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Tweak says, "It's only time."

Hades (underlord) wrote in mount_olympus,
@ 2008-07-07 18:47:00

Entry tags:

cronus, hades

Hades appeared on Othrys, skin pale and eyes dark. He'd been too wrapped up in relishing the return of his power to notice what else had changed, it was only when Persephone pointed it out the quiet that Hades realised something was...off.

She was wrong of course; it wasn't quiet, it was silent. The world was never silent, how could it be when it was filled with the living? Life was noise; silence belonged to the dead.

But the world was silent, which Hades had found...more than slightly worrying. Obviously life still existed, but it wasn't really living anymore.

And he'd found out more. The clouds weren't moving, the trees weren't moving, even the sun, although still shining brightly in the sky, was transferring no warmth to the ground. Everything had just...stopped. Aphrodite's spell hadn't worked after all.

No, that wasn't right because the spell didn't originate with Love. It was Cronus' spell, and it had definitely worked.

Hades had left his wife with her mother and headed off to the Underworld to take back his rulership...only that hadn't worked out quite so well. He was God of the Dead again, and his other titles had been restored in full, but he wasn't king. Couldn't be king. It just...wasn't letting him take it.

Now that was really annoying.

He took a path up to his father's temple, the warm Othrys breeze doing little to remove the chill in the air that Hades left in his wake. It looked better than the last time he'd been here, closer to its former glory. It was unsettling.

Stopping, he looked up at the building, letting his eyes take in each refurbished detail. Hades didn't knock.

"Cronus! What have you done?"

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cronus
2008-07-08 10:31 am UTC (link)

As the macabre shadows cast by his sullen son deigned to stretch across his steps Cronus, who evidently still knew a thing or two about being a god of time, decided to move a little slower than he could. Make the boy wait, he figured. That one could stand to learn a little bit of patience.

So the Titan waited till his Chthonic spawn bellowed a few more times before stepping out into the sun. It was a glorious day, gripped in the shining majesty of summer. But there, hovering in the brilliant colors composed of flowers and tall grasses, was a patch of midnight. Hades, in all his rotten glory, stood glowering.

“Lord Hades, it is good and well to see you draped in your former glory. I forgot just how depressing a figure you cut in full entropic regalia. I dwell in time, son, but you dwell at the end of it. Thank the Fates you’re already married, or we’d never find you a girl.” The elder god winked at the former King.

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underlord
2008-07-08 12:07 pm UTC (link)

Hades didn't bother to acknowledge his father's little joke. Cronus had taken his time in showing his face, now he was after taking up even more of it with lighthearted digs. Taking the bait would only lengthen his circumlocuitous nonsense and Hades didn't have the time for that. His kingdom wasn't letting him rule and it needed to be sorted out.

Then again, Cronus probably knew that. Time dragged on when you least wanted it to and it was certainly at a crawl now. Was it any wonder they had never got along?

"Tell me what you did to my kingdom," Hades demanded, glaring at the other god.

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cronus
2008-07-08 12:15 pm UTC (link)

"I didn't do anything to your kingdom, Hades. The throne is there, and you don't even need to go to war in order to take it. You simply need to be elected, is all." That smile, that maddening smile, stretched a little farther.

"They are only learning of it now, but there are three among you who will put the Kings, or Queens if you will, on their thrones. And the will of the community can put things right... and give legitimacy to the new rulers. Or old rulers returning, like yourself."

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underlord
2008-07-08 01:29 pm UTC (link)

"I didn't need to go to war to take it back in the first place," he growled. "The Smith relinquished his role as king, the throne was mine for the taking!"

Hades threw his father a hateful look. "This isn't necessary. I was guaranteed a return to power and you have postponed it." He moved closer, looking his father in the eye. "We didn't need to be given legitimacy when we overthrew you. Your motive, whatever it may be, has nothing to do with that."

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	cronus 2008-07-08 02:21 pm UTC (link)
	"Oh? Guaranteed a return, free and clear, were you?" Cronus came down the steps, till he was on the same level as Hades. "And who has this expansive power? Aphrodite? Hephaestus perhaps? The gods that conveniently replaced you, and Zeus and Posidon are... giving you back your power?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	underlord 2008-07-08 06:58 pm UTC (link)
	He nodded. "Guaranteed." Near enough, anyway. "Hephaestus had no interest in keeping my crown. He isn't God of the Dead, the Underworld isn't his place. In exchange for my crown I gave him access to precious metals. Even the Smith understands that I make a better king than he does." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

deificvariation
2008-07-08 07:25 pm UTC (link)

Rhea appeared silently in the doorway of the temple, listening to them argue a bit before treading down the stairs, a bit of a baffled frown on her face as she came up beside Cronus. There was a lethargic quality to her, cheeks a bit gaunter than they were the last time they had company, eyes slightly glassy as she looked from father to son, tugging the shawl she wore over her gown a bit tighter around her.

