2010-01-30: Clash Of The Titans Part One (Phantasm)

Starring:

Brayden_V4nicon.pngCass_V4nicon.pngLena_V4nicon.pngLogan_V4nicon.pngNathan_V4nicon.pngTracy_V4nicon.png

NOTE: Characters are: Poseidon, Demeter, Aphrodite, Hades, Zeus, and Athena (match the names with the names above)

Posting Date: January 30, 2010

Summary:

Damn the humans!


"Clash of the Titans Part One"

Mount Olympus

The lush green of Mount Olympus peeks out through the cloudy heavens. Resembling something of a river valley, Olympus is in all ways paradise. Though, this time of day, Apollo has already moved the sun — taken it out of the sky and produced pitch black night. Yet the deities, need not fear darkness. With the god of the light around, lamps line what can only be described as a throne room of sorts, with chairs specifically designated for each one in turn — Apollo's is currently empty (he's probably moving the sun still). His seat itself is enough to light the room… it shines brightly through the darkness. Misty clouds line the ground of the room.

Zeus (who looks shockingly like Nathan) sits in his high throned chair — a collection of lightening bolts rest beside it in an oval shaped basket. His white toga drapes his form, covering the gold sandals he wears on his feet. His face is bearded, but all good humour has faded from his once merry eyes. Mirthlessly, he peers around the room, waiting the arrival of the gods; there is business to discuss. Pursing his lips together he reaches to his basket and withdraws a single lightning bold which he turns over in his hands before standing to his feet, and walking several paces behind his chair. He looks down into the drop off and shakes his head before clucking his tongue. The humans are gathering below. Something is to be done. Mirthlessly he smiles before he draws his hand into the air and throws down the lightning with all of his might. Thunder roars below the room before he shakes his head, still smiling.

While Zeus looks down on those from up high, the realm of earth and those that live there have been a concern and a project of Demeter's since their creation. The old and young Goddess frowns at Zeus' display of aggression as she lounges upon the floor, her back resting against one of the thrones. Though the room was empty before, that doesn't mean that she wasn't already there somehow. Her long black hair is piled up on top of her head, gold circlets keeping it in place. Her robe is embroidered with silk, gems, and looks like a field of barley flashing in the sunlight. Her pale blue eyes roll in annoyance.

"As always, dear brother, you lack the fine subtleties that are required in order to keep this war in check. Certainly you cannot expect a few tossed bolts will make them any less furious with you." Rolling her shoulders, she crosses her legs the other way and glances about. "I assume that this is what this so called meeting of yours has been called for."

Some can't resist the opportunity to make an entrance; Aphrodite's vanity demands it, in fact. The dark-haired Goddess of love and desire glides into the chamber upon the back of a giant swan, seated side-saddle (although the swan lacks an actual saddle) with the foamy gauze of her gown rippling prettily about her legs. Both bird and Goddess spend a moment primping before the former simply fades away, leaving the latter to stand and stroll across the floor toward her throne.

"I hope I'm not late," she trills. Sweet blue eyes sweep from Zeus to Demeter, where they linger a time. Her smile is worth a poem. "I see wrinkles! Really, Demeter, such an ugly look on your face."
With a sigh, Aphrodite (wearing Lena's face), sinks into her beautifully forged chair and rolls her own shoulders. To relax them, of course.

As the thunder continues to reverberate down below, droplets of water fall in a steady cadence here, elsewhere on Mount Olympus. But not as rain, never as rain: it trickles off the down-turned palm of a female hand and onto the face and chest of a man, a human, grimy, downtrodden after a long captivity as a prisoner of war, and bound to the wall by serpents, tight as iron. The room is dark, but a window into the beautiful valley the man will never step foot in is allowed.

He is being tortured, as sure as the night is long.

No one ought to defy Athena and say this is unjust. In this war, it is justified. The feminine hand draws away slowly and the woman tips her head back, listening. Bearing a striking resemblance to Tracy, with long, blonde hair, sharp ice blue eyes, and pale skin — pale but luminous, glistening. Fabric of white clothes her and pools in many pristine layers, only strong arms bare. She takes up her lance.

Moments later, she's standing behind the throne of Zeus, glowing in its light. Completely and utterly stony faced, she immediately rolls her eyes. "I highly doubt that their presence strictly necessary."

