Chapter 42 – A Dream, An Idea
After finishing the cake under the cool shade of the ancient oak tree, the late afternoon sun filtering through the leaves in dappled patterns, Dante looked at Annabeth and asked: "You know, if you could travel to a place like a normal person, where would you like to go?"
Annabeth smiled, turned to him, and asked: "Why this question out of nowhere?"
Dante said: "Well, it's because, like you talked about the camp and how important it is to everyone here, I thought that, due to the special situation of demigods, you guys can't go out to have fun in the outside world."
Annabeth said: "Well, it's true that we can't enjoy life like normal people. And sometimes it can get boring just staying in the camp."
Dante looked at her and said: "Well, then what's the place you'd want to visit if you could spend a day as a normal girl?"
Annabeth looked at Dante, smiled, and said: "You really want to know?"
Dante said: "I'm really interested."
Annabeth then looked at him and said: "If I could spend the day as a normal person... well, I think I'd like to visit Italy. I'd really love to see the various famous places I only know from movies: from the historic cities like Rome (the Colosseum, the Vatican), Florence (art, Ponte Vecchio), and Venice (canals, St. Mark's Square), to the stunning natural landscapes like the Amalfi Coast (Positano, Ravello), the colorful villages of Cinque Terre in Liguria, the vineyard fields of Tuscany (Siena, San Gimignano), and the imposing mountains of the Dolomites."
Dante looked at her happily as she spoke, smiled, and thought: Well, Percy didn't stay unconscious for three days like in the original. So that means we have three days before Hades makes his dramatic appearance and announces he has Percy's mom, and the plot really kicks off.
He then looked at her smiling and thought: Well, it's doable.
Annabeth noticed Dante staring at her with a smile and said: "Sorry, I ended up talking too much."
Dante looked at her and said: "No need to apologize for getting excited talking about something that makes you happy."
Annabeth smiled happily hearing that.
Dante looked at her and said: "Annabeth, would you go on a date with me?"
Annabeth looked at him surprised and said: "A date? Why are you saying this so suddenly?"
Dante smiled and said: "Well, I just think the moment was right. So, do you accept going on a date with me?"
Annabeth smiled and said: "Well, I accept."
Dante said, standing up and brushing off the dust: He then extended his hand to her and said: "Need help?"
Annabeth then took his hand.
Dante then suddenly pulled her into his arms.
Annabeth was shocked to find herself held by him, looking all cute and confused in his arms.
Dante looked at her, smiled, and said: "Well, then I'll pick you up at the Athena cabin at 8, okay?"
Annabeth finally snapped out of it. She then looked at Dante and said: "Wait... we're going on a date today?"
Dante smiled and said: "Yes."
He then leaned his head down and gave her a light kiss on the lips.
He then pulled away from her and said: "See you tonight at eight."
Annabeth, who had gone a bit dizzy from the kiss, finally recovered. She then looked where he had gone, touched her lip, and smiling softly said: "Yes, eight o'clock. Got it."
At that moment, she heard squeals. She then looked to the side and saw the Aphrodite demigoddess daughters running toward her: Valentina Diaz with her sisters Lacy and Silena Beauregard.
Valentina looked at Annabeth and said: "So that means our feisty girl here conquered the dragon-boy?"
Annabeth said: "It's not that. We're just getting to know each other. At most, we're going on a date."
Lacy said excitedly: "You're going on a date? Tell me everything!"
Annabeth said: "Well, calm down first."
She then looked at them and asked: "I have a question I wanted to ask: why didn't any of your sisters get close to Dante?"
Valentina looked at Annabeth curiously and asked: "You didn't feel it?"
Annabeth said, confused: "Feel what?"
Lacy said: "Like the energy coming from him. It's like it says 'don't come near me, I don't want to talk.' It's super scary. It even feels like a monster is staring at me."
She then looked at Annabeth and asked curiously: "You didn't feel that when you got close to him?"
Annabeth said: "Well, no. Not even when we first met in the Big House. I didn't feel anything. I think you guys are just imagining things because of the prank he pulled when he first arrived at camp."
Valentina looked at her and said: "You might be right, dear. But now we have to help you get ready for your date."
She and her sisters then started pulling Annabeth toward her cabin.
On the other side, Dante walked toward his cabin to take a shower and get ready for his date with Annabeth, while thinking about the surprise he was going to give her.
Arriving there, he saw Grover trying to convince Percy to throw a party for the group.
Dante entered the cabin and looked at Percy and asked: "So, what's up, new hero? What problem is bothering you?"
Percy looked at Dante and said: "Dante, say something to Grover. He wants to throw a party and we're still full of problems for a party right now."
