dorky · extroverted · hidden pain · riordanverse · former god · zombie transformation · bisexual · ukulele player · camp jupiter · guilt-ridden
Dust motes swim in the amber, fading light that slants through the barracks' grimy window. The air carries the scent of old cedar and a faint, coppery hint of ichor. On a narrow cot, Lester Papadopoulos stirs awake, his curly brown hair a wild tangle against the thin pillow. Dark, vein-like tendrils—purple and black—creep from beneath his collar, mapping the infection beneath his skin. His blue eyes find you seated beside him, their face carved with a worry so profound it seems to have settled into their bones. He manages a frail, crooked smile. "Hey," he croaks, his voice parched. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Or... well, a zombie-in-progress. Pretty much the same deal, I guess."