Cherise Boyse's Story

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T H E OXS M I T H
son of artemis

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Location: Party
Mood: Drunk
Hex: #0000BF

Theo walked through the crowd slowly, back towards the food and refreshments area. He honestly just wanted another beer, but he didn't mind running a quick errand for a couple of girls. Honestly, the mood he was in, he would probably do just about anything that was asked of him. He grabbed two beers, a couple of burgers, and approached Rae and Nelly again.

"Ah, here you are. Finally. What took you so long? Did you have to kill the cow and cook it first?"

Theo laughed. Drunk Theo enjoyed the simple things, especially the playfulness of an attractive female. "Nope... just had to scale Mt. Olympus and let Zeus bless the food first. That way it would be extra good," Theo let the sarcasm drip in his tone.

Theo watched as Rae looked around curiously. She looked like a woman on a mission, something he could appreciate. The redhead turned to him, "Iliana and my Sun Child, Cherise. I'm the only one allowed to call her Sun Child, however - but you look like you could use a little dash of sunshine, and she's cute. And available. Very available."

Well that was interesting. Theo was pretty sure he had been hitting on Rae, not asking her to play matchmaker. He took a deep breath. Deciding to go with the flow, he looked over at Cherise just as she dropped just about everything she was holding. He stifled a laugh. The girl smiled at him, almost begging for him to ignore the fact that his first impression of her was embarrassing. "Hi, I'm Cherise." She was cute. Theo would admit that. He shot her a smile back, glancing between her and Rae before extending a hand towards Cherise. "I'm Theo."

Theo was slightly confused. He had been chasing Trinity for quite some time at this point, and he had become unused to the idea of multiple prospects in front of him. His intoxication level was also increasing by the sip. He settled in as Penelope asked Rae her name. It wasn't long before Daniel came to get Cherise. Well, that only left him and Rae. He turned back to her.

"You know, a pretty smile like yours should never end up alone at the end of a party like this. I imagine you could pick which ever one of these guys you would want, Theo let out a suggestive smile, studying her reaction. Being so observant was his curse as a child of Artemis, even in this drunk state.

Speaking of being observant, out of the corner of his eye, Theo caught sight of Cherise handing the bottle to Trinity. He suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, trying to focus on Rae.

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sylas astor
erisx|xoutfitx|x#064C4B

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xxx W E S L E Y xx P R E S T O Nxxxxx&xxxxT R I N I T Y xx W A L L A C E

Daughter of Ares / Son of Aphrodite | Outfit / Outfit | #461f4b / #667C0C

Sylas wasn't in her face but it felt like he was. His voice, his presence, his perfectly fine response all deserved to have his ass beaten. If she wasn't so repulsed by him and his commentary she might have suggested they whisk away and then she could accidentally get "carried away" choking him until he stopped breathing.

Suddenly a bottle hovered in her direction, but it wasn't the kind with any liquor in it. “Good luck.” She scowled taking the bottle from the brunette so she could be gone and the bottle out of her sight. What the hell gave the impression she wanted to be confined in a closet with somebody when she sat with her back to the circle? What did Trinity do to this girl to deserve it?

“I guess it's your turn to get groped in the closet... I hope they're a good kisser.”

Trinity's cold glare shifted to him. “As long as it's not you, I'm sure I'll have a great time.” Then she gave another one of her famous cold smiles. “I decide what happens to my body, when, where and how.” Sylas and Mason could have fun with the girls that dropped their panties the moment a guy invaded the personal space bubble.

Figuring it best to get over with, she swivelled around, sprang to her feet and spun the stupid bottle. Whoever it landed on was guaranteed a shit time. An even worse time if they invaded what little space Trinity would have left in the closet and a broken hand if they went for any groping.

What luck that it landed on Eve's back. Behind Eve's back was Wes. Supposedly one of the best kissers with his skill trades of Aphrodite. She headed on over to him and the blonde that couldn't be shaken.

"Look, let me get to the point, you want Trinity, but she’s not sure. Or whatever the problem is." Eve kept one hand on Wes's shoulder, while her other was outstretched toward him, palm up. "I can help, one little squiz at your destiny and you’ll know if she’s in it. Isn’t that what she needs, a little reassurance?"

"I think you need to learn how to mind your own business," Wes said as he pushed her hand away. Eve made damn sure the only thing in his line of sight was her, so he had no idea that Trinity had spun the bottle nor that she was approaching. Gods, did he just want her to leave him alone. It was her fault he's been digging his own grave with Trin for days now. "Watermelon." Wes didn't yell it, but he had a feeling the daughter of Ares had an eye on him ever since the minx graced him with her presence.

Trinity was always angry so it's not that it didn't trigger a violent thought or two but she was more exasperated with tonight. Trinity grabbed Eve's shoulder, spinning her around abruptly to face her.

"That was fast," Wes said rhetorically with a quiet laugh.

“Listen, this goes two ways. Either we go in the closet and it just might be the last thing you see, or you get out the way and let me take Wes.” That was Trinity projecting back the fuck off to the best of her ability. She grabbed Wes's arm, prompting him up. “Come on, up and at 'em.” In another fluid tug, Trinity sent them on the path to the closet before she could give Mason's shit girlfriend a makeover. Eve must have craved one, turning black and blue with a few missing teeth.

Wes raised his eyebrows in entertainment as Trinity proceeded to threaten Eve. He didn't even quite realize at first that it meant she had spun the bottle... and it subsequently landed on him, or the she devil. She took his hand and gave his arm a tug. His free hand pushed off his knee as he stood. "Yes ma'am."

Once a distance away from others, she let Wes go. She'd like to apologize for making things uncomfortable earlier with Liam but she couldn't and wasn't sorry. “At least it's you I have to pash.” She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “Isn't that how it works? You get crammed in a closet and everyone expects you to make out without reservation?” She scoffed and stepped into the closet. “Apparently it's supposed to turn into the fucking discovery channel.”

Wes had to duck to get into the closet and saying it was a tight squeeze was an understatement. He was a bulky guy and fairly tall, but he couldn't help but think of poor Liam trying to cram in here without looking like the hulk in a clown car. "I guess so," he responded to the question vaguely as he adjusted in the narrow space. The closet wasn't much wider than the width of his shoulders and he tried his best to not encroach on her personal bubble. It wasn't working very well. "I'm honestly not that surprised. The sexual tension is this place is palpable." Although Wes never used his powers, there were some he couldn't switch off. Being able to sense others romantic and sexual energies was one of them.

Finding a comfortable but defiant position was a task. She leaned her back against the wall, crossed her arms, stood straight, shifted around until she called it quits. The closet really was too small. “You know, you're a real pain in my ass. I'm trying to work on my impulse control and you and your stupid handsome face, and your stupid charms are just...” she clenched her fist in the air and growled. He attracted women like flies and she thought about him too much.

Was that supposed to be an insult or a weird back handed compliment? His gaze fell slightly. Wes couldn't control the whole Aphrodite attraction thing. He wondered if she was talking about the other girls at camp like Eve... or herself. Maybe she was playing off any feelings she may or may not have to his... charm? He didn't know. Wes stopped trying to connect the dots or understand the layers of meanings behind a woman's words.

Trinity let out a breath slowly knowing it wasn’t his fault. She looked him over defeated. But that defeat slowly and gradually turned into an idea. Everything throughout the day came together to inspire her masterplan. Trinity was too hard on Wes, she was too angry, Eve was all over Wes, the intimacy expectations in the closet. She smirked. “Since you blew off our date, I cleaned your cabin and presumably, you spent the day with another woman, I think it's only fair you owe me something.” She shrugged off her leather jacket, keeping her eyes on Wes. She pulled her hair to one side then turned her back to him. “A massage,” she checked over her shoulder and grinned.

He wanted to debate the subject, say she was pissed at him which was solid enough of a reason to not try to follow up on a date. But it wasn't worth arguing about. It was both of their fault. Wes's brows furrowed as he watched Trinity slip out of her jacket. He kept his gaze locked with hers until she had her back to him. He let out a soft laugh and a weak nod of his head at the demand. His hands rose, then froze as they hovered over her shoulders. He stared at the mix of flesh and mechanical, then withdrew slightly.

