help? [private]

Subject: help? [private] Fri Dec 14, 2012 8:25 am

“

Max often wondered why he was obligated to practice swordfighting almost every day. He obviously wasn't ever going to get better at it, and yet here he was hacking at a motionless straw dummy sporting missing limbs and a dozen jagged cuts on various parts of its body. He could be more productive in the forges with his most favorite things in the world but no, he had to take this regular swordfighting routine, which was made even more pointless as he continued practicing on stationary objects that would not make any attempt to fight back. Max had always turned a blind eye on campers waving to catch his attention, inviting him to spar. Uh, no. Max and sparring put in the same sentence wasn't good news. He had a high regard for his life, despite his troubles, and he would appreciate not dying anytime soon. Not everyone got the hint though, an example being this certain beefy kid who, Max noted with a gulp, was fast approaching.

"Wanna spar?" he asked, smirking. Son of Ares, no doubt. Max could tell as much from his lean muscly frame and his apparent taste for violence. He shook his head fiercely in reply, big sapphire eyes growing wide with fear. He also backed away slowly, but the son of Ares advanced with every step he took.

"Well, too bad I won't take no for an answer."

Max swerved at the same time the boy's sword came slicing the air where his torso had been seconds earlier. Sure, he was wearing the standard Greek armor - which slightly weighed him down, actually - but he'd rather not have the boy's deadly celestial bronze blade anywhere within a five-meter radius from his body. Already growing short of breath, Max had tried to pull back several times, but the son of Ares seemed to speed up his own movements as he slashed at him. If this kept up, Max was going to be in pieces within minutes. His heart pounded harder in his chest at the thought.

Barely missing a swipe aimed for his thigh, Max grabbed the rare chance to look around. Fortunately, he caught the eye of a girl looking at him - or at least, he thought was looking at him, seeing that he couldn't make things out quite well given the circumstances. Maybe his frantic eyes would've already conveyed the message just fine but Max managed to mouth one word at her in case she missed it. Help.

Subject: Re: help? [private] Fri Dec 14, 2012 10:25 am

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Cookie idly twirled a throwing knife, watching a boy hack at a dummy. To be exact, she was watching the dummy, waiting for the moment where it got cut small enough for her to use as a target. Hopefully the boy wouldn't make any sudden moves, else he'd be accidentally skewered. She stood there for a few moments, before realising that the figure she was staring at wasn't getting any smaller. Hmm... She frowned, locating the boy. He was a few yards away, apparently engaged in some sort of dodge-the-sword-slashes with a bigger camper. Suddenly, he turned and looked at her with panic in his eyes, trying to evade another slash. He mouthed the word help.

Getting the wind of the situation, Cookie grinned at him, setting her sights on her target and taking brief aim. The knife whizzed past the Ares camper, missing the side of his head by barely an inch. The point of the blade embedded itself into the trunk of a tree behind them with an audible thud. Cookie nodded, watching the camper's eyes widen in surprise as he realised what had almost hit him, letting a wave of satisfaction wash over her. She disliked people who pushed those who were smaller than them around. It was almost as if they had too little confidence in themselves to find someone else their level to bother.

"I'm sure that this phrase has been repeated too many freakin' times by mostly heroes everywhere since the start of eternity but apparently some people are too thick headed to remember," Cookie said placidly, slowly walking towards the two campers. "Pick on someone your own size," she stated with distaste, before tilting her head and letting a sly grin form. "Unless you wish to engage me in combat which would undoubtedly be stupid 'cause I'm sure I'll be able to decapitate, sorry, incapacitate you with the hilt of a knife from over here." Then she frowned thoughtfully, contemplating something. "Though I'd recommend the tranquillizer dart since you'd rather wake up with a head, I mean, without a blinding headache."

She flashed an innocent smile, winking at the smaller boy, fingers reaching for something up her sleeve.

Subject: Re: help? [private] Sat Dec 15, 2012 12:26 am

“

Leaning forward with his hands on his knees, Max exhaled a relieved sigh when the girl heeded his call. He watched the bully lock eyes with his savior, noticing the creased eyebrows and the scowl on his face. The guy was obviously conflicted with himself, maybe contemplating whether to take the girl on or leave the scene. A few moments later, his scowl twisted into a sinister grin. Max paled. He wasn't seriously considering picking on that girl, was he..?

