[Center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ZRIi89Y.jpeg[/img][/center] [hr] [color=darkgray] Ocean seemed a naturally sunny person, who was currently obscured through dark clouds. But her natural inclination to be sociable and pleasant kept on trying to burst through the thick gloom all the same. [color=0054a6]“I haven’t checked the map recently, so I wouldn’t know,”[/color] Ocean replied to his comment. [color=0054a6]“There are definitely a lot of newer faces than the ones I saw this morning.”[/color] [i]Which means either a lot of new arrivals 'very coincidentally' arriving today, or people had kept to their accommodations until the party at night...[/i] He deduced. He took the opportunity to run an eye over the whole camp again, a quick glimpse at his fellow campers. [color=0054a6]“You’re not wrong, Pallas. The water can be unpredictable. So much so, that even testing the waters beforehand sometimes doesn’t work. It’s fickle and short-tempered,”[/color] A smile broke through the fog. One doubtless more natural than his. She was amused to be able to participate in the back and forth aquatic wordplay, and Pallas felt pleasantly warmed that he was able to at least do that much. He turned and watched the fire, not wanting to make her uncomfortable for staring at her smile. He had a habit of unintentionally making people feel a little self conscious. Even when he wore his brown contacts, which he wasn't currently wearing. Something about the way he looked at people, just seemed like he was watching 'too much' or thinking 'too much'. While hunching over his plate he grabbed another bite of his gyro. He wanted to keep the white garlic sauce well away from the black turtleneck he was wearing if at all possible. He hadn't dressed up for the party, hadn't even known there would be one, but he always kept himself fairly well put together, and the black turtleneck and single thin gold chain still held up fine once he'd removed his polar jacket, if he could keep it as clean as it was fresh. [color=0054a6]“I befriended someone I probably shouldn’t have and I think it came to bite me in the butt tonight.”[/color] He turned back from the fire and returned eye contact as she spoke again, nodding. Trying to piece things together. [i]Could've been anyone, but she probably has a sense of why I'm a bit stand-offish right now. Trying to get a read on the room before I go making that kind of mistake.[/i] He kept the thought to himself though. And cut eye contact again, this time keeping his view closer, around the fire. Self-conscious thoughts wouldn't be welcome there, that's for sure. If she got the sense he felt that way she'd probably think he thought of her as stupid, or lesser for making such a mistake or not being prepared. [i]Befriended someone I shouldn't have... Disappointed or weary...[/i] He ran the numbers in his head and came to the statistically probable conclusion. [i]Probably a guy...[/i] And as his eyes went around the campfire they fell upon a perfectly folded jet black mens leather jacket.. [color=0054a6]“Some of the people just seem really…”[/color] His mind clung to the contradiction. Perfectly folded. Jet black mens leather jacket. He was pretty sure he'd seen her look at it once before, earlier. For a moment. And since then subtlely turned away from it and avoided looking in that diretion entirely. If the owner of that jacket had ever folded it in his life, Pallas would be very surprised. More likely hung over a chair, draped over a lounge. Maybe slung over the weird out of place chair they put in a cheap hotel. But folded with care? That wasn't the usual treatment. [i]Definitely a guy...[/i] [color=0054a6]“Out there,”[/color] He blurred his vision and gazed beyond it, looking to the distance. Not wanting to turn back to her too quickly and tip her to the fact he'd been looking at the jacket and figuring out what she meant. He finished chewing his food, and swallowed. [color=daa520]“And now they're in here.”[/color] He ominously joked with a flash of his eyes to sell the pretend horror, and a ready smile. [color=daa520]“Like my Dad always says... 'It takes all sorts'. We've got the kids of f'r real deities in here. The embodiment... the personification of actual concepts. We're probably gonna get some 'out there' personalities. And we're gonna have to make it work, at least well enough to have something [i]resembling[/i] civility.”[/color] [color=daa520]“There's a lot of people in this world, and I've never met a one of 'em I couldn't learn [i]something[/i] from. Even if that lesson was just realising the kind of person I knew I [i]didn't want[/i] to be.”[/color] There was a slight pause, before Ocean moved on to more pleasant pastures. To see the good in the immediate world around her. [color=0054a6]“There are definitely some nice people here as well, though. That woman over there, talking to the surfer dude? That’s Iliana. She’s really sweet, but is a bit timid. The surfer guy is my brother, River. He’s nice-ish and could really use some friends,”[/color] [i]River...[/i] He checked another mental box next to her presumed ancestry. [color=0054a6]“I’m afraid I really don’t know anyone else besides Andy. She was the camp leader.”[/color] [color=daa520]“Nice-[i][b]ISH[/b][/i]..?”[/color] He said, letting out a laugh that rumbled deep from his core. [color=daa520]“Now just how'm I supposed to take [i]that[/i] description?"[/color] For the first time he had flashed a genuine grin, amused by the puzzle of that descriptor for her brother. [i]I mean, people could describe me as 'nice-ish and could really use some friends', Hell... I think Pops did say that about me to Mom on at least a few occasions...[/i] He broke down the possibilities in his head: 1. He's her brother and they care about each other, but recently had an argument or disagreement - hence 'nice-ish'. 2. He's her brother and an asshole, but she still worries about him. 'Nice-ish' becomes her overselling. 3. She thinks he's pretty much me. [i]Nope... Don't like that...[/i] 4. He's her brother, but deeply, worryingly overprotective... to the point where even just being seen talking to her, could become a 'thing'. 'Nice-ish' is Ocean trying to make sure I don't judge by my first impression too hastily when he tries to throw his weight around and intimidate. 5. Something unconsidered due to too many variables. He was still smiling from trying to crack this puzzle, when Ocean pivoted to the topic of his own ancestry, making brief eye contact after she'd pointed to her brother and the timid girl he was talking to. [color=0054a6]“Pallas is an interesting name. I take it your godly parent is Athena?”[/color] She said it without any judgement at all, which told him she either wasn't aware of the rivalry and issues between both of their divine parentages, or that she didn't see any relevance to it in how she should see and treat him. [color=daa520]“That's right. She didn't care much for my Dad standing his ground on that name, neither... even if we only used it when kicking it around the house.”[/color] [color=daa520]“And with names like 'Ocean' and 'River', I'm guessing either your father was Poseidon, or your mother was a full on hippie?”[/color] His genuine smile flashed once more which came across as being amused at his own joke, but was really for reasons unspoken, as he thought about what his mother would be saying to him right now, and how the conversation would play out. [i]'Of [b]EVERYONE[/b] in camp, you just had to talk to [b]HIS[/b] daughter first, huh?'[/i] And how she'd immediately come to the same conclusion he had, once the emotion had flushed from her immediate reaction. She might even say it at the same time, knowing her. [i]'Fates be weird, yo.'[/i] [/color] [center][sup][img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img] [color=808080][b]interactions[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] Ocean [color=2e2c2c]...............[/color] [b]mentions[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] Iliana, River and Andy [color=2e2c2c]...............[/color] [b]collabs[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] [/color] [img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img][/sup][/center]