Camp Half-Blood: Into the Storm - Closed!

[WitchHazel]

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

Reapers. She wanted to ask if they were like the drawings, you know, big ol' grim reaper himself. Skeletal figures clad in black cloaks with scythes for reaping lives. But that wasn't important; far from it. They would have time for small talk later. Teilo had moved on to talk about Audra and Vivienne and the current dilemma they were facing. There were so many pieces; so many moving parts... it all made the hammering in her head crescendo.

"From what I remember... Audra was a good person, if it's - um, if it's possible to put someone in that sort of category. She was kind, and she smiled a lot. Vivienne was... well, Vivienne. I wasn't -" she swallowed, an act that elicited a small wince. "I wasn't exactly the social butterfly I am today. Not back then." Days of dark eyeliner and skull-printed clothing flashed before her, followed by timid pastels and hiding behind limp blonde hair. Ugh. Her head hurt. She took another swig of tea, trying her best not to look as if everything that was being said made her want to implode.

"Let's just... let's just take a breath, and - yes, let's talk it over with the others. I - I just... sorry. It's - it's a lot, honestly; I don't blame you for feeling overwhelmed." She herself was struggling to contain the panic rising in her chest, the sheer overwhelming gravity of it all. "Maybe - maybe Aiden will have some good input. He's - he's intelligent, and usually quite calm in the face of serious issues like this. Um - well, serious issues, that is. I don't know if he's ever really faced anything like this." He'll certainly have something smarter to say than I do, that's for sure.

[indigo']

━━━ 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐛 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬

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

Caleb only smiled in response to the apologetic look Will gave him, and the following comment, the friendly expression coming to him easily. It didn’t matter what happened or what war was raging inside his skull, it was just muscle memory, putting on a show that was sometimes a little more authentic than others. It wasn’t so bad now. At least it was quiet in the forge, and warm, and he really didn’t mind the company of the son of Hephaestus. He was fairly certain the danger of interrogation or uncomfortable questions was behind him, at least for now. “Grand, ‘cause it’s bloody freezing out there and if you told me to get out I think we’d probably have to fight to the death. And…” He looked Will up down, then shrugged. “I’m willing to admit I might lose.” He flashed him a grin, indicating the lack of seriousness in his words, if the nonsense hadn’t been enough of a giveaway.

He handed over his shield without hesitation. He wasn’t exactly protective of his belongings, but the shield was one of his most prized possessions, and not something he’d let just anyone paw at. He trusted Will though, at least in the realm of weapons. The brushing off of his question didn’t go unnoticed, though he couldn’t say he blamed him. It had been a blunder to even ask, the risk of being asked the same thing in return far too high. He was glad that had been avoided. “Normally I wouldn’t be out without every inch of me gleaming to perfection—shield included—but these things happen when you’re out battling for your life and looking brilliant while doing it.” He took the shield back along with the rag and the bottle of solution, sobering up slightly from his theatrics to offer a genuine smile and a “Thanks.” He found a clear space to set his shield down and got to work polishing away the coating of grime. “You working on something in here? Or just hiding away from...you know...that crap out there.” He meant the snow, though it seemed likely there were other things to be hiding from. Besides the point, he was just making conversation. He’d never been a fan of silence, and it left him even more on edge now, too much room for unwanted questions directed at him, better to divert the attention away before it had a chance to fester.

━━━ 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐎’𝐑𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲

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

Collin’s eyebrows rose, hands spread before him in a sign of surrender. His smile faltered briefly, then returned with a soft exhale and a shake of his head. Maybe it was a little soon yet to be making jokes about returning to the underworld, but he hadn't really expected anything less from Orin. Brutal as it may be, humour was sometimes the only way to deal with difficult things, and that seemed to be his specialty. “Alright then, Jesus. Should’ve known better. I’ll keep my mouth shut on the slander and maybe you’ll let me join your side when the day of reckoning comes.” His expression mellowed as the conversation continued, a sort of sad smile gracing his features, a little chuckle that was genuine, but felt a bit hollow. “Does she? Gods, it’s hard to imagine her looking young.” He straightened slightly. “Dead people can’t like…hear things, can they? She’d really have my head for that one.” He’d been joking, though he still cringed slightly once he’d said it. It probably wasn’t proper etiquette to ask someone who’d only just returned from the dead what “dead people” could do, but it would only be more awkward if he acknowledged it or tried to apologize, so he brushed past it, hoping the incidental offense to their late grandmother would be the focus of his words.

“Yeah?” He snorted in amusement, glancing around as if envisioning the proposed tractor crashing through the pavilion. “A tractor? No, I can see it. Seems likely.” The thought that there were more important things than Orin actually dying seemed a bit far-fetched, it seemed like something that would probably be quite high up on the list of things his family would want to know about, but he understood where he was coming from. It was a lot, everything had been a lot, nobody wanted to be the source of more stress for their loved ones. “It isn’t done now?” It seemed pretty done to him. Orin was sitting next to him, alive and breathing, that was as done as done could be. But he got the impression there was something more to it, and the display by the campfire the night previous had been more than an impression. “Yammering on,” he scoffed. “For once I think you’ve earned the right. But yeah, no, I’m alright. Alright as I can be, I guess.” It seemed wrong to give the default answer of good, now. Nobody was good. Nobody was expecting good. “Wasn’t expecting to be here this year so...it’s all been a bit of a shock. Felt kind of bad leaving, but felt worse not being here with everything going on, you know?”

