I was moved to Cabin three that very night.
I no longer had to share with anyone, or sleep on the floor. I had plenty of room for all my things: three changes of clothes from Triton, one land-dweller pair, one set of camp-clothes, my toiletry bag, my assorted sea items, my knife, and of course Carl.
I had a table all to myself in the dining pavilion, so no more falling off the edge of my seat.
I got to pick my own activities, set my own timetable, decide what I did and didn't want to do.
I was my own cabin counselor, got to make my own sundial and suncatchers, got to call "light's out" whenever I felt like it.
I didn't have to listen to anyone except Khiron and Lord D.
To put it succinctly: I was miserable.
First the God I'd thought was my dad… wasn't. That was- That was not what I expected.
I'd had a whole image in my head- I'd thought everything through- but- but… but apparently I was missing some facts, jumped to conclusions.
It was… embarrassing. I was never telling anyone ever what my thoughts were, no one would know my mistake. But it still-
I shook my head, fingers curling around the blankets I was tucked under.
I'd almost died again too. That- that wasn't fun. I didn't like almost dying. This was like- the fourth time. How many more times would I be nearly killed before it stopped?
And, even though I'd survived… I was all alone now.
No one else was in my cabin, the way everyone had looked at me- I didn't think they'd want much to do with me.
It- It was- I'd just started to make some friends and now-
I scrubbed at my eyes, yanking the blanket over my head as a sob broke out. I didn't want to be alone. I didn't want to have a big cabin all to myself where no one could hear me cry. I wanted my Mom, I wanted Triton-
I wanted my Metua even. But that was Poseidon, not Okeanos like I'd thought-
It was Poseidon, who Triton clearly loved but he also complained about non-stop- Poseidon who was seen as a chaotic God, a vengeful God- He was a scary God in the myths. And maybe the myths weren't quite right, they weren't with Lord D, or Triton even… but he was still- it was scary .
Everything I'd thought was a lie. And maybe that was my fault, maybe I should've just not theorized- but I couldn't help it. I had mom, I had Triton, that was fine, I was fine with that, I loved them both-
Triton was my brother now. Or he always was. I supposed that was good, I'd already thought of him as a brother…
But now I had a Metua, the right Metua. I didn't know what to do about it. Was I even supposed to do anything? What did his vahivu think about me? Did she know about me? Did Amphitrite know I existed? Did she care? I wondered if I needed to make her a present to apologize… for existing? For my Metua having me?
My fingers tugged at my hair, a lighter blue than Triton's with the dye- it just happened to look like Okeanos' (except it didn't glow, or maybe it did? I'd never thought about it, my tails did-)
One hand slipped under the pillow to cling to the knife Triton got me. I wanted Triton, I wished he were here. Triton could make everything better again.
He'd probably say it was a good thing I was claimed, except- he didn't want me to be, he wanted to hide me. Was that because of that oath that Grover mentioned? I'd only learned about it earlier today but- was that why- or, or, was it the theft?
I thought they'd considered Met- Okeanos the thief, maybe, he was a Titan even though He'd been neutral before- but maybe they were blaming me because of Poseidon?
I wiped my nose, wishing I had tissues.
Triton wanted me hidden, safe, quiet. He didn't want me to be in danger. I didn't want to be in danger. Being claimed right now was probably bad- but it wouldn't have helped to not be claimed, not when I'd waterbended in front of everyone like that. Maybe claiming me meant they couldn't just attack me? Poseidon laying His claim and making it so they had to hold off on doing anything?
The tides curled in, pulling away from the shore. It was the second tide of the ocean day.
I curled tighter in my bed and wished for sleep.
OO OO OO OO
I was floating in a familiar undersea palace, Okeanos' palace. My Metuari'no palace.
My chest ached, that wasn't fair. I just found out he wasn't my Metua and the dreams had to drag me here anyways? I'd loved it before, it was like my dreams were showing me my Metua even when I couldn't meet Him in person. But now- now I knew Okeanos wasn't my Metua.
Now it felt like a mockery.
'Ha-ha,' the dreams seemed to say, 'you thought He was your dad? What a laugh! No, your dad is a God who broke an oath to have you.'
"I see you're back again, Persi was it?"
I whirled around, water rippling, and found Okeanos drifting before me. I licked my lips, fingers twisting into the proper motion of respect with barely a thought.
His eyes were intent, deep pools that seemed to stare right through me.
"Uh, yes… sorry for bothering you…" I murmured, ducking my head.
"You seem to be in better health than the last time you were here."
Last time I was here? I didn't really remember…
A vague recollection curled through me, a faint voice, red light. When the Minotaur happened? I sent them sacrifices for it, didn't I? I couldn't quite remember.
I nodded quickly regardless, "Yeah, all better now."
"That's good to hear, you gave Tethys quite the fright," He curled closer, tail moving in a deft motion as his gaze softened. "Though you don't seem to be alright right now."
I chewed my lip, curling inwards as the currents pressed down on me. It was such a natural part of being here, almost like the water was hugging me, that I'd never really thought about how it was probably Okeanos' power. It fit though.
"I'm fine," I assured him when the silence drew on too long, trying to pull up a smile. "Totally fine, no need to worry."
He raised an eyebrow, lips quirked down, "Of course. In that case, perhaps you wouldn't mind answering some of my questions?"
I swallowed, Questions? That sounded dangerous. What kind of questions? "Ta- Sure…?"
