Finding Compromise

After an uneventful lunch, Zoë taught me an introductory lesson on how to be part of the forest, which I really appreciated. After that, we joined everyone else for dinner.

"So, how was your date?" Annabeth asked, a slight hint of frostiness in her tone.

"It wasn't a date," I said. "Well, the Fates might've called it a date, but I prefer to consider it a Fated hangout. Zoë taught me how to hunt."

"Ok, thank you for bringing this up on your own," Rachel said. "Annabeth, what's your take on us attempting romance with Percy? I mean, we know that the world and how it'll work is changed now, so..."

Annabeth barked angrily.

"If you're asking if I'm ok with sharing, the answer is no," Annabeth said with a firm glare. "Percy is mine, and I am his."

"Pardon the condescension, but don't be foolish," Amphitrite said. "The Fates insisted that we have 15 Goddesses alongside Perseus. Beyond that, he's a god, he'll have dalliances."

"You are an affront to my Domain," Juno said.

"Your ex-Domain," Amphitrite said. "And I don't understand why you're talking. Marriage is supposed to have love and cherishment, yet your marriage is probably the most toxic in history. Also, open marriages exist."

"Let's get back to the point, please," Zoë said. "Personally, I'm not uninterested in pursuing a relationship with Perseus, and should thou allow me, I would pursue it."

"It's still a no," Annabeth said. "Whoever my 14 Co-Queens are, you can get that position through the Games and Challenges."

"Well, you have no power over me," Amphitrite said. "We have no power over each other, barring our King. So, I will pursue a relationship with Perseus, without your approval."

"Oh, that's war, bitch," Annabeth said. "I'm not even worried, because Percy is loyal, that's his fatal flaw. But for you to say that you'll try to put your claws on my boyfriend? I will use everything this place has to offer to take you down."

Annabeth barked again, and Amphitrite flinched minutely.

Rachel laughed. "I may want a piece of Percy as well, but I know if it's a no, it's a no. Good luck having everyone here against you, Amphitrite."

I noticed Amphitrite's worried expression as she saw Clarisse, Annabeth, Mom, Sadie, and I glaring at her.

Too proud to admit defeat, she humphed and poked at her food.

After a few seconds of silence, I spoke up. "I think it's very clear how things will work. Let's all take a chill pill, and go to sleep after this, ok?"

No one spoke, and I winced at the awkwardness.

Hopefully every dinner wouldn't be like this.

---

As we left the dining hall, Zoë walked up to Annabeth.

"Before thou retire," Zoë said. "I understand thy feelings on Perseus, and I respect them. However, I must warn thee, the Fates shall not allow thy rebellion to go unanswered."

"Zoë, I don't know you," Annabeth said. "All I know is that you went on a quest with my boyfriend, you guys trusted each other, and then you died. The only reason I'm not mad at you is because Percy trusts you, so I appreciate you telling me you won't chase him. As for the Fates, they know what I've been through, I'm not scared."

"Thou have earnt my respect," Zoë said. "I shan't touch thy partner."

"Thanks," Annabeth said, then she gave me a chaste kiss. "Goodnight, Percy."

"Goodnight, Wise Girl," I said, and Annabeth smiled and walked to her cabin, her tail wagging behind her.

Once Zoë and I entered the log cabin, Zoë looked at my room/house critically.

"My promise to thy partner shall be hard pressed, considering the size of the bed and our size," Zoë admitted worriedly. "Do thou think that any movement after we've fallen asleep shan't anger her?"

"As long as we don't wake up spooning, I think she'll be fine," I said.

"Very well," Zoë said, taking a side of the bed. "Goodnight, Perseus."

"Night," I said, taking the other side.

---

"Perseus," someone called out to me, and I woke up.

Zoë grinned down at me. "Wake up, breakfast time is nearing."

"Alright," I said, getting up. "Sleep good?"

"Yes," Zoë said. "And thee?"

"It was good," I said, entering the bathroom.

Once I was done freshening up, Zoë and I headed over to the dining hall.

"Hopefully, everyone is too sleepy to discuss last night's argument," Zoë said quietly to me.

"Here's to hoping," I said as I opened the door.

Everyone else was there, looking at us expectedly.

"Well?" Annabeth asked, her arms crossed, tail straight, and ears turned towards us. "Did anything happen?"

"I promised thee," Zoë said calmly. "I keep my promises."

Annabeth smiled. "I appreciate that, woof."

I took my seat and started eating, thankful that it wouldn't devolve beyond that.

Clotho flashed in, surprising all of us.