[sammy,]

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

'the day of reckoning' felt a choice of words too pertinent to explain, especially with the brief meeting with the god who claimed the apocalypse to be his destiny. still, it was relatively easy to brush off, to pretend that it wasn't there. there were these moments of solace that made the havoc a touch more palatable, where all of the wrong words were avoided, where the truth was glanced away from. "she looked nice," he said a little wistfully, wishing he could have committed it to a less schismatic memory. still, there were lapses, as was to be expected, the immediate following cringe something of a comfort. "oh, no. i don't think so. i think it's meant to be a kindness, not being able to hear people chatting smite about you behind your withering back." still, it would have been nice. it would have been an anchor, in all truth. maybe if he had been able to hear the living - no, there was no worth to be found in conceptualising a better timeline. "you're safe for now. but i'd be careful. doors of death opening and that, it'd be no surprise if she could hear your naysaying mutters through the gaps. she might wrangle her way through to give you a hiding." he let out a little, vaguely strained laugh.

a tractor was probably an understatement. a tank seemed more likely, and though he had no clue where she would have sourced such a thing in this vague fantasy, orin had no doubt that she'd be able to. "hard to strike the fear of god into people who're on speaking terms with half of them, but - you know, i think she could manage it," he missed her. had missed her, still did, and hadn't been struck with such a feeling before. there had been a ravine between home life and camp life in the past. he'd never really thought about home while in the throes of chaotic events, but he felt inclined to consider it. there were so many things happening. had to wonder where she was, what she was doing, whether she was alright. whether she was pretending to be alright, at least. that seemed to run in the family, though with her came vitriolic rage rather than inappropriately-timed jokes. "i don't think i've convinced everyone yet, so... no, it's not done. once i can ponce about without threat of a bullet being pumped into my skull, i think then'll be the time. maybe. it's just busy, isn't it?" he was looking for excuses, because coming out as alive was one thing to the campers, whose opinions he - for the most part - couldn't care less about, but another to admit it to his mother, and his sister, and his friends. "yeah, i get you. can't just sit still, can you? idle hands are the devil's best friend, and all that." another scratch to the back of his head. "but..." it didn't seem right, what he was ready to propose. there was something objectionable about it, and yet, he carried on. "you know, you don't have to - if you don't want to stay, if you can't, if you'd rather be back there, i'd... i'd probably go for it, you know? everyone here, they're milling about like idiots. hardly of any bleeding use. if there's any time to be with family - you know, proper family..." he was stumbling around the crux of the matter a bit, finding it difficult to outwardly say. "if nothing's keeping you here - i know it sounds selfish, it is sort of selfish, but - sorry, you know what i mean. if this is the end of the world, d'you really wanna ring in armageddon in this sweaty little crevice of new york?"

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

teilo almost would have preferred to have heard that audra was a bad person. a master manipulator, an awful, no-good liar, because that would have been easier to digest. a liar lying, someone who simply sought to screw them over one more time. but, as was the way of the world, it wasn't that simple. "right, and smiling a lot is a general indicator of goodness," he commented dryly. if that was the measurement, then he was surely the most cruel of dictators. he got the point, but the bristles had risen regardless. a sip from the muddy-water filled mug. it was tiring.

"i'm not -" he wasn't overwhelmed. he was perfectly whelmed, in fact. he was fine, would be fine. no apparition was going to crack him, not in this day and age, not while the world was at arms and the snow cushioned the ground. "it's just... it's all very inconvenient, and none of it makes any sense. i just want it to make sense, and then we can sort it, and..." and something, something he hadn't decided yet. at mention of aiden, the dream's dialogue filtered through his ears. all theory and no practical. teilo winced, shoved it away. "and if he's clueless, then - well, suppose that ignorance loves company, doesn't it?"

[Kveykva]

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

Moxie wouldn't spend the morning alone, it seemed. "Oh uh, hi there. I didn't see you," she admitted, shielding her eyes from the brightening light. The attempt was made in vain, but the natural light didn't sting the same way artificial ones did. "Newbie?" Moxie repeated, approaching the other spirit with caution, gliding more than walking. Can you tell how long I've been dead for? I remember a bit of last night, but not much before it." Once close enough, she examined the ghostly cigarettes with scrutiny before accepting one, tucking it in her lips as she took the space beside the other against the railing. "If the military didn't kill me, I doubt these would." The woman commented, finding the roll much easier to light when one didn't have to worry about the wind interfering. She listened as he rambled on, not particularly bothered by the company (an odd change, since she normally hated it early in the morning), and once Clive seemed to find a break to catch some nonexistent breath, she entered the conversation.

