Three's Company

Evander was in the courtyard, pacing, biting nervously on a hangnail. He needed to talk to Alice. Rumors had been running around that Alice had been on a date. The son of Ares didn't want that to be true. He didn't want to believe that, he was determined it was not true, and he would just rend the limbs from the person who started the rumor. Probably an Aphrodite child.

He spotted Alice coming out of the minor gods cabin and headed towards her quickly. "Alice!"

Like most of her days at camp it seemed, the platinum blonde daughter of Mania woke to Maniae fighting and bickering amongst themselves as usual. To what they were arguing about was some thing entirely unknown to Alice and, quite frankly, she didn’t really care. Neri had slipped into her dream again and the two had had a fun time exploring the weird and fun world of Wonderland. Getting up and fixing her blonde hair into its large curls and tiring her long bangs behind her head with a hair tie the girl placed her signature hat on her head, dawned her purple corset and long skirt, hiked up her boots and pulled a long trench coat over her bare shoulders and smiled as it fell as long as the skirt, the brim just brushing the ground. Ushering Rabbid along with her as she left the minor gods cabin, quickly timing her belt and sheath around her waist that held her Vorpal Blade, she jumped a little when she heard Evander shout her name and proceed to rush towards her.

Hi Evander! She laughed a little while fixing her hat to make it askew and pick up Rabbid. She truly looked like she belonged in a photoshoot for steampunk attire.What are you doing up so early? It was about seven thirty in the morning and usually Alice liked to spend her mornings in the woods to talk with some of the Maniae and a chance to work on making her fighting moves with the Vorpal Sword more graceful so she could be as graceful as a queen while also remaining as deadly as the netherlings she ruled over.

http://www.polyvore.com/untitled_251/set?id=188074056

Aiden woke up to his own music.

Before he slept last night, he'd decided to flick on iMusic or some sort and played his entire playlists. It began with Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum, and ten hours of other pleasant music. Unbeknownst to him, he kept that track "AND HIS NAME IS JOHN CENA" in the darkest corners of the phone. So at seven A.M, the phond reached the soundtrack and boomed into his ears, which forced him up instantaneously. Aiden immediately tossed the headphones aside and gasped, yet eventually calming himself down.

After dressing himself into dark blue jeans, a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt, a denim jacket, he slipped out of bed and stood up, stretching, before exitting the Aphrodite cabin. The sun shone brightly overhead. The early breeze of half past seven blew all around him. Then his eyes caught a familiar figure with platinum blonde hair. Alice. What was she doing, up so...actually not so early. And then she greeted someone else whom she'd called "Evander".

He trudged toward them, grinning to avoid a conflict. Evander was probably Alice's friend/sibling, nothing to worry about. "Hey Alice."

Evander looked at Alice, acting all normal. No, acting crazy. But it was normal for her. Then at the guy who came up from Aphrodite cabin and addressed her in a far too friendly tone. He had a sudden urge to punch the guy all the way to Tartarus. "There's a rumor going around, Alice. One about you going out on a date with someone other than me. Is that true? Was it this pipsqueak?"

Alice, who was far too interested in petting and talking with Rabbid nearly missed the question Evander said. Doubly Yes! She giggled while tossing Rabbid a little before catching him and twirling in a circle, still giggling like crazy. It was fun. We outran cops! and I jumped out a Window! She beamed again before throwing herself into a laughing fit and wrapped her hands around her beloved albino rabbit and smiling as he nuzzled himself against her cheek. Madness and insanity were some of the best things in the world for this girl and it was one of the main things she liked about her personality, no matter what the people at Rutledge said when she was 'being treated there'. They viewed her as some sort of experiement but once she found out who her mother was everything made sense in regards to why she was such a confusing case to the people in the white coats.

And I got to see my old girlfriend! She beamed up at Evander with her perfect white teeth and bright eyes. She often thought people saw her as some cute little girl who was no more than twelve, even if she was already a legal adult. Spinning around and around again the daughter of Mania placed Rabbid back on the ground and smiled when her coat and skirt flared out around her slightly. From there she went to recite the Jabberwocky poem in a haunting song-like tone and made a little dance as she said it all. She missed her red throne in Wonderland so anything to bring it back to this realm was something she did often, including speaking in riddles like the Mad Hatter had taught her.

Aiden's gut kicked his brain. Goddamit. People would likely call him an idiot, but based on simple logic, he knew it instantaneously: this was Alice's boyfriend. So she went on a blind date when she was already taken. Wow, he thought. This was one of those cliche affair stories. Or was it? And judging by this guy's attitude, it was no difficulty telling that he was an Ares demigod. Rule 1# in life: never pick a fight with an Ares demigod. Aiden just did,.

"Yes--it was this pipsqueak." Aiden replied sarcastically, keeping it cool. "But before we have any fighting here that would result in someone losing their life--let's start with courtesy--shall we?" he offered.

Evander looked between Alice and Pipsqueak, slowly clenching and unclenching his fists. Maybe this was what he got for dating a child of Mania, someone too mentally unstable to know what cheating was. Still, it hurt, it hurt and made him angry on a level he couldn't explain.

Then Pipsqueak said that they should start with courtesy. Evander snorted, sounding rather like a bull that was about to stampede, or an agitated horse. "Ah. Yes. My name is Evander. What flowers do you want at your memorial?" He asked, before looking back to Alice. "And you, you knew we were dating!"

White roses! So I can paint them red! Alice giggled as she began to pet Rabbid and talk in riddles like she almost always did. At the mention of Alice knowing her and Evander were dating she giggled more. We only know so much as we do and even then we don't She giggled before skipping around the two boys in a circle. Red queen, red queen the maddest and most violent of all queens. Red queen, red queen. Off with your head! The blonde grinned evilly as she drew her vorpal blade and dragged the tip through the dirt. There was always something about being mad that made life so much more fun rather than having to contemplate everything before actually doing it. As alice stalked around the group she whispered the Jabberwocky and said it all in a lower and harsher tone, sort of like in movies when someone was being possessed by a demon.

