camp warfare

[Knight]

In the beginning, it had started with a simple daughter of Hermes. She had never been anything special, just another of the multitudes. She hadn't exactly stood out. But for some reason, the queen of the gods had seen her as something special. The queen of the gods had singled her out and told her that Aponi was to be the one who kept her updated on the camp. Especially on her husband's children. Hera wanted to keep tabs on the children of Zeus in particular and once a week, the queen of the gods visited her in her dreams and expected a detailed update on the camp, on the quests that demigods were embarking on and the like. She was, in essence, a spy for Hera. It was an interesting job, as Hera didn't seem to care about the people. She cared about the quests and the trouble and the threats that it faced. Perhaps it was the beginning of the gods showing more interest in their mortal children. Or perhaps it was simply Hera's way of training Aponi for something better. Or something. But Aponi liked to hope it was the latter.

There were few that Aponi was particularly friendly with. One of her closest friends was the son of Hades. Tsume. He wasn't exactly friendly. Cold and distant, Tsume was easily one to swoon over. Or at least the daughters of Aphrodite seemed to think so. He was muscular and built, with a large scar in the shape of an X on his chest. With a typical attire of tanktops and jeans, it was often on display. Cleanly cut gray hair and golden eyes rounded out his features, making him look rather intimidating. All in all, he wasn't the most friendly of guys. And yet he and Aponi were fast friends. He didn't exactly understand it, but it was hard to shake the Hermes girl.

Who was currently eating lunch with him. Tsume looked irritated, as always, as he sprawled on the bench, taking up as much space as possible. He succeeded to the extent that no one else had sat near them, much to Aponi's chagrin. She liked eavesdropping just a bit on what was going on in the lives of others. It could be helpful. Of course, it usually wasn't. But Aponi couldn't know what she was missing because Tsume was being a pain in the ass.

Exasperation flickered across Aponi's features as she glanced at Tsume. "Are you going to move or what?" She asked idly, knowing full well that it was useless. He probably wasn't even going to blink and totally ignore her. Or he'd just get snappy with her. Aponi was pretty used to Tsume, though. So she didn't really mind. The son of Hades was surprisingly insightful. So she adhered to a slight edit of the old saying and kept her potential enemies closer than anyone else. He was a wild card - no one could fully predict his next move. So Aponi always had an eye on him. Along with a few others within their camp.

Tsume huffed, rolling his eyes as he glanced at Aponi. "No." He muttered in reply, hoping that she'd leave him alone. Of course she wouldn't. He was pretty used to that. He didn't really like her, but she stuck to him like a burr and it was pretty damn hard to get rid of her.

And so they ate in silence. Aponi was still rather hoping that someone would come and eat WITH them so that she had something to satisfy her curiosity about. Tsume was boring!

[Matsi]

Maikoda clung to her cousin tightly. She wasn't really scared, no, she was just... on edge. Her eyes, which matched liquid gold, were darting from one side of the camp to the next as she tried to take it all in. The Demi-goddess was not used to these type of things. Fact was, that she had lived out in the middle of no-where for so long with her mother, but, now that her mother was gone, locked up somewhere in a mental hospital, she was left to fend for herself. That was until someone came to her house to collect her because of her bloodline.

She had always known her bloodline. She had met her father a few times, but not for many years now. The last time she had seen him, she was three years old. She missed the man...god. Yet, that was the last thing on her mind now as she was taken to the mess hall by her cousin that had spent the last few years in the camp.

Mason was quite a bit different looking than his cousin. He was taller, with darker hair. His was a chocolate color, while hers was a bright copper tone. His eyes were dark, almost black, while Maikoda's were light and the color of gold. Even their skin tones were different. Hers was a soft tanned color, but his was fair. The one thing they both had in common was their muscle tones, which they both got from their fathers. Maikoda had a bit more broad build to hold her muscles, though, leaving Mason just sturdy.

Mason was not as friendly as Maikoda would have liked, but she loved her older cousin. He was stern and quiet, with eyes always observing. He was a fighter, a warrior like his father. Yet, he was slightly off. One minute, he would be calm and collected, but then the next his eyes would hold a fiery spark and he would have a goal to harm. A wave of bloodlust, Maikoda's mother had always said. That was what happened when your father was Aries.

Maikoda's father was not known for his violent tendencies. God of the fire and forge and transformations. The crippled god was a gentle giant, she knew that since her birth. Mason had often told her that his father was far from that. She never wanted to meet that god.

"Maikoda, pay attention!" Mason growled as he shot her a sideways glance. Maikoda straightened up and loosened her grip on Mason's arm.
"Sorry, Mason," She muttered as she tried to relax.

So many people looked at her and her cousin, but she didn't understand why.
"They always know when someone new shows up," Mason muttered grimly as he forced his arm away from Maikoda's grasps and motioned for her to sit at a bench across from the son of Hades and daughter of Hermes. He glanced at them for a moment, then turned and headed into the mess hall.

Maikoda watched Mason's retreating back for a moment, then moved to sit on the ground instead of the bench. The dirt was so much more comfortable after all.

