Alyssa Im

[ RP ] Daughter of Hades | 18

[alyssaim]

blackgardensandgraves‌:

Theios maintained eye-contact with Alyssa as she took the presents. He rather thought that she looked as surprised as he had. Granted, his present was a lot less thoughtful than hers- he actually hadn’t intended to get her one and maybe he was wrong about all of this- but it was what he had.

He watched her look them over and smiled a little because at least she didn’t look angry or hurt. He turned his attention to the present she gave him and carefully opened it. He blinked at the dark cloth and pulled it out, admiring the texture. He didn’t have many nice pieces of clothing, and the scarf was soft. At least, he thought it was a scarf. He stroked it a couple of times and startled as it went from absorbing light to shimmering. Fascinated, he repeated the gesture, watching it flick back and forth.

He was drawn from his reverie by her voice and he looked up. Guilt flicked through his eyes for a moment and he folded the scarf. “Alyssa… I’m sorry.” He remained where he was on the ground, but he kept looking at her eyes. “I… I’ve been an ass, and you don’t deserve that. I’m sorry.”

The last thing that she was expecting to hear from Theios was an apology, and when she heard it, her smile faded into a more serious expression. Ever since their last encounter, she had been feeling rather guilty about how she had acted towards him then. Thinking about it made her feel guilty again, and Alyssa decided that Theios was not the only one who had to say sorry. She had been wrong to feel bitter towards him when he likely had his own personal reasons for acting in that way.

“I’m sorry too,” she replied, stooping down to level her eyes with his while holding the papers carefully to prevent the paper from creasing. Her voice was soft. “I could’ve acted better to you, but I didn’t, so I’m sorry about not having chosen to do so.” Pausing, she briefly glanced at the ground before meeting his gaze again.

This time, there was a small smile on her face, and she held out her hand for a handshake. “To a better year?” 

[stormy-trent]

alyssaim‌:

With a surprise, she turned around and raised her eyebrows at the sight of the unfamiliar fellow. “I’m just fine, thank you,” she answered, returning her attention to her tree. “I’m just trying to set up some seasonal decorations for the Hades cabin.”

‘Do you need help?” Trent looks at the decorations then at his cousin. “I’m free anyway and my cabin is pretty much done.”

[alyssaim]

She wondered what he meant by help. “I guess.. Okay..? Would you like to help contribute to the tree?” Alyssa managed to finish her question, but she quickly frowned and sat up. It was only proper for her to know him and introduce herself first. “Actually, what’s your name?”

[alyssaim]

@mikeluman

It was a rather gloomy morning, and it seemed like it was going to rain. Wondering if something was up with the gods, Alyssa briefly glanced up at the sky before heading into the dining pavilion, hungry for breakfast. Upon grabbing her food (which was mostly composed of fruit, especially grapes), she glanced around, wondering where to sit.

There were never too many campers eating early in the morning, so she recognized the faces of those who were usually there. She had introduced herself (or vice versa) to most of them, meaning that she had at exchanged a minimum of ten words, but there was one particular individual who she had never had the opportunity to talk to before: Michael Luman, son of Zeus.

She had heard about him but had paid minor attention. At some point, she presumed, the thought of getting to know him had completely left her mind.

Figuring that this gloomy day was giving her the opportunity to meet the son of Zeus, Alyssa made her way over to his table with her food, standing behind the seat across from him. “Would you mind if I sat here?”

[mikeluman]

As Alyssa begins to quicken her pace, Michael does too. “In terms of abilities, I can control the winds and summon lightning. But at the moment the winds are always in powerful bursts that either send me flying or knock everything down. Same with the lightning, keeping it under control is the hardest part”. After his ability rundown he follows up with his own question. “What about you? Do you have any sort of powers and such?”

[alyssaim]

When he describes his abilities, she nods. “I see. Hm. I can usually control the dark and shadow travel. I’ve also managed to summon things, like skeletons, from the Underworld, but I’m really bad at it.” She smiles a bit sympathetically at him, shrugging a bit. Reaching a decently sized clearing, she stops, turning to look at him. “How’s this? Or would you prefer someplace bigger?”

[blackgardensandgraves]

alyssaim‌:

Today marked Alyssa’ fourth Christmas at camp. As usual, she awoke early and ate breakfast before training for an hour. Afterwards, she washed up and dressed herself in her most festive attire–a dark red dress. Though not as outwardly cheery as others, Alyssa still made an effort to help cultivate a cheery spirit within the camp. She had gotten presents for a few friends and making use of the rest of her morning to distribute them, she discovered that Theios, for who she had to almost force herself to buy a gift for, was no where to be found. 

