Good Morning World[]
Paige:Having just woken up, she sat up her bed, yawning and stretching and then looked out the window with her eyes half-opened. The sunlight shone through the window as if inviting her to come out because it was a bright new day. Convinced enough, she prepared herself to go out.
After taking a quick bath and putting on her long sleeved gray-colored shirt and her jeans, she went out of the cabin and wore her sneakers. She breathed in the fresh air and wow... that was indeed very refreshing. She didn't exactly know what to do so she decided to just take a walk and perhaps something would come up to her mind.
While walking down the hills of camp, she saw all of Camp Half-Blood. Waking up this early, she thought wasn't such a bad idea after all. It seemed quiet and peaceful. Only did she hear the birds chirping and the rustling of leaves as the trees waved their branches everytime the wind blew.
Kitty: Kitty was awake at dawn, troubled by dreams and restlessness. She had relaxed in the Camp long enough and hadn't been training as much as she felt she should have. Apparitions of her father in danger snapped her to her senses. The sketchbook was closed, though still attached to her person, and her whip was unclipped from her hip.
She stood in the middle of the open grass field that was the training ground, the faux leather covered handle of the whip in her hand and the long chain of fiber and bronze coiled on the ground beside her, a metal snake preparing to lunge. A silent prayer left her and she pulled at the whip. It was heavier than her ribbons from her gymnastics classes but manageable. She threw the coil up in the air and twirled and lunged and swayed, dancing to a harmony of lethality and grace. Every now and then, the weight of the cord would catch her out and nick her arms and legs with the barbs. A curse would leave her lips but she would continue anyway. Wearing a red tank top and denim shorts that covered just above her knees was probably not the greatest decision but it was what she was comfortable in.
Kitty pulled the whip and brought it back to her side, panting and glancing at the small cuts and grazes that mottled her once perfect alabaster skin, beads of red clinging to her limbs. She pushed back the small strands of hair that escaped the high ponytail that once secured them and breathed deeply. After a dismissive shrug, she gripped the handle to start again only to find a figure in the distance. Not many people were awake this early in the morning. She lifted her free hand and waved to them. "Hi there!" she amiably greeted whoever it was.
Paige: From afar, she heard some greet, or at least that was how she heard it. She turned around to look where it came from and there she was. A girl in tank top was waving at... who was she waving at? Paige looked behind her to see if someone was there but the people were doing their own thing and didn't seem to be looking at the girl and so she looked back at her again and reluctantly waved back at her, unsure if it was a really good idea. Then she also gave an awkward smile to complement the wave. "Uh... hi?"
Kitty: Thankful for the respite, Kitty smiled and coiled her whip, clipping it back to one of her belt loops. She jogged her way down to her, stopping when she could see the girl clearly. Her addressee was a pretty one, though seemingly shy. Kitty feared that she may have shocked, startled, or scared - or all of the above - the girl and toned herself down a little. "Hello. Sorry about the odd greeting, I imagine it seems kind of strange. I'm Katherine Winters but everyone calls me 'Kitty'." the smile following her words was gentle and sweet, her bright emerald eyes friendly and hospitable. She glanced down at herself and chuckled nervously. "I imagine I must look kind of strange too, all cut and scratched up but it's not as terrible as one can think. I'm just clumsy."
Paige: She watched as the girl jogged towards her. Actually, she wasn't really sure if she was really going to her so she just stood there and waited until the girl stopped in front of her. Upon Kitty's introduction, Paige was just agape. Something about her aura probably made her feel amazed or something. Then when she finally got to her senses, she replied, "Oh! Uhm. Hi!" She chuckled nervously, feeling embarrassed about her reaction earlier. "Sorry for staring at you and-- Oh! No, no! No worries! You don't look strange at all!" She managed a wide smile and then extended her hand as she introduced herself, "Hi, Kitty, I'm Paige Gabriel. Everyone calls me Paige." Looking at Kitty, she was indeed covered with scratches. It made her look like she had been to so many battles lately, which probably what made Paige think she was amazing so she ended up staring at the strong-looking woman.
Kitty: Kitty laughed and shook the girl's hand in reply, her grip firm and confident - just as her father taught her. "You're too kind. It's nice to meet you, Paige." she grinned, dropping her hand and slipping her thumb inside one of her belt loops, a mannerism of hers. "What's got you up and about this early? Apart from the Children of Nyx and the like, I'm usually by myself here." she paused but quickly added, careful for her words being taken the wrong way. "Not that I have something against early-risers or Nyx children. Just curious, is all."
Paige: She giggled at Kitty's last statement. "Well, I don't know... maybe my body is just used to getting 7-8 hours of sleep then it just wakes up. Last night, I slept quite a bit early. Maybe it was because I got so tired of training yesterday." She rotates her head and massages her left shoulder which still felt slight pain from her practice. "Oh, but, how about you? Why do you wake up this early?"
Kitty: Her eyebrows furrowed with concern at her shoulder. "Well, just keep moving it. The pain will ease up soon." her suggestion was followed up with a smile and a pause as she listened to her question. Kitty's skinny shoulders moved up in a dismissive shrug. "Call it bad dreams, I guess. I try not to get into the habit of waking up this early but I find myself doing it pretty often. So I put my time to use and train. Hence the cuts." she chuckled, brushing back the loose strands of her hair.
Paige: "Bad dreams, eh? Yeah..." she said, "have had them too but not so often as before. It was really worse a long time ago. Every night I would wake up in the middle of the night and I don't even know what to do. I didn't want to go back to sleep scared that the dream might just continue..." Then she shrugged at that idea. Then the thought of Kitty actually practicing like a real cool warrior got her interested. "It is quite obvious that you use your time training." She chuckled. "I bet you can even finish a quest by yourself," she joked.
Kitty: "Which is why I don't go back to sleep come morning, nor do I sleep that early." she shrugged before her eyes lit up a little. "Ah, yes, my multitude of battle scars must leave quite the impression. I'll have the monsters quaking in their boots until they realize I only have so many because I haven't quite got the hang of my barbed whip yet." she laughed brightly, tapping the whip with a hand for a brief moment. "And that would be quite the feat wouldn't it? I wouldn't know though. I haven't been on a quest. Not that I expect to be on one anytime soon. I'm still kind of a 'new girl' in a lot of people's eyes."
