Camp Half-Blood: Into the Storm - Closed!

My gallery · by **sammy,** » Mon Aug 09, 2021 6:12 am

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 ！！ x─────ix ♔
x──────i ii zeus iii eighteen. iiii tags: auggie auggie auggie.
ivicabin thirteen.

i have my connections so that i have a source for all the ones that need their necks wrung. you know, if i've had a bad day, call up ron down the circuit, everything's fine and dandy. he gets rid of one of his - no, sorry, that's horrible. i don't know why i'm saying that,

i don't make a habit out of strangling birds, no matter how long and easy to squeeze their necks may be. i'm not that bad.

right. of course you can. you're just not going to do it now because you don't want to show off,

well, if you're saying the french are as insane as me, then that's not insane at all. that's perfectly sane. and i'd say - you know, i'm sane. i wouldn't say the french necessarily are. i think you've got things muddled up here. we're on opposite sides of the sanity spectrum,

i don't know if i want to share the details of the incident to someone who would so quickly judge a man on his living situation. i don't know if you'd judge me for it. what if you thought me some kind of incorrigible freak? there are too many scenarios. you've shown your true colours here, and it's all down to the muppets.

is this not war, what we're in?

and is this not torture? that's a war crime. you've committed a war crime. i hope you're proud of yourself.

you're revelling in my clear distress. what you're doing is not right. i'm gonna start campaigning against you. start a revolution to make sure that i am never pulled up on my minor celebrity-related mistakes again.

but, to be clear, betty white isn't the same as betsy ross, is she?

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐬 ！！ x─────ix ♖
x──────i ii thanatos. iii seventeen. iiii tags: clive.
ivi hampton inn, rooftop.

oi, you! standin' there like one of burton's dummies. listen to me, there's no seeds sowed here, pal. so i don't know why you're loitering. he's not dead yet. wind your neck in. get lost.

as

taffy,

it's freezing, isn't it?

feel it. proper cold, in't it? feels like your fingers are gonna fall off and your eyelids are gonna freeze,

why'd you come here, again? 'cause of the cold? the freezing, freezing cold?

quest,

right. and you've got that fella you mentioned 'ere, who else? can you name 'em?

mira -

aiden, ash, jamie, aggy, skylar, dahlia,

there you go. alright,

tell me something you're scared of,

i dunno,

anything. anything at all. stupid as you like. don't need to explain it, just tell me,

dragons,

something you hate,

american football,

do you like the proper game? the beautiful game? who d'you support?

manchester united,

disgusting. right. okay, that aside -

what did you wanna do, before all this?

rugby,

were you good? you were speedy, but were you good? did you win any games? what was your position?

yeah,

was a wing.

that's nice. that's good. tell me about the one who died.

don't want to,

his name. what did he teach you? how'd you spend your time? when did you find out he died? how did you find out? you didn't cry, but did you scream? did you shout?

just called him wilder. it was his last name,

taught me how to unlock a car with a shoelace. we were in maths together. it was announced at an assembly, everyone knew but me. i ran home. miles. don't really remember it. i was so angry. all i could do was shout.

right,

last one, teilo. last question. you're doing brilliant. still chilly, though, isn't it? that's not the question,

right now, you've got a big choice. easiest one you're ever gonna make and the hardest one to put into action.

life or death? are you gonna sit here and faint and freeze and let all those lot down there find you in't morning, or are you gonna get up? you're not gonna die of your injuries. they're not fatal. they just hurt. focus on that hurt. it's the cold that'll kill you. the tiredness.

have

could see him again,

do you see him here?

he's made his decision. he's gone. left you here, on your own. he's washed his hands of you. i'm sorry teilo, but if he were interested in sticking around, he would've. you would be talking to him, not me. but i'm all you've got at moment, and i'm telling you to make the decision. life or death. i don't think you're brave enough. i think you think it's safer to die. can't disappoint anyone if you die, can you? don't have to answer anyone's questions. you can drift away, thinking you had no choice. i'm not having that. you've got a choice now. i wanna hear you say it.

life,

you don't know anything.

good,

you can argue with me when you're not an 'air away from the pearly gates. get up and prove it to me. prove you're no coward, and i'll take it back.

My gallery · by ***Lovel*** » Mon Aug 09, 2021 7:14 am

〖 ☾ 〗Ash Davis〖 ☾ 〗

Son of Hypnos ☼☽ Cabin 15 ☼☽ 17 ☼☽ Bisexual

☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆

Tags: Mira
Location: Hall

Ash laughed, not his usual cheerful one but one more hollow. "I'm fine, just a right git, prat even." he took a deep breath as he finally met Mira's gray blue eyes. "How about we go to my room then?" he shoved a finger toward his room. "I, Teilo, I told him. Told him things have changed, feelings to be exact. Unexpected really." Ash turned making his way over to his and Teilo's room. He felt in his pockets before remembering he put the door stop out to hold the door open.

He put a hand on the door "Feelings, they are fickle. I told him, said my peace, told him to take his time to process everything and tell me his thoughts tomorrow. He went somewhere to think, he's been gone a good minute, leaving me to think too of course. That's how I got this." he showed her his bruising knuckles before continuing. "Not his fault really. But having these feelings again is confusing. What's the next step? I've never gotten this far?" he bit the inside of his cheek before pushing the door open.

He scanned the room to see if Teilo made his way back yet, he hadn't. A wave of worry hit Ash at the realization Should he be back by now? he said he'd be back by the time I was done showering. he turned to Mira."He said he'd be back by the time I finished showering, is that... is that bad?" in that moment he probably seemed like a young child, new to how people are. "Should I have done this different? Waited?" he did it again, laid a lot on someone. He looked away back into the room as his eyes brimmed. She couldn't see him cry, he wouldn't let her. Get it together Davis.

He looked down the hall a moment hoping to see Teilo come down it. Should he leave Mira here with no explanation and look for him? That would surely make him a bloody fool, leaving Mira here in the hallway after he basically banged her door down. Ash brought his sleeve to his face wiping away evidence of him crying before he turned to Mira again. "Should we look for him?" he asked her hoping she'd give the green light.

『♕ 』 Elios Castellanos『♕ 』

Son of Dionysus ☺ Cabin 12 ☺ 17 ☺ Bisexual

≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎

Tags: Chad
Location: Dining Pavilion

"Oh? Sorry to disappoint." Elios put on a feign look of hurt like the words cut him deep. "If you help me I'll help you." he patted the boys back a few times. "So, my dear old dad decided to curse me with an addiction to blue slushies. Would you help me obtain said blue slushies?" he laid on puppy dog eyes that could rival even the cutest toddler. "I go through insane withdrawals if I don't get one in time." Elios explained further. He could feel his clamminess and shuttered hopefully this dude will help before the symptoms get worse. "How about it huh?" he twiddled his thumbs eagerly awaiting an answer.