It was purely a coincidence that she had managed to run into him, and it struck her as odd that he would choose this sort of setting to spend his Christmas. It was of no matter to her, for he was free to do whatever he liked. 

“Here, Merry Christmas,” she said, handing him a small, wrapped package. In it was a black scarf that she had admired for its ability to shimmer fashionably or turn matte and repel light. All that the wearer had to do was to stroke it with two fingers three times to switch between the scarf’s two forms. Though it might not have been the best gift, it was warm and protective to where, she hoped, anyone would find it useful. 

Theios was genuinely startled to see Alyssa- hers was the last face he’d expected to see. Honestly, he’d expected Lucien or Robbie to come drag him away by now, though he’d been enjoying the privacy. It was…cathartic to hold the vigil, even if it made his chest ache a little.

He came out of his stunned revelry when she offered him a wrapped package. He stared at it blankly for a few moments, trying to process the fact that she had given him a present. On Christmas.

And he had nothing for her. He hadn’t even thought about it. The ache in his chest deepened and became something else. Maybe guilt. He wasn’t sure. He glanced up at her and took the package, but set it gently on the ground. He reached for his sketchbook after and flipped it open. He pulled out a few pages: a detailed sketch of the Hades cabin, complete with the little Christmas tree she’d put in front of it, a rose made of glass with cracks spiderwebbing along the petals, and finally, a set of weapons and a suit of armour bathed in green flames. He wasn’t sure if she’d like them, but they were probably the best he had, unless she wanted other scenes from around the camp or an endless amount of flowers. He held them up to her.

[alyssaim]

When Theios took the gift, Alyssa was relieved, for she had been anxious about the possibility that he would reject it. However, she was caught by surprise when he took out pages from his sketchbook and handed them to her. Without speaking, she took them, her eyes remaining focused on his face as she did so. 

The moment she look at them, she loved them. Her favorite was the one of the Hades cabin, for it even had her small skeletal Christmas tree at the front, and as for the other two, they were so meticulously drawn that she couldn’t help but feel awed. Honestly, she would never have suspected that Theios had such a talent for sketching, and it impressed her. Indeed, there truly was more to everyone than what was on their surface. 

Flipping through them several times again, she found a small smile beginning to form on her face, and lifted her gaze to look at Theios. “Thanks,” she answered. 

[stormy-trent]

alyssaim‌:

Originally posted by leaderirene

The weather was growing chillier, but Alyssa was found seated on the ground in front of the Hades cabin. She had a thick jacket on, but she was barefoot and without gloves. Her nose was slightly pink from the frost, but she paid it no attention as she focused on building a Christmas tree—Hades style. It was made of bones that were so white and clean that they looked plastic, and small skulls hung from random tips of the tree, being gruesome mimics of ornaments.

The usually alert girl was focused so heavily on her work that she failed to hear anyone approach her from behind.

“You look like you’re about to get a frostbite any second.” Trent commented when he saw the girl. “Are you sure you wanna be out here and not inside?”

[alyssaim]

With a surprise, she turned around and raised her eyebrows at the sight of the unfamiliar fellow. “I’m just fine, thank you,” she answered, returning her attention to her tree. “I’m just trying to set up some seasonal decorations for the Hades cabin.”

[aiden-d]

alyssaim‌:

“Ah? I see,” Alyssa responded. “Well, thank you for your service,” she responded quaintly. “What’s your actual job?”

“Legally, I’m a cop.” Aiden replied with a small smile. “Trained as a sniper and also trained with dogs.”

[alyssaim]

“Cop,” she repeated, allowing herself to express her surprise. “And a sniper.” She was impressed. “That’s impressive,” Alyssa said. “Have you had to use those skills lately?”

[alyssaim]

[robbieoferebus]

alyssaim‌:

“That’s fine,” she responded, nodding her head to indicate that she thought it was a good idea. “I’ll go on first. See you there soon.” Waving goodbye to the dogs and Robbie, she turned and hurried off to the training grounds. 

Robbie tugged on the leashes of the dogs lightly to tell them that they were headed back to the cabin. Only, they just stared at him. And he stared back. “Are you fucking kidding me? You want me to carry you guys now after you’ve had rest?” The son of Erebus said before bending down to carry both of the pugs.

[alyssaim]

Once at the training grounds, Alyssa immediately got to work. The girl wasted no time in stretching and warming up with a lap or two, and once she felt herself beginning to break into sweat, she began running through the close combat drills that she had been taught. As someone who had spent years practicing sword-fighting, she had realized how poor her close combat skills were. With that in mind, she had made it a goal to improve as quickly as possible.

[blackgardensandgraves]

@alyssaim

Theios had wanted a secluded place, but he’d settled for this little clearing, away from the noise and bustle of the Camp. Everyone, it seemed, was so happy, almost painfully enthusiastic about the holiday… He didn’t hold it against any of them, either. It was their right to be happy, to be joyful in the middle of the darkest season.

He rather thought that he was happy, too. In a way, at least. Here, for the first time in years, he had people to celebrate with, people to agonize gift choices over, people to remind him that he wasn’t alone. People who loved him and who he loved, people who reminded him of who he’d lost.

That was why he was here, kneeling before two candles in the snow. A private… He didn’t know what to call it. Maybe a prayer, maybe a funeral, maybe just a way to honour them. Delicate paper rested in front of each candle, the images visible in the dim light, and there was over the scene a cadence of a lullaby whispered in Greek. Theios didn’t pray, not anymore and especially not now, so this was all he had. The lullaby continued, soft over the footsteps that startled him. He couldn’t say he was surprised- any number of people would want to hunt him down tonight and drag him away from this lonely vigil. When he looked up, though, the face that met his wasn’t what he expected.

[alyssaim]

Today marked Alyssa’ fourth Christmas at camp. As usual, she awoke early and ate breakfast before training for an hour. Afterwards, she washed up and dressed herself in her most festive attire--a dark red dress. Though not as outwardly cheery as others, Alyssa still made an effort to help cultivate a cheery spirit within the camp. She had gotten presents for a few friends and making use of the rest of her morning to distribute them, she discovered that Theios, for who she had to almost force herself to buy a gift for, was no where to be found. 

It was purely a coincidence that she had managed to run into him, and it struck her as odd that he would choose this sort of setting to spend his Christmas. It was of no matter to her, for he was free to do whatever he liked. 

“Here, Merry Christmas,” she said, handing him a small, wrapped package. In it was a black scarf that she had admired for its ability to shimmer fashionably or turn matte and repel light. All that the wearer had to do was to stroke it with two fingers three times to switch between the scarf’s two forms. Though it might not have been the best gift, it was warm and protective to where, she hoped, anyone would find it useful. 

[robbieoferebus]

alyssaim‌:

“Ah,” she responded simply, deciding that she’d ask about it, if in an appropriate situation to do so, later. “Let’s go, now?” she asked, quicklt pausing after having asked, for she realized that his two adorable dogs probably shouldn’t be brought to the training grounds. “Or, I’ll just be at the training grounds all morning. Come join me at least before 11 so we’ll have an hour?” Her tone suggested that even earlier would be better, but her expression remained the same—calm and serene.

“How about I bring the dogs back to my cabin first? Let me get changed and I’ll see you at the arena?” Robbie could see that the dogs were already getting tired, even though they were just standing there while he was talking with Alyssa. “I’ll see you then? Gotta get these prima donnas back before they ask me to carry them.”

[alyssaim]

“That’s fine,” she responded, nodding her head to indicate that she thought it was a good idea. “I’ll go on first. See you there soon.” Waving goodbye to the dogs and Robbie, she turned and hurried off to the training grounds. 

[blackgardensandgraves]

alyssaim‌:

Alyssa had forgotten why she had confronted Theios in the first place, and for the same reason, she was unable to figure out if she had accomplished anything by talking to him. This frustrated her, for she had broken several rules that she had set for herself by doing so. She felt an wave of panic course through her chest and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. 

He spoke when she had just made up her mind to leave, and it made her freeze, both from offense and surprise. The years that it had taken for her to control her facial expressions had paid off, and she felt relieved by how she had kept herself from betraying any emotion in that moment. 

“I don’t want to replace anyone either,” she responded coldly. Her eyes moved to briefly stare at him. “I’d prefer to be accepted as who I am without a template or precedent to be compared to.” She fell into a gloomy silence afterwards, not wanting to say anything else to prolong the conversation. 

Theios didn’t have a clue about why this was so important to her, or why she’d accosted him so suddenly. He’d blame the upcoming festive season, if he thought that remotely mattered. The season was painful, it always was, but Theios liked to imagine that it would hurt less this year. If this girl kept her distance and didn’t bring up siblings with him.

Even so, he felt guilty when she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Whether it was panic, anger, or something else entirely, he still felt bad for causing it. Maybe he wasn’t keen on the idea of ‘siblings’ anymore, not with the guilty, blood-soaked memories that kept him firmly rooted in belief that he was all but a curse, but he still didn’t actively want to harm people who hadn’t harmed him.

