Moon Child Member
STATUS: The end of an era... Bye, Euphoria ❤️ 5 days ago
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5 days ago
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The end of an era... Bye, Euphoria ❤️
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18 days ago
Where are the slice of life roleplays? 💔
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23 days ago
Sometimes the best things in life come when you least expect them! 🥰
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9 mos ago
Fall 🍂 > Summer ☀️
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Bio
Every ending is a new beginning.
Most Recent Posts
The remainder of Ariana and Pallas’ lunch was spent getting to know each other’s lives before arriving at camp. The young woman excitedly told her companion all about her lavish existence in Beverly Hills: her big family, her mortal hobbies, how she’d traveled to many different places but never lived anywhere besides her exclusive gated community, her college experience, etc. On his end, the reserved Pallas had briefly shared that his father was a police officer in Baltimore, and that an unnamed event had pushed them further and further away until finally settling in New York. He didn’t seem too keen to dive into anything more personal than that, so Ariana respected his boundaries and opted to change the subject instead. With the conversation now shifted onto their powers and abilities, the man seemed to open up to Ari. He went on about his physical training, which included a laundry list of martial arts that she had and hadn’t heard of before, before mentioning his proficiency with staffs and swords and expressing his interest in “getting good with a spear here at camp”, because he thought that it’s where his strengths will be. The brunette had listened with genuine curiosity and interest, even if she was unable to relate to Pallas. Any “physical training” of hers came from years of gymnastics and cheerleading, so additional physical and weaponry skills that could be useful in a fight would have to be learned during her time at camp– something she truly wasn’t looking forward to no matter how much her companion seemed to hype it up. Once they finished their meal and conversation seemed to settle into content silence, the two demigods departed the dining hall, but not before making plans to reunite at a later time for Ariana’s first history lesson. Goodbyes and parting pleasantries were exchanged, and the young woman braved the cold in her pink coat to find solace in the sanctity of her cabin.
Upon careful examination of her surroundings once she’d arrived at her living quarters for the foreseeable future, Ariana could confirm that her birth mother was certainly a woman of impeccable taste. The entire cabin was decorated in whites, pinks and golds, with beige tile flooring carrying throughout the building. A modern fireplace was the focal point of the cozy living room, and a beige sectional with matching decorative pillows occupied most of the space. Sparkling white quartz countertops and a backsplash made out of small, white, iridescent tiles were the highlights of the small kitchen, while white cabinets with gold hardware offered the young woman storage for her snacks, cutlery and dishware. The stainless steel stove itself wouldn’t get much action from her (Ariana’s cooking skills were even more trash than her performance in the arena), but the matching fridge, microwave and dishwasher would see plenty of it. The materials in the kitchen were also utilized in the bathroom, where a detachable rain showerhead and a white ceramic tub would provide ultimate relaxation. The pink bedroom was as grandiose and luxurious as the one she had at home, with champagne-colored accents and a glass chandelier reminiscent of the Palace of Versailles. A small patio with a furniture set and what Ariana suspected was a hot tub could be seen from the window– a feature that she planned to test out sooner rather than later.
But the pièce de résistance of the whole cabin was the closet: a large, boutique-like space of light oak, glass and gold hardware with shelving, storage and display spaces ready to be occupied by Ari’s designer wardrobe. The breathtaking room included a crystal chandelier, floor-length mirrors and even a vanity facing one of the windows for makeup application with natural lighting. The girl’s hazel eyes lit up in excitement at the sight, already picturing the way she would fill every square inch of the place while organizing her vast collection of clothing, accessories and cosmetics. With how picky she was and how much luggage she’d brought to camp, it wouldn’t be a quick task, but the end result would be magazine-worthy.
But first, a long, relaxing bubble bath was calling her name.
Upon careful examination of her surroundings once she’d arrived at her living quarters for the foreseeable future, Ariana could confirm that her birth mother was certainly a woman of impeccable taste. The entire cabin was decorated in whites, pinks and golds, with beige tile flooring carrying throughout the building. A modern fireplace was the focal point of the cozy living room, and a beige sectional with matching decorative pillows occupied most of the space. Sparkling white quartz countertops and a backsplash made out of small, white, iridescent tiles were the highlights of the small kitchen, while white cabinets with gold hardware offered the young woman storage for her snacks, cutlery and dishware. The stainless steel stove itself wouldn’t get much action from her (Ariana’s cooking skills were even more trash than her performance in the arena), but the matching fridge, microwave and dishwasher would see plenty of it. The materials in the kitchen were also utilized in the bathroom, where a detachable rain showerhead and a white ceramic tub would provide ultimate relaxation. The pink bedroom was as grandiose and luxurious as the one she had at home, with champagne-colored accents and a glass chandelier reminiscent of the Palace of Versailles. A small patio with a furniture set and what Ariana suspected was a hot tub could be seen from the window– a feature that she planned to test out sooner rather than later.
But the pièce de résistance of the whole cabin was the closet: a large, boutique-like space of light oak, glass and gold hardware with shelving, storage and display spaces ready to be occupied by Ari’s designer wardrobe. The breathtaking room included a crystal chandelier, floor-length mirrors and even a vanity facing one of the windows for makeup application with natural lighting. The girl’s hazel eyes lit up in excitement at the sight, already picturing the way she would fill every square inch of the place while organizing her vast collection of clothing, accessories and cosmetics. With how picky she was and how much luggage she’d brought to camp, it wouldn’t be a quick task, but the end result would be magazine-worthy.
But first, a long, relaxing bubble bath was calling her name.
Interactions: None | Mentions: Pallas | Collabs: None
@InfamousGuy101 @EtherealThorn @Ruby Hello! Just checking in on you all to see if your interest in the RP remains! If not, no hard feelings. We plan on moving along to the next scene in a week's time, so it would be good if any character sheets were submitted for approval before then!
<Snipped quote by Sugar and Spite>
Well I just noticed that the Join Status says Full, is that still the case? If so I will revisit once the RP opens up, otherwise I would be willing to app as an LEO and a bad guy, I would have a lot of fun playing a real estate douche pushing the boundaries of the law.
Hi! Because you messaged before the status change, you're more than welcome to apply at this time. We look forward to seeing what you come up with! 🥰
In
Pines Holler - A Small Town SoL Sandbox RP [NOT Accepting]
→
2 mos ago
Forum: Casual Interest Checks
@MementoMori we would love to have you! Here is the link to the OOC! 🥰
Location: Huskers
Interacting With: N/A
Mentions: Jolene & Faye @Tae, Caleb @HylianRose Valentino @kaiidth, Aiden & Clive @Altered Tundra
Interacting With: N/A
Mentions: Jolene & Faye @Tae, Caleb @HylianRose Valentino @kaiidth, Aiden & Clive @Altered Tundra
Pines Holler was a small town. For better or for worse, this meant that every choice and decision you made would follow you around for the rest of your life in ways that it might not if you were living in a city or a larger location. For Dallas King, this was a rather annoying, hard pill to swallow. While she had hoped that her arrival at Huskers went by without a hitch, that was a lot to ask when it was the only place in town besides Dr. Ellie’s clinic with a working generator.
