Finding Didymi

[Elise]

*Thread for Didi, Kor, Quince, Rhuo, and Galy*

[Elise]

Setting: The Grove of Dodona

Didymi paused at the threshold of camp to look over her shoulder.
"I understand how hard it is to leave everything you've known to venture to the unknown but your skills are undeniable and we could teach you things you could never dream of outside the Hunters' circle," said the Hunter, putting a hand on Didymi's shoulder.
"Yes," whispered Didymi. "But my sister--"
"She would choose the same if it were reversed."
Didymi knew she wouldn't have.
"We have all made this choice, Didi. It is your time. We must go before the sun rises."
She'd left a note on her bunk-- an apology, explanation, and plea for Kori to not go looking for her. Didymi doubted the ability of it to work. Her sister was stubborn.
"It's not just her, it's my friends, Rhuo--"
"That boy?" the Hunter said, disgust coating her voice. "You're better off without him. He'll only pull you down."
"But--"
"Trust me, Didi. The goddess and her sisters are saving you a world of heartache."
It was too late. Didymi's heart was already aching for all that she was leaving behind.
"Alright."
With one last glance, Didymi Tantheon, Daughter of Ares, twin sister of Kori Tantheon, became no more.
She turned and walked away from the border, following the fleet-footed Hunter, and she became somebody else.
Didi, Hunter and Sister of Artemis, bethren to the Hunters. Immortal. Untouchable.
Hunter.

[Elise]

Setting: Ares Cabin

Kori woke up late, the sun sending beams of blinding light in her eyes.
"Didi," she groaned, rolling over to draw the curtains. "Why didn't you wake me--"
She opened her eyes and saw her sister's neatly made bed, a piece of folded paper neatly residing on the pillow. Kori scrambled to her feet, panic lancing through her chest.
"Didi?"
She hastily unfolded the paper and read it, eyes scanning the scrawled words. Her mouth fell open as she read, brow furrowing.
"No..."
Her sister was gone.
Her sister had left her.
Hands shaking, Kori folded the note back up neatly, setting it gently back where it had been, and then turned to calmly face the wall, and then punched it.
Plaster and wood crumbled beneath the force of her fist, her anger, her hurt.
Her eyes turned red, the irises becoming scarlet as the sunset. Rage and pain caused her breathing to stagger and her muscles to clench and unclench as waves of emotion left her trembling.
But the destroyed wall wasn't enough.
Stepping silently past her gaping half-siblings and out the door, Kori stood on the porch of the cabin and let out her agony in a primal scream that made the hair stand on her sibling's neck and sent geese squawking as they soared away.
The silence that remained emphasized Kori's haggard breathing, the plip-plop of her tears on the porch.
It was as if somebody had taken her heart and wrenched it out of her chest. And she was still alive.
She turned, went back into the cabin, and began packing.

[Elise]

Setting: South Woods

Quince paused in his crafting of a prank, the bucket of molasses in his hands nearly slipping to the ground and all over his feet as he froze. Birds scattered to the sky around him at the sound of that earth-shattering cry, coming from camp.
Quince set the bucket down gently, leaving behind the rope and the trigger before running swiftly in the direction towards the camp. It had sounded like a female. It wasn't an "oh-I'm-being-murdered" sort of scream, more like a "how-could-you-do-this-to-me" sort of scream.
Full of anguish and pain.
Quince had felt it reverberate in his chest, and it echoed still in his mind as he sprinted for the camp, nearly knocking over satyrs and demigods as he went.
"Watch where you're going, bud!" someone shouted at him; he barely heard, skidding to a stop in the middle of camp, head twisting this way and that, wondering where the sound had eminated from.
"Did you hear that? Did any of you hear that?" he gasped, shouting at the people milling about.
"What? Oh, that scream. Probably an Ares kid. They do it all the time."
Quince frowned. "Are you sure?"
"It was a joke. Try Demeter or Poseidon. How the hell would I know?"
A tap on his shoulder had Quince whirling around to see the small, grim smile of a red-head in a black hoodie. "Try that way," she said, pointing towards the row of cabins. "I think it came from the Ares cabin, actually."
"Thanks. Nobody died, right?"
She gave him a crooked smile. "No, I don't think so. Somebody's probably just having a rough day."
"Alright, thanks. I'm Quince, by the way," Quince said.
"I'm Stryker. Call me Rika."
"Nice to meet you."
"Go see what happened," she said, rolling her eyes and gently shoving him. "Niceties can wait."
She was right. Quince sprinted down the street of cabins and then stopped in front of the Ares cabin, just in time to see a girl and boy exit, the girl slamming the door nearly in the boy's face.
"You want to see what she wrote, you dumb piece of--"
"Woah, woah, woah," said an older girl who suddenly appeared behind Quince. Her mane of wild black hair framed a pale face with brown eyes and a frame decorated by black leather. "Kori, calm down. What happened? Why do you have your things packed?"
"I'm leaving, Galynthia," the girl-- Kori-- spat, turning to face Galynthia.
Quince gasped at the bloodred quality of her eyes. Those ruby eyes snapped to meet Quince's at the sound and he felt the blood rush to his cheeks. To his relief, they quickly transferred back to Galynthia as the older girl spoke.
"Where's Didymi?"
Kori let out a crazed laugh. "Where's Didi? Where's Didi? That's what we all want to know, isn't it!"
"Kori, just answer the freaking question," said the boy behind her, who had thus far remained quiet.
Kori shut her mouth with an audible snap and then sat down on the porch with a small thump, birds chirping in the expectant silence.
"Didymi left us," she whispered, lips trembling. "She's gone."
"She's gone."