He winced at her tone, looking away. He shook his head briefly because that wasn’t what he had meant by that. No one would ever come close to what he’d lost, Theios knew that, but he was afraid of accepting anyone else as a sibling because… Well, he’d only ever had one and now he didn’t. “It’s not who you are, it’s what you are.” Which sounded even worse, but he was giving up at this point.

[alyssaim]

To her, his perspective on his problems was frustrating. She didn’t understand why he was so hesitant to open up, as well as why. Though she admitted that it was dismissive and inconsiderate for her to do so, she was just frustrated that things were not progressing as simply as she would have hoped.

“It’s fine. I’ll drop it,” she responded calmly, collecting herself. Their conversation was going no where, and she no longer had the mental energy to reach a reconciliation with him. 

‘You’re making a fuss about it, Alyssa,’ she thought, reprimanding herself. ‘Don’t make matters worse.’ 

“Happy holidays, Theios,” she heard herself say. Her own voice sounded foreign to her, for her words were spoken so coldly, and with that, she left the armory as quickly as she had entered.

[wingedthiefs]

alyssaim

The sound of an unexpected visitor caused her to whirl around in surprise, and because her attention had wavered from the skeletal tree, it creaked and tilted unsteadily. “I’m not cold,” she scowled in response, tucking her bare feet underneath herself to hide then. “One comes to eventually withstand temperature, and cold is just a state of mind.” She had actually woken up to find her boots missing, again, and being too tired to search for them, she had begun amusing herself with making a skeletal Christmas tree.

With that, she returned her attention to the tree and steadied it, visibly relaxing upon doing so. “Happy holidays.”

He rolled his eyes at her, tossing the pair of clean socks at her. “Whatever you say, but I know for a fact that a cold can kill someone.” He said. “Besides, the fact that you’re turning pink seems to suggest that you’re cold.” He scolded.

As she turned away from him, he noticed her posture relax, immediately feeling guilty for his stance on the matter. “Happy holidays.” He responded automatically, before moving next to her, staring at the small pile of bones, wonder clouding his features. “Whatcha doing?”

[alyssaim]

The pair of socks hit her, and she scowled, not appreciating it being tossed at her. However, she took it and stuffed it into her pocket, not caring to wear it. 

“Just putting up holiday decorations,” she responded drearily. “Bored.” With a wave of her hand, the tree shook gently, the bones hitting each other to produce a teeth-chattering-like sound. Gazing at her work with greater satisfaction, she slowly lowered her hands and visibly relaxed when the tree remained erect. Afterwards, she took to pulling the socks out and putting them on her feet. “You?” 

[alyssaim]

@mikeluman

It was a rather gloomy morning, and it seemed like it was going to rain. Wondering if something was up with the gods, Alyssa briefly glanced up at the sky before heading into the dining pavilion, hungry for breakfast. Upon grabbing her food (which was mostly composed of fruit, especially grapes), she glanced around, wondering where to sit.

There were never too many campers eating early in the morning, so she recognized the faces of those who were usually there. She had introduced herself (or vice versa) to most of them, meaning that she had at exchanged a minimum of ten words, but there was one particular individual who she had never had the opportunity to talk to before: Michael Luman, son of Zeus.

She had heard about him but had paid minor attention. At some point, she presumed, the thought of getting to know him had completely left her mind.

Figuring that this gloomy day was giving her the opportunity to meet the son of Zeus, Alyssa made her way over to his table with her food, standing behind the seat across from him. “Would you mind if I sat here?”

[mikeluman]

“Right, yes, that,” Michael nods, letting out a sigh. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t feel a little disappointed that all he’s known for is his godly heritage. He waves off the comment about his appetite and takes a sip of his own drink. “Camp is awesome! I think I’ve finally began to settle in to it all for the most part. Granted I’m terrible at almost every aspect of it, but otherwise it’s brilliant”. Finishing off his food, he puts the plate to the side. “Well since you know about me I feel bad not knowing a single detail about you other than your name. What can you tell me about yourself?” He asks curiously.

[alyssaim]

A small, sympathetic smile appears on Alyssa’s face when he mentions how he’s terrible at every aspect of camp. Everyone starts somewhere, she thinks. “About myself, mm… I live in Cabin 13. Hades. Been at camp for four years. Nothing interesting otherwise, unless you have specific questions.” She pauses after her brief spheel and realizes that she’s run out of grapes. “I usually eat breakfast at this time and train afterwards. Are you usually here at this time?”