Within the first five minutes of being at the bar, Dal was already regretting her decision to accompany Mollie. Her co-worker Jolene had arrived with her adorable daughter, both of them accompanied by one of the mistakes the young woman had made shortly after Aiden’s departure to the military. Caleb Dalton was still as handsome as ever– which added insult to the old injury to her pride no matter how much time had passed since the incident. A few years ago, Dallas and Caleb had involved themselves in a heated fling that would make people blush if they knew the specifics. Their chemistry was hot and undeniable, and the times spent together would be considered fond memories had it not been for what happened next. Darling Dallas, ever the naive hopeless romantic searching for her one true love, made the age-old mistake of catching feelings for the man not too long into their arrangement, and confessing said feelings to Caleb. As expected, he didn’t take the news well. The spooked bartender did not reciprocate her feelings, and the arrangement was over as quickly as it had begun. Seeing his face at any point in time after that was only an unwelcome reminder of how stupid and embarrassing she could be when confusing infatuation for love, so she made it her mission to avoid him at all costs. Today, the mission was deemed unsuccessful.
As if the memory of how she had metaphorically fallen flat on her face wasn’t enough, another one of her past mistakes would soon enter the fold. Dal found herself huffing in annoyance and sinking further into her booth seat, hoping that the distance from the door would make her virtually invisible to one of the two law enforcement officers entering the fray. Leave it to Valentino Lockwood to show up unannounced to a location she was at whether he was on the clock or not. Working at the place the man frequented for breakfast had meant mastering the art of politeness in his presence, but it didn’t mean voluntarily subjecting herself to his company. If it wasn’t for a guardian angel showing up beside him in the form of her best friend, the blonde would’ve bolted through the emergency exit doors by the bathrooms and ran all the way back home.
And to top it all off, there was the pointed absence of her beloved Clive Evermore.
All this effort into her makeup and this cute but flirtatious outfit? Wasted. Thrown away in the trash like a used paper towel. What was the point of enduring the torture of having Valentino and Caleb under the same roof if it didn’t get her any closer to reeling in the big fish she’d been trying to catch for months now? A true shame, if you asked her.
Right now, Dallas had two options. One: she could wallow alone in her self-created misery in this old, worn-down bar booth like a total LOSER. Or two, she could take advantage of Aiden’s miraculous presence to help the time pass by quicker.
She chose the second option– duuuuh.
After ensuring her presence hadn’t been noticed yet, Dal shot Aiden a quick text: I’m hiding in the last booth to the left of the bar. Come save me pls! 🥺🙏
Within the first five minutes of being at the bar, Dal was already regretting her decision to accompany Mollie. Her co-worker Jolene had arrived with her adorable daughter, both of them accompanied by one of the mistakes the young woman had made shortly after Aiden’s departure to the military. Caleb Dalton was still as handsome as ever– which added insult to the old injury to her pride no matter how much time had passed since the incident. A few years ago, Dallas and Caleb had involved themselves in a heated fling that would make people blush if they knew the specifics. Their chemistry was hot and undeniable, and the times spent together would be considered fond memories had it not been for what happened next. Darling Dallas, ever the naive hopeless romantic searching for her one true love, made the age-old mistake of catching feelings for the man not too long into their arrangement, and confessing said feelings to Caleb. As expected, he didn’t take the news well. The spooked bartender did not reciprocate her feelings, and the arrangement was over as quickly as it had begun. Seeing his face at any point in time after that was only an unwelcome reminder of how stupid and embarrassing she could be when confusing infatuation for love, so she made it her mission to avoid him at all costs. Today, the mission was deemed unsuccessful.
As if the memory of how she had metaphorically fallen flat on her face wasn’t enough, another one of her past mistakes would soon enter the fold. Dal found herself huffing in annoyance and sinking further into her booth seat, hoping that the distance from the door would make her virtually invisible to one of the two law enforcement officers entering the fray. Leave it to Valentino Lockwood to show up unannounced to a location she was at whether he was on the clock or not. Working at the place the man frequented for breakfast had meant mastering the art of politeness in his presence, but it didn’t mean voluntarily subjecting herself to his company. If it wasn’t for a guardian angel showing up beside him in the form of her best friend, the blonde would’ve bolted through the emergency exit doors by the bathrooms and ran all the way back home.
And to top it all off, there was the pointed absence of her beloved Clive Evermore.
All this effort into her makeup and this cute but flirtatious outfit? Wasted. Thrown away in the trash like a used paper towel. What was the point of enduring the torture of having Valentino and Caleb under the same roof if it didn’t get her any closer to reeling in the big fish she’d been trying to catch for months now? A true shame, if you asked her.
Right now, Dallas had two options. One: she could wallow alone in her self-created misery in this old, worn-down bar booth like a total LOSER. Or two, she could take advantage of Aiden’s miraculous presence to help the time pass by quicker.
She chose the second option– duuuuh.
After ensuring her presence hadn’t been noticed yet, Dal shot Aiden a quick text: I’m hiding in the last booth to the left of the bar. Come save me pls! 🥺🙏
Location: Paradise Falls Trail → The swimming hole
Interacting With: Each Other
Mentions: None
Interacting With: Each Other
Mentions: None
“Noah! Hi!” Elsie excitedly greeted her best friend ten minutes after her arrival at the beginning of the trail, sprinting towards him to wrap her slender arms around his taller frame. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, letting the smell of his woody, earthy cologne fill her senses and basking in the comfort of his presence. The oldest Tanner sibling was the only other person besides her father who had the ability to make Elsie feel safe and loved with his presence alone, so she never wasted the chance to seek the comfort that his embrace always brought her… And the butterflies fluttering wildly in her stomach that he seemed to evoke for a few years now. “You ready to head up?” she asked him with a bright smile as she pulled away.
Noah returned the hug tightly, the boy had gotten used to Elsie’s physical affection over the years; though not to say it doesn’t still trip him up at times.
As they pulled away, Noah caught her expression.
She smiled.
Surprisingly, she smiled. A quick little thing. A flicker. Something that one would question if they saw or not. A moment of perfection too great, too brilliant to comprehend in an instant. The depths of his core warmed, the longing whisked away for but a moment.
Noah wanted- no, needed more. He swiped his nose; a clumsy, boyish reflex to mask the heat climbing his throat. He bit his inner cheek, desperate to anchor himself before he drifted entirely into her orbit.
“Oh- uh yeah let’s go.” Noah said, voice a bit low, as he followed closely behind.
Elsie and Noah made their way down the familiar, mile-long path in silence, quietly enjoying the sounds of the lively nature scene happening around them and exchanging looks and smiles along the way. Sometimes, it seemed like the days the two of them had to spend with one another were becoming few and far between. Their responsibilities to themselves and their families only grew by the minute, making it hard to coordinate moments like these where they weren’t in the presence of Elsie’s dad or Noah’s siblings. So when days like today came around, El made an effort to spend them the way they were going to: outdoors, in the company of a favorite friend.
As soon as the waterfall came within view, Elsie’s face broke into a grin, and she sprinted in its direction. She dropped off her items on top of a table nearby, stripped down to her swimsuit, ran to the swimming hole and jumped right in. The sound of her body splashing into the water echoed across the space, as did her giggles of delight as she swam around the space, enjoying the feeling of the cooling moisture against her bare skin after the hike.
“Come on in! The water feels amazing right now!” the girl called out to Noah, gesturing for him to join her in the middle of the natural pool.
Noah was flummoxed, if anything. He resisted just gawking at Elsie, slowly stripping his jacket and leather pants into swimwear.
Soon his ‘motherly’ instincts kicked in as he joined her in the lake, “Be careful, Elsie. Your dad would kill me if something happened here.”
