Disclaimer: I don't own the idea of Percy Jackson. I do, however, own Jesse Clarke, who is one of the main characters of this story.

Please send in some demigods or mortals if you have ideas!

His life wasn't as bad as the other demigods.

He knew that for a fact, purely because he'd heard the other stories the demigods told and even though everybody at camp pitied him for how he grew up, he still knew he was right.

He knew the way he was treated by his stepfather wasn't exactly the best, but he heard way worse stories. He didn't need to speak up about his own.

Still, the entire camp didn't need to exaggerate and look down at him every time he spoke! He found it humiliating, to be truthful...

He didn't need to be pitied. Other people had worse, and that was just plain fact. He made sure that everybody else was okay first, it was just in his nature. He couldn't just stop on command, nor would he want to. People needed him to much for that.

Or rather, he hoped people needed him too much for that.

He did know there was something wrong with him, that someone shouldn't desperately want somebody to need them all the time, that if that didn't happen he would feel unwanted, but he pushed those thoughts to the side.

When those thoughts came up, he just played music. It didn't matter which instrument it was - it could be a harmonica for all he cared.

(On some occasions, it was.)

It just happened that whenever he needed an instrument, it would be there. He didn't know how, nor did he know why. Did he want to know?

No, not really. He just knew it was his dad looking out for him in ways he didn't even know. He didn't want to know. He was happy being oblivious, happy with the thought that his dad was looking out for him.

He didn't really need to know, anyways.

His stepfather didn't like him knowing things. He knew that if he knew things, he would know stuff was wrong, then his outlet would escape.

No, he couldn't have that.

Of course, it had ended up that he'd left anyway, needing to find out what happened to his mum, and it was at that moment he'd discovered the existence of demigods, discovered that he was a demigod, and then his life completely changed. For the better, actually.

He didn't appreciate the campers still looking down at him - he had a small appetite due to how he'd lived for around seven years, he can't be blamed! His growth was apparently 'stunted', according to an Athena daughter, who gave him a sympathizing look when he'd asked her why he hadn't grown tall like her boyfriend.

He got a lot of those looks, actually. Especially when people could see the scars that were so, so easy to find and so incredibly hard to hide away.

Sometimes, when people gave him those looks, he gave them a heartfelt 'I'm sorry', before he walked away, shoulders in a slump.

Sometimes people would even chase after him, shouting apologies as they raced to catch up. He would just send them away with a shake of his hand, a small smile on his lips.

He may be one of the smaller demigods, that was true, but hey, he had most of the camp on his side, right?

Aside from the people who weren't, of course.

Some didn't like his young, angelic looks - he'd tried to explain that it wasn't his fault, how did he get to choose the way his face was shaped? - or the way that he wasn't in trouble often, and when he was he'd get out of easily, or the way everyone doted on him.

Of course, what they didn't know was that he still flinched back from Chiron whenever he got into trouble, so he usually got a tame punishment - just cleaning the bathrooms, or sitting out of Capture the Flag (which he was normally quite thankful for, actually).

They didn't know that most of the campers who doted on him had usually seen him panicking when they reached too close, or saw him with his head hiding in his knees when somebody had dared to hurt him in some way.

No, they didn't know that. Jesse would prefer that they continued to not know.

His backstory wasn't a friendly one, he had to admit. He'd have much preferred it if his mum had stayed alive, most of the things after that likely wouldn't have happened otherwise.

It still wasn't as bad as the others, that he could confirm.

He was fine.

Short? Yes. I need more characters, I can't keep writing 'demigod', you know XD

And yeah, I know this was posted at the same time as the explanation, but that's just so that this is classified as a story, okay?

I can't continue without more characters, so if you'd like to take part in this, please do! It'll be really fun, especially during these times!

It's up to you, after all :) I'll see you in the next chapter, which should be a backstory for one of your characters.