Children of the Gods: Arc 2 [Game/Closed]

[Green Shoes]

Prometheus hummed as his eyes flitted between Aria and Andrew. Considering the growing threat, he thought it best not to leave Nicole unguarded. Or any of them.

"Both of you go. We'll be back here when we pick up the goods, so meet us here while Nicole is...away. Nicole, we' l meet you where you left."

As the trio stepped out, he fired up the van, giving them all a friendly nod. The dirt road began to twist and meander, and as they drove Prometheus constantly cursed as he knocked a tree or hit a rock. The road unravelled now into coarse rock and fallen branches; he stopped the van short and got out. Ahead of them, nestled in the trees, was the Crones hut.

Timber and plain, it was supported by strange, steel struts, the like of which the group had never seen. Prometheus took a deep breath and cracked his knuckles.

"I think it best if you folk stay in the van. You know, just in case."

Unsure of how to approach the house, lifted from the air, he paced up to it and rapped on one of the struts. The sound of floorboards groaning moaned through the house, followed by the appearance of three fighres , seemingly dropped from the bottom of the house. Two of them carried weapons, though they seemed more confused than anything.

"Uh. Hello?"

He looked up at the house, frowning. This was not the service he expected.

"Baba Yaga?"

-----------------------------------------------------

The crone was still knitting when she heard the van stop, followed shortly by a few sharp knocks. Grinning, she looked down at the trio, swishing her feet and cackling.

"Well, here's that Titan! So long!"

Clicking her fingers, the floor opened and the youths fell in a heap, to be questioned by a strange, bearded Titan.

 

[Lunar Templar]

Aria waved as the RV left "Welp, guess we better get going" she said as she slid her coat on "So, do you know where we're meting him or he just gonna show up?" Aria asked mostly Nicole, but Andrew as well, wanting to know what the plan was, if there even was one to begin with.

 

[IFS]

"So, do you know where we're meeting him or he just gonna show up?"

Nicole shrugged and started walking back towards the town "I'm not sure, I figure we'll just hang around where we crashed his limo and hope he shows up there," she said.

She hadn't said anything when they had been volunteering to go with her, not wanting to sway their decisions either way, but she felt enormously grateful. It was good that two were coming, after all that way they wouldn't be left alone when Apollo picked her up, and any more would split the group too much. Really hope nothing happens while I'm gone, or if it does that they can handle it without me.

It didn't seem to Nicole that they'd driven that far, so it wouldn't be hard to get back to town in time. Still she was glad to have company for the walk. She wondered at how exactly Apollo would pick her up, and what the date would entail, could be fun, could be awful. Have to wait and see, though overall Apollo's made a decent impression so far.

"Thanks for volunteering to come with me," she said, glancing back and forth between them.

 

[DarkRawen]

"Both of you go. We'll be back here when we pick up the goods, so meet us here while Nicole is...away. Nicole, we'll meet you where you left."

Andrew nodded, and exited the van. It didn't take much for him to admit that he wasn't too thrilled about the time he would be spending with Aria afterwards, if only because he'd rather be alone at the moment. Of course, he got the reason for it. He brought the bow and the quiver, but he made sure to put a piece of cloth around it to make it less noticeable. He was already wearing the leather-jacket, and he closed it, following Aria as she started walking. Nicole was already somewhat ahead, but it didn't take long to reach her.

"So, do you know where we're meeting him or he just gonna show up?"

Aria asked, and Nicole replied promptly.

"I'm not sure, I figure we'll just hang around where we crashed his limo and hope he shows up there,"

"Sounds like a plan," Andrew said, glancing over at her. He wondered if she was looking forward to it at all, or just feeling terrible. "If he never shows up, we'll just argue that it was his fault for not stating where he would pick you up." Would that even work?

Perhaps we should just have gone with the van.

However, as Prometheus had said, the gods seemed to take their deals seriously. He had a feeling Apollo wouldn't take too kindly to having his broken because of something like this.

"Thanks for volunteering to come with me,"

Nicole then said. Andrew stopped walking for a slight moment. He had no idea how to respond, but decided not to. Although Nicole had looked at him as well, he figured she wouldn't actually thank him for a single thing. "So, it'll be a while until the sun sets. Should we get supplies when we get there? I don't have the magic credit card, but I do have enough to pay for what we need, provided I get money back later. Besides, when the others come, the stores are likely to be closed, and I don't think we should spend much time around here after picking Nicole up after her meeting with Apollo." Meeting with Apollo. It was one way to word it.

