Aboard the Argo II, Jason sat on the helm of the ship. The gentle breeze of the night blew through his hair. His feet dangled over the edge of the boat. The gentle rocking of the waves and the comforting presence of the moon shining on the water created a gentle ambiance.
It was hard to believe that at any second they could die.
Already it had been a rough day. Jason didn't want to think about being possessed, and he didn't want to think about nearly killing Percy. Everyone on the ship already didn't trust him; they thought he was too uptight, too rigid.
Back in New Rome, this kind of behavior was rewarded. It was how he climbed the ranks. On the ship, things were a different story. Piper was still around, as was Leo, and he was beginning to make friends with Frank and Percy, but things just weren't the same. With each waking day, he longed for his home in New Rome. He didn't belong here with these people.
"Hey."
Jason turned around, the tips of his toes gliding faintly against the water. It was Percy, walking toward him. Percy's hands were deep in his pockets, and he looked slightly uncomfortable.
"What's up?" Jason asked, drawing his knees to his chest.
"I figured we should talk about today, you know?"
"I didn't mean all that stuff. I'm sure you know that, but I didn't mean any of it."
"I get it," said Percy, sitting on the deck next to Jason. "How are you holding up?"
"Fine," lied Jason.
"Well, I wanted to warn you to be a little more careful. I know that you know everything that could happen, but stuff can happen in the blink of an eye. If you make one mistake, they'll destroy you."
Jason chuckled darkly. "That won't matter. No one would miss me."
"That's not true!" Percy cried. The water livened, with waves crashing against the ship. Jason, drenched, worried Percy would awaken the entire ship.
"I would. Piper would. Leo would. We all would. You can't be careless like this, Jason. You could end up dead."