Wine and Winning [Seri/Finn]

[Finn McCain]

“There. Now you just have to raise your guard a bit…” Finn gently nudged the child’s arm a little higher up and then gave a nervous grin. “You’re got it! Good. Keep it up, and soon you’ll be killing monsters left and right!” With a nod to the beaming new camper who was now waving the (thankfully) blunted training sword around like some kind of a giant wand, the fighting instructor walked straight over to the benches and threw himself down onto the cold metal, the smile immediately disappearing from his face.

Gods, what a long day it had been. Out of bed before sun-up, he had been training in the arena until breakfast time, and then he’d had to help out with training some of the youngest campers in the arena. And then after a fifteen minute lunch break, it was back to the grindstone. Two hours of growing impatience with the clumsy ten and eleven year olds had numbed his usually tolerating mind, and by three o’clock the senior camp counselor was close to snapping at any kid below the age of thirteen who came near him.

Sitting up again after only a couple of minutes, Finn sighed and winced. His muscles were as sore as they had been the day he first rode a pegasus. Little kids were surprisingly strong for their age, and he’d had to deal with several soon-to-be bruises of various kinds in various unpleasant places. At that point, it was highly possible that a two year old could beat him to a pulp, though he hated to admit it. That, the twenty-five year old thought, is a good indication that I need a snack break.

Making a grab for his bag, which rested on the ground near his feet, Finn could not help a small, satisfied smile from growing on his face. Still with that unexplained smile, he pulled out a plastic bottle of wine and gulped the liquid down until the container was about half-full. Truth was, this son of Dionysus was not affected at all by the negative effects of wine, and got the most of the positive sides; consisting of it’s good taste, energizing feeling, and healing properties. Well, most normal people didn’t physically heal after drinking wine… but for Finn, wine was to him what water was to children of Poseidon. And besides - another positive side to being able to drink wine was the gift of being able to tease his dad with it.

Another complacent smile appeared on his face as he fondly recalled all the memories of his father’s angry purple face. Then, with a luxurious stretch, Finn rose to his feet and looked around, finishing off the bottle as he did so. Most of the campers were gone for the day except for a few older kids who were serious about improving their fighting skills; they didn’t need as much help as they needed practice, so he decided to leave them to their own devices. Shrugging nonchalantly, mostly to get the crick out of his neck, the tall, well built half-blood began methodically hacking at the dummies, twisting once or twice to try out a new technique he had been developing.

The lithe, agile demigod moved with the wariness of a wild panther, as if each dummy were real and capable of doing him harm. So focused was Finn, so caught up in the natural pattern of his actions, that he didn’t notice the other person approaching him at all.

Words: 585
Muse: GREAT!
Notes: ‘ello, Win!
Tags: Win/Seri

[Seri Winchester]

So far the day had been completely routine. Seri had woken up early that morning and took a light jog in the forest. Then began her day with a short, but hearty breakfast and went back to the cabin to sleep for an extra hour.

After that she had tracked back to the forest to look for monsters. Yet, sadly had found none. Lately it was as if all the creatures of the forest were avoiding her making hunting increasingly bothersome because of it.

Winchester let out a long ragged sigh. Her only reprieve left was her favorite Arena. There she could hack and slash at the dummies and vent out all her frustrations and stresses without worry. Oh, gods. She was looking forward to crushing some dummy skulls.

Walking into the Arena, Seri carelessly pulled out her blade, twirling it in her hand playfully. She was feeling in a better mood already and she hadn't even hit anything yet!

Scanning the Arena, Seri eyes brightened with excitement as she spotted her favorite training spot, void of any occupants. The dummies there were far more resistant than any of the others in the area, and she just liked the location since it was farther away from everyone else.

Shouldering her sword and smirking, Seri casually walked towards the spot. Her eyes kept glancing to a tall, short black-haired male who seemed to be moving in the same direction. But there was no way he could be going towards her spot, right? No, of course not. That would be just ridiculous to think such a thing.

Her lips suddenly tightened as she stopped a few feet away just as he moved to her spot and began striking her dummies.

He just stole her spot. What the heck was she suppose to do now? Leave? No, there was no way she was going anywhere else. This was her spot. She always trained here. She wasn't going anywhere else. She carefully moved to his side and got a better look at the guy.

He looked strangely familiar, though she couldn't place where. She usually didn't pay attention to people, but if held a faint importance. Like she was suppose to know who he was, but his name just slip her mind. Regardless whether she knew him or not, he had to go.

"Hey." She growled, mindful of his sword. "This is my spot. I was coming over here before you rudely took it." She made sure her voice sounded as intimidating as possible.

Usually her appearance and reputation was enough to scare people away, but she really wanted her spot back. Not to mention the way this guy had been attacking the dummies had been pure skill. He didn't seem like the type to be intimidated easily, if at all. He had attacked with each strike acting against the dummy as if they had been real enemies. It had been almost educational in watching, if it hadn't been for the fact he was in her spot!

Word Count: 501
Muse: Awesome Possum
Notes: ELLO Serenity!

[Finn McCain]

And one, and two, and step, and thrust… Glancing at the decapitated dummies that lay on the floor around him, Finn felt a thrill of morbid satisfaction. At any rate, he wouldn’t let a couple of bruises mar his training time.

His perpetually quirky smile crept over his face, and the refreshed Arena trainer had started to step over to a new, untouched area when he noticed an older girl approach, keeping a wary eye out for his still swinging sword. "Hey," she growled, sounding rather hostile and intimidating. "This is my spot. I was coming over here before you rudely took it."

