POTTER FILES : THE LIGHTNING THIEF
Chapter 12 : We shop for Water Beds
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Disclaimer : I do not own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson.
Note : The timeline of the HP universe has been changed to fit PJO universe. Some slight changes have been made to HP canon to fit girl Harry. So, Iris (fem!Harry) Potter was born on 31 July 1993 and COS happened in 2005-2006.
This chapter will be in Iris' Pov unless stated otherwise.
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We got into a cab and Annabeth told the driver, "Los Angeles, please."
The cabbie chewed his cigar and sized us up. "That's three hundred miles. For that, you gotta pay up front."
"You accept casino debit cards?" Annabeth asked.
He shrugged. "Some of 'em. Same as credit cards. I gotta swipe 'em through first."
Annabeth handed him her green LotusCash card.
He looked at it skeptically.
"Swipe it," Annabeth invited.
He did.
His meter machine started rattling. The lights flashed. Finally an infinity symbol came up next to the dollar sign.
The cigar fell out of the driver's mouth.
He looked back at us, his eyes wide.
"Where to in Los Angeles... uh, Your Highness?"
"The Santa Monica Pier."
Annabeth sat up a little straighter. I smirked. I could tell she liked the "Your Highness"
thing.
"Get us there fast, and you can keep the change."
The cab's speedometer never dipped below ninety-five the whole way through the Mojave Desert.
On the road, we had plenty of time to talk. Percy told Annabeth and me about my latest dream, but the details got sketchier the further he went. The Lotus Casino seemed to have short-circuited his memory.
He couldn't seem to recall what the invisible servant's voice had sounded like, just that he was familiar. The servant had called the monster in the pit something other than "my lord" ... some special name or title...
"The Silent One?", Annabeth suggested, "The Rich One? Both of those are nicknames for Hades."
I tuned them out thinking about the two kids I met. I wondered whether I made the right decision leaving them there. It was obvious to me that they were demigods and I even had my suspicions on who their parent was. Considering that they never had any problems similar to what Annabeth had, it was obvious that they were hidden here by their parent. Bringing them along would have only put them into danger, whether the danger was the monsters, assassination attempts of their uncles or being pawns in the twisted games of their father she didn't know.
The 'wise' decision would have been to take them along. Not only would they be free entrance tickets but they would have forced Hades to be as polite as reasonable as possible for him to not give them a bad first impression of him. It would also have sent a message : Two can play that game. Why didn't I do it then? I had no problem using their loved ones to control an opponent before. Dursleys accepted my dominance over them because they knew that it would be Dudley who would be paying for their defiance.
Then again Dudley was no innocent victim while the di Angelo siblings were innocent kids who accepted me just as I was. In the small amount of time we spent together, I had developed a soft spot for them. Bianca reminded me of myself, a girl who was forced to grow up too fast and had no idea what being a child meant. Nico was the adorable, ever cheerful little brother everyone wanted to spoil rotten.
I decided. I am Iris Lilliane Leto Potter. I was named after three great women and carry the last name of a family that had been in Britain since the time of Founders or even earlier and, if rumours are true, descended from the Norse God Loki. I was confident of my own skills to not need to use innocent children as meat shields. If Hades wanted to hide behind an innocent boy's mother, it was merely indicative of his character.
Wasteland rolled by. We passed a sign that said CALIFORNIA STATE LINE, 12 MILES.
"The answer is in the Underworld.", Annabeth assured us though she looked like she was trying to reassure herself.
"You saw spirits of the dead, Percy. There's only one place that could be. We're doing the right thing."
She tried to boost our morale by suggesting clever strategies for getting into the Land of the Dead but there were just too many unknown factors.
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At sunset, the taxi dropped us at the beach in Santa Monica. It looked exactly the way L.A. beaches do in the movies, only it smelled worse.
There were carnival rides lining the Pier, palm trees lining the sidewalks, homeless guys sleeping in the sand dunes, and surfer dudes waiting for the perfect wave.
Percy, Annabeth, and I walked down to the edge of the surf.
"What now?" Annabeth asked.
The Pacific was turning gold in the setting sun. I thought about how long it had been since I'd stood on the beach at the camp, on the opposite side of the country, looking out at a different sea. I had to admit that the scenery was beautiful despite the mortals' best attempts to tarnish it.
Percy
I stepped into the surf.
