"Sinite!" A bust of a statue came alive in front of Percy as he tried to walk into Rome. The bust then promptly started yelling at Percy in Latin. Luckily, the road was fairly noisy and only two or three people turned to look who was yelling so Percy ducked behind the nearest building- an inn of some kind. He pulled the bust with him, using his body to hide the it from the road.

"Can you tone it down? What are you even mad about?" Percy asked in Greek, hoping the godly statue could understand him.

"Greacus?" The statue made a face of disgust.

"At least I have legs," Percy hissed.

"I cannot allow you to enter, Greacus," the bust declared. Loudly. At least he was speaking Greek.

"How are you planning to stop me? You can't exactly physically hold me back. You have no arms."

"How dare you? You insolate Greacus brat!"

"You're the one who started yelling at me! Why can't I enter Rome? Are Greeks not allowed? That's racist man."

"I have no idea what 'racist' is, but if it means I don't like Greeks then you are absolutely correct!"

"Wow."

"But no, unfortunately I cannot stop filthy Greacus from entering my city, but I will not allow those with godly blood to enter with weapons. That is absolutely not allowed. You must leave your weapons here."

Percy stared at the stone face. He was tempted to punch it. 'Do the smart thing Percy', Percy tells himself, 'try not to piss of gods on your first day. Pissing off gods is a day 2 activity at the earliest'. He is trying to be a normal Roman boy. Rude magic statues are not helping.

"Ok. I am happy to leave my weapon. Here you go. Have fun with this," Percy smiles and places his bronze quill on the statue's head knowing full well that Riptide will return to his pocket within minutes. "What was your name again?"

"I am the god Terminus! How can you not know that I guard the city? What is your name Boy?"

"I am Nobody," Percy responds, saying the word "Nobody" in English.

"Well, Nobody, you better not cause any trouble in my city!"

"I'll be on my best behavior despite being a gross Greek Demigod."

"Do your best Greacus. I don't tolerate ruckus in my city!"

"Me? Ruckus? Never." Percy grinned as he ducked out of the alleyway and back onto the main road into Rome.

.

He is in the city of Rome! Ancient Rome! Poets and historians will write about this place for thousands of years. After spending the morning exploring Percy makes up his mind about the city.

Eh. It was ok.

Percy should probably be more impressed by the city than he is. It's old. Old places didn't have modern technology to build stuff. They just had horses and slavery. Cranes can lift way more than horses and slavery. Also, cranes are less of an afront to ethics and basic human dignity and stuff. Still, to a boy born and raised in New York City, ancient Rome was okay at best. The "largest and most impressive city in the world" (according to Gaius) was about one third the size of Queens and one third the population too. Percy was able to jog around the entire city in about an hour and a half.

While some of the buildings were made of marble, most were apartment buildings no taller than five stories high made of brick and concrete. Many buildings had plaster that was crumbling off the walls. Most of these apartment buildings had graffiti on the side of the wall as well. Lots of penises. Romans apparently really liked penises.

There were a bunch of statues; Percy recognized some of the statues as people that might be the gods if you took a step back and squinted. There was a statue that was probably Apollo near the library holding his lyre and a scroll. There was also a small temple to his father behind a big racetrack. It was a small room that seemed far more interested in his father's connection to horses than the ocean. They called his father "Neptune". Lots of paintings of horses. It almost seemed like the kind of place people would come to pray for their favorite horse winning in horse races. Was his father the god of gambling on horse races? Percy wasn't entirely sure how he felt about this horse shrine, but it was better than nothing. He bought some olive oil from a nearby vendor and used it to refill the empty oil lanterns in the temple and lite them.

The baths and fountains were cool though. There were several public baths in Rome including one called the Baths of Nero that were near the center of Rome across from the pantheon. The pantheon also had a carving of his dad in it. The baths were a public place that were a mix between a park and a YMCA. If your local YMCA had millions of dollars to spend on making everything out of marble and replacing encouraging workout posters with bronze statues. So many statues. Was that a statue of Aphrodite? Percy squinted. Yeah probably.

Percy makes a list of things he wants to do:

1) Eat food.

2) Find Gaius and Marcella, let them know he's in Rome.

3) Do not think about causing volcanic explosions and the dead bodies he literally stepped over in Herculaneum. Do not think about it.

4) Figure out what he wants to do with his life now that he is no longer bound by the dual forces of godly prophecy and the New York State education system.

5) Get a job?