"Maybe you should learn to mind your own business, squirt," he jeered, towering over her with his sword held high.

Maybe you should learn to listen to your own advice, hypocrite, Max thought sourly. He straightened up, wiping his sweaty hands on the partly exposed fabric of his shirt. An anxious look flickered across his features. If the girl got hurt, it would all be his fault, and he couldn't just stand aside and let that happen, could he? He had to make an effort to stop the Ares camper from doing something he might regret later on, but how?

And before he could resort to something rash like sticking his sword up the guy's rear, Max watched with widened eyes as the son of Ares attacked.

Subject: Re: help? [private] Sat Dec 15, 2012 2:23 am

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Cookie frowned, so that guy wants to fight huh? Well, Cookie was pretty bored, and it wasn't everyday she got a challenge, yet she was afraid of what might happen to that other boy if she either won or lost. Not that she thought she'd lose. Cookie had this upbeat attitude on things where she ceased to think what would happen otherwise and just do it. The more you think, the less likely you'll accomplish it successfully due to hesitation. Yet she still had to take into account the chance that that guy might come back for revenge, or carry on bothering the other camper after he was done with her.

I'll have to solve this problem entirely, she mused, dodging the camper's first attack. Fast as a snake, she pulled out a dart and flicked her wrist, aiming for a particular spot on the camper's neck. Cookie thought she heard the soft 'click' as the dart released the tranquillizer she made, though she couldn't be too sure since he was moving about. The dart was loaded with sleep potion laced with Hypnos magic, hence Cookie did not need to bother about measuring the size of her victim for the right dosage. If it had hit him, it would take about seven seconds to take effect, for him to get woozy enough to be hypnotized correctly. Else, she could cause serious damage to his mental health. Until then, she'd just have to avoid those clumsy flailing limbs, couldn't be too hard, right?

Subject: Re: help? [private] Sat Dec 15, 2012 9:00 am

“

Max was on pins and needles as he stood a short distance away, near enough to see what was going on and far enough not to accidentally get cut by the boy's sword. Thank the gods that the girl was relatively quick on her feet, but that still didn't stop him from worrying. A dart hit the Ares kid's neck and he winced, pulling the thing off and chucking it aside. Max ran over to where the dart rolled into a complete stop. Empty, Max realized as he picked it up. That means whatever it used to contain is already inside that guy... Frowning, he turned back to where the two dueled. Shouldn't he be feeling the aftereffects of whatever was in the dart by now?

Slipping the dart in his pocket, Max continued to watch the battle unfold with a grimace. This felt wrong. Not only did he fail to stand up for himself, but he also roped a girl into his mess. He doubled his grip on his sword, which only seemed like a dead weight to him now. He should help her. He should be the one taking this boy's hits and strike back. But no matter how he willed his feet to move, he stayed rooted in the spot and remain a spectator. If he joined in, he would only be a nuisance. Heck, he might even hit the girl on accident and make the whole thing worse.

Guilt washed over Max as he did nothing else but stand there, feeling ashamed that a girl had to bail him out of the situation he had created.

Subject: Re: help? [private] Sat Dec 15, 2012 9:27 am

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Seven seconds approximately. Cookie was pleased. The dart had hit a main artery right on the spot. Just before the guy went too woozy, she added, her voice laced with hypnotic energy, "Go to sleep for three hours. Oh and forget everything that has happened for the past week while you're at it." The camper flopped to the floor and stayed in that awkward position, snoring. There, that should do it, she thought, examining the guy and wondering where the dart went.

Shrugging, Cookie turned to the boy swiftly and asked, "Hey, you're alright? He didn't hurt you or anything did he? By the way, have you seen this dart thing anywhere? It seems to have poofed."

Subject: Re: help? [private] Sat Dec 15, 2012 10:24 am

“

Max stared incredulously at the now snoring heap on the floor. How could a girl hold so much power to render a huge guy like that unconscious in the matter of seconds? He was still in a state of shock when the girl spoke and he blinked profusely, big round eyes focusing on her. It took him a few moments to realize that she was looking for her dart. With a big smile, Max held it out for her to take. Thank you, he mouthed, nodding once.

