Yess Yess Seriously, The Entire Fandom Better Acknowledge Percy's Smarts. The Best Strategist In Riordan

Okay so I saw this post about dark percy (really him reaching his Limit and fighting full strength with everything he had) and I was imagining the potential fallout of that. Pretty bad, as you can guess.

The thing is a lot of percys strongest moments happen out of view of the olympians, especially in hoo. The hurricane atop the glacier in alaska, the poison scene in tartarus, bending the depression river and the one in the palace of nyx.

Stuff like the St Helens eruption got him washed up on an inescapable island literally removed from reality until calypso gave him the OK, the achillies curse he got tricked into losing by hera. Smaller moments, the minotaur, fighting ares, the stolen pirate ship, walking on water vs hyperion, freshwater sources, him knowing both Latin and Greek, they're more easily brushed off or at least mostly due to cunning, sword skills and sheer luck and grit.

But basically the olympians don't actually know the full extent of percys strength and divine power. They have hints - percy standing on the throne, winning against ares, his many victories - but what they aren't willing to brush aside in the heat of (an important) battle there have been pretty strong consequences for.

Heck, just look at Frank, he's no prodigy with weapons, he's polite and respectful, but his distant relation to two olympians letting him inherit shapeshifting earned him direct divine meddling and his life force tied to a hunk of half toasted firewood. Man is a honey bear with lactose intolerance and he was punished with a mythical death curse for being too strong.

If Percy's true strength came out, he would risk losing everything. His freedom, most certainly. If he wasn't straight up executed he might wind up in a Greek myth style imprisonment, the way of atlas, prometheus, calypso, or something like the myriad of ways Greek heroes met their end. Good scenario he survives a dozen curses and gets on with life with a dozen new disabilities, best case scenario he's stripped of every inch of divine power and dropped back to the mortal world, not even clear sighted. Total separation from the Greeks and Romans. Oh, annabeth would marry him either way, and his friends would hardly abandon him despite the gods wishes, but they'd hardly be able to see him, and no long range contact without the ability to IM him or vice versa.

All of that to say Percy is hiding his true strength from the gods themselves - maybe not consciously, and it's not even power he particularly wants - but if they ever find out?

It's game over.

But why is he so strong? I don't know. What I do know is that the half bloods of the books are so much stronger than the ones of myth. Used to be that divine blood would get you divine favour and a great fate whether you liked it or not. Maybe some cunning and bow skills. A spot of spell casting if you were really lucky. Achillies got his curse after he was born, Perseus had a dozen magic artifacts, orpheus had something going on but hercules is to my knowledge an outlier. Now? Everyone in camp has some special power. Flight, fire, necromancy, hypnotism, dream walking etc. However it's happening, half bloods are slowly but surely getting a lot, lot stronger every century that passes. Meta? I mean I guess. But.

What no one has done before is something that their godly parent couldn't.

Except.

Except Percy.

Except Percy, in tartarus, at his mental, emotional and physical limit, controlling poison with his mind, overpowering the goddess of poison in her home, making misery choke on misery. Feeling something in his chest crack. Doing something poseidon could not, and doing it better than the person who could.

Down there, hidden away from the gods, he evolved. For that brief moment, he did something, was something new.

And that was how the gods overthrew the titans.

And that's why they must never find out.

What makes Klayley different from other series ships for you?

I am assuming you mean other ships in the orignals by that.

It's the really simple case that's not simple at all. It's the underlying passion between them that just won't go away no matter who they take as a lover. The burning anger, loathing, care, loyalty, and the inexplicably undying connection that keeps them tethered to each other always and forever, come hell or highwater.

Mikael almost killed me and the baby, but i can't help but be more worried about how Klaus suffered all these years, I need to comfort him.

The witches are murdering me and the baby. Forget Elijah , I need Klaus here.

The witches stole baby hope? Not important right now, Hayley's dead, and I need a moment or several to take it all in.

