Challenge or Reveal (Open Party!!)

[shinigami]

He almost says, why are you such a pussy? But he doesn't. No. He's quite smart, Ares is; he won't be tricked into wasting a question. He turns serious, gazing toward the village, meditative. Then he says: "What does everybody here feel about each other, truly?"

[admin]

There was a chord of panic in Poseidon's chest upon first hearing the question. His first instinct was to tell the truth. But one look at Terra and Maelstrom and he knew he would never be able to say a word.

"I shall have to pass, Ares," he said, lifting his chin to stare into the fire. "Punish me as you see fit."

[shinigami]

"What? Pass? Why?" Ares frowns. He, after all, sang about love and peace while naked. He didn't think betraying people's private thoughts was quite so bad in comparison. Also, he wanted to know. Especially if Poseidon didn't want to tell him. Ares hated Poseidon. He didn't hate many people, not at this point in his life, but he did hate Poseidon -- always the diplomat, always the peacekeeper. "You can just whisper it to me. Private-like."

Ares slings an arm around Poseidon's shoulders. Friendly, comraderie; he's just so easy, so full of heart. He says this next as if they were the only ones there, as if he was confiding something, but really, he's just being honest: "You don't really want me to punish you. 'Cause I don't like you."

And if Poseidon still resists, why, then Ares'll dole out a punishment.

[admin]

Poseidon knew this would come, but he was one that always stood by his principles. Especially if they involved his best friend.

"A person's emotions are private," he said in way of explanation, levelling Ares with a relentless look. "It is not my place to divulge them. Dish out what you will. I am not afraid of you, or you're unessecary violences."

[titan]

Maelstrom knew what Poseidon was sacrificing for this pass, and he was sorry. But he was sure that Poseidon could feel that. The only outward sign of his relief was a slight shake to his hands. He was otherwise cool and composed as always.

Lucient picked up the ball for Poseidon here with a hand on Ares' shoulder, "Go easy on him man, he's just protecting my love for you." he said, giving him a look that plainly said, 'Please don't be an ass this time.'

Light, War, and Air were a group of VERY good friends. So there was hope here.

[shinigami]

He's a passionate creature, Ares is; a creature of passions. For an instant, they contract into a fist; they'd shatter his friends and fellows into pieces. His gaze flares; his nostrils flare. He is less than happy. Poseidon's all self-righteous, and he should be afraid of Ares, oh, he should be, or at least that's what Ares thinks, and maybe that'll be his next reveal question, just who are you afraid of, Lord of Wave and Water, King of Storms and Sea, but no. Lucient's hand on his shoulder causes him to take his skewering glance away from Poseidon, look at the hand, sweet lashes low, shadowing his cheekbones.

He glances up and over at the girls, who're so quiet. Little Terra. Happydrunk Vita. Ombra, who has her arms wrapped around her knees, and is watching with secret eyes. Then he SIGHS, dramatic, and laughingly flings himself down.

"Oh, suck my dick. Not you, Poseidon. Heh. You -- yoooou. This'll be your punishment: You have to let me beat you up for ten minutes. And you have to fight back. And then you can't let anybody heal you for the rest of the night, and if anybody tries, you have to hurt them in whatsoever manner I see fit. Got it?"

[admin]

Poseidon shares a look with Terra, silently tells her that he was willing to keep everything a secret, even if it meant he had to toss his peaceful disposition aside and fight. They all knew fighting Ares made him stronger. That was his punishment, so be it.

"Fine," he said, just as quiet as ever. There was no sign of fear outwardly, but his insides were in knots, his heart thudding.

With the grace only befitting of the ocean, like undulating waves crashing upon the shoreline, Poseidon rose, his eyes averted to the ground. "Let's get this over with and get back to the game then."

And so yes, he fought.

[shinigami]

And when the fight was over, Ares examined the blood on his knuckles with a glance as amorous as any glance ever given by one lover to another. Then he wiped his bloody hand off on his -- well, his thighs, since he'd never bothered to put his clothes back on -- and he offered a hand to help Poseidon up. Unless, of course, poor Poseidon preferred to just loll where he fell. Ares had gone easy on Poseidon, for whatever reason. (There were many.) That didn't mean it had been easy.

[admin]

Poseidon took the offered hand, because he was never the type to hold grudges. He'd brought this on himself, and he did not blame Ares for taking advantage of the situation. It could have been worse, although his body... knew nothing but pain at the moment.

"Thank you," he mumbled, using the hand as leverage to return to his seat.

He took a long moment to compose himself, nodded at Vita in a signification that it was her turn now. "Challenge or reveal?"

[lily tomlinson]

Terra moved her seat away from Maelstrom to fuss over Poseidon, protective in her own nature. She didn't try to heal him, as that was part of his punishment, but she tried to be as comforting as she could. And quietly, so that no one would hear, she'd leaned over and whispered a 'thank you' to him, before urging him to lay his head in her lap instead of forcing himself to sit the whole time.

And then she gave the look to Ares. You know that look. The kind of look a mother would give when her child just broke her fine china. The perfect glare that made most feel very, very ashamed.

Vita, on the other hand, was unphased by the proceedings. She was only against violence when it was not needed. Poseidon had known what he was doing.

"Reveal," she said, running a hand through her hair. She just wasn't in the mood for a challenge just yet. Perhaps next time.

[admin]

Poseidon didn't bother to shrug off Terra's fussing. Instead, he smiled, albeit a bit bloodily, and turned his attention to Vita.

"If you were invisible for one day, what would be the first thing you would do?"

[lily tomlinson]

Vita smiled, tossing her gaze briefly to Lucient before settling them back onto Poseidon. "Rhys."

It was all she said. It was really all she needed, by the way she said it. What would she do? More like who. And he did ask the FIRST thing.

"Ombra, your turn."

[ombra]

"Me?" - shiver. Ombra wraps her arms more tightly around her legs and offers Vita a quiet, dreamy smile. "Challenge." That 'reveal' she'd done earlier was probably going to be the only one of its kind for the next century.

[lily tomlinson]

Vita's smile is a cross between wicked and mysterious as she contemplates what the challenge should be. Only to have it widen as she finally falls upon something delightfully.... awful.

With a glance around the circle, she edged over to Ombra and murmured the challenge so only she could hear. "I challenge you to seduce Lucient and then strike a blow to his ego."

[ombra]

Vita comes near, and Ombra leans to the side, her head canted to the side like a cat, to listen to the challenge. Her expression isn't impassive, but it's pretty close. Then she looks at Vita, quickly; her back straightens. She looks back at the bonfire. Not at anybody in particular. Not NOT at anybody in particular. Just back at the bonfire. Then she bites her lower lip, scraping teeth across, and says, "But... I don't know how to do that, Vita." She makes a face, as if she were going to sneeze, and her shoulders lift, protective. "I'm... no good at that kind of thing." Which isn't strictly true, although she sounds as though she believes it, and her darkly radiant eyes are so wide. Yep, whatever the challenge was, it's definitely got Ombra's back up.

Ares? Licks some blood from his knuckles, almost absently, and says, "Is it taking off your clothes? 'cause I'm sure somebody can help you, darlin'."