1x1 with яαιnнeαят and Éibhear the Blue.

[ragemonster]

((That is so cool. :U))

Rose

Seeing how tense Dylan was, Rose's earlier semi-calm was instantly forgotten, and her gut wrenched painfully. "Hey," she said tersely to Dylan, and nodded at Martin, who nodded distractedly back. He was fiddling with his backpack straps, and for whatever reason, this irritated Rose. She glanced away quickly, not wanting to let the frail-looking camper see her, and said promptly, "So. Should we... get going?" She had to choke the last words out. They'd be meeting Argus by the road, and he'd take them to Manhattan, and they'd have to find their way from there.

Jake nodded, vocalizing his agreement with a calm "Yes." Rose returned the nod and returned her dagger to the sheath attached to her belt. She also had a 3-and-a-half-foot sword, which turned into a seemingly-harmless comb. She'd had some of the Hephaestus campers craft it a while back, and she hadn't been able to think of what it could turn into, so Katrina (the one that had crafted it) had chosen a comb as its concealment-form. Rose had approved, though it wasn't as cool as Dylan's coin, it would suffice.

[kannagi]

(Thanks :3 I am keeping my fingers crossed, but I think my chances are pretty good!)

Dylan

Dylan offered a weak smile to Rose, but his own anxiety and fear seemed to mirror on Rose's face. He tried to sigh, as if he could exhale all of his fears and worries, but it didn't help calm him. Sitting down next to Rose, he was lost for words. I mean, what could you say? Chances are, they were about to leave on a very dangerous, risky journey, that neither of them knew much about. "So," he started, as he picked up a pebble off the ground. He rubbed it between his index finger and thumb, just fiddling around with it. He blamed his ADHD, but he needed to do something besides just sit and worry. "This is it, huh? The day we officially went insane." It was so quiet, he could hear the trees rustling, and even the distant neighs from the pegasi and horses. Dylan heard a rustling sound above him, and was ready to pull out his sword, when he realized it was just a squirrel. His heart was beating much faster than it should. He felt ridiculous. I thought that was a monster. We haven't even left yet. What is happening to me?

[ragemonster]

Rose

Rose laid a hand on Dylan's shoulder, not looking at him. She felt his muscles tense when something rustled overhead, and she knew he was instinctively going for his aureus. It was just a squirrel. She sighed. "We'll be fine," she said quietly, with more conviction than she felt. "And if we were crazy, we'd be imagining this. We aren't imagining this. It's real." She frowned at that, wondering if saying that out loud would be the best idea; saying it made it real. Shaking her head, she stood. "Okay. We might as well... get this over with," she said, her hands trembling slightly. Jake nodded. Without a word, he started off towards Thalia's pine. They'd eventually make it over Half-Blood Hill, and then down to the road, where they'd meet Argus, and then their quest would officially start.

[kannagi]

Dylan

Dylan followed Jacob. He couldn't help but feel that Jacob was actually looking forward to this.

Dylan finally spotted Argus, or, more likely, Argus saw them. With hundreds of eyes all over his body, it was impossible to sneak up on him. He didn't smile; his expression was almost grim.

Dylan slid into the back seat, sandwiched between Martin and Rose. Jacob had took the front seat, next to Argus, though he probably regretted it; half of Argus's eyes were fixated on him.

[ragemonster]

Rose

For the hour and a half-long ride into the city, they all remained quiet. No one said a thing except Rose, who had asked Argus in a strangled voice to turn the radio off. At the time, it had been playing the song "Staying Alive". She didn't care to think too hard about the irony there.

Once in the city, the traffic slowed their progress, but not by much. Another half-hour passed, feeling like seconds, and before Rose knew what was happening, Argus had pulled into an empty parking lot outside a Dunkin' Donuts. He nodded to them, and Jacob returned the nod with a lazy smile. Rose wished she could be so cavalier, and she forced down some of her own fear. The smell would probably attract monsters, for all she knew. Their demigod smell would certainly do the trick. Rose waved goodbye to Argus as he turned and left the lot, and Jacob said, "I'm gonna go get some coffee. Want any?" Rose nodded, and Jake looked at Dylan and Martin, asking if they wanted any.

