Dose of Reality [open]

[Deleted]

Gabriel felt as if he had been a bad son lately. But At dusk, he found his way out of his father's temple, leaving an offering, Gabriel didn't know what he was actually doing. He wasn't feeling bad, per say, but he wasn't exactly feeling good either. He just felt so blah. Gabriel couldn't quite shake the funk that he was in. It was stupid, Gabriel thought as he kicked at a rock, sending it rolling down the hill. But he climbed up the hill that his father's temple was half sunken into. The temple was sad looking, though not so much as Neptune's. Gabriel felt bad about it but there was little he could do. Only once before had he ever set foot into the temple and it automatically felt as if he was going to be crushed from pressure. It was hard to breathe.

Sitting at the top of the temple, Gabriel felt the inky black sky over take the oranges and reds that saturated the sky. IT was quite a work of art. Not that he didn't appreciate something that looked so beautiful, his semi-sour mood seemed to ruin such a beautiful scene. The inky blackness that was the night creeped up on him as he laid back against the marble of the temple. He felt a little bit closer to his dad. Gabriel believed that his father was really there, though sometimes he worried that he was doing things that would make his dad mad. Gabriel trained hard, he wanted to leave the legion eventually, maybe get a degree in English or Literature. He didn't know what exactly he could do with something like that. He wanted to be able to support himself without having to rely on anyone. Maybe he could go into Anthropology or something. He'd have to talk to someone, maybe his mother, about what he was going to do. She was always happy to deliver a cup of tea and a good dose of reality. He could really use a cup of tea, earl grey with honey, as if there was any other tea.

[Deleted]

Tag: @gabriel

Word: 362

Notes: Here we go!!

After training with her cohort, Sabella had tried to get some free time for herself, but it had been impossible. first she remembered she had to help in the orphanage, so she went there. SHe played with the kids and helped them with their art projects, that she had helped them develop since the very first moment she met them. Then she went to the green house where she also helped. it was very important for people to see a nice place where to buy their produces, not only a common dull green place. Then after all of that she had a nice organic salad at a place at the border of the city.

When she finished all of that, she noticed that the carriage of the sun had already gone all over the sky, twilight was already there and she still needed some time to go and visit the temples. She went there at least once a week to clean some of them, to pray to her mother and also to... well to beg them to give them back her memories. She loved her life, but she still feel she missed someone, or something? she couldn't tell. She only wanted to know who she really was and if there was someone out there missing her.

She walked all the way to the hill and started with her mother's, it was just an altar inside a temple with other minor gods. She knew her mom didn't mind that, as long as she had good sunlight, and nice colorful things. Then she set some colorful lights there and smiled at her work. She walked out and wondered if Lord Pluto would mind her cleaning a bit and maybe placing some... different shades of green or grays inside. "ok... let's work on this one... I hope you don't mind Lord Pluto if I clean a bit. because this place really needs it!" she felt the pressure inside, different from being in the temple of Apollo or even Bellona, but she didn't mind as long as she could help. she didn't know there was someone on top of the temple that might listen to her.

[Deleted]

Gabriel blinked as he looked downwards to see someone open up the door to his father's temple. Something about cleaning it? There was someone who actually cared?! The thought was slightly ludicrous. No one ever came into his Dad's temple, no one in their right mind. He had seen people come into the temple after the loss of a loved one to plead with his dad about safe passage of their loved ones soul. The girl had light brown hair, lighter skin and he didn't manage to catch her eyes. She didn't look as if she was in mourning, no sobbing, no shaking shoulders, no diminutive demeanor, Gabriel knew all too well about what people looked like when they had lost someone.

Standing up, Gabriel walked into a shadow on the roof and then with the usual pressure of shadow travel, it made him feel comfortable the dark, but he came out in the temple shadows below him. He stood their, silently, watching the girl before he stepped out of the shadows and leaned against the massive marble pillars of his father's temple, his offering of fresh apples and fruits laying on the alter still along with a leather bound book of poems. Gabriel had always wondered what had happened to the offerings that the children had placed on the alters of their parents. Did people take them in good will for the gods, or did the gods take what they want and leave the rest for their people?