Paige: Seeing the way Kitty looked, she didn't at all looked new. In fact, Paige thought she was at least an older camper who perhaps went away for a while then just got back. "So... you're new here?" she asked raising a curious eyebrow. Kitty looked mature to her. She appeared as if someone who underwent much more things than Paige much like... an Amazon. She haven't really met one but she did fancy the idea of being strong and independent. She also remembered the Hunters of Artemis and how she wanted to be one of them in the past.
Kitty: She smiled, shifting her weight onto her right foot. "I've been here for a few weeks. That's very new for those who have been here for a year, maybe more. And that's a lot of the people here. I grew up not knowing anything about the Greeks and there's a lot I still don't know which only gives away how 'new' I am." She lowered her arm which was raised to air-quote around 'new'. "The only thing it really affects though is that I don't quite know a lot of people here and I'm not as experienced as the collective they are. So I don't get to do anything outside of this camp." The right corner of her lips turned up in a half-smile-half-smirk sort of expression, almost sly and mischievous in nature. "You have to admit: a quest would be pretty exciting though."
Paige: "Ah, I see. Well, we have Greek lessons here at camp!" she said with much enthusiasm. "I'm sure somebody has already oriented you about almost everything about camp, right?" she asked. Seeing how the smirk suddenly formed on Kitty's face, she felt the hunger for adventure in her. "You bet quests are exciting! I heard a lot of the successful ones. They are welcomed as heroes and stuff... although not all of them return safely..." she trailed off.
Kitty: "Yes, I know a lot about the Camp. I spent my first days and nights atop rooftops and in trees, mapping out the area and getting used to everything. It's the gods, the monsters! The history, the magic!" Her face began to break out in a grin, excited by the prospect of knowing such things and being engrossed in the fantastical world that she was yet to get to know. "All pretty neat stuff. Plus, I'd learn more about my mother. And I like to learn in the field, being stuck in a classroom-type environment never played out well for me. But being out there! Learning to defend myself, other people; seeing other places and learning more about the world. That there, my friend, doesn't seem like a bad idea at all." She paused and listened to what Paige next said about the questers, making a mental note to tone down her excitement."Yeah, I know the risks but I figure that's why we're here, right? To learn how to minimise those risks but still, some can't be helped. An occupational hazard, I reckon. I don't care much for the glory, I just want to know more." She shrugged once more, shifting her weight onto her other leg.
Paige: She patted Kitty on the shoulder and gave her a wide smile, showing that she was very much impressed with the new girl. "I love that attitude of yours." Then she remembered to ask some more things about Kitty. "Say... you haven't really told me who your godly parent is." She said putting her hand on her chest for emphasis, "Mine's Demeter."
Kitty: Kitty grinned brightly, brushing her long wavy ponytail to the front of her right shoulder. It was a wooden-coloured trunk of hair, untamed and unkempt in appearance. "I'm glad to have made a pretty good impression then." she chuckled. She listened to her request and the demigod's joyous eyes lit up. "Demeter, huh? Well, fellow nature girl, mine's Persephone. With that knowledge in mind, we're basically sisters, you and I."
Paige: Her expression brightened when she heard that Kitty was a daughter of Persephone. "Oh! Oh!" she exclaimed feeling all excited all of a sudden, her arms and hands even shaking. "I-I have this friend and she's also a daughter of Persephone!" She grinned and said, "It's really nice meeting one of the nature girls, eh?" She nudged Kitty laughing a bit. "I'm pretty sure you have met your siblings, am I right?"
Kitty: Kitty chuckled at her bright reaction. Autumn was a difficult time for her for it began her nightmares and her transition into gloominess and melancholy. But she was thankful for a cheery friend. Paige's enthusiasm kept her on the brighter side of her mind and it wasn't as bad a struggle as she always thought it to be. "Yeah? That's cool! Nature girls have to stick together. I think nature people in general have to stick together. I mean, I heard about the defense treaty between our cabins and the Cybele. We're all basically family." she grinned and playfully nudged Paige with her elbow in return. "I haven't met the Head Councillor, or the Lieutenant for that matter. People said they were far too busy. And I know them by name and face but havent really got much of a chance to talk to them. I kind of had to get myself settled in without them. Plus, y'know, with the current season and the winter to come, I thought it may be best to wait a little while."
Paige: "We're actually all family here," she replied with a smile then muttered, "I hope." Being able to make a new friend made her feel good for the day. Good thing she woke up this early and met this other nature girl. "Ah, yes! You got that right! Nature people need to stick together. After all, nature is dying... but I'm still hoping we can do something about it," she said with the last sentence having a rather gloomy tone. Then she just shrugged and shook the idea off her head. Hearing about the counsellors and lieutenants, she answered, "Yeah, actually they are real busy. I also have a friend who became a lieutenant once but he had to quit because he had to go elsewhere at the moment. I wonder if he's already back though."
Kitty: She nodded a little. "Well, nothing we can do but try. After all, the worst thing anyone can do about anything is nothing." Kitty made a little 'ah' of understanding once Paige mentioned the councillors and lieutenants, her head nodding in comprehension and her ponytail shifting back to swing behing her back at the movement. "Right, I see. Must be a pretty awful job. 'Awful' as in really demanding. I dont quite envy them. With that kind of responsibility, I hope they all know what they're doing."
Paige: She nodded in agreement and said, "Ay, yes, it is indeed an awful job."
???: Someone from a far distance whistled, the type when one sees who is considered 'hot' or 'sexy', loud enough for the two girls to hear.
Paige: "Hm!?" She flinched, startled with the whistle she just heard. She looked around but saw nobody nearby then she turned to Kitty. "You heard that?"
