Destinations are where we begin again. (OPEN; help needed!)

[Deleted]

Stephen was feeling rotten, to say the least.  If you consider the plight of a  spoiled rich kid who was on a leisurely vacation to Manhattan with his diva mother and her boyfriend, and who was all of a sudden attacked by a monster and separated from them when he had to flee away from the monster--not to mention, no one even noticed that a barbaric beast was in front of them or made an effort to help him out, you can understand how confused, fearful, angry, and anxious he felt.  He was lost from all that he was familiar with and was the constant victim of monster attacks.  That was simply too crazy for him and the world was going chaotic.  It was losing its realistic touch.  Part of him had wanted to pass out for good and wake up from a nasty dream, but some other part of him forced himself to keep moving to save his hide.  Well, the thanked that part of him wherever it came from, because more than once he was questioning his sanity.

The poor lad had wondered if this was going to be the end of him.  He did what he could to hide and run away from the monsters, but he was still very unskilled and vulnerable in fending them off.  It was only a matter of time when he would be devoured and dead for good.  Stephen had wept, cursing everything around him, wondering what he had done to deserve such a grisly fate.  It was just so damnably unfair.  Sure, he wasn't the nicest kid on the block, but he had always minded his own business and never did anything wrong to anyone.  But in that darkness a ray of light had made its way to him when he stumbled upon Eowyn, a girl who was only a year younger than he was who was in the same predicament.  It had been a comfort to know that at least there was someone who was going through the same thing out of all those jerks who barely noticed him being harassed by a ferocious thing.  He was even more pleased to know that she was willing to team up with him so they could both help one another out in this new game of survival, and he felt more confident and assured with someone by his side.  They had a mutual understanding between them, and this was the first time when someone who he barely knew transitioned quickly into someone who mattered the most to him.  Stephen had never been one to open up to people, but in this case Wyn was the exception.  She was almost closer to him than his mother was.  He felt like he could talk about just about anything to her and he found himself caring about her a lot.  Well, she was pretty, but that wasn't the only thing about her that made her important to him.  This was a special comradeship that could only be felt between two people who have been through thick and thin together, and no one could ever make him feel the same. 

The two of them had been able to hide like ninjas for awhile, but then luck decided that it got bored of them and a monster had been able to injure Wyn.  That had given Stephen a fright, but it seemed that Wyn was still able to be mobile and generally alright, so that had made him feel better.  But day by day it seemed that Wyn wouldn't be able to hold out much longer, and Stephen was feeling more panicked.  He would've liked to be able to have her rest so she wouldn't have to expend so much of her strength and energy, but unfortunately they had to get moving, otherwise monsters would pay them a visit.  They had to evacuate constantly and find new places to hide.  It sucked that he was a refugee now but he didn't have a lot of time to bemoan the awry turn of events for him from a pampered brat to a homeless and vulnerable pawn of nature, even if deep down he resented it more than anything else.  His focus, though, had to be being alert and wary of his surroundings, not to mention reacting accordingly to any signs of danger.  But right now he wasn't sure what he would do if danger found its way to them again.  He was in the middle of nowhere with a hill up ahead of him, a hill that he most likely would walk around.  It wasn't logical to force Wyn up a hill when she was injured.  He was susceptible to any monster attacks, but he also had an injured and weak person leaning against him and he had no idea how to get help for her.  He was in a bad situation indeed, but if all went well and he found a new place for them to hide, then he would clear his mind and decide what he could do for her.  Hopefully, though, no monsters were going to pounce out at them, or he would find himself trying to drag a person unfit to move around in a mad dash with him.  If you imagined a scenario like that, you would bet that it would result in eminent death for the poor souls.  Stephen was doing all he could to keep calm, though, and carry on his objective with a level head.  It was the most he could do right now, and after the travails he went through he was already used to it.

 Wyn was doing what she could to keep continue walking at his side.  He had his arm around her shoulder to support her, but he feared that he would have to do more than that.  When he tore his gaze from the hill to glance at her, he saw that she was probably forcing herself more than she should to keep on her feet.  He hated to think of the pain she must be going through to do that.  "Wyn...do you want me to carry you?" he asked softly.  He was a guy, and a tall one at that; not to mention, taller than her, too.  He was pretty sure he could carry her without difficulty.             

