Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Notes:
I can NOT believe that I have to add this but if you don't like reading what I have to write then be polite and don't comment. You can choose to have your own opinions, I don't care but if you don't like my fic then just don't read it. Congratulations, I feel like having a more nuanced view of Sally Jackson, (in chapter 14) it is NOT bashing, it is only PART of Percy's changing views of his mom and it adds to MY STORY.
If you don't like it, don't fucking comment hate and bs because I don't care for it. This is Ao3, I am NOT being payed for this, it is being posted because I feel like it, WE ARE ONLY 14 CHAPTERS INTO SMTH THAT IS SHAPING UP TO BE LONG. (as of 2025/08/26)
This is not your fucking story and I don't care.
This is for fun. I am doing this for fun, because I'm part of this fandom. So leave the bullshit in your irl bc i will be deleting comments that are just outright rude instead of being polite with criticism.
Don't be a fucking asshole.
Learn some goddamn manners.
Chapter Text
Percy’s day started great. His courses were going fine, the day was nice, Estelle had enjoyed the pancakes –Blue of course,-- that he had made for breakfast and studying for his business advertisement classes was going well. Nothing could go wrong.. Could it?
Fuck. I just jinxed myself didn’t I? Yep the fates are definitely going to ruin today.
Percy’s thoughts were interrupted by an abrupt knock onto the outside of the seminar room he had reserved for himself.
Yeah. Fucked.
“Hello.? Come in, the door isn’t locked.” Percy called out to whoever –probably a god– was outside the room.
Speak of the gods and here they appear. Percy thought as he turned his head towards the door as Aphrodite and Ares’ walked in the seminar, giving him a wave and a scowl, respectively.
Swiveling his body towards the gods as they approached, Percy spoke.
“Ares. Lady Aphrodites.” he murmured, distracted with gathering his notes and homework into a neater pile.
“Perseus darling!~ Terribly sorry to interrupt you while you're working hard.” Aphrodites cheerfully exclaimed. “But me and Ares have a small favour to ask of you.”
“...”
“.. and what exactly is this small favour exactly?” Percy questioned giving the two immortals his attention.
“ –well dear, a few years ago, a bit after the whole second Titanomachy situation, it was my turn to organize a date for the two of us, and so off we went. So we went around, had some lovely homemade barbeque with this lovely family in texas –Ares what was her name again– well anyways we just kept on going around–” Aphrodite said, floating off the ground in cheerful joy.
“Me and Aphrodites found someone attractive in Michigan when we were coming back to New York and we got her pregnant. She had twins, one Aphrodite's kid and one Ares kid. Unfortunately, the woman decided after the babies were born, she liked the feeling of drugs. We can’t interfere because she has some relations with a different Pantheon –don't ask which one, I know you know others exist– so we came to ask if you could pick up our kids and bring ‘em to Camp.” Ares interrupted, trampling through his girlfriend's unending story.
“ARES!” Aphrodites exclaimed whirling towards her boyfriend.
“Sorry babe, but I think the brat would appreciate it if we got to the point a bit faster.”
“..hmph. Fine.”
Percy sighed, rubbing his forehead with his hand. “Right. So, y’all decided to have sex with the same person–”
“At the same time too~”
“...right. Yeah okay. So overall, y’all have two kids you want me to pick up and bring to camp? Anything else?” Percy continued.
“No, that’s all darling~ have a nice day!~”
Right. Why do the gods always bother me for things, or people they’ve misplaced. I will never understand. Percy mused as he slid the stack of papers into his folder. Packing the folder into his bag, Percy stood up and stretched out his poor suffering back.
Well. He didn’t exactly mind this request. Picking up his cousin's kids was something he never minded doing after all. The kids usually like him, and well despite Percy constantly being teased by La Rue and Piper and acting embarrassed about it, he didn’t really mind when the younger kids called him mom. He found it a bit sweet actually.
Off to Michigan now he supposed. Wait. Aphrodites and Ares didn’t give him the address. Percy groaned realizing he probably had to resummon at least one of them.
*bing*
A notification?
Percy pulled out his phone to see a message on Instagram from Aphrodite’s account, sending him the address of the kids along with both of their names.
Good. Less work for him.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Percy got out of the car, plucking his phone from the side and making sure that the address on the sign matched the one Aphrodites texted him. It did. Good. Right now to pick up two more demigods.
Percy locked his car and approached the house, looking around at the unkept lawn and patio. It did not look safe for children, especially not children of the age of 6. Knocking on the door –which seemed to be rotting what the fuck– he heard a set of booming footsteps, ones meant to intimidate, coming towards him. Percy straightened to his full height. Despite his siblings from his dads side, constantly, calling him the baby or little, that referred to undersea standards of height. On dry land he towers above most mortals.
“What the hell are you knocking on my door for you bastard?!” A man snarled from the opened door. “I don’t want you people coming around here–”
“I’m here for Marina and Marceline.”
“The brats? Why the hell would you want them, they’re a bunch of morons!”
“Their other parents asked me to pick them up.” Percy gave the man a wolf stare that was sharp enough to cut straight through the portly man's neck.
“Fine. BRATS GET YOUR STUFF.” the man screamed into the house. “Someone’s come to take your asses away from us.”
After a few minutes the faces of the two little demigod faces popped up, nervous and a bit frightened.
“Well get out! We certainly don’t need your kind here!” the man said irritably, grabbing the two six year olds and pushing them out the door towards Percy, who caught one of them when she stumbled. “And don’t come back and show your ugly mugs ever again!”
“Hey girls” Percy softly murmured, crouching down on the floor so he was at the kids height. “I’m Percy, and your Mom and Dad sent me to go get you”
“Who the hell are you!?!” the blonde girl yelled at Percy while the little red-head grasped her arm and hid behind her. “Our mom is back there and she hasn’t been nice in a very long time! You’re lying!”
Blondie’s probably Warhead’s kid if I had to guess. Or she's a Dove kid with the Areia aspect and good instincts. Good for her either way. Good instincts like that will keep her and her sister alive.
“..mister? Do you pinkie promise you won’t hurt me or Marina?”
“Of course kiddo,” Percy promised, reaching out his hand to reassure the little red-head.
“Okay mister!” the red-he– Marceline responded cheerily at him and then turned towards her twin and whispered something.
“....”
“He's fine Marcie. His colours are pretty. He’s fine.” Marina responded to her twin.
“Okay! Good we don’t have to stab him then.” Marceline cheerfully noted.
Awww. Stabby kiddos. So adorable. Kym and Thals would love ‘em.
“Alright girls c’mon. Let's get going.” Percy said, straightening up from the ground and gesturing towards his car. “Daylight ain’t gonna last for long.”
“Mkay!” the girls chorused. “Wait, why did dad and mom send you to pick us up? And where are you bringing us? What are we and why can Marina see colours? And do we have to go back anytime? ..and, and–”
“Firstly I’m your cousin,” Percy responded, settling the girls and their stuff into the car. “Both of you two are demigods and your parents are gods. So you’re half human, half god. We are going towards Camp Half-Blood, names currently pending as we recently had an Indigenous American camper join us and they raised some concerns. If I’d have to guess Marina is probably the Aphrodites kid, and Marceline is the Ares kid and you’ll get claimed –basically your parents put their symbol over you to confirm parentage–. You do not have to go back home, Camp can be your home year round and a new city for us–, New Thebes is yours to move into when you're an adult. Anything else kiddos?”
“..are you a god?”
“Nope.”
“Are you sure you're not a god?"
"Yeah"
"Okay.”
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dropping off the girls and guiding them towards their respective cabins and promising that they could visit each other in each other's cabins Percy waved to the girls as he picked up his stuff and turned back towards his car giving Peleus the dragon a pat on the snout as he went.
*Bing*
Gremlin Menaces <3
WesbianSparky: Are we still on for getting Tacos tmrw?
WesbianSparky: My Lady reminded me I asked for time to hang out with you young losers
McD’s Addict: who you calling loser
McD’s Addict: youre the youngest now
McD’s Addict: and yes we’re getting tacos. Im not paying tho
WesbianSparky: IM NOT THE YOUNGEST YOU BITCH
SeaLurker: Ladies, Ladies youre both pretty
SeaLurker: Dont be petty
SeaLurker: also Neeks tf u mean not paying. Im not paying for your freeloading ass
McD’s Addict: yes u r
McD’s Addict: doctors order
SeaLurker: doctors order doesnt count when its ur BF dumbass
McD's Addict: ya tf it does
WesbianSparky: HELLO
WesbianSparky: bb cousins
WesbianSparky: tacos yay or nay
McD’s Addict: yay
SeaLurker: yay
SeaLurker: neeks im broke i cant pay for you. I already paid for your mythomagic special edition cards
SeaLurker: no money
McD’s Addict: ask ur dad duh
McD’s Addict: ur literally a nepo bb
SeaLurker: ….
SeaLurker: your dad is literally the god of riches.
McD’s Addict: and
McD’s Addict: when has my dad been like more than a b+ father
WesbianSparky: ditto
SeaLurker: ok daddy issues lets calm down there
SeaLurker: yall are greedy
SeaLurker: epitome of Greed over there
McD’s Addict: *Middle Finger*
WesbianSparky: youre paying for me if youre paying for him
SeaLurker: WTF
SeaLurker: guys i do not have the money for this
WesbianSparky: ye but your dad likes you
McD's Addict: and also would give you money if you asked
SeaLurker:......
SeaLurker: fine ill ask my dad
Chapter 2: Chapter 2
Summary:
cousin hang out time !!!
surely nothing will go wrong right?
Notes:
Nico, Thalia, and Percy cousins on top okay. I love those sillies especially when they work together. Nothing bad will happen in this chapter surely. ദ്ദി ( ᵔ ᗜ ᵔ )
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
In the past the last thing younger Percy thought he would be doing when he was older was standing in front of a mirror getting ready for the day but here he was. Doing exactly that. He applied moisturizer, put on the bracelets the kids made for him, readjusted his camp necklace, and applied suns—. Where is my sunscreen? Percy mused looking around his bathroom until a nicely manicured hand reached over his shoulder holding a tube of sunscreen.
What?
“Percy darling, this sunscreen is much better and it smooths out your skin terribly well~.” the voice of a certain Love Goddess purred out.
“Lady Aphrodite? I didn’t expect to see you so soon.” he replied.
“Well darling, Me and Ares were delighted to find that you took such prompt action about our girls, not that we think you wouldn’t, but you did it so fast sweetheart!~” She crooned.
“So I have a reward for you~ The sunscreen of course is one of them but here's the others! Hold out your hands for me please darling~”
Percy holds his hand out and Aphrodites drops a hair tie and a thin silver chain necklace that has a pretty sea green gem droplet at the end.
“So starting with the necklace, it's a pretty thing I picked up at a market one day and I thought you might like it~! It tells the wearer when immortals and deities are watching and if they aren’t shielding or disguising their auras it’ll nudge you towards figuring out who exactly is watching you! The hair tie was specially made by yours truly, I’ve been informed by my little birdies–”
“It was fucking Drew wasn’t it. Or Pipes. Ugh those assholes” Percy interrupted, groaning before putting his head on the countertop in embarrassment.
“ –oh I promised not to say who my little birdies are~ Anyways I heard you’ve starting growing out your hair as well as cooking for your friends so this wonderful hair tie will help you keep your hair out of your face~. Also this darling hair tie can transform into any hair accessory you need, claw clip, banana clip, regular hair tie, bandana, doesn’t matter. It will transform into all of them!” Aphrodites continued cheerfully, completely ignoring Percy groaning into the countertop in front of Her.
Righting himself, Percy unfolded from his place and stood up.
“Thanks Lady Aphrodites.”
“Oh darling keep on being a sweet thing like yourself and I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold myself back from showering you with gifts!~ How fun~ Bye now darling” Aphrodite finished as she waved goodbye and a strong scent of flowers and perfume was left behind as she teleported away.
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After getting ready, Percy made sure that he had everything and locked his dorm room behind him, throwing his shoulder bag –what was it called again?– on his shoulder and putting his sunglasses on. Getting food at Chelsea market with Neeks and Thals awaits.
It was a little bit of a walk to get to the subway but Percy got on the train pretty fast and headed down to Manhattan.
Chelsea market was his destination, the tacos in that place were incredible. All three cousins agreed on their meetup and lunch to be here and then wander around New York to hang out.
When he finally arrived at the market he stood at the entrance pulling out his phone offhandedly and checking the time.
11:17 am
Good. Just on time. Now to wait for Neeks and Thals to finally get here so all three cousins could go in together.
But after waiting until 11:34 Percy was getting antsy and impatient. Where the fuck was his cousins? Percy thought, pulling out his phone to send a message in the Greek Mini Big Three chat.
Gremlin Menaces <3
SeaLurker: u fucks where the hell are you
SeaLurker: im not joking
SeaLurker: im outside chelsea rn and ive been sideyed by like 7 ppl
SeaLurker: NYorkers mind their business and im getting side eyed
SeaLurker: get over here already
McD’s Addict: im almost there calm your pretty tits
SeaLurker: youre looking at my tits ? you calling em pretty?
SeaLurker: wow neeks I thought i wasnt your type
McD’s Addict: f off you ass
McD’s Addict: youre the literal wWORST
SeaLurker: lol
SeaLurker: you love me little cousin
SeaLurker: and you could kiss my pretty ass but im not your type
McD’s Addict: die
McD’s Addict: im going to stab you
SeaLurker: oh no i get stabbed
SeaLurker: just gotta get in the water and im fine
SeaLurker: take L’s loser
McD’s Addict: just bc u can skip the infirmary doesnt mean the rest of us can
SeaLurker: ye i know
SeaLurker: im just built diff like that
SeaLurker: anyways
SeaLurker: where u at now
McD’s Addict: i see you across the road ill be there in 2 minutes
SeaLurker: k @WesbianSpark where tf you at
WesbianSpark: minute
SeaLurker: fuck you mean minute i dont see you
SeaLurker: youre trying to sneak up on me again arent you
SeaLurker: why you like this thals
WesbianSpark: funny
SeaLurker: ( ︶︿︶)_╭∩╮
Percy looked up and turned his head to see Thalia trying to sneak up on him.
“Thals. Why? Just, just, why?” Percy groaned. “You haven’t snuck up on me once why are you still trying?”
“Again. Cause its funny?” Thalia laughed out. “You always look grumpy when I try.”
“You ASS–!”
“Yo, I’m here.” Nico interrupted. “and I’m hungry so let's get going. Did Uncle Po send you the money?”
“Please stop acting like we’re part of a mafia. But yes Dad did send me money so I could pay. I’d like to note that today is NOT supposed to be my turn to pay.” Percy responded.
“Serves you right for having a dad who actually likes you.” Thalia and Nico chroused.
“You’re pretending like I don’t also have daddy issues you fucks.”
“Yeah but your dad actually tries to be your dad now, mine could give less of a shit as long as I don’t make him have extra work and Thals dad is Mr. Drama King Himself.” Nico replied, grabbing both Thalia and Percy by the wrist and pulling them towards the doors. “Now let's go. I want to eat tacos.”
“Yeah, yeah you don’t have to pull me. We’re all hungry.” Percy responded.
“SO GET MOVING YOU DUMBA–”
“Fine FIne you don't have to bully us shorty” Thalia cackled dodging Nico who had got offended after Thalia called him short and was now throwing hands at her.
“If y’all keep fighting I ain’t paying for you” Percy said interrupting the cousins mini slap fest, as he walked past them into the market.
“WAIT NO”
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After all three cousins ordered, which Percy unfortunately paid for, the three cousins sat down and ate through 4 plates of tacos each. Overkill? Probably, but they were powerful demigods who regularly exercised their powers and something had to fuel their tomfoolery.
“We should get tacos more often.” Thalia mused. “I’m usually a burger and fries kind of girl but holy those were good”
“Mhm.” Nico vocalized while swallowing his food. “Definitely should hit this place again.”
“Neeks, Thals hand over your trash and whatnot I'll throw it out and then we can stretch our legs” Percy asked standing up from the outdoor table booth they were sitting at and accepting the trash his cousins passed his way. “Be back in a minute.”
“Death Breath got all your stuff?” Thalia asked.
“Yeah.”
“‘Kay ‘cause I’ve got all of mine.” Thalia responded.
Percy walked back to where his cousins were stretching beside their booth, stretching out his back and picking up his drink as he did.
“Right let's go, it’s nice outside and I want to wa–”
“Sounds good to me. Let's go already, I'm getting stir crazy!” Thalia continued from where she was already walking away from the booth.
“Yeah yeah pinecone face wait up.”
The three cousins went and walked out of the market towards the street chatting as they went. They kept on walking across the streets of New York, climbing up the stairs for the High Line to go see some green before they returned to the infinite concrete jungle.
“Thank Pan for green spaces because I like seeing plants” Thalia commented. “But now I feel the need to get off of it because there are too many fucking people.”
“Yeah I’m with you on that one let's get going please.” Nico agreed.
So off they went getting back down from the High Line and helpt on walking until they all got too hot so they popped into a small convenience store tucked away in a converted warehouse.
“Perce, how's Lea doing?” Thalia asked as she retrieved three popsicles to cool the cousins down. “I’ll pay for these by the way.”
“Aw thanks Thal’s it feels like I’m boiling here. Why couldn’t it be cold? I’m so much better with the cold.” Percy responded, grimacing as he tried to get some cold air from the fridge onto his skin. “Also Lea’s doing great, she's a dog above mortals and immortals after all.”
“Damn right!” Nico added. “Lea is the best. Shes such a good girl.”
As the cousins finished grabbing drinks and ice cream they started to head back out when a booming sound erupted around them.
“What the FUCK was that?” Thalia said, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. “That better not be a monster messing this place up. I am too hot to fight right now.”
“Yeah it’s weirdly hot.” Nico continued from where Thalia left off, eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Also is it just me or does something smell off..?”
“No you’re not the only one Neeks. It smells awful, and you’re right it definitely got hotter in this place than before. Let’s get out of her–”
Percy was cut off as a scream erupted from somewhere in the warehouse, and pieces of rubble started falling from the ceiling, trapping the cousins in a deadly game of dodge the rubble.
“We need to get out NOW!” Nico yelled.
Thalia pushed the boys forward out of the way of a piece of concrete and screamed, as a piece of rubble hit her leg and tossed her to the floor. Nico and Percy rushed over, supporting her arms as they hobbled as fast as they could towards the exit. Suddenly another piece of rubble blocked their exit blocking the cousins in with no escape.
“Nico,” Percy asked hurriedly. “Can you shadow travel us out?”
“I-I can’t” Nico responded his voice shaking, “something is blocking it and I can’t do it–”
Nico let out a scream as a massive piece crashed down, narrowly missing them, but still sending them flying backwards.
“Fuck.” Percy whispered.
“What?!” Thalia asked, growing more concerned.
“It’s an Immortal. Aphrodites gave me the necklace to warn me when Gods and Goddesses were watching and it’s trying to warn me. Someone is trying to kill us.”
Both cousins stared at him in horror. This was just supposed to be their regular cousin hangout, and now? Now it might turn into their graves.
Percy grabbed his cousins and moved them to the corner of the room they were in, praying that they would be safe from the rubble and they would make it out fine. He held both the cousins' heads into his chest trying to make sure that nothing would hit their heads. All three cousins curled together, trying to stay as still as possible, hoping, Praying that none of the rubble would hit them.
The next thing Percy knew was watching a dislocated light crash into the wall, smoke and ashes curling through the ceiling. Percy watched tucking his cousins faces into his chest, not letting them see what was happening as the ceiling collapsed in on them. Percy closed his eyes and tucked his head.
And then everything went black.
Notes:
whoops
Chapter 3: Chapter 3
Notes:
new update whos dat?
Chapter Text
A meeting in Ancient Greece.
“...and for the lovely goddesses of Olympus I give a prize~! Whoever is the Fairest among the Deities who stand here, shall get this golden apple as prize.” Eris declared, eyes sharpening as she watched discord erupt between Hera, Aphrodite and Athena.
Eris grinned as she felt her domain of discord flourish with just a little apple thrown in. What a wonderful day truly. Satisfying and she barely had to lift a finger to get these goddesses arguing. Perfect. Now to make her wonderful exit and watch the chaos unfold from a safe distance. Today was most definitely her day.
..or was it?
Poseidon POV
Dear mother and my immortal ancestors, what on Gaea’s Domain did I do to deserve this. Poseidon groaned inwardly trying to not draw the attention of the three angry and upset Goddesses to himself. I Need a DRINK, He thought, sighing softly and looking up from his feet up accidentally making eye contact with Demeter and started a mental link so they could bitch about their family with someone else.
Demeter’s well manicured eyebrow rose, “You’re not participating in this whole thing? You’re vain enough.”
“Shut. I am NOT like them, thank you very much. Also I’d like to note that You were certainly vain enough to complain at Olympus’ last big party.”
“You remember that? You actually remember what happened? Because after like 2 of Dioynusus’ special drinks I do not remember anything from that party.” She continued.
“Oh no, I barely remember anything from that night–. Don’t even.”
A crackling noise interrupted the two immortals' conversation as they trained their eyes towards the source of the noise. The golden apple that was being argued over by the three goddesses was split open in the middle and a little boy had emerged from the core of the fruit.
The little boy suddenly ran towards Poseidon and cried out, “Papa..!”
Papa..? Poseidon thought, schooling his face into a comforting image and picking up the little boy– no little godling in his arms.
“Hi sweetheart.” Poseidon crooned, trying to comfort the tiny, shaking form in his arms. “It’s okay my little pearl, Papa is here.”
“Poseidon, who is this child and why did he just interrupt our contest?! Did you break your vows AGAIN?!?!” Hera stormed, slamming her hand into the table. “How Dare You–!”
“Once again, Sister, Me and Amphitrite have an open marriage, and so choose to take lovers when it piques our interest. It is what works for US, and it keeps our marriage healthy. Stop. Judging. Already.” Posiedon snarled back, tightening his hold on his newest precious pearl. “Clearly the child is mine–,”
Interrupting the two arguing Krondies, Athena interrogated the godling in Her Lord Uncle’s arms. “So who is your mother if it’s not Amphitrite?”
Poseidon's newest child, still shaking in his fathers arms, glanced at the crowd pausing on Demeters form.
“Demeter? Is Demeter your mother, child?”
The little godling barley gave a nod before pressing his face and body into his fathers chest as an attempt of shielding himself from the onlooking – and overwhelming– eyes staring into him.
Reigniting the mind link, Poseidon started communicating with Demeter.
“Do you remember creating our child because I don’t.” Poseidon hissed through the link.
“No I don’t rememb– shit.”
“Demester, what? What just concerned you?”
“The party. The party a few weeks ago where we both got blackout drunk and can’t remember anything!” she hissed back at him.
“Right. Fuck, okay. Just roll with whatever I say okay and I’ll do the same with you.”
“Agreed. We will figure out his name and everything once we can get him out of the meeting.”
“Okay.”
Focusing their attention towards the expectant crowd, Poseidon addressed them.
“This is Demeter and I’s newest –and youngest– child. We will retaliate if anyone does anything against h–”
“Why the fuck did you use my tree as an incubator for your newest brat sister?” Hera hissed towards Demeter, bristling as both of the newest godling parents' eyes glared at her.
“Well I’m sorry, but we assumed that considering the tree is guarded by Ladon, and also has very small entering and exiting windows that nothing could go wrong and our baby would be fine. Apparently your golden apple tree isn’t as protected as it’s supposed to be Hera.” Demeter defended, picking up the split apple from the table and approaching her newest child in Poseidon's arm. “Oh, our little one is so adorable. Let’s bring him to my palace, yes?”
“You can’t leave yet Demeter, he’s interrupted our contest.” Aphrodite’s argued
“Little godling, who before you is the fairest?” Athena demanded from the new godling.
“Papa. Papa is the fairest.” Per– the little godling murmured softly, before tucking himself into his fathers neck. “Papa is the fairest one before me.”
Poseidon smiled at his newest pearl, already infatuated with his child. This one would be his precious darling and no one would ever take him away.
Turning towards Demeter, Poseidon responded to her comment.
“I do still need time to tell Amphitrite and the other children.” Poseidon responded, stroking his baby's head to comfort and shield him from the dumbfounded goddesses. “So your palace it is. He will be brought to My Court to be introduced as a new pearl later however.
“We can figure out custody later, first our darling boy needs a name and some snacks.”
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Godling POV
Percy– opened his eyes, gasping for breath. His cousins what happened- they’re not here.
Perce– jolted upwards from where he was laying, eyes scanning the room for any sight of his cousins. He could barely remember what happened after he closed his eyes the last time he was awake, except for feelings of intense fear and holding his cousins in his arms.
What happened?
Perc–’s thoughts were interrupted by his Dad walking through the door of the room he was in and sitting next to him.
“Papa..?”
“Hello my sweet pearl. Just one second my dear.” Poseidon crooned, kissing the crown of His pearl’s head. Poseidon eyes clouded over and then went back to their jarring, yet comforting to Percy’s image. “Your mother is on her way, my sweet darling.”
“..okay.” Per– what was his name again? Per, something.
“Hello my darling!” Demeter cheerfully crooned.
In her hands was a wooden plate of fruits, ambrosia and rich cheeses. His stomach growled in anticipation for the incoming food.
Both gods let out a relieved sigh at seeing their child's already healthy appetite. Little godlings needed a significant amount of Ambrosia and Nectar for their bodies to learn and acclimate to the amount of godly power rushing through their young veins. An disinterested in food godling was almost akin to a soon to be deceased one.
Demeter put the food beside her new godling and smiled as he reached over to retrieve the ambrosia and some cheese. Good. The child will eat and be healthy.
“Our darling Perthales–” Demeter said, wiping away the ambrosia crumbs on her godling's face back onto the plate.
Perthales? Is that me? The little godling thought, getting distracted from his mothers words.
“Sweetheart?” Poseidon hummed, getting the attention of his new baby. “Little pearl, are you back with us?”
“Mhm.” Perthales mumbled.
The two kronides patted his head and Perthales rested his cheek in Demeter's calloused hands and his eyelashes fluttered and closed once again.
“You’re our precious child. We will always save you if you need it and if you’re upset we’ll comfort you.” The Kronides whispered as they watched their child fall asleep in their embrace.
“Poseidon.” Demeter whispered.
“Yes Demeter?” Poseidon whispered back.
“We should start having a temple built for him, yes? We have to make sure nothing happens and he will be safer if his worship starts earlier rather than later.”
“Demeter, we don’t even know what his domains could be, how on Grandmother are we supposed to have an accurate temple drawn up and created!” He softly argued, trying to keep his voice down. “I know you want him to be protected but it will only harm him if we give him the wrong domains.”
“It’s summer and the apple harvest. It can be his sacred fruit and he can be the God of the summer season. We can start with that and than continue to add as he figures out his domain. His Sacred fruit and his Domain of Summer won’t change because he was literally born into both.” She argued back, trying not to awaken the child who was curled in both the siblings. “It will keep him safe and a solidified godling.”
“Agreed. My apologies. I'm just a bit nervous about it.” Poseidon whispered softer than ever. “I’m worried that we will lose him before he even gets the chance to realize his being in our world.”
