halfbloodhill | action ☁ dec 6

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action ☁ dec 6

[ If there's anything Natalie's learned from her mother - Diana, not Hecate - it's that life is full of highs and lows. She simply does not expect the sudden drop today.

She missed something in her last Iris Message to her dad, something he bypassed in their brief talk because she was so busy filling him in on the actual good things in her life recently. Rather, it doesn't hit her until a week later. Something's happening with mom, with both her parents, and it's not very good. Nothing supernatural, even, because she would transport herself there in a heartbeat and fight off whatever was after them. Their problems are most often human, things she doesn't talk about, not even with people she considers her friends.

It's like she's in free fall, leaving her stomach behind for a moment as the rest of her tightens, curling up into a ball of anxiety because, damn it, she had been feeling so good until today. She's just leaving the archery range, sallow-faced and rubbing her aching, slightly bruised arms because she's been there for gods know how long. Though, her battered targets show that she's actually been doing something productive with her time and arrows. ]

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[ Leo eyes the walls suspiciously. ] Okay, that is only a little creepy. [ It's a lot creepy, really; there are so many ways someone could abuse something like that, and even with Natalie's explanation, he still doesn't really get it. That only serves to make him more annoyed with it, because regular logic just doesn't apply to the Mist. Machines are infinitely easier than this. ]

Right. I'll let you handle that. [ Now. How to make it work inside of something solid? he wonders, studying the weapon as the gears in his head started to turn. ] I think it should be based on proximity, so it doesn't disappear until they get closer. Having it touch-activated would ruin the illusion; they'd still know where it is. [ He looks back up at her. ] It'd be easy to put a detector in the hilt.

[ She rights the room again. ] You do know I'm related to Circe and Lamia, also known as the reason monsters can sniff demigods out - right? [ Some of them, like Leo and Percy, have very specific abilities. For Natalie and her siblings, it's a little more complicated because she wants to be able to do everything and has yet to know the true limits of her powers. It's a duty, really, to use it for positive things like protection, shielding, and defense - all of which she's mastered. No wonder Hecate is often confused with ten or so other goddesses. She does a lot. ]

Probably not a good sign for me in the future. [ She snorts and picks up a piece of scrap metal for practice. ]

[ He raises an eyebrow. He hadn't known that, as a matter of fact. Even nicer. Sorry, Nat, but your heritage is even weirder than his. ] What, are you going to start hunting demigods now?

[ Shaking his head, he gets back to the matter at hand. Demigod detector or not, he still has a little more trust in actual mechanics that he can see and put his hands on than something as nebulous as the Mist. ] You think it'd be easier to do it your way?

[ She points a long finger at him. ] You'd be first, my pretty, and your large dragon, too. [ Said completely seriously, as always.

Natalie weighs the piece in her hand and closes her eyes until it disappears -- and then reappears in her other. ] No. Shit. [ She puts it in her left again. ]

[ Dryly: ] There's no place like home.

[ He watches with a touch of amusement while she works on the scrap of metal, trying to keep the corner of his lips from quirking up into a smile. ] You can borrow my ruby shoes, you know. Take a little walk so you can "see things from my perspective."

[ Natalie frowns at both her hands, her brow wrinkled with her lips pulled into a thin line. It takes her a moment to realize that Leo's still talking to her. ]

What? What shoes? Sorry.

[ He shakes his head. ] Nevermind. You know, if it's too hard, I can probably come up with something. Cloaking device, detector... easy stuff.

[ So he says with a touch of challenge in his tone. ]

[ She sees you dropping that bait for her, Leo, and she is probably going to take it but not without making a fuss as usual. ]

Please. You need me.

[ And instead of continuing her defense, she just leans in and gives him a big, confusing kiss before making the metal disappear and then reappear in his free hand. ]

[ He's about to scoff, but she effectively cuts off his retort. Then Leo feels something in his hand, looks down, and grins. So his little push did the trick. ]

Maybe.

I thought maybe that's another option, the ungrabable weapon, always ends up two feet away whenever you try to pick it up.

[ Natalie Goodman is downright evil when she puts her mind to it. ] For a more productive approach, it could also be used against, like, enemies. No one can pick up your sword or spear or whatever except for you.

[ Picturing it, it's impossible not to laugh. Man, he really has created a monster. ]

We should totally do that. But no one using your weapon but you could be a problem, considering the Romans or somebody might share for training or whatever. [ Or if someone needs their weapon thrown to them in a fight. ] Unless they'd be able to turn it off.

I mean, it'd take a lot of customization, but to start we could, like, prevent theft when the owner's far from the weapon.

[ She reaches for the sword he had been working on, stepping back to take a good look at it, her hand wrapped around the metal tightly. ] Maybe we'll get somewhere after this prank.

[ He nods, handing over the sword without protest. ] Maybe we can pass it off as practice. We needed to make sure it would work first, didn't we?

Covering our asses before people start complaining. I like it. [ Natalie gives it a small swing, feeling the weight in her left hand. ]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole harnessing what I can do into metal. I feel like it's just a big hit and miss thing and that is so frustrating for me.

No one said you had to, [ he says with an amused smirk. ] I told you, I could probably find a way to do it on my own.

[ Read: get it together, Nat, or he is totally going to one-up you. ]

[ This is the person who literally just made the world tilt and he's still being smug up in her face? Boyfriend, please.

She just ignores him, balancing the blade on its point and letting go, making it spin slowly until she touches pommel and it disappears, reappearing on its side next to him instead. ]

[ That doesn't mean he can't be smug when he knows his machines will work. Apparently the Mist isn't quite as reliable, genius or otherwise.

He glances down at the sword and back at Natalie. ]

Is that it? You got it working, or are you just playing around? [ He's still teasing, obviously, but he reaches for the sword to see, curious. ]

[ Hey, give a girl a break. It wasn't like she was just on the verge of tears a few hours ago or anything.

She doesn't say anything again, waiting for the sword reappear at her side. Easily, she waves her hand over it and picks it up easily. ] Well, that's something. [ This is why she still sticks to playing the piano even if it's always without an audience. It's a way more exact art than any of this. ]

Try it again. [ She holds it out to him again. ]

[ He's not being serious and she knows it. It's part of his brilliant strategy to cheer her up a little. ]

Not bad. [ he allows, watching her mess with the sword and taking it back when she offers. ]

[ This time, it completely nopes out of his hand and ends up cast aside five feet away. Natalie follows the sword and tries to pick it up, only to have it disappear even father, several yards away from her.

And she lets out a short, surprised laugh. ]

[ He laughs. ]

No, see, that's great, Nat! If it does that us, too, no one will even suspect. It's genius!

Yeah, I know.

[ She brushes herself off, pleased about the results. ]

I just need to wave my hand a little and it'll go back to normal.

[ He walks up to her so their shoulders are just barely touching. ]

Think we should do a few more before we release it on the camp?

Now that I've got the spell down, we could do two or three more.

[ Natalie bumps her shoulder against his, almost completely cheerful now. It's a silent thanks. ]

[ His smile widens, a familiar sparkle appearing in his eyes. He's happy she's feeling better, even for a little while. ]

We could grab the swords they use for the training classes.

action ☁ dec 6

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