“Can I be honest?” Hermes asked as though he had a right to intrude on matters that did not concern him.
“What a rare occasion,” Poseidon murmured. His answer did not give consent nor did it condone Hermes offering his opinion. Poseidon was not arrogant enough to think his plans would not attract his nephew’s attention. Hermes was not only the god of thieves - he was a god who often kept an eye on Poseidon’s son no matter if it was Greek or Roman aspect that was forefront.
Hermes stared at him. His nephew was clever enough to have noticed Poseidon’s answer was no answer at all. Instead of continuing to stare at god Poseidon looked upon the mortals around them. The humans were bustling about the beach with no clue of just who was among them. Some were gathering shells that they planned to steal as decorations of their homes, others were lying down barely clothed in order to get a tan, children were competing against each other in making sandcastles, and last but not least there was a child in a yellow coat who was running across the shore with a stuffed toy.
“…..Your son will not thank you for your actions.” Hermes finally disclosed his thoughts to Poseidon.
Poseidon turned his head to acknowledge the younger god. “Of course not. He is Sally’s son just as much as he is mine.” Often gods attributed Percy’s impertinence as having only derived from being a child of Poseidon. Sally Jackson was often overlooked. Even by her grandfather Sally’s influence on her son was not attributed to her and yet Mercury’s Greek equivalent was here to lecture Poseidon on matters of his family.
Despite not taking his eyes off Hermes, Poseidon knew the child was entering further into the ocean than he should because of his toy have been stolen by the waves. If the boy was smart he would realize the ocean took but it rarely gave without strings. Poseidon was Greek after all. One should always beware Greek giving a gift.
“Yet you persist,” Hermes said instead dropping the topic. Poseidon wondered just why his nephew had grown so fretful about his son. Was it because of their history with Kronos’ vessel? Perhaps it because Percy checked upon May despite the years that had passed since the death of Hermes’ son? There was possibility that Hermes wanted to f*ck Percy. If Hermes attempted such a thing without Percy’s expressed consent then the Olympian would be torn apart with Poseidon’s trident; Poseidon knew what gods were like for he was one of them. His son would not endure what Chione, Apemosyne, and others had gone through.
The child’s mother was screaming the boy’s name instead of getting up and running to protect her child. The child yelled back that his toy was lost in the sea. If his second youngest was here, Percy would have already been by that little boy’s side to make sure the child didn’t drown. If Sally had been the parent of that child in a yellow coat she too would have already been by that little boy’s side.
Poseidon wondered what it was like to raise a half mortal child since they were first born only to flounder in protecting the boy.
“My brother’s paranoia is why I persist.” That was not the only reason but Poseidon didn’t have to explain himself to his nephew.
The child had fallen into the water. It was only now that the mother got off her beach towel and started to run to sea. The thing was the boy would not survive the ocean.
“Your sister defends your son as well as others on the council.” Poseidon was aware of Hera’s attempts to hold back Zeus’ impulsiveness. It wasn’t from a sense of regret from her own actions. No, it was rather that Hera had always been active of handling threats in whatever way was needed to solve the issue.
Thirty seconds. That was how long the boy had left before Hermes or Thanatos came to deliver his soul to underworld.
Poseidon reached into his pocket of shorts. It was a drachma Poseidon pulled out. An obol would have worked. The transaction of exchanging money for a ride with Charon was known as Charon’s obol. A drachma was worth more though. A drachma would incentive Charon more than an obol.
Instead of finishing the conversation, Poseidon began to walk to boy who was far too young to be claimed by his father. Poseidon wondered if Apollo even remembered the boy. Either way, Poseidon would remember the child who had drowned while attempting to save a mere toy.
The sea took. It rarely gave.
