A Wooden Heart.

Clove had woken up early that day. She had gotten out of the Ares cabin and had looked at all the people she'd met so far. It was a really short list. She was very confused by Septimus, he was a big mystery to her but she wasn't sure what she thought of him yet. With a sigh she walked out of the cabin, the usual stares were already there, even in the early morning. Clove walked through the cabin area, her eyes wondering toward the Apollo cabin. "Andrew." She whispered, wondering how he was doing. No, she shouldn't go there. Despite thhe very confusing feelings, they should be enemies. Everything had gone so well, untill Aphrodite had stepped in and messed up the little order that Clove had in her life. She hadn't started the fight she'd needed, she'd fallen in love, out of love or wasn't that true? Was she out of liking for being in love? Clove shook her head and looked at the Apollo cabin again. "What am I to do with you?" She asked the empty windows before walking on.

Eventually, she made her way to the arts and crafts building. Clove didn't have many healthy hobbies and she wanted to try something new, like making sculptures, as you needed some type of knife for them. Perhaps woodworking, making little statues out of the stuff. Clove walked in and noticed just how many options people had. She instantly made her way to the place with the biggest amount of knives, woodworking central. Many chunks of wood were lying about. She picked up a small piece and gathered some knives to her. She had her own knives but she wasn't wasting them on wood. She decided to start off with something easy, like a heart. Yet Clove, not wanting to be a stereotype, refused to make a heart in the symbolic way. She picked up some knives and started shaping the heart like a miniature heart such as people have in their bodies.

She was about halfway done, having the general shape, now working on the veins and arteries, the aorta and that stuff when she noticed another early riser. "Oh crap." Clove said and started shifting nervously. The person that had walked in was Andrew. Well, perfect. Clove looked at her little heart, thinking Andrew would laugh at her when he saw it, if he'd even recognise what it was supposed to be. Not that she cared all that much, she just didn't want to have to knife him. She put the piece of wood aside and quickly grabbed another one, started to carve it rather randomly. She didn't even look at what was coming out as Andrew approached her. She couldn't pretend not to have seen him so she shifted again, nervously. "Good morning." She said, luckily her voice was still strong.

Andrew woke with a start. Last night he had asked Arabella out then ran off, he didn't know why, but as soon as she had said yes, almost 10 minutes afterwards, he ran off, away from her, just after she was claimed. He basically dumped her, running off like that, but he had found out he still had feelings for Clove. It was a long story, and he didn't want to think about it. He climbed out of bed and got dressed in a Clemson Tigers baseball t-shirt, his mother and step-dad had gone there and he was a huge fan of them in every sport, he wondered in the back of his mind how they were doing in baseball, his favorite sport, strapping his sword on his belt, leaving his bow and arrows hanging on his bed side. He wanted to get out and decided to head for the Arts and Craft Building, Clove wouldn't show up there, at least he hoped.

He opened the door and stepped into the fresh morning air, it felt good on his skin. He looked off to the west, seeing his father, Apollo, rising above the trees, because he was the sun. He started on his way, passing by some satyrs chasing wood nymphs. He walked in the building and caught his breath, Clove was there making something out of wood, it looked like a human heart, not the stereotype. He had came to the building to just sit alone somewhere new and hoping not to see Clove, but there she was. She saw him and he hoped he didn't turn red, why did he even think about that? They were supposed to be enemies? When she saw him she threw the piece of wood away and started carving at the wood. "Good morning." she said, "Good morning Clove." he responded and sat next to her, accidentaly brushing her shoulder, he picked up her heart and sat it in front of him. "I saw you were carving this, why did you throw it out? It looks great." He was trying to be nice, even if he knew he should hate her and be trying to kill her at the moment, but Aphrodite's love spell still had some side effects, apparently on them both, the side effects seemed to be that they still had hidden feelings for each other and at least for him, he had the urge to kiss her, but he managed to hold that one back, thank the gods, he didn't want to explain that one, he just prayed that Arabella didn't come in, after last night.

Clove nervously watched as Andrew walked closer, secretly facinated by the way Andrew moved. It didn't make much sense to her why she noticed it in the first place but she didn't linger on those thoughts. Clove looked at her random carvings and noticed she'd been carving a tree into the piece of wood. She didn't really know where it came from and she looked at it, weirded out by herself while Andrew sat down next to her, brushing her shoulder. A warm feeling spread from her shoulder down her arm and the rest of her body. Just a little thing, but it seemed to change things. She didn't hate Andrew anymore, although she was still uneasy admitting she felt anything for him. Clove shrugged. "It's a bit strange perhaps, carving a heart. I shouldn't really know what they look like after all. The way the move, it's just so facinating." Clove said, looking at the little wooden heart again. It was flawed, but she thought it would be functional if it were real, apart from it being wooden.

