The Witching Hour

[Abigail Asteria Anderson Rare Rare]

Fall 2016 - Abby age 13yrs old

Abigail had been at camp only one year but already she was finding it hard to fit in....even in her own cabin! Maybe it was the fact that she had the ability to talk to the dead and command them? Shrugging she snuck out of her cabin which was always more lively at night as their mom was more powerful then. She was tired of dealing with getting lectures of her not practicing her magic all the time but she liked to do it alone and away from the others. Closing her eyes, she could feel the breeze going through her red hair as she wandered off towards the camp away from the cabins. 

It was the glow of the forge that caught her eye, who would be up this time of night? Smirking she rushed over towards it as she was careful not to be caught by the cleaning harpies. It was when she got to the entrance that she could see someone was working in there but didn't know who it was. They looked like a new camper, maybe a few months younger than she. "Hey" she said but it was too light to hear over the sounds of the forge. Her eyes taking in the boy, Abby was working herself up when she said loudly "HEY WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" 

@ Devon Long

[Devon Long Rare]

Devon was doing what he normally did now that he got to the camp. He was working on this idea of a mechanical horse but he was not super skilled yet but he had the idea come to him so he was forging some of the pieces but he knew it would a couple of years to finish so he would start on it now maybe by the time he was 15 or 16 he would have a working prototype. When he would hear a hey from somewhere he would jump and the fire in the forge would spark up a little more to which he would answer one “I am forging and shaping some metal what are you doing over at the forges.” he would wipe his hands a little and go for a handshake when he turned around and saw this little redheaded girl who was probably around his age and would say “I am sorry maam did you need help with something from the forge or from cabin hephaestus?”

[Abigail Asteria Anderson Rare Rare]

Abigail blinked, slightly taken aback by the boy's response. She hadn't expected him to be so straight forward with her. "Oh, um... I was just curious," she stammered, her cheeks reddening as she felt a sudden rush of shyness. "I'm Abby, from Cabin Hecate. Well I was just exploring and saw this forge glowing....S-so I thought I would check out why." She glanced down at the dirt on Devon's hands and couldn't help but find it endearing. Her eyes went from his hands to his face. His eyes in particular were haunting to her which she loved. She always thought you could tell someone story from their eyes. "You're really good at this, huh?"

As she extended her hand to shake his, she couldn't help but steal a quick glance at his face. Despite the smudges of soot and sweat, she thought he was cute. Her heart raced a little, and she quickly looked away, pretending to be interested in the tools hanging on the wall. "So, um, what's your name? And what are you working on?" She tried to sound casual, but her curiosity got the best of her.

[Devon Long Rare]

“Oh its ok. Hello Yeah the fire and the forge is basically our home that mixed with gears and machinery. It is pretty cool plus” he would use his start war hands to make the flame move a little and then he would produce a little flame on his finger. “I am starting to get full control of it. I still can't make that much fire yet.” He would take the compliment well and say “ well thank you, I am usually pretty shy but I talk when I'm nervous and well I am a little nervous with girls and people in general. But machines and metal and building things just make sense. you know put this here put that there and you get something. I feel like I am talking a lot. Do you feel like I am talking a lot?” The as she would reach for a handshake. He would take his rag and dip it in water then wipe his hands and forehead with it trying to get some of the smut off and some of the sweat. Which he was drenched in. Trying to clean off his hands a little before he would reach to greet the young girl. “ My name is Devon from Cabin Hephaestus. Sorry I am so dirty and sweaty. But since we cant really have cars or motorcycles i was gunna try to make a mechanical horse to ride instead i thought it would be cool.”

[Abigail Asteria Anderson Rare Rare]

Abigail smiled, finding Devon's nervousness endearing. "No, no, you're not talking too much," she reassured him, her voice gentle. She could tell he was just excited because he much love the forge.  "I think it's really cool how passionate you are about all this....I am that way about magic and the dead" She reached out for the handshake, feeling her heart race again as their hands touched. "I don't mind the dirt and sweat. It's, uh, kind of impressive, actually." Abby knew it came with the territory with working in the forge. She of course had never been in here so she was looking around every chance she got. 

She listened intently as he explained his project, her eyes lighting up with curiosity. "A mechanical horse? That sounds amazing! I've never seen anything like that before. How does it work? Can you tell me more about it?" Her shyness seemed to fade away as her enthusiasm for his invention grew. Abby was genuinely interested in understanding the world of gears and machinery that Devon was so deeply immersed in, and she couldn't help but feel drawn to him as he spoke about his passion. It was nice to be making a friend as most stay away from her because she was a freak. 