Laying her hand on Posideons, Demeter whispered once more, “It won’t be like her. Our little Perthales has both of us to protect him this time. We won’t let anyone break his core before he’s ready.”
“...Thank you.”
“Of course Po.”
“Make sure the temple is massive. Maybe in a nice location for a future city? Becoming the Patron of a City might anchor him sooner.” Posidon mused, knocking his sister's shoulder.
“Well I can certainly make sure they make it massive.”
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Perthales pulled out his newest creation from the oven smiling at the familiar sight. He had been missing New York, and while it wasn’t exactly the massive one dollar New York pizza slices, it certainly smelled wonderful.
It had taken a while to find all of the ingredients. Especially for several of his favorite foods, which the components certainly didn’t exist in his past –future? What does it count as?– like rice, and tomatoes. It took a while to find them and don’t even get him started on the bread of this era. It was hard as a literal Zeus imitation. So unfortunate.
Back to his food, the Pizza was a pain to create. Especially the tomatoes. All the way in what was considered South America in the future. But a great advantage with being Demeter’s youngest godling child is that he could grow any fruit or vegetable. It took literal months of trial and error to get the crops that made up his favorite foods in the future but all the time spent was well worth it.
Pizza. A true food of the gods. Perthales grabbed his specially made pizza slicer, and cut his pizza into slices. As he looked upon his creation his mother poked her head in.
“Darling are you bus–, oh whats this sweet heart?” Demeter questioned.
“It’s food, mama. Try a slice” Perthales giggled and handed her a slice which she ate without any fear.
“Oh Darling this is delicious. Is this what you’ve been working on?”
“Yeah!”
“It’s delicious! Mm.. I should introduce you to Hestia. I’m sure she would enjoy having a partner to cook with.” Demeter commented, taking another slice from the plate and holding it up to her mouth.
Suddenly a tanned, muscular arm that had dark blue scales in patches on him, reached beside her and plucked the slice from her hands and immediately started eating the slice of Pizza he stole.
“Poseidon! Stop eating my food you–” Demeter yelled, spinning around to see the offender.
Poseidon laughed, “should’ve been faster Demeter~, I can’t let our Pearl only feed you.” Turning towards his son he continued, “My pearl, it’s delicious your mother is correct, we should introduce you to Hestia. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind sharing her cooking domain. If anything she’d probably be gleeful.”
“Yay!”
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Auntie Hestia!” Perthales called out to the Goddess of the Hearth, carrying a big bag beside him.
“Hello dear! How is my sweet nephew doing today?” Hestia questioned, drawing Her nephew into a hug
“I’m great, Auntie! I’ve made so many new recipes!” Perthales exclaimed excitedly. “Would you like to try some? I brought some of it in my bag.
“Oh it’s just wonderful my dea–”
“Sister!” A loud voice boomed.
Perthales looked over to find his Uncle (on both sides) approaching him and his Aunt. Already starting to eye the food that he brought. As a God now Perthales found Zeus significantly more intimidating than he did as when Perthales was Percy and was a demigod.
Breathing in to calm his nerves, Perthales started, “Uncle Zeus, hello!”
“Nephew!” the God King boomed, as loud as the lighting bolts he threw. “How are you, my Nephew?”
“I’m well, Uncle. How are you today?”
“I am well. Now what’s this beside you?” Zeus picked up a container of the food that Perthales had brought and opened the container, inhaling the delicious scent of freshly homemade food.
“Uncle this is stuffed pasta shells, they’re filled with spinach, lamb and cheese. I made everything including the sauce that comes with it! The meal in the next container is what I call a green goddess sandwich.” Perthales said, pointing out the meals that Zeus had picked out.
“It’s wonderful! I love the bread in this sandwich, it’s so incredibly soft and fluffy. It's not like anything that I’ve had before.” Zeus commented.
“Thank you, Uncle,” Perthales responded, “I appreciate your compliments.”
“Mm… my dear nephew?” Hestia asked.
“Yes Auntie?” Perthales turned his attention to his Aunt.
“Would you like a restaurant for yourself?”
“Auntie?! What do you mean?”
“Well my dear, it's been weeks of you bringing me more and more delicious meals, and you always look so incredibly happy whenever someone eats your food. It would be nice to have one more person strengthening the Hearth. You’ve never denied anyone food no matter what they choose to appear as, and you’re a wonderful host. I’m sure thousands of people would come to eat your food.”
“and,” Hestia continued, “I’ve already found a perfect location for it. You’re always so worried about burdening people so instead of getting you a plot in one of our major cities, me, your mother and your father.”
“It’s just perfect you see, we found it while we were having your special pizzas together. Plenty of fertile land, good proximity to a river, not too far from the Sea, and plenty of space for expansion. We even got Hephestus to furnish it!”
“Huh. HUH?! Auntie! That’s far too much!”
“It’s certainly not enough actually. Would you like to see it?” Hestia questioned.
“...Sure.”
“...”
“.....”
“Auntie. That’s bigger than some temples.” Perthales’ jaw dropped as he looked at his –HIS– restaurant.
“Yes and it also comes with a special thing called Greenhouses that Demeter made, so your crops can grow even during the winter. She’s making a special decision for you and that way you can have any crop that you want during any time.” Hestia continued.
Perthales’ restaurant was too opulent. His parents and Auntie knew nothing but overkill, he could just swear on it. Instead of just a small place his restaurant looked like a featured house in the Hamptons.
* Thump *
“Perthales? My dear, where in Grandmother did you go?” Hestia questioned looking to her left and right.
Looking down she noticed her sweet nephew passed out on the ground. He had fainted in shock. Hestia wondered why the child was the youngest pearl of Her brother and sister. The place that they had chosen was beautiful, just South-West of the Theatre of the Oeniades. It was a worthy property for a little godling like him. A perfect place for him to establish his domains and anchor himself. Oh well, She shrugged. Her nephew will end up liking it no matter what, she has made the best kitchen possible even asking her mother’s Oracle of Dodona advice to make the kitchen even more advanced. It was perfect for her favourit— her nephew.
When Perthales woke up from his unconscious state he walked into his future restaurant. It was everything he ever wanted and more. But..
..But he didn't expect to get a literal mansion! It had high ceilings, multiple floors, and wide staircases galore. Perthales doesn’t even remember anything like this existing in his original timeline. There were even entire living spaces, enough to fit hundreds of people comfortably. Godsdamnit. His family had certainly gone overkill that's for sure.
Well. It is truly lovely.. Perthales mused walking through the dining room arriving at the wonderful kitchen his Auntie had prepared for him. It was perfect.
Perthales stretched, crackling his shoulders and knuckles, ready and prepared to make this kitchen, this restaurant his own. He was going to make sure that any child that needed food would never go to bed hungry when they were near him. Let’s get started.
Chapter 4: Chapter 4
Summary:
Percy gets used to his restaurant, and goes in search of workers for it.
There are mentions of off screen sexual assault, (which is why I updated the tags) and child abuse (which is onscreen) if you're triggered by either of those please be careful while reading this chapter
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Perthales’ Kapaleia was what Perthales named his new restaurant. It was perfect. It had taken a while but he got over the measure of opulence his Aunt, Uncle and Parents had spared on it. He rather enjoys it now.
Perthales had made this space His own over the course of another several months and He was rather proud of it. While the opulence remained Perthales had added His own personal touch to every nook and cranny in the restaurant.
The high ceilings had been specially enchanted to shine with an appearance of his special greenhouses roofs, arches of glass with gold supports holding them together. When Lady Hemera’s hours were present the image of a pleasant, midday summer sky with vines crawling up the sides was presented, and when the sky darkened and Nyx blanketed the world in darkness, the constellations burning brightly was painted onto the glass.
There were plenty of garden beds, filled with beautiful flowers and towering trees, courtesy of His Mother. To not be one-upped by Demeter, His Father had added several water displays and had even figured out how to regulate the temperature of the restaurant to whatever Perthales wanted.
It was perfect.
His official opening date was a small and intimate one as He opened his doors for the first time to see His Parents, Uncle and Aunt arriving as his first customers. But news of the newest Deity of Summer, Hospitality and Cooking had spread across the kingdoms of Ancient Greece, inviting new settlers to build a slowly growing town around His Kapaleia.
His customer base had grown significantly, and so had the quantity of work he had to perform. So, He decided, He would go out to look for workers to help him run his Kapaleia. His Parents had offered to hire Him workers, but He refused, wanting to find people who were His, first and foremost.
So Perthales exited His Kapaleia, shouldering His pan on his back and transforming His newest weapon, a Kyklopes made, supersized, Meat Pulverizer into a charm and attaching it onto his necklace.
“May My search be fruitful.” Perthales whispered as he set off onto the road towards the other kingdoms of Greece.
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As Perthales, disguised as a young traveling man recruiting workers for his ailing Father, was chatting with a guard from the small town he had arrived in, his conversation was interrupted by a scream. Both the guard and disguised God’s attention was stolen by the sudden sound.
“I am sorry for leaving you Traveler, however I must continue on my schedule. I will inform one of my superiors about the scream. Please have a nice day, kind Sir.” The guard nodded politely and turned away from Perthales’ disguise to continue on his assignment.
Perthales waved the guard goodbye, shedding his disguise and turning invisible to ungodly eyes. He picked up speed and teleported towards where the scream originated from, wondering what happened.
To His dismay, he found a young woman, no, a young cloud nymph who’s clothing was torn and many bruises adorned her delicate skin. The bruises were on her neck, thighs and wrists, purple and horrifying. Perthales face dropped in sorrow, knowing exactly what this nymph had gone through.
Perthales undid His invisibility several meters a street away from the nymph, donning his disguise once more. Then He slowly approached her, and sank to His knees a meter and a half in front of her, His hands and body never leaving her sightline.
“Hello there? I’m Perthales, are you alright?” Perthales gently asked the nymph.
“...”
The nymphs' eyes darted up noticing the strangely dressed traveler in front of her, and darted straight back down into her knees, curling into a ball. She did not yet speak a word to the Traveler in front of her.
“What is your name Miss?” Perthales continued, unbothered by her silence. “And who did this to you?”
“....”
“....my Husband.” the nymph whispered softly, voice breaking as she whispered husband. “He was the one who did this to me. He stole me from my family when I was very young, and married me against my will. He always took what he wished from me and my body. Today he brought a younger girl into our home. She was terrified, and clearly did not want to be there.”
The nymph continued, voice rising in her frustration, “I was so angry. I was scared that he would take yet another young girl's freedom and body away from her. So I prayed for her safety, asking my Cousin in the Hunt if she would come, and then I delivered her to the Lady Huntress who accepted her with open arms.”
“The Huntress could not take me, my virtue has already been taken, but that girl was able to get away from my Husband. But when he found out, he chained me, and harmed me, ripping away the control of my own body from me. He threw me out of the house, screaming and telling me that I should die a horrible death for what I’ve done. My body is torn and bloody, but that girl is safe so I’m glad..” The nymph finished, wiping her face with her arm.
Perthales took the cloak off of his disguise and draped it over the Nymph, warming her shivering body and comforting her after the horror she had experienced.
“Thank you.” the Nymph’s voice whispered.
As Perthales comforted the Nymph, his ears were assaulted by the sounds of a grown overweight man, draped in expensive clothing, screaming at him and the Nymph.
“How dare you, you disgraced women!? You steal my wife and the mother of my future children and then dare to spend time with another man?? You Disgusting–!”
Perthales’ anger grew as the mortal continued to scream insults at the Nymph hiding herself behind him. How dare he harm this Nymph and then hurl insults at Him. Perthales rose from his knees, shedding his disguise as he did. Before this mortal stood a God, one who promised to protect those who needed protection. And the nymph behind him certainly did not deserve to absorb the abuse this man was sending.
“...!! My Lord, I meant no disrespect, please have mercy on me! I was just punishing my treacherous–” The mortal man groveled before the God in front of him.
“Treacherous you say? Treacherous you call her? You stole her freedom and dignity,” Perthales snarled at the mortal groveling at his feet. “Treacherous, you call her, yet not once has she broken her vows. Unlike YOU! You foolish mortals, I certainly don’t enjoy abusers, especially not ones who abuse their status to harm their spouse.”
Perthales’ anger chilled into deadly cold rage, similar to His Father. “May the Judges have mercy upon you, because I certainly do not. You have harmed someone who needed protection, and so I curse you. You will never feel the comfort of a meal, not even when you’re dead, or reborn.
Perthales cursed the mortal and grabbed him by his neck, lifting him up into the air.
“Begone from my sight.” Perthales snarled, throwing the man back and causing the mortal to cry out with pain. “May the temples of Me, My Parents, and Aunt never give you shelter.”
“My Lord I’m sorry for any disrespect I’ve shown–” the Nymph begged, fear visible in her eyes.
Perthales turned back to the Nymph and resumed his previous disguise, lowering himself beside her.
“Do not worry about disrespect, you have done nothing but be polite. Your ex-Husband has been dealt with and you will never have to deal with him again. What is your name My dear?
“My Lord Perthales, this disgraced one’s name is Illyria.” Illyria responded, as her head lowered and her body moved into the motion of a bow.
“Lift your head please, Illyria.” Perthales soothed, reaching out for the nymphs hand. “I would like to give you a choice. Which I would like you to deliberate carefully. I am currently travelling across Gaea's domain in search of workers and followers that are mine, first and foremost. My offer is this; If you so wish, I will bring you back to your family and I will leave. Or, you can choose to enter My retinue and work with Me in Perthales’ Kapaleia.”
"If you choose to come work with me, you of course will be welcome to visit your family whenever, and they will get free housing and discounts on meals when they’re there–” Perthales continued before being interrupted by Illyria.
“I’ll do it! I will join your retinue, my Lord! Please if you’ll have me I would like to become your first servant.” Illyria interrupted.
“Please, don’t be so hasty,” Perthales lips pursed in worry after hearing the Nymph’s words. “I would like you to deliberate a bit more before choosing—”
“My lord. I have never gotten the chance to choose my fate. But this is a choice that I want to make! Please, take this Nymph into your servitude.”
“..if you truly want this to be your path I will not argue anymore.” Perthales answered. “Illyria, will you swear to follow me, and bring comfort to those who ask? Will you open doors for those who had nowhere to go? Will you vow to blaze a path of hope for anyone who will ask for or need help? Will you vow to be loyal to Perthales’ Kapaleia?”
“I will. I promise to love people with all of my heart. I promise to leave Hope in my wake. I swear to honor my vows and enter the servitude of Perthales’ Hospitality. For as long as my hands caress the air, for as long as I walk among the living, I will bring comfort to those who need it.” Illyria swore.
“Then come forth Illyria, first member of the Perthales’ retinue. May you bring comfort in your wake.” Perthales eyes glowed in response to Illyria’s Oath, the light of the Divine shining through his mortal disguise. “Follow me, and we will bring comfort to more.”
“As you wish My Lord.” Illyria answered, a blinding smile overtaking her face, as her Oath settled into her very being. It was a comforting presence in her soul grounding her, crooning at her. Promising that no matter how far she would go, she would always be Perthales’ first follower, and He would welcome her home for as long as she lived and even past that.
The nymph and Deity continued on on their journey, traveling across Gaea’s domain, picking up Nymphs, Dryads, Naiads, and the occasional set of Demigods. They swore into Perthales’ servitude, after he offered his hand to them, and followed him in his journey eventually landing in the outskirts of the City-State of Athens, not yet in the main city, yet certainly in the domain of Athena’s favorite city.
Perthales’ was warned by his Father to stay away from anything that belonged to the Daughter of Zeus who had killed His Niece, long before she could properly ascend. His Father did not want Him anywhere near that Wisdom Goddess. Perthales chose to heed his Father’s advice turning his party away from the City-State. But His new waiter, a son of Brizo who was guided by his mother towards Perthales, alerted him to the smell of blood coming from a manor towards the eastern side of the City.
Perthales and his workers ventured forward, checking to make sure their disguises were solid as they approached the manor. The gate was wide open so Perthales led the way walking through the open gate. The smell of blood was potent now, clearly originating from something or someone from within the manor.
Suddenly they heard a young child crying out in pain and the crack of a whip. Perthales told His followers to wait and turned the corner, hand toying with the charm on his necklace as He did. Perthales footsteps echoed across the manor as he stalked the grounds to find the crying child.
But it was not one child he found, but two. Two little children crying out in pain and curling into each other. There were two adults, a man and a woman, laughing at the children's pain, while calling them bastards. The man held a bag of stones he was throwing at the children and the woman had a whip that she cracked at the children.
Bastards they call innocent children?!
HOW DARE THEY
Perthales’ anger arised, as He shed the mortal disguise without any preamble and stalked into the courtyard where the four mortals were.
“You little brats didn’t deserve to come from my womb! If any Immortal Deity impregnated me, it should’ve been The God Kings! Instead that stupid, hideous, disgusting FORGE GOD, put you brats in ME!! I never should’ve kept you!” The woman spit at the cowering children.
“You should not even exist–” She screamed. But her voice was cut off by an angry Deity.
“You should not exist, you imbeciles. Insulting a God and His children in front of ME!” Perthales boomed. “YOU DARE INSULT MY FAMILY. YOU DARE HARM A CHILD IN MY PRESENCE!”
Perthales’ voice cooled, stalking like a predator as He summoned his Cleaver to His hand. Using His aura, he first shielded the children and put salve on their wounds, covering them in a blanket. He then covered their eyes from what He was going to do to these imbeciles.
Using his Divine power he smote the first two mortals that he ever had before, cursing them to never rest, to never feel comfort again. He sent a message with Thanatos asking Him to give the message to His Uncle.
—------------------------------------------------------
Dear Uncle, He wrote in the note. These mortals should be sent straight to Eternal Punishment. Please be creative with their punishment, I want them to suffer for all of eternity and beyond! (˶◜ᵕ◝˶)
Sincerely,
Your Nephew, Perthales
—-------------------------------------------------------
Turning His attention back towards the children, He lowered himself to the ground uncovering the children from under the blanket He put them in. They were already asleep. Cute.
Picking up the children, most likely twins of Hephestus considering what the female imbecile had said, he held them close to his chest and walked back towards where His workers remained.
“Everyone!” He called out. “I will be teleporting everyone back home instead of walking back. Please come closer.”
Perthales’ workers came closer to their Lord and Perthales expanded their power to transport himself, and his workers back to His Kapaleia.
“Everyone is dismissed for today, there are rooms for staff that you may claim for yourselves, please put a marker on the door to claim the room as your own. Please have an enjoyable rest. Goodnight.”
“Good night, My Lord,” the workers chorused, dispersing and chatting excitedly with each other about their new rooms.
Perthales walked with the children in his arms towards the sitting area, hoping the open area would comfort them when they awoke. It was better than putting them in a small room. He would rather them think that someone had put them in a chair instead of thinking they were locked in a room. Perthales entered his kitchen, making a soothing meal of Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.
Upon hearing the children’s voices as they awoke, he put two bowls of soup, utensils and several grilled cheese on a platter before approaching them. He put the food in front of them as they froze at the sight of Him, a clearly divine being, and curled tightly into each other's arms.
Perthales’ voice soothed them, “Hello little ones. I am Perthales, and I am the God of Hospitality and Cooking. It has been a while since you’ve eaten anything my dears. So eat until you are content.”
The twins looked at each other and the little boy reached out his hand for the food, encouraging his sister to eat as well. The twins ate ferociously, filling their growling bellies with glee.
“..Mister Perthales.. why did you save us from Mother and Father? We never prayed or sacrificed anything. Why did you come and save us?” the little girl asked.
“Because you were innocent. And you were scared. That was enough for me, okay little ones. You are innocent children, and children do not deserve to be abused or hurt. You are meant to be loved and protected. So even if you didn’t pray to me, I still came, because I protect the Innocent. Especially Children” Perthales crooned. “With me, no one will hurt you ever again.”
“Thanks Mister.”
“Of course, little one. Now eat your food. Growing children need food to grow and I’m sure you don’t want to be small forever now do you?”
“Mkay.” The little girl mumbled picking up another sandwich.
As the children ate their fill, Perthales healed them with his powers, trying to erase the scars that the dead mortals had created. As the children began to feel drowsy because of all the food, He coaxed them to a room and whispered.
“Good night little ones.”
Two little voices echoed from the room back at him. “Goodnight Mister Lord.”
Notes:
I hope you enjoyed this chapter ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و ♡
Chapter 5: Chapter 5
Summary:
cute meet the fam + Artemis, the Hunt, & Hermes!
Chapter Text
The town surrounding Perthales’ Kapaleia had grown into a lively town. A sprawling, massive town that had quickly realized that their closeness to the sea and a large river would make them a very strong Port town. So the mortals inhabiting the area expanded, planting fields of crops, setting up a massive dock, and planting a large orchard of apples to commemorate their towns beloved Patron and His Parents.
Their Patron God had requested for a large quantity of trees to be planted within the city, and areas being left with little ponds and soft grass for their children to play in. So, the village planners marked out area after area, requesting that some townspeople would venture to the nearby, and far away forests, surrounding their town.
Their Patron had whispered that retrieving variety would help them prosper and kindness would bring them further. Not to dishonor their Lord’s hospitality, all of the Townspeople were ordered to ask kindly of the Dryads they would come upon. If a Dryad refused they would take that answer and move on, finding a willing Dryad who wanted to join their every growing town.
To take one against their will would make their Patron disappointed, and no one in the town wanted that. To dishonor and disappoint your Patron as a resident of Their town, is sacrilege. No one wanted to face their Patrons disappointment, and His Parents anger.
So, if their Patron made a request of the people of Manzane, they would obey without question. No one wanted to face the anger of the Sea King and the Bringer of Winter. To do so, was an invite for Thanatos himself to bring you into His Embrace.
No one with common sense would do that.
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Perthales’ dismissed his workers for a break after the lunch rush had ended. Despite collecting what he thought was enough employees, the rushes always got him a bit stressed. Although his workers had been doing rather well, keeping up with the increasing number of customers. Illyria had really taken control of His workers, instructing and organizing them with a wave of her hand.
She had made His life significantly easier, and despite being a harsh taskmaster, she was always giving compliments and encouragement to all of the other workers.
What a lovely girl. Perthales mused, watching as his workers exited the building to get some fresh air and to get away from the heat of the kitchen. Somehow someone had found a bucket of water and now they were playing a game of trying to absolutely soak each other.
At least they were enjoying themselves.
Perthales’ thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of several immortal auras, two of which were most definitely his parents.
“My pearl!” Poseidon beamed, picking his youngest immortal child up and spinning him around.
Demeter glided forward, stealing their son from his Fathers arms and causing her child Father to pout.
“Demeterrrr–!” Poseidon whined at his sister.
“You can’t hog the baby forever. Be better next time, little brother.” Demeter sniped back.
“Mother! I want to meet Him, You and Uncle can’t hog Him forever.” Persephone pushed Her way through the crowd, scooping up the pliant Godling from their Mothers arms.
“Little Brother!” She cheerily said, beaming at her newest sibling.
“Big Sister!” He beamed back at the Spring Goddess.
She grabbed His hand pulling him towards Her Husband.
“Little brother, this is my Husband, Hades!” Introducing Her youngest Brother to Hades. She then whispered. “And he’s pretty handsome if I do say so myself.”
Perthales let out a laugh and greeted Hades, before someone draped their heavy body all over him and made him lurch forward with the uneven weight.
“New baby brother yay! Hello little one I’m Rhode!”
“Hello!”
“I’m Benthesikyme. Just call me Benti.” Benti said, waving at the flailing Perthales who was currently getting suffocated by Rhode.
“I’m Kymelopeia, little gremlin brother of mine! We should go create a storm together!”
“..and I’m Triton.” Triton briskly finished, “The crown prince, and this is my mother, Queen Amphitrite.”
“Ugh Rhode get off of me! Hello! I’m Perthales!” Perthales cheered, as he finally managed to shove Rhode off of him. “It’s nice to meet all of you!”
“Also why did all of you decide to come today? It's the start of the planting season and mating season. Aren’t you all busy?” He questioned, curious to find out why His family came to visit Him.
“We wanted to meet the baby and this was the time when we could come visit you! Dad’s side of the family got pouty whenever your Mom’s side wanted to meet you before and this was when both sides could meet you at the same time to not ruffle any scales.”
“Oh! Alright!” Perthales beamed, and turned back towards the restaurant. “Are you hungry? I just made Ribs, coleslaw and two different types of fries! The fries are almost out so just take a seat and I’ll bring it in a second..!”
Illyria turned and raised her eyebrows, asking if her Boss needed any help with just one look as she took a few steps towards him.
“I’m okay, it's pretty easy. You just have fun on your break please!” Perthales responded, waving her off towards the others.
As Perthales disappeared into the kitchen, His family sat down at the table for ten that had been plated for them. As they began chatting between each other, Perthales emerged from the kitchen while holding bowls and platters. He made several rounds, pouring nectar and water before setting down the final platter of fries and joining the conversation.
“..Soooo~ Perthales do you have a crush on anyone~” Persephone purred.
Perthales choked on his nectar as she said that, coughing as it went down the wrong pipe.
“Young Lady!” Demeter shrieked, whirling towards her daughter. “That is not the thing to ask your brother the first time you meet him. Your poor brother is literally choking! How inappropriate!”
“Oh calm down Mother, I'm just trying to tease him, it’s fine. See.” Persephone responded, pointing at a Perthales who had stopped coughing. “He’s already breathing fine, and we are literally Immortal Mother, he isn’t going to die from being embarrassed.
“No, I don’t have a crush yet, sister. I’ve been a bit distracted with my restaurant and trying to make sure I don’t overwhelm my workers.” A flustered Perthales continued, “Right now I’m just working on my domains.”
“Aw, I was hoping for a brother in law.”
Rhode scoffed, saying, “Hmph. I think he's better off single. Perthales, dear, don’t fall for any of the Love Goddesses’ children or the Sun God. They just bring heartache, just take me. Married off to Helios and then cast aside for His mistress.”
“Falling for one of them is an awful little brother, so just avoid them. Marry a nice undersea god or even better, stay single so you can have sex with whoever you want.”
“Rhodes!”
“Whatever.”
“Oh and do make sure to choose your significant other by yourself and carefully. Don’t let father pressure you with a marriage. He has awful taste in what He thinks we would like.” Kym added.
“I do not have bad taste!” Poseidon said, offended.
Amphitrite sipped her Nectar and supported her daughters with, “You have awful taste my dear. You even managed to have a child with Gaea.”
Posidon stood up, offended about his poor honor. “I did NOT have sex with my Grandmother—,”
“No but you certainly spread your seed on her” Amphitrite continued before taking another sip of her drink.
“AMPHITRITE..!” Poseidon begged.
“I’ll stop making fun of you when you stop being the world's number two whore only behind your brother. I do love you despite some of your,” Amphitrite looked her husband up and down before continuing, “obvious whorish flaws.”
The table struggled to muffle their laughter, averting their eyes from the offended God and his chuckling wife. Demeter had to shove fries into her mouth to stop herself from laughing at her brother.
