sheep_game | Counting Stars

[ in a like "this place is clearly currently inhabited so that's eerie" way or in a like "this place has been abandoned for a while" way ]

[ clearly currently inhabited! or, at most, recently inhabited. ]

[ hmmmm.

gonna do a lap around it, just to get a good feel for how big it is. what's beyond it, if there are people on a different side . . . ]

[ it is extremely big!! he'll have to swim a ways to go around the perimeter. he never sees anyone, but he can hear...maybe voices...? if he's really listening.

and if he's really looking, he might start to notice a spiderwebbing of cracks begin to form on every surface ]

[ if he has his animal senses then he can probably hear. maybe??? he is underwater . . .

is there a direction the cracks originate from because if so he's going to swim in the opposite direction of that. if there isn't though might as well keep going the way he's going and maybe try to go toward the voices

also, does he have his magic, ]

[ the sounds are sometimes human, and sometimes kind of dolphin-y, sea creature-y chittering. the talk is very mundane but cheerful, despite the strange hush to the exterior. someone's having a good time in there, probably.

he can start swimming in the opposite direction of the cracks! but he will find that they are quickly becoming everywhere. and they seem really...dark....and shimmery?

he can totally have his magic! what's he gonna do with it? ]

[ unclear yet on what he'll do with his magic but he's gotta (lion king voice) be prepared

though also thinking about how the cracks seem dark and shimmery and thinking about cepheus' eyes and his adoption deal . . . you know what, this doesn't seem like a good place for a lion to be. swimming to the surface so he can get out of the water ( o_o) ]

[ that's probably a good idea

because the entire ocean starts to shake, and the palace collapses in on itself as it's overcome by the astral sea. and there might be a familiar face looming in the distance...

or maybe not, if tart moves quickly enough to get out ]

[ yeah ok we're going to create an air bubble with wind magic so the power of buoyancy can speed this up

flicking magipen to staff so he can use it like a broom and get into the air As Soon As He Can ]

[ and he bursts out onto a beach!

there's no one out here, but it slopes gently up to an...inhabited place? the air is slightly smoky with recent campfires, and it smells wonderful — ripening strawberries, melted chocolate and marshmallows. the buildings are scattered and dimly lit, but seem to have an ancient greek-y vibe? the entire place feels safe. it feels like home.

does he want to fly around, or continue on foot? ]

[ . . . shaking the water off himself first . . .

. . .

it feels like home, but it's not his home, so he'll land on the beach and continue on foot, stowing his pen away ]

[ he doesn't get very far before a girl runs up to him. she's tall, athletically built, and has a mess of blonde curls. her eyes are grey and stormy.

she doesn't look too pleased to see him ]

Who are you supposed to be?

[ . . .

. . .

. . .

holds his hands up as though in surrender though he doesn't look afraid ]

. . . Name's Jack. Jack Howl.

[ he is a lion.

does she smell like demigod btw ]

[ she sure does. in fact, this place smells lile nothing BUT demigod...and one wine-y divine presence...and a lot of nature spirits. plus the centaur and pegasi.

her owl earrings might be a hint who her godly parent is.

she gives him a critical look, then rolls her eyes ]

That's a really stupid name. But we're shorthanded for capture the flag, and Seaweed Brain is running late. Again. So you're going to have to do.

Come on.

[ turns and heads for the nearby forest without checking if he's going to follow ]

[ well

ordinarily he absolutely would not follow. but this is a girl and that means she can kick his ass so

he's going to follow her. ]

[ good call!

she's dressed in ancient greek-style armor, and there's a bronze dagger strapped to her arm. she glances back at him as they walk ]

I hope you're faster than you look, because I am not losing to Apollo cabin. And if we do? I'm holding you personally responsible, Howl.

Wow, I'm feelin' the pressure.

[ decidedly not looking any less relaxed than he did before ]

Remind me how the rules go?

[ waves a hand dismissively ]

No killing, no maiming. You can capture prisoners, but they just go in the time out zone till the game is over. No setting monsters on anyone that weren't in the woods already. Whoever gets the other's flag over the boundary first wins. Pretty standard stuff.

Apollo isn't usually a huge threat, but they've allied with Nike cabin and Hephaestus and Ares, and I don't love that combination.

[ thoughtful, nodding ]

Who d'we got on our side? There a limit to how high we can climb up? Any other limits on weapons 'n abilities?

Everyone else. Demeter, Aphrodite, Poseidon whenever he shows up, Hypnos, Hermes, Athena obviously, and the others.

No limits on anything else. [ her smile is razor sharp ] What would be the fun in that?

[ and they're quickly approaching a large group of milling demigods, separated onto two sides — a red and a blue team. she gestures him over to the blue team. everyone's generally getting themselves armored and armed, clearly excited to get playing ]

[ slinks over to the blue team's side then. definitely does not have any armor on and does not care to put armor on. does not even bother taking his pen out yet, rolling his neck instead as though to do some half-assed stretch ]

[ well at some point she's going to punch his shoulder in a way that would maybe be friendly if it had less force behind it. she doesn't look mad, though, or not more mad than she has since meeting him ]

If you don't at least have a weapon, you're going to embarrass yourself. And more importantly, you're going to embarrass me.

[ ow. gives a little 'oof' but ]

. . . I've got a weapon. Don't worry, ma'am. I won't embarrass ya.

[ he will at least take his pen out. ]

[ her eyebrows lift, but her eyes also sparkle a little. maybe she liked the ma'am, shut up. ]

You'd better not.

[ and this voice tart will recognize ]

Come on, even he got here before me?

[ cepheus looks more amused than mad, already wearing armor. ]

That's because you're late, Seaweed Brain. As usual.

[ brb tart, she's got a sea demigod to heckle. not that he seems all too apologetic!! he gives her a grin and pulls her into an easy kiss before protesting, ]

If I'm always late — which is mega untrue, by the way — why haven't you started planning around it, Wise Girl?

[ she looks from him to tart with a smirk ]

I told Cepheus that we were starting half an hour ago, when the real start time's in five minutes. What do you think of my planning, Howl?

Counting Stars

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