mythopoeics

Unlike many of you, I actually have nothing to complain about. There's nothing like a period of time where people fucking dressed well and children know there godforsaken place. The cars are better-looking and, if I recall properly, the 1950s saw a growth in economy. Everything feels fresh, alive and good. Workable.

Those of you in the asylum will have to deal. And maybe I'll try to find a way to keep some of you in there. The rest of us can enjoy this slice of peace and prosperity.

[Styx had enjoyed her fairy. At least half of the time. She'd debated drowning him more than a few times at night when he forgot about the "no touching" rule. Instead, she bought an old lantern and trapped it in there. It had worked with Tinkerbell, it would do for her fairy, too. She'd even gone so far as to glue it down to the table. It wasn't like she was having guests over anytime soon anyway...or ever.

The warning had been strange and she wasn't exactly sure how to react, but she didn't let herself worry too much. There were things to do and information on a family she didn't even remember to find out.]

Lanterns make for perfectly good fairy storage if we happen to get fairies again. I may see about stronger glass, though. I may as well buy a candle to keep in there until then considering it's now a permanent fixture.

Well...

Something else to tie me to a world of technology My name is Cassiel. I am sure there are other things to say, but I am never certain what I should- I really hope my brother is lurking around here somewhere only that is unlikely.

I guess I'm new here.

[Filter: Native Americans]
Are there any others out there?

[Filter: Beaver]*
Are you here, friend?


*[I so know he's not hurr]

One of my professors is from Hungary, and today I spoke with him in Hungarian for the first time. I haven't had a chance to speak with him since school started, but today we actually spoke, and he guessed my name right. I guess it's hard when there are so many students.

What is everyone going to be for Halloween? Brother, are we still doing a party?

[It was a job that required taking a life and burying the mess but someone had to do and Minos was more than happy to have been chosen (they knew this would be the case). And when the thrashing had been over and the body was being sealed up in cement, he found dissatisfaction settling in.

It has been too easy. The man had already given in to his fate, had quietly come along and shown no apprehension. There had been an irritating peace about him that made Minos' blood boil. He wasn't asking for hysterics or unmanly sobbing but fear from his targets. Fear said everything, it gave a man power, a sense of being respected in its own way. But there had been nothing here, not even after the brutal mess that had been made of the target.

He left them a message, straight from his black heart:

don't you dare send me to take care of such men again.

They would understand.]

People frustrate me more than they should.

You all should fix this immediately.

Sunshine and the beach apparently did my knee some good. But I doubt I can get back on my bicycle for a while.

[ filter; syrinx ]
Love, when are you free?

[ filter; private ]
Note to self and Pol -- have words with Mene on sister's behalf. Punch if required.

I'm going to be perfectly frank here, and feel free to not stop me as I go on, but when women complain about men hitting on them while they're wearing short items of clothing, they really are just asking for it. What, exactly, is the point of wearing short dresses or skirts if you don't want men to strike up a conversation with you or call you gorgeous? The logic eludes me. Men don't complain like women do.

What a world it would be if women didn't bitch all the time.

Someone had better explain why we are suddenly a host to soldiers who aren't behaving in a very soldier-like manner.

[Filter: Babylonians]

Those Niflheimians are unpredictable. Ally with the more powerful countries immediately. Corner and massacre them. If they are not whipped into obedience, we will be razed to the fucking ground. We need power and cunning.

We must do something now that something appears to be wrong with the soldiers. They don't quite seem drunk but they do appear drugged in some manner. This is luck and we must take advantage of it to show this world that we are not their doormat.

Thieves come in all sorts of flavors, don't they? This one knew how to swing, but I got him in the nose. The market should have better security.

[ Some days, the woman wondered what had possessed her to do something as stupid as marrying. Skadi hadn’t needed a man to keep her bed warm, hadn’t needed the financial stability which could have followed marriage. She was from a strong family, independent women raised to provide and fend for their own. Her sister, for example, was one of such breed, powerful as any Skadi would ever see.

Still, it was expected of the woman to marry and so she did; nodding to the social convention. And being one of five wasn’t as impossible to stand as one would think. It meant she had less time to be bothered by her husband while he fooled around with one of the others. Gave her a wide berth to do as she wished, when she wished; to raise their girl like she had been raised. It also meant she had to return home eventually, place her weapons to the side, laugh at the shocked look of the other wives when they noticed the blood splatters on her - otherwise - immaculate clothing.

Some days, Skadi knew. If it had been anyone weaker than Minos, she would have killed him after the first night. She wondered if he knew that. ]

I'm home.

[Filter: Private]

I love sentencing people. Especially when I can get away with severe punishments and no one's the wiser. Loopholes exist for men like me.

