What is wrong with you?!

[Cora Laine]

Cora had a great time at the party, she actually passed out there after all the excitement. She had way too much of whatever that drink was last night, and now she was hung over and her head was pounding. Getting up from the ground, she dusted her dress off and looked around, seemed that post all the campers passed out here or in the cabin. Staggering slightly, she walked toward the forests edge, headed toward the water. She needed to get somewhere quite and alone before everyone started walking up and annoying her. As she walked toward the forest the sun was rising and started to blinding her slightly, squinting her eyes. Well this is just great! she thought to herself, her head was only getting worse by the second. 

The closer she got to her destination the louder this sound kept getting. She swore it sounded like fireworks but she couldn't see any because of the morning sun, but every time the noise would boom out, her head would start to throb, which caused her to become more and more irritated. Whenever she got mad, it was harder for her to control her ability. As the shore came into view she could see some kid sitting with his back turned away from her. Just as she approached him, he set off what looked like a bottle rocket, the sound hit again "aaarrgghh" she said letting out an annoyed growl. 

"What the hell are you doing??" she yelled at the kid, as she covered her ears.

[Damien Dawn]

With the sun framing him like a spotlight on a stage, Damien looked up from his seated position, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "Ah, Cora. I've heard much about you," he said, his voice dripping with a mix of genuine interest and playful arrogance. "Damien is my name." He cast a glance at the spent bottle rocket beside him and then back to her, his grin widening. "Was just adding a touch of flair to this morning. A new dawn deserves a spectacle, don’t you think? Though, I must say, some campers just can't handle their celebrations." He recalled leaving the party last night and the memory of many scattered, slumbering campers around him as he left. In fact he was pretty sure he had seen Cora.

Rising smoothly from the ground, the sunlight continued to catch him just right, casting a halo-like glow around him. "You see, I do remember every detail from last night," Damien began, arching a brow suggestively. "And I remember you. Party was quite the event, wasn't it? Such a shame some couldn’t keep up.” He chuckled lightly. "In need of some remedy for that headache?" Without waiting for her response, he fetched a small flask from his pocket, offering it with a cocky grin. "Guaranteed to kick that hangover. It's a recipe from Apollo's personal collection. Or so I like to think. Perhaps you'll have better luck at the next party? Though I personally wouldn't bet on it myself."

[Cora Laine]

As Cora gets closer to Damien, the aura of her fear was already swirling around her, invisible to other campers but she can feel her power swarming the more she is aggravated. Just the sound of the kids voice was enough to make things worse. Taking a breath as she tries to relax a bit, biting her tongue, she was not in the mood to fight with a young boy with her head pounding like it was, and as much as she loved the scream of fear on a camper, again her head was not going to have that right now. Once she was right up next to him, she looks him up and down with an annoyed look on her face "right sure you do kid" she says rolling her eyes. She remembered the nights events as well, and she remembers how many times the poor boy got turned down by girls older than him. He might be good looking, but with his big head, Cora would never go for him. "I would need more then just two hands to count the number of times you were turned down by the older girls" she smirks, as she looks down at the bottle rockets. "The morning doesn't need any help being beautiful, especially help from something so loud" she says grumbling, as she puts her fingers to her temples, trying to get her head to stop hurting. 

Damien handed a flask to her saying it was some Apollo thing that could help with this headache, glaring at him as she hesitantly grabbed for the flask "this isn't some kind of trick is it?" she ask as she examined the flask. She knew Apollo kids had remedies of all sorts, but she still had a iffy feeling about the cocky little boy in front of her. Opening the flash she puts it to her nose giving it a sniff. Making a face, it stunk but it didn't smell like anything sketchy. Taking a breath she closes her eyes, opens her mouth and throws back some of the liquid down her throat. Swallowing it she coughs slightly with a gag, "YUCK!" she says as she hands the flask back to him, using her free hand to wipe her mouth. "Thanks, but please for the love of our gods, don't shoot off anymore of those damn bottle rockets!" she exclaims. She did know what thing about him, so if he tries anything or this liquid she just drank, isn't something to help her head, she knew exactly what she was going to do "I'm warning you, anything funny and you won't be laughing for long" she says giving I'm a serious look.

[Damien Dawn]

The glow of the sun continued to outline Damien, casting a radiant aura around him as he observed Cora with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. Her irritable demeanor and snappy remarks only fueled his playful arrogance. "Ah, Cora, a little rejection never hurt anyone," he responded nonchalantly, brushing off her comments about the previous night. "After all, a true charmer knows persistence is key." He watched as she reluctantly took the flask and downed the remedy, a smug smile playing on his lips. In his mind, the mixture of rejection and victory was a delightful game, and Cora's fiery spirit only added a spark to the challenge. "Believe me, I only aim to assist," he assured her, his tone dripping with overconfidence, "And as for the rockets, well, they might not make the morning beautiful, but they certainly make it memorable."