For a minute, this camp counselor was one surprised half-blood, and that was saying a lot, since odd situations rarely took him aback. “Excuse me?” With an incredulous air, Finn stared at the still-irritated looking girl, taking in her appearance.

As she was both handling her blade like a veteran warrior and eyeing him antagonistically, he had to conclude that this probably was a daughter Ares, which would explain her attitude. After all, it wasn’t every camper who would have the audacity to walk up to a camp counselor and tell them that 1) the spot he was training on was ‘hers,’ and 2) that he had been rude to take it.

Silently laughing at the unknown girl, he decided to humor her. After all, he was experienced in handling the kids from the Ares cabin- they made up the majority of the campers who visited the Arena and came to train daily. Besides all that, it would be fun to have a good tease.

Suppressing his smile, the counselor amended his previous words. “I mean… I most humbly beg your pardon.” Solemnly making an overly-elaborate bow, Finn drew out the words with an exaggerated accent of gravity, though he simply couldn’t stop his eyes from twinkling mischievously the whole time.

“I had no idea that this was your particular ‘spot,’” he added, frankly. For the past couple of days, he hadn’t had much time to stop off at the Arena for some fighting exercises; several things from his other jobs had taken sway and occupied most of his hours.

So if this newcomer – for Finn hadn’t seen her around yet – had favored that exact area, he wouldn’t have known… until now, of course. Suddenly an inspirational thought struck him.

“Here now,” he said impulsively, shedding the pomp and ceremony of apologetic speech. “You like fighting, right? Well, I’ve been sparring with the small fry of the camp since breakfast, and haven’t gotten a chance to have a decent fight for weeks.”

A small sigh escaped from Finn’s lips as he recalled the long, monotonous hours of ‘a little higher, a little lower, hit harder, move faster, FOCUS.’ Those kids were sure funny sometimes, but it got tiring to keep giving them the same advice dressed in different words again and again and again just because they needed a million and one reminders before they got something right.

“Anyways,” he said, looking the girl squarely in the eye, “I would be very much honored if you would have a duel with me.” That, at least, was the truth. There was something about this girl that made him think she wouldn’t be easy to beat. Her movements seemed to indicate great strength withheld until the proper time, something that all children of Ares needed to learn; they were entirely too apt to use up all their energy from the first and ignore tactics.

Finn shook his head, clearing it of his rambling thoughts and glancing back at the girl. “So how about it?”


Word Count: 605
Muse: On FIRE! that is, when I’m writing for Finn and Seri. Otherwise, crap.
Notes: HIYA! and three cheers for the wonderful Roget’s thesaurus, which helps you avoid repeating words!

[Seri Winchester]

"Excuse me?"

Seri chuckled darkly at the obvious surprise in his tone. It was completely possible, she reasoned, that the man in front of her wasn't use to being told to scram. It reminded her again that she was probably suppose to know who this guy was. Yet, she was still coming up blank.

He seemed older than the average camper, but not incredibly so like Mr. D. Perhaps he was some councilor of sorts. It would have explained his surprise. But none of that really mattered. The guy could be Zeus and she'd still tell him to beat it. No one held authority over her, besides herself.

“I mean… I most humbly beg your pardon.”

Seri's glare intensified as the man in front of her bowed, actually bowed, towards her. What was he trying to pull? If this guy was a Hermes and pulling a fast one on her, she was punching a Chipmunk. Honestly, she could have been a lot more hostile than she had been. He should have been grateful and just walked away.

Slightly flustered and furious, Seri balked as he quickly shifted tactics. “You like fighting, right? Well, I’ve been sparring with the small fry of the camp since breakfast, and haven’t gotten a chance to have a decent fight for weeks.”

It was now Winchester's turn to be incredulous. Was this guy serious? She was trying to get him to scram so she could train and he wanted to spar? Her frustration grew as she locked eyes with the man while he mentioned how honored he would be to dual her.

Yeah right. He probably only wanted to fight her because she was an Ares, and Ares kids never said 'No' to a fight. If he was expecting her to say yes, he was in for a shock. Seri never fought just to fight or did anything that was expected of her as an Ares.

Yet the more she began to think about it the more tempting the idea of a fight against him became. He looked highly skilled for sure, and the way he held his sword in his hands screamed professionalism. Seri knew she would be in for a treat if she fought him one-on-one, but that is probably also what he wanted. So that whole idea flew out the window in a instant.

Seri sighed, her gaze falling on the dummies; some of which were unfortunately decapitated. It was never fun fighting something that couldn't hit back, but she wouldn't fight just to fight. That was her way. Plus it wasn't like he had challenged her either, so there was no shame in declining. He had asked, which was strangely nice on his part, she supposed. Most likely he would have to come up with a really good excuse or forcibly initiate a fight with her, because right now the odds of her fighting him were slim.

"I came to train," She finally replied, moving past him to straighten a fallen dummy. Not exactly liking her decision to say no on a opportunity for a worthy fight, but continuing regardless.

"Go dual someone else. You wouldn't be much of a challenge anyway." That was a complete lie, he looked very capable at handling his own against her. But she also knew he needed to go so she could start her training.

Word Count: 525
Muse: Rabid chipmunks eating the brain~
Notes: Woo Roget's thesaurus!

[Finn McCain]

It seemed like a long while before the other girl spoke, and even then it was to Finn’s disappointment. "I came to train," she finally replied, moving past him to straighten a fallen dummy and looking as indifferent as a person could possible look. "Go dual someone else. You wouldn't be much of a challenge anyway."

