The goblins giggled, rolling on the floor in their mirth at that. Tixiri grumbled and waved a hand at the daisy figures, causing them to fall back into individual flowers, a bit of a mist rising from them as the essence of the goblins fled back to the upper world to reform into their actual bodies, the tiny flowers withering away almost before the mist was gone from sight.

Ale smiled as their beings returned to the world of the living and nodded.

"They're good friends, I'm glad you found them," he said contently.

"I'm plenty old enough to take care of myself, you know," Tixiri huffed, ignoring that statement.

At that Ale laughed.

"Oh... I'm sure a few more centeries will cure that ideal..." he assured.

(Le post for Ant~)

Screams echoed upward from the Abyss, reaching their Warden's ear as he sighed in some kind of bliss, and boredom. He drifted above the heights of the storms and fires below, before the smoke settled to a rocky precipice nearby. It raised a fiery hand, and an orb of magma descended into the depths, striking something down there. Screams intensified.

Tartarus chuckled, then looked upward. He was expecting company soon enough, so he drifted his smoke-born form over towards one of the gateways leading into his domain, and waited. It had been a while since he had any Olympian tread his realm, so he would enjoy the opportunity to entertain a guest. Even if they were summoned, and only fulfilling their duty. He had curiosities to be satisfied anyway, so this would hopefully be an enlightening evening.

There weren't many things in either the mortal or god realms that could off put the speedy messenger of the gods, he has seen it all after all, at least it's what he says. Yet here in is realm he threaded the smoky caverns with unease, keeping an eye on the walls as he treated slowly through it.

"I just gotta get here and deliver a message for him... not that hard is it?"

One of the walls he moved past rather suddenly chuckled, and an eye opened up on it. "Oh, yes, that's all you have to do. Just deliver a message, little Olympian... you're not scared, are you? It's not like your descendants have imprisoned you here... Yet. Be careful where you step." The eye closed and seemed to vanish into the wall.

Ahead of Meres, an opening led straight ahead into the wide open chasm, leading down to the depths of the Pit. Stone and magma pulled up from below, before forming into a throne on the other side of the chasm. A bridge of red stone formed from the platform where the throne sat, reaching across to where Meres was. Then, fire and smoke moved into the throne, forming into the infernal visage of Tartarus.

"It's been so long since an Olympian graced my domain. And of all the Olympians, it is none other than Meres. Come forth, then, let's not waste time."

Did the man do all this just to amuse himself, or because he height this was the way to greet a guest. He suspected the former, but either wouldn't surprise him really, not after the eyeball on wall thing.

"it's a long time before my descendants do an such thing." His usual confident tone was weary as he watch the throne and bridge ,aterialize right before him, looking at both with increasing skepticism before testing the rock with a sandal. "This is cooled down enough, right?"

Tartarus groaned, a breath of fire leaving him as he did, and waved a burning hand, black smoke sweeping over the bridge. "There, cooled down. Didn't know you had such weak feet, but I suppose you aren't on them enough. I'll excuse that." He chuckled, and gestured down into the abyss, "Did the Titans know their own children would turn on them so? Cronus, maybe, but many of the Titans didn't believe what they called his delusions. And now, here they are."

He decided, shortly enough, to switch off that topic, but instead asked, "But by implication, might I assume you have children of your own now? Did Meres finally father a child? I don't get much news down here... as you can imagine."

"I fathered two actually." He said stepping on the bridge and making his way to his host. "Maybe more, I don't keep much track of my action during mortal events, if you understand my implications." He gave a weak smile finally making it across.

Tartarus chuckled, and gave Meres a heavy pat to his shoulder, "That sounds right for the God of Mischief! You've taken no wife, but perhaps that's because you know not to be tied down!" He sat up straight again, then looked down at himself, and snapped his fingers. The smoke lifted, and he was now in a more god-like resembling form, scarred and tanned skin along with armor now visible instead of fire and magma.

