❛012❜
IVY WAS SOAKING to the bone. for a second, she thought she had just splashed in the ocean, but her eyes shot open when she felt solid wood underneath her.
hovering over her, was a salty-haired percy with the biggest grin she had seen on his face.
"how–" she started.
percy didn't let her finish her question. he wrapped his arms around her in a hug, she returned the gesture happily. ivy buried her face on his chest, she had been scared to death while falling even if apollo probably calculated her fall to be close to her friends. she put aside the twisting of her insides while on his arms.
ivy reluctantly pulled away from the hug. "where's annabeth? are you okay? is–"
hurried footsteps interrupted her rapid questioning, annabeth appeared from below deck with a gorgeous sleeveless silk dress and had smeared make up on her face. the blonde gasped, running toward her full speed and tackled ivy in a hug.
"you bitch!" annabeth said, the two friends were still wrapped in a hug on the floor. "gave us a heart attack and a half, do you know how difficult it is taking care of percy without you? he got turned into a guinea pig!"
"i didn't meant to!" percy argued.
the brunette untangled herself away from her best friend to see if she was serious. annabeth had no hint of being joking, and percy was red to the roots of his hair. she tried not to, really, but ivy bursted out laughing. only percy would manage something so absurd as turning into a rodent.
"don't worry, perce," ivy reassured him when she noticed him clearly burying himself in insecurities. "i'm sure you made an adorable guinea pig."
if possible, percy turned even more red, but now his lips turned up into a smile. "yeah... um, thanks."
annabeth snickered from beside her. ivy decided to ignore her.
"and tyson?" ivy asked hesitantly, not seeing their big friend aboard.
percy and annabeth shared a sad look, before explaining how everything went down for them since the explosion. the rowboat, both tyson and ivy missing, getting to circe's island. ivy explained her side of the story, apollo's weird but not new behaviour, her ancestors from her father's side having diluted godly blood and the thing about a supposed gift. they tried to make sense of it, but none of them could come up with a sensible answer.
after that, they sailed through the night. ivy offered to keep lookout, since she was well rested unlike her two friends. but they refused to leave her, although annabeth waved the white flag after a few hours of rocking back and forth. the blonde went below to lie in a hammock.
ivy and percy watched the horizon. more than once they spotted monsters. a plume of water as tall as a skyscraper spewed into the moonlight. a row of green spines slithered across the waves – something maybe thirty meters long, reptilian. she didn't really want to know.
once the brunette saw nereids, the glowing lady spirits of the sea. after pointing them out to percy he tried to wave at them, but they disappeared into the depths, they didn't know if they saw them or not.
sometime after midnight, annabeth came up on deck. they were just passing a smoking volcano island. the sea bubbled and steamed around the shore.
"one of the forges of hephaestus," annabeth said. "where he makes his metal monsters."
"ike the bronze bulls?" percy asked.
ivy hummed in response. "go around. far around."
they steered clear of the island, and soon it was just a red patch of haze behind them.
percy looked from ivy to annabeth, he had his i'm-about-to-ask-something-i-might-regret-face. "annabeth, the reason you hate cyclopes so much... the story about how thalia really died. what happened?"
it was hard to see the daughter of athena's expression in the dark, but ivy reached for her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. ivy had decided to tell percy why she wasn't fond of cyclopes, mostly after realizing that tyson was just a cyclops. he was kind, empathetic, and a friend. the brunette just hasn't been brave enough to bring up the subject.
"i guess you deserve to know," annabeth said finally. "the night grover was escorting us to camp, he got confused, took some wrong turns. you remember he told you that once?"
percy nodded.
"well, the worst wrong turn was into a cyclops's lair in brooklyn."
"they've got cyclopes in brooklyn?" percy asked incredulously.
ivy frowned. "you wouldn't believe how many,"
"but that's not the point," annabeth continued. "this cyclops, he tricked us. he managed to split us up inside this maze of corridors in an old house in flatbush. and he could sound like anyone, percy. just the way tyson did aboard the princess andromeda. he lured us, one at time. thalia thought she was running to save luke. luke thought he heard me scream for help. and me... i was alone in the dark. i was eight years old. i couldn't even find the exit."
the blonde brushed a curl out of her face. "i remember finding the main room. there were bones all over the floor. and there were thalia and luke and grover, tied up and gagged, hanging from the ceiling like smoked hams. the cyclops was starting a fire in the middle of the floor. i drew my knife, but he heard me. he turned and smiled. he spoke, and somehow he knew my dad's voice. i guess he just plucked it out of my mind. he said, 'now, annabeth, don't you worry. i love you. you can stay here with me. you can stay forever.' "
ivy shivered, remembering her own experience with bad cyclopes.
percy looked unsettled. "what did you do?"
