Chapter 1: Poseidon
Summary:
In which a whole lot of people appear on Olympus
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Poseidon did not want to go to Olympus. His brother was still blaming him for his bolt going missing and was throwing an equally-angry hissy fit over the fact that he’d broken the oath and claimed his son (the hypocrite). Poseidon did not want to go anywhere near Olympus unless it was because Zeus had decided to apologize for blaming him (and for being a massive hypocrite (like that would ever happen)).
Unfortunately, when the Moirai summoned the Olympian Council, the Olympian Council convened. The Fates didn’t summon them. They tended to simply watch as time went by. The last time the Fates had summoned the Council, they’d narrowly avoided an inter-pantheon war with the Egyptian and Germanic pantheons.
It wasn’t just the Council that had been gathered; Amphitrite and Triton had received their own summonses and were accompanying him to Olympus.
They arrived in the throne room to find it already busy. The rest of the Council was there, with a few other additions: Hades was speaking with Persephone in a shadowed corner; Artemis had her lieutenant at her side; Ariadne was embracing her newly-arrived husband; and Hestia was waiting to greet them.
“Brother,” she said, greeting him with a hug. “I’m glad you came. And Amphitrite and Triton as well!” she exclaimed, offering embraces to each of them as well.
“Angered as I am, not even I would ignore a summons from the Moirai,” Poseidon said. “Are we the last?”
“No,” Hestia replied. “Dionysus reported that Chiron was also summoned, as were quite a few campers. He had to arrange with the counselors who were not summoned to take care of the camp while he, Dionysus, and some of the counselors and campers are gone.”
Some of the campers…perhaps…?
“Do you know which campers were summoned?” Poseidon asked, doing his best to act casual. From the way Hestia’s face softened, he doubted he managed it.
“I do not,” Hestia said. “Dionysus did not say. Just that some were counselors and some were not.”
Her attention was drawn to the other side of the room, where it seemed Demeter had noticed that Persephone was with her husband and was making it everyone else’s problem.
“I’d best calm our sister down,” Hestia said, before reaching out to squeeze Poseidon’s hand. “I’ll speak with you more later, brother.” She moved quickly towards where Demeter and Hades were descending into a shouting match.
Amphitrite squeezed his hand before he could get lost in thought.
“I hope we’ll have the chance to meet him soon,” she said, offering him a small smile.
Triton snorted from his other side.
“You don’t have to like him, dear, but please be polite,” Amphitrite instructed.
“Yes, Mother,” he replied.
Poseidon considered the room. So far, the throne room was as it usually was, with twelve thrones and nothing else. Not even the temporary throne Hades used on the winter solstice was there. That wouldn’t do. There were already six additional deities present, and with Chiron and the campers coming as well…
Well, Zeus wouldn’t take the idea well from him at the moment, and he wanted to avoid talking to his brother as well. But he wouldn’t say no to Hestia.
His eldest sister had successfully gotten Demeter away from Hades and Persephone, and the pair was conversing with Hera near the hearth. From the way that they kept glancing at him and Zeus, he knew what they were talking about.
Poseidon reached out mentally to Hestia and expressed his concerns and possible solutions. Hestia shot back a wink in reply. Poseidon let himself relax. She’d handle it.
The doors opening heralded the entrance of Chiron and the campers. To Poseidon’s delight, Percy was one of them.
Amphitrite’s eyes widened at the sight of him.
“It’s a wonder everyone didn’t know immediately that he was yours, my darling,” she said quietly. “He looks just like you.”
“Just scrawnier,” Triton added.
“Be polite, dear,” Amphitrite reprimanded.
He wasn’t wrong. Percy was one of the smallest campers, though most of them were older than he was. He certainly didn’t have the muscle definition of demigods who had been training for years. Many of the other demigods were obvious in their parentage as well – Athena’s daughter had her eyes, Hermes’ boys had his smirk, Ares’ daughter had his scowl. The youngest of the campers was a boy that was so obviously Apollo’s, from his golden hair to his sunny smile to his blue eyes. He had two older boys hovering close to him – one with the same golden hair and another with the same squinty look Apollo got when he’d been staring down an arrow too long.
All in all, there were fifteen demigods accompanying Chiron, ranging from the son of Apollo who looked younger than Percy to another son of Apollo already in adulthood, as well as one satyr who didn’t look much older than his son.
The campers’ entrance was the gods’ cue to take their seats. Hestia was the one to stop Zeus, and with a short, mental conversation, his youngest brother’s face went from stern to mulish to resigned. Hestia nodded, satisfied, and snapped her fingers. Six additional thrones appeared in their semi-circle. Ariadne took hers beside Dionysus with a grateful smile. Persephone was beside her mother (to prevent Demeter’s complaints) and Hades was between her and Athena. Hestia had (quite wisely) placed herself and Amphitrite between Zeus and himself, with Triton at his other side. They all took their seats before the campers made their way to the center of the room.
“Lords and ladies,” Chiron greeted, bending forward in a bow. The campers bowed as well, some more quickly than others.
“Chiron,” Zeus greeted stiffly, though his eyes were focused angrily on Percy.
Poseidon scowled at his brother, which was enough to get his brother to stop glaring at his son and focus on Chiron instead.
“You received the summons from the Moirai as well?”
“Yes, Lord Zeus,” Chiron said. “I was given specific instructions of which campers to bring with me. We came as soon as the camp was settled. I left the remaining counselors and Argus in charge.”
“Very well,” Zeus said. “Now that we were all here –”
His brother was interrupted by a bright light, then suddenly the room was twice as full as it was before.
The newest arrivals had very obviously not known they were about to be transported someplace – they were all in varying states of dress, from business formal to sweatpants to the man standing in the center of the room, dripping wet and only wearing a speedo and swim cap, goggles perched on his head – and apparently reacted to being abruptly transported by drawing weapons with admirable speed.
Well, not all of them drew weapons. Half of the newest arrivals were children younger than any of the campers and didn’t appear to be carrying any weapons, much less than concerning mix of celestial bronze and imperial gold the adults had. Even the man in the speedo had a sword – was that bone steel? – though where he’d been keeping it, Poseidon couldn’t say.
Then they apparently got a good look at where they were, because most of them lowered their weapons, although they didn’t put them away.
The man in the speedo let out a heartfelt, “Bólbiton.”
“Language,” all the other adults chorused.
“Daddy!” one of the children – practically a toddler – exclaimed, ignoring the tension and making a run for the man in the speedo. The little girl was followed by two more toddlers, the three oldest children who looked about the age of the younger campers, and a blonde woman who had a baby clutched to her chest with one hand while she held a knife in the other.
The man’s sword disappeared…somewhere…as he gathered up all the children – his children? – into a hug.
“Daddy!” one of the older girls exclaimed. “You’re all wet!”
“I just got out of the pool, sweetie,” the man said patiently.
“I am curious as to how you went from Paris and we went from home to all being on Olympus though,” the blonde woman said, looking around with sharp, grey eyes.
One of Athena’s. Of course.
“I’m more concerned with the fact that we seem to have time traveled,” the man in the speedo said.
All of the other adults turned to look at him. He shrugged and pointed towards Chiron and the campers.
“It’s that or Olympus started a cloning project and didn’t tell anyone.”
The other adults turned to look at the campers as well. If it weren’t so odd, it would have been funny.
“This is so weird,” one of the two adult satyrs in the group said, his eyes fixed on the satyr who had accompanied Chiron. They looked enough alike that the time travel comment made perfect sense.
“You guys are so tiny,” a Latino man observed. “I am seeing it and still not believing it. How old are you guys?”
“Judging by everyone present, this must be the summer of 2006,” Athena’s blonde adult daughter said.
“And considering how tense the gods are, I’d say it’s before the summer solstice and the bolt is still missing,” the man in the speedo said. “And…judging by who’s standing where, I’d guess that it’s after the capture-the-flag game but before the quest so… June 10th or 11th? Since it looks like morning,” he added, glancing up at the sky.
The blonde woman hummed. “Sounds about right. How’d we do?” she asked, looking towards the front of the throne room.
“Today is June 11th, 2006,” Athena stated, her eyes fixed on her adult daughter. “What day have you come from?”
“August 2, 2024,” the blonde woman said. She looked over at Chiron. “Has the quest been assigned yet?” she asked.
“Percy was with the Oracle when we were summoned by the Moirai,” Chiron said. “We came straight here afterwards, though the trio has been chosen.”
“Midmorning, then,” the blonde woman said thoughtfully. “It was midafternoon for us.”
“I think the real question is, why are we here?” a girl with the silvery aura of one of Artemis’ Hunters asked.
“You are here because we summoned you, Huntress,” a gravelly voice cut in, drawing everyone’s attention to the doors. One of the babies started crying.
The Moirai stood there in all their glory, wearing long white gowns and white veils over their silver hair. Clotho held a spindle, Lachesis a rod, and Atropos her shears.
Poseidon didn’t know which one had spoken before, but it was Lachesis who spoke now.
“Many cords were cut before the length I allotted them. Many fates were altered from their assigned path. We have brought you to the past to go over your trials with the gods and demigods before they occur, so that the same mistakes will not be made.”
“Can they change things?” the man in the speedo asked immediately.
“The great events cannot be changed,” Atropos stated. “The battles, the wars…the threats must be ended. The people of this time will not consciously remember what they have read. But subconsciously, they will remember. Deaths may be averted. Your lost friends may be saved. Some personal tragedies may be deterred.”
The adult demigods exchanged looks.
“But people could be saved?” a blond man asked, almost desperately.
“Yes,” Clotho said simply.
That caused all of the new arrivals to start talking amongst themselves.
