To Posiden kid- Thank you sssooooooooooooooooo muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
To Guest 1 (there were two Guests- I don't know if you're the same person)- If I'm honest with you, all my knowledge of autism has come from, like, half a dozen or more different websites and I did work with an autistic child for a week or so during work experience, but I'm so glad that someone who works with this thinks that I'm doing alright so THANK YOU!
To Guest 2- (Are you same Guest or not? O.o ) You're welcome! :D
To Starblaze17, who was too lazy to log in- what is it with you lot being too lazy to log in?- DON'T GIVE TOBIAS SUGAR! THAT IS A BAD IDEA!
Tobias: Gimme sugar. NOW.
Oh, and somebody wanted me to put a chicken in this to go on the quest- do we remember our 'KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL' friend? Yeah, she/he wants a chicken in this, so…
"Where did the chicken come from?"
"I don't know, but I don't like it." Crystal tried to shoo the chicken away, but it only pecked at her feet. "Damn bird, go away!" She saw Alvie smiling out of the corner of her eye and looked up to glare at him. He was instantly contrite, trying to hide his amusement as the chicken pecked at her ankle. "Ooh, bloody bird!" Alvie whistled and the chicken waddled off. "What did you do?"
"Um…" He was as confused as her. "I don't know…" He looked down at his hands before looking up and smiling again. "I think it likes you." Crystal looked round and saw that the chicken was coming back.
Alvie led her away from the chicken, but it followed them, much to Crystal's annoyance.
"If you don't stop following us, I will personally turn you into Kentucky fried chicken!" The chicken gave a squawk and scuttled away, protesting all the way.
"Personally turn… oh…"
"Problem?"
"No. No, no, no problem." Alvie started walking and she followed. "So, how's training?"
"I'm struggling to find a weapon." Crystal told him. "It doesn't help that Percy talks in Ancient Greek half the time."
"Oh, he does that. I don't think he means to though. But it helps to learn it." Alvie paused. "I thought Mom was going to teach you Ancient Greek?"
"I don't know." Crystal admitted. They were having a break, going on a picnic for lunch. Alvie was carrying the basket, point blank refusing to let her take it. He knew a clearing that would be nice, knowing the way there as well as the back of his hand. There was something that lingered about him, as if there was something about the clearing he kept secret. She reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. He didn't react- not that she expected him to. "Are you OK?"
"Yeah." He said quietly. He turned left, stepping through twists of flowers and vines draped about the mossy ground. Crystal followed carefully, having not really ventured into the roads in the last few days she had been here. "I just… when I'm here… it's a quiet place…" He clambered over a low bush and stopped three steps in front of her. Crystal stopped by his side and looked around the clearing.
Dense trees, bushes and flowers hid the clearing. A small creek circled the eastern side of the clearing, a jagged pale blue line tumbling over rocks and creating a small waterfall. Birds tweeted in the trees and butterflies danced in the sunlight streaming through the gaps in the tree tops.
Crystal breathed in deeply and exhaled, smiling. The air was so clean, tinged with the sweet scent of flowers and the soothing tinkle of water cascading gently over rocks.
"It's beautiful." Crystal sighed, smiling.
"And no chicken." She shot him an amused glare.
"Don't jinx it." He gave a small smile. "Don't you do training?"
"Um… sometimes. I'm meant to be in your glass, but, I, uh…" He looked nervous, glancing down at the fresh green grass beneath their feet, chewing his lip. Crystal took his hand, looking at him quizzically. "Dad's a great teacher; I just… don't really… fit in…" He mumbled, fidgeting nervously, his voice getting quieter and quieter.
"Hey, same. You could be my sparring partner instead of that fat idiot- Daniel."
"Daniel Rodriguez?" Crystal frowned.
"I don't not his last name. Big, beefy guy with short hair and an ugly face." Alvie gave a small laugh and Crystal's expression lightened.
"Yeah, Daniel Rodriguez. His mom's a daughter of Ares."
"Well, that explains a lot." They sat in the centre of the warm clearing, Alvie retrieving a red checker blanket from the picnic basket. They spread it out together, Alvie compulsively smoothing down creases. Crystal attempted to annoy him by shifting a lot in fake attempts to get comfortable and messing the blanket up. He retaliated by making storm owls circle her head. "That's not fair!" She protested, swatting at his creations. They dodged about playfully and she couldn't catch one, feeling like a cat falling victim to a laser pointer. "I don't have powers." She complained. The storm owls faded and Alvie studied her for a few seconds.
"I thought I didn't have any." He told her. "Athena and Poseidon told me otherwise." He handed her a Tupperware tub with a green lid- her favourite colour. Inside was her favourite chocolate spread sandwiches neatly cut into triangles.
"So, you got storm owls and psychic powers?"
"Uh, the, um, the psychic stuff is from Apollo. I'm not sure why though."
"Maybe he thinks you're adorable too." She said matter-of-factly, biting into her sandwich. She smirked as his cheeks faded pink and he started arranging the food tubs in size order- a nervous habit. "I have training after lunch. Why don't you tag along?" He nodded, scanning the tubs and frowning slightly, swapping the two tubs on the end around. He took the middle tub and retrieved his sandwiches. "Is that honey?" He nodded. "Do you like marmite?" He nodded again and she pulled a face, showing that she didn't approve of that.