"i stabbed him in the foot." annabeth deadpanned.
percy stared at her. "are you kidding? you were eight years old and you stabbed a grown cyclops in the foot?"
"annie is a badass, even as a mini her." ivy nudged her best friend in the shoulder.
annabeth roller her eyes at ivy. "oh, he would've killed me. but i surprised him. it gave me just enough time to run to thalia and cut the ropes on her hands. she took it from there."
"still... what you did was incredibly brave." the daughter of aphrodite said.
the blonde shook her head. "we barely got out alive. i still have nightmares... the way that cyclops talked in my father's voice. it was his fault we took so long getting to camp. all the monsters who'd been chasing us had time to catch up. that's really why thalia died. if it hadn't been for that cyclops, she'd still be alive today. besides, what they did to–"
annabeth stopped herself, looking towards ivy. the brunette send her a nod. she was going to tell percy what happened, not only because he was her friend but because she needed to explain why she was such an asshole to tyson.
"i think i should leave you two to talk..." annabeth stood up and went below once again.
ivy and percy sat on the deck, watching the constellations in the clear night sky.
"i'm sorry about tyson, perce. i was wrong about him... i shouldn't have judged him so fast." ivy said.
percy didn't say anything, his signature brooding face barely visible in the dim light. "why didn't you like him anyway?"
sighing, she said, "my dad was killed by a cyclops... i don't remember how it happened entirely, like the details and stuff. chiron says i have dissociative amnesia, so basically my brain self-erased memories as a coping mechanism. all i remember is snippets of what happened."
ivy couldn't read percy's expression, which was odd, he was fairly easy to read.
"do you think that's adding to annabeth not liking cyclopes?" he asked.
the brunette shrugged. "maybe. annabeth is the only one other than silena, chiron, and gabriel that knows what happened. she used to help me with my nightmares about that night when i had them regularly. you know her, she's always been protective of her friends, so maybe she blames cyclops on why i get sad sometimes."
"so i'm one of the only five people that you've told." percy's voice sounded weird, maybe hopeful.
"yes, dummy." ivy nudged her shoulder with his. "i mean... i was a bitch to tyson, you at least deserved an explanation on why i acted like that to you brother."
the son of poseidon shook his head. "it's not your fault. if you were forcing me to be friends with a minotaur i wouldn't be nice either."
they stayed silent for a while after that, ivy got entranced in looking at the sea. turning to look at percy, she noticed how he was deep in thought. he was brooding, that was normal, but there was a tinge of self-hatred on his sea-green irises. the daughter of aphrodite burned in hatred at how circe made percy feel, he was perfect the way he was.
"hey, perce?" she said.
percy snapped out of his thoughts, he blinked once. "you've called me perce three times now."
ivy blushed. she hadn't realized she had created another nickname for him. "well, you have two nicknames now. seaweed brain and perce."
"what if i don't like them?" he challenged.
"suck it up."
percy rolled his eyes. "you were saying...?"
she nodded, clearing her throat lightly. "whatever circe said... you know that's not true, right? she was just trying to get into your head, so don't let it."
he looked embarrassed, fidgeting with riptide between his fingers. "i know– she just... it doesn't matter now."
"it does," ivy said. "being bullying by some witchy bitch isn't nice. much less being turned into a rodent. no matter how cute you would've looked."
even through the poor lighting, ivy could see percy blush. his adam's apple bobbed up and down nervously.
"so you think i'm a cute guinea pig?" he asked awkwardly.
she snorted. "no. i would if you were still a guinea pig."
percy knitted his eyebrows in adorable confusion. he went to say something but ivy interrupted him.
"you should go get some rest." she said. "i'll keep lookout."
he hesitated before nodding. ivy watched as he got up and went below. moments later a familiar blonde head appeared in her vision.
annabeth sat beside her, much like how percy was before. the daughter of athena had a look ivy could recognize, she was going to ask her question she didn't want to answer or even think of the answer.
ivy went to run away, but annabeth grabbed her by the arm.
"nuh-uh," her best friend taunted. "you're not going anywhere."
huffing, the brunette sat back down. "i thought you were resting."
"i rested enough," annabeth said. "percy come down to catch some sleep, i thought i'll keep you company."
"aw, how thoughtful of you."
the blonde smirked. "although i'm sure you like percy's company a hundred time more."
ivy glared at her. "what is that supposed to mean?"
