Life Is What Happens To You When You're Busy Making Other Plans ((open))

Ever since she was little, Arista Carson thought that she didn't belong in the world. Finding out she had been the daughter of Athena, greek goddess of wisdom, was only the beginning. She had ran away from home after that, finding herself up against all matters of monsters, things she had once thought to belonged only to mythology. It was a shock to her to find out how real everything actually was. She found herself running across the United States, scrounging up whatever money she could. Finally, when things looked the bleakest, she had found herself being saved by a satyr in New York City of all places. Shortly after that she had found herself in a place called Camp Half-Blood, a home for those like her, the sons and daughters of demi-god children.

Then she had grown up. Now at the age of 17, she didn't consider Camp Half Blood to be her home. She did consider it to be the place where she was raised but she didn't consider it to be where she belonged. No, she thought she should have been somewhere in the world, going to college and trying to make a real life.

Sitting down at the dining pavilion, she made a silent prayer to Athena for her food, the usual filet mignon and rice. Then she made a prayer for herself: please find a reason to be here...

"Ah my! What a lovely place this truly is!" A voice chimed in the doorway of the dinning hall. It floated up like silver bells over the chatter of the other campers and almost to the point were to grabbed everyone's attention. "A little drab and it could use some color but I suppose that is what gives it...what is the world I am looking for...personality!"

There, standing in the doorway critiquing the cabin, was a beautiful man with blond hair that came down to his shoulders and icy blue eyes. Almost immediately after his arrival he seemed to grab everyone's attention. Not only was this because he was a new resident to the camp, but also because of some other strange force that could not easily be explained.

Arista looked up when she heard the voice. Spotting the man she realized he was new here. After all, she would have recognized someone who looked like that. With the look that he had, he had to be a son of Aphrodite, no other gods children took quite as good care of themselves as Aphrodite's children did. Arista smiled and looked back down at her food, almost as if she was trying to ignore the mans presence.

The young man flitted around the room like a social butterfly before finally making his way up to the dinner line. Once there he easily talked his way into letting the lunch lady giving him an extra cookie. Once finish, he quickly scaned the room before his eyes set on Arista.

Arista began to eat, aware of the mans eyes on her. She didn't want to be seen so she slunk down into her chair more, hoping he looked away.

Unfortunately for Arista, once the young man had his eyes set on her, there was no pulling them away. He glided over to her table and sat himself across from her with his tray. "My dear, are you not a pearl among swine?" he said with a charming smile on his face. "A man can so easily get lost in the sparkling pools that are your eyes. If was your love, I would be honored to drown within them. What a beautiful death it would be indeed."

"You really are a son of Aphrodite," chuckled Arista, looking at him. "Flattery will get you no where with a child of Athena."

"Then what will grant me the privilege of battling for your heart." he said taking her hand in his. "I, Leon Dorian, the Beautiful Lion will fight off even Medusa herself who will turn to stone at her reflection in my eyes."

Arista was almost going to tell him not to bother until a smile crossed her lips, "Well I doubt you are well versed in literature..."

Leon took both Arista's hands and looked into her eyes.

Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs,
Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes,
Being vexed, a sea nourished with lovers' tears.
What is it else? A madness most discreet,
A choking gall and a preserving sweet.

He recited with a passion.

"Romeo and Juliet," smiled Arista. "Doesn't surprise me that the son of Aphrodite would know one of the greatest love stories of all time. My names Arista by the way."

"Ah Arista. It is a pleasure to be in the presence of such beauty." he kissed her hand. "I am Leon Dorian. The Beautiful Lion is what it means." he said with a link. "Roar." he added with a smile.

Arista wanted to cover her hand with her face. There was something almost troublesome about his man but at the same time, she couldn't deny that he was a charmer. "It's nice to meet you Leon."

"The pleasure is all mine, truly." he said charmingly again. "The sun is envious of your beauty."

"Nah, I'm not that beautiful," Arista smiled softly.

"Ah but you are! I know true beauty when I see it! Not only is your face stunning but I can tell you have a wonderful personality which is equally important." he said with a sincere smile.

"You know...you're not like most sons of Aphrodite," Arista smiled.

"Oh really? And why is that? " he asked tiliting his head to one side with curiosity.

"You're not conceited like the others!" she smiled.

"My father always said that everyone has flaws but that is what makes us perfect. To have no flaws would be uninteresting and unuique. We would all be the same if we had no flaws to make us strive to be ourselves." He smiled.

"Your father must be quite gifted at the art of rhetoric," smiled Arista.

"Oh yes, he is." Leon smiled pleasantly, enjoying the conversation. "He was always saying things like that."

"Really? Never really knew my dad. He was a professor at Harvard so he was always busy doing something," shrugged Arista.

"Mine was a pianist." He smiled. "He would write his own music but he was rather reserve and dislike preforming in public so I would always play his pieces. I just wish they had a piano here too."

"I think they do in the big house but we're not really allowed to go in there. I'm not musically inclined really," Arista replied.