I'm Done (Open)

[Ryan Simons]

The property line. That was it. The one, invisible line that separated him from the rest of the world, and vise versa. He didn't care that he was separated, but he really hated camp. Hated it with a passion. This place was a living Hades for him. He didn't have anything here. He had really considered running out of this place many times. All those nights, alone in the forest, so close to it, but then disciplining himself and not letting himself do it. See? He had been a good boy these past three years. Only rule he broke frequently was the curfew. That was about to change. He was getting out of here. Now. He had been toying around with the idea for a while but now after these past weeks, his decision was made.

He was about to step over it and start running, when he heard a car. Okay...? He backed up very slightly, and put his hand on his dagger, his grey eyes narrowing. The car came into view, being sort of driven recklessly. Ryan rolled his eyes and waited, tensed. He didn't care who it was, but it was already imbedded in his mind that he'd attack them. It came a few feet from the property line and from Ryan himself. A woman came out. She was rather tall and very lean for her age, she had two swords across her back, both in a straight line as opposed to Ryan's. Two daggers were on her side and she also had a small pouch on a belt. Ryan stared at her, a wave of shock going through his body for a few moments. Aunt Kathleen. "Thought I'd find you here," the woman sneered, looking over Ryan's face. "What you doing so next to the property line?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. After a few minutes of silence from Ryan's end: "Do I really have to shoot you again to get you answering?" she growled. Ryan glared at her, but didn't move back from the line, his blood started to boil. "Shut up and go away," he growled.

The woman glared back at him. "I don't think I will," she said, taking a step towards him. He didn't move back at all. The woman then rolled her eyes. "You complete idiot. I raise you and everything and I don't even get a straight response from you," she growled. "Come on, boy, answer the questions," she snarled, glaring at him and then at the property line. "I hate that I can't come in there and pummel you," she said, looking at the border line with distaste. Ryan gritted his teeth. "I hate you," he snarled at her, then avoided her question to him. "What are you doing here?" he growled, glaring at her. "I don't hear from you for three freaking years and then you just show up and you expect me to answer all of your dang questions?" the the boy snarled. The woman shrugged. "Hate you too. Well, yeah," she said indifferently. Ryan glared at her. She could do anything to him, but he could surely take a knife and it would go through the property line at her.

Kathleen seemed to know what he was thinking. "Go ahead and try me boy," she said, glaring at him. "Oh, but before you do, I came here to tell you something," she said, smirking. Ryan's hand was by his side and ready to throw. "I don't want to hear anything from you!" he snarled. "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING YOU'VE GOT TO SAY!" he said, about to throw. Kathleen smirked. "Oh, I think you'd want to hear about this," she said indifferently, but her eyes were rather interested. "Don't you want to know about what's happened to...oh, shoot, what was that boy's name, Alex?" she asked, relatively calm. Ryan stared at her. When she was calm, that was really bad, he lowered the dagger slightly. Kathleen smirked, knowing she had gotten to him. "Okay. What?" Ryan asked icily. Kathleen shrugged and started to walk back into the car. "I thought you didn't want to hear anything from me," she said smoothly and carelessly over her shoulder. She went into her car and began to drive away. That made Ryan snap.

The next thing he did, he did it without any thought or plan in his head: he ran right off the border and shot one of his daggers at his aunt's car tire. Only a second later did he realize that he had made the first move. No, wait, she had made the first move when she came here. The car faltered and Kathleen jumped out of it. "You idiot!" she growled. "What was that for?" she asked, glaring at him and unsheathing her swords, Ryan did like wise. "What about Alex?" he asked. Kath shrugged. "You said you didn't want to know," she said carelessly. Ryan glared at her. "Tell me," he growled. Kathleen smirked. "Nah, I don't think I will," she said slyly. That did it. Ryan lunged at her. Kathleen was already out of reach, she stuck out her leg and Ryan jumped, trying to avoid tripping. As he jumped to the side, Kathleen took a staff and bashed it into his side. Ryan winced in pain, got hit hard and fell, winded. The swords fell out of his hands. Kathleen glared at him. "Be happy I decided not to use my sword for that," she said coldly. Ryan took a breath in. Ow. He staggered up to his feet. "Told you making the first move was deadly," Kathleen said, smirking. Ryan glared at her, went to talk and half lurched to the side in pain. Kathleen rolled her eyes. "Come on, buck up, will you? Would of been much worse if I had used my sword," she growled.

