New Olympus (not open yet)
 

((yay first post! lol that's the first time that's ever happened to me.))

Selene,or Gemini as she was now called,walked through the nighttime forest,enjoying the cool air on her skin. Her feet were bare,as she liked,but the undergrowth caused her no harm. It would have been suspicious,if anyone had been watching her,but there was no one around.
She stopped in the middle of a clearing,where the full moon floated directly above,lighting the woods as if it were daytime. Closing her eyes,she imagined herself driving her chariot through the sky,her tiara lighting the night. But those days were over.
She sighed and turned to a high pine tree-the highest in the clearing,and began climbing it. Once at a good hight,where she could observe and relax without being seen,she sat against the rough bark,her long,ghost pale legs hanging below her.
The wind stirred her raven hair,and her thin silver-and-black dress flowed around her legs. Sighing again,she looked up at the sky and wondered if she would see any of her brothers or sisters tonight.

((oops! i'll fix it. :sweat:))
Selene watched the girls go,a strange longing in her heart. She turned to look down at her friend.
"Cocoa would be nice.I seem to have grown fond of it... Those are students of yours,I assume?" She asked,still unable to shake off the feeling that she was missing out on something. She climbed down the tree to the loowest branch and jumped down,landing gracefully on her feet.
"Artemis,my friend...I feel as if I have missed something. I feel empty somehow...perhaps you can help me find what is gone from me that should be there." She said,as close to pleading as she would ever get,her eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

Moonlight dusted the red Lotus Elise as it sped across the endless highway. Taking an unusual exit down a country road, the elegant vehicle splashed in the wet gravel. The driver was somewhat less than pleased.

Ray Hawksley looked a typical male Apollo, with a minor difference: Ray Hawksley was the god Apollo, and every bit as powerful and flawed as the mythological deity. Blue eyes glinting with sunny mischief highlighted a handsome face that was framed by an unruly head of golden curls. His lips, which normally wore a smile to charm the bird out of the trees, was drawn in a pensive scowl. He drummed his fingers impatiently on the wheel-going out of town was not his favourite practice. The tires alone would take an hour's worth of washing, or a trip to the garage to get the stones taken out. Ray knew that wasn't what was really bothering him, but it helped to have another reason to gripe. Coming out at night always dampened his spirits, and this was no exception. But there was no better time to visit family.

The gates of the school loomed in front of him, and he winked at the woman waiting there. She blushed, remembering him in more ways than one, and promptly let the iron swing wide. Ray parked the car and simply waited on the hood. His sister would find him out soon, after all, it was her trade. Besides, after his last visit it might not be prudent to enter the school, especially at night.

The day had been relatively long. A large-scale photoshoot for a high-end magazine took up most of her day, starting from the very early morning. Thankfully (no thanking gods, as she was one of them, of course) makeup existed to make her look even more perfect. For being an immortal, her skin was flawless and pristine. But even goddesses needed touchups and Aphrodite a.k.a. Chrisnele Davidson, felt the burden of having to look perfect at all times. There was no way she allowed herself to look tired or exhausted in any way, which is how she was able to keep pushing herself forward throughout the day.

Following the photoshoot, there were some press interviews that were scheduled for weeks on end. It was a damn shame that she couldn’t have just one big press conference, but each magazine had requested to see her individually. And she had been looking forward to getting everything done so that she could just head up to one of the Skyline-esque VIP clubs that night. Unfortunately, her plans had gone to waste as the perfect ensemble of dress was stuck at the dry cleaner’s and nobody had yet picked it up for her. “A pity, that,” she murmured to herself, raspberry-rouge lips pouting in dissatisfaction

Instead, she spent a better part of the evening alone, preferring to take a stroll through the streets lined with trees that had still-green foliage. Her mink fur coat was wrapped around her body comfortably, as her stiletto heels clicked the cement of the ground. Not knowing where else to go, she wasn’t quite ready to go home for the night.

