Work Text:
Meg emerged from the Styx with a gurgle of rage. She rested her hands on the upper steps leading to the hallway of souls where Hypnos called the roll of all newcomers. She knelt there for a few moments, almost scratching the old, gnawed staircase's marble, and sucking in every breath of angry air with terrible fury.
How embarrassing , she thought to herself, defeated again.
Meg closed her hands in fists, punched the step weakly, and stood up with all the dignity she had left. She climbed the stairs in silence, dripping water from the pool all over the carpet. She didn't bother to use the towels that had been neatly placed on the towel rack in the entrance. She squeezed and twisted her hair and left a giant puddle behind her. The row of shades moved out of her way, with frightening murmurs and shaky whimpers.
Hypnos yawned as he crossed out another name on the scroll. Meg thought that if she was fast enough, she could get through without him seeing her and making one of his pernicious comments about her work.
As if he wasn't completely incompetent
But she wasn't so lucky.
"Well, well! Again? It seems the prince is getting more and more skilled with every attempt to escape!"
Meg gritted her teeth, huffed, and ignored him. She didn't need Hypnos to tell her any of that. She could see for herself in every fight she had with Zagreus. The prince, at first slow, careless, and even afraid of hurting her, had become incredibly sharp, strong, and... brash. That was being very annoying because it was impacting her reputation. And the last thing she needed was a reprimand from Lord Hades. She had enough on her plate dealing with Alecto's mockery.
Enough, don't think about it
Meg stopped by the corner of the corridor. She didn't want to get past Lord Hades —his cavernous voice resounded everywhere, refusing request after request, as always— and his constant glare of criticism, but she needed a drink before returning to her chamber at the Tartarus and that was the only way to the canteen. Meg breathed a tired sigh and took a step forward.
Then she saw her. And heard her.
"Cerbie, Cerbie, come on, be a good boy, and let... No, no! Cerbie, please!”
Meg suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Not far from Lord Hades' enormous desk was resting the equally gigantic Cerberus, who didn't seem particularly helpful or interested in having Dusa brush the scruffy fur between his ears. Meg watched as the gorgon tried to get closer to the center head without the dog growling at her, and she noticed the way Cerberus wagged his tail. Meg covered her mouth to hide a tiny smile just as the three heads gave the little gorgon a colossal lick. Dusa hissed in horror and disgust before disappearing with a shotgun to the high, secure roofs of the house, and Meg sighed dreamily.
I should tell her
She always said the same thing to herself: I should tell her. You are cute. I like you.
But either she never found the time, or the poor attempts to do so had hit the wall that was the innocent and clueless Dusa.
Maybe today... Who knows how long it will take Zagreus to defeat me again
Contrary to what Hypnos wanted to think, Zagreus was not yet strong enough to beat her whenever he jumped out of his courtyard window. And the only opportunities she had to see Dusa were... These. The times when Zagreus would send her back to the house via the Styx and she could spend a little time resting before returning.
So maybe, just maybe...
Maybe this time.
Meg felt a wave of warmth everywhere, and suddenly she didn't care that Lord Hades could see her pass in front of his desk. So she picked up her pace, walked among the shades patiently waiting for an audience with Lord Hades and headed to the canteen. She bowed her head a little to the chastened and disapproving gaze of her lord.
She needed that drink, she needed it badly.
An hour later and a few cups of the bitter and sour wine that the shades served there, Dusa appeared in the canteen looking better but still with a certain pitiful aura. Meg pretended that she hadn't seen her come in, but she certainly noticed how that miserable aura transformed into a much more animated one. She wanted to think that it was because of her.
"Oh, Miss Meg! You are here!”
The gorgon floated gracefully to Meg's table and composed a softer, more compassionate, and tender gesture… which immediately became one of epiphany and a bit of remorse.
"I'm sorry, your being here means that the prince has... defeated you."
Meg nodded her head to play it down. At least in front of Dusa. But she couldn't help but look at the wall where the employee of the month board was hanging. There, Achilles' sad but beautiful face stared back at everyone who looked at it. She clicked her tongue.
“It doesn’t matter.” she mumbled.
"Of course it matters!" objected Dusa. Meg found her enthusiasm adorable. "You work very hard, and though I appreciate the prince and his efforts for... well, for what he does... It's not fair to you."
Something very warm went through her body again, like a huge cloud of vapor from the Asphodel. Meg smiled weakly and looked up from her cup at Dusa. The gorgon was frowning slightly, as if she was a little upset and offended, and at the same time in the position of having to choose between her loyalty to the prince and her friendship with Meg.
Oh, but don't worry, Dusa
Meg was not stupid, she would never be able to make her choose. Not her, not anyone. What for?
You are so kind...
Dusa let out a hissing sigh.
"I'm sorry, really, I'll drop the subject, you're on your break," the gorgon smiled a little then, more animatedly. "You need to distract yourself."
Meg snorted. She knew what that meant: Dusa was about to tell her everything that had happened since her last visit to the house, all the gossip, which used to be related to Zagreus' misfortunes. It was fun, and relaxing, because even if the prince managed to win against her, he always came back in the end. There was always someone who beat him, often in the silliest and simplest ways that could happen.
