Vienna Pimm

Vienna was eager to hear about the rest of the Dionysus cabin. She had no doubt that it was still the go-to party dorm of the camp. But Killian's response gave her pause. "I haven't the chance yet, but I'm not so sure I like the sound of that. Mine aren't the easiest footsteps to follow in." She sighed, downing another cup of wine. "I dunno, Kil. Once upon a time I wanted to be young forever. Parties, sex, mischief..." She raised her magic cup. "Drinking contests. But things feel a bit different these days, wouldn't you say? Maybe change isn't such a bad thing. Like you and that Willow, for instance." Her gaze fell on the window. That scene looking out across the grounds... it was at once familiar and strangely foreboding. Her time in New Rome had been a blast, but this was home. A home she'd left behind, left to siblings and friends who'd had to fend for themselves. The view carried a weight with it that she was nowhere near drunk enough to deal with. Speaking of drunk... Vienna looked to her little brother. Though his frame was far larger than hers, she was confident she could drink him under the table. In fact, she'd noticed his words about the young'uns had been a bit slurred. Best to get him back to bed before he reached his limit. "Of course," she continued, "I'm not going to become some dullard either. Gods forbid!" Another laugh escaped her lips as she stood. "And you, dear brother, had best get back to your own bunk. Much as I enjoy your company, I'm not about to spend my first night here cleaning your vomit out of my room." The thought was disgusting, but her bright smile made it clear that the comment was in jest. She lead him to the door. "Thank you for the drinks, brother. And for the stories." It truly had been wonderful catching up with him. She'd missed her family and friends more than anything. Even if she wasn't sure about her return, she was certainly of that much at least. For what it's worth, she thought as she wave goodbye for the night. "It's good to be home."

"Well, I suppose you're not wrong on that front." Vienna finally deigned to take a seat. She'd known Azrael had distanced himself from Lil, but to cut her out entirely? Of course that would hurt. "It's not that hard to pick up a pen. He was being a bit of a dumbass." She hated to see any of her friends in pain, but Lithe wasn't entirely wrong. Sure, she'd made some wrong assumptions. But she couldn't say Lilythe was being too harsh for holding on to her anger without saying the same of Azzy for ghosting her. She hadn't known he was hurting, and he hadn't known the same about her. The whole thing was a mess long before sex had been thrown into the mix. The decision to start sleeping together while so many hard feelings still hung in the air... well, were Vi to criticize that one, it would be her most hypocritical move yet. Still, there was something off. Azrael might not be dumb, but Lilythe wasn't either. If Vienna could see that this move could only end in disaster and heartbreak for everyone, then Lil would normally have spotted it about a week ago. Her vitriol, while perhaps not entirely unjustified, still left a strange and bitter taste in the air. And there was still the matter of Shadow. Azzy being a dumbass - that was pretty much in character. Lily being cold and dismissive - uncharacteristic but not entirely uncalled for. Shadow being mature? Nope. Never. Not in a million years would that controlling prick be okay with "his" Lilythe sleeping with other people. She simply wasn't buying it. "I promise I'm careful. I'm already camp 'mom' without needing to be an actual 'mom. So... do you want to come in? Or did you have somewhere to be?" Vi laughed as well. That wasn't what she'd meant by being careful, but she was glad to hear that her friend was being conscious of such issues. The last this this mess of a situation needed was a baby on top of everything. Though if there every was one, Auntie Vi would be right there to help. Someone would have to teach the kid how to get into mischief, after all. "I... I have somewhere to be." She replied. "Sorry to barge in like that. You take care of yourself though. Love ya, girl." With that she rose, gave her signature bear hug, and paced out of the cabin with the same determination she had entered with. Oh she had somewhere to be alright... a certain friend's ex-boyfriend to track down. It was time for some reconnaissance.

