Gotta love this place.... {OPEN}

Aahz sat under a tree near the lake, stretching his legs. He amused himself by sending images of rampaging cyclopes charging after random campers, and then then disappearing right when they thought they were caught. He had gotten in trouble many a time because of this, but he thought it was well worth it. After all, he had told himself. I already only spent half of my time actually in my cabin, and the other half in the Big House getting lectured.

A satyr ran up to the tree, and dropped a paper bag next to him, then sprinted off. Aahz looked down at it, and smiled."Thanks, man! You're the best!" he shouted after the satyr. He opened the bag and pulled out a can of coke, which he opened and and began to drink. "Gotta love this place," he said to himself.

Aahz nodded, and retrieved two from the bag, tossing one to the guy and handing the other to the girl. "Help yourselves," he said, shrugging. He got such requests often, as he was one of the few who could actually get his hands on a Coke every once in a while.
He motioned to the Cyclopes chasing the campers"As for that, I'm not sure if you can do it, or how, exactly. I bend the light, reflect colors that normally would not be reflected. It's an Apollo thing, I think. Didn't actually learn it."
He reached out his hand to both of them in turn. "Aahz Byken. Apollo."

Aahz smiled, not flinching as the illusion came towards him. "I see..." he said. "Well, whataya need me for? You seem to be doing just fine. I think we'd make a good team. Well... 'cept for one thing." He pointed at the can. "Now you gotta wait to open it."

Aahz shrugged. "Wouldn't need to. I wouldn't have actually shaken the can. He threw his empty can into the air lazily, and when it got about fifty feet in the air, it exploded, raining down small pieces of aluminum. "You know, I think Hecate campers cheat, in a way. A son of Zeus, or Poseidon, or Hades, could control wind and electricity, or control water, or raise the dead, whereas a daughter of Hecate can do all of that. Not a bad thing, though, as long as you're on my side."

Aahz nodded. "I know you have limited ability," said Aahz. "But just the thought that you can use all of it, to any extent, is... well... pretty awesome!" He looked up at her and smiled. "All I got's light and heat. I think fire beats that any day."

Aahz turned to look at her. "Limitations don't matter," he said. "That's what my mom always told me. You do what you want, and don't let limitations stop you. You can do whatever you want to. All that." He turned to look up at the sky. His eyes were distant now, dark and sad. "And you know what? I believe her. And you should too. You may not have been born with the natural talent of some Big Three kid, but you sure as heck were born with the determination and the ability to get there. He reached up and absently tapped his head. "Your head does a lot more than make illusions, but it gets through 'em too.

He nodded and turned back to her. "That's good," he said. "Most don't see it like that. They think, 'this is what I am, and I can't change it.' But it's not true. You can. I did."

Aahz laughed. "Yeah, I think I do," he said. "And I hope I don't sound too parent-y. I sound like some kind of shrink or something." He jumped up from his sitting position. "If you really want a challenge, what's say we have a little battle?"

Aahz laughed, getting her look. In your dreams, he thought. Then, out loud, "Well, that's okay, 'cause I use a bow as well. And your... fiery talents might add a little excitement. He took his bow from his back, where he always carried it nowadays, then walked to a large spot of clear grass next to the lake. "Ready?"

Aahz smiled and notched an arrow as well. The tip grew red-hot, and smoke started to wisp off form it. He let the string go, and the arrow hit the tree Palmer was hiding behind with a sizzle. It burned all the way through the tree, leaving a hole a couple of inches around. He notched another, and waited for her reaction.

Aahz waved his hand at the ground and it warmed, stopping the ice and melting it. "Gonna have to do better than that," he said, dodging the second arrow. He notched two more arrows along with the other, and shot all three at her at once.

Aahz smiled and threw himself to the ground at the last second, barely dodging the volley. "Nice trick!" he said. "But I got one better."
Suddenly, the entire landscape turned black for Palmer. The trees and ground were all still there, but all that Palmer could see what pitch black, and Aahz. Of course, he could still see. It was an impenetrable trick, which could only be counteracted if Aahz canceled it himself.