Let's Sing the Angry Feelings Away Ok?

[Petal Price]

Petal was walking through the woods as she was want to do during this time of mid day. Smiling to herself as she felt the warm sun embrace her skin. She was barefoot, wearing one of her favorite spring dresses, a sky blue one covered in patterned decorative sunflowers that came down to her knees. It reminded her of home and summer days spent with her father whom she missed dearly. The walks helped her keep the feelings of homesickness at bay. As she walked the sudden shout and scream tore her out of her own thoughts. Was someone being attacked?? She rushed toward the sounds, not sure what she could do to help but determined to try.

When she came to the clearing she saw a boy, he wasn’t being attacked but he sure was attacking that tree! She noticed several chunks of bark flying off as he hit it with his sword, again and again and again. That poor tree she thought, she just had to stop this. “Hey you! What are you doing to that poor tree. It has feeling you know!?” she shouted, loudly but in a calm tone as she marched up to him. What could have made this kid so angry he just had to take it out on a tree in the middle of what should have been very peaceful woods. Was he an Ares camper?

 

@ Liam Santos

[Liam Santos Rare]

Liam was so ANGRYYYYYY......he had to train Theo because the boy was too dumb to think with his thick skull to mess with Helena....who they ALL know was with Mateo!!!! Screaming he took out his sword and began to slash at the tree. All her could see was red as he chopped at it this way then that.  It honestly made him feel better as he yelled while hitting the tree. But then out of nowhere this voice rang out that got him to stop and look at the person with a daring expression. "WHO EVEN ARE YOU?" He said looking at her seeing if she dare say such a dumb thing again.

Pointing to the tree "This tree deserved it.....it sided with the powers at work that told me I have to TRAIN A DUMB BOY WHO GOT KNOCKED OUT" he huffed and puff as he then began to slash at the tree again. He felt enraged......I mean why shouldn't he do this??? Was this girl was going to stop him? 

[Petal Price]

“Who am I? Why I’m Petal Price and it’s a pleasure to meet you!” she said smiling as she closed the remaining distance between the two of them, extending her hand out in greeting. She watched him carefully though, while it seemed like he wouldn’t hurt her she needed to be ready just in case he took a swing in her direction; angry people could be unpredictable like that. She could tell though that something was genuinely bothering him, something about an annoying boy? That was no reason to take it out on these poor trees though, before she could help him she’d need to get him to stop abusing the tree.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, cracking her fingers as she stretched her hands out, time to get to work! “I’m sure the tree didn’t mean to side against you. In fact I think it’s very sorry to have caused you any grief. I know! Let’s use our ‘I feel’ statements.” Petal was proud of herself for coming up with the idea, this had always helped her growing up. “I feel like…I can better help you if maybe we stop swinging the sword around.” She paused for a moment to let it sink in before continuing. “Ok now your turn!”

[Liam Santos Rare]

Liam could not help but give this girl one of those looks with a raised eyebrow. I mean YES he had seen her around the camp but did he know her NO. If he remembered right she was one of those hippie weirdo Iris Campers who just wanted them all to sit in a circle and sing along. Annoying if he had anything to say about it! Taking her hand he wondered where it had been....hopefully somewhere....sanitary! "I guess" he said taking his hand back from her. 

Turning back to the tree, he let out so much rage as he felt it over power him. This was the kind his daddy had given to him like a angry hug! But then that hippie girl...Prairie or whatever her name was started talking again. This time telling him to do his I feel statements. "I FEEL ANGRY AND ANNOYED" he said instinctively as he stopped hitting the tree. Giving her a look of annoyance as he dropped the sword. If this is what she wanted then this is what she will get. "I FEEL OUTRAGE AND IRRITATION" he said hoping she would just piss off. This girl was not a shrink that would want to dwell in his mind for very long!

[Petal Price]

Petal stared wide eyed, unblinking, holding her breath with calm anticipation as she waited to see how Liam would respond to her recommendation. When he said ‘I guess’ she let out a sigh of relief, making progress through conflict hinged on good communication and she hoped her mother would be proud of her in this moment. Most campers would have approached an Ares kid with caution, extreme caution if they were in the middle of raging out like Liam was. Petal preferred to approach everyone the same though, as Petal, with an abundance of enthusiastic optimism and happiness.

