House of Night *Started*

Zoey

The walk from the dining hall to Spanish was only slightly awkward. Ethan seemed nice--though I was certainly not going to trust my judgment of the five minutes we'd known each other. If it was one thing I knew from high school, it was never trust someone you don't know. But I kept a smile on my face--which wasn't all that hard--as we walked in silence.

"I think you'll really like Professor Garmy," Ethan said finally. "She reminds me of a bird sometimes, but she's really nice." I couldn't help but laugh a little.

"A bird? I'm not sure all birds are nice," I said, trying to make small talk and keep things from going awkwardly silent. Ok, so maybe I didn't really have to keep my guard up with Ethan. He generally seemed like a nice guy, someone I would want to know. And maybe I would get to know him.

He looked down at me and smiled. I noticed then that he wasn't looking at my Mark, or questioning me about it like so many other people would. He was looking at me, and I liked it.

"Why haven't you asked me about my Mark?" I blurted before my brain could stop my mouth. I felt my face go red and I looked down at my feet as we walked.

"Do you want me to?" I heard the confusion in his voice, but he didn't say it in a rude way. He didn't imply that it was totally obvious why he wasn't asking or that I should already know--and if that was the case, then I must have been stupid.

"No, it's just that you and Athena act like you don't notice them. I was just kind of wondering if you were just doing that because... well because you knew it was uncomfortable for me," I finished lamely. Goddess, he probably thought I was a special needs student and Nyx thought it would be funny to Mark me.

Ethan

"Zoey, I'm pretty sure everybody in the school has either seen or heard of your makings, and you're right, Athena and I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but that's not the reason we haven't asked you about your mark." I said honestly. She looked like she was freaking out a little on the inside and i put a hand on her arm to calm her down. I think it worked.
"Then why haven't you asked?" She said and I thought about it for a minute.
"I guess it's because we know what it feels like to be stared at. I mean look at Athena she wears long skirts and turle necks, she has friends but only a few she's relly close with. The kids here are like any other kids at a normal high school. If you aren't like them then they don't like you. Here affinity is spirit, that is really really rare among fledgings." I said.
"Well what about you Ethan?" Zoey asked and I stopped.
"Well I guess you could say that I'm sorta a freak." She stared at me incredeously.
"But your like totally hot-I mean normal looking why would people call you a freak?" she blushed and I smiled.
"Well on my first day here I kinda beat Professor Lankford in a fencing match then raised the whole gym off the ground." She stared at me like I had three head. I sighed.
"I had just been marked it was my first day of classes and I had never even picked up a sword and yet I unarmed Dragon in almost a minute. It was never done before and then I started freaking out and i guess you could say I discovered my affinity for earth, I guess what I'm trying to say is Nyx works in mysterious ways and sometimes she blesses fledgings with special abilities for reasons. Who are we to question it." Zoey nodded her head in understanding.
We reached the spanish room a few minutes later.
"You ready to do this?" I asked her and she nodded her head. I opened the door for her and let he walk in first.

Pharaoh Draco | Dorm

I fished out my schedule from my pocket and studied it.

Pharaoh Draco

1st Hour-- Drama 101- Prof. Nolan
2nd Hour--Lit 101- Prof. Penthesilia
3rd Hour-- Spells and Rituals- Prof. Lankford
4th Hour-- Archery- Prof. Boon

LUNCH BREAK

5th Hour-- Fencing- Prof. Dragon Lankford
6th Hour-- Sketching 101- Prof. Doner

I smiled proudly. My second hour was with my mentor, the magneficently literate Professor P. In all my time in the House of Night, I never grew tired of listening to her speak highly of all things literature. She was my favorite professor, of all the professors in the House. I pet Angel one last time and told her, "I have to show up in Drama. I can't be late just like I almost was last time." I left the dorm to enter the drama class.

Zoey

Oh Goddess why did he have to be so damn perfect. In just the few minutes I knew him, he understood me completely, and there I was telling him he was hot and embarrassing myself--again. My first day as an unusually Marked fledgling was so not going as I'd expected. But how can you anticipate this kind of thing? No one could have seen into the future and told me that I was going to be Marked by the Goddess, have unusual extra Marks to go along with that, and screw up on my first day at the House of Night. Well, they're was probably someone, but that someone wasn't me or anyone I knew.

Once again, I managed to stop all conversation but just walking into a room. This time, though, I didn't falter. I simply smiled my best yea-I'm-really-in-this-class smile and took a seat in the back of the room, Ethan fallowing behind me like a totally hot puppy. Not that Ethan was anything like a dog, he didn't even resemble one.

I had to mentally shake myself to stop my mind babble. This was Spanish, something I was sure to fail, but I was determined to pay attention and do my best. So I took notes while everything inside my body screamed "I'm so tired!" This day and night change was going to take a little while to get used to, that was for sure.

