Monica
Named after the muse of music, the Euterpe Lounge is a chic venue where gods and patrons come together to appreciate live music, jazz performances, and poetry readings. The lounge is adorned with musical motifs and celestial accents, creating an atmosphere that resonates with the divine muse of melody.
Phillip
From the onset, this date had the makings of a nightmare. The man was attractive in the way any man with a square jaw and a fraternity boy swagger could be. Not a hair on his carefully coiffed head was out of place. The copious amount of products could be thanked for that. He'd dressed well enough. Fashionable enough to stay with the trends and catch a discerning eye for a little bit longer than a glance, yet the second he opened his mouth, it shattered the entire illusion. 

Meet Sebastian Macellroy. A walking series of red flags in the least attractive manner possible. Her publicist had arranged for this little dinner. An established yet embattled starlet and a self-proclaimed social media "Finance expert." It was the sort of thing that could spin into some quick cash-injection opportunities in the future. Her face and his snake-oil salesman charm were bound to put a bit more money in her rapidly fading bank account. 

It was clear that the fellow thought highly of himself. For the better part of twenty minutes, he had spent lecturing her on all the mistakes she had made with her finances. How could they turn her sinking ship around with sound, long-term investments with a few "Minimal risk-high reward" Options in start-ups? It was the same circular jargon that those who thought they knew everything used when they wanted to explain how the world worked to a poor damsel in distress. 

*For she certainly was in distress.*

On the off chance she had been allowed to speak on anything, his eyes had been too lost in the swell of her chest to give any word a severe consideration, and in that, he had been like a barnacle. She could not wander far without him clinging to his side. That was until another influencer caught his attention, and he excused himself to speak to them on what he had called a "Future, lucrative collaboration." With a sly smile, he'd slipped a twenty-dollar bill into her hand. "Go buy yourself something nice. I'll be back for you." The way he had touched her cheek was an attempt at suave that fell far short of the mark. By the time she recovered from the chill racing down her spine, she had been left with a singular urge. If she had to endure this, then alcohol would be her companion. 

It was at the bar that something changed. An inconsistency made itself known in this scenery of bright colors and flashing lights. Inked, fleshed, cloaked in midnight black fabric and glinting jewelry that sent dazzling sparkes when a stray beam crossed his visage. If her date was handsome, the man seated off to the side of the bar, seemingly unnoticed by others, was otherworldly. Beautiful in a way most could not put into words while highlighting masculine traits without the toxicity that was so common amongst those who looked to be in his age range. 

From the edges of his attire, ink-scrawled flesh spilled in every direction, and eyes she could not discern from behind his dark sunglasses took in the beauty of the creature that his divine light had once graced. A child actress with so much promise turned into a falling star. Despite her beauty and celebrity, the bartender seemed not to notice her. He moved about, seeing to other patrons, leaving them with a quiet moment amongst the events playing out all around them.

"This beauty is vain, this, born to be wasted, poured on the ground like water, spilled, and by no man tasted; This, born to be loved, unloved shall remain. Till in white dust, the lovely bones whiten again; Till, dust in white dust, this high heart shall be still. It shall desire, and its labor be lost; it shall not have its will; You, armies had met, once, if you turned your head: Shall there be nothing changed? Nothing, when you are dead."

Men did not quote divine poetry in a bar, but this god had a gift for oration that could captivate if not careful. When the divine opened his mouth, a tone as deep as the abyss spoke words of wasted potential and unfulfilled desire. A lamentation of unappreciated beauty in its true form. Not the physical assets she was graced with that all others saw her for. This was his gift to her. An introduction long past due. The god of many realms lifted his drink. Something fruity with a large fruit slice and a little umbrella that did not seem to fit the dark theme of the man before her.

