TJ Gardner

TJ had enjoyed the start of the fireworks - the super awesome bangs and blasts and the cool shapes they made over the lake. He had seen fireworks before sure, plus he had found a stash of firecrackers in the woods once and they made a cool bang; but nothing was of this style or epicness before!

It as while the show was going on he saw that the grown up from Aphrodite was still causing chaos, he had seen them earlier, Ember had been looking him up and then now squaring up to another kid camper. He had his three strikes, plus if he was just being a pretty boy then it was just a bit of water, plus the cabin had told him he needed to go through with it.

He leant over to the rucksack he had left on the tree branch and scooped out a couple of the water balloons out of the bag and then braced himself with a good bit of the tree behind him, taking aim and preparing his throw. Sure it wasn't the skills of Apollo archery but Hermes was an expert at getting a package where its meant to go.

He pulled back and launched the water balloon up and plummeting down towards the group, dropping towards @ Levi Jones ....

TJ had been over at the archery range with the rest of the Hermes and co kids, he was realizing even though he had been pretty busy back in Ohio all these activities at camp were starting to take its toll on him. Especially all that archery.. he hurt in muscles he didn't even know he had. He still wasn't sure why he wasn't allowed to bring his BB gun with him and use that but with all the rest of the cabin he could barely get a word in anyway.

He had decided after this latest exhaustion he was going to find a place to chill out of sight, the cabin was super busy and the head camp lady had some big obsession with keeping every inch of it super clean. TJ pulled one of his last bags of sweets from the pocket of his jacket and started to wander to find a tree worth ducking behind, it didn't need to be in the forest or anything but at least out of sight of cabin eleven.

It was only after he dodged out of the vicinity he came across the Hecate camper looking at a spell book while relaxing on the tree line. He was a bit put off by the sight of the dead on the front but it didn't look very... ominous. he guessed they could make them newer and less stinky old book style. The undead thing still put him off from the capture the flag but Tristan as pretty cool. TJ snuck his way closer like he had found out was the Hermes way and then from under the tree branch he suddenly asked "Stuck doing cabin homework?"

TJ had been getting a bit bored in the last few days so was happy enough to help with this spy mission and Emberlynn seemed pretty happy at the prospect of it so he hoped it would end up fun at least.

"You know you can always come back and visit the Hermes cabin - its not like you didn't stay there for a bit anyway." he thought about it for a minute about the schedules and the lessons that went up not really being sure how they were sorted.

He barrelled ahead anyway  "Plus Miss Rain does all the nature survival sneaky scouting type classes - I am sure you could come along next time."

As she started to concentrate, TJ was about to start talking about the cool things the Hermes campers could apparently do when he saw the glow start to emanate from her hand. TJs mouth opened in sheer wonder - all the other powers were like jumping and climbing trees and stuff this was another super power - Like the Heck-a-tee kid that had caught him from falling out the tree. "Wooooow..." the light formed into a purple orb floating in her hand. 

He had so many questions as he thought them he blurted them out without much of a gap between "Is it hot? Does it start fires? That is so awesome. Its way beyond cool" he made a note to check if the Hermes cabin had any cool powers but he expected the rest of the cabin would have shown them off. 

TJ couldn't keep his curiosity at bay as Emberlynn laid out her request. It was even harder keeping the edge of disappointment from creeping in that it wasn't a trick but a surprise seemed a pretty good runner up. Plus he could always see about a less treat worthy surprise for a couple of the other kids in the cabin that had been egging him on to bring out the itching powder and the water balloons to the fireworks - turnabout would be fun at least. Maybe a ghost that would drop down from their bunk or something..

He looked up as he heard the methods of compensation - all he had found at the camp so far had been tasty but health platters - she was a smart one if she had guessed his stash was running low.. doubly so if she had found her own supply chain. "I mean it could be a trick and a treat right?" he grinned "only kidding" he made sure to say before it could be taken too seriously "Sure, I can sneak it into her room easy, plus she has been in the cabin forever so knows the best ways to search for troubles."

He realized he hadn't done that whole asking about the other person thing mom had tried to get him to start doing - taking an interest in others or whatever but he realized he didn't know much about her cabin or her godly... mom? "So how is life in your cabin, must be pretty cool not having a leader to give all the orders and tons of cleaning schedules? and you got a new god parent, that must be pretty interesting right?"