Athena

"See ya!" I called after Ethan and Zoey as they walked towards fith. They seemed to be getting along well enough, and Ethan is a good lad. Certainly better than most males I'd met... I shook my head to return myself to the here and now and pulled out omy schedule:
1st Hour--Sketching 101-Prof. Doner
2nd Hour--Fencing-Prof. D. Lankford
3rd Hour-- Lit 101-Prof. Penthesilia
4th Hour--Archery-Prof. Boon

LUNCH BREAK

5th Hour--Spells and rituals-Prof. A Lankford
6th Hour--Tae Kwan Do-Prof. Bryan Missal

It was a shame I only had one lesson with the new girl, I had a feeling that she'd need someone to help her through these first few weeks. Ah well, she'll be fine. I think... I dumped my tray with the rest as I left the caffeteria with Cassidy at my heel. I'd lived in England for most of my life, it will always be a caffereria to me. I finally ended up in my Spells and Rituals class with Prof. Anastasia, today we were learning about ancient Cherokee rituals and how they respect and use the land. Then something faint sparked in my mind...

Ethan

As soon as Zoey entered the classroom everybody was staring at her. A look of resolve flashed across her face and she put her head up and stalked towards the back of the classroom to an empty desk. I took the desk next to her ans smiled.
"You see you just gotta keep your head up, don't let them get to you." I said just as Prof. Garmy entered the classroom.
"Buenos Dias everyone." Prof. Garmy said adressing the class. We all said good afternoon back to her in spanish. "Now before I begin class, Ms. Redbird would you like to come up and introduce yourself to the class?"

Zoey

I wanted to yell hell no! and run out of the room screaming, but I smiled and stood up slowly. There was nothing to really be scared of, they were just fledglings--very judgmental fledglings, but fledglings none the less. What was I supposed to say? That I was chosen by Nyx to be here rather they liked it or not? No, I wouldn't say that.

Tell them who you are. Nyx's voice was so heavenly it made my heart squeeze. And that was what I was going to do. Tell them who I was. I went to the front of the class, not as nervous.

"Hi," I started, smiling at everyone. Of course none of them would be able to tell that I was about to have a heart attack. I wondered idly if that might get me out of introductions. "I'm Zoey. I was just Marked, which might be hard to tell. The truth is, everyone thinks I'm some freak because of my Mark. I was told that I was the first fledgling to ever be Marked like this, and that makes me think Nyx has something in store for me. So far I'm really liking it here at the House of Night, so I can't wait to see what the rest of my time here is going to be like." If I live that long, I thought to myself. With a big I'm-so-glad-to-meet-yall smile, I went back to my seat. The urge to run out of the room was still there, but I didn't remove the smile from my face. This day was getting worse and worse.

Ethan

I smiled at Zoey as she sat back down. Prof. Garmy had just started so I couldn't talk to her, I settled for the old fashioned way instead and ripped out a piece of notebook paper.
You did a good job with the intro, I scribbled down and when no one was looking I chucked the folded square perfectly on her desk. She looked at me questiongly as she opened it. She looked at the note and smiled before writing her own little message and throwing it-sloppily and almost too obviously- at my desk. I shook with silent laughter as she blushed. I opened the note to read it.
Thanks, was all it read.
We continued our note passing until the end of the period learning about each other a little more, nothing big just like favorite colors and stuff. Finally as 5th hour ended I escorted Zoey outside to her last class.
"Here we are," I said pointing to the stables. "I gotta get going but see if you can find me later I can get Athena and we can give you a proper tour of the school." She nodded at me still dazed bye the stables and the horses in them.
"Bye Zoey." I said chuckling and hurried off to Spells and Rituals with my mentor. Prof. Anastasia Lankford.

*My computer deleted my beautiful post again *

Calypso Delos I Fencing

Okay. Deep breath. Really deep breath. You will not kill Kelly. You won't do it. No High Priestess in Training has ever killed a annoying fledgling. Ever. You will not be the first. No, you will not. Deep breath.

Kelly stood across the small arena from me, talking to Pharo Draco. I really hoped she hadn't noticed me yet- because as soon as she did, she would go on one of her 'Calypso is such a terrible Bey-otch and the Dark Daughters are some maniac cult' rants. Like, seriously? Just because she had the guts to confront me- which I admired at first, although it was clearly stupid (I mean, a black belt in karate, Orange in Tae Kwon Doe, and Super Speed? It must suck to fight me)- and lost doesn't mean she has to be a jerk about it.

I mean, she totally screwed up my chances with the New Blood. Unless I suddenly got a 'potentially mean antagonist' vibe, she had no reason to run away from me that fast. Unless I was giving Kelly that scary scaredown again. That was probably it. See? She totally ruined the first chance I got at keeping the 'special' dream-haunting fledgling under my pink painted thumb. Completely her fault. Completely.

It's gonna be completely terrible trying to stay away from her.

I don't even have faithful Adraine in this hour. Let's see... No Meg, the wimp would skip out, Ariel is staring at Dragon- I mean, ew?-, no Ciara, no... Wait! There's Cassidy. She's a Dark Daugh-

"Hey Calypso." A voice said, shooting sound waves as if they were daggers at my back. Kelly.

I turn around, slowly, graciously. "Kelly. Been to short a while, don't you think?"