[kannagi]

(LOL xD Staying alive xD)

Dylan

Dylan shook his head. He couldn't think about eating right now. "I guess some water would be good," he said. "But you should go quick; I don't like the idea of just standing around here. And I'm not just worried about the monsters." He whispered the last part, nodding his head in the direction of 5 or 6 men who were staring hungrily at the money Jacob just drew out of his pocket.

Martin

Martin tried not to laugh at the Poseidon-- er, Neptune-- camper. Water. How predictable. "I could go for a bagel. I haven't eaten in like... well, a while." He gulped audibly at the sight of the men. Being mugged would be an awful start to this quest. "I actually agree with Dylan."

[ragemonster]

Rose

Rose watched Jacob nod, casting a wary glance at the men who were watching him, and disappeared inside. Rose's stormy blue eyes narrowed as one of the men jerked his head in their direction, and she immediately rested her hand on the hilt of her dagger. It wouldn't hurt mortals, but it was still threatening, and she did have her sword. Her fighting skills weren't bad either, if it came to that. "I'll be right back," she said to Dylan, and at his nod she jogged across the street—earning herself many honks and shouts of protest from the cab drivers and the morning commuters— and slipped inside a tourist shop she'd glimpsed from the van when Argus had dropped them off. She grabbed a map of the USA from a shelf where snowglobes displaying mini images of the Statue of Liberty, the Twin Towers, various sky scrapers, and other things that were reminiscent of New York sat, and took it to the counter. She shelled out three one's, and dashed back across the street—more honking— to see that the group of men had gotten closer.

[kannagi]

Dylan

Dylan nodded, seeing the tourist shop and figuring she had the same idea as him. "Great idea."

The men seemed to nonchalantly slip closer and closer every time Dylan looked away. Dylan, growing slightly worried, slipped his hand in his pocket that held his aureus. He felt safer, even though he knew his sword wouldn't harm mortals.

Martin

Martin was torn. He didn't want to seem like a wimp, but he really wanted to dart in Dunkin' Donuts. The gang wouldn't attack them in front of cameras and people. What is worth more? My pride or my life?

He, of course, decided to keep standing there next to Dylan. His life wasn't worth that much, anyways.

[ragemonster]

Rose

Seriously considering yelling at the jokers staring and leering at them, Rose tore her scowl away from them and handed the map to Dylan. "I figured we could use this," she said, shrugging, and glaring over Dylan's shoulder as the men openly approached them in a menacing — what they thought was menacing, anyway — pack. Thrusting her hands on her hips and keeping the fingertips of her right hand on the hilt of her dagger, she pivoted around Dylan and faced the gang. They were all wearing white shirts — one of New York's many unofficial wanna-be gangs. "Hey there, kiddies," said what appeared to be the leader — the one in the front, who was much stockier than the others but undoubtedly the ringmaster, "What'cha doing out here by yourselves? These streets are dangerous."

He flashed his teeth, which were yellow and one was chipped. Rose's eyes narrowed. "Not that it's your concern," she said hotly, "but we're not alone. Our parents are in there getting us donuts." No sooner had she said this than the couple that she'd been referring to had exited the building, not noticing the hulking men standing by them. The leader noticed them, however, and his lips pulled back in a creepy smile. "You mean, those parents?" he asked as the couple got in their Mercury and drove away. "Listen, buddy," began Rose, marching up to the guy and poking him in the chest, keeping eye contact. But... wait. She frowned slightly. She hadn't felt... feathers under his shirt, had she? She glanced up at the guy, suspicion in her eyes — and gasped. Where his face had been was now replaced by a rooster's, except it had shark teeth, fangs, and... dragon wings, and a serpent's tail.
"He's a — a cockatrice!" she heard Martin say in a shrill voice. "Don't look in his eyes! You'll die!"
Rose automatically unsheathed her dagger, watching as the other five men — monsters — turned into identical cockatrice.

((Running out of good monsters! xD I looked up "Greek and Roman Monsters" and these caught my eye.

Cockatrice - A flying part-rooster/part-snake that could kill with its stare.

A picture: http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs40/i/2009/ ... sonArt.jpg ))

[ragemonster]

((Buuuuuump))