Camp Half-Blood: Into the Storm - Closed!

[WitchHazel]

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

"You look better."

Vivienne jumped when Nicholas's voice floated through the air; much closer than she had expected. She attempted to regain what little composure she had left as she risked a glance up at him, though there wasn't much she could do in her state. "Do not patronise me." The words completely lacked their usual venom; replaced by a bittersweet sorrow. As he went on, she recalled that he had given her his handkerchief. She still had that somewhere. A brief search of her garments revealed it to be in the righthand pocket of her torn dress. While she listened, she dabbed at her eyes and nose in a feeble attempt at cleaning herself up.

He had a point - he'd kept his promise to her. It was the first in a long while to have been kept. But it was the second part of what he said that took her interest. "If it is within your power then how is it that you cannot do it?" Though her tone was soft and subdued, a certain edge of bitterness had crept into her words. "Explain to me exactly how that works." She wanted to leave the dusty old church. She wanted to get some food in her stomach and go to bed. The right side of her face still stung where the boy with the rifle - Will. Will, that was right. Wasn't it? - had hit her. But she didn't even know where to begin with all of that, and there were too many unanswered questions. Too much left unsaid. She needed to know why. She needed to know how it worked so she could understand; so she wouldn't be upset with his inability to give her what she wanted. What she needed. She needed to know, and she needed to know now.

[sammy,]

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

auggie was cynical. that came as no surprise at all. it wasn't like with chuck - he had to fight a case here. she was hurt, so much was evident, and she was tired, and the last thing she likely wanted was to face the kind of dilemma that he had presented. but orin couldn't deny that he'd missed it, the intimidation that didn't really stick to him.

"i know," he said softly. "i'm sorry. i'm really - you can't even - i'm sorry. i -" he searched for the words that weren't making themselves available. "of course you're not supposed to believe me. you're too smart to believe me, auggie. this is, like, bog standard trojan horse scenario, right? you've just - you've just fought against ghosts, and here's the dead man, telling you that he's fine - i mean, it's a classic final gambit. if this was someone's plan, it'd be too cliche to come to fruition. you're not supposed to believe me at all. but -" his lips pursed, voice wavering a little. "you know, i'd like it if you did. if you'd believe me. i'd really - i really want you to believe me. i should've - i should've been here, i wasn't, i'm sorry, and you don't - i mean, you should have one of these to my throat right now." a nod at the knife he held. "i said you'd hate me, right? earlier? a thousand years ago? a couple hours ago? i said you'd hate me. but i'd like it if you didn't. if i could be wrong." something brewing in the backs of his eyes. "i want you to want to believe me." he let go of the knives, allowed her to take them. arms fell to his sides, unceremoniously, and he waited. a juddered breath, mist accumulating in front of his mouth in short, sharp bursts.

he hadn't been frightened in the face of death, nor in the presence of the girl who had caused this entire mess; not properly, not like this. he supposed it was different. he hadn't really cared in the church. hadn't wanted for anything because he'd already lost it all, the hope, but a spark remained. a tiny, insidious flame. "alive." he repeated, very softly.

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐞𝐮𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨 ！！ x─────ix ✩
x──────i ii dionysus. iii sixteen. iiii tags: hank, chuck. ivi dining pavilion.

hank was cheery, confident and certain, and that was a good thing. the paranoia seemed to drift away, poured out on the snow and ignored. "you're sweet, hank," she said, brows furrowed. it was rare to have such ingenuity. "aren't rabbit's feet - don't they grant wishes? really bad wishes?" she was mixing that up with something, but unable to figure out what exactly that was. "we win. we're gonna win."

and then chuck, who arose from nowhere, dressed in a shirt that danced and spiralled in front of elfie's eyes. talking to hank about something or another, asking if they were alright - alright was an understatement. "chuck!" she beamed. "chuck, chuck - chuck, i love you, you know. i think you're just - you're so sweet, and it's just - it's really nice. you're so nice," she paused. "and your - your shirt, it's so - it's gorgeous. it's speaking, chuck. it's - it's - oh my gods," in awe of the spirals, the way the tie-dye span.

