Song Rec: "Escape Plan" by Tiger's Jaw. A lovely song that I've liked for a long time. Interestingly, this is one I very strongly associate with Artemis. I know I don't show it a lot, and I don't really emphasize the turmoil of these characters as much as I used to, but these are some very important emotions that I always consider when I write them. The reason I find this one to be about Artemis is because of a sort of irrational idea that Percy still loves Annabeth. Odd, right? But there's a line that talks about wondering what life would be like if you were someone else and if that doesn't sound like something that applies here, I don't know what does. There's a reason she hasn't said anything. She's still every bit the idiot in love that doesn't know what to do with themselves. She just plays it off better than he does. And, since I'm on this, maybe I'll make this chapter a quieter, bit more somber one. I need to get it out of my system or something. Then again, I might just write something else instead. Anyway, give it a listen.

Oh! Another recommendation that I wanted to make. If you have fifteen dollars to drop on a game, I'd very strongly recommend Gris. If you've played it before, that's awesome, I'm currently playing through it. If you haven't, I very strongly recommend it. Also! Spoilers ahead! I wanted to discuss it a little since there were some very interesting things I observed that I also have tried working into my story. You've been warned.

Long-winded bullshit ahead. Skip if you're not interested in the game. It's nothing important!

So! If you're here, one part that particularly stuck out to me - likely due to its recency in terms of my playthrough - is the little cube guy that you reunite with his family or friends or whatever. I noticed that you unlock the color green and you've venturing forward with him and at some point, he joins you. And then he leaves. Rather abruptly at that. And then you begin to see more red hues again before the game shifts almost entirely to that red color once again. I just thought that was a very interesting commentary on a very human subject. Gris explores a lot of things, but I think the core idea is grief. That's not what I want to focus on though.

Importantly, the little cube guy is greenish and I think there's symbolism in that. Green, in a lot of cultures and in pop culture in general tends to symbolize healing or nature and that sort of stuff. And one of the things I noticed was that as you travel around with him, you drop little red apples as something that you share with him. That's also very interesting to me in the sense that the red, at least in my mind, symbolizes some of that grief. All of that is to say that you and the little guy bond over this shared sort of grief, adventuring along the world and exploring what there is to offer. But, at some point, he jumps through this little red bramble that only he can really get through. Without him, your character isn't actually able to get through those little brambles.

In a lot of ways, I think that's synonymous with the healing process, both in the sense that some heal faster than others, but also that some handle it very differently. The little guy seems to hop through, dealing with the bramble with no issue while you as the character rely on him to help you through. Are we seeing a parallel between that and this story here yet? Anyway, I think it speaks on a few things.

First and foremost, or what came to mind first for me anyway, was that in this shared grief, you create new relationships on this common ground of shared experience. It works well for both of you hopefully, but it doesn't always. Sometimes, the person you come to depend on or sort of cling on to doesn't always do the same. You're not necessarily the same crutch that you may be treating that person as if that makes sense. And so, when they leave or have other things outside of you, or you see them being able to be happy, you get frustrated, maybe angry. Why can't you do that? Or why can't they be miserable with you. This story's iteration of Annabeth, anyone?

Focusing on the story of the game again though, there's that point in the game where you reunite the little guy with his family, and they're all sorts of broken and they're different shapes, but they're all green. They've healed and have sort of moved on in a sense. And once you get the little guy there, he stays. And then your character goes through that initial cycle of anger and grief again because you're alone once more. One of the reasons I think the little cube guy is so interesting is because you as the character also develop the ability to turn into a cube. You get that skill, then you meet the little guy, and then you befriend one another. You're both similar in the idea that you share the little pieces of trauma with each other, and that you're both cubic characters.

I think that's one of the reasons that you take it so hard when he leaves. As soon as you step foot away from him, you begin to see more of those red hues before eventually your entire screen turns red again as you relapse into that space you were in before you met. Synonymous with Percy perhaps? Anyway, there's more to be said but maybe I'll make a discord server or something if anyone wants to read me yap about it. No need to put it here. Let me know what you think!

The goddess had to stifle a laugh as she saw Percy's face steadily redden, and she finally couldn't hold it once they'd stepped foot out of the store. One of the girls they'd made their way past had made a comment to him, and he'd only been able to stutter before looking away in embarrassment. Now, Diana hadn't actually heard what had been said because she was too busy trying not to burst out laughing, but Percy had looked like he was ready to die on the spot.

