( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬 ！！ x─────ix ♃
x──────i ii janus. iii sixteen. iiii tags: vittorio. ivi outside.
x──────i ii janus. iii sixteen. iiii tags: vittorio. ivi outside.
- "i think they lose their 'people' card when they die," aldous said, though this wasn't a debate that he was particularly invested in. "it's more about... you know, killing mortals. that's like, a big 'no' for most of us. only in the most intense of situations." which he supposed it was, in a way. "and the undead aren't mortal. sort of the opposite." it was perhaps arbitrary, the ranking of what was right to kill and what wasn't, but it made sense in his own head, and he supposed that that was all that mattered. "the soldiers just circled. there were no shots fired. looks like there were, here." a glance around. he had seen people clutching at bullet wounds that gushed no blood, watched them hobble in the direction of what looked like a makeshift infirmary. everything about this place felt so hodgepodge.
"chiron. that's the one," it felt like a name aldous should have remembered, so he was thankful for the recollection. "well. he'll definitely be here, right? it's not too -"
a glance at the sky as the sky rumbled once more, as though it were sighing, letting out a breath. "you've really annoyed someone up there." the distraction was minor. he wondered whether it was jupiter's wrath or his counterpart's, though the latter seemed more likely. "i dunno. think you're discounting yourself a bit there."
so the son of ares had been sent here, rather than getting here of his own volition. that made sense. he had heard tales of camp half-blood, the lack of structure, the loose attempt at what they called 'training' - there was no instance of lupa honing the skills of the demigods who attended here. "and you don't think she was right?" he asked. maybe he was pushing a little, but it was conversation. the campers were coming into view, injured but seemingly mostly alive, which he supposed was a testament to their skill - or a testament to the lack of skill from the enemy. "you got a lot of people here." there was a fire blazing, the flames a colour that he didn't normally attribute to fire. "and no common area."
( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐬 ！！ x─────ix ♖
x──────i ii thanatos. iii seventeen. iiii tags: quest group.
ivi outside diner
x──────i ii thanatos. iii seventeen. iiii tags: quest group.
ivi outside diner
- the stress had been dying down, and then it was back. it was a shame. he would have liked the continuance of the banal, even for a little while. but sunglasses and burgers were put aside for favour of doors, and the roles appeared to reverse a little, ash gripped by a fear that he imagined had rivalled his own, in a way.
"and the doors of death being open, that's... bad, is it?" yes. obviously it was bad. ash wasn't beaming, he wasn't jumping for joy, he had teilo's shoulder in a vice grip and he looked flooded with thought. a glance toward aiden, desperate. "what're - what're the doors of death? he doesn't - he didn't tell me that. he didn't say that he was opening any doors, he just - what -" he shut his eyes, drew it back. he had no interest in rambling, not in general conversation and not in times of stress, so instead he rose his hand, put it on ash's. it wasn't much. it was something, though. he hoped it was something. "it's something to do with the ghosts, then." that conclusion seemed clear enough.
and if they were doors, then that meant exit. or entry.
a quiet part of his mind wondered if that was where wilder had gone. if it had something to do with that. what he would give for an explanation from that blasted wraith right about now, what he would give to see that head poke around the door. his jaw set, free hand trembling of its own accord. he'd blame it on the cold. now wasn't the time to succumb to that growing dread, not again. his stomach was empty anyway - there was nothing to eject. sad, in a way, that that was the silver lining of the whole situation.
( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 ！！ x─────ix ♔
x──────i ii zeus iii eighteen. iiii tags: astoria, nicholas, vivienne.
ivicentralia, pennsylvania - zeus' fist.
x──────i ii zeus iii eighteen. iiii tags: astoria, nicholas, vivienne.
ivicentralia, pennsylvania - zeus' fist.
- orin should've felt bad. it had been rare for that kind of vitriol to spew in the past, normally followed by a bout of guilt, some form of regret, but none of that was there. he had said his piece. he had made his point. and vivienne had made hers. "might be in a church, but i don't think the sanctimonious stuff's gonna fly," was his final comment on the matter as astoria made took heed of his nod and vivienne turned in her huff.
"let there be dark," he murmured, half to himself - shut his eyes when his arm was gripped, dimming the lights for the sake of the shadows, and then -
falling.
freefalling through the dark, into the shadows. it felt a bit like dying, his stomach dropping, the loss of his senses, the all-encompassing emptiness. it was fear, riding on the back of oblivion, the passenger of a driver who had no idea what cars were - and his heart felt as though it was going to stop for the second time that day, that eternity.
orin became very suddenly aware of how cold he was.
which meant - "oh, you beauty," he opened his eyes. looked around. the rock formation, the trees, the snow on the ground. "they still haven't brought the sun back. you'd think they'd hurry up with that." to himself, mostly. zeus' fist. he hadn't been here in a while. it looked a bit smaller than he recalled. the whole place looked a little bit duller than it had in his reminiscent memory. regardless, he found himself grinning, if not for the miracle of landing, but for the confirmation that he was back, no matter how bitter, no matter how blighted. he had done the impossible. they had done the impossible. a short, sharp laugh. the fear was gone. a wave of victory. the sky groaned overhead. was that celebratory or fearful? he hoped for the former. mostly.
his attention turned quickly to astoria once the initial shock had passed. "you did it. crow, you've only gone and bloody done it. that was excellent," but that was a lot of power, and she was barefoot in the snow, which wasn't a very good idea in any sense - "are you alright?"