Kitty: She furrowed her eyebrows, once perfectly curved and now knitted together in a frown. Kitty found such gestures undermining and rude and crossed her arms, shifting her weight onto her other leg. "Yeah, I heard it. Don't quite appreciate it but I heard it." she turned to the direction of the wolf whistle, her once-happy and cheerful demeanour now the air of someone not to be messed with. And the fact that her weapon was only a flick of her wrist away from her only added to that. "Were you not taught that it's rude to call out and cut into people's conversations like that?!" she yelled down the distance.
Paige: Hearing sounds of soft steps trotting up to them, she turned around. Her eyes eyes widened at the sight of Christopher. She was actually surprised to see him again finally. "Christoff!?" she blurted out in excitement.
Christopher: He opened his arms wide as he jogged up to them inviting Paige to hug him. "Oui, mademoiselle!" he replied with much enthusiasm knowing how much Paige had missed him. "It is I! The only and only Christopher, the love of your life!"
Paige: With all those words he said, she didn't mind at all knowing they were just jokes. She was already used to him teasing her everytime and she just opened her arms as well waiting for Christopher to come closer but then she remembered how Kitty didn't like the way he whistled at them and so she immediately hugged herself instead and elbowed Christoff in the stomach hard when he came.
Christoff: "Oof!" He almost curled himself hugging his stomach coughing because of the pain. Paige was a bit skinny and so it hurt even more. "Ow, Paige! What was that for?" he groaned in pain. "Ahh..."
Paige: She faced Kitty immediately showing a wide smile as if nothing really happened and then she leaned back a bit and whispered to Christoff's ear, "She doesn't like you."
Kitty: She relaxed a little, her arms resting at her sides but her skewiff posture remained the same. "Ah, someone you know. That makes it a little more okay. If it was some stranger thinking he was funny, I'd be a little more pissed." Kitty let her jade eyes glance at the new member of their conversation and nodded her head up in greeting. "Hey, how're you doin'?"
Paige: Realizing Kitty wasn't so disappointed as much right now, she winced knowing how hurt Christoff must have been after she elbowed him.
Christoff: Still curled and hugging his stomach, he groaned without looking up, "Er... I'm... fine."
Paige: She hugged Christoff feeling absolutely apologetic. "I'm so sorry, Christoff! I just--" She tried to explain but she didn't really see any sense in doing so anymore. She patted Christoff on the back. "There, there. Sorry! I really am!" Then she let go of Christoff and turned to Kitty again. "By the way, Kitty. This is Christoff, my friend who I was referring to earlier, the one who was a former lieutenant." Then she looked at Christoff who still seemed to be in pain. "Christoff, this is Kitty."
Christoff: He tried to stand up straight but he still felt a bit sore, rubbing his tummy hoping it'd feel better. Then he extended his shaky hand and tried to utter a few words, "Nice to meet-- you, Kitty. Ow..."
Kitty: She couldn't quite hold back that same half-smile, half-smirk she had earlier as she watched Christoff recover from Paige's attack. Kitty chuckled and leaned forward to shake his hand. "Nice to meet you. I think you need some ice for that." Her eyes travelled back up to Paige and Kitty good-naturedly patted her shoulder. "Nice arm you got there. Surely you do a bit of training yourself."
Christoff: "Oh no, milady!" He immediately forced himself to straighten his posture to show that he has already recovered. "I am perfectly fine!" he said showing a confident smile but then all of a sudden, the pain kicked back making his curl again. "Ow..."
Paige: She chuckeld at Kitty's compliment. "Why thank you." Going back to Christoff, she assisted him putting her arm under his to help him up. "Stop acting all okay and let's just head to the infirmary. We all no how strong this bone of mine is," she said jokingly.
Christoff: "Yeah, right..." he replied. "But seriously, I'm okay! Maybe just... hungry?"
Kitty: She laughed once more, shaking her head. "It'll bruise pretty badly if you dont do something. I bet it already has. We can drop by the mess hall to get something to eat - which in truth, is not a bad idea - and we'll grab you some ice as well. I'd be glad for a bite, I havent had breakfast yet." She mused, glancing at the area towards the mess hall. Kitty could sit at a table and draw for a little while before she resumed training. She glanced down at her boots, faux leather and the colour of soot so dark it seemed to blot out the sun, covering halfway up her shins. Her right boot bulged slightly as it was wear she stored her trusty sketchbook and pencil. Snapping herself out of her thoughts, she shook her head at Paige, smiling amiably. "It's nothing serious. Best not trouble the healers with it. Ice will do him some good."
Christoff: "See? I told you I'm cool," he said as relaxed as he could. Christoff is actually English and so his accent, well, still English and yet he speaks like an American--the grammar, the words and all. Besides, he grew up here.
Paige: She pushed him up. "Alright, alright, Mr. Cool-All-The-Time." She laughed. "Let's grab something to eat, shall we?"
Dining Pavilion[]
Christoff: As they were on their way to the pavilion, the conch horn blew signaling breakfast time. Just as Christoff heard the sound of it, he felt energy spread almost immediately all over his body making him jump up and exclaim, "GODS! We're just right on time!"
Paige: Surprised at his sudden enthusiasm, widened her eyes and wondered if he got under a spell or something. "Um... oh-kay?"
Christoff: "Come on! It's rude to make the food wait." He licked his lips, rubbing his palms against each other obviously showing his excitement.
Kitty: Kitty raised an eyebrow and shook her head laughing, reaching up behind her head to pull the band that held her hair down. Slipping her hand through the red elastic, she ran her fingers through her mane of grey oak to make it seem neat. The cool autumn breeze made her shiver a little and the long tresses of her hair acted lke a cloak around her shoulders. She quickly stepped up to walk beside Paige, glancing at Christoff, privy enough to the chemistry and history between. "And suddenly, he's all the better." She laughed. "Come on then, let's eat."
Paige: She leaned in a bit towards Kitty and whispered in agreement, "Actually." Later, she felt her stomach growl. "Oohh... well, that's the signal," she chuckled. "Let's go!" She went ahead beckoning her two other companions to come along as she headed to the pavilion.