Tag: @eowyn & OPEN--Stephen and Eowyn have just arrived in camp.  They're at the base of the hill, anyone is welcome to help them out and show Stephen to the infirmary so he can take Eowyn there as she is injured.

[Deleted]

So things hadn't really gone all that horrible, had they? Okay, so that obviously wasn't true. She and Stephen were now struggling to get to the top of some stupid hill while her leg was probably literally trying to kill her. The pain was incredible. She'd heard a strange creaking or snapping noise during that one fight but she hadn't realised it was broken. Or at least, not on time. It wasn't like they could just hop to a hospital now. Still, the fracture was the only thing that actually made sense to Eowyn. What else could it be? Even there mere thought of putting weight on her leg was excruciating. Maybe it hadn't actually been all that bad at first. Maybe some rest and extra support was all she'd needed to avoid.. well this. Right now Eowyn was pretty sure the bone was breaking more with every step and it would start sticking out if she didn't watch herself. Still, she tried to pretend it wasn't actually all that bad. She forced up a smile and kept walking as if it was just a sprain. Maybe that was how it started, a simple sprain that was going nuclear on her now.

Eowyn took a deep breath as they halted for a short moment. The hill was horrible and well, she couldn't exactly hide the pain from Stephen any longer. It was too much. She glanced to the side, her eyes scanning his face. She could see he was worried and she knew that was her fault. If she hadn't gotten injured they'd be just fine. They might have been at the camp already. "Stehv?" She said, using the nickname she'd given him a while back. "Think we're almost there?" She asked, trying so hard to keep the pain out of her voice. It must have been obvious, or he knew her so well that he could read her mind by now. Even when leaning on him the pain was almost too much to stand. She smiled and him when he offered to carry her. "You really don't have to... but it might be faster." Eowyn admitted the last part grudgingly. She hated to be the one delaying the bunch and it certainly wasn't her desire. She wanted to just be strong and carry on like nothing was the matter. No such luck it seemed.

She glanced at the hill, slightly terrified of the prospect of the future. It was probably rather silly but even at a moment like this, Eowyn felt extremely self conscious. She knew Stephen didn't really care much about how she looked with everything that had been thrown at them but she couldn't help but wish she didn't look like a total mess. Her skirt was dirty and slightly torn but her tights were horrible. They were actually just holes surrounded by a tiny bit of fabric. The huge hole where her leg was aching was probably the worst of them all. It seemed to be just a little scrape but Eowyn knew it was far more than that underneath the surface. Her shirt was torn and dirty and she didn't even want to imagine what her hair looked like at that moment. A frizzy mess without a doubt. Like it hadn't seen a brush in about years. On her side a few coals of rope hung loosely and well, those were still decent. Still capable. Her war hammer was in the duffle bag she'd swung over her shoulder but it felt like she was trying to carry a car by now. She was thirsty, exhausted and in pain. She was pretty sure she'd go out cold the moment she was safe for about half a week. Apart from that she doubted that she'd be able to keep herself together if somebody around her decided to bleed now. She could faint at the sight of blood and on her better days she only just managed to keep her head around. On days like these, well she was pretty sure at this point she was doomed to die of a papercut, potentially one that Stephen got. She was nothing short of an idiot. A dead idiot at that. "Stephen... can we take a break soon? I don't think I can go on much longer." She said softly, admitting defeat. This was not going to be pretty.

((ugh, so short.))

Tag: @stephen and OPEN!!!

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Sure, Eowyn looked bedraggled and quite horrible, but Stephen was pretty much in the same way.  His hair was unkempt and clothes were stained and rumpled.  You could see the noticeable strain on his face and the dark hollows underneath his eyes from fatigue and tiredness.  He had been making mad dashes for his life and hiding just about anywhere, out on the streets, in alleys, on the road...he and Wyn were pretty much pathetic and defenseless homeless people.  It was difficult accepting that downward transition in his social standing, but again, if he wanted to live he'd just have to.  He was more concerned about living than doing nothing and complaining.

