Tessa White's Story

Upon blinking away the sleep from her eyes, clearing the thick, hazy blur that seemed to pollute her vision, Marilyn was met by the startling contrast of a billowy mass of raven locks against the cream hue of her pale pillow. The spilling, swirling strands had somehow gotten threaded between her slender fingers, which, in turn, were wrapped around the sleek rectangular shape of her phone, the screen blinking in indication that the playlist she had chosen to fall asleep to the night before had come to an end. Marilyn could still hear the bewitching melodies of soft jazz humming in her ears as she groggily propped herself up and plucked the earbuds out of her ears. As Marilyn’s phone whumped against the intricate pattern of a blanket that was unlike the one she had at her home in Arizona, it only served to remind her where she was; she was back at the Academy for another year and Marilyn was filled with the same sense of excitement which had been building for weeks until her arrival last night.

Though the way the light filtered through Marilyn’s windows indicated that it was still early morning, Marilyn, being both the daughter of the sun God and simply a morning person, paid no mind and set about to begin her day. The tasks she completed were menial and ordinary- she made her bed, unpacked the last articles of clothing from her suitcase, and got distracted with her guitar for a few minutes, plucking out a simple, upbeat tune- but her body was thrumming and buzzing with eagerness and anticipation for the day.

She didn’t even try to stop the animated smile from appearing on her face while stretching out into a few basic yoga poses on the bright orange mat laid out on the hardwood flooring, despite it probably looking kind of creepy. Being back just filled her with a feeling of belonging that she admittedly didn’t have at home and she wanted to be back with mingling with her demi-god friends and learning more about her powers. Aeonis was her home away from home, but it made her feel more comfortable than she ever was in her own house on the reserve.

After making herself presentable, dressing in a sheer, dark navy patterned top paired with black skinnies and fixing up her hair and makeup, Marilyn reached for the phone that she had abandoned on her bed. She had people to reach out to, after all!

[From: Mandy ♥]
[Guess who's back, besides all the other people that aren't me? ;P Such a difficult question, I know, even I can't get it xD x]

Marilyn beamed at the other girl’s cute message, shooting her a quick reply amongst some others.

[To: Mandy ♥]
[Who ever could you possibly be talking about? Perhaps a certain redhead?? lol I’m about to head out. Will I see you at breakfast? :D]

[ To: The Grumpy Scotsman >:( ]
[Good morning, Scottie! I hope you had a good summer! I don’t know if I’ll see you at breakfast, but I’ll catch up with you sometime :) ]

[To: TESS! ]
[Psst, are you awake? Because we should get some breakfast! I’m hungrrryyy! xD]

Sending out the last of her texts, Marilyn slung her bag over her shoulder and exited the room into the commons area of her dorm. Quietly, she crept up towards Kiren’s, who Mari didn’t know if she was still in there, door and rapped on the wood. “You up in there?” She called.

The words were muffled at first, muted in that kind of way that is reminiscent of holding your head underwater, and they seemed miles away from Hugo’s sleep-induced mind. They were nothing but a distant murmur, an unintelligible rumbling of an unidentifiable source. Perhaps, at the back of Hugo’s mind, he had the capability to know what this source was, but at the current point in time, he was content to slip back into a deeper slumber and not have to worry about it. Only, the noises continued. The noises continued and they were getting louder and all the more clear, much to the sleeping boy’s disdain.

The next thing he gained was the ability to realize that the same someone who was making all of the noise was also shaking at his bed. First, there was a large quake and then, for some god awful reason, this initial quake seemed to have set off a succession of smaller, more rapid quakes that had Hugo’s body following along with the movements. Hugo could feel his own mind slowly rouse from the murky depths of sleep, but it was the familiar, poorly accented, feminine voice exclaiming dramatically, "Mi marido me dejó!" that had Hugo coming to a slight comprehensibility.

Sweet, sweet Priya. Why must you awaken him so?

Priya Aiken was not only one of his best friends, but the closest thing to a sister that a person could be without actually being related by blood. From the moment they met, they simply just ‘clicked’. The British girl with a brilliant mind and penchant for his kind of humour, had laughed at all of his silly jokes and quips, even tossing a witty line or two herself. What was to be a moment of playful banter between two connoisseurs of comedy had grown into something so much more, evolving and developing into the wonderful, amazing thing they had today. With Nessa, Hugo’s sister (on their father’s side, of course), Hugo, and Priya combining forces, they were unstoppable.

