You all had better ADORE this chapter, it's over 10k. You get to learn soooo much in it. It's not plot heavy, but it's very important to the growth of the characters. Next chapter will be camp stuff, and the closing of the year.
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OO OO OO OO
I sat with the Demeter kids before dinner. They were happy to gossip with me about what had happened while I was asleep. Silena had told me a lot, but she'd forgotten to mention anything about the backup we'd called, and some knew news had cropped up.
For one, it was decided to have a memorial on the hill but the traditional grave markers in the graveyard for the dead. The memorial would honor them, and everyone who'd fought. I thought they might like that.
And then she told me about the people from the college that had arrived. They'd appeared over the horizon only an hour or two after I'd fallen asleep, having rushed straight over. They'd been on Pegasi, wild ones that would stop by the college periodically for food and medicine.
They'd been glad to know that there was no battle left, but angry they hadn't been called about the sick tree. Though they'd agreed if Lord D hadn't been able to help, it was unlikely they could… but they had argued Lord D could only do so much before he was directly interfering in their lives and that wasn't allowed, so they could've helped.
Miranda was laughing as she told me how everyone immediately threw both Khiron and Tantalus under the bus. Apparently, Khiron had wanted to handle it "in house", and Tantalus hadn't wanted to allow anyone that didn't have to listen to him into the camp.
Once the tongue lashing had ended, Miranda explained how they had gone to the beach and planted a few seeds. They'd grown grass many feet high all down the beach, some kind of sea grass, and used it to smooth out the sand. Then one of them had simply killed all the grasses on the beach itself, leaving a pristine beach behind.
"Wow," I muttered. "That sounds so cool."
"It really was! And then once they finished with the beach they went to the other parts of the camp and started restoring the plant life there. The grass has never been healthier, and several trees and bushes damaged in the fight in the forest were fixed right up!"
She'd then gone on to tell me about the native plants they'd grown. And the camp had been supplied with a variety of native plant seed mixes, with explanations on how to care for them. It was fascinating.
I let Miranda regale me with how the native plants were what should be planted here, and while the camp had a lot of native plants, she didn't think it was nearly enough. She eagerly told me about how the college was working with some Natives on preservation and restoration efforts, and how the Native leaders of the project were apparently really good at teaching the others about the native life and how to take care of it.
A lot of the stuff she talked about made a lot of sense, I wondered why more people didn't ask the Natives what worked best. They were here first.
It made me think about what I wanted to do. Miranda seemed really interested in the restoration and preservation of plant life. Did I care about something like that? I supposed the cleaning of the rivers, was that something I wanted to do for like- a job?
Could I? Was that a job?
Other than them lecturing Lord D and Minos, and fixing up the damage from the invasion, they also looked over the tree. They agreed with Lord D that it seemed to be recovering, but slowly. They advised the campers on what to do to speed its recovery and demonstrated so that they could see it.
Katie and Darius really enjoyed the lesson, and both were now even more determined to attend the college, Katie was already making up her application. It made me smile to listen to them rambling about all the things they learned.
It was soothing to sit and listen to them, soothing to watch them brighten as they talked, soothing to see some of the joy that I'd come to love about camp appear in their faces.
When the dinner conch shell rang out, I was feeling settled once more.
OO OO OO OO
The funeral was early, very very early. We were up an hour before sunrise, when the night was cool and dark. Everyone headed down, people streaming from all the inhabited cabins clutched small jars of libations, or bowls of pelanon, or holding their kollyva. Most everyone wore a veil, of all different colors and styles.
We arrived at the open end of the cabin U, where the bodies were laid out on biers. I stared at the forms visible in the flickering torch light. I couldn't see the bodies, not because it was too dark but because the bodies were already wrapped in their shrouds.
I stared at the soft blue shroud covering the body of Mitchell. I couldn't make out all the details, but I knew it was filled with doves carrying laurel wreaths, hearts twisted through the wreaths, spirals of perfume mist intricately embroidered.
I'd seen it before they took it to prepare his body, had embroidered a heart on it myself.
I didn't know what the shrouds for the others were, had no idea what they looked like. The flickering torchlight only let me see some of the details.
A caduceus centered on both, little yellow dots on one, big colorful dots on the other. Gold and silver gleaming on one, green filling fields on the other. Flowers perhaps? Coins? I wasn't sure. I wasn't even sure which was which.
Leilani was staring at one, so I guessed that was Melissa. I softly murmured reassurance as we came to stop with the crowd.
Lord D wasn't present, but I hadn't expected him to be. Apparently, from what Annabeth told me, the Gods didn't show up to the funeral rites, they watched but did not interact.
They were of the living, divine. And the dead, they were of the underworld, of the miasmic mists of below. The Gods of above weren't to interact with such forces, it could make them impure. And so they didn't go near them.
Annabeth wasn't sure why Minos and Tantalus could be around Lord D, but she figured that they had to do something special to purify themselves enough to be there. Normally only Chthonic Gods interacted with the dead.
Argus was there though, standing over the bodies as if guarding them.
I squeezed Leilani's arm as we began walking, feeling her shuddering breath as she stepped forward. Everyone had arrived, and it was time to walk to the graveyard.
I'd never been there before, most only visited family, friends, those passed who they knew. But the names were remembered, the cabin members spoke of them. I'd heard the names of dozens of Aphrodite and Demeter campers long since passed, some as recent as the last twenty years, others as old as three thousand years ago.
The camp remembered their names.
I probably needed to spend some time in the graveyard, to learn the names of my own siblings who were long passed. I didn't know their stories, but someone probably did.
The path to it felt long, though in reality it wasn't any longer than the walk to the grove. We simply turned right at the fork where we normally turned left and kept walking.
The night was cool, the heat of the day lost in the darkness. The trees cast deep shadows as we walked through them, even the torches lighting our path couldn't cut through the darkness. No one was speaking and every step felt loud. Feet tromped on the ground, sniffles broke the stillness, the crunch of dirt and leaves filled the air. A twig cracked, someone flinched, a soft murmur of comfort.
I kicked a rock and winced as it clattered.
I wondered how much longer it was, the walk was torture. The dead were in front, leading the way, and the rest of us followed behind. We had been left behind as they passed on the underworld, and now we walked behind what was left of them.
The walk wasn't that long, it really wasn't, I knew, intellectually that it wasn't. But it felt like hours. The night pressed down on us, the stars hidden by the trees, the moon was just visible, half of its face visible. I offered a silent prayer to Artemis and Selene as we passed beneath their light.
