Gentle fingers ran through my hair, as Dad kept me held in the embrace. I had long given up on any chance of escaping, every attempt was met with hushes and a tightened grip. Dad hummed. Finally, his grip on me loosened and he allowed me to pull away. I settled on the bed beside him. My eyes stayed fixated on the wall. Delicate plants hung from baskets bolted into the stone bricks. Fish floated around them, completely silent. Nothing came from their mind towards me. I doubted they were actual fish. Or if they were fish, Dad probably has something to do with this.

But really, when didn't he?

"We can watch a movie."

"Don't you have some god things you're supposed to be doing," I said. It wasn't a question. He did. I knew he did, so this wasn't for me. There was probably some other reason, probably something he could shoehorn me into. Shove me in and say 'see I spent time with you' even though I was an afterthought to the plans. 

"I agreed to doing an activity with some of the court."

"Then go and leave me out of it."

The water in the room swirled, inching closer to me and Dad. I swallowed, ears popping as the pressure changed. Dad's hands clenched, knuckles white around the fabric of his shorts. 

"So you can disappear and find someone to take those off?" he growled. 

My eyes widened and I waved my hands. "That's not-"

"I thought--" His voice was sharp now. "--I told you I don't like being called a liar."

"Well I don't either!"

"Look me in the eye and tell me that if I took those off, that you wouldn't end up trying to hurt yourself."

I swallowed and looked back at my hands. The bandages stood out against my skin, far less than they normally would. I guess I really did lose a lot of blood. Bile rose in my throat. Nobody cleaned my cabin. Chiron would've came by and- Fuck. 

"That's what I thought."

"Why can't you just trust me?" I hit my hands on my legs, tears welling in my eyes. I know. I know why he couldn't. I'm endangering myself, I'm putting an asset at risk. But to not trust my word at all? I didn't even know I could get someone else to take them off, unless he meant that as me trying to get them off. I wouldn't. I knew better than that. He's a god, and you don't go against gods. 

I wanted to rake my nails across my arms. I wanted to scratch until my arms were red and raw, but I couldn't. And I hated that. It was the one thing, the one thing, I had control over. Now, it was out of my reach. Warm tears spilled over my cheeks. No matter how much I wiped at them, they never disappeared, there were always more to replace them. 

Dad scoffed and stood up. "Get ready. We're starting the movie soon." 

"I don't- I don't exactly have clothes here."

"There's stuff in the closet."

"I'm not-"

"Would you rather have them staring at your arms the entire time."

I bit my lip and looked at the bandages. A blue glow lingered on the fabric, and the occasional glowing particle floated up.  "I'm a demigod," I said, "Just say I got injured and there's a curse that's only letting it heal naturally."

"Fine." Dad grabbed my arm. He pulled me up from the bed. It didn't escape my notice how he didn't release me. How the water around us closed in. My heart moved into my throat. I could feel the water closing in around me, pressing against my skin and filling my lungs with a thick sludge. "When you meet the council members you need to--"

I blinked up at Dad as he talked, going over etiquette and greetings and what not to mention and what not to do. The entire way to the living room that was all he spoke about. Because of course he would. Of course he'd have to tell me this because otherwise I'd be an embarrassment.

Well, more of one. 

We arrived in the living room. The council was already there, a bunch of old mermen settled on couches and chatting with each other. One noticed Dad and silence fell over them. My nails dug into the back of my hand, pressing against tendon and bone, they were staring at me. Almost none of them were looking at Dad, all of their focus was on me. A hand on my back, Dad pushed me forwards towards the couch. 

After I repeated the things Dad told me, and didn't do any of the things he told me not to, we settled in. I sat beside Dad, a blanket tucked around my legs. Someone else was on the other side of me. Who? I had no idea. The movie started. What it was? I also had no idea. So I sat there, acting every bit like the princess Dad wanted me to be. Smile and nod politely, don't have an opinion of my own. don't argue with them. If they wanted to talk during the movie, let them and don't shush them. It's a pretense. No one's really here for the movie. 

The chatter, the talking, all layered with the noise from the movie. Layered with the explosions and the screams and crying. The light stung my eyes, and nausea rose. 

I closed my eyes. It was all I could do. I couldn't cover my ears, because then I'd be embarrassing Dad. I can't embarrass him. I can't. I couldn't have him mad at me if I wanted any chance at getting the fucking bandages off.   Something touched my arm. My breath caught in my throat. Go away. Please go away. It didn't.

With every moment that passed, things got so much worse. And really, I didn't have a choice anymore. I got up, and I left.

The first empty room I saw, I darted into. The door closed behind me and I sat on the floor. I shook my hands, begging for this to work. Sometimes it would. It could help. I knew it could, so why wasn't it? Why wasn't it helping? I was rocking now, and so so glad that I had left. Why did he drag me into this? I wanted to be alone. Why did he make me do this? 

My nails scraped at my skin. Get them off. Off off off. Burning pain. Off. They were too tight. And I wanted them off.

"Percy?" Dad's voice grated on my ears. The door swung open, and I could feel the atmosphere change. "Shit." He was in front of me in an instant. "Percy, stop."

"Off." I choked out.

His eyes widened. "I'm not going to let you hurt yourself."

"Get them off!" 

He grabbed my arms, and that only made things worse. Bile rose in my throat and tears ran down my face.  His eyes glowed. "I need you to calm down." 

I shook my head. I couldn't tell him. I wanted them off. I wasn't- "Please." 

Crap? Probably.

I might even edit this later, who knows, all I know is that I'm not the happiest with this chapter.

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