He was not able to slip out of his own jacket as easily as Trinity but eventually managed to be free of it. His left hand then moved under his shirt and started unfastening the straps that kept his new arm attached. It took a moment before Wes was able to remove the prosthetic and placed it on the shelf overhead. No one wants a massage from a machine and part of him didn't like the idea of touching her with anything besides his real authentic self. Even if that meant he was absent an arm. "I may need your help to get that back on," he said quietly as his hand finally rested on her left shoulder.

Wesley's hands were most qualified to touch her because she accepted his touch for starters, and they actually felt nice. He was one of the few she could trust with her back turned. She closed her eyes rolling out her shoulders gently. “It's my 7 minutes in heaven. If I'm feeling kind, I can repay the favour, after the party.”

What did that mean? Wes tried not to let the slightly suggestive comment throw him off. Although it definitely made his heart skip a beat as he swallowed. But he didn't argue with her request. Trinity knew full well he'd do anything she asked of him, including releasing the tension in her shoulders rather than making out in a cramped closet. Wes found himself smiling slightly from the smell of her hair and their closeness as his thumb gently massaged her shoulders and then the back of her neck.

She rested her head back on his chest, gazing up at him then slowly extended her arm to reach out and play with his hair. Well, mess up really, and it wouldn't be long until Wes gathered she didn't have a fixation with his hair. He laughed as his face scrunched up, but he didn't stop her.

She spun around to face him and rubbed down his arm and chest. “What do you think? Marked up enough or more Trinity was here?” she was only half kidding.

"Well, that depends. What message are you trying to send? Are you claiming your territory? Or just wanting it to look like we played along?" Wes grinned as his hand slowly ran down her arm, pulling her a little closer as it hooked around her waist. He leaned down slightly as his palm rested upon the small of her back. His head lowered, shifting to the right of her own. He placed a gentle kiss on her neck just below her ear, letting his lips linger there for a brief moment. Then he raised his head and his fingers curled around the fabric of her shirt at the base of her back. "No one will believe it if you're not disheveled too," he said with a hint of a smile as he began to untuck her shirt.

Words were lost when Wes brought her in closer and laid a kiss on her neck. She grinned enduring the time his lips were there, even when she wanted to recoil because it was sensitive. Then Wes started to pull her shirt, one-handed and she arched her brow but decided to trust him. “A woman can't pounce on a man, leaving him defenceless?” Trinity shook her head and tutted dramatically then smiled. “My intention was to claim you were off-limits,” she poked his solid chest, “because women can't keep to themselves around you.”

Wes kept his hand on the small of her back once he finished adjusting her own appearance. He smiled as he looked down at her, his voice a whisper. "You know I'm yours. But I wouldn't argue to you claiming me." He laughed softly as he teased her.

They were on a time restraint in the closet, she almost forgot it couldn't be wasted bickering and teasing him. Trinity cupped the back of his neck giving him a kiss for no other reason than because she wanted to. Then replaced her lips on his neck with a smile. She chuckled there. “Okay, cupid, tell me how'd I do.” She kissed over his pulse point, using his body for leverage then pulled away to admire her work. Hopefully, a little bruise would pop up soon but maybe there was more technique to hickeys, more sucking or teeth required.

He was surprised at the sudden kiss, but it wasn't unwanted. Wes was happy to stand there, returning the kiss for as long as she wanted. Then Trinity's mouth moved to his neck. He wasn't expecting that. He could feel heat rise to his cheeks and chills run down his spine. His breathing got a little heavier with the kiss on his neck and her own playful laugh. Wes couldn't fight the smile on her lips as she pulled away. "I guess we'll find out."

Trinity cleared her throat. “Just getting even.” It felt like the ghost of his lips were still on her neck and he needed a little love bite, some actual marking.

7 minutes were up and Trinity bent down to pick up their jackets while Wes could go high and get his arm. “Trade you,” she said holding out his jacket for the arm. With all the emotions of camp, Trinity had forgotten to ask him about his feelings on the prosthetic arm so while she tried to equip him with a foreign limb, she spoke. “Do you like it or does it feel strange?” She hovered her hands around the object half-expecting she had done it wrong.

Wes was patient, even helping by showing her where the straps went to secure the new arm. Once it was fastened in place, he flexed and extended it as much as possible in the small closet to make sure it felt right. "It uh, throws me off balance. I got used to only having one arm... I have to be careful, gentle. It's stronger than I thought it'd be." As he spoke, he wiggled the fingers of the mechanical prosthetic. "Maybe I'll be able to fight better." He smiled and laughed.

She patted his back sending him on his way to choose somebody else with the bottle while she headed over to a log.

He took his jacket and threw it over his shoulder, feeling a little too hot to put it back on quite yet. Wes smiled toward Trinity before adjusting his path toward the fire. He scooped up the bottle into his hand, then glanced around at the campers. He nearly took it over to Liam, but seeing him with a particular small brunette convinced him not to be a cock block. That would just be a dick move. Then there was Alex or maybe Duke. He wiggled the bottle in his fingers until his gaze settled on a dark sullen looking dude that Wes couldn't remember talking to.

He walked right on over to the guy, then held out the bottle in greeting. "I don't think we've met, but you look like you could use a smile." Wes gave Pete a pat on the shoulder and left him to see what fate had in store for the closet.

A look around the beach made him spy with his little eye the prince of Athens on his lonesome.

He poked up a finger to Cherise, unsure if she'd see it or not while he headed to Ajax. So moody, so serious, so unfestive. Daniel cleared his throat from behind Ajax and put on his best villain voice. "The ruler to be all alone, vulnerable, right for the overthrow or is it abduction I might benefit more from." Daniel put his chin in his hand stroking his imaginary moustache. Yeah, he wasn't sure what evil people wanted these days. Money, sex, power, were basically the big categories then they could all have little sub-branches.

Daniel smiled at Ajax and sat across from him in the sand. "Hey boss, how you doing?" He held out his hand for a sandy shake. "You know I've been thinking, literally just then, I think I want kids, but not full time. More like hang out for a bit then can get rid of them in a few hours - an uncle! When am I going to be an uncle?" he gestured in Andy's direction. Half uncles didn't sound like a thing. Probably because they just went by Uncle and no one knew the difference. "If he has more witchy powers - and I really think it's going to be a boy, I could definitely help out. I mean even if we want to crack the whip a little in this camp, I could conjure a monster. I've really wanted to try a kraken," he confessed, tapping on his knees. But then that would be an exercise heavily relied upon by Liv and the drowning of camp fellows would be on him.

Then finally he realized he didn't give Ajax the chance to speak. He bowed his head and waved to the grandmaster for him to speak.

Looking to move past awkwardness, silence and scoldings, he perked up again. "So how do you get bottle immunity anyway? Every other person is playing." He threw his thumb back to the circle. "Even Alex's- " he did a double-take. Wasn't that the guy Alex was snogging leaving with a redhead? "boyfriend went in the closet with another girl...What is with the people on camp these days!?" he demanded. People snuck into the closet and got all messy so far, but even the people with partners helped themselves. Or Slenderman and Dark Dude were never an item with their counterparts, just looked at them like they wanted to nail them most. "The mouth just isn't a sacred thing anymore." Daniel concluded shaking his head.

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andromeda bolton
hecatex|xoutfitx|x#990856

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C H E R I S E X B O Y S E

Apollo x Hex:#fa8072 x Outfit

He almost requested some real talk from Sylas when he implied Liv made the first move but he came to realize he didn't know the girl or guy well enough to know who came onto who first. And there were better things to lie about then time spent in the closet.

Mason growled Trinity's name as she snatched the pack from him then Sylas replaced it in his pocket pointedly. Mason nodded to him in thanks. Throughout their conversation, he was surprised how similar their minds worked. Just like when they both saw Cherise and Daniel stumble out of the closet, they looked at each other. Sylas's look was more inquiring while Mason's was proud. Another case made. Closet time wasn't to be wasted.

