hey everybody! i hope you're all well, especially those of you who've had this book in your library since the very beginning. i'm very sorry to disappoint, but this isn't an update to notify everybody about the story's update.
i won't be continuing this fic. i loved writing it and i definitely didn't think this was going to end up as one of those unfinished stories that i wished would never end. percy jackson still holds a really big part of my heart, but it's come to a feeling of nostalgia rather than the excitement of having read it for the first time. when i first wrote this fic, i was a sophomore in high school, and now, i'll be starting university in the fall.
it's so nice to see that people still read and liked this little book. i'm glad because i liked it too. i wouldn't say i've grown out of it, but i think my interests have just evolved a bit. i love to see people still interacting with this fic, and i wont be taking it down because i know people still like coming back to old fics for that punch of nostalgia we all need sometimes.
i know how much i hate not knowing the end of everything, though, so here's all my notes on what i had planned for the story and stuff. some of it is also kinda cringe so please excuse that too, lol. i have not changed anything about the notes from how they were two years ago. sorry for the mess and how disorganised it is, but i figure someone out there might wanna read them and imagine it all up for themself. for you, i hope you enjoy this.
so like. ethan idea
— he thinks he's gonna die in boo or hoh for some reason
— and he says to kia 'if i don't make it—'
— she has a hard look on her face. 'you will. i wont let you die, ethan.'
— he looks like he wants to say more but doesn't
— he thinks about that moment after kia does the Thing
'there's things i want to say, but i'll just let you live.'
'mr. brain, i presume?' 'please, call me seaweed.'
in moa, she has a vision. she won't tell anyone what it is or what happened. she's just completely stubborn about it and won't tell anyone—not even ethan. in boo, it's revealed in a flashback what she saw. it was ethan sitting by a grave, and annabeth coming up and standing beside him. he starts to cry, and annabeth tries not to, to stay strong in front of ethan, but she ends up crying too. she falls down and wraps her arms around ethan, whispering raggedly, 'it's okay, it's okay.' but it's not. he's full on weeping in her arms, coming completely undone against her shoulder. kia gets a closer look at the grave. it's her own. it's that moment that she knows. she knows that she's going to sacrifice herself—and fulfil the prophecy—'Be deceived by the one you call friend, Eternal sacrifice the means to an end.'
the word you're looking for: boisterous
lmao isn't it funny that hua mitsuho was all 'roots have meaning' while naming her daughter but retained about zero percent of her daughter's greek heritage
i feel like kia would suck at using a gun but like she tries to use one in the middle of battle. when she runs out of bullets she just shrugs to herself and hits the monster with the back of the gun
RANDOM QUOTES TO INSERT
- 'Please stop saying such weird shit all the time, babe.' — Ethan (preferably moa timeline)
- 'How was I supposed to know it'd explode?' — Percy (botl)
- 'I want to be yours as long as time runs and as long as the sand in the hourglass keeps falling. Forever isn't long enough for me to love you.' — Kia (tlo or hoh)
- 'Please, don't hurt my brain cells anymore, Ki.' — Annabeth (moa)
- 'Why are Leo and Kia snickering to each other? I don't like it. Stop that.' — Annabeth (moa or boo)
- 'I want to sleep.' — Kia (should this even have a timeline?? make it a catchphrase)
- I'll see you in hell. — Kia (ttc)
- 'Would you stop glaring at me, you're scaring me!' — Leo (moa)
- "I hate you." — "I love you." (idk we'll burn that bridge when we come to it)
- 'Wait, this wasn't discussed. Why is Staten Island not an Island?' — Kia (botl)
- 'Everybody is afraid of something.' — Kia (idk maybe hoh when she's using her dark!kia powers)
- 'All the events that have taken place in history have led us to this moment.' — Kia (tlo)
- 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.' — Kia
- "Do you guys ever have any good luck?" — "No, but we are way past our life expectancy, so get ready to die!" — Kia
- 'Do you mind? I'm trying to hate you over here!' — Luke
- How much of her would he have to destroy to have her come crawling to him? — Ethan
- 'Jase, your entire personality consists of putting 'man' at the end of each sentence.' — Kia (boo or moa)
- Perhaps she were the monster to not have seen it earlier. — Kia
- 'You're fucking gone!' — 'And now you're gone,' she said in a whisper, her body folding in on itself. — Kia (chapter name: ghost of you)
- 'Children of mine... ' he hesitated, wetting his lips. 'They cannot have minds that break.' He did not say it with any intention of malice; the words weren't spoken sweetly, but not unkindly either. — Morpheus (hoh or boo)
- 'If you touch her,' his voice rang out in a monotone, his eyes reflecting an uncharacteristically demented glint, 'I'll kill you.' — Percy (tlo or hoh)
- 'I'm going to marry her one day,' he stated; not hopefully, simply presenting the words as a fact. — Ethan (boo)
- 'I wholly hope you never do.' — Apollo (boo)
- 'Now, are you going to help me in my dumbassery or sit there sulking like a Victorian child over poetry?' — Jason/Percy
- Apollo cringed. 'What?' — 'Well,' he said meekly, continuing to cringe. 'I just thought of the time I had gone to a restaurant where when the waiter wished me a good meal, I'd replied with 'thee, as well.''
- His eyebrows chased his receding hairline. — Kia thinking about someone idk
- "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse." — Jason
- "I identify as a horse and this offends me." — Frank
- "I identify as offends and this horses me." — Leo
- "Why the fuck are you all like this?" Kia asked through mangled sobs.
- "Guys, let's stop messing around. Straight people obviously aren't real." — Leo
- 'And what is your conclusion, Senór Smartass?' — Percy
- 'Well, my analysis, Senór Dumbass, concludes—' — Kia
- 'Are you kidding me? Even a blind person could see how much he's in love with you.' — Piper
- 'Shh, it's for character development.' — Kia
- 'Greeks were the crown of tragedy. Anyone could tell you that; all you had to do was take a look at Hyacinthus, or Orpheus, or even Achilles, for that matter.' — Patroclus
- 'No, stupid. I'm a Leo, you're a Percy.' — Leo
- Kia looked to the Gemini with a strained smile. 'We're Greek.' Which pretty much explained everything.
- 'Wouldn't you like to know, weather boy?' — Kia
- 'He's Chinese, you dumbfuck.' — Kia
- 'Hercules, you dick.' — Kia
- Kia put her hands on his shoulders and steered him away, giving ____________ an apologetic smile. She said to Percy/Jason, "Let's get you some brain cells, pretty boy."
- 'I thought you were dead.' — Kia
- 'I thought you were dead.' — Percy
- 'I lift because I hope that one day I can toss Percy over his father's entire domain.' — Kia, probably
- 'Cowabummer, dude!' — Kia
- 'We aren't falling, Leo.' — Jason
- 'Riveting!' — Kia
- 'Ribbit?' — Percy
- 'A frog?' — Leo
- 'It's just you and me in here,' Kia said, wiping her lips free of blood. She stood up again, gaining a defensive stance against the goddess. 'I am your eternal hell, just as you are mine.'
- 'Frank, you are not weak. More power runs through your veins than thousands of others out there, and more power runs through your heritage than you can imagine. You can dislike Mars all you want, but do not forget that his power is your power, and the best way to make the most out of it is to accept it.' — Kia
- 'Your very broad spectrum of human emotion is ninety percent confusion, Jason.' — 'And yours is angst. Looks like we're both victims.'
