[color=coral][sup][h1][center][img]https://64.media.tumblr.com/e40b000256533252f8b96f272d175577/tumblr_nua3crzKun1r2aobgo2_540.gifv[/img][/center]
[b][center][color=black]MARS[/color] 
[color=#A62A2A]MARS[/color][/center][/b][/h1][/sup][/color][color=#A62A2A][sub]𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐀𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 » 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲[/sub] [sub][right]𝐬𝐢 𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐨𝐬 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐦 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭,[/right][/sub]
[sup][right]𝐚 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐩𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚[/right][/sup][/color]
[sup][sup][sup][sup][sup][sup][hr][/sup][/sup][/sup][/sup][/sup][/sup]

[color=#A9A9A9][indent][indent][indent][indent][i][color=gray]Curtains forcing their will
against the wind,[/color][/i]

Blue flooded a void room — white walls, wood floors. Polished and severe. And a man towered above to take the brunt of the light splayed against the obsidian of his suit. A deep, deep frown tugged the hairs of his lip down as they poured into the harsh cut of his jaw. His brows forced themselves deeper than the frown, creasing the lines of his forehead. Light barely trickled from the heavy curtains covering the window into Seattle's cityscape.

[i][color=gray]children sleep,
exchanging dreams with
seraphim. The city[/color][/i]

He could hear their voices asking over the crackle of a phone: "Mars, be a dear," a puff of air in laughter, "or rather a goat, in this case."

How he willed contempt to his mind, yet it vanished into mere frustration like the cool mist skimming the waters of the ocean, sucked to the sea. [color=#A62A2A]"Why do I do this to myself?"[/color] Mars said. His hand dove for the power button until a few seconds turned bright lights to sleep and he pressed the laptop shut with one final click. Decades had past and yet neither sibling dared change their habits and perhaps he fell to that fault, as well. Perhaps he simply wasn't privy to his own change, yet the irony of a certain sibling lacking that kind of growth brought a smirk to Mars' lips and a sharp exhale from his nose.

Maybe he should blame the Morrigan. No, the only ones rightfully deserving of his ire were too busy flopping their cocks around and laughing into wine. His love for them was immeasurable.

So was his irritation.

[i][color=gray]drags itself awake on
subway straps; and[/color][/i]

He'd suffer many things, often willingly, for his brothers and would suffer them again just for good measure. This, however, he'd have rather shoved down Jupiter's arrogant throat.

Mars paused in his musing as he turned to walk. His footstep fell with a light click against hardwood and his hand, coiled in a fist, pressed to his mouth. Well, if they wanted entertainment at his expense, he'd provide them with a show. A dull one. Hopefully, the Morrigan would be pleased at his spiteful compliance.

[i][color=gray]I, an alarm, awake as a
rumor of war
lie stretching into dawn,
unasked and unheeded.[/color][/i]

[hr]
[color=#A62A2A]"I don't need you to reschedule me, just push the reservation an hour,"[/color] Mars spoke, turning into the bend of the road, [color=#A62A2A]"I've notified him already just pay the restaurant as much as it takes."[/color] Irritation still settled in Mars' brow, only further cemented by the ill timing of the Morrigan's conclave. He'd resigned to absence until his brothers came, once again, calling. If his eyes could hold fire they would, yet it was his own fault for accepting regardless of the circumstance. However, he wouldn't tarnish his reputation for reliability for anything.

Yet, reliable or not, Mars still trudged along at a plodding pace. With the car parked, he leaned back into his seat with his eyes on his mirror. One of his hands tugged at the knot of his tie with the other held the tip. He let his eyes wander to his passenger seat, eyeing the tag along who promptly let her tongue loll out with heavy panting breaths.

[color=#A62A2A]"Come now, enough of that, you lecherous beast,"[/color] Mars said. He let his lips curl into a rare grin as he buried his hand in fur just beneath his partner in crime's collar. She barked in return, mouth splayed open as her head tilted upward to allow Mars access to scratch at her best spots. [color=#A62A2A]"Let's not keep them waiting, Virtus. Wouldn't want to disappoint, would we?"[/color] he called out to his [url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b2/f8/f7/b2f8f739d95d09f5ae6aaa3258132316.gif]companion[/url] and she barked yet again in reply as they both hopped out of the car.

