heartsong-sebastian

[heartsong-sebastian]

He  wasn't  if  it  was  because  he  was  a  little  bit  buzzed,  or  he  just  liked  the  attention,  but  at  first  all  Bash  could  do  was  smirk  at  the  offer.  They  were  at  a  party  celebrating  love  and  romance,  a  little  celebratory  kissing  couldn't  hurt.  Who  knew  where  the  night  would  take  them.  A  few  months  ago,  he  never  would  have  thought  he'd  be  playing  beerpong  with  mythological  creatures,  teamed  up  with  the  son  of  dionysus  himself.  "If  I  need  my  head  cleared  again,  I  guess  I  know  who  to  talk  to,"  was  all  he  said  in  response,  ending  it  with  a  playful  wink.  Leo  was  going  to  be  trouble,  could  already  sense  it.

Letting  his  weight  lean  against  Leo's  frame,  he  watched  as  the  nymphs  prepped  their  shots,  this  his  attention  did  seem  to  quickly  gravitate  back  toward  his  partner.  "Ah,  you're  making  me  pick  my  prize?  You  sure  you  want  to  do  that?"  he  mused.  Not  that  he  had  the  feintest  idea  what  he  would  ask  for  yet.  "Brave  man.  I'll  let  you  know  if  we  end  up  winning."  With  that,  he  felt  the  splash  of  beeras  one  of  the  balls  plopping  into  the  cup.  Moments  later  a  second  one  bounced  off  the  table  just  in  time  for  Bash  to  catch  it.  Looking  down  at  the  cup  that  had  a  ball  in  it,  he  picked  it  up,  fishing  out  the  ball  with  one  finger.  Deciding  he'd  take  the  drink  this  time  around,  he  chugged  the  contents  before  glancing  over  at  Leo.  "So  as  the  son  of  Dionysus,  is  your  tolerance  better  or  worse  than  normal?"

He let out a low chuckle at the other when he asked what that was. "Just used some of my power to clear your head a little." A shrug and a wink as he looked at bash "It would have worked with just the a touch to you shoulder but kissing you seemed better." He told him as he looked at the team across the table from them. He leaned as the other eyed up the table , "If you want one later all you have to is ask wouldn't mind doing it again" A shrug to his shoulder as he the other praised him for the shot he made. It wasn't even the most impressive thing he could do it was a simple over the shoulder shot. Still he did a little tilt to his head with a smile. Eyes watching as the other started to prep his shot. A low whistle as he his hand moved to rest on the small of the other's back. "Nice shot," The game was across the table now. giving a moment for the nymphs across from them to debate who would go first. "Looks like they did" the chuckle was easy "Well what you like your prize to be since you are helping me out you can pick."

[heartsong-sebastian]

He  let  out  an  amused  chuckle.  The  way  they  both  so  effortlessly  leaned  into  self-deprication  wasn't  lost  on  Sebastian.  For  him,  it  had  always  been  a  defense  mechanism  when  people  gave  him  praise  he  didn't  think  was  deserved.  Point  out  his  shortcomings  before  someone  else  could.  With  David,  he  couldn't  say.  From  what  he'd  seen  of  the  demigod  he'd  been  more  than  capable,  probably  more  capable  than  most  he'd  seen  thus  far.  "Well  can't  say  I  was  paying  much  attention  to  my  surroundings  during  that  spell,  but  apparently  you  got  the  job  done  well  enough,"  he  grinned.  Then  the  son  of  Eris  finally  took  the  credit  he  deserved,  and  Bash  nodded  in  approval.  "Don't  we  all  know  it!"

While  Bash  wouldn't  say  he  was  exactly  the  party  boy  type,  he  knew  how  to  celebrate  when  celebration  was  due.  It  certainly  didn't  hurt  that  the  man  beside  him  was  just  as  eager.  There  was  certainly  no  protest  as  he  felt  the  David's  hand  on  his  waist,  and  he  simply  kept  the  flow  of  the  beat  going,  hips  moving  steadily  to  the  base  line  as  he  took  a  step  closer,  arm  draping  over  the  son  of  Eris'  shoulder.  "Hell  yeah  it  does.  For  my  first  mission  out,  it...  was  a  lot,  but  I'm  glad  I  didn't  embarass  myself  too  much,"  he  admitted  with  an  earnest  grin.  He  let  his  gaze  settle  on  David  as  they  moved,  pulling  the  other  man  a  bit  closer  as  their  bodies  began  to  grind  together.  "Kind  of  excited  of  what's  coming  next,  you  know?"

David was acutely aware of his own shortcomings, so he doubled his efforts in what he could manage instead. Not that he'd ever let those aspects get him down to begin with. He was a damn badass and he intended to prove it every chance he got. "Least you could do both of those things. Pretty sure whatever my head was doing at that time would've been the opposite of useful. Hence... Running around the outside of the big spell smacking things." A firm nod of resolution. He did what he did, and he did it well (mostly). A brief snort of amusement, before puffing out his chest at the other. "I mean, I am a badass, so it kinda tracks."

