Camp Half-Blood: Into the Storm - Closed!

[Galeslash7]

Skylar Kakitid, 16 years old, Female, Daughter of Hecate, 7 year camper, Location: Dining Pavilion --> Cabin 20 --> Stables, Tags: Quest Meeting People --> Open, Mentions: None

Skylar murmured a quick "Sounds good" when they asked if the plan was alright. She nodded and stood up smiling gently. She didn't know why she was suddenly taking orders from the Laurel girl, but she was just glad to have a plan. She stepped away from the table and headed to her Cabin. Ahh, Cabin number 20. Where she would have some explaining to do. She stepped inside where she was met with several angry retorts. Seriously, did they always just stand by the door waiting for her to come explain? Skylar did her best to talk as quickly as she could and explain why she had to go. She decided to appoint Jonathan, one of her more powerful brothers, as acting head counselor. Finally, her siblings let her through and she quickly gathered some things together. She put her several of her runebooks and runes in a leather bag along with basic necessities. She added her Greek Magic dictionary as well and several other "lucky charms". Her leather bag was small, about the size of a small backpack, but was magically enlarged. Finally, she set off taking one last glance around her Cabin.

Skylar walked to the stables quickly. She did not have too much experience with the Pegasi and definitely did not know how to ride one when it was flying. But she had plenty experience riding them like a normal horse. Except they were faster. Unlike many of the campers, she did not have a favorite of go-to Pegasus. So she decided to browse the stalls and examine each Pegasus. Finally, she came to a beautiful black made in a decorated stall. Skylar examined the stall and found out the Pegasus' name was Void. Hmmm, Skylar liked that name. She had no idea if she had ever ridden this Pegasus before, but it seemed to like her. Hesitantly, she looked at it not sure what to do next. Honestly, she didn't know how to prep it for the ride.

Bay Laurel, Immortal, Female, Drayd, Location: Apollo Cabin, Tags: Niji, Mentions: None

Bay nodded, her teeth starting to chatter. "You're right. But I wouldn't want you have to go somewhere for me. You are probably still hurt. And the Apollo kids will still want to look over you before you can leave. I'll just get that straw and wood shavings from the stables. Thank you so much for all the help. " Bay reached into her hair and pulled out a laurel leaf. She shyly handed it to him. A leaf from the dryad was a huge token of appreciation. Bay was really thankful that he had cared so much about her, unlike so many other campers.

[WitchHazel]

|♡|Mirabelle Everhart|17|She/Her|Aphrodite|Head Counselor|Location: Dining Pavilion|Tags: Quest Meeting Group|

"I'll take Firefly," Mirabelle affirmed. "I don't know if she'll let anyone else ride her anyway - she's rather skittish." At the mention of the Big House, her jaw clenched. Her blue-grey eyes flickered over to Mr. D and Chiron.
Chiron almost seemed to flinch, while Mr. D scowled and turned an unflattering shade of purple.
"Sounds like a plan," she agreed, though the thought of meeting by the Big House was not a pleasant one. She hadn't seen the wreckage up close for herself yet, and if she was being honest, she'd been avoiding it. She hoped that there were no lingering echoes of emotion around the site, though she sincerely doubted it. Keeping up her barriers would take a good deal of energy in the face of such tragedy. But if she'd done it last night, she could do it again.
"Be careful," Chiron called as the demigods started to disperse. Mr. D simply made a face and vanished in a puff of grape-scented air.
Mirabelle was about to get up herself when a gentle touch on her shoulder nearly made her jump. She whipped around, instantly relaxing as the bearded face of Chiron loomed overhead. With his head, he gestured towards the edge of the pavilion, just out of earshot of the other campers. She followed him, though her mind swirled with the possibilities what he could possibly want. Did I say something? Mes dieux, did I do something? The thought lingered like mist over her as she jogged to keep up with the centaur. Her answer came soon enough. Chiron hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder, knowing of her typical dislike for physical contact. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to." His voice was gentle, marked with thinly veiled concern. "I know going back to the Lake Placid area won't be easy for you."
Mirabelle's expression faltered momentarily, but determination quickly took hold. "It's okay. I need to do this, Chiron. I think - I think I'm ready." She took a short breath to steel herself, but Chiron's eyes still held a sadness in them.
"If you see him -"
"I'll be alright." She knew it was a lie, and evidently not a very convincing one. Still, she offered the centaur a reassuring smile.
Worry still creased Chiron's face, but he didn't push it for now. "Take care of yourself, Mirabelle. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. It's okay to rely on others now and then."
Mirabelle didn't say anything, but gave a silent nod in acknowledgement. She stored Chiron's advice in the back of her mind, though she seriously doubted she would need to use it. I'll be okay on my own. Relying on others was never something Mirabelle had been good at, even in her younger years. I don't want to be a burden on anyone. I can handle myself.
Chiron gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before releasing her. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but he held his tongue. Mirabelle met his eyes, years of gratitude shining in her gaze. She gave a sharp nod before turning and walking away to collect her bags.


