Work Text:
I materialized on a narrow stone walkway in the middle of the air. Far below me was Manhattan, centered around the Empire State Building. In front of me, white marble steps wound up the spine of a cloud into the sky.
From the top of the clouds rose a mountain, shimmering into existence halfway to its peak. The snow-covered summit glittered, radiating bright light overtop the city clinging to the mountainside. Multileveled palaces with white-columned porticos, gilded terraces, and bronze braziers breathing the protective power of Hestia into every hearth and home. Gardens bloomed with olive trees and rosebushes. The open-air market was filled with colorful tents and exotic wares. The amphitheatre on one side of the mountain, the hippodrome and coliseum on the other. Roads wound up the natural paths of the mountain, twisting and turning in wild patterns up to the largest of the palaces; the temples of the Olympians, crested by father’s palace at the summit.
My eyes drifted down the mountain slightly, to the purple and gold painted palace, green vines winding up the columns. I wished desperately to wander up the path for my own palace, to where Ariadne was surely waiting for my return, where she had waited every year since my punishment began.
Father would not appreciate the delay, but when had father ever been happy with me? I was a reminder to Hera that father had been taken with another not his lawful wedded wife, and not just any woman, but a mortal.
With great effort, I turned away from the path to my own palace and turned towards the the peak. I was not allowed on Olympus unless summoned, and father might take the excuse to extend my punishment.
Perhaps dearest Ariadne might join me on my stroll back to the mortal realm; a leisurely walk, the path through the gardens to the elevator, rather than through the market.
The steps led up to the central courtyard and straight to the Hall of the Gods. Massive columns rose to a domed ceiling gilded with moving constellations. Twelve thrones, built for the Olympians, were arranged in an inverted U. Hestia’s fire crackled in the central hearth pit.
I was the last to arrive. Father’s argument with Poseidon ceased as he watched my approach with a narrowed gaze. I took my time meandering to my throne at a mortal pace before growing into my immortal form and taking a seat.
No point pandering when father was already cross with me.
Father blew out an irritated breath before straightening. “Now that we’ve all arrived, let us discuss to the matter at hand.”
I summoned a fresh diet coke and cracked the tab. All of their so-called ‘emergency meetings’ since the winter solstice had been identical; father accusing uncle of having had the lightning bolt stolen, Poseidon denying it, father accusing Poseidon of lying.
What was it that Hermes said about these meetings? Yes, I remember. This could’ve been an email.
I looked longingly at the can in my hand, wishing it was alcohol before drinking deeply while father continued. “There have been reports from Chiron at Camp Half-Blood that the demigods are behaving strangely.”
I choked, slapping a hand over my mouth to prevent my laughter. Oh gods. I hadn’t even realized the annoying centaur would have felt the need to send a report.
Demigods behaving strangely. Yes, that’s one way to describe demigods deciding to adopt their preferred parents.
Athena, the feather-head, of course noticed. “Anything to say, Dionysus? You are camp director.”
I propped the elbow with my drink on the armrest of my throne and threw a leg over the opposite arm. Father cringed. Serves him right. If I had to suffer without alcohol in the mortal realm, father would have to suffer a son of his looking worse than Hephaestus.
My expression was schooled into careful nonchalance, knowing it would irritate father and the feather-head. “It’s got nothing to do with the theft, sister dearest. In fact, if the meeting is about this so called ‘strange behavior,’ then I rather think this did not have to be a meeting at all.”
“I shall be the judge of that!” Father boomed. Drama-queen.
I sighed theatrically, entirely put upon and exasperated, clearly. “I suppose there was a discussion at the dining pavilion the evening before last. Something something hospitality, something something adoption. I’d think sister dearest might know something. It sent her cabin into quite a tizzy.”
Hermes perked up, setting his phone to the side to let George and Martha handle his emails for the moment. “Oh, is this about my new kid?”
Apollo took out one of his headphones. “The one you claimed at the camp sing-a-long? Chris something or other? Lee’s always been good at hymms, so I can’t help but tune in.”
“Nah, not Chris, my feet have barely touched the ground lately, so I didn’t notice him until my new kid got my attention the other night.” Poseidon had been resting his head on his hand since he found out the meeting was not another excuse to accuse him of theft. “My new kid’s name is Percy.” His elbow slipped off the armrest and his face narrowly missed smashing into it.
Hermes, as usual, was wearing the expression Apollo liked to call his ‘how could a baby possibly steal those cattle’ face. Admittedly a long name for it, and it also happened to be the face he was born with, considering his track record.
