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Liv, like many others, quietly sat as witness to the many trials playing out before them. As Demigods marched, one by one, through the archway, she couldn't quite pinpoint her feelings. The duality of her personality emerged in silent expressions - from bitterness to stoic, to all the other facets of emotion. Yet, she couldn't figure out if these trials were a good things or not. Were they pointless? On one hand, the gods loved and cared for their children, even if they were not always present in their lives. They'd never put them through something for no reason. Perhaps, unless one was Hades, but Liv felt that even the God of the Underworld had a weakspot for his son.
From a coldly logical perspective, fear and insecurity caused others to do irrational things. It withheld one's full potential. These trials also laid bare that which her peers attempt to hide which gives a glimpse of insight. It's all newfound knowledge. The knowledge that Liv shall not waste as she watched with owlish curiosity, and attempted to pick apart the inferences, subtle or not, in their illusions. There were a couple of people she couldn't wait to watch walk through the archway. They'd not be able to hide behind their strength forever.
Whatever had transpired between Liam and Sylas, she'd have to thank them later.
She cast her gaze up at her father for a moment, but it wasn't the expression of a defiant daughter. As much as she'd like to keep being a pain in his ass, Liv needed to step up her role and banish the memories of his other children. That seemed to be the only way to get him to notice her.
The Children of Ares were most important to her, and just by Sloane's trial, perhaps there was something to exploit there. Her eyes drifted to Liam momentarily - of whom was muzzled and bound like the rabid beast he apparently was. A single Ares child could cause a lot of chaos if handled the right way. She kept that in mind and pulled her attention away from him to view other trials.
Evelyn's was interesting. Liv found herself wondering if the well-spoken and mannered redhead enjoyed flirting on the edge of danger and the vile potentials of her power. While she did not know her very well, she had a less loud presence in camp. Was she caught between desire and the constricting binds of morality? The daughter of Poseidon let out a little hmm, leaned forward with her elbows on her knees, and cradled her chin on the knuckles of her right hand. She always enjoyed an enigma, and at the moment, Liv also struggled with power and morality.
During Evelyn's trial, and a little bit after, Liv wondered if one could have desire and power without freedom from morality. In this world, so many sought power yet only one percent of people actually make it. Why is that? Studies show that there is a high level of sociopathy involved at the pinnacle of achievement.
Noted.
She tucked Evelyn's plight in her proverbial pocket for later use.
Before too long, it was Liv's turn. Whilst she might've gone for a bit of an attitude about this or that, she felt that Rae and Liam accurately portrayed most feelings. To needlessly reiterate such things would only be a detriment to her relationship with her father, which at current, was not something to brag about. So, she took to the archway in a confident chin-up sort of stride, not allowing herself to make much eye contact with others. Without a word, she slipped into her trial.
She was at the bottom of an ascending staircase. When she looked up, it seemed almost like a perpetual climb toward nothing. At the bottom, it was dark and quiet; nothing around save for a confused girl that began her ascent after a moment or two.
Ten....
.....25....
........50.
Where was this headed? How many were left? The silence began to morph into groaning noises, and not before too long, the steps felt... less solid. They were slowly moving around as if one was stepping on someone's back for a boost. She looked down at her feet, and indeed - they were backs. Human. Suddenly, her feet were bare and she could feel the bumps of their spines on her own skin. She could feel their body's warmth. They were very much alive.
She thought about going back down, but when she looked over her shoulders there was nothing there. I've sired many children. Who are you to say that you are better than them? a thunderous voice called out to her. Her dad's voice. A moment of confusion flickered through her mind, and she glanced down at her feet again. Siblings. No wonder there was such hesitation. There was a familial connection in being half-siblings or just some kind of family in some sort of way. Through centuries of having his way with women and goddesses, Poseidon's spawn was in the hundreds.
But these were nobodies, and Liv was not one of them.
Against her better judgment, she coldly stepped on the backs of centuries of siblings. You're just like all the others. Easy to walk all over. You'll be on your hands and knees, too - just like this. Another useless stepping stone. Very few of my children ascend to anything. Most of them die as nothing. I bet you can't even name them all.
