What Now?
70 - Mine Eyes
Strife was sitting on the examination table in Apollo’s temple. The Sun god had just given him a check-up making sure his body was adjusting as it should have in preparation for the return of his memories in a couple of weeks. Apollo seemed pleased with the results, grinning at Strife and making some notations on a scroll.
“I‘ve been wondering about something.” Strife mentioned, waiting for Apollo to finish his notes.
“What’s that?”
“If my fathers are Heph and Ares, and I get my looks from them how do I have blue eyes instead of brown?”
Apollo scratched the back of his neck and looked rather sheepish. “Well, um... Blue eyes is a recessive gene in Hera’s line - both Ares and Heph have it. So I uh, did a bit of tweaking during the ceremony. I didn’t want you to be totally unrecognizable to your self when you looked in the mirror.
And well, one of my fondest memories of you pulling this prank on some of the Muses. You peeked over the back of this chair, all I could see was a curl of dark hair and huge blue eyes.
I always associated them with you, my ’blue eyed nephew’,” Apollo shrugged. “I guess it was kind of selfish on my part.”
“Oh.” Strife looked stunned. His cheeks pinked shyly pleased. “I’m sure I’ll be grateful when my memory returns to still have a familiar piece of myself.”
71 - Talk
Apollo led Strife out to the waiting area where the triplets where milling around. They were most glad to hear that Strife got a clean bill of health. Hephaestus arrived soon after to take his son and Joxer down to see his forge. They had been excited to see some of the god’s latest projects.Jett declined to go with them; he was having lunch with Eris this afternoon and wanted to clean up first. His brothers teased him - earning them pinches, which they laughed off, used to their brother‘s physical retorts.
Jayce also stayed behind, just shrugging when they asked again. Left alone Jayce turned to Apollo; he bit his lip not quite sure how to bring up the topic he wanted to discuss. Jayce and Apollo had spent a lot of time together and with the revelation of his new immortal status ... Jayce need to know where they were going.
He was quickly starting to feel things for the Sun god but if Apollo didn’t want more then a fuck-buddy then they need to call it off. Before Jayce let himself get too involved. It looked like he and his brothers were going to spend a long, long time on Olympus and a messy break would linger on and cause tension.
Apollo gave Jayce a questioning look. The immortal sighed, “We have to talk.” Apollo swallowed hard at those words and sat down abruptly.
72 - A Day in the Forge
Strife was in awe of his father’s forge. The huge lava fed fire was fascinating to watch, even if the heat had him and Joxer stripping off their shirts. On the other side of a massive worktable Hephaestus had bins of materials. These were filled with pretty stones, reams of leather, bones - all sorts of odds and ends that the forge god used.Idly digging through the collection Strife’s eye caught a stone glittering from a box of obsidian. Picking it up he was surprised to see blues, greens and reds shifting across the black surface. He turned it this way and that admiring the play of light.
Heph stepped up beside him clasping his shoulder in a friendly grip. “Well look at that, I didn’t know I had any more black opal around here.” The older god exclaimed. “A smith left a small bag of them as an offering a few decades back. The man had gone to help his brother set up a forge somewhere east of Greece. Fell in love with a local girl there that did fine metalworking. He figured I’d had Dite arrange their meeting.”
“Did you?” Joxer asked, peering at the stone Strife held.
“I might have mentioned him.” Hephaestus shrugged. Sensing Strife was rather reluctant to put the stone back he patted his son’s hand. “Hold on to that. Did you find anything that drew your attention Joxer?” The immortal shyly showed the god a chunk of marble he had found. It was a soft white with veins ranging in color from cherry to a deep almost black red. “Excellent!” Heph praised and motioned for the boys to follow him.
He waved up stools for them and the three spent the rest of the afternoon turning the rough stones into pretty jewelry.
73 - Uncertainty
Jayce lowered himself into the gently steaming pool until the water was lapping at his chin. This was one of the better perks to staying in the Halls of War. The bathing chamber held rooms within rooms each offering a different way to relax or wash away the day’s dirt.There were intriguing alcoves where water poured from the walls or ceiling mimicking waterfalls and soothing rains. One room held a lush growth of plants obscuring a sandy bottomed pond perfect for swimming with outcroppings of oddly soft rocks to sit on or dive from. His brothers, Strife and he had spent an enjoyable hour there frolicking like kids.
He sighed as the hot water eased his tight muscles. He was tense from his talk with Apollo. Jayce had laid it out for the god, giving him what amounted to an ultimatum - they were together, exclusive, and for the long haul or they were through. Jayce had watched Apollo closely hoping that he wouldn’t be disappointed. The blond had looked dumbfounded; it may very well have been the first time someone had made that demand of him.
When the Sun god did not speak after several long minutes Jayce rose to leave taking his silence for rejection. He was almost to the door when a hand on his arm stopped him. Apollo looked so adorably confused that it had been hard for Jayce not to give in a kiss him.
Apollo begged for time to think. He had never before been monogamous, nor had any of his partners ever demanded to be exclusive. He wanted to make sure deep down that he could. Jayce had nodded and leaned into Apollo’s kiss, relishing the feel of the blonde's arms around him for what might be the last time.
Jayce closed his refusing to give into the tears that threatened to fall. Apollo had not denied him and until he did there was still hope.
74 - A Quite Moment
Hephaestus rubbed his cheek over Aphrodite’s blonde curls and breathed their scent. He and Dite were snuggled together in a hammock hung on the balcony off their bedroom. They had enjoyed dinner with Cupid and Bliss but were glad to be alone again. The slight breeze ruffled the edges of the nearly transparent linen they had wrapped themselves in after their bath. The cool wind chased a few missed beads of water across legs and bare backs.“I really liked spending time with Strife and Joxer today. They were getting into everything and asking questions.” Hephaestus sighed and pulled Dite closer. “As nice as it was I’ll be glad when Strife gets his memories back. ’Scythas’ has some of the same mannerisms but ... I wanted to tease him about things that he doesn’t remember and I’d have to bite my tongue. I didn’t want him to take it the wrong way.”
