Camp Half-Blood: Into the Storm - Closed!

[Kveykva]

──────── 𝐌𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐧𝐞 "𝐌𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐞" 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩
[✦] | Mars | 29 | Female | ➡ Hampton Inn, Roof | Tags: Clive
❝ ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒❞

"Just eyeballin' it, then." Moxie nodded, glancing down at her outfit. Not the most flattering of death wear, consisting of a sports bra, tank top, sweatpants, and a single right sneaker. The left, of course, was nowhere to be found. "Beggars can't be choosers, I guess I should be happy I didn't die in my underwear." She exhaled a cloud of smoke. "This definitely is my era, but I don't know if it's been days, weeks, or months. Couldn't be too long, it's still summer isn't it?" The snow around them contradicted her statement, but she recalled some mystery surrounding the weather. At least he's not a stick in the mud, she mused silently as Clive went on. He managed to enjoy life, even in death. That was a mantra she could get behind.

"Hey man, I'm just happy to be here. Consider yourself lucky," Moxie rapped her rings against the railing, which made a rather satisfying sound. "I could've died six years ago when I got this," she smacked her stump. "In California of all places. Who the hell wants to kick it in California?" the daughter of Mars added. "Not me. It's trash, let me tell you. I'd much rather be here watching the sunrise with snow in the middle of June with some old fart." She nudged the man beside her playfully. "Maybe you'll get to thank 'em someday, from what I hear the gods come down to play often enough. Sometimes I'm not sure whether to strangle my dad or shake his hand." She wondered if Clive would ask about it, but if they were both dead - and going to be for the rest of their unlives - she was inclined to think he'd believe whatever fantasies she pulled out of her mouth.

"Taffy? You mean that kid who was here?" she asked, eyeing Clive. "He had - oh my gods, he's a demigod isn't he?" It clicked. No kid would have a scythe otherwise, she imagined. "I -" her memory was still in shambles, but Moxie at least recalled what she'd stayed for. "I wanted answers. The reapers - Tavie, she called herself - she said that I could… unfade or something, with the help of a child of the underworld. It's supposed to clear the fog so I'd remember stuff, and I guess I just planned to decide from there whether I'd stay or go." She found a sense of urgency, but it faded as quickly as it came when she took another break from her cigarette. "I remember being in Cali, there was some crazy military response following the Kingston press conference and they had Jupiter surrounded. I wanted to try and get in, but if they knew I was a demigod they'd probably shoot to kill." She prodded at the hole in her chest, in the soft spot just above her clavicle. "This might have something to do with it, but I'm not sure what it's from or how it got there." She relaxed and turned back to Clive. "If Taffy's a proper child of Pluto, I need to talk to him. Not for long, just long enough. Please tell me you two are in good enough standings to be introduced."

──────── 𝐀𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫
[✦] | Athena Head Counselor | 15 | Male | Hampton Inn, Hallway ➡ Dining Room| Tags: Mirabelle, Aggy
❝ 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡𝑠❞

Aiden rolled his eyes in response to Aggy, tuning out any remarks she made. It was made thankfully easier by Mira's approach and subsequent request, both of which he addressed promptly. "I'm not busy," he said nonchalantly. "I just wanted a waffle is all. What's up?" He avoided mentioning that he'd heard her mention his name already in her conversation with Teilo, as within a few seconds the reason why was revealed. "I take it's got something to do with this Doors of Death nonsense," he guessed, trying to brush it off and mask his growing worries simultaneously - a task he was far more skilled at than Mirabelle. "Teilo is tactically dull. So they want you." Aggy interjected. "He's not, but I can see why you'd think that small." Aiden snipped. He took over the waffle maker in Aggy's absence, setting one up for himself before turning back to Mira. "I'll hear you guys out, I've got something to talk to you about anyway. Nothing bad," he promised. "Just wanted your thoughts on something before we left the hotel. I've got it written down."

──────── 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐲 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐳𝐞𝐧
[✦] | Apollo | 16 | Female | ➡ Outside Cabin 7 | Tags: Sylvester
❝ 𝑖 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑟❞

"Hey!" Lucy had just barely exited the cabin when a sharp voice broke the otherwise silent morning, addressing none other than herself. For a split second, she thought it was her brother Felix revving up for a lecture, but she recalled he'd already left the cabin that morning. Lucy turned, quickly putting the voice to a face. "Sylvester," another returning camper, she realized. She didn't know him well, but she did remember he'd been the Hermes head counselor, either her first or second year at camp. Nice enough, she supposed. Lucy exhaled a breath of air out her nose, fogging the air in front of her as her nostrils burned from the chill. "What makes you think I know where they are?" she sniffed aggressively. "I've just gotten out of bed, am I not allowed to enjoy the fresh air without someone wanting something from me?" She added, reluctantly wearing her hand-me-down snow clothes, courtesy of the Hecate head counselor. Late head counselor, with any luck. "I'd say check the Big House, but I'm sure you've noticed it isn't there anymore. If you really need to see Chiron, I suppose you can come with me. I have some important information for him, mind you, so I can't guarantee he'll have the time for your nonsense." Kindness was too exhausting to even consider at the moment, so Sylvester would have to settle for her snippy comments or, if he knew better, hit the road.

[WitchHazel]

Mirabelle Everhart
|♡|17|She/Her|Aphrodite|Head Counselor|Location: Hampton Inn, Dining Room|Tags: Aiden, Teilo|

"Oh - right, um - feel free to get food first, of course." She'd barely even touched hers; the lone muffin sitting opposite from Teilo on the table. She'd left her tea there too, come to think of it. Maybe the muffin wasn't so lonely after all. "Yes! Yes, the Doors of Death, Kingston, all of it... um..." Another sniffle, this time punctuated by a muffled cough that was supposed to be a sigh of relief. I would've gotten there eventually if I could articulate properly.

"Teilo is tactically dull. So they want you."
"Wait - that's not what I -" But then Aggy was gone; off to wolf down a waffle. Ugh, why am I so bad at everything today? Aiden had a much better comeback, albeit snippier. She took a moment to massage the bridge of her nose as he busied himself at the waffle iron. I should eat something so I can take some Tylenol. Maybe that would help to tame the persistent headache raging in her brain. She still had to take her medication as well, an act she hoped to keep entirely private. Fat chance of that, unless I excuse myself to the restroom later. Then Aiden was turning back to look at her, and she did her best to seem as if she wasn't actively dying.

