Coming to Terms

Ever was on her way to the Athena cabin, her red Jansport backpack slung ovrr shoulder, and three large booksin her arms. She approahed the marble fountain and was continuing on when she saw a large figure. His broad shoulders, well muscled frame. Ever squealed and rushed over. She dropped her books o the bench and threw her arms around the guy's neck. "Oh my gods , Jordan!" she squeezed his neck then steppe back, her eyes skimming his body. He'd lost his leg. She cringed slightly at the sight of it, her eyes resting on it slightly longer then back to his face.

Ever frowned down at him, then gently sat down on the spot next to him. "I really want to apologize for ditching you and Vic..." Ever trailed off and looked down at her Chucks and frowned. She did feel bad for leaving them, but she didnt really want to focus on that. She looked back to his face. He looked exhausted and like he wanted to be left alone, but Ever wasnt leaving just yet. "You look... sick," she noted, always bringing out the obvious. "Whats wrong?" EVer was like a shoulder to cry on, the person you came to for advice. of course, she didnt care to hear anyone's problems, but Jordan was different.

Ever scooted over and wrapped her thin, tan arms around his large one. "No one's going to judge you because you lost a leg. The only one judging is you. You're still Jordan and you are still bug and strong. You're still you." she squeezed his arm and then released it. She pulled back and let her gray eyes land on his face. "If I had stayed, I couldve kept your leg from being severd from your body. It could have been me." Ever said quietly, but loud enough so he could hear. She kept her piercing eyes locked on his face. "So whats bothering you?" ever asked gently

Ever turned her large, round, gray eyes up to Jordan. "I would say I know how you feel, but I don't. But look; You're still you, and you're still amazing. If you need anything, and I mean Anything at all, you can come to me. You were my first friend here, and I owe you for a lot of stuff. I havent forgotten." Even though she would never ever admit it, she'd always had a bit of a crush on Jordan. I mean, come on. He was big and strong, and sexy as hell. Of course, that ended when she had met Achilles, and Jordan morphed into a brother for her. "You just need to perk up a bit. Come on. We can go to the library, or the arena. Let's go do something." she gave him one of her dazzling smiles. he needed to keep his mind off his loss.

Ever frowned. She pondered the different places they could go. A walk seemed rude, and Jordan was never one for the library. The arena would kind of be an insult. "Okay, well how about we go to the Music room?"Even as Ever said it, she was secretly hoping he'd offer up archery. With her luck, Achilles would be there, and she's get to be with Jordan and Achilles

Victoire was on her way from her cabin to the library when she spotted them. She stopped, frozen like a statue. A rather ugly statue in her opinion. She had a long scar down her face and bandages on her arms from being cut so much. She also hid her mechanical fingers on instinct. Her voice made itself work. "Jordan?" she called out.

Ever sighed. Maybe he just didn't like her anymore. How could she blame him though? She did run out on them, ditched them and ran to keep herself safe. She heard Jordan's name being called. Victoire stood. Gods, she was pretty. Her looked down at her own ragged nails, her greases smeared on her left cheek. Ever backed up a step. She was going to bolt before Vic got to them, but she did want to see the older girl, make sure she was okay.

Victoire approached, clearly hiding her hand. She saw Ever and her face lit up. "Biscuit! You're alive!" Victoire smiled weakly. Her watch beeped and Victoire sighed. She moved her hands in front of her to silence the alarm, the celestial bronze fingers she wore on her hand glinting in the light of the sun. She gave a sheepish look to the two of them as she brought out an antibiotic and swallowed it. "It's for the pnuemonia... I have some lingering effects..."

She shifted awkwardly. "I see you both got back... How's the legs, Jordan? I'm sorry I wasn't around... I kinda had to deal with that girl..."

Biscuit. Vic had called her that because of her last name, Mercado. Ever backed up a step. "I-I'll leave you two alone. If you need me, I'll be at the library." She didn't want to leave them. They were the only people that talked to her except Achilles. Ever had pretty much only been to the mess hall, library, and her cabin since she had ditched the quest.

"It... it's working out." Jordan said, bending his left knee repeatedly to demonstrate movement. "No it's cool. I had to keep Lamia from getting to you..." He looked at her face and moved his eyes to her hand. Jordan frowned, convinced it was his fault she was wounded. "I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough." The son of Hephaestus sighed, now unsure whether he was apologizing to her or himself. He was no match for Lamia's speed. She nearly gutted him like a fish. He remembered the shower after he had mostly healed, the long jagged scar the stretched across his abdomen. Her swift movements, her glowing eyes and long black hair blurred in his vision.

Those claws... Those horrible, rending claws that cost him his health, his blood, and ultimately his leg. He remembered everything so vividly and there was no way to get rid of the fear. His nightmares were getting progressively worse and worse. He remembered as she gripped his wrist and removed his sword. Those emerald scales that plunged deep into his skin and muscle as she whispered sweet lies, lowering him slowly to the cold floor as warmth and life drained out of him. She left him to die... to listen to the screams of his friends as they met their fate. She told her daughters to leave him to suffer alone, feeding them the blood that was left on her hands.

Jordan looked up at Toire and Ever to realize tears were streaming down his face as he gripped the t-shirt he wore... damn it. Another flash back... in front of people, his friends. His limbs, the ones he had left, were shaking. He could have come out worse, but he felt so helpless, so lost. "Sorry." He sniffed as his voice shook. He used to be so strong, emotionally and physically... he wondered if he'd ever get over it. He looked up to Ever to mentioned leaving and shook his head, "No... please stay." He said, it almost sounded like begging. He sighed again, but it turned into audible and shaky breaths as he tried to calm himself. It was his fault for everything. Victoire's injuries, her illness. He was a pretty poor excuse for a hero.

Victoire bit her lip and looked at her shoes before looking back up at Jordan. She placed a hand on his shoulder, her metal fingers making a soft tapping sound. "Hey, it's OK. You went through a lot... But look. We're all alive. We're all here. You're alive. You're here. So what if we've brought a lack of appendages. We're alive, Jordan."

She gave him a smile with her reddened lips before looking at Ever. "Biscuit, if you leave, I'll use my new sword to skewer you."

Ever looked up, and her scrunched her face together. "Fasten together or pierce with a pin or skewer. That doesn't sound desirable," She looked back and forth between the two. "I-I'm sorry I left you guys. I could have been there to save you. I could be the one hurt, not you. I'm really sorry." She looked back down at her feet, her blonde hair forming a barrier around her face.