I changed the ao3 tags! Take a look if you're curious!

Also, I kept saying that there won't be any smut until Act 2, but apparently the previous chapter counted as smut... oops 😅 So forget what I said! There will be smut in this act, but no peepee in the veevee action until act 2!

IT WAS IN THE EARLY hours of the morning and two of the female Elder Olympians (plus Persephone who had been dragged along by her mother) had just finally managed to calm down Hera from another one of her meltdowns.

Zeus' party had long been over and most of the partygoers had been brutally punished. While Zeus retired into the depths of the palace to lick his wounds, Demeter and Hestia were practically force-feeding their younger sister calming tea to prevent another explosion.

"Do forgive me for losing my temperament, sisters," a mostly subdued Hera apologized as she blew into her dainty teacup. "You know how I get with Zeus and his... philandering ways."

The very mention of Zeus was enough to bring her back to a boiling point. Angrily, she slammed her tea cup down on the table, making the two goddesses jump while Persephone stared idly.

"I just can't stand him...!" She bit out. "An orgy party?! AGAIN? Did he think I wouldn't find out?! Does he take me for a fool?!"

Demeter and Hestia exchanged wary looks like they were thinking, Oh here we go again.

But then Hera regained her cool, clearing her throat and combing back her hair, looking very much like the dignified queen she was supposed to be. Either the tea was really doing its job, or she had finally been attending her anger management lessons.

"Anyway, how have my fellow goddesses been these days?" She asked cordially, taking another sip.

"Oh the usual," Demeter droned on. "The Midgardians are destroying my land. Oh! But my crops up here are doing wonderfully."

"That's nice, Demeter." Hera said dismissively. "And you, elder sister?"

"I've been thinking of redecorating..." Hestia wondered aloud.

"Lovely. Persephone?"

"I'm so glad you asked. My husband is cheating on me!" Persephone said cheerfully.

Hera promptly spat out her tea all over Hestia's face.

"He is?!" Hestia's jaw dropped. The tea didn't even bother her.

"He is?!" Demeter gasped, joy written all over her face.

"He is?!" Hera couldn't believe what she was hearing. "That explains why I felt so off a while ago! That no-good scoundrel! I told him that I should've been the one to officiate the wedding so I could properly bless your marriage but nooo, he had to stick to the pomegranate route and now your marriage is ruined! My poor dear niece, tell me the name of his whore! We shall punish her together!"

"We will do no such thing, Aunt Hera," Persephone looked genuinely aghast at the suggestion. "I'm quite happy, actually. I could cry tears of joy!"

"My Kore...!" Demeter wept. "He's finally cheated on you, oh I couldn't be happier! You're going to be free! Who is this woman?"

Despite their superior hearing, all the goddesses leaned forward in anticipation to hear the name come out of the pink goddess' lips.

"Percy," Persephone breathed out, an elated smile on her face. "She is the one who Hades is so besotted with."

"Percy?!" Hestia and Hera sputtered while Demeter threw her hands up in the air, random flower petals suddenly showering over them.

"YES!" She shouted. "I knew it! I knew she would be the one! I knew it the second I found out he kidnapped her months ago!"

Hera and Hestia looked at each other flabbergasted.

Hestia slowly leaned back on her chair. "...I suppose we should've expected this when we saw him practically fondling her during mother's luncheon."

"Well—well," it was uncharacteristic of Hera to be stammering, but she truly hadn't been expecting this. "He obviously manipulated her into this then!"

Hestia snorted. "Whatever happened to 'we shall punish her together'?"

"I just don't believe Percilla would ever do something like this," Hera harrumphed. "She's a good girl. Besides, I saw her scurrying around Zeus' party with her eyes covered and trying to avoid all the naked bodies. How does someone like that suddenly go around sleeping with another woman's husband?"

All eyes went to Persephone who had the decency to look at least a little sheepish. "Well... I did give them a little push last night..."

Hestia raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

Persephone cleared her throat daintily and went on to explain herself, "I may have created a special flower species with particularly strong aphrodisiacal qualities that take effect when inhaled, and I may have used it on Percy and Hades when he arrived to pick her up."

Demeter gasped loudly, an excited look on her face. She slapped the table like she couldn't contain herself. "Oh, you did not!"

Persephone grinned. "Oh mother, I sure did. Percy and Hades are currently in the throes of their lovemaking. I doubt we'll be seeing them anytime soon."

"Oh gods," Hestia closed her eyes. "This is insanity. You drugged them?"

"Like I said, all I did was give them a much needed push," Persephone shrugged. "Percy and Hades are clearly attracted to each other. Hades makes it more obvious, but Percy is much too shy to do anything about it. She's like a human, you know, acting as if the labels 'uncle' and 'niece' are a blockade to true love."

"Such a silly girl," Demeter chortled. "I wonder where she got that mindset."

"You... planned to have your husband cheat?" Hera sputtered.

"Of course," Persephone beamed. "I want to be free and happy again. And I cannot be that if I remain chained to Hades. You are the goddess of marriage, dear aunt, do you really want your own niece to be trapped in an unhappy marriage? I know you detest divorces, but a divorce won't be the only outcome in this! Think of it this way: a bad marriage will finally end to make way for a good one—Hades and Percy's!"

"And this time Hades will surely listen to your advice and have you officiate and bless the marriage," Demeter added eagerly.

"Hmm...." Hera thought this over. "Do you think they would let me plan the wedding too?"

"Oh yes, certainly!" Persephone and Demeter nodded in unison.

Hestia looked between the three of them, unimpressed. "I can't believe this. Persephone, you shouldn't have done that. If you truly believe that they like each other, then let things go naturally instead of forcing it. And Demeter! Hera! Don't encourage this!"

"But it's true love!" Persephone insisted.

Hestia opened her mouth to retort, but a dark and powerful energy suddenly entered the room, making the four goddesses pause. Shadows burst into the room and the shape of a man formed from it. Hades.

"Persephone," Hades began in a hard voice. "We need to talk."

The goddess of spring truly hadn't been expecting to see him so soon. "What... what are you doing here? You're supposed to be with Percy...!"

"She is currently back home with her father," he replied.

"Her father?" She paled. "Have you lost your mind?! She might—"

"—Ah, so you are aware of what you've done," Hades smiled, but he was by no means pleased. "Worry not. I knocked the both of us out before anything could happen. Looks like all we needed was a good rest to wear off the effects of your... flowers."

She swallowed thickly. So Percy was no longer under the effects of the aphrodisiac by the time Poseidon came to retrieve her. That was good. But Hades and Percy hadn't slept together. Not good.

