Camp Half-Blood: Into the Storm - Closed!

[*Lovel*]

▶ ▷ ☁ ◁◀Emerson "Emmie" Grey ▶ ▷ ☁ ◁◀

Daughter of Zeus ☂ Cabin 1 ☂ 16 ☂ Heterosexual

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tags: Riley, Orin and campers
Location: Campfire

Emerson's eyes were still steeled as he made the joke, which was in Orin's fashion. It all had been and she probably would've realized that if she actually could think straight. He fed back to her lines similar to what he said before his untimely farewell. "You utter ass Orin Gorman" although the words seemed like they should've held malice they didn't. Instead she was laughing, the sparks going away before he took hold of her hands. Emerson stood in the moment for a few seconds before pulling her hand out to lightly punch her brothers chest. She hugged him as tight as she could, as if it could prevent him from ever leaving again. "You little stunt puller." she said softly tears still rolling.

As he spoke of Riley Emmie let go and looked to her sister she left behind. He must've had a lot to tell them, she retreated behind Orin letting him take the stage. It was surreal seeing him standing there, like nothing even happened, although everything had happened. She had so much to tell him and had a lot of questions for him but it wasn't the time or place to get into it.

His mentioning of the doors stood out to her, she didn't know what it entailed if they were opened. Seemed to be not a terrible thing if it was the reason for Orin's return but something felt heavy in the pit of her stomach. She casted her gaze to the ground Something to tell Conan about when I see him next, probably best to have him tell camp Jupiter. they were all in a garbage fire of a mess it means. "Bucketlist?" She'd have to make one of those, in the event that she would live past whatever is happening.

[sweet.peaches~]

「 ʀɪʟᴇʏ ᴘᴀʟᴍᴇʀ 」
⚡ 16 | she/her | zeus | location: campfire| tags: emmie, alive orin

"khione and her goons seem to have that power, making you feel like the world has gone down hill." she was right. well, sorta. 'making you feel the world has gone downhill?' she's doing that because the world was falling. riley decided not to reply, biting her lip as she glanced around the campfire. the (oddly beautiful) purple fire lit up their faces as she sat down to listen to the rest of the funeral. the daughter was paying attention to the eulogies, but if somebody had asked her what people talked about, she wouldn't be able to respond. it was mostly just her and her thoughts, alongside the background noise of crying. it wasn't as bad as riley thought it was gonna be - until it hit orin's turn. her throat began dry as she listened to what jude was saying, and was somehow able to pause her thoughts. her eyes wasn't as wet as it used to be, but they continued to stay red as she got choked up. taking a deep breath while blinking back tears, she thought she could've lasted a little bit longer before simply crumbling.

then riley heard that voice. at first, she thought she was hearing things, or at least attempted to hear his voice. i really miss him that much? but she still continued to hear him, and when she looked up from her seat, the demigod wouldn't have been surprised if she had a heart attack right then and there. it was him. but it couldn't be him. because the last time she'd seen orin was when riley had eaten lunch with him, well.. started lunch with him. she wasn't sure if seeing his corpse was the last time she'd seen him, since it wasn't really him. just his body. but what she was seeing wasn't just his body. it was his voice, his personality, everything. a hallucation, she'd decided for a moment. that thought was discarded as soon as emmie had ran up to him and demanded answers. not a hallucination.. unless everybody's going crazy? no, that can't be.

a ghost. the thought made her sick, but ghost-orin didn't seem like a ghost. he seemed real. though she hadn't seen a ghost before, so maybe they were all like that. still, maybe it was just hopeless wishing because she really wanted to believe that it was him and that he wasn't dead, but it had happened and if it hadn't happened, then she was going insane. if ghost.. maybe-ghost orin was telling the truth and not some sort of trap by khione (if it was a trap, it was a cruel one), then she wasn't sure how to react.

orin sounded too.. what was the word? unrealistic? not a mess? he was saying that he had died and then came back but he was making it feel like it wasn't a big deal, but it was one hell of a big deal to everybody else. and she didn't appreciate the music. riley was angry, and mourning, and suspicious, but her feelings became shambles once he turned to her.

