[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Qf9wmMi.jpeg[/img]
[sup][img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img]
[color=c9bef3][b]#c9bef3[/b][/color] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c].....[/color] [url=https://imgur.com/9rCxtTi][color=9b9b9b][b]outfit[/b][/color][/url] [color=2e2c2c].....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c].....[/color] [color=9b9b9b][b]party[/b][/color]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img][/sup][/center]

[indent][indent][indent][indent][justify][color=808080]At least Lochlan wasn’t a complete idiot. He heeded her advice and immediately slipped off the horrid purple jacket. But then he held it out to her with a shit-eating grin. Blair pursed her lips, unamused, and cocked her head to the side. [color=c9bef3]"You put that on me, it’s going in the bonfire,"[/color] she warned him with a judgementally pointed index finger that jabbed his shoulder. 

[color=8e0047]"What are you even wearing?"[/color] Lochlan asked with an expression somewhere between horrified and disgusted. Honestly, he needed to calm down. There was enough fashion tape to keep things from popping out and she wore underwear, which was rare. So it wasn’t like he’d be scarred by some nipple slippage or something. If Blair was going to traumatize her brother it’d be with more than accidental nudity. But he knew that. He also knew that no matter how much he bitched and moaned she wasn’t changing. All he could do was either accept it or avert his gaze.

[color=c9bef3]"Crystals,"[/color] she responded with a little bounce that made the skirt sway slightly. [color=c9bef3]"Ok… Rhinestones,"[/color] Blair confessed with an eye roll. [color=c9bef3]"Dad would have killed me if I bought a dress made out of Swarovski crystals."[/color] She did a little spin even though she knew Lochlan would likely look away with that disgusted, and slightly overprotective annoyed look he got whenever she dressed like a slut. It wasn’t like her lifestyle was a secret from him, or much different from his own. Deep down she thought he struggled with it because she was too similar to the girls he’d waste a night with and, perhaps, he didn’t like the idea of men looking at her the way he looked at women. But she didn’t mind. She was perfectly aware of how she appeared to others. It was her choice. She decided when she wanted to be seen as a person or an object. That night she was bait… not searching for a husband.

[color=c9bef3]"Calm down, Loch,"[/color] Blair sighed, dropping her usual attitude to be serious for a second. [color=c9bef3]"I took my birth control and I have a condom in my g-string. I’ll be fine. And if any of these guys cross a line? You can kill them."[/color] She shrugged and raised her brows like it was nothing. She took his cheeks between her thumbs and index fingers, pinching them and giving his face a little shake. [color=c9bef3]"Deal?"[/color]

Her eyes narrowed when Lochlan threw his jacket over his shoulder rather than tossing it in the nearest trashcan. Of course he had his little smirk showing he wasn’t going to concede… and neither would she. Just another typical day for the Carmichaels.

[color=8e0047]"Come get a drink with me,"[/color] Lochlan half demanded. Who was she to argue?

[color=c9bef3]"Now you’re speaking my language."[/color] Blair took a couple hurried steps after him. When she caught up to him she slid her arm through his. The least he could do was be a gentleman and escort her to the bar. She was walking through grass in pumps for Christ’s sake. It took a lot of focus to not sink a heel into the dirt or twist her ankle. She might have been a pro at walking in all types of shoes, but that was on the streets of New York not Camp fields and dirt trails.

As they reached the bar it didn’t slip Blair’s notice how her brother’s gaze drifted to a stunning girl with caramel skin and wild curly hair pulled back in a messy bun. The girl must have just arrived based on her more casual attire, but that didn’t detract from her appeal. She looked like she could be a challenge, although that always seemed to attract Lochlan more. Case and point, Sloane. She gave his arm a little squeeze in silent acknowledgement and a little goading. He could do [i]far[/i] worse, and it was about time he jumped back into the deep end. Move onto bigger and better things.

[color=8e0047]"Shots!"[/color] Lochlan called out to everyone at the bar. 

Blair slipped her arm free from her brother and threw both her hands in the air. [color=c9bef3]"Hell yeah!"[/color] she shouted in response. She left her brother to decide on the liquor while she scooped up several shot glasses, one on each finger. When she returned by his side, Lochlan looked like he might have been debating between a few different alcohols. [color=c9bef3]"Tequila?"[/color] she offered before reaching across the counter to grab a salt shaker and a small bowl of limes. 