"I have come to announce the Charis standings as of this morning," she said. "To my utter disappointment, none of you have progressed, so I have nothing to show. Everyone is at a pitiful 0 Charis, do be wary."

Without another word, Clotho flashed away.

"Percy," Lucia said, and I looked at her. "After lunch, can we go on our date?"

I looked at her mockingly. "First of all, after yesterday, I thought we clarified that there were no Dates. Secondly, and I think I speak for everyone here, even though some of us like you, none of us trust you."

"I just wanted what was good!" Lucia said.

"What was GOOD?" Clarisse asked angrily. "You're the reason we lost campers! Brothers, sisters, friends!"

Lucia looked at everyone angrily, then she chose to stay quiet.

The rest of breakfast was a quiet affair.

After breakfast, Sadie came up to me. "Daddy, can we hangout as a family?"

I thought back to the implanted memories I had. Annabeth, Sadie, and I would have so much fun together doing mortal family things all over New York City.

Of course, the day would always end with us having a sleepover at Mom's, whether Paul, Mom, and Estelle joined or not.

A sad smile spread across my face as I remembered fake happy memories.

It seems that I could only have happiness if it was unreal.

Well, no more.

I smiled at Sadie. "Of course, hun. Annabeth, Mom, you guys wanna do something?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Lucia dejectedly looking at us, but I ignored her.

"Sure, Percy," Mom said. "What do you want to do?"

"I have the perfect plan!" Sadie said. "Follow me!"

Sadie led us down a path I hadn't been down yet.

"Sadie, where are we going?" Annabeth asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, Mommy," Sadie said. "I was here yesterday."

After a minute, the path opened up to reveal a building.

"This is the game room," Sadie said excitedly. "Now, we could go inside and play Mario Kart, or anything, but I think what this family needs is a good movie!"

"And what do you think is a good movie?" Mom asked amusedly.

"Finding Nemo!" Sadie said, like it was obvious. "There's fish, it's about family, it'll be nice!"

"Alright," I said, but my smile belied my emotions. "Let's get this started."

"Yes!" Sadie exclaimed. "Woof!"

She ran inside, her tail wagging excitedly.

"It's weird," Annabeth said after a moment. "I thought getting used to having ears and a tail and seeing ears and a tail would be difficult, but it feels almost normal."

"Speak for yourself," Mom said as I opened the door. "I don't have the memories you all were given, so seeing you with a tail is jarring enough. Sadie calling me Grandma because that's how she knows me may be pleasant, but it's a shock."

"Lucky us, we have the memories," I said. "I like memories of raising a kid without needing to serve the gods."

"That's how we know they're fake," Sadie said as she inserted the disc into the player. "If it were real, you'd get a call from an Olympian once a week, and I'd have a goddess screaming in my ear."

"Doesn't mean we can't recreate those memories, and better memories," I took my seat and patted my left side. "Come, sit with me."

"I'm not actually your daughter, Daddy," Sadie said, but I could see her stopping herself from listening to me.

Annabeth sat on my left, leaving space for Sadie. "We choose who we treat like family, Sadie. And, if it's too deep, we can treat you how we treated Estelle."

"I'd rather be your daughter," Sadie said, snuggling between the two of us.

"I wish I had a camera," Mom gushed as she took her own seat. "You guys are so cute."

The movie started playing, cutting between my next statement, and we all focused on the movie.

An hour into the movie, just after Marlin escaped from the jellyfish forest, Mom stood up.

"I'm sorry guys," Mom said as she paused the movie. "I have to go make lunch, you guys enjoy."

"Can't you stay?" I asked. "Amphitrite can make it alone, can't she?"

Mom shook her head embarrassedly. "She doesn't have the milk."

Mom left the room before I could find something to say.

"I do have to talk to you about Grandma," Sadie said. "Let's leave that for after the movie though."

Sadie unpaused the movie, and we continued to watch the movie.

After it was done, we all stretched, happy to be finally done.

"That was a good movie," I said.

"You're only saying that because there were fish," Annabeth said with a grin.

"Let Daddy enjoy himself," Sadie said, but her grin was too wide. "At least he's not watching Hercules."

"Hahaha," I said drily. "Laugh it up. Anyways, you had something to say about Mom, Sadie?"

"Yeah," Sadie said. "She's... Not necessarily spiraling, but it's not good."

"What's going on with her?" I asked.

"I mean, she's worried, because she needs to win the Games," Sadie said. "She's worried about everything, basically."

"Why?" I asked. "That's my responsibility, not hers."

Sadie sighed. "It'll make sense if I just tell you both conversations."

---

The first night, Sally, Sadie, and Lucia entered their room.