TJ realized he hadn't mentioned who - just that there as a birthday - "Oh, yeah - our cabin leader Miss Rayne." he had heard a lot about the plans "She was born on Halloween so I think all the older campers get to dress up in costumes and stuff"

He realized Emberlynn was pretty easy to chat to as well as (mostly) listen to. He smiled as he sat back in the tree listening to her tales of the flag capturing, running all over the forest and the illustrious Sir Azreal that she had ran into.

He as pretty content up in his tree, hearing about all these cool midnight flag raids and waiting on the fireworks to come.

TJ had been worried it might be uncomfortably quiet up in the tree for the two of them, fortunately it was noisy enough for the both of them. 

"Most of the cabin are busy with birthday plans for the end of the month" he said getting a few words in "apparently the party up in the big house is for all the grown up types only though".

"I am sure you will find a leader person soon enough" he didn't know how any of this should work - mostly just adults doing adult things - I guess they just pick a person when they need them. He guessed Hermes would never be without one for long - way too much coming and goings to somehow work without one.

"You were super impressive in the capture the flag times" he remembered how he had ended up fleeing the zombie attackers "Glad the helmet worked - I didn't need it so much as you, I prefer distance" he said waving around at the tree vantage point. As he listened to Embers encounters during the flag, he though that distance was a nice way of saying those things scared the heck outta him..  he nodded along about the plan of working excellently together, thinking that she had done most of the work when the traps went off "Yeah! but you can bring your own helmet next time" He said happily..

"Nope, these are for asshats" he says looking down at the disruption of the older campers below them "and you seem pretty cool - even for a girl"

TJ had learnt of the sneaky enhanced senses of the demigods in general and just how good the Hermes kids were at it, that did little when concentrating on pulling apart a particularly ripe orange though. He was just at the point where it was going to fold out like some crazy Egyptian tomb treasure as the voice from below him startled him. He was glad she couldn't see him directly so he took a minute to settle himself.

Glad for the heavy branch and wedged spot he had picked, he looked down at the pile of rainbow hair and the overly happy grin... it was the the Rainbow girl zombie slayer, he couldn't help but give a smile. "Views a good one" he quickly moved the orange off to one hand, wiped the other hand against his shirt and then leaned over to offer to help pull her up.

As she settled he responded "Yup.. I got supplies, I found a place without too many folks. Plus I have the Hermes cabin junior woodchuck survival pack.." he pointed to the hanging backpack to one side.. "Just watch out for the water balloons" he grinned.

He still wasn't sure about the whole pranking thing but his cabinmates had said it was kind of like a rite of passage and part of joining the cabin for reals.. He had chosen the water balloons over the itching powder (he hated that feeling so much that it seemed a tough one to inflict on someone else - at least someone he didn't know deserved it yet) and the dirty soap (but that was more he hadn't seen a good time for that one over any moral questions) 

TJ could see the commotion happening among the grown ups but he had been staking out the best tree to get a good seat in to watch the show from. He had learnt from a few other campers the bits that Lotto half god hadn't mention - Hermes was also the god to tricksters, traps and tomb robbers... he had been very careful in adding a few water balloons to his pack as he carefully scaled the tree. He had seen fireworks before of course but the rest of his cabin were a buzz having seen it before - apparently the big crafting god persons kids always made the coolest of shows and he didn't want to miss it.

He very gingerly climbed up to his perch in the boughs of a big nearby tree before hanging the rucksack off one of the branches. He had a great view and no one would jostle him. He heard the ruckus going on below him but they just seemed to be huffing and puffing at one another.. I guess they just can't wait for the fireworks either. he thought with a grin as he grabbed some of the fruit he had been able to stow away earlier and started to snack... his candy stash was beginning to run low, but until it ran out that was a future TJs problem.

TJ was not sure exactly what he felt, he had spent the last week in camp staunchly confirming he didn't need a cabin, or a family, or a god parent to give him into trouble. It took a while for the glowing above him to register as a sign for him within the crowd. The others near him parted and he saw the shape a little more, wings and snakes.. some kinda monster god.. he felt alot of emotions.. a dripping poison tail would be nasty but how would you find pants to fit..

It was only when he heard the camp leader lady say to go join cabin 11 did he start to realize which one that was, he had been there already for a week. As he took a couple of steps aside he saw the sign properly.. it was that funny one all around the Hermes cabin.. the pointy stick with the snakes and winds.. the crafty god... he breathed a sigh of relief at not being a monster godling after all.