|⟡|Juliet Pratten|16|She/Her|Hermes|Location: Cabin 3|Tags: Hu, Caspia, Sa'd|

"Yeah, but like, a HUUUGE one," Juliet explained. "Like twice the size of a lion. I think it's a gryphon? I dunno. Gryphons are usually smaller and black in colour. Kinda remind me of hyenas." She made a face at the thought. "This one's a weird red-gold colour, and has like reeaally sharp-looking feathers." Desire sparkled in her hazel eyes as she spoke of the feathers in particular. "Oh, and that's not all! The thing is totally guarding a gem. Looks shiny. Probably valuable. I have no idea how this big monster got in here or why it has a gem, but dude, stealing it - and maybe some feathers - would be so much fun. Terrifying, but fun. Potentially life-threatening, but fun. And it's also kind of blocking my way into my cabin... soooo? Whaddya say? Up for a little heist?"

"Thoth. Huh. You Egyptians sure have weird names for your gods," Juliet snorted. "But I guess you probably think the same thing about us." Still smirking, she, uncrossing her arms only to fold them again in a slightly different position. "He sounds like a hoot." The sarcasm in her voice was impossible to miss. She listened to Sa'd speak, her expression remaining mildly humoured. "Pff. Too bad, so sad. Haha. Sad. Sa'd. Nice." A light chuckle floated on the air. "Anyway, sad guy, trust is overrated. But if building it is your goal here, might not wanna let dangerous monsters into camp. That's my free advice." She unfolded her arms to examine her fingernails, flicking a tiny clump of dirt out from under them. "Any more advice'll cost ya."


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

"Like, thanks, man!" Chuck bleated, breaking into a grin. "You have like, no idea how relieving it is to hear that, you know?" He watched as Yuno jotted something down, absently chewing on his sleeve. Always organised, that one. They reminded him of Mira in that sense - though Mira tended to have a mental checklist rather than a physical one. He absently wondered if Mira's mental checklist was colour-coded and had little sticky notes all over it.
"Uh, so like, where do we even start?" Chuck shuffled his hooves in the snow. "We can totally like, get the other satyrs to help and stuff, most of them are like, trying to anyways, I think." He'd seen a few fellow satyrs out in the woods, mostly consoling dryads and attempting to offer help, though they had seemed a bit confused as to how exactly to do so.

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

Zahra followed the young magician to the stately building, again silently admiring the soaring Greek columns. The sound of many voices rang out as she crested the hill. It seemed the demigods were in some kind of meeting - most likely concerning the troubles they were dealing with, she reckoned. Amidst the crowd, she could sense Set's chaotic energy somewhere close by. "I thank you for your aid, Jay," Zahra whispered, at loathe to interrupt the proceedings. "Now, if you could kindly point me in the direction of the Host, I would be most grateful."

[Kveykva]

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

Will nodded, pulling an unfinished cigarette from his breast pocket to light while he waited for the forge to warm. The child of Hephaestus brushed snow off the workbenches and tool chests, mumbling a few comments about the sour weather. "I'm sure he'll stop by fer a goodbye." He mused. "Always does, thattun." He glanced back to the long case resting beside the Athena camper. After a brief pause, he opened it to show Kade. Nestled within the case was a stocky, short-barreled shotgun, a gorgeous creation carved from wood and metal. "Mighty 'ope so. Ma made thissun for me, and Hephaestus 'elped her make it good for monster killin'." He rested a hand on the barrel. "It was my birthday gift, but I didn't get much chance to try it out 'fore comin' here for the summer. Though, it ain't really much of a summer."

──── Ｌｕｃｙ Ｂｌｉｔｚｅｎ
【✦】| Apollo | 16 | Female | Dining Pavilion ➡ Cabin 1 | Tags: Orin, Auggie
❝𝚒 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚗 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚛❞

Lucy stumbled for words, her eyes burning. She squeezed them shut to free them of tears, but only more took their place. Icy air burned her lungs with each sobbing breath; Lucy knew how to cry on command, but this? She couldn't stop this. She didn't know how to. Weakness was a stretch. Vulnerability? Maybe. The child of Apollo offered a slight nod to Orin, pressing a sleeve into her eyes to cover her face. Lucy accepted his extended hand, murmuring a thank you between her sobs. She knows, and I'll have to tell her... She allowed the other camper to lead her out of the cold and into the lofty interior of the Zeus cabin. Normally, Lucy would've commented her appeal for the decor; the appearance gave off an air of power and authority, fitting for the god it honored and whose children it housed. Instead, she heaved deep breaths, no longer caring about the makeup smeared across her face. She couldn't look worse than Auggie, at the very least.

