[ Each day feels just a little more normal than the last, which is kind of crazy to say when the strength and the power from the Singularity pulses in his veins and his soul, and just about everything about living like this, living here is, by definition, not normal.
But normal means a short life for someone like him, where making it out of his teens is something of a miracle. It means constantly being in danger, and constantly looking over his shoulder for something that wants to chow down on him like he's a walking, talking (and yelling) shishkabob, but he's well into his twenties now — and married, a dad, and fully employed by the docks with a routine that he enjoys. It gives him something to do with his hands, and he has a natural affinity to helping the locals out. He likes them, and they like him, and it's all very ... simple.
These days, he really likes simple.
It's late afternoon when he comes back home with supplies for dinner (he's making grilled fish burgers), a skip in his step and a tune in his heart (or, you know, just feeling kinda productive). It's been drizzling all day, which is great for the trees but miserable for most — and Percy walks through it all like it's been clear skies all day, his clothing and his hair perfectly dry.
He's tempted to call out, 'Honey, I'm home' like he's done every now and then for stupid laughs, because it's so strangely old-timey and Percy is nothing if not still a sucker for really dumb jokes. In the end, he just says: ] I'm home! [ while setting the groceries down and pulling his cloak from his shoulders to hang by the rest of the hooks housing three other cloaks of similar material but very different sizes. ]
— I thought the girls were out with Uncle Dusty?
[ He continues aloud, reaching to briefly touch the shorter cloak with his fingers. When there's no answer, Percy starts to wonder whether he's alone and talking to himself (thankfully the neighbours won't hear him), and distractedly starts for the main bedroom where he finds his wife, Annabeth, dozing off with their youngest — a boy, still a baby — gathered in her arms, and also fast asleep.
The visual does something kinda silly to his heart, like filling it with warmth and love and home, and he can't help it when a dumb smile works its way into his features as he takes that moment to memorize it. ]
Hey, buddy — [ Percy moves forward to grab their son from Annabeth's arms, to relieve her of arm-cramps, and offer her the proper chance for decent sleep. She hasn't had a whole lot of that lately on account of insisting she knows exactly how to take care of their boy, and Percy knows better than to argue when she's got a plan. ] How about we let mom sleep for a little while, huh?
[ The baby blinks blearily at his father, squirming into a more comfortable position in his arms, before returning to whatever dream he must be having. Percy hopes he's hanging out with pegasi and maybe a really friendly hellhound in those dreams. ]
[ there is a sense of normalcy to annabeth's life here that still feels unearned, or unreal. a sense of settlement that unnerves her sometimes, because living as long as she has so far was supposed to be a pipe dream. she's here anyway, married - married - and a mother three times, sometimes still puzzled by it all but not unhappy. no, she's definitely not unhappy. ]
[ there's nothing about a life with percy that feels unhappy. ]
[ she's very tired though. exhaustion seems like it's just always going to be part of her, even if it's different now. cassian took the girls out for a few hours, leaving her with just the baby, and she can appreciate the quiet for what it is. she still needs that for herself. the baby falls asleep, and it's the kind of deep slumber that she knows she can maneuver around without disturbing him too much. but she sits down briefly on the bed and closes her eyes for just a minute, and before she knows it, annabeth is out. at least it's a peaceful one, despite how fiercely her arms curl around him. she'll never let him roll onto the floor, or let anything happen to him period. ]
[ percy tries to be gentle - and he is - but annabeth stirs the moment she feels her son being taken, and it's only the scent of the ocean that stops her from leaping out of bed to snatch him back. she might feel settled, but those instincts linger. ]
Too late.
[ she mutters it, opening one eye to look up at them. her heart clenches in her chest at the sight of it. for all the simplicity of percy holding their son, an action taken many times before by many parents into infinity, it still feels like a marvel sometimes. it's like proof he loves her made physical. a home, they made a home. she doesn't move though, content to keep laying there and watching them with a soft expression on her face. ]
[ Percy sounds amused and endeared, and when he glances in Annabeth's direction it's to offer her a little mock-pout while keeping his voice soft.
He turns his attentions back on their sleeping son, and in an effort to keep him from fussing in his arms, Percy rocks him a little the way he's seen Annabeth do it before. The way he's sure he's seen ... well, someone. Claire, maybe. Or Wanda. They're mothers, they're his mothers, so it stands to reason that he's likely seen them with some of the children around town.
