[She refused to panic, but waking up in a room that wasn't hers had her a bit on edge. She listens at the door for a moment but didn't hear anything.

Not one to sit around and wait, she opens the door and steps out into the hallway. Being in her pajamas (just a tank top and sleep shorts), her bare feet make no noise as she walks down the hall.]

"...no suspects yet in the attack on the University of Wyoming campus. The target appears to have been the astronomy and physics department. School officials state that it was most definitely not a lab accident, but have no further information on what happened. The office of one graduate student was entirely destroyed, but, fortunately, no injuries were reported..."

Okay, so, everyone who got a strange visitor lately... Show of hands? Tell me it wasn't just me?

[The first thing visible is Tanner's smile, as he's a little too close to the camera, still trying to adjust it as it blinks on. He bites his lip for a moment, looking for the little light indicating that it is indeed on, and once he finds it, he gently settles himself back into his computer chair.]

Hi. [He smiles, shyly. His face overtaken with a hint of pink.] I'm Tanner. You might know me as...[He stops, and worries his lip between his teeth a little, looking decently self conscious by now.] Ganymede.

I've looked through the other posts here and some of them are really-[He stops again, and just shakes his head.] Um. But...I think I kind of get the gist of this place? I'm not sure. [He shrugs.] But I figured I'd make a video post, because I...don't think I'd know how to introduce myself just typing. [There's a bit of a giggle.] It doesn't...carry tone well, you know? And I wanted to be friendly.

So, hi! [He waves, and smiles brightly at the camera, before winking, and cutting the feed.]

Okay, I think I can handle this. I'm a lot more in-control than I was before March.

But, one of the things I used to be able to do is astrology. You know, reading horoscopes and the fates of nations in the stars. This is really, really embarrassing given what I do now.

Anyway, I know who on the Greek pantheon could see the future, but my mythology is weak, and we didn't really go to church either when I was a kid, so I have no clue if any of you are prophets. Maybe, we could try working together.

I should be free to travel, now that the semester's over and I have all my grading done. If all else fails, there's always Skype.

It sounds really silly, but maybe we can find out something that would suggest a solution.

Wonderful. Just when I thought that they were going to try and get back to important issues... A bill is being proposed now that would require all of us to register ourselves as godlings. With our names, addresses, and powers. So the entire world would know who we are, where we live and what we can do.

I promise, I'm doing what I can to fight it.

So... things I've learned in the past couple weeks:

It is amazing how many drinks strangers will buy for you when you're dressed up like a Persian courtesan and saying it's part of your birthday celebration.

Also, it only takes fewer than two dozen godlings to catch the attention of the world.

...and that leads me to the last thing... Godlings... we've got a problem. No joking.

[Celeste had been eating breakfast with her roommate at dawn, chatting about nothing in particular when the sun rose over the mountain. She didn't even notice the sudden rush of power among the sudden rush of memory.

"Celeste? Celeste!"

She'd spilled her coffee and had nearly fallen face-down in her cereal bow -- her roommate had made a save to keep her upright. For that matter, she hadn't heard her name… at least not as hers.

That actually scared her. Deep down, Celeste had suspected that one reason she couldn't fully remember being Urania -- or Layla, Pacal, Viola or Estelle -- was because she was afraid of surrendering who Celeste was to some goddess. That divinity and who knew how many centuries of memories would overwrite two decades that were hers dammit.

--

She had classes, and work, and couldn't leave those. She had to tell her roommate something, since she'd seen the transformation, dammit all, but she hoped she could pass the new hair, the new clothing, the… whatever it was, aura that caused people to stare at her and notice -- as some kind of new look.

She hadn't counted on the fact it wasn't just her. The other grad students, the undergrads… even the faculty just gave her a look when she tried to explain things. She didn't get it until someone told her to log onto CNN.

"Jesus Haploid Christ," she muttered. Somehow being a god herself didn't make the oath any weirder than when she was an atheist. "Don't you guys know the meaning of the word 'subtlety'?" Evidently not -- then again, suddenly-personal memories made it clear that yeah, this was to be expected.

--

In the end, she'd just repeated the same thing: 'I'm still trying to figure this out'. Which she was. She printed off a Spiderman meme while she thought: it wasn't like there was many people around to complain about using the color printer for personal things. 'With great power, comes great responsibility.'

She'd also changed her computer wallpaper to the emblem of Barbara Gordon. Somehow 'Oracle' seemed like an appropriate theme. ]

So, okay, I'm posting this during my planning period (I teach English to high school students), but I did get the email inviting me here.

