Hello There Arsen

[James Selway Rare Rare Rare]

James had been in the arena with Dustin who was the child of Ares. The two of them had been practicing their skills with swords. Hand to hand combat with dustin had always been a challenge but it also made james better every time. He learn a bit just by Dustin's instructions and then the experience of actually doing it. The two of them are cabin leaders which meant from time to time they are sent out on a quest to fetch a half blood or even fight monster or two. Sweating a bit from his work out he was thirsting for some of the lemonade from the big house. So he ran up the hill and opened the door to the house. Walking right to the kitchen he pulled open the door to the fridge. Grabbing the pitcher of lemonade he found a glass and poured some in it. With a smile he drank the entire thing in five gulps and then pour some more. Man he could tell it was becoming summer!

 

@Arsen Harrington

[Arsen Harrington]

Arsen had been coming to Camp Half-Blood so much that it already felt like his second home. It had been eight years after all but every time he came back, he still felt just a little bit uneasy. He could never quite put his finger on what it was about this place that felt so familiar and so alienating at the same time. Most of the time being at camp was like having a completely different life than when he was in New York. That sense of having a double identity had always just messed up with his head and honestly, in the grand scheme of things, he probably needed a lot of therapy to make up for it. But he wasn't thinking about that now. In fact, he hardly if ever actually thought about it and instead he focused on more pleasant things, mainly anything that didn't require him looking too deep into himself. 

Being one of the oldest campers here, Arsen had a good sense of who was who and always took notice of the new kids. He was approachable and charismatic, mostly because he felt bad for them. He knew what it had been like to be thirteen and have your sense of identity completely shift, not to mention coming to terms with your god parent's abandonment. Arsen had never quite gotten over his and he was twenty-one years old. "I would think you were drinking something else by the way you're drinking that with such glee," Arsen said. "Then again, you always do everything with much glee." He snickered. "Hey, what's new with you?"

[James Selway Rare Rare Rare]

James finished drinking and wiped his lip looking over with a smile as he looked over to Arsen. He would know that voice from anywhere. Laughing he nodded "I mean I wouldn't say no to a drink like that but Dionysus would probably strike me down out of jealousy." Then shutting the door to the fridge he listened to Arsens question. "Well gone on a few quest to rescue some half bloods and killed a few monsters or two." He said with a grimace face thinking how bad it had gotten lately with monsters in the world. "Also been working on stuff for my classes" Then going over to the table he grabbed a cookie and bit into it. "What about you? How is the real world?"

[Arsen Harrington]

Arsen raised his eyebrows and nodded. He could definitely see Dionysus acting in such a way towards the drink of they had such a drink in place. Honestly, he would be acting that way himself as he knew a thing or two about excess and letting himself get crazy. Which was fine, especially when he was hanging out with the Dionysus half bloods, with whom he got a long the best. He nodded. Going on missions wasn't always Arsen's cup of tea. He could do it and he was fit enough to handle himself in an excellent manner, not to mention he was developing his abilities further, but most of the quests started in the day when he was at his weakest and well, he didn't love that. "Oh yeah, have you found any new kids? Which parent was it now?" He said in clearly a tone of resentment. Arsen had never quite gotten over his mother leaving them and whenever he saw more and more half blood kids join the camp, he couldn't help but sigh his head in disapproval. These kids had a lifetime of identity crisis ahead of them and all due to their god parent's selfish demeanor. "It's fine, you know?" He said, shrugging his shoulders. "It's going. It looks like it is going to be a good summer though." Arsen was never one to really share much about what was going on in his life and the fact that he had nothing going on in the real world, no real job or college or anything like that to share made things awkward. He was essentially just partying and buying stuff and things of the sort. "I'm thinking of getting a new boat. Take it to the lake by my house."

[James Selway Rare Rare Rare]

Ever since Dionysus got punished by Zeus he had been bitter that he was not allowed to drink any alcohol. But even worse was that he was made to be camp director which he hated. He had always treated the campers like they were burdens. James did his best to work with him but that was hard when the guy loved to call you by the wrong name or ignore you all together. He got along with his children however just fine. James didn't really have to many campers that he didn't like. There was always going to be one here or there. 

"A handful were found and one ever came to me in my dreams" he laughed thinking about savanna. "Some of them I could maybe give a guess but they should be claimed by tonight at least. A few younger kids have been saved and might have a while." James could tell that Arsen was not the happiest about the Gods relations with mortal or their own kids. James didn't agree with it either but he saw his purpose to help prepare and protect those children who did not ask for this troubled life. 

