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Heath Taylor

The Writer

0 · 573 views · located in Camp Athens

a character in “Camp Athens: The Second Year”, as played by Zodia195

Description

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xxxHEATH x TAYLORxxxā€¢ x the x calm x strategist x ā€¢




ā€The best thing about telling the truth is that you donā€™t have to remember what you said.ā€œ
- Unknown




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n i c k n a m e s x // x None

a g e x // x22 years

g e n d e r x // xMale

s e x u a l i t y x // xStraight

o r i g i n x // xCallander, Scotland

s p e c i e s x // xdemigod

p a r e n t a g e x // xAthena






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D E M E A N O R


h e i g h t x // x6ā€™2ā€

w e i g h t x // x205 lbs

h a i r x // xLong dirty blonde hair

e y e s x // xGrey blue eyes

o d d i t i e s x // xDespite his tall and intimidating nature, Heath is actually a big teddy bear on the inside, at least when comes to his adopted sister. As a result heā€™s done some ridiculous stuff to make her happy, like ā€˜play dress upā€™ when they were kids.

a p p e a r a n c e x // xTall and lanky, Heath has had to learn how to adapt to the world around him. While he gets his height from his father, he gets the rest of his appearance from Athena. Even though heā€™s think, he still takes cares of his health and is an excellent runner. Growing up in Scotland, heā€™s use to wearing comfy clothing. Almost all of his clothing is hand made thanks to his aunts (and his mother of course). Heā€™s extremely picky about what he wears though due to his sensitive skin, which does annoy him.






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P O W E R S

Genius Level Intellect x // x Heath has always been a fast learner due to this skill. His best use of this skill is through auditory means because heā€™s always listening. He also reads a lot.

Superior Lie Detection x // x Due to his superb listening skills, Heath has learned to detect lies better. This is his most used skill now because it helps him plan a course of action.

Others x // x Heath is great at strategy. However, when it comes to battle strategy, heā€™s still a novice, but wants to get better with this skill due to high expectations of being Athenaā€™s son. Another skill he has but hardly used until recently was intangibility. Due to making a mistake in training once, he grew fearful of this skill, but after what happened to his adopted sister, heā€™s trying to get of this fear.



P R O F I C I E N C I E S

Honest x // x Heath hates lying and as a result he is always honest whenever he speaks. However he has gotten better at being tactful.

Perceptive x // x Being the observer that he is, heā€™s learned to take learn all he can about a scenario before making a decision.

Endurance x // x If there was one thing Long distance running has taught him, itā€™s to survive and persevere. He will never give up. Itā€™s this strength of his that gives him the patience to help out his adopted sister.



W E A K N E S S E S

Stubborn x // x Like any Scottish person, heā€™s very set in his ways. Even though he likes taking his time making a decision, once he makes it, itā€™s unlikely heā€™ll change it.

Protective x // x Heath is very protective of those he cares about. This goes double for his adoptive sister, especially now that sheā€™s clingy towards him due to her recent trauma.

Perfectionist x // x Due to his love for things to be in order, Heath has high standards for himself to get things right all of the time, even to others to some extent if he knows what they are capable of. Heā€™s his own worst critic as a result though.



F E A R S

Losing Loved Ones x // x Due to all the things that happened to his adoptive sister, heā€™s become fearful of losing those he cherishes. This is why heā€™s protective.

Failing at his Duties x // x He is scared to let anyone down, especially since he knows his mother is a goddess. Failing her and the other gods terrify him.

Using his Intangibility Power x // x He didnā€™t start learning how to use this ability until he was a teen with his mother. One day he practiced on his own though and tried something too ambitious and got stuck within the walls of a structure. He would have died if his mother hadnā€™t found him. He since became too scared to try due to his fear of failure. After learning how instrumental this ability was in saving his adoptive sister though, heā€™s trying to get over this fear.





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P E R S O N A L I T Y
xxxxxxxxxxxxā€¢ x serious x ā€¢ x highly intelligent x ā€¢ x observent x ā€¢ x stubborn x ā€¢


Growing up in the Highlands, Heath learned at an early age to grow a backbone. One had to be to handle those harsh winters. Both Athena and his father made sure he could persevere a lot of things, especially his mother. Because of this though he is not an easily approached person and hardly smiles. It doesnā€™t help that heā€™s a tall guy too. Growing up knowing he was the son of a goddess, he also place high standards on himself and this was where his perfectionist side came from. However his aunts were concerned he placed too much pressure on himself and wished he learned to have fun in life also.

Heath was very smart, even as a baby. He learned his abcā€™s by the time he was 2 years old and learned how to read by the age of 3. He learned not to rub in his abilities either and how pride could be a downfall if not careful with it. His high intellect had a double edge sword though because it was hard to talk to people his age and it was why he preferred to interact with people older then him. Only exceptions were his adopted sister and later Ethan, but only because they were demigods like him and could relate to his struggles as one.

While note a curious person, Heath couldnā€™t help but observe those around them. He would use this to better his own self when it came to judging others. Now if only he could be a little more lenient because of his tenacious attitude, he doesnā€™t like to be pushed or change his mind.






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H I S T O R Y


Athena, being the practical goddess she was, ended up Heathā€™s father, Iain Taylor, for two major reasons, one- he was a very studious man and two- he came from a family that was into different means of metaphysics, even though he never did any of those practices himself due to have different interests. In fact he was a teacher at the local high school. Iain was definitely caught off guard by Athena, even without knowing her divinity. Being a master strategist she got to know his family first, which was important to him and actually revealed herself to his older sisters first to get their assistance after deciding she wanted Iain to help her have a child since the man had a hard time courting women. All her planning worked and eventually she gave birth to Heath. By then Iain had learned who she was and the entire family swore to secrecy about Heathā€™s lineage.

Even though Heath learned about his mother at an early age, he would rarely see her throughout his life due to how busy she was, more so then other gods. It became evident how smart he was and was labeled a genius at an early age. He was very thirsty for knowledge and his father ended up hiring private tutors because of his skills advancing beyond the normal school limit. He did prefer this too so he could spend time with his newly adopted sister, Iliana. He was 8 when she moved in and became very protective of her pretty quickly when he learned she had no father and her mother, Demeter, couldnā€™t raise her on her own due her own duties. She did come over by more often then his own mother though since Ilianaā€™s powers required more attention then his. Her felt envious though due to the fact that the times he did spend with Athena, she would always give him praise for handling his abilities. She did make sure it never went to his head though by telling him stories of prideful humans from her own past. Heath only struggled with his powers when he started to learn how to transport through physical matter. He started learning this when he was a teen. At he had no problems, but wanting to practice more on his own, one day he decided to test himself and tried passing through a bridge. However he had a moment of panic and got stuck. He almost suffocated, but his mother sensed his distress and quickly saved him. It was the one time she scolded him and it was a blow to Heath but he did learn a valuable lesson that day.

Heath did struggle a bit deciding what he wanted to do with his life since he was good at so many things. He was 12 by the time he was ready for college level work and this was when his mother decided to have a more direct hand in his raising. Through her efforts, Heath was able to take online courses in college since he was too uneasy to be in a school environment. Since he loved reading, he decided on a career in the literary field and started writing his own fictional works under an alias with his father helping him since all of his works were self-published. It was during this time he started learning how to ā€˜walk through wallsā€™ and had his accident. By the time he got a Masters in English, he was 18 and making enough money off of his works to live on his own. He moved out into the country more but still close enough to his hometown of Callander.

It was during this time period when fellow demigod, Ethan Knox moved in with him. Both young men were close in age with only Heath older by 5 months. Heath was a bit quiet around Ethan at first but did slowly warm up to him. This all changed when they got word on what happened to Iliana. Heath himself nearly lost it, but Ethan helped him calm down and they help Iliana get through her trauma. This experience makes the to men even closer and now Heath views Ethan as a brother. He did know about Camp Athens and even though heā€™s not looking forward to the warmer weather, he does hope the camp will help bring back the ā€˜oldā€™ Iliana.





h e x c o d e #808000 // x #808000 x // x f a c e c l a i m x // x Emil Andersson x // x c r e a t o r x // x Zodia195 Zodia195 // x c s x // x mjolnir

So begins...

Heath Taylor's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Sylas Astor Character Portrait: Sloane Astor Character Portrait: Andromeda Bolton Character Portrait: Liam O'Connor Character Portrait: Heath Taylor
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0.25 INK

#, as written by mombie
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L I A M x O ' C O N N O R
o f x a r e s
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Liam watched in forced silence and invisible bondage; impossibly still from his restraints, the powers of the Gods ensuring that his rage did not overwhelm the others. He boiled. Not only would everyone blame him for what they are going through, but he couldnā€™t even control his own emotions. His fuse was ungodly short; a hair away from exploding or imploding, whichever came first.

Most of the Trials did not overly excite him, though some piqued his emotion which were prickling at his skin. When his half-sister was up, he wasnā€™t sure how to feel about it. They werenā€™t family-family, whatever that was. Yet something about it rose his blood, if it could have possibly risen to any higher temperature than it already was.

There it was - Ares children, displayed like beasts, killers, pit against their loved ones as if they had no right to that emotion. The collar of Ares was strapped tight to their throats; the leash just long enough to reach something good, only for them to be yanked back into their place. It wasnā€™t fair to either of them. By this time, words could no longer describe the way he felt. He didnā€™t like to see how defeated his half-sister looked; like some sort of undeserving animal under Aresā€™ thumb. If one thread of his restraints would unwind, heā€™d end up spiraling downward hard.

The last Trial before his was to come was Andyā€™s. He didnā€™t know her very well, either, nor did he know anything about the Ajax and Mason situation. Again - the gods sewed more doubt into relationships that might have been stable had they not been the children of shitty parents.

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Liam did not just have skeletons in his closet; he had demons. If anyone looked into that abyss, they'd find that monster looking back at them. That monster was him, Liam. It was evident that he didn't want anyone to view his life, especially Sloane. If it had been any other day before he met her, then maybe he wouldn't care. It was his life. Yet, his life has become wrapped up in her life, and vice versa, which made this whole exposure so... nerve-wracking. That says a lot because Liam wasn't scared of shit. Not until the very moment that his name was called.

He looked up but remained in his seat; unable to speak or move at will, only to glare at the gods as they are so righteously seated with their judgemental eyes. It didn't matter, though. The powers that be, from the gods (whichever it might have been), forced his body up. That same feminine whisper played through his mind, urging him forward. He looked like an inmate being walked to his execution; solemn like it was his last day on Earth. His physical body struggled with the godly command cast upon him, but it wouldn't have done much more than amuse whoever's strings were attached to his limbs.

Before he stepped through the archway, he looked up at Sloane. If he could speak, he would probably apologize for what was about to play out. This was probably going to be the last time he could look her in the face, and maybe even the last that she'd want to look at him. Then, as if pushed by an invisible hand, the beast was shoved through the portal into his darkness.

Little to his knowledge, a little more godly magic would work into his trial. Where it might have done him better to have context into the scenery, a little background into the tragic moments of his life, it would be all but absent. Only the monster would be displayed to the crowd of onlookers. That was true punishment - to let them know that Liam was nothing more than a brutish thug with a nasty pension for assaulting "helpless" people.

The scene that began to unravel was a much younger Liam - a boy that was barely 17-years old but looked like a fully grown adult. Without context into why he had blown up in this way, his mother was crying. The high schooler had flown into a fit of rage, and his mother had her back against the wall, clutching onto his baby sister for dear life. The woman's pose was one of a battered person; her body turning slightly away from him in an attempt to show him her back. That way he wouldn't accidentally attack the infant.

The emotions are strong in this scene; a fit of raw anger that was uncontrolled and devoid of all sense. He wasn't even human. The worst part was that he wanted to stop. Liam loved his mother and sister so much, but his anger was all-consuming and did not discriminate against loved ones and foes. He paced back and forth, his fists covered in bruises and blood, his hands clawing at his face as if his biggest fight was against himself right now.

He grabbed one of the chairs at the kitchen island and threw it at the wall just shy of his mother; the wood splintering, his mom screaming out for him to stop. The infant cried, naturally, due to the stress and the noise. It didn't help that Liam's own emotions penetrated even the little one, causing her to also become unsettled. The entire tiny apartment they lived in was a nasty wreck; he had torn up everything and every person.

And to anyone that was an animal lover, he had killed his mom's annoying cat. Its body laid on the floor in the living room area, which wasn't hard to see through the open-floor design of the impoverished residence.

When that one melted away, more scenes would emerge like a reel of all of his crimes and shitty behaviors. It looked like he just did as he pleased. He treated women like his bitches, even coming close to non consensual physical contact. He did lines of coke, beat men nearly to death in the ring, and generally disregarded everything and everyone he loved or cared for.

In the end, when his memories spat him back out into reality, he was just left with a lot of shame. Most of all, a lot of anger. Yes, he was guilty of a lot of unpleasant things in his life. He wasn't a good man. He never claimed to be, and never wanted to be. He had no reason to be decent. What pissed him off was a lack of context - that everything painted him as some sort of monster without any reason.

This forced him to relive the nightmare and the emotional pain that was losing his father, and that immediately opened the floodgates for resentment.

He could speak, though, as the gods couldn't quite leash him up fast enough, "I'm going to kill someone,". The rage that filled him from sole to crown permeated through Pulvinus. It would affect everyone; especially those more sensitive to emotion. He was free, and his eyes were painted over with some kind of thick red cloud, and he tried to run for Heath like a bull. He didn't even know who he was about to attack; only that it was someone.

Sort of getting within arm's reach of Heath, Poseidon stepped in and grabbed the brute. Liam had clearly lost all common sense. His eyes were glazed over with anger, and they were nearly red in hue. His body had become harder, veinier, like he had hulked out - which would be nearly a correct interpretation.

The bonds were replaced immediately, and the God of the Seas made his intent with Liam clear, "Unfortunately, due to the danger that Liam presents, he will not be immediately returning to camp. We have a special place for animals like him."