Posiedon pouted about the teasing he had to endure from his lovely wife for the rest of the afternoon until both families prepared to depart. Wishing Perthales goodbye, his family teleported away except for His Parents, Demeter and Poesidon.
They informed him that they had figured out custody, so for three months he would spend time undersea with his Father, 9 months would be spent on land alternating between his restaurant and Demeter's home. Both parents had agreed that He would not enjoy spending so much time away from his restaurant, but both wanted to see him regularly.
So letting him spend a superior amount of time with his restaurant was a decision they made with little argument. But both would like to see him regularly, so they decided that They would come visit him at his restaurant, and he would come visit them at their Homes.
Perthales smiled at his parents, thanking them for letting him stay with his restaurant, and people. He was worried that they would have a similar arrangement to Persephone, spending half the year with either Parent. His restaurant would struggle without him, and he didn’t want his poor workers to be too stressed out. He wants them to have lives outside their job as well.
They kissed him on the forehead and wished him goodnight, teleporting to their homes. Perthales smiled and greeted his workers who were ready for the dinner rush. He felt relaxed after he hosted his family. Now it’s time to get to work.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Hours after Noon.
“..My Lady?” Phoebe questioned.
“Yes Phoebe?” Artemis responded, paying half attention to her hunter's words as she carved a new bow for Caenia, their newest Sister.
“It seems that we have harvested too much meat in the past few Hunts. We don’t have the space or labour to bring it along with us without it becoming spoiled on us, My Lady. Zoe is starting to get stressed about how we are going to store it all to just bring it along with us on our next journey.”
“Well.” Artemis’ attention turned to her talking hunter. “We must sell it then. Does anyone know any markets where we can sell it at a good price? It is truly quite a large excess of meat.”
“My Lady, if I may interrupt,” one of Her Hunters, Aerina interrupted, adding to the conversation. “My cousin, Illryia, works for Lord Perthales, the new child of Lady Demeter and Lord Poseidon. He employs her in his restaurant, I believe it’s called Perthales’ Kapaleia. I would like to see how she’s doing and it’s very likely they would buy off the meat we Hunted. He employs several nature spirits and other workers”
“A god..? Employing nature spirits? I should check on them to make sure He’s treating them well. Being a Child of my Aunt and Uncle will not save him from an Olympian's wrath if he’s hurting them.” Artemis thought.
Standing up, She spoke aloud, addressing Her Hunters before Her. “We will go there then. To sell the spoils of our Hunt and to see if we will find any more sisters to welcome into our Hold.”
She continued, “Inform the Hunt of the upcoming movement, we will arrive there before I take up my chariot and pull the Moon across the sky.”
Artemis and Her Hunt swiftly packed up their camp, erasing the traces of it from where they stood. As they properly erased all remains and waste, they grouped together, checking to make sure their packs were sealed and proper. Artemis beckoned Her Hunt forward and stroad forward breaking into a run. The Hunt would arrive soon before dinner in the Town of Manzane, where Perthales awaited.
The Hunt arrived promptly at 5:30 pm, arriving at the bustling town. Workers and merchants were busy packing up their workstations alike, shops closing their doors as people chatted in the streets. Aerina pointed at a tall, beautiful building situated close to the shore, with trees towering beside it, providing shade.
They approached the building, Aerina leading the way, with their newest recruit Caenia following behind her like a little duckling. Aerina pushed open the doors of the restaurant, holding the door open for the rest of the Hunt. Artemis stalked forward, with the grace of an experienced hunter, still in her childlike form. Once the Hunt had all arrived Aerina noticed her cousin chatting with another worker, most likely a waiter.
“Cousin, Illryia!” She greeted Illyria loudly.
“Aerina?! You’re here! Just one moment!” Illryia’s face beamed at her cousin before turning towards the kitchen. “Boss? My cousin is here would you mind–”
A voice called from the kitchen, clearly masculine in nature. “Go on, go say hello to your cousin. If you want you can stay with her until she leaves Manzane, dear.
Illryia cheered, thanking her boss before tackling her cousin. “Cousin!” She separated from her cousin after sending both of them sprawling to the ground. “What have you come to visit me for?”
“Miss Illyria.? Is that you?” Caenia whispered, shocked by the woman's happy expression.
She had never seen the Nymph so happy, not once in the days that she had spent in the village she had grown up in. Whenever she was with the dastardly husband, the man who tried to steal her innocence, the woman looked utterly depressed. The only time she had emotions other than disdain is when she ferried her off to the Hunt in secret, freeing her from the portly mans wandering hands and eyes.
“Caenia dear!” Illyria approached the girl she had shipped to the Hunt as her cousin was trying to catch her breath after getting jumped. “You look well.”
“I am. Well that is.” She nervously mumbled.
“Good–”
“Terribly sorry to interrupt your conversation my dear but we did come here for a reason.” Artemis interrupted, smiling. “We have an excess of meat products from our recent Hunts. We can’t carry it without wasting it. So we have come to see if we can sell it to this restaurant.”
“Ah then I’m the one to speak with! One moment, my Lady, I will retrieve my boss and a butcher from the restaurant! For now can you bring what you Hunted and want to sell over to that corner” Illryria pointed at a counter before jumping up, rushing back to the kitchen where she came from.
Artemis and Her Hunt waited patiently for Illyria to return, spreading the meat that they had Hunted on the counter that Illyria had pointed out.
Their attention was interrupted by the approach of an immortal being approaching, and Artemis shooed off the rest of Her Hunt to the side.
“Perthales.” She said, coldly. “I have brought things to sell to you.”
“Wonderful. One moment I have to look at the meat to figure out what I will buy from you.” Perthales cheerfully responded, not frightened by her coldness. “Hmm… I will give you 422 drachma for the whole lot, Lady Artemis.”
“500 Drachma.” She countered.
“430 Drachma.”
“480 Drachma.”
“430.”
“470.”
“450 Drachma is my final offer. Take it or leave it, Lady Artemis.” Perthales finished the offer, settling on a final amount.
Artemis nodded. “450 Drachma will do,” She reached out her hand expectantly.
Perthales dropped a large bag of money into her hands, nodding back at her as she counted the correct value of Drachma giving him an approving nod.
“Well, You and Your Hunt are of course welcome to stay with us. Dinner service will begin soon so I would recommend taking the long table in the outdoor pavilion. It should fit you all. A waiter will come by soon, and you can occupy rooms for tonight upstairs for a small fee.” Perthales finished, as the worker he brought carried a quarter of the meat back to the kitchen.
Grabbing the rest of the meat, Perthales waved goodbye at the Hunt, walking back into the Kitchen.
The Hunt situated themselves in the restaurant sending people to claim and reserve the table as Artemis went to book rooms for Her Hunt.
After enjoying the luxury of the women's baths connected to the residential area, Hunt returned to the restaurant to eat a hearty and lovely meal. They stayed for two nights so that Caenia and Aerina could spend time with Illyria.
Artemis waved Perthales goodbye, approving of Her Cousin after seeing Him treat Her, Her Hunt and his workers with kindness and respect. Artemis promised Him that she would come back and visit, selling any excess meat they harvested during their Hunt at the restaurant.
So the Hunt and their Goddesses ventured beyond the town, sprinting towards their new adventure, with food in their bellies and bright eyes. They had even recruited two more lovely Huntresses to add to the Hunt from the town.
And so they left. Waving the Town of Manzane goodbye, swearing that they would experience the Hospitality of the God once more.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hermes was stressed.
He was very very stressed.
The amount of messengers and travelers had recently doubled and he was so stressed. What was going on? He still didn't know the reason why his life had become so much harder.
All of his domains were overflowing and it was so painful.
Thankfully Martha and George had moved from his cadeous to his shoulders and neck providing a very comforting weight to him and had been helping him process all of the work he was doing.
“Ah. Demeter wants to send a package to her new Son?” He thought. “Alright.”
Hermes took a deep breath, feeling his snakes curl around his body, grounding him to the plane of existence. “Just a few more deliveries and then I will take a break okay.”
“I will be fine.” Hermes murmured out loud, activating his winged shoes and flying towards Demeters house.
Hermes arrived at his Aunt Demeters’ home, with Her handing Him the package and a drink of nectar before shooing Him towards the direction where Her Son resided.
Arriving in the quickly expanding town of Manzane, Hermes managed to find the restaurant with ease due to the friendly residents. Reaching the restaurant, he pushed the door open to find a bustling and busy restaurant, with him getting jostled back and forth by the waiting crowd. He walked towards the host stand distractly trying to not get pushed over.
Asking the host stand was a good choice on his part, as the host grabbed the attention of one of their coworkers, who led him to where he could drop off the package. The waiter smiled and waved goodbye at the Messenger God before going off to serve the other customers.
Hermes turned back towards the door, asking George and Martha where he had to go next—.
George? Martha? Where had they gone? They weren't on his shoulders, nor his caduceus.
no
No
No
NO NO
no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO
no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO WHERE ARE THEY no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO WHAT HAPPENED WHERE ARE THEY no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO
no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NOno No NO no No NO GEORGE no No NO no No NO no No NOno No NOno No NOno No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO no No NO MARTHA no No NO no No NO WHERE DID YOU GO
I cant
No
Where did they go
George..? Martha?
Please….?!
WHERE DID YOU GO—
A strong tanned arm reached through the chaos of Hermes’ mind and pulled him forwards guiding him towards a seat.
Hermes curled in the soft cafe seats that he was placed in, mind still racing. The same arms and hand reached before him with a steaming bowl of soup with a side basket of savoury smelling bread. The arm retreated for an unknown amount of time and returned with utensils with its hands gently coaxing Hermes’ hands to close around the spoons.
The arm coaxed him to eat and he mechanically did so, eating spoon after spoon of the warm soup. Hermes solidified, anchored to the seat. The food had cleared his panic, and stress. The same two hands dropped a warm blanket around his shoulders and placed George and Martha into their own special seats. They reached their long tails and curled around his legs, unblurring Hermes’ eyesight to perfect vision.
The soup was good. So was the bread. He was okay. He was solid. He wasn’t torn into pieces. George and Martha were right there, they even had their tails curled into his legs.
..Who?
“Hermes?” A kind voice asked.
It was those tanned arms and hands that had guided him to the seat. The same hands that had put food in front of him. The same hands who found George and Martha and put them beside Him.
“Hello. Who are you?” He questioned.
The voice laughed softly, the face and eyes matching the kindness in his actions. “I am Perthales, Lord Hermes. I am the newest child of Demeter and Posiedon. I am the God of Hospitality. Nice to meet you.”
Hermes finished the bowl of soup, eating another piece of bread.
“Can I have another bowl, Perthales?” Hermes asked, matching the newest Godlings kindness in his voice.
“Of course! You will have to pay for more refills after this one however!” Perthales responded.
“Sure. Thank you”
“Of course. Don’t you worry about it. Would you like some more bread with that?”
“Yes please. Oh and more of whatever George and Martha is eating. Thank you”
Perthales let out a breathy laugh, “I can dry some so you can bring it along with you. Oo.. also I have a small experiment that I wanted to try out on those who travel. Would you like to be my taste tester?”
“YES!” Hermes cheerily said, mood brightened.
“Well,” Perthales said, “I call it a Crispy Chicken BLT wrap. Do you think you could
eat it while flying?”
“Oh definitely! I need like 80 more,” Hermes moaned, eating the wrap with relish and energy he didn’t know he still had.
“Why don’t you just stop by in the morning? I’ll give you food for breakfast and lunch on the go! Okay?”
“Okay.”
Notes:
update this fast? crazy i know.
Hermes is not having a good time, Artemis has a new favorite cousin.
this is being fueled by fried rice and kkq that i had for dinner
(twas SO GOOD) (thank you older brother)also I am reading all of yalls comments so thankyou for all of the love
Chapter 6: Chapter 6
Summary:
A goddess plots and Zeus is experiencing angsty hours
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Eris was angry.
No, She was more than angry. She was enraged.
Her domain would have flourished if Her plan had worked. Over a decade and a half of discord would rampage across the land.
Instead, Her plans had been foiled.
She had gone through a massive effort, sneaking into the Garden of Hesperides. Bribing the Hesperides to lead Ladon away and look the other way as She stole an golden apple from Hera’s tree. She had to go all the way home and carve, “for the fairest” onto the apple.
And yet, instead of a war erupting from the golden apple she threw in front of the arguing Goddesses, a Godling erupted from the apple instead. A godling who had completely stopped the possible war in its tracks.
A godling, the newest in several decades. Even worse, He was the child of both Poseidon, and Demeter. Both would destroy Her, and throw Her into Chaos if She dared to harm Him with Her hand.
But..!
His arrival had ruined Her plans. And while She couldn’t harm Him directly, She certainly could still sow Discord nonetheless.
Peering into Her domain She found someone who would’ve caused the discord as Her little puppet.
Paris, of Troy. Her little shepherd of Discord. In another world, Her domain told her, he would cause a war among the mortals, the biggest one in history. However in this world he might become even more infamous.
The future Prince of Troy would cause enough discord for Her domain. He would become infamous as the Mortal who dared to steal a God.
The rage of Demeter when Her daughter was stolen, and the wrath of Poseidon when He was wronged was legendary. Both were famous, as Their anger was an incredibly destructive force. What would happen if Their anger combined?
It would be Perfect. This would certainly make up for the devastation She had failed to create the first time. Wonderful. Discord would certainly erupt in little time.
Eris smirked, gazing at the restaurant below Her.
Now to trick the other Gods to make sure She wouldn’t take any blame.
While She had failed the first time, She wouldn’t fail the second.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zeus massaged His temples with one hand, holding paperwork in the other.
Overthrowing His father had led to unforeseen consequences, namely the massive stack of paperwork and requests He had to do. With Hera shrieking still ringing in His ears and Metis trying to sooth the headache that had been caused –please don’t be another child– Zeus was exhausted.
Why on His grandmother's domain did he have to deal with every request and complaint that Olympus had.
Zeus groaned as a peacock stalked in and took a dump on the paperwork He had just finished.
Fucking Hera’s bullshit again.
He hadn’t even recently cheated on Her and She’s all nasty towards everyone. Why did He even want to marry His most stubborn and irritating sister.
Why couldn’t They have a relationship like Poseidon and His Wife? A nice understanding that even if He got distracted, He would return to Their marriage bed. Instead He got the so-called Goddess of Family who didn’t actually care about Him unless it jeopardized her position as Queen of the Gods, who’s Rage at His affairs, and Her avoidance on Her queenly duties was now famous news, all across Olympus.
She had only used the title for Her own wants, shoving all the work that a Queen, a High Queen at that, was supposed to do onto Him.
So, after her negligence of Her duties Zeus was sure that He had fallen out of love. He no longer felt romantic attraction to Hera, especially not after she threw Hephestus, Her own child off of Olympus. Kin-slaying was not a sin that he would allow. However Zeus still loved Hera as a sister and She had made far too many enemies who wanted to harm Her.
Divorcing Her would make Her incredibly vulnerable and weakened, many would take advantage of this to hurt Her, if not throw Her into Chaos itself to rid themselves of Her entirely.
His immortal children would most likely be first in line to hurt his wife. Even Ares and Hebe would turn a blind eye to their siblings' wrath upon Hera.
Hera had burnt every single bridge She had, harmed too many Immortals to ever make Her leave His side as His queen. He didn’t hate his sister, certainly not. So He would not divorce Her, no matter how much He wanted to.
After threatening the bird with a lighting bolt, His sister’s bird finally got out of His office, Zeus left His office as well. Zeus was tired and overstimulated by His kingdom's complaints and all of Hera’s protests.
Despite wanting to protect Her, Zeus was so tired..
She bounced between lording Her position over the other gods, antagonizing other immortals, and retaliating against his affairs.
It had been decades since She had done any of her actual work as Queen. Now Zeus was doing both a High King and Queens workload.
Could you really blame him for desiring some relief outside of Olympus? He was constantly irritated, working long into Nyx’s domain. By the time He finished His work, His daughter’s chariot was already halfway across the sky.
The little sleep He was getting was certainly not relaxing.
Zeus was tired.
Tired of His wife, tired of his position, and tired of his duties.
Zeus’ thoughts were interrupted by the sight of His son.
“Hermes?” Zeus questioned. “What are you doing in Olympus? I thought you were visiting your Mother today?”
“I am. I just picked up some food at Perthales’ Kapaleia and I’m grabbing some flowers from Persephone’s garden shop for Her.”
“Perthales Kapaleia? Have you visited his restaurant?”
“Yeah.” Hermes answered. “It’s not too busy today if you want to grab something to eat, Father.”
“Perhaps..”
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zeus arrived in Manzane, the town where His nephew had guided and placed his restaurant in.
It was a lovely town indeed.
The town was split into different areas, spiraling outwards from Perthales’ Kapaleia. The town's markets and shops were close to the Kapaleia, and there was plenty of space for carts, and people to move through the town.
Zeus walked up to His nephew's restaurant and pushed open the ornate doors. Demeter and Poseidon had definitely splurged creating the restaurant, and both of their influences were present in the restaurant. Plants and water features separated the sections framing the restaurant. Little lanterns and lights illuminated the area, emitting a lovely ambience.
In the back, close to the larger tables an open, raised pavilion was located with a blooming apple tree enclosed by a water feature and plants, separating the dining area from where the tree was rooted.
“That must be Perthales’ tree.” Zeus murmured, looking around.
A voice sounded from behind Zeus, making him mask a small jump from the scare.
“Hello Uncle!” Perthales giggled, noticing his Uncle’s little jump. “Welcome to my restaurant. Please follow me and take a seat!”
Zeus followed behind his Nephew who had placed him on the second floor in a quiet corner.
“I noticed that you were wincing so I put you on the quieter side of the restaurant Uncle!” Perthales said. “I’ll be back with your meal.”
Perthales split His consciousness again, sending one back to the kitchen to prepare the meal and one staying next to Zeus in the seat beside him.
Zeus looked out at the restaurant, eyes glazing over as he melts into the seat and cushions He’s sitting in.
“Uncle.? Are you alright? You seem stressed.” Perthales questioned his Uncle.
“Perthales.. I can not allow myself to be stressed anymore. I have too much to shoulder, I can’t shoulder my own problems anymore.” Zeus admitted. “Being the God King.. I fear it has taken too much of me.”
“For in the eyes of the Gods, I am nothing but their King. Zeus no longer exists in their minds. I am just their ruler.”
“I can admit that sometimes I feel like everyone is holding a grudge against me for whatever I’ve done. I suppose I do deserve it. But.. it has been so long since Zeus, me, was in control instead of the God King, the womanizer, the cheater. I suppose that I’m tired.” Zeus continued.
“But I cannot retire now. My siblings would refuse the throne outright, and my children have not managed to be worthy yet.”
“Not worthy?” Perthales asked curiously.
“Artemis would ignore my request outright, Apollo would be a good king but he hasn’t matured enough.” Zeus answered by ticking off his finger with each child he mentioned. “While not my child, Aphrodite would get bored and send Olympus spiraling without a thought otherwise. Hermes would be a good King, however in the eyes of the other Gods, he is only a messenger and our enemies would take advantage to attack us.”
“Hephestus would be a clear choice, as one of my eldest, however he again would get bored without his creations, and he also prefers conversing with metal and oil instead of flesh and ichor. Ares would be a good choice, but these mortals are getting even more creative in the crimes they commit against each other during times of war. I fear His domain would change him for the worse.”
“Dionysus is certainly not mature enough, and does not have enough raw power to rule, and Athena? Athena is too cocky and the beings of the All Waters would never forgive me. Not to mention that, She too, has not enough raw power to threaten our enemies just by sitting upon the Throne. She embodies the kings and generals relaxed in the back of the battleground, manipulating their soldiers like puppets. She is not Ares, who encompasses everything about war, She would only cause a civil war in Olympus in less than a month.”
“Not to mention, if I step down from High King, Hera will certainly perish without the domain of Queens. She would be captured and tortured. No one, including Her own children, would even try to rescue Her. She has made too many enemies, and I cannot allow Her to be taken away from me permanently.” Zeus sighed.
As Zeus finished his rant, throwing his head back into the cushions behind him, a server came with their food.
“Thank you.” Zeus nodded at the server who turned away after inclining his head to his God's newest guest. Zeus ate the food feeling his headache subside and settled himself. Outside Manzane (protected by Poseidon and Demeter to have pleasant weather), the storm clouds that were brewing across Greece settled and gave way to blue skies.
“Uncle, if you wish.” Perthales started as Zeus took a sip of nectar. “In my restaurant, you can use this place to just be Zeus. You don’t have to be King here.”
“Would your mortals not recognize me?” Zeus answered, trying to ignore the hope fluttering in his chest.
Perthales laughed. “Mortals can be a bit silly even when the obvious is in front of them. If you simply changed your hair, posture, or clothes, I bet you could stay here for as long as you want. My town, and restaurant will never turn away someone who needs our Hospitality.”
Zeus smiled at that, a smile that hadn’t been seen since He and His siblings were playing together when they were godlings themselves. A memory of Demeter figuring out her domain and using it to make them swing around on vines, shrieking in joy flashed in Zeus’ eyes.
“That would be nice. Then.” Zeus cleared his throat. “Nephew you will certainly see me again. Could I have some food to take for dinner?”
“Of course!”
Notes:
I'm not going to lie, this was supposed to keep going, but Zeus really took over this chapter.
I hope you enjoyed <3
I'm reading everyones comments (and getting flustered by them so that why I haven't responded)
But thanks for the kudos and comments yall its fueling me.also Zeus only talks about the Olympians for a reason, compared to them, in Zeus' eyes none of his other children have even enough raw power to displace his Olympian children so how could they possibly defend Olympus if they ruled it.
also Hera will have her own bit, reminder that Zeus' whole thing is from his POV and insights. Hera has her own thoughts and feelings about her arrangement as well, and hopefully we will get to that soon.also Eris' plot should start next chapter so have fun with that.
Chapter 7: Chapter 7
Summary:
Mom.. Paris is being moronic again!
poor hector is the only one with a braincell
Perthales (Percy) is plotting to make sure Rome happens
Panic in Manzane & a council meeting
Notes:
If apollo ends up liking Perthales (Percy) he is gonna have a hell of a wall of protective parents (Demeter & Poseidon) blocking him from flirting with their child
whos gonna win Perthales' heart?
I have again no clue.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Paris was confident in his decision. See, he had heard about a new restaurant upon Gaea's domain where even the gods dined. So he, as the Prince of Troy, was surely deserving to have a meal there.
But when he arrived in the town of Manzane, where the restaurant was located, Paris, Prince of Troy dined in the restaurant. Being a prince of Troy certainly meant he deserved to dine in the same place as the Gods.
The food was certainly exquisite, and so were the drinks. But something about the restaurant irked him. He was utterly disgusted that regular citizens were allowed to dine in the restaurant. He was deserving. But…
But these other mortals? These farmers and fisherpeople? How could they be worthy to dine with the Gods. Yet the restaurant's doors stayed open, allowing such filth within its walls. This should certainly not be done, and the Gods agreed.
Paris had been praying, and as he was deserving, he caught the eye of the Goddesses Lady Athena, and Lady Hera. He had even become Queen Hera’s newest champion. Not to mention that the two Goddesses agreed with his opinion! Regular mortals should not be able to even garner the attention of the Gods, much less dine with Them.
So, with the Goddesses’ approval, Paris had decided to steal away their head chef, so Troy’s Royal family could enjoy the presence of the Gods along with dining with them. The Lady of Athens had even commissioned golden rope from Lord Hephestus, able to even contain a god, for him to steal away the Chef.
Ignoring his Wife’s pleas to not bring the Chef to a better place, Paris had found the Chef late at night, alone, within the apple grove just on the edge of the town. He and his men captured the Chef, knocking him unconscious as they did. They tied him up in golden rope, and the same night had ridden their steeds all the way back to Troy.
So.. why was Hector, his elder brother so irritated with him? Certainly the Royal Trojan Family deserved the restaurant much more than those peasants.
It would attract the other Gods to Troy itself, garnering them prizes and attention from the Gods. Why couldn't Hector realize that this was a good thing? Two Goddesses, Olympians at that, had already given him clear approval. With Lord Apollo as their Patron, it made three Olympians that would support Troy just in case those peasants objected.
Hector sputtered realizing that Paris had ignored his entire complaint about his actions.
“Oh calm down brother. Lady Athena, Lord Apollo and Lady Hera will protect us. Not even Poseidon can tear down the walls, remember? We, the Trojans, will be fine. The Chef will cook for us–”
“I will not. You will return me to Manzane immediately.” Perthales interrupted. “I will not cook a single thing for you scum.”
“HOW DARE YOU! Calling me scum. You’re just a chef–” Paris yelled.
“I am not just a chef. I am the immortal child of Demeter and Poseidon. You will–”
“I don’t care. I have the Queen, the Advisor of Zeus, and Lord Apollo on my side.” Paris confidently said. “You will serve me. Immortal or not. So what if you are the Brine Lord’s child? He is not allowed to break down Troy’s walls”
“Paris–” Hector hissed at his cocky younger brother.
“It’s fine Hector. So what if he’s immortal, so are those idiotic nature spirits. We are royals my dear brother. Favoured by the Queen of the Gods herself. The Brine Lord can do nothing. And that rope will keep you there so get comfortable. One day or another, you will be my Chef and only feed me.” Paris said confidently, turning to walk away from Hector and Perthales.
After he left, Perthales warned Hector.
“Your Brother is wrong. My Father may not be able to destroy the walls, but My Mother certainly can. I am warning you, Heir of Troy. Messing with myself and my family is a fool hearty way for Troy to perish.”
“.. My Lord.. I can’t let you go. My parents approve of my brother's actions.. and if I disobey them, they will make Paris their Heir. I love Troy, so I’m afraid that I can’t let you leave.”
Hector bowed, sweat pooling on his brow as the sea green eyes of Perthales darkened to a cold winter’s grey. He hastily left God alone, tied up in the golden rope.
Perthales spoke out loud, “So you have chosen death. Shame. I would kill you all myself, yet I am restrained by these ropes. But if I’m the one who was stolen.. how will Rome come to be?”
“I suppose, while my Parents' wrath storms down these palace walls, I will make sure that Rome comes into being.” Perthales mused to himself. “It was Aeneas right? The one who escaped from Troy? I suppose.. I just have to hurry that up.”
Perthales sent a first wave of His power throughout the city of Troy, mapping it out in His mind. In the darkness of the windowless room they had thrown Him in, He smiled, a smile that would remind anyone who saw Him of a truly enraged Poseidon. Cold, sharp and inviting, ready to drag anyone who fell in it’s gaze into the cold abyss of His domain.
“You have just wasted your first chance Troy. For your sake,” Perthales whispered into the empty room. “I hope you won’t waste your other two.”
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back at Manzane the next morning after Perthales got stolen…
“My Lord…? Where did you go…? Boss?” Illyria called out, searching for her employer.
“Illyria, we need to start preparing the breakfast service.. Have you not found the Boss?”
“No, I haven’t.. He’s not in the orchard, or anywhere He usually is. It’s.. weird..”
“What?! Oh.. Illyria what should we do?
