Camp Half-Blood: Into the Storm - Closed!

[WitchHazel]

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

"What? What is it?" Mirabelle squinted at the paper as her brain tried to make sense of the jumbled words. Apparently it had used all its focus deciphering Sofia's nametag and attempting to read the menu earlier; the letters were rearranging themselves before her eyes. If it was in French or Greek, I would have no problem reading it. She had her answers soon enough. Teilo was speaking again.

I think that's the most I've heard Teilo say since he got to Camp Half-Blood. A politician. British, by the sound of it. Mirabelle disliked politicians on premise. They were slimy and manipulative; only doing things for their own benefit. No regard for the public they were supposed to serve. At least, that's how she saw it in America; what she knew of American politics anyway. A politician who lost his family. She knew how that could change a person. Herself notwithstanding, Vivienne was proof enough of that. Still... Teilo has a point. If he's working with Khione and this mysterious god, he has to be connected somehow. Could he actually be the other god? She found that rather unlikely, but still worth examining. She remained silent as she awaited Aiden's take on the matter, regarding him almost expectantly.


|⟡|Juliet Pratten|16|She/Her|Hermes|Location: Cabin Seven|Tags: Ryan; Cabin 7 Crowd|

Someone was asking her questions now; the same man she'd seen before. Asking where it hurt.
"Right shoulder," she grunted. "I got grazed a few other places - I think? Kinda hard to tell when there's no blood - but that one went right in. Ah, again, I think - 'cause, y'know, no bullet." She would have shrugged if not for the throbbing in her shoulder. As her thoughts spun, an amused expression formed across her face. "Heheh. If it was on the left side, that would be pretty funny. I mean I'd probably be dead, but then at least my ghost could sing 'shot through the heart, and you're to blame! You give love a bad name'." She sang the song lyrics out with less gusto than usual, given how exhausted she was and the numbing pain sweeping through her body. "Anyways, could ya schlepp me over some ambrosia or nectar? Mama wants some buttered popcorn."

|☽|Kathryn Blackwood|17|She/Her|Hecate|Location: Cabin 7 |Tags: Aoife|

"Me? Cause trouble? Why, I would never!" Despite the exhaustion pulling at her bones, she offered the daughter of Hebe a dazzling smile. A few more words of banter; a few playful gestures. Then, with a grin and a wink, the girl was swallowed by the bustling crowd.

Being left alone with nothing but her thoughts to keep her company was generally an experience Kathryn tried to avoid. Aoife's compliments echoed in the back of her mind. I did good, for a change. Maybe saved some lives, even. A warmth bloomed where her heart was supposed to be; where she had felt nothing but comfortable darkness in the past. The feeling squirmed inside of her chest like a tadpole breaking free of its egg sac. I don't like it.

With a dramatic sigh, she let her head fall back against the pillow. Maybe I'll just try and get some sleep. At least then I won't have to feel... whatever this is.


|❄|Vivienne Isole|18|She/Her|Khione|Location: Centralia, PA|Tags: Nicholas, Orin, Astoria|

"they could've saved her."
The words hit Vivienne like a punch to the stomach. Her impassive expression faltered momentarily; pain and suffering written across her angular features like the pages of an open book. But then the book snapped shut again, and her face darkened into a mask of bitterness.

"How could you possibly fathom what I endured?" she spat back, though her venomous tone was weighed down by fatigue. If she'd had the energy, she would have bitten his head off for the reminder of her loss. It wasn't as if she constantly saw the incident in her mind; repeating every time she closed her eyes. "Did you hold the body of your closest friend as she bled out? Did you watch the only person you have ever-" she stopped herself before she could speak the words aloud. "Did the person you cared for most in this world - the only true family you have ever known - die in your arms?"

The venom had receded now, only to morph and shift into something else. Something of pure darkness and agony. A blade twisting deeper and deeper into her heart until it had become every bit a part of the vulnerable organ as the veins pumping blood through her body. "She was ripped away from me - ripped away by - by that wretched place. And what did they do? Nobody confessed to it. Nobody did anything! Nobody! There was no justice!"

Her throat was closing up now; her breathing coming in short, quick bursts. "I was the only one who did something!" She locked eyes with the demigod of Zeus; her own icy blues sharpened with desperation.
Come now, Vivienne. You've let your emotions get the better of you again.

She forced herself to take a step back. Blinking, she was surprised to discover a warm wetness blurring her gaze for the second time that day. Her lungs heaved a steadying breath as she dropped her voice to a low murmur. "Do you know what it is like to lose a part of yourself?" She paused, bringing her ravaged stare back to bore into the boy's emerald eyes. "Only then, Orin, son of Zeus, will you have known true suffering. My suffering."

