Dinner Can Be A Disaster

Percy led you to the Dining Pavilion, promising to introduce you to your new half-brother. You couldn’t help the relief that welled up in your chest at Percy enthusiasm to help you. You were worried that you’d be alone or that Percy would hate you for somthing stupid like ‘stealing the spotlight as the one son of Poseidon’. If anything though, he UNDERSTOOD that you were scared and alone in a world you never exepcted to be in. He UNDERSTOOD that your mom was gone and that there was nothing that could be said that would make things better.

But most of all.

He UNDERSTOOD you need someone - ANYONE - to be there for you while you were struggling to adjust to your new life.

The Dining Pavilion in a word?

Big.

You supposed it made sense - using school as a metaphor - the Arena was probably the gymnasium and the Dining Pavilion was the lunch hall. The Arena probably had to accomodate a small army of weapon-wielding kids-to-young-adults and the Dining Pavilion had to seat at least a few dozen kids per god. It seemed sad that the Hermes table was overcrowded as most of the minor gods kids were seated there or sitting where there was room on the other tables. As a rule - it seemed - you didn’t sit at the table of another godly parent. It didn’t seem to really matter, but apparently the status quo was such a sort of thing.

You sit down when a plate with a surprising meal is there for you.

Two grilled cheese sandwiches with a dollop of ketchup on the edge of the plates accompanied with a fizzy soda in a cup on the side.

You blink and immediately tear up at the food.

It was comfort food.

When you were younger and a bit of an idiot, you tried to cook your mom the simplest meal you could think of that wasn’t cereal when she got sick. With that in mind you made toast, took slices of cheese, put them in the middle, and slathered one side in butter. Angel that your mother was, she laughed and ate it and when she got better, she taught you how to make it right.

Before you can take a bite, Percy instructs you to make a sacrfice to the gods by giving them some of your food.

You go up to the same brazier that Percy did and close your eyes while pushing a half of one of your sandwiches into the fire.

‘Dad.’ You think, praying desperately, ‘I’m scared. I don’t know if I can be the hero everyone expects me to be. Please, if you can hear me. Lend me a hand, give me a way to be strong enough to let me protect the family I just found out I had. Even if it’s not for my sake, then for Percy. Please.’

Satisfied with you prayer you take your food and sit back down when a shadow falls over your back and a hand clamps on your shoulder. You jump in shock and see a camper sneering down at you.

“So...” He scoffs, “As a newbie, you need to go through a certain initiation of sorts. Now normally it would be a swirly, but seeing as you are a Poseidon kid, you might acutally like that. So...”

Percy leaps out of his seat, bristling, “Hey! Leave him alone!”

Ignoring Percy’s demands, the obnoxious asshole knocks your dinner off the table and sends it crashing to the floor and laughs mockingly, “Clean up your mess.”

You blink and anger suddenly burns in your chest, a funny ringing beginning to sound in your ears.

Enough.

You have had enough.

This day had been awful enough and you are fucking done letting the world fuck you over.

The multiple campers that had water began to scream as it all begins to rise out of their glasses and flow around you as you get to your feet with a hand raised. There is a tugging sensation in your gut but it is swallowed by the growing fury that is raging within you and the roaring of the blood in your ears. The asshole who was acting so smug earlier is now looking panicked as he tries to back away. Water laps at your heels and slithers around you like snakes as you stretch out your hands.

Percy grabs your shoulder and tires to shake you back to your senses but you let out an almost animalistic growl of , “Let. Go.”

No escape for this piece of shit, he wanted to give you a swirly right?

It’s only fair you return the favor.

The tendrils of water lash out like serpents and wrap around him restraining his limbs and causing him to crash to the ground. A sphere of the water forms around his head, strangling away his ability to breath as you barely keep it from filling his lungs and killing him. He falls to the ground thrashing as the water spins and begins to press harder on his skull like a hydraulic press. You barely see and hear Percy shout a name and raise his hands as you let your rage direct your instinctual use of your power.

And abruptly something tears the water away from your control and someone huge tackles you. Two arms with the strength of steel hold you tightly against someone’s muscled chest as you thrash. You stuggle against the grip and itch to whip out your Kopis as the bastard camper stares at you with fear.

“Enough!” A harsh voice slices through the air.

Someone you didn't recognize approaches you as you are slowly let down to your feet. He is a pale, gaunt and emaciated man in a threadbare orange prison jumpsuit. He had ugly bruise-like shadows under his eyes, dirty fingernails, and badly cut gray hair. He stared at you his eyes alight with amused derision. He looked... fractured and hollow of any emotion other than bitter anger.

Furious, frustrated, bitter, sadistic, and hungry.

All at the same time.

“Jack Langnan,” he says, voice raspy and grating, “Our newest bastard troublemaker.”

You scowl at him, “What was that?”

“Watch your tone boy.” He spat before he smiled, “I am Tantalus, the newest camp activities director and I think you deserve a punishment for attacking your fellow camper for no reason.”