Sarah
A lively marketplace where revelers indulge in the finest wines, exotic delicacies, and enchanted libations. Shops and stalls showcase an array of divine spirits, and the air is alive with the sounds of laughter, music, and the clinking of glasses.
James
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TW: ||General miscreant behaviour, sexual references, adult themes, gross shit. Soz||

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*Beating the devil's tattoo, Sin Personified languidly consumed the last remnants of nectar from out a coupe glass not technically her own. Crossing one exposed leg over the other, the Goddess' tongue chased the droplets around the inside of the cup's rim, slinging her head so far back that the ends of her ebony curls lapped at the top of her tailbone. She dangled the glass up in the air by its elongated stem, gently shaking the vessel to ensure she slurped every last dew of sweetness from it. Table manners were superfluous; satisfaction, however, was imperative.*

*The original owner of the savoured beverage was a middle-aged mortal, now slumped over in his chair on the opposite side of the marble table. He was barely conscious of his company anymore despite having caroused liberally in her unruly influence for the better part of an hour. Evidence of his gluttony was everywhere; seven whole chicken carcasses, the bones picked clean of their succulent flesh along with six empty bottles of expensive liquor and two baskets now completely bare of bread. If any doubt remained as to how much the human had gobbled down on his own, one only needed to check his jowls, glistening with the unmistakable sheen of chicken fat.*

*Kakia's lustrous lips pulled upwards, contorting into a malevolent smirk as she set the glass back down on the table, satisfied there was no more joy to be found there. Rising from her seat, the Goddess adjusted the haughty gold straps of her dress before moseying on over to her mortal associate's side. For a single tense moment, the woman stood ominously still over the compromised human, glowering with a look that wasn't so easily discernible to the average passers-by. Though as swiftly as it appeared, it disappeared. Kakia's features softened before leaning down to whisper something directly into the man's ear.*

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**"I hope you had as much fun as I did, Alexander. You know, my nights with you are always so memorable."** 

*Of course, Alexander wasn't lucid enough to comprehend the sweet-nothings of a Goddess, yet still, the raven-haired beauty lingered close by as if expecting a coherent response. Like an obsessive child covetting her favourite toy, Kakia stared intently as the man's chest rose and fell in a debilitated manner. Though as the silent seconds continued to pass, it became more and more apparent that this particular one was broken.*

**"Bugger."**

*Sighing in tandem with the realisation her entertainment for the evening was no longer operational, the Goddess tilted her head to the side as she proceeded to cautiously stroke the mortal's inflated cheek. Delicately, Kakia collected a sample of congealed grease along the full breadth of her index finger, before placing it unashamedly into her mouth. The residual jelly seemed to dissipate as soon as it came into contact with her saliva, though the salty, lukewarm and gritty aftertaste remained palpable for a few moments longer. By all accounts, such a display would have been deemed utterly repugnant, though any manner of indulgence was considered precisely that; repulsive. A pity too, that lesser beings did not understand real honesty and truth were not always as beautiful as the sonnets described them being.*

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*Leaving Alexander to enjoy his drunken haze alone, Kakia ventured into the crowd of Bazaar revellers, weaving her way through the mass of bodies that were swaying to the 102nd Dithyramb of the evening. It only served as an egregious reminder that she would need to pay Dionysus himself a visit soon, though such pragmatism would be swiftly flung to the wayside as something familiar emerged in the Goddess' periphery. Immediately, the woman pivoted on her heels to confirm what her eyes had apparently recognised. Sure enough, there he stood, in all his glory, and even more strangely, above the tides. Agog, Kakia could hardly believe the immortal had survived his father's rebellion, let alone the spiteful, surly attitude of a Nemesis scorned.*

**"Triton?"**
Diana
Triton, the once-revered God of the Sea, found himself wandering the winding cobblestone streets of the Intoxicating Bazaar. The marketplace, known for its decadent offerings, pulsed with the energy of revelers indulging in the finest wines and exotic delicacies of the sea. Shops and stalls overflowed with spirits, their aromas mingling with the sounds of laughter, music, and the clinking of glasses. Yet, amidst this lively backdrop, Triton stumbled along, his aura dimmed by despair and intoxication. His hair, long and wavy, tumbled down past his shoulders, the deep chestnut of his locks complemented by the soft sunlight that cast a gentle glow on his surroundings. His facial hair was kept to a medium stubble, framing his mouth and jawline with a scruffy look. His attire consisted of a buttoned-up shirt in a muted shade of green. His shirt's sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, revealing forearms that hinted at his physical strength. Paired with this, he wore slim-fitting black pants. His grip tightened around the neck of a half-empty bottle of red wine, its contents sloshing with each step. The flush of alcohol painted his cheeks a slight ruddy color, contrasting the somber cast of his cerulean eyes. It was here, under the lanterns, that Triton grappled with the twin specters of heartache and curse.

