Archived Roleplay:Main Forum/General/ Benny and Theo RP

tde

Hebe Cabin Porch
Theo: Theo walked over to the younger kid. "It's cool. What kind of gum is that?"

Benny: "Bubblegum obviously." Benny said, stifling a giggle. His tongue has been turned blue by the gum, "Do you want any? I got loads from the candy store." He offers his hand, before realising that its sticky and wiping it on the back of his jeans. "Um....nice to meet you."

Theo: Theo let out a slight laugh. "Yeah, but like, what flavor? I used to steal gum from this place in the city where they had over fifty flavors of bubble gum."

Benny: He giggled, and chewed another wad of gum. "Bubblegum silly." Benny said. He blew a small bubble and popped it once again. "You can get apple and strawberry flavours back home, and there's even a type of gum which tastes like peaches." He smiled. "I never steal anything, dad always gives me loads of pocket money, and it's not really nice."

Theo: "Kid, I'm gonna make it my mission when we both get outta here to take you to the city and introduce you to true choice of bubble gum flavors. Like everything from chocolate chir cookie dough to mango gum. And stealing isn't not nice either. What's not nice is someone being selfish enough to not feed you because you can't afford to pay. Also, It's fun. Much more than paying."

Benny: "Hey! I'm not that much of a kid!" Benny protests, folding his arms across his chest. "Besides, dad told me not to talk to strangers." He giggles and sticks his tongue out for a moment. His bright blue eyes were eagerly fixed on the older boy. "I dunno. It's not fair to take someone else's things." He shrugs his shoulders once again and unfolds his arms. "I'm Benny by the way, son of Hebe if you hadn't guessed."

Theo: Theo stuck out his hands. "I'm Theo. Son of Ariadne. So I guess we aren't strangers anymore. Its also not fair that I get all these cool demigod powers and the rest of the world doesn't. But then again, what are you gonna do, right? Its also not fair that some people go hungry and they have to steal to get food. i mean, I just think it's fun, but still."

Benny: He politely takes out his other hand and gives Theo a short handshake. Benny isn't quite sure how to respond to the older boy, he seems cool but a little cocky too. "We're all a part of the circle of life." Benny replies thoughtfully. "We should use our powers to try and help people. I guess my powers aren't the coolest, but I'll try help any way I can." He smiles. "What's it like, being an Ariadne kid? I bet you never get lost!"

Theo: "Yeah, I guess. But we also should use them to help ourselves. Like, if someone was getting mugged, I guess I'd sommon a wall and give the victim time to get away, but I'd also do that if I'm the one getting chased. Mostly the ladder, but the first too. And no kid, I don't get lost. But it would be helpful if I knew where my cabin was. But whatever, I'll figure it out."

Benny: "Um, I think I can show you!" Benny suggests, giving Theodore a bright smile. "So, I guess you're new to the camp?" He asks, chattering away while they walk towards the Ariadne cabin. "Yeah, I can see your point. I don't think I can really do much with my powers, except conjure yummy ambrosia and make people feel younger. But I really like it here."

Theo: "Yeah. And I'm sure you can do plenty with your powers. You just arn't sure how to creatively apply it to your life. Ariadne kids don't really have too much going for them either. But I've made my mark on the world with what I got by thinking of ways where my powers could be more usful than that of a silly Big Three kid."

Benny: He leads Theo down a path which he thinks leads to the Ariadne cabin. However, Benny is a little unsure whether he's going the right way or not. "I guess so." He shrugs and blows another bubblegum bubble. "There's loads to do at camp. We have a climbing wall, and a lake, and a forest nearby. There's a town too. They have a really good candy store." He grins, happily chattering away.

Theo: "I see you have quite the sweet tooth kid." Theo stops walking. "You have no idea where we are going, do you?"

Benny: "Everyone likes candy." Benny says, looking a little flustered. "Um....not really. I'm kinda new too." He admits, his cheeks bright red. "I think it's that way. Maybe you could try summon a string to find your way, just like the heroes in the stories."

Theo: "No, you really like candy kid. Like, you have a passion for it. Not that there is anything wrong with that. But you really like it. I don't really like to rely on my mother for help. I perfer to use my powers for fun."

Benny: He shrugs his shoulders. What kind of kid didn't like candy or sweet things. "I guess so." Benny chuckles. "I thought you said that we should use our powers to help ourselves when we're in trouble." He says thoughtfully. "Being lost on your first day seems like a good reason to ask for help."

Theo: "First of all, I don't ask for help, it would just show me where to go. Second, this doesn't count as trouble. When I say trouble I mean like prison, cops, principals, fights... those kinds of things. It'd be a waste of energy. Plus, us Ariadne kids like wondering around and exploring for ourselves."

Benny: "I know that. There were a few Ariadne kids at my dad's shelter." Benny says, putting his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. "I was just saying it's okay to ask for help. I need it all the time." He replies. "Um, do you want to visit the forest or the beach when we find your cabin? We can be explorers!"

