The Academy of the Holy Tribunal

Spoiler

Ignara, Goddess of Fire
Fierce and proud, Ignara's domain is the power of creation through destruction. Fire burns to purify and give birth to new life.

Aqualis, God of Water
Calm and contemplative, he governs the cycles of change, from calm streams to destructive tsunamis.

Terranox, God of Earth
The most ancient of the gods, Terranox is the embodiment of stability, endurance, and strength. His will is slow but unstoppable.

Aerithia, Goddess of Air
Free-spirited and unpredictable, she controls the winds and storms, bringing both gentle breezes and chaotic tempests.

Chrona, Goddess of Time
Cold and distant, Chrona manages the flow of time, ensuring that events unfold in the correct order, avoiding paradoxes.

Nerith, God of Space
Mysterious and quiet, Nerith controls the fabric of reality itself, defining the boundaries between realms and stretching the void between them.

Vita, Goddess of Life
(The Queen of the Gods)
Compassionate and nurturing, Vita's power is the gift of growth, birth, and creation of living beings.

Mors, God of Death
(The Keeper of the Fields and Mortal Disease)
Grim and patient, Mors governs the transition between life and the afterlife. He oversees the souls that pass from the mortal realm, keeping the cycle of existence intact.

Spoiler

*Your Character should be aged 18-19, as if it's their first year at the Academy.
*The Major and Focus List is in the OOC
*We have one open slot for a demi-god (Which would mean they'd have no second divine parent). Inquiry in the OOC to grab one if it's still available :D

Code: Select all

[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b] (17 or 18)
[b]Pronouns:[/b]
[b]Major God Parent:[/b]
[b]Minor God Parent:[/b]
[b]Major and Focus:[/b]

[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Favorite Weapon:[/b]
[b]History:[/b]
[b]Other:[/b]

Slots

[center]1. Death - @WeepingWisteria (Demi-God) (Council: Decay "Wynter")
2. Life - @Ley (Council: Plants "Gingko")
3. Time - @HildegardHope (Council: Archivist "Rena")
4. Space - @RangerofIthilien (Council: Celestial Bodies "Novae")
5. Water - @WeepingWisteria (Council: Rivers "Cattail")
6. Fire - @winterwolf0100 (Wildfire "Flint")
7. Earth - @Omni (Council: Mountains "Dogtooth")
8. Air - @JazzicusMaximus (Council: Wind "Nimbus")
9.. Earth -@JazzicusMaximus (Council: Crystals "Citachite")
10. Air - @Iggy (Council: Storms "Tempest")

Liraeth stepped through the gold gates of the Academy, her heart pounding. The towering spires of the loomed ahead, their silver and marble walls gleaming in the soft glow of the morning sun. Everything about this place felt grand--thrilling in its majesty, yet overwhelmingly unfamiliar.

She took a deep breath, trying to find anying familiar. Like...earth and greenery, or the chirp of spring birds. The soft crunch of her boots against the stone walkway grounded her, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of being out of place here. Her cloak of moss and flowers shifted with every step. This place--this pristine, structured world of marble and law--was far from the relaxing Sacred Grove where she had been raised.

Her mother, Vita, had spoken of the academy often with excitement, describing it as the heart of creation, a place where the most gifted learned to wield powers beyond imagination. Lira had always known this would be her path, but standing here now, the weight of her lineage pressed heavily on her back. She had expectations to live up to. As the daughter of Vita, Lira was the living embodiment of nature's will. Her mother's reputation was sacred, and it followed her everywhere she went. But was she ready?

The answer was simply...no. But the least she could do was try.

The Hall of Blessings was now straight ahead, its grand wooden doors staring back at her. This was where new students were welcomed, where they were introduced to the academy's teachings. But before Lira could step through those doors, she needed to visit her mother, the headmistress herself.

The corridors leading to her mother's classroom felt quieter somehow. As Lira continued her walk, she prepared herself for the dramatic conversation they were about to have. The Auditorium,her mother's classroom, was where students learned the delicate balance of giving life and shaping the natural world. Every student was required to take it, regardless of their study path. It was the only class Lira's mother taught, and she was thankful for it. Lira didn't want to endure her mother more than she already had to.

She reached the doorway, its surface carved with flowers and twisty vines that seemed almost alive. Lira hesitated. Being taught by the goddess of life was one thing, being expected to live up to that legacy was another.

Liraeth knocked softly.

"Come in, Liraeth," Her mother's warm, melodic voice called from beyond the door, as if she had known her daughter would be standing there long before the knock. Classic.

Lira pushed open the door. The auditorium was full of golden afternoon light, the scent of fresh earth and wildflowers filling the air. Plants thrived here, vines climbing the walls and flowers blooming in pots scattered across the room.

In the center stood Vita. Her forest green hair cascaded down her back, shimmering in the sunlight.

"Mother," Lira greeted softly.

Vita looked up from the small sapling growing on her desk. She smiled, "Lira, you've arrived! I wondered when you would come."

Lira stepped further into the room, "I wanted to come by earlier, but… there's been so much to take in."

"The academy can be overwhelming at first," she walked over to Liraeth, "But this is where you are meant to be, Liraeth. This is where you will flourish."

"I guess," Lira adjusted her bag on her shoulder, "Well... if that's all, I should probably go to Orientation."

"Oh, darling, but you've just arrived!" Vita swiftly moved to the windowsill beside them, studying each petal on a blooming daffodil, "Help me set this place up. Are you excited for class?"

Lira mentally rolled her eyes. "Sure, mother. So excited."

"Oh, Lira," Her mother clicked her tongue, shaking her finger dramatically, "Leave the sarcasm back at the Grove. You need to take this serious."

Lira sighed, "I know, Mother."

"Good," Her mother's body language perked up for just a moment, "Orientation sounds good. Let me know when you're done, and we can meet up to discuss your schedule."

"But mother, I can deal with my own schedule. I'm sure you have--"

"Liraeth," Vita inturrupted, "You have been waiting for this your whole life. And I'm going to make sure you accomplish the goals you so carefully took on. You will meet me after orientation."

"Of course, Mother."

"Now go. I guess I'll set up this room myself. Maybe I'll call Mors to help me." Vita sighed heavily, "Have a good Orientation, My Flower."

"Will do," Lira nodded her head once before turning towards the door. She pushed them open with a loud swoosh, and took a deep breath when she got far enough from the auditorium. As she made her way toward the Hall of Blessings, her thoughts raced.

Is this really what I want?

But with a deep breath, Liraeth straightened her back. One step at a time, she reminded herself. Even if she wasn't sure she belonged here, she would find a way to carve out her own place.

