he said ask anything [private]

Subject: he said ask anything [private] Fri Jan 04, 2013 1:33 am

tiffany claire powell

Tiffany, standing outside of her "boyfriend's" cabin, talked in a hushed voice to her brother. She was using a phone, but she was pretty sure it was for a good reason. Surely camp was safe from monster attacks, right? The reception was terrible, but she could still hear Damian talk to her through sobs, or what she was pretty sure were sobs. It could just be the sound of phone crackling. "Stop crying, Dam. This is stupid, go get Rose." Before too long, Tiffany was talking to her sister who spoke much quieter than her brother had and didn't cry. "So Mom and Jake were in a car crash? Is he... are they okay?" Tiffany didn't want to hear the news she knew was coming. Rose was silent for quite some time before replying sullenly.
The response was enough to make Tiffany hang up abruptly. Shoving the phone into her pocket, Tiffany stumbled into the bright cabin and looked frantically for Zander. She had been in the cabin with him just a few minutes ago. A frown formed on her unusually pale face, and her bottom lip quivered, threatening to cry. She didn't want to cry, not in such a public place. She just wanted someone to hold her and tell her things were okay. Unable to find Zander through the haze that was clouding her thoughts, Tiffany leaned against a pillar and bit her lip, her eyebrows knit together furiously. Unable to think, Tiffany rested her face in her hands and gasped, not wanting to cry, not wanting to be alone. She would go dark again. The feelings of sadness that were flooding her? They were familiar, but hadn't been with her since she tried to kill herself that one night. "You are pretty, you are smart, you are skinny, you can dance," Tiffany whispered, trying to use the trigger phrases that used to make her feel so good. It wasn't working, and she was struggling to breathe.

nobody said it would be this hard

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Fri Jan 04, 2013 1:53 am

zander west son of apollo

Seated on the edge of his bunk, Zander scuffed the toe of his sneaker on the wood panelled floor of the Apollo cabin, waiting for Tiffany to come back. Seeing that Zander was alone, one of his brothers came over and teased him about his "girlfriend". Zander grinned and punched him in the shoulder good-naturedly then ran away as he gave a chase. He didn't notice when Tiffany entered the cabin, only realizing she had come back when a few of his siblings started to approach her worriedly. His brother let him off with a warning and Zander made his way over to her carefully, his eyebrows furrowed. "Tiff?" He asked experimentally when he was close enough for her to hear him. Seeing her with her face in her hands, panic flashed in his eyes. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he started to lead her out of the cabin, away from the prying eyes of his siblings. "What's wrong?" His hands shook a little bit as he smoothed her hair back. "Calm down - breathe. You're okay, you're with me, you're okay."

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Fri Jan 04, 2013 2:10 am

tiffany claire powell

Tiffany barely registered that Zander had started comforting her, or that she was being guided away from the cabin and into the chill of outside. she didn't mind the cold, really, but when she started to become aware of her surroundings, it was strikingly cold. Zander's hands on her head felt warm, so, feeling small, Tiffany wrapped her arms around the boy. Without speaking, Tiffany pressed her face into Zander's chest and started to cry. She felt safe and comfortable near the boy, and having hugged him, she lost it. "I'm not okay," she moaned, her voice coming out shaky and small. "My brother and mom..." Tiffany shook her head in disbelief, moving her head back to look into Zander's eyes. "My stepmom and brother..." Tiffany shook her head and pleaded with Zander to understand. It was impossible to make sense of her stammering. She wasn't comfortable with explaining what happened, but she wanted Zander to get it. She was expecting too much. "I wasn't even there." Tiffany gasped again, which led into more crying. (cute as her crying was, the shrill sound her breath made as she struggled to breath ruined the "pretty crying" she had managed to achieve.) "I'm sorry," she whispered, feeling guilty for her crying and tight hugging. She didn't stop, though. She needed something to grasp onto.

nobody said it would be this hard

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Fri Jan 04, 2013 2:26 am

zander west son of apollo

Zander wrapped his arms around Tiffany without hesitation, rubbing her back. What had that phone call been about? "What happened?" He questioned quietly, waiting patiently as she spoke nonsense. Tiffany had been there for him when he had needed someone not too long ago, he would be here for here whenever she needed him. "You don't need to apologize, it's not your fault." Zander said, not really knowing what she was apologizing for. The brightness of the Apollo cabin glinted off her hair and lit up her clothes, making Tiffany look like she was glowing a little bit. He couldn't help but think that she was a much prettier crier than he was, although she was fighting for breath in the most worrying manner. "Everything's okay here, Tiffany. You're going to be okay." Zander wasn't used to being someone who comforted other people. He usually ran like hell when people showed the slightest signs of needing someone to console them. He had never thought he was qualified to make other people feel better - he never really knew what to say. Maybe - maybe he could cheer them up after they were over their worst stages but he usually didn't try until he knew they were a bit better. His friends were usually pretty independent and stable people, they didn't usually need his help. He had always been thankful for that, but it meant that he was woefully unprepared to help the girl crying into his shirt. He had to help her though - or at least try his best to. "Everything is going to be just fine. Tell me what's wrong." He hoped that voice sounded as confident as it usually did.