Ryan straightened, trying to ignore the pain in his side. He picked up one of his swords, then started to go without thinking again. He lunged and slashed with his sword. Kath's sword came up to block and she and Ryan were inches away from eachother, their swords forming an X. "Tell me." Ryan growled. "Fine," Kathleen said. She stared at him squarely in the eyes. "Alex died," she said carelessly. Ryan stared at her, it felt like the sky was going to cave in on him. "What?" he asked. "My spirits have you become deaf?" the woman growled. Ryan stared at her, his body going into shock and his mind numbing. This wasn't happening...this wasn't happening. Ryan's eyes went from disbelief, to shock, to hurt, then anger, back to hurt, then back to anger in about ten seconds. "Geez, your eyes are going a bit crazy there," she sneered, as he was just standing there, she took her advantage and shoved him back, hard. Ryan didn't even try to stop her, he sailed backwards, lost his balance, and fell again. He sat up, slightly dazed. "Yeah, well, that's the news of the month," Kat said, shrugging. Ryan looked at her, slightly disoriented. "How?" he managed to get out. Kathleen smirked, took out a gun and flipped it in her hand. "Take your best guess." Ryan felt slightly dizzy. He vaguely remembered something that sounded like she was changing tires then the car moving away.

He had forgotten that he was outside the borderline by now. It was a few yards behind him, but he felt like he was being dragged through Hades and back again. His mind was...gone. He had no idea who he was or where he was, he didn't think he wanted to know. He's gone. his head started to say. He felt like he had gone through this before, but his aunt wasn't there to take his mind off it. He's gone and he's not coming back. The last person who he cared about, and the last person who had cared about him was gone. The last...and only friend he had left, gone. "No..." he said softly, more to himself than anything. Well, he thought he was alone. No one else was around, he hoped. For the first time since Edmund died in the hospital nine years ago, Ryan's vision blurred and tears started to go down his face.

[Aria Hale]

Ever since her lame excuse for a father had stopped her last attempt at an escape, Aria had been a good girl and stayed in camp. Or, that is to say, she’d stayed in camp and been twice as moody and fight-prone as usual. But now, now she would succeed. Obviously that sun-dragging doofus had the northern border staked. Well, she’d just go a different direction then. There was even a road one way, right? She’d head there. It took her twice as long, considering it was a lot more open than the forest path had been, but hey, freedom always had a price. Everything had a price.

Aria paused, moving behind a tree quickly. Was that a shadow ahead? She glanced around… no, just a couple trees. Must have been a dryad, stupid annoying things. Why was she so jittery? With a deep breath, she pressed on carefully. Only to be scared half out of her skin about five minutes later by some explosive sound towards the border, followed by a lot of shouts. Okay, maybe not the best route. But she knew the sounds of a fight when she heard them - she’d grown up around them, for Pete’s sake - and that definitely sounded like one. She quickened her step.

Blast being so far from the boundary line! By the time she got to the road, the fight had broken up, someone was hurt by the look of it, and some lady was getting in a car. Aria so wanted to go after the idiot driver. Back in Detroit, trespassing and beating up members of another… well, not really gang here, would be considered a declaration of war. But that was sort of out of the question. She resisted the urge to shoot at the car. Instead, she turned her attention to the person.

“Oh gods…” Serious!? Sandman? Oh for goodness sake, did they always have to run into each other? Really? He didn’t seem hurt or anything though. She was about to bite off some snide comment per usual when she noticed something severely out of place. “Hey… A-are you okay?” Her tone was a little quieter and a lot more hesitant. Okay, so that was about the stupidest question she could ask, but honestly, she wasn't used to this sort of thing. She didn’t even know this guy could cry! And if he said yes, he was fine, he was officially the biggest liar in the world.

[Ryan Simons]

This wasn't happening...this wasn't happening....

"Ryan?"
"Yeah?"
"Where'd you go?"
"Tried to chase you down in the forest."
"Oh...did it work?"
"No."
"Oh...why?"
"You were to fast."
"Oh...sorry...guess I'm sort of odd when I move through the forest."
"Whatever, no problem."
"Did you know he had a gun?"
".....yeah."
"Did you know he was going to use it? ....on me?"
"...."
"Ry?"
"...."
"Did you?"
".....yeah."
"Oh....did you know he was in the forest?"
".......yes."
"Did...did you want me to run into the forest?"
"....no. Ed? ED!"

