[IC] ♦ Demigods Of Camp Half-Blood ♦ (Percy Jackson Roleplay)

[Vicier]

Camp Half-Blood ~ Day One of Camp

[Vicier]

Lady Aphrodite, Lord Ares, Lady Hera, Lord Hermes and Lord Zeus

Olympus ~ New York

Throne Room of Mount Olympus...

New York, the City that Never Sleeps. And of all the buildings that the gods had decided to claim their home, the largest most obvious skyscraper was the ideal choice.

One figure among dozens of others stepped through the front doors, stopping just inside the entrance to adjust his tie and lapels.

The man seemed ordinary enough to the normal passerby; he was tall and well-built with a broad physique. Though appearing to be at least in his early forties, the man still held an attractive air to him, with a strong jaw and styled up chestnut brown hair.

Garbed in a gray pinstripe suit, the man looked as though he was ready to attend a business meeting of some kind. Stepping into a vacant elevator, the man waited for no one as he immediately pushed the 'Close Doors' button, waiting for the sliding steel doors to shut before doing anything else. As the doors closed in front of him, the elevator grew totally silent aside from an instrumental version of Call Me Maybe playing in the background, causing the man's lips to twitch most irately.

Reaching towards the button panel, the man's hand slid across its length before stopping at a distinct button that sat separate from the others. Pressing it with his pointer finger, the elevator lurched suddenly, as though being yanked by a force much stronger than it. It shot up at an intense speed, the only indication of whatever was going on outside being the blindingly bright sliver of light that beamed through the slit between the two doors.

Finally after an intense ascent, the elevator practically slammed to a stop in a stomach-turning lurch, causing the man to briefly lose his balance before quickly recovering.

"Keep telling them to fix that damn thing." He mumbled to himself, quickly fixing his hair before the elevator doors slid open with a resounding ding, revealing Mount Olympus to him in all its glory. A thin stone bridge, wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side lit with eternal-burning torches led the way to Olympus itself, a massive palace, tall and daunting in the stormy dark sky. Tendrils of lightning emanated from its roof, scattering through the clouds and illuminating the entire area in an electric blue glow.

The man was undaunted, clearing his throat before walking down the path, his steps casual yet dignified as well. But the man could tell something was amiss -- and he knew that for whatever reason he was summoned… it wasn't a good one.

Pacing back and forth hastily, like a trapped animal in a cage, the god of War snarled quietly to himself as each and every second ticked on. Ares, by no means, was known for his patience on a good day. On a bad day... well, most people never lived to discover just how quick he could snap. A faint, red glow emanated off of his body, leaving a blurred trail of crimson behind in his movements that lasted no longer than but a moment before fading away. How could his father be so blind? Hermes... his entire line was nothing more than inconvenient little shits - the lot of them. If he had his way, they would all be wiped from the face of the Earth forever. The very thought drove him over the edge of impatience, his pacing intensified as he turned back around and let out an agitated yell of frustration, the flames in his eyes glowing brighter and more angry.

"Where is he?" the god of War demanded, now stalking over to Zeus. By the love of Tartarus, who was late to their own summons? God or not, Hermes still had to play by the rules - they all did. Apparently none of his children got the memo. "Father, we waste time. While his godly self is probably too busy primping his hair in a mirror to show up, his son continues to get away with this thievery! Summon the welp and I will take care of this issue straight away! I can think of a few uses for that empty head of his."

“Enough, my son... we sit here to discuss what is to be done about this matter- do not allow the anger you feel towards your brother to cloud your judgement.”

Lifting his hand up from where it had been rested over the arm of his throne, Zeus rubbed ever lightly at his temple, doing his best to relieve some of the stress that had accumulated since the matter at hand had first been brought to his attention- his son was angered… far beyond anything he had seen in many a millennium… his beautiful and normally enchanting daughter curled up upon Ares’ throne; tragically distraught, and crying at having her beloved pet dove stolen from her domain… his ever loyal wife sat dutifully by his side; the voice of reason among those which occupied the throne room… and his other son, Hermes, was running late for his own summoning…

Things, it seemed, could not get any worse at this point in time…

“We shall await Hermes’ arrival… and then we shall seek out the course of action to be taken. Though do not think that this matter shall be taken lightly- it is a serious crime; I agree that as such, the punishment of which should also indeed be severe…” Lowering his arm back down so that it was once more resting upon the arm of his throne, Zeus turned his head so that he was able to meet with his son's gaze, his grey eyes narrowing and his lips pursing together as he let the gravity of the situation once more fall down upon his shoulders, “..but until such time, I believe the best place for you is by your beloved's side, do you not agree..?”

Ares' scoffed. How could Zeus remain so calm about this? His Aphrodite was in complete shambles by his side, and yet he had the gall to sit there, high and mighty on his throne, and tell him to wait and sit down? The red glow around his body pulsed brighter for a fraction of a second.

"I recall a time when you didn't take things so lightly, father." Ares said quietly through clenched teeth, his hands balling into fists. "A handful of years past, your fit nearly started a war over your precious lightning bolt, stolen by a son of the very man you're asking me to give patience to. Now that the tides have shifted, and I find myself in a similar situation... you tell me to sit down. I will not!"

Hera watched the scene play out, her eyes following Ares as he got continued to become angered, working himself into a fit of rage. Working himself passed that, in fact. Love always makes fools of us, we fail to see that we are as susceptible to it as mortals She thought to herself, watching her son as he balled his hands into fists, openingly challenge Zeus, based on the past. Hera shook her head, rising from her throne. “Dear child, your father is right. We must wait for Hermes” She raised a hand, a sign for Ares to not interrupt her, as she brushed a hand along Zeus’s arm, approaching Ares “the events of a few years ago should serve to teach you that we cannot jump to conclusions. Much harm came from that, child” Calm, collected and controlled, Hera sought to bring Ares back to control-however long that would last.

Yet Hera could match Ares anger for anger, and she said, her tone changing “Sit down, Ares.” Cool, her tone suggested this wasn’t an order he could refuse, “You think we won’t do anything and everything in our power to retrieve Aphrodite's treasure? You would be wrong to think that, but this is a time for cooler heads to prevail.” Despite this, Hera was nervous. Ares was known for his rash nature, and often would jump to conclusions, releasing his violent rage before all the facts were in. After the events of a few years ago, Hera wasn’t going to let her children, nor her husband jump to conclusions once more. She would not jump to conclusions, and would not believe Hemes’ child could do this, not after last time.

This was not something she would reveal to the room at large. The tension between Zeus and Ares was thick, and that would just be fuel for the fire. She had to be the voice of reason, and for now that meant keeping Ares in line, and preventing Zeus from becoming enraged as well. “We do not need a repeat of last time, child” returning to Zeus’ side, she sat down once more, resting her hand on Zeus’, as if she could soothe him, soothe the whole situation.

His nostrils flared at his mother’s calm, soothing words, though the fire in his eyes dimmed, as if giving his answer to her that he would listen. Snorting, however, to indicate that he wasn't happy about it, Ares returned to Aphrodite, taking a moment to scoop her small frame off of his throne in his big arms so that he could take a seat. He placed her onto his lap, adjusting her legs so that they were draped to the side and held her weeping head into his chest, his opposite arm rubbing her back to try and console her in what way he was allowed. For now.

"Am I a god then whose purpose is nix?" he asked, a very quiet anger to his tone. "Mother... Father... action is what we need, not these... summonings." His eyes looked to Zeus, and then to his mother. Sighing, catching her look, he relaxed back into his throne, letting Aphrodite mold into him. "Fine. But mark my words, the little shit is going to suffer. Both of them."

"Sorry for being late, folks." A third voice cut into the conversation as the man in the gray suit -- Hermes appeared in the throne room of the gods, both hands planted firmly in his trouser pockets.

"I had lunch at the most amazing sandwich shop, seriously, best cheese-steaks you could ever ask for." Hardly skipping a beat, Hermes sauntered forth into the room, eyeing each of the gods on their thrones, paying special mind to Ares and Aphrodite.

"Did you want a Snickers, Ares? You don't seem to be you when you're hungry." Grinning in amusement at his own quip, Hermes' demeanor quickly turned somewhat more serious as his attention turned to the largest throne that belonged to Zeus.

"What did my son do this time, Dad? Put another stink bomb in Dionysus' room? Though… I gotta admit, that one was pretty funny..." Trailing off, Hermes appeared to become lost in his own train of thought, though his clear gaze never left his father's.

Ares had nearly calmed down, focusing more on Aphrodite than his thoughts but the moment Hermes finally decided to show himself... His nostrils flared and his eyes pulsed with fire - a warning to his half-brother.

"You defend him?" Ares asked, frankly quite surprised considering everything that had happened in times past. "You defend him?" he asked again, this time louder, raising his voice to a roar so great, the walls and pillars began to vibrate around them.

“..how dare you…”

Unsure as to when she had exactly sat up within her lovers lap, Aphrodite turned her full attention over to her brother, staring up at him through tear-stained eyes, “..how dare you defend such an ungrateful little thief..!”

Shaking her head lightly from side to side with tears still bubbling away behind her bright light blue orbs, Aphrodite took a few moments to flick back and forth between her brother's eyes, searching for reason as to why he was playing such a serious situation off as light… searching for answers as to why he was joking around when it was clear to all that it was no time for such petty games.

“You know what he did- yet you stand there as though it is nothing more than a joke for your own amusement..! He-... He-...” Seemingly unable to go any further with her explanation as the words caught within her throat, Aphrodite shook her head, her long and delicate blonde locks flying back and forth before eventually, they settled once more over her back, her small frame turning until she was able to once again hide herself against the warmth and safety of Ares’ chest, her body pressing ever closer as her sobs once more began to fill the air.

“Do not test me, Hermes.” Ares warned his half-brother with a venomous tone. His only grounding at that point was Aphrodite herself, curled up so closely in his arms that he couldn’t simply be parted from her even if he wanted to. He itched for his sword - the weapon, with the proper amount of manipulating, could make quite a decent shot-gun. One good enough to blow that smug smile off of Hermes’ face, anyway. But it was stowed away at his hip where his love’s body was currently occupying, soaking his shirt with days worth of tears. “This is no child’s act of mischievous fun. Your children are falling straight into the mindset of your lightning thief. While father may have shown mercy on him, I will not. I give you, and your bastard son, one chance. Return Aphrodite’s dove, or you shall have two dead sons to hardly miss this generation.”

