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1 - Nobody
“Dude, how the fuck are you carrying that!?” Nobody asks rhetorically as Nikos lifts up the giant branch he just chopped down. As expected, the other laughs loudly, head thrown back and shoulders shaking with the force.
“It is easy, my friend!” Nikos tosses the large oak into the air as a show of his strength. “You must train! Is how you do these things!”
“That branch could basically be an entire tree on its own, mate!” Nobody throws his arms out in front of him. The only warning for what happens next is a small gust of wind before, suddenly, Nobody has an armful of Scott and barely manages not to fall or drop him.
“I think you're stronger than you give yourself credit for,” Scott teases, green eyes shining with mischief. Nobody's long hair is somehow even messier now, mouth agape and eyes wide.
“Dude, I could dropped you! Don't do that shit. Where did you even come from?”
“The sky!” At Scott's cheeky remark, Nobody deadpans before dropping his arms, feeling another gust of wind as Scott catches himself and lands gracefully on his feet.
“Hah! You are like an angel, pretty boy! Sent from Olympus to bring us the joy!” Nikos laughs again, somehow even more amused than before. Nobody just shakes his head, still surprised by both of their antics (And totally not trying to shake away a blush).
2 - Sausage
It's been a long day. Like, a really long day, with Sausage's morning starting with a nightmare and Pan’s gift falling down which prompted another fight. Honestly, Sausage just wants to fall asleep again, but it's only midday and that would just invite more nightmares.
So, Sausage sucks it up, adjusting the pack of ores he had thrown over his shoulder on the way back up from the mines. There wasn't a lot this time — some iron, coal, a glowing red powder, and one diamond — but it's a good amount for one trip. Really, he's far more concerned with what the next fight will bring.
“Ooh!” A voice snaps him out of his thoughts, that he doesn't get to investigate before someone lands on his shoulder, nearly knocking him off-balance. “What'd you get?”
“Holy fucking gods, Scott!” Sausage wheezes, using his free arm to hold the other's legs and make sure he doesn't fall. “Give me a little more warning next time, will you?” Scott giggles, a knowing smirk appearing on his lips when Sausage blushes.
“But it's so much more funny this way!” His charming, slightly flirtatious voice teases back. Sausage just shakes his head and continues walking. Not the strangest thing that's happened lately, that's for sure.
3 - Cleo
Cleo lets her lips blow gently into the pan flute, feeling much more at ease in the moment than they did earlier. The most recent fight, this one between Nikos and Apo, had just ended. Of course, they weren't a part of it, nor did they provide aid, but a fight like that always shakes her up a bit. Especially being so close to all those people…
So, she lets herself get lost in the music. Her eyes slip closed and a beautiful sound enters the air, charming only the birds nearby and a few sheep that had followed them there. That is, until suddenly there's a chin on their shoulder and a hand gently grazing their arm.
“You're really good at that,” a familiar voice makes her flinch away, almost falling off the log before a gust of wind makes sure she doesn't. “Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!” Scott giggles, eyes closing part way through laughter. Cleo can tell that statement isn't true, but they’re still a bit too surprised to be annoyed.
“Fucking Hades, Scott,” they mutter, rubbing her face as if to wipe away the surprise. It doesn't really shock her, they heard it's already happened to a few other people, but it still made them jump and is annoying. “You've gotta stop doing stuff like that.”
“Hm… No thanks!” He grins at them with a tilt to his head. “Can I try playing that? I haven't since I was 19 so I'm curious if I'll still be able to.” Cleo hesitates for a moment but, even knowing Scott for less than two days, she can tell he will do whatever to get his way, so there's no point arguing.
“Alright, but if you break it you're making me a new one,” Cleo relents, handing the pan flute over. Scott smiles before a sense of… Calmness and surprising focus washes over his face. Sure, they caught that his personality was simply a mask long ago, but it's still weird to see it drop. Especially so suddenly. Cleo wonders why he stopped faking.
