It'll All Come Out in the Wash

[Lilythe Rayne Rare]

Lilythe was in a haze. The last 24 hours had been a wild ride. Azrael returned. They had gone to the beach to catch up. It had turned into quite the disagreement, with Lilythe ready to walk out on him like he had walked out on her. Only to have him turn around and confess that he had been in love with her for the last several years. It was all far too much for her to process. She didn't exactly know how she felt. Surprised. Confused. Happy. Anxious. It was a storm of emotions in her mind.

Cleaning Cabin 11 had become a regular pastime for Lilythe when she was filled with big emotions. She focused all that pent up energy from the emotions she couldn't fully process into cleaning so that she could stop thinking about them for a little while. So as soon as she had returned to the cabin that day, she had entered full-on spring-cleaning mode in the middle of summer. It started with dusting the fans and hanging up some lights around the common living area. It quickly became a whole project where she moved furniture, swept and mopped behind them, moved them back and finished off the rest of the room. She had just began washing the windows when some of her siblings had entered the cabin. "Oh! Hey everyone. We were overdue for a deep clean." She said with a smile. Most of her siblings just ignored her and went about their days. "Don't forget to wash up for dinner. We need to head to the mess hall in half an hour." She called after them.

She turned to her half-brother who had stuck around. "Hey Joaquin. Did you have a good day?"

@ Joaquín De León

[Joaquín De León Rare]

For Joaquín, he holds Lilythe as an older sister in the highest regard- perhaps more than his half-siblings. He does see her as a sister he never had and despite her being one for everyone else, it's different whenever they speak to each other. She cares about him just as much as he cares about her so he would often respect her for having so much love to give to others. Just recently, a familiar man had came back to her life and he knew because she mentioned him a few times already. Someone who had walked out on her so of course, the man had lost his respect. Yet for her, the child of Hermes was willing to compromise and let him loose.

He had just returned from a class activity along with his half-siblings, a smile momentarily appearing as she continued to clean the interior from the inside out. He knew her enough to know that cleaning was her way of dealing with her emotions so when the cabin is clean, he and his half-siblings would know she is dealing with something. And this time, it's about the last 24 hours. "Actually, you were overdue for cleaning." He playfully teased her. "I did have a good day. I went pegasus riding, hung out with Aislynn... pretty much it. Um, what about you sis? You seemed to be overwhelmed... Are you alright?"

Edited August 12, 2022 by Joaquín De León

[Lilythe Rayne Rare]

Lilythe chuckled as Joaquin teased her. "I probably was." She said, setting the cleaners down and rubbing her brow. She was glad to hear the Joaquin had been having a good day thus far. She loved all of her siblings, indeed probably all of the campers if truth be told, but there were a few--like Joaquin--who held a special place in her heart. Moments like this were why. He demonstrated an understanding of her as a person that not everyone in camp did. She gave him a soft smile and sat down on the couch.

"I'm fine. A little confused, unsure of what's going to happen, but I'm alright." Realizing that sounded a bit cryptic, Lilythe continued. "Sorry, not trying to alarm you. I'm just still trying to figure out how I feel about something, that's all." She let her head rest on the back of the couch and stared at the ceiling. "Azrael left because he was in love with me and couldn't stand to see me with Shadow anymore." Everyone knew that Shadow had been bad for her in the end. It hadn't started that way. He had honestly been a wonderful boyfriend in the beginning. But over time he became more and more possessive of her, envious when she spent time with others in a way that he had never been before. Lilythe never really understood why, but now that Azrael had confessed his feelings she was starting to wonder if it had to do with that game of capture the flag when they were younger. Azrael had shoved Shadow down a hill, he'd been injured pretty badly at the time, but Lilythe had written it off as the two of them being competitive. She had never fathomed that it might have been anything deeper than that. However, it did align with the change in his behavior. "Overwhelmed is a good word for it." She said, looking back at Joaquin.

[Joaquín De León Rare]

Her half-sibling sat down on the couch with her and lent her his ears. He wanted to know what was bothering her and a little more in detail of how the string of events is affecting her in anyway. He was a bit relieved to hear that she was fine but he was not satisfied completely. He can be overprotective of her, given the events she had experienced with Shadow but hearing that Azrael leaving camp because he could not stand to see her with her previous lover... That's news to him. He had always thought they were friends from the beginning but who would have thought that this man had feelings for her all along? He never liked that he shoved Shadow and for him to confess was outright shameful but hearing her story had just debunked his speculations. He became rather ashamed of himself now for forming them and made a mental note to chat with him whenever available.

