920He was completely correct when he assumed it was going to be a long night. Percy ran a hand through his hair as he slumped down in a chair. He glanced around to see if there was anything to drink but he didn't find anything. Maybe it would do him good to splash his face in the fountain. He'd spent the last four hours meeting various gods. Sure, he'd gotten several new items out of it, but it was tiring nonetheless. He groaned as he stretched out in the loveseat and let his head lay over the back.
As far as he knew, the only other person he had to find was his father. He glanced at his various new trinkets and weapons. As far as he was concerned, he might as well be the god of weaponry. He could probably outfit a whole regiment for war with his gifts alone. Generally, it was never a bad thing to receive weapons though with the amount he'd received, it was a different story. He'd gotten one from Hermes, Artemis, Apollo, Demeter, and a few from Hades. He wasn't sure which was his favorite yet, but so far, Hermes and Hades were top contenders. Maybe it was because he'd always wanted a butterfly knife or that he was a sucker for stygian iron.
Hades had gifted him a bracelet made from raw onyx beads with six wooden beads separated by small silver disks. Each wooden bead represented one of six throwing knives, all forged from folded stygian iron. Due to the methods of folding, each had an individual pattern and characteristic, even if they were all the same dimensions. He could throw them as he pleased and as they were used, the wooden bead would turn black until they returned after some period of time.
It really was a handy ability for his weapons, though he noted that Demeter's gift didn't have such an ability and he was unsure if his bow had that quality either. Regardless, he wasn't exactly going to be throwing his bow around too much. He chuckled as he recalled the last time he'd attempted to fire a bow. He'd managed to nearly take Thalia's head off and she'd been standing almost behind him. At this point, he was sure he'd either had some crazy curse, or that one of the gods was playing tricks on him and intentionally ruining his aim. Probably Apollo.
He slipped a bit farther into his chair. All he really wanted to do was sit in his little cabin by the beach and fall asleep as he stared through his window at the sea. It'd been one of his father's gifts to him after everything was said and done. He'd found that he was spending quite a bit of time at it. It was isolated, situated at the edge of an old growth forest that bordered a small strip of beach on the Atlantic ocean. It wasn't all that far from Camp Half Blood either so he could always go and visit.
He'd taken to staying at his cabin since the nightmares had slowly cropped back up. They'd gone away for a time, but after everything between him and Annabeth, he found that they seemed to be getting the best of him. There were many times he'd bolt awake with Riptide in hand. Oftentimes, he wouldn't be able to fall asleep afterwards. His solutions were late night training sessions or swims to help calm him down. Grover had said that it might be due to loneliness but neither were sure. At the very least, it kept him from having to answer questions regarding his actions.
He smiled a bit in spite of himself as he was joined by a familiar presence. A deep voice rang out, "How are you holding up?"
Percy's smile grew a bit, "Best as I can."
"Did you like your gifts?" he asked curiously, his eyes bouncing around the various new items on his person.
"I feel like a walking armory," Percy grinned, "So very much so."
"How would you feel if I told you I was giving you another weapon?" he asked curiously.
"I'll love anything you give me," Percy said easily.
His laugh was not unlike the rolling tides, "How's the house?"
"Love it," Percy said, "Mom comes and visits sometimes."
Poseidon chuckled, "I'm not sure how your mother is going to feel about my gift to you."
Percy perked an eyebrow and leaned in a bit, "I get the feeling she wouldn't be a fan of quite a few of my gifts."
Poseidon grinned at him. It was uncannily similar to his own, "Yes well, this is going to be slightly different."
"What is it?" Percy asked curiously.
"You're my son and you have no trident. Can't have that."
Percy grinned, "Never used one before."
"Trust me," Poseidon's voice wavered with laughter, "You'll love this."
He held out his arm and placed it atop his son's head. Percy was admittedly confused before feeling a sudden warmth trail along his left arm. For a moment, it extended slowly before a searing pain shot up it and down part of his back. He hissed in pain but it quickly subsided and his father shot him an apologetic look.
