@Sir Sparky I'mma be real with you. Lochlan's color code is hard to read on this dark background xD
The Savant Member
A mind filled with chaos
STATUS: Once a DM, forever a DM, that's what they say, Birdboy. And I've been banished into forever DM territory xD 11 mos ago
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11 mos ago
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Once a DM, forever a DM, that's what they say, Birdboy. And I've been banished into forever DM territory xD
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11 mos ago
Happy birthday! 🎉🎉🎉
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12 mos ago
Happy 4th of July everyone! I hope everyone has a great day.
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When your bus breaks down during a 77°F/25°C day. Let's go!
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I didn't neccisarily have a difficult day but I think today wore me out so much I came home and emotional ate 1.5 quarts of frozen yogurt.
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Most Recent Posts
Everyone was congregating which was a nice sight to see because that meant this camp would be lively. His mother explained it as an isolated place because of the lack of children — demigods. When Nelly brought up the architecture, he looked around, and a gentle expression on his face formed. It was definitely a camp-style architecture, ‘I think it is lovely,’ he informed her. This was the truth, he wasn’t trying to be nice at all, but he found the overall aesthetic of cabins appeasing for some odd reason.
‘I’ve heard, my mother explained that a lot had happened, so I was honestly shocked when I came into what is here. I thought it would be worse off,’ he chuckled while rubbing the back of his neck. ‘Gods must not keep up-to-date with everything.’ That was something he found humorous.
Hearing that she was allergic to peanuts, he seemed to tense up, ‘I’m sorry,’ he quickly started putting the bags back into his backpack so there was no chance of peanut-or-nut products connecting her. ‘You got to meet your father over a peanut allergy? That sounds a bit traumatic,’ Elysium glanced up at the woman as he was zipping his bag up. ‘At least nothing terrible happened,’ he added on since she was standing here.
Then another woman stood up, the one he was originally walking towards, but that’s because she was near the building he was going to — the one that he felt like he would get some answers for. Once Andy was done with her speech, he waved at her. He appreciated that little announcement because he could go get settled in his cabin and then adventure around the camp.
Elysium left his bag on the ground as he moved over and grabbed a map before coming back to Nelly, ‘I would love that,’ he responded with a smile. ‘So the cabins update into what you want when you choose them? That’s pretty amazing,” it was impressive to him. Looking at the map and where all the unoccupied cabins were, he pressed one, ‘There, I picked one,” he waved the map in his hand.
‘Oh, yeah,’ Elysium folded the map and put it into his back pocket. He opened up his backpack once again and pulled out the kale chips. ‘I promise, there was no cross contamination and there are no nuts in this one. So you should be safe to eat the whole bag if you want to,’ he handed her the bag of kale chips. ‘Also, they have a somewhat powerful garlic flavor but in a good way. At least I think so,’ he was warning her about the garlic flavor because he knew not everyone enjoyed garlic.
‘I’ve heard, my mother explained that a lot had happened, so I was honestly shocked when I came into what is here. I thought it would be worse off,’ he chuckled while rubbing the back of his neck. ‘Gods must not keep up-to-date with everything.’ That was something he found humorous.
Hearing that she was allergic to peanuts, he seemed to tense up, ‘I’m sorry,’ he quickly started putting the bags back into his backpack so there was no chance of peanut-or-nut products connecting her. ‘You got to meet your father over a peanut allergy? That sounds a bit traumatic,’ Elysium glanced up at the woman as he was zipping his bag up. ‘At least nothing terrible happened,’ he added on since she was standing here.
Then another woman stood up, the one he was originally walking towards, but that’s because she was near the building he was going to — the one that he felt like he would get some answers for. Once Andy was done with her speech, he waved at her. He appreciated that little announcement because he could go get settled in his cabin and then adventure around the camp.
Elysium left his bag on the ground as he moved over and grabbed a map before coming back to Nelly, ‘I would love that,’ he responded with a smile. ‘So the cabins update into what you want when you choose them? That’s pretty amazing,” it was impressive to him. Looking at the map and where all the unoccupied cabins were, he pressed one, ‘There, I picked one,” he waved the map in his hand.
‘Oh, yeah,’ Elysium folded the map and put it into his back pocket. He opened up his backpack once again and pulled out the kale chips. ‘I promise, there was no cross contamination and there are no nuts in this one. So you should be safe to eat the whole bag if you want to,’ he handed her the bag of kale chips. ‘Also, they have a somewhat powerful garlic flavor but in a good way. At least I think so,’ he was warning her about the garlic flavor because he knew not everyone enjoyed garlic.
Interactions: Nelly @Pristine1281 - Mentions: Anatoliy, Ace, Sloane, Osée, Ocean, Mason, Elena, Azariah, Marlen, and Chariselle. - Collaborations: None
Anatoliy’s face scrunched up with confusion when she referred to IP as a rat and he glanced at his shirt pocket. ‘No, no,’ he began and looked up at her, down at the pocket, and up again. ‘Ip is a vole,’ he corrected her without judgement or harshness. There was an understanding on why someone would think Ip, the vole, was a rat especially if they were not familiar with the gigantic order of Rodentia. ‘They are nicknamed the meadow mouse too though they are not a mouse,’ he continued to explain that he was trying to remind himself not to talk too much.
She wasn’t the type of girl that seemed interested in learning about animals at all. Then it hit him — She thinks you're crazy… — and that caused his shoulders to lower with a bit of defeat. You were talking to a vole, why would she think you are anything else? All the years of having to hide his abilities and being called weird for talking to animals made him realize that even if he was surrounded by other demigods — they won’t understand.
He barely shook his head in the negative, ‘You can just call me Anatoliy if you want or Ana,’ he offered. The man almost made the comment that she could call him anything she wanted as long as it was not late for dinner — something stupid — but he controlled himself. A part of him wanted to disappear in this moment, it wasn’t like he was socially awkward or not confident, but he was overly stressed because of this whole ordeal. And he could feel his blood pressure rising the longer he stood in front of this woman. He knew she wasn’t being judgemental at all but for some reason he was feeling like he was getting judged or misunderstood.
Lucky you.
That was a simple statement that got him to stare at Anissa. He wasn’t sure if she was being dismissive, uncaring, or not interested. It felt like they were instantly distanced thousands of miles away from each other but they stood about five or so feet from each other. It made him go quiet and he could hear the other woman speaking – something about the camp and what not. And he couldn’t pay attention to her nor could he really pay attention to the person in front of him.
Anatoliy felt that heaviness behind his eyes, the kind that one gets before tears start whelming up, and he closed his eyes to try and self regulate his emotions. Everything was stressful for him right now. It’s fine. Everything is fine, he tried talking himself into being okay when his hands lifted up and he placed his face into them. He just needed a minute of darkness. Alone. He needed to get his blood pressure back down. There was no reason he should be this stressed out but he was.
Letting his hands fall away when he heard the woman talking, he forced a half-genuine smile, ‘It was…’ he stopped while watching her move away and he realized he didn’t get her name at all. ‘...nice to meet you.’ Anatoliy felt so out of it because of that interaction. It didn’t help that he put himself on edge because of everyone else but he wanted to curl up somewhere and hide.
Anatoliy wanted for a few minutes so no one was around him before he decided to go into the camp — it was out of purely wanting somewhere to be alone that wasn’t the cold forest — and he walked up to where the speaker was, Andy, and saw the maps. Grabbing one, he didn’t really decide, but his thumb caressed a cabin on the map, and that seemed to lock in his choice.
Staring at it for a few seconds, a part of him wanted to scream, since he didn’t mean to press that one, but he knew there was no reason to complain. It’s not like the other locations were much different so Anatoliy looked around the area, figured out the buildings, and set out to find his cabin so he could be alone. 'You are an absolute idiot. You could have been more pleasant and asked for her name. Now she just thinks you're a weird dude that talks to rats and it's not even a rat. It's a vole... and his name is Ip,' Anatoliy was talking to himself as he got away from the group and more near his cabin.
She wasn’t the type of girl that seemed interested in learning about animals at all. Then it hit him — She thinks you're crazy… — and that caused his shoulders to lower with a bit of defeat. You were talking to a vole, why would she think you are anything else? All the years of having to hide his abilities and being called weird for talking to animals made him realize that even if he was surrounded by other demigods — they won’t understand.
He barely shook his head in the negative, ‘You can just call me Anatoliy if you want or Ana,’ he offered. The man almost made the comment that she could call him anything she wanted as long as it was not late for dinner — something stupid — but he controlled himself. A part of him wanted to disappear in this moment, it wasn’t like he was socially awkward or not confident, but he was overly stressed because of this whole ordeal. And he could feel his blood pressure rising the longer he stood in front of this woman. He knew she wasn’t being judgemental at all but for some reason he was feeling like he was getting judged or misunderstood.
Lucky you.
That was a simple statement that got him to stare at Anissa. He wasn’t sure if she was being dismissive, uncaring, or not interested. It felt like they were instantly distanced thousands of miles away from each other but they stood about five or so feet from each other. It made him go quiet and he could hear the other woman speaking – something about the camp and what not. And he couldn’t pay attention to her nor could he really pay attention to the person in front of him.
Anatoliy felt that heaviness behind his eyes, the kind that one gets before tears start whelming up, and he closed his eyes to try and self regulate his emotions. Everything was stressful for him right now. It’s fine. Everything is fine, he tried talking himself into being okay when his hands lifted up and he placed his face into them. He just needed a minute of darkness. Alone. He needed to get his blood pressure back down. There was no reason he should be this stressed out but he was.
Letting his hands fall away when he heard the woman talking, he forced a half-genuine smile, ‘It was…’ he stopped while watching her move away and he realized he didn’t get her name at all. ‘...nice to meet you.’ Anatoliy felt so out of it because of that interaction. It didn’t help that he put himself on edge because of everyone else but he wanted to curl up somewhere and hide.
Anatoliy wanted for a few minutes so no one was around him before he decided to go into the camp — it was out of purely wanting somewhere to be alone that wasn’t the cold forest — and he walked up to where the speaker was, Andy, and saw the maps. Grabbing one, he didn’t really decide, but his thumb caressed a cabin on the map, and that seemed to lock in his choice.
