I'M ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE! I'm here with a new story for you all, so be grateful for that as I might not have as much time for working on my stories. Anyways, I did ask for permission for this idea but I never did hear back from SoulReaperCrewe so, Soul I do hope you are ok with this.
Summary: The twelve Olympians, Hestia, Hecate, Melinoe, Hades, Persephone, Sally and Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Thalia Grace are brought to a pocket dimension to read a story about a mortal turned immortal from the age of the Titans.
"Talking."
'Thinking.'
"Talking in the book."
'Thinking in the book.'
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or PJO. You won't see this again.
In a void, sits a handsome 26-year-old man with a beard/moustache combo connected to his hair by sideburns. "Welp, it's time to bring in the gang." The man says with a smile before snapping his fingers. The snap causes 21 flashes of light to appear. From these flashes of light appear the forms of the 12 members of the Olympian Council, Hades, Hestia, Persephone, Hecate, Melinoe, Thalia Grace the Lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis, Percy Jackson the Hero of Olympus, Sally Jackson, and Annabeth Chase the Architect of Olympus.
"Welcome everyone!" Our handsome host says. "Who are you mortal!" Zeus thunders (pun intended). "My name is Scheffinator, but you can call me Schef. As I'm sure that some of you are wondering where you are and why I brought you here. To answer those questions, I was hired by Chaos to show all of you a version of your world where the Earth Mother decided to make a mortal from the age of the Titans into an immortal." Schef says with a charming smile.
"Why am I here then?" Thalia asks with an annoyed look. "That will be explained in the book. Also, there will be NO violence while you're here. Any who try will be bound and gagged with specially made bindings and their own underwear as the gag." Schef has a wicked grin at the punishment should anyone try to defy him. Everyone shudders, some in disgust and some (Melinoe) in arousal. "In any case, let's start the show!" Schef says with another snap of his fingers.
"I'm glad we did this. It's been so long since it was just the two of us." Athena said, a content smile on her face as she walked the streets of Manhattan. Being one of the busiest out of her family, she took the time to enjoy the rare days she had off, where she could decompress and let the responsibilities of godhood slip away from her shoulders. Dressed in regular clothes like the mortals her family ruled over, she tried not to stand out as she walked the stone streets of New York.
"Ok, who are you with Athena?" Zeus asked with a frown, hoping that Athena wasn't on a date. He really didn't want to hear about his little war princess's love life. "I call BS on you being busy." Hermes says with a frown.
To her right, her sister Artemis walked beside her. The daughters of Zeus took solace in each other's company, the similarities between them helping to form the bridge between their close sisterly relationship in their early days of existence. Out of all the Gods and Goddesses on Olympus, Athena felt her most comfortable when she was with her younger sister. There was no game with Artemis, and no need to keep one eye over her shoulder. The bonds of sisterhood were strong between them, and Athena knew she could rely on Artemis to have her back.
"Good." Zeus says with a small smile and a nod, relieved that his precious little girls were just bonding with each other, causing both Athena and Artemis to flush in embarrassment while the less mature gods are laughing at the two.
"I agree. Though I'm not usually one for the concrete jungle of New York, I'm enjoying our quality time together. It's been months since it was only us." Artemis replied. Like her sister she was dressed in casual mortal clothes, giving up her usual silver parka and camouflage pants. Her lieutenant, Zoe, could handle looking after the Hunt for an afternoon and had her utmost trust to keep the girls in line. "I would give anything to stay away from Olympus right now."
"Trouble at home?" Sally asks with a kind smile. "You could say that." Most of the gods of Olympus say with nods.
"Agreed. Hera is on the warpath again, and I have no desire to be in her way." Athena replied. Her last memory of the Queen was watching the beautiful woman storming towards Zeus's temple, the earth cracking beneath her sandals and her eyes radiating godly power.
She didn't need to be the Goddess of Wisdom to understand what was happening.
Whenever Hera found out Zeus had cheated on her again, all of Olympus fled from the incoming warzone. Nothing good came from an argument between the King and Queen, and no God or Goddess had any desire to get wrapped up in the quarrel. Even Hestia would slip away and make herself scarce.
Despite their feelings on the matter, the Olympian daughters of Zeus couldn't fault Hera for her outbursts and shouting matches with her husband. Hera's temper was legendary.
