halfbloodhillooc | THE SECOND HBH TEST DRIVE MEME!

( His grin widens in Heather's direction as he grabs a crate of his own, picking up his pace to catch up with her. )

Are we actually allowed to do that, or are you just being a rulebreaker?

( Not that it matters much to him, because he'd already tried a few before (oh, the rebelliousness of it all) - but, well, it'd be nice to know. And, truth be told, it feels a lot better asking Heather a million billion questions than some random stranger who's supposed to be his higher-up. )

What, like we can't eat what we pick? I think that's fair.

[ And she totally helped pick! Not that Heather's any more knowledgable about camp than he is. She's (easily) breaking out of the habits instilled in her since she was about thirteen. Anyway, Heather doesn't mind asking all the questions. She's assertive like that. ]

They won't mind, I don't think. It's not like there's ever a shortage.

It just feels like there are rules about, like, everything ever, so you know. Figured I'd check.

( With a shrug of his shoulders, he decides to grab a strawberry for himself, because why not? Like Heather said, it's only fair. )

I'm not kidding, though. Rules about everything. Surprised there aren't any rules about, like ... what kind of underwear you can wear or how many times you're allowed to blink in an hour.

[ Wow, drama queen. Heather rolls her eyes and gently punches him in the shoulder, making sure not to harm his delicate frame. ]

Please, you're just mad about curfew.

[ No one in the Aphrodite cabin is particularly happy about the boys and girls not allowed to be alone in the same cabin rule, but Heather figures (begrudgingly) that they have a point. When it comes to god and demigod business - people be horny. Especially overactive seventeen year olds. ]

( Oh, no, not his delicate frame! But he supposes he deserved that. )

I am, actually. Shit, just because it's lights out at eleven doesn't mean that I'm gonna fall asleep then. I'm, like, practically nocturnal. It's the worst.

( It's probably a good thing that he doesn't know about that rule just yet, or else there'd be even more complaining. Just wait until he sets his sights on whoever his first infatuation ends up being. Yikes. )

[ Good luck trying to break that rule, because they've got harpies guarding the grounds after hours. ~~Cut to montage of Heather and Johnny racing through these same fields to get away from them.~~

She links her arm through his and tugs him towards the arena where she intends on scaring anyone (see: enchanting them) off if they interrupt their private session. ]

Isn't there stuff to keep you entertained in your cabin?

( Ohhhhh boy. Johnny's in for quite the rude awakening. He'll be glad for his extended practice in running away from the scene of whatever havoc he caused back at home.

He'll gladly be pulled towards the arena, not even considering how poorly this is going to end for him. )

I mean, there's stuff, but it's, like ... all stuff for parties. And since I'm pretty much the only one in there at any given time, I'm not about to throw myself a one-man party.

You're just not being creative. What would dear old Bacchus - sorry, Dionysus say about that, anyway?

[ Along the way, Heather catches the eye of an Apollo kid and accidentally causes him to trip. She winces and whips her head around to make sure he's alright. The whole allure of a Venus child gets stronger when Heather gets excited, except she's mostly excited to pull out her spear again. ]

Sorry, man! Can't help it!

( Johnny lets out a groan at the mere mention of daddy dearest. )

Don't know, don't care.

( Pfft. Please. He knows exactly what Dionysus would say about that, but he'll just continue pretending not to care. Thankfully, there's no time to linger on that, as Heather nearly knocks a kid over just by looking at him. He bursts out laughing, turning his head to watch her accidental victim try to shake it off like nothing happened. )

Dude.

Ugh, shut up.

[ Even though he didn't really say anything. Heather ducks her head in embarrassment. Normally, she'd be glad to show off, but - well, it's Johnny and it's weird since she worked so hard to tone it down around her male friends.

She quickly changes subjects once they approach the armory, releasing Johnny's arm so she can take off and eye up the Greek weaponry. They've got actual Celestial Bronze, which was even rarer than the Imperial Gold she had. ]

( He'll stop laughing, just to be nice, but that doesn't mean that he won't stop grinning about it. It's priceless. Johnny should be safe, in theory, if she's toning down her abilities, coupled with the fact that he's been so, so conditioned to keep his eyes off of his best friend's (maybe) girl. That has to count for something, right...?

Upon arriving at the armory, he crosses his arms, eyes scanning the expanse of weaponry at their disposal.
It makes him feel weird -- he's not scared or anything, but it's like every time he sees stuff like this, it's a sudden reminder that yes, this is all real. His new life. Weird.

He's left a little dumbfounded. )

... Uh.

[ Even if there is a possibility of heading back after the summer ends, Heather doesn't even know how to face Will. He'll probably think she's insane and will hate her forever for leaving him behind.

She won't think about that now, not when she's holding weapons out to Johnny like she's picking his outfit for the evening. And - look, she's already got her spear and shield. ]

What do you think of a dagger?

( When the time comes, it'll be hard for Johnny to decide what to do. There's something to be said about returning home and facing the reality of everything one leaves behind. Hm.

His eyebrows raise as she holds up a dagger. )

That... seems doable?