My gallery · by **indigo'** » Mon Aug 09, 2021 10:22 am

━━━ 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬

Auggie nodded along idly as he spoke, falsely agreeing until what he was saying started to take a turn, expression melting into one of horrified amusement. “Jesus.” She let out a startled laugh, giving him a questioning look. “Glad you clarified.” As if it was actually necessary for him to state he didn’t strangle ostriches on his bad days. “I was about to start recommending therapists. Or, you know...calling the police.”

She glared back at the patronising nod, lips pressed tightly together, eyes slightly narrowed. She was tempted to give him a good flick to the forehead, just to wipe the look off his face, but knowing she couldn’t actually prove her claims with a flick figured that probably wasn’t a very solid defense. “That’s what I said,” she replied, choosing to ignore the sarcasm in his tone. She let out an over-exaggerated sigh, shrugging her shoulders with a resigned expression, as if there was nothing that could be done to counter his disbelief. “I just don’t think you could handle it, that’s all. Maybe one day.”

“Well of course you’d say you're sane. Insane people don’t know they’re insane, they just go around talking about eating crunchy muppets. If you were sane you’d be doubting that.” She shook her head again, supposedly steadfast in her opinion on his sanity. “I’m not the one who’s got things muddled.” She groaned again at the continued evasiveness, turning her face down to laugh into the mattress. “Why are you doing this to me?” She gave him a calculating look, seeming to consider something before she nodded, coming to a conclusion. “Maybe I will flick you into non-existence. Maybe I should.”

“Is it?” She asked flatly in response to the first question. Then he went further with his claims. “Is it?” She considered it, then twitched her head sideways in a half-shrug. “Yeah, I am. That’s my first war crime, I think. We should celebrate.” She dropped his arm, dimly aware of the lack of covering on her hands, but not as panicked as she usually would have been. It could have been blamed on the general brain fog, the state of near delirium—or maybe it was just the situation making her a little less fearful of her own power. She was barely distracted for a second, attention turning back to Orin and his melodrama with a smile and slightly raised brow. “Are you? Good luck with that. If you want to know about any of my past war crimes so you can expose them to the public let me know. I’ve got some career-shattering things hidden away. They'd definitely help your campaign.” She'd composed an expression of false seriousness as she spoke, a look that immediately cracked at his question. “Yeah, actually, she is. Same person. Didn’t you know that? God, you really need to brush up on your knowledge of...” She didn't know how to classify the two women who weren't even vaguely related into one category. "Things."

My gallery · by **Kveykva** » Mon Aug 09, 2021 12:26 pm

──────── 𝐊𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐱

❝

𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑒

❞

"Damaged, shamaged." Kayle blew a raspberry as she pushed her way into the laundry room, not bothering to hit the light switch as she entered. In hindsight, she wasn't sure where to begin searching for a replacement outfit for Vivienne; from the way she walked, Kayle put her body type as something more petite than her own build. Her brother - bless his little undead heart - wasn't a fan of t-shirts, or anything remotely multi-utilitarian. It wasn't as though she'd find something of the sort to loan to her for the night. "Of all the bloody things I could've gotten from Mom, why couldn't the shadow clothes thing been one of them?" she mumbled with a huff. If Nick hadn't nicked off to you-know-where, she'd just ask him for a remedy. But he had, so she didn't. "Actually, you can just -" Kayle fumbled with her own shirt, pulling it off over her head as she stepped back out into the hall. Now in the light with her long sleeve shed, her vibrant green tattoos were clearly visible on her muscular frame. "You can just borrow this. It might be a little big, but it's clean I promise. I don't really like long sleeves anyway, New York is just getting too cold for me to stand right now." Kayle wore a sports bra underneath, and she seemed entirely unbothered by the amount of skin exposed to the cold.

When it became clear that Vivienne would refuse to accept the offered shirt, Kayle tossed it behind her in defeat. "Fine, okay, I'll find you something else." But where could she look? Kayle dove back into the laundry, sifting through the hanging shirts for a few minutes before giving up on that endeavor. She soon changed gears, motioning for Vivienne to stay put as she careened back up the stairs, once again two at a time. Her steps were light by no means, and after what felt like an eternity of an elephant herd stampeding on the second floor, Kayle returned with a Grateful Dead t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, both a little worn looking but visibly clean. "I was actually looking for this shirt last week, but I guess I left it here last time I came to visit." she shrugged and presented them to Vivienne. "Not the skin off my back so you have no reason to tell me no this time. And I ain't takin' no for an answer either."

──────── 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦

❝

𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑠𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝐷𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ

❞

Audra had the audacity to laugh, and it sparked a twinge of anger in the horseman. It faded as quickly as it came - she didn't know any better. The less she knew, the more likely she was to listen to what he had to say. Whether he trusted the Vessel or not was still up in the air, but in the end, it wouldn't matter. Death had more than enough power to hold his own, even if the world fell apart in the fallout. Especially if the world fell apart in the fallout. "I take it you're familiar with the concept of a divine being's true form, then." he stated, clearing his throat to regain some strength in his voice. Nicholas had his own thoughts on the matter, especially when the topic of his own came to the table, but he wasn't sure he was prepared to share them yet. "Best not to try your luck with it."

"Yeah, I thought it sounded like a stretch." his laugh came only as exhalation through his nose. "I'd be worried she might think less of me after that, but everything else came on so quickly. I'd say my sailor mouth is the least of my worries at the moment, considering I'll keel over in..." the god thought for a moment, glancing at the watch on his wrist as he added up the numbers. "Two days, seventeen hours, twenty-three minutes and thirty seconds, rounded down to the half-minute mark. So long as the clot in my lung holds until then," he inhaled sharply. "If I can get the bullet out in a reasonable amount of time, I should be fine." It was his own fault, honestly. He missed it the first time around, and with all the extraneous actions he'd taken throughout the day, it's no surprise this started up again. "Yeah, yeah - I know how it sounds. Don't patronize me over it, I know what you're thinking." he added.

