Forum Thread

Quinn, now thoroughly exhausted at this point, started to go back to his cabin to pack and mentally prepare for the day ahead before he was stopped by his siblings and a few others from various cabins. They were all smiling and cheering him on, congratulating him for the quest. Although it was nice to have the support, he still felt empty. He decided to not think about himself too much tonight and enjoy his last day here for a while. They all encouraged him to sit down with them and have a few marshmallows, when he noticed Dezerae and Cataneme enjoying a few themselves. After a few conversations and treats, he excused himself from the group by telling them that he should pack and go to sleep early, which they allowed and continued to mingle among themselves.

Walking slowly and quietly, Quinn had begun to think about his father and girlfriend, neither of which he had seen in a few months. He tried his best to leave camp a few weeks at a time each summer, but with the way things were going around here, he couldn't help but to stay at camp. He at least wanted to tell them both about the quest, since they already knew about the camp and their current problem, but he didn't have a way to quickly contact them. By the time he started to come up with ways to get in touch, he was already at the cabin doors. He figured that he should forget about it tonight and just focus on tomorrow, and he would do that by packing. Besides, he could probably find a pay phone during the quest and call them from there. He opened the door and was greeted by Darrius, someone Quinn did not expect to see. Then again, he left pretty early at the campfire. "Oh, hey." Quinn briefly greeted, waving his hand before going straight to his bed. Darrius greeted him back, and the two proceeded to do what they were doing before. He looked around at his things, realizing he didn't have much on him. It made sense, seeing as he had his own apartment where all his belongings resided. All he really needed to bring to camp anyways was the essentials. He concluded that he should just bring his backpack, some food, money, clothes, sleeping bag, his weapons, and other small things. He eyed the small picture frame on the desk that contained a picture of him with his girlfriend. He must've been staring at it for quite a while, because Darrius called out to him and asked what he was looking at. "Oh, you got a girl? Lucky you." He chuckled as he came closer, the remark catching Quinn's attention. He looked back at him and gave a small grin, then began to take the picture out of the frame and stuff it in his pocket, deciding to take it with him. "Guess I do... You?" He chuckled, turning back to face him once again, only to find that Darius had gone back to his bed and sat down on it. "Nah, not yet." He lightly laughed, laying down in his bed. "Anyways, I'm going off to sleep, good night." And with that, Quinn didn't hear another word from Darrius.

He rummaged through his things again, making sure he had everything, and surprisingly he did. He gave a sigh of relief before putting his backpack down and changing into his night clothes, then laid down himself. He was exhausted but couldn't exactly fall asleep. He stared at the ceiling for the longest time, letting himself drift among his thoughts, when a sudden noise startled him out of his dazed state. "Hey Quinn, you awake?" The rustle of the pillow from the turn of his head in the direction of the voice must've answered the question, because the voice continued. "Alright, there's been something I've wanted to ask you. Are you doing ok?" By now Quinn had figured out that the voice was Darrius's, and with that he gave a response. "I..." He stopped, unsure of what to say. He didn't really know himself, so how was he supposed to answer the question? After a few seconds, he continued. "I don't really know..." He wanted to say so much more, lay all of the burdens and problems on his mind onto Darrius, but his mouth went dry, and he couldn't. "Yeah, I figured... It's fine, you don't need to say anymore." He responded, continuing on with, "I've noticed you haven't been doing the best lately, you seem to have a lot on your plate." How he managed to know that he wanted to say more baffled Quinn, but the fact that he could see through his mask even a long time ago shocked him even more. "I guess that's all I wanted to say, night." From that point, all he could remember was staring mindlessly at the ceiling while dwelling on the conversation, then falling asleep.

