Walking along the worn cobblestone path Siobhán moved easily, her freckle smattered skin glowing softly, subtly. Today was overcast and thus she was less luminous, her mother had produced many children in ancient times but she was the only recent one. Being half-faerie came with certain perks but also certain down sides. She moved as graceful as one might assume a faerie would, seeming to float across the stone beneath her grey converse clad feet. Many humans who she had met often commented on the fact that she held herself a certain way, perhaps it was due to the fact her mother was the deity that ruled over sovereignty. She was also a Queen, as such she supposed that made her a Princess though her mother never treated her as such. Her mother was quite fond of her though, always working with her on using her magick when she found time the get away from her duties. It was nothing that Siobhán was very concerned about to be honest. If she was a princess then perhaps she should stop a laundry list of long standing habits that she had acquired.

Cahal was slinking not to far away from her through the shadows, glancing sideways to be sure of her location every few moments. Her long strawberry blonde hair flowed outwardly behind her and brushed against her face from a breeze that seemed to only swirl around her. Cahal wasn't often so far away but he was uncomfortable with so many people wandering about. With a wave of her hand she sent him away, showing that she wished for him to find somewhere to wait and come back when there were less people for him to worry about. It was a push, a soft ebb and flow of emotions, reflecting his discomfort and replacing it with the longing she would feel for his company when he was gone. It was a complex way to communicate but it certainly worked well.

Before her stood a vast building that was made seemingly entirely out of colossal grey stones stacked one on top of the other. It could only ever have been done with magic. Not magick like faeries had but magic that witches had. Witches were few and far between now, they had been since the witch hysteria many many years before she was born. It had taken out a good portion of the population. She entered through the massive wooden door into the dormitory which was really more of a luxurious condo building than anything else. The human university dorms she had seen were nothing like the ones here. These were clean and bright and could be endlessly customized prior to move in.

She had been roomed with one other female and a male. The female, named Hayley was apparently a daughter of Hermes while the male was a son of Morpheus. She was unsure of how things would go with this pairing, she wasn't particularly upset with it but she wasn't excited so to speak either. She didn't know either of them and that was what sort of frightened her about it. She tended to not be very good with people she didn't know. She nervously tugged at the bottom seam of her pale turquoise tank top that she'd chosen today before she opened up the door to their apartment. It was bright and modern so to speak, all metal appliances in the kitchen with sleek black leather sofa and a glass and brushed metal coffee table. The countertops in the kitchen and on the small breakfast bar were smokey grey marble, a swirled mix of white, grey, and black with white cabinetry surrounding the darkness. It was all beautiful, more so the view from the massive glass wall that over looked the vast wilderness that surrounded the university. It was positioned on nearly 30,000 acres of land or just shy of 50 square miles, all land they were free to roam and do as they wished on. It was towards the front of the property and thus only about 2 hours from the nearest town, a town where the people who lived there ignored any strange happenings.

Siobhán hoped dearly that her companions would like her, it wouldn't be a pleasant stay if they didn't. She headed out onto the balcony through the glass doors, to lean against the railing and feel the breeze on her face. Little song birds flitted by, landing not too far away from her. They seemed to be comforted by her presence, it wasn't long before the rail of the balcony was nearly covered in various species of birds.

@Hopeless Swan



Jackie shivered and groaned thinly, slowly trudging her way up what seemed the looooooong path (though it was, in reality, quite short, merely cutting across a courtyard from the meal hall) back to her building, back to her dorm, back to the little halo of glorious sunlight that lit it up with brilliant, life-granting sunlight. It had been overcast for nearly a week straight, and she could barely go outside. But needs must, and she'd needed to eat. For the past few days, she'd been subsisting entirely off of instant noodles cooked up in her dorm. She was wracked with intense tremors every time she'd gone outside for the past two days. She glared up at the sky, grumbling. You know, as much as I'm glad I'm your daughter, would it kill ya to get rid of some of these clouds? Of course, no answer was forthcoming. She hadn't expected one. She resumed her walk, plodding along with tiny, exhausted steps. The breeze threatened to blow her over, and she could actually feel herself leaking solar light, could see it coming off of her luminescent golden hair in little flecks of flame that floated up into the gray sky for a few feet before dimming and dying. Even though it was still pretty warm out and she was dressed in a thick, warm hoodie, there wasn't much that outerwear did for the kind of cold she was currently wrapped in. It was a bone-deep chill, and she hated every second of it. Or, well, she had when she'd gone out. At this point, she barely had the energy left for hate.

Most people would've killed to be in her position. A legitimate excuse to have a single dorm? Phenomenal! Not so Jackie. She was outgoing and social, and found the isolation stifling. Every so very often she'd hear rumors of another sun child like herself, but none of them had come to fruition. You'd think, she thought irritably, that with all the sun gods out there—Helios, Ra, that Aztec one whose name I can't pronounce, Huitzilosomething—one would show up here. So entrenched had she been during her day of blahhh that today was one that she'd been looking forward to all year: the day of arrival for new students.

The first she knew about it was when she saw someone she'd never seen before. Fully conscious of her appearance as she shed feather motes of brilliant light, she walked over towards a girl who was hanging out from over a balcony flooded with songbirds. Quirking her eyebrow in curiosity, she tried to muster a shout, but all that came out was her ordinary voice. She rolled her eyes, gnashing her teeth in annoyance. Sheesh. I need to my room, stat. But first... She looked up again, analyzing the building where she saw the girl. Now that she thought about it, she realized that she was putting out a faint halo of subtle light. Jackie grinned lopsidedly, some modicum of energy returning as she contemplated meeting all the new students. Can't wait to meet her!

Once she was inside, among the brilliant fluorescent bulbs, she felt a bit better. Not well enough, though. A recharge was in order. Luckily, her dorm seemed to be along the same hallway as New Girl's, only a few down the row. Padding down the hall with slightly more orderly steps, she clicked open her door, swearing slightly as the lock stuck. Just like it always seemed to. As soon as she opened it, a blast of intense light illuminated the hallway, and she sighed in relief, grinning and feeling the aches and pains of an overcast day fade slightly. The light dimmed, and so did her smile. Ughhhhhh. I need a SUNNY day soon! There's only so much more of this I can take. With her exhaustion assuaged, she shut the door, immediately feeling her newfound energy beginning to sap. She winced. Better make this quick, then. She approached what she was pretty sure was the girl's door and, taking just a moment to compose herself and set her hoodie into better order, knocked loudly on the door.

"Hey! Anyone home?"

@lemons
@Hopeless Swan
Ash walked down the hall to his new room wondering who his roommates might be. He played with the ballpoint pen in his hand as he examined the hallway he was venturing down. The place had an odd mixture of ancient and modern that would take some getting used to. He pulled his satchel in front of him checking it's contents, confirming they were all still in there proper place, he rounded the last corner before his room. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept in a proper bed, and supposed that was for the best. There was no telling what sort of dreams he could pick up on in this place.

His long black hair had been left down today and his red beanie was snug on his head. He wondered to himself if anyone had reached the room before him. Before coming he had checked the roster for the rooms and found two other names next to his. A small part of him hoped they were nice, he was tired of people fearing him for his strange appearance. This would be his first time encountering any other magic creatures? Mythological beings? He wasn't exactly what to call them or what would be in store down the hall. He realized he had been standing there in contemplation far too long when he was struck by an odd feeling, almost like something was drawing him toward the other side of the door.

There was a woman standing in the hall in front of the door. He wasn't sure what to do or how she approach her.‘Hi. I'm Ash. I like reading and old kung fu flicks and oh yeah I can change my appearance at will and watch your dreams like a creep. Want to be friends?’

He decided quickly that wouldn't be a good approach. He debates on weather to focus on changing his eye color like he had on the streets when strangers were around. An administrative clerk with green tinted skin had told him it would be best to be his self when meeting the people here, but he wasn't sure. He was taking to much time now and began to panic.

“Hi.” He said his voice cracking slightly. Great now he sounded juvenile and timid. This place was probably going to eat him alive. “I'm, uh. I'm Ash I think your knocking on my door.”He stammered trying to be as friendly as possible, allowing a smile to show on his face. He hoped it looked genuine. He also realized it might sound rude and quickly thought if a way to recover the situation. Yeah... eaten alive.

Hayley walked slowly through the dorm halls. Suitcase in hand, and a little backpack on her back. She was nervous; in all her years she had never shared a dorm room. Normally she was placed on her own - however the principal had insisted on her being 'with her own kind'.

But her kind didn't exist, because..

No, Hermes. Have to think Hermes. She mentally scolded herself, reaching the dorm room. Except there was people already there. Taking a calming breath, and trying to push the aura of dread surrounding her away, which wasn't really easy or possible, and strode forward towards her room. A small smile on her face to try and make her seem more friendly than she felt.

