Clean and tidy with their first vigorous activity out of the way, Trinity made a second attempt at getting dressed, occasionally stealing glances at Wes grinning to herself. He never ceased to surprise her. Her eyes drifted down his sculpted back, his toned backside, his muscular thighs–Stop! Trinity tore her eyes away. She grabbed a pair of socks from her drawer and threw them at him. "Stop being so studly." She knew it wasn’t actively his fault. Besides, Trinity had found after the deed and the good hormones were released, she was especially susceptible to his allure.

Wes laughed, barely dodging the sock-missile. He leaned over to pick up the small bundle of clothes, being sure to wiggle his bare butt at her teasingly, then threw the socks back at her. "You can blame my mother for that," he stuck out his tongue at her playfully. "You on the other hand," he motioned at all of her with a cocked, suggestive brow. "Dangerous."

Trinity laughed. "I am dangerous," she said almost self affirmatively. The idea of being a weapon more flattering than being viewed good looking. "Thank you."

She knew and gave him room to do most things by himself but clothes could have their own trials and tribulations with the zips and buttons, awkward fits, etcetera. Something she only noticed cohabiting with a one-armed person. Trinity stepped up to him waiting to assist when/if he needed.

It had been over a year since Wes lost his arm, and he had even gotten pretty good at doing most things one handed. But ever since Duke gave him that bionic arm it seemed like a lot of that learned muscle memory had sort of… slipped his memory. He also was not going to say no to getting another chance for Trinity to touch him. Pulling on his pants and sweater were pretty easy, but fastening the jeans or figuring out what to do with the floppy empty arm of his flannel was a different battle. "Should I tuck it in or like, knot it?" He asked, spinning at the waist to make the empty sleeve swing around.

"Mmm. Maybe tuck it. Keep all that heat in as much as you can." She proceeded to tuck it in for him.

Since they weren’t doing her idea—she knew Wes really didn’t want to train and skirted around it extremely tactfully; it was important they had some upper hand with a new bundle of campers coming in. "I think you should talk to Duke," she began carefully, "and then maybe a child of Hecate for an arm. See if they can jack it up for you." She screwed her face up in a pre-emptive cringe. Trinity didn’t mean to imply he was incapable but one less arm was realistically a disadvantage. She could understand why he wouldn’t be overly keen for a new one after the last though.

"Unless you want all the attention again and all the newbies flocking to you, asking what happened. I get it. Woe is me card," she teased.

"Yes! Pity me, the one armed sex God." He flexed his arm theatrically, with a laugh that was anything but serious. When he’d finished goofing around, his smile turned more genuine as he took a few steps toward her. Wes’s thumb gently stroked the creases of the scrunches she made in her face. "It’s fine," he reassured her. "I had planned to search the woods to see if I could find my old arm and maybe Duke would be able to fix it. But someone kept me under house arrest." He teased her, gently taking her waist in his hand and giving her a little shake. "But Andy never showed up with it while she was working on rebuilding the camp, so I think it’s lost in the aether at this point."

He’d be lying if he said having the bionic arm wasn’t convenient. Not only was he able to do everything he used to, it also came with some added benefits. Most importantly it saved his life against the boar which was a big bonus in his book. Wes never really thought of seeing if Daniel or Andy could enchant it with any special properties. Leave it to Trinity to think outside the box when it came to his own well being. She’d argue he could avoid the added precautions if he just used his powers. But since that was always a losing argument for her, it seemed like her next approach was souping him up as much as possible. He can’t fight for shit, but a magic arm might help.

On her usual train of thought again, having one arm could have people underestimate him. Then wham! But Wesley didn’t enjoy using his powers…That was something she could never change but desperately wanted to. People didn’t deserve his mercy and moral codes. But at least he was on board with looking for his old arm. "Iii don’t trust that everybody coming in is going to be an asset here," she confessed, tugging him a little closer. "The gods are…" she rolled her eyes "you know, gods." Their interests rarely aligned. Still, they couldn’t hide forever or train enough to get rid of problems.

Wes let himself be pulled closer to her until their chests brushed up against one another. His knuckles lightly stroked her cheek as he held her gaze, listening to her concerns. He nodded his head. "It is weird… Sending demigods here while the Gods have been silent for months." He sighed. "Even the good ones can go sour," he added with a shrug, alluding to Ajax and Alex.

Good. They were on the same page then. Or so Trinity liked to assume. She turned to the front door and shivered at the mere thought of what awaited outside. She could never prepare enough for the dreaded cold.

"It’ll be fine," Wes reassured her as he came up behind her and took the doorknob in his hand. "We’ve got each other… And there’s Andy, Daniel, Duke. Hell, maybe even Mason if he wakes up on the right side of the bed." He chuckled before opening the door for them.

The frigid air whipped through the entrance like a wave, smacking them both in the face. Wes popped his collar hoping to shield his neck and face a little more from the cold. He draped his arm across Trinity’s shoulders and nodded his head in the general direction of the Main Hall. "Food and checking out the newbies?"

Trinity stared out into the dull day and white powder covering camp for a moment then nodded. "Food and checking out the newbies." She agreed with a deep breath in.

They started forward and Trinity was mostly preoccupied biting her tongue from saying the same things she had said a million times. All of this would be easier if he used his powers. How many hypothetical scenarios did she play where Wes could have bat his eyes and asked someone to please just walk into lava for him. Well not exactly, but her muscle with his compelling abilities and there wouldn’t be a worry in the world. "What if we could get it like skin blend?” she said instead. "The arm. Just the outward appearance." Then they wouldn’t know what was what. At the same time, she didn’t know if Wes was self conscious about looking half bionic or he loved it.

Wes looked down at the absence that once was his arm and bionic arm. After a moment of contemplation he shrugged his shoulders. "I kinda like the whole Terminator look," he said, grinning down at her. ”Plus, people are oblivious. No one ever really noticed unless I wasn’t wearing sleeves." His brows pulled together as he followed the train of thought. "Would it be like one of those creepy robot sex dolls?" He made a show of shivering in disgust playfully. "That’s kinda like uncanny valley shit. I know you’d love for me to be more ugly, but…" he teased and pulled her closer to place a kiss on the top of her head.

She wrinkled her nose at the thought he had put there unknowingly apparently bothered by robots. But he smoothed it over with a kiss on her head while she bumped him away.