Clove sighed deeply. She didn't want this to be real, but she knew it was. She was sitting, talking to what should be her enemy but she didn't feel as distrustful as she should. She shouldn't be feeling some sort of safe around him. She should be fighting him and punching him into a pulp. Right, that wasn't going to happen anymore so she might actually try getting to know this boy she was now in love with. "So, what was life like for you, before camp?" She asked, her knife working into the wood, setting details into something older than she was. She was giving a new shape to something old by removing and damaging it. It really was something for her. She smiled and took her heart back, continueing on it. "You know what, since you don't think it's disturbing and such, I'm giving it to you when it's done." Clove decided. She smiled at him, waving the little piece of wood in front of his face. "Just don't think on it. It's just a piece of wood after all." She said but her eyes told a different story. She hadn't really received compliments on the things she had done with knives, as most people didn't approve of it. Perhaps they would if she used them on monsters but even then, she'd probably make it too cruel for them to handle it.

When Andrew stepped closer to Clove he noticed there was a tree in the wood. Then he sat down next to her, and when he brushed her shoulder, a warm feeling circulated throughout his body, it was wonderful, and he could tell it was love. Crap, the back of his mind thought, but he still thought straight unlike when he was under Aphrodite's spell, it was just one touch but it changed things dramatically. He knew he should have his sword out and be fighting, but he loved her now, the feeling he had of Arabella was gone and what made him leave her, the feeling for Clove had strengthened to its full potential. He didn't express his feelings right away though. "It's a bit strange perhaps, carving a heart. I shouldn't really know what they look like after all. The way the move, it's just so facinating." Andrew took in the sound of her voice and what she said and responded, "I find it great, I only know what it looks like because of anatomy in school."

Andrew wanted this to be all a dream deep down inside, but he knew it wasn't. Then Clove said, "So, what was life like for you, before camp?" Frank's past wasn't to touchy, so he said, "Well, I was born in Washington, the state then we moved to West Virginia, then Oklahoma, then Kansas, where my family currently is. My mom apparently had me with Apollo without my step-dad knowing because I am the only demi-god in the family but I am the middle child, my brothers are aware of this and are my actual brothers, if that makes any sense at all, my case is really confusing." He didn't want to ask her because he thought it might be touchy for her, she then smiled at him, and he smiled back, just a warm, friendly one, and he liked how she smiled, it was such a great smile. Snap out of it! his mind was saying, but he ignored it. He still thought straight despite his mind disagreeing with his love for her. Clove then took the wood out of his hand and started carving it again, "You know what, since you don't think it's disturbing and such, I'm giving it to you when it's done." she said, smiling at him, waving the little piece of wood in front of his face. He laughed and smiled back, "Just don't think on it. It's just a piece of wood after all." He liked that idea and Andrew would make sure to look at it each night before he went to bed, though he knew he should have knocked the piece of wood away and attacked her, but the feeling for Clove just strengthened even more, the more his mind fought, the stronger it got.

"I'd like that, it looks amazing, and who cares if it is a piece of wood, you made it after all." Great, the back of his mind thought, now I am talking like we are a couple, you made it after all, is a couple saying Was it possible they were becoming a couple again, this time it was with their own free will? The back of his mind said no, but his conscious said yes and the feeling for her grew even stronger, if that was possible. He was talking like they were boyfriend and girlfriend, and he liked it, he thought they should be a couple, but he wasn't going to ask her, fearing she would say no and not love him, even if it appeared she did. If she was wondering if he would say yes, he would, but the you made it after all would be a dead giveaway, and he knew it.

Clove laughed when she heard how Andrew knew what hearts looked like. "Let's just say I never had those classes. I've only seen the beating hearts." She said with another laugh. She'd only been to schools to crash the dances, not for any other things. It was easier now, talking to Andrew without trying to make him hate her enough to start another fight. She could laugh with him, although she was hardly showing him her charming and sweet side. She carved one of the veins out more clearly.

Clove just nodded at his past. It was confusing, yes, but it sounded like he'd been happy and fairly normal. It made Clove realise just how different their pasts were. If he knew what her life had been like, perhaps he wouldn't be so eager to judge her. But on the other hand, only Septimus had seen the parts of her past she usually hid, like the scars on her arms and ribs. She wasn't going to throw them around for the world, she'd rather have people thinking monsters attacked her than tell anybody else, even Andrew, the truth. "Certainly confusing but you sound like you were happy. Isn't that the most important thing?" She asked, not daring to look at him. She carved her little heart a bit further, a reason not to be looking at him.

Clove laughed at his extremely cheesy remark, what were they now? A couple? Please, as if that would ever happen. Yet Clove found some part of her thinking that she would like that. She blushed and had the urge to run, as she always did when she wasn't at ease in social conversations. Yet she stayed, she had to know if this would and could work. "I'm really glad you like it." She said with typical Clove grin. "At least that means my heart is safe with you." She said honestly, although it sounded a little like a joke. She put the knives down and looked at Andrew. She suspected he liked her but she didn't want to be sure. She didn't want any guys to like her. She just wasn't the right girl to be dating, at all. She needed to be free but somwhere, she wanted to be loved, a lot. Andrew could be the right guy for the job, right? She certainly did hope so. It wasn't like Clove to be so nice and so she started to feel ill at ease. If only she could do some nice and uncontrolled damage now, she'd be perfectly fine. And for Clove, the damage could be mental or physical, as long as it caused the girl some chaos to enjoy. It was at the heart of everything that Clove loved after all, and she needed it as much as the air she breathed.

