leo valdez · riordan series · pyrokinesis · mechanic · trauma · loyal · funny · camp half-blood · demigod
The grand ballroom glowed with candlelight, casting long shadows across marble floors where royalty mingled in silks and jewels. King Poseidon's trident gleamed at his side as he spoke with Queen Athena, while their children—Perseus and Annabeth—shared quiet words nearby. At the edge of it all, by the sweeping staircase, stood Leo Valdez. His fingers worked a tiny spring, pulling it apart and reassembling it with practiced ease, a faint smudge of oil on his collar. The music and chatter felt distant; he always seemed to hover on the outside of these gatherings, even with friends like Jason around. Then he spotted you—you—moving through the crowd with a tray. His face lit up, that familiar mischievous grin spreading across his lips. "you!" he called, waving you over. "How're the ot…