Finn had been about to turn away, equally indifferent on the outside and just a little bit annoyed within, but that comment decisively caught his greater attention.

You wouldn’t be much of a challenge?

What was that daughter of Ares thinking? He hadn’t taken her for such a fool before, when she had turned him down; it was rather refreshing to find a child of the war god who would decline a fight. But this, this was different.

She had just downright insulted his vanity! And that was unpardonable. Unpardonable! At this thought, the son of Dionysus had to crack a smile.

Find an excuse to get her mad, check. Already he was beginning the familiar path which he had learned a long while ago and was still fun to him, though overly simplistic. This time, though, the seemingly original personality of this spawn of Ares would probably add a bit of complication to it. He would have to handle her carefully.

“Mhm?” With a carefully cool expression of skepticism, Finn watched from dark eyes as the girl continued picking up the dummies he had left lying on the ground. Most of them were sliced to bits; if she had come to train like she said, then it would be pretty hard to work with the battered remnants of Finn’s former opponents.

Lazily blinking once or twice to give a further impertinent impression, the tall son of Dionysus smiled to himself. It would just be all the easier to get her to fight with him. “I think you might be mistaken, ma’am,” Finn drawled in a Western accent with just the perfect combination of impeccable politeness and just a bare hint of mocking sarcasm.

“You judge me too quickly.” Moving faster than one might think, he flicked his sword out and practically shredded the rest of the mock enemies with a couple of slashes, leaving the usefulness of the whole area at an all-time low.

His quick blows had been rather overly crude for a trained fighter, to be sure, but Finn always liked to say that a bit of simplistic warfare always caught any skilled adversary off guard, and added a distinctly wild touch to battles. Being a son of the god of madness, that was most definitely a desirable thing.

“So, you come to train.” A complacently impudent smile flashed across his face like a sudden flash of lightning out of the blue. “I would very much like to know exactly how you’re going to go about it.”

Already patting himself on the back in congratulations for his flawless tact – or rather, the opposite of tact, Finn indulged in another twitch of the lips.

Perhaps he was being just a little vain, but who could blame him for being somewhat conceited – it wasn’t every half-blood who could boast of good looks, fighting talent, loads of diplomacy, and a cheery attitude that most people enjoyed.

Laughing at her with his oh-so-expressive eyes, the twenty-four year old demi-god waited, looking cheekier all the while, for her to start the fight he’d orchestrated from the start. It would come, that he was sure of. One way or another, he’d make sure to get a duel with this interesting child of Ares; Finn had officially made it one of his ambitions -- and when Finn made an ambition, he accomplished it no matter how long it took.

Word Count: 621
Muse: Finn just FLOWS with my writing! No, he GUSHES! =D
Notes: Um, how are you? x)

[Seri Winchester]

Seri raised a shaking fist towards her lips, resting it there as her smoldering, near black eyes took in the shredded remains of her practice dummies. She was trying to very best at remaining composed, but she could only repress her sudden ravenous appetite to tear this guy's head off for so long.

Turning cold, calculating, eyes towards the cocky Man-Child near her, she tried her best to keep her face void of emotion. Seri began to pace in a half circled around Finn, eyeing him like a lion would it's prey. He had more or less grabbed her attention, whether it was good or not was up for debate. Though her face was composed and even a light smirk graced her lips, Winchester's body told a different story. Each step was well placed, her feet seemed to moved with ease across the space between them, almost cat-like in form. She moved like a huntress preparing herself to strike and personally she was debating on doing just that.

This guy, he had ruined one of her favorite training areas. Not only that, his attitude annoyed her and his simplistic fighting form just made her unhinged. His fighting style was too much like hers when she lost control; Primal, wild, unpredictable, and uncontrollable.

“So, you come to train.” Seri's eyes narrowed further in indignation, “I would very much like to know exactly how you’re going to go about it.” A scowl rose to her lips before she turned her back to him, her eyes going back towards what remained of her pitiful training area.

Winchester began to pace again her eyes scanning the area before landing once more on Finn. Her feet halted in place as she his actions became clear. She hadn't seen it before because she hadn't been looking, but now it was obviously apparent in his eyes. It was the same look she had given monsters some time ago when she had been new to the thrill. The look she had given her father countless times before.

He wanted a fight.

She squared her shoulders and crossed her tattooed arms over her chest; facing him fully now with almost bemused and wrathful eyes. No, it was more than that. It wasn't that he wanted her to fight, no he appeared to cocky for that. This guy expected her to fight; his eyes taunting eyes telling all.

The realization both amused and infuriated her. She could really only think of one thing as to why he appeared to expect a fight and that was because she was an Ares. It made sense to her in a way. Everyone one expected her to fight with a unquenchable blood-lust because she was a daughter of war. Little did they know she didn't do what was expected of her. This guy was in for a rude awakening if he expected her to be like her brothers and sisters when it came to battle.

After what seemed like ages she chuckled lowly, "I'm sure you are quite a curious man-child." She grinned maliciously at him, her eyes sparkling with fire. She had no intentions of telling him what she would do if she didn't get her training in.

If her suspicions were correct and he was a camp counselor, even though it seemed highly unlikely, it would be troublesome if she told him she went out in the middle of the night to hunt monsters in the forest. It was, after all against "Curfew" and the "Rules", not like she really cared to begin with but why put more inconvenience on her shoulders than was absolutely necessary?

Seri let her sword drape against her left shoulder as she smirked, "Listen, What Ever Your Name-No I'll call you Man-Child for the last few seconds of our acquaintanceship." She paused, her eyes moving towards a suddenly vacant training area.