That about led them to the hall. Trinity wasn’t paying attention to new people passing as much as her mission became get out of the cold and into a building. But there, she realized something. She stopped and turned to Wes."Turn down the charms." She was only half joking and once again knew it didn’t quite work like that.

"Ah, right. Less charm, more ugly," Wes muttered to himself. He stood frozen in thought as he tried to figure out how to be more ugly. He then shifted his posture to be dramatically hunched and protruded his jaw out to look like an underbite. "is this ugly enough?"

"That's not-“

He held out his hand toward her and wiggled his fingers with a creepy smile. "Come here and give me a kiss!"

"No!” She found herself backing up until she broke into a run to escape him.

He started chasing after her doing the most ridiculous run ever, almost like he was doing the Pennywise dance. Wes didn’t give a shit what he looked like to the others, if he got Trinity to laugh it was entirely worth it.

She cackled letting her little sex god cross goofball catch up with his ridiculous run. "Alright, alright. Forget it. Be yourself.” Trinity brushed at his collar with a grin like adults told their kids on the first day of school. She gestured to the hall. "Let’s try this again. Like sane people.” She kissed him once then stepped up to the hall again and went inside.

‘How could she be here?’ Was the first thought to run through Ace’s mind as a familiar face flashed past him. His heart skipped a beat as the air caught in his throat. His initial reaction could have been mistaken for nervousness, but even still, he held the beautiful woman’s suggestive gaze. Unmistakably intentional. ‘It couldn’t be…’ He looked over his shoulder, analyzing Blair’s face as relief washed over him. It wasn’t her, just the closest thing to her.

That look.
That jacket.
That silhouette.
Slender, but godly.

The style, the presence, even the confidence. But this woman’s gaze was sharper, more playful, less guarded, but with the same habit of holding eye contact just a second too long. Something deep tugged at his heart, something unresolved. He was drawn in by something that wasn’t quite desire, and wasn’t quite a memory—but lived somewhere in between. His own jet black eyes showed no emotion, nor intention, nor would he let it. He was sure this wasn’t his last time seeing her, so an introduction wasn’t important now. Getting warm was. Ace looked away, pulling the hood further over his head as he headed forward.

A wooden staircase led up the hill, crooked and splintered, each step groaning under its own weight. No birds perched on the railing. No insects buzzed in the air. The cabin was untouched by life. Ace thought he could break the steps at a moment’s notice, or his own ankle for that matter. He took a glance back at the base, a rickety dock jutting over a black, glassy creek. The water was still – too still – and beneath its surface lay a bed of smooth, round stones—as if the forest buried something long ago and simply waited for the world to forget. Ace continued his ascent. The air was thick with dust and cold inside, suffocating the silence. Motes drift like ash through the air, illuminated by the light seeping through the cracks of the floor. The floors creak and weigh with every step – not in protest - but as if the house was alerting something deeper within. The walls seemed to lean inward, as though the entire cabin was collapsing around him, inch by inch. The living room was barren. No signs of previous life. Just a single chair, worn and sagging, set before a dead fireplace almost as if inviting him forward. As if someone, or something, knew exactly what he needed. Almost as if the cabin did not welcome visitors, but remembered them.

‘Better than nothing.’ Ace thought before sitting in the surprisingly comfortable chair. A faint smell of burned wood lingered as Ace struck a match. The first broke. The second hissed, flaring to life in a quick flare of warmth and light. It cascades his face with flickering gold. He touched it to the small kindlings of dry twigs and brittle bark. The fire caught slowly, reluctantly curling into life with soft crackles. It casts jagged shadows across the cabin walls, hungrily stretching upward. Warmth spilled out in cautious waves as he shivered violently, as if the sudden warmth reminded him of how cold he actually was. He leaned closer to the fire, almost too close, letting the heat sear into his bones as he peeled the hoodie off and tossed it aside. The fabric slapped wetly against the floorboards.

’I miss you, ya’ old-coot…’ Ace pulled out a beaded bracelet, with a cross dangling from it. His uncle wore it everyday, and it was placed into his hand the moment he passed. The crowbar hit made him forget about it, and was lucky to still be holding it. A few of the beads were chipped, one missing entirely. Ace ran his thumb across them slowly, one by one, counting the prayers he never learned how to say. Ace wondered if it mattered. God, religion, heaven, hell… Ace knew heaven was a long shot for the majority of the Crimson Piston’s, but his uncle never gave up his belief. But now they were playing under different rules. Ace just hoped those rules were more kind to him and his family.

Ace squeezed the bracelet tight. His fingers trembled. His chest rose and fell with sharp, uneven breaths. Glassy and distant, his eyes were fixed on the bracelet as memories surged through him. The fire crackled again, louder this time. His uncle’s laugh was rough, but warm. The smell of the fireplace even reminded him of his uncle’s scent—wood smoke and motor oil. He always knew the right thing to say, or the right time to say nothing at all. What would he do now?

That’s when the facade broke. The things he’d been holding back like floodwaters behind a cracking dam released; The first sob was raw and strangled, like something torn from his throat escaping. Ace doubled over, the bracelet pressed against his forehead. The firelight caught tears spilling freely down his cheeks. His shoulders shook as the sobs came faster, deeper, shaking his entire body like the cold only wished to. There was no one there to comfort him. Just the fire, and the ghosts the cabin held in its walls. The sound of grief was louder than the fire. Louder than the wind screaming outside. It was the sound of something unraveling; a cry not just for a man lost, but for the pieces of Ace that had died with him.

The bracelet, now wet with tears, clutched in shaking hands that didn’t want to let go.

---

Duke actually smiled at Leo’s feedback of how long the trip was and how far isolated camp was and its accessibility issues. Most of them had been there. "Yeah, it’s really something. At least we don’t have to worry about exposure or anything. Getting picked off separately by other beasts and gods that might snuff us out." It may have sounded silly but mortals in numbers could be surprisingly overwhelming. Or it would unfold as a relentless hunt always looking over your shoulder. His home for instance had some serious witch hunter issues. He was young but he’s pretty sure that’s how his mother went due to some paranoia and mere affiliation with another entity.
He was also sure if things could breach camp, they’d be able to take out demigods in their hometown easily enough.

But Duke probably sounded like a tin foil hat man for the newer camper.