"They're..." she hiccuped, rubbing her eyes and avoiding Orin's gaze. "M-My mother, she's... she's a member of New York's city council. Do you realize what this means? This demigod fiasco, do you know what that means for her? She has so many political enemies, so many people who want to see her crumble... Mother has to be so careful about what she says and how she says it, and I've always been a liability to her. I can't go anywhere without bodyguards, but now... Now that the media has pinned demigods as tangible threats, I'm enough dirt for them to get what they want. If─If anyone finds out that I'm a demigod, she'll be removed immediately. It will ruin her reputation, and─and if mob mentality gets ahold─they'll kill her!"

──── Ｍａｘｉｎｅ "Ｍｏｘｉｅ" Ｂｉｓｈｏｐ
【✦】| Mars | 29 | Female | ➡ San Francisco hotel | Tags: Laika
❝𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚘𝚛 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎❞

Moxie felt a slight warmth in her cheeks. "Right, ah... Military's done a hell of a lot to straighten me up since we last spoke." In fact, she was a wildly different person since she'd last been to Camp Jupiter, she was amazed Laika even recognized her. Moxie cleared her throat. "I don't know if the Hunters keep up with the news, but I imagine you've heard by now. Malcolm Kingston." She paused to let the name sink in. "I couldn't say I believed him at first, but I'm in San Francisco right now and... and it's true." a second pause. "Camp Jupiter's completely surrounded. I wouldn't have been able to get through if I tried, so I haven't been able to reach either of the praetors. It's not the national guard and MCRD sanctions them to be there. There's nothing I can do besides, well, this." Maxine sighed, massaging her temple with her free hand. "Please tell me you can get in touch with those bloody Greeks, at least. There's─Malcolm isn't working alone. I know he's got divine aid, but I don't know who's working through him. And there's another─there was another god. I... I killed it. Him."

──── Ｎｉｃｈｏｌａｓ Ｓｔｏｒｍ
【✦】| Horseman of the Apocalypse | 56 | Male | ➡ Mount Marcy | Tags: Khione
❝𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚝 𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑❞

"Hey so uh, before you go." Nicholas paused at the door, using the frame to catch himself. "Why did you tell me all this? It kinda... gives me everything I'd need to stop you. Or get someone else to do it, you know?" She made a fair point, but he waved it aside. "Look, I just told you all that for foreshadowing purposes. No other reason. Besides, are you? Because you won't." Kayle faltered. Nicholas formed finger guns. "Gotcha there." He ruffled her wild hair. "Stay safe for me, kiddo. It'll be over before you know it. Maybe I'll take you out for drinks again, who knows." He offered her a two-fingered wave and vanished. Within the inky depths of the shadows, Nicholas checked his watch. Bringing her home early was wise. Who knew how long he'd have been gone for if he'd returned on Kayle's terms.

Back at Mount Marcy, the horseman prepared himself for a proper entrance, treat in hand for his steed as a reward for his patience. His senses, however, had other plans. Who is that? The murmurs of the spirits now wandering the frozen corridors caught his attention. Caleb, can you see me? A name? That was new. Curiosity piqued, Nicholas diverged his course. Eavesdropping certainly wasn't the most respectable thing to do, but what could he say? Nick was a sucker for some good gossip. He only caught the very end of the exchange, but it was enough to see the ceasing of an Iris message. So Vivienne isn't the only demigod you've taken under your wing. He sensed something of note with the demigod in question, but what specifically evaded him. Nicholas hovered in silence until the summoned venti fled from Khione's presence, finally stepping into the light himself. "I take it you'll be following with the venti to Camp Half-Blood?" he inquired, leaning against the icy wall. "You aren't making any promises to demigods you're expecting me to keep, are you?" He quirked a brow, his tone curious rather than confrontational. "Because I still haven't gotten a straight answer from you about my role in all this."

[norvina!]

𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐚 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬☀️
(seventeen;female;posideon)
(cabin 3)(tags;hu;juliet;sa'd)

listening silently as the two talked, she processed the information around her. deciding it was a waste of time to understand it all now, she stood rather awkwardly "ok ok, we should focus on how to get the big scary monster-thingy out of the camp." she spoke, looking at the three. "so it doesn't cause any sudden mass destruction." she finished, realizing she hadn't introduced herself to sa'd "I'm caspia by the way, sorry I am a bit disoriented, first time around a whole bunch of magical other-wordly things." she awkwardly chuckled, running a hand through her hair. "big question, where did you even find this monster-gryphon?" wondering if there was a quick way to transport mythical beasts anywhere.

