Camp Half-Blood: Into the Storm - Closed!

[takara]

❥ | Ophelia Rogers
16 | She/her | Aphrodite/Cabin 10 | Dining pavilion | Aphrodite NPC's, Riley, Aydan

He's only known me two days, and yet he has nice things to say? Ophelia's cheeks threatened to color at the compliment, but the timing was anything but good. And the location? Ughhhh! While the more kind-hearted members of her cabin joined the trail to the campfire, and most had the decency to at least pretend not to be listening, some had no such qualms. Namely Megan, who was looking like The Bachelor had aired a month early.

She tried to catch Aydan's eyes, as if a glance could show him anything beyond the wide eyed panic of for the love of any god, get out of here! Things like I'm terrified of what you have to say, but you're right, someone has to say it, and I don't want to lead on that, and please, please, please just not right here, I can feel everyone's eyes on me and I'm getting sticky with sweat and it's so gross and frankly, I don't want to be here at all. Her heart kicked back to life, doing double time in her chest. She had to force her lungs not to join it in the rush of in-out, in-out!. Was air always so hard to get a hold of? Am I panting? Gods, no! Her stomach flopped, and maybe it was lucky that most her food had yet to make it out of her bowl. A finger traced over her dragon bracelet, begging to steal fortitude from the familiar motion.

Riley was back at it, clumsily trying to recycle someone else's words to serve her ire. "Let it go," She growled, though if it was meant for Riley or Aydan was anyone's guess. The way they were facing off reminded her of a snippet from some half-baked English lecture, to ice or fire, the world shall fall. Those weren't the exact words, but they felt more real than anything a dead poet had scrounged up. She braced her shoulders, gauging the stormy eyes of her opponent.

Riley ripped from her grip, and Ophelia let her. The attempt to get them away from here had failed miserably, and she had no other reason to touch the blonde. Shocks sprung from Riley's fingertips, and Ophelia rubbed her hands together, suppressing the urge to flinch, ghosts of electricity flashing over her skin as she imagined what might have been. No sudden movements, unless you know you can pull it off in one. Basic training, you idiot! But something in the way she only did it once Ophelia was free from her grasp caught the Aphrodite girl's attention. Do you really want this? The tow-headed girl was quick to pounce, but given her brother's untimely demise... Given that there was an untimely demise...

She dropped her arms to her sides, let her shoulders relax, and tried to give Riley what remained of her empathy. She wanted to spit in the brat's face when she referred to them as "best bud's", no matter how much sarcasm dripped from it.

"No. This can wait." Maybe forever. She ducked her head solemnly and took a step back from Riley. "Again, I'm sorry for your loss. Shroud, memorial, anything that the Aphrodite cabin can do, we'll be happy to help." While she was not a fan of Orin in life, and his sister was only too happy to highlight why, death was death. Mourners deserved some breathing room. And direct combat would not favor Ophelia. Fortunate may favor the bold, but death favored none.

❀ | Jane Daughtry
Appears 19 | She/her | Hunter of Artemis | Dining pavilion | Winona

A smile fluttered across Jane's face at the energy Winona expressed. She'd make a good candidate for the Hunter's, should she choose that path. Young blood is always so alive, Jane mused, but I'm far from a recruiter. Then a darker emotion flooded her face, just for a moment. Blink, and you'd miss it. But Jane had learned long ago that a Hunter couldn't afford to miss such subtle cues. "If, if you're sure, that would be nice," She smiled hesitantly at the offer, cringing internally at her delivery. All these years, and I still can't afford an ounce of charisma.

Terror was such a mortal emotion. It's hard to dread the dawn when, for you, the dawn will always come. The girl looked rattled, and Jane subdued her expression to match. The question turned to current events. "I know what's happening now," She had had no choice in the matter, thrust into carting around injured kids as soon as she'd arrived. "But before this mess? I was under the impression that most demigods, the ones that know that is, remain at camp? No?" Uncertainty trickled into her words as she kept going. Gods, it's been too long.

It was then that she realized her mistake. She threw a hand up over her insubordinate mouth. "That- Sorry, I don't mean to grill you! Let's- I'll get going now," She nodded to herself, then went to the buffet to gather a plate of the aforementioned stew.

➶ | Hank Walker
17 | He/him | Apollo [Head Counselor] | Dining pavilion (Table 7) | [Izzy], Finn

Hank pulled his hand from his neck as though he'd been slapped. He pulled himself up, straightening a smile over his face. "Oh no! You're all good, Fins! It's just me being a doof, nothing on you!" He clapped a hand over his brother's shoulder to prove it.

He let his hand slide off like butter as Chiron called them toward yet another headache. This time, he brightened for real. "Yeah, hopefully," He said, casting his gaze across the pavilion to the girl at the Dionysus table. Soon, "Yeah, go ahead, I'll join you in a sec!" He nodded to the plates in front of them, and pushed himself into standing. "Dad might go easier on you guys if he sees this generous offering," He rolled his eyes. It was only so generous because the man- er, god -had neglected to make the healer's jobs any easier. Scooping them up, Hank balanced the dishes on his arm, making his way to the pyres before dumping the uneaten meals in. Oh, God Apollo, please accept my offering. And make the load of wounded easier... but not in the killing way, please! Oh, and make healing them easier, if that's like, one of your powers. There's too many for me to keep track of. Why do you have so many, like realms? ...Is that what they're called? Shoot, that got off track! Uh, just please keep camp safe? Yeah, I think that's all I wanted to say.

☠ | Aggy Clemson
15 | She/her | Unknown (Ares) | Hampton Inn; Room 208 | Mira

While she may be speedy in spirit, practice was a different beast. Especially when stairs were involved. Several flights of them. And insultingly sleep ones at that. After several not-so-graceful missteps, one of which had her tumbling down to the previous landing, the hotheaded girl had to accept her fate and cling to the railing, hauling herself up. The boys rushed past her and she turned her face to the wall, folded into herself, and let them pass.

Stumbling up the stairs in this manner, appearing impaired for all the world, Aggy finally reached the exit to her floor and pressed through it. From there, it was only a matter of time before she reached door 208. Slumping against it, she fumbled in her pocket for a key before remembering that no, she had not retrieved it from Mira. With a groan, she plopped herself on the rug in front of the door, flipping around her backpack to start nosing around in it. While Aggy was technically the owner of the bag, her mom had been the one to pack it, insisting that her organization skills would help items fit better than Aggy's (something she loudly protested, but not to the point of taking more work upon herself. And she mentioned something about a surprise...

She dug around with a renewed vigor, unceremonious tossing her clothes onto the floor by her side as she set about fiddling through every pocket. Gum? No, that's boring! She shoved it into a coat pocket anyway, before slipping a hand down yet another side pocket. Aggy loved pockets as much as the next girl, but were fifteen individually zipping interior pockets a necessity?

Her fingers brushed against something crinkly, and she sucked in a breath. Could it be? She got me cough drops??? Sweet! I knew she'd give in if I looked sad enough! She clutched at the thing, hauling it up to her face eagerly, ready to unwrap the fake-cherry flavored goodness, but alas, it was not.

Her heart dropped. "Oh," In her hand sat a lot of money. How much? Aggy didn't bother counting it, instead stuffing the assorted twenties into her pants' pocket. It will be useful, maybe? She tried to bring herself to feel better, but a cough drop would've been much more effective. Oh, and I guess that means I didn't have to be a charity case either. Glory, glory. She sighed like one well offended, and lack-lusterly shoved some clothes back into her bag.

[sammy,]

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

as flawed as it may have seemed, he knew that there was a hint of truth in his beliefs regarding the concept of plans. "it's chess," orin said. "it's chess. you put a grandmaster with all of their gambits and their manoeuvres in with someone who barely knows where a knight goes and what a rook is, and all of the grandmaster's plans are muddled. they can't make any of the moves they've got ready in their computer brains, because they can't predict where the idiot's gonna go. there's nothing more dangerous than a man without a plan," he tapped the side of his nose. "that's not my strategy, because obviously, i don't have a strategy. just take it all as it comes. live in the moment. might go out there and shock chiron dead. might throw a sheet over my head and really harp up the ghost thing. haven't decided yet." he was joking, and so much was clear, but there was something rather freeing about it all. "how're the fates gonna manipulate my thread when it just keeps going all topsy turvy? like cat's cradle. i wanna make it real difficult for 'em."

orin had made his thoughts regarding the beatles rather clear. "if chuck's world involves i am the walrus then i'm gonna have to put an end to it, actually." he shook his head with distaste. the satyr was an enigma. the conversation rose in his head, a reminder of what the evening was promising. nothing too happy. a lot of stress. coming out as alive. but for the moment, he could forget about it for a while. "i don't think you'd last five minutes in any world without punching something." no change there, then. "wouldn't wanna live in a world where you didn't fancy boxing the lights out of anyone who looked at you funny. it'd be way less entertaining."

she changed tact and the smug grin became a laugh, challenge falling flat. "you can't even hide it anymore. you're just so - you're so smitten with me, you can't even deny it anymore," he continued on. "maybe i don't wanna get rid of you. did you ever think about that?" the challenge returned, and the chuckled became cackles as the deadpan expression rose, and a very makeshift proposal was formed. "well, i never. proposing to me before you even know my middle name? you must be very set." he paused. "but - yeah, go on then. it'll be a laugh. it's daithi, for future reference. but i do have one stipulation." he held the laughter, tried to look very serious for a moment. "see, i've always had this idea, this master plan about whoever i get married to. and it's - it's genius. it astounds me, how genius it is. we go to a restaurant, no rings, no nothing, stage a fake proposal, and there. free dessert. every time. until the managers start talking, and then we just shift to a different state. i've always thought it was a very lucrative business opportunity. heart-shaped tiramisu calls my name. are you in? 'cause this isn't gonna work if you're not."

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐬 ！！ x─────ix ♖
x──────i ii thanatos. iii seventeen. iiii tags: clive.
ivi hampton inn, rooftop

“how did you end up here?” teilo asked by way of conversation starter. from what he had experienced - though limited - ghosts didn’t tend to wander far from home unless they were looking for something.
“i died here, would’ja bloody believe it,” came clive's answer, his eyebrows raised.
“really?” the voice didn’t match. the words didn’t match. nothing about him screamed 'new york inn'.
“yeah. came to america ‘cos - well, to make a long story short, i was ill. grid, they were calling it. proper ill. everyone’s saying it’s a death sentence, i’m thinking, ‘i’m not having that. there’s gotta be someone out there, somewhere, that knows what to do’. so there’s a whip-round in t’local church, back home. sister tells ‘em i’m trying to go to university out here. yale. they eat it up. our clivey, going to america to get all learned. couldn’t tell ‘em why, really. couldn’t say ‘ad found a lesion and had a cough like rattlesnake.” this wasn't a very good beginning to the story, but he appeared chipper.
“right,” so he got to america and died. there must’ve been something in between.
“there was this bloke, selling all these miracle cures. heard it through grapevine. worth a shot. get here, all money in my purse, and i let him do his thing. except, obviously, it doesn’t work. i get worse and worse, and i run out of money, and he kicks me out. ‘nothing i can do for you, lad. sorry. body’s not responding to the cure.' this point, i’m competing with dracula for undead levels. but i’m still going. can’t go home looking the way i do. i’d rather go home in the forever box. even if i wanted to, i’ve got no money. no ‘ope. and one day, i’m walking down street, feeling sorry for meself, and i see this geezer. and i go up to him, i go ‘excuse me fella, but you’ve got goat legs’.” there was a collection of large revelations in the brief explanation, but one stood out:
“you’re a demigod,” teilo’s eyebrows raised.
“so i hear. straight over my head, like. but this goat guy, he thinks he knows what can fix me. this medicine that works for demigods. none on him. we’ll have to go to his little home. some camp. i’ve got no other hope, so i follow him. he’s got this awful little cortina, rattling the whole way, bright green, barely knows his clutch from his handbrake, and we get tired. one night of rest before we get to this miracle camp. and we get here. in t’morning, we’ll make it to his spot, i’ll ‘ave the medicine, and i’ll be right as rain.” and in came the pause. the dreadful pause, as the next words hung in the air, ready to be spoken. teilo’s face fell, if it was possible for it to fall any further.
“oh,”
“and then i woke up dead,” clive shrugged. “bloody typical, that is. would only happen to me.”
“you were nearly cured,” teilo breathed. "you were so close to it, and you -"
“yep,” a huffed breath. had he been alive, the air would have misted in front of him. “oh, well.”
“that must've been early eighties. so - so why are you still here? it’s been, what, thirty years?”
“thought i’d stick ‘round till it was cured. proper. by real doctors. wasn’t expecting it to take so long. i come up here every so often, have a look at the world, and i think - i’m glad i died when i did. i had a good one. good life. shame ‘bout the end, but, what can i do?” clive's head tilted a little. "i think the question should be what you're doin' here. 'cos it's freezing nettles out here. and you're in a t-shirt, pretending you're not cold, talking to some dead fella on a roof." his eyebrows raised. "i've said my piece. tragic, sad, no bother on my back. but you look more like death than i do. so either buzz off and leave me to look at my kingdom, or start talking. before you go all icicle. 'cause if you die up here of the old thermia, i'm retractin' my offer on basis of rudeness."

[Kveykva]

──────── 𝐀𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫
[✦] | Athena Head Counselor | 15 | Male | ➡ Hampton, Room 204 | Tags: Jamie
❝ 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡𝑠❞

"The plants are tall?" Aiden guessed that made sense; he'd never actually seen a cornfield, he didn't think. Of course he knew where corn came from, but it's never something he'd thought about. Like how pineapples grow on bushes. "I wouldn't say you'd try going through the walls unless you really thought you were in danger. Which if you're being chased by a clown… I'd say your odds of dying are pretty slim. Unless you have a severe latex allergy." If Jamie had a latex allergy that bad, Aiden imagined corn mazes were the least of his problems. "Do you have any allergies?"

At Jamie's comment about his luck as a summer only camper, Aiden simply shrugged. "It's not a luck thing really, it's just the way things are. It's not like I'm going to hold it against you. You aren't any less of a demigod than I am because you have a home to go back to." It was a trivial thing to get jealous over anyway; of course Aiden wished he knew who his father was and why he'd never met him, or if he was still alive. But he wasn't going to start holding it again Jamie because the poor kid had a dad. Some of the summer campers did that, and he never understood why. "We've got other things to worry about besides whether you have parents or not. People are just dumb."

[indigo']

━━━ 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬

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

As ridiculous as his plan—or lack thereof—sounded, she could see the logic behind it. She was fairly certain the only reason she’d actually gotten the fleece from the hands of the skeletal soldiers was because they hadn’t been expecting her to charge right up and take it from them. Unexpected moves caught people off guard, even the most prepared could do nothing in the face of sheer, unadulterated chaos and spontaneity. “Hang on, did you just call yourself an idiot?” She raised an eyebrow. “Not disagreeing, just clarifying.” She let out a little, surprised laugh at the ghost comment, cringing slightly at the idea and the reminder of what they were going to have to face—sooner than she would have liked. “Oh god. What would they even do? I mean, what’s easier to believe that you...came back? Or that sheet ghosts are real?”

She feigned offence at the comment on her inability to not punch things, even if she had just thought the same thing herself. “Excuse me, I’ll have you know it’s been…at least six minutes since the last time I punched something. Probably. Haven’t exactly been keeping track. I've had some distractions.” She smiled at the following statement, not bothering to dispute his words, countering them with a question instead. “Entertainment? Is that all I am to you?”

