THEIA SWAN HAD ALWAYS LIKENED LYSSA TORRES TO A PEACOCK; preening beneath the smallest ounce of attention which she went to extreme lengths to ensure her feathers obtained. Lyssa was a beautiful girl, impossible not to be considering her parentage, yet what made her dangerous was not her stunning appearance, but rather that she knew it. The sixteen year old daughter of Aphrodite had a head of perfect auburn curls that tumbled down her spine in a river of fire beneath the sunlight, as vibrant as her ambition. Her heart-shaped head speckled with the barest of freckles upon her button nose. Eyes a shade of green that could put evergreens to shame, glinting with glib amusement as she watched a daughter of Hephaestus tumble. Lips, so perfectly plumped, parting as faux sorrows tumbled forth, accented by her heavy east coast accent. Her bright orange camp t-shirt, cut into a deep V, threatening to fail as she offered her perfectly manicured hand to the girl on the ground.
The girl's deeply tanned flesh was instantly dusted in a heavy flush. Her eyes, too large for her small face, squinting as she peered up at Lyssa, the sunlight making her ruin appear as if a goddess. The girl sniffled, crooked nose scrunching as she accepted the hand offered with a look of wonder. Her feet finding the ground, though her knees were still shockingly close to the dirt as she peered up at the auburn girl from beneath her full lashes. Tightly cropped raven hair just barely brushing against her mid-neck as she seemed to strain looking upon the girl as she did. She peered upon Lyssa as if she'd hung every star in the sky, as if she was Aphrodite herself and not just her daughter.
The love she felt was all consuming in its intensity, a vibrant pink that enveloped her entire being. As prominent as the blush upon her cheeks when Lyssa met her lips in a chaste tease, her entire form shivering beneath the desire, a harsh red undertone to the dazzling pink growing far more prominent. A stark contrast to the lust that oozed from the girl she so fancied, her love was one so strongly one-sided it was almost pitiful. Theia clicked her tongue, wide almond eyes sharp as she studied the dancing aura that battled between the two girls, deliberately ignoring Dionysus and his goading remarks as he sipped languidly upon his Diet Coke.
"She will make our mother proud," Theia's voice was the finest honey, silk turned sound, a blessing to any allowed to hear it as she stared out the window of the Big House. Her eyes wide and framed with long, thick lashes, a dazzling hue of almond. Sunlight made flesh, many had used when referring to the Swan girls beauty. Blessed by Aphrodite, the Goddesses favorite daughter, and a prized legacy of Apollo; Theia stood a picture of beauty within the house, a living testament to the validity of such claims as her hair tumbled in glimmering golden waves upon her shoulders, partially tied up with ornate pins that could turn dangerous in moments. Twin daggers, elegantly concealed in a fashion only the goddess of beauty could manage, gifted to the daughter that brought her such delight. Her heartbreaker, Theia had made her mother proud, she was as sure of that fact as she was that she'd served her kin well as Head Counselor of Cabin 10 for over five years.
Five out of her twelve consecutive years within the confines of Camp Half-Blood, the only place in existence where someone like her could be truly safe. Her blood called to monsters like a siren, luring them from the shadows like a five star feast. Even visits into the city were dangerous, scars layered upon her form the reminder of such occurrences. She rarely left the camp aside from her occasional Christmas trips to visit her Uncle Charlie, in which she wasn't gone more than four days with two of those being when she flew there and then back. So when she'd announced to Chiron and Dionysus her desire to attempt college after spending a "gap" year with her family, both protested. She'd been offered a permanent position at the camp store or as a counselor, she declined both for now. She knew his offer had much to do with her father, he'd been a friend of sorts, to the director. His death on the camps boarder must've been quite the slap, especially considering he'd been the one to lure them here. Being what she was, born of a god and a demigod was incredibly dangerous, nowhere else was safe, or so Chiron had claimed.
"Young love, how magical," Theia mused, her perfectly manicured nails tapping upon the window sill. A soft, pastel blue that she had named her preferred color years ago, clashing noticeably with the bright orange of her camp t-shirt. Her softly tanned flesh seemingly complemented by the clash, she took immense pride in being able to pull off such a color combination.
Dionysus had a sneer painted on his lips. "Yes, magical, blah blah blah." She could feel his eyes a watery blue, bloodshot after years of drinking, fixated upon the back of her head with an intensity that would've made most mortals squirm. She was not such a mortal. "What was the point of this visit?"
"Chiron requested my presence before I depart," Theia answered, turning to face him with a cheeky grin, her plump lips perfectly situated upon her rounded face, dimples peeking upon her cheeks. "And how could I neglect to say goodbye to my favorite Camp Director!"
He laughed, a heady, disconcerting sound that carried heavily in the mostly vacant house. "Trying to earn points are ya, Tina Swab? Won't do you any good."
Her eyes rolled. Oh how wrong he was, Theia knew exactly what she was doing. Brownie points or not, who didn't want to be in a gods good graces? He may be stuck living at the camp for a hundred years but that only meant he was more accessible than the other gods. Her coy grin was still upon her lips as she responded. "I'm only speaking the truth."
He hummed, appearing unamused as she noted the distinct sound of hooves striking the floor. Dull clops against the hardwood as the door swung open, revealing the centaur himself. He wore a black suit jacket atop a deep green sweater vest that made his white horse body appear more vibrant. Kind eyes a deep brown only slightly darker than his facial hair. Thinning hair atop his head the barest hue lighter, barely noticeable unless one was really looking. "Theia," he greeted, hand running through his freshly trimmed beard. "Always so punctual."
"You wanted to speak with me before I left?"
"Yes," he coughed. "I presume there is no changing your mind?" She immediately shook her head. She needed to do this, after spending so much time in camp she didn't doubt for a second that she'd be able to defend herself. Besides, it's not like Forks, Washington had a large population of monsters or anything, she'd just have to be vigilant and everything should be fine. She noted Chiron moving towards his desk, pulling open a drawer and rummaging through it as he produced a single white envelope. She could see her name, sprawled in Ancient Greek, on the side. Elegant script that almost made her jealous, despite her keen artistic ability and beauty, her handwriting was atrocious and she was not afraid to admit it. "Your uncle contacted me with the details of your flight, the ticket and all your necessary school documentation are all included within," he pulled out another, larger manila folder. "He'll be monitoring for any flight delays and should be present as soon as you depart the plane. I would strongly advise that you do not linger long in Seattle."
Theia waved her hand, taking both parcels. "Obvious reasons, I presume."
Chiron nodded. "The offer we made is still withstanding, should you choose, I believe you'll find the camp a viable employment opportunity in the future."
"I will consider your offer," she would actually, it wasn't something just any demigod got offered. Even if it was born of some deep seated regret for her father's death, who was she to spit in the face of such an opportunity? She did truly consider it, running the camp store could be a fairly safe career path for the golden Swan, yet she didn't want to play it safe. She'd survived this long playing it safe, maybe it was time to try being just a little less so. She knew she was going to die young, may as well live a little first. "But I need to do this, I haven't really been in the mortal world at all in almost twelve years. I want to experience it some. I'm confident that the skills you've taught me and my godly abilities will be enough for a few years."
Chiron just looked at her, his eyes contemplative as he sighed. "One can only hope."
WELCOME TO
SWAN DANCE!