"People wonder why we remain virgins and refuse to take husbands. Case and point." Artemis joked, pointing up to the sky, and making her sister laugh. Seeing Zeus's volatile marriage to Hera would turn most people off of the concept of marriage. When one half of the married couple was not as committed aa the other, then it made said marriage redundant in their eyes.
"Ok, what has you so angered this time sister?" Demeter asked of her sister and Queen. Getting a shrug in return.
From what they could gather by the volatile argument Zeus and Hera got into on the Winter Solstice, Zeus had fathered a little girl somewhere in California three years ago, and the mother had brought her to Manhattan. Her name was Thalia, named after one of the muses, and was the first child born to their father since before World War Two. Their father and their uncles had vowed to never sire another demigod. It was their effort to avoid the next great prophecy from coming to fruition. No one expected the vow to last, and unsurprising, Zeus was the first one to give in to his lust. The King of the Gods had no luck when it came to keeping it in his pants, and his willpower towards beautiful women was weak. It seemed to be a trait that ran in her their immortal family. They weren't sure what happened to the pair, but they were turned away at the door of the Empire State Building by the guard.
"Ah. That's what has me so mad." Hera says with a frown. "Heh, the Almighty Libido strikes." Schef says with a chuckle. "Almighty Libido?" Athena asks. "It's something I picked up from one of my fellow watchers of the various worlds you all are involved in that translates into Zeus's lust that ALL of his children have inherited. My fellow watcher used it in a series of one-shot stories where the main MALE character is the ADOPTED son of the Huntress, and no he isn't a Demigod but a clear-sighted mortal in the one-shots that led to a whole new world." Schef explains. "Will we see this world at some point?" Artemis asks. Schef just shrugs as even HE doesn't know if they will or not.
The chill of the December month nipped at their skin, though the feeling didn't bother the pair of Goddesses as it did to mortals. They'd walked the streets for a couple of hours, conversing like they would with complete comfortability with each other. It was a couple of days after the Winter Solstice, and the mortal holiday Christmas had been days earlier. The streets were bustling with people, filled with mortals taking advantage of the post-Christmas deals. Mortals were very focused on having the latest product of just about anything and everything in today's era. They wondered if Aphrodite had something to do with that. They wouldn't put it past the Goddess of Love.
"Why I never! Hmph!" Said Goddess of Love just pouts cutely at the accusation. "I don't know Dite, it certainly sounds like something you would do. Especially around Valentine's Day." Apollo says with a knowing smile on his face.
Speaking of the Goddess of Love, the daughters of Zeus ensured they weren't followed by the daughter of Ouranos, spreading their essence throughout the world, making it harder for anyone to locate them. Aphrodite had a habit of showing up in the middle of their sisterly days out, taking over completely and forcing them to go to the places she wanted to go and do the things she wanted to do. While Athena could tolerate being around Aphrodite, the day would usually end up with Artemis and Aphrodite getting in an argument. It would always start with Aphrodite throwing an off-handed comment her way, and Artemis taking it as an insult. On more than one occasion, Athena had to physically restrain the Goddess of the Moon, and call upon Hestia to take Aphrodite back to Olympus before the two Goddesses went at it.
"You both do act that way at times." Athena says with a groan while massaging her head to fight off phantom pains from migraines. Artemis and Aphrodite just look in opposite directions.
In terms of fighting capabilities, Artemis was the superior fighter in every way and was one of Olympus's best fighters. However, Aphrodite could be deceptively cunning, and being the youngest daughter of Ouranos, she boasted greater raw power than both of them. A battle between Love and the Moon could only result in utter chaos on a global scale.
"Which is true. That's why the two of you are forbidden from fighting." Zeus thunders (again pun intended), getting nods from the other gods and goddesses in attendance. The two goddesses of the Moon and Love just look away from each other with pouts on their faces.
"I'm feeling hungry. We could see if it's safe to return to Olympus? I bet we could convince Aunt Hestia to whip us up something?" Artemis asked, a gleam in her eye. No one loved their aunt's cooking more than Artemis.
Athena thought about it, "I could go for something, but let's stay in the city for now. I have no desire to run into Hera, or Father. We'll be there for hours if they try to talk about their problems with us."
"Agreed. Do you have anywhere in mind?"
"Not particularly. Perhaps we could-" Athena started, but stopped when something caught her eye. "What's that?"
