---

---

Stella sat at the dining table, eating a small breakfast prepared by herself since she gave the maids and butlers time off while she went back to Olympus Academy. A sigh escaped over her parted lips as she finished up and placed her plate in the sink then rinsed it off and put it back into the cabinet. She made her trek over towards her luggage and made a small checklist in her head about every single thing that she possibly needed. She checked then rechecked and checked again until she was finally satisfied with herself. Her bright blue eyes glanced up as she wondered what her brother, Zeke, was doing right about now and hoped that he didn't beat her to the Academy.

While she sat there, her ears twitched as the honk of horn blared out and startled her a little bit. Stella raised herself up from her seated position and straightened out her clothing, which was a nice, white dress adorned with flower patterns and went well over her knees a little bit. Upon her feet she had on a pair of heels that was also white in color. Stella grabbed her luggage then rolled it outside, giving her home one last look before fully making her way towards the driver, who grabbed her bags and placed them in the trunk.

"How are you today, Miss Stella?" The driver, Samson, acknowledged her with the nod of her head as she parted her lips to speak. "I told you to just call me Stella. And I am doing fine Samson, how are you?" She asked while watching him place her luggage in the trunk then close it shut and made his way to open the door for her. "Quite fine, Stella, quite fine." She smiled then nodded her head towards him while getting into the limousine now. She scoffed under her breath then pulled out her cell phone to text her brother, Zeke.



She hit the send button and listened as her phone made a swoop noise to signal that the message has been sent to Zeke. She nodded her head towards Samson, giving him the signal that she was ready to depart from her home now. Olympus Academy, once again here she comes. Ready to take on anybody that dares step in her way and tries to take her down. Stella was more than ready this year and intended on taking on all challengers this year, male or female.

---

---

---

Skye had made it to Olympus Academy and by the way things are on campus, it seems like he was the first person there. He turned off his engine and sat in his car for awhile. Skye remembered when he first set foot on this campus as a scared little boy and everyone made fun of him even bullied him heavily. But this year, he was not having it and couldn't help it that he looked better than the other people that attended the academy - Even his sister. A soft chuckle escaped over his lips as he looked up and saw some of the Professors leaving the headmaster's office. A brow raised up as he took his keys out of the ignition and got out of his vehicle, making his way onto the campus.

The professors eyed him as he turned his nose up at them. They all laughed then his went over towards the headmaster's office as he sneaked around and saw him and the headmistress arguing about god knows what. Skye opened up the door to his office without even knocking as they both glared at him. "Ever heard of knocking?" Celina asked as she folded her arms over her chest. "What brings you here, young one?" Mark asked him. "What time does the assembly start?" Skye asked a bit nervously since two of the most important people on campus were looking at him now.

"The assembly will start when all of the students get here and settled in. I'll make an announcement. You're here pretty early. Trying to get a head start on the best room?" Mark responded as Skye chuckled with the shrug of his shoulders. "Yes, I am, honestly. Thank you though." Skye exited the office with a breath then walked back to his vehicle and leaned against it, taking out his cell phone and going through it as he waited for someone his age to appear. At least, someone he liked like his sister, Clarissa.

---

---

Alex woke up normally. That is, she woke up on a bed, in her house, and with a pillow somewhere near her head. By all counts, there were worse ways to wake up. Alex blearily fought away the urge to fall backwards into unconsciousness, dressed herself in clothes she thought were clean, and found her way downstairs.

In the foyer was Alex's father, Robert Hannelore, who was staring blankly into a mug of lukewarm coffee. At the sound of Alex's entrance, he wearily pushed a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast towards her. Awkwardness hanging in the air like yeast in a vat of hops, Alex quietly ate her breakfast.

As the last few mouthfuls of starchy, greasy heaven passed through Alex's gullet, she rather suddenly noticed the incredibly conspicuous brass box that had apparently been on her plate the whole time. Alex immediately recognized the owner and purpose of the box, as she always did. This was half of a gift from her mother, one of many that had been given to her throughout her life. The prizes inside the boxes were always exactly what Alex needed, but actually getting it was always a hassle. The exact mechanism for opening the box was always different, but always decipherable through hard work and cleverness. The mechanism for this box appeared to be rather simple-- a 36-piece sliding puzzle with a picture of a school on it. Alex looked at the puzzle box with the same look a starved man gives a wax fruit, and set to solving it at once.

---

With a final, deciding click, the slide puzzle was completed. With another, decidedly cinematic shoo-womp, the puzzle box flung itself off the table and exploded into an ovoid disc of bluish light about the size of a person.

"Ride's here," said Robert matter-of-factly, and got up from his seat. "Have a good day at school, make sure to thank your mother."

"Dad, I--" Alex stopped. Talking about her adoptive mother was going to do nothing but cause trouble. "Have a nice day, dad." She hugged her father tightly, and disappeared through the disc. Robert Hannelore, twice divorced and technically a single father, sat back down and patiently waited for Lucille and Theodore to arrive. Alex's mot-... Aporia was very clear on what they were going to say, and who they were looking for. She was also very clear on what Robert would be giving them. With a heavy heart and no reason to disobey his ex-wife's instructions, Robert guilelessly picked up a pair of unlabeled manila folders. Today, the search would begin.

---

Alex appeared on the campus green of Olympus Academy, none the worse for wear. Her outfit managed to stay unchanged, but she felt a wretchedly familiar weight in her pockets. Alex fished around, and drew forth another puzzle box. This one had no recognizable mechanisms, beyond a keyhole and a series of engravings in a foreign language. With any luck, she could get this puzzle solved and start on the road to beginning the school year without too much trouble. Seconds later, Alex profoundly regretted thinking that, as another puzzle box materialized in her pockets. Though the day had just begun, Alex was nearing her breaking point. Alex had realized long ago that being the child of the personification of difficulty had few perks, but never had the chance to fully come to terms with it. Alex briefly mused on the strange attentions laid upon her, and set off in search of the library.

---

---

Start the day off with a smile and nothing could go wrong.

Indeed, that was the philosophy that a one Vivian Annabelle Corette followed every and each day. Every day, she tried to keep a gleaming smile on her face, for her smile was the one thing that could calm people even on their worst days. Seeing a smile so lively and so full of cheerful vibes, it somehow cheered everyone up. Perhaps it was Vivian’s infectious personality that demanded people to be happy or perhaps something else was at play. Whatever it was, her smile would start her day off to a great start.

There, in her bed, laying with a big smile on her face, Vivian was. Her covers were still over her frame, but the sunlight shone through her magenta-tinted blinds and right onto her golden-colored blanket. As she continued to lay there, it was probably about a few minutes before the golden beauty decided to get off from her bed.