[Devon Long Rare]

“Oh well aren’t you sweet i am probably talking a little too much but it's probably fine. But magic you say, what kind of magic do you do? I can just play with fire and launch fire.” They would shake hands. He would take the rag and wipe more off of his face and brow tired from working in the forge. But he was sure if it was the new girl he met or the hard work but his heart was beating faster. Then she would ask about the horse and he would say “follow me…” and walk over to a table there with a blueprint with the name at the top saying “Project Areion”. “So first you have to pick an awesome name. Then I designed it and have the part dimensions but I am not sure how or what I want it to run on yet. Maybe some sort of fuel or maybe steam, or maybe I can just run flame through it using my fire. Hmmmm. Not sure yet but hopefully here is what it’ll look like. I am hoping it’ll be strong enough and fast enough to take 2 people and be faster than most motorcycles unless Chiron takes it away but hopefully not.” He would flip to the last page which he made a rough drawing of what it will hopefully look like.

[Abigail Asteria Anderson Rare Rare]

Maybe it was the fact that not too many of the others had come to talk to her but she was fascinated with Devon. It was cool that she found someone to talk too as all she had was her half brother Mateo. There would be times that she walked through the camp and was called a freak from her preferring the dead to the living. "Ohhh you know well" the blush began to creep on her face "Magic like my mom does...I can do almost anything...welllll I can't just yet." Abby was getting so red that her face was as red as a beet. "I could try and make fire but it might not be as strong as yours." Abby had heard of the rumors about the boy who could control fire...it wasn't a common ability after all and Hephaestus normally gave it for good reason!

Abigail listened attentively to Devon's explanation, her curiosity growing with each word. As she peered at the blueprint for "Project Areion," she couldn't help but be amazed by his creativity and determination. "Wow," she said, her eyes wide with wonder. "This is incredible, Devon. I mean, creating something like this from scratch is just...wow." She paused, her cheeks reddening again. They had just gotten better from her talk about her magic earlier. "I'm not really sure about the technical stuff, but it sounds amazing. And the name is cool too! Her heart raced as she continued to watch him, feeling a connection she hadn't experienced before. Was this what friends felt like? I mean she had never felt this way with her dead friends.  "I'd love to learn more about it if you don't mind. I mean, if you're okay with that. I find it all really fascinating." She fidgeted with her fingers nervously, trying to contain her excitement. Abby was awkward but genuinely drawn to Devon, both because of his project and the kind-hearted person she could sense beneath the soot and sweat.

[Devon Long Rare]

“I am not sure who your mom is but all i know is that we all need to practice. I am always a little worried about controlling it. Dont want to burn anything down which is why it is probably a good thing that the Hephaestus’ Cabin is mostly made of brick and metal.” He would nervously laugh. “Yeah Arieon, named after one of the horses on Apollos chariot, i thought it was fitting. I was wondering about some technical stuff. I am not quite sure what to do with it yet. You see the knee joints i feel like with this joint and not a full socket just a full ball and socket or should i go with a ball bearing approach. I feel like the friction would be bad or do i just nix the legs and go wheels. I am not sure what will work best.” He would notice her face getting red. And not really understand why so he would say “Is it me or is that forge starting to get super hot.' SO he would go down and turn it down a little. "there that is better. don't want to burn the brass and have it separate. It is almost time for some practice. Steve, my protector makes me do like 2 to 3 hours of weapons training. Then we try to train my fire for an hour or two. But i have a couple of hours till then. I am sure steve wouldn't mind if you come, i mean if you want to. Which when i like to do my forging and stuff i will also come after my 4 to 5 hours of training before lunch then i will probably come back. This project will hopefully be done by the time im 15. ”

[Abigail Asteria Anderson Rare Rare]

Abby couldn't help but feel a bit more at ease as Devon shared his concerns about controlling his fire. "Yeah, I guess it's a good thing your cabin is fireproof," she replied with a small smile, feeling relieved that she wasn't the only one grappling with the challenges of their abilities. I mean her who cabin can do magic so weird things happened all the time and yes it had caught fire once or twice when a spell went wrong. She continued to fidget with her fingers, her nervous energy taking over. "I think 'Areion' is a perfect name, and I'm sure you'll figure out the best approach for the joints. You seem like this might mean a lot to you." She said in a small voice as her eyes went down and then back up to his. One thing about being a demi-god was that your life was filled with tragedy. Abby herself had been going through an identity crisis as she tried to figure out what it meant to be a child of Hecate. Why did her mother give her a gift that seemed to only push her away from her other siblings???

As Devon mentioned his training routine, Abby's anxiety flared up again. "Oh, I don't want to intrude or anything," she stammered, her voice shaky. "I mean, I don't want to be a bother. If you need to focus on your project and training, I totally understand." She felt a wave of self-doubt wash over her, fearing that she might be annoying him like some of the other kids at camp. Abby was torn between her genuine interest in Devon's work and her anxiety about being a burden, causing her to fidget even more. "But if you don't mind it might be nice to train, I do need to work in that area." 