He was always interested in the life of those who went home during the year or the adventures they went on. James life revolved around camp and maintaining it year around. He had nowhere to go home too but he would love to see his half sister. Shaking his head he smiled "Yeah I agree. Want to hang out sometime later?" he was thinking they could have some drinks or maybe they could play some games! "Oh really? Well maybe I could come hangout on this boat with you sometime?" 

[Arsen Harrington]

Arsen always had such a hard time coming to terms with his mother being a goddess. For some reason, he just couldn't get past the abandonment and even though he knew that it wasn't her choice, that almighty Zeus had put in place this law that all the gods should be removed from their children, the bitter seed of resentment lingered and he could feel resentment for years to come. Not to mention, the loss of the love of his life had ultimately killed his father and Arsen could not forgive that. At times it made him wonder if his mother knew and if she knew, did she care? Or was his father just another man for her to be with and the fact that they had children was just another thing she did to pass the time, like Scrabble or a Netflix show? "Are any of them, you know-" He stopped for a moment because however it being such a simple question, he still struggled to ask it. "My siblings?" Half siblings, he wanted to remind himself but did it really matter? And why was he asking? He didn't hang around his siblings now so what difference would it make? But somehow Arsen couldn't help but think about one of the younger kids as confused and lost as he was. "Yeah, now I got entertaining stuff in my cabin," he said and that always meant nothing good, bending the rules just a bit. "For sure. You've ever been anywhere but here?"

[James Selway Rare Rare Rare]

James watched Arsen as he spoke about the new campers that had been brought in for claiming. The Satyr's had done a good job this year with the help of some older campers. "Maybe, I mean we will see if they are claimed tonight." It was always so hard for him to peg down which God's would claim which children but he did know that one of his actually siblings Asher was here. He had seen her earlier so the two of them would get to see each other. James didn't know the relationship between the two of them but hey. They all had to figure out how to live right?  "Cool" James answered as the two of them would chill later. Maybe they would find something entertaining to do. Being an older camper was one with a lot of responsibility so it was nice to chill and just relax for a bit. "Yeah went out to Maine earlier this spring to see the coast and find my sister but no luck" he said as that was the last lead he had. "But I went to new york to meet up with some of the other older campers, What have you been up to in travels?" 

 

@ Arsen Harrington

[Arsen Harrington]

Arsen didn't know if he would ever get used to knowing he had half siblings roaming around the world and he would eventually come to meet them. It was a weird thing for him and it irritated him. For instance, it was very annoying to know his mother fell in and out of affairs for the sake of boredom and chose to have kids for no other reason but because she could. Didn't she know that the world was overpopulated and they didn't need more children. Besides, she already had enough. What was she looking for? Where the ones she already have not good enough for her? Or was she just that careless and insensitive.

Arsen didn't know much about her half siblings lives but he was aware enough to know that not all of them would be as lucky as he and his sister were. Some of them could be living in poverty or be orphans like he was. Yes, he considered himself an orphan regardless of whether or not his mother was still alive. His real parent had died. The one that had taken care of him and that was what mattered. "You ever get used to that? Knowing we have siblings roaming around without knowing who they are?" Arsen sighed. He knew he would take care of his siblings if need be. He had the means to do so but still, he wasn't sure how he felt about it. He looked at James hoping he had some answers.

"Why didn't you tell me you were in New York before? I could have set you up," he said before shrugging. "I didn't do much. I spent most of the summer in the Hamptons but then went to Prague with my sister for our annual holiday before camp. It was fun." And by fun he meant a lot of inappropriate behavior that wasn't entirely legal at times but who was he to kiss and tell.

[James Selway Rare Rare Rare]

Being around Arsen meant a lot of questions being asked, that wasn't a bad thing. In all honesty he was good to have around to have a perspective of conversation and processing. James knew that he could get caught up in the day to day activities that he had to do plus taking care of the camp itself. Things did not run itself so it was nice to stop and have a grown up conversation about the reality they had to go through. "No" he said firmly "I hate knowing that half-bloods are out in the world in danger or even worse putting mortals in danger." He had a grim face on knowing this was not the way he wanted it to be but the way it was for now. James sat back with a thinking face. He had seen a lot of things over the years he had been at camp. "I saw a lot of things in the war I fought along side Percy Jackson" he said with sadness in his voice  "Many half-bloods were fed up with the God's and ready to strike them down. Brother fight brother and so much death" he said feeling angry and pain himself. "I don't think you ever get use to it and when you do then something is wrong."

