Cool Summer Nights. [Vix]

(post with whoever.)

Reighleh was settled in the sand. All he wore was a dark thin tee shirt and kahkis. Since it was getting dark he was all to worried about the darkness. Running his fingers through the sand he felt the see shells that prodded his fingers. the waves brought on a cool wind that felt wonderful after the long hot day. Taking deep breaths he felt chips of ice forming on his ankles after the waves washes away but quickly melting. The coldness was welcome though.

"Hey, Frosty." A familiar, gruffly feminine voice spoke from behind. To anyone who did not know her, this might have sounded like an insult. But Tabitha did not give a nickname to someone she did not like. The tan blond flopped into the sand next to Reigh, stretching. She had a grease-stain on her shirt, and some soot from the coals of the forge on her shoes. But despite her messy appearance, she smiled. "Want a coke?" she offered, holding a can out to him, produced from her bag. "They're warm, but hey... It's coke." she ginned.

Tabitha blinked, looking over at him. "On special occasions." she said, frowning at the now cold can and handing him hers. "Do mine?" she asked, leaning back on her hands. "Only my brothers call me Tabby... Then again, most people stay away from me unless they need something from me." The blond pulled a face and sighed, flopping back into the sand. She didn't seem to care about the sand getting in her hair. She kicked off her sneakers and pulled of her socks, stretching her feet out so the water brushed them. "Apparently I give off the appearance that I hate everyone."

"It feels better. Like I said, I've had worse burns. I like playing with Greek Fire." she said, opening the can and sipping it. "So you don't think I'm prickly?" she asked, looking at him. She did scowl most of the time, but that just seemed to be her neutral expression. But right now, she gave him a small smile. "You're the first outside of my brothers." Pushing the can into the sand so it would stay upright, she pulls her hair out of it's ponytail, running her fingers through it.

He shook his head in a light hearted manner. Of course she does. Fire that doesn't go out easily, something he wouldn't like around him for obvious reasons. "You not prickly, not around me so far anyways, they probably just don't understand you." Looking over at her with her hair down he smiled, "You look nice with your hair down." And he turned back to the creek. It was flirty or teasing, it was like compliments could just roll of him in the more innocent manner a teenage boy could do.

The blond looked over at him, her tan cheeks darkening slightly with a blush. "Uh...thanks...Loose hair isn't an option in the force." she said, looking down at her legs in the sand, her brown eyes warming. "A lot of people don't really get me. My brothers do a bit, I think... but...I dunno." she sighed, pushing her hair out of her face. "I just...want my dad to notice me. I get lost in my work and that...bothers people I guess." she looked over at him, as if waiting for him to laugh at her. Her eyes grew cold with her paranoia, her fear. "Don't tell anyone anything I tell you in private, okay?" Her voice was fierce again.

He moved his toes along the current, "Understandable." He listened closely to her reason and smiled. "I guess I can understand. My dads mortal but I wanted his respect, He was aprofessional hockey player. So I became a hockey player, he showed up to one game or championship, we won. He was proud of me, but I did my hardest to impress him" He looked over at the blonde, "but I also loved the sport, it became more important to have fun doing it then to win him over in the end." He sighed and sat up his glasses falling down his nose a bit, Giving her a sly glance he worded simply. "As long as you don't tell your brothers I'm a sticker addict. Then we are good."

Tabitha stared at him, then relaxed. She seemed to contemplate something, her brown eyes studying him. "I played volleyball in elementary. Before Gran died." she said, facing the water. "Then I came here. The minute I was in the forge...I felt at home. More at home than I ever had before." she pushed her hair out of her eyes. "I love creating new weapons, the feel of a new sword, fresh out of the forge. The looks on the other's faces when I've made exactly what they wanted, needed, in a weapon or piece of armor..." she sighed, closing her eyes. "And I don't think my brothers would care if you had a sticker addiction, but I won't tell either way." Peeking over at him, she bit her lip nervously, before scooting a little closer.

He laughed. "Oh it's not that they'd care, it's the fact it might hurt my rep." He joked, Reigh didn't a rep bigger then his bookworm status. The golden eye'd boy smiled as she moved closer nervous. "I'm not going to bite or anything." He stated pointing out there was still a good space between them. He didn't even feel that cold.

At being seen scooting closer, she blushed furiously, stiffening in the spot. "I'll just stay here then." she said, gripping the sand with one hand, the other reaching for her coke. "Well, I won't tell anyone. But you'll have to share your stickers with me. I'm feeling an addiction of my own coming along." Gods, what was -wrong- with her?! She wasn't some dopey Aphrodite girl! But here she was, wanting to be closer to a boy. Oh -great-. She was getting soft for a guy.

