Camp Half-Blood: Into the Storm - Closed!

[WitchHazel]

Mirabelle Everhart
|♡|17|She/Her|Aphrodite|Head Counselor|Location: Hampton Inn, 2nd Floor Hallway ➡ Dining Room|Tags: Ash, Teilo, Aiden, Jamie, Aggy|

A shout came from somewhere nearby, reawakening Mirabelle's nagging headache. She winced visibly this time before she could stop herself. Oh no, Aggy! She thinks - she thinks we left her? I would - ow. Thinking sent a sharp pain through her skull. I would never do that. Oh, stupid stupid stupid Mira! I should've - I should've - ugh, I don't know, I should've -

"Miiiiiiiira!"
She bit back another wince, which could have easily been mistaken as a reaction to Aggy's halfhearted punch. Then the accusation of leaving the little demon behind came, and guilt flooded her chest cavity. "I - I didn't mean to, I just wanted to let you sleep in, I..." She trailed off, sniffling a little as she collected her thoughts. "I'm sorry, Aggy. It wasn't right of me to just leave like that; I should have left a note at least." The apology was written all over her face.

Teilo's offer of coffee came at the perfect time. "Having coffee with you would be lovely, Teilo." Besides, it would have been rude to refuse his invitation, seeing as they had the same destination in mind. "Try the coffee at your own risk, though," she warned. "Hotel coffee usually tastes like it's been filtered through Juliet's sweaty gym sock." She grimaced, though the gesture had more to do with the way her voice had cracked when she'd said Juliet's name than the vivid description of bad coffee flavour. Right. Focus. Teilo had a lot to talk about, he'd said. That would do well. Less talking for her. Which was good, considering talking was starting to hurt a little. Besides, she wasn't in the headspace for an actual coherent conversation either - knowing someone else felt the same way was a small comfort.

She breathed an internal sigh of relief when Teilo headed towards the stairs. If he took the stairs, it wouldn't seem weird if she followed suit. Taking the elevator would have resulted in nothing but a panic attack on her part, had she chosen to brave it. But she didn't have to worry about such things, not for the moment. She shifted her bags over her sagging shoulders and plodded down the staircase.

The dining room was set up buffet style, like most hotel dining rooms. It wasn't hard to find, what with the clear signage posted on the walls. She had been right about the coffee. She didn't even need to taste any to know that it was so weak it might’ve been tea. Right. Tea. A much more palatable thought than watery coffee grounds. Her eyes drifted over to the tea packages stacked on a small metal shelf. It was nothing special. The options were rather scant, she saw; picked over by previous guests even at this early hour. Seems I’m not the only one who noticed how terrible the coffee is. At least there was honey, though - hopefully it would be enough to soothe her throat.

She ended up selecting an english breakfast tea; caffeinated and pleasant enough to the taste. As she neared the honey, she cast a quick glance around to make sure that no one was watching. Anyone who knew her well also knew that she didn't take tea often, and when she did, it was never with any additives. The last thing she wanted was the others worrying over her health. The hotel air had just been rather dry, that was all. Right? She eyed the dining fare as she finished mixing in the honey, though her stomach did a belly-flop at the mere thought of food. Despite her lack of hunger, she grabbed a muffin. She wasn't necessarily surprised that her appetite had all but vanished; she often felt a little off when she lacked proper rest. But if the others noticed her aversion to food, they might start to worry. At least the hotel had lemon poppyseed. My favourite. Besides, she would need to eat before taking her medication.

She unceremoniously sat down at an empty table, doing her best to make it look like she wasn't melting into the chair that supported her. Her glassy eyes stared blearily off into space as she waited for Teilo to join her, fighting the urge to slump over onto the table and sleep. Even if I wanted to, I doubt I could fall asleep in a public place. Many things could happen if she let her guard down; none of them good. I'll be... I'll be fine. The car ride should at least give me time to relax... so long as no one starts playing those obnoxious road games. Or starts asking 'are we there yet?' repeatedly. Aggy's face in particular swam into her mind at that thought. This drive will be far longer than yesterday's... I hope I won't get carsick.

[Kveykva]

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

There was a lot of talking all at once, but it wasn't difficult for Aiden to make sense of the jumbled conversation in his head. He waved at the others in response to the good morning, wearing a slightly cheeky smile. Clearly, he was much more awake than the others who relied on caffeine to get their days started. "Good to see you too, bed head." he replied, sticking his tongue out at Ash when the other called him the wrong name. "Guess we'll have to add showers and birds to our growing list of enemies," Aiden snipped playfully. "But I'm assuming you meant a Stymphalian bird, and if one of those is about, we'll need to keep an eye out just in case. I wouldn't want to have one of those chasing us down the freeway." he added. It seemed everyone had unanimously decided breakfast was the next thing on the agenda, and Aiden and his rumbling stomach couldn't agree more. "I don't know what kinds of food hotels have, but I could go for some waffles right about now.

──────── 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐬𝐨𝐧
[✦] | Hephaestus | 18 | Male | Dining Pavilion ➡ Forges | Tags: Open
❝ ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑒❞

"Good talk," Wilhelm caught the last words as he departed, but if any more followed, they well on deaf ears. Where was he supposed to go now? To do? It felt just a hair too early to go bothering Aiden, wherever he may be, so he resisted the desire to do so. His feet decided for him, as he subconsciously crossed the snowy camp to the one place he found comfort in: the forges. There were no more shrouds to make, but the remnants of yesterday still lay strewn about the workbenches. None of the forges were lit either, which meant he was the first person to visit this morning. Somewhere in his shirt pocket sat a folded sheet of paper, reflecting the wear and tear from being tucked in the fabric for so long. Will spent the month leading up to his return planning out all the projects he wanted to work on while he was here. Up until now, they'd been ignored, forgotten even. He didn't feel like he was in the proper mindset to focus on them right now, but he didn't see a better time besides right now, when he wasn't a bother to anyone else.

──────── 𝐊𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐱
[✦] | Mortal | 19 | Female | ➡ Lancaster, PA | Tags: Vivienne
❝ 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑒❞

Kayle was patient with Vivienne, assuming patience is what she needed following what had happened at the house. Snowdrop lay obediently under the table, quiet and still now that she was on the job. Aside from a small child waving from a high chair across the diner, she went mostly unnoticed. Come on girl, get it together. After waving her hand in front of her face, Kayle tried jostling her shoulders next, gently shaking her through the blanket around her. "Earth to Vivienne, hello hello?" Still no response, which was cause for concern. It wasn't until their waitress returned with two piping cups of coffee and a bowl of cream did Vivienne speak, and Kayle was quick to respond. "Actually - we don't need that and I wouldn't want to waste it. Sorry - thank you." Coffee was enough for now. Kayle slid one of the cups to the poor girl beside her and took one for herself, emptying about half of the steamy liquid down into her belly. Freshly brewed, which spelled good fortune for the rest of their stay. "There you are," she said gently, leaning onto the table with eyes looking past Vivienne, relying on the sense of her aura instead to gauge where the daughter of Khione was. "I was worried I'd lost you, you haven't said a whole lot at all this morning. Take it easy, I got you some coffee to help wake you up."

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

Caffine on an empty stomach was a habit he needed to break, others insisted. Cain didn't really see why it was such a problem, aside from the occasional stomach ache. Honestly, he'd had much worse. He'd barely stepped outside the Dionysus when he heard someone (a very loud someone) calling his name. "Caiiiiiin!" He tensed reflexively, slowly turning to see who it was that wanted his attention so badly. "Zeke...?" Cain replied tentatively. He was pretty sure that was the other boy's name. "What uh, can I do something for you?" He asked, straightening up a bit. "I'll be honest with you, I have no idea what any of that means," he replied, scratching at his sleeve. "But I'm doing okay I guess... all things considered." He was doing okay, but not a whole lot could be said for everyone else.

[indigo']

━━━ 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬

[✩]17|she/her|Hades|Head Counsellor|cabin circle|tags: Reese

Auggie had barely made it out of Stella’s pleading gaze. Not because the other girl had done anything to stop her, but because some part of her brain didn’t really want to go. Some part was sending signals to her legs telling her not to move, to stay there, to talk to her. The other part told her to run as fast and far away as she possibly could. As usual, that part won. She was dimly aware of the sound of coughing behind her as she trudged through the snow, head down and hands in her pockets, but she didn’t really think much of it until her name was called and she had to stifle a groan. Ridiculous how he could say two words and still somehow manage to sound like a priest. She considered ignoring him, continuing on as if she hadn’t heard him—or more likely, had heard him and didn’t care—and any other time she likely would have. But he was hurt and she knew that, and she also knew that it was entirely her fault. He’d saved her life, as much as the thought made her skin crawl, she owed him.

She stopped in her tracks and whirled around to face him, the irritated look on her face masking any concern she felt when she saw the way he was hobbling over. It faltered briefly, worry cutting through for only a moment as he approached, and then it was gone, glossed over with an icy glare perfected over years of putting up with Reese and everyone else in their gods-forsaken “safe place” “What d’you want, Titanic Boy? Iceberg finally take you down?” She winced as soon as the words had left her mouth, hit with an immediate wave of regret. That was unusual, especially considering it wasn’t the meanest thing she’d ever said to him. For a moment, she considered asking if he was alright, the words lingering on the tip of her tongue. But it wouldn’t make any difference if she did. He clearly wasn’t and having him confirm that wouldn’t help. “You’re an idiot, you know.” Perfect. That’s what you say to someone who got shot for you. Much better than doting. “Should be in the infirm—in Cabin—in there.” The frustration bleeding through her voice wasn’t at all directed at him, but maybe if he interpreted it that way he wouldn’t see how guilty she actually felt. “What are you doing?”

━━━ 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞

[✿]16|he/him|Iris|Hampton Inn, hallway|tags: Aiden, Teilo, Ash, Mira, Aggy

Jamie’s concerned expression melted into one of confusion at the greeting from Ash, one eyebrow raised in question. “Who and what?” His frown only deepend when Teilo responded to Aiden’s question, providing an explanation that was less than reassuring. He’d never known birds to be so violent. Maybe American birds were more volatile, that would make sense. Aiden seemed to be taking it with a little more lightheartedness than he was, and though the mention of a Stymphalian bird made a little more sense than simply a violent pigeon, it didn’t exactly calm his nerves. Speaking of nerves, Aggy was barrelling down the hallway directly into Mira, and was certainly doing a good job of making her presence known. “Can’t you wait until after breakfast before you start attacking people?” he asked, though the smile on his face indicated he didn’t really mean it. Strangely, he found Aggy’s constantly aggressive attitude somewhat comforting. The whole world felt like it had been flipped upside down and none of them had any idea what they were getting themselves into, but at least they could rely on the human airhorn to stir up trouble at every opportunity she found. He liked the consistency. “Gods, waffles sound so good right now. You think they have them? Place like this should have waffles, right?” he asked, beginning to make his way towards the staircase where the others had disappeared.

━━━ 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐎’𝐑𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲

[✵]17|he/him|Zeus|Dining Pavilion|tags: Orin (the brousin)

Collin hadn’t been quite as shocked by the events at the campfire as everyone else. Not because he’d expected Orin to return from the dead—he hadn’t—but because he hadn’t been there when the whole death thing had happened. He wasn’t sure he’d actually believed it. He didn’t think Riley would lie to him, it would’ve been a pretty sick prank, one he didn’t think even the Hermes kids would pull, let alone his half sister, but the information simply hadn’t been able to process into his brain. She’d seemed torn up enough when she told him, but people got things wrong, maybe she’d misheard something or—well, he couldn’t actually think of that many ways someone could mistakenly believe their brother was dead, but it had to be something. So maybe it was denial, but when the dead man had shown up at his own funeral, he hadn’t been entirely surprised, though given everyone else’s reactions, he probably should’ve been. He would’ve stepped in if he’d had to, but he’d been too far away when the gun was pulled and there were people throwing themselves in front of the trigger before he’d had a chance to move.

It was all incredibly confusing, but that didn’t mean he was going to go around asking questions. He made his way into the dining pavilion along with most of the other campers, grabbed himself a bowl of oatmeal and made his way over to his cabin’s table, quickly spotting Orin poking at his food and looking understandably distracted. He sat abruptly next to him and looked over at his cousin with a small shake of his head, putting on a look of mock disappointment. “Christ, never a dull moment with you, is there? I try to take one summer off and next thing I know, you’ve gone and died. What’d you have to do that for, you gobshite?”

━━━ 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐛 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬

[➳]18|he/him|Athena|Forge|tags: Wilhelm

There had been a brief span of time when Caleb woke up that everything felt fine. Orpheus was curled up under his chin, sapping his warmth like the little leech that he was, the cabin was quiet, the world outside muffled by the dense carpet of snow, and everything was fine. This lasted for about ten seconds, then reality snapped back like a slap to the face. People were dead, and that was his fault. He rose and dressed, spending his usual amount of time making himself look as perfect as he possibly could—he understood the jokes made about him really being a son of Aphrodite, didn’t see how they were anything but a compliment. It was possible he took a little longer than usual, and maybe he was stalling, because maybe he really didn’t want to go outside and face the campers mourning the loss of their friends and siblings, to face those who were terrified and desperate, to have to plaster on a smile and act like everything was fine, to play at sympathy when he might as well have been the one to pull the trigger. It was eating away at him, but guilt made no difference to them.

Eventually, he made his way outside, a warm jacket pulled over his crisp, black shirt, buttoned a little lower than it should’ve been given the weather. He wasn’t one to choose comfort over style, even in times like these. He started towards the dining pavilion, but quickly thought better of it. He didn’t want to see their faces, couldn’t sit at a table with his siblings and act like the honorable and brave interim head counselor. He knew he was supposed to, that that was technically his job and he’d only be disappointing Aiden by walking away and leaving them to their own devices, but there were plenty of other ways he was already disappointing Aiden, if the truth ever came out, letting the Athena cabin have breakfast without supervision would be the least of his worries. The thought sent an ache through his chest, one he quickly ignored, setting his sights on the forges instead. He wasn’t sure why exactly he chose to go there, but the forges had always been a place of comfort for him, somewhere he could set his mind on creating things, rather than whatever else was running rampant in his head. His shield needed to be cleaned, likely scuffed up and blackened from the explosion he’d caused the day previous, and he decided on the way in that that was what he was going to do.

The warmth of the forge was welcome after the bitter cold outside, and he wasted no time in transforming the ring on his finger into it’s true form, looking the shield over with a critical eye. It wasn’t looking as good as it once had, and there was a large dent on one side. He’d have to fix that. He was already making plans in his head when he sensed the presence of someone else in the room, head jerking up and eyes finding Will immediately, unsure how he hadn’t noticed the burly man upon his entry. “Wilhelm! Jesus, didn’t see you there. How are you? I mean...awkward question, really.” Nobody seemed to be doing very well at the moment, and though he’d kept his mouth shut for most of the funerals, he had been there, doing his best to act as naturally as possible—which wasn’t difficult considering he would genuinely grieve for those who had been lost. “I was just coming to buff up my shield. I’m not disrupting you, am I?”

[takara]

♠ | Isabelle Yencha
16 | She/her | Poseidon | Hampton Inn | Rochelle

Isabelle stifled a yawn, then sprawled back into Rochelle's sleeping form. It had been a long night. So help me gods, there had better be a place to sleep on this quest. Comfort didn't matter, only utility. She tugged a silver grey feather, exceptionally sharp, from the fabric of her sleeve. Pesky tin vultures. Little bastards they are. She worked at the sleeve, slipping her arm from it to gently tease the plumage from it. At least the Eels had some fun. A smile ghosted over her features at the memory-her trusty cat o' nines searing through the symphalian birds as they deformed to join the hot ore. At least we figured our timing out before they got an eye. That's always nasty to clean up. Her hand strayed too close to a deceptively soft feather, and she gasped quietly. A pinprick of blood bubbled up, red and riotious, and she popped the finger into her mouth. A curse was uttered under her breath. Stupid smelly blood doing stupid smelly things.

She hummed against it, eyeing the pile of extracted blades. It's neat. Toooo neat. She narrowed her eyes, considering them. Maybe... I mean, might as well, with a half shrug, she set about connecting the feathers, shoving their sharp fringes tougher until they stuck. A nice chain was forming, but it's too skinny... a glance at Rochelle's equally pinned up clothes, and Isabelle had her answer. She loosened feathers from her friend, daintly at first, but growing more bold as her vision came to be.

Finally satisfied, she tapped Rochelle's cheek. "C'mon, up you!" She hissed, , blowing hot air in Rochelle's face to make her stir. "Get up, or so help me I will put it on myself, and you don't want that!" She raised a sharp crown and shook it at Rochelle to make her point.

☤ | Reese Dawson
18 | He/him | Hades | cabin circle | Auggie

"Auggie," He began, the single word balancing on the knife's edge of exasperation and real anguish. As much as she does not think, her words hurt dammit! And her actions are worse! She must have missed the warning, because she thundered on. "Speak for yourself, or do you want to be an actual amputee?" His words were barbed, but he could not stop. He tapped an index finger to his chin. "It could be arranged, you know." I could die next time, and then what is it for you Auggie? Popping up behind me like a twisted version of twins? A frown creased his face. 'This is where you apologize', a nagging voice in his head tols him, but he shoved it away. His own thoughts bit back, acid and little else. For what? She never has, and she never will.

He rolled out an exhalation. "I am asking you to eat today. I cannot make you." He shook his head, loose strands framing his face. One day, maybe soon, I will not be here to even ask. With that, he turned to leave. Shuffling over the ice took more effort than it ought to.

☠ | Aggy Clemson
15 | She/her | Unknown (Ares) | Hampton Inn; hallway-->food room | teilo & mira (around), open

Her wide eyes never left Mira, but Aggy had the decency to take a step back and cast her gaze down. Maybe running out wasn't the best idea, but what if they really left me? I'm cool, but none of them have good taste. They'd do it, I think. She worried at dirt under a thumb nail, letting her heart rate settle in her chest. She followed along with the conversation enough to flash Jamie a shark-like smirk, but was hot on Mira's heels rather than crafting a fiery comeback. After all, she had all the time in the world for that later.

She maintained a distance on the stairs, a vain attempt to make up for her earlier neediness. It's not impressive, being someone's shadow. When they reached the buffet, she wandered aimlessly, staring down bran cereals and icky non fat yogurts. She wrinkled her nose. "Stupid old people food!" She muttered to no one in particular. For good measure, she bumped a toe into the counter. Not quite a kick, but close. It was early to be starting fights. She glanced back to where Mira had been, but she was gone. She spun, frantically scanning the near empty room until she located her target at a table. Aggy puffed out a sigh. She's right there. Mad to think she'd be anywhere else. G.I. Joe Barbie is predictable. With that she made claims on the waffle machines, pouring in her batter and staring down the timer as she waited on it.

[Fawnie]

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 ！！ x─────ix ♔
x──────i ii zeus iii eighteen. iiii tags: collin (couther).
ivi dining pavilion

the cornflakes, though of non-mortal origin, were prone to becoming soggy drivel after a while ruminating in milk. it was orin's own fault, because he couldn't stop watching them, the little boats in the white sea, floating aimlessly around. he'd tried a few, but if there was one thing he didn't think he could stand it was the mush that cornflakes became. there was no joy in them. he made his efforts, swallowed them down, considered asking for a pain au chocolat and then cringed, a new association formed in his head. it wasn't that he believed that the pastry had been his downfall, but it had become a part of it, and that made it a solid 'no' for the rest of time. it was a shame. he had quite liked them. the good ones, anyway.

he had been thinking so deeply about food he now associated with his own death that he hadn't noticed the new presence, and he hadn't been warned, either. with a glance up, there was collin. "moses, there's a face i wasn't expecting," he said, a short breath in being the precursor to a smile that surprised him. "listen, it's not my fault that none of these lot have a sense of humour. i was always planning on coming back. they just don't understand the family values. nan was raging with me for dying, you know. i couldn't very well stay there, could i?" and then the realisation that in the mess, collin might not have known. "oh, jesus, sorry, did you know?" a brief wince. it was hard to associate her with being anything but dead now, now that he'd seen her in elysium, spent all that time looking at her face untempered by time. "she made it to elysium, anyway. she's happy. she's good. she's - you know, living it up, if you'll pardon the oxymoron. she's good, she's happy. she's got daithi, and everything's good down there, and -" he caught his running mouth, shut up. there was a thought on his mind. "tell me you didn't tell saint ash that i... you know. 'cause she'd kill me again."

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

teilo was very quick to bounce from the group, not enjoying the rush of the morning. he was too tired, too underprepared, had too much to think about to have aggy's voice in his ear. it was an act of self care, running for the hills, and he supposed that part of it was down to the fact that he couldn't yet stomach seeing them all standing there without feeling the ghost of a warm pistol in his hand. so down the stairs and into the dining room it was, then.

the smells were offensive and the coffee looked like bog water, but teilo figured that there was a long day ahead, and he couldn't particularly waste time being finicky about what he chose to eat. not sold on the waffles, comfort was found in the toast. the same breakfast from before, with nothing but the butter added, and a mug of the strained brew. he considered opting for tea, but figured that that would be even more of an attack on the tastebuds. maybe he was too picky.

once he had readied the breakfast, he found mira and sat across from her, staring into the swirling coffee-flavoured water as he stirred it aimlessly, worrying at the inside of his lip until the taste of blood overtook the drink. he was a ball of tension. if there was one thing he didn't want to do, it was talk about it all. if he could have gotten away with it, he would have pretended nothing had happened - but the great, angry gash on his cheek had proved the events of the day before, and people had seen it. people had questions. "i met audra," he spluttered out, surprised the words had come so quickly.

as though affronted by his own candidness, he cringed back, necked some of the drink with a grimace. the toast was looking more and more like it was made of plastic and candle wax. he didn't feel right. "last night. i - i, um..." he recalled that mira had been in their room, didn't know what ash had told her. the prospect of her knowing something, something he didn't even know for sure himself, made him feel like rats were clawing on the inside of his stomach. maybe hunger. he ate some toast, not looking up. "the, um... the bird did a number on me. it was the cold, mostly, and - and there was a reaper there, but then there were - then there were two, and one of them had audra with them. and she tried to speak to me, and i was a bit of a -redacted-, actually, but i was dying, or had nearly died, and i was covered in my own - so i wasn't really having it, i was a bit snippy, and i feel bad, but also - jesus christ." a thick and throaty noise, a cough and a groan all in one. "basically, you know, saying she - vivienne - isn't too far gone, that we can help her, all that typical 'please save my loved one' cach, and - and i wonder, if -" a frown fell on his face as a litany of thoughts fell into place. "i might be completely off base. but the doors of death opened, right, and then they closed. but if people can come back to life through them, and they had something to do with this vivienne malarkey, then why is audra still a ghost? i don't... i can't figure that bit out. i didn't ask. should've asked." a mental chiding commenced. "sorry."

[indigo']

━━━ 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬

[✩]17|she/her|Hades|Head Counsellor|cabin circle|tags: Reese

Auggie could tell Reese was upset, she would have been more concerned if he wasn’t, but she couldn’t seem to stop, the words falling out of her mouth without the okay signal from her brain. But this was how she always was, how she was supposed to be. It was better than silence. “I’m not the one who got myself shot in the chest, thanks,” she snapped back, a little louder than she’d meant to. Shot on her behalf. Shot trying to stop her from getting killed. Shot trying to pull her off the ground when she’d been an idiot, run into the thick of the battle and straight into the end of a gun. When she’d crumpled into the snow like broken glass, easily shattered and left around as a liability to anyone who stumbled upon it. She was ignoring that. She wasn’t going to think about it. “Was that a threat? Are you threatening me?” It wasn’t so difficult to inject venom in her tone when he really was starting to piss her off. Maybe she was more angry with the fact that he’d tried to protect her than anything he was saying at the current moment, but anger was still anger. “The boy who can barely walk on his own, that makes sense. I could blow on you and you’d probably fall over right now so I’d cool it on the threats if I were you, bonehead.”

She might have apologized. If she’d been anyone else, having some sort of conscience might have been enough to make her say something. Anything. Sorry you nearly died on my behalf. Sorry I don’t know how to deal with that. Sorry all I’ve done since you came over here is yell at you because I can’t exactly express gratitude. Sorry you ever thought it was a good idea to speak to me. That wasn’t going to happen. She was avoiding his gaze now, staring down at her shoes half-sunk into the snow. They weren’t very good shoes for this weather, she could already feel the cold and the damp seeping through. A harsh exhale of breath clouded in front of her face and she looked up to catch his retreating form—not that it was difficult with the snail pace he was moving at. “That’s not good for your sword,” was all she said as she fell into step beside him, her voice low, but her tone notably less hostile. The closest thing to a peace offering he was going to get. That, and the fact that she was walking close to him, matching his pace, not quite offering any sort of physical support, but still keeping close watch out of the corner of her eye in case he stumbled or slipped.

━━━ 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐎’𝐑𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲

[✵]17|he/him|Zeus|Dining Pavilion|tags: Orin (the brousin)

“The nerve of them.” Despite the somewhat grim subject, his face broke into a smile. “‘Course you were. Wouldn’t have thought otherwise.” The smile faltered briefly at the mention of their grandmother, but he shook his head when Orin’s face fell. “Yeah. Yeah, I knew.” He paused, mouth twisting into a frown as he stared down at the bowl in front of him, then looked back at the other with a raised brow. “You’re telling me she made it into Elysium? That you made it into Elysium? I call bull. That can’t be right. Somebody made a mistake. Gormans in Elysium.” He shook his head with a false sigh of disbelief. It was a lot easier to deal with everything that had happened when it could all be boiled down to mindless teasing. Still, Collin had a tendency for being painfully genuine most of the time, and the joke quickly faded to an honest smile. “That’s good. I’m glad to hear it.” Difficult to think about, but that was what you did when somebody died, pretended you were happy that they were happy, ignored the selfish impulse to wish they were still around. And he was glad, even if it still hurt. At least he hadn’t lost multiple family members in the span of a couple days. Not really.

A harsh huff of breath escaped him at the following question, eyebrows raised. “You think I’d...man, I’m terrified of your sister. I don’t think she’d get the concept of ‘don’t shoot the messenger’ and I’d have ended up down there with you. Imagine Nan’s face then.” The facade faded again—though it really was less of a facade this time—and he shook his head. “No, I didn’t. I didn’t know you were...you know, gone until I got here yesterday. Haven’t had a chance to speak to anyone back home. Do none of them know then?” He couldn’t say he’d blame Orin if he wanted to keep the whole ordeal a secret. Sharing what had happened would likely result in more people freaking out who didn’t need to. Still, it felt a bit dishonest somehow, withholding information like that, but it really wasn’t any of his business.

[Kveykva]

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

Moxie wished she'd taken the time to wander, explore around a little bit, but everything felt a little too loud at the moment. It was like having a fresh wound still tender, except it was everything. Even the lights from a passing car were too much, and for the most part, she stayed within the confines of the hotel where things weren't so loud. The hallway lights never turned off, so she took detours through the rooms. Passing through walls was certainly an experience, and Moxie would admit it took more time to figure out than she would've liked. By the time morning came, she likened herself a master of the trade. Etherial trade, you know, being a ghost and all. By the end of it, she found herself back at square one at the top of the stairwell. Although lit by harsh fluorescents, things felt a bit more manageable now. Perhaps she'd adjusted. Alright, that's cool and all, but is there a chance I can... her eyes settled on the door handle that exited to the roof. Touching physical objects had proved finicky the day before if she recalled correctly, but maybe with practice, she could actually manipulate her surroundings, besides just flickering the lights. The door proved to be beyond her abilities, so Moxie soon gave up and passed through it, more interested now in the sunrise.

──────── 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐬𝐨𝐧
[✦] | Hephaestus | 18 | Male | ➡ Forges | Tags: Caleb
❝ ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑒❞

Will's moment of respite was a little too brief as a second set of footsteps broke the silence. He flashed Caleb an apologetic look; Wilhelm tended to sneak up on people unintentionally, just because he was quiet most of the time. "No disruption 'ere," he replied, sparking up the forges. "I ain't against th' company, either." Caleb wasn't a face he minded, especially given he would be acting counselor in Aiden's stead. Will didn't really want to talk about how he was doing. He wasn't doing well, but that was his own doing. Camp deaths aside, of course. He offered his hand to the Athena camper, gesturing for the other to pass over the shield so he could give it a look. "Damage ain't bad," he commented, licking his thumb and scrubbing at one of the darker spots. The grime cleared rather easily, but there was quite a bit of it covering the shield's surface. "Just dirty s'all." Will handed the shield back to its owner, briefly abandoning his post to rummage through one of the various supply lockers, soon returning with a tattered cloth and a bottle of solution, presenting both to Caleb. "Give it a good scrubbin' an' it'll be good as gold."

──────── 𝐊𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐱
[✦] | Mortal | 19 | Female | ➡ Lancaster, PA | Tags: Vivienne
❝ 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑒❞

Kayle was patient with Vivienne, assuming patience is what she needed following what had happened at the house. Snowdrop lay obediently under the table, quiet and still now that she was on the job. Aside from a small child waving from a high chair across the diner, she went mostly unnoticed. Come on girl, get it together. After waving her hand in front of her face, Kayle tried jostling her shoulders next, gently shaking her through the blanket around her. "Earth to Vivienne, hello hello?" Still no response, which was cause for concern. It wasn't until their waitress returned with two piping cups of coffee and a bowl of cream did Vivienne speak, and Kayle was quick to respond. "Actually - we don't need that and I wouldn't want to waste it. Sorry - thank you." Coffee was enough for now. Kayle slid one of the cups to the poor girl beside her and took one for herself, emptying about half of the steamy liquid down into her belly. Freshly brewed, which spelled good fortune for the rest of their stay. "There you are," she said gently, leaning onto the table with eyes looking past Vivienne, relying on the sense of her aura instead to gauge where the daughter of Khione was. "I was worried I'd lost you, you haven't said a whole lot at all this morning. Take it easy, I got you some coffee to help wake you up."

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

There was a lot of talking all at once, but it wasn't difficult for Aiden to make sense of the jumbled conversation in his head. He waved at the others in response to the good morning, wearing a slightly cheeky smile. Clearly, he was much more awake than the others who relied on caffeine to get their days started. "Good to see you too, bed head." he replied, sticking his tongue out at Ash when the other called him the wrong name. "Guess we'll have to add showers and birds to our growing list of enemies," Aiden snipped playfully. "But I'm assuming you meant a Stymphalian bird, and if one of those is about, we'll need to keep an eye out just in case. I wouldn't want to have one of those chasing us down the freeway." he added. It seemed everyone had unanimously decided breakfast was the next thing on the agenda, and Aiden and his rumbling stomach couldn't agree more. "I don't know what kinds of food hotels have, but I could go for some waffles right about now.

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

Caffine on an empty stomach was a habit he needed to break, others insisted. Cain didn't really see why it was such a problem, aside from the occasional stomach ache. Honestly, he'd had much worse. He'd barely stepped outside the Dionysus when he heard someone (a very loud someone) calling his name. "Caiiiiiin!" He tensed reflexively, slowly turning to see who it was that wanted his attention so badly. "Zeke...?" Cain replied tentatively. He was pretty sure that was the other boy's name. "What uh, can I do something for you?" He asked, straightening up a bit. "I'll be honest with you, I have no idea what any of that means," he replied, scratching at his sleeve. "But I'm doing okay I guess... all things considered." He was doing okay, but not a whole lot could be said for everyone else.

[WitchHazel]

Mirabelle Everhart
|♡|17|She/Her|Aphrodite|Head Counselor|Location: Hampton Inn, Dining Room|Tags: Teilo|

Mirabelle hadn't even noticed Teilo sit down until he was talking, three little words that shook her to the core. It took her considerably longer than it should have to comprehend the impact of the statement. "W-What!?" Her voice cracked - coming out as more of a nervous squeak than anything. With a barely concealed grimace, she cleared her throat once again. "Audra Audra? As in Vivienne's Audra?" She wanted to slam her face into the table the moment she said it. Of course Vivienne's Audra! Mes dieux, Mirabelle, how stupid are you?

He continued talking, if it could be called that. Nervous rambling was more like. She sipped on her tea as he spoke, relishing in the feeling of the honey coating her throat. The bird... Stymphalian bird, he mentioned, I think. Where there's one, there are usually more. Her head gave a painful throb. Ugh... too much thinking already. "Reapers?" Nothing in Greek mythology class had prepared her for that. He went on, explaining the events of the night previous with a tense and unhappy demeanor. Eventually he finished his tale, and followed with an apology.

"No, no! Don't apologise - you haven't done anything wrong." She offered him a reassuring smile, though it came out more strained and weary than she'd hoped. "That sounds... like a lot, if I'm being honest." He'd brought up some very good points; points that made her head spin and pound uncomfortably. "Maybe she just hasn't made it to the Underworld yet?" It was a weak attempt at an explanation, but hopefully feasible. "I'm sorry, I'm not exactly an Underworld expert. But it sounds like she was sticking around for a reason, from what I gather - maybe it was to plead with us to spare Vivienne. I - h-hold on -" she shifted abruptly to catch a dainty sneeze in her elbow. Sniffling, she turned back to face Teilo. "Sorry. Um - right. As I was saying. From my understanding of the Underworld, you have to actually journey down there to go through the Doors of Death. And getting there is likely not easy - Percy and Annabeth had to go through Tartarus, for goodness's sake." She sniffled again, flushing a pale pink beneath her makeup. "Audra said Vivienne isn't too far gone... right?" Another sip of tea, another contemplative look. "Chiron said something similar. 'Try reasoning with her first' or something along those lines, I don't fully remember... ugh." Someone took a hammer to her skull from the inside, and she had to resist the urge to massage her temples. "We can at least try. But - right, the Doors of Death... it has to be connected, right? The timing is too perfect for it to be a coincidence."


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

The scent of freshly brewed coffee permeated the fog of Vivienne's mind. A cup shoved across the table, a pair of sightless eyes staring just over her shoulder. She was talking, the girl - saying words Vivienne knew she should understand. She did, eventually - it just took some time for her brain to comprehend them. Comprehension didn't make it any easier for her to respond.

"Coffee." It was hot, but cooled almost the instant her hand brushed the mug. She wasn't aware that she had done anything aside from touch it. Her arm mechanically raised the now lukewarm beverage to her lips, and she took an experimental sip. Not terrible, though still nowhere near as dark as she liked it. She supposed she ought to thank the girl - Kayle, her name was Kayle - but the words wouldn't come.

"Where are we?" The question was out of her mouth before she could stop it. There were people - she didn't like people. And exceptionally long chairs on either side of a table. The colour was too bright; they hurt to look at. The lights hurt to look at. It all just hurt. Her hand trembled as she returned the coffee to the table. The back of a too-bright long-chair was settled against her back; a comforting sensation. She liked having her back to the wall. No one could sneak up on her from that direction if her back was to the wall. Her mind still felt fractured; as if little sharp shards were floating around and jabbing into her every so often. She would grasp for one, but it would slip away, or worse, cut her fingers on its jagged edges.

[sammy,]

( *:･ﾟ✦ ) xx❝xx𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 ！！ x─────ix ♔
x──────i ii zeus iii eighteen. iiii tags: collin (couther).
ivi dining pavilion

orin's face split into a surprisingly sourced smile when collin spoke of eithne. "careful, now. she can't clip you 'round the ear, but you're at risk of me challenging her. we're taking over elysium, collywoggle. we're taking it by storm. staging a coup. i've just come back to warn everyone, y'see, and then..." maybe a little too far, to insinuate that e was just dropping in, that he'd be back there soon. "well. fireworks." it was easier with someone he knew shared at least some of the struggle, a level of honesty able to be accrued from the mere existence of the familial tie. "she looks young, too. she's gonna be making waves down there." he hadn't thought to ask about his grandfather, figured that the man hadn't been as lucky as she had. of course she made it to elysium - there wasn't a chance she would have settled for anything less. all that she'd lived through, all that she'd done, it was a matter of absolute fact.

he let out another little laugh at the description of aisling. "i think you'd be safe," orin said, then glanced around. "dunno about the rest of 'em, though. i wouldn't put it past her to come driving through the wall in a bleeding great tractor. seems like something she'd be able to source." he hadn't thought of her in depth in a while, wondered how she was coping back home. "no. i hope they don't know. i asked felix not to... when i was... 'cause, you know. they have other stuff to deal with. last thing they wanna hear about is my brush with death." he scratched the back of his head idly. "i'll tell 'em. obviously i'll tell 'em. but... but after, when it's all done." that seemed a good idea. "anyway. sorry, me yammering on. how're you?" it was funny, because he barely felt like he was pretending. it was genuine with collin as it had been with auggie, because something in him still trusted the two of them.

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

teilo nodded through the shock, the explanation coming clunkier with each passing word. it was difficult to break it down into words, make it palatable. the surprise at the reapers was different - he hadn't been entirely aware that that was something that wasn't 'normal' in comparison to the rest of the mess that was their lives. something else was clearly going on. "i mean, don't take my word for what clive called 'em. i think he called those bird things pygmalions, so... you know. it's not certain. but i think they were reapers."

the explanation that followed was an interesting one. if she wasn't an underworld expert, then he was certainly a moron by comparison. "i just... i just don't get it," he was struggling with the thoughts, the way that they lined up. "i don't know her. i don't know if she's a good person, or if she's a bad person, or if it's even possible to put people in those kinds of boxes when you live like... like we do, and i don't know what i'm supposed to believe." the doors of death were another difficulty. "but even if we can tie up the connection between the doors of death and - and vivienne's grief, then that doesn't explain kingston." he pointed out. "it's not - it's not lining up. it doesn't make any sense. it's everything, everything's happening, and everything's so confusing and just -" maybe he wasn't talking entirely about the quest. good against evil: that was easy. the confusing parts were the bits in between, the conversation with ash and the missing ghost, all adding up to fingers that fisted into teilo's overgrown hair and had him pulling at the strands. "christ."


──────


smoke drifted up, span and pirouetted through the air. it wasn't real, it didn't smell of anything, it wasn't visible to the living, but to clive, it was the familiarity that mattered. the feeling of a roll between his fingers, a brand that wasn't sold anymore, but was replenished regardless. it was morning and the sun was rising and it was nice. he imagined that it was cold, that if he had a corporeal body, with skin and blood and a frantically beating heart, his fingers would be bitten by a chill and his face would be lit by the beams of light that instead sifted through his spirit's chosen form.

he noticed the presence before it announced itself. "ay-up," he greeted, nodding in moxie's direction. "you were about last night, weren't you? newbie, are you? i'll tell you what, don't waste the sunrises. you'd think they'd get boring, wouldn't you? but they don't. nearly forty years, i've been coming up 'ere, 'aving myself a little clivey-time, watching the world wake up. there used to be a yapping little shih-tzu down..." he pointed at a building not far from them. "down there. i used to be convinced it could see me." clive took a drag, went to pass the cigarette box, decorated and branded, backwards toward her. "one won't kill you, will it?" a fan of his own meta irony, clearly. "how you taking it, like? it's a weird change. can't touch anything, but you can stand on floors. what's all that about, then? i've never asked. i sat down once. i can sit down, but i can't touch a doorknob. ridiculous, if you ask me. i think it's all some sort of farce." another puff of smoke surrounded him. "clive, by the way. valentine. sorry about yesterday. i was a bit snippy, i can't tell a word of a lie, but i really don't like those reaper folk. i'm not scared of 'em, mind. i don't fear the reaper, i just 'ate 'is bleeding guts. probably a nice bloke, actually. sorry. i ramble a bit. just say when i need to stop. i don't get many people to talk to, is all. it gets a bit lonesome, after a while. when your company's just a little rat-dog who might be able to see you."

[tawneypelt0504]

Richard Sylvester Williams|21|he/him|Hermes|Bisexual|Loc:Outside Apollo cabin|Tags/mentions:Oreo,Lucy,open
Sylvester made his way around camp soaking in nostalgia, "Gods it feels good to be back" He murmured as he walked with Oreo trotting happily next to him. He was tempted to just explore and see how things had changed in his four-year absence. However, it would probably be best if he found Chiron or Mr.D to make his presence known. Sylvester stopped to figure out what he should do, not sure where either of the immortals could be. He thought about calling Cass but he doubted she would have her phone. Sylvester also didn't want Cass to get in trouble because of having a phone. Just as Sylvester was about to go back to wandering, he noticed a girl with auburn hair leave the Apollo cabin. Not having any better ideas Sylvester figured he might as well ask for directions and began walking towards her.

"Hey" Sylvester called out waving his arm, to get her attention, "Hello, there could you tell me, where Chiron or Mr.D are" Sylvester asked hopefully, shifting the duffel bag on his back. The girl whom Sylvester assumed was an Apollo camper looked kind of familiar "wasn't her name Lacy, or something" he thought, slightly furrowing his eyebrows to see if he could remember her.