Gods, maybe…
"Oh, but I've been distracted," said Meg, taking a sip from her glass. She offered some to Dusa, who drank with her forked tongue. A chill ran down her spine from the bitterness, and Meg giggled softly.
"Really?" asked the gorgon, curious with a weak brrr . “What with?”
“Well…” rambled Meg. Or she pretended to ramble. Now, now, Megaera . “I don't know if you've heard, it's a rumor going around Tartarus.”
That seemed to turn on and ignite even more Dusa's interest. Her eyes went wide and floated a little closer to Meg.
“Oh, no, no, I haven’t heard, tell me, tell me.” she pleaded.
Meg sipped her wine again, a dramatic pause, and leaned over to Dusa as well.
"Well, they say, they comment, about the cutest demon in all the Underworld” she said in a lower voice.
Dusa blinked. Several times.
“Oh? Really?”
Meg nodded.
“And who is it? Tell me more, tell me!”
Meg smirked behind her cup. Another sip.
“Oh, I don’t think you know them…
Dusa puffed her checks, hissing softly.
“But! I know a lot of people here, I'm sure I know who they are, describe them to me!”
Meg let out a fake pensive ‘hm’ and…
Now, Meg
NOW, MEG
“Well,” she began. “She is… kind, the kindest soul down here. Diligent with her work, patient, tenacious… I admire her a lot in that sense, and I think she doesn't get recognition for it very often. She never has a bad word for anyone, even when she is in a bad mood. If she's ever in a bad mood.” Meg chuckled.
“Oh, so is she?” Dusa tilted her head a little, all of her snakes completely attentive to Meg's words.
“Yes,” Meg nodded again. “And she’s cute, so cute... And when I see her it's as if all the fury inside me disappears. I think… I think I like her.”
“Aw, Miss Meg, but that’s cute!”
“I suppose it is…”
Then Meg couldn’t help but compose a slightly sadder, discouraged expression, as if she had suddenly remembered…
“Oh no, what’s wrong, my dear?” Dusa noticed, worried.
Meg shook her head, trying to play it down.
“Nothing, don’t worry.” she replied.
“But of course I’m worried, you seem so sad suddenly… Please, tell me, maybe I can help you.”
Maybe…
Meg sighed, took a sip of wine, feeling it even more bitter than before. She felt brave enough to confess one of her fears about the topic.
“... Sometimes I think she will never notice me the way I do, you know?" That was a somewhat defeated whisper, a real secret murmur, not a made-up rumor.
Dusa made a sympathetic hiss and approached Meg completely. He tapped her on one shoulder a couple of times with one of her snakes.
"Don't say that, I'm sure she will," the gorgon said. "Maybe she just needs you to tell her?"
For a moment that seemed to last eons, Meg hesitated, but that... That was the chance she needed. She looked up at Dusa, in all gentleness. She felt weak and strong at the same time, full of sudden courage. Then…
"I just did." she mumbled.
Dusa blinked. Again. Slowly. Again. And Meg could watch step by step as the recognition hit her, and she finally realized that it was she who Meg had been talking about all along.
“Oh… Oh, dear, you… You were talking about me?”
Meg nodded, silently.
“And… And you really think those things?”
Meg nodded a second time.
Dusa started to tremble a little, maybe in disbelief, maybe because of embarrassment. Her snakes hissed weakly alongside her.
“Oh, dear, oh dear, this is… This is kind of funny, I… I was…” Dusa wandered, nervous.
Meg arched her eyebrows.
“Dusa… Look, you don’t have to reciprocate anything, not me, nor my feelings,” she assured her. “And I wouldn't want it to get in the way of our friendship, you don't have to feel obliged to do anything.”
“I know, I know, it’s just…!” The gorgon exclaimed, then giggled and sipped through her nostrils as if she was about to cry. “It’s just I had been, well, I mean, I had been thinking about you in that way for quite some time and, oh dear, I was also afraid to tell you because…” Dusa went silent for two seconds, unable to meet Meg’s gaze. “You are so strong, trustworthy and important. Look at you! You are one of the three Erynies, and the only one allowed to set foot in the house. You are special.” Meg wanted to correct her. That she was allowed to enter the house of Lord Hades had more to do with the behavior of her sisters than with herself. But she said nothing. “And look at me, a simple gorgon, a maid in charge of cleaning everything.”
Meg pursed her lips a bit but ended up sighing and raising her glass a little.
"Look, how about we talk about it in more detail with more wine?" she suggested, with fear that Dusa would leave, embarrassed, and they would not be able to talk about it again until her next return visit. Though she couldn't force her to do so either.
Dusa seemed to shrug. And then she combed through her snakes, pulling out an elegant and tiny jar filled with a precious amber liquid. Meg didn't need to be told what it was. She flashed a slightly playful smile.
"Ah, smuggled stuff? I wonder who gave it to you,"
She also knew exactly who it was. The only idiot who was willing to distribute such objects around the house without fear of the consequences. Dusa hissed and chuckled.
“I hope you don't mind, it's just that wine gives me a headache afterward," Dusa said.
Meg smiled softly.
“Not at all.” she replied.
Dusa started pouring some of the nectar into Meg's already empty cup. Then she raised the small bottle, waiting for a toast. And Meg felt that warm wave again, coursing through her body, taking all the bitterness of Tartarus with it.
I've done it
I’ve... finally done it