- 'Love is the cruelest sacrifice of all, my dear.' — Aphrodite
- 'If you guys had to pick one of the other four to date, which one would it be?' — Piper
- 'What?' — Jason
- 'I'm not answering that!' — Percy
- 'Huh?' — Frank
- 'I'm leaving.' — Ethan
- 'Percy!' — Leo
- 'This explains so much.' — Kia
- 'Okay, what about you girls? If you had to choose from the others?' — Jason
- 'Kia.' — 'Annabeth.'
- 'Hazel.' — 'Piper.'
- Percy jabbed Jason in the shoulder and muttered, "Good going, dude. You just set up our girlfriends with each other."
- 'Who was your first crush, Kia?' — Piper
- 'Kakashi from Naruto.'
- Leo immediately looked at Ethan, and then nodded. 'Yep. That checks out. You definitely have a type.'
- Percy snorted. 'You should've seen the resemblance when Ethan used to wear an eyepatch.'
- Ethan didnt look up from his book. 'Long story.'
- Kia had died, and along with it, a piece of Ethan—the piece of Ethan that became wholly Kia, to love her and cherish and never to be parted from her, the part of him that the love for Kia was a driving force of life, the part of him that had become Kia herself. It was dead.
KIA'S PERSONALITY
- awkward
- social intelligence of a zygote
- kind of quiet
- intimidating glares
- likes books (cuz that's definitely a personality trait)
- reads a lot
- seems stupid; is stupid but knows a lot of random stuff??
- likes animals (preferably cow serpents)
- has a calm and commanding alter ego cuz i need to fulfil my dreams okay
- subtly and unknowingly kind
- ✨awkwardness✨ again
- sarcasm and snark cuz what sort of duo would her and percy be if she weren't
- clueless as fuck
- etc etc
ETHAN'S PERSONALITY
- his dad's a vigilante actually
- or was before he died
- i think a vigilante would be pretty accurate to who nemesis, goddess of revenge and balance, would pay attention or fall for
- more on that later but ethan is very cold and kind of rough around the edges
- but more than often he falls into the cold category
- when he's annoyed he gets a little snarky (and scary)
- seems intimidating and is scary
- nemesis thought ethan's dad was amusing at first and then later she still thinks that but came to respect his need for moral balance
The Titan's Curse:
post ttc idea
- kia wears blue
- percy squeals
- percy buys some sharingan eye contacts for kia's birthday
- kia and percy panic about putting them in
- eventually get it in
- shits nd giggles because she puts percy into a 'genjustu'
- they end up in a flower field where they talk and pretend there's no war
- sally walks in on them and her heart warms
- she hopes their friendship never dies
manticore arc with dionysus idea ✔️
- kia yells out 'stop!' being overwhelmed and clutches her head
- and the manticore just. stops.
- everyone is shocked
- except dionysus
- dionysus helps with the vines and madness
- he tells the others kia essentially put him in a dream paralysis
- and thalia's all 'did u know u could do this??'
- kia gives a look like 'really?' no she didn't know
- clarification note for the chapter: Kia has used her powers before. Twice, actually. The first time was in the cabin where everyone snuggled up in their sleeping bags and the second was when Ares winced back in chapter xi—she was giving him a headache.
ophiotaurus idea
- percy's like 'this is bessie'
- zoë's like 'i know this story'
- she talks about the monster
- and then percy is like 'but he's too cute'
- and thalia goes 'ophiotaurus'
- 'ophi-what?'
- kia stares at him so jUDGEMENTALLY
- he starts blushing cuz he's embarrassed
- 'what?'
- 'you know greek,' she says, holding her palms together and breathing into compose herself
- 'and yOU DONT KNOW OPHIO AS IN SERPENT AND TAURUS AS IN BULL???'
- 'IM SORRY'
kia meets apollo idea ✔️
- she turns around along with percy in the mustang
- she isn't surprised either
- apollo smiles at her
- she says 'i'd expect that you'd have shown up once i were asleep'
- apollo grins 'why would i miss out the chance to see the girl i saved'
- she deadpans
- apollo ignores it
- he glances at her hands
- 'you have such perfect fingers for music!'
- 'out of curiosity, is the first thing you notice about someone their hands?'
- he laughs rambunctiously
- still ignores the question
- he snaps percy to sleep
- kia and apollo are alone and she hesitantly warms up to him (badam tss)
bianca's death idea ✔️
- chapter name: an angel walks among us
- kia's pov
- bianca dies duh (totally not crying rn)
- kia stares blankly at the pavement
- she thinks about mythology
- where some religions believe in an angel of death
- and the angel appears to take people as they die
- she can almost hear the cruel snickers and fake tone in the sympathy he gave her
- she can almost picture the angel holding bianca's body in its arms
- walking away and laughing malevolently
mist idea ✔️
- she's a daughter of morpheus
- god of dreams
- aka illusions
- so she's able to see through the mist better than most demigods
- apollo is the one to tell her this
- and when he says it, there's an unreadable glint in his eyes
- so while they are at san fran
- they're walking around trying to find transportation
- kia glances around
- and for a quick moment
- she sees these kids
- they look about her age
- wearing purple shirts with some sort of golden writing she can't see from this far
- with golden weapons
- fighting some creature she can't exactly place
- one of them catches her eye
- a boy with eyes as blue as the electrified skies
- she steps forward to intercept it
- but she blinks
- and just like that
- they're all gone
- she nudged percy, her eyes not leaving where the kids were
- 'did u see them?'
- he cocks his head confusedly 'see what?'
- 'the kids!'
- he has no idea what she's talking about
- 'are you feeling okay?'
- she nods absently, brushing past the look of concern etched into his features
- she almost thinks she didn't see it, it gradually becomes hazy
- until all that's left is the stain of confusion and an imprint of electrifyingly blue eyes
nereus arc idea for kia ✔️
- while percy is away wrestling santa's evil twin or sth
- kia wanders off a little
- thalia is about to follow but zoë holds her back and shakes her head
- 'this is something she must face alone'
- kia meets thetis
- she greets kia politely enough but a trace of disgust makes it into her tone
- (spoiler alert it's because she reminds her of patroclus)
- and they talk about idk sth
after party idea ✔️
- kia hangs around thalia because she's gonna leave with the hunters soon
- 'do you listen to three days grace then?'
- thalia jabs her in the shoulder 'i hate your puns'
- 'but you love me'
- kia sees a pretty rock
- she hands it to thalia 'you're my rock'
- thalia shoves her again but takes it anyway and slips it into her pocket
- 'you can cash it in when you want a hug'
- thalia snorts 'if that ever happens'
- it's quiet for a moment
- 'oh yeah i still have your jacket'
- 'no!' thalia clears her throat. 'no, keep it.'
- kia smiles at her softly
February idea
- annabeth and kia are in the athena cabin
- they hear someone scream outside
- malcolm walks in and sees kia calmly get up
- she closes an open window
- and annabeth and her get back to work
- he's like '?????'
- 'you're just gonna ignore that—?'
March idea
- percy has kia over for a weekend because trauma makes besties
- and then they do a bunch of fun stuff
- they go to an art museum
- kia tells him about art and they start unconsciously whispering their words
- percy realises and he likes these little moments when they get quiet
- he loves when she tells him about art and other things and becomes
The Battle of the Labyrinth
percy and kia friendship dynamic ideas
- kia has internal thoughts about defenestrating percy way too often ('while idly thinking about how if there were windows in the labyrinth, she would defenestrate percy...')
- has to hold in screams whenever percy is being an idiot around annabeth
- percy glares at kia every time she teases him about annabeth
- they both still love each other tho
- percy gets protective whenever ethan is around
- 'nOt My cHiLd'
hera entrance ideas
- she casually mentions how minor gods are inferior
- everyone subconsciously glances at kia
- who's staring down at her plate
- with her fork in a tight grip
- hera makes a fake apologetic glance
- saying 'oh but you do understand, dear?'
