Voice Within (Hades and Savanna Only)

Savanna sat down on the piano bench, running her fingers across the keys. It's been awhile since she had played piano. The last time she can remember playing was two years ago, on the anniversary of James' death. After that, Savanna steered clear of the piano. But now things were different. Things were actually going good in her life. Maybe today Savanna would be able to tickle the ivories once more and sing. It would be a miracle.

Testing out the keys, Savanna felt her chest clench when the beautiful notes were heard. It didn't cause her to stop though. It caused her to keep playing. Savanna didn't feel worn out with terrible memories of a broken childhood, a lost friend and a hopeless future. It caused hope to swell in her. It caused Savanna to have a urge to continue on.

Playing the song that seemed to be the soundtrack to her life (Voice Within), her head looked up and stared at the crack in the wall. Her mouth opened and her musical voice spilled the words. "Young girl, don't cry. I'll be right here when you're world starts to fall." Her voice was pretty, yet sad. Savanna's chest clenched more so. "Young girl, it's all right. You're tears will dry, you'll soon be free to fly--" A sound of another voice caused her to stop singing and caused her fingers to stop moving.

She was surprised to find a person sitting in one of the seats.

Hades melted into the Ampitheatre from the shadows, wondering if that Apollo boy was back again. He had lurked in when he wasn't busy and found that the boy was quite talented. He heard the piano keys tapping away as he took his seat, grinning slightly as he realized that it was his own daughter who was playing. He rested his elbows and crossed his fingers as he listened, surprised when she began singing.

He nodded along with it, before he grew tired of being ignored to some piano. He had things to discuss before he returned home to Persephone. "You have your mother's voice you know," he called to her, wondering if being associated to her 'whore-ish' mother would set her off. "That's how I found her. With a voice like that, well I thought you could never steer wrong."

Looking at her father, partly in shock that he had caught her when she had her guards down, Savanna finally processed what he said. "Funny," Savanna murmured, turning to face him, her tone not agreeing with her statement. "I was always led to believe that I got my musical talent from you. Mom always said you were a aspiring rockstar." Savanna smirked as she brushed her hand against the ebony of the bench. "Of course, voice can be misleading." Savanna replied after hearing her father say his last comment.

Savanna smirked again when she noticed his usual attire. It was much like her own style.Go figure.... "I find it humorous that everyone in my past that was worth remembering is dead." Savanna said for no reason in particular, besides for the fact that she needed to voice her opinion. Fathers were supposed to listen.... right? "I don't mind that fact that Melinda is dead though. I'm sure you're aware of what I had to endure in that apartment." Savanna smiled bitterly. "Sometimes I wonder why you left me with her." Savanna didn't accuse him. In fact, she was very glad that he didn't rescue her from Melinda's clutches. Melinda's neglect and hate toward Savanna made her the person she is today.

Hades smirked slightly. After hearing how Melinda sang, he had immediately introduced himself as an aspiring rock star. And it had worked; hook, line, and sinker. He left before the woman had even woken up, and he didn't realize that she was with child, until Savanna had actually been born. What could he have done then? Take her away from her mother?

...Most likely, but Persephone was already giving him 'the eye' for sleeping around again. He tilted his hand, palms up, and shrugged his shoulders at his daughter. "What could I have done? Sure, I suppose I could've brought you to Camp Half-blood, but questions would have arose. I couldn't have taken you with me to the Underworld. I was on rocks with Persephone as it was. And besides, I have a reputation as the coldest God alive. Besides, she raised you just fine." He answered.

Savanna smirked softly, her dimples appearing on her cheeks, making her seem more childish. It was highly infuriating. "I am completely fine with your choice. I got to experience things that the kids here never got to. It think of my time with Melinda as a learning experience." Savanna shrugged her shoulders.

"Speaking of my dear step-mother..." Savanna trailed, her smirk growing. "How is she? Still a total, raging bitch?" Savanna didn't know if her father minded her insulting Persephone, but she did anyway. Last time she met her, Persephone completely hated her guts. It was understandable though, Hades practically cheated on her and Savanna was proof.

