Willow Iris Hazelwood

Willow nodded softly. "Yeah, I'm fine. You made sure I didn't get hurt." She said with a soft blush to her cheeks. She could have swore she saw one on Killian's cheeks too. What was happening? This man didn't do that. He was acting completely different than she had ever seen him act before over the years past. What if he really means it? Willow thought to herself. But she quickly corrected herself. It's just because he thinks it's a challenge, he'll get bored eventually.

Willow looked over at Killian. He seemed to have some genuine concern for her. That was something that Willow could appreciate. He was kinder than she had thought he was, and that was worth at least trying to be friendly with him. She smiled softly. "I'm not really doing much. I was just going to play some guitar and relax." She wasn't sure that she would offer great company. Certainly Killian had more entertaining things to do, right?

Willow nervously strummed at the strings of her guitar. Music soothed her soul, and so whenever she had the guitar in hand and got nervous she would run her hand softly across the strings. She didn't even realize that she did it half the time. This was one of those moments.

Willow felt her cheeks flush as Killian invited her to sit next to him. Despite how nervous he made her feel when he gave her attention like this, she couldn't help herself. She didn't want to upset him, so she nodded and obliged. Slowly she moved across the room and took the chair next to Killian on the opposite side from Lilythe.

Azrael poured a round of shots in honor of Lilythe's birthday, and Willow politely grabbed one. She didn't tend to drink too heavily very often, but she felt like it would be in poor taste not to drink to her honor at the very least. Willow picked up the shot glass and snuffed the flame, then quickly swallowed the contents. Looking over at Killian she smiled softly. "You know I don't drink much, right?" She chuckled nervously.

However the biggest surprise was yet to come when Killian's older sister, Vienna turned up. It had been several years, and nobody seemed to have been expecting her. Nobody, that is, except Azrael it seemed. Willow smiled, thinking she might know exactly where he had disappeared off to during his last excursion.

76

It was Lilythe's birthday. She was basically the camp mom, and anyone who had been here any length of time had passed through her care at some point or another. So when she held a birthday party, it wasn't any surprise that tons of people showed up. Willow wasn't a big fan of crowds, but she was happy enough to endure it for Lilythe's sake. She donned a Poison Ivy costume that she had found and made her way over.

Once she arrived, she walked over and gave Lilythe a hug. "Happy birthday, birthday girl." She said with a smile. Releasing her from the hug, she gave her another quick smile before excusing herself to go stand by the wall. It didn't take her long to scan the room and see everyone who was there. Her cheeks flushed full pink as she realized that Killian was just across the room from her.

Willow still didn't understand what was going on with him. Why he was still fixated on her. She was convinced that he was only interested because she wouldn't give in. He had basically had his pick of girls his whole life, and Willow was the first girl who didn't fall for that smile, accent, and charm instantly. That had to be it. She quickly darted her eyes away, afraid he would catch her looking at him and take that as encouragement.

If she was being honest with herself, she didn't dislike him. Not really. He was very charming. She just wasn't interested in being his next conquest. If he would stop hitting on her, and just try to be her friend, she probably would feel more comfortable around him. She just hoped his infatuation would pass so she could be comfortable around him again.

The little girl was so sweet. Willow thought Octavia was just adorable. "It's nice to meet you Octavia." She nodded at Octavia as she spoke about the two children of Apollo being siblings. "Yup! Half-siblings. Just like you and James."

As Killian asked her about upcoming events she shook her head. "I just got here a few minutes before you did. Sorry." She shrugged. Willow had been looking for people when Killian arrived back at the Big House for much the same reason. "I'm sure you'll get a chance to speak to Lilythe or James or Dustin soon... Not sure how many of the other cabin leaders are back, but it seems like those three never leave."

Willow was still kind of reeling from the sudden influx of attention she'd had since that party at the Dionysus cabin. She wasn't sure why she was going to the fireworks. Big crowds had gotten her in trouble last time, she doubted she would have better luck this time. As she arrived, she looked for her sister, Larissa. Seeing the older sister, she waved at her with a smile and started heading over that way. From where she was at, with the sun down over that horizon, she couldn't really tell who the older sibling was talking to. When she arrived, however, she froze.

Killian. She thought to herself. He was everywhere these days. It's like he's following you. The thought passed through her mind. She didn't know how she felt about that. He wasn't a bad guy, but the attention he was giving her lately made her uncomfortable. Not because she didn't find him attractive. She certainly did. But he had a reputation for being a love 'em and leave 'em guy. That was not something Willow was interested in. She was a very wholesome girl who had barely gone on a few dates in her life. She wasn't the kind that would allow for a one night stand. He'll lose interest soon enough...

Willow couldn't believe her luck. She stumbled across the blue team's flag, and nobody was there to protect it. She wasn't much of a capture the flag player normally, but after that fight with the myrmekes, she had to believe that it was possible for her to do anything today. After all, she had helped fend them off and healed someone all on her own! So, with the first bit of courage she could muster all day, Willow marched up to the flag and reached out for it...

