Project Percy (Kotlc Meets Percy Jackson)

Chapter 15

"He's alive!" Annabeth teased when Percy wandered into the living room the next day. She sat in an overstuffed armchair reading a book called Twenty-Five Ways to Catch the Wind. "You do realize you slept through breakfast and lunch, right?"

"I did?" Percy looked around, trying to find a clock, but everything was covered in weird clothes, like a costume shop threw up on the furniture. "Sorry. I guess I was tired."

"You had a rough day yesterday," Athena said, sighing when she saw the state of the room. "I foolishly let Aphrodite do the shopping."

"Foolish?" Another woman walked in behind her. Her auburn hair was in an elaborate braid, and her skin glowed like the moon. She was dressed in a gown so pink it hurt Percy's eyes. "You have no sense of style, Athena."

Annabeth perked up. "Lady Aphrodite! Is Piper here?"

The woman, Aphrodite, shook her head. "She manifested earlier today, while I was out shopping. Speaking of which, I should probably go soon and help her with her new ability. She's a Beguiler, like her mother." Aphrodite smiled a dazzling smile.

"Send her my congratulations," Annabeth said. "If I have time, I'll visit."

"Please do," Aphrodite said. She turned to Percy. "How are you doing?"

Percy shrugged.

"Well, you look great. You should see how shiny your hair is, and your eyes are so...exotic. Oh, you'll be a real heartbreaker." She sighed dreamily. "Now, I should probably be going before Piper accidentally beguiles her father. Again." She raised a pathfinder and glittered away.

Athena rubbed her forehead. "Behold," she said, waving her arms around the explosion of clothes. "Your new wardrobe."

"That's all for me?" Would he be wearing five outfits a day?

"Aphrodite tends to go overboard," Annabeth said.

Athena scoffed. "Understatement. The only thing she didn't get was a new nexus. I figured you'd want to pick out your own. Unless you want to keep Annabeth's old, beat-up one."

Percy stared at the cuff on his wrist. "This was yours?" he asked Annabeth.

She nodded.

He liked that. More than he wanted to admit. He studied the diamonds. "Do you want it back?"

"I don't need it anymore. It's yours if you want it."

He was very aware of Athena frowning at him, so he tried to sound casual as he said, "May as well keep it, so it doesn't go to waste."

"If that's what you want," Athena said, her voice tight. "I should be done packing all of this in a few minutes, and then I'll get you some lunch."

"Packing? Are you kicking me out?"

He tried to make it a joke, but a touch of hurt leaked into his words.

"Of course not. I simply thought you'd want to get settled into your new home. If you want to wait a few days, that's fine."

Percy swallowed to steady his voice. "No, it's fine."

Annabeth smiled sadly. "You're going to like Poseidon and Sally."

His palms dampened at the strange names. "What are they like?"

"They run a kelpie preserve in the Gloaming Valley," Athena explained. "Kymopoleia lives with them and helps out with the kelpies. A waste of talent, if you ask me, but it's a fact that they respond well to hydrokinetics. Cerulean Stables is quite beautiful, and Poseidon is a Hydrokinetic, so he'll be able to help you with your ability."