Poseidon grinned as he leaned on his throne, his hands outstretched in the air.

"That was close!"

Zeus can only grumble at him. His face looked adorable when he did. Scratch that. His face looked like the "old man" adorable, with all the makeup Poseidon and Aphrodite gave him. He honestly felt like a hippie wrestler with those thunder marks on his cheeks.

The room couldn't have gone any more silent when Poseidon called the goddess of strategy again.

"You seem so lax," she observed.

"Truth or dare?"

Athena wanted to look dead serious enough to know what plans the sea god kept for her. It irritated her that Poseidon was simply laid back. Still, this was Poseidon, the god she would always bicker with, and thus she decided to go along with his breeziness.

"Truth." She answered with a sigh.

"You're scared of me giving you a dare, aren't you?" His answer may be in a laid back tone, but there was something in there that still showed his pride. He was, after all, Athena's in-a-way rival.

The goddess pursed her lips at the question. "I prefer the term 'cautious'. I'm not stabbing seawater to get back at you."

"Hey, I'm the one who has to get back at you, with your 'Under the Sea' scheme."

"You already done it with you disguising as your little sea spawn."

Everyone else had to agree on that, and it was a wise decision. A satisfied Athena then asked the sea god whether it was already her turn or not.

"Go take your turn," he answered flippantly.

The goddess smiled inwardly and scanned the room for someone who wasn't called a lot.

"Lord Hades," she called, "Truth or Dare?"

Hades snapped himself alert. This is Athena, he thought. She may not be as full of cheery antics as Hermes, or the aggressive retaliating type like his brothers, but she's the goddess of wisdom and strategy and who knows what evil lies in her dares? Did she pick him out of coincidence? Was there something he did to offend her? Athena's poker face was somehow disturbing the Underworld king.

"Truth," was what he answered. It was risky for him to do a dare for her.

"Alright," she answered back. "I would just like to know your opinion on something."

"What?"

"Before Nico had a crush on Will, didn't he have a crush on Percy?"

Poseidon cringed. Percy belongs to Annabeth, he protested in thoughts.

Hades' eyes widened. Not my son's love life, again! But then he tried to compose himself, and thought of the right words to say.

"I don't dwell on that anymore," was what he answered.

"Oh?"

"Was that it?" he asked.

"No. It's this: what if Percy and Nico got together instead of Percy and Annabeth and Nico having a crush on Will?"

Among the deities, it was Aphrodite who was the most intrigued. She had really shipped Perico –the ship name of Percy x Nico- alongside Percabeth, but it had gone low key for her when Nico had feelings for Will. Now that Athena's mentioned it, she had still somehow shipped it too. But Hades didn't. He couldn't answer without cringing.

"I…really don't want to dwell on the past, to be honest. But if they got together I'll be more awkward in dealing with my son. It's Percy Jackson. I really don't get over conflicts. I don't care if he was twelve back then, I still hate him somehow."

Demeter lightly snorted, and Hades could unfortunately hear it.

"Well, it's not like someone here's a little different," he said to get her attention. The other deities groaned. The response was obviously for the grain goddess. She then replied vehemently.

"Oh please. You're the one who began your ruckus with Percy!"

"That was nothing instigated by me!"

"How about the time you took my Persephone away from me?"

Hades furrowed his brow almost angrily.

"Get over it, will you?!"

"Oh shut up, you started this."

"Enough!"

Zeus' booming voice filled the throne room. Demeter and Hades stopped arguing. The rest of the deities looked at their king cautiously.

"For Olympus' sake, Hades, Demeter, can you not quarrel? I do not care if you two are not through with that issue, but did you really have to bring that up now? Look, as Persephone's father, I was really disappointed for Hades to act like a creep back then."

Hades gulped, looking down embarrassingly. For the youngest brother to scold at his oldest, that was somehow harsh. Then again, it was the underworld king to be held responsible, after all. Besides, Zeus looked funny for Hades to take his brother too seriously. He stifled a little giggle.

"But that conflict is over," he continued, "and Persephone was fine with it. The two of you should be alright with that too, especially you, Demeter."

Hera had been glaring daggers at Zeus, very well remembering that her husband had an affair with her sister. She scrunched her eyebrows and inhaled a deep breath.