Corrick had been dreading this day since he had been born. If someone could have been born with a frown and the crippling weight of expectations upon them, Corrick would have been one of them. By day two of his existence, he was sure that he had mastered a scowl.

And every day since his existence began, Corrick had been hoping and praying that this day wouldn't have come. There were even days where he had contemplated squishing himself between two continental plates just to avoid his responsibilities. Of course, that kind of pressure wouldn't have left a mark on him, whether it be his own abilities or his divine parent's intervention. Because of course Corrick, out of all people, had to have been born from two Gods, with a capitol G. He couldn't be a normal human being with normal responsibilities, like farming or whatever humans did when they were his age. Maybe hunting? Wooing lovers to spend the rest of their short lives with? Whatever, he didn't know much about humans but that mattered not at all. He had heard stories about how humans worried and fretted about with their weak little bodies, but he also was acutely aware that these humans worried about nothing of importance. Their worries could be solved with a few decisions and if they could not, well, they would be dead in a few decades anyway. With lives that short, they could run away from their responsibilities with a simple death.

Not Corrick. He couldn't run away from this with something so simple as dying. His existence was a political matter; he had no doubt Terranox would figure out a way to drag him back from the void of non-existence somehow.

Corrick stepped through the Celestial Steps with a sigh as his body warped away from his home the past eighteen years and onto the cool metallic and crystalline floor. He had no doubt there would be an avalanche of shocks and first times in these halls, as he had not heard much about the Academy of the Holy Tribunal from his tutors growing up, and Dogtooth was even less talkative about the whole situation. Corrick wished he could at least adequately prepare for off-putting situations in arguably one of the most important parts of his early life. Terranox... well, Corrick talked to his Father maybe once or twice in his life. The God of Earth, as it turned out, was a busy being. Terranox and Dogtooth were also not on the closest of terms since Corrick's burst into existence, which Corrick could not help but feel was his fault. And Professor Dogtooth, as he liked to be called, was pretty tight lipped about anything regarding Corrick's duties and responsibilities. Well, the God of Mountains was pretty tight lipped about most anything and everything, but there were certain sore spots that Corrick couldn't help but dwell on.

The Academy itself was foreign to Corrick and he tried to quell an uneasy sense of not belonging that began to fester deep in his stomach. His footsteps echoed as he pressed forward into the hall he was in despite his growing concerns. It was as if, with each step Corrick took, the Academy reminded him how inconsequential he truly was with each hollow clink of his steps. The sounds of his existence were minuscule compared to the vastness of the bronze, the intricacies of the crystal decors that chased each other around the walls and down the halls into oblivion. And even the vastness of the Academy felt like it was attempting to encapsulate the infinite complexity of the celestial bodies that encroached just beyond the crystal windows to the beyond. It mocked Corrick's concerns just as he mocked humanity's concerns. Even as a God, Corrick would eventually fade away into stardust and the nothing would take him.

Gods, space annoyed him. He shoved off the existential crisis and took more time to absorb the information he needed, grounding himself. He was sure the celestial plane put those thoughts in his head as a way to get him out. Space and Earth never were the most compatible of two Godly jurisdictions, and Corrick always felt a little queasy whenever he set foot off of good ole plain Earth. Well, the Celestial Plane was about as "off of" Earth as it could be.

In front of Corrick stood the doors to the Hall of Blessings, where he would receive further instructions. However, that also meant he would have to mingle with staff and fellow students alike. He knew next to nobody in this damned academy, and he knew his father wouldn't be there. Dogtooth wasn't the most social of professors, and he certainly wouldn't be at such an event when his son was going to be there. Corrick would bet all he had that the first time Corrick and Dogtooth would meet in the Academy was during his first class with Professor Dogtooth. Corrick would have likely no interactions with his father here.

But Corrick knew that all of the staff knew of him. Likely they knew all of the new students coming in, as Godly offspring were big news in any instance, but Corrick was a special circumstance, because of course he was. Everywhere he went as a God or an offspring of Terranox and Dogtooth, he had to brush off looks and ignore hushed whispers. The faster he could find his dormitory information, the better.

Corrick shouldered his way into the Hall of Blessings.

Alexandria stared at the wide doors to the Academy for a moment, not exactly in awe, but rather in a measuring kind of way, as if she was double-checking something. Then she shook her head, pulling the hood of her cloak up and approaching the building. She hadn't thought she would ever come here. For her entire childhood she assumed that she would live among the humans that raised her, then their children, and grandchildren, chronicling their achievements, and guiding them. It had seemed easy enough, her creators certainly didn't seem to mind what she was up to. but here was nothing new to chronical anymore. Her compendium was far from completion, but at the rate she was writing, she would be done in a few years. Alexandria had become painfully aware that her upbringing on earth had left her rather unused to any of her divine abilities, other than for convenience, she didn't use them for much of anything. she hadn't been given anything particularly interesting in the way of abilities, but it was a place of severe lacking for her. She needed a proper education, one that human tutors could never give her. That was why it wasn't until a week before the enrollment period was going to end that she sent a politely worded information request to Rena, for maps of the school and past schedules of others of her parentage, all the same, informing her that Alexandria would be attending. Rena had responded with the requested information, and also Alexandria's own scheduled dorm, and necessary facilities. She had had her things mailed to the dorm room a few days before school was set to start, and now all she had to do was actually attend. Which was going to be the more interesting part. She rubbed her right hand as she coasted through the halls. She was here early enough so that she would be able to set her room up and still get to The Hall on time.

She knew the layout of the building, but the ornate decorations disoriented her slightly. The bright marble and ever-present glass was were dedicatedly lavish, the temples she had visited on earth, even the main Sanctum of her own, when it still stood, were nothing compared to the amount of pure expense that was put into meaningless hallways. There was something dazzling about it, she wondered. Was the entirety of the divine realm this... unnecessary? Or was it because the Academy was prestigious? She didn't like how little she knew about the land of her birth, she didn't like not knowing anything. She reached her dorm, and entered, the room wasn't large, but it wasn't small either, there was little décor, compared to the rest of the building anyway. There was a desk, a bed, an empty shelf, and a dresser. On her bed, a few bags had been haphazardly set down on slightly rumpled sheets. She sighed and began to empty them, placing her clothes in the provided drawers, and setting up her stationary on the desk. She carefully removed the En Memoriam, carefully unwrapping the books from their protective leather travel cases, she looked at the seven thick books, names carefully impressed into their lambskin covers, six of them were completed, one was unfinished, and sixteen were yet to be started. She placed the unfinished volume, labeled DOXA, on her desk. She looked at it for a moment, before turning away.