 

Talking about travels was a much better topic but life needed a little of both to be realistic right? "Ohhh I didn't know if you were in town and didn't know if I would be a bother" he said truthfully. It was always so interesting the lives the twins lived. They were fortune enough to have money to travel but he had never even touched much outside of the states. "What is Prague like? Never been but heard amazing things" He finished saying with a smile. If he couldn't go then maybe he could live vicariously through Arsen. 

[Arsen Harrington]

Arsen had heard the stories about Percy Jackson and his reputation as a child of one of the infamous Big Three. He always thought it was a rather curious label to put on those gods. Yes, they were the most powerful or the leathers and what not but in all honesty, he didn't think they deserved that much praise. Arsen in general wasn't much of a fan of the gods in general and he had thought many times what he would say to them if he ever got a chance. He had talked about it with his sister and Asher, in typical Asher fashion, had shrugged and said that some things were futile. Maybe so, but that didn't mean it wasn't a relief to say them.

"I can't say I am not glad to have skipped out on that whole thing. It sounded like a lot." And honestly, Arsen didn't want to get into too much detail about it. Because he had a feeling that he would be the type of person to get used to it. He was a son of Hecate after all and she was known to be one of those gods that had managed to inherit certain negative traits on their children. "I don't know if I could be that certain myself," Arsen said before shrugging.

"It's nice. It is like the bridge between Western and Eastern Europe. There is a castle there that dates back to the Middle Ages and when you finally make it to the top, the view is amazing. People are really friendly too and the beer is extraordinary. It was just one of my first stops on my way to get to know all those countries. Have you ever been anywhere outside of the US?"

[James Selway Rare Rare Rare]

Unfortunate for him, to have been made an orphan at the age of ten years old, that meant that James was taken to camp half-blood when he was much younger than a lot of campers. That was when he found out about the Titan war. It was all demi-gods on deck ready for the war that went on for years. War was something that made a kid pretty hard but he tried to still laugh. "Yeah it was rough. Most here don't remember it as they have either all moved on to new rome, trying to make it out in the mortal world or have died." The look on his face was serious. Even years later he would have nightmares of the big battle. Monsters and titans working together for the destruction of the world. "But I don't do the things I do for them" his eyes went upward as to say the Gods "But for the half-bloods who deserve better in this world than to have a tragic story." 

The two of them struck out a conversations on travels. It was good to talk about something that Arsen enjoyed. Europe was a place he had always wanted to travel to but was not fortune too. "That sounds like a cool place to go to" he said at first but then thought about the question he asked. "Well I have been to Brazil with Larissa which was amazing. Glad I had as my personal tour guide but other than that I haven't." But maybe james would take some time off from being a cabin leader and travel, going on quest or even just enjoying life. "I would love to go sometime though, maybe you and I should do a trip?" he suggested as it would be nice to spend time with Arsen. 

 

@ Arsen Harrington

Edited August 15, 2022 by James Selway

[Arsen Harrington]

Arsen hadn't had to endure the atrocities of war, even if it was war in the god world. His life had been secluded and relatively safe. He had had every comfort known to man and hadn't had to spend a day wondering if there was anything he was missing. But that didn't mean he didn't have his own version of tragedy. Arsen, however, had never thought about his struggles as tragic. Mostly because he never admitted he had struggles to begin. He was prone to darkness, quite in the literal and metaphorical way and his own upbringing had left him susceptible to developing addictions. That was to people, things, thoughts, it did not matter. Arsen didn't know how to do life on a gray scale. It was always all or nothing. But that was something he kept to himself. "It seems that is the sort of fate that accompanies most of us," he said.

Then he took a deep breath and prompted to change the subject and talk of better things. "That can be arranged. You can pick anywhere on the map and we can go." Arsen had no obligations and unlimited funds. He wasn't the training to take over his father's company. That was all Asher. He was the spoiled child that was lost in his ways but that didn't mean he didn't want to figure out his own path. He just didn't think it was out there in the business world, and he had to figure out his place as a demi-god. He had the mental energy for one existencial crisis at a time.

[James Selway Rare Rare Rare]

Nodding to Arsen comment, he couldn't agree more as he had seen most of what the world brought their way. Being a Cabin Leader meant he had to talk to most of the new campers who came to camp. Hearing the tragedy after tragedy of how they got attacked by monsters or had the worst luck happen to their families. This got him down from time to time but he tried to pick himself up as he remembered that they were safe while at camp. They would make new bonds of family here along with friendships. This was the only hope he had to hold onto to keep himself going. At times he felt as if most looked to him as a smiling face. So if he was sad then what did they have???

