown columns of silt, denser than the water around them. Then they grew legs, arms, and scowling faces.

The creature on the left looked disturbingly like a telkhine. His face was wolfish. His body was vaguely like a seal's—sleek black with flipper hands and feet. His eyes glowed radiation green.

The dude on the right was more humanoid. He was dressed in rags and seaweed, with a chain-mail coat made of bottle caps and old plastic six-pack holders. His face was blotchy with algae, and his beard was overgrown. His deep blue eyes burned with anger.

"Nope, nope, nope, nope," Magnus seemed all geared up and ready to get stuck in that loop again. For some reason Percy pissing off nature gods still seemed to surprise him. Or maybe it was just the description of a homeless person at the bottom of a river. Annabeth would assume the latter.

She spoke in a calm, soothing voice, "I always love the variety of how the gods make themselves appear however they want. It's so, unique, like a reflection of mortals and how we all look different."

"I don't think they'd like that take very much," Magnus looked around at his cousin with an amused smile, breaking him out of his funk at least. "Most of them don't seem to like us much, I can't imagine why," he concluded with a significant look at Percy.

Annabeth just gave him a sad smile he seemed to be lumping himself into 'their' category, as if his life were already doomed.

The seal, who had to be the god of the East River, said, "Are you trying to get yourself killed, kid? Or are you just extra stupid?"

"Actually neither, for once," Thalia chuckled.

Percy looked around at her why she couldn't ever give him something that wasn't a backhanded compliment?

The bearded spirit of the Hudson scoffed. "You're the expert on stupid, East."

"Watch it, Hudson," East growled. "Stay on your side of the island and mind your business."

"Or what? You'll throw another garbage barge at me?"

"Another?" Magnus sighed, already knowing he was alone in that and still wondering anyways how many disasters were blamed on gods just having pissing contests with each other.

They floated toward each other, ready to fight.

"Hold it!" I yelled. "We've got a bigger problem."

"The kid's right," East snarled. "Let's both kill him, then we'll fight each other."

"Have I mentioned how glad I am you just think I'm annoying when I'm right?" Percy sighed. He'd been pretty sure this would be their reaction and was still a little put out they'd decided to kill him over just trying to get their attention.

"You should mention it more," Annabeth said helpfully.

"Sounds good," Hudson said.

Before I could protest, a thousand scraps of garbage surged off the bottom and flew straight at me from both directions: broken glass, rocks, cans, tires.

I was expecting it, though. The water in front of me thickened into a shield. The debris bounced off harmlessly. Only one piece got through—a big chunk of glass that hit my chest and probably should've killed me, but it shattered against my skin.

Annabeth rubbed at her chest and glared at Percy. She didn't care that even without that curse he likely would have been fine, healing before he even came back to the surface. She didn't even care that rationally, it was just a joke as Jason made a very obvious checkmark on an imaginary peace of paper and Percy laughed it off.

She still wanted to strangle him for nearly dying on her. Again.

The two river gods stared at me.

"Son of Poseidon?" East asked.

I nodded.

"Did he think you were down there talking to him with a really good snorkel?" Will snorted.

"I don't think that kind of thing occurs to gods much," Jason shrugged. Man did he feel luckier every day Oceanus seemed to have some sense of who was down here.

"Took a dip in the Styx?" Hudson asked.

"Yep."

They both made disgusted sounds.

"Well, that's perfect," East said. "Now how do we kill him?"

"We could electrocute him," Hudson mused. "If I could just find some jumper cables—"

"Always appreciate cultivating that creative side," Alex chuckled.

"Don't worry, jumper cables were already on the list," Thalia promised Percy their growing list of items to be kept away from Alex in all emergencies was steadily growing in pages.

"Listen to me!" I said. "Kronos's army is invading Manhattan.'"

"Don't you think we know that?" East asked. "I can feel his boats right now. They're almost across."

"Yep," Hudson agreed. "I got some filthy monsters crossing my waters too."

"So stop them," I said. "Drown them. Sink their boats."

"Why should we?" Hudson grumbled. "So they invade Olympus. What do we care?"

Nico still remembered Hera's awful words stinging right underneath his skin. She'd claimed her family was safe. Yet her family didn't seem to give much of a ghosts fart about her. He was sure if he shoved this paragraph up her nose she'd just turn him into a butterfly or something next, but the idea was still pretty tempting to make her hear how her words made others feel.

"Because I can pay you." I took out the sand dollar my father had given me for my birthday.

Magnus opened his mouth, raising one finger with a very confused face.

The river gods' eyes widened.

'Answers that question,' he shrugged and dropped his hand. He wouldn't assume other water godly beings would care much, but he listened curiously for the explanation.

"It's mine!" East said. "Give it here, kid, and I promise none of Kronos's scum are getting across the East River."

"Forget that," Hudson said. "That sand dollar's mine, unless you want me to let all those ships cross the Hudson."

"Is that all friendship costs these days?" Will asked with a tragic face. "One whole sand dollar?"

"And what should the common, going rate be? According to you?" Nico grinned. His dad would hopefully loan him the money this time if he said it wasn't helping that Son of Posideon.

Will contemplated it for a second before deciding, "gosh, at least a whole nickel."

Causing a good laugh around the whole room that was sorely needed.

"We'll compromise." I broke the sand dollar in half. A ripple of clean fresh water spread out from the break, as if all the pollution in the bay were being dissolved.

It wasn't a great explanation, Magnus was still internally grumbling. Posideon was more powerful, obviously, got that, but the implication here was still that he might have the power to fix this and just, wasn't? With a measly dollar of sand at his disposal! Magnus's head still kind of hurt, but he felt like he'd already used up his quota for being 'adorably annoying' for the day and they'd only just had breakfast an hour ago.

"You each get half," I said. "In exchange, you keep all of Kronos's forces away from Manhattan."

"Oh, man," Hudson whimpered, reaching out for the sand dollar. "It's been so long since I was clean."

"The power of Poseidon," East River murmured. "He's a jerk, but he sure knows how to sweep pollution away."

They looked at each other, then spoke as one: "It's a deal."

I gave them each a sand-dollar half, which they held reverently.

"Um, the invaders?" I prompted.

East flicked his hand. "They just got sunk."

Hudson snapped his fingers. "Bunch of hellhounds just took a dive."

"Don't love the implication here he can just, murder sea creatures," Magnus couldn't stop himself making a face and saying anyways.

"Same," Nico tucked his coat tighter around himself. "I'm also back wondering what a council of all the sea gods would look like and there just aren't enough Percy's to even make that go well without a war."

Percy sighed and glared at the ceiling. What on earth had possessed his dad and Oceanus and any god to think that putting a bunch of ADHD kids the task of reading these in any sane length of time would go well was not in his frame of understanding.

"Thank you," I said. "Stay clean."

As I rose toward the surface, East called out, "Hey, kid, any time you got a sand dollar to spend, come on back. Assuming you live."

"Curse of Achilles," Hudson snorted. "They always think that'll save them, don't they?"

"If only he knew," East agreed. They both laughed, dissolving into the water.

Back on the shore,

Thalia couldn't finish that without a little wince though as she glanced at Percy too but chose to keep her thoughts to herself. It disturbed her a bit though, that killing those half-bloods hadn't even been a blip on Percy's mind, that he'd had no hesitation in telling the gods to destroy those vessels and they had without mercy. Percy toeing the line of godhood was not something she'd ever wanted to hear about up close, but this was just one of many decisions that he'd have to shirk off as he waged into the worst.

Annabeth was talking on her cell phone, but she hung up as soon as she saw me. She looked pretty shaken.

"Can't have one decent moment of something just plain good happening," Will lamented as he shifted around in his spot in more agitation than Nico had ever felt from him.

Will hoped that Percy had spent time jumping from bridge to bridge, helping out for pages and other side quests and adventures before he circled back to where Micheal was. He'd know, the entire time in the back of his mind what was waiting anyways, but he'd still like to leave his brother alive even in memory as long as he could get away with.

"It worked," I told her. "The rivers are safe."

"Good," she said. "Because we've got other problems. Michael Yew just called. Another army is marching over the Williamsburg Bridge. The Apollo cabin needs help. And Percy, the monster leading the enemy . . . it's the Minotaur."

"Dun, dun, dun?" Alex snorted in surprise.

"Not a cliffhanger I'd ever expect to get much attention," Thalia chuckled too as she got up to hand the book to Nico.

"You slayed that thing when you had no clue what you were doing," Magnus tried to chuckle in levity. "This will be nothing!"

Nico took the book without even looking at Thalia as Will tensed so tight beside him like a good poke would snap him in half.

[ravendruid]

Perc’ahlia + Sleepy Prompt #22.

I see “darling”, I think of them.

22. “Darling, you’re shivering.  Come here, let me warm you up.”

Vex’ahlia was born in the small town of Byroden, in the south of Tal’Dorei, and then was raised in Syngorn, slightly further north but not enough to where she would know harsh cold winters. It wasn’t until she reached her late teenage years that she saw snow for the first time, somewhere far away in the Cliffkeep Mountains. 

Regardless of how many nights she and her brother slept out in the open, Vex never felt as cold as she did in Whitestone, where the winter seemed to be an all-year-round constant. Thankfully for her, Castle Whitestone was well tended to by the numerous servants who busied themselves lighting and stoking fires, preparing warm baths, and ensuring the chambers had plenty of blankets and warm clothing for their residents and guests but, sometimes not even that was enough to warm her up.

Vex’ahlia, bundled in at least two thick blankets, side-eyed the bear that splayed comfortably on the floor in front of the fireplace. She envied Trinket’s fur and his ability to stay warm when she couldn’t. She wished she could go lay down with him, snuggled into his warm embrace, and stop feeling this damn cold, but she had a stack of papers in front of her that demanded her attention. 

Vex grunted and growled in frustration every time her quill hit the parchment rolling her eyes at Trinket every time he yawned or stretched on the comfortable rug. The morning seemed to drag on, and she couldn’t wait until Percy finished his meetings with the council and came to get her for lunch. She would love a nice, warm bowl of stew just about now, but it was still too early, so she had to contend with tea. Vex rang the small silver bell on her desk, and a young maid promptly knocked on her office door, ready to help her with whatever she needed. Tea acquired, Vex tried to return to the paperwork at hand, not feeling any warmer.

At approximate lunchtime, another maid knocked on Vex’s office door with a tray in hand, much to her dismay. She had hoped Percy would join her, but it looked like the meetings weren’t completely done yet. Resigning herself to having to eat alone, Vex scowled at the door and decided that whatever work she had to do could be done from the floor in front of the fireplace. She knew Trinket would not mind her using him as a backrest while she finished her paperwork.

Vex hated how short winter days were because it meant she couldn’t go hunting after her workday like she loved to do in the summer. She had just been staring at the darkness outside her office window when there was a knock on her door, and Percy walked in, not waiting for an answer. 

“Hello, dearest.” He greeted her apologetically. Vex hated how they hadn’t seen each other since that morning, but she understood that Percy had his duties to Whitestone. “I was wondering if you would like to have some tea with me?”

“Of course, darling.” Vex’ahlia rose to her feet with his help and kissed his cheek softly. 

“Darling, you’re shivering,” he pulled her away with a scowl at the thick pile of blankets around her. “Come here, let me warm you up.” 

Percy wrapped an arm around her waist and led her out of the office. Vex thought he would bring her to the family room for tea, but instead, he led her down the stairs toward his workshop – the hottest room in the castle, thanks to his forge – where he peeled the layers of blankets from her.

“Thank you, darling. I feel so much warmer already,” Vex’ahlia said in a sultry voice, sitting seductively on his worktable and giving him hot, languid kisses. Maybe winter wasn’t so bad after all.

[ameagrice]

Capsize

chapter twenty-eight | wide awake

percy jackson x fem! reader

Finney’s screaming echoes up the stairs and through the walls.

Rachel’s yelling doesn’t cease.

Your father’s crass words do not stop, weighing in on your heart at an astonishing amount of kilos.

The Caesars’ Jerk It Out plays so loud you know for sure that either your dad or Rachel will come up the stairs and throw open your door and demand you turn it off, that it’s making Finney upset. You won’t tell them, either of them, that your music is the least of baby Finney’s worries; his screaming parents are the ones hurting his ears.