The cold water felt ephemeral on his body. It had been hot- hotter than normal he’d say. And not many people in Pines Holler really had air conditioning of sorts. Especially not his family. Though he didn’t show it, this week had him stressed. Bills upon bills. This swim was a nice reprieve, but a gnawing part of his brain kept telling him that he shouldn’t be wasting his time to ‘relax’ and get back to the grind. Noah hasn’t ever really given himself any time to relax ever since his parents abandoned him and his siblings.
Maybe it was a good thing, but his mind certainly wouldn’t let him think so.
When Noah’s warning reached her ears, Elsie couldn’t help but giggle and roll her eyes. Her father and her best friend liked to treat her like she was a china doll sometimes: always trying to keep her from any potential harm. It had been that way since she was a child. On one hand, she understood their concern. Elsie was known for being a bit of a risk-taker and a thrill-seeker, so her suffering potential injuries were never out of the question. But the two men, in their infinite sense of responsibility for the girl’s well-being, did exaggerate sometimes– just like Noah happened to be doing at this very moment.
“We’ve been here a million times, Noah! Everything’s going to be fiiiiiiine: trust me,” she reassured her friend, swimming in his direction. She knew it was in his nature to worry about her, but it was in her nature to reassure him of the opposite. “Close your eyes... Take a deep breath in… Aaaaaand out… Let your worries wash away with the current flowing around us…” she recommended in a voice reminiscent of those relaxing, soft-spoken ASMR videos she watched on youtube sometimes.
Noah followed her words, his breath steadied and he looked relaxed. He actually could take in the beauty of his surroundings and… well… her. The week has been rough, to say the absolute least, and he definitely needed some rest and relaxation. The tension on his shoulders released and slumped as he continued floating.
“Yeah, you’re right Elsie.” He replies with a small smile, “Feels like I’ve been shouldering too much baggage the past week, sorry.”
Elsie’s lips came together in a pout. “What have I said about apologizing for how you feel?” the girl warned, splashing Noah’s face.
Noah shook the water from his face with a slight laugh. “How are you and your dad, have you two been okay? I feel like it’s been a bit since I asked about him.”
“We’ve been okay! Dad actually has an interview later about a line cook position at the diner,” the brunette told Noah, allowing her body to relax until she was floating face-up. “I really hope he gets it. You know how stressful things have been living with only my paychecks, and I know how depressed he gets the longer it goes without him finding a job,” Elsie explained. The Woods duo had never been ones to live comfortably financially, but the loss of Elliott’s job at the lumber mill had put an extra strain on them. She wasn’t much of a faith-based person, but El would be lying if she said she hadn’t been praying for her dad to get this job since he’d told her about the interview.
“I also hope your dad gets it, he’s a good man and didn’t deserve what happened to him.” Noah felt a pang of guilt on how he felt that the expansion might grant his siblings a better quality of life. But seeing how many people he knows and acquainted with have been affected… he felt like a selfish douche.
“What about you? You said you’ve been shouldering too much baggage this week. What’s going on?” she asked him, concerned about what could be weighing on her bestie's shoulders.
“Just the same old, same old, you know?” Noah laid flat, floating along the waves, he hasn’t felt this loose for ages. “Bills- rent, their schooling and just being… tired, y’know?” He really didn’t want to dig deeper.
Elsie knew Noah well enough by now to know that there was more about his troubles than he was letting on, but she also knew that it was pointless to pry. So rather than push, she let it be. When he was ready, he would tell her.
“... Not that I wanna throw my baggage at you, Elsie. But I am glad you brought me out here, really brings into perspective how small my issues are.”
Noah returned the hug tightly, the boy had gotten used to Elsie’s physical affection over the years; though not to say it doesn’t still trip him up at times.
As they pulled away, Noah caught her expression.
She smiled.
Surprisingly, she smiled. A quick little thing. A flicker. Something that one would question if they saw or not. A moment of perfection too great, too brilliant to comprehend in an instant. The depths of his core warmed, the longing whisked away for but a moment.
Noah wanted- no, needed more. He swiped his nose; a clumsy, boyish reflex to mask the heat climbing his throat. He bit his inner cheek, desperate to anchor himself before he drifted entirely into her orbit.
“Oh- uh yeah let’s go.” Noah said, voice a bit low, as he followed closely behind.
Elsie and Noah made their way down the familiar, mile-long path in silence, quietly enjoying the sounds of the lively nature scene happening around them and exchanging looks and smiles along the way. Sometimes, it seemed like the days the two of them had to spend with one another were becoming few and far between. Their responsibilities to themselves and their families only grew by the minute, making it hard to coordinate moments like these where they weren’t in the presence of Elsie’s dad or Noah’s siblings. So when days like today came around, El made an effort to spend them the way they were going to: outdoors, in the company of a favorite friend.
As soon as the waterfall came within view, Elsie’s face broke into a grin, and she sprinted in its direction. She dropped off her items on top of a table nearby, stripped down to her swimsuit, ran to the swimming hole and jumped right in. The sound of her body splashing into the water echoed across the space, as did her giggles of delight as she swam around the space, enjoying the feeling of the cooling moisture against her bare skin after the hike.
“Come on in! The water feels amazing right now!” the girl called out to Noah, gesturing for him to join her in the middle of the natural pool.
Noah was flummoxed, if anything. He resisted just gawking at Elsie, slowly stripping his jacket and leather pants into swimwear.
Soon his ‘motherly’ instincts kicked in as he joined her in the lake, “Be careful, Elsie. Your dad would kill me if something happened here.”
The cold water felt ephemeral on his body. It had been hot- hotter than normal he’d say. And not many people in Pines Holler really had air conditioning of sorts. Especially not his family. Though he didn’t show it, this week had him stressed. Bills upon bills. This swim was a nice reprieve, but a gnawing part of his brain kept telling him that he shouldn’t be wasting his time to ‘relax’ and get back to the grind. Noah hasn’t ever really given himself any time to relax ever since his parents abandoned him and his siblings.
Maybe it was a good thing, but his mind certainly wouldn’t let him think so.
When Noah’s warning reached her ears, Elsie couldn’t help but giggle and roll her eyes. Her father and her best friend liked to treat her like she was a china doll sometimes: always trying to keep her from any potential harm. It had been that way since she was a child. On one hand, she understood their concern. Elsie was known for being a bit of a risk-taker and a thrill-seeker, so her suffering potential injuries were never out of the question. But the two men, in their infinite sense of responsibility for the girl’s well-being, did exaggerate sometimes– just like Noah happened to be doing at this very moment.
“We’ve been here a million times, Noah! Everything’s going to be fiiiiiiine: trust me,” she reassured her friend, swimming in his direction. She knew it was in his nature to worry about her, but it was in her nature to reassure him of the opposite. “Close your eyes... Take a deep breath in… Aaaaaand out… Let your worries wash away with the current flowing around us…” she recommended in a voice reminiscent of those relaxing, soft-spoken ASMR videos she watched on youtube sometimes.
Noah followed her words, his breath steadied and he looked relaxed. He actually could take in the beauty of his surroundings and… well… her. The week has been rough, to say the absolute least, and he definitely needed some rest and relaxation. The tension on his shoulders released and slumped as he continued floating.
“Yeah, you’re right Elsie.” He replies with a small smile, “Feels like I’ve been shouldering too much baggage the past week, sorry.”
Elsie’s lips came together in a pout. “What have I said about apologizing for how you feel?” the girl warned, splashing Noah’s face.
Noah shook the water from his face with a slight laugh. “How are you and your dad, have you two been okay? I feel like it’s been a bit since I asked about him.”