Theo: "Sure kid. Once we walk around the whole place once, I'll have it memorized, so we shouldn't get lost. We can just wander till we find it I guess. What kind of shelter? What did your dad do?"

Benny: "He's a psychologist. He helps demigods deal with their problems I guess." Benny says, passing underneath a topiary bush, cut in the shape of an archway. "They help demigods on their way to camp, or older campers who want to live a normal life." He spots a narrow pathway to the left. "Look, I knew it was this way!" He grins excitedly, as they pass near several hedges. A cobbled path leads to a small, quaint looking cottage. "I think that's it."

Theo: "Define normal. None of us are normal. I can never get lost. That's not normal. You wanna come in? It's a bit confusing inside, but I can show you around."

Benny: He scratches the side of his head. "Um, I dunno. He tries to help them live a happy life, where they don't need to worry about monsters." Benny follows Theodore into the cabin. "Yeah, sure. But I thought you hadn't been inside?"

Theo: "I haven't. But I know where I'm going. Some kid told me only Ariadne kids can navigate it, but that we know our way around it naturally. How exactly does your dad keep them safe from monsters? I thought this was the only safe place."

Benny: "Erm, normally he just helps kids who need supplies. Food, weapons etc." He says, glancing around the picturesque cabin. "Some of the locals are older demi-gods. They help protect and train the younger kids until they're ready to come to camp." He smiles, turning quiet for a moment. "It's much bigger than it looks."

Theo: "That's cool, I guess." Theo entered the cabin, to find that seperated by extremely large hedges were multiple pathways. "This, Benny, is when you ask for help." Theo summoned a string which would lead him and Benny to his new room.

Benny: "Whoa...." Benny takes a few steps. He could barely see, much less find his way. He follows the paths through the cabin, occasionally hiding behind one of the hedges in an attempt to scare Theo. He reappears and nods with approval when the string is summoned. "Good idea....um, will it be a long walk?"

Theo: "How should I know? Never been here before remember? I could tell you no though, if it will make you feel better."

Benny: He gets the message and pauses for a moment. "Um, sorry. I forgot." Benny says, their footsteps clicking against the cabin floor. "You could play an awesome game of hide and seek here..."

Theo: Theo let out a slight laugh. "My string would find you in an instant. And I'm pretty sre this place is made to confuse you non-Ariadne kids. Now that I know where I'll be living, you wanna go exploring elsewhere?"

Benny: "No fair!" He laughs and gently pushes Theo towards a nearby hedge. "That would be cheating." Benny says, following the string towards the exit. "Sure. Um, what do you want to see? There's the arena, the beach, the forest and loads of strawberry fields out back." He shrugs and puts his hands in his pockets.

Theo: "I don't want to go anywhere where you know your way around. That would defeat the purpose of exploring. True exploring happens out of a wondering curiousity. Don't worry, I'll make sure we don't get too lost. What I guess I'm really asking, is, where haven't you been?"

Benny: "Um, there are some caves on the beach. I found a really cool shell over there." He suggests. "I think there are also loads of hidden paths and trails in the forest." Benny blushes. "But there are evil monsters out there, looking to cook demi-gods into stew..."

Theo: "I'm sure you and I can take whatever's out there kid. Let's go. Lead the way."

Benny: "Um, I guess." Benny shrugs his shoulders. "Camp's much bigger than it looks. Kinda like Hogwarts."


 * Timeskip to forest*

Forest
Theo: "You said there were monsters out here. What kinds of monsters?"

Benny: "Um..." Benny scratches the side of his head in thought. "I think monster attacks only happen past the deep forest, I don't really like to go there." He says, as the sunlight shines through the trees. "Where shall we go? There's a tree that way which would make a super cool den."

Theo: "Ah, I see. The fear of the unknown. I say, that's where we head. We can take whatever the gods throw at us." He gave Benny what he thought was an encouraging nudge and a wink.

Benny: "Sure..." Benny shrugs his shoulders. "We can be explorers, looking for a city of solid gold." He grins. Playing make-believe made him feel better. He didn't like to take risks, after the manticore attack, he knew what was out there. "See this pond. That's where the treasure was created, when a girl cried into the lake, her tears froze into diamonds."

Theo: Theo just looked at the kid and smiled. He knew Benny was imagining things. He assumed it was his way of coping with his anxiety of the forest. He always wanted a brother. And he wasn't gonna scare Benny or make fun of his stories. He actually found it interesting. ''Wow, I with I had that kind of imagination. ''He thought. "That's really cool kid. Who was she?"

Benny: "I dunno." Benny giggles slightly, looking up to Theo. As they cross into the deeper arches of the forest, he becomes a little scared but continues to talk. "Um...I think she was a princess of the city. Every few years, they would choose a maiden to become priestess, and the city would prosper. But she fell in love after she was chosen and ran away. Her father ordered a magican to put a curse on them. Her lover turned into a bird, she a swan. He became human during the day and she became human again under the moon-light."

Theo: ''Wow, could this kid actually could tell a story. ''"That's actually kinda sad, kid. Like, they can't really be together or whatyever, if they are always in different forms."

