Camp Half-Blood: Into the Storm - Closed!

[sammy,]

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

the comment about putting up with him was fitting. he had no idea how, in a camp so filled with people, he had managed to spend so much time latched to auggie - but he wasn't against it. most of the time, he spent his summers drifting about, talking to anyone who would listen, getting on every last nerve. it was nice to have a solid person, someone who wasn't just waiting about for him to leave so they could get on with whatever they were doing. "i'll be out of your hair soon," he said, certain that he would make it back to his own cabin.

the reintroduced warmth was welcome, a quieter, softer atmosphere making him feel far more relaxed than the catastrophe that was the inside of the apollo cabin. he sat down on a bed that appeared empty and began to take off his jacket to layer his hoodie underneath it.
it was warm though, so he delayed putting it on just yet, placing the two articles of clothing next to him. auggie began to speak, and he chuckled at the memory, leaning back against the wall. "me and minty used to go to tesco, nab a trolley, and i'd push it down a hill with him in it," his eyes shut. "he broke his wrist when he fell out once, but it was -" the words trailed a little. "it was... it was fun."

he was going to stay awake. he had to go back to his cabin. he couldn't just fall asleep in cabin thirteen. it wouldn't have been right. dionysus would've popped an ichor-filled artery if he had, but the thoughts that told him this were getting much quieter, and the cajoling drowsiness was getting louder. "while he was in the cast, he'd push me," the words barely processed before he said them, not noticing as he sunk to the side, starting to drift off in what was record time for him. he put it to exhaustion rather than any comforting presence, but orin couldn't deny that the latter could, potentially, in some way, shape or form, could have been a factor. there was no time to think about that. he was tired. that was what mattered.

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐦 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧 ！！ x─────ix ♙
x──────i ii eris proxy. iii thirty-seven. iiii tags: nicholas, khione.
ivi mt marcy.

malcolm nodded at khione, and at nicholas, who appeared to have gathered far more about what his duties were to be than he had, the person with the damned duties in the first place. that made things much easier - on the backburner, there were plans for a chat with the secretary of state for defence. getting the american military on side wouldn't be too difficult with the power of the entire british government now vested in his efforts - and, on the flip side, there was the fact that there would be dissenting voices, whispers that tried to shut him down. it would require a lot of effort, and a lot of champagne, but he could manage it. at the thought, his skin felt like it was singing.

the ice walls fell. "well. this has been just lovely," malcolm said to khione, giving her a sharky smile. "it's christmas. i'm very much looking forward to how this goes. if you need anything, which i doubt you will - looks like you're running a tight ship here - but, just in case..." he fished in the inside pocket of his blazer, searching for a card that was not present. it was in his other jacket. typical. "i'm sure you'll find a way to contact me." a little backtrack, but it fluffed the pillow anyway. "until next time,"
his gaze shifted to nicholas. "i don't suppose we get a complementary trip back? i don't know if uber reaches up here. but, you know. i could pull some strings, if needs must."

[norvina!]

ᴅᴇʟɪʟᴀʜ + ᴅᴀʜʟɪᴀ ᴡᴇꜱᴛ
(seventeen;females;hypnos;nemesis)
(the quest group)(tags;jamie;mira)

"I think we all just need to storm mount olympus and tell the gods we're taking a vacation." dahlia nodded, wishing to get a few words with all of them. "yeah, she probably hates me about now." she sighed, frowning. "I held off telling her and it all blew up in my face." she ran a hand through her blonde hair, the pain in her heart still weighing her down. "it was just hard because we've never been apart y'know, it's something that would happen eventually." rubbing her face, she let out a groan. "what do you mean we'll need them? I've got enough muscles for all of us." she joked, giving him a small grin.

delilah held onto her words, almost as if they were lifting her up. everything seemed to go in slow motion before she even knew it mira was kissing her, it felt blissful and warm. a familiar twinge shot through her back as her white feathery wings sprouted, she felt blissful. her mind was blank as she pulled away, her face burning against the cold as she stood dazed. shaking herself out of it, she felt more embarrassed as she ripped the back of her jacket "oh- yeah! yeah, that- you should go do that yeah." she stumbled over her words, mentally cursing herself for being such an idiot. "be safe okay?" she pleaded, looking mira in the eyes before wrapping her in one last hug.

