Old Time's Sake (Diana)

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Sam missed the hunters. She didn’t talk about it much, but it was still a big part of her. And it was fifteen years ago today that she had lost her ties with the group of girls. They had been her family, her world. Now the reasoning for her expulsion seemed so trivial. What had she seen in the boy that had made her lose everything. It wasn’t worth it. No boy was. But it was too late. She was expelled, and besides that she was far too old now. She finished her class in a little more somber a mood than normal and went back to her apartment, changing into something a little more comfortable and pulling her hair back. She made sure the thin silver chain around her neck was still in place. It had been a gift from her father from when she had just learned that she would be a hunter. She never took it off. And the thin, graceful simplicity of the chain reminded her of those days with the hunters too. She smiled a little in the mirror, though the expression was sad.

With that, she headed along the streets to the main gate leading to the road that wound its way to Camp Jupiter. But Camp Jupiter wasn’t where she was going. She was aiming for the woods. The woods were peaceful. And the woods were where she always went when she was pensive. That and the woods housed a few monsters and her stowed-away bow. She went into the woods some way and picked her bow and quiver out of a long dead hollowed out tree laying on the ground. It wasn’t the lovely bow that she had had as a hunter, the one that would appear in her hand just the moment she needed it and disappear when she didn’t, but it was something. It was still a bow. And it was the one she’d been using for these long fifteen years too. It was special to her. Which was saying a lot as she tried to keep things that were that meaningful to her to a minimum.

She walked through the woods until she heard the unmistakable sound of pursuit. Gods, took ‘em long enough. She turned to meet the pray and hid behind a tree to get a look at it before it could get a look at her. And what appeared to be a giant scorpion came out of the shadows. A scorpion, really? Couldn’t it have been something a bit more exciting? A slight frown on her face, she knocked an arrow. Within three shots, the thing was dust and her arrows fell to the ground from where they had pierced its armor in a few rather important locations. She sighed and went to pick them up. The game was going to have to get a lot more interesting than four foot scorpions or she was going to lodge a complaint against the praetors.

Tag: Diana
Word Count: 497
Notes:

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To Diana her hunters were her family. Not even Apollo compared to the bond she shared with her hunters. It was sacred, an immortal bond of sisterhood. It was also a bond that Diana took seriously. There was a few things that each potential hunter had to swear to Diana by. One of these few things was that the female was suppose to never, ever, fall in love with a boy. It was forbidden. To the ones that broke that sacred rule they were met with Dianas not so pleasant side. Take Atalanta. She was a good hunter. Diana and her got along swell. Then there was an issue with Atalanta having a guy like her. Though, it was all good at the beginning, Atalanta didn't love him back. Yet when her father pursued her to get marries she vowed to marry the person who could beat her in a footrace. Diana and Atalanta were confident in her speed so Diana allowed it to happen. However, Hippomenes asked Venus for help. So everytime Atalanta got ahead of Hippomenes a golden apple was flung forward and she was distracted. This caused the worst amount of facepalming by Diana. Atalanta lost the race and was kicked out of the hunters for breaking her oath of virginity. Such a disgrace. Diana didn't feel bad at all when the two wretched mortals were turned into animals and killed.

Anyways, that story reminder helped remind Diana of yet another hunter who fell in love and had to be kicked out. She went by Samantha Mason now, but Diana knew her by her proper name. Cornelia Marius. At the moment Diana was watching her take down a scorpion with a bow. A slight smirk appeared on her face. She still had good aim but it was obvious that bow was no where near as good as the one the female could have had in the hunters. As the scorpion exploded into dust Diana finally decided it was time for her to speak to this girl after fifteen years of avoidance. "I like the name Cornelia better than Samantha." Diana said as she jumped gracefully out of the tree and landed, just as graceful, upon both of her feet. She gave the female an inspection. Yes, she supposed she couldn't call the individual a girl anymore. The fifteen years did bring about an age to her, she was considered a woman now.