Benny: Benny shrugs both of his shoulders. "Shh....there's a happy ending." He teases Theo gently. "They spent many years apart, never able to be together. Eventually, the gods granted their wish to be together, as her tears turned to crystal. They both turned into spirits, whose duty was to look after young kids lost in the forest. They live there, in a golden city, where their old home once stood. But that is another story..." He scratches the side of his head. "That was kinda stupid, huh?"

Theo: "Not really. It's kinda cool you like stories like that and stuff. I definitely can't tell stories like that. I'm better at pranking people, so that's how I tend to spend my time."

Benny: "What pranks do you play?" Benny asks, getting more comfortable with Theo. "Um, back in Georgia, I used to fire peach pits at bullies with my slingshot." He says with a cheeky smile. "I can hit a target fourty feet away."

Theo: Theo gave Benny a sly smile. "That's cool kid. I play all sorts of pranks. Whatever I'm in the mood for. It usually depends what the scenario is. Like, in the locker room, I'll steal your clothes, so you have to go outside naked. Or if you ask me for directions, I'll confuse you as much as I can and tell you to go the wrong way. But I have a few signiture moves, like tripping people with magical string. If you replaced your peace pits with eggs, It'd be a much better prank."

Benny: "Eggs?" He laughs. "Um, I don't think they would fly well, and the mess would be horrible." Benny makes a face of disgust. "It sounds pretty fun, but don't people get mad when you trip them up?" He asks. "Pranking is fun, but I only do it when people are mean and deserve it."

Theo: Theo rolled his eyes. "There are cirtain kinds of eggs that smaller than chicken eggs, like cirtain bird or turtle eggs, that would fly better. And that's the whole point of pranking! Seeing people's reactions! And, if you're good enough, they may not even know it was you who pranked them."

Benny: He can't help but giggle. "Um, I'm pretty good at climbing trees," Benny admits, as they follow a traill through the forest. He brushes some unruly vines to the side. "I guess it's pretty funny to watch." As they talk, he finds a small copse. "Look what I found. That's super-cool." He says, finding a small hollowed out tree. The sound of running water can be heard nearby.

Theo: "I bet there's some even cooler stuff over by wherever that water is." Following the sound of the water, Theo walks till he sees a small stream, with a bit of sand on the shore and a bridge over the running water.

Benny: Without hesitation, Benny crawls through the hollowed out tree, and follows the vines. It leads to a small outcrop over the stream and a series of small waterfalls, leading towards the outdoor arenas. He gets an idea, and decides to summon some ambrosia. It arrives in a semi-solid form. He tosses the sticky liquid towards Theo. "Gotcha!"

Theo: The gooey substance got on Theo's arm and leg. He looked at Benny, and gave him a smile. He laughed a little bit, and shook his head. "Nice one kid. Next time, don't yet gotcha right after though. Make it seem like an accident, and let them figure out what just happened. Like, walk up to someone, and accidentally spill some abrosia on thier shirt. Then, pretend to appoligize. That would be hillarious. But we can work with it. Told you your powers weren't useless."

Benny: He looks up innocently at Theodore, sucking the ambrosia off his fingers. It tastes sweet and refreshing. "Um, what ambrosia?" Benny asks, a cheeky grin on his face. "Oh, I was walking along, when some kid with a golden string tripped me up, and it went all over the place." He says, trying to prove himself a quick learner.

Theo: Theo just shook his head. "Yeah, we can work on your lying too kid. Try to be as specific as possible, and correct yourself if you make a mistake in what you say, so it seems like you're telling the truth. And use metaphors and exaggerations. They make you seem believable. Like instead, say "This kid with some string came out of nowhere and jumped me and scared me to death, and the ambrosia, it just flew onto you. I'm really sorry.""

Benny: He couldn't resist another giggle. "Um, I'm really sorry! This kid came with some string came out of nowhere, and scared me to death. The ambrosia just flew onto you. I'm so sorry, please don't get mad at me." Benny repeats Theo's words, adding a little dramatic flair.

Theo: "Now that's a lie," Theo said in approval. He touched some of the Ambrosia on his arm. "That stuff is sticky. If you wanted to, could you solidify it?"

Benny: "Um, sure. It should wash right off." As he speaks, Benny splashes some water towards Theo. "You missed a spot." Giggling, he kneels down and cups water in his hands, before flicking it towards his friend. "I can create it how I want I guess. Solid, liquid, whatever. It just comes in whatever form I need at the time."

Theo: "As a Ariadne kid I can kinda see that you've got crazy lego passion. I have no idea who Optimum Prime is, but you could solidify ambrosia to make cool lego pieces. I don't know if it would work, just an idea."

Benny: "You can do that? That's so awesome." He looks at Theo, fairly spellbound. "Optimus Prime is a transformer. He's a giant alien robot who can turn into a car." Benny explains, thinking about the toys he had at home. "Um, I guess. I can't really summon too much, and it breaks fairly easily." He shrugs. "Legos aren't crazy. They're really cool."