[Kveykva]

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

The horseman's absence from the scene did little to alleviate the tension and dread that saturated the air. His pale horse exhaled a contempt breath and vacated the church, carrying itself with far more dignity than its rider. The church floor barely bore a whisper of the incident, the only acknowledgment of the events taking place at all being the wing spread across one of the pews. Even the first aid kit and scattered rolls of gauze vanished, swallowed into the darkness by some unseen servant.

Nicholas stumbled, grasping for the counter to support his weight. A curse fled his lips; perhaps inappropriate for his residence in the house of God, but old habits died hard. On his left, his old injury began to ache, but it paled in comparison to the pain on his right. He took a few moments to breathe, shuddered breaths clearing a mind shrouded in chaos. He didn't have the strength to fight with it right now. He could barely muster the strength for a replacement for his outfit. A collared shirt folded itself neatly next to the sink, a pristine shade of black reminiscent of the shadows that birthed it. Nicholas shed his suit jacket and shirt, dismayed at the state of both items. The jacket was one of his favorites; he'd owned it for years, and ninety percent of his outfits were centered around it. Maybe he was overdue for a replacement. If Nicholas said it enough, maybe he'd start to believe it.

The horseman turned, unraveling the fresh change of clothes with his hip wedged against the counter to maintain his balance. A glance into the mirror spawned regret. "You're looking a little pale," Nicholas bit his tongue. "I'm not fighting with you right now, Moxie." He stated, ignoring the ghost in the mirror. "Later."

"Later?" She laughed dryly. "You want to do this later? As if we could reschedule?" "You have an eternity ahead of you," he reminded her, undoing the buttons and smoothing out the wrinkles. "But if you're so bloody hellbent on it, I'm all ears." He could feel her anger rising, but the combative aura she boasted in life was only a fraction of its strength now. Nicholas doubted it would even reach the other room. "It's because this is your domain, isn't it?" She spat. "You're so relaxed you don't even care! You've killed hundreds. Thousands even. What's one more─" "Two." Death cut her off. "Including you, I've killed two people. You're the only one I've regretted." His expression softened, his gaze already averted. "I'm sorry. As little as that does now, but you did kill me first." Nicholas gestured to the scabbed wound on his left pectoral. "I wasn't going to hurt you, and I'm sorry that I lied to you. How did you expect me to explain it? I didn't even realize you were a demigod; if I'd known, maybe I would have spilled it earlier."

Moxie rolled her eyes, arms folded over her chest. "You didn't know. You really expect me to believe that? Gods can see other blood." This time, he bit the inside of his cheek. "It doesn't work like that, Moxie. If you were dead─like now─then it's in my domain. It's harder for me to pick up on things from the living, aside from when they're going to die. I'm not even in your pantheon, how the hell do you expect me to know whether you're a demigod or not? I've only met a few of the other gods, and Mars isn't one of them. Though," he pulled the shirt on, wings passing seamlessly through the fabric. "I've only heard good things about him from my father."

"Is that a pitiful attempt to make me feel better?" She raised an eyebrow. Nicholas paused fiddling with his buttons. "Eeeh... maybe?" he offered a sheepish smile. "Look, let's─l-let's just call it even for now." the horseman tightened up the last button and made his exit, hobbling down out from the washroom. "Even?" Moxie didn't sound satisfied. "You just─You're going to leave this at 'even'?" she repeated, marching after him. "Am I stuck here? You aren't going to finish me off? Banish me to some pit of torment as punishment?" His pace didn't falter, not as he reentered the main space occupied by demigods and lost spirits. The horseman would dismiss her before she made it, as she'd likely just be another distraction to those already alien within his space. His hand raised, as a greeting to Astoria, Orin, and Vivienne. With a wave of it, the ghost would─

"You're scared." Nicholas stopped, frozen midway through the gesture. He turned sharply. "Bold if you to say, you're lucky to even still be standing here. I could do so much worse, you don't even know what I'm capable of." "And neither do you!" she retorted, meeting him eye to eye. "That's why I'm still here. You aren't sure what you're capable of, either. You hesitated because you're terrified of what you could do." Caught. He didn't see a way out of this one, because she'd hit the nail so perfectly on the head. He was scared. He'd seen it once, and even that was barely scratching the surface.

[sammy,]

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

she didn't appear to take kindly to being seen. the tirade began. he let her have her moment. spit and shout, go on her tirade. she deserved that, he supposed. and maybe it was spite that drove him to say what was spoken next - but his eyes settled on her, his jaw set, and when the quiet came again -

"i did, actually," he said. "not even two year ago, actually. his name was benji, and he was my boyfriend, and i quite loved him, and he died to an empousa as i held him. so yes. yes, yes i have, yes i did, and yes i can fathom it, and i get it." he rubbed his hands together. a little spark in his palms. "except i didn't get to have any retribution. he was there and then he was gone and i was the only one who knew what had happened to him. i don't get revenge. i don't get to put a bolt through anyone who i think had something to do with it."