"Hmm?" Artemis hummed, turning in the direction Athena was looking in. they were somewhere in the West Village, and her sister's attention was solely on the small building that stood on the corner of 90thBedford Street. It looked like any other building in the West Village, but the front of the restaurant on the ground floor stood out next to the grey colored stone. In particular, the front of the building was made mostly out of glass but was met by a bright orange frame and door that stood in the center of the building. An open sign hung behind the glass door and across the frame, sat the name of the establishment, 'The Fox's Den.'
"Blegh! Who would willingly paint something so hideously?!" Aphrodite was the one to voice what was on everyone's minds. "BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Schef bursts out into laughter. "That shad of orange is what the protagonist enjoys!"
"The Fox's Den? I've never heard of such a place."
"Neither have I, and I know every building and store in New York like the back of my hand. It must be new." Athena said back, her curiosity peaking, "Shall we?"
Artemis made a motion with her hand, "Lead the way, sister."
Lead she did, with the two Goddesses making their way towards the Fox's Den, interest peaking their thoughts. Well, for Athena at least. Artemis, on the other hand, was just hungry. She felt like she could eat course after course right now.
A bell went off when they walked through the door, a shroud of warmth blanketing over them and making the sisters hum in content. It was well-lit and open and appeared bigger then either anticipated. Along the wall on the right were a couple of booths, while more than a dozen roundtables with comfy looking chairs scattered across the room and next to the windows. A counter stood at the side with a swinging door leading into another room behind it, with a glass cabinet sat next to it. Inside, Artemis spied cakes and other delicacies of all shapes lined up neatly in multiple rows.
"And most women believe that men think with their stomachs." Hecate says with a snort. Persephone and Melinoe follow her example. This causes Artemis to flush while sending a scathing look to her twin and her other brothers, minus Hephaestus who could care less.
The smell of rich and freshly made pastries wafted through the room, accompanied by a mix of coffee and chocolate. The delightful aroma made both women shiver in delight, reminding them of Aunt Hestia's treats back on Olympus. They quickly realized it was more of a café diner than a restaurant, but neither looked like they minded. "Will this do?" Athena asked, and tried not to laugh when she found her sister staring into the glass cabinet, her face pressing against the glass. Despite her reputation, Artemis was a child goddess at heart.
"I am not!" Artemis says with a frown. "Oh, you so are Lil Sis." Apollo says with a grin. "If mother were here, she would agree with me." Artemis just looks away with a pout. "Hm, now there's an idea for later." Schef says with a grin.
"It all looks amazing," Artemis whispered, admiring the delicate frosting that coated the carrot cake. Athena leaned down next to her and had to admit they all look amazing. Sometimes, it amazed her at the handiwork of mortals. While she wasn't known for possessing as strong of a sweet tooth as Artemis, she liked to treat herself every now and again with something sweet.
"Thank you for the compliment."
Athena's eyes trailed away from the sweet treats and found an amused young man looking back at her from over the counter. His chin rested in his palm, and a big grin sat on his face. Most would never dare to lean so close to her, much less Artemis, but it wasn't like he knew who they were. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Artemis tense up, and her facial expression turned colder than before. Her silver eyes bore into the man's blue ones with quick intensity, as if silently telling him not to come any closer. Her silver eyes gently glowed in warning, though only enough for Athena to notice.
"Ladies and gentlemen, meet the protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze the Nanadaime or Seventh Hokage or Fire Shadow of Konohagakure no Sato or the Village Hidden in the Leaves." Schef says with a flourish while the screen zooms in to the face of Naruto. "So cute!" Aphrodite squeals at the whiskers on Naruto's cheeks. "So, what does his name translate to?" Athena asks. "Well, Naruto means either Fishcake or Maelstrom Whirlpool of Wave-Wind." Schef says. "I like him already." Poseidon says with a grin knowing that the translations are things that happen in his domain.
To the man's credit, he didn't look affected. He looked more amused if anything by Artemis and reached behind the counter and pulled out two menus. "Here, these are for you both. Take your pick where you would like to sit, and I'll be with you shortly." He straightened up, getting rid of the grin and giving the Goddesses a polite smile in return.
"Thank you," Athena politely replied, and led Artemis away by the wrist to a nearby table by the window, whispering, "Stop glaring."
Artemis shook her head, "Sorry. He surprised me, that's all. I didn't realize someone was behind the counter."
