Midnight Cannonballs.

Ruairi stretched out, looking over at the lake. He wasn't supposed to be out (shht, don't tell anyone) but he and Padraig just had to go for a hunt. Well, mostly Ruairi just wanted to and Padraig, being Ruairi's main weapon, had to go along, but alas. Tonight was a full moon, and there were creatures who only came out then. Ruairi just couldn't pass up the change to maybe get his hands on some rarer creature.

But now, he was dirty. It also happened to have been pouring a few hours ago, lookied like ol' Zeus had a bit of a downer and decided to let the water come down in buckets. This caused mudd, and Ruairi and Padraig were filthy. They couldn't come into the main building like this, and the bathhouse was a no-go, as the nymphs 1. forbid Padraig's entrance and 2. might tell on him. Ruairi was confident he could keep the female nymphs quiet, but there were one or two male naiads who worked in the male part of the bathhouse that wouldn't ket the escapade go unnoticed. So the lake it was.

"You ready for a swim, bud? You deserved after taking down that wolf," he whispered eagerly and the dog let out a quiet bark. Ruairi quickly stripped himself from his pants and pelt, leaving him completely nude. There wasn't anyone around anyway, and even so, he wouldn't care, t'was only some skin after all, and he had nothing to be ashamed of.

"You ready Padraig, on three, one... two... three!" With a huge splash both the giant dog and the giant boy jumped into the water.

((Darky made me do it D:))

Galene had left herself sleep the evening away, laying her back on a tree. She had been reading an interesting book about her own specie, the gorgons written by, actually, a non-gorgon. It was an interesting book to her since, first of all, it was written by somebody that wasn't a gorgon, and second because it was so accurate. Could this man or woman have people in his or her family that were gorgons? Or did he or she just entered the gorgon community and study them? It was an curious fact but Galene ended up feeling sleepy and left herself doze off.

She was waken up by a splashing sound, looking around to see what was happening. She noticed that two big creatures jumped inside the water and she quickly placed her blindfold back on. Who could it be at such late time? She didn't know if she should call, afraid it would be a mentor bu simply approached the water lightly and try to figure out who could possibly be.

Ruairi had no clue there was anyone was there, but Padraig, however, was a tad bit sharper. He turned his head around fast, peering into the darkness to see who was so close. Something about the smell of the person was incredibly wrong, his intuition flared on dangerous.

Ruairi did, however, pick up on Padraig mood. "What's wrong boy?" he whispered, looking around but he saw nothing. Untill something moved. What in the blazes was moving? All he saw was a shadow, and these coily things around the head. He wasn't in a particularly deep section, just deep enough to cannonball without hitting your bum, so when he stood up he was exposed from about his belly-button up.

"Oy! Who's there?!" He called out, not quite loud enough to let carry to the buildings but loud enough to be heard from the shore.

Hearing that she had been recognized, Galene retracted a bit. She could distinguish a sillouette with her blindfold but she quickly looked away as she noticed. It was a tall figure and it was in the lake. Probably naked.


Her snaked smelled the hair and hissed loudly, making Galene look alarm at them. It seemed that they also sensed another creature beside the tall man (?) and it looked as big as him. And his voice didn't sound like a mentor so she gave a try and reply.

"I should be asking the same..." she said, approaching some more while stroking her snakes to calm them down.

"Ah, a lady," he said with a smile, her voice had been sufficiently, well, feminine to give that away at least. But still, she seemed to be petting the curling things around her head now. What? This left Ruairi incredibly confused. He moved closer to get a better look, baring more of his skin in the cold air.

Padraig, however, moved not an inch closer. He was still in front of his master and started growling deeply. He didn't like the smell of snakes, didn't like it at all.

"Hush boy," Ruairi commanded, but Padraig didn't hush, his instincts were telling him something was very wrong and the instincts won from the desire to listen to his master. but he stayed where he was, which was good enough for Ruairi.

"So, lassie, what's your name?"

Oh god, another guy like Jack. That's the thought that crossed Galene's mind at the sound of the male's voice and how he spoke. But the growl of the dog was making the snakes nervous and they wouldn't stop hissing. They hissed louder and louder and Galene decided to take another step to the moonlight.

The green scales of the snakes where now reflecting the pale light of the round moon and her bronze skin was covered with a blue toga dress (if that even exists). She stroke her snakes to calm them down, hoping the dog, or creature, would calm too.

"My name is Galene Nike, student of Poseidon and Amphitrite. You?" she asked with a raise of her eyebrown, wondering why he was there at such late time.

"Always with the titles, people can't seem to just give a name in this place," Ruairi muttered. "I'm Ruairi Mac Tarlach, Dio's Warrior, though I don't really fancy him much I must admit. Oh, and the dog so actively protesting against you is Padraig."