"Well," She drawled as she easily brushed past him, her eyes focused on her new targets. Seri had intentions of saying more, but it didn't seem worth it on the near infuriating stranger as her eyes focused in on the slightly battered dummies.

She speed-ed her pace hope forming in her gut at Finn possibly taking the hint at her sudden departure from his presence. Though she hadn't been exactly clear, her obvious hostility had to deter him away. She did not think he would follow her and as the hopeful thought formed in her head a apprehensive smirk rose to her lips. Man-Child would surely not follow her. She had been everything but friendly and if he tried that stunt with the dummies again she didn't think she'd be able to stop herself from a fight.

Yet, Seri couldn't shake the strange feeling of wanting to fight him as well. His fighting style intrigued her and it was clear he had experience and no matter how much she tried to to act like she didn't care for fighting; it was highly enjoyable.

Winchester turned her eyes towards the dummies with a frown. She as well wanted a real fight, however she was just to stubborn to admit it. In one swift movement, she twirled her sword, slashing the dummy on the right side before letting her blade spin in the air and catching it in her right hand; giving the dummy a second slash on it's other side. Lifting her foot, Seri kicked the dummy square in the chest knocking it right off it's pole on onto the ground in a ragged heap.

Words: 936 ( O.O )
Muse: ehhhh, I have no idea about half the stuff I put in my posts~ Pure Randomness For the WIN
Notes: I'm Good! Loved your post, Finn is hilarious! <3

[Finn McCain]

With immeasurable patience, Finn closely watched the girl’s reaction after his movements and made it obvious that he was watching. Really, there was no point in trying to hide his curiosity, nor his expecting her to fight. If this girl turned away from him now, she would definitely be the most self-controlled child of Ares he had ever met.

Indeed, he could see very clearly her shaking fist that she rose to her lips and her eyes revealed anger in its most deadly form: cold fury. In a few minutes, the girl began pacing around the counselor, eyeing him like a lioness would her potential prey. Just a little more, Finn thought to himself as he mentally urged her on.

But no—abruptly, the girl came to a halt and looked at him. Dawning on her seemed to be a sort of… recognition? Realization? Did she see him urging her anger on? Suddenly he was quite tempted to quote Shakespeare-or-something-or-other and ask, ‘hast thou met thy match, irate one?’ But the counselor squished the urge immediately, feeling that it would not help matters much.

As she continued to glare at him furiously but coldly, Finn was again tempted, this time to say ‘There’s no time like the present, so spit it out.’ Again, though, he did not speak. Better to give the girl some time to react.

“I’m sure you are quite a curious man-child,” she said, chuckling darkly and grinning maliciously at him. Not perturbed at all by this, the boyish young adult flashed a humorous smile back, winking impudently at her. “That’s a compliment, I take it.”

"Listen, What Ever Your Name-No I'll call you Man-Child for the last few seconds of our acquaintanceship,” the girl said with a smirk. What the heck was that? Did she expect it would annoy him? Finn shrugged and smiled, still watching as she seemed about to continue but paused, seeming to notice an empty training area behind him.

"Well," She drawled, brushing past, and hastily speeding her pace till she arrived at the place of dummies. In one swift movement, the girl twirled her sword, slashing the dummy on the right side before letting her blade spin in the air and catching it in her right hand; giving the dummy a second slash on its other side. Then she gave it a nice, square kick in the chest, knocking it right off its pole on onto the ground in a ragged heap.

There goes my fight, Finn thought as he smiled ruefully, wondering what would happen if he repeated the dummy trick again… probably mutilation, annihilation, or in other words death. “What the heck, let’s give it another try,” he said out loud with a reckless edge lending itself to his words.

If she was just being absurdly proud (which he could understand but still considered absurd), then it would just be a case of diminishing self-control, anger, and a natural fighting tendency versus pride. Fighting FTW, every time. So, in view of that light, Finn loped over to ‘her’ fighting space, gave an irrepressible smile, and cheerfully whistled a quick “whoopdeedoo.”

Then he gutted the rest of the dummies and turned to look at ‘the girl,’ as he now thought of her.

This time Finn did not hesitate to turn Shakespeare. “Hast thee met thy match, O irate one?” Grinning madly and not even hiding it, the counselor expertly twirled his sword in a perfect imitation of her move and bowed. “There’s no time like the present, if I do say so myself. You up for a fight?”

Words: 598
Muse: Blaugh.
Notes: Haha, great! x) He knows it.

[Seri Winchester]

Seri's eyes glanced over the destroyed dummies, her knuckles turning white with pressure as she tightened her hold on the hilt of her sword. A ragged breath escaped her lips as she tried desperately to rein in her fury.

“Hast thee met thy match, O irate one?” Her cold gaze turned towards Finn, brown orbs becoming near black from her rising anger. Her fury was so profound and intense it could only be described as incandescent.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Seri turned her body to face Finn fully. The Cabin Leader watched him expertly twirl his sword in a perfect imitation of her move and then bow. All the while holding a large grin on his face.

“There’s no time like the present, if I do say so myself. You up for a fight?"

A fight? No. She was not up for a fight. A death match on the other hand? Yes, that would do just nicely. Giving Finn a malicious and toothy grin, Seri bowed towards him mockingly before shifting her sword and charging towards Finn. Just as she was close enough to Strike, she veered to the left and crouched to the ground in a fluid skid. Raising her parallel with her face, she forced the blade upwards like a striking viper, aiming for his left flank. In the same time as her strike, she rose from her crouch and moved her foot behind Finn's left leg in order to trip him as soon as he countered her sword.