She did observe him carefully however as he raged and yelled out at her, when it appeared he had finished she beamed ear to ear in a genuine smile. “Excellent! You did it, two whole ‘I feel’ statements. I’m so proud of you!” she instinctively started towards him, arms outstretched for a hug before she stopped herself. She’d been warned by her cabin leader that not everyone preferred unexpected hugs. “The first step to handling our emotions is to express how they make us feel,” she explained, pausing for emphasis before continuing “I always forget what step two is so let’s just skip it for now and move onto step three. Why are you feeling so angry? You mentioned having to train someone right? Why is training them causing you to want to come out here and swing that sword around?”

[Liam Santos Rare]

Liam watched the Hippie girl in front of him as he spouted off his I FEEL statements that she so wanted him to say. He was just feeling angry as it fueled himself slashing at the tree which was making him feel a bit better. This was not the first tree to feel his wrath as he had been upset quite often from breakups to getting told to do toilet duty. I mean you name the situation and probably he was mad about something. If it was with one of his siblings he would just challenge them to a fight but he did not want to do that in this moment with Dustin.

Looking incredulously at her "Proud of me, is that supposed to make me feel better?" he asked in an annoyed way. For the most part he had learned to ignore the iris campers except the few he fawned over that were pretty hot looking. They were always upset that he did not communicate better which is why they always ended it, saying he was 'tooo hotheaded and not enough communication' or whatever that meant! Jumping back from the girls out stretched arms he laughed while shaking his arms "Yeah no, I don't hug" he said looking weirded out. Maybe it was the fact that she caught him off guard with the hug but he listened for a moment "I am ANGRY he said because I have to pre-train a dumb boy who cannot keep his hands to himself. So now I got to waste my own good time to deal with a punk ass bitch who I wish to have nothing to do with." The whole time he even talked to Petal he did air quotes and was very expressive. 

[Petal Price]

“Of course it is silly!” Petal giggled, “Our godly parents certainly don’t take the time to be proud of us, so it’s up to us as fellow campers to shower each other in positive encouragement!” When he declined her hug she instinctively folded her arms before quickly putting them back to her sides. She’d learned the hard way that folded arms could be interpreted as annoyance or displeasure and she definitely didn’t want a child of Ares picking up any of that.

“Yea, I’d be annoyed too if I had to babysit a punk ass bitch.” She tried to sound cool, as if those last three words were a regular part of her vocabulary, hoping she had come off as relatable. Appear relatable and understanding; she’d read that in a book on good communication and was excited to have an opportunity to try that out now. “It’s ok to feel emotions like anger Liam, but acting out in anger like this? Hitting these poor trees? That’s not a healthy response to anger, but you know what is?” She asked this as she walked over to a nearby stump, standing up on it to make herself a few feet taller, turning back to look at Liam as she threw up her arms. “Singing! And I have the BEST song for us to sing away our angry feelings.” She paused for effect, collecting herself she closed her eyes briefly before opening them wide as she began to to sing.

“When I’m feeling angry. When I’m feeling upset. When I can’t stand it anymore…When I’m feeling angry, I know what to do. I take a deep breath and count to three.” she paused, taking in a loud deep breath then letting it out as she continued to sing. “One! Two! THREE! I feel better. I feel better. I feel better nowwwwwwwwwwwwwww.” She drew out that last note as long as she could before giving a bow, beaming ear to ear as she just knew she gave the performance of a lifetime. "Ok now YOU try!" she said, still grinning, as she pointed at Liam, anxiously awaiting to see his attempt.

Edited March 6, 2023 by Petal Price

[Liam Santos Rare]

Liam just did not get this girl, I mean he had been around Iris girls before but most of them stayed clear of him due to his cabin. I mean there had been girls he had a one night stand with from that cabin but this girl was on another level like her mom. As he scowled with a raised eyebrow. He listened to her buckets of positivity about lifting each other up and such. "Okay I get that but I still don't know how to "FEEL" about that" he said as he did air quotes around FEEL. It wasn't like his cabin was one that was close to their emotions other than anger. So when she said she was proud of him, he honestly did not know how to feel about it all. 