When she had got from her bed, Vivian took it upon herself to open up her window and take in the light breeze that was in the air. The purity in the air and the calming glow from the sun entered her body as if it were drawn to her. As the daughter of Apollo, she had the ability to attract sunlight, but this was more of a natural thing for her. Viv’s natural presence called for positive vibes and taking in from the natural resources light sunlight and the breeze was no different.

Two minutes was all she took before Vivian started to get ready for the day ahead for it was a big one. When she took a shower, picked out a light blue dress with soft pink floral patterns on it as well as a pair of beige-colored sandals, got some breakfast in her tummy, she got her things together. First, she put all that she needed(phone, make-up, and the works) into her purse. Then, she made sure to have her hair in the way that she wanted. After fiddling with it for over five minutes, Vi decided to just leave it down in its natural, golden form. Finally, as she was all ready to leave, she started to head out for the day.

Closing the door behind her, Vivian was about three feet away from her door when she reached into her colorful purse, and reached for her Iphone that had a bright pink and yellow case on it with the symbol of her daddy on it.



When she sent that message, a sound pinged from her phone to signify that it had been sent. Vivian hummed as she skipped along the halls of the apartment building that every one of the Demigods lived in, smiling all the way through. Keeping a smile on throughout every and each day meant that nothing could go wrong.

---

---

With the engine beneath him roaring out one long song, Hector found his yearly ride to Olympus Academy to be a bit less dreary than the last. His birthday present, which he'd received when he got home from the Academy last year, currently bore him on his way, letting the wind caress his face as its two wheels ran along the highway. Truly, the motorcycle was the most relaxing way to get from point A to point B.

Hector was making rather good time on this trip and found the Academy appeared on the horizon an hour before he had expected. What am I, a freshman? he thought. Still, it gives me time to unbox my luggage. Because he was riding a motorcycle, it didn't make sense for him to bring his luggage with him. As such, he had mailed it to the school via the Hermes Express.

Echoes were all that remained of the motorcycle's roar once Hector parked outside the dorms. He dismounted, first removing his leather riding jacket, then placing his helmet beneath his arm. He began up the stairs and to his room; this year he'd be unpacked long before the holidays arrived.

---

---

GOD.

Waking up to the scent of a human arm soaking in formaldehyde is not something anyone should have to do, much less twice in a week. "MOTHER!" Thomas shouted, pulling the covers up over his nose. "WHAT DID WE DECIDE ABOUT BRINGING WORK HOME?!"

"That I'd stop doing it if you would actually start setting an alarm. Get up, you're going to be late. School starts today."

Thomas turned over, bashing his head against the pillow. She was right, of course, even if she was being disgusting. He hopped up, making sure everything he'd packed the day before was still packed, and that his brown hair was as ordered as it was ever going to be. Pajamas off, shiver in the cold, jeans on, shirt on... Sweater on, jacket on, coat on. Scarf was wrapped around his neck. He finally started to feel warm, pulling a pair of gloves over his hands and rubbing them together as he walked out of his room, snagging his pack on the way out and thump thump thumping his suitcase on the stairs as he went down to the living room.

Ha. Living room. More often there was some kind of dead thing sitting on the table in the middle of it than he and his mother did any "living" in there, the coffee table a makeshift examination platform.

He didn't use said table. Ever. Under any circumstances. Even if eating off that table was somehow the only thing that could save him from a terrible case of food poisoning, he wasn't going to touch it. NOPE NADA NEVER. He kissed his mother on the cheek on the way out, throwing his stuff in his car and hitting the road.

***

And, here he was. The Demigod Apartment complex. He shook his head, smiling slightly. New people.

Slight frown.

Who knew what exactly his dad did, "for a living".

---

---

James wandered around campus absentmindedly, not paying that much attention to where he was going. He made sure that he didn't bump into anyone - not intentionally, at least - and fiddled with a deck of cards. Flourishing always calmed him down.

This would be his first year at the Academy, and he was a bit nervous. Now, most demigods would send up a prayer to their godly parent. Not James. He wanted nothing to do with Hermes. In his typical fashion, he didn't show his nerves and dressed to impress. Black slacks, white button up, dark blue vest. He was pretty sure that he would be one of the best-dressed people there.

After he finished his stroll, James sat down on a bench near where he entered the campus and started to focus on his cards. The flourishes, which had earlier been rather simple, grew increasingly complex and elaborate. He almost didn't notice the people who stopped to watch him. Almost. Looking up with a boyish grin, he stood and started really showing off.

---

---

Serafina walked contentedly onto the campus, a smile on her face. It was good to be back. She looked forward to seeing her "kids" again, and possibly "adopting" more. It was an undisputed fact that Serafina was the unofficial mother of the Olympus Academy students, something that pleased her greatly.

As today was special, she had dressed that morning in a pretty light green sundress, brown sandals, and a white sunhat. Her ever-present earrings didn't quite match, but she didn't really care; they were her good-luck charms. Humming a tune under her breath, Serafina walked slowly to her favorite tree and sat down in its shade.

Looking around, she spotted quite a few people she didn't know and smiled happily. Serafina was always glad to add to her family; if someone needed her, that's where she would be. There was nothing greater than being a mother, she felt; she couldn't wait until she had a child of her own. Like her mother, however, she would be faithful and wait for marriage.

People had wondered at the child of Hera for a while when she was first claimed. Hera, she who hated unfaithfulness and bitterly persecuted all of her husband's lovers, had a demigod child? The queen of the gods had explained it to Serafina, however. Hera had felt that maybe if Zeus knew how it felt to be cheated on, he would stop. It hadn't worked, not really, but Hera now had a daughter of her very own, and she couldn't be happier about it.

---

---

Unlike most students, Delilah was excited to be going back to school again. She was going to be with her friends, most of the teachers were nice, and there were going to be more opportunities to meet new people and make even more friends! Last night, she made sure to sleep early so that she would wake up early and be able to get ready. She wanted to make a good first impression on everyone and it was important to start off the school year strong, academically and aesthetically.

She got out of bed slowly, taking in the sun's light and enjoying its warmth for a while. Her blanket was wrapped around her all snug and for a moment she did not want to get out. But then she remembered what day it was and then jumped out of bed. Her long brown hair was all messy; even she was not immune to bedhead. She stretched, taking a deep breath that filled her lungs with fresh air. There was something about this place that made the air more delicious, and Delilah still enjoyed the taste of it every morning. She then walked over to the bathroom and did her morning routine of showering, brushing her teeth, and other things.

Delilah, with a towel wrapped around herself, went back to her bedroom to decide on what to wear. After a long period of trying on clothes, she decided to wear a sweet yellow sundress which she paired off with a sunflower hair clip. "Yellow is a good color to wear. It's happy, cheerful, and stands out just enough," she thought as she admired her appearance in the mirror.