David was glad their wasn't any protest to him tugging the other toward the dance floor. Largely, it just looked awkward dancing alone and he was entirely here for a good time. The slight sway to Bash's hips was noticed, quick to set his own rhythm to match the other's, one hand remaining on the taller demigods waist and nodding. "Yeah, we kinda did. Feels good to get a big win like that already." Not that he had any perspective of timing with this stuff. Ahead of schedule, behind, right on track, he was mostly just along for the ride.

[heartsong-sebastian]

Truth  be  told,  Bash  had  never  really  been  a  night  owl,  at  least  he  wasn't  before  coming  to  camp.  His  life  made  that  sort  of  thing  impossible.  Early  morning  practices,  runs,  the  focus  on  a  healthy  and  sustainable  regiment,  that  was  always  his  routine.  Even  as  a  teenager,  sneaking  out  to  parties  had  never  been  in  the  cards  for  him.  Swimming  was  his  life,  and  up  until  recently,  that's  how  it  always  was.  So  when  all  of  that  changed,  it  had  been  a  bit  of  a  culture  shock.  Though  to  be  fair,  training  and  studying  was  an  easy  enough  substitute.

All  that  to  say,  late  nights  still  weren't  typical  for  him.  Tonight,  however,  he  wasn't  sure  what  it  was,  but  he  hadn't  been  able  to  sleep.  Was  it  the  stress?  Perhaps,  though  he'd  gone  through  a  lot  already  at  camp,  and  he'd  tended  to  sleep  like  a  baby  as  soon  as  his  head  hit  the  pillow.  Perhaps  the  excess  energy  was  just  his  mind  and  body  adjusting  to  his  powers  growing?  Apparently  there  had  been  a  lot  of  that  going  on  at  camp  lately.  People  were  evolving,  growing.  Either  way,  he  needed  to  do  something  to  wear  himself  out.

He'd  been  on  his  way  back  from  a  night  jog,  clad  in  a  pair  of  gym  shorts  and  a  sweat  shirt.  He  glanced  at  the  demigod  exiting  Ares'  cabin,  and  nodded  his  greeting.  "Definitely  not  a  night  owl.  Just  went  on  a  run  to  wear  myself  out  enough  to  sleep.  For  some  reason  I  couldn't,"  he  admitted,  slowing  his  pace  to  meet  the  other,  grinning  at  the  bit  of  advice.  "You're  one  to  talk  about  early  mornings.  Not  sure  how  much  beauty  rest  you'll  be  getting  with  a  hang  over,"  he  teased  with  a  wink.

@heartsong-sebastian

Shawn   has   always   been   a   night   owl.   He's   always   been   reckless   and   a   partyer.   Back   when   he   lived   with   his   mother   and   (fake?)   father,   Shawn   constantly   snuck   out   to   go   to   parties,   clubs,   street   races…Anywhere   he   could   feel   his   adrenaline   spiking?   He   would   go.   Which   was   probably   why   he   enjoyed   working   as   a   bartender   and   stripper   as   much   as   he   did.   There   was   never   a   dull   night   there.   The   feeling   of   having   the   power   of   teasing   and   tempting   someone   with   his   body…And   getting   paid   for   it?   There   was   nothing   like   it. 

Unfortunately,   though?   That   didn't   exactly   help   him   in   his   training.   Who   would   have   thought   erotic   dancing   wasn't   a   transferrable   skill?   At   least   Shawn   was   rather   charismatic…When   he   wasn't   pissed   off,   anyways.   Shawn's   frustration   was   almost   palpable   as   he   stepped   out   of   his   cabin.   A   drink   in   his   hand   as   he   tried   to   relax   his   mind   and   body   enough   to   hopefully   get   at   least   a   few   hours   of   sleep   before   tomorrow.   He   doubted   it   would   work,   but   that's   what   the   alcohol   was   for.   To   hopefully   get   him   comfortable   enough   to   let   sleep   take   him   once   he   returns   from   his   trip. 

Still,   with   how   late   it   was?   He   wasn't   expecting   to   see   anyone   else   out.   “Couldn't   sleep   either?   Or   are   you   just   a   night   owl?”   Shawn   asked   while   his   lips   curled   up   into   a   smirk   after   taking   a   quick   sip   of   his   drink.   “Just   remember.   We   have   to   be   up   bright   and   early.   So   make   sure   to   get   some   beauty   rest.”   He   teased   as   if   he   wasn't   up   late   in   the   night   himself.