Liam was trying this talking things which felt weird and all. Why can't he just cut up a tree again? Oh that's right, it would hurt the trees and all. Gosh this was all annoying and shit. But the next thing that came out Petal mouth shocked him. "RIGHT" he said with both really wide eyes as he slowly nodded. "What?" he asked truly curious what she was going to say. I mean Dustin had said their anger was something that always bad for relationships and such. So maybe that is why he stayed longer than his gut told him to do. I mean if she said go out and kill monsters he would so do it! A groan came out of Liam so naturally when the word singing came out of her mouth. "No, Not that" the look on his face said he was going to be in pain. 

Naturally he put his hands over his ears hoping to stop the song from reaching to his ears but nope it still got there just fine. As he watched iris child sing about anger he felt like vomiting. It was like his one weakness and she found it. But when she stopped he forgot to talk in a normal voice "IS IT OVER" he yelled when he realized she had stopped singing finally. "I don't think I will be singing....it's not my thing you see...its painful when I sing." This was true as his voice was nice when he talked but when he tried to sing it could crack windows. 

[Petal Price]

Petal, still on the stump, giggled at Liam's reaction to her singing. "Oh, come on, it can't be that bad!" she exclaimed, hopping down from the stump. She caught Liam's eye, and a soft blush appeared on her cheeks. "Okay, okay, no singing for you. But, how about we try something else?" she suggested, her eyes lighting up with excitement. She couldn't help but notice how strong Liam looked, even when he was angry.

She looked around the clearing and spotted a patch of wildflowers nearby. "Let's pick some flowers! We can make a beautiful bouquet, and I promise it'll help take your mind off your anger," she said, giving him a playful wink. She walked over to the flowers, knelt down, and started carefully picking a few, holding them gently in her hands. She looked up at Liam, her eyes twinkling with happiness. "Come on, give it a try! I'm sure it'll help," she encouraged him, gesturing for him to join her. "Besides, you don't have to train that boy right now, do you? Let's make the most of our time and enjoy nature's beauty together."

Petal continued to pick flowers, humming to herself, occasionally glancing over at Liam to see if he would join her. As she looked at him, she couldn't help but feel a strange warmth in her heart. 'Hmmmmm' she thought to herself. After collecting a handful of colorful blooms, she held them up for him to see. "Look at these lovely flowers! They're so vibrant and full of life, just like you," she said, smiling at Liam.

She knew that not everyone at camp understood or appreciated her boundless energy and positive attitude, but she couldn't help but try to spread her love for life and the world around her - especially to someone who had caught her attention like Liam. "So, Liam," she said, turning her attention back to him, "even if you don't want to sing, or pick flowers, or do any of these things I'm suggesting, I just want you to know that it's okay to feel angry. But, it's also important to find ways to channel that anger into something positive, something that won't hurt anyone, including yourself or these lovely trees." Petal gave him a supportive smile, hoping that, in some small way, she had helped him manage his emotions and find a healthier outlet for his anger. And maybe, just maybe, she had sparked a connection with Liam that could grow into something?

[Liam Santos Rare]

Liam was feeling quite uneasy around this girl, and he just couldn't seem to connect with her the way he had with other Iris girls. I mean they did the ummmm things in the sheets that communicated well in a way he could connect with. But this with the singing and such was not his forte. His cabin was known for their anger and lack of emotional expression, and this girl's constant positivity and encouragement was throwing him off. "Something else?" his voice cracked as it seemed Petal was not giving up on him at all.

As Petal lead him to the flowers, he groaned a little as he felt like he was being torture. Liam couldn't believe he was actually going to picking flowers. This was not how he imagined spending his time as a child of Ares. He would rather be training or fighting monsters than being "tortured" by a child of Iris who seemed to be enjoying this activity a little too much. "No I don't but picking flowers" he detested to her. But seeing he was given no other choice he sat down next to her. Looking as if he was confused and maybe a little bit out of place. Seeing the flowers around him, he had never done this before.

Part of him wanted to just get it over with and pick the flowers so that the girl would be happy and he could leave. But another part of him didn't want to give in to her demands and risk her making him do another activity that he might find even more unbearable. "Me like a flower?" he laughed hoping she was joking. "I am rough and tough...not like these things that can be plucked and crushed" he said raising an eyebrow to her. 