[Filter: Public]

I feel like success sometimes comes to easy to some. The same with power. There isn't enough earning of it anymore. Too many youthful, hopeful faces where older and wiser individuals for me. I'm not even sexist to presume a older man would be better than an older woman. I hate everyone equally.

Times are changing. Feh.

It's wrong to bully someone just because you're having a bad day, isn't it? I think I made three grown men cry today. I need better soldiers.

[Filter: Babylonian High Ranks]
I've taken care of our borders to the best of my ability. Everyone is stationed where they need to be. However, you're aware we are not a military power in comparison. It's irritating at moments like these. This can only help so much. Come to a decision before they do.

[Filter: Osiris]
Don't let Tezcatlipoca poison you, please.

[Once upon a time, she had, by unintended actions, bumped into Hades and he had asked for her silence. Leukothoe had kept that silence (omission) from Minos because it had not been required of her to reveal it. However, Helios had not.

Perhaps if he had asked she would've- no, actually, she wouldn't have. The silence had cost her life once before. It wasn't that she hated Helios, but that she missed him, and the bitter taste that he was a god and she was not. At least she'd died before he could've broken her heart (though he abandoned her when she needed him most).]

[Filter: Minos]

My lord, I thought this might be of interest to you.

[Filter: Public]

Maschinenpistole Beretta 93R.

Guns are more complicated than people see in movies.

I don't think I've been this pleased about watching men and women tear one another apart in some time. And look at some of those matches. As if someone knew how special some of you are to the other.

Give me a good fucking show, each and every one of you. How, I wish I was the one holding the decision, I wish I could damn you all, hold your endings in my hands. I would bring you to you knees and make you tremble for my my judgment.

Children, we will attend them all.

[filter; minos]
Your sons again? Khaos must really want you to have us.

[filter; public]
Interesting change in scenery. But at least it isn't Zurvan.

I'm going to kill that bitch. I seriously fucking am.

I'm... married?

[filter; visible to all greeks]

It feels as though it's time to do a headcount again. Children, brothers, sisters - who is here? My daughters - it's been far too long since we've had dinner together so pencil me in for Thursday evening. I look a fright but I hope you'll put up with me, nonetheless

[filter; blackwells]

If someone could explain to me why Reza and Dante thought it necessary each to bestow a black eye on me, I would appreciate it greatly.

[filter; zeus & siblings]
Um

I have children in my apartment. They're my children. Heracles is here too. What do I do? My parents don't mind them around and

My husband and children are here. I'm

dsljhsdldlhs

Anyone here like art? I've got an extra pass to [exhibit at the Met or something] if you're willing to brave the terrors of my company. And the risk of being my accomplice in a minor theft

Also, Freida-Pinto-slash-Rosario-Dawson lookalike, I'll be watching out for you. ♥ Don't let the concrete jungle stop us now.

[Filter: Euterpe]

I'm not much for Glee, but you posted about this song before. Not sure I like that rendition all too much, but the tenor/baritone take is pretty cool. The tenor does a great job. He is also taller, but that is beside the point.

[Filter: Athena]

I'd like to keep my word.

Well, that was fucking annoying. Days spent in a fucking maze, days I could have used to manage my business instead.

But it keeps repeating. It pushes onward, forward without sign of favour coming our way. Some of you believe in a God. Some of you believe in nothing but yourselves. Some of you have no idea of what all this is. What I want to know is why we've all been grouped together now instead of a previous life. Because I know in my previous lives I went through a normal life. As normal as a mortal's can be.

There have to be answers that can be found.

[Despite all his trying, he couldn't get Egypt out of his head. It was ridiculous. He was sure of it. All this importance hindering on a single word. Words were important, yes. On some level. Still, it was action that seemed to matter more than words. He'd try to keep brushing it off, throw himself into his work.

That didn't seem to be doing him much good either.

He was exhausted more often than not. None of this made sense. He was going to try to ignore it. Try.]

At this point I think I'm going to spend the entire weekend asleep. Then I won't think- And it's only Wednesday.

That or I'll drink all weekend I guess I should be trying to be more social, but I don't know if I want to be at all so if anyone can convince me to do something else, I guess I'll abandon my 'sleep all weekend' plans for 'something else'. I just need a distraction

[Filter: Leukothoe]

Where is my Persian pet? She deserves reward for being of good use to me.

I'll not have objections so keep them to yourself.

[Filter: Dioscuri]

If in one piece and in fair health, I want you both at some point.

[ Things had not been going so well for Minos. Where as his sisters like Athena and Persephone had better temperaments to deal with things of this nature, he never would. He wanted to hurt people more easily, wanted to scold, ruin and destroy. He sulked, he scowled and he was doing both then as he had transformed three glasses of cognac into piles of worms (though one turned into a bottle of mouthwash).

It was going to be very hard to get through this without a drop of liquor.

On the other hand, Leukothoe was not having a problem. It was not that she was sweet-tempered, but rather she was so cold that few things moved her. It wasn't apathy, but something much deeper, something broken and twisted inside of her. (Wrong wiring of the brain?).

She came to him because he was her lord - Zurvan or not- she knocked his door without preamble and waited.

As he had never locked the door after coming home, he only had to call out. "Come in! And lock the damn door behind you!" He wasn't out of sight of the door and knew in the case of an unwanted guest that he would have time to react.

But who the hell wanted to visit him anyway?

Leukothoe opened the door carefully, taking a step in and then turning to look the door as he had instructed. It wasn't so much as wanting to visit, as being compulsed to visit. Her fingers itched for blood. "I apologize for showing up out of the blue, but it seems a lot of people are having trouble with... things." That she was here to serve him was obvious, why else show up? They were not friends, nor family.

A solution to his problems, that's what he saw. But wasn't she always that? His lips twisted into a smile, unkind as always, and he beckoned her near. "Yes, my girl, and I'm not excluded. How sensible it was of you to come see me. I always knew you had a good head on your shoulders. Not like my children."

Not any of them. For all he believed, they would fuck it all up.

"I am not having any problems as of yet," She informed him promptly, "What is it that you'd like me to do?" It really was that easy to settle into it. No need for reverence or further explanations- dry cut and efficient. That was her nature after the suffering she'd had.

She was strangely soothing, better than that wife of his from the old days. What a goddamn nuisance she had been. Minos felt tension leave him as he observed his solution.

"I need you to play secretary or at least that is what will be said when I go to work. You'll be handling everything that requires me touching something, at least in the office or out of view of the men. At home, you will attend to other things. Not fitting of your talents but you are required to do more than normally. And then, should a problem arise, I will send you out to take care of it."

And problems, in his shady line of business, did arise.

This was a satisfactory arrangement for her, Leukothoe gave the briefest of smiles before inclining her head, "As you wish." Because that is all that needed to be said, of course the first thing she actually did for him was to pour him a glass of brandy and place it by his side... with a straw.

Look at that. A straw didn't entirely suit the drink and felt silly but he knew he'd used it out of Leukothoe's sight and even if she saw, she'd never tell. Minos knew that much about her, knew how much she could be trusted.

It was so good to have reliable help.]

I wanted to say this earlier, but my excitement got in the way, I think. I got into NYU about a month ago.

[Zeus has lived many lives. None shall ever equal his first life; his true self. He has always endured, believing fervently that he will be restored to his former glory (that he will restore himself). His death in Zurvan wasn't the most painful death he has experienced but it might be one of the most unnatural. It was not a death that took. It disgusts him that nothing is sacred, not even death. Not even the long, cold sleep.

When he is returned to New York, he learns that his business ventures have proceeded unimpeded. That he has hired and fired two personal assistants. The latest, number three, wears too-short skirts and he fires her, too, having had his way with her over his desk.

It is too easy for him to sleep into his old ways of want-and-take-and-have. These first few days, he is purely selfish. He lives for the sake of living and for the sake of feeling. Nails scraping down his back, rough callused hands, drinking champagne from clever mouths. He needs these things to restore himself. He is a careful man, as a rule, but there are precautions not taken; he is the Father of Gods and Men. What is another bastard child or two?

Finally, emerging from some kind of cocoon of slumber and beautiful women, in a penthouse suite in Boston, he showers and he returns to New York. He is Zeus. He will not be beaten by a fake death (though all the subsequent little deaths have not helped in the least.)

It is time for bravado. It is time to wear the face of Zeus and the substance of Zeus will surely seep back into his veins. He will not be overcome.]

Family, family. It was just a flesh wound.

[For Pasithea, the advent of her memories brought with it clarity, and sadness. Clarity because it just confirmed that no matter the place or time she and Hypnos were meant to be. Sadness, because she loved her family and loathed the idea that she might lose everything. While she had only been vaguely aware of Minos previously, he was the only true father she could remember knowing - her memories of Poppy's father were more of an older man who was more friend than parent, and Dionysus would never be considered father of the year. Castor and Pollux had become incredibly important to her. Hypnos, Letus, and Somnus... well that went without saying.

The sheer thought that she could wake up tomorrow and have never been married to the love of her life, never cradled the beautiful boys she clearly remembered carrying for months... it was enough to make the normally chill little goddess want to cry.]

While I don't know what's going on, I've resolved to make the most of it.

[filter; zurvan family (Minos, Castor, Pollux)]
I wanted to thank you all for being a part of my life. I hope that whatever happens we don't lose contact. Papa, if it's still all right for me to call you that, you've taught me such strength. I will never forget it. Brothers, I have been truly lucky to have you both around.