Only because he was still watching the man in the speedo and Athena’s daughter did Poseidon notice when the blonde woman poked a different blond man, this one wearing scrubs (definitely one of Apollo’s). The man in scrubs put his fingers to his lips, and the man in the speedo, Athena’s daughter, all the nearby children, and several others slammed their hands over their ears.
A painfully high-pitched whistle sounded through the room, made worse as it echoed across the marble walls and floors. It was successful at silencing their guests from the future, though most of them were glaring at the man in scrubs afterwards.
“What’s the price?” Athena’s daughter asked the Fates in the ensuing quiet. “This seems too good to be true.”
“It will not be easy,” Lachesis cautioned. “You cannot simply tell your point of view of what happened. It has been too long. You would forget details or leave them out due to embarrassment. That will not suffice. We have compiled the events of the past into a series of books, written from the points of view of the premier players in the wars.” Her gaze was firmly fixed on the man in the speedo. “I fear you shall bear the lion’s share.”
“Of course I will,” the man sighed. “But…this could save lives?”
“Yes,” Atropos said. “At the cost of your privacy. Not only your own secrets, but others’ whom you carry…all will be revealed.”
The man in the speedo frowned.
“I know a lot of others’ secrets. Is there any way to leave them out?”
“No,” Clotho said.
The man looked at the other adults.
“I’m willing to give up my privacy if it could save lives,” he stated, “but I won’t do that to all of you. I know a lot of secrets – some because you told me knowingly, some because I was in the right place at the right time to hear them.”
Athena’s daughter pursed her lips, but said, “I’m willing. My secrets – and I’m very aware that you know all of them – are nothing in comparison to our friends’ lives.”
“Second,” grunted a buff woman with the sides of her head shaved.
“Third,” Artemis’ Hunter said.
The rest of the time travelers – the adults at least – muttered their agreements.
The man in the speedo took a deep breath, then nodded at the Fates.
“Alright then. Is it really necessary for our kids to be here though?” he asked. “They’re a bit young for this.”
“Not all of you are required to be here,” Lachesis said. “But this will take several days. You will be returned to the future to the exact time and place you left –”
“Good,” the man in the speedo mumbled, “considering I was on international television at the time.”
“–and neither will time pass in the outside world here,” Lachesis continued. “Mount Olympus is now in a time bubble that none can penetrate. No one outside it will be able to perceive any differences. Because of the amount of time this will take, we presumed that you would not wish to be separated from your spouses and children for so long, so we chose to bring them into the time bubble with you. Estelle Blofis should stay, but the other children may stay or not at your leisure. We are certain that the Olympians can provide childcare. We have asked Leto to come to Olympus for that purpose, and there are others on Olympus who can assist her.”
Poseidon glanced over at Hera, who was scowling slightly at the mention of Leto. Artemis and Apollo, on the other hand, both looked cheered at the prospect of seeing their mother, who rarely came near Olympus since it was Hera’s domain.
“There are other rules you must know,” Atropos said, eyes fixed on the time travelers. “You will not be able to speak of any future events. The beings of this time must learn as you did, as the story progresses. We will allow you to introduce yourselves, but only your names and ages and – if applicable – your maiden names. You may say who your spouses and children are, and you may speak of your present occupations. You may not speak of your parentage, nor may you perform any actions that would make your parentage obvious, but your parents of this day may claim you as their own.”
“No spoilers, not even about ourselves, but they can,” the Latino man rattled off. “Wait, if they guess what’s going to happen, can we confirm it?”
All three Moirai tilted their heads in unison. There was a moment of silence that Poseidon might have considered unnerving had he not been a god. He was mostly just reminded of why no one liked the Moirai hanging around for very long.
“We had not considered that,” Clotho eventually admitted. “We will allow it, but yes or no answers only. No details.”
“What if they only partially get it?” the man in the speedo asked. “Is ‘sort of’ an allowed answer?”
The Moirai were quiet for another moment.
“Yes, no, or sort of,” Lachesis finally said. “Those are the only answers about the future that you may give.”
“You are allowed to clarify things – and your thought processes – after they happen,” Atropos added.
The Moirai looked past the time travelers for the first time, eyes fixed on the gods.
“Listen to these stories, Gods of Olympus,” Clotho ordered. “For they are not just stories, but the truth of your future. The actions you took and the actions you take would cause great suffering or great joy.”
“Listen well, demigods of the present, for your attention may mean the death or survival of someone you love,” Lachesis warned.
“Heed us, or Fate may alter for the worse!” Atropos finished before the very air around the Fates brightened and they flashed away.
The man in the speedo let out a put-upon sigh.
“I suppose I’ll go first,” he said, moving through the throng of time travelers to stand in front of the gods and demigods of the present. He looked up at them with piercing sea-green eyes…familiar sea-green eyes.
Poseidon knew what he was going to say before he opened his mouth.
“My name is Percy Jackson.”
Notes:
I fully admit this entire plot bunny was spawned by the idea of Percy showing up in the middle of Olympics wearing nothing but a speedo. Am I aware that the US Men's Olympic swimming team uniforms currently wears are essentially knee-length compression shorts? Yes. For the sake of hilarity (and embarrassing baby Percy), I say he is wearing the brief-style men's swimwear most of us think of when we say speedo.
Chapter 2: Percy 2006
Summary:
In which a ridiculous number of people are introduced.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Everyone stared at Percy-from-the-future before looking over at Percy. He ducked his head at the attention, trying not to blush. He had no idea how his future self – his future self?!? – was standing so casually in the middle of all of this wearing nothing but a speedo.
He also wondered how he managed to get that many muscles.
“My son,” the man in a brightly-colored Hawaiian shirt said. Percy had barely been able to look away from him since they’d gotten there. Even without him speaking, the trident he was holding was a dead giveaway as to his identity.
Percy smiled at the god.
“Hey, Dad,” he said with a small wave. “I’m thirty years old – almost thirty-one – and I enjoy long walks on the beach at sunset. And sunrise. And pretty much any time of day.”
“Why are you wet?” the younger man – god? – standing next to him asked with a frown.
Percy noted that they had the same sea-green eyes, the same eyes that Poseidon had. That must make him…Triton? He thought? Admittedly, most of what he knew about Triton came from the Little Mermaid, and this guy didn’t look like an old merman who had seven daughters. Though he didn’t know why Triton was asking why he was wet. He looked like he’d just gotten out of a pool.
“The Fates grabbed me from Paris,” Percy said. “I’d just finished a race and the cameras were rolling, so it’s not like I could stay dry without someone noticing. But if you insist.”
Between one blink and the next, Percy was dry.
Percy wondered how he’d done it. Well, he’d controlled the water in the fountain that had grabbed Nancy, and the plumbing in the bathrooms when Clarisse tried to swirlie him, so maybe it was a power he had?
Percy pulled off his swim cap – white, with a flag and JACKSON emblazoned on the side – tugged his goggles down so they were hanging around his neck, then pulled off another swim cap, revealing dark hair a little shorter than Percy’s own that looked way better than it should after just coming out of a swim cap.
“This is my wife,” Percy said, a smile on his face as he offered the hand not holding the swim caps to a woman with blonde hair curled like a princess’s and stormy grey eyes. She was the same one who had spoken to the Fates.
“Annabeth Jackson,” the woman said. “Née Chase. I’m thirty-one years old and usually stuck going on long walks on the beach whether I like it or not.” She said it fondly though, and she smiled at Percy when he looked at her.
Percy looked to his left, where Annabeth was standing next to him. Her mouth had dropped open in shock.
“My daughter,” a goddess who must be Athena said stiffly. She had the same stormy grey eyes as Annabeth – as both Annabeths.
Annabeth nodded at her mother, then gestured towards the group of children gathered around them. “These are our children,” she continued. “Alex and Addie are ten years old, Ari and Allie will be four in two weeks, Andy is twenty-one months old, and Archie is two months old.”
Percy touched each child’s head as they were named. Three of them had black hair and three honey-blond, but as far as he could tell, all of them had his sea green eyes.
“Six kids?” the girl from Aphrodite cabin – Percy hadn’t learned her name – burst out.
“Yeah,” Percy said with a grin.
Annabeth rolled her eyes.
“We were blessed by nearly two dozen fertility deities between our wedding and our honeymoon, Silena,” she said. “Birth control is sixty percent less effective on us than it us regular people.”
Blessings from fertility deities were not something Percy wanted to think about, so he looked at the other time travelers in the hopes that they’d continue introductions.
“I’m Estelle Blofis,” the dark-haired girl standing next to Percy and his family said. “I’m thirteen. I don’t think I can say anymore than that.”
None of the gods said anything, though they were all looking around at each other.
The blonde god with a quiver of arrows beside him – Percy assumed it was Apollo – was frowning.
“You feel like snakes,” he said slowly, then brightened. “You feel like snakes! You’re the new Oracle of Delphi, aren’t you?”
Percy would have much rather gotten a prophecy from a girl close to his age than the creepy mummy in the attic.
The girl smiled and nodded.
Apollo let out a cheer.
“My Oracle finally moved on! What was wrong with her?” he asked.
“Pretty sure that’s a spoiler,” Estelle said sheepishly. “I wonder if I can say –” she cut off suddenly. Her mouth was still moving, but no words were coming out.
Estelle frowned.
“That is apparently a spoiler,” she sighed. “And it looks like we literally can’t give spoilers.”
“Probably a good thing, Stella,” Percy said, ruffling her hair.
She swatted at his hands and stuck her tongue out at him.
Percy simply smiled back.
Percy wondered how they knew each other.
