A blowing wind could be felt, as Eve finds herself in a strange place. Laying upon cold stone, she could gaze upon what seemed to be the sky. It was a dark blue, strewn about with colors akin to the glowing gases and dust and stars in space. As far as she was concerned, it looked like a dream.
As she gets up, she could see what was on: a plateau of stone, with overgrowth of moss and small ponds of water strewn about. over the edge lied a vast sea of fog and dust, as mysterious as they were colorful.
As she gazed and took in everything she could see, she could see a familiar face, sat upon the edge of the plateau, staring into the void. She recognized the hair from anywhere.
@notaeoluschild
One of Eve’s only naps in a while, she figured she’d actually sleep the night of her birthday and such, especially since she didn’t do much. She was already thinking about how she’d have to go find friends and family and probably do something with them.. dad, Colleen, Xan, Theo, Wysper, Ana, Argo.. anyone. She wasn’t expecting to find herself staring up at what looked to be a masterpiece of sky, streaks of color freely melding into one another in the area above, it looked like space. Hm.. was she dreaming of space? Odd, but.. cool.
Yeah, had to be a dream, either that or somehow some god pulled her into another dimension of their own. Eve pushed herself off the of ground and vaguely looked at the scenery, the moss , stone, and water definitely wouldn’t bein actual space, another verifying factor that this was a dream. She looked towards the figure.. and she smiled a bit. Was she dreaming about Wysper?? That was kinda funny, but it wouldn’t be the first time she’s had a friend or family member in a dream, “Wysper?”
"...Eve..? Huh... Either you're actually here, or I'm already losing it... heh..."
*He'd not face Eve, as his head bowed. He seemed quite somber that his usual self. He can't tell anymore if what is happening is real, or just a result of lonliness. He's just been here, marinating in his own thoughts. He couldn't bring himself to look at her.
To Eve though, she could not tell if this was really Wysper, or some dream version that her brain made. Not that there is much of a difference...*
“I never got to say goodbye. I can… I can only hope that Sophia is able to do my favor.”
*He’d say, as for a moment he looked at Eve, before looking away. He couldn’t bare to look her in the face. Oh, how he misses her. The person who gave him everything he dreamed of, and he couldn’t look at her in the eyes. The shame he felt that he couldn’t say a proper goodbye to them.*
“I’ve just been… here. Staring into the void, as it stares back at me. You’re the first one to break the silence here…”
“..Wysper, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” Eve admitted with a frown as she moved to stand nearby him. What did he mean- saying goodbye? She knew vaguely of Sophia.. what did that have to do with her? What does he mean he’s just been here?
The demigod just… looked at him. She.. what the hell was this supposed to mean? He’s not dead, he’s just.. he’s just usually out and about, but he’s not dead- why would he be telling her in a dream that he’s dead? Why would she ever imagine that?
Or maybe she just.. unintentionally traveled here and Wysper’s just been confused and stuck, so he for some reason thinks he’s dead..? “..What’s that supposed to mean? You’re not dead, you’re right here..”
"Well... I felt myself disappear and woke up here, so... How would I know."
*Wysper looked away from Eve as he stared back into the void. How long has it been? Time isn't exactly something he can tell where he was right now, and he doesn't exactly feel 'alive'.*
"I don't know how you're here, or where I am, but... Don't think I'm coming back from this, heh..."
“Wysper.. don’t say that. I— Theo had that thing happen like, forever ago, and he came back, Argo died fully and came back- even if you’re dead- which you aren’t. You.. you’re still able to come back.”
" 'World's gonna be shitty and suck', remember? I've made peace with it, Eve. I still feel bad for Sophia, since she was the only one to watch me go..."
*Wysper would say, standing up away from the edge. He'd look around him, before his eyes settled on Eve.*
"Not everyone gets a happy ending, Eve. I'm sorry. Wish I could make up for more of my mistakes but..."
*A soft smile was strewn across Wysper's face. It was quite somber with the context given with it.*
A blowing wind could be felt, as Eve finds herself in a strange place. Laying upon cold stone, she could gaze upon what seemed to be the sky. It was a dark blue, strewn about with colors akin to the glowing gases and dust and stars in space. As far as she was concerned, it looked like a dream.
As she gets up, she could see what was on: a plateau of stone, with overgrowth of moss and small ponds of water strewn about. over the edge lied a vast sea of fog and dust, as mysterious as they were colorful.
As she gazed and took in everything she could see, she could see a familiar face, sat upon the edge of the plateau, staring into the void. She recognized the hair from anywhere.
@notaeoluschild
One of Eve’s only naps in a while, she figured she’d actually sleep the night of her birthday and such, especially since she didn’t do much. She was already thinking about how she’d have to go find friends and family and probably do something with them.. dad, Colleen, Xan, Theo, Wysper, Ana, Argo.. anyone. She wasn’t expecting to find herself staring up at what looked to be a masterpiece of sky, streaks of color freely melding into one another in the area above, it looked like space. Hm.. was she dreaming of space? Odd, but.. cool.
Yeah, had to be a dream, either that or somehow some god pulled her into another dimension of their own. Eve pushed herself off the of ground and vaguely looked at the scenery, the moss , stone, and water definitely wouldn’t bein actual space, another verifying factor that this was a dream. She looked towards the figure.. and she smiled a bit. Was she dreaming about Wysper?? That was kinda funny, but it wouldn’t be the first time she’s had a friend or family member in a dream, “Wysper?”
"...Eve..? Huh... Either you're actually here, or I'm already losing it... heh..."
*He'd not face Eve, as his head bowed. He seemed quite somber that his usual self. He can't tell anymore if what is happening is real, or just a result of lonliness. He's just been here, marinating in his own thoughts. He couldn't bring himself to look at her.
To Eve though, she could not tell if this was really Wysper, or some dream version that her brain made. Not that there is much of a difference...*
“I never got to say goodbye. I can… I can only hope that Sophia is able to do my favor.”
*He’d say, as for a moment he looked at Eve, before looking away. He couldn’t bare to look her in the face. Oh, how he misses her. The person who gave him everything he dreamed of, and he couldn’t look at her in the eyes. The shame he felt that he couldn’t say a proper goodbye to them.*
“I’ve just been… here. Staring into the void, as it stares back at me. You’re the first one to break the silence here…”
“..Wysper, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” Eve admitted with a frown as she moved to stand nearby him. What did he mean- saying goodbye? She knew vaguely of Sophia.. what did that have to do with her? What does he mean he’s just been here?
The demigod just… looked at him. She.. what the hell was this supposed to mean? He’s not dead, he’s just.. he’s just usually out and about, but he’s not dead- why would he be telling her in a dream that he’s dead? Why would she ever imagine that?
Or maybe she just.. unintentionally traveled here and Wysper’s just been confused and stuck, so he for some reason thinks he’s dead..? “..What’s that supposed to mean? You’re not dead, you’re right here..”
"Well... I felt myself disappear and woke up here, so... How would I know."
*Wysper looked away from Eve as he stared back into the void. How long has it been? Time isn't exactly something he can tell where he was right now, and he doesn't exactly feel 'alive'.*
"I don't know how you're here, or where I am, but... Don't think I'm coming back from this, heh..."
A blowing wind could be felt, as Eve finds herself in a strange place. Laying upon cold stone, she could gaze upon what seemed to be the sky. It was a dark blue, strewn about with colors akin to the glowing gases and dust and stars in space. As far as she was concerned, it looked like a dream.
As she gets up, she could see what was on: a plateau of stone, with overgrowth of moss and small ponds of water strewn about. over the edge lied a vast sea of fog and dust, as mysterious as they were colorful.
As she gazed and took in everything she could see, she could see a familiar face, sat upon the edge of the plateau, staring into the void. She recognized the hair from anywhere.
@notaeoluschild
One of Eve’s only naps in a while, she figured she’d actually sleep the night of her birthday and such, especially since she didn’t do much. She was already thinking about how she’d have to go find friends and family and probably do something with them.. dad, Colleen, Xan, Theo, Wysper, Ana, Argo.. anyone. She wasn’t expecting to find herself staring up at what looked to be a masterpiece of sky, streaks of color freely melding into one another in the area above, it looked like space. Hm.. was she dreaming of space? Odd, but.. cool.
Yeah, had to be a dream, either that or somehow some god pulled her into another dimension of their own. Eve pushed herself off the of ground and vaguely looked at the scenery, the moss , stone, and water definitely wouldn’t bein actual space, another verifying factor that this was a dream. She looked towards the figure.. and she smiled a bit. Was she dreaming about Wysper?? That was kinda funny, but it wouldn’t be the first time she’s had a friend or family member in a dream, “Wysper?”
"...Eve..? Huh... Either you're actually here, or I'm already losing it... heh..."
*He'd not face Eve, as his head bowed. He seemed quite somber that his usual self. He can't tell anymore if what is happening is real, or just a result of lonliness. He's just been here, marinating in his own thoughts. He couldn't bring himself to look at her.
To Eve though, she could not tell if this was really Wysper, or some dream version that her brain made. Not that there is much of a difference...*
“I never got to say goodbye. I can… I can only hope that Sophia is able to do my favor.”
*He’d say, as for a moment he looked at Eve, before looking away. He couldn’t bare to look her in the face. Oh, how he misses her. The person who gave him everything he dreamed of, and he couldn’t look at her in the eyes. The shame he felt that he couldn’t say a proper goodbye to them.*
“I’ve just been… here. Staring into the void, as it stares back at me. You’re the first one to break the silence here…”
“..Wysper, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” Eve admitted with a frown as she moved to stand nearby him. What did he mean- saying goodbye? She knew vaguely of Sophia.. what did that have to do with her? What does he mean he’s just been here?
A blowing wind could be felt, as Eve finds herself in a strange place. Laying upon cold stone, she could gaze upon what seemed to be the sky. It was a dark blue, strewn about with colors akin to the glowing gases and dust and stars in space. As far as she was concerned, it looked like a dream.
As she gets up, she could see what was on: a plateau of stone, with overgrowth of moss and small ponds of water strewn about. over the edge lied a vast sea of fog and dust, as mysterious as they were colorful.
As she gazed and took in everything she could see, she could see a familiar face, sat upon the edge of the plateau, staring into the void. She recognized the hair from anywhere.
@notaeoluschild
One of Eve’s only naps in a while, she figured she’d actually sleep the night of her birthday and such, especially since she didn’t do much. She was already thinking about how she’d have to go find friends and family and probably do something with them.. dad, Colleen, Xan, Theo, Wysper, Ana, Argo.. anyone. She wasn’t expecting to find herself staring up at what looked to be a masterpiece of sky, streaks of color freely melding into one another in the area above, it looked like space. Hm.. was she dreaming of space? Odd, but.. cool.
Yeah, had to be a dream, either that or somehow some god pulled her into another dimension of their own. Eve pushed herself off the of ground and vaguely looked at the scenery, the moss , stone, and water definitely wouldn’t bein actual space, another verifying factor that this was a dream. She looked towards the figure.. and she smiled a bit. Was she dreaming about Wysper?? That was kinda funny, but it wouldn’t be the first time she’s had a friend or family member in a dream, “Wysper?”
"...Eve..? Huh... Either you're actually here, or I'm already losing it... heh..."
*He'd not face Eve, as his head bowed. He seemed quite somber that his usual self. He can't tell anymore if what is happening is real, or just a result of lonliness. He's just been here, marinating in his own thoughts. He couldn't bring himself to look at her.
