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Everyone in Neo-Macedonia knew of the gods. If you did not, you were quite commonly accused of living under some form of rock. The knowledge that gods lived amongst men was as renowned as the fact that water was a necessity of life.As renowned as the fact that you did not, under any circumstances, mess with a god. Especially one who was in charge of the Underworld.Which was why Hades was clenching his jaw as he stared at his brothers across the webcam and muttered, “I am hanging up now.”“As if that’s a surprise,” Zeus said, leant forward on his desk with his fingers threaded together, his eyes narrow. His suit was an exceedingly pale grey. “Always the first to leave a meeting, even when we’re discussing something important.”“Because I do not appreciate being insulted by my younger brothers for attempting to do my job,” Hades replied, his own eyes narrow.“Let him be. If he wants to sulk, let him sulk,” Poseidon said, arm draped carelessly over the back of his chair. Out of the three brothers, Poseidon was certainly the most carefree and perhaps the most liked too. Not a hard feat to achieve when he never wore a shirt, not even in meetings. Apparently, he did not need a shirt to swim, though he ignored Hades’ constant remarks that one did not need trousers to swim either, but Poseidon wore those constantly.“I am hanging up now,” Hades repeated.“Fine,” Zeus huffed, not even twitching as he spoke. “We have a meeting with the Twelve Olympians anyway.”“A meeting without me sounds remarkably pleasant,” Hades said. “It is fun to always be excluded.”“Hades, why do you have to be such a kill joy?” Poseidon asked. “You know why you’re not one of the Twelve.”“I am hanging up now,” Hades said, and before either of his brothers could say another word, he had pressed the button to cancel the call. As the screen flickered black, Hades slumped in his chair with head tipped back and eyes closed, and he sighed. Sighing, it seemed, was one of his most favoured activities.As he sat back, there was a click, and he opened his eyes to see a white, slender hand had shut his laptop. “You know you should wear your glasses when on video call.”Hades gaze flickered up to the woman stood before him. Almost everything about her was black, from her dead straight hair that fell to her waist, to her three-piece suit, and even the bubble-gum she constantly chewed.“You know my brothers like to insult me for being unable to see without the aid of human spectacles. Not to mention they revel in calling me stuck up for having an expensive pair.” Hades gaze shifted, to the jewel encrusted glasses Hecate dangled in front of him, the jewels and he plucked them from her grasp as he said, “So I shall not wear them on call.”“You’ll just make your eyesight worse if you constantly strain it,” Hecate said, blowing a black bubble in his face. He sighed, and she sat down on his desk, pulling out her phone and tapping away with her inch long, red nails—the same blood red as her eyes and lips. If one paid attention, they would see the tiny rubies in the shape of a skull on each of her nails. “You look tired. That bad, huh?”“I can’t get tired whilst working in the Underworld.”“Stressed, then. ‘That bad’ still stands. So, what did they insult you about this time?”“The usual,” Hades said, blowing on his glasses and wiping them down with a cloth—he never used his shirt, unlike some people. “How I am not one of the Twelve and shall be doomed to a life of loneliness.”“Can’t be lonely in the Underworld with Nyx and her dozens of kids,” Hecate said, without looking up from her phone. “Can’t be lonely in the Underworld when I’m here too.”“Hecate, I was not referring to friendship.”“Aw, you think of me as a friend?”“Absolutely not,” Hades said, and Hecate snorted, still not looking up from her phone.“Romantic relationships are overrated,” she said.“Yes, but you say that as an aromantic asexual who is not interested in any relationship outside of familial ones,” Hades replied, sighing as he put his glasses away, snapping the case shut. “I speak as someone who accidentally told my brothers I desire a partner of sorts.”“Well, that’s not my fault you were an idiot and told your mean brothers something you didn’t want them to know,” Hecate said, still tapping away on her phone. A second later, and she added, “Nyx says you should find a wife.”“Or a husband,” Hades said. “And why must you text Nyx everything?”“Or a spouse of any gender,” Hecate said. “And I text Nyx everything because you know how she loves to mother everyone in the Underworld, including us.”Hades sighed. “Nyx makes it sound easy. She has never had to worry about finding a partner, not when Erebus has been her consort for several millennia.”“We know from experience there’s plenty of nymphs in the Underworld who would love a piece of this,” Hecate said, waving a hand at Hades, though she still didn’t look up from her phone. “Albeit a man who looks like a corpse is an odd choice. There are better looking gods down here.”Hades, who did not desire to be reminded, sighed again. “Hecate, please.”“Please what?”Hades sighed yet again. “Sometimes I regret making you my personal secretary.”