"I heard yelling. Everything is fine, right?"

Oh, she did hope it was. She wasn't sure she wanted to have more conflict in her family. Of course, Only Hades seemed to visit lately...

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	cronus 2008-07-08 10:14 pm UTC (link)
	Cronus' smile softened as he turned to his wife. "Yes, darling. Everything is fine. Hades is just dropped by to talk politics." He snakes his arm around the Lord of Death's shoulders in a fatherly gesture. "A shame his brothers couldn't make it. Say, where are Zeus and Poisdon these days?" (Reply to this) (Thread)

	underlord 2008-07-08 10:27 pm UTC (link)
	Hades looked at the arm on his shoulder with disdain. He'd tolerate it, but only until his mother left. It wasn't a good idea to upset the non compos mentis. "I don't know," Hades replied, giving his father a fixed stare. "I'm not their keeper." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	deificvariation 2008-07-08 10:32 pm UTC (link)
	"Oooh. Hello..." She smiled wanly at Hades, nodding at the explanation, a hand coming up to fuss lightly at her hair, eyes widening a bit at the mention of Zeus and Poseidon. Her hands fluttered a bit nervously before she nodded again, seeming to calm herself down after a second or two. "Poseidon brings me flowers." (Reply to this) (Parent)

cronus
2008-07-08 10:42 pm UTC (link)

Light laughter, a sound somehow not terribly fitting Cronus, escapes from his throat. "Yes, well, Hades does not deal in living things, unfortunately. I'm sure he will remember a gift the next time he visits, though."

The Titan pivoted his head to meet the gaze of his son. "I would imagine you are not the keeper of your brothers, Hades. Still, I would think that you would be interested to know where they are... Where you were, until recently."

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	underlord 2008-07-08 10:57 pm UTC (link)
	For some reason, Hades didn't believe that Poseidon brought his mother flowers, at least not recently. "Why would I be interested in that? What's done is done." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

deificvariation
2008-07-08 11:10 pm UTC (link)

"I like flowers..."

It was so nice to have a topic of conversation she could handle with authority. The talk of people being away though, or having been away brought a bit of consternation to her face. She didn't recall anyone saying they were going away. Maybe she forgot?

"Were you away? Was it a nice trip? You should tell your brothers I said hello. I do miss flowers..."

She smiled again, and patted Cronus' arm, stepping away a a flower caught her interest.

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	cronus 2008-07-08 11:18 pm UTC (link)
	Cronus watched her wander off, waiting till she was out of earshot before removing his arm and saying quietly, "the time she spent alone here, on the mountain, it seems to have affected her." He stepped away from Hades, obviously sensing the animosity. "So what exactly is it you want? I've got things to do." (Reply to this) (Thread)

underlord
2008-07-12 09:05 pm UTC (link)

He threw his father a look. Rhea was off with fairies, talking about Poseidon bringing her flowers when he hadn't been around in months. 'Affected' wasn't the word, really.

And Cronus had things to do? Pity he hadn't thought about those things to do when Hades had arrived, maybe he would've headed outside a bit quicker. The God of the Dead growled slightly under his breath. "Fix it. Now."

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cronus
2008-07-20 09:50 pm UTC (link)

The mild smile on Cronus' face melted away. The color rose in his face and the air around them seemed to become painfully still. “Listen to me boy, and listen very, very carefully. If you have problems, then they belong to you, and you alone. As much as I enjoy holding your hand and walking you though every one of your sniveling little problems, I cannot help but ask myself if this man before me is a god, or a lost child with a skinned knee.”

The former King of Creation, avatar of the primal and eternal arrow of Time, looked his son squarely in the eye. The space between them seemed to contract. They were so close that their noses almost touched one another, no doubt another trick of temporal manipulation. “You mutter and whine, hem and haw, about perceived slights against you, ignoring the true transgressions. The sad truth is that I know more about what happened to you and your brothers than you do, and I am quite sure that you escaped your fate only by accident.”

The dilation fell back, like a camera lens twisting out to bring in a panoramic vista. “But if this concerns you not, then so be it. You want your throne, boy? Go and take it. Do whatever it takes. But don't stand here, crying to me. I've neither the time nor the patience for your insolence.”

“Grow up, or be gone. Either path is fine with me.”

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underlord
2008-07-20 10:57 pm UTC (link)

His hand already balled into a tight fist, Hades aimed a right hook at his father's jaw.

"You have all the time in the world!" he spat, his voice ugly and inhuman. "Time was no issue when it was my time you were wasting, are still wasting. So you'll make some for me, because I'm not leaving here until I have what I want."

He looked down at the god in disgust. "And don't you dare try to peg this as my problem," Hades growled. "I'd take back my throne if I could take it, but you've made that impossible. You are at fault. You are to blame. And you are going to fix it, or I swear the last thing you will see for the rest of eternity will be the heel of my boot on your face, shoving you back into the abyss where you belong."