Staring at it for a few seconds, a part of him wanted to scream, since he didn’t mean to press that one, but he knew there was no reason to complain. It’s not like the other locations were much different so Anatoliy looked around the area, figured out the buildings, and set out to find his cabin so he could be alone. 'You are an absolute idiot. You could have been more pleasant and asked for her name. Now she just thinks you're a weird dude that talks to rats and it's not even a rat. It's a vole... and his name is Ip,' Anatoliy was talking to himself as he got away from the group and more near his cabin.
Interactions: Anissa @Qia - Mentions: None - Collaborations: None
@Pristine1281 Once someone else posts so there is a post in between, I will respond with Elysium to Nelly!
There might have been a second or two in his mind where the crunching snow would have alerted him that someone was very close to him though he was completely absorbed in his thoughts and talking to Ip. He was completely unaware of the girl that was near him as he continued to whisper to the little creature, ‘Have you ever been to a hotel? Those are fun,’ he continued to speak to Ip while he began to turn away from the wall. There was no point in hanging around here any longer.
‘AAAhhhhmmmmhmmm~’ the stranger made him jump out of skin but he had already put himself on edge. Comparing the individuals wandering into the camp as cannibals from National Geographic episodes put him on guard and he was surprised anyone was interacting with him at all. He didn’t have great control over his face, expressionful, and currently it was accusing. A similar look would have been given to Anissa if they were in the schoolyard and she told him and the group of people playing hide-and-seek that she wasn’t playing them proceeded to join in out of nowhere.
A part of him was doing mental gymnastics and he was trying to figure out what to do but he stood there and stared at the woman. Scanning her face. ‘I was already invited,’ he said that way quieter than he wanted to but he was allowing his nerves to settle from being spooked. Then he found it somewhat humorous — the woman standing in front of him looked like one of the people that you would least expect to even give you the time of day. Not even a glance because she would have more important things to do. And… you could only understand out of pure curiosity of the mystery, if she was ever nice or not.
Then he looked confused, ‘Of course?’ he heard her because they were close and he was so familiar with faint speaking — such as the little one in his shirt pocket, Ip, was a quiet talker. He had to really focus to listen to him. And that was when Anatoliy noticed that she wasn’t even paying attention to him until she turned back — She wasn’t speaking to you idiot.
Though he perked up, similar to how one would think an animal or a dog would when being spoken to, and a gentle and almost invisible smile curled at his lips. ‘I’m Ip,’ that was when his brows furrowed but he was gesturing to his pocket. ‘No, I’m Anatoliy. This is Ip,’ Anatoliy corrected himself while fishing Ip from his pocket and holding him in his hands.
Anatoliy found himself a little nervous because the woman in front of him had a confident beauty — handsome and strong — and he was surprised anyone was giving him the light of day. It was normal for him to be ignored so he wasn’t sure how to go about this. ‘I? Should I introduce myself as Artemis’s kid too? My full name is Anatoliy Voronin and I’m a son of Artemis,’ he explained and introduced himself better with a shrug of the shoulders and a semi-forced and semi-genuine smile before putting Ip back into his shirt pocket.
Then he looked at the gate, ‘And for the invitation comment,’ Anatoliy was looking more relaxed and confident now. It was helping him warm up and communicate, ‘I just… I don’t know. I’m having a hard time wanting this to be real and I feel like it will become too real once I step through those gates,’ he explained and he knew it sounded crazy. No one would probably understand that. Everyone else seemed to be taking a minute to absorb the power of the walls, the gate, and what is lying ahead for them. Then he was here outside of the gates trying to talk himself into going in and he couldn’t even do that.
‘AAAhhhhmmmmhmmm~’ the stranger made him jump out of skin but he had already put himself on edge. Comparing the individuals wandering into the camp as cannibals from National Geographic episodes put him on guard and he was surprised anyone was interacting with him at all. He didn’t have great control over his face, expressionful, and currently it was accusing. A similar look would have been given to Anissa if they were in the schoolyard and she told him and the group of people playing hide-and-seek that she wasn’t playing them proceeded to join in out of nowhere.
A part of him was doing mental gymnastics and he was trying to figure out what to do but he stood there and stared at the woman. Scanning her face. ‘I was already invited,’ he said that way quieter than he wanted to but he was allowing his nerves to settle from being spooked. Then he found it somewhat humorous — the woman standing in front of him looked like one of the people that you would least expect to even give you the time of day. Not even a glance because she would have more important things to do. And… you could only understand out of pure curiosity of the mystery, if she was ever nice or not.
Then he looked confused, ‘Of course?’ he heard her because they were close and he was so familiar with faint speaking — such as the little one in his shirt pocket, Ip, was a quiet talker. He had to really focus to listen to him. And that was when Anatoliy noticed that she wasn’t even paying attention to him until she turned back — She wasn’t speaking to you idiot.
Though he perked up, similar to how one would think an animal or a dog would when being spoken to, and a gentle and almost invisible smile curled at his lips. ‘I’m Ip,’ that was when his brows furrowed but he was gesturing to his pocket. ‘No, I’m Anatoliy. This is Ip,’ Anatoliy corrected himself while fishing Ip from his pocket and holding him in his hands.
Anatoliy found himself a little nervous because the woman in front of him had a confident beauty — handsome and strong — and he was surprised anyone was giving him the light of day. It was normal for him to be ignored so he wasn’t sure how to go about this. ‘I? Should I introduce myself as Artemis’s kid too? My full name is Anatoliy Voronin and I’m a son of Artemis,’ he explained and introduced himself better with a shrug of the shoulders and a semi-forced and semi-genuine smile before putting Ip back into his shirt pocket.
Then he looked at the gate, ‘And for the invitation comment,’ Anatoliy was looking more relaxed and confident now. It was helping him warm up and communicate, ‘I just… I don’t know. I’m having a hard time wanting this to be real and I feel like it will become too real once I step through those gates,’ he explained and he knew it sounded crazy. No one would probably understand that. Everyone else seemed to be taking a minute to absorb the power of the walls, the gate, and what is lying ahead for them. Then he was here outside of the gates trying to talk himself into going in and he couldn’t even do that.
Interactions: Anissa @Qia - Mentions: None - Collaborations: None
Awww, I feel so bad for Anatoliy. I want to give him a hug!
He would love a hug.
Anatoliy was standing outside of the weathered wall, it was tall, and well built. He wondered who built it and even more importantly… why they built it. This was not a place for regular folks and he assumed everyone here was a child of a god. Winter had dug in deep — frigid air gnawed through his coat and it might not have helped that he decided to take a freezing cold ice bath. Another thing he noticed was his breath came out in thick white plumes. It reminded him of how the smoke of trains came out in childhood story books.
Everytime he shifted his weight, he could hear the crunching softly under his hiking boots, and the more he stood there, the more it felt like his whole body was being dusted with a frost. A frost that wanted to enter his skin and freeze him to his bones. Then he noticed an olive skinned man walk past him and enter the gates. They locked eyes only for a second before Anatoliy looked away because he didn’t want to bother him. Then the gate shut and he wondered if he should go in. How could he talk himself into moving? He looked back at the tall wall and swallowed dryly.
At first, he thought nothing of it, and continued to ponder about this camp and what he should do. Then a few more people stood outside of the camp, didn’t say a word to each other, and continued to walk through the gate before disappearing into the camp. His brows furrowed with confusion — Are all these people new?
No… there is no way. They are walking in like they know exactly what they are doing. Why aren’t any of them saying anything to each other? This concerned Anatoliy for a variety of reasons. The only person that glanced his way was the first man… everyone else… not a single glance his way, not a nod, and not even a wave. This was disruptive for him internally. They must not be a friendly bunch…
The next individual that walked by, Anatoliy tried to smile but it came out way too tentative — but it vanished into the air like his breath, ignored. He pulled his hands deeper into his sleeves and his brows creased together in thought. This is strange, he thought. You’d think someone would at least acknowledge me. Something. Anything.
Everyone was showing anti-social behavior and he was beginning to feel like he would not survive in camp. It was the first day, maybe everyone was nervous like he was, but he doubted it. If everyone was so self absorbed or unwilling to interact, he was going to have to make the miles and miles worth of hiking back to civilization to get some form of attention from someone. That sounded awful. Spending almost a quarter of the day traveling to at least get some small talk.
He looked around again, rubbing at his stiff fingers through fabric. Maybe they were all new to the camp too or maybe they were hardened residents, long past the point of welcoming strangers. It was hard to tell beneath the hoods, scarves, and whatever else they were wearing.
Still… If we’re all new, he thought. Couldn’t hurt to wave or glance.
But no one did.
'What do you think Ip?" he whispered while looking at the front gates where most people wandered into and noticed a few others standing outside of it.
'No clue, Ana!' Ip responded while crawling out of his shirt pocket.
Anatoliy nodded his head, 'I think we should head back to civilization. This is reminding me of those National Geographic episodes that deal with cannibalistic tribes,' he explained to the little vole that appeared to be very confused.
Some squeaks could be heard, 'What?'
'Nothing... It just means I feel like these people are crazy and dangerous." he added his opinions before stepping further away from the gate and wall. Slowly. Anatoliy was trying to be invisible now. Already planning the quickest route back to civilization and staying off any major paths to avoid crazy and dangerous people.
Everytime he shifted his weight, he could hear the crunching softly under his hiking boots, and the more he stood there, the more it felt like his whole body was being dusted with a frost. A frost that wanted to enter his skin and freeze him to his bones. Then he noticed an olive skinned man walk past him and enter the gates. They locked eyes only for a second before Anatoliy looked away because he didn’t want to bother him. Then the gate shut and he wondered if he should go in. How could he talk himself into moving? He looked back at the tall wall and swallowed dryly.
At first, he thought nothing of it, and continued to ponder about this camp and what he should do. Then a few more people stood outside of the camp, didn’t say a word to each other, and continued to walk through the gate before disappearing into the camp. His brows furrowed with confusion — Are all these people new?
No… there is no way. They are walking in like they know exactly what they are doing. Why aren’t any of them saying anything to each other? This concerned Anatoliy for a variety of reasons. The only person that glanced his way was the first man… everyone else… not a single glance his way, not a nod, and not even a wave. This was disruptive for him internally. They must not be a friendly bunch…
The next individual that walked by, Anatoliy tried to smile but it came out way too tentative — but it vanished into the air like his breath, ignored. He pulled his hands deeper into his sleeves and his brows creased together in thought. This is strange, he thought. You’d think someone would at least acknowledge me. Something. Anything.
