trip-downtheriverstyx

[trip-downtheriverstyx]

Actually, Hades loved organizational systems.

When he became Chapter Three's manager, he worked tirelessly to improve Chapter Three's own. Belle preferred chaos. She called it part of Chapter Three's charm. Hades, however, had despised such 'charm' and tried to impose order. He was somewhat successful but as he moved away from working at Chapter Three on the day to day, the bookstore quickly slid back into disarray. The ghosts didn't help. They seemed to want to put the books wherever they pleased.

But his interest in systems and workflows remained, and was part of the reason why he actually was a rather efficient mayor.

And so Hades listened intently, nodding along. "What about documentation for this system? I'd want you to develop guidelines as you go so it could be accessible to others besides yourself," said Hades.

@ben-books

Keep Your Enemies Closer || Hooks

[trip-downtheriverstyx]

On the surface, Hades had no issues with that, eh?

And this bloke didn't seem like a threat to him-- or to the town-- anyway. He was no Tom Harrington or Phil Knightley. From the little Hades had heard, he had little physical skill and had spent his months cooped up in the Order's HQ, concerning himself with their own archive. If he could put his evil skills to good use now, well, good.

But of course he'd still need some oversight. Just because he didn't seem like a threat didn't mean he wasn't a threat.

"Ah-- do you already have ideas for how to make those changes?" said Hades. "I'd love to hear them, if so. You could walk me through your process."

@ben-books

Keep Your Enemies Closer || Hooks

[trip-downtheriverstyx]

Hades's eyebrows quirked, the barest sign of reaction to Ben's apparent frustration, though it revealed very little.

It certainly didn't reveal what he was thinking: Oh, you're frustrated? Good.

It was, after all, some measure of justice that the bloke, who had weaseled away from the court of law for his involvement in the Order, was forced to sort through what Hades could only assume was decades worth of poor records keeping.

Not that he ever thought much about the archives. Belle had come down here before; she seemed to access everything just fine.

"Ah, no. I'm just interested in your progress," said Hades smoothly, slipping a smile onto his own face. "So you find the previous system lacking?"

@ben-books

Keep Your Enemies Closer || Hooks

[trip-downtheriverstyx]

"It's about the context," said Hades, his tone unchanging.

Of course more information was always a good thing. But to release a series of safety pamphlets and flyers and stick werewolf information with them-- the juxtaposition would inevitably frame werewolves as a danger. And technically they were, but just as any person could be a danger in Enchantra. As far as Hades was concerned, the issue here wasn't werewolf-specific.

It was who the wolf had been. He would bet most of his money it was a stranger, or at least someone new to Swynlake's environment.

And he still suspected Gaston of antagonizing the wolf, not the other way around.

"If you create a flyer with general tips about staying safe and avoiding the woods outside of the set hours anyway-- that should cover it. Gaston shouldn't have been out on the full moon." It hadn't been dark, but it had been getting there. What had he been thinking, eh?

"Like I said, I'll want to see a draft and we can go from there."

@chiefhugo-slade

hunting for the mayor | Chades

[trip-downtheriverstyx]

The Acherons Family – Halloween 2024

Belle: no costume Hades: no costume Opal: angular fish Aidan: race car/driver Bellamy: no costume

@trip-downtheriverstyx

[trip-downtheriverstyx]

"I don't think it's a good idea to treat werewolf information as you would the rest of your warnings," said Hades, perhaps a bit sharply.

But if all those updates came out at once and on the same channels, then a natural conflation would occur-- werewolves framed as dangerous creatures, rather than people. They were people, not mindless or stupid or scared beasts. Whatever happened in the woods with Gaston, Hades wouldn't ever quite know, but it was an isolated incident, specific to the mysterious attacker in question.

Obviously, Lou would never do something like that. He was gentle and docile when he turned. He'd only snap and attack if threatened.

And who would say that hadn't happened in the woods too?

But he didn't want to argue about the werewolf attack all meeting. This was about the aftermath.

"Otherwise, I think your ideas sound solid. You can show me your drafts and we can run them past the board," said Hades.

There had to be some level of review, naturally.

@chiefhugo-slade

hunting for the mayor | Chades

[trip-downtheriverstyx]

Town Hall had a new archivist.

And it was a bloody ex-Order member.

Now, the first time Hades had met Ben Books, there had been nothing overtly threatening about him. He had a slimey, smart-aleck like personality and presence. The odds of this bloke actually harming another magick was low-- but not impossible.

Which meant that Hades still wanted to keep a quite close eye on him. And better to have him lingering in Hades's backyard than getting a job, potentially, at Pride U where he'd be farther from Hades and closer to impressionable students.

So Hades put on his pleasant politician's smile and knocked on the door to Ben Books's office. "Hullo there. How's it going?"