Clove laughed a wonderful laugh that made him smile, "Let's just say I never had those classes. I've only seen the beating hearts." she said in response to his heart comment. He watched as she carved out the heart even more, it was taking shape even better. He bet their pasts were the oppoisite, his was happy, kind of, and hers was horrible, at least he thought so.

"Certainly confusing but you sound like you were happy. Isn't that the most important thing?" she asked him. Andrew thought about this for a second, "I guess you can say I was happy, at least as much as you can be as a demigod. I am surprised being a child of Apollo that more monsters didn't attack me, though I think they are the reason we moved." She wouldn't look at him, which made him sad but he shook it off, thinking she was just paying attention to her heart.

After his cheesy remark she blushed and that set off the alarm in Andrew's head telling him she like him, but she didn't seem to be asking him out, so he would have to do that. Just as he was about to ask her out to be a couple then to the dance that the camp would be holding for the start of the summer session she said, "I'm really glad you like it. At least that means my heart is safe with you." Andrew could tell that wasn't a cheesy statement, she really meant it, my heart is safe with you. He blushed at that, but ignored it. He then decided that was the moment, so he said to her, "Listen, ever since the incident on the Hill I have still had feelings for you, and well, Clove, would you go out with me and go to the start of the summer dance with me?" He looked her straight in the eyes, the feeling for her growing super strong now, it was overwhelming. He had gotten it out, he had asked her out, and if she said yes he would be satisfied and happy, though if she said no, he had a feeling he would be relieved of his feelings for her. Andrew also knew she would punch him if she didn't want it, but it would be worth it in the back of his mind, it was pretty much a win-win situation, though he secretely wanted to be in love with her deeply. He stared deep into her eyes awaiting her response, hoping it was yes.

He confirmed what Clove had suspected, his childhood had been fairly normal, even for demigod standards. She looked up at him again, would he ever understand if she told him? It didn't really matter though, it was much too soon now. He'd probably see the scars sooner or later and ask about them at that point. She was as safe as she could get for now. With a small sigh her attention got back to the heart. She hhad finished the general shape and some of the details, it was almost done. She grabbed a special knife and started hollowing out the aorta.

Clove almost had a fit of panic when Andrew asked her out. How in the world had he gotten that idea? Since when the did people go on dates? Weren't you just supposed to show up and find somebody to dance with. This wasn't what she expected at all. Yes, a lot of people had been going crazy and the girls had seemed to be watching the guys a lot more, giggling. Her own cabin had to organise it, due to Clove losing a bet and she wasn't too thrilled about that. And now he asked her to go with him. She had half a mind not to go when she first heard it but now she felt morally obligated to do so. She'd have to get a dress. The horrors of that were already starting to creep up on her. She wasn't made for social events, let alone the formal types. Yet Andrew had asked her out, and she was girlishly exited by that.. "Of course, I'd love to go out with you!" She said with a smile and had to hold back the urge to hug him. He probably wouldn't appreciate that, would he? He did ask her out and so she could risk it. She was the one with the sharp tools. So Clove did the extreme and hugged him. "Thank you for asking me." She said with a radiant smile.

Clove picked the heart up again, and started hollowing it out. She wanted it to be as real as possible, feeling it would be worth more in that case. She was almost done and blew some of the lose wood pieces out of the little tube and tested the heart in her hand, turning it around to get a good look. She held it up for Andrew. "How do you like it?" She asked, handing it over so he could get a better look. It was almost done now and Clove was quite proud of it. It was only a little thing but the detailing had worked out quite well. She was satisfied and only wanted to add a thing or two to finish it but she'd let Andrew check it out first. See what he thought and fix anything he saw that she had missed up. That was the plan.

Andrew noticed she was almost done with her heart, the one she would give to him. Then he asked her out, finally, after what seemed like hours she responded, "Of course, I'd love to go out with you!" At the response it took all his might not to kiss her, thinking that would be rude, though he had already done so before. He was about to burst with joy, he had a girlfriend! This time it was of their own free will as well. Then she hugged him, and as she was about to pull away he held her in, he wanted this to last a lifetime, longer than any other hug from a girl he had gotten. He loved her so much. She then whispered, "Thank you for asking me." He just smiled brightly at that then pulled away and responded, "Your welcome, and thanks for saying yes. I guess that Aphrodite thing got us ready for the real relationship."

The hug to Andrew signaled that she would be okay with a kiss, she obviously wanted something like that. So he leaned in and kissed her on the lips for what seemed like forever. "I love you." he said, he was to drunk on love to realize that saying I love you right after you just became a couple isn't the best thing, but hey, she would understand, she was amazing that way.

"How do you like it?" she asked, looking at him. She showed it to him, holding it up, "It is amazing, I love it." he said. All of his previous denial in the back of his mind to loving Clove was gone now, and it might not come back, he hoped so. He watched his girlfriend as she carved away the last bits and pieces, finishing it. He took it and said, "I'll cherish this for the rest of my life." Then he took her hand and pulled her into a hug again, he loved her and nothing seemed to be able to get in the way of that unless Aphrodite decided to ruin things again, breaking them up, then he would hate her for life, that was, unless she cured them completely and they had no affection for each other, but he decided if that were to happen, he would still be friends with her. He wasn't worried about anything like that at the moment though, his only thought was on Clove and how her hair brushed his face and how she was hugging him back, the moment seemed frozen in time.