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Fri Jan 04, 2013 2:39 am

tiffany claire powell

Tiffany almost shook her head in refusal to tell Zander anything, but he was standing there rubbing her back. She couldn't rightfully shut him out and except him to help her. Taking a few very deep breaths, Tiffany wiped at her eyes and ran a hand through her own hair nervously. There wasn't even the smallest trace of a smile on her placid, half-alive face. She felt depressed. She was depressed. "That was Damian and Rose, my big brother and one of my sisters." Tiffany shook her head and exhaled. "They were calling from the hospital. It was about... my mom and little brother." Tiffany sucked in through her nose, then breathed out through her mouth like she had been taught to do. "They were in a car crash. One casualty." Tiff bit her lip until she was afraid she would draw blood, and as if she was exhausted, laid her head back on Zander's chest. She was not crying, even though she should have been. She didn't know who died, she had hung up and didn't plan on calling back, but both possibilities haunted her.
"He was... he was six. And she looked after everyone." As Tiffany tried to make sense of what life in her house would be like when everyone got home from the hospital, a tear dripped down her cheek and plopped to the dirt. "Stupid reason to cry so hard..." the daughter of Terpsichore mumbled to herself as she gulped, afraid of what Zander was thinking.

nobody said it would be this hard

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Fri Jan 04, 2013 3:23 am

zander west son of apollo

Zander's mouth twitched with a small smile hearing Tiffany describe someone at her big brother, even though he knew it was a horribly bad time to smile. He found the smallest things about her so endearing. They didn't stand out much, but he noticed them and they were what made her so lovable. The small smile quickly fled and the colour drained from his face. A car crash. A small ache began to spread from from the centre of the cavern in his chest but Zander ignored it. "I'm so sorry." He said quietly, wholly meaning it. Zander knew what it was like to hear people say sorry without knowing what it felt like. But Zander knew what it felt like - and still, he didn't know what to say. Nobody had said anything to him that made him feel any better and he didn't know anything that would. Abruptly, Zander pulled away for a moment to look Tiffany in the eye. "It's not stupid. Not stupid at all." He said solemnly, then getting an idea. "Do you know which hospital they're at?" The callused pad of his thumb gently wiped a tear her cheek. "I'll take you there." He said, not waiting before he scooped her up and swung her over his shoulder in a fireman carry and hastening on his way to the camp parking lot. He probably looked like a kidnapper but he didn't want to make Tiffany walk at the moment and she was plenty light, it was no hassle to carry her.

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:36 am

tiffany claire powell

Tiffany pulled her face away then frowned up at Zander. She was remembering Max. How could she not, what with Zander apologizing so sincerely? Knowing that she was probably bringing back horrible memories, Tiffany tried to stay tough, but she couldn't hold back her crying for very long. She hid her face in Zander's shirt and tried to breathe, but only inhaled his cologne. It wasn't overpowering when she was standing next to him, but with her nose pressed against his chest? It was hard to not feel surrounded by the smell of Ireland, and it was nice. She hardly noticed being picked up, she was so out of it. Zander carried her, and she let him, glad that he was letting her play victim. She liked being a damsel, especially when it was Zander carrying her off. "Yes," she moaned, all of her body limp. "St. Francis hospital." Her cheek was pressed into the boy's back and she was staring at the back of his neck. His blue hair was the only thing keeping her calm. She loved the color blue. She loved the color on Zander. She loved him holding him, and she almost forgot she was sad.
But she didn't. Her chest ached. She felt very depressed.

nobody said it would be this hard

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Sat Jan 05, 2013 2:13 am

zander west son of apollo

Zander chewed on his lower lip and hurried on his way to the parking lot - although he was careful not to jostle Tiffany. Fishing his keys out of his pocket, he made his way over to an absurdly burnt orange pickup truck, glad that he was carrying her fireman style. He wondered if she would be okay with him owning quite possibly the ugliest, most obnoxious car in the world. It had been cheap and it wasn't like the Wests were really rich, so he and his mother had split the price after he got his license and bought it. Personally, Zander didn't care much about what his car looked like. Not spending so much money on the car meant that he had more money to spend on gas anyway, which seemed like a better option to him than buying a cool-looking car that never left its spot in the parking lot. Depositing Tiffany in the shotgun seat, he hopped in the driver's seat.
They made good time. Within 2 hours, they had arrived at St. Francis hospital. Tiffany was sleeping - he almost didn't want to wake her up, but he knew she'd want to see her family right away. "We're here, Tiff." He said, putting a hand on her shoulder and unwilling to shake her awake. Tiffany always looked so fragile sometimes, he was afraid he might hurt her. "Time to check on your family."

