𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐄 - j. grace, ocxoc ¹ ✓

i. spar with storm spirits !

I. KAORI OKAYAMA !
⋆ ★
spar with storm spirits

Being so used to the warmth and sunshine of camp, Kaori nearly forgot it was Winter where every normal person was. Camp Half-blood always made the weather sunny and warm to mimic a constant summer or spring. And for Kaori, she hated seeing the dead nature as they flew around in the chariot.

Her twin — Kaen, a boy with much sharper features than Kaori and who dressed in almost entirely the color beige to where the orange camp shirt was the only exception. They were alike in many ways yet so different from one another. Kaori's considerate heart and Kaen's stubborn one, no one saw the similarities in their personalities. But Kaen and Kaori had one thing in common before they got themselves into the mess of love — they didn't want to be on that chariot in the first place.

Kaori, who tended to be the positive one in the group, couldn't help but be fearful of their adventure being a dead end. She didn't want to get her hopes up; in fact, she begged Annabeth to let her stay at camp before she was bribed. It wasn't that Kaori didn't want to know the news, she just preferred to be told from the comfort of camp. To see the disappointment in front of her face . . . it would be too painful to witness.

Kaen who was wearing the orange shirt and a pair of jean shorts, wanted nothing more than to prove to Annabeth the entire expedition was a waste of time. He swung his sword at the air outside the chariot and Kaori had a feeling she knew who he was pretending to slice in half.

They both shared the same mahogany eyes and their black hair, Kaen's brushed to the side and back and Kaori's long hair with waves and two front pieces pulled to the back by an green elastic band. Several stray strands had escaped and fallen over her face but that was the least of her worries.

"Tsk tsk," Delilah Song-Jackson shook her head in disapproval at Butch, a son of Iris who was handling the reins, and Annabeth Chase, who stood at his side handling the compass. "How can we be sure he's here?" Delilah's voice was honeyed, sewn with the ability to say whatever she pleased and people would listen. Not to mention her milk chocolate hair was layered and perfectly curled at the ends, with bangs that laid perfectly on her face. A grey streak was hidden in her hair, only seen if she put some of her hair up or tucked a part behind her ear. Her hair gave her a sweet look as it framed her face and was enough to make people stare at her for hours. She was a daughter of Aphrodite, a goddess who was the definition of beauty.

Her beauty, however, didn't hide her eyes filled with worry. Two days ago when she returned to Camp Half-blood after visiting her father in South Korea, Delilah's eyes had darkened from their usual gold color. Her world has crumbled in just a matter of hours and no amount of charm could hide her bittersweet tone when she spoke to Annabeth. She had experienced too much loss in the past months for anything to sound sincere when she spoke.

"Hera told me," Annabeth urged as she blew a strand of her blonde curls away. "He has to be here, there's no way he can't be."

"We can't exactly trust Hera," Kaen mumbled under his breath. Annabeth turned around, sending a glare his way. Kaen had no reaction and stood his ground. "She tried to kill you with cows, Annabeth."

"He's right," Delilah pointed out. Her camp shirt was paired with white jean shorts. "Annabeth, we want to find him too. Believe me. But this is Hera we're talking about. Trusting her isn't an option."

"Kai thinks I'm right," Annabeth scoffed. Kaori looked up from fiddling with the arrow in her hand, unsure how to respond. Did she agree with Annabeth? She didn't really disagree but agreeing was a strong statement. "What do you think, Kaori?"