Daughter of Olympus - [Leo Valdez xF!Oc]

Never Been More Offended by Something I 100% Agree With

Ara wakes with a start and discovers Nico's jacket is gone, but she's got her Tyrian cloak back, freshly washed jeans, a new camp t-shirt, and brand-new black Converse. Her hair feels clean and smells like honey, and she's no longer tired or cold.

She's sitting outside a café with the others. It's the early morning of the winter solstice, and everyone looks like they're attending wildly different events. 

"Mother!" Piper gasps.

"What? Fight who? Where?" Hedge sits up straight and Ara has a hard time not looking at him. This is not the vibrant she meant when talking about colors.

"Falling!" Leo yelps. "No—not falling. Where are we?"

Jason blurts out another question. "What are you wearing?"

Piper pulls out her dagger to look at her reflection. "It's nothing. It's my—It's nothing." 

"What's that?" This is the first time Ara sees Piper's weapon. "Who gave you that?"

Piper frowns. "Annabeth. It was in Athena's shed."

Ara wants to snatch the dagger out of her sister's grip and throw it away in an abrupt wave of jealousy, and she feels extremely confused by it. "Is that Katoptris?"

"Er... you know it?"

"Of course I know it," Ara scoffs. "Who doesn't know about Helen and Paris? Mom was their biggest fan."

"Aphrodite strikes again, huh? You two gonna be the best-dressed warriors in town, beauty queens."

"Hey, Leo," Jason replies. "You look at yourself recently?"

"What... oh."

Ara looks at the boy, and she... hates it. Thank the gods! Those clothes make him look put together, but Ara likes him more when he's messy and huggable. Huggable. Ara cringes at her own opinions.

"God, Leo, I think my dad wore that to his last premiere, minus the tool belt."

"Hey, shut up!"

"I think he looks good," Hedge hums. "'Course, I look better."

"Well," Jason sighs, "at least your mom overlooked me."

Ara and Piper share a look but say nothing. Ara seizes her cloak, and when she pulls it forward she realizes there is an embroidered image on it. "What the..." She turns. "Piper, what's on my back?"

"A huge Omega in the middle... top left I see Hermes' staff, top right has a dove, and a little to the side there is a crescent moon..."

"My blessings," Ara recognizes. "Cool!"

"How did we get here?" Piper puts Katopris back in its sheath.

"Oh, that would be Mellie," Hedge beams. "Those winds shot us halfway across the country, I'd guess. We would've been smashed flat on impact, but Mellie's last gift—a nice soft breeze—cushioned our fall."

"And she got fired for us," Leo pouts. "Man, we suck."

"Ah, she'll be fine. Besides, she couldn't help herself. I've got that effect on nymphs. I'll send her a message when we're through with this quest and help her figure something out. That is one aura I could settle down with and raise a herd of baby goats." 

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Ara looks at him with an aggravated expression. "But please, stop sharing your feelings."

Piper snorts. "Anyone else want coffee?"

"Coffee!" Hedge says happily. "I love coffee!"

"Um, but—money? Our packs?" Jason looks around.

Ara peeks under her chair and finds her T-Rex bag in one piece. She fishes it out, completely restored with the exception of a heart-shaped eyepatch covering its right socket. "Thank you, Mom!"