"He's kind of a stubborn one," Miranda Gardner commented when Nico had gotten situated back in his seat at the ping-pong table. She was not doing well at keeping her voice quiet, that was for sure. "Maybe he's a son of Nike or Nemesis?"

"Best not to jump to conclusions yet," Nico replied, meeting Leo's eye as he looked over his way. Funnily enough, he seemed to be the only one around that Leo trusted even a little bit--that was a first for him, having someone look to him when they knew no one else in the room...except maybe with Bianca, years ago when they were little.

Nico pondered what this must be like to comprehend on Leo's end. He remembered how it was for him--all of the excitement and intrigue. Even with his sister leaving at the first chance, he was still left at the coolest training camp. That is, until Percy came back with the news that his sister had died, and it all became far too real far too quickly. Nico didn't think Leo was particularly excited about any of this. In fact, he looked a mix of anxious and nauseated. Nico wondered if he'd need a trip to the infirmary before lights out.

Leo had decided to stay the night. He called work with the camp's wall-phone and explained that there was a "situation" and that he would bring back the car tomorrow, which the grumbling guy on the other end didn't seem too happy about. Then he called his foster mom and said he'd be staying with a friend.

"I don't think she cares where I am," Leo said to Nico, half joking and carefree. But he was twirling the spiral phone cord with a finger as if it were a long lock of hair--he looked like a boy nervous to call his crush in an 80s movie (Percy had shown him a lot of 80s movies to catch him up on what modern mortals considered 'classics'--he and Sally had a particular affinity for The Breakfast Club).

After his call, Leo then went into the designated orientation room to watch the orientation film. He'd offered Nico to come with him, as if scared a monster was going to pop out of the screen, but Nico declined. He would rather actually fight another half dozen hellhounds than watch the scantily-clad Apollo frolic on the beach and sing about how great he (and Camp Half-Blood, when he bothered to mention it) was.

"So, I'm unclaimed, according to the weirdly attractive guy in the shorts." Leo announced as he came back in the room, sitting on the opposite side of the ping-pong table. "No god or goddess has deemed me worthy for child support," he grinned. His smile faded after a moment, his brows furrowing. "I, um. I think it's a god. I had a mortal mom."

Had. A couple people in the room shifted, but asked no questions. Nico had guessed his mom had passed from the moment he said he'd had foster parents, that or she was unfit to parent in some way. They had received a lot of demigods over the past few weeks, runaways from homes with parents who spiraled after being abandoned by some god or goddess.

"Leo, you will reside in the Hermes cabin until your godly parent claims you, which should be very soon." Chiron said. "I think this should conclude our head counselor meeting," He dismissed the rest. "Thank you all for staying later and welcoming our newest camper. Please continue to extend your gratitude to him as he gets settled in tomorrow. That will be all, goodnight."

The head counselors started to get up and leave, muttering between themselves about tomorrow's plans, how this was more exciting than when that knife fight broke out, exedra. Leo met his eye, as if worried he'd leave, so Nico stayed seated. Tiredness ebbed at him, though he thought about how he felt when he realized the real danger he was in--the crack he'd left in the pavilion floor, the winding dark halls of the Labyrinth, the voice of Minos turning the gears in his mind to do his bidding.

He really hoped Leo trauma-bonded with someone else soon. Nico could not continue to be a good influence without a serious dip to his reputation.

"So," Leo started, nimble fingers drumming across the table. He looked up at Chiron. "The pizza was pretty good, right?"

"Quite," Chiron nodded. "Although ordering food is forbidden here--we have a certain level of secrecy necessary to protect the grounds, after all--it is nice to receive food from the mortal world sometimes. They really know how to...fry a lot of things..." he paused. "Food aside, Leo, it is natural to have questions about the film you've just seen. I know that it can be...quite a lot to process."

Leo sighed, his walls--and his shoulders--slumping in defeat. "You're--you're a centaur!" he said. "But you're in a human wheelchair! And the wheelchair, like, holds in all the, you know, horse stuff. First," he held up a finger. (Nico had a feeling this guy was obnoxious to be around in a classroom.) "No offense, but I gotta see to believe. Things aren't just magic, I gotta know how they work. Secondly," he held up a second finger, "I gotta know how the wheelchair works!"

