Theodore Thatcher

“Yea, I’m guessing this is the first time ANYONE has ever taken YOU seriously huh?” Theo retorted to Liam’s first remark. “And why would they?......The younger brother?......Everyone knows if you want the job done right you give it to Dustin……I only showed up to this dumb training in the first place just to see how badly you would screw it up!” Theo spat out, pausing in between sentences to dodge the occasional incoming blow, or to throw one out of his own. Honestly he was pretty sure that none of what he had just said was true, but in the heat of the moment the words just came pouring out of him uncontrollably now.

Theo wouldn’t admit it, but Liam was good at sparring, even with his enhanced speed and reflexes he still found himself having to pay very close attention. Even then, Liam was still able to land just as many hits as Theo was, the two of them would certainly have several new bruises after this. “Out of my league? You’re one to talk! I imagine even the pigs turn away and run when they see your ugly mug” he would have gone on as he had several over insults loaded and ready to go, but at this point he needed to stay focussed! Rolling back and throwing the sand had had the intended effect, buying him just enough time to get back up on his feet. He was about to press the attack but decided against it, in its own twisted way he was actually beginning to have fun. “You know, I suppose there are worse ways to spend an afternoon” he completed, starting to breath heavier now.

“Oooooooo decisions decisions decisions” Theo mused, pretending that he was actually debating what was already an obvious choice in his mind. Aislynn had made the first move and Theo was more than willing to continue down that path. Laughing he continued, “Well I’ve already had the drink, I wouldn’t mind having you now.” As he spoke he slipped his thumb underneath her shirt, circling over Aislynn's bare skin.

“You’ve endured my therapeutic rants long enough, we can follow up that conversation another time. I think we’ve both earned a fun distraction, wouldn’t you say?” Gripping her hip firmly he gently pulled her close to him as he stood up from the porch, his eyes looking down at her intensely now. They were just mere inches apart as Theo snaked his free hand up the nape of her neck resting on the back of her head, his fingers running through her silky hair. Closing the remaining gap between them Theo kissed her softly. The moment that their lips were connected, his body felt as though it was on fire, overpowering the colder outdoor air. Her soft lips tasted like the mead they’d just shared, that and a taste that Theo could only describe as feral and uninhibited; he had a feeling Aislynn was going to be an encounter he wouldn’t soon forget.

“You are a woman of few words aren't you Asher?” Theo teased as once again he had tried in vain to gauge Asher’s mood as she processed everything he had just said. “Though, I suppose in your line of work, keeping your cards held close to your chest is a smart strategy.” Theo had never had the kind of long-term attention span required to lead or plan any sort of business venture beyond a scheme or prank. He’d always seemed to have a half dozen unfinished ideas that sounded good in the moment but ones he quickly grew bored of. However he always respected the tenacity needed.

“A wall, weight, barrier, the metaphor doesn’t really matter. Point is, if you don’t find some ways to let go of it all once in a while then I imagine you’re going to grow up feeling drained. Sure, sure, responsibility is good and all, but so is having fun. And sometimes the best fun comes from being irresponsible. Now, you’re in luck because I happen to be an expert in irresponsible fun. When it comes to blowing off steam I find there are two effective activities. If you'd like, I can take you to either. One option involves a baseball bat and several broken appliances. It’s a lot of fun and you’ll work up a sweat. The other option is also a lot of fun and works up a sweat but it requires a lot less clothes if you catch my drift” he winked playfully. “Which would you prefer?”

Theo watched her after he finished speaking, he could tell Asher was processing what he had just spoken, but as for what effect it might have had was hidden behind her straight faced features. He made a mental note to stay away from any poker games he ever saw her at. Now that the threat of being kicked out seemed like it had been extinguished he had a chance to study Asher, she was a rather attractive looking brunette. She seemed less upset now and Theo was still surprised at how much personal information he had poured out about himself. For some reason though he felt like he could trust her with it.