“Grover Underwood,” one of the two satyrs introduced. Percy could see it. The satyr in front of him looked just like his best friend – if his best friend was twice as old and had three times the confidence. His Grover tended to be a lot more nervous. He doubted his Grover would have addressed the entire congregation of gods without stuttering or ducking his head.
“I’m forty-six years old. This is my wife, Juniper,” he said. He was holding hands with a amber-haired woman wearing a green chiton. Her skin seemed slightly green, the same way the dryads he’d seen at camp were. She was holding a baby satyr in her other arm. “And this is our son, Ferdie,” Grover finished, a smile on his face. “He’s two.”
The baby satyr looked a lot younger than two. It took Percy a moment before he remembered that Chiron said that satyrs aged half as fast. That meant that the baby satyr was essentially the same age as a year-old human baby.
The next person to speak up was a buff woman in a tank top and basketball shorts. The sides of her head were shaved, with the rest of her hair tied in a short ponytail high on her head. She was carrying a spear in one hand and had a familiar scowl on her face…too familiar.
Percy knew who this was.
“Clarisse Rodriguez,” she introduced in a short grunt. “Formerly La Rue. Thirty-two.”
A god dressed as a biker grinned wickedly. Percy could see the resemblance.
“She’s mine,” the god who had to be Ares stated.
A Hispanic man with the sharp, mischievous features he’d noticed in his former cabinmates in Hermes cabin spoke up from beside her. He also looked familiar – Percy was relatively certain the younger version of this man was currently standing by the Stoll brothers – though he didn’t remember his name.
“Chris Rodriguez,” he said. “Her husband. Also thirty-two. These are our kids, Lena and Amy. Lena’s seven and Amy’s three.”
A man – god – in a track suit who had been fidgeting with his phone perked up.
“Oh! Chris is my son,” he said happily.
“Wait, what?” Chris asked.
All eyes in the room turned to him. The god in the track suit – Hermes? – frowned.
“Younger me hasn’t been claimed yet,” Chris said, his voice calm, though there was a tightness around his eyes. “It’s been three years.”
Hermes looked horrified as he snapped his fingers. A glowing caduceus appeared over Chris’s head.
“I’m so sorry, Chris,” he said. “I didn’t know…when I looked in on camp and saw you with your sibling… I didn’t realize that I’d never claimed you. I’m so sorry,” he repeated.
“It’s…” Chris started to say, but his older self cut him off.
“It’s not okay,” Chris said. “It’s something I have forgiven you for as an adult, but you didn’t realize you forgot me for three years. It’s not okay, and you don’t have to pretend it is,” he told his younger self. “Don’t hold onto the grudge, because anger and bitterness get you nowhere, but you don’t automatically think you have to forgive and forget. And don’t try to say you’re not angry,” he cut Chris off when the younger opened his mouth. “I’m sure you’re mostly relieved at the moment, but you’ll get to angry. Denial won’t help much. Let yourself process. Talk it over with a friend – not a sibling,” he advised. “I don’t think any of the in-the-know therapists I know are practicing yet…” he mused.
Percy let out a snort.
“I guess we should probably mention that Chris is a social worker specializing in demigods and is also one of our Camp therapists?”
Chiron looked intrigued.
“We have a social worker and therapists now? That seems helpful,” he stated. “Manipulating the Mist around some of the children’s paperwork is much harder when I don’t know all of the paperwork that needs to be done.”
“Yeah, I take care of a lot of that now, which means I don’t actually do too much of the therapy, but I’m pretty good about talking to the kids who are having issues with their feelings towards their parents,” Chris admitted.
“He takes that, and I get everything else,” a blond-haired man with violet eyes said with a smile and a roll of his eyes. “Pollux Boivin –”
“My son,” Mr. D cut in before he finished.
“That’s right. Hi, Dad! Anyway, I’m thirty-three. This is my wife, Violet – also thirty-three – and our kids: Tommy is seven and Ione is four.”
His wife and children were also blond, though different shades.
There was a short silence before a blonde goddess whose hair was woven with dried grasses spoke up.
“Violet is my daughter,” she stated.
Percy had no idea who Violet was. She didn’t have a younger counterpart among their group of campers. He also wasn’t certain who her mother was, though his best guess was Demeter. She had grass in her hair, after all, and the only other goddess with plants in her hair had flowers – and considering she was holding the hand of a god dressed all in black who had to be Hades – Percy sure she had to be Persephone.
The next blonde woman to step up was wearing rain boots and an apron with gardening gloves shoved in the pocket. There was a smear of dirt on her forehead that Percy suspected she was unaware of.
“I’m Katie Gardner,” she said before pausing.
This name Percy did know. Katie Gardner had come with them to Olympus.
“Also my daughter,” probably-Demeter said.
That also matched with Percy’s memories of Katie.
“This is my husband, Travis formerly-Stoll – he took my last name,” Katie continued, dragging a familiar-but-older man forward before pausing again.
“Travis and his brother, Connor, are also my sons,” Hermes said.
Those were the Stoll brothers names, then. Percy still had no idea if they were twins or not.
Katie continued. “We’re both thirty-two. Our kids: Tim, Basil, and Evie. Tim is six, Basil is four, and Evie is three.”
“I’ll go next, since Dad already mentioned me,” a man who must have been Connor Stoll said. “I’m Connor Stoll, thirty, I kept my last name, because although I am also tired of the ‘Stoll stole’ joke, having a rhyming name would be worse. This is my wife, Isolde Stoll née Bonnaire, also thirty, and our boys, Kurt and Lucas. Kurt is two and Lucas is fifteen months.”
“Isolde is my daughter,” another goddess said. Her appearance kept shifting when Percy tried to look at her, but since she was looking in a mirror, he suspected she was Aphrodite. “Though I don’t think you’ve come to camp yet in our time, have you, dear?”
“No, Mom,” Isolde said. She looked like she could have been a model, though that was probably normal for one of Aphrodite’s children. All the ones that Percy had seen at camp made the orange camp shirt and shorts look fashionable.
“I’m also not at camp yet in this time,” another woman said as she stepped forward. She was just as beautiful as Isolde, though she had a Native American look to her, complete with feathers braided into her hair. She was also noticeably pregnant, but still looked gorgeous. “Piper McLean Grace,” she introduced.
Probably-Aphrodite clapped delightedly.
“Another of my girls! How’s your father doing, dear?”
“Still having a great time out in California,” Piper said, a smile on her face. She reached out a dragged a blond man whose muscles rivalled Percy’s own forward. He had a blonde toddler in his arms. “This is my husband.”
“I’m Jason Grace,” the man introduced.
The room seemed to freeze. To his left, Luke and Annabeth both inhaled sharply. At the head of the room, Zeus finally stopped glowering and was staring at the man instead.
“And…you all…know each other?” the king of the gods asked slowly.
“We do,” the blond man said easily. Percy noted that he was wearing a pair of gold-framed glasses, one of the only demigods he’d seen do so. “There were a few rough patches, and a couple false starts, but we get along great now. There’s actually a few of us with my…uh…differences here, so if you all just make the claim and ignore the differences for the moment, I’m sure it will come up eventually.”
Percy snorted.
“I don’t see how it won’t come up eventually,” he muttered, though the room was quiet enough that everyone could hear it.
Zeus unfroze enough to nod before announcing, “Jason is my son.”
“And my champion,” the woman at his left said. Considering she was wearing a crown, Percy assumed she was Hera. Though why she was claiming one of her husband’s children as her champion when he was relatively sure half of the myths about her involved her trying to kill off her husband’s children, Percy didn’t know.
“This is our daughter, Leonie,” Jason said. “She just turned two. Baby number two doesn’t have a name yet.”
“When are you due, dear?” Hera asked Piper.
“My due date was a month away,” the woman said. “I don’t know how that’s going to work with this whole time-freezing thing. I’d really rather not be pregnant for an extra month. My back is killing me.”
The goddess gestured, and a plush couch appeared. Piper sank onto it with a look of relief.
“Thank you,” she said. “We’re both thirty, by the way.” She dragged her husband and daughter down beside her.
A teenage girl whose black leather jacket and combat boots clashed with the silver tiara on her head stepped forward next. The room grew silent once more.
The girl smiled slightly.
“I think a lot of you already know, and since you just spoke to my brother, I figured you should speak to me next. I’m Thalia Grace.”
The last name was new, but Percy had heard her name before, no last name involved.
“Aren’t you supposed to be a tree?” he burst out, before immediately blushing when everyone looked at him.
The time travelers all burst out laughing. Thalia was grinning.
“Yes,” she said once the other time travelers had calmed down. “At this point and time, I am.”
“Thalia,” Zeus said, breaking the others’ silence. “My daughter. How…?”
“Spoilers,” Thalia said with a smirk.
“You’re also one of my Hunters,” another goddess said, this one wearing cargo pants and a silver parka. Considering she also had a bow at her side, Percy was relatively certain that she was Artemis.
“I am, my lady,” Thalia said with a short bow towards the goddess. “That should come up as well. Physically, I’m fifteen. Chronologically, I’m-”
“Old,” Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Grover, and several other time travelers chorused, teasing smiles on their faces.
Thalia rolled her eyes, though she was smiling as well.
“Chronologically, I’m thirty-six.”
Percy didn’t know how that worked, but he assumed being a tree had something to do with it. And maybe being one of Artemis’ Hunters, whatever those were.
The next person to step forward was also a teenager, though this one was a guy with dark, curly hair, and blue eyes. Even some of the time travelers seemed surprised to see him.
“I’m Lester Papadopoulos,” he said. He held up a note. “The Fates told me not to say anything else, and no one should try guessing about me, because you probably won’t manage it and it will be relevant to the story later.”
The blond man in scrubs gave Lester a side hug with the arm not holding a child when he stepped forward, a dark-haired, darkly dressed man holding another child at his side.
“I’m Dr. Will Solace di Angelo,” the blond said with a sunny smile.
“Will’s my son!” Apollo said with an equally sunny smile.
Percy glanced at the three Apollo campers who’d come with them. He was pretty sure the youngest was named Will. He certainly shared the same blond hair and blue eyes.
Will’s smile brightened slightly at his father’s greeting.
“I’m twenty-eight,” he continued. “This is my husband, Nico Solace di Angelo, and our daughters, Maria Bianca, five, and Lea Michele, three.”
“Like the actress from Spring Awakening?” one of the older boys from Apollo cabin asked.
“That’s right, she didn’t get big until 2009,” Will mused. He looked over at his husband (since that was apparently allowed in the future). “You can explain how old you are.”
The dark-haired man made a face.
“I’m physically twenty-seven, chronologically ninety-two,” he said simply, as if that wasn’t extremely weird. “It’s a long story.”
The dark god Percy assumed was Hades sounded slightly strained when he said, “Nico is my son, born before the oath. He and his sister are currently in the Lotus Hotel and Casino, though if he’s twenty-seven, it can’t be too much longer until they leave.”
Nico tried to say something, but no words came out of his mouth. An unhappy look crossed his face.
“Spoilers, I suppose,” he grumbled.
The coffee-skinned woman who came up next nudged him companionably. She was followed by a buff Asian man taller than any of the rest of the time travelers who was carrying a two children with skin halfway between their parents. One had silky black hair in pigtails while the other had his mother’s cinnamon curls.
“I’m Hazel Zhang née Levesque,” she introduced.
Hades started slightly before saying, “Hazel is also my child, born before the oath. Hazel, how…”
“Sorry, Father,” Nico cut in. “We can’t say. Spoilers.”
She smiled at her brother in thanks before reaching (and reaching; her husband was a foot taller than she was) up to place her hand on her husband’s shoulder.
“This is my husband, Frank Zhang, and our kids: Emmy and Nate. Frank’s thirty, I’m physically twenty-eight, Emmy’s three, and Nate just turned one yesterday.”
Ares grunted. “Kid’s mine.”
Frank simply nodded at his father before following his wife back from the front of the crowd.
Percy was relatively certain most of the time travelers had introduced themselves. There were only a few adults left that he didn’t recognize. They all glanced between each other, as if asking who was going to go first.
Finally, a redhead with a baby in her arms and paint splatters on her jeans marched forward, accompanied by a dark-haired, green-eyed man also holding a baby.
“Rachel Torrington, thirty-one. My husband, Alabaster, also thirty-one. Our twins are Howie and Cassie, and they’re nine months old. Neither my husband nor I have parents present, so don’t bother guessing yet.”
Percy assumed that meant their parents were minor gods. Grover had told them that there were always a few at camp, and even more that weren’t noticeable enough to come to camp. He certainly didn’t know enough about minor gods to try to guess. He wasn’t even entirely certain of who all the major gods in the room were.
The next person to step forward was a Hispanic woman with her long, dark hair in a braid and a young boy holding each of her hands.
“I am Reyna Avila,” she stated. “I am also thirty-one. Like Rachel and Alabaster, my parent is not present. I do share differences with Jason, however, as do Frank and Hazel, since they did not mention it. These are my sons, Julián and Jovián. They are five years old.”
“Me next?” asked a man who looked like a Latino Santa’s elf who got lost in a machine shop. He was wearing mechanic’s coveralls knotted around his waist and a tank top that probably used to be white under all the machine oil. There was more oil on his face and in his hair, though it didn’t look like he noticed it.
The last couple – an older-looking satyr and partially-transparent woman with pointed ears and long, dark hair – waved him forward.
The man bounced forward. Percy noted that this guy’s ADHD seemed worse than his own.
“Awesome!” the man said. “I’m Leo Valdez, age thirty. This is my super-amazing and enchantingly beautiful wife, Callie –” The caramel haired woman next to him waved “ –and our super-awesome and fantastic kids: Essie is eight, Irey and Iggy are six, Sammy is three, and Cal is two days older than Nate – just turned one!”
“Leo is my son,” the least-attractive of the gods said. Judging by the tools he was fiddling with and the sparks of fire in his beard, Percy was relatively certain this was Hephaestus, the only other one of the Olympians who hadn’t spoken yet. One of the campers that had come with him was from Hephaestus cabin, but he was certain it wasn’t this Leo person. The Hephaestus camper – whose name Percy couldn’t remember – was much bulkier than the guy currently ushering his five children away.
“Guess we’re last,” the older satyr said. He was buffer than most of the satyrs Percy had seen and was carrying a baseball bat. “Gleeson Hedge,” he said. “Protector. This is my wife, Mellie, and our kids, Chuck and Jackie.”
Chuck was also a satyr who looked like a human seven-year-old – which would make him fourteen. Jackie looked like her mother, partially transparent with pointed ears, though she was wearing jeans and a t-shirt instead of a long dress.
“That everyone?” Percy asked, craning his neck to look around at all the time travelers.
“That’s everyone,” Annabeth confirmed a moment later. “I was counting.”
“Great,” Percy said. He looked over at Chiron and the campers. “Would you all introduce yourselves? I know half of this crowd probably can’t recognize you. Except for you Chiron,” he added hastily. “We all know you.”
“Hi Chiron,” the time travelers chorused, many of the children offering waves.
“Hello, everyone,” Chiron replied. “I’ll make the introductions, if I may?” he asked, looking over at Zeus, who nodded.
The king of the gods was still watching his children from the future, and not very subtly either.
Chiron went down the line of campers. Katie Gardner from Demeter Cabin, Silena Beauregard from Aphrodite, Clarisse, Charles Beckendorf from Hephaestus Cabin, the trio of Apollo boys – Lee Fletcher, Will Solace, and Michael Yew – Castor Boivin and his twin Pollux from Dionysus Cabin, Chris Rodriguez, Alabaster Torrington – who was apparently a son of Hecate – Travis and Connor Stoll, Annabeth, Percy himself, and then Grover.
Percy wondered why some of the people who’d been summoned to Olympus from the present weren’t among the time travelers…then he remembered everything he’d heard about the average lifespan of a demigod, and decided he didn’t want to find out.
“Before we begin,” one of the goddesses sitting between Zeus and Poseidon said, “why don’t we take a bit of time to let our time travelers get settled? We need to arrange childcare with Leto and some of the nature spirits and ensure that they know how to care for human children.” Her voice was so calm and comforting, it instantly made Percy feel at ease, before he realized she reminded him of his mom and grief welled up inside him once more.
“We can also take the time to arrange lodging for our guests,” the goddess continued. “If this takes as long as the Moirai expect it to, they will need rooms to stay in. Humans need food and sleep, brother.”
Brother…he was already relatively sure he’d identified Hera and Demeter, which made this goddess the last of Kronos’ kids…Hestia! That was her name!
“Also,” Percy piped up, “pretty much everyone here is ADHD, so telling us to sit down and listen to someone read for long periods of time is probably not going to go well. Especially demigods. We’re too used to being active.”
Percy was glad someone said it, even if he thought his older self might be slightly insane with the way he was talking to the gathered group of gods.
Hestia nodded at him.
“We’ll keep that in mind as we read as well, Perseus,” the goddess said with a smile.
Percy winced in time with his older self.
“Just Percy is fine, Aunt Hestia,” he said quickly.
“Percy, then,” Hestia said. “And I also think we should get you some other clothing to wear.”
Percy looked down at himself, like he’d forgotten he was only wearing a speedo.
“That would be appreciated, Aunt Hestia,” he said sheepishly.
“Artemis, Apollo, and I will speak with Leto,” Hestia said. “Zeus, Hera, if you would show our guests our hospitality and arrange their lodging and a meal for everyone to share, we can begin reading the books the Fates provided afterwards.”
Zeus opened his mouth to say something, but Hestia cut him off.
“They are strangers in our home,” she said calmly. “It is only right that we show them hospitality. And they are here at the behest of the Moirai, to share knowledge of the future.”
Zeus had a thoughtful look on his face.
“Very well,” he said. “Be welcome, travelers, as guests in our home,” he told the time travelers.
The whole group bowed, though definitely not together. They all seemed to be following Percy’s lead.
“Thank you, Zeus Xenios, for your hospitality,” Percy stated, his tone the most respectful Percy had heard him use the entire time they were there.
Zeus didn’t appear too happy to be hearing for him, which was probably to be expected since he was currently blaming Percy for his missing lightning bolt.
“I will show them to their rooms,” Hera said. “Chiron, you and your campers as well. I will arrange your sleeping quarters as well.”
She stood from her throne and walked towards the time travelers, shrinking as she went, until she was the same height as a human woman – if on the tall side. The mess of time travelers in the middle of the room parted as she walked through them to the doors, then followed her out. Their group of campers followed afterwards.
Queen Hera led them out of the throne room and into what Percy suspected was the main part of the palace. The first door she stopped at was where she ushered Chiron and all of the campers.
Percy blinked when he saw the room. He didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but the space they were sent to was a spacious living area, complete with couches, a TV, and what looked like several video game systems.
There were four doors on the back wall.
“One of the rooms is for you, Chiron,” Hera said. “Two rooms are for the boys and the last for the girls. I trust you remember your way to the banquet hall once you are all settled?”
“Yes, Queen Hera,” Chiron replied.
The queen of the gods nodded sharply before leaving the room to take care of the dozens of time travelers still milling about the hallway.