I don't really love Jackson, but Klaus needs me to marry him, so I will.

I have to deal with my newly risen from dead mother and father, but whether Hayley's new husband is treating her right or not is more important.

Hayley tried to run from me, and I am extremely furious, but I can't bear to kill her or physically hurt her.

I will hate Klaus forever, but I can't really hate him at all.

My siblings are in trouble and may need my immediate help, but the road trip with Hayley is the best fun I have had in centuries, and I love it too much to stop now.

I am the strongest and the proudest being on earth. I kneel to no one, especially not to scum like Lucien, but he has Hayley, and I would never let her die. She means too much to me. I have to kneel to save her, no problem, I will do it a thousand times if it's to save her.

I love my Pack a lot, but the Mikaelsons are dying, Klaus is dying, so my pack can go to hell. I will save him and the Mikaelsons even if I die .

I have to let go of my dignity as a wolf and kill, lie, massacre all to save Klaus and Mikaelson family. And I used to have a problem with that, but it's for Klaus, I can't watch him suffer, so i will do it gladly.

Klaus is going around the world, massacring everything in sight and trying to cut contact, but I will never give up on him.

Being in New Orleans near hope will bring forth Apocalyspe that might kill hope, but Hayley's missing, so all else be damned.

I am being killed, and Klaus is being attacked by Elijah. He's hurt, Hope's hurt, so I am going to kill Greta and sacrifice myself for them because Klaus and Hope are my family Elijah be damned.

My daughter is dying and meets me in the afterlife, but the second I hear Klaus's voice, I know all will be alright.

My brother, my companion, my only confidant who I would go insane without is dead to me for good because he killed Hayley, and there's no greater offense than that.

I am in hell. My heart feels empty. Hayley is dead. I can sacrifice Elijah to save hope and kill the hollow, but I vowed to Hayley that I would do anything to save our daughter so I will sacrifice myself. [Also because I can't live without my little wolf]

So yeah, it's you know, soul shattering stuff like this that keeps me hooked to Klayley. Nothing huge. This and all the other essays I wrote should be plenty enough evidence as to why. (Sorry for the late)

And here's the thing anyone who watched the Orignals and isn't blind should be shipping them intensely, too.

It's only in Percy Jackson Fandom where shipping anything other than the main couple seemingly warrants death sentence.

Every other fandom explores so many other ships as shipping between characters helps in finding out how far the depth of their relationship might go.

Personally, I have always loved the idea of what Perachel could have been if Uncle Rick had actually tried. Imagine:

Part 1

Percy staying up thinking about this mortal he accidentally ran his sword through; she looked furious and confused and long after its over he is left wondering if that's how his mother felt when she met his father. He wonders it ceaselessly at times.

Rachel living in fear of everything she sees, plagued by dreams and visions, and this guy who ran her through with a literal sword calling her a mortal and surprised she can even see the sword just straight up leaves, taking all the answers with him. Long after it's happened, all she's left with is a canvas filled with the sketches of a sea-green eyed guy.

Then fate connects them yet again because Percy needs her. It starts with his need to fulfill the quest and her need for answers, but the awe Percy must have felt at Rachel's courage through the whole quest despite the incessant quips from Annabeth. He is sorry then that he has dragged someone like her to her death and if that weren't enough they run into the Titan King and he knows that maybe he has doomed them all and Rachel, mortal and unreliable according to Annabeth , throws a hairbrush at the literal actual Kronos himself.

On the flip side, Rachel knows for sure that whatever happens with her visions she will always dream of the sea green eyed hero. The images are everywhere. Him fighting, him negotiating, leading, saving them so she draws and draws and hopes it stops.

It has been noted somewhere in the Fandom once that the only reason Rachel was attracted to Percy was because he introduced her to a whole new world as if that isn't reason enough, as if they need a reason. As if it's not happened before with The Sea God and the Queen among mortals.