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬 ！！ x─────ix ♅
x──────i ii janus. iii sixteen. iiii tags: emmie. ivi cabin one.

"you seem to have quite a lot on your plate here, though," he said. "must be organised, right? the timing's too... i dunno. both camps being attacked at the same time." it made him uncomfortable to think about - something else would do.

"he manages," conan said softly. "really well. i wouldn't be able to - i dunno." the thought made him shudder, and the question had him shaking his head. "no, not our own. i could probably see his future, if i tried hard enough, and he could see my past, but we can't - we can't dig into our own. i'd rather not know everything that's gonna happen, though. if life wasn't a little bit surprising it'd be so boring."

"if you can't look after yourself you're not exactly gonna look after other people very well, are you?" he posed. the television was enough to stem the briefly profound thoughts - though the dinner horn, further explanation, and offer of a hoodie was much appreciated. "thank you."

as ordered, he tugged off the camp jupiter shirt, replaced it with the hoodie that did wonders for warming him up. "i'm gonna grab you something. need to check in with aldi anyway, and i wanna scope out what kinda food you're packing here. if it's better than home i might have to stick around." conan launched to his feet, bounced on his heels to regain the energy that had been sapped by the relaxed position. then to the door. "back in a minute. i hope nothing exciting happens." the last comment paired with a wave at the television, a little smile on his face.

time to brave the cold again, he supposed, but worth it. emmie was a good host. deserved the favour in return. out he stepped, making his way toward the dining pavilion.

[Kveykva]

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

"It works in the same way as it does when holding a newborn kitten in your hands." Nicholas answered calmly. "It's helpless and frail; there's nothing stopping you from crushing it in your fist. Can you physically? Absolutely, it wouldn't be any more difficult than wringing out a washrag. But that doesn't mean you should." A surprisingly morbid analogy, but it worked well enough. "There's ethical issues that come up with resurrection. Just because I can doesn't make it my place. If I can bring Audra back, what stops me from bringing back Bob for Jean? What stops me from bringing back every body that passes through my parlor, just because their families can't let them go?" He shook his head. "If I can make one exception, what keeps me from making more? That's how my father taught me; he taught me morality with conjuration. I won't even make an exception for myself, Vivienne." His tone dipped into one distinctly plaintive, but only briefly. "That's why. That's why I can't. If Audra or anyone finds their way out through the Doors, that's Dad's business. I won't stop them, but I won't aid them either. Not for you or anyone else."

[indigo']

━━━ 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬

[✩]17|she/her|Hades|Head Counsellor|outside|tags: Orin

She hadn’t wanted an apology. That was the last thing she had wanted. Because nothing that had happened was his fault, and she didn’t want to be responsible for making him think that it was. But it felt like her throat was closing up, and as he went on with his explanation, the apologies, the pleas, she was finding it more and more difficult to form words. She slipped the knives back into their sheathes, avoiding his gaze. “Don’t,” she managed quietly, afraid that if she let more than one word out, the flood of emotion she was trying to hold back might break through. They’d had an agreement, they didn’t apologize.

She squeezed her eyes shut, partially an attempt to process the things he was saying, partially an attempt to hold back the tears already pooling there. It could be a trick. It could be an illusion, something that had been sent to catch the already beaten down campers off guard, or something conjured by her hazy, sleep-deprived mind. But she didn’t want it to be. That had never been a good enough reason for something to be true before, but now it had to be. Because not even the most broken, cynical part of her wanted to believe the boy in front of her wasn’t really there.