With that, Liam was hauled away by several gods, and they dispelled the rage that once plagued the arena to be taken to Tartarus, as was promised.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Evelyn Masters Character Portrait: Sylas Astor Character Portrait: Mason Hughson Character Portrait: Sloane Astor Character Portrait: Trinity Wallace Character Portrait: Liv Pfeiffer
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0.00 INK

#, as written by mjolnir
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P O S E I D O N
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god of the seax ā€¢ x#006578



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xxxxxPoseidon spent a majority of the trials in a stoic and speculative silence. He watched and waited. Not only did he observe the varying nightmares, fears and flashbacks laid out before him, but he also studied the crowd, their reactions and interactions. He wasn't as kind of a God as his brother pretended to be, but he wasn't an evil man. There was a lesson that needed to be learned and he took it upon himself to teach it. There was no room for softness with the demigods. They were placated far too long and that was at an end.

xxxxxMost of the demigods heeded his warning. A majority of the trials passed with little to no more outbursts and relative silence beyond the whispers amongst companions. While they behaved so did he. There was no need to instill more anger or fear into unless necessary, at least for the time being. And he didn't say a word for a long while until the trials hit a couple hitches towards the end. First, Andromeda Bolton didn't seem to come out of the illusion like the others. Under other circumstances he would have been content to let her dig at the dirt until she snapped out of it, but he had things to do and a realm he had been away from for too long. So instead, he had Hecate address her daughter so they could proceed.

xxxxxThen it was time for the final trial. Liam. Not necessarily the singular cause for Poseidon's arrival at the camp but a strong motivator. He kept his word and made the boy wait and watch as everyone else suffered through their illusions. And to no surprise, his trial only seemed to amplify the man's anger and rage. It painted him in a worse light, if possible. Then it ended, but the Gods could not regain their control fast enough.

xxxxx"I'm going to kill someone." Poseidon felt his rage and was on the move before the son of Ares charged. Him and the other Gods had the demigod restrained before he could do any harm.

xxxxx"Unfortunately, due to the danger that Liam presents, he will not be immediately returning to camp. We have a special place for animals like him." He motioned his hand towards Ares and Apollo who moved to either side of Liam, taking hold of his arms. "Liam O'Connor will be taken to Tartarus for a much needed attitude adjustment. He will return to camp once I believe he is no longer a danger to the rest of you."

xxxxxWith a nod of his head, the Gods that had joined Poseidon disappeared, taking Liam along with them. Poseidon remained behind to address the rest of them one final time. "I hope this was a lesson to you all. While fights are inevitable, murder is not. The death of Jennova Ambers and the near deaths of Sylas Astor and Andromeda Bolton will not stand. Tomorrow I will be sending my son to join you. With his arrival you shall recommence training. He will be my eyes and ears at camp. So know that just because I may not see it, doesn't mean I will not hear about it."

xxxxxPoseidon took one final look at all of the campers, even meeting their gaze if they managed to look up towards him. "Don't make me come back here again. I promise, I will not be so forgiving." He ran his hand back through his hair before slamming his trident down on the ground. "You're dismissed." With that, he disappeared leaving the demigods in the arena with one another in silence, absent the Gods.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Evelyn Masters Character Portrait: Sylas Astor Character Portrait: Trinity Wallace Character Portrait: Andromeda Bolton Character Portrait: Wesley Preston Character Portrait: Iliana Remington-Taylor
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

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xxxxxxxx T R I N I T Y xx W A L L A C E
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xxxxxx Daughter of Ares | Outfit | #461f4b

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Could it get worse? Trinity didnā€™t think so, but of course it did. Others tragedies played out, including Theo's and Andy's, her brother's, but didnā€™t entirely distract her from her own. Only added to the utter defeat. She just wanted to sink lower and lower. Folks were coming out of their trials in another shape.

At last, they seemed to reach the end of demigods to torture. But it didnā€™t feel over and she didnā€™t feel relieved becauseā€¦ "I'm going to kill someone." Words from her own half brother. Then Liam lunged. All at once the arena seemed to burst into action. Trinity jumped to her feet, clearing rows and columns in a heartbeat , somebody shouted out and the Gods intercepted moments before Liam could break Heath.

But it got worse than that when Poseidon announced Liam would be going to Tarturus. Trinityā€™s eyes widened, shaken even further. ā€œN-..no. Hey! Thatā€™s a bit extreme!ā€ Her words fell on deaf, or rather godly ears. They went about their business like she was only child with a minor inconvenience. Liam was barking mad and consumed with fury but Tarturus was taking her half brother away to a worse place. It's not like the place would rehab him and he'd come out a refined gentleman.

She already felt stripped and taking him away only added to it. Some demigods took their queue to clear out, others seemed to take the time to process things and she was one of them. She remained frozen, using the seats in front as a brace. Both of Ares children exposed themselves as blood hounds. She felt herself literally pierce Theo and Wes and how angry she was. Every being of her wanted to kill them.

But she could think about this anywhere. Struck by a sudden consciousness, Trinity found herself eyeing the arena and Wes hadn't moved and was accompanied by Theo. She huffed and marched off before being stuck into any eye contact.

She knew there were things to talk about. But it was all an overwhelming amount like there was so much to say, she didn't really want to bother to talk at all. Yet before she could storm into her cabin, she stopped, fists clenched. Nothing was wrong with being her typical self and shutting out everyone after some major exposure and wrecking her cabin but at the same time...she wanted the confrontation. If she saw herself murdered by someone close, she'd wanna square up.

Trinity growled to herself and punched her door. Fine, fine. She spun on her heel and bee-lined Wesley's cabin. And if he wasn't there in a timely manner then obviously they weren't meant to talk about anything they saw. Not that she was or is a believer of fate. She parked her ass against his cabin and ran her hands through her hair in agitation. Where did she begin? "Hey? " "You stupid fool, why don't you fight?" "Sorry I murdered you?" She threw her head back against the wall.



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xxxxxxx E V E L Y N xx M A S T E R S
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xxxxxDaughter of Nemesis | Outift | #ffc300

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The best thing that could have happened to them was for it to end. Poseidon, being a god of his word, called Liam last, and it should have been a good hallmark. But if his sister was any indication, looking like she was in heaven in an archaic arena, his would be worse.

Evelyn prided herself on her composure, but truthfully, she had stomached and tolerated plenty of bloody scenes and other's traumas already. The occasional wince crossed her features but overall she was distant and foolishly distracted. She had people's true characters and exposures on a platter and she was too consumed in Sylas's to unpack the others'.

There was some major commotion after Liam's trial. By the looks of it, based on the firm restraints and his visible veins about to burst and wild eyes, he snapped causing even Sloane to leap up and shout his name. Meanwhile, Trinity was paused mid-motion staring intently at the scene. To help or hinder, she had to wonder. But even that animal as they labelled, that beast and unhinged of a demigod, had people that cared for him. Even after they saw all the violence and impulse he possessed.

Once they vanished, the area seemed somewhat lighter. Her harsh and less forgiving judgment on herself and others seemed to filter out. She found it slightly less oppressive anyway because she was sure her peers and self still felt unease about their fears and anxieties and greatest challenges being on display. It was plenty to digest for everyone. Personally, Evelyn had a whole knot in her stomach to untangle.

From there, she seemed to navigate herself on auto-pilot once they were officially dismissed. It was like she barely even heard it and just started to rise. Her eyes caught Nemesis's and what stared back was a most stern and disappointed look. Evelyn didn't question why her mother was disapproving but rather, to which part broke that stoic posture. If her mother was a mind reader, things would be worse than some daggers because she still couldn't hate, nor was utterly repelled by Sylas.

Most demigods stuck to themselves. Given the circumstances, it made absolute sense and she was no exception. For one, before she played the social game again, she needed to compose herself and get her head straight. As things had it, she found herself near enough one particular demigod. One that deserved to be spoken to sooner than later given the recent happenings. ā€œHeath.ā€ She quickened to his side. ā€œIā€™m sorry for what youā€™ve been through. Truly. You and your family.ā€ Evelyn referred to the tight-knit trio. Evelyn knew they had nothing but love and empathy for each other. And Iliana...poor Iliana. Ethan would be busy using his serenity powers if he was in his own state of mind for it.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Evelyn Masters Character Portrait: Sylas Astor Character Portrait: Mason Hughson Character Portrait: Liv Pfeiffer Character Portrait: Andromeda Bolton Character Portrait: Iliana Remington-Taylor
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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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Nelly had to take a deep breath after Iliana's trial. Now that was rough to watch. It was no wonder why the young woman was the way she was. Right now she looked like a broken doll, rocking herself back and forth. At times like this, Nelly didn't know what to say. She did see Ethan move slowly towards her though.

Ethan didn't know if his serenity powers would work on Iliana at the moment, who didn't even want to be touched, but he wanted to try something. Heath was clearly distraught, having been rejected by her. His mother had been starting to teach him to use his serenity inducement without touch, but that was harder to do accomplish. Ethan was still a bit shaken by his own trial, but he knew by trying to help Iliana, he'd be able to have something to focus on other then anything else. So slowly he sends out his energy towards Iliana. The blonde feels his energy, but is still too consumed with images of the past to fully accept it. She blots out everything else entirely. She was broken, inside and out.

The next trial was Theo's, the late arrival. For Heath, even though it was a trial, it was frustrating to watch someone not come up with a battle plan. Attacking at will was never a good idea. Even though Heath had yet to learn how to plan out battles himself, even he knew you had to have one. He did feel sorry that this was one of Theo's fears though. Also, Heath had never been in that position himself so he couldn't say how he would react. Every minute or two he kept looking at Iliana, grateful to Ethan for trying to help her.

Nelly couldn't help but wonder how she would fare in a battle in general. She knew coming to this camp would would learn to train, but as far as her abilities went, she didn't know where she'd fit in. At the moment she was totally focusing on anything BUT her own trial because it kept filtering in the back of her mind, plaguing her. It was very annoying to say the least. At least she didn't come out worse like some. She would just put those images under 'nightmares' that she had in the past, because she did have them. She also felt compared to most, hers was nothing, even though she had nearly died in the past like her trial revealed. She honestly wasn't too worried about others seeing her fears. Nelly, unlike her father, was a terrible liar anyway, at least when it came to keeping secrets.

After Theo's trial, it was finally Andy's. Heath knew after her it be Liam's and this all would finally be over. Andy's trial didn't surprise Heath too much, at least those who were present in it, given Alex's trial and what Iliana saw the other day. Come to think of it, Heath wondered why neither of the Valises nor Duke were at least present for these trials. He couldn't help but question why Poseidon didn't demand they take it if he was all about being fair. His mother never talk about her relationships with other gods since she wasn't that kind of person, but if Greek myths were to be believed, Athena and Poseidon had a bit of a rivalry between each other. Deciding not to dwell on it, he focused more on the trial, which was brutal. Heath despised those who deceived others. His eyes inadvertently glanced at Sylas. There was someone capable of it. Still, it be wrong to just think Sylas was the only one.

Last but not least it was Liam's turn. Much like Iliana's trial his was nothing but memories, but Heath wondered the context of them. It was all action, no build up. Still the man upon finishing his trial, was like a bull ready for action. Heath tensed up when he said he was going to kill someone. However, what happened next scared him as much as his own trial. The madman made a dash for him. It was like his life flashed before his eyes. Iliana felt Liam's blinding rage heading their way and turned to see the Ares child come upon her brother. She would have jumped, but Poseidon was obviously faster then her and got to Liam before she could get fully out of her seat. She had felt her own rage rise up too and honestly would have probably kill the guy himself if Poseidon hadn't subdue him. The thought terrified her. She really was a monster. She barely heard the words as the gods finally dismissed them and left with Liam. It was then she realized that Ethan had his arms around her as she was crying and screaming again. She hadn't even realized it.

Ethan was trying his darn best to calm down Iliana, but she was going ballistic. Taking everything within him, he pushed all of his serenity inducement into her, which ended up causing Iliana to collapse, having exhausted herself. The weather had gotten bad again when Iliana lost it, but calmed down when she calmed down. But now Ethan was completely worn out and wanted to lay down himself. He felt sick to the stomach too, having seen his best friend almost get killed. It took Heath several minutes to calm down himself.

Nelly was terrified of what Liam nearly did. However she remember that Poseidon said something about his son coming soon. She looked at Liv at that. But the girl was hard to read. Still it seemed like at least between all of Poseidon's offspring there was some kind of need to prove themselves, if Liv's trial was to be believed. She watched as some campers leave. No what she was suppose to do? Looking at Heath's group, she saw Evelyn approaching them. Better let them be for now. Getting up herself, she wandered from the arena area, deciding to finally get some lunch, she was hungry. First thing first though, she got her cell phone out and called her mother.

"Mom. . . . Yeah I know it's early there, but I had to call. . . . . The gods showed up when two campers fought each other and as punishment, had us all do a trial each where are deepest fears or buried memories were revealed. You can guess what mine was about. . . . . Yeah my near death experience and my fear of needles, but there's more. Mom I know you're careful in your line of work, but if anything were to happen to you . . . . . . sniff . . . . Uh-huh . . . I just wanted to call and tell you I love you and to make sure you were okay. . . . Okay mom, I'll let you get back to sleep, thank you. . . . Hehe, I'll try to stay out of trouble. Bye mom."

Feeling a bit better, she headed for the main hall.




Heath looked up when he saw Evelyn approach them.

ā€œHeath. Iā€™m sorry for what youā€™ve been through. Truly. You and your family.ā€

Though still rattled from what happened, Heath nodded.

"Thank you. It's been rough for us. I don't know what will happen now that Iliana remembers everything. Those memories she just saw, most of them were repressed, at least that's what my mother told me. Even I didn't know what exactly happened. A lot worse then I thought. Do you mind telling me what Poseidon said before they left? I was too shaken up to fully pay attention."

Managing to sit up, Ethan also chimed in.

"How you holding up Evelyn? Are you going to be okay?"

He might not have understood Evelyn's trial, but it must have been hard on her, so he wanted to make sure she was okay.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Evelyn Masters Character Portrait: Trinity Wallace Character Portrait: Wesley Preston Character Portrait: Heath Taylor Character Portrait: Ethan Knox
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xxxxxxxx T R I N I T Y xx W A L L A C E
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xxxxxx Daughter of Ares | Outfit | #461f4b

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Wes plucked her up with ease, which she went with. ā€œI ā€“ ā€ There was no time to say anything because his lips landed on hers. A little shocked at first, Trinity's arms went against his chest habitually before embracing the kiss. Her brows furrowed and she wrapped her arms around him, reflecting the same emotions. A sort of pain and longing cross blend.