After Priya threatened to jump on his bed, Hugo simply just groaned, attempting to burrow his way back into his covers. “Priya,” He croaked, his throat raspy and thick from disuse, “Go away.” But Hugo can feel her perched at the corner of his mattress, the surface dipping from her weight.

Perhaps Hypnos will take pity on him for once and allow Hugo to fall back into a deep slumber without Priya pestering him. Hell, Perhaps Priya will take pity on him for once and allow Hugo to go back to bed.

“No es de extrañar que tu marido te dejó .” Hugo grumbled, pulling his dark blue covers over his bare torso and over his head and squeezing his eyes tightly shut.

The sight, as odd as it was, was a welcome one, almost all-too-natural in Marilyn's eyes; There Kiren Vause, roommate and potion making extraordinaire, stood in her pajamas- socks on and a pair of mint green headphones brushing against her collarbone. The safety goggles she wore dwarfed her features, though they didn't take away from her beauty and she looked as wonderful as usual. The expressiveness of her eyes reflected a sort of brightness this morning and Marilyn was sure that Kiren had been dancing about her room at some time in the morning. Marilyn had caught Kiren doing so on quite a few occasions, Kiren's head bobbing and her hips moving from a beat that resounded from her headphones. The Navajo girl would either slip away from the scene giggling or even join in with Kiren, her own hips moving in with the muted tune. Marilyn missed this; she missed Kiren.

"It's almost as if you hadn't been gone at all. I feel like the last time I saw you, you were brewing something up," Marilyn teased good-naturedly, a fond smile growing across her face as she followed Kiren's rapid footsteps to the small kitchen they both shared. It had all of the basics: a rounded counter top on one end with a sink in the center of it and small stove area just across from it that was adjacent to the tall fridge. The one thing that was truly a sight to behold in their kitchen, however, were the spice racks. Perhaps a few of the clear jars were filled with the regular spices - dried basil, cumin, sweet chilli powder - but the others contained an out of the ordinary array of dried wildflowers, edible weeds, and diced unknowns. What else would you expect from one child of Hecate and a girl of Native American heritage with a background in herbal medicine?

As Kiren took refuge in her bedroom and got dressed, Marilyn peeked in the pot. Lifting the lid cautiously, she peeked inside to see a concoction that looked innocent enough and the pleasant scent of pomegranate and cinnamon wafted towards her. "I'll take your word for it this time. It smells great!" Marilyn called out, regarding Kiren's statement about the possible bitterness. Let Marilyn tell you that being the first in line guinea pig for some of Kiren's sour and bitter potions for 'strength' or 'better skin' is not always the greatest. Still, Marilyn tried them. Most of them worked quite well in the end. "Sure, why not!" Marilyn said surely, pulling a sea-foam green mug out of the cupboard and tipping it in Kiren's direction.

Suddenly, the thought popping into her head, Marilyn recalled the gifts she brought back from her reserve to give out to her friends. Excitedly, she places the mug back onto the counter, "But first I have something for you!" Without waiting for Kiren's reply, Marilyn dashes into her bedroom and grabs a small black baggy made of velvet fabric and returns back to her original position. The contents of the bag clattered as she searched, eventually pulling out the bracelet that she had picked out for Kiren. She pushed the bangle into Kiren's hand as she spoke, "A woman on my reserve collects wildflowers and turns them into jewelry- I thought you'd like this one." Marilyn couldn't help the way her lips curled at the corners of her mouth in anticipation. "They're real flowers in there! I thought they so pretty, so I bought a couple for friends!"

The soft vibrations of her phone in her hand pulled Marilyn's attention away from Kiren for a split second.

[From Mandy♥]
[YOU'VE REPLACED ME WITH ANOTHER REDHEAD! :O How dare ye?! What about all the banter and craic we have? Did it mean nothing?! Well you can forget your present!
P.S. I may be a bit late to breakfast, gonna catch up with Jensen and then come down :3 x]

Marilyn could barely suppress her giggle when Amanda's distinct Northern Irish accent came to mind as Marilyn read the message. Marilyn loved the girl to bits and pieces- weirdness and all.

[To Mandy♥]
[ WELL FINE! PERHAPS MY NEW REDHEADED FRIEND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE PRESENT I WAS SUPPOSED TO GIVE TO YOU >:( I'm kidding, you're the only redhead for me <3 Come find me after your visit :) ]

[From TESS!]
[ Yeah, I'll be downstairs in a few. Food! :) ]

[To TESS!]
[I'll meet you half way and we can head over there together! :D]

Placing her phone back into her pocket, Marilyn's attentions turned back to Kiren and she motioned to her mug for some of the concoction. "I'm going to meet up with Tess and Amanda after this myself. Grab some breakfast before orientation!"