ᴅᴇʟɪʟᴀʜ + ᴅᴀʜʟɪᴀ ᴡᴇꜱᴛ
(seventeen;females;hypnos;nemesis)
(quest group;grassy area)(tags;quest people;cass)

dahlia figured she could pair up with aphy, a pegasi she usually rode. looking back at mirabelle as she swung her bag over her shoulder she waited for the girl to finish talking with chiron, "exciting adventure awaits, right?" she asked the girl, walking over. letting out a dry chuckle, she shook her head "I'm actually terrified if I'm going to be honest." speaking honestly for a second, her face fell as she thought more. her heart ached and a sense of impending doom loomed over her weighing her down greatly "I mean, the last goodbye I got with my sister was an argument." she continued, feeling rather pitiful. dahlia knew she had to go on this quest, something drew her towards it was unexplainable. "I'm glad I've got you with me atleast, a bit reassuring in an odd sense." she shrugged.

delilah continued to wipe away the heavy tears, crying was something she really wasn't too accustomed to and she found it incredibly hard to stop. her pale hands shook as she gave up in wiping up her wettened face, feeling a mess she was shaken out of her depressive thoughts as a familiar voice called out to her. lifting her head she spotted cassandra running towards her, it was useless for the girl to try and cover up her tears. feeling even more distraught as the girl asked what was wrong, "t-the quest, dahlia- dahlia is leaving me." she sobbed, feeling worse as she tried to explain. she felt completely exhausted, wishing this was all a dream. "we're supposed to stay t-together and she's just running o-off." the overwhelming sense of uselessness felt like it was consuming her, building up a strong dislike for herself, another feeling she wasn't familiar with. "I can't even do anything, I'm useless." she muttered out, feeling pathetic.

[indigo']

[✩] Augusta Reynolds|17|she/her|Hades|Head counsellor|Cabin 1|tags:Orin, Lucy

Her brow creased in concern as Lucy broke down into sobs. It wasn’t quite the reaction she’d expected the daughter of Apollo to have towards the video, but clearly something was very wrong.

She shifted uncomfortably, her hand finding the guitar pick that was strung on a chain around her neck, fiddling with it nervously. She was probably a bit of a hypocrite for feeling an aversion to the sight of someone crying when her face was still inevitably a mess, but she couldn’t help it. She’d never been good at dealing with emotions, her own or other peoples. There’d never been anyone to comfort her growing up, so she’d learned to push things down, and in the process had never really learned how to deal with other people when they broke down.

Luckily, Orin seemed to know what he was doing, speaking to the girl softly and offering his hand. The thought briefly crossed her mind that she should leave. She didn’t have anything helpful to offer, they’d all be better off if she dipped out and let Orin deal with the crying girl, rather than sticking around and making things worse with her sharp tongue. Between the blood on her hoodie and the makeup smeared across her face, she had a plethora of excuses.

But when he spoke, the son of Zeus had implied she would go with them. She had a reputation as being cold, cruel and careless, but she wasn’t entirely heartless, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to come across that way. If she left now, she’d look like a jerk. Not to mention the growing curiosity of what Lucy was worried about. Every time it felt like the worst thing possible had happened, the universe kept proving her wrong. With slight reluctance, she followed along with them to cabin one, her expression a mixture of concern and confusion.

She hadn’t been inside the Zeus cabin before. Typically avoiding the other campers, she didn’t really venture into any cabins other than her own. She hovered by the door awkwardly, eventually leaning her back against the wall. It was a small sense of security to have something behind her, as well as a sort of crutch to take some of the weight from her exhausted limbs and spinning head.

Then Lucy was sobbing out an explanation. She frowned, trying to make sense of the words through the girls hiccuping gasps. The politician’s speech had been worrying enough already, but it rattled her to see exactly what he’d done so immediately. For a moment, the thought occurred to her that she was lucky not to have anyone outside of camp she needed to worry about.

“But they don’t know you’re a demigod,” she cut in finally. She couldn’t offer anything in the way of comfort, but she could at least state facts. “There’s no likely way that they’d find that out, is there?” The suggestion of mob mentality and killing, sent a shiver down her spine. “Nothing like that has happened yet. And even if they did suspect something...they can’t have proof, right?” Her words were steady, but the guitar pick was still between her fingers, dragging it back and forth along the chain anxiously, the small movement the only indication of how nervous she really was.

[sammy,]

╔xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx╗
𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚗 '𝚕𝚘𝚏𝚝𝚢' 𝚐𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗
cabin 1
zeus - counselor
mentioned: lucy,
auggie
╚xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx╝

they entered the cabin and lucy began to talk, explaining the issue in detail. as she spoke, orin went about pulling his box of ambrosia from his bottom drawer, setting it next to a little blister of tablets and another, ever-so-slightly larger tin adorned with etchings and marks.
he took two of the cubes, the taste unsettling but warming nevertheless, then popped one of the tablets and washed it down with a water bottle he kept close to the bed. by the time he was finished, lucy was done speaking, and he put the blister away, leaving the box of ambrosia out with a curt nod between auggie and the celestial medicine, silently urging her to take some of it.