An eyebrow is arched at Demeter's voice, and causes the King to face her. His smile remains, but it's diplomatic, not genuine. "I don't aim to keep the war in check, dear sister. The opposite, I'm afraid. Men have become insolent. They pay us little respect, and little homage. The time has come." And there it is. The purpose of the meeting. Strategic planning. He glances from one goddess to the next before shaking his head, "Apollo, Ares, and…" he clears his throat, "Hades are all late." As are a number of other gods and goddesses. Of course, with a war transpiring, Zeus won't discount them.

He smirks, however at Athena's comment before he clucks his tongue, "Child, in war all hands are needed." And while Aphrodite and Demeter may not be the best strategists, they have helpful skills regardless. He steps back to his own throne, eyeing each of the deities present in turn. Smoothing his toga before sitting, he speaks, authoritatively, determined to make it through this gathering with little disagreement, "We need to discuss the humans. I'm sure you're all aware that the situation has become… dire…"

"Perhaps they become insolent to you. My pyres still burn brightly." Demeter's lofty voice echoes slightly as she picks herself up and then drapes herself on the throne. "Perhaps they feel they have no desire to worship one who merely rains down death upon them for little cause." As for the entrance of the two others, she doesn't seem to care all that much about them. The gaudy displays, the haughtiness. "They're also a sign of wisdom, dear. It's good to see your face as as empty as ever."

Destroying the humans for Demeter would be a simple task. Blighting the land, killing the livestock and the food, poisoning the water, all it would take from her would be a stray thought. However, she has no cause to do so. The humans have given no reason to set out to destroy them. The war between their two sides is more game-like to her. "Honestly, Zeus, we are Gods. To think the humans have a chance against us is to do us a disservice. Let us merely give them some hardship, and then show them why they worship us. There's no need to become so dramatic about it."

Aphrodite is not a strategist. Nor does she have very many helpful skills. But she only needs the one she does possess. Her lower lip extends in a fetching pout at Demeter's response to the teasing, but there's no echo of petulance in those big blue eyes. "We want them to love us. Let me make them love us, and we can avoid the silly hardship idea entirely."

And when she says "us", she really means "me".

"I think it would do Athena some good, to have a flock of pretty men waiting on her hand and foot," Aphrodite goes on. Her hand lifts, palm up and fingers curled to hold the bunch of grapes that simply appears there. The plumpest is selected, rolled between thumb and forefinger, before she places it on her tongue. "Mmm…she might even smile for once. Wouldn't that be a feat?"

The light-haired one seems incapable of smiling, as if her face had been cut out of stone; or ice. She simply stares at Demeter, then Aphrodite, immovable and not baited. "They're barbarians." While an inch of disgust creeps into her tone, it is, for the most part, spoken factually. Word of the gods. "You should look a little more closely at your so-called worshippers. They're only looking for a quick comfort. Once they burn through it as they've done everything else, they'll turn to war, too." Athena shakes her head stoically. "It's not my war they're fighting. They've turned to false gods. Ignorance. Greed. Science and … human politics."

Athena reaches down smoothly to take one of the bolts of thunder and strides around Zeus's thrown to sit on her own. "If it's war you want to discuss, I have your strategy."

"Lack of respect instils my wrath, dear sister," Zeus hisses as he drums his fingers on the arm of his chair. "And indeed, they will live through hardship if they persist." Zeus arches both eyebrows before he tightens his jaw. "And while youd can make them love us, it doesn't last. It never lasts. They forget what the world was like before we assumed our roles." He purses his lips together and nods at Athena. "You are the goddess of wisdom. Advise me. Advise all of us."

"Brother, we don't need her advice," of course another figure, who looks almost identical to Zeus appears in a double blue flame before assuming his black seat opposite Apollo's light one. His toga is black, as are his sandals. "I say we send them all for the long journey down the River Styx and start over. And when I say all, I mean all," he hisses. "Included your beloved Heracles. He should rot in Hades with the rest of them." The god of the Underworld feels his lips twitch into a deliciously sinister smile as he clutches the arms of his own chair.

"Oh, whatever shall I do if incur your wrath." Demeter's voice lacks emotion - even mocking as she responds to Zeus. Instead, she remains where she is and rolls her eyes at both Aphrodite and Athena. "And then who would be left to worship us, to give us offerings." The newly arrived God gets the same treatment, maybe even more of it, before she turns her attention back to Zeus. "Where would be all the mortal girls you so love to frolic with?" And Goddess knows how much Zeus loves to frolic with the mortal girls.

"What would we do all day but bicker with each other uselessly?" That's kind of what they already do and it's why Demeter likes to go down among the humans and get away from all of them every now and again. "If they turn to false gods, we remind them of who we truly are, of what we can truly do. No false god may be able to contend with those who rule upon Mt. Olympus. Hades is powerful enough without a an entire world's worth of new minions for him to command."

