Random meadow!

Mason wandered through the forest on a little beaten path, chewing on the remaining remnants of the Tic-Tacs he'd eaten earlier; they might not have worked completely to dispel his morning breath, but at least they were less noticeable. The path looked like it hadn't been used in a while, maybe a few months; Mason was kicking up a lot of random stones and dust and all, which wouldn't have been there if travelers used this place often. Hm.

Charlie went skipping into the meadow, her hair in two perfect braids an Aphrodite girl had braided. Her too big tool belt hing on her skinny hips and her red backpack was slung over both her shoulders. She looked ahead and saw a familiar figure. "Hey! Mason!" The litttle girl yelled. She took off running to catch up. She sprinted up to hin then dug her feet into the grass. "Hey guess what." Shr said giggling

Mason turned suddenly, hearing a familiar voice and footsteps -- creepy as it sounded, Mason could recognize people based on the sound of their footsteps -- coming from behind him. It was Charlie with braided hair, a red backpack, and a really big tool belt. Last time Mason checked, Charlie didn't wear braids, but he hadn't seen her in a few weeks. Maybe an Aphrodite kid got to her? He didn't know and he didn't want to, either. "Uhm, hey, Charlie. What's up?"

Charlie laughed. "You gotta help me light these fireworks." She said as started pulling the fireworks out of her backpack. "Its perfectly safe. Nothings gonna happen." The little girl laughed and she held a firework up anr clicked her lighteer on to light it.

Mason stared at Charlie for a long, long moment, wondering if she were insane. He'd expected something like this from her, but he hadn't expected it now or any time in the next year; he thought she'd keep away from that sort of stuff until she were a bit older and, you know, at least a teensy bit wiser. "How do you know those are safe? Where did you get them from?"

He wouldn't be able to live with himself if she'd gotten hurt by those fireworks; he'd already cut her up enough during practice spars, and he couldn't imagine being forced to watch her deal with the aftermath of some sort of faulty firework.... Like burns to the face. Or a lost limb. Those would definitely be horrible.

Charlie giggled. "Some sketchy guy in maryland. Totally explosive, totally not safe." Charlie clicked theblighter on again and held it to the wick on the firework. Theres was a pop as the wick caught the flame, and it sarted rapidly burning. Charlie stared at the firework as the wick rapidly grew shorter. She remember when the old barn caught on fire, her brother unable to get out. The firework she was holding wasnt totally strong, just good enough for a good laugh. The flame reached the end of the wick, the firework still in Charlie's hand as it exploded and Charlie screamed

Mason jumped back as soon as Charlie lit the firecracker with her lighter, and then... and then she just held it. She didn't throw it or anything, like any sane person would do with a firecracker. The little idiot held the thing and just stared at it like it was nothing and then oh gods it exploded and oh gods why why why, what did she think she was doing --

"Charlie, Charlie!" She was screaming and Mason's head was beginning to spin, but he ran forward anyway to help her and see what the damage was. He had a foreboding feeling that something was wrong, her hand seemed bloody or scorched or something.... "Put it down, put it down! Dammit, why did you have to hold it?"

Charlie's hand had released the exploded firework as it went off. Her hand... her hand. She kept screaming, and tears were pouring out of her eyes. Charlie was in excruciating pain. She was vaguely aware of Mason running to her, but it hurt too bad. Way too bad. She got a feeling of missing something;It was weird. She glanced down through her tears and saw a bloody mess. Her hand... where was her hand? She screamed again, and hit the ground. "Help!" she screamed.

"Come on, come on!" Mason was about to pick her up and rush her to the infirmary, but then he realized he was too weak to do that and instead grabbed her by the shoulders, trying to steer her down the forest path to the commons area. "Let's go, let's go! Don't look at your hand, don't look -- let's get out of here." He swallowed and tried not to look at the ground, where he knew Charlie's firework was; there was probably something else, not any prettier, that was there, too. Glancing down slightly, he caught a glimpse of Charlie's hand -- or what was left of it -- and had to resist gagging at the bloody sight. Goddammit, why does this always happen to me and Charlie?

Charlie's legs weren't exactly wanting to move. "Mason! Mason make it stop," she sobbed. She forced herself to start stumbling forward. The little girl leaned into her older brother slightly. "Where's my hand it's not there I know its not," she screamed,

Mason didn't answer Charlie, feeling nauseous; he tried to drag her in the direction of camp, of the infirmary, but he almost tripped over his own feet doing that. He could smell burnt smoke and something else, something he didn't want to identify, and he felt like he wanted to vomit. "Just... just come on."

Jane was sitting in the forest, laying lazily on a branch as she sharpened her machete against the stone. She noticed a boy walking by and grinned, hungry for fresh blood.

Jane jumped off her branch and onto his back with a shrill yell

Jane fell off of him, but that didn't stop her from standing and slicing towards him with her machete

Jane ducked the knife and growled, stabbing at him again

"Nothing!" She shouted as tried to slice him again

"What do you mean?" She giggled and stood slowly

"I have a reason!" She snarled