Camp Half-Blood: Into the Storm - Closed!

[sammy,]

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

it was nice to hear his plight echoed from auggie. nice to know that he wasn't acting out of utter and complete derangement, that the past few years hadn't been a massive mistake on his own part. he had made a decision and he'd stuck to it. he had lied, not out of malevolence or greed, but because it was easier for all parties. that didn't make him a bad person. it was just a choice. this, too - leaving, that was - was a choice. it seemed that his life so far had been infiltrated by decisions made by forces beyond his control. this felt like taking that back. "everyone thinks they're owed, though, don't they?" he let out half of a laugh. "when... i didn't tell minty originally. that was where it started. i didn't wanna worry him, just said it was a one-off thing. he found out 'cause his brother had spoken to my sister, and he came into my room, and he threw fruits at me. like, a barrage of fruits. strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and a banana." it was funny, looking back. "i probably should've learnt from that, but... what's life without a few repeated mistakes? i'd be boring if i ever took history into account. imagine how reasonable that'd be." he scratched the back of his head, shoo it when she made her apology. "i am happy to be stuck with you," a pause. "'cause i can see that you're happy to be stuck with me -" and then, a break in character. "sorry. that's huey lewis."

"screw being heroes," he said decisively. "screw quests, screw firework parties and offering up the best part of a meal to gods who don't actually care either way. screw chiron, and mister d, and... duelling, and capture the flag and... and especially screw the snidey dryads who think they're better than us. if screwing all that means being a bad guy, then... i mean, send me back down there, i want a recount on my judgement. get me back in front of billy shakes and the founding fathers - who, have no right to be judging us, by the way, given that they were all morally bankrupt... anyway. screw it."

the phone call was going well. the doubt regarding the name came as no surprise. it was quite the shame, really. a mistake on the part of the pillock's parents. still, there was little time to consider the man's heritage. "i'm sorry, sir, but i can't -"
"i don't really care what you can't do. i've got my job on the line here. i can actually hear my neurotransmitters dying. any longer to wait for this and i'll never feel joy again. do you want that? do you want me to become a sweaty, heaving husk of a man? can you have that on your conscience?" he didn't like being rude. still, when appropriate - "listen. he's got a guard, right? and if you just accidentally mutter the number of his room, i can get someone to deliver it to front desk with instruction of where to send it. you can scan it for bombs, or maggots, or... whatever the hell you think's hidden in this press pack, and then it's all hunky dory. that's it. i just need a number, just... for the peace of my rotting mind."
"eight-zero-eight," oh. he nearly swallowed his tongue.
"thank you. thank you, so much. thank you," and then, he hung up.

"eight-zero-eight," he repeated, the numbers heavy in his throat. "right. now, should probably..." orin threw his phone into a nearby bush, and started walking again. "real guy, by the way. rick o'shea. stupid name. he was my stepdad, once upon a time. he's finally good for something." they had a hotel and a room number and a name and this was starting to get exciting. "did i sound scary and threatening and political and powerful? did i?"

[indigo']

━━━ 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬

[✩]17|she/her|Hades|Head Counsellor|outside border|tags: Orin

“Of course they do. Everyone thinks the world and everyone in it owes them honesty and fairness and whatever other fairytale crap they feel entitled to, but that’s not how it works.” It was a cynical point of view, but one that she honestly believed in. “No matter what you do, people are going to react poorly. They’ll blame you for things or act like there was some different, obvious choice to make when in reality, there wasn't. All you can control is you,” she said with a shrug. The following story led to a small smile, the expression feeling wrong and unnatural in the current circumstances. “That’s…one way to react. Not the worst. Could’ve had a watermelon.” She shook her head. “You? Being reasonable? I can’t even picture it.” She rolled her eyes at the response to her apology, suppressing a smile that revealed her lack of conviction in the action. “Unfortunately, I know.” Her uncle had been a fan of Huey Lewis and the News, and she’d heard enough of their songs in the brief period he’d been rehearsing to audition for a cover band to recognize the lyrics.

