The Random Scenario Meme

[zizz]

THE RANDOM SCENARIO MEME 3.0




- Post your character, name, and series in the subject. Include any preferences as well.
- Go to RNG and enter 1-7 for a scene type, and 1-20 for a scene to play out.
- Have fun!



TYPE OF SCENE.
① Action → Gun fights, bar brawls, fights to the death are all possible scenarios.
② Angst → Characters suffer emotionally or physically from relationships breaking up, death, injury, etc. Hurt and comfort themes are included.
③ Crack → Genderswaps, super powers, sudden compulsions are all possible outcomes.
④ Fluff → Something that is devoid of angst. It's light-hearted and might have the overtone of romance.
⑤ Gen → General fun, things that didn't fit in the other categories.
⑥ Sex → First times, kinks, even dubcon are all possible themes of sex related scenarios.
⑦ Your choice → Think of your own scenario, choose one of the above or make a combo even!


ACTION.
① Zombies → It's the zombie apocalypse, lock and load!
② Bar brawl → You had one too many drinks, said something wrong, and now you're being asked to take it outside.
③ Chase → You're caught in a high speed chase.
④ Gun fight → You're caught in a big shoot-out.
⑤ Fight with a friend → You're fighting with a friend, all out.
⑥ Interrogation → You're being interrogated for some offense you've done.
⑦ Aliens → Aliens are attacking and you're not going to take your probe laying down!
⑧ Final battle → This is it. The battle that will end all the fighting for you. Will you win? Will you get that peace you want?
⑨ Training → You're not actually fighting, just training for the inevitable.
⑩ No hope → You know this fight has no hope. It's not going to end well for anyone involved, but you can't turn away.
⑪ Sneaking in → You're stealing a diamond or sneaking in to kick some bad guy butt, but whatever it is, you have to practice stealth.
⑫ Blue wire → You're faced with a bomb that needs to be disarmed.
⑬ Fight for honor → You've been disgraced or someone you care about has, so it's time to fight for honour.
⑭ Showdown → Time for a cowboy-style showdown. Whoever draws the fastest wins.
⑮ War → You're caught in the middle of a war here. Remember to keep your chin up and keeping fighting.
⑯ Apocalypse → The apocalypse finally happened and now you're left to scavenge and fight for whatever is left.
⑰ Sabotage → It's time to sabotage someone's plan! How is entirely up to you. Do you set up a bomb in their toilet? Do you double cross them at the last minute?
⑱ Big damn hero → You know you have to handle this one alone, so that means disarming or knocking unconscious the person who wants to join you.
⑲ Fight club → You know the rules... you're in an underground fighting ring and you're fighting with all you've got.
⑳ Threaten → You've just been sent here to rough them up a little, threaten them into behaving.


ANGST.
① Injury / illness → Your character has become injured or ill! To what extent is the mun's choice.
② Last moments → You character has been gravely injured and this is their last chance to say their last words.
③ Depression → Your character is depressed, what actions they take is up to the mun.
④ Betrayed → You character has been betrayed by the other. How do they react?
⑤ Tortured → Your character is being tortured and needs rescuing or at least a sympathetic ear to help him through it.
⑥ Jealousy → Your character is feeling jealous and must deal with it, how will they do it?
⑦ Breakup! → This relationship has gone as far as it can, it's time to breakup.
⑧ Broken → For whatever reason, the character is broken, mentally or or physically.
⑨ Fight → You can't even be in the same room as your friend or lover without arguing anymore.
⑩ Lost → You lost the biggest fight of your life and now all you can do is try to pick up the pieces.
⑪ Worst nightmare → Whatever you fear the most is now real or maybe you're just trapped in a dream together, but whatever it is, it feels too real.
⑫ Addicted → You're addicted to something, alcohol, drugs, sex, whatever. It's destroying your life and you can't do anything to stop it.
⑬ Hurt you → You're being forced to hurt someone you love either by betraying them or even being forced to shout things you don't mean. It's for their own good in the end though.
⑭ Separation → You were forced to leave this person for their own safety and while you've been miserable without them, you really didn't mean to run into them again... maybe it was by accident or you were watching them from afar this whole time.
⑮ Becoming a monster → You are slowly changing, becoming a monster: vampire, zombie, demon, something you can't recover from and no-one can help you.
⑯ Frozen → You are entirely helpless, frozen, to stop some kind of disaster.
⑰ Prison → You were very bad and now it's time to pay the price by turning yourself in or maybe the law just finally caught up to you.
⑱ Fear → You're not sure why, but you are suddenly terrified and you can't deal with it. You need help.
⑲ Hated → You are now hated by the person you loved the most.
⑳ Down and out → You're living on the streets, you've hit rock bottom, and you don't know what to do.