"Uh... huh..." Vienna trailed off. Under normal circumstances she'd be all for Lilythe putting her own feelings first. Gods knew the woman was terrible at that. But didn't sound like her friend. The dismissiveness and flimsy justifications... it sounded like something that might have come out of a younger Vienna Pimm's mouth. True enough, she owed nothing to either of the men. Admitting to actively hiding it from them though - calling it "none of their business"? She sounded like a schoolkid. Lilythe Rayne wasn't dumb. She knew damn well how those boys would feel when - not if - they found out about her exploits. Hells, she'd just said as much. And in that self-righteous tone that Vi herself was all too familiar with. It was the same kind of logic she used when she wanted something, but didn't want to acknowledge the consequences it would have for people around her. The same logic that had landed her in an intervention with her best friend sitting at the other side. Either she was being outrageously selfish, or intentionally dumb. And Vi could see neither of those applying to the girl she knew. Something was off... Her eyes widened with genuine surprise at the comment about Azrael. "You're mad at him for that? Well that's hardly-" Azrael had clearly never hated Lilythe. He'd been madly in love with her for as long as Vienna could remember. She'd been oblivious to it all, even a bit paranoid thinking that he must be offended in some way. And yes, he'd distanced himself and moved away. Removed himself from a situation that was causing him pain. But he'd never so much as indicated that he hated the woman, and holding her own assumption over his head like that was super cold. Too cold. Very un-Lilythe-like. "I mean, c'mon girl. I know the boy's a demigod, but he's not a psychic. I'm not saying you should jump into a commitment you aren't ready for. In fact, I heavily recommend against it. But isn't it a bit harsh to say he let you think that?" To be fair, Vienna didn't know if Lilythe had actually told Azrael how she was feeling. If she had, her wrath may have been a little bit more understandable. But surely such an expression would've been immediately corrected, right? She couldn't imagine Azzy wouldn't at least say "I don't hate you" if confronted about it. That didn't make the stress it had put Lilythe through any less real. But Vienna couldn't help but feel bad for the guy. She even felt a twinge of something resembling sympathy for Shadow. Except... she still couldn't shake the feeling that man had something to do with Lilythe's dismissive attitude. The Shadow she'd known definitely wasn't the type to respect Lilythe's wishes in anything, especially if it would mean her seeing other people. Unless he really had changed? Yeah, right. Vienna trusted Shadow about as far as she could throw him. And despite her wiry frame, that wasn't very far at all. If he really had done something to her friend, she'd never forgive him. "Well..." she inhaled deeply. "I suppose so long as you're being careful..." For the first time in the conversation, she cracked a smile. "If nobody's spreading false rumors, I guess Mr. Fist will have to wait for another day!" Though when thata day came, she had a pretty solid ide of who would be on the recieving end.

A soft smile crossed Vienna's lips as she looked at her little brother. It was true, she had always done her best to look out for the kid. Her own life had always been a bit of a mess, but she took a lot of pride in being someone others could rely on. Of course, she'd done her share of relying on him over the years as well. Killian never minded listening to her rants and was always willing to lend a sympathetic ear. She returned his grip, downing the rest of her cup once more. "Well, you're no wee lad anymore, that's for sure!" He really was all grown up now. An adult not only in flesh, but in mind. It wasn't too uncommon for demigods to mature beyond their years - most died before reaching adulthood, after all. Vienna herself felt like an old lady compared to all the teenagers running around. Speaking of... "Speaking of family, tell me a bit about the cabin. It's been forever since I've checked in. How are the rest of our dear siblings getting along?"

-4- A look of concern crossed Vienna's face. That can't be right... The last time she'd discussed this with Lilythe, the woman had been positively thrilled by the developments in their relationship. After all of that, treating him like the old days didn't make any sense. She had seen her around with Shadow a lot recently. But while Vi didn't doubt that her friend had some genuine feelings for her ex, she'd assumed Lilythe had simply been giving him more attention because he demanded more of it. Her best friend wasa kind soul - too kind for her own good. But she wasn't an idiot. There was no way she didn't see how much this was hurting Azrael, and no way she would put up with it if she had. Something was really wrong here. She just couldn't quite put her finger on it yet. "Oh, I know you will Azzy. You respect her too much to push her into anything. Besides, if you did you know I'd give you a good thrashing." Her lover-not-fighter statement had been true in most cases, but not when it came to her best friend. Vi preferred to keep things light and fun, but if someone did anything to hurt Lilythe, she was fully prepared to smack them into next Tuesday. But she knew Azrael would never do anything like that. And normally Lil wouldn't hurt him like this either... She made a mental note to do a bit more investigating after the game. "Grown-ups?" She snorted. "As if! Azrael, if you ever catch me growing up, feel free to slay me on the spot!" She made an exaggerated slicing motion across her throat, then burst into laughter again. It was fun to be here with Azrael again after all these years. Their former pranks made for great memories. "Hence why you find me here playing hookie." She sat down again, nestling back into her resting spot. "You're welcome to stay with me. Shoot the breeze, catch up on camp stuff, be adults if we must..." she rifled through her bag, pulling out a certain set of magical cups with a mischievous grin. "Care for a drink?" She settled in for a camp event of her own. Her new determination to investigate Shadow could wait for a bit - at least long enough to finish ditching capture-the-flag. She was Vienna Pimm, after all, and she and her friend were going to have fun one way or another. She was perfectly content to drink the night away with her old camp buddy.