Luckily for her, she had her mother here to give her support. "Nothing happened, you say?" Demeter said slyly, eyes narrowed as she scanned his appearance. Nothing seemed amiss, but she decided to call on his bluff. "I think you're lying."

"Do you?" He replied, disinterested.

Demeter's smile only grew. "Mmhmm. I've seen the way you look at her, Hades. The way you shamelessly touched her even during our mother's luncheon in front of the whole family. You could hardly control yourself and that's without the aphrodisiac. Something definitely happened between you two."

They knew she had him the second they saw his jaw visibly clench.

"That doesn't matter," he dismissed, but Demeter was already smirking triumphantly. "What matters is that your daughter put Percy in danger. What if there were other gods around that smelled her flowers? What if someone got there before I did? If Persephone was willing to drug her, then I doubt she'd try to keep her safe if any of those scenarios had occurred!"

His voice rose at the last part, and Persephone flinched. It had been a very very long time since Hades had ever raised her voice at her. It frightened her, but she couldn't back down now. Her freedom was close, she could taste it. His anger only further proved that she was right. Hades rarely lost his temper, and now he was yelling at his own wife because his niece was put under risk due to her actions.

"I-I'm sorry," she apologized. "But you clearly love her more than me! Why continue this farce of a marriage? Divorce me so you can be with her!"

"So that's what this is about," Hades sighed through his nose. "You didn't need to go through such lengths. Persephone, I was already thinking about divorcing you."

"You were?" Hera gawked. Everyone turned to her. She waved a hand, "Apologies for interrupting. Do continue."

They went back to ignoring her.

"You... you were?" Persephone repeated the question. "I did not know... I thought... I assumed..."

"That I was going to keep you trapped in a miserable marriage forever?" Hades finished. "No. I wasn't. I've been thinking about this since the fifteenth century actually. I was just worried about you and the kids—"

"—You can visit them any time you want, my lord!" Persephone interrupted him frantically. "You can even have sole custody of them if you wish! I'll even destroy my whole garden too if that's what you want! I—"

He raised a hand to stop her and she quickly ceased.

"When did you fall out of love with my daughter?" Demeter asked curiously.

"A few centuries ago, actually. Once I realized that this marriage was never going to work out and that Persephone would never love me back, well... I admit, I was quite saddened by the revelation, but after time passed, I got over it and accepted it. It is, after all, my fault that things have come to this."

"So Percy has nothing to do with this?" She pressed.

"Of course not. She's not even a year old."

"But you love her, don't you?" She asked knowingly.

"That is none of your business—"

"—Oh he's totally in love," Hera interrupted again. This time, Hestia nodded in agreement.

Hades pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't even know why you two are here... Look, never do this to Percy ever again, understand? You are lucky I'm letting you off so easily. Poseidon isn't even aware of what transpired but if he found out..." The warning hung over their heads.

Persephone gulped and nodded.

"Good." Hades nodded. "Speaking of him... get ready. We're needed for another meeting in an hour."

"Another meeting?" Hera sat up straight. "I don't recall Zeus mentioning one."

"Poseidon's orders," he clarified. "Someone is to be punished for what has happened to his daughter. Let this be a lesson, Persephone. Be grateful because if either of us had told him what you had done..."

"I understand, my lord." Persephone shuddered.

‧₊˚✩彡𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟‧₊˚✩彡๋ ࣭ ⭑ ࣭ ⭑

Mnemosyne shifted nervously on her throne as gods of all pantheons filed into the room, followed by members of the Asgardian royal family: Odin, Thor, and a chain-bound Loki. The only reason she wasn't given the same treatment was probably because Percy had begged for her to be spared.

Zeus, in his haggard appearance, hobbled over to the center of the conference hall. "Well, now that we're all here—"

A flash of golden light enveloped the room. When it died out, Apollo appeared, sitting elegantly on his lavish throne.

"Sorry for being late!" He said brightly, completely unaware of Poseidon's dark glower. "What are we here for?"

"Poseidon's daughter has been kidnapped," Artemis explained. The 'again' went unsaid. "We've gathered to sentence the kidnapper."

"Oh, her, hmm?" Apollo mused, leaning back on his throne. "Still the topic of Valhalla, I see. But anyway, everyone listen up! I'm hosting another gala with the Nine Muses! You're all more than welcome to attend!"

"Oooh! Yo, Poseidon! Can Percy come?" Shiva asked, grinning ear-to-ear.

Poseidon bristled, but before he could do anything Aphrodite let out an excited squeal, "Yes! She should definitely come!"

"Apollo's parties are far more proper for her to attend," Hermes added his two cents. "Compared to our father's, of course."

Apollo looked around, sulking in his throne as suddenly everyone began to chatter about Percy this and Percy that. The gods who never met her, but were curious of the lack of fear coming from the gods that did know her, asked about her while the gods who knew of her were more than happy to answer.

It annoyed him to no end. Yes, yes, Poseidon had a daughter, how amazing, but he just announced that he was having one of his super popular, amazing galas and hardly anyone cared about it!

His fingers drummed over the armrests of his throne. "Sister," he turned to Artemis, one of the only gods who remained quiet. "You've met the girl, haven't you?"

"Yes," she nodded slowly. "Lord Poseidon has asked me to keep an eye on her virginity ever since his brother first kept her in Helheim. Why?"

"What was she like?" He asked curiously.

"Quiet, a little shy," she supplied. "That's all I can say, brother. My visit was rather short."

He harrumphed. "So she's not even that special then? I hardly see what all the fuss is about."

"Watch what you say," Artemis hissed in a warning tone. "Lord Poseidon will have your tongue, brother. Even I cannot save you from that."

"You worry too much, Artemis," he said dismissively. "From what I'm hearing about her, she sounds more human than divine. I doubt Lord Poseidon cares much for her."

"That's where you're wrong." Artemis leaned closer and whispered. "There's been talk."

"Talk?"

"Yes. One day, Lord Poseidon was seen out in the streets of Asgard with his daughter. He was eating ice cream with her."

Apollo went still. "What...?" He laughed a little. You couldn't even blame him. The thought of Poseidon eating ice cream out in public like a common man... With his child no less... It was a little too outrageous.

"It's true." Artemis said seriously. "I've seen the pictures and videos of it. Apparently, his daughter had asked for ice cream and wanted him to join her. He accepted."

"Those have to be fake..."

"They are not. You've been up in Delos for far too long brother. Check your phone and see for yourself."

Tensely, Apollo summoned his phone. He went straight to Gossipmonger (the godly form of Twitter that gods and the souls residing in Valhalla used) and was immediately bombarded with posts containing pictures and videos of the widely talked about father-daughter duo. He could feel his eyes nearly pop out of his head. Artemis was right. It really was true. He played one of the videos; he couldn't see the girl's face, but that didn't matter.

His jaw dropped. Not only were they both eating the same type of ice cream, but he even saw Poseidon reach out to wipe his daughter's mouth rather than berate her for eating so messily.

﹫Heracles: Awwww, how cute! 🥰 I'm glad they're getting along!

﹫Shiva: dam things changed fast?? Last time we saw each other percy said he didnt even wanna eat with her!!!

﹫Indra: that rlly Poseidon's kid? Didn't expect her to be so... un-poseidon? Lol, thank gods

﹫Persephone: Hmmm, I still think she's better off with Hades

﹫Shiva replied to ﹫Persephone: Lady u gotta let that agenda go......

Apollo quickly went to the trending topics and could only feel his ichor boil further. #percilla, #percy, and #poseidonsdaughter were all trending topics. His name had been pushed to the very bottom of the list and there wasn't even any mention of his gala!

"Enough of this," Poseidon's voice rose. People immediately quieted down in fear. Apollo let his phone dematerialize. Poseidon turned to Mnemosyne who flinched upon meeting his deadly glare. "Speak, Titan. I want the full story."

"I don't really know what happened, my lord," she began nervously. "Percy needed to use the bathroom, but I grew concerned when she stayed there for too long. I heard a lot of noises and I think she might have been talking to herself...? When it became quiet, I went in to check and she was gone."

She must have been talking to Loki. The trickster god had an annoying trick that allowed him to hide his presence whenever he wanted it.

Poseidon looked quite frustrated at the lack of answers and turned to the Asgardians. He motioned to Loki's bound form. "Unmuzzle him. I want to hear his explanation."

Without an ounce of consideration, Thor yanked the muzzle right off of him.

"Ow..." Loki whined, only to freeze up when the tips of a trident pushed against his throat.

"Speak." Poseidon ordered.

Loki brought his hands up, chains rattling. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold your horses! I didn't even do anything bad! I just wanted to hang out with her but then she attacked me with a toilet plunger!"

"A what?" He frowned.

"A toilet plunger, my lord," Mnemosyne spoke up. "It's something humans use in case... erm, it's a tool they sometimes use. It hardly qualifies as a weapon."

"So he's lying then," he scowled.

"Actually," Apollo chimed, happy to make this Percy girl look bad. "He speaks the truth. She did attack him."

"Then she obviously did it in self defense," Poseidon excused, which made Apollo's shoulders slump. "Or perhaps she was startled. Either way, my daughter is not one for violence, so Loki is still in the wrong."

Loki rolled his eyes. Of course he didn't believe him. Everyone seemed to think Percy was a sweet baby angel who couldn't do anything wrong. It grated his nerves. It reminded him way too much of Baldur...

"And then what happened next?" Zeus pressed on.

"Being the nice friend that I am, I took her to your wonderful party, Lord Zeus!" Loki batted his eyes.

"Awww, so you're saying she wasn't there willingly?" Zeus whined.

"She is an infant," Poseidon growled. "Why would she ever want to attend one of your lecherous parties?"

"Where even is she?" Zeus wondered aloud.

"Stop changing the subject," he snapped. "And she is currently back home, sleeping off a mysterious illness she received at your party. A part of my consciousness is watching over her since I clearly cannot risk leaving her unguarded."

"Illness?" Zeus echoed.

At this, Persephone began to shift nervously on her throne while Demeter kept a tight grip on her hand to keep her calm.

Poseidon's face darkened. "Yes. She fell ill. I had her looked over and she's better now, but that does not change the fact that my daughter contracted a mysterious illness due to Loki's actions and your inability to control your own party."

Zeus faltered a bit. "I... I was not aware that she fell ill. Forgive me, brother."

"I'm not here to punish you," Poseidon sneered. "I'm here to punish that thing over there."

"Thing? Seriously?" Loki whined, but Odin quickly pinched his side to shut him up. "Ouch! Uncle...!"

"Be quiet," Odin sighed gruffly.

"Well I hardly think anyone here disagrees that Loki should avoid punishment?" Zeus called out. There were no objections from the crowd, which was no surprise. Loki wasn't a very well-liked gods and most of them were sadistic bastards that just wanted to see brutal torture, whether the convicted was innocent or not.

"Then it is decided!" He slammed his gavel down. "Brother, since it was your daughter who was wronged, you shall decide the punishment."

Everyone leaned forward, eager to witness it.

But surprisingly, Poseidon just scowled. "My daughter had a request."

"Oh?"

Many of them perked up in interest. So were the rumors wrong then? Percy was more like her father? They wondered what sort of sadistic form of torture she had decided on.

Meanwhile, Loki gritted his teeth in anger. He remembered their last argument back at Zeus' party. Was this her way of getting back at him?

"She pleaded that I show mercy. Obviously, I refused to, so she settled with a more simple punishment: she requested... for me to dunk his head in a toilet." Poseidon finished with a sigh, clearly disappointed.

"What?" Zeus said.

"What?" Many gods cried out.

"What?" Loki whispered, eyes wide in disbelief. Percy... pleaded for him to be spared? And when that couldn't be done, suggested a lighter sentence? Sure the punishment was pretty gross, but it was far better than whatever Poseidon would've thought of. He didn't know how to feel about that and he didn't like it.

"That's... um, quite the odd punishment, but I suppose I can grant it," Zeus slammed his gavel again. "Alright then! Loki, for your crimes, you are hereby... sentenced to the toilet!"

After his dramatic cry, a toilet poofed into the center of the grand room right across from where he sat.

Poseidon roughly grabbed Loki by the hair and proceeded to drag him towards it. Loki couldn't help but gag. They must have randomly stolen this toilet from a public restroom in Midgard; it absolutely reeked of piss and shit and he could see other unknown stains that he didn't even want to think about.

When the lid flipped up, the first thing he saw was the murky yellowish water inside the bowl, but then he caught sight of something else. Piranhas. There were piranhas swimming inside the toilet.

There was a cruel glint in Poseidon's eyes when he caught the look on his face. "My daughter never said I couldn't add my own personal touches."

And then, he forced Loki's head down.

‧₊˚✩彡𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟‧₊˚✩彡๋ ࣭ ⭑ ࣭ ⭑

Ever since that day, Percy refused to leave her room.