"I did not see you with the rest of the new campers, so I take it you are a resident, and what is life like here anyway?" Duke nodded confirming he was a more seasoned resident. "Nothing boring or anything?"

"Boring?" Duke echoed. How far that could be from camp life. "Not a bit. There’s usually something going on. Life is, uh…" His finger circled the whole perimeter of camp in reference to the walls. "busy. A little tight at the moment. We had an attack a couple months ago and we’ve been recovering and rebuilding then along came you guys." He could have elaborated more. Perhaps that some campers died for example and it knocked them all off their feet for a couple weeks at least but he wasn't one to spill extra details. The only thing deemed important was that Leo knew the basics and that would get him through.

Now his company seemed decent enough but a lot of demigods enjoyed foolery and the camp, it's inhabitants and Duke himself had been through too much shit. "I really hope you're here with good intentions." Laced under the simple comment was a threat if Leo cared for trickery or evil. If not, Duke was glad to have another strong figure helping out.

---

---

A piercing whistle made him turn and he spotted a hand wave in the air. If he followed the hand, he could just make out what might be his sister hiding under her little mouse beanie. Then the voice followed and it was all confirmed. Daniel glanced at Lennie and supposed he should wait around for the spiel. He saw himself growing bored and creeping away but he stayed, apparently curious on how Andy handled herself with public speaking to a bunch of fresh faces.

"I am—was the de facto camp leader after…" Daniel’s lips pulled to the side on her potential slip up. Inside he was cheering for her though. Come on, Andy, keep it together.

She conjured a board and pamphlets and did something else but Daniel was at a bad angle. Not that he was the intended audience anyway but he might have to deduct a point or two for it as long as he’s watching the show.

"These maps are enchanted. All the cabins are listed and once you claim one it’ll update."

Daniel inclined his head. That’s what would have been a nice touch when meeting new people. Namely, Lennie in this instance. Dammit

"Main Hall has food 24/7, although most cabins have kitchens or kitchenettes for anyone who prefers to cook for themselves. Couldn’t be me. " Daniel smiled genuinely amused that that information slipped into the very important orientation. "Main Office is for the camp leader, Infirmary, stables, practice range, and that’s the Armory behind it. Oh and the Arena. Everything else is on the map. If you see anyone around that looks like they know what they’re doing, they’ve probably been here awhile. Feel free to bug them if you have questions. Or the big tall surfer looking dude. He’s the new leader."

Wow. Andy collectively threw the seasoned campers under the bus and possibly an overconfident newbie…and some new ‘big surfer looking dude’ who was apparently the new leader. Andy needed to stop dropping bombs on him suddenly. She said he was coming in her announcement but Daniel assumed there’d be some voting process still or something.

"Also tonight, at sundown, there will be a New Year’s Eve party here. Everyone is welcome and it could be a good way to… Socialize or whatever. So, yeah, I think that’s it. If anyone needs help with their cabins or anything, I should be around." Mostly well done.

"There’s also my brother, Daniel—Daniel raise your hand." Daniel’s shoulders sagged before too many eyes could seek him out. He raised his hand with a stiff smile. "He can do magic and conjure shit too. But he also causes problems. So don’t trust him," she teased.

What the hell? Instead, he kept his tight lipped smile and nodded once, his brows raising when he looked to Lennie. That might’ve made an impression.

"Tsk, I guess I’ll need a new guide if I can’t trust you." His new acquaintance added, albeit jokingly too. "I’ll give it a pass, for now, if we can get some coffee first."

Daniel waved to the hall enthusiastically. "Oh yeah sure. Substance is great too. We can do that. You might even find a fun as guide as me."

He had got a few steps when Lennie spoke next. "Apollo, by the way." He frowned, things taking a minute to click. He was about to comment on him like some trivia, ‘Great guy, god of music and light’ before she spoke again. "That’s my dad, anyways. So, off we go?"

Daniel stiffened a little but nodded. "Well, at least we’re all caught up now. You know my godly side, I know yours. That’s all there is to it." He revealed another grin. Sure the god’s made up some of their identity but he didn’t like to give them too much credit. There was a whole other half that made them.

He nudged open the hall door and held it for the daughter of Apollo. "Hold on." He summoned a map to him and placed it in her hands. "Now you got the full tourist look. People will have to aid you at every beck and call and answer all questions you have about the place." It would be like the weary traveller at a truck stop.

Daniel hung back until Lennie settled in with the buffet that held seemingly endless options and drinks to die for. Maybe even pick her own table and company. She seemed like a social bird though anyone could be when they wanted to. Daniel glanced down at Andy who was sitting by the entrance and buffet then sighed dramatically delving into a monologue. "Boy it’s too bad I don’t have any mystery to my parentage anymore. Too bad if I didn’t want people to know I could conjure stuff." Not to say people could assume it was him. Especially with how many seemed not to listen to Andy’s anecdotes like how she couldn’t cook and her brother could cause problems.

He laughed before grabbing his own seat. He supposed he could wait for the cue to die down a little now Wes and Trinity entered and Evelyn sat with nothing ahead of her. "Psst." Daniel leaned ever so discreetly towards Evelyn’s table from his own. "You been okay? Haven’t caught up with you much since...a lot." His voice adopted the tone of a whisper but not quite the volume.

---

---

Heath listened carefully as Sofia introduced herself, not mentioning her divine parent either. It was fine with him. It was times like these he was glad for his lie detection skills. The young lady by all appearances seemed fine. Heath liked to think he was a good judge of character, and not just because of his abilities. His mom once told him one could learn a lot by observing rather than acting. It was something his aunts helped him with too due to their own Wiccan methods. He really did miss their console and his father too. Even when he moved out of the house, he stayed close. Not being able to see them in months was harder than he thought.

Sofia explained she didn't need any help navigating the campgrounds. Instead she wanted to ask questions. During this exchange, Heath kept his expression neutral. He was polite, but he wasn't someone who smiled a lot too. Recently Iliana mentioned he should work on that more. Hearing that from her of all people was a bit of surprise, especially when she added that he wasn't the most approachable person. Maybe that was something he got from his mother. The few times Athena had been around him, she was never maternal and he couldn't recall ever seeing her smile, though it was obvious she cared about him. Contrast that with Iliana's mother, Demeter, who was very kind to Iliana and him whenever she showed up.