Clove mentally flinched at the name of the Goddess that had caused it but the edge was off it, mostly. She was starting to lose the grudge she'd build against her and Andrew, although it wasn't gone completely. But her smile and equally radiant. She didn't know exactly what this meant but if she wasn't completely wrong she now had a boyfriend. How odd. Clove had never payed much attention to the rules of normal social life and she was starting to notice just how much you can fail to know when you've never had a normal life. Yet at that moment it didn't bother her. She could panic when the actual dance came and she found out just how much of the dance she had her friends had skipped while crashing the dances of schools.

He kissed her, it was a long sweet kiss and Clove lost herself in it for the moment. She wished it could last forever and was rather disapointed when Andrew pulled away. She was to get more but then Andrew said he loved her and Clove had a near panic attack. She didn't know that would happen so fast. Had she been wrong to think that usually took a while to be said? Then again, how would she know with a complete lack of a normal social life. She just smiled, trying to supress the panic. This was all going so fast, she didn't have anything to hold on to. She did her very best to control it but inside, she wasn't fully ready for this part untill she finally realised that she loved him too. She calmed down visibly and smiled again. "Yeah, I love you too."

Clove had finished the little piece of wood by that time and Andrew took it and promised to cherish it forever. Clove smiled at him. "The heart can find the pathway to a soul that is hidden from the mind." She said. She'd heard that once, yet she didn't remember where. There were only two people who could have told her that, Glamour or Meatcleaver, and the latter had probably heard it from Glamour. She was always the one with the words that Clove had never really listen to or felt. Yet now she knew exactly what they meant, they spoke of love and how it can defeat the way you think about somebody. Clove pulled back for a moment. "So, tell me what's it's like, living a normal life." She said. She was curious what life was like for people who didn't worry about their lives each and every day. To grow up without your name on the front paper of the news. To go to highschool and the dances without the risk of being kicked out if one of the wrong teachers noticed you. All those things that were normal to him were rather special to her, as she'd never lived them.

After Andrew pulled away from the kiss and told her he loved her she looked panicked and Andrew realized he might've said the wrong thing and he was worried she would punch him. He was probably going to fast but when she smiled he relaxed. Finally se responded saying she loved him as well. He smiled warmly and searched for words to say, he never had actually been the one for talking to girls, but things were coming easily for him with Clove. "The heart can find the pathway to a soul that is hidden from the mind." she then said, it was something about love and he just smiled and took the wooden heart, feeling the smoothness of the wood, it looked almost perfect.

"So, tell me what's it's like, living a normal life." Clove asked and he thought about it, he never really considered his life normal, but he guessed his life was as normal as it can get being a demigod. "Well, about as normal as you can get being a demigod I guess. I still got attacked by monsters often, but other than that I just went to school and did some normal activities life sitting around the house and sports." Andrew said after a few seconds of thinking. "So, what was your life like? If you don't want to tell me you don't have to." He finally decided to ask her about what he thought was touchy about her, her life. She didn't have to tell him however, but he decided since she loved him that she might tell him, but she might also punch him for asking.

((Sorry for the crappy post))

Clove sighed deeply as he asked about her past. She could have expected it. "I'll tell you a few things. Just don't expect it to be a nice story." Clove said. She took a very deep breath and went into a trance like state, telling in general about her life. "I was born as Clove Tyler on the first of April. My mother was sick, she had huntingtons disease and I'm not sure if she's dead or alive. You see, when I was eleven I threw a knife at her during dinner. I hit her in the stomach. I ran away from home, I was free. They took her into the hospital and fixed her up enough to keep her alive. My face was on the news for months after, the police wanted to bring me in for questioning." Clove smiled in utter bliss and smiled at Andrew. A change came over her as she continued her story. "By that time I'd found people that were willing to protect me and kill for me. They taught me how to fight and raised me on the streets. I wish I could say that things worked out fine but they didn't. We constantly moved around to avoid being killed. Meatcleaver thought me melee combat, he was our esteemed leader. Glamour learned me to use a bow, although it was usually just target practise. I could already hit nearly anything with my knives at eleven. I had five years of practise on my mother after all." Clove smiled at all those times her mother had chided her for throwing knives at dinner. The memories were some of the happier ones she had. "Brawler learned me everything about torture and tavern brawling. Johnnyboy didn't teach me much with weapons, although he was the one taking us to prom and other social events. He's the only reason I can still be around people without killing anything that moves."

Clove paused for a moment as she looked at Andrew, she wondered what was going on in his head as she told her story. "I never did anything the normal way but I was happy, if you can believe that. I don't have any regrets about my past, although I would like to know a thing or two about normal life. Not having one makes me curious of what I missed out on." Clove finished. She hoped he hadn't freaked out by what she'd told him. Or at least not that much that he'd leave her right away. "Can you still love me knowing who I am?" She asked him, not knowing what to expect. If he would say no she'd be heartbroken but she'd get over it, she always did. Whether or not he'd get over it was an entirely different story though. She'd just opened up to him and that was not something people should take lightly.

