𝑨𝑪𝑻 𝑶𝑵𝑬 ━ 𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑭𝑶𝑼𝑹

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓, 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐒𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 behind the dining pavilion as the campers came up from their cabins to have dinner. The light came through the openings which illuminated the dimly lit pavilion. Iris and Annabeth were still pretty shaken up as Annabeth walked off to the Athena table that was a little bit further away down the rows of tables, muttering a 'see you later' to Iris and a nod to the others.

Annabeth wasn't the oldest, but she'd been at camp more summers like Iris than just about anybody. You could tell that by looking at her camp necklace—one bead for every summer, and Annabeth had six just like Iris. No one questioned them right to lead the line.

Next came Clarisse, leading the Ares cabin as always, Percy couldn't understand how Iris could be friends with her. She had one arm in a sling and a nasty-looking gash on her cheek, but otherwise her encounter with the bronze bulls didn't seem to have fazed her.

After the Ares kids came the Hephaestus cabin—six guys led by Charles Beckendorf, a big fifteen-year-old African American kid. He had hands the size of catchers' mitts and a face that was hard and squinty from looking into a blacksmith's forge all day. He was nice enough once you got to know him, but no one ever called him Charlie or Chuck or Charles except Iris, she called him Chaz but he didn't bother to tell her off though he would tell anybody who tried to call him that, Percy swore she could get away with anything.

The Aphrodite table was where Iris always sat with the table full of perfectly combed hair and perfectly straightened clothes, it annoyed Percy how much Iris was perfect at everything, she always seemed to get away with anything and everything. Their leader was Silena Beauregard, she wasn't the strictest leader out of all the others, she was pretty chill. Percy had seen her walking a lot with Iris a few times while training.

The other cabins filed in: Demeter, Apollo, Dionysus. Naiads came up from the canoe lake and Dryads melted out of the trees. From the meadow came a dozen satyrs and after the satyrs filed in to dinner, the Hermes cabin brought up the rear. They were always the biggest cabin. Last summer, it had been led by Luke, the guy who'd fought with Thalia and Annabeth on top of Half-Blood Hill.

Now the Hermes cabin was led by Travis and Connor Stoll. They weren't twins, but they looked so much alike it didn't matter to anyone really. Percy could never remember which one was older and he wasn't the only one who had that problem even Mr. D couldn't. They were both tall and skinny, with mops of brown hair that hung in their eyes.

As soon as the last campers had filed in, Iris decide it would have been a good idea to go to her table, wanting to get the day over with but just as she started walking towards the table, a hand caught her wrist.

"Princess- I mean Iris," said Percy as Iris looked down at her wrist and held a blank expression for Percy to continue even though walking over and eating was a better idea. "Thank you... for uh... saving me back there, on the hill... form the bull's—."

"Yeah, I got it kelp-head," Iris shrugged her wrist away as the boy glared at her for using the nickname. "Couldn't let you die, could I? Otherwise who would I annoy when I need to or even who would I beat at everything."

Percy's face dropped a bit as if disappointed that she didn't give him another reason, "I should go now, see ya Jackson, bye Tyson! " said Iris as she walked towards the Aphrodite table and sitting down next to Silena.

"Bye, pretty lady!" said Tyson as Iris giggled and looked at him before turning away, it wasn't uncommon for the Aphrodite kids to be stared at when they walked — no one could blame you if you looked, they were cat walking every time, plus Iris liked the attention.

Percy huffed and led Tyson into the middle of the pavilion. Any conversations that had once been started were now faltered by the presence of the cyclops. Heads turned and spoons were dropped. "Who invited that?" somebody at the Apollo table murmured.

Percy lightly glared at the table not knowing who had made the comment, why was it that hard to just mind their own business? Percy thought as he walked. From the head table a familiar voice drawled, "Well, well, if it isn't Peter Johnson. My millennium is complete."

Percy gritted his teeth and said in an passive aggressive voice that would have gotten him a few days worth of stable cleaning and dish washing. "Percy Jackson...sir."