[Elise]

Setting: Dining Pavilion

"Gone?" Rhuo repeated, dumbfounded. "She can't be gone."
The three demigods watched in disbelieving silence as Kori hastily stuffed various food items into a bag, not answering.
"She can't be gone."
This time Kori answered, turning to fix a fearsome glare on Rhuo. He flinched in response, heart aching as he was once again reminded of how similar the twins looked.
"Well, guess what, smartass, she. Is. Gone."
Rhuo felt each word like a punch to his soul. Didymi couldn't be gone. She couldn't have left him. The note she'd left on her bed was still crumpled in his right fist, read by himself and Kori. His mind couldn't move past the idea that she had left him. For who? For a cult of women who believed in remaining virgins forever, in tabooing relationships with men.
Had he not treated her well enough? Had their relationship been nothing more than a facade? Had he encroached too much, acting the perfect gentleman? Rhuo couldn't understand.
"She can't be gone, this must be some sort of mistake, I mean," Rhuo said with a weak chuckle, "it's probably just a prank--"
"She isn't some fool daughter of Hermes," Kori snapped. In the corner of his eye, Rhuo saw the other demigod with the dirty-blonde hair and green eyes flinch. "She's a-- was a daughter of Ares, and I know when she wrote this, Didi was probably being dead serious." She paused before stuffing a hunk of cheese in her satchel. "Why? Worried she didn't love you like that?" It was Rhuo's turn to grimace. "Don't be. She loved you like she could love no other man, as much as Didi could. I was honestly surprised she took to you. Of course it was gonna end. It was bound to end--" Rhuo gritted his teeth and forced himself not to say anything. "-- but to leave her own SISTER..."
Kori turned and Rhuo saw the emotion flickering in her bloodred eyes, the color unnerving him more than her words.
"Kori..." His voice broke and he wished in that moment he had the power to manipulate his own emotions. "She loved you... I..."
Her face fell and she stepped up to scoop him into a hug, making him wish more than ever that Didymi was there. It was selfish of him, but he wished it could be Didymi instead of Kori in his arms.
"I'm sorry," Kori whispered, looking up at him with those glistening eyes. "That was unfair of me. She loved you. She would've died for you. I'm sure of it. And I shouldn't expect for you to make excuses for her actions, I mean..."
"It's fine," Rhuo said softly, heart breaking slowly.
"It's fine," she repeated.
They both wished they could believe it.

[Elise]