She rubbed her right hand again. It was still aching. If she wanted to keep up the same level of productivity, she would need to start training her left hand to write. She cracked her knuckles and looked around the room one more time, before nodding to herself and turning to leave. She shut the door behind her, and began to head toward The Hall, with more than enough time to spare. Alexandria couldn't help but feel slightly nervous now. Everything up to this point had been planned and orchestrated to give her an advantage. A strong foot to start off on. She had her schedule and the orientation would hopefully go somewhat as she expected, but now, there were things she couldn't plan for. You can never plan for people. She had learned that when she was still little. She liked to watch things from a distance, to stand on a pedestal to keep her removed, maybe that was because she grew up with her own cult, but she had never been willing to connect with anything on a personal level, pets, humans, she actively avoided others like her. Alexandria regretted that now, sometimes she wasn't sure if there was enough of a person in her to enjoy things. She knew this would be her first time really interacting with deities the same age, and that was entirely her fault. What would they say? How would they look? What type of things would they like? It was all quite unpredictable, but she wasn't the type to predict things anyway. All Alexandria was born to do was untangle what had already happened. She arrived at The Hall, and after a moment, entered.

As Edris stared impassively out at the never-ending sky, she couldn't imagine a worse way to start the day. The year, really, but she had to focus on one day at a time. She sat outside the huge gates of the Academy, back against the bars, legs crossed underneath her, watching the clouds as they drifted by lazily. The scenery was gorgeous, and she wasn't denying that. If the Academy were on Earth and she were here to learn literally anything else, she would probably be excited. Now though, looking at the perfectly formed trees, hearing the chitter of ancient animals skittering about in the underbrush, the rustles of fancy clothes on fancy Gods on their way to be trained by even fancier Gods, Edris wished more than anything that she could just burn it all to the ground. It would still be beautiful, in a way--all that red, all that warmth.

Maybe there was a way to change the powers she had, like one of those dramatic mortal movies. Maybe she could pull a "Divergent," walk away with the message of, "Oh! Look, how marvelous! You see, nobody can be constrained to one single thing, we're all just made up of everything, aren't we?" Skip off into the sunset. The thought made her wrinkle her nose. She'd prefer to just be a mortal.

Edris liked it on Earth. It was--well, it wasn't quiet, and it wasn't calm, but it was a lot better than the time she'd spent up here, on the Celestial plane. It was far away from everything that caused her trouble. Everyone. And now she was here. Back where everything that caused her trouble was.

"Edris." She startled, standing up suddenly and looking over at the source. Something inside her died a little bit at the sound of his grating, annoyingly smooth voice.

"Professor Flint," she said, taking a step back from him. He smelled like smoke--an obnoxious amount of smoke. He almost made her dislike the smell of smoke, even though she loved the smell of smoke. He was watching her with one of his concerned looks masked behind a cheerful grin. His eyes glanced up at her hair and narrowed a bit.

"You dyed your hair," he remarked.

"Six months ago," she replied.

"I guess I haven't seen you since then."

"You haven't," she said stonily. "That was a purposeful decision."

He glanced at her hair again. "You used to like your red hair," he said playfully.

"Someone ruined it for me," Edris said, and she could feel the air weigh down as his smile dampened, like she's splashed a little water on his fire. For the first time, she wondered what it might be like to be a firefighter; that would be rather thrilling, wouldn't it? Putting out all the fires he created? Almost as thrilling as destroying the pretty forests Ignara admired from afar. Maybe she could do both. She could burn the forest down, and then get there just in time to get rid of the fire, without saving any of it.

"Well," he said, taking a deep breath and returning the smile to his face, "it looks good. Do you have your things?"

"If I said no, could I leave to go get them?"

"If you said no, I'd send someone else to go get them," Flint said, finally snapping a little. He took another big breath. "Listen, Edris? I know you've got that rebellious attitude right now. I appreciate it, actually, I do. But you need to try to remember that your mother and I have hundreds of thousands of years on you. You're going to thank us later."

"I don't think I will, actually," Edris said. "So what happens if someone doesn't show up to any of their classes? Do they get dropped?"

Flint shook his head, turning away with a frustrated smile. "We're not doing this, Edris."

"What about if they fail all their subjects? Actually, is there a way for someone to study something other than what they're assigned? I'm pretty interested in death. Maybe something to do with water."

Flint turned and put a hand on Edris' shoulder, and despite herself, she flinched a little. She'd pushed it a little too far. His eyes were like embers, and the sweat on Edris' shoulder began to sizzle and evaporate. She bit her tongue from another remark as he stared into her eyes. "I will not hesitate to destroy whatever is keeping you tied so steadily to Earth if you do not do what your Gods have ordered you," he said firmly. "Do I make myself clear?"

"You. Are not. My God," Edris seethed, yanking herself away from his grip. "I'm actually Christian now, Professor. I have a new Godly father to pray to. Maybe he'll actually answer."

She could see his jaw clench and eyes narrow, before he laughed. "Sure, Edris. Now did you actually leave your things on Earth, or were you just being difficult?"

"No, I didn't leave my stuff on Earth," she muttered. "You told me I couldn't go back until I'm graduated, obviously I wasn't gonna leave my stuff there."

"Have you checked in?"

"Do you think I would be sitting outside of the gates if I had checked in?"

"You need to sign in for your room key. You'll get your class schedule there, along with supplies. You'll also be measured for the fire-proof clothing required for my courses."

"Some students get visitors passes to Earth," Edris said carefully. Despite how much she hated him, she was still at his mercy.

"You think I'd grant you a weekend visitors pass?" He said, frowning like he was genuinely confused. "You think I'm stupid enough to grant you that? Absolutely not. You'd try to disappear. You'll get a visitors pass when you prove you can act like an adult."

"Living on my own for several years doesn't qualify for that?"

"Living on your own?" He laughed, and she felt her cheeks go hot. "Living off of an allowance is not living on your own, Edris. Besides, you can never truly live on your own on Earth, we're worshipped by everyone down there. It isn't living on your own when a stranger would choose to help you for no other reason than your heritage."

"Thanks for clearing that up. Can you leave me alone now?"

"I don't know. Are you still contemplating burning down the Sacred Forest?"

Edris blinked. Was that what this forest was? In a way, that almost made it more tempting. Her silence was answer enough. "You can do whatever you like to distance yourself from us," Flint said, turning back to her, his eyes burning into her skull. "You're always going to be like me, whether you like it or not." He looked back at the forest. "It would look beautiful, wouldn't it?" He murmured. "Lighting up the sky, reflecting the red across everything and everyone."