"well, by the way you drool over him every five minutes a person can think– i don't know... that you have a crush on him?" annabeth said in a teasing voice.
the daughter of aphrodite gapped like a fish, shaking her vigorously. she didn't have a crush on percy jackson, he was her first! she's had a few crushes over the years. travis stoll, about four years ago when he first got to camp. ethan nakamura, just a year and a half ago, give or take. and a couple random boys from the schools she has been to. but no, she just couldn't have a crush on percy. that was just outrageous.
"you're tripping!" ivy shook her finger in front of annabeth's face. "i would never ever like percy jackson."
raising an eyebrow, the blonde tested, "then why would you think he's hot?"
"i– you– just– i can think someone's hot without liking them!" ivy said hotly, her face burning in embarrassment.
annabeth's face turned triumphant. "so you do think he's hot."
ivy huffed like a bull. standing up from her spot and stomped away from her best friend. "now you do lookout by yourself for being a bitch!" she called back with her middle fingers up high.
she heard annabeth laugh loudly at her expense. the brunette went below deck, hurried to bury and potentially disappear in a hammock. failing to go to sleep, annabeth's accusation made her brain restless with thoughts. most of them were of the last person she wanted to think about perseus fucking jackson. the daughter of aphrodite went to sleep wondering if the hotness of her cheeks would burn through the hammock's material.
the next morning, ivy was woken up by annabeth.
"ivy, come on, get up," she said kicking her hammock
yawning, she sat up while glaring at the blonde. running her hand through her hair, ivy hoped it didn't look like a rat's nest.
"something wrong?" ivy hopped down from the hammock.
"i think we're getting close to the sirens..." annabeth said grimly.
her blue eyes widen, all the sleep that had fogged her mind now completely gone.
"i'll go wake up percy, then." ivy straighten up her wrinkle clothes. she frowned at not having a new outfit to change into.
annabeth nodded, walking up the stairs to go above deck. ivy pushed all the thoughts of her conversation with annabeth at the back of her mind. she reached percy's hammock, the boy was breathing heavily and tossing on his sleep. no doubt he was experiencing a nightmare.
ivy leaned down to shake him awake. just as she placed her hands on his shoulder, percy bolted upright. pumping his head with hers.
"ow!" she complained with her hands on her head.
percy groaned, holding his head in his hand.
"do you always wake up headbutting people?" ivy asked.
he gave her a withering look. "i don't always wake up with someone on top on me."
"i wasn't on top of you!" she said in defiance. the brunette felt her cheeks burn at her bad wording.
"why did you wake me up?" percy asked while rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hands furiously. it gave ivy enough time to compose herself.
"we're nearing land," the brunette informed. "the island of the sirens..."
once they got above deck ivy could barely make out the island ahead of them – just a dark spot in the mist.
"i want you to do me a favor," annabeth told them. "the sirens... we'll be in range of their singing soon."
ivy remembered stories about the sirens. they sang so sweetly their voices enchanted sailors and lured them to their death.
"we'll be fine, then." ivy assured her. "we can just have to stuff our ears with something.
percy nodded. "there's a big tub of candle wax below deck –"
"i want to hear them." annabeth interrupted.
ivy blinked. "did i hear you right?"
"why?" percy asked.
"they say the sirens sing the truth about what you desire." the blonde explained. "they tell you things about yourself you didn't even realize. that's what's so enchanting. if you survive... you become wiser. i want to hear them. how often will i get that chance?"
coming from most people, this would've made no sense. but annabeth being who she was – well, if she could struggle through architecture books and enjoy documentaries on the history channel, the sirens would appeal to her, too.
she told them her plan. reluctantly, ivy and percy helped her get ready.
as soon as the rocky coastline of the island came into view, percy ordered one of the ropes to wrap around annabeth's waist, tying her to the foremast.
"don't untie me," she said, "no matter what happens or how much i plead. i'll want to go straight over the edge and drown myself."
"are you trying to tempt me?" percy asked. ivy stifled a laugh.
annabeth stuck her tongue out. "ha-ha."
promised her to keep her secure. they took two large wads of candle wax, kneaded them into earplugs, and stuffed their ears.
annabeth nodded sarcastically, letting them know the earplugs were a real fashion statement. ivy flipped her off, she was already unhappy with her outfit. the brunette kept an eye out for any disturbances while percy took the pilot's wheel.
the silence was eerie. ivy couldn't hear anything but the rush of blood in her head. as they approached the island, jagged rocks loomed out of the fog. percy made the queen anne's revenge skirt around them. if they sailed any closer, those rocks would shred their hull like blender blades.
ivy glanced back. at first, annabeth seemed totally normal. then she got a puzzled look on her face. her eyes widened.
