Camp Half-Blood: Into the Storm - Closed!

[WitchHazel]

|♡|Mirabelle Everhart|17|She/Her|Aphrodite|Head Counselor|Location: Ma's Diner|Tags: Quest Group|

When everyone had ordered, the waitress scurried off to the kitchens. Mirabelle didn't miss it when the young woman was stopped by the older employee with the coffee. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but it looked like Sofia was getting a stern talking-to by her senior. The manager, perhaps? Or even the owner? It could be possible that coffee-lady was the "Ma" of "Ma's Diner". Coffee-lady's eyes darted towards their table a few times, scrutinising the teenagers suspiciously behind her glasses. They're talking about me. It was the first thought in her mind, no doubt due to the anxiety that squirmed in her stomach. Zut alors, Mirabelle, tu es trop paranoïaque. They probably weren't talking about her... right? If anything, they're talking about us. That at least made sense - a bunch of unaccompanied teens in a diner wasn't exactly a common sight, or so she'd assumed from the looks they had gotten from the other patrons. I didn't exactly think this through.
Mirabelle's paranoid thoughts were interrupted by a low thunk. Aiden had put... wait, was that a rock? on the table in front of him. He - he's asking for names? Oh - a pet rock. Celia Lawson had a pet rock back at camp, she recalled. Well, it was technically a rose quartz named Rosie, though she supposed that classified. It was... cute, in a way. A little eccentric, but she didn't mind eccentric. What's a good name for a pet rock? Hmm... Most of her stuffed animals had been named after fabric blends or famous fashion designers. Something told her Aiden wouldn't appreciate names relating to the fashion industry. "Maybe Rocher?" she supplied, feeling a little foolish even as she said it. "It means 'rock' or 'boulder' en français." Ugh, that is so stupid. Her face retained its easy smile, giving no insight into her self-conscious musings.

|⟡|Juliet Pratten|16|She/Her|Hermes|Location: Bushes by the Cabins Area|Tags: Skelebois; Open|

"Here kitty kitty." The patronising phrase was made eerie by its spectral quality as it drifted through the snow, thankfully not too close for comfort. I gotta draw them away from me. But how? Then it clicked. Thank you, dad. I'm gonna have to give you half my dinner if this works.
"I'm over here, boneheads!" Using her god-given abilities - literally, they came from Hermes - Juliet threw her voice to make it sound like it was coming from Half-Blood Hill. Holy crap. She even fooled herself for a second there. "Betcha can't catch me, you spectral schmucks!" Ow. She was about to send more insults their way when the throbbing in her right shoulder reminded her that she'd been shot. Or, kind of shot? No blood, no clothing tears. I've seen weirder things. I think. Her mind was starting to blur around the edges; her extremities going numb as her body began to shiver. But that wasn't from the cold - it couldn'tve been. I'm super cold tolerant - always have been - love the cold - love it. Great, now her thoughts were coming in fragments. Soon enough they were barely there at all, whispers into a slowly blanking brain. She could only hope that someone would find her before she passed out. Or died, or whatever was going to happen. Well, someone who was alive at least.
Juliet was just about to slip into peaceful darkness when the sound of a hundred or so panpipes blasted her awake. What the - oy gevalt. Is that... YMCA? Had she been in better health, she would be singing right along with the song and even doing the traditional YMCA dance. Instead, it seemed the bushes she was sheltering inside of did it for her. She could do nothing but lay there in dumbfounded shock as they grew to more than twice their size and started snaking vines and branches out into the battle; entering into the skeletal bodies and exploding up through the bones. Hehehe... nice.


|☽|Kathryn Blackwood|17|She/Her|Hecate|Location: Behind Arts & Crafts Building|Tags: Emmie|