As if my impatience was audible, the end of the path rose up before us.
Ahead were four columns, holding up a triangle shaped… relief? I thought it was called a portico, Annabeth had talked about it before, but I wasn't sure if that counted when it wasn't at the entrance to a building.
The relief on the top was intricately detailed, though undoubtedly old.
I paused, just before entering the graveyard proper, and craned my neck back to look at the relief.
A winged God bent over a body; a figure stood on a boat going across a river. Three figures stood before them and judged.
That had to be Thanatos, and Charon, and the judges. I had completed the second part of that journey already. I wondered when I'd complete the other parts.
I stepped forward, continuing with the procession until we stood before a grand pyre.
There were three sections to it, one for each body. It was Giovanni and Jasmine who moved Mitchell's body onto the pyre. Eliza and a camper Leilani murmured was named Batu placed Sofia's body on the pyre, and Sirona and Elanor placed Melissa's.
I noticed, as they placed the bodies, the glint of a silver coin on their lips. Charon's obol, their payment for passage.
No one moved for a long moment, until finally Silena moved forward. She stopped to the side of the pyre, where three small graves were dug. The bodies weren't going to be buried, but their ashes would be.
She placed a lock of hair at the grave, head bowed, and then lifted the small jar she held and poured it over the grave. Annabeth had called it choai when telling me about it, the offerings poured at the grave during the funeral.
The other Aphrodite kids stepped forward after her, each laying a lock of hair at the grave. They all had small jar, with perfume, oils, honey, water, and even milk within to be poured over the grave. They poured over all three, offerings to each of the dead, but the locks of hair were set before only one.
I could see their lips moving, prayers too soft for me to hear spilling from their lips.
I held my own prayers for the dead but would wait for my turn. So, I blinked back the tears their grief brought forth and clutched the fruits I'd gathered for my offerings (the fruits were known as kollyva, the first fruits of the crops).
While their prayers were inaudible, their tears were not. I could hear the shaky breaths and odd sniffles; I could see the shaking shoulders as they poured out their libations. I could see it in the people around me as well and wrapped an arm around Leilani. She was silent but shaking.
They stepped back, moving back into the crowd in clumps and stragglers. Several huddled together, several more leaned against other campers. Drew slipped up next to Leilani and me.
When they had finished, the Hermes kids moved forward. Nearly all of them laid out a lock of hair just as the Aphrodite kids had.
"Should I leave a lock of hair?" I asked Drew softly, as the Hermes kids began pouring out their own libations.
"You can, if you want," she murmured. "But it's only really done by those closest to the deceased."
"Can I leave one for Melissa?" Leilani whispered.
"Yeah… yeah you can," Drew said.
I stared at Mitchell's shroud, he was the only one I could be argued close enough, I thought at least. I wasn't the closest to him, not as I was with some of the others (like Drew). But we'd still watched Avatar together, he'd still helped me with my fashion, he'd still tugged Giovanni back when he was being overbearing.
He was still a friend, maybe family.
I drew my knife, my abyssal platinum one that desperately needed a name, and carefully knicked off a small lock of hair. Leilani glanced at it then at me and I leaned over to do the same for her at her nod.
She held the black strands tight in her hand, carefully balancing the pelanon (made differently than normal, her adding a dash of her own culture to it) with her other hand.
As she let out a shaky breath, her eyes on the strands of hair in her hand, the Hermes kids moved forward.
Each paused before the other two graves and laid down a lock of hair before bowing their heads and pouring out small jars of libations. Once more their prayers were too quiet to hear, yet they were clear. Their hands pressed to the ground, their heads bowed, they prayed for their passed family.
My eyes lingered on Eliza, the current cabin head. She'd been so angry before; she'd been angry since last summer. And even now, when mourning her dead cabin mates, a sibling and a friend, her expression was pinched, and her lips pursed.
She was still angry.
She looked like Luke right then.
I lowered my gaze to the graves.
They slowly shuffled out of the way, congregating around each other, with their friends, and the rest of us slowly started to move forward.
I went to Mitchell first, he was the one I knew. He was the one I spent movie nights with, the one I listened to about fashion with his other siblings, the one who had accepted Tyson so easily. I hadn't spent nearly enough time with him, and now there was no time left.
I placed my lock of hair with the others, feeling almost shy as I did. I wasn't as close as other were, but he was still a friend, and the Aphrodite cabin had declared me family enough times that I felt that I should.
I laid out the fruits before his grave, bowed my head, and murmured a prayer. I wished him safe passage across the river, and good judgement at the pavilion. I prayed to my Tonton, Hades, for him to find happiness in Elysium.
And then I turned to the other two graves and laid a fruit before each, with another prayer for each to find their journey quick and smooth. I prayed they would find happiness in Elysium as well.
I rose, once I finished, my eyes landing on Leilani who had her head bowed in prayer. The lock of hair she'd brought was before her, with the rest.
I let out a shaky breath and stepped away from the graves, before the pyre once more alongside Leilani.
There was a wait as everyone left their offerings, bowed their heads in prayer, and wished the dead well on their journey. Leilani and I slipped up next to Drew once more and waited.
Once everyone had stepped back before the pyres, offerings over the graves complete, Aponi daughter of Hekate stepped forward.
She was dressed nicer than usual, everyone was really. She wore a soft orange dress with black embroidery and had her long black hair tied into twin braids, soft orange ribbons gleaming with beadwork trailing from them. Her hairs glittered in the torchlight with more beadwork, in the earrings, and at her neck was an intricate necklace in a lattice.
Her brown skin shone in the torchlight, and her dark eyes drew everyone as they swept across the crowd.
She raised her hands, furrowing her brow, and then swept her arms and her body down in a bow.
The torches roared with fire, surging up in a crackling burst and spiraling into the sky, intertwining and flickering and dancing until they formed a fire serpent in the sky. The area was bathed in warm light and we all gasped as the fiery, wild, serpent twisted through the air.
Flames licked out, dancing from the tip of the tail and the open fang filled mouth. It seared our eyes as it circled and dipped and twined through the air, dashing through the sky as if it could burn the grief away.
It spiraled down, nearly close enough to touch, before it surged up and up and up and burst once more, three serpents spiraling down from it.
And with a flash of blazing blue flames, the serpents spiraled right down into the pyre.
