[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/PTng6Ye.jpeg[/img] [sup][img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img] [color=808080][color=f8d296][b]#f8d296[/b][/color] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c].....[/color] [url=https://imgur.com/1JJOrQa][color=808080][b]outfit[/b][/color][/url] [color=2e2c2c].....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c].....[/color] [b]near the strawberry fields[/b][/color] [img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img][/sup][/center] [indent][indent][indent][indent][justify][color=808080]Lux stepped out of the infirmary into the unrelenting brightness of a summer afternoon. Sunlight poured through leaves that hung from trees high above, bathing her in a warm glow that felt stark in comparison to the chill and the darkness of the storm the night before. She vaguely recalled how the entire atmosphere changed the second they stumbled through the borders of camp the night before. But it didn’t fully register until that moment. Outside, in the [i]real[/i] world, it was on the cusp of fall: cool breezes that didn’t quite bite, leaves had begun falling, and pumpkin everything everywhere—a discovery she made the moment September hit. While a great many things were different after the thirty years she lost, for some reason, the pumpkin obsession was the most… [i]odd.[/i] Not that she could entirely blame anyone, she tried a pumpkin spice something or other when they were in Pittsburgh and secretly enjoyed it a little [i]too[/i] much. But inside Camp Half-blood there were no changing leaves or excessive pumpkins, just the bright untameable warmth of a summer, mid-July. Lux had never been much of a summer person, but here it felt… different, like the safety of a hug after waking from a nightmare, like she could finally breathe and rest after years on the run. She squinted and raised a hand to her brow to try and diffuse the luminous rays. Her eyes had just barely adjusted in time for her to quickly step aside as half a dozen children no older than twelve ran past in bright orange shirts that matched her own. They laughed, shoving and pushing each other as they went with no regard for the people around them. And there was one that trailed behind, a young girl with hair so blonde it was nearly white, panting with every step, who stopped for half a beat to flash her an apologetic smile. [color=d6d6d6]"Sorry!"[/color] She gave a small wave before continuing after her friends. Lux laughed, finding an unspoken joy in the simplicity of demigod children playing and running from each other, not monsters or whatever horrors hunted them. She raised her hand to wave in return, but a new foreign ache tore through her left arm and ripped her pack from her grasp. There was a soft thud as the bag hit the wooden deck beneath her. Her gaze fell to the gashes that marred her forearm, somehow more gruesome and startling in the brightness of the sun. She flexed her hand a couple times, grimacing through the wave of new sensations she’d have to get accustomed to. [color=f8d296]"Damn it,"[/color] she muttered under her breath as she stepped forward and sat on the top step of the porch. She took a second to pull on her combat boots, not wasting time with fastening the laces knowing the longer she lingered outside the infirmary, the more likely she’d be caught by Beckett or Violet before she could put some distance between them. Lux needed to clear her head, organize her thoughts, and figure out what the fuck she was actually going to tell Beckett when he inevitably asked her to fill the gaps in his memory. So, in typical Lux fashion, she dug around her bag and pulled out her CD player. She put on her old headphones, with the ancient foam that flaked and threatened to break off with each use, and blasted Pearl Jam… promptly drowning out her thoughts rather than working through them. With her good arm, Lux tossed her pack over one shoulder and stood back up. She descended the remaining stairs and turned down the dirt path, following in the direction the other kids ran off in. She wasn’t in a hurry, and her legs were still struggling to remember how to work, but she tried to walk as fast as she could, if only to put more distance between herself and— As Lux looked back over her shoulder, expecting to see some kind of medical building of some sort, she was surprised instead to be faced with a massive Victorian style mansion. It was as blue as the sky, four stories—maybe more—with a wrap-around porch, the kind her grandpa always talked about wanting: white railings, ornate spandrels, and a porch swing off to one side. The memory twisted and coiled in her chest, aching in her bones in a way her arm never could. It was an old pain, something raw, and frayed around the edges like the remnants of her nightmare that clung to the memories of her grandfather’s face and Beckett’s lifeless body. She closed her eyes tight and shook her head, trying to erase the images before they were burned into the back of her eyelids. Lux continued forward, with measured steps and a tight grip on the strap of her pack. She took a deep breath, then another and another, before opening her eyes, grounding herself in the brightness of reality as she continued onward, breaking through the treeline, and emerging out into the sunny expanse of the valley below. Lux imagined Camp Half-Blood was the picture perfect, hallmark greeting card summer camp every kid had ever dreamt of. It was startling in the way that everyone there just… [i]lived,[/i] something that felt so foreign to her that being faced with it now, she couldn’t help but wonder if it was just another dream, a glimpse into a life she could have before the nightmare of reality stripped it from her. There were cabins bursting with demigods of all ages, a large pavilion with columns and everything like it was teleported directly from Greece, various training grounds, a stable, a lake—that she was going to stay far from—and a strawberry field at the heart of everything. Before she knew where to go, her feet had already started carrying her to the far side of the valley to a small clearing of grass nestled between the blossoming strawberries and the thicket of forest that surrounded the valley. Lux found a large boulder that was out of the way in a little niche that no one seemed to wander near. [i]Perfect.[/i] She set down her bag beside it, and sat on the ground before it. She crossed her legs beneath her and let out a deep sigh as she leaned back against the rock, letting the cool stone ground her and sooth an ache along her back that she hadn’t realized had taken root. Her head lulled back, the sounds of Even Flow deafening her to the world around her. Her mind had just started wandering back to the night before, scripting her answer for Beckett before he asked… weighing if she should tell him everything or not, when something gentle and featherlight brushed her knee. Lux started, eyes snapping open as she sat upright. Programmed for the worst over the past three—[i]thirty-five years[/i]—her body immediately went into fight or flight mode until she was met with a pair of brown eyes, wide like saucers. Before her stood a young girl who couldn’t have been more than six years old. She looked like a living Cabbage Patch Kid with curly strawberry blonde hair in two high ponytails, freckles speckled across her cheeks and nose, and a big smile with a noticeable gap where her two front teeth should be. She wore the same orange t-shirt Lux did, but several sizes too big. The sleeves went halfway down her forearms while the hem brushed the tops of her knees, which were dirty and bandaged with two neon pink bandaids. Clutched in one hand was a small wicker basket overflowing with plump, ripe strawberries while the other waved enthusiastically toward her with spread fingers and all the excitement of a child face to face with their favorite Disney character. Lux paused her music and pulled the headphones from her ears to hang around the back of her neck just in time to be met with a cheerful, [color=d6d6d6]"Hi! I’m Harper!"[/color] She had wanted to be alone to gather her thoughts and clear her mind, Harper had the type of effervescence that was contagious, all smiles and warmth like a ray of sunshine. While Lux could tell a teenager to fuck off as easily as the next person, this little girl before her radiated pure, untainted happiness. She refused to be the rain cloud that dampened her spirits. And [i]maybe[/i] she could use a distraction with bouncy pigtails and a squeaky voice. [color=f8d296]"Hi, Harper. I’m Lux,"[/color] she replied, a little quiet and tentative but welcoming all the same. Without invitation or ceremony, Harper plopped down on the grass right in front of her, sitting crisscrossed, nearly knee to knee, with her freckle dotted arms wrapped around her small basket that rested in her lap. [color=d6d6d6]"I’ve never met someone with the name Lux before,"[/color] she admitted with a curious smile. [color=f8d296]"My mom told me it means ‘light’ in Latin."[/color] [color=d6d6d6]"[i]Oh![/i]"[/color] The girl beamed and bounced like she solved the puzzle before it was posed. [color=d6d6d6]"Is your dad Apollo?"[/color] Lux’s smile was small with a faint sadness that weighed it down. [color=f8d296]"I don’t know who my dad is,"[/color] she confessed, although it was a lie… A lie to herself and to Harper. For so long she had been convinced her father was Apollo. Her name, the archery, it all made sense. But after last night and the lightning… there was a heavier truth that tugged at the back of her mind that she refused to face. Something in her gut told her it was something to keep hidden. She didn’t know why, but her intuition hadn’t steered her wrong so far… [color=d6d6d6]"That’s ok,"[/color] Harper reassured her with a warm smile, all gap-toothed and light. [color=d6d6d6]"There’s a lot of demigods who haven’t been claimed yet. My mom’s Demeter, the Goddess of—"[/color] Her face scrunched and contorted as she tried to recall what her siblings had taught her. [color=d6d6d6]"—Harvest… [i]agriculture[/i]... and something with an ‘F’ but I can’t remember. My sister says I’ll understand when I’m older."