Owner	Pose
Angelo Tampambulos	It is definitely a good thing that Angelo paid someone to dig a basement for the carriage house when he bought the place. That is where he keeps his stash (collection?) or at least a part of it.. of the weapons and such that he has collected over the years.     He was down there earlier today, having a workout. Combat skills are a lot like language skills. If you don't keep up with them, don't practice them, and never use them.. they will abandon you. Or at least they will be less crisp and the muscle memory can fade.     Right now, it's spear-fighting that he has been working on. Two handed use of a seven foot spear with as much speed and precision as a human being is capable of. But in reality, he's just shadowboxing with it... and occasionally stabbing ballistic dummies.
Zatanna Zatara	Pale-faced with a trace of circles under her eyes, Zatanna rings the bell of the well-kept carriage house. She turns in place after staring upward into the security camera to look outward and stays that way, looking up and down the street. Shifting in place, she glances back at the camera once as though contemplating ringing again. With a decisive gesture, she abruptly puts her hands into the pockets of her suit jacket and waits. Fashionably dressed, the magician wears wide-legged pants that match the spring-weight wool of the jacket from her favorite Harajuku designer.
Angelo Tampambulos	The bell is easily audible from anywhere in the building. Angelo has worked up quite a sweat, and is dressed in spandex workout shorts and a simple tanktop. Hearing the bell, he tilts his head before dismissing the spear back into the bracer it came from.     It takes a minute or two, but the door is opened and there stands Angelo with a towel about his neck, and an ice cold bottle of water in one hand. "Well, a surprise visitor. Welcome." he says as he steps out of the way to invite Zatanna inside.
Zatanna Zatara	"Oh, I'm sorry for interrupting you. I could have called, I suppose." Worry and a sense of foreboding drove her to the man's house but it does not lessen the impact of his athletic form or the warm scent of soap that reaches her when he opens the door. "I won't take much of your time, then you can get back to whatever you were doing? I don't exercise enough, myself," she adds almost wistfully. "Magic can only go so far," she adds taking a step toward the door.
Angelo Tampambulos	"You really should. Improved stamina and muscle tone is never a bad thing." he offers before taking another long drink of the water. Then he grins, "Important to stay hydrated when you are working out after all." he adds. And yes, her wait at the door was due to a literal two-minute shower so as not to offend with excessive body-odor at the door.... his hair is even damp, and unlike usual, it is not tied back, but hanging down to about shoulder-length.     But he does pick up on some body language, and lifts a brow, "But you did not come here for chit-chat. Or workout advice... though I must say, I could make quite a living as a physical trainer if I wished to... but come on, spit it out." he offers as he walks over to his wet-bar and pulls out a bottle... shakes his head, puts it away, and then plucks another out, "You look like you could do with a drink. So.." he uncorks the bottle and pours some golden liquid into a glass before turning to hand it over, "Mead. Not too strong, but there is a bit of a kick." he adds.
Zatanna Zatara	Zatanna pushes her dark hair behind her ears as she follows him into the house, noting the dripping hair and breadth of his shoulders narrowing to his trim hips. With an imperceptible shake of her head, she averts her eyes and smiles at his directness while his attention is elsewhere. When he puts the bottle on the bar, "I must look worse than I thought. We can talk exercise another time, you can even recommend a good trainer or gym. Please. Mead is fitting considering," she says with a faint snort and a wry tilt to her head.
Angelo Tampambulos	"Considering that mead was invented countless times by countless peoples... it is another of those parallel evolution things... anyhow, yes... it was made by the Greeks and the Vikings, and actually..." He tilts his head, "I think I recall Plato describing his first experience with it as being from Asia Minor... now called India.."     But Angelo hands over the glass and adds, "Drink up and tell me why you're here before you make me ramble on about even more historically useless trivia."
Zatanna Zatara	Not eager to launch into what drove her to his house uninvited, "I often wonder what makes people try completely new things. Is being hungry enough? Or is watching a line of drunk wasps or birds around a pot of fermented grain or honey, convincing enough to overcome caution." She takes the glass of amber-colored liquid and holds it up to the light a moment before tipping it back for a long drink. "Where /do/ you get this? It's exceptionally good. Fit for...the gods." She gazes at her glass a moment before finishing it. "Which is why I'm here. The Gods." Her sapphire eyes slide to the door as if expecting a knock. "I had a visit last night."
