She nodded, settling on the rock beside him and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I'll be honest, my knowledge is limited, but...ask away." She said softly, a gentle smile on her lips.

The god of the Underworld found himself smiling as the Goddess of Spring was being returned to the mainland on the back of one of the most terrifying beasts in all of the mortal and godly realms. Who was acting like a happy little puppy as he carried the warm and youthful god back to the mortal realm. He sighed... contently, and was surpsied by it, and found himself hoping the goddess would return in time. It was... odd to feel this content with his lot, so once she had left his view... he sat back down at the entrance to the world below. He needed some time to think...

A cold presence approach, the chill of the dead. It was an absence of warmth, as one held the body of a loved one.

"An Olympian walks in our realms, and you invite her in? What purpose did she have, other than to bring life to a land where it won't survive?" Thanatos approached Ale from behind, having appeared at some point. His pale skin hidden beneath black and gold clothing, he cast his gaze to the asphodel left behind by the Goddess, uncertain wholly how to feel about it, aside from out of place.

"I don't know, Spot felt she deserved to be here though, and who am I to argue with the guardian to the Underworld?" Ale replied as he watched the horizion. "It is strange though that she'd be so comfortable here..."

He looked down at the white flowers that cotinued to stay despite their realms influence.

"What are your thoughts on the asphodel Thanatos, it is so rare the gods of Olympus give their respects to death and what lies beyond... And even then the gods seem to scoff at it's purpose while doing so," he asked as he thought.

"... What do I think?" Thanatos echoed, although he seemed to almost ask himself as well. Making sure the question was heard. Then, he waved it off, "Life has no place in the Chthonian realms, Ale. Neither here, nor the shore of any of the seven rivers, nor the marshes... Life has no place here." He glanced to the King of the Dead, "Remember that. I say that not as a superior, obviously... I am not that. But with some concern, remember that."

He then looked to the asphodel again, and said, "But, the flowers themselves... She is young." He glanced to the heavens. "Much younger than many Gods I've seen come before her... Younger than you, I assume, Ale. She lacks knowledge, and she lacks the influence the other Olympians will give her. The gift itself is meaningless, you asked her to pay respect with them. So she followed instructions. Had she come to giving the flowers of her own accord, and not because Cerberus drug her here, and you suggested to place them... Perhaps it would mean something, if out of her own heart, she gave the briefest glimmer of life to the land of the dead. But she gave it only to see something curious to her."

He finally looked to Ale again, and approached him, placing a hand to his shoulder, "Be careful. She does not belong here, and you will eventually both realize how far apart you must remain."

Ale snorted in amusement as he glanaced back at the Reaper and nodded.

"What a tactful way to remind me that even the Titans seem young these days to me..." he added midly. "And that I have been Lord of this Realm for a far leangthier time than those that came before..."

He trailed off there as his left hand flexed, the hand that carried the only weapon known to end a God's life... He then sighed and shook his head, his eyes catching the little sprouts now growing by The River.

"I've become old Thanatos..." he said finally. "Too old for battle, duty, or honor to lighten the burderns this realm demands I bear. So forgive me if I find her gift, whether instructed to or not, something of great value. Even knowing she will likely never return to this realm."

Thanatos glowered at Ale, taking his hand back to himself. "You grow soft with age and time, Ale... Not that you haven't always been the softer of those in the Chthonian realms. Especially on man. You would be swayed by simple flowers? You would let a young Goddess, who has barely even taken her place, roam freely?" He scoffed, and pulled a hood over his head. He began walking down to the river, stopping to kneel at it.

"How long do you think this river will keep those flowers there? How long do you think the dead will leave them there? The river is riddled with the dead who have fallen in. Countless damned trapped in its waters. I doubt they would care to share those waters to grow some paltry flowers." He looked across to the other shore, and said, "If they do, then what of the dead? They will take the blooms as soon as they come forth. Such rare things to see in this world..."

He stood again, and faced Ale again, "What will it do? What will even the smallest thing change? What point is there in accepting such a meaningless gift, when it won't change anything?"

Ale chuckled and shook his head.

"Thanatos..." he said gently as he walked up beside the younger god, the waters of the river surging forward to lap at Ale's feet in greeting. "Child... the question that needs to be asked is what change are you afriad these flowers might bring? I have lived enough to see plenty of change come to this realm, and I expect I can stand to live long enough to see one more change come to it."

He then looked down into the water, wading into its cold embrace, he bent down... as if searching for something, then reached in and pulled out the soul of a man. Who was shivering under the dark overcast.

"Go... you're wife and child are waiting for you inside," he promised as he set the man down on their side of the shore. He looked at the two gods, his being shaking in fear as he bowed down and offered them thanks. Before he ran off to the world below. Ale smiling mirthfully as he did so.