"and losing a part of yourself? are you serious? are you actually having a joke with me right now?" a bitter half-laugh. "i got called a traitor by my friends and i died having to fight some - some lost cause that i had nothing to do with because some american thought that i would know an english politician as an irishman. i sat by the lethe for an eternity. i forgot everything i was and had it replaced with memories that don't belong to me. i've got benji, i've got that on my side, but i've got twelve other people's damned tragedies to add onto it. don't you dare talk to me about suffering, vivienne, daughter of khione. i'm telling you now, you are not the only person on this planet who is going through something." a sharp intake of breath, the initial anger fluttering away. "so i get it. that's what i mean. that's all i mean. i understand what you've been through, and there's nothing i can do about it. but if i were in your position i would be counting my lucky stars that i get some chance to fight against something."

nicholas returned. said something to someone that he could barely see. she was speaking, but he was looking at vivienne, eyes dull of anything of true note, all gone and forgotten. "i'd warn you not to let dead people get inside of your head, mister horseman, but i think that's part and parcel of your job."

[WitchHazel]

|❄|Vivienne Isole|18|She/Her|Khione|Location: Centralia, PA|Tags: Nicholas, Orin, Astoria|

Vivienne visibly flinched as the boy's words slapped her in the face. The way he spoke about his Benji... it was enough to warm even her frigid heart. He has been through a similar experience. Logically, she knew death was a common occurrence amongst demigods. She knew that. She'd seen it many times. But to lose someone you love right before your eyes... it had a way of changing a person. He wasn't lying, that much she could tell.

His next utterances had the temperature around her plunging once more. "Lucky?" she hissed, the poisonous words newly invigorated. "You truly believe I am lucky?" If Vivienne had a sense of humour, she would have laughed. Vengeance is not lucky. Vengeance is a path that will consume you. But it is the path I have chosen. "Do not invalidate my experiences, son of Zeus. Although you may have seen worse in your time, my suffering is still very real." Too real. It drives everything I do.

"You are not the only person on this planet who is going through something." His words echoed in her mind; a bitter taunt amidst a writhing sea of rage. That is not how it feels. That was what she wanted to say. That is not how it feels. It is so... so alone. Purely and utterly alone. It was as if I were drowning, but no one else could see it. Could it be that everyone else was drowning too, and she had been the one who was blind? Khione had told her many times over that no one could possibly understand what she had gone through. Practically drilled it into her head by this point. But... was that not true? Perhaps... I do not need to be alone anymore.

Her expression softened; writing her conflicted emotions across her tearstained visage. She felt like she had been gutted; her insides put on display for all to see. No. No! Oh please, Vivienne. He's just trying to wear down your defences so he can get close to you, only to stab you in the back when you least expect it. Are you really so foolish as to believe his tale of woe?
And yet he was telling the truth. That sort of emotion cannot be faked. Even I have knowledge of that fact.
Don't you see? He's using you, just like everyone else. I am the only person supporting you, darling. I am the only one you can trust. Never forget that.

She had thought the other voice in her head was hers. But the more it nattered on, the more it sounded like Khione's.

Her face hardened. She turned away.

In doing so, her eyes found Nicholas. He was talking to someone she couldn't see. She thought she'd caught a glimpse of a woman, but... maybe she'd been hit harder in the head than she'd thought. He was Death, Horseman of the Apocalypse - she had seen stranger things. Surely it was just a ghost; a denizen of this dusty old church. Her eyes pleaded with him to take her home. No, not home - she was still a failure, and she could not return to Khione a failure. Unless... maybe if she took a captive, Khione would be more lenient. Perhaps she would even be satisfied. But she was far too tired for a fight, and she doubted she could win against a child of Zeus. But maybe there was another way... he had insider information on the camp, after all. He could be useful. So long as he didn't thrust a knife through her spinal cord. Turning back to Orin, she regarded him with a gaze equally as curious as it was mistrustful. "You stated that Camp Half-Blood -" she spat the words as if they tasted foul - "'screwed you over' as well. Why go back to them? Why not just leave?"

[norvina!]

ναℓєηтιηα вι¢¢нιєяι🍇
(twenty-two;dionysus;around big house ruins)(tags;riley)

valentina thought about her question, she couldn't help but wonder what living a 'normal' life would be like for her. "I can't really imagine life outside of camp, I've lived here my whole life." she shrugged, the chaos and endless attacks and of course the losses from the camp had just become apart of life for her. "you'll get used to the monsters, sometimes the days without them feel dull." she chuckled, "living in the mortal world is boring, life as a demi-god is full of exciting adventures." she grinned, shaking her hands sarcastically. stepping on the neck of the skeleton, she removed the skull from his body holding it up like a prize. "I'm gonna see if the hecate kids can do some cool witchy stuff with this."

