Merry Christmas folks and happy holidays in general.
He had been both disappointed and intrigued to find one goddess of the Hunt sitting on his couch. It felt almost unnatural to see her reclined on his couch, moonlace in hand. At the same time, he couldn't help but feel a little curious as to what she was doing in his home. She was definitely in one of her older forms, probably in her early twenties if he had to guess. He'd never seen her in this form but found that he wasn't opposed to it. On the contrary, he thought she looked quite good. She had a particular gleam in her eyes that he couldn't quite place, but it didn't seem like a bad thing.
"Good morn-," Percy glanced at the grandfather clock against the wall, "err, afternoon."
Apparently, he'd slept a lot longer than he thought. Well, it was his day off so he didn't really need to worry.
She smiled a bit, "Afternoon Percy."
He felt his face heat up a bit but fought it back down. That didn't stop the Goddess of the Hunt from giving him a light laugh and an appraising look. Artemis seemed rather relaxed as she sat on his couch, not that he really minded. On the contrary, she was one of the few gods he felt relaxed around, strangely enough. Something wormed around in the back of his mind as he felt the goddess's eyes roam around both the room and him. Was he forgetting something?
He brushed it off as Artemis spoke once again, "Sorry to drop in on you like this."
"I don't mind," Percy gave her a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of his head before pausing, "Do you want anything to drink?"
Artemis shook her head, "I'm good. Did I come at a bad time?"
Percy cocked his head, "No, not really. Why do you ask M'lady?"
"I thought you were expecting company. Maybe you're just trying the shirtless look," Artemis's eyes shone and Percy suddenly felt like a piece of meat. That feeling was soon overshadowed by horror as he realized that he was, in fact, still shirtless in front of a man-hating goddess.
He stumbled over a few words before giving up entirely and bowing his head. After taking a moment to collect himself, "I try not to greet my guests without my shirt but I just got back from a swim."
The huntress waved him off, "I was the one who stopped by without saying anything and you're hardly the first I've seen without a shirt. Perhaps one of the nicer though."
Was… The maiden goddess making a pass at him? He brushed the thought off as his face flushed red. After a quick excuse of needing to get something from his room, he practically shot off. Roughly a minute later, he reappeared, this time fully clothed. The goddess on his couch looked like she was almost pouting. That was a strange look but once again, he was distracted by conversation.
"How was your swim?" Artemis asked, stretching out on the couch a bit.
He smiled, "Relaxing."
"It's nice to take a day for yourself," The goddess's voice was casual, but Percy thought he could hear some undertone to the goddess's voice. It wasn't something concerning, but for some reason it reminded him of a cat purring. Could people purr? He brushed the thought away as the goddess continued speaking, "I imagine that's part of the reason I'm here now."
"A pleasure visit then?" Percy asked, pulling one of the lounge chairs so that he could continue their conversation while seated.
Her eyes seemed to widen a bit before a wide grin broke out on her face. Percy was almost certain that he could hear that purring undertone now, "You could say that Percy."
He blinked before continuing, "What are your plans for the rest of the day?"
"Not sure. I didn't have anything to do today and I hadn't seen your new home so I visited on a whim," she spoke.
"Well, you're welcome any time," Percy smiled, "though a warning would be nice."
"And miss catching you off guard?" the goddess asked, "Never."
Percy hummed an acknowledgement. The feeling in the back of his mind was stronger. Was Artemis normally this forward? "How was the rest of your night yesterday?"
She rolled her eyes and bent back so that she was laying on the couch, back arched slightly. Percy suddenly found the pattern of his carpet to be quite interesting, "Boring. I went home rather early."
"Slept well at least?" Percy asked.
She shook her head, "Not particularly. I think that time would have been better spent elsewhere."
"Doing anything in particular?" Percy asked absentmindedly.
She perked an eyebrow, "No but I'm open to suggestions."
"I've been told I have terrible ideas," Percy shrugged as he spoke, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes. The furniture his dad had used really was comfortable. The goddess of the hunt seemed to think so given her unabashed use of his favorite couch, not that he really had a least favorite.