“Of course you were wrong,” she choked out. “Of course I don’t—I don’t hate you. Of course I want to believe you, but...” She opened her eyes again. Looking at him through the blurry film of tears that warped his face, he almost looked like what she expected him to be. Part of her was screaming against the churning thoughts in her brain, telling her to turn around and walk away. She wasn’t supposed to fall for things, she wasn’t supposed to believe in things or want to believe in things. That wasn’t her. But she couldn’t do it. Because he looked exhausted. He looked hurt and afraid and desperate. He looked human. And she didn’t want to walk away.

She could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks. That probably evened the score. Slowly, she took a step forward, looking up into his face. “You’re too pathetic to be a ghost.” The jab lost a bit of it’s fire in her red eyes and wobbling voice, but it didn’t really matter with him. She believed him, yet her heart still leapt into her throat as she pulled him into a hug, half afraid she’d fall right through him. But she didn’t. He was real and solid and tangible and alive. Face pressed into his chest, she finally broke, the built up sobs racking her body. “I’m sorry,” muttered softly, voice muffled, breaking the rule again. "For all of it."

━━━ 𝐕𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐨 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨-𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐳

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

“You have a point.” Vittorio decided it was probably best not to continue on with the argument, as clear as it was that Aldous was bothered by the idiosyncrasies of the American film industry. “Well, hang on, didn’t he like train—” Nope. Not a good idea to bring that one up again. “He’s done some stuff. Maybe not godly stuff but...I dunno, doesn’t seem like Wine Guy does much around here if I’m being honest.” He lowered his voice in the second half of the sentence, worried someone might overhear and he’d be struck down by a bolt of lightning, or a very angry grape vine.

A sense of dread filled him as they stepped into the Dining Pavilion, though he pushed it down for the time being in favour of nodding to Aldous, giving him a tight lipped smile. “Yeah, you too.” He frowned at the thanks, confused because he hadn’t really done anything. It seemed the other came to that conclusion around the same time. “Yeah...uh, no problem. Good luck with the guy with the extra legs.”

━━━ 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞

[✿]16|he/him|Iris|The Vi-Wi-eMVee|tags: quest group

Jamie shot a grateful glance in Ash’s direction as he threatened to knock Aggy out. Though the threat didn’t seem to have much effect on her, the restraint of her seatbelt did, and he let out a soft breath of relief as she was dragged back into her own seat and out of his personal bubble.

His stomach lurched along with the van as he caught sight of the swerving car being narrowly avoided. He’d thought the pegasi were bad, but he was starting to miss their equine friends. At least the horses knew not to run into each other.

“I don’t snore, but I’ve been told I talk in my sleep. Dunno if I believe it though.” He wasn’t sure if that was better or worse than snoring, but better to admit to it now than risk somebody getting mad at him for it later. He’d been distracted by the discussion of room arrangements and hadn't really noticed what was going on next to him, turning back just in time to see Ash blowing a handful of dust into Aggy’s face. “Did you just…” He looked back and forth between them, eyebrows raised in surprise.

[sammy,]

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

orin knew that realistically, given time, she'd figure out that he was real. he'd stick around - other people would see him, other people would come to the conclusion of 'living' after the initial hypothesis of 'dead', but he wanted her to believe him now. he didn't want it to be the same as with everyone else, who he was certain to be false about - certain to brush off the nature of his leaving with. he wanted her to believe him because he wasn't quite sure that he believed that he was alive himself, yet. she had displayed a habit of seeing straight through the mask that had been so set for so many years. if she could believe that he wasn't a ghost, a tiny shred of the person that he'd been before, then so could he. he hoped.

and when she stepped forward, made her comment, a noise that would have been a laugh but collapsed into a noise that sounded more like a sob escaped him. "yeah," there it was, the ice shattering. hope prevailing, and it was good. he didn't stumble when he was pulled into the hug, just wrapped his arms around her shoulders, hoped that she wouldn't notice the slam of a strained heart under the chest that she was sobbing against. "you have no idea how little you have to be sorry for,"