Please, don't forget me.

[filter; hypnos]
If we wake up tomorrow and all of this is gone, I hope we'll still be together.

[Zeus' handwriting is shaky now and this takes him a long time to write. His skin has taken a rather grey tone and his breathing is laboured. These are his final points of business]

To Svarga; faction members, subjects: I am dying. Let's say no more of it other than it is the truth. I do not expect to see sunset, now that the evenings have begun to stretch out.

To my children; all of you, whether you're from this life, the last, the first or any of the others: I am proud of you. Be careful what you drink. I love each of you and why should I not, when you are manifestations of myself?

To the Blackwells: Listen to Maud. She's probably right on most things. Emilia. I hope it was good for you.

To Katie: I have been blessed to have had you. I am sorry.

Goodnight, Zurvan.

[filter; children of zeus]
Which of you can see this?

[filter; zeus]
Father?

[The last two weeks had been difficult, certainly unlike anything he'd ever experienced. Falling from high heights wasn't a new experience -- in fact, he'd sustained many bruises over the years of his life. Yet being dropped off a roof was a new one.

His major injuries hadn't been life-threatening: an injured neck, a bruised spine. He would live to tell the tale. But he hadn't spoken yet of the man who'd perpetrated the act. Not yet. Soon.]

I have never been so happy to see the outside.

[Filter: Minos]

Your will has been done, lord.

[Castor was not his most important child not when Pasithea was far too ahead of him to ever obtain that title. But he was still his property, a piece of himself and it went right down to the marrow that someone had done this to his blood. Every inch of him wanted to tear into the bastard but what leads did they have at all?

And Minos refused to believe his son just fell, as one maid had suggested earlier to another, believing the conversation to be private. Little else would be suggested from her now, not when she had a broken jaw to consider. Despite his lack of achievements, he knew his son would not just have fallen from roof. Perhaps that was just arrogance because total faith in his children was something near non-existent but it was something.

At least Pollux was suffering, he decided. And suffering would surely lead to a growth he might even acknowledge.]

[Filter: Leukothoe]

When possible, speak to me about what is going on. I need some fucking good news.

[Filter: Pasithea]

Do not let my grandchildren out of your sight. Not for a second. I don't know what this is but I will not risk them.

[filter; family]
Whoever did this to Castor is going to pay in blood. When I find you, I'm going to wring your neck.

[filter; syrinx]
Thank you. For finding him.

I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I'm thankful for my family, both actual and the one I married into. I have been blessed, and I know this, and sometimes it's good to reflect on that.

[filter; father and brothers/visible to hypnos]
I believe the time has come for Hypnos and I to start considering siblings for Letus and Somnus, but I would like your thoughts on this. Please.

[filter; castor]
Your nephews demand your presence tomorrow.

When someone you love has been gone for so long, it's only natural to never want them to leave, yes? Especially when only a younger man keeps him in Ilium

So, how is the weather in Svarga these days?

Who does one have to kill for entertainment?

For the record, a wedding is never entertainment nor should any of you ever mistake it for one. You may as well cover your nether regions with fire ants if you think weddings are amusing. The same can be said about the birth of a child. One must wait a sufficient amount of time to see if the child will be of use or possess good sense. Sometimes, you know early on. And that is fortunate.

( [Filter: Private] (warning: cut for sensitive material) )

Treat your horse with some kindness and they'll give it back to you in kind. Mistreat them and you will inevitably end up with a hoof to the face.

[Filter: Pasithea]
Your boys are doing well, sister.

Humor me -- truth is truth, no matters whose lips it comes through. Is this not correct?

[Khaos' words would've normally ruined Hebe. Had her heart running a thousand miles, or pacing nervously. But instead she was quietly resigned, having been happier in the last week or so than she could remember. If death was coming, she'd let it take her. How could she fight against something like death? How could anyone?

It was coming, and she'd accept that.]

[Filter: Family, immediate or otherwise]
They're just words. I know. But if something, if it's true

I love you all. but i don't want to be alone, someone come be with me

Minos had been caught by mistletoe. Was it worse that it was the one that inspired a man to dance? Perhaps. His personal luck tended to be strong but not this time. Nothing was perfect. In particular as today was his forty-seventh birthday.

But that didn't matter. What mattered was that it happened. Anyone on the second floor around three PM would have witnessed Minos bring back the seventies (think Saturday Night Fever, the Bee Gees). He had only turned fifteen as the the seventies had come to a close but he knew the moves and, quite frankly, the eighties hadn't offered anything that better (God in Heaven, the eighties). And when he was done, he walked off, uncaring of any reaction. He wasn't going to let a little fucking plant make him suffer.

No shame, no regret.