Camp Half-Blood: Into the Storm - Closed!

[rabbit_with_a_fedora]

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✵ 𝐋 𝐀 𝐈 𝐊 𝐀--𝐊 𝐑 𝐈 𝐄 𝐆 𝐄 𝐑 “𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐢 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐢 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐢”
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❨ Mountie, navy admiral, hunter of Artemis ❩ ❨ lieutenant ❩ ❨ ♀/25 years/lived 97 ❩ ❨ Pluto ❩ ❨ tags: Orin ❩ ©



Laika's gaze settled past Orin, landing on the door in front of her. Eyes narrowed, she heaved a soft sigh, lost in the wind. "This man isn't a 'normal guy', not anymore." Laika hissed.

She dug her nails into the palm of her hand, which already had scars from previous crisis's, when Orin went on about Kingston's previous persona. “Seems you’ve just realized people change. However nice and politically cheerful he may have been, Kingston’s changed and you might as well get over it. Deal with the present, we’ll worry about his two faces later.” Laika had dealt with too many changes of manner to be rather fazed. Humans could be, no, were treacherous and wicked creatures at heart. “And of course anyone would have, and actually have, believed him. He is a rather impressive politician; he can convince a crowd of devoted vegans that they should all eat endangered venison meat. Essentially, he’s manipulative and decisive. I don’t blame you, it just shows you're still human enough to feel pity."

A scoff escaped Laika's mouth when Orin said he wasn't going to pass out. "Right. Of course, a very obviously traumatized teenager with dried blood in his hair and sending out a flurry of words at kilometers per minute is definitely not going to pass out on us. Sure."

"You're right. He has already won that front. But we can't spend all day lamenting over losses, can we?” Laika had been writing down a transcript of Kingston’s speech. The important parts, at least - the man had quite a lot of empty, self-victimizing moments. That was obviously why he had swayed so many civilians, from a whole other country across the Atlantic. Kingston was making the exact right move, angering the mortals. The Robin Hood philosophy was a doomed one, but only the rich knew it. And so it seemed that only Kingston and the demigods knew the truth behind this lie as well. Sometimes a crowd of angry mortals was much stronger than a handful of demigods with extraordinary powers.

"Well if your family's in Cork and in danger, then get them out of Cork and out of danger." Laika said simply. Then she scoffed. "Perhaps they can stay at Camp, and it wouldn't be entirely impossible, but Kingston's going to know about the family of a reported 'demigod' traveling to America, some way or another. He'll use that to convince the Americans that they are threatened, and this would be proof. Who knows how safe they might be in the States, the epicenter of the battle?" Now it was time for Laika to be a complete hypocrite and pace. At least she wasn't in the middle of developing an emotional breakdown.

"Enough about the problems. We've got to figure out how to solve them. We can't do much about Kingston at the moment, but we've got to investigate Camp Jupiter. The attacks on Chicago and Toronto are of another enemy. But there's really no point of any action; anything we do would only have a negative outcome. And as for Khione, well, we both know there's a group of questers leaving rather soon." she paused to stare out the window, back to the Greek in her company. "We've, no, I've, got to head for San Francisco immediately after the questers leave. Then we can investigate this Malcolm Kingston even further, see what, who, is allowing this mortal the knowledge of the camps, as well as investigate the Roman camp." She fiddled methodically with the trigger of one of her pistols, looking over the Imperial gold barrel. It was better than looking at the disgusting, lying face of Malcolm Kingston.

[sammy,]

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𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚗 '𝚕𝚘𝚏𝚝𝚢' 𝚐𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗
cabin 8 - cabin 13
zeus - counselor
mentioned: laika,
auggie
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'not anymore'.
"maybe he never was normal," orin said, beginning to get to grips with his composure. the initial waves of panic had dwindled, coming as gentle drifts on the shoreline. "i don't - it's not that i'm surprised people change. i'm not surprised about that. it's - i'm not stupid. i know i look it, and i know i sound it, and - and maybe i act it - but -" his brow furrowed. "no-one noticed. and that makes it worse, because he's done all these good things, laika, he's acted the good guy, he's - he's trustworthy - and now he's saying this, and it makes things fuzzier." a deep breath in. "and i'm not traumatised."