"i missed you," he said, pressing his face against the top of her head, holding onto her like the floor would open up and swallow him if he didn't cling to this. and he had, even when he hadn't quite been sure what he was missing. "i never got to punch your dad." the words were muffled, but spoken through a smile.

orin hadn't been sold on his return. in the lift, in the church, in the woods, by the beach - he had been wracked with uncertainty, the yearning to return to the silence. this was it though, ultimately. the thing he had waited for, the person he had waited for. the doubt had dissipated. he understood his fragmented self's plight. "let me look at you," he leaned back, hands moving to the back of her head to do just that. "did you say you nearly died? do you have any idea how miffed i would have been if i'd come all this way and you'd ended up where i'd just left? auggie, i would've burnt this whole place down." he was happy, in spite of the tears and the heartache, the events that had led them to this, because none of that mattered. it could be forgotten for the sake of one pure moment.

[indigo']

━━━ 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬

[✩]17|she/her|Hades|Head Counsellor|outside|tags: Orin

Auggie ignored the spike of pain that shot through her arm at the movement, barely winced at the jab in her side. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered because he was there and real and alive and nothing else could even come close to mattering as much. “I should’ve been there. I should’ve done something. I could’ve—” Realistically, she knew that there was nothing she could have done. And it was all in the past now, past that felt like an eternity ago but had supposedly just happened. She was sorry anyways.

“I missed you too,” she mumbled into his shirt, as if she were still afraid of the weakness in the admission. As if it wasn’t already obvious by the state she was in. A laugh broke through the sobs. “It’s okay. I’ll find a way to do it myself.” She’d been angry at her father, at herself, at everyone who had let the events earlier in the day happen. The anger was forgotten now.

She looked up at him, swiping at her tear stained cheeks with one hand, though it didn’t really do much. She winced when she lifted her arm, trying and failing to hide it. “I got...a little bit shot,” she admitted, the smile on her face a drastic contradiction to her words. “It’s fine though. I’m fine. And in my defence I didn’t really think you’d be waltzing back in here anytime soon.” She laughed again, shaking her head at him. "You would've burnt it down?" she asked doubtfully, rolling her eyes. "I think you'd be a little preoccupied with, you know...being alive."

Her gaze flicked up and her smile faltered. She reached up, gently touching the lock of white hair, before looking back to his face. "What happened to you?" she asked quietly. She wasn't sure if he'd actually answer, or if he'd tell her the truth at that. She wouldn't have blamed him for not wanting to talk about it, for wanting to forget everything that had happened. If they could stay in their bubble, even just for a fleeting moment, and ignore the world around them, act as if none of it could hurt them. It felt that way, but she couldn't stop herself from asking, or from hoping that he'd trust her enough to be honest.

[sammy,]

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

"it had been a long time coming, auggie," he said softly, and he understood that. he didn't like it, still a little vexed by the whole scenario, but she didn't need to blame herself for it. best to believe that it was a cruel twist of fate than to think that something else could have changed the story. "i'd never blame you. not in a million years." it had never been something he'd even considered, let alone something he'd allow himself to believe.

the lightheartedness was bleeding back in, as was evident, but it felt a little different. it meant a little bit more, to joke about the things they had joked about before, even after such horrors. speaking of which - "shot?" eh repeated. "you were - are you alright?" she didn't appear to be bleeding, not profusely, but the revelation was frightening anyway. "you really thought the underworld could hold me?" orin shook his head. auggie was doubtful, but he would have. "to the ground." a little frightening, because he knew that he meant it. he knew that it was something that had been on the cards. the conversation with vivienne came to mind. he didn't want to think about that.

it appeared, though, he didn't have much of a choice. she asked, because she was always going to ask, because he had ended up in this situation as a result of her seeing straight through him, and this wasn't something that was likely to change as a result of a little death. "i -" he considered lying. pulling the same story he had told chuck, but in an almost infuriating twist, it didn't appear possible.