"you're alright," he started. "i can’t promise you everything, but if your ma's a politician, then she's getting briefed on all the things that are gonna happen now." while his voice came to him, he opened the larger tin, out coming rolling papers, filters, and little bags of herbs. "she can get an injunction, for starts. a media injunction. it'll stop any of the news getting a hold of the story. and even if they do, you're a child. there's a moral issue there, even for tabloids. even for her opponents." he began rolling the dried lavender and passionflower into the paper, the movements practised and deft. "she'll have strategists working on this. and it's a good thing. because you've got someone on the inside. we've got someone on our side, right? and that's never a bad thing. he's winning right now because there's no-one with a platform who's willing or able to argue the truth from a position of true power." after sealing the roll with a dab of saliva, he mentally noted that auggie still had his lighter - and not looking to draw attention to the event of burning of the photograph, he set it down on top of the tin and turned his full attention to lucy. "she's in a much better position than you can imagine right now, i think."

he leaned to squeeze lucy's shoulder. "we'll sort it, right? it'll be okay. contact your mam, see if she's got anything that she can use to fight this. if she has, that's brilliant. if she hasn't, then we'll find something. we're not gonna let her get mobbed. none of us."

-

╔xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx╗
𝚝𝚎𝚒𝚕𝚘 𝚐𝚛𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚜
dining hall -
the lake
thanatos
mentioned: meeting
group, open
╚xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx╝

once designated the driver - though such a responsibility was a bit anxiety inducing - and told to pair up with a pegasus.
teilo had encountered only one in his tenure at camp, though was no stranger to riding. the flying bit, however, was a different story. that would certainly be an interesting encounter.

taking a van from one of the campers' family members was a little more daunting than the thought of just nabbing one off of the street, if he was being honest - sure, there were less repercussions, but with the weather and the threats that undoubtedly awaited them, he didn't imagine they'd be bringing it back in top-notch condition. he could only hope that laurel's aunt was the forgiving type. or that she wouldn't notice the odd window chip or door hanging off its hinges.

when they were excused to prepare, teilo picked up his bags and didn't waste much time waiting around. he had finished his physical preparations, but there were other things to get on with. namely, he thought, figuring out just how he was going to manage after such a long time in the 'safe' bubble. there were ghosts in the camp, but they felt different to the ones outside. these ones seemed far more content with being dead. they seemed to understand what had happened to them. the same did not go for the ordinary specter.

"i'll be there in a minute," he said to mirabelle, giving a little nod to chiron and dionysus before he exited. his feet found themselves beelining for the frozen lake, noting that the last time he had been there was the last time that things had felt 'normal' in any sense. before the threat was palpable and in front of them rather than simply a bit of adverse weather.

when he got to the edge, he sat on the grass, looking out at the glimmering sheet of ice with a tense expression. it would be fine. it would have to be fine. there was nothing else that it could be. it would either be fine or he would die, and both of them were alright by him. though he didn't expect death, there wasn't much holding him from it. he hadn't made many connections at camp - had never seen the point - and so imagined that their grieving would be brief and small in the case that he did. maybe that was why he never did. preparing for this. for the 'lots to come' that was promised.
he thumbed the fob watch in his pocket, tracing the engravings, and welcomed the last feeling of peace he anticipated to feel for a rather long time to come.

[WitchHazel]

|♡|Mirabelle Everhart|17|She/Her|Aphrodite|Head Counselor|Location: Dining Pavilion --> Walking to Stables|Tags: Dahlia|