Ryan shut his eyes it was his fault. Everything. He was the reason that Edmund was dead. He was the reason that Alex was dead. He really didn't want to use his imagination or guess as his aunt had suggested- last time he had, he had almost got stuffed into the oven- but from what he could see, she had killed him. He didn't even notice that someone was there with him until the person spoke.

His head jerked up and he hastily wiped his face. "Y-yes...I'm fine," he mumbled back, his voice cracking. Well, that was the biggest lie he had ever told in his life. Or one of the biggest ones. Even when Edmund had died, he hadn't lied like that. He had told his aunt that he missed both of them. She didn't give a care or anything, she just pushed him harder to take his mind off it. It was two months after both Edmund and Alex that he had gotten the most scars on him. He hadn't been focused at all when they were training, so naturally, he had gotten beaten up a lot durning training.

[Aria Hale]

There were a dozen mean things Aria could have said about how much of a big, fat liar he was. But, for some reason, none of them really seemed to come. Instead, she knelt next to him, another move that surprised even her, in addition to the fact that her tone wasn’t even mean in the slightest. “No, you’re not. Call me stupid, but I can tell than much. What did that woman do to you?” Why she was being nice to him, she didn’t know. Why she should care that he hadn’t been able to fend for himself? Why was she feeling… protective? It was almost sickening! But here, she was, maybe not comforting him, but not exactly chewing him out either.

“What are you doing out here anyway?” She tried to regain some of her tough edge, but was failing miserably. Very, very miserably. It was so like in Detroit though. If someone came on your territory and attacked one of your own, you didn’t stand for it. And, as much as she hated it - though even that she was beginning to question, which was frustrating - this guy was part of that group. It is was like one of those stupid airheaded Aphrodite dorks or something, she wouldn’t have minded so much. But she had a lot of respect for someone who could take care of himself (most of the time) as well as this guy could.

[Ryan Simons]

Ryan tensed slightly, every part of him telling him to get away from her, but he didn't. He just...stayed. He didn't feel like moving at all, or if ever again. He tried to glare at her, but failed horribly. It was so weird, it had sort of taken him by surprise that she come to sort of comfort him. It was sort of as if she was going the way he went when he found her in the arena. Why did it always have to be her that he bumped into in times like these?

"Yes, I am," he said shortly, but still way out of it. He sort of felt dizzy. There he went, going into denial again. What did Kat do to him? Well, everything horrible. Made him play suicidal games, almost killed him several times...all that good stuff. "Nothing," he said shortly, wiping his face. He didn't know what to do with himself. Here she was, being nicer than he had ever seen her to anyone (except that time he found her in the arena, but she was off and even he had gone slightly soft) and he was just being his aggressive (or trying to, anyway), crazy, in denial self. He half hated that she was going soft. He had been fine on his own and needed no one. He had been able to take care of himself rather well, at his aunts house and here.

What was he doing here? "I forget," he muttered. He honestly had forgotten for a second. He thought. "Oh, yeah..." he muttered. "I was running away from this Hades excuse for a camp," he grumbled. He sniffed and wiped his face. He was better...slighlty, but no where near himself, really. Great job Ryan, you've killed your second friend. his guilt started to build up again.

[Aria Hale]

Aria rolled her eyes, but didn’t argue. She knew first hand it wasn’t easy being caught in a bad spot like this. Ironically enough, she been caught by the same person she had caught now. “Alright. If you say so.” She took a seat next to him, stubbornly refusing to leave him alone. After all, he seemed moody and distant at the best of times. When he was this out of it, he might be suicidal. And, though she’d never admit it out loud, she minded that. She didn’t want to leave him alone when he might hurt himself. No, wait, no she didn’t care. Why should she? But-… oh hang it all! Why was this-… argh! He was a big fat pain in the butt, that was it!

She ran her fingertips over the pavement of the road, not caring much that they were sitting in the middle of it. After all, who drove on stupid little country roads in the middle of the night anyway? Well, besides crazy women who beat up half-bloods. Or at least Sandy.