“I.. don’t know. This is the first time he disappeared without warning. It’s not right.” Taking a deep breath in, Illyria continued, “I will start the breakfast service, you get people to alert Lady Demeter and Lord Poseidon. Hopefully, it is just Lord Perthales going undersea for His time with His Father.”
“And if it’s not?”
“Then our Bosses parents will rain their wrath upon anyone who dared to steal our Boss. It will be fine. We will get the Boss back soon okay. We just have to keep the restaurant going as usual so the Boss will be proud of us when He gets back.”
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lady Demeter, I am a worker from Perthales’ Kapaleia. Boss is missing, has he gone to Lord Poseidon’s domain? Illyria, one of our directors, is taking care of us, but the workers are worried about the Boss. Is He okay?
What.
My son? Is missing.?
Demeter's heart started beating, racing. She teleported to the beach where She and Her brother communicated about their children.
“POSEIDON! Is Perthales with you? He isn’t in my home, nor the restaurant. This is earlier than what we promised each other!” Demeter yelled from the coast, trying to summon Her brother.
Poseidon emerged from the sea, walking towards Demeter’s place on the beach. “Demeter? What do you mean he is missing? He isn’t underwater. Are you sure?”
“His workers just prayed to me, I assume–”
“Yeah they just prayed to me as well. Demeter. Our son is missing.” Poseidon interrupted, shooting her an apologetic look for the interruption.
“Poseidon. We will destroy whoever dared.”
“I will not argue with that Demeter. Anyone who stole our baby will face our wrath.”
“Agreed then. However we should first give them a chance, yes? Afterall if they refuse, we can destroy them and no one can argue~ If we give them a chance the council won’t be able to refute our anger.”
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Days later.. In the City of Troy.
“What’s going on? It’s only just past the apple harvest..? Why is it so cold?” one trojan muttered, clutching his arms to reserve warmth.
“No…! The fish, it’s, it's all rotten!” A fisherman yelled, throwing his spear down.
“Everyone! The crops, all of our crops, they’re just rotting away.. It’s like a plague of locusts ripped through them.” farmers screamed in horror, as their harvests were destroyed.
“What’s going on?” They screamed
“Why is it storming? The waves have taken away my son and his friends! It was sunny just a moment ago!” A trojan mother screamed.
“No! Able-bodied men, we need your help, the horses have all gotten free from the stables!”
“All of our fruit is rotting..!”
“Lord Apollo! Have we done something to offend you.. Please. Please have mercy on us.”
What. Why were his Trojans so devastated? What was going on?
Apollo answered the desperate pleas of the Trojans, looking at them from above as their livelihood was threatened. His sunlight was blocked by an endless storm, their crops ruined.
Why was his Uncle so enraged?
Why was Troy under attack?
Wait.. didn’t Aphrodite have a child here? One Olympian is not allowed to call a meeting whenever they wish, but two is enough for the council to reconvene.
Apollo flew to Aphrodite’s palace, seeing Ares’ chariot already parked. He entered her palace stalking through the ornate clam coloured walls.
“Aphrodite!” He called out, trying to find the Goddess.
Aphrodite floated over, nearly naked, with pearlescent scales reaching up her sides, framing her breasts.
“Apollo~ Yes dear what’s going on? You’re smoldering all around my rooms.” She crooned.
“You have a son in the Trojan Royal Family, yes?”
“I do~ Why are you asking dear sunshine~ Don’t you have your own collection of them as well?”
“Uncle Poseidon, and most likely Aunt Demeter are punishing the Trojans. I don’t know why, but a council meeting–” Apollo said.
“Would be the fastest way to understand why, and get them to stop. Alright.” Aphrodite's voice became sharp, “let’s go to Olympus then. ARES!” she yelled out to the hallways behind her. “Come on, your brother and I are summoning the council for a meeting.”
Ares, missing most of his armour and wearing little to nothing except for a loincloth and armoured shoes arrived.
“What are you summoning the council for?” He questioned, summoning a chiton and a cloak to cover himself.
“Apollo is exchanging a favour for my help to call an Olympian meeting.” Aphrodite crooned at her boyfriend.
“..What? A favour? Aphrodite I–” Apollo said alert, from the Goddess's words.
“I have only one child in Troy, Apollo. I have children everywhere already. Losing one is not exactly a reason to panic. It’s not like I have a champion there or anything. So~ a favour will do, for payment.”
“Fine. A favour.”
“Wonderful!~ Let's get to Olympus now~” She trilled, smug at receiving a favour from the Sun God.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“I call this session to begin,” Zeus thundered, slamming the doors shut with a gesture of his hand. “Apollo, Aphrodite, you two were the ones to call this meeting. Please, share your shared grievances with the council, preferably sooner rather than later.”
“Troy is currently being punished. I want that to stop immediately.” Apollo demanded. “I want to know why exactly they are being punished, and I want restitution paid for their damages. This is one of MY cities. I will not have them be punished unjustly!”
“Who said they’re being punished unjustly Nephew?” Poseidon rumbled angrily, his eyes darkening to the colour of deep oceanic landscapes, murky and dark.
“I agree~ Troy is being punished for their actions. If they wish to disrespect me, they will just have to deal with being unable to eat~” Demeter crooned at Her nephew. “I certainly won’t be paying anything to those ignorant fools. I will bring a centralized winter. It will only affect Troy. The more they disrespect me the colder it will get, and the more of their food will rot.”
“And I will make sure their steeds abandon them, and not even the sea will provide them with abundance. Storms will be harsh until I am appeased.” Poseidon snarled, supporting His sister.
“Aunt, Uncle, why are you so enraged by Troy? My people do not deserve–”
“Oh they certainly do. Your prince stole Demeter and I’s child, our youngest Immortal child, and your King and Queen approved. Until he is returned, our wrath will not end. Do not EVER ask us for restitution for that idiotic city ever again or I will sink Delos back into my Seas.”
“Uncle!” Artemis protested. “I have done nothing to support Troy, you will not be sinking Delos.”
“Niece, talk to your brother. I will not sink Delos, if your brother kills Troy.” Poseidon crooned, as his hair moved in a flaring matter, exposing his anger.
“Demeter, Poseidon, you’re overreacting,” Hera interrupted, trying to calm her sibling's anger. “Perthales will be perfectly fine, he just should submit to my newest Champion.”
“Excuse me?” Perthales parents growled in Unison.
“You heard me. There’s no need.. for Perthales to feed peasants. Serving my champion and his Royal family is so much better.” Hera shrugged before relaxing into her throne. “It’s not like he’s too important anyways.. He’s not exactly in the royal line at all. He will be fine serving my champion.”
“Sister. Shut your mouth right now, OR I'M GOING TO THROW YOU IN CHAOS–” Demeter yelled, utterly enraged by the Queen of the Gods.
“Brother control your wife, or you won’t be seeing her again,” Poseidon warned, slightly blocking Hera from Demeter’s angry gaze. “If she insults my youngest child again I will be helping Demeter throw Her into Chaos.”
Zeus sighed, “Hera. Enough. Stop antagonizing Our sister and brother. It is not helping anyone–”
“Father,” Athena added, smirking at the arguing Kronides, “I must agree with Stepmother, a minor God is not worth the effort of destroying an entire city.” She continued. “Especially not threatening a longer winter. That is against the deal that was made when Hades married Persephone.”
“Athena. Do not interrupt me again.” Zeus rumbled, eyes flashing in warning to His warlike daughter.
“Of course Father,” Athena murmured, lowering Her head in fake subservience.
“So,” Zeus started, counting on his fingers, “Perthales has been stolen by the Trojans, Demeter and Poseidon obviously want Him back where He belongs. Apollo, Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite, think that He should stay in Troy. Demeter and Poseidon are ready to kill every Trojan for the slight.”
“Correct.” Demeter growled. “I am ready to take back My child. All those who argue will not be receiving anything from My greenhouses, or farms. I hope you can find food for your sacred animals, because I will no longer be feeding them.”
“Alright, alright,” Hermes interjected, trying to calm His angry family members. “I’m sure no one wants any of their animals to starve so let’s just take a break okay!”
“No. Demeter and I will have no mercy for those who stole our youngest. Until then, no one will be receiving anything from Our domains. And Athena? I suggest you stay far away from the Sea. I was kind enough in the past to prevent Triton or Amphitrite from maiming or killing You outright. That kindness has vanished. Do be careful, My son and wife have been wanting to spill your ichor for your crimes for a very, very long time.” Poseidon growled, eyes resembling the monsters that hid within His domain.
Poseidon then summoned and slammed His Trident into the floor, causing some of the Gods present to jump. “And do not presume any of your temples close to my domain safe. All will be destroyed,”
“And starved.” Demeter interjected.
Poseidon nodded, “All you hold dear will be destroyed and starved until My pearl is returned to where He belongs. That is all. Demeter, Amphrite, would like to invite You for tea.”
“Sounds wonderful, do tell Your wife I will attend~” Demeter smiled at her brother before turning to the offending party. “You have heard Our terms. The longer it takes the more We will destroy. Don’t take too long, or maybe I’ll start collapsing your temples. Ta-ta~” Demeter teleported away
Zeus sighed again, wary of turning His siblings' wrath towards Him. He also would like Perthales returned to His restaurant, however considering Hera was the opposing party, it would most likely lead to more heartache and crimes being committed against Perthales himself if Zeus interfered.
“This meeting is adjourned. Make a decision between yourselves. I will refrain from interfering unless either party breaks their Vows. Good night.”
Notes:
yay i updated woah
thats crazycheck out the OM discord for gremlin behaviour (havent figured out how to add links so just go to Rosen Maidens Once More series)
Perthales Domains:
Summer
Hospitality
Summer rains and storms
God of Gastronomy
Sacred Fruit: Apples
Sacred Tree: Apple trees
Sacred Animal: ???
Patron of Manzane
Hostels and Hotels
Guardian Protector of abuse victims (of all ages and genders)
Punisher of Abusers (of all crimes against sentient beings)
God of ???
(Maybe more to come)
Chapter 8: Chapter 8
Summary:
a divine decree and a royally bad arguement
Notes:
new chapter yayyyy
sorry it took a while but slightly longer chapter as a sorryhave fun reading <3
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Demeter was enraged. Her anger had reached the same levels that She had when Her precious Persephone had been stolen by Her brother.
Arguably this was worse. At least last time, it was between Her brothers and Herself. Persephone had even been alright with Hades after getting to know Him.
But this? A pathetic mortal dared to steal Her youngest? And not only were His kidnappers refusing to return Him, several of the Olympians had supported His kidnapping.
Enough was enough. She was the Goddess who created winter itself. She was the Goddess who killed the world to get Her daughter back. While the world had seemed to forget what She did, Demeter would certainly aim to remind them. She was the winterbringer.
It was time the world remembered who She was.
Demeter teleported to Her greenhouses, sculpting messengers out of bramble and bush.
“Go forth,” She ordered them, “to all the kings in this land. Tell them My decree, for whoever will return My youngest son will receive a boon. To your kingdom, I will give four herds of goats, six pithos of honey, and twelve amphorae of Olive oil.
Posedon appeared by Her side, giving additional compensation to whomever returned his child. “A basket of pearls, and a set of armour for your king and heir, forged by the Undersea Cyclops will be given to the one who recovers our son.”
“Leave My messengers. Spread the word among the mortals. Tell them the faster they return Our son, the more rewards they will receive. Only those who deliver Our son back to the town of Manzane will be rewarded. Be swift footed.” Demeter ordered Her creations.
“Land or Sea, you will run far and with haste. Nothing shall impede your travel.” Poseidon continued.
“For those who refuse, the Gods will remember your disrespect to Their requests. You will be remembered for your refusal. All kingdoms shall come lest Our anger turns to you text.” Poseidon warned, a sickly smile growing on his face. “Not that I would mind slaughtering a kingdom..” he murmured softly.
“Go forth my messengers.”
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Within the Royal Palace of Olympus…
“Hera!? What on Grandmother's domain has overtaken Your brain?!? Are You stupid? Are You losing your will to live? Threatening Demeter, AND Posiedon about one of Their children, let alone Their newest immortal child.” Hera’s husband screamed at her, pacing around in the lounge. “It is hard enough with your regular antics, how dare you–?!”
“How dare I?? Are You kidding me right now Zeus? So fucking what, I gifted my newest Champion a prize for staying loyal to his wife. So I gave my champion something to increase the notoriety of his kingdom.” Hera rolled her eyes at her husband. “And how dare You call my anger about YOUR affairs, antics. Antics?! Are you joking right now? I can not believe you–”
“DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND HOW HARD IT IS TO KEEP YOU OUT OF CHAOS WOMAN.” Zeus roared, his volume resembling the domain he controlled. “It is hard enough with your fucking retaliations against anyone you think has ever slighted you. It is hard enough with every single second generation Olympian other than Athena hating your guts.”
“You don’t seem to get this through Your head Hera. Your obviously empty, dimwitted head. I am so fucking tired of you. Every single day I wonder why I even ever wanted to marry you, sister. Every single day, when I am buried under every single royal task because you can’t be bothered to help–”
“Why should I have to help?!” Hera interrupted, rolling her eyes. “I am Queen, not Your paper pusher. And why should I do anything for a cheater like You Zeus? Why should I?”
“Becuase You are MY QUEEN. You aren’t supposed to be throwing away your duties to punish everyone I find attractive. And back to the actual problem, it is hard enough to not only Rule and Lead Olympus, to do my Kingly duties, to prevent threats from arising against us. And you decided to aggregate DEMETER AND POSEIDON.” Zeus thundered.
“Why! Why Hera. I’ve done everything I can to appease you. I have not mistreated you. I bring you gifts regularly, I stay married to you.”
“Oh and staying married to me is such a favour–!” Hera rolled her eyes again, sniping at her husband.
“At this point Hera?” Zeus responded, incredulous by her blatant disrespect. “It is a favour at this point. Most, if not all, of the second generation Olympians want you dead. You’ve made enemies out of basically every immortal being, you’ve even pissed off Demeter and Poseidon!”
“The favour is, my dear sister,” Zeus remarked bitterly. “Instead of finding someone who accepts who I am, distractions and all, I continue to protect you.”
“What do you mean protect me Zeus?”
“What do you mean protect you–?! Of course I’m protecting you. Without me Hera, you would’ve been thrown into Chaos like that!” Zeus argued, snapping his fingers with emphasis. “Can you not make that connection in your pea-brain? Everyone fucking hates you Hera. The only reason you’re still my wife is because you’re my sister and I don’t want you to die because I love you.” Zeus scoffed at her. “And with how you’ve been acting, I don’t really feel like loving you anymore.”
Zeus stormed away from their chambers, throwing the doors open into the back garden.
Why? Why had He ever thought He wanted to be with Hera? Why had He ever wanted to tie himself to her. Now, because of His younger self, he was stuck in this loveless marriage. Not only that, his one escape, his nephew's presence and food was taken away from him too.
For Olympus’ sake Zeus was trying his best. Sure he certainly was not the kindest, nor the most level headed, (that honor would go to Hestia) but, he wasn’t an awful king.
So why was he dealing with all of this? Why did he have a wife who switched between being cold, useless at best, or a liability. And now? Now he had to not only prevent yet a longer winter —because yeah Demeter had cast a wintery famine upon Troy— and convince His brother from destroying the thousands of temples littered across the land.
“For fucks sake.” He muttered to himself, feeling a storm swell and batter around Troy. While the walls could not be destroyed by His brother, Poseidon had not sworn any oaths about sabotaging their trade.
With Demeter rotting and freezing Troy, and Poseidon striking down their exports, the only way Troy’s people were going to be fed was if they bought it. Which would drain the coffers of their people unless their immortal patrons helped them.
“Knowing Hera,” Zeus snarled, throwing Himself into a brisk walk to put distance between His sister and Himself, “Her and Athena would probably donate their coffers. She better use her own damn accounts, because I certainly won’t be donating any money.”
Zeus split himself, sending the lesser apparition to the royal coffers, to reinforce them and make sure Hera could not take any of His money for Her purposes.
Zeus continued walking, ducking into an alleyway to teleport into His private secret garden that Hestia and Perthales had encouraged him to start.
They were all like, “Zeus, it will be relaxing, Zeus it will be good for stress revival, Zeus, it will teach you patience, Zeus it will be good for you to have a place where you aren’t expected to rule, yadda yadda.”
..it’s not like they were wrong. But still.
They were correct. It felt relaxing. It isn’t like they needed to know they were correct however. This could remain His little secret, his removal from reality.
In honour of His nephew He would have planted apple trees, but Demeter had been on an apple tree craze and had bought up all of the adult trees. Understandable, but it certainly made His life harder. So instead He created a new type of tree special to His garden that he named a Blood Orange, because while the outside looked like a mid-sunset, and the edible part looked like freshly spilled blood.
Zeus rather loved his Blood Orange trees thank you very much. They cast a lovely bit of shade, and considering he had anchored his garden into the sky. Well, it certainly was hot, having the island he had created, floating not far, but far above into the sky from the island where Ida and Adrasteia had raised him. His power clouded the area around the garden, encouraging all those who flew to skirt around the “storm”.
It was perfect. Far, far away from anything and anyone who could bother him and utterly peaceful.
He certainly needed it after the conversation he had. Unbeknownst to His siblings and children, He was actually a rather good cook. He had to be, because having only the milk of Amalthea, nectar and ambrosia was not enough to keep a new god alive. So out of necessity, He learned how to feed himself.
He never really told His siblings, especially not after freeing them from His fathers stomach, but without the nursing and focus of other gods (or even Titan), Zeus had almost starved to death. His body kept on shattering into stormclouds and lightning, and He was almost always hungry as a result.
His siblings didn’t exactly know that fact, so Zeus cooked additional food, (and now asked Perthales for larger portion sizes to bring with him), so He would feel sated. His siblings still didn’t need to know that fact, not even Hestia knew about the reason for His inflated appetite. His mother probably knew, not that She was around much, busy stretching Her legs and taking Her Lions out for walks.
Not that He missed Her or anything. Zeus was perfectly fine without having His mother around regularly. “It was fine.” Zeus grumbled into the vegetables he had planted.
Both the fruits and veggies were growing very well despite not having a Agriculture, or Cooking domain. Ducking into the little house he had made –well more like a kitchen and comfortable seating he borrowed (re; stole) from Perthales– He tossed the vegetables into storage. No point eating them now, especially when He was craving something sweet.
Standing up He plucked fruit from His fruit trees, careful to keep the unripe ones on the tree. “The vegetables in storage could be grilled later.. I do have some eggs, and also some leftover pork shoulder.” He mused, carrying the heavy basket of fruits back to his little house.
Zeus smiled to himself, His anger melting into contentment as He prepared the grill. No matter how much He had to do, this place would shelter him. Once His nephew was returned, He would have that place too.
Tired still, knowing His duties would most likely overwhelm Him once more. Zeus was content staying where He was. Tomorrow would bring new issues for Him to deal with, but for now, He didn’t have to be King, He could just be Zeus. That was enough for him.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Protect me?! Protect me?” Hera snarled to the empty space in front , watching Her husband storm away from her in a huff. “Empty words for a cheater, Zeus!” She yelled into the empty spot in front of her.
Hera breathed in deeply, trying to cool and harden Her rage for another time as She watched Her horrible, revolting, cheating husband walk away from HER.
Hera was a woman's pure rage. At least that was what She used to be. She used to be the rage concealed in every woman's heart about the injustice they faced. She used to be the anger of young girls being married off because their fathers wanted more power. She used to be the rage of the married wife who found out her husband had taken a lover despite their children and marriage.
While she was still that, nowadays, that rage had bubbled over into something sharper and crueler. Now she was the one who punished everyone against her, the one who remembered all the slights. While Nemesis was the one who held the title of revenge, it was Hera whose feelings and actions were fueled by that burning rage to punish. She, the holder of grudges, one who held them longer than even the Lord of the Dead himself.
As revenge, she tortured anyone who Zeus glanced upon with eros in his heart. As revenge she tortured the children created. As revenge She plummaged through Olympus’ alliances and agreements. Just so Zeus would feel an ounce of the rage She felt. For revenge and for the rage in Her heart, She abandoned Her duties as Queen, just so Zeus wouldn’t be able to rest.
Hera was no longer the girl married off to Her brother because of a trick. Hera wasn’t the girl who forced Her siblings to run, to escape from Titans that were stronger than them when they were young. Hera wasn’t the little innocent girl that Her father had swallowed whole.
She was Zeus’ retribution for all He had done to Her. She was the fear, and the hatred that followed his affair partners, and cursed them with suffering. She was the one who tricked Prometheus, by giving Him the torch of flame to give to the mortals, unaware She had taken it from Hestia’s hearth without Her knowledge. She was the reason Zeus had lost his advisor and friend. She was the reason why Zeus could never relax, always lifting the burden of King just like Atlas lifting the sky.
He had stolen Her freedom. So She made sure He would be miserable. So what if everyone hated Her? So what if the Olympian council, and a large amount of the Gods wanted Her dead? So what if Hestia only looked at Her with disappointment clear in Her eyes. So what if Hades never visited Her to chat anymore? So what if she had just destroyed every chance of ever having a sibling relationship with Poseidon and Demeter?
So what.
As long as Her hatred bubbled under her skin, as long as She hardened Her hurt and pain into something sharp and lethal to use against Zeus.
She didn’t care how many bridges she burned. She didn’t care that Her siblings were close to disowning her. She didn’t care how much She hurt her youngest brother.
As long as Zeus continued to hurt Her, she would never let him rest. She didn’t need Zeus anyways. She had Iris, her loyal attendant. She had her daughters, Hebe (who she married off to Heracles and now hated her) and Eileithyia.
She did not and would not need Zeus. And Hera would continue to exact His punishment in any way She wanted.
While the mortal girls could poison and murder their way out, she would poison all of Zeus’ support against him.
A well isolated King was much easier to control. And Zeus was right in some ways. Being Queen did protect Her from everyone's wrath. So She would continue on Her path of revenge and hatred. Either until someone killed Her, or She faded away. Her anger would keep Her moving forward. Her anger and spite would fuel the raging fire inside of Her.
So what if Her anger burned her from the inside out? She would simply become part of the blaze. (She already had).
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the messengers of Demeter reached the recipients with their mistress’ orders, Greece began to buzz. A stolen God, rewards beyond mortal imagination. The kings of the land stood up, raising their war banners as they addressed their people.
To bring back Hospitality to His place was to earn the favour of the Brine Lord and the Lady of Growth.
To bring back Hospitality is to have gifts for you and your heir.
Kings declared war, all in search of divine blessings. All except for a certain King of Ithaca's patron, Athena who was supporting Hospitalities capture and imprisonment in Troy.
Odysseus had a massive dilemma. While the other kings had only discussed the rewards and boons they could receive, Odysseus had a significantly greater problem. The Brine Lord’s threat to punish those who disobeyed divine order, with the Lady of Growth's support, would be devastating to Ithaca, being an island nation. But Athena's support had been a constant in his life, from a young child, to a man with his own little one.
What could he choose? His home and family or his first and greatest friend.
It was then that Odysseus made a plan. Odysseus the cunning, was his title for a reason after all. Perhaps even the Gods could be fooled. The threat of Ocean and Growth was if you refused to come to battle for Hospitality after all. Odysseus only had to bring his people to the war, and hide them behind the oh so eager other kings and their armies. Six hundred men he would send, making sure to appease the Brine Lord, and six hundred men he would return with.
If he applied his Goddess blessed wisdom to every situation that the battle created, it was possible that he and his men could walk out of this battle alive and well. It was possible they could avoid the ire of the Brine Lord. Perfect.
So Odysseus, after crafty deliberation, went to declare war alongside the kings, ready to pull off his wisest move yet.
“To War!!” The Greeks roared as a collective. “To destroy Troy and for Glory to be ours!”
Demeter and Poseidon's order of war commenced as ordered, thousands of able bodied men rushing to be the one to claim victory for their nation. To sack the city of Troy and retrieve Hospitality, was to gain the favour of the divine.
Deep inside Troy’s palace walls, restrained by divine chains, Perthales was busy. Busy making sure that while the kidnapped party was changed, the Tapestry would still continue as it should. Rome would stand tall, an empire in itself.
Despite being restrained, Perthales extended His grace, plotting silently as he felt the rumbling of ancient armies rush towards the fortified city.
Perthales knew exactly what happened when one subverted Fate, and He for one was going to make sure not to be punished when They changed the scenes of the Tapestry.
Perthales just wanted His loved ones to remain safe and protected from the Fates decisions. Perthales would wait patiently, after all, while mortals could attempt to overtake the walls, He was immortal.
Unseen by mortal, and immortal eyes alike, a sigil burned itself into the storms and earth, surrounding Troy in its entirety.
“Two chances left Troy..” A grotesque smile appeared on his face. “I wonder what will happen to you and your precious Troy if you waste them. I’m waiting, Troy. Your destruction is ordained by the Fates’ Tapestry. They do not mind how it gets there as long as Rome is built in its ashes.” He whispered into the darkness before him.
“Maybe this time I truly will be Perseus.”
Notes:
your comments fuel me so thanks
Odysseus.. you're forgetting who you are and at the end didn't even mention Lady Demeter
tsk tsk tsk Odysseus.
I wonder if something else will happen in the Epic of OdysseusI hope you enjoyed the Hera bit
(also Thalia will be here soon yay, now just to start growing a little death baby)
Chapter 9: Chapter 9
Summary:
TW
sacrificing a child (Igphengia)
not outright written but the pedophillia and necrophilla of Achillies towards Troilus is alluded too
Notes:
the gods wage war while the mortals add fuel to the fire that is their anger
war crimes ensue
i dont like achilles
i also dont like most of the characters in the trojan war
lets be honest here its just pick your favourite war criminal
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Recently after Demeter’s messengers reached and decreed Demeter and Poseidon’s order…
Artemis' eyes narrowed as she felt one of her sacred deer bleating in panic and trying to contact her when their connection abruptly interrupted and went silent.
“What was going on?” She muttered to herself, raising a hand to signal the Hunt to slow down their pace and rest. “Girls, take a break and set up camp, I have something to check upon.”
Artemis teleported to where her deer cried for their sister, only to find a mortal king cheering above the corpse of her sacred dear in her grove.
“How dare he!” she growled.
She was going to stay neutral, not wanting to offend Her aunt, or Her uncle. As much as She loved Apollo, He had most definitely bit off more than He could chew when He summoned the council for the emergency weekend.
Not only that, the mortal king Agamemnon, the one who had rallied the soldiers of Greece to his side had also insulted her, saying that he could perform archery better than Her.
Now despite risking the ire of Her uncle and Aunt, Artemis was not going to leave this slight unpunished. While she would not, and could not completely support Troy due to their kidnapping of a God. However, a mortal daring to disrespect Her and Her domains? That could not be left unpunished. It created a dangerous precedent to allow mortals to disrespect the Gods.
That certainly could not do.
Artemis froze their paddles, and sails in place, magically anchoring their boats and feet to never leave the Grecian shores to make their way to Troy. She made sure that even if they tried to march, the armies would only waste energy and resources, appearing back where they had started.
The kings of greece panicked when they realized they were risking divine wrath due to Agamemnon's actions in Artemis’ grove. They consulted their priests, sending offerings and libations to ask how they could apologize for the slight and soothe Her anger.
