Hades III

words and meaning

Hades

Melinoë send me a message via the globe system. It said that Stella knew she had a brother and sister on Earth, and that her mother from Earth had already passed, as she'd met her.

How reassuring to know.

I rubbed my face in my hands, I was still in bed. Stella was way too complicated, but while I'd first dreaded Macaria having hired her, I was glad now. Stella wouldn't be able to be anything but a freak in town if she told anyone.

I got out of bed, showered, got dressed, and went to Zeus' office.

"Come in!" he boomed.

I entered.

Hera was on his lap, but they were both dressed. That was all I asked, to be honest.

"Brother!" Zeus said.

"Yeah, nice seeing you too and all," I said. "What more do you need me for in Olympus?"

Zeus sat up straight, an arm securely around Hera's waist. "I need you today," he said. "We have an important issue regarding the demi-Gods. Some tend to get into more trouble than others."

I nodded. "And after that?"

"You can go home," Zeus said. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, I just prefer to be in the Underworld." As he knew because I always told him so.

Zeus nodded.

Hera whispered something to him.

"The meeting can start in fifteen minutes." He said.

Again, time was a fluid thing, not human time, not the time in the Underworld. But fifteen minutes had meaning, as it had everywhere.

I went to the kitchen and made myself coffee and a sandwich. Then I went to the conference room.

Brooding I sat down, eating my food in silence. Never before had I met someone twice in the Underworld and then on Earth. That usually never happened. But then again, rarely did anyone recognize me on Earth either, so maybe it was just all fuzzy.

Stella

Melinoë made me stay. I slept in the room I'd claimed as mine. The sheets a dark red, the room having more of a claret-colored vibe to it.

I woke up in the plush bed, feeling refreshed yet overtaken by that overwhelming feeling of déjà vu. It wouldn't pass, especially when I couldn't make that damn feeling go away.

I got out of bed, got dressed and looked at the clothes someone had left me. It wasn't mine, though the size fit. And I did enjoy wearing a leather jacket, but leather pants?

I held them up before me with a sigh. They were nondescript, just black leather, tight.

Maybe Melinoë had had a hand in this?

I put on the underwear – thankfully that was my own. I'd bought something so I'd have something here, now I sometimes slept here. I put on the leather pants. Granted, they were comfortable enough, but I wasn't sure I was this much into leather. Macaria had picked out clothes for me, but she must have sensed my discomfort at having this being my home, because the clothes had gone. That also made it slightly easier needing to go to town after work.