-3- "Oh, you know me!" Vienna giggled. "Love not war and all that." Speaking of love... The pain behind Azrael's eyes was blatant and heartbreaking. He was a tough one, alright. Very good at putting on a brave face. But Vienna had been friends with the man long enough to know that he was "soldiering on" through more than just camp games. Though she was relived to find she wasn't the only person ditching capture-the-flag this year. That was the life of a demigod she supposed... always running from something. "Fair enough," she gave him a playful nudge. "I heard you clocked that poor Iris girl right in the helmet last year! And that little scrap with Shadow-" she paused a moment, slightly embarrassed. She hadn't meant to bring up the boys' rivalry so casually. Though she had to admit she was extremely curious. Now that she'd brought up the name, there was no real option except to bluster through as nonchalantly as possible. "Honestly, I wish I could see you clock him in the face!" There was a trace of spite in her laugh, cutting into it's usual levity. Vi couldn't stand Shadow - not after how he'd treated Lilythe in their prior relationship. And she just knew he was up to something now. She couldn't talk about it with her best friend either. The pent-up malice in her voice was unmistakable. "Sorry. Lil wouldn't want me speaking ill of him." She laughed again, giving her friend a bawdy wink. "I won't tell if you won't!"

-2- A rustle in the bushes stirred Vienna from her attempts to drift off. A teammate? A combatant? God's damn it... she had hoped she'd wandered far enough away from the game. Her eyes shot open and she rolled into a fighting position. Vi was no fighter by nature - at least not when it came to her heart. But she'd seen her fair share of battles with both monster and man. But the face that broke through the foliage instantly dismissed all worry from her mind. Her muscles relaxed, and a smile broke out on her face. "Azzy!" She rushed over to greet her friend, wrapping him up in a warm embrace almost too powerful for a woman of her slim stature. The two of them had scarcely spoken since he'd invited her back here to camp. To be frank, she didn't quite know what to say. She didn't want to do anything to breech Lilythe's trust, and she knew Azrael had at least tentatively agreed to her seeing both him and Shadow. But that had to be eating him up inside, waiting for her decision. And Vienna had been worried that if she were to start hanging around with him regularly, she might end up saying or doing the wrong thing. But her nosiness was bound to get the better of her one of these days. "How are you, dear friend?" she asked. That was the most important thing. How was he feeling? Was he alright? Though it struck her that she didn't actually remember which team the Nemesis cabin was on. She winked at him. "Not here to capture me, are you?"

Vienna laughed at her brother's tales of drunken debauchery. He was her brother all right. If there was one good thing to be said for Dionysius, it would be that he passed on his ability to know how to have a good time. She sipped her wine, making sure to keep pace as her brother talked. She had no doubts that she'd win their little competition - being the more experienced of the two and all - but she intended to drag it out long enough for some much needed catch-up. "Indeed it was," she responded to his inquiry, recalling the chocked look on that poor freshman's face. "Poor kid nearly fainted from the shock!" She returned Killian's toast with a broad grin, downing the rest of her glass to watch it refill again. "Classic Dionysus kids... that's us in a nutshell isn't it?" Vi giggled. She'd inherited far more than she'd like to admit from her Olympian father. His love of drink, his stubborn nature... and unfortunately at times she felt she'd gotten his wrathful spirit. But at least he'd indirectly given her one thing to appreciate. Her family. Her siblings here at camp. "I missed you, brother," she confessed. "I went to plenty of ragers out there, but you're still the beat drinking buddy I've got."

