Nate's here(OPEN)

[Nate Matthews]

Nathaniel walked down the hill. He left behind a lone Great Pine with what looked like a Dragon around it. He must be seeing things. Besides the Dragon, there was plenty to see. So many buildings. What were they all for? The closer he got to that large building, the more activity he could see. There were people all over the place. He could see archery training, Chariot races, even some sword fighting. What kind of Camp is this? It's certainly not what he was expecting.
He passed by a few people, but no one really said anything to him. Everyone was wearing the same shirt. So maybe this was more like a Camp than he thought.
He finally arrived at the Big House as he had heard it called. And it was rather big. But where did he fit in here? He sat down on the edge of the great wrap around porch. It was rather hot, but he had managed to find a spot of shade. As he sat, he had his journal out on his lap. He doodled a few things in it while he sat, but that didn't seem to hold his attention like it normally did. So he set it aside and instead started twirling his finger. As he did, a small vine started sprouting from the ground. He had began entertaining himself in this way ever since he had accidentally set vines on a monster that had attacked him. It was amazing to him that he suddenly had special things that he could do. He felt special, and yet, still sad. If he was so special, he shouldn't have been left behind. He shouldn't have been left at all. But, that was in the past. Yes, something bad had happened, but that didn't mean it should define him. Nate is bigger than that. He continued to play with his vine and waited for someone to notice him.

[Ryan Simons]

Ryan was doing his normal activity. His normal since coming back from his quest, anyways: pacing around the Big House. He was more of a burden than a help in the Healing Unit and he didn't need to stay in there himself, thank the gods. The only reason Ryan wanted to sick around, was for Avery. He felt it was his responsibility to make sure she was okay and would be okay... physically. From more out of habit than anything else, Ryan had taken it upon himself to heal his more or less mangled left arm. It was going alright, but like every other part of his body he tried to heal, it would probably scar over big time.

He started near the Healing Unit door and then would walk back and forth. Over, and over, and over. Every time he would get farther and farther away, from the Healing Door, but it was around the Big House, none the less. It was round, and he'd come to the Healing Door eventually. He was in the same general area. As he repeatedly paced, Ryan thought of anything. Anything but the last couple of weeks. He couldn't think straight and he didn't want to. Not about Blake. Not about Alex. Not about Aria. It would be better if he couldn't think at all, since thinking was practically the worst evil ever, but he couldn't help it. Instead of the past month, he thought about his first days at Camp.

First few days of the three long year span. It seemed so long ago. Ryan remembered the car, the one duffle bag, his weapons, newly gotten cuts stinging, older ones scarring... getting blind folded... a long car ride in which he fidgeted the entire time. Stopping, getting dragged out and pushed, hitting the hard ground and taking his blind fold off. He had landed on the other side of the property line and Kath was already back in the car. Ryan remembered Kath telling him his name and telling him to remember it or else. That was sort of hard when it had been out of use for four years. Ryan could of made up a new name... they wouldn't of cared and wouldn't of known the darn difference, but he probably creativity and knowledge to do so.

He had probably walked passed the guy three or four times before his brain even slightly acknowledged his presence. Half looking at the ground and half of his brain not even registering that it was a person that he'd never seen before; Ryan stopped. Anything to distract his mind. That included talking to people he "hated". "You waiting for something?" he asked flatly.

OOC: Hope this is okay
IC: 458

[Nate Matthews]

