PHILOXENIA ➸ Percy Jackson¹

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SIX—The Worst Reunion

─── ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽☼☾.* :☆ﾟ｡ ───

Contrary to popular belief, Lux liked to stay in bed. She was not immune to the cozy trappings of a comfortable bed, how the bedding felt plush under her back, how the soft blanket wrapped around her and made her feel like a bear in its den—hibernating for the winter. If it wasn't for the fact that her cabin was stiflingly crowded and she didn't want to wake anyone up due to her rustling, she would've liked to curl under the blanket with a book once in a while.

She liked going outside, too—loved how the gentle morning sun felt velvety warm on her skin, adored the way camp looked pause in tranquility, yet to be filled with the stomping of feet and lightness of laughter. One of her favorite hangout spots was the fire escape, and though rickety, it wasn't high enough to make her feel squeamish (thank the gods that her apartment is only on the second floor.) Even if the sound of metal grating on each other made her feel nervous at times and sit a little farther away from the edge, that particular ball of emotions was swiftly kicked to the curb whenever she was with Ciaran or Percy. Because who had the time to care about metal when all you could hear was bellyaching laughter?

But there are times when Lux simply wanted to be a little lazy, piling pillows and wounding blankets around her like she was building a fort, especially during those winter months when the sun was hazy and looked golden-white like snow when it melts. It made her feel a little more normal too, a little more like the kids her age when she told them that she stayed in bed way past 8 a.m.

But right now, her thoughts are loud and demanding, like a kid throwing a tantrum in a supermarket, so deafening that she feared they might even wake Annabeth up.

Her breathing was shallow, a layer of Hypnos' work dusted thin behind her eyelids, her fingers grasping tightly to something under her pillow—the hilt of her dagger.

She was a person who knew how to stay on her toes, several steps ahead compared to everyone else. But she was also a person who deserved sleep like any other.

Lux slid out of bed with the quiet precision of a life spent mindful of everything that she did, changing her clothes and closing the door behind her with a silent click. She ventured out into the hallway and found herself going back to the pool deck. The sunlight helped to shave off some of the creepy edge from the ship, but now, there was something she felt was revealed by the day that she didn't notice at night. She thought she saw the faint trail of footsteps, heard whispers like wind cutting through the waves. Goosebumps rose on her arms the way only invisible, prying eyes could do.

She turned around to inspect the ship. There was still no one there, nothing but the sound of the waves crashing against the hull.

Lux went over to the pool and sat on the edge to dip her legs into the water, hissing lightly at the cold temperature. After a few seconds, the feeling settled and she welcomed the sunlight with open arms. If she closed her eyes and thought about it hard enough, she could pretend that she was still at camp. In a few hours, Tantalus would be notified of their absence. It was a shame she wouldn't be there to witness his breakdown. 

It dawned on her then, truly this time, that she was on a quest. An incredulous half-laugh couldn't help but make its way out of her mouth. Ciaran was right.

Everything was going to be fine. She was with her friends, the people she trusted with her life. Annabeth probably already had five different plans making space in her mind, annotations and notes scribbled all over for every scenario. Percy was unpredictable, the kind of person who would look at Annabeth's plan and follow none of it, but sometimes his quick thinking was what would get them out of a sticky situation. Tyson had his strength and fierce loyalty, and hopefully enough of an intimidating appearance to scare off the monsters.