He heard her call him by the nickname she had bestowed upon him, Stehv.  Stephen wasn't sure where that had come prom, but perhaps it was because it had a nice sound to it to her.  Normally Stephen didn't like random nicknames, but he didn't mind it from her, considering how special she was to him.  He would only brook that nickname from her, though.  If anyone needed to give him a nickname it would be Steph, not Stehv. 

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye when she said the nickname.  He heaved a sigh, not really sure how he could answer her question.  He just didn't know.  "I'm not sure, Wyn," he said honestly.  "I have no idea where we're heading and it doesn't seem like there's a suitable place to hide yet..." He didn't really feel safe out in the open like this.  He wanted to find at least a flimsy place that could provide cover.

He frowned even more when she told him that he didn't need to carry her.  No, he thought with an internal shake of his head, she was in no way fit to keep walking like this.  Just...no.  Stephen was about to protest, was about to move forward to lift her off of the ground into his arms, when she asked if they could take a break soon.  He had to agree that she was not going to hold out much longer if she kept moving on her own feet.  Maybe he could just carry her, but then again, she probably wanted to be completely still.  She was the injured one, not him.

"Alright...do you want to sit down for a moment?" he asked, having completely stopped walking all together so she could stop moving as well.  If anything happened, he could scoop her in his arms and make a mad dash for it.  Right now he just couldn't bear the sight of her struggling.  It was too much for him, and it was what he was only seeing at the moment.                  

Tag: @eowyn & OPEN--Stephen and Eowyn have just arrived in camp.  They're at the base of the hill, anyone is welcome to help them out and show Stephen to the infirmary so he can take Eowyn there as she is injured.

[Deleted]

Eowyn knew they had to be getting close to some new place to hide. It was almost like she could feel they were getting close by some strange kind of instinct. She also knew that she couldn't walk much further, even though she had to. Falling still now wasn't an option as Eowyn was fairly sure that it would kill them both. Maybe it was better if Stephen just went on ahead on his own. Well, with that she knew she pretty much meant she wanted him to save his own skin. The monsters kept coming at all turns of the road and she did not want him to die because he was hovering near her. She was the weakness he currently had and if he would let her go his own odds of survival would get a lot bigger. She didn't want to be the cause of his demise and in a way, all she was trying to do at that point was figure out how to convince him to go on without her. She could probably hold her own for a while at least. She could see where she ended up, although she knew the most likely option. It was all for his sake though, all to make sure he'd live to remember her. Eowyn wasn't usually that morbid but the pain was getting to her. It was starting to break her spirits and her hopes down.

She understood that Stephen wanted to get them somewhere more sheltered but Eowyn doubted she'd manage that particular walk. She wasn't even sure she'd make it up the hill without falling down and just giving up completely. Then again, Eowyn found she felt comfortable when either hiding or in higher places where she at least could see things coming before they hit. If there was no shelter it was best to sit on a higher place for a good vantage point. She looked up the hill as Stephen mentioned not having a place to hide and couldn't help but shrug. "If we get up there we have a good vantage point at least. It might not be the best place but it's better than right here." Eowyn suggested, feeling tired and not looking forward to doing the entire speech about him going off on his own. Even if they both lived the odds they'd see one another again were rather small. Still, she had to keep telling herself that she wasn't doing this for herself, she was doing this for him. Because it wasn't fair to him to risk his life for the small chance she'd make it. After her years on the streets she'd gotten a little too practical about that sort of thing. Stragglers were left behind in dangerous situations. It was really that simple.

Stephen offered to sit down and Eowyn shook her head for a moment. "No, we get up the hill first. I think that it's best to take a short break when we get there. After that you can scout ahead to find a good place to hide. I'm no use in moving around at the moment. You can come back to pick me up when you find shelter." She said, but part of it was deception. She planned to get him out scouting only so she could write him a short letter to say goodbye. She had the feeling he wasn't about to give up on her so maybe she just had to force his hand. She took a deep breath and took a few more steps, stumbling as her leg sent a wave of pain through her. She didn't really want to burden Stephen though. It pretty much came down to her pride getting in the way at that point. She could get past it, up to a certain point but it was hard for her to admit she needed help and depend on another person. She was so used to conflict and being on her own that such a simple thing as being carried up a hill seemed like a huge thing to ask. It probably wasn't and she was probably just making it into a bigger deal than it should have been but well, if she was going to make it on her own without Stephen, she had to be able to walk up a hill, right? Just biting through the pain. She gritted her teeth and put several more steps forward, already quite eager to sit down and let her leg get some rest. Just a day or so and she wouldn't be able to walk any more. Lovely prospect, not.