Selene sighed.
"It's a strange thing,isn't it?" She asked,admiring the gardens.
"I mean,how difficult it is sometimes to remember that we're down here. Back before we fell,i never had a feeling like this,but now...it seems to be getting worse by the day." She said in a suffering voice. Indeed,whatever she was feeling was getting worse. But how could she make it stop if she didn't know what it was?
"I certainly hope you can help me,even if it's only a talk. I need to know what this is that's plaguing me."

Apollo offered a casual smirk when he saw his sister emerging from the woods. His amusement changed to confusion as he noticed the slender figure matching her pace. It was unusual for the old gods to be drawn to the new, even when they followed only their impulses. Considering Artemis and Selene's history, it wouldn't normally surprise him. But the three of them, drawn together at the same time-it seemed an omen.

He raised his eyebrow briefly at Artemis' greeting, "Same as always, sis. Or should I say, headmistress. Good to see you too, Gemini. New music scene's been pretty interesting. Though, I must admit, the punks are a lot more fun to go clubbing with. Anyways, passing over my life, I've got some...news, if you'd call it that."

He locked eyes with his sister, seldom serious, they now burned with urgency, "It's a prophecy. And it's critical, I can feel it. But I can't write the words. They're not...coming. Clouded from me. I thought maybe you'd be able to help."

She heard the ringing of it first, then the vibration of the object became apparent. Thinking it was a phone call, Aphrodite sighed. "Who is it this time?" she said to herself. Digging through the pockets of her thick coat, it was a easy to get lost in the fluffiness of it, even just to find a pocket. Eventually her hand made its way in and delicate fingers grasped the plastic-and-metal hybrid that was her phone.

She didn't bother buying one of those "smartphones." They never appealed to her and were way too complicated to figure out. Sticking with a standard flip-phone, Aphrodite opened it and nearly put it to her ear to start speaking when she noticed something different about the screen.

"Oh, it's just a text message," she said disappointedly. But it shouldn't have been any different. She wanted her alone time, and she had it. Clicking a few buttons, the message popped up after some dreadful phone navigation.

'call me when you've got a spare minute' it said, along with the name that was associated with the phone number. "All right, Artemis," Aphrodite sighed. "It better be for a good reason." Pressing the button to call the other girl, she placed the phone to her ear as the line started ringing.

Keeping silent, Selene followed Artemis and Apollo and sat down, uncomfortable desoite the comfort of the chair. She and Apollo never found themsekves in the same place, so it was a safe bet that whatever his prophecy was, it was not good. Listening carefully, she wondered if Artemis was right. Could Apollo's vision help with her problem? Or at least point to what might be causing it?

Apollo gave her his best attempt at a maligned look before his brow furrowed back into thought. Though, truth be told, his mind did stray when he took a glance at the slender young woman tending the fire. He almost smiled at her invitingly, then twisted his expression into a respectful nod. It was going to be hard enough to talk his sister into this even without crossing any lines.

Settled in, when she addressed him he hesitated, wondering how to address the problem. For the moment, he was saved by a phone call, and he couldn't help giving his sister his best hipster scoff at her ringtone. Months to perfect the expression, and it was definitely worth it for this. As she finished her phone call, he made his decision.

"Thanks. Truth is, I know why I came to see you, just like I always know. It came in a dream, after about a week of clouded words and...disturbing moods," Apollo took a deep breath before continuing, "The symbols were...very clear. Nightfall, the moon at first quarter. A wolf in the forest came to rest by the sea, in the shade of a laurel bush. A dolphin arose to meet the wolf. And the wolf produced a serpent, eyes alight with mystery and mad with knowledge," he stopped, as if to continue, but was met by vaguely bemused expressions. He began to explain,

"The moon represents your parallels, right? Twinfold of the moon-I hadn't thought of that at the time. That explains the end-"He ceased musing and continued, "Back to the easy part. The wolf represents your influence, and the dolphin, mine. It's a strange form, but is has to do with the laurels. The dolphin is the form I took to enlighten the Delphians. The snake represents Pytho, the root of Pythia," Apollo locked eyes with Artemis, willing her to understand, "I think one of your girls might be the Pythia, my Oracle. So that's why I came."

