@Scrapula

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"Excuse me," Someone called. Cori snapped out of her daydream. Was that directed at me? She looked around to see a boy with a... A girl -she corrected herself- A girl with what appeared to be a small box."Hi" She said, giving the boygirl a warm smile. She had been worrying that it might be hard to make contact here. She didn't know demigods that well. Even though she was one, she still didn't really feel like one. So now she was genuinely happy that somebody talked to her. "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!"
"Me?" she asked, pointing at herself. This was not a question she had expected. It intrigued her nonetheless. "Sure! I'll be glad to." It was actually kinda exiting. She just hoped she could be of any help. Bridging the distance between them with a only a few steps, she looked at the box."Is that the riddle?" She asked while pointing at the engraved object. With her finger this close to a mystery, she couldn't resist feeling it and subtly she stroked the surface of the box with her index finger. Looking up a slightly embarrased for what might have been inapropriate, she decided to shift the attention. "I'm Corinthe by the way. I'm new here."

After introducing herself she looked back at the box. "So" she decided. "How can I help you?" Taking a closer look, the engravings turned out to be words. Words that didn't make much sense to her though.


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

was what it read. Whatever that was supposed to mean. Corinthe repeated the words in her head. For some reason, she was stuck on the first part. Ennyn Durin Aran Moria. Durin Aran Moria. Durin. Moria. Where had she heard those words before? She gasped for air a bit, when it struck her.
"Isn't that from Lord of the Rings?"
She really hoped she hadn't just said something incredibly stupid.

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Now that he had a willing audience, James switched from flourishing to actual tricks, which were delivered with his typical charm and drama. For such a natural showman, this was nothing. He kept an engaging grin on his face, delivering a few quips along with the instructions for the volunteers for his tricks.

"Pick a card, madam, any card - not that card." James pulled the cards away from the lady currently assisting him, then offered them to her again with a smile. "I'm kidding, you can pick that card." The lady smiled back and picked the card. "Okay, now show it to the audience, not me." As if to ensure that he didn't see it, he covered his eyes.

A few minutes later, he successfully completed the trick and started on another one. James continued this way for quite a while, until his hands grew tired. Using a bit of sleight-of-hand, he "vanished" the deck of cards. "I am sorry to say that this is the end, ladies and gentlemen. But fear not, I will return." He gave a deep, theatrical bow.

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He was sitting in a chair, surrounded by tree's and wildlife. The air was thin and the sun hid behind the grey smoke colored clouds, the old felt armchair was comfortable and soft, in-front of him was a small tea table with just that. A tea pot sat on it along with a sugar jar and two cups, they all had the same design, white stoneware glass with red petals. He seemed to be alone but he knew he wasn't. The small cracks of twigs and the rustling of leaves told Jeremy that something was around, something big. Jeremy laughed "you have gotten rusty,Orion". The rustling grew louder and a deep yet soft voice was heard from behind him "yes, or maybe you have just gotten better" Jeremy shrugged as Orion sat in-front of him, his armchair looking older and more worn down.

"How have you been Jeremy?" he asked pouring a cup of tea, putting two sugars in it before sitting back in his chair. "I've been better, I have to go to this academy for Demigods. It's gonna be great" Jeremy said sarcastically Pouring his own cup of tea. "You should be open to new things Little cub, it's the only reason you will grow into a mighty Hunter, like-" he stopped, a grin on his face "like my mother?" Jeremy finished for him, Jeremy's smile faded "How is she?" he asked to which Jeremy shrugged his shoulders "you'll have to ask one of my sisters" he said looking down at the tea in the cup, it was a deep red with small pieces of the tea leaves floating on the top of the sweet liquid.

"But I don't want to talk to them, I want to talk to you." Jeremy tilted his head "and why is that exactly?" he asked curiously leaning forward as he took a sip. "Because, as the only man in her life you will need" he took a break to sigh "allot of support, that necklace of yours will help but you might need someone to tell you she's like that with everyone, right?" Orion put a hand on Jeremy's lap. It wasn't until now that he noticed the features of Orion from up close like this, his skin was tanned with long brown hair which matched his eyes, he had many different types of scars on his bare chest, he wore no shirt and only loose fitting pants.

"Ya I know but she fell in love with you, how did you do that?" Jeremy asked Orion who moved his hand from Jeremy's lap "I won her respect" he said smiling, like an elderly man looking at old photos. "Easier said than done" Jeremy said quietly, remembering all the times he tried to win her respect and love. But no matter how good he was she never truly 'loved' her son. "Don't I know it, when I won against her in a hunting competition she proceeded to hunt me!" he exclaimed taking another sip of his tea, "but that is a story for a different time, right now you must awake and go on this new adventure little cub.Just know that I'll be watching you." Orion stood, leaving his glass half full as he always did and looked into the woods as if he was smelling something and walked off into the woods.

Jeremy woke up in the front seat of his sisters car, his REAL sister not one on his mothers side. Her name was Samantha and she was two years older than him, she was the one driving Jeremy to this new school "we're here Jare" she said getting out. He looked over his surroundings. "New adventure indeed." He mumbled to himself as he stepped out of his car.

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"Why do I ever ask you to wake me up?" he grumbled down at the slim woman beside him, as bacon sizzled delectably in the frying pan he was currently managing. In response, she smirked as she poured her bowl of eggs into her own pan, and set to work on an omelette that would soon be host to cheese, sausage, bacon bits, chives... Mm. God, Mom knew her way around omelettes. He'd learned to follow along and make them himself, but there was no denying the gap between student and master in the culinary arts. At least he wasn't dumb enough to think he could compete in that realm with a Mom, of all people...

"Because, Jonas," she replied with obvious amusement, as she swirled the yellow liquid-turning-solid with flawless, natural control. "You know I'll do it right. That's the exact reason you gave me last night, y'know."

New plan. Beat up me from last night. Dumbass is gonna give us a heart attack.

"I wasn't planning on you reminding me that I was dumb enough to have you watch Battle Tendency with me and make me fear for my life against an invisible opponent when I said that." He snorted, forking the bacon into his plate with a playfully angry scowl. Well, mostly playfully, anyway. You never fully get away from being grumpy about an early, early morning. To which, she laughed heartily, expertly maneuvering and folding his omelette into his held-out plate in what almost seemed a practiced, nigh-automatic motion for the two. "It worked, didn't it?"

"Yeah, well enough that I'm about to slither into Tara's car and show you how quickly a viper can strike."

"Speaking of, when's she supposed to be here, again?" she asked, deftly plucking a strip of bacon from his plate while the omelette pre-occupied him. His warbles of protest plainly and unrepentantly ignored, she polished off the last of her mug of coffee and folded her arms, expression fading from that cheeky grin she so often wore to one of mild concern. "You never got that figured out?"