Christoff: He caught up with Paige's pace and patted her on the shoulder. "Well! Gotta get goin' and join my bros," he said. Then he walked a few steps forward and faced Paige giving her a casual salute. "Later!" He winked with a playful smile then he turned to Kitty. "Oh and, again, it's a pleasure to meet you um... Kitty! Kitty, right? Right. Okay, bye!" He was in such a hurry that he did not wait for both of them to answer anymore and rushed to the tables already thinking of what he would like to eat.
Kitty: "Sure, nice to me-" Kitty began but he was long ahead of them before her sentence was finished. She rolled her eyes and chuckled a little as Christoff ran off before turning to Paige. "Charming, this friend of yours." Kitty laughed and stood at the long buffet table-esque area, picking up an empty silver goblet. She was still to decide what drink she wanted before telling the goblet to fill itself. She filled her plate with toast and eggs, and a few rashers of bacon at the side. After picking up a bowl of fruit and some cutlery, she turned her atention back to Paige. "I'll sit with you. Demeter and Persephone kids, we're pretty much six and half a dozen. I'm sure no one will mind."
Paige: She laughed along with Kitty. Later, Christoff was nowhere in sight. That was real fast. Looking for their tables, Kitty suggested that they sit together but then it was a rule that demigods of the same cabin should sit together and Paige wasn't much of a rule bender unless times call for it so she pretty much felt uncomfortab;e with the idea although she did really want to eat with Kitty. Just this once, Paige? she thought. "Well..." she said thinking about it carefully, "oh-kay? I guess?"
Kitty: Kitty noticed her hesitation and chuckled, jerking her head for Paige to follow her. "Alright, I hear you. Our tables are right in front of each other anyway. How about we just sit at our tables but turn around so we can talk?" She smiled and weaved her way through the small huddles of people and creatures, making her way to her table and setting her goblet down on the surface. Kitty sat, her plate on her lap and already helping herself to the bread, with her back to the table and facing the Demeter children. She grinned at Paige and sighed with content. "Nothing like a good meal after hours of training."
Paige: She released a sigh of relief. Thankfully, Kitty seemed to understand her which made her feel more comfortable. "Yeah, good idea," she agreed. The both of them were finally seated on their assigned tables and it was quite convenient that they were just next to each other although they had to turn around everytime so they could talk. As her plate was set on the table, two slices of pizza appeared, along with a glass of orange juice. Perfect, she thought. She grabbed a slice and starting eating then she heard Kitty say something and so she turned around. In response to what she just said, Paige swallowed the food and then replied, "You bet it is!"
Kitty: The young demigod grinned, ordering her goblet to fill itself with hot chocolate that was brimming with mini-marshmallows that began to melt into a sweet cream with the drink's heat. "I'll let you eat without me constantly butting in." Kitty chuckled, turning aroung to face the rest of her half-siblings who she did not speak to. She knew that Autumn was emotionally difficult for all of them and maybe some of them wondered how Kitty stayed so upbeat despit the season. Maybe they all thought was faking it. Nevertheless, Kitty was enjoying herself and she planned to keep it that way throught the entirety of the red-and-orange season. Perhaps it would make staying pleasant in winter easier. But those thoughts were discarded, for now anyway, as Kitty brushed back her long, oaky hair and ate.
Paige: "Oh, but it's fine, really!" She grabbed the slice she was eating and looked back at Kitty. "I mean, it's just pizza." She giggled. She shrugged then nodded concuring to what Kitty just said. "Well, alright." She grinned. "Perhaps it is a good idea to eat first," she chuckled, "talk to you later." She bit a piece from the pizza again before turning around to face her siblings who some of them looked quite gloomy as well. Autumn wasn't such a good season for them. It's a wonder how Paige could have all her moods up.
Kitty: She stood with her empty plate and goblet, taking the silverware to the end of the table with the rest of the dirty dishes. As far as she was aware, the Persephone cabin was not responsible for kitchen duty just yet. 'Oh, but I was so looking forward to it ...' she thought sarcastically as she set her plate down and returned to the tables. Turning to Paige, Kitty immediately spoke. "Don't rush your food on my account, now. Take your time." Kitty smiled and lowered her hand to her right boot, unzipping it and revealing a thin sketchbook. She zipped it back up and picked up a pencil, silently sketching what occupied her thoughts at the time. There was nothing concrete in her mind and so she spent the time drawing an abstract swirling pattern that looked like vines and lace, little buds clinging on to the spirals and curves that she drew. The sketch only took up a small patch of her page, a quarter of the white paper, but her eyes were focused and attentive and eventually, the small floral pattern looked three-dimensional and interesting.
Paige: She smiled at Kitty as she chewed her food and did the thumbs up. "Okay," she replied putting her hand just in front of her mouth because it wouldn't be so nice if they were to see the food in the process. Just as she finished, she looked for Kitty and there she was. Paige saw her with a thin sketchbook and a pencil so she assumed that Kitty was, in fact, drawing. Her expression brightened as she thought of this. She ran to Kitty and settled by her side watching her sketch. "Wooow," Paige said in awe. "You draw too???" She noticed how detailed Kitty's art was even though it just took up a small patch of her paper and it was amazing.
Kitty: Kitty chuckled, finishing up the shading of one of the little flower buds. "It was literally the only thing I was good at in school so it was the only academic thing I really focused on an- hold on. 'Too'?" She looked up to Paige with a smile. "You draw as well?" she asked. "Well, you've seen my work and now you are obligated to show me some of your pieces!" She exclaimed half-jokingly.
Paige: It's been a long time since she last touched her sketchbook, one of the things she treasured the most. It used to be her father's but then he passed it on to her. She smiled at the thought of showing her dad's and her artworks. "Come on! I'll show it to you!" she said as she beckoned Kitty to come with her since it was long kept in the cabin.
Cabin[]
Kitty: She follwed Paige past the Dining Pavillion, walking up the grassy hill towards the Demeter Cabin which was not far from her own. Her smile seemed to be a perpetual feature on her face this particular day as they walked alongside each other. "Got me all excited to see this now." Kitty grinned brightly. "Did you learn to draw in school too or is someone in your family an artist?"