Tag: @stephen & OPEN!!

[Deleted]

Stephen gazed upward at the hill before them when Wyn suggested that they would do better to go up the hill than to stay below it where they were.  He felt dubious, more because of the effort it would take to climb up there.  He didn't mind climbing up on his own as much as the thought that she would have to force herself up there.  And, anyway...would they be able to have finally outrun the monsters on the hill? Would they have somehow lost them if they did climb up? He didn't know, but the idea was very promising, not to mention that he somehow felt as if it would work.  Maybe because the thought of being on a higher aptitude made him feel as if he were safer...he supposed it was worth a shot as long as he carried her up there instead of having walk up there on her own feet.

"Okay, I guess I'll try to get us up there," he said.  "I'm going to carry you, obviously, because you're in no condition to move on your own anymore."  Stephen nodded when she said that they should take a break once they got up there, but his eyes widened at what she suggested next--that he would leave her alone so he could go scouting.  There was no way in hell--or the Underworld--that he was letting her out of his sight.  There was always the possibility that a monster would jump out at her and attack, and it was evident that she wouldn't be able to run away in that case.  "No! I can't leave you alone," he protested.  "Unless we find a really secure place to hide you in...like a thicket, I'm definitely not going to leave you on your own.  I know it's practical that I scout around, but...I feel more confident with having you with me.  We'll just have to find a hiding spot together, and I really don't mind carrying you around at all.  You can ride on my back."              

Tag: @eowyn & OPEN--Stephen and Eowyn have just arrived in camp.  They're at the base of the hill, anyone is welcome to help them out and show Stephen to the infirmary so he can take Eowyn there as she is injured.

[Deleted]

Sadly for Josephine, she had been dragged out of the forges, which was basically like a second home to her, to get some fresh air.  If you left Josie alone she would probably have stayed in the forges forging weapons and other things that could be forged from dawn until dusk.  She was very passionate about the work that she was born for as a daughter of Hephaestus.  Sometimes, Josie forgot that the forges were part of the camp and that she was surrounding by a swarm of other campers.

Alas, though, when she had just finished forging a battleaxe, one of her brothers coaxed her into getting out of her hiding, as he had called it.  Josephine was reluctant to, but she didn't have the will to argue back.  She was a pushover and didn't really like contradicting people if she could help it.  She could, of course, when it was necessary that she stop someone from doing stupid to themselves or something like that, but if no big consequences were going to happen from it she was just going to give in.  She was someone who gave in easily.

He had dragged her to the top of the hill to chat, for some reason, out of all the places where they could hang out.  Josie actually found it somewhat fun to sit down on the ground with him, though, and listen to him talk away.  She hadn't been doing much of the talking, because she wasn't the most talkative person on the block.  But she was content to listen to him tell her about how life was going on for him, such as his interactions with the girls who he was interested in and the friends he had made. 

However, when she idly glanced ahead of her, she spotted the figure of two people below the hill.  That immediately alerted her and she sprung up on her feet.  There was a boy and a girl, a girl who looked badly injured.  They must be newcomers to camp, and the girl must've been injured by a monster.

Without saying a word to her brother, Josephine darted down the slope of he hill to intercept them.  She was not used to running fast, so by the time she found herself at the bottom of the hill, she was panting and felt rather frightened by how it almost felt like she was going to lose her footing and roll down the hill.  But, alas, she was too preoccupied by the two new demigods before her. 