"There see... there is a change already..." he teased.

Thanatos glared in Ale's direction, and scoffed. "You call me child, you patronize me, you treat me like I am without some kind of experience. My experience is vast, Ale. I have watched countless many come and go. I saw the rise of every mortal form of life after me, and saw as I began the process of conducting every death. I fear no change, because I already know that nothing changes. Every living thing comes to be, and every single one of them die. That never changes."

He looked towards the one Ale had sent off, and waved it off, turning back to the river before long. "His debt was paid. Or you decided on a whim to let him go from the River. If it is the latter, then you make trouble for yourself when the River's master returns. But you're the King, right?" He began to walk into the river, but before he stepped foot in the waters, green lights left the amulet around his neck. The souls within were beckoned, without a word from their master. The lights shot into the river, and within moments, formed into the undead, in particular taking larger forms with broader backs. Thanatos crossed the river on the backs of these, his way forming as he went, and the souls returning to him as he passed.

He wouldn't touch the waters. As Death itself, he could without repercussion. But he would not mingle among the countless damned in the river. He would remain above it. He reached the other shore, and looked to Ale with a sigh, "You're more than everything in that River, even if you act as you do with the dead. Get out of there." He almost sent the souls to retrieve him one way or another, then withdrew them anyway. Ale almost never left his realm anyway, perhaps he'd walk back to the shore where his domain lay instead.

Ale... gave a weary sigh, sad to see the younger god so filled with bitterness. Bitterness of his own doing he knew but... No. Such things could not be forced. It was not for him... nor those before him. The Lord of The Underworld strood deeper into the water, taking the younger god's scathing remark and setting it aside within himself. Perhaps it would lead to a moment that would let the young God grow? Ale knew not however, it was not his place to know what lied in the future, that was a burden he gratefully let others bear.

The water surged around him and the god closed his eyes, covering him entirely as he took in the refreshing coldness of The River. He breathed in deep, letting the water fill his lungs with it's essence. The River flowed through him. It recongnized him, and it was glad to be with him once again. He felt the River embrace him like a lover, nestling him close in it's flow as he was taken deeper, and deeper, and deeper still. Till at last his feet touched the course sand that lie below. He opened his eyes and smiled, the white shores far below that shone like moonlight. Ale sighed happily as he sat down and laid upon the shore, before he sat up and asked The River a simple question.

"Who today... shall we let go into their blissful rest?"

Thanatos watched him sink in, and once relatively alone, breathed a heavy sigh. It was almost as if Ale had done it just to spite him. Leave the river? Nay, he would wade deeper among the damned. Death turned away, and whipped a shadow around himself. Within but a moment, he was the skeletal visage of the Reaper, and began his walk out of the Chthonian realm. With a raise of his hand, his wicked steed appeared, running up to his side. He mounted the creature, and strode out of the Underworld.

Things did not change, and eventually, Ale would understand. No matter what happened at the River, no matter what he and the King discussed, no matter whether the Goddess had visited or not. There he was, still riding out to collect the dead.

Ale sighed in relief as he strode out of the depths of The River. He looked up at the clouded sky above him as the souls of those set free started their way towards the Underworld itself. It was... something he got to do rarely, it wasn't something he was even suppose to do in a sense. Long ago The River alone was his responsibility... but now, it had passed to another. Another who could not look upon The River with love and affection, and he could feel The River's wanting. Which is why this was needed for now, for The Lord of The Underworld to take upon a role that the current Reaper of Souls would not bear.

"Oh Uncle Aaaalllle ~" a shrill voice called out, ringing and echoing throughout the realm of the dead.

The man groaned, his shoulders sagged and he could feel a headache coming on right about now...

"Oh stars above... why couldn't Spot be back by now?" he grumbled to himself.

A petite redhead came into view, wearing her white toga, and grinning mirthfully up to her eyes. She put her hands behind her back and rocked delicately on her heels.

"Whatcha doin?" she asked, innocently. Well, as innocently as the embodiment of mischief can.

(Okay so, since Joy is fairly ill, I'll just post what we have on skype so far here.)

"Walking back into The River," Ale replied with a snort as he turned around.

The girl pouted, her full red lips coming out in a display of delicate helplessness, she even added a tremble for good measure.

"But Uncle Aaaalllle " she whined, "I'm booooorrrred! "

That... was exactly the reason why he was attempting to go back into The River. Things tended to get a little too interesting whenever this particular goddess arrived on his shores.

"Tixiri... you being bored is as natural as the sunrise and sunset, and as ordinary as a rock," he replied as he waded back into the water. The River surging up around his knees and almost reaching the Goddess's feet.

Tixiri shrank back a bit from the water. Nuh-uh, she had tried that one before, and it was not a favorite memory. She shook herself from it rather quickly though, and offered her "uncle" another desperate pout.