He had something to talk to her about? That's - That's not good. A jolt of panic ran through her. Mes dieux, what could he possibly want to talk about? It couldn't possibly be anything bad, right? This is Aiden, of course it's not anything bad, of course not... ahaha. Wow, now I'm nervous-laughing in my head. This is - this is - Then - "Nothing bad," he amended. Still, the phrase sent her heart hammering nearly as much as her head. He had it written down, he'd said. She cleared her throat in her discomfort, unconsciously wincing at the rough sandpaper sensation. "Right, um - if you're waffle's done, we can go sit..." And I can get some more tea down my throat. I swear, if this doesn't go away, I'm going to kill someone.

[sammy,]

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 ！！ x─────ix ♔
x──────i ii zeus iii eighteen. iiii tags: collin (couther).
ivi dining pavilion

as collin spoke, orin considered the truth. two words rolled around his head like dice, two simple words, the most basic of them, and with loyalties being the topic at hand, they were important. fish-hook.
and that was just great. he had another damned voice to worry about, and this one was from years back. he shouldn't have even been able to remember the inflection, but he did, and it was unsettling. "it's tiring," he said. "you might find out that you've stretched yourself too thin. you burn yourself out for other people and all they do is complain that you used to shine brighter." it was a bit too serious, a little too close to home. "as long as it's what you want. that's all that matters, end of the day."

"this camp needs a naughty step. somewhere to just throw the idiots when they've gotten a little too risky. i think it'd be good for morale. introduce conditioning to camp half-blood, it'd do bleeding wonders." he commented further. "or a - a token economy. start giving out gold stars for good behaviour. not slicing someone up during capture the flag, that's a gold star. every time an ares kid doesn't try punch someone into paralysis upon sight alone, that's a gold star. i think that could work."

it had been a while since anyone had called him lofty directly, and it came as a gut punch in the nicest way possible. "that's gonna be covered in dirt and blood and gunk by the end of the day. i'd bet your house on it," he waved at the snow-coloured hoodie. "least you'll blend in, though. good camouflage. pulling out the tactics. tic-tac coloured tactics. tictac tactics." a bit of diversion from the point. "well, who needs arms, anyway? they're just legs for your shoulders. no point in 'em. i can't even walk on my hands. my aerodynamics are absolutely shafted by my arms alone. they fly everywhere, flap about in the air like windsocks. if i didn't have arms, i think i'd probably be able to hit - i don't know, thirty, forty miles per hour? frostbite sounds like a dream."

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐟𝐭. 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 ！！ x─────ix ♖
x──────i ii thanatos. iii seventeen. iiii tags: mira, aiden, aggy.
ivi hampton inn, dining room - foyer.

the dining room was quiet, and though that was normally something that teilo would have revelled in, it had the opposite effect when aggy's voice carried across the room, his name in her throat. he rose his head initially, surprised to have been referred to, and then the words sunk in. they weren't malicious. he assumed they weren't meant to be. hoped, at least. just an assumption that had been made.
he wasn't tactically inept. he wasn't, he knew he wasn't. he had skills beyond his means. he had history on his shoulders, he had capabilities both tapped and untapped. a tactically dull man would not have been able to venture from one side of the atlantic to the other without spending so much as a penny on travel costs.

and yet, though the words hung in his head, when he opened his mouth to protest or argue his point, teilo deflated. tensed shoulders became lax with something akin to defeat. he knew he was good. he had been told he was good. he had proven he was good - but in what context was that? he had landed at camp because a ghost had told him to, landed on the quest because a dream had told him to. the thoughts were spinning. once again, he was confronted with the sense of unbelonging, a feeling that his skin was too tight for his body.

he had no idea what he was doing there. he was good in the mortal world, and in this plane of existence, wrought with gods he barely knew the names of and ghosts that harangued him at any opportunity given, he was, by and large, rather useless. that became a point of understanding, soon enough. a few minutes on his own and he had nearly been killed, for gods' sake. he had had a wealth of knowledge at his fingertips and he hadn't asked the right questions. his head felt like it was on fire. it was so minute, which made it worse. it meant nothing, just brash words from a brash mouth, but the syllables had been keys to boxes he had yearned to keep locked.

mira was talking and aiden was talking and he had barely listened in the slightest. they would figure it out. he'd said what needed to be said. he wasn't going to be of any help just standing around, telling the same story over and over. mira would probably subsidise it better. would know what she was talking about, what bits were important, what to leave out. "i'm going to go and de-ice the van," he said. that was something he could do. keeping the control in his voice as he stood, leaving the coffee half-full, and walked in the direction of the exit, holding his breath until he could deem himself out of sight.


──────


moxie's rings made contact with the railing, which was surprising. he hadn't anticipated that, not in a ghost so new - but he had little to go off of. the people who died in the hampton inn didn't tend to stick around. there had been a couple of grisly ones - deaths that needed more cleanup than the caretakers were paid to handle - but the spirits hadn't been particularly talkative. they'd moved on or they'd sat in corners or they'd screamed until they realised that nobody could hear them, and then they had just disappeared. the inn was a liminal space. no one was meant to stay there as long as he had, he thought, which made him the king of the building. the man who knew every nook and every cranny by complete and utter accident. "could've stalked the stars. had a look-in at what their lives were really like. is - is madonna still kicking about? i loved her." there were celebrity deaths that had surprised him, and survivals that had surprised him more. "i'll tell you what, when diana died, i was in absolute shambles. all over the tellies in this place, every hour. and then every year after that. got kind of sick of her, actually. i wonder if she's still lingerin' about the palace halls, wonderin' how exactly to exact her revenge on that no-good -" he caught himself before the ramble commenced, then scoffed at the lighthearted insult. "you should be respecting your elders. i've been around longer than pong. that's got to count for something, 'asn't it?" the gods were still something that passed him by a little. "who's yours, then? 'cos it seems to me everyone knows who their ma and pa are but me. pops never showed. not that i'd have much to say to him. what d'you even say to gods, anyway? are you supposed to bow? i wouldn't be able to 'ack it, me. i don't think i'm programmed for bowing." clive's eyes widened. "bowie! how's bowie? i haven't seen owt about him in a while. what's he up to, these days?"

the bristly teenager had certainly been a demigod. "i dunno that he'd have 'em, to be honest. seemed to know less about the 'ole debacle than i did. but - you know, if it'd help..." she was explaining things that he had very little knowledge on. something had been on the news at some point - but it was rare that clive stayed in rooms that showed the news. he preferred his procedural dramas too much. the news got repetitive after a few decades of the same cycling stories. history, he had learned, repeated itself very often, and it was banal to watch. "not pluto, no. no. that's mickey mouse's dog, i'n't it? no, he's, ehm - he did say, he did..." he tapped the side of his head. "it's this bloody - i 'ad this meningitis, see, before i finally kicked it, and the memory bit never faded. it's names, they don't... they don't gel as..." he focused on a tree far away. "tanner toast. that was it. death, he said. the big scythe was a bit of a giveaway. anyway. he didn't seem a very conversational fella, but... he might make exceptions when there're less birds playing slasher."