"Marco." His voice came quiet, and in the midst of making another's drink, the mixologist ceased and looked to the lady as if he had just now taken note of her. The dark stranger gestured to the woman as if to offer her the floor. He would not order for her, nor would he presume to know her greatest desire. For the first time that evening, she had been given the choice to make her own decision: no publicist, no horrible date, no failing career or tabloid fodder. 

They would start with a drink, but he would leave her the possibility of so much more if she was wise enough to take it.
Evelyn
This was actual torture. Andy DeWitt would be fired. Her fucking agent had suggested a more 'clean cut' vibe for Tatassa's next arranged boyfriend of the month. She had gotten incredibly dolled up for this date, choosing one of the nicer dresses she had on her clean rack. Rose red fabric wrapped around her like a second skin, and detached sleeves that ended at her palms. She was stunning and she knew it. Thalassa's hair was curled gently down her shoulders and her makeup, as usual, was impeccable, highlighting her pouted lips and large eyes. Safe to say, she had gone all out. And now... Well it was turning out to be less than worth it.  
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 Talassa blinked slowly as this man spoke yet another condescending word to her about her finances. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, but it wasn't like he would notice. They flicked between his cellphone and her tits endlessly and he probably wouldn't know the color of her eyes if she shut them and asked. Reports of her faltering wealth were rampant but to be honest, Mythos High was by no means slowing down. Season 4 was set to release in a month and she had more wealth than she knew what to do with. She had made a few... Unnecessary purchases and suddenly every media outlet reported she had blown all her cash away on blow and booze. She had tried to of course, but she just had far too much. 

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She hadn't been paying attention until money was shoved into her palm and her date seemed to wander off to one of his 'influencer' friends. *Thank the Gods.* She snorted at the irony of the thought and placed the 20$ on the bar as a tip before finding her seat some ways away. She would pay for her own drink, thank you very much. Her phone was instantly in her hands and three tests went out with a little chirping noise, first was to her sister. **Horrible date, going to drink away the boringness, please walk Castor and Pollux for me. Love you!** The next one was sent to her manager Andy, **Try this influencer bullshit on me again and

I WILL fire you!** And finally, one last one to the man in the corner laughing way too loudly for it to be real. **Don't come back over here and don't DM me. Hope you choke. Xoxo**  
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With that she turned to the bartender who didn't seem to even notice her presence and it was then that she finally decided to take a look around. The lounge wasn't one of her normal haunts. It was smokey and jazzy and quiet and hushed. Something she had seen in the movies but never really dared to adventure into. She told herself they would probably be boring, but honestly she feared she wouldn't fit in, but now that she was here... The anonymity was almost nice. Now this was a place she could drink. Truly drink. Not for anyone else, not for pictures or friends or lovers, but to numb it all.  
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It took a few moments for the actress to notice the presence to her left, someone that seemed to suck the light out of the bar and illuminate himself with it all. As if glowing from the inside beneath those inky black tattoos that covered him like an artists brush. His voice is what almost struck her over, it was musical and enchanting. He must be a singer right? Some sort of musician. Her eyes scanned what she could see of his handsome face, but it gave nothing away. No one she knew or had seen before.  
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 Her thoughts stopped as his words sunk in, and she started. Her eyes widened slightly with shock and a tinge of hurt. It was as if this man had spoken poetry of her darkest fears coming to life. Her talent wasted, her nothing but a faded memory of a faded star. He spoke her nightmares with such beauty that instead of being indignant, she could only listen, her eyes tearing up slightly. She would never let those tears fall though, not in front of a stranger. Not in front of anyone.  
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 Red talons tapped on the bar once, twice, three times as Talassa just stared at the man, unreadable. Unsure herself if she would simply walk away, but even as the thought crossed her mind she knew she wouldn't. She was far too intrigued. He was hot, artistic, and dared speak to her in a casual way most wouldn't without being a complete ass like FinanceBroski420 over in the corner now glarin