"Are you going to return to camp?"
Percy kept his eyes closed as he responded, "What for?"
"The annual capture game of capture the flag."
Percy grimaced, "Is that coming up soon?"
"Quite," she spoke. She sounded closer than before. He hadn't heard her move which was on brand, but something just wasn't quite fitting, "Within the next three days to be precise."
"Guess I'll be there then," Percy feigned interest but he was tense.
"The hunters need a challenge."
Percy's eyes shot open as he drew his weapon. By the time it solidified, the point was pressing uncomfortably against the "Artemis's" neck. She certainly had gotten closer. Percy hissed, "Who are you?"
Things were beginning to click as he thought back. He was certain that Artemis wouldn't leave his front door open, not to mention the fact that Artemis certainly never called him Percy. While she may not have cared about the absence of his shirt, she wouldn't have mentioned the way he looked. Given her strange tone and some of her choices in words, Percy was certain that this was not the huntress he'd spoken to last night. The fact that Artemis had never once referred to the Hunt as "the Hunt" was just the cherry on top.
He found his suspicions to be true as the person in front of him grinned and delicately moved the tip of the trident from their throat. If he'd done that to Artemis, he'd have been blasted clean off of his feet.
"Why the hostility, Percy? I'm only here on a pleasure visit."
Percy growled, "Who are you?"
He observed as her clothing and form shifted a bit, "Don't recognize your favorite goddess?"
"Aphrodite," Percy rolled his eyes, "Is there a reason you're bothering me?"
The goddess feigned hurt as her form finished shifting. She was beautiful to be certain, but Percy hadn't found himself interested in a long time. She was just another face at this point. Some of the other actions were starting to make sense, "You said I was welcome to visit anytime."
"I said Lady Artemis was welcome to visit at any time," Percy said, slumping into his seat. His trident slowly melted and flowed back into its hidden form. He didn't miss the love goddess's curious stare but it was quickly replaced as she began to speak again.
"My sister isn't here but you still use her title?" Aphrodite giggled, "Hoping to win brownie points?"
Percy lazily cocked his head in annoyance, "It's called respect. I'm sure you could learn a thing or two about it."
"Such hostility," Aphrodite gasped as she stood. She began to stroll around the room as she continued to speak, "Is that any way to treat your friend?"
"Friend is a stretch," Percy drolled. It hadn't been five minutes since they'd begun speaking in earnest and he was already tired of it.
"Would lover be a better term?" the goddess traced a finger up his arm, causing him to jerk away in surprise. When had she gotten there?
"All loved out, thank you."
"Even for me?" Aphrodite asked, fluttering her eyelashes.
Percy groaned, "Especially for you. Can you stop trying to annoy me and get on with whatever you have to say?"
It was the love goddess's turn to roll her eyes before huffing in mock annoyance, "I always did like your bluntness."
"Whatever floats your boat," Percy waved his hand absentmindedly as he twiddled with his lighter.
"I came to talk to you about your love life, unsurprisingly. It's been bleak."
"Unlucky," Percy shrugged, "Maybe the whole love thing isn't for me."
"Anybody can find love Percy," Aphrodite chided, "It's harder for some, sure."
"Well I don't know about you but I've had pretty shitty luck with my choices in partners," Percy said forlornly, "Annabeth basically cheated on me and Rachel and I weren't even dating and I haven't found anybody I trust."
"You sound pathetic but can't say I blame you for being picky," Aphrodite said as she sat on the couch once more, "But I'm here with good news!"
"You've created a perfect partner for me out of the goodness of your heart?" Percy joked dryly.
"I've always been here," Aphrodite grinned. Both of their jokes had been in poor taste but they ignored that, "but no. I think you'll be happy now."
"Why is that?"
"You're going to be a lucky guy, that is, if you choose to pursue this."
"What if I don't?"
Aphrodite snorted, "Right. You're going to. Trust me, you won't be able to help it if I'm right about this."