"We ended up playing it by ear, and she just said earlier would be better."

"You should let her know you're up."

"That's why the phone's in my other hand, Mom."

"Alright! Just making sure."

"Mm." he grunted with a nod.

Messages: Contacts: Imouto-chan (Tara)

I'm up

You on the road?

A thought struck, and a low chuckle managed to make it's way through a combination of eggs, sausage, cheese, bacon, and chives mostly unscathed. An admirable feat, by all means.

Messages: Contacts: THE GREAT ZAHEEN

Year 2 START

You like your alarm? :^)

Let it be known that his proclivity for being a smartass did indeed come from the mother's side of the family.

@HushedWhispers



Skye turned his head to look at the figurine touching him as he knew that it was his sister but wanted to tease her anyway. "Don't touch me, you vermin." He pushed her away slightly then eyed her. "Oh, I mean, hello there, sis. Of course I missed you." Skye raised a hand to flick some of his light, blonde locks of hair out of his face. "And I already know you missed me too, so need for me to ask, right?" A slight snicker escaped over his lips as he looked her and answered her question. "My Summer was the same as always. Boys and girls flaunting over me and wanting me but I let them look and not touch." Skye winked towards his sister as he walked away from her only to go behind his truck and get his luggage.

"So, how about you, my darling sister? Anything new?" He raised a slight brow then walked right back beside her. "Talked to mother lately? Is she still be herself?" Skye asked as he looked at his sister now, leaning back up against his vehicle. The breeze that blew through them brought a small chill up his spine as he loved the way it felt though.

As Skye pushed her away; Clarissa pursed her lips at her brother; her eyebrow raised as she shot him a slight glare before she just rolled her eyes at him playfully. "Well hello to you too, you dummy." The Demi Goddess began to twirl her curls between her fingers, playing with her thick brown locks out of habit and she raised a slight eyebrow before she scoffed "Why would they flaunt over you?" she asked, almost in disbelief. "Last time I checked, you don't have luscious brown curls or chocolate eyes. Everyone knows, I am the prettiest one out of us two." she teased her brother with a smirk on her lips. "Well of course I missed you...you knuckle head." she playfully punched Skye on his arm as she let out a slight giggle.

"Oh...the same old...same old for me." She said with a smirk "You know me, always looking for some fun and trouble." she had a mischievous smirk on her lips; her brown eyes sparkling as she let out a laugh. 'Ah the joys of summer' she thought to herself.

When her brother brought up the subject of their mother; Clarissa bit her lower lip before a deep sigh escaped from her lips "No...Not really. It's like she's avoiding me for some reason.....I take it, you haven't spoken to mom either?" she rose a slight eyebrow at her brother. She bit her lower lip, Clarissa couldn't help but wonder what was going on with Aphrodite; it didn't seem like her to avoid both her and Skye. Something was wrong...and it was unsettling.

Skye rolled his eyes as he looked at Clarissa after saying that she was the prettiest of them all. "Might want to look again, honey. Brunettes are out. Platinum blondes are in." Skye chuckled as he eyed Clarissa again. "You are such a troublemaker. But yeah, I haven't gotten into trouble lately. Guess cause I persuade people to take the blame for me." Skye chuckled again as he began to walk at a steady pace, hoping that Clarissa knew to follow behind him as he started talking towards the apartments.

"Hm, no, I haven't talked to or seen mother." This feeling really scared Skye as he could feel Clarissa's emotions, as well and it brought him even more down. Skye sighed softly and grew a bit quiet as he and Clarissa were walking towards his room now.

Clarissa just smirked at her brother; but the subject of their mother seemed to bring them both down and she couldn't even manage a smile,let alone a laugh at the teasing that went on before-hand. Following her brother in silence, she hugged her jacket around her slim frame, her bag over her shoulder. The silence between the two siblings was awkward.... almost eerie.

"Do you think, Mom's okay?" she finally breathed out; the silence was killing her and her emotions were becoming more and more clear. Clarissa looked almost upset and worried. They shouldn't worry right? She told her self...but she knew that both she and Skye were worried for good reasons. She wondered what was going on...she wanted answers...they both needed them.

The silence that fell over them made the atmosphere around them feel very eerie. Skye bit his bottom lip nervously as he wished he knew what had happened to his mother, Aphrodite. "Uhm, I sincerely hope so." Skye felt Clarissa's emotions and it was very overwhelming for him since he was an Empath. "I am sure she is okay. She is Aphrodite, after all." Mixing his emotions with Clarissa's did go well together as everything went blank and he collapsed on the ground before them. Only Clarissa would know what was wrong with him and knew how to get him revived.

Her brother's words seemed to calm her down a little; but her emotions were still heightened. Clarissa let out a gasp seeing her brother collapse right in front of her; it was something that still was getting used to. She had to keep telling her self that he was an Empath "I am sorry." she whispered to her brother, she hated being the cause of him collapsing on her.

She gently brushed his hair away from his eyes, touching her brother's cheek. She seemed to look she was concentrating on healing him, but in fact she was calming her emotions down, once Clarissa was calm...the feelings seemed to dissolve and the weight was taken off of her brother. Clarissa stood up and she grabbed a cloth hurrying to the sink and got it wet. Carrying the cold wet cloth, she placed it on her brother's forehead which seemed to soothe him and wake him up. Clarissa was supporting his body, so he could lean against the wall nearest to them both.

Skye felt a hand upon his cheek and hoped that it was Clarissa's as if it was anyone else's he was going to kill them since he doesn't really like to be touch by no one else. His eyes fluttered open as she placed the cloth on his forehead, reviving him to health. He breathed out feeling the emotions being calmed down now as he eyed Clarissa. "Thanks, sis." Though the tone was a bit hushed as he bent down and grabbed his bags. "Maybe I should go rest in my room. See you at the assembly?" He'd ask her while waiting for her answer before walking away and going to his room.

Clarissa waited for her brother to wake up; seeing his eyes flutter open she gave him a gentle smile. "You're welcome, Bro." she told him softly. She stood up after a while and she gave her brother a gentle soft smile; but she looked concerned about him. "You should get some rest, see you at the Assembly." she told her brother before she walked off in another direction to drop her bags off at her own room. When she got to her own room; Clarissa leaned against the wall closing her eyes for a few moments. She knew she had to get a grip on herself, she couldn't let her emotions cause her brother stress and make him pass out again....hopefully mother would talk to them soon. One could only hope.