Nate wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there. He was keeping himself busy by alternating with his journal, recording his thoughts and things he sees, and playing with the vine. It was really amazing that this vine responded to his will. It's unthinkable that with thought alone, this vine would respond. He even wrote about it in his journal. As long as he had been sitting here, it was the only thing to do. Well, he could watch the "campers" in view. But that proved to be quiet repetitive, and his journal would win out over the distractions his surroundings provided.
And speaking of distractions, this one guy kept walking around and around the deck of the Big House. He was walking as though he had a place to go, but apparently that place was nowhere. Or, maybe he was walking to escape something. Maybe his thoughts. Nate didn't know, and he didn't want to interrupt, but it would be nice if this guy could tell him where need to go or maybe what he needed to do. Something. Nate was sure that anything would be better than just sitting around doing nothing. He wanted to feel productive. Something to focus his mind on. But this guy was lost in his own little world, trying to walk his way towards or away from something. And it wasn't working, whatever he was trying to do, but it was starting to wear on his nerves.
The guy paced by a few more times and Nate was starting to work up the nerve to speak to him. Nate heard him coming around and as he was turning to speak, the stranger did so first.
"You waiting for something?" he asked flatly.
Nate was a little taken aback. The brusque way that this stranger addressed him was a little shocking. Nate felt, for a second, like he was in trouble for being here. Then, he thought and realized how silly that it was to think that. He considered the options of a response for a second, the replied, "Yeah. I'm new here. Name's Nate. I'm not sure where to go. A satyr dropped me off and went back out to find more Demi's I guess. I don't want to... interrupt, but could you point me in the right direction?" Nate looked up at the stranger in what he hoped was a friendly way and waited for an answer.

[Ryan Simons]

Ryan didn't have anywhere to go. No home, unless he really wanted the death wish that was; no Cabin, even though he slept there, he hated it. Camp wasn't exactly his most favorite place in the world, but it was better than on the ocean and it was better than Kath's house, so it was his home for now. Besides... he had the forest, he had the armory, he had the arena, and he had Avery. Primarily Avery; she was probably the only one keeping him from going completely insane, even though it was rather debatable that he'd already gone mental. Camp was better than Kath's place would ever be probably... Again, he forced himself to shut out any thoughts. He was being such a fail at this... just like he was a fail at his life. He knew it, and he had been told... multiple times.

The first thing that caught his eye (and that his brain registered) was that the new boy was playing with a vine that had just appeared from the ground. It could of been there ever since he had been pacing, but Ryan was just noticing it now. That vine had not been there when he had taken Blake... He shut off his memory stream; he had just found another thing he failed at: keeping his thoughts at bay and not thinking. He forced his mind to jump. Okay, vine. That either meant the wine god or the agriculture goddess. With that in mind, the kid looked more like a wine person... and Ryan was probably thinking about this too hard, but he wanted to think of anything but what had happened within the last few weeks. Even though Ryan seemed ignorant as heck, he still had knowledge about necessary Ancient Greek things, since he had practically lived and breathed it for three years straight.

The fifteen year old had never been the warm, fuzzy type; he had always been short, to the point... and not much of a talker. Most of his qualities had stuck with him... only amped down a thousand or so times, with the exception of his stubbornness. The only part his brain processed was the last sentence. It was sort of obvious he was new from that statement. "From here you're probably going to meet either Chase or FishFace... going in the actual House is your option." Ryan did not want to go into the main part of the Big House for at least another year... he could still see his bod- and then he shut his mind down again. Satyr... so many kids were coming by them. Ryan was sort of relieved that a satyr hadn't come to get him. For one, he probably would of killed him. If it was anyone but Kath who stuck him at Camp, he would of refused to believe them, and would of refused to believe that this stuff was real. She had cut off any imagination he had, so for her to bring him to Camp, it had to be real.

OOC: -_- Sorry he's not much of a talker
Lol, I started laughing at "Chase or FishFace"; it rhymes, but Ryan's voice and face dead serious xD
IC: 517

[Nate Matthews]