CRACK.
① Sexswap → Uh-oh, you're suddenly the opposite sex!
② Forced confessions → No matter what it is and no matter how hard you resist, you're going to be compelled to spill some deep dark secret!
③ Mind-reading → You've suddenly got the ability to read minds!
④ Animal → You're suddenly part animal or transformed into an animal!
⑤ Awkward pick-up lines → You're compelled to use bad pickup lines on whoever is closest!
⑥ Back in School / Graduated → You're suddenly back in school! Or if you were already in it, you've aged and long since graduated!
⑦ Vampires, werewolves, and zombies, oh my! → You're suddenly a vampire, werewolf, or zombie! Maybe even a demon or a devil, whatever creepy crawly you can think of. What do you do now?
⑧ Ghost → You're suddenly a ghost or at least invisible. What are you going to do with this new ability?
⑨ Awkward conversations → So did you just fart or what? Any conversation goes, as long as it's embarrassing and awkward.
⑩ Crossdressing → For whatever reason, you're suddenly dressed in clothes of the opposite sex.
⑪ Suddenly naked → Oops! Your clothes are suddenly gone.
⑫ Suddenly a kid → You're a kid again! Have fun with that second childhood.
⑬ Fortune cookie → You've suddenly received a note with something that will happen in the future, either precise or vague.
⑭ Super power → And suddenly you're like Superman! Any power goes.
⑮ Bodyswap → Somehow you've changed bodies with the other person.
⑯ Back in time → Somehow, you wound up in the past again. Do you try to correct something or just sit and wait for time to jump? Maybe it jumps to various points in your life or maybe you actually think you're back in the day. Have fun, run wild with the idea!
⑰ To the future → Is it everything you've dreamed? Is it horrible? Whatever happens, you're here to witness what happens to you in the future. Either you take the place of your future self or you're just there to watch. Might cause some confusion if people start seeing double though...
⑱ Angels, mermaids, and fairies! → You're not necessary something dark or evil. You're just something different. How do you deal?
⑲ Locked in a closet → For some reason, you're locked up in a closet with someone else. Do you make nice and try to figure your way out or what?
⑳ Finger trap → You're caught in a Chinese finger trap... with somebody else! You can't figure out how to get loose either... have fun with that.


FLUFF.
① Cuddling → For whatever reason, characters feel like being close and cuddling.
② Pillow talk → After the main event, characters are up for some pillow talk.
③ Celebration → Anniversary or some other big event is taking place and characters want to celebrate!
④ Love confession → Someone has finally decided to confess their love and today is the day!
⑤ Appreciation → You feel the need to show appreciation for that person closest to you, even if it's just a pat on the back.
⑥ Apologies → You made a mistake and now it's time to make it up in some way you know the other can't refuse!
⑦ Get back together → Why did you break up again exactly? Whatever the reason, it was a huge mistake and you both know you can work through it.
⑧ Date night → You've planned for a wonderful night together and you can't wait to get it started.
⑨ Family → You've either found out you're pregnant or you've already got that addition to your family.
⑩ Marriage → You're just about to get hitched or maybe you're enjoying your honeymoon. Maybe you've been together for years now! Whatever the case, it's time for that next big step.
⑪ Meeting again → It's time for that happy reunion finally!
⑫ Love at first sight → For whatever reason, you are now insanely in love with the first person you set eyes on.
⑬ Flirtation → You can't resist to do a little bit of harmless flirtation all of a sudden.
⑭ In the snow → Look outside! It's a winter wonderland, so why not go out and play in it?
⑮ Engagement → You've planned it all out and now it's time to finally pop the question.
⑯ Friendly games → You've set up the game station or board games for a friendly competition!
⑰ Gift → Time to give that special someone a gift just because.
⑱ Recovery → You're taking care of someone who's just recovered from some illness or injury.
⑲ Healing → Time to help mend that someone who's been through hell and back.
⑳ Better than ever → You've finally got everything you've ever wanted here. What is your ideal life and who does it include?


GEN.
① Nice meeting you → It's your first time meeting this person! You bumped into each other on the street, in a bar, at work... whatever!
② Drinks → You're out for drinks! Or just chilling at home with some beers. Wherever!
③ Lost → You're lost and you kind of need help finding your way to where you're going. A little help with directions?
④ Costume party → You're at a costume party, both of you are wearing masks. Do you keep the anonymity or take it off and see whose company you've been enjoying?
⑤ Wrong number → Oops, actually you didn't mean to call that person...
⑥ Drunk → You're already drunk! Drunk dialing, stumbling into someone, showing up unexpected... what type of drunk are you anyway? Aggressive, loving, happy? How does the other react?
⑦ Old friends → you haven't seen this person in a long time!
⑧ Rivals → you're suddenly rivals! Or maybe you have been all along...
⑨ Problems → you've got a problem with each other, just got in a huge fight, whatever. Try to work it out!
⑩ What are your intentions... → This person? They're dating a close friend, family member, etc. You need to find out if they're going to hurt them! Or you need to discuss your friend/family's dating choice.
⑪ I saw you → you saw the other person doing something bad and you need to confront them about it.
⑫ Sorry but no → the other person has feelings that you just don't share. They don't necessarily have to be romantic... maybe you just don't agree with their sudden desire to quit their job and start a business making tiny, fuzzy teddy bears.
⑬ My hero → you need to tell this person how much they mean to you. They've been your best friend or your role model your whole life and they need to know.
⑭ Enabler → you're enabling the other (or each other) to do something bad, really bad. Addiction, stealing, killing, or just any other self-destructive behavior.
⑮ Cooking → Time for an impromptu cooking lesson!
⑯ Oh, sure, I remember you... → It's that awkward moment when someone comes up and seems to know you, but you have no idea who they even are!
⑰ Rescue! → One of you was in trouble, but you came to the rescue!
⑱ Boss → One of you works under the other. Is your relationship good? Are you scheming things? Or do you hate each other?
⑲ Perfect crime → You and the other person have just pulled off the perfect crime... or you're planning to! What are you doing? The heist of the century, an assassination?
⑳ Movies → movie night! Maybe it's a sleepover. Whichever the case, it's time to eat a lot and have fun.


