Forest

@Yull From the warning he heard, Nichkhun deeply stared at the lake and thought of many things. He bent lower, wanting to touch the lake itself but before his planned attempt, he asked Yull. "Do you have any idea what will happen if I did disturb her waters?"
Yet before she could respond, he looked at her and muttered. "How lonely, this lake... for no one can play with it after being sacred. If this lake were to be human, I bet her sacredness would be a curse as it leads this isolation to her of being untouched." He exhaled deeply. "I bet she'll cry."
Turning back to the lake, he wondered if the mirror-like surface had been broken by someone.

@Nichkhun Yull cocked an eyebrow - not that the demigod could see of course, he was behind her - but she certainly hadn't expected for the male to give up so easily. Maybe things would be simpler that way. Or maybe she was right - wait, she knew she was right. 'Well, I can't exactly read people's minds as I please.' Yull sighed, palming the life stone Hermes had given her a while ago in her pocket.
The lake came into her view, the large expanse of glittering water filling her eyes like a breath of fresh air. She took a while to simply stand there, watching the calm water. "You might want to stay back; Artemis might not enjoy having some child - not to mention male - disturbing her waters." She warned Nickhun, her gaze still fixed on the surface.

@Yull "Of course..." He nodded to end another potential argument, it seems that her outlook on some matters are often negative; yet he knew that he can't do anything about it, perhaps he can but he wasn't sure. Nothing was ever worthless, he thought, even a mere stone would cost something.
Nichkhun followed, partly thrilled yet unsure of what he should feel in seeing the lake. He wasn't sure if he should stay away from its waters as Artemis, who bathed on it, hated men or if he should should be amazed that a goddess presence was once here.

@Nichkhun "Everything has a price." Yull murmured, looking over her shoulder to glance at Nickhun. "Some things cost more than one would want to spend." She sighed, moving along. 'The lake is somewhere around here...' She thought, looking around the clump of trees surrounding her to try to find an opening. 'Ah, there's one.' She slipped through the small space between the two tree trunks, beckoning Nickun to folow. "It's right through here."

@Yull He bitterly thought, ‘Gods… just… can’t break their darned rules.’ Even if he tried understanding it, he can’t help it but be bitter. Yet for him it should be something that’s locked inside. Nichkhun hid his sentiment and covered it with a smile, “Maybe that’s the price to pay in-exchange of… I don’t know… being more than normal? Heck, I don’t know how but I wouldn’t exchange my ability to fly to anything.” Then he shook his head and chuckled shortly, “Don’t apologize. I don’t see that as a problem.”
He nodded as tables were turned and he was the one following this time.

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@Nichkhun "I can't really explain it. It's alright, I guess. Sometimes, I know I'm being difficult, but he just brushes it off. He's so easygoing, it can scare me sometimes. But I'm sure he loves me, even if my feelings aren't necessarily warming to him so much. I think so many kids here just want their parent's love, but I just... Don't see why. They've been abandoned for so long, and-" she broke off, suddenly self-conscious. "Sorry I was babbling, it happens sometimes."
Yull smiled at his 'self-orientation'. "Maybe I'd judge otherwise. Let's go." She motioned forward, and moved in the general direction.

@Yull “That old man’s nature? I don’t know. But whatever it is... I ain't going to be like him.” Though many of his pals tried helping him to get more attached to Zeus, there times he can’t help but stay away from being labeled as ‘Zeus's boy’ for many reasons. One reason, in particular, was about expectations that they are all like Zeus: proud or great. Sometimes, he just wanted to be ‘Nichkhun’. “How about you? How’s your relationship with hermes?”
He paused after hearing Yull’s remark and suggestion. “I’ll make a small orientation: I am really annoying.” He chuckled inside at what he said then added. “but sure…” He stepped back. “Mind showing the way?”

@Nichkhun "That's a first coming from Zeus's kid. Do you know much about your father's nature?" Yull asked. She only knew what she read from Greek mythologies, which she herself knew was much of the time stretched far beyond the truth. As he said he was giving up, her first reaction was 'Headstrong Zeus children aren't the type to give up.' This was before she noticed his tone, body language, and realized there was another, deeper meaning to why he was stopping. But she decided not to push it. "Hey... I want to get to know you better. Camp has been quiet lately. Do you want to go check out the lake in the middle of this mass of trees? It's really pretty, Artemis herself is said to have come down with her stags and all to bathe and bless it."

