[IC] [ROLEPLAY CLOSED] - The Demigods of Camp Half-Blood

[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, briefly 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.

Ares sat indolently upon his throne, one leg thrown over an arm while laying against the other. The god of war glowed a sooty red, rage bubbling underneath the surface as he held an upset Aprodite's hand. He stroke the back of it, one of the few loving gestures he might show to another being. He seemed almost haughty as he looked at his father, Zeus. How could the king of gods be such a pussy? Didn't he realize that Hermes' children should just be wiped off the face of the world, they were more trouble than they were worth!

"Father... we need to address this issue, we all know Hermes' oldest child is to blame! I say we make an example and flay him in front of his brothers and sisters." Ares grinned broadly, taking a perverse pleasure of the idea of inflicting so much suffering. "I could use his hide as my new bike seat and he could finally be of use." His eyebrow cocked, as if challenging the idea that a demigod was worth more than the flesh and bones they were made of. "What do you say? I could be there and back, find my love's dove, all before that insufferable Hermes actually arrived. Who was late to their own summons?" The nerve of the god of messengers set Ares to grinding his teeth.

“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 cloud your judgement.” Bringing his hand up from where it had been resting against the arm of his throne, Zeus lightly rubbed at his temple, trying his best to relieve some of the stress that had accumulated since the matter had first been brought to his attention. His son was angered far beyond anything he had seen in many millennium… his beautiful daughter was curled up upon her love's lap, tragically distraught and crying at having her beloved pet dove stolen from her domain… his ever loyal wife sat dutifully by his side as the voice of reason among those which were occupying the 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; 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 love's side, do you not agree..?”

Keeping a quiet eye near her husband's seat, Hera watched her children carefully. Her husband's voice rang true in her ears and she turned to Ares to see if he had heard what he had meant. She reached up a careful hand and stroked over the back of Zeus's, watching her son carefully as he sat protectively over Aphrodite. "Zeus is right, dear child," Hera's calm voice rang out over the area. "You must be patient and wait for your brother to arrive before you decide the fate of his children."

She carefully crossed her legs and rested her palms on the edge of her knees. All in all, she was nervous, as she knew that Ares could be rash and jump to conclusions. She would not believe that Hermes' eldest would have stolen the dove until there was absolute proof of it. Yet she would not reveal this to the group that approached, as a fight would more likely break out against her with her son at the lead. She leaned back in her chair, her careful eyes scanning over the room. The air was thick with tension, between father and son as well as the anger of the son pierced through the air. The two children who sat in that chair sought vengeance against the culprit, and the anger and distraught was taken into the air. She rested her hand on Zeus' once more and waited, falling silent.

"You could say that father. Or you could say that me and taking care of the perpetrator of this crime would be the BEST use of my abilities. After all, my love wouldn't be upset if not for the thief!" Ares roared, slamming a fist upon the arm of the chair he lazed against. Even with such relaxed posture, any of the gods could tell he was close to bursting. One could almost pity the demigod that faced Ares' wrath. His hand relaxed and resumed its comforting gesture against his wife's hand.

"Action is what we need, not petty talks! I should be out there, finding the fucking whelp!" the god of war snarled the last, eyes glowing red now. The children of Ares should feel that rage through their divine connection to their father, so great the turmoil in the god. He breathed out a sigh of frustration, settling into the back of his chair once more. He'd heed his father's words... for now. "But as you wish, father, mother. We'll wait for Hermes to lie to our faces and say, once again, it could never be HIS child that could enact such a crime--"

"Sorry for being late, folks." A fourth voice cut into the conversation straight in the middle of Ares' rant 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 Snicker's, 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 Griffin 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.

“..how dare you… how dare you defend such an ungrateful little thief..!” Not sure when exactly she had sat up upon her love’s lap, Aphrodite stared over at her brother with tear-stained eyes, her light blue orbs flicking back and forth as she searched his own for reason as to why he was playing such a serious situation off as light… answers as to why he was joking around when it was clear to everyone that it was no time for such petty games.

“You know what he did, and 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 in her explanation as the words caught within her throat, Aphrodite shook her head, her long blonde locks flying back and forth before eventually they once again settled against her back, her body turning until she was able to hide herself against the warmth and safety of Ares chest, her body pressing ever closer against his as she once more began to sob into him.

"This is no joking matter, you insufferable buffoon!" Ares roared, hand cradled against Aprhodite's hair, trying to console her as best he could. His eyes burned with undisguised accusation while staring at his mercurial brother. How the man could stand there, keeping them waiting, even as he tried to deflect his son's obvious guilt! He itched for his sword or shotgun respectively, just to teach his brother a much needed lesson. Yet... Zeus would never forgive such an act of aggression.

"This is no child's act of mischievous fun, this is as serious as when your other disgrace, Luke, tried to topple Olympus! Where is my love's dove? OUT WITH IT!" Ares made the throne room vibrate as his rage bubbled into his voice, a sonorous tone that no mortal would've been able to withstand, but which the Gods would find no more than an annoyance. He couldn't help his anger, however, Aphrodite still weeping uncontrollably upon his chest. That alone was enough reason to start a war, for the god. If Hermes couldn't see that... he'd suffer the consequences. "Perhaps you would sing a different note with your staff, surrounded by snakes, shoved up your lying ass!" Ares' throat bulged with his roar.

Hermes initially remained silent, staring his brother in the face with a blank expression. "Do you have proof that Griffin stole your...precious bird?" He finally said, his tone remaining even, though one could detect thinly-veiled anger beneath it.

Breaking his brother's gaze, Hermes looked down at his watch and sighed. "You know, I was gonna go see a movie right about now..."

"Missing the show time is the least of your worries. How long your son will live is the greatest." Ares growled, allowing himself to rise to the bait. Hermes was not helping his son's case in inciting the war god's ire. He'd just as soon disobey Zeus's orders and kill the boy outright, but none knew the location of Aphrodite's divine symbol.

"The proof is your own proclivities, god of thieves and how easily your offspring seem to follow said nature... Speak to your son and find out the truth, make him find the dove. Or I shall do it for you!" the threat was there, laid out like a naked sword. Ares didn't heed subtly like Hermes, had no need of it as conflict was his nectar, battle his aphrodisiac.

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, if your only evidence of my son committing this crime being one of my titles." 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.

Ares stood quickly, depositing his wife in her throne in the same motion, hand going to the hilt of his sword as his mouth opened in a scream. "You mangy piece of filth, I'll gut you like a fucking-"

“Enough; the both of you..!” Zeus’ booming voice sounded clear and strong throughout the room causing loud claps of thunder to be heard along with it- he had heard enough of their childish bickering. They were supposed to be family; and it was high time that this matter was put to a rest before it went any further than it already had, ending in blood being spilled upon the floors of his glorious Kingdom. Reaching over his body, Zeus lightly patted the top of his wife’s hand a couple of times, his body hunching over so that he could sweetly kiss at her delicate knuckles before eventually, he lifted himself up from where he had been sat upon his throne; his attention turning over to his two sons as they stood before one another, seemingly ready to wage war at but a moment’s notice.

“The boy in question must answer for the crimes in which he has been accused of; 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, Zeus made his way over to where the both of them stood, 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 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 who's death still pained him. He could not lose another. Not like this.

Ares' demeanor had significantly calmed, hearing the good news from Zeus. He let his sword fall back into its sheathe, having been drawn halfway. He straightened from his charging posture, crossing his arms and grinning smugly. Finally, someone was being forced to take action! Optimally, he wished to do the deed himself and make Hermes' child piss in his little demigod pants. But he'd settle for Hermes having to suffer the indignity of telling his child that his legacy had made him guilty.That his father was to blame for his suffering. His grin widened gleefully as he thought of the hate that would foster between the two. Let this one meet the same fate as the last, Ares thought.

"Poseidon said the same, dear brother... And Percy proved his innocence. If your son has done nothing wrong, what could he possibly have to worry about?" Ares posed to Hermes, with an arrogant satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. Not bothering to wait for an answer, he gathered Aphrodite, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. He held her close as he dipped his head to his father. "Thank you for your wise decision, Lord Zeus. We'll take our leave now. It's been a taxing day for Aphrodite." He dipped his head once more in farewell to Hera and walked past Hermes as if he wasn't there, unworthy of even acknowledgement. Let that be a thorn in his ass. They walked proudly out of the throne room, all too pleased at how events unfolded.

Bowing his head in farewell to his son and his daughter both as they left the room, Zeus waited until the doors had 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 son... the very sight of his son’s pain caused his heart to tighten within his chest, but there was no way that he could go back upon his decision. He had given the boy seven days to prove his innocence to the court- longer than he had given his nephew after he himself had accused him of stealing his master bolt.

Taking those couple of steps to close the gap that was between the both of them, Zeus lifted his hand up until he was able to rest it upon his son’s shoulder, his hand squeezing it gently in an attempt at comforting him, even if just a small amount, “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 will I burden you with having to deliver your boy with such grave news; go to him, but only when your mind has had the 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]

Ky' vie Morgan

The Obstacle Tower ~ Camp Half-Blood

The roar from the crowd became almost deafening as one of the other campers who had attempted to make his way up the obstacle tower got smacked in the stomach, the force causing him to double over and fall back before finally, he was flung from the platform; landing in a pained heap upon the ground. The very sight caused a soft and gentle chuckle to fall out through her lips- truly no matter how many quests she was sent on... no matter how long she spent away from her home here at the camp... nothing changed. The obstacle tower was a major challenge to all demigods; though it was clear that most were willing to take it on for the chance of finally knocking her off her pedestal, and cutting her winning streak short. Not that any of them had succeeded in doing that just yet...

Straightening herself up so that she could get a good idea of her competition for the day, Ky’ vie brought both her hands up, gathering her long and wavy apple-red locks back as best as she could before finally, she tied them back into a messy bun on the top of her head, the sight of long blonde locks catching her attention through the corner of her eyes, causing her to turn her bright metallic silver-blue eyes over to unmistakable figure that was the daughter of Dionysus; the young red-head taking a few moments to just watch her friend getting ready before speaking out, her voice though light and cheerful, holding a hint of surprise she just couldn’t hide, “ Hey Arianna..! I haven’t seen you join in on this sort of thing in a long time- don’t you usually sit and cheer in the stands with the others..?”

“Pfft... You know I’d rather be sitting in the stands watching you and the others getting beat by the tower- gimmie a cold one and mwah..! Perfection on a day like this.” Shaking her head lightly from side to side, Arianna slipped her hand down and into her top, pulling a silver flask from the side of her left breast so that she could take a quick swig of the contents within before once again returning it to its place in her bra, “But ya know... Ivan 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.”

Not even having a moment to react to Arianna’s words before she was off, Ky shook her head lightly from side to side, another gentle chuckle falling out through her lips as she brought her hands together in front of her body, lightly tugging on the bottom of the black leather gloves that she wore as she let her attention once more fall to the spinning tower that stood before her. To say it wasn’t imposing would have been an understatement- standing 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 right at the top was the goal to all of it- the large centurion-like helm that held the circular ring that everyone was fighting tooth and nail to get to first.

At least... that was what she could see from her position anyway. Taking a few moments to herself so that she was able to re-check the pads she had covering her elbows, Ky shot another quick glance around at the others who were trying to get ready for their next attempt at the tower, and with it, the glory of winning; the very sight causing a small though amused smile to play over her lips- besides the few regulars who tried to knock her from her place as champion, there were so many new players to the field... Not bothering to give it another thought, she pushed herself forward, breaking away from the crowd so that she was instead shooting over the ground 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, only moving again when she was close enough to reach up and take a hold of the rope ladder; the daughter of Hephaestus using her upper body strength to pull herself up wrung by wrung as that part of the platform continued to spin her around.

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

[smarty0114]

Obstacle Tower ~ Camp Half-Blood

It was a good day at Camp Half-Blood. The sun was out, although it always was out, and everyone was together, shouting as campers were flung at high rates of speed from a tower of death. Yep, these were the kind of days that Charlie lived for. Not to mention he was looking rather good today too. And for Charlie, today was the day that he finally beat that accursed tower.

Charlie watched as campers were flung from the tower, caught by the many spinning obstacles that seemed to creep up on you right when you turned your back. He'd been aspiring to beat the Obstacle Tower since it's conception, and while he'd gotten close, Ky'vie seemed to always have a one up on him. But he was determined to beat the Tartarus Tower once and for all today. Plus he'd bet some money with some of the Hermes kids and he'd be damned if he was going to pay all that.

He ran a hand through his hair and began scanning his opponents, his grey eyes moving quickly through all the demigods who were vying for victory today. He smirked. Most of them he knew would be easy. Ky'vie of course would be one of the biggest threats, and Arianna wasn't half bad herself, especially when she was buzzed. He saw Arianna dart off, and shortly thereafter, Ky'vie followed.

"Welp, next time I see you all, it'll be a new man. A victorious one!" he shouted out to the crowd as he ran forward and into the fray. He jumped over a spinning cylinder, the ones that had been responsible for more than a fair share of concussions, and quickly grabbed the rungs of a ladder, climbing up swiftly towards the platform. Below him he saw Ky'vie following up quickly, and with a smirk he shouted down below, "You'll need to be quicker than that Speed Racer!"

[Classpet]

Mathew Cartelle
Camp half blood

Mathew stepped off the buss at the end of the winding road, the strawberry farm's hill visible in the distance. "You sure this is where you want off kid?" Asked the bus driver, concerned at the teens choice of destination. "this is fine, thanks," he replied, smiling back at the driver before heaving his luggage bag over his shoulder and starting the walk up the hill. The bus driver stared for a moment before turning the vehicle around and driving off.

The walk wasn't particularly grand, especially considering it was a quite a while over due. Mathew had stayed at home for an extra week and a half applying to colleges, his poor grades weren't helping. For this reason he was glad to be back at camp, grades didn't matter here, and he would have time to finish the novel he'd been writing for the past 4 years. As far as life was going, he wasn't doing so bad. As an additional bonus he was looking forward to seeing his half-sister again.

As he passed the great pine tree he established that some sort of event was going on, any one would be able to tell be the noise. It was coming from the obstacle tower, not that he had any interest in attempting it but he made a mental note to check it out after he put away his things. The walk to the ring of cabins wasn't nearly as bad as that from the buss up the hill, being downhill and a shorter distance had that effect. Each cabin shined in the mid day sun, number fifteen in particular though that may have been personal bias considering fifteen was his home. The several room cabin played host to Morpheus's children, currently there were only two; himself and Syleste.

Immediately inside was cool, dim, and dreamlike, the perfect place to laze around. Couches slumped around offering comfy spots for reading or naps with the kitchen nearby for snacks, stairs hung along the back wall offering a way up stairs to the bed rooms. Mathew found his room exactly as he'd left it.; Christmas lights and lamps illuminating the room, with the bed pushed against the wall and an adjacent desk littered with half written papers. The circle window looked out behind the cabin giving a view of the strawberry patches. It wasn't messy necessarily, just unorganized. Mathew set his belonging of the bed and began unpacking, hopefully it wouldn't take to long.

[Vicier]

Erin Marie Chase and Syleste Astrea Nioré

The Big House & The Obstacle Tower ~ Camp Half-Blood

The sound of the wooden floors cracking apart beneath her feet filled the office of the camps director as her patience began to wear thin, and her frustration about the whole situation began to show in the expression 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 she was picked for it in the first place was far beyond her comprehension. What it came down to was the fact that the camp director, Lord Dionysus, had it in for her; even after she chose to put up with that psychotic daughter of his- Arianna was a raving moron with mental issues, everyone knew it, but she was the only one who was brave enough to speak the truth, “You have got to be kidding me! I’m the daughter of the Underworld, not some bloody glorified babysitter that you can just go and dump all the fresh meat on whenever you don’t feel like doing your damn job, Mr. D.”

“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 the rules! You’re on tour duty; so hop to it, or whatever it is that you kids do these days…”

“Oh for Zeus’ sake..! My name is not Eirene and you know it..! I’m like completely on the other side of the family to that snow freak..!” He didn’t even seem to flinch at all the moment that both of her fists slammed down upon the desk in front of him- it was clear that she was losing her patience with him and his stupid games… she had lived in the camp for Gods knew how long; and each time, without fail, he had gotten her name wrong- choosing instead to call her by the name of one of his many sisters who lived up upon Mount Olympus with most of the other Gods, “I’m not going to do it; the newbie is supposed to live in the Ares cabin right- so get Elena to greet her, you got that..? I didn’t come to this stupid camp so that I could show all the damn freshmen around like some tour guide. Next time, get your psycho daughter to do it.”

“Miss Eleanor is down at the obstacle tower with all the others; but I’m sure we can work something out… in the meantime, you’re really beginning to test my patience; watch your tongue, unless you want me to turn you into a pathetic little minno-…”

“Empty threats again, Mr. D..? You should really take a page out of my father’s book- if you’re going to threaten them… make sure you can back it up.” Not bothering to even give him the chance to go and respond to what it was that she had said, she turned on her heel, her long and wavy dark brown locks bouncing lightly upon her back with each and every single step as she made her way out of the office, and in turn out of the big house and into the fresh air of the camp- she didn’t care about what the great Lord Dionysus had to say; he could sit there and insult her for days, but it was never going to change a thing. The relationship between the two of them had never been a great one; the both of them arguing almost every single time that they came face-to-face, it was just a normal routine, and everyone in the camp knew it too.

“..Erin..? How did it go..? Is he going to let us swap so you don’t have to worry about greeting the new camper..?”

The sound of a soft and sweet voice hit the brunette’s ears, causing her to turn her head so that she was able to look over the girl who had spoken to her- the girl herself sitting patiently on the edge of the porch where Erin had left her when she had first entered the big house what felt like ages ago. It was typical behavior of the girl… she was too nice to just get up and leave to do what she wanted to do, and then with the smile lighting up the girls features, Erin couldn’t even tell whether or not she actually enjoyed sitting there waiting for her return, “You sat there this whole time..? Seriously Syleste, you’re too nice for your own good; grow some backbone will ya…”

Rolling her dark eyes though unable to keep the small smile that flickered across her face, Erin sighed softly before making her way down the steps and over to where Syleste was sitting, her head tilting ever so slightly and her hands slipping down into the back pockets of her black denim shorts as she looked over the girl in front of her for a few moments before finally answering 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 work something out, so I’m no longer stuck as the damn welcoming committee for all the little greenies.”

“Well, that’s good isn’t it..? It means we can go down and cheer on the others at the tower..!” Lifting herself up from where she had been perching upon the porch, Syleste smiled brightly in the direction that she could hear her friends voice coming from; her beautiful sky-blue though ever unseeing eyes staring in her general direction as she slipped her hand into the back pocket of her light pink denim shorts, the girl pulling a light blue bit of material out of it before bringing her hands together in front of her body, her fingers lightly playing with it, “At least this way you won’t be alone, and as a bonus, I get to spend time with my friend in the process. Please… please can you come with me, Erin..?”

“If you really want me to tag along and watch people getting beaten to a pulp by a stupid tower; I’m not gunna 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 down into her pockets as she shrugged her shoulders lightly in response, Erin slowly began to make her wander away from the big house and through the camp, keeping in mind to drag her feet over the ground to make noise for the girl to hear as she led the way towards where she could hear the roar of the crowd growing louder with each and every moment that passed them by- from the sounds of it, it seemed like apart from the few rare stragglers, the whole of camp were watching as people ran around 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 very moment that her friend had given her the response she had been hoping for, 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 against their souls with every step that she took to keep up; her free hand coming up to softly brush some of her long wavy bubblegum pink locks back off of her face, neatly tucking them back behind her ear as her expression turned to one that was seemingly more thoughtful- her unseeing eyes staring off into the distance making her seem as though she were in her own little world, when in reality she was once again thinking about who was going to be making their way through the entrance to the camp, “I wonder what type of camper we’re supposed to get today… I know they’re meant to be in the Ares cabin; but everyone is so different- Oh! Guess what! The last time I spoke with Matt, he said he was coming back soon! I can’t wait to see him again. I really hate being on my own in that cabin…”

Unable to help the scoff that slipped through her lips at the girls words, Erin shook her head lightly from side to side before she closed the gap between the both of them, her arm brushing softly up against her friends out of habit; a sign that they were there and that they were going to be stopping in a few moments, “I’ll pass on the whole siblings thing… I happen to enjoy being alone and having a whole cabin to myself; means no one is there to mess around with your things… Unfortunately, I’m stuck with Vanessa… But if you really hate being on your own, 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 actually be a lot of fun..! We all have to have a sleepover soon..!” Seeming to miss the point the brunette was trying to make completely, Syleste quickly came to a stop by the entrance to the obstacle tower, her head stooping ever so slightly as she lifted the material, wrapping it delicately around her head and being sure to secure it firmly so that her eyes were now completely obscured from vision- it wasn’t as though she particularly liked hiding herself from people… but then she also knew that not everyone she met was going to be as comfortable about her disability as she or those she had known for years were. It was something that could be unnerving… that could make people feel uncomfortable… and that was the very last thing she wanted to do; make people uncomfortable when they were around her- that was what Erin was for.

“You care too much about what people think. Take off that stupid blindfold; if people can’t handle your eyes, then they aren’t worth a bit of your time…” Turning her head away from where Syleste stood happily bouncing up and down on the spot in her excitement for what it was that she could hear coming from the crowd, Erin let her sentence trail off into nothing, her dark eyes scanning over the stands until finally, they fell upon a familiar figure sitting not too far away from where they were situated- if he was here waiting, it could only mean one thing… that drunken whack job was actually attempting the tower… well, it seemed as though today was going to be a lot more amusing than she had first thought. Unable to help the small smirk that played over her lips at the very thought of Arianna having her ass handed to her by a bunch of cogs and gears, she reached out to lightly place her hand against Syleste’s elbow, leading her over to where Ivan was sitting before the two of them finally took their place a couple of rows in front of him- by the way things were going, the infirmary was going to be busy… and for once it wouldn’t be because someone pissed her off.

[SouffleGirl123]

Vanessa Casey

Cabin thirteen/Obstacle tower

Roars from the obstacle course seemed to echo throughout the camp making the event known to all within the camp's borders. Vanessa wasn't at all an exception. The cheers had been loud enough to stream into the orange-haired teenager's room often robbing her of her concentration on the white sheet of paper in her hands. Sloppy black handwriting covered both sides of the page, showing Vanessa that William's handwriting had not at all improved in the last 3 years but taken a turn for the worst, his choice to become a doctor was fitting on his handwriting alone.

She carefully read through the letter the fifth time in that hour, a blank piece of paper and a ballpoint pen on her desk. So much was running through her head, so much she wanted to tell her brothers but she hadn't the slightest clue on how she could commit it to paper without exploding it into non-sensical word vomit. Vanessa quite liked camp, loved it even but she did miss her brothers dearly. She did have Erin but she seemed to loathe Vanessa. Vanessa had even tried with her, and that wasn't something she usually did with people who don't approach her but if the two were meant to share a cabin and they were technically related but it would either end in the two them fighting or Erin snapping at her before one of them stormed of in rage.

Vanessa dropped the letter on the desk and leaned deeper into her wooden chair, pinching the bridge of her nose. A sigh expelled itself from her lips. She needed to get out of this room, get some fresh air, possibly by the lake? Vanessa had alway been wary of the water, and high up places. Just because pacts have changed that doesn't necessarily mean Posidon and Zeus weren't wary of their brother and his children, not that Vanessa had seen any evidence of this but better safe than sorry, right? She gave another sigh as she stood up, her chair being pushed back a few centimetres in the process, and exited her room before jogging down the steps that connected the top storey of the cabin to the bottom and opened the door, temporarily blinded by the bright sun.

The cheering was still ever-present at the obstacle course, she decided she might as well go check it out. The grass crunched under her black converse boots as she trudged closer and closer to the noise and crowds of people before ascending the stands and slipping into an empty space at the back, a bit of a distance from the roaring demigods. At least by being at the back it was unlikely anyone would ask her to participate. Vanessa was already unathletic as it is she didn't need to show how much so on that death trap.

[NightOwl]

~Eli Julius King~
Cabin 21/ Obstacle Tower

Julius fidgeted under the burgundy sheets of his large bed. The sound of roars, cheering, and proclamations of victory reached even through the Cabins outer layer of stone and passed the obsidian walls of his bedroom. He froze in place, before ripping the sheets from over his head revealing his unkempt afro. Without looking over, still staring at the ceiling, his hand reached out to his nightstand. He blindly fumbled for his lighter, then his morning breakfast. Still laying on his back he slipped the RAW cone between his lips, flicked his Bic, and began his morning routine, inhaling until his chest poked out as if he was standing at attention.

Cabin 21- Designated to the Children of Eris. The lack of demigods in this place makes it easier on Jewels, being around too many people constantly while trying to piece his memory back might not be too beneficial. He sat on his California King Size bed, exhaling large clouds of smoke into the air. ”The bud wiser he told himself as he always does. Jewels threw his legs over the edge, slouching in his long white socks and boxers. On the opposite side of the room hangs a bulletin board with pictures of all the children in Camp Half Blood. With his joint hanging in his mouth he used his two free hands to lift him up off the bed, and proceeded to approach. The children's pictures were all grouped with their respective Cabins.

Jewels recently created the board in order to keep up with those he chooses who to rebuild relationships with, and amongst other things. Others were pulled from the cabin groupings in their own category, potential friend, beneficial, dangerous, potential enemies, not to be trusted. Next to the board were tendencies of such campers he's observed and noted in the past two weeks. He didn't know what to expect from his peers or what they expected from him. The only thing he was sure about was, he belonged here.

Dressing himself with no intentions for the day besides observing, simply a pair of black basketball shorts, and throwing his camp shirt over his bare torso. The smoke eventually engulfed the upstairs, impairing his sight. He had to wave his hands in front of his path just to get a gist of direction. The entire cabin was built like a studio apartment, being Jewels was the only occupant.

The bedroom was open visually from downstairs only separated by railing. An spacious lounge area filled the bottom floor. A dark colored sectional sat in the middle, smoking paraphernalia littered the floors. Posters of athletes, terrorist, and music groups splattered all over the walls. Kicking through a pile of HighTimes magazines, he pushed through the revolving door leading outside to the camp grounds.

The vibrant sun smacked him in the face, blinding him momentarily. Smoke seeped out from behind him, the aroma of “Herculeaves” trailed with him as he stepped onto the greenery. It didn't take long for his eyes to adjust to the light. The obvious direction of pandemonium was directed towards the Obstacle Tower. If it's one thing he enjoyed more than being stoned……. Okay maybe not more but close enough, was the conflict and rivalry that brewed during Camp activities. Taking another long drag, and exhaling all in the same motion, he casually strolled towards the Tartarus Tower.

Walking in the general direction he caught eye of someone tagged “Beneficial”. Blonde hair, entering the Morpheus Cabin, name starts with a M last time he checked. Now wouldn't be a good time though, Jewels was more interested in the pink haired girl. His assumption of her having more experience in the dream realm being the get respective Cabin counselor. Dreams hold memories he hypothesized.

Arriving to the event, he could feel the power in the area. Conflicts between rivaling Cabins sparked left to right as they cheered on their brothers and sisters. He didn't even have to activate his power, today he chose to just soak in the essence of the arena. A sly smirk crept on Jewels face, his eyes barely open but his vision keen. He spotted the girl of dreams, protected by her bodyguard as he label the Child of Hades. ”No direct approaches. The girl will chop my head off. Their sitting with their friend, one of Mr.D’s crazy kids. I'll slip next to the hell spawn and keep my mouth shut. Possibly get more info on her”. he mumbled to himself between drags.

Walking up to the stands he sat in his targeted destination next to the girl he has posted on his wall. She was the center of of a particular group, a group Jewels refused to not go unwatched. Erin Marie Chase…… Potentially dangerous.

[Nallore]

Obstacle Tower.

Elena stood just before the obstacle tower looking up at it watching as the other demigods slowly started making their way up to the top, then only to hear some of them scream and then fall to the ground with a loud thud. She could already see her friends Ky'vie, Arianna to her surprise as well as Charlie already making their way up. Elena knew that Ky'vie would most likely win again, Elena remembered she was the winner for awhile before losing to Ky'vie awhile back and now she was going to knock her off her throne and win this time. Elena closed her eyes and took in a very deep breath as she relaxed her mind before running up the tower, barely dodging one of the many spinning pillars as she pulled herself up.

The young demigod felt a hand grabbing onto her foot and looked down to see a son of Apollo who was a year younger then her tried to pull her off. "Sorry for this!" Elena said as she lowered herself slightly only to kick the boy square in the face and watched him fall down to the very bottom of the tower. It was fairly common thing for the demigods to fight their way to the top, Elena looked up she managed to catch up to Arianna as she pulled herself up onto a platform looking over towards her friend and smiled at her.

"I thought you weren't one to anything like this Ari?" Elena said taking a deep breath to smile at her. Elena quickly tied her hair into a pony tail and adjusted her fingerless gloves before running forward again. "I'll see you once I win and i'll get you a drink later!" Elena called out as she started to make her way up onto the next part of the tower.

[Vicier]

Ky' vie Morgan

The Obstacle Tower ~ Camp Half-Blood

“I wouldn’t get so complacent, bookworm..! It’s still a long way to the top..!”

Having pulled herself up onto the platform, Ky lifted her head up so that her brilliant metallic eyes were able to scan the tower as the contraption continued to revolve her around it, a soft though still extremely amused smirk playing over her lips as her gaze finally landed on the figure that she had been exchanging friendly banter with in the first place- Charlie Alexander; son of Athena, and just one of her biggest competition when it came to the tower. When it came to competing, between him and Elena, she was covered on both sides. Neither of them giving her a moment of peace to enjoy her place at the top- and as soon as she was there, she had to push herself, not to mention fight tooth and nail to keep her position before being knocked off and having to do it all again. It was friendly... healthy completion... most of the time.

Twisting her body as was brought around the opposite side of the tower, she hesitated for a brief moment, waiting until the baton that had shot out had sailed over her head before eventually, she pushed herself up and back onto the wall, her soft pink lips parting ever so slightly in concentration as she began to scale it, her eyes flicking about to watch the bars as they were pulled back and shot forward by the other campers- one wrong move, and she could be tumbling back down to the ground like so many before her... Not that it wasn’t always a possibility; for someone over the other side to rip the pole out from under your foot, or out of your hands- a downfall for many campers who thought themselves cocky and better than the rest.

Turning her attention down to the platform below her as the sound of a familiar voice hit her ears, she let her soft bluish-silver eyes scan about for a moment before finally, they found the source- Elena Reese, as always, was hot upon her tail, and coming up faster than the tires of her bike upon the straight of the highway. Tearing her gaze away from her fellow red-head, Ky once more lifted her head until she was able to look straight in front of her and through the open square to the other side of the tower, a soft and gentle chuckle falling out and past her lips as she caught a glimpse of Charlie’s top; the daughter of Hephaestus not bothering to waste a moment as she reached up and took a firm hold of one of the poles, waiting only a brief part of a second before she used the strength gained in the forge to pull it back towards her, and out from underneath his foot.

She couldn’t afford to waste anymore time; not if she wanted to keep her winning streak going. Forcing herself to once more concentrate on the task at hand, she began to scale the wall again, quickly pushing herself to close the gap between her and the final platform, taking a moment to catch her breath and calm her adrenaline-filled heart once she was on semi-stable ground, she lifted her head up to watch the platform above her- it was typical... while she was being spun one way, the last thing standing between her and victory was the platform spinning around in the opposite direction.

[Classpet]

Mathew Cartelle
Cabin fifteen and The obstacle Tower

Books now stood in piles along the walls of the room and the papers were all organized or thrown away. Mathew had deposited all his clothes orderly into the trunk at the foot of his now made bed. Everything was in its place at last. From outside the crowd could still be heard, the voices carrying from the obstacle tower. He figured since Syleste wasn't in the cabin at the time see was probably enjoying the excitement of Campers trying to beat the tower.

Matt ventured back down the stairs and out the front door into the bright light. He squinted as his eyes adjusted, blinking, before continuing down to the noisy arena. The rough path was as he remembered from the years past, only the Aphrodite cabin changing to fit the current style and season.

At last he made it to the Tower. Crowds of teens bustled around and crowded the stands to get the best eviw available of those killing themselves on the obstacle course. Mathew himself would never be one of the few to reach the top, he didn't think himself athletic enough to even attempt. He instead searched the crowd for the bubblegum pink hair of his little sister Syleste. She was easy to spot, a blue blindfold across her eyes and brighter colored than most. Grinning Matt picked his way across the crowd to her. "pst, Syl. Guess who." He said with as much mystery in his voice as he could muster.. He had really missed her a lot in the past half year.

[smarty0114]

Obstacle Tower ~ Camp Half-Blood

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---

Charlie smirked when he saw Elena enter the fray. He respected her, and knew she'd make for good competition. Assuming she could catch him. He then realized that Ky'vie was quickly gaining on him, and in an effort to regain his lead, he scrambled up the wall of poles. The poles were Charlie's least favorite of the Obstacle Tower's many attractions. He'd taken multiple poles to the face, and they'd knocked him to the ground even more times. Thank gods for ambrosia.

As Charlie continued climbing up the ever shifting poles, pushing them forward to knock unsuspecting demigods off the tower, he noticed Ky'vie had gained on him. She was on the other side of the tower, and he'd just realized what her plan was, when the pole that his right foot had been resting on was snatched out from under him. He slipped, and with a yelp he was left dangling from one of the poles. "Good one Ky'vie!" he said, only halfway sarcastic.

He grimaced as he pulled himself up and onto the pole, his upper arms yelling at him to stop. He finally managed to continue his climb, although he was a good ways behind the Daughter of Hephaestus. He began his climb again, saying a silent prayer to his mom that he could regain his lead and take that ring out of the stupid helmet that rested at the top of the tower.

[Lord Wyron]

Hawley Eames Griffin

Camp Half-Blood ~ Obstacle Tower

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Clear skies; warm sun; fresh air; blood on the wind...It was going to be a damn good day. The Obstacle Tower, Camp Half-Blood's insurmountable, nearly-unbeatable challenge. There was naught a demigod in Camp Half-Blood capable of besting it unscathed. It's difficulty merely fueled the drive of competition, unleashed a more ferocious edge within even the most timid of demigods - and Hawley Griffin relished in its conquest.

Earbuds firmly held in his ears, the leather-clad son of Hermes darted through the various snares and trappings of the tower with an Olympian athlete's ease and grace. Indeed, very few had the opportunity to see Griffin participate in many Camp activities, and many would simply disregard him as lazy -- until the time for the Tower came, at least.

The Irishman looked almost perfectly coordinated as he rushed towards the climb, muscles working in almost perfect unanimity to accomplish its goal. Griffin wore a goofy, adrenaline-fueled grin for the length of the competition, feeling his heart rush from within his chest, a cool sweat forming on the edge of his brow as his wiry muscles screamed a little bit louder with each exertion.

The rest of his competitors seemed beatable enough. Elena Reese, Charlie Alexander.... Ky' vie. A few mischievous thoughts entered Griffin's head as he began quickly devising a way to achieve victory. Mostly for the bragging rights....and because he wanted to see the look on Charlie's face when he lost that bet he made.

With an absolutely ridiculous song blaring from his iPod (most likely pirated,) Griffin continued his ascent with a marathoner's vigor and endurance, not even stopping to taunt, let along acknowledge his opponents. There would be time for shaming, oh yes...Once he got his hands on that ring.

He kicked his foot into a jutted-out baton harshly, enough to send it kicking back and collide dead-on with a random camper's face, sending them plummeting with a thud. Snickering, Griffin soon reached the next-to-last platform, meeting face-to-face with Ky' vie.

Grinning even wider (if it was possible,) Griffin stretched both arms out beside him, bellowing out a practically insane laugh fueled with adrenaline and the lust of contest.

"Well, well, lookie here, boys! A lost...bird. A lost bird that never learned to fly." Speaking in the most thick Scottish accent he could muster, Griffin no sooner finished his little speech before immediately leaping into the air, fingers clasping onto the opposite-spinning platform as soon as it came into view, clinging on with all he could as he began yanking himself upward through the hole; upper arms cramping with exertion.

Wincing, Griffin lunged up with one last burst of energy, managing to make it atop the platform and shoot out a single hand, grasping the ring off the helmet and yanking it away with ferocious might, hoisting it far above his head.

Victory tasted sweet.

---

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Roy Montag

Camp Half Blood ~ The Lake

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Cabin One. Very few demigods were able to call Zeus' Cabin their home, and such a claim could be confirmed by its almost immaculate appearance. Not marked by stains, carvings, or other signs of previous inhabitants like many of the more well-inhabited cabins (with Hermes' especially coming to mind.) Seated within it was Roy Montag, the son of Boreas. Though the raucous noise of the Obstacle Tower from outside were somewhat attractive, Roy nevertheless preferred his solitude spent thinking. There'd be more time for socializing later that night. Now was his time to reflect - be by himself.

Though typically, campers without a cabin for their parent were sent to Hermes', Roy managed to convince Chiron and Mr. D to let him stay in Cabin One, due to Boreas' close association with Zeus. Who better to pair with the lord of the sky than the North Wind?

And so Roy sat on his bed, a small block of wood in a single callused hand while another deftly held a Swiss army knife, whittling the sharp edge against the block, paring small shavings and slivers off the block autonomously, giving the block of wood shape and definition - meaning almost.

Roy could hear his father's words echo through his head: "Whatever it is you do, son. Do it well, and put your all into it." Those words, insignificant as they may be to some people, stayed with Roy since he first went to Camp. He applied this motto everywhere, whether it came to quests, to competitions, or simply whittling. What point was there to doing something if you treated it without your full care or attention?

Roy's eyes, bright and blue like slivers of ice themselves, were keenly focused on the piece of wood, picturing the final product of his creation thousands of slices ahead of his current progress. The more he whittled, the more shavings began to gather into a neat pile on the floor. Hircine, Roy's shaggy beast of a dog, buried his wet snout into the pile of shavings, immediately regretting his decision as a loud sneeze ran through his body, scattering the shavings all about the cabin room.

With an indignant shake and a huff, Hircine walked out of the room, too disgusted by the behavior of the shavings to stand even another moment in their presence.

Snickering as he caught his dog's antics in his peripheral, Roy continued to work ceaselessly, finding solace in its simplicity. The more he lost himself in his work, the clearer his mind became. And he would find himself humming that very same song his mother would often sing for him in his younger years - a song that, like many memories; stuck.

In the joyous days of childhood
Oft they told of wondrous love
Pointed to the dying Savior
Now they dwell with Him above.

[Grim327]

Gabriel Davidson

Cabin Seven ~ Obstacle Tower

One of the last few noises coming out of Cabin Seven was that of Gabriel finish playing his rendition of “I’ve been watching you,” by Rodney Atkins. Gabriel would play this song at least once every couple of days. Both he and his dad both loved the song for it reminded each other how strong their bond is to one another. Gabriel’s dog, Sparta, was simply laying down on the couch seat next to him, listening to the music. As the last note flitted out of the guitar and into the air, Gabriel came back to reality and Sparta raised his head out of curiosity. The cacophony of cheers soon filled the room, I wonder what everyone is hootin’ and hollerin’ about. When Gabriel stood and Sparta did the same, they both went to Gabriel’s room. He sat his guitar back in it’s stand that rested at the foot of his bed, grabbed an Atlanta Braves ball cap, and the duo went to exit the cabin.

As he breached the door’s threshold, he could tell what everyone was screaming and cheering about. In the distance, he could see the large and looming Obstacle Tower. Gabriel was still fairly new to the camp, and has yet to take a chance at navigating the tower. Most everyone in camp must have been at the tower, since he only saw a sparingly few other campers milling about. Some were doing a bit of extra work, while others looked plain disinterested in the tower and decided to hang out with their friends around their respective cabins. “Come on, boy,” Gabe said in combination with a pat on his leg. Sparta immediately obeyed, and the pair made their way to the Obstacle Tower.

Since Gabe was still new to the camp, he was still learning where exactly everything was. He learned all the important places, but a few still escaped his mind; specific cabins mostly. Thankfully though, the tower was large enough to spot from a distance, so he had no trouble finding his way there. Sparta continued to trot next to his best friend, and the two soon came upon the ring of bleachers that held the tower within. From outside, he could already see participants near the top of the tower, even a few he recognized. Once he entered the arena, however, the full force of the cheering and excitement hit him. Gabriel scanned the stadium and saw a few familiar faces. The two he recognized the most, however, was that of Erin and Syleste. Erin had shown him, albeit annoyed, around the camp when he first arrived. While she was standoffish and broody, Gabriel didn’t mind her as much as others, and as long as they both got along, he had no problems. Syleste, however, was the complete opposite. Gabriel wondered sometimes how the two were friends. When Gabriel first met Syleste, he instantly had a crush on her. Her attitude about the world simply rubbed off on him every time they spoke, and Gabriel couldn’t help but feel that much better while being around her. When he learned of her disability, it made Gabriel that much more attracted to her; she wouldn’t let anything keep her down. Syleste had a blindfold on today, and while Gabe would rather see her eyes, he accepted the fact she would do what she wanted.

With it seeming like the tower was to be finished,, Gabe resigned himself to simply watch and possibly find patterns with the automated machinery. He watched a small group form around the aforementioned females, and Gabriel figured now was as good a time as any to meet new people. With Sparta following close behind, they each climbed the stairs and made their way to where the group was. Sparta jumped onto a seat a couple of spots away from a young african-american boy. “Afternoon everyone, hope I’m not intrudin’. Name’s Gabriel,” he said nodding his head to both the boy he believed was called Eli at some point and the red-head standing behind Syleste.

[Vicier]

Erin Marie Chase and Syleste Astrea Nioré

The Obstacle Tower ~ Camp Half-Blood

The thrum of the crowd was almost too much to bear as the event she knew for a fact that she would never be able to see continued on around her, causing the daughter of Morpheus to sit forward, and perch herself upon the very edge of her seat, her fingers curling ever so slightly as she placed her hands down on either side of her legs, her grip upon the stand where she sat both soft though still firm as she leant just that little bit further in towards the action that was going on- it all sounded so wonderful; so exhilarating..! Hunching her shoulders over, a gentle and almost inaudible sigh fell through her lips at the very thought that she would never experience that rush of adrenaline that came with competing against the others... she was never on the front lines; the girl who was always destined to sit on the side lines, “..hey Erin..? I’m really sorry to ask you this, but... do you think you could tell me who’s actually on the tower today..? It sounds like it must be really good competition...”

“There’s a bunch of fresh meat out there- I find it amusing that the little freaks think they’re good enough, though they’ll soon learn their place when they get a foot to the face.” Unable to help the amused and slightly dark chuckle that fell through her lips at the sight of one of the campers falling from their place on the tower, Erin shifted lightly over her place on the stands, being sure to make herself comfortable before finally, she crossed her legs and leant forward; her elbow resting upon her knee, and her chin resting upon the palm of her hand respectfully as she kept her dark gaze on the people scrambling for first place, her expression seeming to hold the pleased glint to it as she finally chose to finish answering the question asked of her, “The usual dogs are chasing after that stupid frisbee as well- you know; the metal-head, the geek, the Ares freak and oh look, the bird-brain is there too. I think I even saw our resident psycho somewhere.”

Frowning ever so slightly at the names that she was calling their friends, Syleste let her attention drift away from where she could hear the most noise, and instead focused herself in the direction that she could hear the daughter of Hades voice; her eyebrows furrowing together slightly in concern underneath the blindfold that she wore over her bright baby blue eyes, “Erin... you know, you really shouldn’t be so mean; and you really shouldn’t call people names like that either, it’s not nice... I mean, they are your friends too.”

Resisting the urge to scoff at the reprimand she was receiving from the pink-haired girl sitting beside her, Erin rolled her eyes before letting her gaze wander off to the side, the sight of a familiar looking figure approaching the both of them causing her eyebrow to quirk in curiosity- Eli King... the son of Eris... It wasn’t as though she had a problem with him per say; the two of them had been on pretty decent terms until quite recently. He had blown her off. Ever since he had returned from his last quest, he had been acting as though she was public enemy number one; and if that wasn’t bad enough, it seemed he was doing everything he could to get to Syleste, even though it was clear to all that the daughter of Morpheus became visibly uncomfortable and weary whenever the both of them interacted with each other... Either he was doing it on purpose to piss her off; or the drugs he seemed to continuously smoke finally got to his head and killed off the remaining part of that thing he insisted was a brain.

“Well, well- look who finally decided to drag himself out of the smoke house, and grace us all with his presence... I haven’t seen your ugly mug around for a while, Eli; so tell me, to what do this pleasure..?”

“Erin..! You need to be nicer, remember..?” Catching some of the conversation that seemed to be going on between her friend and the son of Eris; Syleste seemed to shrink back slightly within her seat, her body becoming just that bit more smaller as she partly hid herself behind daughter of death- it wasn’t anything against Eli... he was just one of those rare people that she never seemed to be able to relax around; something about him put her on edge, made her worry and feel the need to protect herself... it was unnerving to say the least, “ S-Sorry Eli... I-I’m sure she didn’t m-mean it-...”

Her sentence trailed off into nothingness as the sound of a familiar voice caught her off guard, whispering into her ear and causing her soft pink lips to part for a brief moment before finally, they split into a bright smile which lit up her features and helped her to forget the uneasy feelings she had been focusing on moments beforehand... He was here- he was finally back home. Not bothering to even show an inch of hesitation in her actions, Syleste quickly stood herself up from where she had been sitting and turned around so that she was facing where she knew he was standing, her body tipping off balance and falling into his own as she shot both of her arms up; wrapping them tightly around the back of his neck, while her head tilted down to rest gently against his collar bone. By the Gods, she had missed him so much- but then that was the problem with her being a full-time camper, and he only being around for the summers, “Matty..! You’re home..!”

Seriously..? What were they- some kind of beacon..? Flinching slightly and pursing her lips together as the sound of Syleste’s excitement reached her ears, Erin narrowed her eyes and turned to look at the source of the girls sudden outburst- of course it was her brother. The bubbly sixteen year old had mentioned earlier on that he was supposed to be coming back to the camp, though he hadn’t told her exactly when he would be doing that. Well, it looked like they all knew the answer to that question now. Doing all that she could to keep herself from rolling her eyes at the public display of affection going on right beside her, she once again let her attention wander around the rest of the area, her dark eyes only flicking up to look upon the new addition to the ever growing group of guys around them once he had spoken- had she known that she was going to be this popular, she would have gone back to her cabin to read instead, “First the Joker; now the cowboy... What the hell is next...”

“W-What..?” Quickly pulling herself away from her brother as she heard the sound of a new voice entering the group, and Erin’s confirmation as to who it actually was; Syleste stooped her head down slightly as a gentle shade of red began to cross over her cheeks, the young girl seemingly intent on playing with the ends of her long bubblegum-pink locks as she once more took her place sitting next to her friend. Gabriel was sweet- and while he hadn’t been a camper for very long, he was one of the few who had quickly accepted her for who she really was. It was refreshing to say the least... and he was different to any of the guys she had ever met before; so why was it he made her feel nervous all the time..?

“..I mean-uh... h-hi Gabriel..”

[Nallore]

The Obstacle Tower - Camp Half-Blood

Elena barely had managed to get onto the final platform, the moment that she did she looked up only to see that Hawley had managed to beat everyone even Ki'vie to the ring at the top of the tower. The moment Hawley grabbed it the Obstacle Tower was finished, though she was never a sore looser she looked over at Ki'vie and smiled at her friend gently wrapping an arm over her friend's shoulder. "Well looks like you lost your crown my dear friend, welcome to the party." Elena said teasingly looking up at Hawley who was boasting at his own win and shook her head slightly and smiled.

"Good job for winning, next time i'm not going to go easy on any one of you guys." Elena turned around and then started to make the climb down off of the tower. Letting out a sigh as she hoped off the last bit of the tower Elena noticed the young Apollo boy she knocked down earlier was still on the ground and reached down to offer a hand and pulled him back to his feet. Elena noticed his nose was bleeding she gently gave the boy a pat on the back. "Sorry for that, better let your brothers and sisters check that out."

Elena turned to look up at the crowd seeing Erin, Syleste her half brother Mathew, Gabriel the new boy who she hadn't gotten to know him that well yet, as well as Eli there talking. She started making her way over towards the small group of her friends the moment Elena got close enough she wrapped her arms around Syleste and Erin. Though she knew that it would most likely annoy Erin to no end it was slightly funny to annoy her she noticed that the pink haired girl was blushing when she said hi to Gabriel. "Does my little Syleste have a crush on someone?" Elena said teasingly and looked over to the others and smiled at all of them. "How is everyone doing?"

[smarty0114]

Obstacle Tower ~ Camp Half-Blood

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Charlie had just made it to the second to last platform when Hawley pulled the ring from the Trojan helmet. He shook his head, and with a grin he hauled himself up to the last platform. Still smiling, he patted the victorious son of Hermes on the back. "You cost me a ton of money, that I now have to go pay. But congrats," he said, before following Elena down to the bottom of the tower, where he was quickly mobbed by Hermes kids who were demanding their money. "Relax, relax. Greedy bastards, I just got beat up and you're all demanding your payments. Well here you all go. Ten bucks for Alex, twenty for Kyle, and fifteen for Logan," the brain child said, fishing cash out from his wallet.

Having payed his debts, Charlie strolled over to where his older half-brother was standing, speaking with Syleste, Erin, Matthew, and Elena. He placed a shoulder on his Gabriel's shoulder, though since the other boy was much taller than Charlie, it looked a bit awkward. He liked the new addition to Cabin 7, although he hated his taste in music. But it was nice to see some fresh faces. Syleste and Matthew were fun as well, if not a little trippy. And then there was Erin, who's buttons he loved to push, though to be quite honest, who didn't? He spotted Eli sitting near them as well. Eli had been off since his memory was erased, but Charlie had tried his best to reconnect with the young demigod. But he just seemed distant.

"Well that was a good time, although, I can't help feeling a little angry that I am now broke. Tip #59 to surviving Camp Half-Blood: Never make a bet with a Hermes kid. Cause chances are you'll lose," he said, grinning despite his supposed anger at being without a penny to his name.

[SouffleGirl123]

Vanessa Casey

Obstacle Tower

The whoops, cheers and collective gasps flew through the area by the dozen as campers ascended the tower and others were thrown off, most possibly breaking a limb or recieving a large gash in the process. Thank the gods for Ambrosia or a couple of injuries Vanessa had witnessed from that death trap in her almost 3 years at camp would have almost undoubtedly ended with the camper's body part being paralysed or left the camper in a worse state had the children of Apollo not been as speedy as they were to grant medical attention. Not that fear of death was what stopped Vanessa from attempting the threatening structure. Unlike most people death wasn't something she feared, how could it be if your father was the ruler of the dead and where they took residence?

Not long after Vanessa seated herself in the stands her mind had wandered as she blankly stared at the obstacle tower paying very little attention to its happenings, not that it'd be too unobvious, Ky'vie was on the tower today and it was extremely likely she'd win yet again. As young demigods were thrown from the tower or advanced on those ahead of them the younger of Hades' daughters kept her dark hazel eyes fixated on the middle of the tower as she remained seated on the stands. She did not stand nor whoop nor cheer nor gasp but ponder over the list things she still had to complete that day and the many questions that often ate at her brain. Bright sunlight hit Vanessa's orange hair making it seem a more vibrant orange than the shade she religiously dyed it every few weeks and the heat soaked into her short sleeve black shirt making the day feel so much hotter than it was. The day may haven't have seemed any warmer than a comfortable tempreture to most but was borderline uncomfortable to Vanessa who preferred colder climates. Not that Mississippi Summers only had mild days because it definitely brought hot days but she often enjoyed the cooler days Winter brought even if it came down to such temperatures she had to wrap herself up in a blanket.

Suddenly the cheering became louder, loud enough to snap Vanessa out of her trance-like deep thinking state. Everyone in the stands in Vanessa's view, despite the orange haired teenager herself, were standing and cheering. Vanessa allowed her hazel eyes to stray from their spot on the tower, where a couple of demigods had started their descend down, to the top of the tower where Hawley, a son of Hermes, grasped the golden ring above his head. Well that's new. Vanessa didn't watch the happenings at the obstacle tower often but it was general camp knowledge Ky'vie was the camp champion when it came to the obstacle tower, looks like the queen lost her crown.

Running a hand through her orange hair, having to detangle (or more accurately tear apart) knots toward the ends, Vanessa pursed her light pink lips, her hazel eyes inspecting the area. Many demigods, competitors and non-competitors aLike clotted into groups, many taking exits. Maybe escaping to the lake would be a good option after all. The forest would be a nice place to relax but Vanessa had left Oblivion in her room, which it barely left other than for fighting classes she couldn't get out of and capture the flag, and unlike her half-sister she had to cart her weapon around if she went anywhere with it. Besides she wasn't in the mood to have to fight a monster, not that one always turned up but there was always that chance. For now though was the crowds of demigods. She scanned the area once again, trying to find some faces she had talked to before. A small group of people were slowly growing in numbers. She recognised some of them well enough, the pink haired daughter of dreams, the oddly calm daughter of Ares, the son of Athena whom seemed to be widenly known through the camp. Vanessa hadn't formed many close bonds at camp half-blood but, as far as Vanessa was concerned, she was at least on decent terms with most of the group.

Slowly she made her way to the group.
"Hey y'all," Vanessa greeted them softly, that Mississippi accent of hers that Vanessa found utterly disgusting expelling her soft pink lips and into the group, if any of them took their time to notice her that is.

[Classpet]

Mathew Cartelle
~Obstacle Tower ~ Camp half-blood~

Mathew Hugged his half sister back, smiling as he did. Even if she did have a tendency to call him 'Matty' Syleste was by far his favorite sister, sure there wasn't much competition but hey, sometimes that's life. Rmembering that he had important news to tell her Matt stopped hugging her. "Syl! I got into college!" He said excitedly. With his grades in high school it had been a surprise for him. Really the only reason he had gotten in was his mom, she had sold a painting to the head of the colledge and happened to have slipped one of her son's short stories in with the canvas. He basically got a free ride to attend a private college. "better than even that" He started again "The college is in New York, It's an hour and a half away."

Mathew radiated joy. He could visit Camp-halfblood on weekends and holidays after the summer was over. He was in an actual college. It was as though all his good luck and positive vibes piled into this one summer rather than spreading themselves out. His childhood certainly hadn't held any good. It was a dream come true.

Now satisfied that his sister was informed he realized that someone else had said something. Erin had called him a Joker, or maybe she'd been talking about someone else. It was clear who she was calling the cowboy, some new kid looked fresh of a farm, not that that was a bad thing. The new guy, Matt had missed his name when he'd said it luckily Syleste had caught it, Gabriel seemed friendly enough. Mathew offered a wave and a friendly "hey, nice to see new faces. I'm Matt, Syl's big brother." before two more half-bloods showed up.

It was Elena and Charlie. The first mentioned Syleste having a crush on someone, Matt had no clue who she could be talking about though so he wrote it off as a joke. Elena certainly seemed like she was just joking anyway. As far as recognizing others feelings went Matt was no expert. He had enough going on in his own life that keeping up with other people and their lives was just to stressful. He glanced up at the sky, blue with huge clouds. His mind wandered to how the weather might turn and then to what shapes the clouds resembled.
Charlie had spoken as well, nearly as soon as Elena had finished speaking. Matt hadn't caught any of what he had said though, being entranced by the sky's artistry.

Vennessa was the last to join the group, her greeting bringing Matt back to the real world. "Oh, Hey Van." he said, feigning a quick smile so as not to be rude.

[Grim327]

Gabriel Davidson

Obstacle Tower

Gabriel sat down in between his dog, Sparta, and Eli. He immediately started petting Sparta, and the dog responded by wagging his tail. The comparatively small group was quickly growing on account of the fact that someone finally became the victor. Gabriel looked over to see the winner standing on the top platform; someone he didn’t recognize, though that would probably change in the coming times. Two of the contestants, and another person that was a bit later to the action than he had walked up. The first female he kinda recognized, Elena I think? and the second was his younger half-brother, Charlie. He was a decent guy, that helped get situated in the cabin. Gabriel thought it was pretty cool at the amount of information Charlie had in his brain; always the possibility of an interesting conversation. The second girl he didn’t know at all. Judging by her accent though, it was possible that they both grew up in similar circumstances, or at the very least, in the same region of the country.

Gabriel noticed Syleste stutter and blush but it didn’t register until Elena had made the comment about her having a crush. Probably meant more as a joke, but what if it were true? Gabriel’s own face grew a tad warmer at the prospect. Gabriel wondered of ways to get her alone, but quickly dismissed the idea for another time. He then cleared his throat, however, and remarked, “I don’t think ‘cowboy’ is the best moniker for me, Erin. Try ‘farmer,’ at least that makes more sense for me. Them Texans are a breed all their own. And hi Syl, I take it you’re a lot happier now that Matt is here.” College, huh? So, apparently Matt was only a part-time camper. Interesting note.

Gabriel chuckled at Charlie’s comment on the Hermes kids, “I’ll try to remember Charlie, and hopefully you’ll heed your own advice.” Gabriel turned his attention back to Elena,”I think everything is going well, at least for me anyway. I’m started to meet new people. Speaking of which, “ Gabriel turned his gaze to the red-head that came up last, “hello, my name’s Gabriel. A pleasure to meet you,” he finished with a simple wave.