(no subject)

[halfbloodhillmods]

Who: The entire camp + special guests.
What: Wolves have broken through the camp barriers!
When: Late Wednesday January 29 into early morning on January 30
Where: Various camp locations.
Why: Some canines think they can show Camp Half-Blood who's boss.

It starts with a scream.

The evening harpies, better known as camp's alert system for kids who are out past curfew, have some news for everyone, flying through the camp and shrieking through cabin doors to wake everyone up if they're asleep. (Unless, of course, you're untrained and too young or incapable of fighting tonight. Demeter cabin will be your place of refuge.) After the first call to duty, campers have risen to the occasion with their various plans and promises, patrolling the border and building weapons specifically for their new enemies. The Full Moon passed with only a few howls, much to the surprise of many.

No, these wolves have other plans for the New Moon. Aligned with Gaea and followers of Lycaron, they're a group of six renegades looking for a show and perhaps a tasty snack. One of them just so happens to be in the business of fussing with the Mist, undoing someone's hard work to let in her comrades.

They've got bared teeth, blood on their nails, and a penchant for chaos. Camp, it's time to wake up.

Comments

[lefthandedgenius]

Lydia feels like she's been out here for hours.

At the first sounds of trouble she'd armored up, taken stock of the whereabouts of her cabin sibs, and then headed out, daggers holstered and whip snaking its way from her wrist into her hand.

Once Lydia gets to the strawberry fields, she chooses to stand her ground; she's aware of the traps hidden within the forest and the terrain is far more familiar to those of the camp than the enemy.

Her whip in her left hand, dagger held reverse gripped in her right, she flares the wicked length out again and again, forcing the enemy to keep their distance and hoping to drive them into the trees.

[pyrkagia]

[Daenerys Targaryen has a feeling she'll be running from place to place like a chicken with its head cut off tonight, but she doesn't much care. She's alone tonight - for their own safety and for hers. Her whip, while shorter than Lydia's, trails along at her side and her skin is hot to the touch, starting to smoke. She's filled with a dangerous fury as she heads towards the strawberry fields, eyes sharply looking out for anything furry and just as vicious as her.

She is the blood of the dragon. She will take back her camp with fire and blood.]

[lefthandedgenius]

Dany!

[Lydia's voice has a way of cutting through all the noise and chaos when she yells, but then she's also got the banshee shriek so maybe that's part and parcel. Dany's radiating heat that Lydia can feel in waves even from where she stands.]

Drive them into the trees!

[pyrkagia]

I'm on it right now.

[She can't hear them or see them, of course, but her head snaps towards Lydia's voice immediately. Unkempt blond braids fly haphazardly everywhere as she pushes forward and holds out her hand, leaving a trail of smoke as she goes. It's almost time, just hold it in, hold it in until she gets a good look at one of them...]

[lefthandedgenius]

[Lydia turns, flaring her whip out in an S pattern to the left and lets the momentum carry it to the right. She can fee the heat source coming closer, and she fights to maneuver herself out of its wake. She knows once Daenerys lets herself go, there'll be no stopping her.]

[pyrkagia]

[Her hand lights up, leaving a little flickering trail behind her as she walks - and she focuses on her breathing, trying to keep the rage inside her in check. She'll let loose when she sees something, but right now it's just darkness, nothing, not even footsteps.]

There's no one here.

[lefthandedgenius]

Keep coming closer. Trust me, they're coming!

[There is a breather moment though, as it appears there aren't anymore wolves spilling out into the strawberry fields. Lydia lets the whip coil back onto her wrist and jogs toward Dany.]

Can you hold it until we need it?

[Not too close. That heat is coming off Dany in waves, it feels like.]

[pyrkagia]

[She keeps listening, straining her ears - and she really wishes she was a dragon now, just able to fly above the treetops and torch every wolf she sees, with skin tougher than armor and bubbling steam inside.]

I-I don't kn-

[She takes a few shaky breaths in and out, trying to calm herself, quell that inner rage - but the Blessing of Hephaestus is not as stable as Dany would like to believe - or would like anyone else to believe. The grass around her goes up in flames as she lets out a little groan.]

[lefthandedgenius]

[This is the first time tonight but it won't be the last that Lydia thinks, oh shit. She can sense the forces trembling inside Dany more out of instinct than any power of her own. She starts to walk toward her friend, trying not to wince to openly as the heat rolls over her.]

Yes you can, Dany. You have to. You just - you just need to breathe. It's okay.

[pyrkagia]

[The one thing that's lucky about this situation - if anything - is that Dany's own fire can't kill her. 'Fire cannot kill a dragon', she always says, but it can send one into a frenzy even stronger than before. The flames only roar louder, grow higher as Dany keeps pressing on, trying to calm herself just by moving forward.]

I'm trying! It's just - I'm so angry, Lydia.

[lefthandedgenius]

I know, I know. [Lydia winces, bringing her hands up defensively from the heat. It's becoming almost painful but it's not there yet.]

But you're supposed t use it, you're not supposed to let it use you.