She would make him regret destroying her dummies. However, despite her irritation towards Finn, now that she was actually in a battle with him she couldn't stop the small amount of hope that rose in her chest. Despite her not fighting for the sake of fighting, Seri thrived for battle; it was what she truly loved. No matter what she told herself or what rules she made, she could stop herself from fighting. It was in her blood, no matter how much she denied it.

However, there weren't many who could stand toe to toe with her in a fight and she only knew possibly two people who even stood a chance against her blade. The thought of a worthy battle sent involuntary goosebumps down her spine. She could only hope, this guy met her expectations, or better yet surpassed them. Maybe then she would have something to work towards. The idea may have sounded preposterous to many, but it reminded her of what Ares once told her when she was younger, "May your battles be worthy and your enemies' blade sharp enough to keep you keen."

She was hoping for someone to be stronger than her. If she had someone to beat, her skills would become more powerful as she strove to defeat that person. However, the thought of Finn being the one person she couldn't beat made bile rise to her throat.

Losing to him? Despicable!

Word Count: 490

[Finn McCain]

The girl was mad.

Even the dummies lying incapacitated on the floor could have seen that; and with Finn’s impeccable eye for detail, it was impossible not to notice her white knuckles, her ragged breathing, her frigid gaze, the burning light behind her eyes. Gods; she was practically glowing with rage. Maybe if he got her a little more riled up, she would even gain a fiery halo!

That chance thought cheered him up immensely even before the girl twirled her sword in imitation of his move and furthermore, bowed with the untamed grace of a tigress coming in for the kill – since that was himself, though, it was doubtful whether the predator would feast on fresh meat. But he had finally provoked her to a fight, which was what mattered at that point. Yes! With an imaginary fist-pump and another imaginary pat on the back, he flashed a grin right back at the girl, adrenaline pumping through his veins.

Immediately, he went into a defensive stance as the girl made a ferocious charge towards him. All his senses were fully alert, ready and waiting for her next move. As she crouched to the ground and thrusted her blade upwards towards his leg, Finn blocked her deadly-aimed sword away without too much difficulty and then smiled as steel met steel. This would be good; he just knew it.

He subconsciously felt the swishing of her foot before he saw it. Smart, he thought with respect. “But,” Finn said out loud, whirling around to avoid being tripped and at the same time stabbing downwards at her foot, “the fight’s too young to end so early.”

Not waiting to see whether his blow would make contact, the lithe counselor twisted around again to slash in the general direction of the girl’s dark head. Neither blow was likely to do too much damage; for now he was just experimenting to see what she would do.

Words: 322
Muse: R. I. P. --oh, wait, no!! it’s coming back in zombie form to get me!! ahhh!! *tortured scream*
Notes: x) So what have you been up to lately?

[Seri Winchester]

___________________________________________

Seri let out a small gasp as she narrowly avoided being struck in the foot. This guy was fast, much faster than she had originally foreseen. He was holding back. There was a beast inside him and with a little probing she could face a raging monster. It was there, she could see it, hiding within him like a striking viper. However, for the moment he was basically testing the waters, just as she was. Had she underestimated him? Perhaps hand-to-hand would be more favorable in this situation if she just-

Seri's eyes narrowed in surprise as Finn twisted around again to slash in the general direction of her head. A feral hiss escaped her lips as she pulled back, the sword grazing past her face cutting a few strand of her hair in the process. Propelling herself forward, the young Ares aimed a decoy strike to the Counselor's midsection. This fight was becoming fun; maybe she could play a bit. Truthfully the only time she was actually playful was when she was fighting. Her attitude became a bit more mischievous and reckless the more harder a fight became.

Laughing loudly, Seri moved into his guard so she wouldn't be at the mercy of his blade. She knew she had to be quick, this position was very risky. Using her free hand she raised a finger between them, swaying it back and worth while tsking disapprovingly, "You cut my hair." She whispered, her eyes dancing with fire and a hint of mischief. "That's gonna cost ya'." Knowing she was pushing it and could be put at a disadvantage she pushing her body away, hoping during her retreat she wouldn't get caught by his blade.

Seri jumped backwards into a improvised back-flip before crouching on the ground not to far from her adversary. She hadn't played with anyone during a fight for a long time. She was going to have fun with this guy. What was his name anyway? She shook her head, begrudgingly deciding to ask. His skills were to impressive not to ask who he was.

"What's your name?" Not too sound to interested she quickly added, "I need to know what to write on your tombstone."

Word Count: 368
Muse: Wonderful
Notes: Just getting ready for Graduation xD How be you?

[Finn McCain]

Letting out a small gasp, the girl drew back just before his downwards stab hit the ground where her foot had previously rested.

So he had been underestimated! It was something entirely new to Finn--let people say what they might about the counselor’s (ridiculously) high opinion of himself. But why had she thought him incapable? In all his years at camp, he’d never been thought less competent than another person at swordsmanship… oh--well, perhaps a certain hesitating doubt of his abilities had occurred before… but if it had, he sure wasn’t aware of it.

His upper cut didn’t make contact either, though the swift arc of the razor-sharp metal cut a few strands of hair that were neatly parted from the girl’s black mane, causing a hiss to escape from her lips. “Oh, I beg your pardon,” Finn said roguishly, “I was--” Oh crap. Though he leaped back with lightning-quick reflexes in time to avoid a nasty slash to the chest, the girl’s superbly crafted sword managed to catch the edge of his loose t-shirt and cut a large tear in the material.

