#gentledeaths

DEATH APPROACHES  .   —    this new, strange, mortal world was one that thanatos was quickly forming opinions on.  while many other gods fizzled out and lost their worship, thanatos - and the other deaths - were gods and incarnates that likely would persevere in the silence. this new world didn’t need their gods so much as the others did, and those that did need their gods did so zealously, and without fear.

still, he stands outside the coffee shop, having not grown used to the crowds, and waits for the other death to join him. they have been somewhat of a MENTOR in this strange time, one that thanatos, in particular, is quite appreciative of. a tongue darts over his lips before he takes the drink, warm to the touch, and sips from it. it is pleasantly bitter, as he told them long ago he didn’t quite like sweet things  ( sweet things reminded him of nectar, and the way the nectar always made his stomach hurt after an indulgence  )  . this, however? this was nice, and it warms his skin as they make their way down the city block.

‘ thank you, ’  the younger death nods. ‘ i hope that next time, i will be... more sure of myself, and be able to join you. i’d like to see how they made such a drink so quickly. ’

         (  ✨   )             THEY’RE THANKFUL THAT    he seems to enjoy the drink that they had gotten for him,    sipping their own as they walk down the path with him.    the cool air chills them even with the rather    oversized    jumper they had on.   the fleece was soft ‘gainst their skin as they gave a few glances to humans who passed.    time would be coming short for some of them and they would be    MEETING THEM  in soon enough    ;   some at the right time and others     NOT SO MUCH.

PEOPLE WATCHING    was a past time for them,    something enjoyed when they had nothing much else to do and when they had the time.    this mortal world,    in the time them and thanatos lived long til was different.    the    both    of them were eternal    ;    receiving less and less tribute as time went on but    the small few   still remained.    to receive something was nice but not needed for them to still exist.  DEATH WAS ALL AROUND    whether people minded or not.    their morbid offerings would come from the souls they reaped    ------------    if it came down to it.

DEATH APPROACHES  .   —    ‘ what? augh - ’   thanatos coughs a little bit, recoiling from the affection.  by the time he has wiped the stain off of his cheek, zero is looking at the sky and giggling, prompting a scowl from thanatos.  ‘ tana? ’   he asks, shaking his head. ‘ no, you dolt, i’m thanatos. than, if you must. have you hit your head? ’

it  was  easier  for  megaera  to  enter  the  house  of  hades  through  the  west  hall  balcony  than  the  east  hall  or  the  great  hall  (  the  last  thing  she  needed  was  to  disturb  the  procession  of  shades  or  endure  hypnos’  comments  when  she  caught his eye  every  time  she  arrived  ).  the  balcony  granted  her  easy  access  to  the  administrative  chamber  ;  the  sooner  she  could  finish  her  bureaucratic  parchmentwork,  the  better.  it  was  relatively  new  “  entrance  ”  for  her,  one  she  only  began  using  when  thanatos  went  on  “  temporary  leave,  ”  to  use  nyx’s  phrasing.  she  swooped  down  and  planted  her  feet  on  the  stone  top  rail,  only  to  be  met  with  the  surprise  of  a  familiar  face.

        >> 🌻 <<           WELL THIS IS AWKWARD.           ❝         I    .  .   i’m sorry for spilling your drink that i thought was    mine   on your clothing.   it looks    .  .   very custom and expensive all in one.         ❞        she winces,   taking a small step backward as her tail flicked out of the way of herself    and   thanatos.         ❝         MANY APOLOGIES    .  .   is there anything i can do beyond offering a load of napkins    ??         ❞        

             ❝              YOU’VE JOINED ME    at the right time,   thanatos    .   .    i was just cooking up a few things for myself.            ❞        they hum,    momentarily quiet ‘fore they catch a lack of,    well,    anything    from the death incarnate    ;    causing them to turn and    QUIETLY STARE    back at him.

