ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ THE HOUSE OF MEMORIES ༉‧₊˚.[THE HEROES OF OLYMPUS]
J A S O N
chapter twenty-seven: yeah, we don't really do anything & i basically spend the chapter describing chandler
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JASON WOULD'VE died at least a good five, six times on the way to the front door if not for leo, and chandler.
first, it was the motion-activated trapdoor on the sidewalk. then, the lasers on the steps, then, the nerve gas dispenser on the porch railing, the pressure-sensitive poison spikes in the welcome mat, and of course the exploding doorbell. they'd deactivated all of them. it was like they could smell the traps, and leo picked just the right tool out of his belt to disable them.
"you guys are amazing," the blonde breathed, blinking in literal awe as he admired the way leo peered at the front door lock, then pulling an unsatisfied scowl. he murmured something barely legible under his breath. it was enough to make jason's face flush a bit in embarrassment, already feeling that the hephaestus boy was referencing something he must've said under the influence of medea.
it didn't help the shame that was building quickly in his gut when chandler offered a snort at whatever her brother said. of course, jason hadn't expected her to trip, and run to defend him against her literally brother. but, he didn't expect her to laugh, and not lightly scold him a bit. the longer jason thought about it, the more unfair he figured his feelings were as his words under the influence of that which must've, no, definitely hurt chandler as well. actually, he figured it was a bit more than that as she'd been avoiding him like some lightening infested plague since they left the department store.
"front door's already unlocked," leo announced, before jason got a chance to get too deeply stuck in his own thoughts. how couldn't he when they were constantly swirling around chandler. did she like him? did he like her? gods, he knew the answer to that days ago. the moment she's shoved through the crowd of demigods with will solace, looking more than uninterested in himself, and his companies, he'd already felt his heart fluttering like some sort of lovesick hummingbird. he thought maybe it was just because she was pretty, but drew was pretty, piper was pretty, but chandler was beautiful.
he blinked dumbly as piper's voice interrupted his train of thought. it startled him so bad, chandler noticed he'd practically jumped out of his skin at the sound of the aphrodite girl's voice. he just hoped the embarrassment wasn't too apparent on his face. he looked away fast, turning to piper, who had originally spoken in the first place. she was frowning at the front door in utter disbelief, "unlocked?" she repeated, like it sounded completely ridiculous. "all those traps, and the door's unlocked?"
chandler fixed her with a look, speaking no words, but her expression told many. there was an impatient roll of her eyes, and she stepped forward, and turned the knob with little regard for the unease in both piper, and jason's expressions. it swung open with no give in the slightest, and she stepped inside. there wasn't any hesitation as leo followed right behind her.
jason opened his mouth to speak for chandler, to apologize for her harshness, and callousness, but instead piper caught his arm with a gentle smile, "don't apologize, jason. and, don't take it personally. they need some time with what's happened."
"yeah," the blonde found himself nodding, but trying to camouflage the hurt that he was undeniably feeling. leo was his best friend. and chandler was, well, she was chandler. and, it didn't feel good when they were upset with him. he deserved it, but it didn't make him feel any better. "let's just go, okay?"
he still felt terrible. back in medea's store, he'd said some pretty harsh stuff to leo, stuff a friend shouldn't say, not to mention the fact he'd almost skewered the help hephaestus boy with a sword. not to mention, what he said to leo must have hurt chandler also. if it hadn't been for piper, and chandler, leo, and jason would both be dead. and piper hadn't gotten out of that encounter easily, either.