Paige: "Mmmm," she said as they walked, "my dad actually. It's his hobby and I thought he was really good in it so I asked him to teach me." She chuckled as she remembered those happy memories as a child. Those days when she doodled stick figures and her father would just praise her masterpiece but after some years, she went back to those artworks and she just laughed seeing how terrible they were. Dad was such a liar. Finally, they have reached the cabin. "Oh, here we are." She smiled. She turned to Kitty and told her, "Stay here. I'll just go and get it." Before leaving, she flashed Kitty a smile.
Kitty: Kitty followed her and smiled as she told her about her father. "That sounds really lovely. Your dad must have been really cool. Mine was a simple business man, and he liked to work from home, so we got to spend lots of time together. It was realy nice." Kitty smiled nostalgically and had to stop herself from turning around this very second and shadow-travel back to her home. This camp was where she had to stay now but she wished with all her heart that her father was with her when she walked in through the cabin door to ask her how her day was and offer some homemade snack. Now she was met with strangers. Kitty lifted her eyes and grinned at the brown, wooden cabin, laced and entwined with tomato vines and a roof of grass. She followed Paige inside and inhaled the sweet scent of flowers that came from the vases on every surface. It was a cosy place to be in. "Sure thing, I'll wait here." She told Paige and smiled back, before turning to a vase filled with lilies. Kitty approached it and grinned when she saw it bloom even brighter as she neared. She was grateful that, even in the gloomy season, she had that ability. She moved from vase to vase chuckling like a little girl, watching the flowers rejoice as she moved closer to them.
Paige: She looked through her piles of papers and other stuff. Some were all dusty and apparently, she left them in the cabin for a year under her bed when she left. Good thing they weren't disposed of yet. She recognized the faded blue cover of a paper compilation. She blew off the dust and there it was... her sketchpad. It brought a lot of memories to her. Not only did it contain her artworks but her father's as well. They were filled with still life artworks and portraits of some people. She went to Kitty who was busy communicating with the flowers and finally showed her the sketchbook. "Ta-da!" she said holding the sketchbook up in front of her face. Then she handed it to Kitty. For the first few pages, the drawings were all the places where her father had been--parks, buildings, houses, beach--and they were all pencil sketches. The next ones were still life sketches and then there were the portraits of the people including the drawing of the face of Paige's mom, how she looked when she showed up to her father. There were also Paige's sketches but there were very few of them. They were sketches of the people who she considered special--her father, her friends and even this special friend... although it was only his eyes that she finished. For her, his face was far too complicated to draw... perhaps almost perfect and she didn't want to ruin that beautiful image.
Kitty: She turned her attention back to Paige when she held up her sketchbook, lifting her head from a vase of roses with a smile. "Ooh!" Kitty exclaimed cheerily and slowly flicked through the pages, her emerald eyes scanning through the pictures carefully, scrutinising them almost but every now and then she would chuckle or make some sound of delight at the different landscapes, buildings and seascapes. She saw the sketch of a beautiful woman who could only be Demeter in her mortal form. "So these are your dad's work ..." she deduced, speaking softly and with a small smile. Paige wouldn't know Demeter's mortal likeness, Kitty thought, let alone draw it with magnificent detail. She wished the rule against gods interfering with raising children wasn't around. Then maybe, she'd get to her mother and Paige could draw hers just as her father did. She kept flicking through, assuming the rest were Paige's work. She smiled at the portraits of beautiful people that Paige must have held in high regard, beautifully drawn too. The picture of the eyes intrigued her. "Can I ask who that is?" Kitty requested, pointing at the eyes. "I mean, you dont have to tell me if you dont want to. These are all wonderful, Paige." Kitty looked up at her with a bright grin, sincere as ever. "They look amazing."
Paige: "Mhm," she said with a smile as she nodded when Kitty said it was her dad's work that she saw on the first few pages. As Kitty flipped and scanned the pages, so did she. It brought back so much memories and it felt good going back to them. When Kitty arrived at the page where there were only eyes that were sketched, her smile faded... "O-Oh... that?" She wasn't sure how to answer. The moment she saw those eyes, it suddenly got all painful but she tried not to show it to Kitty. She even almost forgot that it was there. "Well... all of the ones I drew there are my friends." She smiled gently. "That one's my friend too but he left... and uh... I kind of not finished the drawing," she explained as she rubbed her nape.
Kitty: She gave Paige a small smile as she nodded and knew better than to press the matter further. She lowered her head back down to study the drawing of the eyes and smiled at the detail that had gone into them. "They're all very well done. Honestly. You're really quite good." She grinned. "And so was your dad." She handed Paige back her notebook before leaning down to take out her own sketchbook from her boots. In retrospect, to Kitty, it was hardly a sketchbook with good paper and the like. It was, more or less, some papers stapled together down the middle and held together by a cover of thin card. It was one that she made, so that she could carry something for her to draw on everywhere she went. She flicked her book open and chuckled. "See, I wasn't kidding at all when I said I spent my first days here mapping the Camp out." Kitty turned the notebook to face Paige which had a sketch of a bird's eye view of the Camp. The strawberry fields, the gateway, the pine tree, the Big House and the Cabins were all filled in with the most minute of detail that could be seen from above. There was even a small compass of sorts at the top right of the page. The likes of the lava wall and the forge still had much work to be done to them, some only drawn as a small rectangle and others had some of its intricacies started but not quite finished yet.
Paige: She held the sketchbook by her side and now it seemed heavier with all the memories it held inside it. They were too precious that it even appeared to be heavier than sacks of gold. When it was Kitty's turn to show her work, seeing the unfinished and yet detailed map, Paige was completely amazed and almost forgot the bit of sadness she felt earlier. She felt the paper itself as if saying, Is this even real? "This is... cool..." she said in awe as she looked at the details carefully. "I mean, anything that has to do with places, maps, and whatever, I can't really do them. I just draw people." She then added looking back at Kitty, "Everytime I try to draw landscapes and those kinds of maps... oh, man. It's chaotic." She laughed.