Max still felt guilty, but seeing that no permanent damage was done, most of the feeling had disappeared. Instead, what replaced it was this newfound admiration for this brave girl who didn't think twice to lend him a hand despite how they were complete strangers. How he wished he could be like her too.

Subject: Re: help? [private] Sat Dec 15, 2012 9:00 pm

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Cookie reached for the dart, dropping the tiny empty cylinder into her pocket. She noticed that the boy seemed to like mouthing words. He hadn't spoken a word since she saw him. He wasn't mute, was he? Or perhaps he was just in shock. "You're welcome."

Cookie took three paces and reached the tree where her knife was stuck in. She tugged it out, replacing it under her jacket. It was cold today, she thought, turning back to the camper. "Oh by the way, I'm Jung Sooki, daughter of Hypnos. But since most of you Americans can't pronounce it correctly, you can call me Cookie. What's your name?"

Subject: Re: help? [private] Sat Dec 15, 2012 9:41 pm

“

Max grinned wider. Cookie didn't have to worry about him mispronouncing her name. He placed his sword - now disguised as a screw - back in the little socket of his watch. To answer her question, he tinkered with the mini-buttons on it until a see-through blue-tinted hologram the size of a small notebook popped out between them. A touch screen keyboard expanded from the simple-looking watch on his wrist and as he typed, glowing white letters appeared on the hologram for Cookie to read.

Max Grant, son of Hephaestus. Glad to meet you!

Subject: Re: help? [private] Sat Dec 15, 2012 11:36 pm

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"Whoa, way cool!" Cookie exclaimed, watching the hologram spell out his words. "Nice to meet'cha too." She forgot all about him not speaking and stepped nearer to take a closer look at the device. As much as she wanted to try it, she kept her fingers to herself, which when she later thought back on it, was a great accomplishment indeed. People were touchy about their high tech devices, and she learnt it the hard way, from a friend who would dangle her upside down for so much as sniffing something of his without permission.

"Did you make it yourself?"

Subject: Re: help? [private] Mon Dec 17, 2012 6:03 am

“

Max couldn't help but grin widely. He faltered a little as Cookie stepped closer though, slightly inching his arm away from the girl. After an incident involving his sister and an earlier prototype of the watch, the son of Hephaestus had become a little paranoid regarding his inventions. He'd be okay with it if Cookie was one of his half-sisters, since pretty much every single one of his siblings had considerable knowledge over things such as these.

Max slightly started when a particularly loud snore filled the air, courtesy of the currently dead-to-the-world Ares camper. Some quick typing later, his previous message faded off the screen as another took its place.

Was the dart filled with sleeping potion?

Subject: Re: help? [private] Mon Dec 17, 2012 10:04 am

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Seeing Max's enormous grin, Cookie decided that he did indeed make it himself. He's pretty talented, she thought, her thoughts drifting to the oddly shaped Hephaestus cabin. She wondered exactly what the interior looked like, hardly ever been in it before. She probably got a fleeting glance at the numerous bunk beds before having her attention diverted to something else. There were rumors that the cabin was somehow connected to some underground series of tunnels. Of course, if you weren't a camper of cabin nine, you wouldn't know its secrets.

Unaware that her eyes had glazed over, Cookie took awhile before she noticed that the words on the hologram had changed.

"Yep! Something like that, except what I had in there was a little more than just sleep potion. I mean, first, there's this Hypnos thing I added so that it dosage would put anybody regardless of size into a daze, ya know? So I won't need to waste darts and time on big, dumb dudes like that-," Cookie nudged the sleeping Ares kid with the toe of her boot, "-over there. And it won't, like, have any negative side effects on smaller campers or animals with low immunity to sleeping draughts. Is that the word? Anyway, it also boosts any type of magic, or command given by kids with an affinity to hypnosis for a period of time."

On one of her favourite subjects, she could hardly stop talking. In fact, she could go on forever and ever until someone clamped her mouth shut. Forcibly.

Cookie paused, then tiled her head, realising just how long she had rambled on for. She grinned, without a trace of embarrassment. "Sorry. I must be giving you one heck of a headache, huh?" In reality, she hoped that he didn't mind. It wasn't everyday she made friend with someone who didn't talk. She had yet to find someone who could sit through her soliloquizing.