It took all but a few minutes to find the location. Inconvenience would aptly describe the trek there, yet Mars was not wont to rush an event that would test the limits of his own patience. And once he stopped, shoe thudding against the tile floor, Mars parsed the muffled speak of a woman until her voice roared in desperate anger.

Mars' head turned downward, eyes catching Virtus', his sweet pup, as she tilted her own head at him. [color=#A62A2A]"I suppose that's our cue?"[/color] he asked, raising a brow to her. Virtus merely let her tongue slip out and her maw open in a pant. Mars gave a hum and pursed his lips before turning toward the door.

And just as he opened it the cacophonous voice of a mother scorned tore through the air. Mars paused, letting the door click shut beside him as Virtus sat at his feet and let her head tilt up toward him in a whine. He pressed a hand to her head and quietly sh'd the canine.

With his brow raised, Mars opened his mouth, intent on giving Hera her dues. Yet, his eyes faltered as they caught the look etched on her face. Pain. Regret. Anguish. Juno's face flashed for but a second and his brows furrowed as his lips curled downward.

Father of Rome. His blood ran through the veins of every Roman and yet he only sired them. Their birth was not his to carry and when they each died of battle, of old age, of disease, his mourning was not that of a mother who had carried and lost. Therefore, he did not know Hera's pain and he could never know. Mars was a man, after all, unknown to virtues and grief that a mother could feel.

Thus, he promptly shut his fucking mouth and let the mother mourn her son. He bowed his head to her, hands clasped and jaw tight.

When the others spoke up, Mars cleared his throat to announce his presence. [color=#A62A2A]"I would apologize for being late, but I'm clearly not sorry,"[/color] he stated, turning his attention toward the Morrigan, [color=#A62A2A]"However, if what you say is true, would you care to enlighten us, Morrigan?"[/color]

Virtus stood as Mars approached the wise goddess, head tilted as he looked down at her. [color=#A62A2A]"That was quite a bombshell you dropped in a room full of divine gunpowder. I can feel the atoms buzzing,"[/color] his gaze never faltered as he stared her down. He ripped it away for but a second to turn his attention toward Athena, [color=#A62A2A]"Tell me, Detective Steele. When one approaches a homicide case they first look for whatever evidence grants them leads, correct?"[/color]

He looked down at Virtus, smiling for a split second before looking at Morrigan again, [color=#A62A2A]"Don't tell me a goddess of wisdom as yourself would present such news without any kind of string to follow? Or were you just planning on letting Hera wallow in her grief while the rest of the Greeks boil over into a wanton rage? You know how volatile most of them are, do you not?"[/color] His eyes roamed their faces, hovering over Poseidon first though he looked to have lost all his bite before finally settling on Ares. Mars' face presented cold steel as he stared, lingering on the man before looking at the professor once again.

Mars, however, continued his gaze, watching the man's head spin and turn the news around every which way. A small smile broke his lips to which Virtus stood alert, her ears shooting up and her lips curling in a snarl. [color=#A62A2A]"And the gunpowder ignites,"[/color] Mars said, just as Ares burst and the Roman turned his gaze toward Morrigan, [color=#A62A2A]"Would you like to give our friends any kind of lead to go on before they turn your conference room into a crime scene?"[/color]

That's when he turned to look at Ares, letting his eyes hold the man for a moment before turning to the Yoruban who, if Mars could put a bet on it, couldn't care less about the gun pointing at his godly head. [color=#A62A2A]"Shoot him. Do it. I'm sure he wouldn't mind,"[/color] Mars said, hushing Virtus as she barked, [color=#A62A2A]"However, many of us do. So if you'd kindly stuff your declaration of war back in your knickers and let our lovely Professor divest some of the details she's been withholding, that would be wonderful."[/color] He looked at the Morrigan, [color=#A62A2A]"You are more than welcome to diffuse this unfortunate chain of events. I'm not so certain I'd rely on Zeus to withdraw a casus belli from an estranged son."[/color]

He let his gaze fall back onto the situation at hand, only taking a moment to watch Virtus lay against his feet. He muttered under his breath, [color=#A62A2A]"Hm, a white man bringing a gun to an American university. Can't say I'm shocked."[/color]
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[right][sub]Interactions: [@fledermaus], [@legion02], [@metanoia], [@The Ghost Note];[/sub]
[sub]Credit: [i]Awaking in New York[/i] by Maya Angelou[/sub][/right][/color]