Chapter Text
As soon as they got to the arcade floor, the trio split up.
Annabeth stuck herself to a strange, 3-D building game while Percy bounced all over, from shooting games to VR simulations and so on.
Grover found himself wandering for the most part; none of the games looked quite appealing enough to play. He spent a few minutes at a strange shooting game, but quickly got bored and left. As he turned away, he noticed something in the corner of his eye. Past the bright rainbow lights and rows of multicolored arcade machines was a door left wide open, leading to what Grover assumed was another game or activity. As he got closer, Grover could smell fresh fruit and the salty breeze of the ocean, lifting him from the haze that the sweet Lotus Hotel scent kept him under.
He stepped in and was greeted by palm trees, rocks, and cheerful people sitting around campfires. Men and women alike passed strange fruit around and told jokes, their laughter floating away in the wind. Nearby, children raced around, throwing stones and sticks at each other. Grover could hardly believe that a place like this was just mere footsteps from the chaos of the casino. The area felt less like a small garden spot and more like an island.
How could a place like this exist within the Lotus Hotel?
Grover approached a small group sitting on the white powder sand and huddling around a strange pile of fruit. They turned to Grover and smiled.
“Hey! We're glad you're back, no one really comes in here anymore.” A man said. He was slim and tanned, evident from his time on the island, and he had an off-white chiton on. [1] He looked cheerful and relaxed, like he had no cares in the world.
“I’m- I'm sorry, is this the employee section?” Grover stammered, still looking around at the island.
They laughed, Grover felt his ears turning red. “No,” the man said. “Everyone is welcome here!”
“Really? But this place seems so…”
“Empty? Void of tourists? Sure, but that doesn't mean it's restricted.” The man said, shrugging.
The man pushed one of the fruits into Grover’s hands. “Here.” He patted the spot beside him. “Sit with us.”
Grover accepted the fruit and took a seat next to the man. The man called a woman over and gestured at him, “New visitor!”
The woman was of similar statue and skin colour, she kneeled down next to him and smiled, “Make yourself at home, Grover. It's been a while since we've had visitors.”
He took a deep breath in and sighed, this place smelt… fresh, clean. A place away from pollution, like something from a long time ago, still untouched.
“How come no one comes here anymore?” Grover asked.
The man shrugged, “Times have changed,” he said. “People are more interested in games and playing, so we expanded. We built arcade floors, indoor laser tag, gambling machines, infinite drinks and food, and eventually people stopped coming here.”
“That's stupid.” Grover said, huffing. Leave it to humans to give up a paradise like this.
The man chuckled and said, “I suppose it is.”
They sat in silence for a while, letting the cool, tropical breeze wash over them. It felt like something Grover had lost a long, long time ago.
He could stay. He wanted to stay.
Grover looked at the fruit in his hands once more. He had never seen it before; but somehow, it felt familiar to him. He turned it round and round in his hands, feeling its weight and swallowing a lump in his throat. He had, he had forgotten something hadn't he?
“I can't- I need… I need to go.” Grover stuttered. “My friends- I can't.” He shook his head, standing up.
The conversation completely died down and they stared at Grover. He began to feel an uncomfortable prickling sensation at the back of his neck, like eyes. Perhaps he was too hasty in calling this group peaceful?
The man turned back to the woman and whispered two short words and then called a child over. The child looked away from his two friends, and bounced over to them. The two began whispering to each other in ancient Greek. Grover strained his ears to hear, but the only words he could make out were, “doesn't know” and “friend.” The child nodded and then quickly ran off.
The man turned back to Grover and cleared his throat. “We're sad to see you go,” he said. “Feel free to come back again.”
Grover blinked in surprise, they were just letting him go? Just like that? It was… nice, a nice break from all of the monsters that had tormented him so far.
There was the sound of crunching sand and the child had returned, in his arms was a long thin package, wrapped with a brown paper.
“Oh, and before you go…” The man took a wrapped package from the child and held it out to Grover. “I believe your friend lost this on your last visit.”
Grover took it wordlessly from the man, peeling back the paper to reveal the object inside. It was a beautiful sword, looking somewhat a cross between dagger and sword in terms of length. It was silver-studded, sleek and shiny, bronze with an intricate wooden handle. [2] On the blade itself was engraved a name in elaborate ivory, Ὀδῠσσεύς.
Odysseus.
“Your friends are calling for you outside.” The woman said, her gentle gaze washing over him. “You should hurry back.”
Grover quickly pasted the paper back, tucking the package under his arm. “Thank you.” He said, to which the group only nodded.
As he hurried back into the casino, Grover realized he had never given them his name.