It doesn't stop for either of them cause now Rachel knows there's a prophecy hanging over Percy's head, and Percy knows she will see its outcome. So they talk of anything but this, whatever they can because neither of them wants to see how it ends, for the world and for them.

Long before Blackjack crashes his hooves on Paul's Prius, he knows it's coming; the end of the world, and it's far too late to look back. He leaves Rachel there because he is never taking her on a mission again, Morpheus knows he has enough nightmares of something happening to her.

Rachel watches him leave as a prickling at the back of her head tells her one of them isn't returning and no matter how wrong it is, she wishes against all odds that it won't be him.

After that, Rachel has only her visions to keep her company. She has started seeing someone's past , it's not his, but if she tries hard enough, she sees him once or twice. She commits the visions to memory, immortalizing them in art.

Percy doesn't speak to her for a good while after that, not because he doesn't want to, he would do anything to speak to her instead of doing this but his life's already forfeit so he might as well save the world. But he doesn't need to speak to her; they talk best in their visions. When of present, they are always of her. He understands why he sees them, for it's necessary to know what she sees, for she can't tell him, but he's glad for the excuse of it. He gets to see her, and he stays sane.

Yup, she's certifiably insane when she gets in a helicopter to see him, but he needs to know.

He was quite prepared for it, his death and her possibly becoming the Oracle later on. He knew it would happen. He is glad in some part of him that he would die long before it comes to fruition, that he would die in a world where they were together.

It would be their shared tragedy, them fulfilling their destinies as he escapes the divine while she ties herself to them.

Rachel had prepared for the same. She could give up over men , she was certain she would never think of them again after Perseus Jackson dies; it would be her eternal mourning and if someone asks she might tell them that the Spirit of Delphi lost her favored hero to her own prophecy.

But Fate's far too cruel.

Rachel is euphoric. He won't die, HE WON'T DIE. He's NOT the hero. The implications don't set in until she is facing him in the Throne room of Olympus. She says the things she doesn't even mean so she can soften the blow. She sees the break in him in his eyes as they share a last glance instead of a last kiss.

It clicks for him after Luke dies a hero. The bittersweet pang of triumph and loss. Blackjack is gone, and she's taken him. He isn't nearly as furious over that as he is about what she is to do.

He doesn't know if the curse is broken for sure, and he definitely doesn't want her to be the test run. Does she not know visions of her ending up like May Castellan are what breaks him in his worst nightmares.

He is the one who sees her take the oath, as she breaks what's left of them. A moment before all things come crashing down, she looks at him, and he looks back. The Oracle of Delphi and The Savior of Olympus have roles to play and loving the other isn't written in fates or destiny but they share one last vision of a perfect kiss as they resign themselves to their fate for the rest of their life; Their destinies forever entwined but never joined.

....Part 2 pending

(Also going to write headcanons of just perachel things and there are many so wait up)

Not this again. Where are the Percabeth stans finding their audacity?

How insecure, jobless, and incorrectly wired must you be to go around looking in other people's business and then have the gall to invalidate the value of life by saying this over a fucking fictional ship opinion? And then double down on it by saying you mean it literally?

I find it funny that Percabeth stans do all this in the name of defending their ship but are instead further debasing its already heavily diminished value by engaging in such disgusting actions.

You did NOT just compare Annabeth and Gabe to each other.

I swear to god you anti Percabeths are the dumbest, most incomprehent people I've ever met. I seriously think you should just kys honestly the world would be a better place off without you.

No I don't think it's wrong you're anti Percabeth so yeah

I did, in fact, compare Annabeth to Gabe!

I don't think that Annabeth is as bad as Gabe (nope nope nope) but I do think that she's very toxic and that she hurts Percy. I think that they need to break up and heal alone. Her lack of character growth is very frustrating.

The lack of specificity in your death threat is annoying. If you do want me to kill myself, you're going to have to be more particular-the necessary tools, how long it'll take, how painful it'll be, etc. I take painless methods only.