When he's certain that the baby won't be waking up any time soon, he shifts his focus on his wife again. ]
[ she's already smiling at him before he even looks at her. ] You stole him. How was I not going to notice?
[ percy could have come in without a single word but the second he pulled her baby away, she would have been up regardless. she's just glad she gets to watch her husband rock him around instead of anything else, in the way he thinks he struggles with it but really annabeth always felt he was far more natural to parenthood than she was. ]
[ there was a lot to be nervous about, given her experience with mothers. but percy made her feel like she could do it. he still does. they're three kids in. ]
[ before she can say she isn't hungry, her stomach betrays her with a growl. ]
[ No, she has a point. And truth be told, he would expect nothing less from a woman who is this child's mother, a god, and also a very skilled, very seasoned warrior. Nothing could get past her, not even her husband doing his very best attempt at stealth.
(Gods, she's the best.)
He continues to sway with their baby in his arms while he juts his chin back towards the kitchen where he'd left his grocery bag.
His mouth curves into a small smile. Yeah, he heard that stomach grumble. ]
[ she snorts, unceremoniously. ] You're not sneaky.
[ annabeth rolls over on her side, still watching him. she should get up - she's not likely to fall asleep again in the next few minutes - but she's also very comfortable, and it's a very good sight to behold, watching percy sway with their son. something about him holding any of their children sends a flutter through her like she's a teenager again. it fills her with a warmth that sometimes she thought would never be possible for herself. it feels permanent. ]
[ she smiles back at him, giving in. ]
I suppose I could go for a Percy Jackson dinner special.
[ He's protesting simply for the sake of protesting, and it feels familiar the way they've done this time and again over the decades that they've known each other.
Some things never change.
For now he moves their son over to the crib by their bed, tucking him in amongst the blankets and some of his favourite toys. The baby squirms a little but his eyes remain closed, still clinging tightly to sleep. Percy does his best to keep from waking him. ]
Lucky for you I just went for groceries, so we've got some fresh stuff in the kitchen.
[ They'll keep the door open in case their son needs them, but for now he offers a hand to his wife to help her up. ]
[ if tone could be read through text, the first line is all dryness. ]
Feels like home. They're fine, mostly. I think Koth had a lot of locals shaken. Solvunn seems more equipped for god appearances as a whole, but I still can't imagine any of it was easy.
( yeah, annabeth's one ofthe good ones. would fit right in with the maximoffs. )
I think Solvunn was just as susceptible to what the gods do because of their faith in them; they tend to accept things as something that 'should' happen.
( but...talking about this and the conflict feels a little tired and like something wanda doesn't want to linger too much on. )
[ Annabeth isn't the only one prepped and ready for the holiday season.
Well, mostly, anyway. Truthfully he could use another like, ten years, give or take, but nearly-a-year and some hard-earned lessons in botanical magic are the best he can manage on such short notice. Besides, it's the thought that counts; and yes he'll keep telling himself this as he goes back and forth on whether now or later is the right time.
Decked out in all of his new wearables, Percy busts through whatever room Annabeth happens to be occupying with a wide grin and bright eyes the second he spots his target. ]
[ any interruption is very welcome when he busts in with a mile wide grin and wearing all his gifts. annabeth looks up from her chair at the first sound of him and her face brightens up when she spies his attire. does how much he enjoys it make her stupidly happy?? yes. ]
[ any reluctance she might have had is thrown out the window. she closes her book. ]
Sure. [ that was easy. she climbs from the chair and moves to get her cloak (they get cloaks for cold weather here! it's pretty cool. she feels cool). let it never be said that annabeth is opposed to following percy's whims. ]
How come?
[ it should be clarification first, agreement after, but that's just not how it works for them sometimes. ]
Well, you got me all this cool stuff for the holiday — [ This is followed by a quick and delighted sweep to himself. ] — and it turns out that I've got something cool for you for the holiday too.
[ At least he hopes its cool.
It's a freakin' olive tree (or the babiest starts of one anyway) though, and he knows Annabeth's feelings on olives. If olives were a person, he'd probably have some pretty stiff competition in winning her affections. So. It has to be. ]
Except it's kind of stuck in one place, so I've gotta bring you to it.
