I know that Jason's heading on an unforseen path about his heritage and family, but I refuse to believe that he could cut Roman culture and memories cold turkey during the events between The Lost Hero and The Mark of Athena.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters portrayed below and the world in which they perform. I don't speak Latin fluently either.
Homesick
After the counsellors meeting, Jason and Piper had walked out of the Big House hand in hand. They'd paused at the foot of the few steps needed to climb the front door, exchanged a few quick words and then a kiss before Piper ran off to her cabin.
Jason stayed there, pressed against the patio railing, and looking out at camp. Counsellors were prepping their cabins for Capture-the-Flag tonight. Jason was alone until someone told him which team he was on- he didn't get their dibsing system and tended to just go wherever the wind took him.
Chiron backed out of his wheelchair and went to join him.
"Aliquid in particulari in animo tuo?" Chiron asked.
Anything in particular on your mind?
Jason turned around.
"Sum laniatisque de mea socium. Illa solus." He replied.
I'm worying about my partner. She's alone.
"Quid est nomen eius?" Chiron asked.
What is her name?
"Reyna," Jason replied. "Reyna Diaz."
"Si electus populi aget, ut puto." Chiron said.
If she was chosen by the people, I am sure that she will manage.
"Spero ita," Jason said raising a hand with crossed fingers.
Chiron smiled.
"Rapta est, soliciti esse informos. Illa recipiant me occidere."
She must be worried sick. She'll kill me when I get back.
Chiron laughed.
"Quod adhuc oportet non desinas, vos ex desit domum perveniam. "
That still mustn't stop you from wanting to get home.
Jason shook his head slightly, and said 'non' very quietly.
Chiron clamped a hand on his shoulder.
"Mox," he promised. Soon.
Jason nodded again and echoed the word, looking at the Argo II. It'd been dragged out of Bunker 9 earlier today, and poised on the beach where its ability to float would be tested tomorrow. He wasn't worried; he was sure that it would be fine.
Jason looked over his shoulder and smiled at Chiron. "Thank you for speaking Latin to me over the last few months. Nobody does. It makes me feel less homesick."
"It's not a problem, Jason," the centaur promised. "Language is funny, isn't it? A pain to learn, a burden with all its rules…"
Jason snickered. The first time he'd heard someone say panini when he was a kid, he'd decided to order the same thing but by saying paninus to order only one. Stupid plural suffixes. And when he was still spending his weeks at the fort and his weekends with Lupa? He'd gotten multiple scratches for messing up verb times or forgetting irregular ones...
"But for some reason it's always the first thing that makes you realise how far from home you really are," the centaur said looking around at Camp Half-Blood. It was beautiful of course- but how much like Greece were the lush forests and crystalline lakes? Jason had no idea, but he was sure that Chiron saw and felt the difference continuously.
"I wish I could repay the favour by speaking Ancient Greek to you, but…" Jason spread his hands. He'd been too busy at camp to learn everything.
Chiron didn't know what to say. He just looked at Jason very hard.
"Lupa's taught you how to read people."
"Even better than she taught me my verbs," Jason said.
