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[color=808080][color=c7b29b][b]#c7b29b[/b][/color] [color=2e2c2c]....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c].....[/color] [url=https://imgur.com/ONZBrzw][color=808080][b]outfit[/b][/color][/url] [color=2e2c2c].....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c].....[/color] [b]arena > cabin > main hall > kacper's cabin[/b] [color=2e2c2c].....[/color]|[color=2e2c2c].....[/color] [url=https://imgur.com/abg0vvh][color=808080][b]rocco[/b][/color][/url][/color]
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[indent][indent][indent][indent][justify][color=808080]After working herself to the point of exhaustion, the winter breeze had an extra sharp bite to it as it slipped beneath the cuffs of her sleeves and the hem of her coat, clinging to every bead of sweat that dared to linger. Sloane’s legs were weak and wobbly, and the instability of the snow didn’t help, but she trudged ahead as swiftly as she could, with her arms wrapped tightly around herself and her face tucked beneath her collar. She was lucky enough that her cabin wasn’t too terribly far from the arena, so it was no more than a minute or two before she was turning down the narrow path that led to her tiny, quaint home. 

As she approached, she noticed a ball of familiar grey fur curled up and fast asleep on the opposite side of the glass front door. With the soft sound of snow crunching beneath her boots, Rocco’s head snapped up to attention, one ear sticking straight up while the other was turned inside out. The moment that his big sweet eyes locked onto her, he was on all fours, tail wagging and nose smudging the glass as he barked with excitement. Even tired, the sight immediately calmed whatever tension was still laced through the muscles of Sloane’s back, and brought an easy smile to her lips. She laughed softly as she pushed open the door, leaving the tiniest sliver of space for her to slip inside and promptly be attacked with a wave of puppy enthusiasm. 

She kicked off her snow-caked boots by the door and hung her coat up on the nearby hook, before allowing herself to fall backwards onto her bed. Rocco didn’t waste a single second jumping up beside her, half collapsing on top of her before smothering her with enough kisses that she could barely breathe. [color=c7b29b]"I know. [i]I know.[/i] I missed you too,"[/color] she mumbled through laughs while petting him and gently guiding him away so she could catch her breath. [color=c7b29b]"I’m sorry, buddy. But I promise, I’ll always come back."[/color] Sloane’s smile settled into something a little more somber as she looked down into the dog’s eyes, unable to fight the creeping feeling that maybe he thought she was abandoning him just like Liam did. [color=c7b29b]"Did you have a good nap?"[/color] She asked as she leaned down, following it with far too many kisses to the top of his head. Then, once Rocco had settled a bit, she pulled him into a cuddle. Her legs needed some time to rest before standing in the shower anyway.

A half an hour later, it was only the angry pit in her stomach and its incessant rumbling that woke her from the exhaustion induced nap Sloane didn’t intend on taking. 

She groaned and ran her hands down her face. Squinting her eyes beneath the ray of sunshine that poured in through the window and landed directly on her face, she rolled over and looked at the clock. [color=c7b29b]"[i]Damn it,[/i]"[/color] she muttered under her breath. [color=c7b29b]"You weren’t supposed to let me fall asleep,"[/color] she teased Rocco, who was equally as dead to the world until she started moving. 

She went to sit up and the soreness from the day had quickly settled into her bones where the fatigue had once lived. Sloane sounded like an old man, grunting and groaning, as she forced her body to move against its will. Her bed was [i]wonderful[/i], warm and soft like a giant hug she desperately wanted to melt into for the rest of the day. But she had also promised Kacper and Katryna she would stop by. There was a moment… one quick, fleeting second where her mind wandered, and a small, devious smile tugged at the corner of her mouth—[color=c7b29b][i]No. Don’t be ridiculous,[/i][/color] she told herself with a shake of her head before forcing herself off the bed and up onto her feet. 

With one last pet to Rocco’s sleepy head, Sloane wandered over to her dresser, pulling out a fresh set of clothes, then disappeared into the bathroom. The thought of soaking for an hour in a hot bath sounded divine, but she had already wasted more time than planned, and honestly, she didn’t need to risk dozing off in the tub either. A shower would more than suffice and while she was trying to make up for lost time, she still let herself waste away beneath the hot water until it ran cold, letting it soothe her aching muscles and wash away the grime from the day’s training. 

Once the water started chilling her skin and her hair was rinsed and cleaned, Sloane finally turned off the tap and stepped out. Normally she would have let her hair air dry because she usually kept herself locked away for a majority of the day, but knowing the cold she was about to face she begrudgingly set to drying her hair to stave off unwanted illness. The last thing she needed was Kacper dragging her to visit the nice healer girl because she had the sniffles. [i]No thanks.[/i] She took the necessary time drying her hair thoroughly before clipping half of it back with a small golden barrette, then pulled on a fresh set of clothes: her favorite fluffy burgundy sweater, tights, and a matching floral skirt. 

When she stepped back out of the bathroom, Rocco sat expectantly by the foot of the bed with the determination of a puppy who would not be left behind again. Sloane smiled and patted him on the head as she walked by. [color=c7b29b]"Don’t worry. I’m bringing you along this time."[/color] She grabbed her bag and stared at it for a second, wondering what the hell she needed to bring with her. It wasn’t like she ever went to other peoples’ cabins, especially not with Rocco. Toys and treats made the most sense, so she tossed those in first. Was it bad manners to assume they’d have a bowl for water he could use? Or a towel for his snow covered paws? [i]She didn’t know.[/i] Just to be safe, she packed those as well and then zipped up her bag.

