Grecian Urn...

"Mmmm... back to what you want, I see... I'm starting to like you greedy."

She smiled, leaning back a bit to look up at him with a clouded expression... then smiled, transporting them both from the bar to the living room of the home she shared with Anteros.

"Home sweet home..."

She pulled back, hand reaching for his as she turned to move toward the hot tub. She led the way toward the back of the house, stoppng abruptly as she came to the doorway of the kitchen, spying Anteros and Flidais.

"I... thought you were in Bantry Bay?"

The house felt way too quiet once Mel had left and with Anteros still sleeping off his early morning drinking binge, Psyche decided to take a walk on the beach. It was rare that she was anywhere besides Olympus, so she was going to enjoy this while she could.

A little girl with brown curly hair ran past her, shooting Psyche with a mischievous grin as she ran to collect sand for the sand castle she and her siblings were making. Psyche returned the smile, thinking about the child Eros and she always talked about having, but never got around to. Now that she'd cheated, she was unsure they would ever have offspring, let alone a marriage, once he found out.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, it took a minute or two for her to clue in that all the noise on the beach had stopped.

The ocean wasn't crashing. The birds weren't calling. And looking at the little girl she'd just smiled at, Psyche knew something was definitely off. She stood, bent at the waist, by the water's edge, her pail still gathering water that was no longer moving.

Psyche didn't even stop to think. She ran straight back to the house, calling for Anteros, the entire way.

Never once did she realize the nagging headache that had plagued her from day one of the switch was finally gone.

Warm. So warm and comfortable. Psyche stretched lightly as she regained consciousness. There was a hard male chest under her cheek and she woke up slowly rubbing her cheek over the tight skin against her.

Eros... She spoke to her partner with her mind before she woke up completely. Then her eyes opened. Drifting upwards, they widened. Oh my gods. That wasn't Eros. What...what had she done?

Luckily through the night, Anteros had drifted of to the side of the couch and Psyche had cuddled against him, so when she moved to escape, she didn't even have to move him. Quietly rushing out of the living room, she found the bathroom and shut herself inside with a lock. She started the shower, setting it to almost near burning hot and just tried to drown herself in it.

After they had finished their meal, she had brought them both back to Olympus, conversing quietly as they moved from her temple towards that formerly of Zeus, not that far a distance. She didn't want to be having this conversation already, really... but the Eros situation had shifted her opinion on an appropriate time line for change. Her arm slid through Anteros' as they walked, and she smiled absently at him.

"I do appreciate your serving as distraction. Hopefully it will be no trouble."

She doubted there would be much trouble at all... no matter what his power, he was a charming man, And she didn't think Styx so petty as to visit assumed sins of a parent on a child... though she'd not put it past her, really. She paused as they reached the entrance to Zeus' home, and looked up at him.

"Ready, then?"

"Worse. Honestly, I'm glad she doesn't come up here often. She absolutely hates me for no real discernible reason. There are plenty of people with a reason to dislike me, sure, but I've never done a thing to the bitch."

She grinned at Anteros, looking at Psyche as she mentioned never having Chinese.

"At least tell me it's from some hole in the wall... they make the best spring rolls. You'll like it Psyche."

Never once during the trip from Aphrodite's to the bed at Anteros' did Psyche even make a peep. The stress of the day had caught up to her and she was exhausted. It wasn't until several hours later that she was awoken by the sun streaming into the window near the bed she was tucked into.

Slowly, she sat up, groggy and confused. This wasn't Aphrodite's temple. The bed was comfortable and the sheets were crisp, but she'd never seen them before. Getting out of bed, she looked down and saw that she was still wearing the sweater and pants combo she'd changed into the night before, so it couldn't have been a dream. Spying a door, she poked her head out and looked around. Nope, did not look familiar at all.

Leaving the bedroom, she walked down the hall until she got to the first door she saw. She pushed it open.

"Hello?"

She just sighed, pausing outside the dor to her temple.

"Seriously, love...remind me of this if I ever decide the world needs a change that results in me having to be in charge of anything."

She shook her head and slipped back into the temple, leading Anteros back to the salon where Psyche and Morpheus were still... though it looked like one was asleep, and the other almost there. She eyed them both as she debated waking them, letting them sleep, or sending Anteros off with Psyche now, before she could argue.

Morpheus continued to walk the short distance to Dite's temple from Eros' and Psyche's place with Psyche. Off to see on the former goddess of love, the wonderful goddess of the Sea who just so happened to currently be it's Queen. He felt compelled to give her a can of Chicken of the Sea after seeing it in one of his mortal dreamer's memories. Poor Jessica Simpson couldn't figure out whether it was chicken or fish which he thought was hilarious since it was tuna.