"Hey lady, you've got some mighty shiny hair there," he called, coming closer toward Padraig, and putting a hand on the dog's head. He immediately quieted, knowing a direct command when ever he heard one. Still, his muscles remained tensed, ready to pounce if necessary.

"Padraig! Don't be so rude to the lady, she's not going to attack us, is she?" The last two words were, in fact, directed to the lady herself. Galene Nike. He'd never get used to some of the names around here.

It probably deserves a mention that by walking toward the dog he'd exposed himself to about the middle of his thigh.

((Not Toga D: Togas were Roman, and strictly for men D: You're probably looking for a Chiton))

"Peculiar name you have." Galene said her snakes more relaxed since the dog had stopped barking. They kept smelling the hair with their tongues that were similar to Galene's. "And it's normal for your fellow to be nervous... he's probably not used to a stranger." she said, keeping her eyes over his face, although she couldn't see him. Just a simple sillouette.

Galene rolled her eyes slightly at the mention of her hair. "It's called snakes. Never heard of a gorgon?" she asked, hopefully he had. Her specie was famous and not for the best reasons.

"And I won't attack if you don't. Why are you here at such late time?" she asked, still wondering. Was he naked?

"Ooooh, you're one of those snake ladies!" He exclaimed, it finally making sense! "That explains it, Pawdraig doesn't really like snakes a lot, he got bitten by one when he was but a pup, almost didn't make it. So your snakeyness must've set him off." He shrugged, petting the dog briefly on his head.

"What would I attack you with, snake lady, my bare hands? Actually, I suppose that would be a possibility, but I won't, I promise."

"Anyway me and Padraig were just hunting out, and it was rather muddy, so we decided to took a bath because we couldn't enter th- Wait..." something dawned on him, something he'd heard. "You're not the original snake lady right? Wasn't she so ugly that looking at her turned you to stone? Are you so ugly that looking at you would turn me to stone?"

"Yes, I'm one of the snake ladies..." she said, no excitment on her voice tone. She turned her head to the dog that still seemed tense and mumbled "As long as you don't jump on me, you won't get bitten..." she then glanced again to Ruairí.

"If it is a possibility, it may happen. And the chances of getting your butt kick grow bigger. So, let's just stay still. I don't want problems with mentors." she said, before perking at his last question. She sighed and placed a hand over her hip.

"First of all, she wasn't ugly. Second, yes I can turn you into stone. Thrid, if I'm pretty or not, that's not up to me nor to you." her voice was a bit harsh. She had heard that several times but this seemed so... direct. Honest, maybe? "Got it?"

Padraig let out a combination of a whine and a bark as Galene talked to him, but Ruairi quickly shushed him. The dogs whined a little, and moved behind Ruairi this time.

"Did I not say that I won't snake lady?" Ruairi protested. "Anyway, I can kick your butt anytime, and I will if you bust us. Me and Padraig quite like our midnight strolls thank you very much."

Ruairi had to admit, the turning-him-into-stone thing did make him a little nervous. He prided himself with liking ladies of all shapes and sizes (as long as they were pretty) but a snake lady who could turn him into stone? That might just go a little too far, and she seemed rather hostile as well.

"What, am I not allowed to decide if I find you pretty or not? How does this turning-to-stone work anyway? Is it when I look at you, or look you in the eyes, or when you decide you don't want to look at my dashing face anymore? Or when you decide you do want to keep looking at my dashing face, but flesh is overrated?"

"Don't understimate other people that can give you a tough fight. And if you say you can kick my booty, I will gladly accept a challenge between us." she said with a small smirk. She hadn't got some sparring in quite time, being the last one with that girl, Aimée.

The amount of questions that the ginger male made all at the same time, made Galene take a deep breath. She pinched the bridge of her nose and touched her snakes again. "Okay, let's start from the beginning. I don't like to be judge by my looks. Two, No, I don't decide. If you have a dashing face or not, I don't know either. If I could decided, I wouldn't have turned somebody I like into stone. So no, I don't decide." she stressed the last sentence.

"Alright, alright, but could we delay kicking booty until it's daylight, and when I have clothes on? Don't get me wrong, I'm just fine without them, but even I have to admit they come in handy during a fight with sharp objects." He laughed sheepishly.

"Hm, I'm not sure if that makes me feel more reassured or not," Ruairi said slowly. "But I'll make sure not to look your way without the blindfold then, although my statue would be epically handsome, I don't quite fancy being of stone."

"Of course, I wasn't planning to fight at such late time... Can you imagine the amount of trouble I could get if the mentors found out that I was outside? At this time of the night?" and at the words of naked she froze "Not to mention with a naked man. Even though I can't see you... I'm so glad now." she mumbled with a sigh of relief.

