( O.H ) Folklore, Heroes of Olympus ²

01. like you a little

❀

Arabella Song was in deep shit. Out of everyone in the world who could have experienced a mountain of inconvenience, she just had to lead herself right to it. Mostly because Jason Grace was returning to camp after months of his disappearance and she didn't know what to say to him. Is it normal to be so nervous to reunite with an old friend?

Her heart shouldn't be beating as fast as it was, right? Nor should she be overthinking everything that she prepared to do. Earlier that day (actually, at 1 AM), she had made a detailed bullet point of what she would do once Jason arrived.

1. Send him a smile (not too big or else cohorts will talk (again)).
2. Give him a welcome hug (not in front of a crowd, Larry will yell at you again).
3. Tell him you miss him.
4. C̶o̶n̶f̶e̶s̶s̶ y̶o̶u̶ c̶o̶w̶a̶r̶d̶.
5. Catch up.

Maybe she should take a break from all the centurion duties, it'd do her some good. But Jason Grace's arrival wasn't the only thing giving her headaches.

Arabella glanced at her right arm and tugged her sleeve down. Ever since her little... injury, the spreading had yet to cease. The streaks of dark green started to appear on her arm after the battle at Mount Othrys, trickling down her arm at a slow pace. Thankfully, it hadn't reached her wrist, meaning she could go on wearing long sleeves without having to be desperate for gloves. Besides, she could always use a little makeup.

Turning her attention to the sky, the Greek warship had settled to a halt. As it hovered over New Rone, Arabella could see bronze shields glinting along the sides, billowing sails, and a figurehead shaped like a metal dragon. On the tallest mast, a big white flag of truce snapped in the wind.

"You look like you're gonna make a rose bush appear," Iseul, her best friend, whispered.

Much like her, Iseul had recently come back from her own expedition, but only because Arabella was quick enough to realize the girl being chased by a Hydra was her best friend, who had been away for weeks. Now, neither girl had left each other's side after Bella had found her during her quest with Frank, Percy, and Hazel.

"Just jittery," the daughter of Ceres tried to reassure her, but she caught the glance Iseul sent toward Frank.

Up ahead, the demigods parted for a blonde girl from the ship. Some looked tense, some nervous. Some were bandaged from their recent battle with the giants. Arabella was certainly part of the pool of demigods who considered themselves as nervous. It took her a moment to realize who the blonde was. Annabeth Chase.

Arabella turned her head and caught Percy staring at his girlfriend before he realized someone else was looking at him. The raven haired boy turned to look at her and Bella couldn't help but wiggle her brows at him, holding back her grin. If he could, Bella was pretty sure Percy would have elbowed her.

As Reyna walked up, the crowd made way for their Praetor. The two girls considered each other, and Bella couldn't help but draw similarities between them. Although she doubted Annabeth knew who she was, she knew Reyna. Reyna, who held her head high carried herself with such confidence the other demigods backed away and averted their gaze. She had a feeling the blonde was something like that, too.

Her eyes strayed away to look at the group of demigods who had arrived with her. And, almost like instinct, her eyes met his.

The first thing she noticed was his hair. The mop of blonde had outgrown his usual style, but it kept its charm. She wondered if it was softer, somehow. He'd also grown taller, as if he needed that extra height. He also seemed... calmer. The usual tense lines in his face had softened. She guessed being free of Praetor duties for eight months did him good.