Oumscar
nah.
boop.
-
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Oumscar
nah.
Elijah trudged to the pavilion for breakfast. His younger brothers and sisters in the Hermes cabin had been practically bouncing off the walls for the entire night, in anticipation for the afternoons 'capture the flag' game, and while Eli couldn't deny his own excitement, something about their constant gleeful chatter had drilled a hole into his patience. He had ended up down on the beach for the majority of the night, lending him the occasional grain of sandy in his ironically sandy hair, and slightly stiff neck from falling asleep on flat ground.
Eli plopped down at a far end of the table, dropping onto a seat next to a mousy-haired boy, with a diminutive frame. His arm rested briefly on the boy's shoulder, ruffling his hair affectionately.
"Hey, Maxie. How were your first few nights?" Maxie had come in during a particularly torrential thunderstorm a few nights back, and had stumbled into camp, drenched and shivering. He had been staying in the Hermes cabin with the rest of the unclaimed, and Eli had taken the quiet boy under his wing.
"Good!" He chirped, shooting Eli a toothy grin as he shoveled eggs into his mouth. His tone dampened slightly, as his eyes darted over to the Ares table. The majority of the muscular, butch children of Ares were already brandishing their weapons across the table, showing them off in preparation for the afternoon.
"Though, I'm a little nervous for capture the flag."
Elijah chuckled, his dimples showing, as he gave the boy a quick, one-armed hug. "Don't be ridiculous, you'll do great. For all we know, you could be the next Percy Jackson, 'eh?"
"M-maybe..." Maxie giggled back. Percy Jackson- though he was a few years gone from Camp Half-Blood, was still a legend, and a common name among the campers.
keen
Eli plopped down at a far end of the table, dropping onto a seat next to a mousy-haired boy, with a diminutive frame. His arm rested briefly on the boy's shoulder, ruffling his hair affectionately.
"Hey, Maxie. How were your first few nights?" Maxie had come in during a particularly torrential thunderstorm a few nights back, and had stumbled into camp, drenched and shivering. He had been staying in the Hermes cabin with the rest of the unclaimed, and Eli had taken the quiet boy under his wing.
"Good!" He chirped, shooting Eli a toothy grin as he shoveled eggs into his mouth. His tone dampened slightly, as his eyes darted over to the Ares table. The majority of the muscular, butch children of Ares were already brandishing their weapons across the table, showing them off in preparation for the afternoon.
"Though, I'm a little nervous for capture the flag."
Elijah chuckled, his dimples showing, as he gave the boy a quick, one-armed hug. "Don't be ridiculous, you'll do great. For all we know, you could be the next Percy Jackson, 'eh?"
"M-maybe..." Maxie giggled back. Percy Jackson- though he was a few years gone from Camp Half-Blood, was still a legend, and a common name among the campers.
keen
keen
what rhymes with keen? queen, bean, lean, saltine
"Percy Jackson..." Sloane hummed, overhearing the boys' conversation as she walked past with two other demigods.
"Haven't heard that name in a while," Felix, son of Tyche, shrugged. "That guy is kinda my hero."
"He was my hero and then some," his sister Shreya responded, wiggling her eyebrows. "Mm-mm, that boy could get it."
"Shreya!" Sloane playfully batted her shoulder, knocking Shreya momentarily off-balance.
"What," Shreya giggled. "It's true!" She shook her head as she slipped into an open seat at one of the tables. Sloane and Felix followed suit. "Let's be real, Sol, you and every other girl at camp were in love with Percy Jackson." Shreya paused for a beat. "Including me." At this, Felix made a face.
Sloane sighed, rolling her eyes. "He is kind of the quintessential demigod hero of our time," a small smile crept onto her lips.
"Exactly!" Shreya exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. "Percy's amazing."
"Okay, well, enough of the hero worship," Felix pursed his lips. He tried to change the subject, but not before Shreya rebutted, "You're the one who said he was your hero." Felix ignored her statement and went on. "We have a few hours before Capture the Flag. Are we gonna talk strategy, or?"
"Talking strategy is pointless until you know who's on your team." Sloane replied, popping a grape into her mouth. "For all I know, you might end up playing for the enemy."
"And then you would have an unfair advantage." Shreya added, shaking her head at her brother. "Nice try, doofus."
Felix snorted. "You guys think too highly of yourselves -- if you're up against me you'll never win."
"Wanna bet?" Sloane laughed, a hint of challenge in her voice. Felix, Felix, Felix, you poor boy.
Before Felix could reply, a few more demigods joined them at their table. Usually at the dining pavilion only children of the same cabin got to sit together, but the minor gods' kids didn't even have their own cabins until recently. Post-Percy Jackson, the rules about who gets to sit with who had been moderately relaxed.
The table dissolved into comfortable conversation. Sloane allowed her eyes to wander across the whole pavilion as she ate. Everyone at every table was doing exactly what was expected of them -- the Ares kids were flaunting blades, the Aphrodite kids were watching skin care videos, the Apollo kids were taking turns with one's ukulele, and the Hermes kids...well, the Hermes kids were characteristically chaotic. Those who lived in and sat with Cabin 11 were a vivacious group, sometimes even to the point of riotous.
Sloane's gaze fell on someone sitting at one edge of their table. Elijah North, she quickly recognized. One of Sloane's guilty pleasures was pranks...and Sloane had made it her personal mission to upstage a child of Hermes in it. Hermes was, after all, the god of pranks -- and for his kid to be upstaged by a Hypnos girl, no less! Now that would be epic. Eli North was not one to go down without a fight, though, so this little competition had evolved into a camp-wide prank war. Even though it only really involved Cabin 11 and Cabin 15, most campers had "chosen their sides," taking great delight in witnessing what these two could come up with. The last "attack" had been from Sol's end, so it was only a matter of time before Eli would retaliate.
No use in worrying about that right now. Tucking those thoughts away, Sloane finished her breakfast and made her way over to the climbing wall. "Might as well get in a little practice," she remarked to no one in particular, staring up at its full height. As if on cue, lava began to pour from the wall's top.
"Haven't heard that name in a while," Felix, son of Tyche, shrugged. "That guy is kinda my hero."
"He was my hero and then some," his sister Shreya responded, wiggling her eyebrows. "Mm-mm, that boy could get it."
"Shreya!" Sloane playfully batted her shoulder, knocking Shreya momentarily off-balance.
"What," Shreya giggled. "It's true!" She shook her head as she slipped into an open seat at one of the tables. Sloane and Felix followed suit. "Let's be real, Sol, you and every other girl at camp were in love with Percy Jackson." Shreya paused for a beat. "Including me." At this, Felix made a face.
Sloane sighed, rolling her eyes. "He is kind of the quintessential demigod hero of our time," a small smile crept onto her lips.
"Exactly!" Shreya exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. "Percy's amazing."
"Okay, well, enough of the hero worship," Felix pursed his lips. He tried to change the subject, but not before Shreya rebutted, "You're the one who said he was your hero." Felix ignored her statement and went on. "We have a few hours before Capture the Flag. Are we gonna talk strategy, or?"
"Talking strategy is pointless until you know who's on your team." Sloane replied, popping a grape into her mouth. "For all I know, you might end up playing for the enemy."
"And then you would have an unfair advantage." Shreya added, shaking her head at her brother. "Nice try, doofus."
Felix snorted. "You guys think too highly of yourselves -- if you're up against me you'll never win."
"Wanna bet?" Sloane laughed, a hint of challenge in her voice. Felix, Felix, Felix, you poor boy.
Before Felix could reply, a few more demigods joined them at their table. Usually at the dining pavilion only children of the same cabin got to sit together, but the minor gods' kids didn't even have their own cabins until recently. Post-Percy Jackson, the rules about who gets to sit with who had been moderately relaxed.
The table dissolved into comfortable conversation. Sloane allowed her eyes to wander across the whole pavilion as she ate. Everyone at every table was doing exactly what was expected of them -- the Ares kids were flaunting blades, the Aphrodite kids were watching skin care videos, the Apollo kids were taking turns with one's ukulele, and the Hermes kids...well, the Hermes kids were characteristically chaotic. Those who lived in and sat with Cabin 11 were a vivacious group, sometimes even to the point of riotous.
Sloane's gaze fell on someone sitting at one edge of their table. Elijah North, she quickly recognized. One of Sloane's guilty pleasures was pranks...and Sloane had made it her personal mission to upstage a child of Hermes in it. Hermes was, after all, the god of pranks -- and for his kid to be upstaged by a Hypnos girl, no less! Now that would be epic. Eli North was not one to go down without a fight, though, so this little competition had evolved into a camp-wide prank war. Even though it only really involved Cabin 11 and Cabin 15, most campers had "chosen their sides," taking great delight in witnessing what these two could come up with. The last "attack" had been from Sol's end, so it was only a matter of time before Eli would retaliate.
No use in worrying about that right now. Tucking those thoughts away, Sloane finished her breakfast and made her way over to the climbing wall. "Might as well get in a little practice," she remarked to no one in particular, staring up at its full height. As if on cue, lava began to pour from the wall's top.
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Oumscar
nah.
Elijah gave the kid one last squeeze on the shoulder, before he stood up. He'd lost his appetite the second that Sour Sloane had stepped up onto the pavilion. The two of them had a rivalry spanning back years of Camp Half-Blood history. Any camper who had been around for a while would easily be able to recall one of two of their escapades. One year, Elijah had super-glued her sword to it's scabbard, forcing her to either choose between the dull, poorly-balanced spare swords, or to simply train with the scabbard on. Eli relished the pictures he had of her lying on the ground, furiously pushing at the hilt of her sword with her feet, while simultaneously pulling upwards on the end of the scabbard with her hands.
However, the year after- Sloane retaliated with a prank of her own, by de-feathering his entire quiver of custom-crafted arrows, the day before an archery competition lead by Eli's then-crush, Angelina Watson. She was an absolutely gorgeous daughter of Aphrodite who was- unbeknownst to 13 year-old Eli- at the time dating the head counselor of the Apollo cabin. It also didn't help that Angelina was also 4 years his senior too- but, his little heart was still crushed as she laughed at his dismal performance with the vandalized arrows.
Things only escalated from there, and on their back-and-forth, it was Eli's turn for retaliation.
"I'll see you around kid," Eli said, flashing the boy a conspiratorial grin, "I've got something big planned for the game this afternoon, so keep your eyes peeled..."
Eli sauntered up to the climbing wall as casually as he could after Sloane left. He stood a foot or so back from the wall, allowing the lava to pass safely by him. Sloane's feet were just in line with his head, so he leant up and prodded her ankle. Eli's head was cocked to the side as he looked up at her, a mockingly placid smile on his face.
"Morning, Ms. Luna. How are you going today?" His voice mimicked a waiter at a fancy restaurant, politely asking for her order. If only Sour Sloane knew what was coming for her today.
The nickname itself came about a few years back, when a new camper had foolish bought an entire jug of milk with him in his bag. Ultimately, with no place to store it, the milk went off. While the kid only saw a wasted investment, Eli saw potential. He took the now chunky bottle of milk from the kid, and snuck up behind Sloane at the campfire one night. The only warning she got was the crack of the plastic cap being opened for the first time, before a torrent of wet, sour, chunks rained down onto her head. The smell didn't come out of her hair for a least a few days!
However, the year after- Sloane retaliated with a prank of her own, by de-feathering his entire quiver of custom-crafted arrows, the day before an archery competition lead by Eli's then-crush, Angelina Watson. She was an absolutely gorgeous daughter of Aphrodite who was- unbeknownst to 13 year-old Eli- at the time dating the head counselor of the Apollo cabin. It also didn't help that Angelina was also 4 years his senior too- but, his little heart was still crushed as she laughed at his dismal performance with the vandalized arrows.
Things only escalated from there, and on their back-and-forth, it was Eli's turn for retaliation.
"I'll see you around kid," Eli said, flashing the boy a conspiratorial grin, "I've got something big planned for the game this afternoon, so keep your eyes peeled..."
Eli sauntered up to the climbing wall as casually as he could after Sloane left. He stood a foot or so back from the wall, allowing the lava to pass safely by him. Sloane's feet were just in line with his head, so he leant up and prodded her ankle. Eli's head was cocked to the side as he looked up at her, a mockingly placid smile on his face.
"Morning, Ms. Luna. How are you going today?" His voice mimicked a waiter at a fancy restaurant, politely asking for her order. If only Sour Sloane knew what was coming for her today.
The nickname itself came about a few years back, when a new camper had foolish bought an entire jug of milk with him in his bag. Ultimately, with no place to store it, the milk went off. While the kid only saw a wasted investment, Eli saw potential. He took the now chunky bottle of milk from the kid, and snuck up behind Sloane at the campfire one night. The only warning she got was the crack of the plastic cap being opened for the first time, before a torrent of wet, sour, chunks rained down onto her head. The smell didn't come out of her hair for a least a few days!