[indigo']

━━━ 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬

[✩]17|she/her|Hades|Head Counsellor|cabin circle, dining pavilion|tags: Reese

Auggie rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt, a common occurrence when Reese was involved. “Antics? It’s hard to actually take you seriously when you talk like somebody’s grandpa.” There would have been more to say, there would’ve been another biting remark or a taunt edged with something a little harsher than necessary, an anger brewing just beneath the surface that maybe he wasn't really to blame for, but then she heard him sigh, noticed the sag of his shoulders and for once, Auggie held her tongue.

The emptiness in his next words unsettled her, not that she ever would’ve put a voice to the disquiet. They were all tired, that came with having gods and monsters repeatedly trying to kill you. It wasn’t her fault and there was nothing she could do about it. That actually made it worse, but before she could think of any words to express her frustration, Reese was plowing on, seeming to snap in a way that was indisputably him. The comment stopped her in her tracks, staring at him coldly for a moment. Then the expression cracked, a breathy sound that might have been a laugh—or something close enough—escaping her. “What? How am I—They’re not even—” She shook her head, not bothering to correct him on the colour of smurfs. That wasn’t knowledge she really cared to flaunt. “I can’t stand you,” she muttered finally, and though the words were harsh, her demeanour had shifted slightly, her expression visibly less icy than it had been.

She snorted at the attempt to justify how he was using his sword, rolling her eyes again. “The poor thing. Imagine being a sword in a camp full of demigods and you get stuck with the biggest nerd who doesn’t even know how to fight.” She sighed, shaking her head in mock sympathy. “That’s really sad, actually,” she said dryly, glancing over at him with a blank expression. “I may shed a tear.”

━━━ 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐎’𝐑𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲

[✵]17|he/him|Zeus|Dining Pavilion|tags: Orin (the brousin)

Collin nodded solemnly to Orin’s response, quiet for a moment. He knew he was right, whether his point had anything to do with Collin or if he was simply speaking from his own experience didn’t matter, Collin knew he was susceptible to burning himself out on behalf of others, knew he’d do it gladly, whether they cared or not. “It is,” he confirmed.

“They’ve all had enough battle training, time to introduce obedience school,” he added with a laugh. He raised his eyebrows at the following suggestion. “Yeah? How are you gonna reward people for not doing things? Might get a bit confusing. Or are you banking on the fact that it won't happen often? Because you might be onto something there.” Half the Ares kids couldn’t go five minutes without starting a fight, he didn’t think there’d be too many gold stars being handed out there.

Collin glanced down at his hoodie again and let out a sigh, shrugging his shoulders in a gesture of acceptance. He’d done a good job at keeping it pristinely white, taken better care of the garment than most things he owned, but that only would’ve lasted so long anyway. “Exactly.” He gave a little laugh, shaking his head. “Completely intentional, that. I thought, if I’m going to be stuck out here in the snow, I’m going to blend right into it. I could put my hood up and nobody would even know I’m here.” He raised his eyebrows as Orin went on about the benefits of losing his arms, nodding slowly in the patronizing way one would when talking to an over-imaginative child. “I think maybe you just need to learn to run properly but...yeah. Whatever works for you, man. If you want frostbite, go for it. I support you.”

[Kveykva]

──────── 𝐌𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐧𝐞 "𝐌𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐞" 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩
[✦] | Mars | 29 | Female | Hampton Inn, Roof ⬇ Swiftly Approaching Ground | Tags: Clive
❝ ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒❞

The urgency she'd felt earlier in the day - in the night - existed only in fleeting moments. Here and there, numbed by the routine of smoking a cigarette and talking off the ear of a dead man. The mention of celebrities only deepened the shroud of her mental fog. "Eh, I guess I could have," Moxie thought with a shrug. "Madonna's still around, but there's not been anything major on her in a long time, I don't think. Never been one to care about what celebrities do in their spare time, all I ever hear anything about is who's sleeping with who and the Kardashians." Diana was a name she was surprised to hear, but now that she considered it, Clive wasn't American. I also had a lot of other things going on when I was a kid, she recalled, masking a frown. "Longer than Pong?" she laughed. "I've never even played Pong. That doesn't count for anything, sweetheart." she teased before moving on. "Mars. God of War, if you didn't know. You were a demigod too?" Now that was a surprise. "If it was your dad, that narrows it down a good chunk. Mercury, Mars, Pluto, Neptune, Apollo, Jupiter, Vulcan..." as Moxie went down the list, she realized that it, in fact, did not narrow it down much.

"Er -" she fumbled a bit. "I don't think most people ever meet their godly parent, it's kind of hit-or-miss in my experience. I've never actually met Mars, I just know it's him because he claimed me." a pause. "Ohhh, you don't know what that is, do you? It's -" a moment of thought. "You do something to gain their favor - recognition is actually a better word - and they make their symbol of power pop up over your head or something like that. It's like a stamp saying that you belong to them, I guess. One of theirs. Tends to explain a lot about yourself, honestly. Apparently, hormones weren't the reason I was always angry." Moxie added, putting the cigarette back to her lips. The next question from Clive would be the one to strike a nerve, she imagined. "Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but he's died." She replied. "Four years ago, right after his birthday of all things. I think the chances of finding him down under are pretty slim, though. From what I understand, it's a big world down there."

From the way Clive talked about it, this Taffy kid sounded like a lost cause. A little too young to the whole demigod thing to be of any use. Though, his comment about Pluto did give her a chuckle. "You're not wrong, but it's more than just that." Moxie knew Pluto the planet had been named after the god of the Underworld, like every other planet, but she was almost positive that Pluto the dog had been named after the planet, not the god. She waited for him to rummage around his ghost brain in search of a name, but spotted movement in the corner of her eye. It was him. Her eyes widened briefly, muscles tensing. "Tanner Toast?" clarified moments after her statement. "Thanatos," she corrected. "That's Greek. We - er, in Latin he was called Letus. First lieutenant of Pluto and the god of peaceful death, depending on what you read. I thought he was a virgin god though, he doesn't have any children - demi or otherwise." Moxie peered over the railing, leaning over it more than she likely should. "How far up are we? New York tends to stack their buildings pretty high, but it's a little hard to judge it from -" then she realized something. "Oh, I'm already dead." The daughter of Mars passed her unfinished cigarette to Clive and pulled herself onto the railing. "Thanks for the chat, pretty boy. See you on the flip side." and she jumped.