"If," Percy repeated tiredly, "Why are you so wrapped up in my love life anyway?"
"Believe it or not, Perseus," Aphrodite said plainly, "I do care about you for more than just your looks. My daughter trusts you like you're her brother and the gods are indebted to you. I want you to be happy."
Percy gave her a weak smile, "Thanks, but why does that bring you here?"
"Love is a wonderful thing, Percy. The way I see it, you've gone through a lot of shit. You're due for something good and I'm here to tell you that you're going to get a chance soon. Take it."
"Why?" Percy asked.
"It will not be easy by any means. You're definitely going to think you're crazy at first," Aphrodite spoke, "But depending on how it goes, you'll know one of two things."
"And those are?"
"That you'll never love anybody in the same way again, or that you should have tried when you had the chance," Aphrodite shrugged.
"That sounds like one thing."
She winked at him, "My door is always open if you need advice. ."
And with that, she was gone. Simply popped away. While Aphrodite wasn't his favorite goddess by any means, she was by no means the worst. She wasn't the vapid, colorless idiot people described her as. In fact, she was possibly one of the smarter gods he'd come across, even if she didn't show it often. Sure, she was insufferable at times (self absorbed too), but she could still be kind. Her propensity for love often showed her in a bad light, but the goddess had been quite a staunch ally to the demigods.
Percy sighed as he slumped back in his seat. Well, this wasn't the morning he had in mind. He let his head flop back and closed his eyes for a bit. Well, he probably should at least make an appearance at camp. At the same time, he wasn't really in the mood to be walking around right now. Sure, the hike was a fun one but he was feeling particularly lethargic given his previous night and morning. What was another hour?
He yawned as he finally sat up. He wasn't surprised that he'd fallen asleep. Those damn seats always made him sleepy. He ran a hand through his hair to brush any offending stands out of his face. He'd grown it out significantly in his time away, and while it wasn't shoulder length, he could pull it back and tie it off rather easily. It was nice, having long hair. Really completed the surfer look. The only problem was that he'd occasionally end up eating his own hair if any happened to fall out of place (which it did constantly).
His muscles were a bit stiff as he sat up, working a little bit to slowly push him out of the warm seat he was in. He had half the mind to simply flop back again and fall asleep but the now waking portion of his brain was going to force him up. He still hadn't quite mastered the art of relaxing. Maybe some music would do him good? He tapped his finger with his thumb out of habit only to quickly realize he had left most of his toys in his room.
He pushed himself up and slowly ambled towards his room. Of course, once he was in it, he was stuck with the monumental task of deciding which weapons he was going to take with him. Sure he could take all of them, but it was still slightly annoying to have to wear all of them. While Apollo's ring was cool, it was a bit unwieldy due to the large size. Was it possible for him to just store it in his other ring?
Several attempts confirmed that he couldn't, but he had a sudden brain wave as he was about to leave the room. As it turned out, all he had to do was stow the weapon in its bow form. He watched as it disappeared in front of his eyes and grinned. The question was, was it going to come out as a bow or a ring? Could he summon it back in its ring form?
He spent the better part of an hour experimenting with storing his various weapons. With the exception of his trident, there wasn't one he couldn't keep in the ring which made sense. Of course, he'd always keep Riptide and his trident on him but the others could be switched as he wanted. Unfortunately, he couldn't summon his bow back in its ring form, but he could with his lighter and butterfly knife. His bracelet was basically another storage vessel so there was no reason for him to pull the knives out of it then store them.
During his experimenting, he had stumbled across his flower again. It appeared that Aphrodite had planted it in a small pot and left a note. She'd indicated that the flower was somehow a hint to his future, but he wasn't sure how. He was sure she didn't mean Calypso given her and Leo's ongoing relationship. Perhaps she meant a daughter of Demeter? He quickly brushed those thoughts aside and moved on. At the moment, it had no impact on him so it wasn't worth thinking about.
