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Giving up on him already. Talon shouldn't be surprised. He shook his head, fury rising in him once more. Cared? Cared? As if that word truly had meaning, these days. Just fake words to say, nothing meaningful. Just words to make you seem better then you were. Elias had given up- that much was clear. He didn't care. No one did. The older boy was just proving his point. I'll be here except he wasn't, not really. Always thinking of something else, or dealing with something else. No one fucking cared. He didn't know where he was going, but Talon started to walk. No one would care if he just walked right out of camp. Perhaps he would, if he had somewhere to go.

He wanted to hit something. Break something. Who the fuck cared what. A tree. A rock. A person. It didn't fucking matter. All he knew was he just wanted to destroy something. Anything. No one wanted to try. Not one cared. He was alone- he always had been. He didn't care- couldn't care- about what was going on back at the tower, the grounds. What was the point? It was all about power. The only power Talon needed was the power to protect himself.

He tried to keep a hold of the fury, to keep it burning in his chest. Octavia had only cared he was winning. She'd taken that away from him without a damn care, and then called him a fucking coward. No- no that was not the train of thought he needed. Yanking his attention away from that line of thought, Talon found himself standing by the lake. No where else to go. Unless he just walked into the lake and never came out again.

It would be so easy to just... let go... And why shouldn't he? No one cared enough to try. It had always been that way. No one ever to help him... only tear him down... As the feeling of melancholy washed over him, his anger died. He crouched, laying a hand on the water, as if he could just be sucked in, and washed away. He hurt. Physically... well, that would heal. But had he ever truly healed from other wounds? He hurt. Inside, where no one cared to look. Where no one cared to dig deeper. Weak... . He closed his eyes, his heart beating painfully, as if it could sense the edge he was on. nothing to cry over, be a man, take it like a man!. Octavia couldn't know the can of worms she had opened. It hurt too much. Awww, the little baby is angry! Well come on, show me what you've got!

The voice echoed through his mind, and Talon could almost see the vile bastard. Oh, how he wished he could kill him. There were times where Talon just didn't think he'd ever feel anything but this... this numbness. It was easier to hide it... Don't let anyone see, then they can't hurt you. Except that was fucking lies. They could still hurt him. The proof was back at that fucking tower. Anger was better, but he couldn't muster it. Talon dropped his head into his hands, blood drying still left a mark, but he didn't care. Pain and Anger. Something besides the numbness, besides the feeling of nothingness. Just something to let him know he was still alive.

Why did it hurt so much to care? Why did it hurt so much, why did he feel betrayed? Why wasn't anything he did good enough? Why did he have to fail in everything? He wasn't good enough. He never would be. The rest of them would be better off without him. So why didn't he just do it? Rid them of the problem child, the one that no one could reach. That no one tried to reach. No one was coming to help him... he wasn't worth it.

It would be so easy to let go...

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Niesha's gaze roamed over everyone once more. Everyone seemed to be on the same page- that it was, as her brother had so eloquently put, bullshit. Her gaze sought answers, even if there weren't any there. It seemed to her that the Gods, particularly it seemed Aphrodite, had just chosen a random camper for one of their mind games. The Gods couldn't act out against one another, not directly, but they could maneuver people... a cats paw you could say. And often it was their demi-god children. Given more freedom to act then the Gods, their children could, unwittingly, unknowingly, be pawns in their games.

So, who wanted to undermine Hades authority? Was Aphrodite working alone- she didn't particuarly care to count Ares, he had proven he would do anything for Aphordite's approval... Was she manipulating him as well? She lightly tapped her fingers against her thigh, thoughtful. Her gaze drifted once more, and landed on Sam. He was a curious one- sometimes the children of the lesser Gods were over looked, but as Pierre had so demonstrated, undermining them was a deadly mistake.

"They don't need proof to accuse someone." She said softly to him, "All they need is a virtually impossible task, a way of undermining someone else's power. No, make it just possible to find a way out of the mess... " she sighed, shrugging. "They're master manipulators... but they have one thing in common- they always underestimate us." She smiled a little impishly, before shrugging again.

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She didn't want to do this...

Arms folded, rather nervously, over the front of her body, hands holding onto her elbows; Erin stared up at the ladder that led up and into the attic of the Big House. Clearly not looking forward to... whatever the hell it was that happened whenever someone was sent to see the Oracle. She'd been to the Big House a thousand times over- it was where they held their councillor meetings; where she was forced to go whenever she set her hellhounds loose on an unsuspecting camper, or when she opened up a fissure that would send someone who was pissing her off straight into the pits of Tartarus. Things her father considered to be 'childs play'. But to come here for a quest-..?

Steeling herself for what was about to happen, the side of her pointer finger dashing across the skin under her eyes to quickly rid herself of any tears she had managed to shed during her meeting with Dionysus, she drew in a deep breath. Letting it out, slowly, through her darkly painted lips before she stepped forward, and a little awkwardly began climbing the ladder. Her arm lifting up to push open the door before letting herself through. Hands immediately brushing one another and the front of her skin-tight jeans as she hit solid ground once more. Dark eyes casting a glance around the room; not at all perturbed by the dark atmosphere that currently surrounded her on all sides. On the contrary; it felt comforting.

Hesitating- weary, despite the sense of home the darkness brought to her, Erin's voice was soft as she spoke out, "..hello..?"

"..hello, Erin."

The voice that responded to her through the darkness was soft, though clear enough as it floated through the attic. Leaving a rather cheerful ring in the air as she spoke out, greeting the young demigod into what was, for all intents and purposes, one of her many work spaces and places to relax; Rachel smiled warmly. It wasn't as though she didn't normally get visitors; hell, she had her regulars - Ky' vie Morgan... Greyson Davies... Brandon Murphy... Imogen Parsons... Elias Schneider... the list went on.

"Oh, don't be shy... I don't bite. Well; not unless you want me to..." Her soft chuckle filling the peaked room, head shaking lightly from side to side, Rachel's long orangey-red locks brushed back and forth over the ground beneath her. Her dark eyes opening slowly so that she was able to get her first look at Erin from where she was sat, upside down, over the large cushiony armchair that she'd purchased herself in order to spruce up the place once she'd made the choice to move in full-time, "Please; make yourself at home. Tell Rachel all about what's bothering you."

"..I'm fine here..." What the hell was with this chick..? She was like an overly friendly harpy; though one that was ready to sign you up for a cult if you weren't careful enough to watch what you said around her. Was she like this around everyone..? Or was she being extra creepy just for her..? Erin wasn't sure she wanted to stick around long enough to find out, "..I was sent to see the Oracle..."

"You're looking at her."

Not sure she'd heard right, Erin stared at the woman in front of her- really, she didn't look much older than her half-brother; vastly different to the rumors she'd heard fly about the Oracle being some decrepid mummified corpse, "..you're the Oracle..?" She paused, her dark gaze flicking over the woman for a moment, "..you..?"

Chuckling once more, Rachel twisted her body around in the chair. Straightening herself up first before she folded her legs underneath her, making herself just that little bit more comfortablt for the conversation, "Expecting someone else..?"

"..a corpse..?"

"You're a few years too late for that host body. Sorry to disappoint."

"..you wouldn't be the first to do that..." Shrugging her shoulders lightly, dissmissively, Erin let her gaze trail away from the Oracle and instead, out across the attic; though she wasn't really focussing on anything she saw. There were, however, a hell of a lot of candles... She had to wonder for a moment whether or not Rachel made them herself, or just bulk ordered them in. Shoving the stupid ADHD induced thought aside once it floated through her mind, Erin brought her attention back to the woman in question, "..so you're the one who's supposed to give me this stupid prophecy..?"

"Correct. Are you ready..?"

"..do I really have a choice..?"

The words had barely left her lips before the room around her burst into light. Flames flickering to life over the candles that, now lit, Erin could see seemed to occupy nearly every spare inch of the surfaces in the attic. Rachel's once dark eyes clouded over- the very iris' turning to smoke as a gentle green mist began to filter in from the corners of the room; soon covering the ground so thickly that it was near impossible for Erin to see her own feet anymore.

"W-What the fuc-..?" Not expecting... well, any of what happened. Erin's thoughts had barely any time to form on her lips before she felt herself freeze up. The gentle, though very much unwelcomed, touch of the Oracle's fingers against her cheek causing her attention to draw back around until she was staring into the abyss that was the womans eyes. The voice greeting her coming across as far off- distant... and mixed with what sounded like another as she spoke.