[Besides, if she does let go, at this range, Lydia will be little more than a charred skeleton.]

[pyrkagia]

You're right- I can't - I am the daughter of Hephaestus, the blood of the dragon.

[She takes deep breaths in and out, almosst chanting it to herself like a mantra. She knows she's in danger of hurting her friend more than she's in danger of hurting anyone else out in the woods and she can't do that. Lydia is wonderful, she's her ally and her friend and this can't happen.

Slowly, the flames begin to subside, and Dany even moves to stomp a few small ones out. She won't be burned, so she's taking every precaution she can. She takes a good look around, her hand at her whip, before turning to her friend, her skin cooling rapidly as she breathes in and out.]

Dear gods, I am sorry.

[lefthandedgenius]

Don't be.

[Lydia approaches carefully, moving an arm to put it around Dany.]

It's your gift. It's part of who you are. And you just proved you can control it.

[pyrkagia]

They call it a blessing, but sometimes it feels...it feels as if there's more of a curse.

[Her voice is soft as she leans into her friend, her skin just slightly warm now. Her eyes are wide open, still on the lookout for something that might go bump in the night.]

They say that madness and greatness are two sides of the same coin in my family, a coin that each of us gets. I don't know which side I fall on, heads or tails.

[lefthandedgenius]

[Of all things, right there in the middle of a war zone, Lydia presses a kiss to Dany's temple.] Maybe you're a little of both. But if I had a nickel for every time I was called crazy after I woke up screaming naked in the middle of the woods, I'd have a lot of nickels.

We've got to hold the strawberry fields. We can do this. Right?

[pyrkagia]

[Dany feels shaky on her feet - that took a lot out of her - but Lydia helps to solidify her, at least a little bit. She is the blood of the dragon. She can do this.

She takes Lydia's hand in her own, - the whip hand, the cool one, and nods to her, shaking it a little as if to say 'yes, I am strong, I can do this'.]

I would think it's far better to be a rich madwoman than a poor one in any case.

[lefthandedgenius]

Crazy girls are the new hotness. And for you, that's literal.

[Lydia gives her a grin.]

LEMME TRY DIS AGAIN

[hyperactivewolf]

[Did someone call for a wolf?

Because one certainly comes crashing through the woods, tumbling straight into a patch of strawberries. Getting back up onto all fours the brown wolf shakes out his fur, for a moment looking like an overgrown puppy.

Then he spots the two girls with weapons. Oh man, and here he thought sneaking through the strawberries would be easy!]

[pyrkagia]

[There's a genuine smile, and Dany's about to utter something that she feels fits the moment, but it's something that she doesn't often say out loud- and then she hears footsteps in the strawberries and turns on her heels, whip at the ready.

She looks to Lydia, a newfound confidence in her eyes, and speaks softly.]

Now, Lydia.

[lefthandedgenius]

[Lydia likewise turns, skirting a distance away from Dany as her whip slides into her hand. She flicks a brief gaze toward her fighting partner and toward the woods before she raises her whip, bringing it around to circle just above her head before letting it snap outward.

She's not looking to hurt the wolf - not yet, only if she has to - but she wants to drive it into the woods where the pit traps are.]

[pyrkagia]

Are you...?

{She first tilts her head to the side - and then, taking a deep breath, follows suit, letting out a little shout as she cracks her whip out at the wolf in front of them. She thinks she's sort of getting the idea, and - while roasting is her style, she also has her friend here. She wants to roast the wolf so badly, but Lydia's safety is incredibly important. She talked her down from the proverbial tree.

She nods a little, hoping she understands the nonverbal plan, and cracks her whip again towards the animal, moving forward, hoping Lydia will follow.]

[hyperactivewolf]

[The whips make him jump back, startled for a moment. He blinks then, continuing to look at the two girls with curiosity as they seem to exchange a nonverbal plan. Then there's another whip crack that almost sends him right to the woods.

But he catches himself, his tail wagging in replace of his finger. Nu uh uh, he's not falling for that. So the moment the whips are no longer cracking he's lunging forward and-

Oh. He didn't realize Lydia had it wrapped around her wrist until he had grabbed hold of it with his mouth. Well that makes this a bit problematic but how about a game of tug-o-war?]

[lefthandedgenius]

[Lydia lets out a shriek of terror - blessedly not one of her banshee screams, though there's the potential for one starting in the pit of her stomach. She gives a fierce yank to no avail, the wolf is strong.]

Dany!


[Her mind's racing, if the wolf is occupied with her, maybe Dany can do something to it!]

[pyrkagia]

Dany's eyes are on Lydia and the wolf as soon as they start, and she hears her name called. For some reason, this wolf's intent on trying to play keep away - well, she's no daughter of Athena, but even she knows it's a bad tactic. She pulls her whip back and cracks it right down the wolf's side.

[hyperactivewolf]

[The other whip hitting his side elicits a whine, and Hayato pulls at Lydia's whip with all his strength intent on knocking Lydia off balance. Once that's done he let's go, darting to the left and circling around the girls before lunging at Dany.

If at first you don't succeed, try for the other weapon!]