His hand fell on my shoulder, making me flinch. His grip was firm, yet gentle, and didn't falter despite my flinch as he steered me down the hallway.
"Come, we shall move somewhere more comfortable to talk. We wouldn't want you to wake mid-discussion, now would we?"
Er… that was fair. I tended to wake mid-talk like- every time. It was probably as annoying to the ones I talked to as it was to me. I definitely got frustrated with it.
I nodded, fingers curling over my bracelet as I let him lead me down the halls of glittering stone, intricate woven tapestries, and shining mosaics all lit up in the soft red light that permeated his undersea palace.
I once again marveled at the cleverness of having his palace be lit in red. Most sea creatures couldn't see red, especially not those that could go down deep. It meant His palace would be a pitch black maze to most of them. It was incredibly strategic, and I wondered if it had always been that way.
His palace didn't often welcome outsiders, not even because He didn't welcome outsiders in but because His kingdom was just so deep . Not many could survive in the Abyssal or Hadal zones of the Ocean. I wasn't sure if I could, and I knew I could survive a lot of pressure. It meant that guests were few and far between, and invasions were all but non-existent. Most of the residents in this part of the ocean were ancient, or massive, or very dangerous, or all three . And there were only some mer able to survive this kind of depth.
And those that did reach this depth often couldn't see the color red, making the red light of the palace invisible. It meant that if any enemies came down they wouldn't see anything at all. Just- the thought put behind even the lighting of His palace was fascinating . Poseidon's palace wasn't lit up red, I'd seen it before, from a distance, and it was bright and shining, like pearls and moonlight.
And even in the palace here was fascinating! The mosaics seemed designed specifically to show color based on the red. They weren't washed in red light, the red seemed to make the colors look better . I was sure there was some art trick for that, but I hadn't the slightest clue what it was.
Okeanos nudged me to turn into a room at last. It wasn't like the other rooms I'd noticed as we'd passed by. Those rooms were filled with long tables, or charts, or sea creatures, or large seating areas, or- or so much more.
This room we turned into was deep in the palace, and seemed almost… small. Domestic even.
It had one small sitting area, with couch like configurations. There was a large table made of something metallic in the center, shaped almost like a table coral. I wondered why he didn't just use real table coral- well… maybe it had to do with the pressure? Coral couldn't live so deep maybe?
He led me to one of the couch like seats. Triton had called them something before… tel… telio? Tepati? No it was definitely Tel… Tel- Telkie? Something close to that. Telk-something.
I settled on the seat, feeling strange sitting as I was without my tails. I pulled one leg up, close to my chest, and tried to settle more comfortably. The coiling currents pressed down on me, not just the present hug of the depths, but more… focused. Like they were winding 'round me to keep me there.
"Where are you from?" Okeanos asked as He settled into the seat across from me.
I wavered for a moment, debating the best answer to give. A lie would be discovered, quickly even, I couldn't just say I was from some part of the sea and be believed… not when my dream self had legs . And there wasn't much point in lying about where on land I was from… I was supposed to stay hidden but- but wasn't it a little late for that?
"New York," I said finally, my fingers twisting the coral charm harshly.
His eyes were drawn to it with the motion, and He hummed. "That bracelet of yours, it radiates Triton's power."
My fingers faltered, rubbing at the textured coral.
"I wasn't aware that he had a child once more," Okeanos murmured with a soft smile. "That does explain his request for my Oceanskin."
Oceanskin? What was tha- oh! My waterskin. That made sense I supposed, Triton had called it something when I was given it, I was pretty sure, but I hardly remembered. Though-
Maybe that was why Okeanos sensed His power on me…
Wait, did He think Triton was my dad?
"Oh- uh, ta, he's not- he's not my dad."
Okeanos raised an eyebrow, a small frown on his face.
"Er.. Poseidon is," I offered, ducking my head. "Apparently."
"Apparently?"
His tone was mild, a light curiosity winding through the water. It didn't feel probing, or demanding, or even like I had to answer… yet at the same time it tugged at my voice, a demand inherent in the words.
"He claimed me- la… today."
I shifted, peeking up at Him as His gaze swept over me. His eyes lingered on my bracelet for a long moment as He took in my words.
"For someone who just learned you're an avoli, you're rather informed… and supplied."
I picked at the seat, something not kelp like many seats were. Maybe woven? It didn't feel like any fabric I knew, but I knew the sea had special types of fabric. It wasn't kelp, or that silk that my clothes were made of.
"I've known I could waterbend- er- do Thermomancy since I was… eight?" I hooked my finger on the fabric, there wasn't a knot or anything just felt like something slightly off in that one spot. Maybe an imperfection in the weave? "I met Triton a bit after… He- he's the one who taught me about the sea."
Okeanus nodded slowly, leaning forward with a frown on His face. "I see. I am glad that Triton did so, he has clearly done a good job as well."
I felt my cheeks warm and ducked my head, a smile curling on my lips even as my chest ached.
"I'm surprised you wouldn't have guessed Poseidon was your father. While many in the sea do have demigod children, surely He is the only one you'd need to stay hidden for?"
I ran my fingers over that imperfection, trying to pick at it and reveal the problem. "Well… Triton- he told me not knowing my parent, no one knowing, kept me safe."
Okeanos nodded, that was His point just a second ago.
"But ah… I didn't know about Poseidon's oath… so I thought that since well, He had a lot of kids in the myths and all, that it wouldn't make sense for me to be His child. They're talked about plenty and-"
My nail caught on something and I nudged it, a thread maybe?
