"I think that makes nine wins for Diana," Percy grumbled, setting down his cards. As it would happen, the goddess happened to be uncannily good at most of the games they tried playing on account of a few things. He wasn't sure if she was counting cards, but she definitely had the mind for it given her multiple streams of consciousness.

"I think we call it for the evening," Will glanced at the moon goddess. She had won the last three games in a row going on a fourth given the way their current game was going. Percy had come out strong with a great hand off the draw, but Diana had easily played from behind and held some stronger cards that ended up giving her the win. None of them were sore losers but they could only handle so much abuse. That, and they were rapidly losing daylight that they could have been using on the beach. That had been the original intention for the day, but they'd quickly gotten drawn into the various card games. It happened more often than one would think so they were more than ready to play everything by ear. That was, after all, the life of a demigod. Typically, they'd eat quickly before heading out, often staying out into the late hours of the night. Most would stay in the water for several hours before finally getting cold enough to get out and start a bonfire.

As it would seem, the rest of the party had already started making their way towards the food with several of them having already filled their plates while the son of Poseidon had been lollygagging. Percy pushed himself up, offering Diana a hand as he did so. His stomach growled a little as they approached the table. Who could blame him? He was a decent cook, but he couldn't hold a candle to Calypso and by extension Leo. The younger man had picked up quite a few new skills since their relationship had started.

Their meal was a simple affair of various finger foods and assorted items that had struck their fancies. Leo had insisted that there be some sort of decently spicy food, and so Percy had taken the time to make one of his mom's recipes (though he was certain that it'd actually come from Paul's side of the family). It was a simple dish consisting of whatever pepper one wanted stuffed with a bit of cheese and duck wrapped in bacon. After that, it was drizzled lightly in oil and tossed on a grill to char up nicely. He made sure to sacrifice a few to Hestia since she'd helped him iron out a few of the details and had brought him the ingredients. He tossed one into the fire for his dad before returning to everyone.

He grinned as he watched Piper steal a few items from Jason's plate, but it seemed to be for the best. Apparently, whatever he'd eaten had been too much for him and his face had flushed red. That'd gotten him teased by Leo, but that stopped quickly after Jason zapped him a few times. His normally curly hair was standing up a little which Percy thought was hilarious. It was good to see their spirits high. Furthermore, it seemed that Diana had fit in rather easily, easily making conversation with Will and Nico while occasionally shooting a quick teasing comment towards the other group.

He couldn't help but smile a little wider as he made his way over toward the smaller group of three. Will greeted him with his ever-present smile while Nico simply nodded towards his honorary brother. Conversation flowed easily as the new group of four observed the other group. Nico and Will had always been quieter, preferring to observe rather than be heard. Percy could sympathize with that and had since taken to joining them. While it occasionally felt like he was third wheeling, his honorary brother was quick to insist that he join them. Will had been quick to back him up on that end, and as such, the three had grown closer by leaps and bounds.

And, nicely, it seemed that Diana was fitting in just as well, though he got the distinct feeling that Artemis would be better suited to this particular group. The son of Apollo had taken to calling the moon goddess "aunt" as a joke. While Diana didn't seem to mind, Percy could see something in her eyes that he couldn't quite place. He'd initially noticed it the first time he'd laughed. Diana had swatted the back of his head and laughed good-naturedly, but it didn't quite make it to her eyes. She'd joked that the name was fair game since she insisted on showing up in an older form.

At some point, the two groups had remerged into one with people taking shots at others in good-natured banter. Things got a little rowdy after a bit though, signaling for everyone to make their way outside after changing. A few of the guys (namely Jason, Percy, and Will) had elected to simply wear their beachwear in the first place. As such, they were the first out and also the ones in charge of setting everything up. There wasn't much to do, but Percy had tasked Jason with getting enough firewood to start the bonfire when they were ready while he and Will moved some of the drinks and chairs out towards the beach so that everyone could relax.

Leo quickly joined them afterward, sprinting out to join them and help. The son of the sea couldn't help but smile at seeing everyone moving around and generally having a good time, even despite doing such a menial task as setting up the area. Slowly, they got everything out and within the general vicinity of the chairs. Sure, a few drinks had been haphazardly strewn in the sand next to a cooler, and a ball had accidentally been kicked into the surf, but everything was going well.

The rest of their group had trickled out slowly, with many of them having waited to use a bathroom or guest room to change. Nico had been the last out as he had elected to grab another plate of food while everyone else changed. If he was going to wait, he might as well eat while doing so. Percy, ever eager to get into the water, had dragged the other three guys out with him while the rest seemed to want to lounge around.

The sun was currently behind them, bathing the beach in warm light and sending a pleasant heat down their backs. Talk came easily, with Nico joining in with them as soon as he got out.

"Not getting in the water?" Calypso asked the young man.

He shook his head, "In a bit. I'd rather sit for a bit since I just ate more."

"Worried about drowning from cramps?" Piper joked.

He rolled his eyes, "With Percy around?"

Diana and Calypso snickered as Piper conceded, "Fair enough."

"Aren't you guys going to get in?" Nico asked in return.

"Probably," Calypso was the person to respond, "We have the entire night to do as we please. There isn't much rush."

Piper agreed on that, with Diana staying quiet. She was unsure if it was wise to enter Poseidon's (or Neptune's) domain without his express permission. Artemis had gotten permission from an aquarium, but entering the ocean itself was an entirely different matter. Well, at the moment, she didn't have to worry about it as she was enjoying the group's casual conversation. Nico was currently addressing Piper, "I think he could pull it off."

Diana's ears perked a little, "Pardon?"

Calypso filled her in, "Piper wondered who could make piercings work for the guys."

Nico nodded, "Will already has them, but I think Percy could do it too. Jason maybe but I think Leo's a no because of all the hair."

Diana nodded in understanding as Piper spoke up, "Jackson definitely, but Jason's a no for me. It'd look weird."

"I think he could," Calypso chimed in, but she paused for a moment before adding a caveat, "But he'd have to change his style a little."

Nico nodded, "I think it looks better with long hair."

Piper sighed, "Kinda wished that Jason took a page out of Percy's book and grew his hair out again."

"Yeah, if Percy would ever take care of it," Nico commented, "Good to see he got a haircut though."

"The Roman praetor insisted," Diana spoke up, "But for good reason. It looks far better now, though it did not look bad before."

A round of agreement was heard before Nico spoke up, turning to the Roman goddess after a moment, "Did they tell you about the house rules?"

Diana shook her head so Nico continued, "Basically you won the most out of everyone so you get a reward. Bragging rights are great, but we decided to throw something else in. It's up to whoever's hosting though so you'll have to ask him about it."

"Last time, our friend Grover won at our place, so we got him a bag of tin cans and before that, we were getting food and Jason won so we all paid for his dinner," Piper added as she glanced at Nico before returning her gaze towards the ocean, "You should probably help him."

Diana chuckled as she turned to look. Percy was valiantly attempting to fend off Jason and Leo. She could see Leo jumping on the man's back while Jason tried to wrestle Percy under. Nico chuckled before jogging off into the water. They continued watching their little war play out with Percy attempting to drown Jason while Nico peeled the son of Hephaestus off of his brother. Nico was basically throwing him all while Will laughed at the antics of his friends. Jason had just barely managed to get up for a lungful air before Percy dunked him back in, only to be tackled by Leo. The two went under, while Jason was thrown out a few yards away. It ended with Percy emerging victoriously. He pulled the forge god's son out before pushing him back under once more. They probably should have known better than to fight a son of Poseidon in the sea.

Calypso smiled in amusement, commenting that her boyfriend sort of looked like a drowned cat with all of his normally curly hair flattened to his head (not that she didn't think it was cute). The other two had to agree with that before turning their attention back to their friends' antics. They'd formed up into a small circle and seemed to simply be talking. The three watched as Will jerked his thumb towards the beach before pointing at Percy. This caused Jason to burst out laughing while Percy could only blush furiously. They noted that a tendril of water dragged the blond man under, only for him to burst out laughing once more as he surfaced. They observed as Percy shook his head while the others seemed to focus all of their attention on him, only serving to highlight his embarrassment.

Eventually, that too came to an end with Percy excusing himself, gesturing weakly towards the beach. This had only elicited more laughs, and Diana had to admit that she was quite curious about what they were speaking about. It seemed that the others seemed interested as well.

Percy brushed some hair out of his face as he walked up, deliberately refusing to dry it. It was nice to enjoy the feeling, and it felt quite nice in the evening sun. "You guys are getting in right?"

"In a bit," Piper said, giving him a quick once over, "Pink's a good color on you."

Percy rubbed the back of his head, "Don't tell your mom that. She's been trying to get me to wear more of the clothes she got me."

"Venus bought you clothes?" Diana perked up a little at that.

He nodded, plopping down in one of the lounge chairs they'd set up, "Yeah like five or six months back. She insisted that I needed a new wardrobe."

Calypso snickered, "That would explain why your outfits looked better seemingly out of nowhere."

He let his head rest all the way back, "The goddess knows her stuff." And what was wrong with what I wore before?"

"They were boring. You dressed like a child."

"Because I wore a plain shirt and shorts or jeans everywhere?"

"Yes," Piper chimed in, "You just got away with it because you have a cute face."

Percy grumbled, "And nobody wanted to tell me?"

Diana cocked her head as the three bickered back and forth for a little while. It was good to see the son of Poseidon having fun. Eventually, their conversation simmered down, particularly when Jason grabbed his significant other and pulled her towards the water. It was not unlike a child dragging their favorite teddy bear out on an adventure. Piper had tried to look exasperated but she hadn't been able to stop herself from laughing. She managed to drag Calypso along with her, leaving the moon goddess and son of the sea together on the beach. Percy watched as Diana gently observed their friends. She seemed relaxed, but he could tell that she was apprehensive about something.

"You're getting in, right?" Percy asked.

Diana glanced at him, "Likely not."

"This isn't going to be another 'Oh I don't want to upset your dad' kinda thing, is it?" Diana said nothing, causing Percy to groan, "I promise that it won't be a big deal."

Diana perked an eyebrow, "Not a big deal?"

Percy nodded, "Nope!"

"My father forbade you from flying, and you were a demigod at the time. I am an Olympian and that would be directly encroaching on your father's domain."

"It'll be fine. Really, it's not a big deal."

Diana's voice was exasperated, "I'd rather play on the safe side."

Percy rolled his eyes, "Okay, if I ask him and he says yes, will you get in?"

"Do not bother him with such triv-" Diana started to respond but Percy cut her off with a snap of his fingers. She watched in mild horror as mist formed at his command and an Iris message began to connect. She hissed, "What are you doing?"

Percy glanced at her with a wide grin, "Asking him. I mean, he let you break rules in his aquarium."

Diana again attempted to respond but was cut off as the Iris call connected, showing a smiling sea god. Percy greeted his dad happily, "Hey Dad, I had a question."

The Earthshaker didn't miss the moon goddess's presence and seemingly read his son's mind, "This is about Artemis I take it?"

Percy nodded, shooting the goddess a pleased smile, "Looks like you already know."

"As far as I am concerned, my son's word is as good as my own for matters such as these. You may do as you please in his presence, so long as he would allow it." The sea god nodded, addressing the huntress. Diana blinked, mouth opening a few times, but the sea god continued with a smile, "It is the least I can do after all that you have done for him. You need not worry about such matters. Enjoy yourselves."

Percy nodded in agreement as the sea god swiped through the mist, cutting the call off. He turned to look at his friend, and she could see the joy on his face as he spoke, "So, race you?"

Diana shook her head, "Later. Walk with me for now."

Percy blinked, "Where are we going?"

"You're going to accompany me into the water."

He offered her a hand as he stood, "As you wish, My Lady."

The goddess rolled her eyes at the teasing nature of his honorific but took his hand regardless. Percy grinned, turning to see what his other friends were doing. Most seemed to just be hanging out. Jason and Leo looked like they were arguing with Nico and Piper while the others simply watched. Diana noted that it was a rather animated ordeal but Percy just laughed and explained that was how they were. The goddess had simply titled her head and shrugged. It was interesting to see how differently they interacted when compared to the gods. Some part of her focused on that, while another was surveying their surroundings. Despite having gotten the sea god's permission, the Roman goddess was still slightly on edge causing her eyes to bounce around to every little thing.

Her eyes shortly settled on the man accompanying her. She agreed with Piper's observation, "Pink is a good color on you."

Percy turned back to face her since he was a little ahead of her, rubbing his arm as he did, "You think so?"

"I would not say it if I didn't," Diana smirked as a look of embarrassment painted itself across his face, "Do you not like the way you look?"

"It's a fifty-fifty between hating myself and thinking I'm too hot for my own good," he joked lightheartedly.

Diana hummed in amusement, "A little crushing self-doubt keeps you grounded in reality."

Percy laughed, "That's true."

"It's only an issue when one overshadows the other."

"Do you ever feel that way?"

"No, not particularly. I have never put much credence in those things."

"So you've never felt like you don't look good?"