Edris' heart sped a little. She hated herself for having thought the same thing.

"What's that in your ear?" Flint asked, and she turned back towards him. She let out a small breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. He hadn't meant to, but he'd given her back some of the power.

"It's a cross," she said, her fingers hand moving to finger the earring.

"Oh, don't tell me you were serious about the Christianity." Flint sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Does campus have a chapel? I think it's really quite discriminatory if I don't have access to a church service every Sunday. Do you think they'd grant me a visitors pass for that? On the grounds of religious expression?"

"You are not getting a visitor pass," he snapped again, and this time, the hairs on his arms stood, trailing smoke into the air as he waved them around in disbelief. He pointed a finger at her, and the smoke blocked most of his face except for the glow of his eyes. "You are going to learn to listen and accept what is best for you. We have been easy on you for far too long, but clearly, all that has accomplished is allowing the laziness to fester. We probably shouldn't have sent you to Earth at all, but we were trying to give you something you wanted, since you talk nonstop about how we never consider your opinion. Now--" He moved closer again, and Edris could feel her skin begin to heat despite herself, feel the fire crawling out of her like it was being summoned, magnetized towards his metallic gaze. "You are here. And you are going to do what you are here to do. You are going to show up to my classes, and you are going to show up to your other classes too, and you are going to train in your natural discipline that you were blessed by us to have. Am I understood?"

Edris stood with her breath caught for a moment. "Am I understood?" He repeated, and she glared at him as he lit her skin on fire, pulled it from her like he always could, as if she no longer had control of her own powers and herself.

"You're gonna burn my clothes," she complained.

"Am I understood?" Barely a whisper. The eye contact didn't stop. Finally, she had to glance away.

"Yes," she murmured.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, professor."

"Is that the word you think I'm looking for right now?"

She could taste ash on her tongue. "Yes, dad."

He pulled back. It was clear who had the power here, even if she hated it. They both knew she didn't have a choice. Maybe that was why she dug her heels in so much--it didn't matter. It didn't affect the results at all. She was stuck here for at least the next year--probably multiple, because they would insist she finish out a degree. The taste of ash slid down her throat, and she felt like she might choke on it. "Go get checked in," Flint said, turning and walking towards the entrance. "I'll see you in class."

"Not at the dining hall?" She couldn't help herself. It was a little snarky, but there was also a small part of the child in her that wondered if she wasn't even worth that--if spending time with her wasn't worth eating dinner.

He glanced back at her, and his gaze softened a little. "I have work to do. I'll eat dinner with you soon."

Edris steeled herself again. She was almost thankful for his incompetency, in a way--for his complete lack of effort to connect with her, since he had lost the connection when she was younger. It helped her feel more resolute in being right. "Don't bother. If you had been there tonight, I wouldn't have been hungry."

His eyes narrowed, before he shook his head. "I'll see you in class, Edris. I expect you to not be late."

She watched him walk away--so casual, hands in his pockets, hair sizzling and smoking like his eyes. She watched him walk inside the gate, back towards the building. She waited until she couldn't see him anymore before she collapsed to the ground again, shaking. The tears came suddenly, and she bit the inside of her cheek, trying to pull them back into her eyes. She couldn't ruin her makeup. With a single finger, she wiped the water away from her eyelashes, blinking several more times to dry them. A big, deep breath.

In her pocket, she could feel the piece of charred wood, her necklace. She pulled it out, staring at it blankly for several seconds, twiddling with the chain. The scruff on her face felt itchy now, like the fire Flint had pulled from her skin had caught the hair on fire too. She stuffed the necklace back in her pocket. She didn't belong here, but she didn't have a choice either way. The sooner she got checked in, the sooner she could sit in her room in the dark and think of all the ways she could try to annoy Flint into kicking her out.

After a long time, she stood up slowly, a little unsteadily. She wasn't used to completely flat ground like this, like the nature was a city that had been manufactured. The grass was flat like concrete. The flowers trailed the path like lights around a koi pond. The sooner she could get out of here, the better--and if she had to burn everything down in her way to get back to Earth and finally be left alone, then she would.

Precisely at 7 a.m. came a sharp rap on Lucia's dorm room door. The young goddess was still lying on her bed, in her favorite pair of baby blue pajamas adorned with fluffy white sheep. She was awake, and had been for about 30 minutes now, and knew that she was supposed to be getting ready for Orientation, but had spitefully shut off the alarm and closed her eyes once again. She knew her mother would show up at her dorm room regardless to ensure that she was on time. It was very important to Professor Tempest that her daughter made a good impression on the first day of school. It was even more important to Professor Tempest that her daughter showed up at all.

Another knock came, this time louder and perhaps a bit annoyed. Lucia sighed loudly and threw herself over the side of her bed, dragging her feet dramatically to the door. She unlatched the locks and opened the door with a lack of fanfare, gazing dully at the tall, slender woman who stood before her, with her white hair pulled back into a sleek bun and piercing grey eyes framed by a pair of black cat-eye glasses.

Professor Tempest cleared her throat and smoothed her hands over her flowing blue-grey robes. "Why aren't you dressed yet, Lucia?"

"Good morning to you too," Lucia rolled her eyes and turned away, leaving the door ajar so that her guest could come inside.

Her mother pushed forward a few steps, then stood firmly in the space between the door and her daughter's bed. "I would have wished you a good morning had you been in the Grand Hall for breakfast this morning. However, since you were not and still are not ready for your Orientation, I am forced to skip past the pleasantries and instead become the stern and unsympathetic parent you see before you. Get dressed."

Lucia groaned and stomped her way over to her closet, yanking open the doors. Inside the closet were her blouses, t-shirts, sweaters, and jeans, all neatly hung up. In contrast, though, were her shoes on the floor. Her ankle boots and sneakers were all thrown down in a pile. It was much like Lucia to start methodically putting away her clothes, only to lose her patience halfway through the project and end up throwing her shoes on the floor in exhaustion and annoyance.

Professor Tempest noticed this and crinkled her nose. "You shouldn't treat your shoes so carelessly."

"They're just shoes," Lucia remarked, sifting through her clothes until she found what she wanted to wear: a fuzzy lavender sweater that complemented her thick brown hair and her chocolate-colored eyes, and a light blue pair of jeans. She slid on a pair of light brown ankle boots and walked over to her bathroom, where she began brushing her teeth.

