AresJoxerCupidStrife - Dane

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Cupid Olympus woke up to the peaceful and familiar sounds of waves
that were crashing outside of his family's beachfront compound. He
stretched his firm, taut body, getting rid of the kinks of sleep, and
got out of bed. Opening the curtains and the sliding door leading to
the ocean, he breathed in the salty air. "Another fine day in San
Ventura, California," he thought happily, and then went to prepare
for the day.

Going to the kitchen, he noticed that a few of his siblings
were awake. The twins, Phobus and Deimos, were seated in front of the
TV set, eating their Capt. Crunch from their bowls, which could
actually double as Punch bowls. Anteros was in the kitchen, cooking
breakfast for whoever wants a full meal rather than prepackaged junk.
Enyo was hunched over the kitchen counter with her nose on the
newspaper she was reading and her mouth sipping on her special
favorite blend of coffee, which she horde selfishly. And lastly, the
youngest, Harmonia who was doing some last minute homework before the
bus arrived. Yes, it was a typical week day morning in the Olympus
household.

"Thanks Terry," said Cupid as his younger brother handed him
a plateful of scrambled eggs with cheese and tomatoes, some hash
browns, a pair of bratwurst, and toast. Anteros smiled in return. As
usual, the food he cooked tasted amazing. Not surprising since he's
been cooking since he was twelve years old, and was now taking
courses in the local culinary institute. With his reddish-blonde hair
that he got from their Grandmother, his lanky, tall built, and his
quiet intelligence, Cupid was sure that whoever would capture his
heart would be the luckiest person on earth.

Enyo stood up, drained her cup, and gave the paper to Cupid
since she was finished with it. She smoothed out her conservative
work clothes and combed out her pitch black hair with a brush,
frowning incessantly. Cupid knew she hated her attire, as much as she
hated her PR job at some big shot corporation. Much of this
discontent comes from the fact that she's a party girl at heart, and
envied much of what the rest of her siblings were doing. Cupid
speculated that Enyo is in dire need of a vacation, and a good rave.
Oh, and some purple goop to dye her hair with. After saying goodbye
to everyone, she left in her SUV for work.

The twins were next as they came to the kitchen and placed
their big-ass bowls into the sink. Both of them were polar opposites
despite that they were born only three minutes apart. Phobus, with
his long hair very much like Enyo's, has a delicate frame that gave
the impression that he was either weak or sickly, though he was
neither since both of the twins were black belts in Karate. Deimos,
on the other hand, has a shock of almost white blond hair that made
him look menacing at times. They grabbed their bags and exited the
front door. Driving out of the driveway in their souped-up Explorer,
the twins headed out to their record store along the boardwalk.

A loud noise came from outside, which prompted Harmonia to
stand up in distress and rushed up to cram her school stuff into her
pack. Out of all of them, she was the one that looked the most like
their mother. She had curly, golden blonde hair, and a knockout
figure that even a model would kill for. Too bad she was still in
high school. With a yell of goodbye to her two remaining brothers,
she slammed the door, leaving the house quieter than it was before.

"So, are you still holding auditions at your Love `Shack'
later?" asked Anteros as he began cleaning up the dirty dishes that
were left behind. Cupid had to roll his blue eyes in annoyance.
The `Shack' was this club/cafe that he owned down by the boardwalk,
just a few blocks down from where the twins work.

"Yeah, I got about ten acts to see later." He finished his
plate and brought it over to the yet-to-be-washed pile in the sink.
Then he went to the percolator and poured himself some of the regular
coffee that they had in the house. How does Enyo manage to keep her
stash of special blend is totally beyond him. Grabbing a stool, he
sat on in and faced the open waves through the window. "You know that
Dad is coming over later, right?" Cupid asked before sipping his cup.

"He is? I thought he was in New York trying to close out that
firm that tried to rip him off. Well, since he's here, I'll cook
something a little extra tonight." Anteros carefully placed the wet
dishes aside and faced his older brother. "I want to show him that I
can finally make Aunt Hestia's Crème Brulee. You know that he really
loves that stuff."

Cupid smiled. They all loved Aunt Hes' cooking. "I'm sure
that he would like that, but I don't think he will have the time for
dinner. Maybe tomorrow though." Anteros' grin faltered a bit. "Hey,
don't worry. He's staying for a week before heading out to Hong Kong
for some Business Summit or something like that." That brought back
the spirit in Anteros' face. "Anyway, he promised to pass by after
his noon meeting for the auditions. Something about checking out what
the younger generation is listening to now." Both of them shrugged
their shoulders for that was as cryptic as you can get for their
father. "Do you have any classes today?"

Grabbing his own cup of coffee, Anteros sat down opposite
Cupid on the counter. "After lunch. Today, we are going to learn how
to handle fish. Then, I'm off to remedial French. I'll pass head for
the `Shack' later for the evening shift."

"Okay, no problem there. I'll need all the help I can get
when En starts bitching about her day at work." Both of them rolled
their eyes. Cupid drained his cup and got up. "Well, I don't know
about you but I'm going to get dressed and head out for the `Shack'."

"Later Bro!" said Anteros as Cupid receded away to his
room. "By the way, a friend of mine asked if he could audition later
with his band. They're new, and they're looking for some gigs to play
at."

"Sure!" yelled Cupid before stripping of his clothes and
headed for the showers.

* * *

"Finally, you arrived!" yelped Psyche as she dragged Cupid
inside the club. "The natives are getting restless. I don't know
about you but I'm not prepared to handle this alone."

Cupid smirked. He and Psyche were exes. They had a thing that
ended quite on friendly terms and they both shared custody of their
three year old son, Bliss, who mainly lived with Psyche. Unlike
Cupid's parents, their relationship ended amicably. Now, both were
partners, along with his half-sister Xena, in owning the `Shack'.

It's funny really that four years ago when they pooled their money
together, they never thought the `Shack' would be this successful. It
started out as a café that catered to the usual beach crowd. Later,
they extended their hours and added a stage when Psyche suggested it.
It brought more people to the `Shack' when a few music executives
came and signed in a couple of bands who played on stage. Then one
day, Psyche got the wildest idea and started a dating service there
when people started calling the place the `Love Shack' when they
heard the Cupid owned the club. Since that day, Cupid started cursing
his Dad's perchance of giving his kids Greco-roman names. With
business as good as it is, Cupid still rue the fact that he's the
closest thing to a pimp around these parts, but at least the place is
respectable.

The café was to be closed off to the public until later evening so
Cupid and his partners can hire some new acts to replace the ones
that were ending their contract some. On the middle table, with cub
sandwiches and sodas, was Xena, reading one by one the resumes of
each of the acts that were going to perform for them. In various
niches around the club were the acts, some of which were nervous.
Hercules the bouncer watched with a steady eye over each and every
one of them, almost thinking that they were all trouble, as they
prepared themselves. Iolaus the bartender jovially spoke with
Callisto, a girl who's part of a punk band. Cupid felt a wry grin
settle on his face as he sat down beside Xena.

She looked up and grunted her hello. Despite the slight warmth, she
was wearing her favorite pair of leather pants with a tank top. She
gave off some sort of vibe saying that she was a biker chick and no
body messes with her, despite that she was really an accountant and
she owned a Vespa scooter. Being the eldest among the Olympus brood,
she was the only one among Ares' kids who can overrule him in certain
things; Cupid is happy that rarely happens though.

Psyche took her place beside Cupid and smiled pleasantly to the
auditioners. You may not think that she was a guidance counselor
underneath those flower skirts and summer blouses, but she could give
Dr. Phil a run for his money if more people only knew how effective
her advice is sometimes. She placed her tea down on the table and
waited for things to begin.

Xena passed the resume of the first group; a Ska/Reggae band who have
aspirations to be the next `No Doubt'. Cupid frowned, but Psyche
grinned. There were few bands around that actually sound good doing
Ska and Reggae. Still, it was up to listening to the three songs that
their going to play to see if they were good or not.

"Okay, the group `Ska Fix' get your instruments ready. You have 15
minutes," said Xena with her unconcerned Alto.

Just that moment, Mr. Ares Olympus, heir to the Olympus family
fortune and multi-billionaire, stepped into the café, flanked by his
secretary Hermes. Wearing full Armani gear, his presence exuded
authority as the people in the café who did know him stared in awe.
Without ceremony, he took a chair beside Xena and yelled at Hermes to
take notes. Cupid and Xena smiled as their father grabbed the nearest
unopened can of Coke, flipped the tab open, and gulped deeply. He
made a loud `AHHH!' sound as he placed the icy soft drink on the
table. "That meeting was a bitch. Word of advice, kids. Never ever do
business in any form with Odin Asgardsen or any one of his brood.
They're a bunch of yahoos who don't know the meaning of the
word `mutual benefits'. Why I bother trying to explain to him the
concept of company restructuring, I don't know," complained Ares.

