𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀, percy jackson!

𝐈𝐈𝐈. monster pigeons are a thing?

Act two : Chapter three!

༄.°

The sun was nearly swallowed by the horizon, its last violet hues bleeding into the lake, turning the water into a shimmering mirror that flickered with the final moments of daylight.

Adira spent the better part of her day planning the chariot with Annabeth and Percy, which would have been fine if Percy hadn't spent the entire day being an idiot.

She didn't know what was wrong with him. Maybe it was the whole Tyson thing. His half-brother had moved into his cabin recently, and while Tyson couldn't be more thrilled about it, Percy carried his shame like a weight around his shoulders, dampened by embarrassment. He had been grumpy, moody, irritated – wait, that was her thing.

The girl spotted him sitting by the lake's edge, his silhouette outlined by the dying light. His back was to her, his shoulders hunched. For a moment, she considered walking away, letting him wallow in whatever brooding he was doing. She rolled her eyes at herself, annoyed that she even cared enough to check on him, but her feet moved toward him anyway, carrying her closer without permission from her brain.

She crept up behind him and when she was close enough, she leaned in and laid her hands on his shoulders, leaned forward and yelled, "Boo."

Percy practically jumped out of his skin, "Jeez!" he muttered, voice laced with surprise, as if she'd just pulled him out of some deep, life-altering contemplation.

She couldn't help it—she laughed, half pleased with herself for catching him off guard. "Relax, jumpy. It's just me," she said, sarcasm coating her words like honey.

He glanced up at her, narrowing his eyes in mock suspicion, though the grin tugging at his lips betrayed him. "Yeah, well, not sure if that's supposed to be calming or terrifying," he shot back.

She snorted, rolling her eyes. "Both?"

Percy chuckled softly before his expression shifted. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

She raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "I could ask you the same thing. But honestly, I have a better question—what the hell is up with you today? You've been a total buzzkill, and usually that's my thing, so don't steal that."

He blinked at her, seemingly taken aback by her directness. "I was not a buzzkill today. I'm just... annoyed by Tantalus." He shrugged like that settled everything, his tone trying to play off the obvious tension he was carrying.

But she wasn't dumb. The weak excuse about Tantalus didn't fool her for a second. Her eyes narrowed as she studied him, her lips pressing into a thin, skeptical line.

"Fine, don't tell me," she muttered, shrugging her shoulders in feigned indifference. Without another word, she sat down beside him, wrapping her arms around her knees, turning her attention to the lake as the colors of the sky shimmered across its surface.

Percy shifted slightly, casting a confused glance in her direction. He was used to her snapping a few sarcastic lines and then leaving, not... this. Not sitting next to him and staring at the lake like they were just casually spending time together. This wasn't their thing. They didn't hang out like this.

As Percy glanced over at her, he found himself momentarily distracted. The fading sunlight, with its purples and oranges spilling across the lake, reflected in her eyes, turning them into pools of warm, flickering color. It was like the lake itself had come alive in her gaze. Her dark hair seemed almost softened by the golden light, catching the last rays of the sun and shimmering as if it had been spun from gold itself.