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[color=gray][indent][indent]In the early hours of the first day of the new year, a yellow taxi cab came to a stop in front of an unassuming hiking trail. The stillness of that snowy morning was momentarily interrupted as [url=https://i.imgur.com/vP1LqSP.jpeg]a dark-haired young woman dressed in various shades of white[/url] stepped out of the vehicle, her winterized brown Jordan Retro boots leaving imprints in the snow beneath her. While the girl retrieved her luggage from the taxi’s trunk with surprising ease, faint beats of [url=https://youtu.be/RrCCfPP7r-M]urban latin music[/url] could be heard reverberating through the pair of black and gold Beats headphones over her ears, cutting through the sounds of songbirds and wind across leaves.

Mikaela Bravo had arrived in Greece sometime after midnight, giving her just enough time to catch a few hours of sleep at a hotel before procuring the taxi that led her here. She’d been thoroughly annoyed at missing New Year’s Eve in Miami with her family and friends, but she figured Camp Athens would be worth the sacrifice. According to her father, Camp was the perfect place for her to not only meet her equals and half-siblings, but also to fine-tune the abilities she had inherited from his divine bloodline. Why Ares had chosen this particular point in time to steer her in this direction was anyone’s guess, but Mika figured [i]‘oh, what the hell’[/i]. The man had never asked her for anything in the twenty-three years she’d been on this Earth, so she might as well indulge his one request. As far as she knew, she could always pack up her shit, hop on a flight and high-tail it right back to the 305.

After closing the trunk door and bidding farewell to the taximan, Mikaela adjusted her backpack, collected her two suitcases and started the hike up the mountain. She made it less than a quarter of a mile uphill before the sound of another vehicle pulling right up to the trail’s starting point caught her attention and stopped her in her tracks.

When [url=https://i.imgur.com/OJ0gEkU.jpeg]Ariana Mossos[/url] accepted her biological mother’s request and invitation to attend Camp Athens, she had [i]a vision[/i]. She would fly out to Greece in her family’s private jet as usual, where their driver Giannis would be waiting at the airport in the heavily-tinted, black BMW SUV to drive her straight to her final destination… A secluded, resort-style lakeside location with a slew of private, cute, cozy, luxurious cabins surrounding a large bonfire area, with plenty of staff available to cater to their every need. There would be winter sports, bonfire parties, movie nights, spa treatments, movie nights, and endless amounts of peaceful relaxation. In [i]this vision[/i] she only had to worry about what to wear, what to eat, and which breathtaking man or woman she would spend the night with– all while learning about her divine heritage in the process.

Boy was she in for a rough awakening…

[color=cf328d]“I traded the Alps for this…”[/color] Ariana muttered under her breath, anger bubbling up in her stomach under the less than ideal circumstances. When Giannis had parked in front of the trail and apologized profusely for not being allowed to go any further, the brunette had laughed and wrote it off as a joke. But as she watched the older Greek man unload suitcase upon suitcase upon suitcase, there was no question that he had meant what he said. Even in the midst of her growing annoyance, Ari made sure to kindly voice her appreciation towards the apologetic Greek man once he had completed the task, reassuring him that she’d figure things out before exchanging goodbyes and watching him drive off. She had turned to glare at her pile of luggage and curse the predicament she found herself in when the familiar sensation of eyes fixated on her ran down her spine.

Ariana’s sights shifted from her suitcases to her surroundings. It wasn’t long before her eyes spotted a feminine figure a short distance away, and she let out a sigh of relief at not being alone in this mess. [color=cf328d]“Hi,”[/color] she quickly greeted the pretty woman with a polite wave and a small smile, putting a pause on her irritation to hopefully make a new friend. [color=cf328d]“Are you here for camp too?”[/color]

Mikaela, who had slipped off her headphones and hung them on her neck, was silent for what felt like an eternity. The moment her green eyes had landed upon [url=https://i.imgur.com/8LivXc3.jpeg]the breathtaking brunette[/url] standing a few feet away from her, her jaw dropped in shock. She wasn’t a stranger to coming across beautiful people throughout her life, but something about this woman had left her too stunned to speak. The luscious locks of brown hair cascading down her shoulders. The way her bronzed skin seemed to glow like the sunrays that had previously kissed it. The heavy-lidded bedroom eyes with irises shaded like an autumn forest. The rose-tinted lips that looked like they would feel and taste as good as the ripest, juiciest fruit in the garden of Eden…

An overwhelming wave of desire washed over Mika, making her knees weak. She didn’t know who [s](or what)[/s] this woman was, but one thing was for sure: she would absolutely kill to have her.