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keen
what rhymes with keen? queen, bean, lean, saltine
Sloane flinched at the voice, knowing exactly who it was even without looking down. Keeping her head tilted up, she said in an equally mocking tone, โGreetings, Mr. North. I would ever so appreciate you leaving me alone, thanks.โ Sloane crinkled her nose in displeasure. She and Eli never talked, unless it was to swap veiled threats or to โmake niceโ in front of Chiron. Since Chiron wasnโt around, it was probably more the former than the latter.
โKeep your distance, if you know whatโs good for you,โ Sloane rolled her eyes, kicking his hand away before continuing her ascent up the wall. She groaned audibly when she felt Eli jump up onto the wall too, climbing right beside her. Glancing at his smug face, she frowned. Whenever she saw him, she just couldnโt shake the memory of drowning in sour, curdy milk. That horror sticks with you when youโre 10. It took ages to rinse out the smell, and years to live down the embarrassment. Sloane vowed to never be made a fool of like that again.
She was only a few feet from the top when Eli nearly caught up with her. Sloane scowled. โYou didnโt keep your distance, DiarrhEli.โ She looked Eli dead in the eyes. A smirk grew on her lips when Eli instantly stopped moving, paralyzed by the oncoming memory. Perks of Hypnos. โI hope you brought your diapers, โcause your ass is gonna get whooped!โ As these words left Sloaneโs lips, she reached for the rope attached to a bell at the wallโs top. The resounding ring of victory was music to her ears.
The bell broke Eli out of his stupor, but by the time he got his bearings, Sloane was already halfway down. As her feet hit the ground with a satisfying thud, she wondered if using her demigod ability like that was fair โ but then again, it was his fault for barging in. Sloane easily brushed the notion of unfairness aside, bending down to pick up her things. Not my problem, she thought.
Speaking of the diarrhea story, it may not have pegged him with a terrible nickname for as long (kids of major gods got all the perks) but it really was an iconic time. Back when Eli was 13, he had a crush on Angelina Watson, this Aphrodite kid who was way out of his league. He wanted to impress her, so he started working out and taking these random โmuscle-buildingโ supplements, like some Ares kids. With the help of some Cabin 7 friends, Sloane switched out his vitamin bottle with laxative tablets that looked eerily similar. It took North a week to realize his vitamins had been compromised. That whole week, though, he had so much trouble trying to keep his bowels in check, especially in front of Angelina! There were a good amount of gruesome scenes in Cabin 11.
Sloane had to laugh. Young Eliโs pale, twisted face truly was a sight to behold. Unforgettable. Gaze flickering back to Eli for a moment, she shook her head. โSee you later, North,โ she grinned.
โKeep your distance, if you know whatโs good for you,โ Sloane rolled her eyes, kicking his hand away before continuing her ascent up the wall. She groaned audibly when she felt Eli jump up onto the wall too, climbing right beside her. Glancing at his smug face, she frowned. Whenever she saw him, she just couldnโt shake the memory of drowning in sour, curdy milk. That horror sticks with you when youโre 10. It took ages to rinse out the smell, and years to live down the embarrassment. Sloane vowed to never be made a fool of like that again.
She was only a few feet from the top when Eli nearly caught up with her. Sloane scowled. โYou didnโt keep your distance, DiarrhEli.โ She looked Eli dead in the eyes. A smirk grew on her lips when Eli instantly stopped moving, paralyzed by the oncoming memory. Perks of Hypnos. โI hope you brought your diapers, โcause your ass is gonna get whooped!โ As these words left Sloaneโs lips, she reached for the rope attached to a bell at the wallโs top. The resounding ring of victory was music to her ears.
The bell broke Eli out of his stupor, but by the time he got his bearings, Sloane was already halfway down. As her feet hit the ground with a satisfying thud, she wondered if using her demigod ability like that was fair โ but then again, it was his fault for barging in. Sloane easily brushed the notion of unfairness aside, bending down to pick up her things. Not my problem, she thought.
Speaking of the diarrhea story, it may not have pegged him with a terrible nickname for as long (kids of major gods got all the perks) but it really was an iconic time. Back when Eli was 13, he had a crush on Angelina Watson, this Aphrodite kid who was way out of his league. He wanted to impress her, so he started working out and taking these random โmuscle-buildingโ supplements, like some Ares kids. With the help of some Cabin 7 friends, Sloane switched out his vitamin bottle with laxative tablets that looked eerily similar. It took North a week to realize his vitamins had been compromised. That whole week, though, he had so much trouble trying to keep his bowels in check, especially in front of Angelina! There were a good amount of gruesome scenes in Cabin 11.
Sloane had to laugh. Young Eliโs pale, twisted face truly was a sight to behold. Unforgettable. Gaze flickering back to Eli for a moment, she shook her head. โSee you later, North,โ she grinned.
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Oumscar
nah.
Ok, that one had hurt. Of all the things that cut straight to his heart- cliche rom-coms, whenever dogs die in movies, Dumbledore's death -the time he shit himself repeatedly infront of Angelina Watson was easily the most painful. Eli could still remember her nose wrinkling up in disgust as she looked up from the bulge in the back of his pants, and the brown liquid trickling down his leg. Truly one of the lowest points of his entire Camp Half-Blood career.
Elijah absolutely hated it when she used her 'mind-voodoo' on him too, it always gave him the slightest sense of nausea the second her chocolaty brown eyes turned to him with that 'look'. But, weirdly enough, loathing wasn't the only emotion that swam through his brain when her eyes settled on him. There was a weird, almost taboo flutter of nervousness at her gaze. A warmth that spread through his chest- though gods forbid it ever rose up to his flush his cheeks infront of her. Eli wasn't exactly sure what these extremely conflicting emotions really meant- like, he really hated her, right? She was such a jerk!
Right. A jerk.
Elijah dropped down a few moments after her. His father granted him a certain limberness, making the few metres to the ground he dropped almost nothing for his knees and ankles.
"Sloane! My feelings!" He said in a mock childish voice, his hands clutched to his heart. Eli gave his best puppy-dog eyes, his baby-browns twinkling amber in the mid-morning sun. He dropped the act, snorting at his own joke.
"You'll regret bringing that up this afternoon..." He shot her a wink, his dimpled, goofball smile completely masking the tumultuous emotions that were battling inside of him as he watched her.
Elijah was surprisingly popular among the girls at camp. His boyish good-looks and cheeky grin practically gravitated the Aphrodite and Apollo girls to him- though he never seemed to be interested in their advances. It was always about 'Sloane! What should my next prank to Sloane be?'. For some reason, constantly talking about another girl- even one who was supposedly his arch-enemy, tended to drive girls off. He'd had the occasional girlfriend, but nothing that had lasted until the end of the summer.
Elijah absolutely hated it when she used her 'mind-voodoo' on him too, it always gave him the slightest sense of nausea the second her chocolaty brown eyes turned to him with that 'look'. But, weirdly enough, loathing wasn't the only emotion that swam through his brain when her eyes settled on him. There was a weird, almost taboo flutter of nervousness at her gaze. A warmth that spread through his chest- though gods forbid it ever rose up to his flush his cheeks infront of her. Eli wasn't exactly sure what these extremely conflicting emotions really meant- like, he really hated her, right? She was such a jerk!
Right. A jerk.
Elijah dropped down a few moments after her. His father granted him a certain limberness, making the few metres to the ground he dropped almost nothing for his knees and ankles.
"Sloane! My feelings!" He said in a mock childish voice, his hands clutched to his heart. Eli gave his best puppy-dog eyes, his baby-browns twinkling amber in the mid-morning sun. He dropped the act, snorting at his own joke.
"You'll regret bringing that up this afternoon..." He shot her a wink, his dimpled, goofball smile completely masking the tumultuous emotions that were battling inside of him as he watched her.
Elijah was surprisingly popular among the girls at camp. His boyish good-looks and cheeky grin practically gravitated the Aphrodite and Apollo girls to him- though he never seemed to be interested in their advances. It was always about 'Sloane! What should my next prank to Sloane be?'. For some reason, constantly talking about another girl- even one who was supposedly his arch-enemy, tended to drive girls off. He'd had the occasional girlfriend, but nothing that had lasted until the end of the summer.
keen
what rhymes with keen? queen, bean, lean, saltine
Damn Eli and his puppy-dog face, Sloane thought to herself. With his eyes wide and lips pouted, Eli looked...kind of cute in the sunlight?
Oh, gods, she grimaced. To fall for his...devious charm was the last thing she wanted to do. It was only slightly more favorable than falling into Tartarus for eternity. Slightly. It was pretty gross how camp girls would flock to and fawn over him. Sloane would be lying if she said she didn't understand the appeal, though. She...she may have thought he was attractive in the past, but the Sour Sloane incident wiped any chance of her liking him all away -- mostly. Kind of. Yeah. Hopefully.
Her breath caught at his wink, but she snapped herself out of it long enough to reply, "Whatever. I'll be ready for it." This came off more as a noncommittal mumble than a challenge. Disappointing. At this, she turned on her heels and walked away.
Sloane's features settled into an uneasy frown. There was just no way she could like him, no way. He was no Percy Jackson, and Percy Jackson was kind of the goal. Right? "Right," Sloane thought aloud, hopping up the steps to Cabin 15. Swinging the door open, she peeked her head in. No one was there. She exhaled in relief. Chucking her sneakers to the side, she made a beeline for her bed. With a satisfying thump her body sunk into the soft mattress.
Sloane sighed blissfully. Whenever life got too overwhelming, she could always find sanctuary in her bed. Her bed was a safe place. The quilts and the blankets...they were her shields, her protection from the outside world. No one could ever hurt her there. Not even stupid Eli North.
After about a half-hour, Sloane got up. The day was still very much ahead of her. She made her way over to the archery field to get some practice in, then spent the hour before lunch hanging out at the canoe lake with friends. Swapping jokes and splashing around were always a good time. Lunch came and went, and soon the afternoon was upon them. Sloane had all but forgotten Eli's threat, but something was telling her that wasn't the only thing she had to watch out for that day.
Oh, gods, she grimaced. To fall for his...devious charm was the last thing she wanted to do. It was only slightly more favorable than falling into Tartarus for eternity. Slightly. It was pretty gross how camp girls would flock to and fawn over him. Sloane would be lying if she said she didn't understand the appeal, though. She...she may have thought he was attractive in the past, but the Sour Sloane incident wiped any chance of her liking him all away -- mostly. Kind of. Yeah. Hopefully.
Her breath caught at his wink, but she snapped herself out of it long enough to reply, "Whatever. I'll be ready for it." This came off more as a noncommittal mumble than a challenge. Disappointing. At this, she turned on her heels and walked away.
Sloane's features settled into an uneasy frown. There was just no way she could like him, no way. He was no Percy Jackson, and Percy Jackson was kind of the goal. Right? "Right," Sloane thought aloud, hopping up the steps to Cabin 15. Swinging the door open, she peeked her head in. No one was there. She exhaled in relief. Chucking her sneakers to the side, she made a beeline for her bed. With a satisfying thump her body sunk into the soft mattress.
Sloane sighed blissfully. Whenever life got too overwhelming, she could always find sanctuary in her bed. Her bed was a safe place. The quilts and the blankets...they were her shields, her protection from the outside world. No one could ever hurt her there. Not even stupid Eli North.
After about a half-hour, Sloane got up. The day was still very much ahead of her. She made her way over to the archery field to get some practice in, then spent the hour before lunch hanging out at the canoe lake with friends. Swapping jokes and splashing around were always a good time. Lunch came and went, and soon the afternoon was upon them. Sloane had all but forgotten Eli's threat, but something was telling her that wasn't the only thing she had to watch out for that day.
Oumscar
nah.
Was that a... did her eyes linger on him a moment longer? Maybe it was just in his head. Eli had heard that some guys had a way of projecting their own feelings onto girls when- wait his own feelings? No no no no no, nu-UH. Eli needed to focus. He forced himself to look down, instead of watching her walk away. With knitted eyebrows and a forced scowl, Eli went into 'focus mode'. For about 25 seconds, before a group of Aphrodite girls waved him over to go swimming down by the beach.
Eli had fun- but there seemed to be something nagging at the back of his brain. Even a group of Aphrodite girls splashing water on him, and jumping on his back wasn't enough to distract him fully. It was a weird tingling at the back of his neck. Was it about Sloane? No. He had buried those feelings so far back in his brain that they would have trouble crawling their way back up for at least a few weeks. Hopefully. That meant it had to be something else. Something... he couldn't describe it. Call it his 'demigod's intuition', but suddenly Eli wasn't looking forwards to the afternoon's game so much anymore, even with his big plan.
