𝓕𝓲𝓷𝓮 𝓛𝓲𝓷𝓮 // Clarisse La Rue

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓢𝓲𝔁𝓽𝓮𝓮𝓷

Florence tried talking her way out of it but as it turns out, Tantalus was immune to her charmspeak. That's why she finds herself in the kitchens later that day – scrubbing pots and platters all afternoon in the underground kitchen with the cleaning harpies. The harpies washed with lava instead of water, to get that extra-clean sparkle and kill ninety-nine point nine percent of all germs, so they had to wear asbestos gloves and aprons.

The cyclops didn't mind. He plunged his bare hands right in and started scrubbing, but Florence, Annabeth and Percy had to suffer through hours of hot, dangerous work, especially since there were tons of extra plates. Tantalus had ordered a special luncheon banquet to celebrate Clarisse's chariot victory – a full-course meal featuring country-fried Stymphalian death-bird. Which tasted awful by the way.

The punishment gave Florence plenty of time to think while Anabeth and Percy spoke in hushed whispers. The protective clothings was the second most humiliating she had to endure that day. The first was most certainly losing to Clarisse and having to endure the smug smirks she had sent Florence throughout the entire lunch.

After a while Annabeth came to stand beside her.

"Percy thinks he knows where the golden fleece is." Annabeth said and Florence turned to her, wide eyed.

"Where? I have to go find it!" Florence said.

"In the sea of monsters. We're going to ask Tantalus for a quest tonight." Annabeth says.

"But you can't do that!" Florence frowned. "Chiron told Percy explicitly not to go on a quest and for you to stay with him. I however swore on the styx I'd go on a quest to save Thalia's tree if there ever was one. He was very specific."

"It's just... Percy thinks Grover's trapped with the Fleece and he has to save Grover." Annabeth says.

"Only one more reason for me to go. Before Grover was your protector he was mine, if I can save him, I will. Besides this only makes it more likely for it to be a trap for Percy, holding someone he cares about hostage. When have we seen that before?"

"Look, Percy needs to go on this quest. I just want your help giving everyone a little nudge into thinking we do need a quest. That way it'll pressure Tantalus into saying yes. Please Florrie, do this for me." Annabeth pleaded.

"Fine, but this is my quest, you got yours last summer." Florence says sounding harsher then she meant to.

꒰🕊꒱

That night at the campfire, Apollo's cabin led the sing-along. They tried to get everybody's spirits up, but it wasn't easy after that morning's bird attack. They all sat around a semicircle of stone steps, singing half-heartedly and watching the bonfire blaze while the Apollo guys strummed their guitars and picked their lyres.

They did all the standard camp numbers: "Down by the Aegean", "I Am My Own Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandpa", "This Land is Minos's Land".

The bonfire was enchanted, so the louder you sang, the higher it rose, changing color and heat with the mood of the crowd. On a good night, Florence had seen it six meters high, bright purple, and so hot the whole front row's marshmallows burst into flames. Tonight, the fire was only a meter high, barely warm, and the flames were the color of lint. Dionysus left early. After suffering through a few songs, he muttered something about how even pinochle with Chiron had been more exciting than this. Then he gave Tantalus a distasteful look and headed back towards the Big House.

When the last song was over, Tantalus said, "Well, that was lovely!" 

He came forward with a toasted marshmallow on a stick and tried to pluck it off, real casual-like. But before he could touch it, the marshmallow flew off the stick. Tantalus made a wild grab, but the marshmallow committed suicide, diving into the flames. Tantalus turned back towards us, smiling coldly. "Now then! Some announcements about tomorrow's schedule."