Josie carefully approached them, stopping at the boy's side.  "Um, hey...please don't be alarmed by my presence," she said carefully.  "I think I can help you two.  We have a camp up the hill that serves as a sanctuary for demigods like us."  She didn't know how to explain it, really.  Josie wasn't the best with explanations, since she didn't talk a lot to people.  "If you've seen a monster then the camp is a place that protects you from them.  You'll be safe there. We also have an infirmary for her."  She nodded in the girl's direction despite the fact that they might not be taking kindly to her presence or to what she was telling them.  She hoped she would be able to bring them into camp, though.  It was definitely not safe for them to continue on like this.                  

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Eowyn wasn't quite sure how she was going to put her plan in motion while Stehv was being stubborn and trying to be all disguised heroic. She smiled slightly but sighed and rolled her eyes. "You know, I might be half a cripple but that doesn't mean I'm weak and defenceless all of a sudden. I did survive on my own before I met you, you know." She said with a smile, doing her best to reassure him. She had been fine before she'd met him but she'd never really had a seriously bad injury in those years somehow. Luck in surviving she supposed. Too much in too short a time, as it was obviously running out. It didn't matter though. Her luck would pass to Stephen if she had any sort of say in it and then he'd carry on living for the both of them. It was a good enough plan. Eowyn took a deep breath and put some weight on her wrong leg again, hopping forward uphill a little more. "There will not be any space left to carry me if all you do is talk." She teased him playfully as she hopped a few more steps. The pain was killing her but somehow joking about it and poking a bit of fun at Stephen almost made her feel like she was just a normal girl hanging out with her best friend she had this tiny crush on. She'd fallen, gotten an injury and they were hopping over toward the hospital or car or anywhere together in order to get her fixed. If she kept that illusions going for herself, she could make it up the hill.

That was when the girl appeared on top of the hill. That was nothing short of bad news. Pretty little girls were not always quite as human as they appeared to be. Within seconds of the sighting, Eowyn had her weapon in hand. Hammer at the ready, she looked at the girl as she approached, trying to look about a billion times more tough than she felt. "Don't be alarmed?" Eowyn scoffed, the grip on her weapon getting tighter. She glanced at the hill as the girl spoke and glared. "Yeah, I'm sure there's some group being served there but I'm guessing we're what's on the menu." She said, not believing a word the girl said. She was sceptic and anything but fit for a fight, which made it a lot more likely that it was time for one. Last stand much? Eowyn had never thought she'd end up dying like a dramatic little girl, fighting with a hammer she got off an old man many years ago. Well, as long as she could get a few good hits in it would all be perfectly fine. For Stephen. Or so she hoped. Again with the dramatics!

Eowyn was pretty close to exploding when the girl talked to Stephen, mentioning an infirmary as if Eowyn herself was lying out cold on the floor. It was a little something she'd noticed before but her lack of energy, pain and general unhappiness all seemed to merge together and the hammer got a pleasant sort of buzz to it. That quiet hum that came from nearly all electric devices seemed to fill the air and make Eowyn feel more at home. She didn't know why she always felt so closely connected to electricy and thunderstorms but she didn't actually care one little bit. Right now she only cared about the fact she felt quite insulted by her being ignored by this person that proclaimed safety but couldn't actually seem to prove anything at all. "I'm right here!" She said and stomped her foot on the floor, a small shower of electric sparks raining down from the air around her. "And even though I have a broken leg I'll still smack you on the head with this stupid hammer unless you start talking real fast lady. I expect you to tell me what the hell you're talking about. Not just that, you're going to have to provide some sort of proof that it's safe because even though I'm pretty much doomed to die with a broken leg out here, I'm not going to let Stephen suffer the same fate just because I wasn't strong enough!" She said, too exhausted and frustrated to care a bit about how that sounded. "So talk." She said with a dangerous undertone as another spark shot off the hammer. Eowyn was running on the last energy she had left over and she had every intention of making it count.

@stephen.
Sorry for the wait >.>

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Just what was she DOING? Seeing her hop up the hill like that made him want to shriek, but being a really calm person helped him not to shriek.  "Hey, Wyn, stop!" he called out after her.  He immediately sped after her, meaning to just carry her once and for all, even if she balked.  Normally Stephen had an air of sangfroid to him, but during times like these when he was literally afraid and full of adrenaline, he couldn't contain himself.  "You may have been able to hold your own, but that doesn't mean you're invincible," he said through gritted teeth.

