"So, where to next?" The mother of creation, Lady Chaos, asked. "Those paintings and sculptures were great, but now we don't have anything to do." After spending 3 hours on the gallery, the septet decided to leave after getting bored.
"I wanna play games!" Both Hera and Hestia exclaimed. "I wanted to beat him in Smitten." The goddess of matrimony points to the son of Poseidon.
"Didn't Percy just beat you yesterday?" Hestia asked as she clung to her lover, earning the looks of the other girls. They didn't say anything, however. "Besides, playing fighting games all the time is boring!"
Artemis was the one who agreed with the goddess of the hearth. "As much as I wanted to beat Jackson, Hestia is right. Playing games all day tend to get boring." Turning to face the man, she asked him a question. "What's your plan for today, Percy? We still have a whole day ahead of us."
"To be honest, I don't have anything planned after the gallery." The demigod replied. "But since the gallery is near Times Square, maybe we could walk around a bit and see what we can do?" He suggested.
"That actually sounds like a great idea." Zoë was the first one to respond to his proposal. "I wanted to check on some delicacies there."
"Alright, you heard the lady." Thalia clapped as she spoke. "Let's go and see what Times Square has to offer!" She said with an enthusiastic glee as the septet decided to walk towards the said Square. Zoë went to Percy's left, as Hestia still occupied the demigod's right. In front of the trio were Lady Chaos and Hera, who were talking about the weather. Behind the three were Thalia and Artemis, which discussed the behavior of the trio.
"Isn't it strange?" The goddess of the hunt said to her lieutenant. "Look at Hestia, she's being clingy to Jackson."
Thalia was smiling at her mistress's antics. "You just want to take her place. That's why you're being jealous like this."
"What nonsense are you saying!?" The blushing goddess exclaimed. She was thankful that the trio didn't look at her. "Don't insinuate such things Thalia." She lightly glared at her half sister.
"Try as you might Milady, but you can't fool my eyes. You love that oaf and you wanted to cling like what Lady Hestia is doing right now." The girl smirked as the goddess of the moon could only pout.
'Do I want that?' The goddess wondered as they continued their walk to Times Square.
Back to the trio, Percy was asked by Hestia about the place they're going to. "Percy, what's good with Times Square?"
"It's a good place to go to since there's some unique food and some attractions to see there." It was Zoë that answered. "I really love eating some dumplings from one of the shops I frequent to. The owner is very wholesome and I always make sure to drop by to talk to him."
"You guys might learn a thing or two, watching how mortals interact with each other." Percy added.
"So Percy, what do you think about the paintings I made?" The former lieutenant of Artemis questioned. "Are they good?"
"They were great, Zoë." The son of Poseidon answered. "Everyone knows it's good, even Lady Chaos, right Milady?"
"Right. Great use of red and black on the piece you called obsession." The mother of creation said and praised.
"I just feel like I am not good enough sometimes." Zoë muttered. Hestia felt worried about the girl that she stopped clinging on Percy and went beside her.
"Oh don't be like that Zoë." The goddess of the hearth said. "You're an amazing painter. You don't need to feel that you're inadequate." The goddess then wraps the girl in a hug to try and comfort her, which worked.
"Thank you, Lady Hestia." The hesperide said as she smiled towards the goddess who smiled at her in return.
"You're welcome." The goddess replied.
Our septet just reached Times Square, and the goddesses were surprised by the hustle and bustle of the said place.
"Ah yes, humans and their irrational love for lights." The moon goddess commented. "It's not even nighttime yet we see such bright lights."
Others just looked at the goddess like they were offended. Noticing their looks, Artemis then questioned them about the stares. "What's with that look?!"
It was Hera who responded to her question. "You do realize that your brother's palace is brighter right?"
Laughter ensued. The goddess blushed for the nth time of the day.
"Welcome to Times Square." Percy spoke out. "If you guys want to explore and look around, feel free to do so. We can all meet up in front of McDonald's if you guys are done exploring."
Surprisingly, the six women with him all left in groups of two, leaving the demigod standing alone to look around for himself.
"Help!" The son of Poseidon heard as he ran towards the vicinity of where he heard the sound.
"I though you were staying here, what happened?" Thalia asked her cousin as the son of Poseidon took the time to regain his breath.
"I had to help someone, so I did." The teen replied to her.
"What happened?" The goddess of the hearth asked.
"Hellhounds were chasing a girl. I helped her fend them off." The teen explained. "You guys were done checking things out?" The demigod asked.
"I couldn't find anything." Hestia answered.
"I just talked to the old man who owns the noodle shop I frequent at." Came the reply of Zoë.
"Me and Lady Chaos went to check some clothes. We couldn't find anything worth to buy though." Hera responded as the mother of creation nodded. "We went to HM, Forever 21, and many more, and we still couldn't find anything."
"How about you two?" The Demigod asked Artemis and his cousin.
"We looked around and we stumbled to a museum full of people made of wax." Thalia remarked. "It was unsettling and creepy at best, especially since some of them were already dead."
"So, where are we going now?" The goddess of the hunt asked. "Is there anything we can even do at this point? I want to check up on my hunters."
