They Don't See What I See [Private to Rune]

Subject: They Don't See What I See [Private to Rune] Sun May 20, 2012 6:12 pm

June Prenston; 14; Daughter of Ares

June walked through the courtyard. Her head was down so that she could avoid making eye contact with anyone around her. Feet. That was all the daughter of Ares could see. Feet and shadows, which comforted her. June wasn't a Hades kid, but the one person who understood her was. With certain people, June could feel pain in their past that radiated the same pain as her own.

Fear, loss, desperation, last resorts, pain, pain, violence, and more pain. It was the story of June's life, so she knew the emotions like the back of her hand. Other than Nico, June had only met one other person with which June saw herself, but she wasn't ready to admit it. Knives. Caleb, son of Momus. The two had met just a few weeks back, when manticores had attacked. June had actually been pretty social that day, and happened to get herself aquatinted with three new strangers. One of them had saved her shoulder, and probably her life. His name was Niall, but June had plenty of blonde related nicknames for him. The second had been Rainbows. Her real name was Kate. She was Niall's girlfriend, and she had saved June's heart--her fate. If she hadn't shown such love towards Blondie, the daughter of Ares wouldn't have trusted any of them and fallen for Niall. Her fate wasn't in Niall's timeline, but instead the third stranger.

Knives. His real name was Caleb. Caleb had saved all of the things good about June in just the short 20 minutes they knew each other. He was everything June wanted to be, and everything she already was. He was the light at the end of her tunnel, and the friend that everyone needs. Only, Caleb needed June, as well. She saved his life and brought a little light to his blind world, figuratively, even though Caleb was pretty much blind. Though neither demigod was aware of it, they needed the other. June didn't have peace in her world. She couldn't turn to Nico, for he was just a kid, and he didn't really understand anything going on in June's life. That's why June needs Caleb. She needs him to be her rock, her light, her everything.

And in return? Well, that answer is a little trickier for me to answer. Caleb needs June for what she has to make him believe in. June's mean, but something about Caleb gives her a reason to be kind, if only to him. There's real loss in his eyes, though they might be hard to see because of his glasses. June had been going over everything about him in her head, because it felt like there was something that was trying to click. She had spilled her heart to the boy already, but that was nothing. She told him what he most wanted to hear without realizing it was just what he needed. And by trusting June, even after knowing her story, Caleb gave June just what she needed.

That's why it was in their destiny to help each other through their path to recovery. They are the key factors in each other's lives because they have to be. And their story starts today.

June made an unlucky sharp turn on the sidewalk, heading to her cabin for another sleepless night, when she bumped into someone and fell backwards. June had been trying to sleep earlier and earlier, which is why she was already going to bed in the afternoon, but that's just because she was showing the symptoms again, and her Apollo friend all but quit on the process. He claimed she was a lost cause--that she couldn't be helped. June had been starting to believe him. "Hey," June shouted, frightening anger in her voice. "Don't be such an idiot and watch where you're going!" June jerked her head up to look at whoever she had ran into and gasped.

"Kn--Caleb! I haven't seen you since . . . I saved your life." June was blushing, which was uncommon for her, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for yelling. That was weird, too. Caleb hash that effect on her. "I thought you died in the arena. I . . . I was worried." June took advantage of her recently healed shoulder and shrugged, a slight smile playing it's way onto the girl's face.

Last edited by Rune Dragon on Tue May 22, 2012 3:47 am; edited 1 time in total

They Don't See What I See [Private to Rune] Caleb-150x150

Caleb Austin Wright
Son of Momus

These glasses suck.

Such happy thoughts in Caleb's head.

Thinking about his glasses gave him an excuse to fend off the more complicated thoughts in his mind. Thoughts that he'd rather not ponder about, but still managed to snake into his head. June. The daughter of Ares who saved his life when he was all set on throwing it away. The manticore gave him a reason to give up back then, making him think that it was pointless to resist, when this girl just jumped from out of blue and pushed him out of harm's way. This girl who he knew nothing about made a reckless move that put her life in danger just to save his. She saved him in more ways than one too, but he doubted she knew that. Still, what she did made him feel like he owed her big and it made him slightly uncomfortable. It was the kind of debt he couldn't seem to repay because he did nothing to deserve it.

It was interesting to note how June seemed to mirror him in so many ways. Just by looking at her, Caleb felt like he could see himself. The tough exterior masking a deeper persona inside, the fierce determination she showed when she faced off against the manticore, the unnoticeable pain hidden safely in her eyes... Caleb understood all of that. Why? Because he dealt with the same things himself.

He didn't know what June thought, but he felt like both of them lacked something. There was more than meets the eye, after all, and he couldn't shake off the feeling that he was missing something important. It drove him nuts just thinking about it. Caleb just hated not knowing. It would do him well to find someone to talk about the complexity of his problems, but the chances of that happening were less than zero. He'd rather die than tell people about his petty problems. What good is that anyway? All they'd do is nod at the right moments then try not to sleep through your rant. Besides, it would do bad for his image if people found out how a single girl seemed to be all over his mind. Not to mention that the whole thing was open to misinterpretation.

Caleb sighed to himself, realizing that he had been standing idle while his brain tried to process this complicated situation. He started walking again in the general direction of the Hera cabin when he collided with something--a person, more like. He popped his glasses in, ready to tell the person off for not watching it when she beat him to it. It took him by surprise, just by how the girl responded in the exact way he was going to, and was actually stunned still for a few seconds until it sank in.

"Kn--Caleb! I haven't seen you since . . . I saved your life."

Oh speak of the devil--wait, thought of the devil. There was no mistaking it. Through the smudged lenses he saw the exact girl he had just been thinking about just barely a split-second ago. He very nearly rolled her eyes at her next statement. "After you saved my life? Please, I still owe you for that."

