[Third Person Pov]
Lucian walked into the camp's library with an easy, unhurried stride, a ripe peach held casually in one hand as he took a leisurely bite from it. The quiet interior was filled with the soft rustling of pages, the low hum of enchantments woven into the shelves, and the faint scent of old parchment mixed with cedarwood. As he crossed the threshold, his sharp eyes immediately landed on one of Athena's children seated behind the front desk, meticulously organizing a stack of scrolls with practiced precision.
"Where's Annabeth?" Lucian asked simply, his voice calm and relaxed.
The girl barely glanced up. "Third floor," she replied, then frowned as her gaze flicked toward the peach. "And you're not allowed to eat in the—"
"Thanks," Lucian cut in smoothly, already turning away.
He headed for the stairs without slowing down, the crunch of the peach echoing softly in the otherwise quiet space. Behind him, he heard an exasperated sigh, followed by the faint muttering of a complaint, which only made a small, amused smirk tug at the corner of his lips.
By the time he reached the third floor, the atmosphere had shifted. The noise of the lower levels faded away, replaced by a serene stillness. Annabeth was exactly where he expected her to be. She was lounging sideways on a large bean bag chair, one leg draped lazily over the side, a thick book resting in her hands. Her spirits were scattered around her, slouched against the bean bag, their forms relaxed and unusually calm, as if they had been lulled into peace by her presence.
"Hm?" Annabeth murmured, glancing up from her book when she sensed him. "What are you doing here?" she asked, a small smile forming. "I thought you'd still be busy messing around with your shadows."
"I finished early," Lucian replied.
Before she could say anything else, he stepped forward and effortlessly scooped her up. Annabeth let out a startled yelp as the book nearly slipped from her grasp, her balance completely thrown off when he hoisted her up and settled her over his shoulders.
"Lucian—!" she exclaimed, clutching the book tightly. She blinked down at him in confusion. "What exactly are you doing?"
"Taking you out on a date, obviously," Lucian answered casually. One arm securely supported her legs while he took another bite of his peach with the other, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
"Seriously?" Annabeth asked, her confusion melting instantly into delight. Her face lit up, eyes sparkling. "Yay!" she cheered, tossing her book onto a nearby table without a second thought.
Lucian chuckled softly. Behind them, Nox and the others remained sprawled across the bean bag chair, unmoving and thoroughly unbothered.
"Should we follow them?" Nebula asked lazily, her hands resting over her stomach as she made absolutely no effort to stand.
"Nah," Nox replied, leaning comfortably against Lucerna. "Let's leave those two lovebirds alone. If Mother needs us, she'll summon us."
The others murmured in agreement and shifted into even more comfortable positions.
Down below, several campers glanced up in surprise as Lucian carried Annabeth out of the library. She giggled uncontrollably, her feet kicking happily in the air as if she were a child being carried off on an adventure.
"So," Annabeth asked, curiosity lacing her voice, "where are we going?"
Lucian tilted his head slightly. "Honestly? I haven't decided yet," he admitted. "Is there somewhere you've always wanted to go but never really had the chance to?"
Annabeth hesitated for a moment, then pressed her fingers together shyly. "Can we go to a museum?" she asked softly. "I've always wanted to go to a proper one."
"You've never been to a museum?" Lucian asked, glancing back at her in disbelief.
"I have," she said quickly, then shrugged. "But it was with my dad, and it was all airplanes and stuff. I didn't enjoy it much. I want to go to a real one." Her voice lowered as she added, almost in a whisper, "Especially one with you."
'Cute,' Lucian thought to himself, a genuine smile forming as he looked at her. "Alright," he said aloud. "A museum it is."
Annabeth beamed, then wriggled free as they stepped outside the library. She hopped down from his shoulders and landed lightly on her feet. "Just give me a moment to get ready!"
Before Lucian could respond, she leaned in and kissed him quickly on the cheek, then turned and sprinted off toward her cabin, her laughter trailing behind her.
Lucian stood there for a moment, watching her go, a quiet chuckle escaping him as he shook his head. With nothing better to do, he decided to pass the time while she prepared.
He finished his peach as he wandered through the campgrounds, casually incinerating the core to ash once he was done. His attention soon shifted toward the distant sounds of clashing weapons. Turning his head, he looked toward Ares' colosseum, where the most activity seemed to be happening.
Curious, Lucian made his way over and leaned against one of the stands. In the center of the arena, Thalia and Percy were engaged in a full-on jousting match, charging toward one another atop summoned constructs, weapons gleaming in the sunlight. Thalia wielded a spear crackling faintly with electricity, while Percy gripped his trident with a determined grin.
"I suppose this is one way to digest their potions," Lucian thought in amusement as he watched the clash unfold.