Grover said: "Come on, Percy? It's just a small party so you can get to know the people better and have some fun after going through so much."
Dante said: "Well, I think it's cool. You should do it."
Percy looked at Dante and said: "Wait, what? You're really telling me to throw a party in this cabin where you live too? Are you crazy? Because even not knowing you for long, I could tell you don't like crowded, noisy places at all."
Dante said: "Yes, because my five senses are much stronger than humans'—being a dragon—I really don't like noisy or crowded places at all."
Percy then asked: "So why did you agree?"
Dante said: "I'm going on a date and you won't see me for a couple days or three. So as long as you don't set the cabin on fire and clean it up before I get back, I don't mind. And I think you should do it. After all, as a demigod among normal humans who always felt like an outsider, this is the first time you can do something a normal kid would do without people thinking you're weird."
Grover said, placing a hand on Percy's shoulder: "He's right, friend. There's nothing wrong with having a little fun."
Percy looked at the two encouraging him and said: "Alright, you won. Let's throw the party."
Grover jumped happily and said: "You won't regret it, Percy. Leave it to me. I'll call some people from the Hermes cabin and we'll take care of everything."
He said while running off to prepare the party.
Percy, watching that, looked at Dante and asked: "And now?"
Dante smiled at him while heading to the bathroom and said: "You, I don't know, but I'm going to take a shower and get ready for my date. One tip from me: hide everything you don't want them to break in your house, because once they start getting drunk, it'll be mess after mess."
Dante then entered the bathroom while Percy looked at the ceiling and thought: Is there still time to cancel the party?
He then gave up and went to follow Dante's advice and hide the important things.
Later that night, Dante, finished getting ready, wearing a black suit, looking in the mirror—a guy who looked like he stepped straight out of a movie, with blue hair, golden eyes, and an elegant suit—said: "And Barney was right: the suit really changes a man completely."
He then went out and saw Grover and Percy finishing the last preparations for the party.
Dante then approached and said to Percy: "So, I'm heading out, guys. I just ask you not to do two things: don't increase the world population and also don't decrease the world population. Well, that was it. So I'm going."
Dante then left toward the cabin to pick up Annabeth.
Grover, watching Dante leave—muscular, blue hair a bit messy, in a black suit with his tanned skin—then looked at Percy—skinny almost, pale with a face like someone who barely gets sun.
Grover then sighed and said: "And there's no way to judge her choice."
Percy looked at Grover and said: "I don't know why I feel like you said something really annoying."
On the other side, already in the Athena cabin, Valentina and her sisters looking at Annabeth beautiful in a blue dress and said: "You look way too beautiful. He's definitely the luckiest man in the world."
Annabeth looked at her outfit and said: "You don't think it's too much? It's just a date at camp."
Valentina said: "This is your first date. So you can't dress casually."
Lacy said: "My sister's right. Or do you want to go dressed like always for your date?"
Valentina then looked out the window and said: "Look, he's coming and he looks really handsome. Annabeth, if you want to back out, I can take your place. I wouldn't mind at all."
Annabeth said: "Keep dreaming."
She then left the room and went to open the door.
Dante, arriving at the door, was about to knock when the door suddenly opened and Annabeth appeared.
Dante, looking at her, said: "You look beautiful. It feels like I hit the jackpot for a star to come down from the sky just to go on a date with me."
Annabeth said: "Well, you look handsome too."
Dante then extended his hand and said: "Shall we?"
Annabeth held his hand and said: "Yes."
Annabeth then looked at him and asked: "But where are we going?"
Dante, smiling, picked her up in his arms like a princess.
He then looked at Valentina and her sisters and said: "Well, thanks for helping her for our date."
Lacy said: "It was nothing. She's our friend."
Dante said: "Then good night to you all."
He positioned himself and gave a giant leap, soaring quickly into the sky.
Annabeth closed her eyes because of the wind and asked: "What are you doing?"
Suddenly, the wind stopped. She then heard Dante say: "Well, I think you'd like to open your eyes to see this."
She then opened her eyes and was shocked by what she saw: she was on top of the Colosseum.
She looked at Dante and asked: "You brought me to Italy?"
Dante smiled and said: "Well, I wanted to make a good first impression on our first date. Did you like it? I thought about appearing on top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but since your personality is that of a girl who likes to fight, I thought this place was better."
He didn't have time to finish the sentence when she kissed him.
Dante then held her tightly and returned the kiss.
After kissing until they were out of breath, they separated.
Dante then looked at her and said: "So, my lady, shall we explore Italy together?"
Annabeth held his arm and said: "I'd love to