For the final touch, she decided to put on just a bit of mascara to bring out her eyes and some lip gloss that tasted like candy.

She was about done when she heard her phone vibrate. Quickly, she grabbed it from her desk and saw that she got a text from Vi.



After texting Vi back, she hurried to pack up all of her stuff, making sure she did not forget anything. She also grabbed two muffins from the pantry, just in case Vi wanted some and put them in the toaster oven to warm them up. Relieved that she was able to get ready before Vivian arrived, she sat down on the couch waiting for her friend to come over so they can walk to school.

---

---

---

---

---

Zeke was not a morning person nor did he look forward to going to school. He had already hit the snooze button about three times when his phone went off. He groaned, half-tempted to ignore it, but forced himself to shift over so he can reach his phone on his nightstand. Groggily, he checked his notification and saw that his older sister, Stella, had texted him, offering to give him a ride. Well, he did need a way to get there, and she was rich and all with her own chauffeur, which was cool. But that would mean he would have to get up now, and did he really want to do that?

Yup, he had to. He rolled out of bed, landing on the cold, wooden floors. He shivered slightly as the cool ground touched his bare chest. He pushed himself up, and before taking a shower and what not, he texted his sister back.


After taking a shower, he was starting to feel more awake and energized. He put on a simple white t-shirt and jeans, not needing to impress anyone. He was Zeus' son, after all. Samson was probably going to be there in about ten minutes, which gave him enough time to make some toast. While he waited for the toast to finish, he got back on the ground and began to do sit-ups. He had to maintain his good shape and six pack. By the time the what was bread but now was toast had popped out of the toaster, he had managed to do 500 sit-ups. Somewhat satisfied with himself, he made a mental goal to try to do 600 next time and began to butter his toast. Then he poured himself a glass orange juice to go with it.

He ate quickly, realizing it was not enough for him so he decided to eat a banana as well. Potassium! He began to pack his stuff for school, but most likely forgot things. Oh well. He then checked his phone for any messages, but nothing yet. He decided to do some push-ups until his sister and her driver arrived to pick him up.

---

---

Start the day off with a smile, his sister loved saying. What could go wrong if you let yourself smile more, Dallas?

West. Coast. Traffic. Sis. It would go wrong on you the second you jinxed it. More likely, it would go wrong on you thirty minutes before you jinxed it, generally ending in a front end that was nothing more than a blessed memory, gashes in your palms where your fingernails had dug wells into the soft flesh, and a pain in the ass you'd normally only ascend to by straddling a barbed wire rocking horse without a saddle. Yeah, there was some Apollonian poetry to make the ride go by - and what a ride it was, because whereas others had only an hour, two hours to worry about when it came to trips to Academy, Dallas Relo was a douchebag about scheduling. He'd only left the restaurant at around 8 pm last night, and his mom had advised him to pack before dinner on the high chance he was going to have to drive right from Nation's to school. He'd made his bed in the West Coast, and once a year, the son of Apollo was forced to grit his teeth and lie in it.

Or twist around impatiently in the driver's seat of a Mazda Miata, with his seat belt half slung over his shoulder like a cobra for appearances, trying not to stare at the enormous cold strawberry pie that was supposed to be his sustenance for ten hours. He was getting impatient, he realized. As he'd torn through Midwest states that he couldn't tell apart and little slivers of pie were being whittled outta the enormous dish riding shotgun, the sun was dipping farther and farther away behind the horizon. Time zones were cockblocking the precious energy Dallas needed to get through this drive without steering himself off the road like the James Dean clone he was fifty years too young to be. The lack of energy, ironically enough, manifested as a twitching down to his very bones, a desire to stretch his legs and sprint to the damn school if he had to. By the time the insistent buzz of a way-too-white old iPhone 4s added a different note to the same four playlists on repeat, Dallas was about ready to screech with glee.

Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuntil he saw the name on the phone.

Hell, whatever. At least it's a voice.

"Get some sleep, Mom. It's gotta be...midnight in Oakland? One?"

"One-thirty. How's your energy?"

"Awaiting last rites. What's your excuse?"

Alihera Relo laughed. Even over an iPhone's speaker at 3:30 in the morning - assuming he was in the time zone he thought he was in - it was soft and crystalline, the kind of laugh that you learned only by raising a precocious, boxing little shit like Dallas; it was exactly the kind of half-giggle needed to soothe him at his coarsest, too, which was something he'd learned to appreciate despite the mutual crap they now slung at each other. Hearing it, you'd be shocked to guess she was pushing 45. There was childlike innocence in the laugh that few people into their adulthood really deserved, but hey, whatever ropes in the god of the sun, right?

"I was thinking about my son. Wanted to make sure you were still on the road alright. Any idea where you are?"

"Uhh, I might hav one, if I weren't bone tired. Can you just call me an Uber and tell him to keep driving through these fucking cornfields until he finds me?"

"No, I think I'll let you bite the bullet. And hey, I was born in those cornfields. They were good enough for your father."

"...Ew."

Alihera laughed again. "Well, since you asked so sweetly, I think I could get some rest. Be good at school, text me now and again, say hi to your father and Vivian - oh, and Dallas - one more thing." His mother, suddenly, sounded distinctly chastising on the phone, and for safety, Dallas lowered the phone down to about his waist, where he could pretend he'd missed three words in five. It was a clever little gag he'd play sometimes when the 'one more thing' postscript came up in conversations. "Did you happen to come across my church key while you were home this summer?"

"Can't say I did. Hey, I didn't know you were that important to the church. Am I supposed to remember how many days it's been since I confessed? And is cursing still a sin? If it is I'm fucked. Er. Shafted. Uhm. Boned. Fuck! Screwed. You know what I mean."

He carved off a large slice of strawberry pie [his eyes were starting to droop closed and he needed the sugar rush] and rolled his neck around with a curse as he took an equally hefty bite. Through his driver's side windows, it looked like he was leaving the cornfields and heading into plain old open territory, but damned if he could be sure of much of anything with only starlight to guide his way east. Next year, he was just going to fly. Apollo had a chariot, didn't he? Wasn't a commercial plane just, like, the 3.0 version?

"Well, that's four and a half sins right there. Don't play dumb, you know what a church key is and where I store it, Dallas." A little amusement in her clipped tone, that was good. That was always good. "Please just lie to your mother and tell her you're not going to need it."

"Well, a, I didn't steal crap." Dallas picked the phone back up and set it above the steering wheel, so he had a reason to keep his eyes open and on the road. "B. If I had stolen crap, wouldn't have stolen it if I didn't need it, Mom."

