Truth be told, I am very, very tired. I wanted to do something for Christmas, but all I had was a bunch of random interactions I couldn't really do anything with. Here they are, have fun, do what you will with them ^_^
Hope you're all having a good and safe Christmas! And if you don't celebrate Christmas, I wish you all the best and hope you're safe too!
"What? What's… Chris-what?"
"Christmas." Leo pinched his thumbs and forefingers together, accentuating the word. Calypso just stared at him. "It's Christmas."
"You have ta get me presents."
"We get presents for each other," Leo corrected, "and-"
"I thought the fat red man brought the presents?" Calypso rubbed at her temples. Louisa peered closer at her, pursing her lips. Calypso sighed, poking Louisa in the forehead and pushing her back a little. "I know we're surrounded by gods and monsters and whatever the hell you drag in," she shot Louisa a look, "but telling me that a fat red man breaks into people's houses once a year and leaves them either presents or coal depending on their behaviour, which he knows all about because he spies on people, and does all of this in one night on a sleigh pulled by reindeer, one of which has a lightbulb nose, is absolute nonsense and I think you're having me on."
"He's powered by cookies and milk."
"Mince pies." Reyna corrected from the sofa. Louisa frowned at her. Reyna raised her head slightly, perhaps sensing the glare on the back of her head, but did not look away from what she was doing- hurriedly wrapping presents before her girlfriend saw them. Leo had successfully distracted Louisa with Calypso and her inability to process the season. "We put out mince pies for him when I was little."
"No. It's cookies. Mom 'n' I always put out cookies."
"I think he just appreciates the free food." Leo shrugged a shoulder.
"This is nonsense." Calypso insisted, folding her arms. Louisa threw her hands up. Leo had to grab her arm to stop her stomping away and spoiling her presents. "I have seen eight fat red men this morning alone. If there's only one of him, who the hell are they?"
"Um…" Leo winced, tapping a finger on his chin. "Well, at Christmas, people dress up like him to… raise money for charity or for kids to visit him, tell them what they want-"
"But if he's spying on them all year, they should already know. It's a hive mind, isn't it?" Calypso nodded sagely. Leo narrowed his eyes at her, then at Louisa.
"We watched cheesy eighties horror films without you." She admitted. Leo gasped, hand on heart, dramatically horrified and betrayed. "We rock-paper-scissored it." She defended, motioning with her hand as if that explained and justified their treachery.
"If it makes you feel better, they watched them without me too." Reyna chipped in, biting sticky tape with her teeth. "Right, I'm done." She sat up straight, giving a proud nod. Louisa bounced over, vaulting the back of the sofa and landing next to the present pile, bouncing in her seat. She began picking the presents up, three of them, one by one and shaking them, squeezing them, poking and smelling and trying to peer through the folds in the paper. Reyna smirked at her. "You'll never see what they are- they're triple-wrapped."
"No fair!" Louisa protested, shaking the present as if throttling it. "I wanna know!"
"You have to wait four days."
"Too long!"
"Yeah? Where's my present then?"
"I am your present."
"Oooh." Leo winked suggestively. Louisa threw the roll of tape at him, arming herself with the scissors next. "Did you not get her a present?"
"I did! I've hidden it."
"It's at your mom's, isn't it?"
"No…"
"Um, hello?" Calypso flapped her hand for their attention.
"You accepted the tree." Leo counted on his fingers. "You liked the lights, the mince pies, the Christmas pudding, you liked the tinsel and the baubles and that weird tree topper Lou had-"
"It's Tigger! He's a tradition!"
"Most people have angels or stars, Lou, not Tigger." Reyna jabbed her in the shoulder. Louisa scooped her presents and the scissors out of the way and pounced on her, smacking her with a throw cushion. Reyna cursed her in Latin, laughing. They tumbled off the couch and landed in a heap on the floor. Reyna snatched up another cushion and the battle ensued.
Calypso sighed.
"I still don't get it."
"There goes Mr. Humbug, there goes Mr. Grim-"
"I will maim you."
"You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch." Will smirked, using his fingers to conduct his tirade of songs. Nico had managed to ignore him for about ten minutes, but Will was rather persistent, flitting through his mental album of Christmas 'classics'. "I would have thought, after all your time with Lou, you'd be a bit more Christmassy."
"Life is full of disappointments." Nico mumbled. Something landed on his head, Will wrestling something fluffy onto his head, over his eyes. "Wh-? Hey! If this is a Santa hat-"
"Oh, please. I know you better than that." There was a click of a camera, Nico shoved the hat back up to see. Will grinned at him, showing him a picture on his phone.