Theo: "Not only that, but I can also change how passionate people are about things. What's so cool about legos?" He asked this nicely. he was actually kind of curious.

Benny: He sits down on the riverbank, and watches the waters flow onwards. "Um, I dunno." He shrugs his shoulders again. "I guess you can build anything you want, you've just need enough lego bricks and a big imagination. He asks, turning his head to face Theo."What are you passionate about?"

Theo: Theo shugged. "Pranking other people. And New York City. I love New York City. Know it like the back of my hand. Literally."

Benny: "I've never been." Benny admits, a faint blush on his cheeks. "I bet it's super cool. Big city lights, fast cars, hot dog stands..." He grins.

Theo: Theo sighed. "Yeah, It's great. So busy, people never know who pranked them. I really do like it there. I have it memorized. Every street. Every alley, every detail, down to the last building.

Benny: "That's good. You'll know where to hide if a giant monster attacks." Benny teases gently. "I miss home a little. There were loads of forests, lakes and places to play." He admits. "But I like camp much better. It's nice to be somewhere different, and there are a lot of people, just like me."

Theo: "Well, I hate it here. It's all campy. It's so borning here. There's no maze to navigate, and never any interesting puzzle to solve. When I get out of here, I'm going to Washington D.C. and I'll have mastered by abilities, and am gonna pull a prank on the president. And not get caught."

Benny: "The President?" Benny giggles. "When I leave camp, I'm gonna be strong and have mastered my powers, so I can help other demi-god kids, or maybe I'll become a writer for cartoons." He suggests. "You never know. There's always something out there. You just gotta keep an open mind."

Theo: "Whatever, kid. My mind is as open as it'll ever be. If you help other demi-god kids, maybe you'll help me with my epic prank."

Benny: The son of Hebe shuffles, taking off his hoodie to use as a makeshift blanket to sit on. "Um, what's the epic prank so far?"

Theo: "I was thinking I would find my way in during a dinner party one day, and hide overngiht, and just show up at his dinner table in the White House the next day. And then, I'll tell him how I snuck in. I can hide from secret service and FBI in the White House for just one night. I've done it before for longer. And escaping is easy. I'll have the whole night to memorize the house, and all the secret passages. And by that time, I'll have mastered my powers so getting out will be cake."

Benny: His eyes widen a little. "That sounds dangerous. What if they think you're there to hurt or kill the President?" Benny asks, leaning closer. He was curious to hear more. "Um, can't the FBI lock down all of the secret tunnels and passages?"

Theo: "Naw, the FBI and secret service have nothing on me. I probably know more about the White House than they do. If some people can make it halfway across the lawn by hopping the fence, with my powers and planning, it should be almost too easy. And why would he think I want to kill him? It's not him that's the problem, It's just athority figures in general. They are all such hypocrites."

Benny: "Um, I dunno." Benny shrugs his shoulders. "I think they want the best for us." He smiles at Theo. "I don't really think about it." He admits, a little blush arriving on his cheeks. "My dad always votes Democrat. I never really liked politics or history, unless it was about knights or Greek heroes."

Theo: "Voting is stupid. The whole system is screwed up. Anyway kid, you ever heard of Theseus and the labyrinth? It's like the only story or Greek myth I really know well."

Benny: "Um, yeah." Benny nods. "Isn't that the one with your mother and the minotaur?" He asks. His dad had read all the Greek tales to him as a kid. His favourite stories were the ones about his own mother, or her husband Heracles. He liked Orpheus too.

Theo: "And how Theseus slayed the minotaur and then refused to marry my mother. I'm apparently named after the man. I hate even the thought of it."

Benny: "Sometimes heroes make mistakes." Benny turns towards Theo. "Your mother is in Olympus, and people still tell tales of her bravery and kindness." He spontaneously reaches for his hand, before realising what he was doing. "Um, sorry."

Theo: What an annoying way to look at life, Theo thought to himself. But he just shrugged it off. He liked Benny. Theo patted Benny on the back. "Whatever kid. I'm just not a fan of my parents." He wasn't being mean, but his tone was clear that he didn't want to talk about it any further.

Benny: "If it makes you feel any better, my dad named after his favourite character on a dumb TV ser-" Benny is cut off by Theo. He turns bright red for a moment. "Um, do you wanna carry on exploring? We could go for a swim I guess..."

Theo: "I'm not really in the mood to get wet. You like hide and go seek?" Theo happened to be very good at this game, thanks to his mother.

Benny: Benny grins cheekily. "Um, sure. I'm pretty good at it.." He wraps his hoodie around his waist, and prepares to dash away as soon as possible.

Theo: "Ok. You hide, I'll seek. I'll count to twenty." Theo closed his eyes. "One... Two... Three.."

Benny: "Catch me if you can..." Benny increases his speed to a short dash, to cover more ground in the time given. He tears off part of his shirt on a hollowed log, to try and misdirect the son of Ariadne. He looks for another hiding spot.