A cold shiver ran up the length of her spine, and Erin stumbled to put space between her and the Oracle. What the hell had that been..? Fuck, she loved horror movies more than most; but that didn't mean she wanted to be apart of one..! Screw this shit. Ares could have her; she wanted no part in any of this crap. Nothing was worth this.

Staring at the woman a few brief moments longer, Erin turned her back. Not bothering to say a word, either of thanks or otherwise, as she hurriedly descended down the ladder and back to the second floor of the Big House. The sound of the attic door closing barely registering in her mind as she was already on the move. Feet carrying her quickly across the landing and down the stairs in an effort to put as much space between her and the freak upstairs as she could; she didn't even seem to notice that she'd brushed past a familiar figure waiting for her as she rushed out of the house and into the fresh air of the camp.

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Dorian was angry and Chiron's answers weren't helping in the slightest. He could tell that the old centaur was just as upset as they were at the turn of events and it was taking everything in him to calmly address their concerns and questions. The one positive thought that he held onto was that Erin had so many others willing to speak up or get angry at the gods on her behalf. He knew she always felt alone and claimed that she preferred to be, but this was proof that she would never be.

That one happy thought slipped away the moment Chiron answered his question. He expected it, but hearing it out loud made it all too real. His heart sank deeply in his chest and he felt the world crashing down around him. After all that she had been through? He couldn't and wouldn't let her suffer at the hands of Ares. It wasn't exactly a secret that Ares was a rather cruel god. He was the god of War and with war came the art of torture. His anger boiled over causing him to say something he would likely one day regret. "I'm sorry, Chiron. But the one who should be afraid is Ares because I swear by the River Styx if he so much as lays a finger on her he'll come to suffer my wrath. And unlike my father I won't be so peaceful about it." He knew it wasn't wise to challenge the gods and even less wise to swear on the River Styx, but he very well intended to keep that promise. Plus, what was the worst that could happen to him? Ares kills him or he gets banished to the depths of Tartarus? Yeah, like that'd ever happen.

No longer interested in the conversation and having said what he needed to he decided to take his leave. He focused his mind on Erin and the signature of her life aura. He hoped she was done with the Oracle. Appearing in the middle of a prophecy telling would've been awkward. Dorian's shadow expanded beneath him and swallowed him down into the ground as if he were in an invisible elevator. He traveled through the shadows and ascended from the ground directly in Erin's rushed path.

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Zeru listened to Chiron's answers and wondered just how he survived all the stress that came with being the mediator between the gods and their half-breed offspring. The gods fuck up and caused a commotion and leave him to not only protect the kids from the fallout, but also prevent them declaring war on their idiot parents. Which one of them just did. Zeru was both surprised and impressed by Dorian's sudden declaration. From what he knew of him he was normally quiet and mostly to himself, but he did see him hanging out with a few others, namely Erin. It explained why someone so generally unwarlike would go as far as to threaten the God of War.

When Dorian made his shadowy exit Zeru figured it was his time to take his leave as well. He'd hear about Erin's prophecy later. Right now he was interested in heading to the training fields. He had missed his chance for morning exercise and had no intentions of starting the summer off rusty. Especially when he had a potential quest to get ready for. The clock was already ticking.

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Corona woke up earlier that day, her eyes shining with excitement and glee. The obstacle tower event is supposed to be held later that day and that meant that most of the campers would be coming to watch. Subsequently, it meant that Corona would have the forge all to herself! With how much of a workaholic her siblings were, an opportunity such as this would be way too good to pass up, even if it meant missing the absolute spectacle of her fellow campers climbing the imposing Obstacle Tower.

Now you might be wondering, why would Corona go to such lengths just for a chance to work alone in the forges? The answer was simply because she recently came up of an idea for a very useful, yet potentially dangerous device that would power the automated turrets she was building as part of the camp's defenses. Since most of her siblings, aside from Ky'vie aren't exactly fire and explosion-proof, she couldn't risk crafting it while they were there, and Ky would probably never let her hear the end of it if she causes ANOTHER accident. Seriously, how was she supposed to know that her formulation for the "Mother of all Skunks" stink bomb would be far too potent that they wouldn't be able to wash it off for a week. "We couldn't even enter the forges at the time, and I think the Cleaning Harpies have been out to get me ever since." She mused to herself as she got dressed in an orange Camp Half Blood shirt coupled by overalls and safety boots.

As she was walking towards the forges, Corona couldn't help but enjoy the crisp morning air just before dawn as well as the tranquil atmosphere that had yet to be broken as most other campers would still be dozing off in their cabins. With how hectic and busy living at camp tends to be, moments like these are meant to be savored. By the time she arrived at the forges however, her enthusiasm was cut in half when she saw that somebody had beat her there. One of her siblings, Lucas if she remembered correctly, was busy hammering away at a piece of metal, molding it into the form of a sword. He gave Corona a surprised look when he noticed her arrival but quickly smiled at her and gave her a knowing nod before getting back to what he was doing.

While the idea of getting the forge to herself was now out of reach, the fiery-haired girl refused to let that dampen her spirits. Whatever happens, she was going to accomplish what she had set out to do. Thus, after gathering all the necessary tools she needed for her personal project, she started working on the energy source of her automatic turrets. The first thing she needed to get sorted out was the container for the battery. Nothing a skilled Hephaestus camper couldn't accomplish. After smelting and molding the vessel from Tungsten, she started working on the core, infusing molten Celestial Bronze with the hottest flames she could produce. In her effort to pour her entire focus on her task, she failed to realize that some embers from her flames were leaking out, and by the time she noticed, a stray ember had already ignited some of the more flammable materials she had set aside, causing a decent-sized explosion to occur and sending tools, ingredients, and newly-forged weapons flying everywhere. While Corona was unharmed, as expected, she couldn't help but worry about Lucas who was directly in the line of fire of the debris caused by the explosion. After the dust and smoke had settled, she was relieved to see a black-cloaked figure firmly holding onto one of the spears sent flying by the blast. Had he not arrived in time, Lucas would have been inadvertently turned into a life-sized shish kebab. "So... uhh... what are you doing out here this early?" Corona asked meekly, trying to hide her embarrassment from another accident she had caused.

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Spencer woke up in a fouler mood than usual. The nightmares about his time in Tartarus plaguing him every night hasn't done wonders for his sleep schedule, and repeatedly asking Adeline to literally give him sweet dreams is embarrassing in of itself that he only consults with her once a week. Upon looking at the alarm clock by his nightstand, he figured that there was no point going back to sleep at that point and instead decided to perform his morning routine a little bit earlier. Said routine involved some calisthenics to start things off, 100 push-ups, 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and 10 kilometers of running every day before performing calisthenics again to cool off.

Just as he was getting back from his exercise, he happened to pass by the forges. All of a sudden, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, as a chilling sensation crept up his spine. Hurriedly, he rushed into the forge just before the Life Clock of a Hephaestus kid was about to wind down to its final seconds. Without a warning, a decent-sized explosion occurred at the other side of the forge, sending all manner of debris hurtling across the area including a celestial bronze spear which Spencer managed to catch deftly before it could impale the child of Hephaestus.

Turning to the origin of the explosion, the son of Thanatos gave Corona Talos an incredulous look as he motioned her to the spear he was still clutching in his hand.

"So... uhh... what are you doing out here this early?", the young daughter of Hephaestus said nervously before flinching when she heard the spear drop to the floor with a loud clang.

"Oh, I don't know? Saving this poor bloke from getting a one way ticket to the doors of my father?" Upon saying that, Spencer glared at Lucas, motioning him to scram, to which he complied, running out of the forge in sheer terror. He could have sworn the poor lad had also soiled his pants from the whole ordeal. " For gods sake, Beer Girl, be careful with your little experiments! You're lucky I was nearby, otherwise, you'd have a hard time explaining to Ky('vie), Chi(ron), and Di(onysus) why you decided that one of your brothers was in a drastic need of a new orifice."

Corona visibly frowned from his comments, pouting and giving him the stink eye. "You know I didn't mean to do that! I was working on a personal project when suddenly BOOM! There was this huge explosion, and KAPOW! Stuff just flew everywhere. Okay, maybe I shouldn't have placed those flammables so close to where I'm working, but still, aren't you worried about me the least bit?" She protested, puffing her cheeks in an attempt to look offended at him.

Sighing vehemently as he facepalmed at Corona's poor excuse of... well an excuse, he began chastising the reckless inventor. "You do realize I am aware that you're fireproof, right? Even if you somehow had gotten hurt, I'll make sure to give you a Phlegethon Fire Water bath, then you'd be good as new."