Hermes initially remained silent, staring his brother in the face with a blank expression. "Do you have proof that he stole your… precious bird?" As Hermes spoke, his tone gradually became angrier, losing all the warmth and friendliness it defused moments earlier.

"But hear me, and hear me well. If you lay a single finger on him, I will make you regret it." Hermes swore, letting his words fall as he grew silent.

“The only reason your boy still draws breath is because only he knows where the bird is.” Ares retorted, ignoring the question about having proof. What more proof did he need? In times past, it was the seed of Hermes who had been stupid enough to steal from a god. Why should it be any different this time?

Letting out a short laugh that held no true mirth to it, Hermes stared directly at Ares once again, his deep blue eyes now cold and dangerous.

"You're losing your touch, brother" he finally said, his tone remaining even, though one could detect the thinly-veiled anger beneath it. Breaking Ares’ gaze, Hermes looked down at his watch and sighed. "You know, I was gonna go see a movie right about now..."

Ares clenched his jaw, the vein in his neck throbbing as he tried to stay his anger but it was quickly burning through. His hands once more tightened into fists, his fiery eyes narrowing on that of his half-brother who had the gall to make pointless quips while his son’s life was being threatened.

“You’re a fucking coward, Hermes. When will you ever grow up and start to take responsibility for your sperm vermin?”

“Enough..! The both of you..!”

Zeus’ deep and booming voice sounded out clear and strong through the halls of the throne room; causing loud claps of thunder to roll through, forcing all within Olympus to know that the King of gods mood was quickly souring- he had heard enough of their childish bickering. They were supposed to be a family; and it was high time that this matter was put to rest before it went any further than it already had, only to be ended in blood being spilt upon the floors of his glorious Kingdom.

Reaching over his body, Zeus lightly patted the top of his wife’s hand, his body hunching over ever so slightly so that he could sweetly place a kiss upon her delicate knuckles before finally, he lifted himself from where he had been sat upon his throne; his attention turning over to his two sons as they continued to lock horns, seemingly ready to wage war at but a moment’s notice should one push the other too far.

“..the boy in question must answer for the crimes in which he has been accused. Stealing the sacred symbol of a Goddess is something that cannot be forgiven lightly- though you have my sympathy, my son, I cannot allow such a thing to go unpunished…”

Slowly stepping away from his throne and his loving wife, Zeus made his way over to where the both of them were locked in battle with one another, making sure that he had their full attention before he continued on with his decision, “Ares speaks with wisdom; if the boy has nothing to hide… then allow him to prove his innocence to the court. He shall have but a single lunar cycle to return the dove to the Goddess Aphrodite; shall he not succeed, then the boys fate shall be left to the mercy of your brother.”

Turning to his father with an expression of genuine shock, "Dad, there's no proof! You can't… condemn my son when there's no evidence..." Trailing off once again, Hermes eventually grew silent, knowing that nothing he said could change his father's mind.

He'd lost too many children already, one whose death still pained him. He could not lose another. Not like this.

Looking to his father as he spoke, Ares couldn’t help the small, flickering smirk that crossed over his lips. Finally, Zeus was seeing reason, and putting action towards something rather than just sitting on his ass and spectating. His eyes, softer now, turned to his half-brother, the smirk spreading into a wide smile as he watched Hermes’ crestfallen features carefully. If Aphrodite’s bird had already been returned, witnessing Hermes as he realized that he had lost would have almost been enough penance for his insolence. Almost.

He sat back in his throne in a relaxed position, letting Aphrodite meld into him however she saw fit, and raised a hand to lazily start playing with the ends of her hair in a sort of comforting gesture.

“Poseidon was given the same, dear brother. And Percy managed to prove his innocence no matter the odds stacked against him. Surely your son, who you claim shares the same fate, can do the same?” Ares challenged with an amused expression plastered on his face. “If what you say is true, and the boy is innocent, then you’ve nothing to fear.”

Not bothering to wait for a reply, as Ares already knew that he had won, he chuckled softly to himself as he planted his feet down on the ground firmly, allowing him to use the strength of his legs to pick Aphrodite up from his lap and cradled her into his chest as he stood. Unless Hermes was about to lay an egg as a euphemism of shitting himself, then there was no further reason for him to stay.

“Father…” Ares connected his eyes with Zeus and nodded his head in respect and thanks. “The decision you have made is wise and much appreciated. Aphrodite and I will take our leave now.” He paused to nod his acknowledgements then to Hera. “Mother.” Holding Aphrodite securely, he made his way towards the exit, brushing shoulders with Hermes if a bit purposefully as he passed by, the sound of his chuckle lingering in the air behind him as he exited.

Bowing his head lightly in farewell to both his son and daughter as they left the room; Zeus waited until the grand golden doors had completely shut behind their figures before he turned his attention over to Hermes- his son’s expression saying it all… he was mortified. Terrified of losing yet another child…

The very sight of his son’s pain caused his heart to tighten within the very confines of his chest, though there was no way that he could go back upon his decision… he had given the young boy seven days to prove his innocence to the court- a longer deadline than he had given to his nephew after he himself had accused him of stealing his master bolt.

Taking those couple of steps that would close the gap that was left between the both of them, Zeus lifted his hand up until he was able to rest it lightly upon his son’s shoulder, his fingers molding to the shape of his shoulder as he gave it a gentle squeeze; an attempt at comfort, even if it should bring only the smallest of amounts, “..my son… the pain you feel is but temporary. Have faith in your boy; just as Poseidon had faith within his own, and I know that he will rise to the occasion and do you proud. I shall not interfere in the workings of the camp, nor shall I burden you with having to deliver your boy with such grave news- go to him, but only when your mind has had time to settle upon this situation… I shall have Dionysus and Chiron bring discussion to light.”

Hermes remained wordless at first, still attempting to process what had just occurred in his mind. He felt his father's firm hand on his shoulder, but did not react, a feeling of total numbness running through his body.

Nodding once, slowly, Hermes turned to leave Olympus, clearing his throat in an obvious attempt to hide its shakiness. "I best go. Don't want to miss that movie." He said, attempting to defuse his own feelings with an admittedly poor attempt at humor. That being said, the god of messengers left without another word.

[Vicier]

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Ky' vie Morgan

Location: The Obstacle Tower; Camp Half-Blood.
^{Interacting With: Those around her.}

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The roar of the crowd had become almost deafening as one after the other, campers who had attempted to make their way up the obstacle tower got smacked back down; the sheer force of it all causing many to double over, but all to be flung from the platforms before ultimately they landed in a pained heap upon the ground…

It was glorious.

The very sight of it caused a soft chuckle to fall out through her bright red lips- truly, no matter how many quests she was sent on… no matter how long she actually spent away from her home here at camp… nothing changed. And that was just how she loved it. The people, the challenges… the fun; what more could anyone want..? Whether it was just for the summer, or spending all year round in the company of those she loved; there was nothing better in her eyes.

Turning her attention back over to the current challenge that stood before her, Ky’ vie let her soft metallic-silver eyes roam the construction that towered over them all… literally. The obstacle tower was a major test for all demigods that called Camp Half-Blood their home, though it was more than clear that majority were willing to take it on for the chance of finally knocking her off her pedestal, and cutting her winning streak short… Heh; not that any of them had managed to succeed in doing that just yet.

Chuckling lightly to herself at the thought, she straightened up, her head turning slightly this way and that so that she could get a better look at her competition for the day, her hands both reaching up to first gather her long and wavy apple-red locks before finally, she tied them back into a messy bun on the top of her head, the sight of a familiar flash of blonde hair in the corner of her eye catching her attention and causing her to turn her head in the direction of the unmistakable figure that was the daughter of Dionysus; the young woman taking a few moments to just watch her friend before finally speaking out, her voice though light and rather cheerful, holding a slight hint of surprise she just couldn’t seem to hide.

“..hey, Arianna..! I haven’t seen you join in on this sort of thing in ages- don’t you usually just sit around and cheer in the stands with the others..?”

“Pfft… phsaw..! You know I’d rather be sittin’ on my ass in the stands, suckin’ on a cold one while you and the others get your ass beat by the tower- seriously..! Mwah..! Sheer perfection on a day like this chicka-dee.” Shaking her head lightly from side to side, Arianna slipped her hand into the front of her top, pulling a silver flask out from the side of her left breast so that she could take a quick swig of the contents within before once more returning it back to its place in her bra, “But… you know… Deon reckons I won’t last five minutes on this contraption- I reckon I won’t last two. So, time ta find out which one of us is right..!”

She didn’t even get a chance to react to Arianna’s words before the girl was gone; speeding off towards the tower with what looked like purpose and… yeah, it was clear she wasn’t going to get too far to the top…

Shaking her head lightly from side to side, another chuckle seemed to fall from her lips, her hands both coming together in front of her body so that she could tug lightly on the bottom of her black leather gloves, her attention once more falling to the spinning tower that stood before her- to say it wasn’t imposing would have been a major understatement… Standing tall at almost three stories high, with not just revolving platforms and stages; but also fire pits, thick metal beams, rope ladders, and wooden grips that could be pulled out from underneath you at any moment… and then right at the top was the goal of it all; the large centurion-like helm that held the golden circular ring- that was what everyone was fighting tooth and nail to get to first.

Or at least… that was what she could see from her position anyway.

Taking a few moments to herself so that she could re-check the pads she had covering her elbows, Ky shot another quick glance around at the others who were getting ready to have another crack at the tower, and with it, a shot at the glory of winning. The very sight had her bright red lips turning up into an amused smile. Aside from the few regulars who tried to take her place as champion, there were quite a few new players in the game…

Not bothering to give it another thought, she pushed herself forward; breaking herself away from the crowd so that she was instead shooting over the ground, and towards the tower, her smile never once fading from her features as she dropped her body to the ground, her feet leading the way as she slid underneath the thick metal beam in front of her, the young woman only moving again when she was close enough to reach up and take a hold of the rope ladder flying round in her direction; the daughter of Hephaestus focusing on using her upper body strength to pull herself up rung by rung as that part of the platform continued to spin her around, her Australian accent ringing out clear and strong for all to hear.