SEX.
① First time → it's your first time together or your first time ever! Enjoy the awkward times!
② Bondage → You and your partner decide to experiment a little with ropes or handcuffs or whatever you'd like to tie your partner up with.
③ Rough / Aggressive → Your characters want it rough.
④ Romantic → Slow and gentle, meaningful, that's how characters want it.
⑤ Dubcon → Character A wants Character B and it doesn't really matter if Character B wants it as bad or not.
⑥ In public → Characters feel like taking a risk and doing it in a public place.
⑦ Roleplay → Naughty nurse fetish? Pirate kink? You and your partner decide to try it out now!
⑧ Healing → You've both fought hard or gone through a rough time and it's time to get some R&R in.
⑨ Last time → This is the last time you're going to this because you're breaking up or maybe your lover is running off to sacrifice their lives in some heroic way. The possibilities are endless, but you better make this one count.
⑩ No strings attached → You're just friends with benefits. Nothing wrong with that, right?
⑪ Anonymous → You met in a restroom or bar, any location of your choosing, but you don't even know each other's names.
⑫ Toys → You're eager to try something new, so why not toys?
⑬ Aphrodisiacs → You've been slipped a strong aphrodisiac somehow and now you absolutely cannot control yourself.
⑭ Show → You're putting on a show by either doing it right in the club or filming it for a bunch of people.
⑮ Ménage à trois → It's time for that threesome you've always dreamed of.
⑯ Non-penetrative → Frottage, handjobs, whatever you want to try out.
⑰ Controlled → You are under mind control and must do whatever your lover asks of you.
⑱ Hate sex → It's not just rough or aggressive, you absolutely cannot stand each other.
⑲ Extreme → Fisting, knife play, whatever you can think of so long as it tests the boundaries.
⑳ Fantasy → This is just a fantasy, a dream, and you know it, but what is your ideal fantasy and how willing is your partner?

Comments

1-9! COME AT ME BRO, HAVE ALL THESE PROSE TL;DRs

[keepitsimple]

After four days in the Lord of the South Wind’s palace, Piper was getting a little stir-crazy. Part of her was still tense from her solo showdown with Khione, and Leo being lost who-knew-where, possibly injured or in mortal danger or both, didn’t do anything to lessen her anxiety. Added to the fact that Percy and Annabeth were counting on them to reach the Doors of Death, there was a whole lot to worry about and not much that could be done about any of it at the moment.

Hours of sword fighting practice with Hazel had helped take the edge off of that nervous energy, but somehow even though her whole body ached from using muscles in ways she’d never used them before, it still wasn’t enough for Piper. Supposing they ever managed to get the Argo II back in decent working condition, they would be facing down an entire army of monsters in just a few days’ time: not nearly long enough for her to learn everything she needed to know about swordplay.

Despite the fact that Hazel was a great teacher and had taught her a lot already, Piper couldn’t help feeling like their sparring sessions were missing something. Hazel didn’t push her as far as she could go--she pulled her punches, or in this case her sword-strikes, and the monsters they were bound to encounter would do no such thing. Part of her wanted to ask Jason for some private sparring sessions, but these past few days he’d spent hours waiting for an audience with Notus—or would he be Auster today?—and Jason was every bit as likely to go easy on her as Hazel. Frank was a possible option, but Hazel was his girlfriend, and Piper wasn’t sure she wanted to put the big guy in that sort of potentially awkward position. Which left Coach Hedge (who was instantly disqualified on the grounds of Piper not particularly wanting to eat a baseball bat) and Nico di Angelo.

Thinking about Nico gave her a slight pause. They hadn’t really talked much, and Nico kept to himself, but of everyone in their group, Piper couldn’t help but feel like he’d avoided her the most. Or maybe he wasn’t avoiding her, maybe she was just sort of beneath his notice. Another probably-worthless child of Aphrodite, nothing to see here. We’ll let you know if we need a makeover or some fashion advice. Considering the past behaviour of some of the other Aphrodite campers, she couldn’t really blame him if that’s what he was thinking, though she didn’t know him well enough to hazard any sort of guess as to what went through his head when he looked at her.

At least Frank and Jason had gone on missions with him, and Hazel was his sister. Even Leo had gotten some semi-regular interaction with him, since Leo was the type who couldn’t let anyone ignore him completely. And while he was civil enough to her during their group meetings, the one time Piper had tried to join Nico (and Jason) on a mission, he’d turned her down flat without a second’s thought.

But Piper wasn’t one to give up when she’d settled on a course of action, and this was one of those times. Sparring with Nico would be killing two birds with one stone, supposing he agreed to it (which he might very well not): she’d get in some combat practice with someone who was unlikely to coddle her, as well as getting the chance to spend some time with him and try to get to know him better.

