𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

2 - babysitting the new kid pt. 1 (meeting him + manipulation and bullshit)

WHEN MATTIAS FOUND SERENITY IN THE STRAWBERRY FIELDS, and told her about the new kid, passed out in the infirmary, she didn't really care. he was just another possible camper. he wasn't her problem.

being bothered again, this time by mattias and chiron, irritated her more than when she was first told that she had to take care of him.

"isn't that one satyr his protector?" she asked absentmindedly, walking through the fields with a basket of strawberries. "what was his name? uh...some sesame street character."

"grover underwood," chiron corrected.

"right."

serenity inhaled deeply, trying to speak without saying something out of line and putting a small smile on her face. "you know i would love to help someone in possible need, truly, but this is my only day off. i've been so busy this weekend with new campers and the younger apollo kids getting paint on themselves last night."

"ah, look, wren, it's just for a day. maybe two." mattias tried to find a reason for her to babysit some random kid. "grover and i both have to help mr. d with something, plus he has a meeting with the council later!"

"...no one else can do it?" she checked. as much as helping a defenseless kid who spent an entire day passed out would help get some people to leave her alone, maybe suspecting the boy needed time alone with just one person instead of multiple, she also just... didn't wanna do it.

"i fear not." chiron replied. serenity sighed, taking one more bite of a strawberry before giving the centaur and satyr her full attention.

"okay." she agreed. "i'll help the kid out. i'll do it."

"thank you, ms. calloway." chiron seemed thankful she didn't fight on it, as did mattias. serenity just wanted to get things over with.

"we'll show you the way, though grover might already be there, so you would just meet the kid." mattias offered as he and chiron had to lead serenity to the infirmary.

"what's his name, by the way?"

"uh...i think it was percy jackson."

when mattias led serenity to go meet this "percy jackson," she wasn't sure what to expect. what she definitely wasn't expecting was some blond kid about to create lifelong beef with the one and only dionysus. grover came in through a different side.

"wait, wait, wait, percy, um—" he stuttered. "mr. d! camp director. mr. d, this is, uh, percy jackson."

"yeah, grover." mr. d said. "i heard him the first time."

"but did you?"

mattias coughed and that redirected grover's attention to him and serenity, who...honestly didn't look pleased, but hid it well.

"oh— and, also, mattias hart and serenity calloway." he introduced next.

"hi. word of advice?" serenity didn't bother with shaking hands for once and simply walked forward to pull percy off to the side. "don't piss that guy off."

"he's pissing me off." he defended.

"okay, you gotta shut up, 'cause that's dionysus."

"what."

"mr. d. dionysus." she elaborated, but percy didn't immediately seemed convinced. he turned his head to look at mr. d in hopes of being able to call him a god.