The curse of Persephone, cruel in its poetic justice, haunted him: **"You will find yourself in lonesome agony as all those whom once found love for you will no longer find your company tolerable."** As if her words were woven into the very air, each interaction with the bazaar's merry inhabitants reinforced this grim reality. Conversations dwindled when he approached and laughter ceased; it was as if everyone either wanted to avoid him or antagonize him. Nemesis' rejection only added another layer of torment. As he watched couples share whispered secrets and friends toast to eternal bonds, the sting of isolation was particularly sharp. With each step, Triton's demeanor grew more petulant and his movements more erratic. He cursed under his breath at passersby who steered clear, sensing he could be dangerous, and at one point, he brandished his wine bottle like a trident, causing a nearby group of women to scatter with giggles that sounded both merry and mocking.

The bazaar around him seemed to swell with joy, heightening his sense of alienation. Musicians struck up a lively tune, and the crowd responded with an uptick in cheer. Triton, with a heavy sigh, continued his drunken meander. At last, he found a quiet corner, far from the heart of the bazaar. Here, the shadows gathered, and the noises of celebration were a distant echo. Triton slumped against the cool stone of a deserted stall, the bottle of wine slipping from his grasp and rolling away, its remaining contents trickling into the cobblestones. The silence Persephone had promised enveloped him, and in this unwelcome solitude, Triton closed his eyes. He envisioned the ocean's depths. It was in this imagined retreat to his underwater sanctum that Triton found a semblance of peace, the pain of the curse momentarily soothed by the phantom embrace of the sea.

That's when he heard his name. He looked up to see one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen standing before him. He squinted, trying to put a name to the face. It took a moment, but then he said, "Kakia? With a grunt he stood up, a crooked grin causing the corner of his lips to upturn. Despite his inebriated state he looked good. "Long time no see. What brings you here this evening? Would you like to grab a drink? Come on, I know a place that makes great cocktails. I just needed a minute alone to clear my head."
James
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*Suspended in the humid Olympian air like the wretched stench of wet dog after a storm, Kakia caught whiff of it almost instantly. Unadulterated indulgence. Her nostrils flared in recognition, saliva collected on the underside of her tongue as she ventured closer to the handsome Sea God as if he were the finest cut of steak, cooked to her liking alone. How rare it was, to have an Immortal in such a compromised position without any prior provocation, yet here Triton stood; well-groomed and well-lubed... Socially, anyway. The Goddess' grin sheened with a pearly-white malice as she sidled up next to the intoxicated man, her aura immediately enveloping his burly figure, shielding his mind from any semblance of restraint that may have lurked in the undercurrents.*

**"Propositioning me with a good time? How could I ever refuse?"**

*Her hand coyly gestured for Triton to lead the way, though his drunken orienteering wasn't really necessary. Sin-Personified had watched a million poor, unfortunate souls lay waste to their dreams and ambitions in every establishment that graced Dionysus' Revelry. The rowdy streets that lined this corner of Olympian were intrinsically carved into the Goddess' mind. A dark map plotted along a path of destitution and corruption; a sinner's paradise. She could still taste the mortal's tears shed in her name, washed down the gutters along with every morsel of hope that may have remained. Delicious.*

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*Kakia allowed the God of the Sea to take charge, following close behind as the two ventured towards the cocktail bar. Her onyx orbs followed the creases in his shirt, barely veiling the chiseled physique underneath. Of course, more nefarious thoughts had plagued her mind in the seconds that passed though they were swiftly interrupted by a single aggravating thought; Nemesis. Invisible lines had long been drawn around those the Goddess of Vengeance had been intimate with, though it wasn't for any moral reasons so much as it was for the sake of Kakia's continued existence. Lost in the many interactions of "But-what-if", the woman nearly forgot to grant the God further fodder for conversation.*

**"If you're looking to clear your head, you've definitely come to the right place. Everyone else around these parts is in the same boat..."**

*As soon as the word left her mouth, Kia pressed her lips together in muted revolt of her own ridiculous pun. The point still stood, however, mortals and Gods alike came to this place to avoid the qualms of reality. While the Goddess of Vice was no different from the masses, her motives were far less innocent.*