RPC 4 ~ Actively Avoid Participating ~ 1 Capture-The-Flag was the event of the year for many residents of Camp Halfblood. An all-out brawl between teams that allowed them the chance to show off their skills and show up the other cabins. Competitive energy practically exuded from the forest as the eager younglings charged into their mock battle. Swords clashed, battle cries rang out. Helmet plumes advertising each side danced and weaved in and out of the trees Most marched proudly under their red or blue banner, hoping to take home the prize (and privileges that came with it) for the glory of their deific parent. Not so with Vienna Pimm. The newly-returned socialite much preferred events that didn't involve swinging a sword around (and which did involve adult beverages.) She wasn't opposed to spending time with the younger campers of course, but working up a sweat in heavy armor for bragging rights and better camp duties? That was very much not her style. She didn't give a damn about who won this silly game, and far less of one for the "glory of Dionysius" or whatever. Like that jerk deserved any glory from her. So when it came time to head to their various posts, Vienna instead decided to follow the river out toward a more secluded part of the forest. Still close enough to the border not to worry too much about monsters. She walked along until the sounds of cheering and metal clangs faded from her ears. A ways down the creek, she stumbled upon a nice little area of foliage. It was close to the river, so many flowers and plants had taken root there, eager for a drink. A large oak stood tall above the patches of flowers, shielding them from the hot summer sun. If I were a plant, Vienna thought, this is where I'd like to live. Vi was, of course, not a plant. But it was as good a place as any to hunker down for a while. Perhaps after a short rest she'd sneak back over to the strawberry fields to grab herself a snack. Or maybe she'd go find Shadow and make sure he wasn't up to no good while the rest of the camp was distracted. Either way, snacks and vengeance could wait a few minutes. She stretched out in the shade of the oak, listening to the calming sounds of nature surrounding her. Maybe leaving the city life wasn't all bad.

Vienna did not, in fact, sit down. Instead she only paced faster, and expression stiffened at Lilythe's admission. Righteous indignation became abject horror. "YOU'RE WHAT!? My gods Lithe..." she trailed off, taking in a deep breath. Lilythe was an adult. She could do what she wanted. But this... this was about the dumbest decision she could possibly make. Vienna's mind raced, her outrage shifting from the rumor mill to Shadow to Lilythe herself for a moment. Gods, surely she wasn't this stupid!?! Calm down... calm down Vi... "I'm sorry Lil," she spoke slowly. Her fists had no unclenched. "You can sleep with whoever you want. You know I love you and I trust you. You've gotta know that but..." Vienna's eyes glinted suspiciously. "I've heard this before, you know. 'Shadow's not so bad, not really! He's getting better! I'm not getting in too deep, I promise!'" She tried not to sound mocking as she recalled their previous interactions. This wasn't the first time Shadow had been "getting better". And it certainly wasn't the first time Lilythe had fallen for it either. Vienna, on the other hand, wasn't falling for that even for a moment. "You can't seriously think...." Giving them both a chance? The thought made her wince. Both of those boys were endlessly dedicated to the Hermes cabin leader in their own ways. Sharing her? Yeah, there was no way that was working. Poor Azzy. He'd be patient with her. Give her space to sleep with whoever, let her figure things out for herself... let it eat him up inside. She doubted he was okay with the arrangement, but there was little doubt he'd go along with it for Lilythe's sake. Shadow though? No. There was zero chance he was okay with this, and the fact that he hadn't outright tried to stop Lil from seeing Azrael was not the improvement of character he portrayed it as. That boy was up to something. "They're okay with this? Both of them? The same boys who quite literally came to blows over you?" She didn't want to outright say You're hurting them both. You're hurting all three of you. It wasn't fair to her, not really. But hinting at it might make something click. "Azzy's okay with this? I don't mean did he say he's okay with it to keep you happy, I mean do you think he's really okay?" She shook her head and smiled a bit. Vi was getting too worked up. "Gods, Lithe. I didn't think this was what you meant by 'taking time for you'."