"Sure I can answer your questions. At least I'll try to. I've only been here for several months. There are others who've been here way longer than I have like Andy and Daniel."

As he said this, he caught site of Trinity and Wes finally showing up. It didn't take much for him to figure out what they had been doing since they were a bit late to show up since the announcement. Still he was happy for them, especially after what happened a couple of months ago. He a bit guilty that he was the reason they ended up facing down that boar he fought, but he gave himself a break too since the situation was very chaotic and he did what he could to keep himself alive. He still needed to thank them for saving his life too even though, he didn't know how they defeated it. When he could, he had done his best to try to find Wes's prosthetic arm. Sadly it was never found. Hopefully he could get a new one. But it was more important that both of them were alive and fully healed.

---

---

---

---

"I have already picked a cabin. And sure, I don’t mind going inside the buildings. Do you do other things besides make healing ointments? I’ve known about the gods for… a long time, but I know more about Poseidon than I do about the other gods and their children. What’s the difference between your healing and healing from a child of Apollo?”

This caused Iliana to pause and think how she was going to answer that questions, at least the second one. The first was easy enough to answer.

"Well, I enjoy gardening. I have a greenhouse next to my cabin. I can make things grow, but I get more satisfaction of not relying on that ability. Best to let things grow on their own through human methods."

One would think she learned gardening from her mother, but she mostly learned this skill from Heath's aunts. He mother obviously encouraged it. Her mother never had time to teach her. She only got to see her mother's garden briefly as a child during her brief stay in Olympus after her father died. She only been there a few weeks before going back to Earth. She recalled crying for her mother since she clinged to her those weeks. Demeter though got stern for once and told her to be brave and reminded her that she couldn't always be there to take care of her. She had been a bit of a brat towards Heath and his family at first, but that did change. It was funny, she loved Heath's family, but never fully saw them as family, except for Heath himself. Maybe it was because she learned he was special like her.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she tried her best to answer Ocean's second question.

"Well, I no expert in healing for one thing. My healing ointments can only heal minor injuries and ailments, mostly things like small cuts, sore muscles, and headaches. I am still a novice. While I never saw an Apollo's child in action, Apollo himself, well, he healed me once when I had serious injuries after something happened to me before I came to camp. It's why I am here now, for my protection. But I'd like to think any of his children could do something similar since my most serious injury was something no human doctor could heal."

Thinking of Apollo made her think of Cherise. She survived the last battle but soon left camp. She tried being there for her since her best friend was one of the victims. Rae was someone Iliana wanted to be friends with but never got the chance. Cherise had been devastated so Iliana wasn't too surprised she left. She hoped she was doing better now.

So the pair of them explored the campgrounds. Iliana tried answering questions while trying to get to know Ocean, but that was easier said than done. Iliana did see other campers, old and new, but kept her attention on Ocean. After they were done, Ocean brings up the party and hoped they could hang out again. Iliana was relieved by this. Ocean was definitely nicer than Liv.

"Yes I'd like that. I haven't been able to make friends here yet, so I am trying to change that."

After Ocean left, Iliana decided to do what she intended to do after breakfast, bringing some of her healing goods to the infirmary. Decision made, she headed back to her greenhouse to gather them in a box that was packed with packing paper since the contents were fragile. It was a bit heavy, but she could manage. After putting it up in the infirmary, she was trying to figure out what to do next when she saw a thin person with curly hair. She couldn't tell if the person was a guy or girl, but they looked lost. Deciding if they needed help, Iliana approached the person.

"Um, hello, are you lost? Do you need any assistance?"

---

---

---

---

Elysium seemed genuinely interested in his neighbors. Nelly could easily tell him everything she knew about him, and probably would have, but Nelly had a feeling those three wouldn't want her telling a stranger about certain things. Their trials were perfect examples of that.

"Well, I don't know a lot about Veronica, but she's a bit shy considering she's Aphrodite's daughter. Just to warn you, you might be initially drawn to her since any child of Aphrodite can affect anyone who would find them attractive. I am straight, so Veronica has no effect on me. Now, sadly, another camper named Wes, he's Aphrodite's son, he definitely affected me. Both try not to do that, but it's apparently something they have little control over from what I've learned. To the left of Veronica's cabin is Iliana. There's a lot I can say about her, but I doubt she'd want me to tell you about it since it's a serious matter. What I can tell you is she is a good person, just trying to find herself still. She has grown as a person though. She is nice, but try to be careful with her. You have serenity inducement right? That calms her down, I've your brother use it on her. She and Heath were good friends with him. Speaking of Heath, he's actually Iliana's adoptive brother. Iliana's father died when Iliana was just a kid. Since she couldn't stay with her mother, Demeter, Heath's family adopted her. Heath is Athena's son. A very chill guy, I almost find him a bit boring, but he is very reliable."

Nelly left it there and soon they made it to Elysium's cabin. His comment on how big it was had Nelly chiming in.

"Youd can modify things magically right? Maybe you can do that here."

Ethan was an expert in that area, but that was also because he wanted to be an architect. She didn't know if Elysium had the same kind of skill. Like for herself, her abilities differed in expertise. She couldn't clone herself like her father could, but she was trying to get better at that. Following Elysium into his home and followed his lead in removing her boots since she didn't want to track in snow into his new place. It was very different from her cabin. A bit too homey for her own tastes. She wasn't surprised by the fireplace. She didn't know a lot about Hestia, but she knew she was the Goddess of the Hearth. She lets out a low whistle.

"Glad you like it. Was there anything else you needed? I personally love this camp, despite all that's happened. I hope you like it too." she said honestly.

---

---

"I guess that is good about not having to worry about exposure or anything." Leo awkwardly smiled back as Duke's comment about getting picked off and killed by beasts and gods made him wonder if that was a joke or not. Which Leo does not know what happened to the camp so far, other than that one fact that Sofia told him about one camper. Then again, there is a reason the camp is surrounded by a wall.

Still, Leo was both glad and concerned when Duke said that, while there are always things going on. Also, there was an attack a couple of months ago, and the camp has been recovering and rebuilding.

