Calling all Demigods! discussion

"Well. I seem to hang out by the water a lot. Not sure why, though. I enjoy my sibling's and friend's company. How about you?" He asked, making his pegasi slow to a walk.

Leeanne let her own pegasus slow down beside his. "Sports mostly," she replied. "Wouldn't you imagine a daughter of Anicetus-god of sports- would spend much of her unoccupied time to do the very thing her father is god of?" A smirk formed on her lips at the last part.

"How ironic," Dylan said with a soft snicker. "Wanna race?" He asked, petting his horse again.

"Sure," she replied. At least she would not have to make too much conversation if they raced. Who doesn't like a good race? Lee thought.

"All right. Get ready," he warned, bracing himself against the horse. "On the count of three."

She grinned. She whispered to her pegasus, getting ready to take off.

(Who do you think should win?)

((dun matter to me. Tie?))
Dylan pressed himself against his horse. "One...two..."

(Sure.)

Leeanne whispered to her pegasus again. "Try your best," she breathed into the pegasus' ear.

"Three!" Dylan yelled, and ran with his gorse at full speed.

Leeanne laughed as her pegasus ran. Her hair started to tumble out of its bun, too thick for the barett.

Dylan ran ahead, not looking back as he laughed. His pegasi's mane flung in his face, forcing him to slow.

Lee sped up, taking the lead. "Where is the ending point of this race?" she called, not daring to look back at him.

"Um...end of the trail!" Dylan called back, slapping hair out of his face.

Her barett fell out as they continued. Anne looked back surprised with a result of slowing down slightly.

Dylan looked back, slowing his horse immediatly. "Everything allright?" He asked her, preparing to turn his Pegasus around.

"Fine!" she called. "Baretts are such a pain. My hair is too thick." She paused. "Shall we continue?"

"Sure!" He said, racing again toward the end if the trail. He would never understand females and their hair.

Lee continued to ride, her hair flying behind her.

Dylan sped up the horse, but not too much in case he broke the horse.

Lee grinned. No you don't, she thought with excitement. She sped up also.

Dylan looked up in shock as Lee trotted next to him. Becoming competitive, he gently worked the horse harder, which didn't help.

Leeanne's grin grew at the reaction. Good, she thought, someone who is not willing to lose. Too bad I will have to disappoint. She laughed. Somehow she managed to keep up with him.

Dylan grinned at her, and let his horse go as fast as it could go. He knew that it would have to be a tie, or she would win.

She let her own pegasus speed up also. Lee was sure she would never get old with this. She laughed again.

Dylan looked and saw that they were almost to the end of the trail. He also saw that their horses were neck and neck. He grinned.

It was obvious there would be a tie. Leeanne was sure of it. It would not be fair if she sped up. She could hardly believe her pegasus could go that fast. As it was the pegasus might fall down dead by the time the race was over.

Dylan raced his horse so that their horses almost touched. Finally, he saw that he'd reached the end if the trail. He smiled, and looked up at Lee who had finished the race at the same time as him.

Leeanne dismounted her pegasus, breathless even though she was not the one running. "Good game," she said as a good sport. Next time will be different, she thought. Lee patted her horse with concern. She wondered if her pegasus would survive from the race.

Dylan nodded, grinning at her. "Good job," he praised, patting her Pegasus in concern. "She might have been over worked."

"Probably," Lee agreed. Poor thing, she thought. Too bad she did not have water on her. Shoot! She should always bring water.

"She just needs a little time to calm down," Dylan assured his friend, giving her a side-long glance. He pat the horse, whispering quietly to her.

Leeanne watched with a slight smile. "Do you talk to horses often?" she asked with a little amusement, yet still concerned for her own winged-horse.

"Yes. Yes I do," he replied, pride in his voice loud and clear. He stroked the horse's damp pelt, soothing it and relaxing it's muscles with his soothing touch.

Lee stroked her pegasus' mane, letting her hand travel softly. She came closer to it to whisper to her.

Dylan smiled at Lee in an attempt at assurance. He pat the horse, and he noticed that her breathing had already slowed.

Leeanne took in his reassurimg smile, trying to smile. She only managed a half smile. "Next time I will try to keep in mind not to ride in one day and then have a race," she said.

"Good idea," Dylan mumbled as he pat the horse. "She looks okay, now. I'd better get going, Lee. Bye." He mounted his horse, and steadily walked away, heading towards the stables.

She wondered where he was going. She sighed. "Come," she said to the pegasus. "Back to the stables." She sighed. Now what will I do with the rest of my day? Lee lead her pegasus back toward the stables.

All current scenes fade. New year starts now in the next summer! (effective as of Sat 8 Jan 2011)

Riding? No.
Hiking? Absolutely not.

Dante strode with a purpose and that was to find a private spot off the trail. His hands dug deep into his suit pant pockets.