It was a Santa hat, but black rather than red, and BAH HUMBUG was stitched in black thread on the white fluffy trim. "Piper made it for me. Isn't it great?"
"Mmph."
"I knew you'd say that. She owes me five dollars now."
"Mmph." Nico reiterated. Will laughed and bustled off, humming Jingle Bells.
Nico, despite his aversion to the holiday, was wrapping Hazel's present. Messily, mind, but the paper was printed with reindeers and polar bears and snowflakes, so it still looked festive. It was a new set of colouring pencils, a hundred of them in a wooden case, all engraved with her name in gold lettering, and a large sketchbook to go with it. Will had done most of the Christmas shopping for their friends, but Hazel's and Louisa's Nico had done himself. His delightful cousin/self-appointed big sister would be getting a set of paintbrushes, specially designed- the handles were made of transparent resin tinted with hues of blue, miniscule plastic fish caught inside to look like they were swimming around in the ocean. Nico hoped she liked them. Pokes at her heritage could be funny, loved or despised, sometimes all within the same breath.
"Ready!" Will called, emerging from the kitchen, holding aloft a stack of Tupperware tubs like a trophy. This year, Will had attempted his own Christmas pudding, mince pies and fruit cake, their contribution to the Christmas party. It had been Sally's idea- the two camps had flipped the coin a couple of years back and each year, they alternated who hosted the party, Greek or Roman. This year it was the Romans' turn. Everyone brought food and drinks, mortal families were allowed into the city, there would be music and dancing and presents galore and some plonker always dressed up as Santa for the kids. Pegasi would have fake antlers attached to their heads and a chariot- sorry, a sleigh- would be pulled along the main street of the city for Santa to wave at everyone, 'elves' trailing behind and dishing out sweets and terrible jokes. Santa would then go to his 'grotto' in the Senate and the kids could visit him.
The only thing that made the Roman Santa bearable, despite his being a plonker- it was Frank. Of course, they teased him about it, but Frank loved his seasonal job and would not be swayed.
The tubs wobbled, Will squeaking and scrambling to regain his creations' balance. "OK. OK. We're good. You ready? You have to wear your hat or that's grounds for divorce."
"Funny." Nico said, depositing Hazel's present in the bag with the rest. "I thought you had to be married first for divorce."
"Awww, you want to marry me!" Will beamed. Heat flooded Nico's face.
"I didn't-"
"Yes."
"I wasn't-"
"I'm still saying 'yes'."
"You're impossible."
"You love me."
"Never said I didn't, but that doesn't make you any less impossible."
Frank rushed past, patting his head. Hazel held a finger up, but he was already gone, rummaging through the chest of drawers in their bedroom for the fifth time.
"I swear it was right here." He muttered.
"Frank-"
"Can't believe I've lost it, I've kept it safe all year!" He began rifling through the next drawer.
"Frank-"
"I can't let the kids down, I-"
"FRANK!" He startled, crashing his elbow on the dresser and knocking down a series of photo frames. Hazel smiled sweetly, spinning his lost item on her finger- his Santa hat. "I took it to fix it, remember? The pompom came off." Relief washed over his face and he exhaled.
"Yes, I… sorry, Hazel. I forgot."
"I know you did." She caught the hat in her hand, moving to him. He leaned down so she could put it on his head. "Honestly," she smiled, squishing his cheeks between her palms, "what would you do without me?" He shrugged, smiling feebly when she kissed his nose. "Now, come on. The pegasi are waiting."
They got within a few feet of the front door when a familiar loud and rambunctious knocking- thumping- sounded.
"Oy!" Louisa shouted through the barrier. "These pegasi are cold, hurry the fuck up!" Hazel swung the door open.
"It's nice to see you too, Lou." Louisa pushed her red woollen hat up, puffing a lock of hair from her eyes. She had a scarf to match, bundled up in her black winter coat.
"It's always nice ta see me. Lookin' good, Zhang."
"Thank you. You won't bring me down, Lou."
"That won't stop her from trying." Reyna said, appearing and throwing an arm around Louisa, who grinned mischievously. "You're a menace."
"A menace with cold pegasi." Louisa nodded, pulling Reyna's purple knitted hat down over her eyes. "Move it or lose it, Franky."
"Oh good. You're already here." Hazel turned. Nico smiled at her, Will leaning on his arm and looking a little green.
"I hate shadow travel." He groaned. "Merry Christmas." He waved at them, swallowing sick. "I bring cake."