“Yes, but who else would be as exciting as me?” She finally looked up at him, pausing in chewing her bubble-gum so she could grin at him.“Exciting is certainly a word to describe you…”“And ‘boring’ is one perfect to describe you,” she chirped, and she blew a bubble in his face again. He didn’t flinch when it popped. “Now, if you’re going to spend the next hour sulking, why don’t you do something useful at the same time?”“Like my job?”“No, I mean take Cerberus out for a walk because he has been bugging me all morning and won’t stop barking,” Hecate said, turning her attention back to her phone. “I’ll handle your paperwork for the time being, and you take a little break as you cool off after whatever argument you had with your brothers.”“Fine,” Hades said. “I will be gone for one, maybe two, hours. Stick to your word and do the paperwork, or there will be trouble.”“I love trouble,” she said, blowing him a kiss. He only sighed again.#Hades preferred to keep a low profile, as expected of one who’s popularity remained at a constant low amongst the mortals, despite being one of the most worshipped gods in the pantheon—being the god of riches had its perks at times. Therefore, he spent almost all of his time in the Underworld, typically working, as he did not have many hobbies.On occasion, he did make the rare trip to Neo-Macedonia, the mortals’ realm, mostly to take Cerberus for a walk. After all, Cerberus got restless remaining in the Underworld for too long, even if it was his job to guard the gates. Considering Cerberus did not like Mount Olympus, Neo-Macedonia it was.The streets of Neo-Macedonia were a lively place, something that never changed after hundreds and thousands of years. Bright and breezy, and constantly bustling with mortals and nymphs. The only thing that had changed was the replacement of horses and carts with cars and bikes, and Hades had to sidestep around one too many teenagers glued to their phones. They were even worse than Hecate and her constant texting.He also had to sidestep around one too many people trying to snap a picture of him. Everywhere he walked, heads turned. Hecate was right, after all, in saying he looked like a corpse, with sunken eyes and hollow cheeks. Anyone with his appearance would get their fair few stares. Though, in all fairness, most of the stares were possible aimed towards Cerberus with his three heads. Cerberus was typically too large to fit in most human houses, but for the sake of strolling around outside, Hades would politely ask him to downsize. However, asking Cerberus to switch to only one head was too much.Of course, the reason most stared at Hades would have been because only one person had a three headed dog. A particular god no one wanted to get on the wrong side of.Usually, Hades would take Cerberus to the dog park, but that day they stalked the streets, following the map on Hades’ phone, until they came across a particular shop they had never been to. A small, coffee shop tucked out of sight of the main street, the sign that read ‘Cassie’s Coffee’ in desperate need of a new coat of paint.Hades frowned at his phone, then frowned at the store. “I believe this is the shop Odysseus recommended.”The last time he had run into Odysseus at the dog park, the mortal man had claimed to know a fantastic coffee shop that Hades just had to visit. Hades had never even been to a mortal coffee shop. In all honesty… he expected a place a little more exciting if Odysseus had recommended it. As the god of riches, Hades was not used to small places.Nonetheless, Cerberus was barking at the entrance. Once in agreement that, yes, it was the correct place, and another time in confusion.“Yes,” Hades said, kneeling by Cerberus and scratching the top of one of his heads. “I sense it too.”It was faint, but there no mistaking the feeling of magic that came from within the shop, a magic that felt more akin to a god than anything else.There was a black-haired waitress outside, in the midst of clearing a few tables. Hades asked if dogs were allowed inside, and she yelled in response and dropped the cups she had been holding. Hades then had to apologise for spooking her, repeat his question, and offer to help clear away the broken shards of a china cup. The waitress, now deathly pale, squeaked that she would do it herself, scooped up the large shards, then scurried inside. It was only a second later she bolted back outside and said no, dogs were not allowed inside, but she could fetch a dog bowl full of water if Hades wished to stay at one of the outside tables.Hades nodded and thanked the waitress, who hurriedly swept up the rest of the mess she had made, before fleeing back inside. After picking a table tucked away in the corner, and telling Cerberus to stay, he headed inside to join the queue, ignoring the stares of the few other guests already there—not that there were many. Perhaps he should not have worn his usual attire, to which others always turned their noses up at for being too ‘stuck up’. It turned out normal people did not have jewels on their real leather shoes. Not even Zeus.Unfortunately, Hades wasn’t a coffee person, or a tea