Kathryn barely heard Emerson approach, but she wasn't necessarily startled. No, the little squeak she let out nor her body tensing up had nothing to do with that; nothing at all. The daughter of Zeus's question nearly made her roll her eyes in frustration.
"Wow, what clued you into that one, genius? The fact that there's blood all over my face or that I can barely stand?" Kathryn snapped. She instantly realised what she'd said and forced a look of remorse upon her features. "Sorry, I'm just tired. Imprisoning monsters in strands of solid shadow and summoning a rival legion of undead will do that to a girl." She flashed Emmie a coy smile, though her face remained wan and drained. "I'll live. I should be okay in five, give or take a few minutes." Or hours. Spellwork like that took a while to recover from, that much she knew. As long as she was able to keep up a basic defensive shield, she'd be alright. "Could use a tissue though. Freaking nosebleed ruined a perfectly good shirt." She was wearing dark purple, yes, but it could still stain. I'll just have to ask Meg to use her clothing powers, and it'll be good as new. If she survives, anyhow. She really hoped Megan would make it through. Losing two sources in one day would suck, to say the least.
Kathryn adjusted her posture so she was leaning casually against the wall as she sat on the frosted ground, as if she didn't actually need it to support herself. "Sooo... what's the buzz, sunshine? Are we winning or being horribly slaughtered out there?"


|❀|Chuck Oakes|He/Him|Satyr|Location: Forest --> TO BATTLE!|Tags: Satyrs NPCs|

A vast chorus of reed pipes threatened to overwhelm the CCR blaring from some unseen source as the satyrs marched into combat. Well, "marched" was a strong word - it was more like a chaotic orchestra entirely composed of very angry panpipe players. It started with the ominous introduction music, but soon blossomed into the first verse of a well-known classic.
With a thunderous "YOUNG MAN!" from the pipes, the satyrs crested the hill and swarmed into the fray. As they continued to play a furious rendition of "YMCA", vines erupted from the snow-covered earth. The strawberry plants, shrubs, grass, Demeter cabin's flowers - it all came to life and started growing at a nearly incomprehensible rate. They reached out to grab ahold of any monsters they could wrap their leafy tendrils around, carefully avoiding the demigods.
Despite his usual cowardice, Chuck was leaping into battle right beside his cloven-hooved brothers. Any thoughts of self-preservation were gone, replaced with the undying urge to protect the place and the people he loved. Man, I never thought I'd say this, but like, those strawberry plants totally hating Village People has like, totally come in handy.


|⊙|Zahra Al-Amin|217/Looks 32|She/They|Magician; Eye of Sekhmet|Location: Cabin 8|Tags: Laika|

Zahra took a seat where the woman had indicated, offering her a grateful smile. "I don't have much time, but I will share what I know." She could feel Sekhmet's influence inside of them; itching to plunge herself back into combat. Their Nome needed her. The Magicians needed her. They would have to make this brief.
"What I know is that an ancient force of Isfet - chaos - has awakened, and is set on destroying everything," Zahra explained. "Or... no, 'destroying' isn't the right word..." Silence enveloped them momentarily as she wracked her brain. "Eat! Yes, eat. No, absorb. Yes, that is correct." The thought crossed their mind that she should potentially be more careful with their information. But the woman - the lioness - had been helpful to her, in her own brusque way. And Chiron seemed to trust her... yes, perhaps it was okay. "They are called the Ogdoad. Eight gods of chaos, eight who had long been sleeping. I do not know what awakened them, nor why they are so angry. What I do know is that they have churned the Sea of Chaos into a frenzy. It is... expanding, I believe." They paused a moment to let it all sink in. "The Nomes have been getting attacked by demons consistently over the past week. I believe these to be connected to the Ogdoad and the Sea of Chaos; Isfet is growing in power. There have also been reports of something else, a... shadow? A creature, killing with a signature. Like a serial killer, but something not mortal. I have heard it is responsible for the slaughter of the Hundredth Nome... my heart is saddened by this news." Zahra's face was an open book; it was no surprise when pain and grief flashed across her graceful features. "I do not think any of these events are unrelated. Now, there is snow during summer, and I have heard a goddess may be involved. A politician exposing the Roman camp. It is too much a coincidence to be just that. There is a connection somewhere, but what?"