“I think that classifies as blasphemy,” she commented, in a tone that indicated she wasn’t too concerned. Worse crimes than an insult to the gods had already been committed, and it appeared more were to come. “Honestly, it’s messed up anyways. Acting like any of this is okay. Acting like any of this is normal. Kids running around with swords before they even know how to use them. I’ve been here for five years, sometimes I forget how twisted it all is.” Maybe the anger harboured towards the place she’d called home could be traced back to the events of the past few days, or maybe it ran deeper, something that had been building up for a long time, piece by piece, the pressure rising until it was ready to boil over or explode. “Screw it,” she agreed.

Her surprised expression furthered as the ranting and raving continued. She might have actually laughed if she hadn’t been holding her breath in anticipation. Orin could talk, that wasn’t at all surprising, but the harsh, aggressive manner in which he did was a little. Auggie knew what was going on and yet she nearly believed that his job was on the line over a press package delivery. There was a pause, and then he was thanking the receptionist and hanging up the phone. “You actually...that actually worked.” It wasn’t a question, more of a stunned statement. “Huh…” It didn’t seem right that it should be so easy, as if there were supposed to be more obstacles in the way and they were simply missing something. The doubt was momentarily cast away at the mention of his stepfather. “There’s no way. Is that not considered child abuse? Naming someone that?” She still felt a little like her lungs were filled with water, sort of sick and breathless and disoriented, but it wasn’t the paralyzing type of anxiety that made her want to stop and turn back. Things were finally going the way they were supposed to, and all she wanted to do was keep moving. “You sort of sounded like…” She squinted, looking as if she were deep in thought. “How would you say overdramatic man baby in a nice way?” She smirked, clearly baiting for a reaction. “No, you sounded very threatening and political. I forgot you were you for a second.”

[sammy,]

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

"not even fairytale crap. it's hallmark christmas film crap," he said. "the brothers grimm got a hell of a lot right when it came to human nature, i'll give 'em that." orin was very used to listening to other people's opinions on how he was supposed to live, all the snidey looks and the sly remarks underneath thin veils of concern. everyone felt entitled to their own, digestible little truths. the watermelon was quite the visualisation. "it was hard enough getting blueberry smears off white walls. imagine the splatter that would've had." almost cringe worthy. and the seeds, christ. "i think when i start being reasonable, that's me off the deep end." huey lewis recognised, he settled in the satisfied glee.

"well, screw blasphemy as well. i think they need to be put in their place a little more often," orin decided. the further they strayed from the camp, both mentally and physically, the more clarity he viewed it with. it was twisted. "this kid i knew joined the navy a few months ago, and i thought he was off his nut," he chewed his lip. "but at least he had a choice. we've been drafted on the basis of blood." sold as a magical safe place, somewhere to go to avoid the dangers of the outside world. trained up into olympus' infantry, with no idea of what the reality of such an existence was until it was too late. "child soldiers." he'd heard something like that before, that perspective. he didn't want to think about how true some of the politician's words were.

it had worked. part of him was surprised that it had worked. another part wasn't at all. "half of the struggle of doing something is starting it," he said. all of the cards had been laid out for them, and maybe it was fate being kind. maybe they had caught the right person on the right day in the right minute, and maybe that had been dictated by the spinning and untrustworthy strings. whatever it had been, it had been managed. "maybe they just thought it'd be funny. i mean, it is. and it's memorable, so... they were setting him up for success." hadn't worked very well, really, but it was the thought that counted. a laugh came at the description. "i didn't know that my impersonation of rick was so accurate. i must've channelled him."

so there was the setup, and now, time to get on with it. "grey sisters could be the way to go. not a chance in hell i'm taking a bus, and i'm too lazy to walk." the road away from camp was in front of them, stretching out toward the future. whatever the hell that held. "probably -"
whatever he was going to say was interrupted by the sound of shattering glass. somewhere not far away, but not within view. "probably best we hurry it up. i don't wanna get mixed in with whatever the hell that was."