"Well, you were close to drooling over the carrot cake he had in there. I can't blame you," Athena teased, silently laughing as Artemis's cheeks had a tinge of gold wash over them in embarrassment.
"Not a word," Artemis replied, giving her sister a pointed look before both opened up their menu's. the first thing that caught their attention was the variety. There was a lot to choose from, far more than other café diners they visited. Some of the choices were unique to witness for this type of establishment. Looking around, the room was half full, and Athena gazed across the tables to see what people were eating. Most were drinking coffee, which didn't surprise her, but she spied a couple of meals. In the corner, she saw a gentleman eating eggs benedict, and by the moans coming from his mouth, he was enjoying his food a great deal.
"Athena!" Artemis said with a betrayed look on her face at her sister silently laughing at her embarrassment. "You do look quite funny Lady Artemis." Thalia says with a small grin. "Not you too Thalia!" Artemis says feeling even more betrayed.
Looking over her menu, she failed to hide her smile when she looked at her sister. Artemis looked lost in the options, her silver eyes twinkling. If Athena was a betting person, she bet her sister was devouring the options in the dessert and cake section.
When a few minutes passed, the man from the counter appeared by the table, a small notebook in his hand. No longer standing behind the counter, Athena and Artemis got a good look at him. If they had to guess, he looked the same age as Athena in her current form, somewhere in his mid-twenties. He was blonde with bright azure eyes. His skin was tanned and looked like he belonged on a beach somewhere in California. He was tall, around the same height as Apollo and Hermes in their mortal forms, and was built lean. He was dressed in smart casual wear, with dark jeans and a white shirt, and around his waist was a black apron with the logo of the diner on the front in orange.
"If we weren't sure that he was mortal, then he could pass as one of my kids." Apollo says with a bright grin. "Funny, because my fellow watcher that I borrowed the Almighty Libido gag from DOES have a version of your world where Naruto is not only a son of Apollo when he was MARRIED but is also the reincarnation of Helios as well, while being in the employment of Hades." Schef says with a grin, giving acknowledgement to his good friend BonesBoy15. Hera looked intrigued while Apollo looked horrified.
At first glance, they thought he was a son of Apollo since he had the typical traits of their brother's demigod children. However, getting a sense of the man, they couldn't sense any godly connection that a demigod typically had. "Good afternoon, and welcome to the Fox's Den. My name is Naruto, it's nice to meet you both." He introduced and glanced at Artemis, "I'm sorry if I startled you earlier."
Artemis narrowed her eyes up at the man but saw no ill will in his gaze. "It's fine, but you didn't startle me. I was just engrossed in your selections in the cabinet, that's all."
"I see. Thank you for the compliment, though. I'm glad you liked what you saw." His words sounded sincere, and Artemis couldn't sense him playing any game. He didn't appear bothered by their beauty, unlike others in the room who kept glancing at them from the corners of their eyes. It wasn't every day two beautiful women of their standard walked into a place like this. Perhaps he would be tolerable.
"Did the owner make them all?" She asked, nodding in the direction of the cabinet.
"Most of them, yes. Some came from the suppliers, but most of them are from my hands." He admitted.
"You're the owner?"
"I am."
Artemis didn't say much else. He felt her gaze linger on him before it slipped back to the menu. He took that as his cue to move on and turned to Athena.
Naruto, you say?" Athena asked, leaning back on her chair and appearing amused by his name. her grey eyes sparkled with curiosity, "it's rare to meet someone with a Japanese name, and yet doesn't appear to hold any ties to Japan."
He laughed, "I guess you could say my parents had a flair for exotic names."
"I see that. I must say, your menu is unique. It's not like other menus you see for a café diner like this one." Athena mentioned, "Any reason for that?"
She didn't know what she expected for him to say, but she didn't expect him to shrug. "Not really. I'm fortunate enough that I've travelled the world and learned all types of different delicacies each country has to offer. I did think about creating a restaurant, but I've always preferred café diners. I find them to be more intimate and gives you more of a chance to get to know the people that visit."
"No need to pretend Arty. You were startled and you know it." Apollo bragged, causing Artemis to punch him in the arm. "Ow! Schef, why didn't you stop that?" Apollo asked. "Because you deserved it. Should someone DESERVE to be harmed, I will allow it." Schef replied, causing Ares to gulp in fear (not that he would EVER admit it).
