"Okay, Kalinda, I will let you deal with your sister." Zane knew that Vivian was in good hands and Kalinda was a good healer. Grant most children of Apollo were good healers, and Kalinda was not an exception.
So a vision is what caused her to be here. That must be a pain to deal with, he thought. Going on your day and then suddenly a vision appears, and it is bad enough you pass out. He knows that some of the Apollo kids get visions but, it causing enough pain to knock someone out. That is a thing he does not hear about much. Mush has been a rather intense vision, and Zane wondered if her vision had anything to do with the stolen dove. It might, or it might be something else entirely. Which made him curious about what the vision was if Vivian was willing to share that is. Better not press that now with her still recovering from it, So Zane got up from the bed and went over to Octavia.
Walking over to the child or Ares, and went about inspecting her wounds. Seeing blood and a fluffy ferret on Octavia's lap. Ignoring the ferret and focusing on the wounds. What happened to her, he wondered. Maybe from training, or Zane did see people at the Obstacle Tower. So maybe she got hurt there? Still, it was nothing that a little magic could not solve. "Just give me a moment" and after a short time of focusing. Zane, with a flick of his wrist and used his magic to heal Octavia's wounds. "There, you should be feeling better now," and he had a satisfied grin. Though might I ask how you got hurt?".
The sudden pull and the unfamiliar feeling of his body moving without his permission made Kyrin flinch. His stomach dropped and he could feel his heart twist in his chest. Fuck you. He thought as he spotted Grayson behind them. He felt disgusted. At himself and at the person who had invaded him. The preppy asshole could have just wait for a second and he would have seen Kyrin pulling Erin away from the group and towards the cabin. He knew that being out in the open would only attract more people and stress Erin out. He knew that this needed to be handled with as much care as possible. He knew how fragile all of this could be. But no, instead he had decided to control him, them. The feeling was making him sick. The memories were flashing back. One by one, again and again until -
Fuck.
It didn't matter right now. The disgust and unnerving feeling deep in him were being pushed to the far corner of his mind as Kyrin's eyes focused on Erin again. That face. That expression. The desperation and loss of control drove Kyrin to forget his own feelings and focus on the situation at hand.
Then he heard Elias's voice a few ways back. Kyrin turned to see the older boy approaching their group. His stomach dropped again, confusing him for a second or two. He gave Elias a small nod to acknowledge him. Was Elias also here to help Erin? Kyrin knew that they weren't close, but he would often see Elias and Erin talking from time to time. If talking meant Elias blabbering on while Erin just sat there staring at one of her books. Whatever. Knowing that Elias was here was calming enough for him to breathe again. All that mattered is getting Erin inside and calm enough for her to talk. Convince her not to give up. He wouldn't let her give up that easily.
Kyrin followed behind them, glaring daggers at the back of Greyson's head.
"Why what? You didn't ruin anything. No need to apologize!" Valeria lowered his hand, taking the other now and doing the same as she had to the other. After healing it, she examined Talon's palm humming softly at her work. Her healing had improved imensly in the last year. There were no scars on his flesh and even if she pressed lightly there would be no more pain. "Honestly, I think it was her. Like, she didn't apologize right."
Valeria shrugged, looking up at Talon again; this time, her eyes landed on the busted lip. Without thinking, she reached up and cupped the side of his face, her thumb pressing lightly against the cut of his lip. Like before, her touch was soft and warm as she healed the wound. "There! All done. I think." She pulled back to examine Talon, her eyes looking over him with a critical eye. She hadn't noticed him flinch or the way he had reacted to her healing him out of nowhere. Valeria was a healer, and Talon had taught her how to skip rocks. It was a fair trade in her mind. Besides, she knew that little cuts could hurt a lot if they weren't treated. She didn't want Talon to hurt.
"You don't have any internal damage, right? That fall was pretty nasty. I can check to make sure. Sometimes when you are high on adrenaline, your body doesn't register the pain." Valeria rubbed her chin, eyes scanning his arms and chest for any more wounds. "Anything else hurt?"
Location: Outside The Big House; Camp Half-Blood - Long Island Sound; New York. Interacting With:Erin Chase(@Vicier), Kyrin Nahng(@Rodiak), Greyson Davies & Tyler Rumancek(@Moro), Spencer McNight(@Zenritch), Elias Schneider(@Metztli)
Dorian wasn't sure what was so hard about giving Erin space for a bit. Was it the words or the fact that they came from him that made everyone ignore it and do the exact opposite? Spencer went as far as grabbing her hand to prevent her from heading back to the cabin. But that wasn't the end of it. He was going to talk her to death before Ares got the chance to get his hands on her. Dorian had managed to catch up to them, but he stopped in his tracks when Spencer mentioned Tartarus and Thanatos. He was right about him being from Tartarus, but what does his father have to do with it? Spencer's choice of words turned the gears in Dorian's head. Thanatos didn't sentence or banish him to Tartarus. He abandoned him like a parent would abandon a child. But that couldn't have been right. He was Thanatos' only kid, wasn't he? He never asked Thanatos for clarity, but no one had mentioned that there had been another child of death. At least not in Camp Half-Blood's history.
Dorian tried to keep his focus on Erin, but this revelation was a lot to take in and part of him wondered if Spencer had so casually dropped that bomb on purpose. He'd have to confront him about it later. He checked back into his speech right around the time he swore on all 5 rivers. Now he was more than certain that part of his speech to Erin was also directed towards him. Spencer must have wanted him to know that he heard his proclamation back at the Obstacle Tower. He wasn't sure what his motives were, but he didn't like or trust him. For Erin's sake he decided to put his distrust of him to the side, but he'd be sure to keep his eye on him during her quest. He had no intentions of leaving her with him.
He turned his head when Kyrin spoke up to agree. He had gotten closer, but still kept somewhat of a distance. At least someone was taking in account how claustrophobic Erin must've felt right now with everyone trying to surround her and see if she was okay. He was getting ready to speak himself when he felt a sudden tug on his insides. That tug soon turned into a pull as he found himself being moved backwards against his will. He turned to see Greyson physically drained from the attempt, but moving towards his cousin regardless. He was pretty sure Greyson wasn't the biggest fan of his, but he at least tolerated him solely because of how close he and Erin were.
When they continued the trek to her cabin he followed closely behind Greyson and Erin. He heard someone else's voice in the distance, but didn't look back to check who it was. He stepped through the wide open door and realized someone else had beaten them to Cabin 13. It wasn't another child of Hades, but Dorian was surprised to see someone else in her cabin. He had a feeling of mixed emotion. He was happy that Erin had so many people that cared about her and was stubborn enough to shove their way into her life, but did someone create an Erin Maree Chase Fan Club while he was gone?
οΌ€ο½ο½ο½ο½ο½ο½ ο½γο½ο½γοΌ‘ο½ο½ο½ ο½ο½ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Location: Just outside the cabins Interactions: Corona @Zenritch, Pierre @MarshiestMallow ______________________________________________________________________________________
"Eep!"
The shrill scream caused Brynn to jump, causing the girl to take an immediate defense stance. It took her looking at the source of the sound, following the girls eyes down to her dad's dog. Brynn quickly loosened up, raising an eyebrow as she turned her stormy grey eyes on the red headed girl, tilting her head in slight confusion. 'You're afraid of him?' she thought in her head, giving the girl a once over. She'd seen her around camp, and had even seen her hanging around her good friend Adeline, but never had the pleasure of meeting her till now. She in fact knew her name, of course, another thanks to Adeline.
"Yep, that's me. Pleasure to meet you, Corona!"
Brynn smiled at Corona as she introduced herself, reaching out to shake her extended hand till she pulled it back, her smile fading as her eyes fell down on Duke. She could see him wanting desperately to approach the curly-haired girl and sniff her hand, maybe give her a friendly lick in hopes for an ear scratch.. Brynn smirked and grabbed his collar, gently leading him over to the Athena cabin to let him inside.
"Sorry, pal. Stay here, okay?"
Brynn watched the old dog wander inside the cabin over to her bed, sitting down beside it before slowly slumping to the floor. The brunette smiled, shutting the door before returning back to the spot she'd been while talking with Corona, uttering a quick apology for her dog and walking away, listening to her as she continued to talk.
"Listen, I know this may come across as pretty sudden and random at the same time... but can I ask you for a favor? I'm on my way to my secret base, and I would like to invite you to come along. There's this really huge secret project I'm working on but there's some stuff I'm not really sure of at the moment, and it would really mean a lot to me to have the input of one of the smartest campers here."
The daughter of Athena smiled brightly, face flushing a soft shade of red at the compliment Corona paid to her. A favor? To help with some sort of secret project? ..the girl was accurate in her assumption of it sounding pretty sudden and random. Asking someone she hardly knew if she would help her with a supposed secret project. Brynn couldn't help but be intrigued, though.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that.. but uhm, sure! I can definitely he--"
Her words were cut off as she caught a glimpse of Pierre just before he managed to narrowly miss running into the two girls. Brynn took a step back and stood beside Corona, folding her arms over her chest lightly and stood with a slightly staggered stance.
Brynn nearly went to respond in French, as she normally talked to Pierre in, but realized too that Corona might not understand what they said when he quickly switched to English. Brynn exchanged a quick glance with Corona before turning her soft greys to Pierre.
"I think we're good. Are you okay? Got a lot on your mind, or somethin?" Brynn couldn't recall if the son of Morpheus was friends with Erin or not, but even so, he seemed more distracted than usual. Her eyes caught sight of the idol, chewing on her lip as she thought about the event earlier. She should have just ignored the guys and let Octavia handle what was going on. Course she could handle herself. Had Brynn just minded her business and listened to O, she could have been the one to show off the idol from this morning's event. Oh well.. She was happy that it had been her friend who'd won it. That in itself was enough for her.
______________________________________________________________________________________ Location: Hades Cabin Interactions: Salem (Erin's cat), Erin @Vicier & the Erin Chase Fan Club @Zenritch@King Kindred@Metztli ______________________________________________________________________________________
Pouring himself his own cup of tea, Tyler held his cup with both hands close to his chest as he sighed heavily and watched the door for a time before pulling the cup to his lips to take a sip. His eyes caught Salem over the brim of his cup walking over the countertop right over to the boy, disappearing behind his back. He could feel the cat brushing up against his backside, huffing softly.
"Salem, for fuck's sake, bro. Leave me alone!"
Brrowr. The cat came out from behind him, sitting down to just look up at Tyler, tail flicking at the tip every now and again. Tyler frowned at the cat and took another sip of his hot tea, shaking his head.
"I really don't understand why you like me. You're such an attention whore, dude." Salem simply blinked at him, and Tyler rolled his eyes and turned away from the feline, taking in a deep breath as he looked around the room at the decorations on the walls, his mind wandering a bit. It wasn't till the doorknob began to turn that Tyler's attention whipped to the front door, setting his cup down as he started for the door but quickly came to a halt in his steps. Erin wasn't alone. Seeing Greyson, the two boys made eye contact and Tyler simply nodded to him, looking behind him to see the others following closely behind. One. Two. Three. And a straggler coming towards the cabin behind them.. Four.
'What the Hades?' ..the thought caused Tyler to pause, raising an eyebrow as he looked down toward the floor as if staring into the Underworld itself, 'Sorry,' he thought again, his eyes making their way up to the group before him. Tyler nearly jumped up as he remembered the tea, moving over to the tea pot, he picked it up by the handle with the stove mitten and poured some into the cup that had been waiting for Erin. He set the pot back on the stove and picked up the cup, holding it close to his chest as he maneuvered his way over to the group, watching as Greyson gently lead her towards the couch. Tyler followed just behind them, crouching down just off to the side of and in front of Erin, holding onto the cup till she had a moment to process everything going on. A soft frown set on his features, his eyes focused on his friend.
Greyson let Erin take a seat, noticing Tyler who took an immediate spot near Erin. The son of Poseidon gave Tyler a playful 'really?' look and stepped around the boy before standing off to the side a few steps away from his cousin. He left the spot beside Erin open for Dorian, knowing the boy would want to be nearest her, at her side. Greyson watched his cousin carefully a moment before looking up at everyone else who had followed them, crossing his arms over his chest loosely. There were a lot of bodies in here. Of course only people who Greyson knew cared for his cousin, but the amount still concerned him. Greyson took a deep breath, letting it out slow in a soft sigh as he chewed on the inside of his cheek, his mind running a race he could hardly keep up with.