"Ah… I see. You didn't see how Him being your parent would be a danger."
I nodded, peeking at the thread on the seat I'd tugged at.
He hummed, the water rumbling with Him. I relaxed as it echoed through my skin, rumbling in my bones. It was relaxing, gentle, and soothing. Like Triton when he ran his hands through my hair, or mom when she wrapped me a hug.
"Triton must truly favor you then," was said as I sank into the seat.
I blinked up at Okeanos, confused.
"Ah, it's simply that he normally isn't a fan of Poseidon's bastard children. He's never cruel of course, but usually avoids them."
That made sense, I supposed. I wasn't sure I'd be happy with my mom having other kids with other people.
"Of course," He mused. "Normally Poseidon sends someone to help and guide His children. And He usually tries to visit too. Zeus doesn't truly have the power to stop Him from doing so, though He tries not to flaunt the laws too much."
I tried to decide if I found that comforting or not. I wasn't sure why He hadn't done that for me- or well… maybe I did know. Triton had been doing everything he could to keep me hidden after all, maybe Poseidon kept away and didn't send anyone because everyone knew He did that.
I had Triton though, so it was fine. Triton was better.
"Who did you think was your parent, if not Poseidon? Did you think it to be Triton?"
I snorted before I could help myself, then flushed.
"No, no-" I assured Him. "Triton is like- I mean he turned out to actually be but I always viewed him like a bit brother not- not a Metu-"
Okeanos raised an eyebrow and I tugged hard on the small thread.
"I… la… ikindathoughtitwasyou."
I focused very hard on the thread, which was a bit longer now. I still wasn't sure about the imperfection, it didn't seem to be bad, but well, I'd snagged a thread. Wait… was that bad to do? Was I ruining His couch? That seemed rude, oh I was being rude, this was rude wasn't it? And here I was just sitting here tugging at the thread and-
"Ah…" I heard, cutting my thoughts off.
My cheeks were warm, very warm. Maybe they weren't visible in the red light.
"That uh… I see… that… ah…"
My gaze reluctantly drifted to Okeanos, but He wasn't quite looking at me. His face was… greener than it had been. Like Triton when he got flustered.
"I- well I suppose that's an understandable misunderstanding. It- well, If Poseidon had been taking care of you properly then you would have known the truth- of course I suppose keeping you hidden was His main focus at the time but of course I- I can understand the misunderstanding, especially with you visiting here so much-"
He drifted off, voice lowering until I couldn't quite catch it.
I swallowed, resisting the urge to pull at the thread in the seat more and instead went back to twisting my bracelet.
Okeanos blinked, gaze back on me and expression smoothed over.
"Ta, anyways… your power is far more clear than before. More clear than just knowing your heritage should make it, knowledge isn't thatgreat of a protection. Has something happened?"
Oh a subject change, thank the Gods… or well, thank Okeanos (literally). That meant I could pretend the last bit had never happened. I probably needed to get rid of my 'why Okeanos is my dad' list too.
But as for His question… something happening… I wasn't sure- well, there were several natural protections that Triton taught me but… which bit would…
Oh!
My mom!
She- I swallowed and tugged at my bracelet. She was gone, so… her protection on me wouldn't stand anymore.
There was a detailed explanation in the book I'd read. It had a variety of factors playing into it, stuff about your guardians views on you, the duty of care, the existence of a hearth- It was the guardian you had that determined a lot of it, not having one opened you up to trouble. Triton and other Gods couldn't really do it properly, I knew the book talked about the immortal hearths not working right for it-
Did that mean that camp wouldn't count even if Khiron or Lord D did? I needed to reread that book.
But yeah… that probably meant- that meant that Mom…
"Persi?"
I swallowed and forced myself to speak, "My mom got… taken. So- so she's gone and-"
My voice broke and I blinked back tears. I hated that she was gone, I hated that she'd vanished in gold light. I wanted her back.
"Meye'v mu ert Ponisiv eretamu poi ie uopata," He murmured softly, the question inherent in his phrasing making me swallow.
I nodded, agreeing that that was the phrase to use. A plea for them to find safety, to be guided to safety, rather than- rather than mourning-
She wasn't dead , it wasn't time to mourn. She- she was still out there-
"You don't seem certain what happened to her?" Okeanos asked gently, head tilted.
"She… she vanished," I murmured, twisting my charms. "In gold light and burning shadows she- I mean- …the golden light was visible - but the burning shadows were like- they were a feeling?"
"Ah, you are learning tahuhu?"
I nodded, "Yeah, Purific- er, Vapaloa."
I wasn't good enough at Siren's Song for that to help, I'd barely begun and Triton had banned me from practicing without supervision. I needed their approval on my advancement before I could utilize it… or even keep improving.
"I can also do some self-healing- or uh… netafi?"
He didn't bat an eye at my fumbling, just nodded. "And you sensed the 'burning shadows'?"
"Yeah," I confirmed. "Just for a second but…"
"Likely an act of the underworld then. I haven't interacted much in that area, beyond the access we have to the tapohu-"
Tapohu, that was something I remembered Triton telling me about briefly. The pit of deep shadow. It was the Undersea entrance to Tartarus, guarded by Okeanos.
"-but Tethys is much more aware of such sensations than I am, and has spoken of a similar feeling relating to Underworld deities. Most of the Underworld echo something of shadows."
I blinked, "Tethys-ran can sense things too?"
