Capture the Flag, Capture a Heart

[Petal Price]

Petal's heart pounded in her chest as she wove her way through the woods, her keen eyes scanning the trees for any signs of movement. The forest around her was alive with the familiar sounds of Capture the Flag, the exciting shouts of fellow campers echoing through the trees. Suddenly she froze! There, just beyond some bushes, was Miro, the Aphrodite camper. He was sitting alone, his shoulders shaking, and even from a distance, Petal could see the shimmer of tears on his cheeks. A pang of concern washed over her!. She barely knew Miro, they had never had a chance to really talk, but something about seeing him there, so sad and alone, made her heart twist in her chest. She took a deep breath and made her decision.

Carefully, Petal picked her way through the woods, her steps light and cautious so as to not startle him. She was a jumble of emotions as she approached - concern for Miro's well-being, curiosity about what could have upset him so, and a touch of nervousness about intruding on his moment of saddness. "Miro?" she called softly when she was close enough, trying to mask her surprise with an easygoing smile. "Hey, everything okay?" She tilted her head slightly, her eyes filled with genuine worry. Even though the game was still going on around them, in that moment, all that mattered to Petal was the boy sitting in front of her, tears streaming down his beautiful face.

@ Miroslaw Mihailov

[Miroslaw Mihailov Rare]

Tears streamed down his clothes, skin and the grass beneath him. He wasn't well, he didn't try to convince himself otherwise, just the others, is it because he could sense the love that he was so devastated by it? He had just failed as a son of Aphrodite, a watery laugh escaped his mouth, but then he fell silent, he would have been even more pathetic if anyone had heard. He put his head between his raised knees and wiped away the tears as soon as he felt one on his face, he tried to diminish the redness on his cheeks with a transformation of the skin of that area in a lighter tone but his powers didn't work, or rather, they were out of control, her multicolored hair hinting at that. He gasped when he heard a voice, and forced himself out of the mess in his head, looked up and found Petal there, he hadn't talked to her very much and only knew her by sight, but he knew she was nice, she wouldn't make fun of him. "I-I... I'm fine, no need to worry..." her voice gave him away, cracking mid-sentence. He was about to tell her that he might as well leave, because surely she had better things to do than stay with the whiny mess that was him, but then he realized that maybe he needed someone, even just standing next to him, to make him feel less lonely at a time like this. "Please... you can stay here for a while, if that's okay.". He tried to force a smile "I'm Miro, we haven't introduced ourselves adequately it's a pleasure to meet you." he didn't care if he was crying, if he was totally broken, he wouldn't give up his manners.

[Petal Price]

Petal's eyes softened when she heard Miro voice crack mid-sentence, the lie about him being fine was obvious. She watched him as he tried to force a smile, her heart aching at the sight. He was clearly in pain and she wanted nothing more than to make it better. "Of course, Miro," she responded with a warm smile, making her way over to sit beside him. She was filled with empathy, the reality of his pain overshadowing the adrenaline of the game they were in the middle of. As she took a seat Petal took in the sight of Miro's multicolored hair, a clear sign of his emotional sadness. Seeing his powers misbehaving reminded her of how her own abilities could go haywire when she was upset. She could relate to his struggle. "It's a pleasure to meet you too," she said softly, trying to give him a comforting smile. "My name is Petal, Petal Price and it's a pleasure to finally meet you." She wanted to assure him that he was not alone, that it was okay to not be okay sometimes. Petal decided not to pry or push. She would let Miro decide if he wanted to tell her what was wrong. Petal was sure that sometimes, just being there for someone was all they really needed.

Edited July 1, 2023 by Petal Price

[Miroslaw Mihailov Rare]

"Thanks so much, Petal," he offered her a warm greeting and another smile, this one less forced than the last as she sat down. He was just happy that someone had come and sat down, not asking, not judging, just offering a little comfort. She seemed to him to be an Iris girl so maybe, he could talk to her right? She had been nice to him, he could give it a try. "You, you're not going to make fun of me are you? ...no, of course not.". He tried to pull herself together and the color of his eyes mirrored Petal's, his cheeks were still red with wee marks though. "You know...I fell in love with this girl...Lena...but I found out that when she and I were together...she was also in love with someone else, Fin called her, I.. I didn't know. She destroyed me but I still love her." he laughed and cried at the same time, "It's possible that I'm the worst son of Aphrodite ever...". He sought comfort, and I find it in the figure of Petal, who listened to him without judgment.