G daggers at them. As he called the bartender, Talassa very skillfully tore her eyes away, giving him the look that showed it was hard to do so before she made her order. "I'm simple don't worry, I won't force you to make some tiktok monstrosity." She laughed in a bit of a husky tone, her French accent caressing every word that dripped from her painted lips. "A dirty martini please, extra olives. And please get the man in the corner over there a blowjob shot? It's the closest thing he'll get to the real one and I hate for him to go home without something to brag about." She smiled her best Hollywood beam and winked at the man before turning fully in her seat towards the mysterious poet.  
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 Her eyes didn't leave his but she uncrossed and recrossed her legs casually, making sure one of her toned calves brushed against his own leg before she settled back in. "So, not many come to dark bars to insult women with beautiful words. Does that line usually get you attention?" She cocked a brow at him waiting for some sort of explanation. "I assume you know who I am given your analysis of my life. Care to put a girl on even footing?"
Phillip
There were many things that were enticing about her reaction. Most would have probably taken the time to tour her figure in the dress, given the safety of his glasses, and to some extent, he may have. Gods were more desirous than most. But the actual pleasure came in watching the woman slowly come to realize what he had said. The weight of his words and the shock in her eyes as he had bypassed the dressing to get to what was beneath. 

This dark stranger did not continue to plug away with creative, centuries-old poetry to impress the woman. The man played a game and marinated in his own silence to let the tension build. The trap was set and baited, but would the otherworldly beauty walk in willingly? Eons of life had given him the gift of patience, even if he was more impetuous by nature than gods with more self-control. A mortal, with their blink of an eye, life-spans could not outwait him. 

The accent was charming, and though she made an attempt at humor towards the bartender, Apollo one-uped and waved off her order. "I would not bother making him a drink if it was nothing but spilled liquor. Ice water to cool his hot temperment. He was allowed to sit with her for a time, and that has passed. Compliments of the house." It alluded to the fact that he may have been some owner in the establishment. It figured, given his absolute command of the room.

The bartender, Marco, as he had been called, was set to the task of first layering her a perfect martini. Apollo watched him as if the weight of his gaze would press the flavors that much better. "He got your time. That is enough for him to brag about." The words came through with absolute confidence and brokered no argument. It was not talking down to her as the others have. It was a statement of fact that she was worth more than even she might have considered. 

"An insult?" That perked his brow and caused him to reach up and pull off his sunglasses. They were folded, then tucked into the collar of his shirt. "I do not think Arthur Symons's words were meant to be insulting. Just because something isn't living up to its full potential does not mean it's a bad thing; it's just that I see more for you in this life than where you are at right now." The finance broski was now a fixture in the background. A baleful glare that would last until he learned the name of the one she spoke to. If he asked enough people, he would back down and fade into the night to let his hand take care of what her beauty had awakened in him. 

*Care to put a girl on even footing?*

"No." He said playfully at first before looking at her as his lips found his straw. The green eyes of the divine being before her knew perfectly how to communicate a bold sense of flirtation. There was heat permeating from the man and a slight dip of his gaze, this time without the glasses, to feed her sense of overwhelming vanity. She had put in effort, and he should have praised her as his lips curled around his straw to sip the tropical concoction. After a second's worth of air, he amended. "Well, maybe I can just this once."

The way he flirted with her could be called impish. The man was not so dark and brooding as to lean into that fully. It flirted with mystique and a sense that he was not the sort that would take himself too seriously. Not if it was making her smile and further pulling her into his vortex of charisma. "I am the one for whom this district is named. All of this is here because I willed it to be so." His hand raised, motioning through the air in such a way that indicated not only the bar but the entirety of the district. 