[heartsong-sebastian]

n  all  honesty,  Bash  couldn't  have  said  what  leo  was  doing  either,  but  for  the  time  being  he  was  also  riding  the  vibe.  It  was  a  party,  Leo  was  sexy,  he  was  already  more  than  a  few  drinks  in,  what  could  a  little  hip  bump  do?  Apparently  it  could  do  a  little  more  than  he  thought,  because  as  their  hips  met,  even  for  a  moment,  he  felt  a  jolt  of  something  spike  inside  of  him.  "Now  what  the  hell  did  you  just  do?"  he  smirked,  not  necissarily  mad  at  rush.  Instead,  he  glanced  over  at  the  cups  lined  up  and  ready  for  them.  He  wasn't  about  to  leave  the  guy  hanging.

It  would  be  a  lie  to  say  he  wasn't  a  little  impressed  watching  the  other  demigod  effortlessly  toss  the  ball  from  behind  his  back,  like  it  was  nothing.  "You  weren't  kidding,"  he  smirked.  When  it  was  his  turn,  he  plucked  a  ball  out  of  the  cup  of  water,  eyeing  Leo  with  a  new  sense  of  confidence.  His  gaxe  quickly  shifted  from  his  fellow  demigod,  to  the  cups  on  theo  hter  hend.  Everyone  was  watching  him,  which  oddly  gave  him  a  sense  of  focus.  As  tipsy  as  he  might  have  been,  he  felt  more  locked  in  than  ever.  Taking  the  ball,  he  smirked  over  at  Leo,  making  eye  contact,  and  tossed.  He  didn't  even  have  look  over  to  know  he'd  mae  his  shot  as  the  ball  plopped  into  the  cup  in  the  center.  "Looks  like  those  nymphs  challenged  the  wrong  demigods,"  he  mused,  pattind  Leo  on  the  chest.  Draping  an  arm  around  Leo's  shoulder,  he  whispered,  "Do  we  get  anything  if  we  win?"

"Oh i can fix that." He spoke as he grabbed the man on the side of the head. Not really sure what he was doing but riding the vibe anyway he let his hips meet the other for a split second. A small flash of power as he took some of the others altered mind set from him. "There that should sober you up just a little." He spoke with a wink as he lead him to the edge of the table. "Am i any good," He scoffed as he looked at him, "I have never lost a game a in my life mostly due to the fact that this is where im most aligned with my domain. The slowly fading embers of a party, A game that is so chaotic you have to chase a ping pong ball and drinking it was made for me." To make his point a little more he grabbed the ball and turned his back so he was facing away from the other team. His eyes taking a bit of the deep purple they did when he used his powers. A wink at Bash then he tosses it over his shoulder it bounces off the table then lands in a cup with out even touch the rim. "See" He tells him as he hands the second ball over "So show them how its done."

[heartsong-sebastian]

One  thing  Bash  could  definitely  relate  to,  was  feeling  useless  when  surrounded  by  the  entire  camp.  "Yeah,  I  get  what  you  mean.  I  felt  like  I  was  just  standing  around  waiting  for  people  tell  me  what  to  do  for  most  of  that  mission.  Stepping  on  tiles,  ducking  my  head  in  memory  water,"  he  chuckled.  Granted,  he'd  like  to  think  he  contributed  more  than  just  a  few  well  placed  shots.  At  the  end  of  the  day,  it  more  than  a  little  intimidating  being  surrounded  by  demigods  who  actually  knew  what  they  were  doing.  "Whatever  you  did  was  pretty  bad  ass."

He  arched  a  brow  as  he  felt  the  hand  slide  down  to  his  waist,  but  he  didn't  protest.  He  allowed  the  son  of  Eris  to  lead  him  toward  the  dancing  bodies,  eyeing  him  curiously.  It  was  a  little  bold  to  assume  he'd  even  wanted  to  dance.  Still,  he  could  appreciate  a  little  boldness.  Plus,  with  the  bit  he'd  had  to  drink  already,  Bash  would  be  lying  if  he  said  he  wasn't  in  the  mood  to  let  a  little  loose.  "As  there  should  be.  We  basically  just  single  handedly  saved  true  love,"  he  teased.  His  hips  started  to  say  the  beat  as  they  approached  the  dance  floor.

"Hey, could always be both. I'd go off on same theoretical tangent but that is not my wheelhouse, man." Instead, David was a man of action, of grins, and absolutely enjoying himself without thinking too deeply on any of the potential consequences of what they'd done. That was a sober David's problem on a good day when the planets were in alignment for that one brief idea to actually pay off.

The finger pressing to his exposed chest earned a grin, along with the praise offered. "What can I say, I do what I can considering I don't do shit outside of a fight." Not technically true, but most of what he did happened in the middle of the fray. His best work was done in the middle of the fray. He didn't move Sebastian's hand away, instead reaching one of his own down to the man's waist and pulling him a little toward the bodies on the dance floor. "Probably gonna be riding the high of it for a few days, way too much energy still buzzing for now."