"i'm invincible." did he just. he did. he joked that he was invincible at his funeral. what do you mean 'riley knows that?' tears started forming in her eyes, though whether it was from sadness or confusion or some other emotion - she didn't know. the photo. she'd forgotten about it. he still had it. he wasn't a trap, then. and ghost-orin would've be lying, no. that'd be a weird joke. orin was alive and breathing and not in a coffin about to be burned. and it hit her that he was really there and he was going to stay, at least for a little bit anyway. but for now, that was enough. even if she was still upset for him leaving, even if she was in so much shock and confusion. even if reality felt like, well a weird dream fantasy.

riley watched as emmie and orin hugged. it gave her a little bit of happiness to see them together. and when emmie went back, the half-blood saw her moment. she took a step forward and without thinking, she rushed to him and wrapped her arms around him. "i thought i'd never see you again," she sobbed, heavily crying while the world was a blur. "and-and, i didn't know what to do. but you're here." she still didn't know what to do, to be honest. it wasn't important to mention. "i'm sorry. i wish i could've saved you." from what though? she tried not to think about his death. he's alive now. that's what matters.

[demolition lovers]

Beck Light
◢ ◣ ◥ ◤◢ ◣ ◥ ◤◢ ◣◥ ◤
♡21|he/him| Aphrodite|hill near cabins|Robyn

Beck played with Maggie for a few more minutes, kind of dreading the campfire. Seeing them die and moving the injured and killed had been horrible. Absolutely horrible. But having a funeral was somehow final. Letting them pass on was a kindness, but not to those left behind. Maybe it was closure. But they were kids. Just kids. He wiped his eyes, sighing. And just like that, a squeal erupted out of the darkness. A smile grew over his face, and he turned. One of his favorite siblings. It had been like, a full year since he saw her. "Robyn!" he said in equal excitement. "Maggie is wonderful. Tweety is being taken care of by a couple satyr's in Pan's cabin, keep her away from the daily drama and unfortunate danger. The snow was kinda magic at first, but now it's very apocalyptic and dreary. The battle..." he paused, unable to answer that one as quickly. "Couple cuts. Nothing bad for me." Beck said stroking Maggie's ear. "It's been hellish here. But I think I answered all your questions." He said, offering his arm. "To the campfire, little sister?" Beck grinned, pushing away the uneasy guilt in his stomach. People younger than him had died. In some ways, he felt he deserved it more. They sat through the campfire in silence, Beck closing his eyes and praying that their souls would be kept safe and guarded. They deserved peace.

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

Winona nodded, grabbing the food. Busy. Keeping busy was good. She had missed the battle, and felt like an outsider. She shared in the grief, but she hadn't been where she was supposed to. She could have helped but she was seeking her own glory. Grabbing a larger tray, she waited until the Huntress beckoned her to follow, and she did. "Are all fo you working here?" Winnie asked. The other campers were heading down to the campfire, figures disappearing into the night. Winnie bit her lip. She'd deliver the food, and head down.

Jolene
₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪
ϟ18|she/her|Zeus|Stables|open

Jolene had eaten her dinner, gone to the campfire, and then...she wandered for a bit. She wasn't really sure where to go. Not back to the cabin, not yet. Not staying at the fire. She had grieved for her friends, and payed her respects, and...it felt wrong to stay past that. It was a goodbye. The stables would be fine for a bit. She loved being around the horses and Pegasuses, (pegusi?) it made her feel a little closer to home. She'd been there for years, and still felt like she was an imposter. More so now. She hated the fighting, the war, the way it felt. There was no pretending anymore. She wasn't a warrior, but...she really didn't want to be. Jo ended up sitting in her favorite horse's stall, a spirited red dun Quarter Horse gelding she lovingly called Cowboy. Cowboy and her ah become friends a couple years ago, he was new and just...there, and so was she. She opened his stall, calling him over. She stroked his nose, leaning into his neck. "Everything is just so messed up." She murmured. I want to help, but I don't know how. Other people are good fighters, brave. Some are healers. I don't know what I'm even supposed to do. Zap some things? I can fight. I know how. I just don't like it. Am I supposed to?" Things had been so much simpler before the storm.

[sammy,]

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 ！！ x─────ix ♔
x──────i ii zeus iii eighteen. iiii tags: riley, emmie, jude.
ivi campfire.

there was a moment in between the plight to emmie and her reaction where he doubted it all. could have just fled, like he had conceptualised. could have done a lot of things and not have to face this reverse execution trial. he had to convince everyone not only that he was alive - which was a feat in and of itself - but later, that he deserved to be alive, that the things that had piled up hadn't been rooted in any truth whatsoever, which was difficult. he could have just run off. "i'm very good at playing -" he was about to say donkeys before the air was knocked out of him with a hug like a vice. unsure of what to do for his hands for a moment, he just stood there, felt the blood rush through him, and then, remembering himself, hugged her back, the shock passing. perhaps not as tightly as he would have once, but that was of no surprise. "if it wasn't a stunt, no one would've believed me, would they?" he wasn't sure that everyone did, but the opinions of the rest mattered significantly less to him than they had once. he had convinced most those he had wanted to convince. that felt like enough.

he was given no time to recalibrate, because when emmie stepped back, riley launched forward, and if not for an impeccable centre of gravity (a braggable trait, in his eyes), it would have knocked him flat out. he returned the hug a little more readily this time, expecting it, the bone-shaking sobs enough to make his throat tighten. "it's alright, it's over now," he wasn't sure that was entirely true. but for the moment, it was easier than get into it. "here as here can be." unsure of whether to tell her to stop crying or to tell her to let it out - but when the following apology came, he winced. "don't apologise, christ, don't - don't do that. there was nothing you could do. nothing anyone could -" he cut himself off. orin was reminded that his sisters, the pair of them, though confident in their abilities and sometimes just as brash as he was, were only sixteen. it wasn't fair for them to have gone through that. his mind wandered to his sister back home, how she would have reacted had she known, and shuddered. "s'all gonna be fine." he pulled away from her to look her in the face. "if you don't stop leaking like that, i'm gonna start thinking you're not happy to see me in the slightest. i'm gonna think i got the wrong end of the stick somewhere." he tried a little laugh.

a glance up at chiron, whose apparently permanently pensive expression had not faltered. "it appears we have much to discuss," he wasn't sure that meant that the centaur was happy to see him. he didn't really care either way. well - no, that wasn't entirely true. he glanced over at jude then, her face empty of any notable feeling.
"hello," he said, attempting a smile - which was wiped off his face when she stepped forward, swung, and slapped him.

okay, maybe that was deserved. a hand to his stinging cheek, rendered speechless. even if he had had something to say, it would have been lost on her, because that was her away, walking robotically in the direction of the hephaestus cabin. "least she didn't tell me to go to hell," he muttered.

[Kveykva]

──────── 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐬𝐨𝐧
[✦] | Hephaestus | 18 | Male | ➡ Campfire | Tags: Jude, Orin, Emmie, Riley
❝ ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑒❞

Will hated to see Jude this way. His sister didn't deserve the tears in her eyes, and part of him believed that she shed so many because he shed none. "- smilin'." he finished the sentence for her. "He would've been proud 'f us all." He could have said more, but he didn't think either of their hearts could take it. It took more than some oil and know-how to fix one of those. ""Orin Gorman, of cabin one -" Now it was Jude's turn in the spotlight. Out of everyone, she seemed the ablest to give his eulogy. There'd been a fair amount of rumors spreading around, and a lot of campers (from what he remembered) were prone to bias. There was also a share who disliked the son of Zeus, but he doubted anyone wanted this for him. He wondered briefly if Jude had this prepared in advance - she had so much to say from the heart, and when she faltered, Will thought she may close it there. Nothing could have prepared him for what came next.

Will recognized the accent more than the voice, but he hadn't seen Orin in three years - and considering they were in the process of his funeral, he hadn't expected to ever see him again. Two girls went past in a blur; Emmie and Riley, he recalled. It seemed up in the air for only a few seconds whether he was real or not, but everything that was said fell on deaf ears. Will was dumbfounded, speechless for a solid minute before a familiar figure crossed into his vision. "Jude," she was just beyond his reach. He didn't get the chance to intervene in what happened next, but something in his gut didn't sit right with everything going on at the moment. I'm not convinced. The rubbernecking crowd parted when he began to move, and in a few long stridden steps and a distinct click of metal, Wilhelm found himself safely behind the iron sights with a hostile facing down his godly gift. "You ain't a ghost," he stated. "But that don't mean y' bein alive makes y' our Orin."

──────── 𝐌𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐧𝐞 "𝐌𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐞" 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩
[✦] | Mars | 29 | Female | ➡ Hampton Inn, Roof Stairwell | Tags: Audra, Reapers
❝ ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒❞

For some reason, Audra was the one who doubled down on trying to convince Moxie to cooperate. It came as a surprise, but she couldn't say she knew Audra all that well, so it might be one of her more prominent traits. Unfortunately, self-reliance was one of Moxie's. "What makes you think you know anything about me?" She sniffed, resting a hand on her hip. "I don't let things hold me down, honey. Sorry to break it to you. I don't have any family left, and my friends can take care of themselves. If I were to do anything like this, I'd haunt the crap out of them." The ex-marine was only half joking about that. Clearly, Audra had her own ties - she had someone, or a few someones, to get back to. "Look dude, you've got your own things going on and I respect that. I have some unfinished business up here and something tells me that takes precedence over kickin' back in Hell -" "If I may," Tavie interjected. Moxie fixed the reaper with an irritated glare, which seemed not to faze them.

"Both of your points are - reasonable, to say, but -" of course she had a but. "She does have a better chance of interacting with the living than most spirits. There's some technical mumbo jumbo to it, but I did say your fading would heal with time. Not to mention any being with a hint of Underworld in their blood could expedite that process. It would bring your memory back." They shrugged and perched themselves on the handrail. "But in the end, the choice is yours. Audra is right with her own experience, and my job is to make sure spirits can move on. I can only take you if you're willing." Hearing all of that coming from Tavie was a little shocking. "I didn't think I'd actually have a say in it." Moxie admitted. "I hear that quite often." Tavie assured her. "If you aren't ready, then I'll just come back when you are. None of us are ever more than two steps away~" The reaper winked and threw up a peace sign. "Th - Thanks?" It sounded unnecessarily ominous. "Alright, sailor girl, looks like it's just the two of us today. Are you ready?"

──────── 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐲 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐳𝐞𝐧
[✦] | Apollo | 16 | Female | ➡ Outside Cabin 3 | Tags: Cricket, Kathryn
❝ 𝑖 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑟❞

If the spirit had a tangible throat or any saliva left, it would have audibly gulped at the brandished weapon. Lucy kept her weapon at the ready, but she stepped back to let Kathryn take point. The crowd by the campfire stood half-obscured by the Posideon cabin, but she could see enough of it to know the eulogies had started. They'd lost several from the Apollo cabin, but she trusted Hank could handle a few parting words. He was a child of the poetry god, after all. Now isn't the time to get caught up in the past, Kathryn needs my support. With those thoughts now cleared away, the daughter of Apollo returned her focus to the situation at hand.

"I just don't want to die." a pause. "a-again, I mean." The ghost kept its hands raised in surrender. "Do you really think I know anything? Until about half an hour ago, I didn't even realize I was dead. I thought - I thought we were all still across the Pacific. I was drafted," the ghost blinked a couple of times, but the features of his face were still too ambiguous to make out. "I don't... remember... what exactly got me over there... Up until now, I thought we were on a top-secret mission or something. I don't get paid to ask questions like who's in charge, I just follow my orders. I don't think there's anything special about me, I was about ready to lose my mind when everything started falling apart. I don't know where he went, and most of us just kind of... crumbled."

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

It hurt. More accurately, however, it stung. Or perhaps saying it burned fit better. Frost bite. If the situation weren't so dire, he might've laughed at the irony of it. Despite his earlier fumbles and stutters with Honey, she seemed to have her heart set on staying. It surprised him, so say the least. "Th - Thank - Thank you." Cain struggled to get the words out, but a weight lifted from his chest once they were in open air. "I wouldn't expect you to have healing powers," that would be far too convenient. The bite on his arm hurt so much that the pain started to numb, only coming on and off in waves. He wasn't sure if that's how pain worked, but Cain didn't have a better answer to describe it. Still, a description like that could pose problems; from what he remembered, not all of the satyrs were very good at interpreting meaning, especially if metaphors were used. Cain winced as he accepted Honey's offered hand, taking aid to stagger back to his feet. "The -" a pause, long enough for the reminder to settle in. "I think Cabin Seven is the new infirmary," he corrected softly, the fingers on his right arm quaking from the cold.

[indigo']

━━━ 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬

[✩]17|she/her|Hades|Head Counsellor|Campfire|tags: Orin, Wilhelm, campfire gang etc.

Auggie stood back as the revelation by the fire unfolded, letting Orin have his moment, letting everyone else deal with the shock in whatever way it came to them. The disbelief had been expected, the tears not surprising, but at least they seemed to be taking it well. At least they believed him. Jude seemed less than pleased, that thought only being confirmed when she stepped forward. Auggie tensed at the slap, but her attention was quickly drawn away to a larger shape moving through the crowd, purple firelight glinting off something cold and metal, the sound of a click. She was already moving before Will had his weapon aimed, shoving through the campers in front of her and putting herself between Orin and the son of Hephaestus without a second thought.

The darkness pooling around her hands had formed into something more tangible, a ball of darkness writhing in her palm, twisting around her fingertips like a living creature. She hadn’t really been aware of it before, but she didn’t stop to question it now, more concerned about the barrel of the gun in front of her. “Back off,” she growled, staring Will down with eyes like daggers. “It’s him.” And despite the fear clawing its way up her throat, despite the coldness in her limbs and the shakiness she’d felt moments ago, her voice didn’t waver at all. She sounded certain, and if that wasn’t enough to convince him, she was willing to slice the boy to pieces before letting another bullet fly. It might have been worrying if she'd stopped to consider it, the surety, but she didn't. I would've burnt this whole place down. “What do you think he is?" she snapped, voice full of venom, one hand raised threateningly. "Put your hero complex away and try using the brain inside that thick skull of yours.”

[sammy,]

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

orin had foolishly started to believe that things had been going well, for the circumstances. the slap had been a shock, but not a surprise. it was bound to happen. otherwise, things seemed alright.
until he heard the click of a gun, and all of that hope for an easy transition into the land of the living was thrown out of the shattered window.

he didn't even have to look. in the past, he probably would have had to, just to confirm, but the wave of panic that he felt was not his own, the sense of doom that gripped his heart and settled around his throat a reflexive action that he was not necessarily the true owner of. a sharp breath in and a pointed look away, at the snow, at anything other than the barrel of the gun, words drifting through briefly unhearing ears.
our orin felt like a stretch. he would have poised a bitter retort in response if not for the cacophonous get down, man! take cover! he's going to - he wouldn't.
but there was a spattering of gold on the ground, and orin realised that yes - yes, he absolutely would. frozen to the spot, staring at nothing, just trying to quell the unrelenting wave of proxy terror. his breath hitched a couple of times as it stabilised, and then once more when he realised that auggie had taken incidental charge.

the endless, morbid chatter ceased. a wave of tranquility in relation to his survival, a cold calm that replaced the seething search for something to do. "augs, it's alright," his voice trembled a little, but would return to steadiness shortly. without making direct eye contact with the wrong end of the shotgun, he reached for her hand, took it in gentle grip. the swirling shadows did not go ignored, but were a topic for later. guiding her out of having a bullet popped in her face was the aim. "it's okay. thank you, i can - i can manage, it's alright. emotions are high, it's to be expected. he's probably the only one here who actually is using their brain. i get it. i get it, it's fine." he forced half a laugh. "though i don't think it's common funeral etiquette to whip your weapon out and start waving it about. i think that's normally reserved for the reception."

he focused on will, then - and the rest of the sceptical by association, he supposed. surprisingly, he found that he didn't want a fight. he wasn't interested in making it into a shouting match, didn't see the point in trying to prove himself, just spoke as levelly as possible. "came a long way to get here," an understatement. "and that doesn't make any sense, does it? what kind of idiot gives up an eternity in paradise for this cold, damp, war-torn mess? after being called a traitor, no less. i mean, anyone who's wearing my skin to try and get access into this camp isn't doing themselves any favours, especially after what i died denying. it's not a very innocent thing, is it? to have your brain explode after being called a - a colluder." he raised his eyebrows. "not true, by the way. i should clarify. load of trollop, but that's not the point. point is, i don't want to die again, will. i really don't. so if you don't want to believe me, then that's fine. tell me to go and i'll be off. i'll pack my stuff - sans flag, apparently - and i'll go and herd sheep in mongolia, or something." he had strayed from the topic. "i know it's been a while. awkward time to see you again - hope you've been well, and all of that, but - but i'd like to think that a few people here know that i'm exactly the kind of idiot who would abandon elysium for this mess. that's me. please -" he paused. "please don't make me regret that. please don't make it all for nothing. if you shoot me, i can't promise that this rabbit'll be coming out of the hat again. it's tired. i'm tired, and i'm scared, and i'm freezing cold, and that is a miracle. i'm alive, will. tell me to sod off and i'll run for the hills, but please don't take alive away from me." his face steely but his eyes frantic, the lump in his throat nearly visible. "please."
as lucky as he may have been thus far with returning to life, he had a funny feeling that a third time was a charm when it came to doing him in.

[takara]

❥ | Ophelia Rogers
16 | She/her | Cabin 10 | Between cabins 8 & 10 | Aydan

Ophelia winced at the plea, well aware that the damage was done. Smooth moves, princess. She hunched in on herself, shoulders falling, as if that would fix the situation. "Sorry," that I can't read a damn room.

"It's fine, it's fine, it's fine." It was, obviously, not. The world was caving in and Ophelia had nothing to fight it but the pounding of her heart. Aydan looked unsteady, arms slack and gaze distant. Comforting things, come on! Words, there's words that you say to this. Then he spoke, and Ophelia nodded along, ah, an absent father. My wheelhouse. She noted grimly, nodding slowly. His father visited? That shouldn't be possible, but he doesn't seem to be lying? It would be an odd thing to lie about anyway.

Her show of comfort seemed to have worked, thinnes out the tension that weighed between them. Delusional? "You're not." She said, leaving no space for argument. "Camp, it's," She waved her free hand toward the morbid affair that awaited them just around the side of the cabin. There was an upset of some sort, but she wasn't close enough to determine what.

She gave his shoulder a final pat and stepped back. "Lay down then," Because you're not likely to get another chance.

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

Jane shrugged, shifting the tray in her hands. There was a lot of Hunters, but she still felt bad for not knowing them all by name. It was a personal choice, but that did not make it any less painful. "I believe most of us are here, but the Lieutenant may have sent some scouts elsewhere. It's hard to keep track of goings on in the chaos." She trudged on, the grim light of the campfire facing them. Shouting? Jane looked over the crowds, finding a kid pointing a weapon at another. Though they had changed over the years since her Badge was forged, a shotgun was still a shotgun. Her blood ran cold as they scuttled toward the confusion. And he's calling it not 'real'? Does he mean it's a monster? The other boy looked real enough to her, but a shapeshifting monster at a funeral was far from ideal. So was the drawn weapon.

She before she had time to disarm him, the other child was explaining. Making points in an attempt to ease the highrunning nerves. She relaxed her shoulders, but kept an eye on them as she skirted around to cabin seven. To jump in now would only make it worse

[WitchHazel]

Juliet Pratten
|⟡|16|She/Her|Hermes|Location: Campfire|Tags: Campfire Group, Wilhelm|

Juliet had stayed silent for most of the funerals, despite the urge to chant "Horace, Horace, Horace, Horace, Horace Horace Horace Horace Horace Horace Horace Horace" during Horace's. ELO could have their time to shine later, perhaps. Maybe she'd lead everyone in a sing-along of 'The Diary of Horace Wimp' the next day in Horace's honour, when she had more energy. She didn't know if he'd actually liked ELO, but the thought was what mattered.

She got yelled at for roasting a s'more during Gianna's funeral, but she maintained it was what her cabinmate would've wanted. The real shock came when Orin stepped out into the eerie firelight. "What the hell?" Despite the various reactions around her, Juliet felt nothing but relief. He's back. He's back, and now everyone can quit freaking out. Orin had provided many smiles and laughs over the years... but the Orin standing before them didn't seem like the chipper, jovial Orin Juliet had come to appreciate. He was... different somehow. Or maybe she was just tired. Yeah, probably the latter.

The ensuing scene between Will, Auggie, and the recently returned Orin made her head hurt. Accusations, raised voices... hell, normally she would've asked for popcorn and watched. But given the ordeal she'd gone through, she just wanted it to be over. "Oy gevalt! Dude. Put the gun away so we can get this over with and all go to bed. I'm tired as hell; we all are. Someone wiser than myself once said that we don't make good decisions when we're tired. If you're gonna try to shoot someone, at least do it on a good night's sleep." Her casual tone did little to betray the nervous energy that had taken root within. She didn't want to watch someone die, especially not someone she knew. "Mirabelle wouldn't want this." She wasn't sure why she said it. Maybe it was because the other girl wasn't there to keep the peace or provide a voice of reason. Or even charmspeak, if it came to it. Maybe it was because she was tired and just wanted everyone to come to their damn senses. Or maybe it was out of something more raw and real; something she buried behind bad jokes and harmless pranks. No more bodies tonight. Please, no more.


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

Kathryn stalked menacingly around the spirit like a lioness cornering prey. She listened as he spoke, her deep brown eyes never leaving his pitiful form. The ghost would find no sympathy from her, no matter how wretched his story sounded. "Am I really supposed to believe that you know nothing?" she spat. "Are you really just a mindless soldier, following orders from something you don't understand?" Distant firelight glinted menacingly off of the Crone's black metal. She took a step back, a breath in and out. Her composure became one of icy stillness, though she plastered a sweet smile across her lips.

"Do you know what happens when Stygian iron takes a life?" Her voice was light and lilting, yet a dark edge lay hidden amongst the fluff. "It absorbs your very essence. That's it. Nothing left for you; no endless fields of Asphodel or yawning pit of Tartarus." She paused, brandishing the dagger before her as if it were a holy relic. "What's the use in keeping you around if you don't know anything? I might as well add your soul to the power of my blade right here and now. Unless... you start talking. Tell me something useful, and I might be persuaded to reconsider."


Audra Stark
|⛈|17|She/They|Kymopoleia|Ghost|Location: Hampton Inn, Roof Stairwell|Tags: Moxie, Reapers|

Audra's temper flared at Moxie's words. "Don't talk to me like I'm a child," she snarled, more waspishly than intended. "I was just trying to help you, you know." The anger faded as soon as it had appeared, replaced by a flash of remorse and then indifference. "Fine. I've said my piece. Tavie's said hers. If you wanna stay up here and fade into nothingness, that's your choice. See you in the Underworld, whenever you decide to pop down I guess." Unless I manage to make it out before then. She had told Nicholas she would try to bring the amulet girl back... and she tried. If Moxie wanted to stay, there wasn't anything she could do about that. In the blink of an eye, her former friendliness returned. "Take care of yourself up here. See ya."

With that, the demigod stepped towards the reaper and extended her hand. "Ready." I'll come home to you, June... or I'll die again trying.

[sammy,]

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐬 ！！ x─────ix ♖
x──────i ii thanatos. iii seventeen. iiii tags: ash, sort of.
ivi hampton inn, room 207.

not a church, nor the face of a dragon. instead: a dark room.

there was a certain safety in the dark when one knew they were alone in it. the trouble was that teilo wasn't. he knew he wasn't. he never was.
a light overhead manifested a dim blue glow, enough to see his reflection in the pane of glass he now understood to be in front of him. he reached out, touched it, caught his pallid reflection. clear of blemish, both ancient and young.

the light behind the one-way glass turned on, and there was clive, dressed in a suit, looking healthy and bouncy and happy, gleeful. alive. "right, taffy. time to choose," distorted gameshow music flared up, flashing leds spinning around him. teilo could only watch. a realisation - there was a gun in clive's hand.
"choose what?" he asked.
"life or death?" clive waved behind him. a light came on with a slam. a person in stasis, eyes open and unblinking. "mirabelle. made up. perfect, she'd like you to think. like a fretting mother, isn't she? won't leave anything be. a bit stifling, right? or -" a wave, and another. this would come with every name. "what about aggy? out of her depth and shrill as a bat. a little force of nature. she's a risk. can you risk a risk? dunno! or - or mr. seaver. he's got the smarts, but has he got the action in him? he doesn't think you've got the chops, pal. do you remember? tried to goad you out of leaving camp when your little heart was finally set on it? he's strategic, he's good at what he does, but - you know, the boy carries a rock around as a pet. he's got no life experience. all books, no street. all theory, no practical." teilo wasn't sure what was happening. but he had a funny feeling. "or jamie? oh no, not jamie, never jamie, he's sweet! - but, devil's advocate here, does 'sweet' win wars?" clive pulled a face of doubt. "skylar. you've already seen her half-dead, haven't you? is she a liability, do you think? and dahlia, the puzzle that's missing an entire half, let alone a piece, daughter of vengeance. you'd be tearing a family apart. that would be cruel, wouldn't it?" cruel was an understatement. it was all cruel - and the last one. "and ash. well, that's an awkward one, isn't it? he's making things difficult. he's making it all very hard to brush under the rug." a pause to consider, and then clive waved at them all, the lights above glimmering. "these are your contestants, taffs. pick one."
"for what?"
"do i have to spell it out?" the glass was gone. teilo was centre stage. clive was pressing the gun into his hand. "pick one."
"no, no, i don't -"
"you have to. i'm sorry, it's how it goes. the audience'll get antsy if you don't. you don't want to disappoint them. go on."
"i chose life, i didn't choose this."
"you chose life for yourself, so now you choose death for one of these dysfunctional little lot. them's the rules. come on, it's not hard, is it? can't be that difficult. i could do it. easy peasy. i'd pop one in... well, if i tell you who i'd choose, i'd be influencing your decision, wouldn't i? you have to choose one, teilo." when the son of death did not move, clive's head cocked. "a little incentive, then. pick one, or all of them die. would you rather i ask which one you want to live?"
"no, i - no, i don't -" he couldn't choose, but he had been told to. and his hand was moving, raising to chest level, his arm outstretched, his fingers tight and trembling as it gripped the oily pistol.
he hovered. considered. each face, empty, each pro and each con, each thought, and he couldn't do it. "what if i -"
"can't choose yourself. doesn't work like that," he'd been rustled.
one more scope. his chest was tight, his face was hurting. he had a funny feeling that there were tears in his eyes, but that was okay, because that meant that he didn't have to look them in the face as he chose their fates, one by one.

he chose. aimed. shut his eyes, squeezed the trigger. a bang, and a shout that sounded too familiar to belong to any one of these acquaintances.
"surprise contestant, taffs." clive whispered. teilo hadn't opened his eyes yet. "sorry. i am, i'm sorry. i'm really sorry. it's tragic. losing him again. but you chose life, so - you know. he hardly felt it. quick as you like. better this than an 'ellhound, right? least he was killed by someone he knows this time. though - is that a betrayal?"
he finally looked - the body on the floor didn't belong to any that he had considered. "no,"
"he didn't think you'd be able to choose. chose for you. good like that, wasn't he? made it all a lot easier."
teilo rushed forward. the gun was gone, the set gone, the lights gone, replaced by trees, the black ceiling a night sky, the linoleum floor a grassy glen. "no!" was screamed, roared. "bring him back! i can choose, i can - i can pick, i can choose now! i chose, i picked - please, let me try again! let me go back, i can do it this time, if you'd just -"
but clive was gone, and wilder was gone, and the forest was empty, and he was asking for a re-do of something that had happened a long time ago. there was no point.

teilo woke slowly, drifting in and out of the empty woods. he couldn't have been asleep for long, but it felt like a century had passed. his face was hurting.
he shuffled out of bed. needed a shower.
in the end, he couldn't remember which quester he'd picked. better that way, probably.
clean, gauze changed, and back to bed, he settled back down - hoping he hadn't woken ash with his fitful grumbles, or the sound of him trying to wash the guilt off with low-pressure water, hot enough to scald - and went back to sleep.
no more dreams to note.