But before Eli knew it, it was the afternoon. Blame his ADHD for acting up, but time seemed to fly exceptionally quick. The cabins were gathered at the edge of the woods, with each head counselor standing at the head of their pack. Elijah stood directly next to their head counselor Brianna. She was exceptionally tall, almost eye-to-eye with Elijah, and possessed tomboy-ish good-looks with her chopped short sandy hair, and sharp blue eyes. Brianna was a particular point of interest for the Hephaestus and Ares campers, with many of them flexing their muscles, and limbering up in an exaggerated fashion, glancing over to her every few seconds as they did so. To Eli, Brianna was the closet thing he had to a real sister. Like he had taken Maxie under his wing, she had taken Eli her hers. Since day one, she had fought, and argued, and a multitude of other things just to watch out for him.
"So- what's your big plan for today?" She murmured to him. Eli grinned. He had been dying to fill her in all day. Covering his mouth with his hand, Eli murmured back.
"Got the Hephaestus kids to rig up these little spider automatons, made them all furry 'n stuff. I've got this hole in the middle of the playing field that I'm gonna lead Sloane into after I steal their flag, it's absolutely filled with them. I'm certain she's gonna be watching me like a hawk too, so it's definitely gonna work." Past pranks, the two had created quite the rivalry in capture the flag too, with their cabins somehow ending up on different teams every time they played. Elijah wasn't sure if Chiron had something to do with that, but he didn't really care. The two were star players for their respective teams, and proving which star player was better, was worth any chance of pissing her off. Eli came out of his thoughts, as Chiron trotted up to begin organizing the game. He almost missed Brianna's eyeroll at his excited murmuring.
Eli had fun- but there seemed to be something nagging at the back of his brain. Even a group of Aphrodite girls splashing water on him, and jumping on his back wasn't enough to distract him fully. It was a weird tingling at the back of his neck. Was it about Sloane? No. He had buried those feelings so far back in his brain that they would have trouble crawling their way back up for at least a few weeks. Hopefully. That meant it had to be something else. Something... he couldn't describe it. Call it his 'demigod's intuition', but suddenly Eli wasn't looking forwards to the afternoon's game so much anymore, even with his big plan.
But before Eli knew it, it was the afternoon. Blame his ADHD for acting up, but time seemed to fly exceptionally quick. The cabins were gathered at the edge of the woods, with each head counselor standing at the head of their pack. Elijah stood directly next to their head counselor Brianna. She was exceptionally tall, almost eye-to-eye with Elijah, and possessed tomboy-ish good-looks with her chopped short sandy hair, and sharp blue eyes. Brianna was a particular point of interest for the Hephaestus and Ares campers, with many of them flexing their muscles, and limbering up in an exaggerated fashion, glancing over to her every few seconds as they did so. To Eli, Brianna was the closet thing he had to a real sister. Like he had taken Maxie under his wing, she had taken Eli her hers. Since day one, she had fought, and argued, and a multitude of other things just to watch out for him.
"So- what's your big plan for today?" She murmured to him. Eli grinned. He had been dying to fill her in all day. Covering his mouth with his hand, Eli murmured back.
"Got the Hephaestus kids to rig up these little spider automatons, made them all furry 'n stuff. I've got this hole in the middle of the playing field that I'm gonna lead Sloane into after I steal their flag, it's absolutely filled with them. I'm certain she's gonna be watching me like a hawk too, so it's definitely gonna work." Past pranks, the two had created quite the rivalry in capture the flag too, with their cabins somehow ending up on different teams every time they played. Elijah wasn't sure if Chiron had something to do with that, but he didn't really care. The two were star players for their respective teams, and proving which star player was better, was worth any chance of pissing her off. Eli came out of his thoughts, as Chiron trotted up to begin organizing the game. He almost missed Brianna's eyeroll at his excited murmuring.
keen
what rhymes with keen? queen, bean, lean, saltine
"C'mon, everyone's already there!" Shreya took off running, having grabbed Sloane by the forearm. "Pick up the pace!"
"Someone's eager!" Sloane laughed, matching her pace. "Pretty sure they're not gonna start without us, but okay!" Typical Shreya.
"Whatever!" Shreya yelled back, rolling her eyes playfully. The two slowed to a stop where the others were strapping on armor and choosing their weapons.
Felix sidled up to the two, testing a sword in his hand. His face looked troubled. "There's some bad juju in the air." He paused, sniffing the air. "And I swear it's not the Axe body spray." Shreya and Sloane shared an impish smirk, but Felix's grin didn't quite reach his eyes. "But seriously though --" Felix continued, plucking a shield from one rack. "I don't know if luck's on our side today."
"What are you talking about," Shreya made a face. "We'll be fine. Sloane's on our team; we'll do great!" She slapped her brother upside the head. "Don't be stupid, Felix!"
"Ow!" Felix scowled, rubbing the back of his head. "You nut!"
Shreya and Sloane laughed. "Well, whatever happens," Shreya put an arm on Sloane's shoulder, leaning against her. "Our fearless leader will see us through. Right, Sol?"
"I'll sure as hell try," Sloane shrugged, surveying the rest of the team. They would be good to go in a couple minutes. "I think Felix might be right about the bad juju tho--"
"Okay, shut up!" Shreya interrupted, raising both hands. "You two-" she gestured to both Sloane and Felix, "are bringing the bad juju with your negativity. We do not need any more of that shit. Okay? So like, shut up and get ready." She shoved a set of armor into each of their chests. "We're gonna kill it."
"I hope it's the good kind of 'kill it'," Felix mumbled, strapping on a breastplate. Sloane nodded, but she wasn't convinced either. Something was off.
Fast forward 30 minutes, both Capture the Flag teams were in the heat of battle. Felix and Shreya were back at the base, defending the flag from campers on Eli's side. Sloane headed one of three smaller teams going for the opposing flag. The others were distracting the enemy in open battle.
Sloane leapt over a boulder, her feet landing silently on the opposite side. Her group was weaving around the more wooded areas, relying on stealth and speed. "We should be getting close," Sloane breathed, her ears perking up at the sound of faint chatter. "I hear Brianna. Brianna always plays defense." Signaling the rest of her team to trail her closely, she followed the voices, only for the calm to be shattered by a piercing scream. All five of the team froze. "SPIDERS!" Sloane heard coming from the direction of the main field.
"Well, shit," Sloane laughed a little nervously. "We should probably move quick before--" Another noise cut her off, but it wasn't a scream. A boom resonated through the area, the ground trembling in response. "What was that?" One of the kids with her squeaked.
Sloane frowned, shaking her head. "I don't know, but it doesn't sound good." She broke into a run, taking off towards camp. Some of her younger siblings were sleeping back at the cabin, and she had to make sure they were okay. "Oh, gods..."
As she was running, another boom shook the ground. Sloane nearly fell face first into a tree trunk, but she was able to steady herself. Sloane looked up, and what she saw next horrified her.
Angry balls of fire streaked her vision, raining from the sky onto camp. Each met the ground with a violent thud, igniting whatever it came into contact with. Young campers streamed out of the cabins, shrieking in fear. The nymphs and naiads mobilized to quench the flames while Chiron and the satyrs were leading demigods away to safety. Mr. D stood in shock on the porch of the Big House.
Sloane ran like the wind towards Cabin 15. The ground around it was ablaze, encircling the cabin in a ring of fire. With a running start Sloane vaulted over the flames, managing to only singe the edge of her jeans. Throwing open the cabin door in panic, she was relieved to find no one else there. Sloane dove for a magical item beneath her bed, right as another fireball hit the ground a few yards away. The floor shook with vigor.
A minute later, Sloane made it outside. She saw the roofs of both the Dionysus and Demeter cabins on fire, the surrounding vines burning. The other demigods who had come back from the game had mobilized now too -- they were clearing the area of any straggling demigods and working together to put out the flames. Sloane spotted a kid no older than six crying in the middle of Cabin 4. The fire was starting to creep in through the windows.
There was no question in Sloane's mind. She dashed into the burning cabin.
"Someone's eager!" Sloane laughed, matching her pace. "Pretty sure they're not gonna start without us, but okay!" Typical Shreya.
"Whatever!" Shreya yelled back, rolling her eyes playfully. The two slowed to a stop where the others were strapping on armor and choosing their weapons.
Felix sidled up to the two, testing a sword in his hand. His face looked troubled. "There's some bad juju in the air." He paused, sniffing the air. "And I swear it's not the Axe body spray." Shreya and Sloane shared an impish smirk, but Felix's grin didn't quite reach his eyes. "But seriously though --" Felix continued, plucking a shield from one rack. "I don't know if luck's on our side today."
"What are you talking about," Shreya made a face. "We'll be fine. Sloane's on our team; we'll do great!" She slapped her brother upside the head. "Don't be stupid, Felix!"
"Ow!" Felix scowled, rubbing the back of his head. "You nut!"
Shreya and Sloane laughed. "Well, whatever happens," Shreya put an arm on Sloane's shoulder, leaning against her. "Our fearless leader will see us through. Right, Sol?"
"I'll sure as hell try," Sloane shrugged, surveying the rest of the team. They would be good to go in a couple minutes. "I think Felix might be right about the bad juju tho--"
"Okay, shut up!" Shreya interrupted, raising both hands. "You two-" she gestured to both Sloane and Felix, "are bringing the bad juju with your negativity. We do not need any more of that shit. Okay? So like, shut up and get ready." She shoved a set of armor into each of their chests. "We're gonna kill it."
"I hope it's the good kind of 'kill it'," Felix mumbled, strapping on a breastplate. Sloane nodded, but she wasn't convinced either. Something was off.
Fast forward 30 minutes, both Capture the Flag teams were in the heat of battle. Felix and Shreya were back at the base, defending the flag from campers on Eli's side. Sloane headed one of three smaller teams going for the opposing flag. The others were distracting the enemy in open battle.
Sloane leapt over a boulder, her feet landing silently on the opposite side. Her group was weaving around the more wooded areas, relying on stealth and speed. "We should be getting close," Sloane breathed, her ears perking up at the sound of faint chatter. "I hear Brianna. Brianna always plays defense." Signaling the rest of her team to trail her closely, she followed the voices, only for the calm to be shattered by a piercing scream. All five of the team froze. "SPIDERS!" Sloane heard coming from the direction of the main field.
"Well, shit," Sloane laughed a little nervously. "We should probably move quick before--" Another noise cut her off, but it wasn't a scream. A boom resonated through the area, the ground trembling in response. "What was that?" One of the kids with her squeaked.
Sloane frowned, shaking her head. "I don't know, but it doesn't sound good." She broke into a run, taking off towards camp. Some of her younger siblings were sleeping back at the cabin, and she had to make sure they were okay. "Oh, gods..."
As she was running, another boom shook the ground. Sloane nearly fell face first into a tree trunk, but she was able to steady herself. Sloane looked up, and what she saw next horrified her.
Angry balls of fire streaked her vision, raining from the sky onto camp. Each met the ground with a violent thud, igniting whatever it came into contact with. Young campers streamed out of the cabins, shrieking in fear. The nymphs and naiads mobilized to quench the flames while Chiron and the satyrs were leading demigods away to safety. Mr. D stood in shock on the porch of the Big House.
Sloane ran like the wind towards Cabin 15. The ground around it was ablaze, encircling the cabin in a ring of fire. With a running start Sloane vaulted over the flames, managing to only singe the edge of her jeans. Throwing open the cabin door in panic, she was relieved to find no one else there. Sloane dove for a magical item beneath her bed, right as another fireball hit the ground a few yards away. The floor shook with vigor.
A minute later, Sloane made it outside. She saw the roofs of both the Dionysus and Demeter cabins on fire, the surrounding vines burning. The other demigods who had come back from the game had mobilized now too -- they were clearing the area of any straggling demigods and working together to put out the flames. Sloane spotted a kid no older than six crying in the middle of Cabin 4. The fire was starting to creep in through the windows.
There was no question in Sloane's mind. She dashed into the burning cabin.
Oumscar
nah.
Eli gave a frustrated groan, as he watched a third unsuspecting Dionysus camper plummet down into his little hole of nightmares. He was beginning to think that maybe this prank was a little too far. With each young boy or girl that fell in, their throat-tearing screams of fear and panic chipped away at his conscious just that little bit more. It didn't help that after he and Brianna pulled them from the hole, they barely spoke a word, wandering back towards camp with their arms wrapped around themselves.
"Yeesh..." Eli murmured to himself. He was perched in a tree, 10 or so metres above the ground, and had been trying to spot Sloane during the battle so that he could enact his plan, but she had been much more stealthy this game it seemed. A different, more muffled sound met his ears as he pondered his prank. It wasn't as sharp, and skin-crawling as the screams from his spider-pit, but it shook him to his core nonetheless. The BOOM! found his ears first, before the shockwave hit a split-second later. Eli was flung from the tree as the ground shook, and he landed hard on his ankle, pain shooting up his leg.