Her next question pulled him out of his own thoughts, “Well I guess I never looked at it as suffering from depression, more like I’m always racing depression. If I can keep myself busy I can stay ahead of it, if I slow down…well it’s pretty fast too. I manage well enough though, guess my dad’s gifts came in handy” he chuckled. “Well it’s good you enjoy what you do I suppose, but in order to be good at it it seems like you’ve had to build up quite an impenetrable wall. You’re a very stoic woman and I’m sure that allows you to dominate the business world but I imagine if you don’t find some ways to blow off some steam it’ll be quite a crushing weight to carry around. Maybe that’s where some of my ‘particular skills’ can help?” He flashed her a grin, as he moved a loose strand of her hair out of her face. Asher still had him backed against the wall and there was not much space between the two demigods.

Theo cocked his head to the side, curious now as the girl explained what her problem was. So her power was unpredictable and could swing either way, hmmmmm. Theo knew this would be a huge liability for any job, yet at the same time it could also make gigs so much more interesting too. But those jobs where her luck did shine through? Theo’s mind went to all the spoils he could get his hands on. Well, he’d soon enough get a front row seat to witness how these luck powers worked. And if she failed? Well he’d get a very different but equally enjoyable kind of show.

“Good, good!” He grinned, encouraging her as she found the hidden compartment with ease. Theo didn’t necessarily want her to lose as he watched attentively. The grin soon slowly faded though when he observed her struggling with the lock. Even without luck powers it wouldn’t prove too much of a challenge to someone who knew what they were doing. Seems like this girl had neither the skill nor the luck. It was possible he could train her, for now he’d just watch and see what happened. “Five…four…three…two…one annnndddd dats time Red” Theo said standing up off the bed. “Well…..guess it wasn’t a complete waste of my time. Good ta know how your powers work. And at least I’ll get to enjoy dis next part. In fact I’ll make you another deal, you put on a good ‘nough show for me and I won’t holla for my siblings to come watch as you make your exit” he teased. Theo would never actually do that, but there was no reason for her to have to know that he mused.

“You ask a lot of questions I’ve never thought to come up with answers to” he crooked an eyebrow in amusement, pausing to consider his next words. “I’d grown up in the foster care system and well, my foster parents cared more about the paycheck they collected from the system than in making sure I got an education with prospects. All that to say, any jobs I could or would be offered were boring and never really lasted. And besides, people work jobs for money, I don’t really care about that. For me, pilfering isn’t about making money, it’s about the feeling of excitement, the adrenaline that courses through you when executing a plan, the unpredictable feeling of danger when the unexpected happens. Such as bumping into you” he winked playfully. “You never know what will happen next, it’s a high I can constantly chase and it keeps me busy. It’s when things slow down that the depression tries to creep back in, but I find if I can always be chasing something, a heist or a pretty face, then I can outrun it.”

Theo paused again, a look passing briefly over his face. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever really mentioned any of that to anyone before….” he tailed off as he allowed Asher to answer the questions he asked. “Maybe that’s the problem? Maybe you need to make some time, don’t let this corporate world snuff out all your joy. Not everything in life needs to have purpose and a reason behind it. Like, right now, what’s one thing you want to do that has no purpose behind it other than you can just do it? Break your rules for just a moment” he encountered her.

Theo didn’t care at this point if his rage was due to something he’d done or Liam’s powers. “You know what! Fuckin’ make it three hours! I could use the exercise beatin’ your ass” he shot back, growing angrier by the second. This kid's putrid smell didn’t help his mood, it was a common insult that Ares campers smelled, Theo had assumed this was mostly untrue, but boy was this kid pushing it! Every second he was wasting here was a moment he could be off enjoying something…anything…else, but the more this kid mouthed off the more Theo wanted to stay just to get the chance to hit him. Theo was completely caught up in this rage spell.

“I’ll run my mouth however the hell I please! In fact, you know what, after this I’ll run it over that Aphrodite girl I saw you staring at earlier.” Theo wasn’t sure how good of a comeback that was, but at this point he was more interested in trading blows than insults. Theo was too enraged to think about using his speed, besides, he didn’t want it to end too soon now. He was in this for the long haul! As Liam dogged and attempted to kick out Theo’s feet from under him he felt himself start to fall. His instinctive reflexes kicked in though and he managed to transition the fall into a ground roll instead of a complete tumble. Looking up at Liam now, “So, we gonna play dirty huh? Fine by me!” he shouted, gripping a handful of dirt and sand from the area ground he threw it towards Liam’s face. Using the distraction as a means to pick himself up from the ground.