((Like I said, this is going to suck))

"I'll tell you a few things. Just don't expect it to be a nice story." she said, that meant that he was right about her life being touchy, but he had a feeling she would tell him anyways. Then she continued the story, "I was born as Clove Tyler on the first of April. My mother was sick, she had huntingtons disease and I'm not sure if she's dead or alive. You see, when I was eleven I threw a knife at her during dinner. I hit her in the stomach. I ran away from home, I was free. They took her into the hospital and fixed her up enough to keep her alive. My face was on the news for months after, the police wanted to bring me in for questioning. By that time I'd found people that were willing to protect me and kill for me. They taught me how to fight and raised me on the streets. I wish I could say that things worked out fine but they didn't. We constantly moved around to avoid being killed. Meatcleaver thought me melee combat, he was our esteemed leader. Glamour learned me to use a bow, although it was usually just target practise. I could already hit nearly anything with my knives at eleven. I had five years of practise on my mother after all." Andrew had to hide a smile at the names, who named their kids that? Good thing he was good at keeping a straight face. "Brawler learned me everything about torture and tavern brawling. Johnnyboy didn't teach me much with weapons, although he was the one taking us to prom and other social events. He's the only reason I can still be around people without killing anything that moves." She did have a violent past, but things could be different in the future.

"I never did anything the normal way but I was happy, if you can believe that. I don't have any regrets about my past, although I would like to know a thing or two about normal life. Not having one makes me curious of what I missed out on. Can you still love me knowing who I am?" she asked, and Andrew immediately knew his answer, "Yes, of course I'll still love you, things could be different in the future, maybe you could apologize to your mother too if you want to, your face was on the news for a good reason, no offense, but throwing a knife at your mother doesn't exactly top the list of 100 things nice people do, but you are still really nice in my mind and I still love you no matter what. Andrew then pulled her back into a hug, when they finally pulled away he asked, "So, what do you want to do or talk about? Fighting techniques? Just say and we can talk."

Clove was relieved he could still love her despite her strange past but her face twisted when he claimed she could make peace with her mother. "I doubt that I'll ever be able to see my mother again without killing her properly. You have no idea what she did to me." Clove said angrily. That was why she hated her past, people always expected it to have been just her being evil. The news had made sure of that. Yet she wasn't going to explain, this wasn't his business, it was nobodies business. Yes, she had told and shown Septimus but he could understand, he had wished her mother dead and had presumed nothing when she told him about her mother. She had felt he would understand, he was another kid from the streets, you didn't end up there without a good reason. She didn't mellow when he still loved her, he'd made a serious mistake and Clove didn't forgive easily.

She didn't move as he hugged her and her anger kept boiling on. Yet he gave her a way to change the subject, he was talking about fighting techniques and Clove smiled again, although it was a laboured smile. She pulled her charmed necklace with a very specific axe in her mind. The weapon took shape and Clove smiled. It was a spear lenght handle with a large blade, ending in a cruel pointed tip. On the other side of the blade was a hook, designed to unhorse the opponent. "Why not weapons?" She asked and stroked the blade of the axe gently. "I like this particular axe a lot. It's like a combination between axe, speak and griphook. It's lethal on so many points." She purred at the axe. Intoxicating, that was the effect the axe had on her. Most people considered it to be a disturbingly cruel weapon but Clove, who was used to a rather large amount of cruelty, only loved the weapon in a pure way, like only a child of Ares could or perhaps somebody who made blades such as these.

((In case you don't know what to imagine, just google a Lochaber axe, it's one of the weapons I'm particularly fond of due to a book series, it happens to be the one where I got the name Sephrenia from))

"I doubt that I'll ever be able to see my mother again without killing her properly. You have no idea what she did to me." she said, sounding extremely angry, so he immediately attempted to change the subject, he didn't want to anger her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get on a touchy subject." Clove decided to talk about weapons and transformed a necklace into an axe showing him it's blade. "Nice, I only use this sword and bow and arrows." he complemented then continued to pull out his sword and laying it onto the table then taking the bow off of his back and setting that down as well. Her blade looked cruel and lethal and Andrew wanted to tell her to put it away, but he held back, he didn't want to disappoint her.

Andrew then decided to switch the subject again, and this time talk about monsters. "So, what was the biggest, SCARIEST monster you have ever seen or faced?" he asked, emphasizing on scariest, making it sound like a joke when he was being serious, so he nudged her and scooted closer. "Mine had to be either that hydra or a huge hellhound. But the hydra had to be one of the tougher ones I have faced, thank the gods it hasn't been a Titan like that Percy Jackson kid otherwise I'd be dead." Andrew then looked at his reflection in the blade of his sword, but it looked like he was just staring at the sword. He saw a 14 year old with blue eyes and dark blonde/light brown hair who looked like he had matured since he had left home. He knew his parents back in Hutch would be proud of him and wanted to visit them, maybe he could send an Iris Message later, it might surprise them, but they'd get over it.

