ꜱᴘɪᴅᴇʀ ʙɪᴛᴇꜱ: ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴄᴀʙᴇᴛʜ/ꜱᴏʟᴀɴɢᴇʟᴏ ᴘʀᴏᴊᴇᴄᴛ

xᴠɪɪ ᴡɪʟʟ | ʀᴇʏɴᴀ'ꜱ ʀᴀɪɴʙᴏᴡ ʀᴏᴀᴅ ʀᴀᴍᴘᴀɢᴇ

New Rome is really beautiful. The whole place kind of looks like a retirement village, but in the best way possible. There are only a few cars, probably tourists and wedding guests, Will assumes. Most people are getting around on bicycles or in golf carts.

Speaking of golf carts: "Hey, Solace! Get in!"

"Well if it isn't Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano!" Will gets in the golf cart driven by the eternally sixteen-year-old girl. It must be weird, watching all your friends grow up- and in Will's case, finally start shaving- while you're still sixteen.

"Thank the gods I found you! I just drank an entire Venti frappe and need someone to talk to!" Reyna's let loose, Will notes. Good for her, honestly. "So you came with Annabeth, right?"

"Yeah, we're here together," Will says.

Reyna rounds a corner with such intensity that Will has to hang on to the top of the golf cart to keep from falling out. "I mean... we're roommates over in L.A.; we're not dating or anything. Sometimes we tell people we're twins."

They sway from side to side as the path straightens. "Good- I mean, how's she doing? Does she ever talk about me?"

Woah. "I, er, uh-"

Will gets cut off as Reyna rounds another corner. "This is a super weird question, but is she... is she seeing anyone? I mean, I always got a vibe from her, but I didn't want to make any passes if she really is straight."

Will hangs on to the roof again, bracing himself for Reyna's crazy driving. Gods, she's worse at driving than Annabeth. "Um, she slept with a guy dressed as Marty McFly back in May..." Will tries to joke.

"You can do better than that!" Reyna turns a donut, sending the wheels on Will's side off the ground.

He screams involuntarily: "She's bi! She's single! Put me down! Please!"

The wheels hit the ground again with a loud thud. People are staring at them now. Will's either incredibly pale or incredibly red in the face. The mirrors on the golf cart are foggy from who knows what, so he can't see his reflection.

Will gets out of the golf cart to find that his legs are now made out of jelly because he's stumbling.

"Hey, hey, hey! Welcome to the party!" Leo Valdez is exactly the same. He's short, almost elf-like, and still sports suspenders and his magic tool belt. The only difference is that now he's added a fedora to his already ridiculous ensemble. He's a fashion disaster.

Leo throws one arm around Reyna and the other around Will. Even though he's had ten years, he still hasn't surpassed either of them in height.

"Hi, Leo," Reyna says. "How are Calypso and Jay? Are they here?"

"Nah," Leo says. "They're coming down for the memorial service; can't have my son missing out on the opportunity to hear all about his namesake!"

Of course, Leo's son, Jason, is just a toddler, so he probably won't get anything out of the service, just a ton of attention from strangers. Will decides not to mention that. Besides, even if it doesn't mean anything to little Jason, it's going to mean so much to a lot of people that he'll be there.

"And how are you, Will? Must be feeling weird seeing Nico after you broke his heart all those years ago!" Leo teases.

"Leo!" Reyna scolds. "Let's not get into that! This is about Frank and Hazel, not whatever happened between Will and Nico. But speaking of, I hear you've got a boyfriend, Will. Care to fill us in?"