- and kia glances up, head tilted and eyes squinted
- until she straightens up
- wearing the trademark bitchy smile
- and opens her mouth to say something
- percy immediately realises the sequence of actions
- cue percy clamping a hand over her mouth and smiling apologetically at hera
- who smiles back as if nothing is wrong
- her gaze burning holes into kia's head who glares right back
- she falters
- but continues to glare occasionally
perkia moment
- percy wants to drink water
- tyson passes a bottle to him
- kia furrows her eyebrows because it's hers
- rolls her eyes and ignores it
- percy keeps trying to unscrew it
- but it's stuck and won't open
- kia calmly picks it out of his hands
- and screws it the other way around
- it opens
- and hands it to him
- percy screws it closed again
- he mutters 'who needs water'
- kia goes 'i have two jokes a or b?'
- percy grumbles 'just tell me both'
- 1) son of poseidon, don't you, like, breathe water?
- 2) sure u screwed it right, wouldnt wanna waste water now would we?
perkia moment 2
- 'kiaaaa' percy whines, drawling
- 'what?' irritated glance
- puppy dog eyes 'would you turn into a sociopathic mass murderer for me?'
- 'no why'
- 'I LIKE BLUE YOURE SUPPOSED TO LIKE RED. WHAT ELSE IS RED? BLOO—'
- 'NO'
perkia moment 3
- kia trips over a rock
- percy busts out laughing
- kia glares at him embarrassedly
- 'no words from you mr. i-tripped-over-my-shoelaces-while-walking-into-cabin-eleven'
- he stops laughing immediately
- 'i don't like that you and annabeth are friends now'
le dream moment
- hypnosss da mvp
- en knee wayz
- he appears like poof you know
- kinda like fairy godmother
- heyyyyyy
- cachingggggg cash moneyyyy
- i'm sorry it's like 5am
- anywez
- he's like kinda bored
- and sleepy
- and so is kia
- wow sleep sounds nice
- anyway so he's like all weird about morpheus
- touchy subject cuz sons amitight
- poseidon nodding in the distance
- triton stfu
- right so he's like 'my son can be a little... misguided sometimes. be sure to keep yourself protected from it.'
- here's something nice now
- apollo *jazz hands*
- crickets chirping
- right okay sorry anyway cool moment huh
- hepy hepy until somehow they're all dying again for some reason
nico and kia empathy moment
- nico comes out
- i hate percy bla bla
- and kia thinks that his eyes are so angry
- but so sad
- she carefully approaches him
- he looks wary
- but says nothing
- she crouches down
- and reaches her hand
- creeping up to nico's
- he hesitantly allows her to hold it
- she whispers 'you okay?'
- nico doesn't say anything
- but his eyes are so full of pain
- she doesn't say anything either
- she pushes back his bangs from his face
- and gently cups his cheek
- 'i'll help you be okay, how does that sound'
- he looks at her coldly
- but there's a trace of hope in his expression
- she gently pulls him closer
- until her reluctantly wraps his arms around her
- she hugs him back tightly
- she hears sniffles
- but she knows she's not the one meant to hear them
- and doesn't say anything about it
- she caresses the hair at the nape of his neck
- 'i'll help you'
- percy sees geryon looking at the pair curiously
- after that, he sort of latches onto her
- kinda hesitantly
- but still does
- and later when they're about to leave
- she doesnt want to leave him
- he's the one who tells her to go
- even though there's pain in his voice while he tells her
- she pushes his bangs back again and kisses his forehead
- 'i'll still keep my promise, even if i'm worlds away'
ethan and kia tension idea
- percy pov
- the moment where ethan turns his back on them in the labyrinth
- percy glances at kia
- seeing she's frozen
- he yells at ethan
- ethan goes 'what have the gods ever done for me?'
- percy keeps glancing at kia
- 'u think the titans are much better? help us and we'll demand better!'
- ethan shakes his head stubbornly
- 'so that's it? ure going back in alone?'
- ethan finally looks at kia
- the look in his eyes hurts percy so much
- because they're so loving yet so cold
- 'yes' he finally says
- percy is shocked
- he expects him to try and convince kia to join them
- he's also grateful because he can see that she's practically begging him to say the word with her eyes
- just say the word and she'd go
- percy opens his mouth to say something
- he gets cut off my kia who lunges at ethan
- pinning him by his collar against the wall
- 'you think the titans are gonna provide peace?! you think they're going to give your mom a throne?! how are the titans any better?!"
- ethan grits his teeth
- he doesn't say anything
- kia is panting angrily looking him in the eye
- but also pleading
- ethan finally looks away
- 'convince me then'
- no one says anything
- because he's right
- the gods don't care about their children
- what's wrong with just picking a side
- the titans didn't care either it was just a different way of showing it
- ethan slowly pushes her hand away as it goes limp
- he hesitates while walking out
- but ultimately he rolls his shoulders and doesn't look back
rachel and kia idea
- annabeth is being mean to rachel again
- kia pulls her aside
- 'sorry about beth. she's not usually this...'
- 'tempestuous?'
- 'well, 'much of a heinous bitch' is what i was about to say, but tempestuous works too'
rachel's first impression of them
- at first, she couldn't stop looking at them
- she had noticed both of them (percy and kia) from well before, and stole glances every so often
- she doesn't think they realise, but everyone else also keeps glancing at them
- it's because they're just so beautiful
- with a certain quality to them that makes them seem otherworldly
- and then she meets even more of them
- the demigods
- and she realises that this is the godhood in them
- she's the only one who notices that other mortals also can't keep their eyes off the demigods
- because they can feel their aura and wow they are just beautiful aren't they
- so much so that they don't even notice the weird things the demigods are doing
- little weirdos
drew tanaka friendship/lee death idea
- so. hehe. lee dies. okay no that's not how that was supposed to sound—
- take two. so. hehe. friendship. wait—
- take three. fr this time. so lee fletcher dies right? well we are going to make drew and kia watch this. bc yes. no he does not live. yes he still dies. but they watch. and say it with me kids what do they get for it: trauma.
- so here's how the scene goes:
- drew heads in after lee bc they're friends. unarmed. and kia, who sees this, although she isn't that familiar with drew, heads in for her too. with a sword. duh
- and lee is about to get hit. and drew is about to take the blow.
- kia pushes them both out of the way (hero style bc she's awesome) and parries it away with the flat of her blade.
- slash. pierce. parry. dodge. strike. slash. dodge. block. strike.
- lee is throwing in arrows while drew tries to stop it with her charmspeak.
- she's a new demigod, they come to learn later, and she hasn't had much practice with her charmsoeak, so it's weak and doesn't have much effect other than making the monster hesitate.
- lee's arrows do make it through a bit, but still not completely a clean shot.
- kia's even tired, her movements slowing eventually, and the monster is closing in.
- it's a weakness for all of them bc short range isn't an advantage for lee and kia can't protect all of them at once.
- kia pushes on, trying her hardest to the get the monster back, but she accidentally listens to drew's charmspeak for the first time, but the monster, who has come to push back against the charmspeak doesn't. the slight second of hesitation is used by the monster to knock kia a few metres away.
- she immediately jumps up, terrified at the prospect of what might happen if she's too late.
- drew is about to get hit. she's standing not knowing what to do, eyes shot open wide in terror.
- kia pulls her away last second, lee not realising she's done this.
- lee stepped forward and took drew's place.
- kia and drew watch in slow motion as the monster's whatever comes down and just like that, lee is on the ground.
