IN THE BEGINNING

[erebos_dotcom]

"Daddy! Daddy! DAAAAAA!!"

The Darkness looked up from his writing just in time to catch a lapful of Cloey. She was bouncing around, waving her cupped hands frantically.

"Look what I found, you have to look! You have to!!"Like a good father, he held Cloey still until he could capture her small hands with his own. As soon as she opened them, a

Comments

[moirae_dot_com]

Lachesis entered not long after her sister, looking rather put out.

"Klo, leave Daddy alone, he's working," she said as sternly as any Mother, despite the fact that she was barely into adolesence herself.

However, she looked up to Erebos' face and offered him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Dad... she's just kind of... getting into everything."

[nyx__dot__com]

Nyx appeared behind Lachesis, and playfully flipped the young Measurer's braid.

"Relax, love. Your sister's just doing what she does. No reason to fuss."

Night ignored her adolescent daughter's glare as she walked around her to kiss Erebos' cheek, and then Clotho's. She then took a moment to dry out her husband's work with a wave of her hand.

[moirae_dot_com]

Clotho stuck her tongue out at Lachesis just before her mother kissed her cheek. She offered Nyx a brilliant smile, but stayed in Daddy's lap - though she did lean over the arm of his chair to see where her froggy had gotten to, putting herself in a rather precarious position. Pigtails bobbing merrily, she was determined both to stay with Erebos and to determine the location of her new friend. She frowned slightly, unconscious of the fact that one tip in one direction or the other could produce disastrous results for her head, she said,

"You scared my froggy, Khesis!"

[styx_dot_com]

Styxie traipsed in, looking happy from the trouble she and her brother had just started with a few pathetic mortals! When she spied the strange frog that nearly hopped over her foot, she let out a squeak.

"DAMN IT!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!"

[nyx__dot__com]

Nyx was a goddess of Fate, and given her daughters' young ages, she hadn't yet handed over full responsibility of the position to them yet. She eagerly awaited the day - all the knowledge and arrangement was tiresome, and she knew the girls would enjoy it. But for now, she saw quite clearly what Styx had done, where she'd gone, and Clotho's reaction coming from a mile away.

Rather than taking any preventative action, Nyx subtly, gracefully and swiftly dipped behind the chair where her husband sat, a knowing little smirk on her face. She slipped a hand into his hair and stroked gently, thinking only to him,

Employing foul language makes little girls behave badly.

Clotho had been pinched. And she was now fully cognizant of it.

[moirae_dot_com]

Clotho had found the froggy, yes! She had him in her sights, she knew just exactly how to get him, too, because if she went under Daddy's chair in just one minute and three seconds, Mr. Froggy would be right there and not looking at her, so she would catch him and change him for Styxie -

"AI!" she squealed loudly, scaring the frog off onto a different path, the little Fate leaping up and rubbing her bum. Then, when she turned around, it was Khesis!

Clotho didn't tend to bother to think about what had already happened - she did and then was always trying to figure out what to do next. This was part of why she was exceptional at getting into mischief. The fact was that if she'd thought for long enough to discover that it had been Styx, she'd likely have frowned sternly for being distracted from her mission, then giggled and continued on her way. However, when she saw Lachesis as the only one even vaguely in the direction of where the goose had come, her little face darkened with a deep frown, her violet eyes swirling with revenge

[styx_dot_com]

Styxie innocently stared at the ceiling as Khesis cursed silently. This ought to be good! It was too bad she was working so hard to look innocent, because she missed seeing Cloey's swipe at Khesis.

She didn't miss her older sister slamming back against her. Perhaps it was shortsighted of Styx to have stood so close behind Lachesis. But Styxie was always quick on her feet. She managed to catch both herself and Lachesis from falling... really it had been more herself who was in danger of falling... and then the real struggle not to laugh began!

"Poor Cloey!" Styx choked out, hiding her grin behind Lachesis' clown-colored hair.

[erebos_dotcom]

Leaning into his wife's touch, he spoke silently to her.
"You cannot blame me for that! It must be her mother... I certainly never taught her how to goose anyone. Though, if you want, I can demonstrate for her now." Erebos was having a very difficult time keeping a straight face.

And then Cloey did a real number on Lachesis, and that had Erebos out of his seat.

"Klotho!" he exclaimed, shaking his head at her. Approaching his adorable little girl, he swept her up into his arms, threw her over his shoulder, and swatted her rear. It wasn't hard, but it served the purpose.

Whispering only to her, he said, "If you weren't so damned cute, I'd really wail on you, little girl."

[erebos_dotcom]

His ever-effeminate son was huddled on their bed. Cowering under his wings. And had Erebos seen Nyxie's cosmetics on his face?

The Darkness had been overjoyed when Nyx bore Death to him. He had not expected Thanatos to be so... so.... pretty.

And he certainly had not expected Thanatos to be in their bed. Erebos was already reaching up to brace Nyx with his other hand hen she told him to put her down. Clearly his plans for his Night were ill-fated. Gently setting Nyxie on her feet, he greeted Thanatos.