Nicholas nodded, his lavender eyes holding none of their primordial prowess at the moment. "Yes. As much - or as little - as you want to share. I understand your hesitance to put any level of trust in me, and I don't fault you for it. Vivienne is a topic you hold very close to your heart, and that isn't something I take for granted. I know the bond you have; I've seen the ripples you left behind in her life, how they grew into waves that pushed her so down the path she walks now." he shifted to face her fully, resting on his left elbow. "But the ability to read people and feel the expressions of ghosts only goes so far, and you know the real Vivienne first-hand. So tell me, please." and so he sat, and he listened. It immediately became clear what the two of them shared, and how powerful it was.

Love is one of the most powerful motivators, and the power it wields is terrifying. It causes people to become unpredictable, but not always in the sense of recklessness. People willingly go to the ends of the Earth for love, and the carnage it leaves in its wake is unfathomable. It's so often taken for granted these days, in the sense that it holds a specific connotation that many people fear to apply. There is not a single type of love; there are seven different words for love in Greek, and Latin tends to use various figures of speech to describe the feeling in its many forms.

People see love as romance, and romance as exclusively sexual in nature. Romance implies passion, and passion refers only to a feeling of ardency. A form of love different from platonic or lustful, but no less powerful. Passion for a subject can spawn hyper fixation, or an obsession with the smallest details and how they add color to the bigger picture. Passion for a person is the desire to learn more; to see how their enjoyment for gardening or their gait of walking on their tiptoes rather than the balls of their feet combine to form the perfect individual in the eye of the beholder. To love a person is to love them in their entirety, and to have faith in them until they find the faith to place in themselves.

"Believe in the me that believes in you."

Kayle loves him. Despite his many flaws and mistakes, despite the jumble of footprints and hasty steps he finds impossible to retrace, she stays. She stands with him, despite knowing what it entails at the end of his rope. She drinks and she laughs with no regard for what the others may think. She ruins his perfectly combed hair and claims his abode as an extension of her own. She drops her Saturday night plans on a whim, because something tells her she's needed elsewhere. Kayle doesn't know him for the longest time, but she loves him.

Ryan loves him. He's never seen any value in the skin he wears, nor has he any desire for the destiny to his name. Nicholas Storm. Death, the pale rider and the fourth horseman of Armageddon. He is a scourge now bound with his sword, but their bond is filled with cracks, rife with insecurity and uncertainty. He wears the names, but what they mean is a mystery. Ryan knew none of these, but he expected that the answers to the man he shares his home with will come in time. He is patient with him, and he hears the words that go unspoken. He has faith in the man with no voice, and he treasures the time they spent together even after it's over. Ryan moves on, but Nicholas remains to pick up the pieces of himself in the wake of the cataclysm.

"loves" becomes "loved" somewhere down the line, but it comes too early and mistakes are made. He still isn't ready, he doesn't know if he will ever find a place to put all the love he has, but can no longer give.

"You really love her." Nicholas said, straightening up to clear clouded thoughts from his eyes. "I can feel it, but hearing it said is different from feeling it. They say actions speak louder than words, but finding the words to perfectly describe an action speak louder than anything." he reached forward to the grave he'd chosen as their meeting place, delicately lifting a lone white rose from its vase. Despite having been cut from its roots, the flower remained vibrant as ever, not even showing the slightest amount of wilt. "You left a void in her when you left, not that it could have been helped. Khione's spent the rest of Vivienne's life turning her anguish into anger, and the void has only grown larger." he studied the rose's tender petals, as if afraid he might taint them with his aura. "Nothing I have to give can help her grow out of what Khione's done to her. I want to, I genuinely do... but I'm not -" his words failed him. He knew what he wanted to say; they had a phrase for it in his mother tongue. "Lyuthtya se esu te." the words meant nothing to Audra. "It's not within my power. I'll do what I can, but you can't expect a miracle from me."

My gallery · by **takara** » Mon Aug 09, 2021 3:23 pm

Ophelia reached to snag Aydan's arm, to hold back the fire he was throwing on fire, but it was too late. The damage was done, the words rushing past the floodgates before she could get a grip on them. For an ice boy, he's sure got a hot temper. She shrugged it off, warily glancing back at Riley. For once, she seemed to be at a loss for words. At least, any particular vicious ones. She prattled on about being a chosen one, and the daughter of Aphrodite wondered if she could retract her apology. Gods, have I ever met anyone less deserving of charity? I wonder if there's a way to petition Zeus to strike down her ego.

Riley's face remained sneering, but her eyes went glassy, ready to be shattered at a moment's notice. The blonde rushed off rather than wait for the moment to pass. Ophelia was rattled to see such a familiar expression on someone else's face. She's, she's actually going to cry now? Curse these damn Zeus kids and their weird reactions! Ophelia shook her head at Riley's retreating form.

Once she deemed Riley far enough away not to be an active threat, Ophelia turned back to Aydan, "I'm on it," She said, reaching to take his hand before letting her arm fall back to her side. Stop being presumptuous! He probably wants to talk about... Her mind went blank, but there had to be an explanation. A perfectly logical, non-butterfly inducing, everyday question. Oh my gods, what if he realized that he's only attracted to guys and wanted to talk over it with an Aphrodite kid? Ophelia cut the distance between them. "Where to?" She raised an eyebrow at him, wondering if she should give him a refresher on the areas of camp, or if that was too much. Shoot, what if this is about yesterday's Iris message? That's it! That's got to be it! He wants to deal with his issues, and it's not like he's had the chance to meet a lot of other people at camp, She wanted to punch herself for thinking that it could be anything else. Dammit princess, stop making it all about you!

Risking a quick look at her table, Ophelia let out a breath when she realized that it had finally cleared. She let herself loop an arm around Aydan, for comfort. "We should stay close enough to get the gist of this, if that works for you?" Ugh, foot-in-mouth disease. She smiled sympathetically at Aydan. "Head counselor stuff. It helps to know before a seven year old asks 'what does forty-fying mean?'" She made her voice shrill and batted her eyes theatrically at Aydan to impersonate the child.

My gallery · by **WitchHazel** » Mon Aug 09, 2021 3:55 pm

Mirabelle Everhart
|♡|17|She/Her|Aphrodite|Head Counselor|Location: Hampton Inn Room 208 ➡ 207|Tags: Ash|

"I'm fine, just a right git, prat even." She didn't believe him for a second. Even without being able to feel his turbulent emotions, she would've been able to tell. His laugh was too hollow; his voice too tight in his chest. He was quick to contradict himself, however, when he began to explain what had happened. She followed him into his room, her mind a cacophony of swirling thoughts. I didn't sense anything between them at the stables... so it must be new. The flesh of her cheek met her teeth in her worry. A lot can change in a day.

