Sophia
The sun held heavy in the air above the clouds. The summer in Sweden was beginning to take shape, and a warm breeze brushed through the trees. Ares had found himself walking deeper and deeper into the woods that sat on the rim of the facility. Never particularly caring for nature, he decided it was a good way to pass the time anyways. 

His feet carried him swiftly over the roots and moss of the forest. Everything was quiet, serene and still. The birds chirped overhead, and even someone as pessimistic as Ares could admit a part of this was nice. He longed for the sun and summer of his hometown and Sweden was doing nothing but snuffing that out with heavy rains and clouds. For now, the coming summer would have to do. 

Continuing on into the woods, Ares thought about what he could do other than just *Walk around.* Coming up on a clearing, the fiery boy had an idea pop into his head. 


According to the staff, Ares was not allowed to blow things up under the idea that it was "Training." However, out here, who was going to tell him no? He was far enough out, that no one would hear the blasts or smell the smoke. Ares felt a bastard smirk pull on his tan features, as he paused in front of a tree. His converse shoes rested on top of lush green grass and moss, as he stood ready and aiming at the bark ahead. 

Ares raised his hand and opened his palm. Small sparks fell out from his skin, and a loud cracking sound ripped through the calm afternoon. A relatively large explosion had let loose from Ares' hand, and left a giant black mark in the middle of the tree. The smell of burnt wood filled his lungs, and small puffs of smoke radiated from his palm. The small fire he had started quickly went out, leaving only pieces of charred wood and bark strewn about. Although Ares wanted to test out his powers, he wasn't looking to burn down the entire forest. 

His breath made his chest rise and fall, the adrenaline from using his powers was unmatched.
Matthew
◇ Oh, if only Ares knew what he was getting himself into punching that tree...

□ Unbeknownst to the resident firecracker, that particular tree wasn't empty, and his explosive outburst wouldn't go unnoticed. About an hour earlier, Audrey had noticed that exact same tree while walking through the woods as she tended to do for much of her days, her rats left to rummage about their spacious well-stocked enclosure while she soaked in the sun and quaint beauty of the Swedish wilderness. Soaking it up she was, before, out of nowhere, she heard footsteps. Soft, but definitely not just an elk or whatever large cervidae specimen was most common in the south of Sweden, she had a few moments to look down from her arboreal perch about twenty feet up before a resounding shockwave rocked the branch upon which she'd been sitting, eliciting a fearful yet brief shriek from Audrey as she grabbed on for dear life.

▪︎ Then, as soon as it'd started it was over, and she let out a relieved yet slightly miffed sigh.

◆ "Dude, what the hell!? I mean, heck. Whatever. What the heck did you just *Do?*" She called out from up the tree, sentences flowing like warm honey between cautious yet flighty hops down the tree. She'd been startled out of her near-meditative state, and now rather than stick around in a tree besieged by explosive blasts she figured it was high time to get back to the ground. Of course, though, she had to descend the tree in an ankle-length dress, but after a few moments she dropped to the ground with a soft *Oof.* "You gave me a real spook, you know? Like, one moment, it's peace and serenity, and the next it feels like the tree itself's about to uproot itself and start walking! Gee..."
Sophia
Ares took a step back at the sudden call out from the tree in front of him. Nearly tripping over a root in the process, he looked upwards to find the source of the sound. He was deep as hell into the woods, who on earth would be crazy enough to be out here. Well... Other than him. 

"Huh?" 

As he looked up, he saw the person of interest. A rather tall girl, in a dress, sitting up in the tree. Ares cocked his head to the side in interest, with a confused scowl on his features. As the stranger jumped down from the tree, and landed on the ground Ares kept his eyes on her. He placed his open palm in front of his mouth, and blew the excess smoke in her direction. It was *Almost* A taunt. 

"Why is that my problem? What are *You* Doing so deep into the woods?" 

Ares placed his arms over his muscular torso. His voice was smooth and solid, it was loud and confident. He talked with the same energy as the smirk that pulled on his lips as he spoke. On top of his voice, he looked physically intimidating. Peaking out from his t-shirt, his rather large arms were visible. Not exactly the most welcoming face nor the face you'd like to see behind an explosion.

