Zeus' Fist: Love is Madness

[Gael Masterson]

Place: Capture the flag Summer 2022
Team: Blue

@ Petal Price

The sun was covered by some clouds at the moment. Which brought a nice breeze to the grounds that he was standing in. It was much needed for Gael as he was standing there after the long run that he had just got doing. The other team had been chasing him just a few moments earlier. He had been close to getting their flag. There were to many of them to fight alone. He knew better than to fully go into there like that. He pressed his back against the rock formation of Zeus' fist. There he got himself a nice deep breathe. He needs it. He pulled up the orange shirt bottom to whip his face as he sighed a little. There was always something going on in this game. It was strange to him; he hadn't seen not one of his teammates around. Where were they at? Maybe out there fighting doing something else. As much as he liked it, he would much rather be doing something different here. A sound came from the other side of the rock, and he readied his sword, walking around the rock, his breathing slow and low at the moment. 

 

 

Edited August 21, 2023 by Gael Masterson

[Petal Price]

As Petal caught her breath behind a nearby tree, she watched Gael's movements with a curious mix of fascination and caution. The shadows cast by the looming rock formation danced upon his face, making his features appear even more intense than they already were. While she'd always been drawn to the light, the sunshine, and everything rainbow, there was something undeniably compelling about Gael's darkness. She couldn't help but wonder what thoughts raced through his mind as he readied his sword, so different from her own peaceful tendencies. Pushing away her initial hesitations, she decided to approach him, the soles of her sneakers crunching softly against the dry leaves. She was dressed in camo pants and jacket that she'd borrowed from an Ares camper, however instead of the normal green and brown eye paint most military used she had smeared rainbow paint. Not bothering to think how that totally defeated the purpose of camouflage.

"Gael!" she whispered, her voice a blend of urgency and relief. The rainbow paint smeared beneath her eyes seemed to capture the hues of the setting sun, emphasizing her wide, curious gaze. "It's me, Petal. I caught a flag!" She grinned from ear to ear. "How's the game going for you?"

[Gael Masterson]

He was almost ready to slash through the air, when his name being whispered made him stop in that moment. He stood there staring at the girl that was in front of him. He dropped the sword to his side and lazily dropped his shoulders a little as well. It was Petal. He watched as she came into view a little more as he stepped around the rock completely. As she came into view however, he noticed that she had made herself up. War paint and all. Although then again, her war paint had a bit of color to it, sending the whole outfit wilder. A rainbow. He blinked at her for a moment and then laughed, no a full-on laugh. "What are you doing." He said as he walked over to her and brought up his thumb to her face and smudged some of the rainbow paint off her face a little before bringing it back to his face. "You know, I'm surprised you got a flag..." he smirked eyeing her up and down. "You have everything going for you until this." he smirked as he smudged the color under his left eye. He gave her a knowing look and shook his head a little. "The game has been going fine for now." he said. "I guess I'm just taking a break." he said with a shrug, propping the sword on the rock. "Can't really fight you now, can I?" He turned his face to her with a small smirk on it. 

[Petal Price]

Petal chuckled lightly, tilting her head as she regarded Gael's gesture with a mix of amusement and surprise. "Hey, the rainbow is my signature, okay? Just because we're in a battle doesn't mean I can't be me." She folded her arms across her chest, one eyebrow raised in playful defiance. "And yes, maybe it's not the most practical for camouflage, but it's a part of who I am. Besides," she continued with a wink, "maybe I wanted them to see me coming. I am a force to be reckoned with, just ask poor Derrick" 

With the weight of the flag in her hand, Petal felt an odd sense of accomplishment combined with uncertainty, much like her feelings towards Gael. "So, are we strategizing, or just catching our breath?" she asked, shifting slightly on her feet. "I mean, I've got a flag and you've got that sword. We'd make a pretty unbeatable pair if we teamed up properly. What do you think?" She met his gaze, her eyes searching his for a moment, hoping to find a glimmer of camaraderie amidst their differences. It was hard to ignore the intrigue he held for her; the way he moved with such confidence, the shadows he seemed to embrace. It was all so alien, yet undeniably magnetic. Usually Petal never had a problem interacting with people, she was a daughter of Iris after all, yet something about Gael still clouded her head and made things fuzzy.