Mirabelle thanked him when he held the door open for her, waiting until they made it inside to respond. "The only step right now you need to worry about is giving him space," she advised gently. She hopped up onto the end of the bed where Teilo's belongings were not located, and patted the plush surface next to her as an invitation for Ash to do the same. "Give him a little time to process everything." The thought crossed her mind that perhaps she should offer some of her own experience to help Ash feel less alone - albeit without revealing names or genders. Sure, he'd seen her and Delilah together... the thought still made her stomach twist in knots. But he didn't know about Juliet. "He's already doing better than I did the first time something intimate happened. I was - we kissed, and then - well, I kind of maybe ran away." A sheepish blush coloured her cheeks at the admission. "Awkward doesn't even begin to cover it. But all I needed was some time to process; to think things through and calm down. He probably just needs the same - sudden confessions and actions can do that sometimes." She twirled a strand of golden hair around a well-manicured finger as she spoke, but stopped abruptly when she realised how what she'd said could have come off. "N-Not that you're to blame! It's not your fault; not in the least. There really isn't any better way to confess feelings to someone than doing it all at once, trust me."

Despite Ash's attempts to hide it, she could tell he'd been crying - nothing got past Mirabelle's perceptive gaze. She didn't say anything of it, however. If I were in his place, I wouldn't want anyone pointing that out. "In the meantime, let's take a look at your hand. I don't have my medical supplies on me at the moment, but I'd still like to make sure you didn't dislocate or fracture anything." Demigods were resilient, but it was still a risk he could have run. She'd dislocated a knuckle or two by punching hard objects before, in the heat of emotion.

Liv Keary
|✂|15|She/Her|Iris (Unclaimed)|Location: Outside|Tags: Corey|

Liv puffed out her chest when Corey seemed impressed by the reaction she'd gotten out of the sky god, after shouting all of those insults up into the clouds. "Thanks! I've been told I'm a fantastic instigator." She spoke the phrase as if it were a proud achievement, though someone who wasn't Liv might've taken that as an insult rather than a compliment. Starting fights and getting under people's skin was what she was good at. She'd learned that early on.

"Right, because perfection isn't just some unattainable goal made up by society to make people feel bad about themselves." She snorted, her voice rife with its usual sarcastic candor. "I bet they're so perfect that it hurts to look at them." She rolled her eyes dramatically, but an amused smirk tugged at the corners of her pierced lips. "You want a tip? You art always sucks. That is, there's always a way to make it better." She shrugged nonchalantly, shrugging her beat-up black coat tighter around herself.

A flicker of what she thought was flame caught her eye in the near distance, but it wasn't the colour of fire. "Is that the campfire?" She inquired, though she did her best to sound wholly disinterested. "It's violet." It was the first thing she noticed, but colours were often the first thing she noticed. "A nice shade of eggplant purple, actually. Is it always that colour? 'Cause that's totally metal. I gotta paint that sometime."

Vivienne Isole
|❄|18|She/Her|Khione|Location: Morgantown, PA|Tags: Kayle|

Vivienne stiffened when Kayle blew a raspberry, recoiling from the other girl in disgust. What a rude and uncouth gesture. She kept quiet as she followed Kayle into what she assumed to be the laundry room, given the machines and hampers of clothing within. The mortal woman was muttering to herself - it wasn't anything of Vivienne's concern. But her eyebrows nearly shot off her face when Kayle took off her own shirt and offered it to Vivienne. "What - ? No, I cannot possibly accept -" Her protests were cut short as she registered the emerald ink winding around Kayle's left arm. She'd caught a glimpse of the artwork on her neck when talking with her previously, but it was a lot more extensive than she had expected.

Vivienne's eyes ran over Kayle's tattoos, her hand unconsciously tracing the cluster of forget-me-nots inked onto the inside of her left wrist. The green tribal designs suited her, Vivienne thought. Though she wasn't necessarily sure why someone with a severe visual impairment would want a tattoo if they couldn't see it. Perhaps she had the ability of sight at one point in her life, or perhaps she enjoys their texture. She knew from experience that tattoos were typically slightly raised from the other skin - it's what made running her fingers over her own tattoo so comforting. That, and the bittersweet memories it stored.

Focus, Vivienne! She has promptly offered you her own shirt. You cannot accept that - it is too far. "No, I shall not accept that. Please - please put your shirt back on." She shifted uncomfortably, training her eyes on the laundry room floor. Unfortunately, the garment was tossed behind Kayle, leaving her standing in some sort of crop-top camisole, the best Vivienne could figure. She held her tongue as the muscular woman started rifling through the laundry. I severely hope that has been washed. She soon gave up on the search and left the room, motioning for Vivienne to stay. Vivienne didn't have anything better to do, and was too tired to go tromping all over the house after Kayle. The way she walked sounded like a stampede of laistrygonian giants, but at least she knew where Kayle was going by the sound of her footfalls. When she returned with a pair of sweatpants and some sort of graphic t-shirt, Vivienne almost wanted to refuse.

Grateful Dead. She thought she remembered that it was some sort of music group, but she wasn't entirely sure. The image of a band composed of skeletons and zombies formed in her mind as she thought about it. But that was absurd, the dead didn't form musical groups. Raising the dead just to form a band sounded like the kind of hijinks Nicholas would pull, however. Undead musicians aside, the prospect of wearing someone else's clothing still made Vivienne's skin crawl. But what choice did she have? At least these garments are not filthy. Definitely not to her style preference, but they would do to sleep in, she supposed.

With a small, reluctant sigh, Vivienne accepted the offered clothing. She supposed it would've been polite to thank Kayle, but she wasn't really all that grateful - no pun intended. Instead, she slung the clothing over an arm and stared the other girl dead in the eyes, though she knew Kayle couldn't see her doing it. "Please leave so I may change clothing." A simple demand - cold, crisp, and to the point. It wasn't like Kayle could see her, but it would certainly feel better for her to have some privacy.

Audra Stark
|⛈|17|She/They|Kymopoleia|Ghost|Location: Morgantown, PA|Tags: Nicholas|

Was that a threat, or was he just thinking out loud? It didn't really matter - the death god was soon moving on, talking about his propensity for foul language and his impending death. The way he talked about his own mortality was so casual that it nearly made Audra want to slap him. Damn gods and their immortal state of being. "If it's that simple, just take the damn thing out already. Or get someone to help you do it. Hell, I'll do it if it keeps Vivienne from seeing you die." He'd asked not to be patronised, and she'd delivered in typical blunt manner.

She couldn't help but think how human he looked in that moment; when she was beginning to share what she was comfortable sharing about Vivienne. I almost forget he's the literal embodiment of Death, looking at him now. His words were poetic - she could appreciate a good use of metaphor. The ship on 'what she was comfortable sharing' soon sailed as memories fell from her lips like a cascading waterfall.

His thoughts intruded upon her own to an extent, but every time she tried to grasp at one it was mist slipping through her fingers. Something about love, different kinds of love... who knew Death was such a hopeless romantic. It would've been amusing, had her heart not been weighed down by nostalgia. Then there was a phrase; a singular, cheesy phrase that sounded like it wouldn't be out of place on a motivational poster. "Believe in the me that believes in you." Again, Audra would've burst out laughing had the mood not been drowned in bittersweet reminiscence. Names came next - Kayle... and Ryan. The name on the headstone before them was no longer swimming in her vision. Ryan... Lewis? Levi's? The first name, that was. She would ask about that later, but only if he wanted to talk. "loves" becomes "loved" somewhere down the line, but it comes too early and mistakes are made. It wasn't her thought - it was his. Perhaps it was so clear to her because of how much it resonated with her. But their 'love' hadn't become 'loved'. If anything, Vivienne's actions had proved that, misguided as they might be.

"You really love her." The simple phrase was enough to jolt Audra back to reality. "Yeah. Yeah, I do." They'd never said it out loud, but they'd never needed to. Both knew how much the other meant to them. "Your words are poetic... and you speak the truth." You're not so bad. She eyed the blooming white rose in his hand; the contrast of the delicate life with his deadly power not lost on her. "But you don't have enough faith in yourself, Dea - er, Nicholas. I'm not expecting any miracles, believe me. But it didn't take you a miracle to get through to her. It didn't take you a miracle for her to start to trust you. You don't need miracles, Nicholas. All you need is conviction." She shifted so her legs were no longer folded under her, but splayed out to the side. "It's not even really your duty to help her. I guess - what I'm trying to say is, I appreciate that. That you actually want to. Most people wouldn't." A pause, marked only by a light sigh. "Anyways - like I said, it's the little things that matter. June - Vivienne - she's detail-oriented. She won't miss the little things." And neither do I. "Why did you bring me here, of all places? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Just curious." She was a little more than curious, given the name 'Ryan' on the headstone in front of them, and that it had come up in his thoughts. But it wasn't really her place, just like it wasn't her place to bring up what he'd said to Vivienne in the church. She wasn't entirely uncertain the two topics were unconnected. As she eyed the alabaster rose in his equally pale fingers, she only grew more convinced.

My gallery · by **sammy,** » Tue Aug 10, 2021 8:53 am

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 ！！ x─────ix ♔
x──────i ii zeus iii eighteen. iiii tags: auggie auggie auggie.
ivicabin thirteen.

like you've got a recommendation for a therapist. like anyone here has a recommendation for a therapist,

that'd be half this bleedin' place's problems turned to dust. if everyone could process their thoughts and feelings in a healthy fashion, it'd be a completely different place.

well, i look forward to whenever you choose to grace me with your monster-flick. i'm sure it's bound to amaze. i hear the critics are calling it the flick of the year,

you know, like - like films? like -

you should be thankful for this. there're people who'd pay good money. good money to throw rotten fruit at me for these crackers. and you're getting 'em for free. sans rotten fruit, obviously. i'm sure that can be arranged.

did you just admit that he's crunchy? did'ja? i think you did. i think that's what i heard. you can't take that back, now,

i'm not doin' anything. i've done nothing to you. i'm just presenting the facts. it's not my fault minty rocked my skull and eviscerated my sense of taste, is it? is it?

i mean, you could do that. but i think you'd be a lot more bored. sitting around, no one to present these logical and perfectly-framed arguments to you.

crimes that boggle the mind. crimes so cruel that to quantify their cruelness would be doing them a vast disservice. big-ly big war crime, torture. especially psychological. really bad,

i'll get the party poppers, you get the champagne. we'll make a night of it.

that could've shattered my bones.

i need my bones. i don't want to be gelatinous.

well, that's another crime to add to your ever-growing list. you've just emulsified my arm. it's powder. underneath my skin, powder.

i did think so, but i wasn't sure. i'm really glad you've cleared that up for me. imagine i hadn't known. i'd've looked a right fool. i dread to think the situation i don't know that betty white is the monicker for that flag they stick on top of the buildings here,

last thing i wanna look is stupid, let me tell you.

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐬 ！！ x─────ix ♖
x──────i ii thanatos. iii seventeen. iiii tags: clive.
ivi hampton inn, rooftop, stairwell.

you know how in 'orror films they say 'don't look behind you', and then the person being told looks behind them, and then they get murdered by some weirdo in an 'orrific mask? don't look behind you,

he chose life. you hear that, dingbat? you can scurry off now, with the rest of your blue oyster pals. i'm not having you ruining this for 'im,

i'm cold,

that door,

fire door. says it's alarmed. isn't. not up to code, but who'm i to question code? don't get a lick of it. i'm no steve jobs, me. none of my business. it's hard to open, but just jostle it, and you'll be fine. go and do that, taffs. i'll be right behind you.

go, you hickory dumpty! i won't tell you again!

it's stuck,

i said it needs jostling, didn't i?

i can't do it. my hands are too cold, i'm too - i'm tired, i can't, i can barely stand, clive -

i don't remember making excuses when i was in the state i was in. just do it, taffy. last hurdle, you're gonna crumble at the last hurdle? you're on the... the whatsit, the try line, and you're gonna let this numskull take a penalty? i don't think so, matey. push through it.

psycho

i'm through,

alright, now shut the door behind you, there's good lad,

i'm not leaving you out there,

i'm a ghost, you blitherin' idiot. i can walk through walls. it's part and parcel. shut the blasted door,

he was an ugly bugger, he was. four sets of eyes,

really?

no, but i thought it'd make it sound scarier. they just look like normal people, to be honest. normal people that happen to be harbingers of the afterlife.

you feeling better, ghost rider?

yeah,

i must look disgusting.

yeah, you do,

y'look like carrie. you know, when she's at the prom, and -

did it, though. lived. that's a win. not having you dying here. these are my ends.

My gallery · by **Kveykva** » Tue Aug 10, 2021 9:28 am

──────── 𝐀𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫

❝

𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡𝑠

❞

When it came to boosting Jamie and the boy's self-confidence, Aiden had his work cut out for him. "Just keep it up, you'll get there. I promise." He offered the other a genuine smile. "I know I'm a little young to be teaching you much of anything, or at least anywhere else it would be weird. But I've been where you are now. It just takes time is all." Now he was starting to repeat himself, which meant they were due for a change of pace. "No, I know empousas aren't easy to kill, but you see my point, right?" the son of Athena huffed. "It isn't like I've fought one in an alley -" he paused. "- or, it wasn't an empousa. N-Nevermind," his attempt to make Jamie feel any level of superior fell flat.

"I like cicadas," he said, miffed. "I don't really mind the noise, the droning is good for helping me tune everything out. Maybe it's just nostalgia." Aiden thought after a moment. "I don't know if it was the baths I didn't like or the tub... If you didn't know, all Athena kids have an ingrained fear of spiders, but I also... am terrified of drowning." It went further than just him falling through the ice the day before. That event itself felt like a lifetime away, too. "I wish I could remember her face or her name. Even the sound of her voice is static in my head." Aiden picked at the skin around his nails, starting to lose himself in thought. "It feels like it doesn't belong to me. The memories, I mean." his voice grew soft. "I've never actually told anyone this, but... I don't like taking nectar and ambrosia. Not because I don't like the flavors, but... I don't know what they are."

──────── 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐬𝐨𝐧

❝

ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑒

❞

"No worries," Will responded. "I 'aven't been around, so I don' expect you to remember me." He would've given the child of Tyche a friendly wave, but between the blindness and his occupied hands, he decided against the gesture. "Nice t' meet y' again anyway. Yer name ain't comin' t' me, so how 'bout y' come t' my table with me? I'm sure Mr. D won't throw a tantrum between everythin' else that's 'appened." Already, he'd spotted campers mingling slightly between tables, speaking in mostly hushed tones. The wine god was nowhere to be seen, but now didn't feel like the right time to bust a blood vessel over something so trivial. The camp was in shambles as it was, and people were grieving. The funerals hadn't even started yet. "C'mon feller, follow th' sound of my voice." Although he didn't know the boy's name, he didn't want him to feel excluded in light of the events over the last two days. The Tyche cabin wasn't the most populous by any means, and he couldn't say he recalled anyone sitting at their designated picnic table that morning. With that, Wilhelm made his way over to the Hephaestus table, silently greeting those of his siblings that were present. He didn't immediately see Jude or Mateo, which led him to believe they were still in the Apollo cabin. Will took his seat and audibly patted the space next to him so the other registered that it was available.

My gallery · by **indigo'** » Tue Aug 10, 2021 12:54 pm

━━━ 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬

“Are you calling me emotionally unstable?” she shot back, eyebrows raised. “I’m so going to tell my therapist about this. Wait, is that...that’s not how that works, is it?” It had been a genuine blunder, not intending to prove his point with her lack of knowledge, but it was obvious how true it was. She’d lived at Camp since she was twelve, been essentially sheltered from normal mortal life, and nothing in that time had done anything to help her damaged psyche. “God, imagine. I don’t think anyone could handle it. I don’t think the world is ready for emotionally mature demigods.” She was fairly certain introducing most of the campers—herself included—to the concept of a therapist would go down like a lead balloon. Maybe that was part of the problem.

She’d opened her mouth to give a smug response on the topic of her devastating flicking powers when the joke came, causing her to roll her eyes, despite the betrayal of the smile on her face. “I get it, I get it,” she cut him off, shaking her head. “It was already bad, you didn’t have to make it worse by explaining it,” she grinned. “Oh yeah? Lucky me,” she replied sarcastically. As terrible as his jokes were, she wouldn’t have traded it for standing out in the snow dealing with any of the other irritating campers—she probably wouldn’t have traded it for anything for that matter, but she could feign annoyance regardless.

“No!” Auggie jumped to defend herself before he’d even finished the question, seeing her mistake the second he’d started speaking. “I didn’t. I can. That wasn’t what I meant. I was quoting you,” she laughed, swatting his hand away weakly. “He—” She stared at him for a moment, the vague explanation sinking in. “Hang on, you can’t taste anything? That...that explains a lot actually. And it probably was your fault,” she added with a sly grin. “People don’t tend to go around punching unprovoked, do they?” Her expression faltered the moment the words left her mouth, recalling the events from earlier that day. She didn’t really want to think about those events. “Usually.” The following point was made and she had no choice but to concede. “Yeah...probably. Guess I’ll keep you around. For now,” she added, the corner of her mouth twitching up.

“Yes, exactly that,” Auggie agreed in a tone of mock-seriousness. She tried to roll her eyes again at the dramatic reaction to his arm being dropped, but once again failed to suppress the smile. “Oh you poor delicate thing,” she said said sarcastically, poking his arm the way one would poke a bruise if they were trying to be obnoxious. “Maybe I’m just trying to see if I have bone bending powers. Maybe I’m just trying to practice on you.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m here for,” she said, continuing to play along. “Clearly. I mean, you’re a very serious person, wouldn’t want anyone thinking otherwise, right?”

━━━ 𝐀𝐨𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐡𝐲

[☘︎]17|she/her|Hebe|Cabin 7|tags: Reese

Aoife hadn’t been reluctant to leave the cramped cabin upon the request of whoever it was bossing people around. Though she wasn’t usually prone to following orders, the cool air outside was refreshing, clearing her head of the panic that seemed to go hand in hand with a room full of injured people. For a moment, she just stood, breath creating little clouds of fog in the air in front of her, feet shifting restlessly in the snow. So it was calmer outside...but it was also incredibly boring. Her eyes followed those making their way to and from the cabins, some heading over from the direction of the Dining Pavilion, beginning to gather around the fire. She was considering joining them, finding someone else to distract herself with, when she heard a commotion coming from the cabin behind her.

Curiosity sparked, she turned around to peer inside, eyes lighting up when she saw the source of commotion. The previous request for uninjured campers to stay out of the cabin and give the healers space was immediately forgotten as she hopped back up the steps to insert herself into the situation. “Hey, Jackie! The hell did you get yourself into?” She threw an arm around his shoulders, wrapping it in a near-strangling fashion as she eyed the children of Apollo up and down, eyebrows raised. “The quackheads giving you a hard time?” The comment was met with inevitable grumbling and offense, she thought she heard someone mutter some sort of insult towards her, but that only served to further her amusement, the manic grin on her face spreading wider. “Don’t worry, Reese’s Pieces. I’ll get you out of here.”

