conundrum,

“ fascinating. king told us how there were some of you that found him on a quest and brought him back on another occasion. “ maybe she could get the lay of the land here and find out where other ingredients like these were. she would have loved to lead her own quest on an expedition. “ yeah of course, all of this is yours anyway. are you sure you want to give it to me as a gift? ” as rosalind wrapped the cyclop’s eye and passed it back to ari, she made a mental note to remember who the fang belonged to. “ do you know your way around potions and alchemy? if not, i’m sure you can at least help keep everything organized with me. ” 

a wide smile was spread across her face as she looked over at the blond. “next time you go out searching for items, invite me will you? all of this is amazing and can be used to brew some pretty powerful stuff.” the scientist brought out a small book of potions that she had, with ingredients and some descriptions.

“the cyclop’s eye can be used to brew a potion that can help you cure blindness. don’t know how much that happens to all of you, but that can be useful.“ then rosa carefully flipped the pages while her bottom lip pouted out. god she was lost in thought… “the giant bat fang can be used for a potion of vampirism. depending on your luck is what determines what exactly of a vampire you’ll get.“

[ ARI spent time with and donated to ROSALIND ]

“ we sort of go out and do quests, then we fine these special ingredients. but i’ll let you know the next time something else like this pops up. ” ari is ecstatic that she seems so excited and so eager to have such powerful ingredients at her disposal. “ honestly, i’d like to keep the cyclops eye, just in case, but i’d love to gift you the fang. i’m sure that you’ll make better use of it than i will. ” the thought of a vampirism potion sounded quite intruiging.

“ if there’s anything i can do to help you in the lab, let me know. i’m fairly useful, i’d like to think. ”

Julian could see it, a perfect balance. No matter what demi was at their disposal, they’d have a way to balance things between them. Even the most unorthodox of groups could have high utility. But Julian’s no strategist; he’s just a doctor from Chicago. He chewed on a forkful of salad while Ari continued to speak, commenting on his ability. 

A recent addition to his skills, one marked by an…awakening of sorts, “I believe it could be possible. The snake’s not exactly solid throughout its duration, which may aid in radiant damage. Or not. Like you said, experimentation is needed,” he took another bite. Julian swallowed afterwards to study his friend and ally, namely Ari’s features and expression. Even in the down time he appeared to be in thought.

“What is your favorite skill that you have? I can try to think of what might pair well with it.”

“ Yeah, maybe the next training grounds we can team up or something. ” Ari suggested it, knowing how it would be the best way to combine abilities to take down their future foes. Maybe there was even a way to imbue his shower of spears with a healing element for allies? The possibilities were absolutely endless. 

       𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐔𝐏 𝐓𝐎 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐑𝐈,   nodding.   “  alright,  you  got  me  there,  ”   he  stated.    “   i’ll  make  sure  to  ask  for  permission.   but  i  won’t  make  any  promises,  like  i  said,  candids  are  the  best  photos,  ”   he  stated.    he  looked  through  his  own  photos,  showcasing  how  ari  looked  quite  beautiful  in  these.   “   yea,  i  feel  like  i  have  a  bit  of  apollo  in  me,  corey  and  i  have  been  jamming  together.   i  like  his  vibe.  ”

“Humility and humiliation. Two words that could be the same given I have no reason for either.” What was there to be gained by being humble? Demeaning your own value to be less than? Why did people think such a thing should be willingly sought out? It was only further proof on how different Remy and Ari stood on the spectrum. But perspective was a tricky thing. He just hoped their difference never put them at odds.

“Well if it means anything you don’t need a training session as an excuse to sap my ass.” He shrugged and went back to return his training daggers to their place. If he knew Ari was trying to cuddle his ego he would’ve probably punched him in the face. He wasn’t a child, just a deep hatred for losing. A competitor that did not wish to best his friend for the sake of victory but to prove himself to the towering blonde. “I’ll find my way to beat you Ari. I have no doubt of that. In fact it’s top five on my things to do before this is all over.”

Ari shook his head with a cunning smirk. “ I’ll keep that in mind moving forward. ” He wiggled his fingers in jest, excited to know that they were friends first, competitive comrades second with Remy really firing up his desire to land Ari on his ass one day in a spar. “ Oh yeah? What’s the other five things you want to do before we save the world? ” Ari had only wanted to save his mom from corruption before this was all said and done, perhaps he needed a wider vision like Remy had for his own goals or check list to focus on. 