[WitchHazel]

|♡|Mirabelle Everhart|17|She/Her|Aphrodite|Head Counselor|Location: Outside Stables|Tags: Delilah --> Dahlia, Jamie, Karter --> Open|

"I'll try my best," Mirabelle assured her. "I have someone to come back to, after all." Her grey-blue eyes sparkled as she was drawn into one final hug. She reveled in the warmth of the embrace, holding on perhaps a bit tighter than she should've. Her fingers caressed the soft feathers of Delilah's pristine wings, beautiful against the falling snow. "You be safe now too, okay?" she whispered. "Take care, ma chérie. Love you." With a final squeeze, she reluctantly pulled back. I'll come back to her. I must. Though at loathe to do so, she turned and gathered Firefly's reigns in a hand, slipping her bags back over her shoulders. She didn't mount the pegasus yet, but led her alongside while she walked towards the stable building again. She cast one last glance over her shoulder, waving to Delilah with her free hand as she stepped inside.
Dahlia, Jamie, and Karter were still inside, she noted. "Pardon the interruption, but we're running out of time. If you have any more goodbyes to make, make them now." A soft-voiced piece of advice to the small group. "It's started to snow. We should probably leave before the weather gets worse."
With that taken care of, she set back outside to find Aiden. She still had that one promise to keep before they left - she would accompany him in his farewells. Now... where is he? Last she had seen the younger counselor, he was marching Leo off towards the woods. The last thing she wanted to do was interrupt whatever was going on there. Perhaps it was best to wait for a bit, she reckoned. As undesirable an idea as waiting in the cold was, she didn't have a better plan. In an effort to keep herself warm as well as look busy, she checked to make sure Firefly's tack was on well enough. It was always worth checking with Firefly in particular; she had a tendency to bloat herself when having a saddle put on. Just as Mirabelle had thought; the saddle was a bit loose. She carefully tightened the girth, though her mind was elsewhere.
She loves me. She loves me, and we kissed. And it was amazing.
There was a glow about her now; a golden joy shining in her eyes that hadn't been there before. Her heart felt lighter than it had in years. The smile on her face was almost effortless, her energy reinvigorated
She barely even noticed the fact that her wine-coloured lipstick was slightly smudged.

[indigo']

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

Auggie gave a small, amused huff at the promise that he’d be out of her hair soon. “Right,” she muttered, the disbelief evident in her tone. If the last couple days had been any indication, it didn’t seem likely. She didn’t mind though, which was a little concerning considering she didn’t usually like being around people, especially not the same person for such a long period of time. But she didn’t feel the usual sense of driving nerves and annoyance with Orin, being around him was different for some reason. It was ironic that that sense of comfort was what scared her most, the same way that it had when they’d been sitting at Zeus’ fist, like a tiny voice in the back of her head was screaming at her to run as far away as possible and not look back. She could tune that voice out for now. Not forever, but she was too tired to overthink anything at the moment.

She smiled at the story he told, head back against the wall with her eyes closed, but she was still listening. The memory bringing back a feeling of nostalgia in the way that he spoke, reminding her of her own reckless adventures growing up—the ones that had been a different, less terrifying kind of life-threatening. “Broke my wrist falling off that skateboard too actually,” she recalled with a slight smile. “I was...I was really bad. My friend Stella tried to teach me but I refused to wear any sort of padding because if she could do it then so could I.” The memory brought an ache to her chest, a feeling that somehow hurt more than the sharpness of her cracked rib, which seemed to be fading more to a dull jab as the nectar did it’s work.

She’d been aware of his voice becoming softer, the evident drowsiness as his words came out slowly. She didn’t think anything of it until they trailed off completely, opening her eyes just in time to see him slump to the side. She sat up with a jolt, immediately more awake as a sense of panic flooded her chest. “Orin—“ She was on her feet before she could think better of it, head swaying at the sudden movement. It only took a second before her rational brain kicked in, the realization that he’d simply fallen asleep, probably knocked out from the painkiller he’d been given.

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head even though he couldn’t see her, and she was glad that he couldn’t because she wouldn’t have been able to explain the little smile that spread across her face. “‘Just for a minute’, ‘be out of your hair soon’,” she muttered sarcastically, crossing the cabin to a drawer where some spare blankets were kept. “Yeah, right.” She draped the blanket over him gently, gaze lingering on his sleeping form for a moment before she turned back to her bunk and flopped down on the surface. It didn’t take long for her eyes to drift shut again, sinking into a dreamless sleep that was long overdue.

[✿]Jamie Wallace|16|he/him|Iris|Stables|tags:quest group, Dahlia

Jamie smiled when she joined in on his little delusion of a vacation. “Yes, perfect,” he agreed. “They can deal with their own problems for a week or two.” As soon as the words came out of his mouth a look of regret and slight paranoia crossed his face, as if he were worried the gods might smite him down right there for saying something against them. He said a silent apology to his mother, hoping that they wouldn’t take him seriously.