**"...Forgetting is much easier when it's aided by alcohol."**

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*Heels clipped rhymically along the cobblestone as the two ventured down one side street, and then another. Turning two or three more corners before presumably coming to the joint Triton was guiding them to, Kakia's brows furrowed as she took stock of the bar and its patrons. Had she been here before? It seemed familiar; quaint. Her stare immediately cut to the counter, trying to determine if she had slept with the bartender as the pair found a vacant table to sit at. Despite the distraction, Sin-Personified made herself comfortable, before resting her chin upon the heel of her palm, glaring intently at the man now sitting opposite her.*

**"We don't have to talk about whatever is going on inside that brain of yours. All I need to know is, is this going to be a Long Island Iced Tea kind of night, or an Old Fashioned?"**
Diana
The lively bazaar, full of revelry and good cheer, became more muted as a backdrop in Kakia's presence. She had a way of centering herself and becoming brighter as the world dimmed around her. It was almost as if Triton could see her aura, a dark halo of doom and misery beckoning him to her. His head swam with the alcohol, his mind dulled but intrigued at what the night could be. No one had ever overestimated himself more than Triton, who even now thought he would come out of all of this on top while Persephone's curse grinded him into dust. But for all of Triton's emotional vulnerabilities, not to mention his inebriated state, he still had his wits about him. He knew *Exactly* Who Kakia was – that was one of the reasons he was so excited to see her – but he also knew the dangers involved. She was sin and vice and misery wrapped up in the alluring package of a beautiful woman, the most dangerous of all predators. He smiled, more to himself than to her, as if thinking, game on. After all, what did he have to lose? He had already lost everything! The breeze ticked up, blowing his wild hair all about as he gestured for her to follow.

Triton cast a long shadow, even with his wings clipped. Mortals may have felt vaguely hostile towards him, but they nonetheless stepped aside as he cut a path through, his godly eminence emanating all around him like a protective shield. For even cursed, has he not plumbed the greatest depths of the sea? Tamed the tide and communed with great whales? His was a history of ocean mastery, for a time with the Goddess of Retribution herself on his arm. One could forgive the man for dismissing his current troubles in the face of his own majesty. "This way," He said, almost a command, his voice a rich baritone, sure of himself and only slightly slurred. "Everyone is in the same boat, yes, but what troubles these mortals suffer pale in comparison to the burden we gods bear. Just as high as we can fly, so too that much lower we can fall." It was precisely this haughty attitude towards humanity that had gotten him in trouble with the Goddess of the underworld. Triton was more like his father than he cared to admit.

Once they were seated at their table he ordered them two Old Fashions, as well as two Modelo Negros. Now he leaned back, stretching his legs out and crossing his ankles while placing his hands behind his head and regarding her silently for a beat. "What brings you here, Kakia, to Dionysus' little slice of Olympian? I suspect you've already ruined someone's night to warm yourself up," He grinned crookedly; it was easy not to think about Nemesis when he had someone just as gorgeous sitting across from him. 

When their drinks came he handed his card to the waitress and told her to keep it open. Then he raised his glass. "Salute." Triton knocked his drink back in a few gulps and then reached for his beer, but didn't open it yet. "You smoke?" He produced a hand-rolled cigarette from behind ear. No telling what exactly was in it. 

"I wanted to skip past all the foreplay and just come out and ask whose side you're supporting in this war, but you know what? I'm not sure I care anymore. The war is fucking boring. I'm much more interested in what color panties you're wearing." With that, he lit the tip of the cigarette and inhaled the black smoke into his lungs before exhaling it from his nostrils in a steady stream.

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James
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*Words weren't really necessary when responding to Triton's first accusatory question, posed right before a selection of alcoholic beverages arrived at their table. A carmine smirk, perfectly misaligned, coiled upon the Goddess' lips as her inky orbs pandered upwards to meet the Ocean's own. The lingering look exchanged between the pair validated his casual conjecture, though any further details on the matter would remain a mystery as the waitress scurried away with the God's credit card in hand. Kakia was under no misapprehensions about how the righteous viewed her modus operandi, though that was merely a reflection of their own ignorance. Sin was the unequivocal truth, waging a holy war against the facade of morality many in the world were forced to don.*

*Mirroring Triton's gesture, Kakia raised her own glass into the air, as some of the liquor sloshed out over the rim in response to the sudden movement.*

