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[indent][indent][color=757670] She had left the house just as [i]he[/i] had: plywood against glass, velvet curtains whispering against old, Victorian wood a dull, chipped beige bruised with weather and time and eroded in places that wept with the rain. The records were stacked to the ceiling, instruments kept to the walls atop one another, tacked high above her crown where as a child she had gazed upon them with a strong, firm hand sweeping through her locks, teasing and playful and there a sad smile that never quite reached [i]his[/i] eyes. A young Emma never touched their likeness, yet here in her farewell she caressed aged casings and strummed over taut strings that hummed beneath her graces. A solemn goodbye parted from her lips and eyes twinkling in the crisp hours of an early day, the night suspended in fog and a moist breeze that promised an early Autumn. Starlight shined bright upon unshed tears, a sorrow that eclipsed her bitterly in throes of malice, a shadow that haunted her steps even as she left the house once more upon the summons of her crippling birthright. In her grasp she clutched tarnished silver and uttered a prayer, one whispered in a mantra and murmured into her ear every night she dreamed or told desperately to her by the only man alive who could touch her without succumbing to the turmoil of power quaking 'neath her breast.

Upon his thought, the likeness she adored and loved bloomed within her mind; warmth and devotion, a bond of kinship and something more that simmered there in hearts of night and darkness. At her booted heels of scuffed leather and silver, her shadow shuddered and twined itself upon her shoulders in the mock embraces of her brother, and in the void upon her nape stars shone brightly within the suspension of a black hole.

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The Academy's splendor never ceased with each semester, it hung prettily within a glow of mythic embellishment, where if she canted her head just so, the shimmering, kaleidoscope barrier maintained by the goddess who was wreathed in misconception as much as her own mother was seen in a myriad of pastel, rainbow hues. They maintained the presence of nightly wonders and Nyx whispered tales and stories where she spoke with her many moons upon the crossroads she guarded with torchlight and key. Emma slung worn, beaten leather over her shoulders and exhaled steadily, allowing the comfort to settle against the off colour sweater she wore, a shade suspended somewhere betwixt white and pale yellow that cupped to dainty shoulders with ebony lace peeking from the twist of coal tresses barely contained. Through the phases of introductions, this daughter of Nyx skirted the grounds with her luggage carted behind her, hands twisted through a black chain, matte black nails prickling against her sallow skin with every trudge of her boots towards the Hestia proper. Starlight eyes ticked critically, oblique observations as she watched the castings of shadows from the buildings and searched in vain for her brother -- they hadn't really spoken all summer, something desperate and raw that left their last year tasting much like soot and ash on her tongue from his widely known offense of power during a yearly soiree.

Emma had taken upon his rage with a gluttonous purpose, digesting the emote of tragedy and felt within her heart the might of his wildly bidden heart. It was a glimpse into his soul that still left her within disparity, for even with her spirit and hand woven to his, Damien was still [i]lonely[/i].

A breath of a sigh whistled from parted lips the same instance the heavens boomed and summoned her to the Ares Colosseum, the likeness of the Headmistress's bust glared down upon her, a stern reproach awaiting any and all. Emma cast her eyes upon her belongings with a pinched expression, her grace of touch over each carrier before others began to file in pursuit and thus she followed, barely noticing the man off to her right with hair spun of gold. The trinkets within his locks caught the sunlight purposely, thin rings woven onto thick braids and a whipping tail that brushed across broad shoulders and dipped between his blades. Emma's breath caught the moment their figures brushed, and she saw scarlet twine woven thrice around his neck and coiled within his clutch, she felt the configurations of chains upon his heart and panted around the brightness of his figure suddenly ablaze.
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[indent][indent][color=745449]Avem Vogel had known the endeavors of his half-sister Helena's project weeks prior to her summons -- he refused on most days to acknowledge her mantle of Headmistress -- and already secured his area of the shared apartment. When one lived at the Academy their whole life, it was just a manner of shedding skin and living through the motions of his foreseen existence, Hera had once told him it was only fitting he change rooms every year, despite protests, and he had obeyed without question. Though, he had done a little investigating through the offices of his superiors, had glanced over the profile of his alleged roommate in advance and pondered on her mannerisms. Thin in the balletic grace of a bi-mortal child with a dour expression, she appeared almost eternally pensive, the sort of woman that hid beneath a stubborn glamour with enough bite to even break him into hesitation. Avem had taken in auburn locks and brown eyes set prettily within a square face that hinted towards a womanly beauty that she had not quite tapped into and uttered her name in silence; a child of Artemis. Irony coated his teeth, prompted a prod from his golden tongue and a press against his pouted lip, he wondered then if his mother knew of Helena's supposed experiment and would she find it just as paradoxical as he that he would be paired with a child of the hunt and moon.