Heat seared my face, the ones closest gasping as the pyre went up in flames with a woosh.
Aponi straightened from her bow, though kept her head lowered.
"Funerals are to be done by family," she murmured. "We don't use priests or priestesses, they attend to the Gods and thus cannot be affected by the dead. We do not have any priests or priestesses at the camp anyways, and yet there is an abundance of family."
She raised her head then, dark eyes intent as they swept over us, "I am not related to Sofia, nor Mitchell, and none know whom might be Melissa's family… and yet I shared a cabin with two of them, and they were family in all the ways that mattered. I have never had the honor of sharing a cabin with Mitchell and yet I still know of him, I still know him, and I thank him, too late perhaps, for all he's done for me."
She took a deep breath and placed her hand on her chest, a beaded bracelet gleaming on her wrist.
"We have lost three family members, all of us. They were not all of our siblings, but they were family all the same. I cannot find the words to describe this loss, or perhaps there are no words. All three of them were great, grand, truly worthy of their titles as divine children. What words are there to describe them?"
She almost seemed to implore the crowd to speak, to tell her what words there were. And yet, in that moment I couldn't think of any. I didn't imagine anyone else could think of something either.
"Indeed, we are all speechless in the face of their might. And yet, I must try to speak of them. It is my duty, tonight, to speak of our lost family and remind us all of them."
She turned to the pyres for a long moment, framed by the firelight.
"Let us speak of Mitchell, first. I know I need not remind all of you of the countless times he offered a hand to those in need," she turned to face us once more. "He fixed up our clothes, helped us style them, shared recipes and even taught some to cook. He volunteered with the infirmary, as he was never much of a fighter, but oh how he fought when there was no choice."
She clasped her hands, head held high. "We remember his deeds; we remember them well. The countless times he soothed one in tears, the kindness he held, the way he lit up a room with a simple smile. And we will remember indeed his final deed. When the line was faltering, the laistrygonian charging forward to break our defense, to shatter it, he stepped forward. He raised his blade and slid it right into the laistrygonian and ended it. And yet with its dying breath it managed to end him in turn. We are alive for his deed, and we will remember it."
She looked at us, eyes locking with several.
"Mitchell was the brother to thirteen others. He was the son to a mortal man, one who loves him dearly. He was the son of a Goddess, who looks down now to see us send him onward. And he was a friend, family, to everyone standing here."
She spread her hands, "Let us remember him! Let us honor him! I implore you, all of you, to try and be as Mitchell was. Offer someone a smile when they're sad, offer a hand to one who has fallen. Mend the broken, bring beauty to the world. Protect your friends and family as he did us. He has passed on without us, but he is not forgotten. We may hold him in our hearts, we may honor him. Remember his deeds and offer your own in his memory."
I stared into the fire, where his shroud and he burned away. It ached, in a distant fashion. The thought of never being able to ask him for clothing advice again, the idea that he'd never get into fights with Drew over the proper word for cookies, the knowledge that he would never join us for Avatar IM nights again-
I swallowed hard and let out a shaky breath.
Aponi's hands dropped and she looked at all of us with renewed solemnity.
"And now let us speak of another lost, let us speak of Sofia. She hails from a land far from us, across an ocean and another continent, and yet she stood beside us. What words do I have for her?"
She shook her head, taking a deep breath.
"She was gifted, truly, blessed by her father with a true talent for languages. It was a gift she shared freely, with each of us. She learned countless languages, and in turn aided us in learning them. She offered it freely, asking for naught but a treat or a spot of mischief in return. And indeed, her lessons lead to many learning a second, third, fourth, or even fifth in Yewande's case—" the crowd giggled a little, eyes turning to the daughter of Athena who'd ducked her head with a smile "—language."
Aponi swept her gaze over us, stepping forward.
"And let me speak also, of her deeds. She was a true daughter of Hermes, filled with mischief and delight. Many a dreary day was turned bright and joyful with her games and mischief. And indeed she also held speed unmatched, the quickest messenger in the camp who was always delighted to pass a message between friends."
She lowered her head then, grief in her voice as she continued, "And it is this speed, this talent, that led to her warning the satyrs of the invading forces slipping through their woods to flank them. It was her final deed, her final prank. The invading forces never knew what hit them when she led the satyrs in the surprise attack to take them down with paint and blades alike, at the cost of her life. May that clearing be known as the Grove of Color in honor of her deeds."
Aponi raised her chin once more, hands drawn close to her chest.
"I implore once more, to all of you. Remember her fun-loving-mischief, remember and exemplify that brightness of hers. Bring joy to the dark days, smile when you wish to frown, offer a game to one who needs it. And have fun, we may no longer have her with us, but we can honor her. We can remember her; we can bring her back to us by holding onto the joy she has given us and spreading it around once more."
She wiped a tear from her eyes and smiled, "And she has left us behind, laughing as she waits for us below. She was always the fastest in the camp after all. One day we will see her again, but we have our lives to live first. She was our sister, our friend, she was family… and we will miss her dearly. Hold onto her memory and honor her deeds with your own."
I didn't know her, not really. I'd met her briefly in my time in the Hermes cabin, and had seen her around a bit since, but I was closer with others.
I still hugged Leilani close, and carefully remembered everything said about her. They deserved to be remembered.
The least I could do was remember them.
"And finally, last but never least, let us speak of Melissa. I am truly speechless thinking of what to say regarding her. She was something unnameable: shy, but oh so kind to all she met. She helped many a camper with their biology homework," Aponi laughed softly. "She knew the forest like the back of her hand, always exploring and cataloguing the life there. She wanted to preserve it all and had her life thread not been snipped I know that she would have succeeded."
She tucked her hands behind her, "Her deeds are many, quiet yet important. And all deserve to be expounded on. She cleaned the forest, picked up after parties. She ensured that everything was left better than we found it, and that nature was taken care of. She held many friends amongst the satyrs, nymphs, and naiads, for she was always willing to offer a hand in the care of the forest and their homes. And even beyond camp, she dedicated herself to rescuing bees, to rehabilitating them, to preserving them."
Leilani let out a shuddering breath, her eyes closed.
"That was her goal in life," Aponi murmured, voice threading around us all. "To preserve life. And that is how her life ended. She preserved our lives, and most importantly, she preserved the life of her friend. She gave her life to save another, to protect someone vital to our fight. All life is valuable, all is worth it, and yet in that moment she chose another's life, another who we desperately needed."
