AN: Whoops, turned out to be two years. Last year was a horrible year for me, but no excuses. I'm trash.

Please forgive me for the absence! I appreciate everyone who has followed and reviewed and waited this long when they shouldn't have had to. Anyone still cares about this story, you're appreciated.

This story WILL be a bit different from the first TCTB. Whereas the first was very innocent, this one will delve into darker and more adult themes. I might change the rating on it. There will be swearing, mentions of drugs, alcohol, and sexual mentions. I want it to be a realistic college setting while still maintaining the magic that all these characters possess in their original myths. There will be different fairy tales mentioned as well.

For such a long wait, I'm afraid that this sequel might not meet the expectations readers have for it. I will try my best anyways. Personally, I feel like this sequel is starting out a bit slow and dry, no matter how I edited it. Trust and believe things will get better as things go on.

I really do hope you like it.

:ABOUT MYTHOS UNIVERSITY:

Here at Mythos University, we take pride in our excellence in academics, research, and developing the new wave of leaders who will write their own stories worldwide.

Our students are some of the brightest from all backgrounds. At this university, there are many disciplines to choose from for shaping up your academic profile. Undergraduates pursue degrees ranging from Engineering to Philosophies.

Campus activities are constant and the number of clubs is endless. The Greek system here at MU is centuries old; the houses for fraternities and sororities are historical residences.

With our new influx of talented and engaging professors, MU looks forward to seeing the university exceed any and all standards, moving forward into a better, brighter age.

Sincerely,

Co-Presidents Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, along with Vice-President Scheherazade of Arabia.

"Goodbyes, they often come in waves."

-Jarod Kintz

"Bye, Tooth!"

She waved back as the car pulled out of the campus lot. The soft wind blew the damp tracks in her shirt to a chilling temperature. Her father had gotten a little emotional when it was time to leave. Though her own cheeks remained dry, her throat was still tight from the sad look in her mother's the misty eyes. However, a strong pride shone past the sadness, overtaking everything else.

She was their college girl now.

Tooth would be alright, but watching them leave made her chest ache. The scene was entirely too familiar to another that she had two summers before.

Don't forget me.

"Hey." An older boy in a work shirt sidled up beside her and watched the vehicle fade before speaking.

"Those your folks?"

She nodded, biting her lip before turning to look up at the spiraling towers and old brick buildings. Her new home. "Yeah."

The boy motioned over some other kids in work shirts to help as he hefted up Tooth's trunk. "Don't be nervous, freshman. The first couple of weeks away are the hardest. You'll get used to being on your own."

Tooth tried to help the group carry her things toward the residence halls. "I'm not completely on my own!"

The older boy looked up at that, smirking. "You got any friends here at Mythos with you? Someone from your old school?"

She grinned.

The boy shrugged. "And here I thought I'd be your first friend, as your RA and all! C'mon, through these doors here-"

She followed him closely into the lobby. Several other students were bustling around, moving trunks this way and that. She wasn't surprised to see the nervousness and fear in some of the other faces looking back at her among the commotion. Everyone was in a new environment, not sure what to do. It was like a big 'reset' button on their lives and reputations but some kids seemed too scared to push it. Others looked eager and ready, like they had been waiting their entire lives for the chance.

"This way!"

She would be going to school with all these people? So many! There were probably more people here than there were back home in all of Burgess. They passed through more hallways than she could count. The school was so massive…then again, it was one of the oldest universities. Her RA suddenly stopped her train of thought, knocking on a door.

"Alright! Here we are, Door 364. Your roommate should already be in there I assume. Like I said before, I'm your Resident Assistant. You need help with anything, my room is in the middle of the hall. Come find me anytime. Oh, and uh, welcome to Mythos University!"

Tooth nodded and thanked him. He was so helpful! But what would her rooommate be like? Would they be excited to see her? Would they be happy? Or apathetic? Neat and clean or sloppy and strange? Mean or kind? Hm. She would never find out if she never went inside.

Peering into the dark room curiously, she toed her way in. She lugged her trunk over by an unoccupied bed and tried to gaze around. With the lights off and the shades drawn, she could hardly make out anything.

"Huh," she murmured, searching for the light switch, "I thought he said my roommate was here already. Maybe they left-"

"…Or maybe they prefer dark rooms."

'Oh my god!' Tooth jumped noisily before swiveling her head around.

A long, slender female sat on the other side of the room. She was unsurprised and seemingly unimpressed by Tooth's reaction. The dorm lighting reflected off of her pale skin making the color on her lips even more vibrant.

"Did I frighten you?" A hint of pleasure tinged the slow, sultry voice.

Tooth paused before nodding jerkily, her long hair bouncing around. It wasn't like anyone just sat around in dark rooms in the middle of the day! Of course it had scared her! Her heart was still racing from the shock.

A wicked smile drew up the girls face and she laughed heartily.

Tooth would have been far more annoyed…if she hadn't caught sight of her roommate's marvelous teeth! The lips around them were painted a dark red making the teeth look even brighter than normal. The rows were straight-set like a knife's edge except for a slight curve in the middle. Tooth thought it gave the girl's smile character. She needed to sketch them!

She moved in closer, awed at the precise formation.

"You have beautiful teeth…they're perfect. The curvature between your premolars is just divine!"

The girl stopped laughing, looking Tooth over strangely, as if she hadn't expected the smaller girl to speak of her own volition, much less get so close and compliment her. The nameless roommate let her red lips purse together and looked around trying to think of what to say.

"I wouldn't say 'perfect'," her eyes flicking back up sharply, "however I am your new roommate. I'm Maleficent."

She stood.

Tooth gasped, a bit taken aback by the girl's imposing height. With her sharp features and bright eyes, Tooth felt very tiny in her presence. Maleficent strode her long legs across the room and reached beside her bed. She moved aside a few dark bags before pulling out a huge mass of black feathers.