Kitty: Kitty laughed with her friend. "Well, I'm very glad you like it. And very flattered." She grinned and then nodded, chuckling. "See, that's where you and I differ. I honest-to-goodness cannot draw people to save myself. I mean, with landscapes, abstract work and such I can put a little bit of myself into them. I can add flowers where there were none and stuff like that. To completely capture someone as well as you and your dad do, that takes skill and to that," She bows, miming lifting a hat from her head as she did so with a bright grin. "I take off my hat."
Paige: She chuckled and then curtsied lifting the sides of her invisible dress. "Why tha--" They were interrupted by the loud thump on the floor and the slamming of the door. She whipped her head to the direction of the noise and saw three redheads. One was lying on the floor face down who looked like she just had a great fall. Another one was in a crawling stance as if she was able to stop herself from completely falling by supporting herself using her arms while the third one was standing by the entrance leaning against the doorframe but her legs seemed weak and she was about to drop. The three appeared to have come from a tiring journey with their clothes all dirty and even their hair were unkempt except for the other one who still looked absolutely gorgeous and radiated the aura of beauty even after all that tumble and stumble. They also had with them luggages which gave Paige a hint that they're probably newcomers.
???: "Ugh..." she grunted as she felt the pain course all over her body. She fell flatly on the floor face down making the sounds she make all muffled.
Paige: Immediately, she went over to the girls and asked frantically, "Are you all okay?" She knelt down beside the girl lying on the floor and helped her up.
???: As soon as she was sitting up, she was already groggy as if her energy was drained all the way. "Are those... tomatoes?" she asked wearily like she was not even herself anymore. "I'm hungry..." she muttered.
Kitty: The demigod jumped at the sudden commotion and unclipped her weapon from her belt loop, the biting crack of the whip resonating in the air as she unfurled it with a swift, fluid movement. She strafed forward and tilted her head to the side in confusion more than anything else, seeing the three girls at the door. Kitty reared her arm back and coiled her whip back before attaching it back to her side. It was a reflex to draw her weapon at such surprises, one that took her too long to sharpen. She approached the girl leaning on the doorway. "Hey ... are you guys alright? Here, take a seat." Her hands were held out, ready to help the girl down to sit on the steps or to catch her in case her knees buckled from under her. "What happened?"
???: She struggled to walk straight as her body swayed back and forth and fell in Kitty's arms. "W-Water..." she muttered.
Paige: "I'll get help," she told Kitty and then let the girl she assisted rest on the edge of one of the beds in the cabin. She quickly ran outside to head to the infirmary and call the Apollo kids.
???: The girl who still actually looked fresh did not act like she really was. She was also tired and she just tried to stand up and slump over beside the other girl resting her back against the side of the bed.
Kitty: With a grunt, Kitty caught the girl and gently helped her to sit on the bed that the two other redheads sat against. Kitty leaned against the wall opposite them. "Paige is just coming, don't worry. She'll bring some people who can help. I'm Kitty, by the way. You guys can relax, you're in no danger here. I'm sure they'll have food and water and maybe some nectar to help you get your strength back."
Later...
Paige: "There! There they are!"
The three blacked out and remembered nothing...
Infirmary[]
Paige: The three redheads' identity still remained unknown to them. Each one of them were lain down in the infirmary beds and were sound asleep. The Apollo kids already did what they had to and left them alone to have some rest. Paige stayed with them watching them and waited until they woke up. She sat in a chair just in front of the three beds. She, too, was feeling tired, her eyes almost closing but as soon as her head dropped, she'd automatically lift it again and realize she almost fell asleep. It was already nighttime and she didn't even notice.
Kitty: After the commotion at the cabin, Kitty recalled Paige going with the Apollo healers to the infirmary. Her help seemed superfluous at that point and she left to train herself to the bone. More cuts and grazes had appeared on her limbs but it was almost as if Kitty was impervious to the pain that they left when she moved. Day melted into night and Kitty returned to the Infirmary, her hands balancing two plates of food from the mess hall. Steak seemed like the night's specialty and she hadn't seen Paige leave the Infirmary. Two silver goblets were tied to her waist with some cord. "Hey. You must exhausted. And you missed dinner. I did too, don't worry. I have some food from the pavilion. I figured we could eat together." She glanced at the still-unconscious girls on the infirmary beds. Kitty knew that when they woke up the first thing they needed was nectar and ambrosia. She'd run to get food for them after they were given that. Her attention returned to Paige. "This is real nice of you, staying with them. How're they doing?"
Paige: Startled by Kitty's presence, her sleepiness all of a sudden went away. "Wh-What?" she said instinctively looking around unaware of the recent happenings then she saw the sky turned dark outside the window. "Whoa..." Later, she turned to Kitty's direction and saw her holding two plates so she immediately stood up and helped her. With a sweet smile, she told Kitty, "This is very nice of you. Thanks." She put the plate on the table." In reply to Kitty's question, she said, "Oh, so far, they're doing just--" She was cut off as soon as she turned to see that one of them are missing. "Wait," she said with her eyes wide open in shock and her body all stiff. "Where's the other one?" She ran over to the beds and there were only two of the redheads there. She was panicking deep inside but kept her expression as calm as she could. "There are three of them. Where's the other one? Did you see her, Kitty?" she asked. "We need to find her.
Kitty: Her eyes widened. She had kept an eye on the Infirmary door for hours! How-? Perhaps when she had gone away to get food, the girl must have slipped out. "Alright, listen, you're exhausted. I'll run out and find her. Will you stay and make sure that they don't leave as well? That, and make sure nothing happens to them." Kitty glanced around and placed her plate on the table next to Paige's, unclipping her whip from her side and heading for the door. "Why would she want to leave though?" Kitty asked no one in particular as she stood at the doorway, her eyes scanning the surroundings whilst trying to decide where to start. "No one has done nothing to hurt her or the other two while they were here. Surely, it's better to stay where they know they're safe." Kitty paused and bit her lip in thought before muttering to herself. "Oh, I know. Up." Kitty took a few steps out of the door and reared her arm back, the barbs of the whip glittering in the starlight as she lashed her arm forward in a fluid motion. The whip lunged upwards, curling and gripping on a part of the Infirmary roof's structure. The barbs dug into the wood and clung on as she used the whip to help support her climb to the top. "Okay. I'm on the roof!" She yelled down to Paige. "I can't quite see her yet."