[Knight]

Aponi frowned at Tsume's silence, an expression of irritation on her features as she stretched lazily, her brown eyes taking in the area around her. There was something different about the air of the dining area. It took Aponi a moment to put her finger on it, actually - today was when the newest camper would arrive. Aponi dug through her memories, trying to remember what else had been rumored about the camper. Supposedly, she was girl and a daughter of Haephestus. But honestly, Aponi didn't know much also. Chiron was usually pretty tight lipped about the new arrivals. She only knew that someone was scheduled to arrive because of the preparations that had been made in the female part of the Haephestus cabin. Not much escaped the sharp eye of the spy for the queen of the gods.

But when Aponi's gaze danced across the dining area to settle on the newcomers, she was startled to see the girl walking at Mason's side. One eyebrow arched smoothly as she took that in, wondering what kind of relationship the girl had with Mason. Of course, it probably didn't matter, but Aponi was about to snick her nose where it didn't belong. She tossed a glance in Tsume's direction, but the man was still steadfastly ignoring her, so with a snort, Aponi tossed her head and wandered away from the man.

She approached the newcomer unabashedly, though a hint of curiosity darted through her mind when the newcomer sat on the ground. Which was weird. But hey, to each their own, right? Well, anyways, Aponi wasn't in any position to judge. She was far from normal herself. So, with a slight smile plastered on her face, Aponi walked up to the girl and grinned. "Welcome to Camp Half Blood!" Aponi said cheerfully, "I'm Aponi." She added, glancing down curiously at the new girl. She could see the heritage of Haephestus in her features. She looked, in a distant way, like several of the other children of the god. Like they shared a distant relative. Which, of course, they did. Obviously.

Curiosity burning in her veins, Aponi grinned easily at the girl, a friendly demeanor smoothly in place. She was outgoing and social, to a point, but her curiosity often meant that Aponi left her comfort zone to learn more. She knew the dirty secrets of a good chunk of the camp. Of course, she didn't really care about their secrets. But she liked to know things. She liked to learn what made people tick and hey, maybe it would be something that she could report to Hera. You never knew.

Meanwhile, Tsume sat in a contented silence, enjoying the calmness that had descended once Aponi left. Exhaling, the wolf-shifter stretched his arms over his head and adjusted himself to sit properly in the seat now that he doubted Aponi would be coming back. Once she had her eyes on her prey, she didn't usually come back to bother him, thank the gods. So now Tsume would have some peace and quiet at last. Maybe it was a gift from his father.

Of course, Tsume knew better than that. Hades cared little for the affairs of his son, and that was just the way that Tsume liked it.

[Matsi]

Maikoda had a lot going through her head. Alright, so "A lot" was an understatement. SHe had more going through her mind than she knew what to do with. She wondered if she would fit in here, Mason said she would be fine. She wondered if her mother missed her, Mason said that her mother was too far lost in her own head to understand anymore. She wondered so much, yet she truly knew nothing more than what Mason, or other people, had told her. She typically held her own answers in the palm of her hand, but not today. There was too much going on for her to grasp at any rational thinking. To think, that only hours before she was still living a semi-normal life style.

Maikoda's liquid metal eyes looked to the side slightly as she heard, and slightly felt, footsteps getting closer to where she was sitting. She didn't look up at the person, a slight unease kept her from doing so. What if this person was the child of Medusa? That could be horrible! Then again, why would a nymph like Medusa have a child? Could Medusa even have a child anymore? She didn't think so, yet that didn't make her any more excited about looking up at the person. That is, until she heard the cheerful greeting.

Maikoda finally looked up at the person and let a small, friendly smile curve her lips up.
"Thanks," She said with a small chuckle. As the girl introduced herself, Maikoda pushed herself off the ground and into a stand. She brushed her butt off, half heartedly of course, and smiled at Aponi.
"Maikoda," She said in a polite tone.
"Nice to meet you, Aponi," She hummed as she jammed her hands, almost boyishly, into her pant pockets. Her eyes were bright, and her confidence was raising as her mind became less focused with her own thoughts than what was going on around her.

"Who are you related to?" Maikoda said boldly. Sure, a majority of the population would have been more...mild... with their nosy questions, but Maikoda liked to get straight to the point.

Mason was just walking back with bottles of water when he saw Aponi standing with his cousin. He stopped and watched her. His face was in a slight frown, but he didn't seem upset in the least. More of just curious. It wasn't like Aponi was a man anyways. It was the men he was worried about. He didn't want his darling little cousin get hurt, now did he? Wow, that was a sappy thought for him, not that he cared. It wasn't like anyone could hear his thoughts at this moment...

[Knight]

Aponi nodded slightly when Maikoda got up. "It's nice to meet you too." Aponi answered with a grin, glancing around lazily as she eyed her surroundings. "I'm a daughter of Hermes." Aponi answered automatically, shrugging. "No one interesting." For a moment, she debated 'showing off' and mentioning that Maikoda was the daughter of Haephestus, but after a moment, she shrugged the urge off. It was better not to let on that one knew that much so soon in what could be a friendship. It made you look creepy.

