2. VELLEITIE | DJINNI | WC: 1,098

"Sally?" Ahmed asked cautiously, knocking twice on her door. He'd heard shouting earlier, though he'd been a bit preoccupied to go and check until he'd remembered Gianna's rather forceful demand that they supervise and help the human woman. It wasn't a difficult demand to meet, given her penchant for friendliness and gifting anyone she met with delicious baked goods — all, strangely enough, themed blue.

"Ms. Jackson?" he called again, this time more insistently. Ahmed grimaced, but breathed deeply, smelling for any sign of what happened. It reeked of alcohol and uncleanliness and the stale sweat Ahmed came to associate with the Ugliano wretch, the scent belayed by the sweet hidden scent of salt and storm. Sally's scent was hardest to distinguish, soft as it was with undercurrents of candy and fruit, but it was still there.

Ahmed knocked louder, listening intently and hearing soft footsteps approach the door. The young Mr. Jackson, then, the one he'd rather avoid given the chance. Ahmed wavered for a moment, shifting from foot to foot before steeling himself, his concern for Sally winning out over his distaste for all things Greek. The door creaked open, and Ahmed smiled his kindest smile, looking down at the small child that opened the door, hair a disaster and ocean eyes looking terribly suspicious.

"Good morning, young man, is your mother in?" Ahmed inquired, folding his hands behind his back.

"No," the cretin said, the lie tasting stale in the air. Ahmed narrowed his eyes and let his smile creep into a frown. The demigod twitched, grip on the doorknob tightening, staring intently back. Ahmed won. "Maybe," he admitted, squirming. "Who are you?"

"Your neighbor, Mr. Jackson. Can you get your mother? Or may I come in to see her?" Ahmed asked.

"No," the demigod shook his head. Ahmed imagined momentarily what it would feel like to wring his neck, though he knew that would certainly upset Sally. "She's in the shower," the child explained, which was… true, but Ahmed couldn't hear water running, nor could he smell the after-shower scent Sally usually carried that smelled like manufactured rain.

"May I come in and wait for her, then?" Ahmed suggested, gritting his teeth when the child shook his head.

"Mom said not to let people in unless she said it was okay," the child explained, green eyes irritatingly earnest. "Did you know your eyes glow?"

Ahmed blinked slowly. Of course the demigod would be able to see he wasn't human. His consolation was that Sally made it very clear that the child wasn't going to learn about the other world until he went to camp, and regardless of how misguided Ahmed personally found that, it meant the demigod wasn't about to stab him.

"I'm aware," Ahmed finally answered when the child repeated the question. "Did you know your eyes change colors?"

"They do?" the child babbled, now-bluer eyes widening as he scrambled off to find a mirror, leaving the door ajar. Ahmed pushed it open carefully and stepped inside, nose wrinkling as the stench somehow worsened. Not for the first time, Ahmed wished Sally hadn't explicitly forbidden them from disappearing her wretched husband, given some such story about him helping hide her son from the Greek monsters, which… was true enough, but inexclusive.

There was an overly sweet empousa couple on the highest floor of the apartment who always avoided the Jacksons and ensured that Ahmed or another of his kin was around if they ever interacted with them. Not to mention the cyclopes who ran the mechanic shop Sally frequented, though Ahmed was certain she'd easily seen through the thin veil of their disguise.

Ahmed glanced around the apartment, frown deepening at each new thing he saw. Their table, covered in empty beer bottles and spilled bowls of salsa was visibly stained and sticky even from where he stood in the hallway, crumpled napkins and paper littering the room everywhere but in the trash can visible in the corner. There were messy piles of cards next to their boxes, and a large bowl full of poker chips, and Ahmed picked out a few stray dollar bills underfoot.

The desire to murder resurfaced, and Ahmed purposefully looked through the other doorway into the kitchen. It was surprisingly organized given the rest of the place, though Ahmed supposed it was a sign that the area belonged to Sally's expertise. Ingredients for some such baked good were neatly laid out on the counter, a baking sheet resting on top of the preheated oven.

"Hey!" the demigod squeaked, stepping out of a room down the hall. Ahmed adopted his best innocent expression as the demigod shouted for his mother. Sally burst out of a room down the hall, hairbrush clutched in her fist like a knife. Ahmed froze at the wild-eyed protectiveness in the woman's eyes, standing perfectly still until she recognized who he was and relaxed.

"Ahmed, gods, you scared me," Sally massaged her forehead with her unoccupied hand, slumping. "Percy, it's alright, this is Ahmed, our upstairs neighbor. Ahmed, this is Percy. I'd appreciate it if you didn't barge into my home without me there."

"Of course, Sally. I was only worried, I heard shouting," Ahmed assured.

"Ah—" Sally faltered, "Everything is alright, I have it under control. Gabe was just… frustrated with something I did. It's all fine, my fault."

"You know," Ahmed began, stopping when Sally shook her head.

"Please don't, Ahmed. I know— Please don't," Sally pleaded.

"You need only ask," Ahmed agreed mildly, glancing around the apartment once more. His fingers itched to change something. If only he could get Sally to ask for something. "You know you only need to wish, Sally. I can't quite help otherwise."

"Oh, Ahmed, I'd wish for a lot of things, but I just… I can't." she spread her hands helplessly, the image only slightly dampened by the hairbrush she still held. "I will say, please don't barge in without an invitation again. I think you just shaved ten years off my life."

"As you wish, Ms. Jackson. I'll be going, then. Are the two of you still coming for dinner?" he asked, getting a nod in return. He turned to leave, not before giving her a final once over. No bruises or cuts he could see, just bone deep exhaustion and lingering anxiety. She needed a vacation.

"Are you a genie or something?" the demigod asked suspiciously as he dogged Ahmed's steps towards the door. Ahmed glanced back at him, startled at his assessment. Kid was smarter than he seemed.

"Or something," the djinn agreed.