Percy seemed a bit surprised to see Alvie walk into his class, but he was grinning a second later.
"Brilliant!" He beamed, bouncing over and ruffling Alvie's hair. He was in armour, minus the helmet. Crystal looked around and saw that the other kids were in armour as well. Daniel was sneering at her. She glared back, but was interrupted by Percy, asking quite loudly and obviously, (having spotted Dylan), if she had been given armour.
"No. I think Nico said he was going to sort it out."
"Well, chase him up about it. I don't think Joy would be too happy if you got skewered." Percy's grin returned. "You'll love capture-the-flag."
"What makes you think I'll get skewered?"
"No training. No armour. No weapon. Yeah, you're a target."
"Motivational speaker of the year, much." Crystal muttered sarcastically. Percy chuckled and ordered her to the forges to investigate the progress of her armour and he sent Alvie to the Poseidon cabin to get his armour. "You have armour?" Crystal asked unbelievably as they walked out of the arena.
"Yeah. We all do."
"I've never seen you in armour."
"Well…" Alvie shrugged. "I don't really do the fighting bit, but Dad insisted we all got armour." Alvie bit his lip, frowning in thought. "We have to keep it clean and in, um, good condition. Like, make sure it doesn't… doesn't get broken." He paused again. "He makes us run around the camp twice in it."
"What? Why?" Running was exhausting, but running in armour- the thought was so terrifying, Crystal felt the need to sit down.
"It improves fitness. And it's part of our training, I think." He looked at her and, with horror; she recognised traces of a sarcastic smirk on his lips. My gods, what have I done? "You'll have to do it too." Crystal groaned in defeat and he smiled. "You'll get used to it." Where was the sympathy?!
They outside the forges.
"I'll see you in a bit." Crystal mumbled, still horrified at the thought of running around in full battle armour. She kissed him lightly and stumbled up the steps into the forges. Alvie wandered off towards the Poseidon cabin.
It took Alvie a while to remember where he put his armour. The Poseidon twins had supervised the construction of an extension hosting a set of several more rooms- a storage room, a bathroom and more bunks. Louisa blamed Percy for the extension of the Poseidon cabin- Too many damn kids! They were still decorating the new bit to match the rest of the cabin and under the sea scent; there was that stench of paint.
Alvie moved over to his bunk and checked under it, finding his book collection. He got up to check his storage trunk at the foot of his bed when a wave of dizziness slammed into him. He grabbed the bedpost to steady himself and felt for his trunk, collapsing on it.
His vision started blurring and panic settled in his chest. He took deep breaths to try and steady himself, but his panic exploded like an erupting volcano when everything vanished behind a scarlet veil.
Percy paced the arena, correcting students and demonstrating a few techniques, but his heart wasn't really in it. He had sent Alvie out half an hour ago to fetch his armour. It didn't take that long.
Looking round at his class, Percy realised he couldn't leave them unsupervised while heavily armoured and heavily armed. Daniel would take advantage of Percy's absence and pummel the smaller, newer children.
He had never been so relieved to see Alvie stumble into the arena in full armour. He had his helmet in his hands, just in case probably, but he didn't look up when Percy called him. At first, Percy thought Alvie hadn't registered his name being called, but the sudden tension in Alvie's shoulders and how he froze on the spot said otherwise. Alvie was intently staring at his feet.
"Alvie, where've you been?" Percy asked, moving forward and curling his fingers under Alvie's chin, making him look up. Percy's relief ebbed back into worry at Alvie's scarlet eyes, the bloody tear tracks in stark contrast to his pale cheeks. "What is it?" Percy asked sternly. Alvie just stared at him and it was impossible to read his eyes through that blood.
"What's up with Freaky?" Percy tensed angrily. He would have turned to glare at Daniel, but he was trying to calm Alvie. "Ha, he- mmph!" There were shocked gasps, several cheers and then laughter. Bars of sea green energy wrapped around Daniel, pinning his arms to his sides, tying his legs together and covering his mouth. He toppled to the ground and squirmed, struggling against the magic bounds, much to the amusement of his classmates.
Percy gently dabbed at Alvie's face, talking softly in Ancient Greek.
"I drew on the wall…" Alvie's voice was barely audible.
"What wall? What did you draw?" Alvie didn't answer, swaying on the spot. Fresh blood spilled from his eyes. Percy stood up straight and faced the rest of his class. "Class dismissed!" He shouted, holding Alvie's elbow to keep him on his feet. The students gave whoops of delight. Percy released his control on Daniel's magic restrictions. Daniel instantly scrambled to his feet. "Insult my son in front of me again and we're going to have issues." Daniel started to protest, anger coursing through him. Percy met his gaze. There was no friendly spark, no cheeky glimmer or warm light that showed Percy was trustworthy. His eyes were dangerous, cold and threatening, swirling with the ferocious power of the sea. Daniel swallowed nervously and backed down.
"Yes, sir." He mumbled. Percy continued to glare at him. "Sorry."
The class filed out, all chattering about the Percy Jackson putting Daniel Rodriguez in his place.
Percy looked at his son.
"Alvie?"
"Ugh…"
"What did you draw?"
Dun duun duuuhhhh…
Haha, THERE ARE FOUR CHARACTERS GOING TO DIE DUE TO SPOILERS!