"how the hell am i supposed to do that? i can't bring them here. it's dangerous here. for the first time in a very long time, camp doesn't feel safe. i can't bring them into that. and if they come to america it's worse, 'cause that's the -" once more, the thoughts came barrelling. there was no way about it. "they've got stuff to do over there. i'll just - i'll just tell 'em it's fine." they had enough on their plate.

"i'm gonna..." a short, sharp breath in. "i'm gonna go and tell chiron." he took his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. "if you can contact anyone there -"
she knew what she was doing. he didn't imagine she'd appreciate an order from him. "i dunno. something."

he stood. his legs felt heavy, but that was alright. he still managed to drag them out of the cabin, saying a silent thanks to artemis for even allowing him access to what felt like an out-of-bounds area - and out back into the snow.
surprisingly, his mind felt clear. no thoughts came in or out, just the feeling of his shoes pressing imprints into the snow, the wind that curled his hair, the sound of muffled crying, the ache of his fingers in the cold -
no, hang on.
orin took a few steps back, effectively retracing his steps, and heard it again. sobs. animalistic and brutal, the kind that erupted after immense pressure, after the silent period of seismic activity. it was coming from cabin thirteen. that was hades.

before he had time to think about it, he was approaching the door. everything else seemed gone to the wind. the article on his phone was just an article, the snow was just snow - the threats seemed minimised in wake of the new discovery. they didn't matter. this felt like it mattered. or, perhaps more validly, this felt like something that he could control, help, fix even a tiny bit.
his knuckles rapped gently against the door. "is everything alright in there?" he asked. it was a stupid question. "i'm gonna come in. who's in there?"

he didn't wait for a response, just clutched at the doorknob and pushed his way in. the sight in front of him made his heart shatter in his chest. "auggie," he dropped down, level with the crumpled heap that her body had seemingly inexplicably become. "what happened? are you - did something -" his eyes drifted to her hands, which were saturated with little crystals of ice. from what little exposure he had had to this power of hers, he knew that that wasn't a very good sign. "augusta," his voice became less panicked, more gentle, and he placed his own hand on her shoulder.

[indigo']

[✩] Augusta Reynolds|17|she/her|Hades|Head counsellor|Cabin 13|tags:Orin

This didn’t feel real. It felt like this had to be some kind of cruel, misguided practical joke, or a bad dream, but the very real ache in her chest indicated that she was in fact wide awake. Her brain somehow felt fuzzier than it had before, thoughts pooling together and drifting apart like condensation on a windowpane. She barely heard the knock on the door over the buzzing in her ears, not becoming aware of the presence of another person until she felt them kneel down beside her.

She didn’t dare look up at first, fearing it was one of her cabinmates, in awe to be witnessing the cracked facade of their fearless head counsellor—the broken form of a person who had been nothing but plaster to begin with. Then they spoke and she recognized the voice, realizing quickly that it was not in fact an amused child of Hades, come to gloat in her weakness.

She lifted her head to meet his gaze, suddenly hyper aware of how disastrous she must look with makeup smeared everywhere and hair stuck to her tear stained face, but not quite aware enough to actually care. Her breath was coming in shallow, trembling gasps, like she couldn’t remember how to fill her lungs with air properly. No matter how hard she tried to breathe in, it just wouldn’t come naturally. He was asking her something—questions that she didn’t know how to answer, then his voice softened and he reached towards her.

She flinched back at first, looking from him to the frost on her fingertips with a panicked expression, her mind suddenly being flooded with the memory of blasting the boy with a surge of ice energy in the woods. She could’ve killed him. She could hurt him now, she didn’t have control, it wasn’t safe. “Don’t—don’t, I’m—“ She balled her hands into fists, for once not even trying to hide the fear the surged up inside of her, threatening to swallow her whole.

“She’s—I tried to—my mother—the letter—she’s been—four years...” The words of an attempted explanation came out between choked sobs and gasps for breath, not making any sense in her muddled state. She knew she wasn’t speaking clearly, but her judgement was a little too clouded at the moment to consider something as simple and mundane as context.

She broke down into sobs again, shaking her head frantically. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” She wasn’t sure what she was apologizing for; her inability to get a sentence out, or the fact that he had to see her like this, broken and quivering like a child. There were more important things to deal with right now, she knew that. He was dealing with his own troubles and he shouldn’t have to be comforting her when she couldn’t even breathe like a normal person.

