These are non-canon stories for Favor of Athena

In the early light of a South Carolina morning, the Riverfront Park glowed softly, the air thick with the scent of magnolias. Athena stood at the water’s edge, a ceramic mug clasped in her hands, steam rising in delicate spirals against the backdrop of the rising sun. The world around her felt suspended, as if she alone held the balance of time, until a raucous laugh broke the spell.

“Did you see Waldo’s face when he tripped over that bench?” Liam exclaimed, bounding over. His grin was infectious, a mix of joy and mischief. The sunlight danced in his eyes as he plopped down beside her.

“Yeah, you were the one who told him to race you!” Athena smirked, recalling the moment. “I thought he might launch himself into the river.”

“That would have been worth it. The look on his face… priceless!” Liam chuckled, then turned thoughtful. “But seriously, what happened to everyone? You’d think it was a ghost town today.”

Athena shrugged. “Grant had that meeting in town, Gertrude is probably still at home with her crossword, and Salem mentioned something about starting her own YouTube channel…”

“Wait, actually? Is that what she’s going to do?” Liam raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah. She said she wants to showcase Columbia’s hidden gems. I can’t tell if she’s ambitious or just… a little too confident,” Athena replied, her tone laced with admiration and mischief.

As they spoke, their friend Waldo wound his way down the path, his arm balanced awkwardly around a stack of papers. “Good morning!” he declared triumphantly, though the papers fluttered wildly in the breeze, some escaping his grip and scattering at his feet.

“Waldo, you might want to reconsider your approach to air traffic control,” Liam quipped, helping him scoop the papers off the ground.

“Thanks, I—” Waldo began, only to be interrupted by Gertrude’s voice calling out from a nearby picnic table.

“Honestly, Waldo! You need to center yourself. It’s like you’re tempting fate,” Gertrude admonished, her tone playful as she set down her crossword puzzle and adjusted her glasses, an amused glint in her eye.

“I just thought I’d bring my biology notes to share with Emaj,” Waldo said, shaking his head. “Here she comes, right on schedule!”

Just then, Emaj arrived, juggling a box of donuts and a vibrant bouquet of wildflowers. “Look what I found at the farmer’s market!” she announced, her excitement palpable. “Who wants a donut?”

“Only if you’re sharing the flowers too,” Paige chimed in, finally emerging from the sunlight, her face glowing from the warmth. “What a great find!”

“Sure!” Emaj replied, her eyes twinkling. “I got them for every occasion. Who doesn’t love flowers?”

Just then, Salem breezed in, her presence igniting a spark in the group. “You guys! I’m almost famous!” she exclaimed, brandishing her phone.

“What now?” Grant asked, arriving a moment later, slightly out of breath. “Did you finally get that cat video to go viral?”

Salem shook her head, her ponytail whipping through the air. “No! It’s better! I offered my first online tutorial. How to make sweet tea!”

Liam laughed. “Now that’s a true South Carolinian education.”

Salem shifted to Lyric with a dramatic flair. “And it’s got over two thousand views already! Just wait, I’m going to need an agent soon!”

As they laughed, a flock of ducks waddled by, drawing everyone’s attention. Liam pointed and whispered, “Look at them, they don’t care about their lives at all. Just waddling and quacking.”

“Pretty much like us,” Gertrude commented sagely, her eyes shimmering. “Here we are, all of us living in the moments we’ve created.”

Paige took a breath, absorbing that wisdom amidst the laughter echoing around her. “These moments make the chaos worth it, don’t they?”

“Exactly!” Emaj chimed in, tearing into a donut with gusto. “Life’s all about those unexpected events, the small stuff in between.”

As they sat by the river, watching the sun climb higher, the group shared more stories, dreams, and laughter amid their donuts and flowers. A day of surprises had unfolded: a little quirk of fate bringing together a patchwork of relationships, laughter, and the sacred simplicity of just being together in their little piece of Columbia.