Aponi took a deep breath, and locked eyes with Leilani, "Melissa died in the same way she lived, protecting life. I can only dream of being as grand as she is—" her gaze left Leilani to sweep around the crowd "—and I must plead to each and every one of you to do as I will and strive to mirror her deeds. Remember to care for our homes as she did, cleaning the woods and offering aid to creatures in need. Honor the land we live in, our homes. Be as Melissa was, honor her deeds with ones to match. Remember her, honor her, and preserve life as she did."
Leilani let out a choked sob, clinging to my arm. I swallowed and held her close but stayed silent. I didn't know what to say in the face of her grief.
"She has left us behind, left friends and family. She was unclaimed and thus we cannot know who she was sister to, and yet she was family to all of us. She was family and friend to each and every one of us, and we will all miss her dearly. She has passed, but she would want us to preserve who she was. Remember her kindness, remember her love for the world, and love the world for her. She is gone, but we are still here, so let us honor her, her deeds, and her goals, and preserve the world as she would."
And with one last bow, the fire blazing behind Aponi crackled to an end, snuffed out. We stood in the graveyard, ashes on the pyre lit with first rays of sunrise.
OO OO OO OO
I didn't stay around for the collection of ashes and the burial, most didn't. We all went down to the beach and washed in the surf, the sun bathing the water in pinks and oranges and reds.
I poured water over Leilani's head, and she gave a weak giggle before splashing me. It didn't evolve into a full-on splash fight, but only because of the solemnity in the air. We rung out our veils and put them back in place, wringing out our clothes as we stepped back onto the beach.
Annabeth stood next to me, squeezing her hair to dry it.
"Saltwater is really good for purification," Annabeth murmured. "It's why we wash at the beach after funerals and—" she motioned to a few Apollo kids filling buckets with seawater "—gather some to clean the area the bodies rested in."
I nodded, watching as they headed up towards the camp, apparently to clean the area the bodies were in.
"It's to purify the miasma, right?" Leilani asked. "Wait no that's not the right term…"
Annabeth smiled, "Like a lot of things from the old days, terms can be a bit… iffy. I know some use miasma, but most in the camp don't. Miasma is from like- bad actions, murder and things. It's why criminals were banished. Most use Lyma here, which basically just means 'dirt', but often means both physical and spiritual."
"I always mix up the terminology," Leilani murmured, finishing fixing her veil. "So, we get Lyma from being around the dead."
"And most anything dirty," Annabeth confirmed. "That's why you're supposed to wash before doing anything with the Gods, though it's not always feasible. But in the case of the dead, its Lyma because it's normal pollution of the air and stuff, but if you didn't give the body their rites then it would become miasma because it stays and gets worse and refusing a person's funeral rites is a crime against the Gods."
Leilani hummed, falling into step with Annabeth and I as we turned to walk down the path to the pavilion.
Annabeth's lectures were always interesting, she knew a lot about all of this. Probably because she'd had like… seven years now to learn about it.
Everyone was a bit wet, but were slowly relaxing, smiles starting to appear as they talked.
In a way, it felt like the funeral had burned away the grief. People still ached, there were still some tears, but they were smiling easier. People were actually talking, reaching out to friends, settling.
"We don't have to sit with our cabins today," Annabeth said. "The camp isn't hosting the feast, it's the ones we buried that are."
"Wait," Leilani frowned. "What?"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
Annabeth smiled, pausing at the entrance to the pavilion to look over all the food laid out.
"We buried the dead, so for the feast the dead are the hosts. It's tradition, basically a thanks for burying them."
I stared at the feast; tables weighed down with food of all kinds. I noticed favorites of Mitchell's and had no doubt several of the other foods were favorites of Sofia and Melissa. Annabeth led the way to a table, and we sat with her. Drew and Aarya and Tyrone from the Aphrodite cabin joined us, and Jackson from Hephaestus, and Victoria and Camryn from Apollo.
I'd never spoken to Camryn but had Victoria a few times during archery. I didn't know Jackson well at all (and had in fact not known any of those three's names until Annabeth had greeted them).
Some people were still missing, and Camryn said that Jalen, Lee, and Elizabeth were cleaning up the infirmary and the room where the dead had been laid.
I noticed Giovanni and Jasmine coming in late, as we piled food on our plates. They were the ones who had buried Mitchell. Four Hermes kids were drifting behind them, though I only recognized Jada.
"Who's with Jada?" I asked Annabeth softly.
She peeked up and nodded, "That's Mato, he'll be leaving camp for the last time this summer since he's heading to college. He's uh- Sioux I think? Son of Hermes. He helped teach me to use my dagger."
I made a note of Mato. He had black hair that was a bit longer than his shoulders, and light brown skin.
"Then the one who just joined Clarisse's table, that's Enfys, they're unclaimed. They've got another year or two at camp probably, they're seventeen. I think they're from Wales, but don't quote me on that."
I nodded. That was a long time to go unclaimed, couldn't be easy.
"And the last one, that's Elanor. She's a daughter of Urania- the Muse of Astronomy. She's sixteen, teaches astronomy to anyone interested."
"Oh, that's cool," I whispered. "Is that during the school year?"
"Uh, I think she still does it over the summer, but I don't attend to so I'm not sure when."
Leilani leaned over, "Neither of them are Hermes kids, that's why they buried Melissa. The cabin has a like- a rule about it. I remember Chris telling me about it last summer. When a non-Hermes kid in the cabin dies, they have the unclaimed or non-Hermes kids bury them, because it's the closest they can get to a proper family burial. If they're claimed and have another sibling that one is in charge of it, if they're not an unclaimed camper is."
I made a sound of understanding, sipping my drink.
I relaxed back into the seat as the others at the table started up conversation, a few others joining that the were greeted and welcomed (Kawena, from the Apollo cabin who was friends with Leilani, Fiona from the Athena cabin, Aaquib and Aadhev from the Ares cabin, Suki from the Demeter cabin).
I took a deep breath, letting my gaze linger on the different campers in the pavilion. So many had lived through the invasion. So many were still alive. I was glad, thankful, I hadn't expected so many to live. We'd been in an impossible situation, but with the Gods' aid we'd come out victorious.
We were alive, and I was determined to make sure as many as possible continued to be so.
I did a silent toast, to the campers for living, to the Gods for their help, to the dead for their sacrifice, and to being alive.
War was coming, but right here, right now… we were alive. And that was what mattered.