[sammy,]

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𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚗 '𝚕𝚘𝚏𝚝𝚢' 𝚐𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗
cabin 13
zeus - counselor
mentioned: auggie
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clearly, there was something very wrong. it wouldn't have taken a genius to figure that out - and that was good, because he was far from one.
but it also didn't take genius to see his own meltdown in what was happening on the floor of the hades cabin. that kind of loss of control, the ravaged nature of loss. something very bad had happened. something had shocked her, and it was sending her spiralling, and he could feel it. the air was heavier, colder than outside, more oppressive.

"hey," he said. though orin was wary of the frost on her fingers, images of the day previous flashing through his head, there was a form of reckless abandon that told him that he didn't quite care. she could absolutely slaughter him in seconds, but that wasn't what he was afraid of in that moment. "you don't have to talk. it's alright." he realigned himself, the way he was sitting, and veered closer. something about her mother, a letter, four years - it was lost on him, really. "come here,"

without much more warning, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her head against his shoulder. he didn't want to tell her that it was alright, nor was he going to order her to stop crying. it was needed. it was something that, despite everything, he was going to sit with her through it, rather than trying to search for words that would answer questions that he would never be able to fathom the answers for. "don't be sorry. don't say that. don't you ever say that to me." his words remained low, some semblance of calm sifting through the chaos.

[WitchHazel]

|⟡|Mirabelle Everhart|17|She/Her|Aphrodite|Head Counselor|Location: Dining Pavilion --> Behind Mess Hall|Tags: Delilah|

As Mirabelle led Delilah behind the Mess Hall away from prying eyes, nervousness bubbled in her chest. How in the world was she supposed to do this? Saying goodbye to someone she had known for years - and someone she cared for very deeply, as a matter of fact - wasn't something she was prepared to do. She knew her impending farewell to Chuck would be nearly as difficult, but at least her tongue didn't trip over itself every time she tried to talk to him.
When she reached her intended location, she turned to face Delilah. For once, Mirabelle was at a loss for words. She fidgeted with her hair as she tried to come up with something to say, but everything she came up with seemed too ingenuine. She knew she had to say something, not just stand there like a fumbling idiot. "I... um -" Mes dieux, Mirabelle, get it together! Right. Time to try again. "As you might know, um - I'm leaving," she managed, albeit breathily. "On the quest. To get to the bottom of everything." Her blue-grey gaze flickered to the ground as she chewed the inside of her cheek. "I'm sorry. I'm not really good at the whole... saying goodbye thing." She shifted awkwardly on her feet. "But it's my duty - I've been having dreams about all of this. And honestly, it's the best way to protect - to protect everyone." To protect you. The words died on her tongue, true feelings left yet unspoken. Nonetheless, there was no hiding the pain that flashed in her eyes. "Delilah, I -" Mirabelle's voice broke momentarily. She continued, softer this time. "I don't know if I'm going to come back." The thought of her own death wasn't what caused her alarm - it was how it would impact those who cared about her. Despite her lack of self-confidence, she knew there were those who would certainly feel her absence if she were to perish. She had made a lot of friends at Camp Half-Blood. But that was also why she knew she must go - she needed to protect them. She needed to protect her family. "I just - I want you to know - I care about you. A lot." A light blush coloured her cheeks, and she tugged on a strand of golden hair in her nervousness.

|⟡|Juliet Pratten|16|She/Her|Hermes|Location: Dining Pavilion|Tags: Cass, Aggy|

Juliet raised an eyebrow at Aggy's comment, quite a bit confused at first. "What? She glanced down to where Aggy was looking, at her left boot. "Oh, you mean Mr. Pointy. Yeah, I should really see if I can get one of those Hephaestus guys to give him some care or something." She shrugged, not necessarily seeming too perturbed. "You can hear weapons, though?" The daughter of Hermes regarded Aggy with renewed interest. "Huh. You must be an Ares or Athena kid or something. Or maybe Hephaestus."

|⊙|Zahra Al-Amin|217/Looks 32|She/They|Magician; Eye of Sekhmet|Location: Cabins Area|Tags: Jay|

"Set is the least of our worries," Zahra murmured aloud. "Though that is valuable information nonetheless. Judging from past events, he wishes not for the destruction of the world any more than we do. If we can get him and his host to help, we may just have a chance. A tiny chance, but a chance. If anybody knows chaos, it is him." She fixed the girl with a warm yet piercing stare. "Do you know where to find the Host of Set? I would normally sense him, but there is chaos energy everywhere that is here." She gestured around them for emphasis. "In addition to him, we need Anubis. The entire Duat will soon be decimated - or worse, consumed, if we do not act against the Ogdoad."