Everyone was showing anti-social behavior and he was beginning to feel like he would not survive in camp. It was the first day, maybe everyone was nervous like he was, but he doubted it. If everyone was so self absorbed or unwilling to interact, he was going to have to make the miles and miles worth of hiking back to civilization to get some form of attention from someone. That sounded awful. Spending almost a quarter of the day traveling to at least get some small talk.
He looked around again, rubbing at his stiff fingers through fabric. Maybe they were all new to the camp too or maybe they were hardened residents, long past the point of welcoming strangers. It was hard to tell beneath the hoods, scarves, and whatever else they were wearing.
Still… If we’re all new, he thought. Couldn’t hurt to wave or glance.
But no one did.
'What do you think Ip?" he whispered while looking at the front gates where most people wandered into and noticed a few others standing outside of it.
'No clue, Ana!' Ip responded while crawling out of his shirt pocket.
Anatoliy nodded his head, 'I think we should head back to civilization. This is reminding me of those National Geographic episodes that deal with cannibalistic tribes,' he explained to the little vole that appeared to be very confused.
Some squeaks could be heard, 'What?'
'Nothing... It just means I feel like these people are crazy and dangerous." he added his opinions before stepping further away from the gate and wall. Slowly. Anatoliy was trying to be invisible now. Already planning the quickest route back to civilization and staying off any major paths to avoid crazy and dangerous people.
Interactions: None - Mentions: Elysium, Elena, Osee, Ace, Chariselle, Azariah, Marlen - Collaborations: None
I'm here! And will read this later once I'm done with errands.
@The Savant just an FYI, I am waiting for more people to make their intro post before I post for Nelly again. Just wanted to make you aware of that. Thanks for your patience.
You're all good! I understand.
Upon arrival, there were people outside of the gate or at least one individual, but he didn’t care to bother them. Entering the gate and walking towards camp, he noticed someone far ahead, off in the distance there was another person with a dog, and he noticed someone approaching him — at least there is life here. His mom honestly made it sound bad or at least her explanation sounded somewhat extreme. However, he was here now, and it didn’t seem terrible.
While the woman approached him, he smiled, and he could hear the gate going off again – opening — and he noticed two other individuals entering it. This was practically what his mom explained. A bunch of new people, including him, were going to be coming to Camp Athens. ‘Good day,’ Elysium smiled with an appropriate amount of subtle charm. She seemed excited to see a new face.
‘Are you okay?’ He was only asking because he noticed how out of breath she seemed when she stood in front of him.
His eyes settled on her and his face seemed to naturally neutralize while listening to her even if a delicate and barely-even-there smile continued to be on his expression. ‘Thank you,’ he appreciated the welcome to the camp. It was better than what he thought was going to be at this camp. Pretty much no one or nothing. Hestia made it sound like whatever happened in the past made this place barren, so he was glad that was not the case. ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nelly. I’m Elysium, I guess a son of Hestia,” he introduced himself with some humor in his tone. It was odd saying that. Introducing himself as a son of a goddess — a goddess that he had never met until she appeared in his life and twisted it like a game.
As she continued to speak and explain things, he nodded to show her that he was listening, ‘I appreciate the offer and I would love to be shown the cabins. If that isn’t a burden to your time,’ Elysium had no reason to decline her offer and it was exactly what he wanted to figure out — where he would be staying during his time here. ‘And I’m not really hungry, not yet,’ he wasn’t terribly hungry since he ate before hiking here and he had snacks along the way. He didn’t come unprepared which might be noticed by the backpack he had. A bag full of his old life for the most part.
Hearing someone else’ stomach growl caused him to chuckle, ‘I have homemade snacks if you want one?’ he wasn’t sure if he should offer anything or not. However, this was when he got talking as he took off his bag. ‘I knew I would be hiking and meeting new people, so I made some things, and I can influence food to have different properties,’ he explained.
Elysium put his bag down in front of him, opened it up, and grabbed a few baggies of homemade snacks. ‘There are peanut butter bliss balls, banana blueberry oatmeal muffins, whole wheat carrot cake muffins, and baked kale chips,’ he extended his hand with the ziplock bags in it.
The items were all different:
The peanut butter bliss balls were made up of peanut butter, oats, chia seeds, dried cranberries, and honey. The banana blueberry oatmeal muffins had blueberries, banana, walnuts, oats, ground flax, almond butter, and a hidden veggie inside — cauliflower — and sweetened with maple syrup. The whole wheat carrot cake muffins had warm spices, walnuts, raisins, carrots, applesauce, brown sugar, and whole wheat flour. The baked kale chips were made with olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, granulated garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
‘The peanut butter balls are infused with sustaining warmth since I knew it would be cold. While the banana blueberry oatmeal muffins will help soothe sore muscles. I willed that because I knew I might be hiking for a while to get to camp. While the whole wheat carrot muffins are comfort of the hearth, meaning they will offer a deep emotional comfort. I didn’t know how emotional this journey would be for me or others,’ Elysium was showing how thoughtful he was without even realizing it. He knew that he was emotional when facing his mother Hestia but he had evened out — he bet others might still be struggling to cope with everything that was going on. ‘And, last but not least, the baked kale chips. These are willed with cleansing, so if you eat them, you might feel really refreshed mentally along with aiding your body's functions like digestion.’ The man hoped his explanations were not overboard and didn’t scare the woman away. However, he honestly felt relaxed, because he could be upfront with people on what the food he offers does. This was a safe place in a sense.
While the woman approached him, he smiled, and he could hear the gate going off again – opening — and he noticed two other individuals entering it. This was practically what his mom explained. A bunch of new people, including him, were going to be coming to Camp Athens. ‘Good day,’ Elysium smiled with an appropriate amount of subtle charm. She seemed excited to see a new face.
‘Are you okay?’ He was only asking because he noticed how out of breath she seemed when she stood in front of him.
His eyes settled on her and his face seemed to naturally neutralize while listening to her even if a delicate and barely-even-there smile continued to be on his expression. ‘Thank you,’ he appreciated the welcome to the camp. It was better than what he thought was going to be at this camp. Pretty much no one or nothing. Hestia made it sound like whatever happened in the past made this place barren, so he was glad that was not the case. ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nelly. I’m Elysium, I guess a son of Hestia,” he introduced himself with some humor in his tone. It was odd saying that. Introducing himself as a son of a goddess — a goddess that he had never met until she appeared in his life and twisted it like a game.
As she continued to speak and explain things, he nodded to show her that he was listening, ‘I appreciate the offer and I would love to be shown the cabins. If that isn’t a burden to your time,’ Elysium had no reason to decline her offer and it was exactly what he wanted to figure out — where he would be staying during his time here. ‘And I’m not really hungry, not yet,’ he wasn’t terribly hungry since he ate before hiking here and he had snacks along the way. He didn’t come unprepared which might be noticed by the backpack he had. A bag full of his old life for the most part.
Hearing someone else’ stomach growl caused him to chuckle, ‘I have homemade snacks if you want one?’ he wasn’t sure if he should offer anything or not. However, this was when he got talking as he took off his bag. ‘I knew I would be hiking and meeting new people, so I made some things, and I can influence food to have different properties,’ he explained.
Elysium put his bag down in front of him, opened it up, and grabbed a few baggies of homemade snacks. ‘There are peanut butter bliss balls, banana blueberry oatmeal muffins, whole wheat carrot cake muffins, and baked kale chips,’ he extended his hand with the ziplock bags in it.
The items were all different:
The peanut butter bliss balls were made up of peanut butter, oats, chia seeds, dried cranberries, and honey. The banana blueberry oatmeal muffins had blueberries, banana, walnuts, oats, ground flax, almond butter, and a hidden veggie inside — cauliflower — and sweetened with maple syrup. The whole wheat carrot cake muffins had warm spices, walnuts, raisins, carrots, applesauce, brown sugar, and whole wheat flour. The baked kale chips were made with olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, granulated garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
‘The peanut butter balls are infused with sustaining warmth since I knew it would be cold. While the banana blueberry oatmeal muffins will help soothe sore muscles. I willed that because I knew I might be hiking for a while to get to camp. While the whole wheat carrot muffins are comfort of the hearth, meaning they will offer a deep emotional comfort. I didn’t know how emotional this journey would be for me or others,’ Elysium was showing how thoughtful he was without even realizing it. He knew that he was emotional when facing his mother Hestia but he had evened out — he bet others might still be struggling to cope with everything that was going on. ‘And, last but not least, the baked kale chips. These are willed with cleansing, so if you eat them, you might feel really refreshed mentally along with aiding your body's functions like digestion.’ The man hoped his explanations were not overboard and didn’t scare the woman away. However, he honestly felt relaxed, because he could be upfront with people on what the food he offers does. This was a safe place in a sense.
Interactions: Nelly @Pristine1281 - Mentions: Anatoliy, Andy, Sloane, Osée, and Elena. - Collaborations: None
After what felt like hours of talking but was only forty-five minutes, light lips pressed on his furrowed brow, and he was staring at a silver arrowhead necklace that his mother just gave him. There were tears rolling down his cheeks from all the pent up and frustrated emotions coursing through his system and he was honestly shocked into being quiet. It was a cold anger rushing through his veins and he knew his throat was going to be raw from screaming at her with all the emotions that have built up for the last twenty-one years.
There was a pure disassociation between his mind and body at this moment in time. One that he could only compare to when he was on different drugs while partying — except this was completely different — and he could feel the faint touches of feminine fingers and palms on his cheek. Artemis was saying something but he couldn’t absorb anything. No words rang out in his ears and nothing lasted in his mind. Internally, everything was screaming, and he felt so clouded that he wanted to throw up.
A sound between trying to speak and not wanting to bawl came out of him before the floodgates let loose once again. ‘This will guide you to camp Athens and keep you safe my son,’ was the last thing that he remembered her sweet voice saying to him before there was a wave of coldness and realization that he was alone. How long had he been alone and when did she leave? His free hand reached up to his face and his tears were dried, how long ago did he stop crying? She didn’t even give him a great explanation on why she wanted him to go to Camp Athens either.
‘I can’t do this…” the words escaped with a shaky breath and he noticed his whole body was in a cold sweat along with a light shaking. It was similar to the few times that he has had panic attacks in his lifetime. A dry swallow scratched at his throat and made it mildly ache. He needed something to drink.