[mikeluman]

Michael nods along as she talks about herself. “Oh I don’t believe the most interesting thing about you is to do with this whole gods nonsense,” he comments with a smile. “Where are you from? What are you favourite things to do? Are you secretly a ninja?” Michael narrows his eyes at the last question, pretending to be serious. “To answer your question I usually am here at this time. Then yeah I go straight into training after”.

[alyssaim]

At his sudden string of questions, she raises her eyebrows in surprise and frowns to herself. It is unusual to be asked so many questions about herself. Alyssa has never been one to openly talk about herself, and she doesn’t recall ever being asked so many at once either. Ignoring his question about her hometown, she responds to the rest, “I like to read, and I also like to be out in nature. I like hiking.” A shadow of a smile appears on her face at the thought. “I also like arts and crafts, but I don’t have a lot of time or motivation to do it as much nowadays. I’m also very much not a ninja.” She imitates him, narrowing her eyes ironically. What had made him ask such a question?, she wondered. “Oh, you train after early breakfast? I usually do that too. Are you done eating?” 

[mikeluman]

“See? Those are infinitely more interesting,” Michael smiles warmly. He picked up on the fact she didn’t answer the first question, which led him to believe there was bad history there. But he didn’t pry, since it was clearly something she didn’t want to talk about. “That’s exactly what a ninja would say,” he comments, before nodding in answer to her question. “Yup, all done here and ready to start. He then leans in a bit and speaks in a more quite voice. “Since you say you like hiking and nature why don’t we take a walk through the woods to find somewhere to train?” He suggest with a grin.

[alyssaim]

When he comments that what she’s just said is infinitely more interesting, she stares at him and tries to find something to say, but when she’s unable to think of a smart response, she flits her gaze back to her plate. “Would you mind me asking where you got the ninja thought from?” she inquires, tilting her head as she looks at him. “As for training in the woods..” She pauses, hesitant to do so, but ultimately concedes. “Sure,” she agrees, nodding her head. Getting up from the table and taking her plate, she scrapes off the remaining berries into the fire before putting away her dish. “Do you usually train in the woods, Michael?” 

[mikeluman]

Michael chuckles and shrugs at her question, “no clue, just seemed like a fun question. One day someone will say they are”. He notices her tipping her food into the fire and looks over to his own plate, completely empty with nothing to offer. Though he’s not too fussed about that fact. “You’ll come to learn my brain has a few screws loose and that there’s no reasoning behind many things,” he comments as he begins to stand up. “I sometimes do, depending on what I want to work on. Usually the woods are where I practice abilities since I’m uh… not able to safely use them yet,” he explains, rubbing the back of his neck as he does.

[alyssaim]

Alyssa feels half obliged to laugh at his remark, but she chooses not to, and, instead, faces him with a smile. “It’s fine. Not everything has to have a reason. What do you usually try to practice and work on?” she asks, curious to hear of what skills the son of Zeus would be trying to improve. “I won’t die today, right?” She finds her irony odd and unusual, but considering that she’s been told to work on her sense of humor by several other campers multiple times, she dismisses the thoughts. 

[mikeluman]

“That it doesn’t,” he agrees as they begin to make their way to the woods. “My abilities mostly,” he admits with a shrug. “I’m also struggling to find a weapon that suits me best, but to little avail,” he admits. He lets out a slight chuckle at her question, “no you should be fine. To be honest I’m more than likely to get hurt before do”.

[alyssaim]

“Oh, it’s hard to find a suitable weapon,” she responds, remembering how difficult it had been for her to initially grow accustomed to using a heavier sword. “But you should eventually.” She nods when he reassures that she’ll be fine, and as they enter the woods, she quickens her pace. “What do you know how to do?” 

[alyssaim]

@mikeluman

It was a rather gloomy morning, and it seemed like it was going to rain. Wondering if something was up with the gods, Alyssa briefly glanced up at the sky before heading into the dining pavilion, hungry for breakfast. Upon grabbing her food (which was mostly composed of fruit, especially grapes), she glanced around, wondering where to sit.

There were never too many campers eating early in the morning, so she recognized the faces of those who were usually there. She had introduced herself (or vice versa) to most of them, meaning that she had at exchanged a minimum of ten words, but there was one particular individual who she had never had the opportunity to talk to before: Michael Luman, son of Zeus.

She had heard about him but had paid minor attention. At some point, she presumed, the thought of getting to know him had completely left her mind.

