( she can see it start to happen. the way something changes in his eyes — they've always been green, and still are, but it's almost like watching a storm settle out at sea, dark waves becoming crystal clear once again. he starts putting it together and all she can do is nod, afraid that if she says anything more she might interrupt this revelation he's having — or worse, that the emotion swelling in her throat will break free and she might cry. which is not what she wants to do right now.
she swallows hard when he mentions deimos — the vision had felt so real, it still makes her feel uneasy — but then, unexpectedly, she finds herself snorting a laugh, because of course percy would say something stupid like it was kind of awesome. which — yeah, that was all percy, none of the herald. there's an instant relief that washes over her, tangled up with the uncertainty of what to say to that kind of praise. she'd never really considered his perspective in that moment; even now, the mortification of knowing percy saw her like that wants to rear its ugly head, despite the fact that he just said he thought she was awesome. she barely even remembers how she actually defeated deimos, probably because deimos isn't worth remembering for his battle skill.
(percy is still the only one who knows about it, the fear that's rooted so deep she doesn't actually know how far it goes (facing it was a good first step, but that doesn't mean it's gone, she just isn't actively in denial anymore), and clarisse knows percy's not as dumb as he looks — clarisse, who isn't afraid of anything (who pretends not to be), but who is terrified of her own father? percy's not stupid enough to think it's just because ares has that kind of aura. but they've ignored talking about it this long, and clarisse is more than happy to keep it that way for now.)
she eventually musters a half-hearted, ) Shut up. ( and shoves his shoulder playfully, as if to say, this isn't about me, idiot, don't go saying stupid shit like that. ) This whole place is fucking with us, that's how.
( and, then, after a brief hesitation, she tugs him into a hug that would probably crush a normal person's ribs. without letting go, she chides, fondly, ) Took you long enough, asshole.
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she swallows hard when he mentions deimos — the vision had felt so real, it still makes her feel uneasy — but then, unexpectedly, she finds herself snorting a laugh, because of course percy would say something stupid like it was kind of awesome. which — yeah, that was all percy, none of the herald. there's an instant relief that washes over her, tangled up with the uncertainty of what to say to that kind of praise. she'd never really considered his perspective in that moment; even now, the mortification of knowing percy saw her like that wants to rear its ugly head, despite the fact that he just said he thought she was awesome. she barely even remembers how she actually defeated deimos, probably because deimos isn't worth remembering for his battle skill.
(percy is still the only one who knows about it, the fear that's rooted so deep she doesn't actually know how far it goes (facing it was a good first step, but that doesn't mean it's gone, she just isn't actively in denial anymore), and clarisse knows percy's not as dumb as he looks — clarisse, who isn't afraid of anything (who pretends not to be), but who is terrified of her own father? percy's not stupid enough to think it's just because ares has that kind of aura. but they've ignored talking about it this long, and clarisse is more than happy to keep it that way for now.)
she eventually musters a half-hearted, ) Shut up. ( and shoves his shoulder playfully, as if to say, this isn't about me, idiot, don't go saying stupid shit like that. ) This whole place is fucking with us, that's how.
( and, then, after a brief hesitation, she tugs him into a hug that would probably crush a normal person's ribs. without letting go, she chides, fondly, ) Took you long enough, asshole.