wild protected

Talking to plants and flowers was certainly something Nico enjoyed - especially knowing he could actually understand them replying back - but it felt much different than being social with actual people. As much as nature was part of his domain, so was love, be it platonic or romantic - and human emotion was just so much deeper in this regard than what conversing with a flower could get like. "Well... Maybe", he chuckled with a smile, actually thinking for a moment about what it would be like to throw a party out here. As serious as their situation was, a bit of levity could be good for all of them - especially when their minds were burdened by things as serious as the story Silvio was sharing. "I'm so sorry about your sister", Nico spoke, knowing what it felt like to lose someone - even though he'd never had a sibling, let alone a twin. "You're right, we got this. We all have each other's backs here after all, right?" Well, not for these solo missions - but something about Silvio left Nico feeling no doubt that the other would be fine. "So, any speculation on what those missions will be like? Think you'll have to slay a dragon? Run from a horde of bulls?", he suggested with a grin.

the idea of having to slay a dragon was a little bit too daunting for silvio, at least for the time being. maybe that was why he went silent as he thought about nico's question. even with everything that his sister had told him when she was alive, he couldn't begin to wonder how their first mission was going to be like. "i think with the mix, it's hard to predict what's next. my sister knew what she was risking when she first signed up for this when we were 13 and i know what i'm signing up for this now as well. if no one else is going to protect us, to help us, then we're going to have each others' backs. that's the only way that we're going to survive all of this. that's the way we should try to at least." he took in a deep breath, thinking that he was talking too much for his own good. he didn't want to overwhelm nico with all of his thoughts either. especially because some of them were backed up by his own emotions, not any facts. "maybe lead a heard of wild jaguars or pumas if i've done any research. my father is, was (?), connected to a lot of different animals. the dragon is one of them, so i doubt he'd want me slaying one." although, he wasn't too sure about much of anything anymore.

"  i  have  some  personal  disagreements  with  your  thoughts,  but  you  make  some  considerable  counterarguments  to  my  idea.  "  reid  hummed  as  he  brought  his  hands  together  and  rubbed  them  hard  trying  to  muster  up  as  much  heat  as  he  could  from  the  friction  and  lifted  his  palms  to  the  sky.  "  i  will  consort  with  the  spirits  and  ask  for  their  opinion.  "  he  had  been  finished  with  his  mission  for  a  while,  still  unsure  where  he  could  take  his  new  friend  where  she  could  be  destructive  and  chaotic  without  harm.

"  what  to  the  animals  think  of  us  taking  over?  i  imagine  this  was  mostly  their  home  before.  "

" if you do have some disagreements, ten please feel free to share your own thoughts. i'm not the end all be all here and you might have more pros on your list than i have cons. " he didn't mind having to wait for the answer either. that was why he just nodded once and tucked his hands behind his back. he started to sway on the heels of his feet. " whenever they get back to you, feel free to find me. " he didn't actually know how long reid's game of telephone was going to take, but he wasn't going to sit around waiting all day long so he had time.

" they're comfortable as long as we're not destroying their natural lands and hunting them. for now, i've seen no signs of a rebellion. "

he didn't want to think of it, of his visions of doom. go out, feel the sun, interact with others. felt like his father whispering it in his ear back at kindergarten. that went well for him...

that was why he would never dream about leaving this conversation too early into it. good or bad for dev, but the man was going to be stuck with him for a while. he hoped he was ready.

&  it  wasn't,  was  it?  he'd  just  been  born  different,  though  he  wasn't  quite  sure  yet  if  he  wanted  to  fight  this  war  he  knew  nothing  about.  well,  he  knew  enough,  knew  all  the  facts,  but  ...  did  he  believe  in  it?  sure,  magic  was  real,  what  they'd  been  told  about  their  parents  was  real...  though  was  it?  he  couldn't  say,  though  part  of  him  had  felt  lost  all  his  life.  not  unhappy,  his  family  had  been  the  absolute  best.  but  ...  lost  in  a  way  only  adopted  children  most  likely  could  understand,  which  was  his  main  motivation  for  this.  besides  being  a  hero  like  those  he  read  about  &  worshipped  all  his  life.

what he did know was that he was going to give it his all. whether he was opposing everyone on the island or fighting alongside them towards a common goal, he needed to make sure he was present. maybe that was because of silvana. knowing other people that were heir to your godly parent was one thing. hearing the stories was another. when they were about a twin sister, though? that created a whole new layer to all of it. he didn't know if he was going to live up to the shoes that she left to fill. he didn't know if the others were even going to care about what this meant to him. silvio just knew he had to do it for himself.