Subject: Re: help? [private] Mon Dec 17, 2012 11:52 pm

“

Max shrugged, smiling, a silent signal for her to continue if she wanted. No big deal. It wasn't as if he had anything against people who talked a lot, even if it was about things he could barely digest. He didn't try to actually figure out the specifics of how her magical sleeping draught worked though. Machines, Max can understand. Magic? Not so much.

Subject: Re: help? [private] Tue Dec 18, 2012 12:15 am

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Cookie just remembered something she was about to say earlier. "Hey Max, so.. " Cookie paused and tilted her head, wondering if she should rephrase. She went on with it anyway, not one for thinking ahead. "Are you mute? I mean, that's why you're using that watch device thingy, right? Or is it just for fun? Or do you have a sore throat or something?"

Subject: Re: help? [private] Tue Dec 18, 2012 1:19 am

“

The smile slightly faded off Max's face. This wasn't the kind of subject he particularly liked talking about. That didn't give him the freedom to be all aloof about it, though, and he was pretty laid-back as the hologram displayed his short answer.

Yeah, I'm mute.

Max shifted a little, unaware that he had taken to kicking at the snow-covered ground as he anticipated her reaction. He had always been a boy of few words, especially regarding this topic. At least he wasn't the type who flared up easily at the mere mention of such things. He really didn't have anything to worry about, he realized. Cookie didn't expect him to pour out his life story just because he was a mute, right? Most people assumed that it was an inborn disability, anyway.

Subject: Re: help? [private] Tue Dec 18, 2012 3:59 am

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"Ah, okay." Cookie stopped and stared at a rock. She had never met a mute demigod before. Blind, yes. But not one who couldn't talk. Typical Cookie reaction? She was very curious. Needless to say, a torrent of questions followed. "So what happens in a crisis? Like just now? Except if there's nobody there to help? Do you carry a.. a horn around or something? Like, y'know, to honk to attract attention? ... Hey, don't you think cars should have horns that sound different? Like some that honks out songs such as Mariage D'Amour or Don't Stop the Music? So there wouldn't be a cacophony of noise pollution during a jam?"

Subject: Re: help? [private] Wed Dec 19, 2012 4:53 am

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A horn? Max's eyebrows shot up as an image of him blowing a conchhorn in the arena crossed his mind. His nose wrinkled in disgust. No thanks. He got sidetracked before he could answer her question though, cocking his head to the side as he considered her idea.

Might not have the same effect as horns.

The corners of his lips curled up.

And traffic jams would turn into very confusing musicals.

Subject: Re: help? [private] Wed Dec 19, 2012 9:36 pm

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"That's the point." Cookie nodded earnestly, "Honking is plain rude. Music gives people inspiration and stuff. And if you forget your iPod, you can just poke the horn." Cookie flopped onto the grassy floor under the tree, idly looking at the sleeping camper. A slight grin slowly spread over her face.

"Hey, Max?" Cookie asked with casual innocence, "Do you have a marker of some sort? Hopefully, permanent?"

Subject: Re: help? [private] Fri Dec 21, 2012 4:14 am

“

Max fought back a grin. He could think of how many ways that idea can backfire but he opted to keep quiet. He didn't feel like sparking up an argument or a debate, anyway, especially not with a girl who took seconds to subdue a person twice his size.

Max shook his head, keeping his eyes open for what Cookie would have to resort to.

Subject: Re: help? [private] Sat Dec 29, 2012 10:24 am

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When Max shook his head, Cookie gave a sigh, before thinking of other things she could do. She eyed the Ares camper's boots. And socks. Hmm..

Two minutes later, she stood back to survey her handiwork. The Ares camper was sprawled across a pile of hay. Cookie had taken the boots off and stuck the camper's hands into the opening. Not, of course, before she dumped half a pot of sticky glue into them that she retrieved from her pockets. It was quickly drying in the heat. That wasn't all. Two stinky socks were flapping in the wind, tied to his ears. Brown stuff seemed to be leaking out of the gaps. Cookie had filled it with some extra chocolate which was now melting in the sun.

She grinned. Perfect. Her timing had improved. But it seemed to be missing something.

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