I do think that not much would be changed in the world if I killed myself, but it would probably be a somewhat worse off place without me because I have people who love and care for me and I'm not doing anything bad to the world, so there's that.

When I came into this fandom, people told me that Percabeth stans would be rabid and hateful, and I don't think that's the case for the majority of them, seeing as that period already passed and they seem more mature now (or maybe it's just Tumblr) but you seem to be an exception. I wonder if you're the same anon as last time? I'll never know.

In any case, I'd like to thank you for your use of better grammar than the last one, though your not adding a period at the end of the last sentence irks me. I'd also prefer it if you didn't use the abbreviation of kys and said kill yourself. I dislike it when people use bad grammar, though that's just a personal preference.

Your morality is interesting-I forget the exact term for it, but you think it's bad to tell your side to kill themselves but have no problem telling the opposite side to kill themselves just because..............they're your enemies. Which is a terrible reason. Not surprising from a Percabeth stan, though.

I don't tend to think of people whom I disagree with as automatically bad people-that is a very harmful mentality to have. I have fought with some people, but they're not bad people-we just disagree on certain things and I know that they produce great content and have good morals just like me. Please adopt this mentality and the world will be slightly better, because every change is a change, no matter how big or small.

Anyway, I will be the bigger person and I hope that you sleep well tonight! Au revoir!

Percy is a strategical genius, and this hasn't been said enough. I don't get why the Fandom collectively thinks Percy is dumb or needs Annabeth's help with stuff or isn't as smart as Annabeth. Even Annabeth, who should know better, sometimes treats him as such.

Reyna, Piper, Annabeth, and everyone else needs to hear this:

The truth is Percy is a far better strategist than Annabeth because Annabeth can't think quickly on her feet at all. She can weave accurate plans but only when given time and enough information, and only when she is looking at the bigger picture.

Annabeth does, however, have an almost encompassing knowledge of most things, but information is just information unless you apply it.

No one and I mean no one is better than Percy at thinking on his feet.

Mostly almost always Percy seems to be unaware of who his enemies are and yet still manages to go up against them and eventually win while Annabeth is at times left reeling.Percy has run into monsters/deities he had no idea about and still manages to figure out their goals in time to trick/defeat them.

Who figured out Ares's motives? Percy

Who figured out Luke's scheme? Percy

Who tricked Crusty without lifting a finger? Percy

Who figured out the use for Hermes's gift? Percy

Who came up with a way to show Luke's betrayal to the camp? Percy

Who tricked Atlas? Percy

Who made up the entire battle plan in the Battle of Manhattan? Percy

Percy tricks Phineas by literally goading Gaea. He could only do that if he himself understood how Gaea's mind worked.

He singlehandedly subdued Chrysaor (Yes, Frank was the key player, but we are counting the plan only)

Came up with the plan to defeat Polybotes and also executed it singlehandedly

Effortlessly argued and out debated the Roman Senate all by himself

Figured out how to defeat Geras (personification of old age)

Outsmarted Antaeus in his own ring

Managed to negotiate and attain the loyalties of River gods in the Battle of Manhattan.

Manipulated the entirety of New York Law department/ journalists into believing his fabricated cover story and dropping all legal charges against him at 12 years old.

There's so many instances of Percy being far more strategic than Annabeth herself.

Not only this, but Percy is extremely and terrifyingly perceptive and just a damn genius at getting people to give up secrets. [Done this to literally everyone since Book 1]

Athena is the personification of cold hard logic and facts hence Annabeth follows and so she isn't nearly good enough at reading people's intentions or body language.

Yes, Annabeth can be quick on her feet, but it's not very natural to her as it is to Percy because Annabeth believes in pre-planning, but Percy understands and embodies adaptation.

It's a flaw of many of Athena's children. The problem is Athena is a God with the mind of one, nothing stumps her so at any given moment she can and will always have the best plan because her mind is much more rapid than the surrounding circumstances.

