John
At the heart of Eros Enclave lies the Aphrodite's Secret Lounge, a sultry and opulent space where gods and mortals come together to revel in the pleasures of love and desire. The lounge features plush seating, soft lighting, and enchanting music that creates an intimate ambiance. Divine mixologists craft elixirs that ignite passion and infuse the air with an irresistible allure.
Dorothy
Another night, another party with his Uncle Plutus. As was standard at this point, the two gods had met up at a local club that they both favored for hours of inebriated fun. As they claimed their normal booth in a darkened corner, Adonis went to the bar to order drinks for the table and himself.

"Excuse me?" A soft voice spoke over the roar of the club, reaching his ears just as a dainty hand reached out to caress his arm. "Is this spot taken?" 

Pulling back from the bar, Adonis turned, flashing the woman a sultry smirk as he slowly dragged his eyes over her body. "It is now." 
The woman smiled and sidled up closer, wrapping her arm around his without hesitation before leaning her head against his shoulder. No more words were spoken between the two as Adonis continued to order drinks - because there didn't need to be. He knew why the woman was there, so possessively attaching herself to him as though he were a gazelle surrounded by starving lions. She may as well have been drooling, the way her eyes swam and cheeks flushed with her desire for him. It was flattering. 

Or at least it used to be.

Still, after what was starting to feel like an eternity of being desired by nearly everyone to lay eyes upon him, Adonis became numb to the adoration. This was why he spent so many of his nights at bars and clubs in the arms of strangers, under the influence of different drugs and alcohol, until he couldn't remember the last person he kissed or the previous one-night stand. It helped to perpetuate the lie that he was happy being promiscuous and unattached.

After a few rounds of shots, he leaned in close to the woman until the smell of the alcohol on their breaths began to mingle together. "Care to dance?" He asked, ensuring his voice was low, enticing, and barely audible. 

As always, there was no hesitation in answering his question, so the two made their way to the packed dance floor. In a matter of seconds, they went from locked arms to intertwined bodies, rubbing against each other to the beat of the music as the heat of the surrounding crowd started to make them sweat. 

After a few songs, Adonis noticed his uncle waving and pointing at the bar, indicating that they were out of liquor and that he couldn't be bothered to order it himself. With a smile and an eye-roll, he pulled himself away from the woman, watching as she pouted and tried to close the distance he had just created. "Sorry, love, but duty calls."

It took only a little more effort to leave the woman behind as she had not been compelled in any way by the god so that Adonis could make his way across the club relatively easily. As he stepped up to the bar, the server turned to him instantly, leaving whomever they had been serving in the middle of their order. "What'll it be?" 

"The usual—your most expensive bottles, please!" He watched as the bartender nodded and turned to fulfill his request, the person they had just been speaking to waving at them and failing to get their attention before glaring at him. With an apologetic smile, Adonis shrugged, feeling a little bad as the person stormed off to the other side of the bar. *I'll have to buy them a drink later.*
Alysa
Difficult days were the reason late nights at clubs existed, and difficult days were becoming a lot more frequent as the war went on. More and more, Sasha found himself stepping out of the hospital and right into a club to finish his long hours off with a few drinks, a lot of dancing, and someone new in his bed. It was the easiest way to temporarily forget the issues plaguing the world around him, to put the trauma of what he had seen at the hospital to the back of his mind. To let loose and feel *Human* Again. 

That night was no different. Sasha was fresh off of a twenty hour shift after a battle between the gods collapsed an office building full of people. Patients were wheeled in one after the other, sorted through triage, and then received by whichever doctors had an opening to squeeze them in. Sasha lost count of all the emergency surgeries he had to perform, all of the people he lost on the operating table. 

Many might think a doctor might want to go home and rest after a day like that. Take a hot bath, eat some ice cream and then pass out in bed watching trash TV. And while those types of nights always had their appeal, Sasha couldn't help but feel wired once he got off of work. Too awake and too on edge to settle down. A night out at the club before passing out in someone's arms was exactly what he needed to push out all of the negativity trying to sink into his thoughts. 

Dressed in tight pants meant to draw the eyes toward one of his best assets and a crop top that could barely count as a shirt, Sasha took on the dance floor at Aphrodite's Lounge after getting at *Least* Three Sangrias in him. The first one was more than enough to get him buzzed, but the next two solidified the feeling he was looking for. Tingly, loose. Carefree.

When he reached his fourth drink and was starting to pass the party stage and onto the emotional rollercoaster, he noticed a familiar figure lounging in the corner of the club. He blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision and get a better look at the god bathing in wealth and luxury - Plutus. His actual father by blood - a fact that Sasha had yet to come to terms with. 

The alcohol worked its dark magic and pushed Sasha to tears as his thoughts suddenly filled with ideas about his mother being so desperate for money that she went to Plutus for a one-night stand. Without that sacrifice, he would have never been born, but it still made him sick to his stomach knowing what she had to do. Overwhelmed by his feelings, he exited the dance floor to sit at the bar, ordering a water so he could start cooling off. He glanced back over toward the god of wealth, observing him in his natural habitat - how he dressed, how much he drank, who he surrounded himself with. 

