Midnight Escapades || OPEN

[Hermes]

When Hermes wasn't skivving off of his godly duties or overseeing the campers for the day, the god was actually quite the worker. He'd been hunched over his desk in his office since shortly after dinner, his hand diligently writing and his eyes reading quickly. He was working on a new activity for the campers to participate -it was something he hoped everyone would participate in that deviated from the norm. You could call it a community project, in a way.

That was where he'd been for hours now, and the clock on his desk ticked that it was nearing midnight. The god groaned and leaned back in his chair, stretching out his muscles that had cramped up as he was reading. He rolled his neck and sighed when it cracked, reaching up to swipe his reading glasses off of his nose. (Hey, even gods could get bad eye sight.) Hermes set his glasses by the clock and stared at the sheets of paper that littered his desk, something akin to pride on his face.

His bubble was shortly popped at that moment by a sound from outside. Hermes tensed, wondering if he was imagining it. Then it sounded again. Were those... footsteps? Hermes furrowed his brow and stood, walking quietly out of his office and to the front door of the Main House. He slipped outside almost silently and cocked his head to the side. There it was again.

"Who's out there?" Hermes called in an authoritative voice. It was practically midnight, no campers needed to be out and about. The blond god frowned as he waited for a response.

[Lillian Scott]

As the camp grew bigger with campers, it was only natural that even Hades Cabin would get a new member or two- and while Lilly knew she should be accommodating and a gracious hostess, part of her just felt sick with anxiety. She had never been the popular girl, even in her day, and now that she was definitely a fish out of water (having been frozen for over a hundred years,) she was having a particular time relating to her new half siblings. Even Nico, who Lilly had a passably good relationship- as far as such things went with Nico- was more closed off than usual, and Lilly felt… well, terribly alone.

She tilted her pale face to the nearly full moon, adjusting her hold on the lace parasol in her hand. She hadn’t left Hades cabin in days, preferring to hide behind her painted partition, but it was starting to become suffocating. While everyone else was out doing whatever it was they did, she decided it was time to go for a walk. Though it was well past midnight, it was fairly early for the nearly nocturnal girl, and she moved with a careful gait as she slowly made her way around camp.

She was nearing the main cabin when a breeze came out of nowhere, taking her parasol from her and sending it up toward the main cabin. Sighing, Lilly followed it, not hurrying her pace. It landed in the bushes, and picking her skirts up in one hand so she wouldn’t snag the material, she edged in after it. She was careful not to trample any of the plants, and just as her hand closed around the handle once more, she was startled by a voice nearby on the porch.

"Who's out there?"

Hermes. It took a minute for her to recognize the voice, which was usually so jovial. Straightening, Lilly’s pale eyes fell on the young-looking god. “Just me, sir,” she answered, then added, “Lilly, from Hades cabin? I didn’t mean to startle you.” She made her way out of the plant bed, balancing carefully on the landscaping wall. “Just fetching my parasol.”

[Hermes]

Hermes observed the area in front of the Main House, his eyes weary. Maybe he had been working too hard, but his senses were particularly on edge and his imagination was running wild. The blond stepped out a bit further on the porch and he frowned slightly. It didn't take much longer for the person to answer him.

Lilly Scott, daughter of Hades, Hermes noted in the back of his mind as he stepped down the porch steps to approach the girl. He watched her, thinly veiled amusement in his eyes. It was a bit odd but mostly amusing for Hermes to see Lilly in the bushes around the house. She was so prim and proper, he had a hard time picturing her chasing after her parasol. Hermes ran a hand through his hair and observed the red head for a few moments.

"It's after midnight, Lilly," he said calmly, a smile playing about his lips. "But I suppose for a child of Hades, it's hardly nine a.m., am I right?" Hermes' smile turned briefly teasing as the words left his mouth, but it quickly fell to a slight frown as he looked around them outside. A breeze rushed past him and he couldn't help the shiver that racked his body. His body was so fickle at times. Hermes looked back to Lilly. "Perhaps you'd like to come in for some tea? Or coffee. Whatever it is you prefer, I'm pretty sure we have it inside."

Hermes motioned toward the porch he'd come down, holding out his arm in a gesture of 'you first' to her. He did genuinely want Lilly to stay for a drink before she went about doing whatever it was she did. It helped that he needed to take a break from his work. Now he only hoped the girl would be as agreeable as he was to sharing a drink inside.

[Lillian Scott]

Lilly shook a few stray pine needles from the delicate lace of her parasol before clicking it closed. She held it in front of herself, looking unsure what to say or do as Hermes studied her. She felt a flush come to her pale cheeks, and she dropped her eyes to the ground.

"It's after midnight, Lilly,"

“Yes, I suppose it is,” she replied lightly. She didn’t bother with timekeeping, other than sunset and daybreak. “No offense, sir, but isn’t it a bit late for- well,” she paused, as she was about to say “you,” but quickly retracted. “Non children of the Underworld?”

"But I suppose for a child of Hades, it's hardly nine a.m., am I right?"

“The sun set at seven fifty-four,” she mused, “so it’s more like two in the afternoon.” Her nervousness made her miss the joke entirely, and she fidgeted with her parasol. She watched the god, her eyes having no problems taking in every detail despite the dark. “Are you all right? You seem a bit jumpy.” She looked over her shoulder, then back at him. “If it helps, there’s no one out here but us. Child of Hades, remember?” She tapped her cheek, next to her eye to demonstrate her point.

"Perhaps you'd like to come in for some tea? Or coffee. Whatever it is you prefer, I'm pretty sure we have it inside."

For a moment, Lilly said nothing as she considered what to do. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Hermes, or that she didn’t want his company- it was simply that she’d enjoy it way more than she should. She finally coughed, then nodded. “Tea would be nice, actually.” She gave him a smile, then headed up to the porch. “Why are you up so late, anyway?”