Lucian lingered near the stands for a few minutes, his arms crossed loosely over his chest as he observed the fight unfold. Percy was clearly struggling under the relentless pressure of Thalia's rapid, aggressive attacks. She gave him no room to breathe, her movements sharp and decisive, electricity snapping faintly along the length of her spear each time she lunged forward.
When Percy was finally knocked off balance and driven hard into the dirt, Lucian didn't hesitate. He pulled out his phone, snapped a picture at just the right angle, and tucked it away with a satisfied smirk before turning on his heel. He had seen enough for now.
With no particular destination in mind, Lucian wandered through the camp, taking his time as he passed the many established buildings scattered across the grounds. His gaze lingered on each structure, a faint sense of pride stirring in his chest. Every cabin, training ground, and gathering space had been built with painstaking care—his vision made real through effort and sacrifice. Seeing them alive with activity, filled with laughter and motion, made it all feel worth it.
Eventually, his steps carried him toward Dionysus' Bar. Sitting out front, slouched on a barstool beneath the shade, was none other than the god himself. Dionysus looked utterly miserable, a brightly decorated pineapple drink clutched in his hand as though it personally offended him.
The god noticed Lucian approaching and clicked his tongue in irritation. "If it isn't Linus Pinktongue."
Lucian stopped in front of him and stared flatly. "Are you seriously just going to keep giving me L-names followed by a color and a random body part?"
"Yup! You deserve it, you brat," Mr. D replied without hesitation, his tone sharp with hostility—enough to catch Lucian slightly off guard.
"What did I do?" Lucian asked, clearly amused as he pulled out a stool and sat beside him.
"This!" Dionysus snapped, waving his free hand broadly at the bar, the stools, the entire establishment. "You built this knowing damn well I can't drink! It's like you're deliberately taunting me!"
"Ah," Lucian said slowly, realization dawning before he broke into laughter. "To be fair, it wasn't intentional. It just… seemed right at the time."
Dionysus scoffed and shoved his pineapple drink toward Lucian. "Do you know what this is?"
"I'm going to take a wild guess and say a non-alcoholic drink," Lucian replied dryly.
"It's a non-alcoholic piña colada!" Mr. D shouted, slamming it back onto the counter before immediately taking another sip. "It's not the same without alcohol! This place is a constant reminder of my punishment!" He leaned back, pressing a hand to his forehead. "You're a vile, vile brat. Just leave. I can't stand the sight of you right now."
Lucian laughed but complied, giving the god a consoling pat on the shoulder. Dionysus promptly slapped his hand away, which only made Lucian laugh even harder as he walked off.
He spent the next stretch of time roaming the camp, exchanging words with various campers and indulging in brief conversations until a familiar sensation brushed against his mind—Annabeth's presence, her psychic-like pull telling him she was ready.
Lucian tapped one of Hecate's children lightly on the chest and smiled. "I'll catch you later. I've got something to attend to."
He made his way toward Athena's cabin, where Annabeth was waiting near the entrance.
She stood with her hands clasped behind her back, watching for him with an expectant look. She wore a light, off-the-shoulder white crop top embroidered with small pink floral patterns along the hem, the fabric loose and breezy against her skin. A simple black choker rested at her neck, complemented by teardrop-shaped blue earrings that caught the light whenever she moved. Her long blonde hair was pulled into a thick braid draped over one shoulder, a few loose strands framing her face. High-waisted pale blue jeans completed the look—comfortable, practical, and effortlessly elegant.
Lucian stopped short when he saw her, frowning thoughtfully. "I honestly think we should call off this date."
"What?" Annabeth blinked, clearly startled. "Why?"
"You're too pretty to be seen outside looking like that," Lucian said with a deadly serious expression. "Someone might kidnap you when I'm not looking."
Annabeth froze for a second before bursting into laughter, covering her mouth as her cheeks flushed pink. She looped an arm around his and leaned into him. "If that happens, I'll just wait for you to kidnap me back. It is kind of our thing, after all."
Lucian chuckled warmly. "Touché."
She then looked him up and down, pursing her lips in a playful pout. "You didn't change."
"I was waiting for you," Lucian replied casually. "I wanted to see what kind of outfit I'd need to match."
As he spoke, shadows surged up around his body, flowing like liquid night as he activated [Shadow Equip]. In an instant, his clothes shifted. He now wore a black dress shirt with a few buttons undone, revealing the chain at his chest. His hair settled into a deliberately messy style, giving him a roguish, effortlessly confident look.
"Purr," Annabeth teased, clearly pleased.
Lucian laughed, shaking his head as he reached for her hand. "Alright, let's just get going, you dork."
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