[heartsong-sebastian]

Sebastian has never really been a "black tie" type of person. He was born and raised in Miami, and has a very specific aesthetic, and if given the freedom to choose, less is always more. At the actual ceremony, he felt he was conservative enough with the black best and pants. He's never one to demand attention, especially with fashion, but if it's hot, he's not going to put on layers. Then when it comes to the after party, he's going lighter and more casual. His shirt it will as open as socially acceptable. It'll start out with two or three buttons, but by the end of the night, let's face it, the shirt will be either completely unbuttoned or gone entirely.

As if things weren't even more complicated, Bash was called out in the middle of the celebration, and reminded that he was supposed wear a toga. As a guy who didn't know the first thing about how to tie a toga, he let some nymphs direct him, and dress him in something close to it. They did not give him grace. All he had was some string, an admittedly beautiful silk fabrib, and a wish, and he came up with something that left little to the imagination.

[heartsong-sebastian]

All  Bash  can  do  is  shake  his  head,  "After  they  spent  the  day  curled  up  in  bed  nursing  a  trauma  hang  over,"  he  couldn't  help  but  smirk.  He  wasn't  sure  how  much  of  a  partying  mood  he'd  have  been  in  right  after  the  ordeal.  Once  that  all  passed  though,  he  could  imagine  how  epic  would  be  to  celebrate  with  the  rest  of  the  camp.  "They  got  a  party,  and  I  got  a  week  of  cramming  in  the  library  and  on  the  training  grounds  trying  to  catch  up."  Granted  he  at  least  got  to  share  some  of  those  early  moments  with  Bear  and  a  few  of  the  other  demigods  that  arrived  with  him.  Among  the  guys  at  camp,  he  supposed  the  son  of  Hephaestus  was  one  of  the  ones  he  felt  closer  to.  They  were  learning  and  experiencing  all  of  this  together.

One  thing  Bash  could  relate  to  Bear  about  was  his  dedication.  "Trust  me,  I  get  that,"  it's  what  his  mother  had  always  told  him.  He  could  fall  in  love  and  start  a  family  after  he'd  accomplished  what  he'd  set  out  to.  Did  he  always  listen,  however?  Not  so  much.  "Though  when  you've  got  those  blinders  on,  sometimes  you  miss  what's  actually  important,  you  know?"  he  offered.  He  could  see  the  benefits  of  both  outlooks.  "There  was  a  guy  back  home,  not  a  husband  or  anything.  Kind  of  an  ex-boyfriend  who  always  popped  up.  If  I  hadn't  answered  the  song,  things  might  have  been  different."  He'd  been  pretty  successful  since  coming  to  camp  at  pushing  thoughts  about  Scott  to  the  back  of  his  mind.  "But  seeing  stuff  like  this,  it  gives  you  hope  that  just  because  we're  in  this  fight,  doing  what  we're  doing,  doesn't  mean  it's  not  there  for  us." He offered a shrug and took a sip of his drink, eyes flitting from the happy couple, back to Bear.

they had fought for this, they had earned this, and to say it didn't feel good to see achilles and patrcolus together would be an understatement. bear watches as the couple smiles and laughs, as if they hadn't spent millennia separated with their memories of one another stolen. true love is enduring. they endured enough for all of them. it was heartwarming to watch and witness, more so to be part of their story in such a deep, meaningful way. the myths would never truly know what they did—not until long, long after they're all gone.

he has an ambrosia last beer in his hand, the light amber liquid almost reflecting the color in his eyes. he smiles at bash as he approaches, lifting his mug to him in greeting. "dude, i heard after the first batch of demigods drank the ambrosia, they had a huge party to celebrate them."it isn't lost on him that the tradition seemed to fade out as new demigods came, as more were called. "got pretty fucking wild." he whistles, shaking his head before he nods. "yeah, nice to have been part of something like this. keeps hope alive, you know what i mean?" he takes a slow sip of his beer and then shakes his head no. "nah, man. wasn't really in a relationship finding headspace when i was back home. it was friends with benefits, sometimes a random hook up. i was too focused on work." he wonders how that will change now, when work is being with people he fights with every day, when he sees relationships and feelings burning like something molten in people. "you? were you single or did you leave behind someone? i know some of the guys have husbands back home."

[heartsong-sebastian]

It  was  almost  as  if  the  quest  hadn't  happened.  All  of  that  fighting,  the  sacrifices,  the  mystery  solving,  it  all  felt  like  a  distance  memory.  He  felt  closer  to  a  lot  of  the  demigods,  perhaps  we  couldn't  exactly  call  many  of  them  friends,  but  he  was  starting  to  get  there.  They  fought  bleed,  and  won  together,  now  they  were  celebrating.  Nothing  broke  the  ice  faster  than  that,  at  least  not  as  far  as  Bash  saw  it.  So  when  the  son  of  Dionysus  strode  up  to  him,  probably  two  or  three  sheets  to  the  wind,  the  son  of  Nike  just  offered  an  amused  grin.

