❝ 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐊 with that, ❞ snorts the son of zeus. he blows a stream of smoke out from the corner of his mouth, quietly savoring the taste on his tongue, then takes another drag from his cigarette. the sting in the back of his throat is one thing to like; the taste is an entirely different affair. ❝ i’ve heard them all. you make one that’s new to me, && i’ll buy you… i don’t know, a barbie. whatever kids your age like. ❞
the last child of dionysus verso had dealt with — decades upon decades upon decades ago, in a chapter prior to his hellish descent — had caused a tornado. well, okay, the satyr-son hadn’t caused it. verso had. the mania bleeding off from the divine child, however, had certainly contributed to the son of zeus losing his shit for a brief period of time. he’s sure artemis still holds a grudge against him for that, given the proximity of her hunters to the disaster he whipped up.
case && point, when the kid at first trails behind then makes herself comfortable on a tree stump, verso is inclined to keep his distance. not so far that she could get the idea that he’s quarantining her, but a solid few steps between him && her, just to be safe. he disguises his mania-worry as nothing more than a chance to smoke without blowing smoke directly into her face. child of dionysus or not, like hell he's risking the flu - or, worse, a small armageddon.
❝ pretty apt summary, ❞ verso hums. ❝ the mist is a nice cover for monsters, keeps normal mortals from seeing a chimera && going into cardiac arrest. as for your divine parent… ❞ he clicks his tongue, bobs his head from side-to-side. ❝ yeah, not my responsibility. i’m a tour guide, not a demigod C-P-S worker. ❞ he takes his cigarette out from between his lips && rolls it between his fingers. lets his words hang in the air for a second.
❝ if you need a breather after walking ten feet, you’re in pretty shit shape. you want me to carry that bag, or do you wanna pass out in front of the other campers && get a shit-ass nickname from the hermes cabin over it ?? i’m cool with either. ❞