Percy ended up in a room with Grover and the four boys from Cabin Eleven. The three boys from Cabin Seven, the twins from Cabin Twelve, and Beckendorf from Cabin Five took the other boys’ room. All the girls were together, which was probably going to be interesting considering how well Annabeth and Clarisse usually got along.
“What do you think of all this?” Grover asked him quietly as they waited in the living room for everyone to gather so that Chiron could take them to lunch.
“I don’t know what to think,” Percy replied quietly, “except for feeling relieved that I make it to adulthood, which means that we’re not going to die on this quest.”
Grover shuddered.
“There is that,” he agreed.
He didn’t want to talk about the fact that he was married to Annabeth in the future. She was pretty, but she also scared him. The thought that he was married to her…well, he didn’t know what to think.
He also hoped his future self would be clothed by the next time they saw him.
Finally, everyone made it out into the living room (Silena from Aphrodite cabin had apparently been insistent on prettying up the other girls from camp before they had dinner with the gods) and Chiron led them out into the palace.
Notes:
In case anyone was wondering, the kids were getting introduced by their nicknames (for the most part). The rest of the author's note is just a list of people and their children in case you want the short version. I put \ way too much effort into full-naming all of these people, so I figured I'd share. I had a reason for every name I gave people.
2024 People:
Perseus Richard "Percy" Jackson (30) is married to Annabeth Sophia Chase Jackson (31). They have six children: Alexander George "Alex" and Zoë Adrasteia “Addie” Jackson (10), Elpis Aristomache "Ari" and Soteria Alcimache "Allie" Jackson (3-almost-4), Andronikos Pelagius "Andy" Jackson (21 months), and Archippos Nikomedes "Archie" Jackson (2 months).
Estelle Dorothy Blofis is 13.
Grover Underwood (46) is married to Juniper Underwood (?). They have one child: Ferdinand "Ferdie" Underwood (2).
Chrysostomos Pedro "Chris" Rodriguez (32) is married to Clarisse Clotilde La Rue Rodriguez. They have two children: Silena Charlotte "Lena" Rodriguez (7) and Amelia Augusta "Amy" Rodriguez (3).
Aikaterine Phyllida "Katie" Gardner (32) is married to Travis Jacob Stoll Gardner (32). They have three children: Timothy Reynard "Tim" Gardner (6), Basil Moritz Gardner (4), and Evanthe Mestra "Evie" Gardner (3).
Connor Methodius Stoll (30) is married to Isolde Aglaia Bonnaire Stoll (30). They have two children: Kurt Kallias Stoll (2) and Lucas Beau Stoll (1).
William Andrew "Will" Solace di Angelo (28) is married to Nicostrato Adelmo "Nico" Solace di Angelo. They have two children: Maria Bianca Solace di Angelo (5) and Lea Michele Solace di Angelo (3).
Leonidas Miguel "Leo" Valdez (30) is married to Calypso "Callie" Valdez. They have five children: Esperanza Elena "Essie" Valdez (8), Irene Beatriz "Irey" and Ignacio Jonathan "Iggy" Valdez (6), Samuel Ronaldo "Sammy Valdez (3), and Calixto Candelario "Cal" Valdez (1).
Jason Heraclitus Grace (30) is married to Piper Woya McLean Grace (30). They have one child: Léonie Columba Grace (2).
Frank Fai Zhang (30) is married to Hazel Odette Levesque (28). They have two children: Emily Marie Meili "Emmy" Zhang (3) and Nathaniel Neng "Nate" Zhang (1).
Reyna Avila (31) dropped her last name because she hated it and uses her middle name as her last name instead. Her mortal ex reacted badly to the news of Roman gods existing, so she dropped him and raises her kids alone (with the help of the entire legion). She has two children: Julián César and Jovián Augusto Avila (5).
Pollux Oeneus Boivin (33) is married to Violet Arista Royce Boivin (33). They have two children: Thomas Eleutherios "Tommy" Boivin (7) and Ione Champagne Boivin (4).
Alabaster Ambrosius Torrington (31) is married to Rachel Elizabeth Dare (31). They have two children: Howard Michael "Howie" and Cassandra Morgan "Cassie" Torrington.
Gleeson Hedge (120) is married to Mellie Hedge (?). They have two children: Chuck Hedge (14) and Jackie Hedge (10).
Chapter 3: Percy 2024
Summary:
In which a whole lot of people have a meeting.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
As far as weird life experiences went, time travel was definitely up there on Percy’s list, which was saying something considering his life. Adding to the weirdness was that he was only wearing a speedo (which didn’t actually bother him; by the third time you’re on international television in only a speedo, you stop caring), the fact that there was another version of him running around (and had he really been that tiny at twelve???) and the fact that his kids were with him.
He and Annabeth had done their very best at keeping their kids insulated from weird life experiences. Sure, they were the grandchildren of Greek gods, lived in a magically-created valley surrounded by a magic barrier that protected them from monsters, and had a hellhound as a pet, but that was all they’d ever known. They were never attacked by spiders in the night. They were never forced to strangle snakes in their cribs. They were never stalked by a Cyclops on the playground – never mind, Tyson had taken them to the playground before.
Time travel was not something he wanted his kids going through, though at least the younger ones probably wouldn’t remember this. Alex and Addie were ten though. They would remember this, which was unfortunate. They were too young for this. They’d only faced their first monsters at camp this summer. A disaster on the level of time-travel-caused-by-the-Fates was something he’d prefer they wait until American adulthood to encounter.
Reading books about the wars written from his point of view? He’d prefer the kids stay far, far away from the disaster this was going to be. The only reason he wasn’t going to get smote immediately was that Hestia had invoked Zeus’ aspect as the God of Hospitality. Xenia meant he was bound to offer them food, longing, and safe travel to their next destination. As long as they were staying in the palace, Zeus couldn’t touch them and none of the other gods could either.
Hera had left them all in a two-story suite with bedrooms for all the couples upstairs and cabin-style rooms for the children downstairs. Thalia and ‘Lester’ volunteered to stay downstairs to supervise. All of the youngest children were to stay with their parents, but everyone three and up would be allowed to stay at the ‘sleepover’, with the exception of Estelle. Reyna volunteered to share a room with her so she wouldn’t be stuck babysitting.
The bedrooms thankfully came with magic wardrobes, so Percy was at least able to change into a t-shirt and jeans. The comforting weight of Riptide returned to his pocket as soon as he was dressed. Changing also gave him a few moments alone with his wife, which was nice after being in Paris for more than a week.
“How do you feel about this?” Annabeth asked quietly, leaning her forehead against his shoulder.
“Terrible,” Percy admitted, “but if it can save them…”
He didn’t need to complete the sentence. Beckendorf, Silena, Michael, Lee…seeing them again, young and whole, was like a punch to the gut. The Fates knew what they were doing when they brought them here. They must have known that none of them would be able to refuse when their dead friends were staring at them from the other side of the room.
They returned to the common area to find the rest of the adults waiting for them, though the kids – including Estelle – seemed to be secluded away in the other rooms. Percy wasn’t the only one who’d taken the opportunity to change – pretty much everyone was now wearing t-shirts and jeans as opposed to the vast disparity in clothing they’d had before.
Almost all of them looked shaken, especially the ones who had lived through the Second Titan War. Will looked like he’d been crying. Clarisse had the mulish scowl on her face that meant she wanted to cry, but patently refused to do so and therefore needed to hit something instead.
“So what’s the plan, boss?” Connor asked from where he was sprawled on the couch in a way that wasn’t fooling anyone, not with how tense he was around the eyes.
Percy didn’t answer, instead asking, “The kids?”
“All in their rooms, which included all the top toys of 2006,” ‘Lester’ said. “I made sure they can’t hear us.”
Percy raised an eyebrow at him.
“Lester?”
The disguised god shrugged.
“The Fates told me to. That might mean we’re reading all the way to the Great Imperial War and they didn’t want me to spoil it.”
“Meg’s not here though,” Katie pointed out.
“I don’t trust Meg on Olympus,” ‘Lester’ admitted. “She’d offend someone and get blasted two seconds in.”
“And Percy won’t?” Annabeth countered. “The Ares thing is definitely going to come up.”
“And the time he yelled at Mr. D,” Thalia added.
“And the time with my dad,” Nico continued.
“Both times with your dad,” Annabeth clarified.
“Okay, so maybe I’m here to give the gods’ perspectives on things that happened,” ‘Lester shrugged. “Or I’m here to stop Percy from getting blasted. Or Chris, Alabaster, and Violet,” he said, looking at the three demigods who had sided with the Titans during the war.
All three looked apologetic, some (Chris) more than others (Alabaster).
“Will it even come up?” Violet questioned. “I mean, if it’s from Percy’s point of view…I don’t think we met until after the Titan War.”
“It will for me,” Chris said grimly.
Percy glanced at Annabeth.
“When did we first find out about Chris?” he asked.
“We overheard you when we snuck aboard the Princess Andromeda,” Annabeth told him. “Second quest. I don’t think we ever ran into Violet or Alabaster though.”
Chris looked at ‘Lester’.
“I’m sitting by you when that comes up,” he told him.
‘Lester’ shrugged. “Feel free.”
“So,” Will said, “Lunch with the gods and our dead family and friends, as well as our past selves, then we pass the kids off to my grandmother and whoever else ends up on babysitting duty, while we go listen to books from Percy’s point of view about the biggest tragedies in our lives.”
“Sounds about right,” Percy sighed. “Any more questions, comments, or concerns before we go?”
Calypso raised her hand.