- kia can vaguely make out drew screaming over the ringing in her ears, not properly registering it as she stared at lee's dead body on the floor.
The Last Olympian
meeting patroclus idea
- achilles' ghost pops up
- 'bla bla bla curse bla bla'
- his eyes sweep over kia
- 'not you; you have a different visitor'
- percy is confused
- and about to throw hands cuz who the fUCK IS TRYNA TOUCH HIS BESTIE—
- kia calms him down
- percy sees the look on her face
- she has an idea about what's about to happen
- percy trusts her and let's her go
- but hugs her first
- whispers 'please don't leave me'
- it seems like he means he doesn't want her to see this visitor
- but kia knows what it means
- 'i wont' she whispers back
- takes in one more inhale of his familiar ocean scent
- and detaches
- she walks along the river bank
- sees a man with brown hair (add description)
- she nods to him 'lord patroclus'
- he looks uncomfortable
- he's beautiful in a timeless sort of way; quite inexplicably pretty
- 'lady kia'
when percy comes out of styx
- kia jumps on him
- even though his skin is basically acidic right now
- she's hugging onto him like a lifeline
- she's shaking
- and percy gently pulls back to get a look of her face
- she's crying
- 'you idiot' she punches his shoulder
- 'i thought you were dead'
percy dream idea
- he sees nico
- dream changes
- it's dark and there's a layer of mist over his face
- the normal kind
- the air around him feels dangerous; prickling
- he heard sinister yet familiar laughter
- emerging from the darkness is kia
- a look of pity on her face
- it's obviously fake
- but it has percy frozen
- kia mocks percy
- she leans in real close to his ear
- murmurs 'good luck, hero'
- the dream ends
- percy wakes up
- immediately looking for kia
- who's asleep in an armchair beside him
- he grabs her hand and stares at her face for a while
- he decides there's no way she'd ever betray him
ethan and kia realisation idea
- chapter name: moira
- when ethan's about to fall down, he doesn't hold up his arms
- he accepts it
- closing his eyes, waiting for it to come
- but it never does
- instead, he feels a grip on his collar
- awfully familiar to an experience in the labyrinth
- he opens his eye
- he sees kia gritting her teeth
- stopping him from falling
- her arm is wounded
- so she only uses one arm
- her eyes are still angry but this time, instead of pleading, it's mixed with determination
- 'not this time' she grunts 'i'm not letting this happen again. i regretted it enough the first time'
- ethan manages a weak smile
- that throws her off long enough to almost lose her grip
- but she immediately tightens it
- ethan thinks she might've tried to smile back
- it was kind of hard to tell
- her teeth being bared in strain and all
- grover eventually helps her get him up
- they're huddled up with annabeth
- away from luke
- kia's eyes are on percy and luke
- ethan's are on her
- surprise, gratitude and love swimming in his eyes
thalia rock idea
- the hunters show up
- the girl in the lead holds up a rock
- thalia grins crookedly 'can i still cash this in?'
- she's holding up the rock kia have her at the party at olympus when they were fifteen—when kia was
- kia smirks back ''course'
- later on kia tells thalia 'i told you you'd use it one day'
- thalia punches her in the shoulder but is still smiling
apollo and kia idea
- apollo's pov
- there's a lull in the conversation
- he looks over at her
- stared at her side profile
- he thinks about how much he loves her
- how he'd damn the universe if anything were to ever happen to her
- mind you he's the god of prophecy
- it kills him that he can't keep her safe and protect her
morpheus and kia idea
- kia has a dream
- she sees morpheus
- they're going back and forth arguing
- until morpheus just
- stops
- and his face settles
- he looks at her with false sympathy
- he comes closer
- kia is wary obv
- he grasps her face so lightly
- kia is almost fooled for a second
- she leans in just the slightest
- morpheus says 'this is your fault, kohana'
- 'little flower' her mind immediately translates
- her face visibly falls
- 'your mother died because of you, you know. and the gods were the ones who failed to save her. apollo was there, was he not?' morpheus says, his words dripping in false kindness, each syllable rounded like the edges of a pebble
- 'a major olympian' he says mockingly. 'perhaps he could have saved her if he weren't busy saving you.'
- 'everything...' he says softly, 'is your fault.'
luke's death idea
- he looks to kia
- and his expression is almost... wistful, loving, even
- 'maybe... ' he chokes 'maybe in another life, we could have been friends'
- kia starts crying
- she chokes out a chuckle 'yeah, the best of'
- luke squeezes her hand
gift from olympus idea
- annabeth is architect of olympus and they all get their stuff
- i've been thinking since the beginning of what kia should get
- brilliant idea: ambassador of olympus/demigods
- shes the tether between olympus and camp half blood—all demigods
- hesitantly she speaks up
- 'and, um... can i ask for one more thing?'
- zeus looks surprised she has balls to ask for more so he nods
- 'if we see it fit to be granted'
- 'ethan nakamura has also made a large contribution to the end of this war. i would like for you to give him the cost back.'
perkia post war mini quest
- sike quest of friendship
- percy and kia sit on top of the empire state building
- blasting music that no one else can hear courtesy of apollo
- it's midnight by m83
- yes future music apollo is a god okay? one of prophecy and future at that leave me alone
- and they don't say anything
- they're just looking out at the world
- and they're both thinking the same thing
- i'm glad i'm here with you
ethan and kia at the end
- they're alive
- both of them
- and they're together
- 'i'm yours. i'll be yours even after the decomposed particles of our bodies have been scattered into the wind, kia. i'll always be yours.'
- she starts crying
- and ethan holds her close
all alone idea
- it happens when percy is fighting hyperion
- kia isn't there
- she's found later
- by percy
- she's covered in blood
- like from carrie
- and she's on the brink of fainting
- percy screams
Notes to be generally mindful of:
- percy is usually very affectionate one in the friendship
- kia is very 'get off me i have a reputation'
- ethan is chivalrous af
- kia's voice is very echoing yet monotoned most of the time. it kind of rings i guess
- kia shoots percy withering glares all the time
- she has a scar beneath her eyes on her cheek horizontally mikasa style
- kia becomes less and less intimidating looking each book while percy looks more and more. kia starts to look more regal and pristine—powerful and beautiful
Relationships with other characters:
- ares: best friends. i don't care. ares and percy often burt heads over who's her best friend. kia sees ares for who he actually is (not a shitty misogynistic god with anger issues; just a well-meaning, warrior respecting himbo with anger issues) and ares sees her for what she is (a clueless and socially inept child that must be protected at all costs) ares and kia frequently have pleasant talks about how everything is. kia assures ares that people are idiots for portraying him as an asshole because he's the god of war and ares let's her vent all of her frustrations and lets her cry and secretly helps her in battle
- apollo: they share a very father-daughter reminiscent bond; he often shows up in her dreams a lot and they take strolls/walks and discuss stuff and he gives her advice well-meaningly. he seldom ever includes his own opinion ie telling her to stay on their side etc just pure unbiased advice
- morpheus: he's very manipulative and every once in a while, he tries to get her to join the titans side. percy and apollo both alike hate him a lot for what he's doing to kia once they find out. sweet words and false promises, each conversation is laden with manipulation and distrust. after pjo, however, he has a redemption arc because he's immortal and has time for that. he becomes an actual dad and kia now has two dads who argue and bicker ok a daily basis. it's great really
- percy: best friends. inclusive of all dimensions of the term. they have arguments and disagreements every once in a while, but the best friend you can truly call best friend. idk if it makes sense
- annabeth: reluctant appreciation to steady friendship. annabeth is realistically a tiny bit jealous of the bond percy and kia formed so quickly but over the spring she warms up to kia. percy comes back and sees them being all buddy buddy and he's like 'wtf when did this happen?' and in one of the chapters in kia's pov she reminisces the spring when annabeth and her became close. very 'my brain cells are allergic to yours.'
