Grecian Urn...

Artemis sits in the guest room of Selene's temple and brushed her hair in front of the long mirror. Dressed in a long comfortale sleeping gown, she stares at her reflection, eyes seeing bruises and bite mark that have long since healed.

On some level the goddess knew that at some point her huntress powers had returned but there had been no celebrating or excitement on her part because she knew that athough her ability to hunt, trap and trek had been returned she was still disgraced and she wasn't sure if there would ever be a way to fix that.

Satisfied that her golden tresses were perfect, Artemis returns the brush to small drawer in the vanity before heading to bed, pulling down the heavy blanket and crawling beneath it to spend another fearful and sleepless night.

placeholder...for something yet to be determined

Artemis had no idea how long she had been trapped in Dite's garden with the twins. Somewhere time seemed to have stopped as they took advantage of her, leaving her with nothing but a broken shell when they were finally finished. After they had left it had taken her a good amount of time to get her feet under her and to just get herself out of Dite's temple. Even transporting herself to just in front of the stately home and conjuring up something to wrap around her bruised and desecrated body exhausted her.

Yet, the worry that the twins could appear at any moment and bring her back in kept her moving almostly blindly away until she realized she had no idea where to go. Home was out of the question because she certain didn't want to see Apollo in this condition or Mel for that matter after all she had been warned yet she had ignored the warning and she had paid the price for that bout of stubborness.

Pausing for a moment, Artemis closes her eyes and tries to think of someplace where she could go just to be alone, someplace where no one would think to look for her. Opening her eyes she glances up at the sky out of habit until she remembers that Helios is no longer doing his duty as the sun..he'd be home asleep since Selene was now taking his place in the chariot.

Selene..why didn't she think of that before. If Selene was now the sun she was most likely staying with Helios, the siblings would definitely be together during this crisis which meant there was an empty temple that she could use to hide out and stay safe.

With a renewed effort, the tainted goddess made her way toward Selene's 'unused' temple.

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."

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.

Artemis moved restlessly about her chambers, she had been keeping to herself since she had returned home, waiting on her brother to make things right again. However, her normal ability to remain patient had seemingly deserted her as well which influenced her decision to leave the safety of her brother's home and risk his anger to search out Dite.


"He hasn't even once came to make sure I'm alright" she muttered to her reflection in the mirror as she toyed with a piece of her hair that had fallen out of her chignon. During her stay she had noticed that she had suddenly took a liking to spending time in front of the mirror toying with her hair as well as updating her wardrobe to include many new dresses and clothing that enhanced her very feminine assests.

Leaving her room, she slips down toward Helios' room, writing him a quick note, letting him know where she was off to because despite the relationship she thinks he is having with Mel, she hopes that he would still be worried if she was missing. Once that is slipped under his door, she makes a quick exit and head towards the temple of love, stopping only once along the way to check her reflection.

After departing ways with Helios, Artemis made her way down the hallways to her section of the temple. She avoided her sitting area which was decorated with quite a few hunting trophies, instead making her way directly into her sleeping chamber stopping in front of her full length mirror.

"Nothing is the same any more"

The goddess stared at her reflection before turning left and right, looking for some physical manifestation of the change that she had suffered but for all that she could see there were none. She still looked like the same old Artemis.

Moving away from the mirror, she flops down on her bed glad to be home but unsure now how to proceed with Helios especially if he and Mel were now a bit more closer than they were before she left.

It didn't seem to matter that she'd slept most of the day... she was still tired. Helios was still out like a light, and it was easy to slide out from beside him and work her way to the door. Manifesting a robe around her she ran a hand through her hair and defused the wards she'd placed around the door, heading out to the kitchen. She started coffee, then opened the fridge, then opened the fridge, pausing.

It was a few hours before sunset... and she was just waking up. So did she make breakfast, or dinner? There was really only one option...

She pulled out a half dozen eggs and milk, some shredded mozz, and two steaks, making short work of preparing steak and scrambled eggs. She sang softly to herself as she made up two plates and placed them on a tray, added silverware, juice and the coffee she'd prepared, and lifted it up, preparing to take it back to his room, hoping it wouldn't be too early.

She stepped back out in the hall toward his room, pausing as she heard something near the entrance, and glanced up, seeing Artemis enter. Her song faded off as she smiled. It was good to see her.. mostly.

After making her decision to head home and bidding farewell to Thanatos, Artemis set about breaking down her camp, while her stew cooked on an open campfire. Her plan was to eat, go home check things out and then find her brother. It seemed as she had made her decision just in time too as the rainforest seemingly shook around her.

"Must be one large storm coming in" she comments to herself as she pulls the pungent boiling pot off the fire. Artemis then took a look down into the pot, feeling sick immediately. She drops the pot watching in horror as a chunk of meat slops out of the side as she staggers back, dropping to her knees a safe distance away to stare at her hands seeing blood that's only visible to her eyes.

"What have I done? Ohh what have I done? Apollo. APOLLO!"

Feeling still rather shaken and needing to get away from that pots horrid contents Artemis closes her eyes and wills her shaken being back home landing in the main courtyard of her brother's temple reaching out for him along their bond as soon as she materializes.

"Apollo...I killed it. A poor little animal."

She glances at her hands still seeing the blood and entrails that she had washed off only a hour or so before and gags, before rising to her feet and heading toward the closest fountain, plunging her hands in an attempt to get them clean...well cleaner.

Artemis was alone, which was a state she never minded before but now it was starting to irritate her. She had taken her brother's advice and left his side to go deep within the jungles of Brazil.

"Just for a little bit Art" he said and for once she did not fight him on his request.

Now she wishes she had never agreed to this foolishness. Granted the jungle was beautiful and provided plenty of opportunity to practice her hunting skills but it was also smothering. The canopy of the trees were so high and thick, that she could barely track Helios trip across the sky which meant he could probably not see her down amongst the thick vegetation.

Helios..she missed Helios. His smile, his laugh, the nature of his personality that had endeared him to her. Was he okay? Perhaps it was not Helios trekking across the sky each dawn but some imposter. She stops her forward movement, before aiming her bow in one smooth motion, arrow flying directly after and seconds later a thump is heard in front of her.

"Dinner" she sighs softly before moving forward to pick up her kill

"Now if I only had someone to share it with."