KARINA LOVED BOATS.

she always has. even though the only time she had ever gone on was when she was nine, and had gone off course of her (supposed to be) quick grocery run, and burrowed a red plastic canoe off of someone's backyard. and she had decided to go onto the small lake that was in the outskirts of town. but, of course, nothing ever goes to plan with karina, and she had forgotten to grab the paddles to row it. so, that left karina to sit in the middle of the lake until sunset. after finally giving up on paddling with her hands,  that left to just swim back to shore, ditching the canoe.

of course, her father had a very large opinion on that when she came home soaked in murky lake water, getting dragged back home by the family who's canoe she took. but, she thinks it was all worth it. even if she did have a couple bruises on her the next day.

now, karina knew hazel had a completely different view on this. she knew that hazel got sea sick extremely easily, she just never knew why. but, she always remembered to bring sea sickness bands with her every time there was slight change there would be water involved in anything her and hazel were doing.

karina dug into the side pocket of her fully packed bag, ( curtesy of hazel ), which disrupted the calm silence that had settled over the group, causing frank to give her a curious look, furrowing his eyebrows together.

karina didn't look up from her bag, though. and she got to the point where she had physically shove her hand into the small side pockets of her backpack, forcing them to reach the bottom, and right as her fingertips reached the flat fabric of the deepest depth of her bag, she felt the smooth velvet material and the small circular plastic disk sewn into the middle of the wristband. of course, the one thing she was always looking for had to be at the very bottom of the bag.

she muttered a small congratulations to herself and dug the stretchy wristband out of her bag, dusting off any stray dust or crumbs that may have stuck to it, and handed it out to hazel.

hazel turned her gaze away from the horizon and looked to karina, face face already turning a small shade of green. she sighed in relief at the sight of the band and quickly grabbed it from karina, slipping onto her wrist.

"you're a blessing, karina." hazel said gratefully.

karina laughed and turned her attention back to the setting sun, the red and orange hues reflecting off the water and onto the groups faces, making them all share an orange glow to their faces.

as karina got lost in her train of thought, her eyes not moving from the suns slow setting form, hazel finally spoke up, her voice sounding stronger after putting on the sea sickness band.

"did you see that?" hazel asked.

"see what?" karina replied.

percy's face was now red instead of orange in the sunset. "yeah. i've been here before. i. . . i don't know. i think i was looking for annabeth."

"annabeth," frank said. "you mean, on our way to camp jupiter?"

percy frowned. "no. before that." he scanned the city like he was still looking for annabeth, which made her heart sink just a little until they passed under the golden gate bridge and turned north.

as the sun continued to set, leaving the last bit of soft red and orange to fade away into the atmosphere, karina started to wonder if percy really had an important role in life before coming to camp jupiter.

i mean— the way he talked about looking for annabeth made it seem as if she was in danger when he was searching for her, which means he was definitely a part of something big.

it's not even just that, it's the way percy speaks about himself in general. the way he speaks about the roman gods in their greek form, and how he apparently got into a fight with mars— it wouldn't add up if he was just a normal boy realizing he's a demigod. something else was definitely going on in percy's life before he reached her, and she wasn't too sure that she wanted to know.

the boat shuddered, jolting karina back into the present. they entered the pacific currents and skirted the rocky coastline of marin county.

"you okay?" karina heard frank ask hazel from behind her. "you look queasy."

"seasickness," she confessed. "i didn't think it would be this bad."

karina turned around, sporting a small frown on her lips. "were you just lying the about the wristband helping to make me feel better? because if you were—"

"no, karina," hazel breathed out a laugh. "it's worked a little bit, but i still feel like i'm about to throw up my breakfast."

"i mean, i brought saltines if you want them—"

hazel shook her head, but still giving her a small smile in thanks.

frank sported a pout as well, and he started digging in his pack. "i've got some nectar. and some crackers as well. um, my grandmother says ginger helps. . . i don't have any of that, but—"

"it's okay." hazel mustered a smile. "that's sweet of you, though."

frank pulled out a saltine. it snapped in his big fingers. crackers exploded everywhere.

karina giggled and turned back around to her spot beside percy, letting the two behind her have their own conversation.

"how much longer do you think it'll take before they realize they're both in love with each other?" karina asked percy, turning her body so her front side was facing percy, her left leg resting across the small bench that was built into the boat.

percy jumped slightly, not realizing she was beside him. "oh. . . hazel and frank? i'd say by the end of this quest they'll have an idea." he replied, a small smile forming on his lips as he kept his eyes on the darkening horizon.

karina sighed shaking her head. "gods, they've been like this forever. ever since hazel got to camp, i don't think frank has ever not mentioned her in a single sentence he speaks."

percy smiled, giving karina a side eye. "i don't doubt it. frank doesn't seem like the type of person to express his undying love for someone, though." he spoke quieter than before so only karina could fully hear him.

karina chuckled. "yeah. he's like a baby seal." percy looked her with a funny-looking expression.

"a baby seal?"

"well— yeah," karina shrugged her shoulders. "i don't know, he just gives me happy whale vibes. not that he's fat o—or oversized i'm just saying he gives off a whale-y personality, i don't think that made any sense—"

percy interrupted her by his laughs, the sound echoing across the vast ocean, putting his hands up. "karina, karina," he chuckled. "i think i understand what you're saying," he hesitated. "—well— not really, but i'm just going to act like i do for the sake of your sanity."

karina just rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him, repositioning her body to where her legs were facing the front of the boat, and not percy.

as they passed they passed stinson beach, percy pointed inland, where a single mountain rose above the green hills.

"that looks familiar," he said.

"uh—" karina started. "it's a mountain."

"mount tam," frank said, giving karina a look. "kids at camp are always talking about it. big battle happened on the summit, at the old titan base."

percy frowned. "were any of you there?"

"no," hazel said. "that was back in august, before i— um, before i got to camp. jason told me about it. the legion destroyed the enemy's palace and about a million monsters jason and karina had to battle krios— hand-to-hand combat with a titan, if you can imagine."

karina clenched her jaw and gave hazel a steely glare as percy turned to her, surprise showing in his eyes.

"you battled a titan?"

karina swallowed and rubbed her jaw. "um— yeah, yeah, i did. but it's not important right now. so, please, leave it." karina said that in the nicest way possible, knowing percy meant no harm in his question, but her tone was still slightly clipped. she was a bit irritated at hazel for bringing at up in the first place, knowing how sensitive karina was about it. the scar that stained the back of her neck seemed to burn at the very mention of krios.

percy must've understood the underline of pleading in her voice, so he just nodded and gave a small smile, as if that was his way of showing he understood.

karina turned to look back at hazel, only to find her passed out in her still sitting position. she turned to frank in confusion, but his expression was the same as hers, just staring at hazel with his arms out slightly, as if waiting to see if she'll fall.

"lay her head in your lap," karina spoke up, looking to frank.

frank's eyes widened and a small blush ran up his neck. "what?" he croaked, looking to hazel and back to karina.

"you heard me." karina said, a small smirk present on her lips. percy licked his lips and looked to her with the same expression, knowing exactly what she's doing.

"um— o-okay." frank sputtered as he awkwardly grabbed hazel's sides, pushing her over a little bit so she had room to lay down, and then slowly lowering her head into his lap, her mop of beautiful curls spilling across his legs.

percy slyly gave karina fist bump as frank just sat there, tense as wooden plank.

"frank," karina said. "you look like your about to pass out with her. lossen up."

frank scoffed and dramatically drooped his shoulders and shifted his legs. "i'm loose, so loose. i'm the loosest loose here."

percy furrowed his eyebrows and gave a cautious smile. "yeah. definitely."

percy looked to karina skeptically, but she was struggling to hold in the laughs that threatened to escape her.

"i wonder why she fell asleep so quickly," frank muttered, slight concern slipping through his tone.

karina shrugged, playing off his concern with a playful smile. "maybe if you'd given her that saltine, she wouldn't be seasick and passed out. but— your fingers got a bit in the way."

percy snorted and frank gave her a glare, but a smile tugged at his lips. "shut up, nina."

karina let out a soft laugh and looked back to at hazel, who looked peacefully at rest, her seasickness seemingly dying down after falling asleep.

as she looked over the small features of hazel's face, she thought back to the time she first met hazel.

it was sometime in september, she couldn't remember the exact date, but she did know it was early in the morning when they first met.

it had been one of the mornings where the sky was overcast— the worst types of mornings— so she had been on her way to the sparring arena to work off her sadness of not experiencing the sunrise she desperately craved to see every morning. so just as she was passing the second cohorts barracks, a stomp in her step and a scowl sporting on her face, she suddenly saw nico appear just a few meters in front of her. she had known nico before hazel arrived, so when she saw him appear merely out of thin air, ragged breaths escaping him with a half-awake girl's arm over his shoulder, she immediately began diverting her direction from the sparring arena, and instead making her away over to the lanky boy who was barely able to keep the girl up.

"neeks!" karina hollered to him as she began to get closer to the pair, her steps slowing into a paced walk.

nico whipped his sweaty forehead around quickly, not thinking anyone would be around to see him at this hour, but he should've known better— knowing that karina is always the first person up in camp.

nico swallowed carefully, not knowing how he should approach the situation as he repositioned the girl's arm around his shoulders, feeling himself start to sink from the weight. "um— hey, nina. what's up?"
he said that in more of a question than a statement, making him seem even more suspicious.

karina raised an eyebrow as she finally stopped in front of him, her eyes dancing back and forth between the girl and nico, curiosity shining in her eyes.

"oh, i don't know. i was just kind of curious on why you're carrying a girl who's half- passed out on your shoulders, and why you look extremely guilty about it."

if nico's face could've gotten any paler, it would've because now he knows that karina's now suspicious, and whenever karina wants to know something, she'll find out.

nico had two options right now: tell karina and make her swear not to tell anyone, and have hazel hate him for the rest of eternity, or, make up a quick, very unbelievable excuse about why he's basically carrying a random girl he found in the underworld and have karina pester him to tell him the truth of the rest of her life.

both of them sounded awful.

you promised hazel you wouldn't tell anyone. the voice in nico's head echoed as he stared at karina in indecisiveness.

but you can trust karina, you know she won't tell anyone, said another voice in his head and his heart rate began to quicken when he saw karina's stance shift, showing that she was becoming impatient on knowing an answer.

nico was torn, but he knew that he couldn't betray his newly half-sisters trust. they just met, anyway, and ruining that bond between them would ruin him. he just couldn't do that to hazel. not after everything she's been through

nico finally looked to to karina's calculating emerald eyes, seemingly not being able to look away. "i. . . i found her in new orleans just a bit ago. she seemed lost and. . . and i decided to take her somewhere to get help, that place being here. so, now we know she's half-blood now as well. so it's a win-win."

karina hesitated on making a response, knowing there was many things wrong with that answer. "why were in new orleans?" she questioned skeptically.

nico licked his lips nervously, and anxious tick he had whenever he's feeling under pressure.

why in the hell would he be in new orleans?

"i. . . " nico stumbled for words as karina deeply sighed and tapped her foot against the ground, small vines beginning to wrap around her ankles lightly from her agitated mood radiating off her.

"you what?" karina said softly, but with an undertone of accusation, as if she was beginning to realize he was completely bullshitting this whole conversation.

"i was searching for bianca," he finally blurted out, not even realizing what he had just said until it came out of his mouth. he eyes widened in realization of what he just said, but quickly covered it up with a mask of disappointment and pity covering his face, trying to guilt trip karina to believe him.

karina flinched her head back in surprise, her lips parting for a moment as the vines around her ankles seemed to grow tighter at her sudden change in mood. "what?" she questioned in shock.

nico rocked back and forth on his heels, his shoulders beginning to ache from holding a now-fully-asleep hazel in his arms, her body now turning to dead weight, making it even harder to hold her up.

"um," nico coughed, plastering a deep frown on his face and averting his eyes to the ground in false sadness. "i never told, did i? bianca decided to go her rebirth instead of staying in elysium, so i've been trying to track her new body and see how she's doing, even though she won't know who i am, i still want to make sure she's okay."

even with nico completely lying about this whole situation, it still stung slightly to hear himself say those words out loud.

he will never see his sister again.

maybe in her new life, they may stumble across one another, but nico would never know, and the new life bianca possess wouldn't know either. nico had come to accept this a while ago, but repeating the words that he'd only spoken to himself inside his head seemed to hurt worse when he said them out loud. he knew that looking for her was a lost cause, and that he will never truly know where or who she is, but he always had false hope that maybe— just maybe, a small part of bianca's old life will be in her new life, and will recognize him.

nico was snapped out of his thoughts when he finally saw karina swallow hardly and shake her head in understanding, her shoulders sinking down to the normal level and the vines around her ankles slowly slid back from around her ankles and seeped back into the ground, like snakes backing off from a predator.

"nico. . . " karina spoke softly, as if she was talking to an injured puppy— scared and weak. "you know you won't ever be able to find her, why do you keep keep hurting yourself even more by searching for someone who's not there?" her face looked sad, but she knew nico hated people pitying him, so any trace of it was wiped from her face completely. but, her eyes showed it all— all the pain, pity, and sadness she felt for him was glistening in her emerald eyes.

before he could respond, nico's eyes glanced quickly from karina to hazel as she began to stir in her slumber, small and quiet groans coming out of her.

nico decided to avoid karina's questions for now, and instead diverted his attention to the slowly awakening girl in his arms.

"help me get her to the principa," nico said as he began walking over to the large hill that lay in front of them, the girl basically dragging behind him as he struggled to make his way up the hill.

karina sighed and beckoned nico to stop, grabbing his shoulder by the shirt sleeve and turning him to face her. her face held a look of expectancy, but she looked as if she was holding back all the words she wanted to spew out, for his sake and hers.

"let me take her, you look about as white as octavian's hair." she said with a slight snark at the end.

she gently took the now-drowsy girl out of nico's hold, much to his relief, and pulled her into her arms, lightly brushing her curly locks away from her face, revealing her drowsy, half awake face, a small line of drool sitting on the corner of her mouth, which made karina let out a small chuckle.

"she's a drooler, death boy." karina said sarcastically, looking down to nico with a playful smile, who was sitting in the grass, trying to regain his strength.

nico looked up to her with a small laugh, staying down in the grass for a few more moments before himself up and looking to karina with a small smile, showing he's ready to go.

after that, it kind of went as it sounds. nico and karina led hazel to reyna and jason, nico telling them the same story he told karina, only leaving out the part about searching for bianca, and instead saying he felt a powerful energy of a monster in new orleans, and went to investigate, only to find hazel instead, and brought her to camp jupiter. they both seemed to be convinced, probably because reyna's devil dogs weren't with her when they were questioning him, which karina was relieved about.

with the mention of jason in karina's memory flashback, she felt a tug in her heart. she never really thought about the extent to which she missed her best friend. she sort of blocked it out of her mind, thinking it'll make it easier to forget he's gone than to dwell on him returning. she knew it was turning into a lost cause, but she just didn't want to accept it. and she was starting to realize that her and nico aren't that different from each other in this situation. they both want the most important person in their life back, and would do anything to get them back, but know deep down they can't, but still try and act like they can to keep themselves sain.

karina felt herself slowly slipping from the memory-dream she had fallen into, and distantly heard the faint calls of percy repeating her name, his tone slowly getting louder and more urgent, but karina didn't want to leave this daydream. she wanted to stay where she could be with jason again. be back in a time where things were simple, where everything was just peaceful.

and now, karina could feel herself slipping more than ever.

3551 words

ayo flashback chapter 😎