Figuring that this gloomy day was giving her the opportunity to meet the son of Zeus, Alyssa made her way over to his table with her food, standing behind the seat across from him. “Would you mind if I sat here?”

[mikeluman]

“Right, yes, that,” Michael nods, letting out a sigh. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t feel a little disappointed that all he’s known for is his godly heritage. He waves off the comment about his appetite and takes a sip of his own drink. “Camp is awesome! I think I’ve finally began to settle in to it all for the most part. Granted I’m terrible at almost every aspect of it, but otherwise it’s brilliant”. Finishing off his food, he puts the plate to the side. “Well since you know about me I feel bad not knowing a single detail about you other than your name. What can you tell me about yourself?” He asks curiously.

[alyssaim]

A small, sympathetic smile appears on Alyssa’s face when he mentions how he’s terrible at every aspect of camp. Everyone starts somewhere, she thinks. “About myself, mm… I live in Cabin 13. Hades. Been at camp for four years. Nothing interesting otherwise, unless you have specific questions.” She pauses after her brief spheel and realizes that she’s run out of grapes. “I usually eat breakfast at this time and train afterwards. Are you usually here at this time?”

[mikeluman]

Michael nods along as she talks about herself. “Oh I don’t believe the most interesting thing about you is to do with this whole gods nonsense,” he comments with a smile. “Where are you from? What are you favourite things to do? Are you secretly a ninja?” Michael narrows his eyes at the last question, pretending to be serious. “To answer your question I usually am here at this time. Then yeah I go straight into training after”.

[alyssaim]

At his sudden string of questions, she raises her eyebrows in surprise and frowns to herself. It is unusual to be asked so many questions about herself. Alyssa has never been one to openly talk about herself, and she doesn’t recall ever being asked so many at once either. Ignoring his question about her hometown, she responds to the rest, “I like to read, and I also like to be out in nature. I like hiking.” A shadow of a smile appears on her face at the thought. “I also like arts and crafts, but I don’t have a lot of time or motivation to do it as much nowadays. I’m also very much not a ninja.” She imitates him, narrowing her eyes ironically. What had made him ask such a question?, she wondered. “Oh, you train after early breakfast? I usually do that too. Are you done eating?” 

[mikeluman]

“See? Those are infinitely more interesting,” Michael smiles warmly. He picked up on the fact she didn’t answer the first question, which led him to believe there was bad history there. But he didn’t pry, since it was clearly something she didn’t want to talk about. “That’s exactly what a ninja would say,” he comments, before nodding in answer to her question. “Yup, all done here and ready to start. He then leans in a bit and speaks in a more quite voice. “Since you say you like hiking and nature why don’t we take a walk through the woods to find somewhere to train?” He suggest with a grin.

[alyssaim]

When he comments that what she’s just said is infinitely more interesting, she stares at him and tries to find something to say, but when she’s unable to think of a smart response, she flits her gaze back to her plate. “Would you mind me asking where you got the ninja thought from?” she inquires, tilting her head as she looks at him. “As for training in the woods..” She pauses, hesitant to do so, but ultimately concedes. “Sure,” she agrees, nodding her head. Getting up from the table and taking her plate, she scrapes off the remaining berries into the fire before putting away her dish. “Do you usually train in the woods, Michael?” 

[mikeluman]

Michael chuckles and shrugs at her question, “no clue, just seemed like a fun question. One day someone will say they are”. He notices her tipping her food into the fire and looks over to his own plate, completely empty with nothing to offer. Though he’s not too fussed about that fact. “You’ll come to learn my brain has a few screws loose and that there’s no reasoning behind many things,” he comments as he begins to stand up. “I sometimes do, depending on what I want to work on. Usually the woods are where I practice abilities since I’m uh… not able to safely use them yet,” he explains, rubbing the back of his neck as he does.

[alyssaim]

Alyssa feels half obliged to laugh at his remark, but she chooses not to, and, instead, faces him with a smile. “It’s fine. Not everything has to have a reason. What do you usually try to practice and work on?” she asks, curious to hear of what skills the son of Zeus would be trying to improve. “I won’t die today, right?” She finds her irony odd and unusual, but considering that she’s been told to work on her sense of humor by several other campers multiple times, she dismisses the thoughts. 

[blackgardensandgraves]

alyssaim‌:

At his response, her eyes momentarily widened, and her grasp on his arm grew slack. Though it was only lasted for a second, she reprimanded herself for betraying her vulnerability in a situation like this.

She didn’t know what Theios had gone through, but she had once felt the same (or similar) fear—to be the cause of another’s death. It had terrified her, and she had refused to talk to anyone, look anyone in the eye, and meet anyone for several months.

