It was the middle of the day and the muted sunlight washed through Dante Lot’s tinted wall length office windows. He sat, half lit even by the muted sunlight as he watched his children asleep in their playpen. He had little else to do with television being near the end of their hiatus. His advice was in but there was nothing to observe and cast judgment upon that took longer than a few hours.
Those hours had been morning hours. Come and gone.
American Idol didn’t count. He was half certain he was washing his hands of it.
Besides there was a beautiful image before his eyes. His four children nestled together in the same enclosure, resting peacefully with not a care in the world. He hoped it would be etched into his memory forever, just in case his iPhone was destroyed and his photo of it lost.
But he wasn’t silent. He whispered as to not to wake them but he was in full conversation. Lowering his gaze for a moment, he glanced down at the mint plant that sat in his bottom desk drawer, “[Why do you ask that?]”
”[Because you haven’t moved once in an hour the whole time you’ve been talking to me, my dread lord. I assumed that meant you were watching someone sleep and the only people here to watch are your children.]”
He frowned a little. Her statement had disturbed his pleasant vigil and forced his gaze to remain on the plant at his feet, “[Can you see?]”
“[Not like I once could. It’s hard to explain. I can sense shapes and movement, which is a shame as I am denied seeing your handsome face in detail, Adonious.]”
“[You are a plant as a punishment, Minthe,]” he muttered and then lifted his gaze back to his slumbering children, “[But yes, I am watching my children sleep. I could watch them forever and --]”
“[Are they why you won’t venture below and save the others? Because your greatest dream has come true?]”
The nymph-turned-plant had been quick to interrupt him and even quicker to sour his mood. Dante took a deep, long breath and resisted the urge to slam that desk door shut. Only the knowledge that she had been tortured unjustly for however long kept him from doing so. He did shake the drawer slightly with his foot to jostle her when he could feel a warmth in his soul that reminded him of her throwing her arms around him. “[Stop it.]”
“[I was expecting you to dismiss me but you didn’t.]”
“[I was tempted.]” Despite the fact that “dismissing” her was simply closing the desk drawer, but he wasn’t going correct her choice of words. He knew why she chose them. She still treated him as her king. It seemed impossible to break people from that habit. Her, Hypnos, Thanatos… always with the royal respect like he still had a kingdom.
Like he was still worthy of that respect at all.
And her question touched on why he wasn’t worthy of it. “[And no. They’re not why. There’s nothing I can do to help them. It’s impossible to help my former subjects --]”
Again she couldn’t help but interrupt, ”[Just like how it was impossible to have children of your own flesh?]”
“[You really want me to close this drawer, don’t you?]”
“[I was just asking to try to understand. I’m not trying to be insolent, m’lord.]”
“[I know you’re not.]” Dante reached down and brushed his fingers along one of her recovering leaves to convey he wasn’t angry. He knew she wasn’t trying to be insolent. Minthe was a plant because she was very good at being insolent; she didn’t need to try.
And destiny rescued him from any further awkward conversations; there was a knock at the door.
Dante drew his away from the plant at the sound of the knock and straightened up in his chair, before spinning in to face the sound. A knock on his door. Not on his office lobby door... It must be Tessia or Dahlia then. He was expecting Tessia. Taking a deep breath, he glanced at the plant again in his desk drawer and then to the door, “Who is it?”
“Your sister,” called the familiar voice. “Can I come in?”
“One second...” Dante replied and then looked back down at the little plant nestled in his bottom desk drawer. Bending down he whispered to it, “[Silence now. Silence. I don’t know how to explain you yet...]” He then didn’t wait for a reply but closed the drawer all but a crack; enough for air to reach the plant inside easily enough but obscuring her and shrouding her in near darkness.
That part, he decided as he stood up, the little nymph-turned-plant probably wouldn’t mind.
But with another deep breath, he tried to put his secret guest out of his mind and opened the door to his sister. “Lost track of time a little bit, Wordless One, watching the children sleep...” Among other things, but he left that part unsaid as he motioned for her to enter, “Though you should probably refrain from calling yourself ‘my sister’ out and about. Someone could hear you, get confusing...” He closed the door behind her as she entered, “Much better. Walls are good for things like that. Hallways, not so much.”
Tessie chuckled as she walked in, making a beeline for the children to say hello. “I think they’re all distracted. Something about... what are they called now. Smarty phones. And a game on it, something with angry little birds.” Scooping up the boys in her arms to receive excited kisses, she smiled toward their father. “And, really, I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t already speculate that you have some other hidden past,” she added in a teasing, mystical tone.