** "To the Sinners! May their cups never be empty!"**

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*In one fell swoop, the Old Fashion disappeared down the Goddess' throat, her expression remaining unperturbed despite shooting the potent cocktail in full. Discarding the empty cup to the side, Kakia then reached for the neck of the beer bottle as her focus returned to the company she kept. Despite his obvious inebriation, the dark immortal was partial to the way Triton's navy blues unashamedly drank her figure in. Though there was something nefarious lurking in the depths of his deposition that Sin-personified sensed but couldn't quite put her finger on. A peculiar repulsion conjured from seemingly nothing vexed the Goddess' in an instant, like a fleeting 'ick', one that even she had trouble ignoring. Curious.*

*Any further thought on the topic, however, was interrupted by the offering of a dubious hand-rolled smoke and a question that would have set Nemesis on a casual killing spree. Kakia sniggered nonchalantly at the pass as she leaned back further into the confines of her chair. It wasn't even the most grotesque thing she'd heard that evening, but it curdled in the pit of her stomach like spoiled milk. Perplexed, the Goddess started connecting the invisible clues together with a learned precision, and while her assumptions remained hypothetical, there was an inherent recognition that these pangs of aversion were likely the result of curse. A powerful one. Fortunately for the God sitting across from her, Kakia had dabbled in the repugnant since birth, so her tolerance was tempered far better than the majority. Besides that, though, his lusty rhetoric beckoned to the most primordial aspect of her psyche; the desire for power.*

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*Through the smoky haze exhaled from Triton's nostrils, the Goddess of Vice grinned menacingly, the cap of her beer being flung over her shoulder for some pathetic mortal to pick up later. After taking a heavy swig of the brew, Kakia wiped her mouth along the back of her forearm, and leaned in closer to the Ocean's master. As she did so, her left foot slipped out of the heel she wore, and teasingly ascended the young God's shin, pulling his pant-leg upwards with a gentle pressure.*

** "Whatever would your Daddy think, if he knew how you truly felt about his little rebellion?"** *She cooed, almost sweetly. Her head subtly tilted to the side causing her ebony locks to splay out like shadows upon the tabletop before them.* ** "I bet he'd be quite upset, no?"**

*As her caustic words spilled forth, the Goddess' sable gaze shifted to the illuminated tip of the cigarette, precariously dangling from between Triton's fingers. Carefully, Sin-personified extended her hand out, wrapping her claws around the Sea God's wrist to take control of it. With delicate direction, Kakia rotated the immortal's grasp so the butt of the smoke was only a few tantalising millimetres away from her lips. Edging closer to the filter, the woman stopped short, briefly glancing up at Triton with a devious glimmer.*

** "Why would I be wearing any at all?"**

*Leaving that hanging amidst the grey hues of tobacco mist, Kakia took a long draw of the nicotine, allowing it to fill her black lungs until even the monoxide itself gasped for the relief of oxygen once more.*
Diana
The air was thick with the scent of exotic spices—cinnamon, cardamom, and saffron blended with the earthy undertones of fresh herbs and the sweet fragrance of ripening fruits. Stalls in the distance were draped in colorful silks and satin, each one a small universe of unto itself, selling everything from rare incenses to handmade trinkets that gleamed under the warm glow of oil lamps. Beneath their feet, a mosaic of cobblestones, worn smooth by time, reflected the golden hues of lanterns that swung gently in the evening breeze. Music drifted through the air, a mix of lyres and flutes playing with the distant beat of drums. "To the sinners," He murmured, raising his glass. Triton's lips twitched upwards into a half-smile, a silent acknowledgment of the dark currents that flowed between them as Kakia knocked out her drink in one go.

Triton's smirk widened into a full grin as he leaned back in his chair, the wood creaking under his relaxed weight. His eyes danced with an edgy glint, reflecting the dim lights of the bar as he observed the Goddess of Vice across from him. With the smoke curling from her lips, her demeanor seemed to challenge the sanctity of the mundane around them, drawing him deeper into the game they played. "Oh, I don't know about that. Our relationship is stormy, my support nominal at even the best of times," Triton mused, "He's a real asshole." He leaned forward, elbows resting on the table, creating a casual intimacy between them. His gaze lingered on her a moment longer, savoring the artful provocation of her gesture with the cigarette. "You know, there's something liberating about throwing caution to the wind... Especially when it means stirring the waters as you do." His voice dipped lower, taking on a husky quality as he spoke of rebellion and freedom before lifting the beer to his lips for another drink. "As far as secrets go," He continued, leaning in closer, his voice now a whisper, "They do make for the most delicious kind of currency." His eyes locked onto hers, intense and unyielding. "But then, you're no stranger to the currency of sin, are you? I wonder what secrets *You're* Harboring inside of that twisted mind of yours." He paused, letting his question hang in the air like the smoke that surrounded them.