Nostalgia glinted in Vienna's eyes as she downed her first glass of wine. This sure did bring back memories. Not only was it great to be sharing a drink with her little brother, but holding these glasses brought up visions of her early days in New Rome. After Lilythe and the others had put together an intervention for her, she'd taken off to go find herself. She'd fully intended on making some changes out there too - and in a way she had. She'd figured out pretty early on hat it wasn't the drink that was the problem. It was the unresolved issues she'd been using it bury. With a lot of self-reflection and quite a bit of work, she felt like she had a much better head on her shoulders these days. Enough to get responsibly wasted, anyways. She chuckled aloud, tracing the floral design on her cup. "Funny story - it was actually one of my first parties over there in New Rome. If you could call it that. It was more of a hazing, really." Fond memories danced in her vision. One of the sorority leaders had gathered a bunch of the newer arrivals for some "friendly competition." Vienna had shown no interest in sororities, but was always down for a party. The contest had been a series of drinking games, all designed with the usual freshman hazing and pranks in mind. Topped off with a bit of demigod magic, of course. The woman had clearly intended it to be unwinnable. But nobody had counted on the scrappy new transfer to be so darn stubborn. Growing up in a year round summer camp had given her the edge when it came to childish antics, and without the pranks she could've easily drank any one of them under the table. "It was a big gauntlet-style tournament. All the regular drinking games of course. Except some poor kids' beer turned into a mug of snakes at one point..." she giggled. She could still remember the look on that horrid woman's face when she'd won. And even better - the look she'd given when VIenna walked off with the prize and declined to join the sorority after all. Good times. "Oh, this?" she motioned to her glass, which was already filling itself up for a second round. "It's a Marsala. About 20%. How about yours?"

"Me too," Vienna responded to her brother's earnest declaration. She really was grateful to have him in her life. Much as she despised being a demigod some days, she had never for a moment regretted meeting her sibling. It was great to see him now. He was all grown up, and somehow largely untarnished by the trauma of their upbringing. Well... as untarnished as could be expected anyway. He obviously still had that partygoing side to him. Not that that was a bad thing. On the contrary, it was one of the many things the two siblings had in common. Speaking of partying... A drinking contest! Vi's eyes grew wide, a mischievous glimmer running through them. "Oh, you're on! But if you're gonna throw up, you had better do it on your own bunk!" She downed the rest of the drink she had poured her, then turned and grabbed her bag from the end of the bed. She'd yet to unpack anything except for the cat costume she was wearing. "Where did I put... ah! Here they are!" She pulled out a pair of wooden goblets, each with leaves and grapes burned into the sides in intricate patterns. "Cool, aren't they?" Vienna grinned. "Won these in contest with some of our cousins out in New Rome." She set the glasses down on the table - one for her, one for Killian. Wine, she thought. The goblets filled themselves to the brim with deep red liquid. "They're like the ones in the Big House," she explained. "Except without the child proofing. Well, not exactly like those ones... these will only fill with alcohol. The Romans are awfully specific with their magic items." Her smile made it apparent that these were among her favorite magical items she'd encountered. "Well, little brother... you ready to lose?" It may have been awhile, but she was certain she could still outdrink him any day.

Vienna smiled warmly, quite pleased with her brother's response. She truly hoped it went well for him. Willow seemed like a perfectly nice girl, and it was clear the young man was crazy about her. "I don't want to let fear hold me back." Vi wondered very briefly if that was why she was so adverse to the concept of romance. Fear? Perhaps. Most people who knew her would likely consider her fearless. But her oldest friends - the ones who had been there for the battles and the though times, the ones who had staged an intervention for her when she went too far - they knew just how scared she could be. She'd lost many people over the years. Friends. Family. People she'd lacked the means to protect. She pictured herself finding a partner, falling in love, feeling all the mushy feelings teenage Vienna had dreamed about. But then she thought of losing that person and all hope fled from her mind. She couldn't handle that, she knew. "Love has a funny way of finding us when we least expect it," Killian had said. "Maybe you're right, brother." She didn't sound convinced. Still, the fire in Killian's eyes was a sight to behold. She really was happy for him. He sounded so earnest and determined. Lucky girl, she thought. Having someone feel so passionately about her. She'd be a fool to turn him down. "Attaboy, bro!" She ruffled his hair. "That's the spirit! Let me know if you need a wingman." Her grin grew even wider as Killian referenced their camp days. "If by 'complicated' you mean 'our dad sucks' then yes." Insulting the gods aloud was known to be dangerous, but if Dionysus wasn't understanding of the occasional drunken rant then he was even more hypocritical than Vi thought. As for her and Killian, they'd certainly gotten into plenty of mischief back then. And he was right - regardless of how things went down, or how long she'd been away, they were family. Gods, he was some of the only family she had left. "You got that right," she assured him. "You can always count on me."

