A Hero's Tears

Dinner Date

A lot had changed since Luke had... been around. For starters, there were tenfold more cabins than there used to be. Hecate and Iris had respective cabins, along with several more that Luke couldn't identify by just looking at them. One looked like a small brown bunker, and another was very hotel-y. The cabin courtyard now looked like a figure eight, with added wings of cabins.

Where the camp store used to be, there was a shopping center. A soccer and football field and a baseball diamond had been added, and there was an art room and a photo dark room attached to the crafts room. Luke absorbed all of this new information like a sponge, his blue eyes wide and full of curiosity.

The tour wrapped up with the sounding of the dinner horn. Chiron left him to go with his cabin to the dining pavilion. He didn't introduce himself properly to his siblings just yet, because he wasn't fond of the thought of being known as the one who almost brought about the destruction of civilization before he could establish a sense of comfort with them.

He walked with the Hermes Cabin to the pavilion, unused to not leading the line. He hoped that he could somehow reacquire his old necklace. Maybe just the design of his old beads, then ten blank beads like an ellipsis. His heart sank at the realization that he hadn't been to camp for ten years. He has got to catch up with those who remembered him. And he wants to know what the newcomers are told about him. Is he a hero who saved Olympus, or is he the villain who nearly destroyed it?

As he walked, Luke noticed there was only one Stoll brother leading the line, though that may have something to do with the "prank store". The line itself was considerably shorter than it was when he was leader, though that should be expected, considering that the camp had increased in cabins for those who weren't a child of a main Olympian. Now the campers were all somewhat similar, if not in physical appearance, then in mannerism.

They got to the dinning pavilion, and it was very different than from how Luke remembers it. They seemed to abandon the separation of cabins, and instead they had twenty or so long tables where campers conglomerated as they wished, with a prominent head table where some were already seated. Before, this table hosted only Mr. D, Chiron, and if there was a god paying a visit, that's where they'd sit. Now, however, it seemed to be host to the cabin leaders, should they choose to sit there. The Stoll, Travis, stayed with the Hermes cabin.

There seemed to be few campers younger than ten, but also not many older than twenty. Of them, Luke only recognized a few of the oldest. Those he recognized were either in conversation or staring disbelievingly at him.

One of those staring at him was Annabeth. She really grew up, since the last time he saw her. Then again, he didn't really have time to really look at her in the middle of a war, especially since he was possessed by the Titan King.

Her curly blonde hair was just past her shoulder, and she was wearing a shirt with a design he had never seen before. It was stormy grey, and he saw the top of what looked like a silver owl. That's all he could see with the table, and all he dared to look; her stare was unnerving. He only took fleeting glances between bites.

"That's Annabeth Chase," one of the younger Hermes campers told him. "She's Percy's girl."

"Oh?" Luke decided to play ignorant. "What's her story?"

"Everyone knows it. She's been at Camp longer than I've been alive. They say she stumbled across the border, monsters at her heel, clothes torn from several attacks, and covered in blood and monster dust." Not exactly true, but an interesting take. There were monsters at her -their- heels, though.

"Then, behind her, a boy came with a golf club in his hand, and was shouting behind him. Grover, the satyr who got them, was frantically trying to lead them on, but they wouldn't move. Then, the biggest storm the camp has seen rolled in, lightning everywhere, and pouring down rain. The thunder sounded like a parade of Cyclopes." That, Luke did remember. It was all he could do to not slip in the mud as he tried to get Thalia to come with them, or at least let him stand with her. But she refused, and eventually sent a gust of wind to him, Annabeth, and Grover, pushing them away so that she could save their asses.

"Four years later, Percy Jackson stumbled down Half-Blood Hill in the same kind of monsoon Annabeth came in, beaten up and carrying the same satyr that found Annabeth," the kid said, bringing his story to a close.

"Wow. She's quite the character," Luke said, feigning impression. He was, of course, impressed with the story (if a little put off he wasn't even properly mentioned), but the girl was impressive without the exaggerated story.

"But she's Percy Jackson's girl, so even a guy like you can't even get close to her. The closest guy to was the kid with the golf club who came over with her. But he died," the kid says.

Luke was thinking of making a hinting reply, when Chiron stomped on the marble to get attention.

"You've got fifteen minutes to finish up and get to the fire; there's important announcements, and new arrivals," he said before wandering off, leaving the dining pavilion a mess of kids trying to get their stuff taken care of and getting to the fire.

Luke hurriedly downed his drink and put his plate on the dish cart, before walking towards the amphitheater. It was a cool December night, and Luke wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to keep warm. His inner monologue noted the fact that he was alone, which was rather fitting.

Once he got to the amphitheater, he took a seat in the front corner. There was already a small fire in the brazier, and there were a couple demigods huddling around it. At the top row, a couple was cuddling while they could, before authority got there.

Luke rested his chin on his chest and nodded off.

He woke abruptly to a kid dumping some hot drink on him. Next thing he knew, he had the kid's collar in his one fist and his other fist was raised, ready to break the kid's nose.

"He-Hey," the kid said nervously, raising his hands. "Calm down; it was just a prank," he pleaded.

Luke finally got a grasp on his surroundings. The amphitheater was full, yet dead silent. Even Chiron was silent, watching to see what Luke would do.

"Prick," was all Luke growled before giving him a light shove, knocking the boy flat.

"New arrivals!" Chiron shouted, before things could get worse. A satyr ran up and gave him a clip board. "And a prodigal son," he said, before looking down at the list.

"We have Charlotte Grey-" Chiron started, but Luke drowned him out. He was thinking whether he made the right choice, and pondering why Chiron didn't step in. He was snapped back to reality, however, when Chiron called out: "And our own Prodigal Son, Luke Castellan, Son of Hermes."

Everyone looked around, which confused Luke, because they'd usually just move on. Unless they were looking for the claiming hologram.

"Oh, of course. We have this new policy of new campers standing with me to introduce themselves," Chiron says, and Luke grimaces at how cheesy that is, before standing and walking to Chiron. At least he gets to be near warmth of the fire.

"I don't need to say something interesting about myself, do I?" he asks almost sarcastically, dreading the cheesiest of cheese.

"Well, now that you mention it, that's a great idea," Chiron says. "Let's start with Christie."

Luke groaned and cursed under his breath. The kid next to him chuckled. Luke again tuned out.

"Well, Luke?" he found Chiron ask him.

"Hm? Oh. Uh, my name is Luke Castellan and I nearly destroyed the world before killing myself, and I am largely the reason a lot of you are here," he casually said. Some of the campers fell silent. Others laughed, thinking it a joke. Chiron looked at him like 'Dude, you can't say that!'

"Well, that concludes tonight's fire. Curfew is in an hour," Chiron said, before clopping off to the Big House.

Luke rolled his eyes, before walking to his old cabin. Cabin Eleven. Hermes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello. I just had coffee, so yeah. That has nothing to do with anything. Aaanyyway, yours truly is now on YouTube, with one video, so far. The channel is called Nostalgic.Insomniac, if anyone wanted to look it up. So that's it, I guess. See you next week.
~LotP