|❄|Vivienne Isole|18|She/Her|Khione|Location: Campfire|Tags: Jude, Aydan|

"Vivienne?!"
The sound of her name being called by a familiar voice nearly made her freeze. Aydan? The adolescent male I encountered in my dream? She hadn't even been sure if he actually existed. He is all too palpable, and he is fighting on their side. She curled her lip in disgust.
As she let loose another volley of ice daggers before ducking behind her glacial shield, her mind whirred with memories. Wait... I informed him that my name was Juniper. How did he acquire knowledge of my true identity? If Khione was right, no one should know that she was a part of this. Wait a minute; "if"? No, Khione was always right. Mother said they did not realise my involvement. So how does he know my name?
Aydan wasn't a part of this. He had been new - new to all of this; the world of a demigod. He didn't need to die. And then he was breaking her perfectly good ice daggers, and trying to save the girl who had attempted to kill her. Mother's progeny or no, he has just signed his death warrant. Using her abilities against him might not be the best approach, she knew. He could potentially manipulate any ice or snow she generated, or at least tried to. My resolve is considerably stronger than his. I would triumph in a battle of wills in little time. Then again, Aydan was also new to being a demigod - it was possible he didn't have good control over his abilities yet.
She was about to send a jet of icy air towards the two when the girl uttered her name as well. No. They are not supposed to have knowledge of me. Mother - mother said, she said no one had recollection of me. She said they had forgotten. The pleading look in the demigod's gaze chipped away at the stone encasing Vivienne's heart.
"We can't lose anyone else Vivienne, please, please."
Vivienne swallowed back the lump forming in her throat. No. No, they must feel my agony; my pain; my suffering. They must pay for what they have done. Her rage-filled eyes flickered to the campfire momentarily, purple flames dancing in the wind. I have a mission to complete. Yet if I must dispose of these two meddling miscreants first, then so be it.
"You are sorry!?" She spat the words like venom. "You are far too late for apologies, Camp Half-Blood scum. 'Sorry' will not bring her back!" As she roared the last phrase into the icy air, a blast of pure cold exploded from her fingertips, stronger than even she had expected. It arced towards the fire-girl, barreling through the centre of the campfire. It wasn't enough to put it out; not by a long shot. But maybe, just maybe, it would immobilise the girl and her knight in shining armour. If she was lucky. Subsequently I can finish them with my axe.

[Kveykva]

──────── 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦
[✦] | Horseman of the Apocalypse | 56 | Male | ➡ Centralia, PA | Tags: Orin, Astoria
❝ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑠𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝐷𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ❞

The doors opened to an atmosphere dense with the smell of smoke, the levels of carbon monoxide dangerously high. The church had bulbs, yet none of them were lit, leaving the interior entirely dark save for the moonlight spilling in from the towering windows. Shades occupied the pews, some grouped together while others kept to themselves, and a few who wandered along the aisle. There was music. Someone was playing, and the ghosts of humans and animals alike swayed hypnotically to the tune.

"Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey an' rye, and singin' this'll be the day that I die."

It grew quiet, the absence of owls and crickets starkly apparent. Without the music, whoever had been playing, there was nothing. Nothing besides the sound of the only two breathing beings within the church. From somewhere in the depths, a blade came and struck the taller of the two in the forehead, pinning his skill against the very doors he'd just escaped from. His companion was soon swarmed by wraiths, clawing at her skin with such force that strips lay strewn about on the floor. Even then, their hunger wasn't sated.

It finished quickly for Astoria, but for Orin, the horror didn't stop there. In another version, his head found its way into the maw of a spectral grizzly, punctuated with the sound of crushed watermelon. A third dropped the ceiling of the church on them, while a fourth engulfed it in flames. Each death was as gruesome and vivid as the last, and in an instant, they vanished. There was no blood, no malevolent shades nor compromised wooden beams. They were still alive, they were still breathing. "That's funny," Their eyes adjusted to the gloom, meeting the violet eyeshine of a man standing just before them. The god's aura was overwhelming, though it seemed to recede in the presence of his guests. Death circled them, brushing stray strands of hair from their foreheads and raising their arms with bladed wings, as though the two were pristine specimens. "You two have a bit more flesh on you than the others, that's not supposed to happen." He pursed his lips, lifting Astoria's chin with his thumb and pressing two fingers to her throat. She had a pulse. "Well, you're alive alright. I'm not sure if I should congratulate you or not, I haven't run into this problem before."