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Sat Jan 05, 2013 2:44 am

tiffany claire powell

Smiling sadly at the car Zander carried her too, Tiffany sunk into her seat and dozed off almost immediately. She felt bad for having slept the whole way to the hospital, but she almost supposed that she wouldn't really have had anything to say. The sleep saved her from possible breaking down sobbing in the middle of nowhere. Not a very sound sleeper, Tiffany woke up at the sound of Zander's voice, and the feeling of his hand on her. Her eyes fluttered open, and her mouth formed a straight line. "O... Okay." Slowly opening her door and sliding out of the truck, Tiffany walked on wobbly legs to meet up with Zander. Uncertainly, she grabbed onto his hand and started walking towards the door, her hold on him getting tighter as she entered the building.
"Can I help you?" a rather old nurse asked as greeting to the ragtag looking couple. Tiffany nodded and emotionlessly murmured. "Powell's. It's my mom and brother." The girl's voice was less lively than usual, almost uninterested. She was trying not to cry in the hospital. She didn't want to look like she had been crying when she talked to her family. "Floor three, room 306." Tiffany nodded and squeezed Zander's hand, a helpless look on her face. She jutted her chin out as she started walking and did her best to look brave as she pressed the button on the elevator and stepped in. "Don't let them harass you," Tiffany almost chuckled, staring at the pair's reflection in the elevator door. She looked pale and sick. Zander looked tall.
The door buzzed and opened, and Tiff stepped out, her eyes shut tightly as she stood in place. She would be fine. She would be fine. Looking down the hall, Tiffany almost instantly made eye contact with her brother, Damian, whose tear soaked face lit up at the sight. Rose sat with Gwyneth, and Tiffany's dad stood awkwardly to the side. They were waiting outside the room, looking as sorrowful as possible. The dancer couldn't help but smile at Damian who stood staring at her, and Rose, who was taking an interest in Zander. "Oh my gods," Tiffany whispered to Zander before letting go of his hand and running to her brother. "Damian," she whispered as she met him in a hug. He held on a little too tight, but Tiffany could hardly mind. Rose latched on to Tiffany's back and Gwyen managed to hug her leg. "Guys, guys. Where's mom and Jake?" her tone was serious, more mature than her siblings were probably used to, and powerful. "I'm going in the room, okay? That's Zander. He's nice. He brought me here. Go tell him about how happy you are that your sister's here." Tiffany smiled as she watched Gwyen run off, probably already asking questions about Zander's hair. Rose followed, trying to corral the child, but Damian stayed. "You can't go in. They don't want us to see, you know..." The demigod nodded at her brother before pushing his already shaggy hair and and hugging him again. "It was Jake, wasn't it?" Damian only nodded before he was crying again. Tiffany didn't let herself cry, but she dropped to the floor. "He was... he was so young, though," she gasped, oblivious to the fact that her dad was standing her up, and Damian was holding onto her. She didn't care what was happening. She had to leave. "When you see Mom, tell her I came by, okay? Damian, I love you."
Damian shook his head. "I'm talking to that boy you brought before you leave." Tiff groaned and rolled her eyes, finding that bickering helped her forget about Jake. Tugging Damian to Zander, Tiffany picked up Gwyen and sighed. "Guys, Zander. Zander, guys. Zander goes to camp with me." Gwyen pulled on Tiffany's hair and hugged her tightly. "Is he your boyfriend?" she asked with a very small smile. Caught off guard by the question, Tiffany turned to Zander and gave him her best 'what-the-hell-do-i-say' face. She already knew she was going to hug him and cry to him later, but if she broke down now, in front of the kids and Damian, she would upset everyone, and she didn't want to do that. As the motherly older sister, she simply couldn't do that. She hoped her expression conveyed that, too.

*oh gOSH THIS GOT LONG FAST SORRY. D8*

nobody said it would be this hard

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Sat Jan 05, 2013 4:03 am

zander west son of apollo

Zander walked beside Tiffany the whole, giving her hand a squeeze when she looked like she need it. Hopefully they seemed like reassuring gestures rather than random muscle spasms. He laughed nervously when she talked to him in the elevator. "Sure thing." Zander wasn't sure how things would go - he probably should have thought it out more carefully before he had rushed Tiffany over. He wasn't the kind of person that usually met parents so he wasn't sure if he got along with them. Siblings were fine, Zander had always liked younger kids, but Tiffany's dad... He wasn't sure why he was nervous, it wasn't like him. He would probably be fine, it was just that he had never really gotta along with authority figures before.
He hung back as Tiffany talked to her family, smiling at Tiffany's father and trying to not look very awkward or out of place. Suddenly, he felt self-conscious of his blue hair. What would they think of him? He probably looked like a delinquent. He had never minded it before but now...
Zander wanted to rush forward when Tiffany fell to the ground, but he restrained himself and let her family take care of it. They had known her longer, they could probably help her more than he could.
He stiffened a little bit when they turned their attention to him, frantically muttered Oh god, oh god, oh god in his head. All his nervousness melted away though, when Tiffany's youngest sister tugged on his hair before shrinking back in her sister's arms. "Hi. You can call me Alexander though, mini Powells - if that's better. Zander is kind of a weird name, I know." He said with a laugh. It had been a long time since he'd told someone they could call him Alexander. Nobody usually did, it was like his name was actually Zander - but on all the official documents, it was still Alexander West. He caught Tiffany's slightly panicked look and gave her one of his own. "I uh- We're..." He stammered. "Sure?" The girls giggled although Tiffany's brother gave him a harder look. The tips of Zander's ears flushed pink and he looked to Tiffany with a "help" look on his face. "Do you guys want... snacks or something? I could grab some for you if you need some more family time." He said, scratching his head.

