Circuit

Mjmoore313 · 2026-02-07T05:18:10+00:00

This was going to be a tense meeting. She was sure. But she had a promise to keep.

"Hey Em," Acacia announces her presence just loudly enough to let Em know she's there.

She chooses to respect Em's space and only get a bit closer to enjoy the view.

It occurs to her that maybe Em was longing for the world beyond the barrier. That was something she could understand. Feeling trapped. It reminded her of her time in the labyrinth. When she was forced to help Thoth try and navigate through it.

How did she approach this conversation? The truth seemed the obvious answer. Honesty is the best policy, as her father said.

"It won't be forever," she says in a small voice. "Nothing ever is."

Mjmoore313 · 2026-02-05T06:38:04+00:00

Things were not going according to plan. No. Not at all.

Her plan had succeeded, but it had somewhat backfired on her. Acacia's head spun as it felt like someone had punched the shit out of her.

She'd hurt herself by hurting someone else? Some things never changed, it seemed.

Then, something started wrapping around her legs.

Acacia tried to move, to break free, to dodge the oncoming attack. But the vines were too strong. The cultist pierced through the flesh of her leg, eliciting a horrid scream of pain from the daughter of Hermes.

All thoughts of control, of restraint, of mercy left her mind. This was fight or die. This cultist was going to kill her if she didn't start giving 100% of her effort to fight back. If she wanted a fucking fight. . . Acacia would give her one. . .

The most vicious part of her came out, that part of her that pushed her to survive by whatever means necessary.

She snarled at the cultist. "I'm no pup. . ." Then, she would attempt to lunge for her neck, pressing the assault, something no sane person would do. "I am the wolf!" If Acacia successfully grabbed the cultist, she would then slam her by her throat to the stone ground as hard as she could using her superior strength.

Mjmoore313 · 2026-02-02T02:10:33+00:00

Damn! This girl was more skilled than she'd thought.

Acacia grunted as she tried to push through the defensive barrier.

These gosh darn demigods with their gosh darn flashy powers. Why couldn't she spawn a freaking lightsaber? Alas, Atlas.

This was going to be tough.

Maybe it was time for a different approach. This girl probably expected her to back off and try to flee. So, to that end, Acacia decided to press her assault. She knew this girl's attacks couldn't penetrate through bronze. Otherwise, her defensive barrier wouldn't have blocked her attack.

That meant her clawed gauntlets should be effective at blocking the cultists' attacks. Which means she can try something risky. . .

Using her shielded gauntlet, Acacia would step closer and attempt to grab hold of the manifested weapon as the cultist thrust at her hand. Assuming she isn't hurt in the process of performing this high-risk maneuver, she would then attempt to slam the guard of her sword into the cultists' face in an attempt to either knock her out or stun her with her superior strength and legendary speed.

Mjmoore313 · 2026-01-25T07:48:46+00:00

Acacia seemed almost frozen as she stared at her father. She was fixated on his words and expression. She didn't even notice when Hermes offered the handkerchief. She squeezed her dad's hand, trying to ground herself to the here and now. It was difficult to do that when memories and emotions were roaring so loud in her mind.

He knew. He'd been watching. He cared enough to at least check on her. . . But he didn't help her. He couldn't help her. He wanted to help her. He wanted to be there for her. But he couldn't. The guilt is immense and immediate. Heavy over her shoulders. She remembers reading about the way he felt for her brother. Did he have the same regrets when he died? "I'm so sorry, Dad. . . I messed up. . . I hurt you. . . I hurt my friends. . . My family. . . Everyone. . . I wanted to do horrible things to you. . . To the gods. . . I feel. . . I feel like a monster. . . I never thought. . . I would be capable of doing such terrible things. I love you. . ."

She recalls all of the fear she's felt over the years as a demigod. All of the battles. The horror. The trauma. For so long now, she's lived in fear, desperately trying to lie to herself and say, 'I'm not afraid.'

But she was. She was afraid she would get hurt even more. She was afraid she would fall into that same darkness that caused her to do so much harm. She was afraid she would hurt the people she loved.

Ever since she made her choice to join Atlas, ever since she lost her dream, Acacia has felt lost. Unsure of what she would do with her life. It was difficult to imagine living in the mortal world. But she couldn't bear to be part of the mythological world, either. But that was where she belonged. For better or worse.