Andrew then looked back up at Clove and asked, "I am sorry again for the comment on your mother, can you forgive me ever?" He hoped her answer was yes and he hugged her, but this one was 5 times as long as the others, he just held her there taking in everything, the smell of her hair, how her hair brushed his cheek, the warmness of her skin and the rising and falling of her chest as she breathed. This time he wasn't going to pull away, he would let her do that, he held her there and waited a response to his question, praying it would be yes, otherwise it would be over for them more than likely, just like that.

Clove picked up Andrews sword and turned it around in her hands. She knew it wasn't a case of good manners to touch the weapons of others but he hadn't shown good manners in his presumptions so that would only make them even. She tested the balance and swung it a few times. She had fought the hydra with it but still, it was fun to try it out once more. It seemed like he took good care of it so she placed it back. "It's a good blade. Proper balance for melee fights on foot and you seem to take good care of it." She commented. She turned her attention to the bow. She knew he could use that extremely well, she'd seen it in the fight with the hydra. She picked up the bow and took an arrow from his quiver. She wasn't a child of Apollo but she could still shoot with a bow, although not by far as good. That is why she had knives. She took aim for the web of a spider, rather high up near the roof. There was wood behind the web and Clove was anything but fond of spiders. Clove released the arrow and although it did ruin the web, it didn't kill the spider itself. If she'd thrown a knife, the spider wouldn't have stood a chance.

Clove had noticed his unease with the Lochaber but that meant she was less likely to put it away. Clove tended to do as she wanted and ignore people who told her what to do. Not that Andrew had tried but it still pleased her to see his discomfort. He asked for the scariest monster as she put his bow down on the table again. She shrugged at his question. "The hydra was by far the most annoying and I might have been a bit jumpy but in the end, it wasn't so scary. The only monster that scares me is the one that will kill me and since none has done that yet, I'm still pretty much without a list." Clove said. "As for Percy Jackson, I'd still pummel him, titan or no titan on his kill list. I'm not really afraid of the Gods or the Titans." Clove said. She knew there were plenty of reason to fear them, for one, they could kill you without a second thought but the idea of dying had never seemed that scary to Clove. She would die eventually. No, there was one thing that scared her more and they weren't likely to use that against her.

Clove shot him an evil glare as he brought her mother up again. "Yes I can. Just don't ever mention her again." She said angrily. She picked up her lochaber and saw the bow, getting a rather strange but productive idea. "And to prove you are sorry and won't mention her again, I want you to retrieve that arrow." She said, pointing to the one she'd shot into the spiders web. "Give that to me and you're forgiven. I'll have it encased in glass, as a reminder of that promise. I love you but I just can't talk about my mother without a desire to start killing things. I don't want you to be the thing I kill when my mother is mentioned." Clove said with a worried expression on her face. She had managed to control herself this time but she knew that she could freak out enough to go beserk where her mother was concerned. She didn't want to harm Andrew because he had made a mistake and he needed to know that before it was too late.

"It's a good blade. Proper balance for melee fights on foot and you seem to take good care of it." she said and he took it back nodding in agreement, sheathing it again. She examined the bow and shot it at a spider he probably would have hit, but she hit the web. "Nice shot. One of the better shots from a non-sibling I have seen actually." He had seen her throw her knifes and he bet she would have nailed the spider.

When she put the bow back down, he snatched it up and put it back onto his back. He listened to her answer his question about the monsters, "The hydra was by far the most annoying and I might have been a bit jumpy but in the end, it wasn't so scary. The only monster that scares me is the one that will kill me and since none has done that yet, I'm still pretty much without a list." Clove said. "As for Percy Jackson, I'd still pummel him, titan or no titan on his kill list. I'm not really afraid of the Gods or the Titans." Andrew had to like her bravery, she seemed extremely brave, and he loved her for that as well. "I see, the fear of death drives me in my fights and as for Percy Jackson, why would you pummel him? He seems like a nice kid."

He could tell he angered her bringing up her mother again, but he had to make sure, he couldn't love her if she hated him for that. "Yes I can. Just don't ever mention her again. And to prove you are sorry and won't mention her again, I want you to retrieve that arrow. Give that to me and you're forgiven. I'll have it encased in glass, as a reminder of that promise. I love you but I just can't talk about my mother without a desire to start killing things. I don't want you to be the thing I kill when my mother is mentioned." She said, so Andrew agreed and retrieve the arrow and handed it to her. It was a strange thing to do but he agreed anyways. Under normal circumstances he would have been mad that someone was bossing him around like a slave, but this wasn't normal, it was Clove.

((Sorry for the crappy post and for the wrong account.))

Clove just shrugged when Andrew asked her why she'd pummel Percy Jackson. "I don't know. Just because it's possible? Because he's so nice? I'm sure I can think up a bad reason to punch him. It's just in my nature." She admitted with a shrug. There was nothing wrong with a very violent nature and she liked Andrew, she figured he'd understand well enough to allow her the fun she wanted. She watched as he retrieved the arrow and handed it back to her. She held it gingerly, as if it could explode at any moment. "Thank you." She said softly. "This means the world to me." She said and laid the arrow down on the table carefully. She turned around and wrapped her arms around Andrews neck. "I love you." She said and kissed him.

