(Untitled)

[ate_dot_com]

The whole deal with the Egyptians annoyed her to no end, particularly any bit about Strife dating that psycho child. She didn't care much one way or the other what he thought of her, that whole thing was ending, and soon. Soon as he was around, at any rate. She vanished from the square into Anteros' living room, assuming Hope would follow if she

Comments

[elpis_dot_com]

Hope followed her sister abashedly. Te was obviously seriously pissed off, which was pretty understandable, though obviously Elpis didn't like it. She couldn't stand to have Te mad at her, so when she arrived, she gave her a look of truly pathetic remorse.

Careful not to block the TV, and waiting for a commercial break, Hope said,

"Te... don't be mad..."

[ate_dot_com]

Oh? Well hey, as long as you ask nicely...

She smirked, shaking her head, staring as the commercial break spoke on the wonders of the swifter handheld and glade plug ins.

It's not like you abandoned me in hostile enemy territory because your boytoy called for you. No biggie.

[elpis_dot_com]

Hope arched an eyebrow as she frowned at her sister, flopping down next to her sister on the sofa to hit her with a pillow.

"Dei isn't my boytoy - jeez, we've been living together for like..."

She looked thoughtful. She'd really lost track.

"A while," she concluded. "It turns out it was... important. And you were not in hostile enemy territory. Though it was dick to leave you there - I'm sorry."

A rarely used weapon, Hope brought out the Puppy Dog Eyes.

"And I did come back," she said apologetically.

[ate_dot_com]

Right.. you're both immortal, and it couldn't wait for half an hour...

You weren't the one who had some freaky assed half breed batshit crazy child yelling at her about how ohmigawdHelovesme because your brother kissed her, or some Shaft wannabe trying to be all cool and tell you he could smoosh you like a bug. Don't tell me you didn't leave me in hostile territory, after dragging me there.

Sure, part of the fault was her own, but Hope should have known better to leave her anywhere her mouth could get her in trouble.

[elpis_dot_com]

Hope was feeling guilty.

Generally, Hope did what needed doing. There wasn't anybody to answer to, and she would shrug off the moments when people didn't like what needed doing, because it was the story of her life to deal with adversity.

But 'Te? Oh, man. 'Te could make her feel guilty.

The fact that her sister did it so rarely only made her better at it.

She cringed.

"Ok. So maybe a little hostile."

Hope was also aware that 'Te was a notorious smart ass, and couldn't be left on her own to run free with it in situations like that.

"But... ok, there's really no but, I'm an asshole. But," she continued -

But now there was a new but. She felt Strife. Shit! She felt Strife!

It was whisper thin - he was under some kind of major, bad-ass lockdown.

But he was hoping.

And it smelled like the beach.

"'Te," she said, "I felt him!"

Realizing that 'Te would have no effin' idea who she was talking about, she clarified.

"Strife. Felt him. He's hoping."

[ate_dot_com]

Hoping for...?

Better question: Hoping where?

She arched her brow slowly, waiting for answers before she budged off her sofa... not due to a lack of caring, more out of a conservation of energy. If little brother was in trouble...well. She'd need everything she had.

[ate_dot_com]

She sat up as she felt Anteros return, leave, return again.. Then saw him looking frazzzled as her moved through the kitchen, took the codka, and disappeared into his room with a slam. Sh'ed let him do whatever he felt he needed there...once, at least. She began talking to Hope again when she felt someone new, and heard a banging on Anteros' door, then someone stepping inside with all sorts of whining and crying... Eyes flashing she turned to her sister smd stood.

Wait here. I'll be back.

[ate_dot_com]

Not ten minutes later she returned, dropping back onto the sofa with a disgruntled look

Where were we?

Sorry for the delay... death in the family. :(

[elpis_dot_com]

Hope blinked, having spent the time Ate was absent trying to hone in on their brother.

"I don't know exactly where... it smells like the beach. Hoping for what?"

She cringed.

"Release from immense pain? Survival?"

Hope closed her eyes, her face screwed up in concentration. "There's some kind of barrier. It's coming in and out in flashes."

Elpis opened her eyes and looked at her sister.

"It doesn't look good."

Hope felt ill. She wasn't sure she and Ate would be enough.

But their closest available, most easily located relatives were...

Mom and Auntie Enyo.

Eugh.

Upon closer examination of 'Te though, Hope gave her a quizzical look.

"Is everything cool? Who's upstairs?"

my sympathies...

[ate_dot_com]

Oh, it's nothing. Anteros went on a bender, and now the parade of wailing fangirls feels the need to barge in and check on him without even bothering to knock. I'm not going to let them disturb him though.

So, what's this? Strife's somewhere on some beach, blocked, but in pain? That's just odd... Can you tell where?

[elpis_dot_com]

Hope snorted with a chuckle at the mention of fangirls. She couldn't help it.

"Well, as long as he's cool."

Hope nodded to her sister. "On a beach. I can't tell where. I'm being blocked by something kind of... crazy."

She sighed and took in a breath, running a hand through her short hair.

"Listen. Do you think..."

She scrunched up her face as though she were smelling something bad.

"Do you think we should talk to The Twins?"

Hope was referring, of course, to their beloved mother and aunt.

[ate_dot_com]

The who? The...she blinked for a moment, confused, before who the Twins were dawned on her

Oooh... Honey, I will go to the depths of hell if I need to for this, but you are talking to them alone. I support the idea... Just can't, you know, support it in action...

She shook her head at the mere thought of visiting that pair, and pushed herself back into the cushions of the sofa. Strife would have to be hanging by his fingernails somewhere before she dealt with Eris and Enyo.... She'd rather go to Zeus for help.

[elpis_dot_com]

Hope snorted.

"Like hell I'm talking to them alone. Don't be crazy."

But really, she was relieved. Talking to their mother and aunt was never something Elpis wanted to do, and she'd only thrown out the suggestion to see what 'Te thought. If 'Te didn't think things were bad enough, that was good enough for Hope.

"Ok, so. Beach."

Hope closed her eyes.

"Somewhere..." She smelled. She squinted. She blinked.

"Nicaragua?"

She looked at Ate, actually excited. "'Te, it's off the coast of Nicaragua, I'm almost fully positive!"

[ate_dot_com]

Nicawha?

As in the Central American country?

Sure he's not just in some sort of crack deal gone bad?

I'm feeling nothin.

She just looked at her sister with one brow raised, thinking all of this was getting out of hand... once Elpis mentioned The Twins, she'd been sure this whole thing was gonna suck

Well, let's go get him, I guess.

[elpis_dot_com]

Hope slowly shook her head.

"I um... I don't feel him anymore," she said slowly.

She looked at 'Te. This was bad.

Hope pushed. And pushed.

She couldn't get to his presence, and he wasn't reaching out to her anymore.

Fuck.

Gods couldn't die, right?

"We should go. I mean, I don't know if we can actually get -there-... it seems shielded or something. But maybe we can get somewhere near. There's got to be a way in."

[ate_dot_com]

She nodded, slowly pushing herself off the sofa and straightening her jacket

Right on... we'll go down, see what's what, see what the little brat is up to...

Moving towards the sofa, she wiggled her fingers slowly at the counter, producing a note for Anteros, letting him know what was what, where she was going, and to please sound the alarm if they weren't back soon... not that she was over worried but...better safe then sorry, she figured. Turning back to Hope, she just smirked

Ready?