Calling all Demigods! discussion

"You don't understand," Aureline said, fighting to keep the blush from her cheeks, the desperation from her voice. Her eyes locked to his. "I am frozen to you.

"I can't stop him. If I see him he'll be confused and angry, even more hurt. I'm not worried so much as..." She couldn't find the word for it so she breathed out once, a huff.

"And anyway, he can-- he doesn't love me," she stated with utter conviction.

"Is that your desire for it to be true or has the slightest inkling of worry and possibility wedged an icicle into your shard of glass?" Dante pointedly inquired after her feelings for Devon. "Are you dying yourself the truth of what you wish all to spare me?"

A cool hand lifted from Aureline's lap to brush softly across Dante's cheek, slowly, with a hint of urgency. She pondered his question while she looked at him and felt the flutter of despair from deep within her heart.

But it wasn't for Devon. It was for Dante. Hopeless longing, the nameless pull. Blue eyes burning with soulfire.

She folded her legs under her with a fluid grace.

"I don't believe him because it can't be true," she began, placing the notebook next to her, not having the heart to look him in the eye. "And even if it were-- I flatter myself just thinking about it-- even if it were, my feelings for him remain nihil... and my feelings for you remain omnia."

Lashes fluttered and she could not resist a glance of him, an uncertain gaze.

Amor vinci omnia. Susanna believed that. Do I?

Each place she touched acutely woke his fiery skin, sending shivers of sensation through his body. Every move she made was mesmerizing.

Dante caught her hand to carefully remove it from his cheek. "You did not look me in the eye. Cease considering how I feel. You harm me more by saying things you think I want to hear than to be honest with yourself. Are you drawing conclusions to what you think you want than to take the treacherous journey across that cavern in your heart?"

He purposely set her hand upon the notebook. "Take your journey, Glacies. I will return but do not fool yourself by hiding away."

No, no, no, I'm doing it all wrong, was the first thought as the panic crept into Aureline’s eyes.

"I don't love him," she burst out, a wind whipping away the annoying warmth she felt on her skin. She snatched her hand from the leather of the notebook and regarded him with fierce eyes, the haunting melody of the wind whipping around them. “I am trying to be honest. It’s hard, but I do it for you.”
Her chest was rising and falling heavily with breath, breath that puffed from her berry-stained lips. “If you want me to go, I will,” she asserted. Aureline was the very definition of cold ferocity at the moment, a benumbing cold that swept from her eyes to the winds.
“But he isn’t the one I’m in love with.”
The reason I avoid your eyes isn’t because what I’m saying is not true. It’s because there’s no way you feel for me as I do you. Not on the same level.

"You do not love him but restless and wild emotions stunt and freeze your heart," Dante gestured to the arrival of her winds, then sucked up the distance to rub his thumb harshly over her lips.

"Your breath hastens with bitterness and your lips have drained of their sweetness." Poetic words came easily to Dante; his studies at the brotherhood gave him a newfound appreciation for beauty. His own was as chiseled and cool as a statue. Eyes betrayed nothing except for a plea.

"These will not heal if the journey isn't made. I will be at the other end of the bridge. Waiting. But if you do not go, I will be unable to stand the pain piercing your heart."

And I will never know if you gave yourself enough time to think. Will you reject hastily choosing me? Will you always wonder about him?

The misunderstanding, the horrible misunderstanding, caused defeat to whirl her winds away and Aureline slumped against the rock. The only choice she had was to go. She was Andromeda, chained to a cold rock, but not by the links of steel chains-- by the limits of her own voice.

Her mouth ached with his touch. She was unable to look away from his eyes and finally closed hers; it was easier than snapping them away. And it had the additional advantage of holding back the tears that would come gushing out. Frustrated tears. Thick black lashes glimmered with them, the warmth of the sun befuddled her so she could not feel the full amount of damned emotion.

“Then I’ll go,” she said, once sure her tone would not break. It was filled with the brutality of thin ice on deep water; seeming strong from a distance, yet sure to crack and drown at any moment.

((Devon: Hell no))

Growling beneath his breath, Dante savagely stole her, whirling her about face to slam strongly to his chest before those lips could kiss away the tears quivering at her lip. They may not have shed, but he saw the pain in her.

Thumbs brushed near her ears when he came up for air. "If you shut yourself away, you will never reach the bridge. To take you now would ruin you, Glacies. We'd ruin each other with uncertainty. Use the time to think, to know completely without anything else knocking you off the path. And then come back to me."