At some point, she lost track of how many stairs she had climbed.
Arrogance. His voice boomed again, a neighing outcry as something struck Pegasus, causing one of Poseidon's sons - Bellerophon, to fall into the black abyss of nothingness that awaited him. Her eyes widened at this. Thinking one can be better than the gods. Believing that you can step into my house - our house. The man, now crippled, miserably groaned as he walked back up the steps. As he moved past her, his disabled body was remolded into the epitome of health. Too much pride for such lowly beings. Bellerophon was revered by kings. A hero to the people. He was happily married; had a child, but he needed more. It seemed that Bellerophon was condemned to do this for the rest of his afterlife, dying alone with no one to remember his name or even put it in the history books.
My children are not fated for good lives. She walked again, this time through the Six Labours of another one of his children, the infamous Theseus. The envy of King Aegis as Theseus became renowned and revered as revolutionary in Athens. There was his trip to the Underworld after abducting Hades' wife, only to be rescued by Heracles later. You haven't even begun to live your life as my child. The slaying of the Minotaur. Only for his end to meet with Lycomedes throwing him off a cliff.
He tumbled down into the blackness only to begin his journey once again.
Has it been hundreds of steps? Thousands? Her feet were killing her. Soon she was surrounded by cliffs, and the monstrous Scylla's six dog heads sprouted from the crevices of both sides. They nipped and lapped at Liv. Scylla. You may have read that she was my daughter, or maybe my lover. Cursed to live like a monster. my wife poisoned the water she used to swim in, and now she lives like this.
When that stopped, Liv was finally at the precipice of the steps. She looked down at the toothed-whirlpool Charybdis. My daughter. She was a nymph regarded well for her beauty. She aided my fight against my brother, but in the end... he turned her into this; one that swallows the sea.
Don't get too ahead of yourself, Liv. It never turns out how you want it to. The odds are very much against you. They always have been.
She felt hands on her back - many of them all at once - and pushed her into Charybdis. Just shy of entering the gaping maw of the sea beast, she opened her eyes on the arena floor. Her heartbeat was racing, but she'd pull herself onto her feet and seat herself.
Whatever. It was just an illusion, and she didn't believe in fate.
From a coldly logical perspective, fear and insecurity caused others to do irrational things. It withheld one's full potential. These trials also laid bare that which her peers attempt to hide which gives a glimpse of insight. It's all newfound knowledge. The knowledge that Liv shall not waste as she watched with owlish curiosity, and attempted to pick apart the inferences, subtle or not, in their illusions. There were a couple of people she couldn't wait to watch walk through the archway. They'd not be able to hide behind their strength forever.
Whatever had transpired between Liam and Sylas, she'd have to thank them later.
She cast her gaze up at her father for a moment, but it wasn't the expression of a defiant daughter. As much as she'd like to keep being a pain in his ass, Liv needed to step up her role and banish the memories of his other children. That seemed to be the only way to get him to notice her.
The Children of Ares were most important to her, and just by Sloane's trial, perhaps there was something to exploit there. Her eyes drifted to Liam momentarily - of whom was muzzled and bound like the rabid beast he apparently was. A single Ares child could cause a lot of chaos if handled the right way. She kept that in mind and pulled her attention away from him to view other trials.
Evelyn's was interesting. Liv found herself wondering if the well-spoken and mannered redhead enjoyed flirting on the edge of danger and the vile potentials of her power. While she did not know her very well, she had a less loud presence in camp. Was she caught between desire and the constricting binds of morality? The daughter of Poseidon let out a little hmm, leaned forward with her elbows on her knees, and cradled her chin on the knuckles of her right hand. She always enjoyed an enigma, and at the moment, Liv also struggled with power and morality.
During Evelyn's trial, and a little bit after, Liv wondered if one could have desire and power without freedom from morality. In this world, so many sought power yet only one percent of people actually make it. Why is that? Studies show that there is a high level of sociopathy involved at the pinnacle of achievement.