᥅ꪖꪑᦓꪖꪗ ꪑꪖ᥅꠸ꫀ👽
(sixteen;achyls;outside sunny center)(tags;malcom)

"someone wanted you to meet me?" ramsay asked, knowledge of her existence had been minimal. days and years passed by, often spent with her contemplating whether she'd even existed. it was rather surprising to see someone had known about her, especially about her bloodline. "you're very demanding." she mumbled, watching as the other man left the car. she moved quickly to the side watching as he entered the shop as others exited. it had been so long since she'd even seen others outside of the facility, "what is fanta anyways?" she asked, wondering if it'd be any good.

grabbing the colorful can from malcom she glanced over it, one ingredient popped out to her in particular 'sugar.' something she'd never been allowed as a kid, cracking open the can she took a drink. nearly spitting out the sweet orange drink, the carbonation surprising her as it burned her tounge. she quickly finished off the can, glancing back up at malcom "I don't know what any of that means, but if you have more of this I'm in."

🌨️αηαѕтαѕια уαнσηтσν
(fourteen;khione;cabin 22)(tags;aydan)

"I'm anastasia yahontov, daughter of khione" she greeted plainly, bubbling with excitement on the inside. she tried to offer him a smile, but her face remained neutral. "I'm okay, I ran here to hide.." she felt comforted by his hand, it reassuring to know her new-found sibling was affectionate and caring unlike their mother. "are you okay?" she asked, noticing he seemed to be in pain. "do you need ambrosia?"

[Kveykva]

──────── 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐬𝐨𝐧
────────── 𝐟𝐭. 𝐑𝐲𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐬
[✦] | Hephaestus | 18 | Male | Campfire ➡ Cabin 7| Tags: Ophelia, Juliet
❝ ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑒❞

"Will." The child of Hephaestus answered shortly. "Cabin nine." She was visibly shivering, but Wilhelm had nothing to offer her to make amends, as he was already down to just an undershirt despite the freezing weather. "Been away from camp fer a while, an' t' think I almost passed on it again." He sighed, breath misting in the air in front of him. The gunfire faded from a constant crackling to calculated pops, echoing on the settling winds. It sounded like the battle was drawing to a close, but he wouldn't say they won. After all, what did their enemy really lose? "She ain't dead, I say." Will added, clearly not one for conversations usually. "I had 'er in my sights, but somethin' happened. Disappeared when I pulled th' trigger with..." He scratched the back of his head. "Mighty frightening, I ain't sure what it was."

"Right shoulder," Ryan repeated, gingerly cutting through the girl's orange tee with a pair of scissors. She was talking, quite a lot, which was a good sign. He nodded along, only half-listening to her as he went about his examination. "No entry or exit, just like the rest of them," he murmured to himself, setting the scissors aside. "Schlepp you some─" a glance around. "Oh, that's what he was talking about." The nurse had heard "ambrosia" and "nectar" tossed around rather frequently, but it seemed like it was a sort of medicine. Felix's mentioned being unable to give it to patients for pain management, however, so it seemed like Juliet was out of luck. "No ambrosia for you," he offered a sympathetic smile. "Can't have you burning up, now can we?" Is that actually what happened? It didn't sound very safe. "Unless you're actually injured, and from what I can tell, these don't count. I'll get you something for the pain though, hang tight." Like a ghost amidst the crowd, he ducked and weaved to retrieve some of the painkillers Felix had on hand. They were dwindling quickly, so he'd have to prescribe them sparingly. "It won't start right away, so bear with it. We don't have a lot." Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the other girl who had carried Juliet in. Her skill with the violin was impressive, but something about her stuck out. "Her... She's in shock." Ryan blinked. "Her nose is broken. She─She knows that, right?" a glance back to Juliet as he bundled her in blankets.