So Aponi kept her mouth shut and instead just turned towards Maikoda with a curious look. "Would you like to come sit with me? You can the guy . . . uhh, Mason, right? With you too." Aponi offered with a nod, smiling as she glanced at Maikoda. Perhaps she and Tsume would get along. Of course, Tsume didn't get along with anyone. But hey, Aponi wanted a chance to talk to the newest arrival. Was that so bad?

Okay, it probably was. And Tsume would be pissed, but honestly, Aponi wasn't too bothered by it. He would deal with it or he wouldn't, and either way it wasn't exactly Aponi's problem. The son of Hades could be a pain in the ass. Even if Aponi was almost friendly with him. But he could be obnoxious. And he knew it.

Tsume glanced idly across the area, taking note of Aponi's location and narrowing golden eyes sharply. This wouldn't end well. If she came back over here, he was going to be less than impressed by her antics. Then again, he rarely was impressed by her antics. But she could be bearable sometimes, and certainly helpful, so Tsume kept her around.

[Matsi]

Maikoda smiled.
"Hermes is amusing though. He has done a lot! My papa' is Haephestus, god of blacksmithing," She nodded as she slightly beamed. She had never really been able to talk about her father before, and it was slightly exciting. To think, she was somewhere where people were just like her, well, almost just like her. At least similar enough to think she wasn't totally crazy.

Even with this security, she decided not to mention anything else about herself just yet. She didn't know if some of the... abilities... that came with being Haephestus' daughter would be totally approved yet. She didn't want to risk anything just yet. Maybe in the near future, but not until she knew some escape routes and tricks.

When Aponi started to speak about sitting with her, she smiled slightly nervously. Sit with that grumpy guy? Maikoda wasn't afraid of him. Not in the least. Instead, she was slightly worried about getting into a fight with him. She wasn't exactly known for getting along with everyone. The meeting with Aponi was, to say the least, going quite well! She actually couldn't believe it as she stood there. Maybe it was because Aponi wasn't being overly...wild? Preppy? She didn't know the word she was looking for, but she knew what she meant. So maybe she should just...try it all?

Finally Maikoda shrugged just as Mason started to approch them again.
"Sure! We would love to sit with you," She said with a glance at Mason, who had frozen and started to glare at her.
"What? What did you volunteer me to do?" Mason growled slightly as he blinked and looked at Aponi.
"We are gonna' sit with Aponi. Suck it up." Maikoda snapped slightly, showing her more fiesty side for a split second. Mason's eyes sparked with irritation, but he inhaled deeply as he reminded himself that he loved his cousin. She was his best friend. She was nice... Alright so it wasn't totally working, but he calmed himself enough.
"Fine." He growled out as he shot Maikoda one last chilling glare.

Maikoda nodded proudly, happy to have overcome her snappy cousin. It was a miracle that they hadn't killed eachother yet.

[Knight]

Aponi ducked her head slightly at the half compliment . . . thing that Maikoda had paid her. But her attention was swiftly diverted, and the girl blinked before speaking. "Ahh, so you'll be staying with the Haephestus kids?" No need to mention that she already knew who her godly parent was. She didn't need to be that creepy. "That's too bad. They're not as fun as the Hermes kids." Aponi grinned in amusement at her 'joke.' She was a little biased and did, in fact, prefer the more wild Hermes cabin to the Haephestus cabin.

The silence lasted for a little bit of time, but Aponi barely blinked really. She was used to long silences and was, at this point, trying not to alienate someone who could be a potential ally and friend. So Aponi didn't really mind the long silence. Instead, she was content to wait patiently before Maikoda made her decision.

At last, the answer came. Aponi grinned, though her smile started to fade when the two began to argue. It didn't take long for the situation to diffuse, however, so Aponi relaxed after a little bit and shrugged to herself. "Awesome! Let's go!" Aponi wandered away happily, not really even glancing over her shoulder to see if the two would follow. She wouldn't have been too surprised if they didn't (after all, Tsume wasn't exactly great company), but it wasn't really a huge deal wither way. Either they'd come or not. But she could live with either outcome.

When Aponi reached the table, she smacked it in front of Tsume, grabbing his attention. The wolf shifter had jumped slightly, glaring at Aponi when he realized who had returned. "Heya, Tsume! I brought the new girl and her friend . . . person." She hadn't bothered to ask what sort of relationship the two had. Oh well. Aponi didn't generally pay too much attention to that kind of thing. "Maikoda, Mason, this is Tsume. He's a bit of a pain, so don't pay too much attention to him. It's fine if you just ignore him 'cause he'll probably ignore us." With that, Aponi flopped into the seat across from Tsume, eyeing the son of Hades cautiously.

Tsume glared at Aponi, golden eyes narrowed sharply. He was none too pleased by this development, but it in all honesty, it could be worse. At least now Aponi would have someone to distract her with. And she'd already introduced him, so there wasn't much that he could say. "'lo." Tsume said shortly, before turning his attention back towards his food, which was a good deal more important to him than any strangers could hope to be.