He offered his hand out to help her stand up. His kind gesture surprised him a little, but then again, he did owe her. Honestly it made him feel a little weird how being nice came so readily without him even thinking about it. "And besides, you should watch where you're going. You're not the blind one here," he said, the slightest hint of a smirk tugging on the corner of his lips.

June Prenston; 14; Daughter of Ares

June chuckled to herself before looking up at Caleb. "You're right about that one, Hot Shot. I except payment." June wiggled her eyebrows tauntingly and decided she didn't want money from the one person who was willing to give her the time of day.

When he offered her his hand, June gladly accepted, realizing her head was a bit dizzy from the crash. "I didn't know you were the gentleman type," the daughter of Ares commented as she used Caleb's hand the pull herself up. It wasn't hard for June to appear nimble and strong, mostly because she was, but with the pressure that seemed to be filling her head, she struggled.

After the nice gesture, June decided Knives was back to the boy she barely knew, but still knew all the same. "I don't need to watch where I'm going, jerk." June didn't mean it, but accusations brought an immediate harsh reaction from the small girl. Standing up straighter, June tried to apologize, but she couldn't. Being angry was like being uncontrollable for the girl.

"Oh, whatever. Just don't call yourself blind. It's . . . depressing. There's too many good things about you to dwell on the bad. Bleh, listen to me, I sound naive and vulnerable. I'm not usually this nice, so don't get used to it. It's just something about you . . ." June must have been feeling weak that day. Maybe it was the treatment, or maybe it was her failing therapy, or maybe it was just something about Caleb, but June broke down completely right then and there.

"I try . . . really hard to not lose it. You have no idea. And nobody treats me like a normal person, because I have to wear this bracelet. The infirmary gave it to me. It says 'dangerous' and I haven't been able to get it off. I tried with my knives and my sword. It doesn't cut. My Apollo friend guy I may or may not have told you about in our short talk last time explained that only people who care about seeing me get better can take it off of me. I don't know what that says about me, quite honestly. And the Apollo kid could never get it off. Or Nico. Do you know what it's like to know that no one cares?" June shook her head and buried her face in her hands.

"It feels like you should just let go. But I . . . I don't want to let go. Everything is so much worse than I'd ever tell anyone. I obviously don't know who I can tell." June looked up, the pain previously masked her face had disappeared in a blink of an eye.

"You're the first person I've ever told any of that. If you tell anyone, I swear I'll snap your neck." June was trying to appear threatening, but it was hard because of how weak she had just been. Caleb wasn't weak. June should be more like him. He had nothing to be ashamed of, though. Nothing he exposed like June had, anyway.

Caleb Austin Wright
Son of Momus

Her scathing remark brought a dry laugh out of Caleb, though he didn't really understand why. Perhaps it was because it just reminded him of himself? However, whatever retort he came up with it was drowned by June spilling her heart out to him--or at least that was what it sounded like. It greatly took him by surprise. No one had ever relayed something that deep and hidden to him for as long as he could remember. He was used to thinking that he was the last person anyone will turn to when it comes to life problems.

Caleb glanced swiftly at the bracelet she mentioned. It wasn't like he hadn't noticed it before, but with the chaos going on when they first and last saw each other, he didn't spare it as much as a thought. A closer look confirmed the 'dangerous' label clearly printed on it. A small surge of emotion shot through him as quick as it came that he didn't have enough time to think about what he had just felt. Was it pity? Sympathy?

He brought his gaze back to her face just as she looked up from her hands. The pain that was previously etched in her face was gone, and he was surprised as to how she controlled her emotions so quickly. She was back to normal now, further proven by her not-so-threatening remark. He stared right back at her, not really knowing what to do now. What did she expect him to say anyway? Did she expect him to return the favor and tell her his secrets too? The thought sounded slightly unpleasant to his ears. He didn't want to open up right now, possibly making him look weaker than he was. Not when June seemed so weak already. They had enough depressing things to talk about, thank you.

"I doubt you'll be able to. Snap my neck, I mean. You really think I'm pathetic enough to let you?" His tone bordered on teasing. It quite sounded as if he was trying to lighten up the situation, but the slight awkwardness in his voice suggested that he wasn't used to doing this. Caleb tilted his glasses up the bridge of his nose out of habit despite the fact that this new pair didn't actually slide down his nose the way his old one did. He averted his gaze then, looking instead at the Zeus cabin instead of the girl in front of him.

"I know what you mean," he suddenly said. Staring off into something else seemed to make him slightly more comfortable speaking out. It almost convinced his mind that he was talking to no one but himself. "You're not exactly the only person who feels that no one cares. I won't say I understand completely--those are empty words. I won't deny it; you've obviously experienced rougher things than I have."

He sighed, his hand automatically going to his hair to ruffle it. Why was he doing this again? The old Caleb would've mocked and hated him for what he was doing right now. "But, just so you know, I understand... a little. A little of what you're going through. And you can tell me. It honestly feels great to hear that I'm not the only one dwelling on such thoughts."

Caleb turned to look at her again, his face betraying no emotion like she had done before. "Of course, if any word of this conversation slips out, I will have no hesitation in punching your eyes just hard enough to make you need to watch where you're going."

June Prenston; 14; Daughter of Ares

June stuck her tongue out at Caleb's first remark, smiling dryly as he continued to talk. The boy wasn't the same as she'd been expecting. If June hadn't been the one talking, she would have been beating up the wuss who was.

But that thought was terminated when Caleb opened up to her. It was slight, and the awkwardness of their conversation made the demigod rub her bracelet. "And you can tell me. It honestly feels great to hear that I'm not the only one . . ." June wanted to cut the knife thrower off right there. She wanted to shout some sort of speech that would make the boy feel warm. But, of course, she was out of speeches. June wasn't used to saying a couple sentences to the boy, let alone rant to him about self acceptance and all of the stuff that would make June a hypocrite.