"You're the worst," Percy grumbled.

"You love me," Diana shot back, opening the car door for him so that he could set everything down.

"You make it really hard sometimes, you know?" He couldn't exactly deny that after all.

"Does it change anything?"

"Never."

Diana laughed, leaning easily on the bed as she watched him slowly store everything. It was calming to watch him work. Percy was methodical in finding a spot for everything, lining up things so they fit snugly. One of the more mundane things in life, watching someone you loved, but worth it all the same. Percy glanced up, making eye contact as he straightened up to look around in the bag.

"What?" Percy asked curiously as he clearly noticed her watching him.

"Nothing," Diana smiled, watching as his face morphed from confusion to acceptance before he went back to what he was doing. They weren't there for much longer than a minute, but the time wasn't important. Truthfully, she wouldn't have minded watching him for the next hour if it meant they were in each other's presence.

"Do you think I could interest you in camping out on the beach tonight?" Percy asked suddenly, looking up towards his companion.

"I think you could."

"That's good," Percy chuckled, "I'd hate to have to sleep outside alone."

"I imagine there won't be a lot of sleeping done, truthfully."

"We're not exactly shining examples of the whole "six to eight hours of sleep" thing are we?"

"Not at all," Diana laughed softly, already expecting the slight innuendo to go over his head, "Though I can't recommend it to everyone."

"I can barely get away with recommending it to myself," Percy joked as he finished putting everything away, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah."

Dinner was an easy affair. It hadn't taken them long to both get home and prepare for everything, and it'd taken them even less time to actually make it. And so, they found themselves sitting across from one another at the table, speaking as easily as they ever did. Truthfully, they'd probably spent longer talking than they actually had anything else. It wasn't like they'd made a small amount of food either. Even after two plates for Percy and three for Diana, they'd had more than enough to store away. It was easy to make in large quantities after all and they'd accidentally gotten way more than they needed in their zeal, so they'd ended up just using all of it.

Still, it'd been a blast making it all. Diana had insisted on helping, even as Percy tried to block her. He didn't have much luck though as she just shoved him out of the way and set about working. Percy had grumbled for a second, but the goddess could see he was only joking as he quickly joined her.

"You know," Diana leaned her face against her hand as they spoke, "You might have an easier time if you just stopped arguing."

"Never," Percy laughed, setting his glass down near the sink, "Where's the fun in that?"

"Fun?" Diana smiled contently from the table, watching as he cleaned a few of the dishes they'd used, "Perhaps it wouldn't be as fun. But certainly more peaceful."

"Can't argue that but I think I need a bit of chaos in my life."

"Am I not enough?" Diana asked teasingly.

Percy glanced up again, "Believe me when I say you're more than enough."

The goddess laughed as she stood up to join him at the sink, quickly silencing his protests by turning up the music so that she couldn't hear him complain. It was cute, watching as he huffed before going back to scrubbing the dish in his hand. Still, she'd gotten up for a reason. If she wanted to watch him, she'd have just sat at the table. While enjoyable, she found that being next to him and working, even despite his protests, was far more fulfilling. Something about the mundane, domestic task scratched a certain itch in her and Diana certainly wasn't going to complain.

Percy didn't seem to mind either as he bounced around on his feet to the beat of the music, trying to dance even as he cleaned. So what if a bit of water splashed on them or if a little soap was wasted? This was living. Sure, Diana wasn't exactly sure how many people would consider a basic household chore "living", but she did. It was a welcomed change in her life. Likely in his as well. Sure, they weren't free of any of their responsibilities, and they still had things to worry about, but in this moment, things were peaceful. What more could they really ask for?

Peace, for a good many years, had been a rarity. Even after the two wars, there were things to do. Camps had to be rebuilt, people had to be buried, and gods had to be checked. And that wasn't even mentioning the amount of monsters. All the ones that hadn't been killed hadn't just wandered off into the sunset. No. Diana, or rather Artemis, had taken the lead on those efforts. It'd actually brought both Percy and Artemis together more often as he was one of the few demigods to volunteer to throw himself in front of the enemy again.

