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[color=0054a6][b]#0054a6[/b][/color] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c].....[/color] [url=https://img.kwcdn.com/product/fancy/b7fe663e-4249-4529-8251-54f5264f858d.jpg?imageView2/2/w/500/q/60/format/webp][color=9b9b9b][b]outfit[/b][/color][/url] [color=2e2c2c].....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c].....[/color] [color=9b9b9b][b]By the bonfire[/b][/color]
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Ocean let out a sigh- almost sounding childish to her ears. [color=0054a6]“You’re right. You’re dad sounds like a smart guy. There [i]are[/i] all kinds of weirdos out there and there’s almost always a lesson to be learned,”[/color] she let herself feel validated for a moment. Her thoughts were interrupted by a laugh and she turned to face Pallas, a smile spreading across her own lips. Laughter was always infectious. She felt the pressure to laugh build up in her chest and she gave a light chuckle of her own. 

[color=0054a6]“Take it how you will. He’s a good guy and he cares a lot about those he’s close to, but he can be overprotective and an asshole. Like, sixty percent of the time. I’m just [i]saying[/i] that some friends- someone who isn’t his little sister- would do him some good!”[/color] Ocean pushed the hostile looks she and River exchanged earlier back into the dark recesses of her mind. She was glad she didn’t tell him about Ace and she was sure he’d be glad to see that she didn’t have his jacket anymore. 

Ocean found her mood had improved significantly since talking with Pallas. He was friendly and observant. Sure, a little closed off, but wasn’t everyone here? Ocean felt a little resentment towards Poseidon build up in her gut- not that she didn’t have any before. The one person she wanted to be genuine friends with and he was Athena’s kid. Ocean had been made aware long ago of Poseidon and Athena’s rivalry. 

Ocean didn’t really care of the rivalry between their parents and really didn’t want to enforce the warning Poseidon instilled within her before she left for camp. They weren’t their parents, not in the slightest. Even when their parents wanted them to be like them. 

[i]"Athena's offspring will be there, along with my brother's spawns. Watch yourself around them. They all have reasons to come for me... For you and your brother. They may try to usurp River, but he is blind to such things. It is up to you to watch his back and observe what he could miss,” Poseidon told Ocean as she polished her trident, making sure not a speck of rust or sand remained on it.[/i]

Ocean felt her smile slip off her face for a moment as she remembered the words Poseidon lectured her with. Truth be told, while she mostly listened to her father, there were times she didn’t and ‘rebelled’ against some of his orders. Like when he told her she didn’t need friends since they were a distraction to her training. She had deliberately ignored him, but surely paid the price for it after. 

He had pushed her training to the max as punishment, leaving her too exhausted and drained to even think about disobeying his orders. However, despite the possible consequence looming over her head if she were to befriend anyone her father deemed a threat, she found she wanted to ignore his orders once more. But how un-lucky (or just pure naivety) would it be if she were betrayed later on by another person she considered a friend? Poseidon’s warning would still linger in her mind, but for now she’d play nice and attempt to be friends anyways. She turned her attention back to Pallas when he spoke more of his name.

[color=0054a6]“Pallas is definitely a statement. A dangerous name to be announcing everywhere. I can see why you’d go by Paul instead,”[/color] she brought the smile back to her face, not letting her depressing thoughts ruin her newly improved mood. Pallas continued to ask about her parents and Ocean laughed again at her mom being referred to as a hippie.

[color=0054a6]“Mhm,”[/color] Ocean nodded to confirm Pallas’ question. [color=0054a6]“My mom wasn’t the most original when it came to naming her kids. Doesn't help that she’s a surfer. A… hippie surfer,”[/color] Ocean added at the end, her smile turning into a small smirk. Pallas had a smile of his own on his face and Ocean could tell it reached a little deeper than the last one he used. His eyes held a small sparkle and the skin around his eyes wrinkled slightly. She felt pleased that he seemed to be enjoying himself as well with their conversation.

[color=0054a6]“So, are we supposed to ignore each other? You know, because our parents hate each other?”[/color] Ocean felt her stomach start to flutter with nerves over potentially making one of her first friends at camp (or potentially one of her first rivals or enemies if their parents were to be believed, but Pallas didn’t seem like the type. Plus, she didn’t know what Athena was like). It’d be disappointing, in her opinion, if she, Pallas and any of the other Athena kids couldn’t be acquainted. Especially if they got along so well. 

[color=0054a6]“I just think we’d get along swimmingly.”[/color] 

Ocean blurted it out before she could stop herself and she felt her face grow warm from embarrassment. If she had kept her mouth shut, Pallas would’ve had a less awkward time telling her he didn’t want to be friends. She shifted her eyes away from Pallas’ form and looked towards the ground. Maybe she could… just melt into the grass and dirt. Like a puddle. She cursed her lonely, anti-social childhood.

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[color=808080][b]interactions[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] Pallas [@Hound55][color=2e2c2c]...............[/color] [b]mentions[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color]Ace, River [color=2e2c2c]...............[/color] [b]collabs[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] none[/color]
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