"I   suppose   I'll   have   to   give   you   that,"   Masyn   says   with   a   snort.   "Well...I   guess   at   least   now   we   have   a   game   plan   if   we   ever   come   across   such   a   fearsome   creature,   yeah?" 

" sounds like we do. i think it's still better to stick together, so make sure that if you do have to rescue a cat like that, i can help if needed. " he shrugged his shoulders. " although you look like you're capable enough to handle yourself. "

Then the lightbulb came on within Arion's mind. Since he had mentioned dolphins, his suggestion would include going down to the cove. "You know there is a actually a pod that's been swimming by lately. They just added a little one to their group to. Have you met them? If not, I could introduce you to them!"

even though he didn't know if he could keep up with arion's swimming, but he still nodded his head and continued walking down the path. "i'll never say no to meeting more animals. i feel like there's always someone on te island that's worth meeting."

"  the  animals  must  be  happy  too  ;  to  have  more  who  can  understand  their  needs  for  us  to  all  live  in  harmony.  what  a  blessing  you  have.  "  reid  offered  a  beaming  grin  as  he  placed  a  hand  on  the  other's  shoulder.

"  don't  you  think  we  should  throw  a  party?  invite  the  animals,  the  spirits,  those  outside  of  the  mortal  world  to  come  together.  we  all  live  here  now  in  the  ark,  it  feels  important  for  us  to  share  our  mission  with  them  and  hear  their  needs  to  ensure  symbiosis.  "  his  gaze  was  intense,  a  serious  matter  that  he  wanted  to  make  damn  sure  that  everyone  felt  heard. 

" thank you. they seem to be happy just to have someone that can help them out. i'm sure the spirits are too. there's someone that can speak to plants. " again, so many different walks of life helping each other out.

his nose wrinkled as he thought about the man's suggestion. " don't get me wrong, i'm always down to party, but don't you think it's a little too early to celebrate? plus, let me be the first to say dancing with a bear isn't as fun as it sounds. there's some real danger there. " maybe after they all came back from their individual missions.

"I don't think I have seen a day you aren't smiling. The day that happens, I'll truly start t'worry." Meanwhile, upon hearing the 'hello' the tortoise in kind walked up to Silvio's foot and gave it a playful 'boop' via head bump.

"J.Slo agrees! We both love your energy. You busy or heading somewhere? If not, come walk with us if you're up for it."

"Why spend the day frowning when your smile can brighten up someone's day? If anything, that might end up being a social disturbance." He had no reason to mope around. He smiled down at the animal and then back up at Arion. "I'm free for the rest of the day, so if you can handle all of my energy then I'm more than happy to tag along!"

This demigod thing was new, Quentin still wasn't sure what to make of it. His life felt like both a lie and like pieces were finally falling into place. So his father had been right all along - his mother had been unfaithful, he wasn't the son of Dimitri Malikov, but instead the child of a god.

It seemed fitting, well deserved.

The existential crisis about his parentage could wait, for now the powers were interesting and something Quentin wanted to explore. And he didn't yet know what to make of the other demigods. What role did he need to play around them in order to survive? He would cross that bridge when it came. For now, the small illusion he'd conjured held his attention. How believable was it? The twisting and illuminated branches, did it appear impenetrable, impressive?

When he was taking another walk around the island, looking forward to seeing what it had to offer, he came across someone that was clearly trying out their powers. At first he marveled when he saw the branches. His wasn't as physical, or mental in this case, as the other's was so it was a little breathtaking. "Cool." Silvio called out. "Is that something new or could you always do that?"

War was an awful thing, magic and pantheons being involved made it even worse. However, one thing Arion knew to do was always make his best attempt to keep his vibe and and enjoy the simple moments of this life.

He had slept in a little later than usual and while he had no plans for any rigorous training that day, he still needed some form of activity. His pet tortoise was coming with him too. In a location where the bizarre was the norm, walking a tortoise on a harness and leash along the lake was the least weird thing that could be seen right?

"Heyooo~" he waved to the person ahead. "It's a good day, no? If not, there's still time for it to shift. I think." he looked up at the sun, which was positioned to where it normally was around the late afternoon; 4 or 5pm.

"Okay, okay. There's still the night, right?"

The tortoise didn't even get a second glance from him. He used to take care of animals that weren't the mundane pet all the time back home. All he did was look down and speak its language, saying hello. Then he turned back to the owner, smiling softly at him.

"It's always a good day. We have a lot to be grateful for around here. The mentors really have set us up for success." He stretched a bit, trying to reel back from the fall. "Don't worry, I don't let the small things beat me up. Life is too short for that."