- ethan: classic lovers. lingering touches, thoughtful gazes, absent brushes of the hand. they almost always have to be touching each other (get ur head out of the gutter ya nasty) and everyone can see the adoring glances they throw each other
- drew: during the quest to the labyrinth, there's a mention of kia absently thinking about the black nail polish she wore courtesy of a friend on aphrodite cabin. it's drew. and later on in TLH, kia softly tells drew to not be mean to piper. a moment where drew volunteers to take jason to the big house and kia is like 'well... if jason is comfortable with the setting?' and jason looks uncomfortable but kia and his eyes meet and he seems to be trying to place her, as if he'd seen her somewhere and he absently nods and then kia and annabeth give the green light to go off.
- rachel: not exactly friends but they both have a mutual understanding of philosophy and higher powers. wise geeks
- silena: no particular direct personal connection with her. kia knows her name and vice versa and they only really come face to face when silena is dying. an understanding of sorts passes between them: percy cares about u, so you're important to me as well. kia unknowingly slips down tears as she dies, regretting not getting to know her before it's too late.
- zoë: she gives kia advice, meaningful words and very eloquent and serious speech. not exactly friends but they do respect each other a lot
- bianca: steady companionship; flows just as it does currently
- thalia: a sort of bodyguard/guard dog type protectiveness asserted onto kia.
- luke: he resents kia, or rather, the aspect of her family bond that he never got to have. in his eyes, she has apollo, a father figure that genuinely cares and goes to many lengths for her as well as morpheus, who, admittedly, tries to manipulate her often but still, at least he wants her on his side. she tries to reach out a helping hand but he ultimately slaps it away each time. insert subtle signs that he starts to feel lonely and that he thinks of her often; not necessarily in an enemy sense, just as a friend he'd go to advice for. at end, when he's dying, he concedes that perhaps in another life, they might have been great friends.
- grover: very mundane friendship, like the normal and completely average ones u make in real life: stable trust, kindness yeah all that
- tyson: protectiveness on both sides, kia defending tyson all the time for being a cyclops, tyson defending her whenever she's in physical danger
- nico: he doesn't actually think anything of her at first. to him, she's just some other insufferable demigod that happened to be on the quest his sister died during. eventually, kia becomes the first person (beside hazel) to really get close with nico. he relies heavily on her and even though he was hesitant at first to open up, he quickly learns to fall back on her whenever he needs.
- malcolm: bickering buddies. sworn enemies for life (read: he tugs on her hair to annoy her and she trips him whenever he walks by). they still love each other tho (they'd never fucking admit it over their dead body)
The Staff of Serapis
sadie and kia idea
- 'so... he's like the god of toilet paper?'
- 'PAPYRUS ROLLS' they hear carter say somewhere
- they both roll their eyes
- 'yes' says sadie
- 'so he's basically like thanaoros but egyptian'
- 'i don't think gods appreciate being compared like that'
- 'they can suck it'
HOO
The Lost Hero
jason seeing kia idea
- on the skywalk they see each other
- jason feels a shooting pain go through his head and he stumbles
- piper has to steady him
- he winces and is breathing heavily and his eyes stay on kia
at camp idea
- kia is the one who takes jason to the big house
- jason latches onto her relatively quickly
- he looks like a kicked puppy when kia implies that she won't be going with them to cabin 15
- it annoys her
- but she relents and goes with em
- jason sticks to her from then on
- he tried to persuade her to go on the quest with them
- she just smiles and shakes her head
- she ruffles his hair
- 'you'll be fine, jase'
- she doesn't realise the nickname she gave him but he does and he hesitantly smiles back
ALTERNATIVELY
meeting kia idea
- while they're on the quest
- they meet ethan and kia
- they're looking for percy too
- leo at some point asks how they know it's not because of mortal reasons that he's disappeared
- jason looks at him, aghast that e could ask a question like this to them
- kia looks back coldly, but like her face was inherently this cold, not intentional
- she says 'we're demigods. it's always going to be because of magic'
ethan and jason idea
- they're running in the snow
- and they're talking kinda i guess
- and ethan says 'but we're here, looking for the best friend'
- a tone of bitterness is what he uses
- jason decides not to comment
The Son of Neptune
percy remembering idea
- 'die demigod scum!' was a pretty nice way to start out the day
- all he remembers is a girl with wonderful blonde hair bla bla names annabeth i'm a lovesick puppy bla bla
- but another girl. quieter. more mysterious. the blonde girl shone like the sun but this asian girl shone like the moon. he doesn't know her name.
- he actually hears it somewhere
- maybe from the cyclops
- and he gets a headache
- he's groaning and when hazel puts her ear to his mouth she hears him xchanting 'kia kia kia'
- hazel thinks he's a little burnt out
percy has a dream idea
- poor kid i keep giving him nightmares to span centuries
- anyway he's walking through a corridor
- and it leads him to a room
- he turns around and there's no corridor anymore. no way out
- so he looks at the empty room
- more specifically the walls
- there's portraits on it
- like you'd see on ancient artifices or greek plates
- people slaying the hydra
- a man killing the minotaur
- a group of people battling the drakon in the hesperides garden
- kampe
- he doesn't know how he knows these names but they mean something
- and then there's just a portrait
- it's of a girl
- no nothing just staring back at him
- she has no face
- slowly as he stares
- he becomes more and more uncomfortable
- and then he becomes scared
- it's really creeping him out
- then he wakes up or his dream changes
percy remembering idea pt 2
- he sees something after he regains most of his memory
- maybe the black band on his index finger?
- anyway maybe he loses it and finds it again
- when he does
- he just starts crying
- like literally crying
- because he's been through a lot
- and he's got this ring through it all
- he's happy he still has it
- hazel is being increasingly concerned for his mental state
- she thinks he might be a little cuckoo
The Mark of Athena
new rome idea
- while they're about to land
- jason murmurs to kia 'you should do the thing, romans respect power'
- kia glances at him from the corner of her eye
- 'let's see'
- she ends up not doing it
- until they're at the table with octavian
the scene
- i feel like there should be a scene
- during which ethan actually has morals now
- and he's bitter as fuck about that
- (seeing his girlfriend smile at him may or may not make it worth it)
- so when leo and frank and jason and him are ya know flying accords a field of angry romans', ethan manages to make it onto the ship and sees leo struggling to get up
- at first he sighs contentedly and tries to walk away
- but then he stops and curses under his breathe as he angrily stomps back and pulls leo up with one hand
- leo attempts to tease him and say he's gone soft or he must like him now
- but he shuts up bc of the glare it earns from ethan
little ✨ things ✨ for kithan moments
- thumb caresses
- playing with each other's fingers
- calling each other 'love'
- 'dumbass, moron, idiot'
- when kia wakes up, ethan stares at her
- her face is pale
- her hair in messy coils
octavian and kia idea
- he glances at her a little too often for ethan's liking
- not in like a jealous way
- he just thinks octavian shouldn't look at her
- octavian says something insulting along the lines on 'minor god' to kia
- ethan is ready commit manslaughter
- his hand is already on the hilt of his sword
- he notices the drinks on the table trembling
- he sees percy looking strained and gritting his teeth, glaring at octavian
- kia calmly rests a hand on ethan's arm and taps percy's foot with hers
- she says stoically 'i'm more parts god than you are and what did you say u were? descendant of apollo?
