Myth reincarnated

Niki woke up, the early rays of the morning sun made her alarm-clock redundant. The device was set for 06:30, but the sun's rising was her usual wake-up call. Her roommate was already gone though, which was something she found odd as she had placed the other girl as a night owl.

She slowly rose from her bed and stretched, normally Niki would have gone for a jog but she had had a troubling dream. Chaotic, confusing and yet captivating, the dream carried with it a sense of victory and accomplishment. As if she had not only succeeded but also crushed a very deserving opponent, 'But then why do I feel so... guilty?'.

She tried to shake the conflicting feelings and confusing thoughts out of her mind as she grabbed her towel and went to take a shower. The hot water on her skin seemed to have a calming effect at first but then it began to do the opposite, she began to feel more excited and empowered and she couldn't help but smirk.

The grin stayed on her lips and the heat never seemed to leave her body, even as she tied her hair back and put on simple shorts and a tank-top topped off by the school sweatshirt. It felt as though her whole body was buzzing with power, she felt faster, stronger and simply more confident than she ever had.
Suddenly her alarm-clock went off. Closing the distance she lightly tapped the device to reset it... Or at least that was the plan, what actually happened was that the poor thing caved in slightly with a loud cracking sound. 'Uhhhh oops?' she frowned.

But before she could inspect the device, a wave of nausea hit her. Falling to her knees she began to hyperventilate, 'Just breath Niki, just... Breathe' she thought, 'It's all good, you got this...'.
After sometime on the floor the girl slowly stood up and made her way to the door, she was certain a bit of fresh air would do the trick, 'Time for a jog... Make that a walk.' she mused as she briefly felt lightheaded. Niki smiled, she was still two hours ahead of everyone else, with that grin playing on her lips she walked out the door.

Dion would be late to rise as usual, having had a late night. This was typical for the miscreant, not getting up until the sun forced him out of bed. This day was no different, the sunlight burned the back his eyes lids, as he let out a few select curse words. "Of course, when I am having such a wonderful dream." He mutters to himself in thought, trying to recall it.

With a deep yawn and a big stretch, Dion notices he is without a hang over. That is knew, he did nothing unusual, drank, smoked, pop some pills it was the usual. He felt refreshed and ready for a new day, unusual but he was not about to complain. Perhaps it was the new pill Hades had given him, that was when his thoughts careened back to the his dream, Hades was there.

Shaking away the thoughts, and blaming it on his choice of intoxicants last evening. Moving to get himself cleaned up, staring at his reflection in the mirror, as the steam begins to fill the bathroom. He flexed a bit, he had always been thin, but it seems he was oddly more defined, and his skin tone has a much more healthy sheen to it.... His eyes those usual dark circles are just gone, he looked and felt refreshed, and he had not even showered yet.

Unlike many who live on the island of Nesoi, Dion was not a college student, but they were his form of income. He catered to the party life, and was hustler, of a "Party Liaison" as he would like to put it. He knew where the parties would be, and that is where he would be. Selling anything that will move, and enjoying the college life without all the higher learning.

Grabbing his stash from his nightstand he would stop. Open his baggy filled with any number of illegal substances, but, there was more then before, quite a bit more. "Did I recop last night?" Shaking his head it figured it didn't matter, he would be out by the weekend either way.

By the time Dion got out of the house, it was already later afternoon, after all there was nothing for him in the morning hours, it was the night life he enjoyed.

"I'm fine." Niki said politely. "... Thanks for asking." She smiled.

Although they had only recently become roommates, Niki felt like she had know Artemis since forever. Perhaps it might've been that they were both sporty, or they were both fans of the outdoors but Niki felt it was deeper than that. It also didn't hurt that Artemis was a genuinely friendly and caring person.

"I just need a bit of air I think." She furrowed her brow remembering the alarm-clock. "Also, I think I broke the alarm-clock. Not that either of us really need it!" She giggled. "But yeah, how are you though?"

Matthew could always be seen as a kind of teachers pet. He was always their first thing in the morning when the weilding shop opened. Always he would come in with a new idea or creation in mind. It was interesting to see how he could warp metal or twist material into place.

Finally, after having been there for so long, he sealed the final crack with his favorite personal torch and he leaned back to admire his work.
Sitting before him was a bust of a beautiful woman, one whom he’d often seem in his dreams, whom was ethereal in presence.

She had been showing up in his dreams recently, one of the only good parts of them really, beside another man. With her being he felt an overwhelming sense of longing and guilt,for what he did not know. Yet at the same time he felt betrayed and angered beyond comprehension. Yet again for unknown reasons.

Then, after it had cooled, he set his hand upon the cheek of the metallic figure before him and pondered.