Theo: Theo stops counting after ten, opening his eyes, and following Benny. Because he cheated, he doesn't fall for the decoy Benny set, and could see him running. He summoned a string so short and thin that it was almost unnoticable unless you knew it was there and manipulated it to tie it to Benny's shoelace, so he wouldn't lose track of him

Benny: Increasing his speed, Benny passes through a heavily wooded area. His youth meant that he was likely to be much more nimble than Theo. Breaking the line of sight, he finds a nearby bush and digs himself into it. He buries his shoes a few feet away to prevent Theo finding him by his bright trainers, and tucks himself amidst the roots of a large tree.

Theo: Theo senses the string being underground, and is confused by this. But he manipulates it so it makes a trail leading from him right to Benny. However, he doesn't tell Benny he found him.

Benny: By this point, Benny is hidden underneath several layers of dirt and leaves. He's quite comfortable and starts to doze off.

Theo: Today kid, you are gonna get over your fear of monsters, Theo thought to himself. He summoned a small labyrinth where he and benny were in the center, so he would have complete control of his surroundings ond could jump to save Benny if things got bad. He then created two telekhines, hoping that without weapons or a nearby source of water, Benny would be able to defeat them more easily than hellhounds or myrmekes. Theo was far enough away where the monsters would smell Benny as closer than Theo, and would mainly focus on Benny.

Benny: As Theo summons a small labyrinth, Benny finds himself in the middle of it. He wakes up in surprise. "Um, where are we?....." He glances between a couple of pathways, and comes to the obvious conclusion that Theo wants to trick him somehow. He reaches into his pocket and grabs his slingshot, ready to navigate the maze. "You're not gonna scare me...."

Theo: He sees Benny is walking in the opposite direction as the telekhines, and places a wall right in front of him, forcing him to go the other way. He manipulates the corridor by the telekhines to lead right to where Benny is standing.

Benny: The narrow ivy-covered walls begin to close on each other. His sole exit is blocked. "This isn't funny..." He turns the opposite direction, to find two strange aquatic monsters in front of him. He panics for a second, and splits open his bag of marbles. They scatter all over the labyrinth path, and Benny starts to turn back.

OOC: Feel free to play the telekhines.

Telekhines: Without weapons, the telekhines were slowly approaching Benny.

Theo: Theo knew Benny would think this was a joke or prank unless he could show himotherwise, so he teported himself to the far end of the wall opposite benny, the telekhines in between them, and created a wall between them, that he made look as if he was struggling with all his to keep open, trying to get through. In reality however, having almost mastered his powers and only struggling in direct combat with other more powerful demigods, he was barely draining any energy. But his face showed the complete opposite. He was a good lier, even when he wasn't talking. "Benny!" He yelled, as if scared for the kid.

Benny: Benny calmly takes a couple of breaths, like he was taught. "I'm coming!" He yells, and reaches for his celestial bronze ammunition. He loads his slingshot, his hands shaking as he does so. He fires several pellets for their eyes to blind the monsters, or at least slow them down. As his marbles have scattered all over the narrow path, it should be more difficult for the telekhines to waddle towards him without slipping.

Telekhines: Benny's shot is slightly off point, and one of the telekhines is hit in the nose. It trips over some of the marbles, and falls backwards, getting back up slowly as the other kept waddling towards Benny.

Theo: You got this kid, Theo thought to himself as Benny prepared to face the monsters. Theo continued to pretend to struggle hold the wall open, but was getting bored. He wanted to make things more interesting for himself, so he let the wall close on him, but left a small hole to peek through so he could see how Benny was doing n the fight. he would teleport to the other side only if things got really bad.

Benny: "Gotcha!" He grins and takes another step back, firing another shot at the second telekhine. This time, he manipulates his powers over ageing to lock their joints together for a short period of time, Then, Benny grabs puts away his slingshot. His dinosaur bracelet transforms into a celestial bronze sword. He slashes at the nearest telekhine, trying to keep it away.

Theo: Finally, you do something that can actually help you.

Telekhines: The telekhine tries to back up, but does not do so in time, and is cut in the leg. This cripples, but does not kill it. The other telekhine is now up once again, and coming towards Benny from his back side.

Benny: The other telekhine tries to grab the small kid from behind. His small size allows him to slip out of its grasp. He takes advantage of his advanced youth to thwack it with his pommel with a surprising amount of force. "You're not gonna get me." As the telekhine is stunned, he instinctively dodge rolls behind the telekhine and hamstrings it, throwing its body towards the second crippled monster. "Get away..."

Telekhines: The telekhines bump into each other, and ram up against the wall of the labyrinth.

Theo: ''Yes! There you go kid. I guess I'll help you out now. ''Theo teleported behind Benny where he wouldn't see him, and where he had a direct line of sight at teh two monsters. He took two celestial bronze throwing knives, and thrw them at the monsters. Not even waiting to see if the knives would hit, he pressed the pin on his shirt, and as his dual swords appeared in his hands, charged at the telekhines.

Telekhines: The first wounded telekhine is pretty much dead. The knife sticks into its back and it bursts into golden ichor. The second throwing knife merely sticks a couple of inches into the aquatic mammal's tough skin.