Somewhere between gathering supplies and lining up glasses, a shorter dark skinned male found a space between the crowd and squeezed his way up to the bar. [color=0d0e20]"Anything good over here?"[/color]

She paused in the middle of adding another small glass to the line up. [color=c9bef3]"Yeah, shots!"[/color] She flashed him a mischievous grin and as she went to turn her attention back to the task at hand, she noticed an exceptionally tall woman sidle up to the bar. Blair leaned forward to grab another glass for the newest addition but the Amazonian seemed content in making her own drink. 

After lining up the rest of the glasses along with a lime for each, Blair looked up and scanned the various people around the bar. [color=c9bef3]"Who’s in?"[/color][/color][/justify][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent]

[center][sup][img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img]
[color=808080][b]interactions[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] lochlan & azariah [color=2e2c2c]...............[/color] [b]mentions[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] amorey & tess [color=2e2c2c]...............[/color] [b]collabs[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] none[/color]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img][/sup][/center]
[hr][hr]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Qs85EvY.jpeg[/img]
[sup][img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img]
[color=bd1664][b]#bd1664[/b][/color] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c].....[/color] [url=https://imgur.com/y58l9Y9][color=9b9b9b][b]outfit[/b][/color][/url] [color=2e2c2c].....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c].....[/color] [color=9b9b9b][b]party[/b][/color]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img][/sup][/center]

[indent][indent][indent][indent][justify][color=808080][color=04ed42]"Nate,"[/color] he introduced himself with a confident smile. Then he did something Andy wasn’t expecting. Rather than a simple handshake, he turned sideways and started an arm wave that began with his left, worked through his shoulders and ended with his right arm into a handshake. [color=04ed42]"Nice to meet ya, Andy."[/color]

It was cheesy and [i]absolutely[/i] ridiculous. Yet Andy couldn’t fight the small bout of laughter that overcame her as he shook her hand. [color=bd1664]"Nice to meet you too,"[/color] she replied with a friendly smile. That was definitely a first for her when it came to introductions, but it was nice having a laugh… Even if it was brief.

Surprisingly, her new dance partner didn’t rush to get up into her personal space. Instead he kept a little distance between them as his dancing began to mirror her own. Andy’s body rocked back and forth taking a few steps to the right then the same number back to the left. All the while her hips never stopped swaying and her fingers snapped on beat with whatever was playing at the time. She couldn’t help but laugh when Nate did his own spin. If nothing else, he seemed carefree and not overly concerned about how he looked while dancing. From her perspective it looked like he was just trying to let loose and have fun. 

[color=04ed42]"If I knew it would be a party, I would have swung by sooner,"[/color] he said quietly, almost more to himself than to her.

Andy took a half step forward, leaning her head toward him slightly to try and catch what he was saying. Her smile grew slightly with a laugh when she caught what he said. [color=bd1664]"The last one didn’t end so well,"[/color] she admitted, speaking up to make sure he could hear her well enough. [color=bd1664]"But after everything that happened I thought we deserved a little fun. You’re lucky the Gods sent you all here on New Year’s Eve,"[/color] she added with a shrug that had a little dancing flair to it.

As they danced, Nate had a consistent charming smile and held her gaze frequently. But when he wasn’t looking at her, his eyes shifted around the party like a skittish dog distracted by every movement out of his peripherals. Whenever he looked away Andy found her gaze following his, trying to figure out what had caught his attention. But she never noticed anything and before long his eyes were locked back onto her again.

His smile shifted, becoming a little more nervous before finally asking whatever questions were eating him alive. [color=04ed42]"I have to ask, though... this isn't, like, some kind of cult... right?"[/color] His dancing slowed as he paused in thought. Then his smile returned, a little more forced, and he motioned his hand vaguely at the party or camp… or maybe all of it. [color=04ed42]"I mean, concrete walls, biometric data, the talk of being part-god, the general pagan vibe... what did I sign up for?"[/color]

Andy’s dancing temporarily came to a halt as his question took her entirely by surprise. Her head tilted slightly. She was trying her best not to laugh or be rude. Nate was quickly turning into a first for a lot of things for her. Handshake arm waves and cult questions were not on her New Year’s Eve bingo card. [color=bd1664]"I mean… technically we [i]are[/i] pagan. But no. No cults,"[/color] she answered, unable to fight the small laugh that she had been trying to repress. 