so start with the light stuff. "went to elysium. saw my nan," always good. "she was raging i was dead. hoped for a bit more peace and quiet, i suppose. she thought i'd come to bring her back, but i - anyway, and i met my uncle, which was nice." he paused, thought on that for a while. "but i didn't - i didn't like it. i didn't think it... it felt wrong, being there, while you were, you know, up here, fighting against the end of days. i couldn't stay. so i didn't." he wanted it to end there. for the tale to simply be that he found the doors and made his way up. "so i thought, i'll go to the lethe and just be reborn. and i get there, and i think... well, i won't be me if i'm reborn, will i? i'll be someone else. i didn't wanna be someone else. i wanted to go back. so i shout at my dad, he doesn't answer, and i just sit there. by the river." he chewed on his lip, a glaze forming over his eyes as he continued onward. he'd opened the flood gates now. "and these people, they'd come, and they'd tell me everything that had ever happened to them. their... stories, their lives. then they'd jump in the river, soul would scatter, and next one would come. and i just kept waiting." the flashes of lightning, the purple edges. "that happened a dozen times. but you spend that much - it wasn't time, it was just this... permanence, but - you spend that much time by the lethe, you start forgetting things."

"everything. mostly everything. everything was all jumbled. this girl finds me, astoria, crow, i called her, she's this daughter of moros - and i thought my name was pikachu. which is embarrassing. bad first impression. she didn't even know who pikachu was. and she hated me being there, 'cos i kept... lighting up the sky, causing a ruckus. and she's like 'you need to remember!' and i'm like 'i know!' so she takes me to the lake of mnemosyne, and i jump in." he breathed out. "and it gives me my memories back. but also, you know, those stories, they stuck, so i get me back, but i also get - everyone else. in full technicolour. i climb out, and it hurts, having that many things just thrown at you, so i'm like - 'aah! gotta jump in the lethe! can't do this anymore!' and astoria, you know, stops me. and then we hear the singing." he shut his eyes. "the doors were open. we found 'em. jump in. up we go, back to the land of the living, land in a church, oh my god, it's death, horseman of the damned apocalypse, and he's just there, singing american pie, complaining about his dad, showing us visions of our own vivid deaths, and i'm like, you know, this guy's sound. and we're having a conversation about sun tzu, or something, and he just... disappears. comes back with vivienne." that felt like a bombshell. "and they're having some form of domestic. she's upset, he's being all... fatherly, and we have this argument, and i'm finally - you know, i wanna get back. spend all that time trying to get back and i'm in a church with a horseman of the apocalypse and some girl that i probably should have killed, really, looking back on it, but couldn't, 'cause i felt bad, and -" he shrugged. "shadow travel. land here. crow conks it, i get her to thanatos cabin, and here i am. that's the long and short of it. long, mostly. really long. sorry, i don't -" he tried a smile, a little more like a grimace. "you know, i said all that stuff about there being too many minutes, and once they were gone, they were all i wanted. funny how that works, really."

"i can hear them, though. not now. the - the people. they're just kind of there, chattering. they shut up when you showed up, but they're... being alive is really loud. you don't really notice. i can hear my heart. right now, i can hear it. haven't gotten used to that yet." finally, the weight seemed to settle, his brows pulling together in a frown. "i really - i really missed you. even when i didn't know who i was missing. i knew i was waiting for something. i never forgot you. not properly. i wanted to come back. i wanted this."

[indigo']

━━━ 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬

[✩]17|she/her|Hades|Head Counsellor|outside|tags: Orin

She was relieved that he didn't blame her, not that she'd expected him to, but it didn't exactly dissipate the feeling of guilt clawing away at her chest. Whether she could have done something or not, it had happened. If they'd never left their little bubble in the forest, if she'd never walked away, then maybe it wouldn't have. Maybe nothing would have gone the way that it had.