──────── 𝐀𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫
[✦] | Athena Head Counselor | 15 | Male | ➡ Ma's Diner | Tags: Dahlia, Aggy, Questing Group
❝ 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡𝑠❞

As expected, the revelation left the group filled with lingering doubts. He hadn't considered Teilo would recognize the man, but it certainly helped explain a bit. "Felix gave it to me before we all left, and it's... it's bad." Aiden kept a steady tone, grabbing the newspaper up from the table and peering at the front page. He'd stayed in practice with reading English, despite how severe his dyslexia was, and it only took him a moment to decipher the jumbled text. "There's a couple excerpts from the speech bolded and Felix underlined a few snippets from the article, but the gist of it is the defense minister of the UK marking "demigods," " air quotes. "as domestic terrorist threats. They're described as "teenagers plucked from normal life and thrown into camps where they are reeducated, reformed, to fit into a doctrine that has shaken our planet." Sounds crazy, and it is crazy, but so far it looks like they've bought into it." his finger skimmed through the article. "According to Kingston, "demigods" are to blame for the sudden cold front and thunderstorms plaguing the New York area, and more similar anomalies are likely to follow." Aiden read through a few more lines, eventually setting the paper back on the table in favor of trying his chicken tenders. He wouldn't lie, they were pretty good. "He pulled some strings and Camp Jupiter is surrounded by the National Guard, but unless things have changed since this was printed, they're at a stalemate. No one's fired on either side, but they're trapped there. And I'd say Camp Half-Blood is next."

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

A heartbeat. A second barely passed, with the ghostly daughter of Mars defiantly meeting the gaze of the Horseman of Death. The meeker side of Nicholas fell into the old routine of being intimidated by her anger, but things were different now. They should be different now. He snapped his fingers and Moxie vanished. The others in the room sounded rather occupied, so perhaps they didn't catch his slip. He brushed his uncertainty aside as he greeted the group properly. "Why is everyone shouting?" Nicholas meant to say hello. "Hel—Hey. Hi. Sorry to dip out like that—" he paused, inhaling a slow breath. "Slow down, Nicholas." The horseman's thoughts had evolved from a steady stream to a torrential riptide, and his habitual hand motions caused too much pain to be of any use ebbing the flow.

"Not to interrupt, but..." Death began slowly, trying to keep his thoughts in check. His eyes met Vivienne's, and a pit of guilt weighed heavy in his chest. She was vulnerable. He'd taken advantage of her cold, calloused demeanor in their previous interactions for the sake of jokes, but his goal was never to leave her feeling so exposed in front of someone she considered an enemy. She wanted to leave; his support wasn't something she wanted, at least not at the moment. Vivienne relished her self-sufficiency, and allowing someone to invade her independence reflected weakness. She didn't need that right now.

He reached for the nearly empty bottle of nectar, examining the label on the glass container. Nicholas squinted. I swear if I have to start using reading glasses, Without finishing the thought, the god downed the rest of the bottle in such a fashion that pointed to experience with the action. "Sorry," he apologized, swallowing the beginnings of a burp. "This nectar is not doing its job. You─" a pause. "You kids were in the middle of a conversation. I'm just... pretend I'm not here. Finish. Sorry." Nicholas wasn't sure if they were capable of pretending he wasn't there, given how demanding his power could be. He shuffled between them and took a seat on one of the pews, head resting on his hands. Moments after, the Doors vanished. He'd need to retrieve them later.

──────── 𝐂𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐚𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐳
[✦] | Oracle of Delphi | 23 | Male | ➡ Cabin 10 | Tags: Jack, Astra, Aphrodite NPCs, Honey
❝ 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑛 𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑏𝑜𝑛, 𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑔𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠❞

He'd insulted her, but she didn't sound too taken by it. A positive, he supposed. Let's see how long it took for his luck to run out. "Okay is good." Cain managed, gulping down a few deep breaths to calm his heart. "Y-You're brave, at least. I can't even—" the thought alone completely reversed his attempts to keep calm. "I don't like ghosts." That was an understatement.

After a few minutes, his adrenaline started to fade, and the pain screaming from his arm became more apparent, leaving his attention divided. He tried to ignore it; he wanted to ignore it, because maybe if he turned a blind eye to the pain long enough it would go away. The fool-proof tactic to fend off monsters in the closet never seemed to work for Cain, so it was no surprise when it failed him once again. He tugged the sleeve up to his elbow, dismayed to find his arm coated in a thin layer of frost, unbothered by the cabin's warmth. He didn't know what a ventus was capable of, but common sense told him this bite wasn't good. "It hurts." How much was the real question, and Cain wasn't certain he could give an accurate rating. "It hurts a lot." That will have to do.

[sammy,]

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐬 ！！ x─────ix ♖
x──────i ii thanatos. iii seventeen. iiii tags: quest group.
ivi diner

aiden read out the remainder of the article, and as it continued onward, teilo's face dropped further, eyes inching ever-wider upon the utterance of each word. "jesus christ," he murmured. "i've never heard of a politician doing so much." maybe it wasn't the time to comment on the efficiency of the political system, but it applied. this man clearly knew what he wanted to do. he had a plan - it wasn't just random chance. it lined up with what they were dealing with, and what they were dealing with was beginning to compound into a gargantuan beast, the weather only the tip of the iceburg.

he leaned back. he would have said something else, added to the comment, but the moment the tip of his spine made contact with the back of the chair he was sitting in, a wave of something unexplainable overtook him. an immense feeling of dread, of 'wrong' - not dissimilar to what he had felt when he looked at orin, but much more concentrated, intense.
if it was possible for him to pale any further, he had achieved it. a glance in the direction of the ghosts that populated the diner - their bodies appeared to flicker, to blink in and out of existence, faces twisting from confusion to utter shock. it was wrong. something was profoundly wrong.

