Finding Them When They're Trapped: Chthonic Edition (NSFW-ish)
💢Alecto💢
Needless to say, Alecto is FURIOUS. Well. What she is usually is furious. Whatever this is defies any language whatsoever. She's hissing and spitting and snarling, looking more beast than person. Honestly, if she calmed down, she probably could've gotten herself loose by now.
"Hey, Alecto, you alright?"
"Do I look alright?!? Get these wretched things off me NOW!"
She's tangled up in chains, too haphazard to be intentional. You glance up at the ceiling, where the usual shackles that dangle from the roof of Tartarus are conspicuously absent. They must have gotten knocked loose somehow. You know better than to tease her right then. Alecto will not find it appealing. Instead, you crouch down beside her. "Hold still, I'll get you free."
She growls and mutters as you work the chains loose all "Damnable place." and "Curse Daedalus, and all his wretched contracters." and "If I wasn't trapped right now, I'd tear you to shreds." That last one comes when you accidentally pull the chains tighter. Oops. Eventually, you succeed in getting her free enough that she can shake the rest of them off.
"Better?"
"Bah, I didn't need your help. I could've gotten out just fine on my own."
"Of course," you say affably. Tbh, most of the time it's just easier to let Alecto have it. She's kinda like a really grumpy alley cat and it's far more adorable than you'll ever say out loud. Hey, you're brave but you're not stupid.
Alecto starts to storm off, but stops just at the threshold to the next chamber. "...Thanks." she says, in the same tone one would say "go fuck yourself."
Aww, she likes you <3
🛶Charon🛶
You're walking through the depths of Tarturus when you hear... splashing? That's odd. Sure, there's fish occasionally and definitely the sounds of the water rushing by, but splashing? That's just weird.
You peer over the side of the platform and see. Oh, fuck. Hello.
"Mghhhh?"
"Oh, shit!" You scramble to help pull Charon back onto dry(ish) land, the boatman shockingly light given his size. "What happened?"
Charon turns his head away, pulling his hat down to cover his face. "Mhhhh. Hhhhhhhhh..... mhhh," he says, almost sheepishly.
"You... fell out of your boat?"
"Mnn. >:("
"I'm trying very hard not to laugh, okay? You're just gonna have to deal with the smile."
"...mhhhh...?"
"Yeah, yeah, I promise not to tell anyone. I'm not that mean."
🌌Chaos🌌
Chaos had been watching your various interactions with the Olympians and finds them deeply amusing. It looks fun. They want to play too! Which is why you're surprised, upon your next visit, to find them sprawled out upon the stone, pinned at strategic locations by the weight of fallen columns.
"Chaos! You alright? What happened?"
"My realm has fallen upon me and I am now trapped. Helpless. Unable to escape from anything you may choose to do to me."
You stare at Chaos. They're...? No. They can't be. But what else...?
At your blank expression, Chaos tips their head. "You are confused. I witnessed the goddess Aphrodite play this with you. Have I misunderstood the rules of the game?"
Son of a bitch, they actually are. Congratulations, you're now going to have to spur of the moment dom a primordial entity while also digesting the fact that said primordial entity is apparently peeking in on your sex life. You just hope they're not gossiping about it with Zagreus...
"No, no, you've got it right."
"Ah, good." Chaos seems contented. "I struggle so to interpret the nuances of the realms above. Every time I blink there seems to be yet more."
"So, um, how do you want to...?"
"Hmm, yes. Pray, oh noble hero, take pity on me. Certainly do not ravish me and take advantage of my defenseless form. Oh, I shall give you anything to prevent this. I am, of course, lying. Happily take whatever liberties you please."
Well, with an invitation like that, are you just gonna say no?
🔥Hades🔥
"Damn these blasted wretches! Not me, you fools, Zagreus! Zagreus!"
An all too familiar voice echoes through the chambers as you walk through Tartarus. Hades sounds more incensed than you've ever heard him before, which is a truly impressive feat considering just how long the list of things that annoys the god of the Underworld is.
You come around the corner just in time to spy a few of those weird hand things vanish around the corner. Hades writhes on the floor, wrapped from head to toe in chains and swearing vehemently. You lean over him, smiling cheekily. "And whatever happened here, Lord Hades?"
"Stop gawking and assist me this instant!" he barks.
You touch his shoulder, reliahing the way his muscles strain beneath the skin. "But you look so nice like this."
"Get off me."
The walls themselves shake as Hades roars, snapping the chains as if they are made of little more than paper. He gets to his feet, his eyes dark. "Never do that again. Not here."
He avoids you the next few days. You think he's still mad at you, but in reality he's just ashamed of his outburst. He feels bad for frightening you like that. In truth, he probably wouldn't have minded the situation if it hadn't been out in the open where any passing shade could've seen him. Hades is very much NOT into voyeurism. He has a reputation to maintain after all. But perhaps he might look into procuring some of those chains and presenting them to you as an apology of sorts...
💤Hypnos💤
Cerberus lounges in his usual spot, Hades himself missing, perhaps still fighting Zagreus up above. Oddly, the rest of the hall seems deserted too. Not unheard of, but definitely noteable.
"Hey, Cerberus."