He knew what that face meant. Apollo knew what that face meant. I knew what that face meant.
The children of Kronos did not recognize what that face meant.
Zeus took him seriously, of course. After all, Hermes swore not to lie to him, and, well, he wasn’t lying. “You claimed the boy who fought the Minotaur as your son?”
I huffed. As if it wasn’t obvious that Peter was Poseidons’, and Poseidon wasn’t exactly helping by shrinking into the background. How suspicious could he be?
“Well, not exactly?” Hermes shrugged. “Like, he’s definitely mine now, but that’s a new development. Like Dio said, one thing led to another and then - WHOOSH- new adopted kid.”
Bird-brain raised an imperious eyebrow at Hermes. “Pray tell how, exactly, you’ve adopted this demigod?”
“I mean, I wasn’t really there, you know? It just sort of happened.” His innocent look was aggravatingly good. “Dio would know more about it since I guess I adopted him during dinner.” He shrugged and held his hands up in a gesture of ‘what can you do?’
Hermes shot a smirk at me when the other gods turned their attention back to me. I suppose he thought it’d been too long since we’d messed with the other gods together. Perhaps Apollo would join in? We younger Olympians should stick together, after all.
I took a long sip of my diet coke before ‘noticing’ the attention. “Oh, you want me to explain? You’d already know this if you paid half a drachma’s attention to our primary place of worship” To your children, went unsaid.
“Explain.” Feather-head snapped. I smirked. Did I hit a nerve?
“Fine, fine.” My free-hand drummed atop my knee. “I suppose the primary argument is that Hermes isn’t required to take in the unclaimed demigods, and that doing so means they can request to be adopted.”
“How is that even an argument?”
“To repeat the argument that started this kerfuffle,” I paused to appreciate the bewildered looks at my word choice. “Hermes is the god of travelers, not guest rights and hospitality. He’s only related to Xenia so far as it relates to travelers. The argument for point one is that the demigods are not travelers, so why are the unclaimed and the children in his cabin instead of father; Zeus Xenios?”
Father narrowed his eyes at the minor accusation implied, but I continued.
“I believe cabin six even expounded on this - that since the camp was only founded due to the grace of father, and because he is King of the Gods, offering Xenia is doubly fathers’ imperative.” I paused, waiting for an interruption. None came, so I continued. “Point two was something about how the unclaimed are treated, I believe. Anybody could tell you that the unclaimed are treated exactly the same as Hermes’ claimed children. Same chore list, same activities, same team during capture the flag.”
Apollo seemed to come to attention slightly, the edge of his lips angling up, likely guessing where this was going.
“Final point was that back in Ancient Greece, there weren’t all these laws and regulations determining marriage and adoption, it was all custom and obligation and expectation.”
Hermes nodded along to the end of my explanation. “In hindsight, I’m surprised I didn’t have more adopted kids.”
“Oh,” Apollo exclaimed in a tone of realization that rang false. “Since the kid insists he’s adopted, and since Hermes is fulfilling his obligations as a godly parent, it totally counts.” For the god of knowledge and truth he sure had a way of feigning ignorance and implying falsities.
Athena’s nose scrunched slightly while her brow furrowed. “How is he fulfilling the duty of an adopted parent when he hasn’t done anything?”
Apollo turned to the feather-head, singular eyebrow raised. “Yeah, that’s the expectation of a godly parent to a demigod kid. Nothing.”
There’s a moment of silence in the council room.
Demeter spoke next. “Why would Chiron believe this adoption to be of concern to us?”
“Hmm?” I swirled my diet coke, gazing into it as if it were a goblet. “Well, I suppose it’s the implications of Peters adoption that worry Chiron. That and the conclusions the Apollo and Athena campers came to.”
“Implications” Said Demeter at the same time as Athena’s, “Conclusions?”
“Apollo and Athena cabins were very interested in this argument from a scholarly point of view. Did the adoption count? Is it really adoption or just fostering? What about the other unclaimed? What about the claimed children of minor gods?
“They’ve determined that claimed children of minor gods are counted as being fostered. They’re at Hermes cabin at camp to better their prospects for the future under Hermes care. The unclaimed, on the other hand, are considered under his guardianship, generally until such a time as custody changes to the parent during claiming.
“Of course, the unclaimed also have the option of requesting adoption, and well, the campers figure they’ll wait a week to see if Peter gets vaporized before requesting adoption.” I finished off my drink and vaporized the can to emphasize my words, then summoned a new one while I waited for it to sink in.
Of course the room erupted into chaos as I opened the tab.