You could say he's overwhelmed himself. Joaquin liked to hear about gossip around camp but he always kept what happened with Lilythe to himself out of his love for her. After she was done, silence befell onto the cabin for a good few seconds only for him to take a deep breath. Looking at his half-sister, he was looking at her with mixed emotions- mostly of concern and worry. "I... would be overwhelmed too. For him to do that... You should give yourself time to think about it. I'm sure he will understand. In the meantime, I think I can keep him occupied. You know. To get his mind off of this and have some fun here in camp." He licked his lips. "You should go ahead and relax yourself too. Maybe finish cleaning the cabin today?" A soft chuckle parted his lips as he opened his arms. Leaning towards her, he moved to put her in his embrace and placed his arms around her torso.

[Lilythe Rayne Rare]

Lilythe leaned into the hug that Joaquin initiated. "I mean, yeah, I'll probably finish cleaning but I probably shouldn't keep avoiding it forever." She acknowledged. It wouldn't be responsible for her to just keep avoiding it forever. In fact, would make her basically just as bad as Azrael, and she knew it. The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she was with his decision to leave instead of talk to her. Sure, it would have been selfish for him to confess his feelings while she was with someone else, but it was equally selfish to cut her out of his life without so much as a word as to why. "Part of me is angry that he never told me and just ran away instead. I thought he hated me for years." She sighed.

Settling down, she rested her head on Joaquin's shoulder. The emotions that raged within her were complex, but she was trying to sort through them. "Part of me is just relieved that it wasn't my fault, it was something he was dealing with. Which feels a little selfish." Perhaps it was selfish of her to be happy that it hadn't been her fault, but she was. 

"And I'm trying to figure out how I feel about him..." Lilythe confessed. The reality was that she had been with Shadow since she was fifteen. It had been eight years with the same man. She hadn't really looked at other men in all that time. She wasn't sure what she even wanted in a man, yet. The last few months since the break-up had all been spent focusing on trying to heal the pain she had been in. This was the first time she had even been confronted with the idea that she might start dating again at some point. 

But it's Azrael... Lilythe had thought about him every day since he had left camp. He had been so incredibly important to her since they were children. Her heart was so happy to see him back at camp. She wanted nothing more than for them to be able to just slide back into their old routine as if nothing had happened. Sometimes she couldn't help but find her mind wondering what it would be like to kiss him, but then she was immediately frightened by the thought of losing him or ruining their friendship. Or she would be brought back to anger by remembering that he had left her and might do so again. Her feelings were a whirlwind and overwhelmed her whole being. "I don't know what I'm going to do..."

[Joaquín De León Rare]

"Well... The next time you want to clean the cabin inside out, you let me know and I can lend a hand. I want to be a part of making this cabin clean. Our half-siblings can sometimes be a little... disorganized. Myself included." He admitted. He parted from the hug before laying back in the couch, allowing the cushions to provide comfort to his body. With Lilythe sitting right next to him and laying her head on his shoulder, it was reassuring to know that she felt the same way about him and he would reciprocate one hundred percent. Joaquín was trying to make sense of the situation because a man whom she thought hated her just shows up out of the blue and confesses his feelings towards her. While he applauds on quite the bold action, it was shameless of him to do it when he just left camp without a word. "People can be weird sometimes." He was trying to find the right words. "They can be doing this and that without thinking twice about how others can affect them. I suppose... he did not want to you know that he had feelings for you at the time."

"You do have every right to be angry though. He did not say anything because I think... he could not stand the sight of you with Shadow. Anyone would be hurt seeing the person they love being with another person. Jealousy, anger, and sorrow are common emotions anyone would have in that situation." He did not think his words bear weight when he hasn't been in a relationship himself but he remembered people's experiences with it. Love can be a double-edged sword- it can bring two people who were the best of friends to act like they're not. "A little selfish, yes but anyone would be relieved to know anything is not their fault."

Joaquín had been there during the latter years when his half-sister was with Shadow. He was happy for them as they seemed to be a great couple in his eyes but there was something odd about that young man. He could not say until much later when he was being possessive of her. That behavior grew too much, ultimately a cause for their break up. After her ex-boyfriend left camp, he made sure to be there for Lilythe every single day. Giving her hugs, food, and even telling the stuff he did with Aislynn that made her laugh though some pranks can get too far. So for Azrael to just show up all of a sudden... He was trying to figure it out too. "If Azrael is important to you then... try not to think about it. Try not to think too much about the past because doing it will get you nowhere."