words: 427
notes: I hope this is okay

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Sam had a lot on her mind. That was putting it lightly. And where when she was little she might have run to her mom or dad or brother and whined to them about how it wasn’t fair and how she wanted them to fix it (usually followed by hugs from her mom and advice from all three to plead her case to the gods). But the hunters had taught her to be tough in the face of a difficult situation. She learned some from her family, but most everything she knew, she had learned from Diana and the other hunters. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

How she missed those days. Especially today, with the anniversary. She still remembered Diana’s face when she caught her crying. How she had felt bad immediately. That she insulted her family for something silly. It killed her inside. She watched the scorpion dissolve with hollow, pained eyes. What was the point anymore? She wasn’t a hunter. All she did was teach and steal. Though most of the time she enjoyed teaching, today wasn’t one of those days. Her apartment seemed terrible net to the camps she used to set up with the hunters. Gathering around with all those familiar faces and talking and laughing and just enjoying each other’s company. Reliving past battles and occasionally practicing on stationary objects. She smiled slightly at the memory, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. Gods, how she missed those days. What she wouldn’t give to have them back. But there was no going back. Sometimes she wondered if they remembered her at all.

And that thought brought on a whole new wave of emotion. She wanted to cry, but she never let herself cry. She was stronger than that. Besides, crying was what had landed her in this spot to begin with. From that day on, she vowed she would never shed another tear again. Even at the battle of Orthys, she had not mourned for the lost like some did. She didn’t cry for them. They had fallen in battle, and that was a respectful way to go. Part of her wished she had done the same. Angry at herself for getting worked up over things, she nocked another arrow and shot it into the ground where the scorpion had been a moment ago. She was weak. That’s why she was alone now. Sure, she had friends, but they didn’t compare. Nothing could compare to what the hunters shared.

With a sigh, she was about to go pick up her arrows when she heard a voice so familiar, so missed, that she almost broke that vow not to cry. Was she hearing things just because of her mood. It was possible. After all, she’d longed to talk with Diana just one more time for years but it had never happened. Like the goddess was actively avoiding her. She finally convinced herself to turn, what in reality was only a matter of seconds later but felt like hours. And there she was. Immediately, Sam dropped into a bow. “Lady Diana…” It took her a minute to get her head back. She dared a hint of a smile, not sure how to feel. She missed Diana so badly, but the last time she’d seen her… that look she’d given her. It had been enough to break her heart. And she wasn’t sure where the goddess still stood in regards to her to this day. The fifteen years of silence wasn’t really reassuring. So she was… almost scared to face her again. “Yeah… me too. But I had to fit in better. To what do I owe the honor?” She tried to keep her tone of voice as neutral as possible, though it was possibly the hardest challenge she’d had all these fifteen years to do so.

Tag: Diana
Word Count: 642
Notes: So this started playing in my head while I was typing…

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Good, that girl better bow in her presence. Diana was still annoyed at her, no matter how long she had been in the Hunters. Diana studied the woman as she bowed. She wondered what was going through her now mortal mind. Did she regret her decisions, did she wish for something more now? What was she even doing with her life? Diana knew something about New Rome, obviously, thats how she knew to come here, but yet she didn't know anything specific about what Cornelia, no sorry, Samantha, was doing with her adult life. "Why not go by it again and stand out. Its a nice solid Roman name." Diana replied, trying to keep a civil tone, but probably still gave out a slight annoyance.

"Curiosity. I'm curious about what a hunter does once they are forced to grow up. What goes through their mind as they watch themselves age knowing that once before they could have been young forever, if they hadn't made a stupid mistake and insulted their goddess." Diana said in a nice cool tone. She didn't need to have a bite in her voice, the words did all the work for her that a tone would have done. Though, Diana was truthful, that was the reason why she was visiting. As a goddess who kept the image of a twelve year old it was a bit of a curiosity. Of course, Diana could always change suddenly into a twenty, ninety, whatever age old person if she wanted. But this age was one more associated with her hunters and as they each saw each other as sisters it would have been awkward if an adult was walking around.