No party was truly a party until Vienna Pimm showed up. At least, that had been the general perception back in her Camp days. And now that she was back, she certainly wasn't about let her reputation slide into ruin. The second she'd heard about about one of the younger campers throwing a party in the Tyche cabin, she knew she'd have to be there. Besides... Lilythe would be there, she was certain. Something had been really off about her recently. Her and that Shadow character - whom Vi still trusted about as far as she could throw him. If they were going to be there, then she'd best go keep an eye on those two. Dressed to the nines, she entered the cabin with her usual dramatic flair! "Ah, a birthday! How delightful!" She ran over to the birthday girl. "Congratulations on another year, my dear! And here's to many more!" She spotted the card in her hand, and the smiling young child beside her. "Oh how beautiful..." she cooed. "Well, my gift certainly won't live up to that one!" She pulled a package wrapped in shiny paper from the folds of her dress. Inside was a silver bracelet with little engraved dice around its perimeter. A symbol of luck for the goddess of fortune. Vienna would never go to a birthday party without a gift, of course. Speaking of that particular goddess though... Vi glanced around the room. She'd had enough experience with Tyche campers that she was pretty sure what the place had in store. Shadow sat Lilythe down with him on the couch. Him again!? Gods, what is she thinking!? She was getting ready to storm over when she noticed a suspicious looking lump in the cushion right next to where they were seated. A whoopie cushion, no doubt. She gave Andralyn a wry smile and a wink as if to say watch this, then strode over to the unsuspecting couple. "Lilythe! Shadow! Great to see you, friends!" She nudged Shadow in the arm almost too forcefully. "Well, go on! Scootch over! Don't tell me I can't sit here by my best friend!" @ Andralyn O'Dell @ Octavia Davis @ Lilythe Rayne @ Shadow Moore

Vienna recalled the blushing face of the girl at the party. She's never met the woman in person so she couldn't be sure, but there was a certain innocence about her that led her to think that Killian may be right. She didn't look like the type to make the first move. But Killian - well, most of the Dionysus kids for that matter - were exactly the type. Willow must've been something indeed to turn the god of debauchery's spawn into the mumbling, romantic mess standing before her. Quite frankly it was adorable. "Willow... she's different." Vi gave her brother an understanding nod. She really did admire his optimism. Demigods, contrary to outside expectation, were highly unlikely to lead charmed lives. Yet here he was, talking about things like "real connections" and a girl making him want to change his partying ways. The jaded part of her said it was naught but youthful optimism. But Killian was clearly serious about it, and Vienna wasn't about to let her own cynicism intrude on her brother's happiness. Besides, she'd long told herself she should be more like Lilythe - and now more like Killian too apparently. "I get it bro," she took another sip of her drink (a Vienna sip, so more of a gulp). Her voice still sounded cheery, but it had more of matter-of-fact tone that she tended to use when giving advice. "You're scared you'll screw things up if you try to make a move. I definitely know the feeling. But if ya ask me, people like that don't just hang with people like us for no reason." She thought of her friendship with Lilythe, how many chances she'd been given and how much she'd changed for the better over the years. "When they do though... well we oughta hang onto 'em, should've we?" "Have I...?" She pondered her brother's final question. She thought of her early days at Camp Halfblood, that wonderful feeling of being somewhere she belonged for once in her life. There had been many parties, many flings, many days spent living in a drunken haze. But real love? Well, there was a time when she'd believed in such things for herself. Dreamt of them even. But it had been a long time since those days. "Maybe in my younger years." Perhaps that was an odd thing for a 26-year-old to say. "Nowadays... I dunno. I don't think romance is in the cards for me. Or the threads or whatever." she made another joking reference to the Fates.