[indigo']

[✩] Augusta Reynolds|17|she/her|Hades|Head counsellor|Cabin 13|tags:Orin

She’d warned him—at least she’d tried, the fear bubbling up from inside her, painted clearly in the form of her frozen hands. But he didn’t listen—or he didn’t care—whatever the reasoning, he disregarded the way her powers should have warded him off and he moved closer, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. The motion caught her by surprise, one thought breaking through everything else that fought for control of her mind and voice.

He wasn’t afraid of her. She wasn’t used to people not being afraid of her. She wasn’t used to being okay with that.

She gave in, surprising herself as she buried her face in his shoulder and let the flood of tears spill out. Her cold mask was gone, there was no point trying to build it back up now, and she wasn’t sure she could’ve if she’d tried. Her image was shattered. The fact the she didn’t care scared her more than anything. Part of her was aware enough to appreciate that he didn’t lie to her, he wasn’t trying to tell her everything was okay when it so clearly wasn’t. As much as it hurt, she’d rather face a harsh truth than kind, weightless lies. She didn’t try to speak anymore for the time being, knowing that it wouldn’t work through her sobbing and gasping.

Eventually, she started to relax, her breath coming more easily and the ice beginning to dissipate from her finger tips. Her head was still on his shoulder. She couldn’t meet his gaze, not after that. “I’m—“ she caught herself before saying exactly what he’d just told her not to. “Thank you,” she corrected herself, voice slightly muffled still.

Finally, she shifted a little, sitting up but still avoiding his face, her eyes locked onto the cabin floor. “I thought...” She drew a breath, trying to speak slowly enough that she would at least be coherent this time. “All this time I thought my mom was ignoring me...I thought she just didn’t want to talk to me but...this whole time she’s been—she’s gone. I didn’t even...” She shook her head, not understanding why this hurt her so much. She hadn’t wanted a happy reunion—far from it, she’d wanted to give the woman a piece of her mind, and told her exactly how much damage she’d caused, made sure she knew exactly how Auggie felt about her. She had no right to feel sad now. That woman had no right to make her cry with this loss.

She burst out into a laugh, cold and bitter, humourless. “It hate—I hated her...” She shook her head again. “She was an awful person and an even worse mother.” She wasn’t sure why she was telling this to Orin. There was no reason for him to care about her terrible childhood or her conflicting feelings over the loss of someone she hadn’t cared about to begin with, but the words just seemed to keep spilling out, a waterfall that had been held back for too long.

“She was never there for me...I never felt like I had anyone. But now she’s gone and...” She didn’t know what she was trying to say, she didn’t really know what she was trying to think. The bump on the back of her head probably didn’t help with that, but there was a little more to it. “It’s not like I ever really had a mother,” A hint of anger crept into her voice, the bitterness that she harboured towards the woman in question rising up again. “But she was...she was still out there and it’s like...”

Like what? A chance, that someday they could've communicated? Could have ended up on better terms? Actually been a family? That hadn’t seemed likely. She had at least had someone to blame. Is that what this was about? “I don’t know...” She admitted finally. “Now I’m just...” alone. She trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought out loud. She hated the self pity in her voice. She hated everything about how pathetic she was acting, so why couldn’t she stop?

[sammy,]

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𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚗 '𝚕𝚘𝚏𝚝𝚢' 𝚐𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗
cabin 13
zeus - counselor
mentioned: auggie
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slowly - and it was slowly - auggie began to give in to the concept of allowing herself her moments of vulnerability. despite everything, that felt like a good thing. when she buried her face into his shoulder, let the tears come, he moved his hand to the back of her head, absently combing his fingers through the violet strands rooted there. he said nothing, just waited, rode through the tsunami with her. it was the best he could do. he hoped that was enough.

soon, the choppy breaths evened out. the sobs were separated by longer periods of silence. when she spoke, it sounded clearer - even with the fabric of his jacket that served as a silencer. "don't thank me 'till it's over," he murmured, knocking the side of his head into hers.

orin allowed her to pull away first, and when she began to speak, he listened. zipped his ever-jabbering lips and let auggie say her piece, as difficult as it was to hear, and nodded along. she didn't appear happy to look at him, so when her words petered off, he shuffled on the floor and sat so they were beside one another. from experience, it tended to make talking easier.