It's not the best solution but... "I'm not saying you should go back to dating but spending more time with him will confirm how you feel about him. See him as a friend first before doing anything else. Extra brownie points if he's patient enough for that slow burn." He began to smile. At the same time, Joaquín wanted to spend some time with the man. He did not know much about him other than what Lilythe had told him but he might as well help him fit into camp once again.

[Lilythe Rayne Rare]

Disentangling herself from the hug as Joaquin went to lay down, Lilythe moved to the other end of the couch. "Yeah, I get that. So it's fine that he didn't want me to know, but disappearing and letting me think it was my fault for years is a bit excessive." She crossed her arms. Lilythe really was quite angry about that. And she deserved to be. She knew that he only did what he thought was right at the time, and she wouldn't hate him forever. But for now, she had just learned what he had done and she needed a while to process it before she would be able to really move past it. The wound was still fresh and it had come from a source that she had expected would never betray her. "And I know Shadow wasn't great for me at the end... but he wasn't always that way." Lilythe sighed. She couldn't understand what had been so bad that had pushed Azrael to the point where he couldn't stand to see her around him. Once more she leaned her head back and looked up at the ceiling.

"I am thinking about it... I've been doing nothing but thinking about it... and I don't know how I feel. Or... rather... I feel too many things to keep them all straight." That was the real problem she was having right now. One minute she was angry with him for how he left things. The next she wanted to wrap him in a hug and tell him As Joaquin suggested that she spend time with him to figure out her feelings, Lilythe nodded. "Yeah... I probably will, but I need to sort some of this before then. You know? Like I don't want to still be angry and take it out on him" She almost had today. She had yelled at him. 

"I just want this part to be over and to know what I'm doing again... I hate feeling lost like this."

 

[Joaquín De León Rare]

"I think so too." Her half-brother responded, but it was all he could say. He wanted to bring up to try to understand his point of view but it will probably get her to me more angry at him despite his initial thoughts at the man. And quite frankly, both Azrael and Shadow are immature so both of them did not wind up getting his approval- not that Lilythe actually needed it. He could remember the times when she would cry about him but he was not there to for all of them. He could not bring himself to watch her cry. Just not again. At the same time, he wanted to give Azrael a chance as well. He did not need her to take out his anger at him when he came back and sought to repair what they had before. A friendship. And possibly... a romantic bloom. "You're right. You don't need to take it out on him. He just came back to camp. This man did this just to say he loves you. I think that's pretty shameless but he came back. That's what matters. You are a big part of his life, sis. I hope your feelings don't get in the way with that."

Joaquín's hand made its way to place itself on top of Lilythe's, giving it a soft squeeze as he set an affectionate yet concerned gaze towards his half-sister. "What I want for you is to be happy. And I'm sure Azrael wants the same thing too. It takes time and we have all the time in the world for each other." He paused. "It's not like we know what to do. We have never experienced something like this before. Feeling lost... It's normal. Getting lost... is normal too. Just a matter of perspective. And that is what makes us human. The half of us, anyways." A soft chuckle parted his lips, spoken in a attempt to lift the tension in the air. 

[Lilythe Rayne Rare]

Lilythe sighed. "Just wish I could skip ahead to the end and not go through all this chaos, you know?" As she felt Joaquin's hand squeeze hers, she sat up and squeezed it gently back before releasing it. "I've had enough chaos for one lifetime. I feel like the gods could afford to cut me some slack." As she said the last part, she angled her speech up towards the sky, though she guessed that none of them were listening. It was the Fates she would need to talk to anyway. 

"You know, sometimes I need a friendly reminder that I'm allowed to be human too." Lilythe said as she nudged Joaquin's shoulder. "Thanks." That was certainly true. Lilythe was well known to overextend herself and push herself well beyond her limits to try and take care of everyone else but her. She often needed reminding that she was a person that needed to be taken care of every now and then too. While she wasn't physically injured right now, she was emotionally drained. It was okay to feel that way and to take time for some self-care. Joaquin's words had reminded her that maybe she should cut herself some slack and just allow herself to feel things for a bit. Sure, it wasn't a great feeling, but once she finished processing things she would be much better for it than if she continued to try and pack it away and not deal with it.

Sitting up straight, she looked over at her half-brother. "Enough of my moping though. What are your plans for the rest of the day?" She smiled over at him. 

[Joaquín De León Rare]

"Of course. I'll keep our half-siblings occupied, let them know that their big sister is taking a break. Not that they care anyways. A little frustrating that they are not here but I'm sure they will help you in times of need. We're all here to help each other. We just.... prefer to go on our own ways first."