[ her smile briefly deepens when he gestures at the goods he's wearing, and she definitely feels a little proud of the work and how much he likes it too. the smile stays on her face as he expounds on the fact that he wants to take her to a gift, even if her eyebrows scrunch a little in puzzlement. then she lets out a bit of a stupefied laugh. ]
Stuck? Like a building? [ of course that's where her thoughts would go! ]
[ she moseys up beside him and tucks her hand in his with a squeeze, mitten and all. ]
You think I'd build you a building and be totally confident in showing it to you?
[ He laughs because he's pretty sure doing anything specifically architecture-related would leave him wide open to some well-deserved criticism, and besides — he'd have next to no idea of how to even do something like that anyway.
Arts and crafts are not his thing. And design? Forget it. He's happy to leave all of that to Annabeth. ]
So I had this idea a little while after we wound up in this place, and it took a couple of trial runs for it to work ... plus there was the few weeks where we were all put in that weird dreamworld, and then the stuff with the king and queen happened so we were trapped underground, but uh ...
[ Is he rambling? Is he kind of nervous that this might have been a dumb idea after all? No. No, of course not. It's fine. But it's clear where they're going is not back indoors, but instead towards the fringes of the castle where there are courtyards. It's out of the way of all the hustle and bustle of the palace-dwellers but protection is still provided by way of the walls.
He tugs at her hand, mitten and all, towards the smallest sprout amongst the few trees already occupying the area. Even with the light dusting of frost covering the kingdom of Thorne, there appears to be a protective dome around the sprout keeping it green and vibrant. ]
[ okay, she laughs too. ] Maybe you found a cool one!
[ annabeth would gladly be lured into looking at a really cool building. then again, she has found almost everything she thinks is cool about the castle at this point - in the parts they're allowed in, at least. ]
[ still, when he starts to ramble, annabeth gets the sense that he's nervous, and sometimes it feels so ridiculous to her that he would be nervous when it comes to her. she teases him, of course, and does her best to navigate a relationship she's figuring out along the way too, but he's already proven how much he cares about her tenfold, and above anything else, that's the most important. ]
[ she squeezes his hand when he tugs her, growing more and more curious as they meander outside and he finally stops them before the smallest little plant. a baby tree, she thinks, she's not very good with botany but it's surrounded by other trees. it even looks like there's some kind of magic going on, to keep it warm and dry, but the overall shape of it is familiar in away, even if she's more used to seeing images of them fully grow. ]
Is that... an olive tree? [ she looks back to him, wide-eyed, and squeezing his hand again, only this time her grip stays tight. ] Did you plant me an olive tree?
Gods, they really scattered everyone. I'm glad too.
[ she doesn't want to be apart from him, obviously, but there's something underlying about their post tartarus existence that has her more worried what percy's reaction might have been. ]
Have the portals ever done anything like this before, in the time you've been here?
There are a lot of people in Solvunn who shouldn't be here either. Maybe that means it's not dormant. It's been acting weird lately, right? It could be skipping its annual winter nap.
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breaking this baby in with ... babies! (event 18—emergence) ;
But normal means a short life for someone like him, where making it out of his teens is something of a miracle. It means constantly being in danger, and constantly looking over his shoulder for something that wants to chow down on him like he's a walking, talking (and yelling) shishkabob, but he's well into his twenties now — and married, a dad, and fully employed by the docks with a routine that he enjoys. It gives him something to do with his hands, and he has a natural affinity to helping the locals out. He likes them, and they like him, and it's all very ... simple.
These days, he really likes simple.
It's late afternoon when he comes back home with supplies for dinner (he's making grilled fish burgers), a skip in his step and a tune in his heart (or, you know, just feeling kinda productive). It's been drizzling all day, which is great for the trees but miserable for most — and Percy walks through it all like it's been clear skies all day, his clothing and his hair perfectly dry.
He's tempted to call out, 'Honey, I'm home' like he's done every now and then for stupid laughs, because it's so strangely old-timey and Percy is nothing if not still a sucker for really dumb jokes. In the end, he just says: ] I'm home! [ while setting the groceries down and pulling his cloak from his shoulders to hang by the rest of the hooks housing three other cloaks of similar material but very different sizes. ]
— I thought the girls were out with Uncle Dusty?
[ He continues aloud, reaching to briefly touch the shorter cloak with his fingers. When there's no answer, Percy starts to wonder whether he's alone and talking to himself (thankfully the neighbours won't hear him), and distractedly starts for the main bedroom where he finds his wife, Annabeth, dozing off with their youngest — a boy, still a baby — gathered in her arms, and also fast asleep.
