persephone's daughter

“Wow, I’ve been her pretty long and I’m just seeing you now?” Nara shook her head embarrassed. It made her believe she needed to get out more, or how else was she suppose to interact with others. “Once you’ve been here after the first year, it’ll get easier.” she smiled. “I do like the spring time, it’s my favorite season.”

Mina let out a small laugh, her cheeks darkening. “Yeah, I, uh, kind of really, um, kept to myself, for a long time,” she admitted. “I don’t know a lot of people, still. At all.” She paused, biting the inside of her cheek. “But things are getting easier. They are. I spend, um, a lot of time in the greenhouses and kitchens, now, gardening, and uh, baking and stuff.”

“I think you might be right,” Astrid chuckled, gazing at the drops of rain that raced each other to the bottom of the window. It was grey and gloomy out, the kind of rain that made you feel lethargic and bored even when doing something you actually liked. She noted the way Mina faltered in her words, and wondered if perhaps the girl had gotten a bit too anxious for one reason or another. She didn’t say anything, though her lips pursed ever so slightly in concern, wanting nothing but easy days for her. “Well,” Astrid started, tilting her head in thought, “what if we did something really fun today?”

“Something really fun?” Mina smiled - a real, full, genuine smile, her eyes glittering. She got up and put her book away. “That would be nice. Like what? I mean, what do you have in mind?” She asked, turning back to Astrid. 

“Hi Mina, nice to meet you.” she smiled, it was nice getting to know new people and learn about them. Daughter of Persephone “Well spring is here, I bet you’re loving that.” she chuckled. Nara figured this was a good place to have fun, relax, at least for her it was. “How are you doing?” do you like Nemean?” 

“Spring is always nice,” Mina smiled a bit. Growing up, she had always felt more upbeat during the spring and summer time, but she figured that was a normal thing. Of course, it was probably amplified in Mina because her mother Persephone was now free from the Underworld, and her mother - Mina’s grandmother, Demeter - let the world live again and be covered in flowers, or however that myth went. It was still so weird to think about the real world in the context of the Greek myths. “I like Nemean,” she answered. “Um. Well, I’ve been here over a year now. I think I’m getting more adjusted.”

Astrid, like most days, was wandering around, looking to see if anyone needed her amplifying powers even on a rainy day. She called it her ‘work hours’ and acted as if she was on the clock, asking her sisters not to bother her unless it was necessary, but really, no one was paying her. Still, she liked feeling needed. There hadn’t been much to do that day, and so when she caught sight of Mina waving at her through the library window, she smiled in return and quickly jogged up to the entrance, humming Dear Evan Hansen’s Waving Through The Window along the way. Upon Mina’s arrival, Astrid had felt like she’d seen a lot of herself in the younger girl, and had been trying ever since to get Mina to come into her own a bit. Maybe she was projecting, but Astrid would never admit that– especially to herself. She plopped herself down in a seat across from Mina, shaking her umbrella and giving a small laugh. “Work, actually. And it’s been slow today. What about you? Just hanging?” she asked.

“Reading,” Mina gestured towards the book that she had set aside on the window pane. “It’s, uh, also slow. Good but slow. I think today’s just one of those days.” She sighed, but there was a smile on her face. “I tried to go to the kitchen earlier to bake something but there were too many - uhh - I mean, I wasn’t really feeling it, so I just wandered around for a while, then it began to rain so I came here to find something to read, or do.” The truth was, there had been too many people in the kitchen talking loudly and all crowded together and Mina had immediately felt overwhelmed, but Mina didn’t want Astrid to think she had left just because of that, even though that was exactly what happened. “I’ve been, uh, mostly bored today though,” she said. 

　 　 　   ❝ oh my gosh me too !! ❞  she exclaimed, maybe a little too loud for the girl standing right in front of her.  ❝ we should definitely bake together sometimes. ❞  her smile was innocent but her eyes were a bit more sinister. clementine wasn’t lying when she said she loved to bake, it was just a different kind of baking that she enjoyed. that didn’t mean she was bad at the normal kind.  ❝ what do you like baking ?? ❞

Something about the glint in Clem’s eyes unnerved Mina -- but her smile was so genuine that Mina immediately felt guilty about the twinge of doubt in her stomach. Gods, why did she have to be so paranoid all the time? “I would love to bake together,” she agreed, surprisingly excited. She had a whole social interaction planned. Astrid and Sunny would be shocked but proud. “I really, uhh, like baking bread, actually, I think there’s nothing like, um, the, uh, well, the smell of it - the bread - the fresh bread, I mean. And savory baked goods, in general. I like sweet stuff, of course, too, I’ve made my share of brownies and cookies and pies but -- but I like, uh, rolls and scones and - well, bread, the most.” She bit the inside of her mouth, hating how awkward she sounded. “What about you?”

Nara chuckled as she saw the other female and nodded her head “yes you, do you see anyone else?” she stated with a smile, she enjoyed taking time out here. Maybe it reminded her of her childhood and she liked company. Plus she didn’t think she saw this girl before. “Hi.” she waved back as she swung forward, enjoying the light breeze.

