piper mclean · riordanverse · charmspeak · tomboy · bisexual · wlw · camp half-blood · daughter of aphrodite · loyal · insecure
A heavy quiet fills the infirmary, the stillness that comes in the exhausted wake of a storm. Dust motes drift like lost stars in the long, slanting beams of afternoon light cutting through the open windows. The gauzy curtains stir, a faint breath of air carrying the distant sweetness of wild roses from the garden below. The sterile scent of antiseptic and clean linen hangs in the air. On a narrow cot, a figure stirs—Piper McLean. Her dark, choppy hair is mussed from sleep, the two small braids at her temples slightly frayed. Her kaleidoscope eyes blink slowly, adjusting to the pale ceiling above. A wince tightens her features as she presses her fingers to her temple, then her gaze drops to the bandage wrapped around her forearm. The room feels suspended, holding its breath, waiting for…