He seemed surprised at the revelation of her injury, as much would be expected, but at the moment, the throbbing pain in her arm was the last thing on her mind. “I think so. It’s…” One hand went to the shoulder where she’d felt the bullet enter, gritting her teeth and sucking in a sharp breath at the sudden pressure. She couldn’t feel any blood at least, that had to be a good sign. “I don’t know. I’m fine. Probably.”

She smiled at the following question, studying his face as if she were afraid he would disappear again. “No, not really.” It didn’t make sense because it had been real, it had been the end of everything, and of course she hadn’t expected to see him again, but now that he was there she couldn’t imagine a scenario where he wasn’t. There was a certainty in his voice when he assured her he would have burnt the camp down for her, and for some reason, even though she wasn’t supposed to, she believed him again.

Auggie asked her question and for a second, it seemed like he wouldn’t answer, that he’d put on the facade again and tell her it had been nothing, that everything was fine when it clearly wasn’t. But then he didn’t. So she listened, smiled slightly at the mention of his nan, let him tell her everything without interruption for the most part. It was terrifying to hear it, everything that he’d been through, it was also so undeniably him—refusing to stay dead, not wanting to leave when there was still a fight to be fought. A laugh escaped her at the pikachu comment and she quickly pursed her lips. “Sorry.” The smile faded as he continued, brow creasing in a frown, and then into something resembling confusion. “Death was being fatherly?” That was definitely not the most important takeaway from the story.

She was silent for a moment after he finished, letting it all sink in. There was a lot to sink in. “Jesus christ.” She let out a breath, then shook her head slowly, failing to find the words that could do anything in the face of it all. “Okay, that’s...a lot." She paused. “I’m sorry.” He wasn’t going to want her to say that, she was saying it anyway. “I’m sorry you had to go through any of that. That’s...” Not fair, horrible, terrifying. It was a lot of things. She didn’t need to tell him that.

“The people...from the river? They’re still there?” She frowned. “So the voices in your head are scared of me.” It probably wasn’t the time to be making a joke, especially not about that, but she wasn’t sure how else to respond. “I’m glad you’re back, Pikachu. Everything was...everything was really, really crap without you.” That was an immense understatement, she just hoped it was an obvious one. “Thanks for not forgetting me,” she said, mouth twisting in a wry smile, though it didn’t last long before melting into something more genuine. “This...” she repeated softly, saying the word as if it were unfamiliar to her, but not something she was entirely afraid of anymore.

[takara]

✁ | ℜ𝔢𝔢𝔰𝔢 𝔇𝔞𝔴𝔰𝔬𝔫
17 | Hades/Cabin 13 | Location: Cabin 7 | tags: Auggie-> Stella| mentions:

For a moment, Reese thought that Augusta would challenge his decision, but then she ran off as though she had seen a ghost. And maybe she had. It was not out of the realm of possibility for Hades' children. We are quite the lucky lot. He mused bitterly, swaying something awful as he inched forward.

His dismal movement was cut off by a slender figure ducking into his side. He did not know her face, but recognized the circlet she wore immediately. Hunter. "My upper chest, my reckoning is that the left side took the brunt of it." He started, resting as much weight as he dared on her. The short explanation made his throat itch, so held his tongue as they made their way to cabin 7. The mention of Apollo kids stung. He should be among them, patching up bones and wrapping cuts, but here he was, incapacitated. And by a soldier who was already sleeping with the worms!

The itch bubbled over into a hacking cough, and Reese turned his face from the Hunter to cover it with his sleeve. When he was done, he examined the arm, even though he already knew what it would be. "No blood. The bastard's did not even have the decency to finish the job." He grumbled under his breath, scowling at his sleeve as they finally reached the porch.