Mr. D sipped his Diet Coke. "Yes. Well, as you young people say these days: Whatever." He was wearing his usual leopard-pattern Hawaiian shirt, walking shorts, and tennis shoes with black socks. With his pudgy belly and his blotchy red face, he looked like a Las Vegas tourist who'd stayed up too late in one of those casinos but instead he looked like he didn't win anything. Behind him, a nervous-looking satyr was peeling the skins off grapes and handing them to Mr. D one at a time.

Mr. D's real name is Dionysus. The god of wine who Zeus appointed him director of Camp Half- Blood to dry out for a hundred years— a punishment for chasing some off-limits wood nymph.

Next to him, where Chiron usually sat was someone Percy had never seen before—a pale, horribly thin man in a threadbare orange prisoner's jumpsuit. The number over his pocket read 0001 and he had blue shadows under his eyes, dirty fingernails, and badly cut gray hair, like his last haircut had been done with a weed whacker. Percy mentally cringed at the sight.

He stared at Percy ; his eyes made the boy nervous. Angry and frustrated and hungry all at the same time we're swirling inside his eyes as he continued to stare at the boy. What a creep. Thought Iris, she knew that was the exact thoughts of anyone and anything who had a brain.

"This boy," Dionysus told him as he pointed towards Percy, "you need to watch. Poseidon's child, you know."

"Ah!" said Tantalus as he stared at Percy, his eyes darkened— if they would even more. "That one." His tone made it obvious that he and Dionysus had already talked about him before.

"I am Tantalus," the man said as he smiled coldly at Percy who squirmed at the look. "On special assignment here until, well, until my Lord Dionysus decides otherwise. And you, Perseus Jackson, I do expect you to refrain from causing any more trouble."

"Trouble?" asked Percy stupidly as if he wasn't getting himself in trouble every two minute thought Iris as she rolled her brown eyes. Dionysus snapped his fingers. A newspaper appeared on the table, the front page of today's New York Post. There was the picture of Percy from his yearbook from Meriwether Prep.

"Yes, trouble," Tantalus said with satisfaction at the reaction that Percy had given at the sight of the newspaper. "You caused plenty of it last summer, I understand."

A satyr inched forward nervously and set a plate of barbecue in front of Tantalus as if he was going to bite. Iris felt bad for the satyr knowing she would rather serve an elephant than Tantalus. The new activities director licked his lips as he hungrily looked at his empty goblet and said, "Root beer. Barq's special stock. 1967." The glass filled itself with foamy soda. Tantalus stretched out his hand hesitantly, as if he were afraid the goblet was hot.

"Go on, then, old fellow," Dionysus said, a strange sparkle in his eyes. "Perhaps now it will work." Tantalus grabbed for the glass, but it scooted away before he could touch it. A few drops of root beer spilled, and Tantalus tried to dab them up with his fingers, but the drops rolled away like quicksilver before he could touch them.

He growled and turned toward the plate of barbecue. He picked up a fork and tried to stab a piece of brisket, but the plate skittered down the table and flew off the end, straight into the coals of the brazier. "Blast!" Tantalus muttered as he stared down at the table.

"Ah, well," Dionysus said, his voice dripping with false sympathy at the man. "Perhaps a few more days. Believe me, old chap, working at this camp will be torture enough. I'm sure your old curse will fade eventually."

"Eventually," muttered Tantalus, staring at Dionysus's Diet Coke. "Do you have any idea how dry one's throat gets after three thousand years?"

"You're that spirit from the Fields of Punishment," said Percy as he looked back and forth from Mr.D to Tantalus. "The one who stands in the lake with the fruit tree hanging over you, but you can't eat or drink."

Tantalus sneered at Percy, a hatred of some sort in his eyes which was always full of hatred, just this time it was heavier, "A real scholar, aren't you, boy?"

"You must've done something really horrible when you were alive," Percy added, he looked a bit impressed by this. "What was it?"

Tantalus's eyes narrowed towards the black haired boy, a dangerous look evident in his eyes. Behind him, the satyrs were shaking their heads vigorously, trying to warn him but obviously he didn't take their advice. Iris shook her head.

"I'll be watching you, Percy Jackson," Tantalus said. "I don't want any problems at my camp."

"Your camp has problems already...sir." replied Percy a glint of mischief in his eyes.

𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐘𝐒𝐔𝐒 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐁𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐈𝐌 𝐀𝐒 𝐇𝐄 said "Oh, go sit down, Johnson," Percy frowned as he continued. "I believe that table over there is yours—the one where no one else ever wants to sit." Iris stifled a laugh at this, Mr D could be really funny when he wasn't a bitch to campers, Iris looked at Percy who was still standing there looking up at them until he gave up and turned to Tyson.

"Come on, Tyson." said Percy as he looked at the cyclops. "Oh, no," Tantalus said. "The monster stays here. We must decide what to do with it."

"Him," snapped Percy "His name is Tyson." The new activities director raised an eyebrow at the boy's sudden outburst as he thought."Tyson saved the camp," insisted Percy. "He pounded those bronze bulls. Otherwise they would've burned down this whole place."

"Yes," Tantalus sighed, "and what a pity that would've been." Dionysus snickered at the bad joke made by Tantalus. Iris frowned at them not happy at how they were treating Tyson.

"Leave us," Tantalus ordered, "while we decide this creature's fate." Tyson looked at Percy with fear in his one big eye, but Percy knew he couldn't disobey a direct order from the camp directors. Not openly, anyway.

"I'll be right over here, big guy," He promised as the cyclops nodded. "Don't worry. We'll find you a good place to sleep tonight."

Tyson nodded, honestly Iris loved Tyson, he reminded her of a huge teddy bear that could kill if it wanted to but still huge teddy bear. "I believe you. You are my friend." said Tyson.

Iris watched as Percy trudged over to the Poseidon table and slumped onto the bench when a wood nymph brought him a plate of Olympian olive-and-pepperoni pizza, but of course this dumbass didn't even eat it, who doesn't like pizza? But if you've been almost killed twice in one day, your appetite wouldn't be huge.

As Iris watched from afar not really paying attention to her food nor does she pay attention to her siblings until Silena yelled, "Offerings!" which made all of her siblings stand up including Iris as they walked towards bronze brazier as they scraped a part of their food into the flames as offerings to the gods. "Oh, Aphrodite," murmured Iris as she put a part of her pizza in, "accept my offering."

They all sat back down at their benches as Tantalus got one of the nymphs blow the horn to get everyone attention for another announcement.

"Yes, well," Tantalus said, once the talking had died down in the pavilion. "Another fine meal! Or so I am told." As he spoke, he inched his hand toward his refilled dinner plate, as if maybe the food wouldn't notice what he was doing, but it did. It shot away down the table as soon as he got within six inches.

"And here on my first day of authority," he continued as Iris rolled her eyes, "I'd like to say what a pleasant form of punishment it is to be here. Over the course of the summer, I hope to torture, er, interact with each and every one of you children. You all look good enough to eat."

Dionysus clapped politely but he looked like he would rather be somewhere else, leading to some halfhearted applause from the satyrs and some nymphs. Tyson was still standing at the head table, looking uncomfortable from the situation and Iris hated it, but every time he tried to scoot out of the limelight, Tantalus pulled him back.

"And now some changes!" Tantalus gave the campers a crooked smile that had irritation written all over it. "We are reinstituting the chariot races!"

Murmuring broke out at all the tables—excitement, fear, disbelief. They hadn't had the race for a ages and it was for a good reason, Iris locked eyes with Annabeth who had the same look as Iris, fear.

"Now I know," Tantalus continued, raising his voice cutting through the muttering of the campers, "that these races were discontinued some years ago due to, ah, technical problems."

"Three deaths and twenty-six mutilations," someone at the Apollo table called. It wasn't the greatest memory.

"Yes, yes!" Tantalus said. "But I know that you will all join me in welcoming the return of this camp tradition. Golden laurels will go to the winning charioteers each month. Teams may register in the morning! The first race will be held in three days time. We will release you from most of your regular activities to prepare your chariots and choose your horses. Oh, and did I mention, the victorious team's cabin will have no chores for the month in which they win?"

The dining pavilion erupted with excitement as the campers looked around in cheer excitement, would they really have no chores? That wouldn't be very effective and efficient for the campers and camp?

