Simplicity | Book 1

Friends and Family

Solace sat down at the head table where the people who'd been at CHFH the longest sat. Cassie had joined them, as she'd formerly been at CHFH and was planning to stay.

Skye, Lucy, Amalie, and Jason were sitting together. Jason's head barely reached the table.

A boy named Peter was flirting with Lucy, although she kept ignoring him.

Ash, a boy who'd been at CHFH since he'd been able to talk, sat down next to Solace.

"Hey," he smirked at her.

"What'd you do this time?" She asked.

"Nothing! I swear!" The son of Poseidon gasped dramatically. "I didn't do anything!"

Solace raised her eyebrows skeptically. "You sure about that?"

"Rude." He huffed and turned his head away from her.

"And you say I'm a drama queen?" Solace raised her eyebrows at Kane.

"So's he," Kane defended himself.

Cassie scoffed. "Ash, how are you, kid?"

"I'm seventeen!" Ash scowled. "I'm not a kid anymore!"

"I'm just trying to hold a conversation!" Cassie said. "And don't snap at me, young man!"

"And here comes what I like to call 'Mom Mode'," Solace smirked. "Mom's done it to me, Demeter's done it to Mom, Hera's done it to Ares and Hephaestus, Leto's gone full out on Artemis and Apollo. It's amusing if you aren't the one being scolded."

"Sorry!" Ash yelped. "Sorry! Don't go full out on me!"

Cassie sighed. "Teenagers."

Solace and Kane burst out laughing at Ash's offended expression. Julian sat next to Cassie on the other side of the table.

"Nice to see you again, Cass."

Cassie's cheeks went red as she looked down. Solace smirked as she remembered all the times she'd listen to the former couple argue and make up.

"Hi Julian," Cassie managed to squeak.

"How much did you like that mortal?" Solace asked.

Cassie scoffed. "He's a jerk. I was filing for a divorce when you showed up. I'm still divorcing him, by the way."

"And you and Julian are going to start dating again?"

Julians cheeks went bright red. "Shut up, Solace."

"Pfft. As if. I like embarrassing you; you're an easy target, Julian."

"Hey!" He complained.

Ash snorted. "You kinda are, Julian. You have to admit it sooner or later."

"I have to agree there," Kane admitted.

Cassie grinned. "It is true. You were always teased and you gave in quite easily."

"Shut up Cassandra," Julian scowled but it wasn't convincing any of them.

"No."

The group burst out laughing.

"'No'," Ash repeated. "I've never seen that before."

"Thanks?" Cassie frowned. "Is that an insult or a compliment?"

"However you see fit to accept it," Julian winked.

Solace and Kane burst out laughing again at Cassie's expression. She glared at them and stabbed her turkey with her fork. Ash laughed too. He seemed amused by his mother figure's embarrassment. Julian just kept poking fun at Cassie, who just elbowed him in the side.

"Ouch, Cass," Julian said in mock pain. "I'm in such pain!"

Ash burst into another fit of laughter. Cassie rolled her eyes at him and cut into her turkey.

"I missed these moments," Solace sighed dramatically. "All the arguing. It reminds me of when I first came here."

"Wait, you were the twelve looking girl that Chiron mentioned!" Cassie exclaimed.

"Yep! I was only six hundred. Oh, the old days. I miss them."

"We all do," Kane patted her head.

"I'm older than you by fifty mortal years," Solace reminded him.

"Oh, be quiet," he grumbled.

Ash snorted. "You're just mad that you won't take up Pan's place for fifty-two years."

"Mortal years. In immortal years, it's only a little over one year."

"Your ruining his point, Kane," Cassie said.

Julian threw his arm around Cassie's shoulder, making her blush.

"Yeah, stop ruining the kid's point, Kane."

"You do remember that he was the one to bring you here, right?" Solace asked. "Kane brought you here when you were twelve."

"I don't need reminding. I haven't left this place for so long."

"How much is a bag of drachmas in the counter store over in the corner of Home?" Ash asked.

"Five dollars of any currency," Cassie stated.

"That's cheap," Solace said. "I've never had to pay for them, though."

"No duh," Kane grumbled. "You're an immortal."

"So are you," Solace pointed out. "You're just younger than me."

"Satyrs age slower than humans."

"So do gods. Physically. Mentally, though, we age faster than humans, which means we know more at a younger age."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Stop reminding me that you're younger and smarter than me."

"Sheesh, Cassie, we weren't trying to offend you," Kane huffed.

"Oh, here comes the fussy teenager," Solace smirked.

Kane shoved her. "Shut up."

"She'll never shut up," Ash snorted. "You know that as well as I do."

"Thank you for staying the obvious, Kelp Brains," Julian rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, Pinky."

"Oh no, not with the nicknames again," Cassie groaned.

"They'll never stop," Kane sighed.

Solace just laughed and cut into her chicken. Skylar bounced over as Ash and Julian started arguing.

"Mom! Mom, look! Lucy is getting claimed!"

Everyone turned they're heads around to look at the mentioned girl. A pink light was surrounding her. Then it disappeared and she was dressed in Ancient Greek clothing with a dove on her shoulder. The dove flew up and turned into a simple image above the girl's head before fading.

Chiron cleared his throat. "Lucy Skye, Daughter of Aphrodite, Goddess of Love. Welcome to Chiron's Home For Heroes."

Lucy went red and her clothes were changed back by Solace who waved her hand to end her embarrassment.

"She's not as bad the others," Kane said.

"Yeah, but I have another sister!" Julian groaned.

"Oh, shut up," Solace scoffed. "She'll go into a dorm with Amalie. Skylar might go into one if Cassie—wait, Cassie, do you want her to have a dorm with you?"

"Skye probably wants to get away from me at night," Cassie shrugged. "I'll leave it up to her. Jason won't be choosing for himself."

"Mothers," Ash sighed dramatically. "Anyway, CHFH is fun. Skye won't be left alone once. She'll be training and doing arts-and-crafts."

"Skye hates arts-and-crafts."

"Never mind, then!" Julian patted Cassie on the back.

"Stop," Cassie grumbled.

Ash, Solace, and Kane all snorted and Julian looked offended once more.

"Me?"

Yes! Productivity!
~ Ella