“It’s fine to be scared,” she responded, “but you shouldn’t let it control so much of you to where it prevents you from even greeting a…half-sibling.” Her argument was taking a personal turn, which, to her, was unideal yet inevitable. “I would like to get to know you better, and, if I can, help…” Her voice drifted off, and upon realizing how silly she might be sounding, Alyssa hardened and released her hold on Theios. “Never mind. I’ll end this conversation by telling you that fears exist to be overcome, not to tie down and prevent.”

The second her grip slackened, Theios pulled away, drawing into himself. Both hands now rested on his daggers, but there wasn’t even a hint of a threat around him. What were dangerous weapons to others were a distinct source of stability for him.

It might’ve been foolish or just a placebo effect, but the daggers helped ward against the memories of blood that haunted him. It might’ve been ironic for a child of Hades to be so upset over the prospect of death- they all died in the end, everyone died- but Theios had never quite been able to bring himself to think about what had happened. The memories were partially gone and drenched in so much agony that he didn’t want to look back.

He dropped his gaze from her to the floor, unable to withstand her gaze because she was right and he knew it, but he couldn’t… No. He didn’t want to try. He was scared of being the cause of someone’s death, true, but he was also scared of getting close, scared of replacing warmth that existed only in his mind. “I don’t want to replace him with you.” The admission was accidental, but true. Theios was not a liar, he never had been. Not technically, at least.

[alyssaim]

Alyssa had forgotten why she had confronted Theios in the first place, and for the same reason, she was unable to figure out if she had accomplished anything by talking to him. This frustrated her, for she had broken several rules that she had set for herself by doing so. She felt an wave of panic course through her chest and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. 

He spoke when she had just made up her mind to leave, and it made her freeze, both from offense and surprise. The years that it had taken for her to control her facial expressions had paid off, and she felt relieved by how she had kept herself from betraying any emotion in that moment. 

"I don’t want to replace anyone either,” she responded coldly. Her eyes moved to briefly stare at him. “I’d prefer to be accepted as who I am without a template or precedent to be compared to.” She fell into a gloomy silence afterwards, not wanting to say anything else to prolong the conversation. 

[alyssaim]

@mikeluman

It was a rather gloomy morning, and it seemed like it was going to rain. Wondering if something was up with the gods, Alyssa briefly glanced up at the sky before heading into the dining pavilion, hungry for breakfast. Upon grabbing her food (which was mostly composed of fruit, especially grapes), she glanced around, wondering where to sit.

There were never too many campers eating early in the morning, so she recognized the faces of those who were usually there. She had introduced herself (or vice versa) to most of them, meaning that she had at exchanged a minimum of ten words, but there was one particular individual who she had never had the opportunity to talk to before: Michael Luman, son of Zeus.

She had heard about him but had paid minor attention. At some point, she presumed, the thought of getting to know him had completely left her mind.

Figuring that this gloomy day was giving her the opportunity to meet the son of Zeus, Alyssa made her way over to his table with her food, standing behind the seat across from him. “Would you mind if I sat here?”

[mikeluman]

“Right, yes, that,” Michael nods, letting out a sigh. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t feel a little disappointed that all he’s known for is his godly heritage. He waves off the comment about his appetite and takes a sip of his own drink. “Camp is awesome! I think I’ve finally began to settle in to it all for the most part. Granted I’m terrible at almost every aspect of it, but otherwise it’s brilliant”. Finishing off his food, he puts the plate to the side. “Well since you know about me I feel bad not knowing a single detail about you other than your name. What can you tell me about yourself?” He asks curiously.

[alyssaim]

A small, sympathetic smile appears on Alyssa’s face when he mentions how he’s terrible at every aspect of camp. Everyone starts somewhere, she thinks. “About myself, mm… I live in Cabin 13. Hades. Been at camp for four years. Nothing interesting otherwise, unless you have specific questions.” She pauses after her brief spheel and realizes that she’s run out of grapes. “I usually eat breakfast at this time and train afterwards. Are you usually here at this time?”

[mikeluman]

Michael nods along as she talks about herself. “Oh I don’t believe the most interesting thing about you is to do with this whole gods nonsense,” he comments with a smile. “Where are you from? What are you favourite things to do? Are you secretly a ninja?” Michael narrows his eyes at the last question, pretending to be serious. “To answer your question I usually am here at this time. Then yeah I go straight into training after”.