"…And this one's name is Diaval, or Diablo, if you prefer. He's going to live with us and you're not going to tell anyone that he's here."

Tooth's lip quirked at that.

This girl seemed to be trying very hard to give off a hostile vibe, but Tooth felt like there wasn't any real bite behind the words. The feathery thing in her roommate's hands, on the other hand, looked extremely hostile and grumpy as hell.

"And what if I do? Tell someone, I mean. You know pets aren't allowed in the dorms at Mythos. Is that a crow?"

Maleficent let out a small chuckle, stroking the bird. "You tell a soul, and I can make life very difficult for you here…But you don't look like the sort that starts trouble. And he is a raven, not a crow. They're bigger. He's housetrained, if you're wondering."

Tooth moved towards the bird, gently pushing a finger through its shiny black feathers. Its expression became considerably less grumpy. "It's alright with me. Just make sure he doesn't chirp at night."

Maleficent's brows nearly hit her hairline as Tooth continued to poke at the bird. "He likes you... Usually he takes the fingers that touch him. Except for mine, of course."

Tooth smiled at that, glad to have gotten on their pet's good side. "Then Diablo and I will get along just fine. I hope we get along well the same, Maleficent."

Maleficent peered down at Tooth curiously, before moving away.

"I'm Toothiana," Tooth began as she followed after, "but you can call me Tooth. All my friends do."

Maleficent paused at the word and Tooth had a feeling it wasn't over her name. More like the word 'friend'. Still, Tooth wasn't put off in the slightest! She desperately wanted to be friends with Maleficent…no matter how prickly she seemed to be.

Slowly, her slender roommate turned before giving a carefully constructed grin. "Toothiana…I'm not a kind person, and I can admit that much. I am bound to hurt your feelings, sooner rather than later. Are you sure you want to be 'friends'?"

Seeing as how her roommate was making such a fuss about it, Tooth pondered.

She eyed Maleficent closely.

She looked at the dark bed and the dark posters and the dark clothing hanging in the dark closet. She eyed the creepy lava lamp on Maleficent's desk, the thorny vanity mirror, and the lines of razor sharp heels underneath the bed. She even glanced towards the large, grumpy raven.

Well. The girl certainly wasn't conventional, but neither was Tooth! And Tooth couldn't even remember the last time she had a real friendship with another female. Maleficent didn't seem 'fake' or 'phony'. What Tooth was seeing was what she was going to get and she kind of appreciated that about her roommate. Besides, Tooth had just gotten here to this university! Only two of her friends from Burgess had come with her, and she couldn't bother them 24/7. They would make new friends undoubtedly so she needed to find her own as well.

"You don't scare me. I doubt that you're a bully. Personally, I think you're just shy. You don't have to be shy around me, we'll get along great!" she held out her hand towards the girl.

Maleficent couldn't hold in the look of uncertainty that struck her face before placing her hand in Tooth's.

"I'm not shy! And don't say I didn't warn you." She turned away again to stare into her vanity, sitting down and pulling out a makeup brush.

Tooth smirked, sprawling back on the bed and humming happily. Time to get to know her new friend!

"So where are you from, Maleficent?"

Maleficent didn't miss a beat. "Please don't tell me that you're a talker. I can't stand inane chatter."

"Don't be nervous, tell me! We're friends now and all." Tooth rolled on her stomach, fluffing her pillow. Just from the few minutes she had known the other girl, she deducted a few things. Maleficent had constant 'bitch-face' and didn't seem to take genuine kindness too well. She was also devastatingly pretty, in a gothic kind of way. Tooth felt like she should be scared or intimidated, but she couldn't bring herself to be.

She didn't know why she felt so comfortable around Maleficent. She just did. That had to mean something, right? She hoped she wasn't wrong about her roommate, because if she was...well...Maleficent could definitely take Tooth in a fight.

Maleficent rolled her eyes before continuing to stare into her mirror. "Moors."

"Huh?"

"Where I'm from. You asked, didn't you?"

"Where's Moors?"

"Far away."

"Why come to this school?"

"Because it's even further away."

"What are you studying?"

"How to keep talkative roommates from talking so much. You?"

"How to keep shy roommates from being so shy!"

Tooth grinned at the sound of Maleficent's exasperated laugh.

"Jackson? Jackson Overland Frost? Hi, I'm your new roommate!"

Jack wandered into the room, looking around at the small dimensions. He didn't mind the size. He could adapt. He was just glad they had a window and a nice view.

Focusing his attention back on the other boy in the room Jack attempted not to gag on the cheer emanating off of the other guy.

He was going to relax. Thaw out a bit. 'Play nice'.

Tooth had told him earlier to be nice to whoever he ended up rooming with. To talk to them, and ask questions. As if he wasn't nice. It's just...this guy's unnatural cheer was irritating him on a deep level, for some reason.

And Mythos was...big, to say the least.

Jack hadn't been nervous registering for classes. He hadn't been nervous on the drive up there. He hadn't even been nervous about Uncle Moon saying he would pay Jack 'surprise visits at school'.

But walking through campus...seeing all the new faces...his own face was stoic, but Jack's hands shook like a newborn babe's. He was horribly nervous. He had thought it would be a fresh start. Where no one knew about the things he'd done. It didn't feel that way though. Instead it felt like being thrown into the sea without a life vest. Did he even belong in college...?

Good luck!

Jack was fighting the desire to relapse back into his old ways: shutting everything out and going cold again.

"Jackson?"

He immediately realized that he had been daydreaming on his roommate.

"Hey," he greeted, nodding. "Just 'Jack' is fine. I, ah, didn't catch your name-?"

"Rudolph! But you can call me Rudy." He nearly tripped himself, racing to shake Jack's hand vigorously, a large smile on his face. "It's nice to meet you!"

Jack granted the boy a tight smile. "Same. Is something going on? You seem pretty...excited."

