* balance

"Yeah, that's about it." Greyson laughed. It didn't offend him that he was mostly just a walking animal encyclopedia - it was his true passion in life, but he was aware not everyone was so keen to know about the different kinds of species of jungle cat.

"Guess I'm just not good with languages." The son of Pan shrugged. He'd poured over the book on draconic the first day he got it, never put it down long before he'd known of his ability to shift into the creatures he held so dear to his heart. But the language had not come easy. "Understood me when?" Grey asked to clarify which instance Wolfram was referring to. "As far as I know, no one but me speaks beast speak and I've only been a dragon once around other people and didn't exactly do much talking." Not when he'd been killing the hobgoblin leader with the acidic breath of his black dragon form.

"well, if i could learn, i would. anything to make you feel more at home." he never thought he'd pick up the two languages he'd learned thus far, but it was nice. "have you been feeling okay?"

"you caught me lost in thought, so... guess I could use a friend. mostly just a distraction." as if on queue, where once was solid Calvin, there was a very much time displaced version of the son of chronus, and he himself was changing places with the quietly called for copy. kicking through the water to curl his arms around the other from behind in turn.

"you been doing okay?"

"i think so." he muses with a smile, gently wading through the deeper end of the lake. it was nice this time of year, calming even. "something strange happened to me a couple weeks ago. don't know if it means anything but... i've been... happier, i think."

"It's very nice. Completes the cozy vibe I was going for tonight." He chuckled enthusiastically while admiring it. The roaring pit fire located in Eros cabin's back patio was mostly for light and ambience on this summer evening. Wolfram's blanket provided a warmth that reached further than skin deep. Special, as Wolfram said. "Thank you."

Settling on the lounge, the redhead turned to face his friend at an angle, but would meet his eyes. "And welcome to Eros cabin. There're snacks on the table and drinks in the ice bucket. All about fulfilling desires here so... don't see it, just name it." With playing host out of the way, he finally asked, "What did you get up to today? 'before sneaking over here."

"fulfilling desires, right." admittedly, he feels some heat beneath his cheeks, recalling their texts that borderlined on sexual, an outright proposition. wolfram wouldn't say no, even if he was a bit bashful about it.

"i was just being lazy all day." he admits, running a hand through his hair. "which... isn't great, honestly."

"I can't imagine why, I don't exactly have the most interesting things to say." Grey chuckled, mostly joking but there was a little truth to his words. The son of Pan could talk for hours about different animal species, how to care for them, which were dangerous and which weren't so - but other conversations he could be a little rusty at. Especially when he spent more time in his many animal skins than not these days.

"You did? Didn't realise anyone else had a book." Grey mused, head tilted to one side. It had taken him months to learn himself, he'd almost torn the book to shreds a few times in his frustration with the language, but finally managed it. Now he could speak draconic in and out of his dragon forms. "Yeah could be useful on quests, if I transform into one of my draconic forms. Gets frustrating when people don't understand me."

"i don't know, when i like something i obsess over it. when i picked up the book, i read it cover to cover twenty times at least." maybe that's why he was able to learn it more quickly than others, maybe his brain was just wired that way. "do you think i understand you?" he asks curiously, chewing the inside of his cheek.

There's an echo of the morning he'd sat over his mother's hospice bed, she was there in one moment, a death rattle came, and then there was nothing but the quiet of the room and the chirping of the birds outside the window.

"We could sit here and deliberate on the fragility of life and the symmetry between us and a frail, baby bird that had only just begun to live or-" and this was far more preferable, "we could see it off properly." Isaac withdrew a tissue from his bag of holding and extended it toward Wolfram with his sympathies.

"thank you." the son of nemesis takes the tissue, sighing as he stands, still cradling the bird in his arms. "we should find a place to bury it." sighing, he glances up. he didn't really like the idea of being seen so vulnerable, pathetic even, but after that strange dream, things had changed. he'd changed. "what do you think?"

a shudder went down his spine at such grim prospects. the son of nemesis could never let the others know about this. luckily, wolfram was not much of a chatterbox. he watched with a half smile as the man staggered on his skates, grasping for balance, and as wolfram righted himself, lars leaned down to place a palm on the ice. one second later, a pulse of blue energy rippled across the frozen lake, beneath its layer of blue.

“yes,” he replied to the other. “it’s quite obvious. but you learn quick.” a nod of approval, then a slow step onto the ice himself. it felt stronger after the magical reinforcement. “need me to hold your hand?” he cocked a brow playfully.

"i'm-... it's fine." he feels a lot better when he feels a surge of magic, the lake below strengthened by his fellow demigod. "if i fall, it would be nice, yes." with a hum, he manages to straighten his back, pushing a foot forward to move incrementally closer to lars. "how's, uh, my form?" bad. very bad.