“We’ve been okay! Dad actually has an interview later about a line cook position at the diner,” the brunette told Noah, allowing her body to relax until she was floating face-up. “I really hope he gets it. You know how stressful things have been living with only my paychecks, and I know how depressed he gets the longer it goes without him finding a job,” Elsie explained. The Woods duo had never been ones to live comfortably financially, but the loss of Elliott’s job at the lumber mill had put an extra strain on them. She wasn’t much of a faith-based person, but El would be lying if she said she hadn’t been praying for her dad to get this job since he’d told her about the interview.
“I also hope your dad gets it, he’s a good man and didn’t deserve what happened to him.” Noah felt a pang of guilt on how he felt that the expansion might grant his siblings a better quality of life. But seeing how many people he knows and acquainted with have been affected… he felt like a selfish douche.
“What about you? You said you’ve been shouldering too much baggage this week. What’s going on?” she asked him, concerned about what could be weighing on her bestie's shoulders.
“Just the same old, same old, you know?” Noah laid flat, floating along the waves, he hasn’t felt this loose for ages. “Bills- rent, their schooling and just being… tired, y’know?” He really didn’t want to dig deeper.
Elsie knew Noah well enough by now to know that there was more about his troubles than he was letting on, but she also knew that it was pointless to pry. So rather than push, she let it be. When he was ready, he would tell her.
“... Not that I wanna throw my baggage at you, Elsie. But I am glad you brought me out here, really brings into perspective how small my issues are.”
Pallas quickly scaled the steps to get to the seat where his belongings still remained while Ariana did the same with her fluffy pink coat. He pulled his green and gold breakaway track pants back on, and his matching tracksuit top. He took a seat to pull his shoes and socks back on and caught sight of the now coat-clad Ariana looking up at him from below.
His breath hitched again, and he felt slightly unnerved as her eyes remained on him, waiting patiently despite her eagerness. He couldn’t chalk that one up to the exercise, so he sought other possible causes.
His thoughts travelled to whether this was why his own gaze often had the unnerving effect on others that it had. Whether they were more alike than he first considered.
“All good to go.” He declared, after the laces were drawn taut on his second.
“Perfect! Let’s head on out!” the girl said cheerfully.
“So what does a California Girl feel like eating after a ‘twenty five mile hike in the snow’?” He asked as he dropped down the steps with quick, precise footwork; quads not showing any sign of abuse from twice completing the course.
The attempts at small talk on the other hand…
He found himself incredibly curious to hear more from the girl, but his energy level sapped dramatically with every attempt to engage in small talk he managed to make. The ‘twenty five mile hike’ an exaggeration to show her own sense of humour, she had a gregarious nature and was eager to meet new people - which was good, since he wasn’t, but should still make some kind of effort to at least be a thought to others at the camp. Ariana seemed to be just what he needed to start to come to terms with the social aspect of the camp - the part he’d doubtless struggle the most with, if he knew himself at all.
Which he of course knew perfectly.
“What I really want is a never-ending round of sushi. But what I’ll actually settle for is something lighter, like a chicken caesar wrap or a poke bowl with a fresh fruit smoothie,” Ariana replied, walking alongside Pallas in the direction of the cafeteria now. While her companion appeared to be the least bit unbothered by the amount of physical exertion they had been put through, the same couldn’t be said for the daughter of Aphrodite. Her arms and legs felt like jelly, her sides were hurting, and each step she took made her already sore muscles feel even worse. She was certain that if Pallas took a really good look at her, he’d be able to see her struggling even underneath the beauty and allure, so she pulled out her sunglasses from the pocket of her coat and slid them up the bridge of her nose to shield her eyes.
Pallas nodded knowingly. A bed of rice, a chicken breast or two and some long greens were all he needed at this time. A clean meal to replace what he’d just used on the course. Sushi would also qualify.
He’d fallen into a routine of only having two main meals, with the first being rather plain and more for the sake of nutrition than flavour or enjoyment, and fasting in the evening. But since much of their day was monopolised by demands at the arena, his meal schedule had almost been pushed too far back to still be able to fit in two. He was thankful for the eggs from earlier, but by now his stomach was certainly letting him know it was time.
“Good idea.” Pallas approved, pointing and misinterpreting the purpose of her sunglasses with a smile matched by the golden flash in his eyes. “A lot of people don’t think of the reflection off of the snow, to plan for it.”
“The snow’s reflection… Yeah…” she mumbled under her breath, not wanting to let Pallas in on the secret that their true purpose was to save her dignity after the metaphorical beating she’d received with all this unexpected exercise.
Earlier, Pallas’ mind had been going a mile a minute finding things to do with his time for today. A run to work cardio, was neither needed nor wanted now. Further exploring the bookshelf in his cabin, and he was even having thoughts of leaving the camp's gates to survey the woods surrounding once again - but the reasons and other activities were all gone from his mind now. For whatever reason he was living in the here and now, without a thought for later in the day. Everything else had left his mind.
—--------------------
Pallas opened the door for Ariana as she stepped through the doors to the Main Hall. He dusted the powder off the shoulders of his tracksuit jumper and followed her in.
The interior was not what he expected - but he shouldn’t have expected anything.
It was a buffet set up, with no sign of any ‘staff’ whatsoever.
Gone was the need to set up a morning ‘standing order’ for a regular breakfast. There was nobody to deliver it to, and he suspected any and all needs would be catered to regardless. His mind travelled back to the bookshelf in his cabin - and he was starting to get a sense for how this place worked. He also wondered if his bookshelf was all that special or noteworthy in the first place - perhaps it wasn’t worthy of mention, or unique.
Ariana had moved ahead to get her own food, so he chose to stake out a table, to ensure they’d have somewhere to return to with their food.
With the interior of the Hall vastly warmer, and more cosy than the winter wonderland beyond the walls, Pallas draped his tracksuit jacket over a seat back, and went to the buffet himself. Its strikingly bright green and yellow presence established a clear landmark for the California girl once she would have her own plate filled, and scan the seating herself.
Pallas’ companion had also been true to her earlier word. She had scanned the tables for something that tickled her fancy until her eyes spotted the sushi she had mentioned craving, and after an excited squeal made an excited beeline to the table containing it. She stacked enough pieces atop her plate to fill her up, poured herself a cup of miso soup to go along with it, grabbed a bottle of water and her utensils before scanning the room for a place to sit. Thankfully, Pallas had been ahead of it, and selected a table for the both of them as evidenced by the bright tracksuit jacket draped over the back of a seat. Smiling at the gentlemanly gesture, Ariana walked over to the reserved table and took the unmarked seat, settling in and getting comfortable while she waited for Pallas to return before she began eating.
True to his earlier thoughts, he lay a bed of rice, before resting two chicken breasts and some greens upon it. He poured himself a warm mug of tea, and looked to rejoin his prior company at the table. The perfect bulwark to allow the time for clear thought to be conversed, and to provide rejuvenation from the day’s exertions - both physically and socially.
“All good?” He asked, taking a seat.
The brunette nodded enthusiastically. “All good!” she replied, happily sipping on her miso soup. She let Pallas get settled and at least take a bite out of his own food before picking up conversation again. The last thing she wanted was to make him feel like he was getting bombarded with inquiries. “So what brings you to Camp? How did you end up coming here?”
“I think I had a bit of an unfair advantage with that one. I’ve known I was going to come here… for as long back as I can remember.”
“And I can remember back a long way. As in… when I was a baby.”
