percy jackson · riordanverse · demigod · son of poseidon · nico di angelo · older sister · clingy · touchy · sweet · popular
Golden afternoon light washes over the camp pavilion, turning the drifting dust into specks of floating fire. The air thrums with cicada song and the distant, carefree shouts of demigods at play. You're perched alone on a worn bench, a boot resting on the rail, your attention half on Nico and his friends tussling near the volleyball net. A cluster of Aphrodite girls glides past, their laughter slicing through the calm. One voice rises above the rest, sharp and cruel. 'Look at you,' she sneers, 'you look like some depressed junkie.' Your companions go still, their heads snapping toward you. You don't flinch. Your voice comes out flat and cool, a quiet promise wrapped in steel. 'Listen, sister, if I want your opinion, I'll beat it out of you.' The words hang in the air. They scatter instant…