“Gods,” said he, more out of astonishment than anger. Look who was underestimating now. By Tartarus; Finn knew he should have stopped the repartee and cut to the chase -- or the fight, in his case -- and kept fighting, but he couldn’t resist making a comment after the girl’s betrayal of surprise; it had been such perfect ammunition! But no--not a second time would he allow his teasing habits to distract him… hopefully…

This time, as she moved into his guard, Finn took the trouble to keep her on his more easily defended right side. For this fight, the essential thing was to remember that his opponent was basically a wildcat in human form: unpredictable, cagey, and very, very dangerous. So when she spoke, mockingly waving a finger betwixt their two dissimilar yet similar figures, her words surprised the older half-blood a second time.

“You cut my hair,” the girl said with dancing black eyes that revealed an impish sparkle in them. “That’s gonna cost ya’!”

As a rule, the son of Dionysus usually didn’t let shock take advantage of him. But this time, he couldn’t help but give a slight start and only stare as the girl whirled away again, executing a faultless variation on a back-flip and landing in a defensive crouch not too far away. Who could have known that a child of Ares could return a round of banter?

Before Finn could return with his oft repeated favorite saying of “wanna bet?” the girl seemed to hesitate, and then asked, “What's your name?” Her question seemed almost resentful, like she was forcing herself to an inquiry but would have avoided it if she could. “I need to know what to write on your tombstone,” she added quickly afterwards, as if her former words needed an explanation.

“Finn. Finn McCain, son of Dionysus.” Winking with a playful air in his manner, the counselor added, “and I’m not sure my dad would like it very much if you attempted to correct his other name for me on my funeral day.” She would know what he meant; practically everyone who arrived at camp received their “name” back from Mr. D, one that was completely wide of the mark.

Watching the girl closely, Finn carefully gouged the distance between them while continuing the conversation. “But how about you?” Casually, he began reducing the space that separated their two gleaming swords, keeping his own at ready. “What might your name be, fair Amazon?

Words: 600
Muse: AMAZIN’
Notes: Cool! Imma trying to catch up on some biology work I left undone last week. And just randomly: You know you’ve got a perfect couple when writing for them revives your muse --- even if it’s a fighting scene (*coughwhichIsuckatcough*)

[Seri Winchester]

___________________________________________

“Finn. Finn McCain, son of Dionysus.” Seri stood from her crouch, a bit more curious than before. The son of Mr. D? Now things had become a bit more interesting. She wondered if she could force out his madness and see just how unpredictable in a fight he could be. “and I’m not sure my dad would like it very much if you attempted to correct his other name for me on my funeral day.”

The young Ares smirked at his words, "Your father is a funny man. The only thing he will call me is Ms. Serious. Heh, at least it is somewhat closer than what he calls other campers. Maybe it's because I never referred to him as 'wine dude'." Her voice held a small tinge of amusement that she couldn't hide. Seri didn't know what it was about the God, but there was just something she liked about Dionysus.

Seri's amusement strengthened as she caught Finn beginning to move closer while trying to continue the conversation. “But how about you?” He asked casually, drawing closer with his sword at the ready. “What might your name be, fair Amazon?

Amazon? She wasn't exactly sure how to respond, but Seri knew from his stance and tone it was playful to the core. Alright, lets play Finny. She mused silently to herself. She took a step backwards, turning to circle him, while at the same time keeping her distance from his deadly blade. He was just as dangerous as she, maybe more.

The thought forced a cat-like grin to form on her features. Much like a kitten meeting another kitten, the urge to play was quickly increasing. It was coming to the point where her usual reserved wall to keep her true feelings out, was momentarily opened and the real Seri- that she took painstakingly to keep hidden-was slowly being revealed.

In all honestly she couldn't help herself. She was finally fighting someone who could hold their own and then some against her. She could finally have fun; and boy was she going to have some fun for once. There would be no holding back, in her words or her fighting.

"Me?" She asked in mock surprise. "Oh, this Amazon doesn't feel like telling." She remarked in a almost teasing way, winking at him just as he had done to her when he introduced himself. Still keeping her distance, Seri nodded towards Finn's torn shirt, smirking ruefully. "Hope that wasn't your favorite shirt, Finny." She stopped circling him to face him fully. Maybe it was time to give the fight a bit of incentive on her part.

"Tell you what. You beat me, I'll tell ya' my name." Oh she was cruel. Though she was having fun, she had no intentions of losing. It was not an option. Twirling her sword she moved towards the offensive, advancing towards him, a dangerous Cheshire grin on her face. She shifted her sword in her hand, readying herself for another bout with the man in front of her. Oh, this was just to good. She couldn't wait to bring this fight up with the next conversation she had with Dionysus. She wondered how she would bring it up.

"Oi, Mistah D. I just beat your precious son in a fight. I demand to have a cold diet soda."

Oh, that sounded kinda good. Man, did she want one of his sodas. He drank them like candy, so they obviously had to be good.

Word Count: 587
Muse: Awesome
Notes: Bah I suck at fighting scenes too! That's why I keep making Seri talk. Stalling the fight. Muhaha! I'm really excited for this relationship <3

[Finn McCain]

“Your father is a funny man,” the girl said, rising and beginning to circle him cagily. Something like a curious amusement crept into her voice. “The only thing he will call me is Ms. Serious.”
“Heh,” she continued with a smirk, “at least it’s somewhat closer than what he calls the other campers. Maybe it’s because I never referred to him as ‘wine dude’.”

