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"Hmmph! That's all true, but sneaking out doesn't feel all that wise to me. What if I can't keep up with the group- or if I get caught off guard help by some monster! So many things could go wrong...." That's when he noticed the hesitant excitement in her face, and the fact that she was eyeing the line With Wisdom on your Heel. "I don't suppose it'll be necessary to sneak out and follow the group to stay on their heels though, DD!", He said with a mischievous grin. He picks up Fluff from the table, where it had been sitting idly yawning. And gave him a random pat on the head, which Floof liked a lot. "Though yes, if you really think you should sneak after and not join in the quest officially, I'm very willing to join you if Chiron doesn't choose me."

---

As he made his way through the pavilion, Alaparos paused to take a glance at the gathered campers each one huddled together to whisper over the mysterious prophecy. His eyes landed on the Tyche table where they seemed to be crowding around one camper in particular, Quinn if he remembered correctly. He supposed that they were talking about the particular line in the prophecy that pertained to luck and strife. It would make sense that people would turn to him, he was older than his siblings and usually knew a lot more than others. Taking pity him despite being the younger of the two, but who wasn't when Quinn was one of the oldest campers around, he wheeled himself up to the Tyche table. However, just as he was approaching, Quinn excused himself looking quite pale, stumbling towards Cabin 16. Furrowing his brows, he gently conversed with those still remaining at the table. From there, he could extrapolate that they had perhaps pushed a little too hard for the elder to go on the quest. It was an understandable reaction, Alaparos supposed, thanking the table before pushing himself towards the Tyche cabin. If he had been hounded by any hypothetical siblings to go one a quest, he too would have run away.

Gently knocking on one of the four entrances to the casino like building, Alaparos didn't wait for an answer before cleaning his throat. "Quinn? Can I ask you to help me up to the Big House? I'd do it myself but I have food for Cassandra. Anyone who wants to help is a bit too small for the task unfortunately. I fear that if they try, the wheelchair will simply roll backwards onto them." The memory of that happening once before pulled a wry chuckle from him.

---

Upon hearing the knock and the mention of his name, Quinn looked up towards the door and listened closely. It was the voice of Alaparos, and him noting that particular incident would confirm it. He took a deep breath to calm himself and slowly got up, pushing against the wall for support. He wasn't sure why he broke down like that, he was always willing to do whatever anyone wanted of him and a quest was no exception. In fact, he had always hoped he would be able to go on one. Maybe it was the fear of failure that suddenly rained down on him once he thought about what said quest would entail. "Yeah, sure... I'll be out in a minute." His voice was low and lacking the enthusiasm and energy he usually had. Quinn had noticed that sweat was running down his face when he ran in the cabin, so he headed to the bathrooms to get a towel and wipe his face off. Afterward, he slowly made his way to the exit and opened the door, greeted by the one speaking to him earlier. "So you're gonna go talk to Chiron, right? Sounds fun." He gave a small chuckle at the sarcastic remark, not to add some humor to his words but to hopefully cheer himself up. "Speaking of Cassandra... Is she ok?" Quinn asked, glancing beyond Alaparos towards the other buildings, then back at him. Nervousness still crept through his bones, making him uneasy and a little restless. The ADHD bonus demi-gods get as a birthday present didn't help calm him down either. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, which contained a locker with his girlfriend's pictured in it, some loose change and drachma, a few wads of paper, and a bunch of other random items. He began fiddling with them, only subtly though as to not draw attention to it.

---

Alaparos nodded as he noticed Quinns fidgety nature. It wasn't unusual for that kind of thing, what with their brains wired differently. ADHD may be a pain in the neck when outside of camp but at least it kept them alive. "She'll be fine, hopefully. Prophecies take a lot out of her so you know. Sugary foods and all will be good." He gestured towards the plates he was jealously guarding, stacked with both staple foods and desserts. But also because of the almost obscene amount of food piled on his lap, his hands weren't quite free enough to push himself uphill towards their destination. He mentioned as much and they fell into an awkward sort of silence on the trek up, Quinn helping push Alaparos.

"Do you think I should volunteer for the quest?" He suddenly blurted out, breaking the silence. "I'm responsible for letting the fire go out. Not to mention that its my partner who has been taken. The Sun will be your cost? That can not be a coincidence. But on the other hand, I have too many personal stakes which may put the quest goers in danger."

---

He gave a small nod hearing the good news as he pushed Alaparos towards the Big House. The long silence was painful, but he couldn't exactly be mad about it as he didn't try anything to break it. Thankfully, he sparked a conversation before the walk became even more awkward. Unsurprisingly, said conversation was about the quest, and whether Alaparos should go or not. Quinn didn't mind, really, since his nerves had settled by now. While Quinn wanted to encourage him going, he brought up a fair point. It wouldn't be practical to send him, even if he were the most likely chance of success. Still, Quinn had a slight feeling that Alaparos should go, not like his opinion mattered much outside of the conversation. "I'd say if you really feel like you should go, do it. Personally I think you should, but it's all up to you." That last part was most likely a lie, since it may not be all up to him to decide.