Of course, first she had to find him, which could prove to be an ordeal in and of itself, particularly if he didn’t want to be found, which he probably didn’t. Still, it was worth a try. She’d been meaning to explore the Wind Lord’s palace a bit anyway. Maybe she’d get lucky and happen across Nico in the process.

[ghostking]

After what had happened in Croatia, Nico didn’t want to be around anyone. One could say that this was his normal state of being and that would be, for the most part, true, but this was different. He wanted nothing to do with anyone or anything. He was sick of the sidelong glances from Frank, done with overhearing Piper and Hazel talk about boy and clothes and… whatever. He couldn’t stand the way his sister kept looking at him -- the fact that his behavior was worrying her was more than obvious, but it wasn’t something he could talk about. Not to her and especially not to Jason. He hadn’t told anyone what happened and for that Nico was grateful, but he didn’t want to give Jason the chance to ask him if he wanted to talk about it.

He didn’t want to talk about it.

He wanted this over and done with. He wanted to get to them to the Doors of Death like he promised he would and leave. Unfortunately, they were still stuck here. They were stuck here, Percy was getting closer and closer to the doors, and the only person who could fix the Argo was missing. He never thought he’d be the one to say it, but he actually missed having the guy around. He was loud, obnoxious, and had little to no brain to mouth filter, but he was a genius with machines. Of course, he’d never admit to it, but he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t cracked a smile at some of Leo’s more ridiculous stories.

Nico did as much as he could to help fix the ship, but without Leo around getting it back up and running again seemed like a nigh impossible task. Other than that he stayed as far away from the others as he could without completely leaving the palace. It was easier that way. Easier than making Hazel worry about him, easier than sitting up there on the mast listening to them all talk and laugh and have everything he never would.

The place was definitely big enough to get lost in and the chance that he would bump into someone was slim. Let’s face it – if Nico di Angelo doesn’t want to be found, chances are there will be no finding him. Today, he wasn’t particularly set on it. He hadn’t bothered sticking to the shadows like he usually did, but it hadn’t caused him any major problems – just the usual “give the son of Hades a wide berth because obviously he will kill you if you get too close” deal. No problem. He was used to it.

He leaned back against a wall in one of the hallways, tucking himself into the shadows out of habit. When Piper approached him he didn’t think too much of it. Chances were she was just looking for the Golden Boy.

“If you’re looking for Jason you’re going the wrong way. He’s talking to Notus.”

[keepitsimple]

The palace was huge. Piper hadn’t quite managed to lose herself in it yet, but it was a near thing. In fact, she was just about to give up and go back to the ship before she had to ask a passing venti to take her back when she turned a corner…and there was Nico, half-hidden in the shadows as he leaned back against the wall.

Honestly, she hadn’t expected to find him at all, and she almost stopped in her tracks out of simple surprise. But he seemed a little touchy about that sort of thing, and she didn’t want him to take it wrong, so she kept moving with scarcely a waver, studying him as she approached.

He was less gaunt than he’d been when they’d first rescued him, but that was just about the only change in him that she could see. Sullen and withdrawn as he looked, he might as well have been wearing a sign around his neck that said Does Not Play Well With Others. Piper thought she could relate to that just a little. Before she’d come to Camp Half-Blood, she had felt like a total disappointment. She’d gotten kicked out of a ton of schools, her dad never had time for her unless she was in trouble, and everyone on the rez had looked at her sideways for being a half-blood. She hadn’t made any real friends until she’d met Leo, who had been too talkative, funny, and persistently friendly to ignore. Maybe that was part of why she felt like she couldn’t leave Nico alone--someone else had gone out of their way to be friendly to her when she didn't feel like she really belonged anywhere, so she figured she should pass that kindness on to someone else who needed it.

So she gave Nico a friendly smile as she closed the last few feet between them.

“Actually, I was looking for you.”

[ghostking]

Honestly, Nico didn't mean to scare people like that. At least not usually. It wasn't exactly a nice feeling to see people wince when you start talking, or jump when you turn a corner. He couldn't say it wasn't funny sometimes, but most of the time it just left a bad taste in his mouth.

"For me?"

He tried keeping the surprise out of his voice, but it's difficult. What in Hades' name could she possibly want with him? Was she sick? Maybe she was running a fever. Maybe she was delirious and thought he was someone else? She'd have to be really, really sick for that to be the case though and she didn't look pale or sweaty or anything.

[keepitsimple]

He might’ve tried to hide it, but Piper didn’t miss that faint note of surprise in Nico’s voice, and it only reaffirmed that she’d made the right choice in coming to look for him.

“Yup, you. What do you say to some sparring practice?”

Piper patted the hilt of the jagged Celestial bronze sword that had formerly belonged to Zethes the Boread. It had taken some getting used to, but once she stopped accidentally knocking things over like some sort of third-rate vaudeville actor every time she turned around, she’d found that she liked having the weight of it on her hip. It made her feel a lot less helpless, which made sense, considering how badass the sword looked. But looks didn’t typically matter much mid-battle; she needed to know how to actually use the sword, and use it effectively.

