Event ϟ The Center of the Western World

[empirestategods]

Who: Everyone!
When: Thursday from 9AM to 10PM
Where: New York City
What: Free time before Summer Solstice
Warnings: Please label threads with appropriate warnings

Once off the bus, the campers had better party like it’s 1999. Because it is 1999. Chiron lets each one of them off the bus near the Empire State Building, handing them a map of the city and telling them the easiest way to reach popular destinations. He also throws in a few warnings about not letting mortals see their weapons. Finally, he reminds them of the 10PM curfew and to just ask the elevator attendant to bring them to the 600th floor. As he waves them off, he relaxes into the back of his fake wheelchair, looking at Mr. D.

“They’re coping wonderfully. They just might be able to do this.”

“Yes, they might just manage to not get slaughtered by monsters while surrounded by regular mortals. That will get them very far. Perhaps even until tomorrow.”

“You know what I mean. They’ll make good Heroes, once they understand.”

Yes, he knows what Chiron means. And he rolls his eyes at it. “Heroes. Yes, I’m sure they all have lots of potential for that.”

“One of them is your own daughter.” His tone implies a question.

And? he doesn’t say. “Yes. But you know exactly what I think of Heroes.” The derision is clear as day.

“You’ve been good to her. Give them a chance. They’ve had to fight many battles before this. Their training in other world might create a new kind of hero. You never know.”

“Centuries and even millennia have not changed them. Do you honestly believe that a bit of experience will?” Heroes have never not been selfish.

“I believe that our heroes deserve a chance to prove themselves, before we can count them for lost. Several of them have acted very selflessly--they don’t know their missing cousins. That some of them truly desire to save them is telling.”

Mr. D glances down and the centaur, and then opts to look away for a long moment before answering, his tone now carrying less of an edge. “Perhaps. And they have a chance, whether or not we want to give them one or think they should have it.”

“This is, of course, their first test. And tomorrow will be their second--whatever the decision you come to.” Chiron can’t help but seem a little curious--will they lose a third of the camp tomorrow? And what will the demigods do when faced so closely with death? “Gods protect them all, for now. They don’t realize how many monsters there are.” He rolls his wheelchair toward the nearest handicapped-accessible subway. “I’ll be at the museum should you need me.”

Mr. D merely nods, and then after looking, briefly, up the Empire State, he heads down the street in a different direction. He’d see enough of his relatives before long.

Comments

3

[hotbloodedpower]

"It looks good actually," replied Akane, looking at her with an approving smile on her face. She had decided to come shopping with her, and Ssil made for a good model. "I really like the color on you."

[little_lost_lizard]

"You think so?" Ssil gave Akane an awkward smile. "I'm sorry, I'm used to getting laughed at when I try to put on a dress. I've never really had any, well, curves to speak of."

She turned in a little circle, looking down at the dress admiringly. "I wish I could afford more of these. I suppose I've never really been the most ladylike, but I've always liked dresses."

[hotbloodedpower]

"Dresses are pretty cool, though I think I want something else. Like shorts and a skirt to be honest." She didn't wear it much but all of this activity made her feel like she wanted to wear spats and a red skirt.

[little_lost_lizard]

She chuckled a little. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take up too much of your time. Let me just change back and we can go and find some."

She couldn't resist the urge to swirl her skirt again, though. Finding a dress she considered to be decently long had resulted in it being a little loose on her thin frame, but it was still better than she'd managed in her own world. She started to turn back in the direction of the dressing room, at least unless Akane stopped her.

[hotbloodedpower]

"Hey don't worry, take your time at it!" Grinned Akane as she looked over the things next to her. "I think we'll be spending a little time here anyhow, so go ahead and have some fun."

"It's not like I clothing shop but I'm getting a little tired of the orange if you know what I mean. Even if I wear it often back home."

[little_lost_lizard]

She nodded. "I don't usually wear it at home - but then, I'm blue at home, so it would look a bit silly."

One of these days she was going to succeed at easing people into the fact that she used to be a space lizard pirate alchemist and is now precisely one of those things. "I understand, though. It will be nice to have some clothes that aren't bright orange. I can understand them wanting us to wear it here so we can find each other, but still."

After a moment, she ducked back into the fitting room to change back anyway. She couldn't exactly just stand here in a dress she hadn't actually paid for yet.