It wasn’t surprising that her new tactic didn’t work on him either. Auggie got the feeling there was no way she could win this one. That wasn’t going to stop her from trying anyway. “Are we sure this isn’t just a deflection?” she asked. “That you’re not just trying to distract from the fact that you like me?” She frowned at his question, brow furrowed slightly as she considered it. “No,” she decided finally. Normally, she would’ve made a comment about how he would, eventually, even if he didn’t now. The kind of thing that she’d pass off as a joke, even if she really believed it. But she didn’t feel like shattering the moment with her own insecurities, and it was a lot harder to pay attention to that part of her brain when she couldn’t manage to wipe the smile off her face for more than a second. The deadpan expression didn’t last very long, the proposal was stated, and as soon as he started laughing, she cracked. “I don’t have time for that crap. The second I saw you I thought; I’m gonna punch that boy and then I’m gonna propose. Had it all planned out.”

“Mhm?” She paused, eyebrows raised as she waited for whatever absurdity was coming next, struggling to maintain a serious expression as the corners of her mouth twitched up and biting down on her lip in an attempt to hold the laughter in. It barely lasted a second. “You know what? That’s actually pretty good,” she managed through the giggles that were no longer being contained. “Yeah, I’m in. Of course I’m in.” A thought struck her, eyes narrowed slightly. “Why whoever you’re married to though? You know you could literally do that with anyone, right?”

━━━ 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞

[✿]16|he/him|Iris|Hampton Inn, room 204|tags: Aiden

Jamie raised his eyebrows at the question, not in a judgemental way, just surprised. “Have you never seen a stalk of corn? They’re like…” He gestured vaguely above his head. “Tall,” he confirmed. “Well, no, it wasn’t because of the clown. I got lost. Couldn’t find the exit so I figured if I just went through the walls and kept going, eventually I’d come out on the other side. Didn’t work out very well though. But it was okay because it turns out I was right around the corner from the entrance. The clown actually helped me.” The clown had helped him because he’d sat on the ground and started crying, but he didn’t think he needed to share that part of the story, even if he had been seven at the time. He pursed his lips at the question of allergies, squinting slightly as he thought. “Not to latex. Or clowns. I used to tell my dad I have a spinach allergy but...that was just to get out of eating it.” He grinned, clearly proud of himself.

As the conversation turned away from corn mazes and fake allergies, his smile faded, expression turning a little more solemn as he nodded. “Yeah…” he agreed quietly. I’m just less of a demigod for other reasons. Even if Aiden wasn’t holding it against him, he still felt a little guilty. A lot of the others were better at the whole demigod thing than he was, and maybe it was because they’d had less experiences of mortal life than he had, but he didn’t think that seemed likely. “That’s true.” He cast a glance back towards the window, watching the snowfall outside with an unsettled feeling. “Lots of other things.”

[sammy,]

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

there were a lot of pros to acting out of sheer impulse. orin was, however, ignoring the rather glaringly obvious risks that came about with the same management. without a plan, there was no escape route if things got dire. he did find himself wondering what kind of life would be led if based on complete randomised chance - the roll of a die, the flip of a coin - but the lack of control was a pressing issue. he looked baffled at the question. "me? an idiot?" he repeated. "obviously. i'm a very intelligent moron. i thought that much was clear." there were a lot of ideas as to how they could do things, but it all seemed theoretical now, not as pressing as it had been. "well, it was either a sheet, or i get a big... you know, a big cake, and i jump out of it. surprise!" his hand wiggled to mark the exclamation. "but i think that's a bit 'stag do'. the sheet feels a good move. but it'd give the wrong impression." he punctuated the thought with a sharp inward inhale. "i think both are equally believable. maybe - maybe i get some fake fangs, pretend to be a vampire."

six minutes was certainly a while for her. "has it really been that long? are you having withdrawals? you can go for my arm if you want, i don't want you getting peaky." the joking comment was responded with a question of his own. "i could ask you the same thing. am i just a distraction from getting punchy?" he tilted his head, rolled the thought round. "awful choice, if i am. i don't think that would work very well. maybe for weaning purposes. i think i'd just bring the urge back."

orin was enjoying himself. the smile was coming naturally, the laughter not blunt nor frayed at the edges. there was no urge to play anything up. it was nice. a change of pace from what he had grown so used to. he hadn't noticed that it was killing him until it had killed him, until he didn't have to do it anymore. "i don't even know the meaning of the word deflection, so clearly it can't be," was the answer "now, what have i done that would possibly give you the impression that i like you?" the question idiotic. quite a lot, evidently. "i mean, aside from the whole... i mean, if you ignore everything i've ever done since i met you, i don't know where that idea comes from. you're being silly now." the more he considered it, even as joking as it was, the more painfully obvious it was becoming. "start considering it." sad, to him, that even a single syllable could betray something so pressing underneath the surface. "actually, no, don't consider it. i'm just gonna prove it. makes it all a lot less theoretical." more serious than the previous comments, but still light. "well, that's my entire spiel about plans out the window. you've just decimated my argument. i bet you've got spreadsheets on this stuff. analyses and that. every detail managed."

he knew it was good. it was an excellent plan. but the thought made his eyes widen. "i -" how hadn't he considered that? how had that never crossed his mind? "i never thought of it like that." it was almost unbelievable that he hadn't. "i've missed out on so many tiramisus. this is heartbreaking. this is - i'm shocked. i've never been so filled with regret in my life. all those missed opportunities." a dramatic sigh. "this is why i need you around. you're ten steps ahead of me. i'm meant to be the brains of this operation. this isn't fair. you can't have it all, now.