Realizing she’d been silently staring for a while, Mika shook her head and blinked a few times, trying to clear her head from the yearnful haze that had seemingly overtaken her. [color=bc2747]“Uh, sorry. Yeah, I am,”[/color] she finally managed to stammer, leaving her suitcases behind and retracing her steps to properly greet the new arrival. [color=bc2747]“I’m Mikaela, daughter of Ares,”[/color] she introduced herself, brushing away the weirdness she felt at referring to herself as a child of the God of Warfare out loud to anyone for the first time. 

To any other person, the reaction of the girl called Mikaela would have them feeling creeped out and ready to run for the hills. Instead, the silent interaction filled Ariana with an immense sense of pride, elation and delight. No matter how often her beauty and presence left people spellbound, it was always nice to be reminded of the effect she had… Especially on women as beautiful as the absolute doll standing in front of her. That silky black hair, that radiant ivory skin, those sparking jade eyes framed by pretty long lashes, that pair of cherry red lips…

[color=cf328d][i]‘She be a fun one to have…’[/i][/color]

Smiling to herself at the thought of seducing her, Ariana turned her attention back to the unsuspecting girl. [color=cf328d]“I’m Ariana, daughter of Aphrodite,”[/color] she replied, bypassing the typical handshake one reserved for strangers and going straight for a more personal two-kiss greeting that the other woman corresponded. There was something Ari had noticed in Mika’s voice as she spoke that she couldn’t help but cheekily comment upon. [color=cf328d]“I hear a bit of a familiar accent peeking through there. Are you from Miami?”[/color]

Mikaela’s lips curled upwards in a grin as she nodded. [color=bc2747]“305, born and raised,”[/color] she proudly corroborated, flashing her small inner wrist tattoo of the Miami area code and mini beach scene at the other girl. [color=bc2747]“I’m guessing you’re from the US too?”[/color]

[color=cf328d]“Mhm! 90210 girlie here!”[/color] Ariana confirmed with an enthusiastic nod of her own. What were the odds that the first person she would meet in this adventure was a fellow American? The cheerfulness she was feeling, however, was quickly soured by a sudden realization. [color=cf328d]“Hold on. So let me get this straight. We literally just did all this transatlantic traveling to get here, and then these gods expect us to go on an uphill hike carrying up all of our stuff?”[/color] she grumbled in disbelief before going off on an unplanned, unexpected venting session. [color=cf328d]“Like, they could’ve at least told us that shit in advance so we would be prepared for it instead of just springing it up on us that nobody could drive us past this point. Like, [i][b]hel-lo[/b][/i]: what the hell am I supposed to do with all of [i]this[/i]–?”[/color] she gestured to the suitcases neatly lined a few steps away from her as if to emphasize her point. [color=cf328d]“Nobody told me I had to carry them all myself, so how was I supposed to know that bringing half a dozen suitcases wasn’t a good idea?”[/color]

Mikaela nodded in agreement, trying to focus on the conversation instead of the girl’s beauty. She did agree that clearer instructions would’ve been helpful, but she couldn’t really relate to Ariana’s problem of packing what looked like an entire boutique store to bring to camp. Mika wasn’t a light traveler by any means, but she also didn’t require an outfit change three times a day. She did, however, have a possible solution to quell the daughter of Aphrodite’s scorn at the situation. [color=bc2747]“I mean, I could take both our stuff back up there and come back for you if you want. It’s not like I can’t carry all of this up by myself.”[/color]

Mika mentally facepalmed herself. God, she’d sounded so fucking desperate! Clearly, what little she knew about the intoxicating attraction between Aphrodite and Ares seemed to translate to their offspring as well– she would’ve never fumbled like this back home. But it seemed like not all hope was lost yet, because instead of snickering or sneering at her, the California native let out a squeal of delight and rushed forward to wrap her in a tight, grateful hug.