"Thank you. Liar."

"..." Okay, so she had him there. "Okay, I might have needed it. If I stole it. I'm not a crook."

"You're not even legal, Dallas."

"Au contraire," the demigod purred. "Besides, I don't remember confessing that I stole it."

"You didn't have to," his mother said with a hint of good humor in her voice. "I've been FaceTiming you - and you're wearing a low neckline tonight. Isn't it blasphemy to hang a bottle opener next to a saint medallion, Dal?"

"Ssssssshhhhhhhhhit!"

Dallas hastily threw his phone under the seat. His mother's tinny laughter echoed through the Mazda, and he cursed again, more softly this time. He felt uncomfortably like Captain Kirk, in that episode of the Twilight Zone. The one with the gremlins eating the fucking plane. God, I need sleep.

"And stop eating pie while you drive!"

Dallas, eyes rolling so hard in their sockets you'd swear they had dollar signs for irises, reached for the radio knob. After a while, he guessed even his mom must have gotten tired of hearing the silent treatment mingled in with the Black Keys, Arctic Monkeys, and A Day to Remember, because when he checked his phone again around 5:30 AM (Eastern Standard Time!) there was no familiar face on the touchscreen.

---

---

Two hours later, Dallas Relo arrived at Olympus Academy with an empty pie tray (promptly chucked in whatever the fuck trash can he could find with bleary eyes) and a couple suitcases. By then, however, sunlight was already peeking up from the east, and he felt the mingled anxiety and exhaustion that came with an all-nighter behind the wheel fading away from his back and shoulders with an ease no massage could provide. Tracing fingers through long, golden hair, Dallas stayed in his apartment just long enough to get a hot shower, change into a really who gives a fuck pair of skinny jeans, a black t-shirt, and a pair of Jordans, and brush his teeth. He skipped breakfast and didn't take the church key off his necklace - hell, maybe hadn't even taken it off while he showered. It looked kind of arts and crafts-y, almost.

And hey, really, wasn't the best way to enjoy Catholicism being a little buzzed?

Finger combing his hair again and tapping the backs of his shoes against each other on the way through his apartment door, Dallas stepped out into the sun - and with it, started soaking up the energy he'd need to get through day one.

---

---

Turning a few corners and going down a couple of flight of stairs, Vivian had found herself right outside of her dear friend, Delilah’s apartment. Before she would even start to do her trademark five knocking, her nose caught a whiff of some alluring perfume. A giddy sound escaped from her mouth as she would knock with sheer excitement of finding out what that infectious scent was.“Lilah~ I’m here!” Vivian said, her voice piercing through the sound of her hand knocking on the wooden door.

As soon as Delilah heard the knock on her door, she squealed with delight and answered it as fast as she could. Opening the door, she was not surprised to see Vi and gave her a big hug. The brunette gripped her so tight that Vi thought she might burst out of her dress. Still, as tight as she was being squeezed, Vivian gave what she was given by also squeezing as tight as she could. The emotions of delight and happiness filling the room with the sweet and alluring aroma of those muffins.

"Vi! Come in, come in! I have muffins being heated up, would you like to eat some before we go?" she asked after letting Vivian go.

When the hug ended, Lilah asked Vi if she wanted one. “Oh my god, yes please!!” Vivian screamed with shear joy. She could barely contain herself. She reached over for one of the muffin. By taking a bite, she tasted such delicious flavors. The sweetness of the natural berries with the light covering of butter. “You do know you make the best muffins, right?” Vivian said, her mouth half-full with bits of chewed up muffin, crumbs tracing along her mouth.

Delilah's cheeks blushed slightly. "You're just saying that," she replied shyly. "Sorry they're not too fresh, I made them about two days ago."

”No, I really mean it. Your muffins are the best.” Vivian said, echoing her previous compliment about the muffins. She truly did mean it. She truly thought that, out of all the muffins she had tried -- and that was a lot -- Delilah’s were number one.

She walked over to the counter and got napkins for the both of them. She also went to the fridge and poured them both a glass of milk. Glancing over at Vivian's crumb-covered face made Delilah giggle softly. "Vi, you have a little something on your face, silly," she said, handing her friend a napkin.

It took Delilah to notice that Vi had some crumbs around the edges of her mouth(lips). “Oh dear me,“ Embarrassed and immediately blushing, Vi took the napkin and wiped away the excess muffin from her mouth. She then swallowed her bite that she had in her mouth.

She took a bite out of her muffin, convinced that she had made the right choice with warming it up first. It almost tasted as good as it did the first day she made it. But her satisfaction with the muffins were nowhere near as high as Vivian's. Delilah could not help but admire her cheerfulness and ability to enjoy even the simplest things in life. She was definitely grateful to have a friend like her.

As she continued to finish her muffin and the glass of milk that Delilah had so kindly poured for her, she enjoyed each bite and each sip of the two as if they were her last. By the time the third minute came, a light cheer escaped her mouth as Vivian got up and proceeded to take the cup to Delilah’s little kitchen. She rinsed it off with warm water and set it to the side in the dish drain.

Delilah was in a bit shock that Vivian beat her to washing the cups but smiled at her friend. "Thanks Vi, you're the sweetest!"she said.

Smiling at Delilah, Vi's glance came to the clock and she noticed the time. “Uh-oh, look at the time,” Vi said to Delilah with a slightly worried expression. “We should get going. We don’t want to be late.” Vi said, walking to Delilah

Delilah did not even notice the time until Vi pointed it out. "Oh my. You're right! Let's go," Delilah agreed, grabbing her stuff and making her way out the door. As soon as the two of them had exited her apartment, she locked the door behind them and the two went on their merry way to the academy.

Arriving at the school grounds, Clarissa was surprised to see that the grounds looked so empty. For some reason, she was expecting them to be bustling and busy like every year before-hand. Luckily, it meant that no one would wave their finger at her brother Skye and pick on him, for a little whilst at least. She hated to see Skye being put down and bullied, just because people were jealous of his good looks and their heritage of being the Children of Aphrodite. Even though Clarissa and Skye were only one month apart; her being the older of the two siblings she was protective of her brother; despite their love/hate and teasing relationship. It was not easy being the children of Aphrodite; beauty was everything. Skye thought he was more handsome than she was, whilst she thought the exact same thing about herself. They teased each other all the time about it; but there was nothing harsh about it, just your normal sibling banter so to speak.