@kagethekiller@Lemons@Hopeless Swan

@kagethekiller@medalliah

Jackie spun on her heel, mouth spreading into an enormous grin. "Oh, cool! I think your roomy's in there, I saw her on the balcony!" Her grin faded just a tad before returning at full force, though she could still feel sunlight peeling away from her. It would only be a few minutes before she had to retreat to her room and recover. "Wish I could have roommates, but eh, there's a charm to living in a single, I guess. I get nothing if not quality alone time!" She held out a hand to the boy. He looked about the same age as herself. Maybe a year younger, older? She couldn't quite tell. She giggled a bit as she beheld his opalescent eyes and long, glossy black hair. "You look like my uncle Máni!" Okay, so she'd only actually seen him once and she was very little, but from the mythology she'd read, they were pretty close.

She stuck out her hand, clearly offering a handshake. She put a little bit of sun—a very little bit—into her hand, hoping that the warmth would help him open up to her. It was a ploy she'd used many times. It's amazing what a warm handshake will do, she reflected. She had a feeling, just because of how awkwardly he was acting, that not only was he experiencing the inevitable jitters of moving into an unfamiliar place, but he was also definitely an introvert. He probably wasn't all that thrilled to interact socially. She knew it instinctively, with a knowledge born of long socialization with everybody she could find. Then and there, Jackie made it her mission to become his friend, maybe ease his transition into such a different place.

"I'm Jacqueline Brake, but you can just call me Jackie. Everyone does! Nice to meet some new people!"

She made her smile as genuine as possible, but couldn't resist playing a little trick. She never could. Lowering her voice to a loud stage whisper, she added, "By the way, that voice crack was adorable." She laughed lightheartedly. "Just come get me if you need any help getting settled in. I'm just down that way." She motioned down the hall. "You can't miss my room. It's the one that's blindingly bright at all times of the day and night. Office hours are officially open, and I hope we can get to know each other!"

With that, she resumed waiting. This time, for the door to open and for her handshake. She was aware that she might've made him uncomfortable, but she was old hat at this kind of thing. As long as the discomfort was worked out quick, it usually didn't last long.

She suddenly became very belatedly aware that she'd seen someone when she'd motioned down the hall. Grinning as wide as she could—whoops, I'm starting to shed light again—she turned again, this time seeing another girl. Crimson-orange eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly as she peered into the other girl's. Not this one; she's not the kind I can get by being outgoing. She looks like she's in pain, not anxious. Even though just being near the girl put Jackie on edge for some reason—she couldn't think of why, but she felt like something bad was about to happen—she softened the exuberant edge on her smile as she greeted the other girl in a bit more of a straightforward fashion.

"Hey, I'm Jackie. What's your name?"

@Lemons@kagethekiller

The flickering of light from the brightest light in the room caught Hayleys attention first - and she paused as the warm voice spoke. It was...friendly? Something she wasn't used to, and at first Hayley didn't answer, just looked at this Jackie. Trying to work out her angle.

What does she want? Just...a greeting maybe?

Eventually, Hayley smiled again, softly, and offered a hand to shake. Better than a hug right now, Hayley was sure she was giving off enough back feelings without adding a dose of full-body dreadhugs.

"Hi. Hayley...I'm Hayley. Um..." she took a moment, before speaking a little more confidently "sorry, little nervous. I'm Hayley. I'm staying in one of these rooms. Nice to meet you."

If Jackie was to accept the handshake, she'd find Hayley's hand quite hot. Not a nice heat though, but closer to a scolding flame. More unnatural.

She gave the boy there a small smile as well.

@Lemons@medalliah

Màni? The Norse God? How did he look like the moon? Ash took her hand finding it extremely warm to the touch. Not hot, more of a pleasant warmness. The girl didn't seem to disturbed by his appearance so it seemed looking like himself had turned out alright. “ I'm not really sure how I look like the moon but I guess I'll take it.” He said smiling letting go of her outstretched hand. He tried to hide his embarrassment at being called adorable.

He felt a vibe behind him he couldn't place. Almost like fear but different. He turned around to face it as the Jackie addressed them. Time to hop out of this shell if you want to finally be normal for a change, Ash. He thought to himself. The other girl introduced herself. He found himself not sure of what to do again. This was gonna take some getting used to.

“Your one of my roommates Right? I saw your name next to mine on the roster.” He shifted awkwardly with his satchel in his hands. He found it rather hard to look this girl in her eyes, which was strange. He’d seen nightmares nobody could ever dream of. Well somebody had dreamed them obviously but nobody sane. By this point he'd figured out Jackie was a child of Sol, but he wasn't sure about this girl.

@medalliah@kagethekiller

When the boy spoke, emanating an aura of embarrassment, she chuckled. "It's the eyes, mostly. His are a little more silvery, but they're still pretty rainbow. Like an aurora. The hair too. You got a lot going for you."