@Obscurus

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Alex briefly gave Corinthe a bewildered look. Would She really use a pop culture reference as the solution to a puzzle? Had she been doing that for a while? Alex had seen The Lord of the Rings-- once, five years ago-- but she didn't at all remember the Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria, and neither did she understand what the inscription meant. Neurons fired across the bow of Alex's mind, as she faintly reminisced of the scene the ineffable inscription came from.

"Yeah, yeah... that was from, eh... the scene with the big doors, right?" Said Alex, sheepishly. "Gandalf said something and opened the doors, or something like that? I guess... whatever it is he said should help get this thing open."

Alex wracked her brain for answers, and came up with nothing. What was it that the door said in the movie? "Speak and enter"? Speak what? Alex brushed a wayward strand of hair back under her cap, and drummed her fingers on the puzzle box.

"Hey-- you don't happen to know what Gandalf said, do you?" Alex looked to Corinthe imploringly. The library probably had the answer, but maybe she already knew it?

As the minutes crept into an hour, and then another hour, the empty campus of Olympus Academy slowly started to hum with activity, as demigods arrived in their own cars, limousines, or in more unconventional methods suited to their parentage and temperament. Of particular interest were the pairs that started to form as brothers started to link up with sisters, sharing both physical resemblances and stories of their summers once they had migrated towards each other. So it was particularly odd seeing one pair split up, a sister leaving a smattering of bags and luggage behind in her brother's wake while the limo that dropped them off pulled away, dignified.

While Zeke Carter sped off to drop off the bags in record time and then get back to his no-doubt-vitally-important-eye-flirting, a blonde boy, laying down on the hood of a Mazda with knees raised and one hand behind his head, pushed his hair back with his free hand and half-groaned in epiphany. When Zeke returned, however, that blonde boy was standing directly in his path, grinning with a natural trickster's vibe with arms crossed, one hand cupping one elbow. When he went out to shake the hand of Zeus's son, the hand went right through Zeke's.

Two more Dallases, standing now on opposite sides of him, laughed even more loudly, while the boy on the Mazda finally stood atop the hood of his car and bounced, gracefully, onto the soft grass below. As he paced closer to Zeke, the three illusionary clones started to shimmer in focus, catching the light of the sun like windows, before finally blinking out of existence when they were within dueling distance. He adopted the same playful grin that his first clone had been wearing - and this time, stuck his hand out for real.

"Sorry bro. Rough morning, and I knew I could fool you with it. No hard feelings?"

Normally, Zeke would be pretty pissed about someone messing with him like that. But since it was Dallas, he let him off with a warning punch on the shoulder. That's not to say that it wasn't a hard hit though. "Hey man. Between you and me? I could never hold a grudge on you," he chuckled, patting his good friend and teammate on the back, but again not bothering to control his strength.

"Great! Glad to hear it." Dallas grinned a little wider, biting back the urge to rub his shoulder, and dug a toe of one Jordan into the grass of the campus courtyard. "Because I had a real night, believe you me, buddy. Eleven hours between here and California with no pit stops, and now that I'm trying to get a nap in before assembly, the sun's out giving me energy. It's a pain and a half in the ass, Zeke. It's left me really unencouraged to do anything in classes today. Or tomorrow. Until the weekend, honestly. And that's not good, man - I got a little sister, not even 18 yet. What kind of example am I setting for her if I sleep through classes for the whole first week? So I figure, you know, we get together in the apartments sometime tonight, tomorrow night. Throw out some invites, we crack some beers, and we all motivate each other for the year's worth of scholastic achievement ahead. Only thing is, I only brought three or four twelve-packs, and nobody's gonna be feeling very positive about school with only three beers in them. I figure, between me and you, we'll plan something sufficiently...uh....interesting."

A night filled with underaged drinkings and possible shenanigans that followed it? Dallas definitely knew how to start the school year off right! Zeke thought about it for a moment, which is rare for him. "I have one pack over at my place that I can bring, but that still wouldn't be enough... But I'm sure I can convince the rest of the football team to pitch in."

Zeke was already making a mental list of who they should invite. He also had to be careful that Stella didn't find about it. Miss Perfect will totally tattle on them if she caught them having a drinking party. He loved his sister and all, but damn, she can be a pain being all 'motherly' and shit.

Clearly, Dallas had come to pretty much the same conclusion - with the added caveat that his sister was not only six years younger than Zeke's, but far more impressionable. Thoughtfully, he ran his hand through his hair, pulled his bangs back over sapphire eyes, and then repeated the process for a minute until his face lit up in thought.

Then it sank.

He began tugging at his hair again before finally shaking his head."You know what? Yeah, you worry about the beer. I'll worry about where we throw this and who gets to find out. Any VIPs you're dying to drink with?"

Zeke did have one person particularly in mind. "The one and only, daughter of Aphrodite, Clarissa Price. She's a total babe," he admitted unshyly and without hesitation. He has had his eyes set on her since he laid eyes on her. She was completely gorgeous and she had the perfect body to go with it. He gave Dallas a look that said that if he tried anything on Clarissa, he would most likely be dead in a river the next morning. Seconds later, his face returned back to its normal dopey self, leaving no trace of hostility.

"Mostly just the guys though. Any hot girl willing to party is fine by me too." he added. Zeke checked his phone for a second and noticed the time. The assembly was going to start soon. "By chance do you think they'll actually let us skip the assembly this year? We've only heard that stupid speech like a bazillion times..."

"Fuck. Yeah, tell me about it. If I hadn't had such a genius idea to unify our peers and all get wasted together, I'd think that hearing the whole 'these years are the most important of your demigod lives' thing would be a good time to unwind a little." Dallas raised his eyebrows slightly, and one corner of his mouth twitched in a playful smile. "Alright, man, I should probably get a move on. Find my sister, God only knows what she's gotten herself into without me there. You, uh, talk to the team, and I'll put in a good word for you with whatshername. The girl I don't care about."

Beaming wider, the son of the sun clasped his friend's hand again, used the other to push back his own hair one more time.

"Talk to you at lunch?"

"For sure, man. See you then." Satisfied so far with their plans, Zeke walked off along the path, looking for more ways to waste time or hopefully a way to get out of going to the assembly.

Dallas, meanwhile, casually used his Nikes to smooth over the spot in the grass where the toe of the shoe had dug into the soft soil. While his feet worked, the demigod half debated just kicking back in the grass with his entire body; laying spread-eagled, letting the sun soak him with enough of its golden rays to carry him through the day. But that would mean missing out on more than just a few dumb first-day festivities, it would mean missing out on friendly time, family time, and skimping out on the invites for the party. He wasn't about to cut his own social femoral artery by being alone in his dorm with sixty beers. Fuck that.