Location: Outside the Big House ---> Cabin Thirteen - Hades Cabin ; Camp Half-Blood - Long Island Sound; New York. Interacting with Erin Chase @Vicier| Dorian Underwood@King Kindred | Kyrin Nahng @Rodiak | Greyson Davies, Tyler Rumancek @Moro | Elias Schneider @Metztli
Having said his piece, Spencer was glad that the son of Aphrodite agrees with his sentiment. He assured her that she wasn't alone anymore and that it was alright to be afraid. Kyrin had a point... fear, more often than not, is an indication that one is still alive. Having spent an absurd amount of time in a place that even the gods feared entering almost made the child of death think that he can no longer experience fear anymore. Certainly no manner of monster would be able to instill fear inside him. Heck, he wasn't even afraid of fighting the embodiment of war and death if it meant saving Erin's life. However, he now realized that he is still capable of experiencing fear... the fear of losing her if she fails in this quest. Even if by some miracle, he and the other campers managed to repel Ares' wrath, they would just be delaying the inevitable.
His hatred for the gods burned ever fiercer as he saw the glistening tears streaking across Erin's face. In the short time he had known her, she always gave the impression of this strong, opinionated, temperamental, and mature young woman that wasn't the type to take anyone's shit. In fact, he had seen his fair share of Brandon and Greyson getting chased by her hellhounds, Darkness and Destruction. He bet that if she had her way, she would also call upon the three-headed pooch to terrorize those who try to mess with her. But that woman seemed to be a whole other person compared to the terrified and vulnerable girl before him. He wanted to hold her... hug her... reassure her that everything was going to be alright as long as she tried... but by calling her out like he did a few moments ago, he felt like he had no right to do those things. He'd already decided to play the role of a villain (perhaps asshole may be the better term) just so he could get her to move forward... not just stand still like a deer caught in headlights.
At the very least, acting like an asshole and pushing her instead of letting her be seemed to work as evidenced by what she uttered in a weak, almost defeated voice. "..I-I don't want to die...". That was what he was waiting to hear... confirmation that she had not completely given up... that after Olympus practically served her a death warrant, she still wanted so desperately to cling onto life. If they had let her be, the small, sputtering flame of hope could have been snuffed out by the seemingly endless despair she was experiencing. At times like this, despite how claustrophobic or intrusive it may appear, she needed people to lean on. Solitude only breeds more loneliness, hopelessness and despair after all, and it seemed like Erin did not have the pure unbridled hatred Spencer had for his father to endure her punishment all by herself. Hearing those words hardened Spencer's resolve. He was going to do whatever it takes, by whatever means necessary, to save her life and finish this quest. Even if compared to the others who knew her for much longer, and who were much closer to her, he was practically a stranger.
As if to accentuate the point, he suddenly felt a sickening force overcome his body as he, Kyrin, and Dorian were forcefully pulled away by an unknown force. The only difference was that Spencer managed to summon and plant his scythe on the ground and hold on to it almost as soon as the mysterious force pulled them back. Hearing the child of Poseidon speak annoyed him greatly, even more so when it became apparent that he was responsible for using the "force" on them.
"Sorry guys, but I really must insist on agreeing with Kyrin. It's prob'ly best we go somewhere private to talk. This out-in-the-open business is only going to make matters worse for her. Just the few of us is enough,"
"mab gwaedlyd poseidon!!!" Spencer cursed in tandem with Qrow who was cawing what he assumed to be 50 different profanities in Raven talk.
Gritting his teeth, Spencer begrudgingly followed the two back to the Hades Cabin. As much as Greyson's sudden appearance irritated him, he knew that having a family member show support was one of the best things Erin needed right now. He also made a valid point to continue the conversation somewhere private since he hated the idea of garnering unwarranted attention on the daughter of Hades when she already has too much on her plate to deal with. Noticing how much Darth Dolphin had exerted himself with that force pull, at the very least he found out something interesting he could use against the son of Poseidon... should the need ever arise. "Damn you, Corona for filling my head with pop culture references. I can't even think the way I used to anymore.". He also noticed that Elias had joined them at some point but didn't pay him any mind. After what their father has done, he didn't want anything to do with an Ares kid for the time being.
Upon arriving, he realized that someone was waiting for them, and upon closer inspection, it was one of the Hermes kids.... Tyler was it? The only thing that set him apart from the rest is that he's friendly with Erin while the rest just steer clear because their afraid of getting chased by her hounds or yeeted into Tartarus. For now, Spencer decided to lean against a wall, keep his mouth shut, and observe the proceedings. He figured Erin already had enough of his voice for a day. Despite acting like an asshole earlier, he didn't want the girl to COMPLETELY hate him.
"Tell us about what the oracle said to you when you're ready. We're here for you no matter what." Spencer said in the most reassuring and genuine voice he could muster followed by an enthusiastic "kraa" from Qrow who puffed his chest with pride the way a raven does.
πππππ
mab gwaedlyd poseidon bloody son of poseidon
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β Ϋ΅ Ϋ Ϋ΅ β
Location: Outside the Cabins; Camp Half-Blood - Long Island Sound; New York. Interactions: Bronwyn/Brynn @Moro | Pierre @MarshiestMallow
Corona sighed in relief when she realized that Brynn had properly read the room. She felt bad because deep down she knows the golden retriever was a good boy but the redhead needs some serious therapy before she can get over her fear of dogs. "Sorry... I promise, once I get over my phobia, I'll be sure to give you all the headpats and belly scratches." Corona muttered as she guiltily stared at Brynn's dog.
Almost instantly, the daughter of Hephaestus perked up when she heard what seemed to be a yes from Brynn only to be interrupted by someone almost quite literally bumping into them. Adapting a defensive stance at first, she relaxed when she realized it was only Pierre. She quickly shook his hand and gave gave him a toothy grin. "Congrats new champion of the obstacle tower. I didn't think ya had it in you!"
Corona stepped back from the two for a second and paced back in forth as if in deep thought. Originally, she only meant to bring Brynn with her to Bunker 9 but if it's Pierre... "Pierre we're just about to head to my secret base. You're welcome to join us, but once you do, you must swear on the Styx that you won't utter any word of what you'll see to Hayden and Ky. I really don't want either of them to find out what I've been up to... at least until I'm done building it."
Corona was certain that Pierre was someone she could trust, but one cannot be too careful. What she's building at the moment could potentially be on the same scale as her older half-brother, Leo Valdez's Festus and she knows just how much competitive Ky'vie can get. As much as she wanted to do a build off with her dear half-sister any other day, the same cannot be said when Corona was about to build her life's work... something that would define her legacy as a daughter of Hephaestus... something that could finally flush out the guilt she had been carrying all this time in her chest when one of her creations failed to protect her twin sister.
ππππ½ππ π¦πππππ
β Ϋ΅ Ϋ Ϋ΅ β
Location: Obstacle Tower ---> Camp Infirmary; Camp Half-Blood - Long Island Sound; New York. Interactions: Octavia @Vicier| Kalinda @MarshiestMallow | Zane @Theyra | Vivian @metanoia
Today has perhaps been one of the wildest since Arthur arrived at camp. The mood of the camp went from excitement out of the Obstacle Tower competition, to pure anger and disbelief when Chiron and Mr. D. delivered the news about Erin supposedly stealing Aphrodite's dove. Arthur was the type of person that believes everybody is innocent until proven otherwise, and from the looks of it, the God of War threw a dart on a board with a list of all the campers' names blindfolded and it just so happened that said dart landed on the daughter of Hades' name. While he was in full support of Erin and wishes she could get over her fear of leaving camp in favor of proving her innocence by going on the quest, he believes he wasn't as close as he wished to the girl in order to convince her to do it. There are far better people qualified, and apparently most of them went after her right away like an angry mob.
With nothing else to do, the boy decided to find one of his friends to spend some time with which shouldn't be a pretty hard thing to do since he's pretty much friendly with everyone at camp. However, he wasn't just going to walk up to someone or the group without reading the room. From what he observed, Talon, who had a pretty nasty fall, and a nastier confrontation with his half-sister, Octavia, marched off in the direction of the lake followed by Octavia and Brynn. Ky'vie and Brandon were at it again, flirting, which isn't a surprise to anybody at this point. The same can be said for Imani and Katherine. Corona seemed lost in thought for a moment but quickly recovered and went towards the direction of the cabins, and there are people who went to the infirmary either to get medical attention or check up on friends that needed it. He decided to head to the infirmary as well to see if there was anything he could do to help and that's when he spotted Zane, Octavia, Kalinda, and at the far back, Vivian. Arthur quickly rushed to the blonde girl's side and managed to catch her explanation to Kalinda.
"Hey, Sunshine, you alright? It's the visions again, isn't it? It must be pretty serious to land you here this time around." Arthur furrowed his brow as he inspected Vivian out of concern. The daughter of Apollo was one of his closest friends and finding out that she has this random episodes, most notably the one she had earlier made him worry about her safety. It's fortunate that she looked particularly unharmed but a bad fall can take out a demigod as much as any monster or weapon out there.
Arthur smiled gratefully at Kalinda before shifting his attention to Octavia. He nodded in her direction and began addressing her as well. "Are you doing fine yourself, Octavia? I was watching you all earlier and that was a pretty nasty fall. It was pretty ballsy on your part but you can't keep doing stuff like that or else you're going to be getting acquainted with the medics more than what you'd prefer."
Location: β Infirmary - Camp Half-Blood Interactions β Defined Jawlineβ’ @Theyra || Bestest Sister @MarshiestMallow || Best Moon Boi @Zenritch
___________________________________
A few moments after Defined Jawlineβ’ left Kalinda and Vivian alone, the blonde's green eyes lingered as he walked away. She couldn't quite place what it was about handsome boys that made her brain go to mush. She could've had all the healers in all the cabins that had them and they would never be able to understand that mysterious part of her brain that had a chemical reaction whenever she saw jawlines that could even withstand a direct blow from Zeus' lightning bolt.
No, not the one in his pants, but the one that went bzzz!
Anyway, back to what your sister asked, Vivian.
"You mean the vision, right?" Stupid question. Of course, Kalinda meant your vision, dummy! "I wouldn't say it was bad bad. Like it wasn't 'the cook ran out of pizza' bad, or even overcooking my yummy-yum-yum blueberry muffins bad.." The very thought of overcooking her famous blueberry muffins scared the crap out of her. "But I mean, I don't know how to describe it. I saw myself collapse. In the vision, I mean. Like I saw myself collapse at the very moment I had the vision and seconds later, I did." Even trying to say that made her brain hurt. "Sorry--"
Before she could finish that thought, Vivian nearly jumped for joy in her bed. Arthur, one of her closest friends at camp, walked over. Arthur was one of the few people who she could be around and not be a bumbling mess. The Son of Selene was one of those guys who didn't need to say much to lift her spirits up. And it should also be noted that he was one of few boys that she didn't get butterflies by looking at them. Sure, he was a member of the Defined Jawlineβ’ Club, but she didn't want him to do bad things to her.
Well, unless those bad things were screwing with her sleeping schedule. Then, corrupt away, Arthur!
"Hey, Arthur! I'm okay. I mean I was just telling Kali about it," she stated. He lingered about for a few moments before going over to Octavia. "So, yeah, that's what my vision was like. Kinda weird, huh?" Vivian laughed as she looked at Kalinda.
Location: Hades Cabin - Camp Half-Blood; New York. Interacting With: Dorian Underwood (@King Kindred), Elias Schneider (@Metztli), Greyson Davies & Tyler Rumancek (@Moro), Kyrin Nahng (@Rodiak), and Spencer McNight (@Zenritch).
The couch in the living room of the Hades cabin had seen many years; many seasons of use. Nevertheless, it was well maintained. The charcole sectional the perfect addition to the already dark and mood driven atmosphere in the room which was like a place straight out of time; a place to rest without consequence. It was a sanctuary- her sactuary. A place where she was safe enough that she was able to simply relax; to recharge and to forget about all the things the world was demanding needed to be done.
