Almighty (Daughter of Olympus III) - [Leo Valdez xF!Oc]

This Is Not Very Yeehaw of You

Percy and Lily knock on her bedroom door while she's packing. "Oh, cool," Ara mumbles. "I'm totally not worried that you two want to talk to me in private..."

Percy leaves the door ajar. "You got time?"

"Well, Leo is taking a nap in his cabin, Calypso is down the hall, also sleeping, and Lester is packing his stuff, so..."

Both teens come closer. Lily folds clothes into rolls and squares and hands them over to Percy, who tries to pack them neatly in Ara's bag. While they're at it, Lily starts talking. "We just came to ask what our instructions are this time..."

The way things happen is never ideal, but Lily is starting to realize planning does not warrant an easy journey, unexpected events are going to thwart their lives on the regular and she's come to terms with it. Ara not so much, she was hoping that getting Leo back would equal some peace of mind, but now they're packing up for another world-changing quest.

"Percy has no instructions other than to mind his business, I'm sure Annabeth will get him through. As for camp... You and Malcolm can work with Nyssa to rebuild the Pavilion and the docks. If we're lucky I'll be back before summer."

Percy and Lily share a look. "What about Calypso?" Lily asks.

"She's coming with us, so no need to worry about her," Ara sighs. "Personally, I don't think she'll help much, but I understand why she wants to stick by Leo's side. He's the only friend she's had in a while, so to be on a quest with him is better than alone with strangers."

"And you're okay with that?" 

"I think it's time we let her do whatever she wants."

Percy hums, staring at the hoodie in his hands. "It wasn't cool that she tossed out a curse at Annabeth, but I swore I would get her out and then I never saw it through. Frustration can mess with your mind. And arai are just ill-thoughts tossed out to the open, I don't think she was expecting it to reach Annabeth like that..."

"I don't know, Percy. I can't figure her out," Ara makes a face. "She's human, but her emotions are still so godly, and gods don't think like we do. Perhaps she meant it but thought it a lesser evil—as in, we're just human, so why care about us... At least that's how Apollo feels."

Lily scoffs. "And you still want to help him?"

"I'll be helping us in the process. And what else am I good for, really? Hestia tried to tell me before, a soldier always finds ways to stay on their feet. I think that's not how it should be worded, more like, a soldier is always more comfortable while on their feet."

Percy shrugs. "But it doesn't have to go hand in hand with war."

"Maybe the gods wouldn't care if you decided to sit this one out, Queen B," Lily tries. "It's not like you don't have things to do around here."

"And trust Apollo will do what's right?" She raises a brow. "Plus, Leo can't sit this one out, Lester needs Festus. And I'm not letting Leo get away from me if I can help it."

"That, I can totally relate to," Percy sighs, leaving the hoodie on the bed. "No offense to Leo, but sometimes I wish you hadn't ever gotten a boyfriend."

"Same," Lily mutters grumpily.

"Hey, you'll go away with Annabeth come the summer," Ara reminds him. "So we're parting ways no matter what. And you, Lily, have Connor."

Lily stares at the board near the dresser with a scowl, probably going through all the multiple ways this is bound to go wrong. "Everyone is going places..."

Percy rubs the back of his neck, getting a little defensive. "Just for a while, but you'll be coming to New Rome for college too, once you're eighteen. It'll be fine."