'Rudy' gasped, releasing Jack's hand before chuckling nervously, gripping onto the edges of his sweater. "Nothing's happening, I just- I'm happy! Not saying that you aren't, but I mean, I show it a bit more. It's good to be positive!"

"Uh-huh."

Jack nodded before moving around Rudolph to set his things down. From the looks of numerous winter sweaters on the lower bed, Rudy had already claimed the lower half. Jack rolled up his sleeves before climbing up to the top bunk.

"O-oh, sorry!" Rudolph called out, following Jack to the bunk bed. "I took the lower bunk before you came because heights are…heights are, uh…"

Jack shrugged, bouncing a bit to check the bunkbed's stability. It hardly moved. "I don't mind. Heights don't scare me. Besides, I like top bunk."

There was a silence. Jack turned to the boy below. "Is something wr-"

His eyes nearly bugged.

Rudolph was blushing furiously, but all the color seemed to travel to the middle of his face. His nose was like a shining beacon. It almost seemed like an allergic reaction restricted to the middle of the kid's face.

"I'm not afraid of heights!" Rudolph insisted hotly. It seemed like he'd argued about this subject several times before.

Jack's eyebrow quirked at the sudden defiance.

'Touchy.'

"Oh yeah?" He asked out of curiosity, but it sounded more like a challenge to Rudolph.

"Yeah!"

Jack decided to let it go, because even though it was obvious his roommate was blatantly lying, Jack was being nice today. He just wanted this arrangement to work out.

"Well okay, but you might want to take a look at your nose becau-"

Rudolph gasped even louder this time, clapping his hands to his face and scrambling out of the room.

Jack stared on, wondering if he had said something wrong. He didn't really want to, but he would apologize once Rudolph returned. The guy just seemed so jumpy and all. He was probably just as nervous as Jack was about being in college.

Soon enough, Rudolph came back, his face dripping with cold water and the redness in his face gone. He used the sleeves of his sweater to wipe the water away as Jack leapt down from the top bunk.

"Hey look man, I'm sorry about-"

Rudolph shook his head so fast, Jack thought the kid would helicopter up into the sky. "Oh no, no! It's alright! It's my fault. My brothers are always teasing me about my…" he lowered his voice and leaned in, like it was some great big secret, "…my fear of heights. My nose, too. It gets like that when I'm cold or embarrassed or scared or surprised or really happy or really sad or-"

Jack lifted a hand to stop the rambling. "That's cool. I understand. No hard feelings."

Rudolph bit his lip, watching Jack nervously. Jack sighed at the look of shame the other boy's face before continuing.

"If it makes you feel better, I turn red really easy too. Not as red as you, of course, but y'know."

"Oh!" Rudolph smiled, glad to share something secret with his cool new friend.

Jackson was really cool. He didn't seem worried about anything! And his nose didn't turn red like Rudy's did and he was actually being very nice to him! Like he actually wanted to be his friend. He was so different from the folks back home. "Cool. So…where are you from?

"Burgess. You?"

Rudolph perked up a bit. "Alaska. We move around a lot, though."

"Your family?"

"Yeah! It's big! I have a lot of brothers."

Jack smiled for real this time. This was a topic he knew enough about, family! "I have siblings too. A sister. How many do you have?"

"No sisters here. Brothers? Plenty. Eight!"

Jack's eyes bugged once more. "Eight?"

"Eight. And I'm the youngest! I'm so happy to only have to share a room with one other person now. I don't have to worry about Vix, Blix, Dash, Dan, Comet, Cu-" Rudolph began, counting on his fingers.

Jack zoned out almost instantly. How this shy kid had made it this far as the youngest in a family that big, he would never know. If Jack had learned anything from television sitcoms or family movies, older brothers were really harsh on younger brothers.

"Wow."

"Yeah. I'm only here because of the Mythos aviation program. I'm studying aeronautical engineering! Gonna' be a pilot."

Jack nodded, interested once more. Wasn't Rudy afraid of heights...? Whatever. Better to not to bring it up and have the kid freak out again.

"Flying, huh? That's cool."

Rudolph smiled shyly, surprised that his dream career had been accepted so easily. "Yeah, it is cool. My brothers were teasing me before I came here. They don't think I can do it."

"Yeah, you can," Jack waved off, looking out the window at the campus below. When he turned back to his roommate, Rudy was just standing there, biting at his fingers nervously. Jack sat a little straighter.

"You can do whatever you want, Rudy. It's just a silly fear. You can beat it. I've had to do the same thing before. I'll be rooting for you." Jack made a little fist pump motion jokingly, but his new roommate seemed to take the statement to heart.

"Thanks, Jackso- uh, Jack! Wh…what were you afraid of?"

Jack shrugged. "Cars. Driving."

"Oh. Why?"

Jack didn't have an answer. It was one thing to be nice to a new friend. It was another to reveal your life story to someone you just met.

Catching onto the hesitance, Rudolph lifted his hands in reassurance. "That's okay, you don't have to answer that! Well, what do you want to be, Jack?"

Jack frowned, looking back out the window again.

"Dunno'. I'll figure it out, I guess."

The touch of Rudolph's hand on his shoulder made Jack feel a bit uncomfortable, but looking into the serious face of the other boy, he bit back a retort and allowed it.

"It's alright Jack, you'll find your dream job. I'll be rooting for you, too-"

"-You freshmen are so gay, it's flaming in here."

Rudolph and Jack jumped apart, looking towards their door. A clearly older, larger boy was peering in, looking around before settling back on the pair. "I'd say 'get a room', but you two are already in one. Need help moving stuff around?"

Rudolph's voice didn't seem to be working, but Jack's was fully functional.

"Nope, we're flamingly fine. Thanks."

The other boy stepped further in, spreading out his stance. He was a huge guy that nearly shadowed Jack and Rudolph. His arms and chest were rippling with muscle as his deep voice spoke again.

"Aw c'mon. It was just a joke. No hard feelings, right? Here, the name's Gilgamesh." The tall boy reached out a hand, smirking. "I run things around here."