As Nate left the question hanging in the air, he watched this guy. Not just looked, but really watched him. As he watched, it seemed like he went in and out of being almost focused. So, Nate thought to himself, he was trying to walk away from something in his head. And it appeared he hadn't put any distance between himself and those thoughts. Maybe talking to him wouldn't be a good thing. Then again, Nate had always liked a challenge. And, though he'd never admit it, Ryan was pretty good looking too. But that would probably get him beaten up again if he had the misfortune of letting it slip like it did last time. So Ryan kept those thoughts hidden and considered what the stranger had said. Chase or FishFace. FishFace. Nate wondered if that were a Demi-God power too. It sounded like it might be. Nate wasn't to up-to-date on all the Gods and their powers. Oh well. Nate thought for a moment and finally decided what to say.
"Well, I haven't met them, and I don't know where they are. Why don't you just show me around? You seem...comfortable with your surroundings. You don't seem too busy... So where are we headed first?" Nate said smiling. He hoped that the stranger would help him. He would like it and he hoped the stranger would too. Nate thought the stranger needed something to do. He also thought that it would be nice if he knew the guy's name. He must've not heard when Nate introduced himself. Or, Nate considered, maybe he didn't care. That seemed a definite possibility. Nate was sensing some hostility from this guy. He almost seemed to radiate it. Nate, while not an expert on the Gods, seemed to remember something about Ares being a God of Rage or something like that. The stranger did seem to radiate his anger or frustration or whatever he was feeling. It seemed he was as subject to his passions as Nate was. And Nate could get passionate. But that didn't need to happen. There was no reason for it to. But that's a different story. Now Nate was focuse on getting this guy to help him out. He looked up at the stranger, stood up, held out his hand and said, "My name's Nate. Nice to meet ya." Now to see if the stranger would take the bait.

[Ryan Simons]

Ryan wasn't hard to read these days. For those who knew what had happened, it was pretty straight forward. For those who didn't... well, it was almost equally as straightforward. He kept thinking abut the kid infront of him... anything to preoccupy his mind, but his ADHD and his guilt kept going back to the last month. Sure, he had always not liked Camp... but he had never wanted to be forced out of it. Alone just to run? Fine. With other people on a trip that could put the other lives in danger? No, but that was exactly what he did... This was all his fault. He should of just run out of the Camp by himself, but noooo he had to drag along two people that he actually cared about. Why not pick out another Camper who he wouldn't mind dying? .... scratch that, he would of minded. No matter how much he tried to deny it...

One half of him just hoped this person would dismiss him as no help at all, the other hoped he'd stay and distract him. Ryan needed a distraction or else he'd go crazy... trying to distract himself wasn't going to well. He was a complete fail; just as he always had been. It was then that his ADHD started going crazy on him, so he just started fidgeting, not able to stay standing still for another second. Stupid demigod attributes. He went to move his left arm, but winced slightly as pain shot up his eyes starting averting to different things as well. The vine, back to the ground and then to the kid... who he noted was looking at him in a very particular way. "What...?" Ryan asked warily. Usually, he would of glared and snapped and would of been short on it, but he didn't have enough energy. Not sleeping and not eating did that.

He offered half a shrug. "I'm sure they're around here somewhere," he muttered. Ryan's head lifted and he considered the guy. Show him around Camp? Seriously? "I wouldn't call myself that... and..." he looked towards the Healing Unit, debating. Avery would be better off without him anyways. He was no good to anyone. Besides, god forbid a problem came up, he could always come running back. "...fine," he decided. The guy sort of wrong about not being busy though. Ryan was very busy (and being unsuccessful) in trying not to think, and in trying to distract himself. Maybe showing this kid around would provide a distraction... for an hour or so. "Well... this is the Big House, as you already know," he stated flatly, nodding to the house infront of him. Where next? His mind came up blank. Ryan exhaled in frustration. Here he was, trying not to think and the one thing that could possibly offer him a distraction couldn't come into his brain.

"Uh..." He couldn't think of anything except the last month now. Even his brain was failing him; not that he had much of one to begin with, but still... "Forest," was the only response that was able to come to him. He could always point things out along the way. Ryan watched the boy get up and watched him warily. Nate. Right. He had noticed that it was a formality that when one person stated their name, the other usually had to respond. Ryan usually didn't follow any of those mannerisms, but right now, he didn't really care. He hesitated slightly before answering. "I'm Ryan." He didn't take the hand; there were just somethings, broken or not, that Ryan wasn't going to do. Stubborn to a fault.