He frowned as she continued, his nervous rambling falling silent for a moment as he nodded along. “She doesn’t hate you,” he said, though he didn’t know either of them very well, there was certainty in his voice. “This stuff is...it’s hard to deal with, right? Even if she’s mad now, I’m sure she’ll get over it eventually. She’s your sister.” Being an only child, he had no idea what he was talking about, but he offered her what he hoped was a comforting smile anyways.

The joke brought back his light expression, letting out a small laugh. “Right, what was I thinking? What are so many people even coming on this quest for?” He shook his head dramatically, continuing on with the jest. “All we need is you, me, and my paintbrush that’s apparently great for stabbing storm spirits, but I wouldn’t know.” He shrugged, raising his eyebrows and making a face.

The moment of humour was abruptly caught off when Mira re-entered the stables, informing them to make any final goodbyes before they were out of time. He felt his heart sink into his stomach, the dread he’d been pushing down all morning finally catching up to him. It’s snowing again? That couldn’t be a good sign, but it’s not like anything happening could possibly get much worse. He hoped it couldn’t.

[➳]Caleb Thomas|18|he/him|Athena|Dining Pavilion|Tags:Chuck

Caleb’s eyebrows shot up as Chuck turned and immediately slipped in the snow. He stepped forward, prepared to help the satyr, but he managed to get himself sorted he could even offer. He cringed, imagining the move had been quite painful, but didn’t say anything as the other moved on with the conversation, clearly wanting to act as if nothing had happened.

He smiled at the question, unable to mask his amusement at the satyr’s total obliviousness. It was refreshing, in a camp full of people who were constantly being cynical and untrusting, to find someone so willing to accept anything he said. “Ah, no...sorry,” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “But I think some of my cabinmates might have some cans of Sprite stashed under their bunks, I could always raid that for you later,” he offered with a sly grin.

He nodded as the satyr continued, grin quickly fading in a look of concern. “Are they okay? The dryads?” He glanced up at the sky absently, watching the snow drifting down before returning his gaze to Chuck.

[sammy,]

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

"she sounds nice," half-whispered. the story, or perhaps just the voice telling it, was more than enough to send him away, visions of childhood flashing through his head. innocent childhood, the period between shorting out the lights at his school nativity and his mother telling him in a fit of barely-contained hysteria that his father was not going to come and visit, that he was up in the sky.
at the time, orin had thought that that meant his dad was dead. he wasn't sure what the better option would have been - being unable to meet the man, or simply being ignored by him.

his shoes slipped off, a movement of his body that was entirely autopilot, an act of solidifying the slumber that he was about to descend into. the blurt of his name roused him a little, dragging him into the space between sleep and wakefulness that wasn't entirely lucid - but when the anxious energy calmed, punctuated by a little sigh, a few mutters, and the blessed feeling of a blanket settled over him, he curled, caved entirely into the feeling, comfortable and warm and blissfully ignorant to whatever the world was planning to throw at them next. they'd power through it. they'd powered through everything else, the two of them.
something about the fact that he considered her a solid adjacent to his own being, that he paired himself with auggie almost automatically -

sleep took him before he could think further on the matter. dreams that were sparse and mostly memories in technicolour: images of campfires in the spring; of jumping into deceptively cold lakes that and scream-laughing through the shock; of a river that boasted pitch-black water, like ink; of shared bottles of suspiciously-mixed beverages; of happiness, untainted. though she hadn't been in any of the source of the joyful scenes, auggie was in the background of most - a flash of purple, laughing along at a joke he hadn't told yet, but that she knew the punchline of anyway.
felix would have been happy to see it, them finally succumbing to basic human need, but it felt a bit more than that. it wasn't just necessary, it was treasured. a nice bit of utter calm in the midst of chaos that pushed them to their limits. it was going to be difficult for a long time, but one day it wouldn't be. one day it would just be this. he hoped so, anyway.

[Kveykva]

──── Ａｉｄｅｎ Ｓｅａｖｅｒ
[✦] | Athena Head Counselor | 15 | Male | Zeus' Fist ➡ Cabin 7 | Tags: Leo, Felix
❝𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝚒𝚝 𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚜❞

He was deaf. Aiden spoke but no one listened. Leo sat silent for the child of Athena's vent, taking his pummelings stoically as a training dummy. Yet when his mouth opened, the lack of recognition was apparent. "You don't get it. You can't get it." He was deflecting, and Aiden was forced to accept that nothing he had to say would have any impact on Leo. Ares kids didn't tend to respond very well to words; they were spurred by actions. "We'll need more than a little good fortune to save the world, Leo." Aiden wanted to say more, but there was nothing else to say. "you probably need it more than we do." He let him go. There was nothing to be done. Aiden couldn't change him, he knew that already. But he still hoped that his words could be meaningful. "I'll catch you later," a final attempt at a goodbye, Aiden fleeing the scene. He retrieved his daggers, one from the snow and the second just barely in reach. With the weapons back in their sheaths and the shield returned to his shoulder, he trudged back towards the main camp.