Rudolph was quick to shake the massive hand so as not to appear rude, but Jack refrained. No need to suck up to some guy he'd probably be pranking later. Leaning in, Jack could see a name tag on Gilgamesh's shirt. "You're….you're our RA?"

"Damn right. So you two flame-o's better keep the faggotry out of the hall or you'll be dealing with me, and you don't want that. Right, so here are the rules: Don't lose your room key, or pay a ton of money. No pets, I don't want to see Fido in here. Recycle your shit. No candles, no smoking in here, no drinking, don't burn the place down. No girls- but that won't be a problem for you all, now will it? Ha, joking, joking- no girls unless they're being chaperoned by one of you."

Jack frowned. This uninvited guest was wearing out his welcome pretty fast. "That it?"

"Nope. Those are the standard rules. These are mine that you will live under: Smoke by the windows, drink but don't poison yourselves, fuck all you want. I don't want to hear it. You wanna' fight someone, take it outside. Don't bother me with dumb shit. Stay in your place. I'm RA. If I catch any girls of yours walking around and she's pretty, I'll escort her to my dorm, catch my drift? Stay in your place."

Jack stepped forward, ignoring the sudden hold Rudolph put on him. "Jack don't-"

"What are you, King of the Mountain? How did you even get this job? Who would make you an RA?"

The older boy smiled, flexing. He tipped his head in the air so that he could look them both down past the bridge of his nose. His boxed beard looked even fuller and tougher.

"What are you, mad, freshie? I'm RA because I know how to rule this dorm and I rule it well. Go ahead and push me. I can show you exactly why I'm King of the-."

"Gilgamesh."

Everyone turned once more, facing another newcomer.

'We need to get a better lock for that door,' Jack thought absently.

It was another older boy with and RA tag on his shirt, however he looked nothing like Gilgamesh.

This boy had long, wild hair to the shoulder blade. His shirt was tattered and he wore a small necklace of animal teeth as well as a wooden bracelet. His skin was far more tanned and his body was lithe and thinner than Gilgamesh's.

"Do you always have to bother the new kids? Sorry about him, guys. Gil just doesn't know when to lay off."

"Don't call me that! And I'm helping them out-"

The thinner boy turned on Gilgamesh, crossing his arms. "Either you leave them alone, or I'll make you."

Gilgameshs's eyes widened and his fists trembled before he bit his lip and stalked out the room, murmuring. "Whatever. Goddamned hippy…"

Jack and Rudy were puzzled.

Who…?

The boy smirked at them. "I'm Enkidu."

"Are you our resident assistant too?" Rudolph asked.

"Nah, I stole this tag." Enkidu said. "I just wear this so people come to me for help instead of that guy. Don't worry about him. He's tough on the freshmen…well, everyone… but if he gives you trouble just tell me and I'll set him straight."

"What's up with him? Why is he our RA?" Jack asked.

"Eh, he's just used to 'ruling' everything and everyone around him. We're from the same town actually. Back in Uruk he treated everyone like they were there to serve him. Strong armed his way into school president, valedictorian, team captain, you know. Thought he deserved the world on a silver platter because he comes from old wealth and prestige. He's not all bad, he just doesn't know how to behave or treat people instead of trying to tell them what to do."

Jack quirked his brow. "If he likes to boss people around, why did he listen to you just now?"

Enkidu laughed. "Y'know, I moved there when I was a teenager. I was a lot meaner and crazier back then. He tried to boss me around my first day. I fought him right there. Kicked his ass, too. Never bossed me around again. He made me realize how I had been acting, made me clean up my act. Really, he's not so bad once you know him."

Jack nodded, understanding. Gilgamesh was nothing to be concerned about as long as Enkidu was around. Rudolph, however, bit at his fingers, his nose furiously covering itself in blush again.

"He's a bully! And he called us…he said we were-"

Enkidu laughed, reaching out a hand to give Rudolph a friendly pat. "What'd I just say, man? Don't worry about him! Just don't get in his way or come to me. Besides, he calls everyone gay."

Jack's brow quirked before he receded into his own thoughts.

An insanely optimistic roommate with blood distribution issues, one crazy, homophobic RA that looked like an MMA wrestler, one ex-crazy, ass-kicking RA that looked like he walked out of a jungle, and a dorm full of unknown people and challenges.

Jack didn't even know what he wanted to be.

This was going to be an interesting year, alright. He wondered how Tooth was faring on her side of the campus.

Maybe he could call her later once she was settled in?

"What?!"

"You can't stay in the room for awhile tonight."

Tooth jerked wildly to her side, staring at her roommate in awe. Seriously?

"What do you mean I can't stay? It's the first day!"

Maleficent tried to keep up their walking pace though Tooth had slowed considerably at her request, too busy gawking at her to walk properly. "There's this boy I want to come over. It'll only be for three hours, maybe four? Then I'll send him on his way and you can come back."

"Why can't I just be in there while you guys are talking and-"

"We won't be talking."

Tooth's face slackened. "O-oh." She continued to walk awkwardly alongside her roommate before turning once more. "Is he your boyfriend?"

"No. More like a plaything."

Tooth frowned in disgust. "That's awful, Maleficent."

"What?" Maleficent grinned, perfectly manicured hands up in surrender. "He likes being my toy!"

"You talk about him like he's some kind of useless object. I'm sure you wouldn't like it if he spoke about you that way."

Maleficent stopped and a perfectly stiletto'd heel before leaning over to peer at Tooth. "So what if I didn't like it? So what if I did? What if that's what gets me off? Who are you to pass judgement?"

Tooth lifted her hands in surrender, shaking her head furiously. "Oh! No, I didn't mean to judge..."

Maleficent narrowed her eyes before continuing onward. "Well you did. This is college, Toothiana. Get used to these things. Not all of us are as pious and conservative as you." She continued to walk but her footsteps were a little more stiff.