One man stood out more than the others in his company, mostly because he was *Very* Much Sasha's type and nearly flawless on top of that. Sasha found his attention getting stuck on him for a moment, watching how the two interacted, and wondered how they knew each other.

He lost track of how much time went by while he sat at the bar. He drifted in and out of consciousness before finally snapping awake after his head nearly dropped onto the bar counter. He sat up fast, looking toward the corner again where he saw Plutus was sitting alone. Maybe now was his chance to approach his actual father for the first time - to try talking to him. 

Just as he was about to build up the courage to go over there, Plutus's companion appeared at the bar to order some drinks. Sasha glanced at him before coming up with a better idea than to approach his absent father. Maybe he could talk to his friend and get a feel for him first.

Now sober enough to walk in a straight line and think a little clearer, Sasha stood up from his seat and wandered over to the large, handsome blonde, putting on his best smile. He cleared his throat. "Excuse me," He said, realizing his voice was a little too quiet. Sighing, he tapped the man's shoulder and leaned a little closer. "Excuse me!"
John
While Adonis waited on the bartender, he let his eyes roam the bar and dance floor, taking in the scene with a sense of hollow comfort. Inwardly, he shook his head, trying to shake the feeling - he wouldn't allow himself to dwell on the emptiness and how it seemed to grow, little by little, every time he tried to ignore it. Time with Plutus was a good distraction, as was any moment in the throws of passion with a stranger, but distractions were only good for a few hours at best, and when those hours were over, the pang of loneliness always seemed to ring stronger than before. 

As if sent to snap him out of his spiral, the server appeared with a smile and four different types of liquor, varying in taste but not in price. (Adonis could tell just by their labels that they were expensive.) Good. "Thank the gods." He breathed as he reached out and effortlessly took the bottles. "Add it to our tab, please!"

He was about to leave the bar and return to Plutus when he felt a soft tap on his shoulder and a strained "Excuse me!" Over the club's noise. Turning to the presence, Adonis first saw nothing, blinking momentarily in confusion before angling his head to look down. A small man stared at him, leaning in close and giving him plenty of opportunity to take in his slender features, even in the dim lighting. He couldn't help but flash his candid Adonis smile, leaning down so he was even closer as he took in the man's appearance - everything from the curls of his hair to the mesh crop top and chains looped through his tight pants. "Hello, love~" 

He gave the man a moment to react, to smile back at him in complete lustful expectancy before undoubtedly attaching himself to his arm, waist, or neck. "I was just about to head back to my table for a drink, and I would never turn down such lovely company." Adonis stood to his full height once again and extended an arm, waiting for the man to take it so he could lead him back to where Plutus was no doubt impatiently waiting for hi

S drinks. "Join me, would you?"
||
Alysa
Nothing could have prepared him for the stranger's reaction. Sasha had dealt with arrogant men before - himbos who *Knew* They were good-looking and were used to getting all the ladies and gentleman - but they usually weren't so presumptuous. Normally, they tried to flirt before inviting him to dance or drink or whatever else - not immediately upon checking him out. 

The man definitely had the looks; he was tall, muscular, and had the blonde hair, blue-eyed combo that Sasha loved. Even he had to admit that the sight of the stranger made his breath catch. He forgot what he was trying to say for a moment, and was slow to process what the man had actually said to *Him.* Completely lost in those beautiful blue eyes until the words finally registered.

*"I was just about to head back to my table for a drink, and I would never turn down such lovely company."*

On a normal night out, Sasha would have been flattered. He would have been just as sassy and over-confident and willing to jump into this man's company without hesitation. But he had been through an emotional roller coaster all day - from a long, draining day at work to the mental turmoil of seeing his real father. His patience was non-existent, and his ability to be charmed was a lot harder than normal. 

He jutted his hip out to the side and raised his eyebrows, his neck craning back as he took in the man's appearance - as if he hadn't already - like he was sizing him up. "Excuse me?" He asked with all the attitude he could muster as he crossed his arms over his chest. "That's very presumptuous of you, hun. All I wanted was to ask you something, but never mind. I'll find my answer somewhere else." He wasn't sure where, but he couldn't bring himself to pose the question and give this himbo anymore of his time. 

Of course, he had no idea he was talking to *The* Adonis, but things probably wouldn't have been different if he did.
John
As Adonis held out his arm expectantly, his smile morphed into a smirk, knowing that the man's indignant attitude would melt away under his presence, but the longer he waited, the more his smile fell into a confused gawk. At first, the sass was cute, but as the man angrily reprimanded him, his brain started to short-circuit. This... This was *Not *What usually happened when someone approached him. *Especially* Not while at a bar, dressed in a fishnet crop top and tight jeans. 

Regaining his composure, Adonis replaced his shock with a smolder that had a history of making people weak at the knees. A flirty chuckle escaped his lips as he said, "It's not presumptuous if it's true, Love." The man's intentions were becoming more apparent. He wanted to ask Adonis for a dance, drink, or even a date. Adonis had thrown him off by asking first. Inwardly, he sighed in relief-he couldn't fathom what it would mean if the man *Wasn't* There for his looks and body. What else did he have to give that people wanted, anyway?

