“Like some helpful person (hi, Mom) has tried to "'clean'" it, and suddenly you can't find anything?”

“Ever come home and found your room messed up? Like some helpful person (hi, Mom) has tried to "clean" it, and suddenly you can't find anything? And even if nothing is missing, you get that creepy feeling like somebody's been looking through your private stuff and dusting everything with lemon furniture polish?”

“You seem to be clean," Terminus decided. "Do you have anything to declare?""Yes," Percy said. "I declare this is stupid.”

“They send a person who can never stay," she whispered. "Who can never accept my offer of companionship for more than a little while. They send me a hero I can't help ... just the sort of person I can't help falling in love with."...As I sailed into the lake I realized the Fates really were cruel. They sent Calypso someone she couldn't help but love. But it worked both ways. For the rest of my life I would be thinking about her. She would always be my biggest what if.”

“Percy," my mom said. "I give you my blessing.""Be safe brother!" Tyson pleaded."Enchiladas!" Grover said. I wasn't sure where that came from, but it didn't seem to help much.”

“[My mom's] funny that way, celebrating special occasions with blue food. I think it's her way of saying anything is possible. Percy can pass seventh grade. Waffles can be blue. Little miracles like that.”

“something inside me clicked, like an engine shifting into higher gear. My thinking suddenly became faster and clearer. The anger and fear didn't go away, but I realized they weren't important. They weren't going to help me...”