Raising an eyebrow, Finn considered the hint that had been given him. Ms. Serious, eh? But he wasn’t surprised by the his dad’s name for the girl, nor by her rejection of the popular nickname for the god of wine. If she was anything but serious, he was a sober, depressing goody-two shoes. And if Mr. D hadn’t shown the girl some measure of esteem by not completely mutating her name… well, let’s just say that there was one certain son of Dionysus who would give a great deal to know his father’s opinion of this daughter of Ares. “You’d probably be the first to pass up those golden opportunities,” the counselor noted in an offhanded manner. “What’s the big deal with that?”

Keeping his shadowed eyes trained on the dark ones that belonged to the Girl, as he now thought of her, Finn automatically began a deliberate quarter turn to counter her circling. Though several minutes had passed since the occurrence, the impossibly swift slash her sword had made was still fresh in the counselor’s mind. Yet another surprise was still in store for him, despite his precautions. When he asked the girl for her name, just as curious but not bothering to hide it, the girl replied in mock surprise that almost rivaled his own acting skills.

“Me?” Pause. “Oh, this Amazon doesn’t feel like telling.” She smirked. Finn smirked right back, though he was at a loss for words. Expecting courtesy to reign, he’d told her his name… and this was how his folly had repaid him! Other people might have said ‘and this was how their kindness repaid them,’ but older half-blood knew very well with whom the fault lay; and it wasn’t her. This Girl was most definitely a foeman -- or in her case, foewoman -- worthy of crossing swords with, and he was filled with pins-and-needles anticipation for the action that would follow.

His adrenaline levels soared, giving Finn razor sharp senses beyond the regular ones caused by his ADD, the “affliction” of the average half-blood. “Hope that wasn’t your favorite shirt, Finny,” the girl said, gesturing towards the ripped cloth with another smirk.

Again, Finn caught a glimpse of that unexpected sparkle that seemed to say, ‘I dare you to try me.’ It was positively irresistible in its temptation to tease, but he suppressed the thought. There were more important things at hand, like winning a certain fight. And afterwards, finding someone to mend his shirt, because it actually was his favorite item of clothing -- in other words, the most comfortable t-shirt he’d owned so far. Luckily, that meant a huge little tear, once mended, wouldn’t be of too much consequence. But to own up his minor loss would have meant admitting a win for his opponent, and that was not something to be considered. “Thanks for your kind concern -- It wasn’t,” the young man said, plastering a mockingly ironic smile on his face. No matter about the name-disadvantage; he would come out of this fight the victor

“Tell you what. You beat me, I tell ya’ my name,” the girl said, beginning to go on the offense and twirling her sword.

Oh? “Seems a little risky, isn’t it, Amazon? Giving up your only advantage over me?” But really, it wasn’t that mattered to him. It was because it was a bet, a challenge, a dare. Finn had already decided that he would take it up in the second after she’d spoke.

“But I’m considering,” the counselor said, pretending to tap his chin and consider for a few moments. Then he twisted his sword around, tossed in the air, and grabbed the handle neatly just as it was pointing straight towards the girl’s chest. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

Words: 693
Muse: Getting ready to put on a cupid costume
Notes: xD Talk, talk, talk! YAY! <3 I be excited too! xDDD oh and yeah, we should probably decide who should win soon. <3 I’m fine with either of them doing it, though I think it would be cute if Finn dragged Seri into some kind of arm-lock kind of thing and the fight ceases as both of them feel unnerved… xP or maybe that’s just me being over-romantic

[Seri Winchester]

___________________________________________

“Thanks for your kind concern -- It wasn’t,” Seri tried hard not to burst out laughing on the spot, and worked ever harder to keep her features only mildly amused. It wasn't the sentence had struck her as amusing, why would it? But combined with his mocking smile, Seri could only assume he was lying and it was, in fact, his favorite shirt.

Which made it incredibly interesting that she had been then one to tear a gaping strike right through it. Gods, that was just perfect. Training area, dummies, you have just been avenged.

“Seems a little risky, isn’t it, Amazon? Giving up your only advantage over me?” Seri found herself shrugging her shoulders carelessly at the questions. What was a fight without a bit of risk? Not that she was actually risking anything.

Her name was known around camp, it wasn't hard to find out who she was. Him knowing her name was of a momentary advantage and certainly held little consequence. Of course she was swaying on the idea of if she lost, which wasn't going to happen.

To make sure, Seri stopped, sheathed her blade, then slowly pulled out black gloves from her back shorts pocket. "Oh, so incredibly risky." She mockingly agreed, nodding her head seriously. "But you know what they say, only people who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far a person can go." She paused before waving her now gloved hand dismissively, "Or something like that."

Grinning impishly she tossed her sword away from where they were dueling. She wasn't going to need it. It was time for her to use her speed and honed reflexes that she had been developing over the years.

Glancing down Seri checked herself. She wore her usual skin tight black tank-top that showed her many tattoos, black short shorts, black combat boots, and now her black gloves. It was a good thing she had decided against her black sweatpants this morning. She would be able to move freely in this attire, which she was thankful for.

Some, less experienced fighters may think hand to hand combat puts the fighter at disadvantage against someone with a weapon, but with her vast physical strength and brute force, Seri has no qualms using her fists which can be just as deadly as any sword or ax. In fact when she was in this kind of mood, it was almost appropriate. Now, she would be able to get close and do some real damage-her aerial maneuvers would allow her to dodge his blade easily while her fists would knock the breath out of him.

Letting her hand run along the snarling wolf on her shoulder, Seri regarded Finn as he considered her proposition. “But I’m considering,” He said, tapping his chin. Seri's eyebrow rose. What was there honestly to consider? Suddenly, he twisted his sword around, tossing it in the air, and grabbed the handle neatly just as it was pointing straight towards her chest. “You’ve got yourself a deal.