"Apollo, my dear Talassa. And I do not need lines to get attention. I had yours before I ever opened my mouth." The drink was set down, and he would let the woman digest and respond before he decided how to take the next step. The reactions of mortals meeting the diving were normally priceless, but Apollo evoked a wide range of reactions. Though he was one of the more beloved gods, some seemed to resent the lack of preferential treatment. She would not know she had once been blessed in his eyes, but there was a certain bit of volatility when meeting a being that could catapult a career into the stratosphere. That was if she even believed him in the first place.
Evelyn
Talassa was impressed. Incredibly so. Water. It made her giggle and grin, her pout turning into a quirked slash of red from her lipstick as she watched Marco bring the man his water and the douchebag glared over at them. Tal wiggled her talons at the absolute asshole before completely turning her body towards the handsome, dark stranger once more, signaling she was done with her date, forever. Her fingers wrapped around the martini glass and she brought it to her perfectly painted lips, drinking down the first few sips greedily, almost draining it. Gods, she already needed another.  
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 Arthur Symon. So that's who's words had been parroted by the stranger who seemed to consume every breath of air in this place, his words putting her more and more on edge, her brows furrowing into a frown. "What are you some sort of teen drama critic? A porn producer? I've told you boys a million times, I am not interested in shaking my tits at you for money. If I wanted to go down that route, I already would have." She rolled her eyes and finished the martini and spoke to Marco, though her gaze never left this mystery man's. "Another of your best martini's Marco, on your friend here." She carefully stood and walked her nails over the bar until they reached his arm, her body standing right in front of him. Gods he radiated power and sex and presence. It was hard not to fall to her knees, but that was *Not* Talassa's style.  
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 Her fingers found his arm and started walking up it, putting slight pressure on the tips of the talons as they travelled up and down the dark pattern of his tattoos. He was going to play with her it seemed for a few moments, denying her his name. He was boyish in that aspect, but the rest of him was all man, and Talassa had no doubt in her mind that he would absolutely adore the game of cat and mouse she was toying with as she carefully slid her nails, and hand away. That is until he changed his mind. 
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  **"Well, maybe I can just this once... Apollo my dear Ta

Lassa"** 
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 Time stopped. Everything stopped. Her breath whooshed from her body and she felt like she was aching for the ability to simply exist. Apollo. Not a man, a God. Not just any god, but a major god. Not just a major god, but a god of her profession. A God who could make or break her in more ways than one. Suddenly, water dripped onto her hand and she looked down, Marco having placed a martini right there between her fingers.  
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 She was an actress. Talassa Beaumont could do this, she could do anything. With grace she didn't know she had in the moment she could barely breathe, Talassa brought the glass up to her lips and took a few sips, her eyes once more connected to the beautifully powerful man who had seemingly found her to be interesting enough to toy with for the evening. She was no toy though, and she was not to be some tragic plaything for another powerful man. She had played that part over and over. 
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 "Apollo... Well... That explains the ego now, doesn't it?"  
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 Her red pout turned up in a smirk and she pulled her chair closer, sitting once more as she kept her composure, though her nail tapped gently on the glass in a soothing rhythm that seemed to keep in pace with her heart.
Phillip
For a time, Apollo watched as the woman slipped into the seducturess mode she knew all too well. Sexuality and beauty were her allies in the struggle against an industry that would chew her up and spit her out if she was not careful. Countless executives had offered her rapid rises and roles for a night with her body, but this man did not radiate that sort of sleaze. She giggled impishly at the game they played with her defunct date before they settled into something that displayed openly what sort of man she would have been interested in taking to her bed. 

Tall, dark-featured, and handsome, with a twist of arrogance that was different from the seething man in the corner. His brand was absolute confidence in himself, so much so that he did not need to constantly spout facts on crypto currency and what he was doing to impress her. She was already impressed, and he knew it without her having to say a single thing. 

As she stood before him, the man suddenly shifted from his relaxed, laid-back pose into something more erect. It allowed his upper half to enter her sphere of influence, and their scents mingled into a beautiful concoction that would intoxicate any who happened to take it in. "I would never put that on film to show to others. I am too possessive. If you were to shake those in my face, it would be because you wanted it." That was to say, he was against putting it on film, but there was something in the way his chest swelled when she had mentioned porn. It was protective body language as if he would break anyone who dared lay eyes upon her in such a way that wasn't him.