Nico snickered, and Chiron glanced at him. "Perhaps we can address the enchantments behind my wheelchair tomorrow. Getting into magic and how it operates with mortal mechanics is a lengthy subject. But I appreciate and encourage your curiosity! In the meantime, we should find you some sleeping accommodations. Nico, could you lead him to the Hermes cabin?"

Nico nodded, starting for the door before frowning. He checked the clock on the wall. "Connor probably called lights out for the night, and the camp store is closed, so we'd have to check the attic for a bedroll..."

He said this more to himself than to Chiron, though the centaur nodded sagely, and Nico remembered how acute his hearing was. Whether that was from being a centaur or working at a camp with gossiping teenagers for years, Nico wasn't sure.

"Very well," Chiron said, turning to Leo. "Leo, just this one night, I will allow you to stay in a guest room in the Big House. The Hermes cabin will be a temporary placement until you are claimed, as stated in the video--"

"Yeah!" Leo sat up, nodding. "He was snooty about it, too, that Apollo guy. I kinda hope he's not my dad."

A tense silence followed, and Leo looked as though he immediately regretted saying those words. Nico wondered if he felt that way a lot; Nico had as many ADHD symptoms as the next demigod, but Leo seemed particularly hyperactive and quick to speak.

"Just a warning," Nico piped up. "We typically avoid saying hurtful things about the gods. They can get...destructive when angered. Apollo may seem..." like an airhead, his brain wanted to supply, though he knew better. "That way, but he is the god of a lot of really important things--"

Leo nodded, catching on. "Like the sun, and music, and healing, and 'being hot', as he said in the video, even though I thought that was Aphrodite's thing--?"

"The video wasn't entirely accurate," Nico supplied, exasperated. Ever since the war had ended four months previous, new demigods came in all the time. This "the gods are real, and they have kids, and those kids have issues!" talk had happened probably 30 times over the last week.

Nico yawned, getting up and stretching before heading towards the nearby supply closet. He pulled out a fleece blanket--unironically crafted to look like the Golden Fleece, only with the added convenience of not weighing seventy pounds and not being guarded by a vicious drakon. He also grabbed a baggy plain white tee shirt and some sweatpants, always convenient for a demigod that got their pajamas snatched by a Hermes camper. "We can answer more questions tomorrow, unfortunately bright and unfortunately early. For now, how about you just get ready for bed."

Leo nodded, letting out a little sigh of relief, in which some golden dust fell from his hair. "Goodnight, um, Chiron. Thanks for letting me stay the night..."

Nico frowned. He seemed shaken up, not like the person who was trying to slip a joke into every interaction earlier. Perhaps he was still thinking about the hellhound, and all the bloodthirsty monsters waiting outside the borders now that his scent had grown stronger.

He lead Leo upstairs and to the bathroom. "For the first--and last--time, you can use the Big House shower. The rest of the time, the outside bathroom and shower facility are used by all cabins."

Leo nodded distantly, focusing instead on the bathroom, looking around curiously at the half-bath-shower situation. "Man, this thing could fit a horse." he joked, glancing back at Nico, expectation lighting his eyes. And...never mind. Leo was back to the jokes.

Nico just blinked. Of course, the all the bathrooms in the Big House had been fitted for Chiron, so Leo's joke was more of a fact. "You are a true comedian of your time." he settled flatly, figuring that was nice enough.

"I bet you're a true comedian too," Leo shut the door for privacy, his voice becoming muffled. "Under all that doom and gloom. I'll bet you're a son of Hecate, like maybe you know dark magic stuff. Or Hades, like you can raise an army of the dead--hey, who do you think I'm the son of? Probably Aphrodite because of my charm, right? Even though she's a woman...hey, do you think gay godly couples can have kids? Because it's, like, beyond human biology. Man, they mentioned a lot of gods in that video..."

"I'm not talking to you through the door," Nico said, his voice raised. "And I don't know, probably Apollo..." because you're an airhead, Nico wanted to add, but thought better of it.

"What?" Leo called back. Nico could hear the water turn on.

"I said I'm going downstairs," Nico replied, doing just that before he was subjected to more of Leo's never ending opinion segment or, gods forbid, potential shower singing.

When Nico got downstairs he slumped in his seat, nibbling on a slice of leftover pizza. It was mostly room temperature, if not cold at this point, but it was still pretty good; with all the work he'd been doing on his cabin and helping revamp camp for the new campers coming in every day, he sometimes forgot seemingly important things, like eating and sleeping.