"It's... certainly an experience. Unforgettable, to say the least." Moxie added, sliding her hand between the railing bars in a half-hearted attempt to grasp them. "Moxie Bishop. Am I selfish for wishing we'd met under better circumstances?" She joked, finding comfort in the familiar sensation of smoking. She hadn't had an actual cigarette in years, not since she took up vaping as a supposedly healthier alternative. She'd be lying if she said she didn't miss the taste of them. "It's alright, I don't mind the chatter. But - gods, you've really been dead longer than I was alive, huh? That's one way to make a girl feel young," she chuckled. "I don't think it's so bad, once you get over the initial shock of it. Being dead. As for the reapers, they kind of throw the whole of Roman mythology for a loop with their existence. I didn't realize they actually existed until now." a shrug. "It's another thing to get used to if I'm hanging around up here, but I do have a question," Moxie held her hand out in front of her, studying its near transparency. "Is there a reason I'm almost invisible and you aren't? Considering I'm younger - from a death standpoint - shouldn't it be reversed?"

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

Will let out a chuckle in response. "Returned a changed man, I've 'eard." he replied. Most campers still didn't recognize him, which made him feel better about not recalling most of their names. Caleb was easy - his accent set him apart from the American campers, and Aiden mentioned his half-brother enough for Will to catch on. The same couldn't be said for most of the others. His conversation the day before with Reese came to mind, but at least now he remembered the other's name and face. "I wouldn't ask y' t' leave, not in this weather. Freeze yer pants off out 'ere." Like before, Wilhelm lit the forges with a snap of his fingers, creating a spark to ignite the prepared tinder. Caleb was good for conversations, he remembered, and he was also one of the more tech-savvy members of the Athena cabin. His was a face he recalled seeing frequent the forges. "Gotta find yer way to th' forges somehow," Will joked half-heartedly. "It'll be good as new 'fore long, with no fuss. Y' know how t' clean a shield already."

Wilhelm spread out the folded scraps of paper, which were covered in thick pencil sketches of various machines, though most of them were barely beyond concepts. "Things're a bit too loud out there for me." He answered. A little bit of both, in truth. "I didn't see y' at th' campfire yesterday," a pause - hesitation. "Orin's alive. Livin' an' breathin' like it never 'appened." It had been big news for the whole of camp, but it seemed like news of his return from the dead spread slower than his death had. "I promised Aiden I'd message 'im today, but I ain't sure where t' begin with what t' tell 'im. Gonna have Mira worry herself t' death if this keeps up." That was another concern, but Aiden had a good enough head to pick and choose what Mira knew and what she could live with hearing about later - so long as Will didn't spill any of it to her first. His mind wandered to the letter she'd given him as a goodbye, and everything stung just a little more.

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

They were getting there, slowly but surely. "Yeah, yeah. Coffee. I don't know if you like coffee, but if there's you'd rather have, they've got -" Kayle set her hand on the laminated menu, frowning after a moment. "Right, these don't have Braille on them," she sighed, sliding it back to the center of the table and reaching for her own coffee mug. It wasn't stellar coffee by any means, but it was familiar and good enough. Vivienne sat in silence for quite some time, and Kayle was content to drum her fingers on the table, finding her own beat in the midst of the cacophony. "We're uh, um -" her mind suddenly blanked. "Have... you ever been to a Waffle House? It's really early and there's like nothing open right now, but he asked me to get you some breakfast and clean clothes while he figured things out. It was either here or Denny's, and that's the place you go to if you're meeting a hitman." Kayle downed the rest of her scalding mug nonchalantly. "It's not just a house, it's a Waffle Home." she paused to let the cheesy phrase sink in, wearing a dumb grin. "Not top tier or anything, but everyone here is really nice and you can get a warm meal for cheap. Plus it's a better place to seek breakup advice than a bar." She rambled for just a bit longer before letting her thoughts fade out, settling her blind gaze on the mug in her hands. It wasn't too loud in the tight diner yet, they'd gotten there before the morning rush.

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

If he had to be honest, it was a little too early for the disaster waiting to happen that was Aggy. That said a lot coming from him - he was the morning person of the group. He stepped smoothly out of Aggy's path, keeping quiet as not to draw attention to himself before they began their descent to the lobby. The presence of Stymphalian birds didn't spell good luck for their stay in commercial New York, but he doubted they were Khione's underlings. He expected that if one (or more) did give chase, they'd turn back once they made it to the mountain - likely sooner if the storm picked up. Metal or not, it was difficult to fly with frozen feathers.

They made it down the stairs without a hitch, and from there the group scattered. Mirabelle and Teilo collected themselves cups of coffee and Aggy made a beeline for the waffle maker. Aiden passed the coffeemakers without a second thought, visibly more interested in the wall of cereal dispensers in the back of the room. None of them were name brands, but some discount Fruit Loops were enough to sate his craving for nostalgia. He paired the bowl of cereal with a couple pieces of flimsy bacon and a plain biscuit, which he nibbled on while waiting his turn for the waffle iron. There were a few other guests already up and about, so the questers around the room kept their conversations to hushed tones. As a result, the one between Teilo and Mira went mostly unnoticed, until he heard his name mentioned. Aiden didn't particularly like that trait of his, but it was one of the things that had stuck from before camp - he could always tell when someone brought him up in a conversation. Between Teilo and Mira however, he knew it couldn't be anything bad. They probably just wanted input on something, like most people did nowadays. He decided it better to wait for their approach rather than reveal he'd been unintentionally eavesdropping, so he stayed put behind Aggy. "Hurry up," he snipped around his biscuit. "You're hoggin' up the line."