"No one is stopping you from leaving Milady, you're free to go and check upon them." Percy replied. "Please tell them that I said hi."
"Do you want to stay here, Thalia?" Asked Artemis, to which the girl replied: "Not really." Hearing the girl's reply, Artemis touched her shoulder and the two of them flashed away.
"Where are we going now, Percy?" It was Hestia that asked him.
"I saw something that might interest you guys, only if you wanted to sing." The teen responded.
"As long as you're there, I'm down." The goddess of the hearth spoke. "How about you girls?"
"I'm on the same boat." The former lieutenant answered. "Everything's fun with Percy around."
"You already know my answer." Hera replied.
"I'm curious, so I'm going to go with you." The primordial responded.
"Alright, let's go." The quintet started to walk once again. Percy was asked numerous times about where were they going, but the teen just smiled at them. Once they were there, the son of Poseidon notified them. "We're here."
"Where are we?" Zoë inquired.
"We're in a bar."
"Perce, it's not even nighttime. Why are we here?" Hestia questioned the teen.
"My coworker said that their band is performing today. So I thought of showing up to show my support." The son of Poseidon explained. "Besides, if you guys wanted to sing, then we could do it too. Apparently, after my coworker's performance, the stage would be opened to those who wanted to perform."
"If you say so." The goddess of matrimony remarked. The five of them went in and sat down near the stage. The bar were loaded with people, who were all waiting for the band Percy mentioned. The said band were testing their equipment and doing their final adjustments before they start. One of the band members noticed the demigod, then came to their table.
"Wassup Perce!" The man, who had piercings in his nose, greeted the teen. "I'm glad you came! You're the only workmate of mine who came." The man appeared to be saddened as he spoke.
"Hey Peter." Percy replied as he stood up. "Guys, this is Peter, he's my coworker." The son of Poseidon then pointed to every girls as he introduced them. "This is Hestia, Zoë, Hera, and Chaos."
"It's nice to meet you guys." Peter replied. "And Chaos? Damn, that sounds hardcore. I bet your parents were hardcore af." The man remarked.
"Somehow." The woman replied with a smirk.
"I hope you enjoy Perce! Talk to you later!" The man then ran back to the stage to finish his preparations. The girls then asked the man about his coworker's band.
"Do you know the band, Percy?" Questioned Hera to the young man.
"I don't personally know them, but I know the band's name. Their name is Doktor's Curse. They play mostly rock songs." The son of Poseidon explained. "The last time Peter talked to me about their band, he told me that they've been playing for almost 15 years."
"That's a long time, considering they're mortals." Hestia noted. "I hope they entertain us."
The speakers blared as the host's mic started to permeate the bar. "Hello ladies and gents! Today we're here to witness the performance of Doktor's Curse!" as the host finished calling the band's name, people clapped and cheered for the band. "I'm going to give the reigns to their vocalist, 12!" People once again clapped as the spotlight transferred to the said man.
"Good afternoon people! I am Peter, but you can call me 12. Here are my bandmates, 11 on the lead, 10 on the bass, 13 in the rhythm, and 8 with the drums." Finishing their introduction, the man then spoke again. "For the first song, we'll be performing I Caught Fire." After the man spoke, the spotlight dimmed and different colors of dim lights appeared. The drummer started counting down by smacking his drumsticks together. "3, 2, 1"
(I Caught Fire - The Used starts playing)
Seemed to stop my breath
My head on your chest waiting to cave in
From the bottom of my
Hear your voice again
As the song played, Percy and Co. were bobbing their heads along the beat, seemingly liking the tone of the song.
"The song is good!" Hestia remarked as her hands started to clap with the beat.
"Your friend is surprisingly talented." The goddess of matrimony commented as she listened to the song. "His voice is good."
In your eyes I lost my place
Could stay a while and I'm melting
In your eyes like my first time
That I caught fire
Just stay with me, lay with me now
Zoë looked at the man beside her. 'Percy's enjoying himself.' She notes. "Looks like you enjoy the song." She speaks as the teen looks at her.
"Can't help it, Peter blasted this song so much that I've memorized the lyrics." The son of Poseidon replied as he continued to listen to the band.
The former lieutenant of Artemis was nudged by the goddess of the hearth. "Can't stop looking at him huh?" The woman teased as the girl blushed. They all listened to the performance until the band finished. Cheers from everyone present were heard as the band thanked them for the praises.
"Thank you!" Peter said as he basked in the glory. "Who's ready for our next piece?"
'It's now or never!' Zoe said to herself to hype her up. She felt a tug on her shoulder and saw Hestia, looking at her with a smile. "You can do this Zoe!" She whispered to the girl as the woman cheered for her too. With her confidence built up, Zoe stood up and walked to where the demigod was. He was mingling with Peter's band as they just finished performing for the night. "Hey Percy." She called out as one of the band members noticed her and pointed it out to the demigod.
"Oh hi Zoe." The teen responded.
"Can we talk?"
"Sure." Percy answered. "Gotta go Peter, I'm gonna see you tomorrow at work!" The demigod bid farewell as the huntress dragged him. Seeing that they're entering the employee lounge, Percy became curious. "Ughh Zoe? Where are we going?"