Unfortunately giving her a can of Chicken of the Sea would mean conjuring it since he was no where near a grocery store and he was afraid since he wasn't accustomed to being a conjurer of real things that he might conjure something horrible instead of what he was aiming to conjure.

Still he swore when he got the chance he was going to send Dite a whole basket of Chicken of the Sea.

He looked at Psyche suspiciously after her inquiry about her. He abstained from answering the first question: "Yeah her. She who must not be named."

"Youse know I can't actually share the name with you? There is this whole Dreamer and Dream confidentiality clause that I actually authored in a binding contract after one of my siblings ratted someone out for something two thousand years back. It's hard enough for some deities to trust us, knowing what we know and can access."

She paused a moment as she watched Hades leave before reentering the room that held her son... and it seemed, only her son.

"Ahh... did Psyche leave?"

Not that she was that surprised, really... or even all that concerned. While the whole leaving when she asked them to stay thing was a tad annoying, it left her to talk to her son alone, which she appreciated. She closed the door behind her and stepped over to Anteros, curling fingers to lift his chin a bit, and leaned her brow against his for a moment.

"I'm sorry, love. Seems I'm always getting pulled away. Minor crisis... then interesting guest. But now I'm yours."

She released his chin and took a seat beside him, idly running her hands along his back as she looked at him.

Anteros with Adonis on a lead, parted from Flidais' beautiful Bantry Bay manor where he had stayed a few days after Ate had left he and Flidais. He wished he wouldn't have worried the entire time, but he had put it off long enough and stopped off at two shops in London to pick up a gift for his mother before winding up back on Olympus.

He carry a plastic shopping bag from Dolce & Gabbana that had a box of silver diamond strapped heels accompanying a second box that just so happened to be a box of Lindt assorted truffles.


Adonis had never been on Mount Olympus before and was pulling at his lead somewhat overwhelmed by the newness of the place. "No, no...This way. My mum's temple is this way."

Once Ate had left the club, she knew she needed to work at getting rid of the pent up energy that she was currently blaming on Momos... One kiss freely given. What did he think this was, some sort of fucking fairy tale? She had kept her cool as she walked out, only giving into the disgruntlement she felt once she was outside his place. Cooking wasn't going to calm this... particularly not given her current state. A diner filled with misery was not the place for her. She wasn't too far from home... about 20 miles, give or take, which was just perfect as far as she was concerned. She walked a few blocks from the comedy club, easily ignored by mortals, clothes shifting into running clothes... sports bra, leggings, and sneakers. She stretched her arms out over her head, Bending her back down, arms remaining outstretched until they reached the ground in front of her feet. That was all the stretching she needed, really... And she began to run.

Ate had always run... Myths like to say she tread on the heads of men, rather than earth, but she didn't need to o that to wreak havoc with them. A bit of an exaggeration, perhaps, but she had spent her life outrunning the Litae, who were never quite quick enough to catch her. She ran fast and furious, never breaking a sweat as she pounded along the sidewalks of Olympic Blvd.. ... to Century City, cutting down Avenue of the Stars befor And while the e finding a road that paralleled Pico Blvd...., which would take her down to Santa Monica, and the areas she often ran with Adonis... not that he'd be able to catch up with in this sort of mood.

It took just over an hour... Ate could outrace any marathon runner when trying. And while the exertion was doing the trick... her body worked out its physical craving.... it didn't seem to be doing the trick for her mental state.

She let herself into Anteros' house, finding the note pretty quickly, and sighing as she read. It was good for him to be somewhere he was comfortable... She could use his knowledge right now. She sank onto the sofa, Fingering the remote and queuing up the recording for the past few days worth of Days, trying to sink her way into it.

Were kisses always like that , and she just forgot? Was it possible to forget something like that? Had she been really screwed up with this whole switch, and gone all sexpot or something? She didn't even *like* him that much, did she? He was fine, and they had fun, and he teased her.... except he said he wasn't teasing.

It was half an hour into the second episode of Days before she realized she had no idea what was going on. Apparently, her uncle had fucked her head up so badly.... Days held no interest. What the hades was wrong with her?

Glancing at the note again she waffled... did this count as needing him? on one hand, she hated to interrupt him... on the other... she couldn't concentrate on anything. Not even Days. With a groan she stood, instantly back in normal clothes, and just as instantly in Bantry Bay, knocking heavily on the door to where she assumed he was. He knew about this shit, right?