The notebook was warm in Aureline’s lap. Boreas’ daughter stared out to sea, grey eyes reflecting its flat blue waters. A plate of berries and crumbly feta cheese lay next to her, precariously balanced as she was on the ledge of the cliff. As an afterthought, it was probably a bad idea. She didn’t want to read about her coldness because she knew. She didn’t want to read about how repulsive she was, how no one could ever love a creature made of ice.
The first page was a shock to her and the strawberry she’d been delicately sucking on fell from her grasp. Eyes that flew across the pages, hands trembling, flipping them faster and faster.
Declarations of undying love. Everywhere.
For once Aureline was grateful of the warm sun that beat down on her and muddled her thoughts. The cold was used for clarity. Warmth was for befuddlement. Grateful of the thoughts that didn’t comprehend, grateful for the numbing sensation the sun gave to her.
Impossible. No one loves me.

It rolled off the platter, it rolled on the floor.
And then her poor berry rolled some more.

It rolled down the trail and under a shoe,
And then her poor berry was nothing but goo!

Dante shook and wiped the mush on a tree trunk and twisted his body to find where it came. The wintry rustle of her hair was noticed. Standing upright, he approached and purposely blocked her sun so his shadow would cast across her.

Whipping winds, I love you. I always have. I'm not Apollo. I'm no Muse. But I know how to break a barrier for bad. But not for good. I know how to love. I know how to hurt. I always will love you. And if you respect that, don't feel bad. Because we could never have what you and Dante have.

I'm hurt, I admit.
As soon as she finished reading it, the sun that was warming her and confusing her was blocked by a shadow. Aureline looked up with a sharp intake of breath. She was perfectly composed but for a dainty white hand, trembling on the leather cover of the notebook.
"Quid agis," she asked softly, heart hammering.

Dante ignored the question once he sensed the tremble from his fragile flower of ice. He crouched to bended knee, then cradled her chin with a hand. As he spoke, plainly with a faint tune of concern, his thumb brushed beneath her bottom lip.

"{LATIN} What is giving you shivers, Glacies?"

Eyes darted to the notebook sitting innocently on her lap. The same thing written over and over again. Aureline spoke to Dante in English now after acknowledging the irony that came with his sentence.
"He left camp," she said quietly. "And he left me this." She didn't give it to him; if he wanted to he would take it and read it. Aureline didn't know whether to give it to Dante or not. Would it make him angry? Susanna would know. Aureline did not.
The words still searing fresh in her mind, those unbelievable words, Aureline shuddered. She wouldn't touch the rest of the berries; the few she'd eaten were enough. Never having had a large appetite, it was crucial that she eat a lot now, having had such a close encounter with death, but it was proving easier said than done.

This is when I'm supposed to comfort her. Susanna explained this to me.

Life without females proved awkward for Dante when arriving at camp. Thankfully, Susanna taught or trained him with the necessary etiquette that the brotherhood failed to cover.

His palms slide over her cheeks to cup them before tilting Aureline's forehead to bump against his. They remained that way for a few calming breaths before he moved one hand aside to take the letter.

He read. Judgment didn't register in his eyes.

"You have the ability to chase him."

"But he's not the one I want," Aureline whispered, putting up her knees and staring out to the sea. Those few moments looking into his eyes served only to unnerve her more. She felt like she was deceiving him. She wasn't deserving of the affection and Dante was clever enough to understand that; anyone would be, so why did he have feelings for her anyway? The only answer was that she'd deceived him in some way, led him to believe she was someone worthy. She was not.

With a shuddering exhale she realized that they were the exact same things she'd thought while with Devon. Less fervent, perhaps, but the same idea. Panic struck her; would she have to think this way forever? Was it a curse Aphrodite had placed on her?

The position of her legs separated them unless he chose to press further into her zone; Dante's fingers swept off her cheek to leave a trail of heat with their departure as he sat back, directly across from her.

His eyes were unreadable as was his body language. The fluidity of his form seemed to gracefully do what was necessary to sit while not showing his inner signs of a struggle. . . or possibly panic.

"Yet, you didn't want him to leave. Is it guilt that you feel at not knowing earlier?"

He studied her, a fascinating social experiment except this one had the means to interfere and askew his data collection.

"I don't believe him," Aureline said finally, firmly. Her eyes stayed out to sea. She would not, could not, believe this horrible truth. "But if it were true-- hypothetically," she said slowly, weighing out all the possibilities, "if it were true, I would feel as though it was my fault that he's left. He could be in all sorts of danger and... I do care for him."
Having said this her eyes flickered to Dante. Both sets were equally uncharted, their true emotions hiding under masks.
"Quid cogitas?" Aureline asked gently.

"Then go to him."

Dante set his thumb and forefinger about her chin as he leaned close to press a kiss between her eyes.

"Your winds are restless with worry and will not settle until his safety is ensured. You may wish that your eyes would be frozen to me but I hear it. Go to him."