It was getting colder. A few snowflakes began drifting lazily from the sky, and they served as a harsh reminder that Aiden had more things that demanded his attention. Felix. Cabin 7. Orin and August were probably there with him, so he could also see how they were feeling. He'd leave out his talk with Leonidas for now; he didn't want another lecture, especially considering the irony a bedridden Orin entailed. The Apollo cabin was far more crowded than he would've liked, though it was understandable given the circumstances. "Felix!" He called the name once, unable to spot the former camper immediately from the door. Aiden received a mix of stern looks and glances around in search of the one he called for, but when it became apparent he wouldn't find him at that moment, he stepped inside and closed the door, preserving the heat within the stuffy cabin. With cautious steps and vigilant eyes, Aiden delved deeper into the makeshift infirmary, scanning faces and bodies until he caught sight of the child of Apollo. "Sorry that took so long," he breathed, doing one last look around for potentially prying ears. "You said you took the Grey Sisters' taxi here, right? I need to talk to you about that."

──── Ｌｕｃｙ Ｂｌｉｔｚｅｎ
【✦】| Apollo | 16 | Female | ➡ Zeus' Fist | Tags: Leo
❝𝚒 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚗 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚛❞

Things were far from quiet. The forest, while peaceful, never had a dull moment. Dante insisted that she follow him to the Apollo cabin for a multitude of reasons, including cleaning herself up, resting after her breakdown, and helping tend to the injured campers, but she refused. Lucy wasn't ready. I'm still fuming. She would never dare say it aloud, but with a reasonable excuse and some puppy eyes, Dante cut his losses. "Fine, just be careful, alright? The forest is dangerous you know." Lucy fixed him with a stern look, and Dante considered that perhaps that was the wrong choice of words. He raised his hands in defeat. "Right. See you at lunch then," he stepped back slowly, leaving her to... whatever it was she enjoyed doing so much in the forest. Gods, at least knock some sense into her so she'll come back to the cabin. We could use all the help we can get.

Lucy sat by the edge of the stream, listening to it trickle weakly beneath the thin sheet of ice. The wind in the trees was calming, and it carried the whispers of the friends she'd planted during her first year at Camp Half-Blood. Orin and Auggie had left some time ago, and their conversation had been out of earshot. Bummer. She didn't know what secret Orin was hiding, and the fact that he laughed in her face over it made her blood boil. Maybe it wasn't anything big or worth her time. She could accept that, but that didn't change the fact she needed something as leverage. Even something false. In the back of her mind, Lucy heard something. Someone was crying, or suppressing it. Breaths in and out, but no words. Lucy knew it was coming from Zeus' Fist, but by the time she decided to investigate, the scene closed. Whoever it was, their secret lived another day. Oh well. After a while, the daughter of Apollo began the trek back to camp, rubbing her red nose as snowflakes began to fall. And here I thought the stupid weather was starting to let up. They'd had a break most of the morning, but it seemed wishing for a miracle was a little far-fetched. As she walked, fledgling oak near Zeus' caught another conversation, this time with words more clear. Lucy found a smile. He's learning, slowly. She recognized the voice of Aiden and a boy from the Ares cabin, Leo. Lucy wasn't particularly close with Leo, but she did recall he always seemed to have a bone to pick with someone. Namely, Orin, who was topical to her growing grudge. She slowed her pace, fur-lined boots creeping through the snow. Aiden was saying something about leaving on the quest, but the exact words were fuzzy through the empathetic link.

"We'll need more than a little good fortune to save the world, Leo."

For some reason, it sank harder than it should have. Lucy paused to consider the quest and those participating. Dahlia (ew), Mirabelle (double ew), Ash (sweet and chill), Karter (???), Jamie (precious), Aiden (double precious), Laurel (meh), Skylar (she was okay), and someone named Aggy, unclaimed as far as she knew. Also that kid from the meeting, who she also guessed to be a new camper. Besides Aiden and Jamie, she couldn't care less if anyone else made it back. In fact, her life would be far easier if Mira keeled over as far from New York as possible. Drown in those memories at Mount Marcy, why don't you? She added bitterly. Mirabelle had been a nuisance ever since taking the counselor position, and it caused no shortage of annoyance for Lucy. Aiden had gone, but Leo remained. This could be a stellar opportunity. Lucy clicked her tongue to mimic the sound of a stick breaking, but she gave no indication she'd overheard anything. "Hello...?" her approach was a timid one.

