“A what what?” She was affronted. She was outraged. She was massively entertained which was why she hadn’t karate chopped the penguin into next week. “You went to a Christian bookstore? And it didn’t explode?”

Oh, she hadn’t missed that second blow to the head. Again, the helmet cushioned the actual impact, but that wasn’t the point. The point was the nun had smacked her with that stupid book twice now, and she had yet to respond. That was admirable restraint on her part, she thought. Yeah, that had to stop.

“I don’t think I should tempt the Fates by attempting a repeat, do you? Who knows where that might lead, not to mention the waste of manpower when all the firefighters respond. They’re facing budget shortages anyway. That one over there couldn’t even afford a shirt.”

Her hope was that the nun would turn to look at the shirtless wonder. Just an opening. A small moment of distraction. One wavering second of focus. That’s all she’d need.

It was with some trepidation that the man in the grey, creepy bunny suit entered the hall where the masquerade was being held. He was torn on the whole event. He loved parties, loved disguising himself and loved being around other people. At the same time, there was a gut feeling that this, like ever other inter-pantheonic party that was held, would end horribly. And he wasn't sure he wanted to be part of that again.

So he chose a costume that wouldn't give him away at all. There wasn't a single part of his actual flesh visible. No chance of anyone recognizing him. Which was just as well, he didn't want to be recognized. He was only really there because Hebe had invited him. Well, there were other more selfish reasons as well, but that wasn't important at the moment.

He wasn't sure anyone would know that his costume came from the movie Donnie Darko, but he didn't really care. Frank the Bunny was a memorable image from the movie, if others didn't recognize it – their loss.

Frank frowned from behind the mask of his costume, the one thing he hadn't really anticipated with this costume choice was as warm as it was going to be inside. Thankfully, he had remembered to make sure there was a small hole where his mouth was so he could at least have something to drink... as long as it was with a straw.

The place was not scary, that was something that Hebe demanded of them when she put together the decorating committee together. She had servants around everywhere ready with all sorts of drinks and food. But it could not be scary even if it was on all Hallows Eve. Hebe didn't like Halloween per say, or she didn't like the fact that it used to be about scary the wits out of people. She enjoyed the parties and the costumes. But for the Gods to gather and mingle without anyone knowing who was who or what was what.. That was a challenge that only this night could do. It was something she had to put together and it had to be the best Masquerade party that had ever happened.

It was light inside the palace. It was warm. It was what most people would demand and some people would hate. Gold as everywhere, fall colors shone through the decorations and hang from the vast ceilings. Hebe was proud of it to say the least. There were grand tables to sit at and eat and no matter what you ordered the plates would be filled. But Hebe's main specialty was drinks, and there was plenty of every kind of drink to go around.

( This was also a dance so.. )

Loki wasn't entirely sure what he was doing.

If he was doing the smart thing, he'd be back in Egypt with Bes or staying at his friend's place in New Orleans. But he wasn't doing the smart thing. He was still grappling with his emotions. Loki figured it was smart enough to avoid contact with nearly everyone he knew. It was safe to not let anyone but a severely limited number of people know where he was truly staying.

It was smart to not return to Alaska and the home he had made there. It was equally as smart to not bunk with Dionysos or go to Hedylogos for answers. Those would all certainly land him back in a captive state.

What wasn't smart was what he was currently doing: walking the streets of Stockholm. He was looking as much like himself as he could: black leather coat, t-shirt (plain white this time), jeans, black leather boots and his hair mussed. It was a little longer than he normally kept it, but such was life. He also was unshaven again and was smoking.

He flicked the ash off his cigarette and walked along the city streets, hoping for something that would enlighten him about the misfortune he'd suffered. What had he done to deserve this lot in life? Was it just ages of karma compounded into one giant karmic kickback? Certainly he thought he had suffered enough at the death of his sons.

Hadn't he?

Nothing.