Joaquín made a mental note of her classes as well in case she wants to extend her self care though she is more likely to return so she could host the classes herself. The thing she is going through - he could not completely fathom, but he did try his best to comprehend it through this conversation. There was a pause between them until she recomposed herself and asked him if he had any plans. Her smile could only bring him to smile as well. He could not get enough of it. "Umm, I canceled my plans for today so I can be with you. Just one day though. A young man's gotta train and have fun." Then he was wondering what she had planned for the day but he wanted to provide some suggestions.

"Did you want to take a walk and talk more, or do something more thrilling like pegasus riding? How about some exercise like rock climbing or dueling? Zoren gave me an earful the other day but if it's with you, I'm cool." Her half-brother snickered - its not like he did not like Zoren but he kept nitpicking on his form. He wanted to complain but understood his sincerity in teaching him what is best for him.

[Lilythe Rayne Rare]

Lilythe chuckled. Keeping their siblings busy wouldn't be an easy feat, and there was certainly no shortage of chaos in Cabin 11. "You don't have to worry about keeping them busy. Honestly, the distraction from my internal monologue would be welcome. I just hope my personal life settles down a bit is all." Lilythe said with a smile. She curled her legs up against her chest as she continued to sit on the couch. 

"That's so sweet! You didn't need to do that." Lilythe appreciated the gesture. It really was very kind of him to take time out of his day to look after her. These were the moments where Lilythe realized just how much she had impacted the kids at camp. When they took time out of their days to make sure that she was okay, she felt like she had truly impacted their lives in a meaningful way because they were displaying affection. Especially when it was teenagers who were notorious for distancing themselves from adults. "I'm happy to have your company, don't get me wrong, but if you have things to do I will be okay."

Lilythe let herself uncurl and pandiculated as she tried to find some more energy.  "But if you'd like, I suppose I could find the energy for a walk. Just... let's stay away from Cabin 16 for now."

[Joaquín De León Rare]

When Lilythe curled her legs, Joaquín crossed his legs into a butterfly and placed his hands together in case she had more to say. "I'm sure it will die down soon as long as you find a way to deal with it. We all can't run away from our problems forever so we would have to face them anyway we can. Just like the gods. I hear they have so many problems piled up that it would take centuries to resolve all of them. Maybe that's why they indirectly had monsters attack us, yes?" A soft chuckle parted his lips.

He was not so keen in letting her go when he already had plans since he preferred sticking around when she feels unwell. He's already aware that she can take care of herself - he just prefers being there for her and made it a habit which brought some campers to proclaim him having a sister complex. He did not mind as he felt it was more of a banter instead of an insult. He narrowed his eyes. "Hmm, I don't think so sis. If you absolutely insist that you can take care of yourself, then I will go but in the mean time... you're stuck with me. I will try not to annoy you too much, okay?"

Her half-brother stood up first upon the suggestion of taking a walk to which he was more than eager to do. "Of course. Cabin 16 won't see us walking past. I mean the cabin itself, not the children of Nemesis." He grinned as a hand reached out for her to take. "Relax, sis. You're in good hands. We could even drop by our cabin so I can stock up on those color powder balloons or something. Maybe pull a prank or two. Or just a walk is fine with me." He understood the reason she wanted to avoid that cabin but it was only temporarily until she can get settled with her emotions. Until then, it stays out of her mind.

[Lilythe Rayne Rare]

Lilythe chuckled softly. Running away from her problems was exactly what she tried to do earlier in the year. When she and Shadow had broken up, Lilythe went out and explored the world. Running from everyone and everything that might have caused her pain or anguish. But nothing had ever come of it. In the end, she still had felt hurt and the only place that she had ever felt relief was back at camp, with all the campers she had made into her family. "No, Joaquin. The only reason monsters attack us is because they cannot eat the gods, but they can eat us. We smell like them. No more, no less." Campers often tried to find reason for the monsters' interest in them. It really was as simple as animalistic craving. "Though I will admit that certain parents do make it so that certain monsters take extra delight." A few thoughts came to mind. Arachne and children of Athena, came to mind, among others. "But in the end, they'd hunt down any demigod. It's just their nature."

"You won't annoy me at all." She smiled over at her half-brother. For all his rough exterior, the boy did have a soft heart. She hoped that would never change.

"We're already at our Cabin. Or did you forget?" Lilythe chuckled and gestured around her. "Stock up all you want. I'm not in the mood for a prank, but you absolutely can." She grinned. "Just don't hurt anyone, and I can pretend I heard nothing." She winked at him. 

