Mess at the Mess Hall? (Cassie,Open)

[Seth Park]

    The shadows flickered as a figure emerged, half jogging, slightly puffing through the outskirt woods of Long Island Sound. The evening air breezed coolly, introducing the east coast atmosphere to the newly arrived man. In front of the shadow, a column arch could be seen next to a set of flickering lights emanating from the torches along the border of what looked to be a camp. Camp Half Blood the man thought. It had been a bit of a tougher journey than expected for Seth, the shadowy figure. Shadow Travel was most certainly a luxury available to those called the children of Hades, however, the fatigue set in from using such a thing, it took some getting used to. Even now, Seth to to take a moment to gather himself before entering the premises of the camp. Once he had regained his breath, he stepped forward.

    The sound of his famish rang across his own ears, reminding Seth that he had not had a single meal all day. Luckily for him, the son of Hades had arrived at a most gracious time of the day for the camp. The smell of fresh fruits and meal snaked across his cheeks and into his nostrils, delighting Seth in a number of different aromas. In the distance, Chiron's voice could be heard, faintly, but still, the voice of such authority could never quite be ignored. Also, Chiron's way of speech, the grandeur of his toasts only helped Seth to conclude that the meal was ready to be served, oh how excited he was.

    "Could this be any drier?" A disappointed whisper escaped Seth's lips as he bit into a piece of bread. It was unlike him to be.....whiny about his meals, but he had a long day, and his travel was hard. He could really go for something refreshing to down the bread with. In the distance he could notice other campers enchanting their goblets. Cocking an eyebrow, Seth had realized that the goblets were filling themselves. One of the campers looked back and accidentally locked eyes with the spawn of the Hades and immediately pulled away. Seth sighed. It was a common reaction that he had gotten most accustomed to during his visits. He was, to many campers, and unknown presence. The children of Hades would normally have their own table set aside to sit in, and as usual, Seth had realized to no shock that he was alone. He merely presumed that his siblings were mingling with the other campers. The thought was comforting, after all, Seth had only known resentment and disregard for ever being his father's son. Hopefully, his siblings fared better in this camp.

    With a glance into his goblet, Seth focused on the aroma of black coffee, in particular a specific Greek roast that he was quite fond of himself. Within the second the goblet had filled fairly for his pleasure. Neat was all he could think before his lips met the the pure bliss of the wonderful drink. "Ahhhh...I wouldn't mind this....just this."

[Cassiopeia Kingsway]

It was to prove to be the longest most boring-est day for the daughter of Persephone. She had arrived late to the mess hall her demeanor completely different from what it had been before fall had started. Others just knew to either get used to it,or,avoid her like the plague. Half the time everyone usually avoided her. Which in her mind,didn't much bother her. She gave what looked like a half smirk as she had started to go to her table. The day's events were interesting enough but it was also bothersome to the slightly agitated young woman. Of all the things,Her cat,King, had decided to get dirty and tried to mess up the cabin. So she had tried to catch the stubborn tabby and white cat before she had arrived. Doing so it put her back a little bit as she had missed the speech and everything. As she came in she spotted the lone male at the Hades table that she didn't recognize and her curiosity sparked. Walking over to the male she sat at the table despite it not being her own."Well you look a little new here"She said with a smirk. "Names Cassiopeia but you can call me Cassie"She said with a cool tone. She smirked looking at him. She was a bit of a flirt at the time a year and wouldn't of hesitated to call him cute or anything for that matter.

[Seth Park]

    Ah, coffee, even the word itself brought great relief to the lonesome male, who, at most times, never quite drank the brewed beverages for their intended purposes. The taste, the aroma, the feel, the warmth, even the look of the darkness that the drink reflected attracted the man to the greatest degree. Seth could never quite put a finger onto when his devotion to the black drink began. All he could remember is that he fell in love with its bitter flavor, a taste that he was surprisingly welcome to from a young age. As he looked upon his goblet, he smiled lightly at the overall picture of the scenario. Since when had he ever drank coffee out of a goblet? The thought was mildly amusing truth be told, it was almost as if Seth was guilty of desecrating some unspoken law. Of course, there was no such law that forbade anyone from drinking coffee out of a goblet, however, he couldn't quite help feeling a little silly in doing so. "A mug, I should invest in a mug. A personal one, something that I'd like..." The thought was nice. Maybe, he'd hit up that one shop down by Manhattan that he had once come across, the small quaint cafe. Surely he'd find what he would need there.