[Devon Long Rare]

“I mean it is a few hours till training. It is going to get really loud and hot in here with the forge going. Just a heads up i am going to work on finishing this spear I have been working on for it. I have almost the whole thing done. Then if i have time make a piece or two for the horse. You can hang out if you want?” he would look at the forge and use his abilities to get the fire up to temperature faster then turn to Abby “can you hand me those tongs and that hammer? Also can you make sure to yell at me when time gets close” he would then go get the metal and say “Ok spear head and put all the components together and we will be good. See those 4 metal buttons can you paint them it doesnt matter the color as long as they are different.” he would spend the next hour or so making the spear head. He would put it together and get a vile of powder and make cartridges out of it. He would press the top and the the head would shoot out about 2 feet and the bottom would make the butt shoot out. Then he would he the 3rd and would cause a loud bang and the spear would fling off the floor and go through the ceiling and stick about a foot in the stone. “Might want to dial that down!” he would laugh then hit the second and the whole thing would retract into a foot long pipe and he would put it on the counter. He would then start and went to get another piece of metal “Hey Abby can you me the dimensions and the curve amount on that piece for the face of the horse?” and start forging it.

[Abigail Asteria Anderson Rare Rare]

Abby couldn't believe her luck. Devon had invited her to hang out while he worked on his project, and she couldn't be more excited. "Oh, sure, I can help with that," she replied, her voice still carrying a trace of nervousness. She handed him the tongs and the hammer, watching him work with fascination as he continued to shape the spearhead. She was amazed by his skills and dedication. As he asked her to paint the metal buttons and get the dimensions for the horse's face, she nodded eagerly, her anxiety giving way to enthusiasm. "I-I can do that, Devon," she said, her words coming out a bit more confidently. Part of her was so happy to have a friend that she was feeling happy to work alongside him even if this was all so new to her.

She took a deep breath and focused on the task at hand, painting the metal buttons carefully. While she worked, she occasionally glanced over at Devon, admiring him as he looked so confident in what he was doing. As he demonstrated the spear's capabilities with a loud bang and the spear sticking into the ceiling, she couldn't help but giggle nervously. "Wow, that's... impressive, who are you making that for?" she said, her cheeks flushed with a mixture of awe and nervousness. Abby then looked at the blueprints dimensions and curves for the horse's face, mumbling the numbers to herself as she jotted them down. Being around Devon and helping him with his project was making her feel more comfortable, and she was grateful for the opportunity to be part of something so fascinating. Walking over to him she tapped him on the shoulder, holding out the number for him "I-is this what you are wanting?" she was hopeful that she did it right! 

[Devon Long Rare]

“Thanks for painting the buttons. My extending spear is done, let's call it the code name scorpion. I like it. I think I will finally catch Steve and some of the other trainers off guard. I cannot wait to see what he thinks of this. Steve, I will get him that goat legged asshole. Basically been beating me up for 4 years.” he would laugh “Goat legged asshole i will have to remember that. Sorry the measurements are exactly what i am looking for.” so he would go grab some more metal and start shaping the metal and would say “Dont forget 1 hour then we gotta go.” he would get mesmerized by the sound of the hammer and the sound of the fire. Whatever she did to tell him the hour was up he would get scared and jump accidentally back into the fire and his shirt would catch fire. So he would quickly use his pyrokinesis to put it out and say “Shit, burnt my shirt good thing i keep extras. He would quickly change shirts saying “Come on Abby we gotta get going.”

[Abigail Asteria Anderson Rare Rare]

Her confidence grew with each passing moment as she watched him work, and she couldn't believe how comfortable she felt around him now. When he mentioned their training time, she nodded and tried to remember the one-hour mark. She knew she had to come up with a way to signal it but wasn't entirely sure how. As the hour drew near, Abby decided to try a simple spell to set a bird alarm. She focused her magic and whispered the incantation she had been practicing for weeks. However, her magic had a tendency to be unpredictable, and instead of hearing a bird chirping, it was Abby herself who let out a loud, startled chirp. She blushed furiously, realizing her spell had gone horribly wrong, and Devon jumped in surprise. "I-I'm so sorry," she stammered, her cheeks turning even redder. "I meant to...um, well, that wasn't supposed to happen." She followed Devon like a puppy dog, feeling mortified but also a strange sense of belonging with him!

[Devon Long Rare]

He would hear Abby mutter something but he would then get back to work not really worrying about she was saying or doing. All of a sudden a bird would sound as he was lost in thought and on his project. He would then continue on the face of the horse. He would hear this bird and jump and he would be curious and just yell “what the fuck is that? Sorry I mean what happened, why is there a bird in here?” He would get a response and an apology about the shirt. Then they would rush to the training grounds. He would show up to the training grounds and saying “Hey Steve I am here not late. This is Abby she was wondering if you could show her a few things with a sword. I finally finished that spear I was working on.” He will press the button and a spear would appear and twirl it. “It was super fun to make and use so far.”