She drew away slightly only to breathe, pressing her nose against the side of his. ā€œIā€™d never do that to you,ā€ Trinity muttered, her frown only deepening. Trinity guided his face to hers and kissed him again. She was mainly talking about his trial because she could never guarantee the limit of her own rage, unfortunately. She would like to think she wouldnā€™t hurt him in a furious haze but Liam showed what they could do indiscriminately. And that gave her kiss a dose of desperation.

She held him tighter and found a few extra tears escaping her. Apparently, she wasn't fully aware of all the emotions racing through her other than it feeling all overwhelming. ā€œCan we go inside?ā€ she croaked to him as she swiped under her watery eyes and cheeks. Crying wasn't the best state for a daughter of Ares to be seen in and though it was only natural, Trinity hated it.

Trinity let Wes lead, taking his hand but avoided looking at him. Whether it was shame or she was afraid to look at him and crumble some more or a mix...she did her best until she was sat down. Expressing herself beyond anger wasn't her strong suit. ā€œWesley, I'm sorry. For my trial. It's not a matter of a triangle though and....ā€ That awful ache in her chest came back, wanting to make her sink six feet deep. ā€œI felt you die. I killed you.ā€ Her breath shuddered. ā€œAnd it broke me. Itā€™s like part of me died too. Or I wish it did anyway. I love you.ā€ Saying it to the living breathing version didnā€™t feel as relieving as she imagined. Probably because it was as vulnerable as showing her heart to the enemy and because she was still upset seeing Wes die and in an alternate reality, could have confessed too late. Trinity extended her arms out to him for a tight and much-needed hug.



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xxxxxxx E V E L Y N xx M A S T E R S
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xxxxxDaughter of Nemesis | Outift | #ffc300

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She was almost surprised to have got a decent reaction from Heath given their last encounter and how displaying oneā€™s traumas can have people feeling exposed and vulnerable. But she knew it right away when he looked at her. His eyes werenā€™t malicious or bothered by her.

ā€œThank you. It's been rough for us. I don't know what will happen now that Iliana remembers everything. Those memories she just saw, most of them were repressed, at least that's what my mother told me. Even I didn't know what exactly happened. A lot worse then I thought. Do you mind telling me what Poseidon said before they left? I was too shaken up to fully pay attention.ā€

ā€œUnderstandably,ā€ she commented. ā€œIn summary, it was that his own son is coming to keep us in line, be on our best behaviour and donā€™t make him and the gods come back and that Liam's visiting Tartarus.ā€ She studied Heath to see how he'd digest the information. Or, how he'd take missing such information as a son of Athena. However, it was possible he wasn't as pedantic about things.

ā€œHow you holding up Evelyn? Are you going to be okay?ā€

Evelyn's eyes shifted to the red head male and she smiled a little to the considerate son of Hestia. ā€œIā€™ll be okay. Itā€™s a lot to unpack, like anyoneā€™s. Thank you for asking.ā€ And she meant that. Something as simple as asking how she was coping in turn was kind to say the least. But that was Ethan. Courteous to the core, not a rotten bone in his body.

She cleared her throat. ā€œI'll let you go about your day. We all need time to reflect and settle.ā€ In the trio's case, form a shell of safety and support. In hers, some self-admittance.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Evelyn Masters Character Portrait: Heath Taylor Character Portrait: Ethan Knox
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xEthan Knox ~ Hestia ~ #8B4513

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xHeath Taylor ~ Athena ~ #808000

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ā€œIn summary, it was that his own son is coming to keep us in line, be on our best behaviour and donā€™t make him and the gods come back and that Liam's visiting Tartarus.ā€

Heath nodded in appreciation. Ethan was glad Heath asked Evelyn too because he had been too preoccupied with Iliana to hear Poseidon too.

"That's good to know. I honestly didn't think coming here things would be so dramatic right off the bat. Thank you for telling us."

Heath wasn't worried about himself or Ethan. Both were all about following the rules. He didn't know about Iliana. She was generally pretty peaceful, but he didn't know how she would be now and that unnerved him. She could easily turn out like Alex.

Evelyn then told Ethan how she was doing before letting them be. The two young men were grateful for that. It was a time to reflect and calm down.

"Take care of yourself too, Evelyn. Hopefully things will get better, although I wouldn't be surprise if things got tumultuous again."

Standing up, he turned to pick up a still sleeping Iliana. Ethan got up too and turned to his fellow red-head.

"We'll see you sometime."

With a wave he followed Heath. The two headed back to their cabin. After putting Iliana in her room to sleep, they sat down in the living room area.

"Oi, that was just plain crazy. Now that it's just us, be honest with me, Heath, are you seriously okay?"

For once Heath let down his guard.

"No, I am not. This day has only just proved to me just how much I need to train myself. I was seriously not expecting Liam to come after me like that. I've always been so concern about others' welfare that I forget about my own. It's a good thing that Poseidon intercepted when he did because I did see Lia loose it. I don't know what would have happened to her if she had attacked Liam or worse. I don't know what will happen when she wakes up. I really appreciate you stopping her Ethan. You must be exhausted."

"I am. I know it's lunch time, but I think I may lay down myself. But I want to finish talking with you before I do that. I dread what Liam is going through right now. I question how being in Tartarus will 'improve' his own issues."

"We'll just have to wait and see. No use speculating over it. What else did you want to talk about? I'll probably go to the main hall to get lunch and bring food back for you and Iliana."

"Do you really think these trials will help people in the end? I could see a good number of people on edge and definitely a change person after each of theirs."

"Well for me personally, I doubt it. I'll always have these fears. The trick is to learn how to live with them. We'll see if the others can live with theirs. I am more worried on how others may use these fears and memories to their advantage. We don't know these people so who knows if any of them are as honorable as others.

"I think Evelyn can be trusted. She did seem genuinely sincere when talking with us."

"I hope so. She certainly didn't lie right now."

"Did you notice how she deliberately sat near Sloane at one point? I wonder what that was about."

"Don't think about Ethan. It's none of our business."

"You're right, well I am going to grab some snacks we brought with us and veg a bit before laying down. You get some real food, Heath. I'll let you know if Iliana wakes up."

Getting up, Ethan went to a pantry to grab a box of Wheat thins and head for his private room. Following Ethan's advice, Heath headed out to get some lunch.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Sylas Astor Character Portrait: Liv Pfeiffer Character Portrait: Penelope Givens Character Portrait: Heath Taylor Character Portrait: Ethan Knox Character Portrait: Julia Lockwood
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xEthan Knox ~ Hestia ~ #8B4513

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xHeath Taylor ~ Athena ~ #808000

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xxxxPenelope Givens ~ Hermes ~
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Heath was slow in getting up. Normally he was very prompt in getting up at a certain time, but after yesterday he felt too lazy to even set his alarm. Checking the time, he decided to get up anyway. Wondering if Ethan or Iliana was up, he got dressed in casual clothes for he didn't feel like jogging that morning. He knew he was not his normal self, but yesterday had been rough so he decided to give himself an 'off day' as it were. He had bad days before but admitted they rarely affected him this much. After getting dressed, Heath went out of his room. He pondered knocking on his sister's room but decided not to. It was then he saw a note on a counter and saw it was from Iliana. It was brief, but it had a major effect on Heath. Not being able to locate Iliana set his nerves on edge. Immediately he checked Iliana's room and indeed she was gone. He also saw the locator stone was missing. Swearing, Heath started pacing back and forth. This was how Ethan found him when he exited his room. He had slept a good 12 hours and was feeling much better. However, his peace of mind was disrupted when he saw how frantic Heath was.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Taking a deep breath, Heath turned and said, "Lia's gone! She took the locator stone with her!"

Ethan saw the note that Heath was holding and merely took it before reading it.

"I am sure Iliana is okay Heath. She just wants to be alone," Ethan said, trying to calm down the blonde with his words.

"But what if she gets lost and I can't find her? She was devastated from yesterday's events. She didn't even eat supper or come out of her room!" Heath shouted, panic and anxiety overwhelming him.

"Heath, chill! Do you really think anyone who works at this camp would allow anything to happen to Iliana? Not to mention there are those that Demeter has instructed to watch over Lia, like the dryads who live in the trees here."

What Ethan said made sense, but in one of those rare moments, Heath's own fears told him otherwise.

"I don't care, Ethan! Iliana's alone and I am terrified of what will happen to her. I need to know she's safe with my own 2 eyes! Mother wouldn't let me see Iliana when she was in Olympus healing and I promised myself that I would always make sure she was safe!"

"Believe me, I remember her telling you that, I was there after all. Iliana is a grown woman though too though, she just might need to sort things out for herself. You saw what she wrote here, she doesn't want to be a burden. If you keep trying to coddle her, that's all she'll ever see herself as! Now Heath, calm down please, panicking isn't going to help."

Ethan didn't want to, but he used his serenity inducement on Heath. He was still recovering though, so he only used a little. Heath, still frantic, did manage to take a few deep breaths.

"I still need to know she's okay Ethan. I will try to give her space, but I need to know she's safe first. I am going to look for her. You're welcome to come with me."

"Why don't you grab something to eat first, Heath. You'll need your energy."

Ethan knew he couldn't stop Heath once he made up his mind about something, but he could at least try to help. Heath looked at his friend and nodded and the two left their cabin.




"Do you breathe between sentences? Or is it all across the brain and out the mouth?"

What in the world was that suppose to mean? Of course she could breath in between sentences! Still, Nelly recognized an insult when she heard one, at least by Sylas's tone. This did confirm one thing, he had dropped the 'charming' act. He then commented about their 7 minutes in Heaven session and this confused Nelly even more. So much so that she had to comment on it.

"Um, did I ever say we were friends? I was just trying to cordial, Sylas, which never hurts anyone if you ask me."

He finally answered her question and basically told her to mind her own business and to leave him alone. Nelly was just about to do that, when suddenly she heard Liv telling her she was in her spot. Suddenly her food was discarded and she herself was shoved out of her seat and landed right on her side.

"Ow!"

Getting up and cleaning the mess Liv made she looked at the unpleasant demigoddess and said, "Thank you for assisting me in finishing my meal and out of my seat Liv," and turning to Sylas, "And thank you for answering my question too, Sylas. They say misery loves company, so I wish ya'll a good morning."

With that she took her ruined breakfast to the back and restock. She knew she had the tendency to get into trouble, but she also knew better then to stir things up more too, which definitely would have been the case had to talked to Sylas and Liv in the way they talked to her. Still she didn't like it how rude they were. After getting some more food, she looked and saw a new face. So there were still new arrivals coming huh? This new one was another brunette. With a smile, she approached the young woman.

"Morning! Mind if I sit here? I hate being alone."

After sitting down, Nelly was quick to introduce herself.

"My name is Penelope Givens, but I prefer Nelly. I am a daughter of Hermes."

Nelly held out a hand in greeting.

A few minutes later, Heath and Ethan entered the hall. Heath's eyes scanned the room for Iliana, but didn't see her. He hoped she got something to eat. He saw Sylas and Liv, but wasn't in the mood to ask them if they had seen his sister. He did see Nelly with an unfamiliar face though and figured it wouldn't hurt to ask her.

Nelly saw the guys come in and saw Heath making a beeline for her.

"Nelly have you seen Iliana?"

"Yeah, she was here when I arrived. She didn't stay long though. She didn't have her notebook either. Why do you ask?"

"Because I am trying to find her. Sorry to interrupt you," Heath said, looking at the brunette Nelly was sitting with and nodding before going to get himself breakfast.

Ethan nodded to the two also before following his friend. The two got their food and ate at another table by themselves.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Sylas Astor Character Portrait: Liv Pfeiffer Character Portrait: Rae Meadows Character Portrait: Wesley Preston Character Portrait: Liam O'Connor Character Portrait: Penelope Givens
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VINCENT MOORE
Son of Nemesisx|xOutfitx|x#394763

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Bound, tired, and defeated, Vincent tried to sit himself up but due to his circumstances found the task annoyingly difficult. After struggling for about a minute he was finally able to navigate towards a wall. Using his bound hands behind his back on the wall he gained enough stability to push and seat himself.

Due to sudden changes in movement Vincent had figured out that he was inside a vehicle, possibly the same one he was placed into before losing consciousness. He was getting adjusted to the darkness and sudden movements when he began to listen around him, in order to find anything that could remotely help him. While listening he heard very little noise beyond the vehicle, aside from the occasional passing vehicle. This probably meant that they were no longer in the city or another highly populated area. Making escape that much more difficult.

Vincent didn't know why his partner betrayed him, he couldn't think of anything that would've motivated her. Maybe they weren't as close as he thought but from what he recalled she seemed reluctant, almost as if she was coerced. Whatever the case was Vincent wanted to find out and the first step to achieving that goal was successfully escaping.

While thinking about how he would escape, Vincent heard several other people inside the vehicle with him. They were breathing lightly and were trying to remain as silent as possible, if Vincent wasn't so focused he may have never heard them. Since the people weren't struggling like he was earlier he believed that they were working with whoever was responsible for his abduction and his partners betrayal.

A little bored and curious about who was able to get the jump on him, Vincent smirked and addressed them. "So, who are you guys working for exactly? I don't remember pissing off anyone recently but I have my fair share of enemies . . ." If he was going to be bound and blindfolded, he may as well make transporting him as miserable for them. They didn't want him dead, at least not yet, so he felt safe enough.

". . . Let me guess. Do you happen to work with some gambling house? Organized crime perhaps? They would have the ability to do this but that wouldn't have spooked my partner . . ." While talking Vincent had begun fishing for a small blade hidden underneath his watch. After getting a good grasp on it he then began dismantling the cords they had bound him with. ". . . Maybe you work for some wealthy old guy I conned out of a small portion of his wealth before sleeping with his attractive and much younger wife? If that's the case, sorry don't remember who it was but tell his wife I miss her terribly."

Before he could continue one of the people watching him was agitated enough to talk, saying , "Why are we still listening to this clown? Doesn't one of you have the ability to put him to sleep, a child of Hypnos? Just make him sleep until we get there. He'll annoy us to death if we don't." Vincent couldn't see the others but he could imagine their expressions after they just revealed who they worked for, the Greek Gods and if Vincent wasn't mistaken most likely his mother, Nemesis.

The other people in the vehicle then began talking, first about the stupidity of the first one to talk and then afterwards what to do now that they've just revealed who they were. During this commotion, Vincent finally was able to break the cord that had bound him. Using his ability to manipulate luck, he tossed himself to the side, towards a voice who was arguing. Within a short time Vincent was able to subdue them with his nerve manipulation and then held the blade on that person's neck.