To Eve though, she could not tell if this was really Wysper, or some dream version that her brain made. Not that there is much of a difference...*
“I never got to say goodbye. I can… I can only hope that Sophia is able to do my favor.”
*He’d say, as for a moment he looked at Eve, before looking away. He couldn’t bare to look her in the face. Oh, how he misses her. The person who gave him everything he dreamed of, and he couldn’t look at her in the eyes. The shame he felt that he couldn’t say a proper goodbye to them.*
“I’ve just been… here. Staring into the void, as it stares back at me. You’re the first one to break the silence here…”
A blowing wind could be felt, as Eve finds herself in a strange place. Laying upon cold stone, she could gaze upon what seemed to be the sky. It was a dark blue, strewn about with colors akin to the glowing gases and dust and stars in space. As far as she was concerned, it looked like a dream.
As she gets up, she could see what was on: a plateau of stone, with overgrowth of moss and small ponds of water strewn about. over the edge lied a vast sea of fog and dust, as mysterious as they were colorful.
As she gazed and took in everything she could see, she could see a familiar face, sat upon the edge of the plateau, staring into the void. She recognized the hair from anywhere.
@notaeoluschild
One of Eve’s only naps in a while, she figured she’d actually sleep the night of her birthday and such, especially since she didn’t do much. She was already thinking about how she’d have to go find friends and family and probably do something with them.. dad, Colleen, Xan, Theo, Wysper, Ana, Argo.. anyone. She wasn’t expecting to find herself staring up at what looked to be a masterpiece of sky, streaks of color freely melding into one another in the area above, it looked like space. Hm.. was she dreaming of space? Odd, but.. cool.
Yeah, had to be a dream, either that or somehow some god pulled her into another dimension of their own. Eve pushed herself off the of ground and vaguely looked at the scenery, the moss , stone, and water definitely wouldn’t bein actual space, another verifying factor that this was a dream. She looked towards the figure.. and she smiled a bit. Was she dreaming about Wysper?? That was kinda funny, but it wouldn’t be the first time she’s had a friend or family member in a dream, “Wysper?”
"...Eve..? Huh... Either you're actually here, or I'm already losing it... heh..."
*He'd not face Eve, as his head bowed. He seemed quite somber that his usual self. He can't tell anymore if what is happening is real, or just a result of lonliness. He's just been here, marinating in his own thoughts. He couldn't bring himself to look at her.
To Eve though, she could not tell if this was really Wysper, or some dream version that her brain made. Not that there is much of a difference...*
*The white-haired person would dust himself off as he got up after being thrown to who-knows-where, staring up to see Judas, his blue eyes unintentionally giving a piercing look at him.*
"Oh. Uhh... Hello?"
*He'd awkwardly wave at the person in front of him as he said that. Gaia below, he wasn't good at socializing like his other siblings...*
“Are you injured?” Judas asked immediately. That, at least, he could deal with. He still wasn’t quite sure how to address the entire… ‘person being chucked at him out of nowhere’ thing.
He frowned slightly. Did the stranger even come from Camp Half-Blood? It was hard to tell, honestly, and there appeared to be demigods (or otherworldly creatures) everywhere. There was a considerable chance that the other also had no idea what they were doing there.
“Judas Blythe,” Judas said, extending a hand to help the other up. “And yes, I’m pretty certain that this is how talking works. Not that I’m particularly sociable, I’ve been told.”
Mostly by Adonis, although that sort of proved his point, because Judas simply didn’t regularly talk to anyone else (and he hadn’t talked to his brother in years either, which was saying something). Perhaps he did have a few friends, like Archie or Leila. But aside from that, he wasn’t exactly rushing to talk to anyone new.
Unless, of course, they had been tossed at him by some unseen entity. In which case he was quite willing to make an exception out of curiosity.
“Same boat, although more on me not being the most friendly looking in terms of background…”
*Wysper would say as he scratched the back of his head. A lot of the older campers know him due to him originally being raised by Chiron when he was younger. Most people treated him like a teacher’s pet or someone privileged.*
“Ah, yes. I can understand that.” You quite literally haven’t talked to your family since you turned fifteen, Judas.
“I’m relatively new around here, so I didn’t talk at all for my first month or so. As you can imagine, most people aren’t aware of my existence yet. But I think I am getting used to this place though, the uncomfortable amount of small children with weapons as there are.”
“It’s probably better that way. Attention tends to call out trouble. Pranks aren’t very fun since once you get claimed it’s now targeted specifically towards your parent. Glad that I only got claimed outside of camp. Some people here can be… very cruel.”
*Wyspee would say, remembering both what happened to Archie, and to him years ago.*
“So… you got claimed yet? Have they contacted you?”
“Yes, I have been claimed. By the time I was officially claimed, I was made aware that my father—Himeros, that is—was half a decade late or whatnot. But I’ve known for a while before that that he was my father, so I don’t think it counts.”
”And no, he hasn’t contacted me, although I do have another father that I much prefer. What about you?”
“Well, I learned mine very young from Chiron, and only got claimed once I actually went to them. It’s pretty obvious who my parent is, if people pay attention in Greek Mythology history. It’s Aeolus.”
*Wysper would gesture to his eyes and hair. Aeolus’ genetics were obviously far stronger than his mother’s.*
“Chiron knows, because he’s technically my great-great-grandfather. Got raised by him most of my life until Eve came along and her dad apparently convinced my deceased mom (and trust me this is an entire tangent to get into but it’s not that important right now.) to adopt me.”
"Ah. Well...I'm very sorry to hear about your mother." Judas rubbed the back of his neck. What else was he meant to say, again? "Congratulations on the adoption?" Verifiably not the right thing. He had no idea if Wysper was still grieving.
"I learned about my parentage from my other father--the mortal one. He studied myths and told me about all of the old stories, although I doubt he could have predicted that I would end up here." Judas absently waved a hand at the environment around him. "The lava wall is relatively in theme, though."
“It’s fine, she died when I was born, actually. It’s been a year, and I’ve settled in.”
*Wysper would answer, as he listened to Judas talked about his other father, as he looked around at where he was. He hasn’t exactly asked where he was.*
“Where exactly am I? I didn’t actually ask about it since well, I got thrown at you.”
"Camp Half Blood," Judas said with the same air of wariness as if he was talking about a figurative detonating bomb. "I am doing my best to avoid the landmines. They're everywhere." And the literal detonating bombs, he supposed.
"And to think this is apparently the only place I'm 'safe'." He rolled his eyes. "I doubt it, but I also find myself out of options. It's not too bad of a place, I suppose. The talking leopard is a tad bit unnerving, though."
"It'll take time to adjust, but you'll live. Usually. Part of the deal of being a demigod. I was in the night duty for years. Retiring since I'm graduating. Turning 18 soon, and with that I'll be probably going out. Not exactly sure what to do then, though."
"Usually. What a reassuring sentiment." Judas briefly contemplated revealing that he himself was also in the same age range, but decided against it. He didn't owe anyone any information, and it would likely make himself appear weak if he hadn't learned to fend for himself at such an age.
Well, he supposed that he could. But if he left the camp now, as much as he hated to admit it, he would be living one day at a time and trying to get the better of monsters all the time.
"It's bleak, but real. sometimes you gotta live with it."
*He'd say, his tone a bit more somber as he corrects himself to answer Judas' other question.*
"Well the whole 'camp harpies kill any escaping campers' schtick wasn't the best idea, so they'd also put some campers on night duty, usually to keep campers in without force as much as possible, or to get any trouble away from camp. Monsters sometimes get a bit too smart and camp around places campers usually go out, so we tend to go out and either shoo or kill the monster. It does help with learning to use what you're given; although I do admit that from an outside perspective we look... insane."
*Wysper looked at his hand as he said that. He still remembers that night with Sophia. While he was doing his job, it was just the look of terror on her face as he fought and killed that rogue harpy. He was just doing what he thought was right... but maybe he was being a bit intense.*
"Well." Judas dusted off his hands on his pants. "You would be surprised how many perfectly reasonable things look insane from an outside perspective." He paused. "Well, not that there's anything 'perfectly reasonable' around this place, but there are certainly coping mechanisms that are more optimal than others."
"So. You used to keep people safe around here? How chivalrous." Judas frowned at Thalia's pine tree in the distance. "Especially since this world has it out for us."
"I mean, I guess so...There wasn't anything else I could do to contribute besides that."
*Wysper would say, looking up from his hand to Judas.*
I wasn't particularly liked here, on the counts people thought I was a "teacher's pet" or had favor from Chiron, even though he was just giving me a place to live. Didn't really have any family until I got adopted. I guess I just wanted to be someone people could rely on."
"Hmm." Judas tapped on his knuckles. "Well, it's a lucky thing that no one in this camp can accurately judge one's character. I wouldn't mind them. I don't, as a matter of fact." Reliable, huh? Well, Judas didn't consider himself particularly reliable, especially since he ran from his family years ago and had never looked back.
Reliable was something that Adonis was, whether it was showing Judas how to behave in public or getting a scholarship to some college or another. And if reliability was a defining trait of his brother's, Judas supposed that it made him think higher of Wysper as well.
"I'm sure you were gifted at night duty. Although hopefully your adopted family also treats you sufficiently well."
*The white-haired person would dust himself off as he got up after being thrown to who-knows-where, staring up to see Judas, his blue eyes unintentionally giving a piercing look at him.*
"Oh. Uhh... Hello?"
*He'd awkwardly wave at the person in front of him as he said that. Gaia below, he wasn't good at socializing like his other siblings...*
“Are you injured?” Judas asked immediately. That, at least, he could deal with. He still wasn’t quite sure how to address the entire… ‘person being chucked at him out of nowhere’ thing.
He frowned slightly. Did the stranger even come from Camp Half-Blood? It was hard to tell, honestly, and there appeared to be demigods (or otherworldly creatures) everywhere. There was a considerable chance that the other also had no idea what they were doing there.
“Judas Blythe,” Judas said, extending a hand to help the other up. “And yes, I’m pretty certain that this is how talking works. Not that I’m particularly sociable, I’ve been told.”
Mostly by Adonis, although that sort of proved his point, because Judas simply didn’t regularly talk to anyone else (and he hadn’t talked to his brother in years either, which was saying something). Perhaps he did have a few friends, like Archie or Leila. But aside from that, he wasn’t exactly rushing to talk to anyone new.
Unless, of course, they had been tossed at him by some unseen entity. In which case he was quite willing to make an exception out of curiosity.
“Same boat, although more on me not being the most friendly looking in terms of background…”
*Wysper would say as he scratched the back of his head. A lot of the older campers know him due to him originally being raised by Chiron when he was younger. Most people treated him like a teacher’s pet or someone privileged.*
“Ah, yes. I can understand that.” You quite literally haven’t talked to your family since you turned fifteen, Judas.
“I’m relatively new around here, so I didn’t talk at all for my first month or so. As you can imagine, most people aren’t aware of my existence yet. But I think I am getting used to this place though, the uncomfortable amount of small children with weapons as there are.”
“It’s probably better that way. Attention tends to call out trouble. Pranks aren’t very fun since once you get claimed it’s now targeted specifically towards your parent. Glad that I only got claimed outside of camp. Some people here can be… very cruel.”
*Wyspee would say, remembering both what happened to Archie, and to him years ago.*
“So… you got claimed yet? Have they contacted you?”
“Yes, I have been claimed. By the time I was officially claimed, I was made aware that my father—Himeros, that is—was half a decade late or whatnot. But I’ve known for a while before that that he was my father, so I don’t think it counts.”
”And no, he hasn’t contacted me, although I do have another father that I much prefer. What about you?”