As soon as he had "packed" all of his weapons, he set about getting a quick bite to eat. All he really needed was a snack for the road but he figured it would be better to make at least a sandwich. Luckily, his fridge tended to randomly restock itself so he was at no loss for choice. He settled for a simple ham and cheese sandwich and moved on with his life. He wolfed it down as he made sure everything was in order and grabbed a bag of home-made jerky as he ran out the door. It would be a little while before he reached camp but he was happy.
He'd taken up a number of new things since his self imposed isolation. One of those had been running. It helped him clear his mind but he did wish he could have some sort of music whenever he did so. He rarely found himself jealous of mortals, but being able to have phones seemed so convenient. He absentmindedly hopped over a large log and slid under a large branchy overhang. He found himself wanting to try his trident. He wasn't quite proficient with the use of a spear, but he found that he drew upon his newest weapon almost on instinct.
While having the extra reach could be nice, he imagined it wouldn't serve him well in his current setting. Given the limited space he had, he imagined he wouldn't be able to swing very well in case his opponent got close. It would rely entirely on his footwork and ability to keep his enemy towards the prongs. While his footwork was incredible due to his preferred choice in weapons, he wasn't versed in the use of spear-like weapons. Maybe he'd ask Thalia for some tips. Maybe Clarisse if he had a death-wish. He grinned at the thought as he vaulted over a rocky outcrop and came to a quick stop to catch his breath.
He was keeping a fast pace. He chuckled. To think that a year ago, he would have been gasping for air if he'd run that distance at the same pace. To be fair, a year of consistent training would make a difference. Sure, he'd trained before but he'd never really incorporated resistance training into it. He'd never had the downtime to spend long periods of time constantly and consistently exercising and he found that it was now something he relished. What used to be for survival was now for relaxation. That didn't change the intensity of his exercise but it did bring some modicum of happiness.
The looming threat of destruction was gone. Not forever, sure, but for the first time in a long time. It was fair to say he'd had a rough four or five years when he was younger. Relaxing was a new concept to him. Even in the first couple of years following the Titan and Giant wars, he'd struggled. He'd become almost paranoid that another prophecy would be given following their victory, and who could blame him? He'd been put at the center of both of the major prophecies starting at just twelve. You could hardly say anyone had done more than he had.
He hadn't realized that he started running again but by the time he snapped out of his thoughts, he was nearly at camp. He could hear the distant clash of steel and the roar of campers as they watched their peers run through the obstacle course. That had been one of his personal touches for camp. From the sound of it, people were still enjoying it. Percy grinned as the infectious nature of the camp began to overtake him. He slowed to a walk as he slowly broke through the outer edges of camp. He spied the occasional nymph strolling about mixed in with a few campers.
He grinned as he heard a camper groan and hit the floor. He was nearing the training pits. Maybe he could get a good spar in before the game. Was it just going to be the hunters versus the camp? As far as he knew, almost all of the seven were going to be joining the game. Chiron had personally invited the romans and Jason had come up to him the previous night asking whether he was going to come to camp anytime soon.
Things were clicking into place now since the game had completely slipped his mind the last few weeks. He didn't exactly have a calendar in his home and it was hard to keep track of the days. He grinned as he avoided a stray arrow. Someone wasn't having much luck with their bow. All in all, it was good to be back in camp. He'd missed the hectic nature of camp.
He wasn't sure who the first person to spot him was, but it didn't take long for him to get mobbed. This was not something he missed, but being able to see so many of his friends was making up for it. A small flicker of black caught his eye as he saw Nico grinning at him towards the edge of the pit before disappearing again. What Percy wouldn't give to be able to shadow travel. Hmm. Maybe he could do something similar though?
He was quickly brought towards the center of a pit and a small circle formed around him. It'd become a bit of a tradition for several campers to challenge him whenever he came back. Of course, he never complained since it both kept his skills sharp and kept the other campers from pestering him about a new technique. His first combatant, unsurprisingly, was Clarisse. The daughter of Ares essentially had dibs on his first match. He grinned as they both stepped forwards. Of course, the normal jabs and taunts came soon after with Clarisse promising him a swift trip to the infirmary. Percy simply pointed out his undefeated streak, causing her to growl.
