[cell][color=2e2c2c]xxxxxx[/color][img]https://i.imgur.com/FVBvSPt.jpg[/img][/cell][indent][sub][COLOR=gray][b]BEFORE THE PARTY AT CASA DE ACROPOLIS[/b][/COLOR][/sub][/indent][indent][sup][right][COLOR=gray][b]A collab with [@smarty0114] & [@pandapolio][/b][/color][/right][/sup][/indent][hr]
[color=gray][indent][indent]
Dio whistled a tune he couldn't quite recognized as he strolled through a small park.  For now the small area was vacant of humans, which was helpful for Dio.  If any of them saw a young man walking through a park holding a stab wound they might make a fuss.  Dio truly disliked hospitals, and most government funded institutions in fact.  He could trace his distaste for these kind of things since his worship used to be banned in Greece.  His followers would even be killed and treated like second class citizens at times.  Of course it didn't help that they were typically exactly that: second class citizens.  Women, slaves, and the downtroden had often used him as an escape from their lives.  He was a way to forget pain and suffering, if just for a couple hours.

As he pondered Dio tripped over a gopher hole and stumbled to the ground roughly.  Groaning he picked himself up and felt a tearing sensation in his wound.  The hole in his stomach began to bleed aven more than before and Dio felt a nagging sense of worry in the back of his mind.  [color=f6989d]"Well this is shit."[/color]  While he wouldn't die from this, he could still feel the pain.  Pushing through the pain he continued on his previous path, towards the street in front of him.  Dio stumbled across the street and made his way up onto a raised porch.  Testing the door he was relieved to find it was unlocked which meant someone was probably home.  The injured god leaned on the wall as he entered the house, [color=f6989d]"Apollo, are you here?"[/color]

Dionysus stumbeled towards the closest chair he could find and fell into it.  [color=f6989d] "Your a god of healing, right?  Please tell me you better at fixing people up than you are at prophesy."[/color]

The house had been empty when Apollo returned from his escapades with Eros, but still a hot mess. Taking on the single molecule of responsibility that he and his friends shared amongst themselves, he set to work cleaning up his room. He needed it to look presentable, if Eros was going to come over tonight.

[color=eed853]"Oh shit."[/color] Apollo's eyes widened for a moment, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion before instinct took over and he was grabbing a towel, then crouching next to his friend, lifting up his shirt to get a better look at the injury. He pressed the towel to the wound, watching as the white cloth bloomed with red. [color=eed853]"Hold the towel right there, I'll be right back,"[/color] he commanded, rushing back to his room, and returning with a black bag. He opened it to reveal an assortment of medical supplies, stolen from the hospital most likely. The way shit got around here, it was always good to be ready to sew someone up.

[color=eed853]"So uh, what the fuck happened?"[/color] Apollo asked while he got to work cleaning the wound. He handed Dio a maximum strength Ibuprofen, the closest thing to godly painkillers he could find. Any urgency he'd once had was gone, now that the bleeding had been gotten under control. Dio wasn't anywhere near death, but Apollo had just cleaned these floors in anticipation of tonight. No blood on the floor was a major accomplisment as far as he was concerned. He knew a stab wound when he saw one, and he had to say, while it wasn't uncommon for one of his friends to get stabbed, it was almost always a damn good story. 

Dio coughed in a poor imitation of a laugh as he winced in pain from the stab wound. [color=f6989d] "Unfortionately this wont be the best story I've ever told, but talking will distract me a bit.  I had been drinking at that one bar downtown, the one with way to much blue paint everywhere.  After a few drinks I feel the need to 'eject' my breakfast, so I head out back.  After I handle my business this kid comes up to me and tries to take my effects.  After a bit of arguing I give him back his knife and he runs off.  Told you, lame story"[/color]

The sun god chuckled. That poor kid had probably thought he had an easy job that night. No clue he was mugging a fallen god. [color=eed853]"It's certainly not the worst one I've heard."[/color]

As Apollo worked Dio was reminded of something similar to this situation that had happened more than a millenia ago. [color=f6989d] "Do you remember when I showed up at your palace on Olympus with a broken spear in my chest.  Just like now you only started asking questions until after I was stabilized, something I'm not sure many of the others would do.  I wish ... Thank you." [/color]What Dio almost said aloud would have betrayed more of himself than he ever wanted another to know. [color=f6989d] "Hephaestus also never asked too many questions.  When I needed help he asked when not why, especially when I needed to get away from the others and their politics." [/color] At this point Dio was beginning to ramble thanks to the mix of alcohal, painkillers, and other substances the Federal Government heavily dissaproved of.

[color=f6989d] "I just want to see them again.  Hephaestus, Ariadne...they deserved to live.  Why did they die, but I'm alive?  What did I do to deserve this?" [/color]

Apollo pursed his lips, carefully choosing his next words. He wasn't a stranger to grief. Many times he'd sat with one of his siblings and helped them mourn a loss. After all, healing wasn't exclusive to the body.[color=eed853]"That is Hephaestus alright. Not much for words but..."[/color] Apollo couldn't pretend like he and Hephaestus had been lifelong friends. Hera's son, his older brother if you wanted to get technical, had seen him as a usurper more often than not. He was treated to the affections of Zeus that Ares and the smith never recieved. It had been bound to cause jealousy. But still, when the twins needed weapons, Hephaestus forged them the finest bows, gifts beyond compare.

