Reflection [OPEN]

[Deleted]

It was strange. Rage, and anger used to be part of her everyday life. She could remember some of the thoughts that used to go through her head, and there was no reason for it. Not that she could really think of at any rate. Hating the gods was never her thing, it was always humans. Now it seemed like such a stupid thing to do. Struggle against the idea that humans could ever do good because she had seen how they mistreat each other and, lets be honest, animals. Those where what she cared about above all else. So seeing people hurt them brought out wrath like no other. It blinded her to all the people that did good. The fury and distrust she had gained left her with tunnel vision, and now she saw humans for what they were. Simple idiots. The lot of them. Not all bad, definitely not all good, but stupid in their own ways.

Somehow her thoughts and feelings had changed, and she wasn't sure if it was because of her transformation into a Nymph or because of what she had seen as a Nymph. Though it could be considered a good thing either way. She wasn't angry, hateful little troll anymore. Though she could see she was still a stubborn one prone to keeping to herself. Unlike other Nymphs she had met she enjoyed fighting still, weapons in general. It was a little worry bouncing around in the back of her head. Nymphs where creatures of lore, and of nature. Would it change who she was? She remembered reading something once that the gods where only what we believed them to be. Had the personality, the strength believed to reside in them. Though it seemed unlikely, and there were gods here to ask. But did it matter? She was a Nymph, if her personality changed then it was no longer in her control. It would be best to just go with the flow, she had a long time to think about it now.

[Deleted]

Adam felt his stomach growl as he walked around new rome. He wasn't sure what he was going to do. He had a pocket full of denarii, more money than he had ever had before in his life. And to top it off there were so many choices. Everything had a distinct smell and aroma, he wasn't sure where to start. Placing a hand on his stomach he looked around, his mouth slightly watering. This place had more choices than he had ever seen in his life. No, it wasn't the same. Normally his dinner choices were including the undiscernable things from the nether regions of a dumpster or hustling people for change to eat some strange sandwich with a horrible imitation of meat and cheese. He wasn't sure of what to do, where to look first. But he followed his nose to a bakery, or maybe it was a coffee shop where a scraggly haired guy offered pie and coffee, which he legitimately paid for for the first time ever in his life. It was a strange thrill, something he didn't get from hunting monsters.

HE took his pie and his coffee, sipping the hot liquid gingerly. It was warm and it felt like slipping in a hot bath. The Roman baths were excellent and there was nothing like falling into the sauna. It was the first time he had a proper shower in what seemed like forever. Walking along the river, he couldn't help but think and savor the fact that he had just paid for his first meal that wasn't something from the kitchens. The hot liquid was enough to warm him up. He felt alive and wired at the same time as he took in the scent of the coffee. It was quite a wonderful scent. Adam let out a sigh of estacy as he then pulled out his slice of pie, and it looked like someone had slipped a little something extra in his bag. He pulled the pastry out and gave it a sniff. Jam? Was this some kind of pastry with a jam filling and a white icing drizeled on top? Adam licked his fingers as he tasted the first bite. Icing and jam with the crisp crust of pastry, a slight crunch as the tang of the black berries hit the tip of his tongue and his lips. He let out a slight moan of happiness. This was the singular most amazing thing he had ever tasted ever.

Suddenly he felt as if there was someone else here. He felt really self conscious as he stuffed the pastry in his mouth, shoving it in as if it was the last thing he would have to eat in the whole next week. His eyes fell on a wispy looking girl that was sitting? Floating? Standing? near the river. "Sorry." He said, apologizing in a muffled voice.

[Deleted]

People really where everywhere weren't they? Someone Rhiannon had not seen before was standing there, which considering how small of a town this area was and his age, it was unusual. The familiar food hording though, stuffing the entire amount of food into your mouth as if it where going to get stolen from you. It brought about memories of her travels, and a hint of memory from her childhood. It might take a little while for her mind to form those pathways again. The ones that connected you from point A to point B in your mind, and one of the best ways to maintain knowledge. “I'm not going to steal your food.” She said in a surprisingly soft voice. Surprising because she could remember what her own voice sounded like before. Cold, with a hint of annoyance. The under laying threat that it was in their best interest to go away was no longer there. Only here in Camp Jupiter did she realize how different she had become. It seemed so gradual before, though it was only six months.

Whoops. He apologized, and here Rhiannon was without even trying to be intimidating. “No reason to be sorry. I don't recognize your face, but you don't look the age to be a new camper.” An involuntary nose twitch, almost like a rabbit ready to run, caught her face. Death had been the last straw to get it through her thick skull. Live. Put her life on the priority list somewhere. Even if it was low, even if there where a million things above it. The continued existence of Rhiannon Rogers needed to go on. So if he were a danger, she'd just leave. Before she hated to run. To turn her back. It was weak. Now, it was more of a strategic retreat. No harm in it, so long as it was only her in danger.

[Deleted]

He must have looked like a chipmunk or something small, like a rodent hoarding all of it's food in his mouth. Even though the girl said she wasn't going to steal his food, it was an apparent recognized sign that he had his food stolen before. True, he had gotten his food stolen. But most of it he had given to his little brother. Everything he had done, all of the stealing, the lying, the cheating, everything had been for his little brother. And then just in that one moment, everything he did, everything vanished in just that moment. Every night since he had come to camp, he had been unable to sleep. He would get into his cohort bunk and toss and turn till he couldn't stand it, then he'd sneak out, fight, train against the dummies on the field of mars. He had to get stronger and he had to become someone who could stand against anything. He had to if he was going to find his brother.

He looked at the strange thing that had said she wasn't going to steal his food with a minor bit of disbelief. People that generally said they wern't going to do anything like that, well they ended up doing it anyways. Sure he was a bit cynical at times, but it made him what he was. But like the few other people he had actually met and talked to, she parroted the same response. The whole, you don't look new, you're too old to be a new camper, where were you for so long? It all got kind of old after a while but it was apparently strange. He didn't understand why but when he looked at it from someone elses point of view, it did seem strange. "I'm new here." He said after swallowing hard, though his mouth was still full of food. He kept shoving more food in his face. He really didn't want to loose the food and Adam didn't know when he was going to eat next. "You look like a rabbit." Adam stated in a blunt yet rather comical tone, seeing as his mouth was full with food.

[Deleted]

New. That didn't quell the uneasy thoughts that flooded her mind. To his advantage they did meet out in the middle of nowhere, instead of anywhere that might hold Camp secrets. He was eating a poptart like it was first and last meal. Perhaps he was just new, but how often had people disappointed her when she expected the worst? How often had she been let down when she believed what people said? “Forgive me if I'm suspicious. I was killed once already and don't want to put my family through that again.” Rabbit? Sure. Why not. They were fast, and apparently if you let them loose in Australia they over populate because of the lack of natural preditor. Despite everything in Australia being deadly. Ecosystems where weird.

Rhiannon gave the slightest push off the ground, angling herself toward a large rock in the stream. Letting her feet touch the slippery rock without loosing her footing. After all did she have to even worry about footing anymore? Falling to the ground? She was lighter than air, floated on the winds with ease. Standing still was the difficult part. Standing instead of tumbling was annoying to learn as well. Being weightless in general was a pain, but that guy from Third cohort reminded her how powerful a strong wind could be. Hurricanes can push over trees rooted deep in the ground, tornadoes can pick up cars and deposit them miles away. Now she just had to figure out how the heck to do anything like that.