"I love ya hat, cuz."
"Piper made it."
"Aaaah," Louisa grinned, "good old Piper. Hey, where is she anyway? Oy!" She protested again, before anyone had processed her previous sentence. "Cold pegasi! Pegasicles! Move it, move it, move it!" She clapped loudly and stomped away, moving between the winged beasts, petting and grumbling along with them.
Reyna finally lifted her hat back up, tucking her hair back into place. The others were all smiling at her.
"Yes, yes, I know. She's my girlfriend, I know what she's like."
"But?" Nico prompted.
"I will be the death of her."
"Aww, true love."
"COLD! FUCKIN'! PEGASI! BITCHES!"
"We're coming, we're coming!"
Leo and Calypso were already in the Senate. He was showing her Santa's grotto before the big man arrived. Calypso, while impressed with the décor and the lights and all the trimmings, was still not convinced.
"I know it's Frank."
"That's beside the point. Santa is about magic."
"I'm magic."
"Believing in the Christmas spirit."
"There's a Christmas spirit now?"
"No, it's like… well… uh… you know, being all festive and cheery and-" There was a crash behind them.
"SUP, BASTARDS!"
"Hi, Lou." Calypso smiled. Louisa put her foot down from kicking the Senate doors open, Reyna shaking her head two steps behind her. "Is the Christmas spirit a ghost?"
"Yes." Louisa replied without missing a beat.
"No." Reyna corrected, swatting her charge. "Stop confusing her more." Louisa blew a raspberry and dashed off, throwing herself into Santa's chair and kicking her feet over the arm. Reyna sighed. "I didn't think it was possible, but you can get more annoying." Louisa smiled, coy at first and then a big cheeky grin. She wriggled down in the seat, getting more comfortable.
"What'd ya'll get me for Crimbo then?"
"Crimbo?"
"Stop confusing her!"
"This is why you're on the Naughty List!"
"Bitch, I made the Naughty List what it is!"
"I don't doubt that for a second."
"What the hell is Crimbo?!"
By the time Percy, Annabeth, Grover and co got there, Frank was already in his chair and talking to the kids. Estelle, almost four years old, clung to her mother's hand, swinging excitedly. Her eyes sparkled with the blues of a winter sky, grinning widely. Her pink hat kept sliding over her face, but she didn't mind.
"What are you going to ask Santa for, Estelle?" Paul smiled.
"Tea party!" Estelle nodded determinedly. She jabbed a finger up at her big brother. "We have tea party!"
"Of course." Percy swung her up, sitting her on his shoulders. "All the tea parties you want."
"Yay!" Estelle clapped excitedly, throwing her arms around his head in a hug.
"Fuckers!"
"Ah." Sally sighed, trying to push down her smile. "There's the other one." She threw a look at Jessica. "You did that."
"I'm aware." Jessica nodded once. Louisa sprinted towards them, crashing into Jessica first, waving her arm for Sally and Paul to join the hug. Estelle squealed at seeing her sister, wriggling to get down. Percy simply set her on Louisa's head, making his twin yelp and hurriedly catch her.
"Esmelle!" She grinned, holding her upside down by her ankles.
"Lou!" Sally protested. Estelle giggled, laughing when Louisa swung her.
"Ya'll like my new broom? C'mon, Esmelle," she spun on her heel, lowering Estelle just enough for the very tip of her hat to touch the ground, "lots of sweepin' ta do."
"I am not broom!"
"Yes you are!"
"Nah-uh!"
"Yeah-huh!"
"Lou, that is my baby!" Sally made a grab. Louisa cackled, jumping out of reach and yanking Estelle up to tuck her under her arm, racing away with a loud raspberry. "Oooh," Sally rubbed at her temples, "this is your fault." She pouted at Jessica.
"She was like that before she met me."
"Lies."
They caught up with Louisa in the Senate. Along the way, she had found Tyson and Ella. He had an elf hat sat crookedly on his head and Ella had tinsel wrapped in her hair, although she kept itching at it. Reyna, Leo and Calypso were with them, Leo kneeling to let Estelle roast marshmallows on his hand.
Louisa smiled at them as they approached, uttering a protest when Sally tweaked her nose. "Stop kidnapping my baby."
"It's fun. Ain't it, Smell?"
"Yes!" Estelle grinned around her mouthful. She had removed her coat, revealing her new Christmas dress, Santa themed- a black sash at her waist, long red sleeves and a skirt that fell to her knees. The hem, cuffs and neckline were trimmed with soft white fluff, something she kept playing with. "See Santa now?" She requested, tugging on her father's trouser leg. "Please?" Paul smiled, taking her hand and leading her towards the queue. Calypso wrinkled her nose.