“Hahah..! Good luck everyone… you’re going to need it..!”

[Feisty-Pants]

Natalie Hawkins - The New Instructor

As always, she arrived early.

Within a day prior to when she had been ordered to become a teacher, the ancient Maiden arrived in the mist filled midst of the night. With a simple pack, and her weapons in tow, her senses took in the smell of the camp.

It had been a year since she had been seen here last, standing triumphantly with her fiery hair and tenacity, holding the Olympian's flag in victory for the Hunt. Yet now, she came on completely different reasons, not as a passerby, nor as a messenger for another contest. Her reason was simple, yet grand all the same: she was here to become the new Archery Instructor. Dispatched to the camp by none other than Artemis herself.

Bearing perfect silence, she strode past the cabins that held numerous children of the Gods themselves, and instead she continued onward towards the wood. No longer would she stay in the cabin reserved for her honorable kind; instead, she would make her home amongst those she felt most comfortable.

Amongst the trees, the living, breathing pulse of nature herself.

Through the wood she walked, finding old hardened oaks of familiarity. Never did it take long to find a clearing to her preference. It was wide, quiet, with thin wisps of grass which bent obediently to the wind. Yet what was most important, was the pale light that washed over it all, the light of the Moon.

In the middle there was a great Oak, and she settled calmly beneath it. Leaning up against the twisted, wizened bark for a long moment. Observing her surroundings carefully to insure she hadn't been followed. Once she was sure she was alone, the Huntress dropped the heavy pack she had been burdened with, and got to work.

Up came the supports, over it all came the Canvas, and soon before long, her practiced hands brought to creation her true home. A large, expansive tent that encircled the Great Oak.

Inward she dipped into it, lifting the flap and finding all the comforts of the home she had known for the past two thousand years. Her tent was indeed a mystical one, as already were fulled with decoration not only for aesthetics, but with reminders of the hunts she had participated in. Of friends gained and lost.

Yet the scent of crisp, cool water caught her as well. Then did she realize that it had been a long venture to arrive at the Camp. Such a trip had left her covered in the dirt amd grime of long roads traveled, and it would not do well to begin her teachings with a poor first impression.

Humming softly to herself, the emerald cloak came unfastened, the thick fabric of her traveling garb came undone, and flawless porcelain skin came to touch the cool night air. Within the privacy of her home, she was as exposed as the statues of the Gods of old, and just as exquisite.

Wrapping a simple robe about her shoulders, the Huntress snatched both Quiver and Bow alike, and her singsong hum turned outright into a softened song as she strode throigh the clearing barefoot, and made for a quiet river.

There, her toes dipped lightly into the crystalline waters, and once she found the chilling temperature to her satisfaction, the robe came undone and tossed aside, with her bow and quiver set carefully upon it. Within the waters she bathed, enjoying the company of Pale Moonlight as if her Goddess were still beside her, and once she was cleansed of the impurities of travel; she snatched upnthe robe, her weapons, and then retreated back to the sanctuary of her home.

The day would begin soon, and she needed to be ready.

First throwing on the necessary undergarments of black and lace, a comfortable one-piece garb came on after that. Carefully fit to her, the red pastel fabric ran the length of her figure, ending just below her thighs as she let the luxurious curls of her hair run past her shoulders. Intense eyes of stormy blue would carefully watch on as she laced up thigh-high boots of fine leather, and not long after, bracers would be tightened on by belts about her wrists.

Nonchalantly, she would swing the quiver about so it rested against her backside, and her dominant hand picked up her bow.

Once she had checked herself in a mirror, the striking Huntress raised the flap of her tent and stepped out into the Sunrise, just as it splayed a brilliance of colors across the heavens that was only equaled by the fire in her hair.

With seemingly unintentioned grace, she strode into the camp and made for the sounds of machinery, chaos, and cheers. It never took long to find where the action was in this camp was, and nor did it take long for her to discern the location of Chiron.

Yet he was nowhere to be found!

Instead, she simply seemed to appear on the grounds near the tower. Casually, the Huntress latched her bow onto her back. The cheers that were ongoing stifled just for a moment then. Most of the campers knew who she was after all, since she had won the last game of Capture the Flag, their dislike of her presence was more than evident.

Yet with the absence of any other Maidens, her presence was anything but peculiar. Why was she here, alone? The hunt always traveled in packs akin to wolves. She was not dressed for the Hunt either it seemed, with only her bow and arrows, and light, colorful clothing instead that which was meant for camouflage.

What in Hades' name was she doing here, some must have thought.

Yet the cry of surprise and crash of an unfortunate camper to the ground diverted their attention back to where it should be: The Obstacle Course.

Finally once the madness had resumed, the Maiden looked on and watched through all the madness and chaos from where she stood. Watching of course for those with potential. Those who just might have a chance to learn the same level of skills that she possessed.

[MarshiestMallow]

Niesha

Niesha had taken on the tower several times before. Living here all round since their 16th birthday, her brother Michael and her had h ad plenty of time to study the thing, and work out how it was constructed. What else would you expect, as children of Athena? And things were so much easier here, with everything written in Ancient Greek, their dyslexia didn't seem to play up. It had been hell, growing up, even as they managed to get good grades. Part of that had been their father, patient and willing, he helped them figure out ways to study that would help them. Remembering that, Niesha couldn't help but smile, and she could see how the goddess Athena would like him. She thought back on the days before coming to the camp, with both sadness and happiness. She often thought that the small white owlet she had found was a sign, for their mother. She had never asked. The one time they had met Athena, it had been more about the wonder of actually seeing their mother.

Niesha had been fascinated with how things worked, how they were built, since she was a little kid. They didn't just build normal block towers as little kids, but brillant ones, creating buildings and towers out of them. Michael and her ofter drew designs for their own city, the two of them working together in perfect harmony, yet Niesha had to say, Michael was better at the design stuff then her.

She turned her attention to the obstacle tower, watching the contestants. Michael was more interested in keeping Moe, his gigantic dog, under control. Niesha sighed. While they both had a go at the course, Michael preferred not to go out of his way to try it. Finally she said "You could do it, you know that" Michael merely looked up from Moe and shrugged, "Just because you can do something, Nes, doesn't mean you have to" He never stuttered with her, yet put him face to face with someone else, and he sounded like a CD that jumped about. She adored her brother, but sometimes she wished he was more...outgoing. "Besides, why show off? I prefer to let the other campers underestimate me"

Niesha gave another sigh. She could compete, but she wanted to try and nudge Michael into doing more things like this, yet Michael was merely content to be mediocore in camp. "But you're brillant, Mikey. Sometimes I wish you'd see that, and let others see it too" Michael gave a shrug, falling silent and returning his attention to Moe. He wasn't fooling Niesha though, she knew he was activelly paying attention to everything around them.

Giving another sigh, Niesha looked about, at their fellow campers. There were familiar faces, and new ones, too. She wondered if any of them would be children of Athena. That thought crossing her mind, she scanend the crowd for Webster. Sometimes their half brother could be overwhelming, but Niesha liked him well enough. It was interesting havign a sibling the same age. they still hadn't discussed who was older. Niesha was a bit troubled by that. There was only, really, a few months between where their mother could have concieved them or webster. Did she just go from mortal to mortal, leaving babies everywhere? Or had this been a special case?

She felt Michael lay a hand on her shoulder, "You're thinking too much, Niesha. You aalso appear troubled when you think of Mother" Niesha gave Michael a grateful smile. She never had to explain anything to him. "Just pondering some things, is all" she reassured him, returning her always wondering attention back to the course and what was going on. She couldn't decide if she wanted to go against Ky' Vie or not. While she was sure she could figure out the way to get up, she didn't know if she would be quick enough.

Pondering that, she sat back to watch.

Connor

Despite the excitement, Connor found himself almost dozing. The warm sun was just so inviting. It might have helped if he had actually slept the night before. Yet he hadn't, distracted from sleep by the lure of books, and a new-well old scroll-he had borrowed from the Athena cabin. Stretching, Connor leaned forward. He had left Prince asleep on his bed int he cabin, yet it wouldnt surprise him to see Syleste with the pup. When he had found the pup, it had just seemed perfect. A forever pup, Prince was easy to carry around, if the need rose. And Syleste was always luring the dog away.

Turning his wandering attention back to the coursehe studied the course, Ky' vie and her opponents. The obstacle course was indeed a challenge, yet everything always had a way. And if you studied your opponents, you could figure out how they did what they did. And then he could figure out how to beat them. Eventually. Still, it had been a while since he had tried to tower. Rising, he headed down from the stands, Connor didn't actually know what he was going to do, and maybe that was the point. Everytime he tried to plan this course, he failed spectaculary.

Maybe some things couldn't be planned.

Kalinda

The only child of Kalinda Apollo at the camp right then, Kalinda was merely there to ensure people didn't kill themselves. She didn't particularly want to show off climbing the tower, at least not today. She prefered the archery course. And besides, Choas demanded her attention. The ferret crawled out a pocket and danced in her lap, chattering and crying a war cry. Kalinda scooped the ball of fluff into her palms, petting her, and snapping on her leesh, so that she wouldn't get lost. The last time that had happened, Kali had had to search high and low, only to find Choas nestled happily on a sleeping Aphrodite daughter's chest. That had been fun, trying to get the ferret without waking the lover girl. And then explaining why she was essentially feeling the girl up.

She wasn't keen to have such an experience again.

Choas lived up to her name. Perhaps it was a good thing that Kalinda lived in the cabin alone. The ferret jjust got into trouble. She watched as Choas scampered about, unconcerned about her bothering any of the campers. She hadn't had trouble with that yet. Choas was just too cute, and used that to her advantage.

Kalinda leaned back in the stands, unconcerned with what was going on.

[smarty0114]

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Location: Obstacle Tower
Interacting With: Those around him

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Webster had a habit of waking up long before anyone else in his cabin. Not everyday, because there were days where the son of Athena desperately needed to be sleeping until everyone else absolutely needed him, but some days he enjoyed being the first to open their eyes. He loved listening to the quiet of the camp in the morning, watching the sun rise and hit the water on the lake just right. How he functioned so smoothly was beyond the comprehension of many, seeing as how he would often times be awake late into the night, reading or working on some new project of his.

Today was definitely one of those days. After brewing a cup of coffee for himself he took a moment to look out over the cabin, sitting on the front porch of Cabin Seven, laptop resting on his knees while he sipped from his mug, watching the camp come to life. As he sat he continued working on a project he'd been in the midst of for some time now, a redesign of a building in New Rome. He'd been working on the project with Annabeth, her being his mentor of sorts when it came to architecture, and by the time the camp was fully awake, he was sending it off to her, so that she could critique the blueprints.

When it came time for the Obstacle Tower, Webster geared up, ready to at least attempt to beat Ky' vie. He knew very well that the odds were slim. If Ky' vie didn't win, chances are Elena or that prick Deon would. But, like he always told the newbies at camp, "Trying and failing teaches you more than failing to try ever could." Webster hated inspirational bull shit like that, but for some odd reason, that quote had always stuck with him. Maybe because it was how he'd gotten to where he was. He wouldn't be anyone of any importance at this camp had he not trained, day in and day out.

Despite his complete lack of faith in his chances of winning, Webster rushed forward, but not before taking the time to calculate his risks. Staring at the tower, the world seemed to slow down as he timed the spinning of the beast, noting the pitfalls he was likely to encounter on his way to the top. His strategy in mind, Webster raced forward, jumping over the spinning bar of doom, and beginning his climb to the top. Just don't get thrown off by Deon. Okay, that's petty as hell, but just don't do it Webster. It won't lend any credence to you're whole thing about being better than him.

[YoshiSkittlez]

Deon Alexander

Location: The Obstacle Tower; Camp Half-Blood.
^{Interacting With: Ky' vie Morgan, Arianna Watson, Jonathan Hamilton and others around him.}

Standing not too far from the fiery-redhead of Hephaestus and the fierce blonde of Dionysus, Deon chuckled quietly to himself, hearing their exchange. His earlier wager with Arianna, though innocent in the way she explained it to Ky' vie, went a lot deeper than that. But it was up to Arianna if she wanted to spout out that little tid-bit of information to her friends; either way, he was a winner. Either he was buying her any bottle of vodka she wanted (that he would use to his advantage to get something a bit more... pleasurable in return from her in her drunken state), or he would get the same results without the alcohol and loss to his bank account... though they would probably end up getting drunk anyway. So really, how could he complain? Granted, he figured any woman would be bursting at the seams to tell any and all about her inevitable hook-up with him, but to each was their own. And Arianna was certainly a different sort of woman. But it wasn't exactly a bad thing; she certainly could be quite the freak in the sheets and that made any girl good in his book, no matter how crazy they were.

Craning his neck to the left, and then the right, a series of loud cracks that went from his neck all the way down to the middle of his back could be heard. He had spent a good amount of time warming up his muscles (a couple beers in between exercises) and his focus was exactly where it needed to be. Moving his attention from the girls to the tower in front of him, Deon's steely-blue eyes narrowed on the structure. Today, he was going to make that damn tower his bitch. There was just one last thing he needed to do.

Carefully, one by one, Deon unfastened the buttons on his blue, cotton-fabric shirt and peeled it off of his body, one arm at a time. He crumpled the fabric together in a sort of ball before tossing it aside, subconsciously (or not) flexing his toned muscles that had been exposed to the gleaming sunlight. Feeling a couple of eyes on him (really, who could blame them?), Deon turned to meet his gaze with a younger camper, probably around sixteen or so, that Deon didn't particularly remember seeing before. Maybe she was new, maybe she had been around for years, Deon didn't know, nor did he particularly care as she was very plain at best. But he indulged by giving her a smug smile and ran his fingers through his dark hair before pointing at her and giving her a slight wink. He never even got the poor girl's reaction as he was already running towards the tower, laughing.

“Hahah..! Good luck everyone… you’re going to need it..!”

Turning his attention to Ky' vie, he instead turned his laughter to her, his eyes rolling a bit before shaking his head.

"I don't need luck when I've got a hundred and seventy pounds of pure skill, baby. But you keep riding that luck thing. Maybe it'll even buy you dinner first one day."

With very little effort, Deon vaulted himself over the thick, metal bars that surrounded the tower and headed for the first rope ladder his eyes landed on. Ducking his head just in time to miss the rotating beams between the ladders, Deon then used the strength of his legs to jump up as far as he could before his hands fastened onto a rung. However, the ladder wasn't completely unoccupied.

Deon squeezed himself by the occupant he believed was named Webster, or something. Personally, he was rather fond of Merriam if the kid was so keen on being named after a fucking dictionary.

"Out of the way, you little shit." Deon used Webster's head as an extra little push with his hand, followed by using his shoulder as a boost with his foot.

The rope ladder was easy. The climbing wall... well... that was another matter. A lot of potential winners lost the entire game because of the damn thing. There were foot and hand holds everywhere, but they moved. Someone could easily push forward one of the holds, making it suddenly appear on the other side and hitting another opponent. On the reverse side, a hold could be pulled out from someone without any warning.

Deon lifted himself up through one of the holes that allowed him access to the platform before the climbing wall. He took a moment or two to analyze it, trying to discern the quickest way to the top. There were others already having a go at it, and failing. He watched as two campers in particular fought over the same foot hold, only for it to be pulled out from under them, forcing them to fall to the platform and through the hole he had just come up and out of. It was only then that he realized that (somehow) Arianna was beside him and rewarded her with a smile.

"I changed my mind, Miami. I don't think you'll last one minute." he challenged with a smirk. Meeting her ass with his hand in a hard slap, Deon then lunged at the wall, taking whatever holds he could manage and began his ascent.

[MarshiestMallow]

Connor

skill means nothing when You can't back it up, with intelligence Connor thought to himself at Deons words, having approached the wall, Connor was standing a moment to study it. This would be Connor's first time at trying to win. And he was going to give it his all, although he'd settle for sabotaging Deon. Arrogance needed to be taken down. He couldn't say he wouldn't enjoy it. Perhaps his fatal flaw was simply feeling inferior. Connor was generally happy to be behind the scenes, yet at times he felt like he was overlooked, unseen. Under appreciated. Perhaps it was pride that we making him do this. He didn't really know.

He approached the course, and started to run, avoiding the metal bar, he used his reach, and strength to get as high upon the ladder as possible, making his way up it, and through the course. He didn't stop to look and see how the other contests were going. He was merely seeking to do his best. And if he's best got him to the top, so be it. He took a moment to ensure his hands weren't sweaty and therefore slippery, before tackling the climbing wall.

There really was no way to predict when the hand holds would be moved, but if you listened, if you noticed the slight movement before it happened, you could avoid falling. Connor used his long reach to scale the wall quickly, often moving side ways, and once or twice down as hand and foot holds were yanked away. He kept calm, processing everything around him as he moved.

As he climbed, he thought about why he was doing this. Why should he try and prove himself, and what was he trying to prove, anyway? He didn't particularly want to win. What did winning get you? The course was, while designed for skill, about luck. Especially with the climbing wall. His thoughts were broken as a hand held slipped through his fingers, and for a moment Connor hung by one hand. He swung his body up, getting foot holds, and managed to get his other hand onto another hold, and he rested for a second, catching his breath back.

He began to climb again, and his thoughts traveled back to where they had been. Sometimes The ADHD that plagued Connor, and indeed most of the other campers, was a blessing. It enabled him to think, and do what he was doing, managing to keep focused even as his mind wandered. He knew that the ADHD was designed to keep them alive in battle-to enable them to focus on many things at once, and to avoid getting skewered like a stuck pig.

So. Why was he doing this, what did he have to prove? Perhaps he was simply trying to...be seen. Yet why did he want to be seen? He managed to remove his left foot in time before the foothold was yanked away, and hurriedly scrambled to the side, and then back up again. Why did he want to be seen? Could he actually answer that?

He didn't know.

He eyes, ever wandering, landed on Ky' vie. Maybe he could answer that. Turning his eyes back to the wall, he pondered that a moment, as he continued to climb. Distracted for that single moment, his right hand held, and left foothold disappeared, and for one terrifying moment it seemed that he would fall. And then, blessedly, time seemed to slow, as his wandering, active attention caught sight of nearby holds, and gathering himself, he leaped to them, for a wild moment it seemed that he would fall, but then his hands curved over the holds, and he's feet landed on two, causing him to have an almost star fish like shape. Not for the first time, he was thoroughly glad for his height, long legs and reach. He probably looked foolish, but what did that matter? He was still in the run.

A laugh escaped him, and he rested his head against the wall. His shaggy-and maybe it was getting a bit long-brown hair fell into his eyes, and he had to shake his head to free his vision, as he began his climb again. A smile stretched across his face. Perhaps this was fun. And really, wasn't that all that mattered? To succeed would be grand, but to just simply have fun? Did they have to be in competition with each other? Yes, they were to train, but couldn't they simply...have fun, while they did it?

He let his thoughts flow now, as he continued his ascent.

[YoshiSkittlez]

Alan Carpenter

Location: The Basketball Court; Camp Half-Blood.
^{Interacting With: Others around him.}

Taking a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow with the forefront of his hand, Alan cleared his nose, trying to get in a good breath. Although the basketball court was a fair distance away from the obstacle tower, the sound of it all reached his ears just as if he were sitting in the stands with the majority of the other campers. He had attempted the tower a good handful of times since being at camp. Hell, he had gotten close to winning a few times when Ky' vie wasn't playing for some reason. It was just... too much. The noise, the spectators, the pressure...

Alan preferred a much more laid back approach to things - things on a smaller scale that didn't have so much showboating. Alan didn't need all that to know that he was a good athlete, or to prove that he was any better than someone else. He knew who he was in his heart, and that was okay by him. Once he had tried using his shoes to just fly to the top of the tower and retrieve the ring - Mr. D. didn't think it was too funny.

So since then, Alan made an effort to stick to the sidelines, or away from the tower altogether and work on other things. He shared the same sentiment with a few others in camp - enough to make a three on three men's basketball team. Shirts vs. skins, the teams changed all the time. But it was here that Alan could just have fun for having fun's sake. Here, he didn't have to worry about anything other than maybe a cute little wager made at the beginning of the game every so often. Boys will be boys.

Alan's attention went from trying to catch his breath to looking over his shoulder, back at the obstacal tower. Something big must have happened, because the noise had doubled tenfold, almost making him raise his hands to his ears to save them from rupturing. Though curious as he was, Alan was perfectly content playing a friendly ball game with his friends, and getting in some good exercise to boot.

These little games that the camp had going - the obstacle tower for instance - always showed favor to one house, one way or another. The obstacle tower was designed for the physically fit and cunning of mind. Ares, Hephaestus, Artemis, Tyche (by an unfair default) and hell, maybe sometimes the Eris cabin would excel greatly at it, leaving the other cabins such as Iris and Demeter who had nothing physically or exceptionally calculating going for them. There was capture the flag, which let some of the "littler" guys do some shining, but again, it always seemed to boil down to brute strength. Deon was a perfect example of that. He had more wins than anyone else in camp - then again, he had also been in camp the longest. Chariot races were fun, but again, not for everyone.

Perhaps the most fair activity that showed no favoritism towards any certain cabin was the trial of dreams. Though it didn't happen very often, it was perhaps the one activity Alan made sure he was a part of every chance he got. There was just something about it - the fairness, the unknown, the entirely whimsical aspect of it all... Syleste was an excellent camper to help run the exercise. Perhaps the most disadvantaged of them all given her blindness, she yet still found a way to become something within the camp. Really, a lot of people needed to give her more credit than she was given. Over a hundred campers, and Syleste was hands down the bravest one he had ever met.

Well... "met" wasn't exactly the best word to describe it. He had been at camp for a handful of years now, summers mostly, and he still hadn't been able to actually speak with her. It wasn't that he wasn't given the opportunity, he just felt sort of... intimidated by her. He'd never admit it to anyone, if asked - he knew the kind of flack he'd get for something so stupid. But there was just something about her that made him pause (not to mention make his cheeks turn a soft shade of pink).

Brought out of his thoughts by the ball getting passed over to him to start a new game, Alan shook his head and smiled to his friends, finding his two fellow shirtless teammates and began the game. He was fast, the fastest in the camp to his knowledge thanks to the ability of speed handed down to him by his father. But just like in the games, rules about "no flying shoes" and "no going supersonic" were implied, so he played as anyone else would. In hindsight, the whole thing was rather unfair. In capture the flag, it was perfectly okay for someone like Deon to use their birth-given abilities to manipulate weapons or use their battle prowess to help them get the edge - but Zeus forbid he use his shoes to fly to the top of an obstacle tower.

He was so ready for the next trial of dreams.

[Nallore]

Location: The Obstacle Tower, Camp Half-blood

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Elena stood with the others at the base of the tower for a moment she was always really determined to get back her crown as ruler of the obstacle tower. She had it for awhile until Ky' vie took it away from her. But it was all in good fun, and she always liked the challenge she always enjoyed trying to beat the others and she had always been very competitive. "Race you all to the top!" Elena said as she quickly caught up with the others, Elena gracefully pulled herself up through the small holes and bars pulling herself up slowly climbing up the tower. Elena looked down at one of the younger campers who were trying their hand at trying to scale the massive three story tower, Elena paid close attention to the others as some of the poles were pulled out from under them and they fell. Elena would quickly move to where they had fallen and pulled herself up.

Elena eventually caught up to Connor giving him a quick smile and a friendly nod "Nice see you on the tower for once." She said as Elena climbed up rather quickly occasionally stopping to see what was going to move next. Then she felt some of her grips starting to move and she would quickly swing herself forward and pulled herself up again. Elena eventually pulled herself up onto a platform where she was nearly hit by a swinging obstacle and quickly ducked under it breathing heavily and brushing a bit of sweat off of her forehead as she looked around at the others to see where they were at.

[Vicier]

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Erin Marie Chase and Syleste Astrea Nioré

Location: The Big House & The Obstacle Tower; Camp Half-Blood.
^{Interacting With: Each other.}

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The sound of wood cracking apart beneath her feet filled the office of the camp’s director as her patience began to wear thin, and her frustration about the whole situation began to show in the expression she wore upon her face: disgust… pure unadulterated disgust.

The camp was filled with plenty of other demigods who would both volunteer, and do a much better job than she would; so why he’d chosen her was far beyond her comprehension.

“You’ve got to be kidding me..! I’m the daughter of the Underworld; not some bloody glorified babysitter..!” What it came down to was the fact that the camp’s director, Lord Dionysus, had it in for her- even after she chose to put up with his psychotic daughter. Arianna was nothing but a raving moron with mental issues; everyone knew it, but she was the only one who was brave enough to speak the truth, “You can’t just go a dump all the fresh meat on whenever you don’t feel like doing you damn job..!”

“Actually… I can, Eirene; you see, as much as I hate being here looking after you lazy lot, this is my camp… and I’m the one who makes all the rules..! You’re on tour duty; so hop to it, or whatever it is that you kids do these days…”

“Oh, for the love of Zeus..! My name is not Eirene, and you know it..! I’m on the complete opposite side of the damn family to that snow freak..!” He didn’t even flinch as she brought her fists down onto the surface of the desk in front of him- it was clear that she was done with him and his stupid games. She had lived in camp for Gods knew how long; and each time, without fail, he’d gotten her name wrong; choosing instead to call her by the name of one of his many sisters who lived on Mount Olympus, “I’m not going to do it. The newbie is supposed to live in the Ares cabin, right..? So get Deon to greet them; you got that. I didn’t come to this stupid camp so that I could show every damn freshmen around like some tour guide. Next time, think about getting your psycho daughter to do it.”

“..Mr. Donovan is down at the obstacle tower along with the others; but I’m sure I can work something out… In the meantime, you’re really beginning to test my patience; watch your tongue, unless you wish for me to turn you into a pathetic little minno-...”

“Empty threats again, Mr. D..? You know, you really should take a page out of my father’s book…” Unable to help the way that her lips turned up in a rather threatening smirk, Erin leant her body forward, bringing herself closer to him over the desk as her eyes narrowed on his lazy figure lounging in his chair, “..if you’re going to threaten someone; make sure you can back it up.”

Not bothering to give him even the slimmest chance to respond, Erin turned on her heel, her long and wavy dark brown locks bouncing lightly over her back with each and every step that she took out of the office, and in turn, out of the big house; the fresh air of the camp washing over her as she continued to put space between her and the God- she didn’t care what he had to say… he could sit there and insult her for days, but it wasn’t going to change a thing.

The relationship between the two of them had never been a great one… her and the God both butting heads, and arguing almost every single time that they camp face-to-face. It was just a normal routine; and everyone in camp knew it too.

“..Erin..? H-How did it go..? Is he going to let us swap..? I know you don’t like doing having to greet the new campers…”

The sound of a familiar voice filling the air caught her ears, causing Erin to turn her head so she was able to look over at the young girl who had spoken- the girl in question sitting ever so patiently on the edge of the porch with a small pup held delicately in her arms, exactly where she had left her when she had first entered the big house. She’d taken forever in there, thanks to her stupid uncle; damn Zeus took forever in there… But it was typical behavior of the girl… she was just too nice for her own good, and really, Erin couldn’t figure out whether or not she actually enjoyed sitting there waiting for her to return, “..you were here all this time..? Seriously, you’re too nice for your own good Syleste; grow some backbone will ya.”

Rolling her eyes, though unable to keep the small smile from flickering over her soft pink lips, Erin couldn’t help but to sigh softly before making her way down the steps, and over to where Syleste was sitting, her head tilting lightly to the side as she slipped her hands down into the back pockets of her black denim shorts, her gaze lingering upon the girl sitting in front of her before finally, she decided to answer her questions, “..the answer is no. The drunkard refuses to let me swap with you- but it doesn’t mean I didn’t get my way. He said he’d sort something out, so I’m not stuck as the damn welcoming committee today.”

“..well… that’s good isn’t it..?” Lifting herself up from where she had been sitting, Syleste’s lips turned up in a bright smile, her arms adjusting around the pup slightly so that she had a better hold over him, “It means that we can go down and cheer on the others at the tower..! At least, this way, you won’t be alone… and as a bonus; I get to spend time with my friend. Please..? Please can you come with me and Prince, Erin..?”

“If you want me to tag along and watch people getting beaten to a pulp, I’m not going to say no Syl- but the minute someone tries to get me to participate, I’m out of there, you got that..?”

Shoving her hands deeper into her pockets, Erin shrugged her shoulders lightly in response to the girl’s pleading, allowing herself to begin wandering away from the big house, being sure to drag her feet over the ground so that the noise would let Syleste know that the were now on the move to where the roar of the crowd was growing louder with each moment passed- from the sounds of it, apart from the few stragglers like the small group of six playing basketball on the court as they passed it by; the whole camp was watching as people ran like dogs, chasing their tails, and trying to fetch the disk at the top of the tower.

Truly, it was pathetic… but it was also quite amusing too.

Seeming to light up the moment Erin gave her the answer she’d been hoping to hear, Syleste hurried to catch up to where she could hear Erin’s footfalls, her own bare feet brushing lightly over the top of the grass causing a gentle tickle to rub over the souls of her feet, a single hand breaking away from around the pup so that she could lift it up, brushing some stray strands of her long and wavy bubblegum pink locks back and off her face, tucking them neatly behind her ear as she glanced over in the direction she could hear a ball being bounced against concrete.

“..I wonder what kind of camper we’re supposed to get today… I mean, I know they’re meant to be in the Ares cabin… but it-... it kinda gets lonely in my cabin sometimes…” Seeming to stare unseeingly at the guys playing basketball for a few moments, Syleste brought her arm back to rest around the small pup, her gaze lowering slightly as she once more focused on Erin’s steps, “..I love Connor; I really do. He looks after me, and always makes me smile, but… well, he’s my brother… I just-... I just get lonely sometimes because I’m the only girl… There are times I can’t talk to him… he understands enough- but he doesn’t understand everything…”

Unable to stop the scoff that slipped through her lips, Erin shook her head before closing the gap between them, her hand reaching out to brush softly against her friends out of habit- a sign that they were going to be stopping soon now that they were entering the area that held the tower, “I’ll pass on any new siblings- I happen to enjoy being alone and having a whole cabin to myself… unfortunately; I’m stuck with Marci… but if you really hate being the only girl in your cabin; go move in with the hot head. I’m sure Ky’ vie would just love having someone else to look after when she’s actually here…”

“Oh..! That could be so much fun..! We all have to have a sleepover soon- I’ve never had one of them before…”

Turning her gaze away from where Syleste stood happily bouncing up and down, and having clearly misunderstood what she had said, Erin rolled her eyes, a soft sigh falling out through her lips as she let her gaze wander about the stands until eventually, they came to a rest on two familiar figures sitting in the stands not too far from where they were stood- of course… they were in the stands again… When was he going to get over whatever it was he had, and actually give the tower a shot; it wasn’t like he didn’t have some skills… at least, he could tie his own shoelaces as far as she knew anyway.

Reaching her hand out again, Erin once more touched her hand to Syleste’s arm, leading her by the elbow over to where both Michael and Neisha were sitting, taking a place close to them while making sure that Syleste was on the inside, situated between herself and Michael- the way things looked on the tower, the infirmary was going to be busy… and for once, it wasn’t going to be because someone pissed her off.

However, if something happened to Syleste… Connor was going to rampage the camp… and not even she could stop him...

[smarty0114]

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Location: Hermes Cabin -> Obstacle Tower
Interacting With: | Natalie Hawkins @Feisty-Pants |

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When Maggie woke up most of her cabin had already vacated, off to go enjoy some camp activities. While there was normally a set wake up time at camp, Maggie had proven that being woken up before she wanted to would only get someone injured, and so most just let her sleep. No one wanted to see Maggie Hartford angry, and if there was one thing that made Maggie furious, it was when her sleep got interrupted. Sitting up and sliding off of the top bunk, she landed with silently, spinning around gracefully to face the dresser she shared with her bunkmate. Picking out an outfit that was simple yet showed off her good looks, she skipped outside, a smile on her face.

While most of the camp was thrilled for the Obstacle Tower, Maggie was more excited to watch, and also bug Chiron about the camp's lack of a decent archery instructor. They'd been without one for a while now, and Maggie had taken to training with the Apollo kids, which was a grand ol' time, until they started breaking out into song, or poetry, or on a bad day, both..

Skipping over to the amphitheater where most of the camp was currently watching the events on the tower, Maggie scanned the area for Chiron. Instead, she found someone even more interesting. A girl she recognized as a Maiden of the Hunt, though she hadn't seen her for some time, since the fiasco that was the Maidens vs Camp Capture the Flag game.. Grinning, she came to a stop with a slight hop in front of the Maiden, and extended her hand. "I haven't seen you around before and you're much too confident looking to be a newbie. I'm Maggie Hartford, daughter of Hermes," the blonde girl said, confidently. " I was hoping to speak with Chiron, I'm still waiting on a new archery instructor! The Apollo kids are only so good" she said with a chuckle.

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Location: Eris Cabin -> The Lake
Interacting With: | No one |

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Cassie hated the Obstacle Tower more than anything else. The cheers of the crowd, the sheer chaos of everything was often too much for her, and it often resulted in her becoming so hopped up on energy that she crashed down and became especially mopey and tired for the next day or two. So today she avoided the amphitheater, despite the fact that she knew Deon would be there, being his usual cocky self. Not that she liked him or anything. Nope, not her.

After getting dressed for the day, Cassie meandered out to the lake, sitting down on the beach and letting the water lap lightly at her bare feet, giggling a bit as the cold tickled her toes. She liked the quiet of the water, and couldn't help but grin as she looked out over the glass lake, a picture of tranquility. She probably looked like a madwoman, giggling and grinning at a body of water, but she could care less. In all honesty, she was a madwoman.

She had another reason for being at the lake that day however. For days now, she'd had a feeling that something...bad was about to happen. Her siblings agreed with her, though none of them could pin the feeling exactly. All they could say was that they each had some sort of anticipation, as if they were waiting for something, although none of them knew what exactly. She had instructed her half-siblings to keep this quiet, but she was worried. Somehow she felt that it was all going to come to a head today. She wasn't sure if she was ready for that.

[Feisty-Pants]

Natalie Hawkins - The First Prospect

Location: The Tower
Interacting With: Maggie Hartford @smarty0114

Remaining where she stood, the Maiden watched with silent amusement as the first of the contestants came crashing back down to earth. Only to promptly get back up, catch what breath he had lost, and charge back into the fray again. A light smirk lined her lips then, if anything she could commend him on his determination.

Even still throughout it all, one girl seemed so apt as to distract herself from the chaos of the Tower, and approach her.

A quick assessment of minute details meant much indeed. First, she appeared to be relatively the same age which the Huntress had literally been paused at for over two millenia. Second, her frame was slender, but toned. Athletic, to say the least. Commonplace amongst the Campers as a whole. Lastly, a genuine smile it seemed, almost earnest in a way. As if she was either happy, or at least intrigued by the maiden's presence.

Surprisingly above all else, she seemed to be without any animosity to start at least. Which was good, it meant that either one, she didn't remember Natalie from the last capture the flag game the Hunt had with the Camp, or two, she was still relatively new.

A singular fiery brow lofted as she introduced herself as a child of Hermes, and then lamented over the lack of an Archery instructor. which was interesting in itself. Mostly, only the children of Apollo were the only demigod children interested in the discipline of Archery.

Needless to say, a child of the speedester having interest was, well, interesting.

"Natalie Hawkins, Maiden of the Hunt. Feel free to call me Nat, or Hawkie if you prefer." She began with, her lips breaking into a charming smile. Naturally, she took the girl's hand and shook it promptly. "And though I may not look it, your days of lament have passed!

Reaching over her shoulder, she unclasped the Saracen Bow from her back with one nimble finger. Lightly, the Maiden would flick the string, which broke unto a singsong twang once she touched it.

"I am the camp's new Archery instructor. Save until a replacement is found I'm sure. Tis' not wise to have someone who appears to be the same age of the campers teaching them, after all." She shrugged then, ever nonchalant as she then glancednl and met the girl's eyes with the intense raptor-like gaze experienced Huntresses were known for.

"So, how do you fare with a Bow? And how can I help you hone such an art?" She inquired finally, with her irish accented english.

[tsubasa]

Bexley Leahy

Obstacle Course

Bexley woke up with the sun on the roof of Cabin One and stared up at the slowly brightening sky. It had become a habit of her's to sleep under the stars, it was a habit that had been hard to shake. Luckily, the cabin's roof emulated the night sky above her but sometimes it wasn't enough for her. She laid there until the sky was a light blue before she decided it was time to actually get up. She slowly stood up before she walked to the edge of the roof and lowered herself to the ground. Wandering back into her cabin, she took off her pajamas, switching them for a pain of jeans, a t-shirt, and a sweater. Pulling up her hood, she headed out again to where she knew everyone would be gathering.

She strode up to the obstacle course and stared up at it. She didn't have a plan or just about anything that she knew the other kids probably had thousands of. That wasn't who Bexley was as a person. She was a girl who went with the flow and something as sporadic and unpredictable as this obstacle course wasn't something someone could plan around. This wasn't about how smart you were, it was about how fast you could react. That's why, despite not appearing prepared to start at all, the moment people took off Bexley wasn't a beat behind them.

She raced toward the obstacle and when she felt it jumped. One foot landed on the silver pole, the other swinging through and launching her further and higher. Flying though the air, it seemed like she belonged, it was her father's domain after all but she didn't need any assistance here. At the last possible moment, the apex on her jump the spinning platform, that was at the top of the rope ladder landed beneath her hands. She caught it, her body spinning slightly as she suddenly got ripped to the left. Taking a deep breath, Bexley pulled herself up from the ledge and found her footing on the platform. She stared at the climbing wall for a good long moment, waiting as other campers pushed and pulled the pegs, then she saw her opening and started to make her ascent.

[MarshiestMallow]

Michael

Michael was watching the obstacle course, the few contestants that were making their way through it, studying them with the keen eye of one analysing tactics. He kept his hand on Moe's collar, making sure the mountain of dog didn't try and join in on the fun and cause a domino of falling amoung the campers. He looked up as Erin and Syleste joined them, Erin seemed to deliberalely, like always, place Syleste as close as possible to him, that he was surprised she didn't just "nudge" her into his lap. He looked away hasitly, the blush he was sure was creeping across his face was warming it, and he let go of Moe's collar, the dog happily barking and wagging his tail as he bounded over to the two new girls, happily laying his paws against both girls legs and trying to lick both their faces.

It took Michael a minute to restrain him again, as he stuttered out apologise left right an centre, "S-s-sorry, he g-g-got away from m-me" Sometimes he thought that Moe tried to force him to interact with Syleste in particular, as if the dog knew how much he liked her. Or maybe it was just because he knew Syleste would always have a pat for him. He finally had Moe by the collar again, but the mountain of dog was conent enough to to lay his head against Syleste's leg, tail wagging wildly.

"I, uh...H-h-hi" He struggled to think of something to say, that might be somewhat...well, intelligent, but his mind had gone blank. He ran a hand through his hair, and took a dog treat out a pocket instead, feeding it to Moe who lapped it up enthuastically, and then looked about for more. "uh...h-h-how are y-you g-guys" He shot Erin a glance that suggested he knew what she was going, but didn't say anything.

Behind him, Niesha smiled and stayed silent, glancing back to the obstacle course, deciding not to interfer and let Michael stumble through this interaction.
@Vicier

[YoshiSkittlez]

Marcel Gates

Location: The Hades Cabin; Camp Half-Blood.
^{Interacting With: Her pet pig, Bacon.}

The sound of running water filled the the small room as Marcel sat sideways on the lip of the bath, adding some soap to the stream to make a small amount of bubbles of the surface of the water in the tub. In the meantime, a tiny black piglet about the size of a cantelope was squealing excitedly, it's little sprial tail wagging back and forth as it maneuvered between her legs, occasionally pausing to try and jump up her leg in an effort to get attention. Stooping to the side a bit, Marcel finally awarded her teacup pig with a light scratch on the head before she scooped it up under the belly and placed him in the shallow, bubbly water.

The sounds were amplified, the color of the soapy water much more prominent - like rainbow oil sliding against each other with a snap crackle pop sound as millions of the tiny bubbles all popped at once. But it was as though time had slowed, and she could hear each and every one in rapid succession. Her head was light, and the room was spinning a bit - not enough to make her sick, but enough for her to feel as though the problems weighing down on her shoulders meant absolutely nothing. Drugs were wonderful. Whether it be by pill, liquid, needle or powder, they always seemed to take that constant edge off of her day-to-day life. At least... it used to. Shit. She couldn't remember the last time she was sober.

Erin was gone, finally. Marcel definitely preferred having the cabin all to herself. It wasn't a matter of space, or anything - she was used to getting locked into closets for hours at a time when she was younger. It was more the fact of privacy. She enjoyed being alone; well, from other human beings, anyway. The company of her teacup pig, bacon, and her egyptian fruit bat, Bruce, was all the company she could ever want and stand.

Bacon used his snout to scoop up some soapy water and tried to flick it at Marcel. Twitching a sort of smile, Marcel gently used her hand to scoop up some water and in return, splashed him back. Bacon squealed, trotting around in small circles in the water before attempting to get back at her once more. A very soft chuckle came from Marcel's throat before she used her hand to scoop up some more of the soapy water and applied it to the pig, rubbing it into his hair and lathered it into his skin. It was a strange thought - pigs having hair. But when wet, Marcel could style his hair just as she would style hers sometimes. Though it was flat today, she began to maneuver his hair around so that his entire back consisted of one very thin, black mohawk that ran all down his spine before ending at his curly little tail.

Washing her pig, Marcel let her thoughts drift. She had to be at the obstacle tower soon - there was supposed to be some sort of announcement given to the whole camp and while Marcel was more than happy to just remain in her cabin for the rest of the day, drawing or reading a book, her absense would definitely be noted. Sighing, Marcel reached into her pocket with her dry hand and pulled a cigarette from a carton before putting the carton back into her pocket. Perching the cigarette between her lips, she searched her opposite pocket for a lighter and lit it, stuffing it back into her black skinny jeans and took a few good puffs. Her opposite hand continued to wash Bacon, ridding him of the small mohawk to ensure that he was clean everywhere.

"Alright. C'mon. Short one today. I got places to be, you little sausage link." Much to the disdain of Bacon, Marcel rinsed him off quickly and picked him up from the tub and set him on the ground on a towel. Keeping her cigarette held between her lips, she stood up and bent over, picking up the towel with Bacon in it and swaddled him tightly, rubbing each side to give him a quick dry before she set him back down and let him loose.

The pig looked as though he had been struck by lightning the way his hair was standing up in every which way, the sight in itself causing a rare smile to spread softly over Marcel's lips. Bacon turned a quick circle and came back to Marcel, hopping up and putting his two front hoofs on her shin.

"I know. I know. C'mon. I can't move with you trying to trip me up every half second." Marcel moved her feet, guiding the little piglet out of the bathroom and into the kitchen where Marcel retrieved a small treat out of a jar and fed it to him. "You be good. I'll be back in a bit. And I swear to Hades if you shit in Erin's room again..." Marcel tried to hide a smile forming in the corner of her lip. "you'll be breakfast tomorrow."

Not exactly waiting for a reply, Marcel turned around and grabbed her black and grey thin jacket, slipping her bony fingers through the arms and pulled up the hood around her head. Exiting the cabin that was shared only by she and her half-sister and three animals, Marcel began the (slow) walk to the obstacle tower, puffing on her cigarette as she did. God she hated crowds.

[YoshiSkittlez]

Alan Carpenter

Location: The Basketball Court > The Obstacle Tower; Camp Half-Blood.
^{Interacting With: Others around him.}

Cheers from his two teammates could be heard as Alan came back down from holding onto the basketball rim, having succesfully dunked the ball for a fourth time that day, putting his team in the lead. Laughing, Alan met with the other two in an exchange of fist bumps and hand slaps, getting a few pats on the back as the other team got ready to set up the next set. The three of them got into position, guarding one shirted camper each, and the game was back in play. The ball was thrown in bounds, caught by the other team who dribbled and juked around his guard to go for the hoop, however Alan's tall and lanky stature blocked him from a good shot and instead passed the ball to the third teammate. Reaching a hand out, Alan intercepted the ball and passed it to one of his team members. Spinning around in a half-circle to get a better look at the scene before him, a blur of bubblegum pink infiltrated his peripheral vision on the left side.

Pausing, Alan turned his head to see Syleste, accompanied by Erin, walking past them towards the obstacle tower. Syleste was hugging a rather fluffy puppy in her arms - Conner's dog. He, like most everyone else, was more than likely at the obstacle tower already. He understood why Syleste would want to go, but Erin? Like Marcel, she seemed kind of closed off to those sorts of things unless she was in a mood to watch everyone get beat up and make utter fools out of themselves. Maybe she really was that good of a friend to Syleste to make sure that she got there safely. But then... why did Erin look more pissed off than usual?

Then Syleste turned her head in his direction. He knew she couldn't see, but it was as though she were looking right at him. His heart-rate increased and it suddenly became quite hard to swallow. He was in the process of raising his hand to wave (gods only knew why) before the left side of his face was met with a sudden jolt of pain. The basketball had been passed to him, but he had been so distracted, it hit him in the face instead, bouncing off of his sweaty skin where the opposite team was able to recover and go in for a simple layup, once more putting them in the lead. Shouts of protest and annoyance from his team could be heard, but Alan simply shrugged his shoulders and sheepishly rubbed his cheek where it was growing rather red.

That's when he remembered.

"Oh hey! Guys! Mr. D wanted us all to get to the obstacle tower before someone won, remember? He's got an announcement, or something." Alan walked over to the side of the court and retrieved his shirt he had laying on the bench before he slipped it on over his body, the sweat he had accumulated making it stick to him like a second skin in some places, but there wasn't much he could do about that for the moment. He'd get in a shower after the whole announcement thing, and a change of clothes.

There was a groan coming from the other five, but Alan just gave them a soft smile.

"I know, but this doesn't happen very often. It's gotta be something kind of important for him to want to talk to us." he chuckled before waving for them to follow. He had never thought of himself as a leader, but the five other players (two of them having to get their shirts on), while grumbling, followed after him.

Once they arrived, the six split up and went their separate ways, Alan spotting Syleste's bright pink hair a mile away. He couldn't just go and sit next to her though, could he? Shaking his head, Alan walked to the other side of the stands and took a seat next to Niesha, giving her a polite smile and nod before getting comfortable to watch what was left of the event.

Ky' vie was at it again, dominating the obstacle tower like it was second nature. But then again, Deon, ever the asshole, was looking like he just might pull through, somehow. Conner, Elena, Bexley and Webster were all giving it everything they had, which he could commend given the situation, and found himself rooting for Webster - if only just to have something get under Deon's skin. That would be something worth watching.

[Vicier]

---

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Ky' vie Morgan

Location: The Obstacle Tower; Camp Half-Blood.
^{Interacting With: Connor Nioré @Caits, Elena Reese @Nallore, and Deon Alexander @YoshiSkittlez.}

---

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“Don’t get too comfortable you two; it’s still a long way to the top..!”

The sound of her Australian accent floated down the tower towards both Connor and Elena as she pulled herself up onto the platform, her muscles tensing as she worked them, wasting not even a moment as she made her move, her body twisting as she reached out, her hands both reaching out to take hold of the grips using them to hoist herself up just in time as one of the baton’s came swinging by, flying underneath her legs as she turned her brilliant metallic silver eyes to scan the tower above her- everyone on the tower… they were tough competitors; and majority of them were regulars.

Webster, Elena, Bexley… they were always competing in the games; and the obstacle tower was no exception to that rule. Connor… it wasn’t often she got to compete against him in these types of things, but whenever she did, it was always because he just wanted to have a little bit of fun, and to test his theories; though they rarely ever seemed to work out, but she was sure he didn’t mind much. It wasn’t as though she couldn’t handle them on the course. No. It was Deon Alexander; son of Ares that was her biggest competition- when it came to competing, he had her head on; neither of them giving each other a moment of peace to enjoy their place at the top.

As soon as one of them was there, they had to push themselves; not to mention fight tooth and nail to keep their position before being knocked off, and being forced to do it all again. It was just friendly… healthy competition… well, most of the time anyway. She could see him- opposite side of the tower, and staying neck and neck with her the whole damn climb. Couldn’t he ever get over his stupid, moronic, egotistical, bullheadedness for once in his goddamn life, and give her a bloody break already..?!

"I don't need luck when I've got a hundred and seventy pounds of pure skill, baby. But you keep riding that luck thing. Maybe it'll even buy you dinner first one day."

Unable to help but roll her eyes at his quip, Ky’ vie let her bright red lips part from one another in concentration as she continued to scale the wall, her eyes flicking about, though a knowing smirk playing over her features as she caught sight of Deon through one of the open squares that went all the way through to the other side; a soft chuckle slipping out through her lips as she shot her hand out, taking a firm grip over one of the poles and waiting until the right time before she pulled, using her strength to rip the beam out from under his foot.

“Ha; you say that like it’s a bad thing..! Anything is better than being stuck with your ugly mug for dinner.”

It wasn’t a secret among the camp- one wrong move on the tower, and they could go tumbling back down to the ground like so many others before them… It was always a possibility; for one of the poles to be ripped out from under their foot, or out of their hands from the other side of the tower- it was a downfall for many a camper who thought themselves cocky and better than the rest… So people just like Deon.

But now was her chance; and she couldn’t afford to waste anymore time- not if she wanted to keep her winning streak going.

Forcing her mind to once more focus upon the task at hand, she once more began to scale the wall, quickly working to close the gap between her and the last part of the tower, lifting herself up onto the platform above before finally, she took the tiniest of pauses, using that moment to catch her breath and calm her adrenaline filled heart now that she was on semi-stable ground, her attention however, lifting so that she could carefully watch the last challenge above her- it was typical… while she was being spun one way, the last thing standing between her and her victory was a platform spinning quickly in the other direction...

Shaking her head lightly from side to side as her already obvious smirk seemed to grow over her beautiful features, she kicked off, pushing herself up and reaching out with her arms so that she could grab hold of the platform above, her muscles tensing as she hoisted her body, her leg bending and her foot hitting the top of the platform to help as finally, she made it, not giving herself a chance to catch her breath as she lunged herself forward, her hand shooting out and clasping tightly around the golden disk before she yanked it back towards her, forcing it out of the helmet and back into her possession.

[MarshiestMallow]

Connor

Connor smiled at Elena, and continued his assent, moving faster now as he began to understand how the wall worked. He never stayed on one hand hold more then a few seconds, and when he felt the movement, Connor would throw himself up, using his reach to grab hand holds further up, and pull himself up more, doing so until he reached the top. He moved smoothly, with a strength that undermined his lithe frame. He took a minute to brush his hair back from his eyes.

He glanced about quickly, to see where is opponents were. The real challenges were of course Ky' vie and Deon. Yet Bexley was having a good go at it, as was Arianna, Webster was doing okay as was Elena. might be close he thought with amusement, noticing that Kalinda of the Apollo cabin was attending a camper that had got injuried, He saw Syleste in the stands, and gave a quick wave, figuring either Michael or Erin would tell her, and with amusement he heard Prince give a bark, setting off the giantic dog beside him as well.

It didn't matter who won to Connor. This was camp, at its greatest. It brought them all together, much like capture the flag. To him, the winning was in that. it keeps us going. It pushes us, even as it brings us together. he thought, before he turned to continue the course. But he knew he wasn't going to win this time, no matter how close he had come. Ky' Vie had made it to the top before him, as he knew she would. She just seemed apart of the wall itself when she did this. So Connor instead turned, and crouching, steading himself, he held out his hand to Elena, giving her a smile, "The course teaches us that sometimes we all need a little help. In battle, a helping hand can mean a lot" And perhaps that was the key to beating the course, if you couldn't do it by yourself. Team work. He waited for her to take his hand.

Some might say that Connor was being foolish, Connor thought however he was simply being a good sport. Why push himself, when it was clear he wasn't going to win? He knew he would always be a supporting rule in any battle-while he was skilled, he wasn't the best in camp, and that went for his powers as well, strong, he was no where near as powerful as syleste was. Nor was he the best strategist, Webster, Niesha and Michael held that titile, each different in their own way, yet all held the wisdom of their mother. He would never be able to make such amazing weapons as Ky' vie, nor would he be as useful in medical situations as Kalinda. He would never be as skilled a fighter as Bexley, or as good an archer as some of the other campers. He never used a sword if he could help it, prefering to use his staff that was encased magically in his wrist watch.

No, Connor was destined to be skilled in many areas, but a supporting role in each. And he was okay with that. All he wanted to be able to do was protect Syleste, not that she really needed it, but what were big brothers for? Still. One day, he would beat the other contestants at this course. He just had to figure out how. "I promise, I won't drop you"

Niesha

Niesha gave Alan a smile in return when he sat next to her, flicking at glance at Michael as he once more sought to control Moe. Above, a small white owl circled, and she watched Snow aim towards someone, out of sight. The tiny owl landed on Marcel's shoulder, fluttering her wings a moment, making a chattering sound, before taking off again, circling once more. Niesha held out a hand, and the owl dove down, landing in what would have been a graceful landing, if she hadn't stumbled and fallen into Niesha's lap.

Giving a small laugh, Niesha scooped the small owl up, stroking her. Snow, she was sure, had been a gift from her mother. Niesha had stumbled on the owl when coming home from work, in the perfect spot and perfect timing. Niesha had taken the hatchling home, and cared for her, raising the owlet. She had tried to release Snow, but the tiny owl always fluttered back to her shoulder, so Niesha kept her. Upon being claimed by Athena, Niesha had sent her mother a prayer, thanking her for the owl. And every night, when they offered part of their meal to the gods, Niesha said thank you.

The tiny owl nibbled her fingers affectionately, ruffling her feathers so she seemed like a big ball of puff. Niesha gave a soft laugh, and settled the owl on her shoulder. She glanced back to the obsticle course, to see where people were, NIesha let her gaze roam over the course. Soon, she would have another go at it herself, but not yet. She wanted to get Michael on there first, but Michael wasn't into showing everything he could do. "Better to keep people wandering, sometimes, then to reveal all your cards. The camp has proven to be vulnerable to spies, what if there is another war?" he commonly said to her, and while she could see the merit to that, she couldn't believe that anyone would be a spy here. And she hated when Michael was just so...logical, that there was no point arguing with him.

Snow nestled against her neck, where she promptly fell asleep. Niesha moved her hair to cover the owl, smiling to herself. She leaned forward, so she could see both Syleste and Erin, "Hey are you guys?"

Kalinda

Kalinda had known someone would get injuried, someone always did on the course. Putting Chaos in a pocket, of which sh ehad numerous, her fingers brushed against the meds she had yet to give Arianna, and she shifted them to another pocket, making a mental note to make sure she caught Arianna after she got off the course, Kalinda moved to the injuried camper.

She wasn't stupid, she knew how important and essential it was that Arianna was properly medicated, and that task pretty much fell to her. Arianna herself was a full time job, as it wasn't simply giving her the medication that Kalinda believed helped her. No, the friendship that had sparked, even when Kalinda hadn't meant it to, helped as well. Being around others, and Kalinda suspected, having her father around her helped. Or so Kalinda liked to think. And yet they went around with the ritual of the medications, simply because they were all paranoid she might spin out of control again.

And yet Kalinda wondered if Mr D couldn't perhaps do something about Arianna's hidden side. She knew that eventually the tablets wouldn't be as effective, and no matter if they found new treatment, it was merely a matter of time before they stopped working as well. They had to be a permament solution to Arianna's problem, but Kalinda just didn't know what. She wondered briefly if she could try contacting Arianna's older brothers. She knew that Arianna had at least one brother-twin to the fallen Castor that had died during the labyrinth battle. And she was sure there was a second.

She pondered that as she fed the injured camper Nectar, and bandaged their wound up as best she could. If Kalinda had had other siblings, she might have tried to actively heal the wound, but it wasn't somethign she wanted to try without adequate practice, and without another Apollo child around. Speaking off older siblings, perhaps she could contact Will. He might be willing to help her with her abiltiies. He had been helping in the one time she had emt him before, when he h ad taught her the responsibilities of a camp counsellor, and being a child of Apollo, what it meant to actively be apart of the camps health.

Giving a soft sigh at her line of thoughts, she instructed the camper to come to her on the evening, so she could check for any signs of infection. Instead of returning to her spot in the stand, Kalinda stayed where she was, waiting for the course to finish so she could cornor Arianna.

@Nallore@Vicier@YoshiSkittlez

[YoshiSkittlez]

Deon Alexander

Location: The Obstacle Tower; Camp Half-Blood.
^{Interacting With: Ky' vie Morgan}

Deon shook his head at Ky' vie's attempt at a reply. Seriously, if that was all she could come up with, she was quickly losing her touch. Then again he couldn't exactly blame her - going up against him, she was bound to crack under the pressure some time or another. Feeling the foothold vibrate beneath him, Deon had only a fraction of a second to tighten his sweaty palms around his hand holds before the foothold was pulled out from underneath him completely. Gritting his teeth, relying on his arm and abdomen muscles to keep him upright, he swung his foot around, hoping to catch on another foothold. When he could find none, he tilted his head upwards. He could see the top of the climbing wall, he just had to apply himself and just keep going. With a fourth of his weight dead and hanging, his arm and stomach muscles bulged as he used his opposite foot to push himself upwards, his hands letting go of the holds to instead grab onto the next holds above him. He grunted out in pain as he felt a muscle in his left arm getting pulled far more than it should have been, but with an extra heave and powerful reach of his right arm, he was able to grab hold of the ledge and pull himself up onto the spinning platform.

Gasping for breath and gritting his teeth through the pain, Deon forced his body to come out of it's hunched over position to look up at the prize. Large beads of sweat rolled down the sides of his face, some catching on his eyebrow or nose, some getting lost in the indentation of the thick scar he had reaching around his head. His eyes looked then to his left, forcing some of the beads of sweat to fling off of his body in the motion, and spotted Ky' vie pulling herself up and onto the final platform.

"Oh like hell you are!" Deon grunted to himself. Ignoring the searing pain in his left arm, Deon took a running start to the final platform, jumping up and kicking his feet against the wall to give him that extra foot of height before his hands met with the ledge. His height definitely had an advantage over this portion than Ky' vie's shorter stature, and by the time he reached the top, he and Ky' vie were headed towards the ring at the same time. His hand reached out, and just half a second after Ky' vie plucked the ring from the helmet, his hand clasped over the ring on the opposite side she had been holding it.

She didn't even have time to register that technically, she had won. Nor did the crowd have time to register who had gotten the ring first. Deon laughed out loud, a wide, smug grin crossing over his lips as he stared Ky' vie down with a rather amused expression and a slight wiggle from his eyebrow.

"Jynx. You owe me a beer." he jested, but his hold on the ring would not ease up. "You're the supposed champion of the Obstacle Tower, yeah? It'd be a shame to lose to me now, with so many people watching..." He was trying to get at something, it was written clear on his face. When she didn't say anything, he let her in on his thoughts. "Kiss me, and I'll let go. Simple as that." Sure Deon liked winning, but in his current mood, there were a few other things he liked even more. The Obstacle Tower had never really been his game, anyway. Too much luck was involved. Capture the Flag, however - that was all skill and power - that was his territory. He could stand to let her win... just this once.