Along with lunch and dinner, breakfast was Hugo’s favorite meal of the day; though, in the good company of one of his best friends, it was made all the more enjoyable. Hugo spent his time lazily picking at a stack of fluffy, buttery pancakes made sticky with a heavy fixing of maple syrup and he was once again reminded of the Academy’s top notch cuisine as he savored the pleasant flavors and textures. Familiar faces began to steadily stream into the cafeteria, hungry demi-gods seemingly on the prowl for a satisfying meal to start off their day. A few people said their good mornings and hellos to himself and Priya and even if the two struggled to recall their names, they still returned the sentiments.

Hugo had been in the middle of telling Priya how his mother’s rich, doting boyfriend by the name Christopher had attempted to win Hugo’s favor by taking him to a championship soccer game over the summer, when his phone, which was located to the right of his plate, had vibrated noisily against the tabletop. Abandoning both his story and his cutlery, he reached for the device and Taj scrambled to move away from his position perched atop it.

[From Unknown]
[ Hey, going to eat food, wanna come with? ]

Hugo felt his eyebrows come together, scrunching in confusion, and his lips became pursed in intrigue. The phone number was foreign to him, he decided. Quickly cutting into his pancake and popping a piece into his mouth, he chewed leisurely as he sent a reply. His elbows rested against the table.

[To Unknown]
[ lol, sorry. Who is this? ]

“Pree,” Hugo questioned around the food in his mouth, “Do you know who this number belongs to?” He set his phone on the table, sliding it towards her.

Priya glanced across at the phone, picking up her toast with one hand and taking a bite while the other hand pulled the offered mobile closer for inspection. Her eyes scanned the number, and it only took a second to recognise the digits of her half-sibling, Tessa. Biting back a very unwomanly snort of laughter, Priya had to quickly gulp down her mouthful of bread and jam before she could properly answer.

Hugo’s little crush was well known to her, just as she was sure that her half-sister had more than a few romantic feelings for her pseudo-brother. Personally, she couldn’t see the appeal. Sure, Hugo has handsome enough, athletic and fit with defined muscles and abs, while dark, caramel curls frame a usually playful, smiling face, and ducky chocolate eyes seemed to sparkle with some mischievous plan. Priya supposed eyes were always good.

But Hugo was also a frustrating fool who frequently pretended gravity was failing in order to squash Priya to the ground, or wouldn’t stop teasing for getting a milk moustache one time. In short, he was just as much a brother to her as her own step-brother, and it was this bond that probably stopped her seeing him in all his resplendent glory. A fact that Priya could only think a hasty “Thank you Gods” to before responding to Hugo.

“That’s Tess’s number.” She told him, quickly putting down her piece of half-eaten toast so that she might hold his phone with two hands. Her thumbs make quick work of sliding up the messages already sent, and though she sees nothing juicy to use as ammunition, there’s still no reason not to tease Hugo, “’Lol, sorry. Who is this?” Priya reads, arching an eyebrow at her close friend, “Do you want to stay single forever?”

One moment the contents in his mouth were a harmonious combination of spongey breakfast confectionary and maple-flavored liquid ambrosia and the next they were a thick, heavy mass that stuck to the insides of his throat. Unable to control his reaction to the sudden tickle in his throat, Hugo began to cough uncontrollably. He tried to save Priya from the impending spray of masticated pancake by placing his curled fist in front of his mouth and turning away to face the opposite direction. At that moment, it was just a mess of Hugo trying to cough and swallow back his pancake. Priya’s whiskey colored eyes twinkled with teasing recognition and Hugo sent a glare in her direction, though it probably looks pathetic during his bout of coughs.

Tessa White is a fellow demi-god at Aeonis- seventeen years old and a junior, just as Hugo is, and a half-sister to Priya as the daughter of Hephaestus. Now, Hugo doesn’t recall the exact moment in which he saw her, only that he began to see her all the time. She often lingered in corner of his eye, standing there in the back silently observing the area around her and almost fading into the shadows. Hugo didn’t know how people could just disregard someone like Tessa, despite the shyness she possessed, because as someone who’s been around quite a few beauties in his time, Tessa is something else. She has long, golden blonde hair that comes to frame a heart shaped face. In turn, the face houses a cute button nose, big wondrous baby blue eyes, and petal-soft looking lips that are always turned upwards at the corners in a sweet smile. She just has this aura about her, one that’s dazzling, alluring, and charming all at the same time. It has Hugo gravitating towards her, wanting to get to know her, but although he retained the status as a shameless flirt, there was something about Tessa that just stopped him in his tracks.

