As a history nerd I have to admit that the whole 1940's aspect and nuances of The Heroes of Olympus really appeal to me, and it genuinely bothers me how little stories exploit this.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters portrayed below.
A Minimal Height of 5"4
Sammy walked out of the recruitment center looking defeated, his coat swung over a shoulder.
Hazel tried to offer up a smile, but she knew that it wouldn't work.
"I didn't get in," he said uselessly, after a bit.
"Well of course not," Hazel said. "I'm sorry Sammy, I didn't mean it that way. But you're just… you're not eighteen and it's really obvious…"
"Why? I'll be sixteen next January. That's close enough." Sammy said crossing his arms over his chest, still upset.
She bit her lip. "Sammy, just wait until you're eighteen to try again, please…"
"Am I too short to wait?" He asked.
Hazel sighed. "You're impossible."
"So I've been told," Sammy said. "The nurse in there was hell, though. 'sir I'm sorry but we can't proceed with the medical examination, you don't reach minimal height'."
"What?" Hazel laughed. "They didn't even get you because you're under eighteen?"
"No," Sammy cackled.
"You're too short," Hazel said. "Aww…"
"None of that from you, missy. You aren't exactly tall either."
"Hey- I'll grow!" Hazel said with her hands on her hips.
"Well me too!"
"Nuh-uh, you're fifteen. You're just going to stay that short until you die," Hazel said. "What is minimal height anyways."
"5"4," Sammy said.
"And what are you?"
"5 feet, 3 inches," Sammy said.
Hazel burst out laughing and Sammy poked her in the ribs.
"It's not funny!"
"No, you're right, it's hilarious," she giggled. "Aww, poor Sammy."
"Yeah!" he said defensively.
"Too short to go to Europe," Hazel said. "Guess you'll have to wait until after the war and go play tourist."
"Guess so," he said. He looked down in the dumps.
"You're not even legal age," Hazel said. "Don't feel bad about not being able to volunteer."
"Sure," Sammy said still kicking thin air.
"I mean it, Sammy Valdez," she threatened. "You know, maybe you shouldn't take that stamp on your enrolement form as a failure. Take it as a… a cosmic sign."
"A cosmic sign?"
"Like, God's message to you."
"I know what a cosmic sign is," he protested. "A cosmis sign of what?"
"That you have to stay in New Orleans with me," she said punching him in the arm.
He smiled at her. "I didn't need no sign to tell me that, Hazel."
They both realised what they were saying a second later. It was tense and quiet and palpably awkward, so of course Sammy dove in with a joke.
"And for your information, Hazel Levesque, you can never be too short. My height is excellent."
"Even when you had to write high on the board?"
"My height is excellent," Sammy repeated. "For example, I can do this."
He scooped her up on his back and before she knew it, Hazel Levesque was getting a piggy back ride home.
