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“You cannot keep falling asleep on the job like this, Hypnos. This is completely unacceptable.” Thanatos kept his voice low and his head bent, glaring at his brother from underneath his cowl.
“Oh I just nodded off a little while, Thanatos!” Hypnos chittered. “I rest easy knowing that you're here!” His smile grew a little more lopsided under his brother’s stare. “But if I goofed, why, I guess you could kill me dead, or something, huh?”
“Don't give me any ideas,” Thanatos grunted. His eyes darted in the direction of the Master’s throne. Distance would do nothing to prevent him from overhearing if Lord Hades had a wish to hear, but luckily this did not seem to be the case. Hypnos’ behaviour had always been unguarded, frivolous. But he had been appointed to this position despite all that, so Thanatos wanted to believe that his brother was not risking his position because of it. He could not allow himself to hope the same when it came to his work ethic, though. Hypnos’ negligence was starting to attract attention. He would get himself fired and be inconsolable. “Pull yourself together and quit slacking off,” Thanatos snapped. “The House needs help, and you've a job to do. Now get to it!”
Briefly, in the half second it took for him to vanish where he stood, Thanatos saw his brother’s eyes fixed on him, round and no longer smiling. Well, good, he thought, planting his newly materialised feet on the marble floors in his accustomed wing of the palace. Hypnos was never going to learn if he did not learn to listen.
He sank down onto the nearest seat and rubbed at his temples. There had been such a great deal of death on the surface. Such a staggering number of souls to be brought down. Such an endless row of shades in Hypnos’ hall…
Someone cleared their throat with a very familiar sound, just outside the bounds of the chamber.
Thanatos did not move, sitting tensely for a moment before answering curtly: “Yes, Zagreus?”
Zagreus approached him with a badly hidden caution that nearly made Thanatos turn away from him. He never used to do that. Not before all this.
“Overheard a bit of your chat with Hypnos back there,” Zagreus said, sauntering closer until he had put himself far enough into Thanatos’ space to make it impossible for him to ignore Zag’s enquiring eyes.
Thanatos met his gaze as briefly as he could. “Did you now.”
“Yeah. Oof.”
“Quite.”
Zagreus stood idly by him for a moment, looking around as if he was suddenly keenly interested in the interior decoration. “Than, you know, Hypnos, he adores you. Besides just driving you to madness now and then.
“I'm rather used to the relationship, thanks, Zagreus,” he said snidely.
Zagreus looked back at him silently and not for the first time Thanatos thought that it was easier – much easier – to stare down the piercing red glow that reminded him of Lord Hades, than to meet the gentle, concerned look that so often lay in his other eye.
He looked away. “Seems like you got to know him pretty well.”
“Well, dying repeatedly can end up bringing people closer, I suppose,” Zagreus said airily, resuming his study of the walls and ceiling with a wandering stroll through the room.
Thanatos look up at him as soon as he turned his back. There was still blood clinging to the laurels crowning his head. Still traces of the death he just died on his person. Of course, that must have been how he overheard them. He must just have emerged from the Pool of Styx. Again.
“I don't know what's worse, dying repeatedly or Hypnos,” Thanatos said wryly. “Although…” Zagreus glanced back at him and Thanatos held his gaze this time. “I guess I'm grateful for your patience with him, Zag.”
Zagreus had a habit of moving while he grinned, a strange little half-shrug and a tilt of his head that almost made Thanatos angry because he knew it so well. “He's like an annoying little brother to me,” Zag grinned. “It’s grown on me.”
Thanatos watched him cross the room again. “Hypnos is far older than you, Zagreus.”
“Yeah?” Zagreus made his way back to the entrance he had come through. “So are you.”
What was that supposed to mean? Thanatos stared blindly at the space Zag had occupied and tried not to feel the pull of the dead. It was no use. There was always work.
He rose, scythe in hand, and hoped quietly that the new arrivals would not be too many for Hypnos to deal with.
---
There had been some sort of incident. Thanatos had heard his brother’s jittery voice, had heard him interrupt Lord Hades—but even not the thunderous yelling had stopped, he did not have the heart to go and find out what it had been about. His expression most not have been as guarded as he had meant it to be, however, because when Megaera approached him she was carrying a jug of wine.
“Drink,” she ordered, putting the chous into his hand and leaning against the wall beside him.
“What are we?” he snorted. “Newly spawned and sneaking around to duck our responsibilities?”