My name is Alan Cleary--"Big Al," if you like--and, like I said, I'm a teacher. I also have two awesome kids, my son Devin, who is 16 and one of my students, and my daughter Harper, who's 11.

What's this place all about?

All right. I don't know who's in charge of this site, but if you keep getting repeat requests for membership from one of the senators from Rhode Island, I'm probably to blame. Sorry. The pages kept printing off in the office, and he picked one up thinking it was his. He said he couldn't get it to work, though. But I did, and I'm set up now.

Anyway, introductions are in order, yes? I'm Hada Morgenstern, and I work as a lobbyist on Capitol Hill.

Who are all of you?

Well, I've survived my first semester at college. I finished my finals, and I've come home for the winter holidays, so if anyone needs me, you can find me in Olympia.

Last day of classes. Then a week of finals, and the drive down to Denver to get on a plane home. Getting back to Washington will be nice. It'll be warmer, for one.

So, are those of us in the Northwest planning anything for the holidays?

[Filter: Greeks]

Okay, everyone. We know what we're supposed to be seeking out, but has anyone been able to further narrow down where we need to continue the search?

You know, there is a limit to how much you can enjoy walking into a Kinko's, or an office building, and just watching paper spew out in piles while the workers freak out. It takes a while to get there, but the limit does exist.

Since I've finally reached that limit, I'll bite. What the fuck do you want?

[Filter: Daughters of Zeus]

...Sisters? After everything that happened, I think... I think I just need to get away from here for a little while. Clear my head. Asclepius and the others have been very kind in taking care of me, and my injuries are all healed now, but I think I just need to get out of Washington for a few days.

My fall break is coming up this weekend, the 15th through the 18th... Could I come visit for a couple days? I just want to be with my sisters for a bit.

Hey, everyone! Brothers and sisters and all the rest!

Things are seriously awesome down here at the dorms! Everyone's invited! Can't wait to see you all here! ♥

Okay, this e-mail is just incorrigible, and I guess trying this out is better than smashing my computer, right? I mean, I need to do business on it, and I can't afford a new one.

So hi, my name is Josephine -- I'm more comfortable with Seph, though -- from South San Francisco. From skimming the board and the names straight out of antiquity and everything, I'm guessing this is a past lives discussion group? While I do have some memories of four past lives, one of them pretty far back, I really don't remember them clearly enough to add much to the discussion. I'm trying to figure if my mom or my ex let something slip to someone who signed me up for this, because I don't talk about it all that much.

[The God of Prophecy was used to having dreams that were a little too real. They happened often enough, usually enough to tip his favor one way or another on something. To most people, it seemed like uncanny intuition. But, when those dreams turned dark, the Sun could become more dangerous than most realized.

His Muses were in trouble. He wasn't sure why, or from whom, but he sensed the darkness coming over them. Slowly, insidiously, like the plagues of old he sent when people had insulted him. It settled over them, gentle as a lover's caress at first. Dimming things slightly. Hiding their brilliance, like a tarnish. And then it broke them. Made them weep and scream.

No one hurts his Muses. No one.]

[Filter: Muses]
Are you all right? Tell me you're all right. Tell me right now if anything--anything at all--is wrong.

I'm coming to see for myself. I have to see that you're both all right with my own eyes. Urania, I'll ensure you're taken care of. Erato, you do whatever Achilles tells you to do.

[Filter: Achilles]
My Muses are in danger. I'm going to Laramie to see to Urania, but I can't be in two places at once. Erato trusts you, so I'm trusting you with her. I need you to watch over her. In person. Starting now. Don't let her out of your sight for so much as an instant.

I mean that. Not even for an instant. If she goes to class, you go with her. If she eats, you eat with her. Studying? You're there with her. Sleeping? I want you beside her. Lavatory and shower--I don't care how awkward it might be, I want you there, and no excusing yourself from her side either to take care of your needs. Do whatever you have to, come up with any necessary excuse. Just make sure you're with her at all times.

Don't fail me.

Ok, ladies. The boys have had their fun. Now it's our turn.

Which of the men here would you be most interested in and why?

Personally, I like the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the total package of wealth, good looks, power and a certain je ne sais quoi, so it shouldn't be of any surprise that I favor both Poseidon and Odin.

I always enjoy trips to Washington (thanks again, Nina, for a great time with peasant mud wrestling!), but I am happy to be back home in dear old Nebraska.

During the trip, I came across a quote, and I would be interested in hearing what you all think it might mean ...

"The Grail appears only to those who allow the Grail to appear to them."