Sure, plenty of campers and legionnaires had done the same, but Percy had always been the most consistent. Actually, he'd only missed one total expedition to hunt monsters because he'd been tasked with hunting something else. Still, he'd traveled with the hunt more than any of the other demigods had. And, he was one of the few that actually interacted with them.

That'd been something particularly striking to the goddess. Percy had, upon receiving permission, simply joined in on whatever the hunters happened to be doing so long as it wasn't archery. Maybe his friendship with Thalia had helped him in that regard.

"You alright there?" Percy's voice broke her out of her reminiscing, "You looked a little lost."

"Just thinking," Diana replied easily.

"Oh, care to share?"

The goddess smiled as he handed her a wet dish, "Just about the time after the giant war."

"Oh," Percy went a little quiet at that, "The good or the bad?"

"I was thinking about you actually."

"Why's that?"

"You're interesting. It's strange to see how much you've changed over the years."

"Am I that different?"

"Very much so," Diana smiled, "And before you even begin to ask, no, it's not in a bad way."

Percy smiled a little, "Since you beat me to my first question, can I ask you a different one?"

"If I get to ask you one," Diana returned his smile.

"Why did you help me out that night? I know you said it's just what you'd do for someone, but after getting to know you better, I'm almost certain there was more to it than that."

Diana hadn't quite been expecting that, but she didn't mind answering at all, "Truthfully? You were interesting."

"What do you mean?"

"It's difficult to put into words," Diana explained, "But I think part of it was that you did things others didn't. And, through the various times we interacted before, it seemed like you could use the help."

"No kidding," Percy let out a quick breath.

"But first and foremost, you were interesting to me. At the risk of sounding superficial, I wanted to see how deep that ran in you. The first thing that struck me when I met you was that you were moralistic, and very strongly so at that. You had no issue standing up to me when you thought I wasn't doing the right thing, even despite knowing who I was. And despite that, you were polite, but not in a fake sense. If anything, it felt like I had to earn your respect before you actually opened up. And as odd as other people may have found it, I respected that a lot. Like we've discussed before, many just cow before the gods. With you, it felt like you'd be cordial until you made up your mind about someone. I'd much rather someone stand their ground than just say something to make me happy.

And, on a very similar note, I watched you stand up to those immeasurably more powerful than yourself. My father, Atlas, and later Saturn and Gaia."

Percy made a face at that, "There wasn't anything special about that."

"There certainly was," Diana countered, "and I don't say that because of the feats themselves. I say it because of your character. Demigods, like the gods, are very prideful creatures. And you demonstrate a lack of such pride, at times to a fault. And that was very odd to me at the time. Even now, I find it strange at times, but I've grown accustomed to it. Let's say things how they are. You are the single most powerful demigod of your time, but you don't act like it. You act as if you're no big deal."

"I want to disagree with that," Percy looked down at the sink again as they continued to work, "But I feel like you're going to smack me if I do."

"Damn right," Diana nodded, "You are a big deal, and that's why your actions are so interesting. I know you well enough to confidently say that you'd rather go unnoticed in a room than be the center of attention."

"And while I completely agree with that," Percy chuckled, handing her the last dish before going to clean the sink, "I think it's also a very privileged way of looking at it. I only feel that way because I've experienced that. I think all sorts of people have wanted their moment in the spotlight, and there's nothing wrong with that. The only reason I can reflect on not wanting it is because I've been blessed with it, if that makes sense. I've had the privilege of experiencing being the center of attention. Someone who's never had that would probably feel the exact opposite of me. I know plenty of demigods who would have killed to be in my situation."

"I don't disagree with that," Diana's voice was thoughtful, "But at the same time, I think it also speaks of your character. Many people would kill for that, and I think that's also an important point. Many, many people want what you have and very strongly so at that. There's a reason for it."

"And there are plenty more reasons why they wouldn't like it when they realize what it's like."

"I can agree and disagree with that," Diana started moving the cast iron grates away from the stove so that they could clean it, "One of the reasons you don't like it is because of all the losses, big and small. You mourn for those you've never met. Most in your situation wouldn't think twice about those things."

"I don't think that's true."

Diana wasn't sure she agreed, "Perhaps I am jaded by my time, but I can recall countless times great heroes showed who they really were after accomplishing great feats. Whether that is because the bad stand out more than the good is up for debate, but I think most of those who were around would agree."