Marco did not even look to his employer as he poured the drink. It was simply understood that he would do whatever she asked. Perhaps they had done this before, or perhaps there was some other sort of agreement between them. It was like they could communicate through thought. The man was a professional and knew when to ask and when to facilitate, such as the point where she was picking her jaw up off the floor at his grand reveal. 

More than any other god, Apollo had the power to make or break her. No executive or director could douse his blessing, and through him, undeniable talent would shine through and break the system. Apollo was not the sort to give these blessings often and had not for the past decade. Many had thought he had vanished from the scene. The artists that paid homage to their patron had largely went untended until this very moment it would seem. 

When she realized she could not simply dominate this man with her body, she eased back into her chair to take a more laid-back approach. A mortal could not slap box with a god, but she had other ways to fight her battles. Going from being atop him to sudden distance was one way to get his attention, and he, in turn, leaned down to grasp her stool and pull it closer to him. His strength was immeasurable as a god, and she moved as if she were a feather seated upon the wood. 

"It will explain a great many things you will come to find." His body language was leaned forward. Imposing but engaged, and his eyes dipped to take in the sight of his disciple.

"There is no need to be nervous. I have come to bestow you with the blessing of my attention." His own festive, fruity drink was brought to his lips for a quick sip via the straw before it was set down on the bar top to be forgotten for another time. "Your date is with me now.." Apollo spoke it as if it made it so. Though it could not be denied that such was an upgrade to her evening. "And in turn, I will let you ask your patron whatever you desire. Any burning mystery or guidance you want. Any boon or curse you wish, I will grant it. Such is not an offer I'd give to just anyone.."
Evelyn
Talassa didn't really know what she was supposed to do. What did one say to a god? To APOLLO of all Gods? He had been gone for much of her career, but she did remember her mother teaching her to pray to him back when she was in those child pageants. She even had an altar of the man in her childhood bedroom closet. And here he was, rescuing her from dates looking all sexy and mysterious and offering her things. Was this some sort of cruel joke? Was he just another actor? 
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 No... Even as the thought flickered through her mind, every instinct of hers told her he was real. He was a God, truly. There was an aura about him that she had never felt before. Like standing next to a live wire. A hum of energy seemed to come from him but it wasn't some sharp thing, but a warmth, almost an unseeable glow that radiated over her. She felt more radiant next to him, more... More. It made her sit straighter, lift her chin higher, and not in the fake way she usually did, but one that felt genuine. As if she basked and grew under his attention.  
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 She couldn't help but laugh at his comment about being possessive. "Does the possesiveness come with the God package? I've never heard a tale about you lot where someone wasn't jealous in some way." She laughed lightly as the drink once more made its way to her lips. What she wasn't ready for was his hand gripping her chair and pulling her to him like it was nothing. Well, she was sure to a God, it was. To her? To her it was hot as hell. She had to keep it together though. No matter who he was, Tala would *Never* Willingly allow someone to have the upper hand, she just didn't trust like that. Especially in this business. 
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 "A date with you?" She raised that brow of hers that seemed to speak in some sarcastic and bitchy language of its own. "I don't believe I agreed to that..." She sipped on her drink for a moment before slightly angling away from him, even trapped with his body so close to her own. "What could you give me that I couldn't gi