Of course, all it did was worry her father and the staff further, but she couldn't help it. She was too full of shame, so much shame that she didn't want anyone to see her.

The Curse of Achilles prevented any marks left on her skin, so the hickies he would've left on her neck and the bruises from his hard grip were nonexistent, but she still felt as if his mark was all over her body. There was nothing to see, but at the same time, she felt like if she left her room, everyone would see and they would know.

And she couldn't let anyone know. She couldn't let them know that she had kissed her own uncle, that she had whined and writhed on his lap like a bitch in heat—which she might as well have been with how desperate she was for him.

She knew that it wasn't really her fault—or his even. The two of them had been drugged by some crazy flower that Persephone created—a scheme worthy of Athena (or Aphrodite in this case). But that wasn't the problem. The problem was that she still couldn't stop thinking about him.

It was worse at nighttime. She practically kicked her father out of bed because the feeling of his arms wrapped around her only made her think of Hades. And when she was finally left to her lonesome, she would clutch at her pillow, legs squeezed together as she tried fruitlessly to push away the memory of Hades hands roaming her skin and his tongue invading her mouth. She wanted more, and that was what really scared her.

A knock was heard from her door.

"Princess?" Came Proteus' voice. "It's almost lunch time. Your father awaits your arrival at the Great Hall."

"Coming," she called out weakly, already slipping out of bed.

It made her feel guilty. Poseidon was trying so hard to get her to open up, but all she could do was clam up and hide away like a coward. How does one go up to their father and tell them 'hey I made out with my uncle and I liked it and that's why I'm too scared to show my face to anyone' anyway? She'd rather die than admit any of this out loud!

Rather than putting on a more presentable appearance, she stuck with her pajama shirt and swam out of her room. Just as she started down the hallway, she heard a whisper, "Pssst!"

She turned around, only to freeze up when she saw Loki. Rather than having legs, he now donned a dual tail that was covered with acid green and pure black scales. Weirdly enough though, he still wore his purple cloak.

Before she could say anything, he pressed a finger over his lips, the universal sign for 'shut up'.

She gaped at him, 'What are you doing here?!', she mouthed.

All she received was a grin in response. Then, he grabbed her arm and they were teleported out of here. The second the fins on her tail touched land, she nearly toppled over, only to be caught by a now clothed Loki.

"Come on, change back! We gotta hurry!" He laughed.

"Wha—wait a sec!" She rasped, quickly shifting back into her human form. Her tail turned back into her legs, thankfully covered up by a pair of pajama shorts that matched with her shirt.

But apparently Loki wasn't satisfied with that. With a snap of his fingers, her clothes changed. She was now wearing a long black dress with purple ruffled sleeves and was slitted on one side of the skirt. It was gorgeous, but she definitely noticed how well it matched with Loki's own black and purple color scheme. 

He quickly tugged her along, feet kicking up the sand.

"Where are we going? Dude, my dad's gonna kill you!" She told him. She couldn't even stop to enjoy the prospect of finally being out on the surface world of Midgard, too busy fearing her father's wrath once he found out she was taken—again.

"You worry too much," he giggled. "Now walk faster before I decide to carry you!"

She picked up the pace, genuinely anxious at the thought of him carrying her. Knowing him, he'd dump her into a snake pit or something.

She looked around. They were on the shore of some beach. It was beautiful, but there was literally nobody around to enjoy it. No beachgoers playing volleyball, making barbecue, or even suntanning. It was just... completely empty. She knew that mortals in this universe were way too terrified of the sea to even step near it, but damn...

She didn't know whether to feel sad that nobody could enjoy a nice beach vacation or impressed at how well-managed everything was.

"Sleipnir!" Loki suddenly cooed. "There you are my baby~!"

Percy looked ahead. A few feet away from them was a massive grey horse with black hair. Its most noticeable feature was its eight legs.

"Whoa," she marveled. "That's so cool...!"

"Thank you," the horse neighed in a male voice.

"No problem. I love your eight legs." She complimented. Then she remembered where she actually was and turned back to Loki. "Seriously, I really think you should take me back before my dad kills you."

Loki didn't even look surprised that she could talk to horses. He rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Percy you're such a bore! Always wanting to do things your daddy approves of. The complete opposite of my own kids."

Percy's eyes nearly popped. "You have kids?!"

"Sure do! You're standing next to one of them right now!"

"...Huh?"

He let out a laugh. "Percy, meet Sleipnir. Sleipnir, meet Percy."

Hello! The eight-legged steed said.

"Uh, hi."

"I birthed this baby myself," Loki said proudly, patting the horse on the side.

Percy was surprised. She never thought Loki would have any knowledge in helping horses give birth. That was really cool of him!

"Now come on, we need to be quick about this," he rushed. Without wasting a second, he climbed onto Sleipnir before pulling her up in front of him. He handed her the reigns before grabbing them himself.

"Hold on tight," he warned, before exclaiming, "Up, Sleipnir!"

"Understood!" Sleipnir replied, kicking his hooves. Despite the lack of wings, he could fly too, and fast. He shot up into the air like a bullet, making it feel like Percy's skin was almost peeling off from her face.

"You still haven't mentioned where you're taking me!" She had to shout in order to be overheard.

"We're gonna go to Valhalla!" He replied. "But we need to use the bifrost first!"

"Can't you just teleport there?"

"'Course not! Only Chief Gods are allowed to teleport between realms, the rest of us need to use the bifrost, but we need their permission! You think anyone's gonna give me permission to use the bifrost?"

"...Good point!" She said. "But what are we gonna do in—" She stopped, the skies suddenly becoming dark and stormy, a stark contrast to the bright and sunny weather it used to be just a second ago.

Something was very wrong.

She craned her head back, only to pale when she saw a wave of seawater rapidly rising from the beach. It grew higher and higher, tall enough to probably wipe out the Eiffel Tower. Her eyes darted down, where she could see a bunch of little dots scrambling around the streets and screaming in terror.

There was no way the mortals would survive that.

"DAD!" She shouted. "WAIT—STOP!"

"Oh shit," Loki cursed. He yelled something in Old Norse and Sleipnir picked up the pace.

The deadly tidal wave changed form, from a deadly wave to an even deadlier hand reaching out for them. Then came a chilling voice that practically shook the earth and skies.

"LOOOOOKIIIIIIIII!" Her father roared. "GIVE—HER—BACK!"

The hand shot out, fingers about to close in around them, but at that moment, Sleipnir entered through the hall of the bifrost and they were gone.