"But, sir!" Clarisse said. She looked nervous, but she stood up to speak from the Ares table. "What about patrol duty? I mean, if we drop everything to ready our chariots—"

"Ah, the hero of the day," Tantalus exclaimed. "Brave Clarisse, who single-handedly bested the bronze bulls!" Clarisse blinked, then blushed in embarrassment, Iris furrowed her brows — why was he saying that? "Um, I didn't—"

"And modest, too." Tantalus grinned. "Not to worry, my dear! This is a summer camp. We are here to enjoy ourselves, yes?"

"But the tree—" Clarisse tried to continue, Iris wanted to duct tape Tantalus mouth shut.

"And now," Tantalus said, as several of Clarisse's cabin mates pulled her back into her seat, "before we proceed to the campfire and sing-along, one slight housekeeping issue. Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase have seen fit, for some reason, to bring this here." Tantalus waved a hand toward Tyson.

"Now, of course," he said, "Cyclopes have a reputation for being bloodthirsty monsters with a very small brain capacity. Under normal circumstances, I would release this beast into the woods and have you hunt it down with torches and pointed sticks. But who knows? Perhaps this Cyclops is not as horrible as most of its brethren. Until it proves worthy of destruction, we need a place to keep it! I've thought about the stables, but that will make the horses nervous. Hermes's cabin, possibly?"

Iris wondered if Chiron was here if things would be different, maybe he would have put Tyson with Percy instead? Or maybe he would have led him somewhere else to stay that wasn't dangerous. Chiron would have done the right thing, Iris was certain of it and she would have sided with him too. But Chiron wasn't here, instead there was a wannabe prisoner that looked like old mould.

The pavilion was met with silence from the Hermes table. The Hermes cabin was always full to a bursting point, they were already having accommodations problems, this wouldn't help at all. There was no way they could take in a six-foot-three Cyclops. This is getting out of hand. Thought Iris as she looked at the Hermes table.

"Come now," Tantalus chided looking like he was about to bully the cyclops again. "The monster may be able to do some menial chores. Any suggestions as to where such a beast should be kenneled?"

But a few seconds later something Iris was never going to expect happened and it had been so unexpected that even Dionysus was looking shocked. Everyone gasped as Iris turned to look at Tyson in disbelief at the brilliant green light —a dazzling holographic image that had appeared above Tyson's head. Swirling over Tyson was a glowing green trident—the same symbol that had appeared above Percy's head the day Poseidon had claimed him as his son.

There was a moment of awed silence as the campers stared at the cyclops in awe or surprise — Iris didn't know but it wasn't a revolutionary look. What the hell? Iris thought. It couldn't be? Being claimed was a rare event, well rare meant almost only a few time a year. Some campers waited in vain for it their whole lives as desperation crept up their spines. But now, they followed Tantalus's lead, and Tantalus roared with laughter. "Well! I think we know where to put the beast now. By the gods, I can see the family resemblance!"

Everybody laughed except Iris, Annabeth and a few of Percy's other friends. How could they laugh? It was Poseidon! Did they want to get drowned by prawns or something? Iris thought they were stupid but surprisingly almost none of the Aphrodite children laughed except Drew Tanaka, aka Iris's least favourite siblings. She was easily the most hated out of her whole cabin, she was mean and spoiled.

Tyson didn't seem to notice the mockery of the campers and Tantalus, he was too mystified or petrified really, trying to swat the glowing trident that was now fading over his head. Iris thought he was too innocent to understand how much they were making fun of him, how cruel people really were in this world. But now that she was thinking about it, Percy had a new roommate and things were going to change and Iris wouldn't be able to stop them.

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❪ ៸ 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 ━━━━━ ! ﹆◞ ❫
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❪ . . . the 4th chapter for LOVE STORY everyone, I might edit it later TYSON IS SUCH A SWEETHEART! , the relationship I have plan for him and Iris! Omg and THE INTERACTION BETWEEN PERCY AND IRIS AHHH❫
❪ . . . THIS IS 3.3k which way more than I expected but I had pre written this so that's that! ❫
❪ . . . PLEASE tell me how you guys feel about it ??❫
❪ . . .PLEASE don't be a ghost reader, comment and vote, I love to reply to everyone and interact with my readers, love all of you darlings <33 ❫
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