When Caleb finished talking, June flashed an actual bright smile. "Well aren't we cocky?" the girl teased, twisting her bracelet around her arm. It didn't open up in her hands like it should have. It wouldn't come off for one reason or another. "Plus, I doubt anyone would punch with enough force to ensure blindness, smartass." June retorted with a giggle. She wasn't one for cussing, but it fit in the sentence, and introducing Caleb to the current problem.

"Sorry, Bradley said I was getting worse. I can feel it, too. Blackness." June's eyes glinted in the sun, making her face appear joyful to be slipping back again. It was a pit. That was the only way to describe June's condition. No one had been able to grab her hand. Sometimes she was strong enough to cling to the sides, but she always ended up sliding back down.

Making an impulsive decision, June reached for her knife, which she had just been retrieving from the still standing arena, and pointed it at her only pair of ears. "I'm only pointing a knife at you because I need cooperation and I can't seem to read you like I can everyone else. Answer something for me. Do you trust me enough to follow me?" June was only going through the safety precautions because she knew that was the only thing she would respond to with a slight stranger. "I promise that I won't let anything hurt you, including myself."

June tried begging Knives with her eyes, practically exposing her emotion to him easily.

Caleb Austin Wright
Son of Momus

"Aren't we always?" Caleb said, almost rolling his eyes when June made the cocky remark. "Well, want to test that theory out?" He didn't think too much of being called any kind of name; he took insults like they were nothing. It was only fitting, since he was the one who made it a passion to mock people.

His face remained stoic as he noticed the slight change of June's demeanor. It was the kind of thing you see in those psychopaths in the movies, like they were all happy to slip through a world only they could understand. Her new development bothered him. He had just begun to realize how truly messed up she was. A little part of his mind started to wonder how big of a situation did he suddenly involve himself in.

Then he suddenly found himself staring at the knife she pointed at him. The movement startled him for a moment, but his instincts made him quickly unsheath his own electric knife. In a flash, he held the celestial bronze blade defensively in front of him. Cackles of electricity increased the tension in the air as Caleb struggled to understand the girl. Was this all a trick? Or was June too crazy to even think straight? Defensive knife maneuvers ran through his mind in an instant, just in case she truly lost it and they ended up in a not-so-friendly spar.

"I'm only pointing a knife at you because I need cooperation and I can't seem to read you like I can everyone else. Answer something for me. Do you trust me enough to follow me? I promise that I won't let anything hurt you, including myself."

Huh, no wonder people don't treat you like a normal person, he thought sourly. Did she do this often, threatening people with knives to make them obedient? He didn't lower his guard, keeping in mind that he was dealing with someone he barely knew. A probable psycho at that. "You don't need to hold me at knife point to get me to follow you," he spoke in an emotionless tone. "I can't believe you've forgotten--I owe you, remember?"

June Prenston; 14; Daughter of Ares

June blinked several times and Caleb put on a completely unfazed face. This pretty much snapped her out of the violent mood. The only thing that excited her psycho-portion of her mind was fear and anger. Caleb expressed neither of the two, which was a pretty big let down for the girl. There was no fun in threatening the boy if he was going to treat her like nothing.

Well, he did bring out a weapon. The way it sizzled put a puzzled expression on June's face, but she shook her head and decided not to dwell on the fact that she didn't recognize the instrument. "It's a nice blade. The electric current give it away though. If you could find a way to hide them . . . you'd be a killing machine." June's eyes sparkled as she talked weapons. This was the only time she'd ever been comfortable discussing them with anyone.

"But I'm sure you probably know that. You aren't a killing machine like I am. You're just an aggressive teenage guy. Overly aggressive, I might add. But don't worry. That's a good thing if you're hanging with me." June bit her lip and blushed, trying to hide the fact that she might have just given a complement. Who knows, because June is confusing around people she tolerates.

"Still . . . considering you're still hanging around, when you don't even know what I'm capable of, says something about you. I mean, it says that you're probably crazy, because you aren't afraid of me like everyone else, but it makes me think differently of you." June forced a smile at Caleb, still partially in her sociopathic state. Normal June would have made more of a gesture to thank Knives, but not this June. A smile was enough.

"I'm not taking you far. There's a good way to get to the lake from here. A really secret way. If you have any friends, which I haven't decided about you yet, then you can't tell them. Our secret." June nodded. This was the way June had been escorted to the lake whenever she wanted to go swimming. The less she was around people, the better. In fact? It had been made for her. The fact that was was enough of a concern to get her own pathway used to fill June with pride. Only recently, when her Apollo Healer turned his back on her, did June realize it was one of the many ways she was being outcasted. "And don't think I'll let you count this as my favor. This is my threat. Or this is your 'kind act of the decade.' I'm sure you haven't done one of those yet?" June bobbed her head up and down as she made fun of the bold blind boy.

Maybe being partially blind was Caleb's way of being outcasted. Maybe this was how he was set apart from everyone else. Maybe his glasses where like June's pathway. They kept him shielded and out of view. They blocked him from everyone else. It kept him "safe." Like June's bracelet, they made him unapproachable. Like June's, Caleb's mood was always uninviting. "You could use someone to talk to. You aren't as good at hiding your wounds as you think." June smiled. A real smile. It was small, but it was a start. The corner of her lip's turned upwards, nothing more, but it made her entire face look happy and kind, something no one was used to. "At least, not to me . . ." June trailed off upon noticing how much she had been talking out of character. Again. Caleb had a weird effect on her, and not in the way everyone would assume if she told anyone. Ha! Like she had anyone to tell.