"Hello." Gabriel said as he watched teh girl, stepping from the shadows with his arms crossed over his chest, stepping into the light as he tilted his head, watching the girl with an inquisitive yet some what intimidating look.

[Deleted]

Tag: @gabriel

Word: 407

Notes: XD She is too smiley!

Sabella looked around, it was difficult to be in there, the atmosphere asn't the healthiest for a common demigod, or at least was what she fet when she walked around. she fet a lot of pain, sorrow and grief in that place. She had heard right after war, that many people went to that place to pray, to yell, to plee for something, all of them wanted to be with the ones they loved, they wanted to see them, to bring them back, yelling at the altar that it wasn't fair, that it hadn't been the right time to take the soul of those who they loved.

Sabella wasn't an expert there, but she thought that sometimes people only had to trust the gods, they weren't evil, they only had specific jobs and they were good at those. Or maybe it was only that she had never fallen in love? not that she really remember it anyways.

She turned when she got to the place where the altar was and was surprised to see that someone had placed some apples in there. Someone had cared about it! about Lord Pluto. She was glad someone had. "Someone had brought you some apples Lor Pluto, you should really love them! maybe next time I'll remember it and bring some, my apologies." she said and bowed at the altar, then when she got straight again she noticed the book on the altar and wondered what would it be, why would it be so important for someone that Lord Pluto read a book?

She was thinking about that when she heard a voice. She jumped on her place and looked at the direction where the voice came from. She saw a man standing there, tall, dark hair, pale skin, and not very friendly attittude. She looked at him, her eyes as always gave different colors of the rainbow. it was weird for some campers to see her right in the eyes, originally they were hazel, but the light in them changed and moved and it seemed as if her eyes were rainbow color. "Oh! you scared me to death!!" she smiled and then giggled foolishly, then breathed deeply and calmed down.

"Well, not to death, death... you know" smiles at him and stretched out a hand at him. "My apologies, I'm Sabella Moreno, Hello." she was talkative and tried to always smile, a smile was always good to break the ice.

[Deleted]

Gabriel had never been the best at the whole necromancy thing. That was Felicity's schtick. She was the one that interrupted the dead from their slumber to drag them up from the underworld to do her bidding just for shits and giggles. That's why she was in fourth and he was in first. He was a decent archer, and was fairly good with a sword, but he did everything he could so he could restore the name to Pluto and then his little sister busted through like the Koolaid man on crack, destroying everything he had worked so hard to maintain. She was bloody crazy. She had tried to make up for it with helping Amelia, but that.... Gabriel had been so hurt and broken by it. Every time he tried to play nice about it, it left a horrible taste in his mouth. Worse than the taste of bile or stomach acid, he hated her at first. Gabriel didn't want to admit it, but he slowly admitted it to himself that he did, he didn't want to look at her. But he couldn't blame her. It had been his own fault that she ran to Jupiter like a squalling damsel in distress, he hadn't met her needs like he should have.

There were spirits here, many lingered, and they reacted to his frustrated state of mind. A few flickered to life, well, more specifically, a corporeal form, something that could be seen by everyone. One a soldier from the last war, a child of Apollo that had stood beside Gabriel in the ranks of Archers. There was a gaping hole in his neck as the spirit flickered and then vanished with a pop of anger, another spirit of another soldier, this one Gabriel couldn't tell because of what he was wearing, though it looked as if it was the civil war era. Another poof and it was gone. With a flick of the wrist and a wave of his hand, the spirits vanished without a trace back to the underworld where they belonged. He hated to bring up the dead. HE felt it was disrespectful and intruding.

But he watched the girl give a start as she gave a nervous giggle. Okay maybe he shouldn't be such a dick. His expression softened up slightly as he watched her eyes change color. "I suppose scaring someone to death might actually be a family trait." he said in a slightly joking manner, but the morbid tone that went with his voice might have come off as a bit of Addam's Family-ish. He didn't mean to be morbid or scary or anything of the sort, but he just gave off that sort of vibe. Gabriel gently took her hand and gave it a small kiss. "I'm Gabriel Caulder, Son of Pluto, First Cohort." He said, introducing himself to her in a way that would make his mother proud, hopefully.

