text: Aphrodite, goddess of lust, lov and beauty, the very image of a blonde model, sat on the dais of Olympus. She was anxiously chewing on her thumbnail, staring down at the Earth below her, "That...stupid... internet. How could it say Athena's fairer than me? HOW DARE... AND 2 DAYS BEFORE MY HOLIDAY" Athena, goddess of war an intelligence, sporting a crew cut, digicamo, and heads-up-display, was smirking nearby. As gods gained power from the adoration of their followers and interest in their domain, the poll, combined with the tech-flaunting in some recent wars, had given her a boost, and she was literally outshining Aphrodite next to her. "Oh please, Aphrodite... you can't fight the ebb and flow of time. War always wins out over peace, and greater gods eventually consume the identity of lesser gods. It's only a matter of time until your power becomes mine." With this, Athena walked off, laughing haughtily. After she was gone, Aphrodite screamed out at the top of her voice, "CUUUPPIIDDDDD!!!" Shortly thereafter, her smaller son appeared, looking exhausted, "It's shortly before Valentine's day... what's so urgent you'd stop our most important time of year?" "This...poll... why would I, the goddess of beauty, love, and lust, lose out in a contest of fairness, to that... butch.... erarrggg... regardless. Let's cheat the system. I need you to shoot the entire Earth with an arrow. Direct it's love at me." "Mom... my power is a splinter of your power. Even you don't have the power to pull that off, what makes you think I would? And if we have to expend our power to get worship your way, it's just going to be diminishing returns. You'll drain yourself dry." "What about boosting the levels of lust again? Is there any way I can get any hotter?" Cupid shook his head, "Sorry, but your looks are an amalgam of all the hottest stars. There's really no way to get you to instigate more lust in individuals. You can raise it on an individual level by playing into fetishes, but that'd just turn you off to people who don't have the fetish. I'm sorry, but you're at max capacity." Aphrodite sighed, "How.... how did this happen? There's got to be something more. How could Athena pass me? I even tried to reduce her power when that poll started by getting all those tech workers fired." "I mainly just handle love at first glance, and you've got game, mom. I really don't know. I'm probably not the best to ask. Mind if I get back to work?" "Sure hun, thanks for the time." Cupid nodded and flew off, leaving Aphrodite to stew. Who to ask? Ask Athena what her secret is? No. Athena was too combative, she'd just take the opportunity to increase her power over her. There was her ex, Hephaestus... he was smart, so he'd probably have an answer. But... no... she had burned that bridge long ago. With her own dalliances. It had been forever since she had actually descended in person to the mortal realm, mostly relying on Cupid and Hermes to keep her up to date. So, she took a step from the dais, disappearing on her step down, appearing in the finish to that step in downtown Seattle. As always, her fashion instantly matched the time period, though she was a little surprised that gone were the robes and flowing garments of the past, and instead she was in some tight denim pants, and a short cotton top with a few strategically placed holes. The earrings were familiar, though. She had to test, though if she still had it. She walked up to a guy, and pointed at him, "You! Meet me in a nearby hotel for the night of your life!" The guy looked taken aback, "Ma'am, I have a husband who I am completely devoted to! And you simply aren't my type!" With that, he leaned over and kissed the guy next to him. The guy's husband looked back at her, "Get lost, Karen. This guy's mine." Aphrodite was taken aback. Being turned down wasn't a thing that happened to her often. To be fair, he was gay and she was plenty aware of gay men not being interested in her, for example, there were the Spartans (Oh, dear herself, were they gay.) But she should have picked up on it sooner. Her power *was* slipping. And what was that he called her? A Karen? Her line of thought was interrupted with a short balding guy in a suit tapped her on the shoulder, "Excuse me, ma'am, you're lovely, and I was wondering if I could get your number." It was a common occurrence for men to randomly flirt with her, "Oh, I'm the number 1 goddess of love." He blinked, "I mean your phone number." "Oh, I don't have a cell phone." She'd heard about that, never got involved. They didn't seem all that romantic, but if it was a part of modern human flirting, she'd have to learn, "...but I could think of a reason you might buy me one." One dalliance, hotel room, and one night stand later, she had her first, courtesy of a more-than-grateful businessman. If this was part of standard human flirting practices nowadays, she would have to understand it.