SUNSPEAKER, percy jackson.

00𝟖. beware of junk mountain

chapter eight
beware of junk mountain

WHEN LENNON FIRST SLID INTO THE LIMO SEAT, her first thought was gods this limo is big. She was dealing with gods and magic so maybe they could make small things look big on the inside. Like the Tardis.

   "It's big in here," Oh. oh. She'd said that out loud.

   "Big? Hm, I suppose it is," Lennon finally looked to the woman sitting across from her. She was gorgeous. Like super gorgeous.

   She wore a pale red satin dress and she had dark hair that rolled past her shoulders in waves. She had tan skin and piercing sea green eyes. Oddly, she looked kind of familiar.

   "You're really pretty," she spoke aloud again.

    The goddess gave her dazzling smile and chuckled. "Aw that's so sweet of you, thank you. Now, do you know who I am?"

    "Um..." She thought about it. "You're Aphrodite?"

    "Correct," she smiled. "Do you know why you're here?"

    "You wanted to speak to me?"

    "Yes darling, but do you know why?"

    Lennon shook her head. The familiar beauty of the woman was off-putting enough.

    "Maybe this'll help," the color of her dress rippled, and instead of red, it was a sea green that matched her eyes.

    "Uh, your dress matches your eye color? It's a really nice color,"

    She hummed. "Denial, really? Fine, I'll let it slide. I guess you did spend the last few years avoiding him. I do love a good dramatic romance,"

    "Wha— Dramatic romance? What do you mean?" Lennon was really starting to get confused.

    "Never mind that darling. Here," she conjured up a mirror that floated in front of Lennon. "How does that look?"

    Lennon's hair had been pulled back into a braid, yellow flowers were woven into it. She touched her to see if it was real, it was. See, magic. Lennon loved magic. "It's really pretty. Wow, I wish I could braid like this,"

   "Oh, tsk tsk, don't worry, all it takes is practice. I've taught many of my daughters to braid, it's easy really. You should ask them to do that,"

    "Um, okay. I will,"

    Aphrodite nodded and the mirror disappeared. "So, have you put together why I look so familiar?"

    "Familiar? Well, you do have the same color eyes as Percy,"

    "Ah! There it is. So you understand why you're here?"

    Lennon shook her head. "I don't get why that would be connected,"

    Aphrodite sighed. "Hints don't work huh? You see, no one knows exactly what I look like except for me. I look different to everyone based on what they're attracted to. So do you get it now?"

    "You're saying... that I find Percy attractive?" Aphrodite nodded her head encouragingly. "Well, yeah he's cute but that doesn't mean I like him or anything. We're just now becoming friends,"

    The goddess sighed wistfully. "I suppose I shouldn't interfere too much, I do love a good slow burn!" She grinned excitedly.

    "Slow burn— Wait, what would that have to do with—"

    "Percy Jackson can come in now," she snapped her fingers.

    The limo door opened and Ares pushed Percy in. He blinked at Aphrodite in a daze, his eyes wide.