──────── 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.

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

Caffine on an empty stomach was a habit he needed to break, others insisted. Cain didn't really see why it was such a problem, aside from the occasional stomach ache. Honestly, he'd had much worse. He'd barely stepped outside the Dionysus when he heard someone (a very loud someone) calling his name. "Caiiiiiin!" He tensed reflexively, slowly turning to see who it was that wanted his attention so badly. "Zeke...?" Cain replied tentatively. He was pretty sure that was the other boy's name. "What uh, can I do something for you?" He asked, straightening up a bit. "I'll be honest with you, I have no idea what any of that means," he replied, scratching at his sleeve. "But I'm doing okay I guess... all things considered." He was doing okay, but not a whole lot could be said for everyone else.

[indigo']

━━━ 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐛 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬

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

“Think I nearly froze just walking down here.” Caleb wasn’t a fan of the cold weather, and he didn’t tend to dress appropriately for it either, so he did appreciate not being kicked out. His focus remained on the shield as they spoke, but he had no difficulty keeping up the conversation. “I heard you were back, maybe I scuffed it on purpose so I’d have an excuse to come have a chat with you,” he said, glancing up with a grin and a wink.

Caleb didn’t really mind loudness. He liked being around people, and a hectic atmosphere had never really bothered him. Back home, things were often too quiet, it left too much empty space for thinking. He preferred to have his brain flooded with external stimuli. Still, he could understand where Will was coming from, especially with everything currently going on, even he’d needed a break from the commotion. Then came the reminder of the campfire and his chest tightened. “I was. I uh...was near the back.” Torn between avoiding notice for once in his life and wanting to be seen there, to be recognized as one of the mourning to avoid suspicion. It seemed sick when he thought of it like that, as if attending the funerals was part of some scheme and not simply done out of respect for the dead. Maybe it had been both, but he'd prefer not to think of it like that. “Saw what happened.” He wasn’t sure if he should acknowledge what Will had done, he didn't entirely disagree with his actions, but thought maybe it was better left unsaid. He wasn’t exactly sure what to say. He'd heard the rumours of Orin's death, it had been the only one he hadn't felt partially responsible for, but the reminder of the endless line of burial shrouds had left his usually easy flowing speech stunted, words feeling useless in his mouth. “It’s good. Good for him. For everyone. One less death.”

He stiffened briefly at the mention of Aiden, though didn’t lift his gaze as he continued to polish the tarnished metal before him. “Yeah? Quite the task being the one to relay everything.” He felt a twinge of nervousness, but his voice remained steady and casual, his expression as calm as it had been. “There’s certainly a lot to tell.”

━━━ 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐎’𝐑𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲

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

It was somewhat relieving to know his words couldn’t be heard from the afterlife, not that he often went around speaking ill of the dead. “Thank god for that.” He let out a little, half-hearted laugh, the expression of joy understandably strained in a conversation regarding the recently deceased. “Ah, she wouldn’t. I’d invite her in for tea and biscuits and she’d leave me alone.”

“Course she could. Ash would have ‘em running for the flipping hills.” The replacement word was a force of habit, but Collin gave a little frown after he spoke, as if realizing who he was talking to was not in fact a bossy six year old who would throw a fit if he swore. “Yeah…” he sighed, idly scraping at his food. “Busy’s one word for it. Hopefully they’ll all come around soon.” He thought he understood the apprehension, but it still seemed like quite a big thing to keep hidden. The thought was hypocritical, as he was fairly certain he wouldn’t want to go around announcing his undead status had the same thing happened to him. It would just lead to a lot of unnecessary fretting and pity and attention. He nodded in agreement at Orin’s response to him returning to camp, then paused when the but came, eyebrows raised.

He was quiet for a moment, focusing on the bowl of oatmeal growing increasingly colder in front of him, then finally released the spoon and looked back up. “I’ve spent most of my life staying in places when the better option—the safer option—was to leave. I’ve never turned my back on my family, just like I’m not going to turn my back on anyone here. Proper family or not.” Maybe it wouldn’t be easier to go back home, deal with the guilt and the restlessness that would come with that, but it was likely the sensible option. Collin liked to think he was one for sensible options, though he seemed to have a habit of proving that theory wrong. The comment about the other campers milling about uselessly might have been true, but all it was was a moment of respite, one that wouldn’t last long. He had to be there when the next wave came crashing in. “They’ll be alright without me for a while. They can manage back home. I need to be here. Besides, I’m your brother, if people are threatening you, aren’t I supposed to like...beat them up or something? Give them a stern talking to at the very least,” he said with eyebrows raised, flashing Orin a grin. That seemed more likely. Collin had never been known for picking fights. “Besides, New York isn’t so bad. As long as you ignore the people and the smell and the noise and the traffic and the fact that you can hardly see the sky and the rodents and the smog and the pollution and the trash and the accents and the…” He raised a finger for each blight he listed, drawing in a deep breath at the end as if preparing to continue on with the never-ending list.