“Well, I learned mine very young from Chiron, and only got claimed once I actually went to them. It’s pretty obvious who my parent is, if people pay attention in Greek Mythology history. It’s Aeolus.”
*Wysper would gesture to his eyes and hair. Aeolus’ genetics were obviously far stronger than his mother’s.*
“Chiron knows, because he’s technically my great-great-grandfather. Got raised by him most of my life until Eve came along and her dad apparently convinced my deceased mom (and trust me this is an entire tangent to get into but it’s not that important right now.) to adopt me.”
"Ah. Well...I'm very sorry to hear about your mother." Judas rubbed the back of his neck. What else was he meant to say, again? "Congratulations on the adoption?" Verifiably not the right thing. He had no idea if Wysper was still grieving.
"I learned about my parentage from my other father--the mortal one. He studied myths and told me about all of the old stories, although I doubt he could have predicted that I would end up here." Judas absently waved a hand at the environment around him. "The lava wall is relatively in theme, though."
“It’s fine, she died when I was born, actually. It’s been a year, and I’ve settled in.”
*Wysper would answer, as he listened to Judas talked about his other father, as he looked around at where he was. He hasn’t exactly asked where he was.*
“Where exactly am I? I didn’t actually ask about it since well, I got thrown at you.”
"Camp Half Blood," Judas said with the same air of wariness as if he was talking about a figurative detonating bomb. "I am doing my best to avoid the landmines. They're everywhere." And the literal detonating bombs, he supposed.
"And to think this is apparently the only place I'm 'safe'." He rolled his eyes. "I doubt it, but I also find myself out of options. It's not too bad of a place, I suppose. The talking leopard is a tad bit unnerving, though."
"It'll take time to adjust, but you'll live. Usually. Part of the deal of being a demigod. I was in the night duty for years. Retiring since I'm graduating. Turning 18 soon, and with that I'll be probably going out. Not exactly sure what to do then, though."
"Usually. What a reassuring sentiment." Judas briefly contemplated revealing that he himself was also in the same age range, but decided against it. He didn't owe anyone any information, and it would likely make himself appear weak if he hadn't learned to fend for himself at such an age.
Well, he supposed that he could. But if he left the camp now, as much as he hated to admit it, he would be living one day at a time and trying to get the better of monsters all the time.
"It's bleak, but real. sometimes you gotta live with it."
*He'd say, his tone a bit more somber as he corrects himself to answer Judas' other question.*
"Well the whole 'camp harpies kill any escaping campers' schtick wasn't the best idea, so they'd also put some campers on night duty, usually to keep campers in without force as much as possible, or to get any trouble away from camp. Monsters sometimes get a bit too smart and camp around places campers usually go out, so we tend to go out and either shoo or kill the monster. It does help with learning to use what you're given; although I do admit that from an outside perspective we look... insane."
*Wysper looked at his hand as he said that. He still remembers that night with Sophia. While he was doing his job, it was just the look of terror on her face as he fought and killed that rogue harpy. He was just doing what he thought was right... but maybe he was being a bit intense.*
"Well." Judas dusted off his hands on his pants. "You would be surprised how many perfectly reasonable things look insane from an outside perspective." He paused. "Well, not that there's anything 'perfectly reasonable' around this place, but there are certainly coping mechanisms that are more optimal than others."
"So. You used to keep people safe around here? How chivalrous." Judas frowned at Thalia's pine tree in the distance. "Especially since this world has it out for us."
"I mean, I guess so...There wasn't anything else I could do to contribute besides that."
*Wysper would say, looking up from his hand to Judas.*
I wasn't particularly liked here, on the counts people thought I was a "teacher's pet" or had favor from Chiron, even though he was just giving me a place to live. Didn't really have any family until I got adopted. I guess I just wanted to be someone people could rely on."
"Hmm." Judas tapped on his knuckles. "Well, it's a lucky thing that no one in this camp can accurately judge one's character. I wouldn't mind them. I don't, as a matter of fact." Reliable, huh? Well, Judas didn't consider himself particularly reliable, especially since he ran from his family years ago and had never looked back.
Reliable was something that Adonis was, whether it was showing Judas how to behave in public or getting a scholarship to some college or another. And if reliability was a defining trait of his brother's, Judas supposed that it made him think higher of Wysper as well.
"I'm sure you were gifted at night duty. Although hopefully your adopted family also treats you sufficiently well."
*The white-haired person would dust himself off as he got up after being thrown to who-knows-where, staring up to see Judas, his blue eyes unintentionally giving a piercing look at him.*
"Oh. Uhh... Hello?"
*He'd awkwardly wave at the person in front of him as he said that. Gaia below, he wasn't good at socializing like his other siblings...*
“Are you injured?” Judas asked immediately. That, at least, he could deal with. He still wasn’t quite sure how to address the entire… ‘person being chucked at him out of nowhere’ thing.
He frowned slightly. Did the stranger even come from Camp Half-Blood? It was hard to tell, honestly, and there appeared to be demigods (or otherworldly creatures) everywhere. There was a considerable chance that the other also had no idea what they were doing there.
“Judas Blythe,” Judas said, extending a hand to help the other up. “And yes, I’m pretty certain that this is how talking works. Not that I’m particularly sociable, I’ve been told.”
Mostly by Adonis, although that sort of proved his point, because Judas simply didn’t regularly talk to anyone else (and he hadn’t talked to his brother in years either, which was saying something). Perhaps he did have a few friends, like Archie or Leila. But aside from that, he wasn’t exactly rushing to talk to anyone new.
Unless, of course, they had been tossed at him by some unseen entity. In which case he was quite willing to make an exception out of curiosity.
“Same boat, although more on me not being the most friendly looking in terms of background…”
*Wysper would say as he scratched the back of his head. A lot of the older campers know him due to him originally being raised by Chiron when he was younger. Most people treated him like a teacher’s pet or someone privileged.*
“Ah, yes. I can understand that.” You quite literally haven’t talked to your family since you turned fifteen, Judas.
“I’m relatively new around here, so I didn’t talk at all for my first month or so. As you can imagine, most people aren’t aware of my existence yet. But I think I am getting used to this place though, the uncomfortable amount of small children with weapons as there are.”
“It’s probably better that way. Attention tends to call out trouble. Pranks aren’t very fun since once you get claimed it’s now targeted specifically towards your parent. Glad that I only got claimed outside of camp. Some people here can be… very cruel.”
*Wyspee would say, remembering both what happened to Archie, and to him years ago.*
“So… you got claimed yet? Have they contacted you?”
“Yes, I have been claimed. By the time I was officially claimed, I was made aware that my father—Himeros, that is—was half a decade late or whatnot. But I’ve known for a while before that that he was my father, so I don’t think it counts.”
”And no, he hasn’t contacted me, although I do have another father that I much prefer. What about you?”
“Well, I learned mine very young from Chiron, and only got claimed once I actually went to them. It’s pretty obvious who my parent is, if people pay attention in Greek Mythology history. It’s Aeolus.”
*Wysper would gesture to his eyes and hair. Aeolus’ genetics were obviously far stronger than his mother’s.*
“Chiron knows, because he’s technically my great-great-grandfather. Got raised by him most of my life until Eve came along and her dad apparently convinced my deceased mom (and trust me this is an entire tangent to get into but it’s not that important right now.) to adopt me.”
"Ah. Well...I'm very sorry to hear about your mother." Judas rubbed the back of his neck. What else was he meant to say, again? "Congratulations on the adoption?" Verifiably not the right thing. He had no idea if Wysper was still grieving.
"I learned about my parentage from my other father--the mortal one. He studied myths and told me about all of the old stories, although I doubt he could have predicted that I would end up here." Judas absently waved a hand at the environment around him. "The lava wall is relatively in theme, though."
“It’s fine, she died when I was born, actually. It’s been a year, and I’ve settled in.”
*Wysper would answer, as he listened to Judas talked about his other father, as he looked around at where he was. He hasn’t exactly asked where he was.*
“Where exactly am I? I didn’t actually ask about it since well, I got thrown at you.”
"Camp Half Blood," Judas said with the same air of wariness as if he was talking about a figurative detonating bomb. "I am doing my best to avoid the landmines. They're everywhere." And the literal detonating bombs, he supposed.
"And to think this is apparently the only place I'm 'safe'." He rolled his eyes. "I doubt it, but I also find myself out of options. It's not too bad of a place, I suppose. The talking leopard is a tad bit unnerving, though."
"It'll take time to adjust, but you'll live. Usually. Part of the deal of being a demigod. I was in the night duty for years. Retiring since I'm graduating. Turning 18 soon, and with that I'll be probably going out. Not exactly sure what to do then, though."
"Usually. What a reassuring sentiment." Judas briefly contemplated revealing that he himself was also in the same age range, but decided against it. He didn't owe anyone any information, and it would likely make himself appear weak if he hadn't learned to fend for himself at such an age.
Well, he supposed that he could. But if he left the camp now, as much as he hated to admit it, he would be living one day at a time and trying to get the better of monsters all the time.
"It's bleak, but real. sometimes you gotta live with it."
*He'd say, his tone a bit more somber as he corrects himself to answer Judas' other question.*
"Well the whole 'camp harpies kill any escaping campers' schtick wasn't the best idea, so they'd also put some campers on night duty, usually to keep campers in without force as much as possible, or to get any trouble away from camp. Monsters sometimes get a bit too smart and camp around places campers usually go out, so we tend to go out and either shoo or kill the monster. It does help with learning to use what you're given; although I do admit that from an outside perspective we look... insane."
*Wysper looked at his hand as he said that. He still remembers that night with Sophia. While he was doing his job, it was just the look of terror on her face as he fought and killed that rogue harpy. He was just doing what he thought was right... but maybe he was being a bit intense.*
"Well." Judas dusted off his hands on his pants. "You would be surprised how many perfectly reasonable things look insane from an outside perspective." He paused. "Well, not that there's anything 'perfectly reasonable' around this place, but there are certainly coping mechanisms that are more optimal than others."
"So. You used to keep people safe around here? How chivalrous." Judas frowned at Thalia's pine tree in the distance. "Especially since this world has it out for us."
"I mean, I guess so...There wasn't anything else I could do to contribute besides that."
*Wysper would say, looking up from his hand to Judas.*
I wasn't particularly liked here, on the counts people thought I was a "teacher's pet" or had favor from Chiron, even though he was just giving me a place to live. Didn't really have any family until I got adopted. I guess I just wanted to be someone people could rely on."
*The white-haired person would dust himself off as he got up after being thrown to who-knows-where, staring up to see Judas, his blue eyes unintentionally giving a piercing look at him.*
"Oh. Uhh... Hello?"
*He'd awkwardly wave at the person in front of him as he said that. Gaia below, he wasn't good at socializing like his other siblings...*
“Are you injured?” Judas asked immediately. That, at least, he could deal with. He still wasn’t quite sure how to address the entire… ‘person being chucked at him out of nowhere’ thing.
He frowned slightly. Did the stranger even come from Camp Half-Blood? It was hard to tell, honestly, and there appeared to be demigods (or otherworldly creatures) everywhere. There was a considerable chance that the other also had no idea what they were doing there.
“Judas Blythe,” Judas said, extending a hand to help the other up. “And yes, I’m pretty certain that this is how talking works. Not that I’m particularly sociable, I’ve been told.”
Mostly by Adonis, although that sort of proved his point, because Judas simply didn’t regularly talk to anyone else (and he hadn’t talked to his brother in years either, which was saying something). Perhaps he did have a few friends, like Archie or Leila. But aside from that, he wasn’t exactly rushing to talk to anyone new.