"Grandma and I are sharing," Sadie said to Lucia immediately. "I don't trust you with her, Luke"

"Why are you using that fake name?" Lucia said. "There's no way the Fates made all of you just believe I was a guy. Besides, I would've rather slept alone anyways."

"Sure," Sadie said. "I've got my eyes on you, ARF!"

"Y'know what, I wasn't gonna bother, but let's talk, I guess," Lucia said, sitting on her bed. "Sally, Sadie, where do you think this Island is taking us?"

"I think that no matter what, we can choose where we go," Sally said.

"Is it that simple though?" Lucia asked. "I mean, look at the two of you. Sadie, you were originally a leader of the Egyptian nomes, now you're half-greek god and an aspirant goddess. Sally, you were just a mortal who was unlucky enough for a god to notice her, now you're alive and an aspirant goddess, meanwhile Poseidon is just dead! Do you really have the cards, or does it just feel like you've been handed a shitty and rigged deck?"

"I don't know," Sally said. "But I'm not changing my morals, and I don't have to. I understand that when you had a similar choice, you didn't do the same. I think the better conversation is if you'll make the same mistakes."

Sally tucked herself in, and Sadie did so after, shooting Lucia a glare.

---

The next night, Lucia brought everything up again as they went to bed.

"Do you still have the same things to say, Sally?" Lucia asked. "You fed everyone milk from your tits. Maybe indirectly, but you wouldn't have done that normally. Do you really wanna say you're not breaking your morals?"

"I'm not folding," Sally said, but Sadie could hear the hesitance in her tone.

"Sure," Lucia said. "I think you're underestimating the biggest strength of the Fates, their ability to know your nature. Maybe they no longer hold our strings the way they used to, but they know our archetypes. They know how we'd act, how you'd act, how'd Percy act. You'd rather not feed us all your milk, but it's a sacrifice necessary to ensure all of us are safe and no one's mind breaks! Annabeth is definitely going to be possessive, she's Annabeth! I'm definitely going to be scheming, I'm me! But you have to understand what I'm scheming for. I'm scheming for us to work together and work forward, because if we don't, all of us who don't do spectacularly will face the Fates' wrath. And obviously, I won't be able to do anything, even though I'm willing. Percy doesn't trust me, and of course he won't! That's his nature! Now, I know you want something from this show. You won't get it if you don't play ball."

"Grandma?" Sadie asked. "You... Want to play the game?"

Sally sighed. "It's not that I want to, it's that I feel like I have to. You're right, Lucia, about everything. I'm giving you guys my milk to keep everyone safe, even if I would rather you and Juno go through a painful Demotion. Because if you turn into a goddess of old, craziness and all, that risks us in the long run, and I can't let that happen because of me. And yes, I need to play the game. I need to get a similar Transformation as Amphitrite, hopefully a better version."

"You want to bring Elle back," Sadie realized.

"Elle?" Sally asked.

"I wasn't able to say Estelle as a kid," Sadie said. "She's half a year older than me."

"That's so weird," Sally said. "The oldest I ever got to meet Estelle was when she was 2, but in your memories, she's what, 20?"

"19," Sadie said.

"Anyways," Sally turned to Lucia. "Yes, if I accepted the perversion that the Fates wanted, I'd have a better chance, but I refuse to. I'll win the Games or the Challenge, and make it out on my terms."

"If that's what you want to do, do it," Lucia said. "But this'll bite you in the ass, I promise you."

"Fine by me," Sally said, tucking herself in. "I appreciate your advice, Lucia, I just wish you hadn't done what you did."

"Me too," Lucia said.

---

"... And that was the end of last night's conversation," Sadie explained to me.

By the end of it, Annabeth and I were dumbfounded, but we kept our wits.

"I have to say, I understand her," Annabeth said to me after a moment. "If you and her were ok with it, I'd be ok with the two of you doing... Things together."

A message was uploaded to Annabeth's and my minds.

1 Charis Earnt by Annabeth Chase: 1 step forward to accepting New Olympus.

"No way," Annabeth said.

"What?" Sadie asked.

"Wait, it didn't tell you?" I asked.

"What are you guys talking about?" Sadie asked irritably.

"I earned 1 Charis by being a little more accepting of this harem bullshit," Annabeth said. "Fuck you, Fates, you won't see me do that again."

"I agree," I said. "Sadie, thanks for telling me, I'll try to help Mom somehow. For now, it seems like lunch is going to start in two minutes."

"Yeah, let's go," Annabeth said, and we headed towards the dining hall.

Well, that was an eventful first half of a day.

Luckily, the next half would be clear.