Just as quickly he dismissed the oddity with a wave of his wing, collecting something from the altar and bringing it to his lips as bounced down the short stairs, flicking the lights on. Suddenly, the interior of the church was bright as day, though the ghosts were strangely unaffected. Death lingered at the far end of the church, distracted by some developments in his ally's escapade. He leaned against one of the pews and drummed his finger on the side, mulling over the whiskey glass resting against his lips. Now now, stay focused. You have your orders, I'll have no disobedience. From any of you.

[The Fox]

After Zeke tossed him in the direction of the crafts building, Chad regains his balance. He tosses his sword and shield over to Zeke. "Hey! Don't go unarmed! I have a spare!" The sword and shield dig into the ground, ready to be picked back up and used in battle. Chad darts off with only one sleeve to his jacket towards the arts and crafts building. As he arrives, he does the same thing he did before to conjure his gear, but with opposite motions.


When he arrives, he spots the skeletons in questions. Two groups actually. Well this isn't good. he thinks to himself. He uses his shield to slam one of the skeletons and his spear to gouge the head of another. The two groups may be fighting, but it was obvious to him which were the immediate threat.

"Hey! You Auggie? Or Kathryn?" He asks, deflecting a skeleton's attack. "I was told by Zeke you two needed help! Where's the other one?"

[sammy,]

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐱 ！！ x─────ix ♗
x──────i ii hephaestus. iii seventeen. iiii tags: vivienne, aydan.
ivi campfire.

vivienne was angry and she was upset and that should have scared jude, should have spurred her into action, but it didn't. any fighting spirit had been replaced by something akin to guilt - she hadn't been there when audra died, hadn't been involved in the incursion in the slightest, but there was hurt that ran so deep in the daughter of khione that she believed revenge to be the only option.
apologies wouldn't bring her friend back. but neither would revenge. could she see that? was it right to say?

it didn't matter. there was wind picking up. she braced clarent, lit him with her hands, hid behind the vast shield to protect against the fury. "i'm sorry that you lost her," she exclaimed over the howls of wind. "i'm sorry that you're hurting, i am, i'm so -" the flame didn't want to hold up. she willed it to anyway. "it's not right, vivienne, and it's not fair, but it's - half of us had no idea. we're just trying to get by, we just want to be safe. please," another tear hardened on her cheek, followed by another. "i'm so sorry, vivenne."

she came out from behind the shield. a final blast - not at her proposed enemy, but at the campfire, blaze arcing and dancing through the air as it hit, and then she was stumbling back, gasping as cold air hit her with force. her jacket wasn't enough, it was thin - there was normally no need for anything more than a light cover, but she was regretting it now. her exposed fingers were awash with a sharp burning pain, her efforts tarnished. "please," gasped as the shivers took over. "please, please don't." she couldn't breathe. was this what normal people felt like in winter? her chest tight and her muscles contracting and her fingers that felt searing hot - it felt like no way to live. in fact, it felt more like dying than anything else.

she needed to get away. but she was staring at vivienne with a desperation that went past superficiality, past the fear of death, her own death, because screw it, in words that were not hers, but a desperation for the girl to see, even just for a moment. a shining moment of clarity. jude wanted to see something good. some kind of mercy, something that told her that this soul so lost was not beyond saving. she was so cold. clarent was reduced back to his little cube form, the metal too much to hold with bare skin, but that left her exposed to the elements, to whatever fury that vivienne chose to exert.

she shut her eyes and prayed, though unsure what for, unsure who for.