"Son."

Despite his reservations about Thanatos, Death was still his son. And family was everything. Regardless of how pretty. Erebos folded his wife's hand over his own arm, then walked her to the bed, making certain she was comfortable before he circled around the bed to the other side and seated himself there. Quietly, he patted the winged one on the back.

[swift_wings]

Mommy was looking! She was awake! Hypnos didn’t play his trick like he thought. Daddy and Mommy must have been playing, maybe wrestling like Moros and Momos did. Moros would carry Momos around like that before he threw him down on his back. Oh dear! Oh dear!

And then it came into his mind that Moros may have shared the terrible tale that was told to him, Hypnos and Lethe. She must not have wanted her feet to touch the ground because of the monsters---There were these terrible twiggy root monsters that sprung up from the ground when you weren’t watching your step and would grab hold of your feet and not let go and so you would be stuck in place and grow into a tree. Ever since Moros told him those things he had been careful not to let his feet touch the ground even if they would turn to dust he didn’t want to risk it.

His wings relaxed when his parents sat down on each side of him, “Hello mommy. Hello daddy! I tried to draw you a picture. See!”

He held up a handful of ash and smiled.

[nyx__dot__com]

Nyx cast Erebos an affectionate, sloe-eyed smile when he set her on the bed, with the briefest flash of a promise of a rain check before turning her attention to Thanatos. She smiled widely at her little boy, and pulled him into her arms, trying to be cautious with his ash "drawing" even as it crumbled. Thanatos was, indeed, pretty - beautiful, in fact - and Nyx was completely nonplussed by his use of her cosmetics. She saw it as an outlet for his creativity and encouraged it as such. Normally, she would have discouraged the use of her things for such an endeavor, but she was hard-pressed to discourage Thanatos from anything.

"That's a beautiful picture, my little Than. And you look lovely, my handsome boy," she said as she kissed, then nuzzled, his cheek and wrapped her arms around him, careful of his wings. "Is that why you've come to visit, my little love? To show us your picture?"

[erebos_dotcom]

He heard his wife clearly, though she did not speak a word. It improved his mood considerably.

Looking at the picture his wife and son made, a peaceful, satisfied smile settled on his features. Being a father suited Erebos well, in these days. He affectionately ruffled Thanatos' dark hair.

Death may well have not been what Erebos had expected, but damn if he wasn't still ... precious... to Erebos.

His eyes found the rocks. What were these?

He picked them up, turned them over, then looked to Thanatos again, wondering what his son was up to this time.

[erebos_dotcom]

Erebos was tired of hearing how Thanatos was getting teased by... everyone. It was enough to anger him. While Nyx talked with their gentle son, he slipped off the bed, kissing both their foreheads before leaving.

Once outside his bedchamber, he glanced about to make certain no one was around. No one was. After doublechecking just in case, he took a secret path to a secret study. In the secret study, was a desk.

In the desk, was a long, black box.

In the box, Erebos found a certain dark amulet, made of onyx, suspended on black leather cord. The Darkness may not be able to successfully teach his son how to defend himself, but barring that, at least he could help Thanatos to hide.

Returning again to his family, he sat back down behind Nyx and tugged her and their son back into his arms. Without interrupting their conversation, he tied the cord around Thanatos' little neck, then carefully smoothed the amulet down against his chest.

He gave a conspiritory wink to Nyx.

[swift_wings]

Little Thanatos eyes widened with awe as if he was reliving seeing such monsters that very well could have existed but he had only heard about. He bobbed his head up and down, and in a very quite voice he whispered to mommy while daddy left them maybe because he already knew about the monsters and was going to get a pick and shovel so he could dig them up and throw them in Styxie's wettles because he heard they didn't like to get wet: "It's why I never walk on my toes. If you stay just above the ground when you walk like a butterfly? The root monsters can't grab your feet. I don’t ever want to be a tree Mommy. But it makes grabbing butterflies close to the ground, hawrd. Sometimes butterflies can't get out without help."

When Erebos returned and cuddled with the mother and son, and without the shovel: "Do you like the butterflies inside the froggies and creeping things daddy?" But then he felt something slither around his neck and he dropped his gaze to the amulet and tipped his head back at his parents: "For me?"

[nyx__dot__com]

"Oh, my sweet boy..." she said, and squeezed him tight, kissing his cheek. "You needn't worry about any such monsters. You're a god, my little Than, and a very important one at that," she affirmed. "No monster would dare come near you."

When Erebos returned, she looked at the amulet he'd put on their son, and turned her head, smiling at her husband with great affection and warmth before kissing him all too briefly.

He would be well-rewarded later for being such an exemplary father.

Oh, yes indeed, he would.

She allowed Ere to answer their son's question. Despite his penchant for silence, Nyx thought it important that the children knew their father could speak full sentences when he was so inclined.

[erebos_dotcom]

Inwardly, Erebos warmed. He had made Nyxie happy. He knew from her expression, and more importantly, from that kiss that promised more in the very near future