[Deleted]

Tag: @gabriel

Word: 263

Notes: XD It is nice to see a joking Gabriel!

Sabella looked at him and at first didn't know what to think, he looked so serious, so grim! she wasn't afraid of him, she was just wondering the best way to approach without him getting upset, maybe he was the kind of demigod that hated people to be in his father's temple! Or maybe he was just like the other Pluto kids, just unable to smile at the first time? Well, Felicity wasn't like that, But Kyle was, Jessy wasn't... Well maybe it was only a male problem.

But then before she said other thing, Gabriel spoke to her. Not only spoke but he joked at her. She smiled at his joke and chuckled. "Well... it would for sure make sense! You should dress up like ... Jack Skelleton in Halloween and you'd be the pumpkin king!" Then she just smiled at him and when he took her hand he didn't really shake it as she thought he would do, he kissed her hand which made her eyes changed to bright pink, then they got back to the usual chocolate they were originally.

"Wow... well, then I'm pleased to meet you, Gabriel Caulder. My full name is Sabella Moreno, daughter of Isis and member of the fourth cohort." She smiled again and then sighed. she wasn't used to real gentlemen, it seemed that it died in that century! "are you... from this century?" she asked innocently and her eyes gave a blue, cobalt glimpse, she still holding his hand, it was really nice to know that there was someone like him. so... well manered.

[Deleted]

"I don't think JAck Skellington would be quite appropriate." He said as he ran a hand under his chin, he should probably shave eventually. He needed it desperately. Thinking about it, he hardly dressed up for Halloween. "I have never done much for Halloween, it's more of an American thing I believe." His British accent coming out. "We light the turnips and celebrate Guy Fawkes day, but other than that, it's not really something we do you know?" He said as he thought about it. He hadn't even heard of Halloween till he came to camp and he hadn't bothered to participate in it because it seemed a bit childish to him. "Though American Halloween is much different, I prefer, as a child of Pluto, the Day of the Dead, it's more fitting in my opinion." He said with a nod of his head.

"Yes I am from this century." Gabriel said as she asked him if he was from this century. With a slight smile to his eyes, he watched hers flash a cobalt blue. She introduced herself as a daughter of the Rainbow goddess. It made sense now. "My mother said she would not raise a hooligan, so I was brought up with the utmost grooming and care that a professor at Cambridge could give her child. Manners, literature, history and etiquette was what i was schooled in." He said honestly and fondly as he thought about his mother. Gabriel figured that if his mother had been born in a different time period, she would have taught a finishing school or something of that nature.

"What about your father?" He said as he tilted his head to the side, brushing a few stray strands of ebony waves to the side, gently tucking it behind his ear as he watched her. It did surprise him that she was able to be so happy in a place that seemed to exude so much doom and gloom.

[Deleted]

Tag: @gabriel

Word: 435

Notes: He got to the only dark spot in her mind XD

Sabella looked at him as he said he wouldn't be a good Jack, then the way he scratched his beard. She didn't know about other girls in camp, but she kind of liked the shaggy beard that some older legionaries wore. they looked more masculine and in this man, he looked more handsome. His words didn't sound like most of the words in the lips of other campers, so maybe he wasn't from America. she wasn't that good with accents, so maybe he was from Britain? or Ireland? no, his words didn't sound that wild.

"It is a pity you don't really celebrate it, it is so nice to be able to connect wth the spiritual canvas!" she smiled and looked around. in a way she wondered why he wouldn't celebrate it, which would be replied to her lately. He liked more the day of the Dead, well she had read of that. "That is so much better! I've read of how some countries celebrate that one! So much color! and music! light everywhere! Maybe you should decorate the temple like that for those days!" color was always something that put her in a very good mood, good and hyper.