"piper," he murmured, trying to come up with something to say in regard of what happened back at the store. through the haze, he'd definitely heard something important medea had been saying to her, trying to coax her into taking them somewhere, "i know i was in a daze back in chiacago, but that stuff about your dad, if he's in trouble, i want to help. i don't care if it's a trap or not."
her eyes were always different colors, but now they looked shattered, as if she'd seen something she just couldn't cope with. she blinked tears away, turning away from him curtly, "jason, you don't know what you're saying. please, don't make me feel worse. come on. we should stick together."
she ducked inside without giving him even a second glance. he followed her into the mansion, his thoughts of her vanishing the moment his mind was given some room to wander. all his thoughts swirled about in his head, how he'd made progress with the girl he liked, and how he was afraid he'd messed up all the progress he'd made during the entire quest.
jason's first impression of the house: dark.
from the echo of his footsteps, he could tell the entry hall was absolutely enormous, even bigger than boreas's penthouse; but the only illumination came from the yard lights outside. a faint glow peeked through the breaks in the thick velvet curtains. the windows rose about ten feet tall. spaced between them along the walls were life-size metal statues. as jason's eyes adjusted, he saw sofas arranged in a u in the middle of the room with a central coffee table, and one large chair at the far end. a massive chandelier glinted overhead. along the back wall stood a row of closed doors. "where's the light switch?" his voice echoed alarmingly through the room.
"don't see one," leo answered lowly, his hands skimming the walls to find some type of light source to cut on.
"fire?" piper suggested to the hephaestus boy. leo held out his hand, but nothing happened. he made a noise of strain, but still, nothing.
."it's not working, c, you try," she shrugged at her brother's suggestion, finding it pointless for her to try as well when he'd already proved that it wouldn't work. but, she found no harm in trying. the curly haired girl held up her palm, and the veins in her arm brined red brightly with the effort she put into attempting to summon fire. not even wisps of black smoke appeared as her palm glowed, but remained bare. the hephaestus girl pulled a grimace.
"your fire is out? why?" piper asked.
"gee, if i knew, piper," chandler said, her tone coated thickly with an annoyance. there was an irritable edge that she seemed to have reserved for himself, and piper that jason seemed to pick up on. he wondered when it happened, and could only trace it back to medea's department store. it seemed the sorceress was the drive of a plethora of their current problems.
piper didn't seemed to offer an ammunition for the annoyance chandler had, instead swallowing hardly. "okay," she said, her tone a bit pitched at the mood of the hephaestus girl. "so, should we explore?" she changed the subject quickly.
leo shook his head. "after all those traps outside? bad idea."
jason's skin tingled. he hated being a demigod. looking around, he didn't see a comfortable room to hang out in. he imagined vicious storm spirits lurking in the curtains, dragons under the carpet, a chandelier made of lethal ice shards, ready to impale them. "leo's right," he said, trying to fight all those dark thoughts of the danger that could be lingering in the corners of their found shelter. "we're not separating again, not like in detroit."
"oh, thank you for reminding me of the cyclopes," piper's voice quavered as she looked around with a newfound paranoia, and jason hated it instantly. he was supposed to shoulder all the unnecessary overthinking as their quest leader. not infect the others with the same negativity. the blonde felt bad as she continued, "i needed that."
"it's a few hours until dawn," jason informed them, not absolutely sure how he knew. he chalked it up as a child jupiter thing, as his father was the god of the sky. he must've been connected to it somehow to know exactly when the sun would rise once again. "too cold to wait outside. let's bring the cages in, and make camp in this room. wait for daylight; then we can decide what to do."
nobody offered a better idea, so they rolled in the cages with coach hedge, and the storm spirits, then, settled in. thankfully, neither hephaestus kid found any poison throw pillows, or electric whoopee cushions on the sofas.
leo didn't seem in the mood to make more tacos. besides, they had no fire, so they settled for cold rations.
as jason ate, he studied the metal statues along the walls. they looked like greek gods, or heroes. maybe that was a good sign. or maybe they were used for target practice. on the coffee table sat a tea service, and a stack of glossy brochures, but he couldn't make out the words. the big chair at the other end of the table looked like a throne. none of them tried to sit in it.
the canary cages didn't make the place any less creepy. the venti, or anemoi thullai according to chandler, kept churning in their prison, hissing, and spinning, and jason got the uncomfortable feeling they were watching him. he could sense their hatred for the children of zeus, the lord of the sky who'd ordered aeolus to imprison their kind. the venti would like nothing better than to tear him apart.
