Climb (Percy Jackson x Reader)

seventeen

✺ AS IT HAD ALWAYS BEEN ✺

"Any progress?"

(Y/N) shakes her head at Annabeth's question, her jaw clenched as she pulls books from a shelf in the Athena cabin's library. Her stack of volumes grows so tall that it covers her face, and she holds her arms to the side to watch where she walks as she moves to the space near an empty table.

"I've looked over everything that I have," (Y/N) says, crouching to set her pile onto the floor before sitting cross-legged, opening the first book, and flipping through the early pages, "and nada. A week of research, and I'm still coming up blank." Her finger runs down the table of contents, and she closes the book upon reaching the bottom of the page.

Annabeth watches as (Y/N) sets it aside, the daughter of Athena relaxing as her friend still treats the book carefully.

"What is it that you're looking for, exactly?" Annabeth asks, running her finger along the spines of books on another shelf, and (Y/N) shrugs while looking at the next one in her pile.

"Anything on godly abilities—"

"Well, that really narrows it down," Annabeth grumbles, moving back to the beginning of her row and taking out the first three books.

"—along with power transfers and blessings—"

Annabeth removes two more tomes from the row.

"—or just general information about how to train our abilities."

The daughter of Athena scoffs, shaking her head as she adds seven more books onto the pile. "I mean, if you think it'll help, then okay." Struggling with the weight, she adjusts her hold on the stack so that it rests in both of her arms instead of just one, and she carefully moves to the long table near her friend, turning her chair to face (Y/N) on the floor.

"Honestly," (Y/N) starts, snapping the book shut and moving on, "I don't know what I'm expecting from books. Last time I did this, I didn't have to study." Her brow furrows as she examines the sections of the new volume, her head tilting with interest. After scanning the rest of the table of contents, she starts a new pile. "It's convenient that you have this at your disposal, though," she says, gesturing around at the library, its shelves on one end full with thousands of old texts while workbenches and architectural materials take up the other side of the room.

"That's for sure," Annabeth agrees, holding her book out to (Y/N). "Do we have a useful pile?"

"Right here." (Y/N) takes it, setting it with the one other useful volume in front of her. "Thanks."

"Uh-huh."

Once (Y/N) runs through her initial stack, she pushes herself off of the floor and moves to check out another bookshelf. "Whoa!" she exclaims, and Annabeth turns in her chair. "You guys have scrolls, too?" (Y/N) asks, waving a scroll in the air.

"Evidently," Annabeth says, an amused smirk tugging at her lips.

"That's so cool." (Y/N) unrolls the long parchment, her eyes glimmering with awe as she looks it over. "This is totally ancient!"

"It's not that ancient."

(Y/N) peers at the scroll, holding it up to the light as if to test for authenticity. "Damn. You guys are legit."

"Did you expect anything less?"

"I wasn't expecting scrolls," (Y/N) scoffs, rolling the parchment back up and returning it to the shelf. "It's my first time in here; I didn't know you guys had this stuff. But you're right, I probably should have expected it. You know, given that you're all a bunch of nerds."