"Perhaps I'm a bit too... on edge." she huffed. Her suspicions always ran high, especially when she was this close to someone. She took down the spell with a simple incantation, rubbing her arms, which were covered by her jacket. "I guess it's not a big deal... perhaps it is that instinct, yes." she sighed. "...Worries by association, that's all." She had never really been in an 'in' sort of crowd, and rumors spread like wildfire. Didn't do much to help her reputation then, so why would it now? The past was something to cling to, an experience to her. Yet nonetheless, she couldn't help but chuckle when she heard Elijah's comment about her turning them into a pig.

"Well... not exactly, dear sunshine. My my, you overestimate my abilities- I could very well try, but I doubt my transfiguration strength is that strong." she took his hand once more, running her thumb over it. "I am not a charmer, I am a magician. And my words can be magical," she looked up to wink slightly, before turning slightly red and looking away. "Sorry- was that cringey? I... I'm not used to this, as I previously mentioned. I try my best, anyway." Going soft again, it was too late to turn back. So she decided to enjoy this moment for now.

For how long it shall last. Just one more minute.

The umbrakinetic was scheming, most definitely. Perhaps against her better judgement, but as they strolled along, every step felt heavy, and her heart weighed down more so. "Well, I am no exception to that claim, so it seems... I do not know if I'll be talking to them, however. I shall make that clear." she kept dragging him along, feeling the soft squeeze, but smiled as she felt it. "Hm. Well... sunlight is still undesirable, but you are the only one I make room for." 

She mentally cursed herself once more with those words. Akemi didn't mean to sound so... attached. "Apologies," she muttered, slowing down a bit. "I did not mean to make you uncomfortable with such phrases. I just-- you know I say what comes to mind, and that is no void of the truth." glancing up at him, but her head whipped to the side when she heard a rustle, letting go of his hand and going on high alert, surprised. "I'm sure you heard that." she said in low tones, "Occultare." 

A concealment spell was cast, but it was merely cast on her. "There. A concealment spell-- we should be quite safe." Perfect opportunity. Whatever her heart screamed now, she ignored. 

She didn't want to kill him. The magician wanted him off her tail. To make him stop being so close, but the way the shadows stirred uneasily made her feel a tinge of regret. Yet she shook it off, if he were to truly die, she'd save him and reform her plan.

But somehow, hopefully this would be enough to let him go.

   || 18 Years Old || || Hecate || || Complicated (Plotted) || || Bisexual ||

Friends With: Sage Roberts, Evelyn Scott

Current Love Interest: Elijah Quinn

--

16 Years Old || Demeter || Single (Not Plotted) || Pansexual

Friends With: Dahlia Wakabayashi, Ibram Kendi, Mei Lin Su

Current Love Interest: N/A 

--

17 years old || Aphrodite || Single (Plotted)|| Heterosexual

Friends With: (tbd)

Current Love Interest: (tbd)

Oh, dear.

"Hello, Sage-- Loukas." she said quickly, the shadows dispersing between her fingers as Akemi looked up, shocked. "I- didn't expect to run across either of you here. Well, that was a lapse of error on my part..." she mumbled, before she gave a nod to Evelyn, and a quiet wave to Abigail. Almost overwhelmed with the surmount of attention. Even if it wasn't much.

Then, her eyes locked with someone she wished she didn't-- he was here too, wasn't he? Oh, he just had to be? She could feel herself tense up as she blinked at him, giving a small wave before not-so-subtly falling off the log and hiding behind it. "Hide me- I forgot my concealment spells...oh my." she mumbled, using Loukas and Sage as shields. It was rare to see her lose face so quickly, especially in this public circumstance. "Just... locked eyes with someone I have not spoken to in ages." 

Although she could feel her heart's pace quicken, the look of shock, and perhaps... guilt? Were very evident upon her expression. Being publicly noticed was the least of her worries right now.

Thank you! Using it now  

Name: Akemi Lancaster!

Face Claim/s: Jamie Chung

Type of Graphic: Signature, please

Images: Any is fine!

Text: "The night will hold us close"

Mood/Colors: Dark purples, blacks :3

Other Specifications: Any images with Jamie Chung with longer hair are preferred! And try to avoid any images from her role in Once Upon A Time (As Mulan)

Why, oh why, was she here again? To give her support? To be social again? She had enough of that at the volleyball game; and now there was another one? Yet, here she was. In the shadows as always, remaining unseen. Her brothers seemed to be here. Shadow, and Mateo-- as she realized something. She hadn't spoken to them directly; the only two siblings she spoke to were Loukas, and Asher. And the only friends she had truly made, were her brother's girlfriend... and someone who she didn't even speak to unless in private. 