"Hi,” Mina responded quietly, giving a wave back. There was a pause of silence and Mina wished, not for the first time, that she was better at socializing. “Um - your name is Nara, right? I’m, uh, Mina. Daughter of Persephone.” The wind blew through her hair as she swung back and forth. She had sort of forgotten the rush that went through one’s stomach when they were swinging. It was pleasant. Mina allowed a small smile to crawl across her face. She could never feel too uncomfortable when she was outside. It was probably one of the perks of the whole being-a-child-of-the-spring-goddess thing.

Mina leaned her head against the window in the library as she flipped to the next page of her book. It was a good book but densely written and she often found her mind wandering. Rain pattered against the roof. Mina let out a sigh, giving up and closing the book for now. She glanced outside and a small smile spread across her face. Astrid was heading towards the building. Mina gave her a friendly wave through the window. Even though the girl was a couple years older than her, she was probably one of the only people Mina would consider a friend. When Mina had first arrived, she had been skittish with everybody and rebuffed anybody who tried to be friendly with her, but Astrid had seemed to make it her personal mission to be nice to Mina, and Mina couldn’t help but like her, even if she was a child of Hecate and had real live magical powers that gave Mina a headache if she thought about it too much. Astrid never seemed to use magic that much around Mina, luckily, and so their friendship was normal and nice, unlike most of everything else that happened to Mina in the last year.

As Astrid approached her, Mina gave her a bright smile. “How was... uh, training?” she guessed.

　 　 　   clementine didn’t seem to really notice mina’s nervous behavior━ then again, she didn’t notice much. she was utterly and completely oblivious to her surroundings at least 90% of the time and has yet to truly grasp the consequences of her actions. clementine watched as mina put all her effort into restructuring the plant pot. she considered helping her, but the younger girl had already done it herself.

　 　 　   ❝ the pet shop !! ❞  she smiled widely at the very thought of the lovely store she considered heaven on earth.  ❝ i really love animals. but i also don’t really… stick to one place for long. i get bored pretty easily, yknow ? ❞  she hummed, looking up at nothing in particular.  ❝ how about you ? where do you often spend time ?  what do you do in your free time ? ❞  she bombarded the poor girl with questions, taking a step or two closer with each one.

Mina instinctively took a step backwards with every step that Clementine took towards her - and then winced as she realized how paranoid she probably seemed. But once again, Clementine didn’t seem to notice her trepidation. “The pet shop is cool, I don’t spend enough time there,” she admitted. “Uh - I’m usually here, or in the library, err, reading. Oh, or in the kitchens!” Her eyes brightened. “I love to bake.”

　 　 　   ❝ huh ? what are you━ oh !! sorry, ❞  she mumbled, setting the glowing item down against a nearby wall.  ❝ nice to meet you, mina. oh i knew i recognized you from somewhere !! that’s cool, we must have similar powers then. i’m a demeter kid… i don’t really spend that much time in the greenhouse though. sometimes i really believe that i’m not actually a demeter kid but then i find my pockets filled to the brim with flowers. it’s actually a quite nice surprise. oh!! i haven’t even told you my name, i’m clementine but you can call me clem. ❞  she made a fingergun gesture at mina.

“It’s nice to meet you Clem,” Mina responded politely, and then awkwardly returning the fingerguns before letting out a small laugh. “Um - yeah, I spend a lot of time here, I think. Um, I feel that though. I mean, the thing about the, uh, pockets full of flowers. That happens to me too, sometimes.” Mina winced slightly at herself. How was she so bad at socializing? It seemed to come so much more naturally to some people, like Clem. Even before all the craziness in her life had started with being at Nemean Lion, she never had many friends at school or talked to people much. Sometimes she felt so lonely she could scream.  

Biting her lip, she reached down and picked up the the shattered pot shards. Squeezing her eyes shut slightly, she touched the bent leaves and stem of the plant and concentrated hard. There was a lurch in her gut, and slowly, they straightened out. She picked it up and put it into a new pot. “Um,” she tried to think of a topic of conversation. “Where - where do you spend time if - if not here, then?” 

　 　 　   ❝ y’know i’m not really sure. i guess it could be, huh ? ❞  she looked up at the unfamiliar voice with a curious expression. without thinking, clementine pointed at the stranger with the strange weapon ━  far away enough to not hurt her, but still pretty close.  ❝ i’ve seen you around before! what’s your name ? ❞ she smiles at the stranger, not quite realizing that she’s pointing the potentially dangerous item at her.

Mina inhaled deeply, taking another step backwards - and she knocked against the table, the plant knocking to the ground and spilling soil all over. She looked down, grimacing, but didn’t move to pick it up. “Um... my name?” she repeated in a rather high-pitched voice. Mina cleared her throat. It didn’t actually seem like the older girl would hurt her - her expression was friendly, but she didn’t exactly seem very responsible with the possible weapon she was brandishing. Demigods are so weird, she thought, not for the first time. Even after a year here, she didn’t fully feel like she fit in. Everybody else seemed far more comfortable and casual with the whole monsters, magic, and weapons stuff. “I’m, um, Mina,” she said hesitatingly. “D-Daughter of Persephone.” She raised her hands in mock surrender, the slightest of smiles on her face in an effort to be friendly. “Uh -- you?”