Her children, however, are mortal and hence always vulnerable to surprises.

It's the reason why Athena favors Odysseus the most, over everyone. He was quick on his feet, along with being a great planner. He was a strategic genius, and my headcanon is that part of the reason Athena hates Percy is because her greatest enemy's son reminds her of her most favored person.

I recently edited this, and I am sure it's still missing some stuff. That's how underhighlighted Percy's intellectual feats are.

The Klayley Fandom doesn't dwell enough on the fact that Klaus, a man who puts his family above all, considered Elijah well and truly dead to him only after his actions lead to Hayley's death. Like,they have been at odds multiple times, but that's where Klaus draws the line. Elijah, who has been the only constant in Klaus's millenia long lifetime, his brother, his greatest confidant, and the one person Klaus would seemingly never give up on and Klaus throws all that time's worth of connection between them out of the door the second he realizes Elijah's actions have led to Hayley's death is the most definingly obvious sign of his love for Hayley and that it transcends every other similar emotion he has ever felt. (Exception being Hope for both Klaus and Hayley) This simply isn't discussed enough because seriously, the vehemence with which Klaus tells Marcel, ENOUGH, HE LET HAYLEY DIE!!!

That speaks volumes of how he truly felt . He literally chose her over Elijah and people think characters like Camilie or Caroline could ever hope to compete.

I need others to understand that none of the incorrect quotes centered around percabeth are actually farfetched or inaccurate and that you can find evidence for all of them in canon every time. These aren't some great exaggerations. They are just conversations made around context clues and implications that are already in the books or downright direct quotes from the book.

No one is making any effort to make your "golden ship" unhealthy because that's unnecessary. It is already unhealthy, and the books are littered with such interactions, but the shippers are willfully blind and those that aren't romanticize such interactions. I am not sure which is worse.

And if these sort of quotes annoy you, then in general, pjo incorrect quotes including all the constant dumb Percy takes and character assassination of Percy is just as annoying if not far more annoying for the rest of the community.

@ogjacksonsimp @berrybore would love your thoughts on this.

Percy: Hey wise girl, can you stop encouraging all your friends to think the worst of me? Piper thinks I need to be controlled, Reyna thinks that I can't find my way out of a paper bag and now your architecture classmates don't think I'm good enough for you!

Annabeth: I don't encourage my friends to think the worse of you, seaweed brain. I tell them how it is.

Percy:

Percy: Wait you think I'm not good enough for you? I literally fell into Tartarus for you! I went through hell for you! I went on a whole quest and risked permanent banishment from camp half blood - my only safe place - for you! I even did a mission for a god after I retired to get a classy date for you! What more do you want?

Annabeth: The bare minimum, seaweed brain. You only did those things once, and you missed our 4th-11th month anniversaries. You have a lot to make up for!

*looks away for only a single moment before looking back with starry curious eyes* I am not doing anything else until I get my hands on this suprise. Watch me.

*in a really secretive voice* Are you the suprise? Are you visiting?

[Of course we are all in. Had all the gods of death and afterlifes sign on our contract. No one's getting you out of this, dear.]

Happy Valentine's!!! ❤️❤️❤️

💐 🌹 🌸 🏵 🌼

Damn. I don't think I have ever been wished that before. Thank you so much!!!

[I would use emojis, but I dislike them, I hope the exclamations are evidence enough of how happy I am]

*whispers discreetly* Are we still getting together for literary inspiration and tax benefits? Never made it official enough.

Happy Valentines Day to you too, dear @forgechildofheph !!!

(I used my feelings quota of the day all up processing this. You better pay me back tomorrow.)

Percy is a strategical genius, and this hasn't been said enough. I don't get why the Fandom collectively thinks Percy is dumb or not smart. Even Annabeth sometimes treats him as such.