Unless, of course, they had been tossed at him by some unseen entity. In which case he was quite willing to make an exception out of curiosity.
“Same boat, although more on me not being the most friendly looking in terms of background…”
*Wysper would say as he scratched the back of his head. A lot of the older campers know him due to him originally being raised by Chiron when he was younger. Most people treated him like a teacher’s pet or someone privileged.*
“Ah, yes. I can understand that.” You quite literally haven’t talked to your family since you turned fifteen, Judas.
“I’m relatively new around here, so I didn’t talk at all for my first month or so. As you can imagine, most people aren’t aware of my existence yet. But I think I am getting used to this place though, the uncomfortable amount of small children with weapons as there are.”
“It’s probably better that way. Attention tends to call out trouble. Pranks aren’t very fun since once you get claimed it’s now targeted specifically towards your parent. Glad that I only got claimed outside of camp. Some people here can be… very cruel.”
*Wyspee would say, remembering both what happened to Archie, and to him years ago.*
“So… you got claimed yet? Have they contacted you?”
“Yes, I have been claimed. By the time I was officially claimed, I was made aware that my father—Himeros, that is—was half a decade late or whatnot. But I’ve known for a while before that that he was my father, so I don’t think it counts.”
”And no, he hasn’t contacted me, although I do have another father that I much prefer. What about you?”
“Well, I learned mine very young from Chiron, and only got claimed once I actually went to them. It’s pretty obvious who my parent is, if people pay attention in Greek Mythology history. It’s Aeolus.”
*Wysper would gesture to his eyes and hair. Aeolus’ genetics were obviously far stronger than his mother’s.*
“Chiron knows, because he’s technically my great-great-grandfather. Got raised by him most of my life until Eve came along and her dad apparently convinced my deceased mom (and trust me this is an entire tangent to get into but it’s not that important right now.) to adopt me.”
"Ah. Well...I'm very sorry to hear about your mother." Judas rubbed the back of his neck. What else was he meant to say, again? "Congratulations on the adoption?" Verifiably not the right thing. He had no idea if Wysper was still grieving.
"I learned about my parentage from my other father--the mortal one. He studied myths and told me about all of the old stories, although I doubt he could have predicted that I would end up here." Judas absently waved a hand at the environment around him. "The lava wall is relatively in theme, though."
“It’s fine, she died when I was born, actually. It’s been a year, and I’ve settled in.”
*Wysper would answer, as he listened to Judas talked about his other father, as he looked around at where he was. He hasn’t exactly asked where he was.*
“Where exactly am I? I didn’t actually ask about it since well, I got thrown at you.”
"Camp Half Blood," Judas said with the same air of wariness as if he was talking about a figurative detonating bomb. "I am doing my best to avoid the landmines. They're everywhere." And the literal detonating bombs, he supposed.
"And to think this is apparently the only place I'm 'safe'." He rolled his eyes. "I doubt it, but I also find myself out of options. It's not too bad of a place, I suppose. The talking leopard is a tad bit unnerving, though."
"It'll take time to adjust, but you'll live. Usually. Part of the deal of being a demigod. I was in the night duty for years. Retiring since I'm graduating. Turning 18 soon, and with that I'll be probably going out. Not exactly sure what to do then, though."
"Usually. What a reassuring sentiment." Judas briefly contemplated revealing that he himself was also in the same age range, but decided against it. He didn't owe anyone any information, and it would likely make himself appear weak if he hadn't learned to fend for himself at such an age.
Well, he supposed that he could. But if he left the camp now, as much as he hated to admit it, he would be living one day at a time and trying to get the better of monsters all the time.
"It's bleak, but real. sometimes you gotta live with it."
*He'd say, his tone a bit more somber as he corrects himself to answer Judas' other question.*
"Well the whole 'camp harpies kill any escaping campers' schtick wasn't the best idea, so they'd also put some campers on night duty, usually to keep campers in without force as much as possible, or to get any trouble away from camp. Monsters sometimes get a bit too smart and camp around places campers usually go out, so we tend to go out and either shoo or kill the monster. It does help with learning to use what you're given; although I do admit that from an outside perspective we look... insane."
*Wysper looked at his hand as he said that. He still remembers that night with Sophia. While he was doing his job, it was just the look of terror on her face as he fought and killed that rogue harpy. He was just doing what he thought was right... but maybe he was being a bit intense.*
*The white-haired person would dust himself off as he got up after being thrown to who-knows-where, staring up to see Judas, his blue eyes unintentionally giving a piercing look at him.*
"Oh. Uhh... Hello?"
*He'd awkwardly wave at the person in front of him as he said that. Gaia below, he wasn't good at socializing like his other siblings...*
“Are you injured?” Judas asked immediately. That, at least, he could deal with. He still wasn’t quite sure how to address the entire… ‘person being chucked at him out of nowhere’ thing.
He frowned slightly. Did the stranger even come from Camp Half-Blood? It was hard to tell, honestly, and there appeared to be demigods (or otherworldly creatures) everywhere. There was a considerable chance that the other also had no idea what they were doing there.
“Judas Blythe,” Judas said, extending a hand to help the other up. “And yes, I’m pretty certain that this is how talking works. Not that I’m particularly sociable, I’ve been told.”
Mostly by Adonis, although that sort of proved his point, because Judas simply didn’t regularly talk to anyone else (and he hadn’t talked to his brother in years either, which was saying something). Perhaps he did have a few friends, like Archie or Leila. But aside from that, he wasn’t exactly rushing to talk to anyone new.
Unless, of course, they had been tossed at him by some unseen entity. In which case he was quite willing to make an exception out of curiosity.
“Same boat, although more on me not being the most friendly looking in terms of background…”
*Wysper would say as he scratched the back of his head. A lot of the older campers know him due to him originally being raised by Chiron when he was younger. Most people treated him like a teacher’s pet or someone privileged.*
“Ah, yes. I can understand that.” You quite literally haven’t talked to your family since you turned fifteen, Judas.
“I’m relatively new around here, so I didn’t talk at all for my first month or so. As you can imagine, most people aren’t aware of my existence yet. But I think I am getting used to this place though, the uncomfortable amount of small children with weapons as there are.”
“It’s probably better that way. Attention tends to call out trouble. Pranks aren’t very fun since once you get claimed it’s now targeted specifically towards your parent. Glad that I only got claimed outside of camp. Some people here can be… very cruel.”
*Wyspee would say, remembering both what happened to Archie, and to him years ago.*
“So… you got claimed yet? Have they contacted you?”
“Yes, I have been claimed. By the time I was officially claimed, I was made aware that my father—Himeros, that is—was half a decade late or whatnot. But I’ve known for a while before that that he was my father, so I don’t think it counts.”
”And no, he hasn’t contacted me, although I do have another father that I much prefer. What about you?”
“Well, I learned mine very young from Chiron, and only got claimed once I actually went to them. It’s pretty obvious who my parent is, if people pay attention in Greek Mythology history. It’s Aeolus.”
*Wysper would gesture to his eyes and hair. Aeolus’ genetics were obviously far stronger than his mother’s.*
“Chiron knows, because he’s technically my great-great-grandfather. Got raised by him most of my life until Eve came along and her dad apparently convinced my deceased mom (and trust me this is an entire tangent to get into but it’s not that important right now.) to adopt me.”
"Ah. Well...I'm very sorry to hear about your mother." Judas rubbed the back of his neck. What else was he meant to say, again? "Congratulations on the adoption?" Verifiably not the right thing. He had no idea if Wysper was still grieving.
"I learned about my parentage from my other father--the mortal one. He studied myths and told me about all of the old stories, although I doubt he could have predicted that I would end up here." Judas absently waved a hand at the environment around him. "The lava wall is relatively in theme, though."
“It’s fine, she died when I was born, actually. It’s been a year, and I’ve settled in.”
*Wysper would answer, as he listened to Judas talked about his other father, as he looked around at where he was. He hasn’t exactly asked where he was.*
“Where exactly am I? I didn’t actually ask about it since well, I got thrown at you.”
"Camp Half Blood," Judas said with the same air of wariness as if he was talking about a figurative detonating bomb. "I am doing my best to avoid the landmines. They're everywhere." And the literal detonating bombs, he supposed.
"And to think this is apparently the only place I'm 'safe'." He rolled his eyes. "I doubt it, but I also find myself out of options. It's not too bad of a place, I suppose. The talking leopard is a tad bit unnerving, though."
"It'll take time to adjust, but you'll live. Usually. Part of the deal of being a demigod. I was in the night duty for years. Retiring since I'm graduating. Turning 18 soon, and with that I'll be probably going out. Not exactly sure what to do then, though."
*The white-haired person would dust himself off as he got up after being thrown to who-knows-where, staring up to see Judas, his blue eyes unintentionally giving a piercing look at him.*
"Oh. Uhh... Hello?"
*He'd awkwardly wave at the person in front of him as he said that. Gaia below, he wasn't good at socializing like his other siblings...*
“Are you injured?” Judas asked immediately. That, at least, he could deal with. He still wasn’t quite sure how to address the entire… ‘person being chucked at him out of nowhere’ thing.
He frowned slightly. Did the stranger even come from Camp Half-Blood? It was hard to tell, honestly, and there appeared to be demigods (or otherworldly creatures) everywhere. There was a considerable chance that the other also had no idea what they were doing there.
“Judas Blythe,” Judas said, extending a hand to help the other up. “And yes, I’m pretty certain that this is how talking works. Not that I’m particularly sociable, I’ve been told.”
Mostly by Adonis, although that sort of proved his point, because Judas simply didn’t regularly talk to anyone else (and he hadn’t talked to his brother in years either, which was saying something). Perhaps he did have a few friends, like Archie or Leila. But aside from that, he wasn’t exactly rushing to talk to anyone new.
Unless, of course, they had been tossed at him by some unseen entity. In which case he was quite willing to make an exception out of curiosity.
“Same boat, although more on me not being the most friendly looking in terms of background…”
*Wysper would say as he scratched the back of his head. A lot of the older campers know him due to him originally being raised by Chiron when he was younger. Most people treated him like a teacher’s pet or someone privileged.*
“Ah, yes. I can understand that.” You quite literally haven’t talked to your family since you turned fifteen, Judas.
“I’m relatively new around here, so I didn’t talk at all for my first month or so. As you can imagine, most people aren’t aware of my existence yet. But I think I am getting used to this place though, the uncomfortable amount of small children with weapons as there are.”
“It’s probably better that way. Attention tends to call out trouble. Pranks aren’t very fun since once you get claimed it’s now targeted specifically towards your parent. Glad that I only got claimed outside of camp. Some people here can be… very cruel.”
*Wyspee would say, remembering both what happened to Archie, and to him years ago.*
“So… you got claimed yet? Have they contacted you?”
“Yes, I have been claimed. By the time I was officially claimed, I was made aware that my father—Himeros, that is—was half a decade late or whatnot. But I’ve known for a while before that that he was my father, so I don’t think it counts.”
”And no, he hasn’t contacted me, although I do have another father that I much prefer. What about you?”
“Well, I learned mine very young from Chiron, and only got claimed once I actually went to them. It’s pretty obvious who my parent is, if people pay attention in Greek Mythology history. It’s Aeolus.”
*Wysper would gesture to his eyes and hair. Aeolus’ genetics were obviously far stronger than his mother’s.*
“Chiron knows, because he’s technically my great-great-grandfather. Got raised by him most of my life until Eve came along and her dad apparently convinced my deceased mom (and trust me this is an entire tangent to get into but it’s not that important right now.) to adopt me.”