His deep auburn gaze remained locked on the girl in front of him, then it flickered to the burn mark on the tree beside her. He couldn't deny he was proud of his work.
Matthew
◆ "Oh, 'cause I feel more at home in the woods than anywhere else!" She replied, leaning against an unscathed section of tree so as to not stain her dress with charcoal. "If I could, I'd just live out here instead of at the Cradle, but... I've asked, and it was a no. Oh well."

□ Face twisting into the natural reaction to a face full of smoke, she tried her best to blow it all away, lips pursed and curled and swaying arcs of air to clear the space around her head. Looking down, she noticed the other lad seemed to almost be in a standoffish pose; but why? If anything, he was in the wrong for blowing a chunk out of a tree and nearly knocking her out of it in turn. However, she wasn't about to pass any judgments; maybe he was just having a bad day and didn't expect to see anyone else this deep in the woods, or perhaps he simply hated being shorter than a girl.

▪︎ She silently giggled at the thought, one of the few pros of being taller than most boys.

◆ "So, aside from destroying trees, what'cha doing out here? Taking in the nice weather? Sweden's way nicer than I expected it to be!... Probably the gulf stream doing its thing, come to think of it. I'm Audrey, by the way, what's your name, hun?"
Sophia
Ares laughed slightly at Audrey mentioning living in the woods. It was somewhat genuine, somewhat teasing. He didn't know himself. 

"The dumbasses running the Cradle aren't the most open minded people, huh?" 

A smirk remained on his features. He had to hold himself back from snickering at her reaction to the smoke, it was always fun messing with people. Especially one's he had never seen before. Ares took in the girl in front of him, she was taller than him with long ginger coloured hair that glowed against the sun. She seemed to fit in well against the deep emerald greens of the forest. 

"Im testing out some of my powers, specifically. According to staff, blowing things up isn't a valid form of training. Which is strange, considering this place is a damn magic school. You think they could accommodate for me."

The way Ares spoke was nothing short of confident. The way deep sounds weaved their way through accented tones made him sound as though he could speak for hours and never stutter or stumble. His hands moved with each articulation and syllable, as he used them to accentuate his points. He raised a brow at her introduction, and nearly scoffed at her calling him *Hun,* But he decided to let it slide. 

"The name's Ares. I haven't seen you around before, Audrey. You like, new or something?" 

The air around them remained silent now that Ares was done disturbing the peace. The moss soaked up the dappled sunlight that reached down and rested on the forest floor. Birds sang through the air while wind rustled the trees above the two.
Matthew
◆ "Fear not." She spoke, a somewhat disapproving yet still flowery lilt to her voice. "But oh well, I get to stay out here all day while my rats run around their cage, so... I guess it could be worse, right?"

□ Ever the optimist, she even found herself siding with authority when said authority had declined her request for an exemption to the curfew placed upon the Cradle's populace. On one hand, she understood; these angels, after all, were murderous, and they weren't afraid to sneak onto campus. On the other, though... All she truly wanted to do was built a nice little hut out at the campsite Stretch had led her to and live her days out in there. *Oh well.* Her lips pursed lightly at the thought, melting back into the near-permanent smile her lips were always curled into.

▪︎ She nodded as the boy told her his name: Ares.

◆ "Oh, like the Greek God of war, right? That's a really cool name, actually! Apparently my parents were hoping for twins so they could have named my brother and I Apollo and Artemis, but... He came out two years before me, so Audrey it is." She shrugged, idly kicking up dirt with the toe of her well-worn hiking boot. "I got here... Two weeks ago? Something like that. I haven't been keeping great track of time, hun, and also I never have to sleep so I don't have the temporal bookends that most people have, you know? Anyways, that shock was your power? Gee, that's impressive! Like I said, it really felt like the tree was about to uproot itself and start walking like some sort of druidic gundam."
Sophia
Ares tapped his foot lightly, looking around the clearing. Near where they were talking rested a fallen tree. It was dug deep into the moss, and had a few mushrooms growing out of the top. It had clearly been there for a while.

An idea popped into his head as he listened to Audrey speak. He leaned forward, and pulled a solid chunk of slightly burnt wood off of the tree. It came off with a quick and solid crack, and Ares had to put in very little effort. His muscles came in handy for the strangest things, he thought. Ares tossed the wood in the air a few times, spinning it against his fingers before making his way over to the fallen tree. 

"Yeah, everyone always says that for some reason. My name *Is* Cool though, so you got that right." 

