tushanshu_logs | Ladymance Landfall Log

[Yelena pauses. The trips across country she knew about, but running away from home? That was new information.]

You ran away from home?

[It's not a forcefully prompted question, demanding an answer, however she is curious as that seems a significant part of her history.]

[She reaches, puts back one item into the taking pile, then pushes away two more.]

[Offhandedly, because she's still thinking over the supplies:] When I was seven.

[Yelena holds up an item she's really not sure of, but replaces it back in the "take" pile.]

Can I ask why?

[By this point Annabeth knows just about everything about Yelena, but she doesn't expect Annabeth to share her life story just because she knows Yelena's.]

[It's that question that finally pulls Annabeth completely from her camping calculations. She pauses, hand holding a canteen, and she blinks over at Yelena, remembering that she... still doesn't know. Not out of any kind of malice, so much as never the right situation.]

My dad and I didn't get along. He married my stepmom when I was five, and they had two kids. It's...

[The demigod thing is something Yelena should probably know before they head off.]

You know there are gods back home, for me. And you asked how someone gets involved in quests and things? Why everyone doesn't know? Most people aren't aware that the gods still exist - they're an ancient pantheon, long believed gone. But they're still around, and they like to come down and have affairs with mortals.

Edited 2012-11-11 20:48 (UTC)

[Yelena listens with a cant of her head. She can't imagine what it must be like to have those sorts of family dynamics. A father. His second wife and their kids.

That she goes back to the matter of gods, well, that's interesting indeed.]

You mean the gods would come down from...from where they existed and they would...

[She tilts her head at Annabeth.]

Annabeth, your mother?

My mother is Athena. Goddess of wisdom and warfare. She fell for my dad and his brain, and then I was born. [She doesn't feel like going into the details of what it means to be a brainchild right now.]

But she... wasn't around. She left me for my dad to raise. I was supposed to be a gift, for him. He wasn't exactly grateful at first.

[Everything seems to click into place. Annabeth's skill is far above average, her intelligence apparent...that she's the daughter of a Goddess of wisdom and warfare is more than fitting.

What's unfortunate is how things turned out for her. A mother who left her as a gift, and a father who didn't seem to handle it well...]

Then it's understandable I suppose that you left. That can't have been an easy situation...you couldn't go to your mother I imagine?

No. Children of the gods are supposed to be raised by their human parents. Until recently, some demigods never even got claimed by their godly parent. So they wouldn't know - though sometimes it was obvious, since they often share traits and even abilities. The gods don't usually involve themselves in their children's lives on a regular basis.

[She pauses, then backtracks a little.]

I argued with my dad and stepmom a lot. Demigods are kind of magnets for trouble, and we were constantly getting attacked by monsters. They felt I was putting everyone in danger. So finally one day I just ran away, when I was seven. I was on my own, for a while.

At seven though.

[Yelena shakes her head. Shouldn't her father have tried to protect his daughter? Shouldn't he have tried to do something for her? Yelena couldn't imagine having to deal with monsters at such a young age. Her lips press together in a thin line and she sighs.]

What happened then? How long were you on your own?

Not very long. I met two other demigods - they'd also run away from home. Thalia and Luke. They were a few years older than me. We stuck together for a while and helped keep each other alive. Eventually I ended up at Camp Half-Blood - it's a camp and a safe place for demigods. Most demigods go for the summer, but some end up staying all year round, if they have no place to go. I used to do that.

We train there. Learn how to fight and keep ourselves safe. Demigods don't have high life expectancy rates. Sixteen is kind of... old, to be honest. We're prime targets for monsters.

[Her tone turns a shade fonder.] It's been my real home ever since I got there. My dad and I get along much better now than we used to, but... Camp Half-Blood is where I belong.

[Everything makes sense now. All of it. Yelena shakes her head again, finding it incredible what Annabeth's been through, the sort of life she's led and the world she's come from, but it all fits everything she knows about the other girl.]

So the fact that you're so smart, such a good fighter...you get that from your mother? And I suppose the first part from your father as well?

Mmhmm. Demigods often share traits with their godly parent. Like, there's Ares - the god of war. His children tend to be aggressive but really good at battle.

But yeah, my dad is pretty smart, too. Otherwise Athena wouldn't have fallen for him. Children of Athena are all... intelligent. Clever. We're thinkers and strategists.

[She doesn't say it shyly or humbly. It's a fact.]

[Who needs false modesty anyway? Yelena doesn't advertise her skills but she doesn't hide them from Annabeth.

Not anymore, anyway.]

Then I guess I could do worse for traveling companions for this trip. Maybe once we're out there you can tell me about all of the other gods?

[She has to admit she's curious.]

Probably worse, yeah. I've done the whole pack lightly for a few days out a few times, sometimes with even less than this. [And she gestures at their table of things.] But I'd be happy to; there's a pretty big pantheon, but I can share some of the basics.

Anything would be good, you know me.

[Yelena will happily learn about anything and everything she doesn't know about. Knowledge is power, after all.

She starts to pack everything into her bag and sighs.]

So what do you think, are we good to head out?

[Knowledge is Power. Story of Annabeth's life.]

[She starts shoving some things in her own bag, scanning over everything for the umpteenth time.

I think so. I'll consistently second guess it, to be honest, but it looks like we've got a good start supply.

Worst comes to worst we come back early, repack, and head out again after.

[Yelena packs up, double checking everything, going over the list in her mind as she does so, and it isn't long before the two head out the long, long way to the edge of Tu Vishan. Once there, Yelena looks over to Annabeth, then over the mainland itself. Her expression is serious and thoughtful.]

Do you have a preference for which way we head?

[She's looking it over herself, peering as far as she can - but there's not much of anything in any direction.]

As of now? Not really. But I think that way [She points] is north, so maybe follow that? It'll be easier to retrace our steps if we stick to one direction.

Alright, that works for me.

[Yelena nods and starts walking, looking around them with a mixture of curiosity and, well, paranoia. It was an unfamiliar area for them and so she'd probably be on her guard the entire trip, but the newness of it intrigued her and she couldn't help but be fascinated.]

I can't say this is anything like I was expecting.

[Annabeth sighs, staring out herself as they walk, grateful for the knife hitting her side with each step.]

I heard it might be barren, but nothing to this extent. Glad we packed a little extra water.

[Yelena's just as pleased for all that they packed, and the excess they brought as well.]

Me too. I know they said there wasn't anything out there but...there's barely anything here. A decent wind will kick up dirt and dust too, I'm sure...

[She makes a monosyllabic noise of contemplation.] We should be wary of dust storms. There's no telling when they might start up, so keep an eye out for potential areas of shelter.

[...even if there's not much in their current line of sight along those veins, which only makes her more anxious to find something.]

Edited 2012-12-07 07:09 (UTC)

[Yelena glances over at that.]

Dust storms? What do we do if that happens? Did we pack a tent?

[Truthfully she doesn't remember half the things Annabeth packed for them.]

I think I brought one. [She falls into thought, trying to recall if she did indeed shove one in a pack. Usually she's good with just sleeping bags, and whatever it was probably got filed under "something to sleep in" above the actual classification.]

We might not get to put it up in time, but we can definitely try. At the very least we can cover ourselves, but we really should try to find some kind of structure for absolute safety.

Even if we can't get it up all of the way, just covering ourselves up with it would probably work, yeah.

[Yelena hefts her pack over her shoulder a bit better.]

So what do you usually do when you make these jaunts with the others? On your quests and such?

Ladymance Landfall Log

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