[Joaquín De León Rare]

At least, he was partly right but he had forgotten about the very fact that monsters just want to hunt demigods simply because they're not immortal. At the moment, he did a mental face palm of himself and make a note to brush up on his lore with her next time or James if he's available. At the same time, he thought Hermes probably stirred something up in that realm of his and caused certain monsters to have it out for them. Either way, as long as the campers stay within the camp boundaries, they're safe. He was wondering what sort of creatures they faced if not hellhounds and harpies but he brushed his thoughts aside, happy to be reassured that he won't be a thorn to her.

"I- I forgot..." Joaquín looked away in embarrassment for the moment as his face red, eyes darting around for him to confirm the obvious. They are in Hermes' Cabin alright. "Well, okay. I'll just get two and then we'll get going. I'll save the rest for Aislynn." Grabbing first the colored powder balloons that were stocked in the cabin's "Prank Items" cabinet, he held two on each hands. When he approached the cabin entrance, he turned around and gestured for her to come over. "A powered color walk it is."

As the two began their stroll on camp grounds, her half-brother was scouting on the campers to see if he could throw the balloons while have them suspect another but also to find a hiding spot for him to take while he witnesses it. The farther he could throw, the better. He wished he could have the Apollo children's' gift right now. "So if you don't mind me asking... What do you like about camp? I know I'll probably never hear the end of it but I still want to know." 

[Lilythe Rayne Rare]

Lilythe let Joaquin lead them out of the cabin and she followed him at a leisurely pace. "You're not wrong, the list is really long. But honestly? It's the only home I remember." She began answering his question. "I came here when I was really small. And I don't really have family to return to. So Camp Half-Blood, and my siblings, are the only family I have. I guess I've never really wanted to be anywhere else." It wasn't exactly what he had asked, but it was the honest truth nonetheless.

"Capture the flag is always fun. And I love watching everyone grow up." They didn't always make it to adulthood back when I started. Lilythe kept that last part to herself. It was still true, even today, but the kids died a lot less often now that they were claimed and there were fewer catastrophic events happening. She was sure there was another one just around the corner, but she tried to write that off as her own paranoia. It probably was anyway. After all, children of Hermes didn't have the gift of foresight. 

"What about you Joaquin? What do you like? Do you plan to go off to New Rome when you're 18?"

[Joaquín De León Rare]

Home.

She said. It never dawned on him that this could be a home to many campers. After visiting this place for two more summers, his mother had asked him if he wanted to stay here year around during his high school years. She felt that this would be the best place for him to learn, to grow, and to prepare himself for the real world. The reality he thought was beyond the boundary was not the same before he caught into his abilities. His mother knew that her demigod son was someone she could not take care of on her own and the more they are together, the more likely they are to be in danger. After agreeing to her request, this summer became his first summer where he won't come back but still made sure to visit during special occasions. He wrote letters to her too about his experiences in camp and would sometimes mention Lilythe as an older sister he never had.

"I do like to have fun as you can see." With a smile, he gestured over to the powdered color balloons in his hand. "I know I might lose interest in this so I'm just doing it while I can. They're harmless. You know that. And..." Joaquín did not think much about New Rome. All he knew is that its a place where the older campers get to study instead of those universities his mother had mentioned to him. Sure he has good academic standing but he wanted to focus on his demigod life for now. "I don't know. I haven't planned it out yet." It was the honest truth. "I heard there's lots of other things campers do when they leave like working or going to another university or even experience the world. Just not sure what I want to do."

"What about you? Do you have any dreams? Any goals?" He wanted to know about her aspirations. I mean, she can't just stay in here forever, right?

[Lilythe Rayne Rare]

The change of pace helped. Lilythe could already feel her mood improving. She liked hearing a bit about her brother and what he was like. "You have plenty of time to decide all that. I was just curious. It's an interesting place to visit, even if you don't decide to go there for university. New Rome is a safe haven, like Camp Half-Blood. Though... there are a lot of Roman half-bloods there." Lilythe said with a note of joking distaste. She didn't actually dislike them, though things certainly had gotten off to a very rocky start between the two camps when they rediscovered one another's existence.

Lilythe continued to walk and talk with her younger brother. It was nice being able to just have a chat about normal things. As they kept going time passed and their conversation continued about everything from the future to the upcoming capture the flag game, and beyond. For a moment, however brief, it felt like a normal brother and sister bonding moment. And Lilythe was happy.