Reyna, Piper, Annabeth, and everyone needs to hear this:

The truth is Percy is a far better strategist than Annabeth because Annabeth can't think quickly on her feet at all. She can weave the most ingenious of plans but only when given time and enough information, only when she is looking at the bigger picture.

She does, however, have an almost encompassing knowledge of most things, but information is just information unless you apply it.

No one and I mean no one is better than Percy at thinking on his feet.

Mostly almost always Percy seems to be unaware of who his enemies are and yet still manages to go up against them and eventually win while Annabeth is at times left reeling.

Who figured out Ares's scheme? Percy

Who figured out Luke's motives? Percy

Who tricked Crusty? Percy

Who figured out the use for Hermes's gift? Percy

Who came up with a way to show Luke's betrayal to the camp? Percy

Who helps trick Atlas? Percy

Who makes up the entire battle plan in the Battle of Manhattan? Percy

Percy tricks Phineas by goading Gaea. He could only do that if he himself understood how Gaea's mind worked.

He singlehandedly subdued Chrysaur (Yes, Frank helped, but only because Percy came up with it)

There's so many instances of Percy being far more strategic than Annabeth herself.

Not only this but Percy is extremely and terrifyingly perceptive and just a damn genius at getting people to give up secrets.

Athena is the personification of cold hard logic and facts hence Annabeth follows and so she isn't nearly good enough at reading people's intentions or body language.

Yes, Annabeth can be quick on her feet, but it's not very natural to her as it is to Percy because Annabeth believes in pre-planning, but Percy understands and embodies adaptation.

It's a flaw of many of Athena's children. The problem is Athena is a God with the mind of one, nothing stumps her so at any given moment she can and will always have the best plan because her mind is much more rapid than the surrounding circumstances.

Her children, however, are mortal and hence always vulnerable to surprises.

It's the reason why Athena favors Odysseus the most, over everyone. He was quick on his feet, along with being a great planner. He was a strategic genius, and my headcanon is that part of the reason Athena hates Percy is because her greatest enemy's son reminds her of her most favored person.

First fic contribution to Perachel Bingo Week. Check out more perachel fics from bingo week here

The Words left Unsaid

PERCY

Percy breathed deeply as soon as he felt the air of Montauk, with its rich and salty tang surround him. The anxiety he felt under his skin calmed a little as the waves happily lapped against his feet. He couldn't help the nostalgic smile. Rachel joined him soon after as he instinctively tensed. She must have noticed it because she remained silent, letting him work his thoughts out for himself, and he had never been more grateful for anything else. 

A wave roared in his ears as his thoughts spiraled, and he had to suppress the sensation.  He did not need another flood on his hands. The past few months had been rough, and Percy's powers had been all over the place, and he couldn't rein  them in no matter what he did. His Dad and Triton had both tried to make it better, but ever since the Pit , Percy had a feeling it would be permanent. Before then, he had felt as close to the sea as he possibly could. He had been able to call upon it, however, and whenever he pleased, but now it was something else, something more. The sea, the ocean, was under his skin, raging and churning for a release. Another reason why he was here.

He has been at home, a rare moment of calm with his mom and Paul. After all the trouble he had made them go through with his nightmares,  lack of sleep, out of control powers, and not to mention his paranoia. Fates must have seen that and gone: You thought, LOL NO. Because the next second, his phone had buzzed with a text from Rachel: I saw it. He didn't need further explanation than that.He shot her a quick reply, turned off his phone and grabbed Paul's keys.Before any of them could ask , he was out of the door, phone in his pocket. Yes,  he had begun using a phone. Because they stayed away now, the monsters ,because he was the one who was- 

"Percy, can you help keep the sand in place?" He was cut off from his darker thoughts by Rachel's words and on instinct he complied. He had barely been able to hear what she said over how soothing her voice sounded. He could feel the sand keep itself in place in response to his will; Rachel had a habit of drawing in the sand, a habit he really really liked. He had once set off waves upon waves over her sand drawings just to see her awed reaction at finding her drawing undisturbed.  He had liked that too. He had spent the entire day showcasing different stuff he could do with his powers to her. Annabeth and Thalia would have called him a showoff but he had enjoyed it and Rach had too so he didn't see a problem.