Percy had sold some crabs in the market square of the town at the mouth of the Tiber River, so he had some silver coins to spend on stuff. Luckily

Rome has lots of places to eat. There were many eateries, bars and food carts throughout the city.

Percy walks through the busy streets of Rome until he hears a pair of young men in their early twenties speaking Greek at a café. Percy entered the café and walked up to the bar. There were large ceramic pots placed inside a concrete countertop. The ceramic pots were filled with soups and stews and there were many loaves of bread on a shelf behind the friendly barmaid. The barmaid did not speak Greek, but Percy pointed to food and handed over some coin and it seemed to work out. By the way the barmaid smiled Percy assumed he had massively overpaid, but it's not like Percy was saving the money for anything. If worst comes to worst, he can just sleep at the bottom of the river for a while as he tries to understand ancient economics and get a job other than crab fishing.

"Hello, I couldn't help but overhear you discussing philosophy in Greek. I have an interest myself; would you mind if I joined you?" Percy is very cool and has great not-awkward-at-all social skills, thank you. No need to investigate further.

The two Greek-speaking Romans look up. One looks annoyed, the other excited. 50/50 isn't bad. "A young philosopher!" The excited man exclaimed, "We would love to have a new mind join us, wouldn't we Tacitus?"

"… Sure."

"My name's Perseus, what's yours?"

"My name is Titus Aurelius Fulvus. Now before we get to know each other any more, I must first know what your definition of good and evil are."

"….What?"

"Have you not heard the teachings of the philosopher Epictetus? One can learn a lot about a man by his definition of good and evil. Go on, young philosopher, gives us your definitions."

"Uhhh… This bread is pretty good."

"So you believe the pleasures of the flesh to be the very definition of goodness? You believe the pleasure of eating food surpasses the wholeness of one's soul?" Titus Aurelius Fulvus asked.

"Leave the poor kid be, Aurelius, he does not need to endure your unending philosophizing," Tacitus said, but he said it with a small smile as if he was used to his friend's questions.

"Ok, I have a better definition of good: my mom. She's pretty amazing and puts up with a lot of shit to protect me. My definition of evil? My grandpa. Not a great guy," Percy said.

Aurelius laughed even though Percy was being pretty serious, actually. Then he launched into a twenty-minute speech about what makes a soul good or evil. He used a lot of big words but Percy wasn't convinced he was actually saying much of substance. Something about not letting the world affect your soul by never having emotions or something. At some point Percy looked over at the quieter friend Tacitus who shook his head a bit with a wan smile. After finishing his food Aurelius excused himself, patting Percy on the shoulder while telling him about where young philosophers would meet every month to discuss philosophy (and drink), before running off with a wave.

"He likes to talk a lot, doesn't he?" Percy asked.

Tacitus huffed a laugh before responding in Latin. Percy ate more of his soup in silence.

"You're not a philosopher, are you?"

"No, I'm just Greek. I can't speak Latin."

Surprisingly, Tacitus burst out laughing. "Greek! Thank the gods! I was worried I would have to put up with more philosophers."

"A fate worse than death," Percy agreed. Tacitus laughed and started a calmer conversation. They talked about how Percy was a fisherman ("crabs, mostly"), and how Tacitus was studying law and wanted to start a career in politics.

"Politics? On purpose? Why? That sounds awful."

Tacitus laughs and turns the subject to their food, how loud the merchants are, and some of the best places in Rome that Percy needs to visit.

Finally, Percy pulls out the paper Marcella had given him. "By the way Tacitus, do you know where a man named… Gaius Plinius Celer lives?" Percy asks.

Tacitus looks surprised and mildly alarmed, "You can read? No, more importantly, are you not too young for a wealthy man to… call upon you in such a way? What would your father think? Your grandfather?"

Percy shrugs, "Plinius didn't call upon me, his daughter Marcella did."

This seems to be the wrong thing to say because Tacitus pulls away in disgust. "I should warn you, Perseus, I am not the only one in Rome who speaks Greek. If you are not more discreet about your… indiscretions… you would bring ruin upon your lover's name. I am also not one to aid in such illicit liaisons."

"What?" Percy asked, horrified, "Marcella is not my lover. Gross. I'm friends with her son Gaius. The three of us walked through the ashes of Pompeii together. Marcella told me her father would welcome me as a guest if I was ever in Rome. And before you ask, I'm not sleeping with Gaius either."