"Fuck-!" He cried out. The sounds of battle around him settled into an eerie silence, campers looking every-which-way in search of an explanation to the impact. Almost as if the realization was a wave washing through them, the campers took off one by one towards camp, and the billowing smoke that was starting to rise. Eli didn't have much choice, however. His ankle was twisted, and while he didn't think it was broken, he probably wouldn't be running any time soon. Hobbling it was then. Eli levered himself to his feet, gritting his teeth through the pain. Using a series of trees, and shrubbery, he began limping his way back to camp.
Eli couldn't even begin to guess what was causing the explosions. On his way back, 3 more fireballs impacted, throwing him from his feet, forcing him to begin to process of clambering upright again. Once he cleared the trees, something much scarier than the afternoon sun was reflected in his eyes. Camp Half-Blood was burning. The pain in his ankle was beginning to fade, so Eli broke into a hobbling jog, his head on a swivel as he tried to spot the source of the fireballs that were raining down on them. But something else caught his eye. A familiar, brown-haired figure ducking into a burning building.
"Sloane..." He murmured, his jaw clenching as he increased his speed, heading for the buildings entrance. Eli could already see the supports of the roof beginning splinter and char from the flames. He ducked in through the doorway, trying to keep low away from the smoke as he surveyed the scene.
"Sloane?" He called out this time, the acrid smoke growing thicker by the second.
"Yeesh..." Eli murmured to himself. He was perched in a tree, 10 or so metres above the ground, and had been trying to spot Sloane during the battle so that he could enact his plan, but she had been much more stealthy this game it seemed. A different, more muffled sound met his ears as he pondered his prank. It wasn't as sharp, and skin-crawling as the screams from his spider-pit, but it shook him to his core nonetheless. The BOOM! found his ears first, before the shockwave hit a split-second later. Eli was flung from the tree as the ground shook, and he landed hard on his ankle, pain shooting up his leg.
"Fuck-!" He cried out. The sounds of battle around him settled into an eerie silence, campers looking every-which-way in search of an explanation to the impact. Almost as if the realization was a wave washing through them, the campers took off one by one towards camp, and the billowing smoke that was starting to rise. Eli didn't have much choice, however. His ankle was twisted, and while he didn't think it was broken, he probably wouldn't be running any time soon. Hobbling it was then. Eli levered himself to his feet, gritting his teeth through the pain. Using a series of trees, and shrubbery, he began limping his way back to camp.
Eli couldn't even begin to guess what was causing the explosions. On his way back, 3 more fireballs impacted, throwing him from his feet, forcing him to begin to process of clambering upright again. Once he cleared the trees, something much scarier than the afternoon sun was reflected in his eyes. Camp Half-Blood was burning. The pain in his ankle was beginning to fade, so Eli broke into a hobbling jog, his head on a swivel as he tried to spot the source of the fireballs that were raining down on them. But something else caught his eye. A familiar, brown-haired figure ducking into a burning building.
"Sloane..." He murmured, his jaw clenching as he increased his speed, heading for the buildings entrance. Eli could already see the supports of the roof beginning splinter and char from the flames. He ducked in through the doorway, trying to keep low away from the smoke as he surveyed the scene.
"Sloane?" He called out this time, the acrid smoke growing thicker by the second.
keen
what rhymes with keen? queen, bean, lean, saltine
"Okay, so we're gonna have to crawl out of here," Sloane was careful to measure her tone evenly. The kid was freaked out enough by the fire; he didn't need her to be panicked too. "But we can do that, right, Marco? We can do this," she fell to her knees, eyes steadily trained on the boy. He nodded in between sobs. "Alright, look at me," she said slowly, beads of sweat trickling down her face. C'mon, look at me.
After a second of hesitation, Marco's teary eyes met her steady ones. In an instant she took advantage, evoking in Marco's mind a calm, happy memory. The boy's shoulders visibly relaxed. Sloane exhaled. His eyes glazed over, a small smile surfacing on his soot-dusted face.
She took a shallow breath before squeezing his forearm to ground him. The air was getting way too thin. "Marco, we need to go now--"
"Sloane?" A voice rang out, cutting her off. She immediately twisted her head in the voice's direction. Elijah North. He had just come through the doorway, and he now stood in the middle of the cabin with the two of them. Stupid!
"What the f--" A cough assaulted her mid-sentence. Not a great indicator of air quality. "W-what are you doing here?" Sloane helped the little boy get on all fours, preparing him to crawl. She readied herself to crawl as well but kept her eyes on Eli. He looked...concerned, uncharacteristically so.
"You need to--" she began before her gaze dropped to Eli's feet. He was clearly placing all his weight on one leg, the other suspending a foot bent at an awkward angle. She noticed his jaw was clenched. He had to be in pain. Shit, he's hurt.
Sloane shook her head. Eli was in no position to help. And in this moment, he was another liability. "Forget it, just get out of here," Sloane winced her eyes shut, the smoke stinging. "You're hurt," she told Eli. As these words left her, a beam collapsed about two feet away from them. Marco shrieked, nuzzling into her sleeve.
"Get out." Sloane barked. Eli didn't move. "I said, get out!" she slapped the shin on his good leg. He wasn't being rational at all. Instead of doing what she said, he crouched down beside her, to Sloane's disbelief. "You're actually nuts," she groaned. With one hand each, she shoved him and Marco forward.
The three of them crawled forward, Sloane coaxing a shaking Marco to keep moving with soft, steady affirmation. The cabin was burning down around them, but Sloane made sure Marco's eyes were always trained forward. Eventually, she reached the doorway. Sloane stumbled to her feet, tugging Marco along with her. "Go to Brianna now," she pointed at Bri, who was directing a group of kids Marco's age away from the fires. Marco nodded, taking off as fast as his little legs would carry him.
When he was a safe distance away, Sloane turned to Eli. He was still on the ground, trying to make it past the doorway. At his height, Eli had definitely inhaled more smoke than the rest of them, and his twisted ankle was not helping him any.
Right at that very moment, the wooden beam holding up the doorway gave way! A chill ran down Sloane's spine. She instinctively reached for Eli's hand, yanking him forward. The sudden transfer of weight knocked Sloane off-balance, landing her on her ass with a thump.
Unfortunately, she wasn't quick enough. A sharp piece of wood lodged itself into Eli's twisted ankle. He did nothing to muffle a howl of pain. "Shit!" Sloane cried, clambering back up. With both hands she took hold of Eli's one arm and dragged him farther out. Demigods and nymphs alike filed forward to stop the flames as best they could, but it was no use. The cabin was lost.
After a second of hesitation, Marco's teary eyes met her steady ones. In an instant she took advantage, evoking in Marco's mind a calm, happy memory. The boy's shoulders visibly relaxed. Sloane exhaled. His eyes glazed over, a small smile surfacing on his soot-dusted face.
She took a shallow breath before squeezing his forearm to ground him. The air was getting way too thin. "Marco, we need to go now--"
"Sloane?" A voice rang out, cutting her off. She immediately twisted her head in the voice's direction. Elijah North. He had just come through the doorway, and he now stood in the middle of the cabin with the two of them. Stupid!
"What the f--" A cough assaulted her mid-sentence. Not a great indicator of air quality. "W-what are you doing here?" Sloane helped the little boy get on all fours, preparing him to crawl. She readied herself to crawl as well but kept her eyes on Eli. He looked...concerned, uncharacteristically so.
"You need to--" she began before her gaze dropped to Eli's feet. He was clearly placing all his weight on one leg, the other suspending a foot bent at an awkward angle. She noticed his jaw was clenched. He had to be in pain. Shit, he's hurt.
Sloane shook her head. Eli was in no position to help. And in this moment, he was another liability. "Forget it, just get out of here," Sloane winced her eyes shut, the smoke stinging. "You're hurt," she told Eli. As these words left her, a beam collapsed about two feet away from them. Marco shrieked, nuzzling into her sleeve.
"Get out." Sloane barked. Eli didn't move. "I said, get out!" she slapped the shin on his good leg. He wasn't being rational at all. Instead of doing what she said, he crouched down beside her, to Sloane's disbelief. "You're actually nuts," she groaned. With one hand each, she shoved him and Marco forward.
The three of them crawled forward, Sloane coaxing a shaking Marco to keep moving with soft, steady affirmation. The cabin was burning down around them, but Sloane made sure Marco's eyes were always trained forward. Eventually, she reached the doorway. Sloane stumbled to her feet, tugging Marco along with her. "Go to Brianna now," she pointed at Bri, who was directing a group of kids Marco's age away from the fires. Marco nodded, taking off as fast as his little legs would carry him.
When he was a safe distance away, Sloane turned to Eli. He was still on the ground, trying to make it past the doorway. At his height, Eli had definitely inhaled more smoke than the rest of them, and his twisted ankle was not helping him any.
Right at that very moment, the wooden beam holding up the doorway gave way! A chill ran down Sloane's spine. She instinctively reached for Eli's hand, yanking him forward. The sudden transfer of weight knocked Sloane off-balance, landing her on her ass with a thump.
Unfortunately, she wasn't quick enough. A sharp piece of wood lodged itself into Eli's twisted ankle. He did nothing to muffle a howl of pain. "Shit!" Sloane cried, clambering back up. With both hands she took hold of Eli's one arm and dragged him farther out. Demigods and nymphs alike filed forward to stop the flames as best they could, but it was no use. The cabin was lost.
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Oumscar
nah.
Well, that had gone poorly. Not only did he get a 4 inch splinter of wood embedded into his already injured foot, but he had simply been an inconvenience to Sloane. It didn't matter though. Eli wouldn't have been able to forgive himself if he hadn't gone in, and Sloane had gotten hurt. The wood was buried just below his ankle joint, not far enough to stick through to the other side, but it was definitely hitting bone. Past his initial howl, Eli grit his teeth, determined not to cry out any further. Instead, his eyes turned to Sloane. She had just finished dragging him back a safe distance, and stood wiping sweat and soot from her brow.
"S-sorry..." His words were weak, the smoke and ash manipulating his usually rich voice into a raspy whisper. "I had to make sure you were ok..." It didn't matter that they were rivals, or that they supposedly 'hated' each other. In that moment, Eli didn't care. He had seen someone he saw as close to him- even if they didn't feel the same way- running into a burning building. The only legitimate course of action for him was to follow, no matter the consequences. Eli hung his head. He didn't want to see the look of anger, or disappointment, or whatever he assumed would be there if he met Sloane's gaze again. Maybe if he hadn't been injured, he couldn't have actually helped- but rushing in with a bad leg only put himself, Sloane, and the kid she was helping in danger. It was disgraceful.
Speaking of danger- it seemed like the barrage of fireballs had ceased. Eli pulled his head up, careful not to look in Sloane's direction. There still wasn't a clear sign what had caused the attack, at least not to Elijah. Surely their magical defenses would have prevented something like this from happening? A shape materialized out of the smokey haze that had settled on camp. Her curvy figure, and chopped hair were instantly recognizable. Brianna came over to them, flanked the Athena and Apollo head counselors. She grimaced when she saw the bloody stain seeping into Eli's jeans, her eyes turning to Sloane, as the Apollo camper knelt next to Eli, a canteen of nectar in hand.
"What happened to him?" Bri said, her voice snappier than it's usually laid-back tones. She sounded almost accusatory, as if it was Sloane's fault that he was hurt.
"N-no, Bri- I was being an idiot. It had nothing to do with her." That might not have been 100% true, but they would have time for semantics later. Right now, something else was tugging at his mind. The group of young kids that Brianna had assembled was gathered nearby, but among the ashy, tear-stricken faces, one was missing.
"Maxie..." Eli whispered. There wasn't any time. He had to find that kid. With a phenomenal effort, and the aid of the nectar, Eli hauled himself upwards, and away from the group. He was almost hopping, clenching his jaw through the pain, as he disappeared into the haze mid-conversation. <<i assume Bri and Sloane would be talking then lmao >>
"Maxie!"
"S-sorry..." His words were weak, the smoke and ash manipulating his usually rich voice into a raspy whisper. "I had to make sure you were ok..." It didn't matter that they were rivals, or that they supposedly 'hated' each other. In that moment, Eli didn't care. He had seen someone he saw as close to him- even if they didn't feel the same way- running into a burning building. The only legitimate course of action for him was to follow, no matter the consequences. Eli hung his head. He didn't want to see the look of anger, or disappointment, or whatever he assumed would be there if he met Sloane's gaze again. Maybe if he hadn't been injured, he couldn't have actually helped- but rushing in with a bad leg only put himself, Sloane, and the kid she was helping in danger. It was disgraceful.