"it could have been better and now it never will be," he supplemented. "i..." he wasn't really sure whether it was his place to share the story that had rolled into his head, but it seemed fitting. "i have this mate. minty. his name's not minty, it's sean, but - you know. it's minty," a brief little laugh. "and, um - his dad was a git. said all this horrible stuff to him when he was little, about how he was a... disappointment, stuff like that - and then pegged it. left to do his thing as a bachelor reborn," he paused. "and then, in - uh - january, maybe? i don't know. anyway, he died. and sean asked me to come to the funeral, 'cos he didn't wanna go, and he thought we could go out afterwards. cause some havoc. delinquent stuff. put 'fun snaps' behind car wheels and that." he was rambling, so he reeled himself back in.

"so we went, and it was fine - but then all these people started telling their little stories. the eulogy stuff. and the more they talked about his dad, the smaller he got. and by the end of it he had to leave, 'cos he was really upset, and i didn't get it. but then he said that - that these people were all talking about this guy that he was supposed to know more than anyone, that he was supposed to trust, that was supposed to look after him, and he had no idea who they were talking about. he never got the chance to get to know him. and then he was forced to see him as what he was. a real person who - who wasn't all bad, not to everyone - and he wondered what was different. and he said that if he'd had more time, then maybe he could've seen that guy. if things were different, then he would've had the dad that he wanted, and now that chance was gone," orin breathed in slowly. "and a couple weeks later, i'm walking past the church and i see him there, talking to this gravestone about something that had happened to him in school, and i go up and ask him if he's lost the plot, and he said no. he was talking to his dad. the stone that represented his dad, anyway."

"i asked what he was doing that for, and he said that -" he thought for a moment, trying to get the words right. "he said 'i realised he was never gonna get to say sorry to me, but i'd have to forgive him one day anyway, so i'm getting it over with'. and - and i don't know why i told you that, but..." orin leaned his shoulder against hers. "people are disappointing and they're multifaceted and they do lovely things and then they do ugly things and then they die. but you deserved better than that, and it's alright to be upset about it."

[Kveykva]

──── Ｎｉｃｈｏｌａｓ Ｓｔｏｒｍ
【✦】| Horseman of the Apocalypse | 56 | Male | ➡ Bratislava | Tags: n/a
❝𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚝 𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑❞

"I can't believe I just said that." Xaliphax offered a snort in response, shaking his head. "Thanks for the vote of confidence," Nicholas grumbled, tapping his heel into the pale horse's ribs. Although the training space that served as a temporary stable was quite large, it only offered enough space for the stallion to comfortably pace in wide circles around its edge. Horse and horseman rode idly across the icy room, the comfort of the maneuver giving Nicholas time to think. He pulled gently on the reins, guiding Xaliphax along with a practiced hand. "I'm not ready for this," he admitted, stroking the stallion's thin, ivory mane. "to be a god. I know you have faith in me, bud, but..." A sigh, his hands slacking on the reins. "I don't even know where to start. This is getting too big too quickly, and I know Khione─she's expecting me to deliver, without knowing that I have to rise to the occasion. I don't even know if I can rise to the occasion." Nicholas ran a hand through his hair. Before he could delve deeper into his pit of self-pity, his phone rang. The recognizable default jingle of an iPhone filled the room, echoing off icy walls. Nicholas fished the device from his pocket. "Hello?" Immediately, he recoiled and pulled the phone away from his ear. Nicholas waited a full five seconds before responding. "Are you done?"
"You didn't answer my question."
"You were yelling. Didn't you say you would start Iris-messaging from now on?"
"I was, but..." the sound of sheepish mumbling. "... I couldn't find where to throw the coin. I kept missing."
Nicholas stifled a chuckle. "Sounds about right. What are you wanting, Kayle?" He tugged on the reins, pulling Xaliphax to a stop. On the other end, a voice hummed. "I was in town, so figured I'd stop by Harper's and say hi. They told me you were heading to New York for a family emergency." Nicholas nodded intrinsically. "Sounds about right, that's what I told them."
"It's not true though?"
"Not entirely, no."
"Do you wanna talk about it?"
A pause. Nicholas considered the offer. "We can go get lunch, maybe a few drinks." The horseman pinched the bridge of his nose. "No. I'm not feeding your bad habit; it's illegal and you know it." Kayle groaned. "Only here! Come on, just come pick me up and we'll pop over to Poland or something, just for a few hours." Nicholas rolled his eyes. "Fine, but just this once. And promise me you won't get into another bar fight and get kicked out."
"I won't!"
"Kayle." he sounded unconvinced. Another groan. "Okay okay, fine. I promise. Be here in ten." Without giving her brother a chance to argue, the call ended. He stared at the phone after she hung up, half debating turning her down. On the other hand, better she go with him than someone else, or god forbid, another guy. "I won't be long, Xali." He dismounted promptly, stroking a hand down the pale horse's cheek. "Let Khione know I'll be back when she needs me."