"Oh I'd love to!" Niki beamed. "You guys do a lot of competitions?" She asked.

Her smile grew, she remembered hearing about her roommate's legendary archery skills, apparently she was unbeatable. 'We'll see about that.' Niki thought.
She didn't hate Artemis, this wasn't even about her. The main thing Niki had on her mind was the challenge itself, and the sweet taste of victory after she inevitably won.

“Can’t wait to meet her sir”
He spoke simply to Mr.Lewis as he began to tidy his station. He’d heard quite a bit about Mr.Lewis’ daughter. She was a cosmetology major at the school with a thriving social life. However, she was known to be quite the bully whenever she thought some girl was better looking than her.

Though she did, from what he heard, have a softer side. She liked to garden and cook, loved to give makeovers, and most of all make others smile. Well...that was what he was told at least and had yet to see if the claims were true or not.

Soon enough he had cleaned up his station and set his blowtorch off to the side. The only remaining item was the bust itself that he could not, as of now, bring himself to touch again.

He would take a long deep breathe after stepping outside, he felt surprisingly good today considering he was sober, and had a rough night. When he seen Ares coming Dion was not surprised, the big game was coming after all. Offering Ares a sly hand shake, at which point they trade what is hidden in their palms. Ares "Sports enhancers" And a little bit extra to get through the weekend. With a hand in his pocket, Dion just started work.

"You are ready then? I heard the odds are in your favor, don't let me down, I have money riding on the game." He says with his cool casual smile. "I will be seeing you Friday at the big bash after the, right?" Seeming to already know the answer, he continues his walk and swats Ares ass, as if he was a football player on the team, in a far to casual manner, as he continues his stroll to the campus.

The similarities were striking to him, as if he had carved this woman’s face from memory yet remembered not meeting her before this very day. A slow blush creeping to his cheeks he impulsively gave her a bow, or as much as he could with his chair, and raised up to meet her eyes with his.

“Oh um hello, I am Matthew I’m a student here. How are you today?”
He asked as calm as he could without stuttering. At that moment he very well wished the earth would swallow him whole. He felt nervous and shaky, yet somehow deep inside there was this bitterness twords this woman before him. A bile similar to betrayal that he had frankly no right to have as theyed never met before.

"Sure." Niki smiled as they left. "I'll do my best... which is the best."

She looked over her clothes trying to find a reason as to why Apollo had been looking at her, she shrugged after finding nothing of note. The girl made her way outside, she walked hoping to reach the cafeteria. As Niki walked she looked around admiring the scenery, then she felt a familiar hum of power pass through her.

A smile formed on her lips as she began to run, then it became a full-blown sprint.

He was hypnotized by her eyes for the longest time. He struggled to find the words to answer her question as he gazed into those blue pools. He could already tell she was far more intelligent than most had given her credit for. He was finally brought out of his prolonged hypnosis by the sound of Mr.Lewis telling them to leave the room.

So, as carefully as he could, he lifted the bust from the table and set it in his lap. Then he began to push the wheels of his chair until he had fully revealed his lower half to the woman. His legs, immobile, sat still in a freshly polished wheelchair that he had made himself as a birthday treat a few weeks ago. They were dressed in clean and pressed blue jeans and upon his feet a pair of white shoes.

Slowly but surely he began to scoot himself to the door and through it until the pair had exited into the empty hall. For awhile a silence stretched, his face still red as he turned to look anywhere but at her. Then he finally answered her question from earlier.

“...I don’t know who she is.”

'Damn it!!' Niki cursed, then she thought about it. "Damn it." She said, out loud this time.

The girl rolled onto her back and stared into the sky, 'Picked a bad day to wear shorts.' she thought as pain ran through her whole body. She sat up and kept a hand on her stomach, her other went about dusting her clothes off and adjusting her hair. She also inspected her legs for any cuts or wounds.

As the aching subsided she slowly stood up, 'What the hell is going on?!' she thought.
The girl frowned as she walked into the campus, she'd need to find a bathroom to make sure she looked fine.

Dion would let his nose wrinkle at the over exuberant cheerleaders, although as they do their high kick, he is not above looking up their skirts. With a little bit of a bounce to his step, he climbs the stairs into courtyard.

After all he had no classes here, when everyone was buzzing to classes, talking to classmates and administration. He just found himself a comfortable spot underneath a large shade tree. After all anyone that needed something from him, knew were to find him. It was hardly a secret, even to the professors, after all everyone needs a little pick me up.

Tossing his small backpack into the grass, and using it to prop his head on, he would lay in the shade, seeming far to comfortable and calm for most college students. This was enhanced today, it just felt like he was on top of the world, even all these students seemed as if they were under him some how, as if they were simply mundane.

"You..." Niki smiled. "I mean... Who are you?"

She looked down at the boy in the wheelchair, a flash of familiarity and admiration struck her. The memories left her confused but feelings she had lingered.

"Sorry, let me start over." she shook her head. "I'm Niki, have we met before?"

He’d stared down that hallway for awhile. For now he knew the meaning of the fraze “hate to watch you go but love to watch you leave”
She had also proven that not everypart of his lower body was paralyzed.

However, when the other girl approached he was quite caught by suprise. In a rush he covered his problem with the bust and turned to adress her. Breifly, he found himself caught in a memory of holding a golden laurel out to her before finding himself back In reality.

“Sorry miss, Can’t say we have unless you’ve bought something I’ve made before.”
Breifly his gaze flitted to the floor where he caught site of her shoes.
“Nikes?”
He asked as if trying to avoid the subject of having met before.

((I will give you that one! Completely slipped my mind!))

"Huh?" Niki frowned then she caught sight of her shoes and giggled. "Yeah, I am Niki wearing Nikes."

She smiled at the boy, he seemed... Nice and she could tell his mind was as sharp as a tack. Niki also vaguely felt like she owed him something, as if he had done something for her.

"I mean, I should make you call me Veronica or Victoria." She leaned in and gave him a conspiratorial wink. "But Victoria sucks in my opinion, more of a fancy charm. I prefer Veronica or Niki for short, not Nika that's just ridiculous." she paused. "So what's your name?"

'Am I rambling?' she asked herself as she waited for the boy to respond.

Noticing Aphrodite, he would offer her a large smile, and a lift of his chin in acknowledgment to her. Dion was hardly surprised when Hades told him about her pregnancy. Dion was hardly one to judge, and he was at least pleased it was not his, she had more will power then he did to give up his hedonistic lifestyle.

When she decides to come over and join him, he eagerly helps her down into the grass, making some room for her to join him. Then their flesh touched however he would have a random surge of memories, they caused his vision to blur a moment.

Blinking it away, he offers another smile and shakes his head. "Of course having an ugly child, would force you to change your ways." He says teasing her about her narcissism, another of their shared traits, nudging her arm with his elbow playfully. "Doesn't mean you can't say hello on occasion. You do have that wonderful glow of a mother to be." He says buttering her up with an unneeded compliment. "You should come out on Friday night, I will bring you some apple juice." He says in a teasing manner.

“I’m Matthew miss, I’m the guy who makes all those pretty mirrors they put in the bathrooms. Ain’t got nothin else much to do after all. Not like I can go on a walk after all.”
He jokes as he motioned to his immobile legs that sat limply on the foot rest of the chair.

“It was nice talking to you miss but I’ve got to get to my classes. I’ve yet to be late to one and I’m not starting today.”
He told her as politely as he could. He then gave her a nod of acknowledgment and began to roll down the hall and out the exit. He seemed in a rush to get somewhere really fast.

Niki laughed politely at the joke, she admired him for that. He was trying to make the best of his disability and he was definitely succeeding. The bust he had and the mirrors were simply inspired pieces of craftsmanship.

"Sure no problem." Niki smiled. "Good work by the way."

As she watched him wheel away she frowned, it was the same foreign familiarity that she felt with Artemis. Shaking her head she decided to focus on what she had actually come to do. Breakfast was out of the question but she figured she would stop by the bathroom and make sure she looked fine, although no one had said anything she wanted to confirm.

Niki frowned and dusted off her sweatshirt, she also fixed her hair and gave the girls a side-eye. She didn't hate them she just wanted them to know who was on top.

Upon leaving the bathroom she made a beeline for the Sports Science class, being late wasn't something she liked to do so she walked fast. However she was cautious not to overdo it, her face-plant earlier was not something she wanted to repeat.

Sports Science wasn't something she directly enjoyed, but it would give her an edge in sports. Whether it would keep her from injury or give her an advantage in training, this class was extremely useful. She shook her thoughts out of her mind as she walked in taking a seat front and centre of the class. She took out her phone and inspected it for damage, figuring it was fine she then prepared to take notes.

Dion can't help but laugh at her reaction, shaking his head many times at how much it truly bothered her. "I would hope you would love it either way." He says with a smile, his words perhaps in a bit of a mocking or playful tone. "First you assume I don't already have one, and if I did it's unlikely I would know." He says this without a hint of shame.

"Museum? No I can't say that I have, those stuffy types are hardly more kinda folks." That coy little smile of his seeming to never fade. "Since you seem so interested, why don't you tell me about, what kind of museum is it?" He says with a monotone voice, acting as if he did not care, but smiled none the less and seemed to wait with some curiosity either way.