No word had reached the Allfather's ear that would explain his continued feelings that there was discontent on the horizon. He might have chalked it up to restlessness, or a desire to feel needed at home, if not for Frigg's shared concern. She, too, felt something wasn't right in their world. Beyond that, the feeling refused to leave, and Odin was too wise to discount his instincts.

( Many hours had he sat here on Hlidskialf )

Shock had given way to fear, fear to confusion, confusion to determination, and determination to frustration. The emotional ride had been exhausting and overwhelming, and had Sigyn not had earlier experience with crushing blows to fall back on, she might have given into the depression that was threatening to drown her in dark thoughts and feelings. It was normal to feel down and disheartened when faced with repeated failure to gain traction. Feeling stuck wasn’t a good feeling at all.

( Feeling threatened was even worse. )

Ninkasi had popped in early to catch one of the dance lessons. It'd been a while since she'd done anything resembling line dancing. Aerobics was completely out of the question, but Zumba classes, she'd discovered, were very much fun. It'd been a few hours since the class had ended, but she was still there. She was going to see a particularly handsome man, with a particularly wonderful voice. She was also going to a Christian Kane concert.

It'd been quite some time since Ninkasi had a chance to hang out with Kratos. Well, that wasn't true. It'd been quite some time since she'd thought to think of hanging out with Kratos. The idea had popped into her head suddenly the other night when she was soaking up moon rays. ( She looked over at the empty space beside her and realized something was missing. )

Loki ignored the leers of the men in the bar as he leaned over the bar and stared into his glass of whiskey. He had taken Bes' advice and was crashing at his place in New Orleans. Not just that part of the advice, but the advice also of not going as himself.

Actually, the first thing he had done when we got to New Orleans was make use of Bes' bathroom where he took a long, hot bath -got clean for the frist time in months and shaved his face. Though it would probably be the last time he'd shave for awhile. It just required too much effort to do with frequency. And he was far too depressed for much of anything that required effort.

( When he left Bes' he took his favorite alternate form. )

Iris stepped out of the sliding glass door that connected the spa to its outdoor balcony. She was barefoot because she didn't do that whole fuzzy slippers thing. No matter how much chillier it was outside compared to the room and hot stone massage she just came from. It wasn't particularly chilly, just not as warm as she had been and really, compared to the heat indoors, this was a welcome temporary change.

( Hera had told her to take a vacation and that was what she had been doing. )

Hermod really did not know what to do. Sigyn had asked him to fine Loki, because the Trickster had been kidnapped. She was worried about her husband. Hermod never understood why she stayed with the big jerk; but then again he had never been in love. He wondered if he would ever find someone that he loved enough to forgive like that. That could apply to his parents, he supposed. He knew his father wandered from time to time. He had a few half-brothers to prove that.

Speaking of his parents, Hermod needed to get a jacket out of the room he had in his mother’s hall. He mostly stayed at Valhalla these days, but every now and then, he liked to spend time with Frigg. He knew his mother missed his brother (maybe even both of his brothers), so he liked to keep her from getting too lonely. He was all she had left.

( However )

He wasn't quite sure why he was there. There was no rhyme or reason to his choice in bars tonight. Truthfully, he had no reason to be there, other than the fact that he wanted a drink or two. Of course he could go back to his place and kill a bottle on his own, but he didn't want to drink alone. While he might be flying solo that night, being surrounded by other people drinking just made it seem better and who knew, he just might make some new 'friends' that night.

The bar was nothing special, it pretty much blurred into all the others he had visited over the years. Music was playing, almost unrecognizable with the din from the many conversations, several of them loud enough to entertain the entire establishment. The regulars had claimed their barstools early and showed no signs of moving. Others tried their best to push through the crowd to get there drinks without disturbing anyone else.

Anteros looked at the crowd as he mapped out the best approach to the bar. It was loud and crowded, pretty typical for any bar on a Friday night especially during Happy Hour. He was pretty sure he would be able to catch the eye of the brunette behind the bar once he got close enough to place his order without shouting. It was then that he noticed the second bar, outside.

