A broken melody beats through our heads
Written for TackAttack's Oneshot Challenge
Prompt: Piper/Annabeth friendship pairing
Dedication: To whichever kid decided to take human's first route to bliss in the pool during practice, giving me more time to finish this.
When she first came up to you, you were reminded of a book you read, about anthropomorphic owls. Maybe it was silly, thinking about that sort of thing when you nearly plunged to your death, your "boyfriend" suffered from amnesia - or something else, and you turn out to be the spawn of half-begotten crazies from ancient times.
When she takes you on the complimentary camp tour, sponsored by one drunken man in a track suit, you can tell her heart isn't in it. The way she stands, slumped, it reminds you of the movies you used to watch in private screenings, the ones with the depressed kids who commit suicide. You don't know her well at that point, but you understand her pain.
She pretty much ignores you, and your friends, after that. Maybe you guys remind her of the Percy kid she was looking for. She could tell, as a daughter of the love goddess, that he was more than something to her. You feel her pain all the more at that point.
You go around camp, trying to figure out exactly who Percy Jackson is, anyway. You haven't gathered much—son of the sea god, horse whisperer, swordmaster extraordinaire. You have to go to your own cabin, the one you hate, to find the answer you were looking for.
When you finally figure out their relationship, this whole demigod thing doesn't seem as bad. You can still have a life, you can still love—Gods forbid in her mother's heart wrenching ways. You can have consistency.
She is the first to congratulate you, after you ascend to the "throne" of the Aphrodite cabin. In some ways, it warms your heart. She is still sentient, and you are the one who she comes to visit. Of course, maybe the other two just remind her of Percy.
The two of you work together for the next few months, striving to finish the warship. You have an understanding, something none of the other workers have with her. You wonder if maybe you are the only one thinking about her, or the only one who she aknowledges as a real person—Leo's jokes don't do much to help his cause.
Before you take off, you can sense her excitement. She prowls around, like a caged tiger. She takes one of Clarrise's taunts lightly, not kicking the daughter of war's ass for insulting Percy. It's improvement, but she's still fragile. You all walk on eggshells around her. She knows, but she doesn't care.
On the flight, nobody speaks. Everyone is nervous, each about their own little thing. Even you stop worrying about Annabeth, and worry about yourself.
The city of New Rome dawns before you. It's just as majestic as Jason described. Moreso, actually, as Jason hadn't really described it that well. You watch silently as Annabeth paces the deck, nervous. Her hands grip the the railing, the lack of blood causing them to go white. One look reaches across her face—hope.
Looking at her, you realize what true loyalty is—though the others assure you Percy Jackson is the real master at it. Maybe she picked up a few tips. Looking at her makes you wish a wish you wish you never wished. Not because of the insane amount of wishes in that sentence, but because you honest-to-goodness despise your mother. You wish, that for just one second, you held the power of love in your hand. That you could bind Percy Jackson to your friend, because you know if he has someone else you'll march right up to him, son of Poseidon or not, and kick his unfaithful ass.
Definitely above the word limit. I won't bother checking, though.
I don't particularly like Piper, but iffy prompts will be iffy prompts