Athena nodded, "Did you ever get a chance to visit Greece? I happen to be Greek myself."
Έκανα, και βρήκα τον χρόνο μου πολύ ευχάριστο. (I did, and I found my time very enjoyable.)
Both Athena and Artemis looked surprised at his sudden language change. It wasn't often they met someone in New York who could speak Greek. It wasn't a language most people chose to learn, unlike French, or Spanish. Getting over her surprise, Athena gave him an appraising look, "I'm impressed. You speak well, and fluently."
"Thank you. It took a long time, but I finally managed to catch on." He replied, before clicking the top of his pen, "Are you both ready to order?"
"I think so," Artemis muttered, giving her sister a pointed look before looking back at the blonde, "I'll take a hot chocolate, with a slice of the carrot cake. Could I also have a dash of vanilla in my drink, please?"
"Absolutely." He replied, before adding, "Would you like whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles on your hot chocolate?"
"I would, yes."
"I'll take a latte, please. Like my sister, I'll have a dash of vanilla in my drink, and may I ask, what is your special dessert of the day?" Athena asked. Her interest peaked when she saw that little nugget on the menu.
"Of course. The specialty today is a Lemon Curd Italiano Semifreddo." He told her and failed to hide his smile when he saw here eyes sparkle. She liked the sound of that.
"That sounds wonderful. I'll have that, please."
Naruto nodded, and wrote down the order, "Absolutely. You're in luck, we ran out an hour ago, but I've got the next batch almost ready. It will take about ten minutes if you don't mind waiting. It's proved to be very popular today."
"That would be fine." Athena nodded and watched him walk away. When he walked back behind the counter, she turned to her sister and noticed her silver eyes gazing straight at her. "What?"
"I didn't say anything."
"No, but you look like you want to say something."
"It's nothing. I'm just noticing how chummy you were with the man."
Athena rolled her eyes and scoffed, "I was merely caught off guard by the way he spoke Greek. It's not every day someone in New York can speak fluent Greek. If he can learn a second language, and open up his own business, it means he's got one of these." Athena poked the side of her head, "Plus he's the only one not leering in our direction which is nice."
"I swear, if that man in the corner licks his lips in my direction one more time, I will throw this knife straight into his eye." She picked up the knife and toyed with it between her fingers. "You know I would."
"Oh, I know you would sister." Athena laughed, plucking the knife out of her sister's hand and putting it back on the table. The last thing she wanted was her sister to make a scene. Artemis huffed and tried to look annoyed at her sister but started to laugh along with Athena as her sister gently kicked her under the table. "We should do this more often. It's nice to get away from everyone."
"We really should get out more sister." Athena says to Artemis, who nods in agreement.
"I agree. It's not like my Hunters are incapable of looking after themselves once a week."
"I think once a week would be lovely."
It wasn't long before they were interrupted by the blonde barista, who placed their drinks on the table in front of them. Both Goddesses looked impressed with their orders and recognized the signs of someone taking care and pride in their work. Artemis did her best to keep her face from drooping as the delightful smell of her hot chocolate wafted around her nose. It smelt just like the hot chocolate Hestia would prepare for her. Athena had a similar expression on her face, wrapping her hand around the warm mug. When he placed Artemis's carrot cake in front of her, the goddess licked her lips, her sweet tooth craving for the treat.
"You DO have quite the sweet tooth Moon Flower." Zeus says with a small smile towards his daughter, getting a flushed pout in return. Artemis just glares at her immature brothers and the Goddess of Love.
While Naruto prepared Athena's order, the two quietly drank their drinks, both relaxing into their seats as the taste touched their lips. Both let out a sigh of delight, impressed by their orders. It was easy to make a bad drink, but it was difficult to make a great one. So far, they would the barista credit where credit was due. However, when Artemis had the first bite of her carrot cake, Athena couldn't help but giggle as her sister started demolishing the baked good.
"Jeez Arty. You need to restrain yourself when around baked goods like carrot cake." Apollo says with a wince and smile, getting a glare from his twin. "Shut up Apollo." Artemis retorts with a heated glare.
"I take it the cake is good?" She asked, but didn't get an answer. Her sister was too engrossed with the cake to reply, her mouth was too full to form words. A thumbs up would suffice.