"There. Far more appropriate. Now, the business we have is a message to be delivered. But, where's the fun in that? I've not had company in so long. Please, have a seat." Another throne, if far smaller and less notable, appeared behind Meres. "We'll get to business soon enough. I have curiosities, and who better to entertain them than Meres himself?"

"I am one who should be entertained." He said, relaxing as Tartarus himself did so. "And I prefer sitting either on a ledge or a floor, afraid formality is a peeve of mine."

"Well then." The throne behind Meres vanished in smoke, and he then said further, "Unless you like the echoes of agony, not much is entertaining here." He chuckled dryly, and then said, "But my curiosity, regardless... I hear words, whispers that reach me through the tunnels from the Underworld. Rumors reach my ears..." He stood, and looked upward, "I have heard, for example, that an Olympian that the Underworld doesn't recognize walked with the King of the Dead. And you would understand why I would be curious. A new descendant that I have yet to hear of... Like your own children, I would have loved to see their first words." He looked to the Messenger, and said, "But this one came to the Underworld of her own desire. Seemed to enjoy being here... Do you have any idea who this was?"

Yes, it's a no brained why." A face immediately came to his mind, and he remembered the way she handled Ale's chalice as they had a drink of ambrosia.

"depends, has Ale tried looking for his choice yet? If you answer this small question for me, I'll answer yours in turn. Deal?"

(Before I respond, do you mean Chalice? Or, what does he mean by "his choice"?)

(Damned autocorrect. I mean the cup chalice the gods drink out of.)

Tartarus chuckled, and asked, "Did you take it? Actually, don't tell me. I'd rather not be a liability to your scheming." He grinned, then said, "As far as I've heard, or now... He has yet to search for his chalice. That chalice, specifically, is still missing..."

"At least he's not concerned about it." Meres stood muttering for a bit before looking up at Tartarus again and smiling. "Well, you met your end of the bargain I'll hold up mine: the Olympian who visited here was the daughter of the harvest goddess. I so happened to have a round of drinks with her just a few weeks ago."

Tartarus smiled, and looked up again, "Demeter had a daughter, then... What's her name, then? And who was the father?" He looked back to Meres, and said, "I know further questions are beyond an agreement, but it's been a long time since a newborn Goddess, even if she's not that newborn, has entered the Underworld. Let alone left a gift behind..."

"I honestly don't feel comfortable telling too much now." He said scouring his bag for a bottle of something he took earlier. "I'm more or less the only other male friend she has that's not a nymph, so I have a great deal of trust. That though should explain the part of her father, he's more or less out of the picture, but I'll give you three guesses who it is. And I bet you can get it in just one."

"I think I know enough to tell that it's the King of Olympus, then..." Tartarus said, looking away and reaching out a hand. A pillar began rising up to meet his hand, and he tsked, "Metis has sought to keep her secluded, then? Or has her mother had a hand in that as well?"

"I'd go with the latter. When we talked, the girl let me know how she wants her daughter kept... how do I put this lightly? Safe from any male interaction." Now where was that bottle again?

Tartarus pulled something from the stone once the pillar reached his hand, holding up an empty goblet. "Safe from any... male interaction? I suppose being bedded by Metaniono would lead to such an outlook. One man betrayed her, why let the same happen to her daughter?" He turned to Meres again, and asked, "I hope, at least a little, that you still have Ale's Ambrosia on you. I haven't even partaken in the Nectar of the Gods for... who knows how long?"

"Lucky for you I do." Meres already had the bottle out and began to open it. "I wouldn't offer anything less."

Tartarus grinned again, and lowered his goblet to Meres, "Well then, pour me a drink, will you?" It had been far too long since he had Ambrosia, which would make this a pleasant evening onward.

"Why would i not?" He gave him some of the ambrosia, then began looking around his back for his own choice. "I always take my chalice with me, just in case I decide to be nice and not take something from someone."

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