---

O k a y, the campfire did not go as Suvansh expected, how people rapidly volunteered for the quest after him, and how the Apollo cabin rebuked at Alaparos. Well, it was only to be expected, of course, they wouldn't send another camper. The line said the "The Sun will be your cost", and strangely enough, a member of their cabin was missing- couldn't be more connected.
Except that though, he was fairly relieved. He was actually accepted as a member of the quest, and their were way more than 3 people who volunteered, and Chiron said nothing against it. Eh, he shouldv'e been worried, with how they say having more than 3 demigods on a quest results in no good for the extras, but it had been proven that it wasn't always the case- and he did not wanna think about what would happen if he was an ExTrA right now.
When Chiron dismissed them, he lingered around where he was, having seated himself somewhere at the back of the amphitheater since he had volunteered, and observed the others, who he was supposedly going on a quest with, especially Cataneme, who hung around roasting marshmallows with Dezerae. He thought of joining them, but his mind held him back. I have to know them anyways, we would be staying together for probably quite some time~ his mind argued with his mind, but his mind finally won, and he stretched a bit, and went back to his cabin. The first thing on his to-do list should've been packing, packing for the trip ahead, but no. He came back to his cabin, ran to his bed, did his daily routine before sleping, like giving Fluff some motor oil, doing a sudoku, etc., and went to sleep.

---

There was much to do. Already, Alaparos could think of many different things that he would have to bring along though he doubted that his bag would have enough space for most of them. He couldn't help but also worry about the infamous rule of 3. Truthfully, he didn't want any one to get hurt but it was almost away the case. They were going on a perilous journey, one that he had inadvertently kicked off, and he felt responsible for them. Already on a daily basis, he held a protective spark for anyone who so much as steps foot within Camp Half-Blood, but with his quest it was like his instincts were kicked up to eleven. Just the thought of anyone getting hurt on this adventure sent ants crawling along his skin, making him shudder.

A hesitant hand on his shoulder had him glancing up, meeting Chiron's soft eyes. The activity directors seemed tired and for the first time in two weeks it wasn't anger or frustration that filled Alaparos' chest. "I think we might need to break out those braces sooner than we thought." He tried, a dry smile on his lips. The resulting chuckle he got for his wisecracking joke was enough for him to relax marginally. Things would be okay, he'd make sure of it.

---

Cataneme just roasted them casually, her facial expressions showing zero concern for what she volunteered for. If it was pure confidence or ignorance is up for debate, though she just broke of of the many branches and handed it to Dez. "Don't worry, stuff like that happens. For now, enjoy the treat! You too back there!" She yelled, waving at Suvansh (her waving and mimic is similar to my profile picture actually!). "The fire isn't lasting forever and I only got three more bags of sweetness!" Cataneme smiles, so wide and bright that one could see it even from Suv's distance!

By the time the new day rose and the sun had long since crested over the horizon, all of the campers meant to go one the quest had gathered by the pine tree which marked the edge of camp. Evergreen boughs stretched up to the skies, welcoming the warm summer rays. By all accounts it was another regular day, not one where some life threatening quest was about to take place and yet today was the day. The unusually large party obviously drew eyes and many campers had stopped by to say their goodbyes. Staying under the shade of the tree, Alaparos watched with narrowed eyes. By his feet was a battered backpack that had seen better days, frayed threads and faded colors indicative of its age. He had essentially packed the entirety of the medical wing into the small bag, rolls of bandages and salves lining the fabric. Towers of pills, most of them painkillers, proved structural integrity to the quasi fort along with the standard thermos of nectar and plastic baggie of ambrosia. There was very little else that he carried aside for a small pocket lighter. Most curiously, his wheelchair was nowhere to be found. Instead twin braces were affixed to his legs. Almost like scaffolding on a building, slim metal wiring circled the worn jean material of his pants and a faint whirring sound could be heard from the joints connecting the wires.

It had been one of the many inventions created by the Hephaestus cabin and one that Alaparos had personally commissioned a few months back. At its core it was a walking aid, on meant to ease the stress his nerves would undoubtedly be under with every step he took as well as stabilizing his weakened muscles. It didn't make walking painless, not by a long shot, but at least he wouldn't be dragging down the quest with mobility issues. Always by his side whenever he was out of his wheelchair was a dragon headed cane, snarling black and gold inlays nestled snugly against his palm. Alaparos always thanked his lucky stars, and Hecate herself, that the mist disguised his bulky and unwieldy weapon of choice as a very practical object that he would undoubtedly use everyday

