⊹ ࣪ ˖ Camp Half Blood - Active Roleplay ˖ ࣪ ⊹ discussion

[Oh my gosh, are you okay???]

"The absolute best." Violetta said, setting down her very cutesy picnic basket.

She laid down a blanket, because no one wanted to sit on the gross stable floor, and sat down.

[yeah]

When Violetta sat down Asher slowly sat down and put his finger sandwiches on the ground next to the two of them. He smiled as he felt safe after everything he has been through.

Violetta pulled out her treats, and grabbed one of the finger sandwiches Asher had made. "Mmm, these are really good, Asher!"

"Can I tell you a secret? I keep a mini fridge in my cabin but it's under my bed, so no one sees it" he said as he looked at her and smiled, "But, I'm glad you like it" he said as he took a bite out of his.

Violetta laughed. "I think I'll be expecting a lot more treats from now on."

Asher looked at her and smiled, "Are you sure?" he asked as he took one of Violetta's sweets, once he took a bite he was in love.

Violetta smirked at the expression on Asher's face. "Good, huh? Told you so." She reached for one herself.

Asher smiled at her, "Yes...they are good, you were right" he said as looked up at Violetta with honey on his nose, he was very clumsy.

She giggled, then wiped it off with the pad of her thumb. "I didn't know you were such a messy eater. It's like dealing with my younger siblings."

Asher looked at her, "Sorry...they honey just came out. It was not my fault" he says as he grabbed a napkin and gave it to her.

She laughed, and took the napkin. "That's the best part! It's delicious."

Asher looked at her and smiled at the dessert and went to see how his sandwiches tasted. "These are good, I took a shot in the dark when I was making them" he said as he shrugged.

"The dark?" Violetta asked, confused. "Do you not have light switches in your cabin?"

"It may be weird, but I make them when everybody was asleep. I just have a candle flicker in the background. But, I had a light this time" he said as he looked at her.

Violetta smirked. "Very romantic, Asher. You should be an actor. My cabin's pretty empty, so the lights were on as I made this. No one to bother!"

"Well, the Ares cabin is chaotic; it's hard to sleep sometimes," Asher said as he ate another sweet, but with a napkin.

"Oh, yeah. Ares kids are typically chaotic. Surprised you're not, actually." Violetta said, reaching for another sandwich.

"I was raised by my mother and the others were not I guess?" Asher said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Fair enough. It's a story I hear often from the other kids around here. One where they're neglected." Violetta shrugged. "I guess I lucked out in that part. My step-dad took me in like one of his own."

Asher looked at her, "That's good, not a lot of half-bloods get a good home life" he said as he was drinking some water.

"Yeah. My mom's an immigrant from Korea... so life was pretty hard for her when she got here." Violetta shrugged, wrapping her arms around her knees. "Then she met my dad, and she said she finally felt happy. Of course, he couldn't stay; he's a god. But after a while she met my step-father, and he took us right in. Honestly, I was probably a super spoiled little girl." She laughed.

Asher looked at her. "Well, my mom never remarried and that was hard on her and it made it worse for me...until she died and then my adopted family took me in as their own, but that ended as well and not in a good way" He said as he looked at his horse and sighed, "My pegasi is the only thing left from my mother"

Violetta put a hand over Asher's. "I know it doesn't really help, but I'm so sorry."

The rain had spiraled into a true torrent- a thunderstorm, to be exact- by the time Cissa reached the stables. Her blonde hair was soaked, strands clinging to her face, and her clothes were dripping. She led her pegasus, North, inside, placing a hand on his neck and letting out a tight sigh. A part of her wished that the rain had stayed light, that she'd been able to keep riding North and distracting herself, but the other half of her was relieved. She was exhausted; her arms were shaking and the inner sides of her thighs were raw. North seemed to look at her a certain way, and she rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I know. I should've used a saddle. Get off my arse about it."

North whinnied, and she grimaced as he shook his mane, splattering her with even more water.

"Thanks."

Beau Sterling watched the rain plummet from underneath the stables, standing next to his horse, Rocket. He stifled a laugh, his fist covering his mouth. Rocket brayed, his head shaking as the girl led the Pegasus inside. She was soaked, down for her blonde hair to her boots. He laughed harder as he shook, drenching her even more.

"Someone didn't think ahead of time."

Cissa paused, peering over to where the stranger stood by the stables. Laughing, happy, and perfectly dry. A scowl tugged at her lips; of all the scorn she was used to enduring, laughter was one she had rarely experienced. It was a prick in her side, small, but painful.


Ignoring her ridiculously hurt feelings, she pulled North to his stall and flicked him, not unkindly. Shutting the gate, she raked her fingers through her hair, lifting it from her forehead and face.

The boy reminded her of Sirius, in a way- and that was an even bigger, more painful sword in her side.

"Thank you," she repeated, voice dry.

