Can't Lose if You Don't Play

[Vienna Pimm]

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.

[Azrael Blackburn Rare Rare]

--RPC 4 --
-1-

Azrael had been keeping to himself in the shade of the creek, he had realized early on that if he ended up in another face off with Shadow it would likely go badly - instead he had found a secluded location to avoid the worst of the activity. He had found a large hollow log at the side of the creek and crawled inside, telling himself if was a spot he could stakeout but he knew deep down he was avoiding the trouble that he had been feeling building around the camp.

He had sworn he wouldn't raise a blade, he patted the two wooden poles he had left next to him as he heard a noise, don't tell me the flag has ended up all the way out here. He quietly looked out as he heard the soft steps of a camper coming closer. Unlikely a flag being set but he couldn't tell what side the camper out there was on. He really wasn't wanting to get pulled into the flag race this time..

Memories of a struggle high on Zeus's fist flashed through his mind, the tumbling form of his rival catching on each rock on the way down... More memories of a stalemate, squaring off defending a flag a year ago.. he wasn't ready to get pulled into this again. Azrael moved out of his hiding spot just enough to see the shock of platinum blonde hair, he couldn't help letting out a sign of relief when he realized there was only one person in camp that could belong to - Vienna.

[Vienna Pimm]

-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?"

[Azrael Blackburn Rare Rare]

-2-

Azrael returned the hug as he stood from his hiding spot, a little guilty as he had taken to avoiding the majority of the games having had such a history with them in the past.

He have her a grin realising she was also dodging out from the games. "I am soldiering on, as always.." behind the brave face he thought through his various mountains and molehills of trouble.

 

"Just.. taking a break from the busy flag games, feels a bit tough to body block kids a third of my size." He was making light of the situation but he had been trying to find a place here at camp, taking classes and trying to get to know his younger siblings.

"How about you, wander away from all the activities?" He said making sure to avoid too many questions about his own predicament as he looked over at the Dionysus camper and old friend expectantly...

Edited June 30, 2023 by Azrael Blackburn

[Vienna Pimm]

-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!"

[Azrael Blackburn Rare Rare]

-3-
Hearing Vee laugh was a good break away from the guilt he had been feeling from ditching the wargames. He knew that if there was more trouble this year it would look bad on his part. He missed the old days, the three of them hanging around at camp when things had been so much simpler.

"Gods, those rumours are still going around" he sighed. "It was just a little tap, enough to defend the point." his look deflated when Shadow was brought up, a topic he had been trying to avoid and mostly brooding over. He had sworn to Lilythe that he wouldn't make things worse between the two of them

"Lil gets to make her choices, that was one thing I didn't give her the chance to do before I left. This time though the scales are not in my favour..." every time he had tried to catch Lilythe's attention Shadow had been around her and he couldn't help feel like her decision had been made... "deep down I think she still sees me like the old days of cabin twelve.. the whole 'cabin mates, don't date' thing." what he wanted to say was that for it to be a true choice both sides had to have a chance and deep down Lilythe had always been one to look out for anyone who needed them, that maybe Shadow was the one she saw as needing her help now, like the young parentless camper he had been or the child of Dionysus who just needed a best friend at camp... he grimaced realizing how much his thoughts had dwelled on his situation

He looked over at his old friend "Its good to have you back, realizing how much we are meant to be the grown ups here." he gave Vee a grin, she had always been the life of the party rather than the type to make sure everyone was staying in line "I think that is the one thing I miss about New Rome.. beyond taking a shift on the gate there were less responsibilities."

"If everyone is out in the field, It sounds like a certain dark, dank cabin would be left without anyone home to stop it getting TeePee-ed..." He added with a forlorn smile, remembering the antics they had gotten up to in the past..

[Vienna Pimm]

-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.