But that was still...by now, about fourteen hours off. Right. Dallas had more pressing concerns.

To: Vivian
From: Dallas
HEY BABE! If anyone asks, I hit, like, a deer. Or some really big animal. On the road from California. It shouldn't affect most of my day, but I don't know if I'm going to make the assembly. Don't worry, I'm okay. It's a good thing this very tragic and authentic accident that I have honestly found myself in won't ruin most of our first day together in months. I can't wait to see you after my miraculous recovery time! - Love your 100% traumatized brother

That's more like it.

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Judging by the way students were scurrying around, it was almost time for the assembly. Unlike some of the returning students, Serafina always came to the assembly. That was where she started looking out for those who might be in need of comfort, and besides, she was one of the most frequent volunteers to show the new kids around.

Standing and stretching, she ignored a couple of boys who eyed her and whistled. They were probably just teasing, anyway; why would they look at her when there were so many absolutely gorgeous girls on campus? Brushing off her dress, she made her way towards the assembly hall.

Serafina made it to the assembly hall about ten minutes before it was due to start, so she stood near the doors and waited. She wasn't the only one with that idea, apparently, and she looked over at the nearest person and smiled. "Hey." She said. "I'm Serafina. What's your name?"

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From: Brother in Arms (Jonas)
I'm up

You on the road?

Of course.

OF COURSE she had to pick him up. Tara hurled her stuff into the back of her car, ignoring the clatter of multiple metal objects inside her backpack as it slammed against the rear seat of the vehicle, adding a few more marks to the already scratched seat backing. Stupid Jonas. Good enough and old enough to win every match but OH NO he couldn't drive himself to school. Had to get his kid sister to come and haul his sorry ass. "UGH!" She groaned, throwing her hands up in the air and going back inside, grabbing her backpack off of the counter, blowing a strand of hair out of her face, and shouting up the stairs. "Mom, dad, I'm GOING! I have to pick up Joan-ASS."

A muffled goodbye came from up the stairs, then a shuffle. Her mom came stampeding down, pulling Tara into a hug. The girl stiffened, then looked up at her mother. "Call me, okay?" her mother asked, pushing her hair back behind her ears, Tara looking down and responding with "yeah, whatever... Bye mom."

The instant she was out the door, Tara reached up and flicked the hair out from behind her ear again, letting the only semblance of order it had been gathered into fall apart. Okay, calm down, Tara... You're letting him mess with you again.

To: Brother in Arms (Jonas)
On my way. Ugh.

She gritted her teeth as she jumped into the front seat, starting the engine and pulling out of her driveway. 30-1-0. Stupid Jonas.

Only spot in her loss column. She rubbed her chin with one hand, feeling for the slight bump where a calcium deposit had sprung up where he'd hit her particularly hard. You couldn't see it, but it was there. She gripped her steering wheel tighter. How come he got to be so good... Her phone buzzed. Wait a few minutes until a traffic light, then check it-

From: BiA (Jonas)
If your feathers are too ruffled, I'll spar ya later, alright?

Tara dropped the phone into the cupholder, looking back at the road. Damn, he knew how to calm her down too well...

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“Wowwy, looks like almost everyone is here, Lilah~” Said Vivian, a squeal of delight escaping her mouth.

Even though the Demigod apartment building where most, if not all, of the demigods and goddesses lived was apart of the grand spectacle of Olympus Academy, it was still a long walk from that and to the actual grounds. So, it took Delilah and Vivian over twenty minutes at maximum walking speeds to get to the main grounds. Even after all of that walking, none of Vivian’s positivity faded. It was like each minute she spent in the sunlight only added to it, as Delilah could vouch since Vivian didn’t shut up half the time, but with a smile that she has almost every day, one couldn’t really complain when they were in her company.

Just as they were walking, Vivian felt the vibration of her phone in her pocket. As she pulled it out, she saw it was a text from her dear brother, Dallas. She smiled and read the text. As she read on, her smile went into a slight frown of disappointment, which then proceeded into a shaking of the head.



Suddenly, odd sounds came from Vivian’s mouth. That no doubt would get Lilah’s attention. “I can’t believe that brother of mine. He’s skipping the assembly.” Vivian said, ranting about her brother, “Lilah, be thankful you don’t have an annoying older brother like Dal. I love him to death, but he can ruin my day sometimes,” she said to Lilah, using her ears as a source to vent about Dallas. All the while she was doing that, Lilah and Vivian made their way to the Assembly Hall and entered it.

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There’s so many people, a lone man thought.

Everyone was standing, taking in the social air of the morning, taking in all of the positive vibes that were emitted from all of the words exchanged. They took all of what was available, be it lengthy conversations, friendly hellos, or annoyance-filled sighs -- they took it all in. Even as the assembly drew near and the masses gathered, they acted like there wasn’t even so much as a care in the world.

The man who watched them all was alone, away from them, and had a view of the lot that didn’t give away some kind of stalker-like feeling about him. He was just trying to understand what was so great about conversing with others. What was it that they got out of it? Did they not have reservations about opening themselves up to strangers? Was there not that feeling of something could be said wrong and shit would get awkward? Or were they just those types that didn’t care about that kind of thing? Jay didn’t understand it, even as he ran his hand through his long, dark brown hair, he tried to understand. He tried to figure out what they saw in open-conversation and what the point of it was.

“I just don’t get it,” Jay said lowly, taking a seat near the door.

Should he need to get out quickly either during the assembly or after it ends, he would have easy access. Just as he took a seat, two women came in together -- one with hair as golden as the sun itself and one with hair as brown as Jay’s own. They both seemed cheerful about something and Jay tried to turn his head away, but something about them spoke to him. They both seemed different than the others. There was something that brought a certain kind of ease to Jay’s heart, but he could not place his finger on it.

Clarissa remained in her room for a few more moments; the brunette beauty hid her face in the palm of her hands as she tried to wash away the feeling of concern, worry and fear that once again was building up inside of her. She couldn't help but wonder if her mother was alright....if only she and Skye had answers they were looking for; then she would feel more at ease. 'Please be alright, mother' Clarissa thought to herself with a deep sigh. The Demi-Goddess face seemed to sour for a few moments; clenching her jaw tightly Clarissa stood up as she brushed her curls out of her chocolate eyes. She decided she wasn't going to be moping around all day long-that was not her. Holding her head up high, with confidence and finesse she walked out of her bedroom and started to make her way towards to Assembly hall. She was determined to be strong; to fight the emotions running inside of her, there was no way she was going to let the other Demi-Gods see her like this and poke their fun at her for it.

