Shattered

Clarisse

As a child of war there are things that are expected of you. For one, you are to be in great shape; no love handles allowed in cabin V. A child of Ares is expected to rush into battle whenever the opportunity presents itself, consequences be damned. Once in a fight your only options are victory or death. Retreating and surrendering are for pussy cabins, like Athena or Apollo.

Which is why Clarisse was currently fighting a battle she knew she could not win.

Yesterday had started off so well for the head of cabin V....

Breakfast had been her favorite: Bacon, eggs, and a those little french fruit tarts Silena had introduced her to. As she sat with her siblings, Chris had jogged up to table and asked her to spar with him after breakfast. Chris was such a romantic.

It had been an easy victory, what if Chris being a flower child and all but, how many boyfriends would willingly get their ass kicked by girlfriends? Chris had even managed to get in a few hits this time, making it an even sweeter victory.

After sparring, Clarisse had helped Chris back to his cabin to sleep off his ass whoop'n. Before Chris went inside, she spun him around and pulled him in for a kiss; her way of thanking him for a great date. Several of Chris's siblings laughed at the display of affection, but were quickly silenced when Clarisse gave them one of her patent pending death glares. Chris began to apologize for his sibling's immature behavior. Clarisse just smiled, before she shoved him into the cabin and told him she would see him at the bonfire. There may or may not have been threat in there about what would happen if he was late.

At lunch, Coach Hedge literally jumped onto the Ares cabin's table, roundhoused kicked one of her younger half-brothers, and then asked if Clarisse would mind watching Chuck for a few days.

Who could say no after that?

Chuck was awesome! She was his big sister and it was her job to make sure he didn't grow up to be like the other pussy satyrs. She and coach had it all figured out when it came to raising the young satyr. Instead of Sesame Street or Baby Einstein, Chuck would watch Walker, Texas Ranger and Gunsmoke. Instead of classical music, Chuck would listen to John Wayne- America, Why I Love Her. It had also been decided that instead of playing a pan flute or reed pipes like other satyrs, Chuck would play electric guitar.

Mellie wasn't exactly thrilled with all of that but, Coach assured Clarisse that his wife would come around. It was also why Coach insisted she was his son's primary babysitter, to make sure his precious kid was raised the right way.

After Clarisse accepted, the coach pulled out a wad of mortal money from his running short and handed it the daughter of war; for kid-sitting he explained. He then explained that he had to fly out to California in several hours to check on Tristan McClean (still stuck as his life coach), his (annoying in Clarrise's opinion) daughter, and check in with Mellie (who Clarisse was secretly fond of). He couldn't take Chuck along, because he and Mellie hadn't taken care of his mortal paperwork yet. The coach thanked her, told her to pick Chuck up at two, roundhoused the same kid again, and hurried off to gather his things.

"What the fuck was that for?" asked the now black and blue son of Ares. "That really fucking hurt!"

Clarisse rolled her eyes at her sibling. "Are you saying that a goat managed to hurt a son of Ares?" she goaded, the easiest way to make an Ares camper drop an issue was to challenge their pride. "What would dad say? Do you want to go to the infirmary?" she prodded.

"No!" cried her younger half-brother. "I don't like being around those Hades and Apollo guys. I would rather get kicked again than walk in on those two freaks," he explained, a mixture of disgust and discomfort twisting his black and blue face.