[color=eed853]"We'll find who did this Dio. Knowing our family, they're out combing the streets as we speak."[/color] He couldn't prove it, but it didn't matter. A couple millenia with the same people, you start to realize that their first step is usually revenge. Not that he could blame them. If it had been Arty's name the Morrigan had called out at that Conclave, he definitely wouldn't be cleaning his room. 

Dio couldn't help but roll his eyes when Apollo told him of their family's actions,[color=f6989d] "Of course they are looking for the killer, but they are probably all trying to screw each other over atthe same time.  When has our family been able to have a simple converstion, let alone solve a murder?" [/color] A harsh anger tainted Dio's words, but he wasn't angry at his family.  He was angry with himslef more thananything else.  Dio hated that he knew that even if they weren't accomplishing much, they were doing more than him.  He hated that he fell right back into his normal habits.  He hated that he had tried to forget what was happening by drinking his sorrows away.

Mere seconds after being filled with rage he felt it all disipate, leaving him feeling empty. His anger just highlighted the fact he had no idea how to help no matter how much he wanted.[color=f6989d]  "I...just don't know what to do.  I haven't known what to do since Ariadne died.  I feel so....lost." [/color]

The despair was familiar. Apollo had seen it take hold of many gods since the Fall, himself included. Immortality hardly bred happiness. He glanced up, brown eyes meeting Dionysus' gaze, delving into the darkness. [color=eed853]"If it makes you feel any better, I don't think any of us know what to do,"[/color] Apollo said. He glanced back down at Dio's wound, bringing up a needle so that he could stitch it shut. Godly regeneration would take care of the internal injuries, but the stitches would keep it from opening again too soon.

[color=eed853]"The sun always rises,"[/color] he said, eyes trained on his hands now, nimble fingers steady as he tried his best to minimize Dio's pain. [color=eed853]"Even when it seems like it won't."[/color] Artemis had said that to him, once, long ago, in a tavern lost to the sands of time. He wasn't sure they'd have the same effect on his friend, but he could hope. [color=eed853]"If I've learned anything down here, it's that there's never a perfect path. You just, do the best you can."[/color] 

Dio could feel the pain in his side fade slightly as the Ibuprofen began to set in.  He peered down at the the sun god working away at his wound and weakly smiled at him. [color=f6989d] "You are starting to sound old and wise, have I really been left that far behind?" [/color] Though he didn't completely show it he understood his cousin's words, and knew Apollo was right.  Dio has a mission, and he can no longer put it off. [color=f6989d] "Thank you cousin.  Even more than a thousand years trapped on earth cannot dim your light." [/color]

[color=eed853]"Woah woah woah. Arty is old and wise, I'm young and clever,"[/color] Apollo said, punctuating his jest with that dazzling grin he wore so well. He stood up, finished repairing Dio's side, and clapped his cousin on the shoulder. [color=eed853]"Speaking of, if you really want to play detective, I'm sure Artemis is well on her way. I'm sure if you bug her enough she'll be happy for the help."[/color] Happy might've been a bit of an overstatement, but he knew Arty wouldn't rest until she had some answers, and with a god killer out there, it would give him some peace of mind to know someone was helping her. Not that she ever really needed it, her and her insistence on independence.

[color=f6989d] "I just hope she caves in to letting me help before an arrow or two is stuck in me.  I would hate to make you fix me up twice in one week." [/color] Dio knew that Artemis had little patience for fools, and he knew he was prone to act a fool on occasion.  On the other hand it was a way for Dio to help. [color=f6989d] "Maybe she will at least let me in the loop if I can't actively help her.  Does your sister still hide out in her mountain stronghold like some billionare doomsday prepper?" [/color]

[color=eed853]"That's the one,"[/color] Apollo said. [color=eed853]"Just, y'know, buzz in at the front gate, and try not to look threatening. Nine times outta ten, they call her down."[/color] His sister's rule about boys was a nuisance, but it was a nuisance he was forced to work around. Plus, he didn't want to be pulling an arrow out of Dio anymore than he did. Smiling, he clappped a hand on Dio's shoulder, looking him in the eyes as he delivered his next words. [color=eed853]"Hang in there man."[/color]

Dio nodded to his friend and slowly stood up from the chair.  Before he attempted to move any further he let his body become accostemed to it's new weakness. [color=f6989d] "Thanks again Apollo, I'm really glad you were here to stitch me back up.  Would have hated to bleed all over the place." [/color] Dio looked around and could tell the Acropolis had been cleaned up quite a bit more than usual. [color=f6989d] "Especially after you made it looks so nice.  Well I better head out, I apparently have a murderer to catch." [/color]

Dio made sure to avoid making any sudden movements as he walked back into the hallway he had previously stumbled through.  As he reached the door Dio felt his phone vibrate and pulled it out of his pocket.  Other than being on 7% it appears no emergencies had happened during his "incident".  One notification though caught his eye and curiosity made him tap on it.  After reading his screen Dio would have chuckled if he could have without hurting himself. [color=f6989d] "Well looks like I shouldn't go too far... and you shouldn't have cleaned so much." [/color] As he finished his sentence the amused god tossed his phone back towards Apollo.  On that phone was the latest post from Jackson Drake's Instagram.

Apollo pursed his lips, torn between a love of amazing sex and great parties. It seemed like tonight might be a double feature. [color=eed853]"Well, that's what I get for trying to make this place presentable."[/color] He shrugged. Eros was gonna have to watch him do a keg stand sooner or later.[/indent][/indent][/color]