He seemed amused, His lips curling up with a bright gleam in His eyes.
"She is the Titaness of Fresh Water, another way of stating that is Pure Water. It is not sensing as it is for you, it is of a different nature… but Vapaloa is Her very nature, and the sensations you feel are drawn from your skill in Vapaloa."
That was so cool! Purification was easy for me, it just clicked . I didn't realize that it could result in this much sensory stuff though.
"It's a really fun magic," I offered shyly, as He considered me.
"Vapaloa isn't normally good for offensive work," He mused. "So it wasn't very popular during the Vervuoti, which was one of the longer eras of the Ocean. But in the current period of Pahumoti… well it has started to gain popularity once more. The sensory aspects were always one of the more popular reasons for learning it. I'm surprised you weren't aware of that already."
"I knew it could sense curses," I explained, ducking my head. "But I didn't know it could do all the rest that I feel. It's… been a lot to deal with at Camp."
He flicked His fingers in acknowledgement. "Perhaps Tethys would have some advice for you. The sensory aspects of Vapaloa usually take some time to grow, and extended exposure to tahuhu. Tis strange that you are already so sensitive."
I shrugged awkwardly. Was there anything that would've caused that?
"I'm not sure, I mean Khiron was teaching at my school this year, and he has a magic wheelchair. Oh, and Ms. Dodds turned out to be an Erinyes and she had a whole thing going on too- oh! And Carl the fish was a guinea pig, well now he's a fish but he was a guinea pig. I fixed that though. Oh yeah, and Khiron did something over the students to mess with their memories after I k-killed Ms. Dodds."
Okeanos blinked slowly, "I- yes… that would likely speed up your abilities. I'll… speak with Tethys."
He shook His head, muttering quietly, "An Erinyes? By Khaos what are the Gods doing ?"
I nodded, fingering my bracelet. "Havua."
"Back to your mother," He said with a small motion. "A flash of gold is far more likely to be kidnapping than death, but depending on the state she would be put in it could very well affect your inherent protection."
"So, she's alive," My voice shook as I spoke, but I couldn't help it. She was alive . I had suspected that but- but having a Titan confirm it was a whole 'nother matter.
She lived .
"Most likely," Okeanos confirmed. "There's no point in kidnapping her just to kill her later. She's likely being used as leverage for you or Poseidon."
I chewed my lip, fingers tugging at my coral charm.
"I think I'm being blamed for a theft, it's why Triton hasn't been able to talk to me lately-" I'd thought it was because of Okeanos, being a Titan and all… but clearly not.
"It's likely whoever has her believes you're the thief and is planning to use her as leverage," His eyes narrowed, fingers twining as he leaned on his hands. "I presume that this is the theft causing the current conflict with Zeus-rai."
"I guess?" I offered, running through what I knew about the conflict.
Hades was the one who controlled the Erinyes, and Ms. Dodds had accused me of stealing something so it was likely that Hades was the one who had something stolen. That matched with the Underworld association for the burning shadows that Okeanos mentioned. So then that meant that I'd have to speak to Hades about it…
Okeanos cleared his throat, "Now then, why don't we talk about what had you injured so badly last time you visited?"
Ah… right. That. I'd hoped he wouldn't ask.
"There was… uh… the Minotaur… it grabbed my mom and is why she vanished… and I beat it…"
Okeanos blinked at me, lips in a tight smile.
"Pardon?"
"Er… The Minotaur attacked, during the storm that popped up. There was some lightning and… yeah."
"So… you killed an Erinyes earlier this year… and the Minotaur… and… what happened with the lightning ?"
"It… hit the car I was in?" I offered hesitantly.
There was a very long pause. His hair was swaying in the water, the light it gave off soft, but bright. I wondered if there were many mer with glowing hair. Was His hair glowing because of how powerful He was? Or because He was a Titan? Or something else? Glowing hair was probably alone a major danger sign, especially in the deep water. Like a lantern fish maybe.
"And Poseidon didn't claim you until today?" He asked.
I nodded slowly.
"Right. Toi em u teamane," He clapped His hands together. "They should not have been able to attack you with your mother and Triton looking after you, though your mother being the most relevant. It is possible that Zeus-rai believing you to be a thief opened you to it but…"
"What?" I asked, frowning. I didn't remember that being in the book.
"Well, there are ways to go around protections on children. It's… difficult though. Of course there are specific requirements, they must have a chance after all. The Gods can't simply smite a child, and certain… prerequisites must occur first."
I tilted my head in confusion, blinking at the twist in the pressure on me, and He sighed.
"It's rather complicated, the protections. In some cases if the parent is present then you can attack, as the parent would be in charge of handling the threat themselves, but that would have to be targeted on the parent not the child. Sending a monster to attack someone else present who isn't protected is usually the most effective method to reaching your target."
I nodded, brow furrowed. That… It didn't really target my mom though. It followed Grover , and kept going to Grover until I distracted it. And then my mom was taken, and that seemed to take my protection with her? Though how did the Erinyes attack me? It must've sensed the protection…
"Regardless, with Triton guarding you any monsters attacking you would have to be willing to risk his response, but as he has no guardianship of you and you do not fall under his technical protection it won't help much beyond making most monsters at least hesitate before attacking."
I supposed that would explain the whole thing with the Hellhound, I'd thought it'd paused.
"What do you mean with risk his response?" I asked, rubbing my arm as the pressure tucked tighter around me. The book didn't cover thateither.