---

"Nice zım you got there." Cataneme smiled, appearing next to Alaparos and inspecting his jeans. She was... surprisingly close, even tugging on his pants a little while listening to the whirring sound of mechanical engineering. "Looks awesome too, can't wait to see them in action!" She hops back into a straight stance, smiling brightly. Her outfit wasn't out of the ordinary, though her backpack was quite mismatched. While Cataneme's outfit was a simple outfit like a lumberjack, being a checkered shirt, opened revealing a simple t-shirt beneath and simple jeans, the backpack itself was a brand-new model, looking quite expensive with just one side pocket, from which a small sandwich paper stuck out. "Hmmm, have we met officially, by the way? I can't recall! I am Akata- ehhhh... I mean, I'm Cataneme!" She stuck her tongue out and smiled, reaching out to shake his hand.

On the day of the quest, Suvansh slept like a log. Didn't do any packing last night, and didn't wake up on time. A brother of his, Max, noticed and shook him awake. Suvansh yawned and grumpily started "What?" but recalled that he had to assemble for the quest soon and that he was yet to pack his stuff, so he hastily thanked him and sat up straight. He stretched about for a second, peeked at the time, and then looked over his possessions. According to what Max had said, he could steal about 15 minutes before having to go to the pine tree where all the quest goers had to assemble. So, he got working. He had his backpack, of course, his compact tool kit, the metal blob that was a fork yesterday, Fluff, a pair of extra clothes, a bottle of nectar, some ambrosia, and some snacks. Biscuits and so. And last but not the least, he took out the bunch of spectacle enhancements he had been working on. They weren't complete, but they had some utility, and they didn't take up much space either. So he plopped them into his bag, wore his best pair of shoes, which he had bought specifically for an adventure, like the quest would surely be. The prophecy mentioned something about winter, so he debated taking a jacket, but it was summer now, and it would take up a lot of space and weight, so he did not, but he did take a few other supplies, like mortal money, a bag of drachma, and other stuff.

He bid his siblings farewell, thanked em for all their well wishes, and went over running to the pine tree. "Ello- eek- sorry!! Are you okay??" He said, as he ran into Cataneme, who was introducing herself to Alaparos. I really gotta do something about my clumsiness~ He thought, as he gave Cataneme a hand, muttering again, "I am reallyy sorry!"

---

DD watched the other quest goers with slight unease. Socializing wasn't her forte, yet it was necessary if they were to do this quest together. For now though, she watched from a short distance from the group, close enough to hear and see but far enough to not draw their attention to her presence. She had packed a second bag, this one a duffel bag, with a lot of food, water, alongside nectar and ambrosia. She was prepared for this... right? "My dear Darling~. Surely you aren't thinking of lowering yourself to their level, are you? We have no need for them. We can do this ourselves, if you'd just-" "NO!" DD thought-yelled, nearly speaking out loud. "We...are...all...equal-leveled. All of us are demigods who deserve respect. You will NOT harm them!" A soft chuckle echoed through her mind. "So be it, my Darling. But you can't hide from yourself forever~." DD grimaced as she became quiet. She prayed to her mother that this journey wouldn't bring her past to light. Why had she packed that crown?! Because there was a part of her that wanted that life back... Shaking her head clear, DD tentatively yet proudly moved closer to the group. Might as well get to know a little about the people she would be traveling with...

---

Quinn had gotten up a little later than he would've liked, not not laye enough to become a problem. He quickly changed into a plain, grayish-white shirt with his worn, forest green army jacket over it. He slipped on some jeans and his boots, then grabbed his backpack and headed out the door, encouraging the siblings that were still there with him to come along. He assumed most of them woke up around the time he did, so they didn't get much time to get ready either. Quinn walked to the pine tree the gathering took place, while his siblings headed off to where the other campers were. He looked around to see if he could spot anyone that was going on a quest with him, and as a matter of fact he did. He first spotted DD, who seemed to be secluding themselves from everyone. He looked closer and noticed she didn't seem so well, which caused him to walk closer to try and see if she needed anything. While he did so, he noticed Alaparos, Cataneme, and Suvansh in roughly the same area. The part that stood out to him (no pun intended) was that Alaparos wasn't in his wheelchair. He was standing, and his legs seemed to be in a brace of sorts. Guess he would have to learn more about that later, right now his main focus was DD. He walked up to her and begun to spoke calmly and in a low voice. "Is everything alright? I was just coming down here and noticed that you didn't look so good."