"Ah. Well...I'm very sorry to hear about your mother." Judas rubbed the back of his neck. What else was he meant to say, again? "Congratulations on the adoption?" Verifiably not the right thing. He had no idea if Wysper was still grieving.
"I learned about my parentage from my other father--the mortal one. He studied myths and told me about all of the old stories, although I doubt he could have predicted that I would end up here." Judas absently waved a hand at the environment around him. "The lava wall is relatively in theme, though."
“It’s fine, she died when I was born, actually. It’s been a year, and I’ve settled in.”
*Wysper would answer, as he listened to Judas talked about his other father, as he looked around at where he was. He hasn’t exactly asked where he was.*
“Where exactly am I? I didn’t actually ask about it since well, I got thrown at you.”
“…I really fucked it up this time, didn’t I my dear?”
I HAD to draw this moment. Wysper being apologetic for “dying”. It’s not his fault, but the distress he inflicted upon others sure does feel like his fault.
18 years, huh? It’s been finally 18 years. It’s a cold morning, as Wysper wiped his eyes as he groggily picked himself up to sit up on the bed. He’d grab his phone to check on what time it is. It’ 5 in the morning, and hey, it’s his birthday. As he read the date, he knew to get ready; not necessarily because he was expecting people to greet him or to surprise him, but moreso he wanted to freshen up. As he dragged his feet across the marble flooring of his room into the bathroom, he’d start to wash his face to wake himself up.
It’d help with the morning tiredness as he looked at himself in the mirror and… he looks paler than usual. Odd, but it’s cold this morning, so he doesn’t really mind, but as he reached for his face, his eyes dilated as he saw his hands. They’re… slightly translucent and glowing. It kind of snaps him awake, as he looked at them. There was a moment of panic, his head racing trying to understand what was happening, and yet… it felt like he understood what was happening. Like it was something that was unavoidable. He can’t quite explain it, but maybe, just maybe, there’s a reason why seeing an Aeolus kid is rare.
So he continues preparing for camp, and throughout the morning, even if by a little, his hands become more translucent, still noticeable enough to seenthe shape of his hands, but clear enough to see through. He would have covered his hands though, as to not raise any suspicion, chalking it up to it being a cold morning when asked. After breakfast and a shower, as he changed to his camp clothing, he’d noticed the change. He didn’t know exactly what was going on, but.. he felt like he was on a timer. I mean, all of this suddenly appeared on his 18th, without warning. Perhaps he’s reached the end. I mean, life expectancy of a demigod wasn’t that long, right?
So as he changed, he thought to himself: “You know what, if this is what I think it is… I think I’ll try my best to talk to everyone. It feels… important today, maybe… let’s loosen up on the gloomy part. It’s not like you have nothing to lose, right?” He’d say, as he placed on gloves to cover his hands, going over to his Pegasus, Porsche.
And so he goes to Camp Half-Blood. It’s been a long time since he’s felt… peaceful. Even for a day, it was nice. And so he goes about his day, although when you’d see or talk with him throughout the day, it’s as if you were seeing Wysper for the first time before… everything, really. His old smile, the way he cracked jokes or puns, much to the detriment of other campers from how cheesy they were. But throughout the day, you’d notice. Is he getting slightly paler?
He would have received his annual small cheesecake from Chiron, wheter he shares it or doesn’t, it doesn’t really matter. He notices and talks to whoever was nearby. Wheter camp, the nearby forest, the palace, or any other place he could go to for that matter. He seemed more lighthearted than usual.
He might have heard the rustling on leaves as Sophia hid behind a bush to watch him for a moment. The sight of him still made her nervous after what he did to those harpies, so she wasn't sure if she wanted to say "hello" or if she wanted to wait for him to be gone. She didn't tell any of the hunters what she saw, so they should be around any minute now. Why did he look so pale? Was it just the light? Maybe she should wait, at least to avoid an awkward conversation.
"...You know, you don't have to hide, right?"
*He'd say, hearing the rustling and her shaky breath, as he turned towards the bush. Notably his hands would be covered with gloves as he gestured for whoever it was to come out.*
She squeaked, covering her mouth with her hand. He didn't seem angry, which was good, but something about him still felt intimidating. Maybe it was because she recently had all of her memories forced to the forefront and had to remember what he did to the harpies along with everything else. There were plenty of things that were even more scary than that! She needed to relax. Still, she stayed completely still.
There would be a sigh that would come from Wysper, his face frowning a bit. He knew who it was, and he understood why she was afraid. His voice was softer as he spoke, as to not scare her.
“I’m sorry for scaring you and not apologizing when the harpies attacked. It was very harsh of me to speak and act that way, I’m sorry Sophia.”
Better late then never to try fixing a relationship, right?
She slowly poked her head up from behind the bush. She took a few seconds to gather the courage to speak. "Sorry. I should know monsters are dangerous. I'm— I'm a hunter."
She thought about it for a moment and slowly nodded. "Sure. But I can't stay for long. Whenever the hunters decide to leave is probably when I should leave as well."
*And so they did go to the archery range. Wysper help set up the targets with his wind, while the Winions carried over the arrows needed, giving some to Sophia. He'd test fire a bit because, well, it's been a long while since he's used one his bow. Might as well test fire if he still has it. 3 arrows were shot. All hit the target, although with varying accuracy, notably none hitting the bullseye. He was rusty, but at least effective enough.*
"Haven't trained in a long while... Bit rusty, but hey, still hit the target."
*Wysper would say, as he held his bow towards Sophia. Although perhaps it's his mistake, considering his bow is a palintonos bow.*
She summoned her own bow, a smaller, lighter hunting bow that glowed silver and took one of the arrows. "I don't think I quite have the strength to draw that one. It looks way heavier than mine."
She let her bow disappear and hesitantly took his. Her bow had about a 60-pound draw weight, but a war bow? A palin-what-now bow? What? She couldn't remember the name! That had to be at least 50 pounds heavier. She struggled to draw the bow enough to shoot, and when she did shoot, her arrow landed on the second outermost ring. "Ow..."
*While it was her first time with the bow, Wysper saw promise in her: Unlike him, she's had more years to practice archery, and has had more progress actually firing the thing than him during his first few years. Wysper would help her out by slightly adjusting her stance and the way she held the bow. As he helped, she could notice a bright red bandana tied to one of the ends of the bow: Wysper's original scarf.*
"You've got to plant yourself more. The bow you're used to has made you take certain habits."
*He'd say, guiding her on how to fire the bow. He wasn't stern with her as he spoke, being as gentle as he could.*
"It might take some time to get used to, but I do believe you'll be able to use this."
"I think I pulled a muscle." She frowned, wincing when she tried to roll her shoulder. "I should probably hit the gym, huh? If it wasn't for the strength being a hunter of Artemis gifts me, I wouldn't even be able to draw my normal one."
She knew herself. Without divine intervention, she wasn't any good at anything demigods needed to do. She wasn't a good healer. She wasn't a good fighter. She could be sneaky, sure, but not enough to be useful in a war, at least according to what Kiara and Marilene said about the Second Titan War.
*Wysper would say, handing her a small piece of ambrosia he grabbed from the camp pantry.*
“You were given gifts not everyone can have. But gifts alone don’t define you. It’s what you do with them. Let me tell you a story I learned. There were three men, each gifted by their master a blessing. One was given a blessing of strength, one the blessing of wisdom, and one with the blessing of speed. The master sent them away to see what they would do with the gift. The one with strength honed it and used it to help others, becoming stronger. The one with wisdom sought council and knowledge and became wiser. But the man with speed used it sparingly, never seeming to improve upon what he has been given. So the master took his blessing away, and used it to gift greater strength and wisdom to the other two. You use the gifts you were given to become better than what you already are present. Even if they’re taken from you, you still gained strength of your own.”
*He’d help Sophia with the bow while she was given the ambrosia.*
She nibbled on the ambrosia and looked down at the bow like she was still unworthy of using it. Her arm still ached, and she took a bigger bite. She really needed to be more dedicated to the hunt, or else she would lose her gifts, is what she took from the story. What a dilema. Family and friends, or family and friends? The story of her life she supposed. Constantly having to choose between one or the other and not being able to stay committed to her decision. "Maybe I should work up to that draw weight?"
“Not instantly, but it is progress. Practice doesn’t make perfect, we ain’t gods, but it does mean progress. Even if you can draw at least a single pound more after training for a while, it’s better than nothing. Now try again.”
*Wysper would say, this time helping Sophia with the draw, although still letting her take most of the weight to let her feel out how much she potentially has to learn to be able to draw back.*
Again, she strained against the bow, her arm trembling from the weight. This definitely felt like way more than 40 pounds heavier than her usual bow. She felt as if she must have recieved an extra blessing from Lady Artemis just to be able to draw it in the first place. She couldn't hold it for long. When her fingers had finally had enough, she let go of the string and missed again. She shook out her arm. "Jeez. Warbows are way harder."
*He’d say, noticing the time. It’s sunset. He’d give Sophia another piece, before walking by to the nearby forest. He felt the wind in his face, and somehow deep down… he knew it was time. The soft crunch of the leaves can be heard as he turned to Sophia, as he sighed. He knows he can’t keep up the lie.*
“…I’m sorry for not telling you something very important.”
The trailed behind him as soon as he started to walk away, pausing when he spoke. Her heart skipped a beat, and she clenched her fists at her side. Was something wrong? Was he okay? "Sorry for what?"
*Wysper would take off his gloves, showing his hands. They were even more translucent than before, reaching up to his wrists. There was no fear or panic in his face as he did this. Just quiet acceptance.*
“I think… I understand why there’s so little of Aeolus kids that appear in camp. And I’ve made peace with it.”
Her breath hitched, and she shook her head. So many demigods had to die so young, and for what? Just because the gods didn't feel like taking care of their kids or fighting their own battles? No. That line of thinking is what brought Luke around. And not all of them were bad. After all, she did serve Lady Artemis. "What do you mean? What's gonna happen?"
“Not sure. But, there’s a reason why you never see any Aeolus kids older than 18. And I feel like… this is supposed to happen. So, I’ve just been doing as much as I could with what time I have left. And I don’t regret a single moment. I’ve done things that I do regret, but… I think I’m satisfied with what I got. Only things I regret is I couldn’t apologize to Theo, or apologize to everyone that, well, I’m dying.”
*As he spoke, he untied the blue scarf from his neck. That scarf meant so much to him; a gift Theo had given him. He cherished it deeply, as he folded it with care, and handed it to Sophia.*
“There should be boxes in my room for some people. I hope they open it, since it has letters. The scarf is to be given back to Theo. There should be a letter in my room for him. The bow is yours.”
She stubbornly pushed the scarf back to him. "No! You— You can't die! We'll figure something out! Maybe this is some kind of misunderstanding. Most other demigods also don't reach 18. Let's find Chiron. I'm sure he'll know what to do."
"Sophia."
*He'd say, as he held her arm as she tried to go look for help. It felt cold. His head shook at her suggestion.*
"I feel a call, and I have to answer it. Whether it's me dying or something else, I don't think I have much choice in the matter. So please. Just... do me a favor, okay?"
*He'd say, still holding the scarf that Sophia pushed back into his hands.*
Goosebumps appeared all over her arm where he touched her. She bit her lip and slowly nodded. Her vision grew blurry from how misty her eyes were. "Who do you want me to tell about your stuff?"