Galene smirked the more "Oh don't worry... I warn people when I don't have my blindfold on. And I usually close my eyes quickly, so don't worry, your 'pretty' statue won't be here in the lake." she said, enfasing the pretty word.

Ruairi shurgged. "You are standing right by my clothes, and you are being rather hostile. Do you think it's safe for me to come over and put some pants on?" He questioned.

"Ah well that's a relief, I do quite like living after all. And glad to know you agree with my prettiness."

Galene made a hand gesture as if she was inviting him. "Go ahead, I won't bite nor my snakes will." she said with a shrug, not noticing that she was by his clothing. She took a step to the opposite side of the clothes and sighed.

"Better agree with you. I don't know if you are or not, better think that the world is pretty." she replied, crossing her arms. "And sorry, if I'm being hostile. You asked too many questions."

"Oh I'm not good with deep... stuff," Ruairi said with a cringe, any kind of metafer- metaforn- metawhatever stuff just got him rather confused. He walked a large circle around the girl and her snakes, not entirely convinced the hissy things wouldn't bite him and grabbed his pants, quickly putting them on.

Padraig had followed him, walking an even farther circle around the woman and stood behind Ruairi now. "I'm sorry for the questions, you don't get to see a snake lady every day, especially not in the dead of night."

"Deep stuff?" Galene repeated, blinking her eyes confused. Were gorgons deep creatures? That didn't came in the book and she simply shrugged her shoulders "I believe you meant complex maybe? But humans aren't easy to understand either. Unless, I misunderstood and you are some sort of nymph." she said, remembering that even nymphs looked like humans in a way.


As she felt the voice behind her, Galene only turned her head slightly to him "Well, I believe there are only two gorgons in the Athenaeum. Me and Sylipha, the lady that guards the library. We are quite a... peculiar race." she said, turning her head again to the lake.

((Ahá! Ruairí, you won't even dare to flirt with this one >D))

"Well, yes, that," Ruairi said, indicating the complex stuff. He just wasn't good with stuff period. "Nah, I'm completely human, not some prancing nymph-dude. I mean nymph-dudes are cool and all, but just... no." He shook his head. He'd always thought nymphs were just pretty women, until he'd seen Kall, he'd pretty much lost hope with nymph-dudes then and there. Wait, wasn't Jack a nymph-dude? The subject called for further thinking later.

"Isn't there the guard as well? I've seen him around, he's a scary fellow. But you ain't too bad, when you don't focus on the fact you're hair's alive..." Ruairi trailed off, then shrugged. "Peculiar is definitely right.

((Ruairi, your logic baffles me sometimes. Also it annoys me that I can't type the 'i here D:
And you so know he'll try xD ))

Galene turned to Ruairí at the mention of males nymphs being... well, he didn't specifie but she figured it was awkward for him. She smirked and shook her head slightly "Well, male nymphs are as natural as a female centaur. It's just different from what you see actually, I believe?" she tilted her head to the side, her snakes resting over her shoulder, delighted.

"Oh, yes. He's a nice guy after you meet him, don't worry. Actually, I believe every gorgon has some goodness in their hearts but we don't show it to the world because the world doesn't accept us." she said with a small shrug.

((pfft! Oh no he won't D:))

((This is Kathryn, just dropping in to beg Dutchie to make Ruairi to flirt with her >DDDD..... please don't kill me, Galene... ^^)

((This is Ellie backing up Kathryn *insert puppy eyes right here!* Pwetty pwease...can we have some flirting, wif a cherry on top *3* and I'll run and hide from Galene like...NAO! *flee's cackling and chanting 'flirty flirt'*)

((Galene: You are all evil creatures >>'
Well, I totally support some flirt I WANNA SEE GALENE'S REACTION 8D))

((Totally, spaz laughing from Ellie's comment... cackle... such a great word XD
Why yes, Galene we are evil >333 *insertmaniacalevilaughhereplease*.... *flees for life*Woo hoo hoo hooooooooo! owo))

((Pffft, there may be more than enough of that in the ballroom ;P also Ruairi is totally envisioning male centaurs with boobs and long hair right now, poor lad))

"But, but, they're so feminine!" Ruairi flailed his hands a bit to accompany the statement. "Wait... Are female Centaurs manly then? Cause if so then by Dio I declare the Greeks screwed up!" He made a face while snaking his belt through the loopies of his pants, mumbling exactly how he felt about the Greeks and their issues.

"I'd like to see your goodness then," Ruairi winked, though forgetting that she couldn't see. "A pretty snake-lady like you's gotta have some of that down there somewhere."