When he returned, he was surprised to find both Artemis's mug empty and her plate void of any cake. "Wow, I guess you liked it, huh?" He said, before motioning to her nose, "You have a little something on your nose." It was whipped cream from her drink.
Artemis's eyes widened and swiped at her nose with her palm. She stared at her sister with irritation, hissing, "I had whipped cream on my nose! Why didn't you tell me?!"
Athena laughed to herself, "I thought you'd realize eventually." She teased, before noticing the plate in his hand, "For me?"
He nodded, "For you. I hope you enjoy. Let me know if I can get you anything else." He told them, and started to leave before he saw Artemis looking his way, "Can I get you another drink?"
"Same again, please. Drink and cake." She said, making him smile and head back to the counter. She looked at her sister and noticed her looking down at the plate, her fork in hand. Artemis wasn't one to praise a mortal often, especially a male mortal. However, she had to admit the Lemon Curd Italiano Semifreddo he made looked divine. It looked like something you'd find in high-class mortal society. Hell, it was something she imagined Hera serving at her temple. "Well, aren't you going to try it?"
"Hm. I agree with you dear niece." Hera says, after seeing the lemon curd. "Now I want some of that!" Most of the goddesses say at the same time. "I'll be sure to include when we take a break." Schef says with a smile. "I want a burger then!" Thalia says, getting horrified looks from both Hera and Apollo.
"I want to, but I feel like it would be a shame to ruin it," Athena whispered, admiring the delicate work that must have come with making it. She was no incredible chef like Hestia, Hera, or grandmother Rhea, but Athena occasionally liked to dabble in the kitchen the mortal way. She found there was something therapeutic about cooking, and she understood why so many mortals took it upon themselves to learn. It must have taken him years of practice to achieve such quality of work.
"Baking, and cooking in general, is as much science as it is art." Hestia says with a smile. Getting grins from the rest of her family as well. "Science, pheh." Dionysus snorts, even though he has a smile as well.
It took a moment, but slowly Athena dug her fork into the Lemon Curd. The texture was light and fluffy, and she watched it jiggle around as she brought it up to her mouth. Taking a bite, Artemis watched as Athena fell back against her chair, her rhythmic breathing making her sister lean forward in anticipation. Judging by the expression on her sister's face, the dessert had gone over well. Her composed elder sister rarely let her cool visage slip, always retaining a mask of dignity that kept her true feelings behind closed doors.
"Not. A. Word!" Athena had to hiss out with a flushed face, while her immature brothers are laughing at her expense.
Athena wasn't the kind of goddess that wore her feelings on her sleeve, but Artemis was one of the few that could see behind that visage. It was always a pleasant experience for the Goddess of the Moon to see her composed sister drop all pretenses and enjoy something for what it was.
Then, out of nowhere, Athena let out a loud moan of delight that caught everyone's attention.
Okay. That might have taken it a step too far.
The whole room fell quiet, and every mortal within the establishment, male and female gaped and blushed in Athena's direction. Artemis couldn't stop the flush of gold from lacing her cheeks. She gawked at her sister, looking between her and the plate. Even she wasn't that bad. It sounded so sexual!
"A-Athena! W-What in the name of H-Hades was that?!"
Coming to her senses, Athena couldn't stop her eyes from widening, "I-It's not what you think!"
That was a lie and she knew it. The moment she realized what she had just done, Athena brought her free hand up to mouth in shocked horror. She didn't dare look around the room at the gaping mortals, but the blonde owner was in her viewpoint, and she could see his surprise and disbelief. 'I can't believe I just did that!' She thought. Never in her more than four thousand years of existence, had she ever publicly done something so candid. What made it worse was doing it in public.
"Oh, Chaos and Order, it's like the flute instance again." Zeus says with a groan while Athena just flushes in embarrassment. The more immature gods, and Aphrodite, just burst out laughing while Annabeth looks just like her mother.
'What the hell is wrong with me?!'
She hid her face, the embarrassment worse then the time she tried to play the flute of the other gods.
When he walked back over, Athena didn't dare look him in the eye. After he provided Artemis with her second round of orders, he stopped and whispered to Athena, "I'm glad you enjoyed it." He smiled politely, and before she could reply, he walked away. Oh god, what must he have been thinking?
"Hey, blonde," He stopped and turned around, and everyone looked towards an older woman who was sat a few tables over. She pointed at Athena, "I'll have what she's having."
