December 13th
"Who wants to start?" Leo asked to the circle of demigods. They had all found their presents and made it to the Big House where they took their usual spots.
"I can go," Hazel offered. She had received a little, precisely wrapped gift that was sitting on her dresser that morning.
Careful not to tear the purple wrapping paper, Hazel opened the gift to see a white tub of paint. She turned it over in her hand and saw in rainbow letters, 'Color Changing Paint! Ask for the color and it will appear!'
"What is it?" Percy asked from the other side of the room.
"It's color changing paint," Hazel said in an awed voice. She had loved painting when she was little and tried to get around to it whenever she could, but their wasn't enough time to find the perfect color and get it on the canvas before she was needed again.
"So, it changes color like a mood ring?" Annabeth asked, holding and hand out to examine it.
"No," Hazel said, handing the tub to Annabeth. "I say a color and it becomes that color."
"Try it!" Leo begged.
Annabeth gave the paint back and Hazel looked down at it.
"Lavender."
The paint shifted color at the command and started at a light purple and darkened until it was a perfect Lavender.
"Sky Blue."
The paint shifted again, going from purple-y blue to a truer blue before stopping at a light sky blue."
"Sea Green!" Percy said, leaning towards the container.
The paint shifted to exactly Percy's eye color.
"Pitch black!"
The paint became the darkest black Hazel had ever seen.
"Light-"
"Okay, okay," Thalia intervened. "Let's keep going."
"I guess that means it's my turn," Reyna said after looking to Frank for a go ahead.
She had found the rectangular box under her bed after her and Thalia's walk that night and when she rattled it, she heard muffled movements. She took out a small knife she kept between her skin and her bra, and cut a slice in the top. She returned the knife and used her hands to pry it open.
Inside was a sword hilt that had no sword attached to it.
"Uh," Reyna said confused. "It's a sword hilt."
"What?" Piper asked.
Reyna pick up the hilt and showed it to the circle.
"No sword?" Percy asked. "Not even a normal steel-?"
Everyone quieted as a steel sword grew from the hilt.
"Wow," Frank gasped.
"What the Hades," Thalia said in disbelief.
"Wait," Reyna spoke up, staring at the sword. "Celestial Bronze."
The sword turned into the metal she had said.
"Imperial Gold."
The sword changed again.
"Wait!" Leo gasped. "Stygian Iron!"
The sword turned black and Reyna dropped it like a hot pan.
"What the hell, Leo!" Reyna yelled at the elf boy. "Do you want my soul sucked out?"
"Oops," Leo said shrugging.
"Steel," Reyna told the sword and it returned to steel. She grabbed it and tucked it by her side. That sword could be a great weapon.
"My turn!" Thalia announced. She had been wanting to see what she got since last night.
She ripped open the long rectangle box, probably as long as her body, and inside lay a long black spear with a metal tip at the end.
"Holy shit!" Thalia exclaimed. "I can use this with my lightning!"
She waved it around and everyone ducked except Nico and Reyna.
"Uhh, I think I'll go now," Will suggested. He sat up from where he had been crouched over, dodging Thalia's stick of death, and pulled out his little wrapped present.
It was shaped like a bottle and had yellow wrapping paper with a white ribbon tied around the neck. Will ripped the paper and inside was a bottle full of water.
The bottle was small, about as tall as his middle finger, and it had a cork top and a white sticker on it that had in printing:
Healing water
Pour a drop into someone's mouth to magically heal any physical injuries.
(does not work on mental injuries such as trauma, anxiety, depression, etc.)
"Wow," Will whispered.
"Magical healing water," Nico read over his shoulder, "Sounds cool."
"Alright, your turn, Ghost Boy," Will replied, turning to look at his boyfriend.
Nico looked down at his present. It was a plain old box, undecorated and even a little dirty. He pulled on one of the folded in sides, and gasped at the things inside.
Inside the box were Mythomagic figurines. He picked up a few to dig deeper to the bottom and found that it was all of them that ever existed. There were commons, rares, extraordinaries, uncommons, all of them.
"Nico," Piper asked cautiously.
Nico didn't respond. He just stared in awe,
"Nico," Jason tried. "Are you. . ."
"Let's just keep going," Percy suggested, glancing at his friend, "My turn!"
Percy loudly ripped open the wrapping paper covering his gift and the note that said, 'do not tip!' and 'fragile!'
He shredded the paper and gasped in glee as he saw the little fish inside.
"Hiya!" the fish said and Percy screeched in pure joy.
"Oh my gods! Hi!" Percy waved to the fish.
"Sit down, Percy," Annabeth told him. He hadn't noticed he had been standing.
He held the fish bowl in his hands and gently set it in his lap like it was his first born child.
"My turn," Annabeth said, drawing attention to her. Nico had pulled his present close to his chest and looked up to watch the rest of people open their gifts.
Annabeth opened an envelope she had found in her cabin that was signed 'Secret Santa' and took out the card inside.
Say, "you who'
Annabeth furrowed her brow. Why?
"You who?" she said quietly. Suddenly, the door opened and an owl flew inside carrying a string that held five books.
The owl flew to Annabeth and dropped the books in front of her before landing on her shoulder. Annabeth played out the books and grinned when she saw they were architecture ones.
"Why do they get pets?" Leo asked.
"Who knows," Jason pointed out, "you could get one too."
"Is it my turn?" Grover asked.
The group nodded and he broke open the box in front of him. He looked inside and pulled out a plant he had only seen in books.
"This is a Moonlight Tree!" Grover gasped.
"A what?" Thalia asked.
"It's a tree that absorbs moon light and uses that to feed it's self and the plants around it," Grover explained.
"Okay, enough plant talk," Leo piped up. "Time for my present!"
The boy in the elf shoes and green shirt and hat, opened the box he was holding. Inside was lots and lots of tabasco sauce and a few bags of something called Talkies.
"Fuck yeah, bro!" Leo exclaimed. He opened up a bog and popped a chip in his mouth.
"These are freaking delicious!" he proclaimed, raising a fist in the air.
"Okay, calm down," Piper suggested. She undid the tie on her bag while Leo sat down and munched on his Talkies.
She opened the pouch and pulled out five Harpy feathers.
"How did someone get these!" Piper gasped. She quickly untied the two braids she had had in and prepared to braid them again with the feathers in.
"Let's see what we've got here," Jason said, opening his gift.
He had found a small box in his cabin and opened it up to find a small, wooden airplane inside.
"Bro!" Jason exclaimed, looking to Percy. "We can fly this in the spring and maybe you can hang on it and fly too!"
"Bro, that's such a good idea, bro!" Percy agreed.
"I guess I'm the last one," Frank said, bringing everyone's attention to him.
Frank ripped open the carboard box he found in the Ares cabin and looked wide-eyed at the arrow laying inside.
"This is an insanely good arrow," Frank said in awe. "It's got a heavy head and a slim build. . ."
"That's what she said," Leo whispered.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"What!" Leo said with a shrug.
"So, that's the first round of gifts," Jason summed up. "I guess I'll see you guys on Christmas eve?"
"Yeah, we got to get two gifts this time," Percy pointed out. "One for Christmas eve and one to give on Christmas day."
The group nodded in agreement.
"Alright!" Leo exclaimed, spilling his bag of chips, "Let's get this party started!"