           ❝              THAN    ??            ❞        

@gentledeaths​  :  ❝  for  what  it’s  worth,  i  never  meant  you  any  pain.  i  hope  you  know  i  care  for  you  both  just  the  same.  ❞

megaera  nearly  released  a  sigh  of  relief  when  thanatos  caught  her  eye  from  his  seat  at  the  opposite  corner  of  the  long  table.  she  was  caught  in  the  crossfire  of  a  tense  dispute  between  athena  and  aphrodite,  and  there  was  only  so  much  underhanded  speech  she  could  take  for  a  night.  the  two  goddesses  hardly  seemed  to  notice  when  she  excused  herself  and  pushed  her  chair  back  (  in  fact,  they  only  leaned  closer  to  one  another  ).  she  turned  to  watch  thanatos  stand  ;  his  pace  immediately  told  her  where  he  intended  to  guide  her.  she  walked  ahead  of  him  into  the  hall  and  did  not  stop  until  she  reached  the  balcony.

she  crossed  her  arms  just  before  she  turned  to  face  him,  as  if  that  would  brace  her  for  whatever  was  to  come.  she  waited  in  patient  silence  as  she  watched  him  struggle  to  find  the  words  he  wanted.  whatever  it  was,  he  wanted  to  be  sensitive  about  it,  and  perhaps  for  good  reason.  it  seemed  everyone  was  on  the  brink  of  releasing  their  tight  grip  on  the  precariousness  that  plagued  the  house  since  planning  for  the  feast  began.  things  were  different  between  them  now,  with  zagreus  and  the  mess  he  initiated  forcing  them  both  into  the  unfamiliar.

when  he  finally  spoke,  she  turned  her  gaze  away  to  focus  on  the  styx  below.  ❝  tsch  .  .  .  it’s  a  little  late  for  that.  ❞  while  she  sounded  exasperated,  her  shoulders  noticeably  dropped  as  their  tension  evaporated.  it  was  then  that  she  did  something  rather  uncharacteristic  of  her  :  she  bowed  her  head  to  stare  at  her  sandals  and  fidgeted  with  the  bracelets  on  both  of  her  wrists.  she  did  not  need  for  him  to  say  ❛  i’m  sorry  ❜  for  her to  know  this  was  some  attempt  at  an  apology.  apologies  were  always  difficult  for  her  to  accept  —  she  could  not  receive  them  from  the  mortals  and  shades,  and  the  gods  certainly  did  not  give  them  freely  (  sometimes  not  even  when  necessary  ).  if  it  was  difficult  for  her  to  hear  it,  it  must  have  been  even  more  difficult  for  him  to  say  anything  at  all.

she  shook  her  head  when  he  stiffened.  ❝  i  know,  than.  and  you  know  i  feel  the  same.  but  .  .  .  lately  i  haven’t  been  the  best  at  showing  it.  ❞  she  bit  the  inside  of  her  cheek  and  exhaled  through  her  nose.  ❝  with  them  out  of  the  way,  i  hope  things  can  change,  ❞  she  said  as  she  briefly  waved  one  of  her  hands  toward  the  raucous  hall  packed  with  olympians  before  she  reached  forward  and  threaded  their  fingers.  ❝  i’ve  hurt  you  too,  in  all  of  this.  for  that  i  am  sorry.  ❞

≥  @gentledeaths_

" did you see anything of interest with those eyes of yours? "

          hound lied nearly motionless in front of the gate, though the way his chest rose up and down with his steady breaths added a gentle  rattling  of the chains that bound him there  ( he’d tried to run one too many times )  to the eerie cacophony of souls wailing all around him ---  he’d long since learned to ignore those screeches.  not many had dared to approach a hellhound, but  death itself  was naturally exempt ---  and canine was quick at attention as he’d noticed the other.

          he didn’t stand, lest he’d tower far too high above the deity, only lifting his head with horns held high;  some display of the  remaining pride  he had, the bits of dignity they couldn’t take from him, even if they had shackled him for his  insubordination  to the king of the dead.  a deep chuff vented out as he stared the other up and down in a silent question, faint traces of smoke accompanying the lava dribbling down his maw.  thanatos seemed as if he were looking for something...  or perhaps,  someone?