"Nothing lasts. Perhaps not even us," Aphrodite remarks. But it's spoken so flippantly, with the same careless breathlessness of every other word that falls from her lips. It makes it so easy to disregard what this incarnation of love might say. Especially when she couples speaking with doing things like…tossing grapes into the air and catching them neatly in her perfect mouth, pausing only to blow a kiss to Hade on his dark throne.

She always did like bad boys.

"Whether it false gods or death, that still leaves us without worshippers. We need their love. As they need ours."

The bright blue gaze of the wise goddess shoots to the new addition to the throne room but only for an instant. She looks (wonder of wonders) to Aphrodite. "Then we show them tough love." Athena rises once more, holding firm on the lance that is taller than she is with one hand, and the thunderbolt of Zeus in the other. She addresses all assembled. "We'll show them what true war is. That we won't show mercy to those who don't deserve it," she says, passion forcing through her otherwise cold demeanour. "We win back their respect and their worship — or else we kill them all. Start new."

She hurls the thunder down as Zeus did, but this time, as it rumbles, a hole swirls open on the ground and reveals a dark city vista down below, crackling with lightning. "Their soldiers gather in most numbers here, in the City of Angels."

"Not you, Demeter. Them. Their wrath. We all know their anger builds. They suffer in want and roam the land cursing all our names." Zeus glances at Hades in particular before he adds, "Some more than others." He shakes his head at his brother, "Killing all of the humans isn't an option. But we can't ignore what their insolence."

"Pfffft," Hades sneers. "Death to the human race! I'll collect their souls and torture them in the forever-beyond." However, he does issue a rather evil smile at the blown kiss and offers Aphrodite a small wink. Yes, he's almost as much of a man whore as his look-alike-brother, except his mean streak is a lot meaner.

Zeus presses his lips together and shoots Hades a very pointed look before redirecting to Athena, "So we hunt them in the City of Angels. We bring terror down onto them and have them live —"

Zeus is interrupted by the sound of rushing water. Water that flows through the whole of Olympus in a river bed, but from the water comes the figure of a man. Who, once again, looks shockingly like Zeus himself. Poseidon holds his trident, and his expression is grim, which for Poseidon is highly irregular, particularly amongst this crowd. "I would've sent Hermes… but…" He stares at the ground rather than anyone gathered. Moments pass before he dares speak what he's come to say. "Apollo is dead. He fell into the sea. As did the sun."

Zeus stands from his seat again and turns his back to the gathering deities. Once of his children has died. And the land will dwell in dark for all days to come. He chokes on the word stuck in his throat, "H-how?"

That is something that actually causes Demeter to sit straight up. "Apollo? Dead?" That would seem impossible. Has someone managed to kill a God? "It will be night for all eternity." The crops will not grow, the earth will grow cold. Already, disaster has struck them. All else that has been said up to now has meant nothing after this. "That is impossible. It is impossible to kill one of us." That is what she thought before, what they all had assumed. They are immortals.

The news comes a wave (literally) of surprise, but Athena remains stoic, save for a clenching of her jaws in anger. "A dawn without the sun…" She can't help but look at Demeter, who must be especially lost now. She steps forward, the lengthy tresses of her toga becoming soaked by the rush of water Poseidon brought with him; she doesn't mind. Her demand is added to the rest of the questioning. "Tell us how it's possible."

"It's not," is what Poseidon hisses. "They… their science…" He clears his throat, before shaking his head, while still staring at the ground. "They made him one of them. And then shot him down with one of his own arrows." He furrows his eyebrows as he looks from one deity to the next. "They must pay. Our revenge must be sure and swift. They can't be allowed to do this." Unlike the others he wasn't exactly invited to this meeting. Poseidon hadn't been taking the threat seriously. He hadn't even felt it worth his time or attention. His tone has changed drastically. "They will destroy the world themselves if we let them persist! They need to know we won't take this!"

"KILL THEM ALL!" is Hades simple retort as he stands to his feet. "Allow me to collect their souls and keep them in the Underworld, torturing them for what they've done to your son! Zeus! Make a decision! I will make them die again every day for the rest of eternity!"

Zeus himself is oddly silent. Seething quietly. Saying nothing. Finally, he turns to face the others again, but only for a moment before he reaches for his oval basket and thrusts several lightning bolts hurdling toward the men gathering in the cities. After a deep breath, he faces his comrades once again and tightens his jaw, "They won't win. They'll pay." And in a way they already have; they'll starve because of their own stupidity.

