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The unabashed daughter of Artemis got here just like everyone else - by unwilling and with much disgruntling. She, for one, wanted no part in whatever drama was taking place in this Camp. More so, she didnāt believe in collective punishment. Without much warning, she sat her little redhead right next to Daniel, giving him nothing more than a swift side-glance paired with a slightly intimidating but somehow still sweet smile. After that, she paid him no more mind, leaving him to sit there and wonder why she sat next to him - Cheriseās best friend in this whole entire world. That would make anyone nervous.
The words that left Liamās lips, for better or worse (she thinks heās pretty stupid, really) were true. She didnāt know this Alex girl, but she assumed that something must have transpired to make the Ares child feel some sort of way. People like Liam didnāt just say shit just because they wanted to cause trouble. He didnāt seem like someone that cared for anyone.
She leaned back, crossed her arms over her chest, and drummed her fingers against her biceps. She even threw one leg over the other, gently swaying the top leg from side-to-side in idle animation. Her head canted this way and that way, and though there were emotions and dramatics in the first illusion, her empathy-tank remained completely empty.
It took a lot more than blood, gore, and tears to move Rae. Logically, these were all illusions - just the culmination of peopleās thoughts, fears, and insecurities being brought before them. As Sloaneās played out, she took the time to watch the reactions of others, tilting her head every so often. The lack of expression on her face might be unusual, especially whilst others wore the look of shock and horror on their own.
Then there was Heathās, and she didnāt understand it. Iliana committed suicide, but she hardly looked like the type of girl to do such a thing. Raeās eyes moved for a swift and inconspicuous peripheral glance of the girl as she sat there not too far away from her. Interesting. She looked like a doe. Of course, given the concept of a child that could not care for herself, Rae could never fathom these types of things.
Danielās wasā¦ confusing to her. The fact that he had died was something she could not see, for she hadnāt been here during the event. Cherise had yet to tell her, and there was no reason to offer Danielās secret up so easily. It wasnāt something the Sun Child would do, even for her bestie. There was some chanting, and then the boyās sister turned into a blank canvas. Just another display of how precious the Demigods were to their mothers and fathers.
Not.
Just as she watched Daniel move back to his seat, her name fell from Poseidonās lips. "Rae Meadows, step forward.". Of course, Rae was hardly as silently obedient as her peers, it would seem.
She stood and her eyes lashed out toward the gods, and while others may see her as petty and looking for attention, the redhead didnāt agree with the notion that she deserved punishment. That anyone did, actually. "Is it not enough that having you lot for parents has already caused tremendous socio-emotional dysfunction? Must we do something so asinine when your own crimes among each other, and toward humanity, are far more severe than our own? Look at you all, looking down at us when youāre all nothing but jealous, insecure, murderous--" But she was cut off briskly by her own mother.
"Rae Meadows, who are you to question us?"
"Actually, who are you to punish me? Youāre my biological egg donor, but you are not my mother. I donāt have a mother. What I see is a weak woman that canāt stand up to a man when there is an obvious injustice. Thatās who you are. Pathetic. Youāre also a nasty goddess that has done unspeakable things to people for no reason other than the fact that they looked at you. Did you not help Apollo kill children? Did you not turn men into animals for petty reasons? Youāve punished other women for being better than you as well, havenāt you? Youāre a monster, and more so than I am." She scoffed and laughed, "Hypocrites is too light a term for the gods. Isnāt that right, mother?" A conniving Rae smile.
Artemis did not have as much kindness to spare as others might believe. This girl pushed buttons, and she didnāt like it at all.
"Yet, I will go before you have to move a finger and strain yourself for your daughter. Just know that I do plan on being a changed woman when I come out. I will remember this injustice as a personal slight against my person. I do hold grudges." That was a warning as she finally stepped down from her seat and toward the arena, then moved to the steps. She gave one last look at her mother and smiled once more, only it was a thin, quick, saccharine curve of the lips that meant no good was to come of this.
This trial might create more of a schism in the Demigod ranks than the gods have intended.
She finally went through the archway.
Rae did not have fears or insecurities. Those were emotional, and such things did not exist within her mind. Sometimes she worried, but they were things that she thinks girls worry about - appearance, boys, etc. Yet, in the depths of her core there was anā¦ anomaly in her personality.
When she stepped into her illusion, all of her walls came tumbling down. It was not an ordinary day, like in so many others. It was an immediate conflagration - literally. A plume of thick grey smoke hit her, and it caused her to start coughing immediately. Her surroundings were unclear. It was some kind of building, but why did she feel utterly trapped?
Fire. She clutched at her chest until the flesh her fingertips dug into turned red. Panic set in, and she felt more like she couldn't breathe due to this mundane fear than the smoke that puffed at her. There was something in her past that caused this fear - something that she buried a long time ago. She never thought of it as fear because she innately avoided fire like one breathed in air. She dropped to the floor immediately, and tried to get low enough to crawl beneath the blackening plume.