Caleb Austin Wright
Son of Momus

Caleb let out a laugh, but he didn't lower his blade. Nice of June to criticize his weapon. "True. But the sound of electricity pretty much scares everyone off. And if it isn't enough, they back off when they realize that I can throw with accuracy." He lazily threw the knife up where it did a flip in midair before he easily caught it by the handle. A smirk found its way to his lips with his little exhibition.

His smug smirk remained as she blushed. She wasn't used to giving compliments, was she? Just another one of their similarities. Who knew he could find an almost exact carbon copy of himself that wasn't his half-sister? "I'm not crazy, just different. I made a name for myself without trying. People have the habit of remembering ones that are different from the rest..." he trailed off, noting the small smile on June's face, but there was something off about it. Most likely forced, he thought, but he shrugged it off easily.

"Whatever you are, I'm sure I can handle myself just fine," he said coolly, not taking his eyes off her even for just a moment. He didn't take her 'niceness' for granted. He knew that she might snap at any second, considering what he knew of her background. "Any kind act from me is already a favor. Don't count this one out of it." Of course, it won't be enough to repay his debt, but hey, at least he was trying. It wasn't that hard to try than he initially thought. Caleb might not admit it out loud, his curiosity was brewing and he wanted to know more about this girl. Consider it as some sort of experiment. How long can he stand being with a mentally ill person?

What June said next triggered a small memory buried in the depths of his mind. Once in his childhood years, his mother asked him why he didn't hang out with his friends. As if he had any. He remembered how he was careful trying not to show her what he really felt at that time. Anger. Frustration. Sadness. But even after he tried to hide them, she saw through his mask with ease. He only thought that she was able to do that because she was his mother, the person who knew him longest. But now he thought--maybe it was because she tried hard to look closely. Maybe the reason why the others didn't seem to understand him well was because they didn't even want to spare him a second look, or if they did, they didn't delve deeper. June, however... She was different too. She was able to peek through the minute holes of his mask and see his pain. Like his mother.

Great. Now he was comparing June to his mother. Should he be happy or what? Creeped out?

When June smiled again, Caleb could easily tell that this one looked more genuine than before. It just seemed to brighten up her face, and her mood at that. "Fine. Show me this 'secret path.' Like I have anyone to share it with," he muttered the last part to himself. "You know, in case this is a trick, I won't hesitate on using this on you," he flicked the blade slightly for emphasis. "And if it happens, consider yourself lucky to be its first victim."

He smirked. If this was June's threat, he felt compelled enough to issue his own. Maybe he was crazy to even be with this girl. But Caleb wasn't running away now. That would be the most cowardly thing to do. He wasn't a coward, and he was going to prove that. He was brave. Maybe not the kind of person one would look up to, but at least the kind someone would be intimidated of.

Strength. Toughness. These were the mask that hid his sensitivity, his weakness. And maybe, after a long long time, someone would peel them off of him, inch by inch, until his secrets would finally be revealed.

June smirked at the boy bragging about his knife, deciding a simple eye roll would suffice as a response, but when he continued to make a remark questioning what she was, June's face went pale. Her hands clenched into fists, and she had to tell herself that Knives needed her just as much as she needed him. "If you had half a brain, you wouldn't talk to me like that. I'm a person. Not a whatever. Get that into your little head."June dropped her knife and stared at Caleb, trying to figure him out.

He had actually been nice to her. She had almost trusted him. June was ready to run. She was to fragile now. She'd gone soft. Maybe that was the problem--why she was getting worse. "You look sad," June commented, gazing at Caleb with anger still bubbling inside of her. She wanted it to wash away. She didn't want to be mad anymore. His word's hurt, but that was supposed to trigger depression, not rage. It wasn't normal.

"I don't think you realize the effect you have, Caleb. You're not like everyone else. And I'm not sure whether I'll ever be able to stay mad at you. I'm not even sure if I like you or not, but I think it's safe to say we're both hiding things." June stood still, not advancing towards her path. She continued to stare at Caleb, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Did you . . . Did you mean it? Not having any friends? Surprised I heard you? I'm used to people whispering things about me . . . And come on. People have got to like you. You're pretty impressive with that weapon. And you're a likable version if me, with no bipolar issues, and no mental disorder. I would like you. If you didn't take me for granted." June stood firmly, nodding as she decided Caleb probably had a girlfriend and several cronies he wasn't telling her about.

Sorry! iPad post. And I've just been so busy! I really have no idea what I just wrote, as well . . .

Caleb Austin Wright
Son of Momus

June's snappy retort made Caleb chuckle. He must be at least a little twisted to enjoy making other people scowl. Not as twisted as June though, at least that was what he told himself. But this time, there was the slightest hint of guilt peeking out of his stone cold heart, and the fact that he felt it made him question himself. Maybe it had always been there, only too shy to come out. Or maybe it was an effect June had on him--just another one of the things he was hesitant to voice aloud.

"Of course I'm not like everyone else. No one is," he muttered, just feeling the urge to correct her. Pointing out mistakes... He was good at that. He lowered his own weapon now, but he wasn't about to keep it... yet. He bit back a laugh when June mentioned being skeptical about the fact of him having no friends. Obviously, the girl didn't understand him enough, or maybe she was just blind. Hell, she could even be biased... or something. Caleb could've been touched by her compliments, if he wasn't so bent on believing that all the things she said about him were false.

"You have no idea. Me? A likable version of you? Are you serious?" he scoffed, shaking his head. "Please, I'm just you without a mental disorder besides ADHD and dyslexia." He made a slight face at the word. He threw her a confused look as he started to follow her to her secret path.

His forehead scrunched up as her last statement confused him. What did she mean by that? Hell, this was probably the nicest thing he had done in his life for someone who wasn't his mother. Maybe June didn't realize just how lucky she was that he decided to stick around despite her unpredictable nature. "What makes you think that I'm taking you for granted? I'm still here, aren't I?"

