First Day (01)

"Yeah, no kidding. There's going to be a ton of leftovers." He turns his head to kiss your lips, "Anything I should try to bring home... for you?"

I meet his lips, not letting myself dwell on where they were only minutes ago. "You always manage to find a way to fill me up. I'm sure you'll make the right choices." I grin at him. "Speaking of the right choices, I'm sure you have to get back to work now, right?"

He chuckles and slides off the bed to stand and look for his clothes. He glances at his phone, "Yeah. Your mother should be here soon. Big D would be unhappy if I was up here when she shows." He steps into his boxers, then jeans, and slides on his shirt. "How long can you stay? I want to find you when I've got some time."

I watch Knox dress and it's crazy how he can still be so hot while putting on clothes. My body aches thinking about it, but I try to focus on playing it cool here for now. I don't want to guilt him, or make it seem like I couldn't find the satisfaction he obviously already did.

"I have to be home by two. I'm sure we'll find time for each other before then." I get up and I swear I feel myself getting even wetter with the motion. Frell, I need to get off. "Let's get back to the party." I give him what I hope is a casual smile.

He stops at the door out of the bedroom and turns back to give you a devastating smile, "That's a date." He heads for the door out of Zeke's place, opening it for you. He walks down behind you, temptingly close, but breaks off once you leave the stairwell to check on his staff.

There are more gods and godlings here now. The dance floor is full, a number of booths have groups of folks chatting and playing games. You spot Menoetius at the buffet. Poseidon and Amphitrite are at the bar together, flirting with Styx, of all goddesses. Persy is nowhere to be found out here, she's probably at the hot tub. At one booth, you see Hestia sitting across from Athena. They're playing some sort of board game with stones. Steph and Crissy aren't on the dance floor that you can see.

What do you do?

The tension of Knox walking so close to me on our way down is palpable, but he peels off and I'm left surveying a whole different kind of buffet than the food table. When I see Poseidon and Amphitrite, my heart surges. They rival most others when it comes to shared trysts, but then I see they're talking to Styx and my excitement wanes. I don't want to give her another reason to hate me. I keep scanning my options, seeing Menoetius at the table, but I'm not desperate enough - or high enough - to try that again. It means the titans are here now though, or at least starting to arrive. I could go to the hot tub instead, the dessert bar of this body buffet. It feels like a bit of a cop-out somehow, though I can't really explain why.

Frell, who cares if it's a cop-out? I want some dessert, I'm getting some. I head down the hall toward the hot tub room.

I freeze when I hear the voice, even before I've processed who it belongs to. I turn, bringing the hand still holding my balled up panties behind my back and folding my hands together there like I'm a soldier standing at ease.

"G-grandmother. I...didn't expect to see you here." I blink. Why am I feeling guilty? I have nothing to be guilty about. "I was just going to take a dip in the hot tub."

The way people just part for Hecate makes me feel even more like I'm in trouble here. She's so powerful. And scary. And particular. At least this time I'm wearing a dress, I know she prefers that.

She asks for her hug, and I hesitate, but resisting is just going to make her suspicious. If I move fast enough, she won't notice anything, right? I inhale a short breath. "Of course." Then I quickly step forward and wrap my arms around her, one hand flat on her back, the other still fisted around my panties. "But grandmother, it's a party. Isn't frivolity kind of the point?" I step back from the hug.

I'm so thrown by this interruption, and my body is so thoroughly confused, that it takes me a second to blink at her question before I can respond. "W...well, yeah. I mean, I think they like me well enough, sure. But you make it sound like I need to ask them to go to war, which is....not really the point of the club."

I lick my lips, remembering the promises on Aeaea that Mom, Grandmother, and I made. But that was so long ago now. And Protigi was made for peace, right?

On the school? The question plays across my face, but I don't ask aloud. It feels very much like Grandmother isn't going to say more until Mom gets here. Which also means it's looking like she expects we'll hang out until then.

"Oh, they're. They're all good. You really can't go wrong." Frell, I just want to find somebody to hook up with and now I have to walk my grandmother through the food line like she's.... Well, I guess she IS ancient, but she doesn't seem old.

I feel myself deflate a little internally, but then start heading over toward the buffet table. "Let me show you what everything is."

Galinthias climbs off Hecate's shoulder to scrounge some food for herself as your grandmother lets you teach her about the huge spread of food. She picks out a few items that you recommended and places them on a small plate, and motions for you to sit at a booth with her near Hestia and Athena. She eats the food slowly, chews everything, and makes polite little observations about the taste and texture. As you sit with your grandmother, you notice that Soph drags Booker past you and the two of them head down the hallway to the hot tub room.

It's torture, how slowly and politely Grandmother eats. I want her to scarf down the food and tell me that I can go party since Mom still isn't here, but she seems completely content to wait, together, for as long as it takes. It's infuriating. I track Soph and Booker across the room, part of me worried about what else - and who else - they might get up to in the hot tub, but most of me is just jealous that they actually GET to go to the hot tub room and enjoy themselves.

When the portal opens I steal a peek beyond into what must be Protigi and thrill at the idea that Mom might finally be here so we can move along, but then it's Artemis who steps through. I didn't know she was there. Or maybe she's coming from somewhere else. But I definitely didn't expect to see her here.

I watch her with guarded suspicion. "Is she here hunting?" I ask, watching how she surveys the room. Maybe it's just habit.

I scoff a little when Grandmother points out that she's the goddess of hunts in Protigi. "Why does a place Mom made have to house so many people I hate?"

I watch her head toward the hot tub room and my heart sinks and yearns all at once. "And SHE gets to go have fun at this party." I can't help it. I slouch in my seat and cross my arms over my chest petulantly. "I just wanted to kick back tonight."