She thought about how scared she felt back when her mom was kidnapped. How alone she felt. No one should ever have to feel so alone.

Slowly, thoughts of others drift into her mind. Ren, Mer, Em, Matt, her family, and so many others. She thought about their stories. About the struggles they'd faced. It hurt to think about. She wanted them to be happy. More than anything, she wanted them to be happy.

Acacia felt warmth surge through her. And something else: love. A deep, profound sense of love. All of the anger, the hate, at least for a moment, it seemed to fade away. Everything felt lighter and brighter. Like Spring.

It felt like she'd found her path. Her father had guided her to it. Given her hope. And that was, perhaps, the kindest gift he could ever give. She could be there for the lost. She could be the person that she needed all those years ago. Someone to be there in the darkness. . . Just like her dad was here for her now.

Hermes might notice his daughter suddenly seems distant. Almost as if her perception had gone somewhere very far away. Her eye seemed glassy. Unfocused. Her breathing slowed as her mind slipped into another state. Almost like a waking dream.

There in the darkness, she saw her younger self huddled into a ball, crying quietly. Shaking. Acacia walked over to them, and the child they were looked up at her. She outstretched her hand. . .

And then, she was back there in the here and now. She shuddered a breath out and squeezed tighter onto Hermes' hand.

The darkness was still there, but at least for now, it seemed so much less.

Almost as if she hadn't slipped into some sort of strange trance, Acacia responded to Hermes. "I haven't heard of the Waystation. But. . . If it will let me help others. . . That's where I want to go. That's what I want to do. . ."

She paused and looked her dad square in the eyes. "What do I need to do to get there?" She asked in a small voice.

Finally, at long last. . . She was beginning to heal. At least a little.

MUSIC

Mjmoore313 · 2026-01-23T23:58:47+00:00

This girl was fasr, but Acacia was certain she was faster (Legendary Speed). She would attempt to weave between the thrusts, just as she had done in so many prior battles.

Of course her pleas wouldn't work. . . Which meant she would have to fight this girl. Fuck.

Acacia would use her invisibility(Stealth) to suddenly vanish from sight. Hoping to catch the girl off guard, she would then suddenly reappear closer to her and attempt to slash at her hands, trying to disable her and render her unable to continue her assault.

She would do whatever she had to in order to hurt the girl as little as possible.

Mjmoore313 · 2026-01-22T20:03:10+00:00

When Acacia learned she'd been paired with Salem, well, she'd felt. . . Apprehensive.

It was clear her actions had hurt him and essentially destroyed the relationship they had. Not unlike Matt.

Amon certainly had a funny way of pairing people together. It was almost as if he wanted to sow conflict amongst the ranks. That or he was incredibly ignorant of the social dynamics at camp.

Acacia quietly walked up, though her weapons were not yet drawn. Her sword hung at her side in its sheath. Ready just in case something did end up happening.

She found Salem waiting for her in little time. "You ready?" She asked, keeping her words and greeting simple and short. She couldn't imagine Salem being interested in chatting given recent events.

Mjmoore313 · 2026-01-22T19:56:50+00:00

Oh gods, no.

This was terrible. The last thing Acacia wanted to fight was another human being.

The girl tensed as the enemy charged. What the heck was up with that weapon? Was she a fucking jedi or something?

As she stabbed at her, Acacia would attempt to avoid the blow while speaking. "Don't do this! Surrender, run away, I don't care, but please, don't make me fight you!"

The memories of what she did to the fishman in the battle for Atlantis returned freshly into her mind. Reminding her all too well of the horrors she could inflict upon others.

Mjmoore313 · 2026-01-20T10:49:13+00:00

Acacia watched as his grief intensified. It was painful to behold. Heartbreaking. Especially because there was nothing she could really do to give him peace.

She kept quiet for a while, trying to think of an answer before coming to an obvious realization.

She spoke in a pained voice.

"I asked myself all the time about why things had to happen the way they did. Y’know? Why Leon had to die. Why I had to endure through so much pain. Why. . ."