---

DD glanced up, seeing Quinn. Smiling a little, she shook her head. "I'm...alright I suppose. I guess I'm a bit nervous for this quest. We have no idea what we're getting into, I feel. For most, if not all of us, this is our first quest. Danger lurks around every corner for us in the outside world. Are we ready for this??" "And I'm pretty sure I'm the only one with a criminal background..." she thought sourly. She turned her focus onto Quinn. "How about you? How are you feeling about this??"

---

He listened carefully to what she had to say, thinking for a bit on how to answer her question. "Well this isn't my first rodeo, I'll say that. But I know what you mean, I..." He hesitated for a bit, then slowly continued. "I'm not sure how to feel. Yesterday I was sick to my stomach about this for some reason, maybe it was just the pressure..." His fingers began to move on their own, fiddling with each other and the ring his father gave him. He didn't notice until he looked down in order to think for a little bit, and when he did so, a thought came to him and hit him like a truck. The ring... Oh gods the ring... Was that thought buried deep in his mind this entire time? Was that what was making him nervous? "But yeah, the quest seems like it's gonna be a lot of fun." He said sarcastically, giving a smirk. Of course, with that thought still in his mind, the smirk didn't have the intended emotion behind it. If you looked carefully, his face was filled with fear and regret.

---

Cataneme shakes her head a little, looking at Suvansh and not taking his hand, instead shifting her weight and just launching herself upwards in a almost bunny-like hop, followed by arching her back and wiping off some of the dirt. "Don't worry, I am fine, I-" One look at her fancy backpack changed her entire mood, her smile vanishing, her voice shifting from "slightly annoying soprano" to "death-threatening contralto" and her body language changing to be stiff, as she only raises her finger, pointing at Suvansh's nose. "You dare damaging the knapsack of Bükrek, which had helped in the numerous adventures from across the Euphrat?" Her voice even gained a sort of epic undertone, like she is narrating a story. "For your transgression of mythical boundaries, by the name of Zarlık, you shall be punished severely!" With a serious tone and a rather subconscious move of changing the airflow a little to make her sound even more powerful, her gaze was that of madness...


until it wasn't and she just erupted into laughter, throwing herself onto the ground out of it and looking up. "Hahaaaaa, the look on your face!" She took a deep breath, chuckling and then once more getting onto her feet. "Don't worry, you're not the first to knock me down! And judging by the adventure, not the last either!"

Alaparos' face was scrunched up as if he wasn't quite sure how to deal with the sudden topic changes. He wasn't quite used to the chaotic mess that seemed to define almost all of Camp Half-blood and it showed. He had been stuck in the Big House for all of his years as a camper, sharing a space with the only other remotely sane person in the camp. And Chiron. "Erm, it's a pleasure to meet you too?" He hedged, unsure of how exactly to proceed with this eclectic bundle of energy. "I'm Alaparos. And you can thank the Hephestus cabin for these. They did a wonderful job on them." He shook his foot a little indicating what exactly he was talking about, the contraption moving smoothly. If he recalled correctly, the one who had joined them was a son of Hephestus. It would make sense, considering the prophecy and he gave Suvansh a wry smile of gratitude.

Doing a quick head count of everyone, Alaparos determined that they were still waiting for a few people. Namely Dezerae and Fallon.