Artemis could admit that She was utterly enraged after finding one of Her sweet deer dead, and her skills insulted by a mortal man of all things. She was so enraged in fact, She ordered the mortals oldest daughter as a sacrifice to appease Her anger.
She certainly did not expect that the mortal would be so eager to sacrifice his young daughter despite his wife' s protests.
Despite Artemis feeling guilty about ordering a young girl's death, the slight had to be avenged, and as she had already agreed, Artemis watched Agamemnon lead the young girl, dressed in beautiful white clothing and being led toward the altar.
She watched as the young child walked closer towards the altar, waving and beaming at the people before her. Artemis watched, unseen, slightly confused why the young girl acted like her sacrifice was a blessing.
She peered into the mind, withdrawing in disgust as she realized that the young girl had thought that she was being led to marry a great hero.
Artemis mourned the poor girl, she wished that she wasn’t being led to her death, not being lied to her own father.
Agamemnon approached the altar, lowering himself into a kneel in reverence, trying to not offend the Goddess of the Hunt once more. He whispered a prayer, before turning towards his curious and confused daughter behind him.
Iphigenia was still looking around, jolting her head back and forth in search of the husband that would never come.
Her eyes went wide in panic, as her father watched her arms be restrained by the priests, whispering that he was sorry. Iphigenia shrieked, trying desperately to break the hold of the priests holding her back, screaming for her father and mother to help her.
Agamemnon turned, closing his eyes to ignore his daughter's pained and fearful shrieks. His wife, Clytemnestra had to be restrained by the present kings, fighting to get to her struggling daughter.
Clytemnestra was forced to the ground by the kings, forced to watch as her daughter was gagged, watching as her sweet innocent daughter's face was stricken and stained with tears.
The soldiers behind her roared, eager to prove themselves to the divine, a little girl's death in exchange with glory and recognition was an easy price to pay.
Artemis watched as the struggling girl was forced upon the altar, her brown eyes wide with fear, begging for anyone to save her.
Artemis watched as a knife was braced against Iphigenia's neck, ready to spill her blood, spill the blood of the innocent in favour of war.
She closed her eyes, unable to watch the light of her eyes fade.
Her ears picked up the screams and wails of despair of a mother whose child was stolen from her, and the cheers of soldiers wanting to wage war.
(Little one? Hello? Can you hear me?)
(Hello..?.? Please help.. I don’t want to die…! They are trying to sacrifice me! Please! I just thought I was getting married, I don’t want to die!)
(Alright little one. Just hold tight. I name you Elara, for the sacrificial doe you were meant to be. I will spirit you away dear, replacing you with a doe but you mustn't tell anyone your past name. That name is dead do you understand? No one except yourself can ever know.)
(I understand.. Please. I’ll be Elara. Just.. Please don’t let me die.)
(You will not. You will be sent to my restaurant my dear. They will assign you a job, and you will stay in Manzane little doe, hidden from those who wanted you sacrificed. Do you agree?)
(Yes. I agree)
(Then hold your tears little one and close your eyes. When you open them, my restaurant's doors will be before you. You will find a woman named Illyria, and you will tell her you have come to work and that our God has not abandoned us.)
***
The ships and armies of Greece arrived as Apollo pulled His chariot across the sky, replacing His sister in the sky. Below him, the storms of Poseidon roared to life, pummeling the ground below with harsh and cold water.
Thousands of men poured from the ship's hold, departing to find an adequate place to build up a base camp for them to rest, and find reprieve from the heavy rain and storm. To be too far was to waste resources, but to be too close would invite sickness and pain.
As the morning sun reached the apex of the sky, far above the dark storm clouds blanketing the entirety of Troy in embrace, the armies approached the walls of Troy, King Agamemnon and King Menelaus led the approach, with King Odysseus not far behind.
“Prince of Troy, as decreed by the order of the Brine Lord and the Lady of Growth, we come to demand the return of Hospitality. You have stolen Their son, chained him up. The loyal followers demand Him back in Their place as they wished.” King Agamemnon said, glaring behind Hector.
“Greetings, Kings who follow the divine decrees.” Hector bowed, trying to keep his composure. “I am afraid.. That the King and Queen of Troy have said otherwise, and I cannot return–”
“Will not return.” Paris interrupted snidely, smirking at the angry Kings. “Perthales will eventually accept his place in my household.” He continued, waving his hand in dismissal. “The Queen Herself has agreed, he will remain in my household.”
Hector breathed in sharply, turning in panic at seeing his younger brother behind him, being disrespectful.
“You dare? His parents say otherwise, and they are the opinions that matter.” Menelaus snarled, thinking of his little daughter Herminone, and how angry he would have been if she had been taken.
“Dear Gods above!” Hector thought, despertatly trying to school his face. He was struggling in his own battle to not show the possible enemies any discord within the royal family. So trying to keep a straight face while his younger brother disrespected and antagonized the angry kings was most definetly vital to present Troy as a whole nation. He whispered to his brother, “Please don’t make my life harder than you already have.”
Hector pushed Paris behind himself, shooting his idiotic younger sibling a look that could kill and tried to convey to Paris that he had to stop talking and let Hector talk.
“While I understand your issue and want to bring Hospitality back to his parents I’m afraid–” Hector soothed the kings, before getting interrupted once more by Paris.
“It will never happen. High Queen Hera, Lady Strategist Athena and Lord Apollo support my actions. Hospitality will remain in Troy and He will submit to our orders.”
“You dare–”
Odysseus interrupted the King and Prince, holding his hands up, trying to calm both sides down.
“We understand that you have your own decrees, and want to keep Hospitality in your hold. However, the Lady of Agriculture, and the King of Seas, have already started to batter your kingdom. They destroy your trade already. Nobody wants war, so why don’t we move forward? If you release Hospitality now, both Olympians will likely forgive your slight against them.”
“Of course. What trade and relationship that Paris was supposed to extend in his visits to your kingdoms is still extended in good will. My people do not want the eternal storms, and the sabotaged trade.” Hector closed his eyes, holding his hand up to shield his face from the rain. “I’m sure we can come to an agreement..?”
“I only wish to fulfill the Gods decrees,” Agamemnon declared. “You will return Hospitality.”
“How about a duel?” Paris playfully asked, not acting like a mortal betting on a God’s future. “If you win, you can bring Him back to Agriculture and Seas. If I win, I will keep Him.
“Paris!” Hector snarled, trying to keep his voice low, to not keep the discord between the two princes apparent to the kings before him.
“I accept.” Menelaus smirked, stretching his back in preparation before sinking into a fighting stance, gesturing to Paris to join the duel.
Paris sauntered forward, adorned in armour covered in patterns of lilies and peacock feathers, gifted by his sponsor, the High Queen.
While Paris was nimble and quick-footed, Menelaus was strong and experienced. The fight did not take long for it to come to a conclusion, with the King of Sparta holding the Prince of Troy by the neck, squeezing the breath from his lungs.
The King of Sparta demanded that Paris yield, when the Queen of the Gods appeared, plucking the prince from the King's grasp, whisking him away like he was one of her prized peacocks.
“I won the fight, prince of Troy!” Menelaus snarled watching his prey escape his grasp. “Keep up your side of the bargain. Return Hospitality to Sparta so we may escort him back home.” He demanded.
Hector promised the King of Sparta, “I will try King Menelaus, I will advocate the return of Hospitality."
“Will you now? I know the integrity of the Trojans now.” Menelaus spit on the ground in disgust. “You have no honour, clearly. Until Hospitality is returned, Troy will have war.”
Hector watched the Grecian kings left, as they followed Menelaus as he remounted his horse and rode back to their camp in the distance.
—---------------------------------------------------------------
The Greeks and Trojans would continue to war under the heavy rains of Poseidon's rage. While mortal men warred among themselves, fighting to defend, or breach the walls of Troy, the Gods of either side warred among each other.
Demeter's scythe cut and reaped bodies instead of wheat, while Poseidon impaled his enemies on his three pronged weapon. Hera would wave her staff, sending energy and motivation to the Trojans while Athena led the charge of Trojan soldiers, brandishing Aegis in one hand and Her spear in the other.
Demeter smirked as her sister flailed wildly, her focus breaking as the earth erupted around her, spraying her with natural fertilizer. Athena’s focus is broken by a trident aimed directly at Paris’ heart. While the Kronide siblings and Athena warred upon the battlefield, golden arrows rained down from the high walls of Troy, striking much and very little at the same time.
The immortal parents of Perthales smirked, as the Greeks pushed back the trojans, causing their opponents to drive their weapons into the ground in frustration.
As night fell, and Artemis pulled her chariot across the sky, Poseidon moved the storms to only pour over the city of Troy, allowing both sides to retrieve the dead, and for the psychopomps to guide souls to the underworld without having to fly through the storm.
Hector and Paris argued about shame and dishonor. About parents and children, about being blessed by the divine.
But for all that Hector could argue, Paris stood tall. A coward, adorned with lilies only had few arguments to be told.
“So what if two Olympians argue and war? The Lady Queen and Lady Advisor will protect us from their wrath. Your father is Sun, our cousin is Dove. So why do you continue to fear what is to come?”
“Our people are starving, innocents already gone. Yet you hide behind these walls, adorned with finery. Cease this foolishness, return the parents' beloved child to their arms. Our city will not stand if this goes on..”
“Of course it will stand Brother, my Patron the Queen, She will not let our city fall as long as we pray. My marriage is solid, I have a child as well. I have never cheated, so our patronage will stay well.”
“You fool! Only those who are stupid challenge, land and sea at once! Their wrath is legendary, the destruction etched onto the Earth Mothers body. We will not win, not against destruction itself. Please find some sense in that brain of yours.”
While the Princes argued, both holding fast to their wants, one craving to seal away Hospitality, and one wanting to return a child to his Parents, a certain Goddess plotted away.
Thetis had learned from consulting with the oracles of the Sea, another young boy would be the catalyst of the war. For her son, Achilles, to achieve greatness and fame, the boy would need to die.
Thetis floated in with a wave of sea breeze, kneeling down beside her beloved mortal son.
“My son..” She whispered. “Trolius, the youngest child of the Trojan King and Queen, must die for you to gain eternal glory. You shall watch the Temple of Sun, for his horse and escort to arrive. You must kill him, Achilles. It is the only way to gain victory and fame.”
“Of course Mother. I will kill the boy.” Achilles whispered, hiding his lips behind a goblet, so that none of the other kings could see that he was talking.
He would kill the young prince, and would be immortalized into the tapestry as a great hero. He would gain countless riches, and experience constant fame.
He would not let any of the kings know of this plot. After all, if any of them found out, they would surely steal his victory for themselves.
Achilles would be a name that people remembered.
***
Hades was spending time with His wife while the war continued above. While he supported Poseidon and Demeter in their endeavor, and would be helping them retrieve His wife’s little brother. However, all of their actions thus far had resulted in hundreds of mortal souls being led to His domain daily.
While the work was slowly overwhelming the underworld's judges, and the judgement lines grew longer and longer, Hades was still pleased. After all, due to Perthales’ kidnapping, Demeter had allowed His wife, Persephone to come to the Underworld early. Despite the extra work, He very much enjoyed having extra time with His beloved wife, especially when He saw Her comforting His overwhelmed puppy who was struggling from the workload that had increased.
It wasn’t often that Hades felt jealous of his sweet little (not really little but it’s his dog, sue him), Spot, but seeing his wife croon at his pet instead of him definitely made him feel just a bit jealous. However considering both of their workloads had increased, he would simply have to grin and bear it. Because seeing his pretty wife and puppy frolic and play fetch was certainly enough serotonin for Hades to continue his work.
If it meant he could see his sweet puppy act the age when he got him, Hades would certainly do anything possible. And that was not mentioning how his amazing perfect dog was also distracting his wife and her worries about her younger brother.
His puppy was so smart and amazing. He's going to get drakon bones to gnaw on for being such a sweet boy.
His Cerberus breed puppy, Spot deserved plenty of treats. Now what to get his wife… she was so worried about her younger brother getting manipulated by Hera, or even worse her brother or sister.
Perhaps he should go peruse the underwater markets? Or perhaps design jewelery in his spare time to gift his wife something as pretty as her.
Or perhaps he would contruct some cute skelleton animals that she could spend time with.
Hmm….. decisions decisions..
***
On a day when the rain had lessened, the pressure not as harsh, Troilus, the young prince of Troy and the Sun God prepared to visit his the temple hill, away from they safety within Troy's walls. Trolius smiled, waving goodbye to his parents as he and his guards climbed upon their horses, setting off on their journey towards their destination. His father, Apollo had courted both King and Queen, resulting in his birth and so the priestesses always welcomed him in.
It was a wonderful day despite the pouring rain. As he approached the temples, the rain softened to a lighter drizzle.
Apparently, despite technically being on the opposing side, the King of All Seas heart softened for some of his family whos temples were also present in the same place who had sided with himself.
The city of Troy had collaborated with the surrounding cities when it was just in its infant hood to build the temples of the gods. As a young city, they did not have the sufficient funds to make an entire temples worthy of the Gods.
So Troy had made an agreement with their allies and made beautiful temples for many gods on the rolling hills. His destination lay there as well, the temple of his father still glowing despite the rain battering down from the sky for several weeks now.
He was close now.
Yet the rumble of horses drew his notice as a man with cruel eyes yet beautiful features raced towards him and his retinue.
Troilus urged his horse forward, heart racing as he tried his hardest to escape the presumably Greek solider. Yet the beauty with cruel eyes and his horse were too swift, catching up to him as he fled.
The man drew his sword and slashed at the young boy's horse, causing it to whinny in pain and try to kick the attacker away from its rider. Alas, its efforts would not stop the advancing man, who cut deeper into the horses leg, causing it to buck the child off and the horse fled swiftly into the forests beside.
The guards screamed at the boy to run, and that he did. Running as quickly as possible to reach his fathers temple, where disrespect would result in godly wrath upon the attacker. Spilling blood that was not a sacrifice to the gods inside of their temple was widely known as dishonorable and a punishable offence.
Troilus just had to make it there.
A priestess guided him inside from the steps of the temple, picking the boy up and running inside where the preists await.
Yet the cruel eyed man followed, pride inflating as he threw the priestess towards his fellows, advancing furthur into the temple where Troilus had fleeded to.
"Sanctuary," Troilus gasped, voice pleading. "In the temple of the Sun."
Yet the styx-blessed man ignored his words, slicing away his clothes with one swing, cutting off the neck of the pleading child before him in another.
His mother promised him glory and fame if he killed the boy. Who would blame him if he simply took a bit more?
***
A father appeared in his temple, walking through the crowd of his terrified worshippers unseen. He approached his youngest corpse, closing the terrified yet blank eyes of his son. His head was disconnected, red warm blood cooling on the tile beneath him. His body dishonored and degraded by a greedy son protected by a godly queen.
That man, Achilles would fall to his hand, the father swore, promising his young child. He would pay for what he did.
Notes:
im back
whoops
got a bit distracted by my other fic that is now finished
my brain is such a pain smhbut we back
leave a comment if you liked it
they fuel meif you have nothing nice to say then click on a different fic i am not forcing anyone to stay
Chapter 10: Chapter 10
Summary:
and shall they plot
Notes:
me when i use Troy as a plot device
me when i remember Troy is so long
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Achilles snarled at the air, angered by the theft of his war prize. He had fought and sacrificed his men for this battle non-stop and yet Agamemnon dared to steal what was his?
Achilles was the greatest solider the Greeks had, if not the greatest. So why should he have to sacrifice his winnings from this constant war, to someone under him?
He whispered prayers of anger to his mother, and watched as the Greeks fell to disease and filth alike.
No matter how much his dear Patroclus pleaded with him, especially after his slave was returned, he ignored his lovers warnings and took a walk away from the encampment. It was time to have his regular chat with his mother. She would understand why he was so angry and would certainly reassure him that despite his lovers worries, nothing would happen to him. His skin was as hard as steel, not even maces would breach into his vulnerable flesh. Only his heel would bring his downfall, and who knew that?
***
Thetis appeared in a spritz of sea foam and saltwater, looking around nervously as she approached the God King's office. While powerful herself, she was still a sea goddesses, and therefore under the rule of Poseidon as well. She was committing treason she knew, and even Amphitrite, her sister would turn the other way.
She stood outside the office, knocking nervously on the door as she scanned her surroundings for Poseidon numerous children and Demeter's watchful plants.
"Come in." A deep voice from the office jolted her from her surveillance of her surroundings.
The smell of ozone flooded through Thetis' body, making her hide a grimace with a tight smile.
"My Lord," She pleaded, ignoring how her body shuddered from the ozone that didn't match her element. "If I am worthy, if I have ever helped you in your reign please answer my plea!" She dropped to her knees, lowering her dead further towards the ground. "My son, this is for my son. Please fulfill my plea. King Agamemnon has disrespected him and stolen his trophy, to keep himself. Please my King, grant the Trojans glory until the Greeks respect my son!"
"Thetis.." He mused. "If I do this for you, two of my siblings will be utterly enraged with me. Yet, I still remember you freeing me during the rebellion." He sighed heavily. "I will grant your request, (up to a point, I care not for your son), the Trojans will advance. (Yet they will not get much from me, unknown to you and the others Thetis, I do care for my nephew).
Thetis rose from her feet and bowed deeply.
“Thank you, God King.” Thetis thanked him and disappeared before the Kings siblings noticed her presence.
***
Apollo watched his sons murderer act like the child his son was. Throwing tantrums like a child despite being a fully grown adult he was. The "greatest of the Greeks" whined like a baby to his mother like he was a little boy tugging on his mothers skirts. Apollo scoffed at the insect and imagined all the things he could do to this ant.
While his skin was invulnerable, his organs could fail, his lungs could collapse. Apollo would make Achilles suffer more then he caused his baby. Thetis and Achilles would suffer for everything they did. Thetis had tried to shield her son from harm and shower his blonde head with glory and wealth.
Thetis would be punished for what she urged her son to do. Achilles would lose everything he loved.
The mourning father watched the ant that had taken his child from him be comforted and soothed by his lover. Patroclus, he decided, would be the first blow he would deal to the child-killing mother-son duo. Apollo watched and made a promise to himself and his domains.
Patrolcus would die. Achilles would rage. And Apollo would strike down that mortal gnat with a golden arrow to the heel after all he loved was gone.
"Once the gnat was dealt with, he would find a way to hurt Thetis," He promised to himself. "Not just her sons death would be her punishment. He would keep going."
***
And so the war continued, godly wrath increasing for every month the war continued.
Menelaus spotted the kidnapper of Hospitality, urging his soldiers forward so they could retake the ground they had lost. The conditions were harsh, yet the Greek armies did not sink into the mud as they raced across the battle field to their opponents.
Beds of luscious green grew where they stepped, urging hooves and sandals forward towards the battle. Plants would erupt from the ground where the Trojans walked, ripping open the earth and spraying sediment across their eyes. Soldiers and horses alike fell to their knees, the rain pooling onto the earth in vast muddy swamps. For all their luck had appeared and uplifted them, the struggles of war bounced between two vast armies.
Menelaus advanced towards Paris, smirking as the prince shrieked and hid behind the army he was supposed to lead.
"Where did your confidence go?" He sneered, "All that bravado gone in an instant. Cowering behind your armies lines like a little lamb ready for the slaughter. If you're not a good little lamb, why don't you come fight? Or are your legs shaking like a little fawns?" Menelaus mocked.
The Greek army and parts of the Trojan army as well laughed at the flighty prince.
Hector could feel his cheeks glow aflame as his younger brother embarrassed his family in front of their army and enemies. He scolded his brother softly, trying to mask his angry whispers as he shoved his brother into the front lines to act like a man.
Paris' cheeks flushed with embarrassment as jeers echoed from the armies surrounding him. His walk stuttered, trying to sneak back to his original position behind the frontline, but a glare from Hector made him stop in his tracks.
Paris shakily raised his spear, trying to summon back the bluster he had when this whole situation had started.
He watched as Menelaus stalked towards him, muscles rippling with every movement.
Fuck.
***
Perthales watched, detached from his main body as he overlooked the battle from atop Troy's tallest tower.
The bonds that tied him to Troy that he was enduring had forced him to think and remember. He was Perthales now yes, yet he once was Percy. He remembered now, who he was, how many people he loved. How many people he had lost. It would be thousands of years before he would ever see his mother. Thousands of years before any of his friends were born.
Perthales— Percy could only mourn what he lost. He would most likely be alone, without the family he had built, without the camps he had led. He would be alone, as his cousins were dead.
Percy could only watch in silence as the famed Trojan war was waged for him instead of Helen of Troy.
His family was now the gods raging for himself below. Demeter, who barely gave him a glance, was now his doting mother. His dad was still Poseidon, but this time he was always present, always ready to help whenever he fell.
It was odd.
What was even weirder was how friendly his Uncle was. Like there were no threats, no nothing. Just.. "Hello dear nephew can I have some food?"
Like what the fuck was going on??
It was so weird. And he was born from a fucking apple what the fuck??
Were the Fates high or something cause what was going on with his life right now??
Percy could only sigh and prepare his entrapment for Troy. While the Trojans— and the Greeks he supposed, thought that Perthales was just a peaceful and harmless God, what they didn't know was that he had led two wars himself.
He was Perthales, yes. But he was also the destroyer, the saviour of Olympus. This life knew nothing about his prior (or was it future?) feats. Troy needed to fall and Rome needed to created one way or another.
And well..
Percy was a feral child who hadn't been able to anything fun in so long and he wanted to fuck things up.
He was a certified gremlin, and he would always be a certified gremlin. Even without his cousins, his fellow gremlins, Percy would make them proud and fuck shit up in their honor.
He had blown up a volcano when he was mortal, it was time to do what feral children (aka demigods) do when they got bored. Experiment and cause chaos.
Troy had one more chance, at least that's what Perthales had promised them. But Percy had made no promises and he was going to make Troy regret stealing him away from the people he claimed as his.
The destroyer was completely aware now, and so was the chaos gremlin.
Percy let a cackle fill the air around him, kicking his feet in joy.
As a younger demigod he had always hated being named "destroyer," Perseus. But as he aged, Percy grew to like both the names he had. Percy, the friend and leader. And Perseus, the Saviour and monsters bane.
It was time this world experienced this too.
***
Separated as they were to the cackling young God, the Gods whose loyalty to Troy was wavering shared a meal of cheese and fruit as they watched the battle below them war. They did not hear Perthales' oath, nor his promise to destroy Troy. They were busy with their own problems indeed.
"Brother, Aphrodite." Apollo greeted his fellow Olympians as he and Artemis sat down beside them.
"Hello Apollo~" Aphrodite purred. "We have much to talk about, please, sit down."
"I agree." Artemis added, perching on an armchair and snatching a piece of cheese from the board in front of the Gods.
Aphrodite's voice changed from her regular purr to something more serious. "This war is more then what we bargained for. The mortals are still restraining a god, and our Aunt and Uncles wrath continues to grow. I have a boy in Troy, and if this war continues, he is going to end up dead. We need to end this."
"I agree." Ares added, glaring at the surprised looks the twins gave him when he spoke those two words. "Shut up you two, I know what's going on. Something dangerous is brewing, and I much rather we not be caught in the crossfire."
"You mean Uncle's threats?"
"No. My domain says this war is going to end with blood and ash coating the ground. I am War but I am also your sibling." Ares continued gruffly. "We need to end this now."
"But how can we end this now?" Apollo asked, "Our foolish sister is the one who sealed our cousin away. Stepmother is very adamant in her defense of Paris. I myself, still want Achilles dead. This war has created thousands of grudges. My domain agrees with you, Ares. It says something big is coming."
"I think... the fastest way for this war to end, is making Troy only have one Olympian supporting it." Artemis added, popping a piece of cured meat into her mouth and chewing. "We have obviously waved in our support of Troy, I for one am only here because Apollo is. Sister is most likely blind sighted by her hubris and anger about the interrupted contest, so she will likely not be swayed. But stepmother is only happy with Paris because he has not yet put aside his wife."
"Sister.. you're saying we guide him towards a different women to make him cheat on his wife and put her aside for his mistress?" Apollo asked.
"Yes. That is exactly what I am thinking. Stepmother hates nothing more then her marriage domain being disrespected. Not even Paris being her own champion will dissuade her from casting her wrath upon him."
Aphrodite cheered happily at the idea. "I can orchestrate that my dears~ what about one of the opposing sides wife? Perhaps Helen of Sparta? She is quite pretty and Menelaus is very infatuated with her. I do remember our Queen chatting to Iris about how wonderful their marriage was~"
"My dear.. please be careful." Ares warned.
"I will." Aphrodite responded before floating off. "This war will be over soon. The Queen switching sides is sure to change things."
***
Athena was well. Her wisdom and choice to support Troy was certainly the correct decision. But that was obvious. She was the Goddess of Wisdom itself after all. And despite their earlier differences, herself and her Stepmother had grown closer during the course of the war. It had already been two years and Athena was happy to state that she now had another parental figure. She could barely remember Metis, and while she had fond memories from her time under the sea, they were tainted by her former sister's bad sparring and her Uncles hatred of her.
But now she had a mother for herself! And she was all hers too! It wasn't like Hephaestus or Ares made Hera happy, so Athena was already taking her rightful place of the High Queens favourite child.
She was happily chatting with her ally —or mother— when Hera stood up abruptly, her feathers flaring in her anger.
"Hera?" She asked.
But Hera snarled wordlessly, disappearing in a swirl of feathers.
Athena sat up as well, following her on owl wings to where the goddess had landed and was currently screaming at Paris. After seeing her mothers anger, Athena turned as fast as she could and sped away. Staying in the blast range when Hera was angry was a very easy way to make her angry at yourself as well.
"YOU DARE!!" Hera screamed at her champion. "YOU DARE DISRESPECT YOUR MARRIAGE VOWS! YOU ARE MY CHAMPION AND YOU DO NOT EVEN RESPECT MY DOMAIN? HOW DARE YOU!"
"My lady please," Paris begged, pushing an unconscious behind him and onto the bed behind him. "I'm not trying to disrespect you, I just want to have another love—"
"Another love?! ANOTHER LOVE!? YOU ARE MARRIED YOU FOOLISH BOY." she roared like the lions her mother kept by her side. "That marriage was loyal and you dare to break it? How dare you—"
"My Lady please! I'm just taking your advice, I'm just taking what I deserve. The most beautiful mortal women for your champion." He reassured desperately.
"No." Hera's loud voice, hardened into ice. "You are no champion of me. None of my champions would ever cheat on their spouse. You are no champion of mine."
Her anger had filled the room and followed her as she stormed away and took flight towards the clouds above. Meanwhile, Paris could only watch his protection fly away with her.
Why had she left so fast? Had he not worshipped her? This is what she told him to do after all. Take what the royal family of Troy deserved. A cook who made delicious food, walls build by Gods, a wife with beauty to rival Gods.
So why had she left?
While Paris fell into despair, a dove who glowed with pink aura crowed in victory and flew towards her waiting boyfriend, leaving behind rose petals. Her part was done, now to watch Fate weave their tapestry and enjoy the show.
