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[b][center][color=gray]T h e  R o m a n s[/color][/center][/b]
[/h1][/sup][/color][indent][sub][COLOR=gray][I] 𝓒𝓪𝓷𝓵𝓲𝓼 𝓡𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓾𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓽 10:55 AM[/I][/COLOR][/sub][/indent][indent][sup][right][COLOR=gray][b]#familybondingtime[/b][/color][/right][/sup][/indent][hr]
[sup][right] interactions: [@fledermaus]x [@gothelk]x[@icy hot] collab  [@Heart of Thorns] mentions:[@Legion020][@metanoia][@beetlemoth][/right][/sup]


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Janus pulled a seat out at the round table. A personal choice he made with each of their gatherings. Jupiter may have reigned as king once, but among the mortal world, they were all equals, and there was no seat for a king at a table when his empire had yet to be rebuilt. The oldest “sibling” paid no mind to the jest of his younger brother; Venus had said her piece and redundancy was a fault Janus was keen not to adopt. New developments and buzzing bits of information filled the morning to its brim and hidden beyond that stone face he wore, Janus was simmering with excitement for the coming tides of change. 

With the wine bottles opened and light starters on the table, Janus leaned forward, his eyes scanning the faces of his brothers and sister. Save for a few absent faces; he was sure those seated here would be the leaders to usher in a new age and breathe life into the dream they all shared.

[color=ff8c4c] “I will take the liberty to skip the formalities, we all live together, and I’m sure we all have some business to attend to after this meal, so, let’s get to things. The morning news is doing its best to buy time on a fruitless investigation, the mayor is missing, and that makes for a perfect excuse to gather the group with the means to snuff out a god.”[/color] Bright crystal eyes landed on the God of War, the only Roman to attend the Conclave, [color=ff8c4c] “How was the Conclave? Learn anything of importance?”[/color]

Caught in his own web, of course. Mars refused to pout, but his cheeks tinted red at Venus’ remark. With his mouth open, he turned his  eyes toward Janus as his elder sibling spoke. He promptly shut his mouth, though cast an indignant glare toward Venus before adjusting his posture and throwing an apologetic look toward one of the servers. He’d have to tip them heavily later.

[color=#A62A2A]”As expected, the Greeks made quite a scene, though that’s more for my amusement than it is of any import,”[/color] Mars explained, grinning to himself, [color=#A62A2A]”Outside of the outbursts, Hephaestus’ death was the focus of the Conclave: the Morrigan explained that his death was unnatural. I’ve been examining a few disappearances that I think are connected to him. I suspect it may have something to do with what you’ve been up to, [i]Julius[/i]. I’ve already notified and requested assistance from both Morrigan and Athena, since my pride allows me to work well with those outside of our Pantheon.”[/color] He threw a knowing glance at Jupiter.

[color=#A62A2A]”As well, while the Greek’s lost one, they gained another in Poseidon.”[/color]

Fingers tapped against the round table, the round table used to represent their equality in mortality. Jupiter despised the table - not that he hated being equal among his brothers and sister - but it represented the stripping of his power, the fall from his throne. Jupiter blew a puff of air from his nose, ears ringing with Mars’ report. Yada, yada, Greeks are awful, yada, yada. 

[color=#496281]“I see.”[/color] Jupiter ran a hand down his face, stubble stinging his palm, [color=#496281]“We lose the mayor, and gain the Asshole of the Sea. I wonder how Neptune will feel.”[/color]

The wine in front of him was downed in one go, Jupiter never being the type of man to let things sit and swill. It wouldn’t be a good look to dismiss Poseidon’s new appearance, especially when the god had managed to avoid detection for such a long time. 

He voiced his thoughts aloud, [color=#496281]“We should keep a close eye on him and his goings, a god popping up after all these years at such an…[i]opportunistic[/i] time is rather suspect.”[/color] Jupiter held his hand up, wordlessly asking for more wine.