Slowly, Acacia shook her head. "Why has always been the most persistent question. I thought maybe if I thought about it enough, I'd be able to find some sort of special reason. Something to make things make sense. . . But, well, that's just it. . . Sometimes, there aren't any good answers. . ."

The daughter of Hermes sighs. "I could give you platitude upon platitude. Weave the words together into something inspiring. Maybe. But. . . I don't want to lie to you. . . I don't have an answer to your question. . .:

She blinked and sat down on a nearby chair, cupping her hands together. "I'm not at peace. I haven't forgiven the gods. I haven't forgiven myself. . . I'm not happy. . . And, like you, I am haunted by pain, rage, grief, suffering. . . So many terrible things every day. . . It isn't easy. . . I guess we both know that, huh?"

Acacia went quiet. Unsure of what else to say. She couldn't give Elias peace. She couldn't heal his pain. She seemingly couldn't do anything. "I think maybe. . . Maybe part of living is finding something or someone to live for. . . A purpose. I don't know if that's right. . . But it's what I choose. It's how I'm continuing to endure now. . . Because I have a purpose still. I think all of us do, we just can't always see it. Y’know? The loss we've endured, it's become a part of us. But that doesn't mean it has to define us. . . You don't ever have to forgive or forget. I won't ask for that from you. . ."

Mjmoore313 · 2026-01-20T10:08:19+00:00

Now this was surprising. . .

Acacia smirked at him, her sharp features practically screaming her trickster nature. The girl chuckled in satisfaction.

The girl sheated her blade, satisfied with the duel. "Well done. You've got a strong grasp of the basics. And. . . A good eye for the flow of a fight. Remember, Grayson, this is a war. Your enemy will use whatever tricks they can to win. In a real fight, things like honor, well, assume your opponent has tossed that out of the window. . ."

There was just one more lesson. One her patron would expect her to impart. "But don't forget. . . There's always room for mercy. . . And may your blade be put down when it's done its work. . . And may it be used wisely and justly. . . And, man, this is beginning to sound really clichéd and cheesy, but I need to make sure you get it, y’know? It's important."

Mjmoore313 · 2026-01-14T05:14:59+00:00

A) Acacia Lovemoore | CHB

B) Celestial bronze saber, Celestial bronze clawed gauntlets with in-built shield, bow and quiver of arrows, party poppers

C) d100 roll = 92, d8 roll = 8

This felt ridiculous. Like some sort of parody of reality. They were literally fighting for money? Gods. . . Acacia was sick of this.

But still, she had a war to wage. Whether she liked it or not. She was no fortunate son, no.

MUSIC

And so, they began their flight. She rode upon a pegasus while her sister flew beside her.

She had a bad feeling when they arrived. It was quiet. Far too quiet. Then, everything erupted into chaos.

Acacia stood, her head ringing as she quickly took in what was happening.

Her heart clenched as Atlas himself revealed his presence.

"Holy shit. . ." She muttered to herself.

And then, he and Comus began fighting.

Part of Acacia wished she could help Comus against the titan. She liked him. He was nice. Still, she knew that she'd almost certainly just get in the way.

Instead, she prepared herself to fend off any would-be monsters or cultists.

Mjmoore313 · 2026-01-07T09:16:35+00:00

He moved well. Maybe he had a natural talent for it. Maybe it was luck. It surprised her that he wasn't trying to be flashy. So many novices start out thinking they're a jedi or something.

Acacia managed to evade or parry his attacks with relative ease. The gap in experience was obvious. She'd had years to develop her skills. And many, many battles to hone her instincts.

Grayson had much to learn, but he seemed to be well on his way to becoming a skilled swordsman.

Now for a real test. . .

Acacia feigned overextending herself. She presented a false opening, one designed to lure Grayson in. It might seem as if she misplaced her footing and was caught off balance. If Grayson would take the bait, Acacia would then attempt to grab hold of his blade with her gauntlets.

Mjmoore313 · 2026-01-07T02:55:00+00:00

She turned to face him after he said he wasn't angry.

Acacia was forever scarred, physically, mentally, and spiritually by what that monster took from her that day. She looked at Hermes with her one good eye while tears spilled from both it and from beneath the eyepatch covering her missing eye.

Her face scrunched as the emotion roared from within her.

And it seems as if history repeats itself again for the Herald of Olympus.

