Percy chaos thing

Chapter 2

Chapter 2- Purple Alien lady (but captivating?)

Just another normal day. Wake up, train, board meeting, maybe a mission or two. Then, after all of the chaos of the day had conceded, go down to that little, hidden café where it was so peaceful and quiet. In the beginning it was amazing, all of these distractions. Being able to train again. To fight again.

It was pure bliss. But after the first thousand years, it got repetitive. All except that little, hidden café overlooking the town. Where you could hear the kids playing in the streets, the vendors bargaining with customers. The laughter. The utter joy. And to Perseus Jackson, that was what truly kept him going. So every day, he woke up and went to work. He was doing what he did best to protect these very streets. And nothing would stop him from doing just that.

From the moment he opened that familiar red door, he felt calm. Peaceful. He breathed in the spell of coffee, and made his way to the booth closest to the window by the far wall. His booth. The same place he had sat for the past 874 years. Since the moment that he accidentally stumbled upon this hidden gem.

From there, the day progressed as usual. Sit, file some paperwork, maybe watch the little kids playing and laughing out in the street, and when that same waitress comes to take his order, a smile. A simple "the usual," and another nod.

Only this time, something was different. When the waiter brought his usual black coffee and chocolate croissant, after Percy flashed that same waitress his signature smile and said his usual, curt, Thank you. Again when she returned his smile and turned away to clock out for her shift. The same interaction they've had for the last few hundred years, this once, Percy said something more.

Maybe it was fate that pushed him. Maybe it was nothing at all. Just a spur of the moment, means nothing, sort of thing. He may not be able to tell you why he did it, but Mr. Jackson would tell you that he did not regret it. Not one bit.

"You know, I haven't even had to say anything for you to know what I wanted these last couple times I've been here." Percy still had his head down facing his papers, and the waitress turned to look at him. She may have believed that she imagined it, him still as silent as ever when she turned around to face him. Only difference was that after he took his sip of coffee, he turned to look at her.

"Hello? Earth to Aspera?" The waitress, Aspera, was shocked. She stood there, still just staring at him as he looked back at her. "I hope I didn't scare you- I can do that to people sometimes." Percy said sheepishly. Aspera just continued to look at him, shock evident on her pale face.

Snapping out of it, She looked at Percy and said incredulously, "You know my name?" He smiled at her, and she had to admit that it was quite charming. But she couldn't be thinking like this. If she said one wrong thing, if she offended him, she just might get thrown in the dungeons of the palace, or worse. Executed.

"Of course I know your name- it's written on your nametag, and you've only been my server for... I don't know... 8 ½ hundred years. Which is a long time to be working in one place." Percy looked at her like all he said was obvious.

Aspera snorted. "Says the person who has been coming here every day for just as long to sit in the same place and order the same thing." She immediately clamped her hands over her mouth. She had just made a snarky remark at Mr. Jackson. She fell into a bow, apologizing profusely. "I am so sorry, That was incredibly rude of me, Mr. Jackson."

To her astonishment, he just through his head back and laughed. "Why would you apologize? That was hilarious. And true. I've also had the same job for a thousand years, so maybe I'm the hypocrite here." He ran a hand down his face and smiled at her before remembering that she said his name. "Wait a second. I never told you my name, and unlike you I don't have a nametag to give me away. I'm fairly certain I left mine at home." The last sentence was said to brighten the mood, but that didn't do much for the waitress.