June bit her lip and shook her head violently, avoiding making eye contact with the boy who, like everyone else at camp, was starting to make her head hurt. Her feet padded at the ground gently, and though she was angry, the demigod started to breath slowly. It was the only calming method that seemed to work. "You aren't anything like me. You don't know anything about me." June stopped walking abruptly and glared at Caleb. "So don't compare yourself to me." Huffing and deciding she was stable, June kept up her pace and entered the trees. She was out of view of everyone. Just her. And Caleb. Alone. In a path far enough away from everyone to remain unheard. This wasn't going to end well.

Stopping to slouch against a tree, June turned quickly on her heels and looked over Caleb. "You know what else? I can't judge you either. I mean, I've spent a good amount of time around you, yet I can't tell you one thing about yourself, other than your skin isn't as tough as you make it out to be . . . And you didn't say anything to my sad comment. Because that's another thing. Your emotions would be pretty much visible, but your glasses block everything. I can't be sure what you're thinking." Pushing herself off of the tree and walking in a tight circle around the boy, June winced. Something about him--something about him hurt.

"You think you're not taking me for granted? Sticking around me only proves that you are. I don't think you believe I'm as dangerous as I keep saying I am. I guess . . . that feels nice. But if I hurt you, or you hurt me, it's not my fault." June added the last part in quickly, already praying that she could keep her anger under control around the equally as intimidating son of Momus. "Whatever you are, I don't really know . . . I just . . . I just don't know." June shook her head and backed away from Caleb.

"Wanna . . . sit?" The girl proposed awkwardly, motioning to the dirt and hoping Knives wasn't above the thought of sitting on the ground.

Caleb Austin Wright
Son of Momus

Caleb pretended not to have heard her first comments. Shrugging, he opted to twirl his knife around his hand, being careful enough not to touch the blade itself. "Well, if it makes you feel better, I feel the same way towards you. I know nothing except for the fact that you're a psycho who needs--and wants--help."

He sat on the ground at June's words. Making a slight face when his glasses were mentioned, he used one hand to tilt it upwards to rest on his head. Only for a few seconds, but it was enough to give June a clear view of the hazel eyes underneath. Skeptical eyes, eyes that were dark and full of doubt. The blurry scene set out in front of him annoyed him to an extent, pushing him to put his glasses back on. Oh how he hated being partially blind. It made him feel vulnerable, needing to depend on something for his life. "You saw anything?" he suddenly asked, referring to the moment without his glasses. "Anything besides the eyes, of course," he couldn't help but add, his voice dripping of sarcasm.

Sighing, Caleb raised his eyebrows at her. "I'm armed, aren't I?" He held his knife up to make a point. "This is the longest conversation I've had with this weapon out. Also the first one that doesn't involve 'oh no, please don't hit me with that thing' or 'get that knife away from me,' I believe." He smirked a little. "And by the way, if you had half a brain, you'd call me a person. Not a whatever," he said in the very same tone June used earlier. Huh, was Caleb actually cracking a joke? Get your cameras out, people. This was a once-in-a-blue-moon sight.

Sliding his fingers down the hilt of his blade, Caleb looked up at the girl who was still leaning against the tree. "Let's just agree on the fact that no one is to blame if we hurt each other," he declared, eyeing her warily. "Don't tell me I'm not well aware of the risks. Being alone with an unstable psycho in a forest? Give me some credit. I'm not an idiot." He sighed, ruffling his hair out of habit. What was he supposed to do now? Act like a therapist? A psychiatrist? The thought struck him as weird.

"So, do you feel like you want to kill me right now?" he asked nonchalantly, as if he was talking about the weather. Was he out of his mind and taunting her? Maybe he seriously considered the weird idea of playing psychiatrist. Either way, Caleb knew that the question would more or less merit a hot response. The thought hadn't intimidated him the least bit, as shown by the smirk on his face as he looked up at June.

"I'm not a psycho," June said slowly, clenching her fists tightly to keep herself under control, the daughter of Ares managed a small smirk. The boy had taken off his glasses. "Your eyes are kind of fogged. That's a weakness. It impaled your seeing and requires those glasses, I'm assuming, in a battle."

June wasn't one to be curious, but her sudden spurge of interest got the better of her and she quickly took Caleb's glasses off of his face. Holding them tightly in her hands and praying she could handle that new object as well as she handled weapons, June loosened her grip and pretended to gawk at the glasses. "Oh my gods! It's Knives without his glasses! Just what I wanted!" Rolling her eyes and returning the shades just as quickly as she had taken them, June grumbled something about hazel being a stupid eye color. "I don't want to read you. It's probably best that I don't try, right? That way, when today's over, we can split barely knowing anything about each other."

The weapon in Caleb's hand didn't really change anything about the situation at hand, mostly because whenever anyone at this Hades hole of a camp talked to her they held their weapons in front of them protectively. They weren't talking any chances. Their weapons were their crosses, and June was the soulless vampire. "Oh no, please don't hit me with that thing!" June gasped, followed by a slight snort. "Now it's just a normal conversation correct?"

Caleb asking his "helpful" question aroused certain memories in the back of June's mind to erupt. Anger filled her system, and though she was managing to control her sociopathic tendencies, she was still an angry daughter of Ares. Straddling Caleb and pushing on his shoulders, June held him against the tree as she spoke. "You aren't my mother," the girl hissed, before realizing Knives knew nothing about her mother. Covering her mouth and moving away from Caleb, June stared blankly at te boy, anticipating a reaction.

((I keep giving you bad posts with tons of mistakes in them . . . I'm sorry! It was a mobile post. Gross. And I'm sorry for not replying in forever! I got really busy really quickly.))