Tooth followed after, feeling a little irritated herself.

How could her roommate just kick her out the room like that? And so soon? With no forewarning? For some guy? And then she acted like Tooth didn't know what college kids got up to! Like she was some small child that didn't know any better!

She had to lay down the law now. If she didn't face these problems head on, she would never be heard.

"Maleficent, you need to tell me these things ahead of time. I understand you do your own thing, but it's my room too. Next time you should go to his dorm instead of using ours."

"Are you asking me?" Maleficent countered, staring Tooth down with intensity.

Tooth frowned before stepping in front of the tall girl, getting on her tip toes for leverage.

"No. I'm telling you. We need to compromise!"

Maleficent's brows rose before a sly smile slid on her face. "So you do have it in you…alright. I apologize. It'll only be this one night that I have him over at our place and make you go somewhere else. You have my word."

Tooth nodded, her usual optimistic look returning. "Thanks. As long as you respect that. Where should I go in the meantime?" Tooth pondered, her finger tapping at her chin.

"You could find a warm body of your own to spend the evening with."

Tooth gulped, shaking her head. She wasn't even going to consider that statement. Her and Jack had never gotten that far. "Pass."

Maleficent chuckled before throwing back a long lock of black hair. "What did you say before about Burgess High when you were rambling to me? You danced there, yes?"

Tooth nodded. "Yes, but-"

Maleficent laid a slender hand on Tooth's shoulder and pivoted her around. "Look there, on the wall. 'Dance Team Try-Outs tonight at Mythos Stadium'. How utterly convenient. Why don't you go?"

Tooth did indeed spy a poster on the side of the nearest building that read about the college dance team. Try outs were that night and they wanted anyone who was willing to come. 'Bring something comfy to wear'.

Tooth grinned. Sure, she wasn't completely settled enough in college to be considering long-term commitments like teams and what-not, but she could always leave the team if things got too hectic. It would be a good way to spend the time she had when she wasn't in class, studying, or hanging out. Maybe she would make some more friends?

"Maleficent, that's perfect! You've got the room to yourself then, I'm going to tryouts."

They headed back towards the dorm, campus explorations to be put on hold for another day.

Once back, Tooth began to pack a bag for tryouts. "Towel, extra clothes…hmm, what else…?"

"Here," Maleficent offered. She handed Tooth a water bottle and her cell phone. "Why did you put those weird stickers all over it?"

Tooth grinned, grabbing the forgotten items. "I like teeth. You're a lot nicer than you pretend to be, you know that?"

Maleficent sneered. "I'm no such thing. I kicked you out of our room tonight, didn't I? And trying to play detective with me on the first day we meet, I see? I could visit a psychiatrist if I wanted to be analyzed, I don't need you doing it for me."

Tooth sighed long and loud. Jeez. Couldn't the girl just say 'thank you' every once in a while? "I knew someone who used to be like you. Someone who was all prickly on the outside, like a wall of defense."

Maleficent looked truly irritated now. "Wall? Fine. Whatever helps you feel like you have control over the situation. But you don't know anything about me or why I do things the way I do. If we're going there, I knew someone who used to be like you!"

Tooth frowned. "What do you mean 'like me'?"

"She was always chipper. Trying to find the best in everything. Trying to force people to 'open up'. It was condescending on her part, and look where she is now."

"Huh? What happened to her?"

"She got married," Maleficent cringed at the very word, "and if she hadn't been so curious about people and things, she wouldn't be. Would have never met that guy. Serves her right."

"Don't say things like that," Tooth chuckled, wondering why Maleficent was so upset over something so small and harmless, "you should be happy for your friend! So dramatic."

"It's not dramatic! Now she's like a housewife, caged up like some kind of prized bird."

Biting back a laugh, Tooth said, "You make it sound like it's a bad thing to love someone."

Maleficent scoffed. "It is. And she's an idiot to fall for it. I warned her. He'll leave her soon enough!"

Tooth's brows drew together at that. "Maleficent, please don't. I have a boyfriend too, and I'm not a slave or anything. It's mutual. We like each other."

Maleficent waved her off. "Think what you wish. He'll leave. Men always do."

Tooth froze, staring at her roommate in shock.

'She thinks Jack would leave me? Again...?'

"Wh-Why..." she began, her eyes watering up as her voice broke a bit.

Maleficent's eyes bulged at the sight of Tooth's tears. "Toothiana-"

"Um," Tooth blurted, wiping hurriedly at her eyes. "I don't know why I'm...that was...that was mean to say."

The very though of Jack leaving again... that alone was enough to make her foundations tremble. They had done so much just to stay together. Now here was someone telling her that all of that meant nothing!

Maleficent laughed softly as she leaned down to Tooth's height and brought up the hem of her black shirt to wipe at Tooth's eyes. "Oh, stop that. I told you before that I was mean! I won't apologize to you or anyone else, but I do regret making you cry. Please, Toothiana. No more tears."

Tooth hiccuped, reveling in the feel of the soft fabric on her skin and the long fingers caressing her shoulder. The sharp nails brushing her cheek made a chill go up her spine, but the touch was gentle enough that she relaxed back into it. She breathed. "Okay. It's alright. S-sorry for freaking out. Your shirt-"

"-is Givenchy, and now thoroughly ruined. But no matter."

Tooth had the decency to look sheepish as Maleficent chased the last tear away with the damp edge of her shirt.

"Maleficent look…I'm sorry, too. You were right. I was assuming things earlier. It's a bad habit and I'll try to stop. Let's not fight, okay?"

"Then don't start them," Maleficent teased before looking for a new shirt to wear.

Tooth nodded and turned back to her bag. She'd have to remember that Maleficent was a little different from others, and that she didn't like being cornered or corrected or analyzed. And what had she meant, control? Tooth didn't need control over things, surely. She wasn't some control freak. Whatever. The girl was fierce, but Tooth could handle it. Especially after that embarrassing little breakdown! No need to repeat that.