***
Hera appeared in her sisters palace, carnivorous plants snarling and trying to bite. One of the plants even managed to rip the fabric of her dress.
Hera hurried forward in a huff, annoyed about the damage but still trying to disguise her annoyance in an effort to not offend her sister.
"Hera? What are you doing here?" Demeter asked coldly, eyes clearly red from crying.
"Sister.." Hera murmured softly, lowering her head in an act of submission. "I'm here to apologize. And switch sides. Please. I'm so sorry Demeter."
"Fine." Demeter sighed. "Do what you want. I don't care. I just want my son back. Do whatever. I'll forgive you if you help destroy Troy."
"Agreed."
***
The war shifted greatly as Hera switched side, and Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite and Ares limited their effort with helping Troy.
Menelaus was enraged by his stolen wife, who was stuffed in the same room with Perthales. He was a monster on the battlefield, killing hundreds of Trojans all by himself.
While Achilles was sitting around, Menelaus was replacing him as a the greatest of the Greeks. In his fury about his stolen wife, he had gained stories and fame about his actions.
Unbeknownst to the enraged husband, hundreds of modern retelling would romanticize his actions and he would be immortalized in the eyes of modern storytellers.
Hera had officially changed sides, fighting alongside her siblings and Menelaus. Her motivation had officially changed to staying with the real faithful husband. Now Athena was the only true God on Troy's side, the only one ferrying Paris off from Menelaus' threats and rage.
Troy was loosing badly. And she knew it. Despite all of her Wisdom, she had chosen the wrong side.
She could only hope that she did not fall in the eyes of the High Queen like Paris did.
***
Troy was loosing badly. And he knew it. Aeneas was greatly afraid for himself, and his pregnant wife in all honesty. She was getting to close to labour and Aeneas did not want his wife to be anywhere near the war when she gave birth.
He would not let his kind and sweet wife give birth in this situation. But he didn't know what to do.
He couldn't leave Troy. Could he?
Aeneas could only wander the halls of the palace of Troy, walking everywhere with no destination in mind.
It was then where the sound of a women shedding tears raised his worries. The tears reminded when his wife cried in worry about what would happen to their children because of this war.
He could not stop himself from approaching the tears of whoever was crying. What he found was close to what he expected but not exactly. What he found was indeed a women crying but what he didn't expect was the beautiful man beside her.
It was only when the man looked up and Aeneas made eye contact with him did he realize who the man was. Because that man was not a man at all but, he was a God. Those eyes was the colour of the sea on a calm beautiful day. The specks of gold and green were just astoundingly beautiful. And he was comforting the women who his cousin had stolen away.
The Queen of Sparta curled deeper into the chained God's body, brandishing a small knife in a single freed hand. Aeneas was sure that Paris did not know about that knife, as if his cousin knew that she had a knife, she would be in chains instead of just tied up in regular rope.
Aeneas backed up to the door, out of the reach of the knife that was slashing violently at the air where he was.
"Queen Helen!" He squeaked, staring at the knife that was still waving around in the air. "Please don't stab me, I was just trying to find out who was crying!"
"Hmph." She scoffed and glared at the only unrestrained person in the room. "Likely story."
"Queen Helen, please understand, I'm not trying to hurt you!"
"Helen." A melodic voice came from the God chained there. "He's telling the truth. He has not come to harm you or gloat. He genuinely came to someone in distress hoping to help."
"If you say so My Lord." Helen said, glare softening. "So? What do you want?"
"I don't know, I just wanted to find out who was crying and help them—"
"Yes you did. And you will listen now child." Hospitality interrupted with a smile. "Because you are going to survive the fall of Troy!" He cheered.
"My Lord?!"
Perthales just smiled at the confused Aeneas.
"You my dear, are going to free Helen in secret and flee with your pregnant wife. Alright?"
"Um.. Sure?"
"Wonderful!" Hospitality cheered again, eyes sparkling. "Do make sure you do it soon okay? It would be terribly bad if you died on accident!"
"…"
"So.. I get to return to my husband?"
"Yup!"
"And this shaking mess of a man is going to help me return to him?"
"That's exactly right Helen!"
"…"
"My Lord.. What the fuck?" Helen questioned. "I pulled one of my smallest knives on him while restrained, and he jumped backwards in like two seconds. He is now shaking like a dear? How is he going to.. rescue me?"
"Well, very soon when he stops shaking, hes going to cut of those bonds and hes going to get you, himself and his pregnant wife on a horse so all three of you can flee. He will help you sneak back to Menelaus under the nose of Troy, and then he will ride away!"
"I am?"
"Yes! Go prepare some supplies for fleeing and make sure three horses are ready for your escape alright."
"My Lord? What will happen if I don't get ready fast enough..?"
A cruel smile covered Hospitality's face. "Then you'll die alongside your fellow Trojans. Understood?"
"!!" Aeneas felt his heart beat speed up and beat harder and harder. "Understood."
Notes:
comments fuel me
thank you riri for the names for roman/greek Percy cause im always struggling with names smh
Chapter 11: Chapter 11
Summary:
zeus gets his turn to yap
percy gets to be a menace
Notes:
no TW im pretty sure
have fun <3
I love reading everyones comments and thanks for the kudos!
have a fun time with this chapter!
I hope you like it.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Just after Thetis left Zeus' office..
Zeus watched Thetis leave his office carefully, watching her every nervous jump and her frantic steps as she hurriedly left Olympus.
Sparks escaped his grasp as he leaned his head back into his office chair. So Thetis decided to be a traitor to her home and kingdom. For a little mortal boy who already had his sons wrath looming above him.
Achilles would not exit this war, Zeus was very sure of that. But Zeus was still angry.
His nephew had agreed to keep his presence in his restaurant quiet. Unlike himself, Perthales kept his promise to keep Zeus' regular visits to his restaurant a secret. And Zeus appreciated that more then his nephew would likely ever understand.
His one respite from being the High King of all Gods. His nephews blessed place. Now ruined by that foolish former champion of his wife, its safety assaulted. Zeus was angry. Truly, truly angry.
Thetis was wrong to come to him to grant her son glory. She was wrong to think that Perthales was just another one of his siblings children. He was much more than that.
His peace was interrupted. His first little sanctuary, far away from his duties. Somewhere where he was just "Uncle" instead of "Lord King."
And Thetis thought that he would not care about halting Demeter and Poseidon's wrath upon Troy.
What a foolish woman. Thinking that just because she helped him in the rebellion that he would hold her above his siblings or nephew. Terribly foolish, foolish woman. He would give her what shes owed. He would. On his domain of justice, he would give her what she was owed.
However, with his domain of Justice she would get what punishment Nomos Zeus decided was Just. Sabotaging the retrieval of his siblings child.. she would be punished for that.
Yet Zeus knew he was not the one who should punish her. He pulled out a bottle of ink and a eagle feather. With few elegant strokes, his letter to his brother and sister would be complete.
They would be told who requested their son's rescue to be stalled. Poseidon would know which subject turned traitor against one of his beloved children.
He was quite sure Apollo would take care of her rabid dog of a sun. But his siblings deserved to know who to point another finger at. Paris had already sealed his fate of eternal punishment by the design of angry parents. The rabid dog would be punished for the rape of his grandson and the defilement of a temple.
But Thetis needed to be punished for daring to support his nephews continued capture.
Poseidon never reacted kindly towards whoever harmed his children. Demeter had created winter in her grief of loosing her daughter. They would not react kindly to Thetis wanting to extend their sons entrapment.
So Alastôr Zeus penned a letter to his brother so Thetis would be punished. So Alastôr Zeus penned a letter to Demeter to arrive in two weeks. Poseidon would likely expel Thetis from the sea permanently like Amphitrite did to Athena. Unlike Athena, who had no domain connected to the water, Thetis surely did. Once Poseidon made the waters reject her, Zeus would make sure Demeter knew where to find Thetis.
And Zeus would look the other way to whatever punishment his sister declared fit.
His nephew deserved better then being stolen away and restrained from his home and domains. He would simply make sure that the ones who caused this disaster, and extended it would pay for their crimes.
So he would turn the other way, and eat a delicious meal with his nephew once he was returned. He would ignore whatever Poseidon or Demeter did and he would catch up with his lovely nephew.
Hmph.
Why couldn't he have a baby as lovely as his nephew? His nephew was borne of an apple yes? Would another type of fruit work?
Zeus jumped up and raced away to his private garden, humming a tune from his childhood. Perhaps he could have a little one of his own as well.
***
Unseen by Wisdom's distracted eyes, Percy freed himself from his gilded chains and returned to the place where he swore to cause chaos.
Hospitatlity looked upon the events before him.
He watched as Hector promised his pregnant wife that he would come home to her. He promised his wife that he would be there for the birth of their child.
He watched as Andromache wailed as her husband walked towards his final battle, hand resting upon her pregnant belly. She cried, tears falling down her fair cheeks as she watched him do his final march.
Percy watched as Achilles continued to refuse to fight. Watched as he continued to act like a even more useless sunfish and get coddled by his godly mother.
"What a fucking loser." Percy scoffed.
Percy watched as Odysseus warred with his loyalty to Athena, and his oaths to his family and kingdom. He watched as the King of Ithaca tried to convince Achilles to fight and failed. He watched as the King restrained his frustration about the useless sunfish.
He watched as the Trojans lost their wind of victory and it transferred to the Greeks. He watched the Princes of Troy fall one by one. One to Odysseus' arrow, one, two to Menelaus' blades.
He watched as Paris' arrow struck the wrong warriors ankle and just cause Diomedes to stumble. He watched as Odysseus reached his friend, and sent him back to the healers.
He watched as Athena warred with her want to help Troy with her loyalty to Odysseus, her friend. He watched as she chose to assist her friend.
He watched as someone who loved deeply donned the armour of their loved one. He watched as the golden armour of Achilles rejoined the battle, yet the wearer was not invulnerable.
He watched as Patroclus (Silena) donned the golden armour of their most beloved friend and lead the following battle.
He watched as within the palace walls, Aeneas reached for untouched courage and used the battle outside to free Helen and bring her and his wife outside the reach of Troy. He watched as both wives hugged each other good bye, and Helen gave Creusa little tips about relieving pain during the course of her pregnancy.
He watched as Helen road back to the Greek camps, dismounting from the stolen mount and sprinting to her husband who was giving directions to the soldiers he lead. He spun hearing his wife and rushed towards her, picking her up and pulling her into a deep, relieved kiss.
Percy smiled at the reunited lovers, and turned his attention back to battlefield where Hector struck a fatal blow to the imposter. Patroclus had fallen to the Sun's child's hands.
He watched and nodded at the fleeing Aeneas as he rode further and further away.
Percy watched as Achilles overcome by grief, rode into battle without his armour, killing Trojans with blind, heartbroken fury. The heartbroken song of Achilles rang across the battlefield.
Bodies clogged the poor river from where Achilles threw dead bodies, blood and gore mixing with the muddy battlefield.
He watched as Hector fleeded from the enraged Achilles, trying his hardest to return to his beloved wife. Yet he would never fulfill the promise he swore, for the heartbroken war dog caught up.
They exchanged blows, and Percy watched as Apollo desperately tried to save another one of his sons from this war. He watched as Apollo shed a tear as his son told him that he had to let him go to the underworld in peace.
He watched as the sunfish struck true and killed Hector, chaining his corpse to a chariot to drag through the mud and gore. Percy watched as Apollo protected his son's face from the disrespect.
Hospitality watched as Sun's child was dragged to where Patroclus' body lied in death. He watched as Achilles left Hector for the dogs, and the Sun God tried in vain to keep his child's face unblemished. He watched the Greek kings ask Achilles to follow the rites and return the dead prince to his city. He saw as Achilles refused and roared that as long as his lover was dead, his killer would never achieve rest.
Percy shook his head disappointingly, as the Greek kings pretended to be against Achilles' actions to the eyes of their subjects, yet waited to take a piece of the prince's armour when Achilles stripped it off.
Hospitality watched his Uncle's directions for proper funerals for foe and ally were ignored. He watched as the Sun Chariot tried to illuminate the day through the torrential downfall, its light barely able to pierce through the storm clouds.
He watched as Achilles tied Hectors body back to the chariot, riding into battle while bashing the man into the muddy earth below for three days straight.
Percy stole control of the rain on the third day, scowling at Achilles. With a pointed glare, Percy undid his sandals with a wave of his hand and letting it fall away. Percy watched as Andromache fell to her knees on the walls of Troy, crying at the sight of her husbands corpse not receiving the funeral rites he deserved and the father their child had lost. He watched as Andromache sobbed knowing her husband had been in the rain and mud for several days now.
He watched as Apollo grew even more enraged at the Sunfish, the one who had stolen his children, disrespecting not one, but two of their bodies. He sent a whisper in the wind, as Apollo's eyes flashed bright gold, and he pointed his golden bow true.
A golden arrow killed the Sunfish, and both lovers fell. Apollo could only shed tears for his fallen young children, carrying Hector's body back home to perform proper rites.
Yet the ghost of Hector hugged his father, unseen by the two gods. While one could see the future, and one was from the future, both could not see the Hector comfort his father, and look sadly up to where he could hear the cries of his wife.
It was only when the rites had finished, Apollo watching his sons pyre burn down to nothing. It was only then in the very early morning, before the sun chariot would cross the sky did Percy finally unleash his judgement about Troy.
Hail, Perthales, God of Hospitality & Gastronomy.
Hail Perthales, God of Summer Storms and Drought-ruining Rains.
Hail Perthales, God of Summer.
Hail Perthales, He who protects those in need. He who lets weary travellers rest. He of Safe Rest. He who holds all who need him in warm embrace.
Hail Perthales, He who punishes all abusers.
Hail Perthales, whose sacred fruit is apples and whose sacred tree are apple saplings.
Hail Perthales, His Sacred Animals are the Halcyon, Platypus, Lemon Sharks, and Dragonflies.
Hail Perthales, child of Demeter and Poseidon.
He cast down the divine rains, ripping through earth, ripping through sea. Magma flowed, waves rose to impossible heights, and the city of Troy set ablaze in divine wrath. The earth erupted, then sank in. The walls of Troy sank deeply into the earth as a sinkhole sucked the city into its deadly embrace. Water poured in from the sea and sky, washing away man and animal alike.
Perthales unfolded, growing larger and larger.
Hospitality no longer, for Troy had forgotten who he was. They had forgotten that he was a child of his parents. He was a child of the father of monsters.
He felt his teeth sharpen, his eyes turning sharper. Vines framed his body, tying his hair into a dark endless wave. His skin cracked, holes ripping into it with magma leaking out of his skin in a heated flow. His eyes glowed with a beautiful chilling storm, his pupil the regular sea green. The eye of his storm glowing in warning. Bioluminescence algae glowed in the sky, dripping off his skin towards the disaster below. A monster. Or a God? Or were both indistinguishable in this moment?
Percy watched as his wrath unfolded, the Grecian army frozen in fear. Percy watched as his anger compounded, and erupted in endless explosions. Troy was flattened in a matter of hours. The world would remember the day Troy fell. An immortal and mortal war, ended by a power never before controlled. A power that mortals would never learn to harness.
Only prayers would come from this disaster, to a God who held Hope in his gentle cradle, and destruction in his gaze.
"From the union of Wave and Frosted Grain he came,
born when the sea boiled beneath a seasonless sky
and the earth split wide to cradle the sacred apple tree.
Perthales, child of gods who give life and tear it away,
bearing in his blood both earthquakes and frost,
the tender sprout and the tide that uproots it.
In his shadow shall rise the marble-crowned hills,
and beneath his gaze legions shall march like waves,
for Rome, unborn, sleeps in his breast
as seed lies hidden in winter’s soil.
Yet beware the hour the Destroyer wakes:
when waters rise and the earth groans,
when bread is torn from the table
and the fruit falls to the ground unclaimed,
then kings and cities shall taste his wrath.
Father of Rome, whose hands will shape empires;
Sleeping Destroyer, whose breath is enough to drown them.
Two names, one fate:
to found the world… and bear the power to drag it to the sea."
-AnominoXD
Looking upon the destruction he struck upon Troy, Perthales smiled. Not a kind smile he would show his guests. Not a comforting smile he would show any child he helped. But the smile of his parents. This smile was of Perseus Perthales. The Destroyer.
Hail Perthales, God of Natural Disasters and Destruction. May your wrath be complete and forever unrestrained.
***
From Destruction, Hospitality rose again. He did not require mortal hands to bring him home. He planted his feet into the ground, feeling the earth between the feet.
Off he goes now.
Hospitality ran, running faster and faster across Greece itself. Running faster and faster, watching the sky clear and the frost melting away. He watched as the frost gave way to luscious green leaves and as the storms cleared away.
Destruction left far back into his wake, Hospitality ran further and further.
It was only when he reached familiar territory did he slow into a barely mortal pace. He was home. He was where he belonged. Manzane… his home. His beloved city, his city that grew around him as he grew himself.
Percy smiled. It may not be New York, but Manzane was still beloved by himself. It was his new home. His village that he made himself.
He was home..
He opened the doors of his restaurant, standing underneath the skylight, invisible to mortal eyes. It was only after several breathes, did he turn tangible for mortal hands.
It was only then did he drop a pearl and apple into the brazier did he breathe a sigh of relief. He closed his eyes, feeling his parents in this life hold him close, whispering praise and thanks for coming home into his dark hair.
"I'm home." He whispered.
"Welcome home dear," His home, his people whispered back. "Welcome home."
***
In the Gardens of the Palace of Hades..
"Do you like it my dear husband? I planted it as a reward for us after being so creative with the punishment of my brothers kidnappers. It's a new, unique breed of pomegranates! I bred it with a underworld weeping willow."
"It's already beautiful darling. It's rather precious, such a small sapling.. it's very small. How fast will it grow my darling?"
"Rather fast dear. I blessed it with some of my power… but.. would you bless it too?"
"Of course my love. Anything you look at with such adoration in your eyes, deserves my love too."
"..Dearest."
"Yes Darling?"
"What are you hiding behind your back?"
"……Nothing…."
"Are you sure about that dear? Your cloak is wiggling."
"hUH?! Really?"
"Yes dear. So.. what exactly are you hiding?"
".."
"Don't be mad?"
"I won't be mad my dear."
"… I found another litter of Hellhounds. And made more skeleton cats…"
"Pardon? How many pets have you found?"
"I found six hellhound puppies and I made four skeleton cats.. I just thought.. maybe your brother would like some company?"
"Oh dearest.. you're so cute..!"
Notes:
Thank you AnominoXD for the poem about percy
i loved it so much i added it into the fic
so tons of kudos towards themNomos Zeus - epiphant for justice
Alastôr Zeus - epiphant for avenger of evil deeds
Perseus Perthales - destroyer epiphant
thanks for reading!(also yeah thats Hades and Persephone chatting with eachother)
(Hades likes collecting pets can you tell)
Chapter 12: Chapter 12
Summary:
i speedrun the odyssey bc if i have to reseach ONE MORE THING ABOUT TROY/ODYSSEY im loosing my marbles
percy has clingly loved ones
and pets!
Notes:
TW
Calypso is a pedo and a creep from percys eyes and he states that very clearly
swearing. (im canadian surprise i swear lol)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Percy was having a wonderful day. The sun was shining, his staff had finally stopped jumping onto him to make sure he was really there in the restaurant with them.
(Which is fair he did get kidnapped for like two and a half years so he could excuse their attachment issues. But did they really have to throw themselves full body at him? Like he could definitely catch all of them but still.. his poor arms…)
(Also apparently after the first year they started hallucinating him into the restaurant to comfort themselves?? Someone had made a wooden carving of him and had the kids paint it in his image. His staff were such fucking weirdos. Too bad he was attached to them now…)
Percy sighed heavily when he remembered what his staff had made. It was so accurate it was creepy. (seriously the eyes tracked whoever was infront of it). Too bad bleach was not yet invented because otherwise he could bleach his brain from the memory of that uncanny statue.
"No Percy don't think of it. Otherwise.." He shuddered. "It'll come back to haunt you."
His staff were batshit crazy. But the only person he could blame was himself considering he was the one collecting them and giving them jobs. At this point they've given each other ALL of their bad habits. It's almost like hes back at Camp Half-Blood trying to make sure the kids didn't kill each other with live weapons or throw each other into the lava climbing wall.
Good times. Good times. (Maybe his staff just needed some enrichment? Hmmm….)
Even better, his dad FINALLY stopped looming in random corners of his restaurant, making sure that no one dared to steal him. again. It was getting seriously out of hand. Percy could almost swear, whenever he would greet one of his many, many cousins, his dad would be looming dangerously behind him, utterly terrifying whichever cousin just came for food. It was costing him so much business! It got to a point when Percy had to call in the Big Guns, AKA Grandma Rhea who side eyed her son into submission.
An impressive woman his grandmother was. Very Impressive.
But don't even get him started on his mom, because if you thought Poseidon was a over protective parent to his kids, you have clearly been hit by some sort of blunt weapon to the head, because how did you forget his mom literally created winter after her daughter was kidnapped.
Percy swore some of the plants in his restaurant had eyes. EYES. He would chat with one of his staff member, turn around, and voila, that fucking water lily just looked back at me WHAT THE FUCK.
Twice. Twice. Two times, Percy had to recruit his grandmother to get his helicopter parents to calm down and stop putting him under surveillance.
And yet that fucking Nasturtium plant HAS FUCKING EYES. AGAIN. For gods save mom, let the poor plant get some sun in peace. Instead the poor thing is tasked with reporting every visitor in the restaurant to his mother.
But don't even get him started on his fucking apple orchard, because the silly things blamed themselves for letting him get kidnapped by Paris. So Demeter blessed them with extra powerful godly fertilizer, and now every single time he goes on a little walk, and some poor person walks in the grove while hes in it, they get bashed by angry tree branches and the local animal population tries to beat them up.
Can you believe that?
Even worse it wasn't just his parents, because he found Auntie Hestia in the literal middle of the night, while the restaurant was PITCH BLACK with NO LIGHTS ON casting random spells and etching protection enchantments into his seats. INTO. HIS. SEATS. She wasn't even the worst culprit, Uncle Zeus had been coming by way more then he used to, and has been outright smiting people who are rude to him in any form. Full out, full power, I AM KING, smite.
His cousins were thankfully better, but still. Hermes kept "accidentally" kicking people into the ocean. Although, he was directing weary travellers to his restaurant so Percy probably shouldn't complain. Artemis had started exclusively selling her extra spoils to him but she kept on turning asshole men into jackalopes.
Don't get him wrong he didn't exactly mind that part, but she kept on catching the dudes who she turned into jackalopes, butchering them in front of everyone, and presenting him the meat like she was a cat presenting a rat to their uncomfortable owner. But this time the "owner" was her chef of a cousin, the "cat" was the Goddess of the Hunt, and the "rat" were random dudes.
Lovely.
Just… Lovely.
Now he had too much jackalope meat, and not enough recipes to replace them with.. (would jackalope wellington taste good? he should try that.)
But the chaos had stopped.
Everything had returned to normal. Uncle Zeus showed up in godsawful disguises, Aunt Hestia gave him recipes that she traded for, his parents FINALLY chilled out, and his cousins were being normal. Thank Chaos above for that because if anything else happened Percy was going to lose his fucking marbles——
Percy felt his connection with his dad go outright inflamed as pure enragement flooded through his familial bond.
He jinxed it didn't he?
"FOR FUCKS SAKE NOT AGAIN!!" Percy screamed into his hands.
***
He forgot about the Odyssey.
He forgot about the Odyssey. Great. Just great. Awesome. Incredible. And now his domains were screaming at him because Nobody decided to be a pain in the ass and so did his brother from another mother. Wonderful. Just wonderful. This was exactly what he wanted to do instead of trying to figure out jackalope wellington.
Percy gets to do the Odyssey, (at least parts of it) and now he gets a front row seat to watch it all unfold live. Yay! Oh but that's not all, because now I am obligated to interfere, because they BOTH broke xenia. Lovely. Just Lovely.
Percy looked mournfully at his notes about which temperature and cooking methods made the jackalope the most tender. He was going to be away from this for so long wasn't he?
Perthales sighed heavily, feeling Hospitality push at him to go deal with whatever was going on.
***
"And what do you think you're doing brother!" Perthales glared at the cyclopes, wagging a finger disappointingly.
"They drugged me! And murdered my sheep!" Polyphemus whined. "My poor sheep are dead just because they were greedy."
"King of Ithaca, what do you have to say about that?" He questioned, pointing his glare at Odysseus.
"My Lord, we were just trying to get back home, and we ran out of supplies so we thought.." Odysseus buffered nervously, backing away from the God.
"So instead of asking politely you murdered my brothers sheep without permission and after he got angry, you drugged him. Not to mention, more then half of your men were threatening to kill him too." Perthales pressed his fingers in and massaged his temples. "Did you learn nothing from my kidnapping and how my dad reacts to whenever one of his kids gets even a little cut!"
"Gods above please use you head that I know you have! Where did your planning, your thoughts go? You just! Got back from dealing with one of dad's kids getting kidnapped, and now you're threatening to take the life of another! Utter and complete idiocy honestly."
"My dad is so on edge right now, I just barely stopped him from stalking me constantly and you are just rowing about, ON THE FUCKING OCEAN YOU BUFFOONS! HOW DID YOU THINK INJURING ONE OF DAD"S KIDS WHILE ACTIVELY BEING ON TOP OF HIS DOMAIN WAS EVER. A GOOD IDEA."
"Did a two and a half year long war rot your brain perhaps, because it certainly seems like it! Now. Ithaca's King, you will apologize to my brother for killing his sheep, brother. You will apologize for locking them all in a cavern they can't escape and all of you will go your separate ways. Do you understand me?"
"But—" Polyphemus protested.
"NO BUTS. Both sides are done, and are going to separate themselves from each other."
"My Lord, he was threatening us! We were only defending ourselves!"
"Stop. Talking. You are done here. Polyphemus was well in his rights to harm you considering you injured his flock and then disrespected him. You will leave now. You will leave, otherwise, my father is going to rise out of his domain and make sure you all meet a very watery doom. Now you are going to apologize and go HOME!"
"I'm sorry for being angry and trying to murder you little mortals. Please get off of my island now."
"We are sorry too.. um.. bye." Odysseus mumbled nervously, backing away from the cyclops and angry God.
The Ithicans hastily apologized, and swiftly departed for their ships sailing away as quickly as they could. Perthales patted Polyphemus' large shoulder, handing a large wheel of cheese and a basket of freshly baked bread to his brother before making his exit as well, waving good bye before leaping into the seawater below.
Finally he could get back to his jackalope wellington, and figure out what the design he wanted to form the makeshift puff pastry into.. Perhaps just regular lattice? Maybe some flowers or leaves… decisions, decisions.
***
Athena was not having a good day. Not only had she put her weight behind the wrong person, she was being constantly excluded from basically every social event that the deities held. She could not create plans or collect leverage to protect herself with while being pushed out of the social spaces of the Greek Deities. Obviously the sea was already off limits, but now many of the earthen connected deities had stopped wanting to even invite her to their parties and celebrations.
