Well, hello there ((Robyn Walsh)) ((S))

“And the walls came tumbling down in the city that we lu-u--u-u-uved” Malik sung to himself softly as he dried up, steam still swirling around his head. Today was going to be a good day. A simple day. The rest of the cohort were going to be focusing on individual skills and physical work which meant he had the whole day to "run" the library. Really, the folks at camp were on top of it. The forms were simple and he trusted the Legion to go through the motions. Glancing at his battered pocket watch currently reading 9:30, he grinned. He had time, most of the visitors came in the evening anyway. He'd already unlocked the doors, the hard-core readers knew what to do after all. That left him plenty of time to saunter over, relax and hunt for the next tome. He'd done a lot of work putting the books into some sort of order, Dewy Decimal of course, and while there was still quite the distance to go, most folks could find their way around. Today, would be a day of calm, collected perusal and engaged reading. Nothing could stop him!

Slipping on a pair of dark blue trousers, he idly scratched at the tattoo plastered centrally on the base of his neck. Normally the top was barely visible. Shirtless, the dark ink blazed out to the day in all its glory, the lines curving and twisting into what was at once a simple and surprisingly intricate pattern. It represented strength and all its myriad of forms - compassion, morality, forgiveness, honesty, might. Looking hard enough, one could see all those within the lines; a person flexing giant biceps, or holding them out in peace, or as a warning against misdeeds. Of course, one could also see the symbol of the Earth Kingdom from Avatar the Last Airbender, but that was just the surface appearance. Things were so much more, could be and mean so many different things. He'd chosen the location carefully; the neck was the cradle upon which the head and thus the brain - the source of all strength - sat. The stanza inscribed upon his arms were another example, with such a complex myriad of meanings that lectures could (and had) be given on the topic. Meanwhile the shoulder tattoo spoke of narrative, of the power of story, of how it can change the world and how it is the world. Again, on the surface - well it had to be on the surface of his skin, it'd be ridiculous if it wasn't - it was the symbol of The Old Republic. To others it was this strange Eye of Sauron kind of thing, and he was totally okay with that. Meaning was referential after all. Lastly, the Roman brand marked the inside of his bicep, and that carried the weight of centuries upon its shoulders, the hopes for the future represented in so few marks. It represented duty, service, community, history, culture and so much more. To some, it was just a calendar for how long you served, and that was fine, meaning was referential.

A small tingling, and inkling, tickled at the back of his mind, no, it was his chest. Glancing down, his necklaces sat upon each other, Vilya lined up with the hoop of the Key he bore, the latter burning slightly. It was a warm touch, passionate, caring. The heat grew and grew and grew until a few moments later when he cried out as it scorched his skin. It carried with it potential, but also the risk of disaster, of going too far. Malik's mind raced. He was at a crossroads, things could go really well from here, it carried that possibility of something, to put simply, damn good. Footsteps carried over to him, light, quick, full of energy. At a guess, with the key growing cold again on his chest, Malik had a feeling he knew who it was. The door opened and Malik let the morning sun wash over his tattooed back for a moment before turning around. Surely enough, a familiar blonde figure stood silhouetted in the doorway. His pulse picked up. Robyn was something special. Sure, she was drop dead gorgeous, perhaps that came with the Aphrodite genes (jeans ha!) but she was a delightful person to be around. She carried a burning passion that spreads to whomever she talked to. Sure, she grew up with different experiences, and he knew he didn't have the full story yet, but as a personality, as a person, she was vibrant.

Malik, tussled brown hair and mischievous hazel eyes unafraid of challenging cliché, smiled - a genuine full faced, every muscle caught up and pressganged into service kind of smile - and let slip a casual, purposefully playful “Well, hello there.”

The pills would be enough to help the headache subside, but they would do absolutely nothing to ease her annoyed state of mind. Robyn rubbed her temples as she swallowed the ibuprofen pills, in an attempt to relieve the pain that throbbed behind her eyes. The headache was a consequence of yelling, not in anger, but in irritation, and loud enough to catch the attention of the deaf. Earlier in the week, a camper from the Athena cabin had sparked up controversy with a son of Aphrodite. This didn’t go over well, as they were arguing over whether it was better to have the smarts or the looks when it came to success. Of course Robyn’s siblings had argued that it was better to be beautiful in order to gain success, however the children of Athena argued otherwise. Robyn found the argument to be both immature and utterly stupid. All week, Robyn had been plagued by her siblings’ complaints of the Athena children. As the Aphrodite cabin leader, Robyn was in charge of listening to complaints and resolving inner cabin issues, though most of the conversations ended in Robyn telling her siblings to “grow up and move on”, which wasn’t exactly resolving anything. The issue then continued to grow as the days passed by, for some of the Ares and the Hermes kids had gotten involved with the argument at some point, soon followed by the children of Apollo. Robyn was tired of hearing about it and was beyond annoyed.

That morning, the debate had begun outside the Big house and Robyn, who had been trying to organize the books on the bookshelf, finally decided she had heard enough of the banter. The daughter of Aphrodite gathered herself and had demanded that the argument stop, as it was useless and there would be no resolution to such a problem as someone would always believe one or the other reigned supreme, and for some reason beyond Robyn’s comprehension, the campers actually listened to her. Perhaps it was because she was older and more experienced at camp and all of them knew and respected that. Or maybe it was the fact that she was absolutely terrifying when she became heated and angry and none of them wanted to face the wrath of the fireball daughter of Aphrodite who had the ability to persuade them to soil their own garments if she was pushed to. Whichever it was, Robyn didn’t care. All she wanted was the fighting to stop, and now that it had, she could finally move on with her day.

After Robyn had managed to steal a few ibuprofen pills from the infirmary, she decided that it might be best to continue her day away from camp. She feared that if she saw one of her siblings right then she might actually lose her mind. No, instead, Robyn headed toward the Roman camp just over the hill. Surely she could find some peace of mind within the confines of the high walls, and if there was one person who could make her feel more like herself and help her forget all her stress, it would be her sister Sienna. Robyn smiled at the thought of the Roman girl; it had been some time since they had last seen each other, which made it due time for a visit. It was still fairly early in the morning, but the Roman camp was already bustling with busy people. Some legionnaires scurried off the arena to train while others were happily chatting as they fulfilled other duties. The organization of the Roman way of life had always perplexed Robyn, but she wasn’t necessarily opposed to it. A sense of order almost felt welcome in her chaotic world.

Robyn, lost in thought, moved toward the barracks. She assumed that Sienna would still be stowed away inside somewhere, working on paperwork and probably stressing over some silly thing. With her mind in the clouds, occupied by what had already happened that morning, Robyn swiftly moved down the hall to the very last doorway. She pushed through the doorway without a second thought, just as she had every other time she had come to visit Si. However, before the blonde could even get a word out of her mouth she realized she had made a mistake. The room she stood in was not Sienna’s, nor were the eyes she was staring into. Robyn had somehow gotten lost and made her way into the Barracks of the Third Cohort, not the Fourth, because she was facing none other than a shirtless Malik. Robyn’s heart skipped a beat at the sight, as it really was the last thing she expected to see when she walked through the door, however, she wasn’t too upset by it. Robyn and Malik had a curious relationship up to this point, full of tension and light play. The daughter of Aphrodite let her eyes wander across his chest for a moment, lingering on the few tattoos he had that were normally covered by his shirts. All of her previous frustrations from the day melted away at the sight.

Malik smiled playfully and casually greeted Robyn. The centurion didn’t seem to be too shocked by her presence, which was almost relieving and allowed Robyn to relax fairly quickly. After getting past the initial surprise, Robyn exhaled and stood up a little straighter, letting her eyes move back up to meet Malik’s. “Hello to you too.” She said, a wide grin on her face. “I’d say sorry for not knocking, but I am actually really glad I didn’t” Robyn’s grin grew as she winked and made a reference to his lack of clothing.

Rumination. It was a good word. And relevant, in this case, at least. Malik ruminated on the nature of crossroads. If someone's vision extended far enough, would they always be able to pick the right path? Or would the twists and turns block their line of sight? Would Janus and his ilk just know? There was something terrifying and exhilarating about crossed pathways; it could feel like one was standing on a precipice, toboggan in hand, readying for the plunge. The way he'd always looked at it was simple; because mortals could not view the future and were therefore intrinsically fated to err, for even if someone could accurately predict all the logical steps, life was messy and filled with the random and inexplicable that often throws even the best laid plans into anarchy, there shouldn't be a stigma about being wrong. If someone made a mistake, they should enjoy it for what it was and grow. If Robyn was a mistake, it was going to be a very happy one. At least for a time, and that's what mattered. Malik knew first-hand that everything is temporary. To make plans as if they could be eternal was foolish. The best that could be done was to embrace the tears for they too would pass. You'd survive it, and the discomfort it'd bring would become a memory. And if you didn't survive it, there was nothing to worry about since your time for worry had passed.
Malik felt the key cool down against his chest, knowing that it carried both a warning and an opportunity. The warning wasn't to be ignored. It was to be accepted, just not acted upon. Fear of failure or pain shouldn't hold you back. Besides, Robyn was pleasant. Ha, quite an understatement, but Malik loved the word. To him, it meant spending time with someone like that was a pleasure. It didn't matter what they were doing, it just felt exciting to be doing it with her. It was a rare connection. His attraction to Rae had purely been physical, and while he and Robyn were very different people, he felt like she understood him at a level beyond the superficial. Maybe he was being silly and reading into things, but he had fun hanging out with her and it felt natural.

The Roman felt her eyes wander across his skin and shivered at the prospect. Malik chuckled at her reply, honestly she was shameless! Not that he was complaining. Robyn was bold. She knew what she wanted and she wouldn't let something insignificant like millennia of intercultural grudges get in her way. Malik folded his arms over his bare chest and leaned against the bedframe. Hazel eyes sparked with mischief. Well in that case you should come in and close the door. I could catch a cold from the draft. His voice carried a mixture of amusement and delight. The weather wasn't exactly cold but Robyn had always picked up on the dualities of his speech. Not like he was very subtle at this point but she was quick. Fast hands, fast tongue, fast wit. She had seen a lot during her time in this world and it gave her an aura of confidence that spoke of true faith in herself. Whether it was physically, like how she'd styled on that Greek demigod in the Arena when they'd first met, or as the leader and embodiment of Aphrodite's cabin, a faction whose power was derived by the intensity of its presence, Robyn demonstrated her confidence without hesitation. It was a refreshing change of pace. The pair had been teasing each other for a while now, and if he hadn't gotten a little swamped with things Malik was certain things would have already moved forward. ((Cough, cough, my bad haha.)) To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? Business or...? Malik always found it amusing to slam those two idioms together, and in this case, it seemed apt.

A sly smile grew across the daughter of Aphrodite’s face. The feelings of attraction between Malik and herself were like lightning, the static causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand straight up in anticipation. That’s all their relationship had been made up of after all; pure anticipation. Robyn knew she was a tease, but she ha never met someone who was able to dish it back at the same capacity as Malik. That thought alone was enough to make her want to have him all to herself. But Robyn knew better than that. Sure she was bold and brazen, but she knew how to play the game, and it was obvious that Malik understood how to play it too. She was not about to give in that easily. The play had been going on for weeks now. From the moment they had met, Robyn had known that there was potential in Malik, and her abilities told her that he felt something in her. At this point in time, however, Robyn wasn’t sure if she would be able to differentiate love from lust, but one thing was certain; there was a passion between them that could not be ignored.

Robyn felt pride in knowing that the Roman centurion felt her gaze. She could feel his intoxicating aura pull her in as her eyes roamed his form. She wasn’t sure whether or not her wandering eyes made him uncomfortable, but truthfully, she didn’t really care what he thought at this point. It was early afternoon and somehow the blonde had weaseled her way into the Third Cohort Barracks without being noticed, and that was enough to make her feel compelled to stay. Malik met her gaze with a curious smile, and folded his arms as he leaned nonchalantly against the creaky bedframe. Robyn, being one who wore her heart on her sleeve, bit her bottom lip as he did so without second thought. She watched his every move very carefully. The muscles in his arms and chest stiffening as he brought his arms together, his full lips warmly spreading across his face, and his gorgeous hazel eyes deep in thought as they studied her.

Butterflies fluttered in his stomach as the boy, no, man suggested that she close the door behind her, in case the cool air from outside should draft in. If Robyn had been able to compare her own charm speaking abilities to anything, she would compare it to Malik’s warm, honeysuckle voice. Without a second thought, Robyn felt herself reaching for the door behind her, not turning her own body or gaze away from the son of magic, and closing it. “Wouldn’t want that, now would we?” she asked, rhetorically, playing Malik’s little game. She then raised her chin with slight pride as she took things a step further and twisted close the deadbolt on the door, all without breaking her gaze and without saying a word.

Robyn found it interesting how the older man had been able to resist running his eyes all along her own figure, though she wasn’t necessarily complaining. The wandering gaze was something Robyn had grown accustomed to, and it was always intriguing when she found a man who was able to keep his gaze on her face rather than her body. The tension between the two felt like a rope that was ready to snap, if only someone would put a little more pressure on it, yet, nobody was willing to make the first move. Malik smiled as he leaned back and asked Robyn a simple, yet suggestive question. Her answer was sly, but still quick. “Just thought I’d check in to see if you were busy…” Very much a lie, as she was on her way to see Sienna, but she was not about to admit her mistake. “And by the looks of it, seems like you’re fairly busy keeping your cohort in check.” She said simply, taking a step toward the dark haired beauty in front of her. She smiled knowingly and tilted her head to the side a bit, doing her best to keep that Aphrodite magic in while allowing her own human beauty and seduction to play out fully. Her hair tumbled down her shoulder as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “Am I wrong?” she said simply? Taking another step forward.

Seeing Robyn's lips, as if an artist had personally spent hours painstakingly painting its curls, climb upwards into a smile, Malik couldn't help but respond in kind. It was automatic, his body moving faster than he could think. He wasn't sure he could have stopped it if he tried. He found himself lost, following the smooth contours of her cheeks up to her eyes. Such a brilliant, vibrant shade of blue; it was the hue of the Sound rippling on a spring day, the golden fire lighting her left like a slow sunset. For a moment, looking at the gleam in her eyes he felt like she was a panther or some other predatory cat. She moved with this muscled purpose, tan limbs tightly wound into a smaller frame, as if she was about to pounce at any moment. Malik didn't doubt she could cut through the distance between them in a moment. Looking at Robyn felt like watching one of those movies where there was so much happening on screen that it was impossible to catch everything, in the sense that it was impossible to take in every aspect of her beauty at once. You could only helplessly focus on a small part, her eyes, her smile, her hair, knowing you were missing so much else. There was so much to find in her face there was no need to look anywhere else. It could almost be called frustrating if it wasn't so, well, pleasant.

There was pleasure to be found in the dance, the steps, the back and forth. They both knew that they were both interested in each other. They were smart, experienced and neither of them were too subtle about it. Shunk. The sound of the deadbolt turning shook him into a wide grin. She had a look that almost asked him to challenge her. Damn. That was hot. Malik would be lying if he tried to say he hadn't hoped Robyn would twist the lock closed. He'd almost asked her to do so, the words had danced on the tip of his tongue, but it would have been a step outside the rhythm of the dance. Though at this moment with the roaring emotions swirling around Malik's head, his body throbbing as he could hear blood pumping its way around, he wanted to cut through all the build-up. Anticipation could only go so far before it was crippling.

Her words fired back with a charming lilt, light and hiding an intensity, wonderfully controlled. Malik almost felt like she was leading a masterclass on stealing hearts. She weaved through his teasing like it was nothing, brushing it aside and turning it on its head. The dance felt like it was slowing down, both sides worn down by the violence of it. It took almost all his willpower but he tore his gaze from her tumbling blonde hair framed face and did his best to give a casual glance at the rows of bunks, empty and neat, before turning to look at his watchless wrist.  His eyes danced with roguishness as he turned them back towards Robyn. Ha. Elijah has 'em running circles. I think I've got a few moments to squeeze you in, if it's worth my time that is. Oh he had the time. He knew it, she knew it. Robyn had to have made a very conscious decision to make her way to the Third Cohort, which meant her mind was set and things were looking good for him. Her timing was impeccable as well, he wasn’t sure whether to place that on incredible planning or a truly wonderful use of coincidence. Either way, he wasn’t going to let the chance go to waste. Malik smiled. It was an honest smile. Full and clear. It was simple. An invitation.

The moment the lock flicked closed, Robyn saw a flash of something cross Malik’s face. It was a look of surprise, satisfaction, but mostly, Robyn saw desire. Not only did she see it, she felt it. The last time Robyn had felt a pull as strong as this had been almost a year before, when Alexander had near lost control over his power of seduction during that night in the Eros cabin. At this point in their relationship, Alexander and Robyn had more of a brother/sister type connection, but before that had formed, Alex had been out of control and Robyn, although she had pride in her own ability to resist other sources of magic, the younger son of Eros had been too much for her. And that scared her. But this? This was much different. Robyn was 100% willing to put herself out there and had completely opened herself to accept every emotion and vibration that flowed through the room, and even allow it to amplify her own state of being. This, of course, only added to the energy of the enclosed space, nearly pulling Robyn and Malik toward one another.