Mirabelle nodded in acknowledgement of Teilo's comment, shifting her duffle to her left shoulder. Gods, there were so many people she still wanted to say goodbye to... was there enough time before they were supposed to meet? She didn't think so. Maybe I can just iris-message them later, she hoped. She knew it wouldn't be the same, but it was better than leaving a letter. Albeit more awkward. If I survive that long.
Dahlia's approach brought her out of her thoughts. "Yeah," Mirabelle tentatively agreed. "Adventure indeed." She offered the other girl a nervous smile as she started to walk out of the dining pavilion, checking back to make sure Dahlia was following. Heading for the stables was a good idea, she supposed - she had already packed all of her belongings, and she knew it would take Firefly at least a little bit to warm up to anyone new. She wasn't necessarily certain that the mare would be at ease with so many people around, though the presence of the other equines should hopefully help to calm the timid pegasus.
As they walked out of the dining pavilion, she suppressed a shiver despite her warm coat. If it was chilly here, she dreaded to think what the temperature was like on Mount Marcy. Her body had never been well-equipped for the cold - not like Juliet or some of her other friends. The last time she'd got caught in a blizzard, she and Juliet had been walking back from the skating rink near Juliet's parents' apartment in Brooklyn. Mirabelle had woken up the next morning with a mild case of the flu. She wasn't entirely sure the two were connected; one couldn't exactly catch something from just being out and about in a snowstorm. Still, she knew the cold had lowered her immune system... gods, she hoped she'd be able to stay healthy for the duration of the quest. That, and she absolutely despised the notion of being helpless in any way - the thought of others needing to take care of her filled her with guilt.
Dahlia was talking again, she realised; a welcome distraction from her thoughts. More guilt threatened to devour her at the mention of Delilah's name. Mes dieux, that's all my fault. She bit down on the inside of her cheek, avoiding the other girl's gaze.
"I'm glad you're coming along," Mirabelle managed with a weak smile. A brief silence passed before she spoke again. "You're doing the right thing, you know. As much as you wish you could stay behind and comfort her, you know that heading out on this quest is the best way to protect her. Even though leaving her is tearing you apart inside... you know that staying would do the same." It was almost as if Mirabelle was talking about herself. Taking a short breath, her blue-grey eyes flickered over to meet Dahlia's. "She might be hurting right now, but Delilah knows how much you love her. A little argument isn't going to change the way she feels about you."
They were making quick time, passing near the cabins area and drawing close to the arena. Mirabelle could see the stables looming past the armoury and the forge. Maybe I should check the forge for Will, she reckoned. He was on her list of farewells she hadn't yet made, and it was technically on the way to the stables. Well, with Will, it would be more of a hello-goodbye as she hadn't yet had the chance to welcome him back to camp yet. She kept that in mind as her thoughts turned back to Dahlia. Guilt warred inside of her at the notion of the argument between the two sisters. It had been her fault, after all. She was the one who had let slip to Delilah of Dahlia's intention to join the quest party. Dahlia is so going to murder me. But she knew what she needed to do. She took a breath to steel herself, slowing her pace slightly.
"Dahlia, I - I think you should know something," Mirabelle confessed. Her heart fluttered in her chest. "I told her you were coming on the quest. I - I didn't mean to, it just sort of... slipped out. I thought she already knew. I know that's no excuse for what I did, but... I need you to know that I'm sorry." The guilt and contrition in her voice was nearly enough to drown someone. She couldn't bring herself to meet Dahlia's eyes.


|⟡|Juliet Pratten|16|She/Her|Hermes|Location: Cabin 3|Tags: Hu, Caspia, Sa'd|

"Thoth. Huh. You Egyptians sure have weird names for your gods," Juliet snorted. "But I guess you probably think the same thing about us." Still smirking, she, uncrossing her arms only to fold them again in a slightly different position. "He sounds like a hoot." The sarcasm in her voice was impossible to miss. She listened to Sa'd speak, her expression remaining mildly humoured. "Pff. Too bad, so sad. Haha. Sad. Sa'd. Nice." A light chuckle floated on the air. "Anyway, sad guy, trust is overrated. But if building it is your goal here, might not wanna let dangerous monsters into camp. That's my free advice." She unfolded her arms to examine her fingernails, flicking a tiny clump of dirt out from under them. "Any more advice'll cost ya."

Juliet looked to the new girl - Caspia, she'd said her name was - when she spoke up. The only reason Juliet even remembered that was because it had been said twice. Still, she thought the girl bore a resemblance to Merida from Brave - a movie she had seen in theatres as a kid with a few friends from school. The name also reminded her of Prince Caspian from the Narnia movies. Lots of nickname potential with this one. Nonetheless, she nodded in accordance with Caspia's words. "Yeah, do you Egyptians have like a weird way of transporting monsters or something, or did you just give it permission to waltz on through the border?"


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

"Like, thanks, man!" Chuck bleated, breaking into a grin. "You have like, no idea how relieving it is to hear that, you know?" He watched as Yuno jotted something down, absently chewing on his sleeve. Always organised, that one. They reminded him of Mira in that sense - though Mira tended to have a mental checklist rather than a physical one. He absently wondered if Mira's mental checklist was colour-coded and had little sticky notes all over it.
"Uh, so like, where do we even start?" Chuck shuffled his hooves in the snow. "We can totally like, get the other satyrs to help and stuff, most of them are like, trying to anyways, I think." He'd seen a few fellow satyrs out in the woods, mostly consoling dryads and attempting to offer help, though they had seemed a bit confused as to how exactly to do so.

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

Zahra followed the young magician to the stately building, again silently admiring the soaring Greek columns. The sound of many voices rang out as she crested the hill. It seemed the demigods were in some kind of meeting - most likely concerning the troubles they were dealing with, she reckoned. Amidst the crowd, she could sense Set's chaotic energy somewhere close by. "I thank you for your aid, Jay," Zahra whispered, at loathe to interrupt the proceedings. "Now, if you could kindly point me in the direction of the Host, I would be most grateful."

|❄|Vivienne Isole|18|She/Her|Khione|Location: Mount Marcy Caverns|Tags: Nicholas|