The visual does something kinda silly to his heart, like filling it with warmth and love and home, and he can't help it when a dumb smile works its way into his features as he takes that moment to memorize it. ]
Hey, buddy — [ Percy moves forward to grab their son from Annabeth's arms, to relieve her of arm-cramps, and offer her the proper chance for decent sleep. She hasn't had a whole lot of that lately on account of insisting she knows exactly how to take care of their boy, and Percy knows better than to argue when she's got a plan. ] How about we let mom sleep for a little while, huh?
[ The baby blinks blearily at his father, squirming into a more comfortable position in his arms, before returning to whatever dream he must be having. Percy hopes he's hanging out with pegasi and maybe a really friendly hellhound in those dreams. ]
Happy to see you too, kiddo.
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[ there's nothing about a life with percy that feels unhappy. ]
[ she's very tired though. exhaustion seems like it's just always going to be part of her, even if it's different now. cassian took the girls out for a few hours, leaving her with just the baby, and she can appreciate the quiet for what it is. she still needs that for herself. the baby falls asleep, and it's the kind of deep slumber that she knows she can maneuver around without disturbing him too much. but she sits down briefly on the bed and closes her eyes for just a minute, and before she knows it, annabeth is out. at least it's a peaceful one, despite how fiercely her arms curl around him. she'll never let him roll onto the floor, or let anything happen to him period. ]
[ percy tries to be gentle - and he is - but annabeth stirs the moment she feels her son being taken, and it's only the scent of the ocean that stops her from leaping out of bed to snatch him back. she might feel settled, but those instincts linger. ]
Too late.
[ she mutters it, opening one eye to look up at them. her heart clenches in her chest at the sight of it. for all the simplicity of percy holding their son, an action taken many times before by many parents into infinity, it still feels like a marvel sometimes. it's like proof he loves her made physical. a home, they made a home. she doesn't move though, content to keep laying there and watching them with a soft expression on her face. ]
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[ Percy sounds amused and endeared, and when he glances in Annabeth's direction it's to offer her a little mock-pout while keeping his voice soft.
He turns his attentions back on their sleeping son, and in an effort to keep him from fussing in his arms, Percy rocks him a little the way he's seen Annabeth do it before. The way he's sure he's seen ... well, someone. Claire, maybe. Or Wanda. They're mothers, they're his mothers, so it stands to reason that he's likely seen them with some of the children around town.
When he's certain that the baby won't be waking up any time soon, he shifts his focus on his wife again. ]
You doing okay? Hungry?
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[ percy could have come in without a single word but the second he pulled her baby away, she would have been up regardless. she's just glad she gets to watch her husband rock him around instead of anything else, in the way he thinks he struggles with it but really annabeth always felt he was far more natural to parenthood than she was. ]
[ there was a lot to be nervous about, given her experience with mothers. but percy made her feel like she could do it. he still does. they're three kids in. ]
[ before she can say she isn't hungry, her stomach betrays her with a growl. ]
A little, I guess.
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[ No, she has a point. And truth be told, he would expect nothing less from a woman who is this child's mother, a god, and also a very skilled, very seasoned warrior. Nothing could get past her, not even her husband doing his very best attempt at stealth.
(Gods, she's the best.)
He continues to sway with their baby in his arms while he juts his chin back towards the kitchen where he'd left his grocery bag.
His mouth curves into a small smile. Yeah, he heard that stomach grumble. ]
I could always make you something.
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[ annabeth rolls over on her side, still watching him. she should get up - she's not likely to fall asleep again in the next few minutes - but she's also very comfortable, and it's a very good sight to behold, watching percy sway with their son. something about him holding any of their children sends a flutter through her like she's a teenager again. it fills her with a warmth that sometimes she thought would never be possible for herself. it feels permanent. ]
[ she smiles back at him, giving in. ]
I suppose I could go for a Percy Jackson dinner special.
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[ He's protesting simply for the sake of protesting, and it feels familiar the way they've done this time and again over the decades that they've known each other.
Some things never change.
For now he moves their son over to the crib by their bed, tucking him in amongst the blankets and some of his favourite toys. The baby squirms a little but his eyes remain closed, still clinging tightly to sleep. Percy does his best to keep from waking him. ]
Lucky for you I just went for groceries, so we've got some fresh stuff in the kitchen.
[ They'll keep the door open in case their son needs them, but for now he offers a hand to his wife to help her up. ]
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wrapped and ftb bc they be nasssty 🎀
post-event 20
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Feels like home.
