[hr][hr] [center][url=https://fontmeme.com/fonts/drugs-font/][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/210207/90e9ad50878ba758cbbdc9589abcd500.png[/img][/url] [color=#918ABB]— [b]۵[/b] [b]۞[/b] [b]۵[/b] —[/color] [img]https://i.imgur.com/VTZoR9Y.gif[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/xkIeq49.gif[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/b69WV3k.gif[/img] [color=#918ABB][sup][b]Location:[/b] Thanatos Cabin - Camp Half-Blood; New York.[/sup] [sup][b]Collab Between:[/b] Dorian Underwood ([@King Kindred]), Erin Chase ([@Vicier]), & Spencer McNight ([@Zenritch]).[/sup][/color][/center] [hr][hr] Was it too late to change her mind..? Biting softly on her lower lip- nervously; Erin cast a glance back over her shoulder. The hood helping to shield her face from view as her dark gaze sought out the two figures that she'd just left behind. Anzu... Carlos... maybe she should have just said yes; hidden herself away in his cabin, even if for a small amount of time. Though with the sound of Brandon's voice echoing in her mind, and simply knowing herself; she knew that putting this off wasn't exactly an option. If she did... then she'd just refuse to go. It wasn't as if she'd been lying when she'd said that if she put it off, she'd change her mind on the whole quest to save her life thing. Mind returning back to the present as her feet slowed her to an eventual stop, her attention drew back around to her surroundings, and the realization that the cabin she'd come to wasn't even her own. Thanatos... Her heart sunk in her chest. Spencer and Dorian... they both wanted to go with her. That had been made painfully clear enough during the whole-... A heavy sigh passed out through her dark lips. That thing in her cabin..? Honestly, she wasn't even sure [i]what[/i] to call it. An ambush..? No... that was too harsh. Closing her eyes, she let her head drop forward slightly. A single hand leaving the pocket of the hoodie, her fingers working to keep the sleeve pulled over her hand almost completely; it was before she even realized what was happening that she was knocking on the door with her knuckles. Gods... she was [i]not[/i] looking forward to this... to [i]any[/i] of it... Dorian left his room door open while he packed a backpack for Erin's quest. He didn't bring many things to camp so he wasn't really expecting to bring much on the trip. Their destination was Italy and although he didn't care too much for American fashion trends you could never go wrong with shopping in Italy. If he was lucky he'd even leave with his own personal tailor. His sword was sheathed on the bed next to the bag and he had some other items scattered around that he thought he might need. He was in the process of placing some snacks in a compartment when he heard the knock on the main Cabin door. It wasn't hard for him to guess who it was. Not many would suddenly knock on the door of Cabin Eighteen. But things were already changing around her. He had a cabin mate and that was something he thought would never happen. Erin must've left her room and saw that they had left and figured they were there waiting for her, but he wasn't expecting her to be ready so soon. He stopped packing and stepped out into the hall and called out to his brother who was still in his room. [color=#B7B7B7]"Spencer, I think Erin's at the door."[/color] He didn't wait for a response before descending down the stairs and into the main area to open the door. Dorian reached for the doorknob before turning it and letting the morning light into the otherwise relatively dark cabin. When the door was fully open he saw Erin in a hoodie that he didn't recognize as her own and wasn't exactly her size either. But that wasn't important. He had known her long enough to know when something was troubling her or on her mind. [color=#B7B7B7]"Hey, E. Are you okay? I haven't finished packing yet but I'm more or less ready to go."[/color] With nothing left to do than to wait for Erin to get herself ready, Spencer decided it was a good time to lie in bed for a bit. After all, they may not get the chance of enjoying a soft and comfortable place to sleep on for the next seven days. When it comes to quests, you need to make do with whatever you can get your hands on, be it a cheap motel room, or junk food for sustenance. He could remember in one of his quests, he and his best friend, Serena Vasquez, had to collect and boil rainwater due to how dire their circumstances had been. They also didn't have any place to sleep in aside from the flimsy, makeshift house they managed to build out of various pieces of rubbish and scrap metal lying around. You either adapt to your circumstances or you fail and for most demigods on quests, failure is never an option, much more so when you're a part of the legion. Hearing the knocking on the cabin door, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who it was. Dorian only managed to confirm his suspicions. Grabbing his pack, he exited his room and made his way down the flight of stairs that led to the main hall where Dorian and Erin were already mid-conversation. [color=#8A2BE2]"Listen... as much as I hate to admit this, your cousin is right. You're still the one leading this whole operation and what I said back then was only a suggestion."