In Kakia's company he could almost forget about Nemesis, about Persephone and his family and all of the troubles weighing him down. But something gnawed at him, an incessant little itch he couldn't help but scratch. Why had she shown up now? Of all the times they could cross paths, she just so happened to come across him when he was at his lowest, alone and feeling vulnerable? And oh how quickly she had made him feel important, charming and attractive... Suddenly, it all felt entirely contrived to the sea god, which put him on edge. Was this a set up? More likely, it was Kakia doing Kakia things, sniffing out someone she could take advantage of. It was like waking up out of a dream, only you were inebriated. His jaw tightened and he forced a smile, taking another drink.

"I'm going to need confirmation on the status of these panties," He said with a crooked grin, finishing off his beer, "Otherwise, I'll just be thinking about it all night." Probably her intention, he mused, feeling like the smartest guy in the room. "To be completely candid with you, I'm not sure how much longer I'm staying out. I need to get back up to my hotel room, take a shower, and unwind. I've been out and about all day." He smiled innocently, finishing his beer. He motioned at the waitress for one more round of old fashions, and then to close out. Kakia's time was running out.
James
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*With a single, torpid exhalation, the tobacco miasma thickened between the pair, as the kohl outline of Kakia's almond eyes pierced sharply through the cloud of smoke. The immortal's scathing evaluation of his own father caused a flicker of a smile to form upon the woman's features, but perhaps not for the reasons her company may have presumed. Having been around for nigh on an eternity now, it never ceased to amaze Kakia how willingly the Gods were ready to criticise each other. Though she supposed loyalty had always been a particularly fickle thing to harness around these parts, especially when considering the calibre of parenting had set the bar to "Devouring your children'' as a middle ground. In Poseidon's muted defence, however, his actions had not always been so... Uninfluenced.*

*While the Sea God jeered about the secrets Kakia undoubtedly kept, they only caused Sin-personified to smile sweetly, propping her elbows up onto the table and interlocking her fingers so her chin had a place to rest. Leaving his pervasive question hanging in the silence for a few moments longer, the Goddess' gaze locked onto Triton, darting from side to side, as if trying to determine what angle he was playing at here. With the tips of their noses merely a few tangible inches apart now, the stifling proximity still offered no answers that satiated the woman's curiosity. There was something sinister lurking in the depths of Triton's soul, something that he seemed hellbent on protecting by any means necessary that even deflection had been employed as a viable tactic. A pity really, Kakia sighed sympathetically.*

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**"I rather like to think I'm not so mysterious,"** *Her words were whispered, laced with a candour that seemed oddly out of place when spilling forth from the Goddess' own mouth.* **"Whatever you may have heard about me and my particular skill set, Triton, I can assure you, my only currency is truth."**

*Her dark eyes levelled with the opposing God's own, before she tentatively took her thumb and delicately wiped away the remnants of beer that glistened on the man's bottom lip. Amidst the throes of the intimate exchange, Kakia inhaled deeply, a shudder corralling up her spine as she allowed her hand to linger against his skin. Triton would never know how exquisite his lust tasted, but the Goddess would have described it to Homer in great detail, if he had the chance to add it to his collection of infamous works. Slowly, she withdrew her touch long before he'd recognised what just occurred.* 

** "You know, most of us tend to suppress the more nefarious aspects of our personalities because we have to. We're all bound, whether we want to believe it or not, by the expectations that others force upon us. Frankly, I just always found that to be some kind of bullshit,"** *She pulled away purposefully, taking another slog of beer before continuing,* ** "All I have ever wanted is for others to be free of those shackles. To be true to who they are. Who they really are."**

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*The sudden shift in her company's disposition was palpable, for while Kakia embodied the very worst of the human condition, she was a master of perception and persuasion. Triton was acutely aware that he was dancing with the proverbial devil now, a luxury most of her mortal prey did not have the pleasure of knowing beforehand. Though while he may have been able to resist her initial advances, how effectively he could fight his own primal urges, especially while under the influence of alcohol, remained to be truly tested. Kakia was not worried though, because ultimately, she would get what she wanted regardless of the form it came in. Lust, wrath, sloth, gluttony; to her they all tasted the same and even if the Urchin thought fighting his compulsion was going to rob her of that opportunity, he'd be sorely mistaken. Sin was an endless buffet, and the Goddess had her fork its the hide.*

**"If you want any confirmation, I suppose you'll just have to take me home."**

*Kakia's malevolent grin returned in tandem with the proposition put forward. What would the God of the Sea do now?*