𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐇, Clarisse la Rue

𝐯𝐢𝐢𝐢. witches, guinea pigs, and pirates, oh my!

STRENGTH
━━ act two, chapter eight.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

   "WELCOME!" A LADY WITH A CLIPBOARD GREETED THEM, as they got off the rowboat.

   She looked like a flight attendant — blue business suit, perfect makeup, hair pulled back in a ponytail. The woman even shook Percy, Annabeth and Nabi's hands as they stepped onto the dock. Nabi thought that her cheeks must've been sore from how wide and dazzling her smile was.

"You'd think we were riding Luke's fancy cruise instead of that rowboat, with the way she's looking at us." Percy muttered.

In fairness to the rowboat, it wasn't the weirdest ship in port. Along with a bunch of pleasure yachts, there was a U.S. Navy submarine, several dugout canoes, and an old-fashioned sailing ship. There were multiple different ships, from different eras throughout the years, that Nabi couldn't tell you the names of.

Maybe they were replicas for tourists to look at or something...?

"Is this your first time with us?" The clipboard lady inquired.

The three demigods exchanged looks. Annabeth awkwardly went, "Umm..."

"First—time—at—spa," The lady murmured, pausing her words as she wrote each of them down, "Let's see..."

She looked them up and down. Nabi felt a little awkward as she scrutinised them. Then the woman muttered, "Mmm... a herbal wrap to start for the young ladies, and of course, a complete makeover for the young gentleman."

"A what?" Percy asked.

The lady was too busy jotting down notes to answer. She simply gave them a breezy smile and exclaimed, "Right! Well, I'm sure C.C. will want to speak with you personally before the luau, young man. Come, please."

   Really, they should've been more wary — demigods could never afford to let their guard down. But all three of them were starving, and had been dying from the horrible heat for most of the day. A luau didn't seem half bad.

   As if on cue, Nabi's stomach rumbled loudly. She mumbled, blushing, "I guess I am a little hungry..."

   "Yeah," Annabeth decided, "I guess it couldn't hurt..."

   Of course it could, but they followed the lady anyway. Nabi fiddled with her bracelet, twisting it nervously as the lady guided them to what seemed like a utopia.

   There was white marble and stunning water; terraces climbing up the side of the mountain, with swimming pools on every level; connected by waterslides and waterfalls and underwater tubes you could swim through. Fountains sprayed water into the air, forming impossible shapes, like flying eagles and galloping horses.

"Woah..." Nabi gaped in awe. She turned to nudge Percy on the shoulder excitedly, but he seemed to feel sick.

"You okay?" Annabeth asked him, noticing, "You look pale."

Percy murmured, "I'm okay. Just... let's keep walking."

   They continued to pass a bunch of different things, like a variety of animals. A sea turtle napped in a stack of beach towels; a leopard stretched out asleep on the diving board. The resort guests, only a bunch of young women, lounged in deck chairs whilst they drank fruit smoothies (Nabi felt like a fruit smoothie... she was a little flustered, in all honesty) or read magazines. They even had herbal face masks drying on their faces as they got their manicures from workers in white uniforms.