He nodded back to the booth where Plutus sat, shuffling the bottles around to one arm so he could extend a hand to the man instead. "It's okay; there's no need to be shy. I'm a gentleman, I promise." He finished with a wink. 

As he waited, he heard a familiar voice shout from deeper in the club. "Adonis! What's taking so damn long? I'm *Parched*." 

The blonde rolled his eyes, the smile never leaving his lips as he tried to ease the beautiful stranger's feelings. "Don't worry about my uncle. His bark is far worse than his bite."
||
Alysa
The stranger's expression wasn't one of someone who had just been brutally denied all expectations and Sasha began to wonder if he even understood what just happened. As his face changed - was that an intentional *Smolder?* - it became clear that he didn't take the rejection to heart. In fact, he seemed to be encouraged by it somehow. Sasha met many men in his past that never took the first no as an answer, but the way in which this man handled it was *Different.*

What normally would have had Sasha weak in the knees was actually pushing the opposite effect. Maybe it was due to the long, emotional day at work, or maybe it was the bitterness of seeing his father. Either way, that beautiful expression on that handsome face wasn't working on him.

"Did you not hear me?" He asked, retaining the sass in his tone. "I'm not here for *You.* I came over to ask a question that had nothing to with—" Sasha went for the jugular and looked the stranger up and down as if he was assessing his entire body. "—*This.*" No matter how handsome his face or how much his muscles bulged. 

His eyes followed the stranger's motion over to the booth where his father sat - who was waving them down and shouting as if he couldn't get up and walk himself over to the bar - and his frown deepened. The idea of speaking to him now was only worsened by the pretentious attitude of his new acquaintance.

"I'm not shy. Just not interested. But thank you." He couldn't have dripped more sarcasm into those last words if he tried. He spun on his heel and turned to walk in the opposite direction, feeling both empowered and a little disappointed. 

Disappointed in the stranger - who had no right to be so beautiful. 

Disappointed in his father - who sat clueless and helpless in the corner booth. 

And disappointed in himself for letting his feelings get the best of him when the night was supposed to be fun and stress-relieving.
John
Adonis smiled through the stranger's tone, trying his best to coax him forward. "Of course I hear you, I just—" But he was quickly cut off. As he continued, the confusion returned, but this time the god of beauty was left completely dumbfounded, and it was clear as day as the expression on his face shifted from a sultry smirk, to an open-mouthed stare, then pure shock and pain. He HADN'T come over to talk to Adonis because of his natural charm and good looks? What else could he possibly want? What else could he possibly GIVE?

"I... No... But... Wait!" He stuttered, trying to find the words to smooth over whatever hellish anomaly was occuring, but was unable to find them before the man stormed off. He watched in horror as he started to weave through the growing crowd, and before he could think better of it, Adonis chased after him. He nearly dropped the bottles of liquor on the bar before running after the stranger, never hearing Plutus' cries of frustration as he became focused on one thing. 

Finding out if his beauty had vanished.

"Wait, please!" He called out again, stepping in front of the man with an almost breathless look about him. "I'm sorry, I'm just... I'm confused." And his face showed it, the concern present in everything from the crease of his brow to the way he almost seemed like he was struggling to breathe. "No one ever... Well, they never approach me for anything other than... Well, you know." He gestured at himself in a way similar to the way the stranger had moments ago. "Please, I must know." He paused, reaching out the rest of his hands on the man's shoulders as he stared into his eyes, desperately searching for an answer.

"Am I still beautiful?"
Alysa
The loud thumping bass vibrated the entire room, drowning out voices with a mix of synthetic violin and rhythmic horns. The stranger's last words were lost somewhere among the music, the gyrating bodies, the stumbling drunks. Sasha disappeared into the crowd, weaving around couples and groups, dodging splashed drinks, and avoiding flirtatious glances. He didn't expect the man to follow, having been so thoroughly denied, but moments after his escape, he was cut off. 

The stranger stepped in front of him, successfully cutting him off from the exit and making him stop abruptly in the middle of the dance floor. Desperation filled the man's beautiful blue eyes, and he was much more upset than Sasha expected. The disheveled look about him as he struggled to get the words out only made him more pitiful.

Hearing him out, Sasha's brow creased in both confusion and curiosity as the stranger continued to be shamelessly unaware of how conceited he was. Despite the loud music, he was able to hear the tone of his voice, the genuine shock. It would have been amusing if it wasn't so sad. 

Sasha gasped as his shoulders were grasped, realizing just how big the man's hands were to be able to engulf so much of his arm in his grip. The seriousness of his expression told Sasha he might actually have a genuine question to help improve himself, so he was all ears when it finally left his lips. 

And then Sasha couldn't help but *Giggle.*

It was not the laughter of a man trying to be hurtful or mean. It was the laughter of a man in almost complete disbelief. This man, this stranger, either completely serious or an extremely good actor. 

"Oh hun," He said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You'd be a *Lot* Cuter if your attitude wasn't so ugly."