<div class="floatleft">(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcQlmbe8hOei3dfpW3A_Y5pasVRCOx0mJ8bPozh5xFpPpBPlnVbh&amp;usqp=CAU)</div><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: engravers mt;">Alexandra Rose Pretorius</span></span><br/><strong>Blessed By::</strong>Ares<br/><strong>Location::</strong>Ares's Room in the Temple<br/><strong>Company::</strong>Jeremiah, Ares, Open {Mentioning: Seth, Akira}<br/><strong>Date/Time::</strong>June 20th<br/><strong>Mood::</strong>Mix of emotions<br/><strong>Wearing::</strong>See picture<br/><strong>TRIGGER WARNINGS::</strong>Language<br/><strong>NOTES:</strong>This is a collaborative post between Dragongoddess<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">(Lex)</span></span>and Gannameade (Jeremiah).<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">What Lex says will appear like this.</span></span>What Jeremiah says will appear like this.<br/><br/><br/><br/><hr/>Lex’s hearing came back before anything else.  Before she could move or open her mouth, she heard the distinctive sound of Jeremiah’s footsteps but the floor sounded different.  It wasn’t the same sound as she could have expected from the floor in his place.  However, her mind couldn’t place the type of flooring.  Her head hurt too much too even try to consider the possibilities.<br/><br/>It took Alexandra longer to rise than Jeremiah could have assumed but her chest did begin to visibly rise and fall again by the time his mind reached its countdown.  When she finally did regain consciousness, she couldn’t open her eyes at first…or maybe it was that she just couldn’t see.  Her voice was soft as if she was having a difficult time readjusting to air.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”Wha-What happened?”</span></span>She forced the words out of her mouth, though she wasn’t sure that anyone was around to hear them.  Immediately trying to get up, the blessed of Ares cried out in pain, her body falling back to the floor with her head hitting with an audible crack.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”Nng!”</span></span>Her breath became harsh and ragged and it took Lex a few minutes before she could try anything again.<br/><br/>When she was finally able to try again, she opened her eyes.  Unfortunately, the darkness of the room combined with her body’s continuing effort to heal itself made for near blackness for the young girl.  Still, she could see she was no longer in Jeremiah’s living quarters.  She thought she could see the outline of a larger than life man menacingly looking over her.  Was she in the temple?  No…she had seen Ares’s room in the dark.  It never had an orange glow before.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”Where am I?”</span></span>She asked, forcing herself to her feet while gritting her teeth at the pain of the effort.<br/><br/>When she finally made it to her feet, she found her balance completely off and knew she was about to fall when she reached out and found a cold metal to hold onto.<em>’Metal bars?  What the actual fuck?’</em>She thought to herself.  What kinds of sick games was Jeremiah playing?<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”JEREMIAH!”</span></span>Her voice had finally returned as she screamed out as if attempting to carry far outside the room.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: engravers mt;">”WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?!?”</span></span><br/><br/>”I needed to know why you hate me so much…that is what is going on here, Lex.”<br/><br/>The voice, as unexpected as it was, startled Lex, forcing her to take a few steps back and nearly knocking her right back onto her ass.  The steps had backed her right into the punching bag and after he was clearly getting a sick kick out of keeping her in a cage, Lex looked at the bag, seeing only Jeremiah’s face there.  She wanted to punch it until there was nothing recognizable left of it, but she refrained from doing so, focusing her mind on what Jeremiah’s invisible voice said in the darkness.<br/><br/><em>‘Hate…?’</em>He thought she hated him?   How was that even possible?  After she had confided in him secrets only a select few in existence even knew about her…  After she had worked so diligently for him for so long…  After she considered him one of her very few friends at the camp or even in the world…  After everything…  Now he thought she hated him?  Where was this coming from?<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”Hate you?”</span></span>She asked, the confusion clearly noticeable both in her voice as well as on her face and through her body language.  After a moment of thought, she started to chuckle.  This all had to be a joke!  Jeremiah was just trying to be funny, right?  Right?<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”Alright.  C’mon now.  Quit playing games.  You know I don’t hate you.”</span></span>Walking up to the bars of her cage, Lex could clearly see Jeremiah’s outline now, though his face wasn’t clear.  With her voice becoming serious again, she finished.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”Now, let me out of here.  This isn’t funny.”</span></span><br/><br/>”Surely you know…it would have something to do with or even you wouldn’t break into my room.  The only place that is truly mine in all of this…and I told you that!”<br/><br/>Lex couldn’t see the pain on his face, but she could hear it in his voice.  At first, she did start to truly regret what she had done.  She had needed to talk to him, and she hadn’t wanted anyone else to know.  She knew…or thought she knew…that no one else in the entire camp had the<strong>balls</strong>to break into his place, let alone go anywhere near it without him present.  She had needed his friendship, his comfort.  She had needed the only other person she felt she could show any of her weakness to.  