12142/So about the thing.

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So about the thing.
Date of Scene: 07 September 2020
Location: Upper West Side, Manhattan
Synopsis: Ares and Phobos resolve the artifact situation.
Cast of Characters: Ares, Phobos




Ares has posed:
The worksite is busy. They often are. A hustle of little ants scurrying all over the high-rise building being constructed in the city. This one would be offering condos, each one costing more than the combined salary of all the guys on the crew building it.

One of those men was John Aaron. He was well thought of with his work crew, a solid guy who had a good sense of humor and was willing to pay for a round of drinks after they were off the clock. He also was a mountain of a man with some for of strength that wasn't normal, but they weren't going to complain about that. While some people might find different frightening, they had come to respect and even embrace it when the guy could tote an i-beam from one spot to another without the need for a crane or heavy equipment being involved. That was invaluable to a construction crew.

Right now, he was work on the fifteenth floor, which was still in the starting phases. At least it had a floor, so he wasn't out walking on beams.

Phobos has posed:
    It's rare that Alexander calls upon his father while the man is working. There had always been a sort of work/homelife separation with how protective he had been of his son, but ever since they returned that hadn't been quite as to the fore as other times. Like now, the crew he was working with, they knew that John Aaron had a son, had never met him before...
    Until now when the youth showed up with a greasy paper bag that held something that smelled delicious in it. So the youth had stopped at the foreman's office, just to peek his head in and let them know he was bringing his dad his lunch today...
    TThat was enough to get the young man on the rickety work elevator, and then when the door opened to that fifteenth floor, Alexander just had to navigate his way over those laid out boards and the makeshift floor that was in place until the more permanent fixtures were put in.
    "Hey old man." The voice is heard while the elder god is working his work, and perhaps his arrival was preceded by that delicious hamburger smell. Which is a thing that has never happened before. Something. Was up.

Ares has posed:
John paused, turning his head and tilting back the hard hat he wore upon his head so he could get a better view. Because apparently he had been conked by something, despite it. That sounded like Alexander. Who never had come to any of his work sites, except when brought there with John for a visit when he was small. As an adult? This was unprecedented.

His eyes narrowed more when he smelled the food and saw the bag. "What have you done?" The words rumbled out, the sound of rocks tumbling down a mountainside in that tone. Because, he has to have done something.

He sets down the power ratchet he had been using, powering it down and then walking to meet the boy halfway. Still the boy. Always.

Phobos has posed:
    Gesturing with the paper sack, grease stains and all, Alexander smirks a little even as he looks away then back. "I've succeeded? Isn't that what you wanted?" Which, is true, in a particular point of view. But then he tosses the sack towards the older man and starts to walk further out toward the work area, peering down through the small gaps in the floorwork and then once he's close enough over the side.
    Back to his father he quirks an eyebrow, "The artifacts are back in the possession of the museum. I convinced the ones who had them to turn them in for the reward of recovering them." There, that was a good way to phrase things. And truthful.
    He spreads his hands then, "Sure they had stolen them from the guys who had stolen them from the museum. But I figured they deserved something for their troubles."

Ares has posed:
The bag is accepted and John, actually unrolls the top of it to peek inside at the burger in its greasy wrapper and some onion rings that still seemed crispy. Alexander must've just picked them up. He follows the boy over toward the edge, choosing to sit there with his legs dangling down, 14 floors to the ground below. It was a nice view. For those not afraid of heights. He was not. Alexander certainly wasn't with his new mantle of Phobos.

Hearing that the thieves got the reward, the food is forgotten. "You WHAT?" His voice thundered. He forced it back down, so the guys on the crew wouldn't overhear.

Now he knew why Alexander came here instead of telling him at home. Smart move. Sneaky.

"They were thieves. They deserved no reward. What were you thinking?"

Phobos has posed:
    Dropping down to sit with his legs dangling as well, Alexander endures that 'roar' from the man beside him, expression a little chagrined but surviving as he makes a small face and looks away, then looks back. "They didn't steal from you, however. I mean you don't have a problem with thievery in general since I know where a lot of the artifacts in our home come from, right?"
    Oh dang.
    "But still, they did me a solid. They could've run off and made it super difficult, but I told them what a well educated and scholarly individual was my father and how he so wished to see these artifacts in a museum where they belonged and..."
    A small twitch touches his features, "Well they lent a sympathetic ear. Anyways, no skin off our backs. No reputation sullied. We're right as rain."

Ares has posed:
"Other than thieves being rewarded for their deeds." But the complaint from John is a bit lower this time. Not so heartfelt. He knows as well as Alexander where some of the things he owns originated. Most had been picked up during the time they were new. They only had become artifacts after so many years of being kept tucked away.

He pulls out the burger, unwrapping it with the crinkle of paper. He already had a water from earlier and that would suffice for his drink.

"These are the ones you owe favors. In addition to the financial reward. It seems they gained far more from their theft than they even know. The favors of a god."

He shakes his head and looks to his son, eyebrows rising a bit.

Phobos has posed:
    "Well favors of the gods don't really seem to carry a ton of monetary weight these days. But..." Alexander draws a leg up, resting his arms around it and his chin upon his knee. "Some people seem to like it. Though, to be fair..."
    He looks to the side out across the skyline, the sweep of the world before them, the steady hustle and bustle of traffic despite them taking their ease. "They don't know about me. Or our weirdness."
    Which might shed a little bit of light on things. "Though they seem at ease with the whole, being felons thing. I think they do it for the thrill of it."