"You survived the explosion of Mount Vesuvius? I'm sorry Perseus, I did not realize you… I apologize for my assumptions. Did your parents…?"

Percy shrugged and looked away.

"Do you have family in Rome then?"

Percy stood up, "Look, if you don't know where this Plinius Celer lives I can find him myself."

"No, no, I know where he lives. He is a prominent Equestrian, his son is known as one of the smartest men in all of Rome," Tacitus said, "His Domus is on the Via Julia. Come, I will lead you to him."

Tacitus walked with him through the winding roads of Rome until they were not too far from the Tiber River on a one-way street on a bit of a slope. Tacitus tried to carefully continue their conversation and Percy attempts to keep the conversation going but things are awkward now. It's hard to be casual after someone accuses you of sleeping with an old man and his daughter and then reminding you that your mom is non-existent.

The Plinius Domus was a two-story stone house nestled between two three-story apartment complexes. A doorman standing at the entrance looks Percy up and down with a judgmental look before turning to Tacitus. Apparently, Percy is too poor to talk to.

The doorman goes into the house and soon enough a familiar voice comes from within. "Perseus!" Gaius bursts from the door. He looks a lot better than he did in Gaeta; his hair is washed, his hands are free of dirt and sand, his tunic is a bright red with patterns on the bottom, and he's wearing gold armbands. Percy had noticed that men wore more jewelry in ancient Rome than they did in modern times.

Tacitus seems to relax as Gaius welcomes them inside warmly. Perhaps a part of him still thought Percy was there to sleep with Gaius's grandpa and steal from the family. Tacitus introduces himself to Gaius as Percy looks around. The entrance hall (?) had doors to the left and right, a large hole in the ceiling with a tiled and well-maintained ancle-deep pool of rainwater beneath it. Beyond the entrance hall was a garden courtyard where Percy could see grass, flowers and a fountain. Everything is either tiled or painted. Plants, birds and animals cover the walls. Half-naked men and woman that could be gods if Percy squints are among the scenes. Most noticeably, however, was the nerdy middle-aged man sitting in the well-maintained pool under the ceiling hole. He looked too young to be Gaius' grandpa. A cousin or uncle maybe?

"Hello, I am Percy, a friend of Gaius," Percy said to the man in the water. The man didn't respond. "Are you a relative of Gaius? Why are you in the water?" At this the man looks up at Percy.

The man then looks behind himself before pointing at his own face in the universal gesture for "Wait were you talking to me?" Percy raises his eyebrows, amused, and nods.

"You can see me?" The man asks, and Percy belatedly realized that the man was slightly translucent. He was talking to a ghost. Whoops.

"No, I can't," Percy says, then glances behind himself to Tacitus and Gaius. They are both looking at him. So much for subtle. Tacitus looks concerned, Gaius looks excited.

"Wait," the ghost says, "Can you tell Plinius the younger that it is the maid Camilla who is stealing the bronze spoons? I have been trying to have her caught in the act but it is so difficult to organize. Also, tell the family that the latch on the kitchen window is loose and anyone could break in with a little bit of force and steal our copper pots! We can't have that happening! Not after all the tragedy that has befallen the family already."

Percy is not convinced that stealing copper pots is quite on the same level of tragedy as the explosion of Mount Vesuvius and the death of Gaius's uncle, but he holds his tongue because no one else can see the ghost and Percy doesn't want to be labeled as that crazy guy talking to pools of water. The ghost seems harmless enough anyway.

"It was nice to meet you Tacitus, and thank you for bringing Perseus to our Domus," Gaius says, dismissing the man and politely showing him the door. "Perseus, I will show you to your rooms. My mother had a room prepared for you, in case you did come to Rome," Gaius says excitedly.

Tacitus grabbed Gaius' arm in the doorway and pulled him aside, whispering in Latin. Percy assumes he's asking Gaius if he's sure it's safe for him to be home alone with this crazy Greek homeless kid. Which is fair. Gaius seems to be able to convince Tacitus that Percy isn't a murderous hobo and chats happily as he waves Tacitus away.

"Can you see our family's Lars?" Gaius asked when he got back to Percy's side, "Are they a fearsome spirit?"

Percy looks over at the nerdy middle-aged ghost-man sitting in the ancle deep pool, "Yeah, terrifying. What is a Lars?"

"A spirit who looks over a home and the family members of the house. Our Lars has been looking over our family and home for more than four generations," Gaius says proudly.