──────── 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐬𝐨𝐧
[✦] | Hephaestus | 18 | Male | ➡ Forges | Tags: Caleb
❝ ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑒❞

Will managed a smile in response to the compliment, but it was short-lived. He found it hard to hold on to happiness with so much going on. "Glad t' be back," he said genuinely. "I just wish I'd been back sooner. Could'a tried somethin' t' help, but we'll never know." Will had heard it from Aiden a dozen times and from his cabinmates a few more. There's nothing you could have done, it isn't your fault. It was a half-truth at best. It may not be his fault - the collapse or his tardiness - but they were wrong to think he would have stood idly on the sidelines while it happened. Maybe he wouldn't have done much - maybe nothing would have changed at all, and everyone who died would have still died - but they would never know, because he wasn't there to step in. Even if it wasn't his fault, he still had the right to carry that guilt. At this point, Will was torn between one less death making no difference or all the difference. I guess we'll see.

Everything felt like a waiting game, a standoff between demigods and the rest of the world to see who would blink first. Demigods were a hardy bunch, and their biggest enemies were always one of their own. Right now it wasn't any different. "I don't have t' tell it all, it ain't my responsibility. Plus there's a real chance Mira'll tear her 'air out. Wouldn't want 'er out in th' cold raggedy-headed, especially not against Khione." Idly, Will lit himself a fresh cigarette and offered the pack to Caleb, should he want one. "Or whatever allies she's got on 'er back. Nice as it is to 'ave Orin back, it means we're due for worse. 'e mentioned th' Doors, and y' know what that means."

──────── 𝐊𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐱
[✦] | Mortal | 19 | Female | ➡ Lancaster, PA | Tags: Vivienne
❝ 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑒❞

Kayle chatted in the same way she always did, but as she went on, it became clear Vivienne wasn't listening. Not in a disdainful or rude way, but more like the words were going over her head. Heard, but not registered. Maybe that was her cue to slow it down a bit; pretending nothing was awry wasn't going to work with this one. "Ah, so you're like me." Kayle tapped her nails against the side of the ceramic mug. "Black coffee all the way. I'm not... huge on flavored coffees, even when they're in season, but I'll never turn down free anything." Vivienne still barely spoke, and she was shivering. Kayle came to realize being cold was a norm for this girl, but shivers and incessant rubbing on the shoulders weren't. Being cold was sort of her thing, she recalled her brother saying. So why is she doing it now? It seemed as though all the answers were right in front of her, but she was at a loss to see them. Underneath the booth, Snowdrop sensed Vivienne's distress, but Kayle had to keep the husky at by with her foot, shushing her gently. The last thing she wanted was for Snow to spook the already dysphoric woman, even if she did so in good faith.

──────── 𝐀𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫
[✦] | Athena Head Counselor | 15 | Male | ➡ Hampton Inn, Dining Room| Tags: Mirabelle, Aggy
❝ 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡𝑠❞

Aiden was quick to brush off Aggy's comment as nothing, and he shot the unclaimed demigod a pointed look as she retreated with her waffle. "Don't let her get to you Mira, she's a moron. Wouldn't know the tail end of a pegasus if it kicked her." There might be some level of truth to the insult, considering they'd only taken pegasi as far as Laurel's aunt's before picking up the van. "This won't take too long, and I don't need any syrup for it." He tapped the light on top impatiently, normally an uncharacteristic trait of the Athena child. "Yeah, I'll meet you guys over at the table so we can discuss everything -" "I'm going to go and de-ice the van," Aiden looked up from the waffle timer just in time to see Teilo walk out the door. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words never came. He offered Mira a puzzled look, seeming just as confused as she likely was, but was soon distracted by the completion of his waffle. He pried it off the iron and onto his plate, tearing off a piece in the process to chew on as he found his way to the table. "I'll still probably try to talk to him later, when there aren't so many people around," he mentioned around a mouthful of waffle before swallowing. "What is it you guys wanted to ask me about?"

──────── 𝐂𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐚𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐳
[✦] | Oracle of Delphi | 23 | Male | ➡ Cabin Circle | Tags: Zeke
❝ 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑛 𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑏𝑜𝑛, 𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑔𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠❞

It sounded like he and Zeke shared the same thoughts on current events, albeit with different expressions. Zeke's mind seemed elsewhere, and Cain was prepared to leave the Hermes camper to his business in favor of getting breakfast if the other had nothing to ask of him. It didn't take long for Zeke to pop his request, however. "Mints?" Cain echoed, his free hand trailing to his hoodie pockets. "I might, uh - wh-what do you need them for?" His mind immediately went to Mentos in Coke, but he wasn't sure if that science applied to any kind of mint. Within the depths of his pockets, the oracle produced a small tin of Altoids - one he wasn't sure where he picked up but carried regardless. "You can have these if you want them, I don't think I'll finish them off any time soon." He said, presenting the tin to Zeke. "It's all I have, sorry..."

──────── 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐲 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐳𝐞𝐧
[✦] | Apollo | 16 | Female | ➡ Outside Cabin 7 | Tags: Sylvester
❝ 𝑖 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑟❞

"Hey!" Lucy had just barely exited the cabin when a sharp voice broke the otherwise silent morning, addressing none other than herself. For a split second, she thought it was her brother Felix revving up for a lecture, but she recalled he'd already left the cabin that morning. Lucy turned, quickly putting the voice to a face. "Sylvester," another returning camper, she realized. She didn't know him well, but she did remember he'd been the Hermes head counselor, either her first or second year at camp. Nice enough, she supposed. Lucy exhaled a breath of air out her nose, fogging the air in front of her as her nostrils burned from the chill. "What makes you think I know where they are?" she sniffed aggressively. "I've just gotten out of bed, am I not allowed to enjoy the fresh air without someone wanting something from me?" She added, reluctantly wearing her hand-me-down snow clothes, courtesy of the Hecate head counselor. Late head counselor, with any luck. "I'd say check the Big House, but I'm sure you've noticed it isn't there anymore. If you really need to see Chiron, I suppose you can come with me. I have some important information for him, mind you, so I can't guarantee he'll have the time for your nonsense." Kindness was too exhausting to even consider at the moment, so Sylvester would have to settle for her snippy comments or, if he knew better, hit the road.

[WitchHazel]

Mirabelle Everhart
|♡|17|She/Her|Aphrodite|Head Counselor|Location: Hampton Inn, Dining Room|Tags: Aiden|

Aiden's attempt at reassurance did help calm her frazzled nerves, if only a little. She would have chastised him for being rude if she'd had the energy. But Aggy had also been rather rude, so... turnabout; fair play. Then the mood shifted. She wasn't sure whose mood, and if it had anything to do with the demigods at all, but she was too tired to block out everyone's emotions anymore. She stalled momentarily as her muddled mind tried to wrap itself around the feeling. Aiden was still speaking - but then Teilo spoke, and anxiety sparked within her once more.