Speaking of danger- it seemed like the barrage of fireballs had ceased. Eli pulled his head up, careful not to look in Sloane's direction. There still wasn't a clear sign what had caused the attack, at least not to Elijah. Surely their magical defenses would have prevented something like this from happening? A shape materialized out of the smokey haze that had settled on camp. Her curvy figure, and chopped hair were instantly recognizable. Brianna came over to them, flanked the Athena and Apollo head counselors. She grimaced when she saw the bloody stain seeping into Eli's jeans, her eyes turning to Sloane, as the Apollo camper knelt next to Eli, a canteen of nectar in hand.
"What happened to him?" Bri said, her voice snappier than it's usually laid-back tones. She sounded almost accusatory, as if it was Sloane's fault that he was hurt.
"N-no, Bri- I was being an idiot. It had nothing to do with her." That might not have been 100% true, but they would have time for semantics later. Right now, something else was tugging at his mind. The group of young kids that Brianna had assembled was gathered nearby, but among the ashy, tear-stricken faces, one was missing.
"Maxie..." Eli whispered. There wasn't any time. He had to find that kid. With a phenomenal effort, and the aid of the nectar, Eli hauled himself upwards, and away from the group. He was almost hopping, clenching his jaw through the pain, as he disappeared into the haze mid-conversation. <<i assume Bri and Sloane would be talking then lmao >>
"Maxie!"
keen
what rhymes with keen? queen, bean, lean, saltine
"You're...you're crazy!" Sloane huffed, a righteous anger bubbling up inside her. He could have gotten himself killed! And where would that have left them?! Eli was nuts.
"If your fucking foot doesn't kill you, I will," she chided, pivoting to examine his foot. She bent down, raising his leg gingerly so as not to disturb the wound.
His ankle was a mess. The wood had pierced right through the jean material into his ankle, effectively creating a bloody hole in the fabric. Wordlessly Sloane ripped the remaining threads keeping the pant leg together, peeling the denim away from the gash so it wouldn't stick to his skin. Her fingers made quick work of rolling his pant leg into a neat cuff.
"Don't ever do that again," Sloane mumbled, gently smoothing down the fold. A warmth blossomed in her chest. Eli had acted very heroically, in spite of his idiocy. He's such a dolt. She would have to thank him for that later. Sloane, however, convinced herself that wasn't important right now -- what was important was getting Eli's foot fixed. She bit her bottom lip. Shit. The wound shouldn't have been super bad, but the amount of blood spilling from it was starting to alarm her. Eli propping himself up snapped her out of thoughts. Sloane heard the rustle of feet hurriedly making their way towards them. Definitely more than one pair.
To her side she sensed someone kneel beside her. Twisting her head, she recognized the person as the Apollo head counselor.
A sharp voice then snatched Sloane's attention. It was Brianna. Knowing her, she presumably had left her kids in the charge of some other demigod before approaching the two of them. Sloane knew how much Brianna cared for Eli, and vice versa. "I ran in to save Marco Granjero, and Eli followed me," Sloane stood, locking eyes with Bri. It wasn't her fault Eli ran in after her, even though deep down she felt partially responsible. "I didn't see him follow, but by the time I realized it, we were already both in the fire," she pursed her lips. "The dimwit's ankle was already sprained when he got there." Sloane frowned in displeasure. She rolled her eyes and tuned out as Brianna launched into a rant. It was okay, though; Sloane understood that it came from a place of genuine concern. Brianna didn't really blame either of them -- she was just insanely worried, after the fact.
Only a minute later did they both realize that Eli was no longer with them. "Where did he go?!" Brianna gaped, eyes widening.
"I didn't see where he went," Sloane replied, her eyes growing to match the size of Bri's eyes. "But he couldn't have gone far, yeah?"
"Right," Bri nodded. She snorted, realizing even the Apollo kid had left without warning. "We were just...too caught up in conversation."
"Uh huh," Sloane shrugged, already scanning for any sign of him. Drops of blood marked a trail leading away from their spot, fading into smaller droplets the farther it went. "Follow me!" Both girls sprinted down the trail.
Maxie was lost in a crowd of older demigods and satyrs, all at least a head taller than him. "Hey!" he tried to shove his way forward, but he was inconspicuous enough that his feeble attempts went unnoticed. He'd inhaled a borderline unhealthy amount of smoke too, having been in a building struck by a fireball. The smoke in his lungs had sapped some of his strength. Above the commotion he heard his name cried out. "Maxie!"
"Eli!" he yelled in response, squirming past the other bodies with renewed fervor. "Eli!" He repeated, finally popping out of the crowd to see Eli's figure hobbling through camp. Maxie ran towards him, legs wobbling beneath him too. Immediately upon contact he wrapped himself around Eli. "I was so scared," he mumbled against Eli's sooty t-shirt.
Sloane and Bri found them just as the smoke began to clear. Sloane took in the scene: the two sharing a desperate hug against a fire-ravaged backdrop. She sighed. What had happened, and what were they to do now?
Felix and Shreya burst forward, making a beeline for Sloane. "Oh my gods, Sol!" The two crushed her into a group hug, other demigods from minor cabins gradually joining in. When they let go, Shreya was the first to speak. "We tore through the whole field looking for you!" she crossed her arms, pouting. "Where were you?!"
Right as Sloane opened her mouth to respond, a thunderous voice addressed the crowd. "Demigods," Chiron began, commanding everyone's attention. "We must find out who is responsible for this blatant attack on half-blood-kind."
A clamor arose among the gathered, each reacting in various ways. Some were more militant, others in shock. Still others were curious, while the rest were fighting back tears. Sloane crossed her arms. The question remained: What had happened, and what were they to do now?
"If your fucking foot doesn't kill you, I will," she chided, pivoting to examine his foot. She bent down, raising his leg gingerly so as not to disturb the wound.
His ankle was a mess. The wood had pierced right through the jean material into his ankle, effectively creating a bloody hole in the fabric. Wordlessly Sloane ripped the remaining threads keeping the pant leg together, peeling the denim away from the gash so it wouldn't stick to his skin. Her fingers made quick work of rolling his pant leg into a neat cuff.
"Don't ever do that again," Sloane mumbled, gently smoothing down the fold. A warmth blossomed in her chest. Eli had acted very heroically, in spite of his idiocy. He's such a dolt. She would have to thank him for that later. Sloane, however, convinced herself that wasn't important right now -- what was important was getting Eli's foot fixed. She bit her bottom lip. Shit. The wound shouldn't have been super bad, but the amount of blood spilling from it was starting to alarm her. Eli propping himself up snapped her out of thoughts. Sloane heard the rustle of feet hurriedly making their way towards them. Definitely more than one pair.
To her side she sensed someone kneel beside her. Twisting her head, she recognized the person as the Apollo head counselor.
A sharp voice then snatched Sloane's attention. It was Brianna. Knowing her, she presumably had left her kids in the charge of some other demigod before approaching the two of them. Sloane knew how much Brianna cared for Eli, and vice versa. "I ran in to save Marco Granjero, and Eli followed me," Sloane stood, locking eyes with Bri. It wasn't her fault Eli ran in after her, even though deep down she felt partially responsible. "I didn't see him follow, but by the time I realized it, we were already both in the fire," she pursed her lips. "The dimwit's ankle was already sprained when he got there." Sloane frowned in displeasure. She rolled her eyes and tuned out as Brianna launched into a rant. It was okay, though; Sloane understood that it came from a place of genuine concern. Brianna didn't really blame either of them -- she was just insanely worried, after the fact.
Only a minute later did they both realize that Eli was no longer with them. "Where did he go?!" Brianna gaped, eyes widening.
"I didn't see where he went," Sloane replied, her eyes growing to match the size of Bri's eyes. "But he couldn't have gone far, yeah?"
"Right," Bri nodded. She snorted, realizing even the Apollo kid had left without warning. "We were just...too caught up in conversation."
"Uh huh," Sloane shrugged, already scanning for any sign of him. Drops of blood marked a trail leading away from their spot, fading into smaller droplets the farther it went. "Follow me!" Both girls sprinted down the trail.
Maxie was lost in a crowd of older demigods and satyrs, all at least a head taller than him. "Hey!" he tried to shove his way forward, but he was inconspicuous enough that his feeble attempts went unnoticed. He'd inhaled a borderline unhealthy amount of smoke too, having been in a building struck by a fireball. The smoke in his lungs had sapped some of his strength. Above the commotion he heard his name cried out. "Maxie!"
"Eli!" he yelled in response, squirming past the other bodies with renewed fervor. "Eli!" He repeated, finally popping out of the crowd to see Eli's figure hobbling through camp. Maxie ran towards him, legs wobbling beneath him too. Immediately upon contact he wrapped himself around Eli. "I was so scared," he mumbled against Eli's sooty t-shirt.
Sloane and Bri found them just as the smoke began to clear. Sloane took in the scene: the two sharing a desperate hug against a fire-ravaged backdrop. She sighed. What had happened, and what were they to do now?
Felix and Shreya burst forward, making a beeline for Sloane. "Oh my gods, Sol!" The two crushed her into a group hug, other demigods from minor cabins gradually joining in. When they let go, Shreya was the first to speak. "We tore through the whole field looking for you!" she crossed her arms, pouting. "Where were you?!"
Right as Sloane opened her mouth to respond, a thunderous voice addressed the crowd. "Demigods," Chiron began, commanding everyone's attention. "We must find out who is responsible for this blatant attack on half-blood-kind."
A clamor arose among the gathered, each reacting in various ways. Some were more militant, others in shock. Still others were curious, while the rest were fighting back tears. Sloane crossed her arms. The question remained: What had happened, and what were they to do now?
Oumscar
nah.
The crowd of sooty faces swam infront of them. None of the Maxie. Eli was practically grinding his teeth down to dust with the pain that was coursing up from his damaged foot- but finding Maxie was more important. He heard a response to his call, he must be here somewhere. No... not that one... there! Eli felt relief crash down over him like a tidal wave, the knot in his stomach unraveling as he fell to his knees, and enveloped the boy in his arms. He rested his chin ontop of Maxie's head, his mousy hair caked with soot and ash. His eyes were squeezed tight shut as the boy began to sob into his chest.
"Hey- it's ok... it's over now." Eli held him tighter, but his cries only seemed to grow in volume.
"I-it's not ok!" He choked out, his voice a tremulous, shaky whisper. "A-Alex... I saw him g-get... in the clearing..." Sure enough, there was another crowd gathered not far away, at the edge of the forest. Campers were stumbling away, vomiting their lunches up into bushes, tears running down their faces. The news seemingly hadn't spread through the crowd yet, but it was leaking through the haze quickly. Almost like a crescendo, the horrified whispers overcame Chiron's ordered silence. Though smoke and burnt wood tingled the campers noses, those closer to the forest could catch the distinct scent of sizzling flesh.
Chiron's head fell slightly, as Apollo's head counselor ran up to his flank, whispering up into his ear. A tear trailed down his cheek, as he raised his eyes to the campers again.
"One of our own has been taken by this unprovoked attack. There is nothing more inexcusable than taking away the lives of the innocent. Head counselors, gather your campers and head into the forest, away from the smoke. Make sure to stick together!"
Not much was said, as the crowd began to shuffled into the forest. They gave the crater in the clearing a wide berth, many still retching at the smell. Just as Eli was about to prop himself up and follow Brianna, the clop of hooves on the dirt stopped him in his tracks.
"Elijah. Not you." Chiron's deep voice rumbled from behind him. "The Oracle of Delphi has requested to speak to you."
He didn't even have time to reply, before Chiron galloped off in the direction of their fallen camper. Holy shit. Surely not a prophecy? In the time after Percy Jackson, and the Great Prophecies, there hadn't been a single camper summoned to the new Oracle's sanctuary. Eli gave Sloane a sidelong glance of worry. He was still too shell-shocked to carry on their usual banter, and being summoned only served to further his distress. It wasn't like he had a choice... even so soon after a tragedy, the Oracle was not to be left waiting. He assumed the Apollo camper had told Chiron, in his whispered words.
After giving Maxie a final ruffle of the hair, he set off towards the Oracle, limping heavily with every step.
"Hey- it's ok... it's over now." Eli held him tighter, but his cries only seemed to grow in volume.
"I-it's not ok!" He choked out, his voice a tremulous, shaky whisper. "A-Alex... I saw him g-get... in the clearing..." Sure enough, there was another crowd gathered not far away, at the edge of the forest. Campers were stumbling away, vomiting their lunches up into bushes, tears running down their faces. The news seemingly hadn't spread through the crowd yet, but it was leaking through the haze quickly. Almost like a crescendo, the horrified whispers overcame Chiron's ordered silence. Though smoke and burnt wood tingled the campers noses, those closer to the forest could catch the distinct scent of sizzling flesh.
Chiron's head fell slightly, as Apollo's head counselor ran up to his flank, whispering up into his ear. A tear trailed down his cheek, as he raised his eyes to the campers again.
"One of our own has been taken by this unprovoked attack. There is nothing more inexcusable than taking away the lives of the innocent. Head counselors, gather your campers and head into the forest, away from the smoke. Make sure to stick together!"