“The whens wheres and whys, of course there’s a lot of blanks in the details. I was kind of always just trusted to - and expected to - figure it out for myself. But yeah. My mother let me know I’d be coming here a loooooong way back. So I’ve put myself through a lot of training and reading since then. Most of my life. Looking around at some of the other people here… I can’t help but think that’s not the case for everyone.”
Ariana listened to Pallas’ response with genuine interest, her curiosity about him growing the more she learned about him. Being able to remember things as far back as infancy was a remarkable ability to have, and being warned about the type of camp he was to attend had proven to be a great advantage for him. ‘Must have been nice to have a heads up…’ she couldn’t help but think. He was absolutely right: the warning was not the case for everyone.
“And I take it that wasn’t the case for you?” He put it forward as a question to the Mossos girl, but with a sense that he already knew the answer and was merely confirming his own thoughts. He raised his mug of tea to his lips, whilst she’d take the opportunity to reply, golden eyes soaking in her expressive countenance to sweeten his tea.
“You would be taking it right,” she replied as she stabbed a piece of her sushi, unable to hide the bitterness in her voice. The mere thought about how she’d basically been tricked to leave all her lavish comforts behind to live like she was in Amish country filled her with an inexplicable anger she was sure was blazing behind her eyes. “I didn’t even know I was a demigoddess until less than a month ago. So much weird shit happened to me and around me my entire life, but I could never find a logical explanation for it. I literally thought I was going insane; but I kept it to myself, because there was no way I was risking getting locked up in a psych ward or anything like that. It took twenty-one years, but I finally got the answer I was looking for: the woman I grew up with as my mom wasn’t my mom. My birth mother is actually Aphrodite. Turns out the ‘weird shit happening’ was actually my powers manifesting themselves without me even knowing,” she explained with a shrug, pausing for a quick sushi break before carrying on.
“She asked me to come to camp to ‘get to know the other side of my heritage’, and I fought against it for a while. But my curiosity got the better of me, so that’s how I ended up here. Though after the whole ‘training’ thing, I kind of wish I had stayed home. I don’t do athletics very well.” she admitted with a small laugh.
Pallas’ posture stiffened. “I see.” The smile still across his face, but no longer meeting his golden eyes. A mind raced.
It was a sympathetic story, a struggle for personal identity, a lifetime of deception from those most trusted figures in your life. Pallas' eyes steeled as he reconsidered everything that had happened through the past five minutes. The lingering hand-holding, the difficulty he had taking his eyes from her when he normally kept a distance and struggled with social situations and lengthy eye contact.
Still, he couldn’t see any malevolence, deception or manipulation on her end from her own actions so far. Or was that just how he was supposed to see everything that had taken place..?
But it also didn’t change certain things. This was a person. Another person attending the camp, who seemed to be trying to get to know him. And it also didn’t change the fact that it would be beneficial to remain on good terms with people - especially when they don’t seem to be attempting to bring him any harm.
From what he knew of Ariana’s heritage - which if her story checks out, may even be greater than the girl herself - her mother was one for making more subtle moves, and plans. Not entirely dissimilar from his own. Being dismissive, freezing the girl out, was not the way to play this. But of course, it would be wise to ensure a distance.
Just as her nature was likely to try to ensure he did anything but.
The immovable object and irresistible force conundrum of old, given personification.
“I wouldn’t worry too much about it. There’s more to what we’re doing than just athletics.” He said, as he sliced through a piece of chicken and had a mouthful of chicken with rice.
“What do you mean?” the woman asked, cocking her head to one side. She couldn’t think of a single reason why any of them would need to go through this type of ‘training’.
“Don’t get me wrong. If there were things there that you just outright CAN’T do, you’re going to want to get some help and get it up to just a reasonable baseline. Get yourself some help with a few things. Like the rope climb. Just to be able to do it, even if you can’t finish the course in some lightning quick time. It’s more important to just have the accumulation of skills to help you survi–.”
He stopped to consider how much he should say, and whether he’d be putting fear into the girl.
Ariana clocked the way Pallas stopped speaking, which only served to fuel her morbid curiosity. “‘Survive’?” she finished the word for him, a hint of amusement in her tone. “What are we supposed to be ‘surviving’? You make this sound like we’re on that TV show Lost or something like that,” she joked with a laugh, devouring another piece of her sushi.
“I don’t think as quickly around you…” He muttered a mumbled quick confession of an observation over his leaked thought. “I don’t care for that shit at all…” He mumbled through an exhalation..
“I suspect… that may not be as far from a hidden truth as any of us would want to believe.” He drank some tea. “Albeit not how I’d phrase it.”
The girl’s earlier amusement vanished at how serious Pallas had suddenly become. “What are you talking about? I thought this whole thing was, like, as sleepaway summer camp type shit; not some sort of wilderness training,” she argued, taking a sip of her water bottle. If Aphrodite had purposely sent her to a wilderness camp knowing who she was and where she came from, Ariana would probably off herself.
“Good thing is, I do think you’re probably in the best place possible to come to terms with that ‘weird shit’, so you’re not being lied to there.” He tried to improve her mood. Damn it. Even though he knew now, he was still being affected enough that he WANTED her to feel better. Or is that just being a person? “I mean, ideally, you’d have come to terms with it before you came here. But if you haven’t there’s probably no better place to actually do that. And have people who have gone through what you have, to help you figure out that weird shit.”
“I mean, I've come to terms with who I am and what I can do,” Ariana explained, taking in the last bite of sushi from her plate and washing it down with some water. “But I'm pretty sure whatever powers I have aren't exactly conducive to helping me in any sort of ‘Survivor’ type of situation. I highly doubt a creature or an animal looking to kill me would be warded off by my ability to speak French or transform myself into Megan Fox or someone like that.”
“All the more reason to get those skills up to a decent baseline. Ensure you can last long enough to make a plan to put the skills you do have to good use. Or to last long enough to get your other fellow campers support if they’re backing you up. There’s safety in numbers… which I suspect is part of the point of the Camp in the first place, if my theory holds any water.” He punctuated his statement with a fork full of chicken, rice and greens. He ran his golden eyes around the room, before returning them to Ariana to gauge how she was taking this information.
The brunette remained silent for a few seconds, taking a swig of water while she processed the facts she'd just been informed of. Apparently, this camp wasn't for her to just meet other people and learn to live without her comforts, but to train for potential combative encounters against God knows who or what or when. The more she thought about it, the more unnerved she became at the prospect.
“If this theory of yours is true, then I'm probably not going to stick around for too long,” the girl admitted, placing her now empty water bottle atop her tray. “I'm not about to be training to be anyone's soldier. That is so far from who I am that I can't even begin to understand why my mother would suggest I come here to begin with.”
“Well that’d be your decision, but like I said, there’s safety in numbers, and if my theory is true it’d likely eventually work out to be safer in the long run.”
“And I don’t know that the expectation’s there that we be anyone’s soldier, for whatever its worth.”
He drank more tea, and considered how to parse his thoughts for a newcomer to his line of thinking.
“Let’s take the better known examples of demi-gods out there. Hercules. Well, Heracles, but most know him by the Roman moniker… Perhaps an exaggerated example, from what I could see of the obstacle course, we don’t seem to have anyone like that here - despite some of the more impressive people here. Killed monstrous serpents sent to his crib. By eighteen he killed the mythical Lion of Cithaeron. This was BEFORE the twelve labours. Then all of the other monstrous supernatural creatures that came his way over those years. Perseus tangling with Medusa, the monsters and supernatural threats that awaited Theseus on the road to Athens, before he even had to face the minotaur. We - demi-gods, I mean - don’t live a long time and we burn bright. And the supernatural tends to find its way to us. I suspect this place is going to be a magnet for the ‘mythologically weird’ with all of us being here, but there’s strength in our numbers, and we learn and grow. And if I’m right… each of us is a little magnet for it anyway. So we either stay here and learn to be able to face what will come for us, or we go out there and figure it out for ourselves when a monster of myth and legend stumbles upon us.”