Keeping his gaze deadly serious, he took a laurel branch and a elegant piece of obsidian out of his pocket. Artemis would know them both-and so would the Oracle.

Selene listened carefully, willing herself to understand all that Apollo was saying. It wasn't very clear to her, but what she got out of it was that he thought his Oracle had been reborn in one of Artemis's students.
"So you believe you Oracle is here? Well, i am happy that you've found her. However,that does not help with my problem. Perhaps it is just an emotional weakness..." she mused, barely able to fathom such a thing.

Apollo's eyes burned like solar flares at her words but he swallowed his anger. The certainty of prophecy left him no doubt as to what he needed to do. And the prophecy would be given, no matter what the cost. Some things were too big to be left unsaid. He nodded to his sister, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice,

"Alright. I hope you'll reconsider. I haven't felt anything this big since the 1960s, and I've never missed a prophecy," the uncertainty strained his voice, "It's important, and if don't know..." Ray let his hand drop, "Just, think about what's at stake. Good evening, or morning. To you both"

He left her still staring at the window, her face not meeting his. As he stepped through the cool empty halls he fingered the volcanic glass lovingly. Slipping the talismen in a small leather pouch, he regarded the trees outside the gate carefully. The sun broke out over the horizon, illuminating a strong and mournful willow. His eyes flickered to green and he clambered upwards, to the topmost branches. There he hung his best hope, and he gazed over the school, silent with regret. He hoped Artemis would forgive him. But these words were already written.

Sliding down the trunk, he stole a glance at the fading moon. Crescent waxing. It would be another couple of days before it was found. Apollo started the sleek vehicle and sped off back to the city. The Cabalone Club expected him tomorrow, and Ray Hawksley was not going to disappoint.

Her jaw dropped, and her eyebrows furrowed as the line had cut itself off abruptly, with no chance for Aphrodite to get a word in edgewise. "Well," she started, flipping the phone closed and trying to get the damned item back into her pocket, "That was quite rude, Artemis." She stood in place, wondering why the other goddess would give her this proposal of getting new followers. Besides the many fans she already had while her face was plastered on every magazine, there were those who knew who she really was.

And so, she was left with the decision of whether or not to head down to Artemis' school. Now that was a place to garner followers. But what could she, Aphrodite, the goddess of love to in order to obtain followers? She began to walk a few steps forward, then realized the school was way too far for walking distance, especially in her shoes. She didn't want them ruined, of course, and it wasn't like she would end up getting blisters. It was just really deemed inconvenient for her.

Sighing, she batted her blue eyes upwards to the sky, smirking sarcastically, having to bring her phone out again. Dialing another number, she folded one arm into the arm that held the phone to her ear.

"Yes, Bryce? I'm at Hawkins Park. I'll need a ride, please." A pause as the speaker on the other line replied. "Yes. Thank you." Flipping the phone closed, she rocked back and forth on her heels, until she spotted an empty bench off the corner of her eye to go sit there.

((sorry!!!))
Selene got up and left as she was asked, knowing that Artemis was best left alone at such times. As dawn quickly approached, she watched Apollo speed away in his expensive car. She sighed and left the grounds, going back to where she had entered the woods. There she found her own car still waiting. Unlike some of the others, Selene saw no need for an expensive or fancy car, and had quickly fallen in love with her emerald green Volkswagon bug. Her only displeasure was that it wasn't a convertible, but it did have a moon roof. She got in, started it, and drove off towards her house in a seperate part of the woods. Perhaps she could talk to Aphrodite about her problem. The two of them were not best friends, but they got along to a certain degree.

"Pull just a little further back...now release! That's it!" Ray grinned at the ten young girls who stood eagerly surveying their targets. Some just slightly off the mark, some lying on the floor, and others driven into the protective foam wall. A single perfect bullseye resided in the middle target, "Nice shot, Janet. Watch her, girls. Keep shooting, and remember, don't cross the line."