Okeanos waved His hand almost dismissively, "Oh it simply opens any attacker to retribution. Triton isn't really known for his retribution though, so it won't scare off many. Though that's really because he's not had much reason to offer retribution. If Poseidon had a hand in your shielding then it may be taken more seriously, or less so considering the war going on right now."
That made sense, I didn't realize there was so much to the protections on people. And Okeanos seemed positive that Triton was doing something to shield me, so it was probably obvious to anyone who knew to look for it. That would explain why Poseidon didn't do it too, He was trying to hide me after all.
I needed to get more information on how all this worked, after I got mom back that was top of the list. Hopefully I could find something that explained it in simple terms, since it seemed confusing based on what Okeanos was saying.
I shifted, the pressure on me tightening. That wasn't very comfortable…
"Apparently, I have kept you long enough," Okeanos said, interrupting my thoughts. "I recommend that you wear soft fabrics to avoid making the sensations on your skin worse, and see if you can't find some pleasant sensations to soothe your skin in the meantime. I will speak to Tethys about what else you can do."
The pressure lightened and I felt the currents tugging at me.
"Do try to avoid fighting any other dangerous monsters," He said with a soft look. "Opu meye'v tel hamapep y wasahu."
"Opu meye'v mu tel omalio pye y ponova pavuv," I stumbled out as the pressure released and the currents ripped me from his palace.
There was a blur of color, of palaces shining in the night, of a castle in the sky, of angry eyes in the dark, of a tolling bell.
I woke up.
OO OO OO OO
The sun was out and I was pretty sure breakfast had already passed.
That was fine. This was fine.
Talking to Okeanos had helped, despite everything.
I now knew my mom was alive for sure, and Okeanos hadn't mocked me for my thoughts. And it helped to get everything out, to just get to talk. He'd also taught me stuff about the attack, and said he'd get Tethys to help me figure out how to handle the sensations around me.
That was nice, my cabin had alright sensations, ones that reminded me of being in the sea with Triton. Like salt and sea breeze, rubbing against my skin. It was much better than the incense and feathers of the Hermes cabin.
I reluctantly rolled over in my bed, letting my gaze drift over my cabin.
I hadn't really looked last night, and well, I did need to settle in. I supposed that was what today would be for.
I sat up, letting out a breath. This was my cabin now, I needed to make it mine .
First thing to do was actually like… look around instead of curling on the closest bed.
I considered the room carefully, not bothering to stand from my bed yet. I was on the bed closest to the entrance of the cabin, which was marked by an archway with a shimmery curtain that resembled a waterfall. There was an entrance area past it, which had a door leading to the exit I knew. But I didn't really remember what it looked like otherwise, last night was a blur.
The area I was in was the main area of the cabin, with two other beds. There was a side table by each of them, to the righ- no the left. Ugh directions sucked. There were two more waterfall curtains too, one on the same wall as the first and one on the opposite side of the cabin, after the third bed.
There was also a desk and chair at the base of each bed, with space between that and the dressers on the opposite wall. And the walls above the beds had nooks to put stuff in, which was cool.
And actually… as my gaze drifted around the cabin I realized there were a lot of nooks. It was hard to notice at first because of the texture to the wall, but there were lots of spots to tuck things into the wall. That was cool .
I let my feet slide out of the bed, snagging my bags from where I'd dropped them last night beside the bed. I needed to organize them.
The first thing I did was pull Carl back out and put him (in his icy water bowl) on the dresser across from the bed I'd claimed.
"You got a new room?" Carl asked curiously, swimming in a circle to study the room.
He'd been asleep last night when I'd moved, though probably had woken up in the bag.
"Yeah uh… it turns out my Metua is Poseidon."
"Boo," Carl the goldish said, swimming in a circle again, this time in annoyance. "He seems dumb, not nearly as cool as other Gods, like Athena. You should get a new parent, like Athena, or maybe Demeter or Apollo, they're cool. I'm sure Apollo wouldn't notice an extra kid, He's got a bunch!"
I snorted, a grin curling my lips, "That's not how this works Carl."
"I don't see why not. If you stab Poseidon thirty-seven times then I think He'll leave you alone. Then you can get a new parent!"
"Carl that kills people."
"Are you sure? He's a God, I think He'll be fine."
I shook my head, though he was right about Poseidon being a God. Stabbing probably wouldn't really phase Him.
"At least the cabin is neat, I guess. I like the bedding, it's stylish."
I glanced back at the beds, having not really looked. The bedding was a sea green, with a glittering gold trident in the center. The green was almost like water, with a dark base and nearing white at the top in a rippling gradient.
It was very nice looking and it had definitely been soft to wrap over my head last night.
In total, "You're so spoiled Carl."
"I simply appreciate the finer things in life." He said haughtily.
Sometimes I wondered if he was a goldfish because of his love for fancy things. Did the affection for shiny and gold things influence the kind of fish he became?
"I'm gonna finish setting everything up," I said with a shake of my head.
"Sounds like a plan. Also, I'm hungry so get me food."
I rolled my eyes at the demand but did, obligingly, dig around the bag for some food for Carl. Being stuck as a goldfish wasn't fun, so I did try to make him comfortable.
That done I started pulling out my things to put them up, starting with my few changes of clothes. Those went in the dresser, all in one drawer since I only had like… half a dozen outfits total.
I turned back to my bags with a frown. I supposed I just… started to put things around the cabin? Like in the dorms at Yancy?