She began to steer him towards the door, waving off the Apollo kids who tried to intervene. “He’s fine. He’s fine, I’ve got him.” She paused, glancing over at Reese with a frown. “You are fine, right? I’m not breaking out an invalid if you’re gonna give up the ghost the second I drag you out into the snow. I only commit non-life-threatening crimes.” There was a moment of hesitation. “Well...most of the time, at least.” That didn’t sound right either. “Today. Toda—Right now. I’m not endangering anyone that much at this exact moment.” She stopped her rambling, looked over at him with eyebrows raised, blowing a stray curl out of her face. “Right?”

━━━ 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬

[✦]16|they/them|Kymopoleia|Outside|tags: Liv

“Oh yeah?” Corey nodded. “Yeah, you seem the type.” Maybe they also had a skill for instigating, but given the way things had gone so far, it didn’t seem likely that Liv would actually take the comment as an insult. That was probably better for both of them. Though it would have been amusing if she was a little more easy to rattle. Corey was actually enjoying the girl’s attitude. They enjoyed pissing people off, but they weren’t huge on getting into fights. Of course, it happened, and they didn’t mind swinging a few punches when the situation arose, but with everything else going on it really didn’t feel like the time.

The sarcastic response came and Corey let out a little laugh. “Alright so somebody’s got some opinions on the big bad ’society’.” As mocking as the comment sounded, they agreed with what she’d said. They couldn’t have actually agreed more, but saying things like that wasn’t quite their style. “Yeah!” they responded, nodding enthusiastically. “That’s exactly what people always tell me. Painful. Makes their eyes burn. That kind of stuff.” The tone of seriousness had returned, making it unclear whether they were making a joke or note. At least, they hoped it wasn’t clear. Eventually, people tended to catch on that most of what they said wasn’t meant to be taken seriously, but Liv had only known them for a few minutes. “Hm…” They fell silent for a moment, taking in the piece of advice that seemed surprisingly genuine. “Yeah...makes sense.”

“It is.” They followed her gaze to the desolate, purple flames, looking small and pathetic in the center of the cabin circle. “It changes colour based on the mood of the campers. Right now it’s looking all emo ‘cause well…” They shrugged, giving a pointed look around. “People died.” They finished bluntly. Their gaze returned to the fire as they got closer, eyeing the eerie glow it gave off. “It does look kinda cool, doesn’t it? Something poetic in there probably. How beauty comes from loss or some crap like that. I dunno.”

━━━ 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞

[✿]16|he/him|Iris|Hampton Inn, room 204|tags: Aiden

Jamie appreciated Aiden’s attempts to lift his self-esteem, and he hoped that gratitude showed, even if he wasn’t doing a good job of really taking the advice to heart. He wanted to believe the other boy, but it seemed to be in his nature to believe otherwise. He’d always been weak and cowardly, he couldn’t imagine a version of himself that pleaded otherwise. It was ironic really, that children of Iris were known for being artists, for being creative, and yet he couldn’t invent a version of himself that didn’t run away at the first sign of danger. “You’re not really,” he responded to Aiden’s comment on being too young. “You’ve been through things. You’ve been through more than I have and you know stuff. There’s not a required age for knowing stuff.” He offered a tight-lipped smile, nodding solemnly to the reassurance. “Um...yeah.” He thought he saw the point—it was put a little simply, but he got the idea. He started to frown as Aiden continued, shaking his head when the boy stopped himself. “No, I get it. You’re probably right.”

Jamie shrugged. “To each his own I guess. I just don’t like bugs.” He shivered when he said it, as if just the thought was freaking him out. “Especially not ones that make noise. Or ones that can fly.” He needed to stop thinking about bugs. “Those both seem like reasonable fears if you ask me.” There was nothing reasonable about most of the things he feared, but at least he could relate. “Yeah, I get that. I’ve had…” It wasn’t something he was hesitant to share, but it still never seemed to be something he openly spoke about. All those years and it still hurt to think about. “Well, people I knew—not that you didn’t know your person but...people I remember.” He was losing track of his point now. “But it starts to fade after a while. Voices get harder to remember, faces get blurry. It starts to feel like an old movie.” He fiddled absently with the hem of his pyjamas. He looked up as the confession came, hands stilling in his lap. “You don’t...huh...” He knew quite a few of the other campers didn’t like taking nectar or ambrosia because it reminded them of something they didn’t have anymore, but he couldn’t imagine not knowing what the taste was at all. “Well…” He was always looking for an optimistic approach, even when it wasn’t necessary. “Whatever it is, you’ve had it before, maybe you’ll have it again. Maybe one day you’ll taste something and realize that’s—that’s the thing.”

My gallery · by **Kveykva** » Tue Aug 10, 2021 1:15 pm

──────── 𝐊𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐱

❝

𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑒

❞

When Vivienne at last accepted the offered clothing, a genuine grin split Kayle's face. "They're comfy, lemme tell ya. They don't seem your style though and I do really like that shirt, so we'll get you something better in the morning." When Vivienne snapped that she desired some privacy to change, the girl resisted the urge to laugh. "Yeah, that's fine. You do that and I'll finish up dinner. Just come back to the kitchen whenever you're ready." She turned to leave but paused at the edge of the doorway. "And uh, I'll see if I can get Snowdrop to stay in another room. I can tell the way you tense up when she's in the room." With that, Kayle left and went to do as she'd said. "Why are you girls still in here?!" the young girl hissed in exasperation. Stacie and Abigail seemed to be taste-testing the meal they'd helped put together, despite the fact that they couldn't actually eat. "Go! Go on girls, go play somewhere besides here." With voices brimming with proud laughter, they fled from whatever punishment Kayle might dish out to them.

As the ghosts departed, Snowdrop crept from her spot by the stairs and bumbled her way up to Kayle, grumbling in discontent. Kayle patted her on the head and served out two plates worth of the pasta dish. It doesn't look like he made enough for three. A little strange, but this wasn't the first time she'd known Nicholas to skip a meal. If he was at the chapel now, she didn't expect him back before the morning. I'll probably have to go get him... she thought with a sigh. "Come on, Snow." she whistled and held open the screen door at the back of the house. The air outside was far warmer than inside, and it was enough of a shock for Snowdrop to hesitate with rumble in her throat. Kayle bit back a sigh. "Yeah, I know it's hot, Snowdrop, but it's summer. What do you expect?" It took a bit more coaxing, but finally the husky trotted out into the grass, seeming more content than not. Kayle closed the door afterward, planning to let her back inside once everyone retired to their rooms.