"Of course, if you're not up for that, it's fine. We might want to get something to eat anyhow, if we're waiting a couple of hours, we're probably going to get hungry, if not Nicole, then me and Aria."

 

[Lunar Templar]

"I'm not sure, I figure we'll just hang around where we crashed his limo and hope he shows up there,"

Seemed reasonable enough an idea, it was the last place they saw him, so Aria just nodded in acknowledgement. She still wasn't thrilled with this, it just seemed very wrong to her, something akin to prostitution, but Nicole had been quite firm on her stance and that it was her choice to do this, all Aria could really do at this point was try to watch her back in case this did turn ugly.

"Thanks for volunteering to come with me."

"No problem, We gotta look out for each other right?" Aria asked rhetorically, which was followed by Andrew suggesting they collect the supply's they should have gotten earlier, but didn't, barring that, they go get something to eat. "I'm fine with ether really, but I'd rather not drag Nicole around from store to store before her date, sending her off tired is poor form, even if I do disapprove of this 'date as payment' thing."

 

[IFS]

"I'm fine with ether really, but I'd rather not drag Nicole around from store to store before her date, sending her off tired is poor form, even if I do disapprove of this 'date as payment' thing."

"You guys should try to pick up some supplies after I'm gone though," Nicole commented "If not to get dinner then to make sure the van is stocked up for our road trip."

She noticed how Andrew stopped walking when she thanked him, I guess he's surprised? Or confused maybe? She wasn't sure if she should comment on it, or what to say if she did so she decided to ignore it for now. At least she could be glad that Andrew and Aria weren't glaring at each other or anything, they hadn't exactly gotten along well in the past after all.

 

[DarkRawen]

"I'm fine with ether really, but I'd rather not drag Nicole around from store to store before her date, sending her off tired is poor form, even if I do disapprove of this 'date as payment' thing."

"I'm not sure what you were imagining," Andrew commented. "But I can assure you that you won't find a lot of stores in the middle of nowhere like this. The locals pointed me to a couple of stores, one for foods and one I don't know the details about, but that's where we'll find a plunger at least. Besides, we're already sending Nicole off looking like... well. The rest of us. That's hardly any better." Besides, if Nicole was tired, it would decrease the chance of Apollo trying anything.

Who am I kidding. It won't.

He had half a mind to tell Nicole about the way Apollo had been inside the car, when he had been less concerned about looking like a good guy. However, Andrew believed that if Nicole thought well of Apollo and was unaware of how similar to Andrew the god really was, she might see the whole thing as something positive, and remember it fondly.

This is not like with Kirsten, after all. It's just one night.

As much as he had wanted to, he had been unable to fool her, after all. However, for some time, he had been the best boyfriend in the world. And, even as he had slipped up, he had tried to keep that image with all of his might. Perhaps that had made it worse. However, this was different. "Only" one night. Apollo and Nicole would have no time to get to know each other, not truly. If Nicole stayed unaware, Apollo could be the best date she would ever have. Andrew was unsure of what to do, but he decided to keep quiet. He had been unable to alter the deal before, probably mostly because of his own selfishness, but at least he could try to make it seem less... wrong.

Nicole had said something about the whole shopping thing, but Andrew hadn't paid attention. Instead, he replied, a short while after she had spoken, his tone distant and disinterested.

"Yeah. Sure."

 

[CrazyGirl17]

Shiro didn't know what just happened; one minute he was hurriedly trying to dry himself off, the next thing he knew he was thrown to the ground unceremoniously. "Itai..."

Getting to his feet, Shiro could see a tall bearded man peering up at something above them. "Um, hello? Are you the one coming for us?"

 

[IFS]

"Besides, we're already sending Nicole off looking like... well. The rest of us. That's hardly any better."

Nicole shrugged, she was certainly aware that she wasn't exactly clean at the moment, or even dressed for a date for that matter. I think I've even still got monster dust on me from that one I smashed...she wondered if she had really killed that one, the ones she struck with lightning had seemed to survive after all. She didn't feel like she would be bothered if it was dead either, a feeling that unsettled her somewhat.

"I think I'd prefer to not be exhausted for the date, I won't be as alert otherwise," she said "I should be fine with just shopping though."

And besides it might be fun, in either case I don't want to sleep through it. Andrew seemed to have stopped listening though, lost in his own thoughts and responding distantly to her earlier remark.

"Yeah. Sure."

"You okay Andrew? You seem kind of off," she asked.