---

That... wasn't quite an answer, nor was it effective in soothing Alaparos' nerves. Nonetheless, he nodded and fell silent. There was a sense of duty that nagged at him to be on the quest but besides having a much too strong personal investment in the quest, there were other factors that conceivably would stop him. For one, he was wheelchair bound. It wasn't like he couldn't walk, he could. But it hurt, legs crumpling the moment any weight was up on them as each step felt like glass gouging out his nerves. Questing around on a wheelchair though would only slow people down and accessibility would have to be taken into account. It was just another layer of added difficulty that a quest didn't need. Not for the first time, he cursed his disability.

As they reached the big house, rolling up a ramp that had been installed shortly after Alaparos' arrival to the camp, the two could see Chiron waiting for them. The centaur gazed down at them, lips pursed. "Chiron." Alaparos greeted, dread settling into the pit of his stomach. "There is much to talk about."

---

Campfires weren't a daily thing but when one was called, by Chiron especially, everyone was sure to come. With all the camper gathered, the centaur cleared his throat.

"As you may know, a prophecy has been spoken but not received by anyone. As is the will of the gods, a quest must be undertaken. However, as no one has received the prophecy, the question as to who will go on such a quest has been undetermined. It is my hope that tonight, campers may volunteer themselves and if they are characters who align with the prophecy and are suited to be sent out, will embark on such a quest."

---

DD hummed to herself at the proclamation made by Chiron. Maybe she should... volunteer... She had experience in the realm beyond the camp, but also her own fair share of notoriety. There were many cities that feared the name Darling Desire. But none knew her outside her Darling Desire attire, so she may be able to pass through as a normal, well as normal as a Demigod could be, girl. She looked around at the other campers, waiting for someone to make a move, otherwise she may have to be the one to start it off...

Quinn stood silently in the back of the crowd, watching and listening to everything going on around him. He usually sat with his cabin, but after what happened today he wasn't exactly keen on being with them tonight. About half of them noticed this behavior, and even went up to him to ask a few questions, but they all ended up leaving him alone for a while. He understood their concern of course, and didn't resent them for it, as he wasn't usually gloomy or unnerved. He looked around after listening to Chiron speak about the matter at hand, trying to spot anyone who seemed interested in speaking up. His eyes landed on a few people in particular, even if just moments longer than other campers. The ones involved in the ordeal earlier at breakfast were a few, as they fit the roles the prophecy spoke of. He himself, though, wasn't sure on what he should do. He could volunteer, or he could stay behind and watch from afar. For now, he decided he should wait and see if someone else would volunteer, if they ever did.

---

The campfire was tense, the simple weight of the words settling like a damp blanket over the campers gathered there.

Strife and Luck be your wheel...

That particular part struck an odd chord with Dezerae, what with them being the child of the Goddess of strife. It was uncomfortable to think about, really; this was week two of being at the camp, and two things had already happened to Dezerae. First, they'd been despised for a very long while. Second, a prophecy that made them think about themselves had been issued by the gods. This was in no way a coincidence, was it? Surely "Strife" meant somebody else, maybe some other individual that had to do with misfortune. Maybe somebody unlucky? But no, Luck and Strife... Dezerae, sitting as far away from the fire as they could, stood up. Their voice called out over the silence.

"I'd like to volunteer to go on the quest! I think that, in the sentence 'Strife and Luck be your wheel,' I may be suitable to fit the role of strife."

The sentence was... More than Dezerae had expected to say, their hand still in the air after a long, stunned moment. Bringing their hand back down to their side, Dezerae let gaze after gaze turn to them, surprised and shocked. Chiron seemed... Not displeased, but certainly not satisfied.

Suvansh, did not volunteer first as he was thinking to, though he felt like he should've, just in case Chiron thought it would be a good idea to restrict the quest goers number to 3, as traditional. And it was because he was late to the campfire. He had been so engrossed with his work back at the Forge today that he didn't even take notice when a camper told him about the campfire, feeling it was obvious that it would be held! And yet, he was late to it. He wondered, if they would have noticed him not being there and pause for him? Probably not- either no one noticed, or no one cared. So he went sprinting towards the group of Demigods and Chiron, and nearly bumped into Dez
"Hullo! Am I late? What did I miss?" He looks around the crowd and takes in what was going on, and says "Are we volunteering for the quest right now?? I'm in!" He practically screams at Chiron.
Only if he had been there from the start...the others' hesitation would've led him to just not even volunteering. But there he was, already given his name in for the quest. Though, him volunteering resulted in a ton of confused glances, and even Chiron raised an eyebrow, so he went onto explain, "And craft with Fire and Spell. I can craft with fire, and probably the Hecate girl, Fallon? She could with spell!"