Ariana hadn’t set out to get anything when she’d gone on that rant about her suitcases, but she’d be damned if she turned down the opportunity to skip out on having to become a pack mule. Beaming, the young woman let go of Mika and happily assisted her in the planning and execution of a best course of action. There was no question about whether Mika would be able to carry everything by herself or not, or about her getting tired in the process. She was a daughter of Ares, and that came with the gifts of superior strength and human condition. It took a little time, the clever use of assorted items to use as rope and some strategic, Tetris-like stacking. But finally, the luggage was hoisted onto Mika’s back and arms, and the woman set off on the snowy trek uphill. Ariana would soon be joining her… But there was one thing she needed to take care of first.

As soon as Mika was out of earshot, the Mossos girl pulled out her iPhone from her pocket, unlocked it and called her father. She listened to the ringing on the other line for what felt like forever while tapping her foot, her annoyance growing with each second it went unanswered. Unsurprisingly, the call went to voicemail, and by this point, she was ready to go off in the way she did as soon as the “beep” to leave a message came through.

[color=cf328d]“Daddy: [i]where the fuck did this woman send me[/i]?!”[/color] Ariana hissed through gritted teeth; her displeasure for the predicament she had found herself in dripping like venom from her every word. [color=cf328d]“Giannis couldn’t even take me to the actual campsite, but apparently I was supposed to hike a few miles up a damn mountain with seven suitcases and an overnight bag [i]in the fucking snow[/i] to make it up there?”[/color] The brunette shook her head and clucked her tongue in disbelief. [color=cf328d]“Thank God I found a really sweet girl who offered to take my things up that damn mountain, because I have no earthly idea how the hell I was supposed to make it up there by myself…”[/color] Ari trailed off with a deep breath, rubbing her pulsating right temple in a weak self-soothing attempt. [color=cf328d]“You better hope that I don’t die before I even make it to this stupid camp, because if I do, I know you’re going to be [i]very sad[/i] and [i]very sorry[/i].”[/color] With one last dramatic huff, Ariana angrily tapped her phone screen to end the voicemail, placed it back in her pocket, and followed Mikaela’s footsteps up the mountain.

After a little hustle, Ariana was able to catch up with Mikaela. The two women walked the rest of the way side by side, making friendly conversation and getting to know each other. As much as she hated that she had to engage in this damn stupid hike in the first place, she was grateful to not have to do it on her own. On Mika’s end, the gratitude for having some company was reciprocated. They walked for what felt like an eternity, and just as the brunette was about to wave the white flag of surrender and collapse onto the snow-covered ground, the girls finally came upon a large concrete wall with an imposing iron gate blocking anyone from further passage.

[color=cf328d]“God, [i]finally[/i]!”[/color] Ari sighed with relief, sprinting the rest of the way while Mika chuckled at her reaction. She noticed the biometric scanner where the intercom system would be, and followed the directions on the screen, helping Mika do the same once she was completed. With a loud creaking sound, the gates swung inward, granting passage from the new arrivals. The girls soon reached an interactive map of Camp that highlighted all the important locations and instructed them to choose a cabin, and after dropping off Ari’s things in Cabin 29, it was time for them to go their separate ways.

[color=cf328d]“Thank you so much for your help, Mika,”[/color] Ariana thanked the woman in her honeyed voice, wrapping her arms around Mikaela again and pulling her into a tight hug. [color=cf328d]“I really don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”[/color]

Mikaela returned the hug with a smile, breathing in Ari’s delicious vanilla marshmallow perfume one last time before pulling away. [color=bc2747]“It was no problem, girl! I’m glad I could help you out. Us beach bunnies gotta stick together, right?”[/color] she said, playfully shoving the other girl’s shoulder. [color=bc2747]“I’ll head out to my cabin now, but I hope we hang out again soon. I know the hike was hell for you, but I hope I was good company on the way up.”[/color]

Ariana laughed at Mika’s beach bunnies remark, returned her shove, and nodded vehemently at her last comment. [color=cf328d]“Oh, absolutely! You were, like, [i]the best company[/i]. We’ll for sure have to hang out again soon!”[/color] And after one last embrace, Mika departed the daughter of Aprhodite’s cabin.

Now alone, Ariana walked around and carefully surveyed the space. As upset as she was about Aphrodite not giving her all details about camp, she couldn’t deny that she had impeccable taste. The design choices of her cabin were exactly as she would’ve picked them: a luxurious, girly and classy blend of pinks, golds, whites and beiges that perfectly imitated the style of her college apartment and her bedroom back in the Hills. She was just about to excitedly start unpacking her clothes in that spacious, large closet when a booming, masculine voice cut through the silence.

[i][color=86a8ad]"Good morning campers. This is your new leader, River, speaking. It is currently 7:30 a.m. on January 1st. Your first training will begin in one hour at 8:30 a.m. in the arena. Please arrive promptly and dress accordingly."[/color][/i]

[color=cf328d]“[b][i]Training?[/i][/b]”[/color] Ariana repeated out loud to herself with a bewildered look. [color=cf328d]“Training for what: the ballet?”[/color] Was this a joke? Was she being punked by her father for the many headaches she gave him with her rule-breaking, defiant actions growing up? Surely he would know better than to willingly send her somewhere she would have to engage in athletic activities other than sex, dancing and occasional snow sport…

[i]Right?[/i]

The daughter of Aphrodite let out an exasperated huff, feeling even more aggravated than before. She snatched the suitcase that contained her winter clothes and pulled out the only outfit she could think of would that be appropriate for whatever this [i]‘training’[/i] was: [url=https://i.imgur.com/Xikc20k.jpeg]a bodycon black ski suit purposely zipped up right to the middle of her chest[/url], paired with gold accessories and [url=https://i.imgur.com/RZ53DOt.jpe]her trusty pink faux fur coat[/url] to keep her warm while she waited. Once that was done, Ari reached for her overnight bag, pulled out her makeup kit and parked it by the vanity– because a touch-up was very needed after all that unnecessary walking she’d been forced to do. She’d just finished applying a fresh coat of strawberry lip gloss when a chance glance at a nearby clock not-so-gently nudged her to get a move on.

Out of principle, Ari allowed herself another minute or two of whining before forcing herself to get up and get moving. A strawberry banana protein shake later and the pouting girl was arriving at the arena. She located one of the less populated sections of the space and claimed a seat, pushing her Burberry sunglasses up the bridge of her nose before crossing her arms over her chest as she impatiently waited to find out what in the world this ‘training’ thing was about.

Meanwhile in Cabin 4, the training announcement had injected Mikaela with a dose of enthusiasm. Sports and exercise was something she absolutely thrived on, and she loved that feeling of pushing her physical limits to achieve the desired results or ones beyond expectations. While Ares hadn’t really elaborated on what exactly would be covered during his daughter’s time at camp, she figured that ‘exploring her powers in a safe space’ would involve some sort of training or lessons, so Mika had packed accordingly. She traded her travel outfit for a [url=https://www.instagram.com/p/DCFzW8bOGvm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==]matching windbreaker and sweatpant set[/url], and pushed her hair out of the way with the help of a headband. A scan of the kitchen cupboards produced a chocolate chip peanut butter protein bar, which Mika scarfed down with a banana before making her way to the arena.

She walked up to the highest row of bleachers once she had reached the location, carefully selected a seat that overlooked the entirety of the arena and sat down. The black headphones that would probably become her signature item at camp were slid back over her head and ears instantly, and those [url=https://youtu.be/3DAVYezrKW4?list=RD3DAVYezrKW4]latin urban beats[/url] from before came through again. Sighing, Mikaela sprawled comfortably in her seat and pulled out a bright red vape pen from her pocket. The green eyes hidden behind dark shades examined her surroundings while she inhaled and exhaled cotton candy smoke, and she tapped her foot on the concrete beneath her as she waited for further instructions.[/indent][/indent][/color]