He snickered as he sat down against the wood. The dappled sunlight danced across his features, and warmed his tan skin. His almost black brown hair, showed its true red undertones under the soft glowing light. There was more than enough space on the rest of the log, and a moss patch in the clear space front of him. He dug through his pockets for a second, before raising his gaze back to Audrey.

"Never have to sleep? That must be useful." Ares' gaze fell back downwards towards the chunk of wood in his hand. 

"And yeah, that's my power. Its wasn't a shock, it was an explosion." 

Before turning to his original plan, he held up his hand. He made eye contact with Audrey, and within seconds small sparks were falling out of his palm. They collected in his hand, and a very tiny explosion went off against his skin. It was barely even an explosion, more like a very *Large* Spark. 

"Of course they can be much larger than that, as you saw, but you get the idea." He leaned back on the wood slightly. "So, now that we are clearly playing show and tell... What is *Your* Power, ginger giant?" 

Ares laughed under his breath at the nickname, and his smirk spelled trouble.
Matthew
◆ "Oh, confident, huh?" Audrey remarked, mostly amused more than anything else. "I mean, heck, it's a cool name indeed, but I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that."

□ Now that the initial shock of being shook out of her arboreal perch had subsided, Audrey was finding it easier to get into the flow of chatting with Ares. Sure, he was confident, bold, and perhaps even a bit arrogant, but that was fine by her. Maybe, she hoped, his confidence would rub off on her a little. Shaking the dark thoughts out she watched as he ripped a chunk of blackened bark off the tree and began to plot, the cogs in his head turning clear as day by her estimations.

▪︎ She hummed as he sat down and started to chat again.

◆ "Shock, explosion, whatever! It all felt the same travelling up my spine." She chuckled, folding her hands over each other in her lap. Looking on, she watched as sparks formed in his hand, fizzling out in a firecracker pop after a few moments to her starry-eyed amazement. "Whoa... That's so cool, actually! A lot cooler than my powers, that's for sure. Uh... You see these green expanses of vines under my skin? Well, they're all mats of chlorophyll, and my body gets all of its sustenance and energy from them! I actually don't need to eat or sleep, I just lay in the sun for a while and *Bam,* Bob's my uncle!" She cheerily spoke, even if it didn't make complete sense. "I can also re-emit sunlight and form it into little candlelights, and I can grow flowers and herbs and stuff from my skin. It's pretty handy, but ultimately it also meant that back home I was basically bedridden more often than not; the Pacific Northwest's more rainy than anything else, and rainy weather means no sun, so..."
Sophia
"Hope it didn't hurt too much, *Nena.*" 

Ares laughed, and moved his hands through the pockets of his sweatpants. Pulling out a small knife, which he then tossed in the air and caught once again. The boy was quite the showoff, clearly. He flicked the blade out from the handle, and dug it deep into the wood. A small piece fell off, exposing a rich cream colour under the charred black. The carving was almost entirely mindless, simply something to do with his hands. 

"Oh so you're like a solar panel or whatever, and you can grow plants? Thats fuckin' sick."

 He leaned over slightly to look at the roots that weaved their way under her skin. The sun illuminated them and made them look as though they danced in tandem with her veins. Ares could admit even in the slightest amount, it was a pretty to look at. 

"Man you would love where i'm from." He laughed. "Puerto Rico and California. The sun basically never leaves around there." A genuine smile pulled under Ares' bastard smirk. He loved talking about his home town.

He dug his knife into the wood again. A satisfying sound echoed out softly every time the blade left the bark. Small shavings fell down into the moss at his feet, as he leaned his elbows down onto his knees.

"You mentioned the Pacific Northwest, is that where you're from?" 

He looked up from his wood, and over to Audrey. Who had found a comfortable seat near Ares.
Matthew
◆ "Not really? It was just more surprising than anything else."

□ Followed up with a soft giggle that was the vocal equivalent of a tilde, she shook her head lightly in an attempt to sway a few strands of hair out of her face. It worked, and after a moment she looked back at Ares, expression cut into one of placid listening and observation. The lad, as it turned out, was messing around with the bark of the log he was sitting on, exposing the underlying wood protected from the elements by its barky coat. She could even see where termites had been carving out nests, indented into the underlying wood through months if not years of work.

▪︎ Maybe it was a weird thing to be thinking about.

