Chapter Text
Lucille hopped over a rock in their way, grinning as she put an arm around Odysseus and gestured grandly, “Here’s the lake!”
It was beautiful. In a clearing in the forest there was a huge lake, stretching miles, and closest to the group of Hermes children was an area of land, where the lake seemed to begin, where three other cabins were getting ready to swim and the dock led out to the body of water. Towels were set up all over the area, kids sprawled out just about everywhere.
El finally caught up to the group, grinning as well as she ruffled Odysseus’ hair and said, “It’s always a sight on your first day.”
“It’s my third,” Odysseus smiled as well, jokingly pushing El. El gestured vaguely, “Same old. Besides, you spent your first day doing orientation, your second shopping, this is your first day actually doing something!” El guided Odysseus forward, Lucille letting go and following them. El asked, “Did you remember to put on your bathing suit under your clothes?”
“Yeah,” Odysseus uncomfortably shifted as he looked down at the fabric, “It’s been uncomfortable all day.” Lucille nodded, understanding, “Yeah… but, I mean, a leap better than using the changing rooms.” Lucille then pointed to changing stalls all the way across the area, wooden though broken down. “They’re very terrible.” She shuddered.
“Anyways, we’re gonna go with our friends, you have fun!” El exclaimed, pulling Lucille along with her as they rushed over to a group of other kids on the right side. Odysseus watched, before turning and looking over the kids already sitting in the area. He recognized one of the cabins, he saw Madeline and her trio, along with familiar faces in the cabin, meaning-
“Hey Ody!” Ctimene hugged Odysseus from behind, effectively startling the boy. Odysseus shoves her off, rolling his eyes as he replies, “Hi, Ctimene. Do you know-”
“Hey! Odysseus, Ctimene!” Helen rushed over, Clytemnestra in tow. “Nice to see you guys again.” Ctimene smiled, waving at the two sisters. Odysseus asked, “Do you two know what cabins are here?”
“Yeah, Poseidon, Zeus, Aphrodite, Hermes and Apollo.” Clytemnestra answered. “Polites should be around here somewhere.” Once she said that, Polites appeared next to Odysseus, his usual sunshine grin shining just as bright. “Hi guys!”
“Hi Pol,” Odysseus greeted. Ctimene looked back toward Clytemnestra, “Do you know what we are doing?”
“No clue. I was told to wear my bathing suit under my clothes, but that is about it.” She shrugged. “Bathing suits are itchy.” Polites declared. “True,” Odysseus replied, adjusting how the suit clung to his skin for the eightieth time that day. “Maybe just follow what everyone else is doing?”
“And that’s why you’re the only smart one out of us.” Helen grinned. Odysseus raised an eyebrow, “Am not.”
“Am too,” Ctimene argued with a smirk. Odysseus dismissed her remark, looking around at the other kids. Most of them were in their bathing suits already, crowded around the lake some way or another but not near the water. “I think we should change into our bathing suits,” Odysseus said, “Or, well. Take off our clothes.”
“Heh, nice.” Ctimene grinned as she took off her shirt. “Ew, what? You’re seven.” Odysseus countered as he took off his shorts. “So?”
“You’re still fun-sized,” Helen had gotten off her outfit, showing her light pink bathing suit they had bought the day prior. She ruffled Ctimene’s hair as the younger girl kicked off her skirt to reveal a matching bathing suit, pouting as she did so. “I’m only two years younger!” Ctimene protested, but Helen only laughed as Clytemnestra stepped forward, holding in her own giggles. Once everyone had gotten their things together, they found an empty spot on a rock nearby and set up their things there, arranging their towels in a way to allow all of them to sit side by side.
“How do you think Penelope and Iphthime are holding up?” Odysseus asked as they settled on the towels. Helen was sprawled out next to Ctimene, while Ctimene sat with her legs crossed next to the child of Zeus. Polites was next to her, his knees pulled up to his chest. On the opposite side sat Odysseus and Clytemnestra, one sitting normally with the other on her stomach looking up at the group. She shrugs, “Probably well. Penelope’s always been the sharpest out of us three. Plus, they have the same lake time, so if anything goes wrong, they have each other.”
Odysseus only nods, looking over the sea of kids gathered around the lake. One kid, a boy with unruly curls and eyes as blue as the sea, steps onto the dock. All the campers turn toward him, and Odysseus gestures for the group to do the same. Previously loud chattering slows in favor of watching him. He recognizes the twins, Hailey and Harley, pestering him, along with some of the younger Aphrodite children, though he ignores them. He picks up a whistle hanging from his neck, and the second he blew it, about half the kids once eagerly inching closer to the water dove head first into the lake. Others ran over to the dock and jumped in a plethora of ways into the water.