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Sat Jan 05, 2013 4:19 am

tiffany claire powell

Tiffany blushed and looked down at the floor, her head spinning. "Yeah, sure." Gwyen was still squirming in her arms, but Tiffany wasn't willing to put her down. Kissing her cheek gently, Tiffany turned to her brother and handed him the girl. She was moving almost robotically, feeling a strong urge to leave. She didn't know why. She felt unsafe in the hopsital, though. The demigod attention really wasn't good for her family, or any other patients. Weird things happened when demigods were gathered somewhere. "That's fine, we should probably go. I won't be able to talk to my mom until tomorrow, and we shouldn't stay all night." Tiffany hugged Rose and squeezed Damian's shoulder before stepping up next to Zander. Her side touched his, and she felt somewhat less jittery. (no where near less sad.) Looking over in her dad's direction, she caught his cold stare and called to him. "Bye dad." It took her everything she had not to shout at him something like: "don't mess everything up," but she wasn't that cruel. Jake was his son. His son was dead. Her brother was dead.
Shaking her head Tiffany frowned and rested her head of Zander's shoulder. "I'll come see you guys later, okay? Say bye to Alexander." The name was strange rolling off of her tongue, but she was glad the boy had told her family they could call him something normal. Gwyen waved frantically while Rose looked at the ground and spun on her tip toes. Damian continued to stare at the two of them before sighing loudly and looking over at Rose. "Okay. Yeah, yeah, come later. Nice meeting you, Alexander." Damian ruffled Tiff's hair before hauling Gwyen away. She was getting too interested in the boy. Rose followed quietly, as usual. Always so quiet...
"They're a handful," Tiffany said to Zander, as if it explained everything. "It was Jake. Gwyen's twin brother. He was just a baby, just six." Tiffany's eyes teared up and she forced herself to start moving. If she broke down crying in the hallway with Zander, her brother would never let her leave. They had to see her happy. She wasn't convinced they would get to see her again. "Tell me more things about you," Tiffany whispered as she pressed the elevator door button, fighting tears like wrestlers fought in the ring. For some reason, hearing about Zander made her feel happy. Learning about him made her less sad.

nobody said it would be this hard

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Sat Jan 05, 2013 4:56 am

zander west son of apollo

Zander gave her an uncertain look but nodded. "Okay, we can go if you're sure." He felt like she needed more closure, but if she felt like she needed to go, he wasn't stopping her. She would find closure sooner or later. He hoped she found it sooner for her sake. Zander still hadn't found all the closure he'd needed with Max. He just didn't want Tiffany to end up like him. Stupid car crashes.
"Bye, Mr. Powell." He said, unable to meet Tiffany's father's eyes. It was hard when parents had to bury their kids - there was just so much pain. "Bye mini Powells." He said, with the tiniest fleeting smile. "It was nice meeting you too. I'm... really sorry about your loss." Wrapping an arm around Tiffany, he frowned when she sounded like she was about to cry again. "Six..." Zander echoed, not sure what to say. He was saved when she asked him to tell her more about himself. Caught off-guard, he thought for a moment. "I still haven't changed my bedroom back home since I was a kid," He admitted with a small laugh. "I was always into space, so I had tiny glow in the dark stars and planets on the walls, with rocket ships and aliens. Some of the stickers are kind of faded and peeling off but I kind of like having my room like that even though it's childish." His eyes seemed to glaze over from nostalgia. He quickly snapped out of it and shrugged. "I tried to read a lot of books about space even with the Dyslexia. I don't remember any of it now though." And he had worked so hard to learn them too. It was sad, how some things that were important to you before become less important over time. It was a part of growing up, he guessed. Albeit a sad part.
"We should get coffee." He said suddenly. "And donuts. Do you like coffee? You could always get tea or anything you wanted." He said with a grin.

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Sat Jan 05, 2013 5:15 am

tiffany claire powell

Tiffany stepped inside the elevator as it opened, thankfully empty, and pulled Zander in as he talked. Space. She didn't know much about space, but she did know a lot about childhood. She personally had changed her room right before becoming so depressed. One sign of suicidal thoughts is huge change, after all. There was something adorable and appealing about the fact that Zander's room had remained the same. It made her laugh, but the laughter soon turned to tears, and she found herself reaching up to hug the boy's neck as she lost it. She wasn't sobbing, but what she was doing definitely qualified as crying. "Thank you," she managed to say, her voice uneven as she cried. "I don't know anyone else who would even consider driving me two hours to have me talk to my family for two minutes." Tiffany shook her head in disbelief, then forced as smile when Zander suggested coffee and donuts. "Yeah, yes, that'd be... nice." In her head, Tiffany was already planning to order milk, but she didn't need to tell Zander that. She felt like a child liking the dairy product as much as she did, but her nectar always tasted like milk. "I don't really want to go back to camp yet. With all those people we kind of know." Tiffany was pretty sure Zander had more friends than she did, but the girl still used "we" because she wanted to feel less lonely. "Do you know anything about this part of New York?" she asked shakily, calming herself down as she talked. "I grew up closer to camp than this." Another fact about Tiffany; she was born and raised on Long Island. Thinking about growing up made her think about Jake, though, so she started quietly crying again. The elevator door opened and hesitantly, Tiffany stepped out, leaning into Zander as she walked. Outside was cold, but the inside of Zander's truck felt warm. They really hadn't been inside long.

nobody said it would be this hard

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Sun Jan 06, 2013 2:22 pm

zander west son of apollo

Zander shrugged his shoulders. "Driving two hours is nothing," It was nothing. He would have driven her to the other side of the country if she'd needed someone to. "I expected you to stay for more than two minutes though." He grumbled jokingly. To be honest, he didn't mind that they had practically gone in and out. Zander had never liked hospitals. He appreciated what the people who worked in them did, but he always felt a bit queasy when he went in them - he was glad they hadn't spent much time inside of the hospital. He might have had to run away for a little bit even though he didn't want to leave Tiffany alone. He'd always liked driving though. He's enjoyed driving just for the sake of driving since the first time he had gone on the road even with his mother beside him. Driving felt like running - and he had always enjoyed running too. They both felt liberating in ways that he couldn't describe. Then again, maybe he was just a speed junkie.
"Yeah, I can understand that feeling." Zander said, running a hair through his hair. Camp felt a little stifling at times, and there was a lot of people he didn't know, even though he was a pretty social guy. Tiffany seemed more quiet, more likely to have just a few close friends. He had no doubts that she could have all the friends in the world if she wanted them - she just didn't want them. He was glad he got the chance to be one of her friends though. Hopping in the car, he was thankful to find it was still warm, but he turned on the engine for a little bit to re-warm the engine anyway. "Yeah, I know most of New York. I didn't grow up around here but sometimes I leave camp for a little bit and just drive or walk around." He confessed. Zander had always been a sort of wanderer. He liked finding and looking around places that he didn't know about before. "I remember places pretty well." He didn't have a GPS but he had one of those old road map books although he didn't usually use them. He preferred going by memory. "Alright, to the nearest Krispy Kreme we go!"