"That's a good point," Percy chuckled at that, "Sometimes I forget we're not the same age."

Diana laughed, "We're only a few thousand years off."

"Yeah no big deal," Percy grinned, grabbing a sponge, "What should we do after we finish up?"

"Not sure," Diana shrugged, glancing out the window, "Would you like to spend some time outside? I know we mentioned it earlier, but we didn't exactly discuss plans."

"Yeah that sounds great," Percy smiled softly at the thought, "What did you have in mind?"

"Perhaps a fire?"

"Like when we first met?" Percy asked, "I like that. Are we going in the water this time too?"

"I imagine I'll somehow be roped into joining you," Diana teased, knocking his shoulder.

"You know me so well," Percy laughed, "Guess we should probably change and everything. I'm not exactly eager to get sand in my clothes."

"And yet you live on a beach."

"Would you turn real-estate like this down?"

"I cannot say that I would," Diana chuckled.

"Exactly! Plus, I couldn't really turn it down because it was a gift. Not that I would have, but you know. Worth considering."

Diana smiled as Percy made little finger guns at her. They'd mostly finished around the kitchen, and all that was really left was for the two of them to throw out the trash can. That could wait though. They had far more pressing matters to deal with, and as such, Percy found himself being grabbed and dragged towards his room.

"Something up?" Percy asked curiously, following the goddess along into his room, "You seem eager?"

"I am," The goddess chirped. After all, who wouldn't be at the thought of spending a night stargazing and swimming with someone they loved? Still, she couldn't exactly say that.

"What for?"

"I just like our idea, and the sooner we get to it, the more time we have."

Percy chuckled, "I'll change in the other room then. Would you like for me to start a fire while you grab whatever else you think we might need?"

Diana didn't mind the sound of that at all, ushering the young man out of the room so that she could change. Percy, meanwhile, just smiled as he heard the door gently click behind him, shaking his head softly before making his way into the guest room. Thankfully, there was a pair of swimming trunks in all three of the bedrooms, hidden away somewhere just in case he needed them. It was an easy task for him to change. The more time-consuming part of the night was going to be starting up the fire. Figuring that it would be easier to start sooner, he quickly made his way out of the room and towards the door. There should be plenty of firewood still ready for use so that wouldn't be an issue.

Oh. Actually.

He realized that he'd forgotten his lighter on his nightstand. Huh. Kinda hard to start a fire without anything to light it with. Still, that was a simple enough fix as he doubled back to his room. It seemed that the goddess was done changing as the door was cracked open. Still, he made sure to knock softly just in case. Of course, the goddess invited him almost as soon as she heard him. The son of the sea wasn't all that surprised to see the goddess practically bouncing around his room.

Percy leaned idly against the door jam with his arms crossed. She'd taken to gathering various items for their little camp out on the beach, grabbing towels she liked as well a few blankets. If they were going to have a fire, there might not be any need for them, but they'd probably end up staying out longer than they intended to.

"Aren't you supposed to be starting the fire?" Diana asked teasingly, looking back over her shoulder at him.

Percy smiled tiredly, letting his head lean against the frame, "Left my lighter in here. Then I got distracted."

The goddess paused for a second but he couldn't see it, "Oh?"

Percy blinked, realizing that he'd spoken without thinking. Oh well. Too late now, "You just look like you're having fun."

"And you," the goddess set a few things on the bed before turning and walking over to tap him on the nose, "look very attractive when you do that."

Percy blushed as she continued on, acting as if she hadn't made his mind to go blank for several seconds, "Do what?"

Diana laughed as Percy fumbled over his words before responding, "Everything really."

Now, there were two things Percy was great at. Fighting, and downplaying himself, so he had no trouble responding to that, "I'm not that attractive. You're making me sound like I'm crazy hot or something."

Diana smirked. She was indeed saying that, "You turn heads. You saw those girls at the store."

"They were just being friendly," Percy rubbed his arm a little, clearly knowing this was a losing battle.

The goddess laughed, "Right. And I'm a celibate goddess with no interest in a romantic partner of any sort. Of course they were being friendly. They wanted to get to know you."

"But I'm too old for them."