Ares has posed:
"For the best they don't know your secrets. Not many can cope with such information without things going strangely."

John takes a bite of the burger, finding it quite good. It's greasy. It's not at all good for a person. Good thing he's not a mortal.

"Thrill seekers? So they do not wish to profit? Good." John gives a sage nod as he washes down the food with a swig of water before continuing. "Then they will be glad to give back the reward." There is the hint of a smirk on his face before he takes another bite of burger to try to hide it.

Phobos has posed:
    A small smile flits over the corners of Alexander's mouth as he can't help himself. These talks with his father are always interesting albeit contentious and in some ways they're fun as well. Small games, military maneuvers as each moves a piece in their conversational gambits and then checks it and makes heir counter-move.
    Such as now with Ares putting forth that idea, it is Alexander's turn to show why that idea might not be the best, and so he takes the approach he knows might not win his father over, but will set the groundwork for something more shortly. "Well they do require money, to an extent." His smile is there as he looks back up, then leans over to steal an onion ring as he likely gets a glower at that point.
    "Overhead, and they're not well off. So money might be needed in part at least. They are entertainers, you see." There, that might serve as a flare to distract him from the issue and lead him off in another direction.

Ares has posed:
"Entertainers." Not posed as a question though it surely is in a way. John considers that quietly then hears the rustle of the bag and peeks to see Alexander drawing out one of those golden hoops of greasy fatty goodness. He does give that little glare then takes another bite of his burger.

A moment later, he reaches in the bag to draw out the little cardboard container of onion rings. He places them on top of the bag between the two men. That way Alexander can partake as well, should he wish. Not that he's offering. That would be a step too far.

"What kind of entertainers?"

Phobos has posed:
    The blond youth hides his smile by biting his lower lip and looking away, gaze drifting out over the city before them. He lifts a hand and rubs at the back of his neck thoughtfully before he uncurls that same hand and gestures with a calm smile. "They're in the circus."
    A beat while the man is given a moment to reflect, then here comes the way to cushion the blow.
    "But not like regular circus entirely. Sort of like, you know, the Cirgue du Soleil? Sort of like that. Artsy."
    Fewer elephants.
    But that said he smiles, "I have some tickets for their show, but you sort of have to dress up for it." It's that kind of circus apparently. "Like a suit and such."

Ares has posed:
"The Cirque du Soleil is quite interesting. Very artistic. Though the last one I saw seemed to be focused on the animal needs inside all humans. Do they keep their clothes on during their performance?" His tone is conversational, not judgemental.

He picks up an onion ring then glances back to his son, brow slightly furrowed. "So what do they do? Clowns? Contortionists? Acrobats? All of the above because that crosses lines even I have not dared."

He picks takes another bite of the burger, almost done with it now. His eyes show his amusement even though he is managing to keep a poker face.

Phobos has posed:
    A deep breath is taken, and Ares has a good poker face when he wants to, so Alexander is sort of buying it even as he shakes his head. "That was just one particular cirque show, if I recall. They pick themes and go with them, that one just happened to be, you know. Sex."
    Alexander's features color as he shakes his head, hand lifting and motioning to the side, "Acrobats. Trapeze artists." A pause for a moment then he clears his throat, "And um, fighters too apparently." Which might be amusing in a way.
    "Anyways, I'd appreciate if you would stop insisting on reminding me you have dated people in the past and just act like a normal dad. Ok? Ok."

Ares has posed:
"Fighters?"

If he wanted a normal dad moment, he shouldn't have mentioned that word to this particular parental unit. John suddenly was laser focused on the conversation. It had been rather casual until then, just their usual back and forth as they maneuvered things to their liking.

"Then I will be a normal dad and ask the question. What kind of fighters? And how did you come about this information. I thought you...negotiated with them."

Even a pleasant choice of words. He finishes off his burger which means he is able to focus his full attention on learning more about the thrill-seeking, aerialist, fighting thieves.

This just gets better and better.

Phobos has posed:
    "Dad!" A short sharp retort given to check the man's interest. "I'll tell you more later when I know more, just dang man." The young deity looks /distinctly/ uncomfortable as he shakes his head but stifles a laugh as he looks away. "Just, I'll tell you more. But for now you know most of what I do, really."
    Well not quite near almost, but a good amount of it.
    "Anyways, I just wanted to bring by some food to take the edge off in case you were grumpy about your artifacts."
    At least he's honest. But that said he pushes himself to his feet and grins a little. "Ok? Ok."

Ares has posed:
"I need to be sure they are good enough for my son, as any normal father would want to," John taunts, knowing full well he has made the boy uncomfortable and finding that humorous. While he had implied more, he hadn't been so sure until that reaction from his son. That was more than enough right there.

"So perhaps you do not wish me to be a normal father after all." He gathers up the trash from his meal, climbing to his feet and carrying it over to the trash chute they had on the floor to toss to ground level.

"I am still displeased they were rewarded but now I understand why you allowed it." Whipped. Got to be. "Thank you for the meal."

Phobos has posed:
    "You are unbelievable." Alexander says as his eyes lift and he rolls them with a grimace and a scowl, perhaps having even a smile there in the offing. But he stifles it and grumbles as he pushes himself back to his feet, "Last time I bring you lunch, this is the thanks I get." Hassle. Nothing but hassle.
    Yet he doesn't seem entirely that upset.
    "Anyways, get back to doing your thing, I'm going to go get some schoolin' done. Don't mind me." He hops over a board on the ground and starts to stroll towards the elevator. "So difficult sometimes."