The demigod gave the Nate a serious, and almost lost look. "No, it isn't..." he mumbled. Yup, his filter was defiantly out of order, and most likely staying that way. With that, he turned, and started to go towards the one place that he could rely on. A forest full of monsters.

OOC: Just to clarify, the "No it isn't..." is directed at Nate saying "Nice to meet you"
IC: 678

[Nate Matthews]

Wow... That was all Nate could think of for a whole 3 seconds. Then, he immediately started following Ryan. Such a nice name. Apparently they were headed to the forest. That was on the other side of the camp, so it seemed as though Nate was getting a tour. That's great. Nate spoke up then, "I think it's nice. Just so you know. I always like meeting new people. At least, I like meeting people who are nice to me. And you seem nice enough." Nate ducked his head at that last part. That was dangerously close. Dammit, he needed to keep control of himself. Why did he say that? He just... said it, without thinking. That's dangerous. The last time he let anything like that show for someone he almost got beaten to a pulp. A pulp. Nate definitely didn't want to be a pulp. And Ryan seemed like he could do... just about anything if pushed to it. And Nate definitely did NOT want to push Ryan at all. Nate could tell that Ryan was not one to be pushed. But Nate DID want to get to know him. Even if... it was just... as a friend. Actually a friend would be perfectly fine. Nate has had too few of those in his life. So whatever good he could get out of this, he would take. I mean if they did become friends, he'd make a great ally. Loyalty is always appreciated.
Then, as Nate started following Ryan, Nate realized that maybe Ryan needed him more than Nate needed him. Ryan was definitely distracted. Actually, Ryan seemed more upset than anything else. He really seemed like he needed someone to talk to. It felt like Ryan was aching for someone to say something, but was too prideful or scared to ask for help.
Nate knew how that felt. Having no one to talk to could be difficult. That was why Nate had turned to a journal. The journal had become Nate's outlet. Perhaps Nate could become Ryan's outlet. Or, he could help Ryan find an outlet. Anything would be better than watching him tear himself apart from the inside. That's it Nate decided, he was going to say something.
Nate ran to catch up with Ryan and put his hand on Ryan's shoulder. "Hey. Is everything okay? You seem upset. If... if you want to talk, I'm a very good listener." Nate let the question hang and hoped that Ryan wouldn't snap on him.

[Ryan Simons]

Judgement time. Either the guy would give up on him, or he'd follow. Ryan would entirely understand if Nate gave up on him; almost everyone he had ever encountered had. Ryan was difficult, stubborn, and negative... and he as sure as Hades knew it. At hearing the boy's added input, Ryan just shook his head slightly. He still thought it was not a pleasure to meet him. Ryan meeting Nate, whatever; Ryan didn't have it in him to care right now, at all. Nate meeting Ryan... well, Ryan thought that it wasn't nice to be meeting a murder and a war starter. It was so weird, having someone actually say it was nice to meet him, but this new kid didn't know anything. Didn't know what Ryan had done. Thanks to him a Camper was dead. Thanks to him Camp Half Blood was entering into a war. Again with the fail to not think about this stuff. "I'm not nice," Ryan grumbled monotonously, still walking straight ahead. He ignored the stares as always, but there was a new feeling to them now. Before he was the kid who got into fights with everyone, now he was the kid who returned with the doomed/failed quest.

He crossed the lake and then continued walking straight towards the forest... like he had for almost every day of his life at Camp. Ryan still wasn't sure why this guy was following him. He still just expected him to start chewing him out or something. Frankly, Ryan wouldn't of minded. He needed someone to whack him back into his senses. If he had been himself, Ryan would of already chewed the guy out or would of started fighting with him just because of his blasted presence. Before, and even now, Nate was just a random annoying Camper who had the gaul to talk to Ryan. Before, Ryan would of reacted somehow, but now, Ryan just felt empty and flat; he didn't care. He didn't have the energy or the will to fight, so he decided to do the next best thing: use Nate for a distraction. Ryan was really awkward with people to begin with; he was mostly the outcast, antisocial, fiercely independent type... so showing a Camper around also got him some additional stares, as if he wasn't getting enough for the other things, but one again, he just ignored. "Arena to your right and armory to your left," he said flatly, half looking over at the Arena. The Arena... he used to love it there. One of the few places at Camp that he actually liked... he had met Aria there- then he shut his memory flow off.