"Ummmmmm that sounds like a great idea, how about we go to Amsterdam or Somewhere in Spain?" They were the places that he had wanted to go the most in this world. To see the ocean from the beautiful country or have a good time in the cities. "You in?" he asked with a smirk as he was ready to get out of camp for a bit when the summer was over. After all his duties with camp was done he would go off and have a good time for once. Wondering what time it was he looked around to find the light outside the window. "Heyy Arsen, want to go by the mess hall and grab some food?" 

[Arsen Harrington]

Arsen felt like he was doing a lot of leg work lately. Meaning he was working on being more confident, more self sufficient and even stepping out of his comfort zone when he needed to. He wanted to be more composed and prepared and not constantly feel like he was failing without even trying. Granted, he wasn't particularly eager to fail while trying either but he at least wanted to give it a shot before he gave up. Maybe it was McKayla's influence on him and the fact that as a child of Nike, she always wanted to win. Maybe that was rubbing off on him. Honestly, not everything had to be so doom and gloom in his life. Not an easy task considering not only was he genetically predisposed to it but it was hard to not feel bad when one heard the multiple stories that seemed to engulf most if not all of the demigods.

While Arsen's life was not a tragedy, in fact, was the farthest thing from it, there were moment of deep sadness and darkness. His father never quite got over losing his mother and Arsen always had a feeling he died slowly of a broken heart. A true Greek tragedy perhaps and one he didn't often liked to talk about it. But alas, this was certainly not the time or the place. "Why not both? It is a very nice train from Barcelona to Amsterdam. We can even work our way from the Iberian Penninsula and into the Germanic countries. Honestly, we have nothing but time." And resources but those were details they could discuss some time soon. "Is there a place you have always wanted to go but never had the chance? I keep trying to answer that question myself but never quite know what the answer to that is." He wanted to make his answer memorable but he had no idea what. "For sure, let's go."

[James Selway Rare Rare Rare]

The idea of traveling had kind of set James heart on fire as he wanted to see the world. Most of his life had been tied up in the camp with taking care of campers and being a some what parent to the young ones. This was a lot on him at times but now that he was getting older, a part of him craved to be in the world for a bit to see it and experience it all. Going with someone who was well experienced in it all is a huge plus too! Arsen had been all around the globe in a way he knew what to expect when traveling which James had not. 

Trying to come up with a place to go, a few came to mind which he then spoke to Arsen just to hear why not both. The look of shock and excitement ran across James face as he had not even thought that was a possibility. "Ohhh that would be so sick" he said quickly to his friend "I just didn't think about it" scratching his head with a smile "We sort of do have all the time in the world!" With the campers soon to be back home after the summer was up, it meant he could take a break! "Ummm well in spain there is Valencia, Barcelona and Madrid........with Amsterdam I honestly don't know too much about it but heard it is a great place to go!" 

[Arsen Harrington]

Arsen was so accustomed to his way of life that it never occurred to him that some people couldn't just do whatever they wanted. If Arsen wanted to travel, he could. If he wanted to book a last minute flight, he could. If he didn't feel like making his way to his own townhouse in New York City because he was at a party in the West Village, he could just book a hotel and be done with it. He was accustomed to every kind of comfort he wanted so the fact that James looked at him with surprise when he simply stated they could do both was baffling. "Yeah, that is a good start for the Spanish tour," he said. "And Amsterdam is pretty nice. Well, that is what I have heard. If I am being perfectly honest, I don't remember much of my time there. I didn't exactly participate in clean activities." Or at all. The last time he had been there, he had been eighteen and ready to drink his way through Europe. Amsterdam had been such a nice place to unwind and experiment and honestly, he had no idea what he had taken. Everything had been a blur and waking up in a random hotel had been a little much for him at the time. It would be nice to go and actually remember what the trip was about.

[James Selway Rare Rare Rare]

James totally excited for the idea of traveling with Arsen was like a kid at a candy shop. With the places he had in mind the two of them should have a good time for sure. Traveling had always been something James wanted to do more as he grew older. The world had so much to offer which he wanted to see and do all there was! "Well no worries, we can figure out while we go" he laughed knowing they would be having their own stories like that on this trip. "As long as we make it back alive then I would see that as a good trip for sure" he said putting the expectations there. James was not ignorant to the life style of partying and fun. He had done plenty of it himself over the years. Then looking up at the clock he realized what time it was "Oh do you want to get some food, I need to head to the mess hall to make sure things are in good order. You can tag along if you like" his thumb was pointing towards the place he was going. 

 

[[want to end here? We can start a new one if you like ]]