“I said drink, Than,” she replied evenly. “You clearly need it.”
It was restful, being around Megaera. Thanatos never had to doubt her meaning for a moment. “Could have brought cups,” he hummed, putting the chous to his lips.
“Picky,” she sniffed, a faint trace of amusement in her vibrant eyes.
Thanatos offered her the wine and she took it.
“So what’s eating you?”
He tipped his head back against the wall. “Hypnos…”
“Ah.” She wiped her mouth with her thumb. “Lost his list, or so I gathered.”
Thanatos bit back a groan and closed his eyes. “Probably fell asleep and let someone take it.” No wonder Lord Hades had been angry.
“Is that all?”
Meg’s voice was tailor-made to convey judgement, in all shades of anger and disdain, but Thanatos knew her well enough to recognise the attentiveness in her words. It was her silence that truly made the difference, though. She waited for his answer in patient silence, leaning against the wall in complete repose, looking at some point in the distance without requiring him to meet her eyes.
“Zag—” he began finally and though he saw Megaera’s eyebrow lift he pointedly ignored it, “—said something that made it sound like he thinks I’m being too hard on him.”
“Well, he would,” Megaera muttered, lifting the chous again.
“You disagree, then?”
She took a long draught. “Either too hard or not hard enough. Either way, he’s going to be in trouble.”
“I know.” Thanatos gave a sharp shake of his head. “I just… He’s my twin.”
Megaera’s eyes darted to his face. “Than, his performance does not reflect on you.”
His head lifted up with a start, a violent twist in the pit of his stomach. “That’s not— I don’t want to be better than him, Meg. I want him to—” The twisting feeling sank, heavy as lead, dragging his shoulder down with it. “He always treats me like I’m better than him…”
“So help him,” Megaera said sharply. “He’s clearly proud of his job. When he remembers he has it.”
Thanatos clawed a frustrated hand through his hair. “And how am I supposed to help him? How am I even supposed to—”
“You’re his brother, Thanatos. You can make him tell you how to help him, if you really try.”
He looked at her in disbelief. “I don’t even understand him, Meg. I thought you of all people—”
“You care about him, and like you said, he idolises you.” Megaera gave him a critical look, pushing the chous into his hands. “If you want to end up where I’m at with my sisters, be my guest. But we wouldn’t be having this conversation if you did.”
Thanatos shut his mouth, weighed the jug in his hands, and thought.
---
Hypnos was not asleep when Thanatos found him, he had to give him that, but he wasn’t attending to his duties either. He was scribbling away on a scroll. So engrossed in the document that he did not even hear his brother approach.
“Hypnos.”
“Than!” he squeaked, feet lifting even further off the ground than they had been before. “I am hard at work, as you can see!”
Thanatos frowned, pausing or a moment. “Are you?”
“Why, yes!” Hypnos exclaimed. “I am just finishing my list of the arrivals from last night! Or day! Or maybe the one before that, time is so slippery, you know.”
Thanatos glanced at the parchment in his brother’s hands. It was filled with Hypnos’ impeccable handwriting. All in neat rows and with what looked like little icons in front of every other line. “I can see you put a lot of effort into it,” he offered hesitantly.
“Do I ever!” The white curls framing his brother’s face seemed almost to move with his excitement. “These lists are used for the official reports after all.”
There was a degree of eagerness in Hypnos voice that Thanatos was not used to hearing. It didn’t sound like his usual vague chatter whenever he was asked a question about his duties. Perhaps… Perhaps it had been the wrong kind of questions.
“Well,” Thanatos began. “How often do you consult these lists you make? If you’re spending too much time just making lists, you’re not leaving time to get anything done.”
“Oh, I love making my lists…” The fervour in Hypnos’ eyes only grew. “I always illustrate the edges, each one is unique! That way anyone who gets to review the work, it’s a whole experience you know? But…” He bit his lip. “I guess it does take up a lot of time.”
“You’ll have to work around the constraints of your responsibilities,” Thanatos said seriously. In an impulse he put a hand on his brother’s shoulder, stopping his fidgeting floating for just a moment. “You do take breaks, don’t you? Before and after each break, maybe that’s a time to make sure your own list of priorities is up-to-date.”
Hypnos blinked at him. “Wait, my own list of priorities…?” He twisted his quill around his fingers. “But, you’re saying I can just go and make a list…for me? Huh. Whoa.” It was almost as if there were genuine lights beginning to dance in his eyes. “Whoa…”
The Pool of Styx stirred and Zagreus emerged, looking like a deity of blood as it washed off him in crimson waves, and Thanatos, inexplicably, felt as if he had been caught.