"I thought you asked me to be here in ten?" Nicholas checked his watch, leaning against the doorframe. Just inside, his sister stood in front of the sink, hurriedly running a brush through uncooperative hair. "Don't tell me you're going to try curling it. That takes you hours." He ducked, a tube of toothpaste rebounding off the wall behind him."I'll take that as a no." Kayle set the brush aside, turning towards the sound of Nick's voice. "How do I look? Be honest." He shrugged. "I think you look fine. You know that crazy hair is more of a feature than a drawback." His sister stood a few inches shorter than he did, with plump, muscular limbs and a strong jaw. Her bronze-colored hair was a wild mane, thick and coarse locks sticking out every which way. "Have you ever considered how much hairspray you got through in a week trying to tame that jungle?" He instantly recoiled when she raised her fist. "It's a genuine question! God, do you want to go or not? I'm on a time crunch here." Kayle scowled, but she grabbed him by the shoulder. "Yeah yeah, I won't keep you too long."

Shadow travel trips were thankfully short, and besides the equator during noon, there was never a place that wasn't more than a few steps away for the god of death. Kayle didn't experience nearly as many disorientation symptoms as other mortals Nicholas carried with, which he was exceptionally thankful for. The pair pushed their way into a lively bar in Bratislava, the familiar loud atmosphere matching the intensity Nicholas knew from Harper's, if not surpassing it. "I hope you realize my Hungarian is conversational at best." he grumbled, taking a seat. "And you don't even know a second language besides English." That was met with an indignant huff. "I took French, you know." "In high school, maybe." He retorted, ordering drinks for the two of them. Before long, the two siblings were trading shots while they caught up. "You weren't just stopping by to say hi, Kayle." Nicholas said eventually, setting the now empty glass aside. "You want to know, don't you?" The younger girl sighed, tapping her nails on the bar top. "I saw the news. The New York press conference, with that Malcolm dude, he said that demigods were real and they were dangerous." she balled her fist on the wood. "I didn't think much about the snow in New York, but Andrew said you were headed that way on a family emergency. You're wrapped up in this too, aren't you?" He nodded, idling before ordering himself a pint for a more long-winded conversation. "You sound surprised. I'm a god now, I do... god.. things. It's not your business, so don't worry about it." Kayle punched him in the shoulder, glowering. Nicholas grunted and held his shoulder; his sister knew how to throw a punch. "But you are, Nick." her expression softened. "I'm worried about you."

There it was again; the guilt Nicholas had been struggling to avoid, trying to deny since he'd made his decision. "Are you sure you want to know, Kayle?" He eyed her with an amethyst gaze. "It might be easier if you didn't." Kayle finished her next shot, setting the glass down as she stared at nothing, simply facing the bar. "I do. You're my brother, Nick. And last time I kept my nose out of your business… things went sour." She rested a hand on his shoulder. "I'm here for you, alright? Come hell or high water." Nicholas felt his shoulders sag, and he rested his weight against the bar top. "... Well you heard right," he began. "Malcolm Kingston, the defense minister of the UK. Came to New York and outed demigods, like they were a foreign species. Called out Camp Jupiter specifically, he's playing devil's advocate. Aiming to sow panic and doubt to the public. Make the parents and loved ones of demigods into targets, leaving them torn between their mortal attachments and their divine ones. I got a call from him the night before, apparently, he picked up on my involvement with Khione through the grapevine. He wanted to see about making me into an ally, so both he and Khione could better achieve their goals. Khione, on the other hand," he paused to wet his throat. "She wants me to open the Doors of Death, so she can force as many demigods as she can into Tartarus. I don't mind sitting on the sidelines, but I don't even think I'm ready for this major of a role, Kayle."