"What was that?" Percy asked, looking at the earth shaker. Poseidon simply gestured to his arm. Percy, slowly brought it up to find a black tattoo coiling up his arm, circling against his bicep, and slowly coming to a close at the break of his wrist. In some twisted way, it reminded him of the kraken. He got the sneaking suspicion that it ran part of the way down his back as well given the sharp pang of pain that had briefly worked its way down. It fit surprisingly well with his olive complexion. He'd never admit it, but he'd always been worried that he wouldn't look good with a tattoo.
"I think you're right," Percy looked up at his dad and grinned, "Mom's going to hate this."
"She'll get over it," Poseidon chuckled, "it wasn't so long ago that she wanted one as well."
Percy blinked before brushing the thought off, "So what does this do?"
Poseidon motioned for him to stand up, "Trace along part of the line with your finger."
Percy did so and found himself holding a gleaming trident made of Atlantean steel, inlaid with a few aquamarines and mother of pearl along the hilt and wrapped in dark leather around the top. It had two prongs along the handle about six inches from the head, punctuated by a rather large black pearl between the two. Percy let out a long whistle as he looked from the trident to his arm. The previously black ink now glowed a pale blue.
He spun the weapon experimentally a few times and stabbed around with it casually before stepping back and swinging it in a sweeping motion. He twirled it, causing the largest prong to scrape along the stone floors, shooting off sparks as it did so. He grinned as he tapped the butt of the trident against the floor, sending a loud pang out as it hit the marble flooring. He simply thought about it returning to its tattoo form and it quickly turned into water and snaked up his arm.
"You were right," Percy's grin threatened to split his face, "This is incredible."
Poseidon was practically beside himself as he watched his son mess around with his gift, "You like it?"
Percy cackled, "More than like. Probably one of my favorite gifts ever."
Poseidon made a noise of indignation, "What could possibly be better?"
Percy cocked his head and threw him his trusty pen. Poseidon rolled his eyes before conceding, "Fair enough."
"Where'd you find this?"
"Hephaestus and Tyson worked on it together. Hecate made the enchantment so that it could be stored on your arm."
"What does Hephaestus like?" Percy asked curiously. He already figured that he'd get Tyson a jar of peanut butter, and he wasn't sure if Hecate would accept a gift from him.
"Why do you ask?" Poseidon asked curiously.
"He's made most of my gifts," Percy said, gesturing to his new auditions, "I figured it might be nice to get him something."
His father scratched his beard for a moment before his eyes shone, "I'll see if Hermes has any more of that meteoric iron for him. But, perhaps an invitation to hang out would be better?"
"What do you mean?" It was Percy's turn to be confused.
"He's a good man, though many can't see past his looks. I'm sure he'd appreciate the company even more than good metal."
Percy was thoughtful for a moment. He yawned as he spoke, " Metal tends to be easier to work with than people, but I'll see if he wants to come with us to hang out sometimes."
The two discussed the logistics of Percy's ideas as he bounced ideas off of his father. It wasn't often that they got to talk, but those times that they did were relished memories. If the child of prophecy was entirely honest, it was one of the few reasons he actually attended these parties. For the most part, he tended to be a shut-in these days. Of course, his mother and friends were trying to do their best to change that, but progress was slow. After what felt like an hour, their conversation drew to a close as Percy attempted to respond. He failed miserably to hold back a rather large yawn.
"Probably best to start with small steps," the sea god chuckled as his son blinked back sleep. It was pretty late, "Best you get going then."
Percy nodded tiredly and the two exchanged quick goodbyes. He closed his eyes as his father extended an arm and didn't open them until the din of the party disappeared. The previously loud and tiresome sounds of gods mingling were quickly replaced by the soft sounds of waves lapping at the beach. It nearly lulled him to sleep where he stood. He (barely) had the wherewithal to make his way into his bed, stripping off his clothes as he made his way over. He discarded most of his jewelry on his nightstand, making sure to pull Artemis's dagger out from his ring as he did so. He placed it in a small slot by the headboard of his bed frame and placed the pillow back in front of it. With that, his head hit the pillow and he entered the realm of Morpheus.