[Takara]

❥ | Ophelia Rogers
16 | She/her | Aphrodite | Cabin 10 Porch--> Dining Pavilion | Robyn

Her smile turned sheepish when her comment garnered Robyn's amusement. I didn't really plan on being a comedian, but I suppose it's alright... for her. Her words had failed to capture essence of all the flack that was going on about them right now. She deserved this. Had earned it, really. Tension gnawed at her stomach, turning it too against her. She knew that she had already let her cabin down, first last night in the grating darkness, and further today. She couldn't put a finger on how exactly it had happened, but it had, and now she was here, bracing against more than the cold.

Her lips quirked, but she didn't force a smile. That would be fake, and their was nothing the children of a fake goddess could sniff out faster than insincerity. "As long as you are," She offered, but Robyn worked through her hesitation before the words could mean anything. Robyn took her hand, and she let out a soft sigh. Maybe, maybe I'm not completely failing... I can check back on the others when I've warmed up, give them some time to process, and...and? Hmmmm...

She tugged Robyn along gently, weaving through others' tracks around the cabin circle as she pondered her sisters' words. 'hope I had in this camp'? Perhaps I am still mucking up. "You don't need faith in camp, it's just bones with a fancy border," Her words ran ahead of her brain, to her regret. Insulting camp felt wrong, blasphemous. It was all 'be grateful for what you have' and 'don't envy others' and whatever chopped liver they fed kids to make them feel bad for wanting more. But what was the Big House now beyond splintered wood bathed in snow? She nibbled on her lip, well aware it would soon be cracked bloody. If I could go anywhere I wanted, would I even leave? What would that even look like? She knew, ribbons in their hair. If they remember me, bet I'm one odd sort of ghost.

"People..." have all the power. They'll make you, break you, have you hating yourself for hating them. "I wouldn't give them my hope, but I think... I think it gets worse if you don't," Like now, with her heartbeat fluttering in her chest and the end so bitterly near. Mira would win for us, I think. And it would shatter her, I think. She's already at too much. And I would freeze the world back over trying to heal what they broke, I know. It might not be wholly true, but as she'd told Robyn; believing anything less would be far worse

[indigo']

━━━ 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬

[✩]17|she/her|Hades|Head Counsellor|outside border|tags: Orin

“Disgusting either way, and a horrible way to live.” Trying to control people was about as useful as trying to hold water in your hands. It didn’t matter how tightly you squeezed your fingers together, it would still slip through the cracks. Auggie had found it was easier not to care about any of it, or at least act like she didn’t. Not about what other people thought of her or what they were doing themselves. “Maybe it would be better if it was fairytale crap. Maybe the world needs more cutting off toes and children getting eaten, teach them to face reality.” She wasn’t bitter, just not delusional like the rest of them. “If I ever see you make a rational decision I’ll know it’s too late to save you,” she said, a smile flickering across her face.

“We probably wouldn’t be here if they were.” She wasn’t entirely sure what she meant by here—whether she meant them, on the outskirts of camp with nothing but the weight of all that was behind them and a plan to move forward; or all of them, stuck in an eternal winter, fighting battles that shouldn’t have been theirs. “It’s not like they even say that’s what it is. This place is supposed to be safe. It’s supposed to be a shelter, but all it is...it’s a way to collect us. Gather us up and use us. They’ve got a forest full of monsters, it's not safe here. The gods don’t give a damn about any of their children until we can come in useful fighting their battles for them.” Her brow was pulled in a frown, the thoughts seeming to come to her as the words fell out. She’d only ever stayed because she’d had nowhere else to go and no reason to question the life she'd been tossed into. It had never felt like a home, just the only remaining option. She’d never been able to want anything better because she’d never had it, not in memories close enough to remember, at least. “It’s sick,” she concluded, voice rough.