"Atta' boy." She teased, nodding her head in approval. "Now, things can get fun." Running forward, Seri waited until she was close enough to strike then forced her body into a headstand and kicked one of her legs towards Finn's chest. Using the momentum she pushed herself, springing forward in a improved cartwheel before aiming a leg swipe towards his feet in order to trip him and a fist toward his midsection.

Word Count: 588
Muse: Pulling out the cupid crossbows
Notes: Oh yes, it's probably good if we decide a winner! x] I kinda want Finn to win so she is forced to tell him her name, but I also want a draw so she can muse on not only his skill but also her own and start considering Finn as a rival. Frankly, I love your idea! I was thinking of having Seri resort to hand combat anyway, soo yay! Then Finn could throw her into a arm lock and then we lol at their awkward expense of being unnerved. <3 Over-romantic ftw!

[Finn McCain]

For some reason, Finn had the most annoying feeling that the Girl had seen through his façade as easily as he himself had manipulated her into fighting, which was quite without difficulty. Being a master of pranking --- which involved a lot of sham acting --- it was somewhat mortifying to know that he didn’t have enough hold on himself to convince a child of Ares of a complete lie.

But there was the fact that she seemed to be transitioning into a completely different mood that when he’d first seen her. That could be a relatively good excuse; her sudden flow of discussion putting him off his feed, so to speak. Yes, it could work… though as a rule, Finn didn’t need excuses. It was truly baffling, and frustrating as well. Nobody put him on his guard; nobody ever saw through his lies until it was too late, and nobody, nobody mocked his mocking.

“Oh, so incredibly risky.” Yep, that was mocking, right there. “But you know what they say, only people who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far a person can go… or something like that.” Daughter of Ares, wildcat, Amazon, and philosopher? It was impossible for Finn to suppress his supremely amused smile. “That may be true, but the ones who risk much loose much, too,” the demigod retorted cryptically. “I certainly hope you’re prepared to prove that statement correct, Amazon.” Oh yes. In a manner quite similar to his father’s, he’d found the perfect name for this seemingly feral demigod… and feral was another great way to describe the way the other half-blood was circling him, rubbing the wolf tattoo on her arm after having thrown away her superb sword. Apparently the Girl thought she could best him in some sort of wrestling contest, which was somewhat unfair, since he’d agreed to an implied swordfight… but whatever.

“Atta' boy.” She’d teased when Finn had agreed, as she nodded her head in approval. “Now things can get fun.”

Darkly, the counselor muttered, “You got that right,” and gave a smirk, also throwing his sword to the side. Even if this wasn’t exactly what he’d envisioned as a fight, it was still pretty close… and was still a fight. One he could probably win, one he definitely wanted to win. Hand-to-hand combat would probably put them on a more equal level, since as a boy, he’d focused on weapons training since he first came to camp, but it wasn’t completely out of proportion: it was a challenge.

Feeling more keyed up than he’d been in a long time, Finn crouched slightly, waiting in a defensive stance until the Girl was close enough to strike and then --- apparently she had the same idea, because a powerful foot hurtling towards his chest canceled out the traditional starting move that he’d been taught, and instead, the demigod swiftly clamped a rough hand over her ankle and shoved the foot away. Leg swipe --- he was already familiar with that move and jumped to avoid being tripped while using a hand to clamp his fingers over the punch towards his midsection to stop it, nearly loosing his balance for the force behind the blow.

“Getting a little predictable, aren’t you, Amazon,” the young man half-teased quietly, though he was not a little short of breath. He smiled. “Perhaps you’re not used to having acquaintances that last for more than a few seconds…?” Finn said mockingly, referring back to the Girl’s former words. “Let’s hope you don’t flip from the novelty of the thing,” he said, smirking.

Heedless of the drops of sweat running off his forehead and into his eyes, he tightened his grip on the girl’s fist, grabbed her other forearm, and forced her --- not without some effort --- to kneel on the sandy floor of the Arena as he himself crouched. Impetuously, Finn pulled their faces closer together so he could take a better look at this warrior girl.

“You don't look much like your dad, that much I'll say for you."

Words: 640
Muse: Need I say? It’s got the whole kit and caboodle, looks like the personification of valentines day, and is probably making Cupid himself jealous! xDDD
Notes: OMG OMG THEY HAVE NICK-NAMES FOR EACH OTHER LIKE PERCY AND ANNABETH’S SEAWEED BRAIN AND WISE GIRL! MAN-CHILD and AMAZON! OMG OMG THEY’RE SO PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER! And now back to the discussion. The locking arms thing sounds good… OH! but maybe Seri might get so unnerved by the close, awkward physical contact that she stops fighting and Finn claims that he won? But Seri argues that it was a draw? And they sort of blow up in each other’s faces, and then Seri just walks away, and turns around at the last minute to tell her name, because she realizes that stopping the fight was practically allowing herself to be defeated? <3 Just an idea. Or it could go the other way around, with Finn stopping the fight, and Seri claiming she won, but Finn arguing that it was a draw… but then, Finn would just continue the argument (because he likes arguing), whereas Seri might actually seek rematch. *shrugs* IDK. It’s awesome either way. ^.^ And. Was that last part godmodding?? I thought I could assume safely that Finn was stronger than Seri (if not by much) since he’s a male (and males are stronger in their upper bodies than females) and he’s also older than her. If you don’t want it, definitely tell me and I’ll change it as soon as I can. I just thought that might be a good way to start the uncomfortable-ness. And wow, this notes section is getting long.