“Since no one seems to have recognized me yet, please call me Callie until they figure it out. I don’t really want to be asked questions I won’t be able to answer.”
“Why didn’t the gods recognize you?” Percy asked her. “I think they would have made a big deal about it if they had.”
Calypso frowned.
“Perhaps because they’re used to me being a fifteen-year-old immortal Titaness, not a thirty-year-old mortal?” she said hesitantly. She looked over at ‘Lester’, who nodded in agreement.
“You definitely feel different now than you did when you were on Ogygia,” he said, “and none of us really rely on recognizing people by sight since we can all change our appearances. Do you plan to tell them?”
“Not yet, because of the spoiler rule,” she said. “Eventually. I’d like the chance to speak with Zoë.”
Percy’s mind blanked for a moment trying to remember why Calypso even knew Zoë…before he remembered that they were half-sisters. Calypso was the oldest child of Atlas, born from an affair with Tethys before he married Pleione, and Zoë was the youngest, the only child born after Atlas was forced under the sky. Calypso didn’t know Zoë. They’d never had the chance to meet.
Leo took her hand.
“I’d like to meet her,” he said quietly. “And I’m sure our kids would too.”
“Full disclosure, Zoë probably won’t like you,” Percy warned Leo, trying to force his thoughts away from the Huntress’ death.
“And it’s not you,” Thalia added. “She just doesn’t like men in general. Because of Jerkules. She might try to recruit Essie though,” she added thoughtfully. “She’s still a bit young for it, but not the youngest.”
“Maybe Essie shouldn’t talk to Zoë,” Leo said worriedly.
“Don’t worry,” Calypso said, patting his arm. “At the moment Essie is still planning to marry Alex. She’ll say no to the Hunters as soon as she learns she won’t be able to marry him.”
“Wait, what?” Leo asked, but Calypso was already continuing.
“I’m curious as to how long it will take someone from the present day to realize who I am,” she said thoughtfully. “I might not say anything until they figure it out. Or until I join the story,” she considered.
Percy winced.
“Do you think that will be included?”
“I can’t see why it wouldn’t be,” Annabeth said. “The Moirai did say that this would be at the expense of your privacy, so I’m sure all of our relationship drama will be included.”
Half the adults started groaning, Grover the loudest of all.
“You mean I have to suffer through the years of mutual pining again?” he demanded. “It was bad enough the first time!”
Clarisse patted his shoulder.
“We’re all in the same boat, goat boy. At least we’ll all be suffering together.”
“What about the kids?” Chris asked. “I mean, I don’t think most of them are old enough, but the Moirai said that Estelle should be there. Should any of the rest of them?”
“You’re going to hate me for saying this,” Thalia said, looking directly at Percy and Annabeth, “but you should consider letting Alex and Addie join.”
“Absolutely not,” Percy said immediately. The older twins were only ten. That was not old enough to hear about how much of a disaster his teenage years had been.
“She’s got a point,” Annabeth admitted. “Though I don’t like it.”
“They’re too young,” Percy tried to refute.
“They’re ten,” Nico said gently. “They’ll be eleven next month. They’re not much younger than I was when I fought in my first battle.”
“They’re old enough to fight, even if they’re not old enough for quests,” Clarisse pointed out. “They’ve both killed monsters. They’ve both just as stubborn as Annabeth was at that age, and you wouldn’t have kept her out of the reading successfully. If you don’t let them in, they’re probably try to dodge their minders and sneak in anyway.”
Percy grimaced.
Annabeth squeezed his hand.
“They’ve got a point,” she said again. “We can always use it as a learning experience for them. I mean, the amount of mistakes we made on our first quest alone…”
Percy snorted, a bit of tension leaving him.
“It’ll be a bit more in-depth than the “What Not to Do When You’ve Got a Quest” guide,” he agreed. “And they might decide they don’t want to stay once they realize that these books are just the really, really drawn-out version of how their parents got together.”
“Having met your kids, that probably won’t work,” ‘Lester’ said. “Just those two though? Not the younger ones?”
Percy looked around at the nodding heads of the other parents.
“Yeah,” he sighed. “Just Alex and Addie. None of the rest of them are old enough.”
“So that’s what, thirty kids for my mom to look after?” ‘Lester’ asked.
Percy tried to do a mental headcount of the kids present based on the parents present, but Annabeth beat him to it.
“Thirty,” she agreed. “Since Estelle, Alex, and Addie will be with us.”
‘Lester’ nodded. “She should be able to handle that. Especially if she’s got nymphs helping her. Uh, there aren’t any toddler grudge matches that I don’t know about, are there?”
“Not that I know of?” Percy said, looking at the other parents, who were shaking their heads as well.
“The usual sibling rivalries, but nothing that’s lasted more than a couple days,” Katie added. “We’ve tried really hard to keep any grudge matches from developing. It’s easier with the younger kids.”
Clarisse grimaced.
“Yeah, we’re still trying to keep one of my brothers and one of the guys from Cabin Nine from killing each other every Capture-the-Flag.”
Percy winced. Roger and Jeffrey had been escorted to Camp by the same satyr and had apparently known each other – and been rivals – since elementary school. Giving them sharp objects on a weekly basis had done nothing to cool their rivalry. Some of the adults had been shadowing each of them every Capture-the-Flag game since their second, after they’d been punished for maiming two weeks in a row.
“Any more questions, comments, or concerns before we go?” Percy asked. After a moment’s pause, he declared, “Great! Let’s grab the kids and head to lunch. You know the way, Lester?”
“Yes, but I’m relatively certain my stepmother will have left a guide,” Lester replied. “Say what you will about her, but she is an excellent hostess once hospitality has been offered.”
“One last thing,” Percy said, “I think Annabeth and I need to talk to Alex and Addie, and probably Estelle too. Could the rest of you take our other kids with you? We’ll catch up.”
“No problem, Perce,” Hazel said.
All of the kids had been sequestered in one room with Estelle in charge. The barely-teenager looked about ready to pull her hair out after only a few minutes.
“I refuse to be in charge again,” she told Percy bluntly after ushering all the children out to their parents, which included passing Archie over to Annabeth. Annabeth promptly passed him off to Hazel, who took him with a smile and followed Frank – carrying both Emmy and Nate – out the door.
Percy absently noted that Grover had Andy while Will had taken responsibility for herding Ari and Allie along with Lea. He grabbed Alex and Addie before they could follow their siblings out the door.
“Hey, your mom and I want to talk to you two about something really quick,” he told them before guiding them back to where Annabeth had taken a seat on the couch with Estelle, watching as the rest of their friends filed out of the room with their kids.
‘Lester’ was the last one to go.
“I’ll wait outside,” he said before leaving and closing the door behind him.
“We didn’t do it,” Addie immediately denied once the door was closed.
Annabeth raised an eyebrow at them. Percy tried to school his features.
“Okay, we did do it,” Alex admitted, “but Estelle was bragging about how she got to hear about your adventures and we didn’t, so she kinda deserved it.”
“I knew that was you!” their aunt burst out.
“Actually,” Percy cut in before they could start arguing, “we were going to ask you two if you wanted to be a part of the reading.”
“Yes,” Addie burst out first, though Alex wasn’t far behind. Both of them had the eager look in their eyes that Percy usually associated with Annabeth getting a new architecture magazine.
“Not so fast,” Annabeth cautioned. “There are going to be some ground rules.”
They hadn’t discussed ground rules, but they were probably a good idea if Annabeth had come up with some.
“Number one,” she said, “you need to do your best to be quiet and respectful. You don’t have to be still, and we’ll see if one of the gods can provide some fidget toys for everyone, but you have to be respectful. These aren’t the gods who know us. The Poseidon, Amphitrite, and Triton out there aren’t the ones that know you. You can’t talk to them like they’re the grandparents and uncle you saw last weekend.”
“Do I need to stay away from Uncle Triton?” Addie asked. “I know I’m supposed to on his sad days, but if he doesn’t know me will looking at me hurt him?”
Percy had not thought of that. Addie looked the most like him, except with Annabeth’s blonde curls, which according to their undersea family, meant that she looked just like Triton’s lost daughter, Pallas. At least their Triton had watched Addie grow up into looking just like his lost daughter. This Triton had just had it slammed in his face with no warning.
“We can ask your uncle…or maybe your grandparents,” Percy decided. “I’ll take care of it; you just do what I tell you to, okay?”
Addie nodded solemnly.
“Rule two,” Annabeth continued, “you listen to everything your father and I tell you. If we tell you that you’re going to spend a chapter with the other kids, you listen. No arguments, or you’ll be spending the rest of the reading with the other kids. Understand?”
“Yes, Mom,” the twins chorused.
“Three,” she said, “you don’t share any secrets you might learn during this. Your dad and I learned a lot of our friends’ secrets over the years, and those aren’t something you can go around telling people, even your friends. Even if the secret is about one of your friend’s parents. Four is very similar: don’t go around talking about the reading with the other kids later. Their parents decided that they weren’t old enough for this, so if you two start sharing everything with them, then you won’t be allowed in the reading anymore either.”
“Estelle, these rules apply to you too, even if the Fates said you have to stay in the reading,” Percy said firmly. “If you break them, I will make sure that Mom grounds you when you get home.”
Annabeth nodded in agreement.
“We reserve the right to add more rules if anything comes up,” she told them. “Understand?”
“Yes, Mom/Annabeth,” the trio chorused.
“Good,” Annabeth said. “Now, why don’t we go have lunch?”
“It’s really cool to see you younger than me, Percy,” Estelle giggled.
Percy smiled at that.
“Just remember, you can’t tell him you’re his sister,” Percy said. “Mom hasn’t even met your dad yet. As far as he knows, he has a different stepfather.”