Ve myself Apollo? Do you not think I am ambitious or talented enough? The only people who could help me are those with industry experience and *You*" She paused pointedly and looked his gorgeous form up and down, "Have been gone for most of my career. I made it without you. Even despite the entire industry suffering without your guidance. Didn't you abandon your patrons? I have enough daddy issues Mister God of the Sun, I don't need God issues as well."  
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 Talla was nervous to look at him. Her voice had wavered a few times with that little tantrum of brattiness, but she wasn't one to sink to her knees to worship until the being had proven themselves worthy, and though Apollo proved to be a wonderful distraction from a shitty date, but give her what she wanted? Needed? 
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 "Besides..." She finally turned to look him right in those hypnotic eyes, "What I would want from you is no easy gift. It would take from you to give to me. Most Gods don't bestow gifts that come with a string attached to them."
Phillip
It was not as if she had radiant supernatural confidence since the start of this. Doubt was a shadow cast over her actions. She could *Try* To resist, but he could sense the slight betrayals here and there that gave way to what was on her mind. *Good for her,* He thought to himself; all the while, he tried to act above the base arousal this sort of hunt stirred in him. It didn't matter that her mask was flawless. It was more important that she didn't shrink from the moment. Despite a lack of assurance. She stood defiant. 

"I have done some dastardly things in the name of jealousy." If the myths were to be believed, he had, in fact, been a more petulant god at one point in time. Was he admitting, or was he using his own legend as a sort of way to passively let her know what he was capable of?"It's not the sort of thing you want to make a habit of testing." Knowing her, she would test him repeatedly. He'd never said he would harm her. It was others who would feel the wrath of the sun god. 

She leaned away and deflected the offer of the date, and to see a god's nostrils flare like some minotaur in a maze had to be either unnerving or a thrill she had not been expecting. "Acting above my attention is foolish, Talassa. You're smarter than that." Drawing back from him caused him to draw back as well. A feint to reassess and move again when the moment felt right. 

"I could give you control," Apollo spoke boldly, without any reservation, as if he could peer beyond the curtain to see what her life was like that she was struggling to keep secret. "You could go get anything, I'm certain, but at what cost? If you are going to pay a price, why not to the most generous lender?" The way his arms stretched out suggested she was talking to that particular lender.

"I was not gone for the entirety of your career." The man added, perhaps suggesting that her start could have come from his blessings. It was funny that she had mentioned daddy issues, given the reason he'd left. There was a long moment where he thought about how to play this. He had not publicly stated why he'd left. It was a fantastical sort of mystery that would have been the juiciest bit of gossip to have. After a moment's deliberation, he decided not only *Hit* In those daddy issues but perhaps on the part of every person that loved a bit of "Spilled tea." 

"I had a daughter to raise. She needed all of my attention, and I figured that was more important." He shrugged those large, boulder-like shoulders before he slipped back into his distant, relaxed sort of pose, his legs spread just wide enough to perhaps tempt a glance, but with no real effort to draw her gaze downwards. "It served to weed out the talented from the blessed, and here you are." He motioned to her form, though they both knew she was not doing her best. 

"Oh, is that so?" Apollo said, perhaps picking up what she was putting down. "You are correct. We generally do not like giving such gifts easily, but if the offer is right, there could be arrangements made. Test me, my date. Let's see how bold you are."
Evelyn
Talassa chuckled darkly. She had no doubt Apollo had done *Horrid* Things in order to keep control, just as he said. There was a slight burning of a challenge that flared to a spark in her chest at that and she grinned at him. "I am not yours to be jealous of Apollo. I can fuck and speak to whoever I like until I decide I belong to another." She finished off her second drink, loving how her body grew more relaxed, her movements more fluid as she stretched upwards, showing off her ample chest. 
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Am I though?" She cocked her head to the side but didn't expand before continuing, "You could give up control? A God? Now who is insulting my intelligence?" She laughed softly again before pushing her glass once more towards the bartender, always needing and wanting more of the liquid that calmed and excited her all at once. "Gods are generous on their own terms. With humans, I can manage to get the better end of the deal with a bit of persuasion. You lot are a bit harder to deal with." She winked at him as her glass was filled once more. 
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As she sipped and he spoke of a child, she started. Her eyes were wide and searched his face. They were eons of years old of course, the Gods. But they all looked so young, some not old enough to have raised fully adult children, and Apollo was no exception. Perhaps he could have a toddler but... If his story were true, he wouldn't have left her until she was older. She was lucky. It was something Tala and Rissa never had. Something she had always wanted. It softened her some and she relaxed towards him, leaning forward. 
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"She is lucky. Sadly, the industry suffered without you though. So many horrible movies and songs. AI hasn't helped." She chuckled a little bit again before taking a generous gulp of her martini. "I am here indeed, but at what cost?" It was a bit quieter and more serious than she had meant. It could have been a joke if she had used the right inflection but she hadn't managed it, and now the words hung between them wh