Her mother's steel eyes followed her around the room. "The way you treat your belongings is a reflection of yourself and how you will treat your responsibilities, both inside and outside your bedroom. If you can't handle putting away all of your clothes in an orderly manner, without losing your patience, then how can you be trusted to serve on your mother's council?"

Lucia had finished brushing her teeth and was now brushing through her thick curls. She took a comb and gently parted her hair down the middle of her head, then began pulling each side of hair back into a loose braid.

"I don't see how my messy closet has anything to do with my ability to be the magnificent air goddess you want me to become."

Professor Tempest's lips tightened into a frown. "You started something and failed to follow through with it. Of course it concerns me. A member of Aerithia's council must be disciplined enough to follow through on any and all projects they start."

Lucia bit back a groan at the mention of her other mother as she threaded earrings through her multiple ear piercings. With Tempest, it was always Aerithia's council this and Aerithia's council that. Never mind the fact that Lucia hadn't even seen Aerithia in a few decades. The Goddess of Air was too busy dealing with matters that went above her head, and that of Tempest Vânt's as well. So it was up to the minor goddess to ensure that their daughter was present and prepared for the Holy Tribune, which was proving to be a frustrating - and rather fruitless - task.

After Lucia finished slapping on some mascara and blush, she marched back over to her closet and, with a small huff of indignance, knelt down and picked up all her pairs of shoes until they were in a neat line at the back of her closet wall. Then, she stood up and looked at her mother with her hands placed smartly on her hips. "There. Is that sufficient?"

Tempest fixed her with a stoic stare and nodded. "Sufficient enough, I suppose. Though your demeanor could do with some improvement."

Lucia groaned and slammed the closet doors shut. "Alright, I'm heading over to the Hall of Blessings. Goodbye, Mother."

She made to move past the professor, who sidestepped back into her path. "I'll be escorting you. Everyone is welcome to attend and I have nothing else to do, so I was planning on being there anyways, but since you are headed there, we can walk together."

Of course. Lucia wasn't surprised, but she found herself still annoyed by this response. After the failed attempts to escape back down to Earth, Lucia was bound by magic to the Academy's grounds, but that didn't mean that she couldn't still slink around and skirt her responsibilities before they'd even begun. She figured her mother would all but drag her around by her collar to ensure that she did what she was supposed to do. But still, it was annoying to have a chaperone when one was centuries old.

"Fine," Lucia mumbled, and followed Professor Tempest out of the dorm room and down the hall that led towards the Hall of Blessings.

It was early morning when Avenelle awoke with a soft sound of happy content. The blankets were so soft and warm that they felt like clouds and her silk pillowcases kept her hair from becoming static which she greatly appreciated. The mattress beneath her was as equally soft as both the blankets and pillows to the point that she almost thought she had sunken into it partly overnight. It was all just the way she liked it.

There was soft light coming in through her windows already although whether it was starlight or sunlight she wasn't sure. Had the light been any brighter during such an early hour, she may have shut the curtains on her four poster bed but despite not being able to go back to sleep in fear of sleeping in too long, she found the light comforting. It was almost as nice as how the bed felt. Almost. She wasn't sure if anything could truly rival the comfort of the bed.

How does anyone manage to get up and do anything here? Avenelle silently wondered to herself, cuddling farther into the blankets. I don't think I will ever want to get up at this point.

She yawned and laid in her bed a while longer before the soft light from the window touched her cheek, warm and delicate like the fur of her mother's golden retriver, Buttercup, when he woke her up in the morning. Part of her wanted to reach over to pet the dog but she knew he wasn't there. She missed him a bit but knew he had to stay at home. that as okay though, maybe she could visit him and her mother eventually.

For now though, she was in a brand new place, one filled with so much magic available for her to learn. It was almost hard to believe still despite already being there; things that she never thought woud exist were now laid before her and she was determined not to dissappoint her father. Speaking of which, it was getting close to time to get up.

She stretched slightly and hummed to herself a saying her mother would always tell her, "Mieux vaut tôt que tard," before moving to get up.

She went over to her wardrobe and began looking through her assortment of clothes which she had brought from home and put away yesterday. From it, she pulled a white satin dress with a midi A-line skirt, a square neckline, and peasant style sleeves that stopped just above her elbows. In addition, she also pulled out a pair of light tan mary janes with a kitten heel and put the outfit on, accenting it with pieces of elegant gold jewelry and pearls, her favorite gem.

Avenelle smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror, doing her hair and light makeup. She looked quite pretty and elegant yet not too flashy and although she knew her appearance probably balked at the beauty of the gods, even the other students who were gods themselves, an attempt was still important to gain their respect

After all, appearance is over half of what makes a first impression. She thought, adjusting a bit of her platinum hair back into a half up half down style put in place with a golden clip. Best to make myself look professional at the least so that they know I am here to try my hardest.

Once she was finished, she fetched a notepad and a pen from off of her desk where she set it last night before exiting her room and making her way towards the Hall of Blessing where Orientation would be held. She wasn't entirely sure whether she would need the notebook and then pen but they would be good items to have either way.

On her walk down to the Hall of Blessings, she couldn't help but look out the window and marvel at the beauty of the astral plane. It was unlike anything she had ever seen and so much more astonishing then just looking at the stars in the sky from the ground on earth or even in a telescope. It was magnificent and seemed to go on forever, so deep and enchanting one might get lost in it even by just looking at it.

Despite having looked at the sky yesterday and marveling at it all for hours then, she found it equally mesmerizing looking at it now. It was almost as if it called to her, drawing her deeper into the wonders it held. This is what she wanted to do, she wanted to follow in her fathers footsteps and be forever enchanted by the wonder of space. All she had to do now was accomplish the trials set before her and then she would have everything she wanted, maybe even forever. She wasn't entirely sure how the whole being half human thing worked yet.

Avenelle wasn't entirely sure how long she had been standing there before she heard a deep voice behind her, one that seemed to echo from space itself "Avenelle, you be late if you do not arrive at the Hall of Blessings soon."

Avenelle blinked and quickly turned around, looking up at her father, Nerith. He was so tall it was almost hard to do so and even harder to focus on him with so many shiftin gcolors and hues that almost seemed to flow together. She wasn't quite sure where exactly to look.
"I didn't realize I had been standing here that long, I'll head there right away."

She was just about to leave when she noted quiet amusement in Nerith's eyes. "You are so much like your mother, always in wonder. Do not let it distract you, use that wonder to focus on your studies and learn well."

Avenelle blinked then nodded, taking her father's advice to heart. "I will. I won't dissappoint you."