To be fair, Asher didn’t remember too much from the Valentine’s Day party, it was all pretty much a blur. From the fragrant flower that he was pretty positive was enchanted, to the copious amounts of alcohol and weed, it had been a pretty messy night for almost everyone involved. Still, he did vaguely remember his talk with Ari, and the fact that it didn’t end on a positive one. So he had been more than a little surprised to hear the blond knocking at his door. Not that it was a necessarily unwelcome. After throwing on a pair of sweatpants, the son of Cronus descended his clock tower and opened the door. “Hey,” he frowned, more so in confusion than anything else. “What’s up, Nowicki?”

“ You look a little hungover, Jones. ” He brought the same energy over to the other as he looked down, a smirk growing on his lips as nothing was left to the imagination with Asher’s outfit. “ I know we got into it yesterday but I figured you were pretty drunk. I’m just making sure you’re not mad at me for any reason. ” Ari really was trying and he enjoyed Asher but hated how he always put them against each other because of Corey. “ I also got you a drink from the hall, figured you could use a pick me up. ” Tossing the drink over slowly, curious if a hungover Asher still had his godly reflexes.

    “Ari was that a genuine compliment or are you dizzy from that bitch slap?” Leon knew that he was strong but on some side of a coin, he also knew it was good to question himself. Without the fear of limits, you never get to taste how it feels to surpass them. “I know I’ve been a little rough around the edges,” the son of Kratos was excellent at under selling his lack of favor with others, “–though it’s not like many of us are buddy, buddy around here. I doubt that the power of friendship and some moves will win it all….” it was harsh to imagine that all this work they are doing having a limit; some finite end where their side might lose. Leon didn’t want that, on the contrary he wants whatever could get him closer to what he was gifted…though he still had trust issues to work through. 

“ Don’t make me grab my armor and beat your ass, Leon. ” He wanted to remind the other that he was fighting at base strength. “ I’d say you’re wrong about that. I think friendship is what keeps us fighting and connected. I’ve been here since the beginning and it’s only through my bonds that has even lasted me this long. Facing your death with comrades is a very solemn experience. ” He knows that the other would learn soon enough when they’re at death’s door and someone goes out of their way to save him. 

         𝐍𝐈𝐊𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐈 𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒.   “  i  don’t  know  what  you  want,  you’re  like  hot  and  you’re  cold.   and  i  feel  like  whatever  i  say  or  do  you  get  upset  or  something,  ”   he  responded.    he  kept  his  eyes  up  to  the  other.    “   so  you  like  giving  me  a  hard  time,  ”   he  stated,  giving  off  a  soft  chuckle.     but  nikolai  wasn’t  so  certain  how  the  other  truly  felt  about  it.    “   sure,  ”   he  said,  showing  the  other  the  photos.  

        𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐃.   a  blond  demigod  irritated.    niko  sighed.   there  was  no  winning  with  this  guy.    even  when  he  was  minding  his  own  business,  and  capturing  different  stuff,  getting  candids.    “   sorry,  i’ll  delete  it,  ”    he  responded.    “  i  like  taking  candids.   they  are  better  than  when  the  person  knows  the  camera  is  on  them.     you  capture  a  different  side  of  them,  ”   he  responded.    he  looked  at  the  screen  and  started  the  process  to  delete  the  shot.   “  sorry.  ”

“Not at this angle,” he quirked a brow, sipping on his water once the two sat down. He smiled after a swallow, savoring the cool drink on his tongue. Regardless of the weather, cold water tasted amazing. His mother might not agree, much preferring hot water in its stead. Perhaps he learned it from his American friends, but he didn’t have the chance to confirm it now. Julian listened further to his sparring companion-slash-friend, if Ari felt that way, and tried to imagine how training with the named demis would go.

In his opinion? Wonderfully, but it was a matter of timing and cohesion. They could all have a wonderful array of moves but no coordination meant they’d be done for. “Mark and Jared? That’s an interesting combination in powers alone. But a good balance, with long and mid range at your advantage, right?” he asked and poured sauce over his salad. Julian respected Ari and looked to the man for his advice in such a department. Dependable, resourceful, and a team player, Ari’s meant for their coalition of soldiers. 