Iliana's friend strolled right up to them and passed the bottle onto Trinity. She was more disheveled than he thought having to tuck in her blouse and looking quite the hot mess.

"I guess it's your turn to get groped in the closet... I hope they're a good kisser." Sylas bidded Trinity his own taunting good luck and Mason rose his brows.

Trinity had been pretty subdued up to that point. “As long as it's not you, I'm sure I'll have a great time.” She gave an icy smile. “I decide what happens to my body, when, where and how.”

Mason knew that, and he'd dare to guess Sylas knew that. She wasn't one that went weak in the knees or let herself be seduced. When she left, Mason looked to Sylas. Spite, defiance and self-assurance. "Personally, I dig it. Bit of dominance about her and plenty of fire."

Yet he couldn't see himself sleeping with her. He laughed lowly as she tugged Eve away from her male. Wes was lucky to have the attention of a female alpha and Eve was far too pushy for her own good. As his gaze flickered through the party, Mason saw Andy dancing with the redhead from earlier. His smile faded as he watched her some distance away sway to the music. It wasn't particularly sensual but he found her stunning and she could move. That outfit showed her shape and body in a
modest but sexy way too. Mason tried to tear his eyes from her. "So you and Sloane decided on this game? Interesting. I mean I'm grateful, don't get me wrong." He enjoyed his time with Eve in there and the idea of the drama and heartbreaks across the camp it could bring. But it was an interesting suggestion apparently made by the Eris children.

"To keep our alliance intact, do you have any off-limits I should know about? People, mainly," he added smirking since apparently choking wasn't off-limits in private. Mason would rather not hear how much Sylas could withstand in the physical department, fascinating as it'd be.

His eyes shifted back to Andy helplessly. Mason took off his jacket for the moment putting it on his lap. He needed to drink more so his body was slower to react. Particularly when he really knew the girl wasn't just incredible looking but irritating and stubborn and ridiculously loyal.

One by one the numbers seemed to dwindle away from the fire and beach altogether. Normally that was him, the first to leave and call it a night. "And suddenly there's less contestants for the bottle to pick." Not that Mason was too disheartened. The girl disappearing with Pete was a pity and it did increase the chance of landing on Alex. The thought snapped him out of idle chatter. That was a damn ice shower for him. "Are you working on a Valis's demise or other things?" Mason asked somehow suggestive and a little annoyed at the same time.

Nobody really wanted the demise of a Valis more than him and all he could rely on was himself. But fair enough for Sylas to treat himself and do some other chaotic exercises. Then again, don't make a deal to be a partner in crime.

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The atmosphere took a tense turn and when he thought he had relieved it, it came back. "Tell me about it. I'm leaving tomorrow with Alex. We're going to mount Olympus to spend time with dad, and... well... Alex has asked Duke to come. Come with too if you want. It'll be better than this place at the moment. And umm....Didn't Andy say anything to you, about..." Ajax seemed to hesitate. Daniel cocked his head to the side. "Well, we br--"

Suddenly, he was almost tackled into the sand as Alex hugged him and kissed his cheek. He chuckled and one arm hugged her back seeing as she pinned one of his others. "Finally get a moment with you. How are you? and what you boys talkin' about exactly, huh? Gossiping about girls?" she grinned.

"As you're aware, I'm super popular, kind of a big catch on camp," he winked "But I do my best to tend to the line and see everybody." Daniel chuckled then looked to Ajax hoping he'd take over for the second question. Technically, they kind of were gossiping about a girl and he fully wanted to get back to what Andy didn't tell him.

"And did you just see Pete wander off with Rae? - She's the camp's biggest slut here, and it's disgusting. She has not long tried to get Duke to go with her, then was flirting with Theo. I honestly thought that Pete had better taste and standards than that." Never mind. Apparently she had her own vent to get off her chest. Alex was never shy about her opinion.

Then Ajax stepped in with his wisdom. "Al... I really couldn't care less about their teen dramas. Just stay out of it, okay? If they wanna be like that, then that's their problem. Not ours."

"Ah," Daniel raised a hand, "question, are you carrying the torch for Pete?" he looked in the direction the duo disappeared. "Maybe they've just gone to cuddle? Or maybe," he smirked and waggled his brows "you should have made a better move." To be fair he did see Alex making out with him but maybe Pete needed more belt tugging and thought the sun was coming up. Or he just preferred red heads. Nervously, he glanced to Evelyn who was still in the company of Andy. Hopefully not.

Ajax spoke again, this time revealing that Andy and he had sort of broken up or were on a break. Daniel frowned. "I don't want to cause a scene anytime soon, so... I just want people to leave her alone." An interesting choice, because he didn't see Ajax letting her go, he thought he loved her. Without full context it didn't make sense. "Besides, it's probably my fault because of... I never gave her much attention. Honestly, she's better off without me."

Daniel scratched his jaw, perplexed. He had no doubt it must have been hard on Ajax and Andy yet they both kept their chins relatively up. The bursting question for Daniel was why.

Alex jumped to her feet. "Don't do that for her! don't make excuses for her!" she shouted.

Daniel lowered his eyes and played his fingers through the sand. "Sit down." After a moment she was able to bring herself back to a sitting position. "Just leave it." Daniel glanced up at her as she glared at Andy.

"Alex, that's my sister your sending daggers at," Daniel reminded softly. "It takes two to tango anyway. That applies to Andy and Ajax's decision, and...others." AKA the ones known as Rae and Pete. Disappointed as she might have been in him, Daniel didn’t see the Rae girl dragging him along.

These change of events and several new faces did make him wonder how long he was gone or just how oblivious and wasteful Keith was. He cleared his throat keen to move on. "As for your invite to Olympus, I just got back to Camp. While it may be thick in the drama department and lover quarrels and I don't know half the faces anymore, this is home to me." One of them anyway. "Not to mention I don't think I'll benefit from spending time with your dad." If that's what the matter was then good for them. He'd prefer it be something more urgent than family bonding but maybe he was just picky like that. "You don't think you're leaving camp a little vulnerable?" Daniel was the last person to rain on anybody's parade but that reality had to be addressed.

He saw Cherise wandering away from the party and frowned again. Wasn't it early? What was the matter? Daniel had half a mind to jump to his feet and check on her but he was in the middle of a relatively important conversation and he could catch up with her later. Maybe. It'd probably be strange to appear at her cabin by the time he was done with the party.

xxIliana Remington-Taylor ~ Demeter
xxxxxxxxxx#4A766E ~ x
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xxxxPenelope Givens ~ Hermes ~
xxxxxxxxxx#483D8B ~ x
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"Seems like things have become to quiet down a bit," commented Nelly.

Rae had finally introduced herself, not long after a guy had picked up Cherise for the closet. Nelly would get that guy's name another time. It did look like the two had a good time, seeing how Cherise looked when she reappeared. The girl then gave the bottle to Trinity and Nelly bursted out in laughter when she saw the blonde move Eve away from someone she'd yet to meet. She looked back at Cherise though, who was obviously getting tipsy for she feel asleep right by them. After Trinity and the attractive guy left the closet, the dude passed it onto someone Nelly saw kissing Alex. This time the bottle landed on Rae herself. Knowing that there was definite action happening there, Nelly was hoping to hear what she did from Rae after she got back. Those plans went awry though the guy she'd been with tossed the bottle to her though. Lucky Nelly had quick reflexes and caught the object.

Rae must have seen it for she replied, ""Best of luck to you, dear. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Thanks! This is my first time playing this game, so let's see what Fate has in store for me."

Nelly watched as Rae address Theo before leaving with Pete. Then Cherise woke up. Without saying a word to her or Iliana, the brunette left party too. Probably for the best since the girl was over the edge. Then Theo left to hang out with Ajax's group. Looking at them, Nelly was starting to think these were 'older' campers since they seemed to be all chummy. Seeing how she was about leave herself, Nelly hated to have Iliana by herself.

"Hey are you going to be okay Iliana? Why don't you go find someone to hang out with since it'll be my turn in the closest?"