──── Ｎｉｃｈｏｌａｓ Ｓｔｏｒｍ
[✦] | Horseman of the Apocalypse | 56 | Male | ➡ Mount Marcy throne room | Tags: Malcolm, Hicks, Khione
❝𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚝 𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑❞

His residual anger, it seemed, left the other parties unperturbed. An embarrassing show nonetheless. Nicholas felt the tips of his ears burning, and an attempt to dim the room was successfully made. They at least were content with his analysis of each of their roles, which made him feel strangely in charge. He suppressed a chuckle at Khione's distaste for Tartarus; he almost wanted to drag her there with him to see her burn. Immediately, he realized the thought and brushed it from his mind. I'm a bit too hyped for this, he cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'll do that. Pop into Tartarus with a few carrots for the horses, but now I've got to decide where Vessel wants these blasted doors." he grumbled a slew of expletives before vanishing from sight, at the exact moment Malcolm opened his mouth. His voice, disembodied, responded. "You're lucky I can still hear you." A hand formed and beckoned to them. The shadow travel sensation was far more free-falling than before, yet the two returned to the hotel unscathed. The death deity did not make the trip with them.

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

Will nodded calmly, shutting the weapon case and tucking it to the side. His own pyrokinesis hastened the forge's rise to temperature, and before long the Hephaestus camper's second home was alive and warm, the snow nearby burning away from the heat of the flames. Stray embers littered Wilhelm's arms, but he brushed them away without much thought. "What d'you think we oughta make them out of?" He inquired, rummaging through a few containers of metal bits, springs, and scraps for decorative inspiration. Full fledge ingots were hidden away when not in use, but Will directed Kade to where they were stored so he may browse the selection. "Pick yer poison."

[indigo']

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

It overtook her quickly, the overwhelming sense of fatigue that she couldn’t—didn’t want to—fight. Sleep wasn’t something that usually came to her easily, not since she’d come to camp, and not often before that either. She was always too on edge for that, but she wasn’t now. Despite the current weakness and vulnerability of both of them, she felt safe.

The pondering of childhood memories hadn’t quite left her head yet, the warm, bittersweet feeling travelling through into her unconscious state, bringing with it a familiar, braces filled smile, hazel eyes and high, sweet laughter that might’ve been directed at her, but was never harsh or mocking.

“It’s okay,” the voice promised. “If you slip, I’ll catch you. I’m right here.”

A sunny park in the middle of June, the sun blazing down from a bright blue, cloudless sky. There were other people at the park, families with little kids who screamed as they chased each other around the playground, dogs racing after tennis balls on the green stretch of field beside them, a group of teenagers shouting on the basketball court, the bouncing of the ball echoing back from the school wall. All of that faded away into background noise, like they were existing in their own little bubble, just her and the hazel eyed girl in front of her...and the skateboard.

“I don’t need you to catch me,” Auggie shot back, though she was smiling still, eyeing the skateboard like it was a skittish animal, one she didn’t trust not to bite her and run off.

“Are you sure you don’t want the knee pads?”

“Why would I need them? You said you’d catch me.”

The scene melted away, the sunny day being replaced with one that was colder, the ground covered in a layer of white, but the warm feeling remained, the sense of comfort, like the person that she was with was someone she could trust—the state of dreaming removing the usual apprehension that came along with such a thought. Someone was talking, she couldn’t quite make out the words, but she was pulled in by the sense of safety it brought, the feeling that she was supposed to be there, the feeling that she didn’t have to hide behind a mask of anger and aggression. The absence of a desire to run, the way that she always had.

[sammy,]

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 ！！ x─────ix ♔
x──────i ii zeus. iii eighteen. iiii tags: n/a / aiden
ivi cabin thirteen / cabin seven.

felix had been in the back end of the apollo cabin, turned, in his absence, into a makeshift infirmary to make up for the lack of a big house. there was still a bit of dried blood on the floor; likely from those who had fallen the night previous, the ones that he had not been there to help. it was a bustling atmosphere, whispers and mutters that questioned what could possibly happen next.
felix knew. he always tended to know, but it was weighing on him a bit. he hadn't said it yet, hadn't let the words form properly in his head. the probabilities lined up. a certainty.

the sound of his name didn't quite pull him out of the thought bubble he had found himself in, but aiden's entry into his peripherals did. "hello," he smiled, ignoring the sense of urgency for little pleasantries.. "it's no bother. it's been busy. i was going to give you -" a search through his pockets, retrieval of a decently-sized tin, packed to the brim with ambrosia cubes. "for the road."

the mention of the cab ride made him raise his eyebrows, nodding slowly. "yes. i wasn't sure how much you knew. the stuff going out there, it's..." dire. "weird." from his bag, he pulled a newspaper - the preferred form by which to consume the news, as a demigod, and passed it over. writings about kingston, of demigods, excerpts of the speech in bolded paragraphs. "i asked them about it. about him. give it a read."

