12038/Where is My Stuff

Where is My Stuff
Date of Scene:	20 August 2020
Location:	Aaron Residence, New Jersey
Synopsis:	Phobos still hasn't got my stuff back yet!
Cast of Characters:	Phobos, Ares

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Phobos has posed:
    The trip out to the Heights in Jersey is always a fairly involved one. At least for Alexander. Oh his father may have the whizbang neato power of creating portals as needed and getting where he wants to almost instantly. But the young Phobos has to actually take public transit. First the bus to the train station, the train up state, then get off the train and stroll into that suburban community where the God of War dwells.
    And /then/ you gotta enter the correct code on the gate to get it to open. Then at the house you have to enter the code to disarm the alarms and to trigger the doorbell to let him know you're coming in. Then you actually have to remember the code for the lock itself. Which, considering the surroundings of that old modified cape house, it's not a bad experience. It's fairly pretty, well taken care of, tended to. It just seems like it takes forever.
    But then again, Alex sort of smiles, a wry thing. It /is/ going home again. So that's nice.
    The door clicks open and then he lifts his voice to hollar as he would do every time he came home from school. "Daaaad. It's me. No shooting."

Ares has posed:
The difference is this time, no shots actually came his way. Even with that announcement, it was quite often that he would have to take defensive action. Being the offspring of the God of War, it was kind of to be expected.

Ares would not do well if he'd been investigated by Child Protective Services. Thankfully it had never come up.

There is a bellow from the area of the kitchen. Upon entering, he would find his father in the process of pulling some ribs out of marinade, still in their bag o' secret spices. He put the bag in the sink then turned to focus on his son instead of his dinner.

"Alexander. I wasn't expecting you. You should have called first." Wait, did he have a working cell phone at the moment? He checked his empty back pocket and made a face. No, he had broken it at work. This is why he had insurance. He'd need to get a new one again. "You come with good news, I hope."

Phobos has posed:
    "I did. And with your response time measurable in months, I figured I should come by anyways." Which, to be fair, with how the man deals with technology to some degree... is to be expected. But the blond twenty-something strolls into the kitchen and grins a bit, making a small 'mmm' sound as he leans over and hops up on one of the chairs next to the prep island in that rather well-stocked kitchen.
    "Looks like I picked a good time to stop by." His eyes drift over the preparations made, the ribs, then looks back up at the man.
    "I come with news. Whether or not it's good is sort of up to interpretation," As he says that he pulls his chair a little and sets his backpack down on the ground, resting his arms on the counter-top.
    "So I tracked those cultist guys."

Ares has posed:
Seeing Alexander's glance at those ribs, John turns to the fridge. Opening it, there are about six more slabs soaking in there. He pulls out three more, closing the fridge behind him and moving to the sink again.

The next step is pans lined with foil, which he sets by the sink. Cutting open the bag, pours the juices out into the sink the runs the tap to wash it down.

"There are some potatoes already wrapped. If you want to bring it out to the grill with me." He puts the ribs on the large pan, piling them high then heading for the sliding door leading to the deck at the backyard.

"Did you dispose of them?" he finally asks about the cultists.

Phobos has posed:
    "Ummm," He hems and haws for a moment as he slips off that eat and starts to pick up the potatoes, holding them in the crook of his arm and then following out after the man. Perhaps taking enough time to catch the screen door as his father pulls it open. He stops it from shutting with his rear and then slips outside a moment or so after the older deity.
    "I did not. I figured, you know, low profile. But." He tilts his head, "When I got there they did not have the artifacts anymore." Alexander lifts his chin and nods a few times as he offers this insight, "They were /stolen./" His lip twists a little.
    "By two cat burglars I think who were staking them out." He stops beside the grill and stands there like a dutiful son.

Ares has posed:
There is a rumbling noise from John, which could be taken any number of ways, when Alexander admits to leaving the cultists alive. "They wanted me to kill them. To have that honor. Something insane about all that nonsense."

He opens the top of the grill, setting the pan on the side. It was one of those fancy numbers with two grilling sections, with their own lids. A pan off to one side for sauces or the like. Then a flat table surface on the opposite. He might not like technology but he did love a modern way to cook with fire. Not that a pit in the dirt wouldn't do but this was much more efficient.

