Frightening Little Girls (Elijah) [PG13: L]

The woman circled the dummy, thrusting her sword a few times into the flesh-like, hay-filled torso of the barely-humanoid figure. It was extremely easy to say that Mia was out of shape. Picking up and heading into Manhattan to her parents’ house for months to help them out during her mother’s cancer treatment didn’t do much for her sword arm or her waistline. That being said, now that she was back, Mia had dedicated herself to achieving the level of fitness that she had before her departure after Ojobi had left for France. You still haven’t heard from him… that mean little voice in the back of her head reminded her. They had promised each other to keep in touch, even though Mia knew at the time that the letters would stop after a few weeks, two or three months at the most. Five months had passed since that time on the beach when Ojobi told her he was leaving and it had been almost three since she had heard from him. While Mia dearly hoped and prayed that he was safe, she knew better. She just didn’t like to think about it. She had lost enough in her life, and while she had started to feel a certain level of emotion that she dared not name now, she couldn’t admit to herself the possibility that Ojobi might have passed from this world to the next.

She was, however, worse for wear, physically speaking. Sweating like a pig and exhaustion did not become her, and her hair was getting frizzy from pent up static.  She muttered a curse under her breath, pushing her fringe out of her eyes. It only stuck to her fingers, frustrating her more. Of course the static wasn’t helped by the fact that her fingers were slowly gaining that familiar blue-ish tinge they did when the Greek was dangerously close to what she fondly called “sparking,” which in reality was nothing more than built up electricity jumping from finger to finger. It itched like crazy and made her fingers feel stiff.

Speak of the Devil… she thought as the itchy feeling took hold in her hand. The woman held her hand up, watching as arcs of electricity started to jump from finger to finger. The movements always fascinated her: Mia literally held nearly unlimited power and possible destruction in the palm of her hand, something set off by something as simple as a sour mood. She had set fires, all by accident of course, and she was sure that she could do more if she so desired. It was mesmerizing, almost addicting even, to know that she had the potential to do so much more. But no, the Greek was content with just watching the power her pater gave her. She slowly made a fist, tilting her head to the side, thinking of the possibilities that lay before her.

A sudden gasp and the metallic clatter of a sword being dropped pulled her out of her daydream. Mia turned to see the retreating figure of a girl running away, in the direction of what looked to be the Principia. She frowned a bit and looked around, confused as to what could have caused such a reaction. When she realized that she was alone in the Arena, and that the poor girl’s reaction was caused by her, Mia couldn’t help but laugh to herself. She could only imagine how she looked to the poor girl with her wild hair, one hand holding the sword Jupiter had given her in a loose hold down by her side, and the other shooting arcs in every which way while she quietly contemplated the power she held. It made her shake her head and look up at the overcast sky with an amused look. It was simple to assume the girl was running to tell someone, possibly a Praetor. An excellent way to return to camp… she thought, returning to her trainging. Might as well make the most of the wait.

Someone had left a stress ball on Elijah's desk in the Principia, and as much as he really wasn't okay with the smart ass move, the boy figured he could do stuff with it.  Other than squeezing it to help with 'stress', because everyone knew that was bullshit.  At least, for lots of people...the small boy included.  But it was a boring day, so the Praetor figured he would just get creative with the thing to amuse himself.  And maybe once he figured out who had left it, he could track them down and give them hell.  Unless it was just a joke from a friend.  Who could really tell with this sort of thing?  Either way, Elijah figured it could provide at least a tiny bit of entertainment.  So he kept it balanced on his desk, stabbing it with his daggers.  Of course, he kept missing...the stress ball wasn't exactly big enough for such activities, and the wood of the desk was starting to get marked up.  Something, the boy was realizing, probably wouldn't be appreciated to...to, well anyone in charge.  Like the Senate of New Rome.  And probably some Gods and Goddesses.  Letting out a soft huff, the son of Discordia dug the tips of Potentia and Ferocimus out of the desk, responsibly returning them to their gold apple poison rings.  The stress ball still sat on the desk, taunting Elijah to start stabbing it again.  "I hate you," the boy finally said reproachfully.  "Go away!" he exclaimed, throwing the thing across the room.