"But see?" she replied, "that's why I need you. You're interesting. I mean, just look at the poetry you just pulled out of your ear. And all for me. You do care!"

A puff of cold air flowed out of the old god's nostrils... he sighed turned back around to face the goddess who called him uncle.

"Alright... I'll bite, what madness does my 'niece' have planned for me today?"

"Daisy chains," Tixiri replied, simply.

For all of Ale's years, and for all the stars he'd seen be born and pass away... he was utterly at a lost for words as he gave the goddess a confused look.

"Y'know," Tixiri replied, giving Ale an almost pitying look as she held up a small flower crown, "daisy chains. I even brought the daisies!"

"Those are daisies?" Ale asked, looking at the crown of white flowers.

Tixiri nodded, walking up to put the tiny crown on Ale's head. "Daisies. Harmless white flowers that grow on the surface."

The crown... immediately shriveled up and died as soon as it was placed on Ale's head. Causing him to frown a bit as the quick waft of sweetness was soon overwhelmed by rot.

"Oh... I'm quite sure they are..." he replied.

Tixiri pouted a bit, looking genuinely disappointed in the result of her little gift.

"Okaaaaay," she said, waving a hand at the situation, the usual smirk returning to her face. "I'll make the chains and you can watch."

"Best hurry, they're starting to wilt Tixiri..." Ale replied, still not entirely convinced the goddess's arrival was entirely mischief free... in fact none of her previous visits had been. In fact Cerberus was STILL finding odds and ends left behind by the young goddess.

"These ones won't wilt," Tixiri replied in singsong, sounding incredibly sure of herself as she drew out more daisies

Ale wasn't so sure of that, but since they weren't wilting, or disappearing... illusions had a tendency to do that when bathed by his "aura". He humored the goddess and sat down.

"Now you see," Tixiri explained, patiently as she started in on a new flower crown. "What you've gotta do is make sure you get the loops juuuuuust right. You've got some kind of flower you can do this with around here, right?"

Ale almost said an assured no but...

"We'll see..." he informed as he glanced to the far shores where Lena had previously planted her flowers.

"Well that's something at least," Tixiri replied, smirking broadly as she continued her construction of the chain.

Ale frowned a bit as he watched the young Goddess continue her work. Curious at how her small fingers worked each stem together. He hummed thoughtfully.

"Seems like something children would enjoy..." he mused. "It's quite lovely."

"Uh, yeah... children," Tixiri replied, grinning in some amusement

Tixiri actually looked slightly uncomfortable at that as she wordlessly continued constructing her daisy chain. It was nearly finished. She wondered when Cerberus would be back

Ale snorted and smirked.

"Oh? Is the Goddess of mischief for once left without words to speak?" he teased. "Excuse me while I go check on the titans to make sure the world isn't ending."

Tixiri rolled her eyes a bit.

"Sorry, was just letting you have a moment to be super sappy there."

She stared off into the distance. Seriously. Where was that doofy dog?

Ale frowned as he studied the younger god's expression.

"Trixi... what are you waiting for?" he asked carefully.

Ale frowned as he looked off to the mainland.

"He's returning a guest... though he should of been back by now," he smiled a bit as he thought of the Spring Goddess that had come by earlier. "Cerberus seemed to think she'd like it here."

"Lena," Ale replied. "She's new, like you."

Tixiri pursed her lips thoughtfully at that. "Lena..." she said, "that's not Auntie Demi's kid, is it?"

Ale frowned as he tried to place the name.

"Who?" he asked. "I do not get many visitors, even less visitors that tell me of the world beyond."

"Y'know," Tixiri replied, looping another daisy into the chain as she scanned the horizon for a three headed mutt. "The one all the mortals call "Demeter". She makes all the plants grow?"

"Demeter..." Ale said, testing the name and shrugged. "Could of sworn that..."

He shook his head.

"Nevermind... yes... yes... I suppose there would be need of another goddess like that."

Tixiri snorted, then giggled, then laughed heartily.

"Oh my... they're just going to love this!" she exclaimed.

"Who?" Ale asked, as he was now more than a little confused.

"I really can't wait to see what happens when all those stuck up Olympians find out the little princess of spring has been hanging out with Death himself!" Tixiri roared, rolling a bit on the ground as she attempted to contain her laughter.

Ale thought a moment, as the light went on in his head.

"Oh... OH! Oh yes yes..." he said thoughtfully. "I suppose that cause some to be concerned."

Tixiri wiped a tear from her eye as she finally managed to catch her breath.

"How'd you do it, anyway, Uncle Ale?" she asked, grinning

"Bring her here?" he said, chuckling a bit. "I didn't, Spot found her and brought her here of his own accord."

"Heh," Tixiri shook her head, "that dumb mutt is even cooler than I thought. Where the heck is he, anyway?"