◆ "Pretty much, yeah!" She chirped in response. "Also, ooh, I'm sure I would. Washington state's rainy all the time, and it's such a *Bummer...* I haven't been to Puerto Rico but I visited the Dominican Republic with my family when I was twelve or so, and gee, all that sun left me with a bit of envy." She half-joked, thinking back to that trip and how utterly revitalized she felt after it came to an end. As it turns out, two weeks spent in the Caribbean sun was exactly what the doctor ordered for her wintertime malaïse. "Anyways, I'm from Olympia in particular! Little neighbour called the Rhodonite Heights. It's really nice, but it's also so rigid and boring... Oh well, home is home. What was *Your* Hometown like?"
Sophia
"Hm. Never heard of it. All that rain sounds depressing."

Ares snickered a little. His deep auburn gaze was focused on the wood in front of him, while he mindlessly carved at the wood in his hands. The rough bark matched the rough callouses on his palms. 

He leaned his elbows down on his knees, before looking over at Audrey. A part of him had no clue why he was still talking to her, but figured it was something better to do then wander aimlessly around the woods. He could admit the soft sunlight that danced around the mossy clearing was comforting at least. 

"My hometown? Well, most of my time was spent in California, and that was pretty boring not gonna lie." He raised his eyebrows before returning his gaze to the wood in front of him. "Although, every break we would fly down to Puerto Rico to see my fathers family and that's when things got fun. Me and my siblings got into lots of trouble there." Ares laughed at the mention.

"Honestly, this facility should be thanking every god there possibly is that my siblings didn't come here with me."

He tossed the wood up and caught it, he was getting bored again. The wood shavings that rested down at his feet began piling up, and the charred piece in his hand was slowly starting to loose its outward black tint. 

"You got any siblings?" Ares looked up for a second, with curiosity in his eyes before returning them downwards. "They're the *Worst*." He was clearly playing a lighthearted joke, based on the smirk resting on his features.
Matthew
◆ "Oh, it is, hun. It's so glum, but it's also a nice place when it *Isn't* Raining. Lots of stuff to forage out in the woods; had my own little log shed I built out in the woods, even!" She warmly recounted her days spent in the wilderness surrounding her hometown. "Anyways, that *Does* Sound really fun; *Suns out guns out* Kinda mentality to getting up to no good, huh?"

□ She could only imagine the sheer mayhem Ares was capable of getting up to. Confident, bold, and explosively gifted, he seemed the sort who could get up to some serious no good, and she couldn't help but admire it. Though she was also a bit of a miscreant, her tales were few, and they were tame, but the idea of a kid Ares running around blowing stuff up on an island was just amusing enough for her to softly giggle.

▪︎ She looked back at him, and his effortless carving either borne from talent or boredom.

◆ "I have a brother, yup!" She nodded, tapping her thumb against the back of her hand. "His name's Austen, and he's... Something. He's not parahuman, that's for sure. He plays football and basketball, works on his car a lot, trades stocks during lunch period... He's kind of a mix between a frat boy and a day trader, and I fear for whatever university he ends up at."

○ She laughed and shook her head.
Sophia
"I guess that does sound nice." Ares' could imagine a cabin in the woods away from everyone might be appealing, not for him but the prospect of someone enjoying that wasn't outlandish to him. 

"Yeah I guess so." His words fell out through a laugh, he had never really been told that expression before but it was funny to him. His smirk had pulled itself into a genuine smile for a moment.

Audrey seemed nice. Sitting here under the soft sun and chirping of birds, Ares could admit this conversation was going better than he thought it would. She didn't seem scared of him, which was new. People didn't exactly accept Ares with open arms, let alone on the *First* Interaction. Her caring behaviour must stem from being naive, or she had no clue who he was. *That had to be it,* He thought. 

Ares felt his rough hands dig into the wood more. He had no clue what he was trying to carve, but he was doing *Something.* Something to keep his mind occupied.

"Ah, a brother? He sounds just as insufferable as mine." His bastard smirk and teasing expression was back, and he laughed a little before continuing. "My brother Caleb is a *Total* Nerd. He is into engineering, can you believe that? Who actually *Enjoys* Math?" 

"My twin sister is worse, but I get along with her better. Do you get along with your brother?"