Robyn was well aware of the tension in the invisible tie, and she had a feeling that Malik could feel it too. She felt a sense of satisfaction as he studied her, knowing that her mere presence was enough to pull him in even closer. These past few weeks of banter and flirting and off handed stares could only have been considered child’s play compared to this feeling. Robyn knew from the start that Malik was different. That was why she had been pulled toward him. Sure, there was a slight apprehension on her part due to her own past with children of Hecate, but there was absolutely no way she could ignore the tug she felt that brought her closer toward Malik. For a moment, Robyn forgot where she was, as the molasses like feelings that filled the room as well as her body made her feel as if she were slightly intoxicated. It was moments like this when Robyn was thankful for the gift of emotional empathy that her mother had bestowed on her.

Robyn crept forward slowly, knowing that Malik was watching her every movement. She wanted him so badly to react, maybe pull away in nervousness or show a bit of apprehension. But that wasn’t the case. With her every step, he seemed to open up more and more, as if he were waiting for her to just make the first move and sink into him. But that wasn’t how Robyn intended to play this game. No. She had come this far and by the gods, she was going to make Malik work for it. She was going to make him admit out rightly what he wanted. Then, and only then, would she be willing to give in to him.

The daughter of Aphrodite now stood at the foot of what she assumed was Malik’s bed. She let her hand drift across the old wood. She stared the Roman legacy down, and for a moment, she felt as if they were daring one another to look away. Robyn won the small battle as Malik let his eyes float across the room, assessing the empty spaces that surrounded them. He made a sly comment about being able to squeeze Robyn into his busy schedule, a comment to which she raised and eyebrow when he forwardly challenged her to show that she was worth the time. Although this was the complete opposite of how Robyn assumed her day would go, she wasn’t necessarily complaining. Sometimes the Fates worked wonders, and truly, this day had been long awaited. Robyn gave a small laugh and rolled her eyes. “I mean, if you really would like me to, I can leave now.” She said simply as she took another few steps forward. “Allow you to resume your duties.” The two were only about a foot apart now.

The blonde cocked her head a bit, her hair falling to the side, leaving a good portion of her neck and shoulder exposed. She looked the man in the eyes, visibly let her gaze fall to his lips as she pushed herself forward, allowing the heat of her breath to bounce off his skin as their mouths were set only inches apart, “Just tell me what you want, and I won’t say no.” She said softly into him, her heart pounding with each passing moment she awaited an answer.

There'd been a poem he'd written pinned to the little board at the base of a bed not too unlike his own. It had been scribed in red ink and titled after a woman he'd bumped into and flirted with a few times in Seattle. It turned out Rae had moved to Camp Jupiter as well, bringing the poem with her, and he'd been shocked. A good shocked, a pleasant shocked. He'd imagined they'd continue where they left off; as he got to know her better, Malik realised there were a whole bunch of things she needed to untangle before she'd be ready for a relationship. The bearded Roman had been willing to wait but she'd pushed him away. He wasn't the kind of guy who refused no's. If someone didn't want him around, he'd oblige. Robyn wasn't like that. Spending time with her sent excitement zapping through his body and Malik could tell she felt the same way. Seeing her as she came around a corner or entered a room would always fill him with that special rush that was so difficult to describe; it was like a wave of tingling warmth working its way down from his skull to his toes, lighting his blood on fire and strapping bands of iron around his chest. This time was no different. It was cheesy to say but sometimes you had to embrace the awkward; he felt his heart racing along to the beat of a Katy Perry song as she swayed across the room towards him, every small movement screaming the word "sexy".

Robyn's fingers glid across the wood of his bedframe and his mind flashed with fantasies that with every moment inched their way closer to reality. The daughter of Aphrodite’s eyes seemed to be daring him to end the teasing as they drew even closer. Just a little longer Malik thought, and he broke eye contact, commenting playfully about his schedule before bringing his focus back to the beautiful girl at the base of his bed. She closed what little distance there was between them, calling his bluff and his smile migrated up his face, filling his eyes with a fierce mix of joy and desire. Her hair tumbled to one side, revealing her slender neck, and Malik almost jumped her in that moment, his body screaming at him to go for it. Robyn's words breathed into him. They may as well have been aphrodisiacs. He didn't know what powers Cabin ten possessed but he doubted Robyn was using any. The tension between them was real, was profound and touched them both deeply. The only thoughts in his mind were focused on the blonde woman inches away: Robyn. Robyn. Robyn. Instead, Malik raised one hand and caressed her cheek gently, brushing a lock of gold hair aside, the other wrapping around her waist and pulling her in tight. There was one thing he wanted right now. His voice was husky as it struggled to clear his throat. You. Malik kissed her.

And then he flung her onto the bed.