Nerith nodded slightly. "I know you will not. Now, if you do not mind, I will walk with you until we reach the Hall of Blessings."

Avenelle smiled and didn't protest, finding it nice to have another parent figure that genuinely seemed to care for her. "I don't mind at all."

The two, father and daughter, walked quietly for a bit on their way to the Hall of Blessings before Nerith finally spoke again. "You do know why I brought you here, yes?"

Avenelle considered this for a moment before answering. "Well, there's no way for me to entirely know until you tell me but I have guesses."

"And what are those guesses that you do seem to possess?" Nerith asked with a hint of curiosity.

"Well one of them would be that I'm your daughter and that I belong here instead of entirely on earth?" Avenelle attempted, glancing up at her father.

"Correct," He replied simply, "But that is not the full purpose. Why don't you try again?"

"That I need to learn about the powers I have and how to use them?"

"Correct," Nerith responded, "But once again, that is only a small portion of my intent."

"I am a bit lost then." Avenelle admitted. "If neither of those make to fulfill your intent of bringing me here then what does?"

"You show potential." Nerith said softly, voice seeming to resonate through the hall they walked down. "I have observed you and watched how you learned from your mother. She trained you well in what she could and I have reason to believe that you should be well prepared for what is to come. You will do well here and make not only me but yourself proud with your further development."

Avenelle was silent for a moment, outwardly smiling but internally beaming from the praise she had recieved by non other then her own father. In fact, when she spoke again, she could not hide the joy in her voice, still a little giddy from such a compliment by someone so powerful. "I will do everything in my power to ensure I do so. I won't fail you."

Nerith shook his head but in a lighthearted manner. "Do not worry about failing me, my child. There are plenty here that solely worry about failing their creators. No, achieve all you can not for me, but for yourself. You will go much farther that way."

Avenelle was a little surprised by this as it challenged much of which she had thought of before. Although this gave her many realizations which she which she had also not had before of how many assumptions she had made on who her father was. "I'll remember that, thank you."

"Of course my child." Nerith hummed thoughtfully.

As they approached the large wooden doors that led to the Hall of Blessing, Nerith spoke again. "Now that we are here, I trust that you will likely wish to attend Orientation on your own. I see you are prepared as well." He said, glancing at the notepad and pen in her hands.

Avenelle smiled smiled and nodded happily. "I don't want to forget anything."

"Very wise." Nerith nodded then motioned to the doors. "Now it would also be wise if you were not late. Enjoy your Orientation and should you wish to speak with me again, I will be in my observatory."

"Thank you! I'll be sure to visit sometime," Avenelle happily responded, "it sounds lovely."

Nerith nodded simply and motioned for her to enter the hall.

Avenelle smiled and pushed open the heavy carved doors before she slipped inside. However, she realized as they closed behind her that she didn't exactly know where her father's observatory was.

Hm, maybe I should have asked... She thought, glancing around at all of the splendor of the hall. Her eyes quickly caught on the other people there however. Oh! Maybe I could ask one of them to show me later. Surely they know their way around here better then I do. I'll just have to try my hand at making a friend.

As Alexandria entered the hall of blessings, she was once again surprised by the sheer decadence that leaked from every pore of the architecture, gold plated pillars winded up toward the high domed ceiling, and ornate, and impossibly small detail was carved into every possible location, the smooth floor was made in large stripes marble painted painstakingly with designs of foliage that Alexandria didn't recognize, possibly something native to the celestial plains. The Hall seemed like it was typically meant to be empty, with tables and chairs set up as people walked to and fro, she was a little surprised at how inhuman some of them looked, compared to herself, it made sense since they weren't human. She wasn't human either. It was a fact that she had always known, and she had been exalted for, Alexandria wondered if maybe she was too human, if growing up among mortals had made her think or act differently than the strangers who kept walking from table to table, signing up for classes, some of which she could even be related to. She rubbed her wrist. It was still aching slightly. 

She scanned the tables for Rena, relatively sure that she would be able to identify her from the murals that had depicted her in the temple, she stepped away from the entrance and began to walk with a purpose toward a table where a young-looking woman with short brown hair and blue eyes sat. There was a short line of others standing in the front of the table. Alexandria assumed that these were her relatives. She rubbed her wrist and took her place in the back of the line. She momentarily worried that she had gotten in the wrong line, but dismissed the thought. 

A soft voice interrupted her thoughts. "Excuse me," the voice said. Alexandria turned her head to see a young woman around her age standing beside her. Her ocean-blue eyes were gentle, and her golden hair sat just below her waist. "I couldn't help but notice you're in pain. I felt it from all the way across the room. Your wrist... may I help you?"

"Who are you?" Alexandria asked, looking at the stranger, she rubbed her wrist almost unknowingly in reaction to the sudden appearance. 

The girl smiled softly and fixed her posture, "I'm Lira. I'm attuned to the life around me, and I felt your pain the moment you stepped into the Hall. It's my gift. My mother is Vita, the Goddess of Life. The... headmistress," Lira's excited expression changed to a look of disappointment at the mention of her mother. 

"Alexandria. Creation of Rena and Chrona." She said she glanced down at her wrist, it was severely limiting her productivity, especially with school starting. "I suppose you can heal my wrist, although, I don't understand why you would want to."

Lira nodded, "I don't need a reason to help. I've been taught to alleviate pain. To ease the suffering of others. No one should be burdened by pain when it can be relieved." 

Lira took a step closer. She extended her hand gently, hovering it near Alexandria's wrist without touching it, as if giving her a moment to decide, "I promise it won't hurt. It's just a pinch, nothing more."

Alexandria gave Lira her hand. "Sometimes people need to suffer, especially the immortal." 

"You're not wrong there," Lira smiled wearily as a soft glow appeared over Alexandria's wrist. The warmth spread through her skin, not in a burning way, but in a soothing, comfortable pulse like the feeling of sunlight, "I don't think the gods have ever experienced pain."

"I'm sure it had to have happened to them at some point." Alexandria said, flexing her fingers, "Pain is easy."

"Depends what pain we're talking about," Lira removed her hand, just as the pain started to disappear, "Emotional pain... I think they're afraid of that. Physical pain to them, especially our creators, must be nonexistent. Are you close with Rena and Chrona?"

"I was raised on Earth. Rena would send me yearly reviews to make sure I was well taken care of. I've never met either of them in person," She glanced at the steadily shrinking line "This will be my first time." 

Liraeth glanced at Rena, who was heavily engaged in a conversation with another one of her creations, "I see. I've never been to Earth. It's my dream to get out of here, once we finish the trials and visit Greece. I heard it's delightful."