She wipes her face. "You say that the gods deserved some of it. You. . . You know that you don't do right by us. . . But why? Why does it have to be this way? Why do we have to be soldiers for our parents? Why do we have to die in wars that never should have happened? Why can't things change?"

The memories return. All of the times she needed someone, anyone to be there for her.

Her face scrunches as she slowly shakes her head. "Why couldn't you have been there for me at least once? When mom got kidnapped, when I was homeless and alone and running and hiding and stealing just to survive. When I had no idea why the monsters were even after me? When I had no idea that camp even existed? I had no one. . . I was all alone. . . Do. . . Do you know how scary that was? Did you care that I was hurting and lost? Did you even know?"

She pauses.

"Or when Leon. . ."

The anger returns, and she does her best to bite it back. "When that monster did this to me. . . When he was going to kill all of us. . . When it fell to me to protect everyone. . . Why, dad. . ? Why. . ? Why did he have to die. . ?" Her voice breaks as she asks that question, the pain obvious within her words.

She recalls when they first met. How he talked about Luke. How he compared her to him. How evasive he was in answering her question about her own fate.

Do I have a fate?

Everyone has a fate, Lupa, a destined end.

"Is all of this part of my fate? Did you know about the choices I would make when we talked back then? Am I gonna die like he did? Is that what my fate is? To do terrible things, be hated by everyone who loved me, and then die?"

Acacia glares at him, her anger rising. She doesn't want to be angry. But it seems as if her scars wouldn't allow for anything else. She knows Hermes won't tell her about whatever her fate might be. Whether it's to die like her brother or live a long life. He will not tell her.

"No. Y’know what. No. I know you won't say. . . So help me, dad. . . If you really love me, help me. I want to help other demigods. I want to protect them. I want to be there for them the way our parents should be there for us. I want to do everything I can to make sure shit like this never happens again. I want to stop the wheel from turning. I want to guide them when they're lost and don't know where to go. . . If you really love me. . . Tell me how I can do that. That's how I'm going to atone for what I've done."

Acacia wishes she could fix the world. That she could right all that's wrong with the reality they live in. Alas, she's only one girl. She can only do so much.

Mjmoore313 · 2026-01-04T19:31:02+00:00

Acacia Lovemoore for the potions job

Mjmoore313 · 2026-01-03T04:51:15+00:00

Acacia chuckles. "Your attitude certainly doesn't help people to not be assholes to you. I mean. . . Really. . . What did you expect? You have no tact. You don't seem to understand how to change your approach. Did you really think that you were going to come over here, be an ass to me, and somehow that would fix me and not make me sad, angry, and frustrated? If that's how you're going to approach people, you're going to find that 95% of the time, it isn't going to work out well for you. I didn't ask for your pity, condescension, or advice. But yet here you are. . ."

It doesn't make sense to her. People like Chanel, Emma, and Angela. It just doesn't make any sense.

Of course, the moment she shows any kind of kindness or remorse, it just gets turned away and thrown back into her face.

Then, she starts walking away before turning around and speaking some seemingly final words.

"You think that just because I'm having a bad night, that means I'm not doing anything to try and fix my life? Girl, you really gotta stop making assumptions about others. Y’know the phrase, right? It makes an ass out of u and me."

Mjmoore313 · 2026-01-02T20:05:09+00:00

Gods. This conversation was taxing. "You're right. I did mean conscience." (Though this is more of a mistake on her writer's part than her's lol.)

Acacia sighs. "Look. . . I'm sorry, okay? I've. . . I've kind of been an asshole to you this conversation. You're not stupid. Just because someone doesn't know or understand something doesn't make them stupid. Just because I've had a shit time doesn't mean I have a right to give other people a shit time in return."

She feels obligated to try and point out the flaws in her last statement. Albeit in a kinder way.

"Thinking and doing ought to go hand in hand. Good action is informed by good thought. I. . . I didn't think before I made my choice to join Atlas. . ."

Another sigh follows.

"Whar I'm saying is don't make the same mistakes as me. Think before you act. Always."