Diana smiled, "I have, but I think that it is different."

"How so?"

"I am a maiden goddess," she said simply, "Many think that I am meant to be pretty. Whether that be because I am, or because I am considered unobtainable is up to the individual."

Percy huffed, "That's stupid. What does being a maiden goddess and being unobtainable have to do with it?"

Diana laughed, "Mortals and gods are motivated by their pride, and for better or for worse, some people derive pleasure from feeling superior to others. Many find the idea of conquest to be captivating. Conquest of a romantic partner just happens to be a version of that and I am simply an extreme version of that due to my supposed adversity to love and relationships."

Percy kicked a bit of water as they stepped into the surf, mentally noting her words, "For what it's worth, you're just pretty."

The goddess smiled as she tentatively waded through the water with him, "Perhaps we can discuss tonight, but it seems that your friends are sorely missing your presence."

He waved that it off, even though they could both see the way many of them sent occasional glances in their direction. Leo had looked like he wanted to run up to them but Calypso and Will had placed themselves firmly in his way, not that he knew that. She could see why the savior of Olympus was so beloved wherever he went. His kind disposition had initially surprised her when they'd first met years ago, but she'd been happy to learn that it wasn't something that had diminished in his self-imposed isolation. Rather, it seemed that it had grown.

"You didn't hear a word I said, huh?" she could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke. The goddess hadn't even noticed that he'd been speaking.

"Apologies."

Percy laughed, "No big deal, I was just saying that we can take as long as you'd like. We'll probably be out for a while since I try to keep the water decently warm."

She paid a little more attention at that, "What do you mean?"

"About what?"

She would have smacked him if she wasn't so interested in hearing what he had to say, "About keeping the water warm?"

"Oh." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Normally the ocean's pretty cold at this time of the year, and we're up north so it's not always pleasant. It's all the same to me, but I try to keep the water warm for everyone. Wouldn't want everyone dying from the cold right?"

"That is no small feat, Perseus. You make it sound as if it is no big deal to control the temperature of the water."

Again, he looked sheepish, "I didn't think it was. I used to do it all the time as training. It hasn't been something I've had to focus on in a long time."

"So you're saying that you've mastered this skill to the point where you can do it instinctively without thought?"

"Uh yeah."

"Truly, your idiocy continues to impress me."

"Hey it's not like I'm raising it that much. We're the children of gods so we're pretty tough."

"And how far does this extend?"

He shrugged, "It kinda goes where everyone goes throughout the bay as long as there aren't any animals around."

Diana blinked, "Not only can you affect large areas, but you can also do it with enough precision to follow multiple people around at the same time."

"You make it sound really impressive when you say it like that."

"I have just repeated what you can do. It is impressive."

Percy hummed, "So does that count as something I can beat you in?"

Diana smiled as they finally met up with the rest of their friends. They'd happened to settle mostly around a small sandbar. Even still, the water was up to most of their chests. Leo had to float on his back since he couldn't stand without going under whenever a wave crashed. The huntress observed as Percy was absorbed almost seamlessly into the group, joining the natural course of the conversation (which happened to be about the best type of candle). She felt a bit out of place, but that was quickly resolved as the son of the sea glanced over her way. Moments later, she could feel a small current of water around her, pulling her until she was right up beside him.

From there, it'd been smooth sailing, so to speak. Smooth swimming? Regardless, Percy had been correct about them staying out in the water for quite a while. It was quite pleasant to swim around without worry. It had been a long time since the goddess had done so, even despite the sea god's menial nature. Best to err on the side of caution in regard to the gods.

Shortly after she and Percy had joined the conversation, they'd started to swim out a bit farther. Once again, Leo had taken to harassing the sea god's child, at least until Percy launched him a clean ten feet out of the water. Needless to say, that had caused pandemonium to break out. Jason and Will had swum over swiftly to avenge their fallen friend, only to meet a similar fate with one being thrown away by a tendril of water while the other was dragged under by a large wave. At that point though, Leo had managed to regain lost ground with the help of Nico and Calypso who launched a collective assault against the personification of the sea. Piper went to help the other two leaving only Percy, who was defending himself with childish glee, and Diana who was observing their antics.

She watched as Percy willed the water around him, using it to move deftly between his assailants. Tendrils of water snaked around him, serving to block attacks while also moving him around as they would snake their way around him and pull him out of the way. It was almost like they were two separate entities at times with the water acting as a dynamic shield. Truly, it was impressive to see his mastery of water. To be able to control it while seamlessly shifting between looking like one entity and several was no small feat.