OO OO OO OO
The rest of the day moved fast until lunch, though Lapis dragged me to the Aphrodite cabin to discuss haircare in the morning. She'd been quite frustrated with my hair, it was like hers in that it was thick and kinda curly (though hers was more curly than mine) but it was… sleeker she said. Like there was something coating it at all times.
We'd ended up pulling out my merfolk biology textbook to see if that helped and found out it probably had a coating of… polytetrafluoroethylene on it. It meant my hair was naturally more slippery, and tangle resistant.
That was cool.
Lapis was jealous.
"I have to use all kinds of hair care products to get the same effect," she whined. "That's such a nice advantage from your dad, can you ask him to give me it too?"
I laughed, apologizing for my natural advantage. That was nice to know, I never did need to brush my hair too much despite its curls.
She'd grumbled but declared we were going to test a few different products to figure out what was best for my hair. Which was how I got new shampoo, conditioner, hair mask, and sprays and some kind of hair oil. She assured me if I didn't like any of it someone else in the cabin would be happy to use it.
At lunch, after most had finished eating but none had left, Lord D stood from His seat.
"Quiet down, brats," He declared with a little flourish of His hand. "It is I, your esteemed head of the Camp. I have a few announcements to make, hold your questions till the end and then don't ask them."
I bit back a giggle as his gaze flicked over everyone, gaze careful despite his flippant tone.
"First off, let me welcome back our esteemed head of security Argus, hurrah, I'm sure you all missed him—"
I joined in on the clapping, Leilani giving a small cheer as Argus nodded to everyone.
"—Yes, yes, shush. Now then, Tantalus is officially back at the Gates of Tartarus—"
This time there was cheering and whooping and- and firecrackers I noticed with a laugh, alongside the clapping. I couldn't help the grin that curled my lips at that announcement either.
"—Yes, Zeus thought this whole… mess was a rather conclusive bit of evidence that Tantalus hadn't learned his lesson, and dear old Dad is very sorry for any hardship Tantalus caused during his trial run of not dealing with eternal suffering."
I snorted; Tantalus had certainly made it his goal to make us all suffer instead of him.
"Now, Minos was originally here just to judge Tantalus but has agreed to stay on for a time longer as the activities director soooo… turn to him for the rest of the announcements."
With that, Lord D dropped dramatically into his seat and motioned to Minos.
The King stood in a smooth motion, "I couldn't, in good conscience, leave the camp knowing how inadequate your teaching was and thus petitioned my Father to allow me to stay for a bit longer. Alas, I do I have responsibilities in the Underworld and will be returning there by the end of the year—the current calendar year that is- not the proper one. Regardless, announcements!"
Minos smiled at us all, gaze sharp and assessing, "First, submissions for the design of the monument must be handed in by July first, we hope to have it completed by July twenty-fifth—"
"Why July twenty-fifth?" asked a Hermes kid in confusion.
"July twenty-fifth is the current date of Kronia, and while I understand that its one holiday that rather… fell out of practice, I still thought it a good date to finalize everything."
Kronia… I'd heard that before.
Annabeth leaned over, "Remember on the boat they said everything would be done by Kronia?"
I nodded, and smiled and leaned back to whisper, "Well, everything will be done if we keep the schedule with the monument."
"Just not the way they planned," she agreed with a vicious smile.
"Now then, speaking of holidays… the solstice celebration was unfortunately interrupted by the invasion and as such we will be handling any further honoring of the holiday—placement of sundials and offerings that weren't completed—tomorrow at the suns peak."
I perked up, oh that was great. I hadn't been able to celebrate the solstice twice and while it still wasn't on the solstice, at least I would get to do something.
"And on the note of the invasion, we will be completing the promised offerings for the Gods in four days' time, here in the pavilion. If any of you have dietary restrictions for meat, please inform me by tomorrow at dinner so that I may arrange an alternative to allow you to participate still. There will be no pork."
I wondered what he meant by that, why did someone's diet matter for offering to the Gods in that case? Annabeth shrugged when I looked at her.
Right, Minos had complained that the camp didn't teach proper offerings.
"Finally, and most notably, we will be constructing a proper temple to the Gods. A temple is a house for the Gods, it is a place they may reside for you to speak to them. It is a proper place to leave offerings, pray, and honor the Gods. And, in the case of something like the invasion, it is where you go to implore the Gods for their aid. One shouldn't just toss some offerings forward in the dining pavilion, you need a hearth for that. The camp does not have one dedicated to the Gods as it should be, a place kept clean and purified just for divine use."
He let his gaze slide over everyone, "As such, there will be a design contest for the temple design."
Annabeth sat straight up beside me.
"Each camper that wishes to participate must design, in detail, a temple dedicated to the Gods, all of the Gods. It must fit the proper structural format of a temple, including statues, reliefs, and a section for storage of worship supplies. Other specifics of temple structure will be listed in a handout available after lunch," he held up a pile of papers.
"The drawings must have dimensions," he continued. "They must include detail drawings of supports, entrances, and any and all reliefs. Rough sketches of the statues included in the temple may be added but are not required. A full set of plans and detail drawings will be made after a final design is picked. The deadline is July twenty-fifth, five days before the summer session ends."
Annabeth looked to be vibrating in her seat and I couldn't hide my grin then. I knew she wanted to design something like this, it was the perfect chance for her.
"The final decision on the temple will allow input from the cabin heads, but will be blind judged by myself, Argus, and Lord Dionysus. Any questions?"
Annabeth's hand shot up and Leilani giggled.
"Yes, Ms. Chase?"
"When you say all the Gods do you mean you want a statue for every God there, or that you want it to have the capability to be used for any God?"
"The capability to be used for any God… though if you're able to find a way to include a statue for every God without over crowding it, I will be impressed."
I couldn't see Annabeth's face since she was facing forward, but I was certain if I could've, I would've seen a determined gleam in her eye.
I wondered how she would manage to fit something for all the Gods into the temple design.
Another hand went up and I settled in to listen to them discuss the temple requirements.
OO OO OO OO
"Percy," Leilani asked softly as we left the pavilion. "Can we… can we maybe… I mean-"
"What is it?"
She took a deep breath, wrung her hands together, looked to the side then back at me, then away again. She licked her lips, opened her mouth, and in a rush said, "CanwehaveafuneralforTyson?"
I stilled, stared for a long moment while I parsed through what she said and when it clicked I let out a shaky breath of my own. "A funeral… funeral for Tyson—I…yeah I- I think—" I cleared my throat "—I think that would be nice."
