Counter, counter, pretty counter, mm, nice pretty counter. Wait, was this techinically the bar? No, probably the counter. Grace ran her hands over the top, oh, it was cool, that was nice. Now what time was it? She laid her head down and stared at the clock, wow, almost two thirty, mostly only druggies were up at this hour. No, she probably made that up, probably a lot of over caffeinated geeks were playing on their computers all around the world.

And then there was Grace. Since she didn’t need to sleep anymore, so she had more or less loss concern about what time in the day it was, except around times like now, when she was trying to figure out why the waitress looked so dead. Mm, two thirty AM…

Her black painted fingers tapped against the counter, maybe she should do something, nah, and getting food was always nice. Shorter white-ish hair and violet eyes, scarred hand fishnets and leather. She looked more like how she usually did today. Her CD player rested on the counter, yes it was a counter, or maybe it really was a bar… well her headphones were around her neck, the muffled sounds of “Drugs are Good” by NOFX playing. She was already growing bored. Borededy bored bored….

(Reserved-ed for Hat)

Apoth was a bit tired. Even though he now was freed from that human body and fully god, he still had a few lingering effects of humanity. Sleep for one, and a need for food. It was kind of annoying.

Having fallen asleep after trying to deprive himself of slumber for a few days, he was awakened by his stomache. FEED ME, it said. Apoth asked it why, considering it didn't technically exist any more. FEED ME, it replied. Finally, the grumpy god got up in search of someplace to eat.

He stumbled around town for a while, trying to find an open joint. Monroe's was the first he found, and so he decided on there. It didn't look too bad, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway. He was hungry.

Apoth pushed open the door, looking around. Not many people in here. He made his way to the counter, looking for the waitresses.

"Hello?" he said, clearing his throat. "Can I get some service?"

She knew that voice. Abbie. Wait. Abbie. Wait. ABBIE, definitely ABBIE. ABBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Grace turned slowly. Purple stripe, silly glasses, blandish clothing, okay maybe not bland, but not as extravagant or flamboyant as Grace. Abbie. She hadn’t seen him in ages! Abbie. A big grin split across her face, she slowly slid her headphones over her head and dropped them on the counter. She turned, watching him, smiling. Happy, happy, happy.

She stood up and threw her arms around him squeezing him in a hug.

”Abbie!!!” She squealed happily. Abbie Abbie Abbie Abbie Abbie Abbie Abbie Abbie!!!

There he was, minding his own business, when suddenly he was attacked. Well, kind of. Apoth was hit hard, followed by a squeal.

"Abbie!!!"

Abbie? What? Oh, yeah, that was him. He'd stopped calling himself that a while ago. His humanity was slipping away slowly, thankfully. Once realizing who she meant, he widened his focus to include the person now hanging from his neck.

"I'm sorry... do I know you?" he asked bluntly. No use pretending. Especially when someone's hanging from his neck. "I don't think I am who you think I am."

Wait, what was that? Did he know her? Did he know her?

A few minutes of a blank stare.

”Dude, you can’t change your fucking godmark, I know it's you Abbie, are you trying to avoid me?” She winced. Oh, he was friends with the bird-boy, Shad. Had he heard about that? Well, it was nothing to be angry about, just a kiss…

”Is this about Shad and Di? Because, I swear, that was so not my fault, okay, maybe it was.. but you can’t be angry at me over that.” She hadn’t let go of him, she needed to cling to him, not let him go and find out what the hell was wrong with him.

Apoth with still thoroughly confused, and he didn't like it. Sighing, he rubbed his forehead awkwardly, trying not to bump her. After a moment of consideration, he put his hand on her shoulders and pushed her back enough that he could see her face. She looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. What he could place was the feeling of power emanating from her. Another deity?

"Sorry, things have been a bit confusing lately. I've, ah, changed since you last saw me. I'm not Abbie anymore. I'm Apoth again. Or now." Despite the lack of sleep and food, he was making an effort to be nice to her. She seemed the kind easily crushed.

"Shad and Di... I don't know Shad, but do you mean Dionis?"

”Yeah, Di, Dionis,” She tilted her head to the side, watching him. Apoth? That sounded stupid. Abbie was so much better. Even if it did sound like a girl’s name.

”Again? What. I’m lost….” Lost. That was when she had first met Abbie, when she was lost in the mall, looking for her dad, Abbie had almost tripped over her, and then helped her find Amor. Then she had stuck with him, following him whenever she could and hanging out with him throughout her short childhood.

She let go of him slowly, backed up and took a seat on the stool she had occupied earlier. She continued to face him, watching him utterly confused.