"Oh, I did not realize that things here could get... dangerous." Leo looked around for a moment, checking to see if anything was still damaged, and when he found none. He turned back to Duke, "that explains the wall and the fingerprint scanner at the front gate." Leo said as he was thinking that there has to be a reason to why Ares wanted him here if things can get dangerous here. Perhaps he thinks that the camp is still a safe place despite it, or it was a twisted way of making him a proper warrior by sending him here. The thought made him a bit angry, but he calmed himself down as he is here for his mother's sake, not Ares.

But the last words from Duke about his intentions and it was clear to Leo it was a threat. Leo tried to make sure that Duke knew that he is here not to cause trouble. Saying in a clear and sincere tone. "I am not here to cause trouble, Duke. The only reason I am here is because my mother thought I should be here, to be safe. But from what I do not know, and the last thing I want here is to add to the troubles of this camp."

Hopefully, the truth, Duke will believe, and while Leo does not wish to make things worse for the camp. More so after the place was attacked, and not knowing the casualties. Leo took a long breath in and out. Well, time to see what Duke thinks and Leo would rather not have an enemy on his first day of being here.

Interact - Duke@Sir Sparky

---

"Okay, Heath, and it is just a few questions." Sofia is trying not to overwhelm the Heath despite having several questions about camp, and she will be content with getting to know a few.

"First is, what do people do here anyway?" Sofia briefly looking around, "I saw a bunch of places and there does not seem much else to do outside of that."

Then came the second question, "Second question, has anything happened to camp that I should know of?" Just because of the fingerprint scanner at the front gate, is that a reason this place needs security?" Granted, she knows some of the stuff Hades has done, and that feels like a good reason. But, is there more to it?

Then, while Sofia seemed relaxed before, she seemed nervous with this last question. "Third and last question, because I have heard some things about camp before coming here....." Sofia was sure this would out her but, she wanted to know and what best why to do it then now then lie to people and people turn on her later.

"How are Hades's kids treated here if there are any here?" There she asked that question, and hopefully, Heath is nice about it. But, better find out now than later, and let it stew in her mind. If she is going to live here, then she should know how the rest of the campers felt about a Hades kid. At least she knows that Leo will be friendly with her.

Interact - @Pristine1281

---

Mason glanced at Andy coming through the main hall and while it looked for a moment like she’d float over to him, she stopped and sat near the entrance. He looked back at his food. Not that he wondered why she didn’t sit with him but it was a bother she took up camp counsellor and de facto leader. For now anyway.

Some time must have passed with different people filing in and out of the hall at different rates with different faces as Mason’s eyes proved bigger than his stomach. Somewhere he must have turned to discreet people watching instead. Everyone seemed fine without Andy’s guidance so far. Before he could approach, Daniel walked through with new company in tow and stopped by her table saying some monologue or another then walked on. A smile tugged at his lips. Idiot

He gave them some buffer time. Everybody. Any stragglers, any change of thought to approach Andy. It was there he caught eyes with a certain minx who flashed a smile and gave a small wave. Mason looked away fighting his own smile at the irony. If there was anyone or anything else in his proximity, even an animal, he was sure it would be for them instead. But now Blair wanted to play ‘I see you’ with him too late. If she was around when Andy had Ajax he’d probably indulge her but now not a chance.

He then sighed to himself and stood up and took his turn approaching the daughter of Hecate. Blair gave him a second look that Mason did his best to ignore but she reminded him of Eve. He dumped his plate down on her table before leaning on it standing over Blair before her elected company joined her. "You’re hot, ok? I see you, you see me, but it can’t happen," he told her lowly between the two of them. Best to tell her now and clear his name from her roulette hat. Mason flashed his own smile and didn’t linger beyond that, taking his dish with him though he had half a mind to leave it.

Why was he even waiting for others with Andy in the first place. He sat across from Andy finally while she stabbed at her meal. Mason rose his brows and shook his head to himself watching the butcher show. "Hello?" he tried, lowering his head to make it in her view.

When he had some form of her attention, he straightened. "Why are you throwing a party?" He put up his hands innocently. "Not attacking, just asking." He was aware he held a notoriously bad attitude towards social gatherings and he was aware Andy knew it too. "Just after the last one… I’m surprised you want another." Not that there were any more psycho Zeus spawns out there.

Mason smirked without meaning to as images of his body pressed against Andy’s in the confines of a closet came to mind "Not that it was all bad," he said aloud. Their almost 7 minutes didn’t outweigh her getting fried by a raging psychotic bitch but it was still nice. Now that she was recovered from it, he could think that anyway.

Mason cleared his throat focusing back on the present. "How are you anyway?" Mason looked at her arm pointedly. They checked on each other now and then but he knew she was distant and mad at him still but, thankfully, regarding anything important a terrible liar. "How are you feeling about the whole leader thing?" he asked lower. It didn't personally matter to him but it was...some sort of deal for her.

---

---

Things had just started to be good. Or mostly, anyways, with his dad. And with Jenna too, even if she was getting a little pushy about them getting an apartment, in town somewhere. He hadn’t really wanted to do that, he liked his greenhouse, the farm, the space. He liked it even if the rest of it with his step-mom and half-siblings was kind of awful. But he loved her, so he said yes.

Leaving his home was hard, but he made it easier by waiting until everyone else had gone to bed. Andrew hadn’t packed much, a few sets of clothes, his favorite books, seed sachets, and Minthe - a favorite of his potted plants. He wrote a note in his rough handwriting, several words scratched out with fits and starts of what he wanted to say before he decided to toss that and just text before take off. Less chance of anyone trying to talk him out of it or ask him to stay, even if he did think that was unlikely.

Night crept to morning as he drove down mostly empty country roads. It gave him time to think, his fingers drumming lightly against the steering wheel then gripping it tightly when a wave of anxiety hit him. Every time his mind drifted to thoughts of just turning around and going home, a worse anxiety hit. What would Demeter do if he did that? Andrew didn’t really want to find out, or see what happened if divine anger was turned against him. So he drove on, civilization increasing with the coming daylight.

At the airport, he parked in long-term parking, a wistful hope that his dad would come retrieve the thing before it needed to be towed. He slung the half-filled duffel bag over one shoulder, realization sinking in that there was no way they were going to let him take a live plant to another country. He rested his hands above the passenger door, lips pressed in thought. He couldn’t leave Minthe behind. Andrew’s hands dropped and he ducked inside the passenger door. The pot was heavy, he struggled to pull it from the seat where he’d strapped it in for safety on the long drive.