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 ！！ x─────ix ♔
x──────i ii zeus iii eighteen. iiii tags: astoria, nicholas.
ivi underworld - centralia, pennsylvania.

the music stopped. it was dark. "yeah," it was strange. something in the air, something eerie. like they had crossed the rubicon, walked into a place that no living being was ever supposed to enter. "i feel like we should probably -"

orin was cut off by a blade to the skull. first, ow - but no time to say that, because immediately after he had grown accustomed to his new facial piercing, he was in the head of a bear, searing pain shooting through his head. hang on -
jason statham, dwayne 'the rock' johnson, terry crews -
and the ceiling was falling, like in chicken bloody little, and -
samuel l. jackson, vin diesel, bruce willis -
burning, and burning, and it hurt, christ it hurt, but the smell was worse - who was the last one?
"pitbull!"

it was gone. just imagined. a dream, a waking nightmare. there was no fire, the roof was still intact, his forehead stitched up just right. no bears, either. he decided that he really didn't like bears, but now wasn't the time. a stranger was touching astoria, saying something about flesh, orin having to come down from a very heightened state effective immediately.

"you've done that before, have you?" he cleared his throat. "very.. creative." was that a compliment? sort of sounded like one. "maybe turn down the smells next time. bear saliva is - royally gipping." he shuddered.

the lights were on. too bright. orin winced, flinched, and with his discomfort, the bulbs darkened a touch, looking a tad less daylight and a tad more ambient. readjusting, he was able to take in the man. "so i suppose you're the person to thank for opening them, right?" he asked, then tilted his head a little. "funny. i thought you'd be taller." did that matter? whoever he was in front of, no matter how many inches orin had on him, was a powerhouse. a powerhouse with wings. "are those always there, or do you have to turn 'em off sometimes?" a glance toward the door. "that doesn't look like it'd fit - what is that, ten feet? do you have to tuck 'em in?"

rein it in a bit, mate.
"sorry," he shook his head, adrenaline still coursing through his veins. "just tell me to shut up, it'd save you the hassle," it was difficult to look directly at the man, but orin was doing his best. "orin. by the way. do you - i guess you must have a name. be a bit useless without one. i would know." pulled a face. "is it like... i don't know, varzorak? varzorak of the... the great thoth regime?" talking too much. shut the hell up.

[WitchHazel]

|❄|Vivienne Isole|18|She/Her|Khione|Location: Campfire|Tags: Jude, Aydan|

"Hurting? HURTING!?" Vivienne snarled, her voice rising like a wild beast above the gale. Gusts of wind wrapped themselves around her, though she hadn't summoned them. Had she? I - I am losing control. This is highly irrational. I must retain control; I must - But the girl was talking again, saying words she didn't want to hear. Words that could not be true. "I have lost the only person I have ever -" She cut herself off before she could say it. "'Hurting' does not even begin to describe the suffering I endured. You have the nerve to apologise!? Who are you to speak for every individual present!?" Her braided hair whipped around in the small maelstrom that surrounded her.
She stepped out from behind her icy shield, eyes blazing with cold fury. "Who are you to presume what they feel?" A step towards the fire demigod, then another. Her armour gleamed in the dim light. "You are weak." The voice that came from her lips wasn't hers - Khione's cold words seething through her teeth; words that had been spoken to Vivienne many times over. "Nothing more than a pathetic coward." She slid her battleaxe from its trappings on her back as she stalked menacingly towards the sniveling girl. "You shall be the first to taste my vengeance."
The axe was raised in the air, poised to come arcing through the frost to reap its quarry. The girl was crying; her eyes shut as she gave in to her grim fate. Vivienne swung her weapon downward to finish the job.
Except her arms wouldn't move.
Who... Aydan? No, it wasn't that poor imitation of a son of Khione. Her extremities were free of any ice save her own. How...? The girl's quivering form flickered. For a moment, she was looking at herself, bruised and crying on the snow-covered ground. Fear and uncertainty warred in her gaze; her face gone soft for just a second. No. She... she is not me. She is the simpering little brat who threw fire at me in the sky. She is one of them. But she was still a person... a person with a life; a story. A person with people she loved and people who loved her. No! No; I cannot think of them in such a way. They are not people - they are monsters. She is a falsifier; a deceiver; just like the rest of them. So why... why can I not put her out of her misery!?
The answer came from her mother's voice inside her mind. "Because you are weak, dear Vivienne. You are nothing more than a pathetic coward." The exact words Vivienne herself had used to describe the girl trembling before her. "You lack the stomach to do what must be done. Show them no mercy. Only a fool shows mercy. Don't disappoint me again, darling."
Vivienne gritted her teeth, internally willing her resolve to harden. I shall make you proud, mother. I shall. Even if it means dispatching this... this... feeble excuse for a demigod.

