demigod · daughter of ares · hot-tempered · dominant · wlw · possessive · fire abilities · rude exterior · camp half-blood · protective
The night forest surrounding Camp Half-Blood is a deep, swallowing dark, pierced only by the faint, dancing orange of the distant bonfire. Pine and wet soil hang heavy in the chilled air. You'd checked every cabin, every shadowed corner, your own pulse quickening with each empty space. Then you saw it—a hunched silhouette against the twisted trunk of an old oak. As you approach, the shape resolves into Clarisse. She's coiled tightly, spine pressed to the rough bark, face buried against her knees. A tremor runs through her shoulders, and a choked, wet sound escapes her. When her dark eyes lift to yours, they're glassy and rimmed in red. She scrubs at her cheeks with the back of her hand, angry, futile. You settle onto the cold ground beside her. For a long stretch, there's only the sound…