"Well, he seems very concerned about the bronze kitchenware," Percy says.

The Lars had jumped up, "I knew you could see me! Tell Plinius the Younger about the kitchen latch! It's loose. Oh, this is wonderous. I have so many things for you to fix for me," the Lars leapt up floated around the entryway.

If Percy was going to be staying here for a while, he may as well get along with the guardian spirit. "Give me a list, I'll see what I can do. No guarantees though," Percy says to the Lars before turning to Gaius, "Do you know someone names Plinius the Younger?"

"That would likely be me. My Uncle adopted me in his will and gave me his name. My name is now Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus," Gaius said with a mix of pride and grief. Percy had this moment of horror when he thought of one of his uncles deciding they were going to retire and change Percy's name to Zeus or Hades. Hard pass on that one, thanks.

"In that case, you should know that the latch in your kitchen window is loose."

Gaius shows Percy to his room. The only furniture in the room is a bed and a stool, but it's ten times nicer than the wooden hut he's shared with Gaius and Marcella in Gaeta and Percy is grateful for it. Percy spends the afternoon being bossed around by the Plinius family Lars. He fixes the latch as well as he can. He pulls weeds from the inner courtyard, removes leaves and mud stuck on the roof tiles, washes the windows, and generally does chores. Gaius tries to tell Percy that he has servants for this kind of work but Percy just laughs and says it wouldn't impress the Lars much if he got other people to do his chores. As far as godly quests go, doing menial chores wasn't bad at all. There weren't even any man-eating horses this time around.

At the end of the day Percy meets Gaius' grandfather, who welcomes him warmly and thanks him for keeping his daughter and grandson safe after the disaster of Mount Vesuvius. Percy does not get the impression that the grandfather knows Percy's a demigod and he shares a grateful smile with Gaius. Marcella also comes home and welcomes Percy warmly. She is very polite about it, but lets Percy know in no uncertain terms that he looks like a dirt-covered homeless man and he will wash up, put oil in his hair and put on some better clothes before dinner.

So Percy is freshly washed and wearing a green toga with some wave patterns on the edges when he goes to dinner. Dinner takes place in a dining room on wooden lying couches with pillows- the ones Percy has seen in painting of fancy Romans. It was surprisingly easy to adjust to eating on a lying couch instead of a chair. They have bread with oil, grapes, cheese, roasted veggies and soup which he eats with a wooden spoon as the bronze ones had apparently gone missing recently.

Grandpa Plinius tries to give Percy watered down wine, which Percy politely declines saying that he is not allowed to drink alcohol. This is apparently the weirdest thing Grandpa Plinius has ever heard in his life, but Percy does not allow himself to be convinced no matter how much the elderly man insists it's been watered down and perfectly safe to drink. Percy doesn't think that "Demigod that can explode volcanos" and "Alcohol" should mix. It doesn't seem like that story would end well.

After dinner Percy retires to his new bedroom and stares at the ceiling. It's been two months since Mount Vesuvius. Percy is fifteen now, his birthday would have passed at some point during the construction of the apartment in Gaeta. While Percy is grateful for the roof over his head and all the good food, he's more grateful for how Gaius, Marcella and Grandpa Plinius treat him like a person.

.

.

.

Author Notes:

Percy: Do you know a man named Gaius Plinius Celer?
Tacitus: Oh my gods, are you sleeping with him?
Percy: No! His daughter invited me -
Tacitus: Oh my gods are you sleeping with her?
Percy: No! I know her son Gaius-
Tacitus: Oh my gods, are you-
Percy, a fifteen year old kid: Will you stop that?

Titus Aurelius Fulvus is the father of future emperor Antoninus Pius. Little is known about Fulvus, so I can just make stuff up. Antoninus Pius and his adopted son Marcus Aurelius are both known for being thoughtful, philosophical emperors. So I'm going to pretend that means Pius' dad was an extroverted philosophy fan.
Romans were apparently considered adults around the age of fourteen. So at fifteen, Percy would be considered a man. Although apparently a young man's father would still do business on the young man's behalf until about age 25. So the ages of 14-25 might have been considered sort of semi-adult. Adult enough to get a job and get married but too young to make business decision.

Tacitus is the famous future historian Tacitus. He would be ~23 at this point and just starting his political career. Historically, he is not a fan of Domitian. Is it realistic that Percy would just random bump into two historically important people on his first day in Rome? No. Do I care? Also no.