She was silent as she walked through the campus; noticing most of the students arriving by the hall. Clarissa took a few glances around; but she couldn't see her brother just yet. She made a mental note to save him a seat near her...they never let anyone sit with them; apparently no one was cool and worthy enough of being seated with the children of Aphrodite in their eyes. When Clarissa's ears picked up the familiar laughter and voices...her jaw clenched slightly. "You have got to me kidding me!!...the hippies are back." she muttered to herself as she spotted Vivian and Lilah.

Rolling her eyes into the back of her head; Clarissa was about to take her seat near the back when her eyes caught sign of Jeremiah; the dark locks and the inviting green eyes made her face soften as she flashed him a flirtatious yet friendly smile. At last...a handsome face...and someone she didn't recognize. "Why hello there, handsome...you must be a new face around here." she spoke in a soft and friendly voice. Clarissa looked at him with curiosity for a moment wondering what lineage he came from. Clarissa personally disliked and avoided the children of Zeus and Apollo. They got on her nerves. Clarissa didn't need them to flaunt themselves around her and make out that they were better...more beautiful than she and Skye were.

With a gentle smile; Clarissa finally took her seat as she leaned against the wooden chair, crossing one of her legs over the other. Out of habit, Clarissa started to twirl her thick and beautiful locks between her fingers as she waited for the assembly to start. She glanced at the door every few moments waiting for her brother to show up; she hoped he was feeling up to the Assembly after the 'incident' near his room.

Ooof. Detention.Normally he wasn't one to quake in his high tops over sitting in a desk and writing sentences about his wrongs, but given his new, lovingly-hatched master plan to get rip-roaring drunk and start off the new year, maybe the road to a pissed off Vivian wasn't the one he should be taking at his current fork. He'd need all the goodwill he could muster if someone with an invite blabbed. Plus, his sister tended to get this little wrinkly look on her forehead when she frowned, and her cheeks would puff out...it was tough to look at. Might be best to provoke it sparingly until the coast was clear. Right.

To: Vivian
From: Dallas
Hey babe, me again. Turns out it was just a rabbit. Yeah, I feel much better already. See you in no time.

He meant it, too. Not a minute later, a familiar shape hugging the wall of the assembly hall caught Vivian's eye, kissed two fingertips, and then saluted with them. Just as quickly as it had appeared, it caught a wayward light in the expansive room, shimmered, and disappeared. One or two heads turned in confusion to seek out the slim, handsome demigod that had been standing in the mirage's place a moment before, but to no avail. This was only further proof that whatever Greek genetic force had given Dallas Relo illusionary power was truly a malevolent - or, at the very least, incredibly mischievous - presence, and should never be trusted to mold a demigod again.

From a chair further up from the daughter of Apollo and her friend, a golden head bobbed quietly with a snicker. When that head turned, scoping out who had arrived before him, he saw only his sister and Delilah, looking [mostly] positive as ever, Clarissa sharing intimate time with an empty seat beside her, some girl he didn't really know making conversation, and another, olive-skinned demigod not far away from her. Apparently Zeke had found a way to slip out of this one after all, God bless him. Dal, for his part, had one foot on his chair and left arm stretched out along his knee, the picture of lazy, casual glamour. And right now, casual glamour was feeling a lot of emphasis on the lazy. If only he'd had time to nap.

To wake himself up, four long pianist's fingers ruffled his hair casually, and Dallas thumbed the volume button on his phone until it went from vibrate to an acceptable 'silent.'

After all, it wouldn't pay to be distracted during the speech, now, would it.

He might miss something important.

The son of the sun grinned.

---

---

"Suggestion," a voice perked up behind Alex, "Have you tried googling the answer? I hear it is a magical tool of the modern age," the boy said with a grin. Well, as much of a grin that one can produce after staying up all night. Still, it should be enough to illustrate his good intentions, right? It mattered little either way, Zaheen was far too sleep deprived to spend time focusing on it.

"Apologies, I meant no offense, my name is Zaheen Ibrahim," the boy greeted with an outstretched hand, "I take it the two of you are new here? If you have any questions feel free to let me know, I've been here for a few years. It's an alright place all things considered. Oh, and the answer you are looking for is speak friend and enter. Gandalf said friend. My mother and I watched the movies quite a few times."

It's a shame the Hobbit movies weren't as good. Mother would have been disappointed.

Turning his attention to the object holding the curiosity of the two others, Zaheen felt compelled to learn more. "That's a rather fascinating box you have there. I can't recall having seen anything like it. I hope it's not to much trouble to request a look at it when you are done? I'd love to see the inner workings." No sooner had the boy made his request, did he feel a vibration in his pocket. "Excuse me for just one moment."

From: I'M YOUR BEST FRIEND DORK

Year 2 START

You like your alarm? :^)

Chuckling to himself, Zaheen quickly typed up a response.

To: I'M YOUR BEST FRIEND DORK

Your ability to mess with my things astounds me.

The least you could've done was visit a few times over the summer. You stopped by maybe 6 times?

Also the contact name was a bit uninspired, don't you think?

"Sorry about that, now, where were we in this puzzle?" Zaheen asked as he turned his attention back to the real world.

---

---

As he sat there in the wooden chair that was near the doors of the assembly hall, someone of an attractive sort approached Jay as they took a seat next to him. Jay was unsure what he should do at this point. Surely he would be a bit awkward since he didn't really handle being near people. In fact, that was the very reason why he took a seat ways away from the other students. He thought that he would be the only one that didn't like the crowds. Yet, here he was being addressed by someone.

Though he didn't know what to do, Jay knew that the polite thing would be to at least say something. "Oh hi." He said nervously, his words coming off as almost stuttering.

Clarissa watched his face; it seemed like he was confused...maybe shy. The thought made her smile to herself; God would he be fun to mess with, the sweet, innocent toy that he would be for her. As mischievous as Clarissa felt right now, something made her act 'normal'. She didn't want to attract unwanted attention and get into trouble with the teachers...especially the Headmaster and Headmistress. "Cat got your tongue?" she playfully teased Jay.

"I don't bite." she tilted her head gently as she looked at him with a soft smile. "I am Clarissa, I know you don't know many people, but you will know them by the time the day's over." she said with a smirk. Somehow she wanted him to know about her and Skye."I am nice, I promise." she gave him an innocent and soft smile, as if she was trying to convince him that she truly was a nice girl.

Jay tried to avoid eye contact with her in fear that the woman next to him might spot something off-putting about him, perhaps even dissuade her from attempting any conversation attempts. But, when he caught her eye, he saw something. It was a certain calmness. Despite his usual way of avoiding direct eye contact, Jay found it somewhat easier to look at her. No, it wasn’t because she was easy on the eyes -- like, she was, there was no mistaking that. She’s probably one of those girls who have all the guys rolling and following them -- but there was something else about her that Jay found it easy to look at.