Cupid, Xena, and Psyche laughed. Xena leaned in and gave Ares a brief
kiss on the cheek. With a look towards heaven, Hermes grabbed a seat
and sat beside Psyche.

Ares Olympus, eldest son of Zeus, is a very self-made man, despite
his rich background. At the age of twenty, he made his first business
a million dollar success, which in turn started a chain reaction of
sorts. At age 46, he is one of the richest men on earth with enough
assets to retire himself and his entire family back seven degrees. A
man with a `God of War' type of reputation; strategic and practical.
His only weakness was his promiscuous nature. As a result, he had two
divorces and less than a dozen children that came from various
relationships. It didn't matter though. He loved both of his exes and
all of his children.

"So, am I late for the start of the auditions?" asked Ares, crossing
his legs and leaning back a bit.

"No Dad, the first act is setting up right now and we're giving them
a few more minutes before we'll ask them to start," said Cupid. He
grabbed the list from Xena's side of the table and winced when he saw
the amount of people they were going to see. "We had about ten acts
to see. Thank God that half of them are solo performers. They won't
take up much time to set up."

"I know. It's a shame that Orpheus had to quit his slots and moved.
He was quite popular with the Tues/Sun crowd," commented Psyche as
she perused over the list while sipping her Chamomile tea.

"Well, that's what these auditions are for, even if I would rather
hang myself than do this again," said Xena with darkening eyes. She
was nicknamed the `Warrior Princess' for her aggressive and haughty
ways by her family, but Cupid just rolled his eyes at her tone of
voice. He was used to it.

"Looks like the band is ready. So, shall we listen and endure this
together," said Ares with a smile. The rest of them said okay and
let `Ska Fix' do their thing. After hearing them, Cupid wanted to
kill the lead singer for mutilating his favorite `Mighty Mighty
Bosstones' song.

* * *

After about six of the acts have been auditioned, and a few
of them trashed unanimously by all three partners, they all curiously
heard some arguing at the club's threshold. From what they could make
out, it was a lanky guy of average height and looks with a guitar
case, confronting a girl with short blonde hair.

"Listen Joxer, you can do this some other time. I need you to
go with me to my shop and help out. I'm currently shorthanded and
you're not doing anything important now. It's just some dumb audition
in an ugly club anyway. As if you are going to get the job. You're
not good enough," said the girl with a subtle sneer in her voice.

This seemed to irk the guy called Joxer. "Gabrielle! I'm
putting my foot down this time. This is the fifth time that you want
me to do something else than what I want to do. And it's not just
some audition. If you only go out more then you would realize that
this is more than some `club', as you say. My friend is doing me a
special favor just to have me heard. I really don't care if you're
shorthanded today. It's not as if people actually go to your store by
the thousands. Just run the bookstore by yourself. And I am good
enough, damn it! I've been playing since I was twelve."

Gabrielle opened her mouth to an O, appalled. "How dare you!
I'm your girlfriend and you should focus yourself on me. Being a
musician is a pipedream, Joxer. At least, if you stay with me, you're
not wasting your time. Now be a nice boyfriend and come with me."

"Fuck off Gabby! Just leave me alone. I need space," said
Joxer, ignoring Gabby rantings, and headed towards Hercules at the
front door. "I'm here for the auditions," he said to Herc with barely
suppressed anger for his girlfriend.

Herc didn't bat an eye and said, "I'm sorry, but all the
slots are taken."

Not really wanting to spend the rest of the day with Gabby
and her harpy tendencies, Joxer tried again. "Can you, at least, tell
Cupid that Anteros sent me?"

The bouncer took a long moment looking at the man with thick-
rimmed glasses before approaching his bosses. "Hey Boss! There's some
guy saying that Terry sent him to be tried." Herc pointed with his
thumb towards the door.

Remembering what his brother said before he left and seeing
that they were half done, Cupid said, "Let him in, Herc. See if he
has any resume first. If he doesn't, makes sure he gets one. Tell him
it's for processing purposes. Oh, and tell him good on him for
telling off that bitch."

Herc did as he was told. Joxer smiled and entered the club to
wait his turn, while Gabrielle fumed and stomped away. Someone
said, "What a Cunt!" and everyone pretty much agreed. Joxer gave his
resume to Psyche and sat down to join with the other musicians in
line for their turn. For the first time all afternoon, Cupid felt
some sense of relief.

* * *

After Joxer left, the weary group sat by the bar and compared
notes. They had about two more hours before they opened the doors for
business, and little less than an hour before the act of the night
came in to set up. Knowing that this elimination process was going to
be painful, Iolaus opened two bottles of Chianti and poured them all
a glass.

"Okay, first off, I think we should keep Joxer to replace
Orpheus," Xena pointed out. "He's not as great as Orpheus but he's
good. That bitch didn't know what she was talking about. His style is
more up to date. He will be able to relate to the mellower College
crowd and yuppies."

"I agree," said Psyche.

"Me too," concurred Cupid. "He does a good cover of Dave
Matthews and John Mayer. He has appeal despite the geeky appearance."

"Are you getting this all this, Hermes?" asked Ares to his
secretary. He didn't see the rolling of the eyes, but heard a `yes'.

"Okay, one solo act down and one band to go," Xena sighed
wearily.

Suddenly, the ringing of a phone sounded out and Hermes
answered it. After a few replies and a couple of expletives, he
covered the mouth of the phone and turned to his boss. "Cuz, Tyr
Asgardsen is at the marina and is asking if you could meet with him.
It's about the Ireland account."

"Shit!" Ares cursed softly. "This maybe big. Tell him I'll
meet with him in an hour." Hermes went back to the cell phone and
confirmed the meeting. Ares turned to his two eldest. "Before I
leave, I have a bit of news. Your cousin Erin is going to live with
us starting next week."

Xena and Cupid both raised an eyebrow, a trait common with
their family. "Cousin Erin? Which one is he? We have so many cousins
that it's hard to keep up sometimes," said Cupid.

"He's your Aunt Eris' son," supplied Ares.

Realization dawned at the half-siblings. "You mean Cousin
Erin who looks like he's scared of his shadow. Scrawny and pint-size
Erin from when we were younger?" asked Xena.

Ares rolled his eyes at Xena's description of his
nephew. "Yes, that's the one. He's not like that anymore. He's about
a few years younger than the both of you. He's going to study Music
at the University for a Scholarship. This will be his first attempt
at some independence from his mother, so I want to make it as
painless as possible for him. It's out responsibility as family to
get him acclimated with California, so I'm counting on all of you."
Ares looked at his watch and sighed. "I got to go. Please tell
everyone about this so there would be no surprises when he arrives on
Monday. Goodbye, muffin" Ares kissed Xena on the forehead.

"Dad!" Xena playfully pushed him back like a little girl.

"Cupid! Psyche! Iolaus! I will you all soon. Hermes?" Without
further comment, Ares left the club. A few minutes later, Enyo
arrived with a big scowl on her face. Both Xena and Cupid winced,
praying that she wouldn't bark as much tonight.

"Whose idea was this in the first place?" asked Enyo as she folded
the Ravioli like what Anteros instructed. The compound was in
complete disarray as everyone started preparing for Erin's `Welcome
to California' party tomorrow. The twins and Cupid were in the living
room moving furniture to accommodate some more chairs and tables. In
the kitchen, Anteros was coordinating with Enyo and Harmonia in
making a lot of entrees.

"Aunt Hestia and Uncle Apollo. She got wind that Erin was
coming over to live with us, so she proclaimed another `Olympus
Family Reunion'," replied Anteros as he stirred some sauce in a pot.
Despite being a cook in the family, he felt tired from all the
cooking whenever the reunion happened to be in the compound. "Not
that I don't enjoy our impromptu reunions, but why can't we for once
have catering like normal rich people."

"Have you forgotten the twins' 18th birthday?" reminded
Harmonia who was slicing some vegetables on the counter. "It's Dad's
mistake to give them free reign at their party. They went overboard
with the food, destroyed three bathrooms, clogged the pool with so
much junk, and Dad had to pay a big fine for breaking some noise
pollution laws. Not that it wasn't a fun party, but we all got it the
next day when Dad saw the mess. This is his way of telling us not the
push it. We may be rich, but he doesn't want the money to go to our
heads. Why do you think Mom is still pushing Dad to let me have a
Debut when I'm older? Not that I want one, but she really wants to
shove up the Chin's where the sun really doesn't shine."

"Yeah! Do you remember the Babylonia sisters? After their
family crashed and burned their money, they couldn't hack being
average. You should see them now. Whores with delusions of former
glamour," said Enyo to her siblings.

"My, you're bitter even when you talk about your enemies,"
observed Anteros. "Why don't you just quit that job of yours? It's
not as if you don't have the money to survive. In fact, why don't you
do it tomorrow? I hate to tell you this, Sis, but we're all tired
about you griping about it."

Enyo turned to her brother and saw his seriousness. Turning
to Harmonia, she noted that she had the same expression as their
brother. She stopped what she was doing and covered her face with her
hands. "I guess you guys are right. I need to quit, but not until
next." She cut them off when they were about to ask why. A playful
smile graced her pretty face. "I have my reasons. But mostly I want
to see if I still have a chance to nail this hunk in Human Resource."

"Whatever!" Anteros and Harmonia said simultaneously. Then all three
of them laughed.

"Well, one crisis down. Cupid and Xena will have to thank me
later," thought Anteros as he chuckled and stirred. "Now, how to tell
Enyo that she has Ravioli mix on her face?"

* * *

"The party's tonight, right?" asked Deimos as he went through
the Vinyls looking for some early David Bowie stuff. His white blonde
hair was spiked in its usual messy style, making him almost as
scaring when one is exposed to Billy Idol for the first time. He
looked up from the racks scratching his head, wondering where he
placed those albums. A buyer was going to get them later and he has
yet to find them.

How strange it is that the twins' hobby of collecting music
turned into a good business. There were very few music stores in the
city that sold vinyl albums and rare CDs, and the twins decided to
use that as an opportunity. All they asked for from Dad was enough
money to buy the lease of a two-storey building on a main road ending
towards the boardwalk for their 21st birthday. They've been in
business now for 2 years and they've now added a service of finding
hard-to-get albums for a special fee.

"Yeah, 8 P.M. Uncle Apollo is going to lead his family in an
hour early to help out with anything. Aunt Hes is at the compound now
helping Anteros and Enyo prepare. Dad is going to the airport himself
to get Erin. And Mom is coming over," Cupid listed out loud as he eat
his take-out Chinese out of a box. He was seated on the cash counter,
with Phobus doing a great impression of a mime behind him. Cupid
could never fully understand why his brother was silent all the time.

Looking around, he saw that someone had been redecorating the place;
it is much cleaner than the last time Cupid came here. The store
itself was separated into two floors with a back room large enough to
be three average size bedrooms. Records were kept upstairs while the
CDs and tapes were displayed on the first floor. The store front
looked like any typical music store that isn't connected to some
major corporation. Think `High Fidelity' only with more light. In the
storeroom, you'd be surprise how little space the extra stock takes.
Most of the room was like a lounge for the person on a flea market
budget. The big thing a person notices is that there are a lot of
couches in the room; six to be exactly, seven if you count the Futon
that was stretched out for people to sleep on. Just think `Empire
Records' with a dash of `Gossip'. If one weren't to think to this was
a music store, you could say it was a loft, or a set used for movies.

The chime signaled the door opening. All heads turned to the door to
see Xena and Psyche with a flustered Joxer in tow. He was carrying a
few bags obviously filled with clothes, if you look at the brands on
the side of them. All three of the Olympus brothers knew the look of
a man who had to suffer many hours of shopping with Xena, or any of
their sisters, in fact. Cupid and Deimos gave the man a look of
pitiful understanding.

"You took the man shopping, I see," cited Deimos as he finally found
the records he was looking for. They were hidden under a bunch of old
Duran Duran albums. "So, Joxer. How do you find shopping under the
wing of Xena Amipholis-Olympus? It will be the closest thing you'll
ever have to a harrowing experience without the violence."

Cupid swallowed some of his Mushu Chicken. "Don't forget about the
end-of-season sales and the open-from-dawn sales. Those can be
violent when a group of tenacious women are battling it out for the
same outfit," he quipped. Xena thumped her both her brothers and both
of them exclaimed, "Oww!"

"Quit it, you two," scolded Xena as she passed them. "Dad hired Joxer
for the party tonight. He told us that he didn't really have any good
clothes to wear since," Xena paused a bit and shouted towards the
bookstore across the street, "THAT BITCH!" She calmed herself and
Psyche shook her head. Xena then continued with her spiel. "went
crazy after seeing us eating together last night at the club. You
should have seen it. The fight they had was better than any episode
of `Passions', or Buffy in that manner."

Psyche interjected. "Basically, after Joxer and that bitch," she said
it in a quieter tone, "fought and shouted in the middle of the club,
the same bitch attacked Xena and got her butt kicked. She only liked
it because she managed to get involved. He was itching to beat her up
when the girl started caliing Xena all manner of colorful
expressions. My personal favorite was `Butch Amazon'!" Xena gave her
a withering look, while Cupid and the twins laughed it up.

Joxer made an `Ahem' sound and everyone immediately felt a little
sheepish. If it wasn't for the fact that he looked so ordinary, he
would have blended in with the wallpaper.

"Anyway, we bumped into Joxer earlier with a suitcase and a box full
of stuff," said Psyche.

Deimos turned to Joxer. "Why are you carrying your stuff around? Did
she kick you out, or something?" He offered some take-out, which
Joxer took gratefully.

Still not used to the dynamics of the family, Joxer nodded. Everyone
gave him looks of sympathy. "I crashed at my brother's place last
night. When I got home, I found most of my stuff outside the
apartment and all of my good clothes were shredded to bits. I went to
the café early today for breakfast and told Xena all about it."

"And then me and Psyche took him on a spree for the party tonight,"
supplied Xena.

Cupid smiled and jumped off the counter. "Well, I'm off. Gotta go to
the daycare center to pick up Bliss. Oh, by the way, who's going to
be the DJing later? I refuse to allow either one of you two to handle
the music, despite the fact that you guys know more about music than
any of us." Cupid testily pointed his finger towards the twins.
Deimos backed-off with his hands.

"Whoa Cowboy! I asked Cousins Troilus and Linus to do the music
selection tonight. They promised me that they will be playing some
Jazz and Lite Rock to appease all sides concerned. Plus, I don't know
which one though; one of Uncle Apollo's kids will be taping this
auspicious event. "Everyone except Joxer groaned. "Hey! I know we all
hate this, especially when Mom and Grandma Hera get their hands on
them, but please get over yourselves. If I have to bear with this,
then so do all of you."

"Wait a minute! Since you have the music all planned out, so what I'm
I being hired for?" questioned Joxer as he finished off the last of
the Sweet and Sour Pork.

"Honestly, I think this is Dad's way of telling us that he can't
relate to our music," Xena thought out loud. "He only joined us that
day of the auditions because he wanted to see potential acts for a
new record label he's setting up. He's into Folk Singers and
Songwriters types. You fit the bill. And, this way he can show our
family that he actually has some artistic sense. He's been accused
many times by our Uncle Apollo as a `Music Heathen'. If you ask me,
Joxer, just go with it. Who knows, maybe you'll be discovered or
something." Joxer just contemplated on her words and stayed quiet.

Sighing, Cupid quickly told Psyche that he will take good care of
Bliss tonight, and said goodbye to everyone. As soon as he left,
Deimos exclaimed, "Hey, he left some chicken!"

* * *

The party has been going on for the past two hours and there
were still a lot of things missing. One being that Troilus and Linus
were still out on the highway somewhere, caught in a massive jam
caused by two semis that collided with each other, so there is no
music yet. No one dared to play anything for fearing any complaint
from anyone of their kooky family. Second, his parents were yet to
arrive which made a mild stir among the oldies. Since Ares was
picking up Erin in the airport, Cupid surmised that the plane was
delayed. His Mom, Aphrodite, on the other hand, always had something
going on so she'll probably be fashionably late. He thought that this
was pushing it. Next was that Joxer had an emergency to tend to, so
he'll be late also. His other brother apparently got arrested.
Lastly, he thought of where is the guest of honor was. Cupid was
slowly going nuts. Thankfully, Harmonia did her best to calm her
brother down with a `spiked' drink. Good thing it was
working. `Valium is a wonderful drug,' she thought to herself as
Cupid calmed down.

Out in the veranda, Anteros and Enyo, both dressed in their
best casual wear, had an excellent view of the proceedings. Both were
surprised when they saw Meleager and Diomedes, their half-brothers
from one of their Dad's relationships, entered through the front door
with their half-sister, Acclippe. Everyone loved Meleager and
Diomedes because of they inherited the golden looks common in the
side of their Uncle Apollo and their can-do-nothing-wrong appeal, but
no one particularly liked Acclippe because of her wild child
personality and her awkward appearance. Every time they would meet up
with her, they would always end up fighting over everything. Speaking
of Apollo, he was doing one of his favorite pastimes, arguing with
their Aunt Athena and Uncle Hades about the latest global conflict in
Afghanistan. Because of all the lively, and sometimes colorful,
debate between the three of them, they often drew a crowd. Out in the
yard, their Aunt Hebe was holding court with little Bliss and the
rest of the children with a story about the hero Perseus and the
monster Medusa. Despite the missing players, both siblings though
things were going well.