 

[hiei82]

Vera sat in the van watching Prometheus as he met with their new allies. Though she didn't like it, she had to trust Prometheus knew what he was doing by going alone. Hopefully, all would go well and no new gods - or old ones for that matter - would decided to drop by and pay them all a visit.

From where she was, it was hard to see who the new allies were, but there seemed to be an Asian man, a Caucasian man, and... something else who looked female but she couldn't be sure. If the past had taught her anything, it was that these allies must be demigods of some kind like the rest of their diminished group.

Vera sighed, hoping against hope they knew what they were getting themselves into.

 

[DarkRawen]

"You okay Andrew? You seem kind of off,"

Andrew had already stopped ignoring them when Nicole spoke, but it still made him pay more attention.

"What?" he asked, and turned towards her, trying to spot what she had noticed.

How could she tell?

He supposed it might have been his tone, but then again, it was far from the first time he hadn't paid attention to what others said. Still, he sighed. Andrew wasn't exactly comfortable with how he was feeling and acting at the moment, because of the thing with Prometheus. It made him think about the past, and it made him unsure of his own actions. He loathed that. And he missed Kirsten, yet he found himself unable to stop. That too, made him feel more hostile.

"I'm just not interested in small-talk. I stated what we should do, either we do it, or we don't. I do mind that the deal turned out like this, but that doesn't mean I'm going to act as if I like either of you, nor as if I feel like talking to you."

Why was he lashing out on Nicole and Aria? what had either done to deserve that? Andrew didn't know, yet, questioning his own actions made him feel somewhat more annoyed. And confused. Unsure, which he disliked, and so on. In order to snap himself out of the somewhat destructive train of thoughts, he added a somewhat sincere; "Sorry."

I really shouldn't treat them like this. Not now, not when I have to be alone with them. Not... at all, I suppose. But I don't feel like tricking them either.

"Do you want me to pretend I do care? Akin to the way it was before exiting Hades, I suppose."

If nothing else, it would make it easier to interact when there were only three, soon to be two, of them.

 

[Lunar Templar]

"I'm just not interested in small-talk. I stated what we should do, either we do it, or we don't. I do mind that the deal turned out like this, but that doesn't mean I'm going to act as if I like either of you, nor as if I feel like talking to you."

Aria stopped turned and just stared at Andrew, mostly in surprise, at his sudden out burst to a simple question, she had had a feeling Andrew was like this, but still, it was upsetting, and while he did apologize, the damage had been done. "Well fuck you to. And no, I despise people who lack enough of a back bone to at least be honest about weather or not they dislike me, though, I doubt you care what I think so do what ever you want." Aria said, then turned and resumed walking. She'd already decided that after Nicole left she was going to ditch him.

 

[Green Shoes]

Prometheus looked at the two figures questioning him. He recognized one, though only through rather vivid descriptions from his relatives. Artemis once lovingly referred to her as a Cursed *****. He could certainly tell she was somewhat less human than the others.

He spoke to her in a friendly tone - he didn't want old hatreds bubbling up.

"Yes I do, though don't mistake me for siding with the Huntress."

Matching eyes with Shiro, he smiled. At least they had some idea he was coming. Speaking to all three, he bowed ever so slightly.

"Yes, I suppose I am. My name is Prometheus, and I think it best to leave introductions until were on safer ground. And have some food in front of us."

He turned and returned to the van, motioning for the others to follow. Climbing in before the trio, he spoke to Vera, Etna and Steven.

"We have three new people, dont freak out. Steven, don't let the crazy girl know who your father is just yet."

Sliding into the drivers seat, he started the van and waited for the new arrivals.

 

[IFS]

"Do you want me to pretend I do care? Akin to the way it was before exiting Hades, I suppose."

"Sorry for being concerned about you then," Nicole said somewhat halfheartedly, there wasn't any malice in the statement just tiredness.

She kept walking forward wondering how much of Andrew's attitude was real, he acted like he cared sometimes even when he said he didn't, seemed like he didn't even know himself half the time. Doesn't matter how he acts though, he's part of the team and he's kept us alive so far. Aria was certainly not happy with Andrew's statement, but Nicole remembered how Able had told her to let it go back on the beach and any anger was replaced with melancholy, though remembering him and Remus helped her remember why she was agreeing to this deal to begin with.

 

[DarkRawen]

"Well fuck you to. And no, I despise people who lack enough of a back bone to at least be honest about weather or not they dislike me, though, I doubt you care what I think so do what ever you want."