She hesitated. Should she take it? Should she run and call for Chiron despite his wishes? Should she hide away and pretend this wasn't happening? She stood completely frozen, feet planted into the ground. She couldn't even muster any good final words. She never should have been so scared of him. She never should have made him feel so bad. She should have come to camp more often. But it wasn't like she could change anything now.
“You’re stronger than you think Sophia. Don’t let anyone think otherwise.”
*Wysper would step back, as the wind began to pick up. The leaves picked up as it began to swirl around Wysper. Sophia could see parts of Wysper start to become translucent.*
She opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come out. She couldn't even make herself say, "Goodbye." All she could do was watch. Were any of the other campers seeing this? What would happen to him? Would he disappear into the wind? Would he suddenly collapse and leave his body in the middle of the grass? Would it hurt him?
“I wish… I could have apologized and could have done more to everyone. But…”
*Sophia watched as parts of Wysper slowly faded, like pieces blowing in the wind as he spoke. A soft smile was on his face, as small tears appeared in his eyes. His eyes have never been so bright The wind swirling about him as the leaves followed suit, a small breeze carrying them around Wysper.*
“I’m glad that I met you all. It may have been short, but I’ve lived a wonderful life.”
*And as the winds blew, so did Wysper, his body fully fading away with the wind as it carried itself away. No body left to bury. No clothes left to store. No one to mourn.*
All of a sudden, she was taken out of her stupor, blindly grabbing at the air in front of her. She held the blue scarf tightly in her hand. He was gone. Just gone. With no evidence that he existed, save the items when he once owned. "Wysper! Come back, please!"
18 years, huh? It’s been finally 18 years. It’s a cold morning, as Wysper wiped his eyes as he groggily picked himself up to sit up on the bed. He’d grab his phone to check on what time it is. It’ 5 in the morning, and hey, it’s his birthday. As he read the date, he knew to get ready; not necessarily because he was expecting people to greet him or to surprise him, but moreso he wanted to freshen up. As he dragged his feet across the marble flooring of his room into the bathroom, he’d start to wash his face to wake himself up.
It’d help with the morning tiredness as he looked at himself in the mirror and… he looks paler than usual. Odd, but it’s cold this morning, so he doesn’t really mind, but as he reached for his face, his eyes dilated as he saw his hands. They’re… slightly translucent and glowing. It kind of snaps him awake, as he looked at them. There was a moment of panic, his head racing trying to understand what was happening, and yet… it felt like he understood what was happening. Like it was something that was unavoidable. He can’t quite explain it, but maybe, just maybe, there’s a reason why seeing an Aeolus kid is rare.
So he continues preparing for camp, and throughout the morning, even if by a little, his hands become more translucent, still noticeable enough to seenthe shape of his hands, but clear enough to see through. He would have covered his hands though, as to not raise any suspicion, chalking it up to it being a cold morning when asked. After breakfast and a shower, as he changed to his camp clothing, he’d noticed the change. He didn’t know exactly what was going on, but.. he felt like he was on a timer. I mean, all of this suddenly appeared on his 18th, without warning. Perhaps he’s reached the end. I mean, life expectancy of a demigod wasn’t that long, right?
So as he changed, he thought to himself: “You know what, if this is what I think it is… I think I’ll try my best to talk to everyone. It feels… important today, maybe… let’s loosen up on the gloomy part. It’s not like you have nothing to lose, right?” He’d say, as he placed on gloves to cover his hands, going over to his Pegasus, Porsche.
And so he goes to Camp Half-Blood. It’s been a long time since he’s felt… peaceful. Even for a day, it was nice. And so he goes about his day, although when you’d see or talk with him throughout the day, it’s as if you were seeing Wysper for the first time before… everything, really. His old smile, the way he cracked jokes or puns, much to the detriment of other campers from how cheesy they were. But throughout the day, you’d notice. Is he getting slightly paler?
He would have received his annual small cheesecake from Chiron, wheter he shares it or doesn’t, it doesn’t really matter. He notices and talks to whoever was nearby. Wheter camp, the nearby forest, the palace, or any other place he could go to for that matter. He seemed more lighthearted than usual.
He might have heard the rustling on leaves as Sophia hid behind a bush to watch him for a moment. The sight of him still made her nervous after what he did to those harpies, so she wasn't sure if she wanted to say "hello" or if she wanted to wait for him to be gone. She didn't tell any of the hunters what she saw, so they should be around any minute now. Why did he look so pale? Was it just the light? Maybe she should wait, at least to avoid an awkward conversation.
"...You know, you don't have to hide, right?"
*He'd say, hearing the rustling and her shaky breath, as he turned towards the bush. Notably his hands would be covered with gloves as he gestured for whoever it was to come out.*
She squeaked, covering her mouth with her hand. He didn't seem angry, which was good, but something about him still felt intimidating. Maybe it was because she recently had all of her memories forced to the forefront and had to remember what he did to the harpies along with everything else. There were plenty of things that were even more scary than that! She needed to relax. Still, she stayed completely still.
There would be a sigh that would come from Wysper, his face frowning a bit. He knew who it was, and he understood why she was afraid. His voice was softer as he spoke, as to not scare her.
“I’m sorry for scaring you and not apologizing when the harpies attacked. It was very harsh of me to speak and act that way, I’m sorry Sophia.”
Better late then never to try fixing a relationship, right?
She slowly poked her head up from behind the bush. She took a few seconds to gather the courage to speak. "Sorry. I should know monsters are dangerous. I'm— I'm a hunter."
She thought about it for a moment and slowly nodded. "Sure. But I can't stay for long. Whenever the hunters decide to leave is probably when I should leave as well."
*And so they did go to the archery range. Wysper help set up the targets with his wind, while the Winions carried over the arrows needed, giving some to Sophia. He'd test fire a bit because, well, it's been a long while since he's used one his bow. Might as well test fire if he still has it. 3 arrows were shot. All hit the target, although with varying accuracy, notably none hitting the bullseye. He was rusty, but at least effective enough.*
"Haven't trained in a long while... Bit rusty, but hey, still hit the target."
*Wysper would say, as he held his bow towards Sophia. Although perhaps it's his mistake, considering his bow is a palintonos bow.*
She summoned her own bow, a smaller, lighter hunting bow that glowed silver and took one of the arrows. "I don't think I quite have the strength to draw that one. It looks way heavier than mine."
She let her bow disappear and hesitantly took his. Her bow had about a 60-pound draw weight, but a war bow? A palin-what-now bow? What? She couldn't remember the name! That had to be at least 50 pounds heavier. She struggled to draw the bow enough to shoot, and when she did shoot, her arrow landed on the second outermost ring. "Ow..."
*While it was her first time with the bow, Wysper saw promise in her: Unlike him, she's had more years to practice archery, and has had more progress actually firing the thing than him during his first few years. Wysper would help her out by slightly adjusting her stance and the way she held the bow. As he helped, she could notice a bright red bandana tied to one of the ends of the bow: Wysper's original scarf.*
"You've got to plant yourself more. The bow you're used to has made you take certain habits."
*He'd say, guiding her on how to fire the bow. He wasn't stern with her as he spoke, being as gentle as he could.*
"It might take some time to get used to, but I do believe you'll be able to use this."
"I think I pulled a muscle." She frowned, wincing when she tried to roll her shoulder. "I should probably hit the gym, huh? If it wasn't for the strength being a hunter of Artemis gifts me, I wouldn't even be able to draw my normal one."
She knew herself. Without divine intervention, she wasn't any good at anything demigods needed to do. She wasn't a good healer. She wasn't a good fighter. She could be sneaky, sure, but not enough to be useful in a war, at least according to what Kiara and Marilene said about the Second Titan War.
*Wysper would say, handing her a small piece of ambrosia he grabbed from the camp pantry.*
“You were given gifts not everyone can have. But gifts alone don’t define you. It’s what you do with them. Let me tell you a story I learned. There were three men, each gifted by their master a blessing. One was given a blessing of strength, one the blessing of wisdom, and one with the blessing of speed. The master sent them away to see what they would do with the gift. The one with strength honed it and used it to help others, becoming stronger. The one with wisdom sought council and knowledge and became wiser. But the man with speed used it sparingly, never seeming to improve upon what he has been given. So the master took his blessing away, and used it to gift greater strength and wisdom to the other two. You use the gifts you were given to become better than what you already are present. Even if they’re taken from you, you still gained strength of your own.”
*He’d help Sophia with the bow while she was given the ambrosia.*
She nibbled on the ambrosia and looked down at the bow like she was still unworthy of using it. Her arm still ached, and she took a bigger bite. She really needed to be more dedicated to the hunt, or else she would lose her gifts, is what she took from the story. What a dilema. Family and friends, or family and friends? The story of her life she supposed. Constantly having to choose between one or the other and not being able to stay committed to her decision. "Maybe I should work up to that draw weight?"
“Not instantly, but it is progress. Practice doesn’t make perfect, we ain’t gods, but it does mean progress. Even if you can draw at least a single pound more after training for a while, it’s better than nothing. Now try again.”
*Wysper would say, this time helping Sophia with the draw, although still letting her take most of the weight to let her feel out how much she potentially has to learn to be able to draw back.*
Again, she strained against the bow, her arm trembling from the weight. This definitely felt like way more than 40 pounds heavier than her usual bow. She felt as if she must have recieved an extra blessing from Lady Artemis just to be able to draw it in the first place. She couldn't hold it for long. When her fingers had finally had enough, she let go of the string and missed again. She shook out her arm. "Jeez. Warbows are way harder."
*He’d say, noticing the time. It’s sunset. He’d give Sophia another piece, before walking by to the nearby forest. He felt the wind in his face, and somehow deep down… he knew it was time. The soft crunch of the leaves can be heard as he turned to Sophia, as he sighed. He knows he can’t keep up the lie.*
“…I’m sorry for not telling you something very important.”
The trailed behind him as soon as he started to walk away, pausing when he spoke. Her heart skipped a beat, and she clenched her fists at her side. Was something wrong? Was he okay? "Sorry for what?"
*Wysper would take off his gloves, showing his hands. They were even more translucent than before, reaching up to his wrists. There was no fear or panic in his face as he did this. Just quiet acceptance.*
“I think… I understand why there’s so little of Aeolus kids that appear in camp. And I’ve made peace with it.”
Her breath hitched, and she shook her head. So many demigods had to die so young, and for what? Just because the gods didn't feel like taking care of their kids or fighting their own battles? No. That line of thinking is what brought Luke around. And not all of them were bad. After all, she did serve Lady Artemis. "What do you mean? What's gonna happen?"
“Not sure. But, there’s a reason why you never see any Aeolus kids older than 18. And I feel like… this is supposed to happen. So, I’ve just been doing as much as I could with what time I have left. And I don’t regret a single moment. I’ve done things that I do regret, but… I think I’m satisfied with what I got. Only things I regret is I couldn’t apologize to Theo, or apologize to everyone that, well, I’m dying.”
*As he spoke, he untied the blue scarf from his neck. That scarf meant so much to him; a gift Theo had given him. He cherished it deeply, as he folded it with care, and handed it to Sophia.*
“There should be boxes in my room for some people. I hope they open it, since it has letters. The scarf is to be given back to Theo. There should be a letter in my room for him. The bow is yours.”
She stubbornly pushed the scarf back to him. "No! You— You can't die! We'll figure something out! Maybe this is some kind of misunderstanding. Most other demigods also don't reach 18. Let's find Chiron. I'm sure he'll know what to do."
"Sophia."
*He'd say, as he held her arm as she tried to go look for help. It felt cold. His head shook at her suggestion.*
"I feel a call, and I have to answer it. Whether it's me dying or something else, I don't think I have much choice in the matter. So please. Just... do me a favor, okay?"