"i'm -" that sentence wasn't ever going to be finished, in retrospect. teilo launched from the booth, headed in the direction that the toilets were signposted in, staggering half the way.
the door opened, hardly shut behind him - and the contents of his stomach ejected into a bowl with immense control. the coffee had been bad, but not this bad. he hadn't had troubles with anxiety-related nausea in the past, almost surprisingly, but this was different.

he wiped his face, flushed - obviously - and returned, clammy and fighting a tremor in his hands, to the table the quest group was on. a couple of anxious glances from the wait staff made him feel far too large for the room. "sorry," he said. "i - sorry." he couldn't shake the feeling taking root. it emanated, not just situated in his stomach, but expanding - like it was running through his blood, this fear, this capital-w Wrong. "we should go. if people know about demigods, then we should... we should go." he swallowed a lump in his throat. good to get some fresh air, he thought. "sorry. again."

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

she exploded once again, but from orin came no true reaction, face lax and dull. "none of us are lucky, vivienne," came the monotonous response. "but i misspoke. sorry. it got the better of me." why was he apologising to her? the question wasn't posed by himself, he knew - but he had to fight the inclination to argue back. there was no point. at the end of the day, they were just pained teenagers. that was all they could ever amount to. thrust into a world filled with too much for them to handle and expected to deal with it as best they could. 'lucky' was the last thing any of them were. he doubted even a child of tyche would consider themselves blessed by good fortune.

nicholas had returned, looking a little worse for wear, even for a god - especially for a god - muttering something about nectar. he cast his gaze at the horseman, shook his head. "s'alright. think it's done." it was out in the air now. it surprised him - he hadn't said the name in a while. hadn't allowed it presence in his head. for fear of the stress or for result of denial, but he felt the weight of it now. he wasn't quite worried anymore. there was a lack of pressure in his skull - he'd have to ask, at some point. ask felix, whose face was present in his mind as the question from vivienne came.

which, on that note, was a difficult one, because he didn't know. "i left my meds in my bedside table," he answered, which sounded pathetic. "and i have to give -" a look down at the jacket he wore. "have to give this back. and -" he was struggling a bit. "and i don't know i would. i've been there seven years now, it's not just... i -" though not prone to delusions of grandeur, orin had thought he was a bit more important than he had ended up being. thought that his presence at the camp had done something pleasant to it, had a good impact, but the result had just been - well. "seven years, and they thought i was working against them." he let out a little, harsh laugh at the realisation. and imagine if you had been. they wouldn't have stood a damned chance. he knew that now. he was a lot stronger than they gave him credit for.
"i don't know what i'd do," he said. "it was a safe place. i could pretend there. forget about stuff. and now i won't be able to, which sucks. but i feel like i have to. there's nothing else i've got." his friends were there - though small in their numbers, as it turned out - and his siblings, and...
well, there was only one of the former that really mattered. two at a stretch, but felix had moved on from camp. he wasn't going to stick around. "dunno."

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

"indeed," malcolm nodded. it was an odd concept, especially for someone who had, for the most part, spent their life locked away from the outer world, but there was no other way to explain it without getting into the nitty-gritty. he didn't quite understand it himself, and with jeremy in the car, it made things a touch more difficult. "so i've heard. have to be, in this line of work." he wouldn't get anywhere just waiting for good things to happen, that was certain. he had learnt a while ago that he had to pave his own way.

"you've never had -" malcolm's eyebrows shot up. shielded indeed. "heaven in a bottle. if you gloss over the minimal alcohol content, it's like..." he pursed his lips. "nectar." ironic. funny only to him, really. not even hicks was there to appreciate the joke he would only superficially understand.

a smile split his face when she drank, happy to find that the bribe had convinced her. she was a lot easier to get on side than other people - he hadn't even had to delve into the darker parts. there was simplicity in a bribe. "as much as you want. s'long as you brush your teeth," very fatherly of him.
he didn't think about it.

"off you go, jez. back to the hilton," james just wasn't sticking to the poor man. he didn't look like a james in the slightest. he wondered if he had enough power to make someone change their name. jeremy or not, the driver took the order, the suv rolling away, back into the direction of the city. "you've got a lot to catch up on, ramsay," he said. "hold your more pertinent questions for a bit later. we don't want this kind of thing to be victim of a leak. that wouldn't be ideal. i'll get you a room to yourself - with a minibar, obviously - and then we can talk... business."