"I grew up there." Alexandria said, "It is, the people, the food, when I eat it, its not nearly as bright as it is here, or as... perfect." She managed to make a perfect sound like an insult. 

"There are some places here that are far from perfect. Not many, though. So I guess you're right," Lira smiled, stepping aside slightly, "My mother told me a while ago that all students will have to take Mythology of the Divine Realms. Let's chill together during that class. I'm sure we'd be able to help each other out."

Alexandria looked at Lira, slightly surprised. "Alright. Sounds fine." 

Lira went to turn away, but hesitated, "Oh. And uh, if you meet my mother. I'm sorry. She can be... a lot. Just smile and nod. That's what I do."

"Thank you. For the advice." Alexandria said, nodding.

She watched as Lira vanished into the crowd and turned back toward the line, there was only one person in front of her now. Alexandria inspected her wrist, the pain was gone, and even the red marks from her constant rubbing had vanished. The person in front of her slipped out of line, and she dropped her wrist and approached Rena. 
    
"Hello, Justine." Her creator said Alexandria wasn't surprised by her voice, she sounded like how she wrote. 
        
"Hello Professor Rena." Alexandria said, "I am supposed to ask you for my schedule, correct?" 
        
"You are," Rena said, pulling out a file and handing her a piece of paper. 
        
Alexandria took it and began to look it over. "Thank you," she said 
        
"I was surprised that you changed your mind about attending," Rena said, 
        
Alexandria looked up, she hadn't expected her to continue the conversation, although, perhaps she should have, based on how long the line was. "I've never had any formal schooling. It should prove to be enlightening." 
        
Rena nodded, then laughed, "Yes, if it isn't I'd be concerned." 
                
"I'm sure that there will be no problems," Alexandria said, 
        
Rena nodded again and smiled. "I saw you speaking with Liraeth, It's good that you are beginning to make friends. Based on your reports I figured you would be somewhat at a loss in that department." 
        
Alexandria blinked. Friends. Right. Had she done that? "I have plenty of experience with people." 
        
"With mortals, Justine," Rena said. "It isn't quite the same thing." 
        
For a moment, she wondered if Rena had read her mind somehow, and plucked out her doubts for later analysis. "I am aware." Alexandria closed her file and squeezed it gently. 
    
Rena gave her a look somewhere between concern and curiosity, but she didn't comment on it, instead, she said: "What had happened to your wrist earlier?" 
        
        "I sprained it while writing," Alexandria explained. "I suppose that I overdid it a tad." 
        
"Be more careful." Rena said, "It wouldn't do to have you write yourself to death before classes even start." 
        
"Yes Professor Rena." Alexandria said. 
        
Rena turned to look at the next person in line, and Alexandria slipped back into the crowd, perhaps a little faster than she needed to. Rena was exactly how she had expected her to be. Still, she felt uneasy speaking to her directly. She preferred it when her creators had existed as towering figures in the background of her accomplishments. Was it just concern over the potential loss of efficiency that Alexandira being in an injured state would cause? Or was it a concern for Alexandria's well-being? It would be terribly inconvenient if Rena decided to start trying to mother her now. 
        
Alexandria didn't need any more mothers. And Rena had plenty of sons and daughters to mother. As she weaved through the crowd she glanced back at the table once more. Looking at the line of her relatives. Yes, it was easy to slot her into that position, wasn't it? Mother speaking to son or daughter. Brothers speaking to sisters. Half-siblings meet each other, full siblings laugh with each other. Most of them bear an uncanny resemblance to each other, as children of Chrona, not all of them Rena, not in any definable way, maybe it was the slight curve of the cheekbones? Or the vague agelessness of the eyes, or perhaps it was the way that almost everyone seemed to have longish hair, she had long hair, it had always grown unusually fast. Rena did not have long hair. She doubted that the deity would need to cut it, so perhaps that came from Chrona's side of biology. 
        
Whatever it was, it was evident that she didn't carry too much of it. The artificial means of her creation had somehow stripped her of whatever that soft, ageless similarity that her relatives all held with each other was. She saw a few others like her. Those who were so obviously created, and not born. Although she couldn't tell what was so obvious about it. But they were in the minority. It was strange. To look at people who, if the circumstances of her existence had fallen on a slightly different trajectory, she might've found herself calling family. 
        
But she had no desire to do so now. She had had enough of mothers and of their children. Of people who if she was not what she was, she might've found herself calling family. Of little hands braiding flowers, for her, and not with her. Alexandria realized that she had stopped moving, and without any goal in mind, began to walk again. She realized she had never learned how to make flower crowns. She realized that chronicling those little apocalypses like she was created for was going to numb her one day, and maybe that was why Rena and Chrona didn't give that occupation to one of their daughters.

As she made her way over from the doors, Avenelle spotted a girl out of the crowd out of the crowd who looked friendly enough and began making her way over to her. While she could tell the girl, like many of the other students in the room was fully divine simply by the aura she presented, she seemed a little unlike the other students in the fact that there was almost a familiarity to her, something that reminded her of her home, and earth. Avenelle smiled kindly but was clearly as new and slightly nervous as many of the other numerous students in the hall, shown by the simple act of repeatedly spinning a pearl on the necklace she wore. When she was near enough and spoke, she tried to speak as clearly english as possible but her voice still had a thick french accent to it despite that. Luckily though it didn't make her too hard to understand. "Hello, my name is Avenelle. Who are you?"

Alexandria blinked, really, another person had approached her? There was something off about her voice that took a moment for her to place, but when she did, a curious expression appeared on her face. "You're French." It wasn't a question, Alexandria allowed some of the greek accent she had so carefully replaced to leak into her voice.

Avenelle quickly picked up on her accent as well and perked up but was not quite be able to place where it was from. However, she happily nodded in confirmation to Alexandira's statement. "I am indeed!"

"Huh." She said, still staring at the girl, there was something else, perhaps it was the lack of the utter perfection that every other person she had interacted with seemed to have, or maybe it was her clothes, they were distinctly earthen. "You're human." then Alexandria corrected herself, a full human wouldn't be here. "Somewhat human."

Blinking at how fast Alexandria had realized and picked up at that fact, Avenelle slowly nodded, seeming rather surprised. "Yes I am. I suppose you would call me a demigod?"

"Oh, maybe, I would probably call you Avenelle, though." Alexandria said, she had a feeling this was not going well, and suddenly remembered to introduce herself. "...My name is Alexandria."

Avenelle smiled once more at that. "I appreciate it. It's a pleasure to meet you, Alexandria."