[color=bd1664]"The concrete walls and everything are because of me,"[/color] she admitted. Andy realized how that might have sounded and held up her hands innocently. [color=bd1664]"I just thought camp could use better… [i]security.[/i]"[/color] Unintentionally, her dancing slowed, mirroring Nate’s change in pace. It no longer kept the same tempo or levity as the music that played over the speakers. She tried her best to stay on beat but she seemed incapable of holding the rhythm while focusing on whatever she was saying. Perhaps she wasn’t the best at multitasking or maybe it was the alcohol… It was probably the alcohol. 

She wasn’t really wanting to dive into the grim truths of what transpired at camp, but the Gods didn’t seem to be very good at informing their children before sending them to camp. [i]Typical.[/i] [color=bd1664]"You weren’t told anything before you came here… Were you?"[/color] Andy asked. She was no longer laughing or making light of his curious questions, instead a serious weight hung in the air above her words. If he wanted to know she’d tell him. But she also wouldn’t blame him for wanting to live in ignorance… At least for the duration of the party.[/color][/justify][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent]

[center][sup][img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img]
[color=808080][b]interactions[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] nate [color=2e2c2c]...............[/color] [b]mentions[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] none [color=2e2c2c]...............[/color] [b]collabs[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] none[/color]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img][/sup][/center]
[hr][hr]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/BkIWOdW.jpeg[/img]
[sup][img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img]
[color=667c0c][b]#667c0c[/b][/color] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c].....[/color] [url=https://imgur.com/adYfcRI][color=9b9b9b][b]outfit[/b][/color][/url] [color=2e2c2c].....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c].....[/color] [color=9b9b9b][b]party[/b][/color]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img][/sup][/center]

[indent][indent][indent][indent][justify][color=808080][color=ffc300]"As long as we’re all in agreement about what’s in store for tomorrow."[/color] Evelyn diverted her gaze after Wes mentioned the new leader, and while she offered no information, Wes couldn’t help but wonder if she knew. Either way, if she didn’t want to share, he wasn’t going to pry the information out of her. In the end they would find out one way or another. 

[color=ffc300]"Maybe it’s actually Elysium this whole time?"[/color] she teased. [color=ffc300]"He’s just been playing it very cool, letting us say our opinions first."[/color]

Both men laughed at the playful accusation. [color=5a6a85]"Not at all,"[/color] Elysium contradicted with another chuckle. [color=5a6a85]"I don’t think I’d be that great of a leader. I wouldn’t even know where to start."[/color]

[color=ffc300]"No, you’re too lovely to be leader here."[/color] For a moment Wes considered feigning shock when he wasn’t included in the ‘too lovely’ category, but Evelyn beat him to it. [color=ffc300]"As are you,"[/color] she added, pointing at him. [color=ffc300]"And I don't have the commanding presence for it."[/color]

Wes shrugged his shoulders. [color=667c0c]"If the Gods were going to let one of us oldies be the leader, we both know it would have been Andy,"[/color] he commented in regards to Evelyn’s playful comments. His gaze drifted over to the brunette in question as she danced with some unknown redhead. [color=667c0c]"And they obviously don’t like [i]that[/i] idea,"[/color] he added before taking a swig of his beer. 

[color=5a6a85]"It sounds like none of us are the leader then,"[/color] Elysium concluded as he scanned the crowd. [color=5a6a85]"And I would say both of your guesses are as good as mine."[/color] His hand then gestured toward none other than Mason himself as the brooding son of Hades trudged his way across the field looking like his normal dour self.

He couldn’t control himself. Wes doubled over in laughter, holding his gut then slapping his leg. He nearly started wheezing and fought to catch his breath. Mason… leader of the camp? He couldn’t even begin to imagine the absolute hell that would be. Of course Wes would be at the top of his shit list now that the Valises were gone. Andy might be able to soften him, a bit. But Mason was a dick and would always be a dick. He didn’t think leadership would give him a sudden change of heart. Wes prayed the day where Mason led camp never came… [i]Ever[/i].

[color=5a6a85]"Probably not him?"[/color] Elysium corrected with a glance toward the rest of them. 

[color=667c0c]"[i]No.[/i] Not him,"[/color] Wes agreed with a chuckle. [color=667c0c]"That’s Mason. He’s an oldie too and would probably rather drown himself in the lake than lead this camp. There’s a lot of history there,"[/color] he added with a wave like it was a story for a different time. There was no reason to drag down the party with long stories of past camp bullshit. They could save that for another day.