[/color] He told the daughter of Hades in an apologetic tone before heaving a heavy sigh. In that short moment, he regained his composure and had now donned a calm, yet enthusiastic expression on his face. [color=#8A2BE2]"So, are we ready to leave? The sooner we find that bird, the sooner things can return to normal."[/color] At the sound of the door opening, Erin turned her head back around. Her naturally plump lips parting ever slightly from one another as her gaze, just as dark as the color of her lipstick, fell upon the figure standing on the other side, [color=#918ABB]"..D-Dorian, I-..."[/color] There were few people in her life that she could turn to- few people in the camp she felt that she could put her trust in enough to open up to, and Dorian was one of them. But seeing him now... hearing the words that he was speaking to her; it broke her heart, and all over again, she felt like crying. The familiar sting hitting her eyes, but this time she used the sleeve of Brandon's hoodie to quickly dash them away before they had a chance to form properly. No more. She couldn't cry anymore..! How was it even possible that she still had tears left..? The sound of Spencer's voice cutting through the air; a sense of relief flooded through her, and once more, her attention was drawn back around. Her eyes, unable to settle on either guy for more than a few seconds at a time, flicked back and forth. Her voice soft, [color=#918ABB]"..c-can I talk to you..? Both... of you... please..?"[/color] The sound of Erin's voice momentarily caught Spencer off guard. Normally when the two of them talk, she sounded more confident, and sure of herself but now, the way she spoke felt like she was defeated, broken, and in pain. With his own expression softening, Spencer motioned for the girl to enter their cabin. [color=#8A2BE2]"Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. I'll get us something to drink."[/color] After seating Erin to the comfiest chair in the hall, he rushes to the kitchen to prepare some black tea for the 3 of them. After several minutes, he comes back and pours tea on the 3 mugs he brought with him. He also placed a bowl of sugar cubes and some milk on the table in case Erin wanted to have them with hers. Having finished serving Erin and Dorian, Spencer takes a seat next to Erin before he began addressing her. [color=#8A2BE2]"So, what do you want to talk about?"[/color] Dorian had been pondering in silence during the couple of minutes it took Spencer to prepare them something to drink. This was the second time this morning tea had been used to start a conversation. He wondered just how much money the kids at Camp Half-Blood were pumping into the tea industry all on their own. He sent several passing glances Erin's way starting to realize that whatever she wanted to talk to the two of them about wasn't going to be good. So when his brother returned and asked the question he was relieved as he couldn't wait much longer. The smell of tea was once again overwhelming, and Erin was pulled back from her thoughts. She wasn't quite sure just when she'd entered the cabin, nor when she'd been urged to take a seat, but it didn't really matter. Reaching out to take the cup as it was offered to her, all she could feel was gratitude towards the two guys in front of her; not that she'd ever really be able to voice that out loud though. Life was hard enough; throw [i]'please'[/i] and [i]'thank you'[/i] into the mix and it was a whole new ball game she wasn't sure her pride was going to survive. And fuck it all, [i]'sorry'[/i] and [i]'help'[/i] were on a whole other plane of existence... Once more drawn back to the present at the sound of Spencer's voice directed towards her, Erin brought her gaze up. Her dark eyes flicking from one brother to the next, her hands curled a little tighter around the cup she held. Why was it so hard to say..? [color=#918ABB]"..the quest, I-... I need... help..."