[*Lovel*]

『☣』 Rochelle Di Angelo『☣』

Daughter of Hades ☠ Cabin 13 ☠ 16 ☠ Bisexual

==== ☠ ======== ☠ ======== ☠ ======== ☠ ======== ☠ ======== ☠ ======== ☠ ======== ☠ ======== ☠ ======== ☠ ====

Tags: Isabelle
Location: Room.... unknown

Once Rochelle and Isabelle had finished off the pesky birds they made their way to an empty room and Rochelle collapsed on the closest bed. She threw their bag down next to the bed after pulling Nico's Sword out and shoving it under the pillow. She was too tired to bother with showering, as soon as her head hit the pillow she was fast asleep. Sometime in the middle of the night, or morning, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. She didn't have the energy to worm out of them.

Though the peacefulness didn't last nearly long enough, her cheek was being prodded and words were being said. She pulled out her sword and sitting up in haste, the blade stopping an itch away from the side of Isabelle's throat. "God's, never do that-" then the hot air was blown in her face Rochelle shriveled up her face in disgust. "What do you think you're doing, what time is it?" She opened her eyes again to the hat or crown, Rochelle couldn't tell, being shoved in her face. Points glinting in the sun threatening to poke her "Get that out of my face if you wanna live." yeah.. definitely didn't get enough sleep. "I'm sorry, give it here." her tone was gentle this time as she lowered her sword placing it beside her. She grabbed the creation of metal flowers from Isabelle's hands. She placed it gently on her head trying to avoid getting cut up more than she already was.

"Very... fashionable." She attempted before glancing at the clock, she had only gotten a couple hours of sleep. No thanks to the lavender haired boy and the birds she already took care of the birds, now she'd need to take care of the boy next. First a shower was in order, she carefully took the crown off her head "I'm going to shower then we can head down to breakfast after you shower." She pushed a few strands of hair out of Isabelle's face studying the cuts. She had more than Rochelle, as usual, but the water should heal her up.

After she made sure Isabelle wasn't injured too bad she grabbed a set of clothes out of her bag, she quickly took a shower so Isabelle didn't have to deal with cold water. She slipped on black skinny jeans and a black long-sleeved under a Scooby-Doo shirt that was a size too large for her. She slipped on her orange high top vans and finished up the rest of her bathroom duties. "Your turn water lily." she announced walking out scrunched her hair gently with the towel. She sent out feelers for Teilo, if there was a connection still she'd be able to get an idea for where the boy would be. He seemed to be close to the lobby somewhere, hopefully luck was in their favor and he was getting breakfast.

〖 ☾ 〗Ash Davis〖 ☾ 〗

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

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

Tags: Teilo, Mirabelle, Aiden, and Jamie -------> Jamie
Location: Hall ------> Stairs

Mirabelle telling him the boys names was in vain, his brain had already met its capacity for names to remember on this quest. Unfortunate for the others really, they never stood a chance. Before he could tell Mira anything else cannon ball came wrecking through in timely fashion that did a good job annoying most of the group. Ash stayed quiet a while in her presence. She seemed to have that effect on him, making him so annoyed he didn't even want to speak in fear of lashing out.

Teilo and Mira had left to get coffee with Aggy following close behind and the further she got the lighter he felt. Then there were three "Sorry, just warning you now... I won't remember your names." then Aiden left to get some waffles then there were two he looked to Jamie and gave him a little wave."So... I called you Josh... how do you feel about that?" He said making his way to the stairs. He was never good at small talk and a plate of waffles were calling his name. "Tell me about yourself kid." his hand rested on the handle in anticipation of the answer.

[sammy,]

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

collin's logic was individual and infallible, and orin watched as the cogs ticked, the argument made. it wouldn't do him any good to stand in the way of the man's drive, but it felt important to raise, to make sure that this was what he actually wanted. maybe, in some ways, it was projection. maybe he was trying to test the waters of his own internal argument with another as a control. "would they say the same for you, d'you think?" and though his tone was light, the words innocent enough, the context behind them was soured. it wasn't the easy route, in his belief, to look the camp in its face and realise that it was just a routine to him, a place he'd tried to hide from the rest of the world. now that orin was out in the open, vulnerable and all-too-known, it had lost its appeal. the people he thought would have ridden to the ends of the world with him and left him for dust the moment contention had risen its ugly head.

on easy options, though, there was one rolling around in his head, a different path, an untrodden trail. it was promised to be difficult and nearly certain to put him in danger. maybe it was safer to sit and stagnate at camp. maybe it was time for the screw it mentality to be of true use to him. he raised his eyebrows at the thought of collin defending him, though didn't truly doubt it. "i think a majority of the people here would benefit from a stern talking to. but it's - you know, it's just the way things are, isn't it? don't put your neck out for me. i can handle it." it all meant nothing, the rumours and the lies, and he found himself wondering why he had allowed them to wreak such havoc in his mind. "and the food and the aggressive lack of countryside and the tourists and the residents and the businesses and the cost of everything..." he supplemented when his brother ran out of steam, then shook his head. "yeah. apart from that, it's great. the brand new world. i can see why people went to such effort to get here."

orin thought further, found that he had finished his cornflakes in the liminal space between words. "tell you what, i hope you packed a little better than i did. last thing i was expecting was snow. this is my last hoodie, i've ruined the other two." he was reminded, rather suddenly, of his jacket, which remained on the body in the thanatos cabin. he wondered if she was awake yet, if she was alright. "gonna start layering all my clothes. three t-shirts over each other should basically do the same as a sweatshirt, shouldn't it?"

