Time Spent Inside

Andrasteia loved it outside. She loved the sun, the breeze, everything. But sometimes, she reflected as she curled up on the couch with her book titled The Flowers of Greece, some time needed to be spent inside.

The time couldn't have been better, too. It was late evening, and chilly outside, and the warm light from her lamp-that was perched on the arm of the couch-cast an orange glow over the page.

Raivynne sighed as she headed to the warrior lounge. Zephyra was talking nonstop about who knows what, she stopped listening to the nephelae's chatter and decided to read in peace. When she appeared in the lounge there was another lampad already there. Raivynne recognized the girl, she was a first year sponsored by Hades and Persephone.

"Hello." Raivynne said to the girl as she sat down in an armchair across from the other lampad. She was rereading the Odyssey[i]. Rai picked up her book and started off where she had left off.

Andras glanced up from her book where she was inspecting a detailed picture. "Hello."

She knew that there were only a few lampads at the Athenaeum right now, and so as she went back to her book she added, "You must be Raivynne. Am I right?" It was nice to meet her quirky nephelae friend's roommate, she thought.

Raivynne looked up at the other lampad. "May I inquire how you know my name?" She was a little shocked, Raivynne wasn't outgoing at all and it was a miracle if mentors knew who she was. "Also what book are you reading?" Raivynne was nosey and loved knowing what other people read.

"I'm Andrasteia. I've heard Zeph talk about you." She hoped that Raivynne didn't mind, she wouldn't like getting off on the wrong foot... "It's a book on flowers. I have a few in my room, and thought that it would be nice to read one down here." Andras lifted the book to show Raivynne the cover.

"So you're the famous Andrasteia? Zephyra has spoken nonstop about you since you two spoke in the gardens. Pleasure to meet you." Raivynne beamed at Andrasteia. She had softened up a bit lately. "You enjoy flowers? How lovely, do you like growing them?" She set her book down, no use in trying to enjoy the book while talking to the other girl.

"Really?" At first Andrasteia was a little surprised, but then she thought, it made sense. Zeph talked about any and everything, so naturally she must have brought the first-year up at one point or another...

"Yes, I have a flower box or two on my window, but I mostly just spend time in the garden. I've been meaning to talk to Mnemosyne about it, but haven't gotten around to it yet." She folded her book closed on her finger as well, holding her place.

"Yes really. Zephyra is Zephyra once she calls you her friend she clings to you." Raivynne smiled again. As much as she didn't show it, Zephyra was her friend. "How lovely what kind of flowers?" Raivynne asked curiously. She herself never got into gardening but that didn't mean she didn't like flowers.

"Poppies, mostly," she said. "Though I have an orchid and some lavendar too. I don't have much room for more, though I'd like to get a hyacinth plant." Andrasteia wanted a garden of her own, though if she could help tending the Athenaeum's that would be fine for her right now. Then she could have all kinds of flowers...

"How pretty." Raivynne said with a smile. She glanced about the room and then back to Andrasteia. "What do you think of the Athenaeum so far?" Raivynne asked and opened her book to read a few pages.

Andrasteia shrugged, turning the page and scanning it while she thought of a reply. "It's fun. I like pretty much everyone I meet, except for the librarian, and I love the grounds. It's so beautiful up here..."

Raivynne laughed. "You just have to get on Sylipha's good side. I practically live at the library." She beamed at the younger girl, shutting her book once more. "It is a lot of fun here. The gardens are just gorgeous."

Sylipha? Good side? The terms didn't mix well in Andrasteia's brain, which was funny in itself. "They are. I wonder how long it took to grow all those flowers there, and all the work it must take to keep them nice..." And what it would be like to own such a garden...the idea of having to spend so much time out there caring for the plants was a good one, and she wondered what it would be like...

Eien walked towards the Lounge with his book about mythology in his hand. He haven't been out of his room for ages. So he decided that it'll be a nice change to roam the Atheaeum and have a look around.

He noticed that there are two girls sitting at the couch, seemingly in the middle of discussing flowers. Seeing that they have their Lampad Flames in lanterns with them, these two must be Lampads as well.

'This is great!' Eien thought to himself, feeling a little ashamed that he haven't really gone out of his room to meet anyone although he had been here for 4 years.