Almost a week had passed and he was mourning everything that he knew because he knew he couldn’t take it with him and it wasn’t like he could tell anyone where he was going — he knew no one that hung around him truly cared — and he stood near his front door. His hiking boots were on, a utility backpack that had a few changes of clothes, hygiene products, a hunting knife, some parachute cord, a few other survival essentials, his guitar and all the money that he had in his account which was truly not much to begin with. It was weird, he paid off his existing rent, practically sold his apartment to a friend of a friend, and was ready to set off on this new adventure… this new life? What was this supposed to be referred to?
Nodding his head, he grabbed the door knob, and set out.
Sitting there in the airport, Anatoliy was almost limp and drained of energy as he thought about everything that could possibly happen. He was not one to be much of an over thinker though this whole situation didn’t give him any answers but gave him more questions — more what ifs? It felt like he was half conscious and he didn’t realize that he had Tetris pulled up and he was half mindlessly playing it until a lady was tapping his shoulder. ‘Young man can you put some earbuds in or turn your volume down?’
He jumped out of his skin at the contact but instantly settled, ‘O-ya-i’ he was trying to get the words out while the woman seemed shocked and startled as well. She was quick with her response, ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.’
‘N-no, you are fine. I was just zoned out, that’s all,’ Anatoliy smiled lightly and he knew his smile probably showed his inner emotions more than anything. A softness came to the older woman’s face and she looked like she wanted to ask but knew better than to pry into a stranger's life. Without another word between the two of them, he muted his phone, and he curled into himself. Staring at the screen before shutting off his phone and putting it into his pocket with a sigh. Naturally, he leaned away from the woman, and practically hugged himself to soothe.
Barely awake to board the plane, he quickly found himself in his seat with his bag in between his legs, and leaning against the window of the plane. His mind continued to run its course and he finally grabbed his headphones and put them over his ears but he didn’t touch his phone to turn on any music. He just needed a little more silence. A sliver of peace… he wished that he had some kind of comfort in this moment. Tears began to sting at his eyes and they threatened to heat his cheeks. He was going to end up crying himself raw at this point but he didn’t know what else to do. There was no one in his life to support him in any way through this and the only person that would have stepped up and tried died years ago — his father.
Why can’t you be here? I need you… I need you so badly…
The tears began to roll down his face as he kept his lips pursed and tried his best to not make a single noise except his breathing was a bit heavier and inhaling through his nose was difficult from the emotions. The lump in his throat made his neck even more sore. Rubbing his face into his jacket’s arm and trying his best to hide away from the world.
A soft and almost polite shaking of his body woke him up and the dark eyes that were looking back at him looked concerned, confused, and her full lips parted, ‘Sir… the plane has landed,’ she softly spoke while giving him space.
‘Thank you,’ he whispered while looking around confused. ‘The plane has landed so I’m in… where?’ by the twisting of his face, he knew he looked like a lost idiot, but he had no idea where he was at the moment. He bought a ticket to Athens, Greece—
‘You landed in Athens International airport in Greece,’ she confirmed.
A small and forced smile that looked more genuine than it should showed on his face with a lingering bit of emotional pain, ‘Thank you. I appreciate it,” Anatoliy began to get up out of his seat, gathering all of his stuff, waving to the flight attendant, and making his way quickly off the plane. How long ago did the plane land? He was rubbing at his face and combing his fingers through his hair to try and cope with the confusion of waking up and the emotions that were still lingering in his mind and body. Allowing his headphones to fall around his neck and onto his shoulders as he walked through the large corridors that were packed with people.
Every step made his body echo out, it felt like his soul had left him, and he was zombified. Why couldn’t I have a normal family like most of my friends did? They had moms and dads… their parents were happy. Why did I have to get this? Why couldn’t someone else have got this instead of me? His thoughts were selfish and he knew they were, he honestly wouldn’t wish this on anyone, and he found himself standing in front of a large window while a plane was zooming down the runway to take off.
No one should have to go through this or anything similar — it’s a horrible existence — and Anatoliy stood there and thought for a while. His stomach growled and practically roared but his thoughts had control over his body and the thought about eating made him want to throw up. He didn’t know how long he stood there until he moved but it was at least an hour.
Sitting at a ramen shop that he found in the airport, he played with the noodles for some time before deciding to try and eat, and his body loosened up when food got into his mouth. Flavorful food at that. Practically scarfing down the noodles, Anatoliy didn’t realize how hungry he was, and that bowl quickly disappeared and he ordered more food. He was tempted to order the same thing but he wanted to try a few things on the menu, so he did just that. Eating about sixty-five dollars at the restaurant before paying, leaving a decent tip, and excusing himself.
A part of him was nervous to step out of the airport because that would make this journey more real than it has been for him. Standing at the main doors of the airport, he swayed a little from all the commotion around him, but he stared at the front doors with such a serious absence. His thoughts wandered as he considered the possibilities of turning back but he knew he couldn’t turn back, he got rid of everything, and that might have been him talking himself into listening to Artemis — his mom.
Closing his eyes to pretend he wasn’t where he was at the moment, to calm down, to think things through, and to let out a breath. Letting it out with a slowness that showed determination and a finalization in his decision. Anatoliy opened his eyes and moved for the front doors of the airport before exiting them into the brisk cold air. A light dusting of snow crunched under his feet which warmed him inside. This allowed each step forward to be easier and easier. His hand raised to his shirt collar, took out the silver arrowhead pendant, and he looked at it. ‘I hope you were telling me the truth, mom…” he whispered those words and the last word felt so unreal for him to say. He never had a mother figure and he understood why — his father had to give his only child his full attention and what woman would understand her possible future son being able to turn into animals? Maybe he will somehow make it up to his dad by joining this camp. Would his dad be proud of this decision? His eyes closed, this time he was able to control his emotions and no tears whelmed in his eyes, and his eyes opened back up so he could get moving.
He didn’t realize how tightly he was grabbing that pendant around his neck until he let it go and the sharper edges that were threatening his palm left lingering points that ached and tingled. As the pendant laid upon his shirt exposed, he continued to walk down the sidewalk, and this was where his journey would start on foot and most likely end on foot.
Anatoliy did not spend much time in the city that he landed in nor did he care too — his heart was aching to get out into the wilderness — with each movement, he went deeper into the forest, and he looked happier the further he went in. Waves of relaxation and calm washed over his body and he loved the sensation of being out in the wild. This was something he tried to forget, tried to ignore, and he hadn’t turned into a creature in almost a year or possibly two. He was trying his best to be normal even if that was a difficult thing to do.
The young man stayed bipedal and in his human form for the rest of the day until it began to cool down to an uncomfortable temperature for him. This was when he began to strip all of his gear and items off from him before standing in the nude, in middle of a forest, and the cold hair caused his skin to tighten and his lungs to inhale with a discomfort from the cold, and his body was trying to rapidly self regulate its own body temperature before he turned into a creature of the underbush. Stretching his dark paws and legs with a large toothy yawn. The thick layers of fur felt wonderful compared to naked human flesh. Colors of orange, auburn, creams, whites, browns, and blacks. He was a fluffy creature and dragged his stuff up beside a tree that had a hole near the base of it.
Crawling inside of the small wooden cave, he squeezed himself in, and he curled up before getting comfortable. The thick fur that his non-human body sported was like a natural bed. A soft cloud and his body relaxed so much that there was a light content purr coming from him as he drifted off into sleep.
Waking up was a whole different story as he found himself so comfortable that he didn’t want to move a muscle. All of the heat that was trapped in the stump’s cavity tempted him to stay there. His weight began to shift and his head flopped onto some of the fluff of his own body as he considered what he should be doing right now — did he have to rush to camp Athens? Probably not. His mother didn’t make it sound urgent in any capacity but she wanted him to go there. These thoughts caused him to turn his head back into his chest and his poofy tri-colored tail to fall over his face to block out the possible light before falling back asleep.
It was about an hour before noon as he walked through the woods while playing with the silver arrowhead pendant that his mother gave him. It made his heart feel like he should know exactly where he was going and he was following it — hopefully to the camp. Adjusting the collar of his shirt a little and the bag on his back, he kept wandering through the terrain, and admiring the beautiful scenery. He wondered how many people would never go this deep into the forests and appreciate the secluded sights.
About two in the afternoon, he sat by a frigid source of water and started a fire. Sitting on a log and enjoying the warmth, he looked around, and noticed there was a faint snowfall, but he didn’t mind the weather at all. Any type of weather didn’t bother him — he loved rainy thunderstorms that kept you inside or you could dance around in the puddles like a child. He appreciated the snow storms that trapped you inside so you could stay snuggled in bed all day and it was even better when you were not alone and someone you cared about could be in your arms. The sunny days that allowed you to bask out in the sun or adventure throughout the world were great too. Even the hot days where you had to spend most of your time at the lake was fun for him even if he was sweating from doing nothing.
Sitting by the fire and making an emergency meal, Anatoliy was humming to himself, and his stormy blue eyes wandered around the forest. He wondered if there were other children at the camp like him and that sparked a dreadful pressure all over his body. It blanketed him. It made him lose his appetite as he zoned out for an unknown amount of time but enough to realize that the emergency pack was charring up. “Oh shit!” Anatoliy went to reach for the bag before the flames threatened to burn him. “Awah~” he panicked before reaching over for a stick and moving the bag out of the fire and covering it with snow. Everything sounded like it was sizzling and the snow was melting from the heat.
Once the item cooled down to his touch, he fished it from the snow, and began to open it. It was a rice based meal with a lack of seasonings or anything else but it did have nutritious components. That was all that mattered, right? Anatoliy lifted the packet and jiggled it a bit with his mouth open. Repeating this process until it was all gone and that meant it was time to move on.
Covering up the fire with snow and making sure it was out and cool to the touch, no hot coals or anything else, allowed Anatoliy to move on from the spot and wander forward. At least wherever the silver arrowhead pendant was leading him to. Sometimes the thought crossed his mind that he was listening to a crazy lady and he was on a drug trip. That this could not be real yet he knew in his heart it was.