The mere mention of the procedure seemed to have terrified Corona for a brief second, before she managed to regain her composure and sighed in relief. "Wait, did this idiot forgot for that brief second that she was immune to fire, then remembered it just as quickly?".

Ever since arriving at camp a few months ago, Spencer seems to have gotten dragged into every major accident Corona had caused within that time span, INCLUDING, that Mother of all Skunks incident. The smell was SO bad, he had to go back into Tartarus and soak on the Phlegethon for an entire day just to get the smell off. Surprisingly, no monster dared to approach him while he had Pepe Le Pew perfume all over him, so he guessed that it was effective for its intended purpose, but he didn't dare tell her that. Still, no matter what crazy antics he gets involved in due to Corona's mishaps, he can't seem to get angry at the redhead the least bit. For some reason, he reminds her of his best friend back when he was part of Camp Jupiter, and at the same time, she feels like a little sister to him of sorts.

"Well, good luck cleaning up this mess, Ronnie. I don't want anyyyyyy part of this." Just as he was going to leave the forges, Corona hastily went after him, tugged his shoulders, and gave her one of those "puppy dog eyes" that clearly meant that she needed something from him... Oh boy, as if he hadn't helped her enough with that incident earlier. "What?"

"Well, I'll have to tell you that my tinkering wasn't a complete failure." She said excitedly as she gingerly held a metallic object in front of him. It was the size of a typical baseball but it must have weighed heavier than that due to its composition. The center of the object radiated a pleasant warmth and it glowed fiercely as if it was some sort of... "Tadah!, I call this, the Prominence Mark I. It's basically a mini reactor for the turrets I've been working on. Since the turrets need to be operational 24/7 so it could assist fleeing half bloods no matter what time it is, I figured I needed a self-sustaining power source for them to be online constantly."

Internally, Spencer was amazed beyond belief that Corona has managed this feat at such a young age. He felt like a proud parent right then and there, but he didn't want the fiery-haired girl to get a big head out of her achievement so he settled for giving her a pat in the head. "As impressive as this is, how is this any of my concern?"

An excited grin spread across Corona's face making Spencer regret that he even asked. "Well, I needed to test the operational capacity of this baby right here. I can't have it sputtering out just after a few shots... and that is where you come in, my good friend." Corona said in a conspiratorial manner.

"Let me guess, you need monsters for target practice?" He figured that was the case. This wasn't the first time she asked him to spam his Shadow Necromancy for her field tests.

"Bingo! So whaddya say, partner?" She extends her free hand to him in an effort to shake his, but Spencer brushes it off heads toward the exit, leaving the redhead feeling dejected. However, he stops momentarily just as he reached the exit, turns to her and grumbles "Thalia's tree, 1 hour from now. I'll leave if you're even one second late." to which she immediately perks up and nods enthusiastically.

After taking a much needed shower, and having a refreshing cup of tea, Spencer trudged towards Half-Blood Hill to meet with Corona. Fortunately, it seemed that she had already finished preparations as a a rather imposing turret was now set up right next to the infamous pine tree known for once temporarily being Thalia Grace. She grinned sheepishly when she caught sight of Spencer before motioning for him to begin using his death kid powers a couple of yards behind some hastily set upped practice dummies.

"Are you sure that thing is safe?" Spencer had a doubt written all over his face as he eyed the gigantic machine. "I seem to recall the last time we did this you not only managed to rip my summons to shreds, but also the dummies we were supposed to be protecting."

"Oh ye of little faith. I made the proper adjustments since last time. Now can I please have my monsters already?"

Smiling wryly, Spencer stretched out his hand before making an upwards grasping motion and uttering the words "Arise!". As soon as he said the trigger word, three columns of darkness burst from the ground before revealing 3 distinct monsters; a hellhound, a flesh-eating horse, and a Cyclops, all of which were made out of darkness. He noticed Corona shudder for a moment after seeing the Hellhound but after taking a deep breath, she regained her composure and stared down the shadowy mutt with fiery conviction in her eyes.

"Commencing First Field Test of the Prominence Mark I Energy Core for the Talos Turret Defense System in 3... 2... 1... BEGIN!" Pushing a small remote, the turret spewed out a column of steam as it roared to life. Almost immediately, its targeting systems began tracking the monsters who were already in pursuit of the automaton dummies. The dummies were designed to accurately simulate how a demigod desperately trying to reach the camp's borders would act, from the running speed, down to any possible erratic behavior half bloods who were scared shitless while running for their lives would act. This made every individual field test a very unique experiment and it helped the Defense System react accordingly to every possible situation. As soon as the turret identified the flesh-eating horse as the most immediate threat given how it can easily close the distance to the fleeing dummies, it trained its sights on it before unleashing a hail of celestial bronze bullets on the creature, disintegrating it almost instantly. The hellhound was shot with a formidable-looking javelin soon after, and finally the cyclops was felled when the turret launched a grenade chock full of celestial bronze shrapnel.

"Huh, that went unexpectedly well! And not a single scratch on the dummies this time! And it looks like your little battery performed as intended. Great job, Ronnie." This time, Spencer genuinely gave the young redhead some much needed praise. If there's one thing he admires about Corona Talos it's how she gives it her all in everything she does and how she stops at nothing in making sure her final products are always reliable. The sudden praise seems to have flustered the fiery-haired daughter of Hephaestus but she relished it for only a second before signaling for another run. The pair were able to perform a total of 20 tests in total before the loud, booming voice of Mr. D had both of them scrambling to clean up the mess they caused.

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Thanks to Spencer using Shadow Travel to instantly teleport the two of them just in time to hear the important bits of Mr.D and Chiron's announcement. Majority of the campers expressed their disdain immediately towards the baseless allegations on Erin stealing Aphrodite's dove. Of course, this included Spencer. He basically owed her the second leash on life he was enjoying right now. They've bonded considerably since then, and aside from Adeline and Corona, he considers Erin to be one of his most precious friends. Despite seeming like a standoffish, cynical twat to others, Spencer was extremely loyal to those he considers as his friends and he was ready to go through Tartarus and high water for her.

"Yet again, the cunts upstairs pin the blame on someone completely innocent!" The son of Thanatos glowered at the sky as if he was scowling at Ares himself. He was half-tempted at putting a middle finger up on the sky just to spite Ares but he figured the gesture would just be pointless. What he needed to do was find Erin and join her on her quest to find the dove and prove her innocence.

After saying a quick goodbye to Corona, Spencer set out to find Erin. By now, she was supposed to receive her prophecy from the Camp Oracle, Rachel Elizabeth Dare so the Big House was his first destination. By the time he arrived, he spotted Erin... along with his younger brother. He was aware that Dorian was also close with Erin and he also caught what he said about swearing on the Styx to fight Ares if he lays a finger on her. He had to admit, as much as he detested the little twerp, he was willing to put their differences aside for the time being for Erin's sake.

"So, what did the Oracle tell you, Erin? Whatever it is, I'm in. No buts." The older child of Thanatos told the distraught daughter of Hades in the most reassuring tone he could muster.

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His silence, the brief few moments of peace around him, the gentle sound of the lake on it's banks was broken as a rock shattered the serenity. The ripples it made across the water turned the slight, calming sound of the water hitting the banks into something a bit more violent. It was foolish to have thought it might be Elias... or even Octavia, but Talon still glanced around. He sighed, looking away as he saw Valeria.

He didn't know why he had thought- had even hoped for one tiny second... He shook his head. Who kicked rocks into the lake? What was the point of that? Just to watch it sink? Like he had been contemplating for himself... He sighed again, pushing out of his crouch. His body hurt, but he didn't care. He was sure that he was a mess of blood, cuts, bruises and more- what he saw from his reflection in the lake didn't look pretty.

But he didn't care.

He watched Valeria as she bent to pick up more stones. To throw? You didn't throw rocks into the water. You skipped rocks. "You're doing it wrong." Words slightly muffled around a split lip, Talon picked up a smooth stone. It was just about perfect, mostly flat, smooth and comfortable in the size of his hand. He held it, so that his thumb and middle finger were gripping it in a pincher like grip, his inder finger hooked around the edge. Standing up straight, he shifted slightly so that he was on a slight angle to the water. He waited a heart beat or two before he threw the stone out, and down towards the water with a fair bit of force- for speed.

The stone bounced across the surface of the lake, a statisfying slap like sound seeming to echo over the lake as the stone skipped the surface. "Throwing stones just has a chance of pissing off whatever creatures are in the lake. Skipping, less chance of pissing a creature off by hiting it."

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Pierre didn't particularly like the answers they were given, but he doubted that even Chiron didn't like them. He doubted they'd get any satisfactory answers for a little while, until Erin either shared it or they knew the results of the quest. [i]Face the wrath of Lord Ares... [/j] what would the Gods do, if they refused to let Erin face it alone? Pierre realised he had been standing there for some time as others began to leave, and he looked down at the idol in his hand, the large golden ring.

He wasn't even sure what to do with it. He had never really figured that part out. It probably wasn't a good time to ask- even asking Ky' vie seemed a bit... selfish. There was nothing he could do for Erin, not yet... he doubted she'd talk to him anyway. There were others better suited to it then he, for her- and they were already evidently making their way to her.

He stood a little awkwardly, gaze moving across the crowd, seeking Adeline- and frowning as he saw her with Greyson. Oh, the lad was good with her, but... that didn't mean he didn't worry. Sighing, he looked away, turning to walk away. He could go back to the cabin, perhaps try and find answers.

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Samuel greeted the daughter of Athena with a warm smile, and nodded in agreement once she finished speaking "Guilty until proven innocent," he said pensively before shrugging "That is how the saying goes right?" shaking his head he chuckled as the warmth he was producing faded "Guess we'll just have to see what happens," Sam smirked and casted a knowing glance at Niesha "Also am I that transparent that you could tell I was frustrated or was it that mystical wisdom of yours?" the son of Helios playfully joked, smiling widely with a short laugh that could only be described as infectious.

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Greyson listened as the outpour of arguments were shouted out amongst the crowd, nodding in agreement with each and every one of them. The son of Poseidon had all the respect in the world for Chiron, and even Mr. D at times even though he could never remember anyone's names right, even more so now with how downtrodden they looked at having to deal such news to the campers knowing full-well how angry they'd all be. The worry and stress on Chiron's face made Greyson feel a bit guilty, not personally but for the camp as a whole. He didn't deserve everyone being angry with him. Can't shoot the messenger.

Leaning down to get close to Addie, he whispered gently, "Addie, luv, would you like to get out of here and maybe try to find Erin..? I've heard enough of this. I'd like to go check up on her. I can't imagine she's gonna be happy about having to leave."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing... it was just-... just-...

"..merde..."

The word slipping out, softly, from between her lips without even so much as a thought to it; Adeline was barely aware that she'd spoken her thoughts aloud, let alone that anyone could have possibly heard the swear that fell into the air. It just-... It was just too hard to believe that Erin would do such a thing; that she was capable of stealing a Goddess' symbol. Sure she could be a big meanie at times, but she... she had a good heart. Most people in the camp knew it; even if everyone pretended that wasn't the case. Double taking, torn from the commotion and outrage that was going on around them, Adeline's attention was drawn away at the sound of Greyson's voice by her ear; and she lifted her gaze up towards it. Nodding her head lightly in response, "..oui... s'il vous plaît, pouvons-nous y aller..?"

Greyson's eyebrow shot up at Addie's curse, chuckling to himself as he twined his fingers between hers and held firmly as he slowly got up and led the way off the stands, making his way through the small crowd. He made a quick glance over the other campers at his friend Brynn who happened to catch his eye before they disappeared back behind the stands and made their way towards the Big House where Erin no doubt still was.

Once they were a distance away from the noise, Greyson gently squeezed her hand and asked softly as they walked, "Tu vas bien, luv?" He took a look back behind them to see if Brynn had decided to follow, not seeing her running after them, he turned his attention back to their front. His eyes focused on the Big House as they approached, wracking his brain for what he could possibly say to Erin that would even remotely help. He already knew there wasn't anything he could say, but he wished he had. Greyson sighed heavily and turned his eyes onto Addie for the moment.

"..just-... she would never do this, Grey- she could never do this... even I know that..."

Her opposite arm once more crossing over the front of her body, Adeline's hand curled gently around his forearm. Hugging it closer against her as the two of them walked side by side. Each of her steps only the slightest of delays behind his own as once again, she allowed him to take the lead in where they were going; more than happy to just follow on, as long as it meant they were able to spend time together. Even is the situation and topic at hand wasn't the most cheerful they'd ever had the pleasure of discussing, "..sure Erin can be a big meanie, but... she isn't a thief..!"

"She can be somewhat difficult, at times, but I agree. She didn't do this."

Greyson barely noticed they had passed by the cabins, reaching over to press a button on his wristwatch that sent a signal to Sheba. Once it reached her, she would come find him. Like a homing beacon, of sorts. It was pretty rare to see Greyson around camp without his mechanical feline companion, only having left it at the cabin on the chance that he may or may not have partaken in the obstacle tower this morning. He didn't want to have to explain why his mech cat was trying to climb the tower, too. Sheba seemed to have a mind of her own, at times, much like an actual cat.

As they neared the Big House, Greyson could just see Erin out in front. It seemed as though she wasn't alone and they had been beaten to the punch. Greyson's steps slowed till they came to a stop, taking in a deep breath before letting it out in a big huff of a sigh. "Looks like we're not the only ones with the idea of seekin' 'er out."

Greyson's words hitting her ears only helped to confirm what Adeline could already hear. Some of the familiar voices that she usually heard around the camp, though now full of concern and some with anger, had beat them to their target; though with who each one belonged to, she wasn't exactly surprised in the least. It had been made perfectly clear from the outrage today that, despite her cold-hearted disposition toward the camp and the people in it that called the place their home, Erin was more loved and cared for than even she realized.

"..elle est de la famille..."

---

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"Last game, boys, then I gotta get off."

The roar of the plane echoed throughout Tyler's headphones, unable to hear his friends who seemed to continue their conversation regardless, his eyes searching for the perfect spot to drop on the map. He could hear his teammates discussing potential places as well, rolling his eyes at the mention of Superstore. Literally no one but the sweaties went Superstore. Did they wanna get rid of him that easy, in hopes they'd have a quick game and he would get off? Tyler shrugged off the thought and shook his head, seeing as his teammates were going there anyways.

"Worst drop, ever. This, and anywhere downtown. Instant team wipe."

"Yeah, for the other guys!"

"No, Blake. We're gonna be the team that gets mopped up, bro." Tyler dropped into the far north side of the store, looting boxes and picking up equipment. All around him he could hear parachutes and footsteps echoing throughout the large warehouse, sighing heavily. 'What did I say? Mega hotspot,' he thought to himself, his eyes scanning over the tv screen for any signs of movement as he picked up a better assault rifle than the basic ground pick-up he'd snagged before. Crouching, Tyler could hear the footsteps growing closer. It sounded as if there were more than just a single set, causing the boy to get a little anxious.

"Guys, guys I'm gonna need help." A quick glance at his mini map and Justin threw his head back in frustration, grumbling, "You guys wanna come here, and you're no where nearby." Inevitably, the enemies around him found him. Tyler was able to take one down but the second guy downed him, a second enemy coming in to help the other finish Tyler off. Tyler growled in irritation, tearing off his headset to toss it onto his bed, shaking his head as he rubbed his face firmly.

_{"Goddamn it,"} he mumbled under his breath, looking up at his screen as he watched his character get drug off to the gulag.



Tyler's jaw clenched at the sound of his father's voice, letting out a soft irritated sigh. The boy turned his head to look over his shoulder at the god standing against the doorframe, his back still fully turned towards him.

"Mm, yeah. Thanks."

The boy watched as his father stared off at nothing in particular and smiled, clearly thinking about something. He definitely wasn't going to ask about it. He really didn't care. Ty's face stayed the same stoic expression it usually had when interacting with his father, at least within the last couple of years. The first year was just pure anger. This was the man.. the god, who'd gotten his mother pregnant and screwed everything up for her. The relationship between the father and son was spread thin to say the least, Hermes still seemed to try and get through to his boy. To show him that he did in fact love him.

Tyler came back to the present when he realized Hermes was closing the distance between the two, eyeing the clipboard that appeared from thin air. The boy's face finally showed some emotion. Confusion. Had he ordered something? ..He had. Last week. He'd already forgotten about it. Why did Hermes feel the need to personally deliver it to him?

Tyler gave a look back at his tv and realized that he'd been killed in gulag and his team of three other guys he was playing with were getting slaughtered in-game. The boy simply shook his head and reached out, turning his xbox and tv off before turning back to face Hermes this time. Ty crossed his arms over his chest and stared quietly, listening to his father speak. The immediate mention of his 'girlfriend' caused Tyler's eyebrows to furrow, grumbling, "How many times do I have to tell you she's not my girlfri-" Somehow, even though Tyler had been talking over Hermes, he'd heard him say that he was the last person she'd wanna see right now. Why?

Tyler's brow remained furrowed, his voice hesitantly curious. "What do you mean? Why wouldn't she want to see you?" 'She likes you more than I do,' he finished in his head. It never ceased to startle Ty a little when his father would pop packages out of nowhere, shaking his head as he reached out for the clipboard, taking up the pen in his hand to sign off on the deliveries. "What's happened?"



As soon as Hermes had spoken the word 'stole' Tyler's nostrils flared angrily, his fists clenching tightly till his knuckles turned white, his finger nails digging into his palm. "Asta-i tâmpenie," he growled under his breath, his jaw clenching tightly. As Hermes continued to explain further, Tyler grabbed the packages meant for him and stuffed them beneath his bed to open up later, grabbing up the one meant for his friend.

"She never leaves. She's not the one. She's not the one." Tyler maneuvered around his bed, stopping just in front of his father as he looked him directly at him for the first time throughout the entire exchange, having looked just to the side of him before.

"You gods sure are great at ruining your kids lives, aren't you?" The boy shook his head and shoved past his father, walking to the door before coming to a slow stop at he came to it. Tyler uttered a low thanks just loud enough for his father to be heard before walking out of the room, on a mission. Of course he didn't like his father, but he also wasn't entirely disrespectful. He still had some sort of manners, even when it came to his father.



Hermes' son headed off towards the Hades Cabin, hearing his father's voice calling out to him as he crossed the distance between cabins. Seven days. Zeus. Ares wrath. Right. The boy looked down at the box questioningly at the mention of 'extra toppings'. The thought quickly leaving his mind as his thoughts returned to the fact Hermes had called Erin his girlfriend.

The extra toppings and his very not-so-funny misconceptions about his friend better not be related. Tyler swore to the gods if Hermes was playing another prank on him, his father would never hear the end of it. The dark-haired boy pushed his way into the Hades cabin and shut the door behind him, wandering over to the lounge area where he set the box down on the coffee table.

The silence that filled the enclosed space was almost annoying. Silence was great.. under the right circumstances... any really.. but in that moment, with everything weighing on him about what his good friend was being accused of. Wondering how she was handling it all.. most especially being under such pressure and no doubt being rushed by nearly the entire camp. While the son of Hermes waited for her to come back to the safety of her quarters, he decided it was a good idea to put on some tea.

---

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"Octavia, let Kalinda heal you."

Furious- having allowed her anger to consume her worse than she had in the longest of times, her older brother's voice cut through the chaos and straight to her ears. And it was a few moments later that she was ripping her figure out from hold of the two girls trying their best to keep her under control. Causing both of them to take a step back; their hands lifting in clear sign that they were backing up and that neither particularly wanted anymore trouble to be caused. The clashing coolness and heat radiating from their palms hitting her front and back, and only served to force a shiver to go crawling out over the surface of her skin. She wanted to yell- but she bit her tongue. Between her brothers, the girls interferance, and the sudden announcement of her father accusing someone she knew personally of something she was far from capable of doing; it was just all to much.

Fingers curling, hand balling into a fist down at her side, Octavia swept her opposite arm out and around at her side. Using it to push the daughter of Apollo back and out of the striking zone before she herself turned. The crunch that sounded, filling the air, almost sickening as her knuckles collided hard with the inanimate object that was currently closest to her. The stone stands. The smallest of cracks appearing at the point of impact; it was tainted. The deep crimson slowly trickling down over her fingers and the stone, eventually dribbling into droplets which fell to the ground at her feet. It was blind rage- stupid. She knew that. But as the pain of what she assumed were at least bruised, and at worst, fractured and broken knuckles filtered through her mind, drowning out the pure rage she'd been in, she was pretty sure that even Elias would understand why she'd done it; that he might even agree with her method. They both knew it could have ended far worse than it had.

"..fine."

Arm falling, resting once more at her side, her gaze lingering on the stone a moment or two longer; she flicked it across first towards her brother, meeting his stare before she turned completely. Standing herself tall as she brought herself face to face with Kalinda. Her dark eyes hard- strong as they bore down into the other womans, "..infirmary then... correct..?"

Stepping back, once... twice- much like she had done when she'd been on top of the tower, Octavia turned her back to the both of them. Her dirty, though non-bloodied hand reaching out to clasp Browyn's shoulder; she gave it a light squeeze as she passed the girl by. People moving back to give her a bit of a wide birth in the moment as she made her way out of the arena. Following the all too familiar path through the camp that led towards the infirmary where she'd be sat down and lectured about her recklessness - again - by the children of Apollo, all the while being treated for injuries she'd managed to sustaine.

Such a perfect fucking day this was turning out to be.

---

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"Erin."

Her boots pounding over the ground; Erin couldn't breathe... It felt as though someone was choking her. A feeling she had all too much experience with, and her hand involuntarily lifted to her throat, almost desperate to make sure there was nothing restricting the flow of air. Her heart was racing- pounding hard, over and over again against her rib cage, and all she wanted to do was hide. To curl up in a ball... to just wait for someone who was going to save her; but that wasn't an option for her. It never had been. She was alone; always alone. There was no one really, even now, that she could rely on-...

No.

That was a lie.

There were people she could rely on- people who had, and fuck knew how, managed to weasel their way into her life. Each creating cracks in her hard exterior only to then stake claim in her stone-cold heart. People who put up with her bad attitude- her bullshit. People who were able to look past all her downsides, and who were still willing to accept her in all her broken and fractured glory. It was fucking annoying; and yet, it still managed to astound her. She didn't want friends. She didn't think she needed them- and yet there they were. But that was just it... the root of the problem. They were there. Despite everything. And damn them all to the depths of Tartarus - one for the second time in his lifespan - it was because of that fact that she couldn't bring herself to do it. That she would never ask them for help... She'd rather die than put them in harms way.

Hell... truth was... she'd rather die than leave the camp...

Body coming into contact with something that was both hard and soft at the same time, Erin lifted her head. Her dark, damp gaze lifting to meet the eyes of the figure that she'd ran directly into without meaning it. Dorian. A choked sob forced its way up her throat, and once again she felt the tears she'd been shedding in Dionysus' office running down her cheeks. He was here. He was really here- she could touch him.

Hands pressed against his chest, her fingers curled lightly over his top; Erin's lower lip trembled as she made to speak. The sound of anothers voice beating her to the preverbial punch, however, causing her to jump. Her eyes shutting for a moment; though rather quickly the realization of who the voice actually belonged to began to settle in her mind, and she turned her head to look up at the second figure to appear at her side in only mere seconds. Spencer... he was here too..?

"So, what did the Oracle tell you, Erin? Whatever it is, I'm in. No buts."

"..S-Spence-..."

"You have us."

Flinching at the feeling of a hand laying, even as gently as it was, over her shoulder, Erin shirked away from it. From the three of them. Her dark gaze flicking back and forth between the (now) three figures. Kyrin... and over his shoulder-... Greyson..? Adeline..? Legs twitching, she fought the impulse to run. To whip herself around and once again begin the sprint back to the safety and comfort of her cabin. Back to the peace that came with that isolation. But she had a feeling, she wasn't going to get that anytime soon. Not now... and not for a while to come. Not until she either managed to get over her fears and prove her innocence, or until Ares showed her a small bit of mercy and let her die.

Either option was unappealing.

"Do you want to go back to the cabin?"

"..I'm not doing this..."

The words soft, tumbling from her lips before she could even really think on them, not that she was thinking along any other lines right now, Erin shook her head lightly. Her feet, unsteady underneath her, carrying her back step by step; the shaking of her head gradually became bigger. Her fingers curling over at her sides; the tips of her well-maintained and pointed nails digging lightly into her palms, "..I-I'm not-..."

Turning away from the group that had accumilated around her, Erin turned her attention back to the Big House. Her dark gaze trained on the window that looked into the attic space, "Non lo sto facendo, cazzo..!? He can have me..!?"

Breathing rapid, the oxygen flooding in and out of her lungs causing her chest to rise and fall heavily, she brought her attention back to those around her. The almost paralyzing fear behind her eyes more than evident; she lifted her hands up in defeat. Her steps growing in pace, carrying her further back from the lot of them as she made to continue her path towards her cabin, "..I'm done... I want no part in any of this... when time is up; Ares knows where he can find me. I'm not going anywhere..."

Turning away from them completely, stumbling slightly as she did so, Erin's pace was slightly rushed as she made to head back to her cabin.

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Niesha wasn't even sure if it was guilty until proven innocent. This was more... more like manipulation. Her gaze shifted to the sky, towards Mount Olympus, as if she could see it. This was... Who would want to move against Hades, Guardian of the dead? She sighed softly, there were too many questions, not enough answers. She doubted, however, that Hades would stand aside and let Erin be killed if it came to that- and therefore, a war would be started. Was that what they wanted, a war?

Even if Hades stood aside, let it happen... she doubted the other campers would just stand aside. Either way, if Erin failed, it would mean war. Of that, Niesha was certain. "Yeah. That's how the saying goes. I don't think it ever works that way though. Somehow, one way or another... you lose something. Are we going to lose a fellow camper, someone that's one of us? Maybe. If- no, when she succeeds... I don't think anything will be the same again. Were we foolish, to think that history wouldn't repeat itself? Or just blind to the possibility?" she realised she was thinking out loud, using Sam as a sounding board.

She shook her head, sighing once more, before she gave him another smile. He was genuinely unique, and just genuine all round. It was hard not to respond to his laugher, with anything but joy in return. "Not so much that I could tell... just I've had a lot of practice reading people. Michael is is a silent thinker too." She said, giving a small shrug, "But if people want to think its mystic power, I won't stop them." Her tone bright, playful, quite clearly an attempt at a joke.

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Valeria seemed troubled- but then, who wasn't at this camp? He picked up another stone thoughtfully. He didn't think... hadn't thought... that she'd be one to take her anger out on inantimate objects. Not like him. Wathced her as she gathered rocks, Talon absently picked up another rock, running his thumb over the smooth surface of it- and the one rough edge. He watched as she tried to immiate what he had done, but the rocks she had gathered... but none of them were really suited to skipping stones.

He watched her throw it, watched as it skipped once or twice, before sinking. It was a fair effort, but not the best. "It works best with a smooth stone, not to big, not too light." he said, casting about for another stone, picking it on, letting his thumb run over it, satisfied with it. He held it out to her, and when she took it, he turned back to the lake.

"You have to hold it just right. Middle finger and thumb pinching it, with your index along the edge of it." He shook his head, shifting into the right stance again, middle finger and thumb once more gripping it before he threw the stone, not too hard- this was one thing you couldn't do in anger. Ironic, really. Skipping stones was peaceful, and it couldn't be done properly in anger. You needed to be calm, collected, and throw it just right.

His stone skipped across the surface, the Wha-omp of the stone hitting water, in a sound rhythm, was almost relaxing. "And then you just... throw it, in a whip like motion. It needs a bit of force, but you can't throw it with everything you have. It just needs enough of a throw to get it going." He explained softly, watching the stone until it lost its momentum.

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The Ares children- most of them at least- were always a pain in the ass to deal with when healing. And they all, one way or another, succumbed to the anger. It could be days, weeks, months, but eventually... the anger washed over them. Why must they hit hard objects? Why must they make her job that much harder? It wasn't going to change, but for fuck sake, why couldn't they just smash something that wasn't quite so fucking hard. And Octovia had a way of making it seem like it was Kalinda's fault that she was hurt, and having to be subject to treatment.

Well, Kalinda wasn't weak. She wouldn't back down, meeting Octavia's gaze, her own gaze just over everything. The other girl didn't even give her a chance to suggest going somewhere else, marching off towards the infirmary. Well, so be it. Kalinda shifted, checking on Chaos but the ferret didn't seem too phased about her hasty drop into her jacket pocket.

She followed after Octavia, shaking her head slightly, already preparing a mental list of what she'd need to do. She'd have to pay the piper, so to speak. She hated forming hymns, you had to be careful. And she still maintained that Apollo had them doing hymns for his own amusement.

She moved over to a sink when she reached the Infirmary, waving a hand for Octavia to sit on one of the unoccupied beds. Washing her hands thoroughly, she dried them carefully, putting gloves on- and in seconds had gathered a few supplies."I can probably deal with any injured bones, and depending on how much you have hurt everything else... well, we shall see what I can do."

As the campers were spoken to by Chiron and Dionysus, Brynn climbed her way down the obstacle tower till she had both feet on the ground. The brunette stood at the foot of the tower with her arms crossed as she listened to what was being said, her eyebrows narrowing at the bit about Erin being accused of stealing Aphrodite's dove. Tilting her head back, she stared up as if staring directly up at the gods, shaking her head. 'Do better,' she thought as she rolled her eyes and returned her gaze to the campers around her, listening to what others were saying amongst themselves. Brynn caught Greyson's gaze just as he'd turned to walk off with Adeline Vos, the girl watching them till they disappeared from sight. It wasn't till Octavia had grabbed the daughter of Athena's shoulder that Brynn had realized she had been zoned out. Turning her gaze on her friend, she gave her a light smile as she passed her by, raising an eyebrow at the amount of blood all over her. Brynn checked her shoulder, saw nothing had been left behind but some dirt and looked back off at Octavia, sighing softly. She hoped she was okay. Of course she was, who was she kidding?

Seemed as though the commotion around Brynn started to kick up. Brynn didn't last long standing there before she was over listening to the gossip, walking off passed the large group of people huddled around the obstacle tower stands. Off a distance away, her dad's old dog Duke lay beneath a large tree soaking up the sun's rays. As soon as he saw Brynn approaching, his tail began to wag gently back and forth, the rest of his body unmoving.

"Getting some sun, boy?" The girl bent down and pet Duke, rubbing his ear and the side of his head gently.

"Wanna head back to the cabin with me?" As if in response, the dog let out a huff and looked up at her with his big brown eyes. Brynn's brow furrowed a moment before she realized what the dog was trying to tell her. "Again, buddy?" The Athena girl stepped around Duke and stood over him, reaching down to grab him up just under both his front legs while the dog groaned with the movement, pulling him up into a standing position. The golden then stretched and shook himself out, seeming just fine now that he was standing. Brynn laughed lightly, patting her thigh as she turned to walk off towards the cabins at a pace Duke could tolerate.

Not having made it very far before Brynn and Duke were passing by the lake, she noticed Talon and Valeria throwing stones across the water. The girl chewed on her lip, thinking about the scene back at the obstacle tower.. if she wasn't the sole one who'd caused him to get the way he had, she had still been apart of it. Antagonizing him and Brandon the way she had. She may have just been playing around, but clearly Talon didn't seem to see it that way. She knew she should probably apologize. The Athena girl changed direction and headed straight for the two, hesitantly approaching a few feet behind Talon. She cleared her throat and rubbed her hand firmly against the back of her neck, a little nervous but knew it had to be done. She gave Valeria a friendly half-smile, turning her attention back to Talon.

"Hey, Talon.. uhm, back there... you know that I was just joking, right? I wasn't trying to be an asshole, or anything. Just friendly competition, you know?" Brynn's lips pressed into a fine line, staring at the back of the boy's head.

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"The Queen of Darkness is at it again," Brandon smirked, shaking his head. Even if she hadn't done the deed, girl deserved it. Especially for sending her hounds after him all the damn time.

With everyone huddled up in their little groups chatting about the news the gods had delivered, it was a bit too crowded for the son of Ares, pushing his way through the crowd till he was clear of the small mob of campers. For fucks sake, who actually cared about the goth girl this much? And why? Brandon rolled his eyes, stopping a little ways away from the stands to look down at his shirt. It was caked with dirt and a bit of blood. As much as the son of Ares loved showing off just how dirty he could get in training, he really didn't care to go from one activity to another looking as he did now. A shower was most definitely in order before he moved over to the arena where he'd planned to train with his throwing knives some more. The dark-haired boy set off towards the Ares cabin to first handle his current priority.

The whole situation was just... fucked.

A heavy sigh passing out through her lips, watching the retreating figures that belonged to both Octavia and Kalinda as they headed off toward the infirmary for a brief spell longer; Ky' vie lifted her hand up from down at her side. The pads of her fingers pressing firmly into her skin as she took the moment to simply rub at her face. Ignoring the blood, that wasn't her own, as it smudged across her strong features. First real day of summer, and already it was a complete and utter shit show. Like you couldn't get any worse of a sign- a foreshadowing of what the rest of the summer, and for the majority that were full-timers, the remainder of the year, had in store. Already she had regrets about getting out of bed that morning.

Movement catching in the corner of her eye, causing her to turn her head and glance over in that general direction, her steely gaze fell on the familiar figure she'd been giving such a hard time to earlier; though, they both knew it wasn't malicious. At least... it hadn't been at that moment, anyway. The back and forth between that played between them from the very moment they'd met was just natural. That spark of rivalry; animosity. Though it was rarely ever without a hint of affection and, not that it was a secret, but... flirtation. Fuck; he did her head in at times.

Rolling her eyes first, a light shake of her head causing her lips to spawn even the smallest of smirks, Ky lightly placed her hand on Isaura's shoulder. Giving the girl a quick nod before they both went their separate ways. The ice Queen heading away and towards her cabin, while she instead, picked her pace up to a light jog. Her hand reaching out to grab hold of Brandon's shoulder as she caught up to him, "Oi, shithead. Wait up."

As the young man walked he grabbed the ends of his shirt and tugged the raggedy thing up over his head, slinging it over his shoulder. Off ahead of him some distance he could see the Athena girl with her dog, rolling his eyes at the back of her head. Little shit, he thought to himself. Talon should have given it to her. Octavia always had to ruin all the fun when it came to her brothers. Speaking of whom, he could see his favorite sister walking off towards the infirmary with Kalinda. Seemed pretty banged up. He wouldn't make a big deal of it, but he made a mental note to check in on his sis later on in the day.

A gentle hand on his shoulder followed by a familiar voice pulled Bran's attention from his sister, turning to catch the daughter of Hephaestus joining him. He smirked and looked down upon her, "What's the matter, Princess.. having trouble keeping up, mm?" He chuckled softly, a charming grin plastered to his face.

"What happened back there, you were at the top. Just can't help yourself.. too busy watching the real action," he winked at her, turning his attention to where he was walking as he moved out of the way of a tree he nearly ran into, smirking at his own actions. 'Karma,' he thought to himself.

"Well, ya know... when your sister decides she'd rather base jump than destroy the competition; I get kinda curious."

Hand slipping from where she'd had it resting over his shoulder; she fell rather quickly into step at his side. Arms swinging- swaying gently and in time with the back and forth motion of her hips. Her smirk only growing further as she watched him dodge the tree he'd been heading towards, "And don't even think for one minute that I can't keep up with your ass. On the field, the obstacle course, in the forge, quest numbers, mind games; hell, even in Call of Duty. How many times do I have to school you before it finally sinks into that thick head of yours..? I'm just better than you. In every way."

Turning her head, even slightly, Ky shot a wink in his direction.

Brandon raised his hands up, shrugging his shoulders, ”Hey hey, I wasn’t saying anything about not being good. Was just making a jab at your lower altitude, sweetheart. No need to go for the kill shot every time.” Bran shot a look at her, chuckling and shaking his head slightly.

”Besides, you’re definitely not better than me at CoD. I’m the King, baby!”

"Oh, you're the King alright. A stubborn, angry little man who gets nothing of importance done." Stepping ahead of him, body turning to face his as she took to walking backwards in front of him, Ky's arms swung back. Hands clasping behind her as she leant forward. Her tongue slipping out from between her bright red lips; another wink was shared between them before she twisted back around. Now choosing to openly walk ahead of him instead, "Queens are the real power behind a Kingdom."

Brandon had to momentarily stop to allow her ahead, his smirk growing wider. He couldn’t help but giving the girl a once... no, a twice over, now that she was straight in front of him, his eyes lingering in different areas of Ky’ vie’s body.

”Mm.. not a huge fan of speed bumps in my path, Princess.” Ky’ vie sticking her tongue out at him made him laugh, shaking his head as he spoke in a low voice, only loud enough for her to hear. ”Best keep that tongue in your mouth.. next time I see it, I’ll bite it.” His eyes fell down to her butt as she walked in front of him, rolling his eyes at her words before he took some extended steps to walk right beside her again. The volume of his voice had returned to normal as he continued to go back and forth with Hephaestus’ daughter.

”Mm, I don’t think so. Women didn’t even have any real power till the 20’s, sweetheart. Men held the power, as they should.”

"Oh, please..." Rolling her eyes, her head shaking, Ky' vie turned her head. Once more bringing her attention back to him, "Men only believe they're in charge. Take the words of Margaret Thatcher... 'In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman.'. Men throughout history have just proven to be complete idiots. Over and over again. And, as usual, there is a great woman behind every idiot."

Chuckling softly, her eyes trained on his, she gave a light shrug of her shoulders, "Helen of Troy... Cleopatra... Susan B. Anthony... Marie Curie... Elizabeth I... Joan of Arc... Florence Nightingale... Jane Austin- all great women of history. Women who's power changed the world. And all before men thought they came up with the idea to 'give' women power. Seriously... we've always had it. We just let you believe you do; just to keep the peace..."

Brandon rolled his eyes and shook his head, listening to her go on about women of power. Of course he knew who they were, it was just funny to get Ky' vie Morgan going on a tangent. The boy stretched an arm above his head, the other covering a fake yawn. Dropping one arm, the other held up with his hand clapping his fingers together, the pads of his fingers giving her the encore she so clearly needed. Blah blah blah.

The son of Ares gave a bit of a smirk, scrunching his nose at her. "ANYWAYS.. where are you headed, beautiful?"

Her features scrunching up, there was no hesitation as she brought her fist around. Connecting it with some force against his shoulder.

"You're such an ass." Shaking her head, looking away from him, and for the first time, casting a glance around to see just where they were in relation to their respective cabins, Ky' vie allowed her arms to fall once more to her sides. Motioning lazily with one in the direction they were currently walking, "This way, currently. But then, ultimately, still tryin' to decide. Depends, really..."

Bran laughed when she socked him, shoving her arm away as it retreated away from his own. He wouldn't let on to just how much force she had behind her blows. Not that the hit she just made on him had hurt at all, it was more of an annoyance than anything.. but he knew she could really pack a punch if she truly wanted to. He flashed her a cheeky grin.

"That's my name, don't wear it out."

Ky' vie pointed off ahead of them, and for whatever reason Bran followed it and rolled his eyes as she mentioned she was heading where he was. Corner eyeing her, "Well I'm heading back to my place to take a shower. Gonna head to the Arena to train a little bit after... can't go lookin all gruff in front of the ladies on the first day of summer, you know?" Bran stuck his tongue out, biting it as he winked at her playfully.

Sticking her neck out slightly, she nipped playfully in his direction, chuckling as she threw his words right back at him, "Best keep that tongue in your mouth.. next time I see it, I’ll bite it."

Once more breaking ahead of him, stepping in front of him, this time however, Ky' vie came to a complete stop. Her hands reaching out and touch gentle despite the normal rough-housing that two got into every now and then, she took hold of his wrists. Her gaze flicking up to meet with his own, "What if I told you... I had something better to offer..?" Biting down on her lower lip, head drawing to a tilt, she stepped closer to him. Her chest brushing up against his as she entwined their fingers; locking them together, "Something... fun... and that I know you're just going to love..."

The use of his own words against him had him grinning wide, shaking his head at her. His brow furrowed slightly when she stepped in front of him, nearly about to step around her to continue on his path until he felt her grab hold of his wrists. He was trapped there. She was cute and all, and they had fun together, but seriously. He already had his day planned out. What did this girl want from him?

Her words caught his attention, raising an eyebrow with a bit of a head tilt. As she pushed closer, their chests brushing against one another, Bran took a glance down before returning his gaze to hers. Then the hand holding. Ugh. He pushed through it, smirking at her. "What could possibly be more fun than showing off in front of a bunch of girls.. hmm? Unless you mean fun, I highly doubt anything's gonna beat it, sweetheart." While talking, Bran very casually pulled his hands away from hers, putting them instead on her upper arms, still holding her gaze.

His hands leaving hers; Ky didn't let it bother her as she instead brought her touch to his bare chest. Fingers curling teasingly over his skin, "I've been workin' on somethin'... very special... just for you..." She wasn't stupid. She knew how to play his little game... which buttons to press in order to get out of him exactly what she wanted. It was a hidden talent that not many in the camp had manage to obtain, let alone perfect. Gaze flicking down from his, it lingered a moment on his lips before she once more lifted her eyes to meet with his own, "..if you're man enough... why don't you stop by my cabin an' see what I'm really capable of, baby..? I'm not holding back..."

Her hands on his chest excited him just a little, paired with her words. Something special.. just for him, huh? Okay, she definitely had his full attention. He noticed her subtle glance at his lips, smiling a bit as he took a quick look at her own, watching her talk.

"Hoh hoh hoh. 'Man enough', huh? I see how it is." His eyes flickered back up to her own, narrowing them at her playfully as he leaned in, brushing her hair back behind her ear so he could whisper into it, "Better watch that tone of yours.. it's gonna get you into trouble, Princess," he spoke in almost a growl, nipping at her earlobe teasingly as he stepped around her, heading towards his cabin once more to go shower as he'd intended before.

The warmth of his breath flowing over her skin- his teeth grazing her earlobe... it sent a shiver down her spine, and she bit her lip. Her head turning, following his movement from over her shoulder as he brushed past her.

"See you in ten... trouble."

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Dorian managed to stand firmly when Erin ran into him. Now wasn't the time for him to be weak. Physically or emotionally. He needed to be Erin's rock with plushed edges. Their lives were one big circus, but they were each other's net. No matter the chaos, no matter the danger as long as they had each other they knew they were safe. When their eyes met he could see the glimmer in her brown eyes from the tears that were preparing for an encore performance. She had been crying. Just what exactly did she experience during her prophecy telling? His eyes drifted up to the attic and back down to Erin.

He started to lift his hands to hug her when he heard a voice he didn't recognize. His hands dropped back down to his side before he saw... a complete stranger. Well, no apparently not complete. He knew Erin and she knew him. He heard her call him Spence. He must have been a new camper that arrived during the school year. He didn't know why, but there was something about him that he didn't like and it wasn't just his terrible stench. He smelled like he had spent a century bathing in a Tartarus swamp. Was he another child of the Underworld? He didn't scream son of Hades. Maybe one of the other under-deities were his parent, but he thought only his father and Hades left the realm to "date".

Another voice interjected. This one belonging to someone he at least knew, but wasn't close to. It was Kyrin, a son of Aphrodite. Had he been there the whole time? Dorian stepped back once Erin flinched and shirked away from them. It was getting crowded and it seemed like the party had a couple of more guests. He turned to see Adeline and Greyson. This wasn't good. Erin already didn't like being around people and as much as they cared for her, himself included, they were only going to make things worse. Her anxiety wouldn't be able to handle the pile on of everything and everyone at once.

"..I'm done... I want no part in any of this... when time is up; Ares knows where he can find me. I'm not going anywhere..."

Dorian heard Erin's words, but refused to accept them. He understood why she didn't want to leave. It was the same reason she hadn't left all this time. Camp was safe and inside this barrier nothing, not even her past could hurt her. But he wouldn't accept that Erin would just give up and endure a preventable death at the hands of Ares. Even if she was willing to accept it there was no way he or her father would. He sighed before jogging after her, but before getting too far ahead he turned to the group and gave them a look and in case they couldn't translate it he whispered, "Give her some space for a bit." He'd understand if they didn't listen to him, but he hoped they would for her sake.

"Erin, wait up!"

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Even if she hadn't been able to read his body language or noticed his silent thinking, Sam appreciated the fact that Niesha decided to actually talk to him at that moment. It made him happy that at least one of his friends cared enough to actually carry a conversation despite the current developments going on.

Samuel looked with an expression of mock surprise, but he could barely contain himself from the laugh he tried to play-off as a cough "Oh Merlin," he said trying to keep a straight face while controlling the urge to break out his giggling "Thou arte so humble!" he said looking at Niesha as serious as he could muster before dropping the expression completely and simply snorted a laugh.

Shaking his head Sam glanced around noticing people slowly trickling away to their respective places, he turned back to Niesha with a shrug "Sometimes I can't take myself seriously at least Mike has that on me," then Sam nodded gesturing at the other campers leaving "Guess everybody has other places to be huh?" he said making it sound horribly audacious "I'm going to go check on my little ball of fur," Sam turned his gaze back to the daughter of Athena "Hey wanna come-with?" Sam asked as he hated walking by himself without anyone to talk to "I have to get her from cabin ten and feed her in my cabin because it is less...Well you know how loud the forges get" Sam said knowingly as he'd been living in cabin ten for quite a few years now.

"So how bout' joining me in some jolly co-operation?" Sam joked in reference to his favorite character in the Dark Souls franchise; whom was Solaire of Astora "Gosh I gotta stop geeking out," he said smirking "Guess playing way too much Souls is starting to affect my humor!" he joked.

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Upon taking a better look at his immediate environment, Spencer realized that Kyrin was among the group that was slowly starting to gather around Erin... no it might be more accurate to say that he was the first one there, beating even Dorian and himself. The arrival of Adeline with Greyson in tow was more than enough evidence that despite Erin's prickly attitude towards others, a good deal of people genuinely care about her. As much as Spencer disliked being in the company of his younger brother as well as the son of Poseidon, he was more than willing to put up with it because right now, Erin needs to understand that she doesn't need to feel alone throughout this trial the gods have placed her under since there are people who have her back.

Unfortunately, introverts like Erin can find themselves to be quite overwhelmed when a crowd suddenly gathers around her, specially when she is in such a heightened, emotional state. As such, too many people checking up on her can prove to be a double-edged sword.

This was soon proven when Erin cursed in a foreign language, directed towards the Big House. Whatever the Oracle told her, clearly had shaken her to the core, and even though his Italian wasn't very good, he still understood the gist of it. The fact that she said something about not doing it, which all he could think of ever meaning is the quest that was thrust onto her all of a sudden. His suspicions were finally confirmed, unfortunately, when she blatantly expressed that she had given up and would rather let Ares kill her when she fails her quest. Despite knowing how much Erin hated being told what she needs to do, he can't very well let her waste away in that musty cabin and await her death. He needed to do something quickly, even if it meant straining their friendship and painting himself in a bad light.

Sighing vehemently, Spencer cursed the gods in his native tongue for putting Erin in such a bloody predicament. "Duwiau gwaedlyd a'u sgriwiau gwaedlyd. The gods always make their children clean up after their mess and threaten them with damnation if they refuse."

Dorian attempted to prevent the others from going after her, but he sure bloody ain't listening to the words of the "favored" son of Thanatos any time soon.

Without saying a word to the other halfbloods, the eldest son of Thanatos marched after Erin, determined to make sure she sees this through to the end. Stealthily, his pet raven, Qrow, perched himself on Spencer's shoulder, cawing furiously like some crazy backseat driver.

"Okay, okay, I'm picking up the pace, ya wanker." which was met with a defiant "Kraaa!!" as Qrow flapped his black wings erratically.

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Upon catching up to her, Spencer placed his hands on hers and squeezed them gently in an effort to calm her down and stop her in her tracks.

"I don't know what that oracle told you, but are you really just going to give up like that? Accept death like it's a minor inconvenience that you can't escape from?" He let the question hang for a few moments before shifting uncomfortably. Truth be told, this was the longest he held the hands of a woman since that traitorous bitch of a lover he had in Camp Jupiter, but he quickly shook those thoughts off since this wasn't an appropriate time for his personal feelings to come over him.

"Do you know how much time I spent in Tartarus, when Thanatos abandoned me there? 80 years in the mortal world... but that isn't entirely accurate. You see, time works differently in Tartarus. 9 days in that bloody pit is 9 seconds here on the surface. So if you do the math, I spent almost the equivalent of the entire Cenozoic Era trapped in that godsforsaken place, fighting desperately not only to survive but to get my life back with each passing day." A somber expression riddled his face, as if he was reliving the horrendous days he spent alone, almost helpless, and completely broken in the darkest depths of hell, clinging onto one sliver of hope that he could find a way out if he keeps on trying.

"I know what it was like to give up... No mortal can spend over 62 million years in hell and come out without going completely insane. There was a time when I was on the verge of giving up... I even put myself under a cursed sleep, broken only by a miniscule chance of a mortal arriving in Tartarus with the potential to overcome and escape from it." What he did back then was the ultimate gamble between hope and despair. Because no matter how much he loathed to admit it, somehow, someway, he got lucky.

With his voice filled with all the conviction he could muster, Spencer looked Erin in the eyes and began speaking genuinely from the bottom of his heart. "If Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase didn't arrive at Tartarus, I would still be in that deathless sleep... And you saved me from spending a second more in there when you opened that hole all those months ago... so forgive my rudeness, but if you think I'm just gonna sit idly and watch you throw your life just like that, then you have another thing coming, Erin Maree Chase... Fuck Ares, and fuck that Bloody dove! I'm going in this quest with you, and I'm not doing it for any god. Because I swear on all 5 bloody rivers of the underworld, so long as I draw breath, not even Ares, nor my pathetic excuse of a father is going to harm a single hair on your body!"

That wasn't enough... he needed to fill her with the same conviction he has in order help her save her own life.

"They thought you were weak and easy to pin the blame on... in fact they are probably betting you would fail, give up, go sit in a corner and die like you're doing right now in order to sweep the mess they've gotten themselves in under the rug. So do yourself a favor... go on this quest and prove them that it is a grave mistake to bet against a daughter of the underworld."

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