“If that’ll be all…?” he muttered, and quickly whisked himself elsewhere. Only this time, as he did so, the last thing he saw was Hypnos’ smile.
---
“Than! Than!”
“Yes, Hypnos, no need to shout,” Thanatos admonished, swiftly crossing the hallway towards him. “What is it?”
“Look.” Hypnos held two pieces of parchment in front of his face, almost too close to see properly. “This here is the account of the arriving souls. And this is my own list. It has everything on it. The greeting, the documenting, everything!”
He allowed his brother to take the list from him and Thanatos studied it earnestly. “That looks good. Orderly.”
“Hey, thanks!” Hypnos laughed.
“I mean it,” Thanatos said sincerely, continuing despite his brother’s surprised expression. “I can tell how hard you’re working on all this.” He faltered for a moment, searching for words. “…though, what I mean to say is, that… I’m sorry, Hypnos. You’re my brother, but I haven’t always treated you that way. Would you be willing to forgive me?”
For split second Hypnos’ eyes widened, but then they immediately creased with mirth. “Aww, come on, Thanatos, are you kidding me, right here? We’re like to skeletons in a crypt! You’re the best, and you’re always looking out for me. Even when you’re not around for what can seem like aeons at a time!”
Thanatos found himself smiling, but he also felt eyes on him. On the far end of the hallway, the unmistakable shapes of Megaera and Zagreus were standing just within earshot…
“Well let’s not get ahead of ourselves, here,” he said, straightening his back. “We each have got important jobs to do.” He met Hypnos’ eyes again, smiling anew at their shine. “Isn’t that right, Brother?”
“Huh,” Hypnos hummed. “That is right!”
So he took back his list and Thanatos, with a nod, left him to it.
---
It was not exactly a surprise when Zagreus joined him in front of the Featured House Servant Board. At least not as surprising as the portrait currently on the board. It might be called equally pleasant though.
“I can hardly believe it,” Zagreus grinned. “Hypnos finally came out on top, huh? Even Father seemed pleased with him. That’s more than I get.”
“I can hardly believe it either, Zagreus,” Thanatos said honestly. “But then again, he’s one of Mother Nyx’s offspring, so we shouldn’t be so surprised.” He turned towards Zagreus more fully, lowering his voice a little further still. “Though, I have to thank you for talking to me about him a while back…”
The pleased little spark in the green of Zagreus’ right eye was almost small enough to miss. Almost, but not for Thanatos. “Oh, that?” he said, his attempt at hiding his gratification as ineffective as most of his attempts at deceit. “I noticed you two getting along better recently.” Zagreus shifted his weight just enough to bump his shoulder against his. “So what’s your secret?”
“He loves lists,” Thanatos replied, smirking warningly at Zagreus’ amused expression. “Doesn’t do well with subtlety, so much, but spell things out for him and he will get right on it. Long as he’s awake, at least. He’s still working on that part.”
Zagreus grinned. “Who doesn’t have room for improvement though, right?”
Thanatos smiled and Zag gave him a deeply pleased look.
“Have you gone to talk to him yet?”
“Not yet, no.”
Zagreus looked at him, and Thanatos looked back. Until Zagreus made a face.
“Oh very well,” Thanatos said, rolling his eyes. “I’ll be right back.”
“No hurry,” Zagreus called after him. “I can wait for Death.”
Thanatos pretended not to have heard him and went to find his brother.
Hypnos was at his post, keeping the line of shades moving and signing his document with a flourish whenever one of them moved on.
“Congratulations, Brother!” Thanatos spoke up as he joined him. “I saw you finally made the board. You made us proud.”
The joyful way that Hypnos’ pale face lit up was free of surprise now, Thanatos realised, and for such a small change it sure made a heavy impression. “Sure did! That’s something, huh?” Hypnos chimed. He smiled, waving his quill with importance. “Though, sorry Thanatos, can’t really chat right now, the shades are stacking up, there’s greetings to be done, and sign-ins… lots of work to do, you know?”
Thanatos smiled too. “I definitely know the feeling,” he said, not bothering to hide the fondness in his voice. “Well then, let’s keep it up, the both of us, all right?”
The grin Hypnos gave him in reply was as beaming as Thanatos had ever seen it.
“Will do!”