Hours later, he was awoken by the soft patter of rain dancing across the slate shingles of his cabin. That was quite a relaxing sound. He ran a hand through his messy hair and pushed himself out of his bed, letting out a content sigh as he looked out the window. A wispy fog crested the top of the waves and blanketed the forest floor behind him. He noticed that his headache from the prior night seemed to have cleared up for the most part, leaving him feeling far better. Perhaps he'd go for a swim in celebration?
He rolled out of his bed and threw on a pair of shorts as he set about his morning routine. As of right now, he didn't need many things. He grabbed Riptide and glanced at his newly gifted arsenal of weapons. He'd need to find some way to keep some of them with him without having to wear them in the same form. Riptide and his trident were easy, but he tired of wearing the same articles at all times. Perhaps he'd have a chat with Heph about that.
Speaking of his trident though, he imagined he'd need a name for it. He slowly paced about his room, muttering names as he moved around. He grumbled for a second as he nearly kicked his bed frame. Perhaps he'd come up with a good name during his swim? He leisurely made his way over to the door, making sure to check on his moonlace as he did so. He made a mental note to check in on Leo and Calypso at some point as he gazed upon the plant. It had grown considerably under his watchful care (and the advice of Demeter). He found it strange that it had grown so considerably since he'd just trimmed it a few days prior. He reached for his ring but found that he didn't have it on. He groaned before vaulting over his bed to reach his nightstand.
He looked carefully at each of his new accessories and decided that he'd use Hermes' since he could fiddle with it on his walk as well. He smiled lightly as he placed it on his finger, the cool metal subtly radiating power. It really was a beautiful piece and likely his second favorite gift, though he wouldn't tell anyone that. He grinned as he summoned it into his hand and opened it with a bit of flair. Jason was going to be so jealous when he saw his new toy. He hummed lightly as he went about trimming a few of the new budding flowers away. Demeter had explained that he could leave the trimmed stems in water and new plants would grow from it.
Percy liked the idea of being able to set up a small garden around his house. He only had to worry about deer coming to eat anything he planted. Would deer even want to eat moonlace? He pondered the thought for a moment before shaking his head and determining that that was a question for later. He carefully picked up the trimmed portions of the plants as he went, making sure not to damage or bruise them. It wouldn't do well for them to be damaged when he tried to plant them.
He idly wondered how his mother's own small moonlace was doing. Probably better than his, even though he had the help of the goddess of agriculture. He gingerly placed the largest flower between his teeth and pulled several of the other ones into his arms. It was going to be hell to open his doors. He suppressed a groan as he attempted to twist the doorknob. After several (seven to be precise) failed attempts, he finally managed to open the door.
He hopped around to celebrate his success and used his foot to open the door, gently cradling the mass of flowers in his arms. Unfortunately, his excitement was quickly crushed as he saw the other door leading out of his house. He groaned but quickly made his way over to his kitchen, gently laying the flowers in his arms down next to the sink and pulling the flower from his mouth. He took a few quick steps, grabbed a vase from the nearby cabinet, and filled it with water before placing the stalks of moonlace into the vase, leaving only the largest one which he promptly took.
Thankfully, after removing most of the flowers, maneuvering was far easier than before. He grinned lightly as he opened the door, taking a moment to enjoy the feeling of the rain dripping off of his skin. It was peaceful, and really, that was all he wanted. After years of trial, the moments of peace made everything worth it. The sounds of the waves crashing onto the beach, the soft sounds of the forest echoing behind him, He glanced down at the flower in his hand and made his way to the side of his cabin, making sure to grab one of the small ceramic vases he left outside. This flower he'd keep. The rest were going to be replanted and maybe given as gifts but he always held onto a few from his normal maintenance.
After squaring the flower away, leaving it on the table he had on the patio, he made his way towards the ocean. He felt the cold bite of the water as he dove in, willing the water around him to speed him up a bit. He wasn't sure how long he stayed in the water, but it wasn't like he was needed anywhere today. He grinned to himself as he floated on his back. He deserved to laze around a little bit. Oftentimes, he would pull himself out of the water under the guise of some duty or responsibility, but for today, he was simply content to relax.