Benny: As the first telekhine explodes, Benny breathes a sigh of relief. Spotting Theo while he charges into battle, he takes a couple of steps back and increases the magnitude of his powers on the creature's joints and limbs. The aquatic telekhine struggles under the pressure, locked into position.

Theo: Theo, who is normally an extremely gracful fighter, stabs the second Telekhine in the neck, pulls his sword out, and stabs it in the gut, only then, to slice it's neck coompletely decapitating it, as if out of pure rage. He does all of this to make it seem as if he wanted the telekhines gone as much as Benny did, which would most likely increase how safe not only Benny felt around him, but also the chances of Benny believing that he wanted to help the whole time and just wasn't able to.

Benny: Benny winces and looks away as Theo slices up the monster. Alex always taught him to go for the easy kill, so he wasn't used to watching monsters die in such a horrible way. "Phew...that was close." His sword transforms back into his dinosaur bracelet. He checks his arms, the few scrapes and bruises he has already beginning to heal. "Um, what happened? I fell asleep and all of a sudden, those telekhines came out of nowhere."

Theo: Theo knew what he was going to say to lie to Benny about what had happened. He knew Benny would be suspicious, and he hoped his act was good enough. "I think this part of the forest is a little more monster prone than you expected. The telekhines came out of the stream over there, and so I tried to encage them in a labyrinth. Sorry, I didn't realize that you were under it. As soon as I did, I tried to get in, but I had used a lot of my energy to create the labrynth, and needed like a minute to recharge. Are you ok?"

Benny: Scratching the side of his head, Benny listens to Theo's story. It was strange for telekhines to be so far away from the sea, without any sea-water. but he assumes a couple could have washed inland. He takes a breather. "Um, yeah. I got a few bruises, but they're already healing." He kneels down, starting to collect his marbles. "I held them off for as long as possible. I'm not used to tackling monsters on my own." He admits, glancing up to Theo. "Are you okay? I could recharge some of your energy."

Theo: In reality, Theo hadn't really lost any energy, and was afraid that if Benny "helped" him regain some of it, he would know he didn't need recharging. "Naw, I'm good kid. You aren't that bad a fighter. Why are you so scared of monsters anyway?"

Benny: "Um, it's a long story..." Benny frowned, glancing down to the floor. His cheeks felt hot with shame. "I got attacked on the way to camp..." He bit his lip. "A manticore ambushed me and a friend. We held it off for as long as we could, but there wasn't anything I could do to save him."

Theo: Theo got a little more serious. "Oh. Sorry kid. You shouldn't be scared of monsters though. Most of them are quite dumb and clumsy."

Benny: "Um, I guess so." He fumbles awkwardly with his dionsaur bracelet, before looking back down to his feet. "I took my trainers off, so you wouldn't see the patterns. I think they're somewhere in the forest."

Theo: "I'm sure we'll find them. Just don't step on anything to sharp. I may be able to hold my own in a fight, but if you hurt yourself out here, I'm not a healer."

Benny: "I'll be okay. I heal quickly anyways, perks of being a Hebe kid." Benny shrugs his shoulders, as they're brought back to the forest. "Um, I think they're somewhere around here."

Theo: Theo had lost track of where Benny's shoes were as well, thanks to all the commotion (that he caused). "We'll find them. Just gotta keep looking. Does you dad know about your fear of monsters?"

Benny: "Yeah, I hope so. They're my favourite ones." They were the ones with cartoon characters all over the sides. He continues to look for his shoes. "Um, I guess so. We talk about it sometimes through iris message. He's too busy to talk much."

Theo: Theo thought of his own father, who had only stopped working to have five conversations with his son, ever since he was sent to boarding school, all about his godly heritage. "That sucks. What does your dad say to you about your fear? I mean, he is a psychologist or whatever right?

Benny: Benny shrugs. "Um, it's not really a fear." He admits. "I don't think it's silly to be scared of monsters. Dad just thinks it's a phase or something. He thinks I'll come around with the right training and support." He says. "I dunno. I don't really think about it."

Theo: "Look kid, I bet if I told my dad I was gay he would think it was a phase too. Just saying, all parents think what thier kid is going through is a phase if they have never been through it themselves. I think it will be sticking with you for a while. You should learn to enbrace it. Learn to use it to your advantage."

Benny: "Oh, you're gay?" Benny replies. It isn't really a big deal for him. Some of his family friends were gay, and he never really thought about it. "Isn't sexuality on a kind of spectrum?" He asks, having heard a little from his father. "Emotions are natural. There's nothing wrong with them, as long as they're not hurting anyone."

Theo: "Yeah. Sure, I guess you could call it a spectrum. But most people either classify as straight, gay, or bi. But like, there's also pansexual, and asexual, and queer, and a bunch of other stuff, so yeah, sure. Emotions can be hurting someone and still be natural. Emotions are part of being human. They can get kind of out of hand when other people get hurt, but they are still natural."