──────── 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦

❝

𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑠𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝐷𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ

❞

A twinge of embarrassment followed the mental amusement Audra felt while he'd been deep in thought, but he didn't mention anything on the matter. There were times when his thoughts were just too loud to keep to himself. "I've been taught to sway crowds with my words since I was a child. It comes with the gig." Nicholas answered, allowing the faintest whisper of a smile. "Everyone tells me I have a way with words, and they say it's such a waste that I've gone into such a ghastly profession." He couldn't blame their ignorance on the matter, but it was one of the lingering reasons why he stayed on the payroll at Harper's. Audra seemed less angry now. "anger" wasn't the right word to describe the feeling, but she no longer harbored the same level of disdain as she had minutes before. Perhaps the rose-tinted memories of her time spent with Vivienne made their meeting here a little brighter than before. If that was the case, he expected it to wear off at any time.

"But you don't have enough faith in yourself," her next words surprised him, enough to draw his attention away from the rose. "You don't need miracles, Nicholas. All you need is conviction." He supposed she made a fair enough point, but everything that had led them up to that point had been based in luck. Nicholas wasn't a man of faith, and to have it in himself of all things was absurd. "It's not that," he replied after some thought. "you - and her - have too much faith in me." He didn't elaborate any further.

Why here? Nicholas expected the question first, but when it never came, he assumed Audra didn't care enough to ask. "No, you have the right to ask." the god dismissed her apology. "We needed a place to talk privately, and graveyards are good for that. As for here, specifically..." his hand reached out to the gravestone, what little spots of lichen tainting the surface crumbling to dust in the presence of the horseman. "I come here to think. I can ask him for advice, without fear of disturbing his rest. The only thing that's left here is a body." his tone took one of forlorn longing. "His name was Ryan, and... he was everything to me. He meant the world and more." Audra didn't need to hear about him; his feelings were irrelevant, considering this was Vivienne's story that sought a happy ending. She didn't want to hear it, he told himself. Yet, in the same way as the ghost's feelings spilled out before, Death's heart burst. "The horseman has never been kind to me; I was a puppet, and then I was empty. It took me over twelve years to get to where I am now, and it's not the same person I was before becoming a god. I had nothing left after the horseman took me, and it was all I could do to pick up the pieces in the wake of what I had done." his attention returned to the rose, purposely avoiding Audra's gaze. "He never knew what I was; what I was becoming. To him, I don't think it mattered." a chuckle shuddered his thin frame.

"I wasn't... in the most flattering of circumstances when we met for the first time, but if things were any different, I don't think our paths would have ever crossed. He saw me at my lowest, so I never stood a chance. I never thought I'd even get one with him. You'd never guess it, but he was a real chatty type. Life of the party, but only if you could get him out. He always wore a smile and didn't worry about the little things. Nobody's business was his, and he didn't like to pry. If someone needed space, Ryan gave it to them. If they didn't, he was there."

"Fall was always his favorite season, especially when the coffee shops started hopping on that pumpkin spice bandwagon. Ryan was never a drinker, so any time we went out, it was for coffee. I can't stand the stuff, so I always got tea instead." Nicholas wrinkled his nose. "Ryan used to always tell me that I looked like the kind of person who could sing. He bet I had the voice of an angel, and he wanted to be around to hear it. There was one night, we talked about the karaoke Harper's did on Friday nights. I mentioned that it was something I always wanted to try. Stage fright wasn't the problem, I wasn't - I couldn't -" he bit his tongue, frowning. "It wasn't exactly karaoke, but he taught me to play guitar so that I had a reason to go up there."

"When the whole... demigod, necromancy, all of that, came to light... He was pretty receptive, actually. I kind of danced around the topic when it came up, so I didn't exactly tell him why I could summon the dead, or where the wings came from. I told him it ran in the family, and he didn't ask about it after that." It felt stupid, saying it out loud to someone who only knew him as a god. "He just - ran with it. Ryan treated them like they weren't anything out of the ordinary, and he liked to invite them to sit with us when we watched movies. They always had questions, and he always had answers." His fingers traced the edges of the rose's petals, eyes lost in memory. "More than anything, Ryan loved living. He was in the moment all the time, and so long as he had a steady supply of Doritos and the OG Star Wars soundtrack, he was happy. He didn't have a temper and hardly anything deterred his attitude."

"For the first time, I felt like I -" his string of words tangled, and he struggled to unravel it. "I was never a god in the same sense as your Olympians. Most powers on that tier didn't interact with me, but I wasn't human anymore; I was something in between. Ryan was... a reminder, if that makes sense. He kept me grounded, and with everything else going on, he was the only thing that remained steadfast. He was human, and I loved him, and that love was human. I still cling to it, but I think that piece of humanity is the piece of me that died with him."

"I knew it was coming." his voice cracked. "I felt the dread of it that morning, before either of us got started for the day. We - We had a blizzard that year. January had barely started, and between all the hills and everything around here, the conditions were treacherous at best. He took a cab to work - he insisted it wasn't safe for me to be driving in it. After he left, it only got louder. I tried not to worry, and I'd done what I could to keep him home that day. How do you explain to somebody that you know they're going to die?" Nicholas' thumb caught the edge of a thorn, and a pinprick of gold trailed its way down the verdant stem. "Eleven twenty-two. I can recite it down to the millisecond, and I knew the instant it happened. At that point, there was nothing I could do. He was gone." he didn't notice it, but tears welled in the corners of his eyes, dismissed with a blink and replaced by more. "The funeral was hard; I had to pretend he wasn't there through most of it, and there were rumors passed around behind closed doors that I had to ignore. But the goodbye was harder."

"I - I've always had a temper. When I was younger, I kept everything bottled up, but as I got older I tended to be more vocal about it. I've been angry, but I've never felt anything that's ever compared to what I felt then, the moment I got my hands on the scum that did it. Everything I felt before then paled in comparison to that rage. Once I was in it, I..." his words trailed off, the horseman taking a deep breath before coming to his senses. "I remember it vividly, and while I don't regret it... It's not something I want to see from myself again." The pain in his finger only now came to his attention, and he took that as a sign to return the rose to its vase. "I'm - I'm sorry." the apology came hurriedly. "I didn't intend to overshare, you didn't ask me any of that."

Camp Half-Blood: Into the Storm - Closed!

to shift between existence, to long for the better one

Re: Camp Half-Blood: Into the Storm - Open & Accepting!

you've got mirth and i've got snow hands

when there's control i lose it.

Then there's a pair of us!

one step beyond!

bite your tongue and watch your mouth

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