Moving closer, he looked Cronus just as squarely in the eye. "I helped put you there once. It would be a pleasure to do it again, father."

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cronus
2008-07-20 11:12 pm UTC (link)

Cronus cocks his head a little to the right. "Your brothers are not here to help you this time, Hades, but you are welcome to try. Even if you could defeat me, it will get you no closer to your goal."

"There is nothing I can do to aid you, aside from making sure the triumvirate does not act in malice or hatred. As for the greater things in life, as usual, they are beyond us. You might want to dwell on the idea that, if I always had the power to ban my children from taking a throne, why wouldn't I have done it all those years ago? Perhaps it is reasonable to see that I do not have the final word on all of these happenings, and that there might be larger players in the game."

"As much as I would love to have this all-encompassing power you ascribe to me, I'm afraid to say that your personal feelings to me have obviously clouded your thinking. You were never the level-headed one of the group, though, so I understand your irrational acts and take them for what they are."

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underlord
2008-08-04 10:54 pm UTC (link)

"I could find substitutes. All of this leads back to you, Cronus. You aren't popular."

Hades huffed, staring at his father as if the look he gave him would strike Cronus down dead. He wasn't any part of Fate though...which was unfortunate, because killing off his father seemed like a much better option than recognizing that Cronus was right.

If he could've stopped them, why didn't he? If he could've prevented them from taking over, then why not? Cronus hadn't handed over the cosmos willingly, they'd had to fight for it. And of course, there'd been that whole devouring fiasco...

It was the smugness that did it. That was what made him so irritating, so intolerable to be around. It didn't matter what Cronus was talking about, that visible sense of satisfaction always shadowed the god. It was repellent.

Now he'd have to face that repellence working in overdrive. Metaphorically spitting in his father's face was one thing, but actually taking the bait? Implying that maybe, just maybe, he was wrong and Cronus was right? The god would be all over it like maggots on a corpse.

And patricide was still not an option.

He huffed again, pushing his anger aside. "If this isn't your doing, then whose is it?" And for once in your miserable existence, give me a straight answer.

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deificvariation
2008-08-04 11:04 pm UTC (link)

"You shouldn't fight... Not now."

She looked up from the flower she had begun pulling apart, one petal at a time. Her reaction was delayed, sure, but it took a few extra moments for anything to penetrate the mild mental fog that surrounded her.

"You should not fight with your father, dear... Not now. There are bad things... old things. Confused things. Quite afoot, they are. You will need each other, you know. We should always respect those who go before us. Came before us? Oooh..."

her attention drifted as she saw a butterfly come close, her smile soft as it landed on her partially destroyed flower. "They have such lovely colors..."

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cronus
2008-08-11 12:42 pm UTC (link)

Cronus' eyes came to rest softly on his wife, the one who'd condemned him to Tartarus. Not in a direct sense, mind you. She simply laid out the tools, like his own mother had. And he, like Zeus, knew the right ones to pick up, to use in war against the old guard. And yet, after all that, here she was, still was, untold human generations after her betrayal. Did she even remember what she had done, knew why she had done it?

Does a hammer know why it beats down nails?

"If I knew the answer to that, my child, I would gladly tell you. I've no conception of what such a creature would be. I do know that there is a preponderance of evidence that such a thing does exist, and the fact that it has never shown itself to us only bothers me all the more. All the more chilling is that humanity, gripped in the increasing fervor of monotheistic belief, might have stumbled onto a truth that we've either failed to grasp or simply will not tolerate."

He walked the few steps over to his wife, bending down a bit to take up the partially destroyed flower. "Your mother speaks ominously, though perhaps all too accurately. Something strange is definitely going on, and it has less to do with me than you or your brothers might like to believe." A few of the petals fell from the stem and he absently rubbed them between his fingers, the perfume diffusing into his skin.

"I've long known my victory against Ouranos was too easy, too simple. While it might be difficult to refer to any god as once being a child, the truth was that I was the youngest of my brothers, the least experienced, and yet I was the one that took the lead and ruthlessly cast his father down. Mere ambition or something else?"

With an inaudible snap his eyes flashed back to Hades. "I tried to prevent this inexorable will from exerting itself again, by consuming my children. The Fates had warned me of my destiny, and I thought it in my power to thwart the petty plans of those meddlesome imps. What I did not realize, not for many years even consider, was who, or what, writes that fate. Those little harpies only interpret it, they do not make it. So then, who's writing it, and for what purpose?"

The Titan crossed his arms over a chest well-muscled despite his apparent old age. "So I have set a test, Hades. I used my knowledge in an attempt to thwart this will of Fate, whatever it is. Or, at the very least, have it show its hand. I've involved several players in the game, so that any coercion or manipulation by a power greater than us would be more obvious. When there are only one or two conspirators, the truth might be waylaid, but with so many of us now involved it will become exponentially more difficult to cloud the outcome."

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