Welcome to Gaia! ::

Apollo nods slowly, making sure to cool his head before he follows Diana. She did have a point, but then again, the old man made references to Endymion, everything felt connected now. He takes a deep breath, the pain starting to ebb as they entered. Now that the pain was nearly gone, a deep voice sounded in both of their minds, You both came... Good.
In the farthest corner of the cafe, the god of thunder sat. It was quite obvious that the years had had some toll on him, but he didn't look unrecognizable. His skin was still the deep golden brown it had always been, his hairan iridescent white blonde that stood out against his darker skin. But other than these features, he looked fairly human, just holding a toweringly large appearance in his human form.
Apollo shows no signs of wavering as he walks steadily to the table, sitting down across from Zeus.

At Diana's words, Apollo's hand complusively clenched hers beneath the table, trying hard to comfort her, but his own shaking hands told volumes about his crumbling composure. It would have been so eay to just deny everything Zeus had said about the nature of humans, but it was hard to ignore what he had seen so often for himself. A foolish mistake like not taking a threat seriously would now end up costing them more dearly than even Zeus could have planned.
The sun god's shoulders were tense. He wasn't sure what was bothering him more, Zeus's plan to turn humans to gods, or his observation that Endymion and Adel would eventually leave them voluntarily. Apollo knew like any other god the fact that humans were created with attention spans as short as their lives, which made Zeus' plan of putting the mind of a human in the body of a god all the more torturous. Apollo immediately remembered the way Endymion had reacted when he found out of his immortality, the way he had nearly gone mad with anger and desperation. Apollo swallows hard, trying to muse his way to a solution, He's wrong... His plan is flawed, Diana.... Even if they did.... he cuts himself off, pushing back tears. Even if they wanted to l-leave... who says they would run to Zeus's arms......? But despite his efforts to comfort her, his own voice was wavering.
He finally turns, pulling Diana into an almost desperate embrace. There were no words he could think to say, he was all ready having troubles dousing his own fears. He knew Diana was the only one who could understand this as he did. He knew in a few minutes, they would head back to the suite, finding the two mortals innocently waiting for them, totally unaware of what Zeus had in store. And the simple thought of walking back into that made Apollo shudder.

Apollo nods slowly, his whole body still trembling somewhat. He was glad to see that she was calming, though he felt wars still raging inside himself. He knew what she was saying was true; they needed to tell Adel and Endymion of what was happening. But he knew it would be much harder than it sounded.
The sun god stands up from his seat at the table, taking Diana's hand for comfort, "escorting" her out. The paling god felt that if he didn't cling to some mask now, that he would totally crumble.
Standing in front of the room for the suite, it took a long time and a lot of courage to finally open the door. They had only been gone for an hour, but now it felt like so much was separating them from the two mortals inside. He steps in slowly, placing his jacket on the hook beside the door, like a robot going through motions as he tired to plan out what he would tell Endymion.

Apollo, seeing the living room empty, immediately knew that Endymion was waiting for him in the bedroom, probably ready to go to sleep. Glancing out the window, he registered that the sunh had set many hours ago. Maybe Endymion was all ready asleep...
Eyes closed with mental exhaustion, Apollo gently pushes into the bedroom with a sigh. But when his eyes closed, the next gasp he took for breath was held. Candles, roses.... and Endymion, standing there across the room, eyes inviting, nearly exposed body slightly tense with anticipation. Apollo presses his lips together, a shiver running through him. He couldn't think of a worse time for news like Zeus's to weigh him down, not when Endymion was before him, so open and willing, so perfect. Apollo finally tears his eyes away from Endymion, looking at the carpet. He knew that if Zeus was right, the new god could receive prayers. With a soft sigh, Apollo whispers the prayer, Endymion... Beautiful Endymion... He knew the effect the prayer had on the boy would be as strong, if not stronger, than the effect they had on himself.
He steps close, almost desperately in speed, pulling him so suddenly into his arms and hugging the mortal as if he would be taken from him at this very second. All the while his prayers were constant, Lovely, beautiful... Endymion... My only love, the god of my desire.... Endymion.... How I long to worship you without ceasing..... Lovely, perfect.... Apollo wasn't even aware of when his tears began to flow and dampen Endymion's hair and shoulder.

Apollo's hands were slowly rubbing up and down Endymion's back beneath the shirt, pulling him close while still feeling the smooth, heated skin. Apollo kisses Endymion's forehead and temple before nuzzling into his neck lightly. He whispers sadly, "You did all of this for me.... But we need to talk... Something has happened and I can't keep you in the dark about it...."
He silently pulls himself arm's length away, leading Endymion to sit down on the bed. He waited until his lover was comfortably seated before he began, "Zeus has found us... He just called for Diana and I, and we met with him..... His temper hasn't changed, but.... Well..." Apollo continues to tell Endymion all of Zeus's plan, not leaving a detail out. He finally concludes in a sorrowful tone, "But... Since you and Adel were not born of gods nor meant by nature to be gods, Zeus is messing with pre-existing instincts that cannot be changed... You see, the soul of a human is meant for limited loyalty. Humans' lives are short in conparison to the rest of time, the loyalty of a human's soul was never meant to last for centuries.... And Zeus is counting on that..... He is counting on the assumption that you will eventually tire of me and move on, cultivating your own power and authority as a god under Zeus...."
Apollo stops short, violet eyes unfocused as they hung their gaze on the sheets beneath them. The pain was evident on his face as he whispers, "You only have a taste of the power now. A small taste. Zeus can offer you that power, where I can only offer you an eternity of mediocrity under my protection.... I know I cannot force you to do anything, and even if I tried, I would only earn your resentment... I love you, Endymion, and I wouldn't be able to stand watching you slowly come to hate me..." His hand reaches out, stroking Endymion's cheek. The tears drove wavering lines down Apollo's face as he continues, "But I can't stand the thought of losing you... And I know now that he will stop at nothing to drive a wedge between the two of us..." His eyes lock on Endymion's, "I may be a god, but we gave humans free will for a reason... If you decided to walk away from me, there would be nothing I could do to stop you... And if you did, you would become a full god.... I can't offer you that.... All I can give is my love, as long as you'll have it." He kisses Endymion's hand.