Okay sure, they knew that the goddess was over a thousand years old but that was different, Diana looked and acted like one of them. They had a nice tight knit family there. They hunted together, ate together, picked on mortals together, and everything else. It is enjoyable for most people. They lived a nice feminist life. Heck, sometimes Diana even took the hunters to a nice feminism protest or rally. That march for women to vote, that was a great day. Sure, they were too young to vote anyways but hey, votes for women!

words: 406
notes: sorry about the wait Ab and that is short

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Sam was pretty sure it had been a long while since she’d last hated herself this much. Well, fifteen years to be exact. Minus all the times she mulled things over. Which was basically every day for at least five years after that, then at least once a week until now. But seeing the goddess again up close and personal was… well, a little too harsh. And the fact that Diana seemed not to have forgiven her in the slightest. She wanted to run away, to cry to her pillow. To get away from that penetrating stare. So, so badly. But she would never on her life dishonor her. “I believe it might be too late for that but I will keep it in mind. Thank you, my lady.” Was she even fit to call her that anymore? She really wasn’t sure. She supposed she would find out soon enough if the answer was no. But for now, honoring her as best she could seemed the only thing to do. The only right thing. Sure, there were times when Sam – Cornelia, whichever – got mad at her. When she was thinking things over late at night, alone in her apartment instead of in a camp with a bunch of other young girls. And she would hate Diana for doing what she’d done. For forsaking her. Forgetting her. Though it seemed at least the forgetting part wasn’t true. It had seemed it at the time.

Forced to grow up. It was true really. Like a lovely Peter Pan (minus the annoying flying male) sort of dream. But it was over. Forced to grow up. That was her. She was silent for a long time. What was she supposed to say to that anyway? I’m sorry just didn’t seem to cover the depths of how horrible she was feeling right now. Nothing did. And the worst part was, the expression on the goddess’ face made it quite plain that there would be no pity here. No understanding. No nothing. Just hatred. Which was sort of okay with Sam, as she had yet to forgive herself either to some degree. “My Lady, I was young and a fool. I look back on that day many a time and hate myself for it. I would take it back if I could, to go on serving you as I once did. I treasure those years. Every moment of them.” She sighed. It was all true. Or at least, most of the truth. She couldn’t tell the goddess all of it for obvious reasons. “My life has been mostly uneventful except for the Titan War. I have had to adapt to the way things are now, settle into a job at the school. Though I still go hunting at times, for old times’ sake.” She wondered if the goddess really cared about any of this or if she was just in the neighborhood. The look on her face made her feel she really didn’t think much of it, but she couldn’t just not answer her question. “I trust everything is good with the Hunters?”

Tag: Diana
Word Count: 517
Notes: don’t worry about it! Sorry mine is short as well.

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My Lady. It was nice to hear and it showed the formalities, which was good. Diana would have felt like well, a brat,if she told the woman in front of her to stop calling her that. What else was she suppose to call her anyways? Lady Diana? It still have Lady in it, minus well go by the title she was use to, it would be easier on both of them that way. Besides, Diana had no idea what else she would have the individual in front of her call her.

She gave a slight nod. Honestly, she really wished Samantha had kept her original name. Not only was it a pretty nice Roman name, but it would also cause her to stand out. Add more humiliation for the fact that she was kicked out of the hunters. That she was forced to grow up. That she had lost her family of over a hundred years. That she was now being forced to live life as a mortal, with all of her original family hating her or being annoyed by her. She was a reason that girls were reminded not to love any boy. Her humiliation taught Dianas other hunters to stay in line with the oath they spoke upon joining the hunt.

