Elliot Payne

Elliot Payne was in a bit of a slump. It had been weeks since his arrival here at this gods-forsaken camp. Weeks of sunny days under an ever sunny sky. Weeks of watching happy children in orange t-shirts play sports and sing by the fire. So many weeks of complete and utter boredom. His instincts had driven him here with promises of a show like none he'd seen before - chaos that would shake the world to it's very core. But so far there had been nary a sign of such a thing. Had the feeling not been so strong, and had instincts not been so accurate before, he might have he'd have long since taken off. But they were accurate. Something was coming, he was sure of it. But gods it sucked to wait. At the moment he was out for a stroll. Not the most exciting pastime, but it was a good deal better than doing his assigned camp chores. A brief smile flitted across his face when he spotted the Arts and Crafts tent. The smell of paint conjured up so many pleasant memories. There was that one time in elementary school when he'd snuck into the art room during recess and swapped the labels on all of the different colored paints. Oh how he'd reveled in the confusion when it came time for class. Ah, and the time he'd rigged one of the glue bottles to empty itself with full force at the slightest touch. That prank had been particularly successful, as the girl who'd been caught in the blast had been certain that his victim had targeted her intentionally. Those two girls had been rivals for at least the rest of the year. Such fun times. Those kinds of pranks were a bit childish for him now. He was a grown man after all. But perhaps the craft tent would offer him some way to entertain himself. It certainly couldn't hurt to poke his head in and look around...

"Back?" Elliot was surprised. He hadn't expected anyone here to recognize him. He'd only spent one summer here after all, and he hadn't made much of an impact. There had been whispers - mostly wondering who on earth would produce a child with someone so unpleasant as Eris - but he'd expected those rumors to have faded long ago. Perhaps Lydia had been here at the time. He wouldn't remember her. Of course, he wouldn't have expected her to remember him either. As for her second question... "Common, yes," he replied. He hadn't survived the mortal world as a demigod this long without plenty of instances of being watched. But her lack of concern was a bit troubling. This really must be a safe haven, he supposed. Somewhere that having eyes on you was merely a curiosity. "You seem about as used to it as I am." From the way she spoke, he wondered if she shared in his supernatural ability to set people on edge. Though for a woman who spoke with ghosts, it seemed more likely for her to instill fear than strife. He intended to ask her how she knew this was his return trip to the camp, but another girl approached before he could. Lydia greeted her by name. They must be friends, he figured, or acquaintances at least. He always tried to make note of other people's connections. It was important for stirring up drama. He noted the girl's name. Alexia. She inquired about the source of the rustling, to which Lydia replied that the spirits were unconcerned. Not a threat then. Probably. Though Elliot Payne was not quick to trust people he could see, much less those he couldn't. Curiously though, Alexia stepped away to investigate in the exact opposite direction. Then, a moment later, the source of the noise revealed itself. Another girl walked up and chimed in. "Is someone there?" Yes... you! Elliot cocked his head in confusion. Were they... playing a trick on him? Normally he would be the one to initiate such antics. But he realized after a second that it likely wasn't some coordinated plan to confuse him. It was probably just another instance of his abilities. Tiny seeds of chaos being sown wherever he went. This was something he was used to. Something' he reveled in. In fact, his smile broadened as he watched the girls look to and fro for something that did not exist. He might have tried to play it up further, and it not been for Lydia and her ghostly friends. With them assuring her that there was nothing amiss, it would be difficult to convince the others that something truly did lay hidden in the shadows. He relaxed his posture and let out a low chuckle. "You must be right then. I mean, nothing sinister could be watching us here. That's what the barriers are for." The tone he spoke with sounded perfectly innocent, but he knew full well that words carried power. And in the presence of a child of chaos, sometimes an innocent word was all it took to induce suspicion. "My bad. So you're Alexia then, and... I'm sorry," he addressed the girl who had provided them with such a delicious bit of confusion. "I didn't catch your name."

"Spirits, eh?" It certainly wasn't the strangest thing he'd heard since learning of the Olympians and their influence on the world. A mischievous smile flitted across his lips. His mind spun with possibilities. A whole world of once-living beings that were invisible to all but a select few? The kind of damage he could do with such a power. The utter chaos he could sow. The young man practically drooled at the prospect. Of course, he had no such impressive power. But this girl did. She could prove to be a valuable asset if he played his cards right. Or at the very least, someone fun to play with. The smile widened, and he extended his hand. "Elliot Payne, at your service!" A rustling from the foliage caught his attention. With a trained hand he reached for his pocket knife, only to recall that he hadn't brought it along. It'd be awfully suspicious to stroll into camp for the first time in years with a regular human weapon. And what would he need to fight off within these walls anyway? A gang of twelve-year-olds? Still, it was clear from his posture that the defensiveness he'd learned on the city streets had far from left him. His friendly greeting dropped to a low whisper. "Someone's watching us," he warned his new acquaintance. Though there was tension in his stance, he couldn't stop himself from giving Lydia a wink. "And I think they're here on the physical plane."