"Percy?", Annabeth said. "What are you doing?"
I kept walking, up to my waist, then my chest.
She called after me, "You know how polluted that water is? There're all kinds of toxic-"
That's when my head went under.
I held my breath at first. It's difficult to intentionally inhale water. Finally I couldn't stand it anymore. I
gasped. Sure enough, I could breathe normally.
I walked down into the shoals. I shouldn't have been able to see through the murk, but somehow I could tell where everything was. I could sense the rolling texture of the bottom. I could make out sand-dollar colonies dotting the sandbars. I could even see the currents, warm and cold streams swirling together.
I felt something rub against my leg. I looked down and almost shot out of the water like a ballistic missile. Sliding along beside me was a five-foot-long mako shark.
"Whoa."
But the thing wasn't attacking. It was nuzzling me. Heeling like a dog.
Tentatively, I touched its dorsal fin. It bucked a little, as if inviting me to hold tighter. I grabbed the fin with both hands. It took off, pulling me along. The shark carried me down into the darkness. It deposited me at the edge of the ocean proper, where the sand bank dropped off into a huge chasm. It was like standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon at midnight, not being able to see much, but knowing the void was right there.
The surface shimmered maybe a hundred and fifty feet above. I knew I should've been crushed by the pressure. Then again, I shouldn't have been able to breathe. I wondered if there was a limit to how deep I could go, if I could sink straight to the bottom of the Pacific.
Then I saw something glimmering in the darkness below, growing bigger and brighter as it rose toward me. A woman's voice called: "Percy Jackson."
As she got closer, her shape became clearer. She had flowing black hair, a dress made of green silk.
Light flickered around her, and her eyes were so distractingly beautiful I hardly noticed the stallion-sized sea horse she was riding. She dismounted. The sea horse and the mako shark whisked off and started playing something that looked like tag.
The underwater lady smiled at me. "You've come far, Percy Jackson. Well done."
I wasn't quite sure what to do, so I bowed. "You're the woman who spoke to me in the Mississippi River."
"Yes, child. I am a Nereid, a spirit of the sea. It was not easy to appear so far upriver, but the naiads, my freshwater cousins, helped sustain my life force. They honor Lord Poseidon, though they do not serve in his court."
"And ... you serve in Poseidon's court?"
She nodded.
"It has been many years since a child of the Sea God has been born. We have watched you with great interest."
Suddenly I remembered faces in the waves off Montauk Beach when I was a little boy, reflections of smiling women.
Like so many of the weird things in my life, I'd never given it much thought before.
"You know my name but I don't know yours."
The lady raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Why do you want to know my name, young hero? Are you planning to ask my father for my hand in marriage? Aren't you a little young for that?"
I now knew it was possible for a son of Poseidon to blush under water. How? Because I was blushing. I couldn't help but notice that she really was beautiful which caused my blush to intensify. I was glad the darkness hid it from her.
"I was not..."
She continued as if she had not heard me, "I apologise. I forgot that when it comes to Lord Poseidon and his children, age is just a number. You are certainly following the tradition if the two lovely ladies that I saw beside you are any indication."
I was now sure that my face resembled a tomato.
"You are right though.", she said giving me a coy smile, "If I want a chance with you, I have to start now. Both Athena and Artemis are well known for not letting go what they believe to be theirs. I don't think their children are any different."
"They are just my friends."
It came out a little harsher than I meant to. I was about to apologise when she just waved me off.
"Peace Percy. If you still want to know my name, it's Ineiria. I know I shouldn't be having fun when I am doing a job for your father even if he would only have encouraged me but you seemed a lot tense. I just thought it would be easier if you were relaxed."
"If my father is so interested in me," I said, "why isn't he here? Why doesn't he speak to me?"
I tried to make it sound curious but on seeing her demeanour change, I realised I was not that successful. A cold current rose out of the depths.
"Do not judge the Lord of the Sea too harshly," the Nereid told me, "He stands at the brink of an unwanted war. He has much to occupy his time. The situation is not good in Atlantis and it seems to get worse as time goes by. You are too young and ignorant of the ways of the world to truly understand the trouble your father is in. I hope it remains that way but I have learned that fates have a different plan for you. Besides, he is forbidden to help you directly. The gods may not show such favoritism."
"Even to their own children?"