How long was it supposed to take to get to this camp? He must have been on day two or three — he started losing track after sleeping as a fox but he knew that was day one. Again, he found himself in a position of having to find another bed though he wanted to think for a minute — lifting his hand up and counting how many times he has had to sleep on this journey. This was the third time. The third night. Did he somehow get turned around? Nothing looked familiar or called out to him except the necklace urged his heart to go in certain directions. He shook his head and found a pile of brush around a fallen tree. Setting his stuff beside it, he began to take off his shirt again, and got undressed. He knew how his abilities worked — change into something bigger, your clothes rip, and change into something smaller than you are usually stuck in your clothes. It was freezing cold. Middle of winter and getting undressed in the middle of the woods was not an ideal thing to do but it was better than sleeping as a human in the middle of the woods that was for sure.
This time, he did not turn into the fluffy red creature of the undergrowth, and he chose something smaller. Not that much smaller. He was fluffy and white. His little brown nose twitched, his ears twisted, and his cottontail fidgeted for a minute before he got to digging into the snow. Anatoliy dug and dug until there was a secure burrow just for him under the log. Then he plopped down and laid there, it was warming up naturally, but he couldn’t help to think it was so cold without anyone else around. He missed people. Back home, he had friends, and people he could cuddle and socialize with — now he was on night three of a lonely adventure that he wasn’t even sure about.
When he woke up, he was startled, and he wasn’t alone in the little burrow that he dug in the snow. “Who are you?” Anatoliy asked while looking at the tiny creature that was on the other side of the burrow.
It looked startled, “I’m Ip,” it replied with a shakiness.
“You look terrified, Ip,” Anatoliy started to move around.
“There is a large creature out there,” Ip explained.
Anatoliy perked up to look out of the hole, “I don’t —” he ducked back into the burrow. “There is a large creature out there,” he found amusement in it because it was a large bird. If he was his human-self, the bird would surely fly away in fear, but he would also terrify Ip as well.
“Ip, this might be hard to understand, but I’m not a rabbit,” he explained.
“What’s a wabbit?” Ip asked.
“Well…” Anatoliy didn’t know how to explain this to the little Vole that was in the burrow. “Have you ever seen those gigantic things that stand on two legs?” he asked.
“Giants? Do you mean those things that are tall and only have fur on their heads and faces?”
“Yes! One of those,” Anatoliy got excited.
“I have seen one or two before, they all look the same,” Ip explained. “They don’t watch where they go and they cause my burrows and things to collapse!”
Anatoliy’s eyes brightened, “Well, I am sorry that they do that to you but I am one of those things. And I can scare that bird away for you, if I turn into one, would that be okay?”
Ip seemed to be confused, “What?”
“I can turn into a giant,” Anatoliy explained. “Just don’t freak out and bite me once I do, okay?”
“Okay…”
The young man hopped out of the burrow before turning into a human and the bird instantly hid in a tree. “Hey! Stop bothering Ip! I saw you! Now shoo, go find something else to bother!” Anatoliy shouted while grabbing his clothes.
“I found the little rodent first. Twitchy, squeaky, and oh-so-soft. It is mine!” the crow cawed at him. “If you give the little thing to me. I will give you the tail. Courtesy~ from yours truly,” the bird began clicking its beak.
Anatoliy started getting dressed, “No, I will not give you Ip and I will not keep his tail. Get out of here!” the young man shouted again while getting fully dressed and reaching down and into the burrow. “Ip, don’t worry. I won’t hurt you,” he reassured the creature while bringing him out safely in his hands. “I won’t let that crow get you, okay?” Ip was shaking like a miniature vibrator in his hands and Anatoliy brought him close to his chest to keep him warm.
“Ohhh, touchy, are we? Fine, fine… no tail for you!” the raspy voice echoed out into the woods while Anatoliy looked back up to the trees to spot the dark creature.
He could see the crows head twitching and him moving on the branch that he was, “But… you named it Ip?” The crows head twitched from side to side with curiosity, “That makes it harder.” The crows' voice sounded as if it had to think about any of this. He paused, clicking his beak, and seeming to be thinking. “Still going to eat him!” The crow's wings spread and he came flying down at Anatoliy.
“Get back!” Anatoliy swatted at the crow before slipping Ip into an inner pocket of his jacket. “I will hurt you!” he threatened while waving his hand and that caused the crow to swoop away to a lower branch.
“Nature’s a beast and you are one of the beastly of it all! I am playing my part. Now stay out of it!” the crow screeched.
Anatoliy screamed back, like a roar that echoed through the forest. “And I am a part of nature just like you and it is my nature to help things. Now you go away and leave us alone,” Anatoliy grabbed all of his stuff and started walking away.
The scream seemed to be off putting to the crow, “You better watch that little Ip of yours,” he said before flapping his wings and flying off.
The man shook his head, “Birds can be so annoying,” he mumbled to himself as he pulled Ip out of his pocket and brought him up to his face. “I’m sorry for shoving you into my pocket but I wanted to make sure he couldn’t grab you. Are you okay?” he asked with a smile.
“I am, thank you,” Ip seemed to have calmed down but was still nervous.
“Well, I am glad, is there somewhere you want me to put you so he can’t get you?” Anatoliy asked while continuing to walk.
Ip seemed to look around, “I have nowhere to go. That crow ripped up my home trying to get me,” the little rodent explained.
“How about you travel with me?” the young man smiled. “Would you like that?”
“Sure!” Ip seemed excited.
It was the next day and he was on the road again… the trail… and he honestly started believing that the necklace was a scam, the woman was fucking nuts, and that he was even more insane for believing anything that she said. His headphones were on while he walked through the forest and humming to himself, “I don’t wanna call it off!”
“I’m cliche, who cares? It’s a sexually explicit kind of love affair!” Anatoliy spun in a circle before continuing to vibe on his walk. Dancing while swaying his shoulders and hips back and forth while walking and moving his arms in the air with simple gestures close to him so he wasn’t going crazy with his movements. He was having an innocent time on his multi-day adventure.
“Because we are living in a material world! And I am a material girl!” at this point he was honestly singing and dancing because he could feel the pinching anxiety at his ribs. The swelling in his chest and throat — he wanted to sit down in the middle of this frigid forest and cry some more. He was thinking about all the times that he went hiking with his dad and hung out in the woods. How he was listening to some woman that came to him over twenty years after he was born claiming to be his mom. It caused him to stop and sniffle as his thoughts were really winding up in his mind.
Anatoliy found himself by a creek that wasn’t completely frozen over in spots, the river was fighting to stay alive and unhidden from the weather, and he sat there on the rocky shore. His knees pulled up against his chest and his forehead resting on his forearms and knees. “What the fuck am I doing out here?” he asked himself with so much defeat.
“I should go back home…” he mumbled to himself while trying not to cry. This was so difficult. He wanted to listen to his mother — or who claimed to be — and she did prove to not be human. That was the wild thing. She turned into an animal right before him and he was still having difficulty believing that any of this was real. Maybe the occasional drug usage was catching up to him? Maybe he should stop partying… it really never did much for him anyways except give him wicked hangovers the next day. No one ever stayed. Nothing good ever came from any of the house parties he hosted or attended. Clubs were even a wilder story.
“You’ve been with me for a whole day. Aren’t you getting bored?” the man asked while holding the little creature out in front of him. Anatoliy stopped to eat dinner and allowed Ip to run around and eat something. He enjoyed the company but he was surprised the vole didn’t want to run off and do something else. “I mean…” he paused while looking around and sitting by the fire he made. “I guess it could be fun to travel with a giant like me,” he smiled a little and let Ip down on the snow. Ip moved to the top of the hiking boots that Anatoliy was wearing.
Ip looked up at him, “I have enjoyed traveling and you protect me from that nasty thing,” the creature replied with some enthusiasm.
Anatoliy smiled, “That creature is called a crow. Well, humans call them crows. They are a type of bird,” he explained.
“I do not care for crows,” Ip responded back.
“I don’t care for that crow. He was kind of a douchebag,” he let out a laugh while taking the fire stick and poking at the flames. “I think we will stay here for tonight. It’s not much use for me to continue. I’m tired and I think I have only a day more to travel, if I am understanding this necklace properly,” Anatoliy continued to speak to Ip while staring into the flames.
Ip moved around, “Is that my cue to go?”
“Oh! No! You don’t have to go. I’ll take you to camp and you can live with me or by where I live. I bet you would enjoy dirt more than a house,” Anatoliy focused back on Ip.
“Dirt?”
“Dirt, dirt is the stuff under the snow. Where you live,” Anatoliy explained. “It's interesting how you can speak so clearly and not understand what dirt is. Have you heard humans talk before?”
“I’ve heard the crows say what gi—humans say,” Ip explained.
The man nodded his head in understanding, “That makes sense. They are smart little buggers,” Anatoliy scooped Ip up and put him on his bent knee while moving the fire around.
Before Anatoliy got anywhere near the camp, he decided that it would be a good thing if he washed up, and made himself presentable. It was going to be freezing cold though he was feeling disgusting as well. And he didn't know if the camp had those types of luxuries anyways — plus, what if he ran into someone when approaching the gate? He couldn’t stand beside them confidently while smelling like a muskrat.
Walking up to a body of water that was frozen over, Anatoliy worked on kicking the ice in before stripping down, and getting into the cold water. He hated the feeling at first but relaxed into it — it’s not like he wasn’t used to this. He participated in saunas and ice baths and went in between the two all the time. It was healthy after working out or just to rejuvenate. Still a shaky breath came out as he could see his breath and he hugged himself at first. Once adjusted, he was able to grab a bar of soap that smells like lilacs and sweet grass from his bag and washed himself completely.
Once out of the water, he turned into an animal and shook his coat off, and turned back into a human before grabbing a fresh pair of clothing. Anatoliy put on a pair of dusky gray work pants, a brown belt, and a faded tan shirt. Put new socks on and put his boots back on before slipping into his coat and putting a hat on. He looked like someone that belonged out in the woods with what he was wearing now. It was way more comfortable than the stuff he was traveling in for the past couple of days. Then he set off with the warming silver arrowhead pendant in the center of his chest.
Finally, Anatoliy had made it to the entrance of the camp and he found himself dreadfully staring at the front gates. A fear blanketed over his body, one that he didn’t expect himself to have, and there was a ball of emotion caught in his throat. He wanted to vocalize something… anything at all…
The only thing that he could get out was a breathy sound that didn’t indicate how he was truly feeling as he stared at the gates and wall around the camp. Maybe he should turn around? This wasn’t the right place, was it? There were so many different thoughts racing through his mind because he was hoping the camp was false. That the woman that turned into an animal in front of him to prove herself was lying. Maybe a piece of him hoped that he was on a horrible drug trip but the aching feeling in his stomach proved to him that this was real, too real.