Not much was said, as the crowd began to shuffled into the forest. They gave the crater in the clearing a wide berth, many still retching at the smell. Just as Eli was about to prop himself up and follow Brianna, the clop of hooves on the dirt stopped him in his tracks.
"Elijah. Not you." Chiron's deep voice rumbled from behind him. "The Oracle of Delphi has requested to speak to you."
He didn't even have time to reply, before Chiron galloped off in the direction of their fallen camper. Holy shit. Surely not a prophecy? In the time after Percy Jackson, and the Great Prophecies, there hadn't been a single camper summoned to the new Oracle's sanctuary. Eli gave Sloane a sidelong glance of worry. He was still too shell-shocked to carry on their usual banter, and being summoned only served to further his distress. It wasn't like he had a choice... even so soon after a tragedy, the Oracle was not to be left waiting. He assumed the Apollo camper had told Chiron, in his whispered words.
After giving Maxie a final ruffle of the hair, he set off towards the Oracle, limping heavily with every step.
keen
what rhymes with keen? queen, bean, lean, saltine
Sloane's features mirrored Eli's concern. For once she was struck speechless, at a loss for both words and actions. The rest of the camp started in the direction of the forest in droves. Sloane's feet had absentmindedly begun to follow, until she craned her neck to look towards Eli again. He was no longer in the spot he stood; now he was hobbling towards the Oracle's cave. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Chiron had made it clear that everyone was to head towards the forest, but Eli was staggering in the opposite direction.
Conflicted, she glanced between the forest and Eli -- then she sprinted the opposite way too. In half a minute she had caught up with him. When he turned to face her, she met his eyes with a terse nod. "Hi," was the only word said as she slowed beside him to match his stride. Walking a respectable yard apart from Eli's left side, Sloane crossed her arms again in silence. This continued for a few paces before she figured she should try to be at least a little more polite to the wounded guy. "Uh, do you need help or anything," Sloane drew out her words slowly, teetering on the edge of cloddish. Her eyes flickered between Eli's fucked-up ankle, his face, and...also literally anywhere else because this was starting to feel awkward. "I feel like I should always try to help the injured, or whatever." Sloane added, hoping to play it off as no big deal. She braced herself for a snide remark about her height or physical ability, but it never came.
Instead, he replied with a silent nod, with the same bashful stiffness she herself was feeling. Sloane exhaled with mild relief. "Okay, uh, cool," her lips formed a tight curve. "Let me just kinda --" she closed the distance between their paths, taking ahold of his left arm and swinging it over her shoulders brusquely. The two paused as Sloane planted her right foot firmly by his left, to give him more support as he tentatively shifted his weight. Their tangible height difference in itself made this a sight to behold, not even counting their history. And yet they ignored it this one time, steadily making their way towards the sanctuary.
Well, at least Sloane tried to ignore it. This was kind of a weird thing for her, but it felt necessary -- you know, out of duty to the camp and all that. She would have done it for any camper, so it wasn't that special. Right? Right?
"Right," she snapped (at herself mostly), halting in front of their destination. "I guess this is your stop." An eerie glow reflecting various colors emanated from deep within the cave. Cool. "I'll, uh, dip now. Hope you get back okay," Sloane shrugged his arm off as Eli's hands found purchase on the cave's opening. He steadied himself against the rock.
A wave or hug didn't seem like an appropriate goodbye for their relationship, so Sloane gave him a little two-fingered salute before turning to head back. As soon as she whirled around, Eli trudged through the cavernous entrance alone, disappearing into the cave.
The interior of the cave was kind of what you expected an Oracle's sanctuary to look like, but kind of not too. The cave was minimally furnished -- save for a few artfully-placed velvet tapestries and rugs, the surroundings were bare. A few plush floor pillows were strewn in front of where the Oracle sat. A colored mist wafted through the air lazily, smelling of old books, childhood memories, and battle sweat all at the same time. "Come in, Eli North." a disembodied voice beckoned, echoing against the stone.
A couple minutes into her walk back, curiosity started to eat at Sloane's mind. She didn't ask what this was about, but she assumed the Oracle of Delphi had summoned Elijah. That was odd -- an invitation from the Oracle hadn't been extended to anyone since the last Great Prophecy. An invitation from the Oracle's spirit bearer, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, was far less surprising and rare (she sometimes hosted Uno games for the older campers) but this wasn't a social call to Rachel. It was an actual summons.
Sloane toyed with the thought of maybe sneaking into Eli's meeting, but she figured that might come off as irreverent. Nothing was stopping her from staking it out, though...so that's what she did! Finding a comfortable spot within good audio range of the cave, Sloane sat, ears perked.
Conflicted, she glanced between the forest and Eli -- then she sprinted the opposite way too. In half a minute she had caught up with him. When he turned to face her, she met his eyes with a terse nod. "Hi," was the only word said as she slowed beside him to match his stride. Walking a respectable yard apart from Eli's left side, Sloane crossed her arms again in silence. This continued for a few paces before she figured she should try to be at least a little more polite to the wounded guy. "Uh, do you need help or anything," Sloane drew out her words slowly, teetering on the edge of cloddish. Her eyes flickered between Eli's fucked-up ankle, his face, and...also literally anywhere else because this was starting to feel awkward. "I feel like I should always try to help the injured, or whatever." Sloane added, hoping to play it off as no big deal. She braced herself for a snide remark about her height or physical ability, but it never came.
Instead, he replied with a silent nod, with the same bashful stiffness she herself was feeling. Sloane exhaled with mild relief. "Okay, uh, cool," her lips formed a tight curve. "Let me just kinda --" she closed the distance between their paths, taking ahold of his left arm and swinging it over her shoulders brusquely. The two paused as Sloane planted her right foot firmly by his left, to give him more support as he tentatively shifted his weight. Their tangible height difference in itself made this a sight to behold, not even counting their history. And yet they ignored it this one time, steadily making their way towards the sanctuary.
Well, at least Sloane tried to ignore it. This was kind of a weird thing for her, but it felt necessary -- you know, out of duty to the camp and all that. She would have done it for any camper, so it wasn't that special. Right? Right?
"Right," she snapped (at herself mostly), halting in front of their destination. "I guess this is your stop." An eerie glow reflecting various colors emanated from deep within the cave. Cool. "I'll, uh, dip now. Hope you get back okay," Sloane shrugged his arm off as Eli's hands found purchase on the cave's opening. He steadied himself against the rock.
A wave or hug didn't seem like an appropriate goodbye for their relationship, so Sloane gave him a little two-fingered salute before turning to head back. As soon as she whirled around, Eli trudged through the cavernous entrance alone, disappearing into the cave.
The interior of the cave was kind of what you expected an Oracle's sanctuary to look like, but kind of not too. The cave was minimally furnished -- save for a few artfully-placed velvet tapestries and rugs, the surroundings were bare. A few plush floor pillows were strewn in front of where the Oracle sat. A colored mist wafted through the air lazily, smelling of old books, childhood memories, and battle sweat all at the same time. "Come in, Eli North." a disembodied voice beckoned, echoing against the stone.
A couple minutes into her walk back, curiosity started to eat at Sloane's mind. She didn't ask what this was about, but she assumed the Oracle of Delphi had summoned Elijah. That was odd -- an invitation from the Oracle hadn't been extended to anyone since the last Great Prophecy. An invitation from the Oracle's spirit bearer, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, was far less surprising and rare (she sometimes hosted Uno games for the older campers) but this wasn't a social call to Rachel. It was an actual summons.
Sloane toyed with the thought of maybe sneaking into Eli's meeting, but she figured that might come off as irreverent. Nothing was stopping her from staking it out, though...so that's what she did! Finding a comfortable spot within good audio range of the cave, Sloane sat, ears perked.
Oumscar
nah.
The knot in Eli's stomach gave him tunnel-vision as he hobbled up towards the Oracle's cave, so he didn't see Sloane coming up beside him. Her words cut through his swimming thoughts, his head jerking to the side to seek out the source of her voice.
"Hi."
God damnit. ((Gods damnit? )) Now he had to deal with two sensations in his gut. The tight, almost painful anticipation of his summons, and the fluttery, adolescent nerves of having her so close to him, without the cover of their usual back-and-forth. It didn't even cross his mind to initiate it either- something about the smokey haze of the burning cabins to still lingering in the air killed his comedic juices slightly. He wordlessly let her slip under his arm, and let out an audible groan of relief as some of the weight was taken off his leg. He was trailing a substantial amount of blood, but the nectar was already taking affect- he was gaining strength by the second.
There was something so weird about the situation that Sloane and Eli had found themselves in. In their entire time knowing each other, their interactions had never yielded legitimate hatred, or loathing. Sure, they had been frustrated, annoyed, even pissed with each other for the majority of their relationship, but it had always been in good spirits. It had almost become their default mode together, snarky comments, little jabs- they had their own little language of pranks and 'inside insults', as opposed to inside jokes. It was a surprisingly intimate idea. So, now that they were forced out of that natural setting, the awkwardness in the air was palpable. Eli fought through his nerves- both at her presence so close to him, and his forth-coming meeting, and whispered out a: "Thanks." He tilted his head down to look at her, flashing what must have been the most genuine look of gratitude and vulnerability that Eli had ever displayed to her.
Eli wouldn't say he was disappointed when they reached the mouth of the cave, but couldn't say he didn't miss Sloane's presence as he watched her go. Well, best get on with it then. He turned, heading down into the cave. It didn't take long to reach the lightly furnished room, and Eli plopped down onto one of the cushions, leaning forward onto his knees as he settled down face to face with Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Him and Rachel were fairly close- with Eli often dropping by, with his arms loaded up with food from the dining hall that he had smuggled under his shirt so that they could joke about and discuss things in private. It had always been easy between them, with her being sworn to maidenhood, and Eli having eyes for someone else in particular. They both were cheeky, and shared similar senses of humour. But this was Rachel. It was the Oracle.
"Approach seeker, and ask."
Eli swallowed hard. "Why am I here?"
The Oracle didn't reply immediately. Green fog coiled from Rachel's mouth, as the raspy voice of Delphi echoed out again.
"You will travel west, to strife and discord,
To the land where bountiful wealth is poured.
The treacherous goddess will rear her head,
And one long-resting, is no longer dead.
By two a hand, we will rise or fall,
Though stubborn affections, may doom us all."
Shit. That didn't sound like an especially fun prophecy. A quick, 'yeah this isn't actually something very important, don't stress!' would have been nice, but the Oracle wasn't really much of a 'friendly communicator', per se. Eli pulled himself to his feet. He had been told by Rachel that she much preferred to be alone after making a prophecy, especially to avoid influencing the recipient of the prophecy with her knowledge of it's ending. He stumbled out into the setting sun, some of the smoke haze beginning to clear.
Eli didn't even register Sloane's form a few metres away. He simply walked down to the beach, and plonked himself onto the sand, as he mulled the words over in his head. Eli could talk to Chiron later- right now he just needed to think.
"Hi."
God damnit. ((Gods damnit? )) Now he had to deal with two sensations in his gut. The tight, almost painful anticipation of his summons, and the fluttery, adolescent nerves of having her so close to him, without the cover of their usual back-and-forth. It didn't even cross his mind to initiate it either- something about the smokey haze of the burning cabins to still lingering in the air killed his comedic juices slightly. He wordlessly let her slip under his arm, and let out an audible groan of relief as some of the weight was taken off his leg. He was trailing a substantial amount of blood, but the nectar was already taking affect- he was gaining strength by the second.
There was something so weird about the situation that Sloane and Eli had found themselves in. In their entire time knowing each other, their interactions had never yielded legitimate hatred, or loathing. Sure, they had been frustrated, annoyed, even pissed with each other for the majority of their relationship, but it had always been in good spirits. It had almost become their default mode together, snarky comments, little jabs- they had their own little language of pranks and 'inside insults', as opposed to inside jokes. It was a surprisingly intimate idea. So, now that they were forced out of that natural setting, the awkwardness in the air was palpable. Eli fought through his nerves- both at her presence so close to him, and his forth-coming meeting, and whispered out a: "Thanks." He tilted his head down to look at her, flashing what must have been the most genuine look of gratitude and vulnerability that Eli had ever displayed to her.
Eli wouldn't say he was disappointed when they reached the mouth of the cave, but couldn't say he didn't miss Sloane's presence as he watched her go. Well, best get on with it then. He turned, heading down into the cave. It didn't take long to reach the lightly furnished room, and Eli plopped down onto one of the cushions, leaning forward onto his knees as he settled down face to face with Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Him and Rachel were fairly close- with Eli often dropping by, with his arms loaded up with food from the dining hall that he had smuggled under his shirt so that they could joke about and discuss things in private. It had always been easy between them, with her being sworn to maidenhood, and Eli having eyes for someone else in particular. They both were cheeky, and shared similar senses of humour. But this was Rachel. It was the Oracle.