Giving off the air that she wasn't particularly even really aware of her own surroundings, even as her cousin led her further into her cabin, it was just staight up pure natural instict that, as Erin's figure fell lightly down into her place on the sofa, she reached forward and towards the coffee table. Her fingers brushing over the hard cover of the first edition novel resting there from the night previous, it was only after they'd curled over the spine that she began to pull it closer, eventually drawing it into her lap. The alluring scent of orange, mango, papaya, and other fruits mixed with the unmistakable aroma of lemongrass hitting her, as strong as if the mug itself was being held right up and under her nose; Erin's dark gaze was lured towards the figure that she'd been speaking to not moments beforehand.
Tyler...
The smallest shadow of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips, it didn't last however, and leaving the book to rest on her lap, she reached out to instead wrap her palms around the mug that was being offered. It was warm... so, so warm. And almost instantly, she began to feel a little better than she had been. She wasn't even sure when it was that she'd gotten in the habit, but to her... tea was the fix for everything. It was soothing- comforting. Like a hot, raging fire on a cold winders night; and the very moment she brought the rim of the mug to her lips and took a sip, the warmth spread quickly through her like a wildfire through a forest suffering from a drought. And the taste-... A little more life making its way back to her eyes, she let them fall to the mug as she lowered it too down to her lap. It was like a citrus mimosa, just without the alcohol- this had to have been the tea that she'd found and then rather promptly ordered online in order to add it to her already exstensive collection. It wasn't bad...
"Tell us about what the oracle said to you when you're ready. We're here for you no matter what."
Attention drawing up as the sound of Spencer's voice hit her ears once more, Erin's lips drew to a slight part. Her dark iris' slowly trailing through the room, moving from figure to figure, and only lingering on each for a brief second or two at a time before moving on; only then truly taking notice of just how many people had come running in order to make sure that she was okay. Why though..? Some she could understand, but others..? It wasn't as though she was the most welcoming, or the most pleasant of company to keep; but they were here. Greyson... Dorian... Spencer... Elias... Tyler... With the exception of one who just came swinging into her life like fucking Miley Cyrus on a damn wrecking ball, she'd let them all past her wall in one way or another. And now they were there; it didn't seem as though they were ever going to let her forget it...
Trapping her lower lip between her teeth, her attention turning back up so that her gaze once more met with Spencer, Erin hesitated. She didn't want this- didn't want all this fuss made on her behalf, but... she also didn't exactly want to die either. She just-... Asking for help; admitting that she might actually need it... it was one of the hardest things she ever had to do. Letting her gaze fall, bringing it back to the tea she had in her hands; Erin let her thumb brush anxiously back and forth over the surface of the dark grey mug. Clearly hesitant, even as she spoke. Her voice soft and full of the vulnerablility she normally kept hidden.
".. Six figures, tall, stand strong in the East... A land of Pisa, pasta, and much art none the least... While two might find love, one soul shall be taken... The Ladies dove shall be found, but what vengance will it awaken..? ..."
Falling silent for a few moments, Erin eventually lifted her head back up. Her eyes once more flicking back and forth between the others that filled her cabin. Really, she was surprised that there weren't more people crowding her in her time of distress. Those she considered to be quest-happy demigods had managed to restrain themselves, and honestly, she was fucking grateful for it. The last thing she needed was for the camp as an entirety to see her in one of her weakest moments, "..Europe- Italy... if I do decide to go and chase down this stupid fucking pigion, I'm not only going to have to leave camp, but I'm going to have to go all the way back to my family's homeland... I mean, I've been there before; ho famiglia lì, but that's not the point..!"
Sighing heavily, head dropping, she once more stared into the tea she held. Silent for a few moments before her voice fell from her lips again. Head shaking lightly, "..non credo di poterlo fare..."
Location: The Infirmary - Camp Half-Blood; New York. Interacting With: Kalinda Franklins (@MarshiestMallow), Vivian Lucasta (@metanoia), Zane Blacklight (@Theyra), and Arthur Keller (@Zenritch).
"Here. Watch the fuzzy tube sock, she'll just get in the way."
Watch over the wha-..? A frown crossing her strong features; the question had barely managed to form in her mind before a creature was dumped in her lap, and Kalinda's back was turned. Tensing, the action only serving to make the pain she was already enduring to become worse, even if for a few brief moments, Octavia turned her gaze down to the animal she'd so suddenly found herself in possession of. The fuzzy tube wriggling around; contorting itself into strange angles, and she couldn't help but be reminded of a cat. Hell, she'd seen her brother's dog twist itself around and fall asleep in the weirdest of angles- angles she herself wasn't sure she'd ever seen before. Honestly, she didn't see how it could have been comfortable.
Hand drawing across to the furball, she took a firm though still gentle hold of the back back of its neck - much like she'd done with some of the cats she'd interacted with over the years - and lifted it up. Not fussed one iota by the reaction that she was getting from the animal. What the fuck was she supposed to do with it..? Did they... do anything..? Her free arm lifting up, fingers curling; she curiously poked at the ferrets underbelly with the tip of her pointer.
"I've got her Zane, but perhaps you could see what you can do for Octavia? Make sure she hasn't strangled the fuzzball."
"Okay, Kalinda, I will let you deal with your sister."
The sound of her name being spoken, however, catching her attention; causing her to once again lower the living tubesock back down to her lap as she turned her gaze towards the sorce of the noise. And with her green eyes closely following the approaching figure, she gave Zane a respectful nod of her head in greeting. Really... she wasn't sure she'd ever get used to the way that the Hecate and some of the Apollo children could almost instantly heal wounds as though they were nothing. Injuries that would take days... weeks- hell, months even... healed in a mere few minutes. And as the pain she'd felt coarsing through her arm and her back slipped away, Octavia lifted her once bad hand up. Her eyes following it. Watching on as she twisted it slowly, her fingers curling and uncurling as though to make sure that the what he said was true; that she was, indeed, better. It was fucking astounding. They were truly talented individuals, she'd give them that.
"Though might I ask how you got hurt?"
"..my brother let his anger and the competition get to him. I had no choice but to deal with the situation, so I tackled him off the tower." Lowering her hand back down to her side; resting it and the other on the bed she was sat on, Octavia returned her attention back to the man that she was speaking with though as another voice interjected, her normally stoic features cracked. Lips turning up at the corners into a small smirk, and she gave a light shrug of her shoulders. Her gaze flicking across to meet with that of her favorite son of Selene.
"Are you doing fine yourself, Octavia? I was watching you all earlier and that was a pretty nasty fall. It was pretty ballsy on your part but you can't keep doing stuff like that or else you're going to be getting acquainted with the medics more than what you'd prefer."
"The medics in this camp are easily worried, and overly attentive. However..." Pausing a moment, she brought her gaze back to Zane. Once more giving him a nod of her head as she slipped forward; getting off of the bed and back to her feet. The ferret that had been left in her charge having scaled the length of her torso to instead perch upon her shoulder, "..for that they have my gratitude." Arms lifting, Octavia folded them over her chest, her shoulder lightly nudging against Arthur's, "Admit it though... you enjoy watching my little stunts."
Location: Lake, Camp Half-Blood - Long Island Sound; New York. Interacting With: Valeria, @Rodiak
Talon shook his head, looking away, across the water of the lake as she grabbed his other hand. There didn't seem to be a way that he could stop her. "It will still be my fault." he said softly. It always was, one way or another. They'd think the whole thing was his fault. He went to say something else, but then she reached up and his hands once more clenched into fists- his stomach did a quick flip-flop, but he tried to keep his reaction to a minimum as it became clear that she wasn't going to hit him. His heart still sped up, his breathing rapid, and he closed his eyes tightly once more.
She spoke of pain. It didn't really matter to him, pain was just that. Pain. He'd long grown accustomed to it, and his body, tense... He shook his head, and tried to keep his voice steady as he said softly "I'm use to taking a hit." his voice might have quivered, but he didn't notice, looking back out over the water. He didn't know why she was doing this, what she wanted... and he couldn't help but wonder what was going, what she might do to him.
What any of them might do to him.
"Thank you... I... " but what else could he say? There really wasn't anything else to say, and he sighed. I'm alright." he was probably still a mess, but he didn't really care. He didn't want to go back to the cabin, What would be the point?
Pierre
Location: Camp Half-Blood - Long Island Sound; New York. Interacting With: Brynn @Moro Corona @Zenritch
Pierre shrugged, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck sheepisly, "Just thinking about things." he said softly, hesitating, gaze goign to the Idol when she seemed to look to her, suddenly wishing more than anything he hadn't grabbed the thing. There wasn't anyway to change what had happened... "It's been a bit of a day... " He flicked a glance to Corona, "You could start with Prince. He's small. And gently." He offered, giving a small shrug, "He's good with Adeline" He hesitated, glancing back to the idol, "I shouldn't have grabbed it... everyone else was distracted and I just... snatched it up."
What was he even meant to do with it? He'd have to at least make a show of defending his 'title' next time the course happened. He pushed those thoughts out his mind- or at least to the back of it- before he could get distracted again. What was Corona talking about? He listened to the words, frowning slightly. A project? But why did she wish to hide it from everyone? He watched her a moment as she spoke, thoughtful.
"Well, I'm not likely to tell anyone." He said, although he was certain people would ask him why he'd grabbed the idol, or just talk about it... He was generally good at keep things that shouldn't be spoken off secret. Except with Adeline... she always seemed to know when he was lying. "I won't tell anyone."
Michael
Location: Infirmary-Camp Half-Blood - Long Island Sound; New York. Interacting With:@Vicier Adeline
Michael watched everyone slowly leaving the stands and the tower grounds, sitting back down- unable to help but still fell self-conscious about his outburst. Moe rested his big head on one of Michael's knees, and he lay a hand on the big dogs head, scratching him behind the ear just like he liked. "I... I d-don't k-know w-wuh-whats g-going on." He said softly to the dog, who just gave him a doggy grin. Michael watched the other campers, deep in thought.
A quest like this... MIchael was certain nothing good could come of it, even if... no, when... Erin completed it, found the dove... Michael was certain that it wouldn't be the victory everyone seemed to think it was. Well, there wasn't much he could do- Erin was better of with the otehrs who had already gone aster her. It wasn't like he could add anything to it... just be another person for her to deal with.
Rising when just about everyone had left the stands, Michael led Moe down them, the big dog happily trotting along. He should find Niesha, but a quick glance around showed her no where near, and he stopped at the bottom of the stairs. His gaze found Adelaine's form, alone. No doubt Greyson had gone to deal with Erin- try to help her. Michael hesitated a moment or two before continuing towards her.
"Adeline? A-are y-y-you okay?"
Kalinda
Location: Infirmary-Camp Half-Blood - Long Island Sound; New York. Interacting With:@Vicier Vivian, @metanoia, Zane @Theyra
Kalinda flicked a glance to Zane, somewhat relieved that he was letting them be- and glad someone was going to be watching over Octavia. Her attention turned back to Vivian, and she looked her sister over again. A vision that ended up with her falling, unconscious? She was worried about it. She wasn't going to push Vivian, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to worry. Interrupted, her gaze went to Arthur as he spoke to Vivian. A little annoyed, Kalinda brought her gaze back to her sister. She seemed alright...
As she spoke more of her vision, Kalinda's worry only grew. It seemed like such an odd vision... what had been happening when Vivian saw it, when she collapsed? Hesitating, she reached out to Vivian, laying a hand over her sisters. "I'm not sure Viv... it seems such a strange vision... perhaps I ought to do a thorough check over, just to make sure." her sister might be peppy and bright, beautiful- everything Kalinda wasn't, but that didn't mean she didn't care about her.
Her seeing the vision, collapsing like that... it wouldn't have happened for no reason, and Kalinda wasn't about ot miss something ad then have Vivian die on her. As Zane spoke with Octavia, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty. She should be helping her... but Vivian... She shifting slightly. "I could just do a general healing, but I want to make sure everything is okay."
As Kalinda spoke, Vivian couldn't help but focus on her sister's worried expression. She was confused because she couldn't quite understand exactly why her sister was expressing an outward concern about her vision. To her, the visions have always been part of the deal of being a demigod - at least, the part she has long since accepted. She knew she couldn't do anything about the ADHD and, lord knows trying to read anything other than ancient greek texts was like trying to understand what made the water blue or why Brandon was so goddamn hot. Those were things beyond her understanding, but she sure would love to know regardless.
But more to the point, Kalinda looked like she wanted to take her vision seriously. Maybe Viv was too lax about it? It could be a possibility. "I mean, if you want to," she said to Kalinda's request to investigate her visions further. "I mean, I've long since accepted this is just one of the curses -- well, not the snake kind of curse, but you know a metaphorical one -- of being our father's offspring. I get visions and I pass out. Not the first time and I'm sure it won't be the last." There she went with her lax approach to a serious issue that was clearly bothering her sister. "I'm sorry. You're worried and I'm making light of it..." Vivian laughed unprompted. "Sorry again. You can look into it now if you want." The blonde just smiled at Kalinda.
Location: Outside the Big House ---> Cabin Thirteen - Hades Cabin ; Camp Half-Blood - Long Island Sound; New York. Interacting with Erin Chase @Vicier| Dorian Underwood@King Kindred | Kyrin Nahng @Rodiak | Greyson Davies, Tyler Rumancek @Moro | Elias Schneider @Metztli
As Spencer quietly awaited Erin to share the Oracle's revelation to them, he finally caught the smell of the tea Tyler had prepared for them though it may be more accurate that the son of Hermes only prepared the drink for Erin with them only being an afterthought. He knew that Erin was an avid tea enthusiast and he had shared some of his favorite brews with her from time to time. It was just a shame that some of his favorite manufacturers had already gone out of business or their quality had never been the same compared to 80 years ago. However, as much as he wanted to try some tea with the daughter of Hades, he figured that she needed the calming effect of the drink far more than he did.
With how much she hesitated before even considering telling them about the prophecy she received, Spencer knew that what she had heard from the oracle disturbed her quite a bit. But quests are more often than not an endeavor that required more than a single person. As much as he knew how she hated asking for help, and as much as she hated leaving camp, she needed to go on this quest specially after she admitted that she didn't want to die. As his anticipation reached its peak, Erin finally gave in and relayed what the oracle told her.
".. Six figures, tall, stand strong in the East... A land of Pisa, pasta, and much art none the least... While two might find love, one soul shall be taken... The Ladies dove shall be found, but what vengeance will it awaken..? ..."
Now he realized just why she didn't want to inform any of them of the prophecy. One line struck him in particular... "one soul shall be taken". Stemming from his own experience with quests and prophecies back when he was still part of Camp Jupiter, he knew better than to take the meaning of quests at face value. Quests are deceptively difficult to interpret and could mean a whole different thing than what one is thinking of. In this case, taken could mean abducted, or kidnapped instead of death altogether. Heck, a soul being taken could also mean something like getting down in the dumps. While he wasn't normally an optimist, he pushed himself to make the exception because quite frankly he didn't want anyone to die in this quest. He didn't bother interpreting the line about finding love at the moment since his only goal was making sure Erin succeeds and survives the mess the gods have put her in.
Stepping forward, the eldest son of Thanatos cleared his throat and began addressing Erin in a calm yet stern voice. "If I'm gonna interpret this quest, then one way or another, we're going to succeed. That part with a soul being taken is something of concern, and that's why I'm going in this quest with you. Not only do I have the most actual combat experience out of anyone in camp, I can also tell when one of us is in life-threatening danger."
Pausing briefly, he pondered on what Erin had said... how she was afraid of not only leaving camp but going back to her homeland. He might not know much about her past, but he knew from experience what it's like to have family problems. With what he did to him, Thanatos shouldn't expect any "Number 1 Dad" or Father of the Year mugs from him, that's for sure.
"Have you heard of systematic desensitization? If you're not comfortable jumping to Italy right away, then don't. In fact, it might be the better call since we don't know if we'll be walking right into a trap if we head there right away." They may not be able to arrive at Italy immediately but at least the longer route could prove to be much safer. There is wisdom in the words "slow and steady wins the race", after all.
"Instead, we could start from my old home in Wales and then make the drive to Italy. If all goes well, we could get there in half a day, anyway." Casually he approached the ottoman chair directly across from where Erin was seated, sat with his legs crossed and interlocked his fingers. Then he locked eyes with the daughter of Hades and gazed intently in them as he gave her a warm smile. "...besides, you aren't the only one who's due for a homecoming."
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Location: Camp Infirmary; Camp Half-Blood - Long Island Sound; New York. Interactions: Octavia @Vicier| Kalinda @MarshiestMallow | Zane @Theyra | Vivian @metanoia
"Hey, Arthur! I'm okay. I mean I was just telling Kali about it. So, yeah, that's what my vision was like. Kinda weird, huh?"
Arthur breathed out a sigh of relief upon hearing that Vivian was fine. Although he couldn't help but be concerned with how inconvenient these visions have been for her. Turning towards her, he smiled though there were still some traces of worry written across his face. "That must suck, Viv. If you're gonna get visions that make you pass out, whoever's giving them to you should at least make them important. Judging by what you've told me, your visions are just pointing out the obvious to you."
Internally, he thanked the gods that his mother wasn't someone that gave him some unwanted, and particularly dangerous side effects for being their child. The last thing he wanted was to go Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on the nights of a full moon.
A smirk appeared on his face as he had one of those Eureka moments. "Perhaps, we should strap a pillow to your head just to be on the safe side?"
"Admit it though... you enjoy watching my little stunts."
Turning back to Octavia, he offered her a much gentler smile rather than the mischievous grin he had on his face earlier. This cheeky girl... He knew that the daughter of Mars was tough, made even tougher by the stricter training the legionnaires receive at Camp Jupiter, but that doesn't mean she could throw caution in the wind just like that. "Not at the expense of your own safety, no. I swear, the next time you get seriously hurt from your little stunts, I'll have Spencer give you a healing bath out of Phlegethon fire water."
He heard from stories at camp how the fiery river of the underworld can heal mortals but as adventurous as he was, he still preferred getting treated for his injuries in the normal way. And he bet Octavia felt the same... nah who was he kidding? He could practically imagine her swimming in the lake of fire like nobody's business. "Anyways, I'm glad you two are fine. With the mood at camp right now, a bit of good news is quite refreshing to be honest."
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Location: Outside the Cabins ---> Bunker Nine; Camp Half-Blood - Long Island Sound; New York. Interactions: Bronwyn/Brynn @Moro | Pierre @MarshiestMallow
Even though Pierre wussed out on swearing on the Styx, Corona was willing to take his word for it. She was just happy that she could show her friends what she has been busying herself with on the side which is pretty tough considering she also really wanted to show this to Hayden. Compared to when she first arrived at camp, Corona gradually grew closer to her teddy bear of an older half-brother and was glad to have him around. She never really had a brother other than her super famous older half-sibling, Leo Valdez, that everyone was talking about. She may have never met the guy yet, herself, but she is determined to blow his socks off as well with what she has underneath Bunker 9.
"Then follow me, my comrades. Greatness awaits... I think."
After saying that half-baked declaration, Corona marched towards the direction of the Bunker with Pierre and Brynn in tow. It didn't take long for them to reach Bunker Nine as the sight of a gigantic, hangar-like structure became visible after reaching a clearing. Approaching the humongous doors of the building, Corona was about to harness flames on the palm of her hand to form a fireball when a crazy idea suddenly appeared in her noggin. With a childish grin, she snapped her fingers towards the direction of the doors and immediately, a medium sized blaze spontaneously erupted. She didn't know if either Pierre or Brynn caught on on how she copied this guy named Roy Mustang from that anime she finished binge watching last night, but she at least felt like she looked cool while doing it.
After accepting the necessary input, a loud, rumbling sound could be heard as the doors of the bunker slowly swung open. Inside, an assortment of blueprints, plans, and unfinished prototypes were seemingly littered at random but the fiery-haired girl led the two deeper inside, only stopping when they reached what seemed to be a dead end except for a console attached to the wall. In an almost sort of mechanical manner, Corona began typing rapidly a 16-digit password on the console. It beeped to life, sliding upwards only to reveal a second console that asked for a retinal scan, and a third with voice-recognition features. Finally, a hidden compartment on the wall slid open to reveal an elevator hidden within the walls. The numbers on the elevator keypad suggested that the elevator could go 50 stories underground and it just so happened that's where they were headed. Finally, the elevator doors opened, revealing an expansive room complete with living quarters, all manner of appliances, and racks upon racks of tools and weaponry. Building materials were neatly organized at the far end of the cavern but the most eye-catching sight was perhaps the gigantic frame of what looks to be some sort of steampunk airship.
"Well there she is. My magnum opus, the Aerial Assault Airship: Aurora. Or at least it will be provided I work out a few problems I have encountered."
Corona grabbed a rolled up drawing from a nearby desk and enthusiastically showed it to Brynn and Pierre. While she was more or less expecting much of the advice from the daughter of Athena, Pierre may have a few ideas, himself, that she could find useful. "If I'm building something that's only meant to be an airship, then I could probably make the build myself, and on a much quicker pace. However, I never really have built a megazord before so I need some ideas on how I could make it so that it can transform from that to this."
The sketch Corona showed them was an image of a giant robot. If the other campers knew what she had been up to, they would have called it overly ambitious, and perhaps even hubris. But the competitive spirit inside the young woman refused to let her settle for any less than that. If she was going to beat Leo and overcome Ky'vie, then she needed to pull out all the stops. It certainly was one of those go big or go home situations for her, quite literally in fact.
Tyler caught Erin's eye a moment as she took the tea from him, giving her a soft reassuring smile as he watched her a moment before turning his attention to Greyson behind him. When the son of Poseidon had entered the cabin he looked a bit pale. Checking up on the guy, he made several different expressions at him, asking him if he was okay without speaking a single word. Quickly Tyler got to his feet and slipped around Grey, stepping into the kitchen's sitting area to snag a chair and walk it back out to Greyson. As he turned with chair in hand to walk back out of the kitchen, the back of the chair caught the box that was hanging partially off the counter and knocked it to the floor with a soft THU-DUNK!.
Tyler huffed softly to himself, setting the chair to the side to bend down and pick up the boxes of tea that had fallen out, and.. a small leather bundle with straps on it. The boy stood there a moment looking at it before actually picking it up, setting the box with the teas ontop of the table to inspect the bundle with both hands. Slowly unraveling it out on the kitchen counter, Tyler's eyes widened a bit as he looked over the small tools set within the leather pouch. As Tyler sat there picking them all out individually to see what all was there, his father's words from earlier rang back in his mind.
"Enjoy the tea... and the extra toppings that came with it..."
...
Tyler tilted his head before looking over his shoulder as if speaking directly to his dad as he mumbled, "Thanks, pops." Wasn't much, but that was about as affectionate as Tyler could ever get towards Hermes. Definitely not directly to his face. That was something that would have to develop and be worked on over time. Something that none of them had right now. Right. Back to what he was doing. Tyler slipped the small file, the set of lock picks, the small mirror mounted on the extendable metal handle, the set of narrow-bladed scissors, and the pair of pliers back in their respectable spots before curling it back up and strapping it together. He stuffed it into his back pocket before returning back to taking the chair out to Greyson, looking around the room a minute before eying Greyson, leaning close to him as he clapped a hand over the son of Poseidon's shoulder.
"Dude, seriously. Sit down before you fall down, 'kay..? I get you're Big Three and all, but the attention's not on you, today, big guy." Tyler whispered to Greyson as he gave him a look, laughing as Greyson reached out to shove his shoulder before crouching back down beside Erin's spot on the couch. The boy's eyes flashed over to Spencer as he spoke, telling Erin that they were all there for her and to explain what the Oracle had said when she was ready. Tyler's soft blue eyes found Erin again, focusing on the tea cup in her hand as she too looked down at it. She was deep in thought, that much was clear. His eyes came up to meet hers though she was still looking into the cup, holding his gaze several seconds before she began to speak, explaining what it was the Oracle had said.
".. Six figures, tall, stand strong in the East... A land of Pisa, pasta, and much art none the least... While two might find love, one soul shall be taken... The Ladies dove shall be found, but what vengeance will it awaken..? ..."
Tyler brought a hand up to his mouth, chewing on the end of a fingernail as his brow furrowed. Six figures. Meaning five were meant to accompany her..? Land of Pisa, pasta, and much art.. Why Italy? Of all places. Love, a taken soul.. found dove.. vengeance?
Spencer as he cleared his throat and stepped forward. The son of Hermes rolled his eyes and slowly eased himself backwards till he sat his ass down on the floor, pulling his knees up to his chest with his arms wrapped around them while he listened to Spencer drone on in his usual way.
"If I'm gonna interpret this quest, then one way or another, we're going to succeed. That part with a soul being taken is something of concern, and that's why I'm going in this quest with you. Not only do I have the most actual combat experience out of anyone in camp, I can also tell when one of us is in life-threatening danger."
The way Spencer always assumed the leader really grinded Tyler's gears. He did it with an iron fist, too. Like everything was going to go the way he said because he was the oldest and had the most experience. Like, Okay Boomer. And who was he to insist that he was going? ..he could tell when someone was in life-threatening danger? ...Her life was already in danger, as they spoke. CaN yOu FeEl It NoW, mR. kRaBs?! Tyler shook his head as if to shake away the irritation that was beginning to rise within him, instead turning his attention back to Erin. Thankfully, Spencer's voice drown out for a few moments as he watched her, his eyes soft and filled with concern. He wished he could've had a moment or two alone with her before the whole entourage accompanied her inside. The boy tilted his head and rested his cheek ontop of his knees, watching his friend quietly.
The room had been spinning. Non-stop. It was almost enough to make him sick. The effort he had exerted just dragging the three boys away from Erin really left him in bad shape, mentally. It was a bit difficult for him to focus but got better once he was sitting down. Thank you, Tyler. The son of Poseidon placed his hands firmly on his knees to hold himself up as he listened in to everything both Erin and Spencer had to say, concentrating on his breathing as well as the conversation.
"Instead, we could start from my old home in Wales and then make the drive to Italy. If all goes well, we could get there in half a day, anyway...besides, you aren't the only one who's due for a homecoming."
The mention of Wales instantly perked the young man up, sitting up a little straighter as he smirked a bit.
"Oh yeah, mate? Yau gonna throw a party for the threi of us, then? I'm quit' overdju' to sei my family, as well." Greyson sat back against the back of the chair, sitting higher in his seat. He knew the boy didn't care for him, so there was no harm in voicing the way he felt towards the guy. Greyson's voice still remained low, but there was now a sternness to it that wasn't there before, and the light playfulness that was there prior had vanished as he spoke again. He stared directly at the son of Thanatos.
"I don't' really car' for the way yau're bossing her araund either. Why don't' yau giv' her the chanc' to talk, or even think, for Zeus's sak'. This is her quest', I'd suggest' yau keip that' in mind, son."
Without giving Spencer a chance to rebuttle back, Greyson turned his attention over to his cousin, tilting his head a bit to look at her from an angle, his voice lost any bit of hostility as he spoke to her. "Erin, this unfortchunately falls on yau, luv. As he said befor', we're all her' for yau.. that' doesn't' mean yau hav' to tak' every one of us in her' with yau. Yau hav' the pick of the litter, cous. Yau are going to hav' to think abaut' this and choos' wisely. This quest' is going to neid to be completed with the utmost' car', as will picking aut' yaur mates to go with yau."
".. Six figures, tall, stand strong in the East... A land of Pisa, pasta, and much art none the least... While two might find love, one soul shall be taken... The Ladies dove shall be found, but what vengeance will it awaken..? ..."
Dorian listened intently to the prophecy as Erin spoke it. The beginning was simple and wasn't really worth an interpretation. Six people were meant to go on this quest. The second sentence wasn't even a riddle. Erin's quest would lead her to her human ancestral home. He wondered if that had been done on purpose. He was more than certain that whoever was framing Erin did so intentionally and likely did their due diligence on her and her history when choosing her. But if that was the case they would've had to have known that she'd have the most airtight alibi. But then they'd also know that Ares wouldn't care nor would the gods themselves do any actual detective work.
He wasn't quite sure about the next line. Two might find love? While Paris was considered the city of love, Italy was where love and passion truly bloomed. He looked around the room. He didn't see any potential matches among the present group except for maybe Elias and Kyrin. He didn't know much about Elias, but he was pretty sure that he was here more for Kyrin than for Erin. But it was possible that it wasn't about romantic love or other campers might join Erin on her quest.
He paused on the line about a soul being taken. He thought the stakes were already high enough with Erin being served a death warrant coupled with the normal dangers of being a demigod on a quest. But now they had to worry about one of their friends losing their soul.
He focused finally on the last line. The one that intrigued him the most. Dorian didn't think it was a coincidence that the line was placed after "one soul shall be taken". It's possible that the vengeance could be for a god's child losing their soul on a quest that could have been prevented if someone hadn't been an idiot. But such war gods shall not be named. But it could also be vengeance against the true culprit for orchestrating this entire thing. He hoped it would end as happily as that, but they weren't called Greek tragedies for nothing.
When Spencer and Greyson said their respective pieces he decided to speak up after being so silent all this time. It was time for his thoughts to emerge. "From what I could understand from Greyson, I agree. This is Erin's quest, but it's not a normal one. Someone's behind the curtains and pulling the strings to make this happen. It's best to be prepared for anything that comes our way. Starting in Wales may be a good idea, but driving isn't. We already have our regularly scheduled monsters to worry about once we leave the barrier, but we don't know who's framing Erin or what they may be planning to stop us. Driving at the very least leaves you as a target."
οΌ€ο½ο½ο½ο½ο½ο½ ο½γο½ο½γοΌ‘ο½ο½ο½ ο½ο½ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Location: Just outside the cabins > Bunker 9 Interactions: Corona @Zenritch, Pierre @MarshiestMallow ______________________________________________________________________________________
"I shouldn't have grabbed it... everyone else was distracted and I just... snatched it up."
Brynn frowned a little at the comment, wondering why he wasn't more excited or enthusiastic about having won. Wasn't that the whole point at attempting the event in the first place, was to potentially clamber up the tower and snag the idol? Was almost like he was surprised, as if he didn't know he had it in him. Corona had asked Pierre to swear on the Styx over the secret she had hidden in the Bunker, though it wasn't aimed at her, Brynn quickly nodded and crossed an 'x' over her heart with her finger with a bit of a smirk. Cross your heart, hope to die. Something her dad and her had always done.
It was settled, and Corona had accepted their declarations of fealty. The daughter of Athena followed closely behind Corona for some time before falling back a bit to walk side by side with Pierre, gently nudging the boy with her elbow and flashed him a soft grin.
As they came to the Bunker, Brynn watched Corona closely. The daughter of Athena had always been curious about Bunker 9, this being the first time she'd have been taken inside to explore what was beneath the surface. With a snap of Corona's fingers, a spark of flames erupted before their eyes, Brynn's own widening a little at the display. She always thought fire was so beautiful. The fact that the Heph kids could just create it from thin air, it was always something Brynn somewhat envied. To wield fire in the palm of one's hand... badass. Though Brynn did not catch the reference to what Corona was trying to replicate, it was still very cool for her to see, forcing a wide grin across the girl's face.
Brynn's eyes flickered back and forth rapidly, taking every little thing in as the large hangar doors opened up, following behind Corona at her heels. Her eyes glanced over all the blueprints littered all over the floors and work benches that they passed, coming to what seemed like a dead end. Brynn could see Corona huddled against the wall with their back facing them. Curious, Brynn peeked around Corona's shoulder and noticed the console attached to the wall as she was inputting a code in. The girl quickly pulled back and gave Corona the privacy to input her code, turning away from the curly-haired girl, her eyes found Pierre. She didn't say anything, just simply stared at him a moment with a friendly half-smile as Corona fidgeted with the console on the wall.
Several moments later, the sound of a door opening brought Brynn's attention back over to the girl, seeing the opening in the wall just a few steps away. Following behind the Heph girl again, Brynn stepped into the elevator and checked the number of levels to the lift. Fifty levels?! The girl's jaw dropped, her face riddled with disbelief. 'Holy Hephaestus!' She watched as Corona hit the very last floor and suddenly remembered her discomfort with elevators as the doors closed, the lift lurching slightly before slowly descending. Brynn folded her arms gently over her chest, standing with a slightly staggered stance as she tried to think of something other than the butterflies-in-her-stomach feeling as the elevator descended down to the bottom floor.
Once there, Brynn let out a heavy sigh. That was a lot of floors.
Walking out into the very large room, the first thing Brynn's eyes caught was the frame to what looked like some sort of airship, then gliding over the rest of the area. There were even living quarters down here. Was this why sometimes the Heph kids just disappeared for days on end? No wonder why no one ever really made a fuss when they went missing.
"Well there she is. My magnum opus, the Aerial Assault Airship: Aurora. Or at least it will be provided I work out a few problems I have encountered. ...If I'm building something that's only meant to be an airship, then I could probably make the build myself, and on a much quicker pace. However, I never really have built a megazord before so I need some ideas on how I could make it so that it can transform from that, to this."
Brynn looked down at the drawing that Corona had, peeking back up at the frames of the airship before looking back down at the sketch of the robot. Corona wanted to get the airship to transform into the giant robot she had sketched out. Had the girl been watching too much Transformers, lately? The daughter of Athena stood back on her heels, looking at the frame again as she chewed on her lip in deep thought. It came back to her that Corona had mentioned she had run into some problems. Brynn turned her stormy gaze on the Hephaestus girl, tilting her head slightly.
"You said you ran into an issue.. or, issues, rather. Mind expanding on that a bit? What's going on with it?"
Kyrin didn't glace to the figure next to him, afraid that Elias wouldn't be there. Instead, he concentrated on the rest of the prophecy. One soul shall be taken. The Ladies dove shall be found, but what vengeance will it awaken. Prophecies often had two meanings. Two faces. There was no point in trying to interpret the prophecy when you could get it completely wrong. It would just be a waste of time trying to pick and probe for a clear answer. At least the location of the quest was clear.
Italy.
Italy and Spencer suggested Wales. Taking a plane to Italy would be the best choice of transport, but he didn't know what would happen if Erin entered Zeus's domain. He had heard that Percy had only been spared once by Zeus when he entered the skies. Erin was the daughter of Hades, and her father's relationship with the God of the Sky and Thunder was not sunshine and puppies per se. Traveling by boat would take longer, and even then, he wasn't so sure about it. It might be safer to fight sea monsters than provoke Zeus.
Why waste time in Wales? Unfortunately, Spencer was right about one thing; jumping head-on might not be wise. Erin could be stepping right into a trap, but there was no way of knowing. Spencer and Greyson butting heads wasn't helping Erin's situation either. She was still set on staying at camp and let Ares have her; they would be going nowhere if she continued to be stubborn as a mule.
"There's no real safe way of travel." Kyrin finally spoke up. He had been standing to the side away from the group with Elias next to him. He was still trying to push down the sick feeling in his gut. His fingers twitched. He needed a smoke.
"Erin, we believe in you. Even if you don't believe in yourself, believe in us. In everyone here at camp who is willing to help you." He walked closer to her, ignoring Spencer, who had taken a seat in front of her. "You are strong. You can do this." Kyrin placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You're not going to die. Whoever you choose to go with you will not let you die. You're not allowed to die, okay?" Erin was going to finish this quest and come back home safe. She had to.
"But it's not your fault. My dad always said that we blame ourselves because it's easier-"
This time she noticed.
The way he closed his eyes and almost fliched at her touch. She wasn't used to it. To see people so afraid. Valeria pulled her hand back, eyebrows knitted in worry, afraid she had done something to hurt him. Did her magic not work? She was sure that she had concentrated on healing and making sure no tissue was damaged before sealing the skin. "Did I hurt you?" She didn't understand, but she wanted to. She needed to understand why he had reacted that way so she wouldn't do it again. Talon was nice. He was nice to her. He had taught her how to skip rocks, and Valeria didn't want him to think that he was trying to be mean.
Valeria raised her hand slowly this time. "I promise I'm just trying to heal you. I'll stop if you want. I could give you one of my healing potions!" She lowered her hand again and pulled reached to her side for the leather pouch that hung around her waist. She rummaged through the pouch until she pulled out a small clear vial with reddish liquid inside.
"Don't worry about the taste; I added some strawberries so it wouldn't taste too bad." She offered the vial to Talon. The vial had a sticker on it with a cartoonish version of Valeria giving a thumbs up.
Location: Lake, Camp Half-Blood - Long Island Sound; New York. Interacting With: Valeria, @Rodiak
Hurt him? No, she hadn't. Not yet. Just because she hadn't hurt him, didn't mean that she wouldn't... She had been kind to him, but that didn't mean anything... the kindness came with everything else, it always had. But she seemed genuinely upset at the idea that she had hurt him, and Talon's stomach churned, his thoughts muddled as he tried to make sense of what was happening, what she was doing. He swallowed, his mouth dry- his body was tense as if expecting a hit that never seemed to be coming. "It's not your fault." he said softly, not even sure what he could say to reassure her of that.
It wasn't like he could tell her the truth. No one knew, and he was content to keep it that way. If they didn't know, they couldn't hurt him with it. It couldn't hurt him. He couldn't let it hurt him, because if he did... Talon sighed softly.
"It's me." he said even softer, a slight shake to his voice. Perhaps he ought to leave- then he wouldn't be anyone's problem... He glanced to the bottle she held out, so determined and eager to help him, even if she didn't know why he was reacting as he did, even if she didn't know... He couldn't fathom just what she was doing, why she was helping him, if not for anything, then what for?
Talon was so confused. Nothing made sense right then. He closed his eyes, turning his head away again. "You did nothing wrong. You didn' thurt me." it was the turth, but he couldn't stop his voice from quivering, just slightly. "I'm sorry... "
Kalinda
Location: Infirmary-Camp Half-Blood - Long Island Sound; New York. Interacting With:Vivian, [@metanoi
Kalinda wasn't sure how to explain it, but she'd rather be thorough then not, and miss something serious- even if Vivian herself didn't seem too worried about it. Vivian just had such a positive outlook on life, she was so bright... Everything a child of Apollo should be. Oh, Kalinda was arguably the better healer, but that didn't necessarily mean she was the epitome of Apollo's bright, happy nature. No, Kalinda was skeptical and prone to depressive bouts.
She might have a reason for that at the moment, but it still wasn't becoming of an Apollo child. Sometimes she wondered if her father had made a mistake claiming her. But there was no point dwelling on the past. "I get visions too, Viv. You get them worse, but none have ever left me unconcious. Why did it happen? Did someone want to stop you seeing something important?" She said, thinking outloud, "I'd rather be safe, then have you die on me." She said, "It just seems... strange that you'd see yourself pass out."
She shifted, making herself a little bit more comfortable before she sought to check over her sister.
Pierre
Location: Camp Half-Blood - Long Island Sound; New York. Interacting With: Brynn @Moro Corona @Zenritch
Corona was being increasingly secertive- and part of Pierre wondered why. He didn't think there was really that much competition between her and her siblings, but he supposed there was things he didn't see. Still, she was excited about it and he wasn't about to crush that. That wasn't who Pierre was. Whatever it was, it became evident that Corona had put a lot of effort into keep it secret. And just how was it possible to have an elevator there? Was it protected by the camps enchancements? Just how far did the enchancements go underground? So many questions that he likely wasn't going to get an answer to.
He looked over to Brynn and smiled, giving a small shrug. Brynn was smart, and kind- and he knew that he could trust her. "Je ne me considère pas comme un outsider, Brynn ... Je veux juste que tout le monde pense que je le suis." He said softly, as they waited for Corona to do whatever it was she was doing with the elevator.
As the doors opened to reveal what appeared to be a complex tool room, Pierre let his gaze roam over everything that was there. Just how had she managed to do all this without being noticed missing for extensive periods of time? Pierre was certain that someone had to have noticed her sneaky away like this, but that didn't seem to be the case.
He frowned slightly as she showed them the sketch of the robot, uncertain if it was even possible. There would be so much thorough design needed, particularly if she wanted both forms to be functioning. Brynn seemed as skeptical about it as he did, and Pierre flicked a glance back to the spaceshit robot... "I imagine the location of the engine might be an issue. It would need to be functional in both positions... and everything would need to be perfect so that nothing shatters in both forms." he said thoughtfully, before shaking his head. The logistics off it were beyond his comprehension.
Je ne me considère pas comme un outsider, Brynn ... Je veux juste que tout le monde pense que je le suis.=I don't think myself an underdog, Brynn... I just want everyone else to think I am.
The day had started slow for Anzu. She had spent the night out in the cabin's roof, an occurrence that she had developed in the past few years. The night sky, the cool air on her cheeks, and the sound of the trees dancing around her lulled her into a better sleep than her brother's snores. Falling asleep under the same night sky - the same one as the one back home - made her feel like Anzu was back there. Just for a few minutes before sleep took over.
That morning she had woken up to the sun shining down on her face and Ume's tiny teeth nibbling her fingers. After finally managing to shake off the sleep with the help of the sun, Anzu picked up Ume and placed the rat on her shoulder before climbing down the side of the cabin. It was one of those days for her. She had promised Imani and Carlos she'd see them in the arena today and watch Carlos get his ass kicked, but the hole in her chest was too much.
Anzu missed her home. She had been for years now. She had thought that living with so many people would keep her mind busy and preoccupied, but that hadn't been the case. She missed her O bΔchan's miso in the mornings, her aunts gossiping by the gardens and her father's oden. Anzu had been planning to visit this summer, but her grandmother had denied her request to visit. She still had much to learn.
After breakfast, Anzu picked up one of the books she had borrowed from Erin a few weeks ago, her swords, and made her way to her spot on the beach. There was a little nook by the side of the cliff, just big enough for two people to sit in. She let Ume sit on her lap as she began to read. The words and taken over her, painting the majestic landscapes and colorful characters into her mind that she had forgotten about everything else. It wasn't until Ume began to get fidgety that she placed her bookmark in the book and decided to make her way back to camp.
Instead of heading to her cabin, she decided to pay someone a little visit. Carlos was probably still in the arena trying to compete for that stupid ring. Anzu took the opportunity to climb in through the window. Her eyes looked over that familiar interior, a place she had spent so much time in that it had become more of her cabin than the one she shared with Tyler. There were little remnants of her all around. One of her hair brushes by the nightstand, a pair of sandals by the door, some of her mugs on the counter, and her second favorite sweater thrown over the couch.
Anzu removed her boots and placed them neatly by the door before walking over to the bed. Immediately Ume jumped off her shoulder and down to it. Anzu did the same, making sure Ume was out of the way as she laid there and stared up at the ceiling. Her mind trying to make sense of the wood patterns on the beams over her until her head began to ache. Still, she continued to stare until she heard the door open.
Carlos took a deep breath before he rolled his eyes one last time at Elias's direction and began to make his way to his own cabin. He wanted to relax for the rest of the day and forget about losing the ring to Pierre. He really had to work on concentrating on one thing at a time. If only he had paid more attention and not messed around like the rest of the campers, he could have won. Too bad his luck didn't make him smarter or sharper. Elias was right, he needed to pay more attention during training.
When Carlos finally arrived at his cabin, he pushed the door open and immediately kicked off his shoes, throwing them against the wall where he didn't see the pair of black boots. He let out a yawn as he stretched and made his way to the cabin's small kitchen. There he opened the mini-fridge and pulled out one of the soda cans. Cherry coke. He was about to take a sip when he noticed the figure sitting in his bed. He jumped, spilling some of the soda on his shirt and the floor.
"Gods! Zu, I thought I was about to get mugged!" He turned around to put down the can and pick up a rag to clean up the spill. Seriously, that girl was a fucking cat. She could sneak into anywhere, and no one would even bat an eye. How the hell did she do it?
"Hey," He finally looked at her, frowning when he saw that distant look in her eyes. Carlos sighed and put down the soda can before making his way to the bed. He looked down at Anzu as he reached down and brushed some of the pink hair out of her forehead. "One of those days?" he knew them all too well. They had been occurring a lot more often. It worried Carlos.
Anzu didn't say anything. Her eyes locked with his for a second before they began to take in his other features: his eyebrows, the warm eyes, the high cheekbones, and strong jaw. That scar on his right eyebrow she had given him the first time they went on a date. Anzu nodded, reaching over to tug his shirt and pulling him down with her. Carlos had been one of the few sources of comfort for her in this place for so long now. He knew her so well, knew her better than she did. He always managed to make her laugh in the most fucked up situations. He knew how to ground her when the panic attacks hit- as rare as those were, he had always been there.
"Ew, you're all wet." Anzu pulled back when she felt the front of his shirt. She glared at the shirt as if it had just insulted her and her family.
"Yeah, wonder how that happened." Carlos rolled his eyes but smiled down at the girl in his bed. He pulled back just enough for him to take off his shirt and throw it to the side. "I didn't see you in the arena." He settled down next to Anzu, turning his body towards her. He already knew where she had been. Carlos didn't mind that Anzu hadn't been there to see him compete. He hadn't won anyway, so that spared him some teasing from the girl next to him.
"Mmm," Anzu wiggled her body closer to Carlos and pressed her forehead against his chest. "Beach. I was in my little hole. Reading." Her hand slipped around his torse and began to draw little circles on his lower back. "Finished the book Erin let me borrow." She already felt so much better. Carlos had always had that effect on her. Make her forget, even for a little while, of her home and how much she missed the Japanese beaches. She pressed her face further into his chest and closed her eyes just a little longer like this.
"When you say 'your little hole,' I really picture something else." Carlos snorted. Anzu should really come up with a better name for her spot on the beach. Calling it her "her little hole" really made minds wonder as to what the hell she was doing. "Call it the Zu Cave, or Super Secret Hideout, oh or call it Awesome Hole- no scratch that one." Gods, Carlos was horrible at coming up with names. The last time he had been allowed to name his team in capture the flag, he had called the group Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies. The funny thing was, they had won, and now that name was written down for everyone to see.
Carlos looked down, watching Anzu relax against him. He always loved seeing her like this. So carefree and relaxed. Unworried of the pressure her family had been putting on her for so long. He understood why he missed them, but he also didn't get why she was so eager to go back. Anzu knew it wasn't safe; she had to. It worried Carlos from time to time that she would finally get fed up with the camp and leave without telling him or her family. Carlos sighed softly as he ran his fingers through the pastel pink of Anzu's hair.
Anzu laughed softly, pressing her lips against the tanned skin in front of her to muffle her laughter. "Shut up, idiot." She pulled back to look at Carlos. "Mr. Team leader of the Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies. I can't believe they let you name the team and lead it." She reached up to gently pinch Carlos's nose playfully. "Idiot." Her voice tender and full of affection. She leaned in, pressing their lips together for a few seconds.
"... Thank you." Anzu sat up, shivers running up her spine from the now missing warmth of Carlos's bare chest. "I should get going. Return the book to Erin before she kills me." She looked around, looking for Ume. The rat was bundled up in Carlos's shirt that he had thrown at the floor. "Dinner at my cabin? I told Tyler it was my turn to cook." She stretched her arms over her head and let out a soft groan as her back cracked.
Carlos had been taken back by the kiss. He hadn't expected it. Just the night before, the two of them had had a fight and an ugly one at that. It had also been the reason why he had been so surprised to see Anzu in his cabin when he first came in. If he had known that this was the reason why he would have kept his mouth shut the night before. "Uh, right." He sat up, looking at Anzu with a frown. "You weren't here to hear it from Mr. D." He reached over and took her hand. He knew Anzu was tougher than she let on, but still... "Erin was blamed for stealing Aphrodite's Dove this morning. Ares blamed her, and she was given a week to get it back."
"What. The. Fuck." Anzu looked back at Carlos. Erin? Seriously? That girl wouldn't steal shit, let alone leave the fucking camp to steal some stupid bird. For Gods sake, that was the dumbest accusation ever. "You're fucking kidding me, right? You got to be. Son of a fuck nugget you're not." But the expression on Carlos's face told her no. He was not kidding. Not one bit.
"Should I go to her? Fuck, she must be freaking out." Anzu pulled her hand back and began to pace in front of the bed. She was worried, rightfully so; she knew Erin wasn't capable of that sort of thing. It was a setup. It was so fucking clear.
Carlos shook his head. It wasn't a good idea for Anzu to head over to Erin right now. "She has people with her right now. Tyler and Kyrin are with her. Some others too." He knew how bad Anzu's temper could get. It was just a matter of time for her to explode in anger and frustration. Better him to bare the front of it than Erin and a bunch of guys. Anzu would probably waste no time and just drag Erin out of camp without mercy.
"We'll go see her when she's calm." Carlos stood up, walking to her and pulling her against his chest again. "We can wait outside if you want." He brushed a hand through her hair, trying to calm her.
Anzu let Carlos wrap his arms around her. She knew he was right, but her hands were already shaking, itching to grab her swords and storm her way to Erin and drag her out to complete that fucking quest. She took a few deep breaths trying to calm down. Carlos was right. Wait until Erin was calm. Wait outside the cabin and make you she was okay.
"Yeah." Anzu nodded, looking at Carlos. "Let's go." She wasted no time as she picked up Ume and walked over to her boots. The rat snuggled closer to her cheek as if trying to comfort her. When she was ready, she adjusted the swords that hung behind her and nodded at Carlos, letting him know she was ready.
Carlos returned the nod once his shoes were on. He opened the door for Anzu and followed close behind her, keeping his eyes on her. He had to make sure she didn't slip again. They made their way past a few other cabins until they made it to Hades' cabin. There he pulled Anzu under one of the trees and away from the sun. There was no need to "You know she's a tough kid, Zu." He reached over and took her hand in his, squeezing it reassuringly. "Have you seen how she sends her hounds after some people? She's got this in the bag."
"I know. I fucking know." Anzu kept her dark eyes on the door. She knew Erin, but that didn't mean she wouldn't worry about the girl. Her fingers gripping Carlos's hand. "I'm still going to worry."
Vivian allowed herself to settle into something of a more relaxed position in the bed she was partially sitting up in. She relaxed her arms and shoulders, falling back until she felt the softness of the pillow against the back of her head. She was still facing Kalinda, however, hearing all of what her sister was saying. Kalinda admitted to her that she had visions too, which she knew but what got a reaction out of her was how Kalinda never had a vision of seeing herself collapsing in that weird time-paradox, Inception-three-layers-deep kind of vision.
And that's when Vivian thought about it. She wasn't feeling fatigued like she was before, so focusing her mind on her vision didn't make her head hurt as much. Truth be told, she never thought much about her visions. She always figured they were a side effect of being Apollo's daughter. Or if she didn't want to think about it being more of a curse than a blessing, she'd toss it off as being a side effect of the snake curse. She knew it made no sense, but some part of her felt it was the only justification.
"I'm sorry, Kali," Vivian muttered, her lips half-frowning. "I honestly wish I had more to tell you. I don't really understand why I saw myself falling."
As she continued to search for the answer in another moment of thoughtful silence, though unintentionally, Vivian could hear Octavia and Arthur talk. The infirmary was empty so their voice carried. She knew it was more than rude to eavesdrop and she didn't do it all of the time, but she heard something that caught her attention.
"--With the mood at camp right now, a bit of good news is quite refreshing to be honest."
She immediately glanced over at Arthur, though afraid that he'd judge her for imposing on the conversation he was having with Octavia, she withdrew her curious eyes and returned them to Kalinda. "What did Arthur mean by that? Did something happen today?" She asked her sister in a low whisper. It was loud enough to where she hoped he wouldn't hear her.
Location: Hades Cabin - Camp Half-Blood; New York. Interacting With: Dorian Underwood (@King Kindred), Elias Schneider (@Metztli), Greyson Davies & Tyler Rumancek (@Moro), Kyrin Nahng (@Rodiak), and Spencer McNight (@Zenritch).
There were so many voices... so many opinions.
The talking polluting the air of the normally serene atmosphere of her cabin; it barely came across as communication. Bickering... jabs... sarcasm... Everyone there was speaking words, but to her, it was just coming across as nothing more than white noise. She could barely hear the sound of her own thoughts over it. It was far more overwhelming than she'd like to admit; and all too soon, as her breathing hitched, becoming a little quicker than it had been, she found herself just wanting to tune it all out. To shut it off- to just ignore everything that was going on around her; but they weren't going to let that happen. Any of them. They'd all made that more than clear; hell, it was, after all, the reason they were all occupying space in her living room. A place that hadn't seen this many guests in... well, ever.
Entertaining; it just-... it wasn't her thing... not anymore. Unfortunately, this particular group had missed those days by quite a bit.
Four years ago, and maybe they would have had better luck...
"Have you heard of systematic desensitization? If you're not comfortable jumping to Italy right away, then don't. In fact, it might be the better call since we don't know if we'll be walking right into a trap if we head there right away. Instead, we could start from my old home in Wales and then make the drive to Italy. If all goes well, we could get there in half a day, anyway. Besides, you aren't the only one who's due for a homecoming."
"Oh yeah, mate? Yau gonna throw a party for the threi of us, then? I'm quit' overdju' to sei my family, as well. I don't' really car' for the way yau're bossing her araund either. Why don't' yau giv' her the chanc' to talk, or even think, for Zeus's sak'. This is her quest', I'd suggest' yau keip that' in mind, son."
Great... there they went again. Dropping her head, Erin once more stared down into her tea; her fingers curling a little tighter around the outside of the mug. Trying her best to ignore the back and forth going on between her cousin and the eldest son of Thanatos. One moment-... One moment of peace; even if just to give her a moment to think. Was that really too much to ask..? Clearly. Shutting her eyes, Erin's brows furrowed together; and all too soon she felt herself fighting the urge to shed anymore tears. Though she was simply fighting a losing battle on all fronts, and a few tears escaped to roll silently down her cheeks, her cousin's words drew back into focus.
"Erin, this unfortchunately falls on yau, luv. As he said befor', we're all her' for yau.. that' doesn't' mean yau hav' to tak' every one of us in her' with yau. Yau hav' the pick of the litter, cous. Yau are going to hav' to think abaut' this and choos' wisely. This quest' is going to neid to be completed with the utmost' car', as will picking aut' yaur mates to go with yau."
Think... was that a joke..? And choose..? She had to choose who went with her... Grip tightening even further, the tea held within the mug began to tremble lightly along with her arms. How was that at all fair..? Expecting her to willingly put the people saw every day- people she, whether liking to admit it or not, cared about in the path of danger, and all in order to save her own ass. Her stomach - empty, thank Gods - lurched. It made her sick just to so much as think about, let alone think about actually having to set her own pride aside long enough to admit that, despite everything, she really did need their help.
"From what I could understand from Greyson, I agree. This is Erin's quest, but it's not a normal one. Someone's behind the curtains and pulling the strings to make this happen. It's best to be prepared for anything that comes our way. Starting in Wales may be a good idea, but driving isn't. We already have our regularly scheduled monsters to worry about once we leave the barrier, but we don't know who's framing Erin or what they may be planning to stop us. Driving at the very least leaves you as a target."
Her heart sunk, and Dorian's words only served to make her feel worse. If he went with her and something happened to him-...
..she'd never be able to forgive herself...
"Erin, we believe in you. Even if you don't believe in yourself, believe in us. In everyone here at camp who is willing to help you. You are strong. You can do this."
Lost in the labyrinth of thoughts plaguing her mind, it was only when she felt the tender touch of someones hand upon her shoulder that she was drawn back to the present. Her lips parting at the seams as her head raised up. Her dark eyes drawing up the familiar figure before her until, finally, her eyes were met by the kindness and concern filled gaze of Kyrin. And just like that; he had her attention.
"You're not going to die. Whoever you choose to go with you will not let you die. You're not allowed to die, okay?"
She swallowed. Hard. Or at least, she tried to anyway. 'Die'. She heard his words- knew what they meant; but that was the only one that repeated over and over in her mind. If she failed this, or if she just rolled over and gave up without even trying, she was going to die. Her stomach gave another lurch, and this time, it was worse. Reaching out with her mug, shoving it back towards Tyler, though not bothering to even so much as check to see whether or not he had it before she let go, Erin rose to her feet, "..I just-... I think I need a moment... I'm sorry..."
Her opposite hand lifting, the side of her knuckle pressing to her mouth as she slipped her way past Kyrin and the others in the room; Erin's free hand reached for the banister once she'd reached the stairs. Taking them two at a time. Though once she'd reached the landing, she didn't stop. There were just so many voices... so many opinions being thrown at, and around her; how was she expected to make any choices..? It was fine for them; most of them had done this sort of thing before, but, she hadn't. She wasn't like them. In theory it might have been simple, but there was just so much more to it than that; it was far more complicated, and she just couldn't bring herself to jump head-first into something like this. She needed a moment alone. A few minutes to just... think.
Barely registering what she was doing, her mind continued to dwell on her own thoughts of doom and gloom as she rounded into her quiet bedroom, it was as though she was on auto-pilot. Her feet moving on their own accord, carrying her across the room and towards the darkest corner. And just like that, she was gone. Her figure passing through the shadows and out of sight.
Location: Ares Cabin, Brandon's Bedroom - Camp Half-Blood; New York. Interacting With: Each other @Vicier
The son of Ares gently closed the door to the Hephaestus cabin behind him, a wide grin still plastered on his face as he rubbed a hand over the stubble on his face. His mind replaying what just happened a few minutes ago, his feet carrying him towards his own cabin without so much as a thought to it. The only thought that crossed his mind was the fact he may or may not need another shower, now. No matter what, the stupid grin on his face didn't change. He didn't care if the passing campers knew. Him and his reputation? They had to have known.
Brandon pushed his way through his door, and just as he crossed over the threshold the thought crossed his mind that he'd left the revolver back at Ky' vie's.
"Fuck," he mumbled under his breath. He shrugged it off and made a mental note to get it from her later. For now, he was focused on grabbing his things to head off to the Arena to train some. The son of Ares pushed himself up the staircase two at a time, crossing the distance to his bedroom door.. which was slightly cracked open. Bran hadn't remembered leaving it open but shrugged it off as he had been in a hurry earlier.
Bran quickly noticed the dark figure sitting on his bed, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end, his hands balling up into quick fists. Nudging the light switch with his elbow, the light illuminated the room and revealed who the strange figure on his bed was. Cross-legged against the bed frame to his King-sized bed, having apparently donned his favorite hoodie that he clearly recalled had been hanging over one his armchair in the corner of his room.. was Erin. Erin Chase, herself.
The son of Ares snorted softly, slipping into his room and shut the door behind him.
"You know, if someone sees you in here there's gonna be a--" As Bran drew closer, he could see the girl had streaks down her face. She'd clearly been crying. This morning's message from Mr. D and Chiron came springing back into his mind. Brandon moved over to the bed, sitting down half cross-legged with one foot still firmly planted on the floor. He reached a hand up and gently took her chin in hand, lifting her face up so their eyes could meet.
"Hey, hey. No tears, alright? Dry it up, buttercup." His hand dropped back into his lap, sitting back a little as he kept his gaze on hers. "Chiron and Mr. D told us what's happened. Please tell me you have a better plan than coming here to ask me to try talking some sense into him." The joking was light, and he tried to couple it with a bit of a smile but even Bran had a hard time seeing her this way. He never liked seeing his little sister so torn up, and so afraid.
"..I-... I need you, Bee..."
One look into his eyes- those stunningly green eyes... The type of green that spoke deeply to the very soul of nature; that existed and could only be found in the lushest of rain forests. It was these very eyes that, for her, sparked that particular color palette she used whenever the art she was creating portrayed a landscape. The fresh wands of grass... the new buds sprouting... that deep emerald that ran through the leaves of the ferns as droplets of water rolled over them-... but for her, it meant more than that. And one look into the eyes of the man that was, through better and worse, her brother was all that it took for the walls that she kept up to come crumbling down completely. And body shifting where she sat, leg awkwardly twisting around underneath her; it wasn't long before Erin was crawling over the bed.
Closing the already small amount of space between them, and curling herself against him like a child seeking comfort. Her dark eyes shutting as she brought her head to rest over his collar bone, arms wrapping around his torso; her fingers curled. Clinging to him almost desperately.
"I'm right here, Ren, w--"
Brandon watched as she climbed over the bed and closed the space between them, curling up into his lap as she clung to him. The sight forced a frown on the boy's face, wrapping his arms around her in a firm, comforting embrace. Bran was never really the touchy-feely type, but Erin had always been a soft spot. After what they'd been through together, how could she not? He gently rested his head atop hers, rubbing her back gently as he stared off at nothing in particular, deep in thought. He let the silence hang in the air for some time before he finally spoke up, keeping her wrapped up in his arms the way he knew she needed right now.
His voice took on a more serious tone but still remained soft as he spoke to her. "Got a feeling you're not here just cause you needed a hug from lil' ol' me.. so, what's our destination? Have you assembled the Avengers yet?" Bran cracked a bit of a smile, then, peaking down at her without moving too much.
The smallest shadow of a smile cracked across her lips as his words fell on her ears, only to settle in her mind. Our destination. She didn't even have to ask; aside from the way that he made her feel safe, he already knew why she was there. Knew that she wouldn't- that she couldn't do this without him. She hadn't needed to so much as utter a single syllable in the ways of asking him for his help, and he was already willing to throw himself into the quest with her. No questions asked. Both of them had changed so much over the last four years- neither of them could say that they were the same people that could be seen in the photos both of them kept, but... despite it all, when it came down to it, they were always in it together. The two of them.
"..Roma..."
Pausing a moment, giving a chance for the knowledge of where this quest was going to lead them to sink in, Erin tilted her head back. Her dark eyes once more meeting with his as she gazed up at him from beneath his favorite hoodie, "..as for the Avengers, I... have my playboy billionaire..." Again another smile; small as it was, remaining over her lips, she eventually gave a light shake of her head. Her eyes falling away from his to instead wander aimlessly towards the wall she was facing. Her body curling further into his gentle embrace, "..honestly, I-I wasn't even sure I was going to do this- I was ready to just give up... to let your dad have me... and the others-... everyone kept saying 'we'... 'we're going to do this', or... 'we're going to succeed'. Things like that. It... it got too much, so I just... left..."
...'you've gotta be kidding me..' he thought to himself. Rome? Brandon pulled back a little to get a better angle on her just as she looked up at him. Smirking, he grabbed the hoodie and pulled it back over her head so that he could really see her. The Avengers reference only made his smile widen, but only for a moment. As her gaze fell from his, his smile slowly faded. His lips pressed together in a fine line. When she curled further into him, he only tightened his embrace on her, gently rubbing her back again as he'd done before while he listened to her.
"I was ready to give up...to let your dad have me.."
Brandon snorted softly, smirking a bit as his mind heard that a totally different way but tried to remain serious.. but his dirty mind won him over in the end, raising an eyebrow at her. "Let my father have you? Erin Maree Chase, I never took you for one to go sleeping around. With a god, no less!"'One that's trying to kill you.' he finished the thought in his mind, not wanting to completely damper the mood. He wanted to keep it light. She was in a fragile state and he knew it. Knew it better than he could even admit to himself.
"Gonna let the time run out and have a go at my old man, are ya?"
"..fottuto idiota..!" Hand drawing back, the warmth spreading over her cheeks causing them to turn a bright shade of red, Erin brought her palm back down against his chest with a dull 'smack'. His jab, however gutter-driven it was causing the smile on her lips to grow just a tad wider. The clearly playful blow, in no way meant to hurt him- not... like she could anyway. Not really.
Brandon laughed, smiling from ear to ear at the smack and the blush that had painted across her face. The position that he sat was starting to get uncomfortable, snaking his hand under her legs and gently picked her up in his arms long enough to turn them around and sit cross-legged against the headboard as she had been before. Bran set her down gently in his lap with her legs draped over his, wrapping his arm back around her and rested his cheek atop of her head.
He had his own walls put up for those he dealt with on a daily basis, but as he sat there with his best friend, his sister, in his arms, he could feel them falling down. Like a drawbridge... It'd been some time since she'd come to him needing him like this. It was nice to feel needed.. as odd as that might be to think that Bran being needed was something he liked. It was different. The vulnerability wasn't entirely ideal, but being vulnerable around Erin was tolerable enough that it didn't bother him.
The son of Ares sighed softly. "Well, if we're gonna do this, we should probably get a move on, Ren. We've only got a week to get this done... you have anyone else in mind to go with us?"
"..Ty... and Spence- there's no way in Tartarus that either of them would let me leave without them..."
Shaking her head lightly, mind drawing back to the scene that she'd left back in her cabin. Sure the guys wanted to prove that they were there for her, but... what good was that going to do if half of them continued to bicker with each other..? Tyler didn't seem to like Spencer... Spencer hated her cousin... Greyson just took it all in his stride and jabbed right back with the attitude, and she didn't even want to start about the looks she'd seen thrown back and forth between the two sons of Thanatos. The only two that had managed to keep from getting involved in the bickering had been Kyrin and Elias; though she was sure that both had their own opinions of the others.
Sighing, she once more brought her hand up to rest against his chest, "..Carlos, maybe..? And... I don't know... we're meant to be chasing a damn bird so... Zeru..? Thunder-thighs can fly, right..?"
Brandon nodded lightly, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he thought about her choices. Counting himself and her, that would mean.. six?
"Six, huh? Hm.."Thunder thighs. He chuckled softly at the nickname, shaking his head at her. "Yes, children of Zeus can fly."
Six people. But why? Bran was stuck on it, pulling back from her, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. "What exactly did the Oracle tell you, Ren?"
"..six figures, tall, stand strong in the East... a land of Pisa, pasta, and much art none the least..." Staring blankly at her hand resting over his chest for a moment or two longer, Erin lifted her head. Once again letting her dark gaze draw up to meet with his. It was the second time she'd had to repeat what the Oracle had said to her; already she was sick and tired of it, but she also had a feeling that it was just how these things went, "..while two might find love, one soul shall be taken... the Ladies dove shall be found, but what vengeance will it awaken..?"
Brandon listened closely to her as she spoke, one eyebrow raised as she turned to look up at him. 'While two might find love'.. The line made Bran suddenly uncomfortable, stiffening up a bit as he shifted in his seated position (not in that way, you nasties!). 'One soul shall be taken.. the Lady's dove shall be found, but what vengeance will it awaken..?' Brandon's gaze fell from Erin's then, his eyebrows furrowed again as eyes absentmindedly fell on the door of his room.
Would they find the dove, and Ares still take Erin's life? A soul shall be taken.. no. No, if it came to it, Brandon would take up arms against his own father, even if it killed him. The way the gods played with them was disgusting, forcing a frown to surface on Bran's face. He harbored no affections for his father, nor any of the other gods.. He couldn't care less what they thought but maybe seeing Ares' own son defending the girl, maybe he might see through his rage. Maybe? Hell, that was like asking for water in an endless desert.
Brandon sighed heavily, turning his gaze back over to hers, his expression softening a bit. His tone playful as he poked her in her side with a cheeky grin, "How many times have you had to say that one, today?"
"..twice... so far..." Squirming lightly in his arms; the gentle pokes at her side causing eyes to narrow in warning, though her smile returned, no matter how small. Gods, he could be such a shithead. He knew she was ticklish; but each and every time, he still pushed his luck... and each and every time, despite it all, she let him get away with it.
Rolling her eyes, Erin took a quick swat at his hand as she continued, "..but hearing it-... I may have run away from the Oracle... That shit was straight out of horror movie; there was no way I was sticking around for whatever satanic sacrifice crap that bitch had going on up there... seriously; how many candles does one person need..?"
Bran chuckled at her squirming and batting at his hand, smacking the top of her hand tenderly. He laughed a bit, wrapping his hand back around her so she couldn't smack it back.
"Oh, candles aren't that bad. Though the ones up there, you're right. Straight-up horror movie shit. Least get some scented ones, for the gods' sake." Bran could hear movement outside his door, some of his siblings must have been wandering down the hallway as he could hear the footsteps carry off and fade. His attention came back to Erin, tilting his head to one side like a dog when they hear the word 'walk'.
"If I'm gonna pack, you're gonna need to get up, goofball."
"..if I get up, I'm taking this hoodie with me."
Bran smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Well, yeah.. what do you think I'm gonna do... rip it off you?" He shook his head, the smirk only growing as he sat up, picking her up once more to move her off to the side of the bed before standing up, moving far enough away he wouldn't get smacked before saying, "Just because I have a reputation to uphold when it comes to undressing women... no. You're... beautiful, Ren. But it's a hard no, from me. Kay? Just.. no."
The pillow was sent soaring across the room before the words had so much as finished leaving his lips; her own turning even further up, and for the first time in quite some time, her features were lit up with her smile. A soft twinkle sparkling in her iris' as she slid off the edge of the bed. Getting back to her feet, "You're such a dick, Bee. I seriously can't believe you even went there."
Brandon caught the pillow before it could hit him, laughing as he tossed it back onto the bed. "Do you seriously expect any less from me? Come on. You know me better than that."
The boy wandered over to his closet and pulled open the door, moving over his sword and armor set he had lying on the floor as he tried to find his bag. Spotting it, it was located at the back of the closet on the opposite end from where he was currently looking. A great huff of a sigh passed through his lips as he tugged the closet door shut and opened the other side, leaning in to pull out his backpack before tossing it up onto the bed where they'd just been sitting.
She did. Erin could swear that she knew Brandon better than she knew herself; it was just a simple fact that it worked both ways. Hesitating a moment, her hands finding their way into the pockets of his hoodie, when she spoke again, her voice was softer.
"..travel-wise, I-... I don't know what to do... I just know I want to avoid the Underworld..."
Brandon wandered over to his Chester drawers, pulling out clothing from each one of them and tossing them over his shoulder. His aim was for the bed but some fell short, falling to the floor. He didn't care, he'd pick them up when he turned back around.
"Why, though? It'd be one of the quickest ways. Either that or shadow travel. You and Spence could take half the group each and get there. It'd be quite the jump, but... it's either that or risk flying. Driving is clearly out of the question and a boat would just take way too long."
"..it is the quickest way, yeah, but... taking that route means entering the Labyrinth..."
Right. Brandon turned then and snatched up all the clothing that had fallen to the floor, stuffing them into his backpack without folding them up at all. "Well, again.. could just shadow travel. It is a far distance, though. You gotta be careful with that." With that, his eyes turned up to meet hers. "Spencer is from that area, isn't he? Should be easy to get a location to travel to."
Remaining planted where she was, Erin followed his movements with a simple turn of her head. Her gaze trailing after him, "..he kept talking about Wales... it's where he's from originally; same with fish-breath..."
Brandon chuckled softly. For some reason, he did remember Davies was from Wales. He zipped up his backpack and reached into the closet, grabbing out his sword and his throwing knives, eyeing Erin. "So.. are you gonna give me my hoodie back or am I going to have to pick another one?"
Realistically, he was fine with it either way. "Either way, we gotta hurry up and get a move-on, Ren. Time is of the essence."
"..it's cute how you think you're getting this back." It was a jab, a playful one, though even she knew that it was half-hearted. Really, she didn't want to think about the fact that she only had seven days. Seven days to find a bird or suffer. Gods, it sounded like something straight out of one of her novels. And she still needed to bust down her pride enough that to ask the others if they would even consider helping her...
..she was really regretting the fact that she ever got up this morning...
Nodding her head lightly, however, Erin hesitated. Almost as though she were trying to work up the courage to do it before she eventually turned and left the room. Her shoulders hunching over as she made her way down the stairs, and out the front door of the Ares cabin. Not caring one iota of whoever might see her doing so.
1x Laugh