[Gael Masterson]

Gael watched her tilt her head for a moment as he ran a hand through his hair. There was a lot that this girl knew about him. He hated it, because now she had something on him that she could tell everyone around him. He had trusted her in not telling anyone but who was to say that she would keep this a whole ass secret. He didn't know her from anyone in the camp other than the fact that they have been spending a little more time together. He had a fascination with her at the moment. He didn't know why, but it was a little strange to him. He had put the colorful paint on his face. She seemed to be a little shocked by his actions. Hell, so was he. He didn't know what to do about it at the moment. She was changing him, and he didn't know if it was a bad thing or a good one. So right now, he was totally going to go for the bad one. He sighed heavily and smirked. "No, I guess one should be in battle." he mused. "But you're not hiding at all when you're this colorful." a chuckle came from him. She was something different, and again was that a bad or good thing. "Oh, they will see you coming that is for sure."

Gael's eyes glanced down to her hand with the flag in it and a smile came to his lips. Well, at least one of them were getting something accomplished. He was pretty sure that he was just put in the game to scare the kiddos off. "I'm catching my breath at the moment." he told her honestly. "I just battled some Ares kids, they got the upper hand on me for a moment, I had to escape from them, so I ran." he said with a shrug. He was never really good at by capture the flag, but it was a game that the camp enjoyed so there was that. He blinked a little and turned away from her listening still to her words. Her telling him that she had the flag, and he had a sword. Petal's question made him glance back over to her for that second and it was like she had the ability to stop him in his tracks. She had him pinned with a glance. It was like she was looking for something, something that she was so close to finding and him having to hide all over again. Shit. She had gotten to close to him. He had dropped some of his walls and she had just walked in like she owned the place. He was locked in her eyes for a moment before he blinked and went back to locking himself up again. Shit. To close. " Well," he started as he pulled at his shirt a little, bringing the bottom to whip his face off, his toned stomach on show for her. "If you need my help that bad, I don't mind helping a little sprite out." he grinned brightly, teasing her. The nickname was never going to go away. 

[Petal Price]

Petal twirled a strand of her vibrant hair around her finger, grinning cheekily. "Well, maybe I'm just too fabulous to hide. After all, why blend in when I was born to stand out?" All cheekiness left her though when Gael lifted his shirt up! Petal watched him, her heart skipping a beat as he pulled up his shirt, revealing his toned abdomen. She quickly averted her gaze, blushing while trying to maintain her composure. She had to remind herself that she was here for the game and not to get sidetracked by Gael's enigmatic presence.

Ahh fuck it!

She sneaked a quick peek. Truth was, the more she learned about him, the more layers she discovered. The way he just opened up about his encounter with the Ares campers made her wonder. "Hey, Gael," she began, her voice lower and more serious than before, "I've been thinking... you know those powers you have? The ones that can induce fear in people? Do you think, maybe, you could've used them to drive away the Ares camper?" She quickly added, "I'm not saying you should've! I'm just curious. It's just, from what I've heard, your powers are quite potent, and well, you seem like you have control over them. And before you think I'm suggesting you use them recklessly, I'm not. I just... I want to understand more about you. About what you can do."

It was a possibly risky move, bringing up Gael's powers. They were something she was sure he was sensitive about, since he rarely spoke of them. But Petal felt like she had grown closer to him over the past few weeks, and if they were to really work together as a team, she believed in understanding each other's strengths and vulnerabilities. She waited, her eyes once again fixed on his, hoping he'd see the genuine curiosity in her gaze.

[Gael Masterson]

Gael couldn't help but smirk at her comment. He kind of liked it. It made since to him. She was born of Iris and her father. Which meant that she was going to be as colorful as the wind made her be. If that made any since, but it did to him, and he chuckled at himself. "You're right sprite." he mused as he shook his head a little. He hadn't even noticed the look that he was getting when he lifted his shirt. Matter of fact, he hadn't even thought of the fact that he had even done it himself. It was something that he normally done on a daily basis when he was training. 

He blinked a little as he turned to her as she said his name. It was something that he wasn't used to. An eyebrow raised up curious as she began to speak to him. His mouth began to open up a little as he hadn't really thought of using it all the time. That was another rumor that was passed down, well kind of. He did use it when he was pissed at someone. But again, that didn't happen all the time. He placed a hand on her head for a moment, giving her a slightly annoyed look but smirked at the end. "I don't use them all the time." he mused. "Maybe when I was a kid because I didn't want people around me, but other than that now. Just the thought of me using it have people running away from me." He laughed a little and removed his hand from her head. "But don't worry I'll still use them when I have to." he told her with a wink.

 He didn't really care about what others thought of him, however, he had this slight worry about what she had thought of him. Which had been this nagging feeling that had been bothering him for a while now. What was it about her that made her get under his skin so much, and was she really being annoying as he thought she was? Curiously, he looked at her for a moment. There was so much that he had wanted to know about her, but he wasn't going to be asking at all. He didn't need to know at the moment, or at least that was what he was going to be telling himself. 