He took the time to walk over to the rest of the Hermes cabin, he had seen a few other campers claimed over the past week and scored the best bunk in the unclaimed section as a possible 'long termer' but now he was meant to be there. His shoulders went a little further back as he made his way over, he definitely didn't need a place with these folks, but he was happy to have found it. He wiped a silent tear of happiness from his eye with a sleeve as he stood with the others and quietly mumbled "Stupid ashes blowing everywhere"

TJ looked up, happy to hear this hadn't been the start of a lesson or all the rest. He quickly got up and settled his bb gun on the backpack and then dragged it on. He had dreaded more learning as he hadn't done well with those in the past.. the letters always swam about like.. it was about then he realized the words under some of the nearby bits on the walls swam around a lot less. That was kind of cool at least but reading was for losers anyway. 

As he started to pull the big backpack out of the door he started his line of questioning once more.. "Cool.. So what kind of awesome swords do you folks have....?"

(fin)

TJ seemed to be taking his time listening through and nodding away, whether or not he was caught up in James storytelling style of explaining all of the divine features. Only when it as getting towards the end of the description did he come up with a point he didn't quite know. He scraped the side of his nose for a moment and then asked "Which one of them was Hermes again?" 

And then one final question after the updates "And I still get to play with the swords right?" with a grin.

Hanging back in the crowd TJ had lurked at the edge of the bonfire's light. He had been along to a couple of these, mostly aiming to show how much he didn't care about not being claimed. He was still a good few years away from the claiming age so knew it was petty but he felt he was missing out seeing the others with their weird symbols. Still he as doing fine without one.

This time he was nursing a few bruises and scrapes from the time in the wood with the Capture the Flag game. He caught sight of the James the Lotto powered camp leader and struck up an impudent not caring look. He was starting to find his way around, even knew a couple of the cabin leaders who took the classes. He had even managed to bumble him along with the songs of the Apollo cabin, at least getting a few of the words along with the actions for some of the more active ones.

He was getting used to his time in cabin eleven, a lot of the kids who came through the unclaimed bunks didn't seem to stay long but he had claimed a good bottom bunk in the reshuffling, one of the few available, though he was getting fed up of the looks of sympathy, he didn't need to be claimed and was pretty good at the lessons he had tried so far.

After having shown face, he snuck a bit back from the other campers, out of sight of the glow from the flickering campfire. He had shown face and was doing fine and could get back to his bunk before he would be jostled by the rest of the campers headed back.

"Yup. Its short for something but no one gets my church name - that way they can't tell me off." he said with a grin, all memory of the fears he had had before seeming to be displaced.  "So just TeeJay Gardner but good to meet you Wizard" he remembered his name started with a T as well but he would work it out when someone said it again.

He pulled the rifle up to a shoulder, ready to march along. These two were monster hunters, a wizard and a Killyman whatever those were. He started to feel a bit better about this camp, one day he would be a monster hunter too, then that would show those zombies!

RP Challenge Number: 15) Hide from the monsters! beware the hounds and the undead and lions and tigers and bears.. oh my...
Participating Characters: TJ Gardner (blue), Killian O'Connor (blue), Tristan Damaris (blue)
Link to First Post: LINK 

Start: fleeing the zombie hordes
Middle: negotiation, ground to tree line..
End: The might of Dionysus and cabin Hecate showing off super powers to keep them safe

He realized with a bit of a start that he had made it to the ground and nothing had erupted to drag him away, he supposed the others had been down here already but it didn't serve to take chances with this kinda thing. "Oh yeah, TJ" he twitched as if he was about to put out a hand but found an unwillingness to take his hands off its comforting grip for now. It quickly changed into a comradely nod to cover for this, definitely covered for it there..

Now that he was on the ground and there were no monsters visible, it quickly faded back into partially theoretical. Putting the other to behind him he seemed to be bolstered, in part with the kindness and encouragement that they had showed him along with equal parts someone standing in the way. Hearing about magic tricks.. wait no.. MAGIC tricks, really read magic made him have to force his jaw not to hang slack. "That is like super super awesome, like more than the lotto powers!" He had like actual super powers..

He still looked over his shoulder, just to make sure the route was clear just if it was needed, but for now he was not alone and they had super powers on their side.... now if they could just make it out in one piece...

TJ let our a bit of a screech as he was about to fall the last drop flat onto his face, his rifle beneath him and likely to do more damage than any cushioning with its smart metal casing. The sickening thud never quite came, the spectral hand grabbing his backpack a foot from the ground, enough to change a life threatening drop into into one much softer, that he got his hands and knees out in time for.