[WitchHazel]

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

Mirabelle's eyes grew wide as she took in the information, though she quickly regained her composure and donned a serious expression. It would do no good for everyone to know how much this worried her. It would only worry them more, and it wouldn't do to cause a panic.

A look around at the group revealed a similar feeling of apprehension. Teilo had even gone a shade paler, if at all possible. He was white as a ghost. Her brow arched in concern. "Are you -"

She had about to ask if he was okay. Her unfinished question had its answer as Teilo bolted in the direction of the restrooms, and she knew all too well what was happening. She followed his retreating form with her eyes; a storm of worry brewing behind the blue-grey surface. Did the news really rattle him that much, or is there something else going on?

He returned from the bathroom looking peaked; with a light flush across his cheeks to boot. Her heart went out to him when he gave his stammering apology. "It's alright, she assured him softly. "No need to apologise. We'll get going." She flagged the waitress down for the bill, left money for the meal, and rose to her feet. Teilo looked like he very well may be sick again, and she would much rather get him out of the diner before that happened. Better to spare him the embarrassment.

She placed a hesitant hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle rub as she passed him by, hoping to provide what little comfort she could. "Come on, everyone. Let's go." Ash was still freezing his ass off outside anyway, and he needed to eat. She tugged her coat tighter around herself and pulled open the diner door.


|⟡|Juliet Pratten|16|She/Her|Hermes|Location: Cabin Seven|Tags: Ryan; Cabin 7 Crowd|

Juliet wasn't too torn up about the shirt - it was just a Camp Half-Blood tee, and she could easily steal another one from the camp store. She stuck her lip out in a pout when the man informed her she wouldn't be getting any godly sustenance. "Where's the fun in being here if I don't get any ambrosia or nectar?" He had a point, though. "Nah, I'm just messin' with ya. Don't wanna catch myself on fire. Been there, done that. Well, not using nectar or ambrosia, but... you get the point."

The man left momentarily, only to return with a few painkillers. She gratefully accepted them and took them as she followed his gaze to where Lucy was playing violin. Still that boring classical music. Couldn't she play like... rock violin or something cool at least?

His words were not lost on her, despite the throbbing pain in her chest. "Shock? Lucifer? You must be pulling my leg." He was bundling blankets around her now, and she had to admit she was grateful for that. She had lost her aviator jacket out in the snow at some point during the battle, though she couldn't recall when. I'll have to look for it when my body isn't trying to kill me. Gift from mom; there's no way I'm losing that. The dude was going on about a broken nose now. Lucy's nose. Juliet snorted, rolling her eyes. "Well, duh, her nose is broken. Seriously guy, where were you during lunch?" She tugged one of the blankets tighter around her wiry frame as she gave him a wry look. "The entire camp saw her nose get broken. She got decked in the face in front of everyone. How did you not hear about it by now?"


|❄|Vivienne Isole|18|She/Her|Khione|Location: Centralia, PA|Tags: Nicholas, Orin, Astoria|

Vivienne's attention shifted to Nicholas's uncharacteristically awkward remarks for a moment, though she kept Orin and Astoria in her peripherals. Wait a minute... hadn't a set of doors been there before? Yes, on the wall. Vivienne wouldn't have forgotten a detail like that; even if she had merely seen it in passing. The blessing and curse of eidetic memory. Focus. She blinked, urging her tired mind to sharpen as she payed heed to the conversation at hand.

Orin's apology took her off-guard. Uncertainty flickered in her icy eyes for a sheer second before her expression returned to its mask of stolidity. She gave him a silent nod, though the confusion never left her brain. Why is he apologising to me? He is supposed to be my enemy; and I his. Then the answer to her question came, and it was less stable-sounding than she expected it to be. Meds...? Oh, medication. I wonder what he is medicated for. That was none of her business, unless it was a weakness she could exploit. Seven years... that is a substantial amount of time. Seven years would have garnered some sort of loyalty, no doubt about that. But maybe, just maybe, she could water those seeds of doubt that seemed to be brewing inside him already.

"You stated that they betrayed you." Her tone was cold and crisp, with no trace of the prior emotion that had taken over. "They branded you a traitor. They rejected you. They turned their backs to you, even after your seven years of loyalty. They did not want you, son of Zeus." A sliver of bitterness had seeped into her voice. Perhaps Orin wasn't the only one she was talking about. "Who is to say they will have a place for you if you return to them?"