[Petal Price]

Petal felt a mix of relief and warmth wash over her as Gael touched her head. His smirk, oddly enough, was comforting. It was as if he were sharing a secret with her, a piece of himself he didn't let many people see. "That makes sense. Powers like yours are a big responsibility," she said, her eyes meeting his. "You know, I've heard it said my mom always told me that powers are just extensions of who we are. They don't define us, but they can help us when used wisely." She paused, watching his expressions closely. Was she getting through to him? "And it's kinda cool to know that you've got this whole other layer that most people don't see. It's like you're a mystery wrapped in an enigma, shrouded in, well....a lot of darkness."

Feeling emboldened by Gael's somewhat softer demeanor, Petal couldn't help but tease him a little. She took a step closer and gestured towards the rainbow paint he had smeared under his eye. "You know, that little splash of color actually looks good on you. Ever thought of adding a bit more brightness to your wardrobe? I mean, it could be your secret weapon—no one would see it coming!"

Petal had never felt this torn between wanting to know someone more and fearing what she might discover. Gael was unlike anyone she had ever met; the more she knew him, the less she understood him. But that was okay, because Petal had always loved a good mystery. And right now, Gael was the most intriguing mystery she knew. She smirked playfully, her eyes twinkling. "Well, if you're taking a break, and I've got a flag, maybe we should catch our breath together. What do you say, Team Darkness and Rainbows? Shall we seize the day?"

[Gael Masterson]

His hand stayed on her head for a moment longer as he began to listen to what apparently her mother had said. He blinked and let his hand slowly slide off her head. He didn't like the responsibility of having a power. He would have been honestly better off if he didn't have the ability to manipulate fear like he did. He wondered sometimes, if he didn't have it, would people still be scared of him because of who his father was? Or would they all come to him wanting to be friends? It was something that was creeping into his mind at the moment. He let out a little laugher snort and rolled his eyes. "Yeah? That so?" he questioned curiously. "Because apparently, even if I don't use it, I'm still scary." he tilted his head to the side and smirked. "Don't tell me I'm wrong either, you believed that once too. You know before you got to know me." he said using his fingers to air quote the last two words. He didn't want her to think that she knew anything about him yet, when he had gone on and told her about his life and his family. 

A laugh came from his mouth. A real laugh. He was amused by her words. "Was that a compliment or a dig at me?" he asked curiously. He was a cloud of darkness, compared to her light, colorfully ways, he was different. Light and dark touch all the time but never really get any closer than the grey spot. He glanced at her for a moment, something coming to mind. Something weird and kind of something that he hadn't really thought about if ever. He Pushed the thought away from his mind for that moment and shook his head. He didn't want to think about it. It didn't seem like him at all. 

Her next comment made him smirk a little. "So, you think I look good?" He cocked his head to the side. His dark hair tilting to the side, moving away from his blue eyes. He wondered what color would look like one him. He had black's whites and greys. Minus that Orange camp shirt that they wore. That was the only color that he had at all. He shook his head and that was when she brought up the fact that they could team up and be darkness and rainbows. He went to open his mouth to say something but that stopped. He walked closer to her, pushing her back against the rock, putting one hand above her head and the other one next to her waist. "Darkness and rainbows." he said softly. "Is that a way of flirting with me?" he questioned a smile on his face. There was a lot going on at the moment in his head. He didn't know what she brought out in him, but it was some kind of feeling that he wasn't used to in that moment. He looked her in the eye and watched her closely. This was going to be interesting. "You want to spend the rest of the day with a dark shadow." he started. "Could you handle it?" He moved his lips closer to her ear. "I might end up making you scream later on." he said in a chuckle.

[Petal Price]

The sound of Gael's genuine real laughter surprised her as she was more use to his stoic demeanor he usually displayed. Petal felt her heart swell a bit; she'd cracked the defense, if only for a fleeting moment. "Oh......can't it be both?" she said, her eyes twinkling mischievously. She wasn't sure what went through his mind just now, but she saw something—some fleeting notion—pass through his eyes. It made her all the more intrigued. She wanted to know more, to understand the enigma that was Gael, but she was also wary of pushing too far, too fast. But then in a swift and sudden movement she didn't see coming, Gael changed all the rules!