With it safely on the ground, he knelt beside it and softly ran his fingers through the tender leaves. “It’s ok, you’re coming with me, you just have to shrink a little.” As he whispered, the bushy plant seemed to un-grow. Leaves curled in on themselves, stems withdrew back towards the buried roots, runners and new shoots disappeared. A few seconds later and Andrew was able to smoothly pluck the plant from the soil. It was barely larger than his thumb then. He fished out a small glass vial from his duffel bag and secured Minthe inside it.

He cleared security without issue after that. He waited until he had boarded and settled into his economy seat before he pulled out his phone. He should do it before he left, much longer and maybe people would actually do something like check with the police.

The first message went to his dad. Andrew checked the time first and breathed a sigh of relief. It was 11:13, his dad would be in county meetings for the rest of the afternoon, and he was a stickler for devices not interfering with his meetings. Probably wouldn’t even see it for another two hours at least, when he’d finally relent and let people order in lunch.

Hey…so, she showed up and said I had to go to this camp for people like me. Idk how long, but I’m on my way already. The car’s parked in R18, if you want it back. I’ll try to let you know what’s going on when I can. Sorry, love you.

He shifted in his seat, wondering if he should send anything separately to his siblings, but quickly decided against it. They wouldn't care or would make his dad aware of it too soon. Not worth it. Just Jenna then. His stomach turned and twisted, sweat beaded on his forehead. He wiped it away, his fingers leaving a trail as they swiped across his screen.

I’m going away on a trip…for a while. I understand if that makes things difficult
-Send-
I love you
-Send-
Sorry

Andrew’s eyes went wide when he saw the three moving dots appear. He quickly powered down the phone rather than change it to airplane mode. The pit of anxiety grew at wondering whatever it was she had said, but pressed against the others in his row, that anxiety turned instead to the discomfort of long haul flights. His long frame scrunched itself in a futile attempt at comfort and he dozed, off and on, for the long journey.

---

---

The island he eventually made his way to had it’s own store of unwanted adventure. It was a different kind of chill than he had grown up with, but even as it bit at him, he had pushed on. His anxiety had grown considerably over the past day and a half. He had about a dozen unread messages and emails, the preview showing him glances of the hell that waited for him when he finally would sit down and swallow the frog.

But not yet, he kept it all at bay by pushing the task away until he was in camp. That’s what he told himself, over and over. His hand kept reaching into the thick felt pocket he had stashed Minthe in, fingers brushing against it as a reminder that she was still there. Andrew looked forward to getting something appropriate to replant her into. Task number one, and then he would finally read what his father, girlfriend, and stepmother had sent him.

All the footprints at the entrance told him there was in fact life here, though he hadn’t seen a soul since he began his hike many hours prior. It was still early, though he had always been an early bird; a blessing, maybe a curse, of growing up on a farm.

The fingerprint reader was easily found, as Demeter had said it would be. He hesitated, though. His posture bent in on himself with one last attempt at deciding if this was really what he was going to do. Andrew pressed his thumb to the reader and trudged through the gate as it opened to him. Returning home would mean his mother’s anger for sure, and that continued to worry him more than anything else.

His eyes went wide as he realized just how much there was here. He had expected to see some cabins, not what appeared to be a giant arena in the distance. Or the massive buildings to his right and left. The din of people gathering became readily apparent the closer he drew, a scattering of people milled about. His throat bobbed and he slouched more, an instinctual response.

Andrew forged ahead, his head down, eyes in front of him as he sought out the warmth of the building ahead. Much as he had his entire life before, he avoided making eye contact with anyone as heat pleasantly blasted away the deep chill he had acquired on his journey.

It was louder, but he was greeted too with the aroma of a hot meal. He licked his lips, chapped and rough.Minthe had to come first, even if the smell brought with it the best kind of homesickness. He scanned the buffet line for what he had in mind.

Perfect.

He loped off quickly towards what seemed to be a juice bar and grabbed a glass tumbler. A few moments later he was trotting back outside and clearing snow away to get to the cold ground beneath. Placing the glass gently to the side, he dug his fingers in, past the grass and frozen top layer to scoop out a bit of good soil. It was good soil, he knew it, could tell the same way he could smell how good breakfast was. It was rich and it would nurture Minthe back to what she was before their travels. He pressed it lightly into the glass and wiped his hand quickly against his jacket and pants.

Back inside, even with the tantalizing smell of breakfast, he distractedly picked out an empty end of a long table and sat, his pack sliding off his shoulder to the ground with a slight thud. Andrew set the now soil filled glass on the table in front of him and carefully fished the vial from his pocket. He delicately plucked the thin plant with one hand and set a small indentation into the soil with his other. With little urging on his part, the roots sought out the soil and helped it along the rest of the way until it had secured itself. He could do more with nurturing her later, but fow now, she had what she needed.

He smiled to himself, a small thing that pulled at both corners of his lips. A quick sigh of contentment before everything else came back on what he needed to do. He looked around the hall again quickly, wondering if anyone had noticed what he had done. Would it be weird here too?

His phone buzzed in his pocket and his spirits sank again. Right, time to get it over with, before he ate. No more pushing it off.

Andrew unlocked the device and opened his texts. It was a dozen from Jenna alone. Increasingly frantic messages until the last one, sent a few hours ago. It was full of misspellings and words he struggled to piece together. She’d been drunk.

Donut ducking matter
were done

Oh. Right, well that was probably fair. He felt himself contract anyways, his heart heavy and stomach sick. He could read the rest later. He saw the notifications for the message with his dad, the emails that raged in his unread notifications. Maybe they’d all be over it by the time he went home. Whenever that was.

He slumped down onto one elbow, the coat uncomfortably warm already, but his previous hunger gone. Instead his fingers danced over the small leaves that responded to each movement, unfurling and growing little by little with each ministration.

Azariah got herself a map and listened in on everything the woman called Andromeda had to say. Food, magic cabins, apparently someone was around here who felt like they had authority… The usual. Well, about as usual as a bunch of demigods holed up somewhere in the woods could possibly be. It was a pretty quick announcement, really. She made a mental note to keep an eye out for this “surfer dude” to see how easy he was to irritate, vex, inconvenience or otherwise irk in some amusing way.