[sweet.peaches~]

🌺 robyn adams | 17 | she/her | aphrodite | location: thalia's tree | tags: mateo, collin
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
she felt her cheeks become red when she realized collin had heard him, especially since she was the one who had chuckled. robyn couldn't help but get nervous about her friends and cabinmates too. there's gonna be a lot of injuries, probably even multiple deaths. robyn had a sick feeling in her stomach, but she certainly wasn't going to show it. "if the apollo cabin's safe, the other cabins must be," the daughter of aphrodite nodded. she glanced over to what mateo was talking about, and admittedly it also took her by surprise. "oh my gods," her eyes widened. how did i not notice that? am i that oblivious? they had arrived very late. was that a good thing or a bad thing? probably a good thing despite all the questions that kept appearing in their head. should robyn be talking more, or would that be weird? maybe she should stop fidgeting with her hands, although the demigod doubted it would do much.

then there was the son of hephaestus making sure she had direct eye contact with him while he was speaking. jeez, do i really suck at looking at people when they talk? "ve con el, tengo que buscar en la enfermeria a mis hermanos." robyn gave him a thumbs up but internally frowned. i barely know this guy. well, okay, i've seen him once or twice, but we don't talk that much. besides, she wanted to have his comfortable presence around. still, robyn shoved her feelings down and concealed it with a smile. "espero que estén bien," she whispered back before turning to the son of zeus. do i tell him that he's gonna take off? or does mateo just leave? "let's go," she awkwardly smiled. this guy's gonna head out so i'm stuck with you now. literally nobody would say that. "mateo's gonna make sure his siblings are okay. mind if i come with you then?" robyn asked him, uncomfortable with the cold surrounding her. coming from blazing hot arizona to freezing new york is a lot. too bad she was going to have to get used with it.

⚡ riley palmer | 16 | she/her | zeus | location: around big house ruins | tags: val
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
it was certainly a bit of a surprise to see her perspective but understandable. must be easy to say that when you've grown up at camp half-blood. she wasn't sure whether or not she should envy val or pity her for not knowing about life outside camp. "you know me. all about adventure," she joked. although it's not like i have any choice. she was annoyed at herself for being so pessimistic. you're riley palmer, the demigod reminded herself. there's nothing you can't do. her wound was definitely not healed just yet but the pain was no longer as overwhelming. riley took that as a good thing. well now the skeleton was officially a goner. "scare the younger campers with a floating skull awaiting them in their cabins?" she smirked. there was no trace of hermes' blood in her but hey, the daughter of zeus could still appreciate pranks. "i don't know if that'd exactly be in the category of 'cool witchy stuff' but.. gods, it already makes me laugh imagining their terrified faces," riley chuckled.

i probably wouldn't be a good babysitter. but hey, if it took thinking about terrorizing little kids to get distracted from the reality that they were absolutely screwed, then it was fine in her book. the mention of the hecate kids reminded her of kathryn. oh gee, didn't i make her cry? or maybe it was orin apparently betraying the camp, which he never would do. whatever it was, if she visited her cabin, it certainly would be an awkward encounter. about to wiggle her nose, riley quickly felt her face. specifically the ruined makeup. "how the hell did i not notice?" she muttered to herself. i really went to war looking like this? turning to val, she unfortunately would have to ask for more assistance. "you, by any chance, have makeup on hand right?" how embarrassing. then again, the half-blood could basically endure anything, even if it meant this.

[*Lovel*]

〖 ☾ 〗Ash Davis〖 ☾ 〗

Son of Hypnos ☼☽ Cabin 15 ☼☽ 17 ☼☽ Bisexual

☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆═━┈┈━═☆

Tags: Teilo, Quest Group
Location: Ma's Diner

Ash snapped out of his seemingly eternal daydreaming as he heard the diner door creak open. He wiped his face for good measure and shook the snow out of his hair with his hand. He got up and made his way to the door to meet them. He opened his mouth to say sorry about staying outside and not joining them but he caught sight of Teilo and his mouth immediately closed. He walked, more rushed, past Mira who had been holding the door open for everyone. He would've said thank you but manners weren't on his mind. All he could see was Teilo's abnormally flushed cheeks and his look of wanting to hurl.

Ash grabbed Teilo's shoulders gently "What - What's wrong?" he asked. The lights were beginning to burn his eyes but this time he didn't turn and walk out, this time he dealt with the burning sensation. He didn't wait for the other boy to answer, he pulled Teilo to him and made circular motions in the middle of his back. "What do you need? What happened?" he questioned, voice taking a softer tone. What happened in there that effected him like this? Ash looked to the others for some kind of hint, anything, but they looked just as worried. He apparently missed a lot while in curb dreamland. He should've been there for him, and the others, instead of whisking away into the cold because of some lights. Nothing he could do now but bring Teilo comfort and help him with whatever had him like this."I'm here for you."