With the way his accented tone weaved its way through his words, Ares clearly had a lot of love for his family. Despite teasing them to the end of the earth, he also had nothing but respect and appreciation for them. Of course, he would die before saying this out loud.
Matthew
◆ "Hey, I like math!... And most STEM subjects, honestly. I was in IB-equivalent homeschooling classes back home; tease me all you want, I understand." She joked, humming for a few moments. "I kinda get along with him, but I also don't understand him, even after fifteen years under the same roof, y'know? He's... Kind of the polar opposite of me in a lot of ways. He's brash, he's loud, he's always the center of attention, I heard him doing God knows what with upperclassmen all the time... Stuff like that. He also doesn't understand me, so... I guess it's mutual."

□ A touch dejected at having to admit it out loud, she thought for a few solid moments about Austen, and how little they truly got along. They co-existed, sure, but they didn't talk a whole lot outside of lowly conversations and asking favours, which seemed the polar opposite of Ares and his merry band of hell-raising siblings. Had she grown up in a bad household? Or were smart kids destined to grow distant from their less ambitious, less intelligent siblings? Whatever the case she knew that ultimately the bond between her and her brother wasn't particularly strong, and while it stung she'd have been a fool to keep stuffing it down. 

▪︎ So, she exhaled deeply, and pushed off of the tree she'd been leaning against.

◆ "Weird question. Did you see any mushrooms on your way here? Because I was looking, and I wasn't having much luck, but apparently it's mushroom season now and the forager in me is chomping at the bit to get down to the ground and start plucking 'em again."
Sophia
"Oh, I'm definitely going to tease you!" Ares let out a loud laugh that shook his whole chest. The boy's laugh matched his personality well. It was unapologetic and truly Ares. "You sound like quite the nerd, ginger." 

Ares sat quietly while Audrey spoke of her brother. He tilted his head up, and to the side at her words. He could hear a force under her tone, and it was obvious something about him bothered her. Flicking his eyes back to the wood in his hand, he decided it wasn't his problem.

"I thought you smart people have the brains to figure everything out. My older brother Caleb is a nerd like you, and he knows what he is doing." He shrugged a tad, and pressed his tongue to his cheek with a sigh before continuing. "Or at least, it seems like he does, I don't know." 

The knife dug deeper into the wood, with sure and steady strokes. Ares *Was* The less intelligent younger sibling. His brother and sister were nerds, as he liked to put it. One was on his way into engineering, and the other on her way into biochemistry. Ares, having failed almost all of his classes, felt misplaced in it all. Of course, he would never admit this to himself or anyone for that matter. Ares knew he was cooler than them, and was smart where it counted. He didn't need good grades. 

His sharp auburn gaze raised to Audrey at her next question.

"Mushrooms? You smoke or somethin?" Ares snickered. He wouldn't put it past the hippie looking girl in front of him to be a total druggie. "I don't know if the ones I saw are the ones you can get high off of, but I *Did* See some." A teasing mocking tone found its way under his lighthearted jab, and his accent popped out in places. 
_ _

Ares stood up, and tossed the piece of wood far into the bushes that surrounded the tree line. He clicked the switchblade back into its handle, and shoved it into his pocket. He yawned slightly, and stretched his arms up over his head. The mid day sun seemed to tire him out for reasons not even Ares could understand. He lowered his arms and straightened out his hoodie.

"Onwards then!" He cheered in a rather underwhelming tone. "Follow me."

Ares took a few steps off towards the direction he came in. He turned his head over his shoulder briefly to see if Audrey was indeed following.
Matthew
◆ "Noooo! Not my nerdiness being used against me!" She feigned defeat, even dramatically raising a hand over her forehead before letting it all break down into laughter, hand falling to her hip as her face lit up with the embrace of joy. "I kinda gave you all the ammo, I just... Heh, I wanted to make the joke. Oh well."

□ Laughing for a couple more moments, she clasped her hands over her lap again, slender digits tying complex knots as she began to walk around the general clearing. It wasn't just to deal with Ares' intense confidence, but instead a way to search for mushrooms without breaking the flow of convo. Speaking of which, she let out a snort at the open-ended question of whether she smoked; "I did it sometimes back home, yeah..." She'd admit between Ares' words, but other than that she let him talk, humming softly and growing a small chain of daisies through the crown of her hair.

▪︎ It was so effortless, yet it turned out so well.

