These are non-canon stories for Favor of Athena

As the sun bled over the horizon, its warm light spilled onto the cobbled streets of Columbia, South Carolina. Riverfront Park was awakening, a canvas for the day’s quiet journeys, and it was here that the morning’s cadence was punctuated by laughter and spirited conversation.

“Why do you always insist on taking the long way?” Athena’s voice was playful, as she strolled beside Liam, who was meticulously following a map on his phone as though it were an ancient scroll.

“Because, my dear traveler,” Liam replied, adjusting his glasses with a mock-seriousness, “the journey is just as important as the destination. Plus, that coffee shop with the lavender lattes is right around the bend.”

“Lavender lattes?” Athena’s eyebrows rose. “I thought we were on a quest for caffeine, not some herbal spa treatment.”

Further down the path, Gertrude sat on a bench, feeding the pigeons with a thoughtful air. Her comfortable presence drew Waldo, who shuffled over, holding something carefully behind his back.

“Gertrude,” Waldo began, his voice a soft string against the gentle bustle of the park, “I found this—” He revealed a small, intricately carved wooden bird. “I thought you might like it.”

Gertrude’s eyes lit up. “Oh, Waldo, you do know how to find beauty in the ordinary. It’s lovely. I’ve always believed that a small gesture can often mean more than grand words.”

Nearby, Emaj was sketching the morning sun, deep in thought until Paige plopped down beside him, energy radiating like the golden rays. “You’re not going to give up on those drawings, are you? You know you have to show them at the coffee shop tonight.”

“Paige, sometimes just capturing the essence of a moment is enough,” Emaj replied, gazing at her with an enigmatic smile.

“Yeah, but when the art is about community, it needs people to see it! That’s how it thrives,” Paige countered. A hint of admiration tinged her tone—a challenge laced with encouragement.

“You’re a whirlwind, you know that?” Emaj chuckled, closing his sketchbook reluctantly.

Across the park, Grant jogged by, earbuds in, oblivious to the world. He was en route to his own journey, seeking solace in the rhythm of his feet against the pavement, though the whistle of a passing train would soon pull him back into a morning full of realizations—too many to capture in words alone.

The coffee shop buzzed with life, a refuge from the warming sun. Athena rolled her eyes at the line ahead. “I’ve never seen this place so packed. Everyone must have heard about the lavender lattes,” she scoffed.

“Oh please, this crowd loves the thrill of waiting,” Liam interjected, glancing at his watch. “You’d think it was a ride at a theme park.”

“I kind of like the chaos,” Gertrude said, stepping in with a gentle optimism. “It reminds us we’re all connected somehow, sharing this moment in time.”

“Or that we’re all just caffeine addicts,” Waldo grinned.

As they settled into a corner table, steaming mugs in hand, the conversation flowed easily, an unbroken rhythm of stories, laughter, and visions for the future. Grant slipped in unnoticed, still flushed from his run, and slid into a seat beside Paige.

“Did you run here just so you could cut to the front of the line?” she teased.

“Maybe,” he replied, smirking as he took a sip from his cup, eyebrows raising in mock innocence.

The laughter reverberated, a song of camaraderie, while their grievances and dreams filled the room like the aroma of freshly ground beans. Outside, the world carried on—cars whizzing by, the distant sound of the river, the soft rustle of trees that had weathered countless storms.

In that moment, they found solace in the mundane, glances that spoke volumes and moments that would be tucked away in the chambers of their memory. The day unfurled in unexpected ways, but together they ventured into its unfolding, knowing that sometimes the quiet journeys are the ones that weave lives together the most beautifully.