[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/yRyAsGf.jpeg[/img] [sup][img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img] [color=0a6d6b][b]#0a6d6b[/b][/color] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c].....[/color] [url=https://imgur.com/pbEPU7M][color=9b9b9b][b]outfit[/b][/color][/url] [color=2e2c2c].....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c].....[/color] [color=9b9b9b][b]party[/b][/color] [img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img][/sup][/center] [indent][indent][indent][indent][justify][color=808080][color=808000]"All right, I'll see what she wants. Thanks for letting me know. Can either of you watch my food please? I'll be right back."[/color] Heath was as pliant as room temperature butter. His constitution was more flexible than even Anissa’s, luckily for Sylas. He wasn’t really in the mood to have to put extra work into getting someone to fuck off. He could only hope his ‘right back’ was slow enough for Sylas to get a little more out of his conversation. It was the one time he found himself actually hoping for Blair to indulge her baser needs for one more round. When they were alone once again, Sylas waited patiently for his powers to loosen Anissa’s lips and for her to offer up any more information she was reluctant to share. [color=5a3e85]"Well, I already agreed that he was attractive, but I guess he’s also a little… awkward."[/color] Then a small, subtle smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, catching his attention. [color=5a3e85]"But honest. Really deeply honest. He said something that could have sounded like a pickup line, except he immediately looked like he wanted to punch himself in the face for letting it slip out."[/color] Ah, so an awkward, honest, [i]and[/i] humble leader. Sylas had to refrain from scoffing. Part of him had to wonder if that’s how the man actually was or if Anissa was projecting her own rose tinted perceptions and fantasies on him. [color=0a6d6b]"Well, he sounds charming."[/color] Not really. But if he wanted her to keep talking he couldn’t very well shut her down mid-thought either. [color=5a3e85]"I know you mentioned thinking he’s probably the dominant type."[/color] [i]Oh, that’s the route she was going?[/i] Sylas found himself intrigued, raising a brow slightly, beckoning her to continue without daring to interrupt. [color=5a3e85]"But honestly? It’s difficult to see him acting that way around [i]me[/i], at least."[/color] She shrugged. [color=5a3e85]"I was the one who chose to keep talking, to walk further. And he respected that, kept his distance physically the whole time. He matched my walking speed without making a big deal about it, and he didn’t crowd me."[/color] She looked across the table, meeting Sylas’s gaze. [color=5a3e85]"You know… things like that. It didn’t feel like he was trying to lead or take charge of the situation between us."[/color] [color=0a6d6b]"You’d be surprised in the duality of men. I’ve seen my fair share of… gentle men turn [i]quite[/i] dominate within the private confines of a bedroom."[/color] Sylas right hand ran along the top of the table like he was flattening out a table cloth that wasn’t there. [color=5a3e85]"There were some… weird things that happened, though."[/color] [color=0a6d6b]"Oh?"[/color] [color=5a3e85]"“When I made a joke about the gods right beside him? Actual thunder rumbled over us, and the surface of the lake… I definitely remember it moving in an unnatural way. Which tells me, if I’m interpreting it right, that someone powerful is probably keeping an eye on all of us here. But I’d bet he’s watched the closest of anyone. He never actually asked for this leadership role, you know? Poseidon basically just… dumped it on him."[/color] He laughed, tapping his fingers on the wood of the table. [color=0a6d6b]"The Gods are most [i]certainly[/i] watching us. Just wait until we do something they disapprove of. That’s when things get especially interesting."[/color] Sylas wasn’t going to go into further detail. If Anissa wanted a rundown of how much the Gods did or did not meddle in camp affairs, she’d be better off asking one of the other more seasoned campers. Although he doubted anyone would be willing to rehash any of it while at a party. [color=5a3e85]"But anyway… that’s genuinely all I can tell you. There’s absolutely nothing happening like you suggested between us."[/color] He watched her turn to look at River and noted the subtle wave he sent back to her. But once the new leader locked eyes with Sylas he seemed far more interested in anything else. [color=0a6d6b]"How silly of me,"[/color] Sylas mused. [color=5a3e85]"Do you see it now? How wrong you were before? He's not the dominant type. He helps...everyone. Like he's supposed to."[/color] Sylas held her gaze, even leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table. [color=0a6d6b]"I can’t tell if you’re trying to convince [i]me[/i] or [i]yourself.[/i]"[/color] He cocked his head to the side, studying Anissa’s face and the shift in her facial expressions. [color=0a6d6b]"Whichever it is, there is a part of you that feels the need to paint him in the appropriate light… as a good man. That’s high praise after a single conversation."[/color] He shrugged his shoulders. While he got [i]some[/i] useful information, all in all, there wasn’t much that he’d deem as helpful beyond River being awkward and having some sort of connection with Anissa. Whatever kind of connection that was. [color=0a6d6b]"I’ve met a lot of people and I don’t know if I’d consider a single one of them [i]good[/i]... I doubt water-boy over there would change my mind,"[/color] he said with a cold sincerity, offering Anissa a rare taste of truth from his own lips. Before he could continue the conversation further, a flash of sparkles twinkled in the corner of his eyes as Blair approached the table with her hands on her hips. [color=c9bef3]"You think you’re hilarious, don’t you?"[/color] Sylas sighed. He leaned back in his seat, turning slightly to face her and rested his bent arm on the back of the chair. [color=0a6d6b]"On occasion,"[/color] he replied, monotone but faintly amused. Blair’s face scrunched as she gave a mocking nod of her head. Her attention then shifted to Anissa. [color=c9bef3]"Hey cutie."[/color] She smiled. [color=c9bef3]"Is this stick in the mud holding you hostage?"[/color] Her gaze shifted back to him with a mischievous smirk. [color=c9bef3]"It’s a party, Sylas. Let the girl have fun, don’t bombard her with twenty questions."[/color] [color=0a6d6b]"Guess my invitation to the bar orgy got lost in the mail."[/color] He didn’t hide the snarkiness in his tone or the little challenging smirk that tugged at the corner of his mouth. [color=c9bef3]"Come on. Let’s go have some [i]real[/i] fun."[/color] Blair turned her attention back to Anissa and took her hand, lightly pulling her from her chair. [color=0a6d6b]"Nice meeting you Anissa,"[/color] Sylas called after the pair of brunettes with a small wave of his hand. While he was definitely annoyed that [i]both[/i] Athena spawns felt the need to crash his conversation, at least Blair had the decency to do it after he got all he could from his interrogation. His gaze drifted over toward Heath’s plate that he left behind for them to ‘watch.’ Yeah, Sylas had no plans in doing that or being anywhere near that table by the time blondie got back from the stables. He wasn’t particularly in the mood to get a [i]stern talking to[/i] from one of camp’s softies. How would he ever recover from the hit to his ego after hearing Heath was ‘disappointed in him’? Sylas scoffed to himself, grabbing the half eaten cookie left behind by Anissa and stood up. He took a bite of the chocolatey dessert as he resumed strolling around the party, circling the new campers like a predator sizing up his prey.[/color][/justify][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent] [center][sup][img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img] [color=808080][b]interactions[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] anissa, heath & blair [color=2e2c2c]...............[/color] [b]mentions[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] river [color=2e2c2c]...............[/color] [b]collabs[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] none[/color] [img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img][/sup][/center]