Dionysus

Mr D took a breath to hold his own anger in check.. coming into his house and picking on the kids.. that was his job god-damn-it...

In retort to the comment about his parent imposed sobriety and his chosen drink of Diet Coke, he responded "Bartender cut me off from the rest so I guess I get to keep enjoying them, brother". He knew that last reference stung, Ares had always looked down on him but this camp was his place, his domain for the past few decades and he would not let Ares tear it apart because somehow he was sure Zeus would find a way to lay the blame on him again.

"I should be out in oh... 4 or 5 decades.. with good behaviour." he gritted his teeth, one lousy run in with Dad had him paying the price for near on a century while Apollo nearly breaks the world and gets a vacation down here for half a year and straight back to his throne..

He started again, aiming to appease his half brother deity "Talking of last calls though, shouldn't you be getting ready for the troubles brewing instead of picking on the foot soldiers, just means you leave less for the main event." 

Dionysus began to feel like he might be making a bit of progress, aiming to add a little steel to his words even in spite of the god of war facing him down... "plus if you break one of mine you know there will be more than just coin for a weregild... And that one.." he said pointing over towards Hunter still worked up with the aggression of Ares "Is one of mine"

Above the boy no symbol of light appeared, but instead a calm settled.. Dionysus, instead of a symbol, took the energy and channelled it into a temporary lull in the angry madness that hung heavily around the bonfire. His powers were around madness but he knew how to cure them as well, though if he couldn't get Ares out of the vicinity soon then they would be at one another's throats again soon enough.

"Who do you think looks after them?" said a new voice calm but able to cut through the background chatter.. Mr D stood up from the log the children of Dionysis sat on as if he had always been there. He had on a leopard skin tanktop, bright yellow board shorts and pink flip flops, basically a typical outfit for the god of partying. In one arm he was cradling a large metal mixing bowl.

A breeze blew through the bonfire clearing, a subtle sign to remind everyone who's domain this was, whether by choice or not. The breeze brought the spray of salt and the coldness of early spring of Long Island with a settling smell of... popcorn. "I figured there might be a show happening out here." he said throwing a kernel into his mouth  "What good is a show without popcorn?" 

Mr D grimaced and a sigh escaped his lips as he saw their unexpected guest, his gaze dismissing the campers around him launching themselves at one another throats. "You might be wise to remember, Zeus put me in charge of taking care of these brats.. and I would hate to have to hand over the reigns to another of his kids that couldn't keep it together" he was fed up how one little, off-limits Dryad had put him as chief babysitter for so many decades, Apollo conspires to break the world-  6 months down time and now Mr A-hole was here on his exiled turf throwing his godly weight around. Screw it.. he dropped the bowl into his boy's (Killian) hands as he stepped out.

He thought about adding madness to Ares' mind but he was fairly sure it was pretty maddened by bloodlust already.. still he could cool the madness Ares had pressed into the campers minds, assuming he could hold Ares' attention before the campers finished killing one another...

Mr D had spotted the child sneaking away, still not entirely sure who was meant to be playing this game but at least getting Jeeves' attention. It was at that point that the kids that had lined up across the net started their match.

Seeing how both sides had the same number of kids, though a disappointing lack of weaponry, he considered it to be mostly fair and let it continue.

So they just bounce that ball around, no weapons, no flaming ball, not even the customary volley of grapeshot. he looked over the match and they seemed to be getting into the spirit of it.. one of Athena's brood seemed to be doing well enough and landed the ball roughly in the right area.

Taking the time to think back to Chiron, he really should work out where he had trotted off to - how was he supposed to get any peace when he wasn't around to corral these little foals, and his decision to add lava to the climbing walls he clicked his finger as they were setting up for another round.

From the two posts at the edges of the net, giant vines curled around the poles, they spread across the net itself like creeping ivy and then bloomed into flowers and produced mighty long and wicked looking spiky thorns, a fine addition to the game.