[Hermes]

Hermes watched the red haired daughter of Hades with a warm, somewhat amused smile. He was always so amused when campers felt like they had to watch what they said around him, or felt like they needed to not seem too biased. It was always funny to see them try and keep their statements inclusive. (And then, of course, there were some of his children who deliberately tried to make things exclusive.)

"Late?" he hummed as if the thought never occurred to him. "Dear, I am a god. I run on everyone's time. And considering my specialty, that's no surprise." Hermes let out a warm chuckle and couldn't help the deeper laugh when Lilly gave him the exact time of sunset. "Has it been that long? Wow." He'd been working since almost eight o'clock. That was impressive, even for the Messenger God.

The blond god glanced around them again, his lips twitching when he heard Lilly ask if he was okay. He surveyed the dark area once more and looked back to the child, giving a small smirk when she said there was no one out there but them. When she tapped the side of her face as if emphasizing her eyes, Hermes couldn't help but snort. The children of his uncle were always so unique. Well, perhaps not Adolph but there were always exceptions to the unique and fascinating. He didn't answer her question, only smiled and looked around again. He wasn't jumpy, per se, but his mind was distracted and that reflected on the god.

Hermes was glad when Lilly accepted his offer for tea and began to walk up the porch. Hermes moved quickly so he could properly hold the door open for his guest. "Kitchen's straight down the hall, last door on the right." He waited for her to go inside before following and shutting the door. Hermes ran his fingers through his hair and smiled a bit.

"I'm working on a project," he informed her. "Something I hope everyone can get in on. Something cool!" his eyes glittered at the prospect of his project. "If it all goes well, well..." He trailed off and beamed. "Well hopefully everyone will be better off for it." Hermes couldn't help his childlike excitement. He always loved projects that could include a huge number of people. "And you're just out for a walk?" he wondered. "Or maybe you're going to sneak off and run an underground drug ring?" At that, his tone became teasing and his eyes crinkled with his smile.

[Lillian Scott]

"Late? Dear, I am a god. I run on everyone's time. And considering my specialty, that's no surprise."

“I suppose so,” Lilly answered vaguely, as if she had never thought about it. With the gods wandering in and out of camp as they did, it was hard sometimes to remember they weren’t exactly normal. Did they even sleep? The idea was curious to Lilly, but it seemed rude to ask, so she bit her tongue. “It must get exhausting, all of the messages that you have to deliver.”

"Has it been that long? Wow."

Lilly shrugged shyly. “It’s a gift.”

As she passed him, she gave him a small smile in thanks as he held the door for her. Though Lilly came from a world in which men always held the door for ladies, she found it more than a bit perplexing that a god was doing it- shouldn’t she be holding the door for him? It was bizarre her life had come to wondering that sort of philosophical debate- she never would have asked her mortal father whether or not she was supposed to hold the door for Jesus, after all. While Lilly would hate to seem rude, she would have to shelve that debate away in unanswered questions.

"Kitchen's straight down the hall, last door on the right."

She headed in the direction he had told her, discreetly looking for an umbrella stand somewhere, but finding none, was forced to continue carrying her parasol. Upon arriving in the kitchen, she took a seat on the edge of one of the chairs, leaning her parasol against the wall. Her posture, even after so many years, was impeccable, and she watched Hermes with undisguised interest.

"I'm working on a project, Something I hope everyone can get in on. Something cool! If it all goes well, well…. Well hopefully everyone will be better off for it."

“What sort of project?” Forgetting her manners momentarily in her curiosity, Lilly rested her chin on her hands, her green eyes practically alight with interest.

"And you're just out for a walk?”

“Every night,” she shrugged. She didn’t offer to tell him that she was avoiding her siblings- that would be disingenuous of her.

Or maybe you're going to sneak off and run an underground drug ring?”

“Drug ring?” Lilly repeated, her face blank. She seemed genuinely confused. “Like… an opium den?”

[Hermes]

Hermes grinned, amusement lacing his features. She was just darling, he had to admit. He knew Lilly wasn't exactly from their time, but he'd never bothered to pry into her history. She wasn't his kid, so he had no business with her business. But she was definitely darling. He almost wished they kept an umbrella stand in the entry way just for her. He continued to grin as they entered the kitchen and he went straight to the kettle, putting it on.

"What kind of tea?" he called over his shoulder, opening the cupboard where he stashed his Celestial Seasonings teas so no one else would take them. "I have..." He skimmed over the flavors, reading them aloud as he passed, "Honey Vanilla White Tea Chai," he plucked that box down for himself, "Black Cherry Berry herbal, Honey Vanilla Chamomile herbal, Mandarin Orange Spice herbal, Mint Magic herbal, Sweet Apple Chamomile herbal, or we have the less delicious green teas." He glanced over his shoulder to see Lilly's reaction, hoping she would continue to be darling. He was almost jealous that Hades had such a cute kid -almost.

The blond turned around with an impish grin when Lilly asked what kind of project he was working on. He leaned against the counter top, his hands bracing him. "Well now," he mused lightly, "it's just a project. Probably nothing worthy of tea time conversation." His impish grin only widened and he bit back a laugh when his teasing went over Lilly's head. "Well, an opium den sure." He shrugged. "Or, you know, a drug cartel like... Mob bosses do. Sneaking around at night making money under the table." He gave Lilly an over exaggerated wink and turned back around, going for a different cupboard this time to pull down cups.

He looked back to his secret stash of teas musingly, debating on putting his pick back and getting some coffee instead. The kettle hummed next to him as the water steadily began to boil. He decided to keep his tea and shut the cupboard, looking back to Lilly.

"So, Miss Lilly," he said conversationally. "How have things been for you? Camp treating you fine?"