[*Lovel*]

『❄❅』 Aydan Hunt『❅❄』

Son of Khione ☃ Cabin 22 ☃ 16 ☃ Heterosexual

≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎≎

Tags: Jude and Vivienne
Location: About to take a trip to the Underworld

Aydan got to the darker skinned girl as Vivienne was bringing her axe down. His instincts took over yet again and his body went to shield the girl from Vivienne's axe, earning himself a nice scratch on his back. He winced at the pain "You're the weak one if you think killing a bunch of kids is the right answer, revenge is for the weak. Someone who can handle the hurt of losing someone or being betrayed is strong. None of this will fill the hole you feel inside. No amount of revenge will bring someone back or make people realize their mistakes." he said through his clenched teeth. His shurikens shrunk in size and he quickly pinned them on.

He was feeling dizzy, his back was burning in pain, and his field of vision was getting fuzzy. "No one can understand the way you feel. Not fully, but have you let anyone try?" he asked. He took a shaky breath in before focusing on making a thick blizzard to act as a shield around himself and the girl whilst pushing Vivienne away with the frosty walls. "I don't know how long this will last." We need a better plan than trying to get through to her. "What's your name?"he probably should have lead with the last statement now that he thought about it. Though he wanted to prevent getting chopped into pieces. Hopefully this girl felt the same "Sorry if I'm cold by the way." His body usually ran on the colder side which was uncomfortable for most. He loosened up his grip on her and looked her in the face.

[tawneypelt0504]

Cassandra Peters|19|Hermes|Head Counselor|Demi-bisexual|Loc: fightin skeles idk|Tags/Mentions:Skelebois,Satyr bois on panpipes,open
Cass continued her stabbing spree taking advantage of the element of surprise that she had provided herself by using her enhanced speed she began taking out as many skeletons as she possibly could as quickly as she could. The surprise and disorganization that she had given herself could only last so long and she was determined to get rid of as many skeletons as she could. Although Cass probably would regret using her powers for too long her adrenaline and anger were helping to fuel her at the moment. Cass was feeling tired of all of the chaos that continued to barrage the camp for the past few days and these skeletons were going to be her punching bags. "Listen here you good for nothing skeletal wretches" Cass snarled at them while she continued to fight "I'm doing to snap you in half like KitKats before reassembling you in the crude shape of a dog so I can factually call you a..." Cass was stopped from ending her threat with a certain not-so-nice word for a female dog by the sound of YMCA being played upon pan pipes. Cass slowed down her fighting for a moment "Huh" She muttered aloud to herself before she continued her slicing and dicing. Cass was still feeling rather feisty and was currently working on stabbing skeletons on the beat of YMCA, letting out a barrage of curses while she did so.

Jack Morrison|17|Demeter|Pansexual|Loc:Cabins circle|Tags/mentions:Ophelia,Astra, Aphrodite Npc's,open
Jack gave Ophelia a firm nod at the request of finding the younger campers. It was probably best anyway he wasn't the best fighter and defense was more his strength. Jack turned to see the person who was with Ayden earlier asking him if he needed help although she looked rather scared. "Thank you for offering your help, all you need to do is follow me and help me gather up younger campers and then bring them to the Aphrodite cabin, okay" Jack replied calmly with a gentle smile gently resting his hand on her back in hopes that it would help calm her down. Jack looked around and saw Cecelia as well as a couple of other of the younger Aphrodite campers huddled together in the ensuing chaos of the battle. "Look there's a couple over there let's go" Jack said determinedly still keeping his calm tone as he began to stride in the direction of the younger campers trying to make his way over to them as quickly as possible without leaving his helper behind.

[indigo']

━━━ 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐛 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬

[➳]18|he/him|Athena|outside|tags: Relia

Caleb had tried to explain as truthfully as he could. He wasn’t telling her the things she wanted to hear, but he was telling the truth—simply omitting a few key details. She stared at him for a moment and Caleb stared back, attempting to gauge how much she believed based on her expression. Then something was happening, and the time for questioning and desperate explanations was over. "We'll continue this conversation later.” Over for the time being at least then.

