Herbert
In the depths of Hades Abyss, where shadows clung to the unseen corners and the weight of the Underworld pressed with a cloak that smothered her light, Athena ventured with purpose. The divine echoes of her armored footsteps reverberated through the subterranean passages as she sought Erebus, the primordial god of darkness, to discuss the salvation of the mortal realm as they knew it. She had foreseen his willingness to speak, foreseen the remnant pieces of a possible alliance forged and so she decided the chance was worth walking within Hades' realms.

The twisting labyrinth of the Abyss seemed to stretch infinitely, but Athena, guided by her strategic intellect, pressed forward. The air bore a heavy stillness, interrupted only by the distant murmurings of shades and the occasional flicker of ghostly light dancing around her. The far off twinkling and scent of floral from Persephone's garden, the only familiarity of home and life.

Upon reaching a cavernous expanse where shadows seemed to converge, Athena spoke with a tone both firm and resolute. "Erebus, I have seen your entry upon this realm, my visions do not lie. I wish to speak. The mortal realm is at a crossroads, and our intervention is needed now more than ever..."
_ _

From the ebon depths there was only silence, from where Athena had seen his form obscured by the very shadows that enveloped him within her visions, there was nothing. Her feet tapping impatiently against the grounds she so hated to walk. Death did not persuade itself from her visions and it was everywhere here. Every corner, looking to haunt her. Every suffocating sight and sound of screams threatening to drag her below.

Athena, undeterred by the pervasive darkness, explained the urgency of their meeting within the unanswering depths. "We must find a way to guide our brethren, our kin, toward progress without sacrificing the natural order of the mortal realms. Erebus, together we can instill a sense of balance. Let shadows and wisdom coalesce for the greater good... You have remained silent for years within your shadows but I have seen it." Silence still met her, her words swallowed whole by the abyss. "I have seen it, damn it!" A rare moment of unfiltered anger merged forth as she pulled her hood further around her hidden features. 
_ _
Bobby
Of all the Gods to demand a theatre with him, he hadn't suspected the Goddess of Wisdom herself to emerge down into their dark plains. It was like that take all over again: an Olympian girl wanders into the underworld in search of something, yet this time Hades wouldn't be as gentle... And this Olympian was not lost. No, she strove into these plains with a purpose, with someone she desired to see- no, *Demanded* To see. Erebus.

From the depths where No bottom could be seen, the rumbling darkness seemed to twist and coil ever slowly, even reaching a stopping point upon Athena's first words. Then, like nothing had just occurred, it began to shift and manoeuvre without grace, without interruption. The eerie silence only seemed to bolster her resolve, however. There is so much you can discover about someone's intentions by simply not fulfilling them, to remain silent and to let them feel they are falling upon deaf ears.

While that would've been somewhat entertaining, the Personification of Darkness didn't have the time nor care to see how far he could push Athena's buttons. From the cavernous depths below, the Goddess could make out a form beginning to approach, even through the thick ebon that filled the pit. Something was approaching her, something ascending with haste. Maybe her anger offended Erebus, maybe it was a play on the eyes, then again when has be ever been one to play tricks? No, whatever was coming. Athena could only anticipate, until...

From the depths, something pierced through the dark void. Something fast, small, and... Golden? Athena only saw it for but a second, yet she could see the brief trail of seemingly golden celestial sparkles lead her to whatever had just emerged. If she were to follow the trail, her destination would be a thinly dying tree that hung over the Goddess, the branch that extended out to be closest to the Deity of Wisdom now occupied by a single bird. A single, black bird.

It's features didn't lend itself to any family nor type. It seemed to resemble an owl in one spot, yet a raven in another. Soon enough, shapes of a crow would appear, then a sparrow. Suddenly, the details of an owl would replace with those of a hawk, a breast. Whatever shifting form it had, there was only two certainties: the golden tips of its wings that sprinkled across each feather like a star in the night, and the fact the Bird was watching Athena now, it's head tilting side to side as it studied her. An odd bird, but then again, Athena was the stranger between the two.