He  wasn't  sure  if  he  liked  the  fact  that  people  were  addressing  him  as  the  child  of  victory.  There  was  a  certain  connation  that  brought  along  a  lot  of  pressure.  Still,  he  supposed  there  were  things  to  be  known  by.  "Guilty,"  he  mused  as  the  other  clapped  a  hand  around  his  shoulder.  He  returned  the  action  in  kind,  giving  the  other's  shoulder  a  firm  squeeze.  "Beer  pong?"  he  glanced  over  at  the  table,  already  set  up  for  them.  "Can't  say  my  hand  eye  coordination  will  be  the  best  right  now,"  then  again  beer  pong  was  always  easier  to  play  when  you  were  a  little  tipsy.  "But  how  can  I  turn  down  an  offer  like  that.  Are  you  any  good?"  Why  the  hell  not?  Not  every  day  you  get  to  play  a  drinking  game  with  the  son  of  the  man  who  inspired  them.

for: @heartsong-sebastian

The night had shifted and the party was now the after party. The wedding had faded into a small gathering of people that weren't quiet ready to go to their cabins. Leo had taken the spot as chief among them. There was no way he was going to be able to wind down untill the party had fully died down. Chances that the party wouldn't stop till he did was also high. Still he wasn't ready to stop as he moved to the son Nike. "Child of Victory right?" he asked as he placed a hand around his shoulder. it may be there first interaction but Leonardo was greeting him like he was an old friend. "Those river Nymphs bet me that they could beat the pair of us at beer pong." A wild statement considering their domains would mix to be the beast duo out there. "What do you say handsome spend some time with me before you head of to bed Ill make it worth your time."

[heartsong-sebastian]

David  certainly  had  one  thing  right,  Bash  was  definitely  in  his  element.  Granted,  he  was  also  not  one  for  weddings,  nor  was  he  all  together  a  party  boy.  Boy  basking  in  a  challenge  well  won?  He  was  more  or  less  familiar.  Granted,  this  was  on  another  level.  He  hadn't  just  swam  a  few  laps  in  a  pool,  he'd  helped  taken  down...  well,  he  still  wasn't  exactly  sure  what  exactly  that  memory  monster  was,  but  they'd  snuffed  it  out.  "Something  like  that,"  he  replied  with  his  own  grin,  mirroring  the  son  of  Eris'.  “I  think  I'm  thriving  off  of  the  vibe.  Not  sure  if  that's  a  Nike  thing  or  a  me  thing,”  he  admitted.  He  was  feeding  off  of  the  group  as  a  whole,  that  feeling  of  accomplishment  they'd  all  shared  together.

"You,  on  the  other  hand,"  he  pressed  his  finger  pointedly  on  the  other's  exp"sed  chest.  "Popped  the  fuck  off  back  there,"  he  smirked.  The  fact  that  David  was  in  his  'space'  hadn't  phased  him.  "You  came  in  pretty  fucking  clutch  more  than  once,"  he  hadn't  really  known  or  talked  to  David  before  the  quest,  but  he'd  be  lying  if  he  said  he  hadn't  taken  notice.  "So  how  are  you  feeling  after  all  of  that?"

with: sebastian @heartsong-sebastian where: party grounds

weddings had never really been david's thing. usually too formal, far too romantic, he mostly subscribed to a mindset of fun above anything else. so, the afterparty? much more of the son of eris's speed. a few glasses of ambrosia laced wine, and he was absolutely living up to whatever reputation came with his mother's domain's more... chaotic tendencies.

"so you must be like, thriving right now, right? this is a party celebrating a massive victory as much as it's about the whole love thing. all in your ma's domain." he doesn't even bother leading off with an actual conversation or introduction. they'd quested together, that was good enough for david to come sliding in to sebastian's space, a grin on his face, shirt left open, and flashing an easy grin.

[heartsong-sebastian]

where:  wedding  celebration who:  @mechabeaar Bash  was  never  really  a  'wedding'  person.  He  didn't  mind  them,  but  spending  a  night  sitting  around  cheering  on  someone  else's  love  story  wasn't  something  he  necessarily  looked  forward  to.  This,  however,  this  was  different.  It  felt  different.  He  had  fought  for  this  love,  risked  his  own  life,  his  memories,  for  this,  for them.  Watching  the  pair  come  together  like  they  had,  seeing  the  love  each  of  them  had  in  their  heart  for  one  another  and  knowing  he  had  helped  bring  them  together,  he  almost  felt  part  of  it.  So,  after  the  ceremony  ended  and the  festivities  began,  he  was  more  than  happy  to  partake.