"We're going up." The brunette spoke as she continued to drag the teen. Once they reached the roof, the brunette let go of his hand. 'Lady Artemis, please give me the courage.' Thought the girl as she felt her confidence waning. The former lieutenant looked up, and saw the moon, bright and full.
"What do you want to talk about?" The son of Poseidon questioned, still unsure about the situation.
"I just want to thank you for coming to the art exhibit." Zoe started to speak. "You even invited the others."
"It's no big deal!" The demigod replied. "Even if I didn't do it, I know that Lady Artemis would come. She wouldn't miss that."
"What do you think about my paintings?"
"You're a great painter." Percy answered. "You can really create stunning visuals and put the feelings you have into them."
The huntress felt a blush creep up her cheeks. "Thank you Percy." She said with a smile. "Which one is your favorite?"
"The painting where there were two people looking at the moon and the sea." The teen replied. "What is it called? I didn't see the the details of the painting."
"I call it Under the Moonlight." Zoe spoke. "It's the first painting I've completed when I enrolled to the art school." The girl explained. "My teacher asked me to paint something that I treasure. It's the first thing that came to mind." She paused. "Do you want to know why I treasured that memory?" She asked. Percy nodded and then she continued to speak. "It was one of my lowest points in life. I was losing hope since Lady Artemis was missing." The brunette inched closer to the demigod. "And then you came. You told me that we'll find her, and that if I ever felt lost, I could just look up to the moon and seek its guidance."
Percy was stunned.
"Ever since then, I couldn't help but notice you. Even when I was in the skies, I was looking at you." The girl grabbed his left hand. "I was relieved when you came to my rescue in Tartarus, and ever since then, whenever we met, I couldn't help but look at you." With the man in front of her still stunned, she continued to speak once again. "I'm very thankful I stumbled upon your work, for it really brought me closer to you."
"Are you saying that-"
"Yes Percy, I am in love with you." She cut him off as she finished his sentence.
'Looks like Lady Chaos is right.' The son of Poseidon thought as he remembered the primordial's words.
Seeing the hesitation in the demigod's face, the former lieutenant spoke once more. "Are you worried about Lady Hestia?"
"H-How did you know?!" The teen panicked, scared that the goddess would incur her wrath upon him.
"She told me. In fact, she's the one who cheered my on to confess to you."
"I don't know what to do..." The teen muttered. "It feels like I am playing with you two, which makes me feel sick."
The brunette, who was holding his hand, grabbed his shoulders. "Listen to me Percy." She said with frustration present in her voice. "I know that you wouldn't play with our feelings. That's so unlike you. Both Hestia and I knew what we were doing, and we agreed that if you cannot choose, we'll just have to share you." Zoe then shook him. "So Percy Jackson, will you man up and choose, or will you let the status quo slide?"
"Can we at least talk to Hestia about this? I want to know her thoughts."
"Sure. But you have to tell me your feelings first!" The former lieutenant exclaimed. "Do you feel the same way?"
"Yeah..." The son of Poseidon muttered.
Hearing his answer, the girl felt extreme warmth. She was not able to contain her joy as she hugged the teen. "Thank you Percy. We can talk to Lady Hestia about this when we go back to your place. But for now, can you please give me a kiss?"
To grant her request, Percy captured Zoe's lips. A few more seconds after, the two separated and Zoe giggled.
"Should we head back down? I feel like we've been gone for too long." The son of Poseidon asked. The girl nodded and the two of them walked back down.
They didn't notice the moon turn dim.
"That was fun!" The goddess of the hearth exclaimed as they reached his place.
"I admit, listening to various bands play is fun indeed." The primodial chimed in. "I think I'll be doing it every weekends."
"So I take it you guys liked where we went then?" Percy asked as the women nodded in agreement.
When the five came in, a voice pulled them out of their discussion.
"Hey there Perce!" The girl, who was only wearing a towel, spoke. "I'm sorry I used your bath-" The words died down her throat as her eyes focused on the group of girls behind the man.
Silence enveloped the area. The tension built up, with the shock of everyone inside stopped the from speaking.
"What the fu-"
All hell broke loose.
"Percy! Who the hell is she?!" The teen was asked by Hestia and Zoe, who were eager to learn about the towel clad woman in front of them.
"Oh my." The mother of creation remarked as she giggled. When Percy looked at the goddess of matrimony, she was glaring at him with a murderous look.
"I can explain!" Both Percy and the towel clad lady said at the same time.
Who is the towel clad lady? Is she someone important? Will Zoe pounce on the teen the next chapter? Find out on the next episode of Dragonba- Wait, wrong show. Anyway, find out what will happen next on the future chapters of His Place!
What's up! Jasserru here.
I don't really have much to say other than this is a fun chapter to write, and that managing too many people is exhausting. Seriously, how the hell do they write conversations with more than three people without forgetting about the others? Damn, large numbers are hard to deal with.
Anyway, remember to follow and fave if you liked the chapter. Leave a review if you have something to say, and as always, thank you for reading!
-Jass Hands