    Observing the goblet again with his eyes, and inhaling the wonderful aroma of the brew with his sinuses, Seth couldn't stop himself from sinking into the warmth of the Greek brew. How did these goblets even know to procure this specific taste? Most of these other campers probably thought of orange juice, or maybe a Pepsi to wash down their meals. If any of them had thought of coffee, would the magical goblet bring about some random brew? Or would it just be the expected flavor that the camper would expect? The thought was provoking, and in that moment, the young man felt comfort, and some pride, in knowing that his vast arsenal of knowledge on coffee most likely contributed in the goblet replicating the specific taste that he required.

    Now, enough about coffee, more about....well anything else. The soft crackle of a nearby lit fire brought Seth back into the world of the living. A quick chuckle escaped his lips. World of the living, how ironic. He rolled his eyes at the thought of such a stupid joke. Nonetheless, the thought at least was able to bring the son of Hades back enough to notice a figure approaching his space. How strange, this was new. Maybe, or most likely, this figure would make a turn at the last moment, just in time for Seth to turn his head to see her walk towards a destination that would make more sense. Yet, no such thing happened. The girl...was walking straight towards the table...towards him. A wave of curiosity overcame him, as she so confidently took a spot just in front of Seth's own seat. From her perspective, this girl would see Seth leaning on the mess hall wall with his right shoulder, and the goblet of Greek coffee ever so lifted with his left hand in mid sipping motion.

    "Well you look a little new here" ,the girl had straightforwardly proclaimed. "Names Cassiopeia but you can call me Cassie"
   
    This girl was surprisingly confident, forward, very sure of herself. If Seth could have a say, he'd even think that her smirk was....inviting? By this point, Seth's curiosity had amplified, and he was ready to explore and venture as he succumbed. Normally, he would never quite approach anyone, but it was a slightly different story if he was the one approached. 

    "New?" he let out an innocent laugh, "yeah, I guess you could say that." Seth returned "Cassie's" smirk with a smile of his own as he gently let down his goblet, ultimately placing it down on the table with the smallest of a thud. Letting go, he lifted his left leg onto the seat and rested his now free left arm on his own knee as he gazed at the newcomer. "The name's Seth, nice to meet you. I gotta say...not a lot of people...especially around here really ever come to me. How can I help you?" The inquiry was definitely present in Seth's eyes, as he was seemingly asking why are you here without saying it. In his voice however, Seth simply returned Cassie's cool tone.

[Cassiopeia Kingsway]

The young woman was definitely confident. A little too confident at that point of the year. Sure of herself to say the least. She leaned slightly back as she looked to the male before her. She noticed from where she sat he was leaning against the pillar goblet in hand. She smirked just a bit more."huh well then Welcome to Camp Half Blood...officially"She said with a sort of smile now. She still had the cool demeanor about her. Somewhat inviting in itself. She watched as he had set the goblet down and for a moment she took notice of the dark liquid inside of it. Coffee,she had guessed. Though what kind she could care less. That was when The smirk returned to her well toned face."well it's nice to meet you Seth. I'm assuming son of Hades"She spoke evenly. It was a big guess but she figured cause of where the table was. "Also I'm not most people. I'm what you could call a bit unique"Cassie said with the slightest smirk."Also I'm sure you will ask but daughter of Persephone at your serves "She said this made her give a slight grin.