Anteros was glad to reach the hall outside of his mother's large parlor; glad that he was away from his bickering family and the strife he'd been witness to. It was all a bit much to endure when you weren't accustomed to family, let alone family reunions and gatherings of any kind; especially when extended family showed up at such a function. He hadn't realized how much it would press on his nerves being presently the God of Scorn.

Still he felt like nothing had been accomplished while he and Flidais were there, other then clearing their own names before the rest there by taking up the goblet and swearing on it before all to see.

After leading Flidais outside his mother's temple and walking down the step he was relieved to admit: "I'm glad we're out of there love. I'm not in the mood to cope with raging egos as horrible if not much worse than my own."

Apollo pushed past him, his arms around Eris as he laughed at Hermes. They all left him in the entry way alone, Dite's voice in his head as he tried to make sense...

Everything felt wrong. His hands were shaking as he reached out for the the door, only to pull back a moment later and look away.

It is all wrong Dite, he said softly, Apollo...

He drifted, stumbling back as groaned. It was wrong. It was all wrong. He moved from the entry way, and through Dite's more private quarters. A servant came running toward him, and Hermes jerked away, surprised and startled as he pushed her away.

"I know you were behind it, just fix it all." The girl hissed it at him as he back away, "Die...Die....Poor little Hermes."

"Get away from me!"

She stopped looking at him Maliciously (or that was what he saw) before she turned an ran out of the room, Hermes falling to the floor and crawling into a corner where he hide, curled into a ball and rockin'.

Its all wrong...I didn't do it....I...

Only he wasn't so sure anymore.

Chin up and full of confidence, she walked out of her salon into the main audience chamber, escorted by Deimos. She paused once inside, taking a quick inventory of those there... some were expected of course, and others posed quite the surprise. She pat Deimos arm lightly and released it with a smile.

"I'm going to make the rounds... if you'd like to rejoin your brother, that'd be fine."

If he wished to go with her he was of course welcome, but she doubted he was really in the mood. Seeing as how she already felt a pang of guilt for what she'd asked of him, she saw no need to torture him further. She decided to start at the back, moving to each group of individuals quickly, greeting each deity in turn, offering each a welcome of some sort, stopping only for a moment with each.

"Iris, thank you for coming."

"Anteros, please stop scowling... it's hardly flattering."

"...Flidais. What a surprise.. welcome to my home."

"Artemis. It's good to see you. Thank you for getting the ball rolling with the refreshments... There may have been riots. It's appreciated."

"Hephaestus..." To him she said nothing, just smiled as patted his cheek lightly, thumbing away the lipstick mark left by Artemis' kiss.

She moved closer to where the bulk of her children were gathered, and a small stand off seemed to be happening.

"Harmonia.. Do sit up straight, please.:

"Strife" She offered him a wink. "You're still here and sitting still? Wonders may never cease."

"Ate - It's been a very long time since you've graced my temple."

"Elpis. Welcome."

"Zelos... You already know I'm glad to see you."

"Limos.... my, you've grown up quite handsome, haven't you?"

"Lethe, a pleasure."

She bent down to kiss Phobos,the only one of her children present she'd not seen recently, on the cheek lightly. "You're plotting something, darling... I hope it waits till we're done here."

She straightened and smiled at everyone again, surprised at hose she noticed were missing.. Hermes, most obviously, and Thanatos - though she expected he'd return. Hermes, though - one could never be sure about. He could be dealt with later, though.

"Thank you all for coming. I do appreciate your patience. I wanted to say first that I realize everyone is being affected by this... and I kno no one is very happy. I do not know what has happened - but I plan on working hard to find out what it is, and restore everyone to their rightful selves. I know we're all anxious for answers, and while I can't promise any today, I do hope that maybe collectively we can perhaps pool our knowledge, and see if together we might be able to discover anything."

Anteros escorted the ladies in his company to the right side of his mother's parlor that was thankfully away from his immature brothers who he had noticed was making eyes at Lethe before deciding to join his sister in law in a separate sitting area.

Anteros released Flidais and waited for the ladies to take their seats while he greeted Psyche, "It's been a long time."

Was Flidais right in assuming he was always a gentleman?

Had his personality stayed intact as much as Iris thought?

When faced with Psyche, who he had mixed feelings about, there was something a bit sinister in the words he had just spoken to her.

As they sat, she could hear something in the hallway just outside the chamber, and frowned in the general direction, only lifting a brow as an attendant approached her.

"We are unable to locate Lady Aphrodite... and she has many guests."

"So... you're going to make them wait in the hall? My mother will be back eventually.. Let them all in already... "

Gods... sure they were cute, but they weren't all always very bright... She waved a hand dismissing the cabana-boy-esque doorman, and offered a somewat forced smile to the three gods already there.