They're fine, mostly. I think Koth had a lot of locals shaken. Solvunn seems more equipped for god appearances as a whole, but I still can't imagine any of it was easy.
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( but...talking about this and the conflict feels a little tired and like something wanda doesn't want to linger too much on. )
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I'm okay. I wasn't hurt during any of it. Mostly it made me feel kind of weird.
Are you okay?
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Yeah. I was in the middle of one, before coming here. And my mom is... you know. The goddess of warfare. I'm not unfamiliar with war at all.
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it's beginning to look a little bit like christmas, if you squint a little
Well, mostly, anyway. Truthfully he could use another like, ten years, give or take, but nearly-a-year and some hard-earned lessons in botanical magic are the best he can manage on such short notice. Besides, it's the thought that counts; and yes he'll keep telling himself this as he goes back and forth on whether now or later is the right time.
Decked out in all of his new wearables, Percy busts through whatever room Annabeth happens to be occupying with a wide grin and bright eyes the second he spots his target. ]
Hey. Can you come outside with me for a sec?
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[ any reluctance she might have had is thrown out the window. she closes her book. ]
Sure. [ that was easy. she climbs from the chair and moves to get her cloak (they get cloaks for cold weather here! it's pretty cool. she feels cool). let it never be said that annabeth is opposed to following percy's whims. ]
How come?
[ it should be clarification first, agreement after, but that's just not how it works for them sometimes. ]
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[ At least he hopes its cool.
It's a freakin' olive tree (or the babiest starts of one anyway) though, and he knows Annabeth's feelings on olives. If olives were a person, he'd probably have some pretty stiff competition in winning her affections. So. It has to be. ]
Except it's kind of stuck in one place, so I've gotta bring you to it.
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Stuck? Like a building? [ of course that's where her thoughts would go! ]
[ she moseys up beside him and tucks her hand in his with a squeeze, mitten and all. ]
Okay. Lead the way.
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[ He laughs because he's pretty sure doing anything specifically architecture-related would leave him wide open to some well-deserved criticism, and besides — he'd have next to no idea of how to even do something like that anyway.
Arts and crafts are not his thing. And design? Forget it. He's happy to leave all of that to Annabeth. ]
So I had this idea a little while after we wound up in this place, and it took a couple of trial runs for it to work ... plus there was the few weeks where we were all put in that weird dreamworld, and then the stuff with the king and queen happened so we were trapped underground, but uh ...
[ Is he rambling? Is he kind of nervous that this might have been a dumb idea after all? No. No, of course not. It's fine. But it's clear where they're going is not back indoors, but instead towards the fringes of the castle where there are courtyards. It's out of the way of all the hustle and bustle of the palace-dwellers but protection is still provided by way of the walls.
He tugs at her hand, mitten and all, towards the smallest sprout amongst the few trees already occupying the area. Even with the light dusting of frost covering the kingdom of Thorne, there appears to be a protective dome around the sprout keeping it green and vibrant. ]
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[ annabeth would gladly be lured into looking at a really cool building. then again, she has found almost everything she thinks is cool about the castle at this point - in the parts they're allowed in, at least. ]
[ still, when he starts to ramble, annabeth gets the sense that he's nervous, and sometimes it feels so ridiculous to her that he would be nervous when it comes to her. she teases him, of course, and does her best to navigate a relationship she's figuring out along the way too, but he's already proven how much he cares about her tenfold, and above anything else, that's the most important. ]
[ she squeezes his hand when he tugs her, growing more and more curious as they meander outside and he finally stops them before the smallest little plant. a baby tree, she thinks, she's not very good with botany but it's surrounded by other trees. it even looks like there's some kind of magic going on, to keep it warm and dry, but the overall shape of it is familiar in away, even if she's more used to seeing images of them fully grow. ]
Is that... an olive tree? [ she looks back to him, wide-eyed, and squeezing his hand again, only this time her grip stays tight. ] Did you plant me an olive tree?
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post the great territory shuffle
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What about you? Are you okay?
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I'm glad too.
[ she doesn't want to be apart from him, obviously, but there's something underlying about their post tartarus existence that has her more worried what percy's reaction might have been. ]
Have the portals ever done anything like this before, in the time you've been here?
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Maybe that means it's not dormant. It's been acting weird lately, right? It could be skipping its annual winter nap.
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