[ it's most likely rhetorical, but luke decides to respond anyway — after all, hadn't he made it his goal to always annoy clarisse la rue? he'd been younger then, carefree and childish — and always ready to live in the moment. ]
[ his gaze drifts downward to her hands. he sees it, the tension balling her fingers into a tight, powerful fist. he knows that if he pushes her — in any direction, it seems — that she'll throw all her strength into the muscles of her arm and knock his jaw straight from his skeleton. a part of him wants to do just that — push. but another part of him wants to see if this dance can change its steps. they always end with her hand smashing into his jaw. ]
[ man, she's always angry. he has to wonder if she's softer with chris — is she even capable of soft? of blurring all her hard edges into something that feels and looks less like a blade? luke knows chris, and he thinks that, like him, his half-brother would've enjoyed the rush. clarisse may be predictable, as she's always quick to anger, but she makes things a little interesting. ]
[ he purses his lips, as if thinking about it. ] Sometimes I wonder if the fatal flaw of the Ares kids is holding personal grudges.
[ he smirks, like it's the good old days. ribbing clarisse had always been one of his favourite pastimes — seeing the smoke fume from her ears and the fire light in her eyes had always given him a bit of an adrenaline rush. if he ever wanted a fight, to rid himself of the anger or restlessness he felt, he knew he could always depend on her. ]
You never really did get over the fact I beat you all the time. [ at everything is left unsaid. but clarisse had beaten him at a few things, too — things that actually mattered, like living a life one could be proud of, and being a friend until the very bitter end. ]
yes, well, this mighty man is very, very mighty!
[ his gaze drifts downward to her hands. he sees it, the tension balling her fingers into a tight, powerful fist. he knows that if he pushes her — in any direction, it seems — that she'll throw all her strength into the muscles of her arm and knock his jaw straight from his skeleton. a part of him wants to do just that — push. but another part of him wants to see if this dance can change its steps. they always end with her hand smashing into his jaw. ]
[ man, she's always angry. he has to wonder if she's softer with chris — is she even capable of soft? of blurring all her hard edges into something that feels and looks less like a blade? luke knows chris, and he thinks that, like him, his half-brother would've enjoyed the rush. clarisse may be predictable, as she's always quick to anger, but she makes things a little interesting. ]
[ he purses his lips, as if thinking about it. ] Sometimes I wonder if the fatal flaw of the Ares kids is holding personal grudges.
[ he smirks, like it's the good old days. ribbing clarisse had always been one of his favourite pastimes — seeing the smoke fume from her ears and the fire light in her eyes had always given him a bit of an adrenaline rush. if he ever wanted a fight, to rid himself of the anger or restlessness he felt, he knew he could always depend on her. ]
You never really did get over the fact I beat you all the time. [ at everything is left unsaid. but clarisse had beaten him at a few things, too — things that actually mattered, like living a life one could be proud of, and being a friend until the very bitter end. ]