And she thought she could wait there, alone, until he showed up.  Unfortunately, her newest top rival had to show up!  Lex wasn’t even sure why.  What could he have possibly wanted with Jeremiah?  It didn’t matter, Lex could see now that she made a mistake.  She never should have done what she did.<br/><br/>Her mind was jolted out of her guilt as soon as she heard Jeremiah’s next words.  ”So, let me guess.  Someone controlled you and your boytoy to break into my house, is that it?  NO, no.  You left something in my desk that you simply had to retrieve…Was that it, Alexandra?!?  Tell me you didn’t just do so cause you felt like it, or cause you were nosy or something simply like that.  And you are right.  It is not funny and I am NOT amused.  What were you doing in my place…with him?!?”<br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: engravers mt;">’BOYTOY?!?!?’</span>Lex heard practically nothing else once Jeremiah accused her of having any interest in the honorless, wimpy, little brat Athena had recently chosen.<span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: engravers mt;">’Oh, hell no!  Not even close!’</span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”BOYTOY?!?”</span></span>She said so pissed she was outright laughing.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”What the <em>fuck</em> are you <em>on</em>?!?  You think I purposefully broke into your house and what?!?</span></span>That was where the laughter ended.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”WAITED FOR SOME ATHENA CUNT WITH NO RESPECT FOR ANYONE BUT HER OWN CHILDISH SELF?!?”</span></span>Lex wanted to add the fact that this kid seemed interested in killing her and even had the balls to challenge her to a duel but right now, Jeremiah didn’t give a fuck about her.  Why would he possibly care that Lex might die if he was accusing her of something this outrageous…  Besides, Lex was constantly going head-first into situations where she might possibly die…and she always came back from them.  And that wasn’t even to mention the curse she had to live every day of her life with.  No, Jeremiah wouldn’t care and it wouldn’t even be anything new to him so Lex would keep it to herself.<br/><br/>After taking a deep breath, her voice hinted at the pain she felt from Jeremiah’s accusation but showed that she had put the strong wall she used to keep everyone out back up…the same wall she and Jeremiah had worked so hard to tear down so she could have one person who understood and didn’t have to be completely alone.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”Why would I do that?  Huh?  I can’t believe you would expect me to throw all of my dignity and honor out the window like that.  Thought you knew me better than that.”</span></span><br/><br/>”I thought I knew you better than that, but you did break into my place…but apparently we were both wrong.  And you are deflecting.  Why did you break into my home?”  Lex saw Jeremiah finally move out of the shadows and into the light, still far enough away from her that she couldn’t even try anything.  Did he really think she would?  Lex had no clue<em>what</em>Jeremiah was thinking.  Not anymore, that is.  ”Where was your honor when I trusted you not to break into my home…where were your thoughts for my dignity, Alexandra?”<br/><br/>Lex couldn’t take it anymore.  She could feel her cheeks warm like a fire.  She felt her eyes burn with a threat to show her weakness.  She felt her heart ache at the knowledge that she had truly lost her only true friend.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: engravers mt;">”I WAS LOOKING FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!”</span></span>She screamed out, her voice betraying the hurt she was trying so hard to hide.  However, her body stayed strong.  She didn’t grab for her heart like she wanted to.  She didn’t fall to her knees and allow herself to cry.  Instead, her body did the opposite, straightening up stiff as a board.  If anyone else was to see her, she would have looked like a disciplined warrior talking to a master.<br/><br/>”You were looking for me?  You could have called, texted, or paged me?  Looking for me is not breaking into my home!  We have been together enough.  You knew how to find me so don’t say you didn’t.  Technology still works here, so maybe you didn’t want to use it or you were working for someone else maybe?”<br/><br/>Lex looked up, refusing to even allow the tears to form in her eyes.  Her jaw was harsh and her breathing heavy.  And her sarcasm?  Her sarcasm went right through the roof.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”Yea.”</span></span>She stated before pausing half a second.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”Sure.”</span></span>Another half second pause.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”Next time, I’ll remember to text you from my imaginary phone!”</span></span>She forced herself to smile but it was all too clearly a smile filled with sarcasm.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”Because of course, every single person here has a damn phone.  Right?  Right?”</span></span><br/><br/>After dropping the sarcasm, Lex maintained the discipline she had been taught by her parents, but she still didn’t sound like the girl who would have trusted Jeremiah with her secret.  Instead, she sounded like the girl whose life had never been all that easy, the girl she sounded like when she first came to the camp broken after the accident with her parents and her time spent living on the streets.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”We don’t all have good ways of making enough money to afford luxuries, Jeremiah!”</span></span><br/><br/>Then it hit her.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”Now, what’s this whole shit about me working for someone else when I--“</span></span>Lex’s words were stopped in their tracks before she could even finish her sentence and concern flooded her voice as she broke her disciplined position.