“So.. should we get in?” Polites asked. “Obviously?” Helen teased, sitting up and nudging Ctimene, “Come on, I can teach you how to flip into the lake.” Ctimene enthusiastically replied, “Awesome!” As she followed Helen to the dock where kids were gathered ready to jump in as well. Clytemnestra pushed herself up with her elbows, dragging the other two along with her to catch up with Helen and Ctimene, who were now at the edge of the wooden platform side by side. Clytemnestra stood next to Helen while Odysseus stood by Ctimene and Polites stood next to Odysseus.
“So,” Helen began, “Just do a flip but make sure to trust in yourself. I promise you, you’re not gonna die.” Ctimene wrinkled her nose, “But what if I get water up my nose? Or in my eyes?”
“Blow out your nose really hard, and keep your eyes shut?” Clytemnestra piped up. Ctimene shrugged, backing up to prepare herself. Helen followed, rubbing her hands together for a moment. “Want me to go first?”
“Yes please.”
Helen paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before running at full speed off the plank and flipping into the water. After a second underwater, Helen reemerged rubbing her eyes though grinning like no other as she cheered and yelled for everyone else to join her.
Clytemnestra was next. She did an aerial into the water and caused a huge splash of water to drench Helen, only giggling when she floated back up. Helen began to splash Clytemnestra in retaliation, though they stopped when they noticed Ctimene hadn’t jumped in yet.
Ctimene shook her hands as a nervous tick before backing up a bit more, staring down at the water like it would drown her the second she touched it. “Ctimene, you don’t have to flip if you don’t want to.” Odysseus said, walking over to her. “I know, but it would be more fun. I want to,” Ctimene responded.
“Ok then, flip in.” Odysseus said. “I will!” Ctimene answered, and ran as fast as she could, effectively flipping into the water. When she came back up, Helen hugged her, cheering her on and saying how she knew she could do it.
Odysseus and Polites were left on the dock. Odysseus looked at Polites, then the water. He ran up to the edge and dove into the water, reemerging behind the three girls. Polites followed, appearing next to Helen.
Now, the lake was crowded and had kids everywhere swimming in it. There were only a few groups of kids who hadn’t gone in yet, all sitting on towels and talking within their groups of friends.
“Hey, what’s that over there?” Helen asked, pointing to a blocked off square of the lake. “I don’t know..” Odysseus added, following her gaze. “Weird.”
When they looked, a kid swam up from under the water, rubbed the water from his eyes and pushed himself out of the water, though he was wearing long pants and a Camp Half-Blood shirt instead of a bathing suit. He walked over to a group of kids out of the water, and they made space for him, though Odysseus overheard him say, “I had to go through the creek in my backyard because I forgot to rent a teleporter.”
As a girl next to him picked up a towel and began to dry him off, Ctimene spoke, “Madeline mentioned that kids could go through certain ways to camp. Due to the magic, there’s definite borders around the area, so there’s different ways for different kids. It’s with intention, though.”
“Seriously?” Clytemnestra mused. “Damn. What other ways are there?”
“Bodies of water, I think flying to a certain height, trees, soil, or if you’re a child of a magic goddess you could use teleportation spells.” Ctimene listed. “That’s nice! So, if you don’t have supportive parents, you can go a different way.” Polites said. “Or if you’re in danger…” Odysseus thought aloud. “You think if we’re ever stuck fighting a monster we could just magic back here?”
“I mean, yeah, you could.” Helen said.
“Awesome.”
“Anyways,” Clytemnestra said, “We should go swim. It’s so nice–”
But she was interrupted by Ctimene digging her arm into the water and causing a wave to hit Clytemnestra in the face and, partially, Helen. With a mock surprised expression, Clytemnestra swam after Ctimene, attempting to splash her back. Helen trailed after her, giggling as she splashed Polites and Odysseus before she dove after Ctimene. Polites’ jaw dropped, and immediately joined in on the water fight, while Odysseus, unfazed, swam to the side and watched it go down. With a chuckle, he watched the four do all kinds of acrobatics to avoid being splashed, and in the end, it came down to the whistle blowing a second time for their fighting to die down and for them to swim back to the shore. Since they were gonna leave in ten minutes, they had picked up their towels and wrapped themselves in them to dry off, and were now standing in a circle until their cabins were told to line back up for the next activity.
“What do you guys have next?” Polites asked. “Archery, with Ctimene,” Odysseus answered. “Archery??” Helen looked pitiful. “Damn, that sucks.”
“Then what do you have?” Ctimene countered. “We have subject. Sucks to be you two,” Clytemnestra smirked, crossing her arms. “What do you have, Polites?”
“Arts and crafts, I think with Penelope and Iphthime,” Polites said. “Better than archery,” Odysseus muttered.
“That’s gonna suck, you’re gonna be soaked shooting a bow and arrow,” Clytemnestra mused. “That’s the downside about having lake at nine in the fucking morning,” Helen rolled her eyes. “You’re gonna be wet for the rest of the day.”
“Heh, nice.”
“Ctimene, I swear to fuck–”