“My favorite skill is perhaps balance in the world, at this moment,” he confessed and waved his fork, “I summon a spectral snake and, depending on who’s in mind, I’ll damage that group and heal another for half the cost. Quite an effective thing for a group pick-me-up,” he widened smile. 

Ari watched as Julian’s facial features shifted through the conversation, smiles to grinds to curious looks passing as a range of emotions brought them back down to the salads in front of them, sustenance to fuel their most riskiest of endeavors. 

“ Yeah. A balance of skills to knock the user prone and control their movements in a swift motion. ” It was all smooth, the only other combination he had was with Corey and Gus, a radiant sword bursting from the sky for incredible damage that he had not yet practiced with Strom.

Ari’s confession is heartfelt and honest, even if delivered in the middle of an argument. That special something Obi has been carrying around in his chest for weeks now expands, to the point where it hurts to think he might never get to see Ari again after today. “You mean a lot to me, too,” he professes, and even if he looks like a trashbag in comparison, Obi steps closer and cups Ari’s face, bringing it closer to his own. “I’ll be devastated if something ever happened to you, Ari. So I get it, I’m not mad at you. But I’m never bringing you to a meeting with Astraea ever again.” There’s a good chance he’ll get pushed off, but even so, Obelius decides to take a risk and kiss the boy. 

Ari decides to allow the other to kiss him, not wanting to lose the other and with so many missed opportunities, the son of Athena decided to lean into it instead of pulling away. He presses into the other’s kiss and inhales Obi’s scent of pine trees and iron deposits. It’s alluring, purely wild in nature while his arm wrapped around the other to pull him in. No words would fix anything and perhaps all they needed was to finally release the tension that had been building. Ari’s hands rested at the small of the other’s back, fingertips looping into his raggedy sweatpants to feel the firm muscle at the top of Obi. A quick squeeze, another dominant kiss and Ari could feel himself fully aroused, his thick member hard against his jeans for Obi to find and feel its length should he so desire. 

Corey soon arrived at the pegasis stables to meet with Ari. The last few weeks had worked wonders on him, revealing a new life, future for him. Even more purpose. Helping Clio and meeting Calli definitely sparked Cor’s old flame. Today, he wore Calli’s gifted python Santana on his left risk, eager to introduce his new companion too his old friend. “I got your text.” Corey said once Ari came in earshot, waving his now fully working cell phone in the air. He smiled after, beaming, “Can’t believe we have wifi now. So… what’s up?”

Remy felt his icy bitterness melt away as Ari approached, like the sun with an aura of warmth and cheer. Still Remy was a glacier at heart so there was only so much warmth that could pierce his layers. “I do not take pride in the victory of others…only my own.” He replied with a cock of his brow, dismissing Logan’s victory in the shadow of the obtainment of his own goal. “It’s not about you being beatable. Just that I’m strong enough to beat you.” Drawing closer in Ari’s arua to show he wasn’t holding the victory against him. If anything beating Remy only earned Ari further respect, as if he needed it.

“Though those little tips would be helpful during the first…but I guess it defeats the purpose, huh?” Maybe it’s why he admired Ari so much because in a way they were the same and still as different as winter to summer. Strategy was key in both their tactics but where Remy attacked like a viper looking for weakness Ari stood his ground like a bull waiting to charge. “But don’t insult me with talk of luck.” Rolling his eyes and playing tagging Ari’s shoulder. “Take your victory, it was well earned. For now.”

“ You should learn humility and perhaps, your combat prowess would increase immensely. ” His words were filled with suggestive honesty and hoped that Remy would realize soon that it wasn’t about these one on one encounters since they exclusive only ever fought as a team. “ Just food for thought, if you are serious about beating me one day and you being strong enough to do so. ” Perhaps in the end, Remy would catch and surpass him but today wasn’t the day for the dagger user to best their main rank.

“ Well, if it means anything. I was going to slap your ass again but I couldn’t because of your ability slowing me to a halt. The only way I could win was with a long range attack. There’s a victory in that, just saying. ” He could only hope the other would see that as a win, but Ari wouldn’t be considerate of Remy’s ego for much longer after their fight.