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Perseus drew stuff that he liked to show to Finnick. He drew after they came back from exploring the deep sea, he drew as he talked about gigantic animals from the north pole and he drew as Cody slobbered over Riptide which had limitless ink made from bronze.
He drew a girl, a campsite, a pegasus and a woman holding blue cookies.
They were Annabeth, Camp half-blood, Blackjack and Perseus’s mom.
“ So you know how my dad created horses, well in the past I used to be very good with them. Like talking terms types of good.” Wink Wink*. Perseus winked before laughing at his own joke. Finnick smiled, Percy explains things about his life to Finnick, he wants Finnick to understand him. They were 13 years into Perseus’s life so far, the topic was camp half-blood and how miserable school was, every school he ever went to Finnick never heard of.
Perseus was from New York, Finnick has no idea where that was and it opened Finnick to the possibility that Perseus was from another world. One where flying horses and wine god counselors were the norm.
“ I used to have this dream when I was younger to stop violent horse racing practices. I also wanted to make the sea less polluted– the sea gods in my area were not happy about pollution and jumping into polluted water feels horrible. It still helps me, son of a water god and all that but it’s bad for the animals and plants in the water.”
“ Do you feel happier now that the seas are cleaner?”
Perseus squints his eyes in thought, like he’s trying to look at a memory of what the continent he came from looked like. He however, cannot see anything other than the blueness of his room, the cloudy day outside and a picture of his mom.
Perseus smiles.
“The only good thing about Panem are the cleaner seas. Less people mean less pollution. The lesser water gods and nymphs would be happy if they were here– now that I think about it, I wonder why we demigods never were assigned tasks to decrease pollution if Nature is that important to the gods.”
“My friend Grover, back when the year started, I hadn’t seen much of him after summer was over. I was a bit worried and the first prophetic dream I had of him was when he was in a giant’s lair pretending to weave his marriage veil to not get eaten by him.”
“Wouldn’t that be a lovely sitcom?”
Finnick planned to teach Perseus how to make stew today at his request. Cody loves Finnick’s food and Perseus always wanted to be a better cook for his mom, the preparation and chopping was done, they were just wanting for the stock to boil down before adding some finishing touches.
It smelled of red shrimp, thyme, garlic, onion and cumin, with the warm humidity that always accompanied the boiling of water.
“ My life can be made into a sitcom. Hey, Finnick~” Perseus wiggled his eyebrows in a joking manner and then he dimmed.
If he was as bright as the sun at noon, he turned darker like the sun at dusk. His cheeriness non-existent and the expression on his face glum.
“Do you think we could make a lot of money off my life. So we can use it to donate it to the rest of district four, I know the capital is very against donating our money, but maybe if we used money we made outside our salary as victors, we could donate it?”
It was quiet, Perseus was quiet, he got up and went into the kitchen without a word. To check on their stew, Finnick wanted to cry.
It’s been on his mind for the past few days, what the capital turned everyone into. Cocky into fake, cheery into scared, kindness into paranoia.
It feels repetitive, how scared and traumatized all the victims were, Finnick’s thoughts ever since he became a victor has been on a loop. In the end, the conclusion feels out of his mental reach, Finnick mourns for all of them.
It could have been better, it should have been better.
Perseus was the best fighter in the 70th hunger games. He was strong, he was fast– he got a ten for his gamemaker score meaning he was the one most likely to make it out. He was on the older side, he was handsome, Finnick pinned Perseus as a potential victor minutes after seeing him.
That year, there was no volunteer for the boys. The one chosen was both awkwardly unskilled and distinctly scared for his head. In the hand went, out it came with Perseus’s strip and it created a reaction of pure silence.
Nobody volunteered for Perseus, Finnick didn’t know who he was. Between the measly amount of time between the reaping and the parade, Finnick learned that Perseus was somebody who washed upon the shores of District four, he wasn’t an avox, he still had his tongue. Finnick’s childish side daydreamed about Perseus being a human from a lost civilization, Finnick always loved the hunt for lost civilizations. Perseus’s fake backstory made him more palatable to Finnick. Mags was his mentor, Perseus has very little charm, Finnick and Annie were going to be the more popular pair of District four’s tributes.
Finnick hopes their popularity will be enough to keep Annie safe.
Realistically, Finnick shouldn’t have been worried. Annie was trained, she was smart and strong and fast. In the hunger games, as a career, she was likely to make it to the final eight. However, there was a catch-
Annie was kind, and Annie was not up to Finnick’s standards no matter how much he trained her. Nobody was up to Finnick’s standards, his standards were high, Annie was simply the best one they had for the girls and she was about to turn 19. If there was a time for Annie to become a volunteer, it would be now.
Annie volunteers for Patricia Mccoy.
Finnick feels a part of his heart die.
Finnick meets Annie on the shore of district five.
District four is free from the capital’s control, a border of sharp hail and tornadoes guard the border, mountains rise and fall within days. With the constant changing of borders, it is near impossible to enter District four if not approved. Approved by who? Finnick really doesn’t know, all he knows is that two people Katniss found from district twelve; Nico and Thalia might have the key.
People in district seven and five are disappearing in droves, with footsteps to trace, it became clear that a lot of people are evacuating towards district four.
There are two types of leads that can allow you into district four, Albatrosses, seagulls and whales. Those who travel by boat are led to district four by whales, those who travel by land are led by birds, seabirds.
It’s so fucking weird. Everyone thinks it’s weird, the capital is not fooling anyone, seafood has become rare, somehow all travel through district four is stopped. Something is happening in district four and it’s extremely magical. District seven, one and five knows all about what’s happening in district four, it doesn’t take long for the other districts to catch on. They’re not stupid, poor but not dumb.