“Probably not a pleasant thought. But it sounds in line with everything I’ve seen and heard. I mean, Athena didn’t tell me any of this… but she wouldn’t. Like I said, I’ve kind of always been trusted and expected to figure things out for myself.”
“If all of that’s right, it would absolutely make sense for your mother to send you here now, wouldn’t it? Going by the mythical examples, the greater the ‘power’ probably the greater the ‘magnet’. Power-wise, the more…. Weird… of my powers, only really came about the last year and I’ve mostly come to grips with that one. Just like you said about yours. That would be consistent as well… Good to know. But, I still don’t know that this would be the same with everyone here…” He conferred with himself.
Ariana had listened to Pallas’ historical info dump with a lot more attention than she would've in normal circumstances. As he dropped bits of what felt like vast insight in the subject of mythology, the daughter of Aphrodite couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt at her own lack of knowledge in the topic. She tried to justify it in her head that it was because of how recently she's learned of her godly origins, but that still didn't excuse the fact that she could've done more research into things once she had found out. To add insult to injury, the facts he was dropping were alarming. If there was any truth to his words (which she had no reason to doubt), then her obliviousness could’ve cost her her life. Her plans of leaving camp and returning home after this knowledge looked laughable now.
“Anyway, how’s the sushi? I saw it up there. Looked good. Might try that myself next time…”
An amused grin spread across the girl’s face as her tension from the conversation momentarily evaporated. “‘How's the sushi’?” the girl repeated. “You drop all this wild, crazy lore on me, and all you can say at the end is ‘how's the sushi'?” she teased with a small giggle.
“Yeah, how’s the sushi? They got inari up there? Shrimp nigiri? What is it they call… Ebi?” He found the word through a minor haze. “Man… I really don’t think as quick…”
“Long story short, I don’t think she wants you ‘to be a soldier’ and I don’t think she did it because she means you harm.”
Now me as the son of Athena on the other hand… He thought to himself of their mothers’ rivalry with one another.
A brilliant idea suddenly struck Ariana like a lightning bolt. “Would you be up to teaching me about all of this?” she asked Pallas, casually batting her eyelashes at him to help persuade him. “The way you explained things to me earlier really helped me make sense of it, and it would be faster and more entertaining than having to dig through countless books to make sure I don't miss anything.” The young woman wasn’t a scholarly person, so having a cute guy break down these complicated topics for her would be the fastest, best way for her to get up to speed.
“Well, yeah, I–” The words fell out of his mouth before he’d even thought about how to answer the question, giving her the affirmative answer. That time she had to have done something… He assured himself. The complete absence of thought for a mere second, was everything he had feared. But he couldn’t be sure. How much of what Ariana does is latent, and what part is deliberate. It was a line he couldn’t be sure of, and with that uncertainty he couldn’t meaningfully accuse.
“That is… I could. If you like. But I would suggest you get a few sources on this kind of thing, or you’re leaving a lot of trust in one person.” His posture straightened and he found his balance once more.
“I'll do that too! Promise,” she agreed, putting out her pinky finger towards Pallas as a symbol of commitment.
Pallas was hesitant. Especially with what he was pretty sure had just happened.
She was ever closing the gap, with the constant draw. And no matter how he attempted to hold a colder distance, she found a counter to force closeness. His hesitancy was almost becoming uncomfortable, but Ariana held strong with her position and the social pressure was powerful.
A few beats later and he leaned over the table, linking fingers. Golden eyes made contact with her own hazel gaze.
Ariana let out an excited squeal and clapped her hands a few times. Success! New friend and tutor acquired.
“Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!” she beamed, resisting the urge to jump over the table and wrap Pallas into a hug. It was too soon to ambush him with her affectionate demeanor, and she was sure the poor man had been through enough of her antics for one day. “I'll make it up to you somehow, I swear!” she promised him, winking at him for good measure.
“It’s alright, you don’t have to. If it helps oth–”
She winked at him. And stopped him in his tracks.
Words were… wording. What had he just been–? You’re just tired from talking with someone so much. You never talk to people this much. Just smile and nod.
He smiled and nodded. Accepting her promise.
It wasn’t just the draining of his social battery, and deep down he knew it. But he didn’t have it in him to contemplate everything right now.
His breath hitched again, and he felt slightly unnerved as her eyes remained on him, waiting patiently despite her eagerness. He couldn’t chalk that one up to the exercise, so he sought other possible causes.
His thoughts travelled to whether this was why his own gaze often had the unnerving effect on others that it had. Whether they were more alike than he first considered.
“All good to go.” He declared, after the laces were drawn taut on his second.
“Perfect! Let’s head on out!” the girl said cheerfully.
“So what does a California Girl feel like eating after a ‘twenty five mile hike in the snow’?” He asked as he dropped down the steps with quick, precise footwork; quads not showing any sign of abuse from twice completing the course.
The attempts at small talk on the other hand…
He found himself incredibly curious to hear more from the girl, but his energy level sapped dramatically with every attempt to engage in small talk he managed to make. The ‘twenty five mile hike’ an exaggeration to show her own sense of humour, she had a gregarious nature and was eager to meet new people - which was good, since he wasn’t, but should still make some kind of effort to at least be a thought to others at the camp. Ariana seemed to be just what he needed to start to come to terms with the social aspect of the camp - the part he’d doubtless struggle the most with, if he knew himself at all.
Which he of course knew perfectly.
“What I really want is a never-ending round of sushi. But what I’ll actually settle for is something lighter, like a chicken caesar wrap or a poke bowl with a fresh fruit smoothie,” Ariana replied, walking alongside Pallas in the direction of the cafeteria now. While her companion appeared to be the least bit unbothered by the amount of physical exertion they had been put through, the same couldn’t be said for the daughter of Aphrodite. Her arms and legs felt like jelly, her sides were hurting, and each step she took made her already sore muscles feel even worse. She was certain that if Pallas took a really good look at her, he’d be able to see her struggling even underneath the beauty and allure, so she pulled out her sunglasses from the pocket of her coat and slid them up the bridge of her nose to shield her eyes.
Pallas nodded knowingly. A bed of rice, a chicken breast or two and some long greens were all he needed at this time. A clean meal to replace what he’d just used on the course. Sushi would also qualify.
He’d fallen into a routine of only having two main meals, with the first being rather plain and more for the sake of nutrition than flavour or enjoyment, and fasting in the evening. But since much of their day was monopolised by demands at the arena, his meal schedule had almost been pushed too far back to still be able to fit in two. He was thankful for the eggs from earlier, but by now his stomach was certainly letting him know it was time.
“Good idea.” Pallas approved, pointing and misinterpreting the purpose of her sunglasses with a smile matched by the golden flash in his eyes. “A lot of people don’t think of the reflection off of the snow, to plan for it.”
“The snow’s reflection… Yeah…” she mumbled under her breath, not wanting to let Pallas in on the secret that their true purpose was to save her dignity after the metaphorical beating she’d received with all this unexpected exercise.