How had he been at camp this long without having any meaningful interactions with this girl Theo thought. She was a total mystery that he was now quickly trying to piece together in their brief encounter. He made a mental note to categorize his fellow campers better when he got back to camp. If he ever got in a situation like this again he’d rather know who he was up against. In Asher’s case this seemed like a woman who knew what she wanted in life and knew how to get it. He gathered there had been many businessmen who learned this the hard way in underestimating her. He might not be a businessman himself, but he had underestimated Asher, and now he owed her..a favor? “Hmmmm, a favor huh? I do have several skills, many of which I’m sure you could find a use for should you require them” he flashed her a grin. “Deal!” sticking his hand out, he figured these business types liked to shake on these kinds of things.

Her next question made him pause, not even his other half-siblings had ever bothered to ask him that. “Well” he started, finding his words “I have sold a few, just enough to make ends meet. The rest? I don’t even know where most of them end up to be honest. Scattered around my room or snatched up by one of my siblings. The Hermes cabin is an interesting scene, nothing ever stays in one place for long” he laughed. “So, if I may ask. What are you doing here? You run a business, can't you get someone to attend this for you? I’m having fun working, but I can’t stand these people for more than a few minutes. I can’t imagine it’s that pleasant keeping their company. What do you do for fun or to unwind?” he was curious what her answer would be.

Theo wasn’t one to usually get angry. Frustrated? Sure! Annoyed? Quite often, especially with all the half-siblings he had to deal with on a daily basis. Anger however just wasn’t in his nature. Though today he was certainly in a foul mood, he could think of a million different things he’d rather be doing than this (come to think of it, about a million different people he’d rather be doing than this too). It’s not like he needed lessons anyways, it was a lucky shot and he had been distracted. Mateo was a brute but its not like he hadn’t had to fight off people that size before.

This Liam kid wasn’t helping either, the annoying punk was mouthing off some kind of nonsense that Theo chose to ignore. “You’d be doing my nose a favor if we skipped. Do you Ares campers EVER shower?” he shot back while pinching his nose in an exaggerated manner. He wasn’t sure why he’d said that exactly, something about this kid just made his blood want to boil. More than boiling, it was like an inferno now. He was getting furious but he no longer cared why. Liam was mostly a stranger to him prior to this and Theo never realized it until now but he had a face he just wanted to beat the shit out off. “A joke huh? Maybe I oughta’ knock your ass out and drag you to the lake to wash that stink away. Certainly be doin’ the camp a favor ya?” Theo didn’t wait for a response, instead he took a swing at Liam with his left hand, keeping his right arm up to guard. He’d show this Ares bastard a fight!

This job had seemed like a good idea at the time, easy pickings from snubby people while he could get a good laugh in as he stole sampled whatever caught his eye. The last several minutes had gone downhill quickly as he scrambled to figure his way out of this mess. He’d never encountered a woman quite as serious and direct as this one and he realized she wasn’t the type of person to be intimidated. Once again only realizing his mistake after the fact. He had pulled her into this empty room to question her yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was the one under interrogation.

Taking in a breath, his mind scrambled to figure out how he should address the situation. Finally he just laughed a little, not at Asher, but just at the futility of the situation as a whole. He started to wonder if this night would indeed end with him being roughly escorted out of here and straight to jail; Mr. D would NOT be pleased about that. “Look” he started, cautiously as he actually tried to pick his words carefully this time. “I think we may have got off on the wrong foot here. Now, I don’t have any actual intentions of ruining anyones reputation. And I’ll most certainly be double checking the guest list next time I go to work. You seem to be immune to these” he gestured towards the trinkets in his pocket “so what can I offer or do for you in order to be on my way?”