"Approach seeker, and ask."
Eli swallowed hard. "Why am I here?"
The Oracle didn't reply immediately. Green fog coiled from Rachel's mouth, as the raspy voice of Delphi echoed out again.
"You will travel west, to strife and discord,
To the land where bountiful wealth is poured.
The treacherous goddess will rear her head,
And one long-resting, is no longer dead.
By two a hand, we will rise or fall,
Though stubborn affections, may doom us all."
Shit. That didn't sound like an especially fun prophecy. A quick, 'yeah this isn't actually something very important, don't stress!' would have been nice, but the Oracle wasn't really much of a 'friendly communicator', per se. Eli pulled himself to his feet. He had been told by Rachel that she much preferred to be alone after making a prophecy, especially to avoid influencing the recipient of the prophecy with her knowledge of it's ending. He stumbled out into the setting sun, some of the smoke haze beginning to clear.
Eli didn't even register Sloane's form a few metres away. He simply walked down to the beach, and plonked himself onto the sand, as he mulled the words over in his head. Eli could talk to Chiron later- right now he just needed to think.
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keen
what rhymes with keen? queen, bean, lean, saltine
Sloane's breath caught as she spied Eli leaving the Oracle's sanctum. A somberness had overtaken his features, one that did nothing to soothe her worry. "Huh," she exhaled, troubled. Her eyebrows furrowed on their own as her eyes followed his path. He was headed to the beach, most likely to clear his head. If Sloane's bed was her safe place, it seemed like the beach was Eli's. That was his spot, ever since he had first come to camp. And even though both Eli and Sloane would go to almost any length in their prank war, the one thing they never violated was each of their safe places. It went unspoken, but Sloane was grateful.
As she watched him go, Sloane was conflicted. The first thought that came to mind was "Should Eli really be alone right now?" Gods. It felt weird, actually worrying about him. I mean, it maybe wasn't the first time, but she'd never really done it outright. She always justified it as "keeping tabs on the enemy." She couldn't really say that right now, could she? Sloane rose to her feet with a grunt. After a brisk dusting off, she gave in and followed him.
Eventually Eli found his spot, plopping himself down. He began staring out into the horizon. Sloane wasn't far behind. Sinking to her knees right behind him, she leaned forward with an outstretched hand...right as a deep, soul-heavy sigh escaped Eli's lips. Sloane hesitated. She drew back swiftly, cradling her hand to her chest. Eli muttered something unintelligible. He's probably externally processing or something. She couldn't really make out any of the words, but the tone he mumbled in betrayed their severity. Sloane's mouth formed a tight, grim line. Was there really any way she could help right now? There's not, she silently concluded. He needs time. Without a word she retreated into the forest, but not before momentarily glancing over her shoulder. She frowned at herself. He'll be fine, Sloane, she rolled her eyes.
Sloane allowed herself to wander a bit before walking back to rejoin the others. Her steps had led her back to the Oracle's. The mist had thinned significantly. Absentmindedly she ambled past the mouth of the cave, accidentally catching some of Rachel's babbling. "Can't...alone...prophecy..."
She ground to a stop at the mention of the prophecy. The only other words she heard after that were in Greek -- translated, they were "union", "doom", and..."anastasis." Huh. I'll have to look up that last word.
Soon Rachel's words devolved into a string of expletives and complaints about an oncoming headache. Yikes. Not fun. With a shake of her head Sloane started back.
Darkness had fallen by the time Eli made it back to the cabins. In fact, it was the middle of the night. Sloane watched from her window as he hobbled up Cabin 11's steps. Tonight Hermes' Cabin was going to be at max capacity, what with all the displaced demigods from the cabins that had burned down. It would not be a peaceful night for any of them out there. And it seemed like it wouldn't be one for Sloane either. She looked back at her siblings already in bed. They were all fast asleep, but the creases in their sweet faces told her they were uneasy too. "I guess that makes all of us," she grimaced. She'd spent all the time since trying to make sense of Rachel's words, but it was hard without context...and the Oracle was notoriously bad at giving context. That's how the Oracle rolls.
Sloane lay across her bed, staring at the ceiling. The gears in her mind were still whirring, and they showed no sign of slowing down anytime soon. After about an hour of tossing and turning, Sloane sat up. Maybe some fresh air would help. Throwing on an oversized sweatshirt over her PJs, she walked out into the silent night. She circled the cabin once before walking towards the Demeter cabin ruins. The moon cast eerie shadows on the remains of the cabin walls, a sad shell of what it was a mere 12 hours ago. Sloane clenched her teeth. What monster could do such a thing? They can't get away with this. With burning down camp...and with taking a kid's life. She sighed. It was a young kid, too. She was new. Iris Cabin. Sloane couldn't help but feel personally responsible for any of the minor gods' kids. So this hurt. Never taking her eyes off the cabin's facade, she took a seat in determined silence. Sloane was going to get answers. And someone was going to answer for this.
Morning broke. The first rays of sunlight pierced right through Sloane's eyelids, stirring her from a fitful slumber. Dirt and pebbles pressed into her palms as she slowly propped herself up. Guess she had fallen asleep in front of the ruins. Nice. Shaking the dust out of her hair, Sloane trudged back to her cabin. After a prompt shower, Sloane spent the rest of her day looking out for any news on a quest. It had to be coming, right?
Sloane also kept an eye out for any sign of Eli or Chiron. She saw neither, not until Shreya reported seeing Eli loitering on the edge of camp -- armed.
"This has to be it, Shreya," Sloane took her friend by the shoulders. "He's going on a quest. I have to go." "Wai-" Shreya began, but it was too late. Sloane had rushed off.
"North!" Sloane yelled after Eli, catching him right before he receded out of sight. The knapsack she had strapped to her back clunked with every step she took. "Elijah! Stop!"
As she watched him go, Sloane was conflicted. The first thought that came to mind was "Should Eli really be alone right now?" Gods. It felt weird, actually worrying about him. I mean, it maybe wasn't the first time, but she'd never really done it outright. She always justified it as "keeping tabs on the enemy." She couldn't really say that right now, could she? Sloane rose to her feet with a grunt. After a brisk dusting off, she gave in and followed him.
Eventually Eli found his spot, plopping himself down. He began staring out into the horizon. Sloane wasn't far behind. Sinking to her knees right behind him, she leaned forward with an outstretched hand...right as a deep, soul-heavy sigh escaped Eli's lips. Sloane hesitated. She drew back swiftly, cradling her hand to her chest. Eli muttered something unintelligible. He's probably externally processing or something. She couldn't really make out any of the words, but the tone he mumbled in betrayed their severity. Sloane's mouth formed a tight, grim line. Was there really any way she could help right now? There's not, she silently concluded. He needs time. Without a word she retreated into the forest, but not before momentarily glancing over her shoulder. She frowned at herself. He'll be fine, Sloane, she rolled her eyes.
Sloane allowed herself to wander a bit before walking back to rejoin the others. Her steps had led her back to the Oracle's. The mist had thinned significantly. Absentmindedly she ambled past the mouth of the cave, accidentally catching some of Rachel's babbling. "Can't...alone...prophecy..."
She ground to a stop at the mention of the prophecy. The only other words she heard after that were in Greek -- translated, they were "union", "doom", and..."anastasis." Huh. I'll have to look up that last word.
Soon Rachel's words devolved into a string of expletives and complaints about an oncoming headache. Yikes. Not fun. With a shake of her head Sloane started back.
Darkness had fallen by the time Eli made it back to the cabins. In fact, it was the middle of the night. Sloane watched from her window as he hobbled up Cabin 11's steps. Tonight Hermes' Cabin was going to be at max capacity, what with all the displaced demigods from the cabins that had burned down. It would not be a peaceful night for any of them out there. And it seemed like it wouldn't be one for Sloane either. She looked back at her siblings already in bed. They were all fast asleep, but the creases in their sweet faces told her they were uneasy too. "I guess that makes all of us," she grimaced. She'd spent all the time since trying to make sense of Rachel's words, but it was hard without context...and the Oracle was notoriously bad at giving context. That's how the Oracle rolls.
Sloane lay across her bed, staring at the ceiling. The gears in her mind were still whirring, and they showed no sign of slowing down anytime soon. After about an hour of tossing and turning, Sloane sat up. Maybe some fresh air would help. Throwing on an oversized sweatshirt over her PJs, she walked out into the silent night. She circled the cabin once before walking towards the Demeter cabin ruins. The moon cast eerie shadows on the remains of the cabin walls, a sad shell of what it was a mere 12 hours ago. Sloane clenched her teeth. What monster could do such a thing? They can't get away with this. With burning down camp...and with taking a kid's life. She sighed. It was a young kid, too. She was new. Iris Cabin. Sloane couldn't help but feel personally responsible for any of the minor gods' kids. So this hurt. Never taking her eyes off the cabin's facade, she took a seat in determined silence. Sloane was going to get answers. And someone was going to answer for this.
Morning broke. The first rays of sunlight pierced right through Sloane's eyelids, stirring her from a fitful slumber. Dirt and pebbles pressed into her palms as she slowly propped herself up. Guess she had fallen asleep in front of the ruins. Nice. Shaking the dust out of her hair, Sloane trudged back to her cabin. After a prompt shower, Sloane spent the rest of her day looking out for any news on a quest. It had to be coming, right?
Sloane also kept an eye out for any sign of Eli or Chiron. She saw neither, not until Shreya reported seeing Eli loitering on the edge of camp -- armed.
"This has to be it, Shreya," Sloane took her friend by the shoulders. "He's going on a quest. I have to go." "Wai-" Shreya began, but it was too late. Sloane had rushed off.
"North!" Sloane yelled after Eli, catching him right before he receded out of sight. The knapsack she had strapped to her back clunked with every step she took. "Elijah! Stop!"
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Oumscar
nah.
Eli didn't know how long he stayed down at the beach for. No one disturbed him- that he knew of at least- and the sun quickly sank below the horizon. There was no point trying to suss out the individual intricacies and insinuations of the prophecy. The words were seared into his mind as he heard them, but going over them mentally only heightened the anxiety he felt gnawing at his stomach. Eli would have time for that later. For now, he decided to just sit, and enjoy first the orange-streaked sky, and warm rays of sun- then the cool glow of the moon and chirping crickets as the afternoon turned to evening.
He didn't know what time he rose, dusted himself off, and headed back to his cabin. The other campers had long since gone to bed, the flaming braziers extinguished. Eli stopped on the top step. While the other cabins were dark, and peaceful, lights still flickered from the Hermes cabin, the occasional laugh or shout breaking the murmur of voices that were spilling out from the wooden structure. Elijah sighed. He would let Brianna handle that shit-show. He turned, instead heading for the Big House. His guess was that Chiron would still be awake- that centaur never seemed to sleep, and they had a very fun conversation that had to be done eventually.
"Mm." The centaur nodded his head slowly, stroking his beard. "Quite the prophecy indeed." The two had talked well into the morning about Elijah's prophecy. While they had speculated about the possibility of treacherous goddesses, and of who could have risen from the dead- but there were a few lines in particular that seemed to bear the most fruit in terms of information that Elijah could use.
"A place where bountiful wealth is poured, to the west, where there is plenty of strife. That sounds like Las Vegas to me." Elijah shuddered. While Chiron was probably right, Las Vegas was notoriously dangerous for demigods. It was a hot-spot for godly activity, especially minor gods, and even some less 'morally guided' major gods like Ares, or Aphrodite.
Chiron's next deduction was what really made Eli's skin crawl. Not from fear, or anticipation- but from disgust.
"By two a hand, we will rise or fall. Hm. Perhaps you should take an ally with you?" Chiron mused, his head tilted as he thought. "James White was inquiring about assisting on any quests that came up- he would be an asset to have on your side in a battle."
Eli groaned inwardly. James White was one of, if not the biggest tool at Camp Half-Blood. 6 foot 3, muscular, and a silky smooth mane of hair that hung down to his shoulders when left untied. A real 'Fabio' type. If Eli garnered a little attention from the Camp Half-Blood girls, James was a high-powered magnet. There weren't many girls at camp who hadn't at least briefly considered what it would be like for James to come sweep them off their feet, and then ride off into the sunset. Even thinking about it left a bad taste in his mouth. He was considered Camp Half-Blood's hottest piece of property- having won the naiads 'Hottest Camper' award every year since his glorious entrance as a 13 year old. Now pushing his 18th birthday, James was handsome, charismatic, and deadly with a sword. The real package. Apart from the fact that he loves himself allllmost as much as every girl at camp combined.
So that was how Eli found himself standing at the camp's magical borders, watching James stride off down to the road, and towards the pegasi that Chiron had organized for them. Eli grit his teeth, as he watched James flick his hair for the 20th time that morning, before preparing to pull himself up onto one of the winged horses.