Everyone became deathly quiet, as Vincent removed his blindfold while still holding the blade threateningly. Looking back and forth those he could see, Vincent applied a little pressure to the blade to ensure their cooperation. "I don't know why she decided today of all days she needed to bring me in but for the past few years I've been more than capable of taking care of myself." He then motioned towards the person in his arms. "And this doesn't really inspire much faith in your capabilities."

He then inched towards the back of the vehicle and the exit, the person still in his grasp. "I'll just see myself out now. Please do try again, you were definitely more successful this round." After opening the back, Vincent flung his hostage towards the others before jumping out of the vehicle and towards freedom.

Before he could celebrate however he saw his mother, smiling to herself, as he landed on the ground. Unable to activate his abilities in time, Vincent was struck on the forehead by Nemesis, becoming paralyzed and his consciousness fading again. "Poor child, you thought you could get out of your mother's loving grasp after she finally got ahold of you?" She crouched down and playfully patted Vincent on the head before tilting hers and saying, "Mother knows what's best for you son. Don't be too mad when you wake up, you'll get to meet many others like you . . . at camp." Unable to retort due to being subdued, Vincent could only stare daggers at his mother until his consciousness finally faded.

When Vincent finally regained consciousness once again he was lying down on a soft bed and looking up to an unfamiliar wooden ceiling. He felt more tired than relieved after his long rest. Tired because he knew it was his mother who had conspired against him with his partner and because he knew now that he was in camp it would be that much harder to leave. He knew that this place was suppose to act like a training ground and refuge for 'his kind' but to Vincent it seemed nothing more than a prettier prison cell.

He also knew that he was going to be dragged into whatever nonsense was occurring between the gods now. Something he was trying to avoid ever since he learned of his and his mother's identity. Vincent didn't know why exactly he felt like he needed to avoid their conflict but something subconsciously told him that he would have some part to play in their madness and he didn't want to be anyone's chess piece.

Now having accepted the fact he was now in Camp Athens, Vincent decided that he needed to learn the lay of the land as well as the others inhabiting it. If he had to put up with the god's bullshit, he may as well have strong capable people next to him or at the very least know which ones are expendable.

He walked downstairs and outside of the cabin he was in, he didn't know if he was sharing it with anyone but if he did the contents inside it were sparse. He could make whatever alterations necessary if he had the ability and resources to. Once outside he looked around, curious of what he could see. There were a number of other cabins surrounding the area, the are in front of him serving as some sort of hub to travel between cabins and other parts of the camp.

One demigod looked like they had just arrived and had walked into their cabin, presumably to sleep. Another one that caught his eye was a man with a little too much pep in his step in the morning. Probably shared a 'good night' with another one. He didn't know where he was heading but Vincent saw a couple of people walking towards a larger hall, possibly a dining hall or cafeteria. After walking down there he saw several other demigods conversing, some arguing over little things. Vincent wasn't interested in whatever was going on between the people there but he was hungry.

Vincent walked into the dining hall, ignoring any stares from people along the way, and grabbed anything that looked remotely edible before looking around for some hot beverages. He found some tea and quickly made himself a cup or two before sitting down at a table away from the others. Choosing to observe them a little before introducing himself. He didn't know the dynamics of this group and he wasn't keen to jump into anything problematic. One of them could even be a sibling of his.

After finishing his food Vincent cleaned his dishes and walked out of the dining room, walking back towards his cabin. Outside the cabin of the first demigod he saw a dog scratching and barking, most likely to its now sleeping owner. The dog was then handled by someone else, a redhead. After watching this scene Vincent wandered until he could hear the soft sounds of waves coming from ahead. Curious he walked towards the sound and found himself at a beach.

Still feeling tired and a little dirty still, after not having showered since his altercation with his mother and those demigods, Vincent decided to take a dip into the water to relax. Taking of his clothes, including his jacket, Vincent ran to the water and began to swim. After swimming, floating, and relaxing for several minutes he swam back to shore and was greeted by the sight of the same redhead he saw earlier, outside the other cabin with a dog.

She was laying down on a towel and presumably 'tanning'. Vincent hadn't met many redheads who tanned but this was a demigod, who knew what she was capable of. Knowing she had probably already heard him coming out of the water and walking towards her, Vincent grabbed his clothes and placed his jacket down next to her and sat on them. He then turned towards the redhead and said, "Hey there, name's Vincent, friends call me Ace. What do you all do when someone new comes to camp? Any interesting demigod rituals?" He watched her, waiting for her reaction and response.


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Character Portrait: Wesley Preston Character Portrait: Penelope Givens Character Portrait: Heath Taylor Character Portrait: Ethan Knox Character Portrait: Veronica Lewis Character Portrait: Julia Lockwood
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xEthan Knox ~ Hestia ~ #8B4513

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xHeath Taylor ~ Athena ~ #808000

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xxxxPenelope Givens ~ Hermes ~
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Ethan and Heath watched as others showed up into the main hall. First was was Evelyn, who left after getting her stuff. Mason was next and then lastly Cherise, who sat where Mason sat. The two friends ate in silence and finished their breakfast.

"I am going to start looking for Iliana now. What are you going to do?"

"I think I'll start mingling with some people. Of course, I know I should be careful doing that. Not everyone appears to be in the greatest of moods." Ethan said, glancing at Sylas and Liv's table.

"Okay. I do wish you help me look, Ethan."

Ethan had a serious look on his face when he answered, "Well, I am going to honor Iliana's wishes for privacy. You know she's not going to be happy if you find her."

Heath honestly didn't care at this moment if his sister was going to be upset with him. He did admit, his own trial still loomed over his head. He had to make sure his sister was safe, and that was that.

"See you," Heath said before getting up and taking his dirty dishes to the back before leaving.

Once he got outside though, he saw Evelyn with someone's jacket on with another new face. Deciding to stay out of it, he merely walks in another direction. He figured he should go back to his cabin first to get one of Iliana's pads and pencil just in case he did end up finding her. Decision made, he went there, got her tablet, and left again. He walked around for a bit before hearing something. It sounded like a song someone was playing. Deciding to investigate, he soon sees someone he doesn't recognize either. Looks like more and more campers were starting to show up. Walking towards her, Heath is careful to not disturb her and waits for her to stop playing before addressing her. Already he can feel drawn to her and wonder why that was. He'd yet to be affected by any woman yet. He wondered who she was. Still her need to find Iliana override any other emotion. Soon the dark haired lady stopped.

"Sorry for interrupting you, but I am looking for my sister and I was wondering if you had seen her. She's 5'2" with long blonde hair and amber eyes. She would be walking around with a necklace with a dark stone on it too. Her name is Iliana."

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

Sighing, Ethan looked around. He could talk with Nelly and the new girl, but he decided to let them be. Others who were there he didn't think it be a good idea to join them. So deciding to look elsewhere, he took his own dirty dishes to the back and left. He also saw Evelyn and a new guy. What just happened here? He was curious to find out, but Evelyn didn't look too happy at the moment and the last thing Ethan wanted to do was make her any more upset. Looking in another direction he saw someone coming towards the main hall and soon recognized Wesley. He never really got a chance to interact with Aphrodite's son and hoped now was a good time. Walking in his general direction he could see the guy was in a very good mood, if the look on his face was any indication. Hoping to get his attention, Ethan made sure he was in Wes' line of sight. Once he was near he greeted the man.

"Good morning. I hope I am not being a bother, but I just wanted to introduce myself to you. My name is Ethan Knox and I am Hestia's son. If your heading to the hall, mind if I accompany you? I've already ate, but I wanted to meet more of my fellow campers," Ethan introduced himself as he held out his hand.




Nelly caught the look of confusion on the new girl's face after Heath and Ethan left their table. She would have asked but the camper soon introduced herself as Julia and said her father was Zeus. Nelly's eyes lit up and soon she started talking again.

"Oh wow really?! That is so cool! You know there's two others here who are children of Zeus, but I haven't seen them at all recently. It's like they've vanished. Yesterday, some of the gods visited the camp to make us do a trial, but those two never showed up. I hope they're okay. Maybe they went up to Olympus. Sorry, I have the tendency to say my thoughts out loud when I am revved up. When did you get here Julia? I've been here for several days now. So much has already happened in that brief time. We're suppose to be getting one of Poseidon's sons today too, although I can't remember why at the moment. Is there anything you need help with?" Nelly offered, wanting to not get off on the wrong foot with this new one.

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Character Portrait: Heath Taylor Character Portrait: Veronica Lewis
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After her first encounter had vanished back into the forest Veronica had simply laid back against the column sheā€™d used earlier, settled down in the shade while the sun continued to rise and returned to playing her guitar in hand.

ā€Them gods gonna hurt you son, you'll be sorry for what you done. You'll be sorry for what you done.ā€
Her fingers slowed as she finished the final notes of the song, with the fading vibration of the strings matching that of her voice drifting into silence. Tightening her lips she began to hum a sweet melody with her fingers resting on the wire, ready to join in when they stilled at the sight of an approaching figure.


ā€œSorry for interrupting you, but I am looking for my sister and I was wondering if you had seen her. She's 5'2" with long blonde hair and amber eyes. She would be walking around with a necklace with a dark stone on it too. Her name is Iliana.ā€

What was it about this place where all the guys were towering over her? Admittedly sheā€™d only encountered two of them so far, but it was quickly developing into a pattern, though, given that they were all the children of gods it was probably expected. Even within the privicy of her own head she couldn't keep up the pretence of her annoyance at the other demigods height, especially since it was pure hyperbole on the part of her inner monologue. Her reasoning was already berating her for decribing them as 'towering' since it was was already an over exaggeration for the half a foot difference between them.

She could feel her brow furrowing as she replayed the newcomerā€™s words back, having become a little lost in her own thoughts. And something seemed to be nagging at her but she couldnā€™t quite place it and it was driving her mad. She knew sheā€™d have this feeling rattling around her skull till she made sense of it, but whatever it was the cause was just out of her grasp.

She waved a dismissive hand to brush aside his apology before speaking.

ā€Donā€™t be, itā€™s fine. Though I canā€™t say Iā€™ve seen her, sorry.ā€

Setting her guitar down she hopped up onto her feet and held out her hand towards him doing her best to flash a warm smile.

ā€Iā€™m Veronica, my friends call me V, or at least they would if I had any friends.ā€ The tone of her introduction shifted towards a more jovial, somewhat self-deprecating one near the end of her sentence in an attempt to break the ice.

ā€You do sound worried though, is everything ok with your sister?ā€
Her tone had become a little more serious as it filled with concern when she spoke again.

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Character Portrait: Wesley Preston Character Portrait: Iliana Remington-Taylor Character Portrait: Heath Taylor Character Portrait: Ethan Knox Character Portrait: Veronica Lewis
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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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Ethan was quick to notice Wes' demeanor as he introduced himself. It helped that he used to being around people and met different types. Looks like he goofed up in assuming Wes wouldn't mind him talking with him. Ethan might have been a bit too eager in his own introduction.

Wes soon spoke to him again, saying "Sure" in response to when Ethan asked if he could join him.

The man then walked away in silence and Ethan followed him, aware that he wouldn't stay long. He wanted for Wes to get his food and sit down before joining him.

"Hey, sorry. I guess my greeting was pretty sudden. I am also trying to keep the mood light because I don't want to think about yesterday. So I'll let you eat in peace."

He would have left, but then suddenly thought of something.

"Can I ask one last thing though, I know you've met my friend's sister, Iliana. She currently wants to be on her own, but her brother Heath is looking for her because he's worried about her. If you could keep an eye out for her, that be nice. Oh, you don't have to watch over her though, I wouldn't ask that of anyone. Anyway, you have a nice day Wes."

With a smile on his face, Ethan left the main hall again.

"Okay, now what do I do? Maybe I'll just walk around a bit, hopefully I'll bump into someone," he said talking to himself.

Decision made, Ethan just started wondering around, all the while keeping an eye out for Iliana, but he doubt she would anywhere near people.

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

Heath was relieved when the brunette started talking. He knew it was a long shot that she probably saw Iliana, but it was worth asking. Soon the young woman introduced herself as Veronica. Heath raised an eyebrow when she mentioned she didn't have any friends. She was being honest too. He couldn't help but feel bad for her. Still he figured he better introduce himself also.

"Nice to meet you Veronica. My name is Heath Taylor, I am a son of Athena."

Veronica then asked him if everything was okay with his sister.

"Everything isn't okay. I guess you're a new arrival huh? Yesterday the gods showed up and put us all through a trial because something happened. We basically had to see our worst fears or hidden past. Iliana had to relive the death of her father and another experience that left her traumatized and mute."

For some reason, Heath found himself rambling on and couldn't seem to stop.

"Iliana is actually my adopted sister. She actually didn't remember those memories until yesterday and it devastated her. She left this morning before I woke up. While she did leave a note, I still worry what she'll do. Oh, sorry to dump this on you. I am still on edge from yesterday myself due to my own trial. You're fortunate to have arrived when you did. I'll leave you to your playing. You're pretty good."

Heath blushed a bit because of how much he rambled to a complete stranger. It had to be Veronica. There was just something about her that had Heath talking so much.

"Anyway, again, I am sorry for rambling. If I am being honest, I do feel a bit drawn to you. Do you mind telling me who your divine parent is? Normally I am more control of my emotions."

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

Iliana walked into a forest area. The sounds of nature did calm her, but her mind was still filled with her memories and thoughts. She had started chiding herself for being a coward. She was aware she was running from her problems, but what else could she do? She was a danger to everyone here. Anything could set her off. She found herself tearing up again as a gentle rain started to fall in her area. She honestly didn't know what she was going to do. She felt lost, that's the biggest thing she felt.

As she continued to walk, she looked up into the sky and wondered what her mother was doing. She wish she was here now, but no, her mother was a busy woman. Why couldn't she be more like Demeter? Her mother was an emotional woman but she complete control of her powers, at least as far as Iliana could see. She had tried so hard, and almost managed to be like her mother, but no, she was a complete failure. Her thoughts soon led her to think of Heath. She wouldn't be surprised if he tried looking for her. Heath might be good at hiding his emotions from most people, but being empathic Iliana could tell he was concerned. She'd rather he not waste him time worrying about her. From his own trial, Iliana remembered how he feared losing her. While Iliana wish she could disappear, she was too much of a coward to take her own life for she feared what the ramifications of that would be.

