Josh Rieger's Tree House

[❍◦●○❍Brooklyn ❍○●◦❍]

Aurra nodded but she could tell josh wasn't really all that excited about it.

[Joshua]

Josh rubbed his neck, "I wouldn't mind going on a quest but I don't like the outside world much." Josh said turning to Aurra and Conner. "But if either of you need my help I'd be more then willing to go." He said smiling.

[Joshua]

((Hey I gtg sorry))
Josh got up and decided one more round was needed around the forest. "I'll be right back." He said to the girls

[[deleted user]]

((alright))
Conner nodded "it would be fun for the three of us to go" she smiled at them

[❍◦●○❍Brooklyn ❍○●◦❍]

"Yeah, it would." She said sipping her water.

[Ilsa, I name me, destroyer of worlds!]

Addy woke up from her corner. "Huh? Where am I? Hello?"

[❍◦●○❍Brooklyn ❍○●◦❍]

"Your at Josh's tree house." Aurra said "And hello to you too."

[Ilsa, I name me, destroyer of worlds!]

"Oh, right," she remembered giving the rhino lizard a lobotomy. "How do I get down?"

[❍◦●○❍Brooklyn ❍○●◦❍]

"There is the rope elevator over there, hook you foot in and hold on."

[Ilsa, I name me, destroyer of worlds!]

"But I took that way up. It would have to be activated; if by weight, sure, but then it wouldn't have been able to pull me up. Is it enchanted, or do you switch it to a different setting? Do you think it's got a motor?"

[Joshua]

Josh heard all three girls voices as he rode up the elevator and walked on the first steps. "Everyone still okay?" He said peering in. His house was a little small for so many people but it was okay

[Ilsa, I name me, destroyer of worlds!]

"Yeah, I'm fine. How does the elevator rope thing work?"

[Joshua]

Josh was taken back by the question. "It's a counter weight system that switches based on the ropes position. Why?"

[Ilsa, I name me, destroyer of worlds!]

"My mom was a mechanic. I was just wondering how it alternated."

[Joshua]

"Oh well the Hephaestus camper that made it said that it changes weights based on position. I honestly couldn't tell you more." Josh said standing in the doorway

[Ilsa, I name me, destroyer of worlds!]

"Oh, I probably wouldn't have understood if you tried to tell me more. My mom was the genius."

[Joshua]

"Oh okay. Where you close?" Josh asked walking over and wrapping an arm around Aurra.

[Ilsa, I name me, destroyer of worlds!]

"Well, yeah. I was going to be an engineer; Mom had already prepped up the high-school and colleges, helping me pick everything out."

[Joshua]

"Then?" Josh asked pretty sure he know what was coming

[Ilsa, I name me, destroyer of worlds!]

"Mysterious call from Chiron in the middle of the night, begging her to bring me to camp. She was crying and it sounded like she was scared out of her mind. I eavesdropped over the phone. I shouldn't have -I now know that that brings monsters. She made me pack up all her old Artemis Hunter stuff and we were almost out of the door when we were attacked."

[Joshua]

"I'm sorry." Josh said and meaning it. He had heard these stories before but each one was still hard

[Ilsa, I name me, destroyer of worlds!]

"It's fine. It was a week ago. I found my way to camp with the help of some Hermes twins. She's probably safe in Elysium; I'll see her again."

[❍◦●○❍Brooklyn ❍○●◦❍]

Aurra smiled as josh wrapped an arm around her and listen to the two talk back and forth.

[Joshua]

Josh was shocked at Addy's responds to her mothers death. Gods above know he wouldn't have been as calm. He thought she might be masking pain but didn't know her will enough to guess. Josh wasn't sure what to say to this so he just added, "If you ever find yourself in need of somewhere to sleep. Your welcome here. I'm building another room anyway that should be done soon."

[❍◦●○❍Brooklyn ❍○●◦❍]

Aurra's smile disappeared as Addy told the story she didn't know what to say.