she strained against the ropes. she called both of their names – ivy could tell just from reading her lips. her expression was clear: she had to get out. this was life or death. ivy had to let her out of the ropes right now.
she seemed so miserable it was hard not to cut her free.
the daughter of aphrodite forced myself to look away. she still couldn't see much of the island – just mist and rocks – but floating in the water were pieces of wood and fibreglass, the wreckage of old ships, even some flotation cushions from aeroplanes.
how could music cause so many lives to veer off course? sure, there were some top forty songs that made her want to take a fiery nosedive, but still... what could the sirens possibly sing about?
for one dangerous moment, ivy understood annabeth's curiosity. she was tempted to take out the ear plugs, just to get a taste of the song. she could feel the sirens' voices vibrating in the timbers of the ship, pulsing along with the roar of blood in her ears.
annabeth was pleading at them. tears streamed down her cheeks. she strained against the ropes, as if they were holding her back from everything she cared about.
how could you be so cruel? she seemed to be asking her. i thought you were my best friend.
ivy glared at the misty island. she wanted to take out her weapon, but there was nothing to fight. how do you fight a song?
ivy tried hard not to look at annabeth. surrendering after three minutes, she found something that made her leap on top of her. annabeth was in the middle of cutting herself free from the ropes. they had totally forgotten to disarm her.
struggling to keep her from escaping, ivy tried screaming at percy for help, but he didn't seem to hear her. with all her force, the brunette yanked annabeth knife's away from her hand, pushing it as far away as possible. that didn't stop annabeth, she was far from surrendering.
while redoing the rope's around annabeth's waits as tight as she could manage. the blonde brought her knee up with tremendous strength, hitting ivy on her chin. her left wax ear plug fell out of place. the sound that filled her ears was the sweetest melody she had ever heard. so soft and calming it made her sway on her feet.
"little rockstar!"
her head snapped towards the island
ivy let out a joyous sob. it was her father. her dad who she lost seven years ago. she was actually hearing him. she hadn't realized how much she had missed it until now. it was undeniably arlo fitzgerald.
she jumped over the side.
swimming harder than ivy ever has before, she followed her father's voice.
arlo laughed wholeheartedly. "there's my little rockstar!"
ivy pushed through the water. her limbs burned in effort, but she was closer now. her dad was closer.
"come on, ivy! i'm waiting for you!"
suddenly something blocked her from swimming, a massive rock right in front of her. before she could form half a thought, a wave swept her away.
at a distance, she could see a house. a three story contemporary house, with a short drive way entrance upfront. ivy recognize it, it was her house, the one in san francisco where she had lived with her dad. arlo was leaning against the door, a grin filling his face. he looked just like ivy remembered him, short brown hair, tan skin, blue eyes, radiating an aura of playfulness with his leather jacket and ripped jeans.
"i'm coming dad!" ivy yelled.
the brunette swam towards him even harder. she was so close to her dad. so close to the only thing she wanted in her life. ivy just wanted her dad back.
something tugged her backwards.
ivy screamed in rage, punching and kicking whatever was trying to get her dad away from her again. she wasn't going to let that happen.
"ivy, fight back!" her father now stood defensively. all air of friendliness gone.
"i'm trying!" she pleaded with him. "can't you see? i'm fighting!"
arlo looked angry now. ivy couldn't remember a time she had seen her dad angry. at least, never angry towards her.
"are you really fighting?!" he bellowed. "you're not fighting hard enough!"
"i am, dad! i am!" she kicked harder than ever. not caring about who she hurt, she was going to fight hard enough.
he glared at her with the utmost hatred. "then why didn't you save me, hm?" arlo hissed, his words cutting her heart out with a rusty sword. "if you were strong enough i wouldn't be dead! if you were strong enou–"
ivy couldn't hear him anymore. she stopped struggling, what was happening? then their heads broke the surface
"you'll never mount to anything if you keep being weak." her dad hissed
the brunette fought to swim towards him again. she was going to be strong enough. she had to. her weakness had made her run when her dad needed her the most. that wasn't going to happen again.
something grabbed her around the waist and pushed her under the water.
ivy kept fighting, for breath and for her dad. she got further and further again from her dad.
after being meters underwater, bubbles wrapped around her and her captor. there was a flurry of white, a tickling sensation all around her, and when her vision cleared, there was a huge bubble of air around her. only her legs felt wet.
she gasped and coughed. shuddering at the cold, she blinked rapidly and realized percy was holding her in his arms. everything that she had seen came crashing down on her.
ivy started to sob – the hurtful words her dad told her rang in her ears. she buried her head on percy's shoulder, clenching his shirt around her first, the smell of sea-salt bringing her back to reality. one where arlo fitzgerald was dead, where she was an orphan, where she wasn't good enough. muscular arms were wrapped around her comfortably. percy held her in his arms until just silent tears slipped from her eyes.
he placed every missing piece of the fractured doll that made up ivy fitzgerald back into place.