He explained why was he so well mannered and she nodded at that. It was nice to see that there were still some mothers that cared about the education of their children! "Let me tell you that she did an incredible job there! you really are a gentleman taken from one of the classics in the library." She said and then looked away, she didn't want her cheeks or her eyes betrayed her. what would such a gentleman think of a girl that blushed that much in front of him?! She sighed as she dusted a small carpet and then put it again on the altar.

She only looked back at him again when he asked about her father. She looked at him and her eyes were black, no color in them as if they were in an old show of the 50's with no technicolor. "I don't know. I have no memory of my past. I got here two years ago, and with no memory of my father. I know I had one... and maybe a brother, because of a picture, but..." shrugs. "that's it." Then she smiled again and her eyes turned deep blue. "But I'm alive and fine, helping Rome. Maybe some day the gods will let me know more about my past" She wasn't going to let that dark shadow on her past would cloud her good mood and her smile.

[Deleted]

"I don't know if my father would be too aprecitive of the colors. He's never quite struck me as someone who loves all the colors. He's kindda depressing, though look at my step-mom. She's kind of colorful." He said as he pondered out loud. Gabriel had never thought about it before. His father must have liked all of those colorful flowers his step-mother did. Not that he had anything against her, but he was polite any time that he had met her, and wanted to make sure that he was polite. He didn't want to give her any more reason to hate him. Her flowers were always the best, the most vibrant and beautiful, but he'd never say that. Gabriel would simply leave a small flower or two on her alter as an offering though he never knew if she would get them or not. "But I do leave him a carved Turnip, that's mostly what we did while celebrating Samhain." He said simply. The British traditions were no where near as gaudy or flashy as the American ones.

"My mother, she's quite a woman. I write her as often as I can." He said as he smiled softly. Gabriel always thought warmly about his mother, and he wondered what his own father thought of her from time to time. But Sabella blushed and the color on her own cheeks were just as vibrant as any of the flowers in his step-mother's garden. She was definantly a daughter of the rainbow.

"You don't know anything at all?" Gabriel responded, sounding slightly perplexed at the thought of her not knowing anything about her family, not even having the slightest indication she had one except for a picture. He noticed the change in her eyecolor, turning to a deep blue. But despite everything, she still seemed to be in a good mood and she didn't seem to let the thought of darkness hamper said mood. Gabriel kindda liked that. It was a nice change. He thought briefly of Amelia, but he put her out of his mind. That had been a horrible thing, he didn't want to break her heart, but it was probably better off that way.

[Deleted]

Tag: @gabriel

Word: 325

Notes: Great post Charlie!! Hope this is fine too!

Sabella loved to be where the color was vibrant and shiny! but maybe she loved more the places where there was no color, only because she could bring some into it. She half pouted when he told her that Pluto wouldn't like the colorful things, she looked around and sighed thinking on how good would that place look with a tiny show of color here and there. "Well, maybe I can bring some colorful papers and hang them on the alter, if he doesn't like them, then I'll take them away. But if he does... well maybe they would bring a smile on his face." Always optimistic.

then he spoke about his mother and there she saw a real smile, warm, tender. he really loved and cared about her mother and for a slight second she felt envy, she would love to remember her father in such way, well... in any way in fact. Her eyes were light lemon green for only that brief second, then they got back to the nice blue one. "And that is a real smile! you should definitely smile more." She grinned and then looked at Pluto's altar, it looked nice after a good cleaning, would he like those fruits?... yes she was only stalling to wait until the blush vanished, what would he think of her blushing every other second!

Then she looked back at him again and shook her head slowly. "No... nothing at all..." she said calmly, but with a soft smile. People sometimes didn't believe when she said she couldn't remember a thing. But would that be the case with Gabriel? "you are ucky to remember your mother, even those who had hurt you or supported you in the past. that is also what helped you be the man you are now." Smiles at him. She was who she was only with the past two years a basic drive in her mind, to never give up.

[Deleted]

"I never thought of my dad as optimistic, though he seems to be as such lately." Well as much as the god could have been considering his Wife left him for nine months out of the year. Bu the thought of decorating the temple for a holiday celebrating the dead, it was better than bringing a little turnip carved into a jack'o'lanturn. But Sabella seemed to have a bit of a happiness to her, a spring in her step that made Gabriel smile. He'd have to do some reasearch to make sure that he was being true to the culture too. He didn't want to insult anyone. He wasn't going to lie, if his father was a god, then there was a chance taht there were other gods out there and Gabriel didn't want to hazard a chance at pissing someone off just because of a little thing like not doing reasearch.