Traveling through the bifrost was nothing like what she expected. One second they were shooting through the gilded gates and in the next, she was having a sensory overload. Like, suddenly, in this brief second, she was as omniscient as the gods. She could see themselves traveling through multiple galaxies at once, witnessed the birth of a newborn planet and the destruction of another, saw civilizations rise and fall—all of it happened in this short second, and that was enough to make her head feel like it was about to burst.

Just as the pressure began to grow unbearable, everything stopped. They were back in the sky again and her head no longer felt like it was about to explode. Behind her, she could feel Loki sigh in relief.

Sleipnir slowed down and descended from the skies. Percy looked down. It was as if they had time-traveled to Victorian Era London; the skies were dull and everyone looked miserable. But the muted looks on their faces were replaced with shock once they saw them flying overhead.

"Uh, did we time travel?" She wondered aloud, but then took it back. While a majority of the people here were dressed exactly like the time period, she saw a few that didn't belong; a 1950s greaser guy strolling through the streets, a modern day influencer who was currently filming herself eating an ice cream, and a young villager boy who dressed like a pilgrim with the funny hat and all.

"Man, Poseidon really doesn't let you explore Valhalla, huh?" Loki snorted. "We're on the human side of Valhalla. This is the London of the Victorian Era, but here, take a look."

Sleipnir rose back up, higher and higher until the entire city could be seen below them. Percy looked down and felt even more confused. She could see Victorian Era London, but right next to it... was another London, but brighter, and with more modern buildings. Right next to that was yet another London. And then another, and then... you get the point.

"Valhalla isn't just the home of the gods, remember? The souls of every deceased human since the beginning of their miserable existence resides here too," he told her. "Because of this, it's constantly expanding. It basically contains multiple Midgards throughout history. There's England of the 1900s, 1800s, current day, and so forth. Same with every other location. They're all here. All of them. Every place, in every era."

Percy's mind could hardly handle the onslaught of information she was learning. "So... There's a New York of today somewhere in here... and a New York of, say, the nineties?"

"Yup."

"But... why? Why not just keep one, why so many?" She wondered.

He let out a laugh. "Are you kidding? I just told you! Every human who dies in Midgard is sent here—unless they're sentenced to Helheim, of course. Do you know how many humans have died since they were first created? Can you imagine trying to fit them in just one copy of Midgard? We have to constantly expand the heavens or they won't fit."

"How do they move around though?" She asked curiously. "This realm's gotta be massive then, right? Let's say I live in present day New York and I wanna visit 1530s Paris, France? I'd not only have to travel through multiple New Yorks, but over an even bigger America, and multiple versions of Europe to even get there."

"Teleportation points, duh," Loki rolled his eyes. "Geez, you really don't know anything, do you?"

"I'll push you off this horse."

He laughed again.

Her stomach growled, a reminder that she was supposed to be having lunch right now.

"Let's go down, I'm hungry." She suggested.

He crinkled his nose. "Ew, we're not eating here. This is the human side of Valhalla."

"I'm human," she reminded him.

"Half."

"I don't care. I'm hungry and as my kidnapper, aren't you supposed to feed me?"

"Ugh, fine."

They managed to find a cute little outdoor cafe to eat at. Their presence—or more specifically Loki's presence—definitely made the other customers terrified, but Percy was too hungry to care. Excited at the chance of eating authentic Victorian food, she ordered a bunch of things that didn't sound familiar to her: gingerbread pudding, tartlets, mince pies, marbled jelly, nougat almond cakes, and dessert bread.

When they came, she nearly salivated at the sight of them. Eagerly, she started scarfing it all down until she remembered her father's fury and the mortals screaming in fear.

"So..." She swallowed thickly. "Back there... do you think the people are going to be okay?"

Loki barely looked up from his apple marmalade tart. "Hmm? Oh you mean those humans in Midgard? Pfft, no! They're totally dead."

Percy didn't feel so hungry anymore. She lowered her spoon. "We really shouldn't have done this, Loki..."

He blinked. "Huh? Why do you look so sad for? Don't tell me you actually care about those stupid humans. If they didn't wanna be killed by a tidal wave, then they shouldn't live so close to the sea!"

Sleipnir whinnied in agreement and Loki cooed, feeding him another tart.

But Percy still looked troubled. "Loki... I should go back. I really, really don't want any more people to be dead."

BANG!

Everyone in the vicinity jumped when Loki suddenly slammed his fork down, his face riddled with fury.

"You're eating with me and you're still thinking about those stupid fucking humans?!" He spat out venomously.

Percy's eyes widened. It started to dawn on her that she was treading on dangerous waters now.

"Um... sorry," she said slowly. "I'm just... worried. I can't help it."

As quickly as it happened, his glare melted away into a much softer look.

"Aww, you really are cute~!" He giggled, reaching out to pinch her cheek. "And so sweet too! Even to people who don't deserve it."

His mood changes so quickly, she shuddered. Now that she thought about it, wasn't he supposed to be angry with her? The last time they saw each other, he had been so eager to take her away, but the second she put up a fuss, he got pissed and they argued. Why did he take her again? Was he planning on payback?

"Loki..."

"Hmm?"

"Why did you... take me? Aren't you upset with me?"

"Oh, I was!" He chirped. "But, well..." His face suddenly hardened. "Forget it. That's none of your business."

"Uh—"

"—I said forget it," he waved her off. "You know, you really ought to be more specific with your punishments. Your dad decided it would be a wonderful idea to put piranhas inside the toilet bowl. They ate my face off!"

Percy was more put off by the change of topic than the piranhas, but she played along. "Oh. That... wasn't very nice of him. Sorry."

"You should be. Took forever for my skin to grow back," he huffed, stabbing into her jello.

"You know," she spoke up. "You still haven't mentioned how you manage to sneak around so easily. Does it have to do with your cloak?" She guessed.

His face fell. "Aww, what the hell? How'd you know?!"

She shrugged. "Dunno, just kinda figured it out. Back in Atlantis, I noticed that all your clothes were gone but you were still wearing your cloak."

"I'm impressed. I really thought you had nothing going on up there," he poked her on the head.

"Stop that," she lightly swatted his hand away. The atmosphere between them seemed lighter now, which she was grateful for. "So I'm right then?"

"Yup!" He took a bite out of her dessert bread. "When I'm wearing the cloak, my presence is disguised. People can't sense me unless I want them to."

"So that's why Mnemosyne couldn't sense or hear you in the bathroom with me..." She muttered, eyeing his cloak. "That's pretty cool. Think you can take me to New York in Midgard?"

"New York?" He crinkled his nose.

