THE TIES THAT BIND | AIMERY

Alex had followed Aimery quietly out of Mel's suite after the confrontation with that weird guy. He wasn't quite sure what his sister did yet or why a military guy being in he-their house was an acceptable thing, but he intended to find out. All he had been told was that Mel was a busy person and that she didn't work with Aimery at his Jewelry Store. Almost as soon as the door opened to the sprawling grounds of the Hades estate, Alex turned to Aimery with a questioning look.

"Alright, Aim. What was that about? Shouldn't Mel have called someone to get rid of that creep or let Ethan take care of it?" Seriously. When he had...left... Mel would have called that blond Enyo kid to come kill a spider, much less handle something like that. "I mean, I know things have changed. I just can't figure out how much. Where have Espn and Tavie been? I've been here for like, three days and haven't seen them once. I haven't seen any of Mel's friends..." The thought trailed off as he briefly wondered if they were dead. Well, he had seen Tavie, but not Espn or Bernie. The Wyatt siblings were the only ones he knew for sure had made it.


@aimery

Aimery had appeared pretty nonchalant and apathetic during the time he had lingered around to aristocratically dis the Jason dude who had been on Mel's bad side, and he had put up an act of being more concerned about spending time with Alex.  Of course, he was, but he had just seemed a little more pleasant than usual.  Truth was he just needed to go because he didn't trust himself to not continue his sass with the dude.  Aimery never let his temper blow up.  Anything beyond being composed, level-headed, and cold was alien to him, but his words would be scathing in their aloof way.  It was frustrating, but he knew Mel wouldn't want that, and so he decided he best leave her alone with the creepy ass man even if he thought she should throw him out of the highest window in the House of Hades.

He continued to impassively follow Alex, and out the door they went.  They were safely outside in the grounds.  He glanced at Alex.  "I don't know, obviously, but I definitely know that it wasn't a friendly conversation.  I know that the malcontent somehow upset Mel," he said.  He heaved a sigh and shook his head.  "The company that she keeps.  Nothing but a bunch of primitive barbarians, the lot of them."  That was way too harsh and untrue, but Aimery was outspoken and when he was irritated, he wasn't going to sugarcoat his words.  "I'm only accepting the fact that the primate stepped an inch into my home because Mel would see him here.  Otherwise, he may go bother someone else in the lowest depths of Tartarus." 

Alex then began to speculate about Mel's new personality that he hadn't really gotten to see develop.  Aimery could understand why he was confused why Mel had been so professional.  Mel as Alex remembered her had been a whimsical girl.  Mel today could compete with Aimery in an icy will and composure.  Aimery respected this side to her, and approved, but he really missed the sunny side of his sister had been totally her.  He decided that Alex should be informed.

"That was what she would've done back then in Camp Half-Blood.  Nowadays, though, she can deal with problems on her own.  She's matured greatly throughout the years.  A shame, isn't it? I couldn't have been happier to see her succumb to those old impeccable rages of hers and feed that creep a good dose of it."  Aimery paused to look to idly look to his left, before looking straight ahead of him again.  Mel's old friends at camp.  Aimery remembered them vividly.  "If I'm correct, Espn is a kindergarten teacher and Octavia is still nowhere to be found.  But alas, Mel doesn't spend a lot of time with her former friends from camp anymore."

 The more he spoke, the more he knew Alex's comprehension must be failing him.  Aimery from Camp Half-Blood would've jaw-dropped at his sister's transition, too.  "And to address the matter of your confusion by this sudden change of character, times have changed greatly for everyone; some have been more affected by it than others."  He looked at Alex and gazed into his eyes, looking somewhat grim as he discussed the weariness in Mel.  "Mel is definitely one of those beings who were affected greatly.  Ever since we lost you and the others from Camp Half-Blood in that accursed attack, she's lost a lot of her spirit.  She's become more work-oriented and sullen as a result of the strain and stress wrought upon her to protect all that she has left."  He now glanced upward at the sky.  "Hardly seems like our sister, but...that's our current Mel for you." 

Alex shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "I just don't get it Aim. It doesn't feel like I've been gone for that long, but everything's changed. Mel looks at me like she's keeping secrets and everyone else acts like I'm a ghost." He just didn't understand. Yea, it had been five years, but it only felt like a few months. Maybe it was because he had spent it in the underworld.

"I'm still Damien, even if I go by Alex now. I'm still the kid she grew up with, the guy everyone else knew at Camp. Is what happened so hard for everyone to wrap their heads around?" Come to think of it, the only person he had spoken to about it was Mel and he wasn't sure if she had told anyone or not. "For the record, you do know what happened, right?" If not, Alex knew that he'd have to explain himself. Maybe then he'd get a little normalcy, at least with Aimery.