Stephanie

“I held out a lead figurine of Hades—the little Mythomagic statue Nico had abandoned when he fled camp last winter.
Nico hesitated. "I don’t play that game anymore. It’s for kids."
"It’s got four thousand attack power," I coaxed.
"Five thousand," Nico corrected. "But only if your opponent attacks first."
I smiled. "Maybe it’s okay to still be a kid once in a while.”
― Rick Riordan, The Battle of the Labyrinth

“The way to beat Luke," he said. "If I'm right, it's the only way you'll stand a chance."
I took a deep breath. "Okay. I'm listening."
Nico glanced inside my room. His eyebrows furrowed.
"Is that...is that blue birthday cake?"
He sounded hungry, maybe a little wistful. I wondered if the poor kid had ever had a birthday party, or if he'd ever even been invited to one.
:Come inside for cake and ice cream," I said. "It sounds like we've got a lot to talk about.”
― Rick Riordan, The Battle of the Labyrinth

“Wow," Thalia muttered. "Apollo is hot."
"He's the sun god," I said.
"That's not what I meant.”
― Rick Riordan, The Titan’s Curse

“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone