GBU Shoot Everything

Wes walked into the archery range sporting her garnet and gold FSU hoodie and beanie. Her new bow, which she had created to replace the one that the Titan Army jerk, Anthony, had broken, was slung across her shoulder. Being on winter break, she didn't have to run sessions for the other campers, which was good, as it allowed her to simply shoot and clear her mind of everything that had kept her scarce the entire break. Usually, when she wanted to do this, she would set up standard range, stationary or non-stationary - easy bulls-eyes. As easy as walking, or breathing for that matter.

This time, however, she was going to clear her mind by flooding it out. Standing about 120 yards from the target, she was going to make the back of her mind do all the calculations, factoring in the lovely winter wind that changed directions often. Before taking a shot, she pulled her iPod from her pocket, unraveled the earbuds and stuck one in one ear. Once she had it blaring some Breaking Benjamin, she shoved the device in her back pocket. She figured she had to consider the distressing noise of the battlefield. That, and the songs seemed relevant to her. Taking a deep breath, she readied her bow. Looking at the target at a football field's length, she didn't expect one of her perfect bulls-eyes. Still, she would scold herself rather harshly if any of her arrows missed completely. Angling high right in accordance to the wind, she let an arrow fly, and watched anxiously as it hit the target a couple rings inward.

Kris had been wandering the entire camp looking for her best friend. From the Cabin 7 to the depths of the forest, she couldn't find Wes anywhere. After taking a semester abroad for school, she just wanted to find her friend and see how she was doing and maybe find some trouble to get into.

Bundled in a red leather jacket and black leggings, her hair cut in a short dirty blonde bob, the words 'archery range' came to her mind. "Of course!!!" Kris proclaimed. "Where else would she be!" She took off running towards the range in hopes of finding Wes.

She stopped short of the range, watching as Wes let an arrow fly. A smile on her face, Kris quietly walked up behind Wes and draped and arm over Wes' shoulder, making a telescope with the hand on her other arm. "Ya know, I think you might be off a little bit."

Wes scowled as she lowered her bow and turned around, tense. Why did it seem she could never get more than one shot out around here? She was ready to chew out whoever interrupted her. But, seeing that it was Kris, she simply sighed, rolled her eyes, and grinned, secretly grateful it was Kris and not Daquiri. She stood her bow on the ground, resting an arm on it. "Yeah, yeah," she said, pulling her earbud out of her ear an twirling it around her finger, "The almighty Wes isn't as perfect as she pretends to be, you can go tell everyone now." She looked down at the football field length shot she just made in the hard wind, "Still, it's close enough to nail Anthony in his fat head, and that's all that matters, right?" Gods, she hated Anthony. More even than she hated Daquiri, and that was saying a lot. Poor Sweetiebell just wasn't good enough for that level of hatred.

((I like how I get an honorary mention even in a topic I never ended up posting in... xP))

((Only the best for you, Ceru))

Kris sighed. "Have you been plotting revenge for the past however many months? You know that's not good for your brain or your combat skills. Anger and revenge makes you reckless." She kissed her friend's cheek and let go of her. "I do like the new bow though. May I?" She asked holding out her hand hoping Wes would let her hold it.

Wes raised an eyebrow. "Hand-crafted from some osage orange I've been saving," she said in a 'be careful' sort of tone, knowing Kris was one to talk about being reckless. She handed her the bow. "If you plan on shooting that target, I'd suggest we move closer. Like, a hundred yards closer. It's a bit tough to use, but it is powerful, with a 60 lb. draw weight. I had to resist the urge to make it stronger because of combat practicality. Wouldn't want to strain myself in the middle of a battle, you know?" Wes shrugged, letting her little bout of ego echo in the silence for a few moments.

Then she gave a little sigh, looking down and kicking at the ground, "But no, that's not all I've been contemplating these past several months. I've been thinking about other things too. Like, like...what I'm gonna do. Gotta plan for that future I may never get to - oh, the happy life of a demigod, right?"

"Nah, I don't want to shoot." Kris took the bow, looking closely at the craftsmanship as Wes talked. She twisted it around in her hand, feeling the balance and being impressed. When Wes mentioned the draw weight, she had to see for herself. Kris pulled back on the string, pretty slowly at that. She grunted as the string was fully drawn back. She carefully brought the string back to it's relaxed position. "Gods woman... that's ridiculous. I wonder how deep that arrow is embedded in that target." She handed Wes her bow back. "This is why I am a swordsman," she said as she rubbed her shoulder and massaged her wrist. Kris had swung around some heavy swords in her time but pulling back on that string took more effort than she expected.

Kris looked at Wes sympathetically when she mentioned the future stuff. "Oh hunny, I know the feeling. At least you are more likely to have a future than me." She thought back to her semester in Paris. "It's not nice out there. That's why I am back here doing online college. I put way too many people in danger while I was gone." She hugged Wes from behind. "Don't obsess about the future, it'll only make you depressed. And I don't need a depressed teenager with access to wicked sharp objects."

Wes shrugged, "Eh, you know, roughly ten years of this and the right muscles build up endurance. Hopefully they'll hold up in a fight." She took the bow back and pulled out and arrow, notching it and readying for a shot. "Honestly, I still don't know how I do it." She gave a deep breath as she aimed and drew back the arrow, giving another as she released. Still a few inches off center on the other side. She winced a bit before turning back to Kris, propping the bow up on the ground again.

"Anywhos," she continued, furrowing her brow, "As I said, I've already spent about ten years here at camp in this life, and you have spent even longer. We're supposed to finish high school and go to college to try to get a job so we can live normal lives in the real world. And if that were possible, wouldn't it seem, like, boring? It wouldn't feel right after growing up like this, right? So is there a point to it? And at the same time, would there be a point to staying here? Surely it would get old. It just kind of seems like we're trapped, you know?" She paused for a bit before giving a little scoff at herself, "Sorry. I'm rambling. You're right, I shouldn't fixate on these things." She rubbed her wrist and shrugged half mindedly.

"Oh honey," Kris stroked Wes' cheek. "It'll be okay. I promise. As long as we don't die, it'll be alright." She paused for a little bit longer than she wanted. "Somehow."

Suddenly, Kris' mind delved into the dark vault where she keeps her nightmares and fears come true. So many times had she been involved with or heard of deadly things crossing paths with demigods. Too many times had she had to give goodbye speeches about her friends as their shrouds and bodies (or lack thereof) burned in a burial fire. The life they were handed is not one anyone would choose. And she was reminded of it every single day. Her own past flashed through her mind. The amount of times she had been told she couldn't leave camp because she would inevitably die, the amount of times she had gone home and wished she was back at camp, even to her trip to Paris. How are demigods supposed to live among mortals and live a normal life without drawing too much attention to themselves. The she thought about all the famous people that just so happened to demigods and wondered what their lives were like. She just flat out wondered what it was like to be able to be outside the barrier without attracting even the weakest of monsters.

Kris shook the thoughts from her head. She was right, thinking about it would throw a person into depression. She figured she was frowning on the outside, so she quickly put on a smile and looked at Wes. "You know what, I think I will try my hand at your bow, if you will allow me of course." She paused for a second. "I might need some help with my stance too... I haven't shot an arrow in month."

Wes raised an eyebrow with a grin. She scratched her chin. "Well, I guess if it takes you that much effort to draw it, you won't do much damage. If only Anthony were so weak," she teased. "C'mon," she said, taking Kris's hand and leading her closer to the target she'd been using. Once she decided on a good distance, she abruptly stopped Kris and spun her halfway. Holding her shoulders, she gently kicked at Kris's feet until satisfied with the positioning. She smiled sweetly up at Kris, "There, like that." She handed Kris the bow, clasping her hand to make sure she was firmly grasping it with a proper grip before handing her an arrow and moving to stand behind her. She put her head up right next to Kris's, not caring how much her boobs were pressed into Kris's back as she leaned in to look down her line of sight. She held Kris's arm and carefully aligned the bow, her other hand nonchalantly resting on Kris's hip as it had no other place to go. Satisfied, she withdrew a little, still hovering as she closely watched Kris handle her baby.

Kris let her body become clay as Wes maneuvered her limbs to satisfactory positions. She carefully memorized where each part of her body was, how far she had the drawstring pulled back, and where the arrow was pointed. She remembered very little from when she took archery. All the could really remember was to take a breath and release when you breathe out. She was so ready to mess up this shot. Suddenly, she remembered how hard it was to hold the drawstring back and released it in a hassle. Her arms dropped once the arrow was clear of the bow and Kris turned her head and closed her eyes, not wanting to see how badly she missed. When she opened her eyes again, she looked at the target and couldn't even locate the arrow. She turned to Wes with a wince on her face. "I think I might have missed... by a lot."

Wes snorted, then heaved an exaggerated sigh, "Maybe I should have kept my hand on the bow." She scratched her chin, "I lost track of it. I think it went way off in that direction." She pointed at an angle left of the target. "You lifted it up a bit before shooting, and it's a powerful bow, so it's waay out. Doesn't matter." She shrugged. The arrow would return to her quiver eventually, so it didn't matter how lost it was, so long as it wasn't broken. She smiled back at Kris with raised eyebrows and an excited look. "So how'd it feel? Pretty cool, huh?" she asked, referring to the bow in all it's glory.

Kris handed Wes the bow and rubbed her left forearm. "That was painful." The string had run against her left forearm and left it bright red and in a ton of pain. She looked down at it and winced at how it looked. "That was really painful. I don't ever want to shoot that bow again... at least not without some proper protection." She opened a container that was attached to her hip and willed out a ball of saltwater. She willed it to her forearm and watched as the redness disappeared and the pain was soothed. She had the water go back into the container before she closed it back. Rubbing her arm for good measure, Kris looked up at Wes and smiled, "All better." Her eyes sparkled in the sun and complimented her smile.

Wes laughed, taking the bow back and slinging it across her shoulder. She then saw Kris use her water to heal herself, and her eyes narrowed. Rolling her eyes, she started in a mimicking tone, "Ooo, look, I'm Kris, and I don't need some child of Apollo super-healer to fix my boo boo's because I have magic water that could cure me of cancer if I needed." She stuck her tongue out at Kris, and turned around, arms crossed in a pout. Sure, this time, it was a little rope burn, but Kris would always get off being so impulsive sometimes because of that little insurance policy. Wes often worried that one day the luck might run out, and she wouldn't be there to help.

Kris couldn't tell if Wes was actually upset or just messing with, as she often did. But when Wes turned away from her, Kris felt a twinge of guilt as she realized that she healed herself while her healer best friend was standing right there. She sighed and looked at her arm for a second. 'I'm stupid,' she thought to herself. With a deep breath, she hugged Wes from behind, careful not to crush the bow. She noticed the pout and nuzzled Wes' cheek with her nose. "Hey, what are you being pouty about? I'm fine, it's okay."

"Yeah, it's okay now," Wes said quietly, resting her hands on Kris's arms. She paused, looking at the ground for a bit. "It's just...we don't really know the limits of your little Poseidon magic healing trick thing. And, like, if you keep relying on it to heal yourself, well..." She turned her head to meet Kris's gaze, "What if one day it doesn't work? Or if it makes things worse?" She pursed her lips, "Like, say there was poison in your wound, and you accidentally sealed it in or something? I...I just can't help but worry, you know? And, like...what if I'm there if you run into something like that?" Her eyes fell back to the ground.

"Oh honey," Kris hugged Wes tightly and buried face in her friend's shoulder for a little bit. "You really shouldn't worry about me. I can't handle myself. Especially with the poison, the water draws it out before sealing the wound." (ie Percy and the Chimera)
Kris loosened her grip on Wes and stepped in front of her, raising her chin so their eyes met. "How about this, if you are around and can help, I'll let you heal me and keep my water healing to a minimum. Sound good?" She hated seeing Wes upset, especially when it came to worrying about her. Kris felt no one needed to worry about her because it would only make people sad.
She remembered how depressed she got after Mark's disappearance years back and how she was determined to be a danger to herself. She remembered how Wes was constantly checking on her and pretty much never letting her out of her sight.
Kris remembered just about every time people worried about her and she hated it. It made her mad. She was the eldest and was supposed to worry about everyone else, not the other way around. She had to blink back a couple tears from falling down her cheeks, but her eyes had already started turning red and she could feel it. She blinked and turned her head away a little bit.