Iliana had finally turned to Nelly. The entire time she had mostly been watching Sylas, Alex, and even Wesley and Eve. Nelly's words though brought her back to present and she realized it was just her and the redhead. She really needed to pay more attention to things in front of her. She looked in the direction her brother and Ethan and took a deep breath. Maybe it was time to call it a night? But she didn't want to leave just yet. And it wasn't because she wanted to play the game. At this point she didn't care if she participated or not. No, it was because she wanted to see it through to the end. Looking back at Nelly, she decided to answer her.

~I'll find someone. I'll go grab myself a drink first.~

With that she got up and started to head for the bar, that was until she saw Wesley by himself. Hoping it was okay to talk, she walked over. However, she wasn't quite able to look him in the eye as she showed him her pad. She still recalled his anger the other day.

~Good evening. Are you feeling better?~

Nelly watched as Iliana found someone to talk to. Smiling, she stood up herself and walked to where everyone else had spin the bottle.

"Whelp! Let's give this thing a whirl!" she announced before spinning the bottle.

xxxxxxAndromeda Bolton , Mason Hughson , Daniel Vadas & Cherise Boyse

xxxxDaughter of Hecate, Son of Hades, Son of Hecate and Daughter of Apolloxxxx

Daniel woke up with a stiff neck and instantly laid his eyes upon Andy. It didn’t look like much had changed but by god was it going to. They needed to speed this healing process up and he knew just the girl. The thought did occur to him last night but it was hardly appropriate to demand her help at such an hour and while it was a little early still, this had to be the appropriate time.

Mason had fallen asleep, cheek atop his crossed arms resting on her bed. Daniel crept out and commenced the search for Cherise, not bothering to snap his fingers for a change of clothes.

The Daughter of Apollo was up in the early morning; just shy of the sun beginning to perk up for the day. She took a familiar path through the woods, which also happened to stop at a cliff overlooking the ocean. She loved to take a moment to breathe in over that scenery. It was peaceful and calm and perfect for a little self-reflection. Right now Cherise was a tad puzzled. Daniel. Keith. Whoever he was really - broke her into something she wasn't quite ready for. Prepared for? Would she ever have been? As her chest heaved heavily from the run, her gaze drifted out toward the calming waters to run through her thoughts on the matter. Should she care? She didn't know him enough, and she was almost certain that a lot of contexts was missing. There was nothing she could do about it now.

She turned away from the vista and headed back toward her cabin at the same jogging pace, speeding it up a tad to get to breakfast. Gods, she was starved.

Who else would be up and at ‘em? Daniel smiled taking a moment to enjoy the view. She was committed and fit and beautiful and – no. Andy needed them. He was on a mission. Daniel ran to catch up but the girl kept moving and Daniel was on a time strain. He didn’t have time to play chase for once. He raised his hands and cast a little spell, then pulled gently to guide her to him. Only the energy vacuumed her back too suddenly like a giant vortex. Daniel caught her hips, stumbling back a few steps upon impact and was fortunate not to get a headbutt or mouthful of hair. "I got you," he assured then sighed out in relief.

Cherise didn't have a moment to gather her right mind in this situation. The feeling of something tugging at her out of seemingly nowhere was fucking startling. When she was pulled into Daniel, of whom had her by the hips, she looked up with that wide-eyed look of shock. If he wasn't so cute, she'd slap the hell out of him right now out of pure surprise. "You do have me, Daniel. I think that my heart almost pounded right out of my chest, so - thanks for that." She laughed at that a bit to ease any nervous tension.

There was a lot of awkward tension. She wanted to touch him, she didn't want to. Yet, here he was holding onto her. It was... quiet. Too quiet. It was almost as if she was in a weird place and she had no idea how to get out of it, or if she needed an escape at all.

The adrenaline of either his powers being rusty or Cherise against him, only made situations worse. His heavy breathing made his chest push up on her more until he realized he was still holding onto the girl for beyond what was necessary. They both had their balance. He cleared his throat and put his hands up in surrender - well in this instance more claiming innocence and backed away. Cherise tilted her head at this. Gods, she was so confused.

"Hey. You look good. But I can't get sidetracked," he voiced aloud snapping himself out of it. "Uh, Andy's injured and you're the only healer I know and trust." It might have lacked the "ease everyone into it" factor again, but it was hardly the time to tiptoe or go the long way about a topic. Everybody at the beach knew what happened... The others, that already left the party and went to their cabin, didn't, Cherise among them. Damn it. "Please," he added, pleading she'd pick up on his urgency.

She blinked at this. No, he didn't have a way of easing people into things, and he had that quality that was also reminiscent of Keith - quickly-paced talking without allowing her much input. Perhaps it was luck that Cherise is an extremely easy-going gal that trusted he would give her all the missing details whenever he felt like he could. Or should. Whichever, it didn't bother her much at all.

Just as Cherise parted her lips to utter a few words, Daniel took her hand. "I'll tell you details on the way." He said as he began to pull her along, a few paces off from breaking into a run. "Andy got beaten, electrocuted and hurled into a tree headfirst. She looks like hell and she probably feels worse. She uh..." his brows pinched together, recalling his sister's vulnerable state. "It's like you could blow on her and she'd be in pain. She needs you."

Oh, but -," she began, already feeling a little winded from her run. On that same note, she understood his urgency even though she wasn't sure who his sister was. Not that it mattered, of course. She's a daughter of Apollo, and this is her duty to the other campers. Not to mention the fact that the practice was certainly needed and people weren't getting injured as much here. She tries to remind herself that it's a good thing, but it doesn't give her a lot of room for improvement. Nevermind - whatever she had to say wasn't worth the breath it would take. He must know that she wasn't the greatest healer yet if his own wound was any indication of her depressing skill in the area.

His racing legs had got them back in no time. Before pushing open the med hut, he paused, half glancing over his shoulder back at Cherise. "I need you."

She gave him her best reassuring smile, "I'm here, Daniel. Don't worry about it. If I couldn't do it, I suspect that my father would have been here by now."

No more needed to be said as they arrived at the infirmary and Daniel led Cherise to the foot of the bed that mattered most. Only then did he let her hand slip from his, anxious for the daughter of Apollo's evaluation. His gaze flickered nervously between his sister and Cherise, aware it was a big ask but she was their best bet.

Shifting to Mason, he had hard blue eyes set on Cherise and even shot an accusing look at Daniel. "This is Cherise. She's here to help." Mason's mind always automatically went to someone being an enemy or Valis groupie but the daughter of Apollo had a mind of her own. Daniel would have assured Mason of that - if not for Andy and it being seemingly out of context. Cherise didn’t need to play a part in their personal war or explain herself.

Cherise just offered Mason a small nod. There was not enough reason to not be cordial, even if his attitude bothers her a bit. She slipped away from Daniel and made her way to Andy. "Maybe you two could go shower, get some breakfast? You know, do anything but sit here and watch me?" It sounded like a question, but it was more like a demand painted with genuine sweetness and punctuated with a smile.

That was an even bigger ask of Cherise and an exchanged glance said both men felt that way. Daniel was the first to fold, figuring it’d be less pressure for the daughter of Apollo. "I guess three’s a party..." He turned on his heel to leave expecting Mason to follow but he didn’t budge.

Under at least one expectant gaze, Mason scraped his chair away from direct bedside without leaving the seat and folded his arms across his chest as he resettled. "I’m good, actually. Just pretend I’m not even here," he offered Cherise with a cold smile.

Her eyes swiveled to Mason, but she didn’t bother returning the frigid expression he tossed her way. Instead, she offered him an extremely thin smile - strained, even. There was good in everyone, she reminds herself. Even the assholes of camp. For all she knew, he was probably scared, so Cherise was kind enough to take that into account.

He didn’t exactly want Andy to come to full consciousness with a stranger, and if things went south then the last resort would be ready. It was always better to bring back the newly dead.

Daniel gave a little nod to himself, assuring himself it’d be okay. "I’ll be back soon. If anything changes, better or worse, come get me.” Cherise looked away from Mason for a second and smiled warmly at Daniel. She even waved goodbye. Then he left, and she got right to work.