[Kveykva]

──────── 𝐀𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫
[✦] | Athena Head Counselor | 15 | Male | ➡ Hampton, Room 204 | Tags: Jamie
❝ 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡𝑠❞

"I think so?" Aiden didn't sound too confident with it. He'd seen farmland before, but he couldn't say he knew a cornfield from a wheat field. He stifled a second laugh at the thought of Jamie getting lost in a corn maze, his heart sinking slightly as he recalled the Labyrinth. "Just keep your left hand on the wall. You'll get out eventually." Statistically speaking, at least. He found it amusing to think the very same clown tasked with giving him nightmares was the one who helped him out of the maze. Then again, it was just someone in a costume. A mortal playing a role. There weren't any monsters in that corn maze. The mention of lying about spinach caused Aiden to choke on his spit. "What's your problem with spinach? It's good for your body, you know. Helps build strong... somethings. Maybe it's bones or your immune system. I don't know for sure, but it's good for you." Lots, for sure. It seemed they were just wasting time now, so Aiden decided to make use of their dwellings. He hopped up from the bed and rummaged around in his duffle bag, grabbing a waded handful of clothes. "Well, I guess I'm going to go shower. I won't take all the hot water, so if you want one, go ahead." He waved bluntly and headed to the bathroom.

[indigo']

━━━ 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬

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

“The most terrifying kind of moron,” she replied flatly. She was glad that he was cracking jokes about the situation, despite the apprehension that had been voiced moments earlier. It was difficult to predict how his return was going to be received. She hadn’t been sure how to react at first, but she’d had more of a reason to want to believe him than some of the others. Regardless, it was nice to set the worry aside for a moment, to look at it from a point of absurdity, humouring make-believe scenarios. “But where would you get a big cake on such short notice?” she pointed out, acting as if that were the biggest flaw in his plan. She nodded along to his ideas, the corner of her mouth twitching in a smile at the image of him making a dramatic entrance with fake fangs and all. “That’s it. That’s the one.”

Auggie shot him a half-hearted glare at the question of withdrawal, then changed her mind and nodded. “Yeah, actually. You know why I look like crap right now? And that whole not-being-able-to-walk thing? Nothing to do with getting shot,” she stated matter of factly. “All from not punching things. I might go rile up the Ares cabin or something.” Of all the things she’d said, that was the least true. She’d had enough of the god of war's children for one day, and she was fairly certain she couldn’t actually stand up on her own, even if she’d wanted to. Unless it involved a particular child of Ares, she wasn’t going to be starting anything anytime soon.

“Maybe.” She paused. “I think you’re selling yourself short. I’ve spent more time with you than anyone else the past two days and I’ve only tried punching you once.” She cringed at the memory. She knew Orin wasn’t holding the ordeal in the forest against her, he’d forgiven her before she even deserved it, but that didn’t stop her from feeling bad about it. It looked worse under recent circumstances, the regret only growing with the things she knew that she hadn’t known then. “That’s gotta be like...a new record or something,” she muttered, voice a little quieter than it had been.

She didn’t really understand the way their conversations always diverted from the chaos around them, how no matter how bleak it started out, they’d end up somewhere completely different. She was glad for it though, more than a distraction, it was a feeling of genuine joy, respite from the apocalypse outside the cabin walls. “No, you’re right. I guess neither of us like each other at all. Glad we’ve got that settled.” She couldn't even sound serious, her permanent facade of emotionlessness completely shattered. Her expression flickered briefly at his response, though the smile didn’t disappear. She hadn’t really meant anything by the ‘no’, it had simply been a reflex response, betraying her honest view of the situation. She didn’t think she’d been so obvious, but it was typical of him to see right through her, to give an honest response to something she’d been trying to play off as a joke. The sincerity left her without words for a moment, a feeling of warmth that didn’t fade when she scoffed at his next comment. “Spreadsheets? What kind of nerd do you think I am? I’ve got it all—” She reached to tap her head, immediately regretted the movement as a sharp pain shot through her arm, making her wince. “Up here,” she finished through gritted teeth, arm returning to her side. The painkiller was starting to kick in, numbing the pain to more of a dull throb. The combination of that and the fits of laughter had been enough to make her briefly forget that she was injured. “I’m gonna necromance that skeleton just so I can kill it a third time,” she muttered, voice soft, as if she wasn’t really aware she was speaking aloud.

The look of shock on his face was priceless, causing her to burst out laughing again. “And,” she added. “If you did it every time you were out with someone different, then you could do it repeatedly at the same restaurant. The staff would just think you’re either really unlucky or a massive jerk.” She tilted her head, giving him a false sympathetic smile. “Aw, you thought you were the brains?” she asked teasingly. “You can be the face.” She winced when she moved her arm again, ignoring it as she reached up to brush a stray curl back from his forehead. Another attempt at a straight face was made, grin breaking through as she continued. “Like Vanna White.”