"I'm a god. You know that, I know that, and everyone seems to believe it... except for me. I don't know if I'll ever grow into this destiny. It's─" he shook his head, chuckling dryly. "It's stupid, it's so stupid for me to say. But I'm not ready. I'm not ready to be a god, I can't keep pretending to ride this high horse and look down on the people around me. I thought─I thought I could try this, you know? A little bit of chaos causing, a bit of destruction to help get this confidence up. I thought I'd evolve into the role, but so far... I still feel the same." Nicholas held up his hand, examining it and the ring he wore. "I'm the fourth horseman. Harbinger of the apocalypse. This vessel is meant to help me achieve a level of power I couldn't dream of, but... All it's done is mellow me out. Before I became the horseman, you knew how I was. Insecure, stumbled over my sentences. Hell, I was a pacifist through and through. The horseman isn't like that; I wanted murder, I craved killing. Hellfire, destruction, I wanted to stride through the wake of the other horsemen and feel my power grow. It's what I was created for. Yet, now I'm somewhere in between... I could kill someone for giving me a funny look and not even regret it. I don't... I don't like knowing that. I've never minded using the undead to my advantage, but I don't like hearing them suffer. Feeling their pain."

He rested his head on his arms, breathing a heavy sigh. "TLDR, at this point, I don't know what I'm supposed to be. Kayle was a little taken aback by hearing Nicholas spill everything, but she managed to give him a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Damn, dude." She murmured with a straight face, unsure of how else to react. "I knew it was a lot, but holy crap. Are you okay?" the horseman managed a forced chuckle. "I'd be a hell of a lot better if I could get drunk." He raised his head and flicked the glass next to him. "Mortal liquor doesn't do it for me anymore." He glanced to his right, meeting Kayle's gaze. "Isn't this the part where you run away screaming or cower in fear?" Kayle bopped him on the head with her fist, though it was much more lightly than what she'd done previously. "Maybe that's the smartest move, but I don't care enough to. I kinda dealt with the "holy cow my brother is a god" part already." She waved down the bartender, ordering a pint for herself. "Horseman of the apocalypse? Psh, old news." Nicholas eyed her skeptically. The silence is what told Kayle that her words were disregarded. "What?" She fixed him with a look that would have been more significant if she could see his expression. "Do you want me to tell you I'm afraid? Because yeah... I am." She admitted, downing half her pint once she received it, following with a burp. "It's terrifying to know that this chill, funny dude sitting next to me is going to bring about the end of the world someday. But the snow in New York and the demigod camps isn't the start of the apocalypse, is it?" "Well no, but─" "Then I don't have to worry about it right now."

She nudged him. "Have a bit of faith in yourself, Nicholas. I might be afraid of the end of the world, but I'd be crazy if I wasn't. It's your destiny, you can't just... pretend it isn't there. With any luck, you'll be trottin' through the carnage long after I'm gone. If I'm still here, sucks to be me." Kayle finished the rest of her pint. "I've already accepted that, and I believe in you." She poked his stomach. "You hear me? You're the big bad horseman of the apocalypse, you... are you crying?" The mortal rested a hand on his back, feeling his body wrack. In response, she pulled him closer and into a one armed hug. "No, no I'm okay, Kayle." Nicholas pushed her away, drying his eyes on his sleeve. "It just... it's good to know I can still feel that. Sadness, shame, it reminds me that there's still something in here." He tapped a hand over his heart. "There's still something human in here, I'm something more than just a spirit of destruction." a heavy sigh, followed by a long drink. "What are Orion's thoughts on this? I'd hate to see him causing problems if Malcolm's trying to pull something with the US armed forces." Kayle laughed in response. "Nah, don't worry about it. Dad's had enough of being knocked around by higher powers, he felt something bad was coming and took a vacation. He and Mom are in the Caribbean, and I'm pretty sure they're gonna stay there until this is all over." Nicholas nodded. "Do me a favor, then. Follow them. Or something, I don't care what. Just get yourself out of America until all this clears up, okay? I don't want you caught in the crossfire either." Kayle seemed to understand, even as she ordered another bottle for the two of them to take shots from. "What about Moxie?"