Reigh smiled, He was really starting to grow fond of the girl. He laughed a bit desiding to mess with her. Moving himself to his arms pushing himself off the ground arms at full length. His glasses dropping down his nose and his smile charming. "I can come closer if you want." He said in a soft teasing manner. He let himself fall back over on his back and relaxing before the girl threw sand in his face. "Oh I'll share stickers with you." He sipped away from his coke. Closing his eyes he relaxed after setting the coke down.

Tabitha turned a darker shade of red, stiffening even more so. She, thankfully, didn't throw sand at him, but just a small, harmless pebble. It would probably bounce harmlessly off of him and she would cross her arms and huff. "You shouldn't tease a girl about that kind of stuff. You should be serious. Either get close or don't say it." she said, huffing. This was as good of a 'I want you closer to me' as he'd ever get from the rough blond, who looked nervous behind her huff.

Reigh looked up with a smirk. That translated into a challange and those he accepted. He sat up, reached over and hooked his arms around her waist before dragging her closer to him. Once she sat beside him he let his arms drop away from her but looked up at the stars forming above the trees. Hiding his pink tingied cheeks. "Now that we have that settled," he started "why don't you tell me about your favorite think to build."

Having been scooted quite close, something she hadn't expected him to actually do, she bit her lip again. It took her a minute to relax again, likely this was the closest she's been to a member of the opposite gender that wasn't her brother, or necessary for her job as a smith, in a long time, if ever. But soon, she leaned gently on him. "Well...I like making small things that do a great deal. I'm trying to make traps, bombs, thing like that... But I'm trying to make it stronger, smaller, easier for everyone to use. I don't think just us Hephaestus kids should be able to use these things. They should be easy to use so our friends can protect themselves with the fire and power we use..." she touched the pendant glittering around her neck. "Sorry...I'm probably going on too much..."

He chuckled deepily. 'Not at all. I think it sounds pretty great. I mean not everyone can wield powers and those who do aren't strongly skilled. Finding something other then just plan sword to sword fighting and archary is useful." He rubbed his hands together. "Pretty necklace." He stated looking down at the peice of jewerly for just a second before looking back at the river, it was dark now and he found the creak to be a great source of noise.

"I don't think it's fair that only powerful halfbloods survive out there." she said, looking out at the water. Looking at the necklace, Tabitha let out a soft chuckle. "You won't think so if you saw it in it's truest form. It was a gift from my dad... I was having trouble coping...and I've never been skilled with a sword...so..." she popped the necklace off of her neck and spun it once in her hands. It became a large-scale, decorative smith hammer, crafted from celestial bronze. "I'm good with a hammer though." she had to hold it in both hands. "Heh...thinking on it...most people think I work so hard because I don't want to be around any of them...I'm really doing it to try and increase their survival rates." she said, letting the hammer reduce to a necklace again. Slipping it back around her neck, she leaned on him, relaxing. "Well...and to impress my dad."

He nodded looking at the large hammer with interst. "Naw. It's still pretty cool." He smiled but it quickly became a thoughtful frown. "Heh. That's life for you. Really though they just don't get your helping them out more." He stuided his hands. "I can't fight with any weapon up close. I could i've found I'm decent with a spear, it's just I can't bare to hurt anything if I can see any emotain on they're face. I just stick with a long bow."

"If I'm angry enough to fight, then I'm not really concerned about it's expression." she said, settling against his shoulder, her eyes closed. It seemed her prickles had gone down, and all there was, was comfort. "I could...maybe make you a good bow...if you don't have one already..." she offered, her voice actually sounding shy.

Reigh looked down at her with his bright smile."you' d do that?" He wrapped an arm around her. He liked her next to him felt nice. Using his free arm he finished his coke. "So have any other hobbies then building?" He asked curiously. feeling the hair fall over his rims he tried blowing hair up his face to move the locks.

"Yeah, I would..." Tabitha looked at him, shifting against him before pulling her body away to look at him. Reaching up, she pushed his hair out of his eye, her fingers brushing his forehead. They were calloused and warm. "Promise you won't tell anyone?" she said. "It's kinda...like forgework... but...not...." Finally, she sighed. "I like to bake..." She mumbled.

The warm feeling from her fingers wasn't one he minded. A tint of pink covered his cheeks, but was hid in the darkness and hen gave a soft deep chuckle. "I see it, I bet its wonderful." He knew she was a tough exterior but on the inside she was quite sweet.

Leaning on him again, she groaned. "Don't chuckle about it... " she grumbled, hiding her face against his chest, sighing. "I'm not usually this open....You're making me soft..." she mumbled, shifting her face to look up at him through her hair. Leaning back, she ran her hands through her hair. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

"Awe soft for little ol me?" He asked with just a bit of teasing before leaning down before quietly saying "Good, because I was starting to feel the same for you." Sitting up straight he let her move, he watched her as much as light allowed. "And why not?"