"I...Don't think it's hard maintaining something as contained as this." Naden admitted with a shy smile. "Just...Got emotional for a moment and the flames reacted." Naden said with a small chuckle as he slowly got the flames down enough to where it wouldn't hopefully burn the kitchens down. "Gave myself a little bit of a scare for a moment."

"emotional?" he raises a brow, his curiosity piqued. it wasn't his business, naturally, but he cared about the people here. "why?"

"The bird is suffering, Wolfram." An obvious statement, but a reminder that holding onto a broken, dying thing was not to the bluebird's benefit. As difficult as it was to let go. "Life is filled with so much suffering, death, at least, can be peaceful." That was his father's domain - peaceful death.

the forest is quiet, no fanfare, no wailing song to accompany the passing of this little bluebird. just the gentle patter of a drizzle, and the air blowing gently through the trees. it goes as quietly as the breeze, its eyes closing for the final time.

"i don't know why i'm so emotional." he admits, laughing softly as he rushes to wipe away a stray tear with the back of his hand.

It wasn't unusual for Greyson to sit alone, it was how he spent the majority of his time. He'd been simply sketching, whiling away the time with a peaceful medium for a while, enjoying some relative quiet and relaxation in the downtime between whatever else would happen soon enough to throw them all into chaos.

He looked up when he heard Wolfram's voice, closing the sketchbook and setting it aside. "Sure." He replied taking one of the kebabs that were offered. "Aren't I always?" Grey shrugged, assuming his demeanour was that of its usual aloof self.

"i like hearing you talk." he settles for that, a bit unaware of how stilted that might sound to the average person. he rests his chin atop crossed arms, peering over at the other male. "and... i learned how to speak to dragons, figured it would help with alkaios and... with you."

Two people led full lives because of him. A man whose life was never meant to reach full adu-

"Fu-"

He doesn't even get the full curse out before he was dunking in to icy water he'd mostly forgotten he was stood near, at lest glad he'd been half planning a dip anyway. A sputtering cough once they surfaced, before huffing out a laugh.

"Oh, you got jokes now, huh?" There's no fire there at least, lips instead tugging in to a smile for a moment.

"besides, you looked like you could use a friend." maybe. wolfram was still getting better at reading people. how ironic, he could peer into the very soul of another person, but deciphering expressions? still a work in progress.

"it's been a while."

"Next ticket." Virgil jokes as he walks over to the check-in area of the infirmary. He offers a smile at the godling at the window. He had seen the son of Nemesis around the camp, even seen got him tatted up as a favor. Although, Wolfram initially passed on the idea of the tattoo having Virgil's name incorporated into it, Virgil was still convinced about the younger demigod was good company to keep around.

"Sorry, pal, this isn't a place to smuggle in meats. Try a deli instead." He winks at Wolfram. "I'm kidding, what can I do for you, Wolfram?"

"some assistants of yours put in a requisition order, figured i'd save the satyrs some time and carry it over myself." he motions toward the other male, polite. "need me to set these down anywhere in particular?"

location the infirmary

-

putting his work life back at the infirmary was the best decision atticus could have made, he was starting to lose his mind with how many people were coming and going from his cabin at all hours of the day. at least now the doctor could hang up his lab coat and relax once his shift was over. it was an early morning shift and the last thing atticus expected was to see a goose tearing up his workplace once he unlocked the doors. "what-" he knew there was no reasoning with an animal who was currently getting into some of his herbs. "get out of that!" atticus snapped as he tried to close the cupboard but the goose seemed to be on a mission.

uh-oh. he thinks to himself, nervously bounding over to the source of the outburst, finding his companion tearing up some of atticus' belongings. bounding over, he quickly scoops the damned brat of a goose into his arms, narrowing his gaze.

"hey! we talked about this." he scolds, earning a hiss and a snap of the jaw from the goose. naturally, he'd hiss back. "don't you start, you were well-behaved all week." the son of nemesis grumbles, keeping the avian tucked under his arm.

"sorry atticus, i'm not sure what's gotten into her lately. i can pay for the herbs she ate."

"you look good like this..." jesse drawled, closing in on the other while he did his thing in the training ground. he had taken a not-so-quick break after his own training.

for now he was all too happy watching from the sidelines, enjoying someone else having a go. it was for sure good to see wolfram out, practicing. he hoped he wasn't shy about some light teasing and being on display like this.

"i would offer to spar but i'm quite enjoying just watching so far."

"hm?" he glances over at the stands nearby, sweat bleeding through his shirt, molding it to his midsection. perhaps a bit bashful, he laughs, averting his gaze to conceal the slight tint to his cheeks.

"most people learn by doing, you know." he smiles, approaching with an even stride, sheathing his blade. "but... i'm glad i could provide some good experience." maybe a bit naive, but he means well. "how long have you been standing there?"

"but i am pretty hungry, i could go for something to eat." he burned a lot of calories in his day to day, but the respite had him worried he'd start packing on the pounds. "what are you in the mood for?"