It took a moment but TJ sat up bumped and bruised, then pulled out the BB rifle from beneath him and through luck (and magical intervention) somehow had made it through the drop without much more than some new scrapes. 

"I..I.. think so. that last branch just.. " as he turned to look where the non-existent branch would have been. he looked a little shocked still as well as a bit impressed and somehow having forgot the worst of the supernatural threats as he processed this mystical intervention. He looked over at the big guy who seemed to be occupied staring into the forest and then turned to Tristan. His mouth dropped open with a quiet "wow..."

TJ kept flailing around, using the scope of the rifle to look through and around the area pretty frantically. Whether it was some kind of monster or just a bird in the tree's upper canopy, disturbed by the howl of the beast, would never definitely be known but it was at this point TJ twitched back, losing his grip on the nearby side of the tree and could be heard for a distance whelping as he topped to one side and slipped downwards.

The main thing on the child's side was that the tree had been pretty dense with branches, the first branch dislodging the sword he had abandoned under him, it didn't make much of a noise until it landed on the ground, digging a good six inches into the ground underneath. TJ on the other hand could be heard groaning with each branch he caught on the way down, some clipping and tumbling him while he ended up landing solidly on one branch near the bottom of the tree with an 'Eurgh' noise as the wind was driven out of him.

With the last of his grip he slid off the lowest of these branches, falling the last five feet or so and whimpering a bit. He hadn't had anyone explain the demihuman endurance or durability that he had inherited with the blood of a god but it was probably the only thing that had stopped him from majorly breaking bones on the way down.

He seemed to be calming, slightly confused by the talk of the soulless ginger giant, he seemed to be beginning to calm as the two talked up to him.. that was until a monsters screech rang through the little grove.

"Nope, nope, nope..." the boy began muttering as he tried to crawl and shuffle further around the bough, putting the willowy upper branches of the center of the tree between himself and the sound of that distant howl, edging out along the branch he had pulled himself up to. He had gotten lucky once, but that had been mostly the satyr and all. He looked over at the sword, abandoned in a nearby branch beneath him. What if these monster things could climb? He seemed to go another shade whiter up in his tree.

He pulled the rifle up to his eye, using the scope to look out and around waving it erratically around trying to spot anything moving through the bush or the tree foliage nearby. He continued to mutter "nope.. no thanks... do not want..."

All the long journey over to the camp TJ had been given warnings of the gods and monsters and how he had to take them all seriously. He had heard the howl of one of those creatures that had attacked the farm cut through the woods and brought it all back to him, he had pretty much been saved by the satyr when they had attacked before and he didn't have LeVar with him now.

"Nah uh, I heard one of those hell doggos howling as well" he said, still a wavering tone to his voice but resolute in his want not to come down "it's the dead people place comin to gets us" his hands still white with the strong grip on the gun.

TJ seemed to be relaxing a little more, nibbling away at his cookie and hearing James talk with warmth of the safety and familiarity of the camp. 

"Wait, we went by the big pointy building on the way travelling here and there wasn't no mountain on top of the pointy bit?" he said a little confused.. he was sure it had been a little cloudy but he would have seen a mountain.. plus you couldn't balance a mountain on a spike, just wouldn't make sense..

"So if my real ma and pa aren't my actual folks.." he said running through a bit of what LeVar had explained and the details James had been trying to get across "then that means my legit ma or pa was actually one of these god folks then?" he said slowly, making sure he had it right.

He took the time to nibble as the piles of changes that had come to him since the farm attack had been more than a bit to take in, adopted, hunted and now at a half camp. but it was comfy and pretty warm in the big room after all that travelling so he didn't mind too much as he tried to follow all the details James was trying to pass over.

TJ was still pretty shaky but at least he wasn't on the ground anymore. He heard shouts coming from underneath him but it took a little while for them to just about sink in.  He sniffed a couple of times to clear the snot that was there from his less than quiet crying. "Muh.. muh.. meee?" sniff

It took him a moment of looking around to spot who was doing the talking and then seeing the big guy walking around under his tree he realized he probably didn't know what kind of danger he was in..

"You.. you gotta watch out.. the zombies.. they come out from the ground and try to getcha", he said waving an arm in emphasis then pointing downwards "They pull you down and then your dead and that Hades person keeps you there forever!" he didn't realize how much he didn't want to see anyone get hurt until now that they had real weapons and there were real monsters and real everythings. He looked down from his tree branch perch, a little wide eyed "You gotta get away from the ground!"