- she smiles bitchily 'maybe u should ask him for his opinion'
- octavian pales
- 'i don't exactly appreciate u interrupting your praetor, please allow her continue'
jason and kia bug idea
- jason and kia are hanging out in his room
- he's not unconscious
- she's laying upside down on his bed talking his ear off
- while jason is sitting at his table
- somehow paying attention to what she's saying
- he doesn't mind tho
- she has a pretty calming voice
- until he hears a shriek from his right
- his head snaps to the direction
- only to find kia looking petrified
- pillows and blankets bunches up held close to her chest
- with a finger pointing... at a bug?
- 'kill it!'
- jason is amused
- kia notices
- 'don't laugh! kill it!'
- jason tries to kill the cockroach
- it's flies
- they both scream bloody murder
- run out and never go in again
dark! kia idea
- it's just a thought
- but she thinks about luke
- and what he did
- and for a moment
- just for a moment
- she thinks
- 'maybe that's how it should've been'
leo and kithan idea
- they're all talking at the helm of the ship
- ethan hugs kia from behind
- wrapping her arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder
- kia immediately leans in
- leo sees this
- his face lights up in mischief
- he opens his mouth to tease ethan
- he stops when he sees the glowering look on ethan's face
- leo wonders how he could still be in such a cutesy pose with his girlfriend and still look so intimidating
perkia moment
- piper walks up the stairs
- sees percy and kia say something at the same time
- 'jinx'
- 'double jinx'
- 'triple jinx'
- 'quadruple jinx'
- 'quintiple jinx' kia says smugly
- 'no fair i didn't know what was after quadruple!'
- 'annabeth is ur personal dictionary it's totally fair!'
kithan moment
- ethan's pov
- kia was not someone that people regularly called cute
- pretty? sure. beautiful? absolutely. cute? maybeee not
- kia does something offhandedly
- ethan groans
- she looks over in concern
- 'can you stop being cute for five seconds, i need to see through my morally unconscious acts'
annabeth and kia tartarus discussion
- kia often spends hours in the athena cabin
- she says it gets her brain working
- and because of it
- she feels most comfortable in annabeth's room on the ship
- even more than her own
- so they're in the room
- kia's laying on the bed
- annabeth is typing furiously on her computer
- annabeth leans back in her chair heaving a deep sigh
- their eyes meet heads unmoving
- 'you've figured it out too, i assume' kia says
- annabeth looks away to her computer screen
- the blue reflecting in the whites of her eyes despite the beautiful stormy swirl of grey piercing through
- finally she says 'yeah'
- they're talking about tartarus
- how at least one of them is going to end up down there
the well idea
- they're drowning in the thing
- and kia just can't accept her death
- she literally can't
- and it's turning into a problem
- and she's trying to think of something
- and she has a plan
- but she doubts anyone in the group will help her for it to work
- piper is too nice
- percy cares too much to hurt her
- ethan loves her too much
- but jason
- jason could work
- bla bla jason bla bla devoted to duty
- she whispers something in his ear
- he looks at her like she's crazy trying not to drown
- 'no way'
- 'what?' percy shouts
- jason is about to hell him but kia cuts him off with a look
- 'please' she looks at him imploringly 'this will work'
- he has an internal battle for a moment
- but ultimately he does it
- he hits a pressure point on her neck that he learnt from legion training
- jabs it actually to make it work
- ethan yells out 'what the fuck are you doing?'
- he's trying to swim over
- but jason just holds kia in his arms
- he yells to piper 'tell her to accept it'
- 'are you out of your mind?' percy screams
- 'piper, do it!'
- she's panicked but she does anyway
- and it works
- later when they're fine they wake both of them up (jason and kia)
- ethan looks at jason with a menacing glare
- 'care to explain why you tried to drown my girlfriend?'
- kia tells him to relax
- she explains what she thought of
- the mind is weakest and most impressionable when asleep
- the only active part is the subconscious which takes orders easily
- since kia is a daughter of morpheus, she has more control over her mind and the charmspeak wouldn't work like normal
- so she asked jason to make her pass out so that piper could command her subconscious instead
- ethan sighs
- 'i don't know whether to call you stupid or a genius'
- 'how about happy to be alive'
jason training idea
- so here's the thing
- for a child of the big three
- jason is pretty weak
- i don't know why his powers are so underplayed
- well maybe it's because roman training is more weapon and skill oriented??
- whatever
- so i want kia to kind of try and help jason out
- the first thing she teaches him is blood
- no not fucking around with actual blood somehow
- he isn't percy
- but jason
- for some reason
- tends to believe that lightning can only come from zeus himself
- we've seen thalia do it multiple times and i don't understand why jason shouldn't be able to either
- so the first thing jason learns is that power comes from within him
- as opposed to from jupiter or somewhere above lent to him
- and he masters getting a few licks of lightning if he's powered up enough
- but lightning still isn't his forte obviously
- then kia dips to tartarus and jason my poor boi is left clueless about his training
The House of Hades
kia dark thoughts
- she's staring at the water
- her knees coming up to her chest
- she's completely silent
- no ones there
- she thinks about stuff
- about how sometimes, she has this urge to hurt someone
- maybe not physically
- not even towards someone specific
- but break their mind
- she realised how dark her thoughts are
- physically shakes her head
- leo/percy snaps her out of the daze
- leo if she's on the ship
- percy if she's in tartarus
if kia is in tartarus idea
- the empousai scene
- kia starts actually manipulating them
- turning them against one another
- like really darkly
- they kill each other violently
- she only keeps staring, as if it's a particularly uninteresting bird she noticed
- percy/annabeth/ethan/whoever is with her looks at her horrified
luke's ghost helps/haunts her
- she has a dream
- she's sitting around the campfire with all the other older campers
- and there's someone playing the guitar and singing in just a kid by simple plan
- and he turns around
- it's luke
- he smiles at her
- idk where i'm going with this
The Blood of Olympus
perkia moment
- kia is laying out a plan
- percy cuts in slightly following her gist, smiling at her
- 'the way you complete my sentences is adorable but don't interrupt me'
kithan moment
- ethan is close to kia's face
- he can smell mint chocolate chip ice cream
- he'd never really like ice cream
- but suddenly it's his favourite flavour
- kia thinking absently about the chocolate she had earlier
- it got stuck in her teeth so she had to brush it out
jason training PART TWOH idea
- jason awkwardly goes up to kia again
- she's staring at him like wtf do you want
- and he scratches his neck awkwardly asf and goes 'my training...? ITS TOTALLY FINE IF YOU DONT WANT TO I GET THAT YOU WERE IN TARTARUS ALL THIS TIME AND YOURE PROBABLY TIRED I SHOUDLNT HAVE SAID ANYTHING IM SORRY BYE'
- and kia catches some of it somehow cuz he's like totally rambling at this point
- she stops him and smiles 'it's okay have cmon'
- they go back to training
- after revisiting all jason has learned so far
- she picks up where they left off
- wind stuff because that is the centre of jason's power as shown in the books
- she teaches him how to use it in more versatile ways because jason is pretty upfront with his wind attacks for some reason
jason americano idea
- kia and percy are debating what's the best holiday
- jason i've heard and breaks in to say it's the fourth of july
- kia looks at him so judgementally
- he blushes because he's embarrassed
- 'what?'
- 'you are so violently american—'
hazel and kia moment
- hazel walks out in white and is talking to piper about it
- 'yeah i decided to wear white today'
- kia overhears 'hell yeah, wear the skin of those who wronged your people!'