"And... it looks like it's about to begin. I'm offering 5-2 odds there's a fight somewhere before Mother comes back... do I have any takers?"

She glanced from them to the door was opening, rather surprised atthe number of people now entering the room.

Flidais watched them go and when they disappeared from from sight she sighed softly before leaning her head against Anteros' shoulder.

"Janice Dickinson and a wall of trees, those were some interesting suggestions."

She straightened up again but stayed close to Anteros, despite them not being who they were Flidais still felt comfortable and 'safe' in his presence down here on the mortal plane. Dite's meeting however was staring to worry her.

"Anteros..what if I'm the only foreigner who's been touched by all this. What if everyone thinks that somehow it's my fault?"

As much as she wished she was being dramatic, she knew that the possibility existed that she'd be blamed merely because she wasn't one of them.

Anteros hoped he would find Ate at this diner he knew she liked to work at when she needed a break from her usual. If she wasn't there he was at a loss of where to search for her next with the exception of his house. He didn't think if her powers were as botched as his, that she would be at any of the other spots she worked. He only hoped that his mother was right in gathering everyone and hoped that once everyone was rounded up that together they could determine what had happened and hopefully reverse it. He didn't want to be...a god of hate and riots or whatever he currently was.

He opened the glass door with the brightly colored welcome sign suction stuck on the other side of the transparency.
An electric chime hailed their arrival as he waited for Flidais to cross the threshold, "After you."

He could still be somewhat of a gentleman despite the lack of sympathy for anyone other than himself.

"What do you say Guinness? Should we go do some exploring?"

Guinness cocked his head to the right, then the left before closing his eyes again trying to slip back into the nap that Flidais had interrupted.

"Well I suppose I can just go out by myself and you can stay here."

Guinness opened one eye, then the other before getting to his feet with a canine sigh knowing that his mistress would surely attract some sort of trouble once she stepped through the gates into the common areas. Especially after the 'big bang'.

Flidais smiled as Guinness lumbered to the door and hurried changed into something a little less formal for their walk. Her dagger appeared in the air besides her and she carefully placed it into the front pocket of the oversized sweatshirt she had decided to wear.

"Can't be too careful these days."

She was thinking about what had transpired the other day. She and Guinness had been outside when it happened. Of course neither of them knew exactly what 'it' was but they had felt it and the goddess doubted that the change had gone unnoticed by any immortal being yet for all of it's power it seemed she felt no ill effects from it.

What she did find interesting however was the sudden convergence on the Mount of those she knew and considered to be her friends. Harmonia, Anteros and most shockingly a presence that had long dropped off her radar. Deimos. She couldn't remember how long it had been since she had seen that half of the twins. Before Ares, before Anteros but none of that mattered for his presence told her that whatever had happened was perhaps bigger than she thought.

She glanced over her three very different offspring, and wasted at least a moment wondering how they al managed to be born of the same union. As they each spoke her expression shifted from annoyed, to confused, to bemused, and she finally offered a wry smile.

"How nice to see you're all getting along as well as ever..."

She stepped into the room fully, slowly moving towards the end of the bed, capturing Anteros' hand in hers as she passed. She'd brushed him off when he first entered, and she felt badly... he didn't like to admit he ever needed anything from her. She motioned for him to sit, then kissed his brow lightly before taking a seat behind him, her hand lightly stroking his back as she watched all of them.

"So what have we come up with? I think it's obvious we've got something amiss here... Hermes doesn't think he has a change, but so far he's the only one we've seen unchanged. I plan on gathering at least a far group of representatives to find a solution... but I'm curious as to what you guys think... both on possible causes and answers."

As if life could get any worse? It always managed to get worse before it got better, but then Anteros seemed to be more cyncial then he had been these days.

Everyone who ever visited Sway was always smitten with the place upon entry. With just his mere presence, Anteros doused the place each evening with his love deity pheromones, so that just visiting the place was like being under the influence of unadulterated ecstasy. His guests were always content and always left satisfied with the exception of himself who never seemed to be very content or very satisfied.

But something was cosmically amiss and Anteros recognized it for what it was when things began going abnormally wrong...

Tonight had started out like any other night. People arrived. People were having the time of their lives, with the exception of himself who was just plagued with boredom and had been thinking of dropping in on his Santa Monica home to spend some time with his dog Adonis and his housemate Ate if she were around.