Even when he had first shared a bed with Tessia, he had found her adorable and that fact hadn’t changed with all the good and less than good events that passed between them. Smarty phones and games about angry little birds...Dante shook his head as he followed behind her and leaned against the edge of his desk. “Possible. Did recently enough lose ten years from my mortal age but if people with their smarty phones play their angry bird game about you being my sister we will both have problems in this modern time”
He then smiled at his sons in their mother’s arms, “They were asleep most of the morning. They must have woken up at the sound of your voice....”
The younger twin offered evidence to this, stretching leisurely before curling up against his mother’s chest. Hestia chuckled and gave him a kiss on the head. “Seems that way.” She paused a moment to reshuffle them as Eric began to slip from her elbow. “Good grief, they are getting big. Could you grab him, please?”
Dante was quick to swoop up his youngest son into his arms and let him curl up against his curl chest as he returned to his position against the side of his desk. “They are getting big. Big enough for some school even. That’s why I figured we should talk.”
“I figured as much... it’s getting close to that time.” She leaned against the edge of the desk, holding Edward around in her arms so that he faced her. “Not so soon though... By the gods, the time went by fast...”
Not so soon. I like the sound of that. Dante didn’t bother to hide the small smile that snuck across his face at her words. Tessia would probably like to see him smiling, he determined as he balanced his son easily in his arms, “That is what I thought we should talk about it. They are getting close to preschool age. Know it isn’t mandatory but it is an option many take... Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not pushing for it...”
She nodded, knowing the fact as well. “I had given it some thought. It may do them good; let them socialize early, get a head start, you know? And with the two of them starting together, maybe it wouldn’t be as rough to be separated from us for part of the day as it would be for single children. I don’t see any harm in it.”
Why do I open my mouth? Dante lowered his eyes as his small smile faded away and Eric, in his arms as if on instinct to such a reaction, began to tug at the suit jacket that he had been previously trying to half hide himself in. His father shook his head at the little boy and sat up on his desk, letting his heels hit the desk rhythmically to the boy’s entertainment to sooth him only to sudden stop in mid-action. Can’t do that. Nymph plant....
Instead, he sighed and simply brushed his fingers along his son’s hair to soothe him as he returned his thoughts to the conversation at hand. His sons going to pre-school... It might be good for them. He understood that but, “It’s not them being separated from us that bothers me about it...”
Hestia tilted her head a little, taking note of his nervous habits. Really, he was easier to read than any book in existence, sometimes. “And what does?”
His moment of delay and silence was partially so he could pry his youngest son’s little hands from his jacket but also to make sure he didn’t hear any voices besides his, his sister’s and the babbling of their sons. No other voices. Good. He even let out an exhale of relief even though no relief remained in as he returned completely to the conversation. Not lifting his eyes from his son, he answered softly, “Pre-school is during the day...”
She nodded. That had seemed like the most obvious answer. “Well. There’s no reason we can’t figure out a new schedule. It’s not like the one we have now is set in stone for life or anything.”
Dante’s eyes slipped shut as he pondered if a vow of silence would be a good idea in his life. When he said what was appropriate for an adult in his situation it only ever worked against him or was misunderstood. Unconsciously, he gave Eric a slight squeeze, “Well, the schedule would have to be figured out anew when they started school regardless. It seems I was right to worry that that would be sooner than later...”
Shifting Ed so he rested on her hip, she reached out with her free hand to carefully rest on his. “What would you like then? You are the one who would be losing more time than I, so I want to know what you would prefer.”
The touch, despite how carefully she rested her hand upon his, not only made him flinch, but snap his eyes open and pull completely away... Off the desk to his feet. He glared at the desk first but it was just a desk... Only then did he take a breath as understanding flooded his mind and he turned his black eyes to her. “Had my eyes closed. Don’t startle me like that.”
Eric didn’t seem to mind the movement. It only made him laugh and cling to his father more as it were a ride. Shaking his head again, he bounced the boy in his arms to keep him laughing. His young laughter was like a soothing drug on him, ““If they began school, I would lose all my time with them except for Saturdays. Would have to renegotiate and cut into yours...” His voice then softened, “[I know I’m being selfish...]”
