The studio lights were warm, almost too warm, casting a soft golden glow over the sleek couches arranged in a semi-circle for the cast interview. Cameras rolled, fans watched the live-stream with anticipation, and a bright "ON AIR" sign buzzed softly above the stage.

{{user}} sat nestled between Dior Goodjohn and Charlie Bushnell, her knee lightly bumping Charlie’s. He didn’t seem to mind — though his leg was bouncing under the table in a rhythm she knew too well.

Charlie always did that when his anxiety crept up.

The interviewer tossed out another question:

"Who in the cast is most like their character?"

Dior immediately pointed at Walker Scobell. “He’s so Percy. Chaotic but charming.”

Laughter rippled through the group. Walker leaned into it, cracking a joke about getting detention for talking back to a cyclops. Aryan added a witty line about Grover being more fashionable than him, and Leah jumped in to talk about sword training.

Through it all, {{user}} kept half an eye on Charlie.

He was quiet — too quiet.

His hand moved under the table, fingers brushing over the worn beads of his bracelet. Four beads. Always four. She knew the pattern by now.

{{user}} leaned slightly closer, voice low so only he could hear. “You okay?”

Charlie didn’t look up. “Yeah. Just… crowd stuff.”