Sloane took a second to sit down at the foot of the bed and pulled on her boots, lacing them up good and tight. She ran her hands along her legs when she finished, staring down at the semi-transparent tights with knit brows. Most of her wardrobe was skirts and dresses, so she didn’t really think about the cold or snow until she sat there. A smarter girl would have changed into something more practical, but she was only running to the Main Hall and back. Would it really be that bad? She [i]was[/i] Russian afterall. She snapped the sheer fabric against her thigh with a sigh. [i]Screw it.[/i] She pushed off her legs and stood up with a quiet groan at the soreness that hummed through her joints. To compensate, she pulled on her longer wool coat, knit hat, and scarf before throwing her bag over her shoulder. When she was as ready as she could be, she opened the door letting Rocco barrel outside into the snow and charge off down the path ahead of her. 

It didn’t take long for them to reach the Main Hall between the energetic pup sprinting about like he was locked up for days and Sloane struggling to keep up without falling over from the deep snow and her tired muscles. She hurried up the steps, being sure to avoid the ice she nearly slipped on that morning, then opened the door for Rocco, following him inside with a small shiver. Her eyes scanned the various demigods that littered the seating area, searching before she noticed she was doing it. No Elysium or Anatoliy or Ace… or Duke. Her chest tightened as her brother’s words echoed in her head, [color=0a6d6b][i]В следующий раз, когда мне понадобится от кого-то избавиться, я просто попрошу этого человека подружиться с тобой. — The next time I need to be rid of someone, I’ll just have them befriend you.[/i][/color] 

Before her thoughts could spiral in a pit of self doubt and blame, she cleared her throat and started toward the buffet, gently guiding her dog in the right direction before he became too distracted by all the new faces. [color=c7b29b]"This way, Rocco,"[/color] she whispered, leading him toward the small nook where she could always find the dog food. But that day there wasn’t just a bag of kibble, but a small wicker picnic basket resting beside it, like camp itself knew what she needed before she did. 

[i]Camp magic was strange.[/i] 

Sloane had originally planned to grab a quick bite but the small empty basket reminded her of the coffee and granola she gave Kat and Kacper. They weren’t in the hall eating, which likely meant they still hadn’t had a proper meal either. Her lips pursed for a second before she stepped forward and hesitantly took hold of the wooden handle. It wouldn’t hurt to grab them all food. She could show them where the cafeteria was later… There was no way she’d be able to make that walk a second time that day with how wobbly her knees felt. Her free hand reached up to sweep a loose lock of hair behind her ear before she set to packing the basket. She grabbed one of each type of sandwich and chips, three different flavors of soda, an apple, an orange, a banana, and a couple chocolate chip cookies. The wooden lid almost didn’t close with how full the basket was when she finished. 

She went to lift it and was actually surprised at how hefty it was… or how weak she was—probably the latter. She was quickly proving to vastly overestimate how recovered she was from training with how much the walking and [i]basket lifting[/i] was straining her. Sloane adjusted her hold a couple times before settling on having to carry it with both hands. On any other day she might have been embarrassed, but she was too tired to care, and quickly shuffled her way over to the exit. Using her hip she bumped the door open, whistling for Rocco to follow, before they both wandered back out into the cold. 

The walk was significantly slower. Every so often Sloane had to stop to adjust her grip, shift the basket from hand to hand, then eventually opted to cradle it in her arms, pressed tightly against her chest. She turned down the path just before the narrow trail that led toward her cabin, then stopped dead in her tracks. She knew which cabin was Katryna’s, but Kacper said [i]his[/i] cabin. [i]Which one was his?[/i] Her gaze flicked between the two cabins that sandwiched Kat’s, both looked fairly normal and she couldn’t see any signs of life through the windows. Her face contorted into a grimace and her stomach knotted at the thought of knocking on a random door and someone else answering. It wasn’t like she knew him well enough to deduce which was his… It’s not like one of them was purple. 

She sucked in a sharp breath and took a hesitant step forward while chewing on her bottom lip. Sloane nearly made her way toward the cabin on the opposite side when she remembered Kacper mentioning his cabin was right next door. Her shoulders slumped forward as she let out a sigh of relief. [color=c7b29b]"[i]Jesus Christ,[/i]"[/color] she muttered under her breath to herself. She trudged through the snow toward the nearest cabin with a large covered porch. 

Once she started up the stairs, Rocco sprinted up onto the deck in front of her and plopped his happy butt down on the ground right in front of the door, tail wagging so fast it stirred up the snow around him. Sloane groaned softly as she leaned over and set the basket down on the ground. She shook her hands and rubbed her palms together while she looked down at her excited dog. [color=c7b29b]"Stay,"[/color] she instructed him gently and gave him a quick pet before turning her attention back toward the door. 

Sloane raised her hand, curling her fingers into a fist preparing to knock, then hesitated. There was a strange fluttering of nerves that started twisting in her stomach and made her pulse quicken. Why was she anxious? When was the last time she was in someone else’s cabin? Who was her last friend? When was the last time she hung out with… [i]anyone?[/i] She couldn’t even remember what it was like to be someone’s friend. And all the while her brother’s words crept back to the forefront of her mind, making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. What if she was the reason they all left? What if Kat and Kacper leave because of her too? Or worse, Sylas turns his attention to them because of her? 

The doubts clung to her mind like stubborn ivy. No matter how much she tore down, more grew in its place. She swallowed hard, looking over at her fist hovering in the air like a promise she didn’t know how to keep. Her eyes closed and her hand slowly fell back down to her side. What was she thinking? She knew better. There was a reason why she kept to herself. It was easier… Safer. Her chest heaved with every shaky breath and warmth flooded her cheeks as she quickly reached down and picked back up the basket. This… [i]This was a mistake.[/i][/color][/justify][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent]

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