Inhaling sharply, he could feel his whole body shake and shiver on exhale, “I…” he finally got out something but it was only a vowel. Everything felt like it was overloading his system — every little creak from a tree and the lightest crunching of snow made him want to cover his ears. Every decaying scent of winter made him want to gag out in response. His body was being overloaded with stress and uncertainty and none of this showed on his face. A blank expression that almost looked terrified but was too neutral to really emphasize anything at all.
It would be too real if he walked forward and entered the gates, “I can’t…” he whispered to himself and he was hoping that Ip could hear him too. Probably not. The rodent was sleeping in his coat pocket and snuggled up in warmth and safety. All the different fears were surging inside of him and it was coursing through his veins.
“What would dad think if he saw me now? Probably would agree with everyone else and think I finally kicked the bucket on my mental health…” Anatoliy glanced to the winter wonderland behind him before looking at the gates again. The necklace that his mot— Artemis gave him was heated up and telling his heart that this was the place to be. That he was needed here or wanted or something. It was something that was for sure. Something that he couldn’t place but he knew his curiosity was getting the best of him.
Rubbing at his face while his thoughts were racing, he was wondering what he should do, because he was having doubts. He was starting to wish he never came on this adventure, that he ignored the woman that showed up in his life, and he kept living his best life. It would have been better if he stayed in his apartment and ignored her. Now he was standing in the middle of nowhere and hating the decisions that he had made. It wasn’t regret but it was almost to that point. “Fuck…” a hand began to comb through his hair, “What do I do?”
There was a pure disassociation between his mind and body at this moment in time. One that he could only compare to when he was on different drugs while partying — except this was completely different — and he could feel the faint touches of feminine fingers and palms on his cheek. Artemis was saying something but he couldn’t absorb anything. No words rang out in his ears and nothing lasted in his mind. Internally, everything was screaming, and he felt so clouded that he wanted to throw up.
A sound between trying to speak and not wanting to bawl came out of him before the floodgates let loose once again. ‘This will guide you to camp Athens and keep you safe my son,’ was the last thing that he remembered her sweet voice saying to him before there was a wave of coldness and realization that he was alone. How long had he been alone and when did she leave? His free hand reached up to his face and his tears were dried, how long ago did he stop crying? She didn’t even give him a great explanation on why she wanted him to go to Camp Athens either.
‘I can’t do this…” the words escaped with a shaky breath and he noticed his whole body was in a cold sweat along with a light shaking. It was similar to the few times that he has had panic attacks in his lifetime. A dry swallow scratched at his throat and made it mildly ache. He needed something to drink.
Almost a week had passed and he was mourning everything that he knew because he knew he couldn’t take it with him and it wasn’t like he could tell anyone where he was going — he knew no one that hung around him truly cared — and he stood near his front door. His hiking boots were on, a utility backpack that had a few changes of clothes, hygiene products, a hunting knife, some parachute cord, a few other survival essentials, his guitar and all the money that he had in his account which was truly not much to begin with. It was weird, he paid off his existing rent, practically sold his apartment to a friend of a friend, and was ready to set off on this new adventure… this new life? What was this supposed to be referred to?
Nodding his head, he grabbed the door knob, and set out.
Sitting there in the airport, Anatoliy was almost limp and drained of energy as he thought about everything that could possibly happen. He was not one to be much of an over thinker though this whole situation didn’t give him any answers but gave him more questions — more what ifs? It felt like he was half conscious and he didn’t realize that he had Tetris pulled up and he was half mindlessly playing it until a lady was tapping his shoulder. ‘Young man can you put some earbuds in or turn your volume down?’
He jumped out of his skin at the contact but instantly settled, ‘O-ya-i’ he was trying to get the words out while the woman seemed shocked and startled as well. She was quick with her response, ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.’
‘N-no, you are fine. I was just zoned out, that’s all,’ Anatoliy smiled lightly and he knew his smile probably showed his inner emotions more than anything. A softness came to the older woman’s face and she looked like she wanted to ask but knew better than to pry into a stranger's life. Without another word between the two of them, he muted his phone, and he curled into himself. Staring at the screen before shutting off his phone and putting it into his pocket with a sigh. Naturally, he leaned away from the woman, and practically hugged himself to soothe.
Barely awake to board the plane, he quickly found himself in his seat with his bag in between his legs, and leaning against the window of the plane. His mind continued to run its course and he finally grabbed his headphones and put them over his ears but he didn’t touch his phone to turn on any music. He just needed a little more silence. A sliver of peace… he wished that he had some kind of comfort in this moment. Tears began to sting at his eyes and they threatened to heat his cheeks. He was going to end up crying himself raw at this point but he didn’t know what else to do. There was no one in his life to support him in any way through this and the only person that would have stepped up and tried died years ago — his father.
Why can’t you be here? I need you… I need you so badly…
The tears began to roll down his face as he kept his lips pursed and tried his best to not make a single noise except his breathing was a bit heavier and inhaling through his nose was difficult from the emotions. The lump in his throat made his neck even more sore. Rubbing his face into his jacket’s arm and trying his best to hide away from the world.
A soft and almost polite shaking of his body woke him up and the dark eyes that were looking back at him looked concerned, confused, and her full lips parted, ‘Sir… the plane has landed,’ she softly spoke while giving him space.
‘Thank you,’ he whispered while looking around confused. ‘The plane has landed so I’m in… where?’ by the twisting of his face, he knew he looked like a lost idiot, but he had no idea where he was at the moment. He bought a ticket to Athens, Greece—
‘You landed in Athens International airport in Greece,’ she confirmed.
A small and forced smile that looked more genuine than it should showed on his face with a lingering bit of emotional pain, ‘Thank you. I appreciate it,” Anatoliy began to get up out of his seat, gathering all of his stuff, waving to the flight attendant, and making his way quickly off the plane. How long ago did the plane land? He was rubbing at his face and combing his fingers through his hair to try and cope with the confusion of waking up and the emotions that were still lingering in his mind and body. Allowing his headphones to fall around his neck and onto his shoulders as he walked through the large corridors that were packed with people.
Every step made his body echo out, it felt like his soul had left him, and he was zombified. Why couldn’t I have a normal family like most of my friends did? They had moms and dads… their parents were happy. Why did I have to get this? Why couldn’t someone else have got this instead of me? His thoughts were selfish and he knew they were, he honestly wouldn’t wish this on anyone, and he found himself standing in front of a large window while a plane was zooming down the runway to take off.
No one should have to go through this or anything similar — it’s a horrible existence — and Anatoliy stood there and thought for a while. His stomach growled and practically roared but his thoughts had control over his body and the thought about eating made him want to throw up. He didn’t know how long he stood there until he moved but it was at least an hour.
Sitting at a ramen shop that he found in the airport, he played with the noodles for some time before deciding to try and eat, and his body loosened up when food got into his mouth. Flavorful food at that. Practically scarfing down the noodles, Anatoliy didn’t realize how hungry he was, and that bowl quickly disappeared and he ordered more food. He was tempted to order the same thing but he wanted to try a few things on the menu, so he did just that. Eating about sixty-five dollars at the restaurant before paying, leaving a decent tip, and excusing himself.
A part of him was nervous to step out of the airport because that would make this journey more real than it has been for him. Standing at the main doors of the airport, he swayed a little from all the commotion around him, but he stared at the front doors with such a serious absence. His thoughts wandered as he considered the possibilities of turning back but he knew he couldn’t turn back, he got rid of everything, and that might have been him talking himself into listening to Artemis — his mom.
Closing his eyes to pretend he wasn’t where he was at the moment, to calm down, to think things through, and to let out a breath. Letting it out with a slowness that showed determination and a finalization in his decision. Anatoliy opened his eyes and moved for the front doors of the airport before exiting them into the brisk cold air. A light dusting of snow crunched under his feet which warmed him inside. This allowed each step forward to be easier and easier. His hand raised to his shirt collar, took out the silver arrowhead pendant, and he looked at it. ‘I hope you were telling me the truth, mom…” he whispered those words and the last word felt so unreal for him to say. He never had a mother figure and he understood why — his father had to give his only child his full attention and what woman would understand her possible future son being able to turn into animals? Maybe he will somehow make it up to his dad by joining this camp. Would his dad be proud of this decision? His eyes closed, this time he was able to control his emotions and no tears whelmed in his eyes, and his eyes opened back up so he could get moving.
He didn’t realize how tightly he was grabbing that pendant around his neck until he let it go and the sharper edges that were threatening his palm left lingering points that ached and tingled. As the pendant laid upon his shirt exposed, he continued to walk down the sidewalk, and this was where his journey would start on foot and most likely end on foot.
Anatoliy did not spend much time in the city that he landed in nor did he care too — his heart was aching to get out into the wilderness — with each movement, he went deeper into the forest, and he looked happier the further he went in. Waves of relaxation and calm washed over his body and he loved the sensation of being out in the wild. This was something he tried to forget, tried to ignore, and he hadn’t turned into a creature in almost a year or possibly two. He was trying his best to be normal even if that was a difficult thing to do.
The young man stayed bipedal and in his human form for the rest of the day until it began to cool down to an uncomfortable temperature for him. This was when he began to strip all of his gear and items off from him before standing in the nude, in middle of a forest, and the cold hair caused his skin to tighten and his lungs to inhale with a discomfort from the cold, and his body was trying to rapidly self regulate its own body temperature before he turned into a creature of the underbush. Stretching his dark paws and legs with a large toothy yawn. The thick layers of fur felt wonderful compared to naked human flesh. Colors of orange, auburn, creams, whites, browns, and blacks. He was a fluffy creature and dragged his stuff up beside a tree that had a hole near the base of it.
Crawling inside of the small wooden cave, he squeezed himself in, and he curled up before getting comfortable. The thick fur that his non-human body sported was like a natural bed. A soft cloud and his body relaxed so much that there was a light content purr coming from him as he drifted off into sleep.