"Yeah. I... that's where I live," her voice went softer at this, more melancholic. "I'd ask to go to the one up here, but... it just won't be the same. The one in Midgard isn't the same either, I know that, but it's the closest I got to home."

He blinked at her. "Wait... you're American?" His voice rose in disbelief.

"Uh... yeah?"

"I thought you were Greek!"

"No?"

"But you're still Poseidon's kid, right? So doesn't that make you half Greek?"

"Um, not really? Gods don't have DNA back there either. So dad's ethnicity or whatever you would call it doesn't get passed down to me. I'm whatever my mom is, which is mixed and not Greek."

"But what the hell is the Poseidon of your world doing screwing around with a random American woman and not a Greek one?" He furrowed his brows.

"Oh. I forgot to tell you, but the Greek gods reside in America now. The entrance to Olympus is at the top of the Empire State Building."

"Huh?!" It was kind of funny seeing him so lost.

She snickered.

"That makes no sense! But what about the other gods that are already in America? The Aztecs? Mayans? Cherokee?"

She shrugged. "Dunno. Like I said, I only know about Greeks."

"Your universe is confusing," he whined.

"No, yours is!" She protested.

"Nuh uh."

"Yeah huh. Imagine how confused I was to find out that my dad's not a whore here."

He almost choked on his spit. "No way. Those stupid stories the humans made up about Poseidon having a ton of kids—you're telling me those are actually true in yours?"

She nodded, a smile playing on her lips. "He actually has more demigod kids than Zeus."

"NO WAY! HAHAHAHA! What a slut?!"

"I know right?! I couldn't believe he actually had zero kids here! All those sea monsters are his kids too!"

"Seriously?!"

"He fucked his grandma Gaea and had a son with her too," she added. "Dude was a real asshole."

"He fucked that old hag too?!" His jaw dropped. "Gods, your dad actually managed to out-slut me! What the hell, that Poseidon sounds so much fun! Why'd we get saddled with a boring one?"

Percy was quick to come to her newfound father's defense. "Wha—hey! This Poseidon's just as cool too!"

He gave her a flat look.

She quickly grew flustered. "He is!"

He snorted. "Suuuure."

For the next hour, they stayed outside the cafe to ramble about the differences between their universes (or more specifically, the differences between their Poseidons). Percy was already full when thirty minutes had passed, but Loki—who was a god with a literal endless stomach—kept ordering more and more food to the point that they had to eat at another table since their previous one was piled up with too many empty plates and glasses.

"Gotta use the restroom," Percy mumbled, rising up to her feet.

As she started to walk away, Loki loudly said, "Have a nice shit, Percy!"

Irked, she flicked her hand and the drink nearby exploded on his face. She snickered at the look on his face before disappearing into the cafe.

Thankfully, they had a restroom inside so she filed in there and did her business, but in the middle of washing her hands, she found two goddesses standing behind her through the mirror.

What the hell, she thought, whirling around. What is it with gods and cornering people in bathrooms?

"Lady Demeter, and..." She swallowed thickly, trying to force down the boiling anger she felt when she saw the pink haired goddess. "You."

It took all her willpower not to make all the pipes in her explode. She was pretty sure she could handle fighting them—they weren't exactly battle goddesses anyway—but they were in a cramped space surrounded by mortals. Granted, they were already dead, but she was pretty sure she remembered Hades telling her that souls here could still get harmed and destroyed.

Despite her obvious animosity, both goddesses greeted her with beaming smiles.

"Percy!" Demeter cooed before swooping her up into a tight hug. The unexpected show of affection was enough to make her anger simmer down.

"Uh—?"

"Oh, Percy!" Persephone gushed, and when her mother set her down, she was next to envelop her in another hug.

"Wait, what the hell? Let go!" She managed to pry herself free and glared at her. "What are you doing? Do you have any idea how pissed I am with you after what you did?"

Persephone's smile dimmed a bit, as if she had no idea what she was talking about. "You are upset with me...? Oh, but Percy, I truly had honest intentions that night! I only wanted to help you!"

"Help me?!" Her voice rose an octave. "Are you crazy?! Actually, don't answer that." Seeing it pointless to continue to talk to her, she turned to Demeter. "Auntie Demeter, your daughter drugged me and Hades!"

"I know!" She replied brightly.

"You—huh?"

"I know all about it!" She went on, looking so happy despite the accusation that was thrown at her face. "I understand why you're upset—really, I do—but aren't you and Hades so happy together now?"

She looked at him in total bewilderment. "What?"

"Hades and I are getting a divorce," Persephone breathed out, her pink eyes watering in pure happiness and relief. "And it's all thanks to you, Percy."

Her blood ran cold. "What?"

"Hades said it wasn't really because of you, he's been thinking about divorcing me for a while now, but if you hadn't been here, if I hadn't gotten the courage to push you two together... Well, we wouldn't be here right now!" She cheerily exclaimed. "So it's really all thanks to you that I can finally be free!"

"Thank you," Demeter said tearfully, grasping her arms. "Thank you so so much, Percy. Because of you, I can finally have my daughter back."

She brought her in for another hug, and Percy could feel her tears dropping at the top of her head.

"I wish you nothing but happiness with Hades," Demeter told her, rubbing her back. "He was not good for my Kore, but I know he will be so good for you."

"Hades and I aren't together!" Percy sputtered, pushing her away.

"Not yet," Persephone winked. "But once our divorce is official, he will finally be free to pursue you."

Her face went white. She started to feel as if the walls were closing in on her. "What? No, no, no... That—that is not what I want."

Persephone let out a laugh. "Don't be ridiculous! Is it the uncle thing getting to you again? I told you Percy, none of that matters!"

"It matters to me!" She snapped. "I don't want him!"

But then she remembered the sensation of his hands roaming over her body, leaving a burning trail on her skin. The way his kiss overwhelmed her completely, leaving her wanting more. She remembered even begging for it.

Shame took over her. She may have been drugged, but why did she still want it even now? Her own uncle. She felt like she was gonna be sick. Gods, what was wrong with her?

Both of the goddesses laughed and Percy was really beginning to feel claustrophobic now. Her breath hitched, like she was drowning on air but before she could have a full-blown breakdown, a chilling voice entered the room.

"What the fuck are you two doing here?" Loki appeared at the doorway, arms crossed and looking down at the two goddesses. He glanced over at Percy, who looked like a cornered animal, and only felt more pissed.

"Loki?" Demeter straightened up.

"Tch. Can't you dumb goddesses see that you're upsetting her?! I was about to order dessert, but now you've ruined her appetite!"