◆ "But, no," She piped up after he was done talking, "I don't doubt there's magic mushrooms out in the woods, but I'm just after the normal ones now, hun! I used to actually make money selling foraged mushrooms and farm fresh eggs and stuff at the local farmer's market; I guess the people running it were fond of fourteen year-old me walking in with a wicker basket full of goods like *Hey, I know I'm just a kid, but can I sell my stuff here? I have money for a permit!* That, and I think my parents asked them in advance. They're well-respected and stuff, so..."
Sophia
Ares walked ahead of Audrey, leading the way with ease and confidence. The spotty sunlight washed over him as he made his way through the woods. Surprisingly, he knew where he was going. 

"Hmm, cooler than I thought." Ares snickered at her response to if she smoked or not. Clearly, he was the kind of person who attached defying authority with being fun. At least Audrey wasn't a *Total* Stick in the mud.

He hummed slightly while Audrey recounted her experiences with selling things back in her home town. 

"Sounds interesting honestly. The grind never stops, I guess." Ares was a surprisingly good listener. Alongside his tendency to talk about himself, he seemed to enjoy when other people rambled to him as well. Although, his enthusiasm was underwhelming as always. 

The two continued to walk. The soft chirp of birds danced around their conversation, and it didn't take long for them to find exactly what they were looking for. In a small cluster near the bottom a tree, thick brown mushrooms grew out of the ground. They were large with small caps, and the stems faded down towards white near the ground. The moss hugged the base, and they were illuminated by the warm golden sun. 

"There they are!" Ares walked over and crouched down in front of the cluster of mushrooms. He balanced on the back of his heel, and looked at them with a deep gaze. In his undeniable curiosity, he poked the cap of the mushroom with his finger a couple times.

"I have no clue if they are edible or not, but they don't look poisonous."

 He returned to his standing position, and looked at Audrey with a shrug. "Don't trust me though."
Matthew
◆ "Heh, did you think I was just a boring nerd?" Audrey remarked, clearly toying and lighthearted. "I had a bit of a delinquent streak back home. Nothing crazy, mind you, but..."

□ But, what, oh dear Audrey? Well, she'd divulge if asked, but otherwise she'd keep quiet and keep on walking, hands shifting around as various low-hanging branches and their accompanying budding fruits caught her attention. This was where she thrived, out in the heart of the wilderness, and she barely even made a sound as she walked, instead absorbing every last smidgen of nature's embrace. After about two minutes of strolling and pointing out various edible berries and wild plants, Ares announced that the pair were there, and out of respect she stood by as he knelt down to inspect them.

▪︎ Clearly, he didn't know his mushrooms.

◆ "Oh, gimme a moment and I'll..." Kneeling down, she leaned in close, jade eyes inquisitively examining the mushroom cluster's cap. Plucking one, she continued to examine, humming a Janis Joplin track and running her fingers over the gills and stems for a few moments before letting out a satisfied *Ah ha* And looking back up at Ares. "Penny buns! Or, as they'd be known here, Karl Johans; it's because of a Franco-Swedish prince or something, he taught people that penny buns weren't to be feared, and so they're now named after him. Funny how names stick." She warmly spoke, tempered excitement ridding her voice with pops of enthusiasm. "They're actually *Delicious,* Though, dude... Here, try one! I promise these are good, everything checks out and there aren't many look-alikes."
Sophia
As he watched Audrey look at them further, he listened to what she had to say. Ares couldn't say he cared for mushrooms, much like he didn't care for the forest or birds. Yet here he was, out in the woods with a hippie picking mushrooms. He folded his arms over his chest while he waited, once again looking very stand off-ish despite this not being the case. Ares had a bad habit of being naturally intimidating without trying. 

"Ayo?" Ares leaned forward slightly to look at the mushroom. "Well then." He reached an arm down, grabbed a mushroom, and without hesitation took a huge bite out of the cap. 

As he chewed, Ares *Very* Clearly was not the type of person that cared much about self preservation. Any normal person wouldn't have been so wiling to put something they knew *Nothing* About in their mouth. Yet here he was, chewing on a mushroom that for all he knew could have been poisonous. Why not play with the odds? The risk was the fun part of all of this.

"It doesn't taste half bad, honestly." 

His voice was sure, and not a drop of hesitation or regret was audible. It was true, the mushroom didn't taste bad. It had a certain smooth nutty flavour that Ares had never really tasted before. It was bland for his tastes, but to be fair he probably did not take a bite of the best part. He couldn't care less.

He took another bite of the mushroom.