Waking up was a whole different story as he found himself so comfortable that he didn’t want to move a muscle. All of the heat that was trapped in the stump’s cavity tempted him to stay there. His weight began to shift and his head flopped onto some of the fluff of his own body as he considered what he should be doing right now — did he have to rush to camp Athens? Probably not. His mother didn’t make it sound urgent in any capacity but she wanted him to go there. These thoughts caused him to turn his head back into his chest and his poofy tri-colored tail to fall over his face to block out the possible light before falling back asleep.
It was about an hour before noon as he walked through the woods while playing with the silver arrowhead pendant that his mother gave him. It made his heart feel like he should know exactly where he was going and he was following it — hopefully to the camp. Adjusting the collar of his shirt a little and the bag on his back, he kept wandering through the terrain, and admiring the beautiful scenery. He wondered how many people would never go this deep into the forests and appreciate the secluded sights.
About two in the afternoon, he sat by a frigid source of water and started a fire. Sitting on a log and enjoying the warmth, he looked around, and noticed there was a faint snowfall, but he didn’t mind the weather at all. Any type of weather didn’t bother him — he loved rainy thunderstorms that kept you inside or you could dance around in the puddles like a child. He appreciated the snow storms that trapped you inside so you could stay snuggled in bed all day and it was even better when you were not alone and someone you cared about could be in your arms. The sunny days that allowed you to bask out in the sun or adventure throughout the world were great too. Even the hot days where you had to spend most of your time at the lake was fun for him even if he was sweating from doing nothing.
Sitting by the fire and making an emergency meal, Anatoliy was humming to himself, and his stormy blue eyes wandered around the forest. He wondered if there were other children at the camp like him and that sparked a dreadful pressure all over his body. It blanketed him. It made him lose his appetite as he zoned out for an unknown amount of time but enough to realize that the emergency pack was charring up. “Oh shit!” Anatoliy went to reach for the bag before the flames threatened to burn him. “Awah~” he panicked before reaching over for a stick and moving the bag out of the fire and covering it with snow. Everything sounded like it was sizzling and the snow was melting from the heat.
Once the item cooled down to his touch, he fished it from the snow, and began to open it. It was a rice based meal with a lack of seasonings or anything else but it did have nutritious components. That was all that mattered, right? Anatoliy lifted the packet and jiggled it a bit with his mouth open. Repeating this process until it was all gone and that meant it was time to move on.
Covering up the fire with snow and making sure it was out and cool to the touch, no hot coals or anything else, allowed Anatoliy to move on from the spot and wander forward. At least wherever the silver arrowhead pendant was leading him to. Sometimes the thought crossed his mind that he was listening to a crazy lady and he was on a drug trip. That this could not be real yet he knew in his heart it was.
How long was it supposed to take to get to this camp? He must have been on day two or three — he started losing track after sleeping as a fox but he knew that was day one. Again, he found himself in a position of having to find another bed though he wanted to think for a minute — lifting his hand up and counting how many times he has had to sleep on this journey. This was the third time. The third night. Did he somehow get turned around? Nothing looked familiar or called out to him except the necklace urged his heart to go in certain directions. He shook his head and found a pile of brush around a fallen tree. Setting his stuff beside it, he began to take off his shirt again, and got undressed. He knew how his abilities worked — change into something bigger, your clothes rip, and change into something smaller than you are usually stuck in your clothes. It was freezing cold. Middle of winter and getting undressed in the middle of the woods was not an ideal thing to do but it was better than sleeping as a human in the middle of the woods that was for sure.
This time, he did not turn into the fluffy red creature of the undergrowth, and he chose something smaller. Not that much smaller. He was fluffy and white. His little brown nose twitched, his ears twisted, and his cottontail fidgeted for a minute before he got to digging into the snow. Anatoliy dug and dug until there was a secure burrow just for him under the log. Then he plopped down and laid there, it was warming up naturally, but he couldn’t help to think it was so cold without anyone else around. He missed people. Back home, he had friends, and people he could cuddle and socialize with — now he was on night three of a lonely adventure that he wasn’t even sure about.
When he woke up, he was startled, and he wasn’t alone in the little burrow that he dug in the snow. “Who are you?” Anatoliy asked while looking at the tiny creature that was on the other side of the burrow.
It looked startled, “I’m Ip,” it replied with a shakiness.
“You look terrified, Ip,” Anatoliy started to move around.
“There is a large creature out there,” Ip explained.
Anatoliy perked up to look out of the hole, “I don’t —” he ducked back into the burrow. “There is a large creature out there,” he found amusement in it because it was a large bird. If he was his human-self, the bird would surely fly away in fear, but he would also terrify Ip as well.
“Ip, this might be hard to understand, but I’m not a rabbit,” he explained.
“What’s a wabbit?” Ip asked.
“Well…” Anatoliy didn’t know how to explain this to the little Vole that was in the burrow. “Have you ever seen those gigantic things that stand on two legs?” he asked.
“Giants? Do you mean those things that are tall and only have fur on their heads and faces?”
“Yes! One of those,” Anatoliy got excited.
“I have seen one or two before, they all look the same,” Ip explained. “They don’t watch where they go and they cause my burrows and things to collapse!”
Anatoliy’s eyes brightened, “Well, I am sorry that they do that to you but I am one of those things. And I can scare that bird away for you, if I turn into one, would that be okay?”
Ip seemed to be confused, “What?”
“I can turn into a giant,” Anatoliy explained. “Just don’t freak out and bite me once I do, okay?”
“Okay…”
The young man hopped out of the burrow before turning into a human and the bird instantly hid in a tree. “Hey! Stop bothering Ip! I saw you! Now shoo, go find something else to bother!” Anatoliy shouted while grabbing his clothes.
“I found the little rodent first. Twitchy, squeaky, and oh-so-soft. It is mine!” the crow cawed at him. “If you give the little thing to me. I will give you the tail. Courtesy~ from yours truly,” the bird began clicking its beak.
Anatoliy started getting dressed, “No, I will not give you Ip and I will not keep his tail. Get out of here!” the young man shouted again while getting fully dressed and reaching down and into the burrow. “Ip, don’t worry. I won’t hurt you,” he reassured the creature while bringing him out safely in his hands. “I won’t let that crow get you, okay?” Ip was shaking like a miniature vibrator in his hands and Anatoliy brought him close to his chest to keep him warm.
“Ohhh, touchy, are we? Fine, fine… no tail for you!” the raspy voice echoed out into the woods while Anatoliy looked back up to the trees to spot the dark creature.
He could see the crows head twitching and him moving on the branch that he was, “But… you named it Ip?” The crows head twitched from side to side with curiosity, “That makes it harder.” The crows' voice sounded as if it had to think about any of this. He paused, clicking his beak, and seeming to be thinking. “Still going to eat him!” The crow's wings spread and he came flying down at Anatoliy.
“Get back!” Anatoliy swatted at the crow before slipping Ip into an inner pocket of his jacket. “I will hurt you!” he threatened while waving his hand and that caused the crow to swoop away to a lower branch.
“Nature’s a beast and you are one of the beastly of it all! I am playing my part. Now stay out of it!” the crow screeched.
Anatoliy screamed back, like a roar that echoed through the forest. “And I am a part of nature just like you and it is my nature to help things. Now you go away and leave us alone,” Anatoliy grabbed all of his stuff and started walking away.
The scream seemed to be off putting to the crow, “You better watch that little Ip of yours,” he said before flapping his wings and flying off.
The man shook his head, “Birds can be so annoying,” he mumbled to himself as he pulled Ip out of his pocket and brought him up to his face. “I’m sorry for shoving you into my pocket but I wanted to make sure he couldn’t grab you. Are you okay?” he asked with a smile.
“I am, thank you,” Ip seemed to have calmed down but was still nervous.
“Well, I am glad, is there somewhere you want me to put you so he can’t get you?” Anatoliy asked while continuing to walk.
Ip seemed to look around, “I have nowhere to go. That crow ripped up my home trying to get me,” the little rodent explained.
“How about you travel with me?” the young man smiled. “Would you like that?”
“Sure!” Ip seemed excited.
It was the next day and he was on the road again… the trail… and he honestly started believing that the necklace was a scam, the woman was fucking nuts, and that he was even more insane for believing anything that she said. His headphones were on while he walked through the forest and humming to himself, “I don’t wanna call it off!”
“I’m cliche, who cares? It’s a sexually explicit kind of love affair!” Anatoliy spun in a circle before continuing to vibe on his walk. Dancing while swaying his shoulders and hips back and forth while walking and moving his arms in the air with simple gestures close to him so he wasn’t going crazy with his movements. He was having an innocent time on his multi-day adventure.
“Because we are living in a material world! And I am a material girl!” at this point he was honestly singing and dancing because he could feel the pinching anxiety at his ribs. The swelling in his chest and throat — he wanted to sit down in the middle of this frigid forest and cry some more. He was thinking about all the times that he went hiking with his dad and hung out in the woods. How he was listening to some woman that came to him over twenty years after he was born claiming to be his mom. It caused him to stop and sniffle as his thoughts were really winding up in his mind.
Anatoliy found himself by a creek that wasn’t completely frozen over in spots, the river was fighting to stay alive and unhidden from the weather, and he sat there on the rocky shore. His knees pulled up against his chest and his forehead resting on his forearms and knees. “What the fuck am I doing out here?” he asked himself with so much defeat.
“I should go back home…” he mumbled to himself while trying not to cry. This was so difficult. He wanted to listen to his mother — or who claimed to be — and she did prove to not be human. That was the wild thing. She turned into an animal right before him and he was still having difficulty believing that any of this was real. Maybe the occasional drug usage was catching up to him? Maybe he should stop partying… it really never did much for him anyways except give him wicked hangovers the next day. No one ever stayed. Nothing good ever came from any of the house parties he hosted or attended. Clubs were even a wilder story.
“You’ve been with me for a whole day. Aren’t you getting bored?” the man asked while holding the little creature out in front of him. Anatoliy stopped to eat dinner and allowed Ip to run around and eat something. He enjoyed the company but he was surprised the vole didn’t want to run off and do something else. “I mean…” he paused while looking around and sitting by the fire he made. “I guess it could be fun to travel with a giant like me,” he smiled a little and let Ip down on the snow. Ip moved to the top of the hiking boots that Anatoliy was wearing.
Ip looked up at him, “I have enjoyed traveling and you protect me from that nasty thing,” the creature replied with some enthusiasm.