The three-headed dog thumps his tail, happy to see you, almost muffling the faint voice coming from below him.
"Uh, hey? Is somebody there?"
You look a little closer, noting that you can see specks of grey and gold through the gap between Cerberus's head and paws. "Is that you, Hypnos?"
"Yep, it's me! Can you uh, maybe help me?"
"Cerberus, let poor Hypnos go. He's not your chew toy."
The dog looks thoughtful for a moment before deciding that no, in fact, you're wrong and also he wants you in the snuggle pile too. You produce a rather undignified noise as Cerberus's middle head scoops you up and tucks you under his chest.
"So, I guess you won't be getting me out, huh?" Hypnos chirps.
"Probably not." You have to admit tho, it is comfier under here than you thought it would be. And Hypnos is happy to cuddle up to you, sharing his fluffy quilted cloak.
"You know, I'm glad Cerberus got you too. Now we can take a nap together!"
You've got a dog and a snuggly sweet little god, what more could you want? I mean, besides air that isn't horribly warm and smells like dog breath. But other than that.
🖤Megaera🖤
"Ugh. Blast that Zagreus..."
"Hi, Meg."
"Oh no." Meg grits her teeth, clearly unhappy that you've found her in such a state. And, to be fair, being pinned to the wall by arrows is probably quite embarrassing for her. "Alright, get your jokes out and let's get this over with."
"That... that doesn't hurt, does it? It kinda looks like it hurts." You might have considered teasing her, but uh actually that does look really painful. You eye the spray of arrows spearing her wing to the stone, wincing at the black globs of blood that trickle down them.
"I've had worse. Just send me back to the House. I don't want to stand around here all day."
"Right." You're kinda used to the whole "death is faster and more convenient than dealing with whatever mess I've ended up" thing that all the Underworld denizens seem to have going on.
As you're leaning in to stab her, Meg whispers, "Next time you'll be the one trapped." and even days later you're still not entirely sure if she was threatening you or flirting with you.
🌙Nyx🌙
Of all the things you expected to find Nyx doing, attempting to free her hair from a rosebush was not one of them.
"Um... what's up?"
Honestly, you didn't even know Nyx could blush. "I... These flowers have proven a bit trickier than I first thought."
"Can't you just command them to let you go?" You're trying incredibly hard not to find this situation funny but you're pretty sure you're smiling anyway.
"They are not of this realm and therefore do not obey me. Perhaps, if you could...?"
"Yeah, yeah, of course."
"Pray, be gentle. Zagreus worked so hard to prpcure the gemstones required to commission them. I would hate for his efforts to go to waste."
Nyx has gotten her hair so impressively tangled that you're genuinely not even sure how she accomplished this. As you work, your mind wanders and you think about what it would be like if Nyx really was trapped. The words come out before you can reflect on whether or not they should.
"You ever play any games in the Underworld? Say, damsel in distress perhaps?"
"Hmm. No. You'll have to teach me. And I fear I am a hands-on learner."
Wait.
Forget the fact that you just flirted with a goddess.
Did she just flirt back??
💀Thanatos💀
"This cannot be happening. Not again."
You know that voice. You poke your head into the next chamber, unsurprised to see Thanatos but definitely surprised to see that he's somehow gotten himself tangled up in chains like a kitten in a ball of yarn.
"So... how'd this happen?"
"Oh, darkness." Than turns his head away, hiding his face under his hood. "Of all the people," he mumbles. "I tripped on the stupid things and now they won't let me go. The Chains of Death have never liked me."
"Or maybe they like you a little too much," you tease.
"Please... no jokes. This is already embarrassing enough."
You pinch Than's cheek playfully. "Oh, I would never make fun of such a scary god."
Thanatos swallows thickly, looking somehow even more embarrassed than he had just a second ago.
"Unless," you suggest, raising an eyebrow playfully. "he wants me to?"
"You and I are no longer on speaking terms," Thanatos mutters.
🔪Tisiphone🔪
You haven't had much contact with the last of the Fury sisters. She spends her time in the most out of the way sections of Tarturus, the hardest of them all to stumble across by accident. Therefore, you're entirely surprised to find her in this chamber, so close to the House.
"Murder," she hisses, sounding all manner of annoyed. And fair tbh. If your wing was trapped in a door, you'd probably be annoyed too.
"Um, hey there. You need a hand?"
Tisiphone shoots her head toward you, but doesn't say anything, instead simply staring as you very cautiously approach. Carefully, so as not to hurt her further, you pry the door open to give her space to pull her wing free.
"Mrr," she huffs, flapping the wing experimentally.
"Everything okay?"
She snaps her gaze to you, just as sharp as the first time. "Murderer."
"Uh, no? I don't think so?"
She's looking at you so intently, so unblinkingly (can she blink?) that you feel like something about to be hunted. You take a step back and she reaches for you, her bony hand curling in the empty space.
"Mrr... mrr...." And then she makes a different noise. It's... the first sound of your name? Not all of it, just enough to be recognizable. Oh. Okay.
Tisiphone's shoulders slump, frustrated? Disappointed?
"You’re welcome," you say.
Tisiphone seems almost... happy?