“[No you’re not,]” she replied, returning her hand to herself. “[It’s only fair, after all. How about we seperate days? Perhaps Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays with one of us, Thursday, Friday and Saturday with the other, and we alternate Sundays?]”
He watched as she took back her hand and understood once again why he couldn’t have nice things sometimes. But he had told for her not to startle him, she was only doing as he had asked. “[We could do that plan when they start kindergarten and I could play with them instead of doing my job until they’re six, too...]” he suggested as he settled back down on his desk. Sitting would allow him to feign being relaxed and feigning it may just trick his very being into being it despite the conversation and events around him.
The hearth goddess offered him a reassuring smile. “[That wasn’t so hard, then!]”
“[I mean, I could go over school subjects with them here so they’re not behind when they...]” The former kind of the Underworld then paused. What had his sister said? Wasn’t so hard? Did his suggestion just.... “[You mean we can do what I just said?]”
She blinked and shrugged, confused at his confusion. “[Why not?]”
“[Because things are rarely that easy or work out so well for me.]” He didn’t even have to think about his reply. It was simply the truth of his life.
“[Well, consider this one a freebie then.]” Pausing again, her eyes scanning over him carefully, she added, “[Hades... you trust me, don’t you?]”
Just say ‘yes’. Don’t say ‘In what context’. I can give the correct answer for once, he thought to himself as he looked away from her and focused his attention on his son. Her scanning him like that made him uncomfortable and he tried not to think about why she was doing so... He was certain it would make him more uncomfortable. “[Of course I do. I know you mean only good for me.]”
“[Then will you tell me what’s wrong? You seem...]” Hestia groped for the word. “[Restless. Nervous, even. You keep shifting around.]”
“[There’s a lot of things on my mind, Sister.]” Things he didn’t quite know how to explain like how the secret he kept in his desk, how to explain why he was just so terrible when it came to pretending nothing was the matter... but he did know how to tell aspects of the truth. Partial causes of his nervousness... “[And them going to school during the day would change everything for me... They live with you. They don’t with me...]”
“[Ah. I’m sorry, I’m prying. You just looked unhappy,]” she said, looking away. “[But this new schedule lets them go home with you, sometimes four days a week. I think this will work out good for everyone, no?]”
“[It is... when it’s time for it. I’m a selfish man, but to change to that plan now instead of waiting for kindergarten is stealing time from you and from our little sister that doesn’t need to be done. Besides, if I ever started watching Helen during the day, I think I would have to apply for a daycare licence due to numbers so they should be social enough without pre-school...]” He said with a nod as a small smile began to return to him but quickly disappeared. He had caught sight of her looking away from him. Something internal reacted at it and the sound of her apology, her saying she was prying and that it had been because she thought he looked unhappy.
Dante knew what that internal reaction was. It was guilt. Guilt that he had said only a partial truth to avoid her concern for him. That was only one step away from lying... “[... And it’s okay to pry sometimes. It’s just hard when I don’t know what’s going on in my own life sometimes to be able to accurately explain it to someone else...]”
Glancing back up, she nodded in understanding. Or, at least, some semblance of it. The past year had, perhaps, finally taught her that she and her brother were not similar creatures. She could attempt to read his mind but, really, it’d only end in frustration and vexation for them both. “[If there’s anything you need to talk about, even if it isn’t exactly accurate, you can always bend my ear, little brother.]”
“[I know... it’s just...]” Dante closed his eyes, straining to find the right words. He knew over a half dozen languages the modern world still recognized, more that had died out and yet he still couldn’t find the words he wanted. “[I don’t want to burden you with problems that you wouldn’t... wouldn’t be able to help with. Then we would both be frustrated....]”
“[Sometimes just sharing your problems can help,]” she pointed out, “[just having a chance to get it of your shoulders. I may not be able to solve anything that’s going on, but I would never be frustrated by at least giving you a safe space to vent.]”
Well, you see, Sister, as other woman number three, though on a technicality, I have other woman number one in my desk in plant form, hastily planted in a McDonald’s cup because I couldn’t let her be found in my wife’s flower bed after she escaped from Hell... He let that explanation play in his own mind, nodding to it and to Hestia’s words before having to laugh very softly as a variant sigh. No. That was not going to do at all. “[And yet sometimes, venting can make things worse.]” It certainly sounded worse when he truthfully heard his mental explanation, “[But if I get over my head, I’ll reach out...]”