"You as well." She said, with a curt nod.

"Is this your first time here as well?" Avenelle asked curiously
with a slight tilt of her head.

"Yes, it is, I would think it's most people's first time, i don't think second years have to come to orintation." Alexandria said, "Have you gotten your schedual yet?"

"Oh yes, that makes sense." Avenelle hummed. "And yes, I have. I spoke with my father this morning actually."

Alexandria nodded to herself. "oh good. Who is your... father?" She couldn't tell just by looking at her, some of the others were painfully obvious once she tried to guess, but Avenelle's humanity seemed to be hiding it somewhat, that would probably be useful for her in the future, if she ever needed to go among humanity without causing too much of a scene, Alexandria wished that she could hide her nature that easily.

"Nerith." Avenelle replied happily, almost a little proud at the fact that he was her father. What was there not to like about him? So far he had treated her with respect and thoughtfullness and he truly was very nice, at least as far as Avenelle had seen so far.

"Space then." Alexandria seemed to muse. "Interesting. I never would've guessed, if you don't mind me asking, why are you here?"

"Well, to continue my learning I suppose. I greatly enjoy it and would like to enhance what I can do as right now I may know some but that knowledge is near useless if I cannot use it. Although, I did not even know about this all until not long ago and Nerith said I showed promise." Avenelle said thoughtfully, almost still considering if she did fully show the promise Nerith saw in her. She knew she was not nearly as perfect as so many of the other fully divine students.

"...alright, but why here?" Alexandria said, "on earth you could most likely start a cult of your own, you may even been able to ask Nerith for an extended lifespan if you didn't already inherit one, there are colleges in France, i'm sure you could become quite the astronomer if you chose to follow your element."

"...A cult?" Avenelle asked, blinking. The thought of that had never crossed her mind before. "I'm not sure I would exactly know how to go about starting one of those. I might have been able to be an astronomer, but if what both of my parents say I possess is true then that might be dangerous should it chose to show at the wrong time... I'm not sure I would know what to do if that happens."

Alexandria looked confused for a moment. She seemed to digest what Avenelle was saying. "Huh, interesting. Still..." She seemed to looked through Avenelle, her purple eyes far away. "Even if everything is going to be destroyed one day, by you, or another, wouldn't the experience be worth it? You are, at least partly, divine in nature. Part of that nature is to govern over mortality, what kind of a god would you be if you were never worshiped?"

"I'm... not sure I understand." Avenelle admitted after silently blinking for a moment. "I'm not fully a god. Do I really have that authority?"

Alexandria tilted her head, looking very inhuman indeed at the moment. "You are here, at a college, for young deities, if you did not, then you most likely would have died somehow already, or been enthralled or whatevery happens to tresspassers I haven't read up on that yet. Besides, our kind aren't the only ones who rule, humanity rules over itself, we just have the only real right to do so."

Avenelle shuddered a little as she thought of her particularly violent family history, at least the human side, that had derived from just that reason. "I see..."

Alexandria furrowed her brow. "I'm sorry, did i upset you? I do like humans, i wouldn't be here if all mine hadn't died." She looked sad for a moment, but it was a facismile of sadness that seemed to hide something deeper.

"No, no, it's just that rule is a tricky thing and the human part of my family does not have the best history with it." It was so odd speaking as if humans were something different then her when she had spent so much of her life believing she was fully human. However, Avenelle quickly noticed Alexandira's sadness and decided it was best to maybe try and change the subject to something lighter after answering her question. "Oh, did you live on earth too? I thought I noticed maybe a farmiliar accent in your voice before but I wasn't sure where it was from."

"Yes, i grew up there, in greece." Alexandria said,

"My mother and I traveled to Greece once!" Avenelle said happily, smiling at the similarity they now shared. "It was such a beautiful country!"

"I was just outside of Athens, although i doubt we would've personally crossed paths, if you went to Athens, you may have encountered some of my followers," Alexandria said with a smile.

"Maybe! Although I was only there for about a week and we stayed in smaller towns. I think we went to Athens once though." Avenelle mused.

"Its a small planet." Alexandria laughed.

Avenelle giggled, "Apparently so!"

She smiled, there, she was talking normally now, what now... um... oh! "Another girl and I are going to be sitting together during Mythology of the Divine Realms, you should join us." Lira wouldn't mind, right? This was a thing she could do?

Avenelle beamed. "I would love to, thank you!"

Alexandria smiled again, "Its no problem."

"Oh, speaking of which, do you happen to know where most things are around here?" Avenelle asked. "I did a bit of exploring yesterday but not much and my father said I am welcome to visit him in his observatory but I'm not entirely sure where that is yet."

she nodded, "Yes, i memorized the layout before I arrived, here, let me draw you a map..." She pulled a notebook and... was that a feather quil? out of her cape from somewhere, she looked around for a hard surface before frowning and snapping her fingers, causing the paper to go rigid and float in the air. Her hand scrawled across the paper at incredble speeds, and apparently with incredible accuracry as well, because, despite the fact that she didn't dip the quil in any ink, a neat map had appeared on the paper. A moment later she plucked the paper from where it floated and handed it to Avenelle. Everything was labeled in neat caligraphy. "I circled the observatory for you." Alexandria said.

Avenelle was in awe as she happily accepted the map, incredibly impressed. "Thank you very much! This is amazing, it will certainly be useful! How were you able to make it so fast?"

"Huh? Oh, biology. I'm an Arcivist. Creation of Chrona and Rena." Alexandria said, "Its really not that impressive."

"I would say it is!" Avenelle said happily, "Archivist or not, that is a wonderful skill to have."

"Thank you." Alexandria said.

She nodded, and glanced at the map, noting where her father's observatory was before remembering how Alexandria had made it float rigidly in mid-air. "Is being able to make it float and be rigid part of being an Archivist as well?"

"Most likely, I haven't spoken to any of my relatives to see if it is a method they have used as well, but I just... slowed it down." Alexandria said, "So that it would stop moving."

"Oh, okay, that makes sense, in a way I suppose." Avenelle replied.

"Its not something I can do on a larger scale, really, but it is useful if i drop something breakable." Alexandria said,

Avenelle laughed softly, "I can see that being incredibly useful in that case."

Alexandria laughed as well. "Well, we should probably get going."

Avenelle smiled and nodded. "Probably a good idea."

"See you on tuesday." She gave a little wave and disapeared into the crowd.

"See you then!" Avenelle happily waved back, very glad to have made a friend. Knowing someone else around here would make her time much more enjoyable and helped her feel a little more at home in such an otherwordly place.