This fight was no different from any of the others the two had. It wasn't quite as one-sided as it would be with some of the other campers but Percy maintained the offensive from the moment the whistle blew. His skills certainly had not dwindled in the time he'd been away. It would even be fair to say that they were a bit better. One misstep from Clarisse and the fight was over with Percy's blade held right under her chin. She groaned but accepted his hand, as seemed to be tradition.
"Next time Prissy," she grunted.
Percy laughed, "Good luck!"
The next few challengers weren't anything special. A few boys from the Hermes cabin wanted a go. Surprise surprise, they lost. One of the girls from Demeter tried her hand but ended up with her sword halfway across the pit. She'd been better than the Hermes kids but ultimately, she still lost quite handily. It was the same pattern for the next few contestants, but it was only when Jason showed up that things got interesting. People were surprised to see him enter the ring but were excited nonetheless. Percy's smile only widened as his unofficial rival entered the ring.
"Try not to get knocked on your ass too quickly, yeah?" Percy laughed.
Jason shrugged before tossing a coin up in the air. Percy had been sure that particular weapon had been broken by one of the giants, but it was also fair to assume that Hera, or Juno rather, simply had the same enchantment placed on it. Jason grinned at him as he extended his gladius, "Try to keep up."
Percy grinned as he twirled Riptide in his hand. This was a fight he was looking forward to. At the whistle, both combatants started to circle slowly. While Percy was eager to fight, he wasn't going to make the first move. He smirked as Jason rolled his eyes and rushed at him. The first few clashes were easy but as they continued, the pace seemed to pick up. Percy had yet to move from his initial position with his feet firmly planted, utilizing firm ripostes and parries to keep Jason on the move.
He grinned as Jason stepped back and pressed his newfound advantage, taking several feet of space and using the momentum to bring his blade down in a heavier strike. Jason swatted the blade away but was unable to fully recover by the time Percy had struck again. Slowly, Percy was pushing him back though progress was extremely limited. Jason found his tempo again and the two were back to clashing.
Percy sidestepped a downward strike and grinned, "Warmed up?"
"Powers or no?" Jason stepped back and ran a hand through his hair. Both had a slight sheen of sweat but seemed no worse for wear otherwise.
"Save it for round two?"
Jason laughed, "Deal."
The two both took a step away from the other before charging again. Jason went higher while Percy used his footwork to dance away from Jason's strikes. Percy grinned as he deflected an oncoming thrust and pushed his advantage. Jason in return hopped back and quickly backpedaled to make some distance. Percy took advantage of his newfound space and pressed forward, mixing a complex series of slashes and thrusts to force the son of Jupiter back.
Jason was quick to respond though and the two found themselves at a standstill once more. Percy was still on the defensive, but Jason was no longer losing ground, having found a suitable tempo. This didn't last long though as Percy feinted a thrust while stepping forward with his dominant foot, placing himself firmly within Jason's guard. Jason had simply sidestepped and was otherwise unprepared as Percy quickly adjusted the angle of his blade and slashed it forward. Jason brought his blade up to block but found his movement was otherwise stopped by Percy's location. If he backed up, he would trip over Percy's leg, and if he moved forward, he would push himself into the oncoming blade
Percy grinned as his blade caught the guard and forced Jason's hand, and subsequently, his blade down. This allowed Percy to quickly hop back and twirl his blade before thrusting forward with both hands. Jason was barely able to block it but was quickly knocked off balance. A few more strikes and Jason found his blade several feet away, sticking out of the sand. He groaned as the son of Poseidon stepped back and bowed jokingly.
"Good warmup," Percy said, wiping a bit of sweat from his forehead. Jason nodded and quickly retrieved his blade.
"Saw you got some new toys yesterday," Jason grinned, pulling the metal bead of his bracelet. Percy watched as a new spear appeared in the blonde's hand.
