#bellou

@trip-downtheriverstyx

Once again, the children were tucked away asleep, the house relatively quiet. Toulouse was in his favourite armchair. Belle was curled on one end of the couch, Hades sat on the other. The only difference from a usual evening was the lack of Belle's book, Hades' Sudoku, Toulouse's sketchpad.

Instead, the air crackled with tension. Belle sat with both feet on the floor, leaning forward slightly, her arms crossed, resting on her knees. She was frowning.

"Holley found something. We're not sure what it means but--there is no records of her adoption."

"Is that strange?" Lou inquired, rubbing a thumb thoughtfully over his lips. He was lounging back in his chair, looking much less concerned than he was.

"According to Holley? Yes. Very strange. She--found her birth family as well, back in Japan."

@trip-downtheriverstyx​, @labellerose-acheron​

Toulouse was in a positively cheerful mood when Belle and Hades got home with the twins. It was a busy evening, wrangling all the children and getting dinner started. He did it all happily, though. Minding the children, whilst Hades and Belle cooked. And when all was said and done and they were sitting around the table, he couldn’t contain himself anymore.

“I have news,” he told them with a smile. “My father has finally cleared my papers. I am no longer barred from France.”

Belle looked up and smiled. “Oh, Toulouse. That’s wonderful!” she told him, her face alight with genuine excitement.

Toulouse grinned back at her, a smile he rarely allowed. All crooked and unabashed.

“Yes, it is. We should make plans at once.”

Rebetika, sometimes called the “Greek Blues,” is perhaps the most influential genre of Greek music. While the movement as a whole was significant internationally, there were a few Rebetika singers that defined the iconic genre. Rebetika singers, musicians, and composers Roza Eskenazi, Markos Vamvakaris, Vasilis Tsitsanis, and Sotiria Bellou were some of not just the greatest, but also the most significant figures in the movement.

Rebetika (loosely translated as “Rebel music”) initially spread among the urban lower and working-class populations in the early twentieth century.

While aspects of the genre were found throughout Greece in the period, the roots of the underground music style are from Asia Minor, and the genre was spread to Greece after waves of Greek refugees were forced to flee Turkey in the 1920s.

@trip-downtheriverstyx​, @lou-bonfightme​

Belle had not heard from Hades today.

This was not odd, on a normal day. They were both busy people. Hades, these days, even busier than usual, what with being the mayor and all. Even in the very beginning days of them, they had never been the sort to spend long texting. Their longest conversations over text were arguments, or grocery lists. Belle wasn’t much of a texter anyway, though she was becoming more of one, as she felt incredibly self conscious taking personal calls at her cubicle at work.

It was not a normal day, however. It was Belle’s birthday. And no, she wasn’t the kind of person to fuss about it. Before Persephone and Hades had shown up, she rarely celebrated it at all. Was it even possible to celebrate something when you were the only one who knew about it? She’d buy herself a cupcake, sometimes, at Hatter’s, if she was feeling particularly--festive. Since Persephone, really--she was the one to wiggle her birthday out of her: Five days after mine! she had smiled. Tauruses are the best.--Belle had become accustomed to a...text message, at least. Maybe being able to skip out on dishes.

Though, to be fair, InterPride hadn’t forgotten. She assumed it was someone in HR’s sole job to track birthdays, as it seemed they had one just on her floor nearly every week. They had called everyone into the conference room and sung happy birthday and given her a cupcake. It had been horribly embarrassing, she had meant to stop it actually, but she’d forgotten to submit the request form and well...it had been rather sweet too. There was even a card that everyone had signed and Ting-Ting, Melody, and Gil had come up from accounting.

And still, no text from Hades.

By the time she’d gotten home, she’d more or less forgotten about the birthday card tucked into her bag, but--she hadn’t forgotten that she hadn’t heard anything from Hades.

“Maman!” Opal squealed as soon as the door was opened.

“Hihihihi!” Aidan chimed in. Bellamy, always quiet, just watched with big eyes. 

“Bon soir,” Lou said from the floor, though he began to rise. He stroked his hand over Opal’s head as he came to stand in front of Belle, Opal between them.

“Vas-y,” he told Opal encouragingly.

“Joyeux anniversaire, Maman!” Opal said with a charming accent.

Belle smiled and picked her up. “Merci beaucoup!”

“Joyeux anniversaire,” Toulouse repeated and then stepped forward to hug her. When he pulled back, he kissed her cheek.

“Merci,” Belle said again with another smile, though it faded as she glanced around. “Is Hades home yet?”

“Mm, no--did you not see? He will be a bit late.”

“Oh, he must’ve texted on my walk home.“

@trip-downtheriverstyx, @labellerose-acheron

Evenings in the Acheron household were generally quiet, peaceful. Once the children had been put to sleep, of course. Now that they were all a bit older, they generally stayed asleep once down. This was usually the time that Toulouse retreated, leaving Belle and Hades to their evening rituals. Reading on the couch, playing a game of chess--which was notably a two person game.

However, recently, he had been feeling...restless. Lonely. Being alone up on the third floor in his room made him feel like there was an itch under his skin that he couldn’t shake. Being downstairs with Belle and Hades did not make it that much better, to be perfectly honest, but it did help some. He reclined in his favourite armchair, legs over one arm, shoulders against the other, a sketchbook in his lap. Victoire lay at the foot of the chair, her head on her paws.

The house was quiet.

Toulouse’s phone pinged and he glanced at it--the tone the one for his family. Berlioz’s name came up on the screen, having texted their group chat. He picked it up, snorted, sent a quick text back. The conversation did not last long because Toulouse had not known how to respond.

“Incroyable,” he sneered, unable to help himself.

@trip-downtheriverstyx, @labellerose-acheron

Toulouse was awoken by a knock at the door. He turned his head on his pillow, cracking an eye open as the door opened.