* * *

Erin was bored, and he hasn't been here in the compound long.
He waited for Uncle Ares to fetch him at the airport, but he got
tired of waiting after 2 hours. He took a cab to the house, it was an
hour's drive, and noticed the place was full of people. He read the
banner hanging from the doorway and chuckled when he realized that
this party was for him. Dropping his luggage to the side in the
foray, he got out his camera and decided to shoot. Later, he would
ask one of his cousins to point out the faces since he doubted he
could remember them.

It has been an hour since he got here and there was very
little to hold his attention long. He watched two older men and a
woman argue over the human and women's rights violations that are
happening in Afghanistan. Soon, his ennui crept in and then he moved
on. He watched as various relatives talked and recalled other family
stories. He smiled when he came outside, where the younger kids where
held in rapt attention towards a very young woman with bright
clothes. He stayed in their company until she told the part about
meeting Atlas the Titan before moving on. He moved back inside just
in time to see the grand entrance of Aphrodite Olympus-Smith, Movie
Star and Cosmetics Mogul, along with her bulky and scarred husband,
the Jewelry Giant, Hephaestus Smith.

* * *

"Look! That must be the cousin that Deimos was talking
about," said Anteros as he pointed out Erin with his camcorder. "I
don't recognize him. Do you?"

Enyo appraised his appearance. His hair was sticking all over
the place and wore heavy boots. He was thin as a rail but he looked
she could tell that there was muscle underneath that black, slick
leather jacket he was wearing. He didn't look like anyone from Uncle
Apollo side, but it was obvious that he was related to them because
of the piercing blue eyes that he had that glinted with an underlying
mischief. Still, he didn't look familiar. "No, I don't. Maybe he's
one of those cousins that rarely go to any of the reunions." Both of
them shrugged.

A sudden commotion inside ceased their watching and they
heard the bubbly voice of their mother at the front door. With a
smile, both of them ran inside to greet her.

* * *

"Oh, my darlings, let me look at you," said Dite as she saw
her children approach her from all directions. She was a lovely woman
just a few years younger than Ares, and looked like she was in her
early thirties. Her blonde hair was always set in the latest style of
the day, as well as her outfits preferring sheer flowing dresses. She
always looked immaculate down to her manicured fingernails. It was
her looks after all that made her a well-known and respected actress
in Hollywood. She was part of a movement among women in Hollywood
that promoted their sexuality despite their age. All this was a
miracle considering she gave birth to six children within a ten year
period.

"Harmonia, honey, give your tired mother a hug." Harmonia
complied and held on after the embrace to her waist. "Enyo, sweetie,
have you found a man yet?" Enyo shook her head, but blushed a mighty
red. Dite understood. "We'll talk later if you need reinforcements.
Phobus! Deimos! Look at you two. I'll have to tell Hestia to fatten
you two up. You're too thin. How are the women going to flock and
fight over the two of you?" The twins laughed. "Anteros, is there
someone in your life now?" Anteros nodded, but kept quiet. "You'll
have to give me more than that as an answer, but I'll let it slide
this time. Cupid! Where is my Grandson?" Cupid handed to her a
squealing Bliss who was overjoyed at seeing his grandmother. She
hugged him tight and tickled him, making Bliss laugh with glee. She
stopped her tickling and carried him to her waist. "Now, where is the
guest of honor? And will someone please play some music. It will help
calm the three stooges over there." She pointed her thumb towards
Apollo, Athena, and Hades.

No one saw Erin yet since everyone assumed that Erin hasn't
arrived. They didn't see Erin go to his bags and pull out a few CDs
out of the side pocket. Then he went in search for the audio system.

Cupid felt a vibration in his pocket and pulled out his cell
phone. Checking the caller ID, he pressed the `Talk' button and
said, `Hello'. He looked to his left, taking a quick look at his
mother and stepfather hold court with various members of the family.

"Cupid! Has Erin arrived there yet?"

Confused, Cupid took his conversation outside. "No, I don't
think so. Isn't he supposed to be picked-up by you?"

"It turns out we have a mix-up in the flight information. He
arrived on an earlier flight. I've been searching for him for three
hours now. He's not here in LAX. I gave him the address of the
compound just, in case. I thought that maybe he would be there by now
since we missed each other." Cupid felt most of his worries return.

"We'll wait for him. It's not hard to find this place,
anyway. Just look for the house with a lot of noisy Greeks talking
about a whole lot of nonsense." Father and son laughed between the
connection.

"Listen, just watch out for him when he arrives, okay?"

"Sure. What does he look like? We haven't seen him for ten
years after all. You're the only one who has seen him recently."

"He has messed-up spiked hair and the usual family blue eyes.
He's probably wearing his favorite leather jacket right now. It's an
old aviator jacket that was given to him by your Grandfather the last
time he was here. Anyway, the biggest thing, I think, that will give
him off will be this camcorder that he brings around since he's an
amateur film maker."

By now, Cupid's curiosity about his cousin peaked and
couldn't really wait to see him again. Last time Erin was in town,
they toured all the amusement parks and practically lived in Disney
Land for a week. It was probably the best summer vacation that Cupid
ever had. Even with their 5 year age difference, they were best
friend for that summer. Of course, they tried to keep in touch, but
as you know it, life got in the way. Now, Erin is about 20, thought
Cupid, and smiled.

"We'll look out for him, Dad. You coming over now?"

"Yeah, I'll see you guys when I get there. Bye"

"Bye Dad." Cupid returned his phone in his pocket, and then
saw Joxer run up the driveway. He had to double take the chance of
Joxer's appearance. He was now wearing a shapely dark green shirt and
a pair of Dockers. There were no glasses to obstruct the view of
Joxer's goofy handsomeness, and his hair was styled differently,
allowing more of his face to show. He didn't let go of his shock
until Joxer spoke up.

"Sorry I'm late. My brother Jett got arrested driving drunk,
so me and my other brother Jace had to bail him out. The paperwork
alone took two hours to finish. Anyway, where do you need me?"

"Right there in the lounge. We have a small stage set up for
you. It's a good think you came to. My cousins who were supposed to
handle the music haven't arrived yet so I'm afraid to admit my Dad
had the right mind to hire you in the first place. I thought it was
just his infatuation of James Taylor music that got you here." Joxer
smiled as they entered the main house. The chatter went back to what
it was but with a small change. Someone was playing Trip-Hop music.

Cupid cringed in fear. He was afraid that someone would
vocally complain about the music. It never fails. Someone would
complain and then a fight would happen. Usually it would be Apollo or
Hermes, or someone in the family with proud musical taste. What
surprised Cupid was no one seemed to be complaining.

"Well, it looks like you won't be needing me to provide
music. Everyone seems to like what's playing. `Chicane', if I'm not
mistaken. Whoever is handling this has good taste."

Curious, despite himself, Cupid brought to the lounge to set
up. "Excuse me, Joxer. I'm going to see just whose playing the music.
I was promised that we'll be having Jazz tonight so I'm wondering who
started this." Joxer smiled knowingly and let Cupid go on his quest.
Cupid soon found himself outside the music room where they placed all
the music players that regularly pump music through the house. The
lights were on when Cupid opened the door and saw a hunched figure on
his knees looking through the vast collection of music that the twins
had stored here. Two things that Cupid notice were the leather jacket
and the mass of chaotic hair. He had a thin built that appealed to
Cupid's aesthetics. What little skin he could see was pale as milk.
Cupid never believed he's seen such beauty before. A thought occurred
to him and he had to say it out loud.

"Erin?"

Erin looked up from his perusal and smiled. He knew this man
even if it was close to ten years since he last saw him. He's more
muscular now and taller. His skin shined like bronze and his hair
golden, forever fixed in his memory. He stood up and uttered the name
of his first and only best friend in the world.

"Cupid."

"Ahh! Just like the good old days," commented Cupid, sitting
back on his side of the motorboat. It was early enough that sun still
hung low on the horizon and the morning mist was still visible. Only
the slight chill of the air signaled the nearing of the fall months.
And the fished in the lake were yet to come up in curiosity at the
shining lures floating in their water.

"Yeah!" replied Erin, on the other side of the boat.

Both of them were spending the weekend visiting their
Grandparents who lived upstate on the shores of a small private lake.
They have been living here since Zeus Olympus gave up his position as
CEO of Olympus Enterprises a couple of years ago to their Uncle Ares.
Now, the Patriarch of the family, and former WWII fighter pilot
monikered the "Sky King', spends his days living in quiet retirement
and his nights looking up at the constellations. Their Grandma Hera
keeps busy by holding a Children's Clinic in town with their Aunt
Eileithyia and showing in the weekend Flea Market.

"Aren't you afraid that leather jacket of yours is going to
get wet?" asked Cupid before sipping on his Coors.

"Not really. Me and Strife here have been through ever
imaginable scenario together." Erin steadied his fishing rod and
tilted the borrowed hat that he was wearing over his eyes.

"You named your jacket! Man! That tells a lot about," quipped
Cupid, tilting his own hat and readjusted his own rod just so he
could shift his position.

"I didn't name it. Grandpa named it already by the time he
gave this to me years ago. Said to call it `Strife'. The name of the
jacket stuck to the point that people I know started calling
me `Strife'. I don't mind though. I looked it up in the dictionary
when I was 11, and it kinda described my life the best. Mom also
started calling me `My Little Mischief' soon after my last visit
here."

"How is Aunt Eris? Other than being Dad's twin, I don't much
about her. What's it like to have her as a Mom?"

Erin shrugged. "It ain't that bad. I don't see her half the
time because of her working mom status, but I know she loves me. We
have a love/ hate relationship that borders obsession sometimes. I
had to do major hands and knees just for her to let me move here.
After weeks of endless fighting and apologizing, she broke and now
I'm living here for the next 4 years, at least." Erin smiled lithely.
He sat up only long enough to grab a can of beer, untab it, and drank
deeply. "Ahhh! There's nothing like a good beer, a day in the lake,
and having your best friend right beside you."

It was Cupid's turn to sit up. "Am I still your best friend?"

Erin gave him an incredulous look. "Of course, you weenie!
Remember the last time we did this? We did a stupid pinkie swear to
be each other's best friend until the end of time. And you know that
pinkie swears are forever."

Cupid thought about it and nodded his head. "I guess." He
leaned back and let the peacefulness of the lake wash them over. That
lasted about a minute before Erin cried out.

"I Gotta BITE!" Those were his last words before being
dragged into the lake. When he emerged, drenched as a limp cloth, he
sputtered out water and saw Cupid laughing his ass off. Not one to be
selfish about an experience, he pushed the boat to tip over and sent
Cupid into the drink.

* * *

"Look at Bliss! Isn't he the cutest thing?" cooed Dite from
her vantage point of sitting by the open Veranda doors. Enyo came in
from the kitchen with a tray of Iced Tea, Southern Style, none of
that instant crap. Harmonia looked up from her issue of `Seventeen'
magazine and looked at his little nephew. All three of them were
congregating on the sala table after a long afternoon of shopping.
Bliss, in the care of Dite for the day because both parents were
busy, was playing with a bunch of plastic see-through beakers and
test tubes that looked like they contained colored liquid.

Enyo's expression changed when she saw what Bliss was
doing. "Mom! I told you not to encourage Bliss. It's bad enough the
twins let him watch `Weird Science' and `Love Potion No.9' with them
the last time you were here, and in the process, he gets this sudden
fascination of mixing things left and right. Now, you buy him a baby
chemistry set. I'm scared that he'll grow up to be the Una-bomber or
something." She barely felt the urge to bang the tray down, but
restrained herself. Calmly, she sat down opposite her mother.

Without looking up from her magazine, Harmonia said, "I don't
know. I think it's cute." She paused, looked up, and went back to her
reading. "In a geeky sort of way."

"Oh, pish-posh! Bliss is going to be alright. Now, tell me
about this man you were implying to me about last week." Dite pointed
her finger at Enyo and she blushed.

"Well, his name is Auto." As Enyo began to droll on about her
new man, no one noticed little Bliss toddled over to his
Grandmother's handbag and grabbed a vial from its contents. With his
tiny hands he opened the cork and went over to the liquor cart. He
grabbed the nearest bottle and uncapped it. A smile filled his face
as he watched the vial's purple liquid fall steadily down the opened
bottle. He corked the vial and hid it in his crate of toys. He
plopped right back to the bottle and shook it. His playful laughter
made Dite took notice of him and she immediately ran towards him.

"Oh sweetie! Those aren't toys!" she said, agitatedly. She
grabbed the bottle of Scotch and set it back to the cart. "Harmonia
Sweetheart! Can you roll this cart away before this little one
decides to play with the Brandy and Cognac." Harmonia complied and
moved the cart out of the way. Bliss just giggled to his heart's
content.

* * *

"Shit! I can't believe I'm having so much fun! I should have
moved here when I graduated High school," said Erin almost a week
later as he ate his Pop Tart with much glee. He was looking through
his camera, just watching the dynamics of his newly-reacquainted
family on this particular morning.

It was a Sunday morning at the Olympus Compound with only
more Siblings and Cousins to the mix. The twins were watching their
usual morning cartoons along side Troilus and Linus. All of them were
eating in giant size bowls of Froot Loops and chocolate milk. On the
large dining table, Enyo, Harmonia, and Iris, another cousin, were
comparing nail polish colors and trying them. Anteros, Cupid, Xena,
and Hermes, who is technically an uncle, were arguing over how they
wanted their Omelets. Acclippe isolated herself on an easy chair
beside where the twins and the two visiting Cousins were crowding
over a couch, reading a book about the Medici Clan. Meleager,
Diomedes, and Asclepius, were eating their Egg Mayo sandwiches near
the toe-painting girls, while talking about sports, stocks, and frat
life. Erin was perched on the counter, just watching everyone through
his camera and occasionally commenting on the state of everyone's
undress.

Just as Erin was about to say something about his family's
united `bad hair day', his Uncle Apollo burst into the living room in
a yellow and gray wet suit, and handling a surf board. "Good Morning
Family!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, making half of the room
wince in pain, especially those who were near the TV and those in the
kitchen. He walked towards the staircase leading to the floor above
and yelled some more. "Ares, move your hairy butt downstairs right
this second, or I'll be forced to surf without you."

With a few heavy steps, Ares came down in a full black
wetsuit and with a surfboard of his own. "Hold your horses, Pol. It's
a beautiful Sunday morning and you're ruining it with all your
yelling. Half of the kids in that room are still hung-over from that
party they took Erin too last night, so take pity on them."

Erin just sat there on the counter, speechless. His two
Uncles were dressed to catch some waves. He wasn't going to miss
this. Just as he was about to follow them out to the beach, Cupid
grabbed his arm and settled him on a chair.

"Whoa there a minute, cuz! It will be a good hour before Dad
and Uncle actually get to the water because of their waxing ritual
and a few more hours before catching any waves. It's still low tide."
Erin snapped his fingers like a kid who lost his candy. Cupid
smiled. "Don't worry. Anteros is planning to gather up some lunch for
all of us who are going out there later. Some of us are planning to
get some surfing done before the end of the day. Give or take us
about another two hours before any of us migrate to the beach."

Erin smiled, because he always wanted to do a surf video if
just to indulge his Kelly Slater fantasies. Then he noticed that
everyone in the kitchen left and sat themselves in various parts of
the adjoining living room and dining area. "Hey, if Terry is going to
make us some chow for later, then why isn't he doing anything?" As if
to answer his question, Cupid grabbed the cordless phone and tossed
to Anteros, who was scarfing down on his omelet special. Erin watched
as his cousin dialed a number.

"Hello, Widow Twanky's House of Sandwiches? This is Anteros
Olympus. Yes, another Sunday order." Then everyone else started to
shout out their order. An hour later, a van load of sandwiches and
other dishes were brought to the house and delivered to the beach
front.

* * *

"I think it's about time you start dating again, Res," said
Apollo, was lying down on his board along side Ares about 100 yards
from shore. "It's been five years since your last relationship.
Olympus Enterprises is stable. There isn't anything threatening in
the horizon; unless you count that buffoon Asgardsen who is trying to
mess up the Ireland account. Your family is happy and safe. From what
Hermes is telling me, you are purposefully trying to overwork
yourself. You need a break."

Ares scoffed. "So said the workaholic. You are into
everything I can think of, Pol. Music, medicine, the arts, education,
charities, women, and sometimes men, you name it, you're in it or
somehow connected to it. You're always up to something. It's no
wonder half of your kids love hanging out here. You need to spend
more time with them."

Apollo sat up. "Hey, I spend time with them. It's not my
fault that they prefer their independence to letting me help them.
Honestly, I find it infuriating on how self-reliant most of them are.
I just wish they would rely on their old man every once in a while. I
still pissed that Orpheus left town and went to L.A. without telling
me. I had to learn that small tidbit from your kids. Anyway, we're
getting off track. Now, is there anyone you have your eyes on? That
cute guitarist that you hired from the reunion, maybe?"

Ares rolled his eyes and started to paddle off to get closer
to an upcoming wave. Apollo followed. "He's cute, but I haven't dated
a guy since college."

"I remember that. Come to think of it, the guy you hired
reminded me of your ex-boyfriend. You always had a thing for James
Taylor type of guys." Ares purposely ignored him after that.

As they got close enough to the wave, both stood and rode it.
From the shore, Erin was using a special Tele-photo lens to get
action shots of his uncles surfing. Even if the tides weren't as high
as he thought, he did manage to grab a few shots. He watched as his
cousins grabbed their own respective boards and swam out to meet with
Ares and Apollo.

"Maybe I'll ask one of them to teach me how to do that
someday," thought Erin out loud.

"I can teach you," said Acclippe, startling Erin out a year's
growth. He looked to his side and wondered just how does she move so
quiet that it even puts him to shame. Unlike the rest of the family,
Acclippe had pale skin no matter what day of the year. Her pitch
black hair only offsets on how ghostly she can look at times. She was
wearing a tank top with a black sarong, and her hair was set in a
Chinese bun with chopsticks. And her black lipstick only added to her
eerie charm. If it wasn't for the fact that she was Ares' kid by a
fling gone wrong, he could have sworn that they were siblings.

"You can? Thanks, I'll take you up on it at your earliest
convenience." Probably for the first time since Erin met her,
Acclippe smiled.

"I'll teach you if you do something for me in return." Erin
raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry. It isn't satanic or anything
illegal. I'll be doing a dress rehearsal for a play in two weeks and
we need someone to film it. Can you make it?"

Erin tilted his head and nodded. "Sure. Just tell me when and
I'll prepare for it."

Acclippe stood and brushed off the sand from her
sarong. "Good. I'll give you the details later." As she was headed
towards the house, Deimos and Linus approached him this time with
their boards under their arms.

"Hey cuz, some of us who don't have anything important to do
tomorrow are going to have a bonfire here tonight. Just get ready to
film some footage because some of the embarrassment is going to
happen later, for sure," said Deimos in a rush before diving into the
ocean with Linus. Erin just nodded and continued his shooting his
family having the time of their lives out there.

* * *

"Okay, did you get the keg, Troi?" asked Deimos, who was
placing driftwood and newspaper into pile for the bonfire."

"Sure did. Last one too," said Troilus whose smiled seemed
just a little too wide. He was carrying some liquor from the cart and
placed them beside the cooler full of ice. Behind him, Linus and
Anteros were lugging the heavy barrel while trying to get some
semblance of balance on the sand. They were followed by Meleager and
Diomedes with obvious disgruntled frowns on their faces, and Cupid
and Erin, who were laughing their hearts out at them. When Deimos
finally saw his twin, his jaws dropped to see him arm in arm with two
lovely women in Tankinis, and an entourage of seven similarly dressed
ladies.

With a quiet voice that the family rarely hears, Phobus
said, "Ladies, I would like to introduce my twin brother, Deimos.
Deimos, meet Clio, Polyhymnia, and the rest of the Mt. Parnassus
Muses. They're in town of Cheerleading camp." Two of the ladies,
Erato and Urania, left their fellow muses and wound their arms around
Deimos' waist. Speechless, Deimos just led the group of ladies to the
beach, all of the girls giddy with delight. You could see the envy
float off the rest of the cousins.

Harmonia, Enyo, and Acclippe, who were setting up a table of
party food, shook their heads in disgust and said in unison, "Pigs!"

* * *

Joxer parked his dirty Toyota near the compound and wondered
whether it was a good idea for him to go to this impromptu shindig.
He knew Anteros and Xena were doing this just to get his mind off
Gabrielle. They told Psyche to practically order Joxer to come on
over after his gig at the `Shack'. Joxer knew they mean well, but all
he really wanted was to stop for a while from getting into a
relationship. He just wanted to focus on school and the gigs that he
gets to do. Sighing like a man on a death walk, Joxer entered the
compound, just missing a chase between Apollo and a girl who looked
half his age. He shook his head in bafflement before joining the rest
of the Olympus family on the beach.

Anteros saw Joxer the moment he stepped on the sand. He
grabbed the nearest empty cup and filled it with Scotch, since he
knew that Joxer was allergic to beer. He didn't notice the slight
purple tinge in the amber liquid. Intercepting the man, he gave him
the cup and said, "Drink!" Joxer complied and drank a big gulp of the
Scotch. He made a face and wiped his mouth with his arm. "Good! Now
as one of your trusted friends, I'm here to tell you to mingle and,
hopefully, get laid. And don't worry about driving or anything, just
pick an empty room in the second floor if you're too drunk to drive."
With that, he left Joxer to get acclimated.

The hours past and the bonfire party didn't seem to want to
die. The older folks, the underage kids, and the one with work have
long since left the party under the stars, but there were still many
of them coming from the woodworks, Joxer observed. Majority of the
cousins seemed to be involved in a drinking game with both Xena and
Meleager looking the most sober of the bunch. Joxer had to blink when
he saw the twins make out with a girl in each of their arms. Out in
the water, where a raft was anchored to the shore, Erin and Acclippe
were having a serious one-on-one. And beside the fire, Asclepius the
doctor son of Apollo, was doing some serious flirting with some guy.

Joxer was only on his second cup of Scotch when he started to
feel hot all over. The heat of his own body was making his clothes
feel stifling. He started to peel off his shirt, much to the
appreciating glances of the people surrounding him. The dizziness and
horniness some clicked in and his pupils dilated with want. His body
was fighting for a sensation, and Joxer chose to lie down and hoped
that his body will calm itself. He dropped the cup to the ground,
spilling the mixed-Scotch on the sand, and ran to the house.

When he got to the compound, his head was slowly blanking to
base emotions. The thought processes were gone by the time he got on
the second floor as Anteros suggested. He managed to get to the first
room he could open and found that it wasn't empty. From what Joxer's
senses could tell that the man sleeping on the couch was beautiful,
as in way out handsome. He was only wearing pajama bottoms, showing
off the buff torso and the chest of hair that quickly surged his
libido to an all-time high. Not wanting to waste with preliminaries,
he ditched his pants and underwear as fast as quicksilver. Kneeling
down, Joxer inhaled the musky scent of this God before him, asleep
and utterly vulnerable. With a small lick of his tongue, he wanted to
taste the muscled skin, and found out just how intoxicating it
tasted.

* * *

Ares slowly grasped consciousness as he felt someone licking
his nipples into hard nubs, and stroking his cock through the thin
layer of silk fabric to full engorgement. He moaned as the stranger
continued with his ministrations. He didn't notice when the guy
pulled down the pants and started to feel around his nether regions
while he stopped his sucking on his nipples to plunder his mouth.
From the pure erotic moment alone, Ares came with a jolt of
sensation. The guy, not really noticing that Ares came, continued
with his kissing and inserted a finger into Ares' ass. He moaned as
more digits were inserted to pack his anus, writhing in ecstasy and
pain.

Suddenly, Ares screamed as a guy's thick cock tore into his
ass. He howled as the guy started to thrust in and out, stretching
him like never before. Keeping his eyes closed, he rode out the
pleasure until he climaxed again, and yet again. The man seemed
insatiable until Ares felt him impossibly quicken his pace, driving
deeper into his body, until the man let loose his fiery orgasm. The
semen he felt in his anus was volcanic and fired up as of his tired
senses. The man stopped pumping as the last of his cum ebbed out and
he laid himself down on Ares, nuzzling his neck like a satisfied
puppy.

Ares didn't have the strength to push him off because of the
furious fucking that just occurred. Not 10 minutes passed when the
man started to pump his still imbedded cock to full mast. "Oh no!"
though Ares as the cock began bruising his prostate. "Here we go
again." He sincerely wished that he would survive this night so he
could fuck the stranger in the morning.

* * *

As a habit since childhood, Xena always woke up before anyone
else in the house. It didn't matter that she would only have a few
hours of sleep or pass out from being drunk, it was just that was
always the way things goes for her. First thing she would do was to
grab a cup of coffee from the kitchen and then checked up on the
people who are supposed to be getting up. She went to her father's
room and saw that he wasn't there. Frowning, she knew where to find
him. He usually ended up in his den when he decides to get some work
done. She quietly opened the door, sipping her cup, and instantly
spitting it out the moment she saw what was in the room. Her Tues/
Sun guitarist had his arms wrapped around her dad in a possessive
embrace on the couch which wasn't meant for two people to sleep on.
How they managed to both lie down, she didn't know. Her mind only
allowed one thing to do, and that was to freak.

"JOXER!"

Joxer woke with a start and took note of where he was. He
looked down towards the man he was sleeping with and his eyes became
the size of saucers. Jumping out of the couch without waking Ares, he
grabbed his clothes, ran past Xena, and headed out of the compound.
Xena followed but could only watch as Joxer gunned his car and sped
away. Xena placed her fingers on her temples and felt a headache come.


Part 4:

"Okay Roll Call!" shouted Cupid as he joined up with his siblings out
in the garage. All of them were getting an early start to a music
festival down in Mt. Parnassus. More than half of family said yes
when Phobus and Deimos gotten the invite from the `Muses' for all of
them to come on over and join in the all-day affair. So with a couple
of tents and supplies for the whole day, the Olympus family had
gotten ready for the 2 hour road trip. Along for the ride were Psyche
and Bliss since they wanted to spend some time with `Daddy', and
Strife since he didn't want to miss seeing twelve of California's
greatest bands perform from noon to midnight. He's hoping to cash in
on a documentary of the event for the local TV station.

"Meleager! Diomedes! Phobus! Deimos!"

"Here," they responded at the same time. Like Phobus and
Deimos, Meleager and Diomedes are twins, except they were identical
down to their Swimmer's built. With their golden brown hair and
piercing blue eyes that could easily have them mistaken as part of
the Kennedy Clan, Mel and Mede could have anything they wanted. Thank
most people's lucky stars that they are humble like that.

"Anteros! Enyo! Xena! Psyche!"

All of them just rolled their eyes. Unlike the rest of the
family, they've been up since dawn and were itching to leave. Since
they were the ones who woke up early to wake everyone else and to
cook breakfast, they expected the coveted shotgun seats for the long
drive.

"Acclippe! Strife! Harmonia! Harmonia? Where are you?"

Psyche came up beside Cupid and handed him Bliss. She pinched
his cheek and told him, "She's in the bathroom. It's her time of the
month so don't piss her off too much." All the guys just shuddered.
When Harmonia is on the rag, none of them are particularly fond of
her. Bliss just giggled and bounced in his daddy's arms.

One slam of the front door announced the eminent arrival of
Harmonia, who muttered something about, `Fuckin' Tampons!" Not even
bothering to talk to anyone, she got on the passenger side of the
luxury van that the family owned and challenged everyone with a glare
that could wither even their stoic Aunt Athena. Of course, everyone
backed off.

Sighing like an eternally suffering parent, Cupid ushered
everyone into their vehicles and left the compound.

As they were leaving through the gate, the lead van screeched to a
halt, to which the other two vans almost rammed into the first. Erin
jumped out from the side door and ran back to the compound. After a
few tentative minutes, he came back lugging a huge bag. Meleager
raised an eyebrow when he looked at the contents of the bag later
when they were traveling. Erin just shrugged when Mel held up a
blowhorn and a can of whipped cream. From somewhere in the back,
Deimos and Phobus were both snickering. Mel didn't take that as a
good sign.

* * *

One traffic jam, five rest stops, two moonings at a few
unsuspecting motorists, and about a hundred `Are we there yet?'
courtesy of Erin, the family finally arrived at the grounds where the
Mt. Parnassus Summer Fest was being held. They parked nearest to the
entrance, thanks to Urania who met them there. Once all engines were
shut off, the Muses descended upon Phobus and Deimos and gave the
both of them mind-staggering lip-locks each. The guys looked on with
a mixture of envy, awe, and disgust.

The grounds had two stages set up for all the acts present
for the Summer Fest. Strife and Cupid, along with a toddling Bliss
between them, decided to tour the grounds while Mel and Mede pitched
up the tents up near the stands, which provided food and drink to the
massive crowd that was going to be attending the event. The muses
escorted Phobus and Deimos back stage to meet with a few of the bands
who were preparing to start their sets. The girls were on their toes
waiting for the first band, Incubus, to perform. Acclippe had an
enormous crush on Brandon Boyd so she was the most excited. Harmonia
was more inclined to wait for tonight when Linkin Park took the
stage.

As they were walking about and indulged Bliss' idle curiosity
of what was being sold in the concession stands, Erin decided to talk
to Cupid about their friend Joxer.

"So, have you talked with him yet?" asked Erin, who was now
carrying Bliss and distracting him with a balloon that he brought for
him. "I still can't believe that he quit his job after the beach
party. What the hell happened anyway?"

Cupid nodded and bought some juice for all of them. "Xena and
I tracked him down to the apartment which he was crashing at the time
and tried to talk to him. His brother, Jayce I believe, told us that
he was having an off day and he'll talk to us soon." A mental image
of Jayce came to mind and Cupid shook his head. "Nice guy that
brother of Joxer. Offered us some iced tea and cakes. Now, if you
could only look pass the mascara and the pink kimono that he wore
when he received us." Both of them chuckled, good-naturedly. Bliss
sipped on his juice while his big eyes looked at everything with open
wonder. "Got to talk to him a few days later and asked him about
waking up with Dad. He said that he didn't know what happened, only
that he drank two cups of the Scotch and everything was a blur for
that point. When he woke up the next day, he was scared shitless. Who
wouldn't be after having a one night stand with one of America's most
powerful men and you're not a hooker? He didn't even remembered if it
was good or not."

Strife grimaced. Yeah, he would pretty much freak too if I
woke up the next day with someone like Ares. The possible
repercussions alone would scare anyone. He loved his Uncle Ares and
all, but sometimes people get a little too intimidated of him. The
last person who Ares had sex with tried to screw him over by selling
her story to the tabloids. Needless to say, the story was squashed
and the ho was never found again, at least in the West Coast. He felt
no pity for her but it could be worse.

Walking back to where all of them were camped for the
festival, Erin kept on shooting everything he deemed worth to be
immortalized on photo paper. Most of those, he didn't really notice
until later, were pictures of Cupid and Bliss, doing the things a son
and a father would do together. Cupid caught him taking a shot and
smiled as Erin took one more. When they got back to their site,
Incubus only started to get on stage. All of them winced when they
heard a familiar shriek coming for the concert area. Apparently being
a senior in college, and being a Goth girl, doesn't get you to stop
acting like a star-struck fan, as Acclippe demonstrated much to the
amusement of her family when Brandon Boyd came on stage shirtless.

"You know, she's been coming around since you came over to
live with us," said Xena, who sat beside Erin who was taking shots of
the performance with a telephoto lens. Both of them watched over
Acclippe who screamed suddenly, `Brandon, Marry me!' upon hearing
range to the stage. The cousins guffawed with side-splitting mirth
after hearing that one.

"She just needed someone to talk to," said Erin enigmatically
as he continued to click away with his camera, now holding in his
laughter. By now, the grounds were full of people, either watching
the stage or wandering around the fringes. Personally, Strife was
just waiting for Eve 6 to get on stage later in the afternoon. He
could wait, what with his family around him to amuse him and a
blowhorn to scare the crap out of a few people.

* * *
Meanwhile in the apartment of Joxer's brother….

"Joxer, you got to get out sometime, sugar. It's simply not
right for you to cage yourself here in my apartment. What if I want
to entertain some `guests'?" complained Jayce, Joxer's older brother.

Joxer just rolled his eyes and continued to surf the cable
channels. The innuendo wasn't lost to him since he knew that his
brother was worse than a `flaming queen' because of his job as a
transvestite entertainer in the town's one and only gay club.

Not that he didn't want to leave the company of his flamboyant
brother; it was that there were factors to his not wanting to go
outside. One of which was that he had no place to stay. Two, Gabby
was still out to destroy him if ever they saw each other in the
street. Hopefully by the time they did see each other, Joxer hoped
that he's in a car and she's crossing the street. Just plain wishful
thinking. Next, he was too depressed to go out and find a new job. Of
course, he still went to his cooking classes, but he kept mostly to
himself because he was too embarrassed to talk to Anteros. Lastly and
probably the most incriminating, he was afraid of seeing Ares. As the
days rolled by, he slowly started to remember each and every touch
and sensation of that encounter. One part of his mind said that he
raped him but his heart said otherwise because Ares was pliant and
quite willing in his arms. He silently prayed to whatever deity out
there to answer his questions.

While Jayce tried to coax Joxer to leave the apartment and Joxer, in
turn, continued to ignore Jayce for `Queer as Folk' reruns, a black
limousine pulled up at the curb outside of the building. An
impeccably dressed chauffeur came out from the driver seat and opened
up the door for his employer. First to come out was Hermes, dressed
in his usual Calvin Klein suit which Ares always insisted that people
in his management team to wear. He surveyed the building with subtle
revulsion. Moving aside, he made way for Ares, dressed in black, to
step out. His nostrils flared up with aversion to the surrounding
area.

"Hermes, take note," he said nonchalantly. "Propose a project to the
city council about urban renewal in this side of town." His secretary
pulled out his palm pilot and wrote the notes down. He went up to the
list of tenants beside the buzzer and found the name of Jayce Thebes,
who lived on the third floor. Ringing the buzzer wasn't needed as
someone came out of the building and Ares used the opened door to
enter the apartment building with Hermes following behind. Both of
them eyed the interior with more repulsion than what they felt
outside. Garbage was strewn on the floor and graffiti filled the
walls. Shaking his head, Ares and Hermes went up the stairs and found
the right door with one of the numbers, a three, precariously
swinging on the door, just waiting for the right slam to knock it
off. After a pause to collect himself, Ares knocked on the door and
looked up at the ceiling, praying for some strength. His eyes
betrayed his shock as Joxer opened the door, or at least it was Joxer
behind all that foundation and lipstick.

"May I help you, honey?" asked the Joxer look-alike with a voice like
Joxer; only it dripped with a southern drawl as fake as his
eyelashes.

Ares blinked. "Uhhh, Joxer?" he asked, suddenly unsure of what he was
going to do. Hermes just looked on with candid delight at the
situation.

The Joxer look-alike turned back inside and shouted, "Hey Joxie, some
prime grade A meat is here looking for you?" Ares could here Hermes
snickering behind him and gave him a warning glance. The Joxer-in-a-
pink-kimono gave way to a Joxer in jeans and a white shirt. The sight
made Ares twitch in lust. Clamping down his libido, he tried to speak
but was denied that as the real Joxer slammed the door in his face
with fright. The loose number three fell to the floor. From outside
the threshold, Ares could hear frantic movement and, eventually,
another door slamming.

Crestfallen, Ares was about to leave but the door opened again and
Jayce came out. He confronted Ares, both hands fisted in either side
of his waist and one foot thumping on the ground, as if it implied
that he was waiting for an explanation.

"I'm Joxie's brother Jayce. Now, you, me, and this cutesy friend of
yours are going downstairs to the corner diner and we are going to
talk. Joxie's been depressed for over two weeks now and this is the
first time he did anything other than go to class and loaf around
like a queen who lost his man, though that might be true if you were
the man in question." Ares tried not to blush. "Now Scoot!" Jayce
shooed him down the stairs, with Hermes trailing behind them, already
thinking of calling the rest of the clan about this latest
development.

* * *

By the time Bliss finished his nap in one of the tents, half
of the bands featured for the festival have already performed. Most
of the siblings anticipated the next group to come on stage, which
was Coldplay. Psyche let out a sigh of relief that her son wasn't
that fussy the whole afternoon. She left him in the care of Cupid and
Erin who were both not too keen on watching the band perform. Even
from their vantage point they could still see everything as they were
camped near the edge of a hill. While both of them sat on the
foldable chairs that they brought along, Bliss played with his baby
chemistry set. A familiar vial of purple liquid inconspicuously lay
among the toys.

"Have you seen Phobus since lunch time?" asked Cupid while
opening a bottle of Snapple. He left the cap on the cooler that was
between him and Erin. He drank a little and placed the bottle beside
the discarded cap.

"Nope! Last I heard, he went with two of the muses backstage
and had kinky sex," said Erin, before grabbing the bottle that Cupid
drank from and gulped some Kiwi Strawberry. "At least that was what I
heard."

While they talked on about world events, the dying art of how
to pull off a perfect wedgie, and how the Teletubbies could possibly
be that next sign of the apocalypse, they didn't notice that Bliss
came up to the cooler and poured some of the purple stuff into the
Snapple. After corking the vial and putting it back into his bag of
things, he hummed merrily and tried to keep in tune with the song
being sung at the moment.

* * *

Joxer was having a pleasant dream of a dark man in black
clothes looming over him. He tried to move, but the more he struggled
the tighter the restraints on his wrists and ankles became. He didn't
mind the bondage, honestly. He just wished that the dark man would do
something other than hover above him.

"So you're finally awake?" asked the man.

Joxer blinked. He wanted to pinch himself to see if he was
awake or not. Obviously, he couldn't do it because he was tied up.
Suddenly this dream didn't seem to be all that pleasant anymore.

The man came out of the shadows and revealed himself to be
Ares. Once recognition settled in, Joxer shrank back in terror. Some
small satisfaction swelled over Ares' being when he saw Joxer's
reaction to him. Silently chuckling to himself, he then began
stripping his suit off, starting with his tie in slow, practically
seductive movements. Joxer's mouth went dry as each article of
clothing fell to onto the chair beside Ares. As he removed his
pristine white shirt, Ares revealed his strong, hairy chest. Lifting
the wifebeater from his body, he showed the ridged abs and the
wonderful treasure trail. Next to go were the shoes and socks from
his large feet. Once his trousers fell to the floor, Ares watched as
Joxer saw the tenting in his silk boxers. He smirked when he heard
the intake of breathe as he quickly rid himself of his underwear and
exposed himself fully to the bound man on the bed.

Joxer could only stay stock still as Ares approached the bed
with predatory grace. Like a jungle cat checking on his prey, Ares
went on all fours and began licking and sniffing up Joxer's leg,
driving Joxer close to craziness.

Ares loved the feel of the pale skin underneath his tongue.
It tasted of apples and honey, mixing with the salt of sweat.
Deliberately, he avoided the jutting cock, much to Joxer's
consternation, and went on tasting. Bellybutton. Armpits. The hollow
of the neck. Adam's apple. The chin. The lips. One kiss and Joxer was
gone. Ares could taste the coffee that Joxer drank earlier as he
delved deeper down his mouth. After a moment, Joxer felt the
separation of Ares' mouth and immediately felt the loss. He opened
his eyes and saw the night sky in those dark irises. With a smooth
glide downwards, Joxer felt those rough but sensuous hands touch him
in areas that he never before found erotic. As the mouth hung over
dangerously close to the tip of his cock, Joxer wanted to scream for
Ares to suck him. He got his wish as warmth and wetness enveloped his
penis. Ecstasy barely covered the elation that he felt as the tongue
spun around the tip and teeth gently scrape along side the shaft.
Joxer wanted this to never end, but as Ares swallowed him whole and
deep-throated him, Joxer came in copious waves and screamed at the
intensity.

Joxer was still breathing hard when Ares removed his cum-
dripping mouth away from the sensitive cock. Not wanting to pursue
anymore foreplay, Ares did his trademark smirk and plunged deep into
Joxer's anus. Hearing the sudden gasp, of pleasure or pain he didn't
know, Ares allowed Joxer to hold on to his invading member. Ares
started to pump in and out of the wonderful heat and made sure that
each and every thrust struck Joxer's prostate, making the bound man
shiver in pitched lust. He lifted gently Joxer's ass to better angle
his piston movement and he was rewarded with a gratifying moan,
begging for more. Silenced with a kiss, Ares continued to give long
strokes until he felt the impending need to climax. By then, he
shifted to faster, shorter thrusts, making Joxer wild with desire.
With one final push, Joxer and Ares came at the same time.

Ares fell on top of Joxer and forced himself to calm his
breathing. Unconsciously, he stroked onto Joxer's thighs and nibbled
at his ear, while Joxer luxuriated from the after glow of being well-
fucked. With some effort, Ares rose reluctantly and untied the
restraints. Once freed, Joxer pulled Ares down and gave him a kiss.

* * *

"So, do you think they're going to come out anytime soon?"
asked Hermes after hearing the start of round number five. He was
stirring some coffee and felt the need to get laid.

Jayce sighed wistfully. After hearing Ares' side of things,
he let Ares into his brother room and allowed to have his own way
with him. He smiled knowingly. He knew that Joxer wouldn't mind in
the long run. After getting to know Ares, Jayce approved of Joxer's
choice of who to fuck over. Not to sound mean or anything, but this
was way more entertaining than hearing him whine over Gabrielle. Too
bad it was making him horny also.

"Listen Sugar Pie, I don't think that they're going to leave
there any time soon, so what do you say to a meal at the diner, and
then a show at the `Sweet Thing'. Who knows? Maybe we'll get lucky
and get laid?"

Hermes thought about it and decided to leave Ares to his own
devices. He was sure that he wouldn't be needed until tomorrow. Both
of them then left the apartment for dinner and some relief from the
passive voyeurism.

* * *

Erin didn't know how it happened. One minute, he was looking
at Cupid, and then suddenly he felt hot all over. He could tell that
his cousin felt the same way as his blue-green eyes smoldered with
want. His breathing became heavy and his body itched to touch Cupid.
Both of them wanted to do it, this out of the blue desire to fuck
each other. His mind started to shut down to everything except his
rising lust, but he had to control himself. Bliss was with them and
about eight thousand people too.

Out of nowhere, Acclippe came into their field of vision and
asked what was wrong. Not wanting to answer the question, Cupid told
her to watch over Bliss and dragged Erin away from the grounds and
back to one of the vans. The moment the sliding door closed, Cupid
was all over Erin and was trying his best to get under his skin. The
frenetic development of they're wandering hands and legs kept on
going as they continued to make out in the enclosed space of the van.

Back at the camp, Meleager and Diomedes came back to see
Acclippe playing with their nephew. They asked about where Cupid and
Erin were and she said, "I don't know. It was strange. All I did was
ask them if they were okay then they bolted, but not before saying to
look after Bliss." The identical twins gave her a questioning look.
She shrugged in return. "It was like they were in heat or something."

TBC..

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