Jason shot a confident grin across his shoulder. His hair was forced in place with hair gel that smelled like burnt toast, and his glasses were perched on his nose. Cameras flashed as the murmurs of paparazzi clouded Jason's senses. His heart was calmly beating and his eyes glazed over. His smile became more forced as he slipped into the model, golden boy act he put on for the cameras and for his mother.

To his side was his mother with her hand on his father's waist. Despite being 16 years old, Jason could only recall 4 times his father had shown up for a red carpet event. Even more sad, this was the 6th time he had seen him in his life that he could remember.

Thalia scowled at the cameras. Jason ignored her frown in favor of seeing Piper McLean right past her. His look softened and he heard a few coos. If anyone understood the tedious, grueling act of red carpet events and parents legacies, it was Piper.

They didn't know each other, to be fair, but Jason knew he was right. He caught her, more than once, grimacing as her father laughed at a journalists question.

Jason sighed softly and his lips twitched. His smile was so strained that it was painful. His jaw locked up as his teeth clenched. His cheeks hurt from the over-enthusiastic face Jason was pulling automatically.

"Jason, Jason this way!" Someone called out. Jason did a graceful turn and shot a smile in every direction. His shoulders were stiff as he was touched by his mother. Her hand rested on his shoulder and his entire body tensed. He heard his jaw pop and swore he broke a tooth after a dull pain took place.

Beryl, his mother, giggled and winked saucily at the cameras. She was wearing a dark red, tube top and a pencil mini skirt. She colored her face with rouge blush and her lips were the same color as her top.

She laid her head on her son's shoulder, Jason being taller than her by a head. He shivered as a cold, golden hoop earring slivered over his bare shoulder.

He had been put in a white button up and had the sleeves torn off. With a pair of blue slacks and a matching jacket that he was instructed to hold over his shoulder lazily. He had a small amount of makeup on and tilted his chin up again as someone took a picture. His mother changed her position so her hand was gripping his forearm and her chest as pressed against his chest. Jason fought the embarrassment and discomfort as Beryl rubbed his chest with her free hand.

Zeus, his father, came to his rescue. He frappes Beryl by her waist and pulled her roughly to him. Jason pretended not to see Thalia glare at her dad and practically growl.

He walked over carefully. Watching as Thalia met his eyes. Her hair was curled and fell down the sides of her face in tight ringlets. She wore silver when shadow and a black and blue dress. It was leather and hugged her body, the top of the dress turning into mesh. The mesh covered her collar bones and extended into sleeves. They wrapped around her delicate wrists tightly. The leather was a dark, navy color that matched Jason's suite.

"Hey, Jase." Thalia greeted in a soft voice. Her face was calm as she spoke to him. Jason shifted the weight from his left foot to his right slowly. Thalia rolled her eyes and flipped the camera off. Jason sighed and reached to her hand. He pressed her hand down and pushed it against her side.

"Golden Boy," Thalia sneered half-heartedly. A small smirk twitched on her lips, replacing the frown subtly enough that it was barely noticeable to outsiders.

"Might-have-been girl." Jason shot back with a laugh. Thalia let her smile replace the frown she had had in since the beginning of the event. A few bracelets dangled off her arm and clinked together as she gestured to the open door.

"Come on, better get to our seats before the animals– sorry, journalists, ask about your new project." Jason groaned.

"Don't remind me, I'm only doing this crummy sequel because mom won't stop boasting about it. She keeps insisting, since you played a part when you were 15, that I will be the next star of the show. Not Percy Jackson, which is insane." Jason said to her. His comments, thankfully, went unheard by the people around him.

"Not my fault Beryl had too much to drink," Thalia commented.

"You can call her mom, y'know." Thalia looked him in the eyes and kept her face stoic. 

"I stopped considering her my mother the minute she tried to sell you to the park rangers while intoxicated."

"I was two-" Jason protested.

"Yeah? Well I still remember her drunken giggles as she handed you over to a fucking ranger with wolf eyes. So no, she is merely a human incubator. Not a mother. Mothers are better that.. whatever the fuck Beryl decided to be." Thalia turned and sped to the open doors of the building. Jason glanced behind him and caught his mother and father sharing a, rather graphic, kiss. He shrugged pitifully and followed Thalia's path.