They sat in silence for a moment before he spoke, though it was hardly loud enough to count as breaking said silence. Aria looked at him, feeling… worried? No, no, that couldn’t be right! But he continued before she could fully solidify her denial. Without even really caring what she was saying, she spoke offhand. “Yeah, so was I. Hate it here. We could both leave, you know. Strength in numbers.” And company, her mind seemed to add on its own accord. Then she realized what she said. “Not that it matters.” The attempt to recover some dignity was a complete failure.

[Ryan Simons]

Ryan looked down slightly and sighed. This was so humiliating. But only a tiny part of his brain grasped that part. The rest of his brain was out of it. "Glad you know," Ryan grumbled, only absorbing half of what the girl was saying. Well, they were both even now. She had caught him here, he had caught her in the arena. She sat down beside him, reminding him vaguely of Nike, who had also refused to leave him alone. Jee, to many people almost pretending like they cared these days.

He looked over at her, remembering how they had treated eachother. On the beach, in the arena, and here. It was crazy. Every single time they met, they had different sides. Never knew which one they were going to get. Then he looked at the car tires that had been imprinted into the ground and the reality came rushing back to him. Both Edmund and Alex were gone. He took out a knife. He looked at a tree. And then looked at his wrist.

He chose the tree. He half got up and thew the dagger at it, not caring if he hit or miss. Then it occured to him. Tree nymphs. Darn it. They had no tree nymphs at Aunt Kath's place. Oh well, if he hit, he was getting a tree nymph ticked, but he really didn't care at this point. "Oh, really?" he muttered, still half absorbing what she was saying. Right now he would of sort of agreed to anything. "Yeah, me too," he muttered. This camp, or anywhere he lived, had never done any good for him. "True..." he muttered, not really knowing he was half agreeing.

[Aria Hale]

Aria paused when he took out a knife. She was half expecting him to get payback for the way she’d sort of disrupted him when they’d met on the beach. She tensed, ready to grab for one of her own knives at the slightest sign of a threat; it was more habit than anything. Then she noticed him glancing at his own arm. Oh crap. She forgot all about the possibility of personal injury. She didn’t know why, but it mattered that he seemed to be pondering hurting himself. “No!” She’d hardly gotten the word out when he threw the knife expertly at… a tree. She looked over at where the dagger quivered still, sunk a good couple inches into the heart of the trunk of a tree. Her face burned with humiliation and… relief? “Oh…” Memo to self: don’t get on his bad side. Ever. Second memo: stop embarrassing yourself!!!!

She shifted a little and pulled the backpack off her shoulder, reaching in and pulling out some of the food she’d stolen from the dining hall for the trip. It wasn’t much, but one had to travel light after all. She split the dinner roll in two and offered him half. “It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it,” she said, just as he had said to her when he had found her in a similarly unpleasant situation. “If or whenever you do, though, I’ll listen.” Aria took a bite out of her half roll. She was starting to give up trying to figure out why they kept running into each other like this, or why she actually cared that he was upset or hurt or whatever. The point was, he needed help, and she was apparently the only one here. Plus, she did sort of owe him. After all, when he wasn’t being a jerk like on the beach, he wasn’t all that bad. “I’m Aria, by the way.”

[Ryan Simons]

Ryan had felt her tense beside him when he took out the dagger. Attacking her was the very last thing on his mind if he had to be honest with himself. He wasn't in an attack human mood. More attack inanimate objects. Like sand. Like the tree. A nanosecond after he threw he heard her 'No' then the slight hiss of the dagger lodging itself into the tree. He glanced at it. So, it had hit. Her face looked...red. He didn't give a smart comment or anything as he would of normally done. "Oh...you thought I would...?" he asked her confusedly, looking down at his wrist. His head was just...numb and out of it. He's gone and its your fault again. Yeah, now he wished he had aimed for his wrist.

He half looked up a flash of movement from her catching his eye. Bread. "Nah, I'm okay," he muttered, refusing her food. Eating was one of the last things on his list as well. He had no idea what to do with himself really. He looked at her and nodded. Now she was sounding like Nike. He vaguely remembered himself saying something along those lines when they had met in the arena. Aria? Then it hit him. They had never really told eachother their names before, had they? "I'm Ryan," he said.