- piper and hazel look at her in shock
- kia sees hazel's shirt and realised 'i'm sorry i panicked!'
ethan proposes to kia idea
- i don't really know where i wanna o with this yet so let's wait
kia and annabeth 'feral attack child' idea
- kia is hanging upside down from annabeth's bed in her dorm
- she's poking annabeth's cheek while she reads a book
- 'did thalia and like ever just tell you to attack and you ran at whoever with a hammer?'
- annabeth looks at her irritatedly
- but she's healed (kind of) from what happened with luke
- enough to talk about it with people like kia and percy
gaea idea
- when they're fighting gaea
- jason, leo and piper
- kia is down on the field fighting monsters and stuff
- but she looks up
- and sees that gaea for a second is getting the upper hand
- she's tired
- and she's been making enemies drop like flies
- but she's angry
- two wars and all this shits still happening
- and for a second
- everyone feels her anger
- the monsters the demigods the heroes gaea all of them
- some are scared and others are angry as well
- and for a split second
- everything flashes to tartarus
- the world is drowned in red
- earth is painted with hell
- and then it all goes back to normal and the fighting resumes
- gaea isn't scared
- she's seen tartarus before
- she's a primordial
- but this demigod brought him above the surface
- and they make eye contact kia and gaea
- kia is staring at her straight in the eye
- and then she turns away to fight the monsters again
- jason leo and piper are shocked but they shake it off and resume fighting
- so i had possibly the greatest idea ever
- at the climax of the war
- only she's left
- she keeps thinking about the 'something important' she was meant to do as she had for the entire book
- it's louder and clearer now
- and suddenly she knows what she has to do
- she smiled at ethan
- 'goodbye'
- he realises a split second to late
- he and all the other lunge to tackle her but
- she's too quick
- she screams
- and they're gone
- they find themselves in a replica of camp half blood
- except it's quiet
- all the demigods are looking around confused wondering what happened
- ethan falls to the ground dramatically lmao sorry
gaea idea of two
- they're transported somewhere, and gaea looks around in confusion. the world was about to be razed. what on earth just happened? it looked like the asphodel speawl
- 'you like it here?' a voice echoed around the place, which was odd because it had no walks as far as gaea could see
- emerging from the shadows is kia. 'i hope you do, because we're the only gods in this place. no demigods no monsters no nothing.'
- gaea let's out a screech, eyes widening in horror of what this demigod—god has done. 'do you have any idea what you've done, gosling? you've ruined everything! this won't only ruin me, all your friends your demigods your parents will die! you've thrown the entire universe off balance! do you have the slightest clue what happens when you merge two parallel worlds?'
- kia shrugs, not paying much mind to what she's saying—nothing she hasn't already thought of before. 'not really. but i guess we're about to find out, gaea, because we're stuck here—forever. i am as powerless as you. even i cannot get us out.' rain starts pouring, and lightning arces across the sky as kia's face is revealed. it's peace. she gets out her sword, and she wields it like she never has before. she plants her feet, as someone once taught her, and her left foot pulls her off the ground. it's like everything slows. she charges. 'you are my eternal hell as i am yours.'
- gaea screams, rumbling the substance beneath them.
Where The Story Ends
a chapter dedicated to each character (all other than kia ofc). they don't have their powers anymore. leo has to relearn his wariness of flames. hazel doesn't feel any connection to the earth or feel dread when she sees jewels anymore. piper is still pretty but in a way that seems human and her words aren't as persuasive anymore. jason can't smell the scent of ozone surrounding him anymore—he hadn't realised just how much it had been around him until it's gone; he can't feel the lightning in his veins where they used to be. grover doesn't have hooves anymore—he's just a boy. thalia doesn't feel luke's hate towards the gods anymore; her spear feels foreign in her hands. frank can't feel the spirit of war anymore; the voices of his dad's sides can't be heard in his head anymore; he doesn't feel the roman blood in him. annabeth is still smart, but not with the level of superhuman intelligence she used to have. apollo i'm not sure. percy only feels cold when he sees the sea now, not feeling the tug in his gut whenever he would face the sea before. ethan doesn't feel the weight of balance anymore; he can't feel the scales tipping. they don't have their powers anymore.
in botl, things are still a bit tense between kia and annabeth ever since the argument, but annabeth called in to bring her to the mast. she takes a brief look around the room, passively observing that there were no mirrors anyway. but it's weird to ask after what happened. so she doesn't.
in ethan's letter: i don't know when i started to be afraid of mirrors. i didn't like that they showed so much of me. maybe it was because i couldn't stand to look at myself for what i'd done.
do you remember the time we met achilles and patroclus back before you entered the river styx? ironically, despite my dreams, it was the only time i had ever seen achilles. i never told you, but sometimes, when i'm looking at you at the head of the ship, laying everything out for us, i briefly, even if just for a moment, catch a glimpse of a warrior. your eyes are so green, percy—nothing like his, but sometimes, i don't realise the difference. you've always been a warrior, percy—the warrior. i was never the warrior in the story. it was you. i knew it'd be useless to try and sell myself off as one. so dont worry—i wasn't forced to do this. don't try to get revenge for me. i did it myself. this was the only way i could become a warrior. please understand.
leo's letter. she actually gives it to hermes as opposed to leaving it for him. she tells hermes to give it to calypso, whenever it is the next time he visits. and for her to give it to her next visitor at ogygia. hermes looks down at the letter in his hands. there's so much he wants to say, so many things he should say, but there are none that words can articulate clearly enough. it's a rarity for a god to feel powerless—and here, hermes felt powerless. 'i'll have it delivered. consider it done, kia.' and before she leaves he stops her. 'kia... the gods may not know what you did, or what you will do. not now, and maybe never. but i want to say that... they'd be proud of you.' 'i didn't do this for your pride.' 'i know. but you deserve to know that you died a hero.' she turns back slightly, and for a moment, she realised that her and hermes are the only people in this world that know. somehow, she's glad it's him. 'thank you, lord hermes.'
i had a feeling you'd be back. you were always special, leo. you'll be the one to save her. there's not much else to say to you. go get her, leo.
when she dies, ethan doesn't cry. he just screams. no words. just a scream so loud and potent it shook the world. he keeps screaming. screaming until his throat gives out. apollo is the only one who can come close enough without his ears ringing. he presses a hand to ethan's throat, his eyes widening the slightest fraction. his voice box is broken. ethan is mute.
when kronos' scythe is kicked aside, there's something after luke dies that pulls her towards it. the moment she touches it, it dissipiates, forming a cuff around her wrist—about an inch wide, fitted onto her wrist. instead of being steel or bronze, though, it's now a great shininh, glowing silver. on the edge, words in greek are engraved: time defeats all. she doesn't know what it means, but she doesn't tell anyone. not even ethan. i think that's the point at which she starts this journey all on her own. the start of the isolation she faces in hoo. and in the end, the very end. she knows what the cuff is for. she brushes her hand against the inscription, her blood mixing with it. the blood of a primordial, just like kronos. just as gaea is pushed back, kia uses it to slice her into pieces—but since she's a mortal, the power comes from her, and it kills her, too, and the scythe explodes into one thousand pieces on the last slice. and then she's left, into nothing but ashes as a spectacular light floods the sky. that's why luke didn't win the war. he couldn't summon the scythe's full power.
the science behind the transformation of the blade is simple. when the telekhines cooled the blade in the blood, it was the blood of mortals. misconception. it needed the blood of the true primordial to forge it into the true form of the blade: adamantine. what norses used to forge bone steel.