Khione narrowed her eyes at Nicholas' approach, though not necessarily out of malice.
"My presence shall be felt there, yes," she confirmed. "Though perhaps not corporeally." It would be much more difficult to pin her down, let alone fight her, if she were simply another gust of wind in the storm. "Who said anything about keeping promises?" The goddess intoned as Nicholas fired his next question. When he mentioned his particular role, she blinked slowly at him. "You are a persistent one, Dr. Storm. Credit where credit is due. Your role is to open the Doors of Death, and see that they stay open. Chain them. Let the enemies of the gods roam free to destroy them. If there is anything else you'd like to offer, I'm certain the Vessel would have words with you."
What she didn't tell him was that what she had just relayed was practically all she knew on the matter. Her assignment had been to keep the Greek demigods busy, and use her pawns to find a god willing to open the Doors. Internally, she was moderately surprised that the Vessel hadn't made an appearance to Nicholas yet. Perhaps They were biding Their time? Or awaiting when it was most convenient for Them? Or perhaps They had to find a new host - the humanoid They had taken had started to look less-than-human the last time she'd spoken with Them. It would make sense of Them to appear when all of the new players were present, she supposed. This... 'Malcolm Kingston' mortal, Eris; who he was apparently working for or with, and whatever was killing all of those mortals around North American cities. Her minions had brought her rumours of that creature, to say the least. Perhaps it was time for a grand meeting of sorts... yes. She could send Vivienne away to supervise the attack on Camp Half-Blood, and formulate such a meeting while the demigod was distracted. It could work... Khione had promised her aid in the battle, however - and if she wanted to keep Vivienne on a leash, she would have to deliver. Perhaps just whipping the winds into another brutal snowstorm would suffice. Yes, she could do that.
Silence had fallen momentarily as the goddess mused. When she seemed decided, she turned her attention back towards Nicholas, regarding the Horseman with an intense, icy stare. "You do have means of contacting the mortal Malcolm Kingston, correct?" she inquired. "I believe it would be wise to meet in person and discuss strategy. Whatever is killing all of those mortals, on the other hand... I can determine if some of my minions can get in touch with it. If it is not already directly working with the Vessel, it could prove a valuable asset." Her gaze sharpened, focusing in on the Death God's deep purple eyes. "The Vessel Themself would not be able to resist making an appearance at such a summit, I believe."

[FerretMonarch]

|Draco Eqquum-magno|19|Draft Centaur|He/him|Gay|The late Pan|Location: The campfire|Tags:Campfire group|

Draco being Draco got bored fairly quickly and walked over to the sparring arena and walked to the training arena to waste his time.

Niji "Ji-Ji" Sakura Budōnoki • 17 • (he/they) • Homosexual • Dionysus • Location: Dining pavilion Tags: Bay

"I'm fine." Niji commented.

He tried to get up only to grimace at the pain shooting down their leg and falling back onto the bed.

"See totally fine!" Niji said. "Besides I need to see if the Harpies need anything to keep warm. Are you hungry? Are the other Dyrads and Harpies hungry?" Niji asked their eyebrows knitting together.

Niji stopped rambling when they saw Bay holding out her laurel leaf.

"A-are you sure?" Niji asked tears welling up in his eyes.

"That's a huge thing to Dyrads, obviously you know that, a-and I didn't do anything." Niji's hands shook as he struggled to keep in his tears.




Sa'd "Lucky Charm" Salam•17•trans male (ftm)•Bi••they/them•Host of Set•Location: The Dining pavilion •Tags:Open! Ash, those at Sa'd's prank, Zahra

Sa'd blushed at Juliet's mutilation of their name.
"Thank for the advice. The sphinx isn't dangerous and it was supposed to be her and Uraeus because they're docile too, but it obviously wasn't. As for the way we transported them Mr. Dionysus had to give us premission the first time to enter because of Set being bound to mex so I guess he gave us free passage in case of an emergency or something. I don't know it was Set's doing. I was asleep." Sa'd explained.

"Do you think the Apollo cabin could use the feathers? Our Gryphons' feathers are really light and are really, really sharp, so they'd probably be good for arrows.

[takara]

Jack "Reese" Dawson | 17 | Hades/Cabin 13 | Location: Dining pavilion/kitchens | tags: Emmie, dryad NPC

Reese laughed at the redhead's expression, caught somewhere between confusion and amusement. He walked in after her, taking a deep breath of the breakfast scented air. He grinned at Emmie's hungered expression. "I have been told cheesecake makes a breakfast fit for a queen!" He said, following her through the kitchens, still loaded from breakfast. This is stealing! The voice in his head shouted shrilly. Relax, if you cannot leave camp to get it, it's simply reallocation of resources. Any remaining inhibitions were wiped out by her smile. He shared it and reached out a hand to join hers on the the handle. "Always Bonnie." He said, voice full of mock-seriousness as he joined her in opening the freezer.