[Ilsa, I name me, destroyer of worlds!]

"Nah, I'm fine. They said I couldn't build my own place, but I'll probably cheat."

[Joshua]

Josh smiled, "I'm the only one that patrols this part of the forest. If I happen to miss a house every now and again who could blame me, such a big area." Josh said nonchalantly

[❍◦●○❍Brooklyn ❍○●◦❍]

Aurra laughed at his comment and leaned her head on his shoulder.

[Ilsa, I name me, destroyer of worlds!]

"Well, I'm not sure I could build a house, but I made this underground series of tunnels in our backyard once."

[Joshua]

Josh looked surprised a moment then laughed, "I really couldn't be blamed for missing that. If you do, do that can I visit? I'd love to see how that turns out." Asked Josh. He really just wanted to make sure she was alright.

[Ilsa, I name me, destroyer of worlds!]

"Yeah, sure. The soil here is good enough and I can get a bunch of the ripped up carpet from the Hephaestus cabin and line the tunnel walls. It'll be fun."

[Joshua]

"Cool. Let me know when your done then." Josh said smiling looking down at Aurra then back up.

[Ilsa, I name me, destroyer of worlds!]

"How do I position the rope?"

[❍◦●○❍Brooklyn ❍○●◦❍]

"Yeah, that would be amazing. To have a whole network of tunnels under the camp, you could get anywhere around here in less then five minutes. But don't make the layer of soil above you to thin or the whole construction would collapse." Aurra blurted out

[Joshua]

Josh laughed at Aurra and whispered in her ear, "Your Athena is showing." He chuckled again and looked back up, "Just stick your foot in the loop and push off a little."

[Ilsa, I name me, destroyer of worlds!]

"Yeah, my cousins did that one time; a tunnel. They used wood for the ceiling and plated clay over it so it looked natural."

[❍◦●○❍Brooklyn ❍○●◦❍]

Aurra blushed. Once again she had said something without trying. She whispered back "So it is."

[❍◦●○❍Brooklyn ❍○●◦❍]

"That was pretty smart of them but I would have used iron rods instead for more support."

[Joshua]

Josh just sat quiet listening. He forgot Aurra was an Athenian sometimes.

[Ilsa, I name me, destroyer of worlds!]

"Theirs wasn't really deep, so it didn't need as much. But it attracted Black Widows like the dickens, so I'm probably going to need to keep lights everywhere and put spider powder around it until I've got the tunnels done and clean."

[❍◦●○❍Brooklyn ❍○●◦❍]

Aurra nodded "Yeah, that would be a good idea."

[Ilsa, I name me, destroyer of worlds!]

"Then I can invite you over. If you scream, I've done something wrong with the spider shield." She smiled.

[❍◦●○❍Brooklyn ❍○●◦❍]

Aurra Scratched her head embarrassedly "Spiders." She said shaking and sticking her tongue out.

[Joshua]

Josh wasn't smiling as he realized what spiders probably meant to Aurra and looked over at her.

[Ilsa, I name me, destroyer of worlds!]

"I bet a hectate kid could enchant spiders away," Addy thought.

[❍◦●○❍Brooklyn ❍○●◦❍]

Aurra hated that most Athena children had a spider phobia and she was one of them. She looked up at josh and kind of squeezed his hand.

[Joshua]

Josh squeezed back and smiled reassuringly

[Ilsa, I name me, destroyer of worlds!]

Addy watched them. "So, if I were to start rattling off spider names, like, say...
Brown Recluse.
Big Ol' Garden Spider.
Daddy Long Legs.
Black Widow.
Wolf Spider.
Then you'd be instantly petrified in fear?"

[❍◦●○❍Brooklyn ❍○●◦❍]

Aurra frowned at first then lost control and hugged josh burring her face into his shirt and squeezed his hand harder.

[Joshua]

Josh's hands flared fire for a moment then he rained himself back in.