[IC] [RP Closed/ Been Rebooted] - Camp Half-Blood

[Knight of Doom]

Carmen Latham

~The Party~

When Carmen saw the cabin, she was amazed. It was beautiful. The antisocial girl grew excited as she began planning what kinds of plants she would grow next to the cabin. It was a nice size, with plenty of windows to let the sunlight in. She could even grow plants inside during the winter! Vines already crawled up the sides of the wooden cabin, making the building seem majestic.

Hearing that she had the place to herself was comforting. With no one living in the same cabin as her, Carmen could have some time alone and adjust to camp more at her own pace. Plus she wouldn't be inconveniencing anyone. However the fact that she had to be a counselor worried her. Hopefully, she didn't have too many responsiblities.

"Thanks for helping me out, Tobias. I'll just start unpacking my things. Hopefully I'll see you around later," She waved him goodbye before stepping into her new home. Carmen truly hoped she had someone to call a friend already. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all. The inside was practically barren. All the bedrooms were barren. The red haired girl chose a room at the back of the cabin. It made her feel cozy, and was different from the rest of them. It had more space, and more full length windows. Perfect for an indoor garden and place to read.

The flower girl then began to unpack her many personal items. It would take awhile, but Carmen was feeling motivated, so she didn't mind. First, she organized the essentials of day to day life: Clothes, and her bathroom things. Though, soon her energy wore out. There was still a suitcase and a half to get to, plus her backpack. Sighing, the daughter of Demeter went back to the front of the cabin to poke her head outside. Carmen wasn't sure what the party was all about, but then again, she didn't want to go and find out. Hesitantly, she stepped out onto the front, if only to see the party more clearly. By this time the party had expanded to be close to the new girl's front door. She could continue cleaning out her baggage, but curiosity got the best of her.

[Write]

~Hades Cabin - Aphrodite Cabin~

Calista found herself in a pathetic position. She could hear the blaring music from the Hephaestus cabin through her sniffles. Eventually, when she had had enough of her crying. She balled up a fist and slammed it down into her thigh. She did this three or four times until she was done crying. She stood up, placing a steadying hand on the door as her leg hurt quite a bit. She was walking towards the Aphrodite cabin when a boy with red hair flew over to her. She took a second to replay that though, because thinking it she found herself sounding insane. But no, he flew over to her and confronted her. She just prayed that he wasn’t one of Erin’s friends.

The boy called her miss, which was sweet asking if something was wrong. She definitely didn’t want to bring anything up about Erin so she just nodded. “I’m sorry, yeah everything is fine, I was just heading home that’s all.” She said chuckling a little when she examined how much of a mess she was. She examined the boy, noticing that he was certainly built like a demigod but seemed to have the kindness of a mortal. That’s what her mom had always said, that mortals were far kinder than any demigod, though the same went for any demigods raised by mortals for long enough. Kind of rendered her mother’s point moot. Calista found herself internally mocking her mother’s point now that she considered it, it made almost no sense. "It's just been a rough day, that's all." she said flipping the hair out of her face.

“Thank you though, my name is Calista, I’m a daughter of Aphrodite.” She said warmly greeting him, it was nice to have someone show some worry for you after what she had just ran through. It was somewhat idiotic in all fairness, but she still felt pain. She nodded along with the music while she waited for the redhead to answer her. She might’ve gone to the party had she not just had the experience she did, but regardless that was just the way things were. She pivoted shifting her weight onto her front leg. “You can walk me to my cabin if you want, I think I’ll be missing the party tonight.” She said motioning over to the cabin. She continued to walk towards her cabin until she reached the door, smiling up at Logan. “Thank you for asking if I was okay, I needed it."

[Lord Wyron]

Claire Bellerose & Roy Montag

The Lake ~ Camp Half-Blood

Claire smiled and laughed, petting the top of Hircine's head as she took the wooden dolphin. "It iz belle, Roy," she said with a small smile. She examined the wooden dolphin. The dolphin was not the symbol of Posideon, but since they were in the water, she loved them all the same. The wood was smooth to the touch and she looked around, looking for a place to put the wooden dolphin so she couldn't break it. Finally, she just decided to hang out to it and let her hand fall down by her side, the wooden dolphin still clutched in it.

"How vas your trip?" Claire asked him, smiling up at him as she stroked the puppy's fur. Her French accent was coming out again because of her excitement and she couldn't suppress it very well. "I hope it was alright. It zeems az if you came back without harm or a..." For some reason her mind lost the word for it in English. "... uhhh..." She bit her lower lip and sighed before her face lit up when she remembered the word. "Scratch! Scratch. Zat is the word." She laughed lightly and stepped back away from him awkwardly. She crossed her hands in front of herself, gripping her wrist with her free hand. She stared carefully at the ground, her smile flitting across her face a little bit while looking up through her eyelashes at Roy. She was happy that Roy was back and safe, and now she could actually keep an eye on him again.

"Oh, the trip went well. Saved a few lives, slew a few monsters, all in a day's work." Roy replied modestly, sounding slightly nervous in tone, though he attempted to keep it covert.

"I've missed it here, though. You always forget just how beautiful Camp Half-Blood is 'til you leave for awhile." Roy added wistfully, smiling softly to himself.

"Now, what have I missed? What've you been up to, Sea-Biscuit?" He asked with a humorous smile, moving both hands to his hoodie pockets.

Claire giggled at the first part of his story-telling. The boy did not go into much detail about his adventures, but that was alright. She didn't mind the short synopsis as long as she was able to talk to him. "I bet you also forgot how loud it was as well," Claire said, looking toward the DJ turntables. "Arianna has chosen pretty good music, I will admit."

"You haven't missed much. A new student arrived today, son of Jupiter, Zeus's counterpart," Claire said. "Erin gave him a tour, being the ray of sunshine that she is, and I do not know where he disappeared to afterwards. A newer girl who just arrived at the camp a couple months ago tried to save me from drowning and then Jericho had to save her from drowning... and that's about it. Oh! And Archer and Gideon got into another fight. Again." She smiled at him.

As if counting off the number of events that had occurred in his absence, Roy grinned. "Ok, new camper, that's pretty interesting - and a Roman! Another camper almost drowned trying to stop you from drowning...not uncommon. Archer and Gideon getting into a fight? Well, that's typical, now isn't it?" Roy smiled. But it wouldn't take a mind-reader to see that Roy's eyes, his gaze, was hardened -- frigid. What did happen on his quest?

"Well, while we're at a party and I'm just now seeing you again. Could I get you a drink?" Roy offered politely, inclining his head in her direction.

As Claire watched Roy carefully, she noticed his hardening gaze after he spoke of Gideon and Archer being "typical". That was quite unusual as Roy was normally so kind toward most of the people in the camp. She looked into his eyes. "Are you alright, Roy?" she asked softly, examining his face. She lifted her hands up to cup his face, unfortunately having to get on her toes to do so. "What exactly happened on your quest?"

Roy wouldn't deny the chilling sensation that seemed to run down his back and through his entire body as Claire cupped his face in her delicate hands. Why was his heart beating this fast...? Was he ever this predictable?

"Nothing you need to worry about, Sea-Biscuit. I'm just a bit tired, is all - had a long day. Buuut, my offer for a drink still stands. If you want, that is." Roy quickly switched the subject, stammering slightly as he delivered his last sentence. It was true...smooth subtlety was never his strong suit...might need to ask Simon for a few tips later.

Claire dropped her hands from his face, a little insulted that he didn't want to entrust her with that information. But she wouldn't hold onto it very long. She smiled delicately and said, "Sure. Of course." She wrung her hands together and muttered under her breath, "I could sure use one right now." She looked up at him and said, "Will you just get me a beer? I'm not looking for anything too fancy." She chuckled.

Roy picked up the words she had muttered quietly, raising a single brow and smirking in amusement. Claire was always a very 'proper' (in his mind) girl. To hear her asking for a beer was both highly amusing and somewhat comforting at the same time.

"But of course, m'lady." Roy bid with a mock bow and a grin before sauntering off to brave through the crowd of demigods and satyrs, all the while being met with various calls of "Hey, it's Roy!" "Iceman's back!" "You grew a beard?"

Finally after nearly five minutes had passed, Roy could be seen through the midst of the crowd, holding two solo posts aloft as though they were his coat of arms to herald. Looking slightly disheveled but otherwise unharmed, Roy held one of the cups out for her to take, that same soft, sincere smile plain along his features.

"...And I thought Empousai were bad." He commented, motioning his head towards the still-dancing crowd.

Claire giggled and took the beer, taking a sip. She smiled at him as he motioned toward the crowd and agreed with the nod of a head. She sipped again carefully, watching Roy's eyes. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. She took a deep breath and said, "Roy. Please tell me what happened on the trip. I know you well and I know you're lying about nothing I need to worry about." She reached over and gently touched his shoulder. "You can tell me anything."

Gently, Roy took the hand that rested on his shoulder and held it in his own hand, as if trying to warm it (though, much to Roy's resentment, he knew it would only cool her).

"Can...can we go down to the lake? I'll tell you there, but...not here." Roy requested, an imploring look in his eyes confirming his sincerity. In truth, he'd rather not share what had happened at all -- but with Claire, well...there was a certain air about her, something that made her so intoxicatingly convincing. He just had to.

Claire glanced down at her hand and looked back up at Roy. His hand was cool in comparison to her slightly warmer hand. She nodded carefully, her blue eyes wide and curious. She stood up and took his hand in hers. She proceeded to pull him out the door, heading toward the lake. At least she would be more comfortable in her own domain.

The sky was beginning to get darker and they began going toward the lake. They passed by the Posideon Cabin as they made their way to the lake. She let go off his hand, the water beginning to call to her. Being bare foot as it was, she made her way down to the lake, sticking her toes in the water. She smiled happily and looked back at Roy. "So what did you need to talk about?"

Roy initially was wordless, merely crouching down for a moment to scratch Hircine behind his ear, the large dog apparently pleased by the sensation, squinting his beady eyes to a close until Roy relinquished his hand, standing back up to face Claire.

"I suppose..I'm just feeling a little homesick is all. I mean, you look at...Griffin, or Simon, they talk to their parent all the time. But me...Boreas...was never a part of my life until I was already a teenager - and even then it was just to claim me as his own. Not even like...a child, but like a piece of property. In a way...maybe I wish I wasn't his son. My...well, I suppose, step-father. He was more of a dad to me than Boreas ever was. And, in a way, I miss that. Being out, on a quest. Kinda reignites those feelings." Roy let out a heavy sigh, hardly choosing to look at Claire at all.

"You must think me a wreck, don't you?" Roy asked with a small, hollow chuckle, looking out over the shimmering waters of the lake - looking for something to give him comfort.

"I never think of anyone as a wreck," Claire said quietly, not looking at Roy. She knew exactly how he felt, being Posideon's daughter and only realizing it a few days before coming here all those years ago. He was never a part of her life until then, but still... "Our fathers, no matter how much we don't know it, always watched out for us when we were younger. They watched over everyone, but they watched over us importantly."

She pushed herself forward into the water, walking directly on top of it. Taking two ballet steps forward, she maneuvered herself more out into the lake. Spinning in a circle, she smiled, tilting her head back. "All of us have our issues, Roy, and it is our burden to bear. But if you have someone that can share those burdens, it lightens the load to be more tolerable." Spinning around in a circle, she begin dancing across the surface of the lake, smiling as she went. As her feet brushed across the surface, ripples spread out, creating a lovely pattern. She paused out towards the middle of the lake before making her way closer again. "Everyone has someone or something to lighten the load. I have my dancing and water. What do you have?" She asked it philosophically, as she already knew, but she was curious if he would respond the same.

At first, Roy was silent; entranced by watching Claire dance atop the lake as though it were her own stage. His eyes lit up slightly, feeling as though all his troubles were starting to melt away...it wouldn't last - he knew that much. Sooner or later, his own worries would return, ready to swallow him whole. But for now. Well...everything was alright.

Roy let one foot hover at the water's edge, easing his foot down slowly. The instant the toe of his shoe hit the water, a sheen of ice began to form atop the lake, just thick enough to allow one to comfortably stand.

Moving his other foot atop the spreading patch of ice, Roy ensured that only the area around his general person was frozen - leaving the rest of the undisturbed liquid for Claire to dance on.

Roy took to approaching her, new ice forming each step ahead of him and dissipating each step behind, leaving him on a constant, reforming patch.

"Well...I suppose I have whittling - that seems to make me feel better, give me something to do with my hands. Or music." Roy replied thoughtfully, exploring his memories to answer her question.

"Or talking to whoever will listen." Roy added after a beat of silence, closing the distance until he was merely a foot from her, a soft, if sad smile still plain on his features.

"You're a beautiful dancer." He commented quietly, as though making the observation embarrassed him. "I can see why children of Poseidon love the water so. You look more content there than on land."

Claire laughed. "I suppose you do," she said with a smile. She watched him as he approached. Those weren't quite the answers she was thinking of, but she had come close. She noticed the water began to freeze and she smiled as he walked out onto the lake.

He made the comment about being a beautiful dancer and she sighed. "I kind of have to be, right? My mother forcing me to dance as she did." She took a deep breath. "Not to make this more depressing." She laughed. "We are much more comfortable in water than on land. It's just what makes us... us. As you are more comfortable with cold, Iceman," she teased with a smirk on her face.

Spinning around the water once again, she brushed her feet out, creating beautiful ripples in the waters once more, before turning to face Roy again. She sat down on top of the water, her dress spreading out in the ripples around her. "You wanna sit?" she asked, patting the top of the water.

Roy winced slightly as Claire brought up her mother. He wouldn't claim to know everything about Claire's childhood before Camp Half-Blood...but from what he did know - it wasn't exactly happy. "Well, someone's gotta appreciate winter. Guess dear old dad made sure Christmas was enjoyable." Roy joked with a chuckle.

Wordlessly accepting her offer, Roy eased himself into a sitting position, the patch of ice below him extending just enough to comfortably give him space to sit. He let his fingertips dance beneath the surface of the unfrozen water, the cool, wet sensation both comfortable and calming at the same time.

"I can see why you like coming out here. The water is very...relaxing. Simon would probably compare it to how a stream is a cause-and-effect metaphor. But it's just water: cool, clear, transparent. Much like ice." Roy commented, his gaze fixed on the rippling of the water's surface, as if finding solace in its disorderly rhythm.

"Depends on the ice," Claire said, moving her fingers over the water. The water rippled again. "You can have cloudy ice, pure ice, multicolored ice..." She grinned a little bit. "I seem to know more about ice that you do." She laughed softly before moved her fingers back and forth, causing a wave like effect in the water.

"The main reason I like coming out here is because I feel like I can talk to my father," Claire said, taking a deep breath. Because of the ice on the water, her breath came out as an icy cloud, but she wasn't cold. "I know he almost never listens, but it's nice to know he's there... It's nice to know someone is watching over you... you know?"

"Well, well, look who's been reading up on the arctic!" Roy responded in an easygoing tone, chuckling at her words.

Noting her icy breath, Roy moved to unzip and remove his hoodie, holding it out for her to take. "In case you get cold...I forget I have a tendency of doing that to people." Roy offered, his words and expression kind, but there was the slightest hint at resentment as he finished the sentence; as though the nature of his powers disgusted him in a way. How could he be close to someone if all they did was freeze...?

"As for someone watching over you, well. There is a comforting effect to it. To not feel as though you're alone or without aid. We each come from broken families, were born into them. I suppose it makes each time we connect with them that much more, well, special." Roy finished in an almost wistful tone, letting his eyes flutter shut for just a brief moment.

Suddenly, Roy was interrupted by the sound of his cell-phone vibrating, causing him to grimace slightly at the interruption. Fishing through the pocket of his jeans, he pulled out his phone, the screen flashing bright with the word "Mom" plastered on the phone.

Knowing that ignoring a call from his mother would be a fate worse than spitting in Zeus' eye, Roy let out a deep sigh. "I'm afraid I've gotta go for a bit Sea-Biscuit. Mom calls, and I'd rather live past twenty-five if possible. But...I'll be seeing you around!" Suddenly, acting more on impulse than logic, Roy leaned in and planted a quick kiss on her cheek before quickly making an ice trail leading back to shore, hurrying to stand just as a deep blush was settling on his cheeks. "Oh! You can keep the jacket! Lord knows it'll be getting colder soon." Roy called from the pathway before fast-walking to the shore and disappearing from view.

Watching him disappearing, Claire smiled softly, touching her hand to her face where he had kissed her. A creeping red flush ran up on her cheeks and she bit her lower lip, watching him disappear. She took the jacket and pulled it in close around her, watching the ice boy disappear over the lake with the trail behind him.

"Au revoir," she murmured quietly before making her way off the lake and heading back toward her cabin.

[Vicier]

Arianna Louise Watson

Hephaestus Cabin ~ Camp Half-Blood

Feeling the pull of the headphones cord tightly over her neck as she watched her friend make her way off the stage and back out into the crowd, Arianna quickly shot her hand up to her neck, her fingers curling over ever so slightly so that they slipped down and in between her flesh and the cord; the young though bubbly blonde girl seeming to stare off into space for a few moments of thought before finally, she swung herself back around the way she had first come, both untangling the cord and causing herself to have to catch her balance quickly before she got a face full of equipment. Geez… how many times did she have to remind herself to be careful..? Carefullar..? Caaaaare-full-ah…

She couldn’t help the gentle though amused giggle that fell out through her lips as she turned her attention back down to the turn style that was lain out in front of her; her head tilting lightly to the side as she stared down at it with a thoughtful though slightly confused expression lighting up her features- what was it that she was thinking about before..? Oh well; how does the saying go? If it’s important, they’ll ring again..! And speaking of important- her nose seemed to twitch just like that of a rabbit as the smell of her camp-brewed and bottled beer filled the air that was surrounding her, catching her attention and causing her to turn her light blue-grey eyes to return once more to the daughter of Apollo as she held out the bottle of beer; the young blonde reaching out to take a hold of it before the sound of a familiar voice sounding out from behind her causing her to not only squeal out in excitement, but to also hurriedly turn herself around so that she was facing the one person she was always more than happy waste the day away with.

“Colt-bolt..!” Paying nowhere near as much attention to her actions as she should have been while turning around so that she was able to stand face-to-face, she felt her body falling forward as her feet got caught up and tangled in the wires she hadn’t been careful enough to hide away under the table and the mat that she was using, both of her hands (and the newly opened bottle of cold beer) pressing up against his shoulders as she fell flush up against his chest; the sudden intimacy between the both of them only catching her off guard for only a brief moment before she seemed to take it in her stride, the girl resting up against him before she leant up on the balls of her feet, her face scrunching up cutely before she pressed her lips lightly over his own. The kiss only lasting just a couple of seconds before she pulled back completely.

“I did not forget my pills..! I was happily drinking, and I think I got confused again- thought my medication came in liquid form but I swear it wasn’t just a dream… cause like, you totally weren’t in it..!” Making a grand show of pouting her lips with a very disappointed expression over her features, she giggled happily before turning her head to the side slightly, taking a long sip of her newly received beer; being sure to savor each and every moment that the unique flavor gave to her before she once more let her attention fall over to him, “Any who… does my knight in shining and lovey-dovey filled armor like the song choice..? Oh..! By the way; juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuicey gossip on our resident mechanic..! Plus; we not only have one new guy here, but we have two..! And two girls as well..! Ah..! We just have too much to talk about my sexy chiseled-chin Roman.”

[WhiteStar19]

Colt Malow Winger

Hephaestus Cabin ~ Camp Half-Blood

Colt smiled as she practically tripped over everything and nearly ruined the entire set just so she could get closer to him. He made sure to brace his hands on her hips, hoping that she wouldn't fall and hurt herself. He was luckily he didn't have a shirt on; the beer would have ruined any shirt that he would have had. He smirked at the nick-name. He liked it about as much as she liked "Princess"... He smiled softly after she kissed him and proceeded to listen as she went off on a quick information shoot about what happened while he was getting asked a bunch of questions about the damn horse he saw outside of Gideon's cabin earlier. He had missed quite a bit. A bunch of new kids and something goin' on with Ky. He smiled toward the ground as he listened, not looking up toward her until she was done talking.

"Am I in most of your dreams, sweetheart?" he teased lightly, moving up closer to wrap his arms around her waist and rest his chin on her shoulder. He didn't bother answering the question about the song choice, as he didn't much care what she played since she always played pretty damn good music. His light colored eyes looked out over the floor, scanning the area as he recognized a few familiar faces in the crowd, none that he would actually like to talk to. He gently kissed Arianna's neck before he heard a gagging noise and one of his sisters yelled, "No PDA!"

"Fuck off!" Colt yelled back at her, flipping her the bird as he moved his arms tighter around Arianna. Slipping his hands sneakily into her pocket, he pulled out the pill bottle and held it up to her face. "You shouldn't be forgetting about these, Princess. You know they help you, no matter how much you hate to admit it." He smiled at her, shaking the bottle in front of her face as he backed up a little bit. He pulled up the bottle to examine it. Kiran obviously brought it, as shown by the fact that she was still standing by and had been there when he showed up. He shook his head and let out a sigh. "I wish you'd stop forgetting. It's hard for me to remember to remind you." He chuckled under his breath and popped off the cap of the pill bottle. He pulled out two pills, took her hand, and gently placed them in her hand, enclosing her fingers around the two small things. Patting the top of her hand, he backed up again, looking over the whole crowd.

"You're spinning some sweet tracks," he said, changing the topic so she couldn't convince him to take the pills back. He glanced at the light show that suddenly disappeared. He didn't take much notice of it, and he didn't think that the people on the dance floor did either. He moved forward again, leaning up against one of the tables so he could be in front of her and see her face again. Hiking up his shorts slightly, as they kept falling down without a belt, he said, "So what's this about Ky? I heard she got back from her quest, but nothing much more than that..."

[Vicier]

Erin Marie Chase

Party At Hephaestus Cabin ~ Camp Half-Blood

Unable to help the automatic roll of her eyes at his both stupid and over the top theatrics, Erin turned her attention back down to the barely touched drink that Lang had made for her moments before his departure- he was... cute in a way. Had a certain air about him; even she couldn't deny that one. Making a show of turning her back to him even just slightly as a sign that she'd had enough of his antics, she carefully swirled the contents of her cup around a few times before she lifted it up to press lightly against her lips; her normally unphased dark eyes widening for only a fraction of a second before she narrowed them, her full attention and rather death-like glare once again returning back to Jericho.

What in the name of Zeus was his actual problem with her tonight? Seriously. First he insisted on showing up at her cabin both unannounced and uninvited, then he chose to stalk her each and every movement at this stupid party; and now, on top of it all, he went and stole her drink straight out of her hand... her already small amount of patience with the whole day was wearing thinner than ice, and the way that things were going at the moment, he was the first in line to receive any backlash that came with her ever worsening mood, "What's your damage, numbskull. Whatever the hell you got me, you better make sure that it's worth my time."

If she was going to get through the night, then she was going to do it with a drink in her hands. Reaching out and around Jericho's shoulder as he made himself comfortable in separating both her and Griffin further away from one another, Erin didn't even bother to hesitate as she gripped hold of Griffin's drink, taking it for herself without so much as even a second thought; his obvious questioning look only gaining a light shrug of the Hades girl's shoulders, "Blame him. The way I see it ; he steals my drink, I steal yours. Just the way the world works, fly boy."

[WittyWolf]

~Logan Murdock~

~Cabin Aphrodite

Logan took it in stride as Calista brushed off whatever was upsetting her. He found it odd that he'd met not one, but two other redheads at camp. They weren't so rare, but at Camp Jupiter they were in short supply. To find another fellow pale-skinned and freckled ginger among the demigods here was a breath of fresh air. He followed Calista easily, his long strides eating two or three of her much shorter ones, forcing him to slow his usual deliberate pace. He nodded when she mentioned having a rough day, not an uncommon occurrence for a demigod, unfortunately.

"Everyone has one of those, don't worry though. From the little I've seen of this place, it has more than enough to brighten any day." He walked with her until she stopped in front of a rather.. decorated cabin. It made sense considering she was a daughter of Aphrodite. She didn't exude the usual obsessions with beauty that he'd come to associate with the brood, but the goddess of love had many forms. Logan remembered the goddess fondly, one of the few that did, for she had personally given he and Ashley an anniversary gift for their first year as a couple. That day was one of the best memories Logan possessed and he clung to it fiercely whenever one of his episodes of melancholia washed over him.

He stalwartly avoided thinking of how his relationship had ended. His first day at camp didn't need that storm cloud overhead.

"Hello Calista," Logan responded with a friendly smile, stopping as she did, "I'm Logan, Logan Murdock. Son of Jupiter." He shook her hand amicably and stood, his feet planted shoulder length apart and his hands behind his back, into an at ease position. The habits of being a centurion were hard to break, after all. "My pleasure, honestly. It's against my nature to leave someone alone that's upset. I know I hate it when I have something I feel as if I have no one to talk to about, or worse, simply can't." He looked over to the mob of people at Hephaestus cabin, noting the over the top antics of some and the unrivaled revelry that was ensuing. The deep bass of EDM thrummed through the ground, almost like a pulse, under the soles of Logan's Celestial bronze plated combat boots. "Any reason in particular? I hear Ky'vie's parties are all the rage here and the food is unmatched." He nearly flushed at his own mention of the head of Hephaestus's cabin's name. His control over his blush reflex was being sorely tested today.

---

---

~Jericho Brooks~

~The Partay~

Jericho's brow furrowed at Erin's tone, wondering what had made her especially bitchy tonight. His mind flashed to the episode with Calista, and although he couldn't blame Erin for being on edge, he could blame her for not telling him what in the name of Tartarus had exactly happened. His friend had completely brushed it aside, not showing the slightest bit of gratitude or even offering an obtuse explanation for the recent fiasco. He would have been mollified with a simple It's a long story or I really don't want to talk about it, but to completely dismiss it, and in turn Jericho, just irked him to the core.

Just to be a bit spiteful, a nimble finger came out, hooked around the drink Erin was about to sip from once more, and spilled it onto the ground. He shrugged away her fiery expression. His words sounded almost bored as he answered her, "Your time ain't worth much tonight, babe. Let alone a present." He turned away from her and stepped to the side, looking to find greener pastures. Addressing Grif now, his smile was genuine. Reaching inside his jacket, he held out the plainly wrapped present, nearly a foot and a half in length.

"This, my friend, is your gift. You'll figure out what it does when the time comes, but don't worry, it won't disappoint. Also.." making sure his back was to Erin, his hand slipped into the other deep coat pocket, bringing out the four inch rectangle, wrapped in the same brown gift wrap as Grif's bowie knife. Now his voice crept to a whisper only Grif would hear. "This Erin's gift. Not sure I really want to see her anymore tonight, she's gotten even on my nerve. It's a silver bookmark and tell her not to throw away the receipt taped around it. She can redeem the code online on the Amazon website for the Game of Thrones series, up to the last season. Give it to her when you two have a moment, alright? Just don't let her know it's from me. Don't want to show anymore kindness to the she-devil and get even more fed up with the lack of gratitude."

With that, he nodded to Grif as he clapped him on the shoulder, and bluntly ignored Erin as he wandered off towards the general direction of Arianna. Perhaps she could bring up his soured mood, she always seemed to be able to. He melted into the crowd too quickly for Erin to say or do anything in retaliation to his little jibe.

[Vicier]

Arianna Louise Watson

Hephaestus Cabin ~ Camp Half-Blood

Feigning an extremely (though obviously) over the top shocked and rather disgusted expression at the fact that he even had to ask about how often his sexy Roman ass graced her dreams, Arianna shook her head lightly from side to side in disbelief of having to explain something that even she believed should have been more than obvious, even to the most closed off people around them… like Erin. Yeah..! Yeah; everyone was like Erin- wait… that didn’t sound right... Shoving the confusing thought to the back of her mind for later consideration on the topic when she had more time, Ari turned her attention back to the one man in her life (besides Griffin, Jericho and her father) that she knew for certain was going to be a constant- she was in love with Colt; loved him more than anyone else within her life… and for once, both her mind and her heart were in agreement on something.

“Haha; pfft..! You’re kidding me right..? You, mister check-out-how-sexy-my-ass-looks-in-these-cargo-pants, are in all of my dreams; and you know it- even the ones that I have when we’re sharing a bed together…” Not really even taking too much notice of what it was that she was doing, she quickly closed her right eye, her head tilting ever so slightly to the side and the tip of her tongue cutely poking out from within her mouth, her shoulders swinging lightly back and forth for a few moments as she leant in just that bit closer; seemingly not even caring that her top had dropped forward giving him the perfect view of her breasts if he so happily wanted it, though the feeling of his lips pressing against her neck had her heart fluttering a storm and her mind working overtime to once more regain her train of thought… shit, what had she been thinking about again..?

Was it about exercise..? Exercise… Ex-er-cise… No, no; that wasn’t it… Ex-ar-size..? Oh..! Eggs are sides..! Yeah, that was what she had been talking about: bacon. Bacon was love, and she loved Colt. Therefore, Colt was her bacon. Made sense enough in Riley the pudgy little black pegasus’ mind; at least, that’s what she could tell anyway… she had never really been very good at speaking flying horse. Though no matter how much she wished to spend thinking on such things, both her mind and attention were quickly pulled back to him as she heard the ever familiar sound of pills knocking up against the side of the orange plastic container that held them- uh oh… busted… She didn’t even bother to hide her feelings about the chore of having to take those two little pills each and every day as her face almost instantly fell, all trace of happiness seeming to slip away as she lowered her gaze down to her hand where he had placed them, his touch loving and warm as he gently curled her fingers over them so that she wouldn’t try and give them back to him- she didn’t want to fight with him on this one… not tonight anyway.

Opening her hand back up after a few moments so that she could stare down at the two oval-shaped and golden tinged pills that were lain in the center of her palm, each of them looking tiny in comparison to the size of her palm, though anyone who knew what they were knew that they were not only a lot stronger, but also just slightly more important than most others that were handed out to those within the camp. Actually having to put a fair bit of effort into pulling herself back into the present, and in turn missing the change of topic disguised as a compliment towards her music choice; she lifted her hand up only to go and press her palm flat against her open mouth, throwing both of the pills and her head back as she swallowed them, holding the position for a few brief moments before finally, she chased them down with a long swig of her beer, allowing the alcoholic liquid to fill her mouth completely before she swallowed, making sure that the pills hadn’t gotten stuck somewhere within her throat.

It was going to take her a while now… while the ambrosia laced pills began to work their magic, and began to repair all of the damage that her ‘special family trait’ had left on her person and her mind; her mood and her personality were going to take just that little bit longer to catch up with the quick change- was there ever a worse time for her to take her damn meds than when she was spinning her tracks and had a job to do..? Crap; had he been speaking this entire time… and if that was the case; what was it that he had been asking her..? Lifting her head up, she turned both her gaze and her full attention back over to him as she took a couple of steps closer, her brows furrowing together in a few moments of confusion before her mind chose to catch up with the conversation, her features lighting up only slightly for all around them to see as the topic up for discussion seemed to finally dawned on her.

“Oh… Oh, right..! Ky’ vie. Yeah, she got back from her quest earlier today, and it didn’t take her long to settle back into camp life; or apparently get rather… chummy, I guess you could say, with one of the new guys either. Though in her defense, I don’t think she’s met the second guy.” Shrugging her shoulders and only seeming just the slightest bit interested in what it was that she had to say to him about the small amount of juicy gossip she had on camp life, Ari lifted her beer back up to take another mouthful, her gaze gliding away and off to the side over the crowd; lingering for a few moments on the Jericho’s very familiar figure moving their way before she returned her attention back to Colt, “Anyway; I’m not sure exactly when the two of them caught up with one another, but it seems like they got pretty close fairly quickly. Saw it with my own two eyes; I walked in and caught Logan… he’s a son of Jupiter… holding Ky pressed against the wall of her bedroom. I didn’t want to interrupt the pair, so I said my hellos, shut the bedroom door, and went to set up- I can tell you now; from the time I arrived to the time they left the bedroom… well; it’s not like we haven’t been in that position before…”

[Vicier]

Aella Lorraine Stedford

Hephaestus Cabin ~ Camp Half-Blood

Out of everything that she had learnt during the few hours that she had been around; she had to admit that the Greeks really knew how to throw one hell of a party. It truly was unlike anything else she had ever experienced before- every get together back home in Texas, every celebration or event that came up at Camp Jupiter; none of them could even compare to what she was seeing right here and right now before her very eyes… this was what they called a last minute party..? If it was, she was most definitely going to have an easier time getting used to the social aspect of living within Camp Half-Blood. The sound of bottles clinking together sounded loudly, adding to the rest of the festive atmosphere that surrounded her as she made her way back through the crowd and over to where she had left the two guys that she had first arrived at the party with: Gideon, and Archer… her new and older half-brother, and his definitely more than attractive best friend.

As first impressions went; she knew for a fact that she had made both a memorable, and a rocky one. She had stuffed up by being the stereotypical Roman; by showing them the exact person that she didn’t want to be- she’d tried so hard to be both open minded, and to also be weary and on guard about the place that was to be her new home… but it hadn’t taken her very long to figure out that she couldn’t walk both paths without hurting herself, and those who wanted to get to know who she really was. Gideon had been right when he had called her weak- she had stuck to the ideals that had been taught to her while she had lived at the Roman camp… the belief that there were no circumstances in which you could trust one of their kind; but now as she stood watching both the guys both happily and enthusiastically chatting away about Gods knew what in front of her, she knew it was time that she threw those thoughts out the window so that she could give her new life a chance.

“Y’all both look happier than a pair of dogs fightin’ over a dead skunk.” The unmistakable sound of her Texan accent filled the air surrounding them as she hurried to close the gap that was between her and both the guys, the broad grin that once lit up her features faltering slightly before finally, it changed into something that was more apologetic; her dark eyes softening immensely as she came to a stop in front of them, hesitating for only a brief part of a moment before she held out her right hand to them, the necks of two cold and freshly opened beer bottles held tightly between her fingers as she waited for them to be taken from her. This was going to be the make or break moment for her, and whatever sort of relationship she wanted to have with the two guys she had met; she knew that. Now was that time to show them the girl she wanted them to see- the true daughter of Mars; instead of the paranoid one that they had already encountered.

“Brought y’all both a cold one; just as promised.” Falling into silence for what felt like a lifetime, she dropped her head down slightly so that her dark gaze was focusing on the mouth of the beer bottle she still held, her free hand coming up from her side to rub awkwardly at the back of her neck for a few moments as she tried to swallow her pride enough to apologize and to open up to the two new men in her life- for the love of Pluto, why was this so hard..?

/ "Fuck what they think, Aella- you are my daughter, and a Roman soldier; you owe them nothing. The only favor that you need is my own.” /

Not finding it too hard to ignore the sudden appearance of her father’s voice sounding out within her mind, Aella brought her hand around from her neck so that she could lightly brush some of her long ombre locks back off of her forehead so that she could see them both properly, her gaze gliding from Gideon… to Archer… and then back again before she took a deep breath, holding it for only a second before she let it out slowly, “Look... ‘bout what happened back at the cabin, I’m really sorry- that’s not who I am; and it’s definitely not who I want to be... I can’t stop y’all from judging me on what ya’ll have seen; and I mean, Gods know that I deserve it, especially after I went an’ did just that myself...”

/ ”Aella; do not dare… do no-…” /

Once more ignoring her father’s dominant voice reverberating within her mind as he groaned out with a mixture of what she knew was disappointment and frustration, Aella took a couple of steps closer to the guys, her hand coming up to rest lightly upon her brother’s shoulder as she leant in, pressing her lips softly against his cheek before she turned, repeating the action (though allowing her lips to linger just that little bit longer upon his cheek) with Archer in an attempt to show them both that she was willing let her guard down from what it had been earlier that day; her hand slowly sliding down the front of his chest before she took a step back, bringing her hand back towards her so that she could rather anxiously tap the perfectly manicured nail of her pointer finger against the cold glass.

“If-… If y’all will let me; I’d really like to have a second chance- to start over again and show y’all the person I actually am. This camp is supposed to be my home now; and family is a big part of my life… what’s the point in that if my own brother, and his best friend think that I’m nothin’ more than a flirty bitch…”

[Vicier]

Ky' vie Morgan

Hephaestus Cabin ~ Camp Half-Blood

Despite the rather pressing, and more than worrying thoughts that seemed intent on plaguing her mind about the quest that both she and Griffin were going to be heading out on the next morning; she had to admit that the night was going really damn well... No, 'well' was a slight understatement- everything was going perfectly; she couldn't have asked for anything better. All was going exactly as she had planned it- both Simon and Syleste, while not only arriving later than normal, but also (like always it seemed) side by side, seemed to be enjoying themselves and having a good enough time with the others as they split apart to catch up with different crowds- the young pink haired girl looking just that little bit too rosy around the cheeks to be considered sober... but she wasn't going to interfere; tonight was about celebration..! The perfect way to spend her one night in the camp before she was to head straight back out into whatever danger awaited them.

Allowing her gaze to move further ahead along the path that the daughter of Morpheus seemed to be walking; Ky's metallic silvery-blue eyes came to a rest upon three familiar figures. Erin looked more than occupied (not to mention more than slightly annoyed) in the company of both Jericho and Griffin, the three of them seeming to be in some sort of deep or heated conversation that had the daughter of Hades looking more pissed off than when she had arrived; the son of Artemis quickly seeming to give up on whatever it was they were talking about before walking away without so much as a goodbye to the dark haired girl- well... it was almost refreshing to see that nothing had really changed there... It seemed that something was going on between them; but whatever it was, she knew better than to try and intervene unless it began affecting the rest of the camp...

The gentle and fun loving sound of her chuckle filled the air as she shook her head at the trio's antics as she continued to watch on from a far- it was nothing more than the normal routine from the three of them... one of them would push their luck, another would get pissed off and annoyed, and the third would just stand to the side and watch without a care in the world; it was something she loved about the three of them, and something that she had almost come to rely on over the years she had known them. Shaking her head lightly from side to side as she finally managed to pull her attention back to what it was that she was doing, Ky' vie reached out to take a hold of the handle, quickly dousing the heat and flames without a second thought as she closed the lid of the barbecue that she had been standing at now for Gods knew how long, surrounded by the beautiful smell of cooking meats of all kind- from typical beef and lamb, to something more complicated like venison and kangaroo; it was just something she didn't have to think about anymore, cooking it all had just become second nature to her from the time she had been old enough to learn how to cook.

Adjusting the already pretty good grip that she had on the rather large and obviously over-filled tray of cooked meats that she was already holding, she stooped her body down, her now free arm slipping down and under the other tray, lifting it up from the side stand of the barbecue before finally, she turned her body around so that she was facing the rest of the crowd that had gathered in front of her cabin; her eyes seeming to sparkle with excitement as she let them slowly glide over the campers that she had grown to know extremely well over the years- this was the one thing that she loved more than anything about the camp... while the people who she knew filtered in and out of the place at their own leisure, things never truly seemed to change around the camp... it was a constant in her life, one thing she could always depend on; and it was always great to be able to come back home, and straight into the arms of something so familiar.

Managing to pull herself out of her own sweet little world and back to the present, Ky quickly made her way over and across the porch before hurrying down the steps and off in the direction of the tables that already had quite the abundance of side dishes and salads covering them- she had mouths to feed... plenty of mouths to feed; and if she didn't do it sooner rather than later, she was more than likely going to have a revolt on her hands. The sound of her name being thrown around so casually and so close by her caused the red head to turn her full attention over to the stage, the young daughter of Hephaestus watching on as Arianna threw back her pills before turning back to the conversation that she seemed to be holding with Colt- the two of them were still together and going strong... it was good to see that they were going to be oh so lucky in love.

The very thought of love had her cheeks flushing a light shade of red as memories of the kiss that she had shared with the new guy in camp flashed across the forefront of her mind; and in that moment, she caught herself searching over the area for that flicker of red, and that strong... and muscular figure that she knew to be Logan. What in the name of Tartarus was wrong with her..? She didn't have the luxury to be thinking about, or doting on the new camper- her heart was already taken, and spoken for; even if the one she was in love with turned his back and walked out, leaving her standing alone and dealing with the heart ache all over again.

/ "You can help me heal, if you let me do the same for you." /

Logan's voice flickered through her mind, once more pressing the point of the promise that he had made to her when the both of them had been standing in the surf surrounded by each others warm embrace. The meaning behind such words causing her heart to flutter nervously within her chest, and for all thoughts of her lost love to just disappear from her mind; replaced with nothing more than thoughts about the son of Jupiter- and again, for the second time that night, she caught herself searching through the different faces for the only one that had her attention at this moment. He hadn't left had he..? Her chest tightened ever so slightly and for only a brief moment before she shook the thought from her mind. No; that wasn't him. He wouldn't leave, not without saying goodbye to her first... right..?

"Hey Ky' vie..! Where in the name of Hades is that food we've all come to love..? You trying to starve us or something- we're like, wasting away here spark plug..!"

"Haha; very funny feather head..! You keep on talkin' like that, ya slacker; an' you'll be getting absolutely nothin' ta eat." Unable to stop herself from poking out her tongue in the direction that the voice in question was coming towards her from, the young red head herself winked lightly over at one of the many sons of Hermes before turning her full attention back over to the task at hand- feeding the masses that had accumulated in front of her cabin. Finally managing to make her way through the rest of the crowd, and over to the tables that she and Logan had set up earlier before anyone (besides Arianna) had shown up, she carefully placed the trays down one by one on either end of the long line of food before eventually, she took a couple of steps back so that she could look at what it was she had accomplished in such a short amount of time; her hands held up just in front of her as she tested the air around the food for heat- the slight warmth emanating from the food was... alright, but nowhere near what the others had come to expect from her.

Doing the best that she could to block out the rather enthusiastic and particularly rowdy noise that she could hear surrounding her from every which way; Ky made sure to turn her attention over to the different foods that she could feel the slight heat coming off of, her silvery-blue eyes narrowing ever so slightly as she focused her concentration upon them- the beautiful smell of meat, curries, stew, soup, fried rice, scalloped potato and other things filling the air as their temperature began to rise; the alluring aroma causing those who were close enough to the tables to turn and glance at her questioningly, "Alright; every demigod for themselves..! Foods up; so dig in and enjoy..!"

Turning herself away from the table as she heard her name being called by one of the others close by to where she was standing, she took a few steps away from the food and over to the group, leaving it unguarded- it was a rookie's mistake... and one she should have known better than to make. That was when she heard it. The familiar sound of panting filling the air from somewhere behind her caused the red head to quickly turn back around to the tables, her slightly confused looking metallic silvery-blue eyes searching up and down the tables until they finally came to a rest on the familiar looking canine that had been a big part of her life for Gods knew how many years now; the dog itself staring hungrily at a rather immaculate looking steak before finally, he lunged towards it, clasping it tightly within his jaws before he hurried to retreat back into the crowd to avoid any wrath that would come from the daughter of Hephaestus.

"H-Hircine..! Oi; you cheeky little shit- stop right there..!" How in the name of Hades, could she have been so foolish as to turn her back on the food that she had just worked so hard to produce..? She should have seen this one coming- this is what happened when she finally decided to relax and stop paying attention to things that were going on around her... One of the first lessons she had learnt when she had come to the camp was that you never turn your back on food, especially whenever pets and the kids of Ares were involved; both seemed to have massive appetites, and what was worse was that both seemed to know just how big of a sucker she truly was- seriously though, was she ever going to learn that lesson properly..?

She couldn't help the way that her eyebrow quirked up in annoyance, or the way that her soft pink lips pursed together ever so slightly as her arms came up to cross tightly over the front of her chest, her body leaning over to one side and her hip jutting out as she kept her strict and seemingly demanding gaze upon the canine who obviously thought that he could make a fool of her, watching on in silence and waiting patiently for him to turn back around and face her completely with both his tail and ears lowered in shame at having been busted doing something that he knew was wrong. Clenching her jaw for a brief moment before taking a couple of steps closer to the animal, Ky's lips split into a wide grin, her body crouching down so that she was on the dogs level as she held her arms wide open, motioning with her hands for him to come back over to her as her sweet and gentle chuckle once more fell from her lips, "Where do you think you're going..? You know you can't take one of them without giving me a cuddle- now come back here..! If you're really good, I might even give you the bone I have in the kitchen..."

[WhiteStar19]

Archer Trey Andrews and Gideon James Carlyle

Hephaestus Cabin ~ Camp Half-Blood

They had, at the least for the night, dropped off the broken weapons outside Ky'vie's workshop, that way they did at least one productive thing for the night. While Aella went off to Gods' know where, Archer leaned up against the bar, looking out over the dance floor. They had arrived pretty late; the party was already going went they got in, and he had seen Em heading down to the stables with a new kid when they were walking up here. He didn't have very high hopes for the party if Em left, but he had changed his mind when he walked inside. That boy must've been pretty damn special for Em to leave in the middle of a party like this...

Gideon, on the other hand, looked like he was about to be sick. He was fairly pale and was stiffly gripping the edge of the bar to make sure he didn't fall over. His anxiety was racing through his mind, his worry controlling his thoughts, as he began to think back to what he said about Aella. Archer seemed not to notice this, but Gideon couldn't help but voice his thoughts out loud to his normally attentive and helpful friend. "Do you think I was too harsh on her? Calling her weak with the judging Grecians thing?"

"Nope," Archer stated, popping his P loudly. Pushing his body weight down onto the back of his arms, he felt the muscles in his shoulders pop and he sighed with relief, rolling them around. "Literally, the only reason for her most likely coming here with us was to see the damn blonde that is..." His voice faded off as he squinted his eyes toward the DJ booth. "...seems to be flirting and necking with our lovely DJ up in the booth."

Gideon let out a laugh and turned his head toward the DJ booth, looking at Colt up there. But before he could shout any rude comments, ones that he knows Colt wouldn't be able to ignore, Aella walked back over, two freshly opened beers in her hands. He smiled carefully, almost warily, at her as he took the beer from her hand. Archer did the same, but acting more aloof as he leaned up against the bar and took a swig of the beer. He swooshed it around in his mouth before swallowing, keeping an eye on the dance floor. He did notice that Aella looked awkward and uncomfortable and hid a smirk behind his beer. No matter what face he was putting on in the cabin, the girl was gorgeous, but she tended slightly toward the bitchy end of the female spectrum. Awkward was not her thing.

Gideon watched Aella curiously as she apologized for her behavior back in the cabin, and when she began to actually apologize, Archer turned his dark eyes back down toward her with a small smile on his face. She kissed Gideon's cheek first, which he just gave a small half smile to, but she lingered a bit longer with Archer, which was a curious thing. Archer's neck turned red and he took another sip of his beer when Gideon proceeded to say, "It's alright. Both of us are a little... hard headed. You can always have a second chance with me... little sis." He laughed at the end.

"And no one said you were a flirty bitch," Archer stated, pointing a finger at her around his beer. "Just clearing that up." He let out a small smile and watched the dancers again as Gideon shook his head.

"If you wanted to see Colt, by the way..." Gideon began.

But before he could finish, Archer quickly cut him off, setting his beer down on the bar, and holding his hand out to Aella. "Would you like to dance?" he asked, an adorable half smile on his face. "It's only polite since it is your first time at a party here." Gideon rolled his eyes and sank back up against the bar, while Archer waited for his answer.

[Lord Wyron]

Hawley Griffin

Camp Half Blood ~ The Lake ~ The Party

"You know, if you pulled that shite in Ireland, you'd probably be lynched." Griffin declared with a 'serious' incline of his head, though his tone and general body language remained casually playful.

His attention taken by the white-headed hunter, Griffin cocked a brow as he received the long knife Jericho handed to him. "You know, you never disappoint mate." His tone was almost childishly excited, a wide grin on his features as he examined the package closer, trailing his fingers against the modest packaging, feeling the cool metal underneath the thin layer of wrapping. Even from the minor touch, Griffin could sense something about it...vibrating with infixed power that felt more like an electrical current. Whatever enchantment this knife seemed to possess, it certainly had to be rare.

Wordlessly taking Erin's gift next, Griffin nodded once, mentally noting Jericho's specific instructions before deftly hiding the much smaller present in his jacket pocket, his movements dexterous enough that hardly anyone would be able to notice something was in his hand at all.

"Aye...You got it." He finally said with a small half-smile before watching the hunter walk off, seeking out Arianna -- boy, he'd have fun there.

Artfully spinning the Bowie knife about in his hand, Griffin's smile never left his face, the giddiness of his present once more bubbling to the surface. "You gotta admit, lass, the man's perceptive." Griffin noted with a small wink, now casually holding the dagger in his off-hand until he could put it somewhere safer in his cabin.

"Now then, I think you're in need of another drink..." Grif added, haphazardly switching the subject as his gaze fell to the small, yet noticeable puddle of liquid on the ground in-between them, staining the grass. "Doubt it's doing the grass much good, but you never know - Wine-Lord could be ecstatic right now."