"i'm going to go and de-ice the van," he proclaimed.
Wait - Teilo -" but he was gone before she could protest any further. Was it what I said? Ugh, I shouldn't have opened my mouth in the first place. I'm just - mes dieux, I'm a mess. Something felt... off, but she wasn't sure what. Maybe it's just me. I'm not exactly one-hundred percent right now... maybe I'm imagining things. Aiden shot her a look of bewilderment, to which she simply smiled apologetically. "Well... um - I guess I can give you the low-down on what we were talking about," she offered meekly. "If that's alright."

Then the waffle maker dinged, and she followed Aiden back to the table. He said something about having a chat with Teilo later as she flopped back into her seat. She simply nodded; her mouth occupied taking a large gulp of tea at the time. Then the question came - "What is it you guys wanted to ask me about?"

"Well..." she began, taking a moment to painfully clear her throat before starting in. "We were talking about... um... the Doors of Death, as you so astutely guessed earlier. Well - that, Kingston, the snow goddess - all of it." She took a breath, sniffling a little as she shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "We were trying - we were trying to figure out how it all connects." Driving ourselves insane with it, more like. "It's just - to be honest, I'm a little overwhelmed." The open admission left her likely more surprised than Aiden was. Mirabelle was never one to let on when something was bothering her - never consciously or aloud, that was. Even then, she didn't ask for help. She wouldn't.

She kept her voice hushed, mainly because Aggy was sitting just a table over. "I think we all are," she amended. "It's a lot, honestly. And - well, to keep things interesting, I suppose -" a nervous chuckle escaped her, though she had to pull her scarf over her face when it became a small cough. "Um - right. Teilo might've had... an encounter of the... undead variety last night." Of course he has! He's an Underworld child, for goodness' sake. Way to be any more vague? Come on, Mirabelle, just get to the point already! What are you so afraid of? "He..." she twirled a strand of golden hair around her finger. "He saw Audra. Spoke with her, actually. Said she... um... how did he put it... er, begged us to spare Vivienne's life? Said she wasn't too far gone, or something like that, and -" she stopped to collect her thoughts and take a soothing sip of tea. " - there were Reapers with her - I don't really know what that means, but - Teilo brought up a good point. If the Doors are open, why is she still dead? It doesn't - ugh." She pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers as a particularly nasty burst of pain rang through her skull. "It doesn't make any sense."


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

Kayle chatted back, but - it wasn't real. She wasn't real. This was all some grand hallucination, or even worse, Vivienne herself wasn't real. She wanted to laugh at the madness of it all. She wanted to, but her face remained impassive and no sound passed her lips. The coffee she was holding wasn't real. It tasted real; lukewarm and not quite strong enough for her. But were her tastebuds even real? Was any of it?

Kayle liked black coffee too, that much her brain registered. That was good. It felt good to not be alone in something. But was that feeling real? No. No, she didn't think it was. It wasn't real... was it? She was inside her body but she wasn't. It was like watching a movie, but that movie was someone's life; her life. Or it would have been had she watched many movies in the past. She had to imagine that this was what it was like, though - watching frozen to the spot unable to stop the plot from happening. Maybe a better metaphor would be that it was like reading a book. Except the book just kept on going, and she couldn't close it.

The dog moved, maybe. Or maybe it didn't. She wasn't certain of anything anymore. But it didn't matter; none of it was real. She was still trembling, on the outside. Still ice cold, but she wasn't shivering from cold. Still rubbing at the fabric of the blanket as if it would provide any comfort at all. Staring straight ahead, at nothing and everything.

[sammy,]

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 ！！ x─────ix ♔
x──────i ii zeus iii eighteen. iiii tags: collin (couther).
ivi dining pavilion

"that would do wonders for this place," orin nodded. "listen, i used to get my praises sung when i was in school for doing absolutely nothing. 'cause most of the time, i was doing something, and some people didn't like that. we celebrate things that didn't happen all the time. bonfire night, that's a big one. they celebrate that over on that horrible little island, and that's just - someone didn't blow up parliament, let's have a party. well, i don't blow up parliament every day, and i don't get celebrated for that. it's the same thing. i think guy fawkes was a hero, actually. i think he was ahead of his time. just had stupid mates," he paused. "i don't think a gold star's gonna do much for 'em, to be honest. maybe a gold ninja star. oh -" he'd struck - well, gold on that one. "that's it. a brand new weapon. but that might be mixed signals. i'm running round in circles here."

the camouflage was a brilliant plan, even if unintentional. "like a polar bear," he concluded. "you're just adapting to the snow faster than the rest of us. you're the great innovator. don't let anyone tell you otherwise." once again, he was being slated for his thoughts on running. "my legs go perfectly fine. it's just the rest of me that doesn't follow suit. without arms, i'll be unstoppable. i could get bionic arms instead. fit 'em with little gadgets. like, uh - like a... like a toaster. or a calculator, for a few sums on the go. lasers. always need lasers. wouldn't really be a bionic man without lasers, would i? that'd be pathetic."

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

for some reason, in the light of the day, the cold outside felt colder than it had on the roof. the snow underfoot had been reduced to little more than slush with the comings and goings of the people at the hampton inn, and when he pressed into it with his shoe, he was not greeted with a satisfying crunch, but a sad, damp noise, like stepping into a patch of unanticipated mud.

teilo was not worrying himself about the nature of the blanket on the ground. instead, it was onward he walked, toward the van in the distance. it came as no surprise that his excuse had some merit to it - a layer of thin ice had made home on the windscreen, a dastardly foe, but no match for the scraper that he retrieved from the glovebox with swift hands. he needed to do something, to focus the mind, to have any thoughts other than the ones that were piling up in the back of his throat. it was funny. they felt hot, constricting.

when his vision blurred, the immediate, panicky conclusion was that - for whatever reason - he was going blind. something had gone wrong with the healing of his cheek, an infection had set in, and he was going to be without vision for the rest of his life. this, of course, was a catastrophised version of events. but it was easier believed than the truth of the matter, which became clear when he watched one, two, and a final third drop of water crash against the now-cleared windscreen. he was crying. he hadn't cried in years. he didn't think he had it in him. regardless of what he believed, they kept coming, silent and unrelenting. a dam that had been unbreakable had now been broken and he was helpless to stop the flow now that it had begun.

with simply halting out of the question (because he didn't remember how he was supposed to stop crying, how people did that; his last experience had been cut off by screaming until he was hoarse and coating his ravaged throat with stomach acid, which did not feel like a safe bet), hiding was the next best thing. until it all blew over. luckily for him, he had keys to the van.

teilo slid the door open. there was movement in the corner of his eye, but he ignored it, crept inside, and sat against one of the chairs. the movements were all coordinated, choreographed - he would have looked mechanical if not for the leak that remained incessantly sprung - and when it was certain that he was safe from the eye of onlookers, he tucked his knees against his chest and let the questionably sourced emotions have their moment. he didn't sob, didn't wail or scream, just hid his face in the fabric of his shirt sleeve and let them fall. if not for the tremble in his ribs and the judder of his breath, it would have looked as though he was catching up on sleep in a - perhaps slightly awkward - position.