[/color] Spencer's forehead creased when he heard Erin's attempt to ask them for help. She must have struggled so much just to force those words out of her mouth knowing how prideful she can be. That's why he had already offered to help her back then. That's why he kept spouting suggestions after suggestions back in her cabin. That's why he pushed her more than the others did to go on this quest and prove her condemners wrong. Spencer wasn't any good at offering her comfort because he is broken just as much as she is. However, he's the type of person that could offer her solutions to her problems instead. [color=#8A2BE2]"Well, I'm already packed and ready to go. Have you already picked who's coming? The prophecy says you can only bring five people with you, right?"[/color] Five people... right. That was all she could bring; but even with that, it was enough to push her so far out of her comfort zone it wasn't funny. Gaze dropping, once more falling away from the both of them to instead return to the cup in her hand, Erin nodded her head lightly. Her voice soft as she spoke, no longer sure if she could look either of them in the eye with the answer she was about to give. Especially knowing that it wasn't one they would want to hear... [color=#918ABB]"..Brandon and... and Carlos... they've already said yes..."[/color] Biting her lower lip, she chewed on it for a moment before continuing, [color=#918ABB]"..y-you, Spence... and Tyler... I still have to ask him... and-..."[/color] She let her words trail off, the tightening of her hands around the cup causing the tea inside to quiver slightly. This was what she hadn't been looking forward to- even more than having to actually [i]ask[/i] for help, it was worse was telling someone who desperately wanted to go... to help... that they couldn't come. She hadn't even said it out loud and already her heart was breaking... Dorian could sense the silent air of tension surrounding Erin when Spencer asked if she had already picked who was coming. He was starting to get a pinching feeling in his gut. He listened as she started to call of the names. Brandon and Carlos, the sons of Ares and Tyche. Brandon was someone who knew Erin more than he did and was a more than capable fighter so it was a given that he'd be selected for the quest. Carlos made sense as well. Spencer was named next and when the fourth name was called out he knew... He wasn't going to be fifth. His eyes tried to meet Erin's, but they were averted away down at her mug. Dorian stood up and decided to speak for Erin who had been choking on the words. He didn't want to make it any harder on her. He could tell this decision was eating away at her. [color=#B7B7B7]"I'm not going..."[/color] The words fully hit him as he said it. He wanted so badly to go, to be there to make sure Erin returned safely with the Dove, but instead he'd be sidelined. Not even sidelined. He was at the concession stand only being able to hope that everything was going well out there. But Dorian knew that she was in good hands. Spencer and Tyler would never let anything happen to her and the same went for Brandon. With Carlos she literally had luck on her side. But that one line of the prophecy crept from the back of his mind. She [i]was[/i] going to be okay... Right? As much as Spencer didn't like his younger half-brother, he kinda felt sorry for him. He must have taken the news hard seeing as how he was really looking forward to joining this quest and helping out Erin. However, quests are a set of guidelines that every demigod must heed to ensure that everything turns out as best as it could be. Going against the specified number of participants could spell consequences as little as minor inconveniences, to probably full on dooming everyone involved. For as much as there are demigods that have succeeded in their quests, there are more that have met their ends in theirs. Erin's choices weren't a random bunch anyways, nor were they all from the entourage that tailed her to her Cabin. Despite being kind of an asshole, you can never go wrong with Brandon having your back in a fight. He wasn't blind to Tyler's feelings either. In fact, other than himself, the son of Hermes was probably the next person that wanted to protect Erin the most. Carlos boosts their chances of success just by being a walking good luck charm. And with his vast knowledge and experience in combat, Spencer was confident that he could protect not just Erin, but everyone in their party when shit hits the fan. While she hasn't exactly mentioned the fifth member, he was certain that it's going to be a well thought out decision like she has made so far. [color=#8A2BE2]"Cheer up, dear brother. This is only speculation, but if I'm the one who's soul will be taken in this quest, then better me than you, right? The favorite son is alive and well, while the prodigal son is... taken care of. It's like the trash taking itself out for our father, as well."