“Hazel’s a great teacher, and practicing with her is helping a lot, but she won’t fight me all-out. I know I’m still not great, but I don’t know how not-great I really am.” She shrugged. “You seem like you’d tell me the truth about just how bad I suck, and what I need to change to suck less.”

[ghostking]

"And you think Jason and Frank would coddle you, too."

It's a statement. Not a question. Jason was Piper's boyfriend. He'd help her, sure, but he'd probably end up pulling his punches. He wouldn't give her the kind of fight she'd need to improve. Frank was a friend and Hazel's boyfriend to boot. He had definitely changed after the trip to Venice, but he might worry that he was going to to hurt her. He'd hold back.

Then there was Nico. Nico who wasn't a friend. Nico who wouldn't pull his punches.

[keepitsimple]

Piper raised her eyebrows. “You really think they wouldn’t?”

She copied his stance, leaning back against the wall a short space away from him. Maybe she was reading into things too much (and she was first-rate at doing that where Jason was involved, so this might not be any different), but she could swear that the momentary dip in Nico’s defenses that she’d earned by telling him she’d actually been looking for him was vanishing quickly. He was closing himself off from her even as she stood right there next to him, and she had no idea why.

But she wouldn’t let it happen without a fight. She wasn’t going to resort to using charmspeak just yet, but she could still make good use of her words.

She let her smile broaden into a challenging grin. “Hey, if you’re gonna go easy on me too, I’ll just go back to practicing with Hazel. At least she’s not afraid of hitting a girl.”

[ghostking]

"Oh no, they would. Jason without question. Frank would probably be a little less lenient "

For once Piper wasn't reading too far into things. Nico was already putting back the pieces of the wall that she had managed to break through. The cool distance was back in his eyes, his voice calm and steady. At least, it was until she threw the gauntlet.

The faintest hint of a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth, but it was far more creepy than it was pleasant. He watches her carefully, like he was already considering the best way to slice her up.

"I'm not afraid of hitting a girl. I'll give you a hand if that's what you want."

[keepitsimple]

...Well, at least she'd gotten him to smile. That was...a good thing. Right? True, it didn't look like a particularly happy smile, or at all friendly either, but it was a start. Still, it was all she could do not to inch away from him a bit on reflex, at least until she reminded herself that she'd faced off against beings much more frightening than Nico di Angelo. She was the challenger here, so she stood her ground, radiating a confidence she didn't fully feel.

"Did I stutter?" She kept up the challenging grin and banter, pushing away from the wall to stand with one hand on her hip, jerking a thumb back over her shoulder with the other. "Let's get started then. There was a big open courtyard back that way."

[ghostking]

Them there's fightin' words, Piper. He smirks, pushing himself off the wall after her. He's impressed she's managed to stand her ground so far. It's hard to think of many people who would willingly challenge him like this, let alone stick around him long enough to ask in the first place.

Stuffing one hand in his pocket he gestures out to the hallway with the other. There's a hint of amusement in his voice, but it's still laced with the faintest traces of something far more sinister. "After you."

[asksverynicely]

Instead of leading the way, though, Piper fell into step with him. Walking in front of him would just be weird, and okay, she didn't like that hint of menace in his voice either, but there was some humour in it too, albeit pretty cold humour. Plus it would be hard to talk to him if she was literally leading the way.

Not that she had any idea of what to talk about right now. Then again, she could usually think of something, and the answer found her as she looked over at the other demigod.

"That's a pretty badass sword. Stygian iron, right? How long have you had it?"

This guy was way closed off. Best to start with a seemingly safe (if probably pointless) topic and move on from there. Then again, maybe it did have some kind of history, who knew? Anything to prevent an awkward silence, and to get him to engage rather than push away.

[ghostking]

Nico walked by her side in silence. The cold aura he gave off kept most of the venti away -- they moved to the side to give him room to pass, abruptly turned corners once they realized he was behind them. Their behavior wasn't coincidence, the hushed whispers and nervous looks in their eyes were proof enough. Nonetheless, it didn't seem to bother him too much if at all.

That doesn't mean it didn't, though. Sure, he had steeled himself to this, expected it even, but all it did was remind him that he wasn't wanted here. He wasn't wanted anywhere. This place was not meant for him. It all screamed 'GET LOST, DI ANGELO.' He was used to that, too, but it still stung. The only way he could get by was by pretending not to notice as much as he could. Ducking his eyes away when he noticed someone looking at him warily, trying to walk where it wasn't as crowded so he didn't drive anyone away.

His hand moves to his sword when she mentions it, but it takes him a moment to answer her. When he does it's a little more curt than he probably intended it to be. "A few years now. Why does it matter?"

[keepitsimple]

It took Piper a moment to respond to his question--she was frowning slightly as she watched a pair of venti who'd just come around a corner take one look at them and spin off down a different corridor. The venti she'd run into while she was exploring had for the most part just ignored her, or else playfully darted around her and messed up her hair or tugged at her clothes before sweeping away in a giggling fit, so it was pretty obvious why they were acting so differently now.

It was Nico.

Piper absolutely hated bullies, and that was exactly what this felt like to her. Honestly, it made her a little angry. If this was how Nico was treated by strangers everywhere he went, then it only made sense that he'd be so standoffish.