──────


clive nodded along as he was informed on the recent antics of madonna, 'kardashians' a name he vaguely recognised. for some reason, the association was with something that had been on the news aeons ago, blaring all over the screens. something to do with a glove and a white bronco. "longer than bloody pong, mate," he was shocked to hear she'd never played it. "oh, come on, now. tell me you've played donkey kong, at least. that's - the little barrels, and the cheats that went with that - i spent hours in the chippy playing that. i used to be incredible at that game." unfortunately, there were other things to talk about that didn't involve arcade machines. "well, it's alleged i was a demigod. the goat-man said i were, but i don't know how much you can trust a man who's got goat legs. i don't think goats are very honest animals, personally." the list of gods did nothing for him. he had no idea.

"so you're telling me that my dear aul heavenly dad didn't think i was good enough to claim as his own? well, that's absolutely charming, isn't it? christ alive." clive shook his head, but the smile on his face indicated that he didn't truly mean the vitriol. a smile that immediately faded when news of bowie came. "you're 'aving a yolk, you are. he can't be. that's... that's really upset me, that has. that's just 'orrible. why would you tell me that? i'm gutted. that's ruined the rest of the year for me."

he wasn't convinced on this 'pluto' nonsense. pluto was mickey mouse's diddy dog, or the name of a contentious celestial object, and he would hear no more about it. "yeah," he said, remaining obtuse to the correction. "tanner toast. that's what i said." there was a lot of information spilling from moxie, and not all of it sticking. the glance over the railing was concerning, and then - "you - you bloody - you stop it, you psychopath," clive took the cigarette, coupled it with the other in the opposite side of his mouth so that the two could hang on either side of his lips. "we're on the bleeding flip side, you - this is the flip side, you bumbling, oh -" she was already gone.

a little problem: clive was quite afraid of heights. not so much standing from them, but jumping from them. for some reason, that part of his survival instinct had stuck, and so, to follow after her, he had to rush for the door, phasing through walls, clamouring down stairs, all the while puffing on double the amount of spiritual nicotine.

by the time he was down, his head was spinning. "you - you are a maniac, you know that? you need to be put on observation, you do," but she had clearly seen something, and if the conversation leading up to the sudden leap was anything to go by, it was likely teilo. "i mean, there are perfectly good stairs, and any - oh, hang on, shut up, shut up, shut up." he wasn't even certain she was talking, but something had made a noise, a clatter of something to the ground, a heaved, quiet breath. he'd gotten good at listening in this state. a very keen ear, he had, and that sounded like someone trying very hard to stay quiet.

his eyes landed on the van. peering through the window, he almost missed the figure inside, small and folded like a paper aeroplane, but there he was. despite all that had been said the night previous about a lack of tears, they were clearly coming through. "oh, cripes." clive whispered. "that's no good. that's no good at all." he forgot his company, poked his head through the metal cage, slipped inside. the culprit of the noise had been the pocket watch, lying next to teilo on the floor, looking just as bereft as its owner.

verbally stunned, he said nothing; but when the idea struck, he took it. emrys, that was. he had touched it the night before, achieved a manner of actualisation, and when he felt the cold metal in his hands, an uncomfortable shock, he change tacts. didn't let it go, didn't shudder or complain, but instead wrapped thin, temporarily corporeal arms around the son of thanatos. "'ere, you're alright, taffs," and though teilo stiffened, he didn't do much to stop the infringement on his space. it didn't seem the time for questions, or requests, but it was never the time. "i've got company," he said. "she's alright. bit of a lunatic, but... alright."

[sweet.peaches~]

「 ʀɪʟᴇʏ ᴘᴀʟᴍᴇʀ 」
⚡ 16 | she/her | zeus | location: outside | tags: leo

"i don't think it's smart to underestimate me," she stiffened, almost confused at the response. should i sound more angry? does he not care? because i certainly care about this and leo doesn't seem to give a crap. i'd rather much prefer he did. but then he made her even more confused. maybe i shouldn't have used the 'guilty until proven innocent' mindset. riley thought about that for a few seconds. no, no i definitely should've. he's given me no reason to trust him, and i can't even tell whether or not he's being honest - though i guess he doesn't sound like he's bluffing - but still. "wait, wait don't leave. listen, i - no, i'm sorry but in my defense, i didn't really think you were, like, a morally good person." wrong direction, bud. "sorry-sorry, what i meant to say was nothing of that sort, uh-"

now she was the one stumbling with her words. riley took a deep breath.
"look, you have no reason to lie, so i er believe you. and it was not right of me to go rushing at you angrily like that," it was genuine, albeit a little strained. "really appreciate the gesture. i mean i'd understand if really, anybody else would go out of their way to help me out, but i dunno, i guess i just thought you'd leave me to rot. thanks for exceeding my expectations." that's a weird apology. maybe she should've eaten breakfast first. "i uh. hope your jacket's good," she awkwardly said. "i, ehm, won't be forgetting this anytime soon. at least hopefully i don't. because this is like the only time i've really seen you ever show human decency.. though i actually haven't since i was unconscious but whatever, that doesn't matter." she rubbed her hands to get some warmth, or perhaps to focus her attention less on how badly she was failing at talking. "point is, that was cool of you." now she had mixed feelings about leo. great. actually it was mostly negative. somewhat mixed feelings. "yknow, breakfast sounds good. maybe not oatmeal," she slipped a little bit of an edge right then and there, "but still, food. yum."

she wasn't sure if she was supposed to invite leo to breakfast or not, since he'd had been nice and all, but he'd also been a massive douchebag and riley wasn't one to forget or forgive those kind of things. plus, she was making it slightly obvious she didn't like his presence. "might go head out, but you're welcome to come with. you're not uh obliged though. if i was in your position, i personally wouldn't but i mean it's your choice," she gave him a smile, though it felt pretty fake.