She laughed to herself as Percy yelped as three people jumped on him. They were quickly thrown off, but her small laugh had alerted the young man to her presence and she quickly found herself being pulled into their little water battle. The huntress was pushed under by a rather aggressive (and unnatural) wave. When she resurfaced, she could see him glancing over at her even as he battled with the others. Well, if that was how he was going to play it, who was she to simply stand and take it?

It was at this point that the tides (both figuratively and literally) began to turn, following their two patrons as they battled. He obviously hadn't expected the goddess to get to him so quickly and while he managed to avoid the goddess, he was quickly collapsed upon by the others. It was then that he sunk them all, himself included so that he could snake away and get some distance. Unfortunately, he surfaced only to be attacked once more by the moon goddess.

For all intents and purposes, the water seemed to be following her, though not to the extent that it did for Percy. He mainly focused on dodging, since she'd simply brushed any tendrils off or just went through them. Unlike with Ares, she seemed to have no trouble chasing him about. Instead, she looked like she was having quite a good time. And she was, which was quite unfortunate for the son of the sea. It was especially unfortunate that she had far more wit than the war god, as she had corralled him into a trap without him realizing. In his haste to get away from her, he'd been brought right into the rest of the group. Of course, they had to try to keep him subdued, but without the strength of the goddess, they could just be pushed away. It was this momentary lapse in concentration that the huntress had wanted though.

As soon as the young man had moved to deal with his other friends, the goddess made her move. As he slowed ever so slightly, she increased her own speed, leading her straight into him. He looked back at her in surprise, seeing the goddess right in front of him. He would have cursed but her arms wrapped around his upper body and she pulled him straight under, practically slamming him down. The others had seen both go down and were now waiting with bated breath while the two took their sweet time to surface. Percy glanced down at his chest, only to see the snarky grin of the goddess staring up at him.

Well, it was looking like he lost as she slowly untangled herself. He couldn't help but laugh at her amusement, a sound that carried over to her as he formed a small bubble around them so that they could speak. He slumped down a bit as she pushed herself up so that she could sit.

"Can't win anything with you, huh?" he joked lightly as let the water coalesce around him slightly as they bobbed up and down under the waves.

"You shouldn't have made it a game of catching you."

He laughed, "I'll get it next time."

The goddess rolled her eyes but he could see the playful look in her eyes easily enough, "I look forward to our next match then though you will find the outcome to be the same."

"I could definitely beat you one on one."

"You fell into my trap," Diana said lightly as the two began moving their way up toward the surface, "it would do you well to remember that I am the Huntress. It is my specialty."

They broke the surface of the water to the cheers of his friends but Percy wasn't really paying attention. Instead, he was noting the way the goddess seemed to glow in the moonlight as they resurfaced. Initially, the son of the sea didn't realize he was staring until the goddess herself snapped her fingers in front of his face. She seemed to be amused, and he thought he detected a hint of pride?

"Enjoying the view?" Diana teased him, tapping his chest.

Percy blushed heavily as he tried to find words, "You're uh… glowing?"

"I am the moon goddess. I do that," The goddess wore an amused grin as she observed the young man, "Good to see you meant what you said earlier."

The son of Poseidon shook his head, "You were the one feeling me up earlier."

"Shoot me." The goddess shrugged. Percy openly gaped for a moment, looking like a deer caught in headlights, "You would too if you could see yourself."

Percy blushed harder causing the goddess to laugh, "I'm not sure how to respond to that."

"Don't," she smiled, "Just accept it and move on."

"Aren't you supposed to be a maiden goddess?" Percy asked weakly.

"I am whatever I want to be," Diana replied easily, "Now, I think we've kept your friends waiting long enough."

She pushed him towards them a little as she herself began making her way over. Percy stood dumbfounded for a minute before shaking his head and moving to join everyone. Hell of a night he supposed.

Bit of a fun chapter today. Definitely one of the easiest and most enjoyable to write. Cannot tell you how hard it had been to not dip into this style constantly but I'm glad I did for a little bit. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it.

On to reviewers, To Icefire99, TheFiction101, and PhantomFuryJP: Always happy to hear from you guys, and even happier to hear you're enjoying. To anon516: Thanks mate, that's some crazy high praise so thank you a ton. To BoyFromAngels: have a good day as well and thanks a ton for supporting the series.

Well, hope everyone's doing well. Enjoy!