Character is Destiny

SoM: Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and the non-bolded dialogue in this work. This is a show of appreciation for the books in preparation for the Percy Jackson TV show. Enjoy!

SoM Chapter 16: Down with the Ship

Published: Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Chapter 38

Key:

2010- Percy (Regular)

2007- Percy (Italics)

"Hang on one second," Apollo said kindly. He approached Percy tentatively. "Your rib. Please let me heal it. I may not be able to stop what the Fates want to do, but I can at least heal that."

Percy glanced down, rubbing a hand over his rib gently, feeling the slightly out-of-place bone. "Okay," he said, sitting back and rolling the hem of his shirt up, exposing the misplaced section.

Apollo nodded determinedly, kneeling down and pressing his hands on Percy's core gently. Apollo hummed softly, his hands glowing gold as Percy felt the bone shift and mend. Apollo finished his hymn, panting softly as Percy ran a hand over his now flat midsection. "Thank you, my lord," Percy said, taking a grateful breath and relishing in the air filling his lungs, now free from the danger they'd been in since Tartarus.

"Just Apollo, Perseus," Apollo said, retreating to his seat. "I do not demand honorifics, and I am seeing now that mayhaps we gods do not deserve it as much as we think we do."

Hestia smiled at her nephew, a blinding smile filled with joy. Being one of the only gods who never, ever made anyone speak to her as 'Lady Hestia,' she was beyond happy to see that finally, her family was beginning to see that just because they were gods, they did not need to be referred to as 'Lord,' or 'Lady.' The children did not always see them like kings and queens of their domains, but as parents and aunts and uncles and cousins and even siblings in some cases. A child would not refer to their brother as 'Lord Apollo,' so why should Thalia have to do it?

"Now," Artemis prompted. "Who is reading?" Her voice was still cold, and her tone still dangerous. It was clear that while she may have been worried about Annabeth's condition and the curses Calypso had placed on her, she was more furious at Hermes. What was unclear was whether she was angry at his manipulation, or at how he had treated a maiden. Hermes himself was uncharacteristically quiet, watching the clouds drift lazily across the sky, clearly deep in thought.

The god in question was stuck in a state of limbo. He was bouncing between wanting to be angry at the daughter of Athena for her rash words, apologizing to Calypso for what he had done in the future, or hiding from Artemis and Athena. He couldn't possibly fathom why he had done what he had done. He understood being distraught by the loss of his son, but taking out his anger on another half-blood, someone who was, simply put, at the mercy of the gods, was just unlike Hermes. Aside from Dionysus, who actually had been a half-blood, Hermes knew most of how the half-bloods lived. He felt for them, and he tried to sympathize with them as much as possible. For him to lose his temper only proved that tensions had been pushed to a boiling point and the loss of his son had pushed him over the edge.

He sighed a heavy breath; Hermes has much to think about, and much to learn about their future situations.

"I will read," Apollo said, approaching his sister. As much as they teased each other, Apollo was typically one of the only ones who could approach her when she was in a temper. As he neared her, her silver glare landed on him and lessened marginally, making Apollo stifle a grin. She lobbed the book at him and Apollo caught it with his godly reflexes, grinning widely now. "Thank you, Arty!" Apollo chirped.