[/color] Spencer pauses and chuckles softly. [color=#8A2BE2]"Though I wouldn't count on biting the dust just yet. You just make sure to be there in order to welcome our Princess of Darkness when she returns"[/color] Spencer smiles and as he takes hold of Erin's hand and squeezes it gently in order to reassure her. [color=#8A2BE2]"Scratch that... when we return... All of us."[/color] [color=#918ABB]"..I just-... I-I don't... want to lose you..."[/color] Even with the warm and gentle touch of Spencer's hand resting over her own; it wasn't enough to pull Erin from the way that she was currently feeling. Not after having just broken the heart of one of her closest friends. No... she knew for a fact that her mind was going to be dwelling on that for some time to come. Dorian was silent. He didn't know how or what he felt right now. Before they had their conversation earlier Dorian might have been fine with Spencer being the one whose soul was lost, but his brother had already been through more than one person should. Then Erin said she didn't want to lose him and he felt the same way about her, which is why he wanted to go on the quest in the first place. But now he just felt like they saw him as the weak one and okay he was a bit weaker than the average demigod, but he was able to hold his own. He wasn't just this vulnerable kid who needed protection from the world. [color=#B7B7B7] "I don't want to lose you either, E. I... I can't lose you. So come back to me, okay? Promise me you'll [i]all[/i] come back."[/color] Eyes closing; Dorian's words only served to make her heart ache. And before she knew what she was doing, Erin was back on her feet. Hands free, having put the cup of tea she'd been nursing down on the coffee table; her arms wrapped tightly around the back of his neck. Her head dropping to bury against it. She didn't want to lose him- she [i]couldn't[/i] lose him. But even as she tried to convince herself of that, she couldn't help but think that maybe... just maybe, she was making a mistake by choosing to not take him on the quest. [color=#918ABB]"..I-I'm sorry... I-... I'm so sorry..."[/color] Dorian was caught just a bit off guard by Erin's hug, but he didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her back and hold her close. He could tell this was hurting her more than it was hurting him and for her he'd put on the bravest front that he could. He'd hate to have her constantly wondering about him back here while she was all the way out there facing unknown perils. He gently brushed his left hand down her hair as if he were trying to sooth her when she was the one trying to make him feel better. [color=#B7B7B7]"It's okay... It's okay. I'll be fine here. You don't have to worry about me. I'm not mad at you. I could never be."[/color] Spencer remained on his seat as he quietly watched the events transpire before him. Admittedly, he was just a little bit green with envy when Erin hugged Dorian but he also understood that the kid needed comfort right now. He understood what it felt like to be powerless to do anything, after all. [color=#8A2BE2]"I already swore on the five rivers that I'll protect Erin, even if it's the last thing I do. Don't worry, nobody is meeting their end on this quest. Not on my watch."[/color] Letting the two share some time alone, Spencer grabbed his rucksack and exited the cabin. Sitting at one of the chairs on the porch, he grabs a pack of cigarretes from his pocket as well as a lighter. The said lighter had impressions on it that suggested it was ornately decorated at one point but had worn out and faded due to years of use. Only and engraving of what looked like a scythe and a hammer crossed together was what remained. Serena Vasquez was the first friend he made when he arrived at Camp Jupiter. He and the daughter of Vulcan have been through many misadventures in the past and he could truly say that she was the best friend he could ever have. But when he was condemned to Tartarus, he never even got to say goodbye. And since he ended up escaping almost a century later, he never ever will. The lighter she had given him after his first year at Camp Jupiter is the only thing he has left to remember her. Gingerly opening the lighter's cover, he ignites a cigarette he had retrieved from the pack before taking a whiff from it. The memories of his life at the roman camp suddenly began flashing before him, both the good and the bad, before dissipating as soon as he exhaled the smoke. After the quest was over, he plans on confronting Octavia about her and tracking down where her final resting place was. [color=#8A2BE2]"I've already let down one woman, I'm not planning on adding another one to the list."