"My mother always brings a smile to my face. She's a strong and wonderful woman." He said with a tenderness in his accented voice.He had the fondest memories of his mom, though when her eyes flashed lime green for a brief moment, he wondered if that was a look of jealousy. Many demi-gods, big three in particular, tended to have rough child hoods and their memories were less than stellar. But for the most part, Gabriel had a wonderful childhood, his mother doting upon him, sending him to the best schools that they could afford. He learned manners though he was still a bit rough around the edges. There were many things that he was interested in because of his mother.

"IT sucks when you loose your memory, when that happened to Felicity..." The mention of his sisters name left a weird taste in her mouth. He hardly liked his sister, in his own strange way. His mind had already started to think of a way to help Sabella, trying to think of if he had read anything that might be able to help her in his books. "I want to help you, or at least try to." He said as he nudged at the foot of his fathers alter with the top of his boots. "I know I'm lucky in so many ways. Sometimes I feel too lucky." He said with a small smile and a shake of his head.

[Deleted]

Tag: @gabriel

Word: 412

Notes: >400 words!!!!!! *me so happy!*

Sabella looked his smile and noticed that he looked younger when he smiled, even with the beard and moustach, when he was all serious he seemed to be Over 25 almost 30 years old, but when he smiled he looked like a man with early twinty years in his life. He seemed to be mature but when he smiled she could also see a bit of innocence in him, the joy of youth! Maybe he only hid that behind his serious face to keep his heart safe? some people did that and she kind of understood why. But as she had nothing to lose, she had nothing to hide.

"Maybe your father only needed some light and joy in his life! and as I've heard Proserpina is a joyful one." She said and grinned at him. then he talked about his mother and that made her smile, yes she was jealous of him, he had all those memories from his past life with his mother, a life away from that Camp full of war and fights. She was jealous, but her jealousy wasn't something bad in that moment, she would never let it turn into something sour that could poison her soul. She in fact found it motivational to force her mind to remember something about her past.

"It is very good that you remember your mother so fondly! that is what keeps that side of your soul intact and keeps you still a gentleman." Then she finished cleaning and looked at the altar. she smiled at it and then bowed at it a second. "Thank you Lord Pluto for allowing me be in here." she then looked at Gabriel when he said he would like to help her. That made her blush and her eyes took the color of the rainbow. "That would be... nice of you. But I'm sure you have thousands things to do as a member of first cohort!" she was nervous and flattered.

then she tilted her head and walked to where he was. She put her hands on his hands and smiled at him. "Hey! it is good to be lucky, never reject the blessings the gods give you. not even their curses. The curses make you stronger and a better man. the blessings help you get over those curses. So maybe lucky is a very good blessing." She grinned at him and then let his hands go and went to get her things in order.

[Deleted]

"My step-mother isn't exactly a model person, but she's not horrible either." Gabriel said as he tilted his head back and forth. He liked her well enough, as well as one could love a step-mother anyways. "I try to do right by her anyways." He said with a shrug of his shoulders as he absentmindedly ran a hand over the obsidian alter that laid in front of him. The black stone seemed to sigh at him as he tilted his head, letting in a deep breath as he worked his mind to try to think about what was going on here. Sabella was nice enough, but the thought of Amelia still tugged at the back of his mind even if he didn't want it too. He had been so angry, felt so betrayed, What could he really do to compete against the king of gods? He didn't want to be angry, but every time he saw Yevette, thought of Amelia, looked at the statue of Jupiter in the middle of the Forum or passed by his temple on the way to his father's, it was a nagging reminder of what had happened. That his own insecurities were his failings. He wasn't good enough for her.