[Petal Price]

A moment of stunned silence passed before Petal could manage to respond. Finley...her brother, Finley? Her mind raced with surprise and confusion. A part of her wanted to feel angry, to storm off and confront her brother about this...but the sight of Miro, broken and crying, kept her grounded. Could her brother really have done something like this?? "Oh, Miro," she said, her voice soft and full of sympathy. Her energetic and cheerful nature seemed to dim a bit, as she dealt with the shock of the news. "I'm...I'm really sorry to hear that," she added, uncertain of what else to say. This was the first time she had been faced with such a situation. "You know,"; she started, trying to find the right words, "being heartbroken doesn't make you a bad son of Aphrodite...it just means you're capable of deep, genuine love. That's not a weakness, Miro. It's a strength." She hoped her words could provide some comfort to him. She knew it wasn't much, but she felt it was important to remind him that his capacity to love was not a weakness.

[Miroslaw Mihailov Rare]

He smiled at Petal with all the strength he had left and moved closer to get some reassuring touch, oh that movement reminded her so much of Elena under the fireworks, she froze at the thought, but Petal's presence made it feel better and forced himself to speak, she was there for him, she wouldn't have wasted this opportunity and she just didn't want to stay any longer: "Don't worry, you shouldn't be sorry, it's not your fault... You, you made a strange face when I mentioned you know the boy, don't you?"  She wondered who that boy was and what she had better than him.  She shook her head, no, thinking about it would only make him sadder, something she absolutely had to avoid, she had to be stronger if he was going to go and win her back.  "Is my ability to love a strength you say? I wish I could think so too... All my brothers and sisters are true heartthrobs, probably some of them would tell me to leave it behind and look for another girl... or well boy...but I...can't stop thinking about her...Even now that she's gone, I can't fall in love with anyone else."  she looked Petal in her eyes as he said the words.  "But I wouldn't want her to try again just because she pities me, I wish she loved me the way I love her. Damn, even the gods took pity on me! I just wish Elena... nothing else..."

[Petal Price]

Petal took a moment, the words 'Fin' and 'Elena' echoing in her mind. She couldn't quite believe her brother was involved in this. She felt a pull of conflicting emotions - anger towards Finley, sympathy for Miro, and an unplaceable feeling towards Elena. Taking a deep breath she turned her attention back to Miro. "I think I do know the guy you're talking about, you see.......Fin is my......brotherrrrrrr. For what it's worth I don't think he would do something to be purposefully mean" she admitted quietly. She didn't want Miro to feel more uncomfortable than he already did but she had to tell him the truth. The pain in his words was evident and she felt a pang of empathy. How awful it must be to love someone so much only to be left heartbroken. She squeezed his shoulder lightly, offering a small smile.

"Don't compare yourself to your siblings, Miro. Each of us experiences love in our own unique way. Your feelings are your own and they're valid," she assured him. She thought back to the boy she had been crushing on, Liam, and how his feelings were probably not the same ones she he been feeling for him. In a way, she could relate to what Miro was going through. "Love can be complicated, Miro... and it can hurt a lot. But remember, you're not alone. You deserve to be loved for who you are, Miro, not out of pity," she told him, her voice soft yet firm. "You're not a lesser person because you can't just move on like others might. You're feeling deeply, and that's okay."

[Miroslaw Mihailov Rare]

Miro had stopped crying, Petal was in front of him and didn't want to show himself like that, he was kind and didn't want to complicate her work. He already felt like she was doing enough, they had never spoken and this is possibly the worst first meeting ever. His eyes snapped open when he learned from her that Fin was her brother but… in the end… they both had Iris features, he was a fool not to notice before she. But he sketched a smile, he was happy that she, despite her brother being part of the problem, had come and continued to comfort him. "He was upset too, or so it seemed to me, I don't think he did it on purpose, it's my fault…Elena had mentioned it when we were alone, he's her true love and I'm just a little crush…maybe ...".