As everyone sung, she just listened to all their voices, trying to pick and see who's tones were whose, while making a cat's cradle with some shadow tendrils, looking down at her feet as she sat, letting her hair fall over her eyes a bit. Yeah, these gatherings weren't for her, but if it was an opportunity to see some drama again, Akemi came running in response to that thought. Yet now, she felt awkward and out of place. Everyone had someone. Yet, she looked like such a party pooper alone.

To distract herself, she played mental bingo, trying to spot all the couples she knew existed in the camp, while still making that cat's cradle with her fingers. 

And off they went. Akemi was caught slightly off-guard by this, but a smile fought a way to her lips from his assertiveness. He was cute while he was flustered like that, she couldn't deny. But she mentally kicked herself from showing such weakness. How could she be so forgetful about her intentions? She had a mission in mind. And she couldn't back out from that now. Over and over, she reminded herself; 

It's for the best, Akemi. Pull yourself together.

The internal conflict was masked by the usual calm expression she wore, pulled out of her stupor by his question. "Why, me? The same as per usual. You know me, being a wallflower. Lately, things seem to be... shifting. Slightly. Perhaps the sunlight is trying to pull me into its grasp, put me out there. Actually make friends, can you believe that?" she rolled her eyes, but she shifted the grip he had on her hand to hold his. "Perhaps I welcome the change. We'll- I'll see." Quickly correcting herself as she walked with him. 

Her head and heart were at such odds. Should she stay or should she go? Submit to emotion, fall victim to connection? 

Feelings were confusing. Hence why she rejected them oh-so-often. 

The Hecate camper just watched as Sage woke up, "Ah, well..." she just looked down a little, "It took just a few simple steps- you should check one of those traps by the way, I'm pretty sure it's broken." she leaned back slightly, letting the shadows in her vicinity disperse with a wave of her hand. Akemi wore simple black gloves and her usual black-toned outfit- this time, one of her many leather jackets and dark jeans. As if she were ready for some spying, stealth, any of the sort. She had a smirk on her face though, mostly out of amusement for Sage's sleep predicament, "Seems like you were having good dreams though.

Hopping off the bed, Akemi paced a little, back and forth. "I'm pretty sure you want to know why I'm here," she stopped in place, crossing her arms and looking at Sage. "I mean, I technically just broke in, but-- technicalities." Akemi wanted to get to the point. Truth be told, she was a little excited to. To think, a partnership between a daughter of Athena and an umbrakinetic... they'd seem unstoppable.

"Well... I'd like to propose a business partnership- almost. I know a lot of good info of anyone around camp. Many don't really notice me there, and in tandem, I have a knack for observation. Combined with your sleuth-like talents, I'd say we'd make a good team...so what do you think?" She held out her hand, "The best information brokers around camp."

Alias: Dusk
Characters you are Keeping: Akemi Lancaster, Dawn De La Vega,
Characters you are Making Inactive: N/A
Characters you are Retiring: N/A

84!

"Dear gods, did she really have to do all of this?" Akemi had a hand on her heart, recomposing herself after avoiding all those traps that had posed a threatening challenge to her just trying to sneak into Sage's room. "I couldn't expect less from that feisty Athena girl...touche, well done." a smile curled upon her lips, a swell of pride in her heart. Sage may be more direct, but the fact that she was almost like an investigative journalist made it seem like she was, quote, 'after her own heart.' 

But now that she was in her room, Akemi made herself comfy on Sage's bed, kicking her feet up and resting her hands behind her head. She had always wanted to talk to her, but it felt awkward trying to grill her in front of Loukas, since those two were practically joined at the hip. It probably would've been cute to the umbrakinetic if she weren't a bit envious of their friendship-relationship. But back to the topic at hand, Akemi wanted to almost recon all the info Sage had gathered. As much as she told herself it was for information and nothing else, she couldn't help but feel herself think that she enjoyed Sage's company. Of course, it wasn't something she'd care to admit, at all, but it felt comfy in her own little mind.

"Oh, shut it you." she snapped at the shadows. She could feel them quivering in giggling, almost poking fun at her weak spots, but after taking a deep breath, she just waited for Sage to come discover that she had oh-so-casually broken in.