"Poison ivy." Aiden said sarcastically,. "So let's round it up like this." he said, ignoring Alice. "We went on a friggin blind date, and she was there. I got both of us in trouble and we outran the cops for an hour before we made it back. Simple as that. Don't blame me for her cheating on you." he said.

"Why on earth would you go on a blind date in a camp where you can literally meet everyone? And she's mentally ill, so it falls on you for taking advantage of her." Evander said, moving dangerously close to... Pipsqueak. Who apparently all for courtesy would not give his own name.

Evander shot a hurt, but also dirty look at Alice, then back at Pipsqueak.

Pointing her sword at Evander the daughter of Mania furrowed her brow but continued to circle. The lowly peasant and the black knight stand before the queen. Yet the knight is the one who speaks words of poison towards the one he pledged himself to. She said with a stern look in her eye. There was no way that she was going to let someone other than Mim or Chess talk to her in such manner.

"Technically, you can't meet everyone. Firstly, there's like one billion people at Camp now. Secondly, I didn't even know she had mental issues until later on. And that's just overdramatic, thinking that I wanted to take an advantage of her. Give me one good reason I would do so." Aiden retorted.

When Alice pointed her sword at Evander, Aiden stood there, speechless. He could easily leave their relationship and it would be over in a flash. Except the demigod wouldn't let him. At least from his attitude that says so.

Evander looked at the sword pointed at him. He turned to face her, his face red with anger, but contorted with an underlying pain of betrayal. "I who pledged to you. I pledged I would protect you. I would not let anyone hurt you. I never pledged that I would stand idly by as you, as you..." His voice had slipped from a terse roar to a quiet, almost inaudible murmer of regret.

The son of Ares closed his eyes, trying desperately to hold onto that anger. The anger he could point at anyone at all. The anger that was better than the gnawing pain in his gut that made him queasy. "Thought you were different. Pure. But you're just like my mother who flung herself into the arms of my male-whore of a father." He said bitterly.

Evander shot a look over to Pipsqueak. "Quite pleased with yourself now?"

I who betrayed you?! Alice shouted at Evander before moving so close to him  could see the white of his eyes as she stood looking up at him. You left me to my own devices as I slipped into a decaying Wonderland. I was left to rot in the farthest recesses of my own mind! At this point the daughter of Mania was clenching her sword as tight as she could. Moving backwards from him she grimaced in pain as she looked between the both of them. The heart of the queen has been broken before by the man she loved in the world of chaos. But never did the woman dressed in red believe the man from the world of peace would betray her the same. With that tears began to slip down her cheeks and fall to the ground. This was why she was banished to the human realm, why Mim had forsaken her to this retched form and world. He made her powerless and wingless. She was no queen, she was a wretched human. I should have never trusted. I should have found a way back home. The blonde cried out at the both of the boys. She has full of hate and if her words didn't show it then her eyes sure carried her hate.

"No." Aiden shook his head. "And will never be pleased with myself."

When Alice began to cry, he felt a sense of guiltiness. He somehow felt that this was his damn fault. She spoke in riddles, and about Alice in Wonderland, but he still didn't catch the meaning. He was devoted to science. Science only. He wasn't obsessed with all those fantasies.

Then he looked at the two of them, and suddenly, he felt as if Janus was standing right in front of him, offering him two choices. To side with the one who was cheated on like he was, or to side with the one who cheated on him.

He winced. The choice hurted him. "Evander's right. I knew it was bad news dating a Mania kid." It was as if Janus was smiling crookly right now. His voice was full of hurt and betrayal. He tried not to cuss like Evander did. Or try to pain people. Of course, he was caring. It was out of his nature to be cruel. Except the betrayal made him cruel. "Stick to your fantasy world." he said. "I'm living in reality."

(Sorry, had pneumonia)

Time had slowed down, or perhaps it was just Evander's perception of time. The son of Ares stood stock still, unmoving, with a look of both hurt and bemusement on his face. He watched as Alice cried, and wanted desperately to pull her into his arms and murmur encouragement in her ear, but that wasn't an option. And then Pipsqueak, basically dumping Alice.

Emotions fought inside of him. The protective instinct, the sting of betrayal, the defensive wounded pride at being accused of betrayal, irritation and anger at Pipsqueak and at Alice and her illness. Especially the anger and frustration against Alice's delusions.

It was insensible, incomprehensible, and utterly maddening. He had no defense against her delusions, because he didn't know them. He didn't understand them. And they were in no way rational. One couldn't reason with them. And she acted like it gave her all the freedom to act however she pleased, even if it meant hurting others. Hurting him.

"I never betrayed you. I never swore to protect you from your own mind. I cannot protect you from your own mind. You cannot hold me to what cannot be done."

Alice didn't care anymore, she was done caring. Whenever she cared, and whoever she cared about, she got hurt. Fine! I don't care anymore. I..I... Alice was crying even harder than she was before. She dropped her sword from shaking hands. I HATE YOU! She couldn't believe she had said that. She didn't believe what she said, she never hated Evander. He was the only one who seemed to treat her like a normal teenage demigod, if there ever was such a thing.

Without a word, he silently slipped out of the conversation, walking backwards, until he was out of both of their reach. "Good luck, Reverse Pipsqueak." he said to Evander, and turned his heels 180. Or 190, before walking back to the Aphrodite cabin, hurrying his pace incase Evan aka Reverse Pipsqueak tried to hold him responsible.

Saying that he wasn't hurt would be anti-science. Romantic nonsense.

OOC: *retreats from RP*