“Uh, oh, hi Clarissa,” Jay said, slightly less nervous, but the hints of his shyness still ever-present on the surface, “I’m Jay,” he said simply, holding out his hand as a way of showing some kind of initiative. As she mentioned that Jay would know more people tonight, he was feeling all types of nervousness and anxiety. Just one person was giving him some trouble, but having more people all at once was going to put him in a nervous breakdown, “what’s tonight?” Jay inquired, fearing the worst.

Clarissa's eyes were warm and gentle as she looked at him. There was nothing mischevious or misleading in the way she looked at Jay. It was like she truly was a good girl; it was one of her best acts. Her beauty and charms always made it easy for people to fall into her trap. "It's lovely to meet you Jay, I hope you enjoy staying here. It's like a second home to most of us." her hand gently captured his in a soft and polite hand-shake.

When she saw his expression change once again; she could hear the fear in his voice "Tonight's a party...a bombfire of sorts, it's mostly a yearly thing. Think of it as a welcome home and welcome new students party." She smiled at him warmly "You might have fun." Clarissa explained to him before she brushed some of her brown curls away from her eyes.

As their hands touched, a flush of blushing red graced his caramel-colored cheeks. Whether it was the touch of her hand meeting his or it was just one of those uncontrolled impulse type of things, it was there and Clarissa no doubt would have noticed it. Quickly, though, Jay took his hand away, but slowly so it was not to alarm her.

He heard her mention a bombfire gathering-type of party that was an annual thing and of tradition. Jay was curious, but also fearful and wary of it. On one side, there was a certain amount of curiosity running through his body about it and what exactly the gathering was about. But there was also that ever-looming fear of people and him. It was that same fear he had for a long time and was the reason why he didn’t handle most crowds well. But, Jay was willing to at least try it.

“This sounds like quite the thing,” Jay said, sort of thinking aloud. Briefly, Jay looked at Clarissa once more, smiling. “Will you be there?” Jay asked her, blushing like before, but he also was smiling. If she was to be there, then perhaps Jay’s anxiety might be lessened. It would ease him a bit to know that someone friendly that he knew would be present.

Clarissa noticed his blush run across his cheeks when their hands touched; but she didn't complain when he withdrew his hand from hers, it probably surprised him and made him more nervous than he already felt. Jay was the first person she met that was so nervous; she remembered being nervous on her first day too...but not like this. The soft smile was present on her lips, as if it was trying to help him and calm him down a bit.

"It's a rather popular event, I am sure if you asked around, other's would tell you that." she told him gently. Clarissa loved that coming back party, she and Skye always had fun pretty much just like everyone else. For one day, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and were almost like a family, before the bickering and arguing started once the school hours picked up.

She couldn't help but smile as he inquired about the party and if she would be there. Clarissa nodded gently with a warm smile "Of course, I'll be there. I'll keep an eye out for you if you show up." For a moment or two, her smile was genuine and really soft; a soft blush spread across her cheeks but it didn't last that long; she wasn't one to blush much let alone often.

Clarissa wondered if this year was going to be good like the others; but she didn't know just how different this year was going to go.

A smile graced his face as Clarissa confirmed that she would be at that bonfire. Whether it was her intention or not, knowing that she would be there was somewhat of a relief for Jay. She had a kind nature to her -- much more kinder than he had originally thought. He thought all of the attractive demigoddesses were going to be mean. But as they continued to engage in small talk, it became surprisingly clear to Jeremiah that she was a friendly spirit.

“Then, I will be there, Clarissa.“ Jay said, informing Clarissa that he would be at the bonfire tonight.

---

---

Stifling a yawn, Peter cranked the music of his car radio higher. The drive had been a fairly long one, as he had elected to land in Denver rather than Salt Lake City. If any flags had been raised about his arrival back in the states - which it probably would have - then this would throw them off the trail for a good long while. He hardly doubted that even if they had managed to follow him, they would manage to trace him to this Olympus Academy. He had a slight inkling that it didn't appear to humans. Well... full-on mortals, that is. Either way, the 8-hour-drive had taken a lot out of him. Although he'd slept quite well on the plane (Iraq to Colorado is no small feat), Peter found tiredness creeping back to him, despite the copious amounts of coffee he'd ingested on the road.

"I'll probably get there and be wide awake til 4 in the morning." He muttered to himself, tapping his fingers on the leather steering wheel in tune with the music. The Killers were probably one of his favourite music artists, among others through different genres. Speaking of favourites, this car was one of them.
A brand new Bentley, bought off an old friend who owed him a favour. The EXP 10 Speed 6 Bentley had three things in which Peter held in high esteem; comfort, good-looks, and above all else, it was fast. Especially with a speed-freak like him driving it. Although sticking with the highway limits for the most part, he was finding himself on more secluded roads in which he could truly test the power in the machine. And oh, boy, was it good. As memory recalled, Nike was the Greek Goddess of speed. She would have drooled over this car.

Idly wondering what kind of Demi-Gods would be at the school, Peter winced slightly as something sharp pricked the back of his neck. As his hand went to explore, he jumped as his fingers sliced against a familiar feeling blade.

"Jesus Christ Mom! Could you have not waited till I got to the academy?!" Peter exclaimed to the sky, scowling as he shifted around in his seat to reposition his spear; Gungnir, which had just materialised in his back seat. At over six feet long, it barely fit in the back.
Due to the magic nature of the weapon, Peter swiftly found out that if he left a place without it, it would soon join him. Which, although irritating at times such as now, was also a relief. What with all the travelling he did, he did not want to experience trying to get that monstrosity on a jumbo jet. However, this had been the first time it had popped up while he was in transit.

"What, you want me to show it off? Bring my stick of doom into show and tell?" Peter muttered wryly, still glaring at the horizon. His Mother hadn't shown herself in a couple of days; when she appeared in his hotel room in Baghdad to tell him to get his ass home. Some parental figure she was.

Sucking on his bleeding fingers in an attempt to staunch the shallow cuts, he increased the speed. He wanted to get there as soon as possible; just to get that damn thing away from him, on the off-chance he hit a bump in the road and it speared him in his neck. This hadn't been the first time he'd hurt himself on the wicked blade of the spearhead. Everytime he saw it, he was reminded of an ancient Japanese myth, in which a spear was crafted to be the sharpest ever created. It was told that if a dragonfly were to land on the blade, it would be cut in half. That's what Gungnir was like.