Finally stopping, Iliana looked up into the trees. Wanting to make sure no one could find her, Iliana started climbing one of the trees. The tree she climbed had thick foliage so she hope no one would be able to see her. She finally stopped as she neared the thinner branches, well, they would be too thin to hold her. Sitting in the tree, she looked out at the scenery and again felt some semblance of peace.

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Character Portrait: Heath Taylor Character Portrait: Veronica Lewis
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As far as Veronica was concerned this conversation was already off to a much more positive introduction than her earlier one, to the point where she thought she might not be entirely awkward during it. Though she could already feel her self-directed jibe had perhaps been taken a little too seriously as she watched the boyā€™s reaction, maybe she should have just gone for the full quote for the joke to land better?

At least it had been until moments after theyā€™d shook hands, when her question registered with Heath and he seemed to implode with bottled-up emotions that must have been buried inside since the creation of the universe. She kept picturing herself being blown away into the distance as she stood there, slightly shell-shocked, weathering his outpour of emotion. However as soon as the thought of ā€œTeam Rocket Blasting Off Againā€ entered her brain she had to lift her hand to her mouth in an attempt to stifle a giggle; which felt entirely and outrageously inappropriate for the current topic of deep emotional trauma that was going on.

Parts of the events that Heath was expanding upon were definitely rather personal and perhaps not something to unload onto a perfect stranger, though there was certainly something familiar about some of it. However his Scottish accent kept distracting from piecing it together. As Heath slowly wound down she could tell he was feeling a little embarrassed as his cheeked reddened alongside his hurried apology.

ā€Iā€™ve just got one of those faces, where people rush to share their innermost secrets.ā€

When she spoke, there was a faint tone of joviality in her voice as her laughter hadnā€™t fully died. She accompanied this with another warm smile in an attempt to pretend she was trying to laugh at her own joke, rather than anything he'd said; which was true despite the fact she had started laughing halfway through his outpour. Though it was quickly followed up by a blush of her own as she picked up on his praise for her music.

ā€Th-Thank, you. Fortunate might not be my word for it, but I canā€™t really go back to relaxing since Iā€™d be worried about you, and Lia.ā€ As soon as the word left her lips she furrowed her brow again, tilting her head to one side. It felt a little too familiar for someone she clearly didnā€™t know, but at the same time it felt right? Shrugging her shoulders, mostly for herself she turned from the boy so she could quickly slide her guitar back into itā€™s case along with her sketchpad before slinging it over her shoulder. ā€So, Iā€™ll keep you company and help you search, four eyes better than two and all that. And, maybe you can fill me in a little more about Camp? Deal?ā€

As she stepped forward, she caught his next apology, doing her best with both hands to wave it aside and confirm that there was nothing to be sorry for. Though as she was moving past Heath she caught the end of sentence. She could feel her face tightening into a grimace as she visibly winced. Her facial features twitching slightly as her head tilted to the side and her fingers clenched into fists for a moment. Her eyes closed while she took a deep breath, doing her best to push back the emotions vying for her attention. Thankfully she was mostly turned away from him so her reaction wasn't entirely visible. Veronica reopened her eyes and swung back to face him, making sure to clear her throat before replying.

ā€Thatā€¦ would be Aphrodite, which covers you being as loose-lipped as youā€™ve been Iā€™d guess. People tend to be a little less ā€˜carefulā€™ around me, so Iā€™m normally careful to not be around them. Call it doing them a favour. Better that, than watching the football team try to re-enact tribal courting rituals, complete with blood and chest thumping.ā€

She flashed Heath a lopsided grin while she hugged herself, her hands resting on her upper arms a little self-consciously.

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Character Portrait: Heath Taylor Character Portrait: Daniel Vadas Character Portrait: Theo Smith Character Portrait: Veronica Lewis
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xxx Hecate | #8b9068 | Outfit
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Daniel sat up, squinting all through the cabin. It wasn't his glorious cabin but Cherise's. That's right. Without sign of life though.

He shuffled around the cabin although he could guess by how dead quiet it was, she wasn't present. Confirming the thought process was a little note left for him bringing a smile to his lips. She was adorable even on paper. But he should probably blush about it some other time and tend to the day. Get back into his old skin and habits.

Daniel got dressed and roamed the grounds aimlessly looking for a playmate or somebody to force his illusions and tricks on. And then, floating through the air was music to his ears. Literal music. If that was Cherise's sing song voice and soul then she might just have to multi-task when Daniel smothered her in praise and affection. It didn't take much more convincing to alter his course and bee-line towards the training grounds. As he neared, the alluring music seized and disappointment grasped him and hurried his steps.

He saw a glimpse of movement in the hut, confusion and curiosity winning over. When he approached, he was met by Theo's back, deep in thought with chess-like pieces of camp. Daniel doubted the son of Artemis was in state for humming as he played out battle strategies. Still, Daniel cleared his throat to officially announce his presence if the wolf in him didn't already.
"Why Theo, I didn't know you could carry a tune so well." He cracked a grin and stepped inside, patting Theo's back once and looked at the pieces he had rearranged. To Daniel, that's all it was, little pieces randomly placed. He knew what it was meant to stand for and stuff, but when did war and battles ever work out as planned.

"Have you ate?" Daniel pulled lightly on Theo's shoulder, trying to prompt him out of the planning and anticipating state. It wasn't doing the guy any favors. Whether Theo followed his lead or not, Daniel left the hut and spotted Heath and a girl talking, guitar nearby. Now that made more sense.

They were a bit of a distance that Daniel couldn't make out her full features but she was...wow. Not Cherise kind of wow but...a wow nonetheless. "Theo. Come check this out." He wouldn't blame Theo if he thought this was some lame stunt. History said Daniel wasn't the most mature but this time all that was around the corner was a beautiful woman. And Heath. And yeah they looked to be in somewhat of a serious conversation but groups and meeting new people were an awesome distraction. Just what his brother in distress needed.

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Character Portrait: Duke Loycen Character Portrait: Iliana Remington-Taylor Character Portrait: Penelope Givens Character Portrait: Heath Taylor Character Portrait: Daniel Vadas Character Portrait: Theo Smith
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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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In one of the those rare moments, Nelly was caught off guard. One minute she was talking to the new camper, at least to her knowledge, and next thing she knew Julia was saying bye to her. What just happened? She had been nice to the girl and tried to be helpful. As she continue to eat, she pondered over it and was having a hard time coming up with something. Best not to dwell on it for now because she was only going to give herself a headache. At least Julia wasn't rude to her like Liv and Sylas, but then again she couldn't blame those two considering yesterday. Speaking of which, Nelly noticed how Liv left Sylas. No chance she was going to try and interact with him again. Nelly knew she wasn't the smartest person here, but she knew when not to push too far. She looked and saw that Cherise was eating with Mason. Mason was someone who always looked like he didn't want to be bothered, plus Cherise looked serious with whatever she was talking about. Wes was here by himself. Wasn't Ethan with him? Heath was definitely gone. Finishing her meal, instead of talking with Wes, Nelly figured she ought to explore the camp more while taking pictures. She still hadn't seen the whole camp yet. Decision made, Nelly got up, took her dirty dishes to the back and left.

Returning to her cabin, she grabbed her camera and headed out again. After walking for a bit she found herself near some cabins when she saw two people with suitcases walking about. Curiosity peaked, Nelly came closer. The first thing she noticed was the amount of luggage one of them had and it seamed to belong to the male since he was carrying it. Wow, did the man bring everything but the kitchen sink with him? She couldn't hide the surprise on her face before finally coming close enough to speak to the pair. Shaking her head, she put on a smile.

"Good morning, do you need any help? My name is Penelope, but I prefer Nelly. I take it you two are demigods? I am Hermes' daughter."

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Iliana had inadvertently fallen asleep in the tree she was in. So when Duke called out to her, she woke up so quickly, that she nearly fell out of the tree. But thankfully she had been laying on a thick branch and grabbed a hold of it instinctively. Looking down, she saw Duke just as he was finishing up his words. Her eyes widen a bit in surprise to see him. If Duke was back, then were Alex and Ajax back too? She contemplated going down the tree to ask Duke, but remembered she still couldn't talk. Plus she still didn't think it best to be around Duke either, no right now. Her heart was still pounding from the scare though. So she merely looked at Duke as he left her. She looked around and saw no sign of the Valises. What was she to do now? She wanted to avoid people, but she wanted to know if the Valises were back too. Then again, if Duke was able to find her, then that mean others could too. Plus, it might be best to just keep walking around. She didn't want to be caught off guard again.

Carefully, Iliana climbed down the tree and looked in the direction Duke went. Thinking it over, she wondered if it was best to go back to her cabin to grab her tablet. While she didn't want to talk to anyone, she also didn't want to come off as rude either by not being able to talk to them at all. At least with her tablet, she could tell others she wanted to be alone. The hard part was avoiding Heath, or even Ethan. So she would be very careful.

Iliana managed to luck out when she arrived back at her cabin. She hadn't seen either of her cabin mates, much to her relief. She was nervous entering the cabin. Looking around she saw that neither Heath nor Ethan were here. Deciding to be quick, Iliana grabbed her fully charged tablet and was out again within minutes. Walking outside, she headed for the area around the stables.

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Ethan, hands in his pockets, was roaming around aimlessly. He was really starting to get bored. He'd yet to find anyone to interact with. Maybe he ought to go back to his cabin and just work on his own designs more. He did miss college and since being here, he really wanted to get back to one of his favorite activities. He couldn't help but wonder when they would start training too since he knew that was a major reason his mother wanted him to come here. One ability he especially wanted to make use of more was his architectural alteration but he didn't know how that could be used training wise. When Ethan heard the word 'training' he thought of combat situations and Ethan was definitely not good at that. He didn't know the first thing about combat.

As he walked he neared some cabins and saw one of the cabin doors open. He would have passed by, but unintentionally heard someone say, ā€œNow get out of my cabin.ā€

Hearing the anger and concerned of what may be happening, Ethan knocked on the wall of the cabin and called out, not wanting to enter the cabin without permission.

"Excuse me, is everything okay?'

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ā€Th-Thank, you. Fortunate might not be my word for it, but I canā€™t really go back to relaxing since Iā€™d be worried about you, and Lia.ā€

That definitely got Heath's attention. He definitely didn't mention Iliana's nickname to this woman. The only people who knew her nickname were Ethan, his family and himself. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Heath knew Iliana had interacted with a few people online in the past before her abduction. Was this Veronica one of those people? It was unlikely, but Heath couldn't think of any other reason. He wouldn't think about it right now for there were more important things to focus on, but he would ask her about it at some point.

Veronica offered her services in helping him find Iliana though and in return he could help her about camp.

"Um, sure. I've only been at camp for several days though, so I don't know how much help I can be."

He already knew he wouldn't tell her about all the drama that happened, but he would warn her of a few people if she asked. Heath was never one to gossip so he wasn't about to start now. He did wonder what Veronica wanted to know for there really wasn't much to say about camp.

He listened to Veronica when she mentioned she was Aphrodite's daughter. That made perfect sense. It annoyed him that he was having a hard time controlling himself. He imagined it was frustrating for Veronica too. It then occurred to Heath that Veronica was Wesley's sister, or half-sibling at least. Heath did wonder just how many half siblings he had. He knew his mother was picky when it came to men. Not wanting to think about that at the moment though, Heath turned back to Veronica.

"Thank you for telling me that Veronica. It really helps to know it's not just all me. I'll try my best to not get tongue-tied around you. I also appreciate you wanting to help me find my sister. Hopefully one of the other campers has spotted her. Shall we?"

Heath turned from her and saw two figures nearby. Squinting, Heath saw that it was Theo and Daniel. Maybe they had seen Iliana.

Turning towards Veronica, Heath asked, "Do you mind if I ask those guys about Iliana? I think those two were here last year, so they probably can tell you more about the camp then me. If you don't want to interact with them, it's fine. I'll be right back."

Veronica shook her head, indicating she wasn't going to follow. Nodding in acknowledgement, Heath headed straight for the two men.

"Morning, you two know my adopted sister, Iliana right? Have either of you seen her? She went off on her own this morning and I want make sure she's okay."

He was pretty sure they remembered her since she was one of the last ones to have a trial yesterday. Then again, they might not have paid attention to her trial either.

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Character Portrait: Evelyn Masters Character Portrait: Sylas Astor Character Portrait: Mason Hughson Character Portrait: Sloane Astor Character Portrait: Trinity Wallace Character Portrait: Liv Pfeiffer
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B L A I R xC A R M I C H A E L
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By the gods, was Nicholas secretly blessed by Aphrodite before being tossed into Camp Athens? He mustā€™ve been because every time he turns around, another woman is running right into himā€” or he into her, depending on how one reads the situation.

Here he was just walking; hands in his pockets, a hum in his throat, thoughts in his mind about all that had transpired thus far in his short time here. The redhead, for whom he is cursing himself for not catching the name ofā€¦ the Aphrodite girl that he had unintentionally insulted. Possibly. He thought to himself, it couldnā€™t get any worse. Right?. Or better? He placed an index finger on his chin as he wondered, Was it good or bad luck? His head went from side to side, as though weighing the thoughts in his head. Well, beautiful women running into you doesnā€™t happen every day. Then again... he frowned, Would the Aphrodite child tell everyone heā€™s a perv later? He made a disgusted look at no one in particular and judging by his motions, he was having a conversation in his own head anyway. Iā€™m not a pervā€¦ it wasnā€™t my fault.

It was right in the middle of starting to ponder the redhead when his instincts kicked in and an arm dashed down to brace the back of Blair. A hand folded gently around her waist, and he brought her up and helped her regain her balance. What seemed like half a heartbeat, her fingers grasped his biceps and they were intimately close. Not that heā€™d complain much.

His internal voice asked, Am I the child of Poseidon and Aphrodite?

Since the woman seemed to revel in the close proximity, he made no real motion to create additional space between them. "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry," she apologized, but the way she smiled and giggled said otherwise. Sheā€™s not that sorry, if she is at all. "The outdoors and I aren't really simpatico. But I wouldn't mind being on a first-name basis with you."