She was surprised that Maleficent had even bothered to comfort her. She seemed more like the type to tease Tooth for crying or be repulsed at the sight of her tears. Tooth decided from then on to keep her observations to herself, here at college.

She would stop questioning, but she wouldn't stop wondering about others.

There was silence for a while until Maleficent broke it.

"What happened to that person…the one 'like me'?"

Tooth was surprised that Maleficent even wanted to talk to her, still. Tooth tried to make her voice light and airy but it came out stuffy. "Oh! He's still kind of like that. But he's happier now," Tooth said listlessly staring off, a small smile on her face.

Maleficent stared before looking off. "Your boyfriend...?"

"Yes. The one that was going to 'leave me' eventually, as you put so nicely."

Maleficent paused at Tooth's sudden hard tone. Tooth wondered if a real fight was going to happen, but nothing of the sort occurred.

Instead, Maleficent breathed deeply before continuing slowly. "I...My past relationship was...very unpleasant, to say the least. Now I keep myself at a distance. I 'play' instead of 'date'. Maybe it's wrong, maybe it's right, but it works for me. When I see others in happier relationships, it...it irks me. That's why I said those things to you. Not only out of envy that I couldn't have the same thing, but also that I would sooner hurt my friends with my words of warning before any man could hurt them with his actions."

Tooth's eyes shone in happiness. "Oh, Maleficent. That's, uh, caring. In a weird way. But Jack isn't like that at all! You said earlier not to judge. Maybe you shouldn't judge all guys based on the actions of your last boyfriend.

Tooth walked over, wanting to touch the other girl reassuringly, but controlling herself. "Do you want to eat some ice cream and watch a movie after your guy-friend leaves? We can hang out and we can get to know one another more…the right way."

Maleficent pretended to ponder the thought before nodding quickly. "Alright. Just go to tryouts. I'll be in the dorms when you get back."

Tooth nodded, hoisting up her bag and jogging away. She turned quickly. "Oh! What flavor are we getting?"

"I just adore the taste of arsenic. Or perhaps cyanide?" Maleficent teased.

"Malefic-"

"Fine, fine. Chocolate. The dark kind."

"Line up ladies, single file, side by side. Quick!"

The girls sidestepped past one another in the empty gym as the line slowly formed itself out of all the young hopefuls, all wishing to be part of the Mythos Dance Team. Toothiana, among them, placed herself quickly.

"Alright everyone. I'm Mab, the co-captain of Mythos' dance squad, the 'Nymphs'! Welcome!"

Everyone clapped generously before allowing the co-captain to resume.

"Here beside me, is the team captain. She goes by Tinkerbell. You'll be dancing for her today."

The claps started up but the sharp look Tinkerbell gave made the room quiet once more.

"Alright," Tinkerbell announced with a light and chipper voice, "everyone who's over 200 pounds, 90 kilograms, 14 stone, whatever system you use to measure fat, thank you for coming. Leave."

The eager smiles seemed to slide off of the girls' faces. A few looked around, almost as if they were expecting a cameraman to jump out and yell, 'Gotcha!'.

The longer the team captain stood before them tapping her foot, the more they all understood that it wasn't a joke. A dull realization settled over the crowd as a few of the heavier girls left the gym, looking disappointed.

"That's mean!" a nameless onlooker called out.

"No," Tinkerbell responded on the dot, "it'd be mean is to allow someone with too much weight on the team, only to have them preform hard dance moves and break their ankles out on the field like last year! I will not allow this team to look bad again! The cuts aren't even over yet."

A few groans erupted around Tooth. "But we haven't even danced yet!" one girl called out from behind her.

"Everyone who just groaned? Thank you for coming. Leave."

Tooth's jaw dropped. A few girls did stomp out angrily while others stood stock still hoping that they would be spared. Tooth wasn't sure what to do because she was still puzzled on how half the girls in the room had already been eliminated.

"I will not allow whiners on this team. We already have tough competition each year, having all those prissy princesses on the cheer team, not to mention other schools' dance squads. I don't need anymore trouble on my hands."

Tinkerbell walked up and down the line, eyeing everyone. "We are the 'Nymphs'. We need to look like the team name suggests. We need to dance like it."

She pointed some girls towards the gym exit door and motioned for other girls to remain where they were. "Now, I don't like to be the bad girl, but I will be. Understand that this is my job. If you don't like the team after a bit of time on it you're welcome to leave, but you cannot try out again. Once you're on the team, the worst will have passed. All you need to focus on from then on is training with the other Nymphs."

Tooth highly doubted that. With a captain like Tinkerbell, there was a very possible chance that practices would be hellish instead of fun. Still, she didn't come all this way for nothing. If it was really that bad, she could always drop the team.

Tinkerbell stopped before her, glancing Tooth over. Tooth observed her similarly.

Tinkerbell was shorter than Tooth by a few inches, and wider in the waist as well. Still she was an overall petite girl that looked light on her feet, like the rest of the team did. Her eyes were a soft blue despite the hard emotion behind them. Her hair was gathered up into an obscenely large bun on the peak of her head, with the exception of a soft blonde bang falling to the side.

The captain did not smile but still looked approvingly at Tooth. "Nice, toned arms. Small waist. Don't move."

Tinkerbell continued down the line.

By the end of the examination, more than half the girls that had come to tryouts had left. Only a third remained. The room reeked of disappointment and fear.

Tinkerbell seemed to relax at the sight of the smaller crowd. "Who here has danced on a team before?"

A few hands rose.

"And who here has captained a team?"

Tooth and two others rose their hands.

"Well remember this: I'm captain here. Not you."

Tooth frowned. 'Of course we all know you're captain. Why even mention it again? I'll make a mental note to keep out of her way.'

At least Maleficent was visibly as intimidating as she actually was. Tinkerbell on the other hand...

