Head Counselor
Sighing, Drew Tanaka glared up at the sky. Being head counselor was a lot harder than she had anticipated it would be. She blamed Silena Beauregard. That girl had made the situation within Aphrodite's cabin even worse with her 'universal love' crap. And what had she done with it? She went and got herself killed in the name of love.
Pathetic.
This was why Drew had to walk to the edge of the strawberry fields and climb this goddam tree almost every evening. She had to get away from it all and breathe. The upside to it was that nobody would ever think to look for her here, all because she couldn't wield a dagger. In camp half-blood that apparently made her incapable of climbing a tree - and just about everything else. Killing and fighting skills determine the worth of an individual in this place, she thought bitterly.
Children of Aphrodite had never truly been respected, and for the above reasons, they never would be. Drew didn't know how Silena fooled herself into thinking she could change that. Her policy of universal love ruined the cabin. While she was busy getting chummy with Beckendorf, the cabin rapidly lost its ruthless reputation. The only useful reputation it had was replaced with hearts and sappiness. It made Drew want to vomit.
Drew knew all too well that you couldn't force people into real loyalty and love, but you could scare them into submission. That was close enough. For children of Aphrodite that was as good as it was going to get.
Contrary to popular belief, her mother is not a simpleton. Aphrodite has a power over humans, animals, half-bloods and Gods alike. Love and lust are primal desires inescapable for most. Charm and persuasion have the power to achieve anything, a deadly combination in the right hands. But nobody seems to realise that other than herself.
Why else would she break so many hearts? She didn't make this initiation for pure fun. Control gives them power. She had to earn her charm speak and learn the art of intimidation through harsh lessons. Drew knew that unlike everyone else, she had the guts to step-up and become the enemy in order to win respect through fear. A fear that would spread to show the other campers not to mess with Aphrodite's children. Show them that they would get their hearts smashed to smithereens while Aphrodite and her children laughed, before humiliating the next sucker who thought they were the exception.
Drew could understand lust but not love. Love made you vulnerable. It made you weak, illogical and helpless. It had ruined the cabin's reputation, and the lack of conventional talents made them targets for jokes - all at their expense.
She hopped down from the low tree branch and began to pick her way back through the strawberry fields. She needed to get back in time for the meeting at tonight's campfire. Whatever fight was coming, her whole cabin would boycott. Her charm speak would make sure of it. However, it was doubtful that it would even be needed. Her cabin would likely be laughed out of the meeting long before tasks and battle positions were delegated.
Silena was wrong. Things would never be solved through love. You can't meet hate with love and expect to win. Drew was smarter than that, and she wouldn't let her cabin lay down their lives for these ungrateful campers. They got their pride from fighting, she got hers from surviving.
Everyone else can join Hades.