ᴾʰᵒᵇᵒᵖʰᵒᵇⁱᵃ [ᴶᵃˢᵒⁿ ᴳʳᵃᶜᵉ]

iv.

Aza inhaled the endless array of pizzas, sandwiches and Dr. Peppers, thanking the aurae each time they refilled her plate. Beside her, Annabeth occasionally elbowed the girl's ribs and muttered for her to mind her manners. Each time, Aza would roll her eyes, shoot the curly-haired blonde a sarcastic smile and mutter, "Sorry, mother." Each time, Percy would stifle a laugh into his drink, and each time Annabeth would stomp on both of their feet. Reyna and her officers watched the Greeks interact with curiosity.

The five sat with Reyna, Octavian and a few of her officers. Percy sat beside Annabeth, and from the other side of the curly-haired blonde, Aza could spot the two holding hands under the table - it made a subconscious smile tug at her lips; seeing her best friends together just felt... right. They deserved to be happy, especially after the past six months. Jason sat beside her, and he chuckled under his breath when Annabeth pinched Aza's bicep for talking with a full mouth, causing the girl to spit half-chewed pizza back onto her plate in shock. The son of Jupiter handed Aza a cloth napkin, grinning at the blush that crept up the back of her neck.

"So, I was thinking," Jason's voice was low, and he waited for Aza to wipe the crumbs from her mouth and take a clearing swallow of Dr. Pepper before continuing, "after dinner, I could show you around New Rome?"

Aza noticed Reyna's dark eyes flicker over to the pair - the praetor bit her lip, glancing between the two with what felt like an almost accusatory stare. Reyna quickly looked away as Aza nodded, a slight blush settling across her tanned, freckled cheeks, "It's a date, Bolt-boy."

Once again, Reyna's dark eyes settled on Aza, and the two stared at each other for a few moments - a juxtaposing mixture of respect and jealousy passed between the two, and both girls found themselves wondering just what to think of the other. Aza decided that, so long as Reyna didn't decide she wanted to pursue Jason, the praetor wasn't so bad.

Whatever Reyna decided, the girl lifted her glass and toasted to friendship. Aza tilted cup and smiled as the group introduced themselves. Hazel and Frank she had already seen with Percy - they both seemed sweet, if not slightly reserved. Aza could feel a wave of fear exude from the girl whenever she looked at Leo - like she was suspicious of him, though Aza couldn't understand. She was intrigued to meet Morgan, a daughter of Discordia - the Roman form of Eris. Between the mischievous glimmer in Morgan's dark brown eyes and the slightly vicious grin that tugged at her lips, Aza had a feeling they'd get along - and she had a feeling Morgan felt the same by the grin she sent the dark-haired girl, like she already had some sort of trick up her sleeve and needed Aza's help.

They exchanged stories - Jason began to explain how he'd arrived at Camp Half-Blood with Piper and Leo, though without his memories, and their quest to rescue Hera.

Octavian's face burned a crimson red, "Impossible! That's out most sacred place. If the giants had imprisoned a goddess there-"

"They were going to kill her - throw Olympus into chaos. Then kill Jason and blame it on us. And kill Leo, Piper and I and blame it on you. It would've started a war between the two camps. Now, bite your tongue before I-"

Octavian's jaw clenched and his face somehow reddened as Jason quickly cut Aza off, "So that's how we found out about the Earth goddess. She's still half asleep, but she's the one freeing the monsters from Tartarus and raising the giants. Porphyrion, the leader we fought at Wolf House: he said he was retreating back to the ancient lands - Greece itself. He plans on awakening Mother Earth," he stopped himself from saying her name with one sharp look from Aza, knowing how superstitious she was about names, "and destroying the gods by pulling up their roots."

Percy scoffed with a roll of his eyes, "Queen Dirt Face," he smiled when Aza snickered, "has been busy - we had out own encounter." Aza had a hard time suppressing the smile that threatened to tug at her lips when Percy recounted waking up at Wolf House with no memories save Annabeth's name. She knew it meant something to Annabeth, too, because the blonde's cheeks flushed almost the same color as Aza's eyes. Aza was impressed as he recounted how they'd defeated the giant Alcyoneus, freed Thanatos, the god of death, and returned a special golden eagle standard to repel the giant's army.