*He'd say, still holding the scarf that Sophia pushed back into his hands.*
Goosebumps appeared all over her arm where he touched her. She bit her lip and slowly nodded. Her vision grew blurry from how misty her eyes were. "Who do you want me to tell about your stuff?"
She hesitated. Should she take it? Should she run and call for Chiron despite his wishes? Should she hide away and pretend this wasn't happening? She stood completely frozen, feet planted into the ground. She couldn't even muster any good final words. She never should have been so scared of him. She never should have made him feel so bad. She should have come to camp more often. But it wasn't like she could change anything now.
“You’re stronger than you think Sophia. Don’t let anyone think otherwise.”
*Wysper would step back, as the wind began to pick up. The leaves picked up as it began to swirl around Wysper. Sophia could see parts of Wysper start to become translucent.*
She opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come out. She couldn't even make herself say, "Goodbye." All she could do was watch. Were any of the other campers seeing this? What would happen to him? Would he disappear into the wind? Would he suddenly collapse and leave his body in the middle of the grass? Would it hurt him?
“I wish… I could have apologized and could have done more to everyone. But…”
*Sophia watched as parts of Wysper slowly faded, like pieces blowing in the wind as he spoke. A soft smile was on his face, as small tears appeared in his eyes. His eyes have never been so bright The wind swirling about him as the leaves followed suit, a small breeze carrying them around Wysper.*
“I’m glad that I met you all. It may have been short, but I’ve lived a wonderful life.”
*And as the winds blew, so did Wysper, his body fully fading away with the wind as it carried itself away. No body left to bury. No clothes left to store. No one to mourn.*
18 years, huh? It’s been finally 18 years. It’s a cold morning, as Wysper wiped his eyes as he groggily picked himself up to sit up on the bed. He’d grab his phone to check on what time it is. It’ 5 in the morning, and hey, it’s his birthday. As he read the date, he knew to get ready; not necessarily because he was expecting people to greet him or to surprise him, but moreso he wanted to freshen up. As he dragged his feet across the marble flooring of his room into the bathroom, he’d start to wash his face to wake himself up.
It’d help with the morning tiredness as he looked at himself in the mirror and… he looks paler than usual. Odd, but it’s cold this morning, so he doesn’t really mind, but as he reached for his face, his eyes dilated as he saw his hands. They’re… slightly translucent and glowing. It kind of snaps him awake, as he looked at them. There was a moment of panic, his head racing trying to understand what was happening, and yet… it felt like he understood what was happening. Like it was something that was unavoidable. He can’t quite explain it, but maybe, just maybe, there’s a reason why seeing an Aeolus kid is rare.
So he continues preparing for camp, and throughout the morning, even if by a little, his hands become more translucent, still noticeable enough to seenthe shape of his hands, but clear enough to see through. He would have covered his hands though, as to not raise any suspicion, chalking it up to it being a cold morning when asked. After breakfast and a shower, as he changed to his camp clothing, he’d noticed the change. He didn’t know exactly what was going on, but.. he felt like he was on a timer. I mean, all of this suddenly appeared on his 18th, without warning. Perhaps he’s reached the end. I mean, life expectancy of a demigod wasn’t that long, right?
So as he changed, he thought to himself: “You know what, if this is what I think it is… I think I’ll try my best to talk to everyone. It feels… important today, maybe… let’s loosen up on the gloomy part. It’s not like you have nothing to lose, right?” He’d say, as he placed on gloves to cover his hands, going over to his Pegasus, Porsche.
And so he goes to Camp Half-Blood. It’s been a long time since he’s felt… peaceful. Even for a day, it was nice. And so he goes about his day, although when you’d see or talk with him throughout the day, it’s as if you were seeing Wysper for the first time before… everything, really. His old smile, the way he cracked jokes or puns, much to the detriment of other campers from how cheesy they were. But throughout the day, you’d notice. Is he getting slightly paler?
He would have received his annual small cheesecake from Chiron, wheter he shares it or doesn’t, it doesn’t really matter. He notices and talks to whoever was nearby. Wheter camp, the nearby forest, the palace, or any other place he could go to for that matter. He seemed more lighthearted than usual.
He might have heard the rustling on leaves as Sophia hid behind a bush to watch him for a moment. The sight of him still made her nervous after what he did to those harpies, so she wasn't sure if she wanted to say "hello" or if she wanted to wait for him to be gone. She didn't tell any of the hunters what she saw, so they should be around any minute now. Why did he look so pale? Was it just the light? Maybe she should wait, at least to avoid an awkward conversation.
"...You know, you don't have to hide, right?"
*He'd say, hearing the rustling and her shaky breath, as he turned towards the bush. Notably his hands would be covered with gloves as he gestured for whoever it was to come out.*
She squeaked, covering her mouth with her hand. He didn't seem angry, which was good, but something about him still felt intimidating. Maybe it was because she recently had all of her memories forced to the forefront and had to remember what he did to the harpies along with everything else. There were plenty of things that were even more scary than that! She needed to relax. Still, she stayed completely still.
There would be a sigh that would come from Wysper, his face frowning a bit. He knew who it was, and he understood why she was afraid. His voice was softer as he spoke, as to not scare her.
“I’m sorry for scaring you and not apologizing when the harpies attacked. It was very harsh of me to speak and act that way, I’m sorry Sophia.”
Better late then never to try fixing a relationship, right?
She slowly poked her head up from behind the bush. She took a few seconds to gather the courage to speak. "Sorry. I should know monsters are dangerous. I'm— I'm a hunter."
She thought about it for a moment and slowly nodded. "Sure. But I can't stay for long. Whenever the hunters decide to leave is probably when I should leave as well."
*And so they did go to the archery range. Wysper help set up the targets with his wind, while the Winions carried over the arrows needed, giving some to Sophia. He'd test fire a bit because, well, it's been a long while since he's used one his bow. Might as well test fire if he still has it. 3 arrows were shot. All hit the target, although with varying accuracy, notably none hitting the bullseye. He was rusty, but at least effective enough.*
"Haven't trained in a long while... Bit rusty, but hey, still hit the target."
*Wysper would say, as he held his bow towards Sophia. Although perhaps it's his mistake, considering his bow is a palintonos bow.*
She summoned her own bow, a smaller, lighter hunting bow that glowed silver and took one of the arrows. "I don't think I quite have the strength to draw that one. It looks way heavier than mine."
She let her bow disappear and hesitantly took his. Her bow had about a 60-pound draw weight, but a war bow? A palin-what-now bow? What? She couldn't remember the name! That had to be at least 50 pounds heavier. She struggled to draw the bow enough to shoot, and when she did shoot, her arrow landed on the second outermost ring. "Ow..."
*While it was her first time with the bow, Wysper saw promise in her: Unlike him, she's had more years to practice archery, and has had more progress actually firing the thing than him during his first few years. Wysper would help her out by slightly adjusting her stance and the way she held the bow. As he helped, she could notice a bright red bandana tied to one of the ends of the bow: Wysper's original scarf.*
"You've got to plant yourself more. The bow you're used to has made you take certain habits."
*He'd say, guiding her on how to fire the bow. He wasn't stern with her as he spoke, being as gentle as he could.*
"It might take some time to get used to, but I do believe you'll be able to use this."
"I think I pulled a muscle." She frowned, wincing when she tried to roll her shoulder. "I should probably hit the gym, huh? If it wasn't for the strength being a hunter of Artemis gifts me, I wouldn't even be able to draw my normal one."
She knew herself. Without divine intervention, she wasn't any good at anything demigods needed to do. She wasn't a good healer. She wasn't a good fighter. She could be sneaky, sure, but not enough to be useful in a war, at least according to what Kiara and Marilene said about the Second Titan War.
*Wysper would say, handing her a small piece of ambrosia he grabbed from the camp pantry.*
“You were given gifts not everyone can have. But gifts alone don’t define you. It’s what you do with them. Let me tell you a story I learned. There were three men, each gifted by their master a blessing. One was given a blessing of strength, one the blessing of wisdom, and one with the blessing of speed. The master sent them away to see what they would do with the gift. The one with strength honed it and used it to help others, becoming stronger. The one with wisdom sought council and knowledge and became wiser. But the man with speed used it sparingly, never seeming to improve upon what he has been given. So the master took his blessing away, and used it to gift greater strength and wisdom to the other two. You use the gifts you were given to become better than what you already are present. Even if they’re taken from you, you still gained strength of your own.”
*He’d help Sophia with the bow while she was given the ambrosia.*
She nibbled on the ambrosia and looked down at the bow like she was still unworthy of using it. Her arm still ached, and she took a bigger bite. She really needed to be more dedicated to the hunt, or else she would lose her gifts, is what she took from the story. What a dilema. Family and friends, or family and friends? The story of her life she supposed. Constantly having to choose between one or the other and not being able to stay committed to her decision. "Maybe I should work up to that draw weight?"
“Not instantly, but it is progress. Practice doesn’t make perfect, we ain’t gods, but it does mean progress. Even if you can draw at least a single pound more after training for a while, it’s better than nothing. Now try again.”
*Wysper would say, this time helping Sophia with the draw, although still letting her take most of the weight to let her feel out how much she potentially has to learn to be able to draw back.*
Again, she strained against the bow, her arm trembling from the weight. This definitely felt like way more than 40 pounds heavier than her usual bow. She felt as if she must have recieved an extra blessing from Lady Artemis just to be able to draw it in the first place. She couldn't hold it for long. When her fingers had finally had enough, she let go of the string and missed again. She shook out her arm. "Jeez. Warbows are way harder."
*He’d say, noticing the time. It’s sunset. He’d give Sophia another piece, before walking by to the nearby forest. He felt the wind in his face, and somehow deep down… he knew it was time. The soft crunch of the leaves can be heard as he turned to Sophia, as he sighed. He knows he can’t keep up the lie.*
“…I’m sorry for not telling you something very important.”
The trailed behind him as soon as he started to walk away, pausing when he spoke. Her heart skipped a beat, and she clenched her fists at her side. Was something wrong? Was he okay? "Sorry for what?"
*Wysper would take off his gloves, showing his hands. They were even more translucent than before, reaching up to his wrists. There was no fear or panic in his face as he did this. Just quiet acceptance.*
“I think… I understand why there’s so little of Aeolus kids that appear in camp. And I’ve made peace with it.”
Her breath hitched, and she shook her head. So many demigods had to die so young, and for what? Just because the gods didn't feel like taking care of their kids or fighting their own battles? No. That line of thinking is what brought Luke around. And not all of them were bad. After all, she did serve Lady Artemis. "What do you mean? What's gonna happen?"
“Not sure. But, there’s a reason why you never see any Aeolus kids older than 18. And I feel like… this is supposed to happen. So, I’ve just been doing as much as I could with what time I have left. And I don’t regret a single moment. I’ve done things that I do regret, but… I think I’m satisfied with what I got. Only things I regret is I couldn’t apologize to Theo, or apologize to everyone that, well, I’m dying.”
*As he spoke, he untied the blue scarf from his neck. That scarf meant so much to him; a gift Theo had given him. He cherished it deeply, as he folded it with care, and handed it to Sophia.*
“There should be boxes in my room for some people. I hope they open it, since it has letters. The scarf is to be given back to Theo. There should be a letter in my room for him. The bow is yours.”
She stubbornly pushed the scarf back to him. "No! You— You can't die! We'll figure something out! Maybe this is some kind of misunderstanding. Most other demigods also don't reach 18. Let's find Chiron. I'm sure he'll know what to do."