A hand landed on my shoulder and a I jumped, turning to find Annabeth taking a small step back. "You're going to have a funeral for Tyson?"
"Um," I glanced at Leilani who looked back at me. "Yeah… It just—he deserves one."
"Can I- can I come? I can get a shroud for him-"
"Wait, we're having a funeral for Tyson?" Silena asked from my left. "Can we join?"
"Is this invitation only?" Katie appeared behind Annabeth.
Beckendorf and Clarisse paused by the group.
"What's going on?" Clarisse asked.
"We're having a funeral, for Tyson," Silena said.
"Tyson?" Clarisse asked. "He's a monster though, monsters don't need funerals-"
Silena wacked her arm, "Clarisse!"
My lips twisted into a scowl even as Clarisse continued.
"What? I'm not meaning he's not deserving of one, he's the only reason we made it into the Sea of Monsters, but like- they don't go to the underworld. The funeral is so they can pass on!"
"Well," Annabeth said. "That's true but-"
"But we're giving him one anyways," I snapped. "Don't all people have a right to a funeral?"
There was a brief pause where the others shared looks and then Clarisse nodded. "Fair enough, can I join?"
I blinked at her, thrown off by her question.
"What?" she grumbled. "He was a major help on the quest, I was the quest leader. It's only right for me to attend his funeral."
I let my shoulders slowly untense and nodded, "Yeah… you can come."
"Can I?" Beckendorf asked.
I nodded, more relaxed now. Tyson had been friends with Beckendorf, it was only right for Beckendorf to get to come.
"I'll get material for a shroud," Annabeth declared. "If we all work on it, we can make it proper for Tyson within a few hours. It won't be specially woven like some, but I wove something before that I think would work."
I swallowed past the lump in my throat and agreed. Annabeth didn't tend to share her personal projects, so it meant a lot for her to use one for Tyson's funeral.
"And I can get some stuff for libations!" Drew chirped. "We still have some perfume."
"There's a bit of oil and honey too," Giovanni mused. "We can get a bit of a variety."
"I'll tell the others in the cabin," Lacy chirped. "So they can come if they want."
"Oh, good idea," Katie said. "I should let the others know-"
"I heard!" Imani said from behind her. "Can I make him an urn? I mean I know we don't have his body for the ashes, but we can put the ashes from the shroud as a substitute?"
"I can make him a marker for the graveyard," Beckendorf offered. "What time is the funeral?"
I blinked quickly, my eyes burning as I stared at my friends- at Tyson's friends. They- they were going to help us give him a funeral even though- I shook slightly as I took a deep breath. "It- I think, um, maybe an hour before- before dinner?"
"That sounds good," Beckendorf said. "Anything in particular you want on the marker?"
I swallowed once more, took a steadying breath, then nodded, "A horse."
Horses had been Tyson's favorite animal.
"Gotcha!"
"I can ask Darius to help me dig the grave," Katie said.
"Oh," Silena said. "I can ask the other cabin members to prepare food for a feast after. And maybe I can help paint the urn? I'm no good at making pottery but I can paint."
Imani nodded, "I'm fine with that. Percy?"
"Yep," I managed to choke out, a smile stretching my cheeks. "Yeah that's- that's fine-"
Clarisse shrugged, "I can provide the obol?"
My breath caught at the question. So deceptively casual, so dismissive of the meaning. The obol, used to pay for passage across the river. She was willing to provide Charon's obol.
"That'd- that'd be great," Leilani choked out beside me.
"We'll uh-" I cleared my throat and Leilani continued.
"We'll prepare the speech?" she asked.
"That sounds right," Clarisse said. "You've gotta talk about his deeds, you know."
Leilani looked at me and I nodded. I knew Tyson best I was the one who was supposed to do the deeds.
"Can we do it at the beach?" I asked softly.
Clarisse nodded, "Yeah, Prissy, we can do it at the beach. I'll set up a pyre, you should probably head to your cabin for Ms. Smarty Pants to bring the shroud."
I nodded and turned to head back to my cabin, Leilani beside me. We had a funeral to prepare for.
OO OO OO OO
We had no body for Tyson, nothing to wrap in the shroud. So, we simply made the shroud, then cleaned it with clean water and a dash of oil.
Annabeth had brought a beautiful blue and green cloth she'd woven. She told me she'd been experimenting with making a gradient.
It was simple, but it was perfect. She embroidered the Trident of Poseidon in the center, and me and Leilani decorated the rest of it.
We couldn't embroider like she could, so we had fabric markers and fabric glue and shiny metal pieces that we used to decorate.
I drew horses all along the edge, working very carefully to make them look right. Leilani made constellations out of the metal pieces, then used white fabric pen to connect the dots to show off various tools (and a horse and fish and a little octopus).
By the time it finished, it didn't necessarily look professional… but it looked like something Tyson would love.
And that was what mattered.
We brought it to the beach, Leilani and I leading the way carrying the shroud. There were more with us than I'd expected, the entire Aphrodite and Demeter cabins, most of the Hephaestus cabin, Annabeth, Clarisse, even Grover had appeared.
The path was shorter than the one to graveyard yet felt infinitely longer. The weight of the shroud was less than the body would be and yet, like the walk, felt like so much more.
Every step brought us closer to burning the shroud, brought us closer to accepting he was dead.
The sun was high in the sky, it was only four in the afternoon, and for a moment I was angry at the shining sun. Apollo and Helios blessed us with the light and yet I desperately wanted the moons soft light on us. The funerals in the sea were all done under the moon, under one of the forces which guided the ocean.
I looked up at the sky, for half a moment convinced I would ask the sun to stop shining on us, only to falter at the sight of the moon halfway up the horizon.
Moon rise was during the day today-
We would be having Tyson's funeral under the moon and the sun, land and sea.
I stepped onto the beach alongside Leilani, holding tears back through sheer force of will as we arrived before the Pyre and stepped forward to place the shroud on it.
Leilani painstakingly smoothed out the edges so that it was on full display and then stepped back with me.
We'd be moving the urn, after the pyre, to the graveyard. Beckendorf told me he'd already placed the grave marker before where they'd dug the grave (next to a few other Poseidon children). But the actual ceremony would be here, would be by the ocean because Tyson had been a son of Poseidon, his remains were no doubt in the ocean as well. The Ocean was in his blood, and it deserved to be a part of his funeral.