"Especially to them. The gods can work by indirect influence only. That is why I give you a warning, and a gift."
She held out her hand. Three white pearls flashed in her palm.
"I know you journey to Hades' realm," she said, "Few mortals have ever done this and survived: Orpheus, who had great music skill; Hercules, who had great strength; Houdini, who could escape even the depths of Tartarus. Do you have these talents?"
"Urn ... no, ma'am."
"Ah, but you have something else, Percy. You have gifts you have only begun to know. The oracles have foretold a great and terrible future for you, should you survive to manhood. Poseidon would not have you die before your time. Therefore take these, and when you are in need, smash a pearl at your feet."
"What will happen?"
"That," she said, "depends on the need. But remember: what belongs to the sea will always return to the sea."
"At the river, you told me not to trust the gifts. Are these the gifts you were talking about?", I asked.
Ineiria visibly sighed. I had a feeling that I had just asked a very stupid question.
"No. This is my warning. Go with what your heart tells you, Percy, or you will lose all. Hades feeds on doubt and hopelessness. He will trick you if he can, make you mistrust your own judgment. Once you are in his realm, he will never willingly let you leave. Keep faith. Good luck, Percy Jackson."
"Wait!"
I thought about my father who had found a way to help me despite the rules against it. I thought back to Ineiria's words which implied that my father had more problems to deal with than just the unwanted war.
I thought back to the talk I had about the spoils of victory after the Chimera incident with Iris who was shocked that nobody had explained about it to me.
Mortal prayers and sacrifices empowered the gods, more so the latter. The sacrifice of the spoil of victory gave the god even more power. The first spoil of victory was the most powerful which was why it was customary to sacrifice it to your parent.
I thought back to the Minotaur horn I had left in my cabin because I believed there was no point in carrying around what I then thought to be a mere decoration item.
What did Iris say? Your spoils of victory would always return to you as long as you want them to.
I held out my unoccupied hand and willed the Minotaur horn to appear on my palm. The next moment, it was there. No flash. No splash.
"I, Percy Jackson, sacrifice my first spoil of victory to Poseidon, the Lord of the Seas, the Earthshaker, the Stormbringer"
The Minotaur horn dissolved into the sea. From the smile on her face, I knew that I did the right thing.
When Iris told me spoils of victory had much more power, I never realised until now how much. The entire sea felt more warm, lively and happy. The darkness seemed to reduce in intensity and everything seemed much more clearer. I felt as if the sea itself was hugging me like a mother would her child. Even Ineiria seemed more beautiful and radiant.
She swam up to me and kissed my cheek lightly. I could feel the warmth of her lips on my skin.
"I gave you my name for a reason, Percy. If we meet again, use it."
She summoned her sea horse and rode toward the void.
"Good-bye, young hero," she called back, her voice fading into the depths, "You must listen to your heart."
She became a speck of glowing green, and then she was gone.
I would have stood there in shock for a long time touching the place on my cheek where she kissed me but I noticed the sunset darkening on the surface. My friends were waiting. We had so little time...
I kicked upward toward the shore.
/Percy
Percy arrived at the shore completely dry. He told us about his underwater adventure and showed us the pearls. We knew he was hiding many things as he seemed to get embarrassed many times. Annabeth wanted to ask about it but I convinced her otherwise. The affairs of the sea and his private affairs with sea nymphs were none of our business.
"There is a reason I convinced you to send Medusa's head to your stepmother, Percy, a reason that has nothing to do with the Olympians. There is more to war than running around with a sword. A mere rumour of impending war is enough to send the prices of essential commodities skyrocketing through the roof. I don't know much about Atlantis but a society usually consists of privileged minority and less privileged majority, or as we say rich and poor. It's the poor who suffer more. When the prices rise, the people rush to buy much more than necessary before the prices rise again. It causes a shortage in the market which causes the shopkeepers to increase prices again to make more profit which leads to people hoarding again beginning a vicious cycle. Then there are those in charge of the treasury who will want to ensure that it will last till the end of the war. They will naturally raise the taxes increasing the prices further and cut down expenditures to bare necessities. If Atlantis is anything like the Greek city states of old, there will be pressure on the able bodied males to join the army leading to many unhappy mothers.", I said.