Angelo Tampambulos	"I often wonder who the first person was to think, "Hey look. Bee vomit. Let's eat it." offers Angelo back with a shrug, "As for where... I have a guy." he adds with a sly grin.     "I also have a theory that high quality mead was what most mortals -thought- Ambrosia might be. But.." he shrugs then before sitting down and finishing his water. "Okay. They are still poking their noses into the personal lives of people. Given your radiant beauty.. I would not be surprised if it was Zeus trying to find a new conquest... did he show up as an animal, hoping to turn you into a lust crazed girl?" A pause, "Sorry. Great Grandfather is ... as I am sure you know.. renowned for such behavior."
Zatanna Zatara	Zee smiles briefly at the compliment, the light returning to her face, "I am leery of errant swans, cuckoos, or bulls, I'll have you know. Your Grandfather has a reputation for being a rounder. My Italian father rather seemed to understand that kind of behavior and warned his young daughter more than once." The glass is put back on the bar close enough to him to make refilling easy. "I wouldn't mind another. Ambrosia though, is heady stuff from what I understand. I hear they drink it regularly at the Asgardian Embassy." Then, after a thoughtful pause, "No. Another. She suffered at Zeus's hand. He arranged her marriage without a by your leave." The homo magi contemplates him for a moment, gaze sliding over the planes of his face as she reaches a decision. "The habit of secrecy is hard to overcome sometimes. My kind often finds it dangerous to divulge much about themselves. I have a patroness among the Gods, and she came to me with a warning concerning you."
Angelo Tampambulos	"Amrosia.. at the .. Asgardian embassy." says Angelo, sounding confused. "That is strange." he adds. "Considering that it is pretty much an Olympian only concoction... and partly responsible for my current state. That, plus the waters of the river. My mother tells me that she fed me ambrosia, and then when I was sufficiently suffused with it, dipped me into the Styx. The combination being the way the gods of Olympus achieve their immortality. But to have Ambrosia imbibed by -other- pantheons just feels a little... creepy." he says.     Then he tilts his head and looks to Zatanna, "So, your patroness was also screwed over by Zeus. I think there may be two goddesses who were -not- so treated. So which is your patron?" he pauses before he blurts out, "If Hekate', I would not be surprised. Part of her whole purview has always been magic."
Zatanna Zatara	"I've never met her. Perhaps its another drink among the Asgardians. I just know it is powerful," Zee replies, shaking her head. "But she also knows my patroness, having searched for her at her mother's behest after she was taken to her groom against her will. Demeter was beside herself when Persephone was taken from a meadow by Hades during an outing with members of her household. Zeus arranged the betrothal without a word to her mother or to Persephone." Typical of the times. I'm sure you know the story. Demeter was rather clever about it all as was Persephone."
Angelo Tampambulos	Shrugging a shoulder, Angelo goes about pouring a refill of the mead. "Yes, I recall the tale. I recall many tales. Many embellished details, many wholly fabricated elements... one of which -I- fabricated. The heel as a weakness... I am really disappointed in humanity for thinking that was real."     But then Zatanna gives more detail and he nods, "I see. Yes.. it was a time when misogynistic behavior was sadly the norm. Even I was guilty of it." he adds. "And since the gods were shaped by the mortals' beliefs in them... people behaved that way, and so the gods did as well. People were petty, so were the gods. Group consensus and shared belief is a -powerful- thing."
Zatanna Zatara	Taking the glass, Zee only sips this time, "Thanks. It really is warming. And, very good." "They set attitudes that haunted us for centuries. Misogynistic war-mongerers." Turning the glass on the bar, she looks into its honeyed depths a moment before asking, "What has brought you to his notice? It's not as though you haven't walked the earth for nearly two millennia."
Angelo Tampambulos	"His notice? Which his? Zeus?" asks Angelo with a shrug, "Honestly, I think he's bored with me for the most part. I have a sliver of his blood, but for the most part... I think he disliked me for the prophecy that made him afraid to have a dalliance with my mother. The prophecy's existence robbed him of the chance to have her too."     But he leans back in his seat and adds, "Maybe you've had enough to drink for now. So what did your visitor have to say about me?"
Zatanna Zatara	Eyebrows hiked in surprise, Zee glances up from studying the glass, "I haven't been clear, have I?" She shakes her head, "No, Hades. My patroness was not happy about it, either."
Angelo Tampambulos	"Oh. Hades. Well he is the god of wealth as well as ruler of the underworld." offers Angelo. "And he has been annoyed with me for quite some time. He wanted me to die at Troy, and many times since. Since my mother stole the immortality of the gods for me, I imagine that he is just feeling petty."