"Yeah like uh, cooked alongside some onions or in a stirfry. Could make a decent dinner. Specifically though, this but *Spicy* Would be delicious."
_ _

Ares spoke as though he knew how to cook and although he did, he was permanently banned from the kitchen back home in California for almost burning down the house. However, despite the way he cooked, Ares had a very secret talent for making delicious savoury dishes. His father had taught him many recipes from Puerto Rico, and Ares knew all of them by heart.

"Maybe we should cook some, back at the facility. Could be fun to figure out." A part of Ares did not want to admit he was looking forward to doing something like that. So far, he hadn't gotten the opportunity to cook. All the ingredients he needed, were no where to be found in a place like Sweden.

If anyone asked why he offered to do such a thing, he was simply *Bored.*
Matthew
◆ "Gee, you sure don't fear anything!" Audrey let out a surprised laugh as Ares knelt down, plucked a shroom, and bit the cap clean off in two bites. "Usually when I show people edible mushrooms they're pretty hesitant about trying it, since they've all usually heard the horror stories, but jeez... You just ate the sucker!"

□ Giggling, she also found herself kicking herself right in the butt for not bringing her basket with her. Had she brought it she could have plucked up quite a few penny buns, maybe dried them out in the oven to sell as stock enhancers, but instead all she could do was pick one herself and take a bite. Earthy, meaty, a bit of umami... Even raw, the mushroom in her hand tasted delicious, and once she was done she did something a little *Peculiar.* Flattening a palm against the ground, she could be heard uttering some sort of prayer – a thank you to Demeter, if Ares could hear well – and after a few moments she rose to her feet with a warm smile.

▪︎ If asked, she'd explain, but now that she knew penny buns were in season the old ways were coming back, like an old smoker making a dire mistake.

◆ "Right? When I used to cook for my friends back home I used dried porcini mushrooms a lot, and those are just dried out penny buns – there's a lot of that in the fungi kingdom, weirdly enough." She spoke, swaying lightly in place and looking at the bases of various trees in case she might have been lucky enough to spot another cluster, maybe something different. She'd have to get her hands on a foraging guide tailored to Sweden... "Like, portobellos, creminis, and button mushrooms are all the same darn mushroom too, just at different stages of their life. I dunno. Anyways, I'd love to! I cooked for my friends back home too, but I was never amazing. I just know the basics of being in a kitchen, and some decent vegetarian recipes, so... Also, your idea has me thinking. I know you can make faux BBQ pulled pork with oyster mushrooms, so maybe we could figure out how to turn these penny buns into some sort of spicy kebab or something? Just throwing ideas out, hun."
Sophia
Ares' features held a permanent smile. A smirk of kinds, a grin that spelt trouble in every language. It was a bold expression that fit his face nicely and flowed effortlessly around his words. Confidence leaked from each syllable like poisonous honey, yet the sickeningly sweet charming flavours suited him well. 

"Whats the point? Playing with risk is much more fun. If something bad happens, its all part of the thrill." 

Ares popped the last bit of the mushroom in his mouth and crushed it beneath his canines. Now all he had to do was wait to see if Audrey was lying to him or not about it being edible. The thought left his mind rather quickly though, like a busy train that never stopped. Ares wasn't the type to get all hung up on those types of things. 

He cocked his head to the side in thought for a moment while the other spoke. Her words contrasted his, they were smooth and melodic like the hypnotic plucks of an acoustic guitar. It rang out softly against the forest floor, and rested against the moss like the summer sun. Ares couldn't deny it suited her well. 

"Oooh. A *Spicy* Kebab." Ares snickered. "Can you handle spice, hippie?" 

He spoke in his same bastard tone as he crossed his arms around his chest. The stark black tones of his t-shirt and dark greys of his sweatpants contrasted the soft greens and browns of the forest. Ares stood out like a firecracker in a pack of cigarettes. Yet, he wore this well.
Matthew
◆ "Hah, I guess so, huh?"

□ Softly laughing, she kept on looking around at the other trees, knowing how fungi loved to sprout up around their bases and through their bark, and though she saw a few more clusters of penny buns she knew she wouldn't be able to take them with her. So, she let out a soft sigh and turned on the heels of her boots, looking back at Ares as the confident lad called into question her spice tolerance, self-assured in tone that she'd be like every other rich white girl and unable to handle anything spicier than Dijon mustard.

