Be It Ever So Humble (tag: Harmonia, Erebos, & Nyx)
NOTE: Backdated to before this, but after this
There had always been something immanently soothing to Philotes about going home. And by home, she meant the rambling castle/rabbit’s warren/termite mound of a structure in Erebus, the darkest corner of Tartarus. But just going into the Underworld alone was enough to make the tension in her shoulders relax, and her lungs breathe easier in the cooling air. This was where she’d grown up, where she’d had love and acceptance, as well as teasing and tears. This was where her family was, and Lottie loved it here.
But today, with the guest she had at her side, Lottie was cognizant of the things that an outsider might notice. Harmonia had been in the Underworld, of course, but she’d been in the Elysian Fields, which were as different from Erebus as night and day. Almost literally. Down here, in the blackest depths of Tartarus, there weren’t any heroes of legend or righteous nobles. There was the family of Nyx and Erebos, and reaching them took a visitor past some of the worst sights and sounds in all creation. Not only were many of the titans still imprisoned in Tartarus, so were the worst of the worst of the mortal world, condemned to endless punishment. It could be a bit unsettling. And there was always the reminder for Harm that this is where she’d been, though in a much more pleasant neighborhood as it were, until recently. Philotes wasn’t sure if that was going to be a good thing or not, given where their conversation had taken them.
But though there were shortcuts for Philotes to make it home, Harmonia was a different story. It wasn’t that she was barred from using those shortcuts, it was just that there were… things… that likely wouldn’t let her pass easily. Those things were mostly related to Philotes, she’d grown up hugging and loving them despite the fact that they were made of claws and teeth and death. Harmonia would smell like what she was: an outsider, and no amount of hugging would help her avoid the sharp and pointy bits on those cousins, nieces, nephews and assorted other family members of the clan of Darkness and Night. So they had to take the long way around. Through the less than happy sections.
By the time they reached the fourth door on the eastern side, which was the one that would lead to the nearest elevator first, Lottie was a bit worried about how her friend might be taking the whole experience. So she very quickly led her around the circular corridor to the elevator bay and punched the up button. As they waited, she explained quietly, “We’re going to take this elevator up about half the way to the top. Then we’ll have to go over three hallways to the escalators, which will take us up two and three-quarters floors. There’s a spiral staircase that will take us up another floor, where we can catch the dumbwaiter for that final quarter of a floor, don’t worry it’s really big, then we’ll be able to take the glass elevator up to the top where we can get to Mom’s sitting room. Which I swear is the shortest route.”
And even if her parents weren’t home at the moment, if she called them from the sitting room, she knew they’d be there quickly. Nyx and Erebos knew that their kids wouldn’t be doing that if their need wasn’t pressing. And though it wasn’t strictly Lottie’s need alone that needed to be addressed, she had no doubt at all that they’d help Harmonia too. If only because Philotes loved her so. But her mom also sort of had a history of taking in strays, so there was probably going to be cocoa and cuddles either way.