Ezekiel Kel & Demetri Howell
Location: Dining Pavillion/
Bunker 9 ---> Cabins -- Camp Half-Blood
Skills:
Demetri moved away from the barrel as he watched Lauryn go to kick it. Placing his hands in the air as if to surrender.
"Just a regular Badass huh?" He followed her towards the work station, watching as she wrote some things down onto a notepad and then snapped back as she turned to hand it to him. Demi gave it a cursory look, checking to see what all he was going to need to get before folding the paper up and placing it into his pocket. She ran through everything that was needed, as well as where to get the items. He couldn't help but smile the whole time and nod as he got the feeling that it was finally happening.
"Right, thanks. Oh uh, but I will need those drachmas please." Demi said, almost ashamed to need to be asking for money. He wasn't the type to have others cover for him, and if he could he would usually cover for others when needed. Luckily Lauryn had already offered to do so, fetching out some drachmas she carried on her and handing them to Demetri so that he could get going and gather the supplies.
"See you at the forge then. And Lauryn...thanks again." He offered her a warm smile before heading off, thinking about what the quickest route might be.
Ezekiel batted his father’s hand away and fixed the beanie on his head. He hated how much his father tried to be a father and teased him with the idea of a gift.
”Ya, sure. I’m sure it will be another lovely quest to go and die on for you. Hope you enjoyed that steak old man,” he said. Zeke looked back at Nancy when Apollo walked away but she seemed ready to go and talk to Apollo alone and there was nothing Zeke could do about that. He stood, annoyed and frustrated with the entire situation. He didn’t even get a good look at what was in the box. He looked at Nancy’s friends.
”If she wants to see me or whatever, I’ll be in Apollo cabin,” Zeke said before he sulked off.
Ezekiel normally enjoyed the warmer weather but now it was just an annoyance. He glared at the obnoxious chariot as he passed on his way to the cabins. Zeke was struggling with a mix of emotions. He wasn’t the only Apollo kid at camp but it seemed Apollo had come around to see him the most and now, he was here to see Nancy and Nancy suddenly didn’t want to deal with Zeke either. They had bonded over the hate and Zeke hadn’t felt close to anyone here at camp in a long time but now he was feeling a degree of rejection and inadequacy.
Demetri had finally decided the quickest route to get everything done was to go through the Cabins. It was a fairly straight shot from Bunker 9 past the Cabins to get to the Arts and Crafts center. From there it was only a matter of heading down to the Big House for the shop and then looping up to hit the Forge. To say his pace had quickened was a massive understatement. He already walked fast for most people, his long legs helping with that endeavor, but the exhilaration of making something for someone got him moving.
He made a mental checklist of everything that was needed on the list, running through it several times as he walked. Demi counted each item on his fingers over and over again, everyone once in a while stopping to recite
The cow as white as milk
The cape as red as blood
The hair as yellow as corn.
For whatever reason mixing his list to that song allowed his mind to focus more on what was needed and made it harder to forget, granted he still had the slip in his pocket just in case.
Ezekiel made his way to the cabins even with his mind racing with thoughts about Apollo and Nancy. He didn’t even stop to look up as he followed his feet in the familiar direction of his cabin. He ran into something hard and snapped. He shoved the person back.
”Watch where you are bloody well walking!” He glared at the person in front of him, seeing red before black hair, black beanie and the rest of the picture filled out. Zeke deflated quickly and cursed.
”Demi, what the hell?” Demetri was so focused on his hands and his recitation that he hadn't paid any thought that there may be others in the area. Before he knew it he had cleared half the camp and was abruptly reminded about the other campers as one slammed right into him just before shoving him even more.
"Watch it jerk!" He said as his eye flashed towards his assailant only to realize it was
his jerk.
Demi immediately switched gears, a clear look of regret in his eye as he began to apologize to Zeke.
"Sorry Z, kinda in my own headspace at the moment trying to remember a checklist I'm getting. But...while I have you I actually have a question for you...if I can." Demetri looked about really quick to try and gauge who was and wasn't around them. If anyone asked he would lie and say it was about his new eye.
Ezekiel sighed, looking away and stared at his cabin that was only a couple feet away.
”Sure, because I don’t have anything pressing on my mind either. What is it?” Annoyance very clearly filled the tone of his voice and he looked back at Demetri, waiting for the oh so important question.
Demetri followed Zeke's gaze towards the Apollo Cabin. He hadn't known about Apollo's grand appearance, or what had gone down at the dining pavilion. What he did know was that Zeke clearly wasn't in a good mood. His hand twitched slightly forward, wanting to comfort Zeke, but he stopped himself and crossed his arms across his chest to stop himself from doing anything in public. He gave Zeke a sympathetic look as if to say we can talk about it later when we're alone.
Demi chewed his bottom lip for a moment before finally asking his question. He knew the longer he drew this out the more annoyed Zeke would get.
"I was just curious...what were your favorite parts of the Odyssey...and well, is it just the Odyssey or do you like the Iliad as well? And if so, what parts?" He continued to chew his bottom lip, shoulders slumping down as he stood there both concerned for Zeke as well as worried how mad he may get at the current questions. But he needed to know which stencils to grab.
Ezekiel’s eyes shifted down when he recognized Demetri’s signature twitch of him wanting to reach out and take Zeke’s hand or comfort him. Zeke let out another sigh, feeling himself relax a little. It was Demi but he at least cared, in his own strange way. Ezekiel focused on Demetri, listening to his question which completely took him off guard. Zeke looked at Demetri with confusion.
”What? Why?” "I-well-um." Demetri didn't want to give away the surprise and hadn't exactly expected for Zeke to question him. He bit his lip a little harder, feeling a bit rip off slightly as his nerves kicked in.
"Just...curious is all. Please? Just...humor me you jerk." He felt as if he couldn't say too much because of how public they were right now, knowing Zeke wanted to keep up pretenses outside of the infirmary or private moments.
Ezekiel smirked when Demetri called him a jerk, although this time it was fine.
”Alright, bitch.” He thought back to the Odyssey and all the different times he had read it and the things that had stuck out most for him.
”Well, I like Penelope’s dedication to Odysseus but I also like his strength that he shows his men. I like when he’s trapped on the island with Calypso and when his son goes out to care for his father’s land. As for the Iliad, I haven’t read it yet.” Demetri tried to think of what he could do for the sake of designs across the side of the guitar. He had a few ideas in mind now but it all came to a crashing halt when Zeke mentioned he hadn't read the Iliad. He had assumed anyone who read one had read the other. They were always, at least in his surroundings, referred to in the same breath. The Iliad and The Odyssey.
"You...you haven't read the Iliad yet? Any reason why mate?" Demi had stopped biting his lower lip, now focusing on what Zeke was saying.
Ezekiel shrugged, trying to avoid the truth to the question.
”Just never have. I want to. I’m sure they have a copy around here that I can get my hands on but I don’t have much time for reading outside of my medical texts,” Zeke informed Demi.
Demetri opened his mouth as if to speak, stopping short of vocalizing anything before closing his mouth again and thinking. Zeke and Demi had spent months reading together and spending time together, and although he read his medical texts usually, Demi didn't see why he could do some casual reading as well. He tapped his finger on his lip as he thought and finally decided to just shrug at him. It had given Demi an idea, a double dose of gifting. One for the birthday he had so clearly missed, and another for Christmas. He owed him that much at least he figured.
"All right then, keep your secrets." Demi said, quoting Frodo with a bit of a grin.
"But seriously that's fine then Zeke. If you haven't had time you haven't had time I guess. I really appreciate you taking time to answer my silly questions." Demetri glanced about for a moment, balancing his weight onto the heels of his feet as he rocked in place awkwardly.
"Wanna talk about what got you all heated up later? I need to pop by the infirmary anyways to have you look at something for me anyways so…" Demetri was one to talk about keeping secrets. Zeke had a feeling his question wasn’t just casual conversation. If it was, it likely could have waited. Zeke was ready to leave, to be done with this too long conversation but after Demetri stood there awkwardly, he asked Zeke a question he had been grateful for. Zeke nodded, feeling like it would be better if he talked about it, unless he saw Nancy first and got some answers.
”Ya alright, I’ll see you later,” Zeke said before he walked away and entered the Apollo cabin.
