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sloane astor
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Sloane watched as the proceedings of the trial began to get underway. She half paid attention, but another part of her didn't see the significance in her being there. Perhaps a third party point of view was needed? Some neutral view like Switzerland that wouldn't be bias to the Valises holier than thou aura or the dark pull of the son of Hades. But in her mind, she couldn't care less of the outcome. It seemed no matter how many unbiased parties were present, the verdict would still be decided upon with a swayed heart.
Movement out of the corner of her eye brought Sloane out of her own head. She slowly looked over in time to see Pete making his way straight toward her, even taking a seat beside her. "Well," she said to him without looking away from the trial as she crossed her right leg over her left. "You aren't very smart, are you?" A rhetorical question asked quietly, so only he could hear, in regards to her previous comment in their earlier conversation.
Her right foot gently bounced as she continued to watch as, one after another, people spoke up in favor or against. When Trinity spoke up, Sloane noticed Pete shift beside her finally deciding to speak to her. “Reckon she did it?” he asked quietly, showing some respect for the proceedings at hand.
Sloane slowly leaned back in her seat, she was about to give her own opinion when Andy spoke up. The words the nervous girl said got her undivided attention. That perspective definitely seemed to change her view on many things. Up until that point everyone spoke on feelings and emotions, rather unimportant things when it comes to facts and witness accounts. But this... this was real evidence, or something to actually go off to say the least.
She waited through the rest of the pomp and circumstance, even through Alex's memories being put on display for the rest of them. Then finally it seemed the girl couldn't handle much more and a recess had been called. With that Sloane let herself relax back into her seat and looked over at Pete. "Well I agree with Liv, that evidence is needed to some extent. But from where I'm sitting, the question isn't whether or not Alex killed this Jennova, but if the intentions were her own."
Sloane raised a brow slightly. "Your thoughts?"
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wesley preston
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Wes sat back down. He had no idea if what he said was going to be helpful or not. The court in Olympus seemed different than what he was used to seeing when he saw his father work back home. His fingers mindlessly ran across the surface of his new arm as he watched Duke move to his feet. "I'm Duke Loycen, son of Hephaestus. I've known Alex for a couple of years, enough to say I know her well. Commonly, there's signs of a killer being born or a sociopath and she displayed and even now displays none of that. She's not a murderer or a monster. I know that hurting Jennova weighs on her conscience, so I don't think it was deliberate and I don't think it was premeditated. Killing isn't in her or her instinct. Something must have pushed her, whether circumstances or a person."
“Look.” Wes's heart nearly skipped a beat when he heard her speak. He slowly spun around in his seat, looking toward Trinity as she addressed the crowd. “- Trinity Wallace, Daughter of Ares. I don't know much about the actual events except word of mouth. Mason, Theo and myself were absent on a mission. I know Alex killed Jennova, but that doesn't make her a murderer. She doesn't have murderous tendencies, trust me I know. If anything, after she killed Jennova, was when she became a little unhinged. But I'm a strong believer of an eye for an eye, and I'm not sure who started it. So either payback is due and she should face some form of punishment in the eyes of the Gods, or Alex ended the cycle with Jennova.”
Her words were true, not that he necessarily agreed with her perspective but he couldn't deny some of what she said. The truth of the matter was... Well no one knew the truth and how could they? Either way, he knew Alex was not a murderer, and if she took Jennova's life with her own hands then it wasn't on her decision, something else was at play. He could only hope that this trial got to the bottom of it.
It then seemed that the opinions went from positive to negative as Andy stood up and spoke of her account with finding the crime. Wes never thought to ask her what she witnessed and it seemed that her honesty opened the flood gates for the more negative opinions, in particular Mason's. He shifted in his seat as he spoke his peace that he was entitled to. Wes felt sorry for him, for losing a sister. He had no idea what that felt like, similar to the argument he made when he addressed everyone. But he also felt that clouded Mason's judgement. If the son of Hades had a say in anything, Alex would be long dead as fair payment.