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Mon Jan 07, 2013 12:05 am

he said ask anything [private] Tumblr_mbcdopBLQF1qdbwbjo1_500

tiffany claire powell
Tiffany shut her eyes and nodded at Zander. She liked Krispy Kreme. She could go to Krispy Kreme. Needing some kind of distraction from the new reality, Tiffany stared at her rear-view mirror. It reflected the obnoxious orange of the car unflatteringly, which made the girl smile just a little bit. She had never been a car person, and she barely knew how to drive, but she liked the ruggedness of the car. She didn't, however, like the color of Zander's truck, but she didn't really care. It wasn't her car. She didn't have to drive it.
Being in a car made Tiffany nervous, and as they drove, she began to feel something closing in on her, like death, or just the walls of the old truck. She shut her eyes again and tried to remind herself that she was okay, but she really wasn't. Her brother was dead. She had left her family at the hospital. She still felt depressed. She was confused about Zander, though she liked him more than she should like a dysfunctional boy. A lot more. She was sad about herself, and she was sad about her mom. And mostly about Jake. Being in the car didn't allow her to forget her family. With her eyes closed and her head resting on the glass of her window, Tiffany started crying again, quietly, barely making a whimper. Tears squeezed out of her eyes and she didn't try opening them. She didn't try anything. She let herself cry this time.
Soon enough she felt done, and Tiff looked at Zander out of the corner of her eyes. She smiled, just a little bit at the sight of him. His hair, his nose, his lips, his arms, which he had held her in. He was the nicest boy she had hung out with since coming to camp, and he certainly made her the happiest. (that was a hard task.) "Thank you, Zander. Thanks." She whispered her thank you's, not able to raise her voice. Her throat was sore due to crying, and her throat was almost closed, making it hard to speak. She meant the words, though. Thank you for everything. She liked Zander. He was great.

nobody said it would be this hard

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Mon Jan 07, 2013 5:36 pm

zander west son of apollo

Zander gave her a slightly confused look, not quite sure why she was thanking him, but he nodded his head anyway and shrugged his shoulders again. "It's the least I could do." He replied, taking his eyes off the road for a brief moment in order to cast a worried look in Tiffany's direction. He was really no good at this at all - Tiffany had been crying and he hadn't known what to do. "You are definitely having a big cup of tea or something warm when we get there." He said in acknowledgement of her sore throat.
Although he was trying not to think about it, he couldn't help but remember what had happened in the hospital and want to slap himself in the face. "About what I said at the hospital," He cleared his throat, the tips of his ears turning pink again. "I um.. Don't mean to... Don't want you to think I'm being presumptuous or something. I know we're not... I was just kind of put on the spot and didn't know what to say. Sorry." He stuttered and cursed himself inwardly. Then turned into the Krispy Kreme parking lot. Puffing his cheeks out, he started to say something else but stopped and blew out the breath he had been holding. "Never mind, just don't worry about it. I shouldn't be bugging you about something like that, right now. Ready for donuts and hot beverages?" Changing the subject seemed like a pretty good idea to him at the moment, the pink having crept to his cheeks.

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Mon Jan 07, 2013 6:02 pm

tiffany claire powell
Tiffany blushed when Zander spoke, just as he did, although her heart rate increased and she felt herself smiling. Why was she smiling? As soon as she questioned it, she stopped feeling so warm, and started to pout again. She had not felt the boy had crossed any boundaries or made her feel pressured in any way. Still, she wasn't up for talking about it. She was hardly up for talking about anything. The car stopped, and with only a moment's pause, Tiffany hopped out of the car. She dusted herself off onc standing and looked to make sure Zander wasn't still inside the car before she walked inside. It was warm and smelled delicious inside, which made her feel a little better, but most of all, there were people inside smiling and laughing, and there was music playing, and she was no longer in the car. And she was with Zander.
"I think I have money somewhere," Tiffany muttered, looking up at Zander while fishing a $10 bill out of her pocket. Once she pulled the money out of her pocket, she put on a small smile and raised her eyebrows, attempting to look happy. "I'll play, okay?" Tiffany wanted to pay. She wanted to feel like she was helping out in some way with the trip. Plus, donuts were extremely cheap, and she could actually afford them, unlike most things. Turning to the cashiere, Tiff laid her money on the counter before giving Zander any time to argue. "One white sprinkled donut, please? And some milk? Oh, and Arizona Tea!" Tiffany smiled to herself, then at the man who grabbed her food and two drinks. "What do you want?" The dancer whispered to Zander, knowing she was going to comment on what he had stopped talking about once they sat down. That made her blush, slightly, although she tried to hide it. She didn't like feeling sad, and her emotions tended to fluctuate. Right now, she felt anxious, and bordering on content, although very empty and scared. The feelings mixed into a horrible sense of worry. (and, maybe a little off putting happiness. maybe.)