Clad  an  open  light  cotton  shirt  only  half  buttoned,  and  a  pair  of  tanned  linen  pants,  he  pluck  a  drink  from  a  tray  a  passing  satyr  had  been  carrying  and  scanned  the  scene.  It  hadn't  taken  him  long  to  spot  a  familiar  face  by  the  clearing.  He'd  made  sure  to  make  eye  contact  with  Bear  first,  making  sure  he  wasn't  interrupting  the  son  of  Hephaestus  before  approaching.  "If  only  we  partied  like  this  after  every  mission,"  he  teased,  taking  a  sip  of  his  drink,  light  and  refreshing.  His  eyes  gaze  shifted  over  toward  the  newlyweds.  "After  all  of  that  mess,  it's  nice  to  see  that  love  wins  in  the  end,  yeah?"  It  made  him  think  of  his  own  situation  back  at  home,  or  former  situation.  Would  he  have  gone  through  all  of  this  for  Scott?  "Did  you  ever  have  anything  like  that  before  coming  here?  Anyone  special  back  home?"  He  asked  with  genuine  curiosity.

[heartsong-sebastian]

As  they  group  stood  by,  Bash  felt  a  peng  of  anxiety  in  his  gut.  This  was  his  first  time  truly  getting  involved  in  camp  community.  Sure  he'd  done  chores,  trained  with  some,  socialized,  but  this  was  where  it  mattered.  People  were  relying  on  him,  Achilles  was  relying  on  him,  Patroclus  was  relying  on  him.  He  didn't  want  to  let  them  or  the  camp  down.  The  ask  wasn't  a  difficult  one.  All  he  had  to  do  was  offer  up  a  memory,  the  one  memory  that  represented  victory.  Certainly  not  as  deep  as  the  one  Lethe  had  given  up,  certainly  not  as  intimate.

The  memory  wasn't  a  difficult  one  to  recall.  The  ice  cold  torrent  of  water  hit  him  like  a  wave  as  he  plunged  into  the  pool.  At  one  point  that  jolt  to  his  senses  might  have  been  jarring,  might  have  throne  him  off.  Now,  it  felt  as  natural  as  cool  breeze.  It  was  even  more  than  a  cool  breeze,  because  that  spike  of  cold  wetness  was  what  invigorated  him,  shocked  him  alive.  His  body  was  an  arrow  dynamic  missile  as  he  glided  in  the  water.  Shoulders,  hips   thighs,  feet  rolled  to  propel  him  through  the  water.  Breath  held,  entire  form  outstretched  as  he  moved.  At  that  moment,  everything  was  still,  everything  was  quiet.

A  burst  of  indiscriminate  noise  bombarded  his  senses  as  his  head  breached  the  surface  of  the  water,  half  of  his  torso  exposed  as  propelled  himself  up,  arms  swinging  around  his  sides,  before  plunging  back  down  into  the  pool.  The  100  meter  butterfly  had  always  been  his  best  event.  Four  years  ago  he'd  gotten  a  bronze  in  it,  losing  to  the  best  of  the  best.  Now?  Now  he  was  determined  to  be  that,  to  show  not  only  the  country,  but  the  world  what  he  was  made  of,  what  he'd  worked  so  hard  to  accomplish.

Even  now,  he  could  feel  the  difference  this  time  around.  Where  as  last  year,  he  felt  like  he  was  fighting  the  waves,  his  body,  his  mind,  this  time  around  it  all  felt  connected.  It  was  as  if  the  water  itself  was  propelling  him  forward,  his  body  and  mind  worked  together  with  each  other,  with  the  universe,  to  push  him  forward.  Out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye  he  could  see  Scott  in  the  at  his  side,  keeping  time  with  him  stroke  by  stroke,  splash  by  splash.  Good.  Nothing  spurred  Bash  on  more  than  competition,  someone  to  beat.

As  he  hit  the  halfway  point,  he  pushed  himself  off  of  the  wall  just  a  millisecond  after  Scott,  he  was  pulling  away.  Flashes  of  the  past  year  when  he'd  let  this  same  moment  pass  him  by,  and  let  defeat  weigh  him  down  and  slow  him  up.  This  time  he  felt  that  fire  in  his  belly.  once  again  as  he  pushed  himself  off  that  wall,  his  body  rolled  under  the  surface  of  the  water.  This  time  as  he  emerged,  he  pushed  himself  even  harder.  His  limbs  weren't  burning,  they  weren't  struggling,  they  felt  invigorated.  He  pushed  himself  harder  than  he  ever  had,  but  it  felt  more  like  he  was  being  pushed,  forward  by  something  else.  He  could  have  sworn  for  a  moment  he  was  flying  as  he  sailed  across  the  pool.  Out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye,  Scott's  form  gradually  drifted  away,  further  and  further  back.  His  eyes  remained  pin  pointed  ahead  of  him,  seeing  the  wall  etch  closer  and  closer  until...