Clove stayed like that, close to him, kissing him, for several minutes. She lost herself in the moment, forgetting that the world around them was still spinning. Forgot everything that kept her mental feet on the ground. It was like floating to her as she kissed the boy she had fallen for so deeply. When Clove finally pulled away she was blushing a little and had a large smile on her face. She could have been just any normal girl, looking at her that moment. Clove picked up her axe and transformed it back into the necklace again. "So, where are we now?" She asked calmly, still smiling. "My guess is that we are now officially a couple. We'll attend the dance together and laugh at the people crowned King and Queen. How about dancing? I'm not to sure about that, maybe we could practise." Clove teased Andrew but she did get up and stood there, waiting for him to take the lead with an expectant smile. He would understand her silent hint for sure.

((Sorry about crappiness))

"I don't know. Just because it's possible? Because he's so nice? I'm sure I can think up a bad reason to punch him. It's just in my nature." she told him when he asked about Percy, "I bet you would find a way." Andrew retrieved the arrow, which he still thought was quite strange that she would request that, but when he handed it to her, she held it as if it were going to snap any second,

"This means the world to me." She then set it down and turned to him, wrapping her arms around hims neck and said, "I love you." She then kissed him, and they held it there for several minutes.

Something warm he only experienced a few times before today grew inside of him, love. When they finally pulled away from the kiss he said, "I love you too Clove." She was blushing a little, something he never thought he'd see on her, and a huge smile. "My guess is that we are now officially a couple. We'll attend the dance together and laugh at the people crowned King and Queen. How about dancing? I'm not to sure about that, maybe we could practice."

He knew she was teasing him, but she got up anyways, and so did he. "Of course we could and will." He took her hand and started leading her in dancing, though he wasn't that good at it as he never really danced with a girl before, not to mention, he never danced and there was no music either.

"Sorry about trying to kill you on the hill, I don't know what went through my mind, but that was the past along with those feelings, we love each other now." he said in her ear as they danced to no music, it was a little jokingly but also serious. He noticed everything as they danced, her warm, soft, touch on his skin, her breathing, her eyes, her hair, everything. "I don't want this to ever end, I wish for this day with you to last forever, I am glad I didn't stay with that Arabella girl, you are a million times better," he whispered to her, seeing truthful. He was never the one for talking with girls and stuff, but with Clove, things seemed to flow smoothly out of his mouth and what to do, back in Kansas, everything he did with girls was awkward.

Clove was happy as he took her hand and they started dancing. Now Clove didn't expect much, as that would lead to a rather awkward situation. Clove could dance well enough for a dance but that wasn't the same as any offical type of dance. She had never done those and didn't really think she ever would, unless she'd be forced to do so. She was claimed and felt safe in Andrews arms, as if she belonged there. Any hard feelings were in the past. Andrew seemed to be thinking along those same lines, for he claimed he didn't know why they had become enemies that day. "I suppose I was just looking for a fight. I tend to do that a lot. It's a habit, I suppose. You don't have many quiet days on the street. It makes peace a discomfort." Clove said with a minor shrug.

She looked up into Andrew's eyes and realised that she had something she'd never had before. Love. Sure, her gang had loved her in their own way but it was limited and barred, his love was innocent, open and free. It was everything she hadn't been in years and it made her feel a little strange. Old, in a way, to realise that she had lost those parts of herself, yet on the other hand it was rejuvinating, as he gave her hope she could be something like that again. Free and full of life and love. What she had always seen but never really felt. Clove smiled weakly. "I'm not too sure about that. You see, I'm a damaged package in need of repair. Arabella is more like a new package without a scratch or dent. If you like fixing things though, I'm all yours." Clove said, joking while she was very serious. She had a lot of bagage and most of it a pretty heavy burden.

All the hard feeling they had for each other were the past now, all he cared about right now was that Clove was in his arms, close to him. "I suppose I was just looking for a fight. I tend to do that a lot. It's a habit, I suppose. You don't have many quiet days on the street. It makes peace a discomfort." She shrugged and he just nodded to her, "makes sense."

Clove smiled at him when he talked about how she was better than Arabella, "I'm not too sure about that. You see, I'm a damaged package in need of repair. Arabella is more like a new package without a scratch or dent. If you like fixing things though, I'm all yours."

Andrew wasn't to sure about that but he kissed her for a short second lightly and said, "Listen Clove, I would be fine with fixing things, but what is the point of fixing things that don't need to be repaired? Arabella is the dented one, you are the perfect package in my eyes, just don't think like that." He meant it too, Arabella was the past and in his eyes, Clove was perfect.

"If someone was given a quest to break us up, I would chase them to stop them from doing so, would you come with me as well, and would you come with me if I got a quest? I couldn't stand to travel without you. If you say yes, could you promise me that?" he said, he trusted her that he didn't need to make a promise on the River Styx, she might not like that.