There came the question. The name Nick didn't want to hear. He downed three shots before giving his answer. "What about her." It was a calloused one. "She thinks I'm dead." He touched two fingers to his chest, below where his heart was. "Shot me right here, we got into a fight and she let me bleed out." Kayle's blind eyes widened. "You're joking. I thought the two of you were dating?"
"Who told you that?"
"You did."
"Then I told you wrong."
He took a fourth shot, but Kayle stopped him before he could manage a fifth. Slowly, she eased his hand and the glass down to the bar top. She didn't need to speak to ask her next question. "I jumped the gun is all. I shouldn't have told you that, I'm sorry." Kayle tilted her head. "But you were so confident, there wasn't a doubt in your mind. I thought you two─" "We did." he cut her off before she could say it. "She didn't want anything more than that. And... And I did. It wasn't mean to be, I guess." He shrugged off her hand, taking his next shot. "What did you guys get into a fight about?" Kayle asked. "Leaving Morgantown." the horseman answered without skipping a beat. "With everything going on, for some godforsaken reason, she wanted me to stay. She wants me around, wants to stay friends. I don't really want to be dragged along on a string." he fingered the glass idly. "It's not very fitting for a horseman to get so torn up over heartbreak," he felt his sister drape herself over his shoulders. "You said it yourself, there's still a little bit of human left in you. Heartbreak sucks, but you'll get over it and move on. Everyone does." Nicholas scoffed, giving her a playful nudge. "Like you would know. You have a new guy every week." He was trying to deflect, and Kayle knew it. For his sake, she played along.

"Shut up! It's not every week... and not this week!" He raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? What's her name?" Kayle folded her arms, feeling her cheeks grow hot as she pouted. "... Shannon." That got a laugh. "God, now you're branching out. Even the women aren't safe." He received a punch to the ribs, which caused him to double over. The bartender snapped a warning, but the words fell on deaf ears. "Oh damn, are you okay?" The smell of blood joined the clutter of stimuli to Kayle's senses, and she felt something both warm and wet on the counter. "Yep," Nicholas grunted, coughing. "Just think you cracked a few ribs... Maybe I should take you home before you get drunk." Normally, Kayle would argue, but given the conversation they'd had, she decided it would be better not to. Nicholas paid for their drinks and a small bit extra for the disturbance, and the two headed on their way.

"Hey... Nick? Are you sure you─"
"I don't."
"You were so open about the apocalypse, and the thing with Khione─"
"That's different."
"Nicholas, please..."
"Kayle, drop it. I won't tell you again."
Wisely, she did.

[Kveykva]

──── ＷｉｌｈｅｌｍxＷａｔｔｓｏｎ
【✦】| Hephaestus | 18 | Male | ➡ Dining Pavilion | Tags: Kade
❝𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚎❞

Kade. Wilhelm remembered the name vaguely, but he didn't quite recognize the camper. "You're one of them Athena campers, ain'tcha?" He recalled. "Don't think I recall y' too well, been a long three years. But it's a pleasure t' meet you again." Will offered the other camper a smile, but it soon faded. "Are y' folks gonna start workin' on them burial shrouds, fer the questers?" he asked. "Y'know yer head counselor's plannin' to go. And if y' haven't started... I'd like t' help." he offered. Will considered Aiden one of his closest friends, so he'd like to have a hand in making the burial shroud, in case things... didn't go well. "Cabin 9 lost one of 're own t' the Big House..." Will told Kaden in a hushed tone. "So we'll already be makin' at least one. Maybe our cabin's could do it together? there's more then 'nough space at the forges, 'n I know most children of Athena 're tinkerers in one way or another. Sounds fittin' fer a shroud."

[sunhorsestar]

Kade Turner | Athena | Tagging: Wilhelm | Location: Camp, Dining Pavilion


Was it something about how he carried himself, Kade wondered, or perhaps they HAD met prior and it had simply slipped his mind, in which case, he certainly felt bad, for Wilhelm seemed in comparison to some people he had met to be quite an upbeat and good-humoured young man. Kade's lingering smile dropped, fading away at the mention of the burial shrouds, but it did have to be addressed.

"No, unless I’ve missed something, we haven’t started yet," Kade admitted. He shifted his weight to rest more comfortably despite the topic. "Dealing with the shrouds is always hard, so...so I’m sure we’d be glad for all the help we can get." He tried for another smile, nodding. "I like to idea of working together. There ain’t enough teamwork around this place anymore."