Simpatico. Simpatico. What did that mean? It must be French, he thought. No one said he was the sharpest tool in the shed, just one of the sturdiest. He just chuckled at that and pretended he understood, but she could probably tell that his brain wasnā€™t all that intellectual. Not that it appeared she was looking for some profound conversation anyway. Not with the way sheā€™s flirting and hanging onto him without any shame at all.

"I'm Blair," she introduced herself, and he took her hand and gave it a firm but still semi-gentle shake. She was a woman, after all. He was ungodly strong and had to mind himself.

"Nicholas, but you can just call me Nick," he responded as he finally stepped back. It just occurred to him that he should, at the very least, give the other demigods a warning before just summoning them to train out of the blue. Thatā€™d be starting out on the wrong foot with a lot of the others, and he may already end up in hot water with the guys depending on who all these hot women belonged to. They just had to belong to someone.

Nick wanted to stay and flirt a little, but he also had a job to do in Camp Athens. He looked at her and tilted his head in thought. You know what? He could do both. Ah, but typically he wasnā€™t the quickie sort of guy, even though she was certainly tempting. So tempting.

"Coming, Blair?" he inquired as he began to walk backward. He eventually turned around to head for the main office of the Camp, which was just past the chow hall. A short walk.

Blair quirked a brow at his offer. Well that didnā€™t take long. Perhaps it was she that was the daughter of Aphrodite. Then again, it was never women who struggled to find someone to warm their bed. Hell, what better way to christen camp than to have a little fun with Fabio. Sure, he didnā€™t seem like the smartest guy out there, but she wasnā€™t flirting with him for his brains. Dumb boys were always the easiest to get what she wanted from anyway. So, she said nothing but followed after him, wherever he led her.

They arrived at their destination; a small office that was empty save for the P.A. system. Thatā€™s what he needed. Once he shut the door, he turned toward the raven-haired woman and smirked. If she was looking for a dumb guy that would just easily hand over the reaffirmation that she could have any dumb guy she wanted - well, she certainly got it.

Heā€™s going to blame the jacked-up hormones on the aftereffects of Aphroditeā€™s daughter for what happens next. He hooked his hands under her bottom, hoisted her up once she had her arms wrapped around his neck, and walked her toward the counter with the P.A. system, "Iā€™m normally more of a romantic, but I had a run-in with the daughter of Aphrodite, and I am a bitā€¦ on edge." And that was hardly even the tip of the iceberg.

Blairā€™s coy act faded away when they were in the privacy of the office. She had already gotten him and she was far from coy. As Nick scooped her up, her legs instinctually wrapped around his waist. Her fingers snaked through his dark locks and gave them a playful tug. "Whatever you need to tell yourself, dollface."

He released her, moved between her legs as she settled on the counter, but he leaned off to the side and past her to press a button to turn the system on. His voice would echo through the entire camp - inside the facilities and outside.

"Good morning, Campers," he began then went on to introduce himself, "Iā€™m Nicholas Bower, and as youā€™ve heard from Poseidon, I will be assisting in your training." He kept one of his hands on her thighs and as he continued to address the camp Blairā€™s hands trailed down his chest. They stopped when they found the top of his jeans. With a smirk, she began to unzip them. "It is now...," he paused and looked at the watch he clearly didnā€™t have on his right wrist, "...something oā€™clock, so be ready at the training arena at 4:30 pm sharp. This training is mandatory. Be dressed for the part, and everything else will be provided for you."

Being the sturdy, but not sharpest tool, in the shed - he forgot to turn the P.A. system off, "Whyā€™d you have to wear pants?" He sighed at that, but it was playfully disappointed rather than actually disappointed. But lowkeyā€¦ he was a little disappointed.

"I want you to work for your meal." In the confines of the small office, Blair quickly turned from prey to predator. She wasnā€™t some naive girl who didnā€™t know how boys were, but a woman who knew exactly what she wanted from a man. A minx. She grabbed a fist full of his shirt, pulling him close so their bodies pressed together. "And Iā€™m not fast food," she purred, her lips so close to his that when she spoke they brushed ever so slightly.

Blair trailed her lips along his jaw and down his neck, stopping at his shirt collar when her gaze fell to his hand still holding the P.A. button. "Boys," she scoffed softly under her breath as she took his hand off the button and placed it upon her chest. "I hope youā€™re not expecting this to be over quickly."

Ah, she was a feisty one. Dominant, too. Itā€™s a bit awkward for him, but it was also a blessing. Nicholas didnā€™t want to think about anything - if he even thought at all. In fact, he didnā€™t even notice that she removed his hand from the PA system button, only that it was now on her chest and he was happy about that. "We have a couple hours." He seized her hair at the back of her head and gently tugged it back to expose her neck, "Iā€™ll try my best to leave you intact for training." It wasnā€™t a promise that he was likely to fulfill.

* * *

Only the gods know how much time was spent in the P.A. office, but it smelled like sex. Whatever was on the counter was on the floor to make room for two worn-out Demigods. Sleep after physical excursion was only logical.

Unlike Nick, who fell asleep shortly after finishing, Blair just laid on the table looking up at the ceiling. In her typical fashion, whenever she was faced with situations she had no control over or didnā€™t like, sheā€™d backpedal into one of her vices, sex in particular. For her, it was a coping mechanism. She didnā€™t have control over her life, but she could have control when it came to her sex life. It wouldnā€™t make sense to many people, but it was the weird sort of fucked up way she functioned. And it worked.

Nick rolled over and ended up on the floor with a loud ā€œbangā€, which was followed by an audible groan. "Shi--...," he started to curse but let it trail off as he rubbed his face, rolled onto his back, and pulled himself up to his feet. When the haze of being tired eventually cleared up, he looked at the small clock mounted on the wall just above the P.A. system.

4:23 pm. "Ah, shit," he cursed while running a hand through his long messy hair, and began to dress. In the midst of all this, he would toss some items of clothing onto Blair. "We gotta go."

Blair was barely able to hop off the table before Nick started throwing clothes at her. She caught the first couple of pieces. "Alright, Jesus," she grumbled as she tried to juggle the clothes in her hands and catch whatever else he tossed. She managed to hook her bra on her finger, but things began to slip from her grasp. She set the pile down on the table as she started pulling on her undergarments. "I donā€™t think daddy is going to kill you for being a little late."

"Have you met Poseidon?" Heā€™d wait for her, as it was only natural not to leave a woman cold after sex. Even women like Blair. Since she wasnā€™t adept on her feet, or so she claimed, he grabbed her wrist and pulled them both into a light jog toward the arena.

Blair had just barely pulled on her pants when he took her hand and dragged her out of the office. At the rate he was going, she just barely managed to scoop up her purse and cardigan. She definitely was not the running or jogging type and punctuality was not something she worried herself over. Blair was more of the fashionably late-type, not the rush to grab a taxi type. Halfway there she scoffed and jerked her arm free.

If Nick wanted to race to the arena like an idiot he could, but sex was enough physical excursion. Especially if he planned on her training. That was a whole other battle. So rather than wearing herself out any further, Blair freed herself of the meathead and took her own sweet time getting there. She saw what direction he headed in, so it was easy enough to follow while she adjusted her appearance to look a little more presentableā€¦ as much as possible anyway.

Nicholas made it to the arena with Blair not trailing too far behind. He had gotten dressed in everything but his shirt, but as a beach boy, he hardly cared. He had some scars and a large tattoo on his right side. Otherwise, he was a very typical musclehead - all brawn, and as Blair figured out, no brain. At least, no brain for intellectual stuff like books and shit. He didnā€™t need all that when he knew that his place would eventually be alongside his biological father.

Once Blair arrived, she made her way over to the stands and took a seat. And in typical snobby girl fashion, she put on her sunglasses and a resting bitch face. She crossed her right leg over her left as she sifted through her purse for a sucker. Strawberry, her favorite. She plucked the wrapper off the candy and then placed it between her lips. Perhaps giving Nick the best sex of his life and disappearing into the crowd would get her out of training. She could hope.

He tried to place himself in a place where he could be heard at all, which wasnā€™t hard because he could certainly bellow his voice to command attention. "As I stated before, I am Nicholas Bower, son of Poseidon. As youā€™ve heard, I will be assisting you all in your training. The gods have all agreed that Camp Athens has ventured away from its original purpose," he scratched the back of his neck as he parroted the words he was given to relay. "Before I get to training, I do have to update you all on the status of the Valis children. They won't be returning to camp. I wasnā€™t given any other info. Just relaying the deetsā€¦ So there it is." He gave everyone his notorious finger guns gesture at that.

With that out of the way, he smirked, "With that out of the way, welcome to the training arena." He held his arms out to gesture to the massive structure. "It has magical properties that allow observers to be unaffected by powerful influences and/or abilities. So, you can go ham on each other in here." He shook his head from side to side, then jabbed an index finger toward them all, "No killing. No harm to life, limb, or eyesight. Yadda yadda. Healers will be on standby."

Nicholas paused to give everyone a moment to digest everything before he continued, "The arenaā€™s unique property allows it to transform into an environment best suited for the pair of demigods. That means, unless a gladiatorial style arena best suits both of you, this empty space will not be your environment. All weapons, elements, and anything else both Demigods might need, will be provided for you. Though if you have your own weapons, you are welcome to bring them with you."

He stopped because he had to think about everything that he could possibly be missing. He pointed a finger up in the air, "We are going to see where youā€™re at in terms of Demigod skills, so our first training is a spar. To avoid favoritism, the pairings will be random. So, everyone come and grab a token." He produced a pouch (which he was honestly surprised he remembered), and shook it. He reached in and pulled a blue one, then handed it to the next Demigod for the drawing. "If you grab a blue one, youā€™ll join me in the arena for the first dual."

Blair scoffed, rolling her eyes as she moved to her feet. She held the lollipop in her mouth as she wormed her way past other campers to grab her token and be done with it. She didnā€™t bother with the pomp and circumstance of digging around to find what token spoke spoke to her. Her fingers tightened on the first piece she felt and pulled it out to find that she had silver. Well, at least she wasnā€™t first. Silver lining she supposed. Blair tucked the token into her pocket before returning to her seat.

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Characters Present

Character Portrait: Heath Taylor Character Portrait: Daniel Vadas Character Portrait: Theo Smith Character Portrait: Veronica Lewis
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T H E OXS M I T H
son of artemis
Hex: #0000BF
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Theo was locked in his trancelike state for some time. It didn't make sense, him not being able to see things clearly, him not being able to figure things out. The battlefield scenario before him was just a muddled mess in his mind. Being so focused on the war scene before him, Theo never heard Daniel enter the room or start speaking. It was a hand on the back of his shoulder that snapped him back to reality.

"Have you ate?"

Theo turned quickly, propping himself on the war table now behind him. Theo's first reaction was to brace himself for danger, probably a product of where his thoughts had been leading him while staring at the war table. He wasn't exactly used to or comfortable with letting an enemy this close to him. The tension in his muscles relaxed as he saw Daniel's concerned look.

"Dude, Daniel, you scared the hell out of me! You can't creep up on a guy like that."

Theo caught Daniel taking in the war table. For some reason, having someone know that he was replaying the trial made Theo feel even more insecure. He shifted over a bit to obscure Daniel's vision of the table.

"Don't worry about that. Just trying to see things more clearly. And yes... I ate this morning." There was a slight shakiness to Theo's voice. He hoped Daniel couldn't pick up on it, but Theo knew Daniel was an observant guy.

Theo was more than relieved to leave the small hut and follow Daniel outside into the open air. "Theo, come check this out." Squinting, Theo's eyes adjusted to the bright late morning sun. He set his gaze in the same direction as Daniel. There was Heath, long hair and all, and then there was some girl Theo didn't recognize holding a guitar. She was attractive, to say the least. Theo felt a weird pull in her direction. He couldn't place it. He simply fell in line behind Daniel on his walk to meet the duo. It was odd having so many new faces at camp, but in light of recent events, maybe it was what a good thing. Theo could use some fresh friends.

Before they could reach the new girl, Heath stepped forward to intercept them. He looked worried about something, but Theo being Theo, he was more focused on the pretty girl in front of him. Still, he managed to hear what Heath had to say. "Morning, you two know my adopted sister, Iliana right? Have either of you seen her? She went off on her own this morning and I want make sure she's okay." Theo's protective instincts kicked in a bit. He finally turned his eyes to Heath. Theo was sure Iliana was fine, but he didn't want to take Heath's concern for granted. Flashing a soft, reassuring smile at Heath, Theo tried to calm him down. "Sorry, Heath, I haven't seen her yet today. I'm sure she's fine though. Probably still processing yesterday. I think we all are. Theo couldn't help but cut his gaze away. He hated anyone having a reason to think he was weak, but, to him, yesterday gave everyone just that. Theo shot his eyes back up and looked from Heath to Daniel for him to offer more reassurance.

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Character Portrait: Nicholas Bower Character Portrait: Heath Taylor Character Portrait: Daniel Vadas Character Portrait: Theo Smith
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xxxDaniel Vadas
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xxx Hecate | #8b9068 | Outfit
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During their mental debate to step forward and approach Heath and the new girl, the decision was made for them. Heath was heading for them, without his new friend tow. Daniel tried not to visibly pout or turn sulky, or blame Theo, but it was totally his fault.

"Morning, you two know my adopted sister, Iliana right? Have either of you seen her? She went off on her own this morning and I want make sure she's okay."

"Sorry, Heath, I haven't seen her yet today. I'm sure she's fine though. Probably still processing yesterday. I think we all are."

Daniel nodded once as it was well said from the son of Artemis. But then a sort of silence lingered and he caught Theo's eyes on him, seeming to prompt him to add more. Daniel cleared his throat. "How old is she?" Iliana did appear extremely youthful. Like around 15 but he guessed she was older and regardless of what teen year she was - she was a demigod and willingly went off on her own. That's why Daniel asked so Heath realized it, stating it out loud. "Most demigods here are decent, if she's in strife or pain, somebody will comfort her. The others? Ignore her and let her be. You're looking at a 2% chance of something actually bad happening to her. If things weren't turned upside down and there's no sign of struggle, she'll come back when she's ready." It wasn't the most assuring, but it was realistic.