He had a strange feeling that someone or something WAS trying to break them up. Andrew pulled Clove a little closer so they were touching each other in almost every place. He loved her a lot, and he noticed everything about her, her breathing, how her hair fell in front of her face, brushing his face, her soft, warm touch, and Andrew smiled a huge, warm smile at her, he knew he had said this several times since he and Clove first kissed, but he couldn't stop saying it, "I love you."

Clove just looked at Andrew with a sceptical expression when he said she was perfect. Love makes blind but nobody could be that blind. Well, either he was very much blinded by her brilliant light (which she didn't think she had) or he was just as 'twisted' as she was. In other words, he was tougher than he looked. "I know prefectly well that those so called normal people think I have quite a substantial amount of brain damage. I don't agree with them but popular oppinion would classify me as damaged." Clove said with a minor shrug.

Clove frowned when Andrew started talking about quests to break them up. "Don't be silly. I've never heard such a mental thing and I've heard quite a lot of them. I don't think there has ever been or will ever be a quest to break anybody up, let alone us. It just won't happen." She finished, sounding very sure, especially after managing to stop herself from scoffing at him when he'd spoken. Quest were supposed to be demigods doing all sorts of crazy heroic things or save relationships. Since Andrew was her first boyfriend, it would be a quest against love, and they just didn't exist. Yet she saw how honest his words had been and she wanted to comfort him, although stepping on his feelings would have been equally amusing.

"But yes, I would go with you. I would face all the dangers a quest can bring and more to stop people from breaking us up." Yet a wickedly evil smile appeared on her face. "If ever they manage to leave camp in the first place. I know quite a few ways to make sure people can't leave without killing them." She was quite satisfied with that statement and figured he would be too. He would understand her or she'd have to hurt him. She didn't want to have to hurt him but she wasn't going to change who she was because of him, ever.

When Andrew pulled her closer she took up every piece of that moment. His touch, his smell, the warmth of his body and the tenderness of his hug. Every single detail was remembered. He whispered he loved her once again and Clove smiled as she leaned her head against his chest. "Now don't go saying that too often. I might start feeling spoiled or believe you want something from me. I already gave you my heart and that should be enough for now." Clove said to him with a teasing voice. She was feeling very happy and comfortable. She would have wished for the moment to last forever but she knew that wouldn't have happened. The moment would end eventually but for now, she would just enjoy what she had.

"I know prefectly well that those so called normal people think I have quite a substantial amount of brain damage. I don't agree with them but popular oppinion would classify me as damaged." Clove said, he just nodded, not wanting to get into an argument.

"Don't be silly. I've never heard such a mental thing and I've heard quite a lot of them. I don't think there has ever been or will ever be a quest to break anybody up, let alone us. It just won't happen." Clove said, but Andrew had the strangest feeling there was one coming for the 2 of them, "You never know, Aphrodite can be mighty crazy like that." She still agreed with the promise and he was happy about this, even if it was probably not to make him mad.

"I understand." he said plainly looking into her eyes. She leaned her head against him, and he relaxed, then she said, "Now don't go saying that too often. I might start feeling spoiled or believe you want something from me. I already gave you my heart and that should be enough for now." Andrew smiled at her teasing voice, "Trust me, I wouldn't want anything more from you."

He then just stood there, looking off into the trees having the best day of his life. He let Clove keep her head on his chest, not wanting it to end, at least have him not end it, fearing it would be to soon. "What do you want to go do now? I kinda want to get out of this building, I'm not the arty type." He looked down at her and smiled.

((Sorry for the crappy post, my muse was drained on the bus))

Clove wrinkled her nose. "I wish she would be consistant with mighty crazy. I personally think us falling in love counts as mighty crazy, even though I am glad it happened." Clove said. She was glad Aphrodite had brought them together, no matter how little of it she understood. Love wasn't a normal thing in her book and she still distrusted Andrew, just a tiny bit less than most other people. Not to mention her standard paranoia making her want to harm everybody up to the point they couldn't kill her. It wasn't so nice but Clove wasn't so nice either so it matched up to her perfectly.

Clove wrapped her arms around Andrew and hugged him tightly, not intending to let him go. She stook there for a while, just holding on to him. She liked being close to him a lot more than she'd ever care to admit. Clove was silent and he spoke. "Good. Anything more wouldn't be good for your health as the only things I have to offer apart from my heart are my knives and I'm not really in the mood to stab you." She said, which was a very nice and gentle thing to say, for Clove. Any other person wouldn't see it as such but Clove was ... well, Clove. She was peculiar and had her weird little issues to take care of.

When Andrew asked for somewhere to go Clove looked outside. It was very simple, sun meant the woods, nice and chaotic weather would have her going for a swim. "How about the sound?" She said as she saw a thundercloud or two nearby. She leaned back and kissed him on his nose. "Chase you there?" She asked, although she didn't intend to give him a very fair shot at it. Well, she actually would let him win, as she wanted to grab her bathing suit and go for a swim in the sea of chaos. She released herself from the hug she was giving and sprinted off toward her cabin to retrieve some swimwear for a dive in dangerouss waters.

((Did you want to continue this one on the sound now?))