Paige: She just nodded in agreement and stayed by the two redheads' side. She thought hard what possibly could have happened to the other one. Later, she started to silently blame herself. I should've stayed awake.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Startled by the scream she just heard, she whipped her head up and ran outside where she thought the sound came from. She was met by a group of demigods who seemed to be looking up, murmuring and pointing at the sky like something frightening was taking place. She immediately looked up as well and finally saw it.
"KITTY! LOOK OUT!" she shouted as loud as she could. The redhead was just behind Kitty, a sword in her hand and she was about to thrust her weapon to Kitty. Paige got frantic all over and rushed to the roof hoping to make it on time.
Kitty: She ignored the gathering group of demigods at the foot of the Infirmary. It wasn't the first time other people looked up at her and whispered their confusions as to what Kitty was doing up such bizarre heights. Kitty ignored their mutterings and continued to search the grounds for the mystery third redhead. Then the scream pierced through her focus. "What the-?" She whirled around and was met by the missing girl, angry and ready to drive a sword through her innards. "Whoa, wait!" As she yelled in protest, Kitty gripped onto her whip, leaping off the roof and using it as a pendulum to swing her around, the beams of the roof groaning their protests at the sudden strain. "Paige, get back!" She barked, now facing the back of the redhead. "Hey! What's your deal?! We're not trying to hurt you!" She flicked her arm upwards, her the barbs of her whip releasing the wood and coiling like a snake into her hands. Kitty clipped the whip to her side and raised her hands in surrender. She backed up a step for it was as far as she could move; her heel glanced off the edge of the sloped roof and she quickly strafed forward to retain her balance.
Paige: As she ran, she sprouted vines and they sprung up to the ceiling helping her have a much faster pace as she clung from one vine to another 'til she reached the roof. The winds up there were certainly cold especially that night has already begun. She perched her arms by the edge of the roof as she attempted to climb up and upon hearing Kitty shout for her to get back, she stopped for a moment and that was the time when she noticed something odd... the redhead actually had her eyes closed. "What?!" she asked in a whisper to no one in particular. The redhead turned around to face Kitty and walked towards her but she was being wobbly so Paige got nervous everytime she made a step thinking the girl might fall anytime. Right at that moment, she finally understood what was happening. She was sleepwalking. "KITTY!" She pushed herself up and carefully went behind the redhead balancing herself. Not only was the redhead walking funny, her whole body seemed to be weak, even her head was slightly tilted but the strange thing was that her grip on the sword was tight. As the redhead got close to Kitty, she raised her sword and anyone in the right mind would know what would happen next. Later, vines slowly wrapped around the girl's wrists and torso. Paige tugged the vines and the girl fell on her back losing her grip on the sword. But it did not end there, the girl struggled in an attempt to break free from Paige's vines.
Kitty: Kitty sprouted vines of her own, emerald tendrils shooting from her wrists to catch the sword as it clattered down the slopes of the rooftop. "We need to wake her up before she hurts herself! Paige, let's get her off the roof!" More cords of green slid from her wrists and wrapped around the girl's feet and gently, ever so gently, she tugged on the girl, edging her closer to the edge of the roof. "We'll have to suspend her down. This'll be hard if she keeps writhing but better than her falling off altogether."
Paige: She understood what Kitty wanted to happen and nodded. She followed Kitty and said, "Ready? On three! One! Tw--" Unexpectedly, the redhead sprung herself up as wings grew from her back and she landed behind the two girls breaking free from the vines. Paige whipped her head in surprise. "WHAT!?" But before the redhead could even makeone more move, somebody caught her by the arms and held on tight. "Kristoph!" Paige shouted out in joy.
Kristoph: "Heh," he said with a smirk as he tried to keep the girl captive. "Thought you needed help!" As the redhead struggled to free herself, Kristoph forced her to face him and he gripped her shoulders as he closed his eyes tight in concentration. "Hold--still!"
Paige: She ran to him and before she could even reach them, the redhead seemed to have her life drained all of a sudden when she just dropped and fell in Kristoph's arms. "What happened!?" she asked worriedly.
Kristoph: "Nightmares..." he explained looking at the redhead, now sleeping peacefully. Then he looked back at Paige. "Someone was trying to control her through her dreams." He carried the girl bridal style. "I think it would be best to bring her back to her bed and let her rest."
Kitty: "What the-?" She exclaimed as wings burst from her back. A familiar figure grabbed onto her arms before she flew away and Kitty exhaled with relief. "Just the man we needed to see. Thanks for dropping in, Kristoph!" Kitty yelled down with a grin, lowering down the vine with the girl's sword constricted in its grasp, careful not to hit any of the bystanders before releasing the sword and letting it disintegrate. The vines that restrained the girl vanished with it. She watched Paige leave the roof first, keeping an eye on her and making sure she got down safely. When she saw her friend run to Kristoph, Kitty vaulted off the roof, landing square on her feet before pushing off into a forward roll to absorb the impact. "What were they hoping to achieve by doing that? She was ready to kill me. Did they want to pick us off one by one? Unless, whoever it was just had some grudge against me. But I haven't done anything! I haven't been here long enough to do anything. And if they wanted to damage the Camp, they should have targeted someone with more value instead of someone like me and- I'll shut up now." She spoke as she was approaching Paige and Kristoph, letting her thoughts leave her lips in a rambling litany until she made the conscious effort to stop.
Kristoph: He turned to Kitty still carrying the redhead in his arms. "No," he answered. "She wasn't trying to kill you. She was trying to defend herself."