Usually, you would rush to Finney’s side and pick him up where he’d be crying in his bassinet, desperate to make him stop in his distress. But lately, there is much less a longing to comfort him and more a longing for all of them to shut the hell up. It isn’t fair on Finney, leaving him in tears. But you’re tired of playing parent. You’re tired of playing mom.

The end of the song comes around too quickly, and you pause, waiting for the sound of footsteps. Drawers slamming echo from the kitchen below your bedroom, telling you they aren’t finished with their argument. Neither one will win—they will go to bed in silence, and wake up the next morning as new people; no apologies; no talking. They will just go. Go on.

It all started over a piece of pizza.

“Anyone else want the last piece?” You’d asked, reaching across the glass table for the last slice.

“No thanks, babe,” Rachel dismissed. The food aeroplane flew to Finney, and he giggled, chubby legs kicking in his high chair. One slipper lay abandoned on the cold tile floor, the other barely hanging in there on his chubby foot.

The night before the Big Move. Pennsylvania to New York City. Everything was packed up in boxes and cushioned with styrofoam and bubble wrap, ready to be transported across the country. New York, your father said, would be a good move for business and the family. The Upper East Side would be like your dream come true, he’d convinced you. You’d love it.

New York, he promised,

would

change

your

life.

In the later years to come, he had been right, not that you’d ever admit that out loud. In many ways, you were very, very grateful for your father’s selfish move. The idea of New York, at the time, was loud and scary, but it brought you to the next chapter of your life, filled in gaps you didn’t know existed yet, and bridged the way to new friends and family. You would forever be grateful to New York for all that it gave you and all that it stood for.

You fell asleep to the sound of a vase smashing, peaceful with violence.

—

Two years later, a summer in Australia once would have seemed like a dream. After a good few weeks at Camp Half-Blood, having made new friends and uncovered the side to you that always felt missing, a summer relaxing in Sydney felt right. Of course, the occasional monster popped up here and there as Travis had warned you they would; when you became aware of who you really were, the monsters became more aware of you, as well.

It was nothing you couldn’t handle, though: small creatures with gills and sharp teeth swimming in your toilet water, and a strange creature digging it’s way up from a beach’s sand to bite you. When they had been eradicated and sent back down to Tartarus, you could enjoy the rest of your days in confidence and peace.

“You should come up some time,” you lay on the floor of your room, on the phone to Travis. “It’s really nice here. My dad’s in a better mood, too these days. Rachel’s kinda moody but—Rachel? My stepmom. And Finney’s just—Finney? He’s my brother…”

At first, it was calm. Your dad seemed in better spirits, and Rachel liked her job. Finney’s first birthday had passed by without you, an occasion you thought would have affected you more than it did.

Your first night home, you slept soundly. Rachel woke you with your favourite pancakes and toppings. You flicked through the tv in your new bedroom and basked in the bright sunshine streaming through your open window. Australian heat was a different kind of heat, but one that was very much welcome, and your days became heaven on earth. Bright blue waters and sunny skies, and white sand so hot it almost burned your skin.

Only one thing spoiled your summer vacation—the moods you had forgotten all about, and ones you’d grown less accustomed to. Your father’s sudden snapping, and razor-sharp tone; his demands and never-ending list of chores.

“Why don’t you ever do the dishes?” You sighed one evening, as the sun began to set. “Or, like, look after Finney?”

“That’s a woman’s job, really,” he’d answered briefly, texting on his phone at the dinner table—something only he was allowed to do. “And the women take care of children. It isn’t much of a man’s job. Haven’t you noticed, yet, hon?”

The more the weeks rolled over, and September was drawing to a close. And things only grew more tense. After a whole day of watching Finney from dusk until dawn, your father also in the house, your striking point came at the sight of dirty dishes piled up in the sink, only straight after you had washed and put away the last ones.

“Oh, come on!” You exclaimed. “Dad, seriously?” You worded your next sentence carefully. “Could you wash up your stuff, please? I’ve got things to do. You’d be helping me out a deal, really.”

Only silence met you in response. From the kitchen table, in the open-plan area, Rachel raised her eyes from the baby to you, a warning.

“Rachel can finish the rest, then.”

Something struck your heart hard, and strangely, anger accompanied the feeling. “Why? They’re your dishes. We’ve finished.”