"You can go back to your cabin, you know, if you need rest," Chiron encouraged. "I can ensure the boy is properly settled in."

"I know," Nico nodded, rubbing his eyes much like a kid. "I just didn't want leave him while he doesn't expect it yet. Not after what he had to see..." With a sigh, he realized he'd been thinking about Bianca, about how she left him for the Hunters at the first sign out. He was excited by the Manticore from his game, but before the fear of reality could actually settle in, Bianca was out of the picture. Leo didn't know him at all, but he knew Chiron even less.

"I killed that hellhound in front of him, and I think he..." Nico shrugged. "He wants me around. Leo knows it's safe, the border and everything, but..." he shook his head, looking at Chiron, who always wore that 'sage-but-concerned' look. "I'll let him know I'm leaving once he's settled in. Sorry for keeping you up this late, Chiron."

"Oh, you needn't apologize," Chiron replied. "I am just glad to see another camper here and safe. That, my boy, will never be an inconvenience. That being said, with you here for him, I am going to bed, so...see to it that you're quiet on your way out, alright?"

"Will do," Nico nodded, "Thank you."

Chiron made his way out, turning down the hall towards his room. A few minutes later, Nico slipped back upstairs with catlike tenacity. The shower looked clean as new, minus some water on the floor. The door to the guest bedroom was open, dim light from a lamp casted upon the floor.

Nico nudged the door open a little further. A thick, tense silence spanned the space between them before Nico asked: "How are you feeling?"

Leo was changed into the shirt and sweatpants, seeming...comfortable. Serene, almost. He shrugged, looking thoughtfully along the weapons displayed on the wall by the closet--a curved sword like that of a pirate, a double-bladed axe, a hot pink mace and chain (long story).

"Which one of these should I put under my pillow?" he asked.

"None of them," Nico insisted. "The borders are sound. No monster can come in without permission, which no demigod is going to grant anytime soon." He thought about the occasional monster-related prank or demigod gone rogue, but thought better than to mention it before Leo went to sleep.

"You know where they also say 'the borders are sound'?" Leo did a mocking of Nico's--really, more like Chiron's, voice. "The Walking Dead. You ever see that show--or read the comic? The borders are never sound, they sound like the zombies are gonna get through at any minute."

Nico sighed, rolling his eyes. "Trust me, I live The Walking Dead. Real life zombies are not that bad, especially when they're fighting in your army."

"Your army," Leo cocked his head to the side slightly, his lips showing a whisper of a grin, scooting to sit cross-legged on the bed. "I knew it...son of Hades."

He didn't seem disgusted or scared. He just seemed happy to uncover another piece of the puzzle.

"Yeah," Nico smiled slightly. "The one and only, at your service." he yawned again. "Can't raise the dead right now, though. We should both get some sleep. Bright and early tomorrow...you'll get a tour, maybe you'll be claimed, all that fun stuff." he got up, stretched, and started for the door.

"Nico?" Leo asked, hesitancy lacing his voice.

"Yeah?" Nico turned around, hand on the doorknob.

"If," Leo started, eyes shifting down to Nico's Converses. "If monsters were to come in. Hypothetically speaking, of course. Would locking the door help at all?"

Nico raised a brow, thinking about the hellhound that could probably eat concrete laced with active grenades for breakfast. "Absolutely not."

(Well, Nico wasn't known for his compassion.)

Nico glanced at Leo's bundle of clothes, strewn across the floor, with a couple of dollar bills poking out of the jeans pocket. "It could help from a couple of Hermes campers trying to steal spare cash, though. At least, it'll give you a head start before they pick the lock."

"Good to know," Leo said, half humorous, half exasperated. "Could you? Lock the door on your way out, please?"

"Sure," Nico clicked the lock on the open door, then turned to leave. He hesitated. Leo was just another demigod in a stream of newcomers, but something about him seemed different. Powerful, like an almighty puzzle clicking into place. Perhaps the Fates had strung together the exact moments to where Nico saved him, to where Leo didn't end up another casualty on the everlasting funeral pyre.

"Goodnight, Leo." Nico said softly, shaking the thoughts before they lead him further.

"Goodnight, Nico." Leo whispered, a solitary, half-empty reply.