━━━ 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞

[✿]16|he/him|Iris|Hampton Inn, room 204|tags: Aiden

Jamie shrugged, although it was pretty sound maze advice, it wasn’t likely he’d remember something like that in a state of panic. Aiden’s intense reaction to the revelation of his false spinach allergy made him chuckle. “Gods, you sound like my dad. Sorry I don’t like rabbit food.” He made an over-dramatic face of disgust. As he stared out the window, pondering the multitude of things they had to worry about, the sense of dread started to creep back in. Distractions were nice, but they never lasted long. He was shaken from his thoughts by Aiden jumping up, saying something that Jamie barely registered. He nodded quickly before flopping back on the bed, gaze turning to the window again.

[WitchHazel]

Mirabelle Everhart
|♡|17|She/Her|Aphrodite|Head Counselor|Location: Hampton Inn Room 208|Tags: Aggy|

By the time Mirabelle reached the top of the stairs, Aggy was rifling through her bag by the door to the room. Silly girl didn't take a keycard. A small smile tugged at the corners of Mirabelle's lips as she approached the younger demigod. "Looking for this?" She offered Aggy one of the keycards, holding it out for her to take with a gentle hand. "You don't want to lock yourself out if you go exploring the hallways on your own." Her tone was light and playful; no remnants of the frustration that had overtaken her downstairs. "Just don't lose it, or we'll have to pay for a replacement." Or, more likely, I'll have to use charmspeak again.

She deftly used her own keycard to open the door; the act almost muscle memory. "Do you mind if I shower? I'd like to wash off some of the dust and grime of travel." She held the door open for Aggy before entering herself. "If you want to shower, you can have it first. They'll probably also have a bath, if that's more to your liking." Most of the nicer places she'd stayed had them, and this was definitely amongst the nicer ones. It was relatively plain - nothing special, but it still beat crashing in a cheap motel or an overnight train car. Thank the gods we didn't have to use public transportation. With public transport came more monsters, and they hadn't run into many that day save the venti outside camp. That's odd, to say the least. It probably just means they'll all close in tomorrow. Thankfully, Karter and Laurel had stayed behind. Which meant that hopefully, the monsters wouldn't be as drawn to their group. Still, we're a large group of demigods. We're bound to attract something.


Juliet Pratten
|⟡|16|She/Her|Hermes|Location: Cabin Seven|Tags: Tulip|

Juliet took a huge bite out of her chicken platter, not even bothering to fully swallow before answering. "I dunno, Khione's just kinda always had it out for us. Or that's what I heard." She chomped down on some more food as she continued on, gorging herself like a starved beast. "Yeah, evil Elsa chick. V-something, I think. Her name's not important, just that she's some meshuggener who wants to kill us all or something." She shrugged, ripping off another morsel. "I'm not the best person to ask about that sorta stuff. Don't really pay attention to history and mythology lessons." A pause, where she ruminated momentarily. "Or any lessons, for that matter. Go ask one of the nerds, they'll probably know something."

Kathryn Blackwood
|☽|17|She/Her|Hecate|Location: Cabins Circle|Tags: Cricket, Lucy|

Shrugging on her dark cloak to ward against the cold, Kathryn started to follow a group of demigods towards the campfire. The small migration paused, however, when a small boy - Nemo, Kathryn recalled - came rushing past, nearly tripping over himself in the process. He seemed to be headed towards the pavilion. If Kathryn hadn't known better, she would have thought something was chasing him by the way he was tearing up the hill. Strange. She traced his steps to where a nymph was talking with - wait, was that Lucy? Her heart skipped a little - by the Poseidon cabin.

As she drew closer, she began to realise that Lucy had pinned someone to the wall with one of her arrows. What in the blazes - is that a spirit? It was difficult to tell sometimes. When she was younger, she'd had a much harder time discerning the dead from the living, and vice versa. Maybe it was just an older camper... but no, something was off. Her gut was telling her otherwise.

A nymph was already there asking Lucy if she needed any help, but they looked more like they would hide rather than fight if it came down to it. "Hey, sweet cheeks. Whatcha got there?" She shifted her weight from one boot to another, flicking out one of the Sisters. The Crone - the blade of Stygian Iron. He doesn't look so tough.


Liv Keary
|✂|15|She/Her|Iris (Unclaimed)|Location: Leaving Dining Pavilion|Tags: Corey|

A slight scowl formed on Liv's face when Corey stated that they wouldn't be scared off by her theoretical morbid collection. Though in reality, she didn't mind all that much. Corey wasn't so bad. Annoying, sure. Stupid, maybe. But all in all not horrible to be around. "Of course I could pull it off. I can pull off anything that looks cool or freaky."

Okay, so Ares is a god and a zodiac sign, but spelled differently. That was weird. But what wasn't, at a place like this? "I've never been much for spelling." Liv's scowl deepened when Corey started joking about 'Zoos', which Liv had to assume was not his real name. It was funny though, she had to admit. Besides, she felt like Corey was poking more fun at the god then at her, so it was fine. "So what you're telling me is that this guy is the god of zombie Spongebob popsicles and electrocuted elephants. I can get behind that."

Liv set her empty plate down on a random table and jogged to catch up with Corey. "Yeah yeah, of course I am. If there are gonna be funerals, I'm there. Never fails to entertain." In actuality, Liv hated funerals. All the crying people, everyone wearing black - that was so her thing, why did they all have to copy her? - and all the standing and sitting and then standing and sitting again. The only part she did like was the gloomy atmosphere - nobody smiling; no one pretending. It was a relief to see that adults didn't have to act happy all the time. But maybe this'll be different. This place is no church, that's for sure. She was pretty positive she'd witnessed at least three breakings of the so-called 'seven deadly sins' in the short time she'd been there. It's probably gonna be all doom and gloom, judging by horse-guy's face. She could live with that. The crying part? Not so much.


Vivienne Isole
|❄|18|She/Her|Khione|Location: Morgantown, PA|Tags: Kayle|

"We are... friends?" Hesitation. Uncertainty. Vulnerability. All things Vivienne had tried to stomp out; to rip up by the roots and toss aside. She'd been caught off guard, allowing them to spring forth and blossom to the surface. "I - what I mean to say - er -" Regain your composure, Vivienne! What has gotten into you? "I shall be showering now." Very suave. Wonderful job. She slipped past Kayle and into the restroom, resisting the urge to slam her head against the wall. Why is human interaction so laborious?

She didn't want to be taken care of. She didn't need it. She'd spent most of her life taking care of herself; relying on no one else. Well, save one person, but - she is gone. Though perhaps not for long. Hope bloomed inside Vivienne's chest, no matter how much she tried to poison it with fear and doubt. Hope only leads to disappointment. Do not get your hopes up. They will only be crushed.


Audra Stark
|⛈|17|She/They|Kymopoleia|Ghost|Location: Morgantown, PA|Tags: Nicholas|

It was a bit of a shock that Death seemed to be reading her thoughts, but that soon passed with realisation - he was Death. Of course he could read the thoughts of the dead. She almost felt stupid for being surprised. The nonchalant way he spoke of demigods being turned into popsicles made Audra's nonexistent blood boil, if only for a moment. Don't forget, you were once like them. She didn't say it aloud, but she didn't need to. Selfish. Only concerned with his job verses hers. I forgot how much I hated adults.

As Death explained the physiology of being, well - Death, Audra silently listened. It was only after he'd finished talking that she spoke. "You need to tell her." Blunt and to the point. "I doubt you can die permanently, but you need to tell her. How do you think she'll react if you just keel over in the middle of dinner? Whether she knows it or not, she cares about you. I saw it in the church and I see it now. She can't lose someone else, even in her mind. Not without being prepared." She couldn't keep the frustration from her tone, not for lack of trying. "I know Vivienne. She'd going to blame herself, no matter what you say or do. You took that shot for her. She won't forget that. But she'll take it a hell of a lot easier if it comes with a logical explanation rather than you coughing up a lung mid-conversation. Hiding this from her is only going to make things worse for both of you."

The confirmation came that he could in fact read her thoughts, which was nowhere near as surprising as the realisation had been moments earlier. The way he referred to the undead - 'anything' he summoned, not 'anyone' - set her teeth on edge a little, but she managed to keep her roiling mood to herself this time. Or maybe not, given his empathetic abilities. Wait - what the hell -"What are you apologising for? You haven't done anything to me." Other than be a general annoyance, but that's nothing. Crap, he can hear my thoughts. Oops. Did I really just call Death, Horseman of the Apocalypse, a 'general annoyance'? Great job, me. Great job.

[sammy,]

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

"i don't think it'd be that hard to make a massive cake," he said. "would need, like, a really big oven, but i think i could find one on short notice. i've got connections. i'm in the loop. i am the loop." a pause. "or maybe just a bit of cardboard that's meant to look like a cake. then there's less frosting fallout. and it'd still be edible in the eyes of the satyrs, so i'd consider that a win." he liked the satyrs. they hadn't done him any wrong. they deserved a cardboard cake. "stake half-driven into my chest to prove i mean business." undead was certainly the right adjective, even if the contexts were a bit off.

"augs i know would never let something like getting shot bring her down. i knew from the moment i saw you that there was something deeper going on. glad to have that cleared up," he chuckled. "the ares cabin's probably all warred out, surely. i'd hope they are, if they've been battling skeleton soldiers and what-have-you. if that doesn't kill some of the testosterone rage, then i don't know what will. there's no hope." a flicker in his throat when he considered the members of the cabin, certain it was shared. he wasn't going to think about it. "you can have a go at my shoulder if you want." came the offer. "i think i can take it."

orin's mouth opened to complain about the conclusion made, but then crumbled, the side of his head dropping against the bed, a noise between a groan and a laugh escaping the bottom of his throat. "impossible," he said half-heartedly. "if you're going to make a plan, when we've already established that plans are the worst idea known to not only man, but mouse as well, then you might as well go the whole hog. spreadsheet. analyses. have a big old folder of supporting documents. i'm actually surprised you don't have this stuff down." he shook his head with feigned disappointment, the expression sharpening when she moved, seethed with the pain. hard to forget the circumstances, but very easy to be reminded. "do you think the skeletons felt it? they've got no nerve endings. it's just battering driftwood at that point."

the pertinent points kept coming, impressing him further with each turn of the sentence. "i'd look like a lothario," orin considered it for a moment. "i think it'd mean more if it was with one person, though. you'd keep having to top each other. you could stage a denied proposal. you're sure to get a pint out of that, right? out a pity?" he might have had something else to say, but the little touch served to stem the flow of words once more, stuck with a smile that wouldn't allow speech through. if she noticed, that felt like it'd be too much power. he didn't mind. "vanna white." orin managed to repeat, searching his mind for a face to the name. "is she the one from golden girls?" that felt wrong the moment he said it. "no, that's -" his thoughts had been scrambled. unbelievable. "not betty crocker. that's the cake woman. um - that's betty white. i'm - i'm going to stop talking, actually, because i'm just proving your point."

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐬 ！！ x─────ix ♖
x──────i ii thanatos. iii seventeen. iiii tags: clive.
ivi hampton inn, rooftop

“there's not really much to talk about,” teilo muttered, wandering closer to clive. he shimmered in the light of the cloud-shrouded moon, flitting between a skeletal, gaunt face and a life-brimming vision of health, like his spectral body wasn't sure which form to take on. the closer that teilo got, the more warmth he got from the spirit. lots of people claimed cold spots as evidence of ghosts, but he had found quite the opposite. the temperature that they emanated was individualistic. maybe his mind was wandering too much.
“what a load of twod," clive said. "you've come up here to think, 'ave you? well, stop pace egging about. think. aloud, if you please. i'll play audience." when teilo didn't launch into it, the tact changed. "i've told you how i got here. what about you?"
well, it was only fair to be honest with that. "a ghost led me here," he said.
"anyone famous? anyone i'd know?"
"no. a friend," felt wrong to call him that. "dead friend."
"when'd he die?"
"eight months ago," was the blunt response. clive said nothing. the silence was deafening. he didn't know why he was continuing until he was. "i loved him."
"did he love you?"
"he loved life," he answered. "i think i might have come in there somewhere."
a moment of thought. "eight months. that's not long. and you're seventeen. that's - i'm sorry."
"it's fine,"
"is it?" no. probably not. but that was fine as well. maybe 'fine' was part of the problem. tact changed. "when's last time you cried?"
good question. "dunno," had only screamed when wilder had died. there had been no tears. "i don't cry, really. people ask too many questions when you're crying," he recalled the hall in which the death had been announced, all those tear-stained, snotty faces. he recalled the hatred he felt for them. the anger that they could get something out while he was stuck in the mud again. "i don't like questions."
"you're answering mine," clive commented. teilo shrugged. different with spirits. "what got you here?"
"the snow. there's this quest, and -"
"i don't care about that. i mean here. this roof. this roof. what got you here? and if you say the stairs, i'm gonna clip you round your ear. don't try your funny business with me, taffy."
"i needed to think," another silence. another urge to fill it. "someone - this - my - this guy, he - he admitted to me that, you know, earlier, and - and i don't know what to think." that wasn't helpful. but clive appeared capable of filling in the gaps.
"do you like him?" a shrug. "so what's the problem?"
"my friend. his ghost. he's just - he's gone. he's gone. i never got to say goodbye, i didn't know he was going. i don't even know if he's gone, or if he's just stumbling around somewhere. and i feel like i'm betraying him if i - if i let myself - i mean, what if he's still out there? what if he shows up again, and - and - and i don't know how to -" he let out a half-strangled noise. he'd blame the brain fog on the cold and the exhaustion.
"betraying a dead man," clive's eyebrows rose. "that doesn't even apply in marriage. you've got free reign. i did a lot of stuff in my life, a lot of stupid stuff, but at least i can say that i took every opportunity to live that i could. i tried me hardest to live properly. always looked for the best. if you like him, and he likes you, why are you yearning for a dead man? really, now? he's probably sod off to high heaven. living it up with elvis and frank sinatra, and you're wallowing. a wallower is an australian animal, not something that you should be doing."
"that's a wallaby,"
"you're a wallaby. so there," clive retorted. "taffs, you're living. for now. life's short. i know that, you know that, and you're wasting time talking to me about it while i'm trying to have my lovely ghostly reflection time. you're really killing my mood here. a real buzzkill. most people, death's the final moment. you got extra time with him. that's all well and good, but you have to allow him be dead one day, otherwise you're never gonna start living, are you?"
"it's not that easy,"
"i'm gonna tell you a secret," clive leant closer, the warmth coming with him. "nothing is. nothing's ever easy. you can sit and not-cry about it, or you can deal with it and move the hell on the way that his pearliness intended, even though it's a bit treacherous."
what was bothering teilo was that he actually quite liked this spirit. it would have been easier to put down his incessant optimism as a 'load of twod' if he didn't.

[demolition lovers]

Winona
✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖
☾18|she/her| Hecate|Dining Pavilion|Jane Daughtry

Winona followed the Hunter up to the table, snagging herself another English muffin as she passed, chewing bite before she replied. All the Hunters were different, taking the dialect and behavior of their original time, some were brutal and abrupt, others, like Jane, were quiet and reserved, their true mission underlying the calm demeanor. "With the attacks and all, I just...if I was going to fight monsters here, I thought I could take out a few before they got here. So, monster hunter. Briefly." Winona said, giving Mr. D a political wave as he watched her with his watery, bloodshot eyes, a disapproving scowl on her face. This wasn't a safe place to talk openly, despite being stuck here, Mr. D was a god, and Winona didn't feel like pissing him off. "I don't mind sharing, not with a sister of Artemis. You likely know more than I do. However, this isn't a good place to talk. Too much curiosity." Winona said. "Perhaps somewhere we can sit and eat together?