[Seth Park]

 With his mental eyes, Seth scanned up and down, discreetly, on the unspoken language that Cassie purveyed, well, if there was any. For the most part, he could pretty much evidently see that Cassie's demeanor  was most certainly inviting. She was honestly, as he could see it, trying to make conversation with him. Why though, he could only assume. Obviously he considered that he was merely overthinking, after all, most people weren't so cautious of others, especially without reason as he did not have. But, she did say she wasn't like most people. This was enough for him to continue without dismissing her and escaping into himself like he would with some others. Another thing to note, as well, was that she appeared to have little to no self doubt in herself. Very confident for certain.

    Cocking his head ever so slightly to the side, Seth let his leg fall back down below from the top of the seat and allowed his fingers to intertwine as he rested both elbows on the table. His face, now, was several inches closer to Cassie's than it was before. "You're right, you're not like most people. I appreciate the welcome, it's rare to get that around here...even if I haven't been here that long." His eyes met hers briefly, and in this time he could notice the coolness in her presence. Her eyes were like vanilla coffee, bronzed much like her skin. She was as smooth as silk, and very sure in herself without much of a flinch. That was...good. It didn't mean much to him, but it was good to see that there were strong and resilient people here at camp. Judging from her looks, Cassie must have been near, or even the same age as him. Maybe that was a defining reason as to why she approached him? It, of course, is never a bad thing to make friends, just difficult for him at the moment. 

    Seth took a moment to to cock back and retake his goblet as she greeted him. "Yeah, nice to meet you too-" The goblet barely reached his lips when she made an educated guess regarding his family. Because of the circumstances of where he was, he knew that it was a simple observation. However, the second part of her statement took Seth slightly off guard. He slightly gagged on his own coffee when she mentioned her mother, Persephone...goddess of spring...and wife to Hades. KIDNAPPED wife to Hades. The best he could do was manage a clumsy gurgle as the rest of the hot drink struggled down his throat. With a breath, he regained his air, cocking an eyebrow as he did so. "Per-Persephone huh?" he coughed out, "that's very cool."

    So that was the reason she was here huh? Son of Hades just sitting alone no wonder she'd approach him, his dad was keeping her mother against her own will. Great. Keeping his calm after the coffee fiasco, Seth merely set down the goblet once more and continued on, ignoring himself for a moment. "I appreciate the service Cassie. So tell me, what brings you to the table of fun?"


    

[Cassiopeia Kingsway]

Cassie had sat quietly listening to him her gaze steady as she looked at him. She took notice of him looking at her but said nothing. She smiled a bit"well your welcome I'm quite surprised no one beat me to it"She said with a smile. She watched as he picked the goblet up and bring it to his mouth but stopped short when she had made her guess on his parentage. She knew then that she was right by his reaction. Though when she had said who her parent was she saw him gag on his drink and she stood abruptly hoping he was ok. She wasn't sure what was going through his head. Though she never held any resentment or grudge against Hades for her mother's kidnapping she did held a bit of anger very little though. She looked to him"yeah I suppose it is cool."She said before slowly sitting back down"Well for one to welcome you and two because I hadn't seen you around before so I was curious"she said with a smirk."So what brings you to Camp Half Blood if I may ask"She said her warm Brown gaze looking to him.

[Seth Park]

    "Oh, well then..." Seth let out a simple laugh as he returned a smirk in turn for his sudden hiccup. He appreciated her moment of concern as he so joyously gagged on his own drink, and in fact, was glad of it. It's been a while since he's had a bit of light heartedness in his life and he welcomed the easiness of it all. As for the issue of his dad and her mom, well...he'll just tuck that into the back of his mind and, for the time being, let it go. Cassie, on her hand, seemed to really just be curious as to who he was, and probably why he wasn't around when he was so old. Being a demigod was something that most people got an idea of around the age of thirteen, he was twenty. Most likely it looked strange why he'd only just turn around to camp.


    With a good hearted smile, Seth loosened up his shoulder and returned to his earlier position, his face now, once again a couple inches closer to Cassie's. "I definitely, uh, haven't been around much yeah that's for sure haha. Well..." Seth noticed Cassie's 'brown gaze' was fixed calmly onto him, it was almost impressive how sure she was of herself after being alarmed, seemingly, about his little fiasco, she'd recovered quickly. "I just decided, that it might be time for me to settle here for a little bit, or a little more" he continued. "For the majority of my life as a demigod, I've been away, helping out with other things. But, I just thought I'd drop by and see how things are going here you know?"