Now she had to regularly use her position as an Olympian to force her way in. While most deities would be forced to include her, the bigger parties especially the ones that the other Olympians held, were not forced to include her at all. In fact, she was pointedly excluded from most, especially by the ones with Demeter and Poseidon in attendance.
These days, she was regularly being gossiped about behind her back. Even those nymphs who were just lucky to have their own plants being in Olympus were gossiping about her. Nothing that she could prove, no serious plotting she could complain to her father about so she could gain more of his favour.
Just outright exclusion that she couldn't complain about without looking bratty and immature for a fully grown Goddess. She couldn't embarrass herself more than she already had. Now, only Queen Hera held her in decent regard after Poseidon and Demeter had banned her from any event they were in attendance.
Not to mention, rumors of Thetis being banned from sea arose from the circles that she could still access. For what reason, she didn't know, especially considering she herself was the last person to be expelled from the sea. Especially considering her son was on Demeter and Poseidon's side in the war. However Thetis being expelled from the sea would be certainly worse for her, considering how Thetis' domains were intertwined with the seas.
Why that Seaweed brain was expelling his sister-in-law and why Amphitrite was not protesting on her sisters behalf, Athena couldn't understand.
But that wasn't her problem. In all honesty Athena assumed that it was just Brine Brain overreacting as he was prone to do. Oh well. Thetis' well being was not her problem, especially if it dragged her deeper into her already crumbling reputation. Athena wasn't going to be lifting a finger, especially not if it wouldn't benefit herself at all.
That was what Wisdom was after all. Having the smarts to know when she shouldn't interfere.
***
Percy was happily making pies with different flavours for taste tests with his staff. He'd been experimenting with designs and flavours, so now it was time for everyone to vote on which pies they thought should be served the next day and which ones needed some adjustments be palatable.
That was until that moron called Odysseus messed shit up again. Honestly it really wasn't that hard to navigate the Sea of Monsters, especially when having a perfectly intact boat. Honestly, this was getting embarrassing on their part. In his day, he had to fight off a hydra, deal with a psychotic maniac who though Kronos was a good alliance, deal with Scylla and Charybdis with three other living crew members. His ship literally blew up, he escaped Circe with Annie's help, AND dealt with Polyphemus without a whole crew of people. Not to mention he got away from Calypso, (who is still a creep in his opinion), in less then two months. And what? Odysseus spent like what nine years there?
Apparently the original was significantly worse then him, in basically all ways. This is such a skill issue honestly. Like what, you pissed off basically every god and stayed away from your young child for literally his entire childhood. For what? His ego? In the original timeline, he probably could've avoided this entire mess if he actually acted like the King he was and hadn't repeatedly dropping his full legal name, address, social security number. Honestly.
And Athena? Seriously? He actually thought Athena of all God's actually cared for him.
Percy snorted at the thought of Athena being a loving friend.
Athena who had actively supported the side that was kidnapping a child away from his parents, supported the side that had kidnapped the Queen of Sparta, Odysseus' sister in law.
Why he thought it was a good idea to be friends with someone like that, especially not from a backstabbing Goddess like her. Not to even mention what she did to thousands of her children, sending all of them to die for no reason.
What a moron.
Unfortunately, he had to mediate the events that were happening to this moron. It wasn't like Percy liked him at all. Although, he did feel sympathy for the man having to deal with Sunfish's childish tantrums.
But Athena? Seriously?
"Utterly idiocy on that part." Percy muttered, rolling his eyes.
Even despite Percy dealing with the whole problem with Polyphemus, they had still managed to get lost, get like a quarter of their crew killed in a perfectly normal storm, (he checked, it wasn't powered by immortals AT ALL.), get turned into pigs and then back to human. For some reason, that Percy could not understand, Odysseus had decided to take a quick trip to the underworld instead of you know. JUST GOING HOME! Honestly….
Not to mention he decided to go sacrifice some members of his crew to get past Scylla (major skill issue should've just had skeletons) and the man had a mutiny. Which was honestly fair, Percy would've thrown hands if he or his campers were sacrificed. But now, his crew members decided to kill one of Helios' sacred cows, and had appealed to his Uncle. Wonderful.
Was he going to interfere? Absolutely not, he could see his Uncle fondling a cloud, and that was not something he wanted to watch.
Like he actually rather drown in muskeg then watch his Uncle fondle a cloud. Like no. Absolutely not.
Also he had smote an entire city state for kidnapping him, Percy really couldn't argue about divine punishment for killing sacred animals. Also he totally wasn't arguing, those cows were so freaking adorable. Too bad that they were currently Helios' cause he hated that bitch. After all he did to Rhode? Ignoring their kids and bringing a mistress into the Sun Palace and then having kids with the mistress while still being married to Rhode.
What a bitch.
Percy couldn't wait until Helios faded away like the absolute loser he was and Apollo took custody of the cute cows. They were so cute with their eyes, and their flush, oh my gods he wanted to pet them.
Whoops he went off track.
Odysseus decided to sacrifice his entire crew of what 400 something men just so he could get home and now hes being depressed with Calypso regularly harassing him for what 5 months now?
Which was something that no one deserved, considering Calypso was a paedophilic rapist and a general weirdo. Like who falls in love with a fifteen year old, curses their not girlfriend at the time, and then gets with the sixteen year old who had literally no friends and then proceed to isolate him from his siblings and the other campers. Calypso was such a fucking asshole honestly.
So now he had to deal with that. Wonderful.
Thankfully it only took bribing his Uncle with three apple pies and the biggest steak he's cooked in his life to get an escape raft ready for Odysseus, and a note telling him it was Perthales he had to praise when he had adequate resources.
Percy could thank himself and Auntie Hestia for Uncle being easily bribed with tasty food. It really did make his life significantly easier when he could waft the scent of pie around and Zeus would think before he smote. So. Incredibly. Helpful. Gods he loved being the favourite and the youngest. It was actually really fun.
So Odysseus was on his way home, on a raft and was finally showing some competence at steering boats around. Why he couldn't manage that with six hundred men under his command Percy could not understand.
Like dude seriously, everything you got done was literally outdone by three teenage demigods, one cyclops who was like three, and a kidnapped bride of a satyr who only joined after more than three quarters of the entire journey. Completely and utterly embarrassing on Odysseus' part.
Percy really couldn't relate to those problems cause he was just better. Like being outdone by a thirteen year old was just embarrassing, man.
Not his problem anymore however.
Now Odysseus was on his way home to his five(?) year old child and his wife. Wonderful. Now he can stay in his city, and Percy will hopefully not be bothered by him ever again. Great.
***
Percy was just checking on his vegetable deliveries when his attention was stolen by his Uncle and sister holding a box that was.. wiggling??
"Uncle Hades? Sis? What are you doing here? If you want a table and a meal, my veggie storage is not exactly the right place to be served."
"Oh I know brother!" Persephone giggled before hugging her brother and resting her chin on top of his head. "However, my husband has a surprise for you!"
Percy stumbled, trying to hold up Persephone who was still putting her entire body weight on him. "Does that surprise have something to do with the box that your husband is holding? Also why is it literally wiggling in his grasp?"
"They're just a bit excited Nephew."
"They? Who's they?"
Persephone laughed, backing away from her brother and gesturing her husband to open the box. As he opened the box, seven cute little heads popped up and jumped out of the box, tackling Perthales in their excitement. Behind them three nervous heads poked out, watching their siblings tackle the giggling God who was being assaulted by hellhound puppies and two skelly cats.
"You got me pets?!" Percy shrieked happily, getting an armful of wiggling puppies and skeleton cats.
"Yup!" Persephone laughed watching the puppies slobber all over her brother. "There is six hellhound puppies, and four skeleton cats that Hades made. I hope you like them!"
"Like them? I love them!! They're so adorable oh my primordials above! Do they have names?"
"Nope! We wanted you to name them! Anyways, we have to go now sorry little brother."
"Bye, Persephone! Bye Uncle!"
Notes:
lol is it obvious i dont really like Ody? bro is unfortuantly just another war criminal and im looking the other way
percy is just unimpressed considering he did everything as a new teen
Percy gets pets
suggest names for pets
please give me names for the pets cause i want them to be as silly as Ms. O'Leary and Small Bob
its 6 hellhound puppies and 4 skeleton cats (gender not specified) name them whatever
i am calypsos biggest hater bc she fell in love with a 15 year old and a 16 year old and i think thats just weird
i was not making good decisions at that age and its a tad creepy
also someone named calypso body shamed me as a child and ive hated anyone named that since
im just petty like that
Chapter 13: Chapter 13
Summary:
the pets yay <333
a visit with family and a mother daughter date
Chapter Text
"Why were hellhounds such good servers?" Was a question Percy asked himself everyday. "Honestly.."
Back in his previous life (future life? past life? who knew.) Ms O'Leary, the dog he and Nico had jointly adopted after Daedalus met his accepted death had been an expert at carrying around hot plates of cookies and snacks around the Jackson-Blofis household. Percy had just thought Lea was unique in that part, considering most other hellhounds were rather demigod-thirsty so its not like he had a chance to observe their serving ability.
But apparently, considering the puppies that were gifted to him by his elder sister on his new mom's side, it was actually quite normal for hellhounds to be good servers.
They perfectly balanced trays of drinks and food, although Percy had made sure they were only serving cold beverages and light appetizers because his sweet dogs were still quite young.
Despite growing much faster then regular dogs, and also having a longer lifespan then regular dogs, Percy didn't want to push them too hard while they were still young. He had only received them at the turn of spring, when life's first blooms were framed in the sky. It was only a few weeks since he rendered Troy to ashes, and he was then gifted his sweethearts as a "welcome home!" gift from his sister and Uncle.
He had ended up naming his dogs, John Cena (JC for short), Tribbie, Pebble, Snowy, Super, Mr Bruce Owen Brown ( or Mr. Bob for short), and Califra.
They were his sweethearts, his adorable little puppies who entertained people. Mr Bob had learned how to juggle, Nicole could paint, and Snowy was just the sweetest thing who was always taking care of the kids.
His precious dogs were entirely dear to his heart now, and Percy sighed knowing he'd most definitely blow up another city state for them. They were just like him, terribly kind and gentle with customers, but if anyone messed with their human and favourite God, his puppies could use them as chew toys. Honestly between his cousin turning people into jackalopes and his puppies definitely not eating disrespectful people and getting blood on their teeth, hopefully in a few months, Percy would have no disrespectful, rude, awful people in his restaurant ever again.
Percy was going to lose his marbles if Karens started coming into his shops in future years, he already had to deal with irritating and pushy men being rude to his girls, if he had to deal with Karens bullying his staff, (no matter their age) he was going to make sure they learned a lesson that was imprinted into their fucking bloodline.
His cats were no different, already gained a special place in his heart. Sue him, his pets were and would always be terribly important to him, especially if they looked at him twice.
Honestly if Apollo hadn't already taken dibs on the Sun Cows, Percy would be making a special farm for them to stay on, and making sure no Titan Army maniac or Roman Emperor lackey ever ate them. Not like Apollo did that anyways, but if Percy managed to catch up with his original life, he was definitely taking custody of those poor cows.
It was bad enough that those awful minor gods were torturing Bessie in his aquarium in Olympus. The poor thing was crying for weeks until his uncle got tired of the constant wails of the sea cow and finally contacted him to translate.
Thankfully, his Uncle was rather offended that some random minor gods dared to disrespect the Bane of Olympus, especially considering it had been crying for weeks. After spending so much time with it, Percy could only guess that Zeus had felt bad for the creature, and asked Percy to take custody.
Percy tapped his lips, suddenly wondering if Bessie was alive but just hiding in this day. The poor thing told him he was so lonely and was just trying to make friends after centuries of isolation. That was until he had gotten stuck in a net and met Percy.
Percy swore to himself, when he had to go underwater for his custody time with his dad, he would try and find out if Bessie was alive in this age, and adopt him again—-
Wait.
Did he get off track?
What was he talking about? Oh right the cats! Yeah, Cifera, Gilisi, Cious, and Thomas O'Malley were sweethearts too. Unlike their hellhound counterparts, they did not interact with customers, considering that while Percy thought they were very cute, animated skeletons don't usually mesh well with mortal brains. Their brains were a bit too… squishy for seeing walking skeletons and Percy didn't want any of his customers going insane. That would be bad.
So instead, his cats became guard cats, prancing about the sides of the restaurant reporting anything that was going on to Percy. One time he even found Cifera and Cious sat on the roof looking like gargoyles if they were cute. They also tucked themselves into the shadows of the restaurant, (seriously Uncle you gave them shadow travel??) observing the reactions of customers whenever they ate something.
As a review page was not yet made, his cats made very effective information gathers, and now the kitchen knew what improvements should be made.
His new pets were so utterly lovely, it was just insane.
He should get a gift for his Uncle and sister for them.. but what? What could The underworld couple like as a gift? That wasn't food?
Dear Gods above, that was going to take time to figure out. Seriously, what could he gift them that wasn't food? That was literally what he was known for—
"Nephew!" A female voice cheered, interrupting Percy's musing by tackling him. (lovingly).
"Hestia please—," Poseidon groaned, picking up Hestia by the scruff like she was a cat. "Must you tackle your family members into the ground?"
"Yes! I very much, absolutely should, so much that my domains agree, that I should tackle my loved ones!"
Zeus and Demeter sighed audibly, sounding eerily familiar.
"While I know they're siblings," Percy thought to himself. "And I actively call Zeus my Uncle, it's still weird to think about. Especially considering Persephone has the exact same sigh. Gross. But oh well, not like we can do anything about it. It's not like the Gods can asexually reproduce (most of the time) and mortals becoming Gods isn't very… common. But still. It's just really weird."
"Hello everyone! Have you come for a meal?" Percy asked.
"Not exactly my Pearl. We came here for a slightly different reason." Poseidon smiled, patting his youngest child's head.
"Hmm?"
"Well darling, after that whole fiasco with Hera's former pet stealing you away from your home we grew a bit worried.."
Zeus interjected, "What my siblings are trying to convey, is that after you were kidnapped, we made some preparations. I— we, got terribly worried after we found out you were stolen from the town itself, so, we made some special arrangements."
"Arrangements?"
"Well," Poseidon continued. "We knew you would outright refuse having me or Demeter posting guards in your town."
"Damn right."
"So," Poseidon rolled his eyes at his sons interjection. "As we knew you'd protest heavily and pout about us posting guards we chose a different option."
"That option darling," Demeter smiled taking her sons hand. "Is that we, agreed to make a barrier for your town, although the barrier won't grow beyond where we lay it, so if the town grows, its going to exceed the barriers protection. We would use your restaurant as the anchor, and you would be able to expel any intruders as you wished. Anyone who wished harm to the inhabitants could be prevented from coming anywhere near your restaurant and the surrounding area."
"It would also prevent any projectiles from assaulting your town within the barrier. It would be completely protected, even from an entire army. As long as you remain aware, the barrier would prevail, and even after that, we could take control of the barrier and continue to sustain it."
Zeus added. "It can even prevent unruly immortals from casting down their wrath. I made sure of it."
"WHAT!?" Percy yelped. "You made what now? You prevented who from entering??"
"The deities that are under my decree yes." Zeus nodded. "I can't do much to the primordial, and your other Uncle took care of the Chthonic gods so you would have a terribly large protection from whoever wanted to harm you."
Percy sputtered holding his head in his names. "I can't believe you made that powerful of a barrier for my restaurant."
'Of course!" Hestia giggled. "I've also got a special surprise for after we set it up. Now sweetheart, where would you say is the middle of your restaurant? We should put it underneath the very middle."
"Hmm? Okay." Percy gestured his family to follow him and walked into the underground cellar beneath the first floor of the restaurant. "This should be as central as we can get. Should it be deeper?"
"It's alright darling, we can take care of that. We just need a few drops of blood to complete the barrier."
"Should I be there for that?"
"Nope!" Hestia chimed. "And while your parents and uncle do all that, we will go upstairs so I can show you your surprise!"
"Alright Auntie—" Percy responded but trailed off as he was abruptly pulled by a strong arm all the way back to the first floor. "Auntie—!"
Hestia only giggled, tugging her nephew forcefully all the way back up two flights of stairs.
"Auntie, whats the surprise?"
Hestia held up a lantern glowing with flame. "This!"
"A.. Lantern?"
"Not just a lantern my dear. A lantern that holds a flame from my own Hearth. It is my gift to you! A Hearth flame for your restaurant."
"Auntie! This is far too much!"
"I would say it was not enough at all. It is just a gift. One that you most definitely deserve."
Percy took the lantern with soft eyes, and removed the little flame from the lantern, placing it in a Hearth just in front of the tree that grew from the apple Percy had been born from. A warm light softened the entire place, glowing and illuminating the restaurant unnaturally. It was a comforting light, one befitting of Hestia's own Flames.
Percy returned to where Hestia was waiting, grasping her hand into his. He squeezed it gently, and they looked upon the central flame, warming the soul itself. He felt as the barrier rose shimmering with a light only visible to the people who made it, reaching into his soul and purring in delight.
A barrier huh? One he could utilize to protect those who asked. It was a gift he would happily accept. Not only that, but a flame from Hestia's Hearth in Olympus. A terribly valuable gift indeed. One he would value for his life.
***
A few months had passed and it was now late summer. The barrier had stayed solid and never wavered.
His mallet tasted blood and ichor still, especially when pushy Gods dared to harass his waitresses. He had been literally punting the Gods far into the land or sea, and his parents had been dealing with anyone who he had expelled.
Whenever he was busy, he let the barrier protect all of the inhabitants of his restaurant and the main town square. It had been terribly effective, and even better, his silly townspeople had been observing the edges of the barrier and punishing anyone who got expelled. Many of his townspeople were equally as protective of him that he was of them.
Most of their children were sent to be educated and fed in his restaurant, and it had endeared him to them even further. Trade had greatly increased, and they did not have to worry about their children being stolen and enslaved when their patron God was actively protecting their children. Manzane was becoming a bustling port town, attracting exotic trades, and bringing money to the formerly destitute people.
They had come from nothing, settling in this little town, hoping for a blessing. They had been blessed certainly. They had settled with a kind and present Patron, one who embodied the Kind Host.
They were destitute and they had no future. But then, they had a permanent home. One who was kind and generous. Everyone was kind, all coming from the same dirt poor life. All travellers, exiled from their former homes. Now they had a home. They could raise their children, make sure that their kids lives would be better then theirs.
Their Patron was theirs and they were his.
Manzane was his. His precious home, his precious people. They had buried their way in his heart, and he would love their families and any new families that would come. He would love their descendants, and the people who married in. He was home. He had a home once more.
He had a flame from the eternal Hearth, his restaurant, the town square that rang with laughter everyday. He had his town, his ports and ships. He had his people. His town. His new home.
No matter how much he missed New York, no matter how much he missed his friends and family. He had a new home now. Would that change how much he loved New York? Of course not. Would it change how much he missed his past (future?) life. No, of course not. But Manzane and the family he had found were important to him too. They were his home too.
Soon, he would be underwater as well, able to explore his fathers kingdom freely, in its original state. Instead of the demigod he was, now he would be able to explore the seas freely. It would only be a few months until that time. Just until the cold ripped through this land once more. But it was still warm outside, probably late July. So that time could wait.
The land was rebuilding from the war, and the aftershocks were finally beginning to cease. Little Telemachus was growing well, Helen of Sparta was pregnant again. Not only that but Clytemnestra had finally taken her revenge on her husband.
After he had returned from Troy, she welcomed him back with a grand banquet she specially prepared. She led him after the banquet, when he was tired and fed, to the royal bathhouse where he fell to drowsiness and his exhaustion from the long journey home. She threw a net over him, while he was in the bath, one weighted to sink his body beneath the warm water. She took a axe to her struggling husbands body, and killed him with strong hits to his entire body.
She didn't even bother to hide her crime, and welcomed new suitors into her home. While she observed proper rites for her deceased husband, she quickly remarried and was happily leading his kingdom with an new king by her side. Impressive woman she was.
He would send a message through his sister once the queen died that her little girl was healthy and happy. She deserved that news when she passed on.
But no matter anymore. Percy had work to attend too. The apple harvest had started and a festival for his birthday was being prepared as a surprise that he definitely didn't already know about.
"Oh well. I suppose I will just have to be surprised when it happened." Percy thought, laughing to himself from on top of the roof.
He was home. Exactly where he belonged. No matter how much the black hole in his heart ached and screamed for someone familiar, someone mortal that he once knew. He was home. He was home and he was happy.
"Cousin." A familiar female voice greeted hovering behind him.
Percy shrieked tumbling forward and almost over the roof in fright at the sudden talking behind him when a strong arm grabbed him by the collar of his clothes, picking him up and plopping him back down on the floor that was a bit further from the edge.
"Dear, do be careful, otherwise you'll traumatize your poor people."
"Thank you?"
Percy looked behind him to see a tall women who had pieces of Artemis' face smiling down at him. She looked similar and now that Percy wasn't tumbling down the side of his own restaurant. She looked like an adult version of Artemis with slight differences, which Percy guessed that some of the differences would be because of his cousins father, and also whatever was going on with God genes.
Whatever that wasn't the point.
"Cousin? Why are you back so early? I still haven't run out of jackalope… Please don't tell me you're giving me more!" Percy begged dramatically.
"Don't worry little cousin I'm just here to spend time with my mom. Why are you on the roof?"
"I wanted some fresh air… also because I'm really not supposed to know about the suprise," Percy rolled his eyes while air quoting, "and they are just a tad obvious. They keep on saying my name. I've told them names have power but it seems that saying my name, also has power. Silly things."
"Huh." Leto laughed behind her hand as her daughter stared in disbeleif at her cousin.
"Wait, wait. You mean to say they avoid saying the others name but haven't realized that saying your name does the exact same thing?" Artemis asked in disbelief.
"Yeah they're a bit dumb. It's alright, I can ignore it, but they're so LOUD. It's actually a wonder how obvious their planning is. I'm just trying to ignore it at this point and they are making it harder to ignore every day. But they are trying their best so I'm just letting them think they're doing a good job."
Artemis snorted and then gestured at the restaurant below. "Alright, me and mom are going to grab a table and order drinks for now. Just wait a bit before taking our meal orders okay little cousin. Me and mom are just catching up."
"No problem. See y'all soon." Percy waved the mother daughter duo goodbye.
**
Not long after Artemis and Leto ordered drinks, Perthales appeared back in the restaurant, tying his apron behind his back.
He made artichoke dip and cut pumpernickel bread into neat slices and placed in on the mother-daughter duo for an appetizer and asked how much time they wanted to wait until ordering and nodded when they asked for extra time to finish their appetizer and drinks.
Perthales smiled at his chefs and waitstaff as they rushed past him with quick greetings. He helped Leon take the heavy trays of baked goods to the counter to be cut. He directed Illyria towards Cifera who was waiting to inform someone about the customers reviews. He watched as customers chatted and laughed to each other, townspeople meeting people who came from the port.
It made Hospitality wiggle inside of him and croon into his ears and warm his soul to see his townspeople welcome new people into his home and treat them with kindness. His dear people, his dear town that grew around his and his domain. Hospitality pulled him around in his restaurant showing him smiling faces and resounding laughter.
Perthales patted the dogs as they pranced past giggling as they wagged their tails aggressively and demanded pats. He obligated obviously, they were his puppies and his precious darlings. It would be a crime not to give them the pats they deserved.
He took Artemis and Leto's orders, refilled their drinks and returned to the kitchen to specially make their meals. Lamb chops with a mint sauce and sweet potato fries for Artemis, and fish tacos with red cabbage and special lime sauce dressing for Leto.
He served them with a smile and told them to "enjoy the meal!" and disappeared back into the kitchen to cook for other guests. JC and Snowy returned with their empty, near clean plates and their payment.
He was glad that their mother daughter date had gone well. Now.. where did those sliced oranges go, he needed them for orange and pineapple upsidedown cake.
Notes:
i hoped you liked this chapter, i let it marinate for a little bit while i try and make some progress on this fic and trying to get some stuff to hold onto bc im going back to school in a bit
Chapter 14: Chapter 14
Summary:
a fall interlude
of past parents love.
Notes:
i swear suprise suprise so my characters swear as well
im not a sally basher (and will not be adding that to tags).
however, i have some feelings about her and im forcing you to read themdear gods above. okay this is several hours since ive posted this chapter, and ive recieved so many hate comments.
if you don't have anything kind to say, don't say it. I like criticism, especially constructive ones.
What I do not appreciate is just outright calling me misogynistic and insulting me and my views. Sally Jackson is NOT perfect. Congrats. I wanted to explore that. I am doing this for fun and outright insults and hate are just going to be blocked and deleted.
Have some fucking manners.For everyone who has been nothing but kind, and the people who criticize but do not outright insult me, thank you, I appreciate your comments and perspectives.
i undo Rick making Po being a shit dad because it confuses me how he switches him up like that
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It was now late fall, and the leaves that turned into a beautiful collage of colours was now starting to fall to the ground. The harvest had gone incredibly well, rejuvenated by Percy's cheerfulness and overall presence back in his town.
The "surprise" birthday party that Percy had known every single detail of went amazingly, and had even attracted surrounding cities to celebrate. It had gone so well in fact, that regular visitors came from neighbouring cities and villages to buy beads and crafts made from the villagers.
More families were joining Manzane, setting up and building homes for themselves. The town was expanding, and as it did, the original villagers followed the orders from so long ago, planting trees on every corner and reserving space for fauna for their kids to play in.
Business was booming, his Kapaleia was gaining more and more foot traffic. But there was a small problem. He and his staff were getting overwhelmed by the number of customers that were coming through. It was a larger number then every before, especially after the last two year and a half years had lulled everyone into just expecting the regulars and the different traders that would come in for a hot meal and bed.
The number of people staying in the restaurant's residential area, had increased, and too many people were staying. They were running out of space. They were running out of supplies and could barely keep up with orders. If this kept up, especially during the portion of the year while Percy had to be undersea, when his people would have no immortal support, Percy feared for his staff's mental health and well being.
He needed a plan, and he needed one soon.
Percy sat near the Hearth, alone in the empty restaurant that was closed for "renovations." What should he do now? Should he actually do renovations and expand? Probably. But where was he going to find the staff to man it? Last time it had taken a whole traipse around the country and that had taken time. Time that he didn't have, especially not when he was due for custody time with his dad. Especially after he had been force to miss not two but three custody time with his dad, and when he finally came back it was technically the restaurant and Demeter that had custody of him.
His dad was always possessive, even in his past life when he was mortal. While he did have his own problems, (seriously dad, telling your child he was a mistake was such a horrible thing to do) he still helped him. He was a possessive asshole of a dad sure, but he was still his dad. He sent Tyson to him, while he was gone from camp during the school year, he had renovated Cabin 3 to have sound proof walls and an inner expansion so both of them could have rooms. (Thank Dad for that, he loved Tyson but his snoring was louder then New York on a bad day).
He left directions for an underground pool, and gave advice whenever Percy was confused. (was it good advice, not really especially when he was younger. Seriously dad "Brace Yourself" was not a good warning!). He listened when he asked for help, even sending Percy's favourite snacks and extra medical provisions to magically appear in his room on the Argo II despite dealing with the schism with Neptune in his head.
