the grass feels so soft [private]

The Hecate cabin seemed much more crowded these days.

For the past several months, Archer had noticed the influx of newly claimed kids claiming their stakes in the cabin. The noise, the stifling feeling of too many people in one place had driven the son of Hecate out into the dark forests by mid-afternoon today, where he felt he could at least breathe for once and have his own personal space. The cool fall air that Mr. D had let in felt nice on his exposed neck and face as he laid by the creek, listening to the water lapping at the rocks only a few feet away from his feet. Blades of grass tickled the back of his neck as he stared up at the sky, watching a fluffy white cloud slowly pass through the opening in the trees around Zephyros Creek.

Exhaling deeply, he yawned and rolled onto his stomach, listening to the rustling of the leaves around him as a gust of wind rushed through the trees. Under normal circumstances Archer would have been mildly afraid for his life, so far away from camp here in the forest -- but he wanted to be alone, and he was tired, and he didn't care to go back to the cabin where he'd definitely hear kids trying to -- and failing at -- practicing spells. He didn't want to get his hair singed by a burning fireball again.

NECRO WAIT UP! Andy half laughed half shouted as she ran after her Hellhound into the dark forest. It was a really nice fall day outside and it just made Andy that much happier to be outside. Running after her beloved hound she skidded to a halt and noticed one of her half siblings laying in the grass near Zephyros Creek. Not saying a word she walked up next to him and poked him with her shoe. You awake dude?

Archer had heard the girl yelling, but even when her hellhound had passed and she had appeared, he hadn't so much as lifted as head to acknowledge her. Maybe he should start investing in some melatonin or whatever sleep supplements existed; he couldn't sleep a wink at night anymore with those idiots muttering incantations all night.

"Almost," he muttered in reply, shifting away from her shoe in case she decided to poke him again. Who knows what people in this camp step in? "What d'you want?"

Archer? She said in a slightly surprised tone of voice. What the hell dude get up. Help me get my bag of piercings from Necro he took them again. She said glaring at her hound who was farther upstream. The hound started shaking her bag and she just scowled at him. Looking back at archer she cocked her head to one side. You ok lil bro? She asked sitting next to him in her black ripped jeans, oversized grey hoodie and black beaning with Harley Quinn hightop Converse on. Her plugs were pictures of pot weeds and she worse several rings on her hands.

Yes, he silently replied, it was indeed him. Archer. The boy who couldn't actually do archery very well. That irony had never left him.

With one arm, he lifted himself up and into a sitting position, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair. (For some reason he'd let it grow out a bit instead of shaving it off like he usually did. Laziness, maybe? Or it was because hair helped in the cold.) The son of Hecate picked a blade of grass off his shoulder and let it fall from between his fingers, slowly landing about two inches from his thigh. "Perfectly fine, Andy, thanks. Just tired and all, too many people in the cabin staying up late, mumbling to themselves, keeping me awake.... Had to get away for a bit. Hope you get your piercings back, at least."

Andy looked her brother once over and rolled her eyes. Believe me it's worse when they ask for help. I think I've been asked at least ten times today by the new younger campers to help with spells and incantations as well as creating some. It's annoying as hell man. She said pulling out a pack of cigarettes and lighting one, watching as Necro finally came back and dropped the bag near her, laying by her side. No matter how much the two bickered and seemed to fight they were very loyal to one another.

Archer frowned at the cigarette in her hand, moving away slightly to avoid the smoke. He hated that sort of thing, didn't know why people would do it despite all the education against tobacco use and everything, but he was much too exhausted to yell at her for it and she was probably much too stubborn to listen -- as usual.

So instead the boy stared across the creek to its other side, where he could see a squirrel squabbling around the leaves. Maybe looking for acorns to store for the winter. He wasn't sure how messed up hibernation could be within the camp's borders, since Mr. D liked to keep things warm most of the year. "Yeah? Yeah. Thank gods nobody really interacts with me, all they want is to blow crap up. All I can do is, like, levitate things and make shields and whatever, but that helps when stray fireballs come 'round."