'you're smart, annabeth—you've always been the smartest of us. that's why the only way i would've been able to lie to you was push you away far enough for you to not see.'
at the beginning of tlo, she joins percy and beckendorf to bomb the princess andromeda. in the process, she gets scratched by kronos' scythe. that's the point at which she starts to become less human—the ability of the scythe, the soul damage. it cut and stabbed into the back of kia's right shoulder. that's why she then becomes left handed from then on. the wound reopens every so often, and she's reminded of what happened.
the aftermath sequence:
i. hazel levesque
ii. frank zhang
iii. leo valdez
iv. piper mclean
v. rachel elizabeth dare
vi. grover underwood
vii. jason grace
viii. morpheus
ix. thalia grace
x. nico di angelo
xi. phoebus apollo
xii. annabeth chase
xiii. percy jackson
xiv. ethan nakamura
xv. kia mitsuho (epilogue—five years forward, how everybody is doing)
Annabeth Chase:
The amphitheatre was empty. It usually never was. Annabeth could imagine Kia and Percy and Ethan sitting around Mrs. O'Leary, swapping jokes and smiles everywhere. Kia would've been the one to notice Annabeth first, and gesture her over to join them. That was one thing she was sure she'd never forget—Kia's bright smile.
Ice prickled in the air. It was a cold day, and the harsh wind was nipping at Annabeth's cheeks, but she wasn't sure if that was what was making her shake. The letter in her hands grew warmer.
Exhaling a shaky breath, Annabeth sat on the steps of the amphitheatre, wrapping the windbreaker closer around her body. She stared at the letter in her eyes, even long after her eyes had run dry from the cold; she was sure there were other ways for her eyes to gain moisture. Fingers trembling, teeth chattering, Annabeth took five tries to open the letter.
Dear Annabeth,
You're one of the best friends I've ever had. Before this quest, we were usually the only girls, and the testosterone in the air made me sick—I don't know about you, but I think you'd agree—but even so, I'm glad that you're the girl I got stuck with. Even if nobody else were going on the quests with us, I think you'd be the one person I'd choose to go with me—not only because you're a genius, but also because you're my best friend.
A sob broke out of Annabeth's chest, even after she had tried to suppress it since she first read the letter. Hyperventilating, she had to relearn how to breathe before continuing. She tried, but she just couldn't look at it. Her tears were blurring her vision, and she was still gasping ever so often.
Eventually, she got it together and steeled her nerves to keep reading. Kia would have wanted that.
I know I've said some pretty harsh stuff to you recently, and I'm sorry for it. For what it's worth: I didn't mean any of it. You're the strongest person I know, as cheesy as that sounds. You're the greatest architect I've ever met—even greater than Daedalus—and the smartest person I'm sure I'll ever know. You aren't fractured or fucked up because of your mom—well, maybe you are, but, hey, we all are, aren't we? You're one of the most inspiring people I've ever met, and I'll carry every single thing you've ever said to me to my grave, because you are the greatest person I've ever known. I guess all that bullshit I spewed was a half-assed attempt to keep you all out—maybe so that it's be easier for me to leave.
I guess what I'm trying to say is I don't want to leave. I'm not going to say much more about that, because it'd be unfair of me to die and let you guys deal with knowing that I didn't want to. I'm glad I'm going to die, too. Not only because you guys will be safe, too—because that'll be unfair too—but because... I guess I'm also tired. I love everyone here, and I want to be here with them, but there's so many things wrong in the world. What I'm trying to say is it'll be peace for both you and I. Means to an end, right? I don't know if I used that correctly. You'd be able to tell me. Something like that.
I love you, Annie, I really do. I can't explain it much more than that. Oscar Wilde says that there's nothing that can't be expressed in art—I don't know if this dumb letter counts as art, but still—but I know for a fact that I will never be able to express how intensely I love you—all of you. From the bottom of my heart, Annie, I'm so, so, so fucking sorry for everything I've said. I want you to know that I don't believe that—none of us do. You're a hundred times bigger than anything I've ever said, and I hope you know that. Even so, I can't go without saying I'm sorry. I'm sorry for more things than one.
I don't think a goodbye letter is always a goodbye letter—I think it should also be a 'see you soon' letter. THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU GO DOING STUPID SHIT TO SEE ME. Tell Percy if I see you—any of you even a second earlier than I should, I will personally send all your asses back—maybe missing a limb or two. I guess this is just a fancy way of saying I want you to remember in good faith.
Remember that time we drew stuff on each other's hands and swore we'd get tattoos of that? Guess we'll have to take a rain check on that one. I'm pretty sure I have a replica of why you drew somewhere in my room. I had Lou Ellen make it for me before we left on the quest. Sorry if you think I thought too far ahead. I kept your one, too, if you want it. I'll put it along with this letter if I find it.
Throat aching from pain, Annabeth could barely keep it all in as she took out two square pieces of printer paper with two distinct doodles on it.
Annabeth's own rough strokes formed a cartoon of a palm tree on a little island with a small sun, and Kia's artful and rounded corners forming the image of a sunflower, with little hearts doodled around it with stars mimicking sparkles. Usually, Annabeth wasn't the most artistically inclined other than in cases of architecture, but she had a brief spark of inspiration that day, so she had taken a pen when she had come to a block with her theories and started doodling on Kia's hand. After she was done, Kia looked at it and demanded the pen from Annabeth, and promptly started doodling on Annabeth back.
A bunch of fresh tears fell down Annabeth's face. It was so like Kia to draw flowers when she had the chance. Annabeth loved it so much that she had kept it sealed with a charm until it eventually faded by itself.
She pocketed both of them, storing them away from later.
Now that I think about it, Annie, you kind of remind me of a sunflower. I wish I had something poetic to say, but I don't. I don't know why I think so. I mean the obvious similarity is that both are really pretty, but nothing else really rings a bell. Sunflowers are my favourite. Maybe something like that? I don't know. Anyway, I think that was my favourite memory with you.
I'm starting to see how difficult this letter-writing shit is. It's kind of hard to have a conversation when it's only going one way. I'm sure you'd have a lot to say if you could actually respond. I'd go to your room, but I'm pretty sure you hate me right now.
Annabeth could never hate Kia.
I was second-guessing myself a while ago, actually. Maybe still. I was thinking that maybe I could tell one of you what I was planning to do. You were the first person I thought of. Percy and Ethan, yes, I love them, but I don't think they'd understand. No offence, but I don't think you would either. I'm pretty sure all of you would have insisted that we'd find a different way. I'm not interested in discovering different ways. I'm sure that this is what I have to do. I guess I'm realising right now that I can't tell any of you. I'd be too tempted not to. I can't let the rest of the world including you all die just because I wanted to live.
Because that was Kia. Even when everyone begged her to be selfish, she just couldn't be.
These letters are just a way of you guys seeing me one last time, I guess, whether you want to or not. I hope I helped you understand—even if it was just the slightest bit more. To my greatest friend, Annabeth.
The most love I can offer,
Kia.
Nico di Angelo:
Dear Nico,
You were like the little brother I never had. I know you might not always believe it, but there are people out here who genuinely care for you. Jason, as ironic as it sounds, supports you—and no, he didn't tell me anything. I had my own suspicions. (I think you and that Apollo boy—Will, I think?—would look good together.) Reyna seems to really care for you, too. Even Coach Hedge. Don't be afraid to go to them to talk just because I'm gone. They'll take care of you—and I know you don't always want that, but you do need it. I'm sure I don't need to tell you, but you've made Bianca proud—I'm sure of it. I'll be sure to ask when I see her.
that's all i had for this book. thank you all for coming with me and reading the first fic i ever wrote. i hope you're all hanging in there. bye, everyone!