But then he'd heard crashes and bangs and people shouting. People started turning on each other as if the intoxicating bliss that infused his club had been sucked out by something and replaced with something else. Most people were turned off and left, feeling uneasy and unwelcome to be there. It was as if someone had left the door open for hate to enter, as if he'd made an enemy out of Styx herself and she had decided to bring Strife and Ate along to make a mess out of his nightclub.

Only he knew better.

He didn't understand any of it, but he knew none of this was Ate's doing. They were friends and had worked together before. She wouldn't do this to him and Styx had no reason. Strife...

It could have been one of Strife's pranks...

There was only one thing for him to do. He had to leave and find out what was going on and he hated that he had to do go up there to find out anything but he couldn't very well allow people in his nightclub to kill each other.

He instructed his employees to shut down the club for the night and for everyone to take the night off.

Minutes later he arrived on Mount Olympus and noticed the Moon was not the Moon he knew but the Sun? Was everything topsy turvy? This was not Strife's doing. This was something...bigger than Strife.

If the world was flipped upside down? Did this mean that instead of being a deity of mutual love and the avenger of unrequited love, that he was a deity of hate?

Someone had fucked up good.

He decided that he might find answers at his Mother's...If his Mother's temple had not been passed off to Himeros or Cupid since she'd became Queen of the Sea.

Entering the Temple of Love he was almost surprised to see that it hadn't gathered any dust, "Mum? Anyone here?"

London, England.

Anteros' club Sway was booming tonight with patrons. Tonight there wasn't a booth or stool unoccupied, the dance floor was buzzing with feet and gyrating bodies and there was a many person disappearing upstairs into some of the other recreation rooms with other people for whatever they were up too.

Anteros this night watched the proceedings below from the railing overlooking the bar section of his club. While he had immensely and throughly enjoyed the company of the first half of the evening, immersing himself in every legal vice imaginable with a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead, he had engaged in so much sex and enough cocaine and wine to find himself struck with melancholy and becoming increasingly bored minute by ever passing minute.

The brunette swept past him in her chinchilla faux fur coat making sure she caught his eye before she blew him a kiss goodbye. An heiress. The suicide blonde left with her, but not before slipping a piece of paper with her name and number into the pocket of his jacket. He didn't need the name, he knew all he had to do if he forgot the name was to insert one of the movie's she had been in into his dvd player. If she thought he would call? He might call again, but it wouldn't be by phone. The redhead had had a bit too much wine and was still asleep in his bed and she could stay there all night as long as she was under the persuasion of sleep. He would not wake her purposely.

One of his employees offered him a glass of champagne for which he accepted graciously and toasted to her by dropping to his knees and embracing her waist loosely with one arm while drinking the contents of the flute.

"Merry Saturnalia Tiff."

She suspiciously looked down on him, "What are you doing Ant?"

One of his hands slide down the front of her skirt and played at the hem of it for a moment while he slyly gazed up into her eyes, searching her soul and reaching into her heart to search for love or heartache or anything that needed to be resolved. What he found was the ache of loneliness and slid his hand up under her skirt cunningly, "Serving you as you have been so brilliantly efficient at serving me champagne."

Tiff sighed and took a step back breaking contact, "You are drunk and... I'm married Ant."

"But not happily," he stated with sure knowledge.

The hostess's eyes motioned toward a bedroom knowingly, "Someone is in there waiting for you."

"She isn't waiting for me. Her wait was over a few hours ago," he smiled at her.

She blushed and shook her head before starting down the stairs and stopping to add, "My shift is over. Get some rest okay? You look tired..."

He sat there until she had made her descent and then flung the flute against the wall....

"Ahhhhhhh," he buried his face into his hands!

Located in one of the more posh districts of London, Anteros sat at the crimson finished bar within his night club establishment that the locals knew as simply "Sway." The place had became known for it's elegant decor, stunning frequents, and the aura of mystery that it kept surrounding it. Everyone who was allowed entry always had something wondrous to say about it, not one critique existed, however, other than wondrous things that could be said, patrons of the establishment also kept whatever took place within the walls of the large mansion turned night club to themselves. Anteros' home away from Santa Monica was usually rather void of patrons by ten a.m. Stationed to the side of him was a bottle of liquor and sitting in front of him between a bent elbow and a languid hand was an ash tray. The cigarette lit between his fingers was idly dwindling away between his fingers...

Although he had not been back to Olympus in some time, he knew what had transpired there from the messages conveyed to him in his dreams. Morpheus' message was insistent and verged on annoying.

What did this Olympian New World Order mean to him? Possibly nothing. He had been earthbound for such a long time that he doubted anything that happened up there could or would effect his life.

He wished Dreams would stop trying to influence him to care.