Dante Lot (unseen_miami) wrote in olympian_rewind, @ 2010-09-20 19:26:00 |
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Entry tags: | dante lot, hades, npc |
Who: Hades (with Cerberus)
What: Asking the Underworld questions is never easy
Where: The Underworld
When: Today, Evening
Warning: none. Empathic Speech
Cerberus sat at Hades’ feet, contented to be his/their natural size and in his/their proper home. The Underworld was worse than it had ever been. One would have believed that the Devil no longer using it as his own personal playground/podium would have improved its conditions but without a strong leader… even one as filled with such deep apathy as the Prince of Darkness had been, it had been thrown into violent, turbulent chaos with power struggles between those who never had power, never knew how to act with power and didn’t know what to do with it.
Cerberus didn’t especially care, however. Home was home. And as he sat at Hades’ feet, the beast was further contented – he/they was/were guarding his/their master and friend.
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Hades had none of that peace and contentment. The sight of the Underworld had rarely been a comfort to his beleaguered soul and now it was a dagger to his heart that he wished to ignore – to convince himself he didn’t care. This was strictly business.
Business he would conduct quickly.
Being here was a terrible idea so close to his wedding…
He justified it in his own mind that he would be strengthened by reconnecting with his domain… and that he wouldn’t be disturbed by the thoughts of the poor rabbit spirit Takshi suffering in this terrible place because she wandered too far from the protection of the god of death and was snatched up by the greedy hands of Hell where it desired all pagan souls to reside in torment. His justifications multiplied by the second as he settled on the cracked, scorched ground far from his former palace, far from his former beloved gardens… Deep in the center of Tartarus Proper, he knelt. Ironically, it was one of the safest places to be now – the demons and ogres were loathed to go there now that no one commanded them to do so.
He only truly had to worry about the monsters and he had brought his own monster for that.
Closing his eyes, he settled his hands upon the ground. The monsters weren’t the only thing he had to be concerned about… I’m here.
The Underworld was greedy and desired all pagan souls to reside within it… especially his. As he opened his mind and consciousness to his former realm, he could feel its presence bound to him like a child does their parent. He had experienced it so many times on the surface. Witnessing the delight on his children’s face as they raced for him, their fervent love when they wrapped their little arms around him and their clear joy as he embraced them. His soul felt much the same as the Underworld pervaded his own soul and being… but as soon as he welcomed it, the feeling shifted.
It was no longer a child. In the blink of an eye it had transformed into the tender touch of a lover. He could feel both its warmth and coolness along his skin, its strength wrapped around him, its power flooding him – gentle encouragement to allow it to stay close to him, desperate pleading to not abandon it, the fearful trepidations of one begging for protection and the strength of one who could shelter him.
He trembled under the onslaught. How many of those emotions had been his own… were his own…. If he could properly think, he would wonder how many of those emotions were simply his imprinted on the realm itself…
But he couldn’t… Awashed in his own former domain, he could barely remember why he had ventured here in the first place. I seek the soul of a rabbit goddess. Is she within you?
A rabbit goddess? There are many within us.
He didn’t know what disturbed him more – the use of the term ‘us’ or that there were many rabbit goddesses dead and suffering. One by the name of Takshi….
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Cerberus watched carefully. When Hades’ British glamour of Dante Lot faded away from him, he didn’t shift or stir. In his true home, the beast saw no reason why he shouldn’t appear in his true form. The fact that Hades knelt down in his divine appearance gave the beast no concern and kept its many, many eyes focused around them, growling at the monsters that dared to come so close at the outpouring of divine might from the realm’s former lord and the return of that power to him almost instantly.
The beast licked its lips in unified delight and anticipation. If any of the monsters wished to fight, they were more than welcomed to try it. While Hades had been King of the Underworld and all within, Cerberus had always considered himself Prince of the Chthonian Monsters... or Alpha of them. Some title making him better than them. After all, he/they were born of Typhoeus and Ekhidna and member of the Chthonian court… not some random beast that was birthed in the pits of suffering.
One of his/their heads broke unity though as Hades’ scent began to differ… his pale skin had begun to take up a sheen of ice… along his shoulders began a mantle of fire, first just small red wisps but then quickly growing and extending down his arms . Another head turned to look to his master and the two began to growl in warning.
A warning their master was not heeding or simply couldn’t heed.
The fires burnt away his clothing. That novelty T-shirt and fitted jeans stood no chance against the flames of Hell, but those same flames surrounded him in a new garment of blacks, blues and reds, glimmering against the ice that had taken residence on his skin.
The third head turned its attention and unity was restored to the beast.
Cerberus let out a loud, viscous howl that further kept the monsters of the Underworld, curious and/or murderous, at bay as he/they leapt to his/their feet and looked down at their master. The two outer heads took Hades by either arm and lifted him off the ground, shaking him with probably more force than they needed to…
Or maybe not enough.
Hades opened his black eyes and they burnt with a furious glow as he looked up at the beast.
Cerberus was unshaken and unconcerned. Your queen will not be pleased if you continue.
The beast’s empathic words… not even words but the sensation of his/their message echoed in Hades’ soul and his eyes shut with a nod. Realizing was returning to him… Or so the beast assumed. Hades reached out for his key that hung around his neck and opened the gates of Hell to return to the world of the living.
Cerberus knew what to do. Carry him out, ensure nothing followed and then lay over him until he came further to his senses.
As soon as the beast walked out of the gates and into the large garage behind their Earthly home, the flames that had surrounded Hades dissipated and the ice melted away.
A loud sighed snuff escaped the beast as he/they laid the god on the cool ground and then shrunk down to lay over him. He/They would also have to fetch him clothes. Later.
Summary: True to his word, Hades ventured into the Underworld to see if the Rabbit Spirit, Takshi, was there. At least he had the smart idea to bring Cerberus with him.