safe || leo valdez x oc

thirty-eight: narcissus is a narcissist

ARUNA

~•♡•~

aruna may have actually liked nemesis if it wasn't for her literally taking the form of her childhood molester. funny how things work out.

nemesis seemed like the only god actually worth anything. sure, she was cryptic, and kind of bitchy, but aruna often felt the same way. and nemesis was right- revenge is universal. aruna felt like nemesis might be the only god whose help actually meant something.

not only was she to the point, but she didn't bullshit. not all the way, at least. she at least explained that there was a catch to her aide, which was better than most of what hera had ever done. nemesis admitted that she'd take something in return; an eye, or the happiness aruna was lacking.

aruna wondered why hazel had been so disturbed by the goddess. leo, too. in fact, she wondered why hazel was so scared of her now, because aruna had never done anything to hazel. she'd offered to help her brother, so why was hazel feeling like she was about to get stabbed?

but worst of all, aruna was wondering what nemesis had said to leo about an impossible love, and 'til death do you part. she noticed the sneaky glance she'd made at aruna, but she'd been able to control her fear the entire time. not only was that terrifying, but nemesis said 'evening embers', the exact phrasing of the prophecy of the stars.

"who is aunt rosa?" hazel asked.

aruna was walking behind leo and hazel, which made her a little uncomfortable, but at the same time, she wasn't exactly in a place to walk next to either of them. leo would just ask about her feelings and try to be considerate and all, and hazel was acting like aruna was the next jeffrey dahmer.

aruna grimaced. she knew who aunt rosa was. in her rather awkward deep-feelings sessions with leo, they'd brushed over who aunt rosa was. really, aruna and leo didn't know much about each other's trauma; just surface level stuff. the gist of who did what, and when, rather than specifics. all aruna knew was aunt rosa basically left leo out to dry after his mom's death. leo knew that aruna's grandfather had molested her as a kid, her dad had killed him and then himself, and that her grandma was a bitch.

wow, that's messy.

"long story." was all leo said. aruna could tell he didn't want to talk about it. "she abandoned me after my mom died, gave me to foster care."

"i'm sorry."

leo only shrugged. aruna had done her best to curb his and hazel's emotions earlier before they lashed out and nemesis turned them into a worm or something, but that had taken a lot out of her. then, she'd tried her faux charmspeak on nemesis, a literal goddess, and it actually worked, though it took up most of her energy. now, she felt like passing out, when all she wanted to do was make leo feel a little better.

"and, um, why did you see you-"

"what was it nemesis said about your brother?" aruna cut off. hazel stared. aruna knew she'd been abrupt, perhaps even rude, but no way was she going to explain to hazel why she'd seen her grandfather.

hazel seemed to understand that, and she quickly turned back around. "nico... he found me in the underworld. he brought me back to the mortal world and convinced the romans at camp jupiter to accept me. i owe him for my second chance at life. if nemesis is right, and nico's in danger... i have to help him."