Andy laughed a little. Too true! too true. She said softer the second time before letting Necro eat the stub of her cigarette, seeing as she saw how Archer reacted to it. Instead she pulled out her tabaccoless E-Cig and started vaping with smoke that smelled like vanilla bean. It was one of her favorite flavors and she was glad to finally have bought some in a big bulk and have her dad send it to her when it was delivered to her.

.... Was feeding a hellhound a cigarette butt even healthy? What the hell? Archer cringed slightly when he saw the little hellhound munching on the stub, wondering slightly how much hellhound digestion differed from regular dogs' and if there were some sort of demigod version of PETA lurking around, trying to advocate for monsters' rights.

He sniffed slightly when Andy pulled out her E-cig and decided to exhale a bunch of vanilla-scented smoke, but that wasn't much better than the tobacco. Why the hell do people even vape? Why do they smoke anything? Why couldn't they leave their poor lungs alone? Heaving a sigh, he finally looked at her and asked: "Why do you always smoke things? Like, what's so great about it?"

Helps me stay calm when my anger boils. Why do you think I vape so much in the cabin with the little twits we have to call siblings. She said with a sideways smirk, taking a long drag and blowing smoke in the direction opposite where Archer was sitting. Handing the E-Cig to him she looked at him. Wanna try? It's tobacoless so there really isn't any harm in trying. She offered. There was no way she was gonna pressure him into smoking it but it was kind to offer, any smoker and pot head would tell you that.

Archer shook his head, trying to push it back into Andy's hands. It might have been calming to her, but it was unsettling to him -- they weren't dragons, they couldn't handle so much smoke going into their lungs and getting exhaled so often. Bad for the teeth, bad for the lungs, bad and/or annoying to everyone around them. He'd have none of it if he could. "No thanks. Don't like smoke at all, don't want anything to do with it. The only habits I want to develop are sleeping as soon as I hit the pillow and studying without getting distracted."

Andy shrugged and went back to smoking her beloved E-cig. the breeze blew all the smoke away from the small group and she was thankful for that much, for Archer's sake. It was odd to her for someone to hate smoking so much but she shouldn't judge, she had a fiery burning hate for some music genres out there. Necro yawned and showed all his teeth before laying his head in Archer's lap and nodding off to sleep. So sleeping that fast? Andy laughed softly pointing at her hound for a moment.

Archer didn't really mind pets, but having one shove its head into your lap was sort of... weird. But it was Andy's, so he was sure it wouldn't bite very hard if he patted its head while it slept.

Or maybe not. He didn't want to risk that. Hellhounds had sharp and pointy teeth and he did not want to lose any fingers today -- or, for that matter, any day of any year in any century. So he just leaned back and let the hellhound sleep, his hands firmly planted behind him to prop him up. The thing's head was sort of heavy, actually, it was a little weird. "Cute. Not too sure about the teeth, though."

[ooc: temporary color change weeee]

Andy let out a small laugh.Necro won't bite a sibling unless I tell him to. the rest of the campers are fair game unless I say not to. He's more of a big teddy bear than anything. She smiled at the sleeping demon.People used to tell me to keep him on a leash and that would just seem mean to him while inside camp. If I walked him around town then yeah I probably would but here he can be free to roam and play with the other hounds that live in the forest. She said kindly.

Were there other hellhounds around? Archer really felt like he didn't need to know that, for the sake of his own mental health. He wasn't exactly afraid of dying out here, what with his shield powers and Andy around to help, but he didn't like not exactly knowing what was out in the forest. Made him almost regret coming out to lay here by the creek in the first place.

"Well, kudos to you, you wonderful animal-lover. But I don't think all hellhounds around here will like him, y'know? Territorial maybe. Or just plain aggressive, they don't normally act this cuddly."

Necro made a soft barking sound with his mouth closed and Andy just looked at him lovingly. Believe me, there are plenty of demons and hellhounds in the forest. She said laying in the grass with her eyes closed, not a care in the whole wide world.

"Of course. Everyone knows that." Hell, some of the other demigods were those demons anyway. Archer knew they were hellbent on killing or hurting other people, but for now they were just... biding their time. Or something. He pet Necro's head absently as he said to his sister: "Pretty weird Chiron and Mr. D would let so many monsters wander the forests though. I get we need to train, but nobody ever goes here much."