Her brown hues took everything in and a smile formed on her lips when she saw the familiar light blonde hair. Clarissa could tell her brother apart from the rest rather easily; smiling to herself she run towards him and playfully jumped on him hugging him tightly with a giggle. "BOO!!!! Miss me?.....Of course you did." She spoke in a slight teasing tone, but she sounded happy to see her brother again. Leaning over she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek before she jumped back down. The Demi-Goddess wrapped her arm around his shoulder; giving Skye a slight squeeze before a smirked formed on her mouth; They were back...the two troublemakers back together. Her brown eyes were sparkling with a hint of mischief as she wondered what they could get up to again.

"How was your summer?" Clarissa turned to her brother, with a slight smile. She wanted to catch up with him and it seemed like they still had some time to talk and catch up. She couldn't help but wonder if he spoke to mother, Aphrodite kept in touch with the both of them and Clarissa knew that Skye loved their mother; just like she did. The slight cool breeze, ruffled her brown curls back and forth as she breathed in the fresh air; just taking everything in. She was officially back for another year....back to her other home so to speak.

---

---

Rolling the car window all the way down, Rozalia let a smile grace her lips as the wind tossed her hair around her head. She could still smell the ocean, even a few miles off.Although impossible to hear the waves still, she'd elected to listen to music as opposed to the noise of the traffic around them. She enjoyed long car journeys like this one; it helped her with day-dreaming. Especially when music was concerned. the soft croonings of Hozier would normally rock her to sleep, but not today. She was far too... excited? Perhaps anticipating was a better word. Roze found herself unsure of whether or not this Olympus Academy would be a positive place to be. Already she found herself homesick for the beachside condo her Father had bought for her in sunny California. It had been a bit too large for one person, and was occasionally lonely; but after the hellish nights she'd had at that foster home a year ago, it was blissful. If she craved personal contact, she could either go to the nearby town and browse the shops and cafes there; or visit her Father in his undersea palace.

However, she didn't particularly enjoy going there. Poseidon's wife and son - Amphitrite and Triton - were polite enough to her the few times she had visited, but they acted very cold towards her. It was obvious they didn't want her around. She supposed she could understand that; but she didn't have to put up with it. So, she rarely saw her Father, unless he came up to visit her.

It was his idea to send her to this school. According to him, there'd be plenty of demi-gods and demi-goddesses there, and classes to learn how to deal with powers and whatnot. This didn't really persuade Roze, but honestly, she was dog-tired of staying in that same place for so long. A change of scenery and new people sounded better than spending the rest of her childhood in some beach house alone, trying to avoid the authorities who would probably send her back in the foster system. In addition to this, Poseidon had also given her an unlimited credit card. She had no idea how he had managed it, but she was so unused to having so much money she'd barely touched it, preferring instead to earn some petty cash doing odd-jobs or graveyard shifts in the nearby town. It was enough to buy clothes with - the fridge and cupboards were permanently stocked, which was interesting at first, but then just got exhausting. She craved to do some normal things - like grocery shopping, as opposed to having the food just 'poof' into existence every night. The idea of school, homework, maybe even making friends was enough to change her mind about the Academy, and she was happy to comply to her Father's wishes.

He had wanted to get her there himself (Probably through some fancy, obtrusive magical way); but she had insisted on just getting a taxi. It would give some good ol' fashioned alone time to work back into her previously cheerful self. To be honest, she'd kicked the Depression after a year of feeling content and at home, but there was always the niggling worry that it would return.

Sighing slightly, she pushed back the sleeves of her leather jacket to examine her wrists. The scars were still there, although not as bad as they had been. They'd only really be noticeable if someone were looking closely. Letting her sleeves fall back down, she decided now that she was not to worry about it. If someone did notice, and did ask, she'd just tell them the truth. Because surely, everyone at this academy would know about heartbreak. That was the life of a Demi-God, right? Even the old myths and legends, it was rare for a Demi-God to get a happy ending. It didn't help that a lot of them were douchebags, but still - it didn't particularly help the newest round of demi-gods out.

Switching tracks to something slightly more upbeat, Roze stopped thinking about it. Now was not the time was bad thoughts. Now was a new start, a new beginning... and a better life.

---

The drive had been a long one, and Roze stretched as she got out of the cab, breathing in the warm air. It was fairly sunny, the remains of summer still lingering in the afternoon. The school was situated pretty far from the coast - Utah, but there were so large lakes nearby. Roze hadn't checked beforehand; she just kind of knew. She'd always been able to find water, either a big or small source. Handing over her scarily unlimited credit card to the cab driver, Roze hefted her backpack over one shoulder. Despite her insistence of getting to the school alone, Poseidon had had her suitcases and majority of stuff forwarded to wherever she was going to be living beforehand. She only had the one backpack on her, filled with all of her essentials; a few battered paperback novels, notepad and pens, iPod, phone, earphones, snacks, and of course, about four bottles of Pepsi Max. She loved that stuff. Ironically enough, she couldn't stand drinking just plain water unless she was desperately thirsty.

The cab driver handed her back her card and wished her a nice stay, before pulling out of the drive and leaving Roze to walk towards the stoic school by herself. It was an impressive building; like something out of one of her fantasy novels. As she trudged along the gravel pathway, making a pleasant crunching noise as she did, she found herself happy she had vetoed wearing a dress today. She only really wore skirts for nice occasions, and this was kind-of a nice occasion; but she was much more comfortable in her shorts, converse and vest top And of course, her leather jacket, as usual. As she wandered along, finally taking out her earphones, she glanced around, wondering where to go first.

---

---

Hot water and lemon. And tranquility.
Here she was, at a cafe at the edge of town. She sat outside at a table in the sun and looked at an elderly couple that appeared from the woods adjacent to the terrace. It was nice here, with nature and the kind people. This was also her last stop before starting a new life.

Traveling around had been right for her for a while. With no financial worries, she was free to do as she pleased for once. No responsibilities. And a great deal of time to mourn her mother and adapt to the whole idea of demi-goddessness. Which was so absurd.
In the beginning she had talked to her mother a lot. In her mind. Never ever had she expected that at some point her mother would reply to her. At least she knew now who her father was. Which was kinda exiting.

When she had realised her ability to conjure metals and gems, her plan had been to make a lot of dollar coins. Unfortunately, people were rather suspicious of someone with a big bag of only dollar coins and no bills whatsoever. So she tried a different approach. Jewelry with gems and gold and silver. Besides being able to sell them rather easy for a good price, once she found a jeweler, it was fun and good practice to use her power this way.

Even though life was ever interesting this way, she felt she needed a home. The place where she grew up had no people that held her there. Her few old friends had moved out of the little town to study. Being on the road, she had less and less contact with anybody from her old life. And she had no need for that either. Up to the point where she was all alone in this world, just traveling through. just observing. A shadow of the living.

After learning about Olympus Academy, she decided that it could be her new home. Or at least a great place to learn more about herself and meet new interesting people. She got up to pay for her drink.