After she released him and vice versa, Jackie grasped the girl's hand and was immediately surprised by just how warm it was. Not even warm; hot. Real hot, to the point that if Jackie had been a normal person, it would've been really uncomfortable. She thought. She couldn't really tell, but she definitely had a hunch. I wonder, maybe she has to do with a god of fire? Or a sun god! Either way, she grinned wider, gripping the hand tighter and heating her own up to match it. She inclined her head to the girl, beaming the full force of her smile straight at her. That hesitation between greetings, that sort of calculating stare, had confirmed her suspicions; this was a girl that needed someone to talk to her. She thought back to when she'd first moved in, and across from her had been a son of Phobos. He'd been on his guard, all the time. This girl kinda reminded Jackie of him.

"It's not a big deal. I had plenty of nerves when I first came here, don't worry about it. You'll get used to it!" She was encouraged by Hayley's returning smile. "I wanted to meet the other person staying in this room. Honestly, if this is where you're staying, I'm surprised the three of you all made it here in one piece. This place is like a maze when you first get here!"

With a single calculated maneuver, doing her best to ignore the feeling of dread that threatened to blunt her smile—Yeah, she reminds me of that Phobos kid, alright—she gave Hayley a brief, affectionate-but-not-overly-so pat on the head. "Glowing door's mine if you ever want to talk. No roomies, so privacy I got."

While kind and social, Jackie had never been patient. Immediately afterwards, she rapped on the door again, this time a bit harder, mumbling under her breath.

@Lemons@kagethekiller

Hayley did her best not to yank her hand away when she was gripped tighter; social contact was awkward for her, and it didn't help her uncomfortable feeling of heat not the aura around her. Even more so when the boy turned out to be her roommate!

"Oh...the rooms are mixed gender?" she offered once her hands were freed "I didn't know that..."

She took a moment, then offered a hand to the boy.

"Nice to meet you roommate. Which one on the list are you?" She wasn't sure now - both names she thought were female at first!

She then turned back to Jackie, who was still quite kind for a blinding-light-kind of person. "Thank you for your kindness. I think...I might take you up on the offer. As long as I can see when I go through that door? It's rather bright, and I'm more used to darker places."

"C'mon kiddo, get out."

"No."

A greying man leant against the side of the car with a crumpled cigarette hung lazily between his fingers. Sat in the passenger seat was Abigail Chadling, a lanky blonde woman with her arms folded stubbornly over her seatbelt as she glowered at the dashboard. The older man sighed, "Abi for god's sake..." as he leant down and knocked on the window a couple of times to give the girl a deadpan stare. "We've been through this. Home for Christmas, it's only a couple months. Now stop being a little bitch," he unlocked the door and pulled it open with one fluid movement, "And get the fuck out of my car."

Abigail whined "But dad, I-" and cut herself off at the look on his face. She started working on the seatbelt, her tone of voice low and bitter as she asked "What if they don't let me out at Christmas?" Her father perked a brow and let loose a husky chuckle. Abigail straightened out her clothes and went to grab her bags.

"You'll be home for Christmas anyway. Don't get caught?" Abigail's father helped her with her bags but Abigail insistently grabbed them all, far too many for a girl of her stature to be able to carry them. Her father's smile faded. "...Want me to walk you in?" Abigail stared at him and then shook her head, biting her lower lip.

"I wouldn't want you to leave if you did," she admitted sourly. Her father brought her into a one-armed hug as he flicked the cigarette butt away and rested his chin on the top of her head, sighing. A quick kiss on her forehead and a friendly hair ruffle as Abigail whispered "Bye" before he climbed into the car and started the engine. Abigail shifted all her bags to balance on her shoulder - again, something that should be physically impossible - as she wiped at her face with her free hand. She didn't look back. She wandered the worn cobblestone path alone and by the time she reached the campus, Abigail had regained her composure and looked up at the building with contempt. "Alright you sons of bitches..." She made a loud hacking noise as she mustered up as much mucus from her throat as she could gather and spat on the steps. "...You wanted Abigail Chadling? You're gonna fucking get Abigail motherfuckin' Chadling."

"Move it, kiddies!" hollered Abigail as she wandered in with at least 5 bags and suitcases in her arms. Her head poked out of the side, bright blue eyes scanning the roommate list with scrutiny. "Any of you called Saranja or Owen?...No? Fine." She huffed and spun around wither her suitcases, beginning to climb the stairs on her own. The corridors were long and broke off into many pathways, pathways which Abigail would have to eventually memorise if she had a hope in hell of getting around easily. There was a group of students all crowded around one door and almost, ALMOST blocking the corridor. Knowing that she couldn't hope to get the heap of bags past all of these people she just hurled them over their heads, listening to the clatter and thud of her precious belongings hitting the floor. She stared down the group with open, unabashed hostility; especially the girl with the funny legs. "Centaur, huh?" she said casually. "My dad fucked a horse too. You dipshits know how to use a door or are you just gonna take up all the room out here?"