Theo was kicking a rock as he made his way to the camp’s arena. He didn’t take the direct route, instead taking his time weaving in and around the buildings and nature. Pausing every once in a while to readjust the rock with his foot. He was in no rush to get ‘training’ started, only going because Mr. D had insisted; even Theo couldn’t argue his way out of this one. Truth was he’d been in plenty of fights before, even won more than he lost. It was those bimbo Aphrodite campers that had gotten him all distracted at volleyball. Otherwise he knew he wouldn’t have folded so quickly to a punk like Mateo. Yet despite tryin to convince Mr. D of that he had been assigned to Dustin for training lessons. What’s worse is Dustin then passed him off to Liam like he wasn’t even worth the time.

Arriving at the arena about 15 minutes late he spotted Liam looking like a proper pissed Ares child. “Hey!” he called out, making his way up to the guy. “So what’s da deal? Or maybe we can skip dis altogether, no? I promise I’ll tell Mr. D you were an excellent instructor kay?” Theo didn't have time for this and would do anything to get out.

Theo silently studied the girl for a moment thoughtfully, like he was looking into the future and judging if he liked what he saw. “Hmmm” he finally made a sound. “Hmmmmmm. Ok. You’re not completely without some small skill. You’re quick to look for an escape route when cornered, ya can call a bluff and most importantly you’re not seduced by handsome men. You did fall for my bag of rocks but no one's perfect.” Putting the bag back under the bed before continuing.

“Ya are feisty and impulsive which isn’t good but does make jobs more fun….hehe anyways…last test.” He pointed at his wooden night stand “Dere’s a hidden compartment dere with a tiny padlock. A few niceties, jewelry an such dat I did decide to keep. Find da compartment and crack the lock. Let’s make it interestin’, if you can do dat in under seven minutes I’ll let you keep one item…and consider bringing ya on my next job. Fail, and you’re leaving through the front door…naked. Deal?” Theo had heard that her kind could draw on luck and he was curious to see that in action. Worst case he'd get an eyeful of something sweet, and the satisfaction of properly embarrassing the girl. 

86

Theo didn’t necessarily expect his pep talk to flip a switch, it certainly hadn’t when he'd been told it himself all those years ago, but it was a start. At least someone in Aislynn's life had told her she had value, that she was free to amount to something if she so chose to. In some ways though that’s a harder pill to swallow. Sometimes it’s easier to live belly up in the mud than to try and get up on your own feet. So Theo wasn’t too worried when Aislynn brushed him off and pretended not to care, he saw the spark and was content enough that he’d planned a seed.

“Hey, hey” Theo said softly, he could tell there was a lot of anger still there, and with an emptying bottle there was nowhere to drown the rising emotions now. “I’m sure you’re doing just fine on your own….but…should there ever be a day where…I don’t know..you’re not doin’ so fine all by yourself? Just know dere’s another troublemaker out dere who will share a bottle with ya. He might be an ole’ softy but he cares in his own way” He leaned back, stretching out his back and with his hands cracked his neck to one side. Yep, he’d certainly feel that punch in the morning, for now though the bottle had dulled the pain.

Watching her as she moved around, he could feel the strong effects of the alcohol settling in. He remembered something about her kind not feeling the full effects of drinking but couldn’t remember if that was actually true or not. He could tell the poor girl had had to confront a lot about herself this evening and was reaching her limit. Looks like she was seeking a distraction and if Theo was honest, after the volleyball game he could probably use one too. When she asked her last question he just chuckled “Why not both? I think I can handle it” he smirked, curious where this was about to go.

Theo was enjoying the rise he was getting out of this mysterious little intruder, much the same way a lazy cat plays with its food, though with Theo it was much less sinister. He was doing a decent job of holding back his laughter but when she made her odd comment he had to double down his efforts. However, the face she made at realizing her own ridiculousness was just too much for Theo, doubling over in genuine laughter; one reason he had to sit down in the first place.