Andrew hadn't expected Aria to get that upset, nor did he feel like she understood what he was talking about. However, he remembered what she had spoken about, back in Australia, when she had mentioned that she had been called a witch. "I don't dislike you," he finally said. He doubted she cared at this point, but it seemed everyone else was of the same belief, and that was tiresome. Especially since he had said the last thing to make it easier, not worse. "I don't like you either, it's more... something in-between. I like both of you more than I dislike you, which is more than I like the average person. I suppose that's not enough."

"Sorry for being concerned about you then,"

Nicole said. Andrew frowned, but he didn't comment on it, as he had already stated his thoughts. As they entered the town, he kept quiet, just glanced towards the sky. As they had taken their time walking, the sun was lower down, just how much more time they had before Apollo arrived, Andrew didn't know.

 

[Green Shoes]

A beautiful, black Mercedes was spotted by Aria first, then the other two, rolling down the road at precisely sundown. Apollo was driving sans Asclepius, dressed in an immaculately tailored black suit, with a tie loosened around his neck. Pulling short of the group, he stepped out and opened the passenger door for Nicole, smiling earnestly as he did so.

"Nicole! Ready to go?"

The God seemed honestly excited for the night, and his gaze exuded satisfaction.

 

[IFS]

"I don't like you either, it's more... something in-between. I like both of you more than I dislike you, which is more than I like the average person. I suppose that's not enough."

That's a rather odd way to think about people, Nicole wasn't entirely sure what Andrew meant. If he liked them more than he disliked them didn't that mean that he liked them? He doesn't sound exactly sure of what he means himself, so who knows. She wasn't sure what to say to him, and before she could think of anything they had reached the town.

"Nicole! Ready to go?"

They had no sooner reached the town than Apollo showed up in a rather nice car. He was dressed very handsomely, and seemed quite happy to see her. Nicole found herself smiling back, and she stepped up to the car, no turning back now, glancing back at Andrew and Aria before getting in.

"You guys stay safe, I'll see you tomorrow," she said, then stepped into the car and sat down closing the door behind her.

She turned to Apollo "Ready as I'll ever be I suppose," she said.

 

[Lunar Templar]

Andrew had tried to correct her assumption, but Aria wasn't really having it, 'not liking, but liking some one' didn't really make a whole lot of sense to her, 'fortunately', Apollo showed up not long after. He greeted Nicole and seemed excited for the evening, which did nothing to inspire more trust, but Aria remained silent, in stead she waved as they left. She waited till they where out of sight, took one look at Andrew "Your on your own" and she was gone, just like that.

She figured he wouldn't really give chase so she didn't really teleport her self that far, didn't see a need to if he didn't care about her.

 

[DarkRawen]

It didn't take long for Apollo to appear, greeting Nicole, only Nicole, and picking her up for their date. Andrew didn't greet Apollo either, just tried to read whether or not his expression was genuine. It almost seemed so.

"You guys stay safe, I'll see you tomorrow,"

Nicole said, before entering the car. Andrew nodded in reply. Then, when the car was gone, Aria shoot one glance at him, seeming more than a little annoyed still.

"Your on your own"

Then she took off, walking away without caring for the reason why the two of them had been sent together. Andrew wasn't sure what he thought. On one hand, he figured he might want to follow her, and even if they didn't talk, staying together would be the best thing. Besides, he wasn't about to go shopping alone, the number of items were needed were too high for him to want to carry the bags around for several hours, not to mention, be the only one in charge of them, having to look after the bags so no one took off with them was... more than a little annoying.

However, on the other hand, Andrew didn't want to have to deal with Aria right now, he had tried to explain what he meant, and she had just gotten more offended, it seemed. He wasn't sure what she was demanding, and the fact that everyone openly treated him with disdain, yet got upset when he expressed that he didn't like them, made him feel tired, annoyed, and wronged.

If people don't like it when I do it, why do they think it's fine to do it themselves?

Honestly, it was insulting. At least he had tried this time, only to be treated with no respect whatsoever.

In the end, he opted to sit down on a nearby bench and watch her, if she tried to move away from his sight, he supposed he might follow her, but for now, Andrew was out of energy and motivation to do anything about how Aria saw him. He took the phone from Apollo out of his pocket, it was a black and red one, and examined the contents, there was a number, but not anything else of interest that he could see. He barely stopped himself from dialing a different number, instead he put the phone back into his pocket, and sighed, before realizing that Aria had disappeared. At least, he couldn't see her around, although that could just as well be because of the lack of much in the way of street-lights.

Andrew stood up, and started trying to look for her, although he certainly wasn't in a rush to do so.