Gabriel knew that he couldn't hold a grudge this time. He really didn't want to hold a grudge against her. It was his own fault after all. But then he thought about the girl standing here in front of him, someone who couldn't remember anything, no past and only the future to look forward to, Gabriel felt stupid. Compared to problems like that, feeling inadequate because of a god, it seemed so small in comparison. "It's just training. And I do have free time. I know a couple of people too." He said with a smile and a tilt of his head. "Besides it's not like Charlie and Chris are completely horrible with training. They do schedule us down time. Not as often as fourth, but we still get some." What was he going to do with his down time now that he wasn't bugging Amelia? He hadn't even thought about it much. Sure there were books to read, friends to hang out with, maybe he should try to talk to Felicity, though he wasn't exactly pleased with his sister. He didn't feel bad about holding a grudge against her at all.

Sabella gently placed her hands on his and he slightly jumped. Not that he got scared, he simply wasn't expecting such a gentle touch. But she made a lot of sense. Blessings, even curses from the gods, it was meant for them to grow. For them to learn about their limitations. "You're right I suppose." He said slowly as he went to help her gather up her cleaning supplies. "Are you cleaning any more temples? Mind if I come along?"

[Deleted]

Tag: @gabriel

Word: 344

Notes: They should definetely go for that smoothie XD

Sabella looked at Gabriel as he spoke about his step-mother. She smiled softly at him, even when he didn't fully liked the goddess, he respected her deeply and tried to live without making her upset. That said a lot of a son of Pluto. usually the children of the big three were cocky and didn't care about others. But lately her mind had changed about it. Not only Gabriel's words, but also Clare in her cohort. She was glad that not everyone was like that cocky Ashby or that other girl... Mikayla... and well Felicity, Gabriel's sister,was definetely in other bucket.

"Well, that you are still around speaks well of her. and her work with the gardens is great! have you seen the thousands of blooms in Spring? and now the flowers and fruits? it is a wonderful and colorful show to see!" She smiled at him and then tilted her head at him, he was so kind to offer himself to help her with her memory loss and even more saying that he had free time and that he would use it to help her! She then smiled widely and nodded. "Then... you're on the boat of 'finding Sabella's memories'." giggles and then put all her cleaning stuff in the bucket. "but are you sure you want to spend your free time with me?"

She only wanted to be sure he wanted it, if not, she would understand it. but then he also offered himself to go with her to other temples or simply to spend time with her. She looked at him again and smiled, her eyes showing how happy and excited she was. Her eyes being now rainbow color. Because let's face it... She had a crush on him and when your crush offered you to spend the day with you, it is a very happy moment! "well, I finished my cleaning today, but it would be nice to have a smoothie with such a gentleman." Smiled at him and tilted her head to the outside and walked out slowly.

[Deleted]

" I uhhh..." Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck as he scuffed the bottom of the tip of his shoes on the ground, hoping to his father he didn't leave a scuff mark on the floor. "I have horrible allergies to pollen, nothing to bad, but spring time tends to see me indoors." He said with a small laugh. He wasn't quite the one to actually like flowers or that sort of thing, all the ones he got Amelia were glass or wooden, but he only got them because he figured she liked them. "Don't get me wrong, I quite admire the color from a distance, but it's hard. I pop allergy medicine like pills. I've probably harassed poor Lilith and Tessa in the infirmary so many times for a Benodryl that they probably get tired of seeing me every spring." He said giving a small laugh and a chuckle. "And why wouldn't I want to spend time with you, it's not like you smell like first cohort after one of Charlie's suicidal drills." He said with a wink of his eye. "Unless you have cooties that I need to know about?"

"You're eyes are pretty when they flash all those amazing colors." He said with a soft smile. He wasn't trying to be overly flirtatious as many women tried to see it as, he was simply being a gentleman, complimenting a young lady. Why was it so hard to believe that not all men were jerks? Though he figured it had something to do with the fact that most girls were always told from a young age that if a boy was mean to you then it meant he liked you. Not true, at least in Gabriel's opinion. Not in the least. It was stupid, women needed someone to treat them like the queens they were. Just like men needed to be princes and knights.

Words: 316
Notes: don't mind gabe's inner monologue
Tags: @bellona