Abigail didn't even wait for an answer. She scooped up her suitcase, then the other with one hand and the other and the other until she was carrying all of them in one arm. "See you in class," she muttered coldly as she went to her room, kicked open the door, picked a bed and immediately started to claim space with her stuff. Mainly clothes but also several books, a battered house plant and all sorts of electrical appliances like hairdryers and phone chargers and an iron and god knows what else. It looked like she packed for a long stay.

Surprise flitted across Siobhán's face as she opened the door of her apartment, a crowd was gathering quickly outside but she schooled her features and the emotion disappeared without trace. She raised an eyebrow at the young woman who had started the congregation. "It seems there are a good number of sunny people here." She commented with a soft chuckle, her voice was soft but it carried like a lone summer breeze. One of the little finches that had been sitting on the railing earlier alighted on her shoulder as she opened the door all the way. "If you wish to come in, then come in. If not perhaps we shall meet another time. I believe some of you have the desire to be elsewhere, no?" She questioned of the small crowd. She didn't even seem to notice the little brightly colored bird on her shoulder as it snuggled beneath her mane of wavy strawberry blonde hair.

It was Jackie though that caught her attention the most, a daughter of Sól no doubt. "You must be quite cold on such an overcast day. Let me see if I can help a bit." She offered with a slight smile as she looked at the other young woman. She'd met a son of Sól a few years ago and he would frequently become ill should the sun be away for too long or if he was inside for extended periods of time. After a few more moments Siobhán glowed even more brightly, gone was the soft luminesce she had displayed before. Now she was truly bright, bringing out the full force of her faerie blood. The air warmed considerably around them and was filled with the scent of the ocean, flowers, and all the smells of summer. The sun shone brilliantly from within her. She was more than just the sun she was summer itself, just as her mother was.

She had to be careful not to blind the others, several of them would be fine but some of the other demis were not so good with sunlight. "I can only help a bit but it should be enough to get you by till the sun comes out. If I were outside I could do much better work, my magick is only so strong in here."

---

Ebbo let out a deep breath as he sat in what would be his room for the next few months. He knew the moment he saw is dad sitting at the foot of his bed early this morning that everything was going to change once again. The man had a knack for always coming in once everything had settled and causing problems.

It was when Ebbo was still filled with sleep early in the morning that Odin himself, once again, was pulling the covers off Ebbo and roughly shaking him awake. "Get up boy, you start school today." Odin said as he sat in the chair next to Ebbo's desk. Ebbo sat there and shivered, he did not even acknowledge his dad for a whole 5 minuets, and then finally got up and pulled out the bags he always had ready. These bags stayed packed and only needed a few extra things to make them complete, they stayed packed for the always looming threat of a visit from Odin and now he had to pull them out again.

"Did you at least tell mom this time?" Ebbo said as they got down stairs and out side into the car. He knew the answer to the question so he left a note on the counter making sure his mom knew he was safe and that he had his phone on him.

The car ride was quiet and tenses, neither normally talked when they went out like this and each new what the other was here for. Ebbo was here to keep his "normal" life safe by indulging in has father request, and Odin was here to further cultivate his "investment". After 4 days of traveling across land and ocean, they pulled up in front of a school, a University and Eboo looked over at Odin and chuckled. "What is it this time, some necessary training to make me better, make me like your others." Ebbo said as he gout out the car and got his bags from the back.

Odin smirked at his "others" statement, he was referring to Thor, or Balder. "No, every child of mine is educated and you will be no different. This is Riverswell University and I hope that going here will give you what you need to live up to the 'others' u so frequently talk about. Now act good and I'll be back during winter break to get you." With that Odin disappeared and Ebbo was left with his bags.

Ebbo walked up to the dormitory and looked at the roommate list, he was in room 417, and began his trek in that direction. He had seen that he rooms where co-ed and kind of blushed at that, but it would not stop him form living comfortably. He peeked into his room and looked around, it was cozy and seemed like a condo set up. Three rooms and a open bathroom. "Anyone here yet?...Guess not well since I'm here first I'm taking first pick on rooms." Ebbo said to himself, he went to the left and picked the room away from the others. The room was a simple set up, bed, dresser, desk and closet. This made it easy to move his clothes, gaming system, and electronics in and set his room up, while he did he sent a text to his mom and filled her in on the situation. His door was open so anyone that walked in could hear him moving stuff around and getting set up.