“You sure?” he teased at her rebuff of seeing him naked. Sitting down he made sure to cross his legs as he was wearing the sheet like a kilt, but he left just enough of a gap to intrigue whatever dirty thoughts might be running through her head. He couldn’t blame her for wondering, he was Theo after all, a glorious, beautiful and vain demigod. “Ooooo you a feisty one Red. My deal? You da one who says she knows tings about me, you tell me what my deal is.” Truth was, Theo didn’t really know what to do with most of what he stole. He wasn’t like a dragon hoarding treasure, honestly he’d lost track of most of his loot if it wasn’t already scattered around the room. He chuckled again at her demand to know what was in the bag. Grabbing it he lifted it up onto the bed next to him “Dis ting?” he pointed. Unzipping the bag revealed it to be full of…….rocks. “Dis is the Hermis cabin Red, everyone here tries to steal or prank Theo. Dey always fall for the mysterious black duffel bag, and it always makes a loud noise so Theo can catch em’ just like he caught you.” Picking up a rock at random he holds it out to her in offering. “Now, if Red asks reallllllll nicely, Theo might give it to her like she wants.” He knew the double entendre of his words, but he liked seeing her blush so easily and knew this would certainly do that.

Theo liked to believe that trouble just seemed to follow him wherever he went, in reality it more often than not came down to a lack of planning. For Theo, the high came from the act of stealing, not the careful detailed oriented planning that was required for any successful heist. Important details like; would anyone he knew also be attending this event? Like any wild-child, when things started to inevitably go south he usually made up a plan on the fly; they rarely ended well. Such as how his current predicament was going. Theo didn’t stop to think that a random abduction might not be appreciated, nor how simply stating ‘don’t freak out’ might have the opposite effect. Asher’s annoyed expression and overall demeanor was quickly cluing him into that. Well, if she was going to identify him and threaten to have him kicked out at least he stood a better chance of explaining his case here than out there amongst the crowd.

The smart thing now would be to plead his case, unfortunately Theo had more looks than smarts. He was also annoyed now too that his fun had been ruined. “What do I want?? I want to be able to have my fun in peace without having to worry about being recognized! Aren’t there a dozen other parrites a rich girl like you could be at? Why’d ya have to go and pick mine?” He spoke as if somehow he belonged here and she didn’t. As if he expected Asher to somehow know he’d be here.

He didn’t know her very well, but he was about to get a crash course that this was not a girl you played chicken with. When she threatened to have him removed, his tone quickly changed tune. “Now now, there’s no need for that! I mean, it seemed like a good idea at the time? Do you really want to have this conversation out there in front of all those people? What if someone there recognized me and saw the two of us together hmmm? That certainly wouldn’t help your reputation as a business woman. I mean, I’m really doing you a favor here if you think about it right?” Theo knew better than to believe that, but was hoping he might be able to charm his way out of this mess; he could be very charming when he needed to be. “OK ok ok, you got me backed in a corner here. What do you want in order to keep this a secret? I’ll do anything here. Maybe you want one of these huh?” he offered, showing her the inside of his coat pocket stuffed with watches and other jewelry. He wasn’t sure what she liked, but rich people always seemed to want this kind of stuff, otherwise why would they all be wearing it for him to steal in the first place?

“Shut up? Tisk tisk tisk, you said you heard dings about me but I guess you didn’t hear how much I love to talk, gets me in trouble sometimes but what’s one to do?” This little shit was a troublemaker for sure but she needed some work on her comebacks, she showed her frustrations too easily. “Me a prev? Heaven’s no!” he cried in mock amusement, throwing his arms up in dismay. “Ya know I could call you the prev, sneakin’ ina boy’s room. Were you hoping to catch a show?” he said, pretending to loosen his bed sheet knot but not really, Theo always made the girl/guy work for it.

As he circled her he noticed she started to do the same, reading her body language he could tell she was looking for an escape route, hmmm good, not totally useless. She also seemed to be able to call a bluff too, maybe there was more to her after all. Theo had a gift to see skills in people, skills he could use to his advantage. “No, no I don’t think I’ll turn ya in, but leaving so soon?” he chuckled, sitting down on his bed. “Ya not a prisoner you know” gesturing to either the window or door. “But don’t you wanna keep poor lonely Theo some company?” He knew she wouldn't leave, she was in his web now.