Caleb Austin Wright
Son of Momus

Caleb scowled. "You don't need to tell me that. I'm perfectly aware of how awful my eyesight is, thanks," he said dryly when June returned his glasses. He pretended to ignore her comment about his eye color, mostly because he agreed. Well, with the more peculiar and unique colors out there like sea green or cobalt blue, he just had to be stuck with the boring brown. He blamed his mother's genes for that. Huh, Caleb even found people to blame for his genetic make-up. He scoffed slightly at the thought of living up to his father's name.

"You know, I don't get you at all," he suddenly exclaimed, ruffling his hair out of slight irritation. "Why'd you bring me here then? To kill me without an audience--what the Styx--ow!"

Cut off suddenly by the sudden closeness and June's roughness in pinning him to the tree behind him, Caleb suddenly grew aware of the full danger he was in. So much for her not trying to hurt him now. Psychos were psychos, he thought, no matter what kind of condition they were in. Before he could react with an attack of his own, he caught wind of the hiss that escaped her lips. Something about him being not being her mother. Well, duh, isn't that obvious? he thought, annoyed.

When June moved away, Caleb quickly got up to his feet and caught her wrists with one hand--all in a single flash of movement. He turned them around so that it was he who was now pinning her to the tree, his hand holding both of her wrists above her head. His other hand gripped his knife with so much force that the whites of his knuckles were showing. Pointing the knife at June's neck, Caleb could feel the tension rising from the blade at such close proximity but he ignored it, looking through his shades to focus on June's face. When he spoke, his tone was not of anger, rather it was as stoic as before.

"What in the name of Styx was that?"

((I don't think they were bad posts xD And it's fine, no worries))

June accepted the fact that Caleb was just as strong as her and sighed as she shifted her weight. The throbbing in her wrists was probably well deserved, considering she had basically thought of crushing Caleb, but she didn't like the fact that she was now pinned--like a caged animal. "My sound like my mother when you call me psycho. That's how she phrased my condition. Now, you say you don't get me. Understandable. I'm not a psychopath. I'm a sociopath, or, I was. It's not like that anymore, though. You're just catching the bad end of my anger issues. Daughter of Ares." June shrugged whilst still in Caleb's grip as if the confusing statement just made everything so much clearer.

"It must be hard to be wrong all the time. I don't want to kill you. I don't know what it is about you but . . . even though obviously you don't . . . something makes me feel like you get me. I'm too much trouble for anyone else to bother with. 'What's June's deal? Why the Hades does she always look {upset}, {mad}, {angry}, {like she wants to kill me}?' If I was going to kill someone, not saying I will, I'd like to think of it as a grand show." June's eyes lit up as she thought about the scene she once would have been more than willing to create, but once she realized she was slipping back, the demigod rapidly shook her head.

"So how long do you plan on keeping me here?" June calmly asked, looking around at her surroundings. She couldn't hear anyone else. Just the sound of birds at the far off lake. Breathing heavily from her attack and from being attacked, the daughter of Ares began to stare at Caleb, especially at the way he carried himself. She couldn't for the life of her figure the boy out. "You know, the sooner you let go of me, the sooner we get to leave each other. I can't think of any other favors. It's not like I need anything. You don't need anything." June paused briefly before wiggling a bit, trying to see if she was small enough to slip out of Caleb's grip. She wasn't. "Except maybe someone who understands us."

The statement was pretty much declaring that June and Caleb were misfits, but misfits together. How hard was getting to know someone? Getting to trust someone?

((Haha, thanks. I've been off my game lately . . .))

Caleb Austin Wright
Son of Momus

Listening attentively, Caleb continued to stare at her through the lenses of his glasses, all in an effort to figure her out. His attempts were futile, however, just like how June felt the same way towards him. It was driving him to the wall, being someone who didn't understand, and it was all he could do not to force June to explain herself. He was sure that she wouldn't like that though. Heaving a soft sigh, Caleb pulled his knife hand away and released his grip. He stepped away from her, just a few feet distance to deny her of a chance to jump at him again.

Leaning his back on one of the surrounding trees, Caleb averted his gaze and developed a sudden interest in one of its low branches. "Sociopathy. Mental disorder that causes a person to have little regard for the feelings of others. Sociopaths have the habit of manipulating others to fulfill their own desires." Right after he finished reciting the textbook definition, a sudden feeling surged through his mind. Like deja vu. A flash of white light seemed to have blinded him for a second and he blinked profusely to clear his vision. His hand shot out to grab the branch he was looking at earlier, an effort to steady himself.

What the hell was that? The answer was right at the tip of his tongue. Though the full answer eluded him, a little clue suddenly formed in his head, a clue that he couldn't make out very well. "Sociopath... I think I knew a sociopath before..." he trailed off, not realizing that his thoughts had turned into spoken words.

He prodded the deepest depths of his mind to try and figure all this out, but there seemed to be a mental wall implanted in his brain that prevented him from looking any further. A shield that locked away the few memories that had been yearning to come out. A low frustrated growl ripped Caleb's throat and his other hand clutched at his head, as if touching it would break this mental barrier. He probably looked weird to June, but he couldn't care less about that for the moment.

What's happening to me?

June rolled her wrists several times once Caleb let go, grateful for the leeway she was suddenly given. Guess she wasn't so scary anymore, huh? Did talking to June really make people warm up to her? Pfft, no. It was probably just Knives being nice. Was that . . . Was that even possible?