Her eyes caught something just up ahead - freedom. It was a long pathway uninhabited by consuming flames or dangerous smoke. It was clear. She could make a run for it, and she did. Untilā¦
"Rae? Rae, are you somewhere in here?ā A voice called it to her, and it was very familiar. It was naturally Cherise - the one person in this world that Rae thought of as more than just a human parasite.
"Ch-Cherise?ā She looked back over her shoulder, and there were large open doorways that werenāt there before. Fire and smoke burst out of them. Just two rooms. One was silent, and the other had Cherise crying out for help.
She looked back toward the exit. Rae wasnāt a firefighter. Hell, she was hardly one to do anything for anyone if she didnāt have to. Yet, Cherise was her only emotional attachment in this world. What would happen if she died?
She took in a deep breath and ran toward the room. At first, the sheer heat and the plume of smoke was enough to cause Rae to stumble back. She fell onto her butt and scooted herself back against a wall, frozen. I can do thisā¦ I can do thisā¦, she thought to herself. The love she had for Cherise went deeper than just family - it was some strange spiritual connection, even if Rae didnāt have those kinds of beliefs.
She eventually moved onto her hands and knees and crawled through the doorway, and the flames licked her skin. Fire peeled away her clothes, the smoke slithered into her body and snatched her breath, and even her flesh felt like it was melted away. It smelled like burning hair, fabric, wood, skinā¦ it was rancid and vomit inducing.
But when she thought she reached Cherise, when she looked up - no one was there. There was another voice that joined the fray, āItās okay, I got you, Cherise. A manās voice, of course.
Thatās right. What did Cherise need Rae for now? There were always better people for her. How naive it was of Rae to think that sheād be there forever. She was hardly even human to begin with. She hesitated, even when her best friend needed her the most. There were just things that Rae could not be to othersā¦
Just before the lights went out, she was on her back in the arena. She screamed high-pitched screams, her fingers and nails scraping at her skin until she bled. It didnāt even occur to her that she was no longer trapped in her illusion. She thought that her skin was still melting, her hair was gone, that she was choking and she couldn't breathe - even though she was obviously screaming and writhing on the floor of the arena.
After a few very long minutes, she was on her knees, her hands clutched her chest and she was catching back up on her breaths. She felt for her clothes, her hair, her skin. Everything was in place. She slowly looked around - first up at the gods then toward her peers. Her make-up had smeared from the sweat and her frantic motions. She trembled, but it was anger that she was beginning to feel swell up in her person. She was embarrassed. It was worse than being naked in public, as if that was an issue to begin with.
The audacity of the gods to display her so rawly. As she slowly got up to her feet, she adjusted her clothes and hair, and moved to find a seat somewhere far away from everyone else.
The words that left Liamās lips, for better or worse (she thinks heās pretty stupid, really) were true. She didnāt know this Alex girl, but she assumed that something must have transpired to make the Ares child feel some sort of way. People like Liam didnāt just say shit just because they wanted to cause trouble. He didnāt seem like someone that cared for anyone.
She leaned back, crossed her arms over her chest, and drummed her fingers against her biceps. She even threw one leg over the other, gently swaying the top leg from side-to-side in idle animation. Her head canted this way and that way, and though there were emotions and dramatics in the first illusion, her empathy-tank remained completely empty.
It took a lot more than blood, gore, and tears to move Rae. Logically, these were all illusions - just the culmination of peopleās thoughts, fears, and insecurities being brought before them. As Sloaneās played out, she took the time to watch the reactions of others, tilting her head every so often. The lack of expression on her face might be unusual, especially whilst others wore the look of shock and horror on their own.
Then there was Heathās, and she didnāt understand it. Iliana committed suicide, but she hardly looked like the type of girl to do such a thing. Raeās eyes moved for a swift and inconspicuous peripheral glance of the girl as she sat there not too far away from her. Interesting. She looked like a doe. Of course, given the concept of a child that could not care for herself, Rae could never fathom these types of things.
Danielās wasā¦ confusing to her. The fact that he had died was something she could not see, for she hadnāt been here during the event. Cherise had yet to tell her, and there was no reason to offer Danielās secret up so easily. It wasnāt something the Sun Child would do, even for her bestie. There was some chanting, and then the boyās sister turned into a blank canvas. Just another display of how precious the Demigods were to their mothers and fathers.
Not.
Just as she watched Daniel move back to his seat, her name fell from Poseidonās lips. "Rae Meadows, step forward.". Of course, Rae was hardly as silently obedient as her peers, it would seem.
She stood and her eyes lashed out toward the gods, and while others may see her as petty and looking for attention, the redhead didnāt agree with the notion that she deserved punishment. That anyone did, actually. "Is it not enough that having you lot for parents has already caused tremendous socio-emotional dysfunction? Must we do something so asinine when your own crimes among each other, and toward humanity, are far more severe than our own? Look at you all, looking down at us when youāre all nothing but jealous, insecure, murderous--" But she was cut off briskly by her own mother.