Persephone darted between them. "You're with Loki?" She didn't like this. She should be with Hades, not some Norse trickster god. "Percy... why are you with him? Are you—are the two of you together or—"

Percy couldn't take it anymore. Every sink in the bathroom exploded. Water burst everywhere. Persephone shrieked when one particular stream hit her hard on the face.

"Leave!" She shouted.

The goddesses didn't hesitate. They disappeared in a cloud of flower petals and wheat.

A human, probably a cafe employee, rushed into the room only to freeze at the sight of her, a god, and all the broken sinks.

"...Sorry," Percy managed to say, cringing at herself. She waved a hand and the water stopped gushing, but the pipes and sinks were too damaged for her to do anything about them. "I'll, uh, pay for this. Actually, wait, I'm broke."

She sent a pleading look to Loki, hoping he could conjure up a wallet to pay for the damages. She'd probably owe him later, but whatever.

But she shouldn't have expected a shred of decency from him. He snorted in amusement before sticking his tongue out at the employee. "Deal with it, human."

Then, he snatched her hand and pulled her out of the bathroom and out of the cafe.

As they started walking down the streets of London, Loki casually spoke up, "So... you and Hades, huh?"

She stiffened. "I don't wanna talk about it."

Surprisingly, he relented. "Hmm, fine."

Things fell quiet between them, which she was grateful for. Sleipnir joined them and Loki busied himself with him. Meanwhile, the humans on the streets gave them a wide berth. It was then that she realized just how much they stood out—aside from the eight-legged horse and all. Everything about Loki reeked of divinity and while she was no god, the way she dressed and how close she was to him definitely helped her stand out too.

But suddenly, three gods materialized right in front of them. Loki and Percy's blood went cold.

Odin, Thor, and Poseidon.

Shit, they thought simultaneously. The humans actually reacted faster than them; the second they realized that there were way too many gods in this one spot, they quickly scrambled away from the area. Even Sleipnir flew away. Loki and Percy were too frozen to move an inch.

The look on Poseidon's face went beyond fury. It reminded Percy so much of the day he got angry with her, the day that nearly sent their already frigid relationship to ruins.

Except this time, this look wasn't directed to her anymore, but to Loki.

"You," Poseidon's voice was trembling with anger. His trident appeared in his hand.

Odin sighed. He didn't seem to sense the danger that was coming, but Percy sure did. "Loki, how many times have I told you—"

Poseidon didn't even bother to wait. He lunged forward, the three tips of his trident aimed at Loki's chest. But then—

"Wait!" Percy jumped right in front of him.

It was like time slowed down. The gods' eyes widened in alarm as Poseidon's trident nearly impaled his own daughter, stopping just in time before it could touch her. Poseidon was left wide-eyed. He quickly pulled away, his trident disappearing.

Percy sighed in relief. She was 99% sure that he would stop in time if she jumped in front of him. She really didn't want to witness a shish kebab-ed Loki. Plus, she knew she wouldn't have gotten harmed anyway. And besides, it had been instinct of hers to just jump in.

Loki gawked at the back of her head. "Why... why would you—?!"

"—Have you lost your mind?!" Poseidon cut him off. The other gods didn't know what to be shocked at the most: the fact that a mortal girl had jumped in to protect Loki or the fact Poseidon actually sounded shaken.

Percy's eyes widened. She didn't think he'd be so upset. "I-I—"

He grabbed her by the arm and shook her. "—Do not EVER do that again, Percilla! EVER! Do you understand me?!"

"Sorry, I just—I didn't think—" she stammered.

"—SAY IT!" He roared, his hand trembling even as he gripped her arm harder. "Say that you'll never do something that foolish again!"

"I-I won't! I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry!" She blurted out. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just—I didn't know if Loki would dodge it, so I—"

"—If a mortal girl had enough time to jump in front of him, then he—a god—had enough time to dodge!" He yelled. "And if he could not dodge, then that's on him!"

"I would've dodged!" Loki sputtered in outrage, before he turned his focus back on her. "And you! Are you stupid or something?! I would've been fine even if he did stab me!"

"I don't want to hear anything from you!" Poseidon said through gritted teeth. "Percilla, we are returning home. And Odin... this is the last time I spare your nephew should he do this again."

Odin nodded solemnly. "I assure you, Poseidon, this will not happen again." He sent his nephew a stern look afterwards.

Poseidon didn't say a word, just gave him one last stormy glare before the two of them disappeared.

‧₊˚✩彡𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟‧₊˚✩彡๋ ࣭ ⭑ ࣭ ⭑

When they returned home, Percy expected him to lash out at her again like last time. To tell her that she was a stupid, worthless girl, and that he hated her. But that never happened. Instead, he ordered Proteus and a bunch of other guards to watch over her while he stormed away. She knew he was still upset though, because every three minutes or so the seabed would shake dangerously and she knew the mortals up on the surface were dying because of it.

More people are dying, she thought shakily. This was twice now. First the tidal wave and now this deadly earthquake. Was this all her fault?

Hours passed and the quaking didn't cease. Dinner was spent in her lonesome with only a Proteus to keep her company.

"You're father's not upset with you, Princess," he tried to comfort her as she miserably ate her food. "Just... worried. He'll calm down soon enough."

"Do you think everyone up there is gonna be okay?" She asked, glancing up at the ceiling.

At first, Proteus thought she was talking about the servants working on the upper floors, but then realized she meant the humans on the surface.

"Oh, you mean the humans? I'm sure they'll be fine. They've been through worse—all by their own hand, of course." He could never quite understand why Percy felt that way towards the humans. Initially, he assumed that she just tolerated them, but no, she loved the humans, cared for them even.

Nobody could figure out where it came from. The humans were a horrible species that never should've been created. They were savages that destroyed everything they touched—even themselves. They were beyond salvation—a sentiment that many agreed with.

Proteus cleared his throat. He really didn't want to talk about them anymore. "So," he began, changing the topic. "You were out with Lord Loki today, correct? Did he harm you in any way?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Loki's cool. Sort of. By the way, did you get into trouble this morning? Because... because Loki snatched me away and all that?"

He smiled at her worry for him, "No, Princess. No one was blamed for it. But we were all quite scared for you. Your father especially. He is not very... fond of Loki," he explained delicately.

She couldn't help but frown. "Because he's a trickster god?"

"Oh no," he shook his head. "You see, eons ago your father created a beautiful species called the horse. It was a momentous day. Everyone loved the horses. Loki, however, ah... well, he loved the horses a little too much."

"Huh."