"Do you think you could be just a little quieter?" Elliot paused, turning to look at the source of the voice. It was a white-haired, beautiful woman dressed in lace. It seemed she was as uninterested as he was in the camp activities, seeing as she was standing by a clump of trees far from the playing children. The man studied her face for a moment, trying to determined whether or not she had been speaking to him. She wasn't looking at him. And he hadn't been making any significant noise. Perhaps his very existence was putting her ill at ease. It certainly wouldn't be the first time. Being near children of Eris was not a pleasant experience. If he'd done even the tiniest thing to offend her senses, it would no doubt have been amplified tenfold by feelings of strife. But something told him this girl was talking to someone else. Yet if that was the case... who? A forest creature? An invisible camper? Already Camp Halfblood was proving itself a land of possibility. Perhaps it wouldn't be so boring after all. Whatever was going on with this chick, it was more interesting than his current quest of figuring out where he'd be sleeping. He approached, raising a hand in greeting. "Hey, you there!" Elliot called out. "Who ya talkin' to?"

Camp Half-Blood: a sanctuary for descendants of the Greek pantheon. Here the children were free from the dangers of the outside world. A powerful barrier protected the place from monsters, and the daily schedule looked quite a bit like a normal summer camp. Campers of all ages raced around in their telltale orange shirts. They laughed, played, and trained together. For here they were safe from any real danger. Games, activities, cabins - it was so all completely, utterly, devastatingly... boring. Elliot made an active effort to keep from rolling his eyes as he crossed the border. Was this really the place his dreams had called him to? This simple little camp? Of course, it wasn't unheard of for war and strife to breach the barriers of Camp Half-Blood. Any place that gathered so many godlings was bound to have it's own share of troubles, and of course there was that whole matter with the war. A tiny smirk breached his lips. Now that would've been fun to see. There had admittedly been some tension during his only summer here as a child. Something about some famous heroes falling into Tartarus or something? Nowadays such an event would immediately pique his interest, but back then little Elliot had thought it best to keep his head down and stay out of any drama. A naïve attempt at fitting in, he supposed. Not that there was any chance of that once he'd been claimed at the bonfire. Thankfully he'd long since given up on searching for acceptance and had allowed his true nature to thrive. But despite that small period of turmoil, the camp seemed to have returned to its cozy, welcoming appearance. At least from the outside it seemed dull enough. But something big was going to happen soon. He'd felt it, dreamt of it. And the child of chaos trusted nothing if not his instincts. His motorcycle jacket looked out of place, weighing heavy on his shoulders in the bright sunlight. Though he'd take it any day over the garish orange monstrosities the other campers wore. Where to first? he thought. It had been over a decade since he'd last set foot on the grounds. When he'd come here before, the goat-man had taken him to a large building toward the center of the camp to get registered. Perhaps he should go there? Would they still have a record of him from all those years ago? Maybe, maybe not. But either way, the man figured he should make himself known. They'd probably send him off to the Hermes cabin or something. Whatever the case, he wasn't bothered. He'd just keep his eyes open and wait for something interesting to happen.

Elliot Payne Biography Elliot Payne never belonged anywhere. His mother, goddess of strife and chaos, was both uninterested and unfit to raise a child for obvious reasons.. His criminal father was no better. Having a child kid was little more than a whim for them, and young Elliot was discarded at their earliest convenience. The baby ended up at the ironically named Caring Hands Orphanage. A place with many orphans and little to no caring hands. Horrible as it was, this was perhaps the luckiest thing to ever happen to the boy. The entire complex reeked of the worst of human filth. The director, a large and unseemly man by the name of Alistair Rockwood, was a shameless con man. He provided the kids with barely enough to survive, only parading them out when seeking charity and donations.. Between his human stench and the depravity of the place in general, young Elliot's life was relatively monster-free. That wasn't to say that his life was free of conflict. Far from it. Strife and chaos seemed to follow him wherever he went. He wasn't prone to getting into fights himself, but a suspicious number of brawls among the other kids would end in "but... but Elliot said...". Mr. Rockwood saw him as a troublemaker - which wasn't always too far from the truth - and punished the boy frequently, that only landed the man a spot as target #1 for Elliot's pranks. Every time he would storm and rage at the child, it would only be met with laughter. It was almost as though his stress was funny to the boy. But it wasn't until middle school that he truely came into his own as a malicious prankster. Elliot loved middle school. Here he was surrounded by emotional preteens for whom every crush or broken friendship was a matter of world-ending importance. A rumor here, an anonymous note there... it was a veritable breeding ground for drama. His grades weren't the best between the ADHD and the dyslexia, and he struggled to make any real friends. But he was comfortable sitting back and watching the swirling storm of melodrama around him. Unfortunately, being away from the rotten humanity at the orphanage exposed him to more than middle school bullies. Elliot began noticing breaks in the mist, and things beyond it started to notice him. His school's assigned satyr noticed him too, and brought him safely to Camp Half-Blood. He even managed to convince Mr. Rockwood to let him attend under the guise that perhaps some time away at camp would help him grow into a more respectable and obedient child. There he stayed for exactly one summer: the summer of his claiming. He had to admit, he had been a bit hopeful when he was first brought there. Finally a few things had begun to make sense, things like his difficulties with learning and his struggle to fit in with other preteens. Prior to the bonfire, he had wondered if perhaps he'd find a group of people like himself here. He could learn some new skills, discover more about himself and his birth, maybe even make some new friends... but those hopes were dashed when the claiming symbol appeared over his head. Eris. Freaking Eris. Mother of chaos, despised by many gods and humans alike. There was no cabin for him here. No acceptance. Only whispers, glances, and more targeted insults than he'd ever experienced in regular school. Many campers seemed similar in temperament to their celestial parents, even forming rivalries with the children of their parents rivals. But many gods did not like Eris... and very few of the campers liked Elliot. Those that were willing to even give him a chance in the first place were quickly turned off by his irresistible urge to stir up conflict. So when the time came to register for full time residency, and then later to return for another summer, he decided he'd rather take his chances with monsters and middle schoolers. The orphanage, having seen that his summer away had not, in fact, changed his behavior, likely wouldn't have sent him back anyways. Of course, he wasn't a moron either. Back home quickly realized that the monsters steered clear of Mr. Rockwood and people like him. So he spent a lot of time hanging around with the worst sorts of people that society had to offer. Once he was old enough to be ejected from the orphanage, he spent most of his time migrating from place to place, training to defend himself when he had to. He learned to drive a motorcycle, and even joined a few gangs here and there. Unfortunately, those gangs always seemed to get involved in horrific gang wars shortly after he signed up. So why return to Camp HalfBlood? Elliot had always planned to ignore his heritage for as long as he could. To remain on the run from who he was, and any responsibility that came with it. But lately he's been having these odd dreams... something big is going down. Something poised to shake the worlds of both gods and men... something to do with that camp he went to all that time ago... something he's sure won't want to miss. Personality It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, and Elliot is more than content to sit back and watch the dogfight. He loves to stir up drama wherever he can, and seems to thrive the most when there is conflict going on around him. He maintains a rough style that sets many more conservative folks around him on edge as he very much enjoys the feeling of nonconformity. Despite his flashy looks, however, he has no particular desire for attention. Elliot is happy to keep himself anonymous while seeking out situations to amuse himself. He is eternally slacking off and shirking any responsibility placed upon him. He has little regard for his own well-being, and a deep self hatred that he has no plans or even real motivation to address. He knows he was never supposed to be born, that he was never wanted by the goddess of strife, and certainly not by any of the Olympians. So as far as he's concerned, there isn't much more to life than looking for cheap thrills and watching drama unfold around him. As such he has very little care for others around him either. He doesn't go out of his way to get people hurt - not physically anyway, and certainly not by his own hand, but if his pranks and manipulations have a negative effect on his fellow campers... well that's their problem, now isn't it? Elliot is actually quite an intelligent person and very good at reading social situations. However, he is awkward when brought into personal conversations. He comes off to most as the silent brooding type, so tends to be left alone. Which is perfectly fine by him. At least, that's how he chooses to see it. The man is jaded to the world around him, seeing both himself and everyone else as mere pawns in the games the Olympians are constantly playing. He tells himself that nothing matters, so he may as well amuse himself while he can. Though deep down he is haunted by a terrible fear. That people's lives really do have some deeper meaning... and that his is simply broken beyond redemption. About Me Birthdate: September 13th, 1998 Likes: Heavy Metal Music, Jazz, Spicy Food, Watching Combat, Fire, Competitive Sports, Motorcycles, Video Games, Board Games Dislikes: Emotional Vulnerability, Responsibility, Rules, Candy, Authority, Pop Music, Sweet Pickles Family: Mom: Eris Dad: Unknown Siblings: None Other: Alistair Rockwood - Group Home Director Happy Thoughts: Setting out on the road. Living life on his own terms, free from laws, rules, bosses... and gods. Nightmares: Being trapped in one place or saddled with responsibilities he cannot handle. Fatal Flaw: Elliot is arrogant to a fault and unsympathetic toward most other people. He hasn't been shown much kindness in his life, and doesn't see much point in helping others who are probably going to hate him anyway. As such, he is loathe to work with others, even when doing so might save his life. PLAYED BY: AdelynnWilde FACE CLAIM: Art by Josh Burns, edited by AdelynnWilde