He pursed his lips and stepped up to Heath. "I'm going to lay a pro tip on you. You're going to be divided one day, whether on your own or surrounded by people you can't trust so....branch out. Make friends in high places. That way, you don't have to worry about your sister every two seconds." Daniel understood the worry. When Andy came to camp, he could have developed a whole nervous itch no matter how well she could take care of herself. But quickly, she made friends that cared for her and would protect her, watch her back and have eyes on her. It was just...more comforting knowing she had a solid support system around her. And Heath might feel some relief if he made friends for himself and Iliana too.

"But Theo here, Theo's a wicked tracker." There it was. Some actual helpful advice. Plus it'd keep Theo out of his head, give him something to do if Heath and/or Theo was willing.

It was then some announcement came through the whole of camp. With a little bonus content that made Daniel arch a brow then wrinkle his nose. He worried for a second how far and suggestive things would get on the PA system but then came the blissful silence. Daniel audibly sighed out and relaxed not realizing how tense he was from second-hand embarrassment. Then he simply went about doing his own thing.

* * *

Daniel shuffled back into the training arena for mandatory exercise and a speech...there always had to be some speech. He'd throw popcorn at the guy if it wasn't the poor guy's job. Although he was sick to death of hearing how they were doing everything wrong and about their own camp grounds. "this purpose is wrong. Work, work , work - no play. Be mindless drones. This is what this place is capable of." Like Daniel and his conjurations hadn't put the camp through the rounds. But not everybody crash test-dummied the place he supposed.

He shuffled up for a token because that's what others were doing. It was pretty easy to follow the pattern. He drew a white one at random and returned to his seat, flipping it like a coin until the arena got ready to rumble. He tried to pay attention to who else drew the white one.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Nicholas Bower Character Portrait: Lochlan Carmichael Character Portrait: Iliana Remington-Taylor Character Portrait: Penelope Givens Character Portrait: Heath Taylor Character Portrait: Daniel Vadas
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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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Iliana remembered the last time she'd been at the stables. It was the day when she first arrived, which seemed like a lifetime ago. So much had happened in such a brief time. Alex's trial, the party, and then there was yesterday's incidents. Not to mention all the little things that happened. Iliana didn't know what would happen next. All she knew for sure was she wasn't looking forward to it. So consumed in her own thoughts, she didn't realize that someone was following her.

Reaching the stables, she hesitated. She liked animals, but in her current state, she was afraid of what she would do. She learned animals could sense someone's feelings and could respond to that, especially with horses. One of Heath's relatives worked with horses and she got to see them a few times growing up. Never had the courage to ride one though. Heath did and did pretty well.

Suddenly the hairs on the back of Iliana's neck stirred and she turned around to see someone coming up to her. She didn't recognize him. Confused on what he wanted, Iliana gave the man her full attention.

"Hi there. I'm...I'm completely lost and confused. I've lost my bearings. Would you be able to help me out. Iā€™m looking for the hall."

He didn't look confused, at least not to Iliana. She suppose she could lead him to the Hall, but that would mean running into more people, something she wanted to avoid. Still, she couldn't leave him hanging. She would show him the way, but then leave when she did. Decision made, she started typing her response on her iPad when the stranger spoke up again, talking about the horses before introducing himself as Lochlan, all the while holding his hand out. Iliana hesitated briefly, feeling compelled, placed her hand in his.

"And I think this is the part where you tell me your name."

All thought escaped her mind. She felt this intense pressure within her head. Without thinking about it, Iliana spoke for the first time in over a year.

"I . . . li. . . . na. Iliana," she said a scratchy and low voice.

Shocked, Iliana inadvertently dropped her iPad as she raised her now free hand to her mouth. She spoke. Lochlan could probably figure out she hadn't used it in awhile due to how rough it was. Iliana couldn't believe it. She remembered when Apollo had told her he healed her vocal chords. She had tried speaking then, but nothing came. It was like something was blocking her. Now for some reason she could speak. How did that happen? Totally forgetting about Lochlan, Iliana felt her eyes welling up.

"I . . . can . . . talk . . . . how?" she murmured to herself.

Suddenly a voice penetrated the silence as someone spoke.

"Good morning, Campers, Iā€™m Nicholas Bower, and as youā€™ve heard from Poseidon, I will be assisting in your training. It is now something oā€™clock, so be ready at the training arena at 4:30 pm sharp. This training is mandatory. Be dressed for the part, and everything else will be provided for you."

Snapping out of it, Iliana quickly took her hand out of Lochlan's hand and picked up her iPad. It when she heard this Nicholas and some other female. What they said confused Iliana, and that confusion read easily on her face. Deciding to ignore it, Iliana thought about what Poseidon's son said. Training? A look of fear passed over Iliana's face. That was not good. She didn't think that be wise, but knew she couldn't avoid it either. Maybe when the time came she could show up and try to convince Nicholas to sit this one out. Feeling her anxiety rise though, she remembered Lochlan was still there. Looking at him, she tried talking again.

"The . . . hall . . . . . is that . . . way," she said, pointing in the direction of the Hall.

Wanting to be alone again, the blonde took off running, leaving Lochlan alone.




Theo was the first to answer Heath's question. He also noticed how the man didn't directly look at him at times, but seemed to be looking beyond them. Heath looked and saw him looking at Veronica. Knowing that she was Aphrodite's daughter, and his own initial reaction to her, Heath wasn't too surprised by Theo's reaction. But at least he gave him an answer. Then Daniel spoke up, but instead saying if he'd seen Iliana, he asked him her age.

"She's 19," he said simply, not understanding why Daniel would want to know that.

It wouldn't but the first time Daniel confused him though. Out of the campers Heath had met so far, Daniel was the most puzzling. At least he came off as a decent man, much like his sister. Before Heath could thank the two men for their time, Daniel spoke up again.

"I'm going to lay a pro tip on you. You're going to be divided one day, whether on your own or surrounded by people you can't trust so....branch out. Make friends in high places. That way, you don't have to worry about your sister every two seconds."

It was very sound advice and Daniel was probably right. He could probably relate to Heath since he had a sister and since both Daniel and Andy had been at camp last year, Heath knew he should follow good advice. Still, Heath's protective nature was never going to fully go ahead. Heath even before Iliana had come to live with him and his family, Heath could recall the times he tried protecting others. It was just innate for him to be that way, for better or worse. But Heath knew he'd would sleep better at night if he knew more people at camp would get along with Iliana. Her recalled Cherise being nice to Iliana, as well as Duke and Wes, at least from what Iliana told him. He also remembered Iliana had hanged around others more then he did. He would hope she would do that again, but first she had to get over the events of yesterday.

"Thank you. I will do my best to follow your advice,"

Daniel then mentioned that Theo was a great tracker. That got Heath's attention, but before he could say anything, an announcement was made. So Poseidon's son was here? Heath then caught Nicholas's voice again along with a female voice. Heath couldn't help but groan. He could piece together what was happening. Waiting a few more minutes, it sounded like the pair had turned off the speakers, much to Heath's relief. Focusing on what Nicholas said, it sounded like they were finally going to start training. He hoped Iliana showed up.

Looking at Theo and Daniel, Heath said, "Thanks for both of your help. If Iliana doesn't show up for training, I'll probably ask you for your assistance, Theo."

Bowing to them, Heath returned to Veronica.

"Looks like we're going to be training soon. I think I'll give Iliana the space she needs for now, so I'll go about my own way for now. Oh, I would recommend letting other guys know you're Aphrodite's daughter since we males might act like fools around you," Heath said with a small grin before continuing, "Thanks for your assistance. I'll see you later."

With that, Heath went on his way.




Ethan entered his cabin to see Heath already ready for training.

"Hey, any luck finding Iliana?{/color]

[color=#808000]"No, but did decide to stop looking for her right after that announcement,"


"Aw, well, I am going to get ready for training," Ethan said before heading for his private quarters.

It didn't take him too long for he dressed in workout clothes, the same way as Heath was. Ethan would have spoken up, but the front door opened and Iliana came in. The three stood in silence when Heath suddenly came forward and drew Iliana into a hug. Surprised, Iliana just stood there.

"You had me worried, Lia," Heath said.

"So . . . rry. . . ." Iliana said softly.

For the first time in his life, Heath was shocked. Did . . . did Iliana just speak? Gently, Heath held his sister back.

"What did you say?"

"I'm . . . sorry . . . I didn't . . . . mean to . . . make . . . you . . . worry."

Heath's jaw dropped and he found himself dropping to his knees. Concerned, Iliana dropped before him. Ethan hadn't heard Iliana speak, wanting to give siblings space, but he came forward and dropped next to his friend when he saw him drop to the floor.

"Hey, you okay? What happened?" he asked as he placed a hand on Heath's shoulder.

Tears appeared in Heath's eyes as he looked at Iliana. He honestly thought he would never hear Iliana speak ever again. Hearing her voice, as rough as it was, was miraculous. Overcome with emotion for the first time, Heath cried. Both Iliana and Ethan comforted him. Ethan was confused, while Iliana herself started crying.

Soon, Heath calmed down and looked at Iliana again.

"When . . when were you able to talk again?"

"This morning . . . when I met . . . a new camper . . . named Lochlan."

Now it was Ethan's turn to look surprised since he never heard Iliana talk before. When Heath heard Iliana mentioning someone new, he couldn't help but wonder if this Lochlan had anything to do with Iliana talking now. Well, with training coming up, now would be a good time to find out. Needing a goal to refocus, Heath decided to thinking about training, otherwise he wouldn't be able to recover from the shock he just received.

"Well, you can talk and I can't tell you how happy that makes me feel, Lia. Are you going to come with us to training, Lia? It be best if you did," Heath asked before getting to his feet.

Ethan and Iliana stood up too.

"I will come, but . . . I don't . . . want to . . . train. . . . Might hurt someone." Iliana said, slowly getting used to using her voice again.

"You might have no choice, Lia. Best get ready just in case. We'll see if we can convince this Nicholas to let you skip this session." Ethan said, trying to be encouraging.

Nodding, Iliana left to get changed. Alone once more, Heath decided to confide to Ethan.

"I still can't believe Lia can talk. I don't want her to train either, but I know our mothers want us to train. Mother even told me it's imperative for Iliana to master her powers at some point."

"Hey at least Lia can talk now. And maybe this training will help her."

"Iliana has been training since she was a kid though. I still don't know how being here will make a difference."

"Try to think a bit more positively, bro. Maybe training with other demigods will make a difference. I honestly don't know what to expect, but dwelling on the cons will not help us or Lia."

What Ethan didn't add was he wasn't looking forward to training either. He was not a fighter and knew he was severely lacking in practicing a few of his own skills.

Soon, Iliana came out of her room and the trio left for the training grounds.




Once there they saw others arriving, including Nelly. Nelly had a fine time taking pictures and was pleased the images she took. After lunch, she spent the next few hours at her cabin going through all the pictures. She already knew she would be making a scrapbook for her trip here. Her next plan of action was to get pictures of her fellow campers, but knew she'd have to get permission first. First rule in photography people was to ALWAYS get permission to avoid any legal trouble in the future. That was something her mother taught her. However, she knew she would never get pictures of them using their abilities. That was just asking for trouble and Nelly would never do anything that might put her and her fellow demigods in danger.

Once things were settled, a tall dark haired guy came forward and reintroduced himself as Nicholas. First thing he mentioned was how the Valises wouldn't be returning. This got Nelly and Iliana's attention. Nelly was curious for the reason why, but had a feeling she would never know why. Oh, well, at least she knew what happened to them. Iliana knew the Valises had gone to Olympus. Maybe what happened to them was too much for them to handle. She hoped they were going to be okay, especially Alex.

Nicholas then started talking about their training. When he was done, Heath and Ethan got up to get their tokens. Heath drew out a white token and Ethan drew a green one. Both were relieved their weren't sparring with each other. Turning back, they head for their seat. Nelly wanted to see what colors others drew before getting hers. She saw what colors Ethan and Heath drew, as well as a few others. She started heading up when Daniel head up, so she was able to spy his white token. Looks like he was going up against Heath. This should prove interesting. Daniel was Hecate's son right? So he was bound to use magic skills. Heath was Athena's son. She had no idea what his skills would be, but she imagined he would be pretty smart. Well she would wait and see. Coming up to Nicholas, she smiled and reached into the bag to pull out a pink token.

"Aww, phooey, pink? I was hoping for turquoise, navy, or orange," she complained since those were her fav colors.

Oh well, that's the way the cookie crumbled, she suppose. Shrugging, she returned to her seat.

Iliana deliberately waited for everyone else to get their token before taking a deep breath and approaching Nicholas.

With desperation in her eyes, she quietly asked, "Do I really . . . . have to . . . train? . . . . I can't . . . control my powers . . . . I've killed before . . . "

She started crying again, thinking about the past once more. Once again, it started drizzling. Looking at Nicholas and seeing he wasn't going to let her be excused, Iliana sighed and grabbed the last token before going to sit down.

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Characters Present

Character Portrait: Nicholas Bower Character Portrait: Blair Carmichael Character Portrait: Iliana Remington-Taylor Character Portrait: Heath Taylor Character Portrait: Daniel Vadas Character Portrait: Theo Smith
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VeronicaxxLewis
Daughter of Aphrodite
#B300B3

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Veronica watched as Heath questioned the other two campers about his missing sister, her eyes slowly moving between the two of them. She was trying to see if she could work out who their parents were, though sheā€™d easily admit that Heath didnā€™t jump out as what sheā€™d have expected from a child of Athena anymore than she did as one of Aphrodite.

Sheā€™d hung back slightly to allow Heath to approach them but as he started speaking sheā€™d gingerly moved closer; so she was standing far enough to be apart but close enough that she could just about make out most of what they were saying. It did help that the voice of the second guy carried easier than the first, whoā€™d seemed a little distant when Heath was speaking to him. And then she realised he kept glancing over Heathā€™s shoulder towards her, almost stealing glances since he kept looking away a moment later. It made her feel somewhat self-conscious but at the same time she felt the shiver of excitement as the gooseflesh rippled across her skin. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms to try and soften them again.

The second guy, who thus far seemed to have directed all of his attention towards Heath, seemed to have started onto some kid of speech that sounded like it was bordering on a lecture. The snippets she caught made her smile a little to herself since by the sounds of it, Heath was perhaps a little over-protective of his sister. She had to turn away slightly to hide her expression, just in case he turned around and thought she was making fun of him, which would be terrible given that so far, heā€™s the nearest thing to a friend sheā€™s got so far. She glanced back over at Theo at mention that he was a tracker, which seemed an odd thing to bring up before she remembered that they were meant to be looking for Heathā€™s sister so that actually made perfect sense now that she thought it over.