The demigod stifled a laugh as the boy's eyes lit up, almost as if he was remembering. "Do I bring up a bunch of pleasant memories?" June joked dryly, still finding Caleb's expression picture-worthy. "Or do you alway just pose as if your brain hurts?" As June continued to talk, Caleb continued to appear to be thinking. What was there to even think about? All she talked about was being a sociopath. It wasn't like being a psychopath, although the definition Caleb gave was something she was used to. "If your trying to pull another word's exact dictation, good luck. That's a helpful skill, but I don't know how often you can use it. And . . . It was right. Psychos just do things because they're crazy. They can't help it. Sometimes they don't even remember it. What's worse for people like me is the fact that we can't feel bad about it. I almost killed my mother. To this day, though I want to be sorry, I'm still just angry she stopped me. Do you know how terrible that is? I could have blinded someone for all I know! I obviously didn't care! There are a lot of school fights. There was so much moving and changing . . ." June was unaware of the fact that she was likely feeding Caleb's déjà vu, and her rant was practically pointless. Like usual, it was just her complaining to someone who would rather be dead than listen to another word. Knives had already made it clear, as had June, that there was something different between them. Something weird.

Caleb Austin Wright
Son of Momus

June's rambles only served to confuse him further. Words both in and out of his mind jumbled together as if his dyslexia was kicking in when he was trying to read. And given how much he hated his dyslexia, Caleb snarled and punched a tree--as if it would help him in this situation. He ignored the slight sting on his knuckles as he staggered back. He wanted to think in silence. Was that too much to ask from June? Apparently not, as she seemed oblivious to his tactics.

But then, the most bizarre thing happened. It was like a key suddenly popped up at June's words. The key to his mental wall, it seemed. And with June's every word, the key slightly twisted to unlock his memory cage.

Can't feel bad...

Blinded someone... A small turn...

...school fights...

Moving... They key turned in a 180-degree angle...

...changing...

Then suddenly he was on the ground on all fours. Bands of sweat formed on his forehead and his hands even felt clammy with sweat. What the hell is this, dammit! a mental voice yelled into his ears but he could give it no answer.

"Can you shut up?! I'm trying to think here!" he suddenly shouted at the girl, not even bothering to look up at her. Knowing June, she probably wouldn't even acknowledge his demand, but Caleb was too distracted by these abnormal happenings to even think straight. He drew in deep ragged breaths as his eyes trained on the ground while his mind saw something else. Blurry, fuzzy memories... As if he was seeing the world without his glasses... Caleb let out a groan before pulling his knees close to his chest and clutched his head with both hands. Stop... someone stop this...

June scrunched up her face into a confused, but mostly angry, excuse for an expression. People typically don't tell her to shut up. They were too afraid of her. The girl's case of ADHD usually led to a spark being set, and she couldn't stop talking after that. (To someone she trusted to listen, at least, and Caleb did owe her one.)

The thought that was taking over Caleb's face frightened June, but his annoyed dialog did make her that much angrier. "You shut up!" she lamely retorted, not knowing what else to shout at the other demigod. Her feelings didn't ever get hurt, despite what people say to her, mostly becaus of her disorder, but if she was normal, Caleb's words would have really stung. He was punching trees and making a fool of himself!

Suddenly Caleb dropped to the ground, and though she had no experience comforting anyone, June dropped to her knees as well. Awkwardly, June reached out a hand and tried her best to express that she was actually concerned. "C . . . C--Caleb? D . . . Don't hurt yourself . . ." In a desperate attempt to try to help her new . . . person, June firmly placed her outstretched hand on Caleb's back.

Remembering she wasn't supposed to be talking, June sighed heavily and rocked on her toes slightly. The situation troubled her more so with every second. As Knives tried to think, so did June's brain subconsciously. Something was trying to click. As she watched Caleb, June began to speak. "I know I'm not helping. I don't think I had any friends when I was little. Now I just have, like, one." The daughter of Ares snorted at her pittyful social life. If she was someone else, she would care.

Caleb Austin Wright
Son of Momus

Caleb smacked her hand away. It was a reflex and he didn't totally mean it, but he didn't like people doing that to him. He had gotten so used to helping himself that he had forgotten how it felt to have others help you through your problems, and now he was turning away possible help. Was it the wrong thing to do? Caleb was too troubled to even think about his actions right now.

"Get away... Get away from me," he muttered, not meeting her gaze as he slowly got up on his feet. Using the same branch from before to steady himself, Caleb took a few steps away from June. Looking at her seemed to make his head hurt more, whatever that meant. He didn't need any more pain right now.

It was just then that his mind processed what June said. "Are you sure?" he asked with his back to her. "Not even one friend before?"

It was slowly making sense, but everything was still so vague. Caleb didn't even know what came out of his mouth anymore, if it had anything to do with this sudden sense of deja vu. Groaning, he shook his head vigorously, trying to clear off thoughts. The motion did nothing to help him though, and in fact it made his head pound even more.

What exactly had he gotten himself into?

June mumbled something about being ungrateful as she hesitantly stood up. Her brain was working on over drive trying to process something--everything. It sickened her to know that Caleb meant something, but she couldn't remember. "I'm . . . pretty sure. Why?" June furrowed her eyebrows, trying to make sense of Caleb's now odd reactions to everything. "Wait, wait, wait a second. Why does my old life pertain to your little thought attack?" June crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "You want to know about my past life? I'll tell you about my past life. The kids in my classes made my life hell. They told the teacher if I so much as look at them. I'm pretty sure I sat alone in every single classroom I was ever in. That's a little hazy . . . I just know the teachers didn't trust me around the other kids, for the most part. It's still a little hazy . . . which I never realized . . ." June went silent and slowly sat down, staring straight ahead and openly expressing her worry. The girl quickly looked up at Caleb and tilted her head to the right. "Caleb . . . I think I know you."

Caleb Austin Wright
Son of Momus

Everything was still swirling in Caleb's head but his thoughts were righting themselves. At least, he thought they were. He still couldn't bring himself to look at June, afraid that another glance would trigger another of these strange attacks. He slumped against the tree, breathing in slowly. The images in his mind were still as blurry as before, but now he could make them out a little. Just a little.