“How does she even have my number?” Hugo asked, voice rough after he managed to stop coughing. He turned to her with his eyes narrowing and cheeks warming, “Was it you, you traitor? My goal is to actually get her to like me you know- wooing a woman is an art form that takes time and preparation.” So what if Hugo’s spent more than the required amount of time trying to gather enough courage to talk with her. However, Priya looked too innocent at that moment to have been the one who gave Tessa his number. He sighed, a less-than-manly pout forming on his face as he grabbed back his phone. “She probably just got the wrong number.”

There was a part of Priya that wanted to laugh at Hugo’s reaction, a large, dominant part that desired nothing more than to burst into laughter as he spluttered in his shock. Fortunately for Hugo, Priya had recently taken another bite of her breakfast and in order to maintain some semblance of dignity, and not spray the table with bits of half eaten toast, held the teasing laughter in. She made do with a devilish gleam in her eyes and a growing smirk as she swallowed her food.

“I didn’t give her your number, but I want to shake the hand of whoever did. Honestly Hugo, you actually have to talk to someone for there to be any chance of getting to know them.” While the advice was definitely sound – even if it was given in a rather teasing manner – it was probably a bit rich coming from Priya Aiken, who was known to fumble over her own words when speaking to the object of her own affections. Still, it was far easier to offer advice regarding other people’s love lives and she was very much invested in the idea of Tessa and Hugo getting together.

“Who’s to say it wasn’t the wrong number?” She offered, biting back another laugh at Hugo’s pitiful pout, “Why don’t you send her another text and ask? Or better yet just ask her out?”

“Easier said than done,” Hugo thought bitterly. He refrained from saying mentioning anything about Priya’s lack of communication, though still more than what he has with Tessa, with her own point of interest: Cornelius Abbot. In all honesty, the guy is a complete and utter prick. He has been nothing short of an ass towards Nessa and he’s not exactly all sunshine and rainbows towards Hugo. Weren’t the kids of Apollo supposed to be the nice, happy ones? Hugo would much rather Priya didn’t have any contact with the man at all, let alone date him.

Just as Hugo was about to formulate a response to Tessa – speak of the devil – Hugo looked up to see not only Cory, but his sister Nessa and her boyfriend Lake, as well. Hugo couldn’t hear what they were saying from his distance, but just by looking at Cory, his body language cocky and stupid-looking, he knew that he was already harassing Nessa. “Pree, I think we should go say hi to Nessa.” Hugo hissed, his voice sounding distant, “It’s been all summer since we’ve seen her.”

For all that Hugo was a known flirt and usually had enough confidence to woo with the most intimidating of girls, his inability to speak with Tessa was slightly perplexing to Priya. Yet, all thoughts of Hugo’s romances were pushed out of her mind the moment she followed his gaze. Nessa was walking towards the food line, her familiar head of blonde hair bringing a smile to Priya’s face. Nessa had been as good as a sister to Priya ever since they’d be put in the same dorm their first year of Aeonis. Seeing her was like completing the circle. Of course, these thoughts were also pushed from her mind as her gaze came to fall on the figure from which her dorm mate was fleeing – Cornelius Abbot. Cory doesn’t receive a smile, but rather a blush as Priya watches him grinning at Lachlan.

“Yes, let’s go say hi.” Priya agrees, nodding to emphasis her point. Though, while she sincerely means to say hi to Nessa, her gaze is still fixed on Cornelius Abbot and her smile seems to widen the longer she watches him. While Nessa and Hugo may think her crush ridiculous, Priya refuses to listen. She could list a million and one reasons why Cornelius is the epitome of what a young man should be. He’s funny, witty, smart, and that carefree smile always has Priya lost for words. “Then we can go chat with Lachlan.” Priya adds, cutting her gaze back to Hugo and putting on her best innocent smile. Priya isn’t particularly close to Lachlan and it’s probably more than clear why she wishes to join the table so recently exited by Nessa.