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx 𝐥𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐳 ！！ x─────ix ♘
x──────i ii ares. iii eighteen. iiii tags: aiden, lucy.
ivi zeus' fist.

"you probably need it more than we do."
leo's jaw clenched. as it did, he felt a brief shoot of pain through its joints, a remnant of the fight. the daughter of hades hadn't been holding much back, it appeared, and the bruise that waited underneath his skin was enough evidence of that. the comment from aiden wasn't right. he didn't need luck. he had ever needed luck. he didn't know that he had ever brushed with it. everything he had, he had fought for tooth and nail. he was not given his life by circumstance or fate. an uphill battle. 'luck' diminished that.

he didn't say that, though, just watched the boy go, clenching and unclenching his fists as a method to stem the feeling that coursed through them. if that had gone on any longer, if he had been pushed any further -
well, he had hit his little brother before. one more time wouldn't have changed anything. it didn't come to that. snow began to fall. silently, a curse to the sky.

a breath in, a breath out. a mind, cleared. still, there was that shame, oppressive and cruel, tearing his body to bits with its spectral hands. he would have had more time to pore over it - would have sat on the seat of zeus' fist for the rest of the day, trying to get it out of himself. all of this was fettered by the click of a stick snapping.
leo's head turned in the direction of the offending noise, eyes falling on lucy. he knew her. hadn't spent a lot of time with her, but had heard of some of her escapades in the cabin. still, nothing against the daughter of apollo, especially not with her spuriously 'magnanimous' offers of favour fulfilment. if she didn't know what had happened, then she'd likely be the only one who'd listen to him. "lucy," he said by way of greeting. "seems this is the place to be. did you want something?"

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐦 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧 ！！ x─────ix ♙
x──────i ii eris proxy. iii thirty-seven. iiii tags: nicholas - n/a.
ivi mt marcy - hotel.

he hadn't noticed that nicholas had left until he was finished, but it didn't appear to be a problem. his voice remained, like an echo, accompanied by a hand that grasped for malcolm and daniel, sending them back to the hotel room from whence they had come.
how very good of him. he hadn't said goodbye, though, and that was bad form. still, not everyone was trained in niceties and image retention, so he allowed it.

the room looked smaller than it had done, like the world had expanded. hicks was swaying on his feet, stony-eyed, and after a moment's hesitation, malcolm made the executive decision to ask: "how are you holding up?"
"that wasn't your voice," hicks said simply. "who are you?"
"the same person i was when you met me. is there a problem?"
"then who was that?" perceptive.
"there are things you don't know, daniel," malcolm said, his tone warning. "i don't know if you want to know them. you said you trusted me, didn't you? that you would die for me. don't..." he let the words he didn't say perforate the air. though his throat never vocalised them, it was clear what the threat was.
hicks looked him up and down, thought for a moment, and then nodded. "i'll get back to guard, sir," and then, he left.

[Kveykva]

──── Ａｉｄｅｎ Ｓｅａｖｅｒ
[✦] | Athena Head Counselor | 15 | Male | ➡ Cabin 7 | Tags: Leo, Felix
❝𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝚒𝚝 𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚜❞

Aiden hadn't been expecting any gifts from the son of Apollo, and while ambrosia was more of a tool than a gift, the gesture didn't go unappreciated. He bundled the tin away into the pocket of his parka, bumbling a thank you in the process. The cabin interior left his ears feeling stuffy with noise, he couldn't imagine trying to have a proper conversation, much less a private one. Felix responded to his inquiry about the three witches, but it wasn't any kind of answer Aiden could have prepared for. "What's this?" his mouth hung slightly open as he took the paper, fists scrunching the news wrap as he read. Demigods. Demigods. Demigods.

Everywhere Aiden looked through the script, the word followed. He felt panicked. Quicker than necessary, he folded the newspaper, freeing his eyes to meet Felix's. "That's concerning." He replied, his discomfort apparent. "I─I only skimmed it, I can't get caught up on something like this right now. It sure explains what Lofty was on about this morning with Sky News, though I don't think he got it from the paper. Can─Can I take this? I'm going to have to let the other questers know, but the last thing we need is..." a glance around the crowded cabin. "There's already enough on our plate for now." He sighed audibly, haphazardly stuffing the script into his jacket for later. "Did they say anything about this? I had to ask because Lucy─yes I know─she and Will took the taxi here yesterday. She said the Grey's knew plenty about the snow and that Khione had something going on, recited the conversation word for word just about." He scratched his head. "They said something about another god she was working with, but they were too afraid to give a name. I'd say it could be this guy but... they did specify a god at the very least."