He took the potatoes and laid them on one side of the grill before flicking the flames to life and setting them to cooking. Then he started to lay out the ribs on the other half.

Mention of burglars has him looking over, brow scrunched a bit. "Cat burglars?"

Phobos has posed:
    "Well," Alex stands there, shuffling from one foot to the other as he looks at the grill as his father tends to it then back to the man himself. Still holding potatoes. "I think they're remnants from..." There's a pause as his brow furrows, then he simply says. "The people we fought back then." Not wishing to name them for that can at times have unforeseen consequences.
    "They seemed to have a leader-priest of some sort, and they were conducting a ritual. Though they did not state who it was in honor of, nor was it evident in the way things were laid out." He steps to the side of the grill and starts putting down the potatoes one after the other on the small slatted wooden shelf next to it.
    "While they were doing this ritual, the two thieves snuck down to where they left your artifacts, which by the way... they're technically not yours anymore. Donated them." That small admonishment is delivered quickly, though not with such sauciness as the way Aliki said it to him.
    "And they made off with them. I pursued them but..."

Ares has posed:
The potatoes are placed in the second half of the grill. Now it would be a matter of waiting. It would be well worth it when the time came. John turned and leaned against the railing around the deck, focusing on his son again.

"But." The word is said very slowly, as though he is tasting it, like a new food he never tried before. "That is not a word I like, Boy."

And he is back to talking to Alexander as though he was ten again. "Mine or museum, they were stolen and should be returned."

Phobos has posed:
    "But, I underestimated them." And weirdly enough he does not seem upset about it. He's sort of smiling a bit as if he approved how they did it for some reason. He lifts his hands to gesture as he speaks, "I caught them on a rooftop and came at them along the center line to split them, then isolate one while I avoided the other."
    His smile shifts a little wry, "But." He says again, "They were able to evade and they timed their retreat perfectly so they leapt off of the side of the building... and onto the roof of a passing train. I had to admire it. It was really well done."
    He looks to the side, chewing on his lower lip then looked back at his father, "But they sorta stuck with me mentally, I was able to track them down."

Ares has posed:
"Do these thieves yet live?" comes the rumbling response from John as he crosses his arms over his broad chest. The muscles in his arms flex, tightening and stretching the sleeves of his shirt.

"Because as long as this story is taking, it is like when you were a child and didn't want to tell me the end." He narrows his eyes.

"Did you show them mercy as you did the cultists? I want those artifacts back at the museum."

Phobos has posed:
    "I made a deal with them." Alexander blurts that out easily enough, quickly enough, looking to the side as one eye scrunches up knowing that it might trigger an outburst. But then he holds up a hand as if to try and stay that outburst as he says, "To be fair they had no idea who they were crossing, or the significance of the things they stole. They're a pair of sisters who try to test their skills by stealing from people that they think deserve it."
    He folds his arms over his chest and murmurs, "I didn't think their transgressions warranted, you know. Death. So I contacted them, told them how things were. And we agreed to a deal."
    He clears his throat, "They give the artifacts back and I do them a favor." Or several... as the case may be.

Ares has posed:
That gets a frown from John. He looks to the young man with that dark glower thatn warns of what is to come. Only Alexander holds up his hands, trying to keep the angry words from leaving his father's lips.

It works. John waits, listening to the tale. Then when he hears the deal that was cut, his lips twitch. Once. Twice. Then they curve upwards into a grin.

"Comely were they? To catch your attention in such a way." His arms unfold, the anger no longer there as he shakes his head from side to side. "So you have the items. Or you returned them to the museum already?" Which is followed up with the other. "Going to be an enjoyable favor, I hope."

Phobos has posed:
    "We haven't made the exchange yet, but soon. And yes, instantly I will take them back to the museum." There, that wasn't so bad, he nods as he chews on his lower lip hoping that that will be accepted. But then he perhaps catches up to that leer that comes from the man and he sort of half-grins.
    "But um, yeah. They were uhh, pretty cute." His eyes lift up and to the side, thoughtful as he thinks back to the sisters who were... a bit out there. And Ares, he likely can see that Alexander wants to say a few more things, but he doesn't as he self-edits and instead he finally murmurs.
    "I think we might be dating. I don't know."