As the ten year old's friends clustered around her to ask for pointers or sulked jealously and continued to shoot badly, Apollo reveled in the morning sun. Its beams over the gym reminded him of optimism, new beginnings. He was lost in composing stanzas to a poem when a slender young woman appeared beside him, calling;

"Kirsten, elbow straight!"

He turned his best 2000-watt smile on and greeted his co-worker. Suzanna was a dark-haired beauty with bold green eyes and a sharp wit. He'd been scoping her out for a week or so now, ever since she started at the Robin School of Archery.

"They're doing well, aren't they? Janet just pulled a perfect shot," he mused.

"Oh really?" her voice was musical, inviting, "I always knew she had talent. How're you this morning, Ray?"

"Sunny as the dawn, and twice as bright," he winked at her. Same as always, "What about you?"

"I'm feeling kind of sunny myself, today, actually."

"Really?" he raised his eyebrows suggestively, "How would you feel about coffee at Sunshine Joe's?"

"With you?" Ray was unusually tense for a moment while she kept him hanging, "I'd love to. Bows down, girls!"

Radiant again, he hurried forward to help retrieve the arrows. He'd started teaching archery to get his mind off women-but that was before Suzanna started working there. She was feisty, but mysterious. Not to mention gorgeous. Nothing wrong with a little diversion, he thought as he watched her bending to retrieve the arrows, then looked away quickly. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day.

Apollo was surprised by his sister's sudden arrival, not to mention a little nervous. It was normal for her to bring girls around once every couple of months, unusual for her to want to talk to him alone. He gave her a playful smirk as he gathered the arrows.

"What she doesn't know can't hurt her. Besides, look who's talking," Apollo flashed a conspiratorial grin. They were twins, after all, different as night and day but still the same in many ways. Though he slept around, he knew she was far from committed in her relationships, "I bet you'll like this one. I'll introduce you."

He called Suzanna over to explain the situation, "This is my sister, Chandra Woods, headmistress of a school not far from here. Sometimes she brings students to practice in the ranges here. They're more than competent, they can probably give you a hand."

"Pleasure to meet you. You must be speaking of the Woods Private Academy for Girls. I had a friend who once attended, an excellent school from what I've heard," she gave Artemis a courteous yet soft handshake. Looking between the two of them, she sensed something amiss, "I can outfit your students with bows and braces, follow me, girls!"

Perceptive and mysterious. Suzanna was a perfect catch, all right, he mouthed a thanks to her as she took off headed off with the girls. He led Artemis into a small office for privacy, and then got down to business.

"Alright, you've got it. What is it you wanted to talk about?" he sounded cool, aloof. Even though he wouldn't admit it, her decision to deny his Oracle did sting a bit.

The limousine arrived some fifteen to twenty minutes later, stopping in front of Aphrodite. From the drivers’ side, a man in a chauffeur-like uniform stepped out and around to open the door for the fallen Goddess. “Good evening to you, madam,” he greeted. “Oh, Bryce, it’s been an exhausting day. Thank you for coming on such short notice. I know I should have left word that I was going to be late.” She situated herself into the seat, but held a steady hand on the passenger door before Bryce could close it.

“Artemis left me a message, so I called her. Though I don’t particularly like her, I’ll need you to drive me to her school. It’s on the other side of town, so you see why I couldn’t just bally well up and walk there.” Bryce nodded. “Very well, madame. But if I may be so bold, you and Artemis don’t usually get along. Don’t you think this could be some sort of trap?” he asked her. Through her vanity, Aphrodite was not on good terms with many of her fellow female Goddesses, especially since she was tempted to take their mates every now and then. It was just part of her nature. It couldn’t be helped.

“That is why you are escorting me. Would I be calling anyone else had the situation not be something of this measure?” It was a rhetorical question. Without saying another word, she released her hold on the door and tucked her legs into the car, looking forward, signifying that she was ready to go.

“Of course not, my lady. It is an honor,” Bryce simply replied. He closed her door, and then went round the front to enter his part of the vehicle. He started the car, already knowing the way to the school since he knew these roads like the back of his hand. Driving at a normal speed, he wasn’t sure whether or not Aphrodite was in some hurry to get to the school.