She understood a little more clearly now why Jason had become somewhat protective of Nico--and he really had, ever since whatever had happened in Croatia. She'd tried asking him about it, but he'd clammed up and refused to say a word about it, much less what it had to do with Nico specifically. Of course, she could have used charmspeak to convince Jason to tell her, but she didn't like using her power that way, and she'd felt like that would be even more wrong than usual in this case. If there was something he wasn't telling her, there had to be a good reason for it.

Still, possible big annoying secret not withstanding, Jason was going out of his way to be nicer to Nico, and from what she was seeing here, the guy deserved it. She'd have to try to do the same.

...Aaaaand responding to his question instead of leaving him hanging (in a conversation that she'd started in the first place) would probably be a good place to start.

"Oh...it doesn't really. I was just curious." Oh come on, she had to be able to come up with a better response than that. "This'll be more of a challenge if you're familiar with your weapon, that's all. I just wanted to know what to expect."

Better, a little bit. She needed to keep up her confident vibe if she really wanted him to come at her with everything he had. So far, so good.

[ghostking]

"I'd be more concerned about how familiar you are with your own weapon if I were you. You want a challenge, right? I'm not about to waste your time."

He continues walking alongside her in silence -- keeping his eyes forward, ignoring the whispers, looking away from those who ran the other way. Nico knew what kind of an effect he had on those around him. He catches Piper frowning out of the corner of his eye and gives her a blithe smile as he turns down the hallway that led to the courtyard. He doesn't comment on it, doesn't need to really, what's going on is obvious.

[keepitsimple]

He was acting like it didn't bother him, like it didn't matter at all what anyone else thought, but Piper knew that couldn't be true. Son of Hades or not, he was still just a kid like her, and how other people treated you usually had a pretty huge impact on you whether you wanted it to or not.

Still, there wasn't anything she could do about the venti right now, and from the bits and pieces she'd seen of Nico's fighting style while they'd all worked together to defend the Argo II from the monster(s) of the hour, she'd need to focus her full attention on her swordplay if she didn't want to end up getting hurt.

Not that she thought he'd hurt her on purpose. Nico wouldn’t intentionally skewer her, at least she hoped not. That black sword of his looked like a nightmare and a half. Stygian iron was a lot more dangerous than Celestial bronze or Imperial gold, and she definitely didn’t even want to get hit by the flat of it, much less one of the sharp edges.

"I think I've got the hang of it," she said aloud, though she added on a silent mostly to herself. "And I'm not worried about you wasting my time."

That was the truth, plain and simple. If she wasn't sparring with him, she'd be sparring with Hazel, or else helping with another attempt to fix the ship. Their time wasn't good for much of anything else at the moment; in fact, this was probably the best thing she could be doing with it right now.

[ghostking]

"You think?" He shook his head as they entered the courtyard, drawing his sword as he turned to face her. "Let's see how far that'll get you."

As soon as his sword was drawn the venti that hadn't already left the area all but vanished. They didn't like him as it was, but now he had a sword out and that made him even more threatening. A brave few stuck around, lingering on the outskirts of the courtyard and hesitantly peeking out from behind pillars.

Nico was still weak from his stint in that jar, but he'd managed to put some meat back on his bones, forced himself to practice a bit of swordplay every once in awhile. It was difficult at times -- his sword still felt a bit heavier in his hands than it used to, but it didn't feel bulky and unwieldy like it did when he first started out.

[keepitsimple]

This time, Piper didn't blame the venti for clearing out like that. Nico's sword seemed to draw the light and heat out of the air around it, and for the first time, she started to wonder if maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. But she'd come too far to back out now, and after fighting giants and cyclopes and enormous freaking turtles, another demigod with an especially dangerous-looking sword wasn't going to intimidate her that much.

"Those are fighting words, di Angelo," she said lightly as she drew her own sword, falling into a ready stance, keeping her eyes on that dark blade. She didn't ask about rules--there wouldn't be any, and that was how it should be. Monsters wouldn't play by the rules, so practicing as if they would didn't make any sense. And since he was standing there ready--

Without warning, she lunged forward, aiming a horizontal slash at his midsection, testing his reflexes and strength. He had nearly died not too long ago, and he'd only just started to look like he was recovering; while she was sure that he could've easily beaten her if he were in top form, she wanted to be sure he was up to this before really cutting loose.

[ghostking]

Piper was right--there would be no rules. No stipulations. There would be no waiting, no commenting on form, no critique in the moment. She wouldn’t get those things on the battlefield. A monster wouldn’t tell her how to fix her footwork, wouldn’t tell her how obviously she projected that first slash, wouldn’t fix her grip or her form so Nico sure as hell wasn’t about to either.

Piper wanted a challenge. She didn’t want to be coddled. She wanted a fight and that’s what he’d give her. No holds barred.

Nico might still be recovering, but he was more than ready to take her on.

He grinned widely, as he readily, easily, met her blade, but his smile didn’t even remotely reach his eyes. There was something manic about it, something cold and twisted and broken dancing behind his eyes as he locked their swords, the cacophonous sound of metal clashing together reverberating around the courtyard. He put some of his weight into it, pushing back as those too bright eyes settle on hers, deliberate discomfort rolling off of him in sickening waves.

