&&. naive

      ☆. He gave a bit of a pitiful pout as he listened, starting to put away his set-up. But when he looked back up, he shrugged in return. ❝ Hey, it’s fine. Oversharing isn’t frowned upon in my house. Or… tent. Whatever. ❞ He motioned towards his stand, and the tarp that covered it. But he didn’t mind her sudden release of information - it wasn’t like he had a reason to. He had a habit of revealing too much about himself at times, as well. Less often as he became more streetwise, but he could UNDERSTAND it.    

         ❝ Me ?? My whole life’s revolved around magic. It’s kind of who I am, at this point. Nobody really knows much about me except that I suck and I do cool things with my mom’s abilities. ❞ He paused. ❝ It’s both a good and a bad thing. ❞ As negative as he sounded, he wanted to keep that way to the general public. The less people knew about him, the better ; only few needed to know that he had a soft and hurt core.

     sam watched him as he packed up, moving slightly out of the way so other campers leaving the market could get by. she listened intently, wanting really to forget about her oversharing moment and move on.

   “Gods that’s a hard one.” she held on to the thought for a brief moment, her hand mindless shaking the bottle for a second. “Depends are we going super cute, low key girly with this? If so white and pink are practically a married color team…but navy is different. Strong and soft is always my vote, but really you can’t go wrong with either.” It was funny to remember that Ever was a girl first, a demigod secondly, and lastly someone who rather bruise her knuckles than chip her nails. The way people’s lives work here at camp were always such extremes—one minute warriors the next princesses. 

    “So, give me the tea…. How has my favorite been lately. Boys? Enemies? Tv-shows… I need it all.” she asked while she started with her first finger. 

     “navy, then.” it had been something in the past few months that was pushing sam to go for the more... strong things in like. whether that be picking up extra training hours, making her coffee without as much sugar, or even the little things like outfit choice, etc. she found herself opening up to a new side, something leaving the delicate sam a little more forgotten.

       ☆. He had to chuckle, scratching behind his ear and adjusting the beanie that sat upon his crown. ❝ You’ve got JOKES. ❞ Not as much jokes as witty comebacks, but Cyrus used the term jokes. He looked at the nearly dead streets, probably due to the late time of night and the breach. But still, here he sat, trying to get anyone who may need it to buy. But it was nice to talk to someone. To have a chat that wasn’t about current events.

      ❝ HEY - anyone who shows a genuine interest in my craft is cool in my books. Because what I do is cool in my books, and I’m cool in my books, and I’m not the least bit self-absorbed at all - in my books. ❞ His tone was laced with jesting sarcasm - all to go with his ‘selfish entrepreneur’ facade. But he sat back, his arms holding him up as he shrugged casually. ❝ People take a craft and make it THEIR OWN. That’s the beauty of anything, especially magic. ❞ And then he nodded in her direction. ❝ You’ve probably get somethin’ you’ve put your own spin-on, right ?? ❞     

     sam smiled, a hint of red coming to her cheeks. she covered her mouth with her hand, laughing slightly. “on the rare occasion, yeah. you caught me on a good day.” witty wasn’t exactly her forte. she was more known for her kind and caring words than her comebacks and jokes. though, it did feel nice to laugh at herself like this, for once.

     “ Yeah, never been that used to a lot of family so I get that. ” Sometimes he felt overwhelmed at the demigods that surrounded him and since he’d always had Lorelai, it wasn’t that he had no experience with having siblings, but camp half-blood was different. “ Olympia is nice, the rooms are a lot more…private. ”

     “ Suppose you don’t. ” He agreed, watching as she was riled up. 

                                Easy.

       “ Says who? ” Rhys kept from crossing his arms, his expression constant, but he huffed a laugh. “ I’m not the type to fall out of the sky. ” His gaze cut purposefully to the crutch and back up, but the moment their eyes locked he remembered. There had been no fear when they’d faced off against the monsters at their door, not when he thrived on battles and war. The fear came later. They had been a good team, the power Sam possessed taking out the monsters in one swoop– and then she had fallen and the fear was there, in the air between her and the ground, the fractions of seconds ticking down the distance. He had caught her and yet, the fear remained. 

       And still. There was no surmounting the space between them, the disconnect from then and now. 

                     “ I guess that award should go to you, though I suggest doing a better job on the landing. ”

     “says me. who fought right next to you, or do you not remember who cast the literal bolt of lightning from the sky.” sam was never one to remotely brag about her abilities. she knew she was privileged when it came to them. in fact, even most arguments with rhys didn’t lead her to do it. today however, new boundaries were being crossed, sam was turning more un-sam-like as the seconds wore on. she kept fighting between being thankful and being angry, the more she fought with herself, the angrier she got.