[/color] [color=#918ABB]"..don't think you could, even if you tried..."[/color] Fingers curling, entwining with Dorian's as she held his hand; Erin slowed to a stop as she passed through the front door of the cabin and back onto the porch. The small moment alone with the youngest son of Thanatos had been appreciated- something that, she was sure, the both had needed, but... she couldn't keep doing this. Putting it off was just going to make it so much worse when the time came that she had no other choice than to leave. Dorian was hit with the sun's rays and a foul stench once he and Erin stepped out onto the porch. His eyes and nose followed the source to see his brother sitting in one of the chairs and smoking a cigarette. Great. Just when he started to like the guy. But if Tartarus couldn't kill you those sticks wouldn't either. [color=#B7B7B7]"So I guess this is it. Crazy start to the summer. Met an older brother I never knew I had and now he and my best friend are going on a quest. Why do I have a feeling it's going to get even crazier from here?"[/color] Kid had a point... she'd give him that. Sighing softly, her hand never once leaving Dorian's; Erin however, did move. Drawing the both of them closer to where Spencer was sat, she perched herself on the arm of his chair. Her legs crossing, though the action was involuntary- a habit she'd grown into Gods knew how long ago. Years. Gaze falling to the cancer-stick that Spence hand in between his lips, lingering a moment, she drew her attention back out to the camp lain out in front of them. A cigarette sounded [i]really[/i] fucking good right now. It was just too bad she'd left her pack in her cabin that morning. [color=#918ABB]"..yeah... I get the feeling you might be right about that, D..."[/color] Body leaning gently against the older son of Thanatos, she gave Dorian's hand another light squeeze; though this time, she maintained it. Holding on with a slight desperation as she spoke. Unable to really focus on anything really in front of her. [color=#918ABB]"..this is just the beginning..."[/color] Sensing the arrival of both Erin and Dorian, Spencer quickly pocketed the lighter he had in hand. As much as he wanted to open up to the daughter of Hades, the feeling of sadness and guilt he had for not being there for his best friend after all these years made him reluctant to open up on that just yet. Still, he remembered that Erin also smoked every once in a while so he casually slid a cigarette in her mouth and retrieved his lighter to light it up for her. Gods know that after stress and burden suddenly dropped on her today, she needed one of his special Eucalyptus-infused cigarettes to calm her down, even if for a little bit. After he hid his lighter once again, he recalled that she hadn't mentioned the fifth member of their party. Placing an encouraging hand, he looks Erin straight in the eye and smiles reassuringly at her . [color=#8A2BE2]"You haven't exactly mentioned member number five just yet, and something tells me that you have yet to make the necessary preparations for this quest."[/color] He repositioned his hand on her back and gave her a gentle nudge. [color=#8A2BE2]"Go now, Erin. I'm sure my little brother understands why you chose to leave him out of this. Time is of the essence and we need to move as soon as we can. I'll be meeting you back in your cabin."[/color] Right. There it was again. [color=#8A2BE2][i]'Time is of the essence and we need to move as soon as we can.'[/i][/color] Spencer was the second person to tell her that in the space of what felt like the longest hour of her life- but she could have been wrong. She hadn't exactly been checking the time as she'd been making the rounds of pick and choose with the other demigods of camp. Hand lifting, trapping the cigarette between her pointer and middle fingers, Erin drew in a deep breath. Allowing the smoke to fill her lungs and to linger a moment before she let it out. Forcing it to trickle out through her nostrils. The strong smell of eucalyptus overwhelming her senses. Standing at his gentle urging, her hand slipping from Dorian's to instead return to the pocket of Brandon's hoodie, she nodded. Already leaning this way and that- pressing a soft kiss against the cheek of both boys, and mumbling a soft [color=#918ABB]"..thank you..."[/color] before she began off. Returning the smoke to her mouth as she let her feet carry her back towards her own cabin. Fuck, she hated packing...