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”Jeremiah…”</span></span>She paused in disbelief that he was keeping something this important from her.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”What are you not telling me?  What’s going on?!?”</span></span>The last sentence almost came out slightly whiney as if she were still a kid who wasn’t getting what they wanted.<br/><br/>”You never asked for a phone.  Don’t change the subject.  Why did you break into my house, Alexandra?”  The blessed of the war god could hear the anger in Jeremiah’s voice.  She could feel his anger coursing through her.  His anger alone did a great deal to boost Lex’s abilities.  ”That is bullshit!  You could have asked me for a phone at any time, I could have given you one or even made you one.  So it would have been a way to contact me.  You came in from being gone.  I have to check out all angles so I wanted to know what would or could have possibly made you disrespect me by breaking into my place?  I was trying to give you the benefit of the doubt…but apparently I was wrong for that too.”  He said before addressing Lex’s concerns.<br/><br/>”Don’t worry about it, I will fill you in when I know more.”  Lex knew then that whatever they had had between them had dissolved into ashes.  Jeremiah rarely withheld information from her.  And at a time like this…  She knew she had lost him.  There was no coming back from what she had done.  All she had wanted was the friend she could talk to about the weaknesses she could tell no one else and all she got was the knowledge that she would never again have that.  The knowledge that once more she was completely alone.<br/><br/>Her body stiffened back up and she held her head high, but any softness Jeremiah had ever seen in her was gone.  If he was done with her, she had to be done with him too.  She couldn’t let him see her weak, not now.  Not ever again.  Not only was her body disciplined now, so too was her voice.  It was as if she were talking only to a master, no longer any hint of talking to a friend.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”I never asked for a phone because I don’t need one, sir.  Everyone I ever need to get a hold of I can find here.  Someone else has always had a phone on any mission I’ve ever been on.  And I really don’t need the hassle of a damn phone going off when I’m busy.”</span></span>The girl didn’t add that she didn’t need a device tracking her when she wanted to be alone either.  The way Jeremiah was acting, he’d only think the worst about that, and even he knew she couldn’t stay inside the camp forever anyways.  It had never been a secret that she would take off at any given time and would come back much better and Jeremiah knew why.  But now?  Now, she needed to watch her words with him or she was sure he would turn on her more than he already was.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”I’m done with this bullshit, Jeremiah.  I told you why I was there.”</span></span>She raised her hand to her cheek, absentmindedly, forcing herself not to wince when she felt what she was doing.  She knew she hadn’t told him the whole truth, but she had told him enough.  If she told him that Ares had hit her as hard as he had, Jeremiah would assume she had lost favor with the God.  If she told him that she was struggling to keep it together, he’d probably suspend her from duty which she couldn’t afford.  If she told him the new kid had disrespected her then challenged her to a duel where she was sure he would try to kill her, she was sure Jeremiah would only cheer him on…or try to stop the duel which she couldn’t have either.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”You know why I have to leave on my own every now and again.  It’s nothing new.  If you can’t trust me, fine.  Don’t.  The rest of the camp hates me.  Why should you be any different?”</span></span><br/><br/>After a pause, she turned towards the punching bag and started beating it.  She had to show Jeremiah that she was done with this conversation.  She couldn’t take it anymore.  She needed him to leave and she needed to be alone, a state she knew she would be facing a lot more now.  Then a realization hit her.  There were other camps around the world dedicated to the same Gods where Blessed, just like her resided.<em>’Maybe things will be different if I have a chance to start over.’</em>She wondered, though the words that came out of her mouth were,<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”Have Akira put in a transfer for me to a different camp.”</span></span><br/><br/>She didn’t see whatever look appeared on Jeremiah’s face when she said that.  Earlier today, she would have expected shock or even possibly Jeremiah to fight her on the case.  Maybe he would have simply told her no or that if she was so determined to transfer, she’d have to talk to Akira herself.  Now, she wasn’t sure what to expect from her Elder.  Indifference maybe?  Or maybe simply compliance?  After all, it would get her out of his borders, out of the territory he was meant to protect.  Maybe he’d even be happy about her request…  Lex simply didn’t know anymore.<br/><br/>“Don’t worry…you deserve to be here…this is your home…but there is another that would do much better with a transfer.” He said.  Lex couldn’t believe what she was hearing right now.  He belonged here much more than she did.  He had a real life here.  She did not.  He had real responsibilities here.  Hers didn’t even compare and could easily be transferred.  He was an Elder.  She was just some blessed like any other of Ares’s blessed.<br/><br/>”You were looking for me…you could have knocked and waited.  You didn’t have to break in!”  The words were barely passing through to Lex at this point.  She heard them but her mind didn’t process them.  ”Because I thought we were closer.  I thought…Never mind what I thought.  Right now, I don’t trust you, nor do I hate you…I never did whether you believe that or not.”  Lex heard a pause again and at the last words Jeremiah said, she could have sworn she heard a hint of the terrible pain she was feeling.  ”I thought you respected me enough to not violate my space…I thought you cared about me at least a little.”  Then she heard his footsteps walk out of the room and all the way up the stairs.<br/><br/>When the sounds of the footsteps disappeared, Lex could no longer hold it together.  She wrapped her arms around the punching bag, throwing herself into it as the dam broke and tears flooded her cheeks.  Her body fell slowly to the ground until all she could do was place her forehead on the floor and hold herself tightly.  She had no clue how long she was like this but eventually she heard an all too familiar voice.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: engravers mt;">”Get up, you weak, spineless, pathetic little girl!”</span><br/><br/>When Lex looked up, tears continuing to pour down her face, she could have sworn she’d seen the same God who showed up for her earlier.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”Dad?”</span></span>She asked, lowering her head again.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”I’m so—“</span></span><br/><br/>Her words were cut off by a large boot throwing her across the cage.  Her back hit the cage, putting a nice body-sized dent in it.<span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: engravers mt;">”I said Get Up!”</span>He repeated, moving to stand over the girl.<br/><br/>Lex felt the pain throughout her entire body.  She struggled to rise to her feet, but forced herself to, using the bars of the cage to help lift herself.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”Dad, I’m—“</span></span>She started but was cut off again.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: engravers mt;">”Shut up!  And wipe those tears from your eyes.  My blessed don’t cry.”</span>The god said, clearly enraged.<br/><br/>Lex did as he asked and wiped her face, standing the same way she had before with Jeremiah.  The hits just wouldn’t stop coming today, would they?<br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: engravers mt;">”How dare you!”</span>Ares scolded and Lex tried not to flinch.<span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: engravers mt;">”Have you made it your mission to make a mockery of me, Alexandra Pretorius?!?</span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”No, sir!”</span></span>Alexandra replied before feeling the weight of Ares’s hand against the same spot he had hit earlier.  Only this time, he didn’t hit her hard enough to knock her out.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: engravers mt;">”I said shut up!  First, you let a new Blessed disrespect you like that without taking action!  And one of Athena’s kids no less!  I could let that pass, but this!  Now I’m going to have to listen to the rest of the Gods bitch and moan and complain about your disrespect of one of their chosen Elders…  <em>Then</em>,”</span>He continued placing more emphasis in his words.<span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: engravers mt;">”you get yourself trapped and nearly killed with the same Athena kid who you let disrespect you in front of everyone.  And not to mention you decided to do all this to one of <em>Hephaestus’s</em> chosen.  Are you trying to make him pissed so he won’t make me new weapons?  Or maybe you were trying to remind him of all the wrongs I’ve done him.  Is that it?  Oh!  And let’s not forget how weak and pathetic you were just acting!  How dare you!  You are one of <em>my</em> chosen!  Your actions reflect on me!  Well?  What do you have to say for yourself?”</span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”I’m sorry, Ares.</span></span>Lex began, bowing her head respectfully.<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”I have made a number of mistakes today and this is not how you should be represented.  I will defeat that Athena brat tonight!  Father, I promise you this.”</span></span>As soon as Lex finished talking, she felt her shirt grabbed by the God’s hand and her body flew across the cage again, this time denting the opposite side upon impact.  Her body fell once more to the ground and Lex choked for air.  The pain started to blur her vision again.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: engravers mt;">”Get up!”</span>Ares demanded then lifted Lex by her shirt when she couldn’t manage to do it, holding her with her feet off the ground.<span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: engravers mt;">”What did I just tell you about showing weakness?  Need I teach you another lesson on this?”</span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”No, sir!”</span></span>Lex said, expecting to go flying again.  Instead, the God put her back on her feet and she grabbed onto the bars of the cage to help her stay on her feet.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: engravers mt;">”Good.  Now here’s what you’re going to do.  First, you’re going to make things right with the Hephaestus Elder.  If I am turned away on even a single weapon, I will be back here.  Then, you’re going to destroy that Athena kid.  Again, if you fail, I will be back here.  Finally, you’re going to shape up.  If you don’t start to represent me better than this, I will be back.  And you won’t want me coming back if you fail me.  Do you understand?”</span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: century;">”Yes, sir!”</span></span>As if for emphasis, Lex felt herself thrown yet again across the cage and this time, she couldn’t get up again.  Her eyes wouldn’t open and she felt herself lose consciousness.  Lex really was taking hits from all sides today.