There was a flare of anger when some spoilt brat barged passed, which increased the aura of dread for a few moments. It helped her overcome the daughter of Pelasgia pausing on her name, which had worried her. If the girl knew who she was....

But then the door was opened, and it became even harder to see. Hayley brought up her arms to cover her face as yet another bright sunny person turned up the light. She hated this - would everyone try to blind her? She kept her arm over her eye as she spoke.

"Do you need to do that? Um...who are you?" she asked the woman at the door (@Hopeless Swan) "I'm looking for my other roommate..I'm Hayley, and this boy here here" she motioned to Ash (@kagethekiller) "is also."

A gentle creak announced the shifting of the breeze and the dance of the clouds in the sky changed ever so slightly above. Her body moved with the wind, carried aloft as she was by the winding vines descending from the tree she chose to inhabit for the moment. Those milling about across the grounds, they were to be her classmates for the coming days, and two perhaps were her roommates. The idea all at once confused her and called to her curiosity. Only Calcutta ever had crowds like these, and even then she found it strange that so many people could live in one place at one given time. There was so much earth to spare and it seemed human instinct was to stack on top of each other and build great bastions of stone and steel.

She would have continued on that musing if not for the flutter of azure and emerald wings about her, a dozen butterflies carried by the breeze until finding purchase on her shoulders and the vines she sat lazily from. Of course she had come here of her own volition, once Father had told her of this place and its purpose. "I would like just a moment more to collect myself, Father." Her soft-spoken words carried gently to the listening trees around her, and as if answering her, the butterflies took flight once more to find their next perch. Devi watched them with a small smile on her lips, admiring the way they so easily flit between the trees. Below, her sack of belongings rested against the very tree she hung from, only the items she valued most and truly belonging solely to her were brought with her to this place across the globe, and precious few they were.

Most of them were just changes of clothes, more of the single-piece dresses she liked to wear, but also a couple of books and flower-seeds she had harvested before leaving. Alighting from her perch of vines, her bare feet touched the grass with a gentle pomf and she collected her bag of things. The idea of living within a house of stone did not appeal to her, but she supposed she would get used to it once she had been there for a while. More importantly was the prospect of the people she would meet. That lifted her spirits significantly, a brilliant smile adorning her face as she made her way to the main dorms building and past the others finding their own paths. She gave greetings to those she passed, getting a few in return as well as a few stares as she navigated the hallways. The stares didn't bother her, never had even when she knew what lurked behind those eyes, and she had explained as much to the elder when he had tried convincing her of buying more "American" clothes. Quite hypocritical for a man wearing a loincloth to tell others to dress more modestly, she thought.

A gathering of sorts had formed in front of one of the doors, two women with quite brilliant auras seemed to have met and caught a couple other less incandescent people between them. With just a casual ear while walking by, she caught a few names and matched them to the doors, or at least tried to. English was still difficult at times, the subtle nuances of the mixed language hard to interpret meaning, especially when it came to people who could be quite clever and manipulative with their expressed personalities. Devi simply smiled at the small crowd as she passed, giving greeting and making her way ever forward to her own room at the end of the hall and quietly entering before catching too many questions and conversations in return. Pressing her back against the door, she sighed and wondered if she should have lingered a little longer, introduced herself properly, or tried to simply join in with them. She thought of them and began to slowly piece together her loose knowledge of other mythologies, seeing if she could determine who and where each of them came from. Of course, it was clear who her Father was, as she bore his icon across her back.

There would be plenty of time for that later, for now she was in her new home and needed to unpack. Noise from within one of the three rooms announced that one of her two roommates was already present, likely arrived early so as to claim their room. She thought to do so as well before imposing her presence upon whichever it may be. Her bare feet padded softly across the main room as she looked about, finding the other two rooms quite open and waiting for one to claim them, as well as the boy in the third room getting settled in. Devi gave only a light smile and wave should he notice her arrival, entering into what would be her own room and slowly unpacking her things with the door open in case he desired to be social.

Really, it shouldn’t have been a surprise that Riverswell looked so ... divine. And to think, this was only the gate.

Yet, here at only the entrance Alena was frozen, standing in front of the thick iron bars that marked the next passage in her life. The demigod lingered there, before the towering iron already thrown open in welcome with her grey-blue gaze roaming along the intricate ivy almost woven with the metal. Occasionally someone passed her, but Alena had no eyes for them. Not yet. Standing before the archway, path weaving into the forest of trees that would lead to her new home with the sky dreary and clouded, made her feel somehow... small.