He really hated it when fate would not let him do what he wanted.  This time fate came in the form of a girl, devil take her.  By the time he noticed that someone else was approaching them from the hill, he was already by Wyn's side about to heave her into his arms.  Stephen bristled at the sight of the stranger.  After going through what he had gone through, a person randomly approaching them was not anything harmless.  She could be dangerous--she could be a monster in disguise.  In fact he was more inclined to be suspicious of that than doubtful.  If he let his guard down, he could end up dead at any moment.  He became even more tense and on edge if he wasn't tense and on edge before.

Stephen slipped his rather small knife--sadly, that was his only weapon--from his pocket and pointed it at her, glaring icily at the girl.  He had to do what he could not to bare his teeth and snarl.  "And just who are you, you freak?" he hissed.  He also added some more profane words, some in French, some in English.  Stephen wasn't going to try to suppress his hostility or insults.  He absolutely hated the monsters for doing this to him and thought they deserved every inch of his rudeness, and that was already being kind enough.  He might be losing control of his temper, but who wouldn't lose their temper when they were confronted by a person who could be a monster wanting to attack them? The chance that the girl was not a monster was tossed out of the window for him, because again, he wasn't going to put anything past the craziness of fate.  Hellfire and damnation, he didn't know if he and Wyn were going to be able to outrun this monster right now!

The girl then proceeded to speak, and although she was another human who knew about monsters like them--or at least, that was what she implied.  He honestly had no idea what a demigod was, but he assumed that was the title that belonged to the monster-viewers.  She also said that there was a place where they could be protected by the monsters and an infirmary where Eowyn could be treated.  Damn him if that didn't sound enticing.  He glanced at Wyn, and the prospect of shelter and proper healing for her sounded more than tempting.  But just like Wyn, Stephen was skeptical.  This could be a crazy trap for all he knew.  After all, just out of the blue when they were intending to head up the hill, this girl coincidentally comes from said hill and tells them that they would be safe and sound.  What if she was a monster who knew that they had been about to go up the hill?

But it was Wyn who voiced his thoughts.  Prideful Wyn obviously didn't like being spoken about as if she were a weak thing that needed help, and he felt slightly amused and alarmed when she stomped her foot.  Amused, because it was the usual Wyn reaction and he liked it, but alarmed, because she shouldn't be stomping.  "Careful," he said simply, knowing that there wasn't much he could say to get her to stop unless he forced her down by himself.  He stepped away a little when the sparks of electricity poured down.  He had no idea where she got this ability, but it just seemed to happen when she was in a rage.  It was weird for a regular human to know that, but he knew better than to expect regularity.  And it was a good thing that Wyn had this ability, sort of, because it had the ability to cause pain and might serve a bit as a defense against monsters.  Granted, just a few sparks were probably not enough against monsters, but at least she could inflict pain upon this creep (if her human form could feel the pain that is), he hoped.  It was a pity that Stephen didn't have any supernatural abilities (yet).

Stephen admired her fierce speech, but he looked at her reproachfully when she pretty much said that there was a chance she was going to die and he'd have to make it without her.  Stephen was not giving up on Wyn yet.  It was going to have to take a lot to make him not try to make her situation better for her.  Her dying was not an option in his book.  Just the idea of her dying left an ugly feeling in his stomach.  Stephen wasn't a person who cared for many, but he definitely did care for the girl who had been his companion during his time of need.  For a moment he forgot the monster-girl in front of them and was looking at Wyn completely.  "That's not going to happen," he said firmly.  "If you've got the strength to threaten to hit someone with a hammer and to yell this loudly, then you've still got a long way to go before death is possibility.  I'm making sure of that."  Stupid thing to say, perhaps, but right now he was out of sorts.  He just said whatever was on his mind.

And then he remembered the "person" who was with them and darted his gaze to the lady with cold eyes.  "I highly suggest you do as she says if you're half as brainy as you think you come across as," he said tartly.  He knew that this monster was going to be stronger than they were, but he couldn't help but vent his anger upon it while he still could.  And maybe, even if she was the "demigod" that she claimed herself to be, he probably would've used her as a verbal punching bag for the hell he and Wyn had gone through, too.