A familiar impatience rose, but he battled it down. With a sigh, he took a seat as well. A last glance around in hopes of some kind of service, then he began as best he could.

"I'm not sure how long ago, but I went incarnate. I don't remember anything from that time. Nothing clearly, anyway. It was pretty much a dream. Last thing I remember is, ah, 'waking up'." He didn't want to say Abbie'd been killed. She might very well start crying, and Apoth didn't want that. He was beginning to dislike the way she made him so indirect. Unfortunately, a small bit of that was differed to her. "I haven't had much interaction since then, and have been trying to rid myself of the lingering humanity. That's pretty much it."

After a small silence, he looked around again. "Where is that waitress?" He was clearly impatient and hungry.

”Oh.” Lost and quiet. Lost and afraid, in the middle of a crowded mall with no one to help.

”Twenty-something years,” she said as she noted that he wasn’t sure how long he had been human.

”I dunno, it is like three in the morning… most people aren’t wake right now….” She seemed subdued now, a violently different change of character by for words. ‘I don’t remember anything..’

”Well, then, Apoth.. I’m Grace…” What else was she supposed to do? Just sit there staring at him dumbly?

Twenty something years. Wow. He almost didn't notice her change. Almost. The small part that did notice didn't do anything about it. Too much to think about.

"Is it really that early?" he asked. Apoth had realized how long he'd slept. Sometimes he wished he could curse the humanity out of him.

"Nice to meet you Grace. What is your area of expertise?" he asked, meaning of course what she was deity of.

Apoth had been out of it for a long time.

”Yeah, it’s really that early, or late depending on if you slept or not.” Grace hadn’t slept, she had been going around to different parties and clubs, so it was late, but that didn’t really matter, because well, she didn’t need to sleep.

“Love and Lust, I guess since you’ve been out of the loop that you didn’t know that Amor, kinda… vanished.” She looked briefly hurt, but only for a second, before looking back up at Apoth with curious violet eyes.

"Yes, I slept, unfortunately." A look of disgust crossed his face.

"Vanished?" Apoth frowned, wondering. As he was supposed to be in charge of knowing things, he didn't like not knowing things. The god filed away both the information and her reaction. He didn't say anything more, though that could have been because the waitress appeared from the back room.

Happy to see her, he ordered a breakfast of eggs, bacon, orange juice, and hashbrowns. He may not like humanity, but if he was to be stuck with it he might as well do it right. The lady disappeared into the kitchen, probably to wake up the cook.

"I'm sorry, did you want something to eat?" Apoth had even thought to ask her while the waitress had been out here.

”Yeah, vanished.” No one was quite sure what happened to him, well, Grace wasn’t sure and no one else really knew.

”Oh, I was out most of the night,” she didn’t sleep nearly as much as usual. Sleep was for the weak. It slipped up behind you, catching you when you least expected it. The silent nemises that stole more then a third of your life.

She blinked slowly, and watched him, and then the waitress as she came up and left. She was not really that hungry, she just needed a place to stay before the sun finally came up. Maybe she would order something later in the morning.

”Nah, it’s fine, ‘m not very hungry.”

"Wish I wasn't," Apoth muttered. Using a bit of rusty godliness, he sped thing in the kitchen up a bit, waning his food now. The waitress stepped out of the kitchen, setting a plate in front of him.

"Here y'are," she said, pouring the orange juice. Her voice sounded thick with sleepiness. "Enjoy yo'r meal, hun." She disappeared into the back room again, probably to sleep. Must not think them a threat to the well-being of the restaurant.

Apoth ate gratefully, but not slowly. He was hungry in a way only humans can be after days of starvation. It wasn't long before the eggs were gone, most of the hashbrowns, and three of the five pieces of bacon. He'd already finished the orange juice and refilled it from the pitcher the lady had used.

"Excuse me," he said after a small belch. "I'm not usually like this, I promise." The part of him that was truly god cringed. Gods don't apologize for things like that. Still too human.

Grace smiled softly, watching him slightly amused. He’s not usually like this..

”Yeah,” she began, “I know.” She did, well, unless Abbie had behaved differently around her then everyone else. Which he very well might have, due to the fact she was a little girl around him. But Grace guessed Abbie was always just Abbie.

”So, Abb… Apoth, how are you todat?” Lame. Very lame. But she wasn’t sure what to say.

"Hungry and tired," he said witha bit of an edge to his voice. Stupid humanity.

"How about you?"

((BAH TO SHORTNESS.))

"That's no good,"ah yes, the pains of humanity, yep, she knew it as well.

"I'm mostly bored, that's about it. I think it has something to do with my short attention span." Oh, shiny quarter.. Reaching out she picked it up, shaking her head and continued what she had been saying. "Other then that, good."