nobody said it would be this hard

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Mon Jan 07, 2013 8:56 pm

zander west son of apollo

Not having realized that he had parked subconsciously, Zander looked over and was a little surprised when Tiffany was out the door. He fumbled with his seat belt and hit his head on the door frame on his way out. Flustered, he locked his truck and hurried after Tiffany, massaging his head with a frown. Seeing the bill in Tiffany's hand, he started to protest but she was already at the cashier. With a sigh of defeat, he glanced at the menu quickly. "I'll have a small coffee and a chocolate glazed donut." He turned to Tiffany as he waited for his coffee, crinkling his nose when he saw the can of "tea" in her hand. "Arizona tea does not count as a hot beverage." He laughed with a shake of his head. Thanking the cashier upon receiving his coffee, he looked around the store for a little bit before his eyes locked onto a table nearby which wasn't too close to the windows or too close to the back. Neither was it too close to other people or too far away. Heading there, he plopped down and stirred his coffee before taking a careful sip and burning his tongue as a result. Wincing, he put the cup back down and warmed his hands around it instead. "My mother always told me to wait a while, I should listen." He shook his head at himself. He wasn't sure what he and Tiffany would talk about while they were eating. Hopefully she would forget about what he had said in the car. Zander wasn't sure why he'd said what he had in the hospital - it had been presumptuous. But like he had told her, he'd also been put on the spot and had gone for the easiest answer instead of attempting to explain their complicated relationship. Then again, maybe it wasn't all too complicated. They were sort of breakdown buddies, weren't they? Who weren't too uncomfortable with holding each others' hands and kissing... There were friends who acted like that, right? Zander hid his small frown by shoving a chunk of donut in his mouth and chewing carefully. He was okay with just being friends with her.

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Mon Jan 07, 2013 10:38 pm

tiffany claire powell
Tiffany nodded at the boy getting their food as soon as Zander ordered, assuming it was loud enough. It was. After they both had their donuts and drinks, Tiffany followed behind the boy and taking a seat after he did. She had a few napkins shoved in her hands, which she spread under her donut. Hesitantly taking a bite, Tiffany stared at Zander. With a small unconvincing smile, she returned to her sweet tea, sipping it and taking a few deep breaths. "I'm okay with what you said at the hospital," she blurted out. Looking up, Tiffany grimaced. She had said that too loudly, she was sure. Maybe she shouldn't even have said it at all. "I mean... If you are... I like you, really... and you're cute..." Tiffany blushed and tried to smile. "I mean, if you don't want... I get it, it's okay, just.." The demigod shrugged helplessly and drank some of her milk, which made her a bit more calm. She had always loved milk. "Let me start over. It's okay that you said we were dating, that would kind of be nice." Tiffany put her face in her hand and shook her head. She was embarrassing herself. She was shaken up, and a little confused. And still so sad... And she did really like Zander.

nobody said it would be this hard

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Fri Jan 18, 2013 11:27 pm

zander west son of apollo

Zander's eyes snapped up to Tiffany's face, his jaw going slack. "Y-you're okay with.." The hand holding his coffee cup had frozen halfway to his mouth. The heat seeped through the paper and he had to put the cup down, fluttering his fingers slightly to cool them off. "I... Yes, of course I am. Dating, okay." A slow, stupid grin spread across his face, he tried to hide it by taking another sip from his coffee. But at the back of his mind, he couldn't help but think that today wasn't the best day to make decisions, considering the fact that Tiffany's baby brother had been in a car accident and hadn't... made it. He tried to ignore the thought, though. He was fairly sure that Tiffany wanted to be distracted and he would be there if she wanted to talk later.
"Do you want to do something else after we're done? I still have some money and it's still early." He suggested with a shrug of his shoulders.

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Sat Jan 19, 2013 12:14 am

tiffany claire powell
Tiffany blushed and look another sip of milk, the carton hovering near her lips even after she had drank the milk. She wanted to smile, she was pretty sure she was smiling a little bit, but the fact that Jake was gone would prohibit her from feeling any real immense joy until much, much later. If you've never dealt with a fragilely stable girl, let me explain to you how their well-being works; it doesn't. Tiffany, even happy and free, had never really felt recovered. She had been almost completely anitsocial for the longest time, insecure for even longer, and unwilling to accept the fact that things were changing. Always so unwilling to accept the fact that things were changing... Jake dying just after she found someone to make her so happy was like a slap in the face. Tiffany wasn't having to pretend to be peppy, but now? How was she supposed to behave like a sane person now?
She managed pretty well for the eldest sister of a recently deceased five year old. A smile crept onto her lips and she looked up for just long enough to catch Zander's eyes and blink. "I'm okay with... with it, yeah." Her cheeks were pink, but her entire face was already red from her previous, hectic, near panic-attack. The donut that she hadn't bitten into sat on her napkin, almost begging for it's picture to be taken by some random hipster, but Tiffany pushed her hair back nervously and stared at it instead of taking a bite. She was hungry, but everything felt wrong. Except Zander and the milk. They felt right. "Dating," she agreed, her tone hardly positive, but not really negative. This was an oppurtunity to be happy. This was the ultamite test.
"Yes, I do," Tiffany blurted almost instantly, her head snapping up and her blue eyes wanting to find Zander's. "Maybe we could, um, go get food to make at camp or something. I know how to cook. I used to—I know how to cook." Tiffany laughed lightly and dryly at the family reference. It hurt to think about her family, but she wanted to get out of Manhattan and back to camp. She wanted to be with Zander and get away from the reminders. They were going to trigger something that would make her do something stupid. "We can get a movie, too. I'm not sure how willing Chiron is to let us return it, but there's a DVD box around here somewhere." Tiffany was speaking softly, keeping her tone carefully and painfully even. She refused to sound like someone who could breakdown at any moment. That might worry the boy she was with, and she wasn't about to drag him down with her. She could keep herself in control. She knew she could. She did it all those years ago without a boyfriend. Now she had Zander. He reminded her of happy things.
She never thought she would fall in love with the blue hair, but that was one of her favorite parts of Zander. The uniquely colorful shade of hair helped Tiffany with her sadness. She loved the color blue. She loved it on the son of Apollo, and she loved that he was willing to die his hair such an experimental color. He was secure, or at least outwardly secure, and that was a perfect contrast to Tiffany's obvious public shyness. Finishing her milk and taking a hesitant bite of her sprinkled donut, the daughter of Terpsichore bit her lip to avoid frowning.

