Thanatos whistled as he made his rounds late that night. Smirking, he laughed as the three fates pulled taught the string of life and watched as the small man began to struggle before his eyes. Another diminutive man walked up to Thanatos, who greeted him quietly. Geras nodded and watched as the man twisted and turned, attempting to hang onto the rest of life Geras provided. His dimmed eyes met that of the wrinkled man and sighed as he dropped to the cold ground. Nodding, Geras stepped away and allowed Thanatos to do his job. "Careful Thae." Thanatos looked beyond the elder god and met the eyes of Hades and his beautiful wife, Persephone. Noting that the cautioning voice was soft and feminine, Thanatos bowed his head. "I will." Resuming his work, Thanatos grimaced as he waved a hand over the mans crumpled face. Watching quietly as a blue mist formed about the mans mouth, Persephone turned and buried her face in her husbands robes. It was their job to watch over Thanatos as he completed his job. Geras to guide the old, as he was known to have given them their last years on the mortal plane. Hades to guide the soul into the underworld, as was his realm. Persephone to provide assistance if it should be required. Thanatos was to gather the souls into his scythe and give them to Hades. The mortals had bestowed the name Grimm Reaper upon Thanatos as an attempt to pacify his actions. Most however, fell into a common misconception that the Grimm Reaper is Hades. Hades is merely the god of the underworld, or god of the damned. Thanatos is, in fact, the god of death. He was the one who took young mothers and fathers, children, grandparents, beloved aunts and uncles. Friends. The three fates pulled another, shorter string of life taught and the group was off.
Thanatos moaned in misery as he saw the next life to be taken, struggling for air. He felt the small hands on his robes and moved to let her pass. Persephone picked up the writhing infant and pulled him close to her chest. Hades watched silently, merely gazing at his wife and the mortal child with heavily veiled interest. How he hated bringing such young children into the river. But it was a necessary evil. Much like himself even. He was very much a necessary evil. And despite popular belief, he did not enjoy it. Taking note of the ones surrounding him, he found that Geras had left and Nyx had taken his place. Thanatos watched as Nyx took the squirming babe from Persephone and lightly pushed her toward Hades. She fisted the front of his robes and her beautiful white dress began to shimmer red. Pulling his eyes from her shaking body, Thanatos looked toward Nyx and watched as the child ceased his struggling. Nyx held her arms toward him, and Thanatos marveled at how large his hands had become. They dwarfed the child completely. They all waited until the mist reached Thanatos scythe before pulling their eyes away. Persephone stepped forward and pulled the child from Nyx and laid him back in his crib, closing his eyes, his suffering was over. Nyx nodded silently and left, the normally irate goddess quiet for this one service she had performed countless times when the fates had pulled a short string. Now they would merely wait.