Diana couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. Might have been seen as rude, or mean, but honestly, if this girl was so regretful over her act then perhaps she should have thought about it before action was taken place. "Such a shame you choose to lose such a treasuring life. Now you must live with your actions, regretful or not." Diana listened intently. She was curious. So she had to get a job, teaching apparently. Makes somewhat sense. Samantha had spent hundreds of years in a group of children, she probably understands them well. She wondered how well she fared during the Titan War, did she find it hard to fight in a co-ed group, with many of them doing close combat instead of archery like the hunters were use to. "Sounds like you have adapted to normal life quite well. And here I was wondering if perhaps you found any aspect of it hard. Like waking up every morning and noticing a difference due to age. Or perhaps mingling freely with guys, although, I'm pretty sure you don't mind that aspect."

Diana picked up a stick, pretending to examine it. "The hunters? Well why would you care about hem? You broke the oath. They aren't your family anymore." Diana said as she tossed the stick to the side. Okay, she was being slightly rude. Diana knew that some people came to hate the gods and she would really hate to have a grudge drive such a wedge of hatred into Samantha. "They are fine. Right now they are currently on a hunting trip in the Smokey Mountains. I told them I had some business to attend to. They should be fine." Diana stated. It wasn't rare that she would have the group do a solo hunt, Diana still had her duties as a goddess after all.

words: 557
notes: sorry about the wait Ab

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This had to be the most uncomfortable situation Sam had been in in a very long time. And that was saying quite a lot. And Diana was obviously not trying to make it any easier. Now that she looked back on it, it was so clear that in her youth she had sugar coated everything the goddess did. Now that she had friends who were male, she saw Diana’s treatment of them as a little unfair. She herself had the impression that it wasn’t the poor fools’ fault they had been born male. Except for her father and brother. No matter what Diana said, she would always love them, male or not. No matter how far dead they were. Where the hunters had once been her family, now all that she could honestly say was her family was father, mother, and Lucius. They were all she had left, besides the friends she had made here. And it almost, almost, made her mad. No, in all honesty, it sort of did. And anger towards this goddess – or any for that matter – was a dangerous thing. But she couldn’t help it.

“With all due respect, there are pros and cons of both. While my time with the hunters was undoubtedly some of the happiest of my life, I have made friends since that I otherwise would never have known. I value all parts of my life.” Which was sort of news to her, come to think of it. Before tonight, she could never have admitted that she truly liked this life. But facing Diana’s cold indifference, it made it easier to realize those times that she sugar coated it were not always so great. And sometimes grudges just needed to be let go. She had a life to live and by the gods she was going to do it.

So she stood almost proud in the presence of the considerably younger looking but much more powerful goddess. “I have. Of course it have not been easy. Change never is. But I had no choice but to change. And I’ve learned to get along with it.” Then came the comment about mingling freely with guys. She glared hard. It wasn’t that she was at all close to any males, but the fact that the goddess still held it against her like a taunting schoolyard bully that she had befriended a boy once was unnaturally irritating. “You never let anything go, do you, My Lady? It was a mistake. I take it back. But I can’t. That’s that. That was fifteen years ago. “ She could have said more. About how it was the goddess being childish for still holding that against her. And the like. But she somehow figured that would be a one way ticket to being turned into some form of animal. Which she was in no rush to do.

She looked away, though, her anger dissipating when Diana what felt like told her off yet again for breaking the oath. How she wanted to scream at the goddess that she hadn’t meant it that way. That she had loved the hunters with all her heart. That so often now she wondered what her life would be like if she had remained with them. It made her angry and sad all at once. And not just a little, but like furious and anguished all at once. She looked back to the goddess when she started talking about the hunters, but didn’t let any emotion show on her face. Mostly because she really wasn’t sure which one best belonged there. They were all so mixed up. The corner of her mouth curved in the smallest of smiles. “I remember those days, the hunting trips. How we missed you, but still took it on as a sort of… challenge. To show that we could act as a team and independently to earn our place at your side. Oftentimes we’d challenge each other for fun.” She didn’t know why she was reminiscing. The goddess probably either knew or didn’t much care. And she felt a little odd, saying ‘we’ about a group she could hever again hope to be part of. But that was how she felt. Like it was still we. It would always to some degree be we.

Tag: Diana!
Word Count: 716
Notes: I just let my muse decide on this one and wow all the emotions at once lol