Perhaps the feeling of not belonging would go away with time.

A deep exhale escaped her lips before Alena squared her shoulders and straightened out, eyes narrowing in determination. It was a school, one that she didn’t particularly want to go to and full of people with fantastic abilities, but a school none the less! As far as universities go, she could’ve done worse. Nodding as though to confirm the thoughts the redhead finally steeled her resolve and adjusted her bags before starting her trek, a red duffle bag hanging off her hip and an extraordinarily large camping pack snug against her shoulders. The latter was large enough she could’ve brought the entire kitchen sink, but of course that was ridiculous; Alena only brought a blender.

It took only a few minutes to find the giant stone building that served as the dormitories, majestic in its own right. Not to mention the people shuffling towards it was a dead give away, thank God – was that appropriate here? Shaking the thought off with a quick glance at her palm, or more specifically the rather neat scribble of a number in black ink on it confirmed her destination and set Alena’s mind back on track. Room 417, that had to be fourth floor right? It was quick work to find the stairs just passed the large wooden doors guarding the entrance. She did pause briefly at the third floor landing seeing a congregation of people at one of the nearby rooms, wondering if the owner had a similar problem to her own oral obstacles and needed help. She lingered only long enough to overhear something about roommates and determine there wasn’t an issue before moving on.

Fourth floor, seventeenth room. Her new home for the foreseeable future. Alena took a moment outside the door to bounce on the balls of her feet, psyching herself up with muttered words.

“It is not that bad, you have this,” The redhead told herself, pointedly ignoring the way the imperfect English slid off her tongue like honey and flowers. Emboldened and filled with partially artificial bravery Alena finally opened the door, only to stop short,eyes widening.

“Look at the view!” Unable to help herself Alena moved to the large glass doors leading onto the balcony, not moving outside but drinking in the scenery. It was nothing like back home. Maybe it really wouldn’t be so bad if everything was like this. Despite being completely distracted from her earlier overcast mood matching the weather outside, the demigod wasn’t so ignorant she couldn’t hear movements in the apartment. It was faint as no doubt the walls in such a luxurious home were thick, but moving in always had its own cacophony of noise. Tearing her gaze away Alena went to investigate only to pause hearing the squeak of her running shoes on the hardwood floor.

Oops.

Now holding her runners in one hand Alena poked her head into the hall to the left of the entrance, noticing a bathroom and laundry room just passed the kitchen, with sounds further down the hall of someone else. Looks like someone else had already started moving in – well, two someones. She really should’ve paid more attention to the papers sitting crumpled in her bag. Oh well, she should set her own bags down first.

“Hey, just letting you be aware I am here – I will be unpacking!” The polite warning given, called down the hallway to the room set apart from the others – just to be safe before she tested her roommates’ reaction to her words - Alena retreated to the opposite hallway, seeing only two doors. The noises indicated someone else in the left one, so she turned her gaze to the only room left, and immediately let out a disappointed sigh. At least the living area had the giant windows, since her room had none. That’s what she gets for loitering.

A shrug of her shoulder had the dufflebag on the ground, the large pack following a moment later with a rather loud thud. Alena winced at the noise, almost feeling the floorboards rattle beneath her socks. There were a nice set of weights inside, on the bottom, but luckily the floor didn’t scuff. It was when Alena was taking her fur-lined jacket off to hang on a small hook on the back of her bedroom door that she first got a glance at the roommate opposite her.

Alena, daughter of Aphrodite, promptly froze with red rapidly appearing across the bridge of her nose as she gazed upon the expanse of skin on show.

Well, at least despite not getting a window in her room it appeared she still had a view.

Jackie blinked, and just like that, it seemed like time had briefly skipped for her. Not entirely atypical for her was the feeling of dissociation with time after a few days spent in an overcast world, and today was no exception. It had been happening steadily more often over the past few days, oftentimes progressing until she’d returned to her room, at which point she would shake off the lethargy and return to her cheerful self.

This time, though, it was prompted not by returning to her room, but by sudden, massive exposure to something similar to sunlight. She blinked rapidly and realized that the girl from before had emerged from the room, and somehow, she was glowing rather brightly. Jackie’s blank face jumped to an appreciative smile. While it wasn’t quite the sunlight and fire that she required to return to her full capacity, it was enough to snap her out of her malaise.