( He'd always tried to envision himself lugging around a giant sword and shield to some mighty battle and failed miserably. A dagger, though? Probably more his style. )

Lookie. It's smaller than a sword, but bigger than a knife. You've gotta be super skilled and fast with a knife, like Annabeth Chase. [ Heather guides the carved, very Greek handle into his hand with a nudge. ] But you're fast, from what I remember. You gotta work on the graceful part.

[ If only granddad had a pretty gladius or spatha, but the spear was a Mars thing ]

( He glances down at the dagger. It feels surprisingly okay in his hand, definitely light enough which should make it easy to control. His thumb idly grazes along the carvings on its hilt. It's pretty cool shit, Johnny thinks.

His mouth turns up in a smile a she mentions his speediness, eyes looking back at her. )

Oh yeah, that's no problem. There's years and years of fleeing the scene of the crime under my belt. ... but I guess the gracefulness could use a bit of work, yeah.

( Understatement of the year, coming from the kid who regularly trips over his own feet during the most menial tasks. )

Am I just supposed to, like... come at you, or what?

Not in the armory, stupid. You need your armor on first.

[ Replacing her usual weapons, Heather holds two wooden swords, one for each of them. ] Keep the dagger, but we should start with these. That puts us both on equal ground. You can practice blocking me first.

[ Her grin on the way out of the armory implies that she won't go easy on him - but she won't work him too hard either. ]

Sorry, sorry, I got a little excited.

( He's sure to make sure the dagger is good in its sheath before pocketing it for later, taking one of the wooden swords from her. Her - dare he say, evil-looking grin on the way out makes him raise his eyebrows as he follows her out of the armory and into the arena. Briefly, Johnny considers really thinking about what his plan of action in here will be, but instead realizes how clueless he is. Awesome. Off to a great start.

Really, though, all of his best-executed life decisions are made by winging it, or so he thinks, so why stop now?

Inside the arena, he clutches the hilt of the wooden sword with both hands, crouching slightly, wielding it like a baseball bat and smiling like an idiot. )

Batter up.

This'll be more fun than climbing fences, trust me. Remember, we're programmed for this.

[ Heather bounces from foot to foot, swinging her ponytail. She looks more prepared for a cheer routine, honestly, with her pink lip gloss and neverending supply of energy, but here she is with a wooden sword.

In a proper Roman stance with her feet apart, she aims well, aiming for his right shoulder so he can block her. ]

Edited 2013-07-04 04:46 (UTC)

( Johnny watches her carefully, waiting for her move. Okay. Deep breath. Concentrate. He can do this.

And, just like that, he easily blocks her attack, the sound of wood hitting wood filling the air. Huh. He didn't even really have to think about that, it just kind of happened, like a reflex. And now he knows, kind of, what it should feel like when he successfully blocks something, so that when she's not taking baby steps with him, he'll maybe be a little more prepared.

Forgive him for looking far too pleased for someone who just blocked literally the easiest move ever. Baby steps. )

[ With a bounce of her eyebrows, Heather actually giggles and shifts her weight to her back foot. ]

Nice.

[ But of course she won't let him off the hook that early and swings the sword low to the left. Easily blocked, but she's already mentally taking note of the open spots once he moves to defend himself. ]

( He tries not to dwell on his minor success for too long. Reflexively, Johnny sidesteps out of the way, but -- shit, right, he's supposed to be blocking, so he clumsily reaches the sword out with one hand to try stopping her.

Jeez, okay, he's just gotta keep reminding himself that this is a sword fight. There's no time for metaphorically jumping out of harm's way, like he's always done - he has to actually defend himself. )

[ The way she moves is nearly like dancing, coordinated and light, even as she starts to circle him. With a move to the right, she tries to fake him out before making a jab to the left, close to his chest.

Of course, Heather's always been on the aggressive side of assertiveness, in romance and in combat but that's only natural. She's still grinning, pleased to share this activity with a good friend of hers. ]

( Cautious as ever, Johnny follows her movements, making sure he keeps his eyes on her and doesn't get distracted, taking small steps so his back is never to her. That would just be plain stupid.

Getting successfully faked out is also just plain stupid. He extends his sword out, ready to receive the initial blow... but then she changes directions and - though he admirably tries to dodge the attack by sidestepping it - she just barely gets him, jabbing him in the side with the tip of her wooden sword.

He wrinkles his nose, displeased with himself. That's what he gets for not thinking ahead. Still, at least he's realized this now. )

Okay, go again.

( As he regains his stance, though a little more dignified this time -- is that a glimpse of determination in his eye? Gasp. )

[ Heather's just about to squeal out loud at how proud she is of him but she stops herself before it sounds patronizing. No, she can't do it right now when Johnny's already shaping up to be battle-ready demigod. She can't help but be excited.

She straightens her face and nods curtly, tapping her blade against his out of solidarity. After a moment of calm - With a lunge back, she takes a bold stab at his side again, grinning. ]

( There will be all the time in the world for excitement later on -- during dinner, perhaps, where they can sit at their separate tables but shoot each other knowing glances as slurpees magically appear before them.

Now, however, he's ready to effing go. Johnny returns the nod, preparing himself. If she were to go for the same side again, he'd know what to do - and, lo and behold, he's able to quickly position his sword so the two collide with a quiet thump.

Okay, her grin is infectious. )

THE SECOND HBH TEST DRIVE MEME!

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