The erote quickly made his way towards the back door. While the outdoor bar was busy, it wasn't as chaotic as inside. He would be able to sit and observe while enjoying the late summer night. It was a great night to enjoy the outdoors; temperatures were in the low 80's and there was no humidity. Many of the women were dressed in shorts and tanks, making the view even better.

"Scotch," ordered Anteros as he settled in at the bar. He had picked a vantage point where he could observe most of the bar without being too obvious about it as he enjoyed his drink.

He sighed as the first swallow settled in his stomach. His father was back in town, and he had all but promised Mother that he would visit him. The erote shook his head slightly; his mother knew how to get people to do what she wanted with seemingly little effort on her part. There was a part of him that did want to see Ares, but the logical side of him knew not to expect much--the love side of the family wasn't on top of Ares favorites list.

Anteros downed the rest of his drink and signaled the bartender for another. He wasn't going to dwell on what might or might not happen with his father. Tonight was just a night to get away from it all. Time to enjoy a few drinks and the camaraderie.

All was going well until a young man bought a drink and sent it over to a table with three ladies. The erote smiled as he watched the guy put himself out there. The guy might not be the best looking man in the bar, but at least he was trying. The response of the woman to guy's gesture, made Anteros blood boil. Once the waiter handed the girl the drink and pointed out who had purchased it, the guy had walked over to introduce himself. The erote couldn't make out what the woman said, but dumping the drink over the guy's head and then turning back to laugh with her friends was more than enough for him. It was ironic that soon afterward she ended up spilling her drink down the front of her.

Anteros smiled as he signaled that he needed a refill. The smile soon faded. "Damn, am I ever off duty?"

Oooo, but she was a clever bitch.

Sigyn's behavior and words lent no indication that she had been involved in Loki's capture. Had her father not told Hel himself that it was she who betrayed him, his daughter would have been completely taken in by her. So innocent. So worried. So needing to feel the sharp end of a long sword. Or the business end of a machine gun.

Hel shook her head and sighed. She needed to calm herself before calling Thor. It was a dangerous game she was playing. Should he be involved, have knowledge of what had transpired, her own life was in danger even attempting this. But she saw no alternative. They didn't know how high up in the pantheon this went and who all might be behind what happened to her father. Going to Odin would be useless. The Allfather was too wise and too deceitful to be trusted.

( Thor, on the other hand... )

Nanshe wasn't one for bars, but lately she'd found herself in them more frequently than she ever could have predicted. Losing herself in a bottle was not her modus operandi, but after her conversation with Morpheus and others, she was exhausted and she wanted a second to herself to hide.

It was selfish.

She kept on telling herself she shouldn't be here, she shouldn't be lifting the glass again, but already she was worn out. And there was still more work to do. She had to talk to her brother, sometime. And oh, she wasn't looking forward to that one. Not now. Not after having seen Harmonia's face when she talked about Phobos.

"Could I get a second?" she asked meekly, pushing her empty glass across the top of the bar to the bartender who had asked for her ID not ten minutes before. As he turned around to refill it with some amber liquid, Nanshe sighed and leaned back in the bar chair. It was all so much to deal with. All so much to handle.

So preoccupied was she, that she didn't notice that she wasn't alone in the bar at 2 pm on a Tuesday.

As often as she stayed here, she really should bring a couple of her own things over for times like this, Ahti mused to herself as she padded her way back out of the bathroom, shivering. She slipped on the men's shirt she found laying over a chair, recalling briefly that it must have been there that it had been thrown when it was swiftly removed the night before. She looked down at the owner of the shirt still sound asleep in the bed she had recently departed, and felt a bit of jealousy that she should be the one to be awake. She considered sliding back in beside him, but she really didn't want to disturb him. So instead she grabbed a clean pair of panties from her handbag and slipped them on. At least she'd had the foresight to stick those in there before leaving her home for the evening. ( Sometimes it payed to plan ahead. )

Enyo leaned back in her wrought iron patio chair and crossed one elegant leg over the other. She was, in that moment, every bit Hera’s daughter. What with her black pencil skirt, black heels, white blouse and pearled jewelry. Her raven hair was not pulled back, rather it hung loose. One hand cocked to the side, she snapped two fingers together before relaxing the hand as a glass of shiraz was placed in it.