「 ʀᴏʙʏɴ ᴀᴅᴀᴍs 」
🌺 17 | she/her | aphrodite | location: cabin 10 porch | tags: ophelia

it was hard to sleep, especially after what had happened yesterday. about three hours of the night was filled with thoughts that were unsettling, angry, confused, all of the unpleasant sorts. but finally she was about to drift to sleep, and surprisingly no nightmares hit her. as soon as she woke up, robyn felt both relaxed but.. paranoid. this is just delaying the inevitable. at least i could get it over with. what if it's even worse? she shivered. still, i should be grateful. it's not like i'm gonna have the same luck later.

and with that happy thought, robyn quietly got out of bed. after putting on some tights, a beige turtleneck, a red strappy dress, black boots, and a brown cozy corduroy coat, she happily did her makeup routine and went outside to immediately shiver from the frigid breeze. which was a wonderful reminder of everything that happened and everything that was going to happen when she stepped one foot away of her cabin. nevermind. leaving is a terrifying thought. breakfast can wait, i'm not that hungry anyway.

so robyn just stupidly stood on the porch, trying to comfort herself and watch as more and more people came out of their cabins. she lost track of time before she heard her name being called. flinching and expecting the worst, she regained her composure after a few seconds. it's just ophelia, robyn chided herself. "that's me," she let out a soft chuckle. "uh huh." i mean i did see you at dinner but i guess we weren't really talking and you were distracted with that whole riley business so it doesn't really care does it? "i really missed out a lot." awkwardly accepting the handshake, robyn asked, "so uh how's it like being head counselor?" it was a dumb conversation starter but still a conversation starter nevertheless. even if the daughter of aphrodite didn't really know what to say, ophelia was still a good face to see, especially when everything and everyone was acting way different than ever. come on, khione! out of all the years you could choose from, you chose this one? you're immortal. you could've chose a date when we're all dead, or even better not try to murder us all. so thanks so much, my majesty.

[indigo']

━━━ 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐎’𝐑𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲

[✵]17|he/him|Zeus|Dining Pavilion|tags: Orin (the brousin)

“So you want to celebrate nothing?” Collin laughed, shaking his head a little disbelievingly. “You might be onto something. If there was ever a group of people wanting to celebrate nothing happening it would have to be this lot.” A quick glance around was enough to confirm that, most of the faces around them looking as if they wished things would stop happening, give them a moment to breathe. Though the thought was genuine, it was a little too serious, diverting from the point in a way that required being a little more in touch with reality than he wanted to be at the moment. Luckily, it didn’t last long, the praise of Guy Fawkes enough to bring him back. “I think you’ve actually got a solid point there. Maybe leave the part about blowing things up out when you pitch this to Chiron, but other than that it’s solid.” The suggestion of giving out ninja stars had his face melting into a frown. “Mm...see, you’ve lost me now. The motivation to get the star would only last until they’d got it, then they’d be slicing each other up with them.” He paused, as if considering it, then nodded as he came to a conclusion. “Yeah, that’s an awful idea. I don’t think you should be in charge of the gold star system, sorry.”

“Yeah, right. Thanks,” he said with a grin. “Yeah, that’d be pretty—” He cut himself off with a short, high-pitched laugh. “A toaster? You’re fantasizing about bionic arms and the first thing you think of is a toaster. God, I wish I had a mind like yours.” He raised his eyebrows, pointing a finger as a thought struck him. “You could make toast with the lasers. Bundle ‘em up, save room on your bionic arms.”

━━━ 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐛 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬

[➳]18|he/him|Athena|Forge|tags: Wilhelm

Caleb waved a hand dismissively when Will expressed the wish to have been there sooner, shaking his head. “It’s not your fault. Everyone did what they could, when they could. I don’t think anything would’ve made much difference.” The words came out without a second thought, an honest response, until the context of his own situation came flooding back. It was his fault. He hadn’t done what he could to stop it, he’d made it worse. He could’ve made a difference and he had, in the worst possible way. And now he was offering comfort to Wilhelm as if they were in the same boat. He could play at camaraderie all he wanted, he could put on the mask of sympathy and pretend they were all in it together, but the truth was that he had helped cause the situations that were putting them all through pain, and every word out of his mouth felt like a lie. The thoughts ran through his head in the span of a second, and he didn’t miss a beat before speaking again. “And there’s no point dwelling on what could’ve been. What matters is that you’re here now, and we’re lucky to have you.”

“Oh, god, no,” he scoffed. “She wouldn’t suit it, either. Be a disgrace to her mother and we can’t have that.” It felt worse somehow, having a smoke with the son of Hephaestus while essentially lying to his face, but he took one anyway, giving a short nod of thanks. “It means we’re screwed,” he said with a bitter smile, his tone a little lighter than the words called for. He was joking, of course, trying to find humour in the dark circumstance, but he knew exactly what it meant. It meant he was getting what he wanted. It meant he’d get her back. Soon. He just couldn’t say any of that to Will. He just had to exaggerate his smile in a way that made it seem forced, and for some reason, it felt like it really was.

[Kveykva]

──────── 𝐌𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐧𝐞 "𝐌𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐞" 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩
[✦] | Mars | 29 | Female | ➡ Hampton Inn, Van | Tags: Clive, Teilo
❝ ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒❞

The jump hadn't been necessary, but Moxie chose to for two reasons: it was the quickest way to the bottom that didn't break line of sight, and she wanted to see if it was something she could still do in her incorporeal state. She felt nothing during the fall. No wind, no cold, and no sound beyond the early stirring city. If she'd closed her eyes, she wouldn't have even realized she'd hit the ground. Her body sank partially through the asphalt parking lot, but it repelled a lot more than walls or door did - coming back to the surface was a swift process. Moxie took a moment to look up, spotting Clive vanishing from the rooftop. Whatever he'd said was left unheard, but it was easy enough to guess that he planned to follow. After all, she was the only smoking buddy he'd see for a long time.

He appeared moments later, and Moxie flashed him a bright smile. "I think it's a little late to put me on suicide watch. Besides, who'd be responsible for that? Surely not those reapers - they can't even operate a phone properly." She rolled her eyes. "Relax, Clive. Somethin' tells me you just need a little more adrenaline pumpin' through those ghostly veins of yours." She'd had more taunts to throw his way, but Clive was quick to shut her up. Ordinarily, she would've protested - but these were far from ordinary circumstances. Moxie followed hot on his heels, pointing a puzzled look in the other spirit's direction in search of an answer. She never received one, and soon she gave up trying. Clive slipped his way into the van parked under one of the few street lamps, and after a moment, she poked her head in as well. Sure enough, the one he called Taffy sat just inside, though she didn't need her odikinesis to read his mood. Ah hell, she bit her tongue and perched herself on the van's dashboard. She'd never been any good at cheering people up - her emotion manipulation really went only as far as instigating fights or easing tension.

Moxie cracked a smile at Clive's comment. "Lunatic is far from the worst thing I've been called, I'll take it." she replied, letting her voice trail off into silence. From where she sat with harsh light beaming in from the windshield, the daughter of Mars was nearly invisible against the glass, her outline the most visible thing about her. After some time and a bit of bravery, Moxie leaned forward and rested her hand on the boy's head, just barely able to manipulate the wild hairs on his head. "Hey, it'll all be okay, little man. Judge free zone in here."