Since wartime had ended, life had been looking up for demigods. The camps were stronger than ever, there were less monsters, and there was no prophecy looming over them anymore. All in all, life was pretty great. Well, for most demigods anyway. Percy was still trying to get his shit together, but the past years had helped. Sure, he tended to stew in his own thoughts potentially for hours on end, and he didn't interact with people as much anymore, but he'd gotten to relax. Okay, so maybe things weren't great for Perseus, but for demigods in general, life couldn't be better. As for the son of Poseidon, things had been slow. More often than ever, he found himself stuck in his own mind. One would think that you'd have very little to worry about after lifting the burden of the world, and yet, Percy found himself entrapped.
Strange that he'd succumb to inner turmoil. The king of titans and the earthmother herself couldn't keep him down, and yet he found himself otherwise incapable of getting better. Sure, he'd seen some amount of progress. Starting after the first year, he'd seen small periods of progress. He no longer secluded himself and tried to interact with both camps as best he could. He even tried carving out time for his friends, which wasn't saying much, but when comparing that to his previous year as a complete shut-in, it was worlds better. It'd gotten to a point where the only person who he'd interact with was his mother.
Roughly a year after the war, he was the worst he'd ever been. Luckily, his friends and family had managed to get through purely by perseverance. Nico and Grover used to stop by regularly, being some of the few privy to the location of his new home. A few others joined him occasionally. Jason and Piper tried to stop by as much as their duties would let them, and he'd even hosted the hunters a few times so that Thalia could visit. It wasn't much, but it began to pull him out of his funk.
That being said, the start of his progress truly started when Calypso showed up at his door one day. That had surprised him. Leo was somewhere, probably sitting off on the beach somewhere. They'd made idle conversation for a bit before she confronted him regarding his actions. He'd gotten quite the scolding, and if he was honest with himself, he'd needed it. It helped that the titaness had experiences similar to his. While for vastly different reasons, she could understand the isolation he felt. Of course, that only made her more critical of his actions, which were entirely warranted.
That'd been a good conversation for him. In truth, he'd felt similarly for a while and was simply unsure if his other friends felt the same way. It felt like they pitied him more than anything and he was unsure of the nature of their friendships anymore. Of course, all it took was a firm scolding from a friend to convince him otherwise. Where others (minus Nico) had previously walked on eggshells around him, Calypso had given him a requisite tongue-lashing for his actions. He supposed tough love worked sometimes. Of course, after she'd done that, she'd quickly apologized, which caused Percy to laugh. After that, everything felt a bit more comfortable. She'd ended that visit by explaining that she'd be back if he didn't get his shit together. She hadn't had to come back yet, which was good. Since then, he'd developed a few healthier methods for relieving stress, like training to the brink of exhaustion, or swimming for hours on end, as he currently was.
To be fair, he was in the water to relax and laze around and he was content to sit there potentially all day, but it seemed the fates had different plans that day. Purely by chance, the glint of light refracting off something caught his eye as he prepared to dive into the water. Huh. He breached the surface of the water again and glanced around. Normally, light didn't reflect off of anything around. Looking around, the only identifiable source was the glass of his door. Had he left his door open?
Well, either way it didn't really matter. He was going to have to close it regardless since he didn't want water to ruin the finish of his wood. He groaned audibly as his time in the water was cut short. Luckily, he could always get back in if he felt like it. It was as he got closer that he began to notice something amiss. For one, there was mud on his porch. It wasn't like that was entirely uncommon but he'd literally just cleaned it two days prior. Maybe Grover or someone had come over? Strangely, the sprig of moonlace he'd set aside was also gone. That left him two questions. One, who was over, and two, why did they take his flower?
As he got closer, he could faintly overhear the sounds of someone walking around. Okay, well was he being robbed or something? Unconsciously, he dragged his finger across the black band on his arm, summoning the ornate trident into his hand. He crouched ever so slightly, allowing him to move should it be required. As he approached the door, he dropped the tip of the trident down so it just barely dragged on the wood of the porch. He grinned a little as he slowly pushed the door open. He'd hoped that it'd been some stray monster or something but demigods would do just fine too. He had some shit to work through.