[color=5a6a85]"Well, whoever he is. I hope he's enjoying the party as much as everyone else seems to be enjoying it. I know I am. Even if I didn't get to play a yard game."[/color]

Wes nodded his head in agreement before turning his attention toward the other partygoers. He hadn’t the fuzziest idea who could be the new leader. Knowing which campers were new helped… a [i]little[/i] but he was probably the last person qualified to decide who was ‘leader’ material. His gaze bounced from the redhead who danced with Andy, to the shorter man that approached the bar with braids, to another redhead at the bar that talked with a darker skinned girl. None of them really spoke to him. But as he continued to scan the crowd and his attention locked onto a dark haired guy who fell backwards off a log… he realized that he was just looking for an Ajax knock off. 

Just as he was about to turn his attention back to Elysium and Evelyn another mane of curly red hair caught his attention. [i]How many gingers were at camp?[/i] His gaze fell beneath the locks to the pale freckled face that almost reminded him of… [color=667c0c]"Lewski?"[/color] he thought outloud, dumbfounded. His eyes squinted as he studied the girl’s face almost like he was making sure it wasn’t some trick from the alcohol. But no… He’d know that short and wiry redhead anywhere. 

He downed what remained of his beer then threw his hand up in the air. [color=667c0c]"LEWSKI!"[/color] Wes shouted across the party, not giving a flying fuck who turned to stare at him. 

Like a linebacker with his sights set on the quarterback, he sprinted like a madman across the field. [color=667c0c]"Excuse me. Pardon me. Sorry,"[/color] He bobbed and weaved through various partiers and accidentally bumped into a few others. Nearing the bonfire he hurdled one of the unoccupied log benches and rounded on Rae. Before she had the chance to make heads or tails of what was happening, Wes was leaning over and wrapping his singular arm around her. He hoisted her right off the ground into a joyful bear hug. His laughter rumbled in his chest and shook her as he held her suspended in the air. 

After a moment or two and some additional squeezes, he finally set her back down and lightly tousled her curls. She looked good. A bit older. [i]Definitely not taller[/i]. But good. [color=667c0c]"What the hell are you doing here!?"[/color] he asked in disbelief. 

[color=667c0c]"Oh my god, you have to meet someone."[/color] Wes barely gave Rae a chance to talk or catch her breath. Her hand felt tiny, almost fragile, when he snatched it up in his own and started leading her through the party.

On a mission, his eyes scanned the party for Trinity but a familiar blonde was nowhere to be found. He knew she was there, [i]hell[/i], he half molested her when he arrived. Where in the world could she have gone? It was then, on the outskirts of the party near the edge of the field he noticed her. [color=667c0c]"Ah ha!"[/color] he mused. [color=667c0c]"Thought she disappeared for a minute."[/color] He laughed and redirected their path right towards her. 

As they approached the blonde, Wes gave Rae a little tug, pulling her up beside him to face Trinity. He released her hand and shifted to stand to their sides. [color=667c0c]"Rae, this is my girlfriend, Trinity,"[/color] he said with a smile that practically stretched from ear to ear. [color=667c0c]"I know, I know."[/color] He held up his hand innocently. [color=667c0c]"Crazy that I settled down. But it was more her than me,"[/color] he admitted before leaning down toward Rae like he was telling her a secret. [color=667c0c]"You know how obsessive I can be when I see something I like."[/color] He elbowed her playfully.

[color=667c0c]"And Trinity, this is Rae,"[/color] he said, turning his attention to the blonde while motioning toward his old High School friend. [color=667c0c]"We went to High School together. She helped me not flunk out… [i]a lot.[/i]"[/color] He flashed a guilty grin. It wasn’t that big of a surprise he struggled with getting good grades in school between his generally [i]average[/i] intelligence and his attention being more focused on girls than school work. [color=667c0c]"She also had a huge crush on me,"[/color] he added with a little laugh like it was nothing but water under the bridge. Girls having a crush on Wes was nothing new or uncommon. He was used to it and didn’t think it tainted their friendship or anything… At least, he hoped not. 

He shrugged his shoulders. [color=667c0c]"It was probably the whole [i]allure[/i] thing. Tends to make people a bit loopy."[/color] Wes smiled happily, completely unaware that he probably dropped like twenty bombshells in five minutes flat without giving either Rae or Trinity a moment to catch their breath. All the while he was just ecstatic to have an old friend at camp.[/color][/justify][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent]

[center][sup][img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img]
[color=808080][b]interactions[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] elysium, evelyn, rae & trinity [color=2e2c2c]...............[/color] [b]mentions[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] andy, nate, mason, azariah, leo, amorey & river [color=2e2c2c]...............[/color] [b]collabs[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] none[/color]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img][/sup][/center]