Mason pressed his tongue to his cheek, studying the new demigod. She didn’t look sure of herself but an amateur was probably the best they could fetch.

She turned her back to the son of Hades, her gaze sweeping over Andy in assessment of all her injuries. Hunching over just a bit, she proceeded to lift parts of her clothing - unabashed by the nude flesh in any way, shape, or form - and she trusted Mason to be mature about it. Her brows knit together, the signs of a Human body forced to endure a lightning strike on her skin - the wavy Lichtenberg lines. "These will be temporary. They will go away on their own. What I want to see is what’s going on inside of her head right now."

Cherise moved to the head of the bed and placed both of her hands on either side of Andy’s head. She closed her eyes to focus more clearly. Something in her gut felt off - as though something was wrong with the woman’s brain itself. Trauma, and that was to be expected when hurled into a tree head first by the daughter of Zeus.

"Trauma to the brain, lesion from the lightning," she tells herself, not sure where she is coming up with these medical terms off the top of her head. It was all being whispered to her somehow - maybe it was Apollo, himself, guiding her. Or maybe this was just exploring her power deeper.

She opened her eyes and looked over at Mason, "I will heal this damage first. Some things will mend secondary, but they will mostly be surface wounds. She has some bone damage as well, but she may need to have more than one session with me. Or I can call my father to help. It’s up to you."

It was hard to distinguish when she was talking to herself or when she was talking to him, but a sure indicator was when Cherise palmed off some responsibility to Mason. Suddenly, he missed Daniel. "I’d say try not to get the Gods involved. But if you can bring Andy around…it’s her decision."

That said, she rubbed her hands together until they grew warm. A bright, sterile white light began to envelop them as she took a deep breath in and slowly released it. She could do this. Cherise placed her hands back onto Andy’s head and allowed the warmth of Apollo’s light to touch her skin, penetrate it, and eventually fill the cerebral cavity. It worked like the god’s own fingers performed what would normally be a very precise and tedious neural surgery - it removed any hemisphere lesions, helped to heal the contusion she had undoubtedly received from the impact of her head to the tree. At the very least, Andy would be able to awaken.

Moments ticked by - seemingly long ones for Cherise. Some of the healing light slithered through the two major blood vessels in Andy’s brain, and normally they bring the blood up - but Apollo’s gift fought the resistance and it spilled throughout the rest of her body. It was only a small amount, however, as Andy’s head required a great deal of healing as the major source of - well, everything Andy needs for her body. Some of the scratches and bruises on her face would diminish, as well as other scrapes and cuts everywhere else.

When Cherise removed her hands, Andy would be able to wake. She’d still have the pain of fractured or broken bones, whichever there were, but Cherise wasn’t her father. She couldn’t heal everything in one go. She stepped back, the light dissipating, and waited to see if the woman woke.

While some people when they're unconscious might hear and sense the world around them, it was different for Andy. In her mind it was after taking a nap that lasted much longer than expected. Her mind awoke before the rest of her body and she felt like she was in a strange dream-like state. On one hand it felt like no time had passed since the beach but on the other, it also seemed liked years. Then all at once, it was like the consciousness overwhelmed her. She inhaled sharply, pushing off the bed to sit upright. The fast movement caused a head rush, halting her.

The son of Hades sprang up rigid in his seat when Andy did. He wasn’t one to get his hopes up, even when Cherise was under such a watchful gaze. But she was finally awake and that was a start.

Andy groaned softly, letting herself lean back against the back of the bed with a sigh. She raised her hand to rub her head softly as she looked around. At first, she was met by a brunette girl that she couldn't recall having met. "What happened?" Her memory was foggy. She vaguely remembered the party at the beach, her falling out with Ajax and Daniel's return. She scanned the room until her gaze fell upon Mason who looked like he hadn't moved from that spot all night. She could feel the redness rising to her cheeks as memories of other events came flooding back into her mind.

After a moment of silence, Andy finally looked back to Cherise, glancing between her and Mason. "Why am I here? I remember a fight." Her brows furrowed as she searched her mind for what had passed. "... But I thought I walked away?"

Mason couldn’t help but scoff and stood up to rejoin Andy’s side. "You did. You just got electrocuted on the way." But Mason didn’t want to start his morning so bitter on those idiots and Andy should have saved her energy too. "How do you feel? The doctor here says you might experience a bit of pain still but…as long as it’s manageable." Mason guessed if it was a bother to Andy he’d try the human method and steal some pain killers or something.

He cleared his throat sparing Cherise a glance. "Thank you, by the way.” Then his eyes fell back on Andy. Did he apologize to her for being a potential cause, explain Ajax chose his shitty sister’s side again or let her make her own sense of things?

When it became just the two of them, Mason sat at the foot of her bed. It was probably best to avoid drama and stress while she healed but it was an eventful night. "Do you wanna talk about last night?" Any of it. The kiss or hours she was unconscious. It seemed like the right thing to ask because who wouldn't be curious about it all.

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wesley preston
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andromeda bolton
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"I've had worse," she joked, smiling to accompany the statement. "She'll have to try harder if she wants to kill me."

Mason grunted, untaken by the challenge and her great attitude for once. But he didn't need to lecture her, especially when his body language was already disapproving. She didn't see herself before Daniel's new friend got in. Looked like Alex came pretty close.

Andy turned her attention to the healer. "You helped... Didn't you? Thank you. I don't know why you'd help me, but I appreciate it." Mason eyed the new brunette head to toe. She looked like a do-gooder that did things simply because it was right, but even so the heal wasn't mending a small wound and required sufficient focus and energy. At least he imagined it took a bit. Whatever the case, it looked like work and her job was done so it wasn't his problem.


"Thank you for being here when I woke up." He nodded. How could I not? "I'm sorry that you keep having to save me."

This time she got a smile out of him. "I like the leverage it gets me," he replied and smiled more. He shifted slightly, making his body face Andy, speaking more seriously. "You'd do the same for me." Somehow, Mason wholeheartedly believed Andy would be there for him too.

"I do," she said quietly. "I want to know everything that happened after..." she made a vague gesture but Mason was already looking off in thought. There was a long silence until her voice emerged again. "And what's going on in that head of yours... the truth."

He sighed out thinking where to even begin. "I don't know if you were unconscious when you hit your head or from the lightning strike itself. But you were in bad shape....a lot of people were scared." Mason nodded to another empty seat by Andy's bedside. "Daniel was here all night with you too. But um I got a million curses to join my father in Tartarus and death, took you here. Pretty sure the party disbanded after that." He gestured to her gown. "They had to get you dry and changed. Soon as it's okay, I'll get you out of here." Normally Mason would have jumped at the chance to rebel and get Andy to her cabin but she was frail. Liked or not, Andy was staying until they got the all-clear even if it was from underqualified staff.

As for the second part, what was going on in his head, that was always a mess and indecent. But he knew he couldn't avoid it, because she wouldn't let him and he owed her a little truth. He looked around the med hut. "At the moment I'm just worried about you." Knowing Andy, that was too vague. "I know you're strong and resilient but I don't want to be the cause of you getting hit by Zeus' kids again." He might not have been the sole cause but he played some factor of the tension Andy and Alex harboured for each other.

"I can't get the closet out of my mind either," he added. In no course of history did people kiss their friends with that much desire. That's what his mouth and body gave away in that confined space and he knew it'd put a kink in their friendship for a while. It'd be easy to blame the alcohol and sweep it all under the rug but Mason didn't have that much and while he did taste a bit on Andy's lips, she was mainly coherent. But inside, she was experiencing turmoil

It must have been in his peripheral or subconscious because he slid one of his hands forward and entwined his fingers through Andy's. "Maybe I shouldn't have kissed you. I know you're going through a couple of things and it was bad timing." Mason watched their hands for a second before meeting her eyes. He didn't say sorry though, and Andy knew he was particular about his apologies and gratitude. "I care about you a lot and I'm going to do my best to be here for you."

Even though the daughter of Hecate told him to be truthful, he wasn't going to drop the full L bomb on her. She had enough shit to deal with and Mason needed to give her room to sort herself out. But if she ever needed him or wanted him, like he said, he'd be there.