(Sorry for the shorter post, was a little brainblocked)

[Cassiopeia Kingsway]

There for a moment Cassie stayed quiet unsure of what to say or do for a moment as she waited for his reply. Of course her confidence never faded. She, of course, knew the real reason she had come to see the male demigod before her. One reason had been because she had been curious who he was,and why a older demigod about her age suddenly was there. The other reason was her sense of personality. It drew her to Seth because of its sense of wanting to flirt without being so obvious. So far she wasn't being so obvious. The silence for a moment did bother her but not too much. She looked at Seth briefly.


She listened as he started to say that he hadn't been around much before he trailed off. She took notice of his good hearted smile. Though not only that but that his face was a couple inches closer to Cassie's. Though remembering his fiasco,she had always been able to recover quickly from such situations at times."ah ok so just around to visit for a while then"She said calmly. She then listened as he finished his next sentence and she leaned forward just a little bit"yeah I see what you mean. It's not a bad thing to see what going on or how others are doing around camp."She spoke. Her gaze darting to the side for a moment before looking to him again.

[Seth Park]

    "Of course, I definitely agree" he replied with a nod at Cassie's comment. It'd been a long while since he'd last come back to camp. Hopefully, with his prolonged visit, he'd find comfort here. His life had been so hectic since he became a demigod, just for once he wanted to settle down and get to enjoy the serenity of camp life. And just his luck, look at that, the moment he came strolling into camp he made a new friend.....right? This is what being friendly looked like...right? His social skills were definitely a bit rusty due to hanging around the Underworld, but he had always guessed that he'd been passable due to his interactions with mortals in the outside world. 

    Cassie seemed nice, or nice enough. There was still, an air about her that made him a tad bit uncomfortable. Was it the fact that she was the daughter of Persephone? Maybe. The fact that she just stared at him with unwavering confidence? Maybe? He couldn't quite put his finger on it. The fire crackled blatantly noticeable and in that moment broke his train of thought concurrently the when Cassie glanced quickly to the side. What was that about? Curiously, and innocently, he glanced over and followed her gaze for a second of his own, leaning slightly as his head turned. Nothing. Or at least, he saw nothing of note. With a little shake of his head to bring him back he returned his attention back to Cassie.


    "So...Cassie, how long have you been at camp?" He asked as he stood from the table, gently motioning for Cassie to follow if she wished. He began to slip away from the table, passing by Cassie's side and nodding his head away from the mess hall. "I'm done eating. If you're not too hungry, maybe we can go for a walk?"

[Cassiopeia Kingsway]

It had only been what could have been the quickest glance but she had thought she had spotted the familiar Brown tabby and white pelt of her cat,King. She would have to check later and make sure the troublesome tom cat hadn't gotten from the cabin again. She gave a smile as he agreed to what she said. It was true,It never hurt to see what was going on around camp. Though to her she never left so how would she know. She took notice as Seth started to turn his head to see where she looked and for a moment she blinked. The next thing to come out of her mouth was regarding where she had looked."sorry though I saw my cat"She said as she stood breifly."he likes to escape the cabin a lot and cause trouble..."She said trailing off for a moment. She watched as he turned his attention back to her. That was when he heard his next question.

"Well...I have been here at camp since I was....oh let's see...."She trailed off for a moment"14 years old if I remember right. I haven't much left from here since then having no where else to go really"She said as she stood up. She took notice of him motioning for her to come with him if she wanted. Of course she wanted to,so,She followed beside him."Sure sounds fine by me"She responded as she walked with him.

[Seth Park]

    Seth emerged from the gentle warmth of the mess hall to be greeted by the soothing chill of the evening air. The sun had started to set now and it looked like several of the campers were heading out to continue with whatever they had planned for the end of the day. He could see young faces, smiling and laughing as they waltzed away, living their lives. In the corner of his eye, he noticed a couple, or it appeared to be so. A girl, probably 13, no older than 15, ran out from the mess hall, giggling as a boy chased after her. The boy had caught the girl with a hug from behind and ultimately she relented and wrapped her arm around his, leaning on his shoulder. The camp, by the most of it, seemed to be brimming with life. The picture was definitely a welcoming one. A small smile broke it's way out onto Seth face as he took in the sight of the evening.