The first time he'd cut himself on it, he'd frozen in fear, half expecting it to blow up or something. After what his Mother said, saying how it needed his blood to be activated, he'd been terrified for weeks. However, after several cuts and an accidental skewering (Alcohol and magic spears do not mix well.) over the years, he'd realized that it would take a sacrifice much more than some minor injuries to activate the magic within the spear. Not that bade well for the future, considering he would be forced to use it eventually - but he preferred not to think about that. Instead, he focused on the road, the music, and new prospects of learning. Although reluctant to come, he couldn't deny he was excited to learn more about this mythical side of his life. And to meet a sister that Athena had been so kind to briefly mention. She enjoyed leaving things vague for Peter, an annoying trait he was quick to notice about his Mother.

"Man, I hope this Alex chick is nothing like our mother." Peter said to himself, brightening ever so slightly as he saw a town approaching. This had been the first place in a couple of hours; it must be it.

---

---

Finding the Academy was easy enough. It was as though he were drawn to it - which, in actuality, he figured he probably was through some form of magic. He was always dubious about magic, and still was, even at this point in his journey. He was certain that it was all just a science that anyone had yet to understand; even the big stuff.

Pulling into the large drive of the campus, he noticed his car was getting a few looks. Cracking a smile, he could hardly blame them. It was a goddamn nice ride. Donning his sunglasses once he had parked up, Peter climbed and stretched, letting out a sigh of relief. He'd allowed himself only a couple of rest stops along the way; not wanting to dither and miss the first day. As a result of this, his limbs felt like they were made out of wood.

Noticing he was still getting a few glances, he unlocked his boot, hesitating only a moment to look in the back seat. The spear could damn well wait - he wasn't carrying that thing around where people could see it. Throwing a blanket over the offending weapon, and then returning to his bags. He hadn't brought all that much, figuring he could just order some more clothes if he needed them. A suitcase and two duffel bags thrown over his shoulder, Peter glanced around the campus, for once, not sure where to go. Noticing a group of three nearby (@Onarax, @Obscurus, @Scrapula) he walked over, observing the two girls and boy were looking at some kind of wooden puzzle box.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt. My name's Peter, I'm new here - any idea where I'm supposed to go to get my room keys and stuff?" He asked the three with an easy smile, eyes lingering just a wee bit longer on the short-haired girl than the other two. She looked extremely familiar...

---

---

---

---

Roze glanced over at the girl who had introduced herself, quickly returning her smile with her trademark mischievous grin. Soon after Roze had arrived, she'd been approached by some teachers who had shown her where the apartments were, and where to get her keys and whatnot. It had been a nice place - she'd given it a look over before freshening up and returning back to the campus. With no-one to really talk to, Roze had decided to just wait by the doors until the assembly started.
"My name's Rozalia - you can give me a nickname if you want. Most people do." She replied to the older girl. She had a warm look about her - almost motherly, in a way.

---

---

"She's on her way now, so... I guess it's just wait." he replied after deftly thumbing out a placating final text promising a sparring match. He didn't expect any reply back, given that she was more than likely both driving AND annoyed to Tartarus and back about having to deal with him this early in the morning. But hey, this made more sense. If he was on the way anyway, that meant it'd be ONE car making the trip instead of two...

And, he wryly noted, the less-rickety car making it, too.

BZZZ!

From: THE GREAT ZAHEEN

Your ability to mess with my things astounds me.

The least you could've done was visit a few times over the summer. You stopped by maybe 6 times?

Also the contact name was a bit uninspired, don't you think?

To: THE GREAT ZAHEEN

you know it's true man nobody else gets half your references

we had to force dallas through klk

i'm pretty sure he STILL hasn't gotten around to ttgl

face it i'm the best you have

" 'Just wait' coming from the boy who hates sitting around doing nothing?" his mother replied from in front of her coffee machine, evidently finding the idea all too absurd. "I never thought I'd hear it."

He bristled and gave her an odd look, tossing his plate in the sink and running the token burst of water over it. "What else can I do? I mean, I'm gonna have the usual back and forth with Zaheen through text, maybe chat up Dal, it's not like I'll just be... sitting around doing nothing nothing."

"Oooor," she countered, smug visage of victory returning. "You could double-check your luggage. You always forget something, don't you?"

"shut up shut up shut up NOT THIS TIME" he hurriedly shot back as he began tearing through his backpack.

---

---

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Rozalia, and I might take you up on that later." Serafina offered her hand. "If you ever need help with anything, please ask me. I'm pretty much the Academy mother." She gave a kind of one-shoulder shrug.

Going by the look of Rozalia, this was another girl that Serafina would adopt, if she didn't mind. Hera's daughter usually knew just by speaking to someone for a few minutes if that person could be another one of her children. I probably have the biggest family in the world, she thought, amused. Well, the mortal world, anyway.

Some people found her tendency to adopt those in need somewhat odd, what with who her mother was. Serafina didn't like people bad-mouthing her mother, but she usually found a more peaceful way to defend Hera. She didn't like violence at all, and would rather not hurt anyone. Because of this, she had very few of Ares's children among her adopted family.

---

---

Hey, that's right! The twist was that you had to say "friend" and the door opened! However, it seems it didn't work when it was just used in a sentence. Maybe it needed to be separate?

"Friend?" Alex spoke into the keyhole, experimentally. The brass puzzle box proceeded to dutifully and cinematically undergo no change whatsoever. Alex sighed theatrically, and quietly pulled out her phone. As she always did when it was puzzle box time, she tried to access the internet and, as it always did when it was puzzle box time, she had apparently managed to trap herself in an invisible Faraday Cage. Every time she had a problem that needed solving, she had to solve it manually. Deprival of means and difficulty, indeed.

"It was worth a shot." Alex said, shrugging. "Didn't Gandalf say 'friend' in, like, Elfish? Gandalf said, like... melon or something, right?"



Out of the puzzle box's keyhole came an onslaught of light, sound, and smoke. Mindless mechanical screeching filled the area, as the brass-wrought walls of the box rescinded into its corners. At last, the box had fully revealed its innards. Without its walls, the box was now merely a wire hexahedron, with its precious cargo floating anomalously in the center. As blindness faded from Alex's vision, she at last got a good look at the treasure she had thought hard for... a copy of The Silmarillion by J.R.R Tolkien.

What a bitch. Alex thought, as the egregious doorstopper dropped unceremoniously into her hands. I don't even have a backpack yet!

Fortunately, it was right before Alex could voice her loud disapproval that Peter Sköjare showed up and inadvertently changed the subject.



That was a question that Alex could potentially answer.
"I, uh... I think you have to go to the main office for that. It's just through the main door and up the stairs, I think."