I cannot see her like this. She moves me quicker than an ocean wave.

He stared deeply at her ice, then broke down to wreck her with another kiss. Because he could. Because he had to. Because she might not return.

Her cold fingers slipped up to separate his crushing lips from her mouth. The more fiercely he handled her the more she wanted him and she would never leave if he kissed her again. The last thing Aureline wanted to do was leave him or hurt him—him or Devon, and she had done both.
“The fates love to toy with us,” she breathed, fingers still at the lips that tasted of pomegranates. The fruit of the dead was sweeter than the fruit of the living. “I will come back to you. I know I will. And when I’m away thinking of this—thinking of you, you think as well.”
O gods, I do not want to leave him. But I can’t leave Devon out there in the wilderness.
Aureline took her fingertips from his mouth to press her lips to him in a chaste kiss, holding him tenderly and preciously. When she pulled away she was resigned and her white-blonde mess of curls was bowed.

Moonlight petals, an icy storm, diamonds in the sky. Dante let his fingertips roam delicately once last time over her curls. His own resolve shook but he had to stick with the decision. For her.

"You have both halves to the pendant. Keep them for now."

Will she think of me when she holds the heart? Will she return from summer to join me in autumn?

"I'll be here. Waiting." And he could. He did with Susanna. Now he was faced with another cold moment in time. With Aureline's departure, his casing would return. Emotions would seal.

"No," Aureline said with a shake of her head. She took the one she kept in the pocket of her black shorts and pressed it in his palm, cool fingers stroking his, skating over the strong hand daintily.

"I want to know that you have the other part of the heart. Having it all would be lonely. Think of me. I don't want to come back to the Dante who tortured me on Half-Blood Hill," she said, closing his fingers over the warm pendant, locking her gaze to his, demanding.

His fingers clutched the pendant before Dante could resolve himself not to. Her plea had already managed to command his body without his mind's permission. Bitterly, his eyes snapped to the tree just past her shoulder.

She's already too deep beneath my skin. How am I going to last? Because…I have to.

"If you cannot accept that aspect of me, how can you accept the whole of me? Think on it. And I will play."

He hadn't played the piano in months. The toil of handling Susanna's spirit weakened his need to play. Now, he had every reason to for the melody would calm the rage inside . . . to keep him from chasing Aureline down too early and end the madness of waiting.

"I can and I will bear it," Aureline said gently. Her hand moved to level his chin at her and she looked into his eyes, a faint sigh held in hers. "I trust you."

That was all she needed to say. She leaned forward to kiss him softly again, the only contact that they held being that of their lips, and then she rose and broke it.
“I’ll keep in touch with you,” she said firmly, strength apparent in her fierce gaze. “It would be hard for me not to. When I come back, I promise you that there won’t be anyone keeping me off the path that is ours. Play for me. Play for Susanna. Play for yourself."
She stooped to pick up the barely touched platter of cheese and fruit and walked away with nary a backward glance, though with every step she yearned to be crushed by his arms again.

Dante strove to deepen the kiss, to permit the symphony to play longer and linger around his heart. His hands rose to capture her but Aureline had broken contact and started to move away.

What could he say? What was possible? Something had to have been said and it plagued him the more her figure became smaller and smaller down the trail.

"I will!" he shouted. "I will play."

She turned around and stopped, staring at him. He was so far away, she could not tell the colour of his eyes, the blue was not there. But he burned in her vision nonetheless.

Aureline nodded once and she raised two fingers to her lips. With a soft exhale, a breeze flew from her mouth to Dante's, bearing with it the soft trademark of her dewy scent.

Having done this she continued her walk to her cabin to pack her things-- again, albeit for entirely different reasons. Her mind was strengthened with resolve but her heart was hammering against her ribcage; she could see it there in her mind's eye, a bird slamming itself desperately against the bars of a cage to free itself, to fly back to its home.

((*Sighez* Devon's getting me down. Should we do the story of how she found him and stuffy? Or not?)

((Yes!))

((Kaay))

Diona rode the chesnut horse, Whim down the trail. She leaned down, gaining speed. She made it to a vast, stick and rock covered part of the trail. She jumped off the horse, clambering up a tree. She left a few carrots for Whim, and tied her to a tree.

Jasmine walked along the trail, keeping close to the trees and to herself, before coming upon a pegasus. She recognized the chestnut beauty from the stables, and stroked it's velvet nose with a gentle hand, smiling when it whinnied softly.