Clarisse stepped forward as we stepped back and offered me an obol, the silver gleaming. I accepted it with a hard swallow, the weight of the action heavy on my shoulders. With a shaky breath I blinked back tears and placed the obol where his head would be had he been wrapped in the shroud.
And then I placed a lock of my hair on the shroud.
Normally that would be done at the grave, but this wasn't the normal funeral and there was no body to burn. His remains were in the ocean and thus the ocean was his true grave, the other was merely symbolic.
Leilani placed a lock of her own hair with mine, both of us staring solemnly at the shroud for a long moment.
Annabeth stepped forward, holding two small jugs for us, "Your offerings."
I accepted one from her, and Leilani another. We poured out the offering, and whispered prayers for him.
There was no prayer for his safe passage across the river this time, he wasn't able to pass the river. But we did pray for his safety in Tartarus. We prayed for him to reform swiftly, though we knew it could take hundreds if not thousands of years. We prayed for him to be happy when he returned, whether we were there for it or not.
We prayed for Tartarus to take care of Tyson, to let him find a home.
When we finished, we stepped back, letting the others move forward.
It was Drew who moved first, stepping forward and placing fruits in front of the pyre, close enough they would likely burn with the shroud. She bowed her head and murmured an inaudible prayer.
Like her act gave the others courage, the rest stepped forward bit by bit, setting out a fruit or two, pouring out some oils or perfume or water or honey—it was all so kind.
I understood now, more than before, how much Kyklopes and monsters in general hurt them. I understood the wariness they held, the reason they'd avoided Tyson… yet despite that here they were, certainly the ones who had always been somewhat kind to him… but also Annabeth who had feared him more than anyone, and Clarisse who hadn't held any care for him, and several Hephaestus kids who had been annoyed that he'd kept Beckendorf's attention, and even a few of the Aphrodite kids who I knew hadn't been comfortable around him.
They all laid something out, no matter how small.
They all mourned him.
It was Beckendorf who lit the pyre, my hands shaking too much to set it aflame.
With the fire at my back, warm and dancing with fiery light, I looked at the crowd of campers that had come to mourn Tyson.
"I- I know that most of you didn't know Tyson well, and in the grand scheme of things I didn't know him as well as I would've liked. I only knew him a year- less than that even… but he was a dear friend. I- it's- I'm sorry," I swallowed and looked down. "There aren't words for Tyson, not really."
Leilani squeezed my hand and Annabeth offered a smile when I looked up.
"I know that most Kyklopes on land are- are dangerous. They devour demigods just like one would expect. They're big, hard to kill, powerful. But Tyson- he was just a young Kyklopes and he was good. He wasn't blood thirsty; he didn't hunger for blood or flesh or anything—he cried when a butterfly died and left snacks out for the various city animals. He loved horses and fish and- and he loved people. He was kind, always wanting to help-"
I let out a shaky breath and wiped my eyes.
"He was big, and young, and didn't always know how to control his strength… but he loved so much. He was an amazing brother, so excited to have a sibling. He hadn't had much of anything in his life, but he still- he still did good deeds. He helped people and wanted to build things. He learned a lot about building while here, and even—" my mind flashed to the watch he made for me "—he- he died because of his skill with building."
I took a deep steadying breath, "But that was a great deed that he did—" I tried to mimic the way Aponi had spoken earlier but wasn't sure I was succeeding "—He saved those on the ship, gave them time to escape Kharybdis and enter the Wasare av Tetek. If not for him then we wouldn't have been able to retrieve the Golden Fleece and save the camp."
I remembered the guideline Annabeth had given me for how the speeches went.
"I- I implore all of you… I implore you to be as Tyson was, to be kind and caring to all. To offer help freely and to see the best in the world. Do what you can to help, don't let people crush your kindness. It- he's gone, he'll return one day but it may not be during our lifetimes. So- so remember him, remember his kindness, and try to offer that same kindness to others."
I bowed my head, finished.
OO OO OO OO
The others moved to the water to wash, but Leilani and I (and Beckendorf, who'd agreed to help us with the burial since we'd never seen or done it) moved to the pyre and gathered all of the ashes.
Leilani held the urn that Silena and Imani had made, an orange and black urn carefully painted with a few images.
One row around it showcased the camp, Tyson fighting the bulls, Tyson building in the forge, Tyson sitting by the beach.
The next row showed the quest, Tyson on a boat, Tyson riding a Hippocampi, Tyson holding the engine, Tyson in the water.
Horses lined the other parts of the urn, and hippocampi, and simple geometric shapes. It was wonderful.
I carefully poured the ashes into the urn, and with Beckendorf's help we sealed it shut.
Beckendorf trailed behind us as we walked to the forest, then down the path, then took a right and headed for the graveyard.
The urn only weighed a few pounds, but it felt like the weight of the world. The weight of shroud placed in a jar weighed hundreds of pounds it seemed.
I didn't register arriving in the graveyard, and only vaguely recalled placing the urn in the ground.
But I remembered with startling clarity how Beckendorf helped me fill in the grave.
When we finished, I stared for a long minute at the gravemarker.
It was a simple rectangle, but with an intricate carving of a hippocampi curling on a wave over a normal land horse.
I swallowed hard and offered one last prayer. A desperate plea to see Tyson again before I died, for him to reform before the end of my life.
And with that, we headed to the beach to clean from the funeral.
OO OO OO OO
The Demeter cabin hosted our feast, and we skipped dinner to eat there. It was crowded, with three cabins worth of campers and a few other miscellaneous ones on top of that. But it was nice, it was lively. We had plenty of food, and conversation flowed freely.
Clarisse regaled the cabin with the quest, Annabeth and I told them about Kirke's island, we discussed the ship and the Titaness, and told a grandiose story of Tyson's might and how he saved the day (multiple times).
Annabeth regaled everyone with the stuff I taught her about Halmaheran while I giggled and corrected her pronunciation. Leilani laughed outright when Annabeth mixed up the word "Areti" with "Areto". She got quite flustered when she realized she'd accidentally cussed us out instead of saying that we were amusing.
It was a nice dinner. And… I felt better, after it.
Tyson was gone, but he wasn't forgotten. One day he'd return. Maybe I'd never see him again, not in this life nor the afterlife, but… but we would remember him.
And we would honor him.