Benny: "I guess so; I don't really think about it." He says, glancing up to Theo. "So, do you have a boyfriend then? Loads of kids my age want one, but I think it's silly to want someone. Friends and family are just as important, and toys are way cooler anyways." He giggles childishly. "Yeah. Dad says that it's normal to feel sad or angry sometimes, but you've gotta look on the bright side and try your best."

Theo: "Naw kid, relationships have never really been my thing. I'm always so busy messing with other people's. Like you said, they are kind of pointless. Friends are good enough."

Benny: He looks up and finds his trainers, caught on the branches on a low-hanging bush. "Oh yay, there they are...." He untangles the shoes and starts to lace them up. "Um, are we friends?"

Theo: "Sure kid. Given that we played hide and seek together and got attacked by monsters that I then killed brutally in front of you, I would say we're friends."

Benny: "Hey! That's not fair." Benny laces up his shoes, and stands up. He gently pushes Theo, despite the major height difference. "I did most of the work. They were almost defeated by the time you got there." He grins cheekily."Yeah, I guess I'll see you around camp sometime."

Theo: ''Sure kid, not like I created them so they would be easy for you to hold off or anything... ''Theo thought to himself. "Yeah, whatever kid. See you around."

TIMESKIP

The Big House
Benny: A couple of days later, Benny spots Theo near the Big House while on his way to get breakfast. He is wearing his orange CHB shirt, a slim gray hoodie and his jeans. The Hebe kid waves over to his friend, a bright smile on his face. "Good morning, are you on your way to get breakfast?" He asks, unusually chipper even by his standards.

Theo: Theo sees Benny and waves as he walks over to him. "Yeah. If I play a prank on you, how mad would you be?"

Benny: He decides to be a good sport. "Um, depends on the prank. I'm probably too easy for a pranking genius like you." Benny giggles. "Maybe we could go and play some pranks around the camp, test my slingshot skills..."

Theo: "Ok kid, we can see what you've got. But in order to know how to prank others without them seeing it coming, you need to be able to predict the unpredictable as well." Theo swiftly conjured a string from the air, as if it was nothing, and quickly minupulated it to wrap itself around Benny's legs.

Benny: Already expecting the trick with the string, he feigns surprise. Concentrating for a brief moment, he focuses on the joints in Theo's legs, forcing the effects of age on them. The pressure should cause them to buckle and trip him up, or at least cause enough pain to interfere with his power usage.

Theo: The string dissipated. "Ow kid, that hurts, watch it." He shrugged. "Whatever, lets go then. Where should we start? Anyone specific you wanna prank?"

Benny: "Um, sorry." Benny cuts out the power usage. "I guess I predicted the unpredictable, you must be out of practice..." He teases gently, before shrugging his shoulders. "Dunno. It's up to you, master pranker."

Theo: "Well, I guess we could just cause slight commotion by those girls over there. I sort of just wait for an opportunity to arrise. I don't really plan this stuff usually. But I guess we could cause some commotion over that group of girls." Theo ppoints to a group of Aphrodite girls clustered a few yards away from them.

Benny: Benny's cheeks turn bright red. He glances towards the girls. "Um, I dunno." He glances back to Theo, his palms growing a little sweaty. "I guess we could try find something scary like a spider and toss it in their direction, or we could surprise them with something nice like cake or ambrosia."

Theo: Theo smiles devilishly. "I like the first idea. Scary, like a spider." Theo summons a harpy right above the group of girls. The girls scream, as one of them barely manages to kill it. They have no idea where it came from. "There we go."

Benny: ''Wait....he can summon monsters out of thin air? ''The son of Hebe puts two and two together. "Quick, run before they see us...." He runs and tugs at Theo's shirt, to get him to hide in the bushes. "Um, did you summon the telekhines the other day? It seems odd they didn't have any weapons."

Theo: "Confidence kid. You seemed a bit freaked about monsters, so I was trying to boost your confidence. I figured if you knew you could beat them, and I let you, you wouldn't be scared anymore or whatever, but it wasn't really working, so I just stepped in and killed 'em for ya." Theo paused, switching to the topic of the girls. "Confidence kid. Remember what I said about using your powers to your advantage?" Theo created a small labyrinth, trapping and majorly confusing the girls inside it. "Now, we simply can walk away, slowly, not drawing attention to ourselves."

Benny: Benny blushes. He didn't expect such a candid answer. Pausing for a moment, he gives Theodore a chirpy smile. "Um, thanks I guess. I think I was handling myself pretty well. I was always taught to try wear them down first, and keep myself safe." He shrugs his shoulders. "I think I'm gonna be okay." He walks away, as a collection of screams are heard in the distance. "Um, I think they'll have figured out that you're an Ariadne kid." He laughs.

Theo: "Yeah, we should probably get going..."

Benny: "Um, that might be for the best." He agrees. "Sorry!"

Theo: "Why are you appoligizing? Pranking them was your idea after all. Don't appoligize.  You're feeling guilty or whatever, but you don't look it. No matter what, we still pranked them. That doesnt just go away with an appology. Stick by your actions kid."