Aphrodite “hmm” in agreement and kissed his collarbone. They swayed gently in the hammock and basked in the quite. The stars were just starting to light the sky and the moonflowers had bloomed lending a pleasant scent to the air. It was a few minutes before Heph picked up the thread of conversation again.
“I am so, SO thankful that Strife was found by Joxer. I hate to think what could have happened to him otherwise.”
“Yeah, Joxie is a good guy.” Aphrodite giggled. “And his brothers are stirring things up. I think Jett is going to make a move on Eris.”
“I’m glad my son has such nice friends.” Heph squeezed Dite and let out a choked laugh. “I have a son. I never thought I would after... I hate that he was hurt but now he’s mine, my son. I want him to have a room here. Do you think Strife would like that?”
“Oh, Hephy I’m sure he would. You know what’s funny?”
“Hn?”
“Ares fathered all our kids. Cupid, the twins and now you have Strife with him. It’s like cosmic or something.”
“Yes it is.” Hephaestus agreed rolling them out of the hammock and swinging Dite over his shoulder to carry her to their bed. The Love goddess laughed when she hit the mattress, bouncing a little. Heph leaned over her and pressed their foreheads together. “But don’t think your having any more with him wife-mine.” He kissed her soundly pulling a way with a nip to her pouty bottom lip. “At least not for a while.”
75 - Observations
Ares watched as Joxer wandered around his study. The immortal ran his fingers over the ends of scrolls and picked up the various odds and ends that the War God had collected over the years. The youngest triplet was fascinating to Ares. When he’d been mortal he had been one of his most faithful followers, leaving him regular offerings and praying daily. More then that he truly believed in his chosen god. Not always true in the seemingly postulant.Now Joxer had met Ares, lived in his home, ate at his table and still the younger man continued to pray to him. In his experience familiarity breeds contempt and disillusionment. Look at Xena, she had once been very close to him but she lost her belief in him. She saw that he wasn’t perfect - no god is - and that at heart they want the same basic things that mortals do, have the same drives. But instead of humanizing Ares in her eyes the revelation caused Xena to cast him into the roll of villain. She forgot truths she once knew and followed Hercules' in his defamation of the gods.
Joxer hadn’t lost his faith yet and Ares didn’t think he would. Every new sight, each new person he met delighted him. He threw himself into every experience and thanked Ares for the opportunity. Joxer’s habit of praying when ever it struck his fancy and evolved into a nearly constant stream of chatter. Full of observations of the day and things he wanted to try or see.
Olympus was good for the immortal. Joxer’s armor had been stowed away and Apollo had provided the triplets with a huge wardrobe of new clothing. All of them were dressing in a more relaxed manor. Jett had shed his reinforced leather for lightweight suede and linen. Jayce’s usual eye-catching brights had been traded for jewel colors paired with neutrals - much more pleasing in Ares opinion. Joxer though had tried something a little different each day. Like he hadn’t found a style that suited him just right yet.
Ares found himself watching Joxer almost obsessively noting the other changes in him. Just a month ago the War god would have shuddered at the thought of leaving the clumsy mortal to roam freely in his rooms, let alone touch the often delicate mementos. But Joxer had found his center here. Perhaps it was the influence of Eris’ golden apples, maybe it was something else, but Joxer was calmer, steadier and more confident now.
Ares liked these changes and was making an effort to spend time with Joxer alone - hence his presence in the War god’s study. He hoped they could be friends. Ares didn’t have nearly enough of those.
76 - The Chair
Joxer curled up in his chair and rubbed his cheek against the fabric of the backrest, looking for all the world like a big cat. This was HIS chair. Ares had made it JUST for him. It had a rounded back, deep seat, wide arms and sat low to the ground. It was covered by the softest plum fabric. The chair didn’t match anything in Ares study, but strangely didn’t seem out of place either. It was perfect and squashy and sat right next to Ares’ own. In fact there were only the two chairs here in Ares’ private study - if you didn‘t count his wooden desk chair, and Joxer didn‘t.The immortal rolled onto his back and flopped his feet onto the footstool (ottoman, he thought Ares had called it). The War god hadn’t just replicated his own high-backed, black leather loung-y thing but made something unique, because he thought ’it would be more to his liking’.
Joxer yawned and wiggled his fingers and toes. He was relaxing here after lunch while Jett and Jayce were off - where ever, and Strife took the nap Apollo insisted he needed. Ares would return in an hour or two and they would talk for a bit, then Ares would deal with his hated paperwork and Joxer would track down his brothers.
All in all a pretty good day, filled with events that were quickly become a routine. That was a nice thought, to be settled in one place long enough to have a routine beyond setting up and dismantling a campsite.
Thinking about traveling reminded him of Xena and Gabby. They’d been on Olympus for a couple weeks now and eventually his sometimes friends would start to wonder where he’d gotten off to. Especially since he’d made such a big deal about saying he’d meet up with them in Poteidaea for Gabby’s birthday.
He’d have to find a way down there. Joxer was pretty sure Hephaestus or Aphrodite would take him, Ares surely would but any time Ares and Xena got too near each other a fight broke out. He would tell Xena and Gabby he was spending time with Jayce and they wouldn’t even miss him for a few months.
Joxer knew he’d have to eventually tell them everything but he wasn’t quite sure how to go about it and he was pretty certain he wouldn’t have it figured out in the next three days.
Click to join twin_swords