For the "Do As They Do" universe.
by Eleos
A vision's a poetry
A palette of colors
We're swimming an ocean
We're blind folded lovers
one: first impressions.
(ten)
"Hi." The boy grinned—his smile was crooked and toothy, reaching all the way to his sparkling gray eyes. "My name's Rory." He stuck out his hand, fingers splayed, for her to shake.
"Andi." She looked him over critically, peering at his hand in distaste. "I can't stay for long," she explained, "apparently I need to meet"—she glanced at a piece of paper then stuffed it back in her jean pocket—"someone called 'Mr. D' for a tour of camp or something. I don't really have time to talk to people."
He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again, just as fast. "Welcome to camp," he decided to answer with. "Have fun."
Andi nodded. "Alright then…Rory." She like the way his name felt on her tongue, soft and smooth and simple. "See you around."
"Yeah," he replied, "sure."
two: chance encounters
(twelve)
"Hey."
"Hey."
"H—I mean"—Rory coughed—"what are you doing in here? In the library?"
She reddened. "Just, uh, research?"
He shook his head, trying to restrain a laugh.
"Don't laugh!" She shot him an angry look. "Seriously, I'm in for research; lousy siblings sent me to find some blueprints for cannons." She grimaced. "I don't even have clue where the cannon section would be, if there's even is one!"
"There's not," he informed. "You're really bad at libraries, aren't you?"
She glared.
"That's a yes, then."
"Just find me a book of blueprints and cannons."
"Sure thing, Andi." He winked at her before walking into Chiron's office and plucking a book off one of the many shelves. "Here you go."
She tried to smile gratefully at him. "Thanks, Rory. You're a life saver."
"Don't mention it, it's my job; Rory, resident librarian."
"Yeah…" she waggled her fingers in a goodbye sort of wave. "Bye."
Rory nodded in response: bye, Andi.
Andi smiled, fighting back a goofy grin. She didn't notice she'd left the book of blue prints by the door until she had already walked into her cabin. She found that she didn't quite seem to care.
three: reveries
(thirteen)
"—'lo? Hello? Andi, are you paying attention?"
"Wha—of course."
"Really?"—a disbelieving glance—"So what did I just say?"
"Something like 'Hello, are you paying attention?'"
He narrowed his eyes, hiding a small grin that was tugging on his lips. "Funny," he said sarcastically.
She just nodded, biting her lip. Gazing at the book in her lap quietly, her mind started drifting.
"Stop it!" a voice commanded, startling her out of her daydreams. "Really, Andi, I have no clue what the Hades is wrong with you."
"I was reading," she exclaimed. "Can't I do that for one minute without you yelling at me? I thought you liked books!"
This time, he didn't bother restraining his smug grin. "Williams, are you serious? You were staring at"—he checked the book for a title—"'Physiology of Fungi' for ten minutes, not turning a page. Is that what you 'reading'? I know you're dyslexic, but jeezus, that's slow."
"Whatever," she responded, suddenly in a not-so-good mood. Andi turned back to her book, but before she could finish one page, she was already bored.
"I've gotta go," Rory mumbled, breaking the quiet atmosphere, gathering some novels and shoveling them in his knapsack. He hesitated at the doorway, "Take care, Andi," he added politely before leaving.
Andi nodded: yeah, bye. She left the library, wondering why she'd came there in the first place.
The next morning something in her bag poked her side.
Ouch, she thought, rubbing said appendage gingerly. It was the blueprint book, attached to a note.
Here, it read. -Rory
And, unknowingly, she smiled.
four: realizations
(fourteen)
Crushes. Likes. Love.
Those words were like foreign concepts to Andi. Sure, she'd had her share of giggly friends and had held a certain amount of affection for a cute guy or two throughout adolescence, but Andi grew up to be a not-so-average girl and therefore didn't spend her time fantasizing over such frivolous things nowadays.
Or that's what she thought, as least.
After all, normal girls liked baking and cooking, while Andi enjoyed welding and crafting weapons. Normal girls checked out boys. Andi had a few girlish squeals over the new armor Chiron had specially imported to camp. Normal girls dreamed of love. Andi dreamed of not dying.
So it was for certain that Andi was incapable of such intricate and complex emotions.
Or so she'd thought, because every "not-so-normal" person must have some normal moments, from time to time.
On one decidedly "normal" March day, when the fates had caught up with her life and when time nearly stood still, Andi was a normal girl with quite a few normal moments.
Like how, on that day, Andi had glanced out the window and thought that, gods, the boy out there looks mighty fine.
And how, within the minute, Andi saw one thing that changed her outlook on things. Rory. Because, of all the people fate could choose, it was Rory out the window. And fate, they say, works in funny ways.
Because at 12:57 in the afternoon Andi noticed Rory looked mighty fine. And it was also 12:57 when Rory looked at her and grinned, not noticing a thing. At 12:57 Andi's face burned and yet she couldn't seem to stop staring. 12:57 was the time when her heart started hammering loudly in her chest and butterflies started churning restlessly in her stomach.
At 12:57 Andi wanted to be able to run away because, gods, she felt like vomiting or something equally horrendous. It was 12:57 when she didn't.
And then a minute rolled by. Soon another, then another, time taking away moments that could never be brought back.
She laid her head down on the table, hearing its faint ding against the worn metal. She thought and thought and then, for good measure, thought some more and then she sighed.
Because Andi wasn't a normal girl, but she did have some normal moments, like most do, and this was one of them.
At 1:03 in the afternoon, Andi Williams realized that she had a crush on Rory. And at three minutes after one o' clock, precisely, Andi screamed into her arm and cursed fate.
Fate works in funny ways sometimes, people say.
Because at 1:03 in the Athena cabin, Rory Markham was doing the exact same thing.
And now that I've found my sight
Oh I finally realize
That it was there the whole time
Randy. Understood? Half Rory Half Andi. This pairing (and the characters) were made by me for "Do As They Do". I can personally assure you that you will see them later, but perhaps not quite like this. They are quite minor, but me, Gigi, and Lex quite liked the couple. You can recall them from the New Year's one-shot, though you might not remember them.
The song is "Sky's Still Blue" by Andrew Belle.