His dagger and shield were transformed into their true forms, a moment of anticipation as he stared out into the growing snowstorm. It was difficult to see through the heavy curtain of white, but soon his eyes landed on the advancing venti as well. He shot a concerned look in Relia’s direction. “What are you—“ He didn’t have a chance to ask before she’d grabbed his hand and was dragging him through the snow beside her. Caleb wasn’t entirely familiar with the daughter of Aphrodite’s powers, but he understood relatively quickly that she was doing something to keep them hidden from the venti.

“Got it,” he responded quickly, keeping his voice low so as not to attract unwanted attention, assuming they hadn’t already. It felt a bit cheap to be hiding and running away from a battle, but he had a feeling that wouldn’t last very long, and the forge was probably the best place to be anyways. It would give him a moment to clear his head of the growing anxiety that had prompted Relia to approach him in the first place and think of a plan. The wire trap he’d used in his spar with Emmie earlier wouldn’t do much against a snow spirit, but it was possible he could come up with something using supplies left in the forge.

━━━ 𝐕𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐨 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨-𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐳

[♠]16|he/him|Ares|outside|tags: skelebois

The sharp crack of bone upon impact sent a surge of joy through him. The skeleton's head flying off it’s body and into the snow caused a grin to spread across his already bruised and bloodied face, but the moment of triumph was short lived as he watched the thing pick it’s skull up and settle it back on its neck. He gritted his teeth, prepared to hit again when the skeleton threw a punch of its own, knocking the breath out of him and making dark spots dance across his vision.

Vittorio straightened up, swiped a sleeve across his face. His nose had started bleeding again at some point—or maybe it hadn’t stopped—but he didn’t pay much attention to the red droplets falling into the snow at his feet or the smear across the sleeve of his hoodie. He was angry now, the haze that had overtaken him in the bathroom against the Ares kids increased tenfold. Not only were these things attacking without reason—not that he really cared about that, he didn’t care about the stupid place or the people in it, except for maybe a few who had been nice to him so far—but they shouldn’t have even been allowed to exist. Tori came at the skeleton with renewed fury, driving celestial bronze into bone, feeling it crack and crumble to dust with each hit.

━━━ 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐨

[☾]16 (immortal)|she/her|Hunter of Artemis|Big House ruins|tags: hunter npc’s, skelebois

Putting space between them and the skeletons seemed to have helped momentarily, at least enough for the hunters to gather their bearings and start sending a volley of arrows in the direction of the undead. But the advantage didn’t last long, the soldiers started to advance again and it wasn’t long before something was thrown at them, landing in the snow just a few feet from the rubble they stood on. It didn’t take Stella long to realize what it was, pieces clicking into place moments before the skeletons cried out, clearly not privy to the plans of their comrade. “Get down!” she called to the other hunters, but it wasn’t necessary, most of them had already thrown themselves down the other side of the heap of rubble, taking shelter behind the ruins as the grenade went off.

━━━ 𝐀𝐨𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐡𝐲

[☘︎]17|she/her|Hebe|outside|tags: skelebois, Celeste

“Take that you undead fuddlers!” Aoife called out, her grin fading into a scowl as she realized her efforts weren’t actually doing much to stop the quickly advancing army. She scrunched up her face at the sound of clattering bones, pausing with her boomerang in hand to give the skeletal soldiers a look of disdain. “Is that supposed to insult me? You lot sound like my nana when she bought clackers and thought she’d naturally know how to play them. She didn’t. My granddad got annoyed and they went ‘missing’ a week later. Hey, actually that’s a pretty good comparison ‘cause that’s what’s about to happen to all of you.” A pleasant smile was given before she threw the boomerang again, aiming for the skeletons heads this time.