“[Okay,]” she said, conceding to his wishes. “[So! That and the time settled, how about lunch?]”
“[I ate already, but I could eat a second lunch. You wouldn’t approve of what I ate anyway,]” Dante replied softly, standing once more as he placed his youngest son onto his feet on the floor. He had his time during the day still with them and half time when they began school, the instinct to keep a physical grasp on Eric disappeared from him. His voice remained soft, “[Try not to worry about me. I know you will, but try not to.]”
“[I think, sometimes, I can no less stop worrying than you can stop being solitary. But I’ll do my best,]” she replied kindly.
“[‘Can stop’ and ‘Should stop’ are two separate thing but I understand...]” One self destructive tendency after another that I can’t stop... Dante agreed as he bridged the gap between them, stepping around his youngest and very confused son to do so. Slowly, as if his sister had the same issues he had, he reached out and touched the inside of her wrist with tips of his fingers, “[I’m sorry I worry you... so much....]”
Hestia blushed at his concern and shook her head. “[Don’t be. I’d worry about the sun coming up if I wasn’t busy! Heh. But right now the only thing I’m worried about is your diet. There’s a little hole in the wall I saw near here, looked cute, would you join me for some tea and food there?]”
He let his hand fall away from her and then glanced first at their two sons and then over to the playpen in the corner of the room where his daughters still slept like rocks dressed in floral jumpers. “[Does this hole in the wall take kindly to children because I have the whole flock of them here with me...]”
“[We could leave them here with your co-workers, perhaps, if only for the lunch?]” Hestia suggested.
Leave his four children with Julie? That sounded reasonable enough. It was only for lunch and he could return here quicker than someone could kill his young assistant and kidnap all four of his children... Dante’s eyes fell to his desk. Leave his four children with Julie with Minthe in his desk.... Julie was friends with Mel... but who would Mel tell?
He closed his eyes and dismissed some of his anxiety. Why would Julie rummage through his desk in the first place? “Suppose we can do that as long as you don’t mind me more nervous as normal as separation anxiety sets in.”
“Think of it as training for school,” quipped chipper Hestia, placing her current child back down in the playpin with his half-siblings.
“Don’t speed them to the schoolyard on me...” he muttered in reply as he watched her put their eldest back into the playpen and scooped up his twin so they could all be together. “Don’t know why they like the playpen still. All of them can get out of it but Dasha. Think they feel it’s their own little fort.”
“Sounds about right. They both like to play in their room at home as well, even though they’ve figured out how to get up and down the stairs too.” She gave Eric a ruffle of his hair. He squawked and swatted at her, not quite reaching her. “Come. We’ll let Julie know our plans.”
“Yeah...” Dante smiled down at his four children in their playpen, his two sons awake and now swatting at each other and his two daughters still asleep, Delaney using Dasha as a teddy bear. He shook his head a little at the sight. Delaney doing that would not help his sons enjoyment of calling Dasha a teddy bear at all. But then he glanced back over his shoulder at his desk “Umm, let me just finish some things in here and then I’ll drop this on Julie... meet me at the elevator?”
She nodded and, carefully, gave him a sisterly kiss to the cheek. “I’ll be waiting there then!” And she was off, skirt shuffling as she headed out the door and toward the exit.
And he watched her go off and as soon as she was out the door, closed it. His sons were distracted, they wouldn’t pay him any mind and his daughters were asleep... Sitting down in his chair once more, he opened the drawer back fully and touched one of the little mint plant’s leaves whispering, “[Be good.]”
“[My dread one, of course, I will. You need not worry about me while you’re off on your lunch date.]” The nymph’s voice echoed in his soul as his eyes snapped up to watch his children. He wasn’t sure if they could hear her... if anyone could or if she was directing it. It didn’t feel like telepathy, but it also didn’t seem like his children heard her soft voice.... But then again, they wouldn’t hear much of anything over their games or sleeping. It was better that way probably. She continued, “[I’m a little disappointed that I’m losing time with you but I like her. I like her a lot.]”
He shook his head as he stood again, closing the drawer all but completely, “[You would. For all the wrong reasons but you would.]
No more secret discussions. Not when he had a personal assistant to completely annoy, but it was in her contract that he was allowed to do so.
Summary: Hestia stops by Hades’ office so they could have a parental discussion, notices that he is more jumpy than usual and then invites him out to lunch. Hades makes sure everyone in his office will be well cared for while they’re away for a little bit.