---

Alaparos nodded, one hand raised up in the air. "I agree, Fallon is level headed and would be a valuable asset to a quest." He nominated from his place near the top of the amphitheater where the campfire was being held. Usually he was seated near the bottom, his change of seating a sure sign that he and Chiron were having less than cordial disagreements. "I would also like to raise the following suggestion. There are certain lines that connect themselves to certain members of the pantheon as evidenced by Suvinash and Dezerae. For instance, Lady Athena and Lady Tyche are referenced along with Lord Apollo. I suggest that members of said cabins be considered as candidates."

The campers who belonged to those cabins whispered among themselves, some giving Alaparos dirty glares. One girl stood up and the camp could recognize her as the Head of Apollo Cabin. "Respectfully, I'm going to tell you to go pound sand. The line specifically says that the Sun will be a Cost. We've already lost one camper, we won't send another." She spoke firmly before sitting down, some members of her cabin giving her grateful smiles. That sent of a wave of murmurs again as the demigods debated as to the meaning of the lines.

---

"Oh, you're just afraid of getting hurt, Mimose!" Cataneme's voice came up from behind, as she made her way to the campfire with a marshmallow being impaled by several sticks, as she starts roasting it. "If you don't mind having me in this quest, I'd gladly join! Sounds like a fun adventure!" Cataneme being her typical self, she fails to see any kind of urgency or seriousness in the matter. In fact, despite the prophecy... she still doesn't know her own involvement whatsoever! "So, how about it?"

(Mimose in like... the plant "mimosa", which is known for being overly sensitive.)

DD sighed, not out of annoyance, but out of envy. At least someone wasn't afraid of what was to come. Nodding to herself, she stood up among her fellow Atenians and raised her hand, speaking in a clear voice, "I would like to volunteer as well." She knew that Chiron may refuse, given her notoriety outside of camp and to keep the quest number to 3 as traditionally goes, but she didn't care. Someone needed to go for Lady Athena and she wasn't going to pass an opportunity to get out of the camp for a while. Screw her alter ego and the camp safety precautions, she was more than ready! Though she felt a little concerned at the laughter that echoed in her mind that came not from the campers, but from a certain someone sharing her body... DD could only hope that she had nothing to do with what had happened...

Chaos began to ensue soon after the topic sprung up, starting with Alaparos's suggestion and the lead of the Apollo cabin rebuking said suggestion. Quinn had thought about that line quite a lot too, and he didn't blame them for being against sending one of their own on the quest. Though, if he was correct, the missing camper was a child of Apollo as well. As much as he hated to admit it, the line could be referring to him, and even his death. He was sure Alaparos didn't want to consider it either, considering how close the two were. His train of thought was interrupted by the loud and sudden appearance of Suvansh, causing him to raise his head and look to see what the commotion was about. He was shocked to hear that, even when he didn't seem to have put any thought in it, he immediately volunteered for the quest, and even appointed Fallon to go as well. He was so caught up with what Suvansh had to say that he completely missed Dezerae volunteering as well, only noticing when he looked over at Chiron, who seemed to not have the most pleasant look on his face. More people begun to raise their hand to volunteer, such as DD and Cataneme, ones he didn't really expect either. Well, all of them perfectly fit the requirements of the quest, and they were the only ones that seemed eager enough to go. Chiron didn't seem to be opposing any of the volunteers, perhaps meaning that the 3 camper rule didn't apply in this particular quest, which was a little concerning. Well, it did seem as though the prophecy called for more, so he decided not to dwell on it too much. Speaking of the prophecy, almost all of the roles seemed to be fulfilled, except for a select few. Strife and luck be your wheel, craft with fire and spell, the Hearth will lead to Hell, and deny love's blinding bliss all came to mind for other recruits. He was unsure about the line about the Hearth or the one about love, but they seemed to refer to Hestia and Aphrodite. He could be wrong, though, as the lines were unclear. As for luck and spell, Fallon was already nominated for the role of 'spell', which only left luck. Even when he was secluded from the crowd, away from most of the campers' sights, he could feel eyes laid on him. He seemed to be the only option for his cabin, and the pressure weighed down on him so much his bones began to feel like lead. He was one of the more popular and social campers, making the decision pretty unanimous. His siblings had already locked in their choice, meaning they wouldn't volunteer unless chosen by Chiron himself, who already seemed to be content with Quinn filling the role. With all that in mind, he quietly cleared his throat and hesitantly raised his hand. "I would like to volunteer!" he began, "Like Alaparos said, someone in the Tyche cabin should go, and no one else is raising their hand, so..."

