Athanasia Theroux / Arthur Stanford
Location: By the Forest
The following week went pretty easy for Arthur, surprisingly healed up to a hundred percent after his short bit of bed rest and food. With things put right with Andy, and all drama seemingly subsided, he was left with enough mental space to plan, and take in the new world he found himself in. Along side him, was his friend and half sister Ash, and with it just being the two of them on their own here, he found himself checking in with her, to see how she was taking things. In a technical since, he was the older sibling after all, which he supposed meant he was partly responsible for her. One morning, before they headed out for their training, he found himself asking her, "
So, how're you taking all this? I think it's finally becoming real for me." He smiled, sitting on his bed, and looking over to her.
Her feet kicked back and forth in the air as Athanasia laid across the bed, frowning at a book of Greek mythology. If they were going to be tossed into a strange world with one-eyed giants and goat men, not to mention the centaur that was their instructor, then the pale girl would darn well know what was what. Even
if it gave her a headache doing so. The skull, Chatters, sat by the door as added security thanks to a few little amusements she had gotten into with Demetri. Dark eyes flicked up as she grinned at Arthur.
"Oh, la. Brother, it's real as you or I seeing as we are part of it." She giggled and twisted about to sit up, the book falling shut.
"I do enjoy it ever so much. Well, except the Ares Campers. I don't enjoy them." Chuckling to herself the pale girl had a slightly troubled look as she gazed out the door towards the camp where the noise of other children floated through the air.
Arthur smiled over to her, and nodded at her book. "
I'll have to take a read through that once you've finished, if you don't mind." He said, before shrugging a bit and adding, "
I wouldn't worry too much about the Ares kids, they're not exactly my cup of tea, but we all have our place." As a group, those kids were better to have on his side than not, muscle was always something to be appreciated, and something he was woe to have against him. "
At any rate," He continued, "
I definitely want to take some time soon to get more acquainted with my godly side, and figure out exactly what it is we can do. Would you like to join me in that?" He asked. In theory, he assumed, anything she could do, he could do, and he hadn't tried to raise any dead yet, but that sounded like something he wanted to try very badly.
Pale hair swirled as Athanasia whipped her head about to smile like a chesire cat at Arthur. Her black eyes sparkling with amusement.
"I'm not done with the book yet, but if you can raise more dead than I can you can read it." She grinned with far too much sweetness and a wink that would make bones rattle.
"But if I raise more than you, I get to be Leader of the Cabin. In name anyways." It had was a fun little arguement that echoed back to when they had first come to Camp Half-Blood. Who would lead? In truth they had agreed on a partnership, but with Arthur acting as the leader.
What was a little fun between brother and sister with a bit of a contest?
Arthur grinned at the notion, "
Well that's hardly fair, isn't is Ash?" He said, chuckling, "
You've already done it, haven't you? Aren't you at the slightest advantage?" He asked, he didn't even know if he was able to, and he wasn't about to bet on something he wasn't sure could be succeeded upon from will alone. "
How about you show me how, and give me a bit to practice, then I'll raise more than you and get the book." He proffered playfully.
Ash laughed and wrapped Arthur's arm in a hug as she pulled him towards the door.
"Fair enough! Now, come on! I want to see if I can call one that isn't missing any limbs this time!" The tiny girl was practically bouncing with excitement, as she beamed with delight at the prospect. The fact her skeletons were missing limbs was a constant annoyance for poor Ash, who by nature was a perfectionist. A missing head she could fix herself, but limbs were another matter.
Arthur felt himself pulled off the bed by Ash, and staggered after her, "
Are you hoping to give it mine" He asked jokingly, as he slipped his arm out of her grasp, and followed closely. He hoped the camp wouldn't look down on them raising the dead in broad daylight, but he was pretty excited to be trying his hand at it, truth be told. So far, he had no idea what he could do, and he felt like raising up a skeleton would help console him in the fact that he belonged here.
Athanasia studied her brother with a serious look that didn't belong on her face.
"Do you think I could detatch someone's limbs? I mean, they are bones after all." A finger tapped her lip in thought as she stepped out of the Cabin and onto the path.
"What if you call a limb but it's living?" Her brow furrowed as she shook her head, pale hair swaying as she snickered.
"I don't think so. What we call, Brother, is dead, right?"Arthur blinked at her, trying to find words to respond, but was at a loss.
"Well I." He tried to start, but couldn't figure out how to finish. "
If we can, I don't think we should." He said, exhaling, while trying to keep a straight face. That being said, he'd file that away for if he ever had to defend himself. As far as last ditch efforts went, controlling somebody's skeleton was a pretty good one. Not something he'd want to do unless he had to though. "
Let's head out and practice, yes?" He said, keeping his march forward.
There was a positively
wicked snicker as Athanasia spun her heel and scooped up Chatters who, wisely, remained silent aside from the despairing wail of
'Not the eye sockets!'. Patting Arthur's arm as she caught up, the smaller girl gave a sweet smile.
"Did I shock you, brother mine? I promise not to do that too much." Beaming with delight, Ash spun about in a circle, hyper and delighted with all the world.
"Oh, la! Arthur, where shall we practice?"Arthur smiled innocently at Ash's question, "
Me? Shocked? Never." He said. He wasn't going to give up his regular composed nature so easily, even if that made him the polar opposite of as right now. Placing his hands gently behind his back, he suggested, "
How does the edge of the woods sound? Where we were playing Capture The Flag?" That would keep the skeletons out of sight of any campers that might not want to start off their day by seeing what was probably once campers like them.