When he had some time, Elijah would definitely try and figure out who left the stress ball.  Time away from the Principia, anyway.  It just got so busy at times...and in all fairness, the boy would probably never go after the mysterious stress ball donor.  There were much more important things to do in his free time, like be with friends and Jack and all.  So some idiot camper wanted to poke fun at Elijah's attitude...there were too many people that had issues with that anyway, the Praetor would never find the person.  In the meantime, he just figured to take it easy.  Instead of hanging around the Principia too long today, the Praetor could go out and have some fun.  He'd find Jack or something and spend more time relaxing than losing his mind in the Principia.  Or maybe he'd head down to the arena to train for a bit.  Anything would be better than sitting here like this.  There wasn't even that much paperwork to deal with...for once.  Elijah just wasn't any good at giving himself a break, but that was just what he needed right now.

As he was really starting to consider leaving, the Principia door slammed open, the cold chill of the day cutting down to Elijah's bones.  A girl came in, shaking.  "Hey," Elijah said gently...about as gently as he was capable of.  "Just relax...relax.  Nothing is going to get worked out shaking like a leaf like that..." is was all proof that the small boy wasn't entirely rough around the edges.  He could usually tell when someone needed the reassurance.  Chaos ruled him, but time at camp and with people he loved and loved him had taught the son of Discordia that it was okay to be caring sometimes.  Besides, lots of people who came looking for a Praetor were looking for someone they felt safe with.  And unless someone had truly done him wrong, the small boy actually could be understanding.  The girl in front of him still looked rattled.  What could she have seen that was that scary?  "For fucks sake," Elijah mumbled.  He really didn't like that sort of look...no one should be that scary.

And of course, the young girl finally got her bearings...mostly, anyway.  She launched into a story about a tall girl mumbling in Greek in the arena, electricity sparking from her fingers.  Elijah stared for a moment, nodding at her words.  When had Mia gotten back...and why hadn't she come to see him?  It had been ages, and the small boy had worried a lot about his friend.  But there she was, causing issues from the start.  "Of course," the boy finally said, smiling at the girl.  "No need to worry...I know the camper in question.  I'll speak with her...get it figured out," this sort of patience was relatively unheard of from Elijah, especially now that he was ready to go chase Mia down and give her a hug and be a nuisance about her not coming to see him.  The young girl seemed to find his words satisfactory, as she thanked him profusely before leaving.  Shaking his head, Elijah threw everything into his bag and pulled on his coat, leaving the Principia and locking up behind him.

And luckily Mia was still in the arena.  With a smile, Elijah strode down the dirt path...it was frigid cold out.  At least he had on a sweatshirt this time.  Skipping towards his friend, the boy crossed his arms and leaned up against a dummy.  "I hear there's a tall Greek girl with electric fingers in the arena," he said with a smile.  "Seen anyone who fits the bill?"

The woman had already ditched the sword, going through the motions of hand to hand combat. She had always preferred this mode of combat over that with weapons; Mia didn’t know why. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, to be perfectly honest. It was intoxicating to break wooden boards with her fists or sending her opponents flying over her with a firm hold and simple shift in her weight, and on a more base level, Mia just enjoyed sending punches hurtling towards the faces of people who pissed her off. Then again, it was something familiar as well, as she had spent her time before Camp Jupiter taking kick-boxing classes as a form of therapy. Either way, it was enjoyable, and despite the Legion’s preference for sharp, pointy, metal sticks, Mia just liked the classic way of pummeling her opponents with her fists and the occasional kick.

When the Greek heard the footsteps behind her, she stopped and turned, a wide smile spreading across her face. Mia grabbed her things and walked towards her friend, happy to see him after so long. To be honest, part of her had been terrified of leaving again, especially after the last time she left she, Mia had returned to find everyone she cared about either missing or dead. While the rational part of her knew that that was unlikely, as whoever attacked would have to take out not only Camp Jupiter, but Camp Halfblood as well, a small part still feared the possibility. Mia wasn’t unwilling to admit that seeing Elijah gave her a deep sense of relief, even if it meant that she would have to answer for her sudden disappearance. Mia smirked slightly at the crack about the girl who had run off. ”Ah, so I see my new buddy came to see you?” she asked, putting her hand on her hip, looking at nails in a bored manner. ”I’m afraid to inform you that contemplating world domination and my future rule as High Queen of Earth got the better of me.” She looked at her friend and grinned evilly. ”I would say sorry, but… I’m really not.”