Wes decided not to argue that not all poisons were created equal, leaving her worries that one day Kris would come across an exception as strong as before. Wes met Kris's gaze and considered the proposal. It wouldn't be enough to make her stop worrying, but she tried to pretend otherwise. She could tell she hated having people worry about her, and she knew the feeling all too well. Wes didn't like others feeling like they had to look out for her, which is why she stayed distant from many people. Kris was the exception. She couldn't help letting her in. It'd been like that since she was seven, meeting Kris in her first summer at camp. She would never understand how that bond worked, but there was no getting rid of it, and she knew they would never stop worrying about each other. But, to break the somber atmosphere, she shrugged it off, and gave a small smile towards her friend. Patting her on the cheek, she said, "Sure, I think I can work with that." With her thumb, she gently wiped at Kris's watering eye.

Kris leaned into Wes' hand and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Ha, you haven't had to wipe tears from my face in years. It's amazing how something so simple can break a strong person." Kris sank to the ground and rubbed her eyes. She really hadn't cried in quite some years, at least in front of anyone else. Even when they did burial rights for campers, she never cried. She would get emotional, but she was always the strong shoulder for others to cry on. She hated showing her weaknesses and that meant she hated crying.
Kris layed back into the grass, staring up at the sky. "We need to go on an adventure." She said trying to shift the subject.

Wes was surprised when Kris went down on her. She squatted down next to her, rubbing her back, a tear falling down her own cheek now. "Hey now," she started, "tears don't mean you're broken, or weak, or anything like that, m'kay? It's just - it's just your body's way of letting things out so you can take on more. It makes you stronger, right?" She sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand and looking at the ground. When Kris spoke again, she raised her eyes. She pursed her lips, and slowly nodded. "Yeah...yeah. We do need to get out of here. We need a new adventure in our lives." She smiled and hauled herself up to her feet. Holding her hand out to Kris, she said, "So, where to?"

Kris smiled as she sat up. She took Wes' hand and pulled herself up. "I have no clue." She dusted herself off. "I just feel we need to get out of here and try to be normal teenagers for once in our lives."

"Hmm," Wes pondered as she twisted her wristbands to make her weapons disappear. She folded her hands behind her head, thinking. "Well...we could be total white girls and go to Starbucks," she said with a smirk. She looked down at her feet, "I don't own any Ugg boots, but I guess these leather ones could suffice." She dropped her hands back down and slipped them into her pockets, shrugging, "I don't know how much more normal it can get."

"Oh gods no." Kris shuddered at the thought of being a typical white girl. "Besides, I don't think I could set foot in a Starbucks after all the Parisian cafes I have been in." She tapped her nose, a weird habit she had gotten into for whenever she got an idea. A smile danced across her lips. "You remember how we have those unlimited credit cards for 'emergencies only'?" Kris waited for Wes to nod her head yes. "I suggest we catch a bus and make our way to New York City and go on a little shopping trip. Ya know, have a nice not-so-little girls day out." She elbowed Wes playfully. "Maybe pick up a pair of Uggs for you." She smiled brightly and hugged her best friend. "What do you think? I personally could use more than shorts and orange t-shirts."

Wes's face slumped as she gave Kris the look. "You mean the cards you and Jake have because you, for some reason, decided to go to the Lotus Hotel and Casino and leave me out?" She rolled her eyes, then smiled again, "Yeah, sure, sounds great." She hugged her bestie back. "I might skip out on the Uggs, though. Not exactly my style. Maybe some other boots." Her eyes widened as she suddenly got an idea, and she tapped Kris's shoulder repeatedly, excited, "We should rent a limo just for the hell of it." She figured since schools were on break, there had to be a company with an opening who was willing to brave NYC traffic for triple the usual rate.