Wes sat upright in his seat, watching as Alex was guided to a pool of water. He winced and looked away as the memory showed Alex stabbing her own mother. When she begged to end it, to take a break, Wes nearly stood up and pleaded with her for them to give her a break. But thankfully, they finally listened to her cries and allowed for a break. He sighed, slouching back into his seat, raising his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. He hated all of this. It wasn't like watching the numerous court hearings his father worked at, this time he had a stake in it... this time the life of his closest friend was on the line and it took everything in him to not speak out of turn or yell at someone who called her a murderer.
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sylas astor
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“God, Look at you both. Standing there so self-serious. You make something that is supposed to fun, tedious and boring. Speaking with big words and double meanings rather than actually doing anything.” Eve went defensive, like a caged animal, brushing everything off as good humor or what have you. It was to be expected from someone who could wrap most people around her finger. It was almost like a silent reminder to not let himself get that way. But unlike this impulsive woman before him, Sylas never did anything without a plan, and even then, he always had back ups for his back ups. After all, it couldn't hurt to be prepared.
“We're sorry you feel that way,” Evelyn responded.
Sylas couldn't help but smirk at the comments. "I can speak plainly for you, if you'd prefer. But I doubt you'd like it. Might upset your delicate nature."
“And you," Evangeline added looking toward him. Sylas even faked surprise, pointing to himself like she could have been referring to someone else in the surrounding area. "You fancy yourself a little mastermind of some imaginary game you’re playing?” She smirked and leaned in to whisper to him, although his present company could no doubt hear it as well. “I prefer playing games in the real world.”
"I'm not the one with one foot in the grave, love," Sylas replied. This time there was no smirk or hint of witty banter that crossed his face. Instead his expression was serious, perhaps even frightening. This child had no idea what she was playing at nor the stakes. Sylas did not care for the games she was playing at nor the outcome it meant for her. But he refused to let her sloppiness drag him down with her. "You're making enemies quick, and not the good ones. If you keep at it like a child, then it'll only be a matter of time before we're here for the trial of your murder."
The blonde strode away like she didn't have a care in the world, but Sylas wasn't an amateur. Every word shared between himself and Evelyn dug under her skin. He didn't care if she wished to play the game along side him, he liked competition. But she was sloppy and lacked tact. Her actions were gathering speed and soon enough the downward spiral would take anyone close along with it. If one person at the camp was discovered to be manipulating the others, who's to say that wouldn't also implicate himself or Sloane. His job was chaos, after all. And he couldn't do that from behind bars or in the grave. Silly child.
“You try to help a girl and she thinks you're playing 'riddle me this'. If I didn't know better, I'd say you upset her.”
"She could have said please and I would have enlightened her," he mused.
Sylas walked alongside Evelyn toward the arena, watching the other campers congregate together. Those of like minds huddled together hoping to build strength off one another. They took their seats among the crowd, not particular with a group or saddled up to anyone but among them. He couldn't very well hear everything nor learn anything from a distance, unlike his sister who seemed complacent to be as far removed as possible.
Evelyn found her spot beside him, and Sylas couldn't help but notice her staring. She wasn't subtle. He looked over at her from the corner of his eyes, a slight smirk working its way at the corner of his lip, waiting for her to speak whatever was on her mind. “You have much explaining to do.”
He let out a chuckle and a slight nod. "As you wish."
Then everything began. Sylas had to hide his excitement or intrigue at the unfolding of events. But it wasn't what interested most people that got his attention. The endless chatter for Alex was mind-numbingly boring. In his mind, she had already made her bed and now it was time to lie in it. Just from his brief encounter with the girl she was unhinged. And what was wrong with that? If she wants to be a murderer so be it. But falsifying this sense of a good person under the manipulation of another was tiring. He felt it in her, her darkness. Anyone else who claimed not to see it was just fooling themselves.
Instead he focused on the second meanings behind words, and whispered comments for only friends' ears. A comment from the daughter of Ares about the unjustness of attacking an unarmed person. Mason's own words in regards to a dead son of Hecate... Another topic of interest he'd make note to talk about later. Or better yet, the comment from Mr. Camp himself, shit talking his own girlfriend. Sylas had to refrain from smiling at that nugget of knowledge. What could the daughter of Hecate have down to stir such outright disgust from him... In front of everyone? Sylas hadn't even laid the ground work for that part of the plan he promised Mason, but it had seemed as though things didn't need his help. Not that it meant he wouldn't nudge it along.
