He hums softly at that, continuing to pet Percy's hair a few more times before he lets him be, bemused at how the boy tries his best to endure the distraction of his mother's attention while still keeping his focus on his playing.
"I'm sure Papa would love to see this when he comes back down from work tonight," he says, encouraging and kind. "You should be sure to show him."
At first, it had been alienating and strange for Alecto to try and figure out how to interact with Percy in a way that was meaningful to the both of them. With Avery and Daphne, it had come more naturally of course: they shared the sea in their blood with their mother. Donning their skins together, Alecto bonded easily with his older children by teaching them selkie traditions, training them to play and hunt and survive in equal measure. But none of that could apply to Percy. In fact, Alecto's initial attempt to teach the boy how to swim had been so stressful and confusing for Alecto himself, Joshua had to intervene and take over entirely.
Presently, Alecto's fingertips dance over the blocks farthest away, the ones Percy indicated were placeholders for the shoreline and the wild waves from which he was generally kept a safe distance from ("At least until he's older, and stronger," Alecto had reasoned, panicked when he saw how much Percy flailed in even the shallow end of the tide). "Percy, honey," Alecto starts, trying to keep his voice even and calm instead sounding like the worry he was starting to feel bubble up in his chest, "How do you feel about Momma and your siblings sometimes going off to play without you?"
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"I'm sure Papa would love to see this when he comes back down from work tonight," he says, encouraging and kind. "You should be sure to show him."
At first, it had been alienating and strange for Alecto to try and figure out how to interact with Percy in a way that was meaningful to the both of them. With Avery and Daphne, it had come more naturally of course: they shared the sea in their blood with their mother. Donning their skins together, Alecto bonded easily with his older children by teaching them selkie traditions, training them to play and hunt and survive in equal measure. But none of that could apply to Percy. In fact, Alecto's initial attempt to teach the boy how to swim had been so stressful and confusing for Alecto himself, Joshua had to intervene and take over entirely.
Presently, Alecto's fingertips dance over the blocks farthest away, the ones Percy indicated were placeholders for the shoreline and the wild waves from which he was generally kept a safe distance from ("At least until he's older, and stronger," Alecto had reasoned, panicked when he saw how much Percy flailed in even the shallow end of the tide). "Percy, honey," Alecto starts, trying to keep his voice even and calm instead sounding like the worry he was starting to feel bubble up in his chest, "How do you feel about Momma and your siblings sometimes going off to play without you?"