"i'll get us back to the ship," he murmured in her ear. ivy shivered at his voice. "it's okay. just hang on."
the daughter of aphrodite nodded, she wrapped her arms around his neck securely. pressing her lips to his ear, she murmured, "thank you."
the current steered their weird little air submarine through the rocks and barbed wire and back towards the hull of the queen anne's revenge, which was maintaining a slow and steady course away from the island.
they stayed underwater, following the ship, until ivy could only hear a faint whisper of the sirens. then they surfaced and their air bubble popped.
percy ordered a rope ladder to drop over the side of the ship, and they climbed aboard.
annabeth was slumped against the hull where they had left her. she didn't look much better than ivy. percy kept my earplugs in, just to be sure. they sailed until the island was completely out of sight. ivy sat huddled in a blanket next to annabeth, her head resting against her best friend's shoulder. finally the siren's voices ceased completely, ivy mouthed to percy, safe.
he took out the earplugs, and untied annabeth from the ropes. the afternoon was quiet except for the sound of the waves against the hull. the fog had burned away to a blue sky, as if the island of the sirens had never existed.
"you okay?" percy asked them.
"i didn't realize," annabeth murmured.
"what?" the boy asked, but ivy knew what annabeth meant.
her eyes resembled a cloudy sky. "how powerful the temptation would be."
the daughter of athena shook her head. "i'm sorry. if i hadn't insisted on listening you wouldn't have jumped."
ivy tried for a smile, fixing the blanket around herself. "it's okay. my fault for not putting the ear plugs right."
percy looked hesitant to voice his thoughts, but took a deep breath and said, "i saw you house. and you dad... and what he said."
she looked down in embarrassment. "really?"
"what luke told you back on the princess andromeda, about getting your dad back... that really got to you, huh?"
ivy sighed, and shook her head. "no...more the stuff he said about dishonoring a memory. but i know my fatal flaw now, my imposter syndrome."
annabeth played with the ropes at her feet. "i know mine too... my hubris."
percy tilted his head to the side. "that brown stuff they spread on veggie sandwiches?"
ivy rolled her eyes. "that's hummus, seaweed brain. hubris is worse."
"what could be worse than hummus?" he made a face of disgust.
"hubris means deadly pride, percy." annabeth said. "thinking you can do things better than anyone else... even the gods."
the son of poseidon nodded in understanding. he turned to ivy, with an embarrassed expression. "what's imposter syndrome?"
the brunette shook her head in amusement, chuckling slightly. "imposter syndrome is well... not believing you're as good as the others around you."
his sea-green eyes soften. "you feel that way?"
"sometimes i just..." ivy glanced at her two friends who were listening with care. "i feel like i'm not like you guys. i'm not a genius like annie or have cool powers like percy. i'm just a daughter of aphrodite who can sweet talk."
"that's not true," annabeth huffed. "you're a good fighter. a good person. and the strongest person i've ever met."
"i think your charmspeak is cool," percy added. "even if it creeps me out that you can tell me to jump off a cliff and i won't have a say about it."
ivy sniffled a laugh. the three demigods stayed silent for a little while, basking in the peace after a hectic moment.
"what do you think my fatal flaw is?" percy asked suddenly.
"i don't know," annabeth said. "but every hero has one. if you don't find it and learn to control it... well, ivy making you jump off a cliff is the last thing you'll need to worry about."
ivy didn't find it surprising that annabeth's fatal flaw was hubris. she did wonder what she saw... but neither of the girls brung up their visions.
"so was it worth it?" percy asked them. "do you feel... wiser?"
the daughter of athena gazed into the distance. "i'm not sure. but we have to save the camp. if we don't stop luke..."
she didn't need to finish. if luke's way of thinking could even tempt annabeth, there was no telling how many other half-bloods might join him.
suddenly, annabeth's eyes widened. "guys."
they both turned.
up ahead was another blotch of land – a saddle-shaped island with forested hills and white beaches and green meadows. just like percy described from his dreams.
they had reached the home of the cyclops.
a speaks!
a snippet of percy awkwardly getting confidence. hE'S GETTING THERE GIVE HIM TIME.
tempted to include the full traumatic scene of arlo's death but i was like nah let's wait a little hehe.
ivy is self love advocate along with all of the campers from cabin 10. rick was just a literal man who is a man and doesn't know what he is doing.
thoughts???