Zeus somehow noticed his wife's actions, but he simply ignored it. He then waited if there was anyone who would speak. Hearing no one, he spoke again.

"I don't care now. I don't care if you'll ever get over it or not, but can we not express it here, at a time when most of us are bound together with this weird game?"

The deities looked at the Olympian King with understanding. It was indeed rare when they were together, and having fun at that.

"I agree with father," voiced Athena fearlessly, "for it was rare how I see all of us enjoy each other's company."

"Yes, I do to, as well." Aphrodite glanced at Athena and smiled. "It's rare how Lord Zeus wears commercial makeup the Kardashian-Jenner family use!"

Strange looks from the other Olympians greeted the goddess.

Okay, Aphrodite, they thought in blank expressions.

"That may count," said Zeus to perhaps remove the silence, "and," he said as he glanced again to Demeter and Hades, "if you start bickering again, I'll be sure to give you a dare so humiliating you'll never want to set foot in Mt. Olympus again!"

The mentioned pair was surprised. Zeus just threatened them with a dare. They couldn't believe he was serious, though, with all of that makeup.

But he was.

"That was…that was the best thing I've ever heard."

Right after the remark by Hermes, everyone started to become calm and expressed how they noticed they were having quality time together. When they were ready to play the game again, everyone's eyes were on Hades.

"Eh, alright. I'm assuming it's my turn now."

The god of the underworld scanned the room and chose Artemis.

"Truth or dare?"

Artemis wanted to be cautious. She figured that Hades would lie low in making a dare, but it was still too risky, considering the fact that everyone else wanted something comical to suppress any other serious issue that might just ruin the mood of the throne room. So she chose truth.

"Our dear Lord Hades

I choose truth rather than dare

Go ahead and ask"

Hades scratched his chin and said, "If you weren't the goddess of the hunt, or of the moon, what goddess would you like to be?"

Artemis was satisfied with the question. She could answer it quickly, if it weren't for her brother, having her talk in haikus.

"I'm fond of children

I admire their innocence

That is my answer."

The goddess couldn't think of any other word for the last line that should say she wanted to be the patron of children. Just please understand, she mentally thought to herself.

"Oh, you mean you could want to be the patron of children?" Hades asked, and then Artemis nodded.

Everyone else seemed satisfied with her answer. Artemis waited for a few seconds and then called for her next victim, Hermes.

"Well…I'll say truth, lol."

Most of the other deities gave odd looks upon hearing the last word, and the messenger god gave a quirky smile.

"We've been doing truths since Poseidon! How could you not notice it? I'll just be here continuing the legacy of this series of truths."

With that, every other deity in the throne room looked like a brick hit them. Some of them eventually laughed. When the laughter died down, Artemis spoke her truth haiku.

"Now, messenger god,

Which among George and Martha

Do you prefer more?"

As if on cue, Hermes' Caduceus shook, and the two snakes moved.

"Oh, nice quesssssssssssstion, Lady Artie," George said speedily, "and the answer is no other than me!"

The other snake made an irritating hiss, obviously showing a sign of opposition.

"Oh pleassssssse, George! Hermes would be sssssssssssstupid to answer that it's you he favors the most!"

"You're just jealous of me, Martha."

"Assssssssss if!"

"Hermes would prefer me."

"No, me!"

"Me!"

"Me!"

"Me!"

"Me!"

"You know guys," Hermes began to answer in a booming voice, causing the two snakes to be quiet, "I'd just…prefer my Caduceus."

The two snakes pouted, but Hermes stopped them before they were going to protest. George and Martha then froze back to the staff.

"That was some bother," remarked Hera, looking at Artemis, who shrugged.

"So, since it's my turn now," said Hermes gleefully, "who's next?"

Hi guys! I'm sorry for the huge delay of the chapter! COLLEGE IS FRUSTRATING. Add being a student council officer to that.

I was going to post it on Saturday, but I was in Facebook instead, sending out condolences and fears as regards to the bombing of the night market in the city I live on. It was very horrifying. I loved that night market. Hopefully everything will be resolved.

I love you guys for the 10k views! I am very very grateful since you all are my source of motivation. I don't know when I'll be updating next, but I hope I'll do within this month, I guess. And for those who read my other story here, I might want to edit it too.

Thank you for supporting this work :)