I then looked straight into his eyes and said, "When problems arise, the people will choose a scapegoat to blame which usually tends to be the rulers of the land. In the present case, the ruler has an illegitimate son who was conveniently accused of the theft which resulted in the threat. Many power hungry politicians who were jealous of your father and were eagerly waiting for a chance to usurp his throne would come at him like sharks who smelled blood. With well chosen words, they will convince the people that it was Poseidon's inability to 'keep it in his pants' despite the oath on river Styx that was the reason for their sufferings and causes them to question his eligibility as their ruler. Public discontent will soon turn into riots and acts of vandalism which, if unchecked, will soon lead to mutiny. So much trouble and the war hasn't even begun."
"Many will demand your head be sent as a gift to Zeus to appease him. So, we sent a gift of our own to appease the Queen. In return, she declared you under her personal protection until the Summer solstice. Any attack against you will be considered an attack against her. So, at this moment, we have nothing to fear from the sea."
"Why did you not tell me then?", he asked.
"Were you ready to listen? If I gauged your mood well, you didn't even want to talk about your father.", I replied.
He did not deny it. He sighed.
"I didn't know things were that bad for him.", he said.
If I was right, he actually felt guilty about it.
"Don't think too much about the things you can't control, Percy. Focus on what you can do. What is our next move, captain?"
With some spare change from Ares' backpack, we took the bus into West Hollywood. Percy showed the driver the Underworld address slip he'd taken from Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium, but he'd never heard of DOA Recording Studios.
"You remind me of somebody I saw on TV.", he told Percy, "You a child actor or something?"
"Uh ... I'm a stunt double ... for a lot of child actors."
I hid my surprise. Percy actually told a believable lie.
"Oh! That explains it."
We thanked him and got off quickly at the next stop.
We wandered for miles on foot, looking for DOA. Nobody seemed to know where it was. It didn't appear in the phone book.
Twice, we ducked into alleys to avoid cop cars.
Percy froze in front of an appliance-store window because a television was playing an interview with somebody who looked...well there is no word that properly described the crime against nature. The guy was as fat as Vernon or perhaps even fatter. But unlike Vernon, he had no idea what cleanliness and personal hygiene were. He was talking to Barbara Walters-as if he was some kind of huge celebrity. She was interviewing him in an apartment, in the middle of a poker game, and there was a young blond lady sitting next to him, patting his hand.
I wondered how they could even sit in the same room as him much less touch him when I felt the urge to vomit on merely seeing him on TV.
A fake tear glistened on his cheek.
He was saying, "Honest, Ms. Walters, if it wasn't for Sugar here, my grief counselor,
I'd be a wreck. My stepson took everything I cared about. My wife ... my Camaro ... I—I'm sorry. I have trouble talking about it."
The guy was Percy's stepfather apparently. I felt really bad for him, Percy that is. I had not known Sally Jackson for long but she seemed the intelligent and sensible kind. I could not understand why she would marry that guy...unless there were other ways to cover demigod scent from monsters. In that case, I would have to applaud her for letting the guy touch her willingly for the sake of her son's safety.
I sneered in disgust at the scene on the TV. I knew very well what kind of 'counselling' the blond woman was giving him. I wondered how much Sally's life insurance policy was worth. Sure, the counsellor 'Sugar' looked the type of woman who would spread her legs for anything that had something sticking out but even she would want some compensation for letting that abomination touch her.
"There you have it, America.", Barbara Walters turned to the camera, "A man torn apart. An adolescent boy with serious issues. Let me show you, again, the last known photo of this troubled young fugitive, taken a week ago in Denver."
The screen cut to a grainy shot of Annabeth, Percy and me standing outside the Colorado diner, talking to Ares.
"Who are the other children in this photo?", Barbara Walters asked dramatically, "Who is the man with them? Is Percy Jackson a delinquent, a terrorist, or perhaps the brainwashed victim of a frightening new cult? When we come back, we chat with a leading child psychologist. Stay tuned, America."
"Come on, Percy. Let's reserve the punching for your stepfather."
I hauled him away before he could punch a hole in the appliance-store window.
We roamed the place without any specific sense of direction as none of us had ever been here before.
It got dark, and hungry-looking characters started coming out on the streets to play.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm from London. I don't scare easy. But L.A. had a totally different feel from London. Back home, everything seemed close. It didn't matter how big the city was, you could get anywhere without getting lost. The street pattern and the subway made sense. There was a system to how things worked. A kid could be safe as long as he or she wasn't stupid.