nobody said it would be this hard

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Fri Jan 25, 2013 3:08 pm

he said ask anything [private] SimoneNobili002_zpsc9dcdfbf

▌█ l zander west son of apollo

The goofy grin remained on his face as he drained his coffee cup of the millilitre of coffee and pile of sugar that had gathered at the bottom of the cup. "Man, we are a really competent pair. I also happen to be a qualified chef." He said, shaking his head and laughing. "I haven't cooked in a while either though, so no promises when it comes to whether I'll burn our meal or not." He sat there for a moment and watched Tiffany eat her donut a little incredulously, having polished off his own donut a long time ago. Her lack of apetite was understandable, however, considering the circumstances. He just hoped she would be able to eat whatever they made together. "Alright, let's head out. You can finish that off on the ride there, yeah?" He nodded toward her donut and then stood up. He disposed of his empty coffee cup and paper bag in the trash before heading out, holding open the door for Tiffany behind him.

The thin layer of snow that had settled on top of his car did little to mask the outrageous colour of his truck. He even spotted someone doing a double take at the brighness of the truck before hastening on their way. Zander didn't mind the fact that his car stood out, it made it easier for him to locate it in the parking lot. Maybe he just liked standing out in general, when you considered the fact that his hair was blue too. Hopping in the driver's seat, he shivered a little bit and started up the engine. "Sorry about my car, by the way." He said with a snort. "I told my mom I wanted to go to a used car dealer and buy a battered yellow Camaro with racing stripes but she told me her hands were full enough without alien robots stomping on her petunias so we bought this off someone one of her friends knew instead." Zander patted the dashboard affectionately. "Barely used and for a good price - for a legitimate reason. I didn't really care because it's my first car and all I want is to be on the road so whatever goes." He switched his keys place in the ignition after he judged the engine had warmed up enough and backed out of the parking spot.

"I haven't been to the grocery store in a while. Real vegetables," His nose crinkled distastefully. In several minutes they had made their way to Walmart because he had no idea where the nearby grocery stores were. Again, he got out of the car and then half-walked half-jogged, his jacket a little too thin for the cold. Once he had grabbed a shopping cart, he walked through the automatic door and grinned back at Tiffany. "Do you have anything in mind?" He checked the back pocket of his jeans for his wallet and although he hadn't found the cash that he'd thought he had, he found something better - his debit card. He just hoped she had something in mind for ingridents because remembering recipes was not one of his strong suits.

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Sat Jan 26, 2013 1:30 am

he said ask anything [private] Tumblr_m9cfh7wTXA1rdbt84o1_1280_large

tiffany claire powell
Tiffany got up without really speaking, trying to ignore the eyes that seemed to all wish to watch the couple leave the shop. Once the demigods were gone, they might resume talking about whatever conversations they had been having, but for whatever reason, Tiffany knew she had their attention. Being watched made her feel worse. She felt the pressure, the walls closing in. She felt herself suffocating. Leaving the store felt like emerging from a pool after being underwater for too long. She felt so alone, even in the open, and that loneliness was just what she needed to relax a little.
As snow sprinkled her hair in small flakes, Tiffany brushed herself off and tossed the chunck of her donut that was left in the trashcan outside. Her tea was almost full, but her milk was, for the most part, gone. She threw that away too, keeping the tea and clutching it tightly. Approaching Zander's car made Tiffany shake her head, but she smiled at him in the smallest way she could possibly display her somehow upbeat attitude. She was sad, beyond sad, far beyond sad, but she still felt okay. "I can't even drive yet. Your car's nicer than my bike." She had never really thought about their age difference. Surely it wasn't important, right? This was camp. Tiffany shrugged and dropped her smile, climbing into the car and listening attentively to Zander talk. She was glad he could keep up conversation with little response, because she didn't feel like she could really say anything and not come off as deranged.
Almost immediately they pulled into the Walmart parking lot. Jumping out of the car, desperate to leave the vehicle and use her own legs for transport, Tiffany kept up with Zander's uneven jogging pace. She laughed as they moved quickly inside, forgetting about the day she had been having briefly. Her sweater was oversized but thin, and her shorts weren't right for the weather. She didn't really know what she had been thinking. Camp Half Blood wasn't as cold as Manhattan for whatever reason.
Tiffany smiled back, sadly mind you, but she still smield back. "Let's hope I remember this right..." she mumbled to the boy. "How opposed are you to eating something with tofu in it? You can hardly taste it, I mean, tofu really doesn't have much taste, but—" Tiffany cut herself off. She had seriously been rambling about tofu. "If all else fails, I can make a mean bowl of mac and cheese." Tiffany slowed down her strides, although she did want to get home. Camp was sounding better and better with each passing hour. (had they been away for hours? she didn't think so. she didn't remember.) "I'll get the movie. There's a blockbuster machine by the door. Meet you by the tofu? Gosh, I don't even know where that would be." Tiffany scratched her head but shook it slowly, waving her hand to dismiss the thought. "Zander? Thanks." Tiffany turned before the boy could ask her anything in hopes of leaving him with the idea that she had been refering to him finding the vegatarian food. (she was not vegeratrian, but tofu was about as vegan as it gets.) A small tear dropped from her cheek to the floor, but the girl's face wasn't red, and her eyes weren't puffy. Nothing hurt like it should.