Then he picked a flower looking at it in his hand as he then let it go to the ground as he listened to her. She was right that he did not want to pick flowers or sing. "Well that is the only way I know of how to deal with my anger" he said picking more flowers as he crushed more in his hands. "It isn't like anyone ever teaches you how especially when I get my anger from my dad" 

[Petal Price]

Petal watched as Liam listened over her words, she could tell he was struggling to contemplate the mix of emotions that were washing over his face. As an Iris daughter she prided herself in being able to read the emotions coming off people. She also knew a bit about Ares' kids and that the children of Ares were not known for their gentle sides, but yet here he was at least sitting down with her as she continued picking flowers. She couldn't help but admire him for at least considering her suggestions, even if he was still hesitant. Petal wasn't used to dealing with such raw, unfiltered emotions, she was a child of positivity and peace at heart. But as she watched Liam struggle with his anger she felt empathetic, and a longing to soothe his discomfort. She nodded her head at his word, "I understand, Liam. It's tough when our godly parents influence us so deeply," she said gently. She knew she couldn't force Liam to change but she still hoped she could help him find a healthier way to deal with his anger.

As she observed him reluctantly picking and crushing flowers she felt a small pang of regret at suggesting this activity. The flowers were innocent just as the trees had been. The sight of him crushing them made her cringe inwardly, but she did her best to keep that hidden as she wanted to make a breakthrough with this boy. "Here," she said placing her hand over his, guiding him to pick the flowers gently so that they could be saved and put into a vase. Petal couldn't help but notice though that Liam's hands were rough and calloused, very different form the delicate petals of the flowers. She also couldn't help but stare a little long at Liam's overall frame....he was very muscular and certainly easy on the eyes. "You know, just because you're rough and tough doesn't mean you can't appreciate the beauty and of nature, like these flowers." As she said this she scooted over close to him, "You know, Liam, there are other ways to let out pent up emotions besides singing or picking flowers. You might be surprised at how well they can channel that fiery passion of yours." Petal winked at him. "Just a suggestion....for the future....should you find yourself angry about having to train any other stupid boys." She twirled a strand of rainbow blonde hair as she said this.

[Liam Santos Rare]

Liam listened to Petal's words as he continued to reluctantly pick and crush the flowers. He couldn't deny that there was something about her presence that made him want to at least try to understand her perspective. Iris campers were the best with communication right? He thought he remembered the few girls he had been with in that cabin that they were well good with their words. But as he felt her hand on his he looked up shocked at her. Her gentle touch guiding his hand to pick the flowers more delicately surprised him. Maybe there was more to this activity than he initially thought. 

"Ohhh sorry, bad habits" he finished saying as he smiled in a sorry looking way. He looked at the flowers in his hand, their fragile beauty contrasting with his rough, calloused hands. Maybe he didn't have to crush them after all right??? Well it was strange to have petal hand on his as hers was all soft and cool to his warm hand. Her hand reminded him of someone else. That was when the thoughts came back to him of Novalie and her soft fingers. Liam's attention was momentarily distracted when he noticed Petal staring at him, did he have something on his face? He felt a faint blush creep onto his cheeks, though he quickly shook off any thoughts of attraction. This was not the time or place for such distractions.

He smirked at her suggestion and wink, finding her playful nature shocking and a bit well embarrassing. "You mean um," his face went red as he felt his temperature rise internally. "Well I.......I guess we could do that", he replied. So she liked HIM like THAT.....HOW....WHEN....WHY. So many things were going through his head as he was trying to wrap his little brain around it all! Also why did he just agree with sleeping with this iris girl??? Had he lost his mind....also what would Novalie think about this all. I mean those two were not dating but dammit things were going well right now.

[Petal Price]

Petal's heart fluttered at the sight of Liam's blush. It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless! She had managed to make the fiery child of Ares blush, even if it was just for a moment. After having held his hand Petal couldn't drive off the thoughts of wondering what Liam's arms must have felt like, he certainly took care of himself as was evident from the bulging muscles in his shirt. The sight of such a strong attractive guy doing something as peaceful and gentle as gatherings flowers made Petal giggle to herself as she grinned ear to ear. It felt like she was making progress with this Ares boy, another victory for communication! And hey, if the added bonus was spending time with such a good looking demigod then that was just icing on the cake. She watched as he seemed to ponder over her words, "No need to apologize Liam. You're going great now. Just remember, flowers are like pretty girls, you need a delicate touch at first." She winked at him as she said this. "Hmmm I mean....I guess some like it rough, girls, not flowers of course!" she giggled.