OO OO OO OO
Leilani and I stared at Tyson's bed, the one between ours. It still had his extra pillow. The drawers still had clothes for him, and a few knickknacks, and his toiletries were still in the bathroom.
I swallowed hard and picked up the extra pillow.
"Are we… throwing it out?" Leilani asked softly.
I shook my head, "No- it- I think… I think we should put the cabin stuff up, and his personal stuff away. Terrors return, after all. So- so he'll come back, one day. We can put it up so when he comes back it'll be there."
Leilani perked up, "I like that idea. He can have a cubby for his things."
We got to work, picking up everything of his, cleaning out the drawers, and picking a cubby in the sitting area just for his things. The cubbies had handy little curtains you could pull down, though we normally ignored them, so we pulled it down over his things.
I took a deep breath as we put the last shirt (neatly folded) into the cubby.
I fingered the wrapped tools in my pocket and left them but pulled out the little oilskin pouch.
"What's that?" Leilani asked.
"Tyson- Tyson made it for me. I… I haven't used it."
Leilani leaned over my arm as I pulled the watch out.
"It's pretty," she whispered.
"Yeah," I murmured. "He made it for me… It- I think he was making something for you too before-"
She nodded, her gaze on the watch, "You should wear it."
I blinked at her in confusion.
"I mean- it hurts yeah but… he made it for you to use. And I bet it's really sturdy, won't break easily. You should wear it, for him."
I fingered the beautiful watch.
"We should get you something too," I said. "We don't have what Tyson wanted for you, but maybe Beckendorf knows what it is."
"We could make Tyson something!" she said, brightening. "We could put it in the cubby for him, so that when he comes back—whenever that is—he'll have something from us!"
I grinned, "We can work on it over the summer, maybe Beckendorf can help."
We shared a smile, a new goal in mind.
OO OO OO OO
Poseidon POV
Psamanthe stood on a beach, her gaze on my cabin and the child within.
"Your daughter is recovering," I murmured as I stepped up beside her.
"Yes," she murmured, turning part of her attention to me. "And so is your son. I had thought perhaps he'd never recover from the loss of the Kyklopes, yet there he is now."
I smiled as he laughed with his other cabinmate, Leilani. She was a sweet child, and talented.
"You have a good child there," I said.
"I do indeed."
We watched quietly for a long moment as they planned out what to do with their cabin, and I made a mental note to adjust the curtain over Tyson's cubby to be more personal. Perhaps they would want a kitchen in their cabin, many of the cabins had at least a small one to be able to make snacks and the like…
"Why are you here?" she said, finally turning the weight of her gaze on me. "Surely you have more important things to do."
I smiled, the waves crashing behind me. "There is war building."
"Yes, one would have to be blind to notice Okeanus' blatant display of picking a side. I must admit, I am curious as to how Zeus approved such an act."
"Zeus does not want the camp to fall, nor the children to suffer. We cannot help them as we'd like, but he is still able and willing to turn a blind eye every now and then to allow them aid, particularly in such dire straits."
"He is the Most Divine King," she mused, an approving gleam in her eyes.
Yes, she would understand. There was only so much one could do to help their children. Gods cannot interfere with all the affairs of mortals else they would never grow and learn. We are too powerful, our decisions and whims and aid can and do shape the world.
A lesson Triton had never been given the opportunity to learn, not when he'd never held a truly favored mortal nor a demigod child of his own. He'd never cared for any of my children as he did Perseus, and now he was dealing with all the struggles of having a mortal loved one… but with none of the practice at holding back and letting them live.
I'd been too lenient with it, wanting them both to be happy. But the guards during the school year… the quest could be excused but during the year? That was too much.
A tutor we gave, and by claiming him as a Prince of the Sea he was even allowed to visit our home without trouble from Zeus, so long as I did not take undue advantage of it.
But sending guards to follow him on land?
Which was why I needed help.
"There is a war building," I repeated. "But my children aren't ready."
She raised an eyebrow, "Children?"
"Perseus is growing and learning, he's doing well… but he is still a mortal child."
"Ah, and your eldest is not at all able to accept that."
"No," I agreed. "He's not. You have not had many demigod children."
"I haven't," she agreed.
"I come to you to ask for you to advise Triton," I said. "He is… my own child, and for all he listens to me… he is still a dash bitter at the situation involving Perseus."
"I can imagine so," she laughed softly. "Your eldest has always been stubborn as the tides."
"Would you advise him on how to aid Perseus, but in the right way?"
"The way that allows him to grow, yet still have someone to turn to?"
I raised an eyebrow.
"It is a bit different, as he is not Perseus' parent most of the laws don't fully apply… but he is still…"
"Interfering too much?" I asked dryly.
"He is clinging to someone he views practically as his own child, and yes… he is interfering too much."
"Will you help?"
"I will. I won't teach him to be a parent about it, he is lucky in that he doesn't have to be. But I will teach him how to step back and allow Perseus to grow."
I nodded, "Thank you."
"You are my Arila," she said with a smile. "All you need do is ask and I shall obey."
OO OO OO OO
Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave a review, they feed my soul.
What did you think of the funerals? Did you find anything interesting? What about Minos' announcements?
And, as Minos announced in the fic, I am also opening submissions for thoughts on the temple and monument. It can be written description or drawing. The winner (picked by me and the mods on the discord) will get to request a fic from me! Deadline is July 1 for the Monument, and July 25 for the Temple as Minos mentioned in the fic.
Halmaheran
Tonton=Uncle
Wasare av Tetek=Sea of Monsters/Terrors
Areti=Amused
Areto=Fucker
Arila=High King
Terminology
Libations=a drink (usually wine, honey, or oil but can also include milk, perfume, or other liquids) poured out as an offering, usually to a deity
Pelanon=a mixture of meal, oil, and honey-used as an offering to the dead at their grave
Kollyva=the first fruit of the harvest or dried fruits-used as an offering to the dead at their grave
bier=a movable frame on which a corpse is placed before cremation which is carried to the grave
Chthonic Gods=Gods of the Underworld
Charon's obol=the coin placed on the lips of the deceased to pay for their passage
Choai=specifically libations poured out on the grave for the funeral
Lyma="Dirt" both physically and spiritually, gathered just by everyday living
Miasma=Corruption from "wrong" deeds, generally murder, rape, incest, etc.
Polytetrafluoroethylene=teflon, a synthetic non-stick substance that is used commonly in cooking. In merfolk it occurs naturally in their hair, protecting it from tangling in the ocean
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