"First off, you're twenty-two. Second off, some people like the idea of an older guy," Diana said, quite amused by Percy's discomfort, "Face it. You're attractive."

"But I'm not as attractive as you say I am," Percy countered.

Diana rolled her eyes, "Do you think I'm attractive?"

"What?" Percy asked, confused by the sudden question.

"Do you think I'm attractive?"

"Very much so, yes," Percy rubbed the back of his neck, "why?"

"Because I don't think I'm attractive all the time."

"That's stupid."

Diana smirked as Percy realized what he said, "Exactly my point. So, accept that you're practically a god on earth and say "thank you" to me."

"Wha- I can't do that. That's-" Percy was cut off by the goddess grabbing his face and forcing him to look down at her.

"What did I want to hear?" Diana asked, clearly teasing him.

"Thank you," Percy's face was flushed red, eyes going anywhere other than the goddess.

"Good boy," the goddess hummed, letting go as she went back towards the bed, "Was that so hard?"

Percy's beating heart informed him that it was, in fact, very hard. Gods, he could have sworn he'd stopped breathing for a little bit.

Diana, meanwhile, was laughing to herself. Now if only he could understand what she was trying to do, that would be a miracle. If he didn't catch the hints soon, she was going to have to do something drastic. Both she and Artemis were very strongly considering just taking his mother's advice. Less need to speak that way and mess it all up.

Then again, she wasn't exactly eager to mess up their already amazing relationship. Oh well. One of these days, the goddess was certain she was going to have a lapse in judgment regarding the man. Then again, she stole a glance at the man, watching as he stood there, maybe she'd just mess up the whole impulse control thing. It was getting harder and harder by the day.

"What's got you thinking so hard?"

Diana was quickly, and quite effectively, snapped out of her thoughts, "I'm trying to think of what we need. Why don't you come in and help me?"

"Sure!" Percy chirped, making his way over to her, "What do you need me to do?"

"Depends on how well you're going to follow instructions," Diana snickered, "think you can stay focused long enough to bring these blankets outside?"

"Nope," Percy said honestly, "but I'll do my best."

"I guess I can't ask for much more than that. Sit here until I'm done and we'll take everything out at once."

"Sounds good to me," Percy chuckled, "can you toss me my lighter while you're over by the nightstand?"

The goddess did so, easily snagging said item and tossing it to him in one fluid motion before going back to her previous task. Percy snatched the item out of the air, deposited it in his pocket, and then went and sat on the bed so that he could watch the goddess move around.

"I do feel the need to point out that I'm not doing anything right now and feel kinda bad just sitting here watching you."

"Don't," Diana shook her head, briefly looking over her shoulder, "I know you'd help if I let you, but your company is more than enough."

She tossed him a small bundle that looked to be a pair of sweatpants as she spoke again, "Besides, I'm going to be the one sitting around watching you tend to the fire so I think we're about even."

Percy laughed, "I guess that's a pretty good point. Should I set up the fire before or after we swim?"

Diana looked thoughtful before responding, "You're always a proponent of swimming later in the night so why don't we sit around the fire for a bit before getting in."

"I like the sound of that," Percy said, scratching his cheek idly, "I'm feeling pretty lazy actually so that sounds perfect."

"You? Lazy?"

"Uh yeah. You weren't there for the conversation with your huntress, Aryl I think it was, but being lazy can be quite nice from time to time."

"Are you trying to infect my huntress with such thoughts?"

"The opposite actually," Percy chuckled, "she's got too much talent to be lazy. I told her that much."

Diana hummed absentmindedly, "Did you like teaching them?"

"Yeah, it was fun," Percy said, recalling having a similar conversation with Artemis, "Why do you ask?"

"You seem like you'd enjoy teaching."

"I do."

"Have you considered doing it full time?"

"Like for your hunters?" Percy asked, "if you're asking me to, I will."

"I mean for all of the demigods," Diana explained, "it seems like it'd be a good fit for you."

"Yeah maybe. Maybe I could take over for Dionysus when I become a god. Honestly though, I've been avoiding thinking about it."

"Still nervous?"

"Among other things," Percy clicked his tongue, "I feel like there's a lot I could mess up if I'm not careful. Like you know how people can die if they see your divine form or whatever? What if I do it accidentally and someone burns up?"

"Don't think about it too much," Diana said soothingly, "I'll teach you everything you need to know."