((Sorry, had to wash the dishes)) Diona hesitated with a frown at Jasmine, she wasn't farmiliar with the girl. But she kept her hand on her belt that held the daggers, and had the element of surprise on her side, she thought.

Whim dropped the half-chewed carrot, and if horses could smile she was.

(('Tis kay.))
Jasmine chuckled quietly, looking into the liquid eyes of the pegasus. A slender hand picked up the wet carrot and held it back out to Whim, the otheer hands stroking her mane. She hadn't noticed Diona, yet.

((Lol I love how Diona named her horse Whim. Heheheh))

Diona narrowed her eyes, watching carefully from her perch.

Whim took the carrot, munching loudly on the orange stuff.

Jasmine glanced around her again for any sign of the pegasus' owner. Nothing. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out a few sugar cubes, spares from her frequent trips to the stables.

((Whim took the carrot, munching loudly on the orange stuff.

Exactly what happened today in French. :) ))

Whimsicality wrote: "((Whim took the carrot, munching loudly on the orange stuff.

Exactly what happened today in French. :) ))"

((You had school today? o.o Today is MLK, JR. Day.))

((XD Lol Whimmers))

Diona swung down from the top branch, jumping onto the next silently. Like an olympic gymnastic, she swung from each one, catching them with precise planning. She landed on the ground with a soft landing, sticking it to match the performance. She remained slightly in the forest outskirting the trail, seeing if she noticed.

Jasmine, so in tune with her natural surroundings, noticed very easily. Though she gave no sign of it, if she cared, and continued coddling the pegaus.

Diona recognized Jasmine's face, failing to match it to a name. She stepped out of the shadows wearily, Whim snorting at Jasmine and nuzzling her hand in gratitude. A faint smile danced on Diona's lips, as she looked at the horse.

"She likes you." Her voice announced.

"Most pegasi are easily won over with sugar cubes," Jasmine stated quietly, turning her head to acknowledge Diona. Patting the side of Whim's head tenderly, she pulled back. "I like her, too."

Diona nodded, "Whim is hard not to like." She agreed, and stepped out onto the trail.

"Whim?" Jasmine repeated, testing out the word. How very whimsical. "You must be Diona," she said, recognizing the Dionysus girl without trouble.

Moonstonesandbooks wrote: "Whimsicality wrote: "((Whim took the carrot, munching loudly on the orange stuff.

Exactly what happened today in French. :) ))"

((You had school today? o.o Today is MLK, JR. Day.))"

((Yep, I had school today. Canadians are less privileged. But I don't have to go tomorrow because it's my birthday and my momma's being nice. ^^))

"Yeah, I am." She replied. "I don't know you." She added, then doubled back on her words. "I mean, I've seen you around but I don't know your name." She added hastily.

((Happy almost birthday! :P))
"I'm Jazz, daughter of Demeter," Jasmine said, half expecting her reply.

"Cool." Diona said, nodding. "I'm daughter of Diyonsus, obviously." She said, wrinkling her nose.

[My friends made a mix CD for me and six of us crammed into HK's car as we blasted it at lunch. Best present ever. ^^]

Whimsicality wrote: "Moonstonesandbooks wrote: "Whimsicality wrote: "((Whim took the carrot, munching loudly on the orange stuff.

Exactly what happened today in French. :) ))"

((You had school today? o.o Today is MLK..."

((I forgot that you were Canajun. Oh. Happy early bday!))

((:D Dat's tight.))
Jasmine nodded, noting the facial expression with a raised brow. Well, well, she wasn't much of daddy's little girl herself.
"Interesting," she mused quietly.

"Sorry for my foul mood, family affairs aren't going so well." An almost begrudging tone hinted in her voice.

Jasmine shook her head, cutting the young girl some slack. Family wasn't her field of expertise, either. "No need to be sorry, I've dealt with worse. That's the thing about pegasi, they don't argue with you. Most of the time."

Last night? Probably. My life? No, probably not She thought to herself. "Yeah, and they can't yell at you." She agreed.

((Van?))

((Sorry! >,<))
"They have much better things to do," Jasmine said, her tone serious but eyes faint with play. "Like flying and eating apples, all that."

Diona smiled, "Yes, and bothering people for sugar cubes." She added.

(('Tis Kay))

"I never noticed how much work a pegsus has to do," Jasmine mused lightly.

Diona smiled slightly at Jasmine. Yeah, I wish I was a pegasus. I wouldn't have any of this f*cking family sh*t. She thought, and pet the horse on it's mane.

((gtg))