[/color] She shrugged her shoulders with a giggle, light and airy like a bird’s song. There was a pause, just for a beat or two, before Harper continued. [color=d6d6d6]"Are you new?"[/color] Lux nodded her head. [color=f8d296]"I arrived last night."[/color] [color=d6d6d6]"My sister said there were new campers."[/color] Harper nodded her head causing her curly pigtails to bounce around like small springs. [color=f8d296]"News travels fast around here,"[/color] Lux mused with raised brows and a weak smile. Like she had been offered the holy grail, Harper’s eyes sparkled with an exciting realization. [color=d6d6d6]"Have you made any friends yet?"[/color] she asked, bouncing where she sat like she could hardly contain herself as her follow up question barely waited for her to breathe before spilling out. [color=d6d6d6]"Can I be your first friend?"[/color] Lux couldn’t fight the soft laugh that bloomed at the sight of seeing the young girl beaming so bright she was bursting at the seams. Her smile grew, just a fraction, still laced with an unseen heaviness, but growing lighter with each passing moment. [color=f8d296]"Well, camp is [i]pretty[/i] overwhelming,"[/color] she mused a little dramatically. [color=f8d296]"It’d be nice having a friend."[/color] [color=d6d6d6]"Oh, [i]oh.[/i] That’s ok. I know everything about camp!"[/color] The little girl, elated beyond words, looked back at the strawberry field where a young woman in overalls and a straw hat tended the field close by, occasionally sparing them small glances. [color=d6d6d6]"Clover! Clover! I made a new friend all on my own!"[/color] The woman stood up, dusting off her hands with a smile nearly as bright as Harper’s. [color=b5c7eb]"That’s wonderful, sweet pea!"[/color] Harper scooted closer, filling what space remained between them until the neon bandaids on her knees pressed against the torn jeans over Lux’s knees. [color=d6d6d6]"Wanna strawberry?"[/color] she asked, tilting the basket forward in offering. [color=f8d296]"I’d love one."[/color] Lux extended her left hand without thought, grabbing the top berry, plump and ripe and perfectly red. As she brought the piece of fruit to her lips, Harper’s eyes went wide. [color=d6d6d6]"Oh no. What happened to your arm?"[/color] she asked, genuine concern creasing her brows and pulling her small mouth into a frown. [color=f8d296]"[i]Oh…[/i]"[/color] Lux’s right hand reflexively fell to her arm, covering it like it was something to be embarrassed or ashamed of, something new she’d have to get used to people asking about, and a lie she’d have to fabricate if someone who [i]wasn’t[/i] part of this world asked. [color=f8d296]"My friends and I had to fight a monster on our way to camp."[/color] The admission didn’t surprise Harper, like it was a fact most demigods were aware of, even when they were far too young to be worried about monsters and beasts. [color=d6d6d6]"Does it hurt? Is that why you look sad?"[/color] A weak laugh hummed behind Lux’s lips, touched by the girl’s concern and caught a little off guard at how intuitive she was. [color=f8d296]"It’s not too bad. Your healer did a good job patching me up."[/color] She forced a small smile before finishing her strawberry. [color=d6d6d6]"Oh, I like Daphne!"[/color] Harper’s smile grew, curls bouncing with delight. [color=d6d6d6]"She gives me pink bandaids and a sucker whenever I scrape my knees."[/color] As she spoke, her fingers instinctively brushed one of the bandaids. If Lux had to guess, there was no injury beneath them. Daphne probably healed the young girl in about two seconds. But knowing how happy something as simple as a bright pink bandaids made Harper, she probably humored her anyway. [color=d6d6d6]"[i]So[/i]... Why are you sad?"[/color] Harper asked softly. [color=d6d6d6]"Can I help?"[/color] Lux’s laugh was warmer, not derogatory, but surprised at how much unbridled kindness children possessed before the harshness of the world ruined it. [color=f8d296]"You’re sweet."[/color] Her gaze drifted over toward the big blue house that sat on top of the hill and her thoughts found their way back to Beckett… The anxiety immediately knotted in her stomach. She turned her attention back toward Harper, studying the girl’s face who waited patiently for an answer and some way to help. While Lux was [i]horrible[/i] when it came to talking about her feelings… Maybe someone like Harper, an impartial party who couldn’t understand the gravity of half of it, would bring a small piece of comfort to the storm that plagued her mind. She leaned forward slightly, resting her forearms against her thighs as her voice dropped to a whisper. [color=f8d296]"Can you keep a secret?"