It was easier to ignore the good parts in a haze of anger and grief, easier to forget any moment that it ever had felt like a home, any time when this place had been a safe haven. It was tainted now, stained red with everything that had gone wrong. Still, there was a certain amount of guilt in leaving it, especially after what she’d done. If there was any hope that the wound she’d inflicted on Stella wasn’t fatal, she had to trust that Reese would help her. There had been enough loss and suffering, nobody needed more problems. It was better that she kept herself and that barely leashed volatility away, do something useful with it.

“Well, it’s started now.” The momentum was growing, every step, every second bringing them closer to something. It was reminiscent of the time she’d attempted to skateboard down a hill with no way of stopping herself at the bottom, only what was waiting for them now wasn’t a chain link fence, a few scrapes and a broken wrist. She wasn’t sure which was better. “If by success you mean never being taken seriously then, yeah. I mean, if I’d gone to school with someone named Rick O’Shea I would’ve—” Probably best not to think about the way she’d been as a child, especially not now. She didn’t really want to acknowledge those parts of her that still lingered just beneath the surface. “You definitely did.”

“Not like we can call a cab,” she muttered with a half smirk, gaze flicking back to the bush his phone had been discarded in. “Can the Grey Sisters actually be trusted to...not get us killed?” She hadn’t left camp in a long time, but now wasn’t the moment for apprehension to start kicking in. There was going to be much worse things than three old ladies with one eye. There already had been. Her head snapped towards the sound of shattering glass, but there was nothing to see. “Whatever gets us out of here quickest.”

[sammy,]

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

they hadn't really had a choice in coming to camp, and now they had a chance to leave. the choice of freedom felt an obvious one. "y'hear all the stories of the gods coming down to have their vengeance on the people who kill their kids. at one point it's like they cared," and then a flame had gone out, somewhere along the way. he wasn't sure where in history that had happened. the catacombs of orin's head were empty when it came to information that was of any use. "just pawns to 'em now. screw that."

it wasn't all bad. the people weren't all bad, the events weren't all bad, but it was easier to see it as such when making a decision so drastic. at some point, he might look back and regret this. future orin was a moron, though, and past orin was - he shook his head, refused to think about it. "i mean, he was being bullied by a twelve-year-old me, and i think that was justified," he paused. "i think my ma might have really bad taste in men." zeus and rick. others in the middle, but those were the fathers, and both as absent as each other. he wasn't sure which he would have preferred.

throwing the phone had probably been a poor act, but following through on an impulse had felt pretty good. "no. that's... that's true," he considered the grey sisters, finally nodded. "what're they gonna do? prophecise us into submission? they'll just yammer, that's all they do." he'd only taken a couple of rides with them, back in the day. with the shatter of glass prompting urgency, he pulled a drachma from his pocket. "sounds like trouble. good luck to 'em." none of their business.

"forgive me for this. i've never been good with my pronunciations," the coin thrown into the road. "stêthi, ô hárma diabolês," he hailed, the drachma sinking into the ground, smoke collecting on the ground and forming into a car. "spooky."

"d'you think they've got a mute button?" orin asked before entering. "trigger word to get them to shut their running, monotooth mouths?"

[Soup5]

OOC: you're perfectly fine! incoming writer's block.
XXXHeshen Bi'an/asexual/m/14/cabin 11/Phobos (unclaimed)/tag: Satchiko

Successfuly caught her attention, the young boy still flinched at the sight of her blank expression that stared back at him for a brief moment. His smile remained strong, and a soft giggle escaped from his lips. His body slightly leaned back to give her some spaces when she suddenly stroked back her hair. His mother's annoyed expression still burned into his mind whenever he tried to reach for her attention- yet he was confident about other people. When her blank expression broke into a big smile, his heart began to calm down. It appeared that he was right about his instinct.