“Not bad, but you’ll have to do better than that,” Nico all but growled out the words, pushing back hard enough to separate their blades and send Piper stumbling backwards if her footing wasn’t sure enough. He lunged forward to close whatever distance she’d left open, looking to take her by surprise just enough to try to disarm her.

[keepitsimple]

Piper’s footing was mostly sure--he didn’t send her stumbling backwards, though he did force her back a few steps...mostly because she’d found herself unable to look away as Nico grinned that terrible smile that was colder than Khione’s ice sculptures. Cold enough to make her freeze up (though not literally) for one unfortunate second. She’d felt these uneasy kind of vibes coming off Nico before, but not to this extent, and they made her breath catch in her throat, her mind and mouth both shutting down for a moment, preventing her from making any kind of playful, snappy comeback.

It was only thanks to the hours and hours of training she’d already had with Hazel that let her react fast enough to bring her sword up in time to deflect Nico’s answering attack, and also keep her weapon from being ripped out of her hands, though she had to give ground again to manage it. That was when she realized that he’d already backed her a fourth of the way across the courtyard, and they’d only exchanged two blows. Even tired and weak and not at his best, Nico di Angelo was dangerous, that much Piper had already learned firsthand.

That’s sure a whole new meaning to ‘disarming smile.’

Piper wasn’t one for strategy--that was Annabeth’s specialty--but she could be clever without overthinking things, reading a situation quickly and letting her impulses guide her. And what her impulses told her now was, if she let Nico control the fight, if she let him stay on the offensive the whole time, this fight wouldn’t last much longer. She had to find her voice and keep talking and press the attack, and hopefully...that would keep him off-balance just enough to let her hold her own for a while, long enough that it wouldn’t be completely embarrassing.

She had no illusions about her chances of winning this match, or any of the matches that would hopefully follow. Nico was way too good for her to expect a victory out of this, unless she managed to get really lucky and caught him super off-guard somehow, but winning wasn’t what she’d come here for. She’d come here for practice, to learn from a skilled swordsman who wouldn’t go easy on her, and so long as he didn’t kill her, she’d definitely come out of this stronger.

So start talking! Put Hazel’s lessons to good use here, and really fight back!

“I was just testing the waters. Didn’t wanna push too hard if you weren’t up to it-” Skirting to the side, she pressed her attack from Nico’s offhand-side, aiming a few quick, sweeping strikes at his leg as she kept talking, watching him carefully to see how he parried or dodged her blows. “-But it looks like you definitely are.”

She flashed him a confident, dazzling smile that was every bit as bright and warm as his hadn’t been, moving in fast to lock their swords together again as she chirped, “Looks like I’ll have to really get serious.”

[ghostking]

That moment of hesitance was exactly what Nico had hoped to achieve. She wasn’t completely off-balance, but then again he hadn’t expected her to be. She was a camper at Camp Half-Blood after all and staying there for any amount of time meant you had some amount of training in swordplay, not to mention he’s certain his sister is a good enough teacher to have already helped her shore up some of her weaker skills. He’s already overheard Hazel instructing her on her footwork--how to move her feet, how to angle her body, how to follow through with each strike.

But that training won’t be enough.

Nico dodged her first strike effortlessly with a sidestep, parrying the rest with an almost casual sort of ease. Honestly, this would likely be as good for him as it was for her if she’s able to keep up. He’d been getting some training in--forcing himself to use his muscles, to rebuild his strength little by little--and having someone to actually fight against, someone who’s (surprisingly) willing to face him will only help to sharpen his reflexes quicker than he would have on his own.

She flashed him a confident smile--bright and warm in ways that would normally have given him pause if they weren’t in the midst of a fight--as she locked their swords together, but that only made Nico’s uncomfortable grin all the colder, all the more sinister. Because he’s got her right where he wants her: in shadow.

Nico disappeared in an instant, the shadows around him twisting and warping around him only for him to reappear just behind her, sword outstretched, the tip of it just millimeters away from brushing the side of her neck.

“Like I said,” he started, voice pitched low and heavy with purpose, “you’re going to have to do better than that.”

[keepitsimple]

The heaviness of his voice dragged at her whole body again, slowing her reflexes, but even so, even if she’d been at her sharpest, it wouldn’t have helped her see that trick coming. That’s what it was, a trick, but even so, it’s still fair game, because there weren’t any rules. Which meant there were no tricks, at least none that were off-limits.

All right, then. If that’s how you want to play.

“You’re right, I am,” Piper admitted--then did the next impulsive thing that came to mind, and forced as much charmspeak into her words as possible. She’d been practicing that, too, after all. “So why don’t you just put away your sword? It’s heavy, right, and you’re probably really tired...”

If Nico could use his godly powers, then so could she. A child of Aphrodite might bring a lot less to the table in that area, especially in terms of combat practicality, but she wasn’t helpless, even if she still felt that way far too often. Plus, her charmspeak had worked on both Percy and Annabeth, and they were two of the most stubborn, strong-willed people she'd ever met, so there was a good chance that it would have an effect on Nico as well.