“Toulouse?” Belle murmured, standing silhouetted by early morning light. She was dressed for work already and had one of the twins on her hip.

“Mm?” he grunted, running a hand through his hair and propping himself up on his elbows.

“I am sorry to wake you. Will you come downstairs, please? I need to talk to you about something.”

“Is everything alright?” Lou asked, pushing himself up now and swinging his bare feet around to hit the floor.

“Yes--er, well, mostly. Just come downstairs, please.”

“I’lll be down in a minute.” And he was, after taking a moment to get dressed. He wondered what this could be about. The Order? The children? The magic drain (which didn’t help with his grogginess.) He made it to the living room, his hair ruffled, rubbing at one of his eyes.

“Tonton!” Opal yelped enthusiastically, not used to seeing him awake this early. She was sitting in front of an equally groggy looking Hades, who was brushing her bedraggled hair out.

Usually, Belle left earliest. Then, Hades got up and got the twins and Opal ready. He left, taking the car and the twins to InterPride’s nursery. Then, Opal came to wake Lou up and either napped with him for another hour or so or played quietly while he got himself up.

This threw off their schedule and it made Lou immediately grouchy.

“What’s going on?”

@trip-downtheriverstyx, @labellerose-acheron

February 13, 2022

"Oh, good, you’re home! Finally!” Lou exclaimed, coming down the stairs at the sound of the opening door. He’d heard Hades coming up the long walk to the cottage, but he waited until he’d creaked onto the porch to leave what he’d been doing upstairs.

“Oh, good, you’re home,” Belle intoned much more dully from where she was sitting curled on the couch, one of the twins asleep on her chest, a book in one hand, her other around the baby’s ribcage. 

“Daddy home!” Opal chimed in, racing to beat Lou to greet Hades at the door. She crashed into one of his legs.

It wasn’t that late, the sun had just set over the trees, the sky still purple with dusk, but it was getting close to the time that Lou had set for their reservations. The shoppe wasn’t open today, so Lou hadn’t anticipated Hades being out so late, but he was kicking himself for that. Hades liked to catch up on administrative things when he had a moment of down time. 

He glanced over Hades, once, quickly--and sure enough, he didn’t even have a bouquet of flowers. Lou had thought that was what had made him late. Grabbing something for his wife. 

Shameful, in Lou’s opinion. That was why he’d taken it upon himself to arrange an anniversary celebration for them. 

“Now, we must hurry because I’ve made reservations--” Lou started, clasping his hands together once they were all more or less gathered in the living room. 

“Reservations? For tonight? Valentine’s Day is tomorrow. And we don’t exactly celebrate.” The amusement was clear on her face as she flicked a glance towards Hades.  

@trip-downtheriverstyx, @labellerose-acheron

It had been a long day. It had been a long day of not speaking to a single adult, except to say goodbye to Hades and Belle in the morning as they left for their respective jobs. Toulouse didn’t have a job, though. Most days, Toulouse stayed at home with three toddlers and kept them entertained. 

Which wasn’t so bad, usually. They were all lovely children and he loved them very much. Plus, he often brought them to the manor, so that Nounou could help with the minding. Not to mention the revolving door of friends the Acherons had. 

Some days, though, it was just hard and it put him in a dour mood. Not so much an angry one as a depressed, restless mood. One where he wondered if this was just to be his life. If his talents would wither away. Or his intelligence. And he would become nothing more than a--childminder. Not that he didn’t have great respect for childminders, his Nounou was the only person in his childhood Toulouse had ever remembered feeling safe around. 

It was just that it made him feel listless sometimes. Bored. Forgotten about. And the wolf inside of him would want to tear up all the pillows, like a naughty house dog that had been left whilst its owners were away on vacation.

Toulouse was a grown man, so he was not going to tear up the pillows. He also wasn’t going to indulge the wolf (he blamed the wolf for all his worse impulses), by turning into a jumping, happy pet when the Acherons returned as if to award them for coming back. So, he hadn’t. He had greeted them as cordially as he always did and then handed over the children so that he could busy himself with a book until dinner.

That, dear readers, would be how you would find the Acheron Cottage this evening. Warm, with the smell of stew on the stove. The lord and lady of the house moving about the kitchen, their oldest child busied with pretend chores to help out, while one of the twins slept in the pack-n-play and the other got underfoot until he was shooed out of the kitchen, wandering over to Toulouse lounging in the arm chair, who hadn’t quite noticed him.

“Dada!” demanded Aidan. 

Toulouse heard this, of course, but he didn’t pay any attention to it, assuming Aidan was trying to get his father’s attention. Then there were sticky, insistent hands, pulling on his sweater. 

“Dadadadada,” babbled Aidan, trying to pull himself up into Toulouse’s chair. 

With a jolt, Lou realized what was happening and snapped his book shut, casting a glance towards the kitchen, where Hades and Belle seemed none the wiser. “Tonton,” Lou corrected gently, his voice tight as he scooped Aidan up under the armpits and settled him on his lap. “Tonton.” 

“Dada,” Aidan smiled a gummy smile. 

“No--”

“Dinner’s ready!” called Belle. 

Toulouse glanced at her, then back at Aidan, who was still smiling. “Er, right.” Getting up, Lou settled the toddler on his hip, hoping that if it happened again, in closer proximity to Hades--it could be played off. Lou settled Aidan in his highchair but the happy smile quickly dropped and Aidan let out a screech that had his sister glaring at him. 

“Noooooooo! Dada,” cried Aidan, still clinging to Lou. 

Lou’s face, to his credit, turned bright red. “I--uh, think he is missing you, Hades,” Lou tried half-heartedly as he attempted to untangle Aidan’s fingers from his jumper.