Earlier, Pallas’ mind had been going a mile a minute finding things to do with his time for today. A run to work cardio, was neither needed nor wanted now. Further exploring the bookshelf in his cabin, and he was even having thoughts of leaving the camp's gates to survey the woods surrounding once again - but the reasons and other activities were all gone from his mind now. For whatever reason he was living in the here and now, without a thought for later in the day. Everything else had left his mind.
—--------------------
Pallas opened the door for Ariana as she stepped through the doors to the Main Hall. He dusted the powder off the shoulders of his tracksuit jumper and followed her in.
The interior was not what he expected - but he shouldn’t have expected anything.
It was a buffet set up, with no sign of any ‘staff’ whatsoever.
Gone was the need to set up a morning ‘standing order’ for a regular breakfast. There was nobody to deliver it to, and he suspected any and all needs would be catered to regardless. His mind travelled back to the bookshelf in his cabin - and he was starting to get a sense for how this place worked. He also wondered if his bookshelf was all that special or noteworthy in the first place - perhaps it wasn’t worthy of mention, or unique.
Ariana had moved ahead to get her own food, so he chose to stake out a table, to ensure they’d have somewhere to return to with their food.
With the interior of the Hall vastly warmer, and more cosy than the winter wonderland beyond the walls, Pallas draped his tracksuit jacket over a seat back, and went to the buffet himself. Its strikingly bright green and yellow presence established a clear landmark for the California girl once she would have her own plate filled, and scan the seating herself.
Pallas’ companion had also been true to her earlier word. She had scanned the tables for something that tickled her fancy until her eyes spotted the sushi she had mentioned craving, and after an excited squeal made an excited beeline to the table containing it. She stacked enough pieces atop her plate to fill her up, poured herself a cup of miso soup to go along with it, grabbed a bottle of water and her utensils before scanning the room for a place to sit. Thankfully, Pallas had been ahead of it, and selected a table for the both of them as evidenced by the bright tracksuit jacket draped over the back of a seat. Smiling at the gentlemanly gesture, Ariana walked over to the reserved table and took the unmarked seat, settling in and getting comfortable while she waited for Pallas to return before she began eating.
True to his earlier thoughts, he lay a bed of rice, before resting two chicken breasts and some greens upon it. He poured himself a warm mug of tea, and looked to rejoin his prior company at the table. The perfect bulwark to allow the time for clear thought to be conversed, and to provide rejuvenation from the day’s exertions - both physically and socially.
“All good?” He asked, taking a seat.
The brunette nodded enthusiastically. “All good!” she replied, happily sipping on her miso soup. She let Pallas get settled and at least take a bite out of his own food before picking up conversation again. The last thing she wanted was to make him feel like he was getting bombarded with inquiries. “So what brings you to Camp? How did you end up coming here?”
“I think I had a bit of an unfair advantage with that one. I’ve known I was going to come here… for as long back as I can remember.”
“And I can remember back a long way. As in… when I was a baby.”
“The whens wheres and whys, of course there’s a lot of blanks in the details. I was kind of always just trusted to - and expected to - figure it out for myself. But yeah. My mother let me know I’d be coming here a loooooong way back. So I’ve put myself through a lot of training and reading since then. Most of my life. Looking around at some of the other people here… I can’t help but think that’s not the case for everyone.”
Ariana listened to Pallas’ response with genuine interest, her curiosity about him growing the more she learned about him. Being able to remember things as far back as infancy was a remarkable ability to have, and being warned about the type of camp he was to attend had proven to be a great advantage for him. ‘Must have been nice to have a heads up…’ she couldn’t help but think. He was absolutely right: the warning was not the case for everyone.
“And I take it that wasn’t the case for you?” He put it forward as a question to the Mossos girl, but with a sense that he already knew the answer and was merely confirming his own thoughts. He raised his mug of tea to his lips, whilst she’d take the opportunity to reply, golden eyes soaking in her expressive countenance to sweeten his tea.
“You would be taking it right,” she replied as she stabbed a piece of her sushi, unable to hide the bitterness in her voice. The mere thought about how she’d basically been tricked to leave all her lavish comforts behind to live like she was in Amish country filled her with an inexplicable anger she was sure was blazing behind her eyes. “I didn’t even know I was a demigoddess until less than a month ago. So much weird shit happened to me and around me my entire life, but I could never find a logical explanation for it. I literally thought I was going insane; but I kept it to myself, because there was no way I was risking getting locked up in a psych ward or anything like that. It took twenty-one years, but I finally got the answer I was looking for: the woman I grew up with as my mom wasn’t my mom. My birth mother is actually Aphrodite. Turns out the ‘weird shit happening’ was actually my powers manifesting themselves without me even knowing,” she explained with a shrug, pausing for a quick sushi break before carrying on.
“She asked me to come to camp to ‘get to know the other side of my heritage’, and I fought against it for a while. But my curiosity got the better of me, so that’s how I ended up here. Though after the whole ‘training’ thing, I kind of wish I had stayed home. I don’t do athletics very well.” she admitted with a small laugh.
Pallas’ posture stiffened. “I see.” The smile still across his face, but no longer meeting his golden eyes. A mind raced.
It was a sympathetic story, a struggle for personal identity, a lifetime of deception from those most trusted figures in your life. Pallas' eyes steeled as he reconsidered everything that had happened through the past five minutes. The lingering hand-holding, the difficulty he had taking his eyes from her when he normally kept a distance and struggled with social situations and lengthy eye contact.
Still, he couldn’t see any malevolence, deception or manipulation on her end from her own actions so far. Or was that just how he was supposed to see everything that had taken place..?
But it also didn’t change certain things. This was a person. Another person attending the camp, who seemed to be trying to get to know him. And it also didn’t change the fact that it would be beneficial to remain on good terms with people - especially when they don’t seem to be attempting to bring him any harm.
From what he knew of Ariana’s heritage - which if her story checks out, may even be greater than the girl herself - her mother was one for making more subtle moves, and plans. Not entirely dissimilar from his own. Being dismissive, freezing the girl out, was not the way to play this. But of course, it would be wise to ensure a distance.
Just as her nature was likely to try to ensure he did anything but.
The immovable object and irresistible force conundrum of old, given personification.
“I wouldn’t worry too much about it. There’s more to what we’re doing than just athletics.” He said, as he sliced through a piece of chicken and had a mouthful of chicken with rice.
“What do you mean?” the woman asked, cocking her head to one side. She couldn’t think of a single reason why any of them would need to go through this type of ‘training’.
“Don’t get me wrong. If there were things there that you just outright CAN’T do, you’re going to want to get some help and get it up to just a reasonable baseline. Get yourself some help with a few things. Like the rope climb. Just to be able to do it, even if you can’t finish the course in some lightning quick time. It’s more important to just have the accumulation of skills to help you survi–.”
He stopped to consider how much he should say, and whether he’d be putting fear into the girl.
Ariana clocked the way Pallas stopped speaking, which only served to fuel her morbid curiosity. “‘Survive’?” she finished the word for him, a hint of amusement in her tone. “What are we supposed to be ‘surviving’? You make this sound like we’re on that TV show Lost or something like that,” she joked with a laugh, devouring another piece of her sushi.
“I don’t think as quickly around you…” He muttered a mumbled quick confession of an observation over his leaked thought. “I don’t care for that shit at all…” He mumbled through an exhalation..
“I suspect… that may not be as far from a hidden truth as any of us would want to believe.” He drank some tea. “Albeit not how I’d phrase it.”