"What did we just say about us needing them?" Demeter gives Hades a withering glance. "We will find the offending parties and we will show them the wrath of the Gods." The rest of the human race will be left out of it. "The rest of the human race will pay, but they will not remain in Hades' lair." She glares at the God, who already has hold of her daughter for some months. "He already has hold over much that is good in the world. Let him take the offenders and do what he will with them. Then we will take care of the rest of the human race. Let them know hunger for some months and drought."

Aphrodite rises and steps down lightly to cross the pool that has become the floor, slender hand extended to rest on Poseidon's arm. Offering comfort, even as she looks sorrowfully from one face to the next. The anger in the chamber is almost palpable but tears track along her pretty cheeks. "If they can darken the sun itself, take Apollo from us, they might do the same to any one of us," she reminds them. "We should find this weapon first and destroy it, before we think of justice."

Athena looks from Hades to Demeter to Aphrodite, considering. "All of you have merit." This time. "Then we destroy their weapon — cut the head off the snake. They can't hide from the eyes of the gods. Aphrodite could use her charms to get close enough to the humans' reserves for Hades to destroy it," she advises before she takes several calm backwards steps, feet hidden beneath pools of the now damp white cloth, until she stands beside Zeus. One look at him seething and she seems to be well-assured in speaking further: she does so, her voice escalating in both volume and authority. This is what she's made of, after all. War. Wisdom. Justice. "Then we'll ride at dawn. With or without the sun. Those of us who can take the cold."

Poseidon's lips curl downwards into a frown. He's not angry; he's sad. This isn't the way the world was supposed to go. This isn't the way they'd planned it to turn out when they'd assumed cosmic control. He smiles very faintly at the touch. It seems the two are of like minds. He places his hand on top of hers and nods, "The weapon must go. If any more of us become mortal, the world itself will wither. And then where will any of them be. Please, brother. Listen to Athena."

Sneering, Hades shakes his head, "Without the sun they'll all end up in Hades anyways! Why do we waste time. Killing them swiftly would be merciful in comparison!" He laces his fingers together, allowing his demands and arguments to fill the room. "Seek swift vengeance on the ones who —"

Zeus, raises a hand to silence Hades. He is the King here. He will hear no more doom and gloom. "We will not kill them all off, but yes. We must destroy the weapon and meet them head-on. Athena's plan will do us all well." The thunder from his bolts continue to echo in the world beneath them. "Who is in? I will ride. Even without the sun."

"As will I," Poseidon offers with a slight nod. He didn't want it to come to this. "The seas will toss violently mourning for Apollo."

Hades, however, is curiously silent on the subject.

Demeter is not a war Goddess. Her strengths is in the harvest, in making things grow and keeping people alive. If her wrath is incurred, she will blight the land, however that is not the same as taking up weapons. But, the human's attack cannot be met without a fight. "I will ride with you. The sun does not make us Gods, we can fight without it."

"I ride as well at night as I do during the day. Better, perhaps." For all that she truly is grief-striken, Aphrodite can't resist the opportunity to respond in a way intended to needle Athena. Because yes, she recognized the intended recipient of that remark. Who can take the cold indeed. A brave face is put on, her tears brushed away, and then she stands tall(ish) beside Poseidon.

Athena only nods, once, twice, slowly. Aphrodite's needling it met with nothing; it's Hades who she eyes. She moves back to her thrown only to retrieve a heavy mantle from the back of it, a breastplate of armour and animal hide. "Hades?" she questions with a sharp look. "And what've you. Will you rethink your plan? Ride with us? I want vengenace too. This is the way. We have to trust you won't take matters into your own hands and throw the whole of human existence into the underworld." Pause. "Little counterproductive."

Hades scowls bitterly. "Fine. I will ride." But he doesn't say he won't take matters into his own hands. Perhaps he wishes to be counterproductive. His lips curl upwards into another equally bitter grin. "Humanity will pay for what it's done. All will suffer; throughout the earth there will be weeping for mercy, but the gods will not give it." In a way the earth itself has become like the Underworld. Without the sun, all will pay.

"It's decided then." Zeus says stoically. "Gather your resources. Alert the others. They will experience fury like they've never seen. If they thought us relentless before, they will pray for the days when we were relentless." He laces his fingers together before he nods, "Summon your beasts, your creatures and minions alike. The gods are going to war."

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