➹ | 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐫
17 | He/him | Apollo/Cabin 7 Head Counselor | Location: Dining pavilion | tags: [Izzy], Elfie, Chuck

Hank laughed, "Yeah, they grant wishes, but only if you blow on them and don't tell a soul!" Conspiracy in his tone. Or was that four-leaf clovers? Hank couldn't recall. And he would not, as a rainbow appeared before them, squirming lines swept out of the sky. He was transfixed by the sight, at once both meek and awe inspiring. He gaped openly at it, then at the person-no-being wrapped in it, spikes protruding from their curly head of hair. Then he looked to the face, and an ache rose in his chest. He should know them, even with their features distorted so.

Elfie was his unwitting savior. Chuck? Oh yeah, Chuck! Hank's hand reached out, unbidden, to touch his friend's shirt. "Chuck!" He chirped, his wandering hands joined by wandering arms that pulled the satyr into a hug. We're awesome sauce!" His said, voice muffled by the Chuck's shoulder. "But you, how are youuuuuu?" He questioned, genuine concern pulling up despite his dazed state. Hank loosened his hold to look over Chuck, frowning at the goat-like features that he could comprehend due to his altered state.

"Oh no! You got, you got livestock-ified! Let's get you to-" Not the infirmary. But why not the infirmary? Was the power out? "Don't worry dude, we'll find someone to fix you!" He said, glancing around as if a solution would appear to him.

[sammy,]

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

he didn't quite believe 'fine'. not with the pain reaction, not with the fact that she had quite literally nearly died, but for now, it'd do. putting it off for later. that was alright. they would deal with it - she was alive, that was what mattered. both of them were alive. that, in itself, was a miracle. and, of course, he never would have stayed in the underworld. he never would have stuck around. because paradise was boring and eternity was long, and because he had had the worst time of his life in the day previous and yet had never felt so steadfast in his existence.

so he told the story, no holds barred, no skipping over the rough bits, just a flippant response to something, and the further he got down the line of telling it, the more he realised that her following verbal expulsion was right. christ indeed. it had been a long journey. "i didn't realise how much it was when it was happening," orin said. the important bits never seemed important when they were happening. in a similar sense, he hadn't realised how important other things were until they were torn away. until he was standing in front of auggie and felt himself breathing of his own volition again, rather than forcing himself to in order to keep the habit.

"yeah. they're kicking about. they had some things to say about vivienne. a lot of... you know, arguments. they've all got their opinions." he let out a little laugh, like it was nothing, but it really wasn't anything. it didn't matter. "me too. christ, me too." finally glad to be home, though he wasn't quite sure that camp was the home that he had returned to, exactly. "in the words of the late, great, nat king cole - unforgettable. that's what you are." he returned the smile, and then it split.

"you know, it was bad. it was really... really long, and quiet, and i had so much time to think that i forgot how to, but i'd do it again," the grin faltered. honesty once more. "in a heartbeat. if i had to. i'd do it again. thousand times. i could've stayed, i could've stayed in elysium so easily. kicked it with daithi, gone looking for old faces, met john lennon, asked him what the hell he meant by 'i am the walrus, goo goo g'joob' and kicked him in his head a couple times, but - i didn't want to." he glanced away, words feeling like oil. "i thought, you know, i wasted so much time. i worried so much about - about stuff that didn't matter, and i heard all these stories, all these regrets, i've got a dozen people's regrets, and they're all about not - not doing something because they were scared, right? and i don't... i'm not doing that again. i'm not losing out on something that's really good just because - you know, i'm a little bit nervous. world could be ending. i met a horseman of the apocalypse. the apocalypse, and i'm worried about - about - all these what ifs, and they mean nothing, they're - i could be -" he looked down then, lost the words. "oh, shut up." the last words directed entirely at himself, not the tenants of his soul, who seemed to be holding their collective, effervescent breaths, nor auggie, who he doubted had any idea what the hell he was chatting. he didn't know if she was expecting it when he gave up the tirade, moved his hands to the side of her head, leant and kissed her, but had a little hope it wasn't too surprising.

this indeed. maybe the wait was worth it. he hoped the wait was worth it.