[/color] Harper’s eyes grew even wider as she nodded her head up and down several times. Lux pursed her lips in thought before holding out her pinky, wanting a silent promise before continuing, which the girl quickly snatched with her own plump finger. [color=f8d296]"It’s because of a boy."[/color] [color=d6d6d6]"[i]Ooooh.[/i]"[/color] Harper’s eyes brightened with new excitement until she connected the dots that Lux looked sad, not happy. Then her smile fell and her brows pulled together into a small grimace. [color=d6d6d6]"Oh, wait… If he was mean then [i]boo.[/i] I don’t like mean boys."[/color] [color=f8d296]"No, he’s not mean."[/color] She paused and remembered their arguments or the way they always butted heads. There was never any maliciousness behind it, more of an unspoken need to protect each other which, coincidentally, also made them both look pretty gung-ho about getting themselves killed. [color=f8d296]"Not on purpose,"[/color] she corrected. This time Lux’s smile grew, warm and soft with a light that had been lost for far longer than she could remember. Her gaze fell to her hands as she idly toyed with the frayed bit of jeans around her knee. [color=f8d296]"I just… don’t think he likes me the way I like him,"[/color] Lux confessed like that hyper little girl was her therapist. She looked up, her smile shifting to something more guilty and bashful. [color=f8d296]"I’m sorry. I [i]probably[/i] shouldn’t be talking about this with you."[/color] Harper stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry, brushing off Lux’s attempt to deter the conversation. Little girls enjoyed girl talk as much as grown women did apparently. [color=d6d6d6]"But you’re nice and pretty,"[/color] Harper replied simply, with her head cocked to the side in confusion like she couldn’t understand why someone [i]wouldn’t[/i] like her. [color=d6d6d6]"[i]Maybe[/i]... You need to smile bigger?"[/color] she asked rhetorically. She then leaned forward, gently pinching Lux’s cheeks between plump fingers sticky with the juice from her berries. The gesture alone was enough to make Lux laugh and her smile widen, without the additional encouragement. One of her eyes scrunched at the stickiness, but she didn’t pull away. There was a strange comfort in being seen, even by someone so tiny and innocent. It was small moments like that, which made the struggles, running, and fighting feel a little more worth it. Like maybe… just maybe, camp could be home. She could get used to a life in perpetual summer, surrounded by easily excitable demigods, Violet and… [color=d6d6d6]"And you can give him strawberries!"[/color] Harper practically shoved the basket into Lux’s lap. [color=d6d6d6]"Everyone likes strawberries!"[/color] Lux looked down at the cluster of berries now perched between her legs with a smile she could no longer fight, but remained bright and unyielding. [color=f8d296]"I didn’t realize I befriended the resident dating expert,"[/color] she mused with a playful glint behind her eyes, likely lost on the innocent but it still made her chuckle. [color=d6d6d6]"[i]Oh! Oh![/i]"[/color] Harper clapped her hands together like she was on the edge of genius and jumped to her feet. [color=d6d6d6]"I can make you a flower crown! You’ll look like a Princess! Boys love Princesses."[/color] Before she got confirmation, the little girl scurried off, scouring the clearing and the edge of the forest for dandelions. Her brows were furrowed with a furious determination, nose scrunched and the tip of her tongue curled out of the corner of her mouth. [i]Focused.[/i] Lux watched her in silent admiration, letting out a soft sigh as she settled back against the rock like another weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Her gaze slowly drifted from Harper to scan the rest of the camp that laid out before her. She watched campers sparring near an intimidating climbing wall, demigods racing to the lake and pushing each other in, and the woman named Clover filling baskets with strawberries. It was the playful peace of summer, hidden away from the world in its own time capsule. [i]Safe.[/i] And for the first time in what felt like forever… She could breathe.[/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] harper & clover [color=2e2c2c]...............[/color] [b]mentions[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] beckett, violet & daphne [color=2e2c2c]...............[/color] [b]collabs[/b] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]....[/color] none[/color] [img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img][/sup][/center]