Leaning back to watch the mayhem and eyeing up the edges of the court with magma pits in mind, just in case the term out really needed some punctuation for the second half, he went back to enjoy the rest of his diet coke.

One more day towards his eventual escape..

Dionysus sighed as the Aphrodite started to make his complaints, thoughts of a thorny rosebush passed in front of his eyes but thankfully it was at this point he saw Killian arrive - possibly late to the game, possibly just in time.

As Killian asked what he had missed he responded "You will get a chance to have a chance to see round 2 kiddo" he said as he took his seat again, a fresh can of diet coke in the side..

He then leaned forward in his seat as a whistle appeared in his hand from nowhere and then blew it loudly.

"Substitution! Sending Killian on in your place! Show them that Cabin Twelve can be both lovers and fighters - just like Me."

A smile came to his lips... a memory of one hell of a night in a Dublin bar.. some women were like a fine wine - that one was like a double whisky, knocks your senses for a couple of rounds but leaves you with a fire in your heart! - damn was he in need of a drink... 

“Well, I did not miss this place!” he said to the assembled campers.. "Next one to complain gets sent off as a bottle of Pinot Grigio!"

He cracked the ring pull on the fresh can and looked expectantly at James.

Mr D could feel the tinge of madness coming off of this one even before she started to march her way forward.

He took the moment to savor the emotions boiling off of her as he took a sip from his can of diet coke letting her tirade burn out like the last of a candle. He thought about a potted plant.. some time in the care of the Demeter kids might help her mellow. 

"fu-ow-ul. not playing by the rules. Jeeves is supposed to blow his whistle before you kids start attacking one another. I don't know if you have worked it out yet but the game -is- part of the punishment.." he did seem to take a moment to think it through.

"You do make a loud and obnoxious point though, Samuel" he said standing up seemingly finished with their discussion.. "you.. Dusty.. aren't you supposed to be the punch instructor?"  pointing over to Dustin "That boy they dragged away was a sorry excuse..."

It was always a bad sign when Dionysus opened his arms wide and started a speech, he had the oratory skills of a senator with the ability to get the attention of pretty much any party and that was what he was starting now.

"I want to see a real fight, no weapons.. you have two weeks to get that lightweight into shape for a proper battle in the arena. You get to share in his rise or his downfall. If you are so ready to tangle yourselves together then the arena will be ready for those two.. at the feast of the Lenaia!"

And he was just about able to keep that vacation time buzz going for all of five seconds.. they even picked the worst time to make him make this kind of decree - well he should try to be on stepmother good side and it was her month. Plus she had enough problems with these wretched rugrats maybe she would send some off into the wilderness again...

Dionysus could feel a migraine coming on. He resisted the urge to pick out the pocket watch from inside his tracksuit, that he used to track his remaining years of punishment.. only fifty more years until I can get a drink...

A slow clap started from the sidelines of the volleyball field, somehow not too loud but enough to carry to every ear on the pitch.

Clap................  Clap................  Clap................

The swirling grape purple tracksuit (pic) was the first sight to everyone as they turned, it literally swirled and pulled the eye in, a sporty alternative to the usual tasteful shirt fashion statement.

This view was offset by godly and girthy figure lounging in the fold out camping chair with his customary diet coke can nestled in the seat arm pocket. "You know this volleyball thing is not quite as dull as I remembered."

He looked over toward where James looked slightly dumbfounded after all the action had kicked off, and on his watch as much as any other. "Jeeves, shouldn't you have a whistle or something?" he said entirely straight.. "I suspect that counted as a foul" He laughed to himself at the comment, his time away from camp having slightly lifted his spirits but he knew it would not last long.

He pulled his diet coke can from the seat for another swig and settled back to watch the next round of the volleyball. I mean its not as impressive as gladiatorial combat but maybe they would schedule that for the next activity.. those two looked like they might need the practice..