Beau reached over towards the racks, grabbing her a dry towel from the hooks. It was usually used for the horses, but it was clean, and the girl obviously needed warmth.

The clouds rumbled, growing darker than ever. The flicker of the lanterns from the stables provided light as Beau stretched his hand out. "Here, darlin'. I don't mean to be rude, but those clouds have been here all mornin. You didn't see them?" He asked, hoping it came across as genuine. He truly didn't understand how she took the Pegasus out with the clouds looking like that all day.

Cissa grabbed the towel, reluctantly grateful, and wrapped it around her shoulders. It was warm, and she did her best to ignore the fact that it was usually used by the horses and pegasi. North side-eyed her, and she matched his gaze. Outside, thunder rumbled over the camp, and Cissa glanced outside the stables. Annoyance wrinkled through her; she wasn't willing to try to leave until the rain let up. Sighing, she turned back to the stranger. He seemed kind enough, but she retained her usually reserved self.

"I did, but I'd though it would be a light rain," she said, frowning slightly. "Instead, I drowned myself."

Beau laughed again, however not at her. "I've done something similar myself, but uh... The rains not worth ruining this perfect face," he gestured to himself, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

Rocket neighed from behind him, Beau seemingly forgetting to feed him. "Rocket, sorry!" Beau excused himself momentarily before making his way over to the mass amount of feed. He used to the scoop to dumb one or two into Rocket's feed bowl. His horse shook his head before lowering his head to eat. "Horses, right?"

Cissa hesitated. The stranger seemed polite, even kind, something she was still struggling to get used to.

Sure, it had been what, six years since she'd arrived at camp? But her parents sneers weren't memories that just faded into the gray corners of her mind. Those were present, always.

Shaking her head to clear it, she dried her face with the towel and gestured to her pegasus. "North is the same way. He seems to think I'm his pet instead of the other way around... and I'm starting to believe him."

Beau chuckled, adjusting the cowboy hat that sat atop his head. "They're all the same," he said while Rocket nudged his back forecefully. "What? I'm just saying," he muttered.

Beau stuck his hand out to Cissa. "I'm Beau. You?"

Cissa couldn't help the small, hidden smile that curled at her lips at the strangers interaction with his horse. Tucking her hair away from her face, she took his hand and shook it.

"Narcissa Blackwood."

"We're doing last names too?" He cleared his throat, making a little ahem sound. "Pardon, I'm Beau Bryant Sterling. You're name, it sounds familiar. Do you have any siblings here? Relatives..?"

Cissa bowed her head shortly in acknowledgment of his full name and pried off her wet jacket, revealing the camp t-shirt underneath. The orange was bright and irritating, an almost garish color.

"Yes- a sister and two cousins. The gods favor my family, it seems," she replied, and offered him a tight smile.

"Oh, really? Wow," Beau whistled, "I'd love to have some of my family here. I mean, the half-siblings I have are great, but uh..." He trailed off. Before the incident with his mother, he wouldn't have said the same thing. But knowing that family was precious and forever, he longed to see his brother.

Cissa couldn't help the frustration that washed over her in response to his statement. She knew it wasn't his fault, was more than aware that she shouldn't be angry at someone for loving or longing for their family, but the waves drowned her anyways.

She may have had Regulus, Sirius, and Bellatrix here, and she may have cared deeply- perhaps too selflessly- but every time she saw them, it felt like a sword in her gut. Every time the word 'family' was spoken when they were together, it was like twisting the sword.

Shaking her head to clear it, Cissa looked back over to Beau.

"I wouldn't be too jealous," she said, toying with the rings on her fingers.

"No?" Beau asked, finishing up his maintenance routine with Rocket while Cissa spoke. He stepped out of the stall, shutting the gate behind him. "I'm sure it can't be so bad. I mean, a little break every now and then is probably nice, but besides that, I wouldn't mind seeing my older brother here."

Beau had been so busy with his routine that when he finally looked to Cissa, she looked frustrated. Hurt, even. Had Beau unintentionally struck a nerve?

Cissa scowled at his words, her gut rolling. Regulus had only just arrived, and she could only imagine the gods-awful shit that would go down once Sirius realized- and tried to reunite with his brother. The history there was dark, and seeing either of her cousins in pain, especially Regulus, kept her up at night.

She shook her head. "It depends on your family, I suppose."

( so sorry about the late reply ! )

"Ah, of course," Beau said, searching for any way to change the topic. "So!" He says, clapping his hands together. "How long have you been riding?" Beau asks. He'd grown up on a ranch, and it felt as though he knew how to ride before he took his first steps.

(no worries!)

Watching the other half-blood curiously, unable to help but feel his discomfort, she lifted one shoulder in a shrug.

"Since I was a child," she answered, tying back her hair. "My parents taught me and my sister, Bellatrix. And you?"

He seemed kind; it almost made her feel guilty for being so blunt with him.

{bump?}

(final bump!)