It's eyes shined like obsidian pearls. If one were to look hard enough and you could see yourself from them, or perhaps notice the figure standing just behind Athena now. The head of the flying one would quickly shoot up, letting out a few caws as it looked over Athena, towards the familiar figure. "Impressive words. How long did you sit in your chambers coming up with them?" The cold voice would ask from behind the Deity. The personified darkness, creator of the underworld, master of the void and all lost within... And he cracked a joke. Secluded away for so long, and the first time Athena could properly see him without being surrounded by misty shadows was when he lightly mocked her speech for an audience. "Or have you *Seen* Just what to say?"
Lawrence
【 • [**Athena**](< •  】

Athena couldn't help but watch the ever shifting bird, the golden tips of its wings remained and that was its only saving grace because had it changed and molded into different forms continually she would have assumed it was just another creature in the midst. Another form of a creature that lingered in the darkness. Another form, like Erebus, would hang around waiting for the light to hit it just so in order for its audience to gasp. Athena did not gasp, she did not worry, she just watched, making internalized bets about what bird it might turn into next. She had to say, she was privy to the owl. It was the prettiest of them all. 

The darkness that surrounded her, it was threatening, it was off putting, but as the ageless Goddess knew, it was exactly as the Underworld should have been. She knew if Persephone could exist in this place, most anyone could. A slight light that could shine, like the rays of sun between the clouds, she imagined Persephone's aura roaming through the darkened halls. One thing that did slightly stress Athena out was that she had come to this place without telling a soul where she was going. Maybe not the most calculated plan for such a calculating individual, but she knew that if she had told anyone it could have erupted into something much more cataclysmic. 

Her followers, petrified of their leader going to the Underworld. Her siblings, probably telling Zeus that his favorite daughter was going to go trekking into the only place in their realm that she hadn't ever truly trekked before. Even if she had told anyone where she was going or who she was planning on going to see, some might have not believed her. For, who in their right *Mind*, would go to see Erebus? Was it worth their time? Was it worth the possibility of getting sucked into the Underworld and never finding one's way out? 

Yes, in her mind, it was. 

So, she stood, and as the bird stared directly into her eyes, she did, in fact, notice the figure that was emerging from the black smog that surrounded her, "**Hello, Erebus.**" Ignoring his comment of her *Chambers*, she had said this as a response before turning to face the darkness that loomed, "**I would say that given the response to the disruptions witnessed... In some ways, I have *Seen* What to say.**" 

Pulling her hood back, she took a slight step forward, unafraid of him. Sure, he was the God of pure darkness, but he wasn't threatening *Her*. She felt as if there might have been some type of fun in poking around, prodding at the Goddess that came from above the Earth's crust, instead of one that lived below it. If she had been a god that could manifest things in the way he did, she would have done the same. Taking her hand, holding it up slightly to the side of her face, she flicked on a small flame that danced in her palm. Finally, she could see Erebus a bit better, and she gave him a small, but somewhat mischievous, smile, "**Are we going to be able to talk without the fake niceties at some point? I do have plenty of work to be doing, you're just a portion of my plan.**"
Bobby
Erebus squinted his eyes at the Mistress of Wisdom. She had a lot of bold words to say when this visit was unsanctioned. She was technically violating may codes by simply being in the Underworld, what with the entire war between Zeus and Poseidon, as well as the neutrality of the Underworld that Hades as established. It seemed this portion of her plan was one of the more dangerous aspects, if there even was a safe part of it anyway. Then again, when has Athena ever played it safe?

Suddenly, Athena would see a shape flash right by the side of her head, straight through her palm that held the dancing flame. In one fell swoop, the flame would be washed out and vanish, the small bird that Athena had admired a moment ago now easing it's flight by a nearby tree to Erebus' side. Nexus, the small creature, would caw slightly and bear it's wings, flapping them a tad before closing itself. No fires it seemed, Nexus didn't like them. Of course, Erebus wasn't going to correct nor tell off his companion. He was just about to snuff out the fire until he saw Nexus prepare to take flight and do it Themselves.

"Your plan to be what? Obviously something out of desperation if you came down here for *My* Help." Erebus announced. Shifting his shoulder a tad to adjust for the large cloak he wore. He only wore the piece when he ventured out of his darkness, so it essentially felt unnatural to him whenever he did step out. Begin to circle the spot where Athena stood, he didn't look to her as he continued on, yet Nexus' beady little eyes stayed locked on the Goddess and marked her every move carefully.