It  was  all  a  blur  at  first.  Hands  hitting  the  wall  of  the  pool,  looking  up  to  a  stadium  full  of  people  cheering.  Eyes  set  on  the  timing  board  to  see  his  name,  his  lane,  as  number  one.  He'd  won.  It  was  surreal  at  first.  He  simply  stared  off  in  a  blank  stupor  as  it  hit  him.  He'd  won  the  event,  an  Olympic  event.  Sebastian  Novak  was  not  only  an  Olympic  medalist,  but  an  Olympic  gold  medalist.  The  one  thing  he'd  worked  his  entire  life  for,  he'd  sacrificed  so  much  for,  fought  for  with  his  entire  being,  had  finally  been  his.

His  memory  ended  wit  him  standing  on  that  podium,  in  front  of  the  world,  in  front  of  his  mother,  with  a  gold  medal  around  his  neck.  In  that  moment,  he  knew  that  he  was  capable  of  anything.

[heartsong-sebastian]

He  nodded  in  agreement,  eyes  cast  down  as  he  nonchalantly  watched  the  kick  forward,  the  move  in  whatever  direction  certainly  had  Bash's  attention.  "That's  what  I'm  saying.  Especially  for  me.  Son  of  Nike,  I'm  supposed  to  be  the  poster  boy  of...  you  know,  just  doing  it,"  he  quipped,  glancing  up  to  give  Luka  a  cheeky  smile.  He'd  always  been  more  of  a  speedo  and  tyr  guy  himself,  but  now  he  supposed  he  had  stock  in  a  certain  brand.  Or  not?  He  had  to  wonder  how  much  his  mother  gained  from  that  particular  label,  if  anything.  "I  can't  embarass  myself  my  first  time  out.  I  refuse."

He  frowned  a  moment  at  the  question.  As  vague  as  it  might  have  been,  he  knew  what  Luka  meant.  "Like...  an  adrenaline  rush,"  was  the  first  thing  he  could  really  say.  "I  don't  know  if  you've  ever  felt  it,  but  for  me,  when  i'm  in  a  race,  or  in  a  match  and  everything's  coming  together,  and  I  get  this  jolt  in  my  chest  that  I've  got  this,  nothing  can  stop  me..."  he  rubbed  the  back  of  his  neck,  not  sure  how  much  sense  he  was  making,  "Then  usually  I  start  to  glow  and...  things  just  happen."  Truth  be  told  he  was  more  interested  on  Luka's  situation.  A  grin  tugged  at  the  corner  of  his  lips.  "So...  you  don't  use  your  powers  for  a  few  days  and  what?  Flowers  just  star to grow  around  you?  You've  got  to  pollinate  daily  or  things  just...  sprout  out  themselves?"  he  chuckled.

"yeah sure," kicking a foot forward, not thinking much of it. hoping he didn't have to pretend to have some kind of route or rhythm to it now that he had someone watching. "training's gonna be big, though," he offered. "gonna get out there and not front from the back, gonna be hard when the shit starts."

both times luka's arrived, was when said shit had already started. not as much talking, much more fighting. and exploding. but that was a one-off...so far.

"so? what's your stuff feel like?" said as he's got a hand out, letting leaves reach for his touch. "mine's kinda, overflowing. if I don't use it, then it starts kinda seeping outta me, and I leave weird flowers everywhere."

[heartsong-sebastian]

Yeah,  it  was  becomingly  increasingly  obvious  that  not  everyone  at  camp  were  going  to  be  welcoming  him  with  open  arms.  Not  that  Sebastian  really  assumed  they  would.  Truth  be  told  he  didn't  know  what  to  expect  walking  into  a  place  like  this.  He  supposed  walking  up  to  a  guy  with  a  body  of  a  spartan,  taking  a  drag  off  of  a  cigarette  wasn't  too  much  of  a  stretch.  Could  demigods  even  get  lung  cancer?  "I  guess  not,"  he  replied,  trying  to  ease  whatever  tension  had  this  guy  worked  up.  "Of  course  you  can.  I  was  just  wondering  why  you  were  doing  it  in  the  middle  of  nowhere.  At  least  that's  assuming  where  this  is,"  he  said  with  a  shrug.

The  question  about  his  parentage  was  a  bit  out  of  the  blue,  "Nike,  apparently,"  he  answered  honestly.  "You?"  Surely  it  had  to  be  someone  like  Ares  ore  Hades. 

gods, he's really not in the mood for whatever this is. duke just wanted to smoke in peace, let off some steam. it seems the fates have other things in mind. great. 

he rolls his eyes, waving off the guy's comment. anyone who's younger than duke gets called kid. he isn't sure where he picked that up, probably from all the coaches, managers, and other figures of authority who spoke that way to him. he frowns, flicking some ash down on the ground. 

“do i look lost to you?” he asks, eyeing him up and down, before taking a drag of the cigarette and blowing out a ring of smoke. “and i don't have to smoke in secret, i do whatever the fuck i want.” 

he sighs, flicking more ash away, “who's your parent? godly, i mean.” 