Hugo bites his tongue as he watches Priya get all dopey eyed in Cory direction, but instead of saying anything, he just grabs her by the sleeve of her shirt and leads her over to where Nessa is collecting her breakfast. The fizz of annoyance in his stomach begins to lessen at the sight of his adorable, goofy sister- one of which he hasn’t seen in ages. As silently as he can, Hugo lets go of Priya’s sleeve and creeps up behind the blonde. At the same time as he places a hand on Nessa’s shoulder, he quipped a low “Boo!” into her ear.

Marilyn giggled at the distant 'I love you' that echoed from the far end of the hallway, cheek still warm from the friendly kiss of a dearly missed friend. Watching Kiren scuttle about as she did brought merriment to her heart. Though in the end, Kiren's quick departure gave Marilyn little time to compliment her on the pleasantly fruity flavour of her convocation, one which was not too sweet and not too sour, unlike potions in the past. The kick of cinnamon left a refreshing tingle at the back of her mouth as she downed the last of the beverage, the heat of it not bothering the daughter of Apollo. The spicy zest lingered, even when Marilyn collected herself and slipped on her shoes. With a simple flick of a wrist, the lights flicked off and, once satisfied with the darkness of the room, Marilyn was off to the cafeteria.

Though Marilyn was eager to visit her friends, she couldn't help but slow her stride to lengthen the time she had to admire the academy. Of course the academy was something to be admired for it's intricate infrastructure, every stone, brick, and plank placed in a way that constructed a stunning visual. Also, Greece was something wonderful and breathtaking, especially for Marilyn who hadn't traveled further than out of her state growing up. However, at this time of year, when the leaves turned a vibrant array of red, orange, and yellow, it was more beautiful than ever. Even the air at a different taste; it was clean and crisp and just smelled like autumn.

Marilyn's steps faltered, becoming an odd, uneven gait as she became once again distracted by the messages appearing on her phone.

[From: TESS!]
[I think I'm just gonna go work in the shop. Not really hungry.]

Marilyn's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. This was unlike Tess- well, not unlike her to constantly be in her workshop, but it was definitely strange for her to back out of their meetings so suddenly.

[To: TESS!]
[What's up? Something happen? :( I can bring you a muffin or toast or something? ]

[From: The Grumpy Scotsman >:( ]
[ Let me know when you're free, a catch up would be great ]

[ To: The Grumpy Scotsman >:( ]
[ Well when are you free? We can meet up after school, maybe? ]

[From: Mandy♥]
[NO! COME BACK SENPAI| I LOVE YOU LONG TIME! T.T Lol so am I... I don't love you, pfft! I shall, will I bring your gift to the breakyfast of give it to you later? x]

[To: Mandy♥]
[ Present, gimme <3 I'm almost at the cafeteria and Tess bailed on me :( Come love me? ]

[From: Curly (Markus♥)]
[Hey Mari! I have most certainly missed you getting my slang wrong! Although if you do it these year, I think I may have to give you an F on your Northern Irish citizenship test :D I'm heading for breakfast, see you down there? :P]

[To: Curly (Markus♥)]
[ Do you think I came up the Lagan in a bubble? Quit faffin' about, our criac is fun!!! I missed you, Curly <3 I'll meet you in the cafeteria ]

Marilyn sighed fondly at Scott's overly formal way of texting and Mandy's completely informal, weird thoughts, the hole in her heart that had opened up over the summer being filled with the reappearance of close friends. The excitement of meeting up with friends intensified just as she came up to the cafeteria. Even from her current position at the entrance, she could smell the mouthwatering scents of freshly baked breads and newly toasted toast, breakfast sausages and bacon, and waffles, pancakes, and french toast. The aroma had her stomach grumbling as she hurriedly pressed on into the cafeteria.

Marilyn was met with the familiar sight of the cafeteria and it seemed that she had gotten there a bit late, for it was now filled with demi-gods on the prowl for breakfast before orientation. Marilyn would see a familiar flash of chestnut colored hair or hear a recognizable deep, resounding voice, but for now, searching for old friends will have to wait until she's grabbed herself some food. Her first instinct, as she loaded her tray, was go to for a fruit salad; the dish featured a mixture of glistening fruit and her favorite fruit, the pineapple, was abundant in her choice. Along with that, she grabbed herself a couple of Weetabix biscuits and a glass skim milk. What surprised her as she spun around in search of a table, however, was seeing Tess sitting by herself at one of the tables. Hadn't she said that she was going to be in her workroom? Nonetheless, she prowled over to where the blonde beauty sat and slid into the empty seat in front of her.

"Hey! I thought you said you'd be in your workroom." She ebbed, curiosity lacing her voice.