Benny: "Because it was meant to be a joke." Benny replies. He forms a bar of ambrosia in his hands and starts to nibble away at it. "I don't like making other people sad...." He scratches the side of his head, as the ambrosia turns into a more liquid form. He tosses it to Theo. "Catch...." .

Theo: "You need to stop caring about other people so much kid. It's gotta bad for your mental health. People are selfish. The only way to survive in this world is to care as little about everyone else as little as they care about you. If other people have to be pranked in order for you to get a good laugh, so be it."

Benny: "Um, I dunno." Benny scratches the side of his head in thought. He continues to play around with the ambrosia like it was silly putty, giggling with delight as it squelched and squirmed in his hands. He was getting increasingly confident with his powers. "It sounds like a lonely life.  If you let the bullies hurt you, then they've already won."

Theo: Theo slaps Benny on the back. (In a friendly way) "Don't worry kid. I'm practically untouchable. If people even know I exist. I mean, I can be practically undetectable when I want to be. Pranking people and partying all the time? You say lonely, I say fun. Potato, potahto."

Benny: "I guess so..." Benny blushes as Theo places a hand on his back. "Um, I just want you to be happy and enjoy your time here." He smiles. "Friends are important, they're like family you choose for yourself."

Theo: "I want to enjoy my time here too kid, believe me. I've never really had friends. More followers. Admirers. People who crushed on me."

Benny: "Um, I can be your friend..." He glances towards Theo, "I never really had friends until I got here..."

Theo: "I gotta admit kid, you are right there. It is quite homey here. Maybe one day I'll see it as as much of a home as you do."

Benny: "Um thanks..." Benny places his hands in his pockets. "Can I ask you a question? I kissed my friend Tyler the other day. He was wearing his shirt covered in pheromones or something, I dunno. Um, but I've never kissed anyone before, boy or girl. But I don't really know what it means. Is that normal?"

Theo: "Pheromones. Those things are hell. Screws with your head, makes you all lovey when you aren't. Do you actualy like this Tyler, as more than a friend, or no?"

Benny: "I dunno. He's really nice, but it was just a kiss." His cheeks turn bright red. "I did like it, even though kisses are totally icky." He makes a face. "Hopefully I don't get cooties."

Theo: "Sounds like a no. Well, I would just pretend like it never happened. And only girls have cooties kid. Why do you think Tyler like manipulated you with the pheromones like that though? This kid Jake played a pheromone trick on me when I first got here. Didn't end well."

Benny: The son of Hebe sticks his tongue out in response. "It was an accident, his friend gave him the shirt, and he didn't realise that it would affect me." Benny shrugs his slim shoulders. "I didn't think anyone would want to kiss me. I've always been the kid who would rather build a treehouse or play make-believe than play kiss 'n' catch."

Theo: "Well, now you can be the kid who has played make believe and kiss 'n' catch. Of course people wanna kiss you. I mean, I wouldn't, you're a little young for me." Theo said this in a joking way, that could probably make anybody laugh."

Benny: "I'm not that young!" Benny points out, affectionately nudging him to the side. "Um, does that mean you'd kiss me if I was older...?" He blushes and glances towards the son of Passion, his blue eyes making contact with the older boy's.

Theo: "Honestly, probably not. But what does it matter what I think? Right now, it only matters what you and Tyler think."

Benny: "Yeah I guess so..." Benny can't help giggle. "He's gonna teach me to use roller skates sometime..."

Theo: "That sounds cool. I can teach you some cool stuff I learned back when I was in the city. It's called parkour. Basically, in kid terms, you play Spiderman."

Benny: "I don't think you can shoot webs out of your hands..." He teases gently, finally starting to let himself relax a little. "It sounds really cool though; is it like climbing trees and stuff?"

Theo: "Only at first. Once you get the hang of it, It's more like jumping from building to building, wall to wall, that sorta stuff."

Benny: His eyes lighten up with excitement. "That's so awesome, can do you tricks off walls and stuff? There's a climbing wall and a gym near camp. Please can we go, so you can teach me to jump off walls, and do cool things."

Theo: "Sure kid. but, you need like two walls right next to each other. And basic obstacles for you to start with, so that you don't, well... kill yourself."

Benny: "Um, it would be a lot easier if I could fly..." Benny giggles. "Wil and Tyler both know how to fly. but I'm quicker on land." He grins cheekily. "Let's go for it. I bet I'm a natural." He says, wanting to impress Theo.

Theo: "You don't need to be able to fly to know parkour. I can't fly, and I can do it." Demonstrating, Theo jumped off a nearby tree, jumping from one to another extremely quickly till he reached the top.

Benny: The son of Hebe quickly follows suit. His light weight allows him to climb rapidly towards the very tallest branches. He dashes from one tree to another, stumbling a little, as he caught a foothold on the tree trunk, his arms wrapped around the oak for dear life. He scrambles up the tree, catching up to Theo.

Theo: "Nice job kid. Scared yet?" Theo joked.

Benny: "Not really." Benny admits. "I climbed trees all the time back home. We had an old conifer tree out back that I used to climb." He playfully swings from one branch to another, sitting on a thicker one besides Theo.