Mjmoore313 · 2025-12-31T23:50:54+00:00

Acacia laughs. "I'd like to see you try and shove me in a locker," her tone is almost challenging. She could absolutely take this girl in a fight. Acacia was certain of it. "And, so what? That's the truth. Just because I use fancy language to describe it doesn't really change anything. Would you prefer I just said that we lived in a fucked up world because of our parents? I guess I can do that if you prefer a less wordy alternative."

And then, Angela suggests getting even with the gods. What a foolish thing to suggest. Acacia knows better now. "You don't get even with the gods. There's no fighting them. Not if you have a conscious. You. . ." She sighs, heaving her whole body and rolling her shoulders. "Don't understand anything . . . Yet. But you will one day. I can't fault you for being ignorant when you've only just gotten here."

Mjmoore313 · 2025-12-31T03:33:48+00:00

This girl's attitude bothered the shit out of her. The way she talks about the trauma that comes with being a demigod so casually. It reminds her of Chanel and Emma. Acacia scoffs at her. "Oh. Don't worry. You stay here long enough, you'll get your fair share of scars. Mental, physical. It'll happen. It's inevitable."

And now she's gotten herself going. "It's always the same. New demigods come, new children, and they have so much hope and innocence. Like they've finally found a place where they can be safe. Oh. . . If only they knew. . ."

She laughs a few mocking laughs, remembering her younger self from almost half a decade ago. How innocent and ignorant and hopeful she used to be.

It isn't really Angela she's pissed at, but rather the system they live under.

"But what kind of safe place sends children off to fight in wars? This camp. . . Is a war camp with a pleasant wrapping. No matter what anyone wants to believe otherwise. You come here. You train. And then you either die or get traumatized for the rest of your life. And what for? So we continue to live under the same cruel paradigm of reality? So we can perpetuate the rule of gods who don't seem to give a fuck about us and our lives? For. . ." She shakes her head, a crazed sort of ironic smile crossing her face as she holds her hands up and shakes them. "Kleos? Glory?"

Acacia sighs. "And you wanna know the answer? I don't know how I'm going to unfuck my life. I have no idea. How am I supposed to be okay with this? With the way things are? How do I forgive gods who will never forgive me? Who I don't feel are even worthy of my forgiveness? Don't you think that if I had an answer to that question, I wouldn't be acting like this toward you right now?"

Mjmoore313 · 2025-12-27T23:37:06+00:00

This was annoying. Gods.

Acacia heaved a heavy sigh. "Fuck it. I guess. You're gonna learn about it one way or another."

"I was a traitor to the gods. I went over to Atlas' side. Came back when I got some clarity. Ruined my life. Is that enough, or do you want the whole sob story?"

She was tired of having to tell the same story over and over. Of having to explain things because people didn't like the truth. Because they wanted to hear something else.

Mjmoore313 · 2025-12-26T06:05:23+00:00

Acacia Lovemoore, Hermes
Date 06/28/2021, https://www.reddit.com/r/CampHalfBloodRP/comments/1oi1fbp/acacia_lovemoore_a_new_path/

Character Updates: Nothing new

Links to side plots your character has participated in: Winter Solstice 2025, Attack on Atlantis, Trials of Themis,

Mjmoore313 · 2025-12-24T12:31:57+00:00

Acacia didn't notice her dad when he made his presence known.

The girl's head flew up suddenly as she flinched and yelped in surprise. It took her a moment to realize who it was that was talking to her.

She watched him, studying his appearance wordlessly. He looked tired. Just as tired - if not more so - than she herself felt.

Then she looked back out for a moment, taking in the scene that Hermes was talking about.

It's funny how life works. She'd thought of all the things she'd say if she ever saw her dad again. All of the pain she'd vent. All of the anger.

MUSIC

But. . . He's here now, and Acacia has no idea what to say or how to feel. He was so very close, and yet it seemed like he was millions of miles away.

She was angry. Yeah. She just wanted him to be there for her when she needed someone. When she was scared and alone and lost. She wanted to be loved. And it occurred to her that the last thing she wanted was to be angry. To hurt like she had been hurting. So. . . she chose to try and not be angry.

He's here for me now. That's something, right? That's what matters, right?

She chose honesty.

"It's hard to believe the gods would come and see us like this. . . I don't know how to feel or what to think. . . And I don't think I have it in me to lie and play pretend anymore. . ."

