𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍° ! percy jackson

𝐢𝐢.𝐯 - 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝙝𝙞𝙢? (𝐚)

The next morning was the infamous chariot race. Usually—well, usual as in before everyone ended up getting their limbs chopped off—Gracie and Aurora would paired up.

It was undeniable that Aurora was the camp's best fighter in the last couple centuries. She was born with that natural offensive instinct, and, from a young age, she was taught to defend herself, because no one else would. From then, swordplay and violent tactics were almost like second nature, although Persephone herself wasn't the epitome of fighting.

And although everyone sort of hated Aurora—for no reason—she was the Demeter Cabin's best shot at winning. While the Demeter Cabin was divided—the Gardner sisters, Katie and Miranda, Billie Ng, and Susie McCaffrey against literally everyone else opposing Aurora's parentage—the idiots presumed that Aurora would do their dirty work for them and win the chariot race for Cabin Four.

Well, they assumed wrong. They should've treated her with more kindness, because Aurora showed up with her other best friend as her partner: Connor Stoll.

Gracie represented the Demeter Cabin with their head counselor, Katie Gardner. While they both liked their former sister, unfortunately for Aurora, Katie hated the Stoll brothers. So when Aurora waved at her sisters (aunts, if you want to be specific), she was met with warm smiles, then competitive glares as their gazes shifted over to the boy next to her.

Katie and Gracie weren't the only ones with heated stares. None other than Percy Jackson came stalking over to Aurora, who was deeply immersed in discussing battle strategy—aka foul play from the Hermes Cabin—and grabbed her arm.

"I need to talk to you." Percy's voice was low and stubborn as he grumbled his words through gritted teeth.

Aurora's eyebrows shot up with surprise from his sudden aggression and glanced awkwardly at Connor. "Stop trying to distract me, Shark Boy. I'm busy. Can it wait?"

Percy's sea green eyes darted between Connor and Aurora coolly before shaking his head. "No. It can't."

Aurora simply rolled her eyes and elbowed Connor in the ribs. "Get lost, loser," she told the son of Hermes. Connor simply let out a bark of laughter and winked, his freckled cheeks glinting under the beating sun.

"I'll be waiting for you Ror!" Connor responded tauntingly. Aurora simply stuck up her middle finger in response.

"I'm confused." Percy stated as soon as Connor was out of earshot. His important message seemed to be instantly forgotten, and instead replaced with scrutiny.

Aurora rolled her eyes and sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose. "What else is new?"

"No, like, actually. Why the fuck are you with him?" Percy sounded absolutely appalled, which was both insane, confusing, and funny. His face was to die for, the way his lips made an "o" shape when he was in shock.

"Well, if you were dying to know," Aurora answered with a dry laugh, crossing her arms with a humorless, bitter smirk on her face, "everyone in my old cabin fucking hates my guts. So unless we build a little cabin for me to be in all by myself, I'll stick with where I'm actually welcome. Now wrap it up, dumbass. Did you come to bother me, or do you actually need something?"

Percy, for once, looked too stunned to speak. He had clearly forgotten her little... predicament, and in any other situation, Aurora would've made him feel bad. But right now, he was one of the few people who tolerated her, so she decided to let it slide. "Oh, yeah. It's, uh, it's about Grover."

At the mention of their satyr friend's name, Aurora's attention was immediately drawn. And so he told her everything. About his dream, about Grover creating an empathy link, about his being in danger and captured by a Cyclops who thinks he's his wife, about the Sea of Monsters.