"There's beauty in both strength and softness, you know," she added, her eyes locking in with his. "Just promise you'll remember what we went over today ok? It's okay to feel what you're feeling. It's not wrong to be angry or frustrated. And it's good to explore healthier ways of dealing with those feelings. Not everything has to be expressed through violence or hurting nature. Now, how about we finish this bouquet and then maybe we can find something more...suited to your interests?" she suggested offering him a hand to help him up. "I want to learn more about you Liam, what are your hobbies? Besides protecting us from trees of course!" She knew she had given him a lot to think about, but Petal hoped that she had managed to help him even if it was just a little bit.

Edited May 17, 2023 by Petal Price

[Liam Santos Rare]

Liam felt a mix of emotions swirling within him as he continued to interact with Petal. On one hand, he couldn't deny the subtle thrill he experienced from her attention. The fact that she found him attractive and intriguing gave his ego a boost. I mean her sisters had been a lot of fun so maybe she could be too? These were the questions that swirled around in his mind as Petal walked to him. Making there a conflict inside of him. However, there was also a part of Liam that felt a sense of unease. Petal's vibrant personality and gentle nature stood in stark contrast to his own fiery and aggressive demeanor. While he admired her peaceful approach and her willingness to find beauty in the world, he couldn't help but feel a disconnect between their personalities. It was as if they were two puzzle pieces that didn't quite fit together. "Ummmm Thank you, Petal," he replied, his voice tinged with uncertainty, an eyebrow raised. "And you would know about this sort of thing?" He questioned her as he was now curious what sort of this she had been into? Petal did not seem the type to sleep around or even play for that matter.....the word innocent came to mind.

"I'm not used to this... softer side of things," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm more comfortable with strength and action....you understand that right?" Liam looked up, his eyes meeting Petal's once again. There was a flicker of vulnerability in his gaze, a glimpse of the inner battle he faced. He knew he had to be honest with himself and with her.  "I don't want to lead you on or pretend to be something I'm not," he continued, his tone earnest. This was one of the reasons he love Novalie as she liked him the way he was. Not trying to change him into some hippie close your eyes shit.  "I'm grateful for your guidance on this, but I need time to reconcile these conflicting parts of myself. I hope you can understand.....and maybe learn new ways to still have anger in a different expressed way" Liam's admission hung in the air, uncertain of how Petal would react. He hoped that she would respect his honesty and give him the space to figure things out on his own terms.

[Petal Price]

Petal took in Liam's words processing his hesitations. She knew that she couldn't expect him to change overnight. Her heart did flutter a bit at the thought that he was considering her words, even if he was conflicted. The fact that he was attempting to understand and even accept the differences between them was more than she could have hoped for. "I respect your honesty, Liam," she said softly smiling. "I understand that my way of life might not be your cup of tea, and that's perfectly okay. But I think we can agree that there's always room for growth, isn't it? So....no pressure....just consideration."

"You know, flowers and thorns coexist on the same stem," she said, looking at Liam with a gentle expression. "Strength and softness, anger and peace - they aren't mutually exclusive, you know. It's about finding a balance. And I believe you can, given time." Feeling a bit daring Petal decided to playfully address his earlier blush and confusion. With a mischievous grin she moved closer to Liam and whispered, "And as for your...uh...earlier question. I guess you could say that I am quite experienced in many things... Just like I'm sure you're quite experienced with yours. I am open to learning from you too, you know." She winked at him, letting him know that his other 'skills' did not go unnoticed. She reached out and squeezed his hand lightly before picking up her flowers. "Walk me back to camp?"

[Liam Santos Rare]

It was as if Petal wanted him to change but he didn't want too! He liked the way he was plus he a child of ares...the GOD OF WAR...not the god of let's sing songs and be happy!!!! There was a mix bag of things he was feeling inside. He had liked the way he was plus he was pretty stubborn to change. There had to be a dang good reason and Petal was not giving him anything to really make him feel as if he needed to change. "Growth I guess" he shrugged his shoulders as he looked off to the side. Part of him wanted to leave but then maybe she would follow him?

Petal continued but he felt himself hardening with every word she said well that was until she whispered something that even made him blush. Well he did not know that about the rainbow child. Not really knowing what else to say he nodded and the two of them walked back to camp. Him trying to be nice but happy that he could go back to his cabin to where all of them were angry and he felt at home.

 

The END