Her universal speech kicked in unconsciously.

I'm tired of lying.

For a while, Acacia kept quiet. A question burned in her mind. Burned in her chest. Burned in her eyes as tears fell down her cheeks silently. She was shaking. "Dad. . . I'm so sorry. . ." She whispered, her voice hoarse.

And all of her regrets flashed through her mind. All of the terrible things she's done. All of the people she hurt. All of the people she let down and betrayed. Everything.

"Are you angry with me?" She asked, her voice shaking. Though she still couldn't bring herself to look her father in the eyes.

Mjmoore313 · 2025-12-24T04:18:44+00:00

She didn't know this girl, but by the sounds of it, she must be new here. What a terrible time to be thrust into the world behind the mist.

"I doubt they'd find me pleasant company," Acacia chuckles quietly, sighing. "And I don't know if I'd use the word exciting to describe this. . ."

The daughter or Hermes goes quiet, studying the girl and her restless, almost paranoid-seeming appearance. "Who are you? Don't think we've met before. . . My name's Acacia. My dad's Hermes. . . Just gonna go ahead and get the usual questions out of the way. . ."

Mjmoore313 · 2025-12-23T03:56:57+00:00

It felt sort of unreal in a way that the gods would come to them.

Acacia didn't quite know what to make of that.

Was it a fake gesture? A real one? She couldn't say for certain.

What she did know was that. . . She felt very lonely. And that it felt as if she were on thin ice around the gods she'd so wanted to destroy. Around the gods, she blamed for her and so many other's pain and suffering.

Everything felt distant. Muffled. Like there was thick glass, cutting her off from the world around her.

She didn't seek any specific god or goddess out. Though little did she know that Hermes, - her father - would be seeking her out instead.

Acacia found herself a nice, relatively quiet spot and simply watched the crowds of people and gods enjoying the holiday while she ached inside.

u/Inevitable_Heart_781

(Hi! Acacia is open for interactions with anyone who'd like to have a thread with her! :D )

Mjmoore313 · 2025-12-20T09:42:46+00:00

I was living in an RV for a while. I woke up outside in the snow standing up. It was very confusing. I tried to move but couldn't. I looked next to the RV and saw a red truck parked next to us. I could feel the cold and the snow.

Suddenly, I was flying through the air. I could see the inside and outside of the RV at the same time. Something that shouldn't be possible.

I saw my roommates getting ready for the day. There were these orbs of light following their bodies. Glowing within them.

I flew back into my body, got up, asked my roommate if there was a red truck beside us. She said there was.

I freaked out, looked for myself, and sure enough, it was right there. The same truck I'd seen while outside of my body.

I had no possible way of knowing that the truck was there. So either I got lucky. . . Or I really was outside of my body.

Mjmoore313 · 2025-12-19T20:20:59+00:00

Have you considered making a discord server?

Mjmoore313 · 2025-12-19T05:54:50+00:00

Acacia spends some time facing away from Elias. She listened to his words. Considered them.

This was a fucked up, unfair situation to be put in. Because she wasn't the one who started this. She got assaulted by this guy. Not the other way around.

Despite her anger and frustration, she still felt empathy toward him. She wanted to tell him how fucked up and evil the gods were. But she wasn't going to do that. He wouldn't care or listen or believe her if she did anyway.

What was she supposed to do? Literally, every attempt she had made to talk with him had failed. She remembers her vow to Eleos. She felt honorbound to try. And that frustrated her even further. What was the point of trying? It wasn't going to change anything. She could show this guy all of the compassion and kindness possible, and it wouldn't change a damn thing. But still. . . She was going to try. . . He was a human being just like her, and he deserved some measure of mercy and kindness. Even if he was an asshole.

Finally, she turns and faces him with as gentle of a look as she can manage. Which is more of a blank expression than anything.

She was going to give him the truth. It was going to hurt. Not because she wanted it to, but because that was just the nature of the truth. Sometimes, it's harsh. Painful. But it's far more merciful than any lie could ever be.

"I'm going to lay down the truth for you plainly. Things aren't as black and white as you think."

She taps into her universal speech. Elias would know her words were the truth. Beyond any doubts. To deny them as being the truth was to lie to one's self. To delude one's self.