And, long story short, as per usual, an argument occurred. But this time, it involved smashed porcelain, and cuts across your bare feet.

The next morning, her car was missing.

“What’s going on with Rachel’s car?” You asked, standing at the dining table, plucking blueberries from the plastic bowl. Oddly quite was the house, much too early for Finney to be awake, and Rachel who slept beside him every night.

Dad flicked the page of his newspaper. “Head gasket’s gone. The garage said to just scrap the car.”

You nodded along, and walked away, as quietly as possible on the tiles. You couldn’t miss the uneasy feeling in your stomach, though, that something was horribly wrong.

The next weekend, you proposed an idea.

“There’s this thing in town I saw earlier,” you said, hanging around the end of the kitchen counter.

“Oh yeah?” Your dad looked your way, smiling briefly. He flipped over the bacon in the pan, sizzling away.

“Yeah, some pizza place. I thought we could all go out tonight, maybe? It’d be nice to get out for a while.” You watched his face for any changes. There weren’t any. Because he hadn’t been listening.

“Hm?”

You blanched. “What do you mean, huh?” You laughed it off, trying to make light of it. “I just told you!”

“Yeah…go grab the plates for this, will you?”

It didn’t come as a surprise to you when only weeks later, heading into late October, things went too far, and you called Travis Stoll for a bit of advice involving credit cards, plane tickets, and the act of stealing.

Days later, his birthday arrived. Around other family members, he was a changed man. You tried explaining to the one person you felt might believe you.

“He loves you,” your grandma squeezed you. “He’s your dad. All parents love their children.”

Into her shoulder, you mumbled, “‘Has a funny way of showing it.”

“That’s just your dad. He’s such a kind man. Of course he loves you. Don’t doubt it.”

You thought of the smashed window in your bedroom, and the dirty dishes in the sink; your plate of cooked food taken from your hands just because he wanted it—he’d take from his children first. Your thoughts turned to Rachel and her roses trampled into a mashed up mess in her bedroom, and Finney in tears.

“He doesn’t love me,” you shook your head. “That’s not love.”

—

The man in the leopard-print shirt sipping a can of coke looked up, unbothered.

Eyes wide with annoyance, you waved your hands about. “Where’s Chiron?!”

“Hello to you, too,” Mr. D. drawled. He flipped over a couple of cards on the table. Behind you, chaos roared. “How rude. Is that how you say hello to somebody?”

“Hello! We’re going to die! Where’s Chiron?”

Mr. D. considered it, tilting his head side to side. You wanted to scream at him, but that for sure wouldn’t get you anywhere. Dr. Thorn’s monsters were onto you, and you were outnumbered.

“About to die,” he mused. “How exciting. I’m afraid Chiron isn’t here. Would you like me to take a message?”

You looked away, unable to believe it. “We’re done for.”

Thalia, gripping her spear, shook her head. She looked more determined now than she had done the whole journey. “Then we’ll die fighting!”

“How noble,” said Mr. D, stifling a yawn. “So what is the problem, exactly?”

“The problem is that you’re an a—!”

“There’s this thing, the Ophiotaurus,” Percy cut in, literally barging into you to get into the god’s sight. “We think it’s…”

He went on to explain Bessie and his powers, and how you thought he was the creature which needed hunting down and killing, all this time.

You observed Mr. D. observing the cards in his hands. “Hmm. Is that it?”

“You don’t even care!” You screamed. Zoe hushed you. “You’d rather watch us be shot to death!”

“Let’s see; I think I’m in the mood for pizza tonight.”

You’d become so angry you practically buzzed on the spot. Percy pulled you to the side so quickly you almost got whiplash.

You considered channeling your inner-Ares and letting your anger go on the pudgy, old god, but before you could, Percy gasped, pulling you tight to him, back-to-back. You were surrounded by Thorn’s monsters, decreasing the space between them and your friends much too quickly for your liking. The manticore threw off his coat and transformed into his real self, chuckling in such an animal way that it sent chills down your spine.

“Excellent,” he said, eyeing the Iris Message. “Alone. Without any real help.”

“You could ask for help,” Mr. D. mumbled down your ear. Glaring at him from the side, you tried harder than you ever had to contain your anger. “You could say please.”

