FOR: @hephaestusgalani WHERE: the AUDITORIUM; BACKSTAGE WHEN: 2130.02; AN HOUR BEFORE PANEL STARTS
There is no rhyme or reason to how the antagonistic nature of their push-and-pull relation came to be, none that he chooses to dwell on at least. Since day one of crossing paths, they simply have not been able to see eye to eye on hardly anything. Fortunately, the difference in age guaranteed they wouldn’t have to be caught in the same room together more than twice a year at most, a fact he’d been happy to contend with up until a departure made the time apart more permanent.
Now though, he’s beginning to wonder if the Fates have a personal agenda to fulfill, to force him into close proximity with Hephaestus seemingly at every presented opportunity—making up for lost time or lost connections neither is keen to recover. If it hadn’t been for the fact this is also Circe’s panel, and he’d promised to show in support, he might’ve turned around and walked back out the auditorium. But alas.
He decides not to bring up the affair. Why bother beating a dead horse? No doubt his siblings and media flies alike will have plenty to say to them about the matter, assuming they haven’t already been put through the wringer at least ten times over since the week started. So perhaps, this time at least, he’ll cut them some slack. “You ready for the presentation?"