I pulled out the stuff at the top of the bag first, dumping the toiletries to the side and starting with the seashell Samoa had given me. I hadn't been able to pull it out at school because of Grover, or in the Hermes cabin 'cause of everyone else, but I wanted the pretty sea sounds it made so I put it on my desk, in the corner.
I snagged my rainbow stone and starglobe next, placing both on the bedside table. I activated the starglobe and let the stars shine around the room, dancing over my skin.
Yeah, that was nice.
My knife and armor came next, and I stuffed the armor in the dresser, in the drawer below my clothes. My knife, which I'd had to pull out from under my pillow, went in a nook behind my bed. Still in easy reach.
The only things left in my bags were the Minotaur horns, which I shoved into a random nook in the room, the Medical kit, which I put under my bed, and my books and scrolls. Those I wandered around the room for a bit to figure out where to put them. There were a lot of nooks, and I wanted to have easy access to the stuff in all the scrolls and books. I settled on a series of nooks between the two archways.
They almost resembled a bookshelf, so I was pretty sure that was what they were meant for.
I paused by the archways, pushing the second curtain back to peak inside. It was not a bathroom, like I'd hoped. It was a comfy little sitting area, with a couch and two soft looking charis sitting around a low round coffee table. There were two side tables too. That would probably be nice for hanging out.
I let the curtain drop and grabbed my toiletries, heading to the other end of the cabin. That curtain did indeed reveal a bathroom.
There were two sinks on the wall on the right of the entrance, and on the far end was a huge pool like area. It even had a little waterfall in the top right corner against the wall. That was insane .
Towel racks hung beside it, and across from what I assumed were the showers. In front of me, across from the archway, was another wall that had a curtain set into it. I poked my head through to find what looked like a walkway, with several more curtained entrances. I pushed another curtain aside to find that it hid a toilet. That was good for privacy at least.
I put my toiletries under the sink, sticking my toothbrush and paste on the counter. That was all that then.
I wandered back to the main area and flopped back on my bed. I needed a clock, I had no idea what time it was.
"Ugh."
Would people even want to talk to me? They seemed… upset last night. I wasn't sure that it was a good idea to go out and about. I had plenty of experience with bullies in my many schools, and didn't really want a repeat.
Maybe I would just be able to stay in my cabin for the rest of the summer.
Knock knock
I looked up, a frown crossing my face. Seriously? Right as I decided to avoid people?
Knock knock
I groaned, pushing off the bed and stumbling to my feet. This was so not what I wanted to deal with.
Knock knock
I pushed through the curtain to the entrance area, pausing to take in the multiple cubbies and a hanging area for jackets.
Knock knock
I opened the door.
"Finally! Where were you for breakfast Percy?"
I blinked at Selina, standing in my doorway and frowning at me. Her hair was covered with a pretty black veil, woven with shimmery pink patterns and held on with glittering hair pins sparkling with pink stones.
"Uh…"
She huffed, "You were supposed to meet us after breakfast to fix your hair. Come on."
She grabbed my hand, barely pausing long enough to close the door before she was off.
"Did you eat breakfast? I didn't see you there and it's almost time for lunch. We'll have just enough time to do your hair before lunch, so you can eat lunch if you didn't have breakfast. By the way do you have your hair clip- oh you're wearing it. You shouldn't wear it to sleep, so take it off tonight. But oh, we need to get you an outfit, are you still in your pajamas? Percy it's almost lunch!"
I reeled from the rapid fire questions and hesitantly offered, "I didn't eat breakfast?"
She frowned at me, lips shimmering faintly with some sort of gloss. "You don't look like you got enough sleep either… make sure you get more sleep tonight."
Her voice washed over me akin to rippling soft fabric, the scent of my mom's perfume filling me. I shoved past it, resisting the urge to lean into the familiar scent.
"I'll do my best," I mumbled, speeding up my steps to walk next to her instead of being pulled along.
She shot me a look I couldn't identify, brow furrowed and lips pursed, but nodded. And with that, pushed open the door to the Aphrodite cabin.
The door went straight into a seating area. It had two tables, both with a couch and two chairs by them. There were several sliding doors around the room that I assumed led to the rest of the cabin. The floor was soft, cushy with a pretty seafoam carpet.
Silena pushed me into one of the chairs, a soft brown leather with pink… studs? What were those metal bits called?
Drew was sitting on the couch across from me, Marinette curled against the further armrest knitting with headphones in.
"Okay!" Silena declared. "It's time to fix your hair. You just wanted a trim, right?"
Lacy dropped on the couch next to Drew before I could speak, a box in her hands.
"Hey!" Drew grumbled, adjusting one of the pins holding her veil in place (it was pink, and the pins gold, they sparkled a lot).
Lacy ignored her, smiling brightly at me, "Hey, you missed breakfast. We were worried, how are you feeling? And why are you still in pajamas?"
I smiled, warmth filling me at the show of affection. "I- yeah, thanks. I just… needed some time to myself. And-" I sent a look at Silena "-I wasn't given the chance to change."
"That's on you," she sniffed with a smirk. "It's nearly lunch time."
Lacy laughed, "Well, we'll fix you up to look like a proper Prince of the Sea now."
I blinked at Lacy as she started pulling jewelry and hair supplies out of the box in her hands, arranging them on the table between us. There was- a lot.
"Yes, yes, you'll look amazing when we finish. Mitchell, could you get him a change of clothes?" Silena called over her shoulder as she started looking through what Lacy had brought. "I wish Giovanni was here, he has the best outfits."