"I'm fine," Ryan said on a toneless, automatic system. He hesitated slightly, then gave a small shrug and moved on. People were really confusing him these days. First Chase and now this guy, but he wasn't about to just tell them all his problems. Sure, he was kind of broken down, but he wasn't about to tell them his life story or anything. Complaining was a big no no when he lived with Kath. So was the idea that "people have it worse". He was sure that lots of people had it worse than him around here, and he wasn't about to shove his problems on someone else.

IC: 570

[Nate Matthews]

Nate listened as Ryan talked. When Ryan talked. It felt pretty rare and he was sort of having a conversation with him. But still, Nate listened and read between the lines. Ryan was seriously hurting about something. It was like he was constantly trying to build up a crumbling wall. He tried to present a stony face. And, while it appeared solid in actuality, it was riddled and laced with cracks where things kept slipping through. The hole would be patched from the inside, but a few seconds later, it'd come pouring out from another hole that had shown up. This kid was seriously upset and didn't want anyone to know.
Nate was no longer concerned for himself. He didn't care if Ryan reacted badly. He needed to know that another human... well person could care for him, regardless of judgments that other people have. So.... Nate was thinking of taking a dangerous step. He was going to open up to Ryan. Hopefully that would supply enough of a shock to get him to open up. And maybe he won't lash out at Nate for it, but if he did, it still might help Ryan in the long run.
Nate started to speak, but waited for them to reach the privacy of the forest which is where they seemed to be headed. "Arena to your right and armory to your left." said Ryan. As he said it, Nate saw the lingering glance at the Arena. And Ryan added, "I'm fine." Nate could clearly tell he wasn't.
As they reached the safety and privacy of the trees, Nate again reached out his hand. He placed his hand on Ryan's shoulder, pulled to get Ryan to face him, grabbed both of his shoulders, and shook him. "Hey! Are you ok? You don't seem to be listening to me. I'M pleased to meet you. I like you. Why can I NOT like you? Why do you think YOU have the ability to tell me I'M not ALLOWED to like you. You're a PERSON. PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES. Whatever mistakes you've made, you need to let them go. Or discuss them. Find a way to work through them. I offer myself right now. I'll listen. I'll be whatever you need. Just please. Stop persecuting yourself. No one deserves to do that to themselves. Please. I'm begging you. Stop destroying yourself with whatever you're thinking. TALK to me. I promise I won't judge you. I'm just here to listen." Nate stood his ground and waited for Ryan to speak. Or worse, act. Whichever, though, he would weather it.

[Ryan Simons]

Ryan had never been much of a talker to begin with. He had had no one to talk to... besides Kath. She didn't give a drachma about what he had to say, unless it was fighting related. He was surprised that he didn't loose the ability of speech while living with her. By the first two months, he had learned that it was better to keep shut up... or risk getting hit. Don't speak unless spoken too... which wasn't often. Now though, he was talking more than he had ever had while at his time with Kath. It confused him to no end, but at least here, they didn't seem so strict. They were the ones asking him and Ryan was better able to voice what he thought since the prospect of getting punished for it was more limited around here. Even though he could though, the way he had lived still affected him. How couldn't it? He had lived that way for nine years.

He had been here, at Camp, for three years... and still hadn't opened up to any human about anything. The only person who got anything from his past out of him had been Nike... and she was a goddess. He was still disgusted with himself over that too. He still couldn't believe that he told her things... things that she probably didn't care about. Things he was sure no one cared about. Before, to Camp he was sure that he was just the angry kid who didn't even claim that they had a parent. Now, he was just the broken down kid who started a war. Could he do anything right? Nope. It was just probably best he keep his trap shut. He had when he was eight; he had vented to his wall; it had been one of the only ways he stayed sane. Ryan was still here and breathing, six years later, so not talking to anyone about anything could work. He'd get over being broken... he'd fix himself... eventually. The worse part about being around so many people now, was that they could visually see that he was upset. The angry kid they knew; his mask, his shield, everything, had shattered. Even worse, was that people acted like they cared.