Start of RP challenge 15) Hide from the monsters!

Finding a tall out of the way tree, a long way from the remains of the dead, TJ started to climb branch after branch. Each foot above the ground he got the sheer panic started to wane.

He had seen things but nothing like that and nothing that close, the satyr LeVar had been there to fight the hell hound when it had came to the farm and the rainbow haired girl had stood and fought the enemy when he had high tailed it away. He struggled to hold in another sob.

There had been actual dead bodies coming to kill them all, like from right under them with all the grizzly flesh and bones. he shuddered and pulled himself up another branch to get further from the ground they had burst from. He hadn't really listened when all the god and monsters had been explained, they were all just stories and lessons until now.. now they were real and they wanted to get him... he pulled up another branch and was getting near the highest part of the bough of the tree.

He took the time to fish out another candy from inside his jacket, unwrapped the chew and shoved the wrapper away in a pocket. He then gripped his BB gun in his hands as much for comfort as any kind of protection and tried not to attract any more monsters...

He took the sword; his hands and his voice still a bit shaky.. "Thanks Embers.. you did super good... Especially for a girl.." he waved towards some of the other bigger campers, not so much trying to give a message as a desperate gesture to be allowed to escape the horror movie scene behind him. His hands were white gripping at his sword in one hand and his BB gun in the other..

He was numb and not wanting to think of where they came from what they had been doing and why, before it had been a big beast but actually seeing dead things rise up.. it all brought the reality of the situation the camp and the predicament he found himself in and just that being near the flag was enough to risk the next night of the living dead. I am going to find a tall tree, safe from ground exploding dead things!

TJ was just finishing the last knots on the corner tree he was just thinking about getting back into a super sniper position when he remembered the candy in his backpack. He was just unwrapping another piece when the undergrowth started moving a distance out. He glanced around muttering a cuss under his breath and just pulled at the BB gun over his shoulder. It wasn't until he had it down and started to look more in the direction of the noise that he saw the rotten white of bones. A small part of him remembered the traps, thought about drawing them into the trap but the rest of him was screaming to run.

All subtlety gone he turned and dodged into the undergrowth behind the flag yelling "Zombies are trying to eat our flag.. defend the base! Help!!!"

Fortunately the dead had started into the first wave of traps.. swinging logs pendulum-ed down and snares catapulted the first few into the air. They hadn't planned for many of the others, how long could their traps hold out. He looked out from under the bottom of the foliage, seeing the chaos and keeping an eye out for reinforcements from the Blue team..

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After a good long while, TJ slowly looked out from under the bushes, the last of his quiet tears having mostly been dried away with the cuff of his long sleeved top. He was very skittish and quiet as he pulled aside the bushes he had hidden in, taking a bit too long to get his legs steady.

He looked over the scattering of broken and strung up bones, visibly keeping his distance from any of them in fear of them jumping back together. In a slightly too high pitched voice he said "Are they all gone?" The traps had worked but everything seemed to have been sprung, triggered or dropped. He slowly dug around in the shrubbery for the pack and sword he had dropped in panic tactically left behind.

Maybe being near this flag thing isn't the safe plan I thought it was..

Looking over for the telltale rainbow colors he tried to settle his voice, definitively not shook from the dead rising against them "Your traps all worked super well... but I think I might try.. that scouting thing.. for a bit." 

He slinks off towards the edge of the woods, for some cautious and well hidden scouting..

((Feels like the home base lot are looking for RP Challenge Number: 10 - create an elaborate plan - mousetrap style))

TJ finally felt part of the team after having been left at the flag by the rest of Blue team. He hadn't minded it, keeping out of the worst of the fighting and planning to show the old dude who had been at the big house on the way in how good his BB gun could be.

But this way they were coming up with plans and using ropes and weights and things, they would make sure the Blue team won. "Right, names. I'm TeeJay, unclaimed and don't need one" he said indignantly offering out a hand. He had been at the campfire a few times but James had explained that everyone would be claimed by their thirteenth birthday, he still had a few years till then and was making sure it didn't bother him one way or another. Even if it did bother him, the cabin he had been assigned to seemed pretty okay and no one had made fun of him like he was expecting..

He realized he had been distracted and looked back to at the girl to see what the latest step of the plan was "ooh can we do one of those ones with the weight where they go upside down and into a tree" he said remembering some of the home alone films.. pity they didn't have any paint pots to drop on them..