The exchange in front of her was interrupted by the sound of a somewhat familiar voice that she couldnā€™t quite place echoing throughout the camp. Though it wasnā€™t until she heard his tone change to something more seductive, or at least a little teasing that she realised it was the boy sheā€™d met earlier. As his interaction with another girl started to get a little heated over the intercom, Veronica had to almost stuff her hand into her mouth as she burst out into a fit of giggles, almost doubling over as the awkward conversation continued. When everything went back to silence it took her a few moments to calm down and be able to breathe properly without laughing.

She saw Heath walking towards her, and nodded when he suggested she warn these two who she was in case they had a similar reaction to either Heath or Nicholas. She was a little surprised by Heathā€™s sudden departure but he clearly wanted to be alone after the other boy had given him a bit of a dressing down. So taking a deep breath she walked over to the two campers and did her best to introduce herself.

ā€um, hey. Not sure if you heard Heath, but yeah, Iā€™m the daughter of Aphrodite. Names Veronica, and as I told him if I had any friends theyā€™d call me Vi. Whatā€™re your names?ā€ Her tone varied throughout her introduction, mumbling a little to start before barging straight into self-deprecating humour as she gave her hand a wave towards the two in introduction. Though, one of them had simply turned and walked away before sheā€™d started speaking in earnest and she wondered if the other boy had simply not heard her, but she definitely had the impression that he was ignoring her on purpose. Giving him a curious momentary glance, she returned her focus back to the other boy instead.



Veronica hadnā€™t really known what to do with herself during the gap between the announcement and their gathering at the arena, nor did she really know what sheā€™d do during the actual training itself. After grabbing a little bit of food from the camps canteen, doing her best to avoid anyone else around she filled a water bottle before returning to the arena to wait. Sheā€™d kept her guitar with her since it would at least give her something to occupy her time with, so she'd simply lain back and gently strummed a tune while she waited for the rest of camp to filter in.

Nicholas, the great son of Poseidon sheā€™d encountered earlier took centre stage and began to run through some details of what they were going to be doing, and what she presumed was an update on other demigods who werenā€™t returning to camp. That part piqued her interest, though since sheā€™d literally arrived that morning she had no idea what drama had been going on before. The thought of going into the arena to fight didnā€™t exactly appeal to Veronica, but honestly what choice did she have. She was glad to finally know the name of the boy sheā€™d sent running into the woods, even if when heā€™d first announced it over the intercom. She still needed to apologise to him for that as it kind of made her feel a little sorry for him, especially since he was doing his best to be authoritative. Though that had probably went straight out of the window when heā€™d broadcast his ā€œextracurricular activitiesā€ all over the camp earlier.

Leaving her guitar leading against the stand sheā€™d been sitting on she sauntered down to the front and picked up a green token from the bag. Turning it over in her fingers she slowly made her way back to her seat, while glancing around to find the token sheā€™d spotted someone taking just before, and settling on a boy sitting next to Heath. The girl next to them must be his sister, but she looked rather uncomfortable and flighty as if she was about to make a break for it. There was definitely something familiar about her but Veronica still couldnā€™t quite place it, so it might be worth trying to speak with her later on. And as she watched the girl almost have a breakdown as she went up for her own token, she decided later was probably best. Definitely later.

This was going to be a rough afternoon as far as Veronica was concerned.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Evelyn Masters Character Portrait: Sylas Astor Character Portrait: Mason Hughson Character Portrait: Sloane Astor Character Portrait: Rae Meadows Character Portrait: Nicholas Bower
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VeronicaxxLewis
Daughter of Aphrodite
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Son of Hestia
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Ethan felt bad for Iliana. He knew she didn't want to fight, but rules were rules. He saw her downtrodden look when she returned, orange token in hand. At least he didn't have to fight her or Heath. Looking at his green token, he wondered who he'd have to face. Well, he'd have to wait and see, won't he?

The first duel was between Nicholas and Andy. The duel was very intense, and Ethan couldn't but gap in awe at the two combatants. It seemed to be going back and forth until Andy finally came out on top. However, both she and Nicholas were exhausted. Even watching them tired him out. He knew with his own abilities; his duel wouldn't be as intense since he powers leaned more to supportive and defensive, rather than offensive.

He wouldn't worry about that yet for soon the next duel started and it was Mason and Evelyn. Now this duel definitely interests him more since he had more interaction with one of them, Evelyn. He genuinely like the redhead and hoped to get to know her better. So, it was hard to watch her duel with Mason, who was definitely intimidating. Evelyn did put up a good fight, but Mason did win in the end. Ethan was glad there seemed to be no permanent injuries at least. That was good. Of course, Nicholas did say there was to be none of that anyway, but Ethan wanted to be reassured of what he said was true.

The third duel was between Cherise and Sylas. Ethan watched as the man escorted the girl to the fighting area. Much like Evelyn, he also like Cherise, even though the girl and her friend, Rae, scared the crap out of him that one time when they pulled him in for a dance. Man, had it already been a few days ago? It felt like ages with all that had happened. Ethan didn't know what to expect from this fight, especially with Sylas involved. One thing he wasn't expecting though was to be blinded by an intense light. He covered his eyes much like every else when that happened. The duel didn't last long, even though it was very action pack. Ethan was pleasantly surprised to see just how efficient Cherise was with a quiver, but that's because she was Apollo's daughter right? Still once Sylas got a hold of her, it ended pretty quickly. Looking carefully, Ethan wondered if Sylas used some kind of mental power to make the girl submit. It had to be the case. Looking at Sylas, Ethan wondered if he was just 'playing it safe' for now considering what his trial revealed yesterday. The guy was obviously smart, so that wouldn't surprise him.

After their duel it was Wesley and some new girl. Wondering who she was, Ethan paid close attention to the action. The duel itself was surprising for Wesley had some good tricks up his sleeve, but even in the end even he lost. Still the fact he held out for that long gave him some hope for himself for he had NO fighting experience whatsoever. He couldn't figure out which God the new girl belongs to, but she was definitely cunning. At least the duel ended amicably. Ethan did hear the girl introduce herself as Hera's daughter though. Oh boy, another Hera child, but this one looked and acted decent at least. After the pair left, another new camper appeared. Ethan wondered just how many new campers would show up. He had seen Nicholas lay his head on some unknown girl's lap and he recalled that one bit of commentary this morning after the duel announcement. Not wanting to think of that moment again, his eyes looked at the new guy.

Seeing Liam join him definitely made Ethan nervous. Not even waiting for the arena to change, the Liam just hits the guy square in the fact in a quick knock out. Ethan winced, feeling bad for the guy. At least Liam left the arena without doing anything else. After that there was a very close match between Sloane and Duke, but Sloane managed to win, barely, but she won. It was times like this Ethan was glad the injuries people had would magically go away right after the fight.

His thoughts were interrupted when Liv spoke, and he saw her orange token. His gaze shifted to Iliana, who had turned white. Oh dear, this was not good. Iliana looked stricken and Ethan quickly placed his hand on top of her hand.

He said gently, ā€Itā€™ll be fine Iliana. No one can get seriously hurt in these duels, remember? Just do your best.ā€

He saw Heath nod in acknowledgement too. This seemed to calm Iliana down a bit as she took a deep breath and head for the arena herself. The two briefly interacted before the duel began. Much like the first one it did involve elemental abilities. Ethan winced at the beating Iliana took for Liv was much more aggressive than her brother. At least Iliana got one hit in before being defeated. When she returned, she pretty much collapsed on top of Heath and ended up laying her head on his lap. Heath himself didn't look happy and something seemed to be on his mind, but Ethan would wait to ask him what was up after the duels were done.

The longer the duels went on, the more uncertain Veronica could feel herself becoming; she wasnā€™t a fighter. Flighter most definitely, given how sheā€™d rarely stuck out any meaningful confrontation in her life. Except when it came to her mother, she thought. The one and only time she could remember standing up for herself was to bemoan her very existence.

Glancing around the array of demigods she briefly caught the gaze of the girl who had recently beaten a guy who could only be her brother; the girl nodded towards the arena and gave her a smile of encouragement and a wink. The moment was fleeting, but it was a rare one of support since it was something sheā€™d often lacked; even here other than Heath she mostly felt alone. Though, perhaps having a sibling might provide her with a sense of stability that her other family had so often failed to do; but she didnā€™t allow herself to dwell too much on such hopes.

Taking advantage of the lull following the previous duel, Veronica stood up and made her way over to the trio containing her opponent. Holding out her green token she smiled first at Heath then towards Ethan, perhaps a little more nervously than sheā€™d hoped before speaking.

ā€Hey, Iā€™m Veronica. I think Iā€™m up against you. If you want to go next, maybe?ā€ Her resolve was already beginning to flake as she wrapped her arms around herself tightly, the token tapping against her upper arm while she moved to take a shuffling step back.

Ethan was surprised to see someone come near them. Her words also drew Heath's attention too. Iliana had fallen asleep by this time.

"Oh, sure. I am Ethan, Hestia's son. After you."

Heath wished him luck. Waving at them, he followed Veronica down into the arena.

When Veronica stepped onto the sandy floor of the arena, she could feel the warm air trickling over her skin as it carried with it the sweet scents of her deepest desire that seemed to pull her from the moment into a reverie associated with each. Her attention was brought back as Ethan joined her, with his presence bringing about a more visible change to their surroundings to suit both of the combatants' needs. Greek pillars popped out of the ground and some structures. A table of weapons appeared also. Ethan approached it, but he had no idea what to pick since he had no weapon training whatsoever.

"You know it's a darn shame we can't play a simple game. I love playing dominos hehe," he said awkwardly, trying to make light of the situation. In the end he settled for a bō staff. He didn't know how to use it, but it was better than nothing and he wasn't bound to use a blade for obvious reasons.

The selection of weapons arrayed was impressive and, if she was being honest with herself, rather daunting. Obviously, sheā€™d played pretend as much as any, and her years in drama had seen her make use of dozens of props and tools but that was a far cry from any of the incredibly deadly implements before her. After a failed attempt to lift some of the heavier weapons and sending a sword flying from her hands after a couple of practice swings, she instead settled on a rather plain pair of fighting sticks that she could at least wave around without falling over.

Seeing Veronica picked out her own weapons, Ethan offered his hand and said, "Good luck and let's try to end this as painless as possible."

Veronica paused for a moment as she looked down at the outstretched hand, her eyes flickering to the own before she tucked one of her fighting sticks under the other arm so she could return the gesture, wondering if heā€™d waited till the most awkward moment to wish her the best. ā€Um, yeah. Sure. You too.ā€ She had her doubts she could do much to him, and she had no idea what she was in for especially after some of the spectacles sheā€™d seen from the others.

After that, Ethan walked away from her and stood at a good distance. He wanted to try and think of what he could do before actually making a move. Instantly he went over his abilities and figured his best options were to use his ability to change structure, or he could try to use his serenity inducement to calm Veronica down to the point where she wouldn't want to fight. As he tried to figure things out, he eyed Veronica closely.

She hadnā€™t known what to do at first but singing softly to herself sheā€™d begun to dance to the tune, her movements starting slowly and uncertainly but becoming more purposeful and driven as a smile spread upon her lips. While she could often struggle in more social situations the grace and majesty she could project on stage was returning as she faced off against her opponent, a warm calm that filled her with purpose. After all, what was the duel but simply a performance of her talents?

The moment Veronica started to dance, Ethan could instantly feel her power affect him and he knew he was dealing with another Aphrodite child. But lucky for him he also had the ability to influence other's emotions, so he had a bit more immunity, but it wouldn't last for long though. He instantly used his own serenity inducement on himself, he had to stay calm. But it was hard, for Veronica was very good with what she was doing. He had to think of something quick or he be done for. He had to prevent her from getting any closer to him. Suddenly it dawned on him on what he could do. As long as he had structures around him, he could manipulate them into any form her chose. This included the bō he held, he held it to the ground, causing it to change form and branch out into many forms, slowly creating a maze around them. It did it's intended purpose, it stopped Veronica from reaching him, but Ethan knew like all mazes, there would be a way to get to him.

Though she had been edging closer and closer to her foe, weaving an alluring figure as she swayed from foot to foot, she had felt the ground beneath her feet twisting as they reshaped to trip her. Rather than closing the gap between them to allow her to attempt to reduce her opponents resolve she could feel her plans unravelling as the arena around them was becoming a twisting nightmare that reminded her of something from Escher; already she was weapon-less having lost one then both as the arenaā€™s maze had thrown her off-balance while it had formed.

Wherever Veronica was, Ethan had to seal all of her exits. First, he had to figure out where she was. Maybe he could change the material the maze was made out of. Thinking for a few minutes, he figured something out. Placing his hand on the wall in front of him, he changes the walls of the maze to become glass. Seeing Veronica, he saw her back was too him. Relieved to see she was okay physically. He changes the structure again so the glass connects to form one big dome around her, effectively trapping her inside. However, he did make sure there were breathing holes.

As she spun around trying to locate Ethan, what sheā€™d at first thought was a hall of mirrors she instead realised was a glass dome that had rapidly formed around her and now seemed to be shrinking ever smaller with her inside. At first sheā€™d tried to break her way free but her fists left no impact and neither did her shoes, so with no way out from her claustrophobic prison sheā€™d had no alternative save but to surrender, curling tightly into a ball.

Once Veronica surrendered, the dome vanished completely. Instantly Ethan went to go check on her. "Hey are you okay? I am sorry if anything I did scared you. You actually did well, for I had to think on my feet there. Can I escort you back to your seat?"

Veronica lay on the smooth sand for a moment, her eyes closed as memories flashed behind her eyelids. It had been a long time since sheā€™d felt trapped like that, and taking her a few shuddering breaths she regained some composure. It had only lasted a few heartbeats but it seemed to have stretched for hours. Uncurling from where she lay, she gingerly got to her feet and accompanied Ethan back up out of the arena.

ā€Thank you, Iā€™m fine. Congrats on the win, that maze was neat; did you create it from memory or just in the heat of the moment? I donā€™t even think we ā€˜foughtā€™ like the others did, like neither of us met the other, you know?ā€ she smiled at him wearily before detouring back to her seat when they joined the others.