"Hive mind."
"You watched those films, didn't you?" Jessica mused.
"Without us." Leo huffed, rising and gesturing to himself and Reyna.
"We rock-paper-scissored it." Louisa shrugged, fist bumping Calypso on the sly. "Where's my presents?"
"At home." Jessica flicked her in the head. "You know you're not allowed them until the twenty-fifth."
"Lame!" Louisa accused. Jessica raised an eyebrow and Louisa dragged Leo in front of her. "Love you, Mom."
"Mm. Love you too."
"Why did you use me as the meat shield? Reyna's better."
"I like Reyna more." Louisa stuck her tongue out. Leo huffed, folding his arms sulkily. Louisa snickered, reaching around him to pinch his cheeks and coo teasingly.
"Why are you like this?" Calypso laughed.
"Yes," Sally narrowed her eyes at Jessica, "why is she like this?" Jessica simply smiled, tapping her nose secretively. Louisa squashed Leo's face, scrunching her own features to mimic, and then laughing again.
"Can I open my presents now?"
"No!"
"I bet ya'll would let Percy open his presents now." She grumbled. Leo smacked her hands away, grinning triumphantly.
"That's because we like Percy more."
"Wh-? No! No! I AM THE BETTER TWIN!"
"Ow, my ears!" Leo complained. Louisa ignored him, pointing at her brother.
"Fight me!"
"No, it's Christmas."
"Fight me!"
"Oh, look, there's Nico. Why don't we go and see Nico?"
"I've already seen- I want ta fight Percy- nooooo." Jessica had a hold of Louisa's arm, pulling her over to her cousin. Louisa knew better than to fight her, but it didn't stop her from making rude hand gestures at her brother and mouthing threats to him.
Percy looked to Reyna, hands on hips.
"Be honest. What do you see in her?"
Ella fussed with her feathers, Tyson picking glistening remnants of tinsel from her hair. The decoration itself had been nabbed by Louisa, who was determined to festoon Nico with it. Nico, ever the Scrooge according to Will, shadow-travelled away each time or distracted her with food and even an oddly convincing, "Hey, look! It's the Ninja Turtles?"
"What?" Louisa half-turned to look. "Cuz, those are elves! Oy, where are you goin'? Did I say you could go? OY!"
"Lou weird." Estelle remarked. She was sitting on Frank's- uh, Santa's knee- watching her sister chase her tortured cousin.
"Lou is weird." Santa-Frank agreed. Standing next to him, Paul, sighing and counting to a silent ten as his stepdaughter cackled. "What did you want for Christmas, Estelle?"
"Tea party!"
"A tea party?" Santa repeated. Estelle nodded eagerly, holding something imaginary between her hands. Behind her, Paul mimed pouring a cup of tea, holding an invisible cup and saucer and a teapot. "I see." Frank said, not sure how Santa would have wrapped up a tea party.
"Daddy tea party with me!"
"I love your tea parties, sweetheart."
"Santa come too?"
"Ah…" Santa-Frank shook his head sorrowfully. "I would love to come, but it is a very busy time of year for me. Lots of presents to deliver. Lots of kids to see."
"Oh." Estelle pouted, thoughts swirling behind her eyes. "What about… after Christmas?"
"I will be sleeping."
"After?"
"You are persistent, aren't you?" Frank chuckled. Paul's eyes widened a fraction and he nodded slowly, seriously. "Well, I shall have to ask Mrs. Claus. Uh, see when I'm free."
"Pinky promise?" Estelle held her little finger up. Frank had no choice but to oblige- you do not turn down a child's pinky promise.
As soon as he pressed his thumb to hers, promise sealed, her little face split into a large grin and she spun around. "LOU!" She shouted. "SANTA COMING TEA PARTY!"
"WOO!" Louisa cheered, looping tinsel around Nico's shoulders and dragging him into a bear hug. "NICO'S COMING TOO!"
"I did not agree-"
"HE LOVES TEA PARTIES!"
"I don't love you." Nico muttered.
"Yes you do," Louisa muttered back, grinning, "you have no choice. Hey, Tyson! You 'n' Ella wanna come to Smell's tea party?"
"Yes please!"
"Stop calling her Smell! Her name is Estelle!"
"That's what I said! Esmelle!"
This is as far as I got. Happy Holidays! ^_^