L.A. wasn't like that. It was spread out, chaotic, hard to move around. It reminded me of Knockturn Alley but more rich and developed.
I instinctively straightened my posture and strutted forward confidently as if daring some idiot to challenge me and get killed.
We walked past gangbangers, bums, and street hawkers, who looked at us like they were trying to figure if we were worth the trouble of mugging. One killer stare from me was enough to remove any lingering doubts. I knew they recognised me as someone who had killed without remorse and would do it again to those who stood in my way.
But, it was none of that which made me uncomfortable. There was something niggling just outside my senses. I was something I should understand but I could not.
I don't know what happened but the next thing I knew we were standing in front of the only shop that was open in the whole block, its windows glaring with neon. The sign above the door said : CRUSTY'S WATER BED PLACE
I repeated the name for my friends. Dejavu much. The sensible choice would have been to walk away. Then again, sensible choice would have been to stay within the safety of the camp. Since when had I done safe? I knocked the door loudly.
Annabeth and Percy were looking at me wondering what I was doing. I knew that it was a monster lair but I also knew that we were not in a position to play safe. We had to take a few risks to complete the quest in the required time frame.
The door opened and there stood a guy who looked like a raptor in a leisure suit. He was at least seven feet tall, with absolutely no hair. He had gray, leathery skin, thick-lidded eyes, and a cold, reptilian smile.
His suit might've come from the Lotus Casino. It belonged back in the seventies, big-time. The shirt was silk paisley, unbuttoned halfway down his hairless chest. The lapels on his velvet jacket were as wide as landing strips. The silver chains around his neck-I couldn't even count them.
"I'm Crusty," he said, with a tartar-yellow smile.
He opened the door completely and let us in.
There was every kind of water bed you could imagine: different kinds of wood, different patterns of sheets; queen-size, king-size, emperor-of-the-universe-size.
"This is my most popular model." Crusty spread his hands proudly over a bed covered with black satin sheets, with built-in Lava Lamps on the headboard. The mattress vibrated, so it looked like oil-flavored Jell-O.
"Million-hand massage," Crusty told us. "Go on, try it out. Shoot, take a nap. I don't care. No business today, any-way."
"Um," Percy said, "I don't think ..."
He looked at Annabeth. "Do me a favor and try this one over here, honey. Might fit."
Annabeth said, "But what—"
He patted her reassuringly on the shoulder and led her over to the Safari Deluxe model with teakwood lions carved into the frame and a leopard-patterned comforter. When Annabeth didn't want to lie down, Crusty pushed her.
"Hey!", she protested.
Crusty snapped his fingers.
"Ergo!"
Ropes sprang from the sides of the bed, lashing around Annabeth, holding her to the mattress.
He then turned to me and said, "Don't worry, little one. We have a special kids edition for you. I only just completed it and you would be the first customer to try it. You will love it."
"Little one?", I bristled.
Before I knew it, he picked me up with one hand and held me against his chest like a baby. I was mortified. When I looked behind him and saw Percy's face, I knew that I would never live it down.
He placed me in a smaller version of the popular bed. I fit.
Crusty snapped his fingers.
"Ergo"
No ropes sprung up to lash around me. His face shifted into a wide smile.
"Look at that.", he said to Percy, "Perfect. In all my years of crafting water beds, I have never seen such a perfect fit."
It was bad enough that the monster was quicker than me at night time when I was supposed to be at my best. The fact that I fit the kids edition was humiliating. But, I had to admit no one made beds like Crusty. If only he could make beds that adjusted to the person's height...
Weirdly, he looked like a father who was proud of his child. He turned to Percy.
Percy tried to step away, but Crusty's hand shot out and clamped around the back of his neck.
"Whoa, kid. Don't worry. We'll find you one in a sec."
"Let Annabeth go."
"Oh, sure I will. But I got to make her fit, first."
"What do you mean?"
"All the beds, other than the one the little one is on, are exactly six feet, see? Your friend is too short. Got to make her fit."
"Can't stand imperfect measurements," Crusty muttered. "Ergo!"
A new set of ropes leaped out from the top and bottom of the beds, wrapping around
Annabeth's ankles, then around their armpits. The ropes started tightening, pulling her from both ends.