as for coach hedge, he was still frozen mid-shout, his weapon raised threateningly. leo was working on the cage, trying to open it with various tools, but the lock seemed to be giving him a hard time. jason decided not to sit next to him in case hedge suddenly unfroze, and went into ninja goat mode.
despite how wired he felt, once his stomach was full, jason started to nod off. the couches were a little too comfortable, a lot better than a dragon's back, and he'd taken the last two watches while his friends slept. he was exhausted.
piper had already curled up on the other sofa. jason wondered if she was really asleep, or dodging a conversation about her dad. whatever medea had meant in chicago, about getting her dad back if she cooperated, it didn't sound good. if piper had risked her own dad to save them, that made the blonde feel even guiltier.
chandler was huddled onto a soft looking sofa, probably waiting for him, or he hoped that maybe she was. she'd tied her curly burgundy hair back, and jason could see her many ear piercings. he was impressed by the jewelry, and how shiny it was even in the dark. she'd used a baby wipe annabeth packed away in her bag to wipe away all of her makeup, and to him, she looked like a million denarii. he could see the girl was desperately trying to stay awake, but she was struggling to keep her eyes open.
jason was worried. they were running out of time to save hera. if he had his days straight, this was early morning of december twentieth. which meant tomorrow was the winter solstice.
"get some sleep," leo advised, still working on the locked cage. he'd spared a single glance at the honey blonde, and the heavy, purple bags that hung underneath his eyes. "it's your turn."
jason took a deep breath, mentally trying to gather his thoughts together so his words wouldn't come out all jumbled. gods, he'd be embarrassed if he stuttered through his apology. "leo, i'm sorry about that stuff i said in chicago. that wasn't me. you're not annoying, and you do take stuff seriously — especially your work. i wish i could do half the things you can do."
leo lowered his screwdriver. he looked at the ceiling, and shook his head like, what am i gonna do with this guy? "i try very hard to be annoying," the hephaestus boy said to jason finally. he rolled his eyes, looking a bit like his older sister. "don't insult my ability to annoy. and how am i supposed to resent you if you go apologizing? i'm a lowly mechanic. you're like the prince of the sky, son of the lord of the universe. i'm supposed to resent you."
"lord of the universe?" jason echoed.
"sure, you're all bam! lightning man. and watch me fly. i am the eagle that soars—"
"shut up, valdez."
jason interrupted finally, giving the younger boy the reaction he wanted. leo managed a little smile at that, a little satisfied nod of his head, "yeah, see. i do annoy you."
"i apologize for apologizing."
"thanks." leo went back to work, but the tension had eased between them. the boy still looked sad, and exhausted, just not quite so angry anymore. "go to sleep, jason," he said tiredly, he rubbed at his temple with his free hand. "it's gonna take a few hours to get this goat man free. then, i still got to figure out how to make the winds a smaller holding cell, 'cause i am not lugging that canary cage to california."
"you guys did fix festus, you know," jason murmured carefully. gods, he knew he was tiptoeing the line real, real closely, but he couldn't help himself. "you gave him a purpose again. i think this quest was the high point of his life." he was afraid he'd blown it, and made his friend mad again, but leo just sighed.
"i hope, now, sleep, man. i want some time without you organic life forms." jason didn't exactly know what that meant, and turned to walk toward the sofa to which chandler resided when leo spoke up once more. "also," he added, drawing the blonde's attention. "hephaestus told me to tell you to keep your hands to yourself," he said casually. the blonde's cheeks blossomed red, before a throw pillow sailed over his head, presumably thrown by chandler, and knocked leo on the back of his head.
jason walked over to her, and she'd managed to stay awake successfully. in fact, she seemed a little ticked off with leo's little comment, so the blonde assumed it was an actual message from their father — whenever they happened to have talked to him. a bit nervously, jason opened his arms, inviting her to cuddle him if she wished. after some internal conflict, she opened hers in return. he settled himself on the surprisingly wide sofa together, his head on her chest, listening to the thrum of her heartbeat. he closed his eyes, and slowly drifted away into a blissfully, dreamless sleep.
he only woke when the yelling started.