@ben-books

Keep Your Enemies Closer || Hooks

[trip-downtheriverstyx]

Windows || [Loud Bell + Others]

In which Hades makes one final attempt to reach Toulouse...[takes place: October 13, 2024]

featuring: @trip-downtheriverstyx, @labellerose-acheron, @marie-a-bonfamille, Adelaide Bonfamille, Berlioz Bonfamille-Lyons, and Nounou.

[cw/tw -- this whole para features intense themes of mental health, including suicidal ideation, please tread carefully and if you would like a summary feel free to reach out!]

|| || ||

[link here]

[trip-downtheriverstyx]

Hades also looked to the painting. Or rather, to the canvas, weeping with paint. Art was subjective but Hades knew Lou's style by now.

This was not art. This was a wound.

Looking at it made Hades uncomfortable and guilty-- surely it should not have taken this long for Hades to notice Lou's behavior and take it seriously. So his eyes fluttered away from the painting, though his mind stuttered behind. He'd never been overly concerned with politeness in his life. But now the truth felt too cruel on his tongue to say.

"We need your help with the children if you can spare it," he decided to say instead. "Opal wants to talk to you."

At least this might pull Lou away, if nothing else.

@lou-bonfightme

School's Out *** [Loud Bell]

[trip-downtheriverstyx]

Updates and precautions were probably fine.

Probably.

But for all that Chief trusted Hades (which Hades didn't know; he wasn't a mind reader), Hades wasn't sure that trust was shared. He didn't know Chief well enough. His interview with the Squire had put Gaston in a favorable light. Which, well, if the bloody werewolf had attacked unprovoked, maybe that was deserved.

But Hades was even more skeptical of Gaston than Chief. His actions since just proved that, in his heart, he was a bigot-- and a coward.

So 'updates and precautions' could certainly mean a lot of things, depending on the updates and precautions themselves.

"I don't want that either," Hades said, knowing it was always good to start on common ground. "We have the same goal. But I'd want to know more about the specifics. And how you plan to release them-- flyers, updates on the website, etc."

@chiefhugo-slade

hunting for the mayor | Chades

[trip-downtheriverstyx]

It'd be much easier to let his temper rush through him and chastise Lou for how irresponsible he'd been. Hades craved that anger now. It had always been a sharp tool-- precise and cutting, as opposed to something wild and untamed. It made him feel stronger.

But his anger had fled. He felt just as lost as Lou looked. Yelling or scolding wouldn't change the facts.

And this was the fact: Lou was unwell.

He had been unwell for quite some time yet Hades had let excuses - whether Lou's or his own - get in the way. He'd been a coward. He'd been listless. He hadn't taken it seriously enough. He assumed that Lou would get better before he got worse, though where that assumption came from, Hades didn't know.

Had he learned nothing from his mother?

Something had to change now, though. His eyes jumped to the painting, then skittered to the floor where a splatter of blue paint had fallen, like blood. Then finally, back to his partner's calm and strange face.

A plan formed. One that he could not enact here and now. He'd talk to Belle first, later.

"It's alright, but you've got to always have your phone on you, eh? We were worried." A pause. Then: "Come on. It's time to get washed up for dinner."

@lou-bonfightme @labellerose-acheron

School's Out *** [Loud Bell]

[trip-downtheriverstyx]

Lou was fine.

But look again--

As soon as that first relieved breath left Hades's chest, worry flooded through him, cold and chilling. Lou was not hurt. Lou was not drunk or passed out on the floor or bleeding or a thousand other tragedies that Hades had not let himself fully imagine. But he was also not really Lou. That vacant look in his eyes. The pallor of his skin. The thinness to his voice, as though he had forgotten he even had one.

He had more in common with the ghosts pushing in on all sides of this room.

And Hades thought of his mother.

He had tried very hard not to compare Lou to his mother. First of all, they were very different. Opal did not have bipolar disorder; she was a medium whose gift she had never fully understood, with no one to help her when the ghosts got too close. But moments like this made the veil between the two thinner than ever. He looked at Lou, and only saw Opal in the throes of another possession. His mother, gone-- taken away from himself and Sephy by a stranger whispering in her ear.

Lou was also gone. Or-- almost gone. Barely here.

It took Hades a moment to get his own bearings. He swallowed. "Lou," he said again. "You-- we've been calling. You were supposed to pick up the children."

@lou-bonfightme

School's Out *** [Loud Bell]

[trip-downtheriverstyx]

The studio.

If Lou was not there, then Hades didn't know where else to look. They'd be forced to call Hector next -- but that was certain to be a dead end, the Bonfamille's father never really knowing what his children were up to even when things were quiet and normal. The studio was the last true option, but even as Hades headed there, the dread followed on his heel.

Lou might be in the studio. But-- in what condition?

