Melancholy Kaleidescope | PJO

Ch. 11: Waterland

Arriving at Waterland had Jinora wondering what exactly was so romantic about this place that two gods decided to hook up here. This place did nothing but give her the creeps.

"I haven't seen a lot of horror movies," Percy stated. "But this seems exactly like the kind of place to avoid."

"Movies," Jinora questioned. "That's the one with the moving pictures, right?" Percy nodded. "Hmm. I've never seen one before."

"Really," Percy asked. Jinora nodded. "Never? Like, never never?"

"Unless you count the orientation film," she retorted, biting back her chuckle.

"Well," he pursed his lips. "If neither of us is dead in a few days we should really work on fixing that."

Jinora was thankful it was dark because she felt her face heat up.

The two of them walked around the perimeter of the gated park. Eventually, Percy came up with the clever idea of climbing over the fence–the fence with barbed wire at the top.

"Look, I'll get up there and hold the wire down so you can climb over," he reasoned with her, trying to hurry up and get this side quest done with.

"Or," Jinora countered, walking up to the shackled-up gate. She grabbed the padlock, which clicked and opened. Then, she grabbed the knotted chains, which unraveled neatly for her. The rusted gate squealed as she pushed it open. "We could just walk right in."

Percy furrowed his eyebrows and looked between the padlock and the chains that she'd undone with a tug.

"How did you do that?"

Jinora rolled her eyes, as if it were obvious. "My dad's the god of thieves. I gotta get in hard-to-reach places somehow. Now, are you coming or not? I don't think Ares will appreciate us taking our sweet time."

He watched as she turned and entered into the park, still trying to process a padlock unlocking simply because she touched it. He shook his head and sighed as he followed, quick to catch up with her.

The amusement park only grew creepier the deeper in they walked. Jinora hummed an impressed note.

"Hephaestus really outdid himself this time, didn't he?"

Percy shrugged. "If Ares brings his girlfriend here for a date, I'd hate to see what she looks like."

Jinora glanced anxiously at him. "You should be more careful with the way you speak of the gods, Percy. Especially Aphrodite. She takes comments on her appearance very seriously."

"Aphrodite," Percy asked. Jinora nodded. "Isn't she married to Hephaestus?"

"Yep," Jinora answered.

"Oh," was all Percy could muster in response, suddenly feeling the need to change the subject.

"Which ride did Ares say it was again?"

Jinora huffed. "The Tunnel of Love."

They continued walking, waiting for one of the rides to be what Ares sent them here for. So far, all they got were abandoned roller coasters and drop towers.

"So..." Percy snapped his fingers and clapped his hands together. "Ares and Aphrodite...have a thing going on?"

Jinora nodded. "Yeah, but that's old gossip."

"And Hephaestus knows?"

"Oh yeah," she answered, like she found the story behind it funny. "He caught them once. I mean, he literally caught them, in a golden net, and invited all the gods to come and laugh at them. That's why they meet in these out-of-the-way places, like..."