“Oh I dink it’s pretty obvious what I’m laughin’ at. Your face is turnin’ as bright red as ya hair.” He noticed his nickname for her caused her pause, smirking as he tucked that bit of information away in his mind. “Weird huh? Ya know you sure make a lot of accusations for someone who's the invader of privacy here. And why’s it weird? You don’t sleep naked? Shame…” he said, cocking an eyebrow in jest. “I wonder just how far down those freckles go?” he teased. It hadn’t taken him long to have her typed pegged and he figured he could have some fun teasing the girl, she owed him that much after costing him a nap.

“So you heard dings bout me huh? And you figured breakin’ and enterin’ was da best way to confirm those findings?” his curiosity has peaked now. “What have you heard exactly?” he asked, starting to pace around her, arms still crossed which showed off the definition of his chest muscles, one hand rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “More importantly though, what should I do now dat I’ve caught ya, suppose I’ll need to call Lilythe and report dis….” he threatened, guessing how she would react.

Oh no, Theo thought when this girl very ungracefully scooted out from underneath his bed. Not a redhead. When it came to chaos, there were two types, troublemakers…and redheads. So much for a restful afternoon! He tried to place the face, she looked kinda familiar but he honestly couldn’t recall her name. Andrea? Adrian? Ehh, it didn’t really matter, he supposed.

Theo kept his gaze on her as she attempted to offer up an explanation. It was a pretty pathetic attempt and he couldn’t help but burst out laughing at the end of it. “Baahahahaha, hahaha, hahhhhh. Ok, ok, we really need to work on ya bullshittin’ Red.” It was kind of adorable and he wasn’t really pissed anymore; more bemused than anything else. “An’ no I ain't naked, hence the bed sheet ya?” he said point to the loose knot keeping it tied around him. “What would it matter if I was? Dis is MY room ya know? You’re the intruder here. Speaking of, what ARE you doing here anyways huh?”

The trap was set and Theo couldn’t help but smirk as he pretended to drift back into a deep sleep, even throwing in a little sleep talk muttering for good measure. With one eye slightly open he waited, this was a good vantage point as he could see whoever it was under his bed whenever they crawled out. * BUMP * What the hell are they doing under there?!? Theo thought, equal parts pissed and curious now. To be honest even he wasn’t sure what was under his bed, he wasn’t the tidiest camper.

Enough's enough he thought. Standing up he loosely tied the bed sheet around his waist and walked to the front of his bed. Putting a hand over his mouth to hold back laughter as he noticed two freckled legs sticking out of the bed; those legs certainly didn’t look like any of his siblings. Who was this stranger that thought that they (no those were defiantly female legs)...that she could sneak into his room like this and steal from him?? “Can I help you?” he asked, arms crossed.

@ Aislynn O'Neil

From one wild child to another xoxo

@ Asher Harrington

You may have botched my job in New Orleans but thanks for making up for it

Theo was debating his next course of action. On one hand he was tired and very tempted to just go back to sleep, on the other hand this was the Hermis cabin full of little tricksters. Who knows what one of his little siblings could be up to if they had snuck into his room. It amused him to see the trouble they could get into but he wasn’t really in the mood to be on the receiving end of that trouble currently. Quieting his breathing he listened, honing his senses for any sound. Not a peep. Hmmm maybe there was nothing here after all? He was just about to lay his head down when he heard it!

A small little giggle, the sound he’d heard plenty of times from his younger siblings when they were about to execute a prank. So, someone in his family thought they could pull one over ole Theo huh? This gave him an idea. “Hmmm guess it’s nothin’ den” as he put his head back down on the pillow. Pausing a moment before making a nose that sounded like snoring, only Theo kept one eye open in a small slit. He would wait and see who thought it’d be a good idea to disturb him and what sort of plan they were trying to hatch. Had Theo only bothered to look down at the end of his bed though he would have noticed it wasn’t family at all.

@ Andralyn O'Dell

Stop trying to steal my shit! (love you though )

@ Evelyn Scott

Thanks for another year of mind blowing experiences chere