"Taking her back to the mainland... or at least that's what he's suppose to be doing..." Ale snorted. "Chances are at this point... he's getting a belly rub."

Tixiri pouted a bit "but I wanted him to wear the daisy chain crown."

Tixiri grinned "good point," she replied, starting in on another such crown.

"Although," she continued, smirking at her uncle, "you have to admit, that would be pretty funny."

Ale snorted.

"No... no it would not." he stated. "Especially when he figures out that YOU were suppose to make them."

Tixiri giggled at that. She had every confidence that, were that to occur, she would get away in plenty of time. That wasn't on her agenda today though, so she continued constructing the crowns.

As Ale watched the young goddess work, he felt the ground beneath him smile as Cerberus stepped onto the island. The massive dog shaking himself free of the water before he bounded over to where he knew his master was.

"Ah... he should be here just about..." he said as the dog lept over The River to land standing above Tixiri, causing a minor earthquake in the process. "Now."

Tixiri yelped as the ground shook, the giant dog looming over her.

"Heheh... hi boy," she said, patting one of the big canine's large paws, gently.

Cerberus snorted and gave the goddess gave her three, giant, slobbery licks as her welcome. Leaving globs of sticky saliva all over her, her wreaths, and the ground around them. However Ale seemed remarkably unfazed by all of this.

Tixiri made a fairly inhuman noise as she was covered in dog drool. She shuddered, and picked up the wreaths in some dismay, almost as if she were preemptively apologizing to the little flowers.

"Ugh, so gross!" she shuddered again.

Ale laughed and stood up.

"Ah well... he likes you, so what do you expect?" he explained, looking up at the dog with a sly smirk.

"Right boy?" he added, patting the dog's paw. Who only blew a snort of hot wet air from his nose at the girl. Now covering her in... other globs of slime.

"Eeeeeeewwwwww," Tixiri whined, trying to shake the grossness off of her. She was definitely going to need a good bath after this.

Ale just laughed again and smirked.

"Well... he's never reeeeeeeeeally forgiven you for that time you set his tail on fire."

Tixiri pouted at that, "can't we just let bygones be bygones?" She asked, holding up one of the flower crowns. "See? I brought you something."

Cerberus looked down at the crown and snorted it back into her face.

"Sorry... he's not one to be fooled twice," Ale informed.

Tixiri pouted and put the crown on her own head. "See?" she said, "it's perfectly safe!"

Cerberus snorted again, more softly this time as he inspected the flower crown more closely. Soon sitting down on his rear, peering down at her till she finished making three of them.

Tixiri carefully wove the last of the crowns together and held them up.

"Ready boy?" she asked, cheerfully.

Cerberus snorted again and laid his three heads down on the ground, he felt like he could humor the mischief goddess a little here. After all... the flowers on Ale's head were dead, which meant they were simple flowers. Right?

Tixiri placed each crown carefully on the hound's heads, then stood back, looking satisfied with her work.

"That'll do nicely," she said with a slight smirk.

The three heads blinked a few times and hurriedly tried to shake them off before the plants did anything.

Tixiri snapped her fingers, causing each little crown to turn into a sort of mini-hybrid-flower-goblin. The goblins giggled in unison, holding fast to the dog's heads.

Cerberus barked and yipped and howled as he tried to get the goblins off as Ale held back an amused chuckled.

"Come now Tixiri... get them off of him before he dunks them in The River. This is hardly a trick worth dying over, and I doubt the goblins will appreciate it," he pointed out.

"Oh, fiiiiine," Tixiri conceded with a sigh. "Heckle, Jibe, Scoff? Fun's over."

There was a collective whine from the flower goblins as they slid down off the back of the beast, pouting like innocent children denied an ice cream cone.

Cerberus snorted, kicking a large wad of dirt over them as he settled back down, the dog clearly not amused by any of this.

"Heckle? Jibe? Scoff?" Ale replied, chuckling a bit. "I'm detecting a pattern here."

"Some friends I've made during my travels," she explained. "They actually don't even look like this. I just put their essence into the daisies."

Ale looked down at the goblins and smiled.

"So then... they're your baby sitters then?" he teased.

"Ugh! No!" Tixiri replied, folding her arms, "What am I, five decades old?"

"Eight if I remember right," Ale said with a smirk as he knelt down in front of the goblins and patted their heads. "Keep her safe will you, she's silly, like you. But perhaps a little less wise."

The three little goblins snickered and nudged each other at that, clearly enjoying the little joke on their friend. Tixiri, however, was not amused.

"I'm not speaking to any of you again for at least a week!" she vowed, stamping her foot a bit.

"Ah well you see, now I've done something for you now that you've amused me," Ale told the goblins. "Now you'll finally get some piece and quite for a change."

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