---

Suvansh had a pretty expectable reaction to the sudden outburst of what seemed like gibberish to him. His eyes bulged out like a cartoon character, and he shrank so low that he could be stomped on easily! Only, that is, in his mind. Obviously, he wasn't a cartoon character, but a very real flesh and boned demigod. Though yes, mortal scientific laws made near no sense in the world he existed in, Suvansh specifically, did not have the luck of having the powers of shapeshifting and eyeball enlarging. Cat did not intimidate him but sure made him uncomfortable. And the following laughter was no ease in the embarrassment he was already facing. He nearly tripped backward, as she flopped to the ground back and again, but managed to smile and even chuckle soon after! Glancing at Alaparos now, he felt pity for the adult demigod. He had rarely seen Al in all his years of being at Camp Half-Blood and had no doubt that he was not acquainted with the sudden antics of their campers. As Al referred to the Hephestus cabin and the braces they made him, Suvansh couldn't help but feel a wee bit proud, as he did have some contribution in the designing of the contraption. He smiled back, and said, both to Al and Cat, who were nearest to him, "I don't suppose we have ever been formally introduced to each other, I am Suvansh. It's a pleasure to have your company!" And as much as a formality it seemed, it was quite true, with Al radiating a serene sense of calm and tranquility. As he said so, he turned just about necessary as to also face Quinn and DD, and gave them a slight tilt of his head, to include them into the conversation.

---

Dezerae soon came jogging over the nearest horizon in a very exercise-oriented outfit; they were clad in a loose pair of athletic shorts, which were decorated green and black, a white tank top, some running shoes, blue tape around the hands, and a grey duffel bag slung over their back. The only thing that didn't fit quite well enough was a brown leather belt, wrapped around Dezerae's waist. In the duffel was their supplies for the trip, of course, but in their hands there were some black weights, seemingly marked with the number five at either end. They had a decent sweat already worked up, and evidently didn't plan on stopping soon. Trotting down the the pine tree, Dezerae nodded their greetings and stood off to the side, jabbing and punching at the air with their weights. Their feet were always moving, shifting, sliding, hopping back and forth. They ducked, sidestepped, countered, blocked... The list went on. The jabs and swings seemed like second nature to the demigod, a motion so fluid it was seamless between moves. This was an experienced boxer, already fully awake and working out. For those that knew Dezerae well, they knew that this was the average morning wake-up routine. Dez was a proud practitioner of the morning exercise routine, and a very strict coach, for those who had (briefly) trained under them. They did not speak, the only sound coming from their mouth being an occasional huff of air, not a single word to be spoken.

The calm aura of Alaparos was quite nice, though also sort of negated by Cataneme, both expressing her energetic self and her Repressed Remembrance slowly turning on too. Nevertheless, she smiles again and bows down in a 90° angle and just speaking a little loudly. "I'm Cataneme, pleased to know your names and make you smile!" She sticks her tongue out sideways, just looking goofy while hopping a little in place.

Quinn, now quite nervous due to the reminder that came to him, had almost completely missed Suvansh's invitation to join his conversation with Cataneme and Alaparos. It was only until he noticed Dezarae, fashionably late of course, come running down the hill when he begun to look up that he noticed the aforementioned invitation. He turned to DD and gestured over to the trio before saying, "On another note, wanna join in?" They needed to kill time anyways while waiting on the last member to join them, and this conversation seemed like the perfect way to do so.

---

DD shrugged. "Might as well. We will be traveling with them for who knows how long. It is best to at least get acquainted with them each other." As much as she didn't want to, she knew they needed to be friendly with one another if this quest was going to run anywhere near smoothly. So long as they respected each other and didn't get on any nerves, everything between them should be fine.

---

DD's words of "unprompted tranquility" were absolutely dismissed by Cataneme, who, in the duration it took for DD to answer, managed to light up a piece of drywood in her hands and roast another marshmallow she had left over from yesterday's campfire. "No need for fancy talk, D-squared, just enjoy the company!" She smiled, handing her a roasted marshmallow.

DD frowned at the lax nature of the daughter of Achlys, but could never deny a sweet treat as she accepted the roasted marshmallow. She momentarily forgot herself as she enjoyed the sugary taste, allowing a smile to grace her face. She was momentarily back at her adoptive parents' house... building a fire in the backyard... roasting marshmallows and hot dogs over it... The moment broke as she opened her eyes, when had she closed them?, and she found herself in Camp Halfblood. She tensed, schooling her expression, and swallowed the marshmallow moosh in her mouth. She subtly wiped a tear from her eye, a result of missing her old life... When things were simpler... She sighed, life was never simple for a demigod... But she still enjoyed it. For now though, she returned to observing the others, waiting for movement.

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