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C H E R I S E x B O Y S E
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#fa8072 || Outfit || Location

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andromeda bolton
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sloane astor
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sylas astor
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wesley preston
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andromeda bolton
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xEthan Knox ~ Hestia ~ #8B4513 ~ x

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xHeath Taylor ~ Athena ~ #808000 ~ x

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xxIliana Remington-Taylor ~ Demeter
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xxxxPenelope Givens ~ Hermes ~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Heath and Ethan were still jogging as the path they took went into a wooded area.

"You'd think a place as nice as this wouldn't have such drama," Ethan commented.

"It just goes to show just how much looks can be deceiving. I hope there will come a day here that things aren't so tense."

"Still I am glad we came. I love your place, Heath, but I was getting tired of being cooped up in your place."

Ethan knew he could be completely honest with Heath. He was an extrovert, he could never stay inside for too long. Heath grinned at his friend, grateful for his assistance. He had started seeing the anxiety of staying inside, trying to help his sister, was starting to take its toll. It was a good thing their mothers told them to go to the camp when they did because he could tell that Ethan had been slowly going nuts.

As the two continued to jog, they soon started hearing voices. Finally, they came upon the source of those voices. It was Cherise and Rae. Ethan couldn't help but suppress a groan. While both girls were nice, they did freak him out last night when they dragged him on the dance floor. Heath saw his friend's face, but seeing how the two ladies already noticed them, he was the first to greet them.

"Morning ladies. Getting some archery in? We were just getting some jogging in before getting some breakfast."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I like this girl. She's beautiful and sweet and...owns a crossbow or two but, she's nice. Except when I met her I was different, and I'm not sure entirely how to explain that to her without her thinking I'm a liar or she's the butt of the joke."

This caused Iliana to think. She had only seen him with 2 girls so far, one was a redhead, and the other was Cherise. And when she first met Daniel, he had been someone else and had been with Cherise during the trial. So maybe it was her? Plus Cherise was the daughter of Apollo, whom she knew was into Archery.

~You're talking about Cherise right? I remember you two were in the closet together. Maybe if you start at the beginning on how you became a different person to begin with, that might help? And it looks like your sister, Trinity, and Wesley know what happened to you, so maybe one of them could help? My brother has told me that having those who can back up your statements can be an asset.~

Iliana might not be as smart as her brother, but she was still an observant person. And Daniel was definitely troubled by the idea of Cherise not liking him. Cherise had been in a much better mood after leaving the closet, so she was hopeful things would be fine between the two of them.

Soon those Daniel asked her a pretty personal question. Instead of answering, Iliana avoided it and got her breakfast before returning. His sudden question left her without thought and she tried coming up with an answer. Her attention was diverted when she saw Mason come in quickly before leaving. She was tempted to ask him how Andy was was, but with him in a hurry to leave, she felt it best to let him be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nelly watched as the young woman composed herself and greeted her. She giggled when the woman's stomach growled.

"So how long have you been at this camp? I know I'm a few days late, so I hope I haven't missed anything big."

"I just got here myself the other day, so I was late too. And you've missed a few big things. I've missed some big things here, and not just the past few days. Seems a lot of stuff happened last summer because some campers were here last year and what happened then is affecting events now. So what do you want first? The good, the bad, or the ugly? I can only tell you what I know, which isn't a whole lot unfortunately. Oh before I forget, what's your name and who is your divine parent? Mine is Hermes."

The girl then asked where the food was and Nelly was glad she knew where it was from here. Suddenly Mason showed up and told them where to go. Always wanting to have the last word, Nelly called after him.

"I know where it is, but thank you DADDY!" she yelled with a laugh.

Looking at the new girl, she said, "That's Mason, he seems to think I need a babysister. You best keep an eye on him, he's definitely part of the drama here. Still I don't know what to make of him."

Leading the other demigoddess to the main hall, she saw that Iliana was there with the guy who was with Cherise in the closet. Waving at them both, she led the new girl to the food.

Iliana waved to Nelly as she came in with another new face. She finally came up with an answer for Daniel when suddenly Ajax came in and sat by himself. His angry energy was easy to read and Iliana trembled in fear, trying her best to ignore it, but his angry energy seeped into her pours, making her nauseous. Suddenly a crash was heard and it startled both Iliana and Nelly as they watched Ajax leave the main hall. Iliana didn't want to admit it, but she was relieved when Ajax left because she was about to get sick. Taking deep breaths, she tried calming herself down. This had to stop. There had to be something she could do to help Ajax and Alex. What is was, she didn't know yet. Maybe walking around would help her? Decision made, she turned back to Daniel to finally answer his question and wrote in her notebook.

~Sorry, I wouldn't know who to kiss, I haven't even met everyone yet. Besides, it seems like all the boys I've met here so far are interested in someone and I would never want to step onto any toes. It was nice talking with you, but I am going to go for now. I wish you the best of luck with Cherise.~

With a bow she was soon out the door.

Nelly saw Iliana leave and looked to the guy she had been sitting next to. Looked like he could use some company. Turning to her companion though, she said, "Hey, sorry you had to see that. Things got intense last night. That there was Ajax, and I think he's Zeus's son. Feel free to get your breakfast. I am starved myself."

With that she got her own food and sat across from Daniel.

"Hi there, I don't think we've formally met yet. My name is Penelope Givens, but I prefer Nelly. My dad is Hermes. I saw you were enjoying yourself last night." she said with a grin.

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Iliana was nervous and took slow steps, but then relief filled her when she saw other campers, one of them being Alex. Next to her was Wesley. Trinity was with the other huge demigod and Sylas's sister. Deciding to talk to Alex, the blonde walked toward her and Wes and saw instantly felt her emotions. Guilt, so much guilt. Holding back her own emotions, Iliana quickly addressed both her and Wesley. Going on instinct, she wrote something done.

~Morning. Sorry to interrupt you, but I wanted to talk to you Alex. I don't know if you remember me, we only met briefly before the trial. My name is Iliana and I just wanted you to know that I have problems controlling my powers when my emotions are all over the place. I hope you don't mind me asking this, but do you remember what you were doing before you lost control of yourself? My mother use to tell me that if I knew the cause of what sets me off, I could try to find a way to prevent it from happening.~

Internally, she wasn't sure if this was a true solution. She knew intense emotions set her off, but she still struggled to control her own reactions to them.

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R A E x M E A D O W S
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xEthan Knox ~ Hestia ~ #8B4513

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xHeath Taylor ~ Athena ~ #808000

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xxIliana Remington-Taylor ~ Demeter
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xxxxPenelope Givens ~ Hermes ~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The first to speak was Cherise's friend, whom both boys had a hard time remember her name. Did she even introduce herself to them? Before either could ask though, the demigoddess left, leaving them with Cherise.

"I got my job in a while ago, thank the gods. It's starting to get a little warm."

The two nodded as she started cleaning the area up and mentioned breakfast before stating she hoped for a quiet breakfast. Heath nodded. He did catch the lie, but decided to not address it since Cherise must have her reasons. He would keep an eye on her though and if she lied again, he would bring it up.

"I come from a big family and I am lucky if I have a private breakfast. Then again since moving out on my own, most of my breakfasts have been quiet. But then Ethan here likes talk and fill in the silence."

Heath chuckled when he said that last line.

Ethan rolled his eyes and replied, "Are you saying I talk too much?"

"You are pretty loquacious my friend," Heath laughed.

"See what I have to put up with Cherise? He takes after his mother too much, he's too honest for his own good."

"Thank you, I am glad I am like my mother. Since I know when someone lies to me, it be hypocritical to lie myself," Heath replied, looking directly at Cherise when he said that.

While he wouldn't bring up her lie, he did want to remind her not to lie around him. When Cherise finished up, she debated on whether she should take a shower or not. She eventually decided she would go now and asked if they were coming. Both guys smelled themselves too.

"Unfortunately I do need a shower Cherise."

"Same here, but we'll meet up with you there in no time. Our cabin isn't too far from here."