As Cora warned him against any funny business, Damien leaned in slightly, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Cora, my dear, do I look like someone who would play tricks?" he asked rhetorically, his voice a mixture of sweetness and sass. Despite her clear annoyance and the threatening aura surrounding her, Damien remained unfazed, even intrigued. After all, where was the fun in life without a little risk? "I assure you, the drink is genuine, and you have nothing to worry about," he said, his voice smooth as he handed back the flask, his eyes never leaving hers. "But, a warning in return. I’m not as easy to scare off as the others." He gave her a wink, the sun behind him creating a halo that made him appear almost celestial, as he reveled in the back-and-forth, curious to see how the interaction would unfold.

[Cora Laine]

Handing the flask back Cora could feel her headache start to fade away. Whatever was in that flask seemed to work like Damien had said, now if only it magically made this boys cockiness disappear. Rolling her eyes, she couldn't believe she was even giving this boy the time of day, but there was just one thing that kept her interested in the boy. He wasn't running or even acting like he even cares about the aura she was putting off. 'Persistence' she thought, as she staired him down, not giving him any sign of her own interest of him. Crossing her arms, she shifted to one leg as she stood in front of him, her lips curl into a small smirk. Unfolding an arm, she pushed her index finger into his chest "I don't take to kindly to persistence" she commented, she wasn't one to play games in that manner, if she isn't interested and someone tries to persist anyways, she usually likes to play her favorite game of getting them to reveal what they are scared of, and then she uses it. That was one good thing about the fact that this cocky boy was Apollo's son. She didn't need to peruse him into telling a fear, she had one handed to her. Snakes. 

Making his smartass comment, Cora rolls her eyes again. She couldn't believe that of all the people she could have run into, she just had to run into him. He was gorgeous, the way his skin glew in the sun light, and his eyes had a glint of playfulness in them. Too bad he was too young for Cora. She absolutely hated his cocky behavior, but she did think he looked particularly good, but she would never let him know that. With an annoyed look on her face, she caused the arura she was putting off swelling and cause a little more anxiety. 

 "I’m not as easy to scare off as the others."

Cora took these words as a challenge, and she loved a challenge "Oh really now? I'm sure I could scare you off really quick, but that's just a little too easy" she said with a coy smile a crossed her face. "What are you so intrigued about?" she questioned. She could see the way he looked at her, she could almost bet this cocky boy was going to get himself into a world of hurt and trouble. 

[Damien Dawn]

As the sun continued its ascent it bathed Damien in a golden hue, amplifying his princely appearance. He took a step closer to Cora, intrigued by her feisty attitude and apparent disinterest, a challenging combination he found irresistible. "Ah, but my dear Cora, isn’t it persistence that turns the impossible into the possible?" he quipped, his eyes twinkling with mischief. He sensed the rise in tension around her and felt a thrill at the challenge she presented. Her aura didn’t go unnoticed, but Damien was unyielding, his curiosity and arrogance fuelling his determination. "Scare me? And how exactly would you do that?" he teased. He was well aware of her abilities and the fear she could instill, but the knowledge only made the game more exciting. "As for what intrigues me," he continued, leaning in slightly, "it’s not every day you meet someone who can dance between fear and allure as seamlessly as you do."

Damien's cocky smile remained, unfazed by her increasing annoyance, feeling the thrill of the chase and the dance of wits. He was well aware of his charm, and was sure that she found him attractive as well, which was just a bonus in this intriguing encounter. "Oh, Cora," he said, his voice dripping with overconfidence, "if it's my age worry not, it’s not about age, it’s about the excitement of the game, the chase, the unpredictability." His eyes scanned her face, looking for any sign of vulnerability, any crack in her tough exterior. He took a step closer, his voice dropping to a lower, more intimate tone, "And I must say, you’re the most intriguing puzzle I’ve encountered. I wonder, what does it take to make the indomitable Cora unravel?" His challenge hung in the air between them, an invitation, a provocation, as he awaited her response, the morning sun casting a golden glow around him, making him appear all the more enchanting.

[Cora Laine]

Cora rolled her eyes as the little boy talked; his cocky attitude just made his voice sounds like nails on a chalk board to her. What do these girls see in him? she thought to herself as he stepped closer to her, he was pushing his boundaries with her, and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. He obviously wasn't going to just leave her alone, especially not after those comments, he acted too much like a ladies' man for only being a teenager. Of course, Core was a teenager to, but she wasn't young and ignorant like him. In her head, trying to figure out how she wanted to respond to him, part of her wanted to play into this little game, and the other part of her was like 'just scare the shit out of him and be done', but she really hadn't had a chance to have some fun the last few days, so maybe this could be a fun opportunity to just play along and fuck with the boy. That's when he got even closer, and she was now having to tilt her head to look up at him. One thing she hated about being short, was that even people younger than her were even taller than her. Not back away though, she holds her ground as she place's her hand onto his chest and pushes him back slightly "down boy" she says in a mocking tone. 