Setting: Infirmary

Galynthia watched as Rhuo and Kori talked quietly, pain wrinkling their faces. She felt confusion and sympathy forge her face into an expression of pity. How Didymi could have done this, Galynthia did not understand. To leave your twin and your boyfriend, your friends, the life you knew--
Galynthia wouldn't leave her brothers if it cost her an arm and a leg. Never.
"May I see the note?" she asked softly as Kori continued to stuff her bag with medicines and bandages, any ambrosia she could find.
"Sure."
Rhuo handed to her and she quickly scanned it, lips thinning as she read. "How..."
"Beats me," Rhuo laughed hoarsely, looking and sounding as if he were about to cry. "The mind of that woman... I'll never understand... what do we do now?"
"Is it not obvious?" Kori bit out. "We go find the godsdamned idiot and beat her up for making us feel this way and then take her home."
Rhuo sighed and Galynthia looked at Kori.
"Honey... that's probably not going to happen."
"Oh, yes it is. I'm definitely beating up my sister once I get my hands on her doomed carcass."
Galynthia exchanged looks with Rhuo. "Sweetie, I meant the taking her home part."
Kori whirled around and Galynthia fought not to shy away from the redness of her irises. "You're joking."
"I wouldn't joke about something like this, Kori."
"Shut up."
"Do you understand the implications of what your sister did? Of joining the Hunters of Artemis?"
"Of course I have, I've heard about the hulabaloo, but we can just sneak her out of there--"
"You're going to attempt to infiltrate and sneak away from the Hunters?" she asked, giving Kori the note back, gently holding her hand and shoulder. "Sweetheart, look at the odds. Look at the chances."
"When you become a Hunter, there's no going back, Kori," said Rhuo, gazing at the floor. He looked up briefly to say miserably, "Even I know that."
"Shut up!" Kori stammered, shrugging away Galynthia's hand. "Shut up, both of you, just SHUT UP! I'm going to get her help, with or without you. It's not impossible!"
Galynthia just stared sadly at Kori. "Kori..."
The daughter of Ares fixed an angry expression on Galynthia. "Shut. Up. Now."
"I'll help."
All three pairs of eyes turned to look at the boy who had spoken.
"And who," said Kori dryly, "are you?"

[Elise]

Setting: Appalachian Mountains

Immortality wasn't such a bad thing.
Didymi sat at the campfire and watched the flames flicker in the fog, warming her feet and hands.
Other than the weather and constant hunger for more carbs, Didymi could see why so many had chosen this path of life-- why there were so many Hunters.
"How was your first day as a Hunter, Didi?" came a voice from beside her.
Didymi wasn't even startled. As a Hunter-- as an immortal, akin to the gods themselves-- her hearing had achieved new levels of impressiveness, allowing her to hear the softest step of the deer in the forest, the low cooing of baby foxes in their underground burrows. Everything. She could, if she focused, hear everything.
"It hasn't even been a day," she said softly, not looking up from the mesmerizing dance of the flames.
"It's been long enough," the Hunter said. "Hasn't it?"
"Sure," was all Didi said. "It's been great. This morning when we caught that mugger... that part kind of scared me, kind of thrilled me."
"I understand. I remember my first day. We were part of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre... split those bastards in half."
"I thought it was all guns--"
"The Mist, Didi. History books tell nothing but concealed truths that can only be seen and thus recorded by the human eye."
"Right," said Didymi.
There was a lull in conversation.
"I miss them, still," said Didymi.
"Of course you do," said the Hunter. "It's only natural. An alcoholic will miss their drinking days. A stoner will miss the high that comes with marijuana. It's what happens."
"Are you comparing me to a stoner?" Didymi asked, bemused.
"Yes."
"I don't think it's the same thing," Didymi responded.
"Perhaps not," said the Hunter.
"How old are you?" Didymi asked.
"Old enough to remember when Theodore Roosevelt was the most loved and hated man in the United States," the Hunter said.
"Wow," said Didymi.
"Yup. But I'm not even close to being the oldest one here."
"That's... scary."
"It gets better. You'll miss them, probably miss them forever, but you'll start making new memories here. Bigger ones. Better ones."

[Elise]