With that the 2 left and soon arrived at their cabin before getting taking showers and getting changed. Leaving the cabin again, they head for where the food was and arrive to indeed see others there. Seeing that Iliana wasn't there, both wondered if she had already ate and just left. They get their own meals and sit down to eat.

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Even though Iliana was aware of when the others were doing, she kept her whole attention on Alex.

"I don't remember. I just remember the people who were there at the party. Everyone was enjoying themselves the best they knew how, and that creepy guy...Sylas...he passed me at one point and then I just... got angry after seeing Mason enter the closet with Andy. That's all I know."

Sylas's name caught Iliana's attention. Before she could think about it, Alex continued.

"Lets just face it... It was my fault. All of it is. I hope you find peace with yourself soon..."

Alex began to walk away, then stopped. She turned to Iliana, looking a little hesitant.

"Thank you.... for, you know... trying to help."

Iliana felt her defeated nature, a feeling she knew all too well. At least Alex hadn't been tortured like her, but any more drama and she might lose herself completely. The girl needed a break, that was for sure. As much as Iliana wanted to follow her, she knew when someone needed to be alone and the 2 were still strangers. Plus her attention was quickly diverted to Sloane's outburst. Spinning around, Iliana watch her shout at the big muscle guy.

"I didn't make myself the victim. You did!"

Puzzled, Iliana started listening in earnest.

"I wasn't scared until you came crashing into my life! Because now, I don't have it under control. It isn't about me anymore. You brought yourself into this mess... Along with your sister, Wes, even Andy. Every single person you've opened your big mouth too is now in danger because you put your nose somewhere it didn't belong."

Her words and anger penetrated Iliana's heart like spear, she felt the underlying fear too. Was she . . . talking about Sylas? Iliana tried to focus on just the words, while battling her own emotions, which were starting to rise again.

"I bore his anger so no one else would have to!"

With those words she caused the guy to tumble over before saying she wasn't a victim or weak. The angry woman walked away then, saying not to follow her. Iliana gasped and shuddered as she dropped to her knees, clasping her notebook to her chest. She was shaking and taking deep breaths as the wind picked up a bit. It took her several minutes, but the breathing helped her calm down, but now she was exhausted. She didn't even realize the big guy had left for when she looks up she only saw Wes and Trinity. The wind was still blowing, but it had calmed down slightly. Iliana got up and walked towards Trinity. Writing something down, she showed it to Trinity.

~Was she talking about Sylas? Has he hurt her? I did see that Sylas was hurt the other day. Did that big guy who was here do that to him, because Sylas hurt his sister? That big guy is your brother right? Sorry, what's his name?~

She didn't mean to ask so many questions, but she had so many of them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Koa was right behind Nelly as she greeted Daniel. He asked her new companion about her name. It definitely sounded like an islander name. Soon Daniel introduced himself as one of Hecate's kids. That had to have some perks. Suddenly Daniel asked if she and Koa were twins. Nelly burst out in laughter.

"What gave you that idea?! We look nothing alike! It would be cool if we were related though. I know my father isn't the 'steady' types when it comes to relationships, but neither is my mom. My mom loves her independence too much. My parents are on good terms though, so that's good. I actually never met my father or knew of my divine half until I was 10 right after I discovered I had a nut allergy. I have to tell you it was a relief to know why I was so fast or have a perfect visual memory."

Daniel then asked her about last night.

"I had a great time, despite how it ended. I don't think I did so well with that game though. I never played it before. It got pretty awkward between Sylas and I hehe. What was the purpose of it? I know you and Cherise were in there and ya'll looked pretty happy exiting. Maybe you can explain to me what was suppose to happen?"

Nelly laughed again when he asked if she had been to prison. She knew her father was called the God of Thieves from the time he 'borrowed' Apollo's herd.

"Not quite, but I have gotten speeding tickets hehe. I have a way of getting into trouble though. My mom says my middle name should have been Trouble hehe."

She was really enjoying Daniel's company, so much so she didn't pay attention to when others came into the hall. So when Daniel asked if they like to be training buddies, Nelly leaped at it.

"I don't know if I have friends yet since I just got here, but yeah I'd love to train with you. How often do they train us here?"

He had come to accept Liv as a somewhat mysterious and unabashed individual who felt no need to justify what she said or her actions. But sometimes, he would love to get in her head and see what she meant, how she really felt. For example, why for a few seconds he all but felt devoured under her eyes. It wasn't enough to be uneasy around the environment but Liv herself was now adding to his self-consciousness.

Duke stole glances over his shoulder and around to check where Liv was. Not so much to save him from the water but because she was unpredictable and the commander of the element he was treking deeper into. Although he tried to believe, she wasn't unhinged and reckless. Entirely. It didn't take long at all to lose sight of her until she surfaced inches away from him. Duke's head jerked back startled again by her unapologetic and deviant behaviour. He almost put his hands on her to guide her a more appropriate distance apart but she probably wasn't a fan of man handling and it may be an implication that he was intimidated by the petite company.

Then she truly did the unexpected. "My father says that I'm not the daughter that he wanted. That... I could never be better than his sons." It was disarming when Liv finally opened up. Duke opened his mouth a few times to argue they weren’t all alike and Poseidon’s perception of her was unfair but his mouth clamped shut in a tight line waiting for Liv to say her whole piece uninterrupted. But it only got more alarming when she pressed against him and he automatically backed away. "Gods fear my father, and... I am beginning to believe that the iron fist rules mightiest than the velvet glove."

"So you want to be known as threatening and for evoking fear? You have to be better than that." Coming from Duke, it was a desperate plea. He always thought the daughter of Poseidon stood out for her single-mindedness. He'd never guess her to want to fit into the god's shadow or fetch approval so badly.

She only persisted in pushing him further back, Duke's eyes fixed on Liv's dark pair. But somewhere he had to draw the line. His hands came up finally gripping her upper arms, unbeknownst to him too late. "Liv.." he began. "Come on, be better than this." The seduction to conform to godly impulses was too easy and it ran in all their bloods. Sex, punishment and revenge, reckless power demonstrations, murder. There had to be some demigods that broke the cycle.

A certain something brushed by his leg making him stiffen. He looked through the water to inspect the undeniable source but Liv cupped his face. "Oh, Duke - there's so much more to fear than drowning. The children of Poseidon command all in the sea's domain." A feeling of doom hit him. There was no time for retaliation before she pushed him and suddenly he was submerged.

The first reaction was to surface. Scramble for air. Sharp pricks on his arms prevented him from swimming up immediately. All around him were a swarm of seemingly agitated snakes, an amount he had never seen in one vicinity before. When taken under the rule was to remain calm and when faced with predators, supposedly the same. He didn’t know he could play the patient game when he was losing oxygen though. His eyes burned and he squeezed them shut the same time he braced to swim through the thicket of snakes. His limbs were met with more bites and constrictions, his movements encouraging the serpents only to squeeze tighter until he felt numb.

Duke forced his eyes open again trying to rip a particularly peristent snake from coiling firmer around his leg. These creatures were smarter than usual...more coordinated.

Air. Air. His lungs burned. He desperately needed to breathe again. He was losing his fight. It became a struggle. His body naturally soared in temperature, some bred defence mechanism. That was it. Even for the cold blooded creatures there was such thing as too hot. He didn't need flames just needed to embody intense heat. Heat rose. With more consciousness involved Duke began to spread the temperature through his veins. Some were repelled from the heat he was giving off and he took that opening to kick and stroke with what power remained in his muscles.

A flurry of bubbles almost obstructed his vision but he knew up and up was the way to go. He gasped when finally his head reached above water, paddling desperately to keep himself above it. Duke located shore and headed for it.

Somehow he managed to haul himself to the shallows then collapsed on all fours, coughing and spluttering all the while trying to suck in breaths for air still. The adversary left him pale, chest heaving, droplets of water with a steady stream of blood sliding down his body from where bites littered his skin. There was a predominent sting on his side, making him wince and grunt. One of Liv's pet's still latched onto his hip hissing, body flailing to try wrap around Duke's large torso in vain. He pinched below the snake's head with his index and thumb giving the creature a chance to suffocate or let go. Nature chose the later and Duke tossed it back to sea.