"A puzzle huh?" she laughed; she'd never been referred to as a puzzle. Tilting her head to the side with a smirk dancing a crossed her face "You going to try to put me together?" she questioned him, it was a pretty good analogy, but she was definitely a broken one and there's no way anyone was going to get close enough to her to put her back together. Honestly, she didn't really want to be put back, she had been hurt more than enough times. Keeping her face, a mask, be damned she would let this sixteen-year-old, cocky boy see what he might be doing to her. She was intrigued, she really did like the face that she found someone that was sticking around instead of running off in terror, but why did it have to be him.

[Damien Dawn]

Seeing her defiant stance and hearing her laughter, Damien couldn't help but be more intrigued. Her boldness was not something he was accustomed to, and that made her all the more captivating. Her hand on his chest and the assertive push might have deterred someone with a weaker resolve, but for Damien, it was a move in a dance he was all too eager to participate in. He grinned at her, his arrogance unabated. "It's not about putting you back together," he started, brushing imaginary dust off his chest where she had touched him. "It's about discovering the pieces that make you, you. Every masterpiece has its complexity." His eyes locked onto hers. There was an electricity in the air, a tension born out of two strong personalities clashing, yet also drawing them closer. Damien leaned in again, just slightly, his voice a conspiratorial whisper. "Tell me, Cora, have you ever met someone who didn’t run away from your fire? Someone who was drawn to it instead?" Damien knew he was treading on dangerous grounds, but the thrill of the unknown and the promise of a challenge was intoxicating. As he spoke, he wore his signature smirk, exuding self-confidence. He was a master at this game of words and wits, and he was keen to see just how Cora would respond to his provocations.

Suddenly a hissing sound filled the air, quickly followed by a sharp POP! A rogue bottle rocket he'd forgotten about had been ignited by sun now shinning magnifying through the glass jar it was in. Damien jumped back, eyes wide, momentarily breaking his confident façade. The tail of smoke from the now spent firework wafted between them. Regaining his composure, he gave an embarrassed chuckle, his cheeks tinted with a touch of red. "Well, that was unexpected," he admitted, trying to recover some semblance of his prior arrogance. However, the incident had certainly put a dent in his self-assured demeanor, at least for the moment.

[Cora Laine]

Cora was puzzled for lack of better description of her emotions, there was a small change in Damien with how he spoke. This caught Cora off guard as she staired up at him, she wasn't sure what to say, because honestly it was kind of sweet. She didn't break though, her attitude on the outside was still a stone-cold wall. Her eyes could burn holes into his soul, she wanted to know more about this boy, she wanted to know what made him tick, what made him as an individual scared. Her aura alone not doing much to bother him. His question rang through her ears. 

"have you ever met someone who didn’t run away from your fire? Someone who was drawn to it instead?"

As she was thinking about what the question, she heard a slight hiss, slightly looking around him she noticed the bottle rocket, but before she could comprehend what was about to go on, it went off with a loud POP! Her heart be speed up and she got chills as Damiens fear of the nose radiated through her. It was a fun filling for Cora, as for the boy not so much, she noticed how he lost his cocky demeanor for a bit, and his soft embarrassed chuckle was actually kind of cute, it made her icy demeanor break slightly as she smiled at him. With a soft giggle "are you ok?" she asked him, she could feel his fear which feed even more interest she had for the boy. When he isn't being cocky he actually seemed like a nice kid. "Well, it was for you" she said with a sly smirk. It's always fun with unexpected scares, they were right up there with causing the fear herself. 

"Anyways, as for you question, I guess I can give you that much" she said with a sigh, the jump scare definitely put her into a slightly better mood "No I haven't, I have people that don't run at first, but they do eventually" she continued as she started up at him, his softer demeanor a sight to see, it actually attracted her, "I will say, you haven't beat the amount of time it took someone to run from me" she says with a suggestive smile, as if she was challenging him.

[Damien Dawn]

 

Damien's usually impermeable confidence was momentarily cracked, and he was unaccustomed to feeling vulnerable, especially in front of someone he was trying so hard to impress. Yet, Cora's unexpected softness caught him off guard. The way she showed genuine concern, even if it was just for a fleeting moment, was a contrast he didn't expect. As she spoke about people running away from her, Damien's curiosity flared anew. This was a side of Cora he hadn't expected, one that offered him a glimpse beneath her hardened exterior. "Everyone has their reasons to run," Damien mused, the cockiness replaced momentarily with introspection. "But running has never been my strong suit. Facing challenges head-on, however... that's more my style." He met her gaze, the playful challenge in her eyes igniting the fire in his own. With a slight tilt of his head, Damien's self-assuredness made a swift return. "I never back down from a challenge, and you, Cora, are turning out to be one of the most intriguing ones yet."

In the midst of their charged conversation, the aftermath of the bottle rocket incident still lingered. Damien felt the need to reclaim some semblance of his bravado. "And, just so you know," he began with a smirk, "I don't usually get startled so easily. It's just that... well, one must always be prepared for the unexpected, right?" He winked at her, the glint of mischief returning to his eyes. "So, what is the record for not running huh?" he asked teasingly.