The girl’s earlier amusement vanished at how serious Pallas had suddenly become. “What are you talking about? I thought this whole thing was, like, as sleepaway summer camp type shit; not some sort of wilderness training,” she argued, taking a sip of her water bottle. If Aphrodite had purposely sent her to a wilderness camp knowing who she was and where she came from, Ariana would probably off herself.
“Good thing is, I do think you’re probably in the best place possible to come to terms with that ‘weird shit’, so you’re not being lied to there.” He tried to improve her mood. Damn it. Even though he knew now, he was still being affected enough that he WANTED her to feel better. Or is that just being a person? “I mean, ideally, you’d have come to terms with it before you came here. But if you haven’t there’s probably no better place to actually do that. And have people who have gone through what you have, to help you figure out that weird shit.”
“I mean, I've come to terms with who I am and what I can do,” Ariana explained, taking in the last bite of sushi from her plate and washing it down with some water. “But I'm pretty sure whatever powers I have aren't exactly conducive to helping me in any sort of ‘Survivor’ type of situation. I highly doubt a creature or an animal looking to kill me would be warded off by my ability to speak French or transform myself into Megan Fox or someone like that.”
“All the more reason to get those skills up to a decent baseline. Ensure you can last long enough to make a plan to put the skills you do have to good use. Or to last long enough to get your other fellow campers support if they’re backing you up. There’s safety in numbers… which I suspect is part of the point of the Camp in the first place, if my theory holds any water.” He punctuated his statement with a fork full of chicken, rice and greens. He ran his golden eyes around the room, before returning them to Ariana to gauge how she was taking this information.
The brunette remained silent for a few seconds, taking a swig of water while she processed the facts she'd just been informed of. Apparently, this camp wasn't for her to just meet other people and learn to live without her comforts, but to train for potential combative encounters against God knows who or what or when. The more she thought about it, the more unnerved she became at the prospect.
“If this theory of yours is true, then I'm probably not going to stick around for too long,” the girl admitted, placing her now empty water bottle atop her tray. “I'm not about to be training to be anyone's soldier. That is so far from who I am that I can't even begin to understand why my mother would suggest I come here to begin with.”
“Well that’d be your decision, but like I said, there’s safety in numbers, and if my theory is true it’d likely eventually work out to be safer in the long run.”
“And I don’t know that the expectation’s there that we be anyone’s soldier, for whatever its worth.”
He drank more tea, and considered how to parse his thoughts for a newcomer to his line of thinking.
“Let’s take the better known examples of demi-gods out there. Hercules. Well, Heracles, but most know him by the Roman moniker… Perhaps an exaggerated example, from what I could see of the obstacle course, we don’t seem to have anyone like that here - despite some of the more impressive people here. Killed monstrous serpents sent to his crib. By eighteen he killed the mythical Lion of Cithaeron. This was BEFORE the twelve labours. Then all of the other monstrous supernatural creatures that came his way over those years. Perseus tangling with Medusa, the monsters and supernatural threats that awaited Theseus on the road to Athens, before he even had to face the minotaur. We - demi-gods, I mean - don’t live a long time and we burn bright. And the supernatural tends to find its way to us. I suspect this place is going to be a magnet for the ‘mythologically weird’ with all of us being here, but there’s strength in our numbers, and we learn and grow. And if I’m right… each of us is a little magnet for it anyway. So we either stay here and learn to be able to face what will come for us, or we go out there and figure it out for ourselves when a monster of myth and legend stumbles upon us.”
“Probably not a pleasant thought. But it sounds in line with everything I’ve seen and heard. I mean, Athena didn’t tell me any of this… but she wouldn’t. Like I said, I’ve kind of always been trusted and expected to figure things out for myself.”
“If all of that’s right, it would absolutely make sense for your mother to send you here now, wouldn’t it? Going by the mythical examples, the greater the ‘power’ probably the greater the ‘magnet’. Power-wise, the more…. Weird… of my powers, only really came about the last year and I’ve mostly come to grips with that one. Just like you said about yours. That would be consistent as well… Good to know. But, I still don’t know that this would be the same with everyone here…” He conferred with himself.
Ariana had listened to Pallas’ historical info dump with a lot more attention than she would've in normal circumstances. As he dropped bits of what felt like vast insight in the subject of mythology, the daughter of Aphrodite couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt at her own lack of knowledge in the topic. She tried to justify it in her head that it was because of how recently she's learned of her godly origins, but that still didn't excuse the fact that she could've done more research into things once she had found out. To add insult to injury, the facts he was dropping were alarming. If there was any truth to his words (which she had no reason to doubt), then her obliviousness could’ve cost her her life. Her plans of leaving camp and returning home after this knowledge looked laughable now.
“Anyway, how’s the sushi? I saw it up there. Looked good. Might try that myself next time…”
An amused grin spread across the girl’s face as her tension from the conversation momentarily evaporated. “‘How's the sushi’?” the girl repeated. “You drop all this wild, crazy lore on me, and all you can say at the end is ‘how's the sushi'?” she teased with a small giggle.
“Yeah, how’s the sushi? They got inari up there? Shrimp nigiri? What is it they call… Ebi?” He found the word through a minor haze. “Man… I really don’t think as quick…”
“Long story short, I don’t think she wants you ‘to be a soldier’ and I don’t think she did it because she means you harm.”
Now me as the son of Athena on the other hand… He thought to himself of their mothers’ rivalry with one another.
A brilliant idea suddenly struck Ariana like a lightning bolt. “Would you be up to teaching me about all of this?” she asked Pallas, casually batting her eyelashes at him to help persuade him. “The way you explained things to me earlier really helped me make sense of it, and it would be faster and more entertaining than having to dig through countless books to make sure I don't miss anything.” The young woman wasn’t a scholarly person, so having a cute guy break down these complicated topics for her would be the fastest, best way for her to get up to speed.
“Well, yeah, I–” The words fell out of his mouth before he’d even thought about how to answer the question, giving her the affirmative answer. That time she had to have done something… He assured himself. The complete absence of thought for a mere second, was everything he had feared. But he couldn’t be sure. How much of what Ariana does is latent, and what part is deliberate. It was a line he couldn’t be sure of, and with that uncertainty he couldn’t meaningfully accuse.
“That is… I could. If you like. But I would suggest you get a few sources on this kind of thing, or you’re leaving a lot of trust in one person.” His posture straightened and he found his balance once more.
“I'll do that too! Promise,” she agreed, putting out her pinky finger towards Pallas as a symbol of commitment.
Pallas was hesitant. Especially with what he was pretty sure had just happened.
She was ever closing the gap, with the constant draw. And no matter how he attempted to hold a colder distance, she found a counter to force closeness. His hesitancy was almost becoming uncomfortable, but Ariana held strong with her position and the social pressure was powerful.
A few beats later and he leaned over the table, linking fingers. Golden eyes made contact with her own hazel gaze.
Ariana let out an excited squeal and clapped her hands a few times. Success! New friend and tutor acquired.
“Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!” she beamed, resisting the urge to jump over the table and wrap Pallas into a hug. It was too soon to ambush him with her affectionate demeanor, and she was sure the poor man had been through enough of her antics for one day. “I'll make it up to you somehow, I swear!” she promised him, winking at him for good measure.
“It’s alright, you don’t have to. If it helps oth–”
She winked at him. And stopped him in his tracks.
Words were… wording. What had he just been–? You’re just tired from talking with someone so much. You never talk to people this much. Just smile and nod.
He smiled and nodded. Accepting her promise.
It wasn’t just the draining of his social battery, and deep down he knew it. But he didn’t have it in him to contemplate everything right now.
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