Work Text:
To the demigods, Percy Jackson is a savior, the pinnacle of humanity, of strength, of everything a demigod should be.
To the gods, Percy Jackson is a nuisance, a bug to be squashed, a thorn in their side.
To the monsters, Percy Jackson is just an enemy, an obstacle, a being just like them but fighting against them.
But to Percy, he really is only alive.
He never asked for this life. Never asked to be an enemy, a nuisance, or a savior. He knows the only reason he exists is because his mom wanted a kid and Poseidon couldn't say no to her.
And he couldn't even do that right. Poseidon just grabbed a bunch of water, shaped it, turned it human, and gave it conscious before somehow becoming an absent father to something that doesn't even have a dad.
Despite... that, having a physical form wasn't all that bad.
He grew like a human, never once turned back into water, and made memories, it just was... kinda boring before he was "introduced" into the Greek world.
And even that was a bit boring.
The demigods just couldn't stay alive long enough for Percy to start caring. He preferred the water cycle over Clarisse, even if it was getting a bit repetitive.
Annabeth was the only reason he stayed to help fight. She was actually interesting.
She talked about things like architecture and myths, and then when Percy didn't understand, she'd explain it to him instead of acting like he was stupid.
And then once Thalia came around and then later Nico, Percy actually looked forward to talking to people other than Annabeth, even if he preferred her.
It was quite sad when she ended up dying in Tartarus. Quite a shame actually.
He... missed her, actually.
Which is honestly very weird. He's never missed anyone before, though he had been uncapable of missing people seventeen years ago.
Her death changed him, like a current that had always been suddenly disappearing one day.
The currents in the sea are always changing, but they don't disappear at once, they fizzle out slowly.
Normally, at least.
Which is why he's in his father's office right now in Atlantis.
Because lately, the weather around camp has been weird, and apparently the reason is that in Percy's grief over Annabeth, which is still weird to think about, he messed up the currents and how everything was supposed to look.
He hasn't really been listening to his father though.
It doesn't matter; nothing really does anymore.
He's been ranting for almost twenty minutes now, and it's boring. Everything down here is boring. There is no chaos. He misses to chaos that had been brought by Oceanus. At least he made things interesting. Even the Poseidon of the old made things interesting. But everything in the past century or two has been really sluggish because of the mortalfication of the godly world. And even mortals make it interesting with their constant wars, so maybe it's not that but really-
"Perseus," Poseidon says sternly, breaking through Percy's train of thought.
Percy rolled his eyes, "Yes, father?"
"Did you listen to anything I just said?" Poseidon demanded.
Sighing, Percy leans back in his chair, "No. But here's a question for you. Have you ever noticed how utterly boring your domain is? Because freezing is more attention captivating than whatever you have going on."
"I don't like your tone young man," Poseidon grunts.
Staring straight at Poseidon, Percy just shrugs and says, "For complaints about attitude, talk to the manufacturer. Oh wait, that's you. Maybe you should have thought ahead for once on that one, father."
"Maybe you should learn to be respectful of other gods' domains. I gave you form, I gave you godhood, I gave you a family, I gave you existence," Poseidon growls.
That almost got a laugh out of Percy, "Maybe you should learn how to make your domain interesting, and then maybe I'll respect it. Cause it's blander than the sea after Oceanus was sealed away but before you and your brothers divvied up the world, which is saying something considering nothing was happening for those three days and nights."
Poseidon went quiet at that.
"How do you know about that?" He asked timidly.
Percy sighed and closed his eyes, "You were wrong about giving me existence. You weren't the one who did that. You certainly gave me a form and thought, I'll give you that, but you didn't give me existence. I have existed since Pontus was created. All the spirits of the water have. We may not be able to think, and we may not have form besides being a part of Pontus's sea, but we have existed and we have purpose. One, specific purpose. To record. Water records everything, and therefore, wherever there is water there is a record. Of course, we don't stay in one place, we move with the currents. So it'd take forever to pull up a specific record, but it exists out there, somewhere. I'm still surprised you gave me form. It was one of the weirdest things for you to do."
Poseidon stayed silent for a while, just arranging and then rearranging the papers on his desk.
"You grieve strangely," He said finally.
Percy frowned at that, "Correction: I am incapable of grieving. You did not give me the function of grief."
"Would you have liked if I had given you the full range of a mortal's emotions?" He asked.
That stopped Percy, "You... would actually do that? Even though you yourself are unable to understand mortal emotions?"
"I'd do it in a heartbeat," Poseidon said simply, like it was no big deal.
For a moment, Percy was at a loss for words, "Why?"
"Because you, Perseus Jackson, are my child in all but blood. If you had so much as expressed a desire to want emotions, I would have given them all to you. The water which flows through your veins may not be as thick as the ichor in my own, but that does not stop be from caring about you. You are my son, never doubt that fact."