Of Shocks and Seashells

Of Campfire Spats and Woodsy Walks

Disclaimer: If I say I own Percy Jackson, Dionysus will make me go senile, and I don't want that, not at all. I don't own PJO.

Percy's Point of View

Thalia and I made plans to got for a short stroll right before the campfire started. Mostly because...well we miss each other. We haven't seen each other lately at all; our activities don't match up, we can't sit with each other at meals ever since that catastrophe at breakfast, and at Capture the Flag, she's always on the opposite team. It's not fair, no, not at all.

I meet her after dinner, and we stand awkwardly in the dining pavilion before Thalia says, "Erm...the walk, Percy, remember?"

"Oh, right," I say, snapping out of my stupor. "Shall we go then, milady?" I ask, in a fake accent, stretching out my elbow for Thalia to take.

"We shall," she replies with a smirk before locking her elbow with mine, and we head off into the woods.

The forest is mostly quiet, with the occasional trill of birds, the quiet rustle of the leaves in the wind, and the sound of water trickling in a small brook to the left of us. Entirely peaceful, and more then relaxing, although it is a little chilly. In fact, Thalia's shivering right now. She's wearing ripped skinny jeans with a Green Day shirt. I offer her my jacket silently, and she takes in gratefully, tugging it on. A sudden snap of a twig startles both of us, and we freeze. Thalia only has my jacket half on, her eyes wide, mouth parted slightly in a frozen look of surprise.

"It's...nothing," I offer, and Thalia nods, but I notice her muscles don't tense, and her long, pale fingers are hovering over Aegis like a spider stalking its prey. "Thalia, relax. It was probably a squirrel or something."

"Yeah, I s'pose your right," she mutters, relaxing her muscles. "I should just be enjoying myself with my favorite cousin."

"Favorite cousin?" I ask stupidly.

"It's you, you idiot! You're my cousin!" Thalia snaps softly.

"Right. I knew that," I say, a small flush spreading over my cheeks.

"Sure you did," Thalia says with a smirk.

"I did!" I insist.

"Then how come you asked?"

"I knew, I was just...starting a conversation, Pinecone face!"

"You didn't know we were cousins," Thalia says in a singsong voice.

"Yes, I did!"

"No, you didn't!"

"Did!"

"Didn't!"

"DID!"

"DIDN'T!"

*SNAP!*

"...what was that?" Thalia asks nervously.

"...just a squirrel..." I mutter, more to myself than Thalia. "Maybe it's being territorial."

"Squirrels aren't territorial, Seaweed Brain," Thalia says dismissively.

"Yes they are! I remember in New York, once-" *SNAP!* Thalia's eyes flit over to meet mine; they're wide and slightly frightened.

"Okay, now, we run," I declare, and we take deeper into the woods.

Thalia's Point of View

"What" pant "if it was actually" pant "just a squirrel?" Percy asks, while sprinting alongside of me.