The backpack hanging off of Azariah’s shoulders unzipped itself open, and the map floated inside, before it magically zipped itself back up. She’d pick a cabin later. Right now, she was curious about this other stuff that Andromeda had mentioned, so she walked towards the doors back outside.

She heard a commotion outside, and got curious enough to go looking for someone to pester.

(here’s Blair’s random shit to toss wherever lol)
Blair looked over toward the entrance where a raven hair girl looked a little worse for wear. She grimaced watching her wipe snot on her sleeve… and was that in her mouth? Gross. "Unless you consider getting munched on by a cannibal horse fun, then it’s Pee-Wee’s playhouse," she replied with a droll sarcastic tone. "I fucking hate it here, being perfectly honest. But the boys…" She added, turning her attention back to Osée. "Do make up for some of its less than stellar qualities."

No sooner had Rosalia processed the response to her rhetorical remark than the “boy” in question suggested with a little smile, [i]"The Mamsel here may be in more need of your rarely offered help. I am thinking we should be finding at the least a coffee, perhaps something to eat."

Rosalia shook her head firmly. She let out a strained, breathy sigh, and simply responded, “Right, maybe I’ll join you once I’ve gotten settled…and freshened up.”

As she grasped her other suitcase’s handle and went to move, another voice weighed in.

”And here I went and hoped that a place with this many godly children prancing around would be more than a camp full of pretty faces.”

She came around the bend and saw a few women standing there by the entrance. One in sunglasses looked to be in rough shape.

”You look like you walked the entire way here,” She commented. As if there was a bus that took Azariah here. ”I just got here too. Let me help you with that…”

Azariah tapped her magical staff against the snowy ground and flicked a finger in the direction of Rosalia’s bags, causing them to start floating as if it were light as a feather. The other one with even more luggage probably had a way to sort that out somewhere in there.

”Magic makes things like that easier.”

Rosalia tightened her grip on the handles of her suitcases and squinted to get a good look at the woman offering her help. Magic. Rosalia had seen it herself—she’d done something of the sort herself—and yet the entire thing still felt surreal, even patently ridiculous.

“Thank you,” she wheezed. Her mouth drew into a tight-lipped smile as she took a final deep breath through her nose. Just as quickly, her smile faltered and muddled into something of a concerned frown. She released her grip on her suitcases.

“You mean y’all ain’t walked here?” she groaned, already anticipating an answer she wasn’t expecting to like, “I had to shlep my bags all over creation. Had to. My…uh…guide to get here was in paces.”

”I took a plane to get here, first,” she answered. ”Then I walked. It’s a lot easier when you aren’t carrying an entire house on your back.” Azariah only had one backpack, and no suitcases. It was easy to get here.

Rosalia nodded along. Her mouth pulled to the side in a little frown.

“Yeah, I flew too,” she replied, “It’s the part afterwards that sucked. My understanding was that we were gonna be here a while. So it was either take this with me or pitch it, ‘cus my folks’re gonna repurpose my room now I’m gone.”

Rosalia shrugged, and started moving forwards with her newly lightened load.

“No undoin’ it now, anyway,” she conceded, “Either way, I gotta get to Cabin 38 so I can set this down and get myself cleaned up. Hopefully they got the water pressure how I asked…”

”I don’t know where that is, but I do have a map… Want to walk there?” Azariah asked. ”I need to find my own cabin anyway.”

Rosalia nodded gently.

“Yes, I’d appreciate that…”

She clicked her tongue, and added, “Thank you again. My name’s Rosalia, by the way. Nice to meet you.”

”Azariah. Kid of Hecate, if that matters.”

She waved her magical staff around, and the floating luggage started drifting forward. Azariah turned around on her heel and started walking off into the distance where many unclaimed cabins lay.

”So… God camp. I wonder how many of these demigods are happy to be here.”

Rosalia sighed. “Wouldn’t know,” she responded, “Probably depends on if the others are better parents than Zeus, if I had to guess. I had to fuss at his messenger to get any kind of useful instructions.”

”Instructions?” Azariah smirked. ”The most I was given was a hint that something interesting would be happening in a certain direction. I wasn’t even told what.” Hecate was mysterious like that.

Rosalia let out an amused snort.

“Tried pulling that shit with me too. I wouldn’t let it go till I had the details. Probably why they made me walk, though. Seems like some folks hardly had to,” she mused.

”I guess not. Though… You would think they could have just had one of the gods’ children come to everyone. It would’ve been much easier and more believable, that way.”

Azariah wasn’t sure, but she could imagine that a lot of the demigods didn’t know they were demigods until recently. She knew her whole life, but it might not have been the same for everyone else.

Rosalia was quiet for a moment as they proceeded on, taking in her first look at the camp intently. She furrowed her brow.

“Nothing about this is believable. If I didn’t have the proof in my own bones, I wouldn’t believe it,” she commented.

”By the time I was 15, Hecate had already appeared in the woods and told me everything,” Azariah noted. ”Sometimes, the only difference between what is and isn’t true is who you’re asking. I used to think gods were just a myth, but then, one day, I was running through the woods on four legs instead of two.”

Rosalia shook her head with a little smile.

“I reckon it’s gon’ be a while ‘fore I run out of new things to see,” she chuckled, “So, she tell you if there are any other gods than the Greek ones?”

”Hecate barely tells me anything. She only comes and gives me enough to figure it out myself, and then leaves me to do just that. If there are, I wouldn’t know.”

“Because why would we need to know!” Rosalia exclaimed, “Almost as bad as the capital-G God with these ineffable plans, Lord’ve mercy!”

Rosalia pulled her phone from her coat pocket and pulled off one of her gloves. Fumbling with it briefly, she finally pulled up a scan of a map of campus, not unlike those available near the entrance.

“You wouldn’t believe how much fussin’ I needed to throw at Zeus’ guy to get an idea of where I was supposed to be. Hope they listened to me when I asked.”

She clicked her tongue, and took a scanning look around.

“Should…be…right over there,” she drawled, pointing her phone towards a path. She looked to Azariah again.

“I think I got it from here. I don’t wanna keep ya from getting unpacked.”

”I don’t think I’ll be getting unpacked just yet, anyway,” Azariah said. Rosalia’s things floated forward ahead of them both, and Azariah took a step backwards. ”I’m going to go explore and see if anything interesting is going on.”

Rosalia nodded and went for her things. She plucked her bags from the air and pulled them back on, one by one.