The girl seemed to know somehow that Jackie wasn’t all there. She didn’t know if there had been other exposures to other sun gods’ children, but as far as she knew, she was Sól’s only child. “Thanks,” she replied with as much feeling as she could muster, “should be enough to tide me over.” She belatedly realized that the world suddenly smelled like the outside. That might have even been better than the sunlight. The world had smelled uniformly like rain and grayness for the past week, and she’d almost forgotten the smell of trees. She inhaled deeply, and her smile grew more genuine, more natural.

She rammed her hand out with more energy than she knew she possessed, then decided to go for it and embraced the girl in a full-bodied surprise ambush hug. “Jacqueline Brake, but call me Jackie. Daughter of Sól. Nice to meet you!”

@Hopeless Swan

A few books sat in the small bookcase beside the bed already, a few older and modest with the tightly packed sanskrit adorning the bindings, while a couple others looked significantly more modern and legible with such titles as "Medicinal herbology" and other botany specific subjects. One was open on the bed, the handwritten text across the yellowing pages showing lines connecting various species of flowers. She felt that since she had already mostly unpacked, she may as well begin organizing her room. A small rectangular pot was placed beside the door on the dresser, buds already sprouting from the soil and producing vibrant coloured flowers with a gentle fragrance. With just her presence alone, they flourished and filled the pot with their bounty, leaving her with a smile to match.

Once her books and flowers were settled she had the matter of her clothes to sort out, though they really were all of the same dress as she wore now. They were folded all the same, and placed in the upper drawer of the dresser where she could easily find them. "So much space, I wonder if others actually need all this?" Her eyes wandered the only slightly less-empty feeling room and a frown graced her lips for only a moment as she thought of how much there was still there to fill in her room. She had opened the closet and then shut it again after she had found the dresser and night-stand/bookcase more than enough for her needs, but it still bothered her with how empty it felt.

Noise in the main living area distracted her, the sound of the door closing and shoes on the hardwood. For a moment she thought of going out to see, but felt it more prudent to allow them the chance to settle in and unpack before being confronted with a new face. Devi listened in all the same as she stared out the window of her room, curious as to which of her roommates this one would be, still unsure of who was who, and even what gender the two were. A woman's voice now from the balcony, soft and musical almost with the very slightest of pull to it that made her wonder ever more which demigod she had been paired with. The voice called again, this time directly to herself and the boy in the third room, a smile forming on her lips as she appreciated the gesture, it quickly replaced with a slight wince when she heard the thud of something metal impacting the floors.

Were it not for the long silence, Devi might not have turned and found herself face to face with the dazzling redhead. She found herself immediately drawn to the green of her eyes, though as she was a foot shorter she had to tilt her head up just a bit to meet her eyes. That smile on her lips grew just that bit more as she caught that the woman had been staring at her, only the lightest tint of red coming to her own well-tanned cheeks. "You must be Ah-lee-nah" Her own voice was rather soft, as despite being somewhat outgoing she was still a fair bit timid around strangers. What was far more noticeable was the distinct accent that tinted her words and the way she pronounced them, making it clear that English was not her first language, and it was fairly recently learned at that.

"Such a beautiful name could only belong to a woman to match, after all. I am Devi, daughter of Jagannath." She approached, her body moving in a fluid and graceful manner with just the slightest sway to her hips as she found her way over to standing immediately before Alena with her hand extended in greeting. "You look quite strong, who's daughter are you?" Even were it not for her close presence, Devi's eyes wandering her body would be quite obvious, not even bothering to hide it as she looked over the other woman. "I hope you weren't desiring the other window room, though if that was the case I don't mind moving my things." Her smile was wide and genuine as she returned her gaze back to Alena's eyes, meeting them and holding her stare as she awaited her answers.

@Blazion

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Ebbo had just started to finished putting his things away and hanging up posters when he heard the first voice call out. He did not respond because he still had tacks in his mouth and he didn't want an accident. He had brought all his stuff that he liked, his bear sheets, some miniature owls and bears, the posters are of them too. His colors are mostly beige, brown, and white. He also had to get Cheshire set up litter box and all. The cat is pretty calm around new people so it should be fine for him to meet Ebbo's roommates. When he finished hanging posters and setting his sheets he could hear his roomies talking, and it was there that he froze in shock...both his roommates where GIRLS!!! Ebbo had girlfriends before, and girls who he had trained with and been on a sports team with but outside of his mother he never had to live with one. He went into his bathroom and fixed his hair, made sure he looked presentable and then went out towards the kitchen and saw them standing there talking. With sweaty palms and cat in hand he walked over and sad hello.

"Hi, umm my name is Ebbo. I guess we will be living together for a while. Oh and this is Cheshire." Ebbo said with his best smile.