nobody said it would be this hard

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:57 am

▌█ l zander west son of apollo

Zander's knuckles were white as he gripped the handle of the shopping cart. He could only watch as Tiffany walked away, not wanting to leave her alone but wanting to give her what she wanted too. He looked after her uncertainly for a moment before finally pushing the cart forward and forcing his own legs to move. Eccedentesiast - that was what you called someone who faked a smile. He could only hope that someday she wouldn't feel the need to pretend around him any more. He felt his own composure cracking every time she looked at him and smiled. Her smiles were so inexplicably sad, he felt as though he might cry if she gave him another one.

Pausing, Zander looked at the aisles of food helplessly. Tiffany hadn't told him any of the other ingredients before she went to get movies - although she had talked extensively about tofu. He chuckled a little bit to himself as he remember her rambling about tofu. Zander, in fact, did like tofu. Or rather, didn't mind tofu. He ate just about anything, and that did not exclude soy products.
As he thought about tofu - he couldn't help but think about the girl who had talked about it. If he thought about it more, he realized that Tiffany's nickname of Tiff and the word tofu were both pretty similar...

Not wanting to show up by the tofu empty-carted, he threw two bags of fritos, a container of popcorn kernels, some cans of Arizona Tea for Tiffany and cans of coke for himself into the shopping cart. He then made his way to the tofu area while hoping Tiffany wouldn't choose a chick flick that was too corny, because she would undoubtedly pick a chick flick.

Subject: Re: he said ask anything [private] Sun Jan 27, 2013 1:18 am

tiffany claire powell
Tiffany ran a hand through her hair and stepped outside, her knees almost buckling once she was out of Zander's sight. The cold was chilling and made her cheeks and nose turn pink, but the coloring wasn't enough to hide that she was ready to breakdown. An elderly women with worn looking shoes and very thin, ratty looking clothes approached her. Tiff, slightly afraid, backed away, but the woman only smiled and whispered, "It's okay, honey. It's okay." The demigod nodded formally and walked quickly away, grateful of the positive attention, but not wanting much of it. Any more consoling and she would crack.

Without thinking much about what she was doing, Tiffany clicked on a random movie title and let it pop out of the machine, followed by another random movie that she was pretty sure she wouldn't be watching. Picking both of them up and sliding her money into the box, Tiff trudged back into the store, her hair framing her face lifelessly and her mouth scrunched into a smile. She was pretty sure her eyes looked empty or sad, but she was trying her best. It didn't take her long to navigate through the superstore and run into Zander, which made her feel a little better. The shopping cart was already full of items, none of which she had asked him to get, which was actually a perfect gesture. She dropped the movies into the cart and spontaneously hugged the boy, wrapping her arms around his neck before shutting her eyes, then pulling away. "Don't hate me, but I got The Notebook and St. Elmo's Fire." The blonde relaxed her shoulders dejectedly and sighed. "They're kind of girl movies, but, I just... Oh well. We don't have to watch them." Tiffany did the fake smile thing again and as soon as she grabbed a tray of tofu began walking slowly, listing off everything they needed in her head.

"Butter, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, chicken broth, noodles, basil, seasoning, thyme, black pepper, cornstarch, and... um... rosemary, I think. I used to make this chicken noodle soup tofu stuff, and it was healthy, but it tasted way better than most tofu stuff." Proud of herself, Tiffany stood a little taller and felt a little weight lift off of her shoulders. She could still function like she used to. It was difficult, but she was still as capable as before. "Almost all of that is in the vegtable isle." Tiffany grabbed a stick of butter, which was in the same section as the tofu, and as she passed the other non-vegtable things, grabbed those, too.

Tiffany stepped back until she was even with Zander and picked up a bag of minicarrots, a few sticks of celery, and onion, and garlic, which were all very close to each other. "Zander?" she whispered weakly, unsure of why she was telling the boy this fear in the first place. "I'm a little worried to, um, get back in the car and drive for so long." She was beginning to notice that she was stuttering and saying "um" a lot today. Most likely she was nervous around everyone and everything. She would have been completely and utterly unstable had she talked to her mom, or seen her brother. That was probably the real reason she hadn't stayed. She would have still been at the hospital crying, probably shouting, screaming. This, the dismissal of any real serious pain, was the only thing holding her together, and she was well aware of that sad fact. "It's stupid. I'm not usually scared of things like cars. I'm not usually... scared easily. I mean, Halloween wasn't even scary. But Jake... and cars..." Tiffany shivered and leaned against the counter, picking up basiil, thyme, rosemary, and crushed black pepper as she did so. Warily, the girl dropped them into the cart and exhaled. That was everything she needed. "How did you... After Max...?" Tiffany looked into Zander's eyes, her own blue eyes pleading for some reassurance.

nobody said it would be this hard

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