A sudden clattering of pans startled him. He pouted and changed his expression to something more remorseful, dipping his posture as if he had just been tasked with the weight of the world. He couldn't see them, but he could hear someone else's presence in the kitchens. He nodded to Emmie. Time to hope she remembers the plan, and stepped out of her space a little, then continued opening the freezer and set about searching it as if it owed him money.

Henry "Hank" Walker | 17 | He/him | Apollo/Cabin 7 Head Counselor | Location: Dining Pavilion--> Arts and Crafts | tags: Quest Meeting--> Apollo NPCs (including Dante, Mattie)

After her words earlier, Hank had expected Lucy to be hot on his heels for making shrouds. He frowned when she wasn't, but dutifully walked to the arts and crafts building anyway. It had been agreed that working on burial shrouds in the temporary infirmary would be rather morbid, so they'd made a change of plans. He scuttled through the snow to the building, ready to get to work. They had a lot to do, and not much time to do it.

"Ready to join us, Sunshine?" Hank sighed. Of course Dante has something to say. From the looks of it, he was hoping I'd gone off on that death mission. Hank just nodded and joined in. It was clear that Dante had organized it, with all five shrouds in various states of progress at once, so that campers had the chance to take shifts adding personal details. Hank made his way to Carmen and Mary's, their twin shrouds a haunting reminder of the letters that would be getting sent home. Hank shivered. At least that was Chiron's job.

He took a deep breath, and sat down to work on Brad's, trying for the life of him to remember which musical notes made which sound so he could embroider Brad's favorite, the light ditty he often sang, into the shroud. He stared at his hands, humming quitely to himself as he tried to translate it. A sob broke his concentration, and he looked up to see a tearstaines face half hidden by a tangled mass of golden hair. Instantly, he was back in counselor mode. "Mattie?" He said softly, condensing the child into a tight hug as she sobbed. Her voice was muffled by his shirt, but he caught some words: song, Mary, prank, Brad. Between outbursts. "Shhh, it's okay Mattie. They'd understand." He said into her hair, his arms steady around her. The worst was here, and he would live through it.

[takara]

Ophelia Rogers | 16 | She/her | Aphrodite/Cabin 10 | Location: Cabin 10--> armoury| tags: Celeste, Aydan|

Ophelia didn't have the opportunity to respond to Celeste. Aydan collapsed into her, and for once in her life, she let him. He needs it more than your reputation she told herself, gingerly patting his back for a moment before he pulled away. "They won't" She said softly, but fiercely. Mira would never let them.

There was no way he was okay just like that, not at all. But Ophelia knew better than to press him about it. She rolled her eyes at his flattery. "You think a little butter's gonna make me go easy?" She asked, pulling away to check on Celeste. The women looked ready enough, though the case might be an issue. He eyes roved over it, trying to picture where might be a good home for it. After the Big House collapse, nothing came to mind easily. "We'll hit up the armoury first, then we can go on the rest of the grand tour," She said, exaggerating the grand part after Aydan's compliment.

She pushed the door open, leaning her back into it as the frigid air hit her. She tensed up, even though she'd expected it, and took in a few deep breaths, letting the cold settle in her. She squared up, offering a tight lipped smile.

Agatha "Aggy" Clemson | 15 | She/her | Unknown (Ares)/Cabin 11| Location: Dining Pavilion--> Cabin 11---> stables| tags: open!| mentions: Mira

Aggy scowled at the mention of horses. She had never ridden before, and she was perfectly happy keeping it that way. But this felt like a test, so she threw herself into it, dully nodding along as the plan got worse and worse. Great, flying horses,what a joy!

She tried not to let the... disgust, definitely disgust! Cross her face at the mention of feeding the creatures. It did not sound like a plan to Aggy, but she followed the crush of people out of the building anyway, rushing to her cabin as she was eager to get back in time for a quick lesson before she had an audience.

She plowed through the snowdrifts, Flora's scabbard thumping against her side. She really had no time to lose. She skidded to a stop outside the cabin, and stumbled up the stairs, not one to be stopped by an untied shoelace. She rushed inside and made a beeline for her bed, hauling out a massive hiking backpack that her mother had thought she would make use of. She dug through her bags to stuff a change of clothes, an empty waterbottle, and as many snacks as would fit inside.

She paused to look over her bed one last time. She hadn't had time to make this place feel like home, but she would miss her marked territory. She paused to pull the paper money she'd stashed in the lining of a suitcase into her bag, then zipped it up and threw the bundle on her back.

She frowned as she stood on the small porch outside the cabin. Where was the stables again? She scrunched up her nose in concentration, throwing her head this way and that to orient herself. "Dang snow," She grumbled, but brightened a little when something caught her eye. A landmark, perhaps? I don't remember a giant gryphon. She slipped off the porch to investigate, but decided against it when the bird-creature blinked a set of golden eyes. I'll leave it till I get back, She told herself, sprinting past the forge in what she hoped was the direction of the stables, her bag and sword both smacking her as she moved.