──────── 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐬𝐨𝐧
[✦] | Hephaestus | 18 | Male | ➡ Forges | Tags: Caleb
❝ ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑒❞

Same thing again. Will nodded in acknowledgment, but Caleb's words weren't taken to heart. "We're both 'ere fer our siblings. Yer gonna keep yer cabin safe, ain't you?" The question was more rhetorical than anything; he knew Caleb would. He didn't need to trust Aiden's decision-making to know that. The son of Athena accepted the cigarette from him and he tucked the pack back into his shirt pocket, fiddling with the tools he'd already brought out. Will had no current plans on what to make - no real muse for creation, he just wanted a distraction from it all. He'd even been tempted to ask Caleb to polish his shield instead, but he figured that was a task the other would prefer to keep to himself. "Y' got any touchin' up you'd want on that shield?" he nodded to the one in Caleb's hands. Will couldn't remember if Caleb forged that one himself, or if one of his siblings had years ago. It didn't strike him as one he picked up from the armory, but he hadn't listened close enough to it, aside from hearing its general enjoyment at the polishing. It was really just anything he could take to keep his mind off the four simple words Caleb had to offer. "It means we’re screwed."

──────── 𝐊𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐱
[✦] | Mortal | 19 | Female | ➡ Lancaster, PA | Tags: Vivienne
❝ 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑒❞

The longer they sat, receiving coffee refills from a rather tired-looking server and neglecting to order anything from the menu, the more concerned Kayle became. There's not - any first aid training for this, right? Most of what she knew revolved around combat: treating cuts and bruises, setting broken bones, CPR, though she also knew the signs for strokes and seizures. This wasn't any of that, and Vivienne offered little to no verbal cues to help Kayle figure out what was going on. After a few minutes of drinking coffee, staring into space, and essentially talking to a wall, Kayle sighed and set her mug down. "Okay, Vivienne you gotta help me out here." She slid the menu in front of the shivering girl beside her. "I can't see, I don't know what happened and I don't know if you have like - a look on your face that would give me some clue, but right now I have no idea. I'm here though, I'm right here," Kayle put her arms around her, shaking the girl gently. "You're gonna be safe here with me, and I'm not going anywhere."

──────── 𝐀𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫
[✦] | Athena Head Counselor | 15 | Male | ➡ Hampton Inn, Dining Room| Tags: Mirabelle
❝ 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡𝑠❞

As Mirabelle explained, it became painfully clear his hunch was right on the nose. He remained fairly passive throughout most of it, but the mention of Audra was enough to cause his eyes to widen. "No kidding, Audra?" he'd heard the name at least a dozen times in recent memory, but hearing it now was different. "He didn't just see her, he spoke to her?" It was hard to quash his disbelief. "Alright alright alright, let's take a few steps back on this one," Aiden spread his hands and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "For starters, and Mira, I mean this in the nicest way possible," he lowered his voice to a whisper. "It doesn't take a lot for you to get overwhelmed, and it's something you need to work on now more than ever. You're going to crumble if you keep worrying about things outside of your control." Mira was a kingpin in their quest, and she was one of the least stable in the group. She's great for taking charge, but the last thing any of them needed was one of their leaders to fall apart when they were needed most. "Just - put it out of your mind for a little bit. Woosa, okay?" He waited for a little nod before continuing.

"I think the most important thing we need to remember is that it was a guess," Aiden reminded her. "I don't know anything about the Doors of Death - I've never seen them, and there's very few who have and lived to tell the tale. It's not like we can just phone up some of our old heroes for some answers - we're on our own." A scary thought, but true nonetheless. "We don't know for sure that the Doors are open. If they are, then it's more than likely related in some way. But Teilo's sickness at the diner isn't a positive indicator that they are. If that were the case, logic states he'd be persistently sick, and as far as I can tell, he hasn't been. They could have opened very close, which is what triggered a reaction from him. Best we can do right now is keep an eye on him to see if it happens a second time." The answer seemed reasonable enough, but Aiden still had more thoughts to share. "There's also Audra herself. Let's pretend the Doors did open - if Vivienne has, by some wild spin of Fate, access to those, why would she continue attacking Camp Half-Blood? Audra clearly thinks she hasn't gone far enough to be a cold-blooded killer, so if she went through the Doors and came back, then Vivienne would just..." he made a popping noise with his lips. "She wouldn't have any reason to keep at it. But she doesn't have Audra, so she's still attacking camp because she thinks there's no hope for Audra to come back. Does that make sense?"

──────── 𝐂𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐚𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐳
[✦] | Oracle of Delphi | 23 | Male | ➡ Cabin Circle | Tags: Zeke
❝ 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑛 𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑏𝑜𝑛, 𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑔𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠❞

It sounded like he and Zeke shared the same thoughts on current events, albeit with different expressions. Zeke's mind seemed elsewhere, and Cain was prepared to leave the Hermes camper to his business in favor of getting breakfast if the other had nothing to ask of him. It didn't take long for Zeke to pop his request, however. "Mints?" Cain echoed, his free hand trailing to his hoodie pockets. "I might, uh - wh-what do you need them for?" His mind immediately went to Mentos in Coke, but he wasn't sure if that science applied to any kind of mint. Within the depths of his pockets, the oracle produced a small tin of Altoids - one he wasn't sure where he picked up but carried regardless. "You can have these if you want them, I don't think I'll finish them off any time soon." He said, presenting the tin to Zeke. "It's all I have, sorry..."

──────── 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐲 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐳𝐞𝐧
[✦] | Apollo | 16 | Female | ➡ Outside Cabin 7 | Tags: Sylvester
❝ 𝑖 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑟❞

"Hey!" Lucy had just barely exited the cabin when a sharp voice broke the otherwise silent morning, addressing none other than herself. For a split second, she thought it was her brother Felix revving up for a lecture, but she recalled he'd already left the cabin that morning. Lucy turned, quickly putting the voice to a face. "Sylvester," another returning camper, she realized. She didn't know him well, but she did remember he'd been the Hermes head counselor, either her first or second year at camp. Nice enough, she supposed. Lucy exhaled a breath of air out her nose, fogging the air in front of her as her nostrils burned from the chill. "What makes you think I know where they are?" she sniffed aggressively. "I've just gotten out of bed, am I not allowed to enjoy the fresh air without someone wanting something from me?" She added, reluctantly wearing her hand-me-down snow clothes, courtesy of the Hecate head counselor. Late head counselor, with any luck. "I'd say check the Big House, but I'm sure you've noticed it isn't there anymore. If you really need to see Chiron, I suppose you can come with me. I have some important information for him, mind you, so I can't guarantee he'll have the time for your nonsense." Kindness was too exhausting to even consider at the moment, so Sylvester would have to settle for her snippy comments or, if he knew better, hit the road.