"Rae Meadows, who are you to question us?"
"Actually, who are you to punish me? Youāre my biological egg donor, but you are not my mother. I donāt have a mother. What I see is a weak woman that canāt stand up to a man when there is an obvious injustice. Thatās who you are. Pathetic. Youāre also a nasty goddess that has done unspeakable things to people for no reason other than the fact that they looked at you. Did you not help Apollo kill children? Did you not turn men into animals for petty reasons? Youāve punished other women for being better than you as well, havenāt you? Youāre a monster, and more so than I am." She scoffed and laughed, "Hypocrites is too light a term for the gods. Isnāt that right, mother?" A conniving Rae smile.
Artemis did not have as much kindness to spare as others might believe. This girl pushed buttons, and she didnāt like it at all.
"Yet, I will go before you have to move a finger and strain yourself for your daughter. Just know that I do plan on being a changed woman when I come out. I will remember this injustice as a personal slight against my person. I do hold grudges." That was a warning as she finally stepped down from her seat and toward the arena, then moved to the steps. She gave one last look at her mother and smiled once more, only it was a thin, quick, saccharine curve of the lips that meant no good was to come of this.
This trial might create more of a schism in the Demigod ranks than the gods have intended.
She finally went through the archway.
* * *
Rae did not have fears or insecurities. Those were emotional, and such things did not exist within her mind. Sometimes she worried, but they were things that she thinks girls worry about - appearance, boys, etc. Yet, in the depths of her core there was anā¦ anomaly in her personality.
When she stepped into her illusion, all of her walls came tumbling down. It was not an ordinary day, like in so many others. It was an immediate conflagration - literally. A plume of thick grey smoke hit her, and it caused her to start coughing immediately. Her surroundings were unclear. It was some kind of building, but why did she feel utterly trapped?
Fire. She clutched at her chest until the flesh her fingertips dug into turned red. Panic set in, and she felt more like she couldn't breathe due to this mundane fear than the smoke that puffed at her. There was something in her past that caused this fear - something that she buried a long time ago. She never thought of it as fear because she innately avoided fire like one breathed in air. She dropped to the floor immediately, and tried to get low enough to crawl beneath the blackening plume.
Her eyes caught something just up ahead - freedom. It was a long pathway uninhabited by consuming flames or dangerous smoke. It was clear. She could make a run for it, and she did. Untilā¦
"Rae? Rae, are you somewhere in here?ā A voice called it to her, and it was very familiar. It was naturally Cherise - the one person in this world that Rae thought of as more than just a human parasite.
"Ch-Cherise?ā She looked back over her shoulder, and there were large open doorways that werenāt there before. Fire and smoke burst out of them. Just two rooms. One was silent, and the other had Cherise crying out for help.
She looked back toward the exit. Rae wasnāt a firefighter. Hell, she was hardly one to do anything for anyone if she didnāt have to. Yet, Cherise was her only emotional attachment in this world. What would happen if she died?
She took in a deep breath and ran toward the room. At first, the sheer heat and the plume of smoke was enough to cause Rae to stumble back. She fell onto her butt and scooted herself back against a wall, frozen. I can do thisā¦ I can do thisā¦, she thought to herself. The love she had for Cherise went deeper than just family - it was some strange spiritual connection, even if Rae didnāt have those kinds of beliefs.
She eventually moved onto her hands and knees and crawled through the doorway, and the flames licked her skin. Fire peeled away her clothes, the smoke slithered into her body and snatched her breath, and even her flesh felt like it was melted away. It smelled like burning hair, fabric, wood, skinā¦ it was rancid and vomit inducing.
But when she thought she reached Cherise, when she looked up - no one was there. There was another voice that joined the fray, āItās okay, I got you, Cherise. A manās voice, of course.
Thatās right. What did Cherise need Rae for now? There were always better people for her. How naive it was of Rae to think that sheād be there forever. She was hardly even human to begin with. She hesitated, even when her best friend needed her the most. There were just things that Rae could not be to othersā¦
Just before the lights went out, she was on her back in the arena. She screamed high-pitched screams, her fingers and nails scraping at her skin until she bled. It didnāt even occur to her that she was no longer trapped in her illusion. She thought that her skin was still melting, her hair was gone, that she was choking and she couldn't breathe - even though she was obviously screaming and writhing on the floor of the arena.
After a few very long minutes, she was on her knees, her hands clutched her chest and she was catching back up on her breaths. She felt for her clothes, her hair, her skin. Everything was in place. She slowly looked around - first up at the gods then toward her peers. Her make-up had smeared from the sweat and her frantic motions. She trembled, but it was anger that she was beginning to feel swell up in her person. She was embarrassed. It was worse than being naked in public, as if that was an issue to begin with.
The audacity of the gods to display her so rawly. As she slowly got up to her feet, she adjusted her clothes and hair, and moved to find a seat somewhere far away from everyone else.