@Yull “I live for trouble.” Then he added, “I guess... I do. It had never been in my nature to speak normal, or take things correctly.” He shrugged, and then thought about her question. For him, it wasn’t about giving up. Maybe it wasn’t just the right time to search and he could do it anytime. Today wasn’t just the right time; he didn’t have any clues to it. But Nichkhun decided to lie, “Yes, I am giving up.” He sheepishly answered as he rubbed his temples. “We should go back now, there’s nothing else to do. Unless you have one in mind.” But then he added. “Anything except to continue my search...”

@Nichkhun "Then that's trouble for you, especially if you don't let it stop you. Nevermind that, /love/ is a topic only Aphrodite children would be unfortunate enough to deal with." Yull spat out 'love' as if it were poisonous. She stopped with a small start as he stopped. "Why would we go back? What were you even looking for?" She paused for a moment, surveying the area they were leaving before moving to follow him back. "You probably take alot of things the wrong way... When I said that, I meant you speak strangely, with weird vocabulary. And you put words together abnormally too..." She stopped. "Nevermind I said that. Are you just going to give up on the search just like that?" She inquired.

@Yull “What if I am the type that goes for nymphs?” The boy joked again while roaming his eyes around, even the smallest detail of the scene; he won’t let it slip away. “Even if we don’t mix, why would I let that stop me?” But he had to give up the topic, since he was just using it to joke around. Sometimes to the point of thinking that this night won’t be any progress. He decided on one thing, especially when Yull mentioned it. He turned around, nodding to her. “I guess we should go back then?” He smiled lightly before heading onto the opposite direction. “I’ll take that as a compliment. Either I talk funny or I talk boring...” He remarked, amused of what she said.

@Nichkhun Yull sighed. She really couldn't stand word games when her curiosity was burning wildly. "A nymph?" She had to stare at Nickhun's back incredulously as he said this. "Dude, I don't think you're the type to go for nymphs. Besides, mortals - even if they are just half - and nymphs just don't mix." She thought for a moment before adding, "most of the time, anyway." As he told her he would tell her when he felt he could, she narrowed her eyes, but didn't comment. "Shouldn't you be back there as well?" She retorted, her hearing not faltering. "I'm just thinking about things, I'm not stupid enough to not be able to feel in the dark. You know, you talk funny." Yull offhandedly commented on his language.

@Yull He laughed, tried to joke around. “Can be my lost pair of shoes, a nymph or something else...” At that time, Nichkhun thought that he might have been turning back to his annoying persona again and receive lotsa glares or rolling of eyes from the women, but the boy can’t help but joke around.
“I’ll tell you when I think I can.” But that would be close to being impossible considering how he was clueless. “Say... sport, shouldn’t you be back at camp?” He muttered after noticing her stumbling on the way.

@Nichkhun Yull inwardly smiled as he gave up the trust argument. Not to say she was arrogant, it was more like she was annoying and persistent about winning arguments to the point of madness. She decided to just not tell him about her life, she usually got sentimental, emotional, weak when she told the story. 'Not the best idea to do so in front of a stranger', she thought to herself. Following this Zeus guy, she thought about other things, occasionally stumbling over a tree stump or a rock in her way. Sometimes she thought about where they were going - this was an absolute mystery to her at this point - and sometimes she thought about her family, both mortal and god parents and siblings. At some point, she almost lost sight of his shadow against the darkening sky. To take her mind off of other things, she looked at her surroundings.
"Really, what is it? There's... Nothing you could be looking for except dirt, grass, trees..."

@Yull He decided to stop playing with her beliefs about trust. Though she’s right about some things, he still disagrees.
“Because of…” He repeated softly and waited for the continuation but it seems that Yull decided not to. There he didn’t try pressing on. Perhaps, she’ll tell him if she wanted to.
Nichkhun didn’t know where to go; he just took the path that he’s not as familiar as other paths he went to. Perhaps, there he’ll find something. But when the girl asked about it, Nichkhun stopped and turned his head around, meeting her gaze before he smiled amusingly, “This time… I won’t tell you, yet.” For him, maybe he didn’t need to… after seeing how the girl hit the point accurately by mere observation. At the same time, it’s fun to keep things undiscovered… but it’s more fun when trying to discover it.