It wasn’t long, however before the Greek’s charade cracked and Mia descended into a fit of laughter. “How are you, mikró? she asked, stooping down slightly to envelop him in a tight hug. She picked up his small frame and swung him around in a circle. ”What has me short, sparkly flamer been up to?” she asked, teasingly, setting him on his feet. ”You got the late Christmas present I sent, right? I asked someone to put it on your desk while I was gone…” Luckily a care package form home had come in a few days before she left, and in it were the gag gifts she had ordered for her friends. One was a stress ball for Elijah. Sure, it was kind of a dick gift, but that was the point, wasn’t it? A gag gift that pissed off her friends and followed by something much more heart felt. Granted, Mia hadn’t expected to have been gone as long as she had been, but somethings just couldn’t be helped. The extra time had been a blessing in a way: Mia had figured out how to make her Mother’s baklava, and subsequently, the vegan form for Elijah. Hopefully it would make up for the stress ball and Elijah wouldn’t kill her for it. ”And before you kill, maim, seriously injure, or otherwise wound me, I would like to remind you how much you love me and ask you who would mess with you if I were to die over a heartfelt gift?” She grinned sheepishly. ”And if it helps you overlook the stress ball thing, I brought vegan baklava. It’s in First.”

Sometimes, it was hard to keep track of how various people effected various others.  Like how scary some campers found Elijah, and how others thought he was a laugh.  Of course, it was those closest to him that thought he was anything funny...given his whirly chaos mind and general funny statements.  But no one was allowed to see that except for the boy's closest friends, and Jack.  It was funny to think of Mia as anything except friendly and silly, but given the circumstances, the boy could sort of understand the girl who reported to him's fear.  Aside from the whole daughter of Jupiter electric fingers thing, she had the general aura that had to be sort of frightening if one didn't know her too well.  But the son of Discordia did know her well.  The frightened girl who had seen Mia in the arena probably had every reason to be afraid.  But Elijah wasn't going to go reprimand her friend.  She didn't actually do anything.  Well, maybe he should give her a hard time about not coming to see him as soon as she got back...but that was really it.

And really, Elijah knew that his friend wasn't going to do anything bad, electric fingers or not.  Seeing Mia in the arena, the boy tried to hold back a smirk, ready to laugh at the girl already.  "Oh, your new buddy came to see me alright," the small boy put his hand on his hip.  "Honestly, I'm not sure what she was thinking I could do...maybe give you a stern talking to?" Elijah chuckled.  "So maybe you can consider this your stern talking to," the boy shrugged, holding out his hands.  If he really thought about it, Mia was probably a camper who would do the least amount of damage in any situation.  She was bubbly and friendly...maybe a little larger than life, but that was something Elijah could probably claim for himself as well.  "I'm pretty sure we'd all be fucked if you were High Queen of Earth," the boy snorted, shaking his head.  "Maybe you should reconsider...for the sake of everyone on the planet or so..." Camp Jupiter 2.0 was going to get really interesting again now that Mia was back...in a good way.  Gods knew everyone could use the smile the girl tended to bring.

As Mia started to laugh, Elijah couldn't help but join in.  "I'm alright...nothing too new," Elijah was figuring out a lot more about dealing with tall people with a boyfriend that was a foot taller than him.  He hugged Mia tight, squealing softly as she picked him up and swung him around.  "Hey!" the boy laughed.  "Only Jack is allowed to do that!" he teased, settling himself down on his feet as Mia set him down.  "Your short, sparkly flamer doesn't have anything new going on, really.  My life is really boring," Elijah stuck out his tongue, chuckling softly.  It really was nice to see the older girl again, after Gods knew how long without.  The small boy didn't really want to say how worried he'd been right off the bat.  He wanted to keep things light for a bit...he was sure the last thing Mia needed when just getting back was a serious conversation about how things had been.  They'd have some fun first.  That was the way it should be.

"Christmas present..." Elijah trailed off before narrowing his eyes.  "You got me the stress ball!" he accused, trying to keep the laughter out of his voice.  Well that pretty much changed everything.  It didn't make him so twitchy knowing the gift had been a teasing sentiment of Mia's.  Of course, she was one of the few he'd let get away with that at all.  "Oh, Mia," the boy laughed, shaking his head.  "What would I do without you?  I may have stabbed the stress ball a few times, which, oddly enough, is probably why I don't feel like stabbing you," Elijah joked around.  Mia would know he wasn't serious, not with the tone he was using.  "So I guess that means it did its job...thank you for that, then," most people wouldn't get that...but then again, most people didn't see this side of the small boy.  The daughter of Jupiter always brought out this side of him, which was nice...everyone should have someone to bring out that side.