Percy ran a hand through his hair to brush some of the raven strands aside, "Glad you got a few too. Gives me more reason to use mine."
Jason raised his blade and extended it to clash with Riptide. Percy did the same, bringing the two blades together, "To a good fight."
Percy smiled, "To a good fight."
The two backed up and Percy noticed that Jason's stance had changed slightly. At the whistle, the duo slowly made their way around each other, similar to how they'd started the first match. Percy started this time, slowly stalking forward to engage. Before he was in range though, he found himself at the pointy end of a golden javelin. Jason grinned and thrust the point forward, causing Percy to quickly sidestep and bat the tip away just in time to jump away from a strike of lightning. Jason quickly pressed towards Percy, stepping in and twirling the javelin around him so that he could strike with the butt end.
Percy readied his blade and used it to stop the weapon as it came forward in a sweeping strike but was surprised as it disappeared. His eyes widened a bit as he saw Jason thrusting forward with his gladius once more. He quickly hopped back and reoriented his blade. Jason had given him little space though and instantly pressed forward. While his assault was strong, Percy's defense was able to keep him at bay.
Percy knocked Jason's blade away with his own and tried to press forward but was quickly stopped as the javelin appeared, the pointy end coming towards him. He barely managed to avoid the point before it was drawn back and thrust again. Jason's new tactic was working quite well with Percy never being able to capitalize on any mistake. The moment Jason lost control of his blade, he'd move back and keep Percy on the defense with the extra range.
Percy was steadily growing tired of this but an idea quickly began to form in his mind. Between both Jason's lightning and javelin, he was never able to get close and it was annoying him. He'd already taken a stray blow from the javelin which had caused his arm to go slightly numb. While he wanted to wait to use his ace, he still had plenty of other weapons. After batting away a sweeping strike from Jason's spear, he backpedaled and summoned his bow into his hand. Jason's eyes widened as Percy drew back the string. Jason rushed forward, spear in hand in order to disrupt Percy's draw. Unluckily, this was exactly what Percy had wanted.
The moment Jason was too close to stop himself or dodge, Percy threw the bow at him before rushing forward. Jason quickly tried to stop himself, surprise evident on his face. While he managed to barely block the bow, he was unable to fully recover and was then unprepared as Percy threw Riptide at him. Jason grunted as he brought up his own blade to block. While he managed, it caused him to lose focus on Percy who was grinning maniacally.
While Jason was off balance and unfocused, Percy slid forward and raised his left arm, all while sliding two fingers up his arm to draw his trident. The end result was his trident being brought down towards Jason's legs as Percy swept his weapon out in a wide fan. The head of the trident caught Jason's left leg, pulling him to his knee as all of his weight fell with no support. Percy simply spun the trident before thrusting it forward. Jason just barely managed to stop the prongs by summoning his gladius but it wasn't enough.
Percy simply let his hand slide up the trident while using it to push Jason back, locking both of his hands down as he struggled to stop the trident from pushing forward. Percy casually summoned Riptide and let his trident dissolve, causing Jason to fall forward. All of the weight that had been previously pushing against the prongs was now carried towards Percy who simply sidestepped and placed his foot on Jason's blade while pointing the tip of his own between the roman's eyes.
Percy was faintly aware of the roar of the crowd erupting as he did so, but chose to ignore it in favor of helping his brother up. Jason relaxed his grip on his blade and graciously accepted Percy's hand. Percy laughed as Jason complained about his skill.
"Where'd you even get the trident from?" Jason asked curiously as the two stowed their weapons and dusted off.
"Gift from my dad," Percy shrugged, "Not sure how it works but it's stored in my tattoo."
Jason looked at it in jealousy, "That's so cool."
"Yeah but my mom's going to kill me when she sees it," Percy grinned.
Jason laughed, "Have someone take a picture for me. How are you so good with it already?"
"Dunno," Percy said dubiously, "Must come with the territory."
Jason rolled his eyes, "Or maybe you're just unfairly good at what you do."