She could've taken a cab. But with the nice weather she had decided to walk. Her backpack was relatively light, but still a backpack full of travelsupplies. But she was used to that.

While walking on the side of the road, some cars passed by. They were probably filled with other students, each with their own thoughts about what the new schoolyear would bring. Some guy even passed on a motorcycle. She really hoped she would feel at home among the other demigods.

---

Finally she arrived at the school. Some other students were sitting or walking around. Talking to each other.
Not knowing where to go, Cori just stood at the schoolyard and looked around. A bit forlorn, she gazed at the building and the other students, taking everything in.
So here I am

---

---

Stella was enjoying the ride as she loved the scenery that her neighborhood had to offer. She smiled softly to herself then started to hum a song that Samson had taught her to hum when she was happy. Samson hummed along with her as they both chuckled whenever they were finished. She still smiled and couldn't wait to get back to Olympus Academy to take about her Summer with the others. Her phone chimed as she slid her finger acroos the screen and opened up the message from Zeke, reading it. "Hey, Samson, mind picking up my brother, Zeke?" She asked him politely as he tipped his hat then made the turn towards his home. "Thanks." Stella smiled while leaning back in her seat now, her bright blue eyes still glaring out of the window.



She sent the message then looked back out of the window as she loved where Zeke lived as well. Nice, friendly neighborhood it seemed like. Samson pulled up into Zeke's driveway as Stella got out of the limousine and straightened herself out then cleared her throat before walking towards the door. Three knocks was all she did as she wanted to finally be reunited with her dear brother, Zeke, once again.

"315...316...317..." muttered Zeke as he continued to do his push-ups. Suddenly he heard his phone go off. He quickly did 3 more push-ups, to get a more even 320 and propped himself back up. He checked his notifications and saw that he got another text from his sister.

Before he could even reply, he heard a familiar three knocks. Why was it always three? He grabbed a paper towel on the counter to wipe his sweat then went to answer the door.

"Hey Sis, hold up let me get my stuff," he said, rushing back inside the living room, grabbed his bag and rejoined his sister at the door. "Okay, I'm good. Nice to see you again."

Awkwardly standing there for a moment, Zeke was unsure whether or not he should hug her because they haven't seen each other in a while. He never had a sibling before, nonetheless a sister. He ended up giving her a simple nod and opened the car door so that she could get in first. Once she was in, he went around the other side to get in himself.

"Hey Samson, how are you?" he greeted the driver politely. Samson was a cool guy in Zeke's book, a bit formal though.

"Greetings Mr. Zeke. I am fine, thank you for asking," Samson returned.

"Oh and thanks, you guys, for picking me up and all. I honestly didn't know how I would be getting to school today if you guys didn't. My car is still in the shop," Zeke admitted.

Stella didn't really stand at the door long, which surprised her since her brother was usually doing something rather important like excerising or something of the like. Her eyes gleamed towards his as she couldn't help but smile and give her brother a small hug but broke it instantly since they had to get a move on it. Stella watched as her brother went to go and grab his bags then peeked her head inside for a moment, only to have her brother reapper in front of her within a matter of seconds.

With the turn of her heel, she walked alongside with Zeke and even helped him place his baggage in the trunk with hers as she checked her nails to make sure she didn't break one. She was good. With a swift hairflip, she looked at Zeke as he opened up the door for her and she thanked him while getting in, waiting for him to do the same.

"Oh, Mr. Zeke?" Stella mocked as she laughed then listened to his admittedly story about his car. "You don't need money to get it out, do you?" Stella inquired with a raised brow then eyed Samson. "Samson, step on it! Sheesh." She was a bit amped to be going back to the Academy as she couldn't wait any longer to get there. "So, are you just as excited as I am to be going back?" She asked him while leaning up and opening up her portable, mini fridge and grabbing two drinks, handing on to Zeke before popping the tab off of hers and taking a sip.

Zeke bit his lower lips as his sister began to question him about his car. His eyes began to gaze out the window. Pssshh... no. I just have to wait until I get paid this weekend is all," he scoffed, still avoiding his sister's eye contact. He was relieved that the subject was changed quickly as Stella told Samson to 'Step on it'. He wasn't lying though, he was going to get paid this weekend but it definitely wasn't enough to pay for the car repairs. Not that he was going to ask for money anyways. That kind of thing hurt his pride. Especially if it was from his wealthy, older sister.

He accepted the drink graciously, and popped the tab off. "Honestly? I could live another day without going back to school. Or even forever. Too much nagging teachers, homework and tests. The only good thing about school are the sport teams and I guess the food there is better than human school." he replied, then took a sip. "Why are you so excited anyways?"

Of course, Stella was a good detector of lies especially Zeke's but she left that matter for another time for when she can use it against him. She grew quiet after his lie then continued on listening to him ramble on about going back to the Academy. Her ears twitched at his question as she turned to face him now.

"I want to see if these Demigod children have stepped their game up this year. Honestly, I am in for some rematches from last Spring." With those spoken, she pounded her fist into the palm of her hand then eyed Zeke, giggling a bit. "In all seriousness, I just want to see my friends and mortal enemies again." That was true. Stella smirked as she felt the pull of Academy. That means that they were slowly approaching it as nothing but trees could be seen now.

"We're almost there, Zeke. Get excited, at least." Her eyes were glued to the scenery, once again as she saw the campus and her eyes had fireworks in them. Olympus Academy, here comes Stella, once again. And Zeke, too.

Yes, Zeke too; reluctantly. "Yay," he cheered sarcastically. "I guess there are some things I can look forward to... he sighed as he thought about all those insanely hot Aphrodite chicks.

Eventually, the car came to a complete stop and Samson smiled at the two demi-gods. "Have a great day at school, M-m... I mean... Stella and Mr. Zeke."

Zeke jumped out of the car, taking the Academy in. "Thanks for the ride again, Samson!" He opened the trunk and got out his luggage and Stella's too. "Need me to take your stuff to your room, Princess?" he joked as Stella got out of the car.

He flashed a smile at a few girls that happened to be walking by, and they waved back, giggling like a bunch of school girls. Well, they were school girls, but that's besides the point. "Yup, I totally change my mind. I'm glad to be back too," he smirked mischeviously.

Stella felt the car jolt to a stop as she saw Zeke jump out of the limousine and immediately went to getting their luggage. "Some gentelman you are, leaving me to open my own door and get out of the car without taking my hand." Stella joked towards Zeke then looked at him with a slight smirk. "Hm, yes, you can take my baggage to my room. I shall show you the way." She trailed off, hoping that Zeke was following but it seemed like his mind was elsewhere.