    Placing his hands in his pockets, Seth slowly let his way across the front of the mess hall with a slight bounce to his step. "So what's that then....about 4 to 6 years?" He had guessed that Cassie was about her age, maybe younger. She did have that youthful appearance about her. Maybe it was because her mother was Persephone. The connotation of youth certainly attached itself with flower, the spring. A frown suddenly etched itself onto his face. "I hope that I'm not keeping you away from your cat? I wouldn't want you to lose your pet." This would be unfortunate. He'd maybe made his first friend around camp and he wouldn't want to be the reason for her losing something that was seemingly precious.

[Cassiopeia Kingsway]

Cassie was quiet for a moment as she had followed him down the steps. That was until her gaze caught sight of a couple by the looks of it. For a moment it made her pause staring at them briefly as she always had. It was a rare moment when her confidence kind of tucked itself away. She for a moment wished she had something like that but it hasn't happened for her. She was quiet as she ran her fingers through her dark hair trying to pull herself together for a moment. On the plus side she had made another friend. Just a friend. She closed her brown eyes for a moment. Before she opened them again and looked to Seth."it's been 6 years actually. Like I said I've been here since I was fourteen I just turned twenty back in April"She said forcing whatever feeling crawled it's way through her back down. She did have the appearance of being younger than she was and to her it was both good and bad. Probably half the reasons why she was never with anyone or that's what she wanted to think as she didn't think it had anything to do with her split personality."nah your fine, my cat,King, won't go too far. He is kind of an odd cat. Loves to play in muddy water and stuff. Guess he thinks it's funny I get irritated when he does it"She said.

[Seth Park]

    "Oh?" He wasn't too surprised, but the thought of meeting someone exactly his age was a comforting one. He knew that a lot of campers didn't really make it to twenty, and if they did, they went off to try and live their lives outside the protection of Camp Half-Blood.  Being a demigod meant that you've been fated for a death sentence, at least in the minds of the countless hoards of monster alike. Seeing as how she was twenty, that'd make her a seasoned camper here at Camp Half-Blood. Seth jokingly gave her an impressed look. "Wow, twenty huh? He momentarily let his mouth fall agape in jest. "That makes you one of the older campers here huh? Not bad, congratulations" He clapped softly as he said the words. "I'm twenty myself! Makes us colleagues I suppose." He turned back his attention to to the camp ahead of them, still walking at a comfortable pace as Cassie explained how her cat, King, tended to annoy her. "Well, pets can be like that" he laughed gently. 


    "So Cassie, being a veteran around here, you've probably experienced a lot...what's there to do?" He had asked innocently, but he was curious to see her response. He had asked her what there was to do, but he was also wondering what that meant for her. Because then, he'd get to see a small insight into her interests.

[Cassiopeia Kingsway]

Cassie was partially glad he didn't notice her reaction to the younger teens which in turn gave her a moment to pull herself together. She heard his oh and knew what that oh meant. It meant that she was one of the ones whom made it to twenty. She knew full and well that most demigod never made it that far being outside of camp and all. It was like they were big targets for the swarms of monsters laying in wait just outside of camp. Which was why she was glad she had been able to make a home in the camp. "Yeah it makes me one of the older campers but that didn't mean I'm old and have Gray hairs"She laughed slightly."close your mouth or you'll catch flies."She joked."I suppose it does"She agreed"I figured you might have been about my age"She said."Yeah I guess but i haven't seen any so far like King it's like he goes out of his way just to get on my nerves but I still love the furball"She said with a smile as she walked with him.