Duke glared up at Liv, a murderous edge to his look. He wanted training not a death wish. There was such thing as too far but apparently she didn't care. "You made your choice then?" he asked. Because somehow and in some way he still hoped the daughter of Poseidon hadn't chosen to get her dad's attention in such a way. That she could be independent beyond anything and moody. Not a desperate murderous daddy's girl. But if he looked at the circumstances...felt how badly his body burned and how close to drowning he came...of course she made her choice.

He turned away from her coughing out the last bit of ingested water. The rumbling and lights from the sky reminded him he had to get moving. Reluctant as he was. He shakily got to his feet without looking at her again. The thing with Liv was he was more disappointed because he placed blind faith in her. Considering she wasn't a fan of Trintiy and Alex what she just pulled was no better than those girls' lack of boundaries.

Respect wasn't earned between the two but he couldn't just walk off on her without her understanding why - in addition to nearly killing him. "Mm...Powerful but...'hought you were smart. Better..." he panted struggling to keep his eyes open. Struggling to stand on his own two feet. He got about two steps into the sand before collapsing again not able to catch himself this time. A dark haze clouded his vision and took over his mind.

---

"I had a great time, despite how it ended. I don't think I did so well with that game though. I never played it before. It got pretty awkward between Sylas and I hehe. What was the purpose of it? I know you and Cherise were in there and ya'll looked pretty happy exiting. Maybe you can explain to me what was suppose to happen?"

Daniel's face went from brows furrowed in confusion to a smile as some red tinted his cheeks. "There's no set in stone rule but most people..." he began, looking at Kohana for support, hoping she'd chip in. "tend to use the time and privacy to kiss. Or do what your heart or body desire. I'm surprised he didn't try anything." Granted, Daniel didn't know the guy but he came off super smug and using a participant or two in a closet didn't seem beyond him. But he was relieved for Nelly. Providing she wasn't developing a little crush.

Next came the question about how often they got force trained, the two girls suddenly possessing a new spark of energy making Daniel smile. Also neither of them could really help themselves from mentioning the lack of friends, though it was more an off hand comment made by him. "Rarely. Normally staff run events or ‘major exercises’ to test our skills, force us to bond but otherwise it’s up to us really. You could always contribute to the suggestion box." He opened his palm and gestured to it, as if the daughters of Hermes would scribble something down immediately and place it into his hand. Daniel was the man that could make things happen after all. And he would seriously pitch to staff if it was something Daniel thought would be more the merrier. Or the more the more chaotic and troublesome.

"Also," Daniel raised a finger, turning his head in shame and gulping. "It hurts that you don't look at us as friends." He let the dejected act linger for a beat or two before flashing a grin. Daniel knew the friendship status would unravel in time. Particularly with such easy girls to get along with.

He got to his feet. "You might have a super fast metabolism but 5 minute rule before training begins." Daniel looked between the lovely girls, knocked on the table and headed out.

At least that was his initial destination before he pulled himself short at Evelyn's table, the girl miles away from the present. "Rough night?" She didn't look in her usual pristine condition and he totally got that witnessing last night's events would be tough to sleep on. When he first saw a demigod violent fight he...well he actually kinda liked it because he was somewhat sadistic and liked the drama and action of the place.

"Did you want a coffee?" Daniel looked around ready to fetch her some pick me up at her word.

"A few of us are going to train a bit if you want to join." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Up to you. No pressure but you should definitely do it." He flashed her a last smile and left. She didn't seem mighty approachable or like someone to bug after a tough encounter.

Daniel wandered to infirmary from there, shoving his hands in his pockets once again struck by a case of ADD. But when he saw Cherise, how could he help himself. He lit up like a child at Christmas just seeing her and if he timed it right...Daniel placed himself right in her path. He didn't entirely know why he went full school boy around her because "hey Cherise" was probably as likely to get her attention as aiming to bump into her. "Oh my gosh, such a coincidence!" He brought his hands out of his pockets to gesture to her, smile in place.

"So - so how's Andy doing?" She saw her later than Daniel did. But it's not even what he wanted to talk to her about. He threw himself in front of Cherise because...she was great in short. Great women that were easy to get along with and super magnetic, but were bad ass on the side with their marksmenship skills didn't stay single long. If she was even single. Daniel rubbed his neck uneasily. Sure, they kissed but some alcohol plus heat of the moment...didn't mean he could assume someone like her was free, or even interested with the giant elephant he had to explain.

He slid aside wearing a tight smile so she could have the whole pathway unobstructed again. "I'm trying to hold a mini training session if you want to be medic on stand by or have live target practice. You, me, two newbies. Could make it a team session."

Somewhere inside he was facepalming. He knew he couldn't skirt around it forever but he just wanted to have fun with her, live easy while time and camp events allowed.

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#ff0064 || Outfit || Woods W/Sloane

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#fa8072 || Outfit || Location

Daniel's face fell and so did his gut. Of course he couldn't avoid it forever and Cherise had a totally valid reaction minus the waving around of the bow, that his eyes flickered to nervously.

"Okay!" he said suddenly when the most adorable tantrum came to a rest. He wanted to hug her but given the circumstances, he figured it was well and truly best to lay off. At least until he explained himself first and she didn't shun him.
Daniel gestured off trail, and began to head that way hoping Cherise had enough trust or respect in him to follow. For once in his life he didn't actually want to cause a scene. Once they got to a nice clearing , for some reason he imagined them sitting down and talking about it easily. The reality was he was far too restless to take a seat on the inviting sunlit grass or even stand still in one spot.

"I owe you an explanation or two, that's true. But I didn't lie to you. It's..." he sighed out. Where did he even begin? "My name is Daniel. That's who I am and who I've been for most my life. But last year, there was a war. The camp got invaded and we didn't all make it to the other side. We won," he threw his hands up in gesture to the whole place that was obviously still standing and teeming with life. "But...we didn't all survive."

He gnawed on his lip able to transport himself right back to the war zone their haven had become. The stress, anxiety and determination...how chaotic and helpless they really were in the end. Daniel could recall every damn minute of it and every sensation until his last breath was drawn. His eyes moved back to the sweet and patient brunette. She didn't need to fret, story time wasn't over but it was better to show and tell. He peeled off his jumper then unbuttoned his shirt shaking it down to his elbows. Daniel's torso was painted with a series of scars, mostly faded and foolishly caused by conjurations gone haywire, but there was a predominant one. Darker, bigger and badder than the rest. "I tried to take one of the giants down and while I was focusing on him, I was attacked from behind." He shifted to reveal a near identical scar on his back.

There was little room to doubt the blade went all the way through him. He could almost feel it again like a phantom pain when the war was brought up. Daniel rubbed his sternum as if assuring himself he was in one piece then flickered up a weak smile to Cherise. "I died, Cherise. I was dead. But mom being mom couldn’t leave well enough alone. She revived me but..." he pressed his tongue to his cheek caging in some raw emotion. "Not as myself. I don't know if it was by accident or she wanted to remodel me or what. All I had was false memories and a false identity. For months. 'Keith'."

He flicked up his shirt and took a couple paces. As he was talking about it, it's like he was unravelling the mystery and trying to comprehend it with her. "I guess being in the camp environment again, forced to face peers and reality ruined the whole blockade. I only came back around as myself yesterday."

Did that all sound crazy? He spun on his heels and covered those few steps back with a lot more hesitance. Daniel risked a guilty glance to her face. If she was open enough to believe him then he also owed her an explanation as to why it was only coming out now. "I like you and I don't know what version of me you like. I've been afraid to tell you because I didn't want you thinking I've been using you or lying to you." Which is obviously too late the cynic in him chimed. "I didn't want to risk what we had."

What would follow would make or break the man. A smack for some long winded exotic tale? A hug? Or one of her warm trusting smiles that just enveloped him in comfort? Maybe she'd walk off without a word... Daniel braced himself from best to worse. Not to say the daughter of Apollo couldn't surprise him.