Ignoring all of that, his Dad had also had two accounts for him, unbeknownst to his teenage self. One, was an account for his care in his childhood, that his mom had access to, (and ignored out of spite and want to fend for herself), and one was a complete surprise to Percy and had even made him break down in tears.
It was a college savings account, one that could easily pay off four maybe five years of school even at an Ivy League plus boarding and food costs. New Rome wasn't a possibility for Poseidon at the time, because the Greeks and Romans were separated to prevent conflict. So his dad had made an savings account for Percy just for his post-secondary education. Just so, in the slim chance he would make it past sixteen, he wouldn't have to worry about how expensive where ever he wanted to go to school.
It had been a massive blow up between Sally and Percy, and it had shattered the idealized version of his mom that he had constructed in his childhood.
The fact that was for twelve years, they had suffered for his mom's pride. Percy got his stubbornness from both parents after all. But that didn't excuse the nights he had to hide in dark corners from Gabe when he was younger then seven. That didn't excuse having a too thin winter coat during the winter, just because his mom didn't want to accept his dads "charity". It definitely didn't excuse leaving him alone at home with Gabe on hours on end for overtime shifts, hours he spend afraid, and sometimes outside because the biting cold of New York winter was better then spending time fearing that Gabe would hit him so hard he would never wake up.
She was a child yes. She was terribly young when she had him. She was barely an adult when his dad met her and when she got pregnant with him. She was young and stupid and broke and all of those things when she had him. She refused his dad's offer to bring her underwater, fearful that one day, his dad would lose interest and she would drown far beneath the surface.
But those reasoning didn't appease Percy's anger at his mother. Because Poseidon hadn't abandoned her outright. That account for his care had been receiving money for his entire life. But his mom didn't touch a single penny. Even when they were broke, and the heating shut off because Gabe gambled it away in a poker game, she didn't use the financial support to turn it back on. When Percy had gotten injured from a drunk Gabe's thrown beer bottle, instead of using that money to get him to the hospital and maybe even getting both of them away from that mortal monster, she told him to just hide the pain and to "try not to provoke him again."
He was barely an adult when he found out about the support his dad sent his mom. Around her age when she first got pregnant actually. But he didn't find it out from her, no, he found out while he was swimming in Montuak when his dad apologized for what he told him about his chances about getting into NRU and asked him what he was planning on doing with the college account.
Percy remembered asking his dad all confused, "what college account?" and his dad answering equally as confused and saying the account for whatever post-secondary education he wanted to do. Percy remembered his dad pulling out his phone and showing him the account with his name, and seeing another one above it, labelled for my babies care. He remembered asking his dad what the babies care one was and his dad telling him that was the support he sent his mom.
Percy remembered feeling his heart break that day. He remembered about him finally finding about Paul completely on accident, almost like his mom didn't want to mix her normal mortal life with her disaster of a son. He remembered about his distressful feelings about their finances when he was far too young to be worried about it. He remembered about how his mom had magically been able to afford a whole new apartment despite only selling Gabe's statue and ending the lease on their old apartment.
Percy thought about how he had stormed to his moms new apartment to confront her, and how she had broken into guilty tears at his accusations and spilled the entire story. He remembered her opening a bottle of wine and chugging it for courage.
She admitted she was too angry, too hurt to even think about using the account at first. She had told him, even when it had been a while, that she just ignored the account, too scared to face that the person she had accused of abandoning her and their child was still actively trying to help them.
She admitted that she was being abused by Gabe, and had just been lured into marriage with him because at first he wasn't terrible and she was a broke single mother. It was only when he hit her for the first time did her head finally clear, and she realized that he had intertwined their finances so tightly she didn't know how she could get both of them out in even a messy break.
She admitted she was scared, and when he handed her Medusa's head and smiled at her, she only saw that she could finally move on from being intertwined with the Greeks. She admitted using a portion of the money from the child support to buy the apartment. His mom had told him that while she loved him, sometimes he just felt like a burden that she had to carry while being far too young to do it. He hoped that she wouldn't mean it, that this was just because she was under the influence of the alcohol, and she didn't mean what she said.
But she didn't stop talking to him that day. No she continued, draining a large portion of the rapidly draining bottle of wine and breaking into drunkenly ramblings. She told him when she met Paul, she thought she could finally move on and have a normal life.
Percy remembered his voice, frail and breaking when he asked her if she really wanted him in her "normal life" and feeling his heart break even further when she said no almost instantly.
He remembered leaving her in that apartment, drunkenly crying on the new couch that she and Paul had bought together, the same couch she told him "don't get any monster dust on it" when he came home exhausted after a flock of harpies tried to kill him. He only paused when she said she had hoped that he wouldn't figure out about the college fund so she could give it to the child who actually deserved it.
He knew what she meant, and he put her on the couch to fall asleep as he layed a throw blanket on her and put the wine in the kitchen. He knew what she meant obviously, even if it made him cry even harder and have to bite down on his sleeve to muffle it. That child that she thought actually deserved it wasn't him obviously. It was Estelle, his perfectly normal, perfectly separated from Greek nonsense little sister.
His sweet amazing little sister, who started a school and stayed in it for more then a year. His little sister, who had only red blood in her and no gold. His little sister who would probably never see behind the mist to the world that waited below the surface. His mom's do-over child who she wouldn't have to worry about getting murdered by myths from the past. His mom's new kid who would never cause Sally to stress about new schools. His mom's child who would always come home, and who's life was not always being threatened by monsters.
He loved his mom. Percy loved his mom and that would never change. But he never saw her the same way. But he wouldn't let anyone harm her on his behalf so Percy did what he always did when he got hurt emotionally and kept quiet about it. He kept it to himself that he knew she didn't really love what he brought to the table, he just pretended that she was the perfect mother.
He loved her, and he hated her. That was truly the problem with their relationship after all. They hated each other and loved each other in the same breath. His mom never mentioned the funds again, not when he transferred the funds into his own private account that only he and his dad could access.
They didn't mention what they went through with Gabe to anyone, and he still came home to her apartment to learn her recipes and feed her family with her. They didn't talk about what happened between them and that was fine.
But he and his dad talked. Percy and his dad grew closer despite Percy never telling him exactly what happened to the money he had been sending Sally for his care.
His dad spent time with him, helping him study, making sure he ate, the whole nine yards. It was nice. Y'know to spend time with the dad he never really got to know. They grew closer while the gap between himself and his mom grew larger and larger, both unwilling to cross it. Afraid that one misstep would cause everything to explode in something both of them couldn't take back. Percy had gotten most of his rage from her after all, and like mother like son.
His dad was wonderful though. His dad taught him about anything that would come to mind, and Percy would just spend time there, listening to his dad talk. Sometimes, they would even go for a swim, and his dad would destroy him in any race they challenged each other too. That was until his dad gave him an sea shell charm to add to his necklace that would give him the tail he would of been born with if he was fully of the sea.
It was one of his favourite memories, getting his fins, and swimming in a way that he had never been able to do so ever before. It was just so fast! He could zoom in such a speed that it felt like he was free to explore anywhere. So that was what he did. On his off days, or whenever he wasn't too overloaded with assignments, he would hang out with his dad, exploring shipwrecks and freeing sea animals from nets and trash.
It made his relationship with his dad so, so much closer and it made him understand so much more about his dad. Namely he learned how possessive he was, because any time some random poor turtle or fish that got stuck in trash had to be rescued and Percy dared to give them more then ten minutes of his attention after he freed them, his dad would loom behind him and pull him towards him.
Anytime he gave anyone attention, his dad would steal him away by waving something shiny in the corner of his eye and Percy would always fold for pretty shiny items.
So of course his dad abused that fact to make sure his son would spend all of his free time underwater focused on quality father time.
Despite his dad being an utter and complete psycho whenever Percy got distracted his dad had also understood mortals more and more. He finally understood what signals Percy's body would display whenever he got tired and tried to hide it from him. He understood that Percy faced difficulties with his learning disabilities and actually researched all on his own how to help alleviate Percy's struggle. Best of all, he finally stopped just seeing Annie as an extension of Athena and just started viewing her as just being Annie. Even after they broke up and Percy cried thinking that he did something wrong, his dad didn't just jump to smiting Annie, he just focused on comforting his child.
(Completely unknown to Percy, he had even found a therapist for Annie after she realized that she was being borderline cruel to Percy and that wasn't what she wanted for either of them so she had prayed for someone to help her and Poseidon had managed to get her to bump into someone who knew a therapist who understood Demigods and their traumas. Was he angry at her? Yes. She was hurting his child. But Poseidon also finally could see his sons friend as a person that wasn't Athena, and just another child who needed help. Even better if he proved he was most definitely the better parent HAH take that Athena. SUCK ON THAT)
When Percy and Annie finally figured out what kind of relationship they actually wanted, (which was a platonic relationship where they really cared for each other but understood that they would always have differences), his dad had only encouraged Percy to rebuild or strengthen his relationships. His dad really loved him, and had definitely improved in his communication skills with mortals.
(He never did stop hoping his son would ascend and join him in his court.)
Yes he was still possessive and intimidating towards anyone who would interrupt his bonding time with his son for more time after emergencies but still— he had really improved.
Percy really wanted to spend time with his dad in this life too, maybe if he got to him earlier, Percy would be able to soften his dad and make him more approachable. Could he completely erase his dad's wrath, of course not his dad was still his dad and would not be restrained in any way even by his dear child. But making him think before he acted could possibly gain his dad more allies. (and would probably make his wrath even deadlier because his dad would have extra time to make his actions even more dramatic then they already were. What makes a good super-villain was presentation after all.)
But his want to spend time with his dad didn't change the fact that he was still worried about his staff and village, especially while he was gone.
But all of his worry was in vain, because his people and his staff loved the restaurant that had brought them together in such a way as much as he did. So they introduced him to their new staff, and showed him around the renovations they had secretly communicated to his mother, Demeter, to get done. His staff had managed to secretly hire and train almost double the original staff without him knowing.
They just laughed at his dumbfounded face as they revealed that the "surprise" birthday party wasn't supposed to be the real surprise at all. It was just the distraction so he wouldn't meddle with their actual plans, making sure his transition to underwater would be as perfect and untroubled as possible.
They had even recruited his mother to organize renovations for magical expansions so he didn't have to worry about running out of space for new or old guests.
It was perfect and he hated that he was so confident that he managed to completely overlook his staff scheming the real plan. He just laughed and hugged them all thankfully, pulling them all into a happy pile on the restaurant floor.
His loved ones would never let him stress for long that was sure. He had found them, and made them a home. They weren't going to let him be worried about their well being when he was just supposed to be enjoying his time with his dad. So despite all of his protests, his staff just laughed in his face, promises him that they would be fine, and tossed him head first into the ocean, chanting good byes and see you soons.
So Percy waved his people good bye, and dove deeper and deeper into the sea, following the currents that would take him to his fathers, home. (and maybe his too).
Notes:
woah author adding more worldbuilding to the past and present? crazy
Po is dad <333 and we love him for it
Sally is NOT perfect and i enjoy exploring that
especially from the perspective of her son, whose idea of her changed as he aged
shes also drunk, and not thinking completely straight.
but this isn't supposed to be read as know-everything reader, its very much from Percy's very changed view of his mother and its therefore very biasedApparently people don't just read the authors notes.
Yes I go into depth about Percy learning more about his mom as an adult and his views changing. That happens. Congratulations. THERE IS ENTIRE PARAGRAPHS WHERE SALLY TALKS ABOUT HOW AFRIAD AND RESTRAINED SHE FEELS TO GABE.
They are abuse victims in two different ways.
I am telling this story from ONE of those perspectives. Does that mean the other perspective doesn't exist? NO
I even wrote the odd relationship of a grown child and their parent who hurt them but that child still loves them.
and No. Po isn't perfect, he still is a God afterall. He is a King as well.
But this story is mainly being told from Percy's perspective. His dad actively apologized and aimed to do better. He even helped Annie unbeknownst to Percy.
But Percy doesn't know everything. He is not the god of knowledge.
He is a former child solider who got abused at home and then learned things no child wants to know about their parent. Percy loves his mom, I literally mention that in earlier chapters. In later chapters, hes still going to love her.im sorry that people want a black and white story. But this is not your story, it is mine.
if you have nothing kind to comment, then don't comment it at all. Have some manners and decency.i love and appreciate all my hits, kudos and (especially) my kind comments! I love reading all your comments and I'm trying really hard to respond to more people!
thanks for reading !!!
Chapter 15: Chapter 15
Summary:
under da sea (author projects her issues on Percy)
Notes:
i project on Percy and add flavour
Thalassa is HER and SHE so if you see fem pronouns in all caps while im yapping about under the sea its most likely refering to HER.TW
someone else's opinion
swearingdont be rude kk
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Percy was officially in the undersea Court of Atlantis and it was so cool. This was the original undersea Court, unmarred by the consequences from the fight with Oceanus.
Now he didn't need a charm at all to have a tail of his own, and his fins were so much prettier now that they were a natural transformation instead of an enchanted form. His fins were so much more flowly, but they the ridge on the length could stiffen and waver so he could make incredibly sharp turns.
He had started going out to what would be named the indian ocean to race Black Marlins around coral reefs. It was SO FUN!!
But back to the court it was so interesting! In contrary to the Little Mermaid movie (that Triton used to complain about every time Percy even made a reference to Under the Sea) the Court was not made out of outright of out shining gold.
No, the Court was carved into volcanic rock, lined with bright underwater limestone arches and structures. Everywhere you looked were thousands of towering structures of coral and undersea plants. Bioluminescence algae crawled up the sides in different colours, looking eerily like the murals in modern day.
The Atlantis Court referred to the city where the High Ruler sat, currently being his father, the High King. Years ago, the Court had been deep into the abyssal zone while it was under Oceanus' rule, and before that the court barely existed while Empress Thalassa was directing everyone. The EMPRESS no longer ruled the seas, preferring to let the day to day ruling and leadership of subjects fall to whomever lead the court at the time. However the EMPRESS' power still remained in every millilitre of the ocean.
While SHE no longer directly leaded the Sea, every being in the sea, no matter how big or small would obey any of HER decree's no matter how high up the pecking order they were.
Back to the court—, his dad was the current High Ruler, and his stepmom Amphitrite was the High Lady to his High King.
It was a bit weird, interacting with his family in the life where he was technically born as a god that had too many roots (hah get it? roots) into Land. Triton took significantly less time to warm up to him as a God, after finding out his main domains concerned themselves above water, therefore excluding him from any position of heir. But his sisters were a bit different this time.
Instead of warming up to him over time like they did when he was mortal, they had started to actually become more cold. When he was new to this world, still trying to discover who he embodied and what domains he would help, they would send advice and chat. But they hadn't contacted him or responded to any of his letters that he sent once he freed himself from Troy's hands. But that was fine. It was fine.
The last time they had communicated, was the family dinner at his restaurant where his sisters warned him from specific gods and teased their father about marrying another child of his off. But Percy was never married off and despite his efforts to keep on reaching out, the only siblings that bothered to spend time with him was Triton. Sometimes he would spend time with Pegasus as well, but that was long and far in between because Pegasus rather flying around and being a free spirit instead of spending time getting his feathers wet. But that was okay, it was fine. It didn't hurt.
So it was really just Percy, and Triton, because Chrysoar preferred sailing to spending time underwater. Not to mention that Percy could tell that Chrysoar didn't really want to spend any time with him and felt awkward whenever they had a conversation. So Percy wasn't going to push himself where he wasn't wanted, and Triton had all of his duties as heir. So Percy was left alone while his family either too busy to spend significant portions of time with him or not wanting to spend time with him at all. That didn't hurt it was fine. They were all adults and he should understand their emotions.
For this first few weeks he was hopeful, and then angry that his sisters never wanted to spend any time to get to know him and vice versa. But after those few weeks he realized the reason why they were ignoring him at all. They were bitter his marriage hadn't been arranged. So he felt his heart break and tried to patch it all together with open arms and letters that were sent back unopened.
He understood that at that dinner party, they weren't making fun of his dad at all, they were trying to make him marry Percy off to a better option. That had been what he was doing with all the girls, and even Triton was forced to go into courtship with a noble girl. But unlike Triton, the daughters (and most immortal children) of the sea weren't allowed to refuse and end the courtship outright. They weren't given the choice of who they got to be married to and they were bitter. Chrysaor was moving around too much to take a spouse, so he was out. So they assumed it was just because Triton was the heir, and that was why he got a choice to dissolve the courtship that would eventually lead to marriage.
So when the new young Godling showed up, they had assumed the pattern would continue, and Percy would be promised to another, yet their father had done no such thing.
Not even after surpassing Rhodes age when she was married off, not after coming into his Destroyer domains and therefore needing to "be restrained by marriage", not completely stepping into his domains did his hand be married off.
His sisters were upset, knowing that the new little Godling had been shown more respect and kindness by their fathers then they were ever shown and they were bitter about it.
But that was alright. Percy understood why they were angry, why they chose to grow colder and colder to him despite not actually doing anything by his own hands to harm them. He was the easier target after all, as they were just princesses in the Court, unable to turn their anger towards their father in fear of being exiled from the Court.
Being exiled would mean losing their political standings, losing face in front of the people, and being forced to find their own way in the world with out the protection of the High King of Seas looming overhead. While they had their own reasons for being angry, their father was still King and his word was Law.
They were not his heirs in the eyes of the Court or wider oceans. Nor did their allies from other pantheons see them as heirs.
They were simply one of the many daughters of Poseidon, and loosing his protection would likely have a hammer swinging towards their heads. So they chose the easier target, ignoring him when he was on Land, and outright excluding him when he was underwater.
It was fine. He didn't need to have them to have fun. The whole ocean was there to explore, and as long as he was recognizable as Perthales, child of the King, he would be able to explore as much as he wished.
He didn't need the attention of his siblings to have fun. He could make his own fun. (even though he felt jealous anytime they included Triton, any time he was left alone yet again, he just closed his eyes and tried to smile.) It was fine. It was fine and he didn't need those perfect siblings of his. He didn't need them at all.
(It hurt knowing his family was choosing to pretend he didn't exist in favour of the other normal family members, especially again. But instead of his mortal family choosing his perfect little mortal sister, it was his siblings who chose each other who were purely of the sea.)
But they were hurting in their own way. Even if it took them decades, even centuries, he would wait patiently for his family to welcome him too. He had always admired those families, as a little child. Those ones where the family was so loud and warm they collected their neighbours as family too. Those multicultural families who were big and loving. It was why he loved his campers so much. Even after they had isolated him from everyone, even after they whispered behind his back and replaced him.
Eventually everyone just grew up. Because of the Titan war they were just forced to grow up. But they had grown so much closer because of that. They had grown so close in fact, that they managed to build their own city, their own sanctuary where they could live in peace. His lovely campers, his people, his friends, his kids. All of them. His massive, interconnected, multicultural family that was more then just a bunch of teenagers and their hormones.
They had turned the summer camp into a home where they could live and grow in peace. Where their youngest members didn't need to fight for their lives when their siblings would protect them. When ten year olds didn't have to fight for their lives.
Maybe after a few decades, his sisters would warm back up to him too. Maybe after a few decades, he would have the massive family he always wished for. A big, happy family. Where everyone loved and appreciated each other.
Percy choked back tears as he launched himself into a shipwreck where he could cry in peace without being made fun of for just expressing his emotions. He missed his friends. He missed his cousins. He missed the family that he had.
It wasn't fine. He was hurting. He wanted to go home. He didn't like being underwater anymore. Not if it just meant being the sibling always on the shoulder, always pushed out. He missed his cousins, his cousins that had ended up being more like siblings. He missed having a family even if his maternal one was a bit broken. He missed having a place where everyone would greet him, and just say good morning instead of just ignoring him every time he reached out.
He was tired of getting rejected. Tired of being replaced because of things out of his control. He was tired of people hurting him for other peoples decisions. He was just tired.. He was exhausted of being left behind just because they didn't want to include him. He was exhausted because everyday at meals, his family would laugh at inside jokes and mention traditions that they stopped doing far before he was born. He came underwater willingly because he thought his family would finally come back for him, finally understand that he was more then just being the youngest.
But they hadn't. And Percy wanted to be selfish. Wanted to scream and cry and let all of the hurt and resentment boil out but he couldn't take those barely disguised looks of disgust and even more eye rolls when he spilled his heart out. Sally had done that more times then he could count, and she ignored every time he just wanted some support.
He maybe understood Dionysus more now, understood why he was so angry and bitter all of the time. Because he was the youngest too. But in this family, being the youngest means never being there for memories that were made without you. Never understanding why everyone was so short with you and expected you to get your life together already.
While Percy would never like alcohol, it brought up memories that were as bitter as its taste, sometimes he felt the same urge. To drown himself away, because he had to balance his families emotional states too, because his family were too busy with their own lives to realize he was still trying to grow up. Still trying to figure out who he was, as a new God. One with a past life at that.
This was Percy's second time at life. Yet, he was still the one on the outside, still the one on the sidelines. He was never in the middle, never worried about like other siblings or fellow campers. He had a position and he had to stick with it. But, it didn't matter if the reason was his age, his father, his partly golden blood, or being the leader, because the fact was that no matter how much he wanted to just melt into a warm group he would always be pushed out. They were always too old, too young, too different, too afraid to ever bring him back in.
But he wanted to make them happy, and he didn't want to disappoint his dad by bringing him into an emotional discussion on how he felt excluded and then being told that they would "get over it" and "you'll understand their point when you're older." He didn't want to be isolated like he was as a scared twelve year old who had just lost his mom.
But now he was just tired. Tired and hurt. He was wanted to cry and have someone comfort him instead of having to comfort himself. Sometimes it felt like no one really wanted him around when he wasn't their emotional support or their leader.
So Percy just curled up in the wreckage of a Greek trireme trying to pretend like the arms wrapping around him were his cousins instead of just his lonely hands. Trying to pretend that his head hurting and his chest feeling like it was beating out of his chest was just because he swam really fast. He curled up, trying to fall asleep, trying to have a moment to mourn for himself, but he did not notice the dark figures approaching as he curled deeper into himself to fall asleep.
***
Percy awoke with a shock, a little hand grabbing his arm and tugging at it.
"Mister?" A soft voice whispered.
Percy unfolded, looking for the small voice and landing on the little purple finned child with pretty white scales adorning his skin and tail with bright spots. They were in a dimly lit cave with only one entrance. The entrance was lined with thick bars of a metal that Percy couldn't recognize.
"Mister?" the boy whispered again. "You're awake now. That's good."
"Little one." Percy whispered back. "Where are we?"
"I'm not little one, I'm Richardos!" Richardos hissed. "I don't know where we are the mean men stole me from my big sister."
"The mean men?" Percy asked already bemoaning the fact that he had probably gotten kidnapped again and Hermes and Artemis were absolutely going to tease him about it when they found out.
"Yeah. They're super mean. I was supposed to be spending time with pappos, and mámmē, my grandparents but they took me while me and my big sister were looking for shiny rocks." Richardos pouted while thumping his tail into the cave floor in frustration. "Big sis must be so upset… and mámmē must be upset too."
Percy patted his head to comfort him and looked around his surroundings once more. They seemed to be deep, terribly deep underwater, far below where he had ventured in the past weeks or even any of his trips as a mortal. Whatever ravine they were probably in, it was definitely saturated in immortal power, but Percy could still feel HER presence, so at least they weren't in the tunnels connected to the Pit.
The bars didn't seem too reinforced however. It shouldn't be hard at all to break them. Percy picked up Richardos and tucked him into his side while reaching out his hand to brace against the bars.
"Richardos, do you wanna see something cool?" Percy grinned down at the child tucked into his side.
"Yeah!"
Percy let Perseus emerge from his core, feeling the bubble of destruction rise in glee with finally being released and directed his power to the hand that wasn't cradling the child. The skin on his forearm and hands turned completely black, and it cracked open in deadly lava. Lava took form in his hands, creating clouds of smoke as the bars turned into melted loads of gloop.
"WOAH!" Richardos giggled in the childlike glee of watching something blow up or melt.
"I know right!" Percy giggled back in response, feeling comforted that the young child wasn't scared of him at all. He was just impressed in that childlike wonder, tail flopping around in glee.
"Ready to leave this behind little one?"
"IM NOT LITTLE!"
Percy just laughed and swam forward, releasing Richardos from his position on his hip and melted open the bars keeping other mers in cages of their own.
One of the other larger mers gestured Percy and Richardos behind them, and she led the way out of the deep underwater cave. Percy didn't have to lead the way this time, didn't have to shoulder the pressure of being the leader. He just got to stay in the middle of the group, just his two now normal arms being clung to by the three additional kids that they had found.
An Mer with the characteristics of an angler fish gestured at the group to stay put and after a few moments they returned, the smell of blood flooding through the water. They returned with several weapons and handed it to the mers on the borders of the group so they could defend the weaker members in the middle.
The group of about fourteen mers moved through the underwater care, politely asking Percy to destroy any of the restraints or cages that they found and he obliged happily.
They emerged from the underwater cave, leaving the bodies of their captors for whatever scavenger they would find their bodies.
The group swam at the angler mer's direction, as they realized where the group was, and the mer directed them towards the closest city. It was a beautiful haunting city, looming ahead. It was a similar size to Percy's Dads Court, but it was much, much older. The structures looked more weathered, and the pressure, while not crushing was definitely present. They were still deep underwater but, HER presence still washed over his skin and scales, crooning a familiar melody into his ears.
He knew he was now. He was in the former High King's territory, and as they approached the guards on the border of the Old Court.
He steeled his nerves, remembering the flashes of power and how tired his dad was when fighting Oceanus and worried what he would do to him. Would he keep him? Would he treat him differently just because he was his dad's son?
They all entered the city, guards surrounding them and checking for injuries and patching up those who needed treatment. They waited in a private building, and Percy watched as families tearfully reunited with their loved ones and Percy found out that the reason they were stolen was a trafficking organization who were selling off their fellow mers to Land-Dwellers for a profit.
Percy watched as the mers waved goodbye to him, until only him and Richardos remained in the building being protected by guards. When the guards told Percy that he could leave whenever he wished, he told them he would wait until Richardos was picked up by his guardians.
So that was what he did. He kept Richardos company while they waited for his grandparents to come to pick him up. Richardos dozed off into Percy's side, tired after the entire ordeal.
It was only when Percy heard commotion coming from the outside, gently shaking Richardos awake while shielding him from the noise outside of the room they were in. Richardos wiggled out from Percy's protective grasp and swam fast as a marlin into the other room.
Percy shot up and followed him barely a second behind. His eyes widened as he recognized the power of the Titan before him and the little child that he had rescued from a cage chattering excitedly at the Titan and calling him pappos (grandfather), and clinging to who was probably Oceanus' massive shoulder. The elegant Lady who just entered the room and had a crown and who was also definitely also a Titan just got called mámmē by Richardos.
…
Shit.
Notes:
yay
poor percy getting kidnapped again. This definitely won't become a patternthanks for the kudos/comments/hits/subs i rlly appreciate it
yes i gave thalassa the hsr aeon treatment so what. SHE deserves it.
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