She looked at me like she wanted to shoot daggers at my face, and I give her my best 'What now?' face. She didn't stand a chance if she wanted to put up any kinda fight (Her 'great fighting' powers are such a rumor)- and I wasn't sure I had enough decency right now to avoid one. Bring it on, Witch.

Kelly Myers - Fencing

I wanted to scare Calypso and it was hard telling if it had worked or not, I hoped I did. if I did she was showing no signs of it. I had a plan for fighting Calypso, I remembered a few months ago how during the duel for me to become the new High Priestess in Training she had defeated me. It was because she knew I held back in fear of killing her. How at even one point I refused to use my fire powers, to fight her. Now here was my only and quite possibly the only chance I'll have at a legal battle with her. Since my battle with Calypso months ago Nefret had banned me from challenging Calpso again.

"I just wanted to say good luck, and hope for an explosive battle like the one we had months ago." I said.

Just as I had finished saying that Prof. D. Lankford had walked in saying.

"Fighter's at your ready!" He said.

We went to the opposite sides of the arena, Pharaoh was backing my corner I squated down with the fencing sword in both hands looking at Calypso. I could hear whispers in the crowd. And I knew what they were whispering, Rematch of the year. I heard I smiled Calypso had to be hearing it to.

Pharaoh Draco | Fencing

The feeling of excitement was incredible, but I knew for a fact that Calypso might not stand a chance against Kelly. Then again, I was told that Neferet banned Kelly from challenging Calypso, so no doubt this was a challenge in itself. I murmured, "Better Kelly than me, anyway. If it were me against Calypso, I'd get creamed. Even Professor Dragon knows I'm a slow learner at it." I'd never forget the first time I fenced against Professor Dragon. He buried me before I could even stand a chance. I wasn't very good at fencing, but during class I get a lot of practice. I always called Professor Dragon the King of Fencing behind his back, not that it would offend him or anything. I respected Professor Dragon and his mate like they were family, so I only did my best to keep them appeased.

Arianna Sidia/5th hour Fencing
I studied Kelly and Calypso they both looked very intense. I could feel Kelly who was being calm but not cocky. She was merely assessing the situation. Calypso was desperately trying to control her homicidal tendencies. I looked at Dragon and saw him shake his head slightly. "FIGHTERS READY?" He said his voice booming around the room. Kelly then Calypso nodded. "Start!" He said. I settled back against the wall. "Rematch of the year right?" I asked no one in particular sarcastically. "Apparently." A male voice replied. "Hi Pharaoh." I said not taking my eyes from the fight. "Do you think they're going to kill each other?" He asked. "Hopefully Dragon stops it before that." I replied still studying the fight. Pharaoh chuckled a bit darkly and I rolled my eyes.

Arah 5th Hour Introducing to Music

I listened to the Professor as she played some music. I was zoning out, thinking about Zoey, the new fledgling. Why Nyx? Why did you Mark her like that? I thought to myself. I glanced towards the clock, seeing it was nearly time for 6th hour. Sighing, I turned my attention back to the Professor, starting to pay attention, taking notes, when she mentioned a test.

Athena

Spells and Rituals had been far better than I'd thought it would be, I mean, I enjoy learnig about ancient rituals but todays lesson was something else. I'd learnt that burning sage, prefrably white, would help to clense an area before performing a ritual. Usually the casting of a circle. I sighed when I realised I had Tae Kwan Do, even though it wasn't borring and I wasn't terrible at it, it just didn't interest me. Supprisingly, I was quite good, despite the tight the hot pant like shorts we had to wear. As I approached the gym there was a buzz of excitment amoung the students leaving, I caught snippets of conversation:
"I can't believe she did that!", "I recon she's just crazy,", "Who Calypso or Kelly?"
Calypso or Kelly? I thought to myself, "Rematch of the year! Right?" I heard someone else say. Oh dear... I would have to find out about this later when I saw Kelly in our dorm. Without halt, I continued into the gymnasium and got changed for Tae Kwan Do. I made a mental note to take Zoey to Nyx's Chaple after school, I just had to show her something before I forgot.

Sorry I'm starting late you guys. I've been busy.

Name: Sydney Livingstone
Age: (16 to 19) 17
Year: (Third former, etc.) Fifth Former
Appearance:

Spoiler

History: (How did your friends and family react to you being Marked, who were you close to, etc.) His family is very conservative but for a reason, he found out after he turned, His parents were disappointed and displeased but not angry as he thought they would be. His great aunt Linda was marked when she turned of age. He still contacts her to this very day. His little sisters, Leslie and Sophia, were estatic that he was marked. His uncles and cousins and aunts turned their backs on him. He seldom talks to his parents. His sister looks up to him and love him and they talk everyday. His girlfriend dumped him for his best friend who also left him. He was run out of the town by the townspeople. His dog, Mazzie, still loves him.
Affinity: Speed
Up for Love?: Yes, he can be flirty at times.
Other: He likes music and art.
Schedule:
Poetry - Blake
Intro to music - Vento
Tae Kwon Do - Missel
Archery - Boon

Lunch

Economics - Davis
Spells and rituals - Lankford
Roommate: Has his own room.