As the myrmeke attacked Killian, Willow let out a cry, "Killian!" She launched a volley of arrows at the final myrmeke. Each arrow gored a new hole into the creature. Eventually she was able to take it out. Rushing back to Killian's side, Willow looked over his wounds. They were significant but not life-threatening, thankfully. He needed immediate attention though.

Quickly she began to sing the Second Delphic Hymn to Apollo and placed her hands above the wounds:

Oh, come now, Muses,
and go to the craggy sacred place
upon the far-seen, twin-peaked Parnassus,
celebrated and dear to us, Pierian maidens.
Repose on the snow-clad mountain top;
celebrate the Pythian Lord
with the goldensword, Phoebus,
whom Leto bore unassisted
on the Delian rock surrounded by silvery olives,
the luxuriant plant
which the Goddess Pallas
long ago brought forth.

His wounds began to close. She had tears in her eyes as she looked down at him. This was all her fault. He wouldn't have gotten hurt if he hadn't been so busy protecting her. "I'm so sorry... Please be okay..."

After the last chords of the song rang out, Willow looked with pleading eyes at the Dionysus children around her. One of them finally took mercy on her and pulled out an iPod. They hooked it up to the sound system and began to play some music that way.

Willow hastened off the stage, and straight for the nearest wall. It just so happened, however, that the nearest wall happened to be near Killian and Aislynn. Willow gave Aislynn a disapproving frown. "You should have told me if you wanted me to sing. I would have prepared something..."

Willow smiled appreciatively at her brother. Compliments weren't something that she handled well most of the time. She usually got embarrassed and felt the need to decline it. But she was learning, especially when it came to music, to be more comfortable with it. It wasn't polite to tell people they were wrong just because you felt like you hadn't earned that compliment. Compliments didn't need to be earned, they were freely given. It was something she had been working on accepting. "Well thanks."

"I always enjoy performing. Music soothes my soul, you know?" She smiled wistfully. "I'm still upset with Ash for putting me on the spot like that though. If she had let me know ahead of time, I would have gladly done it and been more prepared."

As the song continued, the chorus repeated once more. Willow continued to sing with her brother between chats.

Sighing, Willow corrected her brother. "That's not exactly how it happened." She squirmed a bit in her seat. "Aislynn put me on the spot. And... I'm not good under pressure. So I just... did it." Her shoulders shrugged as she finished. Willow made a face. "And now Killian keeps flirting with me." He was a nice enough guy. She didn't dislike him as a person. But Willow also knew that he didn't do relationships, and had slept with a good number of the older campers. She wasn't exactly looking to be another notch on his bedpost.

As Elijah placed the lyrics before her, Willow read them over. She started trying to figure the tune out. Before she knew it they were singing. The first verse flowed from her lips:

She joined him in the chorus, and let him sing the next verse.

Willow had started strumming and wasn't paying much attention to anything besides the music when she heard a familiar voice. Slightly startled she looked up from her guitar to see exactly who one would expect after hearing that telltale Irish lilt, Killian. Willow's cheeks flushed a little, but eventually she nodded.

Killian had been injured during the fight with the myrmekes while they were playing capture the flag. He had only gotten injured because he was protecting her. Willow felt like she owed it to him to at least be friendly, since he didn't seem to be a complete jerk like she hard originally thought based on the stories she had heard. Still, she had witnessed the string of women herself. She knew to be careful with her heart around him. Friends, I can handle. She thought.

After a somewhat awkward silence, Willow eventually looked back over at Killian. "How is your wound healing? I did my best, but I just want to make sure... I... thank you." That last bit probably seemed completely out of nowhere. But Willow had been mid-sentence when she thought about how he had gotten injured in the first place. It had been her fault for hiding behind him.

Willow could feel the heat from her cheeks as Killian called her 'my lady'. She wanted to scold him and tell him this wasn't the time for flirting, but then he valiantly between her and the myrmekes and Willow felt her heartbeat skip. Stop it. He doesn't mean anything by it. He just flirts with everyone. She tried to remind herself.

Things were happening so quickly. Willow was having a hard time keeping up. Where had Elijah come from? She hadn't realized he had been there too. It seemed like everyone had the same idea and now they were paying for it.

Notching another arrow, she smiled at Killian's comment to her. "Dad's the god of Archery. Wouldn't be much of a daughter if I couldn't hit a target that big." She let loose another arrow, striking the same myrmeke, but it seemed like the arrow wasn't of much use. The giant ant-like creature just continued to push its way towards them.

Control

Willow stifled a soft giggle as she realized she had started her younger brother. She certainly hadn't meant to, but that hadn't stopped it from happening. "I'm doing alright. A little overwhelmed still from the party." She said honestly. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy performing. It was honestly the only time she didn't mind having attention on her, was when she had that guitar in her hand and a microphone. But the aftermath had been something she completely hadn't expected. Somehow it had gotten her far more attention outside of the performance than she was really comfortable with. Especially from someone that she didn't have any interest in considering--given his reputation, it wasn't likely he was serious about his interests anyway. She just hoped he would lose interest in a few weeks.