Satchiko. The boy looked at her from top to bottom and memorized her name after hearing her upbeat tone. He nodded along with her words. "Thank you, Big Sis Satchi. I'm glad that you are the first person I did meet. I can't wait to meet everyone." His face blushed and beamed at her. His tone was calm but Heshen was starting to feel giddy from this new excitement.

He nodded when she suggested they start at the dining pavilion. He paused for a moment to register all her words. Henshin was surprised after hearing the second part. "Deliver it straight to you?" He repeated back, confirming if he didn't hear it wrong. For a moment he dropped his gaze, then Heshen smiled back at the nice sis. "Sounds good, but I just woke up so I don't know if they will punish me for being late." He spoke, rubbing his head awkwardly.

[*Lovel*]

『 ☯』 Oliver Howe『 ☯』

Son of Phobos ✵ Cabin 26 ✵ 17 ✵ Demisexual

==== ✵ ======== ✵ ======== ✵ ======== ✵ ======== ✵ ======== ✵ ======== ✵ ======== ✵ ======== ✵ ======== ✵ ====

Tags: Ambrose
Location: Apollo Cabin

Oliver trusted Ambrose but he'd have to be the judge if the rest of the campers even if Ambrose said the were good. "Animation?" He'd definitely have to catch up with the times. "It was long before I met you, I was in that casino for a long time. Though it wasn't a casino when it appeared to me, you could have called it a pub of sorts. I was running for my life, being shot at by villagers who were once like family, when I found the place in the middle of nowhere. I got bandaged up by a sweet lady... wonder what became of her... anyway, it was ages ago. All humans are monsters until proven otherwise, I can't take my chances." Oliver's eyes traveled away looking anywhere but Ambrose's eyes. If he did that he may break down, he hasn't told the story to anyone. Not even the woman who patched him up that night."They were frightened of me, accused me of witchcraft. Probably because of what I can see." His memory of the night was clear as if it just happened yesterday unlike everything else he was meant to remember.

"At least all I had to worry about while there was how to avoid talking to people." Ambrose wasn't going to understand Oliver's point. That was ok, he didn't have to, he wasn't trapped in there the same way Ambrose had been. Oliver didn't think of himself as trapped there, not like the others, he chose to remain there only losing track of time that hadn't mattered to him. "Alright, yeah." He didn't mind having just Ambrose but Ambrose wouldn't allow that. Oliver smiled as Ambrose occupied the space, he nodded at the admission. Oliver took in Ambrose's explanation word by word.

He was quiet letting the words linger between them then out came a laugh that surprised even him. He should've been angry with Ambrose, if it was anyone else he probably would have been. "You gambled away one safety for a life of adventures and thrills. I'm surprised you required a gamble for that. Always a reckless one, it was brave of you to leave." He rubbed his temples as the headache began to resurface. "I missed you all those years. It was quite lonely not having you around." He laid his head back on the pillow and turned his head to look at Ambrose with mossy green eyes.

〖 ☾ 〗Ash Davis〖 ☾ 〗

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

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

Tags: Clive, Teilo, Aiden?
Location: Van

"I said Hermes not... you know... never mind that." Ash swatted his hand in the open air. "Hermes is the God of Thieves amongst various other things, very well rounded bloke if I'm to be honest. Well his children can have multiple abilities like Clauditikinesis, ability to expand storage, teleportation, super speed.... you can use the internet freely without monsters detecting you. That's pretty cool. Since your father is also the God of communication you can understand all languages although you could never tell since you know.. they all read and sound like your native language. " that's it he's shown his geeky side. A blush crept to his cheeks "I know a lot about the gods."

Ash was thankful for the change of topic. "Are you sure they are connected mate?" With the misunderstanding from a moment ago he was unsure. "A little sing you say?" Slight confusion crossed his features for just a moment. Definitely a connection in some way. He'd figure it out eventually. He was curious as to the beacon that was the hotel for Clive and what made the connection between the two. Maybe it wasn't possibly but he'd try.