“Really?” Alex asked. “Grandma was married before Grampy?”
Percy tried not to wince at the unhappy memory.
“Yeah, she was,” he answered gently. “He wasn’t a very good guy, but once he was gone that meant that your Grandma was able to meet your Grampy. But they won’t meet for another year and half, so no spoilers!”
All three kids nodded. This was probably the most agreeable they’d been all summer. None of the kids had appreciated how much he’d been gone recently for the Paris Olympics.
“Come on, everyone,” Annabeth instructed. “I’m sure you’re hungry.”
As if to prove her right, Percy’s stomach let out a growl.
“I wasn’t actually talking to you,” she told him.
“Hey! I just finished a race! You know how I get,” he said sheepishly.
She rolled her eyes with a smile.
“Come on. Let’s go get some food.”
Notes:
Notes on a few people and why they are where they are in the future:
Jason Grace did die in the Great Imperial War, but he was resurrected by Hades as a favor to Hera, who afterwards promised to be a better sister and treat him and his children as family, like she should have all along. Jason and Piper did not get back together right away, but finally ended up married in 2021.
Percy and Annabeth ended up with deities from four different pantheons at their wedding, and due to gossip among different beings, ended up with nearly two dozen different fertility deities blessing them as a wedding gift. Not all of said fertility deities were at the wedding, but they heard about it via friend-of-a-friend (said friends were named Carter, Sadie, and Magnus). They then proceeded to honeymoon in Hawai'i and got blessed by a trio of Hawaiian gods: Ku, Hina, and Haumea.
Alabaster Torrington eventually came up with an enchanted object that would keep monsters from being drawn to half-bloods, which allowed them to live in the mortal world for periods of time. It stopped working if they fought a monster with it on, and it messed with their ability to see through the Mist, so it was useless on quests, but it allowed a lot of demigods to survive to adulthood - and through adulthood - in the mortal world. He met Rachel Dare after he was pardoned for creating the charm and they hit it off. Rachel held onto the Oracle for thirteen years before giving it up to Estelle and eloping with Alabaster.
Estelle Blofis was clearsighted from birth and grew up with a bunch of demigods around. She also had prophetic dreams as a child, and Apollo and Rachel both pegged her as the next Oracle by the time she was six. She became the Oracle of Delphi when she was twelve.
And now to the OCs!
Violet Royce Boivin and Isolde Bonnaire Stoll are both Titan War (and Giant War) survivors.
Violet, daughter of Demeter, fought for the Titans and was pardoned afterwards as one of the twenty-eight demigod survivors from their side. She returned to Camp Half-Blood after the war and reconnected with Pollux. As a daughter of Demeter, Violet had spent a lot of time in the strawberry fields at the same time as Castor and Pollux, who were the same age. They had a lot of issues to get over first, but they eventually got married.
Isolde, daughter of Aphrodite, started at camp Percy's second summer. She and Connor Stoll never really had any interaction until she saved his life during the Battle of Manhattan. After that, they started talking - mostly IM-ing, since Isolde was not a year-rounder - and then eventually got together after the Great Imperial War.
Chapter 4: Poseidon
Summary:
In which a lot of people have dinner.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Someone – Poseidon assumed Hestia – had redone the banquet hall. Everything was now sized for mortals, even the dais where the Council ate. The dais had been redone as well, with seats for twenty. There were four long tables facing them, with enough seats for all of the demigods, both present and future.
Unlike the Council Chamber, there was no seating chart, so Poseidon specifically sat at the edge of the table, as far away from Zeus as possible.
Hopefully Zeus and Hera wouldn’t insist on them always sitting at the dais. He’d much prefer to spend the time to get to know his youngest son – both versions of him.
Amphitrite took the seat next to him, and Triton next to her. He wasn’t surprised when Hermes chose to sit beside Triton – since they were both messenger gods, their duties overlapped rather often.
Zeus and Hera took the two seats in the middle of the table – like usual. Hades also seemed to want to get away from their brother, and so took the opposite edge, with Persephone beside him, then Demeter. Hestia took the seat beside Demeter, presumably to de-escalate any conflicts before they could start.
The twins entered with their mother between them and Artemis’ lieutenant trailing behind them. Apollo took the seat next to Hermes, then Leto, then Artemis, then Zoë Nightshade. Poseidon was equally unsurprised when Artemis pulled Athena to sit between Zoë and Zeus. Artemis didn’t trust her hunters around any of the male gods, and Zoë sitting next to Aphrodite would go badly.
Ares sat next to Hera, then Aphrodite, then Hephaestus. Dionysus and Ariadne took the last two seats between Hephaestus and Hestia.
Not their usual seating arrangement, but it was the one best suited to avoid any fights with the children in the room, even if they weren’t there yet.
Amphitrite decided the best way to distract him was a particularly difficult bit of legislation making its way through the Atlantean courts, which pulled Triton into the conversation as well, with Hermes putting his two drachmas in every-so-often, even though he rarely visited Atlantis and had next to no knowledge of the ethics of breeding ocean dolphins with river dolphins to allow euryhalinity.
Poseidon’s attention was drawn away when Chiron and the campers entered the room. Chiron ushered the campers to the table furthest from the door – the table closest to him. Chiron placed himself at the far end of the table and the four girls with him clustered around him. The boys took up the rest of the table. To Poseidon’s surprise – and pleasure – Percy was at the corner of the table closest to him. He smiled and waved at his son, who waved shyly back.
Poseidon wasn’t sure what to do next, but his attention was drawn away from his son when Hermes made a comment (that he missed) that resulted in Triton threatening to strangle him. De-escalating that took time away from interacting further with his youngest son, though his gaze was drawn to him again and again as the conversation persisted. Percy appeared to be deep in conversation with the satyr with him, with some of the other boys occasionally chiming in. From the way all of them tended to glance towards the girls at the other end of the table, it seemed that none of them were sure how to handle the blatant visual of their future spouses.
A loud burst of noise heralded the entrance of the time travelers into the room. While Chiron’s campers had been quiet and nervous-looking, the time travelers were anything but. There were at least a dozen conversations going on, the children were running rampant around their parents’ feet with little being done to corral them, and laughter rang through the air.
Poseidon glanced through the crowd. Percy wasn’t there. Neither was his wife (a daughter of Athena? Really?) nor their two eldest children nor the young Oracle. He did spot the younger four children – Pluto’s daughter, Hazel, was carrying the youngest; the younger satyr, Grover, had the second-youngest; and Apollo’s son, Will, was keeping an eye on the younger twins while they ran around with his daughter.
The older children all gathered at the middle of the three empty tables. Their parents seemed content to let them go as they gathered at the tables on either side, though he noticed that the youngest ones were kept with their parents. Some were held in laps, others placed beside their parents in chairs that turned into highchairs. The chairs for the older children turned into boosters so that they were all able to reach the table.
Poseidon glanced around once more, hoping the older version of his son would appear. Then he felt a tug at the bottom of his shorts.
He looked down to see two heads of black curls looking up with him with identical, familiar sea-green eyes. Percy’s younger twins – Allie and Ari, though Poseidon wasn’t sure which was which.
“Papa, up?” the closest one asked.
Bemused, Poseidon picked her up, but before he could set her on his lap, she exclaimed, “Nana!” and threw herself at Amphitrite.
Amphitrite looked equally bemused as she caught her. The little girl smiled at his wife and wrapped her arms around her neck in a hug.
“Hi, Nana!” she exclaimed again. She then looked over at Triton. “Hi, Unca Tri!” She waved furiously.
Triton waved back, looking baffled.
Poseidon felt another tug at his shorts. He looked down to see the other little girl.
“Papa, up?” she asked, holding her arms up.
Unlike her twin, this child seemed perfectly happy to settle in his lap, though she did say ‘hi’ to ‘Nana’ and ‘Unca Tri’. She then proceeded to start stealing food off his plate – which he quickly changed to make sure it was safe for mortals – while telling him every detail of everything that had happened since the last time she saw him – which, from the way she was telling it, had been the day before. Her sister was having a similar conversation with Amphitrite and Triton, interspersed with talk of how ‘Unca Tri’ had promised to take them to see the fish-ponies again later, was it later yet, please?
Poseidon glanced around the room. The other gods were looking at the interesting tableau they were making with raised eyebrows, although their conversations hadn’t stopped. Chiron’s campers were staring at them with open-mouthed shock. Admittedly, it had been a long time since he had interacted with a child of any age. He’d only visited Percy as a baby for a scant few moments, not willing to risk drawing attention to him. Or perhaps the campers’ shock was more due to the fact that gods were humoring mortal children at all, even mortal children with the blood of the gods.
On the other hand, none of the time travelers were giving them a second glance. Will, who had been watching the twins alongside his own daughter was now sitting between his husband, Hades’ son Nico, and an empty seat. Their daughter who had been with the twins, Lea Michele, was now in the lap of the Roman Reyna, who was sitting across from Nico. The time travelers, while nominally keeping their own children with them, seemed perfectly willing to pass them around to each other at a moment’s notice, and the children seemed perfectly willing to go. They were all extremely comfortable with each other, and comfortable enough on Olympus to let their children wander off.
Poseidon wondered what had changed in the future to allow that.
Finally, the doors opened once more to admit Percy, Annabeth, their older twins, Alex and Addie, the young Oracle, Estelle, and Lester, whom Poseidon had no idea whose child he was. Besides looking vaguely Greek – like most of them did – with dark curls and blue eyes, there was nothing else to hint at his identity. His aura was strangely muffled – which must’ve been the Fates’ doing.