Petal felt a tingle rush down her spine as Gael quickly closed the distance between them, his body almost pinning her to the rock. Contradictory emotions inside her, curiosity and caution, danced like fire and water trying to coexist. She caught her breath, captivated by the intensity in his eyes. "Darkness and rainbows," she echoed, her voice tinged with a playful curiosity. "Well, why not? Even rainbows need a stormy sky to shine against, you know?" She didn't know what it was about Gael that pulled her in, but it was like being caught in a whirlpool; dangerous, but exhilarating. Before she could decide if she should swim against it he leaned in, his words a tantalizing whisper in her ear. "Scream, huh? Are we talking horror-movie-scream or roller-coaster-thrill?" She tilted her head, choosing not to back away and instead embracing the whirlpool that was Gael. "Either way, I think I could handle spending a day with a dark shadow. How about we find out?" A playful yet sultry smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she took the final step to close the distance between them. Her fingers slipped through the belt loops of his jeans, forcing him to stay pressed against her. She leaned in, her lips hovering just a breath away from his, allowing the tension to build before she finally, gloriously, captured his lips with her own. It was as if she'd melded a universe of colors into the void of his darkness, filling it with a warmth that was both electrifying and intimate.

[Gael Masterson]

Gael looked at her in awe for a moment. She was playing him, her eyes sparked with that mischievous look, and he knew right then that he was going to be in trouble. Something about the day was going to be interesting. He smirked at her and shook his head. "You're something." he said to her. "I should expect this from you." he muttered out in a breath. Still though, he was taken by surprise in that moment. Cheeky little thing she was. He smirked at the thought. He could deal with someone like her a little more. Maybe though. Maybe just her. He didn't trust anyone else at the moment. Somehow, she had gotten under his skin and that made it a little more interesting for him. 

Her echoing his words made an eyebrow arch a little. He was curious on how she felt about this. Was she going to be stuck like this because that would be fun to see. Had he gotten to her? The next comment answered his own question. No, but he had gotten her just a little bit. He shook his head. "Sure." he told her with a small shrug. As he leaned into her, he watched something swim in her eyes, and he wanted to chase it. Call it back if one could. He focused on her eyes, his eyes darting from one to the other. He wasn't going to lose this contact, not at this point. "Either would be fine with me." He told her as he watched her tilt her head. He couldn't help but feel a slight shiver make its way down his body. It shocked him in a way that she didn't move back at all. He thought he had her, but something was off. Way off. The next words out of her mouth seemed to confuse him a little. Her words were playful but there was something else there as well. He swallowed hard as he keeps her eyes locked with his. What did she had planned, then it hit him all together. Like a rock to his face. She stepped closer to him, leaving no space between them and then pulled him by his belt loops. His eyes widened for a second, maybe just long enough for her to catch it but he masked it back to his normal look. Her lips hovered over his for a moment and he made no move. Playing her game. He almost dared her to do it. However, when her lips touched his, he slipped from the world. His eyes widened for a moment but slowly closed the next. As his eyes closed, he saw colors playing on his eye lids. Reds, blues, purples, even yellows. He made a noise before his hands made their way to her body. Shit. She had played this game well. Better than he had. Fine. Petal two, Gael zero. But in that moment, he could totally live with that. He walked forward, pushing her backwards into the rock, just hard enough to break the kiss for a second. Giving him a chance to look at her before he pushed his lips back on hers. 

[Petal Price]

As he pressed her against the rock, pulling back just for a moment, Petal couldn't help but notice the way Gael was studying her. For the first time, she thought she sensed a glimmer of vulnerability in those dark eyes. "You look like you've seen a ghost," she chuckled, allowing her voice to dip into a softer, more intimate tone. While she was usually drawn to life's brighter hues, she found herself willingly captivated by his enigmatic shadows. Her hands moved from his belt loops and ventured upward, slipping underneath the fabric of his shirt to feel the warmth of his back. The texture of his skin under her fingertips felt like a secret she was finally allowed to know.

Seizing the electric moment, Petal pulled Gael back towards her, resuming their kiss with a passion. Every touch was an answer, every pause a question, and every second a chapter in a book only they were writing. Her lips meshed with his, a balanced mix of urgency and reverence. She opened her mouth slightly, letting him in. "Turns out," she breathed, momentarily breaking away to lock eyes with him, "I'm becoming a pretty big fan of stormy skies. Who would have guessed?" Then she closed the distance again, giving herself over to the beautiful conundrum that was Gael. Somehow, in a twisted, wonderful way, she was enjoying the thrilling imbalance of it all.

Drawing away for just a moment, enough to catch her breath from the unexpected exchange, Petal looked into Gael's eyes with a playful curiosity. "So, Mr. Dark and Mysterious," she purred, her words echoing a teasing challenge. "How exactly do you make girls scream?" Her voice was laced with a daring she couldn't fully comprehend but was willing to explore. Her fingers, still tracing the small of his back under his shirt, awaited his reaction with impatience.