This whole experience was leaving a bad taste in Tooth's mouth and as petite and nice as Tinkerbell looked, the girl seemed kind of…not that nice. However tryouts weren't over yet and Tooth wasn't too keen on bothering Jack on the first day or returning to the room too early to find Maleficent and her 'plaything' in the middle of whatever they were doing.

"Alright everyone!" Mab yelled, "Tink wants to see dances! You're all going to solo to a song of your choice, then learn quick dance routine and preform it for us. Line up for the solos!"

Tooth watched as person after person put on a show for the dance team members and captains. Though there were a few that could certainly use some help or improvement, none of the girls were hopeless. Tooth thought there was a wonderful collection of people for the team! Worried, Tooth realized that she had only ever done cultural dances. This dance squad seemed to focus on modern day dances.

After solos, they all learned a quick routine demonstrated by Mab and tried to preform it as best as they could.

"Alright, thank you everyone. I really liked- ah, I mean…Tink?"

Tinkerbell pursed her lips before calling out names. "Blue, Holly, Ondine, Plum, Puck- congrats on being the only boy to show up, by the way, Puck- and Toothiana. You're all on. Congrats."

A few cheers and hoots went around, though Tooth refrained and only gave a small smile. She wasn't sure what to expect from this team but hey, at least she spent the day doing something interesting before term started! With all the previous harsh eliminations, Tooth felt a bit of pride for having made the team despite the odds.

Tinkerbell went on, clapping her hands for the room's attention.

"Practice starts in here next week! Try to get your class schedules sorted out by then. We don't practice nearly as much as the cheerleaders do, but that doesn't mean you guys can slack off! See you soon, Nymphs."

Tooth nodded and grabbed the packet of important dates before walking out.

"Nice dancing," came a soft voice from beside her.

"Oh! Thanks. You too, uh…"

"Everyone calls me Blue. So that Tinkerbell sure is something, huh?"

Tooth nodded eagerly, glad to have someone else who thought the same. "She seems really…intense."

"Oh, intense ain't the word for it." Puck responded, popping up beside them both. "More like super ultra mega bitch. You saw the way she treated those guys who didn't make the cut. But she dances like a dream, so nothing else really matters."

"I just hope this team doesn't take up too much of our time. My friend and I want to hang out this year, but he's on the robotics team. With me doing dance, I don't know if we'll ever get the chance to just enjoy one another." Blue stated sadly.

"Oh yeah...who?" Puck asked. "Is it that weird Italian kid by any chance?"

"Oh! You know him?"

"Yep. My roommate's on the robotics team with him. Says he's always going on and on about you."

Blue bit the inside of her cheek, trying to fight back a smile. Tooth shot her a small smile.

"Who's your roommate?" Blue questioned.

"Hiccup Haddock."

Tooth's eyes widened. "Hiccup? I used to go to high school with him!" She had no clue that Hiccup had decided to go to Mythos, much less join the robotics team.

"Yeah? Small world, I guess. See you guys."

Blue and Tooth waved as the boy jogged away. Blue said her own goodbyes before leaving. Tooth continued on.

By the time she got to the dorms, the sun was lowering in the sky and colors bled into reds and oranges across the clouds. The campus was still filled with students, new and old, going from place to place. Tooth walked inside the dorms with her gym bag thumping against her side.

Which other students from Burgess High attended Mythos...?

Noises down the corridor alerted her and Toothiana raised her eyes, spying a group of seriously large guys lumbering in her direction, laughing and messing around. Tooth stared on. Their bulk reminded her of...

Old feelings spread through her chest and Tooth had to bite her lip to keep from making an embarrassing noise. Oh, and she had been doing so well! Her old friends...

The old gang had broken up.

Sandy was attending Mythos with Tooth, but they had realized the summer before that she would rarely see him because he was a serious medical major, training to be an anesthesiologist and taking a few neuroscience classes to boot.

North and Bunnymund, on the other hand, were overseas. At least she heard from Bunnymund from time to time through online video chat and text messages. He was in going to school in England with Alice. North was nearly unreachable back at his home in Russia. For some reason, the boy didn't have a computer and the libraries wouldn't allow him to hook up any webcams to theirs. He could only call or write. Tooth had a handful of letters in his tiny, neat scrawl.

'Missing them' was an understatement.

There had been nights where she looked at her old sketchbook from high school, filled with the teeth of her friends and classmates. She could recognize every single one. North's were wide, strong and white. Bunnymund had the signature enlarged central incisors, or buck teeth, with sharp canines. She would trace her finger over them longingly, wondering where all the time went. She knew things would never go back to the way they had been.

Tooth had promised herself to keep in contact with them. To try to remain unbothered by it all.

But how could she? How could she not feel anything?

They had been her very first real friends in high school, the best ones she had ever had, really. They were the first group of kids to make her feel normal and welcome. There wasn't a week that went by where they didn't see one another or hang out. Now it had all fallen apart.

No. She would keep it together. They all had their own lives now and it wasn't like they couldn't speak to each other through some method, if they really wanted to. Tooth had to bottle the feelings and start fresh, here at Mythos. She would make new friends! She already had a few. Maleficent, Puck, Blue.

Besides. It wasn't like Hiccup and Sandy weren't here with her. And Jack…

Jack was here with her. Jack was always there.

Tooth smiled softly, unaware that she was still staring in the direction of the group of boys. They smiled back at her and gave little greetings, but Tooth remained oblivious.

"Oh!" A voice boomed.

Tooth snapped out of her reverie and focused her vision, astonished. She recognized one of the larger boys. "Th-Th-"

"Brainiac! From Burgess High! You go here? Wow. You look hot."

Tooth couldn't keep from rolling her eyes. She should have seen that coming from a mile away. "Thank you, Thor. And my name is Tooth."

"I knew that, I knew that! Hey guys, I'll catch up later." He waved them off before looking back at her. "Football team," he gestured over at the retreating crowd, "They're cool guys. I made quarterback here at Mythos. Great, huh?"