They're snapped out of their thoughts by a beautiful sound, one she's not sure even she could recreate. Something calming, surprisingly melancholy, that washes over you like a spell. Interesting… Maybe they could talk about music tips. Just until one of them dies, of course.
4 - Drift
“What does it look like?” Shelby asks, though Drift hasn't been looking at the view enough to tell her. Instead, her hazel eyes are locked on Shelby's red hair, her face, her yellow blindfold…
“Beautiful,” Drift mutters, before snapping out of it quickly. “Ah! I mean, the view is really pretty, uhm. The sun is going to start setting in a few ticks so everything is bathed in a golden glow. And- is that Scott?”
To answer her question, Drift is tackled by the other champion, making her yelp.
“Whoops! Went too fast!” He laughs cheekily, standing up and dusting himself off. “What’re you two doing?” Drift blinks before also starting to laugh.
“I was describing the view to Shelby,” Drift explains, sitting back up and now realizing she's closer to Shelby. So close their arms are almost brushing… Even with Drift usually being oblivious, she catches the wink Scott throws at her. Of course, she should’ve guessed someone as graceful as Scott wouldn't simply lose control of his powers.
“Ah, alright! Well, I was just gonna go look for a few of the feather holders, so I'll see you later!” Then, Scott flies off. Ugh, if Drift didn't secretly appreciate the gesture, she would be so mad!
5 - Pearl
“Ugh, as much as I like being feared, now everyone is so boring around me!” Pearl complains to Apo from where she’s seated on her bed. The other feathered lady just looks at her, wings shifting in a way that means something Pearl can't decipher.
“That was your doing,” Apo reminds her with a quiet huff. “Plus, I'm sure not everyone is scared of you.”
“Are you scared of me?” The silence from Apo is all the answer Pearl needs to sigh dramatically. “See? Nobody is gonna want to fight me now!” Just as Apo opens her mouth, another voice from above chimes in.
“I'm not scared of you!” Scott suddenly lands laying down on top of Pearl's lap, taking both women by surprise. Apo’s wings fluff up spectacularly and Pearl accidentally uses her power that makes them all see darkness, startling Apo more as Scott giggles. This power’s kind of cool, not scary! And I can make people blind, too.” On cue, a large mist surrounds them.
“Damnit, guys!” Apo groans, likely unable to see anything while Scott and Pearl are unaffected by their own powers. Both of them burst out laughing, and suddenly Apo is worried for the sight and sanity of all the contestants.
6 - Owen
“We could always-” Owen cuts herself off, a memory coming to her mind as he automatically stabilizes himself just before Scott lands on his shoulder. “Fuck, you're so lucky I can see the future or both of us would be on the floor right now.” She scolds, glaring when Pearl starts laughing her ass off.
“Correction, you would be on the floor. I would catch myself.” Scott chirps. “Sausage asked me to come get you because he needs help carrying a few things.” Scott leans down, tilting his head slightly as he looks at Owen’s face. “Do you think you're strong enough for me to put my whole weight on you?”
“I probably am, but-” Owen gets cut off when she has to adjust himself as Scott’s weight suddenly doubles. “Gods above... How much do you weigh? You're still pretty light.” Despite her attempts, Owen can't fully mask the worry in her tone.
“152 pounds (68.9 kg),” Scott hums. The logical part of Owen is grateful that Scott is healthy, since performers are known to starve for beauty, while the other part of her can't help but think how easy it'd be to throw Scott into a bed and pin him down-
“So where did you say Sausage was?” Owen asks, cutting off his own thoughts.
7 - Apo
“You should test if your wings work!” Drift suggests. Apo looks over the edge of the cliff her, Drift, and Shelby are standing on. It's not high enough to kill, but it'd still be scary and if she fell it would hurt like hell.