Lester didn’t even hesitate before making his way into the room and weaving through the tables to take the seat between Will and Aphrodite’s pregnant daughter, Piper. Little Lea Michele practically lunged across the table to sit in his lap instead.
Alex, Addie, and Estelle went straight for the middle of the three time-traveler tables, joining the rest of the children. Addie and Estelle were across from each other at the far end while Alex took a seat midway down the table, next to one of the older boys.
Percy made his way towards Poseidon, while Annabeth seemed to be retrieving their youngest from the satyr who was still holding her.
“Ari, Allie,” Percy greeted, sounding serious, “are you being good for Nana and Papa?”
“Yes, Daddy,” the twin Amphitrite was holding said, while the one Poseidon had furiously nodded.
“Uh-huh! I told Papa about preschool today, and how we drew pictures of monsters, and how Amy punched Basil when he said her drawing was stupid, and then Miss Miriam made them sit in time out at recess!” the twin Poseidon was holding rattled off.
“That sounds very dramatic,” Percy said solemnly. “Are Basil and Amy getting along better now?”
The little girl shrugged.
“Well,” Percy continued, looking over to the right, “we’ll have to let your babysitter know that Basil and Amy shouldn’t stay too close together.”
Poseidon glanced over to see Leto nodding in acknowledgement.
Percy finally looked up at him instead of his daughters.
“So, uh, are you two all right with this? I mean, they know you guys in the future, but you obviously haven’t met them yet, so if you’re uncomfortable with this, Annabeth and I can take them back to sit with us.”
Both of the little girls made protesting noises at that, but Percy cut them off with a look.
“What are the rules, mou ichthúdia?”
“No bugging Nana and Papa when they’re busy,” both of the girls muttered in unison.
“That’s right,” Percy said solemnly, “and even if it doesn’t look like they’re busy, we’re visiting Olympus right now, so Nana and Papa are usually busy when they’re here. You have to ask if you can stay with them, and not get upset if they say no, because they want to spend time with you but they aren’t always able to.”
Both girls turned to look up at him with large, pleading eyes. Poseidon’s will crumbled. He could see Amphitrite’s doing the same.
“They’re no trouble at all,” Amphitrite said firmly. “We’re perfectly happy to have them sitting with us.”
Percy nodded, a soft smile on his face. “Epaino, Mammía,” he said.
Poseidon blinked at the usage of Ancient Greek. It had been a long time since Amphitrite offered that informality to one of his mortal children. She was never harsh with them, but she only suggested they call her something so familiar when she was especially fond of them.
“Just let us know if you need anything,” Percy said. He started to turn away.
Before he could leave, Poseidon said, “One thing.”
Percy looked back.
Which one’s which? Poseidon mouthed.
Percy looked like he was resisting the urge to laugh.
“Ari, have you been telling your Nana and Uncle all about the hippocampi?” he asked.
“Fish-ponies!” the twin on Amphitrite’s lap insisted.
“If you say so, ichthúdion,” Percy said. “And Allie, be good for your Papa, okay?”
“Yes, Daddy,” the twin Poseidon was holding replied.
Allie. He had Allie. Good to know. He probably wouldn’t get them mixed up now.
Probably. Their auras were remarkably similar, and they were physically identical. But he’d do his best.
“We’ll be right over there if you need anything,” Percy said before heading to the time travelers’ tables and taking a seat. He was the closest of the time travelers to Poseidon, taking the front corner. His wife was next to him, with their second-youngest in a chair between her and Jupiter’s son – Jason. Their youngest child was at the same table now, but was currently being held by the Roman Reyna at the opposite end of the table from Percy.
Poseidon continued to listen to his little granddaughters throughout the meal. He wasn’t sure when the last time he’d held one of his grandchildren had been. This was a pleasant change of pace, even if the little girls were intent on stealing food off their plates and switching seats with each other every few minutes. Amphitrite seemed equally charmed. Triton just seemed confused, even more so when both girls decided he had been ignored and climbed onto his lap instead.
Hermes was very obviously laughing at his cousin. Poseidon tried not to do the same. Triton hadn’t sired a child in millennia, not since Pallas died and Libya faded. It was good to see him holding a child again.
All too soon, their meal was finished and Hera was ushering the gods and the campers back to the throne room. Hestia whisked most of the time travelers and Leto off to get the kids settled before they began, but a few stayed with them – Thalia and Lester.
Someone (Poseidon’s money was on Hestia) had rearranged the throne room while it was empty. While the thrones were still there, the main feature of the room was a series of plump couches surrounding the central hearth, which had sunk into the floor so that the flames hovered around ankle-height (for mortals) – presumably so that they could all see each other as they read.
Poseidon noted Hera’s frown, but she didn’t pause before heading to the couch at the front of the room, closest to her throne. Zeus followed her, taking a seat at her side. Since they apparently weren’t following the usual council seating chart, Ares, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus took the couch next to Hera, while Athena took the one next to Zeus. Hestia joined her there. Hades sat on the next couch with Persephone, with Demeter inserting herself at Persephone’s other side. Apollo, Artemis, and her lieutenant took the next couch, with Artemis placing herself in the middle to separate Apollo from her Hunter. Hermes took the next couch, next to Apollo, and Triton sat next to his cousin.
Amphitrite tugged him over to the couch after Triton.
On the other side of the room, Ariadne and Dionysus had taken the couch after Hephaestus, and Dionysus had taken advantage of the situation by pulling the present-day versions of his sons to sit with them as well. Chiron settled himself between that couch and the rest of his campers, with a cushion that Hestia provided shielding him from the cold marble floor.
The present-day campers seemed to be dithering about where to sit. They were interrupted by Thalia, who grabbed Annabeth, Grover, and Percy, declared, “You three are going to need hugs,” and dragged them over to an empty couch, placing herself between Annabeth and the satyr, with Percy at the end.
Poseidon absently wished he’d gotten to his son first, like Dionysus had. That would have been nice.
The other three female campers, Clarisse, Silena, and Katie took the couch between Chiron and Annabeth. The rest of the campers took the next two couches: first the ones from Hermes’ Cabin – Travis, Connor, Chris, and Alabaster – then Apollo’s sons – Lee, Will, and Michael – and Hephaestus’ son, whom Poseidon had noticed the other campers address as Beckendorf.
The time travelers filed into the hall then, minus all of their children except for the young Oracle and, to Poseidon’s surprise, Alex and Addie. Poseidon’s eyes widened at the first clear view of his oldest granddaughter’s face, and he immediately looked over to Triton.
His eldest son’s lips were tight, though he hadn’t looked away from Addie Jackson. With her blonde hair and sea-green eyes, the resemblance was obvious. Not even Kalliste and Triteia resembled their lost sister so much as this child did. Poseidon could almost believe it was thousands of years before, when Pallas was still young, and the dark-haired, grey-eyed boy beside her could have easily been Athena as a youth, when she had cut her hair short to mimic others her age.
Poseidon blinked again, and it was his mortal granddaughter and grandson before him, instead of his lost granddaughter and niece. While he had been lost in memory, Percy had taken the couch beside him, with his two children and the young Oracle wedged between him and his wife on the Couch.
The satyrs and their wives took the next couch, with the younger one sitting closest to Annabeth, the elder sitting on the opposite end, and their wives between them, seemingly in the middle of a conversation about raising young satyrs.
Ares’ daughter, Clarisse, sat on the next couch, closest to the older satyr. Her husband, Chris, sat beside her, then Hecate’s son, Alabaster, and his wife, Rachel, whose aura was as muffled as Lester’s. Speaking of Lester, he took the closest seat on the next couch, followed by Will and Hades’ son, Nico. Three of the four Romans took the next couch, with Pluto’s daughter, Hazel, sitting closest to her brother, then her husband, Frank, then Reyna. The last of the Roman’s, Jupiter’s son Jason, took the next couch with his pregnant wife, Piper, who took the opportunity to lay down across the couch with her feet in her husband’s lap.
Travis and Connor were on the next couch, between their wives, Katie and Isolde. The last empty couch was filled by Leo, Callie (the last of the mysterious visistors), Pollux, and Violet, who sat closest to her sister, while Leo was closest to his present-day brother.
“Now that we’re all here,” Zeus began, before there was a flash of light and a book fell into his lap. Zeus pulled a note off the book and read it silently before clearing his throat.
“This note is from the Moirai,” he announced. “It reads: Each book will appear once the previous one is finished. Nothing may be skipped or excluded. No one may leave the room in the middle of a chapter, but breaks can be taken between chapters. We expect that this will take several days. No one from the present may read ahead, but the time travelers have leave to do so in order to suggest the best places for breaks to be taken. The books are enchanted so that everyone will be able to read them, no matter if they suffer from dyslexia or not. Remember our warning.”
“It would probably be best if we rotate readers,” Hestia said. “Would anyone like to go first?”
“I will,” Percy spoke up. “I’d also like to judge whether any particular chapters would be a bad idea for someone to read, especially the younger campers.”
“Very well,” Zeus nodded. The book disappeared from his hand and appeared in Percy’s lap.
The older version of his son opened the cover and snorted.
“What is it?” his wife asked.
“Chapter One,” Percy read out. “I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher.”
Notes:
On Ancient Greek: RR wrote it in Latin letters so that readers could attempt to pronounce it. I'm doing the same.
Ancient Greek translations (roughly) (I think):
mou ichthúdia - my little fishies
Epaino, Mammía - Thank you, Mother
ichthúdion - little fish
This is as much as I'm publishing unless/until I feel that I have enough written to have a chance at this being complete instead of just another WIP.
Hope you enjoyed it anyway!
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Last Edited Wed 01 May 2024 05:45AM UTC
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