He winced at the feeling of something on her shoulder but then quickly recovered realizing it was Petal's hand, he took it and held it for a moment, just seeking comfort…he had always been hungry for touch and he was ashamed of it. "I... I admire my brothers, it's true, I'm not like them but I envy the fact that they need time to become attached to people close to them, instead I get attached and then I feel bad about it, but you're right, we're all different" he looked into her eyes and then hugged her quickly, remaining attached with his head in the crook of her neck, it was nothing romantic only, he thanked her for being a sincere friend, it's true, this was the first time they spoke to each other calm, by themselves, but Petal turned out to be the most understanding person I'd ever met and it wasn't just about her communication skills. "Thanks, thanks, thanks Petal" and he continued his litany of sincere thanks.

[Petal Price]

Petal hugged Miro back, wrapping her arms around him in a gesture of pure comfort. It wasn't about Capture the Flag, camp dynamics, or even family connections anymore; it was simply about two demigods sharing a moment of understanding and compassion amidst the chaos of their lives. It was heartwarming to know that her words had made a difference

Releasing him from the hug after a moment, she offered a comforting smile, her eyes shimmering with both compassion and a hint of her inherent mischief. "You don't have to thank me, Miro," she replied. "Everyone needs a listening ear sometimes. Just remember that while love can be a stormy sea, it doesn't define your worth. You're an amazing person, all on your own, without any attachments."Trying to add a bit of her usual playful spirit to lighten the mood, she added with a wink, "And if ever you want to team up against Fin in Capture the Flag, just let me know. Brothers can be so clueless sometimes. And who knows, I am sure you will find someone here at camp that will want your love. You have a giving heart and that is a rarer thing these days. Hey, if you ever need me to set you up with someone I can be your winggirl" she teased hoping it would help him feel better.

[Miroslaw Mihailov Rare]

Miro continued to hug her, seeking comfort in Petal, who by now was considered a true friend by him, in all effects, he was grateful to her for making him feel good in such a moment, finding a friendly presence in the field that they were just his brothers and sisters, so yes, that hug was the sign of a pure friendship that had blossomed between the two of them and Miro was happy. Maybe Petal had stopped the bleeding of his bleeding and broken heart, so that then, with time and care, it could be bandaged and healed. When they broke away from her embrace he looked at her, smiled and then laughed happily, happy to feel slightly better in all that mess. "Thank you Petal… I, even though we've known each other for about half an hour, I'm so happy to have met you and to be able to call you a friend… can I right? I know love is complicated, but maybe feel it on others and trying it on the skin are two different things... if you too have love problems, come to your favorite son of Aphrodite, he owes you a favor." he smiled and gave a thumbs up to signal that he was feeling better. Then he chuckled at her comment about capture the flag and her brother Fin, he smirked, now came the fun: "Oh Petal... I can't wait to get revenge together with you! Fin will pay dearly! .... Eheh joking of course, but I gladly accept the offer and, again, thanks."

[Petal Price]

Petal's eyes twinkled with delight as she saw the transformation in Miro's demeanor. Her heart swelled with pride knowing that she had helped lift someone's spirits. "Oh, you can absolutely call me a friend! We may have met under dramatic circumstances, but the best friendships are born from adversity, right?" she said with her trademark cheerfulness. "And ah, love problems? Pshh, the only love problem I have is trying to decide which flavor of ice cream to choose after dinner," she joked, her laughter bubbling up.

She winked at Miro. "As for Capture the Flag, consider it a date! I mean, not an actual date-date, but you know what I mean. A battle-date! We'll grab so many flags together" She paused, her grin widening even more. "And who wouldn't want a favor from the favorite son of Aphrodite? I'll keep that offer in my back pocket. But hey, the best part of today is that I've found a friend who's as genuinely awesome as you. For that, I should be thanking you!" With that, Petal playfully nudged Miro, feeling grateful and fulfilled in the new friendship that had blossomed so unexpectedly. "Oh, revenge will be sweet, won't it? Fin won't know what hit him" she joked back as she stood up and offering her hand, helped up her new friend Miro too.