Finnick, Thalia and Nico are traveling by boat. Their guide is a orca, who leads them into discorded waters that push the orca and boat along different paths,backward currents, towering waves, swarms of fish that propel the boat towards hidden paths; the waters are a maze, a labyrinth, the guides are an access card given to those who wish to flee to district four.
The entire sea is cooperating in a way that tells the sea as a living being– the sea favors district four and is ready to fight for their district.
In a spot of calm, Finnick meets a mermaid.
The children of district four must be thrilled, Finnick wonders if the capital is going to turn the situation into a roller coaster ride at a amusement park once they figure out how to get in.
The mermaid smiles up at him with excited glee, as if whispering to him “can you believe this?” just like the year Riptide won and the entire district was freed from starvation for a short while.
The mermaid has red hair and blue eyes, she looked healthy and strong, riding a wave she pulls herself onto the boat without trouble.
“What’s up beautiful, I never knew fish could be so hot.” Finnick grinned, the mermaid rolled her eyes while blushing. Calling a mermaid a fish was definitely a bit insulting, it was like calling a human an ape. They were similar but different enough that being called the other species was insulting.
Something about the mermaid was familiar, she looked like a human Finnick used to know.
“ You call me hot after you decided to make a move on my best friend. Finnick, really?”
Annie Cresta was the mermaid sitting on the boat, beside Annie Finnick spots a serpentine head poking out of the waves.
Annie was a mermaid now, Annie was also alive and there was some unknown animal under their ship. Finnick curses, this was a hallucination caused by the venom of the unknown reptile, he was sure of it, Finnick calls Thalia for support.
“Who’s Thalia?” Annie asks, slowly galumphing over to Finnick like a seal, cornering Finnick with her beautiful blue and black tail. Did the capital do something to her? Finnick thinks, Annie looks happy, Finnick doubts that would be the case if this were the capital’s doing. It can be a happiness-inducing drug however, the capital’s technology is progressing, it’ll explain Annie’s happiness and the tail.
Thalia arrives, complete with her skull earrings and grey camo jacket. She and Nico had matching earrings and jackets; Finnick once asked them if they were dating. Thalia laughed like it was the best joke she has ever heard and explained that they shared accessories for fun, not because they are dating.
Nico has a boyfriend, Thalia is destined to remain single forever.
“So what’d you need help with?” Thalia asked, Thalia’s questions were always fun to answer. Her questions bended the laws of reality and made Finnick question whether the density of her mind was a genetic trait given to their kind. Percy always asked the same questions.
“I need help with the mermaid sweetie, I’d love to chat with her once she isn’t close enough to kiss.” It was supposed to be obvious, what else would Finnick need help with? Fishing? In this climate?
Then he recalled Percy.
“Finnick, if I beat everyone in the capital up will that stop you from going there?”
“ Is President Snow named after snow because he’s a cold b*tch with white hair? Could they tell the moment Snow was born that he’d act like Snow?”
“ Finnick are teal eyes really that rare, everyone I’ve seen has teal eyes.”
The answer to the last question, is nobody Finnick knows except for Percy naturally has sea-green eyes, everyone in the capital are wearing contacts to emulate Percy and his iconic irises.
“Well give her one of your iconic capital kisses and maybe she’ll listen to you?” Thalia cooed as Annie began blushing and moving away from him as if he had a disease.
Finnick tried not to let it show how he thought of his ex-girlfriend’s aversion to him, however it showed. He was tired and he’s not acting in the middle of a storm with no cameras around.
“Stop it you two.” Annie said, Thalia rolled her eyes, Finnick grinned like he was in a romance movie. Which made Thalia make little finger hearts towards him in a joke. Blowing little kisses to both Finnick and Annie, Thalia skipped to the other side of the ship to pet the orca who was their guide.
“Finnick, I’m alive. You can get rid of your guilt about letting me attend the hunger games.” Annie spoke, comfort lacing her words, hitting his heart in the way that mattered. Annie’s kindness and maturity was what drew him to her in the first place. It made him sentimental, he didn’t cry because of it.
“The sea snake you saw earlier was my friend Iphigenia, you don’t have to worry about her, she’s secretly very shy.” Annie said, shaking her head and getting water droplets all over their wooden boat.
“ A pet?” Finnick asked.
“ A friend.” Annie responds.
“ She used to be Snow’s granddaughter, Percy used his powers to make her into a sea serpent. It’s an entire story.” Annie said, bluntly ignoring her previous words before she decided to start talking.
“ I’m here as a checkpoint guide to let you know that you guys are on the right path to New Atlantis.”
A big splash is heard off the side, Thalia travels back to the duo and watches Iphigenia with a careful gaze. Thalia leans on the wooden fence.
“New Atlantis, where’s old Atlantis?”
“... It’s a kingdom belonging to Percy’s dad, it used to exist somewhere in the deep sea. The inhabitants were all partially divine at the very least, they had a democracy and a working food distribution system. One of the younger ones thought of it and the name sticked.”
“District four was always a bit plain. A underwater kingdom, do you think it’s going to be possible with Perseus’s powers? Will I be able to flirt with you underwater in my lifetime?”
“Maybe, underwater living is a bit off into the future, however, we might be able to contact other continents in a few weeks. We need translators, but we’ll make it work somehow.”
Finnick had a feeling, the maybe was for his first question and not his second.
“How much time will it take?”
It was hard to imagine things bigger than the hunger games, the weird weather patterns protecting district four, the animals that think and guide. The world was bigger than Snow and even Plutarch, it doesn’t matter, with how much control they both have, the world is both their oysters.
You can have enough power to own the world without owning even a fraction of it.
“You’ll be there in two days.”