---

perhaps it was because of the rapid fire one after another nature of the past few minutes but Alaparos felt an unusual amount of confidence welling up within him. He himself held up his hand. "I too will volunteer. It was my fault in the first place, let me be one of the ones to fix it." He iterated firmly. "Also, it would be unfair of me to nominate others without being a part of such a quest." This one was said a little more ruefully, the humourless stretch of his smirk not quite reaching his eyes. But still, even if it held no mirth the sheer calm that exuded from the Son of Hestia put others at ease as well.

With each new camper volunteering, Chiron's face drew tighter and tighter before he finally sighed. "Yes, I suppose that everyone who has volunteered does encompass the perceived outlines of the prophecy. For now we shall retire. Those who have volunteered, we shall discuss the details tomorrow, but be prepared to set out by then. Dismissed." Came his stern instructions. There was still time before curfew, a few hours to be exact, and so while some campers dispersed to return to their cabins, others stayed by the bonfire eagerly gossiping.

---

"Aaaah, I cannot wait!" Cataneme smiled, pointing her wand of sugary goodness to the others. "Who wants to stay with me and enjoy an overdose?" She lifts a small bag of purple energy cans and another of bag of marshmallows, waving her eyebrows. "I got treats and sweets here!" Though her kindness radiates out, so does her side effect, giving way to a bit of pessimism along the way.

With directions made clear, DD headed back to the Athena cabin. She would use this time to prepare as best as she could, using a knapsack she had made one day. There's was no telling what they would need or not need, but she could make a few guesses based on the talk surrounding those who had come back from quests before. Weapons, of course, were high on the priority list, so she popped some extra gunsens into the sack, alongside some small daggers. Money would be needed as well, as there was no telling how long they'd be out and about. Thanks to her alter ego, she had quite a bit of both mortal money and gold drachmas in her possession. Spare clothes also were packed into the bag.
As she looked around the cabin for inspiration on what else to include, DD's eyes fell onto a box near the head of her bed. Setting down the knapsack, she hesitantly approached the unassuming box. Tentatively she lifted the lid to reveal... her crown. The crown she had taken as part of the deal with the chess king. Something many recognized as a symbol of terror. Of a mons- "No!" DD thought, shoving the crown back into the box roughly. Taking several breaths, she calmed herself. She carefully closed the box and lifted it from its place. She turned,walked a few feet over to the knapsack, and packed the box into it. She wouldn't wear it just yet, somehow the mist couldn't hide it, but she somehow felt... better... knowing it was with her... Shaking her head to clear her mind, DD checked over the contents of her bag: weapons, money, clothes, ...and her crown... This was definitely light packing. Maybe she should pack some food as well? Mind set, she headed out of her cabin with the knapsack, intent on being really ready for the quest in the morning.

Dezerae took Chiron's dismissal of the campfire as a chance to get packed, vanishing back to their cabin within minutes. A small duffel bag was what they'd brought with them to camp, that would have to be their vessel for... Three sets of clothes, two combs, mortal bills and change mixed with the few drachmas that Dez had collected in a side pocket, three sticks of deodorant (because they were NOT dealing with anybody smelling bad on the trip), and a large helping of extra willpower in the form of a bag of hard caramels that their dad had sent with them. Zipping the duffel bag quickly, Dezerae left it on their bed, then went back out to the campfire. In total, the packing had taken only a few minutes, which wasn't unusual for Dezerae. Their packing skills were legendary, with the road trips their father had brought them on. As they got back to the amphitheater, they gladly announced their success.

"Alright, I'm done packing! If anybody's late tomorrow, I blame them!"

With that, they sat down by the fire, hoping dearly that it didn't collapse on somebody.

Cataneme waves at Dezerae, smiling and not noticing that her marshmallow had melted and dropped into the fire, turning the flame slightly blue somehow. A bit disappointed, but still with enthusiasm, she quickly sticks five more marshmallows on each stick and holds it a bit further away, roasting them now. "Want one, Dezzy? They're getting soft~"

"Ahh, my weakness.. Maybe one, even though I know I'll break that promise in a matter of seconds." They scooted a bit closer to Cataneme, watching the marshmallows carefully in case another one were to fall into the flames, as they had a bad habit of doing that when Dez was around. The fire was warm in the dark night, a beacon of potential hope for those still around it. It promised that there would be those to search for what was lost, to find the missing piece of everything, and those who would make everything right. The fire silently promised hope to those without. It warmed more than just the marshmallows and the skin of those around, it warmed the soul as well.