Sylas's attention did turn back to the proceedings at hand when the daughter of Zeus was lead to a basin of water, her memories laid bare for all of them to see. He watched as she plunged a blade into her own mother. Then the hysterics began, similar to what he saw earlier in the day when he only gave her a small nudge. Gods she was a ticking time bomb. Part of him wanted her to be spared just so he could push her over the edge at a later date and see the chaos she could cause when her madness overflows. But, if anything she seemed like a rabid animal in need of putting down. Either way, innocent or guilty, camp would not survive the verdict. They were all tip toeing on the edge of a civil war. It was only a matter of time.
“Entertained so far?” Evelyn asked as she looked back over at him.
"Immensely," Sylas replied with a single word. Oh, he could go on and share the things he was learning. But he liked leaving a bit of mystery, and enjoyed even more watching her try to figure him out. It was all in the thrill of the chase.
“Also, I am terribly curious to see what you think of my matchmaking skills.” Evelyn motioned toward Eve who was preying on some other unfortunate idiot. “But I'm most curious to know why you interfered with Eve. That hand intercept of yours could almost be seen as a preserving move. Now, a man's intentions can remain his own, but if you don't tell me I'll just assume you have a secret soft spot for me.”
"I can see why you came to your conclusion," Sylas answered as he looked in Eve's direction. "But she isn't quite my type. I like my women mature, calculating... unpredictable." He smirked slightly as he looked back to his present company. "Qualities she does not possess."
Sylas than ran the tips of his middle and index fingers across his bottom lip as he contemplated her second question. "Hmmm," he hummed as he looked Evelyn over. "Perhaps I don't like the idea of someone else playing with my toys. Maybe I'm selfish?" He quirked his head to the side. "Or I worry that her sloppiness could back fire onto me and I don't want to be in the line of fire for her impulsive and tactless nature?" Sylas then leaned in toward her slightly, lowering his voice to a whisper while holding her gaze. "Or maybe, I do have a soft spot for you."
He slowly leaned away from her, sitting back upright as he looked around toward the other campers, gauging their reactions to the events of the trial. "You wouldn't like being her puppet," he added with a sideways glance toward the red head. "She wouldn't be as fun as I am."
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andromeda bolton
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"Trust you to take lover-boy's side," Ajax said glaring straight at Andy.
She wanted to get up and just leave. She spoke her peace, only spoke truth to what she witnessed. That was it. Andy had no further obligations to anyone in the arena. Maybe she could just get up and walk out. Get back to Olympus before the others and shut herself in her cabin. If they weren't surrounded by their parents, the Gods or the other campers Andy would have defended herself... Maybe slapped Ajax too. Gods knew she was tired of this back and forth, pick a side bullshit between Mason and Ajax. She was done.
Then she heard Mason's voice as he addressed the crowd, saying things she had heard from him numerous times before. Things that Andy couldn't deny she partly agreed with. She could hear the sadness in his voice, she didn't have to see him to know that tears were filling his eyes. Her jaw clenched as she fought the urge to look at him. She sat there silent, clenching her hands together making her knuckles white as he spoke.
"...I wish I was a son of Hecate for a day." The words instantly made her spin around where she sat to look at him. What was he doing? "So I could show you all what it's like to come back to camp and hear your sibling is dead, the one time you left them unprotected. So you could see their heads disconnected from their bodies... But even the son of Hecate's dead because the children of Zeus only care about themselves and their emotions."
Andy sunk into her seat at his words, slowly turning forward as she stared blankly ahead. Why did Mason have to bring him up now? She couldn't remember much of the battle. All of it was a blur aside from Daniel... Watching him fall to the ground, trying to save him and sending him away with her mother who let him die. She didn't want to think about it. For so long she's been suppressing the memories, keeping them at bay... But even here it seems that they were destined to resurface. Was this over yet?