Ile Tala pulled herself together. 
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"I am not your date." She grumbled slightly at him before crossing her legs and facing him completely and tapping her nail on the bar a few times before speaking. "You would become mine and my sister's agent. You would not take anyone else on until we both die. No matter what we go through, scandals, pregnancies, aging, rehabs, dry spells. You will be the one to teach and mold us into the best actresses we could ever be. From young ingenus to matrons of the craft. We would be your prize students in the acting world. Singers and writers and painters? Have as many you bless as you like, but for the remainder of the Beaumont sister's lives, all of your acting blessings would go to us." She leaned back and stared. It was an impossible gift, something he would never, could never grant. And yet, Talassa Beaumont asked.
Phillip
Pride was a devious thing. It wove through one's mind like a serpent, coiling tighter and tighter as it grew, constricting the logical thought lines that allowed one such as her to think she was beyond his gifts. She continually denied his advance, standing her ground, but Apollo knew better. For all of this bluster, he knew he held some sort of sway with her. In terms of power, influence, and opportunity, there was not an executive alive that could come close to what he could offer, but she was indeed wise to be wary. She had probably had one too many offers, but that turned out to be true. 

"You have no clue what I am capable of, mortal." Despite the term he'd used, it was not as if he was angry. It was just a matter-of-fact statement. "I've been known to be more generous with my blessings than some of the other gods." There were examples of this, though most did not know that they had happened. Apollo did not publicly state who was given his grace. It would come with stigma and rumors. 

The entire conversation about his daughter was left to die in the face of other news. It was not something he wished to discuss unprompted. She had been given a bit of information no one else possessed. If it touched a sad spot in her heart, so be it. He was not trying to use his relationship with his daughter for any sort of leverage. 

Once again, she denied that he was his date, and he sighed that exasperated sort of sigh. She flirted with her body and angles but gave not an inch with her voice. It was unsure if he enjoyed it or not, but Apollo's once playful expression had shifted into something decided less jovial. The fact that he was still wearing sunglasses hid his gaze. It was impossible to tell where his eyes fell or what truth those windows to the soul would convey. Perhaps that was by design.

The entirety of her offer was heard, but no smile came to laugh at her, though it did not seem pleasing. There was a shift in his seat. Something more upright rather than relaxed. To his credit, he let the whole thought process play out in his mind. "So you ask for everything but offer nothing in return? You ask for a green light so that you both may live your life as destructively as you wish while I deflect all blame and allow for the two of you." Apollo let a sigh escape that spoke of his exasperation. Perhaps he was playing the disappointed father role with her. 

"I will have to decline." A slight dip of his chin indicated a sort of apology that he was not willing to acquiesce. "You may think you have the upper hand with these executives and can get more. You won't. You are more in their pocket than you are in mine. While you have built a successful career thus far, you are hanging on by the grace of talent and looks, but those will only take you so far if you destroy it with your actions off-screen." He did not need to name her many issues. He spoke with the certainty of one watching her from the shadows. 

Whatever hold she'd had on the god had seemingly evaporated. The disinterest in his body language was easy to read. "Perhaps." As he spoke, the bartender once again acted without prompting. A business card was set before her. An all-white with a yellow sun emblazoned on the front. If she flipped it, she would find a phone number on the back. "One day, you will realize exactly what I am offering. I hope that comes soon and with far less bravado." This screamed of dismissal. If she stayed to try and turn the tide or left in a huff, it would be up to her.