Mitchell hopped up somewhere behind me, grumbling about how his clothes were cool too. I heard a door slide open.
"Did you know your dad was Poseidon?"
"Drew!" Silena hissed, her brush faltering in my hair.
"What!? It's a fair question, I mean how could he miss it? Do you get any powers?"
I chewed my lip, fingers curling over my bracelet. This would be a good time to admit my powers- except Triton said- well that- that was probably to keep my Metua secret. So there wouldn't be a problem now, right?
"I… I can control water," I said softly, twisting my coral charm.
Silena paused once more, brush still and hand on the spray bottle beside me. "Wait… really?"
"How did you not know your dad if you can control water!?"
I huffed, annoyance creeping up my spine. "There are thousands of sea deities of all levels, and like dozens of demigod children of the sea are mentioned in the myths that aren't Poseidon's kids. I mean just look at Achilles! Why would Poseidon be my go-to?"
"That's true," Silena laughed, resuming her work on my hair. "I guess we're just so used to Poseidon being the big one that we forgot."
"So… why didn't you say something sooner?" Drew asked, her voice dripping with that same silky coil over my skin, the scent of sugary delights from my mom's job filling the air.
I raised an eyebrow, forcing myself to ignore the draw it held.
"About being able to control water?" she clarified quickly.
"I suppose…" I hesitated, trying to put all my thoughts together. I couldn't blame Triton, probably. Well maybe I could? But I didn't think this would be a good time to do it. So… "My mom- she always told me not to tell anyone about my powers so I just… got used to it. I guess now it's 'cause she knew my Met- er Dad is Poseidon and didn't want me to be in danger."
Silena hummed, reaching past me to grab the comb. "That makes sense, I guess. Your dad being Poseidon is definitely going to cause drama."
I winced, "…yeah…"
She carefully sectioned my hair, fingers quick and nimble as she made sure it was neat. "It's not something bad though! I mean, it's cool."
"Yeah," Drew assured, leaning forward with a bright look. "I mean, what powers do you get from it? You've known for a while, right? That you had powers. So, what can you do?"
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Silena added quickly. "We get it if it's personal."
"Ah, well… I can obviously control water," I said hesitantly. "I actually-" I coughed "-I actually figured it out because of the show Avatar… I wanted to waterbend like Katara."
"Oh my Gods," chirped a voice from behind me. "I tried that too!"
"I love Avatar," Silena gushed. "Ty Lee is my favorite character. She's super cool! Did you hear they made a sequel?"
I whipped around, completely ruining her work.
" What !?"
Drew gasped, "You didn't hear?"
"I was at a boarding school!" They had a sequel? How did I not know? "What's it like? Is Aang in it? What about Katara? Is it any good?"
"Woah now," Drew said, a grin on her face as Silena turned me back to face her. "We have a no spoiler rule… but I will say it just doesn't match up to Avatar: The Last Airbender yet. Also, Drew, Suki is better than Ty Lee."
My mind was racing and I was definitely going to have to get my hands on Legend of Korra as soon as possible, but also-
"Sorry, but Katara is the best."
"You're biased!" Silena giggled, pulling my hair back. "You are a waterbender."
"I'm going to be the best waterbender," I said smugly. "Thanks to Master Katara."
"Katara is pretty cool," Drew said. "Though, Zutarra was robbed ."
"I dunno," I said thoughtfully. "I thought her and Aang were kinda cute. He was a bit dumb sometimes, but they were cute, and he apologized when he messed up."
"Okay, but her and Zuko had drama, intrigue, and the symbolism !" Drew dramatically flopped on the couch, "They were perfect."
I shrugged, "To each their own I guess."
"Wait," She leaned forward, her eyes wide, "Can you do that octopus thing Katara did?"
I beamed, straightening in my seat. "I've learned how to do most of the stuff she did! I dunno blood bending, and it's hard to draw moisture from around me, but otherwise I've got all the waterbending I saw her do in the show down."
"Wait, that's so cool, you have to show us later."
My smile was far more genuine at this point, easy and relaxed. They weren't judging me, they were comfortable with me. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as I thought.
"And… Done!"
Silena shoved a mirror in front of my face, holding up another behind my head so I could see my hair.
I grinned. She'd only evened it out, or I assumed so, because it was still long enough for her to put it into a bun with a blue ribbon wrapped around the base, like they did in the water tribe. And she'd pulled a few shell clips from Lacy's collection to pin my hair in place.
"I love it," I gushed. "I love the way you did the bun!"
"When your hair gets longer I can do the ponytails too!" Silena chirped. "It'll look amazing."
" Thank you ," I said sincerely, turning to offer her a bright smile.
Lacy forced Drew to help her put everything back in the box.
"You'd better be on our team next Capture the Flag, Jackson," Drew said with a smirk. "You're not leaving us out to dry."
I laughed, "Absolutely."
Mitchell poked his head in the door against the far wall. "I'm back! I've got a few options, what do you want?"
Silena waved him to the table and started pulling out different clothes. "Hmm, not this one- maybe- no- I think… maybe this one-"
She finally held up a nearly sea green version of the camp shirt, a pair of jeans, and some bright blue socks.
"Yeah these will do, Percy over here-"
She shooed me through the door Mitchell had entered through, and across the short hall through another door that led into a nice bathroom. I was promptly told to change and left alone.
I was smiling as I tugged my shirt on, feeling warm. They were nice , it was nice .