▪︎ She let out a chuckle.

◆ "Maaaybe." She playfully replied, albeit with the awareness that she, in fact, could *Not* Handle spice. "But I guess it all depends how hot it is, hun! I'm gonna have to come back here tomorrow and actually forage, but I can already *Taste* Those kebabs, gee... You don't mind handling the meat part, right? I don't eat meat myself, but I'm sure a hunk like you does, soooo."
Sophia
Ares looked at the mushrooms, and then the lack of a basket. He nodded slightly and let out a dramatic, over exaggerated sigh of distress.

"Tomorrow? Ill have to wait *Soooooo looooonnnggg~*" He bursted out into a snickering laughter, clearly unable to keep himself serious. "Sounds good to me, we can cook them then."

His words fell out through a voice that had a left over laugh weaved between each sound. Compared to the way he spoke when the two first met, Ares was already loosening up. Something about Audrey had that affect. She didn't get pissy at his jokes, and she was open to his dumb ideas. She laughed with him, didn't tell him what to do, what was there for Ares to hate? 

All of these ideas fell under Ares' subconscious. A part of him could feel them, but he wouldn't admit them. 

"Oh, yeah of course! I love meat, my god." He *Almost* Felt his ego rise at Audrey calling him a hunk, whether it was a joke or not. "I can handle it no problem."

Ares looked at the mushrooms, before pausing to think. He stretched his arms over his head, and brought them down to his chest. Faint pops and cracks rang out as the boy pulled on his knuckles. 

"You got anything else to do in the woods, or can I call it quits and see you again tomorrow?"

He asked in a lighthearted tease, but the tilt of his head and lack of malice in his brow itched at some sort of genuine emotion under his asshole exterior.
Matthew
◆ "Hah, you can wait!" Audrey laughed alongside him, her own bubbly laughter intermingling with his snickering. "It'll be worth it, I think. It'll actually give us time to figure out what to have with it, right? And I think that's pretty important!"

□ Warm, gentle speech. It was what left Audrey's mouth as the previous laughter gave way to amused yet tempered calm, a smile fixing itself on her lips like a persistent zit, and as the pair joked she nestled a few penny buns into the crevice betwixt arm pressed to her stomach and the lovely fabric of her dress. It simply wasn't in her nature to come out into the great outdoors and *Not* Take a few gifts back with her, right? Looking back over at her friend, she hummed very softly in response, barely louder than the breaths rising through her nose and out her mouth, and considered his question.

▪︎ *Did* She have anything else to do?

◆ "Oh, I'm probably gonna stick out here for a bit, actually. Look around, see if there's more stuff I could come back and forage tomorrow once I've got my basket." She casually spoke, that same smile from before plastered on her face. "But if you wanna go back, I'm not gonna stop you, hun! Just don't destroy any trees on your way back, *Firecracker.*"

○ Two could do the teasing nickname game, it seemed. She giggled.
Sophia
Ares looked at Audrey as she spoke, and laughed a little at the new nickname. The two of them seemed to be getting on well, and that was rather refreshing for someone like Ares.

"Well good luck then. Im gonna head out." He looked over his shoulder towards the direction of the facility, before turning back forward. "And, *No promises." He snickered.

"Don't smoke all of the mushrooms, hippie." For a second his smile almost looked genuine. With a quick saluting motion, and the turn of his heels, the bastard boy was off back towards the concrete prison. His accent pressed its way to the forefront of his words as he called back towards Audrey.

The birds sung overhead as Ares walked through the green. His converse shoes carried him over roots and moss. After a few minutes, another small patch of mushrooms near the base of a tree caught his eye. With a soft smirk, he hoped Audrey would find those, and kept on his way.

Ares had no care for the woods, or mushrooms. He didn't think of the small buzzing bees or flowers that sprouted proudly out of the dirt. Yet for some reason, Audrey seemed to make him think about stupid stuff like that. A part of his mind wondered how long it would take for her to figure out some reason to get annoyed with him. Despite his doubts, he had no complaints, and was surprisingly looking forward to them cooking tomorrow. 

The sun almost felt warmer that day.
Matthew
◆ "No promises!... Even though you don't smoke mushrooms. Do you? I dunno."

□ And with that final uncertain goodbye, she'd go back to strolling through the woods, the ethereal nature spirit she was always meant to be. Maybe this place wasn't so bad.