[hotbloodedpower]

"Yeah. Although if I can find a orange and red outfit, I'll be okay. It's what I usually wear." She nodded at that, and started going through the racks. There had got to be something close to what she liked to wear, right?

[little_lost_lizard]

"I suppose I need to figure out what colors work on me, still," she remarked as she emerged from the dressing room again with the dress over her arm. "Though apparently the blue does. Thanks for coming and doing this with me, I know it's not exactly vital."

[hotbloodedpower]

"I'm okay with it," replied Akane as she started to pick up a few choice shirts. "I mean, we've gotta help one another right? And yeah the blue does look pretty good."

[little_lost_lizard]

"Of course. I wish that idiot with the knife understood that, though." She rolled her eyes, glancing at the shirts over Akane's shoulder. Nothing that really caught her eye, but she was still adjusting to modern fashions anyway.

[hotbloodedpower]

"I saw that. I failed to comment because man, if I was to comment I would have clocked him one. And I just recently discovered I've got Precure-level super strength too." And send him flying across the buildings.

[little_lost_lizard]

Ssil didn't even know what a Precure was, but she got the message so it didn't seem terribly important.

"I was probably in a better position to hit him than you were, but I tried not to. I did tell him what happened to the last person who attacked one of my friends, though," she added with a rather wicked smile. She was, however, trying to keep her voice down, just in case somebody was actually listening.

[hotbloodedpower]

"Heh... that's good then. Threatening friends, that's a big no in my book. I would have hurt him if he threatened anyone I liked." Akane knew she liked Ssil and it showed.

[little_lost_lizard]

"Mm. He didn't threaten anyone specific, at least not where I could see. It was more the general sense of it that was the problem." She hissed a little under her breath. "As if he was the only one who felt crowded in the cabin, really. I'm used to living in crowded places, but that doesn't mean everyone is."

[hotbloodedpower]

"It must be tough, being unclaimed. There's no privacy in the cabin. I'd let you stay with us but I think our 'parents' would probably take offense..." mused Akane, shaking her head.

[little_lost_lizard]

"I suppose it is; I didn't get claimed for a week or two. That doesn't give him the right to react like that. Besides, I'm perfectly fine with being there. I spent the last three years on one of the oldest aether-ships I can think of that's still flying; I'm used to things being a bit close."

She sighed, running a hand through her hair, and regarded Akane's choice of shirts. "Hmm... those look good. Though I admit I'm not an expert, and I don't think I've met someone with hair quite as red as yours before."

[hotbloodedpower]

Akane nodded. "I got claimed right off the bat, so I guess my 'dad' is attentive. Still doesn't make me feel any better."

"Yeah it's an uncommon color for someone who's Japanese but hey, Yayoi is a blonde so there's something right?" She grinned as she held up a orange and red striped shirt with a x-pattern on the front. "How's this?"

[little_lost_lizard]

"Perhaps. I don't blame my father for taking that long; I'd imagine he's quite busy."

She cocked her head thoughtfully, examining it. "The colors seem fine, but the X makes you look rather like a target."

[hotbloodedpower]

"Yeah he probably is. My dad is probably at the forge for most of the day but who knows what his routine is like."

Akane regarded the shirt and nodded before setting it on the rack and picking up another, similar, but with striping down the side. "How about this one? It's still in camp colors with the red and orange stripes..."

[little_lost_lizard]

"That might be better. I just thought having an 'x' on your front might be a bad idea, considering our lifestyle." It seemed like tempting fate, and considering demigods already did that just by existing, Ssil really couldn't see it ending well.

[hotbloodedpower]

"Well it was lopsided, and kind of stylized to be honest but yeah, I get it." Checking a few more things, she held up a pair of spandex shorts and a short skirt. "I could use this as well, since I'm used to fighting in this."

[little_lost_lizard]

"Ah, I suppose so." They looked more like underwear to Ssil than actual clothes, but she'd been trying to avoid commenting on people's fashion sense ever since she worked out she was in the future.

[hotbloodedpower]

"Though I'll probably need some jean shorts when I can get them," mused Akane, grabbing a few more things. "I'm going to try this on. Critique me when I get out?"

[little_lost_lizard]

"Alright, I'll be waiting!" She smiled and nodded at Akane, finding a seat outside the fitting room to wait.

[hotbloodedpower]

After a minute or so, she stepped out in her orange-red shirt, skirt and spandex shorts. Giving it a twirl, she said, "How do I look? Good enough?"