Helena had known he would find out, she had bitterly foretold his scheming with her belittling twinge of voice, often greeting him with sardonic charms that were baited upon his eternal inquiry of: didn't she find it amusing to marry a son of Zeus? [i]What would Hera say?[/i] He asks, bubbling laughter and nebula adorned eyes whipped with gold and sapphire, his stance open and wide for her scathing repertoire. She would never rejoin his derisive attempts and even now with her image emblazoned upon the sky, he could [i]feel[/i] the iron adorned fist she would bring upon his head should he decline. He breathed, whistling breath through his pierced nose and brushed invisible dust from his broadly set shoulders clad in dark quarter sleeves, the threads of his blouse dyed a royal blue and pants black on black. It looks wonderful upon you, Hera once said, and Avem took to her praises with ease and eager grace. With his hair swept half up and down, decorated in gold, and wrists loosely adorned in brass, Avem plodded towards the Collesuem and hardly noticed the shadow wreathed figure coming upon his flank.

They touched, briefly, a singular breadth of contact that elicited a gasp from both, heavy threads of aphotic dread clung to her profile, sopping wet with shadows and the night sky, starlight blinding and then --

	[color=9b948d]"Oh! I'm sorry - uhm."[/color] She flinched, those eyes of a night sky unmoving the moment Avem reached out, steadying her slight figure. He knew immediately who she was by the drape of leather and shadows over her grace and the uttered rumours of her rather unhinged brother, he wonders then, if he were here now, would he strike him down for righting her? 

	[color=#e0d8b0]"No harm,"[/color] he whispers, releasing her arm, unable to dispell that vision of a gaping sky and the thrum of powers quivering beneath her skin. His own flesh was aglow in golden light, subdued in relation to her expressive shadow cast at her heels in a wide, churning whorl. His brow quirked, slight, his lips poised in an inquiry to her state of sudden unease until the summons repeated once more, drawing a sigh from his chest that bespoke of his exasperation. Instead, he swept his gesture broadly and allowed her forward, he hardly noticed that she toed away from him, keeping a full three feet away from his tall, muscled figure.

	[color=#e0d8b0]"Shall we, Ms. Laurent?"[/color]

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They were among the throng of shuffling demigods, those that had debated and pondered among the means of the assembly so early within the return of the semester and had hurried during the Headmistress' recycled summons. A queer pair, gold and black, a child of Hera and one of Nyx, goddesses that ruled opposite realms and with glaringly different agendas and approaches. Avem glanced down, among the twists of her ebony hair there were faint pings of light, glittering dust that disappeared as soon as he saw them, but then he noticed the way her eyes raked through the crowd; up, down, sweeping left to right until they suddenly became lightened with silver ribbons. He followed her hope-filled gaze to Damien seated above, however, the press of bodies prevented her from little else, but only a small, bell-like sound of happiness that bubbled in her chain adorned throat. No sooner than when she found him did the gathering begin, and there were admissions of surprise and some with disbelief, colourful words spilled from lips as Helena summoned them all forward. Her smile twisted around his name, slick and red, the same aplomb she used in her pretty speeches dropping an octave to something ill and sick.

Their eyes met and he rose to the challenge, his smile broad and bone white.

Emma was already standing at attention, hands folded primly afront and her shadow oozing, trickling in waves across her steps as it reached for Damien called immediately after her. Avem already found Kelsey among the students, his marbled eyes coming to rest upon his other sister next, one like him in many ways and alike their mother in more; she was beautiful in a harsh way, swift lines and words and a crown of lies upon her head just like his. His expression soured, briefly, lips twisted when he saw the usual company she kept and the way she greeted them, juvenile he thinks. Her preferences were what they were, he supposed, his posture waning until he stood, hands tucked and presence withdrawing as he simply [i]watched.[/i]

His roommate -- Kelsey, he amends -- busied herself with planning a night of debauchery, if her conversating with Dustyn was any indication towards her endeavors and habits. Avem's simper lifted at that, for who did not know of the children of Dionysus and their particular delights of all things carnal. And so he slunk closer upon the fringes of those gathered, whispers of parties and dalliances abound, his eyes and ears never missing anything and the threads that bound everyone together within a plethora of blinding colours. He breathes, taking in the wealth of teachings from his mother, the rememberance harsh and bold, her tutelage pristine and said --
	
	[color=#e0d8b0]"Excuse me, ladies."[/color]

Somewhere behind him, a hopefull sister greeted her brother with tearful smiles and twinkling eyes.[/color][/indent][/indent]
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