@Nichkhun "There's no way to know if there's a 'right person' to ask, and there never is a real 'right time'. Blindly trusting someone isn't very reliable." Seeing his confusion play in his eyes as he was probably wondering if he were so predictable, she shook her head slightly. "You're not very predictable, by the way. Us Hermes kids just happen to be very... Observative. That trait follows me especially because of..." She contemplated going into her life story, but decided not to. "Nevermind. We make a lot of guesses too, sometimes not right. The clouds really hit me to home run, in your case." Yull let a thin smile break across her face. "I'll follow you. What exactly is it you're looking for, though?" She was taken aback as he told her to follow. With a snort of disdain, she followed, though she kept the sarcastic, biting remark inside her mind.

@Yull “Asking... it works when you’re asking the right person or in the right place or in the right time.” He muttered after hearing her remark about it. Then she told him about her name and godly parent. His assumption was right.
The night wasn’t getting any younger that he might give up his sleep for the search. And it was impressive that the girl got it exactly right that made him wonder if he’s that predictable but he wished that he wasn’t. After a quick nod, he said, “Now that you know why I am here... I’m curious if you’ll still follow me.” Looking down as he poked random leaves with the tip of his sword, he didn’t know if he should continue the search. He thought about seeking help then he thought about doing it alone... then he thought about postponing it but he wasn’t sure. Then he just made a choice and turned around, moving forward, “Come on…” He muttered to the girl yet he wasn’t sure if she’ll follow or not.

@Nichkhun "Simply asking is so boring, so cliché. Besides, in the mortal world, /asking/ didn't get food on the dinner table." Yull's eyes clouded, remembering her time back with her mother and many adopted brothers, before she shook her head and her eyes turned back to their dark glint. "I'm Yull, Hermes child. I know you're a Zeus demigod, so there's no need to tell me."
As Nickhun muttered to himself, she twisted her head to glance back at the offerings. The demigods were finishing, most of them going back to their cabins for some sleep. "Insomnia, but I doubt it. Are you looking for something? Maybe something that's lost. You don't seem to have a specific place n your mind, but you're going in a certain direction so you might have an idea but not a very firm one. Is that it?"

@Yull He nodded, “I never thought of your stalking that way. I just what to know why you are following... I mean, if you’re curious, you could’ve just asked.” Yet it was a biting wit that he’s saying that, especially if he might not tell the answer even if she asked. “I’m Nichkhun... and you are?”
While walking closer, he decided to get rid of the haze as he found it useless since they are both aware of each other’s presence. “What I am doing wandering around this time...” He muttered as he thought about how to answer it. Though answering a question with a question was somewhat rude, he decided to ask before chuckling. “Care to guess about it? I bet you already have an idea after roaming around... even a small idea?”
While waiting for the response, he thought about the girl’s godly parent. Curiosity runs in all demigods but this one was sneakier. She might have Athena’s slyness, Hermes’ natural furtiveness or she could be Nyx’s children since she’s out in the night. But after seeing her face, one god stood out. Yet he wasn’t sure.

@Nichkhun Yull waved at the mist in annoyance. She nearly fell back with a squeak when she saw the male walking towards her. Instead, her judgement told her to stand her ground. "Are you stalking me?" As the words left his lips, she wanted to laugh out loud.
"Depends how you see it. I was following you, but you're not someone I'm in love with enough to stalk. Just curious. A trait... /Hermes/ passed to me." She paused before the name of her father, before drawling it sarcastically. "Anyways, Zeus child, might I know your name and what you're doing wandering around at this time? Nyx's children seem more likely to be out."

(/ / is sarcasm or emphasis or in italics)

@Yull Nichkhun broke into a run, going to a random direction. Once in a while, he’d look behind. Certainly, he can’t see anything as the mist masked the whole area; yet, the mist itself confirmed that he wasn’t alone. If everything was still then the cloudy haze would just be a grayish-white setting, but something or someone was disrupting the stillness of the haze as they move around. He can’t determine who the person is… but being followed isn’t comfortable. Hence, he turned around and walked towards the figure instead. Not aware if it’s a fellow demigod, a lost mortal or some creature lurking… he took out his sword then brought out a suspicious expression. However; at one point he just stopped and scratched his head while lowering his sword, “Are you stalking me?”