"What a lovely idea, best not to shock the entire camp just yet." Ash nodded sagely ignoring Chatter's comment of
"Oh, but it's fine to scare the skull?!". Of course, it was fine, as the skull would be among his own kind. Not that Chatters really appreciated such a thing. Humming a slight tune, Ash poked Arthur's side as he folded his hands behind his back.
Arthur jumped a bit at the poke, and shooed her a bit, giving a small smile. "
Yes, we'll save that for the next game of capture the flag." He said, nodding at her. As they reached the edge of the woods, he looked around, and kind of put his hands out in front of him. "
So how does this work? Do you just put your hand out and hope?" He stuck his hand in thew air, as if trying to pull skeletons from the ground. He had no idea how to pull this off, and hoped her advice would assist him.
Athanasia raised a pale brow as she shook her head with amusement.
"I just called to them. Like when I call to my friends- the ghosts." She added as an afterthought, that troubled look flickering over her face.
"They- the skeletons- aren't like the ghosts. They followed my command like dolls." The black eyes closed as Athanasia demanded of the dead to heed her.
"Come. Whole this time!" She cajoled firmly to the earth. Nothing happened and crossing her arms, Ash glared at the ground.
"I said, come. Lazy bones." She hissed in annoyance. This time her call was answered as a skeleton crawled from the earth. Minus a hand, which set the younger of the two to puffing out her cheeks in frustration.
Arthur watched his sister call out for an undead servant, and thought for a moment. "
No no." He said, as somebody well acquainted with getting people to follow his orders, "
If you want them to listen, you need to do it like this." He cleared his throat and said. "
Rise now, please." He didn't bother specifying for wholeness, any skeleton worth his time should just assume that, after all. After a few moments, he was rewarded by a skeleton clawing it's way out of the ground. He looked at it curiously, inspecting it to confirm it was whole. A smile played on his lips, clearly proud that he was able to do something like this in the first place.
Athanasia raised a brow and took a step back as her brother called forth his own skeleton from the earth.
"Ah..." She noted with a nod of comprehension at how it was done. If a please was all it took, then why not give it a shot! Though, she had the idea that if Arthur could summon one, why couldn't she try to summon two? She should keep her leave after all!
"Please, arise and come to play." She cajoled far more sweetly, and laughed with glee as a whole skeleton crawl from the ground. Well, if she couldn't get two at least this one was whole!
"Wonderful!" The pale girl cheered, clapping her hands.
Arthur watched his sister try, and decided to go for it once more, hoping to double up. "
Once more then?" He said curiously. Unfortunately, the skeletons didn't quite listen, and a skeleton half hardheartedly slicked out of the ground, looking feeble and not wanting to do much. Unhappy with his failure, he shrugged and said, "
Alright, let's keep trying then." He said, motioning for his sister to try again before he went.
Athanasia clapped her brother on the back as his miserable skeleton huddled before them. Her own was whole and while that was far better than what she had got previously, the daughter of Hades was ambitious and desired more from herself. Ergo the next step seemed to be getting two skeletons, whole and not missing any limbs, to burst forth from the earth.
"My last." She admitted to Arthur as she wiped at her brow, pulling strands of silvery blonde hair away from her face.
"If you would please?" She stated cooly to the earth. Trying to will the dead to heed her this one last time. And heed her they did, two skeletons pulling themselves slowly from the earth. Reluctant to heed her call. Bracing an arm on a nearby tree, Ash gritted her teeth, ready to demand more answers to her call.
"Eh, now! Boyo, lassie. No need to wear yourselves out! The days still young!" Pleaded Chatters, as Ash sighed glowered at the skull even as she gave Arthur a look of wary agreement.
"I am getting tired." Ash agreed hesitantly. Not really wanting to admit that fact, but who else could she admit that to if not Arthur?
Arthur nodded, the act of raising the dead was taking a toll on him. Necromancy apparently wasn't the easiest thing to do, especially on an empty stomach. "
How about some breakfast, and we might get back to it later?" He offered, giving them a good way to step away from what they were doing, without having to admit that they probably couldn't take much more.
Ash nodded in agreement, looking back to her set of skeletons.
"Thank you, we don't need anything." Turning her attention back to her brother, Athanasia scooped up Chatters who was grumbling to himself.
"What do you think they will have for breakfast?" She wondered as she gripped Arthur's hand and impatiently towed him towards the dining pavilion.
Location Camp Half-Blood, Dining Pavillion
Athanasia whistled a merry tune as she skipped to the pavilion. Fresh clothes from the morning's tedious activities told that she had taken to her own cabin to change, or she had simply woken up late. Either could be true, not that Athanasia would admit to either. Plucking a selection of food onto her plate the girl looked over the tables, noting that her brother was not among them. Though it wasn't quite a shame as she had met many a new face over the past week and hers was a bubbly nature that was eager to meet people. Though as her dark eyes found Demetri and she caught a word or two, Athanasia rolled her eyes as she dropped an offering into the fire.
"Well at least Papa's side of things is interesting. Do enjoy." Athanasia thought silently as she made her way past the trio towards where Andy sat.
"Us trouble?" She pouted mockingly with a sly smile on her lips at Demetri as she giggled and continued on her route. Neither confirming nor denying the fact she was trouble. Which she was. It was her best feature. Sliding next to Andy, the pale girl snickered.
"As if they aren't trouble!" Athanasia noted with amusement to Andy as she bit into an apple.
"At least we look good doing it." She grinned, flipping the long braid over her shoulder.