"ahhhggggggh!"
chandler leaped to her feet, causing jason to fall from laying peacefully next to her, to the floor of the room their were in. he wasn't sure what was more jarring, the full sunlight that now bathed the room, the cold floor that he now laid on, or the screaming satyr thirsty for blood.
"coach is awake," leo informed them casually, which was kind of unnecessary. gleeson hedge was capering around on his furry hindquarters, swinging his club and yelling, die! as he smashed the tea set, whacked the sofas, and charged at the throne.
"coach!" jason yelled at him, squeezing his eyes shut. he could just feel the migraine throbbing at the back of his head, ready to come on at the slightest moment.
hedge turned, breathing hard. his eyes were so wild, jason was afraid he might attack. the satyr was still wearing his orange polo shirt, and his coach's whistle, but his horns were clearly visible above his curly hair, and his beefy hindquarters were definitely all goat. could you call a goat beefy? jason put the thought aside.
"you're the new kid," hedge's eyes squinted at the blonde, and slowly, he lowered his club. "jason." after he said the name, a bit sourly the blonde admitted, he looked at leo, then piper, who'd apparently also just woken up. her hair looked like it had become a nest for a friendly hamster.
"valdez, mclean," the coach listed off, then his eyes zeroed in on chandler, "chandler beckendorf, you're the demigod that helped jackson save ol—" chandler nodded her head, cutting him off from listing all of her attributes like some type of fan, so the coach dismissed that, and started firing off questions. "what's going on? we were at the grand canyon. the anemoi thuellai were attacking and—" he zeroed in on the storm spirit cage, and his eyes went back to DEFCON 1. "die!"
"whoa, coach!" leo stepped in his path, which was pretty brave, even though hedge was six inches shorter. "it's okay. they're locked up. we just sprang you from the other cage."
"cage? cage? what's going on? just because i'm a satyr doesn't mean i can't have you doing plank push-ups, valdez!" the satyr declared giving a death stare.
jason cleared his throat. "coach gleeson, um, whatever you want us to call you. you saved us at the grand canyon. you were totally brave."
"of course i was!"
"the extraction team came, and took us to camp half-blood," the blonde continued to explain, ignoring the little chime in. "we thought we'd lost you. then, we got word the storm spirits had taken you back to their—um, operator, medea."
"that witch! wait—that's impossible. she's mortal. she's dead," the satyr dismissed.
"yeah, well," chandler said, "somehow she got not dead anymore."
hedge nodded, his eyes narrowing. "so! you were sent on a dangerous quest to rescue me. they even sent you with the best in the business," he gestured to chandler, "excellent!"
"um." piper got to her feet, holding out her hands so coach hedge wouldn't attack her.
"actually, glee—can i still call you coach hedge? gleeson seems wrong. we're on a quest for something else. we kind of found you by accident."
"oh." the coach's spirits seemed to deflate, but only for a second. then his eyes lit up again. "but there are no accidents! not on quests. this was meant to happen! so, this is the witch's lair, eh? why is everything gold?"
"good?" jason looked around. from the way leo, chandler and piper caught their breath, he guessed they hadn't noticed yet either.
the room was full of gold—the statues, the tea set hedge had smashed, the chair that was definitely a throne. even the curtains—which seemed to have opened by themselves at daybreak—appeared to be woven of gold fiber.
"nice," leo said. "no wonder they got so much security."
"this isn't—" piper stammered. "this isn't medea's place, coach. it's some rich person's mansion in omaha. we got away from medea and crash-landed here."
"it's destiny, cupcakes!" hedge insisted. "i'm meant to protect you. what's the quest?"
before jason could decide if he wanted to explain or just shove coach hedge back into his cage, a door opened at the far end of the room.
a pudgy man in a white bathrobe stepped out with a golden toothbrush in his mouth. he had a white beard and one of those long, old-fashioned sleeping caps pressed down over his white hair. he froze when he saw them, and the toothbrush fell out of his mouth.
he glanced into the room behind him and called, "son? lit, come out here, please. there are strange people in the throne room."
coach hedge did the obvious thing. he raised his club and shouted, "die!"