Tooth nodded, her interest peaking. "Yes, that's wonderful. Do you live in these dorms?"

"Nah, the Mythos athletes get a special set of dorms on the other side of campus. They're incredible."

Tooth was a little jealous at the cool accommodations they got. She worked harder than Thor ever had in high school. Still, he worked hard in his own way, she figured. "Well good for you! You always played well back in Burgess."

"Yes. Now I'm in the big leagues! College ball is where it's at."

Tooth bit her lip, nodding and walking backwards. "Well…nice seeing you agai-"

"Wait," Thor reached out, making Tooth halt.

Tooth's brow quirked. "Yes...?"

For once, Thor looked self conscious. His eyes were downcast as he kicked his feet a bit, looking for the right words to say.

"I, uh…To stay on the team and keep my special offers from Mythos, I need to keep my grades up. I mean, sports was the only way I was able to get in this school. If I can't do well in classes, I'm booted from the team and the university, so uh…Could you tutor me? I know…I know I'm not all that smart-"

"Don't say that, Thor! You're plenty smart!" Tooth insisted.

She wasn't too sure if that was true, but she wasn't going to doubt him. Back in Burgess, Thor was pretty well known as a musclebound lug-head, good only for parties and football games. They made jokes about him. She had always believed the rumors before, but now with him standing before her and asking her for help…

"I would love to tutor you! I mean, I'm really, really busy, but...yes. Why me, though? Aren't there other, more qualified Mythos students to help you?"

Thor frowned, almost childlike. "But I actually know you. You're nice to me. You're nice to everyone! And you were really smart back in Burgess. Athena said so."

Tooth felt her heart speed up. She had forgotten Thor hung out with Zeus and his crowd from time to time. Athena said that about her? Thor thought she was nice?

"Alright! I'll help you. Don't you worry about a thing. It's a good thing you found me before classes started. We'll set you up with a study plan and everything-"

"I knew I could count on you!"

Tooth felt two large arms wrap around her before squeezing the life out of her. Tooth thought she would be able to keep her lunch down until Thor proceeded to swing them both in circles, right there in the tight hallway. Tooth couldn't help but notice that Thor was extremely similar to North in the hug department.

Still spinning, Tooth barely caught sight of the blurred vision of a girl. "Thor, wait-!" she got out until the toe of her shoe hit something.

"Oof!"

Thor and Tooth stopped immediately as the other girl fell over hard, having bumped into their wild hug. She leaned over her arm clutching it and cringing.

"Oh jeez, we- we're so sorry!" Tooth cried, jumping out of Thor's arms. She raced over to the girl, reaching out a hand. "Here, let me help y-"

"Don't touch me!"

Tooth froze at the icy demand, her hand retreating away. The fallen girl kept her face turned, denying Tooth from seeing her face. All Tooth could observe was the pale white hand clutching at the reddening arm and the platinum blonde hair coiled into a tight, intricate bun. Hair so white, it almost looked like Jack's…

"Are you okay?" Tooth asked.

The girl sighed a bit before rising up, still holding her arm. "Fine," she murmured before continuing on down the hall.

Tooth was totally embarrassed.

She turned on Thor, who raised his hands in defense.

"I didn't know she was there!" He blurted instantaneously, trying to save face

"Well, me neither! We still shotgunned her with my feet flying in the air like that! We're lucky she didn't report us to an RA."

Thor scoffed. "Why would she do that? We're all adults here. If we get hurt, we can lick our own wounds."

Tooth sighed. "I just feel bad."

"Don't!" Thor interceded, grabbing her shoulder. "You're doing a good thing by helping me out! A good deed cancels out a bad deed. You'll see. You won't regret it."

Tooth smiled a little. "I'm sure I won't regret a thing. We just have to work hard, okay?"

"Okay," Thor agreed. They swapped numbers before Thor headed on his way down the hall. "Catch you later Brainy!"

"Tooth!" she called back, stamping her foot before continuing to her room.

Her phone lit up.

"Jack?" she answered.

"My RA wants me dead and my roommate's afraid of his own shadow. Something tells me you're having a better first day than I am."

Tooth snorted. "My RA's pretty nice and my roommate's not afraid of shadows in the least…more like she is a shadow. You know she snuck a raven in our room? Also I joined the dance team and am now tutoring Thor. Apparently Hiccup goes here too."

Jack laughed out loud. "Of course you would get all that done in one day. Why am I even surprised at this point?"

"What do you mean?"

"Tooth, you're always doing a bunch of things at once. It's almost like you can't slow down."

"That's not true!"

Jack sighed. "Well I just hope you still have time for me."

Tooth nodded before remembering that Jack couldn't exactly see her do it. "Always! I always have time for you."

"Aw," Jack cooed, "I think my heart just pitter-pattered."

"Pitter-patter? Are you for real?" Tooth giggled.

"What? My roommate said it earlier, gimme' a break."

"Sure, blame it on the roommate!"

Tooth laughed at the sounds of Jack's irritation over the line. "Yeah, whatever. You're just a dance-tutor-linguist-dentition-person, what would you know?"

"I have to go, I'm going in my room now."

"Alright, dance-tutor-lingu-"

"I love you."

"Oh. Ah," Jack lowered his voice to a murmur before answering back, "love you too."

Tooth let him hang up first. She would never get tired of hearing that.

.

.

.

-Gilgamesh and Enkidu are characters from an old Mesopotamian myth, 'The Epic of Gilgamesh'.

-The significant fairies on 'Nymphs' dance team are Tinkerbell from J.M. Barrie's 'Peter Pan', the Blue Fairy from 'Pinnocchio', Puck from Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', and Mab from Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet'.

-Kids from Burgess that attend Mythos are Toothiana, Jack, Sandy, Thor, Hiccup, and another soon to be revealed. Bet you can guess who it is!