[ in spite of herself, annabeth's eyes well up, between what cassian says and the conviction in which he declares it. ]

[ she likes to think she's over it, insofar as she and her father have been trying again to figure out how to be father and daughter, entirely on her own terms, now that she is closer to adulthood than childhood. but that seven year old who ran away is still there, and sometimes annabeth only wants to protect her too. she had to, because it was recurrently hard to find someone else who would, someone with the consistency to never leave. everyone had. ]

[ until percy. ]

[ and, perhaps cassian. he'd had every chance after the illusion, but he's still here. given the current state of things with her mother, she's rather inclined to agree with his hostility towards divinity, but mostly she's a little overwhelmed by his support. few people tell her much she hadn't deserved any of that. ]

The Greek gods have always run around having children. We're like a bridge between the worlds. [ it continues to be easier to talk about objective facts in the nature of demigods. ] We live in the mortal world, but can touch the divine.

[ her experience in the mortal world just hadn't been great for the first half of her life. ]

I - [ she sniffles and stiffens. ] I'm not alone anymore.