She wasn't in awe like the first time she had seen it but she was still smiling and he would do just about anything to see that soft smile. Rachel had always laughed a lot, always kept a very expressive face which he had learned was her small way of rebelling against her father who had done everything he could to forcefully turn Rachel into some poised lady. "Like a mannequin" she had once told him and he had felt a surge of anger and a vicious need to strangle the man.  But he was glad he could do something, even something so small that could genuinely make her smile. It made him smile too.

"Wouldn't want to disturb the new masterpiece." Percy told her as he watched her scrunch her nose, something he thought was really adorable and very endearing; which was tame compared to the usual mess of feelings he felt around her; Somedays she looked so beautiful, it was hard to look at her. Looking at her like this, at them like this, he wished he could keep this moment going forever.  Him finally free from wars with only college to worry about, and the Oracle now having gone silent with Apollo being punished or whatever. But he wasn't the same, not after all that and he didn't know if Rachel had it in her to keep looking at him after what she had seen, after all, Annabeth's wailing screams were still fresh in his mind, a scar that wouldn't fade but Rachel's fear would break him, he knew that much. So he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and waited for everything to go wrong as it always did. 

RACHEL

To Rachel, he had always looked out of this world. Ever since she had met him on the Hoover dam. Steady gaze, sea green eyes, a flash of blue. Percy had been her gateway to a whole new world ever since. But today gazing at the sea, his eyes softly glowing, the way he stood, he looked like something more. Rachel would have said he looked like a God, but she had met Gods, more so she had felt the essence of Gods  taking over her to communicate through her, yet Percy had always felt like more. She had seen the way he had kept everyone at bay after the war, all of the seven, even Grover. Even Annabeth, especially Annabeth. She knew they had called things off soon after they had reunited in New Rome. She had seen it after all. But Percy could never keep her at bay, no more than she could keep him. They had seen and known things about each other through their visions, things so intimate, in a way no one ever could or ever should. Even when the Oracle's power was out of control, she could always rely on it to show her Percy, where he was, what he did or was about to do. Ever since she had met him, he had become her anchor. All her dreams started and ended with visions of him. She knew it was like that for him, too, at least sometimes. They had shared dreams before. She had really liked it, having him there. Because Rachel had been afraid, there was a lot to fear even in her dreams, but if Percy was there , everything would be alright. She would be safe, always. Even her father had accepted that. 

So she and Percy had done what they always did. Sit together in silence doing their own things occasionally talking about the most random of things, a lot of words left unsaid but understood. Until yesterday when she had seen him in the pit, seen everything unfold in the pit. Rachel wasn't sure if she could understand it all  even though she had been learning up on Greek lore and such and despite Chiron telling her ,"Some things are beyond the realm of possibility Ms.Dare." She would always believe in her own eyes, in what she saw for the sake of all the times she had not and how it had cost her. She had been afraid, she had been shaking, and she had been crying which always happened after a violent vision but this time it wasn't the vision that set it off. The raw fear and worry gripping her heart was not for herself but all for Perseus Jackson. The things he went through, his screams, his desperation, how close he had come to death, the heart wrenching way his face had contorted when he saw Annabeth's horrified face. She hadn't been able to shake it off, not the tears nor the shivering. Until she couldn’t stop the urge to talk to him. I saw it, she had texted him, her fingers shaky knowing she couldn't trust herself to speak. It hadn't stopped until his reply a few long moments after , which had felt like forever then. Montauk. I will pick you up. 