Her eyes looked at Zeke as she shook her head. "Oh, you do not need that filth. I'll hook you up with someone, bro, don't worry." She punched his arm playfully with a wink then wiggled her fingers for her to follow him to her room. But of course, Stella was sort of Queen Bee of the campus and everyone knew her so she stopped and madee conversation with almost everybody.

"Oh, Zeke, just leave me my bags. You go mingle with others." She basically pulled her luggage from him then waved him off as if he was another human. Stella didn't mean it though as she was just simply caught up in the moment. After having a brief conversation and catching up with others, she dismissed herself and made a trek towards her room so that she could unpack and get ready for the assembly.

Zeke groaned; he was joking about carrying her bags to her room. He didn't expect her to take him seriously. He was going to look so lame, like a servant or something. But she was older and they were both Zeus' children. One of their egos, most likely his, was going to get bruised.

"Hop off, I don't need your help to get a girl," he grumbled as he picked up her luggages and followed her.

It was annoying. She kept stopping and talking to everyone until finally she decided to set him free. He was going to say bye or something but it was like he didn't even exist to her anymore. Oh well, it happens and he's free now. He still had to put his bags away though so he sped over to his room, dropped them off, then went back onto the campus. He still had time before the assembly and he wanted to see if he could go flirt with some of those girls he saw earlier.

@Obscurus

---

---

Alex stopped herself just as her hand brushed the front door of Olympus. Maybe she wouldn't need the help of the library! Most of these puzzle boxes were written in Latin, and she took German in middle school! The two languages were practically the same, right? All she would have to do is find some familiar words and use them to draw the answer forth! If she could do that, it'd be a snap!

"Ennyn Durin Aran Moria. Pedo Mellon a Minno. Im Narvi hain echant. Celebrimbor o Eregion teithant i thiw hin."

Oh hell, was this in Welsh? Alex stared madly at the incomprehensible script keeping her from whatever prize laid inside, and therapeutically clenched the box with white-knuckled tightness. A complex riddle was bad enough, but a riddle in a foreign language was unsolvable! Alex did the only thing she knew to do in this situation, and gave up theatrically, throwing her arms at her sides and dramatically rolling her eyes at the campus around her.

This display of theatrics and abject frustration did little to help Alex's situation. The answer, for lack of a narratively-appropriate method of ingress, did not appear. It appears Alex would need to enlist the help of someone else to solve this problem. There seemed to be a number of potentially excellent candidates, though one stood out in particular. Slender, pale, and wearing boots in warm weather, Corinthe Malakos was the poster child for trustworthiness, and the most likely to know something about Welsh script.

"Excuse me," Alex called out to Corinthe from a short distance away. "Could you please help me with a riddle? I'm afraid I can't make heads or tails of it, and I'm sort of hoping you could help!"

---

---

5:30 AM.

A magical time, by any means. So much so that, once every year, it was of the utmost importance to one Son of the God of War himself. As soon as the bottom of the hour was struck, one certain, determined piece of technology went to work. Today was that all-important day where 0530 was the imperative, all-important hour, and as was it's duty, it would wake it's owner, no matter how obstinate he may be. Such was the decree of his mother, after all. She'd set this one personally.

BEEEP. BEEEP. BEEEP.

"UGGGH." came the listless, quarter-wakened groan from the large twenty-year old, who had every intention of disproving the notion that five-freakin'-thirty in the morning was an important, or even reasonable, time to wake up. Especially for someone in this stage of life! For pete's sake, he'd just hit his second decade on this earth! These were the prime moments of his life that he was made to suffer through an alarm during, here, when he could be resting peacefully!

Hands disorientedly pawing out to the nightstand, he roughly smacked the snooze button, intent on forcing the damn thing into silence for another fifteen minutes. He didn't care if today was the day he headed back to the Academy, he just wanted to sleep! Was that such an unreasonable thing to ask?

Evidently so, for the lady sitting at the kitchen counter with a mug of coffee in her hands was smirking, as the next phase of her plan to wake her son was revealed.

AAAAAAAAAAAAIAAAAAAEEIAAAIYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

A veritable explosion of sound erupted forth from the Phone-sourced clock's very surprisingly bass-powerful speakers. What the hell?! That wasn't what snooze did! That wasn't what snooze did at all! Rising to a seated position, he very briefly fought off the compulsion to pose flamboyantly (of course mom would know to set it to something from fucking JoJo), and sharply yanked his phone free from the clock's dock, silencing the noise abruptly. Christ, that was unnecessary.

Despite being the son of an actual, real God, some old habits and phrases would never seem to change. checking his messages for any new notifications, he found only the token one that, well, he honestly should have expected.

Mom

The alarm work? :-)

No I dont think it was loud enough

With a surly grunt, he tossed the phone onto the pillow next to his (he always slept on one side of the be for some reason) and lied back down, eyes hidden beneath a burly forearm. Seriously, he'd wake up, all he needed was a couple minutes to boot or whatever...

Ten minutes passed.

A door opened.

A pair of slippered feet quietly crept over to the side of the bed.

A phone was placed next to his ear.

The volume was cranked up to maximum. Nothing less would suffice.

The play button was hit, and a step back was taken, as arms folded expectantly.

"hhhuh? wh--"

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR



"GAH!"

This time, the six-foot-three mass of muscle leapt.

"Didn't see that one coming, huh?"

...DID SHE REALLY JUST--

The woman's smug smirk said it all.

"M O M !"

---

---

YAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Swinging around his stretched out arms, the young Demigod aptly transitioned from yawning to rubbing the fatigue out of his eyes. He couldn't sleep just quite yet, after all he was nearly done here. His work on this Remote Control Helicopter had hit one last hurdle. While the camera setup was working flawlessly, the mode change was having severe difficulties in properly operating. The idea was simple in theory, doubling the four propellers of the helicopter into propellers for a boat. Well, he said simple, but any engineer knew that there were fundamental differences between the two kinds of propellers. Besides, even if he did figure out the propellers, issues such as floatation still plagued the entire concept. There's a reason most people would be considered idiots for even trying.

It's a good thing then that Zaheen wasn't most people.

Maybe some music would help me focus, or at the very least stay awake.

Snapping his fingers twice cued a small lego creation to walk over and hit the shuffle button on his speaker setup. The next moment a melody began to fill the room.

ONE DAY

WHILE WANDERING

THROUGH LUT GHOLEIN

I don't remember having this song.

THINKING ABOUT THE CREATURES

I HAD SLAIN

Wait, Jonas put this here didn't he. Ah well.