Sam; Pedi(cure) me

    Ever always found cabin one as comforting as it felt sterile. The marble coating that spotted the building, the clean white finished wall in all their neoclassical structure always moved her. She felt like royalty even being allowed to enter, the way the place felt like a throne room or something hidden for the children of Zeus; the princesses and princes of Olympia. When she first started coming to visit this place, it was a shift compared to her cabin. The moody lighting was in strict contrast compare to the brightness that Zeus’ held, the way everything was so clean or pristine. Even if she enjoyed the way this place made her feel or the people that lived her she wouldn’t change her cabin for anything…

    Regardless her she was, her body comfortably folded into the couch beside Sam, while they both had arrangements of nail polishes and glitter in jars across the glass table top. “So I was think something teal-y or maybe forest green for this weekend.” lifting up the two bottles to examine them, “What do you think?”

     sam wasn’t quite sure why ever always insisted they spend their time together within her cabin. while ever felt it to be almost a palace, sam saw the marble as more of a prison. the white walls and atmosphere in the beginning left her feeling like she was sitting on the edge of her seat, though it calmed down the older she got.

      “ That so? ” The cocky smirk accompanied a raise of his brows as he turned to face the daughter of Zeus. He had slowed to a stop when she’d called out to him, allowing the interruption of his trek back to the training grounds. The sound of snarling, gnashing teeth, claws through dirt, clashing weapons haunted his footsteps, his dreams from what little sleep he got, and his every errant thought. He could have killed more, could have done more to protect himself and the camp, but he had been hurt and hindered, the wounds still present on him. Even now, he looked no more hurt than demigods who had avoided the fight all together, but there was no disguising the change of his gait, the favoring of his right arm over his left. Which was why he stopped abruptly when Sam called out, not wanting to reveal that which was unnecessary. His demeanor, as always when it came to the other demigod, was arrogance compounded all into one expression, the slight tilt of his head. 

                                                 “ You’re welcome. ”

     there it was. the self-righteous, cocky attitude of his that seemed to steer her towards anger every time. she was hoping, just once, to be able to have a conversation like they used to, maybe even truly show her gratitude. instead, her own pride got in her way, making her jaw set and her nostrils flare. 

                 “there. now i don’t owe you anything.”

there’s nothing worse than accidentally causing people to be anxious around you — well, aside from being given the gift of pyrokinesis in the first place. she holds her lighter in one hand tightly, looking at sam with an apologetic look. “yeah, for now. i don’t think it’d be that cool of a trick to set someone on fire though.” olympia rolls her shoulders back, other hand taking the sword that she had driven into the ground moments before her blast of fire.  “now, where were we?” 

     ☆. ❝ A NON-Hecate kid interested in Hecate kid practices ?? I’m a bit surprised. ❞ Cyrus shrugged, taking the golden pieces before depositing them in a pocket inside his leather jacket. He always made sure to sew in extra pockets in any coat or jacket he had - sometimes even loose pants. Money was his specialty, so of course, he needed to make sure he could keep it anywhere on his person if needed. 

        ❝ Well, y’know - my enchanting process might be different than OTHER kids in the cabin. I’ve been doin’ it for years. ❞ He spoke about it as if it was second nature, and at this point, it was. He was burning sigils and going through rituals before he even realized his true power. ❝ Basically, you take an item, any item y’want, and put it in a circle of crystals, salt, and herbs that hold the intent of the enchantment. So, say you want a PROTECTION charm ?? Surround it in shit like barley, garlic, smokey quartz, and then it also helps to burn an oil or incense with the same intent, so for protection, I’d burn frankincense. Then you take a white candle, put it behind the object, and light that motherfucker, and then when it burns a bit, take a punch of the salt and the herbs from the circle and put it into the melted wax - helps to get a bowl. Then when you stir that shit up, pour the wax over the object, let it HARDEN, scrape it off, then BOOM. You’ve got an enchanted object, Cyrus style. ❞ Cyrus style, as in it was a very personal process.  

     sam listened, drawn to his words almost like he was practicing charmspeak. part of her wanted to pull up a chair and bother him until he decided to leave the market, but the more practical side of her kept her feet planted and a smile on her face.

      ☆. ❝ Eh… ❞ He looked at his items on display, sizing them up for their original prices - and then he decided he’d be nice today, for the sake of the fact nearly everyone and their mother was stressed over the same fucking thing. Cyrus wouldn’t be too hard or money-hungry, but he still had a business to run. A business to run with as much heart as he could muster.