They were at the forest. Ryan went to just walk in on automatic system, but the felt someone grab his shoulder. He had forgotten that Nate was even there. Talk about being spacey, but his mind just wasn't into anything right now. All he wanted to do was to go into the forest, and possibly never come out. Camp wouldn't care. The forest was full of monsters. Surely Ryan would fit right in. Before, Ryan would of resisted being grabbed and spun around quite violently; he would of been on high alert and ready to fight, and he surely wouldn't of allowed Nate to follow him this far, but times were different. Loose and not even really caring what anyone did to him, he felt his body turn as Nate's force grabbed and spun him so they were facing eachother. He just took the other boy's shaking, his eyes kind of unfocused. People were confusing him so much these days. Before they would of been glad to of gotten rid of him, and now they were pretending to actually care about he felt. As much as he wanted to believe that they sincerely cared, he couldn't.

Nate's rant put Ryan into even more mental shock (if that was possible). Ryan exhaled and just shook his head slightly. "Y-yeah... I...I'm fine..." he muttered, still on automatic, but now slightly hesitant. He wasn't about to spill his woes and sound like a complainer. People had it rougher, and if he couldn't take care of his own problems, then that was his fault. "You... you shouldn't..." How could anyone like him after what he had done? "Because... I, I'm no good... to-to anyone," he mumbled. "You... you don't know what I did... what I've d-done." Yeah. This kid defiantly had no idea about what had happened in the past few weeks. If he had, he probably would of started to chew Ryan out... which he was almost hoping for right now. It was all he was used to. "I... I"ll get past it...." Ryan mumbled. Eventually, he added silently in his head. The fifteen year old looked at Nate in confusion. Ryan was was no good at picking out tones, but he was pretty sure that he sounded kinda sincere about it. He wanted to believe he was... but he still couldn't. "I... I can't," he muttered, his voice kind of cracking.

OOC: Hope that was okay o.o
Told you he wouldn't kill you
IC: 810

[Jackson Samuels]

Jackson was doing his normal running, he had a lot on his mind today and he needed to some how let it all out. He knew that running would be the best option and it was the only one he had right now. His eyes grew a little wide when he saw Ryan leading some new guy into the woods, Jackson had heard stories about Ryan, he knew that something happened between Ryan and his sister, but he wasn't sure what. Jackson also knew that the self proclaimed "Son of No One" leading some new kid into the woods could not be a good thing.

Jackson followed them into the woods, not to be some creeper or stalker but if he needed to try and stop Ryan from doing something stupid he would, especially to this new guy that knew nothing about Ryan, who probably knew nothing about who himself was or what the guy could do.

Jackson watched as the new kid spun Ryan around by his shoulders, This is not good, Jackson thought to himself. No one touched Ryan more importantly, no one spun him around like that. He half expected Ryan to punch the guy in the face. Jackson prepared himself more to go and save the guy. He watched as Ryan made no move to punch the guy, but seemed more shocked than anything. He couldn't hear what Ryan was saying but it sounded like he was scared or something. Jackson knew that he had to save both boys now and not just the one.

Jackson pretended to just be running through the woods when he spotted the boys. He ran up to them acting out of breath.

"Hey Ryan and guy I do not know. What are you guys doing in the woods?" asked Jackson with a smile, he felt like he was interrupting something but he didn't care. He needed to help them, Ryan never talked to anyone, this couldn't be easy for him. Jackson waited for the boys to respond as he took a sip from the water bottled in his jogging pants pocket. The sun was beating down on them, he knew that he was going to start glowing or whatever happened to him in the sun. At least this was a demi-god camp and this new boy had to be one.