These are non-canon stories for Favor of Athena

The sun spilled over Columbia, illuminating Riverfront Park as Athena settled on a bench, a steaming cup of coffee cradled in her hands. Around her sprawled a misfit crew—Liam, with his skateboard propped at his feet, Gertrude, who was knitting furiously as if the world depended on it, and Grant, sprawled out and fanning himself with a bus schedule.

“Tell me again why we didn’t just meet in the coffee shop?” Grant groaned, glancing at a passing group of joggers.

“Because the energy here is perfect,” Athena replied, her eyes fixed on the river, watching the flow of water carrying leaves and sticks downstream. “It’s like life—sometimes we drift, sometimes we fight against the current.”

“Deep, Athena,” Liam said with a wink, pushing off from the bench to land skillfully on his board. “Now balance is key. Can’t have too much of either. It’ll just mess you up.”

“Let’s hope that’s not the case for tonight’s exam,” Gertrude chimed, pausing her needles briefly to shoot him a glare. “I need all my focus for that. Multivariable calculus doesn’t need to become a current, thank you.”

“I still don’t get how you could be so into math,” Waldo piped in, his familiar baseball cap tilted mischievously on his head. He strutted back from the snack stand, holding two bags of popcorn like trophies. “It’s like speaking a foreign language. Can’t we stick to English, or even Spanish?”

“I mean, clearly you did stick to English,” Emaj teased, her laughter lilting through the cotton candy air. She flicked a finger at Waldo’s cap, and he feigned offense.

“That’s just because I’ve never heard a math teacher speak English properly. It’s like deciphering equations with a broken key!” Waldo protested, tearing into his popcorn.

“Broken keys? Sounds like a metaphor for your love life,” Emaj shot back, grinning.

“I’d rather have a broken key than none at all,” he grumbled, taking another handful of popcorn.

“Speaking of keys, where’s Paige?” Liam asked, looking around as if expecting her to materialize like a magician’s assistant.

“She’s probably rescuing someone from a sticky situation,” Gertrude said knowingly. “Last week, she intervened with that spider at the café. The barista nearly lost his mind.”

“Or rescuing herself from another dull day,” Athena added with a soft chuckle.

Just as the sun hit its zenith, Paige breezed into the park, breathless, as if she had run a marathon. “You won’t believe what just happened!”

“Did you save a life?” Emaj asked, leaning forward eagerly.

“No, but I tripped on the weirdest rock on Main Street, and it sent me into an entire group of tourists!” Paige’s eyes sparkled, the moment half chaos, half glory. “Turns out, they were doing a scavenger hunt. So now I might be the reason they found the ‘hidden’ mural on the side of that bookstore!”

“You tripped and became an art ambassador?” Liam laughed, clearly entertained.

“Hey, some people save lives, and some of us bring art to the masses,” she shot back, finally sinking onto the bench beside Athena. The group cheered collectively, each knowing her knack for turning an ordinary moment into something extraordinary.

Gertrude shook her head disapprovingly, but the corners of her mouth twitched upward. “Just don’t bring home any more wild ideas, Paige. I can’t handle multitasking calculus and tourism.”

As laughter lightened the atmosphere, the river continued its Ebb and Flow nearby, a witness to the youthful vigor that coursed through the day. Moments passed, filled with small jabs, shared snacks, and stories that wove a tapestry of connection.

But as the sun began to set, bathing them all in golds and deep blues, there was an understanding beneath the chaos, a reminder that even within life’s unpredictable currents, they would ride the waves together.

“Next time, let’s do the coffee shop,” Grant sighed, mock exasperation on his face.

Athena smiled, looking at her friends, “Or find a rock that leads to a mural instead.”

The laughter that echoed echoed through the park felt as endless as the river itself—a reminder of warmth, unpredictability, and the beauty of an ordinary day.