"Don't worry.", Crusty told him, "These are stretching jobs. Maybe three extra inches on her spines. She might even live. Now why don't we find a bed you like, huh?"
"Your real name's not Crusty, is it?", I asked.
"Legally, it's Procrustes.", he admitted.
"The Stretcher.", I said.
I remembered the story: the giant who'd tried to kill Theseus with excess hospitality on his way to Athens.
It was a good news. According to the story, Procrustes' lair was right next to the doorway to the Underworld and I couldn't see it changing.
But, we had to wait for him to let his guard down before striking. He was too strong and fast.
"Yeah," the salesman said, "But who can pronounce Procrustes? Bad for business. Now 'Crusty,' anybody can say that."
"You're right. It's got a good ring to it.", Percy said.
His eyes lit up.
"You think so?"
"Oh, absolutely.", Percy said, "And the workmanship on these beds? Fabulous!"
I knew what he was doing : playing the distraction. I decided to wait until he had his complete attention to Percy.
He grinned hugely, but his fingers didn't loosen on Percy's neck.
"I tell my customers that. Every time. Nobody bothers to look at the workmanship. How many built-in Lava Lamp headboards have you seen?"
"Not too many."
"That's right!"
"Percy!", Annabeth yelled, "What are you doing?"
"Don't mind her.", he told Procrustes, "She's impossible."
The giant laughed.
"All my customers are. Never six feet exactly. So inconsiderate. And then they complain about the fitting."
"What do you do if they're longer than six feet?", Percy asked.
"Oh, that happens all the time. It's a simple fix."
Crusty let go of his neck, but before we could react, he reached behind a nearby sales desk and brought out a huge double-bladed brass axe.
He said, "I just center the subject as best I can and lop off whatever hangs over on either end."
I gulped. On second thoughts, I like being small.
"Ah," Percy said, swallowing hard, "Sensible."
"I'm so glad to come across an intelligent customer!"
The ropes were really stretching our friend now. Annabeth was turning pale.
"So, Crusty ...", Percy said, trying to keep his voice light.
He glanced at the sales tag on the valentine-shaped Honeymoon Special.
"Does this one really have dynamic stabilizers to stop wave motion?"
"Absolutely. Try it out."
"Yeah, maybe I will. But would it work even for a big guy like you? No waves at all?"
"Guaranteed."
"No way."
"Way."
"Show me."
He sat down eagerly on the bed, patted the mattress.
"No waves. See?"
Percy snapped his fingers.
"Ergo."
The moment Crusty was trapped, I rushed forward and freed Annabeth. I saw ropes lash around Crusty and flatten him against the mattress.
"Hey!", he yelled.
"Center him just right," Percy said.
The ropes readjusted themselves at his command. Crusty's whole head stuck out the top. His feet stuck out the bottom. A fitting end.
"No!", he said, "Wait! This is just a demo."
Percy uncapped Riptide.
"A few simple adjustments ..."
"You drive a hard bargain,", Crusty said, "I'll give you thirty percent off on selected floor models."
"I think I'll start with the top."
Percy raised his sword.
"No money down! No interest for six months!"
He swung the sword. Crusty stopped making offers.
"You look taller.", Percy said.
"Very funny.", Annabeth said, "Be faster next time."
"Let's hope there's no next time.", I replied.
We looked at the bulletin board behind Crusty's sales desk. There was an advertisement for Hermes Delivery Service, and another for the All-New Compendium of L.A. Area Monsters-"The only Monstrous Yellow Pages you'll ever need!" which I pocketed.
Under that, a bright orange flier for DOA Recording Studios, offering commissions for heroes' souls.
"We are always looking for new talent!"
DOA's address was right underneath with a map.
"Come on," Percy told us.
"Give me a minute." Annabeth complained, "I was almost stretched to death.'"
"Then you're ready for the Underworld," Percy said. "It's only a block from here."
X-X-X-X-X
Just so you know, there will not be much romance in the story, perhaps a few hints some misleading.
As you can see, I have deviated slightly from the canon and you will see more in the coming chapters. Nymphs are known to be flirtatious in myths. I can certainly see Poseidon sending a beautiful Nereid to guide him as some sort of apology for the harsh life Percy had ended up with...and some hope that Percy will turn out to be like his old man.
For the person who asked about love tunnel, it was part of the water park where Ares did not send them to.
I thank everyone who took time to review my story.