Piper

"Let’s face it, it wouldn’t be our life without it. What defines us is the fact that we manage to keep going." Her words came out in a soft, sincere tone. A small smile light up on her lips. "Here or outside, life is just not easy for us. At least not as easy as it should. You may have the lack of love from you mother or sisters, but you have me and tons of other people that love you. We build out own family." She moves a strand of her behind her ear, biting the corner of her lip. "I definitely will. I’m getting rusty when it comes to my fighting skills and I do want to improve them. That ends up being the best occasion." Rachel laughed, shrugging one shoulder almost dismissively. "Thank Gods someone understands me! It’s a shame they’re such cuties." She pouted playfully, swaying her hips happily.

"How very poetic of you." Piper replied with a mildly amused smile. "I'll be sure to use that line in the future!" Piper joked, but she knew that Rachel's words rang true. Demigods were flawed in many ways, but one thing they had going for them was that they survived just about anything. "Oh Rach..." Suddenly feeling choked up, Piper pulled Rachel into a quick, tight embrace. "Thank you for that, really." She released her friend and stepped back, pressing her gloved hands to her own cheeks. "I'll have you in tip-top shape in no time," Piper promised sincerely. She liked teaching people, after finding out she possessed a penchant for it. Especially teaching those with a willingness to learn. She had attempted to teach a couple of her more tolerable siblings in the art of combat, though it hadn't turned out well. "A damn shame. How are things with that dude... Crap, I forgot his name!"

To tell that Rachel wasn’t angry to see how much Aphrodite’s actions had affected her friend would’ve been a complete lie. It was easy to put on a bright smile and tell Piper to ignore it, but she knew how hard it was to actually accomplish it. The read headed shook her head slightly, blowing the few strands of hair that fell in front of her face. “It should also mean that she’s the epitome of love. Which she clearly wasn’t.” She spoke carefully, turning her face to an younger camper and gently handing him a steaming cup. “I’m happy to have you over anytime, it gets lonely sometimes. Besides, I figure we both need it at some point.” Her green eyes analysed Piper’s expression, as her lips pursed. “I have no doubt that he misses you, it’s clear how much he likes you. Yet I do agree he should explain such absence. Man are just complicated, Gods.” She laughed, rolling her eyes.

Piper's mind flashed back to simpler times, when her life was fairly uncomplicated. When it was just her, Grandpa and her father. When her unintentional Charmspeaking got her into trouble with the law and forced her father to label her a kleptomaniac and keep her at arms length. She knew where she stood back then, her place was clear. Now, things were different. Piper adored her life here, considered the Camp to be her home and had more friends than she'd had her entire  life, but it brought with it some degree of issues and heartache. "It should, but it's becoming increasingly clear that things aren't always what they appear to be." Piper set her now empty cup onto the table and smiled at Rachel. "Same goes to you , you know. If you're ever in need of a little company or just the busy hustle and bustle of everyday life, our cabin door is always open. Or better yet, the training arena. Same amount of company, and less judgment on your shoes and hair." Piper squeezed her grey eyes shut for a moment, and when she opened them they were a startling blue. "Well, we'll see when or if he decides to return. Complicated is an understatement!"

"Exactly, that’s what makes you who you are. You survive, with or without this. Your mother will realize she’s wrong soon enough." Rachel flashed her a kind smile, nodding her head once in a reassuring way. She knew how it was to have a hard relationship with a parent, letting someone feel bad about it wasn’t something she’d let happen. At least not her friend. "Until then, you can always escape to my little house whenever you need it. I could use the company." The girl continued. She reached for her cup, bringing it up to her lips as she thought. "Ugh, that’s not good. We’ll find a way. Or he will, I’m sure Jason misses you."

Piper clung to Rachel's reassurances as if they were a lifeline that she sincerely wanted to believe. "Maybe, though things like this tend to be deemed insignificant to her. I mean, she sorta just waved it off when I pointed out that I was her daughter and it should have been something she already knew. My sisters are generally self-centered and conceited so it only makes sense that our mother is the epitome of both those things." Piper looked up as a girl approached whom she vaguely recognized as a daughter of Demeter and automatically handed her a steaming cup of hot chocolate. "I'm definitely going to hold you to that, I can't stay away from the cabin for long, but that doesn't mean I can't have a breather." Piper rubbed a hand over her face at the mention of Jason's name. She missed him terribly, but she was also pissed at him. She had no idea as to where he was, so she couldn't Iris message him, but he knew where she was and had yet to Iris message her. A phone call, a letter, a text message, it was all she wanted. "Hmm, I wish I was as assured as you are. He'll definitely have some explaining to do when he gets back, that's for sure."

Rachel fought a frown as she listened to her friend, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Wow… I’m so sorry, Pipes. That must be awful to hear from your mother, but keep in mind that you don’t need that to be who you are now. You’re strong, smart and beautiful, even if she doesn’t recognise it because you don’t act like your sisters. Parents can be overrated.” She stated firmly. “Have you tried praying to Iris? Maybe she can help.”

Piper sighed heavily and gave a resigned shrug. There was nothing she could really do, and should she blame Aphrodite for forgetting her? After all, Piper had voiced on many occasions her disappointment at being claimed by the Goddess of Love. "It's fine, I'm used to it. I mean, I'm familiar with my parents having a less than stellar view of me. I'll survive, I always do." Piper smiled at Rachel and thought how grateful she was that her friend had allowed her to get these things off of her chest. "I have actually," She frowned slightly. "She said she'd like to help but she had a lot on her plate. I guess the Gods have really been pitting her to work."