Proteus cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Loki turned himself into a mare and..."

Percy's jaw began to drop in horror as realization dawned on her.

"While Loki had a good reason to turn into a mare, Poseidon was convinced that Loki would try to... um, perform coitus with other creations of his." He couldn't seem to look Percy in the eye as he explained this. "So you can probably understand why your father was very desperate to get you back especially after learning just who had taken you."

"So... so is Sleipnir...?" She choked out.

Proteus nodded at her unfinished question.

Her mind went back to when she first met Sleipnir, Loki's eight-legged horse that he brought along when he nabbed her.

"I birthed this baby myself," Loki said proudly, patting the horse on the side.

HE MEANT THAT LITERALLY?

"You gods are weird," she breathed out.

He laughed.

It was certainly enough to help lighten up the mood, but Percy felt herself dim again once it was time for bed. The quaking had lessened, but Percy slept alone once more.

As if to make things worse, she had a nightmare too.

She dreamed that she was back in London again. Her father was standing in front of her, but Loki, Odin, and Thor were nowhere to be found. The streets were empty of humans too. It was just them.

Poseidon had his trident out. She didn't know why; Loki wasn't here, so what was he so angry for?

But then—

"You are not my daughter."

Her stomach sank. All around her, the world started to fall apart, but she and Poseidon stayed standing.

Her mouth tried to move, to plead for forgiveness, to apologize for deceiving him, to tell him that he was wrong, that she was his daughter, but Poseidon lunged at her, the three tips of his trident aimed for her chest.

This time, he didn't stop himself. Despite her Curse, he felt herself get ripped apart—

"You are safe," a voice whispered, followed by a hand combing back her hair which was stuck to her forehead.

Her eyes shot open. She was no longer in the streets of London but lying on her bed back on Atlantis. Poseidon—her father, her killer—leaned over her bedside, staring down at her as he caressed her hair.

"You had another nightmare," he whispered. "I will have a word with Hypnos later."

She was so relieved to see him—the him that didn't want her dead—to even protest that.

"I should not have yelled at you," he said softly. The words 'I'm sorry' weren't there, but they were felt by her regardless. "But I meant what I said. You must never do something like that ever again, Percilla. You are not a god yet, you are a mortal. Your life is short compared to ours, and I will not have you cut it shorter because of your foolishness."

When Poseidon first saw her move to shield Loki from him, it was as if he had finally broken. The last time he had ever felt this fear was eons ago, when he learned that Hades had decided to face the Titans alone while they were busy with Gaea and her Giants. And now, he had experienced that fear once more.

If he hadn't stopped himself in time, he would've killed her. His trident would've pierced through her chest and killed her, brutally and horribly. There wouldn't have been any time to save her.

It shouldn't have fazed him much. Sure she was mortal, but she could still come back to him. Her soul would've gone to Helheim and after being judged, she would've been sent back to Valhalla anyway. He would've lost her, but it would've been temporary.

And yet...

"Foolish girl! Be more careful! Does your own mortality not faze you?!"

"No, it doesn't. In fact, I embrace it!"

"You wish to remain mortal? What naive thinking, daughter."

"You want me gone, don't you?! Well, good news: you don't have to worry about that! You won't find me anywhere after I finally kick the bucket!"

And yet there was that. It was an argument they had many months ago when his mother decided to send them to that dreaded island as punishment. He remembered her words, clear as day.

"You won't find me anywhere after I finally kick the bucket!"

That wasn't true. It couldn't be. Every human went to Helheim or Valhalla eventually. It was just a universal fact. But she sounded so certain... Poseidon hadn't thought much about it back then, but now it had come back to haunt him.

It was illogical... but a part of him really did believe he would lose her. Permanently. And he couldn't let that happen. The very thought of losing her shook him to the very core.

How laughable. He, who once resented her very existence, now feared for her fragile life. The most fearsome god of the seas, wrapped around the finger of an insolent little girl. And he didn't even care.

"I will not lose you. Ever. Do you understand that?" He whispered, but there was a powerful intensity in voice that demanded to be obeyed.

He stared down at her as she laid in bed, so delicate, so human.

"You are a blessing that was granted to me by the bifrost," he murmured fervently. "I scorned you once, but never again. So do not leave me."

"I won't." She whispered. "I'm sorry for scaring you."

He didn't refute that, just nodded in acceptance and leaned down to kiss her forehead. It was the first time he had ever done that. She closed her eyes and relished in the warmth that enveloped her.

"The next time trouble arises and I am not around, pray to me," he told her. "Or call out my name if you must. I will be there."

"Okay." She nodded sleepily.

Another kiss. He was surprisingly affectionate today.

"Good. I will also be giving you a cellphone," he decided. "It's about time you have one anyway."

She felt a little more awake after that. "You're gonna give me a phone?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, but now I'm getting the feeling that I'll regret it."

Rather than assuaging his worries, she just grinned in response.

He smirked in amusement. "Cheeky child. Back to sleep with you, now. It's still too early."

"Can you sleep with me?" She asked meekly.

He raised a brow. "No longer going to kick me out?"

She shrunk in her bed, sheepish. "Sorry."

He snorted, but climbed into bed with her. As he wrapped his arms around her, he could tell that she was still feeling restless by how her tail wiggled around so much.

"If you want, I can sing you a lullaby to put you to sleep." He offered.

"You can sing?" She said incredulously.

He shot her a look.

"Oh. Right. Merman. Siren. Duh." She mumbled. "I wanna hear you sing, daddy."

He nodded in response, opened his mouth, and began to sing.

The second the first note came out of his lips, Percy instantly felt like she had hit a daze. Her whole body turned slack, as if it was going into rest mode. His voice—beautiful, perfect, and eerie at the same time—was a melody she never wanted to stop. Her eyelids grew heavy. She snuggled deeper against his chest.

Up above on land, hundreds of women stumbled out of their broken homes and shelters, eyes blank as their bodies swayed to the rhythm of the haunting song that seemed to echo throughout the seas. Their feet took them to shore. Tomorrow morning, their bodies would be found floating on the water.

Back in Atlantis, the song finished as Percy finally succumbed to sleep. Poseidon kissed her one more time. 

— author's note —

I got the name "Gossipmonger" from an anon on tumblr, so if you're reading this, thank you again!!!

Here's some memes from Luna999!!!:

Here's Percy fanart from FaeMSS 💖:

Honeydew-mint DREW THE PERCY AND HADES SEX POLLEN SCENE FROM LAST CHAPTER SHFJHVJHS:

A picrew from daushu!: