Fandom &nbsp; 𝑫𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 [Main Thread]

coded by natasha.

Noivian · Jul 1, 2020

Kaliavene Everette

Daughter of Thanatos

The drive had been rather pleasant, all things considered. Sure, Kali was terrified that monsters were going to pop out at every turn, and refused to leave the car except for rest stop bathroom usage, but there was nothing more relaxing than watching the trees fly by with a backdrop of classic jazz. Kali personally would have gone for some Bach or Tchaikovsky, but jazz was just as good. Her head nodded side to side gently with the music, one hand braced her chin on the door as she all but dozed off with her eyes wide open. It was a special trait of hers - being able to think of nothing and become perfectly happy. Like a sea sponge. She liked sea sponges.

Some un-jazzy sound got her attention, and with an audible "Hm?" - in the middle of Poppy's speech - Kali turned her attention to her companions. "What do you think we're going to go up against?" Kali asked, tilting her head and knitting her brows. Her hand reached down to the side of her seat, where her weapon of choice resided. On first glance it looked like a three foot long pole of copper, and perhaps the Mist made it look like a broken piece of piping, but Kali could easily flick her wrist and have the pole expand to six feet of pure celestial bronze. It was a pain to carry around sometimes, but it served as her best form of protection. Her gloved hand curled around the weapon, and Kali began doing the breathing exercises she'd learned over the years. In five, out five. In five, out five. Everything was going to be fine.

"Could you, um..." her voice trailed off, not wanting to be scolded for having the plan repeated but also not knowing what the plan was for being rather spaced out at the time. "... Nevermind." Ewan seemed kind enough. She'll just stick with him.

In the car.

Wary.

coded by natasha.

Chione · Jul 1, 2020

LEO MENDOZA

SON OF JUPITER

Leo was convinced that the universe itself was conspiring against them.

It was either that or he and Ayda were the unfortunate targets of a vengeful god’s ire. Both scenarios were perfectly plausible, to be honest. This whole quest had been a shitshow right from the very start and Leo wanted nothing more than to just be done with it already – which said a lot coming from him. He generally loved thrilling and exciting adventures but this? This was a living nightmare. Currently, the pair of Roman demigods were fighting their way through the dense forest undergrowth, kicking away the offending shrubs and wrestling with the snaking woody vines.

A low-hanging branch snagged on the hood of Leo’s purple SPQR hoodie layered underneath his signature bomber jacket, igniting a muttering flurry of colourful curses under his breath. Leo irritably smacked it away, accidentally making it fling back and narrowly miss Ayda’s face.

“Shit, sorry.”

He palmed the back of his neck, lips quirking up in a hesitant, chagrined smile. Leo felt like he’d been put in the doghouse today thanks to... certain circumstances. In hindsight, maybe he should’ve taken more care when driving around the area, but how was he supposed to know there’d be a massive pothole lying in wait for them? Leo probably could’ve waved it off if it weren’t for the fact that had been the second time it happened. Also, they didn’t have another spare tyre which meant they’d been forced to ditch the car and enjoy a two-mile trek with only their map to guide them.

Now they were stuck in a bloody forest.

This entire train wreck of a journey would be slightly more bearable if they actually knew what they were looking for. The details they’d been given were frustratingly vague and the only thing they knew was that they were on the hunt for some sort of special weapon. That didn’t narrow things down very much, hell, anything could be a weapon these days. To be given such bare-boned information was strangely uncharacteristic for Camp Jupiter’s usual intense thoroughness. Then again, only the strong survive in that place so maybe this was their way of culling the herd?

Leo adjusted the strap of his backpack that dangled off one shoulder and dragged a hand over his tired face. Great. The headache-inducing exhaustion was making his brain come up with wonderful conspiracy theories. The past couple of weeks had taken a toll on him, stress and anxiety subduing him into an unnatural, quieter version of himself, however temporary that may be. He just didn’t have it in him to crack a joke when the horrific and violent deaths of their teammates still weighed heavily on their minds. When he closed his eyes at night, the memories flashed before him; their blood-curdling screams, their guts smeared across the floor and their glassy, accusing eyes staring straight at him. Leo didn’t have the confidence to ask Ayda for her help, but he worried she’d soon start noticing the dark smudges underneath his eyes.

He paused, falling into step beside her, taking the moment to peer over at the map. It was agreed earlier on that he could not be trusted with it. Leo hummed contemplatively, fingers reaching up to pluck leaves out of his hair before moving to trace the path they’d just taken. Hazel eyes darted up, surveying their surroundings. It was eerily silent.

“I think if we head further up we’ll walk into a clearing, which is, y’know, the perfect place for an epic boss battle,” his tone lacked the enthusiasm his words might suggest. It was strange to think that if the two of them could actually pull this off, he’d qualify to be potentially elected as a Centurion for his cohort. He shuddered at the thought of it.

“D’ya think we’ll need a plan? We could just wing it, that’s always fun,” Leo stretched an arm over his head as if he were doing a warm-up exercise before taking his ‘mini travel umbrella’ out of the side pocket of his backpack. He suddenly stopped short, ears picking up on a quiet ticking noise.

Brows furrowing, Leo shoved a hand down his hoodie and pulled out a compass on a chain. It had been a good luck gift from his friend Hans, a son of Vulcan and a brilliant craftsman. He’d proudly told him that it’d warn him of potential hostiles, and it had worked beautifully until it got smashed up in their scuffle with the minotaurs. After that, it was very temperamental. The front glass was cracked, but Leo could still clearly see the needle slowly spinning around at an agonising snail pace.

“Well, well, well... there’s definitely something around here,” his gaze shifted, focusing on Ayda, “whatever it is, it’s still further out for now. We’ve got some time to think about what to do.”

In the forest.

Tense, needs a nap pls.

BreeDav

coded by natasha.

mangomilk · Jul 2, 2020

augustus evans

son of cronos

Roadtrip. Not the kind you’d see in aesthetic instagram posts visiting beaches and bars. This was a dirty and messy one, featuring lack of sleep, no decent showers and take away food. Augustus leaned back in his seat with his legs spread in the back. He could feel his legs falling asleep which left him with this weird feeling of ants crawling in his flesh, like a tv screen without any signal. He didn’t have the space he needed back there but in the past few days he had somehow gotten used to it, even though it still made him look like a sardine in the can.

They were picked to return a special weapon that was lost by a god. As always there was little to no information as the group didn’t quite know what they were even looking for. It was weird. They were kids after all and still they were expected to be heroes.

When Poppylan spoke up, he lifted his head slightly, raising his attention on her words for once. He didn’t particularly like her. She was mean, sarcastic and hard to talk to - traits that were just as fitting for himself but those similar characteristics didn’t combine well if you put Poppylan Yoo and Augustus Evans in one room- or car. Their personalities just clashed as if you let two hungry dogs out of their cages to fight for a piece of meat. However, he was agreeing to her plan. It made sense to leave the offense to him and Ewan. They trained well enough be able to put their lessons to action. "Got it“, he said in his raspy voice while giving a slight nod. He kept watching the passing skeletons of trees from his window side even though he had seen it all day. Nothing new.

Listening to Poppy expressing her worry and sarcasm at the same time, made Augustus grin. It was the funniest thing that happened so far today, or maybe he was just sleep deprived. "Wow, thank you for this incredible insight of your feelings Poppy. We all needed to hear that", he shot back and watched the small mirror so he could see her sparkling eyes glaring burning arrows back to him.
Sometimes it was pure dislike for the korean-american demi-goddess but at other times it was just fun to see her taking off like a rocket. Still she was beautiful, but no one expects an angel to set the world on fire, and that was the problem.

His dark locks fell on his forehead as the slight wind from his rolled down window passed through the car peacefully. He scooted over a bit to get the water bottle that rested next to Ewan’s thigh and drank a few sips. While observing the depths of the forest, something felt off. He squinted his eyes, the branches in the distance moved in a way that couldn’t be caused by the wind. "Poppy" He called her in a louder tone while interrupting Kaliavene. "This is the area, right? Look to your left and stop the car." It could be their first monster to crush on this travel. Augustus pulled his eyebrows together as he wasn’t able to get a good view of the moving bushes in the infinite shades of greens and browns.

car in the forest

tired

white tank top, beige pants

poppy, kali, ewan

Mooriot

coded by natasha.

BreeDav · Jul 2, 2020

Ayda Moore

Daughter of Somnus
God of Sleep, Father of Dreams

Ayda was not in a good mood. Her usually sunny disposition had taken a beating over the last few days. As augur, she'd be the first to tell you that all quests were dangerous, but she hadn’t been expecting this one to be quite so gruesome. They’d been asked to protect a weapon. That was it! They were told that any monsters who came couldn't be allowed to find it or take it. It was a defensive quest. Historically, those were the safest. You set a perimeter, lean heavily on ranged weapons, and head home.

But on the journey here, their party had been slashed in half. The loss of any demigod was tragic, but she’d known David; he’d been a high ranking member of the Second Cohort. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get the memory of his dead and empty eyes out of her head. They had haunted her dreams since he and Janis had been murdered by the monsters. Two minotaurs had attacked their questing group. Monsters like those never traveled together, but they had been unlucky enough to find the two that did. Leo and Ayda had barely made it out alive.

“Hey!” Ayda ducked as a branch whipped back at her. “Leo!” She narrowed her eyes at him, flexing her fingers around her longbow. This boy had absolutely no spatial awareness. Anyone can blow a tire on a pothole, but it takes a special kind of person to blow two tires within five miles of each other. She unfolded the map as they trudged through the thick undergrowth.

“Yes, Leo. We need a plan.” She saw in his expression that he’d heard something before he even before he told her.

Ayda nodded and folded up the map, stuffing it into her backpack. “Okay. We are two demigods on a quest meant for four so be careful. This is it. Whatever monsters come out of those trees, we take down.” Her eyes focused over Leo’s shoulder, trying to find any suggestion of what he’d heard. “Remember that it could have poisoned teeth or claws and try not to make eye contact cause you never know what it can do.” She couldn't stop worrying about him. Why anyone chose melee weapons was beyond her. She much preferred to stay at a safe distance.

Ayda let out a long breath. “Leo, we can do this, right?” For just a moment, her confidence faltered. She followed his gaze down to the compass in his hand. It had warned them when the minotaurs had attacked. “Yeah. We can do this.” She answered her own question quickly, not wanting to give him the opportunity to talk her out of what they were about to face.

She slung the bow over her arm and started climbing a tree at the edge of the clearing. “I’ll cover you. Strike quick, aim for the heart, take 'em by surprise.” Her voice was soft, just loud enough to be carried to Leo on the breeze. With an arm looped over a thick branch, she pulled herself up.
She kept climbing until she found a good spot to sit. Good visibility of the clearing, but hidden enough to stay unseen. Her ankles linked under the thick branch and her back pressed against the trunk. In a swift and practiced motion, an arrow was taken from the quiver at her back and notched in her bow.
“Aut cum scuto aut in scuto,” Either with shield or on shield. Her lips moved around the words, carrying no sound.
The second cohort’s Centurion had sent her with that message when she’d been selected for the quest. It was an old spartan saying. Fight, and only return dead or victorious. She was ready.

somewhere in a forest

purple camp t-shirt || mom jeans || hiking boots

Chione , open to anyone for interaction

coded by natasha.

Mooriot · Jul 2, 2020

ewan hammond

son of athena

So road trips were supposed to be fun… right?

Granted, this bunch wouldn’t have been Ewan’s first choice of folks to traverse the country with, but he thought it was reasonable to expect just a little more out of his time being locked in a car for hours on end. Yet here he was, sitting leg crossed in the back seat of some run-down excuse of a motor vehicle—which was a pretty adequate summary of this entire experience so far. It wasn’t so much that he minded being shoved in a small space and constantly having to worry over accidentally kneeing his traveling companions. He could withstand that much.

Instead, it was the dull and tedious nature of the journey that bothered him. Frankly, it felt like both his time and expertise were being wasted when any other average Joe could've just as easily embarked on the glorified fetch quest. Alas, the gods were gods, and Ewan was in no place to argue against the all-powerful deities. But come to think of it… why couldn’t the gods retrieve their own lost possessions rather than condemning some poor kids to several days’ worth of traveling? Between the sudden request, the lack of clear-cut instructions, and the absence of any sort of otherworldly obstacles, nothing about the trip sat right with him.

Now that they were actually closing in on the weapon itself, he didn’t know whether or not to expect more of the same mundanity or finally an encounter with the opposition he was initially warned of. Honestly, he couldn’t tell which option was worse.

So when Poppy was the one to break the silence and expressed his exact thoughts, he was quite taken aback by the show of concern. Playing off Gus’s jabs at the driver, Ewan sighed as he flashed an amused glance at his friend next to him. “She’s got a point though,” he began, pausing to note Poppy’s reaction from the rear view mirror. He didn’t know what went on in her brain half the time, but somehow he’d ended up on her shit list somewhere along the ride, made evident by the way she looked at and addressed him. “We shouldn’t let our guard down, that’s all. Not here, of all places.”

Because let’s face it, they were in the dead center of some secluded forest in the middle of nowhere. All it would take was one formidable opponent and they’d be gone—whisked away from the living world with no witnesses to their names. They would be effectively erased from the world in the blink of an eye, and no one would know of their fate until a week later when the questers would fail to show up back at camp. Not to mention, the shortage of monsters along the way meant Ewan had no opportunity to fit in any extra training, and was almost certainly out of practice with his weapons. There was no way his form would still be up to par after a week of idling around, and he knew even the smallest of missteps would be enough for his skull to get bashed in or his heart to be pierced by some…

Ah shit, there he went again.

Turns out not even a blaring saxophone in the background was enough to keep Ewan’s cynicism at bay. Thankfully, Kali had spoken up to snap him out of his morbid trance, albeit only with a handful of words. He would’ve encouraged her to finish asking her question had it not been for Gus’s second outburst, admittedly snatching his attention away as well. Something moving in the forest?

Squinting to observe the greenery in the distance, he did make out just the slightest of movement, although nothing that he would’ve personally deemed unnatural or out of the ordinary. He gave Gus a gentle pat on the shoulder out of gratitude for his attentiveness, only slightly disgraced that he failed to notice the anomaly himself.

“So, I guess this is our stop. As long as we stick to the plan we should be fine,” he reassured the others with a half smile. Or at least, he hoped they would. Truth be told, there was an ocean’s worth of blunders to be made out there, especially with a group as volatile as this one.

god knows where

restless

chb tee // bomber jacket // light jeans

coded by natasha.

calypso · Jul 7, 2020

Poppylan Yoo

'Shut Up'

Maybe Poppy shouldn't of spoken up, given now that everyone was talking and giving their own opinion. Would of been much better to just pull over on the side of the road, get out, and make frantic grunting noises while pointing at the woods like a caveman. Then at least they'd be shocked into silence. Darting her eyes back up to the rear view mirror, Poppy was quick enough to catch Augustus raising his voice to stop.

The moment he told her he saw something, the brakes were slammed on. Although Poppy wasn't excluded from being brake-checked herself, she still had a bit of a giggle at the sudden lurch in movement, letting out a soft 'woo' right after. If there was one thing she missed the most while at Camp, it was roller coasters and all similar attractions. Nothing was more thrilling than suddenly going sixty miles per hour with only a metal bar keeping you locked in.

Reaching down to unbuckle her seat belt, she didn't bother to ask if everyone was okay before opening the door and swinging her legs out. For once in her life, she had swapped out her cute heels for sensible boots. She wasn't a complete idiot, after all. Not to mention the boots went with her outfit, so it wasn't like she was losing out on anything. Besides, who the hell did she need to impress on this trip? Surely not the giant monster they were about to face. 'Oh Poppy, are those louboutin heels? Adorable!"

Stretching her arms above her head, there was a slight clank from the two metal fans that rested on her hip. Currently shut and out of business, they definitely weren't the most conventional weapon around. But they got the job done, and no one wanted to ever steal them because they had no idea how the fuck to even use them. Poppy had even been practicing throwing them into targets and warping the metal to make them come back like a boomerang, while still keeping the fan aesthetic. No one wants to be the guy with a boomerang.

"Anyway!" She announced to everyone, suddenly snapping out her train of thought. Her eyes shifted over the general area Augustus had pointed out, before reaching down to pull a pair of leather gloves out of her back pockets. Sliding them on as she looked to the group, her face remained neutral.

"We take up the basic formation, and keep our eyes peeled. Friendly reminder that we are in a public forest, so don't stab anyone mortal or give them a heart attack. We will also not be stabbing any wild life, as I don't want that guilt on my heart," she said, finishing the glove work to move onto tying her hair up into a slick ponytail. A moment later it was swinging with a light bounce, and her hands had founded the two fans to palm them. With deadly silence, both of them opened up to reveal glinting celestial bronze. Most campers struggle to get one weapon made of the monster-killing material, yet Poppy had managed to snag two of them. Though most aware of her ability to charmspeak probably have an idea on how she managed to obtain it.

After making sure the blades were still sharpened to perfection, Poppy motioned to the group with one hand, still holding the deadly weapon.

"Alright, formation time. Ewan and Augustus, up front with weapons ready. Kali will go behind you, and I'll go behind her, because something tells me she didn't actually pay attention during the little car talk. Because who needs to listen to life-saving ideas when smooth jazz is on!" She declared, before flashing Kali a forced smile and motioning her into place. Although this definitely was Poppy reigned in a bit, she still couldn't help but make a sarcastic joke at any moment. Maybe she was just trying to ease the tension in her own way, but it sure wasn't ideal for the moment.

After stepping into her own spot for the formation, Poppy cast one last glance at the car before putting a fan up to her mouth and biting the handle. A moment later, and she had produced the car keys from her back pocket to lock the doors. It was a small preventative, something that would really only stop humans who came walking along from shuffling through stuff. If a monster decided to snoop around their trunk, not much a flimsy lock would do.

Putting the fan back into her hand, Poppy just exhaled loudly and raised her gaze to the forest ahead of her. Why she was chosen for this mission, who the hell knows. She had never tried to charmspeak a monster before, and her fighting skills weren't anything amazing. The entire trip had been weird in fact, now that she was thinking about it. Missions were supposed to be about going point from point, but their rag tag team was just shoved in a little car and sent tooting along the country for a 'weapon.' The most exciting thing was their trip to Denny's, and only because that place was fucking weird.

Everything else had been...normal. Like there wasn't anything important on the line, and they were just having a fun little road trip. It's not like anything could be done about it now, given the fact that they had finally arrived at their destination, but something just didn't settle right with the entire idea of it all. Not a lot of things got to Poppy, but this was pestering her mind.

"Just...be smart, alright? I mean it about lugging dead bodies back."

Border of a forest.

Annoyed, of course.

Jean shorts and a basic CHB shirt.

coded by natasha.

Noivian · Jul 7, 2020

Kaliavene Everette

Daughter of Thanatos

Kali’s voice was drowned out by the sound of everyone else piping up, not that Kali minded much. If she did, she didn’t let it on. When Augustus called for a stop, Kali’s heart dropped into her gut. She’d have to get out of the car. If it was as serious as the other campers were making it out to be, then she’d most definitely not be allowed to wait in the car. She wasn’t sure what she feared more; retribution from her traveling companions for making them go on without her, or being torn in half by a monster. Then again, if it was nothing and she waited in the car over nothing again, there was no way they were ever going to let her hear the end of it.

She was pulled abruptly from her thoughts as the car came to a screeching halt, and Kali was sure she smelt rubber burning slightly from how fast they skidded to a halt. Her seatbelt caught her before she could fly from her seat, though the rush of suddenly stopping nearly stopped her heart. It took her a good minute from after the car stopped to get her breathing under control, and then thirty seconds more to realize everyone else was getting out. Her right hand ached on the knuckles from where the force of flying forwards had smacked her fist into the side of the car, though strangely enough her left hand was fine. Perhaps because it was the fleshy part of her hand that smacked the underside of the dash. It would probably bruise later, she figured, though both the conditions of her hands were hidden from sight under her gloves at the moment.

Shakily unbuckling her seatbelt, which in and of itself took a few tries to do, Kaliavene pulled the door latch and kicked it gently open with a foot. Admittedly, she should have been smart like Poppy and brought boots, though honestly Kali was expecting a more urban setting than the woods when she got dressed today. Stepping out of the car, she set the staff on the passenger seat and took a moment to stretch, lacing her fingers and pushing the palms above her head as far as they would go, letting out a small satisfied sigh when her elbows and shoulders gave the expected pops.

Turning, Kaliavene took note of Poppy doing her hair up into a ponytail, and thinking it a good idea, reached into her pocket for a hair tie to follow suit. Last thing she wanted was stray hair in her face while fighting. But still Kali held onto the hope that there wasn’t going to be a fight, that perhaps all they saw was a squirrel or a small bunny or perhaps even a deer! Alas, even Kali knew demigod luck didn’t usually swing that way, despite what hours upon hours of road tripping had just recently taught her.

As a final precaution, Kali removed her gloves, sliding the soft black fabric down her elbows and tossing both items next to her staff, which she retrieved from the passenger seat, and shut her door behind her. She took a brief moment to examine her right hand, where the knuckles had indeed begun to bleed, though it was more along the lines of a skinned knee than anything serious. At Poppy’s jab, Kali simply huffed, shooting a tired and rather meek expression back at Poppy, and took up formation behind Augustus and Ewan. She was most certainly not about to start any kind of verbal fights at all, that would just lead to her being thoroughly ridiculed. She didn’t bother retorting how smooth jazz was also very captivating and soothing, either, because Kaliavene figured it would simply lead to the same result. “A girl can have her tastes,” she muttered under her breath.

With the flick of the wrist, Kali’s three foot long staff magically telescoped out to a six foot long rod of pure celestial bronze. Magic made it so the staff only collapsed on command, and so that the small areas where the staff pieces connected to each other became seamless and smooth, almost as if the staff were one whole piece rather than a bunch of smaller pieces coming together. She gave the staff a small flourish, spinning it over her right hand before taking up a basic form, and though her posture seemed correct, it was clear to anyone looking at the girl that she was freaking out inside.

“Please let it be a deer, please let it be a deer...”

Outside the car, in formation.

Scared.

coded by natasha.

Chione · Jul 7, 2020

LEO MENDOZA

SON OF JUPITER

Leo swiftly ducked behind the thick foliage on the edge of the clearing, keeping a firm hold on the ticking compass. All was still. The forest, which would typically be teeming with life, was deathly quiet – unnaturally so. His skin prickled with unease, tension rooting him to the spot and lining every muscle in his body. Something just didn’t feel right. There was a niggling voice whispering to him in the back of his mind, telling him that if he didn’t stand up and get the hell out of there, his whole world was going to be turned upside down. Leo gritted his teeth, remaining stubbornly in place. They’d come too far to just give up now.

The cheery, summer-blue sky quickly began to take on a dark shade of grey as heavy clouds rolled in, the weather mirroring the uncomfortable, twisting feeling in Leo’s gut. He cursed under his breath, mentally kicking himself for his lack of control, because a sudden change in forecast wasn’t strangely suspicious at all, was it? He would need to work on that later. Leo glanced at the compass in his hand as it started to make a low whirring noise, the needle picking up speed as it spun around. Whatever was out there was coming closer. It was almost time to end this hellish nightmare. He waited with bated breath, his thighs beginning to burn from crouching down for what felt like an eternity, keeping his thumb hovered over the eject button of his mini travel umbrella.

Then he heard it. The dull roar of an engine.

Leo’s brows furrowed as he watched a car lurch to a sharp stop, making him wince. He could feel the whiplash all the way from over there. Four people piled out, voices murmuring, but the leaves obstructed his view, rendering him unable to pick out any distinguishing features. Were they just a bunch of humans? It was odd. He and Ayda hadn’t come across anyone for miles... but then again, they were in a national park that was open to the public. If they were just regular people he couldn’t run out there swinging his sword like a maniac but what if they were monsters in disguise? For fuck’s sake. Why couldn’t anything ever be straightforward?

He held himself back as they slowly began to make their way across the clearing, almost warily. Were they on edge? Why? Leo looked down. The compass hadn’t stopped spinning. It didn’t work every time anymore but when it did, it was always right. Okay, fine. A full-frontal attack was off the table now, just in case, but another makeshift idea was already brewing. It would be a risky move and Ayda would probably reprimand him for it later, but who could resist the allure of a little daredevil thrill? Leo kept his eyes trained on them as they gradually drew closer, like a hunter stalking its prey, taking note of the two guys who were positioned at the front. His gaze landed on a rugged-looking fella and he could feel his lips slightly curl up in a sly smirk. That one.

Leo tucked the compass safely back underneath his hoodie and pushed up the sleeves to his elbows, the prominent black lines of his SPQR tattoo glaring up at him. ‘David, Janis... I’m gonna make you proud.’

Was he sure about this? No. But fuck it anyway.

He slowly breathed out, right arm extended, and felt a familiar tugging sensation in his navel when raw power coursed up through his veins. As soon as Leo clenched his fist a vicious bolt of lightning arced through the sky and struck the ground a few paces away from the quartet, leaving the grass charred and smoking, scarred by a curious, spiking pattern. Leo seized that moment of distraction, thumb pushing down on the trigger of his umbrella, and darted out of the bushes with it now transformed into his trusty Imperial Gold gladius. He was light on his feet, quickly crossing the distance between them before lunging at Mr Rugged. Leo yanked him back, pulling him against his chest (sourly noticing that the other guy was just a bit taller than him) and pressed the edge of his blade against his throat. Leo fisted some of his hair to tug him down slightly so he could whisper harshly into his ear.

“If you fucking move I can’t promise that you won’t cut yourself.”

Leo redirected his attention onto the rest of the group, levelling them with his perfected “wolf stare” that had been just one of the many things he’d been taught under Lupa’s guidance. Now that he had a better look at them, he realised that they were all around the same age but up close, he could tell that they weren’t normal kids. They felt weirdly off for some reason. He drank in the sight of ugly orange t-shirts and beaded necklaces, barely suppressing a scoff. Had they all escaped from summer camp or something?

Whatever. The compass told him that these guys were a threat, and even though he and Ayda were clearly outnumbered, they had sheer skill and the element of surprise on their side. Leo backed up a couple of steps, taking his hostage with him, making sure Ayda had a clear shot if she needed to shoot someone. He had complete faith in her abilities – she'd said she would cover him, and he didn’t doubt it.

The demigod tightened his hold on his hostage, scowling.

“Any sudden movements and I’ll fry this beefcake’s brain,” the handle of the gladius sparked, hammering home the fact that it was not an idle threat but a promise.

“So, tell me. Who the fuck are you and why are you here?”

Forest clearing.

Hella sus.

Purple CJ hoodie + bomber jacket | dark jeans | boots

coded by natasha.

mangomilk · Jul 8, 2020

augustus evans

son of cronos

The way the car skidded, made Augustus feel like he was on a rollercoaster. The wheels of the car dug its patterns into the sturdy but humid ground. This was their key moment of finding the mysterious weapon they promised to bring back to camp half blood, or was it? Augustus unbuckled his seatbelt from his torso and let it yank back in its original position. While stepping out of the car and finally giving his legs enough space again, he scanned their surroundings. This terrain is nasty, he thought squinting his eyes. It was dark and easy to hide for opponents if they wore the right colors while they were an effortless target.

Turning his glance to the others, he reached for his swords that were attached to his back. "Alright, formation time. Ewan and Augustus, up front with weapons ready." He let out a slight sigh before taking his position and slowly but steadily approaching the area of the forest that seemed suspicious to him a moment earlier. Each step was careful but with purpose, as if they’d walk over a mined field. It made him feel almost nervous, which was a rare Augustus state.

When suddenly a bright string stroke into the ground only a few steps away, it threw him off. The electric waves traveled into the soil so he could still feel them as a tingling sensation in the soles of his feet. Immediately he backed away slightly and shoved Kaliavene more behind him. Augustus knew this was an attack and now the only solution was to stand and fight. The fact that the lightning maneuver was a distraction disguised as an attack was something the half blood only started realizing when he turned. In the corner of his eye he saw a figure grabbing Ewan and threatening him. It was a boy that seemed to be in the same age range as they were but something about him looked wild. He furrowed his eyebrows and analyzed him. That death stare just bounced off on Augustus though.

"Easy", he stepped forward carefully and slowly drew apart his swords as a sign of peace. "Don’t you think it’s a little rude to just take a hostage in a national park?" If it wasn’t for Poppy letting them know this was a national park, he would’ve never guessed. "How about we talk without your shining frisbee", he asked in such a friendly way that it sounded so coarse at the same time. This was his gentle art of making enemies and hell… he was good at that. As an act of obligingness, he bowed down with his swords and laying them on the smoking grass, knowing Augustus though, his companions would figure he’d have a deceitful plan in the cunning mind of his.

Once he lifted himself up, he pointed up his index and middle fingers on both hands and let them cross each other in the air. The next time he looked up again, the movements of everything and everyone had come to a stop. The trees shaken by the wind held their position. It felt like he just paused the whole world like a movie. "Let’s see", he mumbled to himself, and came closer. The young man wore a dangerous sparkle in those hazel eyes while his hair was wavy and dark reminding him of his own in a way.

Taking his sweet ass time, Augustus circled him a few times with Ewan in his clutches. He bowed slightly to observe the golden gladius he carried and found it interesting. It seemed godly, nothing a monster would possess which led him to the conclusion, he must be a half god as well. The lightnings would speak for a son of zeus, but if he was…why was he a stranger? An undocumented child of the big three?

A closer look on the gladius revealed its possible origin, there were certain engravings that just couldn’t be greek. Just how could Augustus use this situation to his own benefit? He knew he couldn’t spend much time in this on-hold version of reality. It started to get tiring and he might need his energy for an actual fight. Augustus walked back, picking up his swords again to change his position right behind their attacker. He adjusted his swords in a way, he’d have the same position as the guy had now on Ewan.

Breathing out calmly, he closed his eyes to reactivate the flow of time. Even though Augustus liked to take in the same spot that he had when he stopped the time, it seemed like a safer way to eliminate Ewan’s hostage-taker. It must’ve been weird to see how a guy lays down his weapon in one second and standing right behind you in the next one. It was natural to suspect he had an ability concerning teleportation even though that thought was incorrect. "Roman origin…I suppose", he commented whispering in his ear in a daring tone but talking about the gladius.

"You seem to enjoy pulling his hair. Let me know if you like it just as much" Augustus got a tight grip of the soft thick hair of his opponent and pulling his head back roughly. "Who are you, are you by yourself? And why the hell are you attacking us." He made it seem less like a question but a demand.
Here he was, back in his element of fighting and he enjoyed it the fullest. What doesn’t kill him better runs.

the forest

ready to fight

white tank top, beige pants

poppy, kali, ewan, leo

Mooriot

Chione

coded by natasha.

BreeDav · Jul 9, 2020

Ayda Moore

Daughter of Somnus
God of Sleep, Father of Dreams

This was it. Ayda's stomach twisted and her nerves spiked. This was do or die. Kill or be killed. Her eyes had finally found shadowy figures to track through the dense greenery that filled this forest. At first, the shadows melded together, but as the group came closer, she was slowly able to differentiate its members. There were three… no four humanoid creatures. She could hear them speaking, though she couldn’t make out the words or the language being spoken. That meant they were an intelligent foe; much more dangerous than feral and animalistic monsters that roamed most rural or undeveloped areas.

In nervous anticipation she adjusted her positioning, testing the grip her legs had on the branch beneath her with a few small wiggles and readying her weapon. She couldn’t afford anything to screw this up. They were already outnumbered two to one.

Her arrow was trained on the largest figure, ready to be let loose the moment that she saw monstrous teeth or bloodstained claws. So, Ayda understandably faltered when a teenager broke through the tree line. Then another and another, and one more. The four figures were teenagers? For a moment, doubt clouded Ayda’s mind, and her fingers frozen on the bowstring.

There had to be something she was missing. She could feel it. There was some symbol or sign that she wasn’t seeing… But then Ayda found it. Three of the four figures were wearing orange T-Shirts. And not in a we-decided-to-match-today sort of way. They were the exact same shade of orange, with the exact same writing across their chest: Camp Halfblood. With renewed confidence, she found her target once more: the throat of the tall one. That word “Halfblood” wasn’t a word used by normal teenagers. It wasn’t a word used by anyone outside of those with an intimate relationship to the Roman myths. It was a general term for someone with godly blood, almost never used in Camp Jupiter. She didn’t know who those orange T-Shirted kids were, but somehow she knew that they were the reason for this quest.

But apparently, her instructions hadn’t been clear enough. Apparently, “Strike quick, aim for the heart, take 'em by surprise,” was too complicated an instruction for dumb, testosterone-filled, First Cohort meathead sons of Jupiter. Lightening cut through the air with a crack. For a moment, Ayda was proud of Leo. He’d done the smart thing and taken one the four out quickly. Right? But of course not. He had used a bolt of lightning, one of his most powerful abilities, to distract the group so that he could take a hostage.

“This is not a diplomatic quest, Leo. Use your sword as more than an accessory.” Ayda muttered under her breath. But she had to follow his lead now. If this ended up going sideways, their only chance at making it out alive would be surprising the group of four or finding a way to trick them. Both of which required that she stay hidden for now.

With the tallest enemy in Leo’s grasp, her arrowhead shifted to focus on the second boy. She couldn’t quite see his face, but she could faintly hear him. “Don’t you think it’s a little rude to just take a hostage in a national park?” This wasn’t right. Why weren’t they more scared? Why weren’t they rushing to save their friend?

“How about we talk without your shining frisbee.” The boy laid down his weapons and began to stand once more.

Her eyes flickered towards the two girls who stood in the clearing. One seemed nervous and scared, but neither were panicked. Why weren't they panicking? Their ally had a knife to his neck. Some people were cool under pressure, but this wasn't normal.

That was when it hit her; they weren’t worried or frantic because they had a way out. There was no time to find out what their plan was. She had to act. She drew back her bowstring with savage intensity and let the arrow fly. In the same instant, her target made a symbol with his fingers.

He disappeared. The boy blinked out of existence. She could still see her target in her mind’s eye; that sweet spot where the neck and shoulder came together, just beside the spine. But it was gone. In the milliseconds before the arrow left her grasp she twisted in surprise.
Instead of flying true and hitting the earth where her target had stood, the arrow wobbled in the air, throwing its self off course and toward Leo. In an incredible turn of luck, it didn’t hit him. Instead, it shot past the man in his grip, slicing through the air in front of his face and leaving a thin trail of blood over his cheek.

If this was a perfect world, Leo's bolt would have killed one of the girls, Leo would have the tallest teen in a headlock, and Ayda's arrow would have taken out the second boy. But now they had lost the surprise and Ayda's position was compromised. Her eyes swept across the clearing quickly, and her heart sunk when she saw where the boy had appeared again. His fingers were gripping Leo's hair harshly, blade against the son of Jupiter's neck. Her heart dropped. She refused to lose another quester.

“That’s your last warning,” Ayda called out, scrambling to cobble together a plan. She pressed herself against the trunk of the tree, hoping that even though they would hear her, she was deep enough in shadow and foliage that she’d be hidden from their view.

A cloud moved over the sun, darkening the entire clearing for just a few moments. “You’re outnumbered and surrounded.” Ayda summoned all of her calm and confidence and pushed it into her words. It was a lie, but if she was able to pull this off she could save the mission. This was her first quest, but it would not be her last. And if Ayda had to sound like an authority figure for just a few moments to make that happen, she would

However calm her voice may have sounded, her mind was reeling. What were these things? They could teleport and spoke English. If she hadn’t been told otherwise by a god, she would have believed they were Halfbloods. But children of gods couldn't survive on their own away from Camp Jupiter. And there was no way that Camp Halfblood was a real camp. Besides the fact that it sounded like the most half-assed fake name, CJ campers would know about it. She was sure that the Praetors wouldn't have missed the opportunity to create a ranking system between the camps. Ayda could only imagine that these teens must actually be monsters manipulating the mist around them somehow.

“By order of Senatus Populusque Romanus, I order you all to lay down your weapons, drop the mist, and release my legionnaire.”

She an arrow from the quiver at her back and purposefully let it scrape across the wood of the bow. She wanted them to know she was armed and ready for any move they may make.

somewhere in a forest

purple camp t-shirt || mom jeans || hiking boots

Chione ,

calypso ,

Noivian ,

Mooriot ,

coded by natasha.

Mooriot · Jul 10, 2020

ewan hammond

son of athena

Between the inexplicable assembly of dark clouds overhead and the awfully convenient strike of lightning, Ewan would’ve thought it was his own godly grandfather coming after him had he not known any better. The abrupt sequence of logic-defying weather followed by being immediately incapacitated threw him completely off guard, naturally startled by the sudden appearance of a blade against his neck.

He quickly realized that whoever subdued him had an incredibly powerful grip, making it impossible to realistically win a struggle without sustaining any fatal wounds. Of all the ways to die, slowly and painfully bleeding out from the throat was definitely up there in terms of undesirability—right now a quick and easy stab to the back of the neck didn’t sound so bad after all. But as the tense seconds counted down with no discernible pain seeping out his jugular, it was apparent that his attacker hadn’t instantly killed him, for whatever peculiar reason he had. Even though the initial shock still hadn’t subsided, it didn’t take a genius to recognize that he was being taken as a damn hostage.

Sure Ewan knew a thing or two about navigating hostage situations through his years of obsessive training. They were quite the precarious situations, requiring a strict balance of firmness and communication to resolve in a peaceful manner. Deciphering the captor’s intent and methodology, then drafting a plan from there—all straightforward enough considering he was the descendant of a bloody wisdom goddess. It’s just… he never actually thought he’d end up being the one held captive. Who in their right mind takes a look at this party and decides, of all people, he’d be the easiest one to single out and detain? Did his captor have the biggest balls on the planet, or the smallest brain in the galaxy?

Either way, the immediate threat this guy posed was certainly real, and—hold on a second, did he just use his spare hand to... tug at some hair? Definitely the smallest brain in the galaxy. Although the sudden yank of Ewan’s head said otherwise, he wanted to scoff in response to the stranger’s attempted abduction. Seriously, he couldn’t believe it. What flavor of idiot decides to restrain the opponent’s hair, of all things?

Ewan slowly raised his arms up in an act of surrender, wondering just what kind of mental victory the fool behind him would be wallowing in. It was obvious that whatever senseless intent and methodology his captor had, it wasn’t worth losing the brain cells over. The only question left worth asking was how to get out of the bind he was currently stuck in, miraculously having both of his hands free. A dagger for a quick stab could catch the boy off guard, but would still leave ample time for retaliation. On the other hand, a strike with a blunt weapon could disorient him for long enough to escape, but Ewan didn’t have the position to pull it off. He’d have to wait for an opportunity to present itself, but it was important to keep the options in mind.

Next thing he knew, he could feel his captor breathing down his neck and sternly whispering in his ear: “If you fucking move I can’t promise that you won’t cut yourself.” Despite being another scoff-worthy statement ripped straight out of a second-rate thriller film, the words had some truth backing them. The golden blade was unlike any other Ewan had seen or handled previously. Could it have been the weapon they were sent to retrieve? Whoever this numbskulled hostage-taker was, he was definitely no ordinary mortal wandering the woods.

Alas, he had no choice but to move with said numbskulled hostage-taker, barely making it out to the middle of the clearing before the guy opened his mouth yet again to issue some more empty threats. For being kidnapped by someone who loved to talk of frying brains and slicing windpipes, Ewan found it surprisingly effortless to think and breathe in his current state. It was almost like the boy was putting on a show, either trying to inflate his own ego or impress some other spectator.

Now that they were in the middle of the clearing, it was easy to assess the disadvantageous position the Greeks had stumbled into. There were thickets of trees surrounding the entire expanse with no way to see beyond, meaning they were potentially flanked in every possible direction. As witless as this one foe was, there was no telling how many others were waiting beyond the shadows. Everything being said and done, there was still the benefit of having two free hands to work with. Staging an escape would be an elementary procedure once there was some distance to work with, or if he had a second’s worth of a head start in overpowering the hostage-taker.

Thankfully, Ewan wasn’t short on allies either—capable ones. The instant Augustus walked up, he had to prepare himself. God knows what kind of chaos his fellow camper would cause in his little time bubble, but he had to be ready to act. The ability was an outright menace to the world, but it seemed the most viable option they had under the current circumstances.

Sure enough, he blinked and Gus disappeared from sight after giving his own little spiel. Ewan's ears immediately caught on to the familiar voice behind him. Something about a Roman origin? It wasn’t important for now. For some reason Gus didn’t save Ewan the trouble of having to escape himself, but at the very least he felt the idiot behind him jerk in response to the sudden shift in reality. He had some leeway to work with now.

Yet just as Ewan was about to stage his overdue escape, a fleeting projectile darted past his field of vision, accompanied by a sharp stinging sensation on the side of his face. His eyes wandered over to the arrow that had just grazed his cheek, gritting his teeth in frustration. So there was backup. That made things a whole lot more complicated. He heard a new voice—female, presumably the horrendous shot of an archer that also managed to fail in securing the killing blow. She then bellowed out her own flimsy warning, something these performative imbeciles seemed to hand out like candy.

Judging from the new girl’s voice and her arrow’s abominable trajectory, it wasn’t too difficult to pinpoint her general whereabouts. But the presence of one archer indicated the very likely possibility of more waiting behind the wings, and there was no way of covering all angles without enlisting the help of Mr. Time Lord behind him. He began to count the trees and other candidates for hiding spots before the archer indulged in another handful of words: “You’re outnumbered and surrounded.”

Oh. So they were alone after all.

What sound tactician on this side of the Styx would ever reveal such a critical advantage in a situation like this—spoon-feeding integral information to the enemy? Then again, this duo seemed to be everything except capable of making sound judgement. Either the girl took him for a fool and manufactured a half-baked lie to bargain for her comrade’s life, or they really did have reinforcements awaiting the signal to strike. And if their backup was anything like the pair out on display in front of him, Ewan suspected that a ruptured eardrum would be just about the only injury he’d have to worry about.

Needless to say, he had about enough of it all. As everyone’s attention was turned to the female commencing Act II of her never-ending monologue, he knew there was no better time to move. His captor’s concentration was likely being pulled in several directions, which would allow Ewan to initiate an unanticipated struggle from the front. Imagine that, losing a battle over distracting your own allies.

Just as the girl finished pronouncing some ungodly, incomprehensible name, Ewan procured a medium-length broadsword in his left hand, its blade just thin enough to slip through the gap between the gladius and his neck. Dropping his other hand to catch the blade by the edge, he pushed with all the force he could muster to intercept the gladius with his own sword, drawing the threat away and finally escaping the chokehold.

Ewan would’ve happily stuck the sword in his captor’s chest had there not been a more pressing issue that demanded his time. Instead, he let the weapon fall to the ground as he pulled a bow out of the air with his newly-freed hands, nocking an arrow that appeared between his fingertips. He aimed at the trees where the voice came from in spite of not having direct visuals on its source. He favored his odds. Besides, she was quite the stationary target up there while he remained mobile on the ground. It was all the justification he needed as he pulled back on the bow, releasing the string right as the girl’s sentence concluded.

"surrounded" in the forest

incredibly offended

chb tee // bomber jacket // light jeans

coded by natasha.

calypso · Jul 13, 2020

Poppylan Yoo

'Shut Up'

Okay, so everything went to shit really fast. Normally there was a little build up to this sort of thing, but not this time around. Seems like someone just saw a fan and had the best idea of what to throw into it.

At the current moment, a few events had transpired very quickly. Ewan was taken hostage by some dirty looking teenager, before Augustus did his little fancy pose and blipped through time to more or less free captive Ewan. Someone in the trees, another teenager based on the sound of her voice, said some silly ass shit about 'Senator Pepperoni Roman Atwood.' Then Ewan fired an arrow at the girl and seemingly missed, as no body fell from the tree right after. She also ordered them to drop the mist, which meant they most definitely weren't fully human. Specifically, that left two options to what they were.

Either these were the monsters that they were warned against, or they were other demigods. And only the first option actually made sense, since no one here had any idea on who the hell these people were. No other demigods were sent out on the mission, and even if they were, they would know who the hell they are and not take them hostage. So the current situation looked like it was finally time to kick some monster ass. Even if they looked like attractive teenagers. Weird choice, but Poppy got the sentiment behind it. All she had to do now was figure out a plan, since they currently seemed royally fucked. Thankfully, Poppy was very smart. It was one of her good qualities.

Still holding her fans in a defensive position, her eyes slowly followed the trajectory from which the arrow was originally shot from. Someone up in the trees, who suggested that there were more of them. Focusing her eyes on the spot where the girl likely was, Poppy could just barely make her outline out. It helped that she had purposefully made a noise to intimidate them, but it had only revealed her location to the young demigod. While Poppy wasn't amazing at conventional fighting, this sort of thing was right up her alley. Her fingers slowly shifted as one of the fans closed, the metal scrapping together. The bladed ends folded against each other to form a perfectly sharp knife at the end, clearly having just been sharpened. The other fan was still open, but she had to be quick about her next movements. If there were multiple archers, each of them probably had one trained on her fellow campers. And if the girl had fired at Augustus originally, that meant Poppy's archer was most likely behind her based on the current layout of the group.

At least, she hoped they were. Maybe she was giving them way too much credit for monsters. Either way, this was her only plan at the moment. Not amazing, but not too shabby. (At least, that's the hope. If they die, then it was an awful plan.)

A one, and a two, and a one two three...

Pivoting suddenly, Poppy extended her arm with the closed fan and let fly through the air right towards the female archer. The enchanted fan easily soared through the air, the blade catching the end of her short sleeve to slam it back against the tree with surprising force. A moment later, and Poppy had spun around with her second fan splayed open and protecting her head from any potential firings.

After a second or two of not being shot to death with arrows, Poppy quickly stood up straight and raised her voice. Although she had never used her power around her fellow campers before, it was pretty obvious to what she was about to do. Her voice flowed out like honey, though her hardened expression suggested a different mood. Still, it was only the intention that mattered in the current moment.

"Everyone STOP right now! I want whoever is attacking us to drop their weapons and come forward with their hands up. My guys, back in formation with weapons raised!" Raising her fan up, Poppy made a motion to circle up. Although she could of spared her allies from her own power, it was pretty clear she didn't even think of that in the moment. Keeping her eyes trained on the only monster she could see at the moment, she made sure to give him a good death stare, just to assure he had gotten the order.

"Girl up in the trees, pull the fan out slowly and do not open it. Drop it at my feet when you get down here, along with your bow and quiver. No one talks until I say so, so we can get this stupid fucking weapon and leave. If you behave, we won't kill you." She added with a somewhat forced smile, before walking to the front of the reformed formation. Glancing back at her group, she quickly snapped her fingers.

Although the monsters were stuck under the control of the charmspeaks still, her fellow campers were released from the hold like a rubber band. Stepping forward, the remaining fan she held snapped closed, and she pointed the blade towards the male monster.

"Why the fuck did you attack us."

Border of a forest.

Annoyed, of course.

Jean shorts and a basic CHB shirt.

coded by natasha.

Noivian · Jul 14, 2020

Kaliavene Everette

Daughter of Thanatos

Everything happened all at once.

Lightning struck the ground, and as all lightning does when it connects with a grounding force, it made a thunderous clap. Kali screamed, as she predictably does when lightning strikes, and her form immediately crumpled to a cowering position. Vision blurry and ears ringing, she could barely hear the other campers as Ewan was suddenly taken hostage. Her skin tingled with residual electricity - perhaps her rubber soled shoes weren’t as insulating as she thought. It didn’t occur to her that the giant metal pole she was holding made a brilliant lightning rod, siphoning the sparks that scattered around the ground and ignited a few blades of grass.

Gus did his time bubble thing, a skill Kali didn’t fully understand but very much admired, and took the captor captive. Something about this situation made her chuckle internally, in a very dark and perhaps morbid way. It reminded her of a situation she’d seen in a comic online... three people lined up in repeating choke holds. She had a mental image of... well, nevermind.

The point of the matter was that they were in active combat, and she should focus up. An arrow skid across Ewan’s face, and he made his escape, dropping a sword before him and taking a bow straight out of thin air, firing it into the trees in the direction of the voice. Immediately Kali backed him up, ducking around to put herself between the boy Gus took hostage and Ewan, leaving Poppy more or less alone in the back of the formation. She heard the sound of Poppy’s fans sliding and flying as Kali’s staff quickly smacked into the hostage’s side, releasing the stored up static that had been collecting on it. Given how it rebounded back to her, it felt more or less like getting zapped with a bug zapper, and with a yelp Kali dropped her staff, the momentum carrying it halfway across the clearing as it rebounded off the boy’s side.

Okay, so they were either demigods or monsters. If they were monsters, the Mist would have probably dissolved by now, right? Hitting something was a good way to tell if it was real, correct?? Then they had to be demigods. But why would there be demigods that weren’t in Camp Halfblood? Guard dropping, she stared in puzzlement at the boy Gus was holding onto... until Poppy started talking.

It was as if she’d fallen into a daze, her head tilting one way and then another as she listened to Poppy’s soothing, yet commanding voice. Yes. Weapons and formation made sense. Let’s do that. Stepping over cinders in the grass, Kali made her way over to her staff and picked it up, retreating to her designated location between Poppy and the front line.

Then, like whiplash from the car just moments before, Kaliavene could feel the daze over her vanishing. She blinked a few times, taking in her surroundings once again and noting her ready attack stance. Looking over her shoulder at Poppy, Kali blinked a few times, before voicing the idea that’s been nagging her since she struck the unknown boy. “Poppy,” she whispered, “I don’t think they’re monsters.”

Forest clearing.

Confused.

coded by natasha.

Chione · Jul 16, 2020

LEO MENDOZA

SON OF JUPITER

See? This was exactly why he didn’t like making plans.

In Leo’s experience, they never went accordingly. Someway, somehow, it would always go tits up and blow up in his face. Honestly, he didn’t know if this little mission of theirs could actually get any worse – they were pretty much at rock bottom anyway – but of course, the Fates just loved to shit on them. As it turned out, it could get worse. Much worse. An “I-wish-I'd-just-killed-them-from-the-start" kind of worse.

Leo had tried to be considerate (perfectly polite if you asked him) and had decided to nicely ask for some straight answers instead of charring them all to a crisp. His thoughtfulness had been completely underappreciated. He’d started off strong, so sure in his decision, but control quickly spiralled out of his hands. One of the monsters, wearing an annoyingly attractive face, repaid his kindness by somehow teleporting behind him, holding a blade against his own neck. The Roman demigod had no time to react before he felt his head being roughly pulled back with a force that made his eyes prickle, the monster whispering lowly in his ear. Leo would’ve laughed in response had it not been for the dire situation he was now in – to be honest, the guy should’ve pulled harder. A muscle in his jaw twitched as he clamped his teeth together, determined to keep his silence, but he couldn’t help but swallow out of reflex. His Adam’s apple bobbed, grazing against the lethal edge of the sword at his throat, blood beading from the shallow cut.

When the arrow had whistled past, narrowly missing him thanks to his new meat shield, Leo had never been more glad to hear Ayda’s voice. Except... then came the guilty realisation that she had given away her position to save his arse. Gods, he owed that girl big time. He genuinely hoped in his heart that she’d listen to her human self-preservation instinct and get the fuck out of there the moment all hope was lost but, after getting to know her better on their journey, he knew she wouldn’t. Leo hadn’t been too worried about being in this vulnerable position considering that the monster behind him had squandered a brilliant opportunity to kill him. All he had to do now was summon another strike of lightning and -

Fuck. In his moment of distraction, his captive had managed to wrangle himself out of his grasp and had wasted no time in pulling a fucking bow and arrow out of thin air and shooting in Ayda’s general direction. Leo’s heart plummeted to his stomach. It was like he was watching the arrow fly in slow motion. He was not going to watch another teammate die. If anything happened, it would be all his fault. How would he even be able to live with himself?

The grey clouds swirled, thick and angry, and Leo struggled against his captor’s grip.

“NO.”

His desperate plea rung, heart-tugging and choked by hysteria. The demigod flung out his arm, unadulterated panic lashing out with thoughtless ferocity, and a powerful gust of wind flung the arrow off course and blasted the leaves off some unfortunate nearby bushes. Leo was not afforded a moment to breathe a sigh of relief, his heart still hammering erratically in his chest from the adrenaline, when what appeared to be a girl whacked him in the ribs with a bloody metal pole. The fuck? Were disguised monsters now stealing from strip clubs? He winced, his bomber jacket doing little to soften the blow, but the stored static had no effect. The wonders of being electric proof.

The incessant niggling in the back of his head was getting louder and louder. Why hadn’t the Mist dropped yet? Why were they wielding weapons and not their claws and teeth? Something just wasn’t adding up. It was like all the evidence had moulded into a flashy neon sign screaming DEMIGODS, and it would’ve been a plausible explanation if not for the fact he didn’t recognise any of their faces. He’d been living at Camp Jupiter for eight whole years, so he definitely knew his fair share of people. So they had to be monsters posing as demigods. An odd tactic, but hey, whatever worked right?

With a hand now free, Leo allowed electricity to crackle at his fingertips and he would’ve reached round to give the hands-on fella a good old zap... but of course, the fourth member used that moment to fling a fan like a damned Kyoshi Warrior. Then, something terrible happened:

She spoke.

It felt like he’d been submerged under a sea of treacle, sickly sweet and cloying. A wave of calm washed over him, soothing his frayed nerves, and Leo wanted nothing more than to just lie back and let the flow carry him. Yes. All he had to do was drop his weapon and -

Wait. What?

Like cold water being splashed over his face, the rose-tinted haze lifted, and Leo fought to gather his bearings. The suffocating feeling of compulsion clung to him unyieldingly, so whilst his mind was free, his body was being pulled like a puppet on strings. Leo was released from his captor’s grip and, all too easily, his beloved gladius fell onto the grass with a soft thump. He mourned the feeling of its comforting weight in his grip, his arms already moving up with splayed palms. Inside, Leo was screaming. He wished he could’ve returned the girl’s glare tenfold, but now that he had a clear view of her, thoughts began to whir. She was an admittedly beautiful girl despite the unflattering orange t-shirt, cloaked in an ethereal quality that strangely reminded him of the children of Venus back home.

‘You don’t really still think they’re disguised monsters, do you?’ asked a snide voice, deep within his subconscious.

Leo didn’t know what to think anymore.

"Why the fuck did you attack us."

Unwillingly, his mouth opened to speak, the truth heavy on his tongue. Stop. No. Don’t. Please.

“I thought you were monsters disguised by the Mist but I wasn’t completely sure.”

UGGGHHHHHHH.

Forest clearing.

Pissed.

Purple CJ hoodie + bomber jacket | dark jeans | boots

coded by natasha.

mangomilk · Jul 20, 2020

augustus evans

son of cronos

Augustus had never held his sword this tight between his fingers before. He didn’t care if he hurt his target, he didn’t care if he’d slit his throat with the warm thick blood running down his hands and painting the forest grounds in scarlet patterns. He was cruel enough to do so and everybody knew it.

His other hand pulled the hair of his captive with no mercy to be expected while Ewan was able to escape the dark haired boy’s grip and get more control of the situation by taking care of the other person hiding in the depths of the treetops nearby. "You’re outnumbered and surrounded." Although confidence laid in her voice, there was something that did not feel right. Augustus just smirked and acted surprised. "Then just shoot us", he shrugged untouched as his blade cut the boy’s skin a bit more by the motion of his shoulders rubbing against him.

Even though in the back of his head Augustus wondered if these people were monsters or not, he could only think about the next movement he’d execute, after all, he couldn’t hold the guy forever like this. His ears twitched when he heard the slight crackle that formed in the hands of his prey. His heart dropped for a moment with the pure adrenaline rushing in his blood as if you were to put mentos in a bottle of coke. Before he had chance to react, a voice as smooth as honey hypnotized him completely, soft velvet hands caressing his tensed arms, just that they weren’t there in reality. "Everyone STOP right now! I want whoever is attacking us to drop their weapons and come forward with their hands up. My guys, back in formation with weapons raised!“

One second to the other he let go of the young man as if nothing had happened. His body calmed down and his eyes appeared hazy only searching for the next order that would escape Poppy’s lips. Augustus positioned himself back in place and with the next snap of her fingers, the weird desire to do anything she’d tell him to was gone. With squinted eyes he wondered what he just missed. His swords ready to get to business, he waited for their attacker to speak with little patience.
“I thought you were monsters disguised by the Mist but I wasn’t completely sure.”

Monsters? "We're no monsters", he growled and pointed one of his swords at him. He wouldn't mind pinning him like a shashlik honestly.

Tilting his head he tried to follow the thought process of the hazel eyed young man though. If he knew there were monsters, the only consequence was that he was either a human aware of the existence of the gods or he was a halfblooded himself. The gladius, he remembered. Augustus took a few steps into their direction and picked up the object to observe it more. "Where did you get this? The engravings...are roman" His thoughts were circling the word 'roman' but that couldn't be it...right?
Everything felt like a puzzle with pieces that all looked alike.

the forest

'what the hell'

white tank top, beige pants

poppy, kali, ewan, leo, ayda

Mooriot

Chione

BreeDav

coded by natasha.

BreeDav · Jul 23, 2020

Ayda Moore

Daughter of Somnus
God of Sleep, Father of Dreams

This was not good. This was so not good. Anya’s knuckles were white where she gripped her bow. Her breath was faster than usual, shallow in her chest as she watched her partner take a beating. They hadn’t bought her bluff. A few of the monsters had hesitated, but not enough to change what was going to happen.

ffffffft. Anya knew the sound of an arrow cutting through the air better than any other sound. She’d heard it thousands of times while training at Camp Juniper. Out of pure instinct, she let herself fall forward, hitting the tree branch and hugging it with her arms and legs like a koala. She felt the air above her head change as the arrow whizzed through it, hitting the tree trunk where she’d been sitting. She wiggled, repositioning as best as she could, but the group was out of her vision. She couldn’t get a clear shot, she couldn’t protect Leo. Anya wanted to kick herself. She felt like the worst back up ever. Some grunts and a few yells made their way to her ears, but a female voice cut through the noise. It was a sharp voice, but enchanting. Beautiful and filled with authority.

Anya’s mind went cloudy as she listened. “Girl up in the trees, pull the fan out slowly, and do not open it. Drop it at my feet when you get down here, along with your bow and quiver. No one talks until I say so, so we can get this stupid fucking weapon and leave. If you behave, we won't kill you."

That seemed to make the most sense in the world. She suddenly couldn’t imagine a better thing to do than to climb down the tree and drop her weapons. So she did. Ayda had always been a good soldier. She took orders well and always followed them completely. She was every bit a Roman legionnaire. So, she reached behind her back and pulled the metal fan from the tree trunk. With her bow slung across her back, she was able to shimmy most of the way down the tree and let herself fall the last few feet. Her vision was blurry and her entire body felt foggy, but she continued forward until she stood beside Leo. The fan slipped through her fingers and she dropped her bow. She carefully laid down her quiver, making sure that she wouldn’t spill any of the arrows from their container. With a friendly smile, she looked up once again.

Leo answered first, “I thought you were monsters disguised by the Mist but I wasn’t completely sure.”

“Apollo sent us. We were told to protect the weapon.” She added, then with a scoff “Of course they’re Roman markings. What else would they be?” Anya’s head tilted slightly, eyes wandering back to the woman who’d given the orders. What now? She straightened her Camp Juniper shirt nervously and looked over at Leo. He was bruised and beat up, but he was okay. Through the cloudiness that still encompassed her thoughts, she felt relief. She couldn’t lose him too. If she didn’t make it out of this with Leo, she didn’t think she’d make it out at all.

somewhere in a forest

purple camp t-shirt || mom jeans || hiking boots

Chione ,

calypso ,

Noivian ,

Mooriot ,

coded by natasha.

Mooriot · Jul 25, 2020

ewan hammond

son of athena

It should’ve been the perfect shot. Ewan knew he had the right angle, but an abnormal updraft of wind blew his arrow off course, some inches above his intended target. No body came tumbling out of the trees. No audible pain from up above either. What the hell was happening? He glared above, ignoring the shameless howl coming from the boy behind him, who must’ve surely recognized the gravity of his errors by now. The female, on the other hand, now seemed to grasp the concept of keeping her mouth shut. But it was too late. She’d already given away her position and was nothing more than a sitting duck.

Quite evidently, he wasn’t the only one who had thought so either. He watched Poppy’s fan zoom into the trees, although not caring to wait and confirm if it struck her target. Besides, if he couldn’t land his first shot, surely her chances would be slim to none. No more blunders. Ewan adjusted his hold on the bow before summoning another arrow in his hand, haplessly trying to account for the bizarre wind patterns in his head. Once he settled on an acceptable angle, his fingers grew tight as he pulled the bowstring back.

And then Poppy spoke. “My guys, back in formation with weapons raised!”

What? Had she gone mad? Ewan had long known trouble brewed whenever the girl opened her mouth, but this was truly something else. They were clearly in an advantageous position and he couldn’t fathom why she wanted to pause the skirmish so eagerly. It seemed like everyone else was trying to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and he was the only one left capable of thinking properly. But it wouldn’t matter, he could do this by himself if he had to. All he needed to do was release the string, and just like that, the battle would be won. They’d retrieve the weapon and return to camp, earning favor with the gods themselves and being hailed as heroes.

Except… he didn’t want that anymore. Instead, if he appealed to Poppy’s wishes, maybe she would finally stop giving him the cold shoulder at every turn of the road. Ewan didn’t have many adversaries to his name, but the girl’s bitterness towards him posed quite the conundrum—one he didn’t know how to respond to. Indeed, appeasing her would be a much better use of his time, this mundane quest be damned. So, he watched as the archer climbed down the trees, following her every step but not daring to shoot until he was cleared to do so. He couldn’t afford to agitate Poppy any more than he already had.

The two teens eventually lined up and dropped their weapons exactly as told, a sign of surrender that Ewan accepted without question. He relished in the thrill of triumph as he turned to the other campers, only for his stomach to sink when he was literally snapped back to reality. Much to his horror, he realized what just transpired, barely able to piece together the clouded fragments of his former judgement. The arrow between his fingers grew heavy as he clutched the bow with a stifled frustration—disappointed that Poppy would offer their opponents reprieve as she had done, but perhaps more disappointed that he allowed it to happen.

Nonetheless, Ewan waited for the two to explain themselves and provide some much needed answers. Yet apparently, they weren’t even capable of doing that either. His numbskulled assailant accused them of being monsters shrouded by the Mist, of all things. The very thought made Ewan scoff from the preposterousness of his claim. Immediately afterwards, his equally naive partner made the absurd assertion of being sent by Apollo to… defend the weapon? This had to be some humorless ruse or a poorly planned prank, one in especially bad taste.

His eyes then trailed over to the blade Augustus picked up from the ground, trying to catch a glimpse of the weapon. It was a simple shortsword much like the ones that were commonplace back at camp, although this one was fashioned out of some reflective, golden metal that sure stung like hell when it was nice and cozy against his neck. And according to Gus... it was Roman? There were clues everywhere he looked, the only problem being that none of them added up to a picture that made any sense in the slightest.

“Who are you guys? Some rogue demigods trying to play spoiler or something?” Ewan challenged, hazarding his best guess at the peculiar situation that had unfolded in front of him. He let the idea settle in his head for a brief moment before deciding that their nonsensical intentions were of no matter. They were sent on a mission to retrieve a weapon, not to interrogate some clueless teens. “And where’s this weapon Apollo told you to protect?”

in the forest

frustrated

chb tee // bomber jacket // light jeans

coded by natasha.

calypso · Jul 25, 2020

Poppylan Yoo

'Shut Up'

Now that everything under slightly more control, Poppy let out a disgruntled sigh as she bent down to pick up her now retrieved fan. Opening up for a moment to fan out any dirt that had become trapped on the blades, Poppy kept her gaze on the two who had surrendered in front of the group. She had been correct in her assumption that they were alone, though that honestly only left more questions that needed answers.

Glancing over at Gus, Poppy side-stepped around Ewan to pluck the gladius from the boys hands after snapping her freshly retrieved fan against her hip. Holding it up close to her eyes to examine it, she said nothing as the two prisoners raddled on about Apollo and a mission to also get a weapon. Finally scrunching up her nose and swinging the blade around to rest against her shoulder, Poppy propped one of her hands against her hip and glared down at the two.

"Yeah, what the big dude said. You're clearly demigods, but what the hell are you even doing all the way out here? We're the only ones who got sent out on the mission by Apollo, and I've never seen either of your mugs at Camp. Feel like I would remember someone so annoying," she said, snickering slightly. Clearing her throat a moment after, Poppy resumed her glare at the two. Between the two of them, she wasn't sure who was more dangerous. Zappy angry boy, or hidden tree girl.

"Okay, so we have a son of...Zeus? I saw those little sparks at your fingertips, unless there's secretly another God of thunder and whatnot," she said, pausing as she shifted weight to her other foot. "Even saying that out loud doesn't sound right. No one of the Big Three was sent with us, we just have way too many kids who are related to death and one smart ass," she added on, letting out a groan as she snapped her fingers. Whatever was still holding onto Leo and Ayda broke away, Poppy officially letting them go.

"Held onto that way too long," she muttered, stumbling slightly back as she rubbed at her head. Pretty easy to forget about the hold she had over people until the pounding headache came around. Raising her hand back up to silence anyone before they even spoke. No one got to speak before Poppy was done, ever. Unless they wanted to get on her hate-list, much like Ewan seemingly was.

"Alright, I've made my mind up. We take these two back to camp with us after we find the weapon so they can explain themselves to Dionysus," she said, turning back to Leo to point his own weapon at him. "You two can sit in the car while we do all that, because I seriously don't trust either of you. Attacking fellow demigods, clearly snooping where you shouldn't be to get information about this mission and Apollo, and then trying to COMPLETE it on your own. And then said weird shit about Rome, for whatever reason. I don't even want to know what's going through your mind and what you think you're trying to pull here. Absolutely bonkers, honestly. Maybe they've been brainwashed by some other monster and haven't even been to camp yet. That sounds somewhat sane," she finished, finally stepping back to let the others talk. Not like she had basically jumped from point A to Z right back to A again.

Letting out a groan and tossing the gladius back to Gus without much of warning, Poppy just crossed her arms and went back to glaring at the two. It was clear she was just waiting for them to revolt so she could charmspeak them right back into place, her eyes gave it away. Her lips screwed themselves into a frown, before she slowly turned her head backwards.

"Hey...is it just me, or did this forest get really quiet?"

----

In fact, the forest had gone deadly silent the moment Poppy began her rant. No birds, no cars driving down the road. Not even a gust of wind sounded, leaving the group in complete silence.

A few moments later, a rumble shook the ground like a minor quake. Another one followed, slightly harder this time.

Then something fly through the air, slamming and crumbling into the ground right next to the group. Metal squeaked, the groups car groaning as it rolled forward into the ground right next to Ayda and Leo.

A roar sounded, and the thumping became more frequent and louder each passing second.

----

Poppy stumbled back from the car the moment it slammed, before turning her wide eye gaze to the direction it had come.

"Run. Everyone, GO!"

Border of a forest.

Annoyed, of course.

Jean shorts and a basic CHB shirt.

coded by natasha.

Noivian · Jul 29, 2020

Kaliavene Everette

Daughter of Thanatos

Despite how everyone seemed on guard, as Kali came down from her adrenaline, her stance relaxed into a more neutral standing position, one hand on her staff and the other on her hip to at least retain some form of threatening-looking-ness. Oh, so these people were in fact demigods, though ones she was unfamiliar with! And they were here for the weapon as well? Didn’t that make them allies? Why was everyone still on their guard, then?

Her head tilted this way and that, trying to piece together the puzzle and more or less drowning out the rest of the conversation... until a large hunk of metal came careening through the air. She didn’t even hesitate. The moment that crushed up car hit the ground, Kali was off sprinting into the woods, the direct opposite direction of the road. Adrenaline surged back through her veins, carrying the terrified girl faster and further than she thought she could go. She didn’t even look back to see what was after them, simply leaping over bushes and weaving through the trees, doing her best to keep her staff from smacking into or catching on much.

Running away.

Terrified.

coded by natasha.

Chione · Aug 3, 2020

LEO MENDOZA

SON OF JUPITER

“A son of… Zeus?”

A son of Zeus.

Leo wasn’t an idiot. A hot-headed dumbass, sure, but not an idiot. He knew of the Greek myths as well as anyone but that was exactly it – they were myths. Roman and Grecian mythos were inextricably tied, but the Romans had improved those tales, building them up from real events. Unless…?

The wheels were churning in his head, drawing to the same conclusion over and over again. His uneasy gut feeling had been right. They weren’t normal kids, they were demigods. Confused demigods. Demigods that think they’re Greek.

That didn’t make him any less pissed off.

His jaw remained resolutely clamped shut despite the barrage of questions from the other teens, making it clear that the manipulative compulsion power that had been used on him would only respond to the obnoxiously pretty girl. She was definitely a daughter of Venus in that case, but he didn’t have a clue when it came to the others. His palms itched with the urge to just punch something.

The moment the spell was lifted, Leo sucked in a sharp breath from sheer relief. To be controlled like that chilled him to the bone and he wanted nothing more than to wash the disgusting feeling away. He rounded a heated scowl at the group, rage simmering beneath the golden flecks in his eyes, as he tried to process the rambling arrogance that was spewing from the girl’s mouth. Dionysus? Back to camp? What the hell was she talking about? Had stray demigods set up a little base somewhere, living under the delusion that they had Grecian God parentage? It was completely bizarre. Not to even mention the fact that they knew about Apollo’s stupid quest. Were the Gods just fucking with them? Was this some grand joke planned by the Fates?

If it was, it wasn’t funny.

Leo opened his mouth to snidely shoot down her brilliant, astute observation… but it promptly clicked shut when he violently flinched away from the car that had been tossed through the air like a damned frisbee. The roar that followed made his hair stand on it, goosebumps prickling his skin.

Well, that wasn’t good.

“Run. Everyone, GO!”

The shout snapped Leo out of his shock and he instantly spun on his heel to snatch his trusty gladius out of the freaky teleporter’s grubby hands, the weight of it in his grip an immediate comfort. His self-preservation instincts were screaming at him to grab Ayda and leg it, but eight years of gruelling legionary training rooted him to the spot. No. He couldn’t run, not when they were this close to finishing it. If whatever monster was out there had the strength to fling a 3000lb car, there was a high chance it’d have the speed to match. As it were, they would be easily tracked thanks to their lovely demigod stench. They had to face it head-on. This had to be the climax of their quest… and as soon as the monster was slain, David and Janis would be avenged.

Leo locked eyes with Ayda, giving a resolute nod of his head. He knew she would be thinking along the same lines. The burning anger flickered for a moment, parting to reveal a solemn apology. He’d fucked up and he knew it, but right now, there couldn’t be any more mistakes. Thanks to the misfortune that had plagued them throughout their journey, the two Roman demigods had definitely gotten their fair share of monster-fighting experience. It didn’t always work out perfectly, sometimes a tactical retreat was needed, but this time there would be no backing away. Out of the corner of his eye, Leo saw the stripper pole girl dash off into the woods like Kerberos was snapping at her heels. At least she wouldn’t get in his way.

Leo shifted into his legion-approved stance and briefly closed his eyes as he drew in a breath, concentrating on the tugging feeling in his navel, circuiting electricity around his body in a practised loop. His fingers curled tightly around Tempest’s hilt, the Imperial Gold gleaming wickedly as sparks surged through it - gold had always been a good conductor, after all. Crackling electricity was jumping off his clothes and he looked downright maniacal as a slow grin curled on his lips, gaze trained on the treeline.

This was gonna be fun.

Forest clearing.

AHJFKL

Purple CJ hoodie + bomber jacket | dark jeans | boots

coded by natasha.

mangomilk · Aug 8, 2020

augustus evans

son of cronos

The calm before the storm; there was a moment of absolute silence that Augustus only knew from his time jumping. While Poppy called the shots on how they’d proceed this strange meeting, they didn’t expect what was coming. Suddenly a rumble. As if the ground below their feet was calling. It felt like he was standing on thin ice, every moment now it would break and swallow him whole. He lifted his head with his eyes showing an alarming expression. This couldn’t be good.

Their way of transport started rolling, squeaking its wheels in their direction. "Run. Everyone, GO!“ She wouldn’t have to say that twice, Augustus knew when to stand his ground and fight and when to flee and hide. This was a moment to execute the second option. After a journey without any enemies they finally reached them, but the timing couldn’t be more off. He took a step forward; Kaliavene was the first to act and run. Just when his attention focused on the bigger threat, the boy ripped the gladius from his hands. He would’ve dropped the thing anyway as it was too heavy for getting away fast.

In the corner of his eyes, shining sparks surrounded the boy with hazel eyes. Did he really want to fight whatever was coming for them? Not a chance. "What the hell are you doing, sparky boy?", he asked losing his patience. He could sense the anger pumping through his veins. Anger makes you stupid, stupid gets you killed. Not my fucking problem, he thought. If this idiot wanted to get himself killed, he wouldn't stop him. Augustus turned away, grabbing Ewan as his first reaction to escaping the scene of danger. "Come on, let’s get out of here!", he shouted and followed the girls. He didn’t really give a damn what happened if those two stayed right where they are. The young gods seemed to part but Augustus wasn’t going to look back.

the forest

ready to yeet

white tank top, beige pants

poppy, kali, ewan, leo, ayda

Mooriot

Chione

BreeDav

coded by natasha.

BreeDav · Aug 12, 2020

Ayda Moore

Daughter of Somnus
God of Sleep, Father of Dreams

Like a fog that burns off with the sun’s rise, Ayda’s mind came back to her. Everything became clearer, her usual confidence and independence seeped back into the places that girl’s voice had taken. Cold air rushed into her lungs as the realization hit her. She’d crawled down from the tree she was hiding in, dropped her weapons, and stood across from her opponent.

Ayda had always been jealous of demigods who had powers that could be used in combat. Anyone who could throw lightning, steer their arrows, or manipulate the thoughts and actions of their enemies had always drawn her envy. She’d trained for years, hoping that she would have some hidden power, but the only thing that had developed was control over dreams. Yes, she could make sleep a living hell, but she couldn’t do anything to the waking world.

As the lead girl began lecturing, fire ignited in Ayda’s eyes. Her usual cheery smile settled on her lips, but it didn’t match the anger in her eyes. A million come-backs were fighting for attention in her mind... but the girl was right, it was oddly quiet in the forest. Birds had flown away, the usual creatures seemed to have hidden in their dens.
Footsteps, of some creature much bigger than the demigods shook the ground. Out of pure warrior instinct, she dove towards her bow and quiver that had been dropped at the feet of her enemies. With the practiced movements that only roman drill sergeants could beat into you, she tossed the quiver over her shoulder and fit her fingers into the curved grip of the bow.

The world seemed to slow around her as Ayda’s instinct took over. Her eyes met Leo’s. On shield or with shield. That saying rang through her ears. She could hear her trainers, praetors, sponsor, and legion chanting it as they often did in war games. How cruel had Spartan mothers been to tell their sons to return home dead or victorious? Shouldn’t Camp Juniper have moved on from that awful sentiment? When faced with impending doom, it was a lot harder to understand why death could be better than loss.

But Ayda’s mind was working as a warrior's now. The drills she’d been forced to run seemed to take control of her body. She may be an Augur, but she was trained the same as any other member of the legion. She sprinted towards the tree line to her left, slipping behind a tree trunk. An arrow was drawn and trained on the approaching figure. Those new demigods may be willing to run, but this is what Apollo had sent Ayda and Leo for; to protect this stupid forest from threats who wish to steal the weapon it holds.

somewhere in a forest

purple camp t-shirt || mom jeans || hiking boots

Chione ,

calypso ,

Noivian ,

Mooriot ,

coded by natasha.

Mooriot · Aug 17, 2020

ewan hammond

son of athena

Of course when it came time for the two troublemakers to spill the beans, they suddenly had the gall to zip up, offering only vague comments and glances between themselves. All par for the course, given how noncompliant the pair had been so far. Though they still weren’t any closer to the truth, it seemed the mystery duo weren’t objecting to the demigod label at the very least. Well, obviously they were demigods. Ewan eyed down the supposed son of Zeus, who certainly appeared to fit the bill of a brash and hot-tempered weather freak. His companion was a harder tell, nothing particularly striking about the individual nor her command over her weapon.

By the time Poppy had finished her little tangent, Ewan had all but checked out of the conversation. It was clear that these people had no intention of coming clean with whatever they had planned. Rogue demigods that had a mind and agenda of their own were serious threats, and needed to be disciplined. Given how many bloody kids the gods had nowadays, there were inevitably bound to be some bad apples in the bunch. Thankfully, it seemed like they had successfully apprehended these two before any serious harm could be done. Not that it looked like they were capable of doing serious harm in the first place. But it still left the question of the weapon’s whereabouts, and he still couldn’t get a straight answer about it.

That was just about when the ground beneath him began to shake, Ewan shifting his stance in response. Had he been just an ordinary human being he would’ve chalked it up to natural causes, but alas his years of demigod experience conditioned him to expect the absolute worst from just about everything. Not long after, a shadow loomed over the group as their car plummeted to the ground next to them. Ewan’s gaze rested on the miserable thing, silently cursing as he tried to ignore how much more of a hit his bank account would be taking from the quest. Welp. Such was the price of earning approval from the gods.

Next came the thought of whatever it was that made the sad scrap of metal into what it was, as everyone else had apparently been thinking about already. Kali and Poppy seemed to have made up their minds in trying to escape, and reasonably so. If they were up against something that could easily chuck a car weighing well over a ton, it wasn’t painting a particularly pretty picture for them. It seemed they were all on board with the plan, Ewan feeling the tug at his shoulder before Gus also made his way to the girls. If that had been all there was to it, he would’ve happily joined his fellow questers on the other side of the clearing.

But out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the other demigods scrambling into position. Of course they would. When was the last time these two had done anything that wasn’t absolutely absurd? At this point, he couldn’t tell if their willingness to stand their ground and fight was admirable, or if these people truly had a death wish. Didn’t they just royally mess up their previous ambush? The more Ewan lingered at the sight of the pair, the more he pitied them. Judging from the single interaction he had with the two, leaving them alone to face whatever was coming would be nothing short of condemning them to death. Just the thought alone didn’t sit well with him, even if they had just nearly killed him mere minutes ago. They were fools, but they were still living, breathing people.

Fucking hell.

As the rest of his comrades distanced themselves, Ewan sighed as he paced over to Zeus’s kid in the clearing. He wouldn’t blame the rest of them for peacing out of there, but he hoped they still had some heart to help out. Their odds of making it through were much better together, rather than being split into multiple groups. Still, it was safest to proceed without the assumption of receiving help that wouldn’t arrive. He approached the other demigod, nearly an arm’s length away before taking in the other guy’s deluded, crazed expression. Gods, he was going to regret this.

“Hope you’ve learned something in the past five minutes, or we’re both screwed.”

in the forest

fearing the worst

chb tee // bomber jacket // light jeans