Hades nodded at his daughter. Knowing how her life had been before Camp Half-Blood, he was very proud of how she had turned out. Cold, calculating, and entirely like him. Unlike that whore mother of hers, which was how he preferred it. His daughter was so much like him, it was uncanny. The only nitch in the deal was that Persephone wasn't too fond of the girl. Who could blame her really?

Hades smirked slightly, shaking a lone finger at his daughter. "Now now, Savanna, be nice to your step-mother. She may be a bitch..." Hades winced. Oh, he was sure that Persephone was angry now. Maybe he shouldn't have repeated his daughter's words. Oh well. "But she is still your step-mother and a Goddess. You will do well to show her some type of respect. Even I show her respect, though for the undead life of me, I haven't the foggiest why."

Savanna rolled her eyes in amusement. It took all of her will power not to burst out laughing. "I've never been anything but polite to her. You know that. I just think that, even though she is a Goddess, that she should give me respect as well. We are family." Savanna said in a heavily sarcastic voice. It was frightening seeing how much her and her father were alike. "Well, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were completely in love with her." Savanna laughed bitterly. "But, love is a foolish feeling. Completely unrealistic." Savanna loved how ironic it was seeing as her boyfriend was the son of Aphrodite.

Shit... boyfriend.

Her father probably wasn't going to take the news of her having a boyfriend very well. Surely he would be beyond angry when he found out. Savanna knew that Jonny-Boy was as good as dead when she told her father. Savanna couldn't tell her father about them. Yet, Savanna didn't know if she could be able to keep a secret from her father. It didn't seem normal. Savanna was brutally honest with him. Why ruin that with this?

Hades raised an eyebrow as he rose from his seat. He quickly crossed over to where his daughter was at before leaning against the piano. "You're thinking about something. What is it?" He questioned the girl, crossing his arms as he waited for an answer. He could read his daughter almost as well as everyone else, and he could tell that something had crossed her mind. Something that maybe she hadn't wanted to say yet.

But he was the God of the Underworld. And her father. He deserved to know these things. No matter what. "I agree," he finally said, addressing the other topic. "Persephone should be better behaved when you're around. Since you have your own little place in the Underworld now."

Savanna stiffened and raised her chin in defiance. Savanna was having a slight panic-attack when he read her so easily. She would have to tell him. "I have a boyfriend." Savanna stated in a decided voice, looking at her father straight in the eyes. It would do no good if she appeared afraid of him. Savanna wasn't afraid, just worried that he would do something to Jonny-Boy. "That's what I'm thinking about. That and what you are going to do to him." Savanna said honestly, smirking.

"I have my own place? Like, an actual room now?" Savanna straightened her back, a hopeful gleam in her grey eyes. "Thank you father." Savanna was grateful for that. Now she would be able to escape down there if needed.

Hades was quiet for a moment. A long moment in fact. He was trying to wrap the concept around his brain. His daughter was dating someone? As in, she had a boyfriend? Did that mean they were...doing things that normal teenagers do when they get boy/girlfriends? Was she going to be like her mother? No no, Savanna was too smart for that. Too much like Hades himself.

And why did she want to keep this from him? Ah..God of the Underworld and all that. It made sense. And he would naturally kill the boy. Nobody was good enough for his perfect daughter. Well, as long as the boy wasn't like...a child of Aphrodite or anything, he was good. A boy by Ares would surely be too burly, but at least they could fight. Maybe she could find a friend with that Apollo boy that he had heard earlier. He chose not to speak to his daughter, not yet. He couldn't find any way to say the things that he was thinking.

Savanna was waiting for her father to have a reaction... any reaction. Maybe yelling or possibly a congrats. But nothing came form him. He was completely silent. That worried Savanna. She would've preferred the yelling. "I find your silence unnerving." Savanna admitted, staring at him searching for anything.

She could imagine what he was thinking. It wad frightening. Usually she could read people very easily. But, with her father, it was unpredictable. He could be happy or angry. She just couldn't tell.