The attendant was mostly unseen, not even coming into Violence’s peripheral vision. It was for the best, she preferred not to see them unless it was absolutely necessary. She did hear the girl, though. A newer girl, a local girl and given her favor of the Romanian people Enyo had allowed her to live mostly unscathed. ( Frightened, but unharmed. )

There was absolutely nothing wrong with Makaria's obsession with LOLCats or LULZkitties, or daily squee. In fact, it was healthy and normal... for a teenage girl. Since Makaria was basically teenage when it came to her Pantheon it was fine. Right? She'd put those magnets that Namtar gave her on her refrigerator immediately and began rearranging them as she pleased. Filling the fridge with various pictures of Ashes or other kittens she happened upon. What Makaria really needed to do, though she didn't want to admit it.. was get another cat. Ashes was getting very old and she knew she couldn't keep him forever. He would die just like any other mortal thing would. Unfair though it might be, he would die. And he was OLD. He barely wanted to get up and play with his catnip mice. He just wanted to lay around in the sunshine and not be bothered by her loud music or her occasional late night wanderings in. Poor Ashes.

( So she needed to get another, or maybe two, or three, new cats. )

Fine.

No one was coming forward and offering information as far as the whereabouts of he and Nikki's idiot brother and even though Eristikos would admit it to no one, part of him was missing Neikos' retarded behavior. It was one thing for the moron to be in chains somewhere, locked away for punishment, but it was a whole other thing for him to just... disappear. Especially from his siblings. That was suspicious.

Well, probably not all that suspicious given that they had been the ones to forcibly remove Neikos from his Chicago home and bring him back to Olympus. But still.

( Since no one was coming forward, Eristikos took it upon himself to seek out the little rat bastard. )

He’d seen Hebe. He’d seen Styx. He’d seen a plethora of attendants and nymphs and a slew of other individuals that weren’t nearly as important as who he was currently looking for. Zeus knew he probably should have sought Hera out immediately on his return, should have at the very least attempted to grace their shared bed, but after ages of being married to her, he figured she could do with waiting a touch longer while he dealt with business.

Though, there was different and yet related business that certainly needed attending to now. He had meant to seek Hera the second he left Hebe’s company, but there were distractions. Distractions in the form of attendants and nymphs. Even Styx had distracted him from his course. It had been more than just a few days since his return to Olympus. More than just a week or two, more like a few months.

( And yet, he’d still not seen Hera. )

Hel took one final, critical look in the mirror. If she was going out, and looking to meet with a Nord besides, it was imperative she look her best. She was grateful for some of the more alternative fashion styles of the era, for the extra layers of make up helped immensely to disguise her own faults.

She stood for a moment, lost in thought. This was not going to be easy. It had taken some time to work out who would be the best to approach, and even then she was not convinced he could be completely trusted. Hel would have to be very careful in choosing her words, yet nothing came immediately to mind to plan out the conversation in advance. No doubt the summons alone would put the Thunder god on edge. If he even showed. It wasn't as if they were close.

( Sighing deeply, she grabbed her handbag )

It wasn’t as though Bast was unable to afford to purchase her own foodstuffs. Nor was it as though her own housekeeper was unable to make those purchases, since the woman had been trained by Fatima, her mother’s termagant of a housekeeper. Bast’s household was run efficiently, and she never lacked for food. Or beer. Need was not what motivated her actions in the wee hours of the morning.

( It was just for fun. )