"Morning, girls," he greeted as he sat on a chair nearby, keeping his book on his lap and feeling excited to meet his own kind.

Raivynne looked up to see another Lampad sitting down. "Hello." She smiled at him. He looked a little familiar, he was a fourth year as well. Perking to the book in his lap, Rai pointed to it. "Whatchya reading?"

Eien smiled at the Lampad girl and replied, "A book about mythology. I love reading about the tales of the Underworld and Olympus the most. The mortal world isn't so bad either."

Eien flipped the pages open to a story about Hades and Persephone and showed it to Rai with enthusiasm.

Raivynne smiled enthusiastically. "Thats quite the coincidence because I love reading myths as well!" She exclaimed and smiled wider at the page he was showing her. Rai held up her book, "I am also a fan of Homer. The Odyssey is one of my favorites."

Andrasteia laughed, feeling a little off for not being as well-read as the others. She liked meeting more lampads like herself, new ones, because even though she didn't really have anything to talk about with them, they at least had something in common.

((lol XDDD! Family of Lampads!! I shall make you a surprise fanart >8DDD!!! [But laterrrr, after I finished colouring my Masquerade pictures DDD:>] Well...wait for it ))

"Odyssey...?," Eien mumbled out. He's sure he had heard that one from Hecate several times. The Lampad cursed himself for not being able to remember it clearly right now.

"Damn, I forgot half of it... But I remembered that it's one of the coolest!"

"How about you---," he said as he turned to Andrasteia, then he realized something.

"Oh right, I haven't introduced myself! Well... I'm Eien, Lampad of Hades. Nice to meet you!"

((Sweeeet! I can't wait to see the picture and the masquerade costumes!))


Raivynne nodded grinning at Eien. "Thats okay, the first time I read it I could barely remember it either." She reassured him. That was very true though...but she did read it when she was 12...

Rai completely forgot to introduce herself to Eien. She grinned, the three of them there were all Lampades of Hades. "Nice to meet you fellow Lampad of Hades. Although technically I serve Hecate...but I am sponsored by Hades and Persephone."

[ Oh boy, can't wait to see! ]

"I'm Andrasteia, but you can call me Andras," she said to Eien. "I haven't heard the Odyssey in a while, though I can still remember the basic story." She was having fun talking to the other two lampads, though she flipped her book open to glance at a few lines captioning a picture on the page there.

((Cool! Both of you had just fueled my motivation to finish faster >XDDD!))

"True, true. Although Uncle-- I mean, Lord Hades and Lady Persephone are the ones who sponsored us, Hecate is still the one who raised us, and we serve under her," Eien chuckled, "She's such a kind Goddess."

"Hey, Rai. It seemed that we both needed some revision. What about telling us a bit about 'The Odyssey'?" he suggested.

Andras seemed to be flipping through her book, though. He wondered what's in it.

Raivynne nodded agreeing with the statement. She most deifinitely was a kind goddess. "She gifted me with a scythe and armor when Lord Hades chose to sponsor me. It was kind of her to kind almost." Rai said smiling and it was too kind of Hecate, ever since the goddess had taken her in at 10 years old, Hecate had been nothing but kind.

Raivynne nodded. "Well in 'The Odyssey', the main character Odysseus is on a journey for ten years after the Trojan War. He has to go through many obstacles to get back to Ithaca, which he does so with the help of Athena. But I highly recommend re-reading it."

She nodded. "Once I finish these books. I don't think Sylipha would like it much if I go off on a tangent and forget to turn my books in." Andrasteia smiled, hoping that she wasn't the only one who had some sort of fear of the librarian.

Ah yes, The Odyssey...most definitely something she wanted to reread. Andras had never expected to have a large reading list when she joined the Athenaeum, but between her books on plants and things she should probably familiarize herself with it was getting bigger.

"Then I'd like to add that Hecate's a good Mother, too! She took me in when I was 8...," Eien wondered a bit about what might have happened to Raivynne, "What happened, Rai?"

"And that bit about Odysseus certainly caught my interest. I should really re-read sometime...."

Andras' mention of the Librarian made Eien grin. "Hmm... I've heard lots of people say that Sylipha was fearsome. But I don't really know much about her... Mind telling me a few things?" He said with a rather mischievous tone, as if he's planning something.