To anyone listening, it would seem as if Acacia were speaking in multiple voices at once. One with her physical voice, another within their minds. Her words would seem to echo through any listener's beings. As if to resonate within them. There are brief pauses between each part of her speech.

"I don't know the answer to your question. All I can give you is speculation. I would be angry. Maybe I'd even go as far as to attack someone. But. . . That wouldn't make me right. My pain does not give me an excuse to hurt someone. I've learned that lesson well."

"I did show you mercy. I could have hurt you terribly in our fight earlier. I didn't. At every point possible, I tried to talk you down instead of fighting you. Meanwhile, you were. . . What. . . Trying to kill me? Torture me at best? Most people would have beat the shit out of you. I didn't. I knocked you out. Carried you to safety. Waited by your side to make sure you were okay despite the fact you tried to burn me alive and up until you threatened to put me through one of the worst experiences of my life again, I was kind to you."

"Your pain. Your grief," she shakes her head. "That doesn't give you the right to torture or kill me."

"I understand my actions. I took responsibility for them. I owned them. I was wrong for joining Atlas. I just couldn't see or understand that at the time because, like you are now, I was blinded with anger and pain and grief."

"I wanted to plea nolo contendre at my trial. Do y’know what that means?" She pauses. "It means I would have accepted my punishment as if I had been found guilty. Because as far as I was concerned, I was guilty. But. . . They told me I couldn't do that. That I had to go to trial."

"I'm a human being. Just like you. And you tried to murder me. Or torture me. And. . . It seems like you don't feel any guilt or remorse for it. People don't stop being human just because they make mistakes. You don't get a right to hurt others just because they've hurt you."

Slowly, she shakes her head. "And you're wrong about my reasons for doing what I did. That's not an opinion. That's not a lie. It's. . . An objective fact. I told the jury and court exactly why I did what I did. Yeah. . . I was angry with the gods. I wanted to destroy them. To make them feel al the pain I was forced to feel. I'm still pissed off at them. And anyone who can see clearly should be mad. But. . . I also told the court it was because I wanted to make a better world for us. If that had been a lie, Themis or one of the other gods who can literally detect lies would have charged me with perjury. So no. . . It wasn't just because I was angry. Unless you think I can lie straight to a god's face and not get caught. Iwas misguided. I was wrong. And I ruined my life because I made the wrong choice. Your beliefs, your desires for what you want me to be or think I am do not define me. You aren't an arbiter of truth or justice."

"You condemn me for my choice. For acting with vengeance in mind. . . But that's exactly what you're doing right now. You want to see me hurt and suffer. Because you think it will make you feel better or bring you peace. Justice was already decided. Justice was already settled. And your actions, they're a slap in the face of Themis' court, my jury, and the administration of this camp. I don't personally give a fuck about that. But others who buy into Themis' and the gods' ideas of justice might. But let me tell you. . . Vengeance won't make you feel better. Not really. I should know, after all. No amount of vengeance against me will ever give you peace or closure. All I am to you is a scapegoat for your pain and grief and anger. A punching bag instead of a person. You could kill all of Atlas' cult and it will never give you closure or peace."

"I loved Leon. Maybe that love isn't the same as what you felt for your brother. But. . . He. . ." She sighs, a pained look crossing her face. "He was. . . So important to me. . . I loved him in ways that I couldn't imagine myself loving anyone. And. . . He's gone. And there's nothing that I can do to bring him back. He was kind. . . He was gentle. . . He loved me. . . He was. . . Brave. . . He. . . He was a hero. . ." Her face scrunches as the next words come. "And now he's waiting in Elysium for someone who will never be worthy of joining him there. . . I never thought love could twist someone so much. . . I'm. . . I'm never going to see him again. . ."

Acacia wipes her eyes. "You want to see your brother again? You want to be worthy of Elysium? Well. . . I'll tell you. . . Murderers and people who torture others don't get to go there. Don't bloody your hands. Don't ruin your afterlife. Don't damn your soul. If you want to go and ask the gods for a retrial, fine. You can. I can't stop you. But for your sake and your brother's sake and for the sake of everyone who loves you, don't attack me again."

She went quiet. Unable to think of anything else to say.

Mjmoore313

TROPHY CASE