Athena groaned and hid her face in her hands. She wished the earth would swallow her up for eternity.
'What a day.'
When the last customer left the Fox's Den, Naruto breathed a sigh a relief as he swapped the open sign to closed. Seeking the comfort of the nearest chair, he finally had a moment to put his feet up and let the day wash over him. Whoever thought running a business would be stressful? Not him, that's for sure. Other people made it look so easy. Not to mention, the movies made it look like a piece of cake. He could, with all confidence, say that it was not easy. Catching Tora the cat on a D-Rank mission was easier.
"Oh, Chaos and Order, make it end!" Athena says while hiding her face out of embarrassment. "NEVER!" The more immature gods all shout as one. "This is even better than the flute incident!" Poseidon booms out in laughter at his rival's embarrassment.
However, as stressful as the job was, this was the path he chose to acclimate into modern-day life. As it turned out, he was very good at it. Cooking and baking had always been a hobby of his, and something her found therapeutic. Feeding fulfilled a survival need for all living creatures, and the feeling of fulfillment came not only from the good of the act of giving but also the fact that we have 'helped' in some form. Cooking for others helps bond human beings to loved ones and fellow humans. At least, that's how he saw it.
"I like his mindset." Hestia says with a smile while Ares makes the universal sign for 'gag me' in response. Ares's actions earn him a smack on the back of the head ala Gibbs (NCIS reference for those you love that show) from Hera.
There was also the fact that people loved cake and coffee. Both played huge parts in humanities daily life that it seemed like a given. Rubbing his forehead with his forearm, he clapped his hands together.
"Alright guys, you know what to do."
The door that led to the kitchen and the backroom swung open, and three of his shadow clones marched out in a single file, giving the original Naruto a salute as they started the evenings cleanup. The evening had been a busy one with the post-Christmas rush. A lot of families had stopped by and spent the majority of the evening, as well as couples of all ages enjoying the post-Christmas bliss and exploring the post-Christmas deals throughout the city. Perhaps he should have opened up in the New Year like he originally intended. At least, that way, he could ease into modern life a little easier, without having to deal with the Christmas holidays, and all it brought with it. Humanity sure had changed.
"Agreed!" All of the immortals say at the same time. All the mortals, including Thalia, just pout at that.
Though, he did notice the festive and seasonal beverages went over great with his customers, and he was already thinking about what to do once January arrived. Humanity sure a sweet tooth.
'Well, at least no one has complained as of yet. Everything seems to have gone over well.'
With that thought, his mind turned to a memory from earlier that day. The image of the two beautiful sisters that entered his establishment crossed his mind. Both women were equally as pleased with their orders, though one was certainly more vocal than the other. Naruto had almost dropped the other woman's order when the moan of pure delight reached his ears. He was no blushing virgin, but the fact remained, it caught him by surprise.
"Athena! You almost made him drop my carrot cake and hot chocolate!" Artemis says in outrage to her sister. Athena just continues to try and mimic a turtle hiding in its shell.
He was aware food could be an aphrodisiac, but he didn't think it was to that high of a degree.
The sisters had stayed for an hour after that, with the one with grey eyes remaining silent for the remainder of their stay, too embarrassed to say another word, while the other demolished another two servings of hot chocolate and carrot cake. Where the auburn-haired sister put it all, he didn't know, but it was impressive to watch. Anything he put in front of her vanished within minutes. Not since Elagabalus of Rome had he seen someone devour his culinary wonders with such gusto. Heck, even Elvis in his later years had some form of restraint.
"I bet Elvis was one of my kids." Apollo says with a grin. The other gods just roll their eyes the Sun God.
What a peculiar pair of women they were. He hoped they came back again soon.
Watching his clones wipe down the tables, and take the empty plates and cups to the back, he stood up and stretched his back, humming in wonder as he felt those necessary pops in his back. Taking the broom out of the closet, he got to work in doing his part before heading home for the night and doing it all over again tomorrow.
"Well, that's the end of the first part. What do you all think?" Schef asks, getting positive responses from his guests. Schef just smiles before forming a portal/vortex behind him. "That's good. I'll let you all alone while I go record another world I'm watching. Ciao." Schef says before moonwalking into the portal/vortex.
Hope you all enjoy! R&R. Flames will be used to grill Thalia's burgers.
Scheffinator signing off!