#umbran6

[bunkernine]

fascinating thought. Here is my counter for this: leo isn't searching for companionship, but rather he is too scared to stick around.

Agreed- a place like waystation should not have been introduced in toa, for leo to end there. But waystation is also a place for runaway demigods without a home which is exactly how leo feels. The place is a living machine constantly changing and challenging him, and he has created his own personal family of ppl who 1, accept him no questions asked; 2, let him do as he please without criticism; 3, have similar stories to him; and 4, he is not forced to be there with ppl he's forced to know. There is NO other place leo has been to that has all 4 of these conditions.

Imo, waystations a great ending in closing that part of his arc. Unlike foster homes, wilderness, chb (between tlh+moa), the argo, ogygia, leo doesnt HAVE to be there and can leave when he wants. He also doesnt have to be besties with anyone there either, unlike his forced (but enjoyed) cohabitation with piper + jason, then later cabin 9, then later the 7, then later calypso. ← these are ppl leo cannot avoid due to fate prophecy safety etc ... There's not a complete choice the way he has at waystation.

He's also not searching for companionship per say, but rather someone who understands him and would willingly choose him for being HIM. 🤔 Id argue this is the effects of loving his mom who understood him completely → hurting her → going to his family that believes him to be the devil. Leo HAS companions, but he only really considers them when they have a mutual understanding. Festus is seen in the same way leo is— hence his strong reaction to his deaths. Jason + Piper he edges away until they learn and understand his problems. Frank and Hazel he fucked around with until they all came to understand each other. He and calypso just bicker in general lol but they only grew closer after mutual understanding→ Consequently, this is why u dont see leo hanging out with percy annabeth nico or reyna, because they never reach that point. But all of these can feel temporary: festus dies like 7 times lol; piper and jason date and are more sociable with the 7 so they feel distant; frank and hazel as well; and there's no reason to be confident he would make it back to ogygia nvm calypso's whole schtick where the moment you care for each other, ur forced to leave.

id argue THIS is why he goes back to chb in toa. harley calls him there signaling leo is wanted. But we also know that leo didnt engage too much with the camp, so chb is also uncomfortable. When finding out jason dies and piper wants to stay away from all this demigod shit (the part of him that hes struggled with but has found relief in other demigods existing) theres no reason to stick around → so he runs like usual. BUT he ends up at waystation because thats where ppl who run end up! Theres no connection to the 7, his past mistakes, or expectations. he can live happily how he wants, which he hasnt been able to do since he was a kid :)

He also doesnt need to travel the world either 😭 he literally spent the entire summer doing that, and then another 6 months doing that with calypso. Granted, he's never done it alone, but he does not want to BE alone. Leo is an introvert, enjoying his peace when hes working, but he also desires someone to be by him unconditionally and whole heartedly..... this would've best been piper and jason.... if it wasnt for the fact that piper wants to leave demigod shit and has her own home, and Jason is um. LOL 💀

This is why calypso going away is something leo's "okay with" but is jealous over. His current closest ally enjoys being with other ppl instead of him but he's also used to not being anyone's first choice. He also feels guilty about holding calypso with him and how the past few months went.

is leo traveling the world a viable option? Totally, sure, hes only 17 and has time to settle. Travel by himself? Preferably not. But all the ppl he couldve done that with (piper - home / jason - dead / frank + hazel - praetors / calypso - high school ) are not an option :) traveling and temporary places is the ONLY thing hes done for the past 10 yrs tho... And its not like that's helped him either :) it only feels like leo is lonely because he misconstrues his desire of being loved as a desire that can only be completed with a romance where u value ur partner over anyone else. Cuz 💀 hes a teenager lol. But its very clear that leo has friends he LOVES and considers family... But leo's just not their first choice or priority so why stick around