Venus seldom had an interest in the musings of men. All their secrecy, betrayal, and death, it wasn’t good for her skin or something.Well at least that’s how she should have felt anyways, but the death of an enemy was something worth mulling over. The unsurprised look on Janus’ face confirmed her first assumptions; the damned man was always involved [i]something[/i] or another. Like Jupiter she downed her first glass of red, since Janus was footing the bill she’d make sure to run it up a pretty penny. 

[color=2aa6a6] “You know Jupiter, you [i]can[/i] politely request a refill, I heard the humans [i]love[/i] to have their existence acknowledged.”[/color] Venus’ voice was sickly sweet, but there was danger playing on her lips as she [s]bared her teeth[/s] flashed a smile at him. Following her own [i]advice[/i] she waved a hand to a passing waiter and offered a quick beam and happily received her refill, savoring this glass; her next two would be pounded back like cheap vodka.

Jupiter shifted uncomfortably at her smile, though he passed it off as adjusting his cuff link. His lack of words wasn’t meant to disrespect the human servers; it was just their place to acknowledge his wants and needs. He was a god, and they were mortals, whether they knew it or not was of no consequence to him. If he beckoned, they came. Still, when one of the servers filled his glass up, he gave a nod of thanks.

Enlightened by this turn of events, Mars took a sip of his own wine, looking up to offer a quiet ‘thank you’ to the server who offered a refill. The juice he could squeeze from this delighted him, but he awaited the opportunity to deliver his other bit of news.

[color=2aa6a6] “So it seems whatever our lovely two-faced brother has been working on is coming to fruition. A god slayer is on the loose, and you all seem more preoccupied with keeping your beds filled than uncovering the mystery.”[/color] Venus let out a sigh and took a sip, her eyes falling on Jupiter again, but only because he was across from her, [color=2aa6a6] “That’s a cute hickey by the way, that red-purple combo makes the color of your eyes [i]pop[/i].”[/color]

With a light cough, Mars shot a pointed look toward Jupiter. [color=#A62A2A]”Speaking of that hickey,”[/color] Mars retrieved his phone from a jacket pocket, then tapped away for but a few seconds. He presented a picture he’d taken in a very non-discrete fashion of a man spewing chunks of fish sandwich onto Zeus’ ‘mighty’ boots. [color=#A62A2A]”Your wonderful, terrible god of the sea. Honestly, he seemed pitiful and incredibly sad. I do like his podcast, however—very informational.”[/color]

Jupiter was a King of Gods, no matter what damn round table he sits at, and it’s only this reminder that has him keeping his face as stoic as the marble statues of his likeness. While the Greeks were notoriously the libidinous ones, Jupiter did have [i]needs[/i]. He thought the man a simple mortal that he took to bed, but all this time, Jupiter had been laying with the enemy. If he were anyone else, he’d pick up his glass of wine and smash it against the wall. [i]Fucking Greeks.[/i] Jupiter’s lip curls slightly, but otherwise shows nothing.

[color=#496281]“Unfortunate.”[/color] Jupiter says, sipping at his wine just to give his mouth something to do while the gears turned in his head. [color=#496281]“It does put me in an inconvenient position, but I haven’t revealed anything of import to him when I thought he was...ahem, [i]human[/i]. Anything else we need to discuss?”[/color] Jupiter’s never felt more awkward in his life.

Janus cleared his throat, signaling an end to the battle of wits and gossip that could have carried on to fill the rest of the morning. Per usual, he ignored Venus’ pointed words, who he and his brother’s chose to have in their beds was none of her business, and as long as it did not impede on their plans, he would make it none of his. Janus’ own glass of wine remained untouched; his mind had been occupied by Mars’ confirmation of Hephaestus’ death; the news excited him more than it inspired fear.

[color=ff8c4c] “Well, the news Mars offers is deserving of celebration. The death of a greek sows the seeds of our coming victory, and the impending fall of our greatest enemies-”[/color] Janus rose his wine glass in the air in a toast just at the sound of the elevator’s arrival and hid his smirk behind the rim of his glass as he downed the contents. With a bit more enthusiasm, his eyes fell on the ever beautiful and ever confident Goddess of Love as he spoke his next words, [color=ff8c4c] “Please, join us [i]Vulcan[/i], it has been far too long.”[/color]
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