@ Sage Roberts

"Interesting," Akemi twirled her hair around her finger. She never really had spoken to her siblings much, but knew a lot about their behaviors from watching them in the shadows, observing them all at her own discretion. Perhaps it was ignorant in her eyes, but it hadn't hit her until now that some of her siblings didn't utilize their mystokinetic abilities as commonly or as often as herself. Then again, some wanted to rely not on magic but on their own skill for things, but during the conversations with her half-sibling, it was someone first learning about the potential they had. "It's definitely hard at first," she gestured to the shadows, which swirled around her wrists and hand like tendrils, "It took me 3 years from when I came here to control them properly and to use them in battle."

"Start small at first, build up your magical knowledge and stamina; it takes a lot of energy to cast spells, let alone learn umbrakinesis. I passed out a lot when I first learned magic, and even now I can only cast about 20 spells a day, and that's with repercussions. But I think you could do it; you have the motivation and potential but just need a bit more time. But don't take my opinion on that, that's just what I think," she stated bluntly. "I wish you the best of luck though. Maybe I should talk to Tristan...perhaps he has a different perspective on the shadows."

"I'm willing to teach you some more, so look forward to that, alright?" she had a smile on her face. "For now, practice binding spells, alongside levitation for a while; I'll meet up with you in about a week or so to see what progress you've made. Don't worry if it's not a lot; two weeks is still a significant amount of time. Next time, if you're doing well enough to levitate something and control it for at least a minute, or can accurately cast a binding spell on small animals...I'll teach you some elemental manipulation." Akemi had a grin on her face, crossing her arms.

"Looking forward to my lessons with you as well, alright? If you have any questions...just look to the shadows. Kind of literally." she chuckled, patting Loukas on the shoulder. "And I suggest you take up some Latin as well. It can benefit you in the long run; I know it's kind of hard to master, but it benefited me." 

-- End Thread --

80

"It's more of a sensation, I would describe. You know the saying, play with fire and you'll eventually get burned, or something? It's like, the more you use it, especially for your own gain, the less it will respect you." she messed with the ends of her hair. "It is my own thought that, well, the shadows of a sort of personification as opposed to an actual being. It helps me control it better, to know whatever it wants, whether it is a conscious being or not. But they don't exactly speak, per se, its just a subconscious feeling, like a 6th sense. That's the most accurate way I can describe it, and I'm going off of intuition. It may not be super accurate to everyone since it's just my perspective, in fact." she clasped her hands as they rested on her knees, leaning a bit forward to think. "It can be an acquired power, Umbrakinesis, I know that. Technically, we all can control shadows, or even the dead; it is those with the innate, born talent that can cast it nonverbally. That's magic, anyway."

She looked up at her half-sister. "Have you made any progress thus far? I mean, we all have to start somewhere, and if you don't want to answer, you don't have to. I'm merely curious after all. Even at this current moment, anything is good. Reading material, as well as just experimenting with spells, can also most definitely help with this goal." Akemi was intrigued; to see someone blossoming into this power so late in life instead of learning it at more of a young age. It was entertaining to her, almost, but she also just wanted to help her out. Umbrakinetics were rare, and it'd be nice to have someone to relate to in the cabin.

Akemi took mental notes on her mysterious sibling's mentor...this man could possibly be the worst thing for him. Big plans? Akemi wouldn't press what they were, but that certainly didn't seem good at all. It wouldn't do anything good for her, or her brother to press for answers about that at the moment, so her lips were sealed. But it was becoming clear to the spellcaster that Shadow had ulterior motives with him. All that Akemi could do was get that information from Loukas, while she teaches him all that she would know. But something tingled in the back of her mind; was it her responsibility?

No, of course it wouldn't be. But Akemi would make it hers, to keep Loukas from getting hurt. Hopefully. She smiled as she looked at her brother as he witnessed the bottle cap flying, "Oh, anyone can do this, even you. It's levitation, or telekinesis. Just say something like 'control' or 'levitate' in Greek, and bam, you can levitate certain small objects. Of course, you can't levitate everything, it's like weightlifting. The more you lift, the more you can carry, right? That's pretty much the same with levitation. The more strength you have, the heavier the objects become when levitating. For example; I can levitate swords. Animals. You know, the works." she whispered the spell in Latin as she sent another thing flying at him; a pen.

80!

86

Akemi's head was spinning after that kiss entirely. Was it right? To lead him on like this? To be so secretive once more? For once, her shadows weren't at her side. They had their loyalty, but they didn't approve of her actions at the moment. Her judgement was clouded, and she was most certainly slightly afraid of what she would do. All she knew, is that she had taken this relationship too far for herself. But as much as he was accommodating her, meeting halfway from light and dark, she had gotten all she could from him. Learned who he was. Maybe that was enough for her head, but she could hear her heart screaming to not let this relationship go to waste. But with a growing headache, she decided to get rid of him the only way she could; betrayal.

"As long as it's shady, I think that's fine." she said softly, taking his hand and bringing it to her face for him to hold gently. She presented that softness as shyness, almost. But she could feel the guilt already racking up in herself. She was a watcher, of course that was known to her. But that meant, trying to justify it to herself, she wasn't supposed to have friendships. Relationships. Take what she wanted and should leave. "Alright, alright," she said, lifting her hands in surrender to his reassurance. "If you're not lying to me, then please, lead the way."

84 >;3

She gave an amused hum after their lips pulled apart, her mind fuzzy and warm from that kiss, getting back on her feet. "Well, well, a date? Where to?" her hand traveled to the ends of her ponytail, bringing it forward to twirl a little lock. She was fascinated by his proposal, and in turn, it offered her an opportunity. "You know what I like, the more devoid of people, the better." she was getting a little better, leaving the woods more, but she saw no incentive to stay out long, so she always ended up cringing at the feel of sunlight and retreated back into the darkness.

"There's the golden retriever like behavior I missed," she teased as she let the silence befall among both of them for a moment, "I'll still go with you, whatever you suggest. But if you make me socialize and frolic like a butterfly," she jabbed a finger into his sternum, "I'm not going, and I will be rather cross with you, are we clear, sunshine?"

"It's a more accustomed target for humans. But nonetheless, it'd work somewhat effectively on animals, so you can practice on those. Like squirrels, and rabbits. It's easier, since the veil of magic you're casting is smaller, and more focused. For monsters, it's a lot harder. I've been working with magic since I got here, and that was 3 years ago. Even now, I can't really bind a monster for more than 5-6 seconds. It's strenuous and leaves you vulnerable. Depends on the monster, but usually they break free."

Her attention was caught with that comment on Shadow. "What's he like, if you're okay with me asking?" Akemi's hand traveled to her hair, twirling a couple strands around a finger. "He has this aura around him. Mystery. A bit of danger. He's always running off somewhere...he's a distrustful guy, but I can't help but want to know him, you know?" she thought for a moment, levitating the cap that had been on Loukas' water bottle as she listened to his comment on her. "I'm not exactly an instructor, so bear with me. I'll be a bit more...forceful. Because magic is an important thing to master. And now," she flicked the cap towards him with telekinesis, not hard enough to hurt him, but enough to test his reflexes. "I'll have to push you a bit harder. You've got that spark, all I need to do is encourage it. It won't be easy."

"People are not something I normally gravitate to." she replied simply. It was true to her, at least. She was observant, and disliked socializing. Akemi watched others, and was not used to having the attention and eyes on her. And she'd keep it that way as long as she possibly could. She could tell, by the way her sibling carried herself, she was a social person. Someone used to interaction, someone who was distrustful. The shadows, she felt, favored her more than the other siblings she interacted with. They kind of liked her nature. It was up to them to decide who they liked; it wasn't exactly something you could force.

"Ah well," she said, startled, the shadows turning to her in curiosity. Of course it wanted to know. "I couldn't really best any of the kids of those with the more...true control over things. A Nyx kid has more control over the darkness than a Hecate kid; we merely just work with it. It's not really in our mother's domain to exert such control of the dark." she thought for a moment about her history with this symbiotic relationship with the shadows. "I've controlled shadows since I was...what, 11? I was in middle school, I believe." she thought a bit more, watching the shadows. "You can't fully control them, you know." she finally stated, her voice hushed and careful. "Remember, Hecate kids are masters of magic. Spellcasters. Shadows are drawn to those they see fit for us. Those with that potential. Whether our parent allows us for it to happen, or it finds us worthy. It's an entity, almost. So do not try and assert your dominance, if you're looking for that power. Try and work with it. That's pretty much what I did; I asked for it to help me, and it did. Perhaps it came more naturally for me than most. But that's mostly what happened, from what I can recall." 

"Oh, one last thing," she crossed her arms as she leaned back, "Don't listen to it too much. They're finnicky. They like to mess with you, test you. So if it seems to offer too much control, do not fall for it. This is a really cheesy thing to say, but don't be consumed by the darkness."