──── Ｌｕｃｙ Ｂｌｉｔｚｅｎ
[✦] | Apollo | 16 | Female | ➡ Zeus' Fist | Tags: Leo
❝𝚒 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚗 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚛❞

Why she felt breaking a stick was the appropriate announcement for her entrance was beyond her, and as Leo turned she braced herself for a punch. None of the Ares kids had ever hit her, then again none of them were as volatile as he was. Once it became clear she wasn't due for a pummeling, Lucy exhaled a tense breath. "'Want' isn't really the right word," she answered, meeting the other by the rocky monument. "I could ask what you're doing out here all by yourself, but that would be a bit hypocritical..." She leaned against the Fist, pulling her coat tighter. "I've been avoiding camp for a little while, this "summer" hasn't really done it for me this year." a sigh. "I've already run into more than a few problems this morning, and the world both inside and outside is spiraling. I wanted to get away from it all. I was hoping to, but it's getting too cold to stay in the forest forever. Plus the monsters are out in force today, no surprise." Lucy kneaded her fingers in the coat for a moment, studying the child of Ares. He was much taller than she was, with dark curly hair and lively eyes. Notably, he was without any kind of winter gear. "You must be cold," she observed, shedding her coat and offering to him. Lucy prodded, insisting he take it. "I heard Aiden here while I was walking back, I'd been hoping to say goodbye before he left." it was difficult to tell if the statement was truly genuine. "Did something happen? I didn't know you two were friends."

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

Will nodded calmly, shutting the weapon case and tucking it to the side. His own pyrokinesis hastened the forge's rise to temperature, and before long the Hephaestus camper's second home was alive and warm, the snow nearby burning away from the heat of the flames. Stray embers littered Wilhelm's arms, but he brushed them away without much thought. "What d'you think we oughta make them out of?" He inquired, rummaging through a few containers of metal bits, springs, and scraps for decorative inspiration. Full fledge ingots were hidden away when not in use, but Will directed Kade to where they were stored so he may browse the selection. "Pick yer poison."

[WitchHazel]

|♡|Mirabelle Everhart|17|She/Her|Aphrodite|Head Counselor|Location: Outside Stables|Tags: Open|

Mirabelle's mind raced as she busied herself readying Firefly for the journey. She loves me. She loves me, and I kissed her. Oh - oh gods. The rose-coloured mist was starting to fade, leaving mounting anxiety in its place. Oh my goodness. What if someone saw? I can't - I don't - She took a deep breath, shoving the ballooning panic down. It'll be okay. I'll just have to find out, hunt them down, and swear them to secrecy. The prospect of slipping any witnesses lethe water was an enticing one, but she quickly shut it down. No. I will not mess with peoples' memories. Never again. She closed her eyes momentarily and forced herself to take another deep breath. Besides, it was worth it. She's worth it. A smile tugged at her lips at the recent memory as the echoes of the emotions she had felt in that moment washed over her. Her nerves faded away in the face of such sweet bliss.
The joy returned to her eyes as she secured her duffel bag over Firefly's backside. It wasn't exactly a saddlebag, but it clipped to the back two D-rings just fine. The bag rested comfortably over the equine's back, between her wings. Mirabelle figured she could simply wear her backpack; no use in throwing off Firefly's balance by trying to attach it to one side. The mare was remarkably calm as Mirabelle worked, most likely seeing as it was just the two of them now. She could have also picked up on Mirabelle's elevated mood - equines were sensitive to that sort of thing, she knew. Firefly in particular. The dapple grey didn't even seem concerned about the snow fluttering down from the sky. For now, at least. Mirabelle knew she would have her work cut out for her in keeping Firefly calm if the weather got worse. Hopefully we'll make it out before that happens.
As she readied her mount, she kept an eye out for Aiden in case he should come looking for her. If she was being honest with herself, she still felt a little guilty for forgetting her offer to give riding lessons to anyone who needed them. Sky seemed to have Aggy covered, but I should've been more on top of that. She was not about to let another promise slide.