“The day I say please to you will be the day I’m on my deathbed!” You hissed. You felt Percy turn his head, ruffling the back of your hair. “There is absolutely no way in hell I will ever say please to you! Ares would have a better chance of being on the receiving end of my begging!”

Zoe readied her arrows; Thalia raised her spear, and Grover prepared his reed pipes. Percy’s elbow dug uncomfortably into your rib, and you knew then that Percy would not let any of you go down without a fight, without trying to protect you.

Though where the thought and the confidence in your best friend had come from, you could not tell.

Fury burned in your bones, and you were about to wave your hand through the misty air beside you, when you caught sight of Thalia, crying. And it suddenly occurred to you that this had happened before, to her. She had been cornered in life, and driven to her death by ignorance.

And if you were to let it happen again, if you were to let your anger and stubbornness get in the way, you too would die. There would be no saving Annabeth, no making it right with Rachel, and no last look at the best friend who you stood with back-to-back, trusting wholly in one another.

So you inhaled and exhaled quickly, and looked to Mr. D.

“Please,” you ground out, sure that every emotion showed in your eyes. “Please, help us.”

Of course nothing happened.

Your organs plummeted to your feet, and Thorn grinned.

“Seize Zeus’s girl. She will join us soon enough. Kill the rest.”

The men raised their guns, and something strange twisted the air. It was as if the pressure plummeted. Everything tinged purple—the sunlight, the ground, your skin, and everything smelled of expensive wine.

SNAP!

It was the sound of minds breaking at the same time. One of the skeleton men placed his gun between his teeth and ran away on all-fours. Another suddenly dropped to his feet as his bony body fell apart. The others followed suit.

“No!” The manticore roared. “I’ll handle you all myself.”

His tail bristled, but before he could make a move, the wooden planks beneath his paws erupted into grass and grapevines, wrapping around the monster’s body, growing and growing and wrapping until he was completely covered in vines and bright green leaves. The manticore was covered, and suddenly, all noise and movement stopped. And you knew for certain that somewhere in the vines and leaves and mess, the manticore was no more.

In silence, you all turned to Mr. D, rifling through his refrigerator.

“Well, that was fun.”

An eerie feeling had settled pretty quickly in your body. “How—why—how—”

“Such gratitude,” he rolled his eyes. “The mortals will come out of it. Too much explaining to do if I made their condition permanent. I hate writing reports to Father.” His attention turned on Thalia, hardening. “I hope you learned your lesson, girl. It isn’t easy to resist power, is it?”

Thalia blushed as if she were ashamed.

“Mr. D!” Grover was in awe. “You saved us!”

“Mmm. Don’t make me regret it, Satyr! Now get going, Percy Jackson. I’ve bought you a few hours, at least.”

“The Ophiotaurus,” Percy asked desperately. “Can you get it back to camp?”

Everyone waited for Mr. D’s reply, watching for an answer. He rolled his eyes.

“I do not transport livestock. That’s your problem.”

“But…where do we go?” You asked.

He looked at Zoe. “Oh, I think the huntress knows. You must enter at sunset today, you know, or all will be lost. Now goodbye! My pizza is waiting.”

Just as your small gang began to get itself together and get going, Percy spoke one last time.

“Mr. D?”

He raised his eyebrows.

“You called me by my actual name. You called me Percy Jackson.”

“I most certainly did not, Peter Johnson! Now, off with you!”

He waved his hand, and his image disappeared.

All around you, the manticore’s men were still acting insane, and you figured you only had a while before they were after you again.

“What did he mean, ‘you know where to go’?”

Zoe’s face was the colour of fog. She pointed across the bay, past the Golden Gate. In the distance, a single mountain rose up above the cloud layer.

“The garden of my sisters,” she said. “I must go home.”

——

Sorry this one took so long, guys! What do you think of y/n and her dad’s relationship so far? I rewrote that part so many times. I’m interested in how you guys are going to perceive it. There is of course more to come for y/n and her family, and more to show for before her days at camp. There’s also more Percy scenes, more Travis scenes to come, and a whole lot of the sense of feeling like she belongs.

Thanks for reading ! :)

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