Why is Everything so Loud?! (Fem. Percy)

Something's Not Quite Right

After a few days, Dad let me away from him, and I avoided him whenever I could. Triton's words about Dad disowning me or not caring be damned, I did not want that all consuming haze lingering on my flesh like a bad aftertaste. 

Breakfast and lunch were easy. I lingered in my bed, swaddled among blankets and clutching the horse, carefully steadying my breathing when the edge dipped and a worn hand caressed my forehead. After a minute or so, he'd sigh, tuck my blankets tighter, and kiss my head. I'd count the seconds until it was safe, and the rest of the morning and afternoon would be spent wandering the palace.

Dinner. . .

Without fail, Dad would appear next to me, no matter when I was--bedroom, halls, Triton's room. One time, he found me curled on the couch in his office, staring blankly at the wall. That hadn't stopped him from dropping his hand on my shoulder or fixing me with a disapproving look before the numbness set back in. Like a puppet, I'd be guided to a table, and I'd be made to eat whatever was put in front of me--no matter how much the food sliding down my throat made me want to vomit.

Nights when I put up a little less resistance were worse because he'd reward me with pudding for dessert. The sludge filled my mouth. Tears brimmed and spilled over as spoonful after spoonful was forced down. He didn't ask why. Only bundled me up and got me ready for bed.

Triton cradled me on his lap the fifth day, supporting me with one arm as he messed with maps and quills. Different underwater cities were marked, along with routes, and pages of notes about the best way to defend them or to attack if they went rogue. "Duties as the heir", he'd mumbled, "Be glad you don't have to do this." 

Soft blankets rubbed pleasantly against my skin as I stretched. His grip loosened, like he'd allow me  to move, but his arm settled around me once I'd resumed running my fingers through the yellow rabbit's plush fur.

"You know," he said, "you don't have to sit on me if you don't want to."

"Do you want me to move?"

The thought made me sick. The comfort of his arms and his gentle heat and the way he'd card his fingers through my hair kept me in a state of calm contentment. It wasn't overbearing. Not oppressive.

His aura tightened around me like a warm hug--even that wasn't too much. "Percy, you don't need to do this if you're only doing it to make me happy."

"I"m not."

He hummed. "How about we take a break, hm?" He stood and dropped me into his hammock before clambering in and rearranging me to rest on him. Gentle hands rested on my back.

I couldn't help but stare up at him with wide eyes. Not out of surprise, but adoration--which rounded around to making me surprised. His aura was twisting around me in curls and ribbons. Sure, it was probably effecting how I looked at him, but it wasn't forcing it.

"Love you." I mumbled. Then I closed my eyes so I wouldn't have to see his expression.

That didn't exactly work. Purring couldn't be blocked out, not while he was holding me. And he kissed my head.

"You're sweet," he said.

Unfortunately, the moment couldn't last. I should've expected it, really. Time moved in a syrupy slowness, but it'd been too long since Dad's aura wrapped tendrils around me.

The door opened, and I clung to Triton, whining softly. I didn't want to go. I wasn't ready to have food forced down my throat or to be treated like a baby. They talked over my head, but I did my best to tune out Dad. If I couldn't hear him, he couldn't make me do anything, right? Like sirens and charmspeak.

"I'll make sure she has something." Triton's hand splayed over my spine.

"Give her to me."

Triton tucked me deeper into the hammock. "She's scared today." I heard him whisper. "She's clinging and taking her from me isn't going to help."

"She needs to eat."

Triton snarled at Dad.

"Triton."

"Did you think, for even a second, that forcing someone who was tortured to do things might not be a good idea?-- Sh. Sh. I'm yelling at Daddy, not you.-- We don't know jackshit about what they did to her. And you keep-- She doesn't like it when you suppress her."

"You've never minded it." Dad's voice was low. Angry. Wire scraped over my skin in the places Triton wasn't cradling me.

"She's not me."

"And you weren't the one to find her bleeding out on the bathroom floor."

Triton's aura completely enveloped mine. He dragged me under the nothingness, but I didn't care. My fingers kept messing with rabbit's fur, and the yelling passed over my head. Rolling on my side, I peered up at Dad before tugging at his shirt.

He scowls. "She's only going to get worse if she keeps avoiding eating. Mortals can't go very long without food, and at the rate she's going, she's going to dehydrate first. I don't exactly--

"Daddy."

He ignored me. Ignored me and kept arguing. My breathing picked up, only to be smothered as Triton leaned more of his aura onto me. Dad left. Still ignoring me. What did. . . What did I do wrong?

Like a wave, Triton's presence recedes. "You need to eat, Percy," he said, while playing with my hair.

"I'm not hungry."

"Yeah. Right. You need to eat something, or else I won't be able to keep him from doing that again."

"I'm just not hungry."

His hands stilled.

"You're telling the truth. . ."There was a note of alarm in what followed. "You haven't eaten at all today. You should be hungry." He sat up, made me sit up, and dug through his bag until he pulled out a square of ambrosia. "Eat this."

"Triton."

"Eat it." Like Dad, he dragged me down and made me eat.

Pain. Like a nail was being shoved into my gum, but I ate.

Hello!

I have been a bit busy with a super secret project that I'm hoping to have done soon (plan was have the current version done at the end of feburary but thats not going to happen lol) anyway, i hope you liked this chapter

Things are about to get ... fun.

See yah