Setting: Armory

Kori snatched a pair of swords from the wall and sheathed them, throwing the blades over her back. On their way over, Quince had explained himself: how he had heard her scream, his father, Hermes, and his subsequent love for running, adventure, and trail mix.
But there was one thing Kori didn't understand.
"Why do you want to come with me?" she asked, sliding a hatchet on her belt.
She and Quince ignored the sigh that emanated from Galynthia.
"Because I'm bored. Because I love adventure. Because--"
Kori huffed. "You mentioned these things. Am I supposed to find them compelling reasons to invite you along?"
"You didn't invite me, I offered," Quince snapped back. He paused and gentled his tone. "Also, I want to help you find your sister because I know you're going to need help. Nobody should do this alone, or go through this alone."
Kori paused in her collecting of knives.
"He's right," sighed Rhuo, who was watching. "You shouldn't do this alone, Kori. I'll come, too. She was my girlfriend, after all."
The three of them turned to stare at Galynthia, who was standing with her arms crossed and her foot tapping. A moment of silence ensued before the older girl threw her arms into the air with a sigh of disbelief and begrudgingly muttered, "Fine. I'll come, too. But only because you three need supervision, a mother, and because if we find Didymi, I'm going to whoop her ass hard enough to be heard in Egypt."
Kori noticed she didn't say WHEN. She'd said IF.
"That's my job," she said finally, smiling slightly before turning and picking up a set of blades and sending them flying towards Quince.
The boy yelped, but caught each of the knives in the air smoothly. "What was that for?" he shouted indignantly.
"Just testing your reflexes," Kori said innocently, tossing a stave at Galynthia.
"Honey, I don't need this," said Galynthia, smiling at the weapon like it was a kiddy toy.
"Well, just keep it for safekeep-- what are you doing? No, don't BURN it, Galynthia, for the love of the gods!" Kori said, running over to bat out the flames which had begun to spark along the polished wood.
"Sorry," said Galynthia. "I'll keep it for firewood."
"Ugh," said Kori, glad for the momentary distraction from the pain of her sister's abandonment. "What is wrong with you?"
"Nothing and everything, sweetheart. Let the three of us go say our goodbyes and get our bags packed, and then we'll meet you at the southwest border in a bit, okay?"
Galynthia and Rhuo turned and left, chatting amongst themselves.
The messy-haired fellow-- Quince-- simply stood there, hands in his pockets.
"Aren't you going to go pack?" Kori asked, brow furrowing.
The boy shrugged. "I've got nothing to pack. I see no point."
"No clothes? Personal items? Etcetera?" Kori said skeptically. "Surely you must--"
"I steal other people's," he sighed. "I have nothing that is mine. All... borrowed or... stolen."
"Typical Hermes kid," Kori said, observing him. She focused on the dimple that sprouted on his cheek whenever he gave a half grin instead of the opulant green of his eyes.
"I guess. Your eyes are red, by the way," he pointed out.
"I know," Kori said casually.
"Can you make it stop?" he asked, the dimple reappearing.
"Why should I?" Kori responded.
"Because they're lowkey freaking me out," Quince said nervously. The dimple disappeared as he began to weigh spears in his hands.
"Sorry. I can try..." Kori closed her eyes and concentrated on her emotions, forcing the anger and frustration to quell. She reopened her eyes. "Better?"
"Much."
The dimple was back.

[Elise]

Setting: Camp Borders

Quince relaxed more easily now that Kori's eyes weren't so bright red and predatory-like. His hands were in his pockets, the two chatting seldomly but amiably as they waited for the other two to show up.
Eventually, Galynthia and that other boy-- Rhuo-- crested the hill and waved at Quince and Kori as they approached. Kori waved back and Galynthia frowned as she saw Quince's backpackless torso.
"Hon, where's your stuff?"
"I have all I need," was all Quince said in response.
She continued to frown but it was true. Quince preferred to travel light, hating the idea of things weighing him down. Everything that was "his" at camp was merely stolen goods-- from other cabins but mostly from his siblings.
"If you're sure."
He nodded and Galynthia dropped the subject, turning towards Kori.
"Kori, honey, are you sure about this?"
Quince watched her determinedly shoulder her bag. "Yes."
"Well, then, away we go. Where to first?"
Kori opened her palm, showing off the shining dramcha in her hand. "A body of water. There's a stream somewhere around here, right? While we're walking, might as well attempt to contact her..."
"Sweetheart--"
Quince shot Galynthia a look: one that said, "Let the girl do what she wants."
Galynthia snapped her mouth shut in surprise and Quince pursed his lips and then turned to Kori. "I think that's a great start. Which direction?"
"West," said Kori, pointing to where the sun was headed.
"Sounds good," Quince said, smiling at her.
Was that a blush?
Quince felt his face momentarily heat before he shook his head and began walking.
"Other way, doofus," came Kori's amused voice.
He pretended to stumble and then turned, giving Kori a sheepish smile. "I knew that."
"Sure."
She rolled her eyes and began to walk, leaving Quince to wink at Galynthia and Rhuo.
He looked the fool, but he's been the one to make her smile.
His cheek twitched upwards and he made for the sinking sun.

[Elise]

((haha thanks

[Disney_World]

((You are like ten times better then me!))

[Elise]

((yeah i used to rp on discord and a lot of the servers mandated long responses
also it's easier since they're all my characters and i dont gotta wait for anybody