Paige: What Kristoph said just puzzled her. "What?" she asked in confusion. "W-What are you talking about? Defend herself? From who? From Kitty?" She was talking rather fast as she asked for an explanation. "Kitty didn't even do anything!"
Kristoph: The redhead groaned slowly turning her head to Kristoph as if she's trying to gain her consciousness back. Seeing the girl almost curl into fetal position, he told the girls, "Let's discuss things inside. She really must rest right now." He didn't wait for their reply and immediately headed back in the infirmary.
Kitty: "Yeah, of course. Sorry, let's go." She jogged back towards the infirmary door, quickly swerving to pick up the girl's sword. Kitty leaned the blade against the wall, away from the bed in case whatever struck the sleeping redhead struck again. As she sat down on the bed opposite the three girls, taking her plate from the table. As she suspected, her food had gone cold. She put the plate down again and picked up a goblet instead, ordering it to fill up with some tea, filled with milk and sweetened to her liking. "Yeah, the food's cold now. Are you still hungry? I can find something else to eat from somewhere if you like." She sipped at her tea gratefully before looking to Kristoph once more. "I can get you some food too, if you want." The seriousness he displayed outside was completely different to the man she met this morning. It was as though she was looking at the opposite side of the same coin. She was thankful that such a side existed though. Kitty now knew that there was someone else here she could rely on in a crisis. "So what did you mean?" She asked him softly. "What was she fighting in her dream? It must have been awful since she spent every minute on that roof desperately trying to get away from us."
Paige: She followed inside as Kristoph gently put the redhead back down her bed. When Kitty offered to get food, she turned to her and just smiled. "It's okay. You should just take a rest too."
Kristoph: When it was his turn to answer, he replied, "Oh that would be lovely but no thank you. I have already eaten. That's very nice of you though." He gently smiled at her and then looked back at the redhead returning the serious look on his face. "It was... strong," he said. "I-- I didn't get to see what or who it was but it was dark. Her dream, I mean."
Paige: She stood beside the redheads' beds not taking her eyes off of them even for a second. "So... what happened?"
Kristoph: With a sigh, he continued, "She was fighting for her life, like what I've mentioned earlier, but then it was..." He paused trying to find the right words. "It's hard to explain but, in other words, I was able to convince her to wake up. Actually, not really wake up but stop. I was able to make her believe I'm a friend and together, we fought the thing until it just vanished."
Paige: "Whatever that was," she said, "it certainly was strong."
Kristoph: "AND powerful," he added. "By the way, her name's Grace."
Grace: She jolted up panting and sweating a lot as if by the mention of her name, she was summoned back to reality. She frantically looked around and spotted her sword away from her. She attempted to stand up and reach for it but she was stopped by Kristoph.
Kristoph: "WHOA WHOA WHOA!" He grabbed her by the shoulders. "Grace! Calm down!"
Grace: "WHERE IS SHE!? she asked with much anger in her tone. "I MUST GET HER!" Later, she felt a hand hold her wrist making her snap her head to look at who it was.
???: "Grace?" The one who seemed to be the youngest had awoken and with a worried look in her eyes, she asked, "Are you okay?"
Grace: With that, all of her anger appeared to have faded away as she slowly calmed down. "I... I'm fine..." she sat back down their bed.
Kitty: "Grace ..." she began, smiling gently. "My name is Kitty Winters. This is Paige and Kristoph. We're friends. We've been looking after you and your sisters with the help of Healers in our Camp." Kitty sipped at her tea. "And I swear, we're not here to pose any danger to you or your sisters." She smiled at the youngest one who had woken up. "We genuinely want to help. Will you tell us what happened and how you happened upon our Camp?" She asked her.
Grace: She was too stunned to speak and so her sister took over.
???: "I am Adriel," she introduced herself while patting her sister's back for comfort. "My mother helped me in a dream. She's the one who showed us the way to camp." She looked over her shoulder and saw her other sleeping sister. "And this is Priscilla," she added. "Grace is a daughter of Eris. Priscilla, a child of Aphrodite and I..." She put her hand on her chest holding on to the pendant on her necklace. "A child of Athena."
Paige: "It's very nice to meet you all. I am Paige Gabriel, child of Demeter." She said, "Like what Kitty mentioned earlier, we want to help."
Adriel: "We are pretty much okay now," she replied with a soft smile. "Thank you very much for your concern."
Kitty: "Well, we're glad you guys are feeling better." She grinned, finishing her tea. "And it is super late at night so we'll let you get some rest. And we all ought to sleep too. Hard day's training tomorrow." She bent her knee, lifting her leg up to the bed and taking the notebook that she stuffed in her boot. She ripped out the page with her drawing of the Camp's map, incomplete of all the intricacies such as details on trees and building, but it was accurate in showing where everything was. "That's a map of the Camp." Kitty placed it on the foot of Adriel's bed. "If you want help with anything, then you can find us usually in our cabins - I'll be in Persephone's and Paige in Demeter's, for example - or on the training grounds. The Camp Director will usually be in the Big House and he's probably more help than I'll be, in any case."
Adriel: She reached for the map and examined the entire picture. Afterwards, she looked back at Kitty and nodded. "Thank you very much. How are we ever going to repay your kindness?"
Kristoph: "Well, uh... just a date with your sister wi-- OOF!"
Paige: She cut off Kristoph by nudging him hard before he even finished his sentence and showed a smile to Adriel. "Don't mind him. Go on. Get some rest. We'll be leaving the three of you for now."
Kitty: She laughed brightly at Paige and Kristoph. There was that side of him again. "Honestly, the Healers from the Apollo cabin are more deserving of your thanks. Just feel free to come and talk to us about anything. This place is a lot to take in for someone who has just arrived. I'm fairly new myself, in comparison to some of these campers, so I get how it must feel." She nodded to the three of them and smiled at Paige and Kristoph before picking up the goblets and the plates of food. "Grace, I left your sword up by that wall, by the way." Kitty motioned to the weapon with a smile before exiting the infirmary. She quickly notified the others that she was taking the plates to the kitchens, a polite 'goodnight' following her remark, before jogging down the grassy plain.