Teilo was getting louder, the anger steaming from him. As Teilo went on to further the explanation, his mind was racing as he put all the pieces onto a chest board in his mind. "We need a queens gambit. Make a sacrifice to win the game." It was a very risky tactical move but the didn't have many options. His brain was still running when he looked to Teilo devoid of any hope he had left in him. Ash maneuvered to the passenger seat forgetting Mira's needs. "No one said this would be easy but I promise to keep you safe, no matter what." He set a hand on his back and rubbed gently. "I promise."

[indigo']

━━━ 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬

[✩]17|she/her|Hades|Head Counsellor|outside border|tags: Orin

“Yeah, then they had too many. Lost track. Realized they’d make better use of us as soldiers.” It didn’t seem like anything more than stories now, the idea of the gods actually caring about their children. Auggie didn’t think she wanted it to be any different. It wasn’t like she’d ever felt any connection to her godly heritage—or any feelings besides fear and annoyance towards it for that matter. Screw that had been a mentality she’d held onto for a long time, it felt good to finally act on it.

“Absolutely justified.” She cracked a smile at the comment on his mother’s taste in men, shaking her head. “Couldn’t possibly be worse than my mom.” It was difficult to decide which of her supposed father figures had been worse, but Kevin had only been around long enough for her to mess him up. If Hades’ worst crime was his absence, maybe he had the right idea. “She married an aspiring tattoo artist who could barely draw a stick figure.” That was the most redeemable of Kevin's traits, a bit reductive of the monster he’d been, but it definitely wasn’t the time to start delving into her past.

“That’s exactly what I’m worried about,” she muttered. Despite the act she displayed to most, Auggie didn’t actually mind people willing to fill the silence that usually surrounded her. Unless they annoyed her, and the Grey Sisters—along with most of the general population—tended to do that. The shattering of glass caught her attention only briefly, accompanied by the impulse to run towards whatever was going on. The deeply ingrained instinct to throw herself into trouble, to try to help, wasn't so easily forgotten. But it wasn’t their problem anymore, someone else would deal with it.

“That will never not be creepy,” she said, watching the drachma melt into a fog, the vehicle forming in its place. “Well, I found yours. Maybe if you—” The thought was cut off with a half-stifled laugh, shaking her head. “No, nevermind. Doubt it.” God forbid he’d actually take her suggestion seriously.

━━━ 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞

[✿]16|he/him|Iris|the van|tags: the van crew

Jamie didn’t have to be asked twice to flee the scene, though hesitant about leaving Mira behind to get the other’s out, Karter was offering assistance before he really had a chance to think about it—which was probably good because he only would’ve stood there longer, overthinking his next move and causing more setbacks for everyone. They'd be out of the hotel before he managed to get the courage to step towards the door. He just had to get to the van and trust that the rest of them could handle themselves.

When he reached the van he glanced back to ensure Aggy and Karter were still with him before practically throwing himself into the back seat, wedged into a corner as far away from the cold and the fighting as possible. Pulling his hands into his sleeves to fight against the burning sensation from the sudden warmth inside, it took him a moment to get his bearings, to glance around and take note of the faces seated around him—including one he didn’t recognize. “Um...hello.” Would it be rude to ask who the man was or what he was doing there? Probably. The others didn’t seem too concerned about his presence so it likely wasn't something to worry about. Unless he'd somehow snuck in without them noticing, but that seemed a little bit impossible.

[WitchHazel]

Mirabelle Everhart
|♡|17|She/Her|Aphrodite|Head Counselor|Location: Outside the Van|Tags: Quest Group (Ash)|

They managed to make it to the van in little time, though it felt like an eternity due to the fact of how cold Mirabelle felt. At least Ash's coat is helping... ugh. I hate this weather. The sooner we deal with Vivienne and Khione, the better. She pulled open the passenger's side door, hasty to get into the likely warm car. What she did not expect to be met with was someone in her seat.

"Oh... um... I'll j-just... yeah." In the midst of the awkwardness, she realised she had walked in on what seemed to be an intimate moment. Or was it? This was Ash, after all, he wasn't shy about physical contact. She hesitated a moment, rocking on her feet as she debated what to do. I don't want to bother them. I'll just... go around to one of the back seats. The thought made her stomach flip. I'll simply have to hope for the best.


Juliet Pratten
|⟡|16|She/Her|Hermes|Location: Thalia's Pine|Tags: Sam, Aoife|

When Aoife made her little quip, Juliet stuck her tongue out in her general direction. "Yeah, it's a lot, alright. The monsters suck. Sometimes literally, I mean, empousae are basically just weird vampires so -" she'd made her point already, and stopped herself before she could potentially cause any damage. "Yeah. Uh, Mr. D is... well, he's Mr. D. Good for a laugh but man you do not want to piss him off. My friend Ethan from the Hephaestus cabin helped me light his shirt on fire when he was sleeping once, and... yeah. Good thing we got outta there before he could turn us into dolphins." She shrugged, seemingly unphased at the notion of becoming a marine mammal. A small glare was cast Aoife's way when she referred to Camp Half-Blood as "hell", though it was half-hearted at best. "It's not usually 'hell'," she clarified. "Though the amount of jokes I could make about hell freezing over right now are pretty tempting. We've just been having some... um... problems lately, with an evil snow goddess and her evil daughter. It's kind of like Frozen but if Anna had died and Elsa had gone full villain arc. Oh yeah, and undead armies that randomly appear and stuff."

With her piece said, she turned her attention to Sam's voice. She was totally about to say 'ran away', wasn't she? Juliet kept her lips sealed, however - she wasn't one to pry into people's personal issues, unless they affected her. That, and she'd seen runaways turn up at camp before. "Yeah, one of our parents is a god," she emphasised. "Probably your mom if your dad's around, but hey, could be another dad. These are Greek gods we're talking about, after all. They're all a little gay if you ask me, and I happen to be an excellent authority on homosexuality." She winked at both Sam and Aoife in turn, the playful smirk never leaving her face. "Look, Samwise. Truth is, no one feels like they belong here. Not at first. But that'll change when you see how awesome this place really is. Snow actually getting in the border means ice skating! And more importantly, ice hockey! I'm gonna put a few teams together and have us duke it out on the canoe lake later. Lemme know if you guys are game."

Kathryn Blackwood
|☽|17|She/Her|Hecate|Location: Outside Cabin 13|Tags: Nikki|

"A grimoire?" Kathryn snorted. "Honey, a grimoire is a spellbook. And trust me, I've got plenty of those." An attempt at a bit of humour, if one could call it that. The smile never left her face, yet her brain remained cold and calculative. "Nice to meet you too, doll." She straightened up as Nikki rose to her feet. "Magical creatures though, huh? Quite fascinating," she mused. "And always good to be prepared in case you run into any in the wild. Most tend to be quite unfriendly to demigods such as ourselves. And by unfriendly, I mean they'll rip you limb from limb and use your bones as a toothpick, given half the chance." She let out a small laugh, intending to keep the mood light even under such dark topics. "Diablo and Duncan... apt names for Hellhounds." I bet that big one drools a lot. Yuck. "They are Hellhounds in disguise, are they not? I would assume nothing less from a daughter of Hades." Her deep brown eyes flickered up to the crow perched atop the cabin. "Mazingo... interesting name for a crow. Gorgeous bird, if I do say so. I'm rather fond of corvids."

Ambrose Fletcher
|♠|19|He/Him|Hades|Location: Cabin 7|Tags: Oliver|

As Oliver explained his story, Ambrose's heart squirmed. For once, he was left at a loss for what to say. "That sounds bloody horrid, mate." That would have to suffice. He wasn't great at this whole... confiding thing. "And what's so terrible about witchcraft? I've got a mate, practises spells an' hexes an' all that witchery rubbish. She's a right good bird, unless you manage to cheese 'er off. Could call what I do witchery an' hocus pocus. Alakazam!" He fired off a small bolt of shadow from his fingers, just to prove his point. "It was madness back then. Burned you alive just for bein' a bit off. Not my cuppa tea."