"Yeah but what if I'm no good at it?"

"Then you're not," she shrugged, "you'll put in the work to be good at it and that's that."

"But what if someone ends up getting hurt?"

"Don't live like that, Perseus. You can only control so much. Don't stress over it now when you've yet to even ascend. You've got a while before you do have to worry about it."

"Hope so," Percy sighed, "never know with how my life goes "

"True enough," Diana agreed before dragging him up so they could go outside, "let's think about the fun stuff though. What do you think your domains will be?"

"Something water related is a given I think, but other than that, I've got no idea."

"Maybe you could be a god of swords or something."

"That'd be fun. I was joking with my dad that I felt like a god of weapons with how many I carry around at any given time."

The goddess laughed at that, "that's a good point. Swords at the very least."

"Yeah those are basically the only things I could think of honestly," Percy grinned as they stepped out onto the beach, "you think I could make it with just those?"

Diana laughed, "Definitely not. The fates are certainly going to give you more than that. You're far too strong, even as a demigod. If that doesn't translate into godhood, then I think we could conclude that the universe itself hates you."

"Oh yippee," Percy said sarcastically, "just what I wanted to hear."

"Lovely," Diana said, using a bit of godly energy to open the door since both of their hands were full, "I'm happy to keep teasing you, unless you want to change the subject."

"I do actually," Percy grinned, "what do you think my sacred animal should be?"

"Dog," Diana answered instantly.

"Hmm. I was actually thinking that mine could be fish honestly but I like the sound of a dog better. Maybe horses too since I can talk to them and they're sacred to my dad."

"Perseus, please don't choose "fish" as your sacred animal, at least for my sake," Diana looked at him, looking surprisingly serious, "choose a type of a fish or something else. Specificity is good. Horses are a good option though but if I had to suggest something, I'd say either the hunting dog like me, or perhaps something like an osprey."

"Oh those are cool," Percy agreed, dumping the items in his arms directly into the sand, "I'm going to steal that. And how can I have hunting dogs if you also do?"

"A few of the gods hold dogs to be sacred. Ares and Hephaestus both value the war dog and guard dog respectively and I'm not sure "fishing dog" is a normal archetype."

"There could be though!" Percy grinned wildly as he bent down to lay out a few blankets, "Just imagine a little puppy with a fishing pole sitting in front of a river."

"Sometimes I worry about you," Diana shook her head in amusement, "but that does sound rather adorable."

"Hey! I don't have the benefit of choosing a dog that hunts like you can. What would my sacred dog even do? Cause earthquakes?"

"Hence why I said hunting dogs, Percy," Diana giggled, "fishing is a form of hunting after all, and there are plenty of wolves that have learned to catch fish."

"Are you really willing to share that with me?"

"So long as I get to teach you to hunt," the goddess shrugged, "I think it's a fair trade."

"Can't argue with that. I have been getting better with a bow so I don't have that excuse anymore."

The goddess grinned at him, "finally able to shoot it in front of you, huh?"

"Most of the time," Percy sounded proud, "doing pretty well for myself I'd say."

Diana laughed at that, "and where are you on that fire?"

"Oh good point," Percy said, looking up towards the wood pile outside, "I'll be right back."

And he was after grabbing an arm load of wood. It wasn't the driest ever, but that was hardly a problem for him as he just pulled the water out of it. After arranging a bottom layer of the thickest pieces in a sort of square base, he went back through and split a few other left pieces with his knife and layered them so that the smallest bits and kindling were at the top. It sort of looked like a little pyramid actually. Percy was pretty sure it was called an upside down fire or something. He'd made it pretty big too so chances are it'd stay lit for most of the night.

"Did Thalia teach you that one?" Diana's voice cut him out of his thoughts, "it looks good."

"Uh I think it was Annabeth, actually," Percy rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"No matter," the goddess's voice carried an easy tone, "you've set it up as well as any of my hunters."

"It's just stacking wood, isn't it?"

Diana laughed, "Sure, sure I suppose it is. Still, it's not knowledge that everyone possesses."

Percy shrugged, "True enough I guess. I've got a lot of random shit like that stored away in case I ever need to use it."

"Like what?"

"Calligraphy, for one," Percy explained, "oh and how to make blankets without needing to sew anything. That was a really weird one."