"North!" Eli froze. That couldn't be... "Elijah! Stop!"
Eli turned, his eyebrow raised. "Sloane? What are you doing?"
It was pretty obvious how nervous Elijah was. He didn't smirk, or grin, or even frown as Sloane ran up to him. He didn't even have the energy for a snappy nickname, or teasing voice.
He didn't know what time he rose, dusted himself off, and headed back to his cabin. The other campers had long since gone to bed, the flaming braziers extinguished. Eli stopped on the top step. While the other cabins were dark, and peaceful, lights still flickered from the Hermes cabin, the occasional laugh or shout breaking the murmur of voices that were spilling out from the wooden structure. Elijah sighed. He would let Brianna handle that shit-show. He turned, instead heading for the Big House. His guess was that Chiron would still be awake- that centaur never seemed to sleep, and they had a very fun conversation that had to be done eventually.
"Mm." The centaur nodded his head slowly, stroking his beard. "Quite the prophecy indeed." The two had talked well into the morning about Elijah's prophecy. While they had speculated about the possibility of treacherous goddesses, and of who could have risen from the dead- but there were a few lines in particular that seemed to bear the most fruit in terms of information that Elijah could use.
"A place where bountiful wealth is poured, to the west, where there is plenty of strife. That sounds like Las Vegas to me." Elijah shuddered. While Chiron was probably right, Las Vegas was notoriously dangerous for demigods. It was a hot-spot for godly activity, especially minor gods, and even some less 'morally guided' major gods like Ares, or Aphrodite.
Chiron's next deduction was what really made Eli's skin crawl. Not from fear, or anticipation- but from disgust.
"By two a hand, we will rise or fall. Hm. Perhaps you should take an ally with you?" Chiron mused, his head tilted as he thought. "James White was inquiring about assisting on any quests that came up- he would be an asset to have on your side in a battle."
Eli groaned inwardly. James White was one of, if not the biggest tool at Camp Half-Blood. 6 foot 3, muscular, and a silky smooth mane of hair that hung down to his shoulders when left untied. A real 'Fabio' type. If Eli garnered a little attention from the Camp Half-Blood girls, James was a high-powered magnet. There weren't many girls at camp who hadn't at least briefly considered what it would be like for James to come sweep them off their feet, and then ride off into the sunset. Even thinking about it left a bad taste in his mouth. He was considered Camp Half-Blood's hottest piece of property- having won the naiads 'Hottest Camper' award every year since his glorious entrance as a 13 year old. Now pushing his 18th birthday, James was handsome, charismatic, and deadly with a sword. The real package. Apart from the fact that he loves himself allllmost as much as every girl at camp combined.
So that was how Eli found himself standing at the camp's magical borders, watching James stride off down to the road, and towards the pegasi that Chiron had organized for them. Eli grit his teeth, as he watched James flick his hair for the 20th time that morning, before preparing to pull himself up onto one of the winged horses.
"North!" Eli froze. That couldn't be... "Elijah! Stop!"
Eli turned, his eyebrow raised. "Sloane? What are you doing?"
It was pretty obvious how nervous Elijah was. He didn't smirk, or grin, or even frown as Sloane ran up to him. He didn't even have the energy for a snappy nickname, or teasing voice.
keen
what rhymes with keen? queen, bean, lean, saltine
Sloane was caught a little off guard at the lack of suavity in Eliโs tone or demeanor. He looked to be a bundle of nerves, his eyes making tense contact with hers. The observation was quickly put out of her mind as her gaze flickered to Jamesโ distant figure, preening atop a Pegasus. โSo youโre going on the quest and taking James White.โ She remarked flatly, ignoring Eliโs question.
Looking the boy up and down, Sloane wouldnโt deny that Fabio Jr. could definitely get a girlโs heart racing. In fact, her stomach slightly fluttered on its own at the sight of him. James, however, being the Achilles he was in both fight and facial features, had also let it get to his head โ and that was a total mood dampener. โI could see why you would choose him, but I thought you werenโt a fan.โ Sloane prodded, masking her distaste only minimally. Crossing her arms, she took a step back.
There were only two Pegasi prepared for the journey, and clearly the one Eli wouldnโt be on was already taken. The more they stood around, the less daylight there would be, and daylight was precious on quests like these. How am I going to reason my way onto this quest now, Sloane frowned.
The only real way forward, Sloane realized, was to approach this as stubbornly as possible. She could not allow her will to bend.
โItโs whatever,โ she broke the uncomfortable silence at last. โI hope James is okay with sharing a horse, because Iโm going on this quest no matter what.โ As expected, Sloane caught Eli right before he could form a word of protest. โDonโt you dare try to fight me,โ her jaw stiffened, eyes still trained on the winged animals. โWe lost a kid today โ one of my kids,โ she exhaled. โI have to go. Serve justice for once.โ Her gaze moved to meet Elijahโs in challenge. โAnd I refuse to be stopped.โ
And with that, Sloane strode towards the Pegasi, Eli hot on her heels. The whole way there, he voiced his disapproval, but she couldnโt imagine why he would be so against it. Yes, they werenโt big fans of each other either, but Sloane thought it odd he sounded like he...cared or something. It conveniently slipped her mind that a mere 16 hours ago, this kid had hobbled into a burning cabin to โmake sure she was okay.โ โI donโt understand why youโre so worked up about it,โ Sloane huffed as she approached James and his Pegasus.
โHey,โ she nodded in James Whiteโs direction, to which Fabio Jr. replied with a wink. โYouโre chill with me riding with you, yeah?โ Sloane asked, not waiting for a response before hoisting herself up behind him.
โI wasnโt expecting a ladyโs company, but sure,โ James flashed a megawatt grin. โMake yourself at home, babe.โ With a dramatic swoop of his hair, his lips twisted up into a little smirk. โAnd donโt forget to hold on tight.โ
Eliโs protests grew more adamant. Sloane leaned over, a casual hand on Jamesโ backpack strap to steady herself. โI will go on this quest, one way or another, Elijah.โ She replied with steely resolve. โWith or without you. Take your pick.โ
Looking the boy up and down, Sloane wouldnโt deny that Fabio Jr. could definitely get a girlโs heart racing. In fact, her stomach slightly fluttered on its own at the sight of him. James, however, being the Achilles he was in both fight and facial features, had also let it get to his head โ and that was a total mood dampener. โI could see why you would choose him, but I thought you werenโt a fan.โ Sloane prodded, masking her distaste only minimally. Crossing her arms, she took a step back.
There were only two Pegasi prepared for the journey, and clearly the one Eli wouldnโt be on was already taken. The more they stood around, the less daylight there would be, and daylight was precious on quests like these. How am I going to reason my way onto this quest now, Sloane frowned.
The only real way forward, Sloane realized, was to approach this as stubbornly as possible. She could not allow her will to bend.
โItโs whatever,โ she broke the uncomfortable silence at last. โI hope James is okay with sharing a horse, because Iโm going on this quest no matter what.โ As expected, Sloane caught Eli right before he could form a word of protest. โDonโt you dare try to fight me,โ her jaw stiffened, eyes still trained on the winged animals. โWe lost a kid today โ one of my kids,โ she exhaled. โI have to go. Serve justice for once.โ Her gaze moved to meet Elijahโs in challenge. โAnd I refuse to be stopped.โ
And with that, Sloane strode towards the Pegasi, Eli hot on her heels. The whole way there, he voiced his disapproval, but she couldnโt imagine why he would be so against it. Yes, they werenโt big fans of each other either, but Sloane thought it odd he sounded like he...cared or something. It conveniently slipped her mind that a mere 16 hours ago, this kid had hobbled into a burning cabin to โmake sure she was okay.โ โI donโt understand why youโre so worked up about it,โ Sloane huffed as she approached James and his Pegasus.
โHey,โ she nodded in James Whiteโs direction, to which Fabio Jr. replied with a wink. โYouโre chill with me riding with you, yeah?โ Sloane asked, not waiting for a response before hoisting herself up behind him.
โI wasnโt expecting a ladyโs company, but sure,โ James flashed a megawatt grin. โMake yourself at home, babe.โ With a dramatic swoop of his hair, his lips twisted up into a little smirk. โAnd donโt forget to hold on tight.โ
Eliโs protests grew more adamant. Sloane leaned over, a casual hand on Jamesโ backpack strap to steady herself. โI will go on this quest, one way or another, Elijah.โ She replied with steely resolve. โWith or without you. Take your pick.โ
Oumscar
nah.
"With or without you. Take your pick."
God damn it. It didn't matter what Eli said, Sloane seemed set on going on this quest. He could tell, Eli had seen that look in her eye before- whether it be in a game of capture the flag, or when she had been punishing one of the younger campers for messing around. When she looked like that, there wasn't much short of divine intervention that could stop her. Of course, Eli could walk back into camp and tell Chiron... but no. The repercussions for trying to force your way onto a quest would be terrible, terrible enough that Elijah didn't want to subject her to that. She had a point though- she did deserve to be on this quest. That didn't mean I had to be happy about it.
It would definitely help having her there though- of all the people that could cancel out James, it would be Sloane. For Eli, they were on opposite ends of a spectrum. James, who he loathed with a fiery passion, and Sloane, who was someone he teased, and insulted, and pranked, all just to be able to be around mo- hang on, was she getting on his Pegasus?!
That snapped Eli from his mellow, and he set off after Sloane. He couldn't exactly say, 'Hey, you should ride with me instead, that guy's a douchebag!' could he? It looked like their travel arrangements were locked in place. Eli couldn't deny that seeing her settling on the back of James' steed ignited the smallest twinge of jealousy in his stomach. When he leaned back to Sloane, and vomited pure ego into her ears, Eli had to turn away. It was like a tiger had been let loose on his insides, prowling around his guts, and finally baring it's teeth at James' words. He wordlessly pulled himself up onto his Pegasus. He shot Sloane a lingering look, giving her the smallest of nods. I understand that you need to do this. Sloane might be Eli's 'enemy', but their little squabbles didn't stop Eli from seeing that it wasn't an option for her not to be apart of this. Eli spurred his Pegasus, and took off.
Even with this concession, Eli didn't want to watch James cozying up to Sloane for the whole time, so he might as well get a head start. Sloane could have a great time with 'Mr. Plucked-Eyebrows' back there- It was impossible for them to do the whole trip in one go, so they would have to make a stop for the night eventually, but that was many, many hours away. Great.
Of course, James was an expert Pegasus rider, and he was soon level with Eli as they soared over the treetops. He leaned back momentarily again, his hand resting on Sloane's knee. His Superman grin appeared again, his voice rumbling out over the whistling wind.
"I'm glad you're here- this guy was gonna bore me to death."
God damn it. It didn't matter what Eli said, Sloane seemed set on going on this quest. He could tell, Eli had seen that look in her eye before- whether it be in a game of capture the flag, or when she had been punishing one of the younger campers for messing around. When she looked like that, there wasn't much short of divine intervention that could stop her. Of course, Eli could walk back into camp and tell Chiron... but no. The repercussions for trying to force your way onto a quest would be terrible, terrible enough that Elijah didn't want to subject her to that. She had a point though- she did deserve to be on this quest. That didn't mean I had to be happy about it.
It would definitely help having her there though- of all the people that could cancel out James, it would be Sloane. For Eli, they were on opposite ends of a spectrum. James, who he loathed with a fiery passion, and Sloane, who was someone he teased, and insulted, and pranked, all just to be able to be around mo- hang on, was she getting on his Pegasus?!
That snapped Eli from his mellow, and he set off after Sloane. He couldn't exactly say, 'Hey, you should ride with me instead, that guy's a douchebag!' could he? It looked like their travel arrangements were locked in place. Eli couldn't deny that seeing her settling on the back of James' steed ignited the smallest twinge of jealousy in his stomach. When he leaned back to Sloane, and vomited pure ego into her ears, Eli had to turn away. It was like a tiger had been let loose on his insides, prowling around his guts, and finally baring it's teeth at James' words. He wordlessly pulled himself up onto his Pegasus. He shot Sloane a lingering look, giving her the smallest of nods. I understand that you need to do this. Sloane might be Eli's 'enemy', but their little squabbles didn't stop Eli from seeing that it wasn't an option for her not to be apart of this. Eli spurred his Pegasus, and took off.
Even with this concession, Eli didn't want to watch James cozying up to Sloane for the whole time, so he might as well get a head start. Sloane could have a great time with 'Mr. Plucked-Eyebrows' back there- It was impossible for them to do the whole trip in one go, so they would have to make a stop for the night eventually, but that was many, many hours away. Great.
Of course, James was an expert Pegasus rider, and he was soon level with Eli as they soared over the treetops. He leaned back momentarily again, his hand resting on Sloane's knee. His Superman grin appeared again, his voice rumbling out over the whistling wind.
"I'm glad you're here- this guy was gonna bore me to death."
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