[ghostking]

Nico was an incredibly strong-willed person. He was stubborn and resilient, tough because he had to be, because he needed to be, because he couldn’t afford to be anything less and it’s largely in part of that strong will that he was able to survive the horrors that Tartarus had thrown at him.

But that had been life or death. This fight was not and he honestly never saw the charmspeak coming.

He still fought it, still questioned it even as he lowered his sword to his side, wondering why he was doing this in a fight--he needed his sword to fight--but Piper’s right. It was heavy, heavier than it should be--why though, why was his weapon so heavy in his hands--and he’s tired, too. Nico squeezed his eyes shut for a second, trying to fight off the wave of sleepiness, but he still found himself repeating her words, succumbing to the charmspeak laced in them.

“Yeah, I should just...put away my sword,” he mumbled and it was only once his sword was sheathed at his side that he seemed to come to his senses. It’s like a little voice was chirping in the back of his mind, telling him that he shouldn’t. That she was tricking him. That she wanted to fight him, she asked to fight him.

For a moment Nico just stared at his hand, a look of confused concentration playing on his face as he tried to put together what just happened, why exactly his sword was sheathed at his side and then...then he remembered who he’d been fighting.

“Heh,” Nico snorted back a small laugh, his lips curling up into an expression bordering on amusement. “Clever. I forgot you could use charmspeak and my defenses were too low to fight it.”

The demigod’s eyes flicked back up to Piper, watching her consideringly. “My mistake. That won’t happen again, I can promise you that.”

[keepitsimple]

Piper had taken advantage of Nico sheathing his sword to move a few steps away, then turn around and face him head-on again. She was holding her sword low, but still at the ready for whenever he inevitably re-drew his own, and she was definitely smiling herself. Not a smug, superior smile, though there was a hint of satisfaction there, not least of all because she’d almost gotten a smile out of him, and actually had gotten a single-syllable but still real laugh out of him, alongside what could only be taken as a compliment.

Nico didn’t seem like the type to give compliments very easily, so Piper decided to enjoy that one to the fullest, to let herself feel pleased at being called clever.

“I’m used to being underestimated. Gotta take every advantage in a fight, especially if you know the other person’s better or stronger than you.”

That considering look, the way the other demigod was watching her carefully as he made that very grim-sounding promise, was also a compliment, in a way. He was telling her that he’d take this seriously, which meant a lot, because he was telling her that she was worth taking seriously. Piper couldn’t help feeling like she’d passed some kind of test or entrance exam; but as she knew all too well from personal experience, just because you managed to get into a school didn’t mean you’d do well there, or even stick around for very long. She’d really have to buckle down and concentrate and do her best if she wanted to make this encounter worth Nico’s while.

Giving her sword as casual a spin as she could manage (which wasn’t very, considering its size), she kept smiling and raised an eyebrow, finally putting forward a potential not-quite-rule for this match.

“So...I won’t use my charmspeak, and you won’t use your shadow-travel, and we’ll both fight our hardest without actually trying to kill each other, like civilized people?”

[ghostking]

Nico gave a slight nod, his face still set in a not-quite smile as he reached to unsheathe his sword once again. “Sounds good to me.”

It wasn’t to say that Nico had been messing around before, but he had absolutely underestimated her and her abilities godly and otherwise. As he said it’s not a mistake he planned on making twice and though he had always been taking this seriously, this time he was going to treat her like he should’ve to start with--like a real opponent. Readying his sword was the only bit of preparation that he planned on giving her though and as soon as his hand closed on the hilt, he moved to close the distance between them once again, darting forward and aiming for her midsection.

“Let’s see just how much my sister’s managed to teach you.”

[keepitsimple]

Apparently not enough, unfortunately.

She was ready for his first attack, a probing of her defensive skills, but she wasn’t at all prepared for the relentless onslaught that followed. Hazel had pressed her attack for just a few blows and then stepped back, and there had been a lot of smiling and laughter as the smaller girl had given her instructions and tips and pointed out mistakes Piper had made. Nico, though, simply kept coming, his strikes harder than his sister’s, and Piper couldn’t find so much as the faintest crack or hint of friendliness in his expression.

She managed well enough at first, but soon she was struggling to keep up. Her sword was larger and heavier, while Nico’s darted in then flickered away, smooth and light as a shadow, and before long, Nico took advantage of that fact, stepping in as their blades made contact. Piper knew what he was doing right away--she’d watched her dad train with a swordsmanship coach for King of Sparta, and had even gotten a few lessons herself, not to mention a few playful “practice” sessions with her dad at home throughout the filming--but Nico was fast, and Piper couldn’t stop him from twisting her sword right out of her hand. As the oversized blade hit the stone of the courtyard with a clatter, Piper instinctively backed away a few steps, hand going to the dagger on her hip on reflex as she eyed both the location of her sword and Nico. She’d known better than to try to pick up her sword--in a real fight, he would’ve killed her before she could--but this wasn’t optimal either.

Well, best concede this round, and start again with her sword in her hand.

Piper straightened up out of her combat-ready crouch, letting her hand fall away from Katoptris, and gave a rueful smile.

“And this is why I came to you for help.”