“I don't know…” Apo shifts hesitantly, feeling the wings in question shift upon her back. “I mean, my wings move and stuff but I haven't tried to fly yet. Plus, this is really high.” Drift peeks over, too, now looking as worried as Apo.
“I wonder if-” Shelby starts, before cutting herself off, a slight smile replacing the previously thoughtful look. “There he is.” Apo opens her mouth to voice her confusion, when suddenly there are knees on both her shoulders and arms resting atop her head, making her screech loudly.
“I can help!” A familiar voice makes her relax, and then tense up again as she processes his words.
“What!? No- will you get off me?” He’s not heavy at all — probably due to his powers, she guesses — but it’s weird and there’s no way in Hades she’d let that happen. Scott giggles, patting her head like she’s a small child again, making her wings fluff up with indignity.
“Pleeease? I promise I won’t drop you, and it’ll be fun!” Despite herself, Apo starts weighing the options. She has no doubt Scott won’t drop her, considering he seems pretty keen on not killing unless he needs to, but it'd also be terrifying for her first time flying.
“... Fine. But if you drop I will make sure you're sent to the arena next time!” Scott giggles before, suddenly, she's in the clouds, and everything is so light. Wind blows through her feathers, messing up her already messy. It takes her a few minutes to realize Scott is barely touching her now. She's flying!
“C'mon, let's get down before your wings give out!” Scott warns.
That's how Apo finds herself laughing, now on the other cliff across the ravine, flapping her wings happily and with Scott holding her shoulders.
“I think you dropped a feather,” Scott hums, holding a purple-ish black feather to her. Apo just smiles, patting the hand that rests on top of her arm.
“Keep it. As a thank you, and a sign of trust, for now.”
+1 - Nikos
“Smile more, my friend!” Nikos grins at Cleo. “We are alive, after all! You are strong, you'll get far!” The goat hybrid crosses her arms with a huff, looking more annoyed by the second.
“I might get far, but chances are I won't win,” they remind him.
“Of course not!” He flexes his arm, showing off carefully sculpted muscles from the waist up. “I will be the one to win, after all!” A sudden gust of wind blows Nikos’s hair into his face, and Cleo's hair out of theirs. A second later, Scott is sat perched on Nikos’s upper arm.
“Who says? Maybe it'll be me!” He teases, simply to rile the other up, but Nikos jumps to the occasion, as always.
While Cleo at least has the decency to be surprised at his sudden appearance, Nikos doesn't bat an eye, just using the moment to carry the other and talk about the winners. Cleo, on the other hand, takes the opportunity to slip away into the forest.
“You know you can just ask to be held, yes?” Nikos teases. “I am always open to it!” Despite his light-hearted tone, it carries a bit of weight behind it, and far too much worry. Scott's perpetual smile falters for a moment, before coming back in full force.
“Oh, but where's the fun in that~?”
Nikos huffs, letting it drop, as even someone as oblivious as Drift could tell the conversation is over.
+2 - Abolish (and Nikos)
Abolish listens quietly as Nikos boasts about his win from his fight yesterday. They had both taken off their shoes so they could dip their feet in the river. Bushes surround the two, hiding their small moment from everyone else.
Well, unless people are in the sky, of course, but only a few other champions have the ability to do that. And only one has the guts to simply land next to Nikos, who is strong and open to fighting — or Abolish, who is possibly even stronger and used to fighting for entertainment.
“Pretty boy is coming!” Nikos laughs, looking up at the white blur on the sky. Unsurprisingly, Scott lands in Abolish's lap. What would be surprising to anyone else other than Abolish and Nikos, however, is how he quickly curls up with a tired hum. Abolish simply wraps an arm around the shortest’s waist, not taking his eyes off Nikos.
“You were saying?” Abolish tilts his head, golden brown locks falling into his face and yellow-orange eyes meeting Nikos’s brown ones. The champion of Zeus chuckles heartily before continuing, now quieter, mindful of an exhausted Scott.
“Ah, right! So, then I…”