"You done?" called Mitchell.
I finished straightening the shirt, "Yeah, coming!"
I slipped back to the sitting room, nervously adjusting my shirt as they looked over me.
"Oh, that looks so good!" Silena gushed.
"You should wear more green," Mitchell chirped, reaching forward to adjust the sleeve, "It brings out your eyes."
Drew snorted, "Please, he's got the Aphrodite eyes. Any color shirt will make them look good, though I think a dark blue-" she squinted at me "-no, purple shirt might look better, they'd match his eyes right now."
"Doesn't mean it doesn't look good! Honestly, you have to have some Aphrodite blood in you, those eyes are the trademark of the family!"
His own eyes seemed to change even as I looked at him, flickering a warm orange, like his own shirt.
"Uh, maybe," I offered. "My mom's always did it too. She said her dad's did."
"Maybe your grandpa was a child of Aphrodite!"
"Maybe," I offered. "That would-"
A conch horn blew, audible from inside the cabin. It was an effective end to the conversation.
I filed out with the rest of the cabin, Silena leaning over to adjust one of the hair pins and Drew fixing my shirt as we did. I left the comfort of the Aphrodite cabin to head to the dining pavilion, but the warmth of their friendship stayed with me.
I could almost see this being a home.
Triton POV
Metu was dead to me, savlu Metu.
Why did he claim Persi? He could've just like- let them think he was any random sea deity child. That would've kept him safe!
Like yeah, Persi revealed his powers, and sure maybe Persi would be assumed His child, but like- that didn't mean He had to confirm it!
There were loads of other sea deities! They might've assumed it was one of them!
Zeus had now banned contact, was trying to make Metu bring Persi up for a meeting to prove his innocence or guilt. But if he did that he might be killed , we couldn't allow that. And I couldn't call him then Iris would tattle, and I couldn't leave a message without Dionysus knowing, and he'd be obligated to tell.
I wanted to check on Persi, I was his older brother. But I had a responsibility to my subjects as Aipri.
And I knew, I did, that Metu claimed Persi for the same reason. That he wanted Persi hidden and safe but couldn't now. But I also- I didn't want that to matter.
I wanted Persi safe.
I couldn't do anything that would lead to war.
The water rippled and crashed, the calm waves I was known for lost in the face of my fear. I had to hope Persi could handle it, just till the solstice. I just wanted him to be safe .
Though it would be nice if the fish right outside my office would stop gossiping . I'd already received several dozen messages from many many tame. The polite wording in the message from Fetu and Lagi did not hide their demands to see Persi, nor their displeasure at not knowing his identity.
Twas their own fault, he was clearly my soha tatu. They were just blind it seemed.
I bit back a groan when a shark messenger swam in, pushing through the rippling currents around me. That was from the Wero family, now Elei was sending messages.
I couldn't decide if I was to blame Metu for claiming Persi, or myself for introducing Persi under false pretenses. As I was not accepting blame at the moment, Metu was clearly the cause of all my problems.
"Poseidon what's this I hear about you having a demigod son?"
Mevu's voice echoed Her displeasure and I forced my water to still, calm and in control once more. At least I would get some free entertainment at Metu's expense as Mevu made Her… displeasure clear.
Other POV
"Auherea..."
Tan taireo hummed where She sat working on some airomo, "Yes taiai?"
I leaned against the table beside her, water rippling around me as I watched Her. "How would you feel about another child?"
She glanced up, an eyebrow raised in a familiar look. "Another child?"
"Yes," I confirmed. "I found a child I wish to keep."
She laughed, "You cannot simply steal someone's child, hereai, we've spoken on this."
"It's not as if Poseidon has paid this one attention."
"Taireo, you cannot try to steal Triton again."
"No, no," I assured quickly. "He can keep His heir. I want His new Half-Blood child, you already like him anyways. The child is adorable , and you can teach him some tricks."
"Since when did He have a Half-Blood child? Didn't He take an oath?"
I rolled my eyes, "Please, we all knew that oath would not last. They may seek to hold to Their vows, but one to not have children? That was never going to happen."
Her lips twitched, "Fair enough. But you can't steal His child."
"Why not?"
"He'll be mad, and will make that clear. And the poor child would be caught in the middle. Perhaps you can bring it up with Poseidon first."
I raised an eyebrow, "You wish me to tell Poseidon I want His kid?"
She nodded, "Yes. Then you're not stealing him. You're… doing a trade. You can give Him… I don't know, a sea serpent or something. The Gods don't really get to take care of their Half-Blood children do they? Surely He'd appreciate something He's able to care for instead."
I considered for a long moment, "Well, that's true. Poseidon certainly hasn't paid this one any attention, more so than any other. I'll bring it up with Him."
Then I would fight Him for the kid if He said no. Honestly, why did Poseidon get him? Not like Persi had even met Him.
"You can't fight Him over the kid hetai."
I scowled, She knew me too well. "Fine. I won't fight Him for Persi."
She smiled, leaning up to kiss me, then paused, lips a bubble away from mine. "Persi? The little Half-Blood that keeps appearing here?"
I nodded.
She pursed Her lips, "Well…" she shook her head. "No stealing him, talk it out with Poseidon. If Poseidon says no, we can always take him as an honorary grandchild. He is of the sea after all. And Poseidon can't stop that."
I hummed, leaning in to meet Her lips. "As you wish hereai."
She wanted to keep him too, I could tell.