Something in the corner of her eye caught her attention and Aoife turned to look, nearly getting pegged in the head by her own boomerang as it came soaring back to her. She fumbled briefly, but managed to catch it before turning her gaze back to what had distracted her—a woman she didn’t know, though she looked a little older than most of the other campers, was standing and just talking to one of the ghosts. The strangest part was that the ghost she was speaking to didn’t seem hostile at all, quite the opposite actually. “Are you...are you flirting with the…” She trailed off, unsure if the woman had actually heard her or not, but she continued to watch with rapt attention as the situation unfolded, slightly mesmerized by the strange tactic that appeared to be working

━━━ 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬

[✩]17|she/her|Hades|Head Counsellor|outside|tags: Chad, skelebois and ghosties

Auggie cut through the corralled undead with unbridled fury, taking out everything she’d struggled to suppress for the last few hours with her sword as she slashed through skeletons and ghosts alike. There were no thoughts in her brain but the battle, the weight of her sword in her hands and what was happening in front of her. Kathryn’s spell faded, but not all of the undead had remained trapped within it, and there were still more advancing. She ignored the screaming pain in her rib cage and the feelings of exhaustion from the overexertion of her powers; if she didn’t acknowledge it, then it would go away. She didn’t have time to be tired or in pain. She couldn’t stop.

She barely noticed when Kathryn cast another spell, summoning her own legion of undead soldiers, and didn’t notice at all when the other girl disappeared, retreating back to the arts and crafts building. Auggie wasn’t invincible, and part of her was vaguely aware that she may have been injured sometime in the chaos of the battle, but she could barely feel it, and she wasn’t going to slow down now.

The sound of a voice nearby made her jump and she whirled around, the blade of her sword just narrowly missing the boy’s chest. “What is wrong with you?” she growled, angry that she’d been snapped out of her trancelike state and angrier still that he’d startled her. Auggie narrowed her eyes, not bothering to answer the question. She didn’t recognize him, and as much as she tried to avoid the other campers, she still knew who most of them were. She rolled her eyes, turning back around just in time to knock the head off an advancing skeleton. “Do I look like I know?” she snapped in response to the question of where Kathryn was. “And I don’t need help so you can leave me alone and go do something useful.”

━━━ 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞

[✿]16|he/him|Iris|Ma’s Diner|tags: quest group

Jamie looked up as the rock was dropped on the table, a smile spreading across his face at the announcement that it needed a name. He’d been expecting something much worse from Aiden, and though he wondered if naming a pet rock was actually the thing the son of Athena had had to tell them, he wasn’t going to ask for fear he might get an answer he didn’t want. “How about Rocky? Or Peter Pebble!” His eyes lit up with excitement, voice a little more enthusiastic than naming a rock actually called for. He glanced over at Mira when she gave her suggestion, pointing in her direction and nodding. “Oh that’s good. That makes him sound sophisticated.”

[wanda.]

──X𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀 𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐒 ────────────────

xxx[ ❀ ] the crow - daughter of moros, eighteen, tags; pikachu, nicholas, currently; the underworld, centralia

astoria flinched back as pikachu was hit back and then, before she could process it all, she was surrounded. the creatures, wraiths, picked at her skin, shredding it and she wanted to scream. the pain was terrible but then it stopped just as suddenly as it had started. she was fine. the stranger lifted her chin and checked her pulse and she was oh so very confused. She didn’t understand what was going on at all. She was so lost.

she wondered if she should have stayed dead.

she let out a hiss of discomfort. everything was a tad too bright for her. and she was thankful for the lights dimming, though she still couldn't see well. she moved back towards pikachu, feeling exposed, and very vulnerable. what is going on? what is an orin? she had so many questions, not that she would ask them. she glanced at pikachu questioningly, before scanning the church briefly. she’d let pikachu do the talking, at least he seemed to have a possible idea about what could be going on. she had no idea, so she stayed silent and watched. skin still crawling from the vision of what happened before.

[The Fox]

"I am doing something useful. I'm here risking my life to give you and the other girl a break." He lunges past Auggie, parrying a skeleton with his shield and countering with the back end of his spear to the pelvis.

"You shouldn't fight out of anger. It will get you killed. Take a small break. I can play defense until your head's level again. Two heads are better than one, but three can do a lot more."