Elijah grinned.  "Yes!  Vegan baklava...all is forgiven," the boy smiled widely.  How could anyone say no to vegan baklava?  "Mia...how are you doing?  I've missed you and I just..." the boy trailed off, not completely sure where to go next.  So he hugged his friend again, wishing he really knew what to say.  He didn't want to dampen the mood, but he wanted to make sure Mia was okay.  "I've been worried," he finally said softly, in a tone that select few ever heard from Elijah.  "We don't have to talk about it, but...I'm glad you're back."

Mia snickered as Elijah’s teasing. Gods, it felt good to be back. While she loved her family – which, ironically had expanded to include two troubled foster kids, her older cousin Blayze, and Blayze’s three year-old twins in the time she had been home – they drove her crazy. The only place she had been able to any training with her sword was on the roof, and after that time that she had nearly burned the neighboring building down, her father had told her no more training with the sword. Dealing with the static hadn’t been fun either. The foster kids, Jason and Marc, had quickly figured out that Mia was a bit off, both personality-wise and ability-wise. But maybe that had been a good thing: they had certainly taken to her after giving them a good shock when they had been particularly nasty to their social worker.

Her blood family had been an absolute joy to deal with as well… Not. More often than not, Mama had been wracked with pain from the treatment, and the pain medications left her little better than a pot-head on a massive high. Not that there was anything wrong with that, of course, she needed to cope. But her father’s reaction to it was awful. He threw himself into his work, leaving early each morning to get all of his work done as soon as possible so that he could come home and be with his wife. It just wasn’t fun being questioned like a witness he was cross-interrogating on the stand in the courtroom if he was upset, which happened for frequently. Blayze, when he wasn’t with the kids, at work, or helping around the house found his way to AA meetings, but he always came home in a crabby mood. Not fun to deal with, especially at 2AM and he came barreling in demanding to know what she had done with the leftovers from dinner. Mia’s only light had been the twins. Even though those sweet little girls were too young to fully grasp why Grammy went to the hospital every other week, they still drew her tons of pictures and told imaginary stories about princesses, magical dinosaurs (or dragons), and nice witches who made people feel better for hugs. Mia had many found memories of baking sugar cookies and making them into fruit pizzas, and reading story books at bedtime. Tending to those sweethearts had solidified her desire to have children at some point.

Mia shook her head slightly and refocused her attention on the person before her, who she could easily say was one of her closest friends. She smiled softly, hoping that how much she cared for him was evident. ”I’m fine,” she said distractedly. “It’s great to see you again, Elijah. I really missed you…” She looked down at her feet when he asked if she was okay, getting choked up as she searched for what to say to him. She needed to make up for disappearing, but everything that she thought of sounded empty or half-assed. Even a simple apology sounded off. But what could she do? She could barely admit the real reasons why she left to herself, let alone anyone else. So she settled for tightly returning his hug. She pressed her face to his hair, finding comfort in the scent of his shampoo. [color=#1cbbb4]“I’m sorry for leaving. I know it’s not much, but I just…”[color] She sighed softly, thinking for a moment. [color=#1cbbb4]“I needed to get away. Work through some things… But I would like to talk. Eventually. Just not now. When I’m ready. Okay?”[color] Mia was hesitant to release him, wishing that she didn’t have to. Or that she smelled nicer so that the embrace could have been longer. Gods knew she needed it.

She rubbed her face and took a deep breath to settle the knot that had been forming in the pit of her stomach, and the air felt different. Heavy, like before a storm, and charged. [color=#1cbbb4]“Do you know if it’s supposed to rain today?”[color] She asked innocuously, looking at the sky. [color=#1cbbb4]“Maybe we should head to First or something so you can get your baklava and I can change?”[color] She shouldered her duffel bag, giving him a small smile. She prayed she hadn’t worried him more with the abrupt change of topic, and she knew that Elijah would understand that she wanted to save the hard and heavy talk for later. Guilt already ate at her to begin with, and his tone, the emotion that Elijah used had made it worse. She could only imagine how Calix, Calla, and the others felt. Mia made a mental note to see them as soon as she could.