@Nichkhun Yull scoffed silently into her hand as the clouds lowered. Just because she couldn't see someone definitely didn't mean she couldn't /feel/ them(Stuff in / / are like emphasized or in italics). Well, now she knew he was a Zeus child. Still, it was intriguing enough for her that she didn't know where this demigod was going, especially in the late evening. Helios was finishing his rounds, the sun chariot was moving lower and lower. Nyx's children would be more likely to roam around during this hour. Maybe this was a bit creepy, even for her, she thought to herself as she quickened her pace to keep a fair distance between her and the other. 'I mean, he obviously knows I'm here already. He might send a lightning bolt or something to kill me. I'll wait just a bit more to reveal myself.'

@Yull (it's fine. Take your time.)
There was a tree in Camp Half-Blood that he failed to come across. With little knowledge about its history and present status along with its whereabouts, there will be a slim chance for him to locate it tonight. He knew that Camp Half-Blood existed for many years but he bet that it won’t look the same as it needed to develop to be able to adapt the modern era. There he doubted if Thalia’s Pine tree still exists, especially of he hasn’t located it even if he was on the sky. Maybe they hid it to protect the Golden Fleece or maybe it’s just there and he was too blind to notice. But wherever it is, it was intriguing, thus, making the boy set off with his own small quest.
Yet, something was bothering from the start. Everything still felt out of place, sensing that the wind not only hit the branches, trunks of the trees, boulders or bushes but also something else. He stopped on his tracks and looked around again sensing an aura of stray tomfoolery, but impressive that he can’t locate them. But after a few minutes, nothing was discovered, yet it still bothered him. Hence, he summoned a cloudy haze around by lowering clouds to the ground, masking his figure before making a run.

@Nichkhun (Sorry for replying so late)

Yull paused for a moment as she saw the male turn towards the offerings site, her own head swiveling to survey the demigods. She scoffed inwardly with scorn. Then she noticed he had moved along, indicating she as well should follow. And so she did. As she moved along, she set to deciphering his house. He was built like one the son of a heftier god, so she assumed he was either Poseidon or Zeus. His aura was too strong to be an Ares child. When he turned to notice something amiss, she knew he wasn't Ares. Not to be discriminating, of course. It was just that the general population of Ares children were generally reckless - not without reason, of course, but still reckless - and didn't pay much heed to other things than their target. This was weird even for her, of course, but there wasn't much of an option to go back now that she knew he was either Poseidon's or Zeus's.

@Yull From the higher grounds, he turned around and saw the brazier where demigods would line up to offer food to their parents. Ironic that he’s out there, instead of doing the same with others then give one for Zeus. But he decided to do that later. For now, Nichkhun switched his attention to find something but he was put into a halt when he sensed that he’s being followed. Other than him, there were other things in the forest that was misplaced. The feeling was just different. He turned around to look but there was no one there; hence, shaking the thought away as he carried on.

@Nichkhun It was a bit dark, but sometimes it made her feel safe. Her life in the mortal world spent in secrecy and seclusion had made it a habit to slip into any shadows she could possibly find. Hiding among the denser underbrush, she heard faint footsteps. 'Male', she thought. Peeking out, she saw a fairly built figure moving to higher grounds. It was another one of her less favorable habits to follow people she didn't know to find out information about them. Following her instinct, she moved among the slowly thinning out trees - quietly enough so the other couldn't hear her. 'For once, I'm glad to be your daughter, Hermes.' She thought.

@Yull The sky was dimming as the sun slowly set, emitting a small amount of light. The others are probably having dinner by the moment or preparing for the camp fire. Nichkhun isolated himself and roamed around the forest. He pitied the place on how some mortals would be afraid to take a walk, making trees lonely at night. There wasn't much to look at because it was dark but he pretended that there was something... anything. But he can't, it was hard. So he decided to bail and headed to the higher grounds.

Tao smiled, setting his bags down. He was finally here! Sighing happily, he began stretching his arms. Sore muscles visibly moved beneath his skin as his torso twisted, in an effort to loosen up.
He jumped up and down, his legs itching.
"I hope this beautiful sight motivates me to train harder!"
Before beginning, he sat down cross legged, closing his eyes. Nothing better than meditating before a good training session!

Yull had just been strolling in the forest - it was a distraction from all of the chaos in camp, and in her mind. She bent down at the rocks where she had last been. The stream was silvery and the water was cool, a refreshing splash for her face. As she looked up at the trees rocking back and forward in the wind, allowing slivers of sunlight to pierce through the dark shade.
It was warm, quite warm for springtime.
"Who's there?" Yull stared into the shadows as something moved.