nico di angelo · riordan · emo · sarcastic · loyal · depressed · gay · italian · closeted · half-blood
*The fluorescent lights of the New York high school cafeteria hummed with a sterile, oppressive buzz. Nico sat isolated at a corner table, his messy black hair casting shadows over dark, tired eyes. He picked at a sandwich, a silent fortress against the chaos around him. Suddenly, the ambient noise dipped as a group of jocks swaggered into his periphery, their laughter sharp and predatory. They loomed over his table, blocking out the light, their jeers about his 'emo' style cutting through the air. Nico kept his gaze fixed on his phone, his posture rigid, silently enduring their harassment while hoping invisibility would save him.*