"It's hazy, a bit of your life before camp," he deadpanned. "It doesn't make sense, does it? Some parts of mine don't... A sociopath.. I definitely met a sociopath before." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I think it was in school. I remember looking it up, doing research... but it was so long ago. And when I try to remember the face of that sociopath, I blank out. It's in here," he prodded his temple, "but something is stopping me. I don't know what."

Caleb pulled on his own hair in sheer frustration. He felt like he was this close to getting answers but yet so far from the bigger picture. Like he was missing something, something big. Did June feel the same way? He didn't know. But all he was sure of at this moment was that whatever it was that he was dealing with right now, it involved June. The daughter of Ares he first met in the arena manticore attack.

But then, her last statement caused even more questions than ever. First and most troubling question in Caleb's mind: had it really been their first meeting?

"We're a very tight knit community," June scoffed, letting out a puff of air and sending her bangs flying into the air. Was the reason he was still sticking around the fact that she reminded Caleb of someone he once knew. For some reason, that possibility made June queasy. She was an experiment to Caleb. "And yeah, I'm thinking about . . . elementary school? Middle school? It's like there are huge gaps in my memory, and I keep seeing you." June glanced at her feet and smiled to herself. Caleb's face was warm and almost friendly when replayed in her head, but every time she looked at him now, there was almost some sort of tainted and fake feeling of distrust that took over.

"I want to feel safe around you, but for some reason I don't," June blurted out, shaping her hands into tight fists, then slowly releasing them. "You know . . . We'd be a pretty dangerous combo," June added with a calm chuckle. Realization hit her then and there. She backed up into a tree and clutched her head tightly. A mixture of sweat and some sort of mythological river water began to bud on June's forehead. "Caleb Wright! Caleb. Wright. Caleb . . . Austin? Wright. I think I might have caused your partial blindness. But I believe you also caused me to develop sociopathic tendencies." Letting go of her head, June locked eye with Caleb and tried to convey an apothetic look, but it was against her nature. June just wasn't apathetic.

Caleb Austin Wright
Son of Momus

Caleb tensed all over. Had he told June his full name? He jogged through his memory lane and realized that he hadn't. And she probably wouldn't have heard it from someone else--most people only knew him by Caleb. Plus, he didn't think that anyone would know about his middle name. Realization dawned on the boy's features as he straightened up, the mental barrier in his mind finally breaking into a million pieces to allow him access to the memories he never knew he had.

It was like looking through murky water, Caleb thought, as he tried to piece together all the clues. Though he could more or less see them, his hazy memories still seemed to be fading along the edges. "My blindness...? I was born... blind..." he said more to himself, his tone high as if asking a question. Was he born blind? Or... was he just fooled into thinking that he was born that way?

"How could I cause you to become a sociopath?" Caleb questioned wryly, but his voice was laced with something else. Doubt? Guilt? He held June's gaze, searching her eyes for answers that she couldn't give. Had he been the reason why June lived the torturous life of being a sociopath? He broke out in a cold sweat just at the thought. He couldn't have been... right? Had he been that twisted from such a young age to become a bad influence over someone he could barely even remember now?

June Prenston; 14; Daughter of Ares

June blinks at Caleb, this time with the knowledge of their past. Everything about him seemed so different. Everything about him, instead of seeming new and mysterious, was familiar and memorable. When they went to school together June was still the bad kid who sat by herself, but she had hung out with Caleb every spare second she could. The teacher wasn't fond of his attitude either, but he had been happier as a child. So had she. They related through 4th, 5th, and 6th grade, and now, nearly 4 years later, they were like bickering strangers.

"Before you get all defensive about anything I just said, I'm not accusing you of anything. But I remember Caleb. I remember your one little girlfriend. Remember when I dared you to ask her out? I remember you talking about your step-dad, and your mom. Heck, I just plain remember your brother. (Don't tell him this, but he was a brat.) I remember ragging on my mom to you. I would never even dream that I told someone about my stripper parental figure to anyone when I was that young, but I did. I told you! I remember playing by ourselves on the playground. And playing by ourselves after school. And doing everything by ourselves, because no one else liked us." June was staring off into space with a faraway glint in her eyes and a small smile on her lips. June finally remembered being happy as a kid.

The daughter of Ares fought the awkward impulse to hug Caleb right there, when he was obviously not in the moods for any comfrimation, so she fought the urge. Now was neither the time nor place for warm embraces. "And I remember you being a nerd, always doing good in school while my grades just got worse. I remember growing jealous of you. I remember you calling me a psycho for beating some kid up. I remember punching you. Aiming for your nose, but punching you square in the eye. And you threw something at me. And I punched your other eye, and you started babbeling about not being able to see. I didn't feel bad, and I'm sure you can at least pick up the rest of our fight from what you've seen of me today. It only got worse, and we were starting to show our demigod abilities. The gods came to get us, there on the playground. We were too much of a threat. They erased our memories and sent me off to camp. You got to go home, I believe?" June had no idea what became of Caleb after their separation, but something was telling June that Knives was definitely her friend, despite their grueling fight.

"I developed issues as soon as they erased my memory. I remembered hearing psycho, and I guess throughout the river bath, that word was remembered a socio? Your eyes are tarnished because they were never treated, and the river only made them worse; close to permanent." June once again locked eyes with Caleb and tried to take in everything about him now. He really did look sad, or, in the very least, unhappy. "Please tell me you remember. I . . . miss you." June admitted it sullenly, her grin turning into a bit of a frown. Personal connection or longing was a weakness. She shouldn't feel that character trait. It didn't match up with her new persona. That was the old June talking.

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