"It seems that there is a story there?"

"Oh well," Percy made a weird face, "Would it interest you to know that I learned how to from a parrot that spoke surprisingly good French?"

Hey sorry it's been a while. Ended up doing some impromptu travelling. Anyway, I enjoyed writing this chapter. The next chapter will be a continuation of this before I send them back off on the road to have some fun. I've got a few ideas for what I want to do with them but if there's anything you think would be cool, let me know. It's always cool to see what you guys think. Oh! Also, nearly at 600 reviews and coming up on 1.4 thousand follows. That's crazy by the way. Also forgot we passed 200k words like two chapters ago! So thank you all to those of you who read and enjoy this. It means the world to me! Anyway, on to the fun stuff.
To IsItReallyTho: Love hearing from you so not wasted. I don't plan on abandoning. Got too many ideas to get out. To OkBoomer147: Thanks! Love to hear you enjoyed! To mastercheif1229: Thanks! It'll be a continuation of this little hangout. To Hippie Painter: Glad you think so! Humor hasn't ever been my strong point, but I figured I'd try with this story. To TomorrowCarpe Diem: Truly poor Percy. Not for much longer though! And I'm going to throw in another Apollo scene relatively soon so that'll be fun. To tieflin: Glad to hear you liked them! I love listening to all sorts of music so if you ever have any recs, let me know. And thank you for reviewing! It really does make me happy to read them so huge thanks to you! To HellRaiderS: New chapters up! To sushiman57: Not much longer now! Really can't wait. Got some fun stuff planned for it. To brockjr271: Ah see I agree with that, but I mentioned that to juxtapose it with Artemis. To make someone like Percy look like a heavy footed child is impressive, and really only goes to show how nimble and graceful she is instead. I know he's not heavy footed especially as a swordsman, so it was really just to show how good Artemis is. To kikinder: Love hearing from you as always mate. Wing person inbound but you didn't hear it from me. I've got two little things planned for that actually. To iNeptune: Glad to hear it! Love writing this so it makes me happy to know people enjoy reading it! Top cold-as-ice22: Haha thank you. I'm awful at taking compliements, but thank you so much!. And how could I not praise it? I mean, it's got a super interesting style and your writing ability just makes it super fun to read. It's definitely one of those stories that I see inspiring other writers to branch out and try other things. Lovely work, and thank you again! To TakeYoCookie: Done mate. I think I'll have to do the same because that sounds like a great time. To Aimlessamo: Agreed! And definitely. And I've got some plans for those mundane things actually and I can't wait to actually get there! To Cmonty17: Thanks mate! Love to hear you enjoyed! To yeetman69: yeah haha. I didn't know at the time. To Jackson2bears: Awesome! And thank you so much! I don't think I deserve that praise, but it does mean a lot to me! To TacoGoesBah: Ah thanks! I'm so happy to hear that you're enjoying it! A lot of this story stemmed from me wanting to read certain things and not being able to find them. So, naturally, I just tried to write my own. And I'm really glad to hear that the characterizations come off well since that's really the driving factor. There isn't much story after all so the characters have to work really well. And thank you for reviewing! Means the world to me! To : I thought about doing that. I might still, but I think I've got an idea of how I want to go down. It won't be long now! To Ali3317: Thanks! Love to hear that. To waffleeaterroof: That's huge praise, but thank you so, so much! It makes me really happy to hear that you're enjoying that much. To BlueberryApollyon: Thank you! That's praise I'm not sure I deserve, but really, I do appreciate it so much. It inspires me to keep writing, and it really just makes me feel good even if I'm not sure it fits. Thank you again! I really enjoy writing this story as an exploration of a side I feel isn't really covered in some fics. Anyway, hope you continue to enjoy! To Akhil Saju: Thank you! I really love her character since she's got this super fun blend of snarky wit and super intense care. Tons of fun to write and super happy to hear you like it! To MiseryWolf97: Ah thank you! And no spoilers but I do have some fun things planned in the future! Thank you again though! To ChelseaFCBlues: Then I love to hear you're enjoying something outside of your normal! And thank you for giving this a chance! It means a lot to me!

Alright, well until next chapter. Shouldn't be too long but you never know with me. Anyway! Enjoy and let me know what you think!