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞 ！！ x─────ix ♖
x──────i ii hermes. iii ghost. iiii tags: moxie.
ivi hampton inn, rooftop.

clive watched her with a lazy, mostly benign gaze, a hopefully-welcoming smile stretched across a face of thin skin and incorporeal bone. "haven't a foggy. i don't know the details, me, it just... you know, you're dressed like the kids downstairs are, so i imagine it were recent," he offered up in lieu of a true answer. "i remember my first few days. christ, i couldn't tell up from down or left from right. problem with dying confused is that it tends to stick for a while. you get used to it, though. hopefully. unless you fancy a trundle down the ethereal stairs, which - can't blame you. not much here to look at, really."

he watched as she tried, in vain, to grab at objects. it had been something he'd attempted for a while, back in the day - even going so far as being able to change the channel on a tv once upon a time - but the idea had fallen out of favour. he didn't feel the need to interact with the physical world the further he got from it. "oh, i don't know. the people you meet in the 'appy times never seem to stick around, i've found," he grinned back at her, the face faltering when he was reminded of his age. "oh, don't say things like that. that's 'orrid. i've been lingering in these ends since you were just a glimmer in yer mother's eyes. and a good thing, too. wouldn't have missed this for the world. a brand new smokin' buddy, that's a miracle of miracles, that is. don't know which big man to thank, but i'm thanking one of 'em. or all of 'em." death had been less of a shock for him and more of an inevitability, something that crept around the corner and greeted him like an old friend. "my death didn't come as a surprise. just an inconvenience. disappointment, really. but - still. reapers. greco-roman or... theistic, or... whatever they're from, they're scum."

the question was a good one, and not one he could say he had an answer for. "don't know, really. i could pull words like 'essence' and 'spirit' out me back end like a second language, but it's just one of them things, you know? i touched that taffy's scythe yesterday. touched it, properly, like you're trying to do now. might be that. you haven't sucked up the life essence of this place yet. you haven't decided whether you're gonna stay." clive shrugged. "you've got no anchor yet. me, i'm all anchor. i've been waiting for one thing for thirty-six ugly, bleeding years. starting to think the world'll end before i can sod off downstairs." it did propose another question, though. "you got anything to stay for? anything coming to mind?"

[WitchHazel]

Mirabelle Everhart
|♡|17|She/Her|Aphrodite|Head Counselor|Location: Hampton Inn, Dining Room|Tags: Teilo ➡ Aiden, Aggy (sort of)|

Mirabelle flinched a bit at Teilo's words, though they hadn't even been harsh to begin with. She was just being hypersensitive, she reckoned. Lack of sleep would do that. Even so, she mumbled an apology for the unconscious act before she spoke again. "As I said, I... I didn't really know her. But all accounts during the funeral, and after her death - she - she was a good person, I think. Um -" But isn't that what everyone says after anyone dies? 'They were a ray of sunshine', they'd say. 'Such a good person.' 'Much love to them.' UGH, I'm just - I'm overthinking all of this. My head hurts so much. I - I don't feel good.

She was thankful for the distraction when Teilo started talking again, unaware she'd left her verbal thought unfinished. It sounded like he was about to protest that he wasn't overwhelmed; that he was perfectly fine. Or, at least that's what she would have done. But then he cut himself off, and continued on about the situation at hand. "I get it," she simply stated. Trying to think this out right now is making my brain split in two. "I'll just - I'll just go find him. I - yes. Yes." Before she could further embarrass herself by tying her tongue in knots, Mirabelle rose to her feet and cast a searching glance around the room. There he is. She almost missed him, her fog-drenched mind skimming over the room without really taking anything in. On her second pass over, her eyes locked on Aiden's familiar form. He seemed to be chastising Aggy for something, though she could only guess at what.

Before she had the time to think it through, her feet were carrying her towards the pair. The distance was quickly closed between them, leaving her brain little time to plan what she was even going to say. "Um - Aiden - hi - um - would you - if you're not busy, that is -" Her stammering attempt at a request was interrupted as she raised an arm to her face to cover a sudden sneeze. "- ugh, sorry. What I meant is - Teilo and I were - well, we were talking, and some - er, well, some serious topics came to light, and I was just wondering if maybe you could weigh in on the situation because we could really use someone intelligent - um - no, wait, not that Teilo's not intelligent, I just - I'm not - I - I'll stop talking now." Her cheeks flushed an unflattering shade of pink, leaving her hoping desperately that it couldn't be seen beneath her makeup. Ugh, stupid, stupid Mirabelle! You need to think things through before you say them. She hadn't noticed that her fingers were idling themselves through her hair, nor that one of the other people in the dining area had turned on the news. "Sorry." She sniffled as she did her best not to look as flustered as she felt.