 Now here they were, with her drawing the most inane things and him keeping the sand in place for her. She had always loved that. The way he cherished all her drawings and her words,  prophetic or otherwise. She could see him warring with himself, his powers growing stronger than ever; the reason why they were at the sea. She could wait for him to be ready, to be okay with having this conversation, she didn't want to push him, she never would. She was alright even if they didn't speak a word of it and instead spent the whole day here, like this, at peace.

He must have been resigned to having this talk because his voice turned soft as he asked, "What did you see, Red?" Her heart did the little dance it always did when he called her that . For all his love of the color blue he had ways said called her Red softly and fondly. She wished she could have controlled herself better, stopped the tears threatening to spill as she muttered just as softly,  "Everything." She managed to choke out. Now they would talk in fears and in truths and a litany of promises, of assurances which would have to be enough.

"Why are you here then?" Why are you not running away in fear, in horror like they all do.

Labored breaths mingled with wavering voices.

"Where else is there to go? And I wanted to be here." Where could I go but to you who knows all of me and who I know all of. I am not afraid. I want to be here, Perce. 

Choked tears, heavy voices, with emotions and impulses.

"I am not okay. I will never be okay ever again, Red ."  I am a monster now, and I will always be a monster.

Waves thrashed as the sea churned on itself. 

"You don't have to be okay. You just need to be alive, to be willing to live. It will get better  because you have to make it better. Everyone else is like that too, Perce."   You are not a monster, you are human, the best of humans. If you are the monster, then the world is hell, full of devils. But you are not. It's alright and it will be okay. You have to believe it will, with me, with everyone else. 

Calm words, a chant, a prophecy.

"You saw it all, you know what I did, how I enjoyed it, Rach. Don’t defend me." I know what I am, you don't have to fool yourself into believing something else, Red.

The sea raged and raged. 

"It was hell, you were in hell, you were going through the worst of situations, you were going to die, Annabeth was going to die, you were being tortured. Of course you were happy to get the upper hand. You didn't cross some line, Percy, Perseus, you held back infact. You showed mercy." You gave everything to save Annabeth, to save everyone. You have given so much too much and you are still so good.

The waves toppled over one another.  Strongly then, slowly.

Sea green eyes finally met emerald ones. A look full of nothing and everything as long left unsaid words beat against each other, the waves of the sea matching the pace. 

Her words, fears bared for him to see, as his own were.

"You should be the one angry, I couldn't help you, I couldn't help anyone, save anyone."  Rachel was the one who had been useless through all of it. All she had done was deliver a message Annabeth had sent and worry and worry and worry about Percy,  the camp and the fate of the world.  The gift broke down when they needed it the most and she had tried and tried to will it to work, to start. She had started with prayers to Apollo and then ended with curses.

"That's not true, Red. You told Reyna what she needed to do to unite the camps, to face Gaea. You delivered the message. In a way your prophecy saved us all, Red." Percy was sure they couldn't have made it without Rachel, they never did when it came to great prophecies. And deep down he couldn't help the relief that she hadn't been roped into a fight or a quest. She had sacrificed enough already. 

The waves thrashed once, twice, thrice more before dissolving into a harmonic calm.

PERCY

That was how he had found himself kissing Rachel.Overwhelmed and high on emotions, the both of them. He would have said more, thought this through, but he couldn't think with her soft lips moving against his own.

He relished in the familiar  warmth of it and he didn't want to let go.

Sloppy makeout, sand drawings and surfing, both of them together, happy and relaxed for the first time in a long time. That's how the day had gone and Percy couldn't help but be giddy about this, about them. It was one of the best and happiest days he had ever had and maybe he was wrong about never being okay; he had a feeling with Rachel by his side along with his family, both mortal and godly, he would be okay,  eventually. He had to be.

As Percy took Rachel back to the car, both of them looked back and he was sure they had the same hunch, the same shared feeling: There would be trouble ahead with newer prophecies,  with Gods, and they both had a lot of explaining to do to his family, to her family, to a probably human Apollo but  it could all wait a little while longer,  a bit more till there were no words left unsaid.