And then it was Ajax's turn to speak, of course he would. Andy didn't dare look at him, she didn't know if she could handle his judgemental gaze. "Ajax Valis. Son of Zeus. You all forget, that it was Alex who did her best to keep everyone safe last year. She held the biggest threat back with me and our father, placing her own life at risk for everyone else to stand a chance. She held them back so the others could take out the lesser threats. Alex has been nothing but kind, and for a sudden change of personality, surely people should know that isn't right. No one can suddenly change overnight, especially when she's been such a lovely person her entire life. She was a rebel during her teen years before attending Camp Athens, but that doesn't mean she is a murderer. We all have a past.. every single one of us. Does that determine who we are, and who we choose to be now?"
Wrong. Someone can change overnight. Andy has changed, maybe not over night but she is not the same person she once was. With enough motivation a person can go from a saint to a murderer in the blink of an eye. The death of her mother would have been enough to send Alex over the edge. She has never seemed the most stable in Andy's eyes. Maybe that was her own dislike of Alex, but in her own opinion, the girl makes bad choices and it only seemed to drag Ajax down with her. Andy couldn't remember the last time Alex did anything for the camp that was selfless that deserved this blind loyalty Ajax sought from them.
Andy wanted to pull her eyes away from the scene of Alex's memories being played before them, but she couldn't. So she not only killed Jennova but her mother as well? What did this have to do with Jennova's death? Wasn't that what this trial was for? Her mind raced with questions and few answers. Alex couldn't seem to handle the replaying of her memories so the Gods allowed for a brief break. And in that break Liv spoke up. A voice Andy did not expect to have anything to say. She looked to the girl and listened as she mentioned lack of evidence, comparing emotional stakes to the truth.
But Andy's attention wasn't undivided until she heard her own name. "How do you know that Andy saw what she saw because she did say that there was limited visibility. One can't be convicted guilt of hearsay." Liv then proceeded all but tell the Gods that trial was irrelevant with out circumstantial evidence. She understood that the girl was just trying to give a neutral unbiased opinion but it seemed the more she spoke the more annoyed Andy became.
With a sigh, Andy stood up once again. She didn't want to speak again, but looked as though she had no choice. "I would not have stood up and given a testimony that was going to make half of the people here hate me if it was just hearsay... Or if I wasn't certain of what I witnessed," she said at first speaking toward Liv personally. Andy might have been coming off defensive, but it was the truth. She would not have given some half baked excuse for truth if she wasn't certain. "If the Gods wish to see for themselves, I will gladly walk down to that pool and show you all." She pointed to the water that, just a moment earlier, Alex's own memories were presented for the crowd. "As for evidence, what do you want? Her corpse? I buried her out of respect for the dead and her loved ones. And I won't exhume her body for spectacle."
Her gaze drifted over to Ajax, who, no doubt, was probably staring daggers at her that very minute. Her voice lowered a bit, this time not speaking as much to the crowd, but to him. "I'm over this petty feud bullshit. I'm over it. I'm on 'the side'," she made air quotes with her fingers showing that she used his words. "Of the dead. Of truth and justice. It's not right to be murdered in your home, in a place you're supposed to feel safe. She deserved a heroes death like the rest of us. And if it was to be at Alex's hands, then a fair fight. But it wasn't."
Andy held his gaze in silence. Her face was serious, but also sad and frustrated. "So, if what I saw... My memories, can bring peace for the dead then I'll happily give them," she concluded loud enough for the Gods to all know that they could take what they wish from her. "I am done being a pawn for the two of you to use against one another."
With nothing else to say, Andy didn't return to her seat, instead ascending up the stairs and out of the arena. Once away from the crowd she felt like she was finally able to breath. Her hands grasped at her sides as she paced outside the entrance to the Acropolis. For the first time in... longer than she could remember, Andy felt like some of her burdens were finally off her back. The constant fighting and tug-of-war between Ajax and Mason. The emotional rollercoaster they put her through. The weight of Jennova's death preying at the back of her mind... All washed clean in a matter of minutes. All that remained was the overwhelming guilt of being unable to save her brother and she was left with Keith. Whoever or whatever the hell he was.