Percy shrugged as the two began to walk towards the crowd who surged forward after a moment. The two found themselves completely surrounded by cheering demigods congratulating both of them on their battle. It took them a while to settle down, but eventually Percy and Jason were able to walk away without having some camper come up to them and talk about the fight. Neither had been aware that they'd been fighting for nearly half an hour.
Percy quickly found himself separated from Jason as he apparently had plans with Piper that he was now late for. Percy grinned and wished his friend the best of luck before making his way into his cabin. He grinned as he dropped a couple of things off. A swim would be nice right about now but he wasn't quite sure he'd have time for that before dinner. He'd worked up quite an appetite as he'd fought and he'd be damned if he missed his meal.
Well, at the very least, he wanted to get some of the grime off. A shower was in order. If he didn't have time for a swim, a shower would have to suffice. A quick twenty minutes later (which happened to be quite a bit shorter than his normal showers) and he was back to roaming through camp.
Dinner and the singalong had been a simple affair with the hunters arriving only shortly before the campers sat down to eat. So far, they'd managed to prank five of the cabins. Thankfully, they'd spared him, even if only for the moment. Currently, Percy was "breaking camp rules" by being out later than allowed. That being said, nobody really questioned it and even the harpies simply let him be as per Chiron's orders (not that he knew that).
It was currently a little after midnight and he'd spotted six separate groups of campers sneaking out but chose to ignore all of them. He'd done it plenty of times and as long as they didn't die, he didn't really care. Normally, he would have been asleep by now, but he'd been awoken by a particularly nasty dream about his time in Tartarus which had essentially meant he wasn't going to sleep tonight. Given that he didn't want to sit in his cabin for the next several hours, he'd made his way to the beach. One of the groups had been making their way to the beach as well but they'd quickly steered clear once they saw him.
Of course, he hadn't been on the beach, rather he was a few meters away from shore, floating idly on his back. Currently, he was enjoying the view, staring up at the stars as he let the tides push and pull him. There were nights where he'd do this for hours on end and he got the feeling this was going to be one of them. Losing a bit of sleep was preferable to dealing with his nightmares. Who would he even talk to about them?
The only person who shared his experiences hated him. Nico might have had some idea, but he hadn't been there, seen the same things. Plus, he wasn't too keen on the idea of seeing a shrink. How would that even go?
He was pretty sure a therapist might look at him like he was crazy, even if they were a demigod, "Oh yeah sorry I just have this lingering trauma from that one time I basically went into this big scary hole that's actually a person and I fought a bunch of scary monsters and then watched one of my friends get left behind after drinking from a river of fire and almost drowning even though I can breathe underwater. How'd I end up there? Oh I jumped in."
He laughed to himself. He was sure that'd go over real well. Did demigods even have therapists? Maybe New Rome did but he highly doubted it. Camp Half Blood certainly didn't. He let himself sink a little bit so that he was floating just under the surface of the water. While he didn't have to hold his breath, there was something surreal about it. He sank a bit as he laughed again. Of all the things he'd been through, this was what was crazy?
He wasn't sure how long he'd been under before he found himself staring at a certain moon goddess. He wasn't even sure how long he'd sat there staring at her before his brain turned on. She'd come down and was just barely floating over the surface of the water, legs draped over her chariot so that they were just above the water. He probably should have expected that she'd see him. There were plenty of times that Apollo would drop by while driving the sun chariot so why would Artemis be any different.
When he finally surfaced, he attempted to sputter an apology. He was certain that he'd sat there for more than a moment and just stared.
She waved him off. She seemed amused as he attempted to make small talk, "Calm yourself Perseus."
He grinned sheepishly, "Sorry, been a long night."
"I'm sure. Are you well?"
Percy shrugged, "I've been better."
"What ails you tonight?"
"Nightmares," he said, unable to keep a hint of bitterness out of his voice.
"I see. Would you care to talk about them?" She looked at him sympathetically. Percy blinked, "And no, it is not beneath my stature as you said."
"Why?"
Artemis fixed him with an unreadable look, "It is natural to care for those around you, no?"