[alyssaim]

At his sudden string of questions, she raises her eyebrows in surprise and frowns to herself. It is unusual to be asked so many questions about herself. Alyssa has never been one to openly talk about herself, and she doesn’t recall ever being asked so many at once either. Ignoring his question about her hometown, she responds to the rest, “I like to read, and I also like to be out in nature. I like hiking.” A shadow of a smile appears on her face at the thought. “I also like arts and crafts, but I don’t have a lot of time or motivation to do it as much nowadays. I’m also very much not a ninja.” She imitates him, narrowing her eyes ironically. What had made him ask such a question?, she wondered. “Oh, you train after early breakfast? I usually do that too. Are you done eating?” 

[mikeluman]

“See? Those are infinitely more interesting,” Michael smiles warmly. He picked up on the fact she didn’t answer the first question, which led him to believe there was bad history there. But he didn’t pry, since it was clearly something she didn’t want to talk about. “That’s exactly what a ninja would say,” he comments, before nodding in answer to her question. “Yup, all done here and ready to start. He then leans in a bit and speaks in a more quite voice. “Since you say you like hiking and nature why don’t we take a walk through the woods to find somewhere to train?” He suggest with a grin.

[alyssaim]

When he comments that what she’s just said is infinitely more interesting, she stares at him and tries to find something to say, but when she’s unable to think of a smart response, she flits her gaze back to her plate. “Would you mind me asking where you got the ninja thought from?” she inquires, tilting her head as she looks at him. “As for training in the woods..” She pauses, hesitant to do so, but ultimately concedes. “Sure,” she agrees, nodding her head. Getting up from the table and taking her plate, she scrapes off the remaining berries into the fire before putting away her dish. “Do you usually train in the woods, Michael?” 

[alyssaim]

@mikeluman

It was a rather gloomy morning, and it seemed like it was going to rain. Wondering if something was up with the gods, Alyssa briefly glanced up at the sky before heading into the dining pavilion, hungry for breakfast. Upon grabbing her food (which was mostly composed of fruit, especially grapes), she glanced around, wondering where to sit.

There were never too many campers eating early in the morning, so she recognized the faces of those who were usually there. She had introduced herself (or vice versa) to most of them, meaning that she had at exchanged a minimum of ten words, but there was one particular individual who she had never had the opportunity to talk to before: Michael Luman, son of Zeus.

She had heard about him but had paid minor attention. At some point, she presumed, the thought of getting to know him had completely left her mind.

Figuring that this gloomy day was giving her the opportunity to meet the son of Zeus, Alyssa made her way over to his table with her food, standing behind the seat across from him. “Would you mind if I sat here?”

[mikeluman]

“Right, yes, that,” Michael nods, letting out a sigh. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t feel a little disappointed that all he’s known for is his godly heritage. He waves off the comment about his appetite and takes a sip of his own drink. “Camp is awesome! I think I’ve finally began to settle in to it all for the most part. Granted I’m terrible at almost every aspect of it, but otherwise it’s brilliant”. Finishing off his food, he puts the plate to the side. “Well since you know about me I feel bad not knowing a single detail about you other than your name. What can you tell me about yourself?” He asks curiously.

[alyssaim]

A small, sympathetic smile appears on Alyssa’s face when he mentions how he’s terrible at every aspect of camp. Everyone starts somewhere, she thinks. “About myself, mm… I live in Cabin 13. Hades. Been at camp for four years. Nothing interesting otherwise, unless you have specific questions.” She pauses after her brief spheel and realizes that she’s run out of grapes. “I usually eat breakfast at this time and train afterwards. Are you usually here at this time?”

[mikeluman]

Michael nods along as she talks about herself. “Oh I don’t believe the most interesting thing about you is to do with this whole gods nonsense,” he comments with a smile. “Where are you from? What are you favourite things to do? Are you secretly a ninja?” Michael narrows his eyes at the last question, pretending to be serious. “To answer your question I usually am here at this time. Then yeah I go straight into training after”.

[alyssaim]

At his sudden string of questions, she raises her eyebrows in surprise and frowns to herself. It is unusual to be asked so many questions about herself. Alyssa has never been one to openly talk about herself, and she doesn’t recall ever being asked so many at once either. Ignoring his question about her hometown, she responds to the rest, “I like to read, and I also like to be out in nature. I like hiking.” A shadow of a smile appears on her face at the thought. “I also like arts and crafts, but I don’t have a lot of time or motivation to do it as much nowadays. I’m also very much not a ninja.” She imitates him, narrowing her eyes ironically. What had made him ask such a question?, she wondered. “Oh, you train after early breakfast? I usually do that too. Are you done eating?”