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[color=firebrick][b]Location:[/b][/color] Entering the Banquet Hall → Finding seats while under terrible social anxiety pressure
[color=7e83df][b]Interacting With:[/b][/color] Each other [sub][@McHaggis] [@Altered Tundra][/sub]
[url=http://cdn01.cdn.justjared.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/wesley-globes/paul-wesley-miles-teller-golden-globes-party-2015-05.jpg][color=firebrick]Dante’s Outfit[/color][/url] | [url=http://photos.laineygossip.com/articles/game-of-thrones-hollywood-11apr16-01.jpg][color=7e83df]Andy’s Outfit[/color][/url]
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The Spartan Race was a bit of a disaster for Dante. He had one match and it would be a rope-climbing one, wouldn’t it? Added to that, Dante was against Avery, the daughter of Hera. If that wasn’t bad enough, Dante still couldn’t shake off after-effects of the freezing temperature. Or so he thought. To think it was all an illusion. Dante couldn’t believe it - he still couldn’t. It just furthered it into his mind that he should not partake in school-sanctioned events. If only it wasn’t required, that Spartan Race.

“[color=firebrick]Well, at least it’s over now. [/color]“ Dante said, shivering in slight delight.

When it came to the evening, he was just as nervous as he was for the Spartan Race. Similar reasons were the cause of this. There were people around at The Arena and there were people here at the Banquet Hall. The only difference was that Dante could at least find some solace in his company. He was escorting his sister to the Banquet. He would have offered to take Lissie, but he somehow felt that maybe she was mad at him. Or something was wrong. Regardless, she hinted that she was going with someone else, so Dante would try to reach out to his sister.

“[color=firebrick]Are you ready to go in, Andy?[/color]” Dante asked her. They were still outside, yet to enter the large Banquet Hall. Both of them seemed  to be pretty nervous.

[color=7e83df]“No,”[/color] Andy admitted. She clung to her purse for support as if it would be snatched up by a stiff wind or a son of Hermes, an orange dress with shoulders bare and no shadows to wrap around her like a shawl like she would at home. They were just as shy as she was. [color=7e83df]“I feel like I need to go back to my room and have a nice sleep on the couch –– even if it’s not really deserved.”[/color]

Despite going up against someone Frightening and Large and Mean, she had won, if only by default. It was scary enough refusing to step any further on a tightrope in front of an audience, so much so that sixteen year old her couldn’t do it; seventeen year old her couldn’t do it and eighteen year old her nearly fainted from the disappointed glance from her tutors, but she hadn’t fallen off. Andy just hadn’t done anything.

[color=7e83df]“I’m sure nobody will actually look at us too hard,”[/color] Andy said as reassuringly as possible.

“[color=firebrick]I sure hope not.[/color]” Dante’s fear of socializing and being watched started to set in. “[color=firebrick]Maybe it’s not too late to leave.[/color]” Dante was really considering leaving, but then the image of his roommate, Felicity, popped into his head. He didn’t want to be the focus of most peering eyes, but he also didn’t want to think that she would think of him differently if he couldn’t do this. “[color=firebrick]On second thought, maybe it is too late.[/color]” Dante let out something of a sigh. He rubbed his temples. “[color=firebrick]Okay, all we got to do is walk in, put on fake smiles, and find our table. We can do that right?[/color]” Dante looked Andy for some reassurance.

Andy nodded and after fixing up her dress to make sure the low neckline was more modest than it should have been, she took a few wobbly steps forward in her short heels. [color=7e83df]“Right.”[/color] Together they walked into the obnoxiously loud Banquet Hall where all the students of Olympus Academy gathered. It was clear where to go to: there was the side for sitting, and the side for–[color=7e83df][i]“Oh no…”[/i][/color]–ballroom dancing.

[color=7e83df]“I don’t want to dance,”[/color] Andy muttered under her breath, near paralyzed with fear.

That same fear was set into Dante’s mind. He didn’t want to dance either. Nope, he wasn’t going to, unless there was someone that would make him want to dance.. “[color=firebrick]We don’t have to unless they make us.[/color]” Dante tried his best to give Andy some reassurance. Hell, he tried to give [i]himself[/i] some reassurance. Anything to put the fear of being watched or around people in general to rest.

Not even the sound of the Headmaster’s good cheer could turn Andy’s frown of pure distress into anything more positive as she hurried (as well as she could while clumsy from her dress) down the aisle of teachers with Dante. [color=7e83df]“We go to Olympus Academy. They might well do. This is Dad’s family we’re talking about.”[/color] After near tripping over her own two feet twice, they made it to end of the charade. Andy could see relief approaching: an empty table, eight chairs around it. [color=7e83df]“I’d rather go to a rave than this – at least then they might not see my face.”[/color]

“[color=firebrick]I heard that there is one tonight. I’m not sure, though. I think I heard Laurel Price talk about it.[/color]” Dante looked at  Andy. He was trying to give his younger sister some peace in mind. “[color=firebrick]Maybe that’ll help you find peace so you won’t have to dance at the Banquet.[/color]”

“[color=9d0055]It’s not optional.[/color]” Dante heard The Headmistress say as they passed her. He shook her hand, but could not shake the feeling of wanting to run for the hills. “[color=9d0055]The Ballroom dance is a staple here, and no one can get out of it. You [b]will[/b] dance.[/color]” Antonia said with fierce intimidation. Dante was one more moment from crumbling in front of this woman. How could someone so short strike such a large fear into him? She was terrifying.

[color=7e83df]“Oh. Right.”[/color]

Andy’s eyes immediately dropped to her shiny silver shoes, darting up only once to meet Dante’s. She wasn’t sure what to say to the Headmistress – ‘nothing’ appeared to be the only correct answer – so she carefully landed her hand on her (half-)brother’s elbow and guided them with some haste away from the woman.

[color=7e83df]“Olympus Academy,”[/color] she said quietly, looking over her shoulder once they reached the table as if the teacher could still hear them. [color=7e83df]“Sadists, the lot of them.”[/color] Andy didn’t particularly want to dance with anyone in the room, if only because she didn’t want to inflict anyone with her presence for longer than they could put up with her for.

[color=7e83df]“I’m sure we can find someone willing to shuffle about like zombies on the dancefloor with us.”[/color] Andy paused thoughtfully. [color=7e83df]“Is that comment considered ‘insensitive’ if I’m a Hades kid, or ‘ironic’?”[/color]

Dante could not hold in a laugh when Andy said that. He wasn’t one for laughing. Especially not when it came to being around people, but he couldn’t contain it. That comment was such an ironic thing. Both he and Andy were the children of the Death God, so to imply that she would want people to dance like zombies really did bring some kind of morbid humor to things.

“[color=firebrick]I think more the latter.[/color]” Dante said.

He led them to the buffet table - or whatever the fancy people wanted to call it - and they would get their food. Dante would just stick to some cheese, crackers, and some meat. Andy, on the other hand, contemplated faking an illness, [i]anything[/i] that would get her out of it. But of course, the staff of the academy had surely prepared for that eventuality, expecting  some of their students to be completely opposed to [i]public embarrassment[/i].