[heartsong-sebastian]

Taylor Zakhar Perez | July 11, 2025 | 🎥 Maria Zakhar

[heartsong-sebastian]

A  smirk  of  agreement  spread  across  Bash's  lips,  and  he  nodded.  "You  don't  have  to  worry  about  that.  My  goal  is  to  blend  in  as  seamlessly  as  possible,"  he  assured  the  other  demigod  as  they  walked.  Granted,  blending  in  was  never  really  his  strong  suit,  but  until  he  got  his  barins,  the  last  thing  he  wanted  was  to  make  waves.

"So  you're  saying  the  first  thing  I  need  to  do  is  get  into  the  group  chat,"  he  nodded.  It  seemed  so  obvious  enough,  of  course  the  demigods  would  have  one.  "But  yeah,  I  only  got  lucky  because  I  ran  into  you.  If  I  didn't,  know  knows  if  I'd  ever  make  it  to  camp,"  he  admitted  with  a  half  shrug.

Brows  raised  at  the  mention  of  a  titan.  "A...  a  titan?"  he  repeated,  fighting  the  urge  to  let  his  mouth  gape  open.  "Did  you  have  to  fight  it?"  Goblins,  Bash  was  pretty  sure  he  could  take,  but  a  full  on  titan?  He'd  figured  that  was  bit  above  their  paygrade.

At that Samson laughed outright, “Maybe don't tell them that.” Nymphs and any manner of divinity wouldn't be too pleased to hear as much, but it still got a laugh out of him. 

“Well… it got dark, after my phone died was when I think the group chat decided to dispatch someone for me.” Still grateful to Briar, “So, in terms of who made the biggest fool out of themselves by getting lost in the woods on day one…” he smiled, bright and warm, “think I've got you beat, friend.” 

“Yes.” Samson mused, playfully. “So far I've seen goblins… um, a titan.” It was a large leap, but they'd faced her alongside Orion, then 

[heartsong-sebastian]

He  had  to  admit,  the  guy  was  confident.  Bash  just  smirked  at  what  he'd  decide  to  take  as  a  compliment,  "I'll  keep  that  in  mind.  So  happy  to  hear  I  can  add  'damsel  in  distress'  to  my  skillset,"  he  chuckled.  While  relying  on  the  kindness  of  others  was  definitely  not  in  his  comfort  zone,  he  did  appreciate  the  help,  even  if  he  was  getting  teased  for  it.  "Yeah,  i  think  that's  more  of  a  second  day  kind  of  activity.  At  least  let  me  put  my  bags  down  first,"  he  smirked,  gripping  at  his  bag  a  bit  tighter  as  he  walked.

Of  course  Bash's  gaze  drifted  down  to  the  other's  ass  at  the  mention  of  it,  giving  it  a  silent  and  subtle  appraisal.  While  part  of  him  bristled  at  feeding  the  guy's  ego,  but  Bash  had  to  admit  there  were  worse  views  he  could  have  had  to  endure.  "It  definitely  beats  having  to  follow  a  satyr  around,"  he  shot  back  in  amusement,  singing  his  bag  up  to  bump  the  other's  ass  playfully.  "Can't  say  I'm  used  to  being  an  only  child,"  though  it  made  sense  he  would  be  only.  Apparently  Nike  was  one  of  the  newer  gods  to  send  their  children  there.  "That  means  I  get  my  own  place  then,  right?"

"A  future  lawyer,  huh?  Impressive.  Not  just  a  cute  face."  He  head  tilted  in  mild  confusion.  "A  break?  So  this  is  like  as  summer  job  for  you?"  he  frowned.  They  way  Hermes  explained  it,  this  was  an  actual  lifestyle  commitment.  People  were  free  to  leave,  but  it  sounded  like  they  weren't  expected  to,  at  least  that  was  the  vibe  Bash  got. 

"well it looks good on you so you should add it to the rotation." he told him a small smile and a pat on his shoulder as he moved past him. There was a laugh at the thought of what exactly this man had seen the satyrs doing on his first day, but Skylar knew the camp enough to know it was probably fucking. "You could have stopped them trust me they have no problem with getting back to work but they would have asked you to join and that is a lot on your first day."

A brow raised at the comment but he was getting a compliment out of so it wasn't meet with any further sass. "That is true i do get jealous that other people get to meet me and i don't. and you get too look at my ass as i lead you home so you really are winning after all." A nod to his head for a face he didn't really think of. At least the other was witty so the conversation wouldn't be boring. "you are of the few one of ones here."

That's why he wasn't shocked by the speedo. A small hum as he took in the information given. "New York, pre law at Columbia still am thank god for summer break,' His tone a little drawn out as he lead the other down the path. "That sucks but at least you get a little break."