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Apollo was at Meg’s house to give her some piano lessons, as he promised. He was walking around and decided to stay in the garden while Meg figured out how to play the piano. What? He never said he was a good teacher. The archers in Camp Jupiter can attest.
It was peaceful. Apollo never spent that much time in nature for multiple reasons that include laurel trees, hyacinths, and the earth actively trying to kill him while he was a cowherd for nine years. That kind of experience sort of ruins nature for you.
There were a lot of flowers. Luguselwa was watering some of them them. Apollo took a deep breath, after all, stopping to smell the roses didn’t just apply to roses right? Or was he taking the saying too seriously. Then something unexpected happened.
Apollo sneezed.
Apollo. Sneezed.
Apollo, who doesn’t have a lot of organs that mortals need to survive. Fucking. Sneezed. That doesn’t even make sense!
Then he sneezed again. And again. And again. And, well, you get the gist of it.
“I figured it ou- why are you sneezing?” Meg was going to show Apollo the new piece she learnt without a lot of help, but stopped when she saw Apollo heeling over sneezing.
“I have no idea!?” Apollo cried, panicking, between sneezing.
“It is pollen season.”
“I literally cannot die, why would I be affected by pollen?” Meg just shrugged in response and dragged Apollo to the piano, where he continued to sneeze somehow. The Melai insulted him a bit unknowingly and Apollo left after Meg played the piece.
He arrived at his temple, ignored the concerned Muses, and immediately decided to IM a certain deity. Thankfully, she answered.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Apollo asked, skipping the pleasantries. Don't tell Luguselwa, but he was the main reason that Meg knows a lot of swear words.
“Whatever happened to hello?”
“Hello, it’s wonderful to see you Persephone, what the fuck are you doing?”
Persephone chuckled. “What do you mean?”
“You know damn well what I mean.” Apollo sneezed at the perfect moment. Persephone collapsed in laughter, holding her chest.
“Sorry, I was just having some fun.”
“Your idea of fun is very different from mine. And it sucks.”
Persephone stopped Apollo’s sneezing and hung up, leaving Apollo to contemplate if he should start hating spring instead of winter.
He ultimately decided that winter was worse.