Grecian Urn...

He knew the minute the powers shifted again. Power rushed through him and the piddly love he'd endured for what seemed like forever, rushed right back out. Ares flexed his biceps and might even have leaned down to give one a kiss as he rejoiced in the return of War. He was not meant for love, and he'd made an emo, annoying love god. But no more. Once again he was himself and it felt wonderful!

For a moment, he considered finding his woman and throwing her against a wall somewhere, but then he remembered she didn't love him at the moment. Pesky, that. It would have to be dealt with at some point; he couldn't have her not loving him, but not right now. Right now? He really wanted either sex or death and since sex was out of the question at the moment?

Death it was.

He stalked out his room and contemplated just were he was going to go and who he wanted to kill.

In a black and white vintage cowboy shirt, Phobos was sitting in a bar in bumfuck nowhere Missouri peeping out from under a white Stetson at these old men sitting at a table playing a game of cards. They were gambling and talking about the old days while he smoked a cigar.

He liked the "old days" as they put it, he liked the midwest period; it was usually such an easy place to panic, at least it was when he was Panic. Tonight? Not so much.

He was mulling over his little plan to break up Harmonia and Strife while he sat there. If he and Deimos kept her busy, found something to keep her busy, then maybe she'd eventually forget about the little weasel?

Phobos sat there and listened to the jukebox run through several old country tunes that the old card playing geezers had selected. There was Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and there was even "Your Cheatin' Heart," by Hank Williams Sr. After listening to all these old tunes, he stood up from his stool, put out the remainder of the spent cigar under the heel of his snake skin boot, and asked the bar tender for another shot of whiskey.

He'd need another shot where he was going...

While the bartender was pouring his shot, he took a short stroll over to the jukebox and dropped in a few coins. His lips curled at their corners as his man Dwight Yoakman roared over the speakers. "Fast as you," Damn he loved this song!

The moment the song made it to the chorus, the outlaw spun around and drew two Colt Python pistols that previously weren't anywhere to be found on his person, into his hands and started shooting off the bullets into the old geezers at the table as if they were ducks on the old Nintendo DuckHunt game...

If there was one way to spread panic manually in an area...It was to kill a few people from that area.

By the time the gunslinging god got to the bartender who'd also drawn a sawed off shotgun out from behind the bar, and had already fired once at him already, something happened Phobos wasn't prepared for.

"Gawdamnit!"

He pulled the triggers again, aiming both guns, but there was no boom. There was nothing.

He took a few steps toward the fired bullet path and picked one of his bullets out of midair, "What the fuck?"

Phobos approached the bar tender who was stuck in place holding a shotgun toward him. He stared at the frozen man skeptically and then picked up his shot glass. He tried to drink it, but when he tried to down it he discovered that it was as frozen in place as the bartender. It was as frozen as if the man had left the glass in the freezer for over thirty minutes, only it was frozen without the chill of any frost touching it.

"This is some fucked up shit right here," Phobos spoke to the frozen bartender while holding his shot glass upside down and watching as nothing happened.

War's temple: Section off from the dungeon.

Phobos was lying on his back against the soft red felt of his and Deimos's pool table. The image of his shirtless, lean, well toned frame lying there would have appeared seemingly serene and harmless if it weren't for what he was carelessly gazing upside down at.

There on the wall was a blood stained dart board hanging behind the pool table with something small, brown, and wriggling bound to the middle of the board. Three darts surrounded the hostage that formed the shape of a red triangle. Calmly Phobos seemed to aimlessly and effortlessly sling another dart while lying in this lethargic position in the direction of the board where within a fraction of a second after the dart was projected into the air and released from his fingers there was a shrill squeal from the mouse.

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."

Limos didn’t leave his mother’s home, not when the other’s had. Instead he read, and ate. Mostly read, though. Lethe’s world tumbled out before him, with the eloquence that could have only come from the tongue of a muse, the emotional drive to give the emotion backing to her words. As though she would forget again.

But then, he supposed she would, much like he would stop sprouting trees and flowers. Much like any of their siblings would return to normal. (Such as Hori-Boy, who had returned from his trip and promptly tumbled over into his bed, as though nothing in the world could bother him.) Only the idea of her forgetting brought the idea of her being abused by themselves all over again. And they had, hadn’t they?

He looked at the page again forlornly, wondering when they had all become so selfish that they didn’t treat Lethe as a sister any longer, but rather as a quirk in nature that none wanted to deal with. Except Hori, it seemed, who dealt with all their siblings (save Lies and Falsehood) with equal pleasure.

And so he read more, engrossed and then…

It took every fiber in his body to hold the journal steady, though rage began to build. He had taken the news of Elpis with grace, having no real care either way. But this…this was worse than any hatred a sibling could have for another. This was a crime against his blood…a repeated crime!

Ate…. he almost screamed for her, but did not. Instead he stood in one flood motion. The book closed and politely stashed to out of the way of anyone who could stumble upon it and read. No one else needed to know. He and Ate could deal with the crimes…

Would.

Eyes narrowing, Limos left his mother’s home and stalked across the greens to Aphrodite’s palace. No scenes. That would be what Ate would say…

When he entered Love’s Temple, though, he ignored the glances of his sister’s, his eyes searching out the two beings he loathed the most in that moment, surpassing his hatred for Demeter herself.

He didn’t even wonder about what he could really do to them. He didn’t care. Son’s of war or not, the would pay.

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.

After Deimos and Phobos went rampant on a filthy run down hotel's patrons it was time to return to Mount Olympus to await whatever was in store.

Phobos sighed as if the very life force that animated his body was being sucked out as he looked on the face of his Mother's temple. He wished that they could be meeting at his Father's temple instead. Deimos and himself could at least occupy their own rooms and the rooms of the dungeon that they had turned into their own personal lounge and rumpus room if the meeting became drawn out and stale.