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

Kayle was talking, and it was all too much. Her fractured mind couldn't keep up with the conversation; one-sided as it was. Vivienne's responses were delayed, detached, and monotone as ever, with one notable addition. Her voice was higher than usual. Almost like that of a frightened child. "Coffee. I like coffee. Black. Peppermint mocha. I like those coffees." It was like her voice was coming from somewhere outside herself. Like her lips weren't moving, like her left hand wasn't furiously rubbing the fabric of the blanket that had been wrapped around her.

A Waffle House. But it wasn't a house, and it wasn't made of waffles. She barely even had recollection of what a waffle was - she had never had one. Before camp, she ate what she could get. And at camp, she ate mostly healthy foods. Things that would make her grow stronger, so she could protect herself and those she loved. Yeah, and how well did that turn out? The voice in her head wasn't hers. It wasn't hers, and it was supposed to be hers. Or was it? Was it someone else's? Was it... the woman. The woman of ice and snow who made her brain hurt even more.

An arm mechanically brought the lukewarm coffee to her lips. She barely even tasted it. Everything felt so... so wrong, so clearly and utterly wrong. It wasn't real. None of it was. It was all too bright and too loud and too sharp. It wasn't real, none of it was. It wasn't.

[indigo']

━━━ 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐎’𝐑𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲

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

“Doesn’t matter, does it? What they’d do is none of my business, I’m just worrying about me. Well...and them, but I’m just worrying about me worrying about them.” He shook his head, recomposing the sentence in his brain. “I’d like to think they would, but if they wouldn’t, it wouldn’t change a thing.” He was certain in his logic, as disheartening as it may have sounded. He was loyal to those he cared about, and the proposed idea of that being unrequited wasn’t enough for him to turn his back on anyone. He sensed it wasn’t exactly the same for Orin, and he couldn’t say he blamed him after the display the previous night. He was jaded, and had every right to be. “But...that’s not to say it can’t matter. Your loyalties don’t have to lie to these people.” Phrased vaguely, in a way that could be interpreted as a generalized “you” so as not to be too direct, but he thought Orin would get it. “I choose to stay because I want to. If I didn’t, I’d leave.” Maybe that wasn’t entirely true, but he spoke it with enough conviction to suggest otherwise.

“The way things are,” he huffed with a laugh devoid of humour. “Don’t tempt me, I’ll pull out the voice I use with the little ones at home when they’re not playing nice. Start sending people for time outs. Bet they’d listen if I gave 'em a really steely look.” He nodded emphatically as Orin continued the list of New York’s qualities, mouth spread in a grin. “Exactly. Lovely place,” he agreed.

“What? You’re telling me you weren’t prepared for snow in June?” He shook his head with mock disappointment. “Can’t believe you, Lofty. I expected better from you.” The mention of destroying hoodies had him glancing down at his own, stark white and printed with the logo of his dance studio back home—not something he really wanted to see torn or stained with blood. “There’s a chance I haven’t made the wisest wardrobe choices either, but at least I won't freeze,” he commented with a shrug. Arriving a day late, he'd at least known about the snow before hand, whether or not that could be deemed fortunate was still up in the air. “Oh, yeah,” he chuckled at the following question. “Be really good in the core area as long as you don’t mind frostbite on your arms.”

━━━ 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞

[✿]16|he/him|Iris|Hampton Inn, hallway|tags: Ash

One by one the others disappeared down the stairs until Jamie and Ash were the only ones left in the hallway. He gave a slightly awkward smile in response to the wave. He didn’t really know the other boy well, but he didn’t usually have trouble getting along with new people, so he wasn’t worried. “How do I…” He gave a brief frown at the question, then burst out laughing. “I feel like I might start having to call you Ashley or uh…” It was surprisingly difficult to think of other A-names when the thoughts of Stymphalian birds and waffles were still running rampant in his head. “Abercrombie.” He didn’t really mind having his name messed up, he was used to going unnoticed, so the acknowledgement had been nice regardless, and he knew it hadn’t been intentional. “About me?” He raised his eyebrows as he followed Ash to the stairs. “Uh...I don’t know. What do you want to know?” He’d never been very good at talking about himself. “I uh...I’m from Prince Edward Island. I hate bugs and...I think dogs are cool?” He was stating facts about himself, but it came out as more of a question, unsure what exactly there was to tell. He didn’t think he was the most interesting person, but his final comment did seem to spark something. “Nice dogs, though. Not the little ones that bark and snap at you when you try to pet them.” He shuddered. “Not chihuahuas.”