Anatoliy smiled, “That creature is called a crow. Well, humans call them crows. They are a type of bird,” he explained.
“I do not care for crows,” Ip responded back.
“I don’t care for that crow. He was kind of a douchebag,” he let out a laugh while taking the fire stick and poking at the flames. “I think we will stay here for tonight. It’s not much use for me to continue. I’m tired and I think I have only a day more to travel, if I am understanding this necklace properly,” Anatoliy continued to speak to Ip while staring into the flames.
Ip moved around, “Is that my cue to go?”
“Oh! No! You don’t have to go. I’ll take you to camp and you can live with me or by where I live. I bet you would enjoy dirt more than a house,” Anatoliy focused back on Ip.
“Dirt?”
“Dirt, dirt is the stuff under the snow. Where you live,” Anatoliy explained. “It's interesting how you can speak so clearly and not understand what dirt is. Have you heard humans talk before?”
“I’ve heard the crows say what gi—humans say,” Ip explained.
The man nodded his head in understanding, “That makes sense. They are smart little buggers,” Anatoliy scooped Ip up and put him on his bent knee while moving the fire around.
Before Anatoliy got anywhere near the camp, he decided that it would be a good thing if he washed up, and made himself presentable. It was going to be freezing cold though he was feeling disgusting as well. And he didn't know if the camp had those types of luxuries anyways — plus, what if he ran into someone when approaching the gate? He couldn’t stand beside them confidently while smelling like a muskrat.
Walking up to a body of water that was frozen over, Anatoliy worked on kicking the ice in before stripping down, and getting into the cold water. He hated the feeling at first but relaxed into it — it’s not like he wasn’t used to this. He participated in saunas and ice baths and went in between the two all the time. It was healthy after working out or just to rejuvenate. Still a shaky breath came out as he could see his breath and he hugged himself at first. Once adjusted, he was able to grab a bar of soap that smells like lilacs and sweet grass from his bag and washed himself completely.
Once out of the water, he turned into an animal and shook his coat off, and turned back into a human before grabbing a fresh pair of clothing. Anatoliy put on a pair of dusky gray work pants, a brown belt, and a faded tan shirt. Put new socks on and put his boots back on before slipping into his coat and putting a hat on. He looked like someone that belonged out in the woods with what he was wearing now. It was way more comfortable than the stuff he was traveling in for the past couple of days. Then he set off with the warming silver arrowhead pendant in the center of his chest.
Finally, Anatoliy had made it to the entrance of the camp and he found himself dreadfully staring at the front gates. A fear blanketed over his body, one that he didn’t expect himself to have, and there was a ball of emotion caught in his throat. He wanted to vocalize something… anything at all…
The only thing that he could get out was a breathy sound that didn’t indicate how he was truly feeling as he stared at the gates and wall around the camp. Maybe he should turn around? This wasn’t the right place, was it? There were so many different thoughts racing through his mind because he was hoping the camp was false. That the woman that turned into an animal in front of him to prove herself was lying. Maybe a piece of him hoped that he was on a horrible drug trip but the aching feeling in his stomach proved to him that this was real, too real.
Inhaling sharply, he could feel his whole body shake and shiver on exhale, “I…” he finally got out something but it was only a vowel. Everything felt like it was overloading his system — every little creak from a tree and the lightest crunching of snow made him want to cover his ears. Every decaying scent of winter made him want to gag out in response. His body was being overloaded with stress and uncertainty and none of this showed on his face. A blank expression that almost looked terrified but was too neutral to really emphasize anything at all.
It would be too real if he walked forward and entered the gates, “I can’t…” he whispered to himself and he was hoping that Ip could hear him too. Probably not. The rodent was sleeping in his coat pocket and snuggled up in warmth and safety. All the different fears were surging inside of him and it was coursing through his veins.
“What would dad think if he saw me now? Probably would agree with everyone else and think I finally kicked the bucket on my mental health…” Anatoliy glanced to the winter wonderland behind him before looking at the gates again. The necklace that his mot— Artemis gave him was heated up and telling his heart that this was the place to be. That he was needed here or wanted or something. It was something that was for sure. Something that he couldn’t place but he knew his curiosity was getting the best of him.
Rubbing at his face while his thoughts were racing, he was wondering what he should do, because he was having doubts. He was starting to wish he never came on this adventure, that he ignored the woman that showed up in his life, and he kept living his best life. It would have been better if he stayed in his apartment and ignored her. Now he was standing in the middle of nowhere and hating the decisions that he had made. It wasn’t regret but it was almost to that point. “Fuck…” a hand began to comb through his hair, “What do I do?”
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It was one of the weirdest things that had happened to him — No… — this was the weirdest thing ever to happen to him by far. There were odd scenarios in college, in high school, and throughout his twenty-two years of life, however, this one took the cake. It was around 22:00 when he heard a knock on his door and he decided to answer it. There was the same woman that made him late to his interview and an annoyance built up in his chest yet he didn’t tell her to go away. Once again, he noticed how beautiful she was and how she looked like she stepped out of history. She looked like a Greek Goddess.
After about fifteen minutes of talking, Elysium let her inside of his house, and not too much later he found himself covering his mouth in thought and light shock while sitting on the couch. My mother is Hestia the Greek Goddess? There was a feeling inside of him that he couldn’t explain. He had so many questions. The emotions were causing his skin to prickle and tingle while heating up. “So —” Elysium began evenly while looking into her eyes. “You’re my mother? And you are the Greek Goddess named Hestia?” The woman standing in front of him just informed him of this but he needed to hear it again. None of this sounded real.
“That I am,” her voice was polite and confident. There was no hesitation or thought to confirm that she was the Goddess Hestia and that she was his mother. Elysium was having a difficult time believing any of this but he was slowly coming around the more they spoke. He continued asking questions and Hestia seemed pleased to answer almost anything that he was asking her.
After hours of talking, it was midnight, and Hestia departed from his home. She blessed him and his journey to the camp that she informed him of. Now the only thing to do was to make a decision on what to do — would he go to the camp or would he continue living his common life? Elysium had no idea what he should do but he knew that he was going to think about this a lot. With thoughts clouding his mind and not allowing him to sit for very long. Elysium paced himself into exhaustion before falling asleep on the couch.
Now he was at the gates of the camp that his mother told him about and he was staring at them. He noticed there were more people showing up at the gates and he wasn’t surprised. His mother said something about the camp being for the children of the gods. Why are they calling on us? This thought went through his head while he looked at the gate and the wall around the place that he was supposed to be. That was one of the questions that his mom didn’t answer or didn’t know how to answer.
Elysium wasn’t sure if he should wait outside of the camp or not. Were there people already in the camp? Demigods of the past? Those were questions that he was curious to get answers on but he assumed there were people before him and the others showing up. Why else would this be built? It looked older as well. “This will be an experience,” his voice sounded impressed while a small curl of his lips emerged.
The man decided to enter the gates without bothering to wait and meet the other campers showing up. He would meet them in good time but he needed to figure out where everything was, especially where he would be staying. That was an important part, did he have his own place here? Were there roommates? Was it going to be similar to college dorms? Tight areas with too much stuff because of two people living in it? “I wonder where the main halls are or the front desk is,” Elysium was looking at all the buildings and trying to distinguish what were the important buildings versus the living areas.
He noticed a difference between the sizes of cabins that looked like homes while the larger structures must have been the main hall and things like that. This was where he started to roam around and trying to find someone to talk to and get a few questions answered. And if he couldn’t find anyone to answer his questions, he would go venturing around the camp, and try to figure out which cabin was his. Maybe there were introduction baskets or something in the cabins from the parents? No… everything that he knew about Greek Mythology, none of the Gods or Goddesses were the best even towards their own.
After about fifteen minutes of talking, Elysium let her inside of his house, and not too much later he found himself covering his mouth in thought and light shock while sitting on the couch. My mother is Hestia the Greek Goddess? There was a feeling inside of him that he couldn’t explain. He had so many questions. The emotions were causing his skin to prickle and tingle while heating up. “So —” Elysium began evenly while looking into her eyes. “You’re my mother? And you are the Greek Goddess named Hestia?” The woman standing in front of him just informed him of this but he needed to hear it again. None of this sounded real.
“That I am,” her voice was polite and confident. There was no hesitation or thought to confirm that she was the Goddess Hestia and that she was his mother. Elysium was having a difficult time believing any of this but he was slowly coming around the more they spoke. He continued asking questions and Hestia seemed pleased to answer almost anything that he was asking her.
After hours of talking, it was midnight, and Hestia departed from his home. She blessed him and his journey to the camp that she informed him of. Now the only thing to do was to make a decision on what to do — would he go to the camp or would he continue living his common life? Elysium had no idea what he should do but he knew that he was going to think about this a lot. With thoughts clouding his mind and not allowing him to sit for very long. Elysium paced himself into exhaustion before falling asleep on the couch.
Now he was at the gates of the camp that his mother told him about and he was staring at them. He noticed there were more people showing up at the gates and he wasn’t surprised. His mother said something about the camp being for the children of the gods. Why are they calling on us? This thought went through his head while he looked at the gate and the wall around the place that he was supposed to be. That was one of the questions that his mom didn’t answer or didn’t know how to answer.
Elysium wasn’t sure if he should wait outside of the camp or not. Were there people already in the camp? Demigods of the past? Those were questions that he was curious to get answers on but he assumed there were people before him and the others showing up. Why else would this be built? It looked older as well. “This will be an experience,” his voice sounded impressed while a small curl of his lips emerged.
The man decided to enter the gates without bothering to wait and meet the other campers showing up. He would meet them in good time but he needed to figure out where everything was, especially where he would be staying. That was an important part, did he have his own place here? Were there roommates? Was it going to be similar to college dorms? Tight areas with too much stuff because of two people living in it? “I wonder where the main halls are or the front desk is,” Elysium was looking at all the buildings and trying to distinguish what were the important buildings versus the living areas.
He noticed a difference between the sizes of cabins that looked like homes while the larger structures must have been the main hall and things like that. This was where he started to roam around and trying to find someone to talk to and get a few questions answered. And if he couldn’t find anyone to answer his questions, he would go venturing around the camp, and try to figure out which cabin was his. Maybe there were introduction baskets or something in the cabins from the parents? No… everything that he knew about Greek Mythology, none of the Gods or Goddesses were the best even towards their own.
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