"Stop this war? Funny, I was intending on doing that myself. Seems we do have something that align, *For once.*" Erebus added, although it was very easy to assume he preferred to do things his own way instead of being a small part of an otherwise grander plan. He also knew that Athena's countless ages of planning and strategizing sometimes left some ends... Well, loose.
Lawrence
【 • [**Athena**](< •  】

The bird came through her flame in her palm, the small bit of light that had lit the area around her was quickly diminished. "**Fair enough, birdie.**" She said, looking at the bird that obviously had an affinity for darkness as much as its master. It was somewhat admirable, for having a sentient bird that had likes and dislikes, also an otherworldly creature, she wished she had her favorite owl with her at that moment. Perhaps the two could have been friends. 

*A nice tactic, there my otherworldly friend,* She thought, as he started circling her, and she couldn't help but let out a slight breathy laugh. Athena found Erebus' movements quite interesting, circling her, looming over her in ways, his bird also watching her. Athena had been circled before, a general, a warrior, a terrorist, any number of beings had tried to intimidate her as she stood, still as a statue, thinking of two key things. 

1. How to get out of the situation, because anyone with a threatening stance over her would immediately need to either be neutralized or she would need to find a way to escape. 

Where were the exists? Where was her closest possible weapon? What could she do, create an immense fire, to push the threat back? All of these things were viable options, except the exit. She had followed the damn bird out to the small garden area, but she knew not how to escape this place. 

2. How she could turn the threat around so the individual would see her point of view, or possibly bring their tone down a bit. 

This was part of her larger plan. She needed to find out more information from Erebus in order to get him to see his ability to work with her. Most of what she wanted was support, maybe some chaos, maybe she needed some darkness in her life.

Athena had turned to look at Erebus as he passed behind her, squinting her eyes at him, "**No, I never said I wanted to *Stop* The war.**" Finding it somewhat comical that he had immediately decided she wanted to *Stop* Anything from occurring, she shook her head, "**No, no. I want to remain neutral, in this incessant annoyance, though I do want to save some poor unfortunate souls that might need it.**" Now, she was very intelligent, and she knew that Erebus was not in the business of saving souls, so, she looked over at him, "**I want you to come to the surface world, help me to put darkness over some of the holding cells I have for mortals and demi-gods that I am looking to keep safe.**" 

She wasn't in the world of making someone guess all about her plans, instead, she would reveal a little bit of what she wanted, keeping her other cards very close to her chest. Then, she would turn around and give a little bit back to the individual she needed, "**I was, also, thinking that you might have some fun up there. The nightlife is quite... Fun.**" He had continued walking and was now behind her, and she rolled her eyes, not knowing him at all, she didn't know how to entice him... She made herself cringe, "**The mortals don't know much about true darkness, Erebus. You might enjoy giving them a show.**"
Bobby
While Athena's thoughts were in the right place, she was really in no position to be making getaway plans. Did she forget who Erebus was? Everything she walked on, the smouldering air she was currently breathing, and the landscape she was trying to adjust her eyes to was all his. All of him. If Erebus wanted to find someone within the Underworld, it was a matter of when he would reach them rather than if he could find them. You don't escape someone who lived in the shadows, because if you couldn't hide in the dark... Then where *Do* You hide?

Stopping in his tracks, Erebus snapped his head around to glare at Athena now. What did she say that seem to spark his sudden stop? Was it the comments on the nightlife being fun? Giving mortal a show? Or the audacity to protect mortals? Neither and none, in fact. What made Erebus' sudden shift in tone was Athena informing him that she wanted to remain neutral save for protecting a select few groups of people. Neutral? It seemed the rumours from the Underworld were yet to grace Olympian ears, as Erebus was reported to be leaving the Underworld for *Being* Neutral. He wasn't about to align himself with the side that would sit idly by as the Gods tore apart the balance for their selfish reasons.

"And why would I want to do any of that?" Erebus would ask her. He left a brief space for her to conclude an answer for herself. He was a Primordial, he had seen the very Realms be plotted, planned and built before his very eyes. He wasn't going to let the Godly squabbles above threaten all him and his fellow Primordials had set out to build together. "Why would I go up to protect mortals and 'entertain' myself when I plan to end this war." He added finally.

"I had assumed Hades two self-focused to do pick sides, but to see someone of your supposed stature to remain on the side?" Erebus shook his head as he seemed to force up a soft chuckle. He didn't think highly of the Olympians, but any he did have high regards for? They all seemed to crumble and settle back down alongside their siblings and children.