        ❝ Normally enchanted jewelry, I’d charge about SIX gold drachma for, but… we’ll cute it down to three, and then the bread’s just one. ❞ He tapped on a bag of bread swirled with a thick cinnamon paste, tilting his head and shrugging. ❝ I recommend one of these loaves. Personal favorite. The bread doesn’t have any charm on it or any potions mixed in, but it’s filling. WORTH A SHOT. ❞ He removed his fingers from tapping the bag once again and sat back. His own half-eaten loaf sat at his side, and he rested his head on his palm and looking at the female - almost trying to dare her to buy. Business was business.   

      four dramcha, she could do. she picked up the pieces delicately from her bag, then placed them down on the counter. she picked up the bread, stowing it away safely in her bag before she could tear into it. then, with care, she picked up the ear cuff. the ruby seemed even more beautiful up close. sam pulled out her small makeup pouch, thinking it was safer to stow it in there than loose in her bag.

sam is an interesting one. her tendency to be good is almost distasteful, a sour taste in nova’s mouth — but it is something to watch. honestly, it was amusing; how this girl could stomach being that kind of girl. nova feigns a gentle gaze ( let’s pretend that we can relate to this dilemma, she thinks ), “you really think he’d still have things for us to do?” she shakes her head. “if you have work tonight, then i’d suggest not to worry about it too much. what if you end up being just as stressed as chiron? i’m sure other campers are on it.” 

    ☆. ❝ That ?? ❞ He looked at the small, glinting piece of jewelry he had shining on display - it looked like a curled dragon, with its mouth ajar to hold a small ruby. And it wasn’t big at all - silver, but lightweight. The witch plucked it with his fingers to show the female in front of him - and if she looked, she could see the many rings that adorned his digits. Cyrus decked himself out constantly with stuff like that, as nearly everything he wore was charmed or blessed. 

       ❝ This is a charmed ear cuff - nice ear jewelry without the pain of putting in earrings. ❞ He tapped the wings of the dragon, before demonstrating where it would go if he’d apply it to the own shell of his ear. ❝ I gave this a mending blessing before stocking up. It’s not the best, but it’ll speed up general healing of anything above the waist significantly. Not like, DEADPOOL healing factor advancement, but enough so it’s less of a worry. ❞ He was thoughtful, in that sense. Protection and healing charms were what adorned most of his wares, this time around. ❝ Interested ?? ❞

     to say she was interested would be an understatement. it wasn’t sam’s usual brand. she was known for being delicate, often subtle in her use of jewelry and large pieces. her sense of style was very... french, to say the least. so this piece didn’t exactly fit in. however, she was drawn to it. something about the way the ruby red glinted in the sunset gave her a bit of excitement. “interested? yeah, you could say that.”

    ☆. ❝ So it’s LAMMAS, one of my Pagan holidays - August 1st and 2nd are the first days of the new harvest. And for that, I got a buddy of mine to help me bake a shit ton of BREAD to sell with my magic shit. ❞ His wares at the market have been stocked slightly more so than average - to help with the growing issue of the breach. Crystals, potions, and charmed jewelry are all laid on a blanket covered table, along with bags of small bread loaves - some have nuts, some have spices, and other various additions. But admittedly, he looks a tad OFF. In a subtle manner, maybe he’s actually showing a brief bit of concern for the camp, amidst recent events, because as much as he wouldn’t like to admit, the witch cares about more than just money.

       ❝ Figured may as well sell some food since some people may need a quick bite while keeping up with this barrier bullshit. Especially on a holiday that CELEBRATES IT. For now it’s all discounted - pick out whatcha like. ❞

     the diner was slow. slower than usual for a wednesday night. she assumed most demigods were still recovering, not yet ready to go back into having nights out and such. so, when her shift ended early, she took the time to stroll through the market before heading back to her own cabin. the display that cyrus had never ceased to amaze her, the objects and descriptions seeming like something torn right out of a fairytale. and given sam’s inclination for such things, it wasn’t a surprise she always ended up there. she had many crystals from his sister, arwen. she was caught usually wearing one for protection around her neck... especially after recent events. 

    samantha langham && her powers —

control of the winds: easily sam’s favorite of her abilities. it is the one she has the most practice with, controlling and manipulating the winds around her. she hasn’t had a ton of luck in the realm of storms, a couple of lucky shots here and there. she thrives in a more pacifist sense, the winds not usually causing as much chaos as a bolt of lightening or a shock of static electricity.

manipulation of storm patterns: most zeus kids have more luck than sam does in this department. she finds lightening more tricky to control, however, when she needs in, she can often summon it. the roll of thunder is easy, especially as an intimidation tactic. but actually summoning a bolt, or much cloud cover, requires a great deal of concentration and energy for the daughter of zeus.

     there was only one more box to check, and luckily she found him without having to walk all the way into olympia. “rhys, wait up.” she was huffing and puffing, more than she’d like to admit. the limp and the crutch made her more slower, but not too slowly to where it didn’t take but a few moments for her to approach the son of enyo.

     “i wanted to thank you... for, uh, helping yesterday.”

@rhysacosta

     “will you toss me up that potion?” she called down to jakub, moving closer to the ground. it was something from the hephaestus and hecate kids, supposed to smooth stone. she didn’t know the logistics, never did with the magic of either cabin. “i don’t know if it’s gonna work... but it’s worth a shot.”

@boyrioted