After Ambrose had shared his own story, Oliver laughed. He actually laughed. That was a good sign, right? Then came the admission of missing him, and the son of Hades couldn't resist cracking a smile. "Of course you missed me, you numpty!" he teased lovingly. "You'd have to be daft not to miss this charming face." He tossed Oliver a wink, his smile broadening into a toothy smirk. "To be honest, I'm plum chuffed you're 'ere. It's good to see you, Ollie. Even banged-up as you are."


Liv Keary
|✂|15|She/Her|Iris (Unclaimed)|Location: Near Armoury|Tags: Cass|

Liv shot a half-hearted glare in the older girl's direction. "Just for that, I'm taking an axe out of spite." The explanation about her sword wasn't really an explanation, but Liv figured she could just figure it out later. It had to be some sort of magic, right? Wasn't that what this whole place was about? Weirdo teens with magic powers?

"You're asking me to pick a favourite?" Liv huffed. "That's like asking Ted Bundy to pick a favourite murder victim." Dark humour, but humour nonetheless. "I mean, the Shining is definitely up there, and Friday the 13th is pretty great. The first two are the best, of course. All kinda goes to crap from there. Slashers are my favourite genre, I guess, if I had to pick." She shrugged, doing her best to seem nonchalant about it. It was a difficult task, seeing as she had found someone who was evidently not boring or stupid. Despite her best efforts, the giddiness leaked out. A hint of a smile here, a bounce in her step there. It was nice to know she wasn't totally alone in her interests.

"So what's your name, anyways?" she eventually asked. "And don't tell me it's one of those stupid millennial names like Cortlyn or a horrible misspelling of Journey. Or Treed, but I think that's a boy's name. You'd have to be completely nuts to think naming your kid the past tense of tree is a good idea. I didn't even think 'tree' had a past tense!" She paused, realising she had yet to give her own name. "I'm Liv, by the way. Just Liv. No stupid nicknames allowed."

Chuck Oakes
|❀|He/Him|Satyr|Location: Dining Pavilion|Tags: Drew|

"Yeah, man! Like, dogs are great!" Chuck beamed. "They're always like, so full of love, you know?" He gave Luna an affectionate scratch on the head. "Like, dog hair is totally a stylin' accessory, man. I dunno what those other dudes are thinkin'." Most of his clothes were covered in various animal hair, including a bit of his own. Goat legs shed a lot, especially in spring. Well, when he was outside of camp, that is. He didn't seem to get his winter coat unless he was out searching for new demigods. Then again, it didn't usually get cold inside of camp, so...

He was rambling on about the questers, the worry within him growing with every word. Drew seemed equally worried, and Chuck could tell Luna was trying to get them both to calm down. It wasn't exactly working. "Uh, like, I dunno, man, I haven't like, done a lotta quests before. I dunno if it's like, a rule or just a recommendation. But like, we can smell monsters coming from miles away. Like an early warning system, man. You guys... uh, like, you can't, as far as I know, you know?" He shifted awkwardly on his hooves. Then, Drew was trying to reassure him, or so he thought - it honestly sounded like the son of Athena was trying to convince himself as well. "Like, uh, yeah, man, totally. The snow goddess uh, like, probably would've shown up here, and, uh, mocked us for being weak or pathetic or something, man. Right?" It would have been in-character for Khione, from what Chuck had heard about her. "Uh... what?" He turned his head as Drew changed the subject. There was indeed a small crowd at the entrance to the pavilion. Chuck could make out Chiron and Mr. D amongst the crowd. They seemed... concerned? Upset? Either way, he had a bad feeling about it. "Uh... I dunno, should we like, do something?"