“Well I hope you find what you’re lookin’ for,” Rosalia responded. She pulled her suitcases in towards herself, and started on her way.

“I gotta get myself set up before anything else. So thank you, Azariah, I really do appreciate it,” Rosalia concluded.

”Not a problem.”

That wasn’t the same voice Azariah just had. In fact, that also wasn’t the same body she had either.

When Rosalia wasn’t looking, Azariah suddenly became a taller male. He was still wearing the same clothes, still holding the staff. His hair was much shorter now, and his voice had gotten deeper.

”I’ll be around.”

---

"Oh, I did not realize that things here could get... dangerous." Leo said looking around camp for a moment. "That explains the wall and the fingerprint scanner at the front gate."

Duke gave a confirming nod. It was all part of lowering the odds of getting attacked. Otherwise most the threats just remained in the walls and peeked very rarely. Though Duke would never quote that.

"I am not here to cause trouble, Duke. The only reason I am here is because my mother thought I should be here, to be safe. But from what I do not know, and the last thing I want here is to add to the troubles of this camp."

Duke smiled though it was much tighter than his last. It’s not that he didn’t believe Leo, it was simply he picked the right side and he hoped, when the time came, Leo would be a man of action when dangers and serious threats came into camp. However, he did find it interesting his mother sent him to camp for his own safety. "That’s good to hear. You and your mother on good terms?" He asked, unaware of the man’s heritage. Some demigods despised their parents for sending them to camp while others embraced it for the best with plenty of feelings in between the two extremes.

Duke inhaled deeply expanding on one essential topic since Leo may have been under the illusion camp was safe since his parent sent him for said purpose. "Best to assume camp can always get dangerous." While it sounded awfully tin foil hat, he didn’t want threats catching Leo completely unaware. He smiled to himself sadly. Though some threats there was just no preparing for.

There was one thing that would bring about an end to their doom and gloom subjects but held some relevance still, at least for Duke anyway. "You seen the armory? It's sort of my pride and joy." Duke threw his head in the direction of the weapon storage and armor. Usually, he wouldn't advertise where pointy objects and shields were but Duke oddly liked Leo.

---

---

"First is, what do people do here anyway? I saw a bunch of places and there does not seem much else to do outside of that."

Heath had no trouble answering that, but he did wonder what other reasons for safety and training as to why they were here.

"Well, from what I was told by my mother, who is Athena, we're here to train mostly. Other things have happened here, but that's the biggest reason. I was also told this place is supposed to be a sanctuary from outside threats. However, I would recommend to still be alert for that hasn't always been the case here." he said, revealing his divine parent.

What he didn't add was there was internal conflict. Sure things have been quiet for a bit, but now that everyone had recovered, that might change. And with new campers in the mix, something was bound to happen. He waited for more questions and got another.

"Second question, has anything happened to camp that I should know of? Just because of the fingerprint scanner at the front gate, is that a reason this place needs security?"

Heath sighed and without going into detail, told Sofia what happened.

"Like I said, this place was supposed to be a safe place, but a couple of battles here have happened. I've only experienced one that was a few months ago. Ever heard of Pandora's box? Well, it's real, but instead of plagues, we got attacked by beasts and monsters of all kind. One of us managed to close the box, which made everything vanish, but a lot of us got hurt or worse. A few ended up leaving after that. There was a lot of destruction and we only finished rebuilding the other day. The gate and fingerprinting were new editions as a result of this latest battle."

He hoped what he said didn't scare Sofia too much. But she did ask, so he wouldn't lie to her. Her demeanor seemed to change for her last question. Sofia was acting all nervous as she started to talk, but then she paused. Heath patiently waited and finally got the last question.

"How are Hades's kids treated here if there are any here?"

It didn't take that long for Heath to connect the dots. Sofia was Hades's daughter. Why else would she ask that kind of question? Heath made an effort to be kind since it seemed Sofia feared being judged like that.

"I can't speak for everyone, but I doubt anyone here is judged by who their parents are. I myself never have. I judge by someone's acts. Mason, who is Hades's son, is respected here because of his actions."

Heath tried to avoid gossiping, so he kept it brief. Hopefully though what he said would alleviate some of Sofia's concerns.

"I hope this helps. Welcome to Camp Athens, daughter of Hades. I think you'll do fine here, just try to keep the peace okay?" he said with a smile, making his demeanor more approachable.

---

---

---

---

Elysium looked a little taken aback by all of the information she gave him. Nelly knew she was a loquacious person and wasn't going to apologize for that, but she would try to tone it down in the future when it came to this guy. Still he managed. As social as Nelly was, she didn't get the kind of regular interactions the average person did due to her upbringing. Sure she was an experienced travel and could adapt to different cultures, but when it came to regular conversations, she always had issues. A part of it wondered if it was because she was half God. One of the things she wondered was would she live longer than the average human. Her father always looked young, but she wasn't bound to guess what his real age was.

When Elysium mentioned the things he couldn't do, Nelly merely nodded.

"Hey it's fine. I may have some of my father's abilities, but there's no way I am at his level. The last time I saw him, he actually raced me because I wanted to test myself. I thought I was fine at 100 mph, but my dad instantly went faster than that. Plus my endurance is not great. I need to work on that while I am here. Haven't had time to do that yet."

Seeing him approve of his cabin and mentioning he was going to be a bit busy until tonight's party. Nelly nodded. She had no plans of sticking around. Still she was glad she could help and meet Elysium.

"Well, enjoy your new home then, Elysium! I'll see you tonight!"

She put on her boots again. Turning to Elysium, she gives him a peace sign before suddenly vanishing in front of him as she teleported right outside of his cabin. She wished she saw his expression for that. She figured to remind him that he wasn't in the world of mortals anymore. As she started walking through the snow again, she wondered if Fiona was up yet. The two had gotten closer since the Pandora's Box incident. It felt weird to have a friend here. It was something Nelly wasn't expecting when she came here, but certainly not unwelcomed. Deciding to see if she was up, Nelly raced a bit but stopped when she realized she still needed an actual breakfast. The food Elysium gave her was good, but since she had been using her powers, her metabolism kicked in and she really needed good food in her. Groaning, she headed for the Main Hall. There were still people here. Getting plenty to eat, she looked around and just sat by herself.

---