He stopped his thoughts there, not willing to let himself even think about the darker possibilities. Lou wouldn't do that. Not to the children. Not in this home.

The stairs creaked under his feet. He opened up his magic, letting the ghosts flood in when normally he kept them out.

There were none in the studio with him.

His heart still throbbed, like a bruise, as he shoved open the door--

"Lou!" Hades exclaimed, then out out a relieved breath. "Bloody hell."

@lou-bonfightme

School's Out *** [Loud Bell]

[trip-downtheriverstyx]

His children arrived, looking the same as they had this morning. Well-- Opal had taken out her braids. That was quite normal. She often came home with a completely different hairstyle as the one she went to school with, either getting too bored during recess or deciding to play salon with several of her other classmates.

But they were fine. No tears in their eyes. No flushed faces. Somehow, this only made Hades feel worse, like he had accidentally trained his three children to expect disruption.

He didn't let his distress show on his face. When Opal ran toward him, he kneeled down, let her throw her little arms around his neck, then squeezed her back as she went yammering on.

When the question came about Tonton though--

Guilt, again, crawled up his spine. A sick kind of deja vu.

"Your tonton got busy," Hades said as discreetly as he could. He could only hope that was all it was. "So your mum and I came instead, eh? Now, c'mon-- time for an afternoon snack."

"Oooooh can we bake brownies?" Opal piped up.

Normally, Hades would say no, absolutely not. He tried to minimize his children's sugar intake. But today? "Y'know, that sounds lovely, Opal. Let's do that, eh?"

Opal's smile exploded on her face. She then scampered ahead, tugging Hades and telling her mum and brothers to hurry up.

The ride home was anything but quiet, yet that sick feeling in Hades's stomach didn't go away. He needed to give his children a task so he could figure out where Lou was, properly. And hope he was--

Hades didn't even let his mind think it.

@labellerose-acheron

School's Out *** [Loud Bell]

[trip-downtheriverstyx]

Right-- down to business, eh?

Hades appreciated it. He could play polite; he did it enough for those from the district who visited. But that wasn't Hades's natural style. His natural style was straightforward and blunt. They were both busy gents, after all. Once this meeting was done, Hades had quite a lot of other things to get through. But first thing first-- and that was the...event in the forest.

The werewolf attack.

Well, at least they were off to a good start. Hades liked the sound of Hugo avoiding rash decisions and wanting his opinion. Only wish you'd come to me before the bloody Squire, eh?

But Hades only nodded. "I think precautions are a good idea, but it's definitely-- a balance to be struck. We don't want to create any undue panic with any additional restrictions. This was very much an isolated incident."

@chiefhugo-slade

hunting for the mayor | Chades

[trip-downtheriverstyx]

A hundred things could have happened.

Even the smallest explanations still loomed large in Hades's mind. If Lou had gotten caught up with something else, why hadn't he called one of them? If he had forgotten, then-- how? As innocent a mistake as that could be, it was out of character. Dangerous even in its simplicity.

It seemed more likely that something else had happened. Something concerning. Something terrible.

The car crunched over the road and Hades wished the ride to the school was twice as long, if only so he could have more time to think.

But Swynlake was all too small. They were nearly there when Hades nodded at Belle's question. There was nothing else they could do but keep trying to contact him.

"Yes. If he doesn't know, I'll call Adelaide. I can try calling him again too."

He wished more than anything his phone would vibrate with a text from Lou, containing a perfect explanation. But his phone was silent in his pocket as he parked at the school and climbed out.

@labellerose-acheron

School's Out *** [Loud Bell]

[trip-downtheriverstyx]

"Yes we can go now--"

Yes, Hades also had things to do. Of course he had bloody things to do. If he hadn't, then he would have volunteered to pick up the children. While most of their various household duties stayed roughly the same (Hades nearly always cooked, for example), child care had to shift along with everyone's schedules.

Now, it didn't matter about his mounds of emails he was just catching up on. Or the fact that he did have a meeting in roughly a half an hour.

His kids came first. So did Lou. Somehow, he had to figure out how to balance both these things.

He had to go.

Hades snatched the keys from his desk drawer, then crossed his little office in just a few strides. He stopped only at Pepa's desk to tell her to cancel his last meeting of the day. Then he headed down to the car park.

On the way, he dialed Nounou's cellphone. Unlike his bloody partner, she picked up on the first ring with a confused hello.

"Have you seen Lou?" Hades said. "Did he come 'round?"

"Toulouse? Non, non. I have not seen him." Already, he could hear the worry sparking in her voice. Worry was like a cough. Contagious. "Is something wrong?"

"He was supposed to pick up the kids and didn't show-- it's alright, we're already on our way-- just let me know if you see Lou or if he calls you."

Hades hung up as he arrived at their car.

@labellerose-acheron

School's Out *** [Loud Bell]