At his invitation, Willow took a seat next to Elijah. "My guitar's in my trunk. But I can sing." She said with a smile. "What are we singing about today?" Willow loved to write music or perform other pieces. She always felt the most at peace when working with music. It was, quite seriously, in her blood. Thanks, Dad. She thought with a smile. Apollo might have been one of the most prolific gods, so their cabin was always crowded, but she still felt like his gifts were worth it. Willow wasn't certain she would have it any other way.

It had been a few days since the events of Capture the Flag. The camp was in a complete uproar over the results. Half were thrilled about winning, while the other half were complaining about their loss. This was fairly typical for the few weeks after the event. Willow mostly kept to herself during the time since she didn't ever contribute much to the game anyway. She didn't really have the investment into it that her fellow cabin mates and other campers seemed to have. This time though? It wasn't because of that. It was because of him. 
 

Willow had known Killian for years. Perhaps not well, but they had spent enough time attending the same camp that she felt she knew him well enough by now. He was a playboy. He flirted with every girl he walked by, and he meant nothing by it. He certainly didn't fall in love. So she couldn't understand why he was suddenly crossing her path more frequently, and even more curiously she wasn't sure why she kept thinking about him. Willow had had crushes before. She had dated here and there, but nothing ever came of it. She was convinced that this couldn't be anything like that. She couldn't be crushing on the camp's resident playboy. But still she couldn't stop thinking about how warm his skin had felt under her fingertips when she had grabbed him, or the way he had defended her so valiantly from the myrmekes. 
 

Guitar in hand, Willow propped herself up on the guardrail on the cabin's porch and started strumming and humming. Music always helped clear her mind, and maybe if she was lucky a new song would come to her mind. 

At the sight of the myrmekes, Willow let out a shriek. That was her big mistake. There was one that was coming from her area that hadn't spotted her until that shriek, but now it was gunning for her head on. Willow was not a combatant. She was only really good at archery, and couldn't manage to do it under pressure like this. Especially not this close to the creature. She needed cover. She needed a front line. Her bow was practically just decoration unless she could get someone to cover for her. She dashed towards the boys, it was her only chance.

"Help!" She ran up to the first person and clung onto their arm pulling herself behind him. Killian's arm was warm beneath her fingers. As she realized whose arm she had grabbed, she blushed and let go. Now isn't the time, Willow. She chided herself and forced herself to find the courage to fight. You're a demigod, damn it! She grabbed the bow off her shoulder and notched an arrow. "Sorry for bringing another. I'll do my best to help." Willow took aim and tried to launch the first arrow at the Myrmeke who had charged her.

The arrow struck its target firmly in the eye. But that barely deterred the creature. It let out a wail--if it could be called that, it was more of a loud chittering--and seemed to double its efforts in the attack.

Willow had tried to hide since the party. She felt like she had gotten way too much attention onto herself. Especially regarding a certain Dionysus playboy; who she had no idea how they kept running into one another. It seems like he's everywhere! She was looking forward to just being alone in the cabin. Everyone else seemed to be out enjoying the last few rays of sunshine as the seasons started to change and the weather started to cool. Willow thought she might be able to seek sanctuary in her bunk. However, when she entered the cabin, she heard someone singing.

Music was, perhaps, the most soothing thing in the world to Willow. Without thinking, she walked slowly towards the origins of the sound. She smiled when she realized that she recognized the voice. Many of her siblings were outgoing, but Elijah was less intense than they were. He was one that she could relate to. He was definitely easier to talk to at any rate. Willow followed his music until she found him. "Sounds good." She said with a soft smile as she leaned in the entrance.

Sensible

Larissa

Willow had been walking for a good several minutes before she finally found the creek. Usually they would fight east to west, but Lilythe had changed it up this time. Something about changing tactics. So it took Willow a lot longer to find her usually hiding spot than normal. She didn't love playing the game--she just wasn't competitive enough. So hiding out and enjoying nature until it was over had always been her go-to. The creek was a nice place to go because she could listen to the sound of it flowing, and catch the sparkle of the sunlight off its surface.

When she arrived, however, she saw the last person she had expected to see. She stopped and stared at him like a deer caught in the headlights on the interstate highway. Killian. Willow swallowed hard, and tried to silently back up and move further up the creek, but as she backed up, a twig snapped beneath her feet. Shit. 

Willow smiled at Octavia as she introduced herself. She seemed like a sweet kid. It had been a while since there had been little ones at the camp. Willow thought back to her first days. She hadn't been nearly as young as this little girl. "Lilythe's cookies are pretty good." She said softly in agreement as Killian commented on them. Mentally, Willow was already trying to plan on how to head back to the cabin and get out when her brother Elijah walked in.

"Hello." She said with a smile, as she wrapped her arms gently around her half-brother. Apollo was one of the largest cabins at Camp Half-Blood. The god had certainly been prolific in his time. Willow was often overwhelmed at just how many siblings she had. But they were so warm and welcoming. It was hard to be shy with them when she knew that all they wanted was to have fun. "My father was also Apollo. My mom sings sometimes, but it's been a while."

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