"Well I wouldn't say a lot I've tended to stick to the things I do the most"She said pausing in her words for a moment. There was a lot she did. From training in the arena to arts and crafts at the arts and crafts area. She paused thinking"Well for sure the one thing I'd always recommend is the arena"She started to say"because that is one of the best places to hone your skills sometimes for outside the camp. At least that's what I tend to tell new campers it tends to keep them alive longer"She said."there's the beach admittedly it's the best place to be during the summer you'll find parties every now and then held there"She said smiling. She paused"but everything really just depends on what your interested in really"She said. She wouldn't say anything but her favorites was usually the arts and crafts she could hide out there and draw whenever she wanted to. To at least appease her hidden creative side.

[Seth Park]

    Seth nodded here and there as Cassie listed off the many "to-do's" on camp grounds. The usual spots that he could have guessed were easy to assume. The area was an obvious locale that he would probably visit frequently. Honing his skills and staying in shape were top priorities for him. He could never know when he's summoned for a task by his father again, so he would always have to be at the ready, at least psychically speaking. The beach sounded nice. Seth, to be truthful, wasn't exactly the biggest lover of the beach, namely because of the water. He wasn't exactly fond of it for some reason. Maybe it was because his domain came from the earth, and the fires beneath, rather than the oceans above. However, Seth could certainly see redeeming features in a beach that could make a trip worthwhile. He was actually quite fond of the sands, the other part of the beach experience which didn't involve water. He would rather enjoy the view than take a dip into the salty sea.


    It sounded as though Cassie was namely listing off the basics of what to do at camp, but Seth's curiosity wasn't tempered by her answers. He wanted to know what SHE liked to do. He made a mental sigh and casually waved off his intentions for the meanwhile. "Depends on what I'm interested huh?" He stared up into the sky as he continued to walk slowly, carefully avoiding to outpace Cassie....he had the tendency of speed walking at times. "You know...for someone like me... with what I've been through...I don't really know what I want." The words slipped out a little too easily and Seth mentally cursed at letting his guard down. His past, was not something that he brought up in conversation frequently, his feelings, even more so. "I'm sorry," he laughed nervously, "that sounded a bit emo. Forget about that." He shuffled his feet slightly as he avoided eye contact with Cassie. It was something that he did far too often. He'd distance himself from people, and eventually, the person would slowly lose interest and fade out. 


    They'd reached far enough away from the mess hall by now to only notice the hall in the far background. Seth couldn't really tell where he had wandered off to, the conversation must've really left him unfocused. He could notice some flowers nearby, and wondered if he had wandered into a garden of sorts. The area was definitely well kept, but free, from the boundaries of man-made stones. It got Seth thinking about Cassie's mother. His father, was a hard worker, and he'd always respected him. But, seeing Persephone in the Underworld...that had always made him uncomfortable. "Look...about your mom. I'm really sorr-"

SNAP


    The noise caught Seth's attention in a hurry, and he swung his head quickly towards the direction of the noise. From the shadow of a nearby tree emerged a youthfu figure, female by the looks of it, maybe about the same age as Seth and Cassie? The figure spoke out. "Hey now! Careful with those! They're mine!" The figure scurried over and shooed Seth away, momentarily leaving him surprised. 

    "Who are you?" he asked. There was no immediate reply. The girl had done a one over on the flowers and seemingly did nothing but observe them. After she had felt satisfied by the status of the flora. She nodded, and rubbed off her hands. Upon closer inspection, Seth could see a greenish hue tinted in the skin of the girl. "You're a Dryad, and wood nymph." The comment came across at face value with no inquiry behind it.

    "Uh...duh. Thank you Captain Obvious!" The Dryad humphed at Seth's notions.

    "Sorry, it's just been a while since I've seen one-"

    "Hmmmm it's okay. You reek of death, I wouldn't really put it behind you to recognize a Dryad seeing as how you seem to be from the Underworld. I'm sure this lovely child of Persephone would never make the mistake." The Dryad winked, leaving Seth bewildered.

    How did she know that? Did he really smell that badly? Also, he wanted to keep his being in the Underworld a secret, now it was just out in the open. Great. He glanced nervously at Cassie. "Yep, sure, she definitely wouldn't. Let's go."