"Sophia."
*He'd say, as he held her arm as she tried to go look for help. It felt cold. His head shook at her suggestion.*
"I feel a call, and I have to answer it. Whether it's me dying or something else, I don't think I have much choice in the matter. So please. Just... do me a favor, okay?"
*He'd say, still holding the scarf that Sophia pushed back into his hands.*
Goosebumps appeared all over her arm where he touched her. She bit her lip and slowly nodded. Her vision grew blurry from how misty her eyes were. "Who do you want me to tell about your stuff?"
She hesitated. Should she take it? Should she run and call for Chiron despite his wishes? Should she hide away and pretend this wasn't happening? She stood completely frozen, feet planted into the ground. She couldn't even muster any good final words. She never should have been so scared of him. She never should have made him feel so bad. She should have come to camp more often. But it wasn't like she could change anything now.
“You’re stronger than you think Sophia. Don’t let anyone think otherwise.”
*Wysper would step back, as the wind began to pick up. The leaves picked up as it began to swirl around Wysper. Sophia could see parts of Wysper start to become translucent.*
18 years, huh? It’s been finally 18 years. It’s a cold morning, as Wysper wiped his eyes as he groggily picked himself up to sit up on the bed. He’d grab his phone to check on what time it is. It’ 5 in the morning, and hey, it’s his birthday. As he read the date, he knew to get ready; not necessarily because he was expecting people to greet him or to surprise him, but moreso he wanted to freshen up. As he dragged his feet across the marble flooring of his room into the bathroom, he’d start to wash his face to wake himself up.
It’d help with the morning tiredness as he looked at himself in the mirror and… he looks paler than usual. Odd, but it’s cold this morning, so he doesn’t really mind, but as he reached for his face, his eyes dilated as he saw his hands. They’re… slightly translucent and glowing. It kind of snaps him awake, as he looked at them. There was a moment of panic, his head racing trying to understand what was happening, and yet… it felt like he understood what was happening. Like it was something that was unavoidable. He can’t quite explain it, but maybe, just maybe, there’s a reason why seeing an Aeolus kid is rare.
So he continues preparing for camp, and throughout the morning, even if by a little, his hands become more translucent, still noticeable enough to seenthe shape of his hands, but clear enough to see through. He would have covered his hands though, as to not raise any suspicion, chalking it up to it being a cold morning when asked. After breakfast and a shower, as he changed to his camp clothing, he’d noticed the change. He didn’t know exactly what was going on, but.. he felt like he was on a timer. I mean, all of this suddenly appeared on his 18th, without warning. Perhaps he’s reached the end. I mean, life expectancy of a demigod wasn’t that long, right?
So as he changed, he thought to himself: “You know what, if this is what I think it is… I think I’ll try my best to talk to everyone. It feels… important today, maybe… let’s loosen up on the gloomy part. It’s not like you have nothing to lose, right?” He’d say, as he placed on gloves to cover his hands, going over to his Pegasus, Porsche.
And so he goes to Camp Half-Blood. It’s been a long time since he’s felt… peaceful. Even for a day, it was nice. And so he goes about his day, although when you’d see or talk with him throughout the day, it’s as if you were seeing Wysper for the first time before… everything, really. His old smile, the way he cracked jokes or puns, much to the detriment of other campers from how cheesy they were. But throughout the day, you’d notice. Is he getting slightly paler?
He would have received his annual small cheesecake from Chiron, wheter he shares it or doesn’t, it doesn’t really matter. He notices and talks to whoever was nearby. Wheter camp, the nearby forest, the palace, or any other place he could go to for that matter. He seemed more lighthearted than usual.
He might have heard the rustling on leaves as Sophia hid behind a bush to watch him for a moment. The sight of him still made her nervous after what he did to those harpies, so she wasn't sure if she wanted to say "hello" or if she wanted to wait for him to be gone. She didn't tell any of the hunters what she saw, so they should be around any minute now. Why did he look so pale? Was it just the light? Maybe she should wait, at least to avoid an awkward conversation.
"...You know, you don't have to hide, right?"
*He'd say, hearing the rustling and her shaky breath, as he turned towards the bush. Notably his hands would be covered with gloves as he gestured for whoever it was to come out.*
She squeaked, covering her mouth with her hand. He didn't seem angry, which was good, but something about him still felt intimidating. Maybe it was because she recently had all of her memories forced to the forefront and had to remember what he did to the harpies along with everything else. There were plenty of things that were even more scary than that! She needed to relax. Still, she stayed completely still.
There would be a sigh that would come from Wysper, his face frowning a bit. He knew who it was, and he understood why she was afraid. His voice was softer as he spoke, as to not scare her.
“I’m sorry for scaring you and not apologizing when the harpies attacked. It was very harsh of me to speak and act that way, I’m sorry Sophia.”
Better late then never to try fixing a relationship, right?
She slowly poked her head up from behind the bush. She took a few seconds to gather the courage to speak. "Sorry. I should know monsters are dangerous. I'm— I'm a hunter."
She thought about it for a moment and slowly nodded. "Sure. But I can't stay for long. Whenever the hunters decide to leave is probably when I should leave as well."
*And so they did go to the archery range. Wysper help set up the targets with his wind, while the Winions carried over the arrows needed, giving some to Sophia. He'd test fire a bit because, well, it's been a long while since he's used one his bow. Might as well test fire if he still has it. 3 arrows were shot. All hit the target, although with varying accuracy, notably none hitting the bullseye. He was rusty, but at least effective enough.*
"Haven't trained in a long while... Bit rusty, but hey, still hit the target."
*Wysper would say, as he held his bow towards Sophia. Although perhaps it's his mistake, considering his bow is a palintonos bow.*
She summoned her own bow, a smaller, lighter hunting bow that glowed silver and took one of the arrows. "I don't think I quite have the strength to draw that one. It looks way heavier than mine."
She let her bow disappear and hesitantly took his. Her bow had about a 60-pound draw weight, but a war bow? A palin-what-now bow? What? She couldn't remember the name! That had to be at least 50 pounds heavier. She struggled to draw the bow enough to shoot, and when she did shoot, her arrow landed on the second outermost ring. "Ow..."
*While it was her first time with the bow, Wysper saw promise in her: Unlike him, she's had more years to practice archery, and has had more progress actually firing the thing than him during his first few years. Wysper would help her out by slightly adjusting her stance and the way she held the bow. As he helped, she could notice a bright red bandana tied to one of the ends of the bow: Wysper's original scarf.*
"You've got to plant yourself more. The bow you're used to has made you take certain habits."
*He'd say, guiding her on how to fire the bow. He wasn't stern with her as he spoke, being as gentle as he could.*
"It might take some time to get used to, but I do believe you'll be able to use this."
"I think I pulled a muscle." She frowned, wincing when she tried to roll her shoulder. "I should probably hit the gym, huh? If it wasn't for the strength being a hunter of Artemis gifts me, I wouldn't even be able to draw my normal one."
She knew herself. Without divine intervention, she wasn't any good at anything demigods needed to do. She wasn't a good healer. She wasn't a good fighter. She could be sneaky, sure, but not enough to be useful in a war, at least according to what Kiara and Marilene said about the Second Titan War.
*Wysper would say, handing her a small piece of ambrosia he grabbed from the camp pantry.*
“You were given gifts not everyone can have. But gifts alone don’t define you. It’s what you do with them. Let me tell you a story I learned. There were three men, each gifted by their master a blessing. One was given a blessing of strength, one the blessing of wisdom, and one with the blessing of speed. The master sent them away to see what they would do with the gift. The one with strength honed it and used it to help others, becoming stronger. The one with wisdom sought council and knowledge and became wiser. But the man with speed used it sparingly, never seeming to improve upon what he has been given. So the master took his blessing away, and used it to gift greater strength and wisdom to the other two. You use the gifts you were given to become better than what you already are present. Even if they’re taken from you, you still gained strength of your own.”
*He’d help Sophia with the bow while she was given the ambrosia.*
She nibbled on the ambrosia and looked down at the bow like she was still unworthy of using it. Her arm still ached, and she took a bigger bite. She really needed to be more dedicated to the hunt, or else she would lose her gifts, is what she took from the story. What a dilema. Family and friends, or family and friends? The story of her life she supposed. Constantly having to choose between one or the other and not being able to stay committed to her decision. "Maybe I should work up to that draw weight?"
“Not instantly, but it is progress. Practice doesn’t make perfect, we ain’t gods, but it does mean progress. Even if you can draw at least a single pound more after training for a while, it’s better than nothing. Now try again.”
*Wysper would say, this time helping Sophia with the draw, although still letting her take most of the weight to let her feel out how much she potentially has to learn to be able to draw back.*
Again, she strained against the bow, her arm trembling from the weight. This definitely felt like way more than 40 pounds heavier than her usual bow. She felt as if she must have recieved an extra blessing from Lady Artemis just to be able to draw it in the first place. She couldn't hold it for long. When her fingers had finally had enough, she let go of the string and missed again. She shook out her arm. "Jeez. Warbows are way harder."
*He’d say, noticing the time. It’s sunset. He’d give Sophia another piece, before walking by to the nearby forest. He felt the wind in his face, and somehow deep down… he knew it was time. The soft crunch of the leaves can be heard as he turned to Sophia, as he sighed. He knows he can’t keep up the lie.*
“…I’m sorry for not telling you something very important.”
The trailed behind him as soon as he started to walk away, pausing when he spoke. Her heart skipped a beat, and she clenched her fists at her side. Was something wrong? Was he okay? "Sorry for what?"
*Wysper would take off his gloves, showing his hands. They were even more translucent than before, reaching up to his wrists. There was no fear or panic in his face as he did this. Just quiet acceptance.*
“I think… I understand why there’s so little of Aeolus kids that appear in camp. And I’ve made peace with it.”
Her breath hitched, and she shook her head. So many demigods had to die so young, and for what? Just because the gods didn't feel like taking care of their kids or fighting their own battles? No. That line of thinking is what brought Luke around. And not all of them were bad. After all, she did serve Lady Artemis. "What do you mean? What's gonna happen?"
“Not sure. But, there’s a reason why you never see any Aeolus kids older than 18. And I feel like… this is supposed to happen. So, I’ve just been doing as much as I could with what time I have left. And I don’t regret a single moment. I’ve done things that I do regret, but… I think I’m satisfied with what I got. Only things I regret is I couldn’t apologize to Theo, or apologize to everyone that, well, I’m dying.”
*As he spoke, he untied the blue scarf from his neck. That scarf meant so much to him; a gift Theo had given him. He cherished it deeply, as he folded it with care, and handed it to Sophia.*
“There should be boxes in my room for some people. I hope they open it, since it has letters. The scarf is to be given back to Theo. There should be a letter in my room for him. The bow is yours.”
She stubbornly pushed the scarf back to him. "No! You— You can't die! We'll figure something out! Maybe this is some kind of misunderstanding. Most other demigods also don't reach 18. Let's find Chiron. I'm sure he'll know what to do."
"Sophia."
*He'd say, as he held her arm as she tried to go look for help. It felt cold. His head shook at her suggestion.*
"I feel a call, and I have to answer it. Whether it's me dying or something else, I don't think I have much choice in the matter. So please. Just... do me a favor, okay?"
*He'd say, still holding the scarf that Sophia pushed back into his hands.*
Goosebumps appeared all over her arm where he touched her. She bit her lip and slowly nodded. Her vision grew blurry from how misty her eyes were. "Who do you want me to tell about your stuff?"