Noted.
She tucked Evelyn's plight in her proverbial pocket for later use.
Before too long, it was Liv's turn. Whilst she might've gone for a bit of an attitude about this or that, she felt that Rae and Liam accurately portrayed most feelings. To needlessly reiterate such things would only be a detriment to her relationship with her father, which at current, was not something to brag about. So, she took to the archway in a confident chin-up sort of stride, not allowing herself to make much eye contact with others. Without a word, she slipped into her trial.
She was at the bottom of an ascending staircase. When she looked up, it seemed almost like a perpetual climb toward nothing. At the bottom, it was dark and quiet; nothing around save for a confused girl that began her ascent after a moment or two.
Ten....
.....25....
........50.
Where was this headed? How many were left? The silence began to morph into groaning noises, and not before too long, the steps felt... less solid. They were slowly moving around as if one was stepping on someone's back for a boost. She looked down at her feet, and indeed - they were backs. Human. Suddenly, her feet were bare and she could feel the bumps of their spines on her own skin. She could feel their body's warmth. They were very much alive.
She thought about going back down, but when she looked over her shoulders there was nothing there. I've sired many children. Who are you to say that you are better than them? a thunderous voice called out to her. Her dad's voice. A moment of confusion flickered through her mind, and she glanced down at her feet again. Siblings. No wonder there was such hesitation. There was a familial connection in being half-siblings or just some kind of family in some sort of way. Through centuries of having his way with women and goddesses, Poseidon's spawn was in the hundreds.
But these were nobodies, and Liv was not one of them.
Against her better judgment, she coldly stepped on the backs of centuries of siblings. You're just like all the others. Easy to walk all over. You'll be on your hands and knees, too - just like this. Another useless stepping stone. Very few of my children ascend to anything. Most of them die as nothing. I bet you can't even name them all.
At some point, she lost track of how many stairs she had climbed.
Arrogance. His voice boomed again, a neighing outcry as something struck Pegasus, causing one of Poseidon's sons - Bellerophon, to fall into the black abyss of nothingness that awaited him. Her eyes widened at this. Thinking one can be better than the gods. Believing that you can step into my house - our house. The man, now crippled, miserably groaned as he walked back up the steps. As he moved past her, his disabled body was remolded into the epitome of health. Too much pride for such lowly beings. Bellerophon was revered by kings. A hero to the people. He was happily married; had a child, but he needed more. It seemed that Bellerophon was condemned to do this for the rest of his afterlife, dying alone with no one to remember his name or even put it in the history books.
My children are not fated for good lives. She walked again, this time through the Six Labours of another one of his children, the infamous Theseus. The envy of King Aegis as Theseus became renowned and revered as revolutionary in Athens. There was his trip to the Underworld after abducting Hades' wife, only to be rescued by Heracles later. You haven't even begun to live your life as my child. The slaying of the Minotaur. Only for his end to meet with Lycomedes throwing him off a cliff.
He tumbled down into the blackness only to begin his journey once again.
Has it been hundreds of steps? Thousands? Her feet were killing her. Soon she was surrounded by cliffs, and the monstrous Scylla's six dog heads sprouted from the crevices of both sides. They nipped and lapped at Liv. Scylla. You may have read that she was my daughter, or maybe my lover. Cursed to live like a monster. my wife poisoned the water she used to swim in, and now she lives like this.
When that stopped, Liv was finally at the precipice of the steps. She looked down at the toothed-whirlpool Charybdis. My daughter. She was a nymph regarded well for her beauty. She aided my fight against my brother, but in the end... he turned her into this; one that swallows the sea.
Don't get too ahead of yourself, Liv. It never turns out how you want it to. The odds are very much against you. They always have been.
She felt hands on her back - many of them all at once - and pushed her into Charybdis. Just shy of entering the gaping maw of the sea beast, she opened her eyes on the arena floor. Her heartbeat was racing, but she'd pull herself onto her feet and seat herself.
Whatever. It was just an illusion, and she didn't believe in fate.