As the ballad permeated his surrounds, Zaheen faced his problem with newfound determination. Trusty screwdriver in his right hand, left hand tapping along to the beat, Zaheen focused in on the difficulty before him. Perhaps if I focused on the floatation problem fir- wait can I cheat, if I put a pro- yeah that would work, then I cou- No, I need a better way to fli- no not flipping, doubling, yes that should work. Still I need to deal with the actual trans- and exposed- wait maybe if I move the hing- yes, both problems down, yeah then I just need to put the camera there and the engine. This should work.

A plan having come together, Zaheen's screwdriver fulfilled it's dutiful role as it was directed to unscrew the propellers. His hands worked quickly with the utmost precision, manipulating the pieces of the project with the same level of purpose a painter puts into his brushstrokes. Every now and then his left hand would snap a few times, signifying one of his earlier projects to grip the helicopter, therein allowing him to use his hands elsewhere. It wasn't long before Zaheen felt ready to rev the engine and let her fly.

Here goes nothing.

With a low hum, Zaheen's project took flight, filling the boy with joy as he let it soar through his room, the camera relaying video back to the monitor on his desk.

Now the real test

A gulp of anticipation slipped out as Zaheen pressed the button, and once more his project worked as planned as it shifted into boat mode. Unfortunately a burning smell soon wafted over to Zaheen's nose, right before the engine sparked and cut out. What had seconds ago been a sign of success, was now covered in a pale grey smoke.

Looks like I still have some work to do. Maybe if I moved the eng- well it might have been a- no that doesn't make sense, maybe- what time is it anyway? Zaheen wondered as he checked his watch. Looks like I worked through the night again, well, may as well get some slee- wait, is that the dat- ah crap, it's the first day of school.

Forced to put his need for sleep behind him, the young student blitzed over to take a shower, throw on some clothes, and rush outside.

Here we go again.

---

The smoke laden air was palpable enough that Gary had trouble seeing. Rushing through his nostrils was an oddly putrid and fermenting scent. The boy was stumbling in a stupor, trying to navigate his way through the smoke laden room. However his progress was halted with a quick thud, that caused Gary to fall down onto the stone floor below. Rubbing both of his eyes with the palms of his hands, he began muttering.

"It sees, itseesitsees... omFray Olymposyay" As he continued mumbling, his neck gave a quick twitch as he stood up. Strangely he noticed that the smog blanketing the chamber was giving out. With that, he learned that the object that blocked his path was an aged casket. And more importantly, standing in front of him was a curious looking individual with a drawn bottle of wine.

Gary was not able to see the individual's face, but instead saw something far worse. Gary's pupils dilated as he was starting to take in the horror of that mask. With massive light blue eyes that took up a third of the mask, they metaphorically pierced into Gary's soul. They were crudely drawn, and had a thick layer of black that surrounded them. The head had copious amounts of blue wig fabric which were drawn into two comically sized twin-tails. And alongside this, it held a single mouth agape in something that attempted to resemble a open smile. But it was really just a gaping pink maw which only enhanced the inhumanity of the thing Gary was witnessing.

"Bac-." Was a fragment spoken through a cheap voice changer by the individual wearing the mask. The masked man walked closer as there was a faint jangling come from some piercings. "Cus." Finished the masked man. Gary just stood in place, twitching while he stared onwards now ambivalent about his current situation.

From behind the wine casket, that stopped Gary earlier, slowly emerged another masked individual. Slowly popping up into view was the visage of a bright yellow bear. Now fully standing, Gary recognized the individual to be dressed in a Winnie the Pooh mascot outfit. "Bacchus." spoke the bear, which was quickly followed by another "Bacchus" by the voice changer.

The boy took a step back, and then the strangely dressed individuals took a step forward while continuing the chant. The one with the wine bottle raised it menacingly and then...
________________________________________________________________________
"Bacchus!" Declared Gary as he did a sit up, emerging upwards from a pile of rotting refuse. Taking a quick sniff, Gary realized that yes he was in a pile of garbage. His toes were sticking out from a few blackened banana peels, torn up plastic baggies, and a countless amount of torn up silicon pieces.

Knowing this, he gazed around curiously at his surroundings. Looking down he realized that he was in a straight jacket that was unstrapped and had its straps at the front. And he happened to be sitting next to a gentleman who was dressed in a surprisingly well-maintained Mao Suit who was scratching at his own face while cackling.

Gary tilted his head as he stared at his associate, "Say pal! Where are we?" The man in the suit simply smiled as he grabbed Gary's shoulders. "We're not dead! But where's the suitcase?!" Gary gave a simple shrug, not fully aware of what events passed before awakening in this trash barge. Slapping himself in the face the man gave a small groan, before smiling wildly again. "Remember me?" Gary took a moment as he scoured his mind as he tried to remember previous events. Then it hit him, and Gary beamed a smile. "Yin! ...Am I at the Academy yet?"

Yin began chuckling as he was scratching under his eyes, "If you mean that as a code for Thai Garbage Barge, then yes." Overhead there were countless caws as a flock of seagulls were flying above this intrepid duo. Gary paused for a moment as he began rubbing at his head, "Cool!" The boy declared with a sense of enthusiasm that was not deterred by the fact he was not where he wanted to be. He was sure that he'd reach the place soon enough. However a more immediate thought came to his mind as he crawled up towards Yin and stared him dead in the eyes. "What happened last, day, week, month?"

Twitching, Yin shook his head as he began rocking back and forth. "Theycometheyco-" He shook his head as he realized that the strange boy asked him of what went down. "Well for this situation? It started when..."

---

---

Thomas threw the last of his scarves into a dresser drawer, drawing the one around his neck a little closer, shivering a little more. Damn cold nature. He rummaged through a large, transparent Rubbermaid container, eventually coming up with an apple. He sniffed of it suspiciously. Nope, no chemical scent. His mother hadn't absentmindedly touched it, thank God. He sighed in relief, standing back up and swiveling to face the door in one smooth motion, turning on the balls of his feet. And out to face the world, nothing but an apple in his hand.

A world of superpowered, angsty, teenage demigods. Crap. Woefully underprepared. He shrugged as he locked his door and walked down the hall, looking at the bright red apple with something approaching admiration. He had to admit, he really respected the work of the harvest goddess. Wonder if there were any of her children here. Another shrug. He'd meet them soon enough, as he'd no doubt meet children of just about everyone.

Man. Being a first year student blew.

Speaking of other demigods...

Blonde hair, blue eyes, self assured air... Bossing around someone similar. Fit. The other guy left quickly, a pissed off atmosphere traveling with him, and Thomas grinned slightly, watching the girl haul a few of her bags into her room before taking a relatively noisy bite of his apple. He chewed, swallowed, and smirked slightly, the apple in his hand only having a few more bites left to the core. "I'm guessing... Daughter of Zeus. Need any help getting those into your room? I only work by polite request."