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

Juliet nodded slowly while she listened to Sa'd and Set speak. She crossed her arms tighter over her chest as she regarded this newcomer - another adult, she noticed. And a rather alluring one at that. Sporting a tight burgundy t-shirt and a pair of black jeans, with a really awesome black leather jacket around her shoulders. Fingers covered in golden rings, a lion's head pendant dangling around their neck. Her golden eyes framed with black eyeliner. And were those combat boots? Man, Juliet wished she looked that cool. She felt dull by comparison, with her beat-up jeans and holey purple sweater. Her aviator jacket was pretty sweet, she reckoned. That ought to earn her some 'cool' points at least.
"Trading instead of taking... yeah, I can swing that." Juliet shifted on her feet. "Colourful rocks you say..." A sinister look crossed her face. A plan was starting to formulate in her brain of how to trick the gryphon, though she'd have to run it by Hu first. Oh, and Caspia, if she was the pranking type. "Yeah, sure. I'll tell ya how it goes." She waved offhandedly, though she would probably forget her agreement the moment Sa'd left.
"Anyways, good to meetcha, sad dude. And chaos guy or whatever. See you around. Or maybe not." She shrugged, her typical air of nonchalance doing its work. "And you too, I guess." The latter was directed at the adult and the weird girl following her around, though Juliet hadn't caught either's name. All in all not a big deal. She probably would've just forgotten their names anyways.

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

Chuck's eyebrows nearly shot off his face in excitement at the mention of Sprite cans. "Like, you're the best, man!" A big goofy grin spread across his narrow features. The smile faltered, however, at the mention of the dryads. "The dryads? Uh, they'll like, be okay, I hope. But a bunch of 'em went into hibernation. I spent like, the whole morning workin' on tree guards with the Hephaestus dudes to help like, keep their trees warm, you know?" Worry shined in his mossy green eyes. "I dunno if it's gonna be enough, but like, at least it'll help. I hope." He followed Caleb's gaze up to the clouded sky, snowflakes lazily spiraling down. "But like, the quest dudes are totally gonna solve all this, right?" He sounded more hesitant than he would've liked. "Uh, I mean, they are. Totally gonna solve this. You hear that, you overgrown popsicle!?" He was shouting up at the sky now. "They're totally gonna kick your frozen butt!" He had to believe that. He had to. The alternative, that he could lose some good friends, including his closest friend, was just something he couldn't bring himself to think about. Because if he did, it would be all he thought about, and then he wouldn't be able to do anything else. Oh no. Like, I'm thinkin' about it. I'm thinkin' about it! Bad brain! Stop!


|⊙|Zahra Al-Amin|217/Looks 32|She/They|Magician; Eye of Sekhmet|Location: Outside Cabin 3 --> Behind Cabins|Tags: Jay, Sa'd/Set|

Zahra was a bit miffed at being called a 'girl' by the chaos god - she was two hundred and seventeen years old, for crying out loud. That, and they weren't fully a woman to begin with. Sure, she had been using 'she/her' pronouns more in her head that day, but that tended to fluctuate depending on how they felt. Nonetheless, the Eye of Sekhmet led the Host of Set and their accompanying god behind a row of buildings, which Chiron had called 'cabins' earlier. Zahra thought that was rather funny - the only building that looked cabin-like in any regard to her was the one the aforementioned gryphon was seated outside. They checked back to make sure that Jay was following; she and Anubis should hear this information as well.
When they were far enough out of earshot of any demigods, Zahra stopped walking and turned to face the three. "Jay and Anubis, I believe, have already made my acquaintance, but allow me to introduce myself. I am Zahra Abubakar Nashwa Al-Amin, Magician of the Ninth Nome and current Eye of Sekhmet. I wish there were time for more formalities, but I must 'get to the point', as they say." Her tone was clear and sharp, but not unkind. Their mixed Arabic-London accent had thickened in her haste, and they hoped the three could comprehend what she was saying. "Set, Anubis - we need your help. The Duat is in chaos - almost literally, I'm afraid. You two recall the Ogdoad, though I am uncertain if your Hosts have recollection. Hosts, do either of you know of the Ogdoad? I can explain briefly if I must."
-
At Jay's admission, Zahra's face grew almost disappointed. "I see. They must not be teaching the Ogdoad cosmology in your Nome. Shame on them." She hadn't necessarily meant it in a mean nor chastising way, but it certainly came out that way. "The Ogdoad are eight gods; the first gods. They were born of the Sea of Chaos and are thought to be extensions of Isfet itself." She paused to let that sink in. "The eight are as follows. Nun and Naunet; the gods of chaos and water, Heh and Hauhet; gods of boundlessness, Kuk and Kauket; gods of darkness, and Amun and Amaunet; gods of invisibility, of air, and void. They are frog and snake gods respectively. " She watched the two teenagers' faces as she continued. "Something has greatly angered them, and caused them to awaken from their slumber. They are wreaking havoc in the Duat; tearing it completely asunder. The Sea of Chaos - it is expanding. You can see why I have been sent. We need your help. The gods need your help."