Alex helpfully motioned towards the campus's main door, and turned to Corinthe and Zaheed.
"Hey, uh, sorry for putting you guys through so much trouble," Alex said, grinning sheepishly. "Thank you for the help; I couldn't have done it without you guys, you know? I-- I think I should be good for now. Uh, Mother usually only gives me one of these a day. T-thanks for your help."

---

---

Stella continued her conversations but saw a male specimen come up to her as she stammered through her words to find out what to say towards him. "Uhm, why yes. Your guess is correct. Want a cookie?" Stella snickered towards the male then eyed her friends as they waved their goodbyes and she did the same as her eyes went back towards the male before her. "See what you do. Make my friends disappear." Stella teased towards him then handed him her bags. "Why sure. I'd love it if you did that for me." She smiled while making her trek towards the apartment like dorms. "You coming or what?" She'd ask while making eye contact with him once again then continuing her trek towards the housing.

He shrugged, letting the apple fall into the palm of his hand and squeezing it, red energy appearing to flow out of his clenched fist and into his arm. "Sweet. One for one so far. Cookies... Not really. Just ate." His smile widened. "I can make apples disappear too!" His fingers opened, letting dust fall to the ground, brushing the rest of it out of his hand before picking up Stella's bags. "By far not my favorite way to eat an apple, but..." He rolled one of his shoulders, smirking slightly, watching her face to gauge her reaction as he followed her. "When in a rush, not a lot to do."

Stella didn't really speak about his little magic trick earlier, simply because she didn't care. She rolled her eyes at him as for she was the daughter of Zeus and had a lot more things to worry about than some trick. She didn't bother speaking to the son of Hades but continually glanced back at him to make sure her luggage was well taken care of. If it wasn't, there was going to be consequences and she didn't think she needed to spell that out for him.

After a few minutes of walking, they finally reached her room as she turned towards Thomas with a smile. "So, this is my stop." Stella dug in her purse and got out her room key, turning it to open up the door. "You're welcome to come in, if you wish. It's not as elegant but it's housing." She chuckled while flicking the switch for the lights and the words she had just spoken was an understatement. It was absolutely fabulous and much more elegant than most rooms.

"Looks like daddy made sure my room was up to my standards, after all." She giggled then grabbed her bags from Thomas with a smile, sitting them down beside the door as she eyed him. "Thank you for doing that for me, Thomas. For you to be the son of Hades, you're pretty sweet." Stella winked while walking past him and into the small kitchen area, opening the fridge and grabbing two bottled waters, handing one towards Thomas.

"You're more than welcome to stick around here until the assembly, if you wish." Another smile came over her lips as she really needed to change into something new for the assembly. She didn't know why but just needed to.

"...Well, if your "coffee" table wasn't stolen from a morgue, it's pretty damn elegant..." Thomas stepped into her room, glancing up at all of the furnishings. "Gotta say though, this is pretty freaking far beyond what I'm used to." He smiled slightly at her thanks, but then a facial muscle twitched at the words "for a son of Hades". It lasted but an instant, then the smile was back in full force-though his eyes didn't seem quite as open as they had before. "I might stick around for a little, yeah, though I do need to meet some people around here. First year and all." The cap came off of the bottled water and he took a small drink of it, then swallowed and looked quizzically at Stella. "How long have you been coming here?"

"I've been going here for quite some time now so. Hopefully this is my last year as I am old enough now and do not need to be taught by some professors about what I already know." Stella grimped while taking a sip from her water. "Well, since you insist on staying, wait here while I change." She winked towards him then grabbed her luggage while going into her room, closing the door behind her.

Stella freshened up a little bit before placing on a cut shoulder, gray blouse and gray skirt to match. She placed upon her feet a pair of flat shoes as heels were going to be too much for the assembly. Stella stepped out of her room within a fifteen minute time frame as her eyes saw that Thomas was still there. "Sorry that I've kept you waiting." She said while sitting on her couch, patting the cushion beside her for him to sit. "We have a few more hours before the assembly." She checked her wristwatch to make sure she was correct.

Thomas adjusted his scarf self-consciously, making sure his coat was buttoned up the right way. Too often he'd wandered out of the house with the buttons slightly off-only to have one side of his collar hitting him under the chin constantly until he finally realized what was going on and fixed it. When Stella came back out he took one look at her clothes and shivered, pulling his coat a little tighter. He'd always been cold natured and he still couldn't understand how anyone could wear clothes any less than the three layers he always had on. He sat next to her, but didn't sink back comfortably into the seat. "How's the assembly normally?"

"Hm, about an hour or so but most people usually skip it since the same thing every single year." Stella mentioned with a laugh then eyed Thomas. "But I just attend since I am Zeus' daughter, you know." Another laugh came over her as she eyed Thomas now, the headmaster's voice boomed from afar calling for everyone to make their way to the assembly. "Well, there it is. Walk with me?" Stella asked him with a smile while standing up now and walking out of her room, waiting for Thomas to come out behind her before locking the door.

"Yeah, I gathered that." Thomas hopped up, sticking his hands (which had turned white with cold) in his pockets and headed out the door. "Sure, I'll walk with you. I'll have to follow, don't exaaaaaactly know which way the assembly hall is from here." He shivered.

Why he was so cold he'd never been able to work out-maybe because he was Hades' son and technically thus half-dead? Either way, he had to wear warm clothes constantly, usually even wearing gloves and a scarf inside on colder days. He didn't really complain. The long coat made him look taller.

"Okay. That sounds cool." Stella said while locking her door and closing it behind herself and Thomas. They walked towards the assembly hall and saw almost everyone present. She pulled out her cell phone and sent a text towards her brother.



Stella hit the send button the walked further into the assembly and took a seat, looking out at the headmaster and headmistress, along with the professors standing behind them. Of course, the assembly isn't going to start until at least every single Demigod is present.

---

---

Thankfully, James was already close to the assembly hall when the students were called in. It took him less than five minutes to make his way over there, lifting a wallet from an arrogant kid boasting about his parentage along the way. The kid didn't even notice the loss of his money, and James chuckled as he entered the assembly hall.

Sitting down in the back of the room, James opened his newly acquired wallet and checked out what was inside. He let out a low whistle at the amount of money, then flipped the wallet closed and slid it into his pocket. That one heist would keep him for quite a while. As for the kid he stole it from? Judging by the amount of money he was carrying around, he was a rich man's brat. He could just ask his mortal daddy for more funds.

As there was no one in front of him, he put his feet up on the chair. Clasping his hands together behind his head, he started whistling one of his favorite songs; Troika by Blackmore's Night. It wasn't the kind of music people would expect a guy like James to listen to, but he didn't care for what they thought. It was a lot better than most modern music he heard.