[Takara]

❥ | Ophelia Rogers
16 | She/her | Aphrodite | Cabin 10 | Open

Sleep wasn't for Ophelia. The moments of slumber she caught left her breathless and thrashing awake. Even if her own head had been quiet, the emotions bouncing around the room would have been enough to keep her up on their own. She gazed listlessly into the dark ceiling, trapped in her thoughts. If Mira was here, she'd sing with that honey voice, and the little ones would nod off. Everyone else wouldn't be all 'better' sure, but they'd be fit enough to sleep. She gnawed on the inside of a cheek. Yeah, but she's not here, and I can't sing for scratch, and if I tried I'd only set them off worse. I love Mirabelle, but gods, did she make the wring choice on me! Ophelia shifted, tracing a wing of her pendant. The breathing in the room was steady, not peaceful. I'm far from the only one awake. And whether or not Mira was right, I have to try something!

But her body was frozen, pinned to the bed with a terror she couldn't name. Do it! Bite the bullet! Up, up! But her cajoling had nothing on the chill in her veins. She'd be wrong, she was always wrong, and she was going to make it worse, and if she made it worse, her whole cabin would have a real reason to hate her. And then Mira would come back, and... and she didn't know just what, but the gut feeling was enough to keep her down. Either way, I fail.

So she fell back into a web of bitter dreams, attempting to glean some energy from her slumber. When she finally woke up at a human time, Ophelia hauled herself up. With the events of yesterday still heavy in the air, she decided against rounding the cabin up for breakfast. Coward. Gods, you should've done something last night, anything at all! She shivered, tugging her long sleeves down over her hands as she stood up. The room was quiet enough, with empty beds forming a gap toothed effect as she looked over the room. Some brave souls, or maybe just those who were less emotion-sensitive, still filled their beds. Breathe. You can't fix what happened, but you will do better. She had to.

Ophelia shrugged into her battered hoodie, leggings and sweats, before hauling her loosest jeans over the whole ensemble. She regarded Matteo's jacket. Would it be worth bringing to return? Would she see him soon? I could just drop it off at his cabin... That decided, she threw her own coat over her shoulders, stuffed her feet into the pinchy boots, and held the jacket to her chest like a treasure.

The ancient faux leather bit into her toes as she walked, another great reminder about replacing them. A hand to the door, gentle as she inched it open to catch any creaks before they woke up the sleepers. Success! Okay, maybe the Aphrodite door being one of the most well oiled at camp was cheating, but did that really matter?

She closed the door behind her with a soft click, and turned to make her dash to cabin nine, but a person caught her eye. "Robyn?" She didn't mean to make it a question, but that's how it sounded. She's back? Gods, I should know this. Wait...I did know. She was at the table yesterday, for breakfast? "It's been a while," She offered a hand, unsure whether to go in for a hug or not. Robyn and physical affection? I'm leaning toward no?

☤ | Reese Dawson
18 | He/him | Hades | Cabin circle--> Dining Pavilion | Auggie

Reese frowned, but let Auggie steam onward, driven by some fire within. He shrugged his caneless shoulder. "There is only a threat if you make it one by keeping up with those antics." And if we both survive that long. Oh God, what a way to live. He sighed, and his shoulders sunk with it. He did not grace her threat with a response. She was aching for a spar, but he would not be the one to face her in the arena. Not after...

He shook out his head, and let out a sigh with it. He spoke up again, but his words lacked their earlier fury. They lacked much of any emotion, a bland statement of fact. "I am tired Auggie." I have been tired.So damn bone tired. He huffed, the chill greying the steam before it disappeared. "Auggie, stop being a smurf! Just because your hair is purple does not mean that your brains have to be!" He gestured at his sword, being stabbed into the ice as he took another step. "Have you ever seen me use this hunk of metal? It is having the experience of a lifetime right now! " He shook his head, but he was smiling. He made no comment about Auggie following his lead toward the dining hall. That would be a call for her to leave, and leave she would.

ツ | Zeke Hopewell
17 | He/him | Hermes | Cabin Circle | Cain

Zeke nodded sagely, keeping his mind as blank as possible. Though that mostly consisted of bouncing between what was I thinking of? and oh gods don't think about prophetic dreams in front of mind reader man! Which didn't leave much room for the conversation at hand. "Yup, tis to be expected, all things considered," He cocked his head. "I mean, it's like, an iguana in a frost," -wait, that would be dead. Very dead. Shoot. He fumbled to correct his course. "Er, do you have any mints? I want to try something..." His fault for offering.

☠ | Aggy Clemson
15 | She/her | Unknown (Ares) | Hampton Inn; Dining Room | Aiden, Mira (kinda)

Aggy wrinkled her nose at Aiden's claim. "Can you not read a timer?" She spat, waving a hand at the red light, blinking down toward zero. However, as she spoke, it ran out, beeping in agitation as she shuffled to grab a plate. "See?" She rolled her eyes to accuntuate her point.

Busy removing her waffle and bathing it in syrup. she heard rather than saw Mirabelle's approach. She was stumbling through some boring logistics things, which Aggy let go in one ear and out the other. Still she remained blocking the waffle iron, well awake that she was in Aiden's way. Serves him right! What's he after, acting like I've never seen a waffle maker before? "Teilo is tactically dull. So they want you." She clarified helpfully for Mira, then skirted around them to plop at a table next to the one Teilo and Mira had occupied. There, she set her sights upon her waffle, intent on not moving until it was gone.