person, or even a hot drinks person in general, despite residing in the chilly underworld. Hades frowned as he examined the board behind the counter, not knowing what half the words even meant. Odysseus had recommended a drink called a hot chocolate, which, thankfully, sounded remarkably tasty, so Hades supposed that would have to be his order.He placed his order at the till, where the dull-eyed barista did not seem at all bothered by his presence. Then he went to the other end of the bar where he waited for his drink, watching as the barista at the machines worked away on the orders. It was her, Hades decided, that was the source of the magic.Hades thought that perhaps she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, even more so than Aphrodite. She reminded him an awful lot of Demeter, with the same dark skin, and dark, wavy hair, currently pulled back into a large bun. Plenty of strands had fallen free and were framing her round, freckled face. Her eyes were a fantastic green, but when her gaze met his as she was about to hand him his drink, they shifted to more of a teal. Only for a second, and then they brightened as she smiled at him. Hades heart skipped a beat.He was too distracted by the sudden smile that he had not noticed she had taken his drink away. He only realised when she handed the drink back, this time swamped in a mountain of whipped cream and marshmallows.“Thank you,” he said, since he had not paid for the extra cream.“It’s my pleasure,” she said. Even her voice was beautiful. If Hades had to describe it, he would say it sounded like melted chocolate. Hot chocolate, perhaps. It sounded as sweet as his drink looked.Not wanting to linger, Hades nodded his thanks again, stole a glimpse at her name badge, then went back outside to sit with Cerberus.Persi, her name badge had said. And who, he wondered, was Persi?Cerberus was already drinking from a bowl of water when Hades sat down. Cerberus barked, and Hades patted him on all three heads, before he took a sip of his own drink. The hot chocolate was delicious, as delicious as it sounded and looked. As delicious as the barista, Persi, sounded and looked.Hades shook his head. What was wrong with him?Cerberus barked up at him, and Hades sighed. “No, I do not know her. It is not as if I am familiar with every god in the pantheon. She may simply be a nymph.”As he sipped at his hot chocolate, he pulled out his phone to text Hecate.Hades: Are you familiar with a minor deity / nymph named Persi?Hecate: I’m trying to do your work for you whilst you take a break and you interrupt me by asking completely ridiculous questions?Hades: It is not completely ridiculous. You know your gossip.Hecate: Well I guess who have a point, but it is tough to keep up to date on all minor deities and nymphs. You know what Zeus is like!Hecate: ButHecate: To answer your question.Hecate: Never heard of a Persi.Hecate: Doesn’t even sound Greek ¯\_(ツ)_/¯Hades: Thank you for your help.Even though she hadn’t helped at all. Hades sighed and put his phone away.A quarter of an hour later, he had finished his drink. He pulled out a tiny notebook, a pen, and his glasses, and started to jot down some notes for work, not wanting to move too quickly after having finished his drink. As he was halfway through filling out a page, there was a cough, and he looked up.Persi the barista, stood before him, smiling softly. Her eyes, however, were not as bright green as they had been before. As she smiled, Hades heart skipped a beat again. She was too beautiful he wanted to tell her to walk away, before standing next to him was doing her no good. He wasn't beautiful, far from it. That was what years skulking around the Underworld got you.“Are you finished with your cup?” she asked.“Yes,” he replied, nudging it towards her. “It was an enjoyable drink. Thank you for the extra cream again. You did not have to.”Persi picked up the cup, unable to meet his gaze. “I… I did… it might have been a bribe.”Hades frowned. “A bribe for what?”“A bribe to convince you not to tell Mother you saw me here,” she said. “Please don’t tell her. I’ll get in trouble.”Hades’ frown deepened, but before he had the chance to ask any questions, Persi had already fled inside. Cerberus barked after her, and Hades quietly put his pen and notebook away. Now things made sense. No wonder why Persi had reminded Hades of Demeter.Hades did not keep up to date on most of the other gods’ affairs, but he was familiar with Demeter and the daughter she kept locked away.The question was, however, what was her daughter doing working in a mortal coffee shop?
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Hades had lain awake all-night thinking of Persi. Her dark skin, her dark hair, and her brilliantly vibrant eyes. And, of course, he thought of what she had said to him.
A bribe to convince you not to tell Mother you saw me here. Please don't tell her. I'll get in trouble.
He had contemplated calling Demeter, not to tell her he had seen her daughter working in the mortal realm, but an attempt to discover more about Persi disguised as a quick and curious catch up call. But Hades was not the one for quick and curious catch up calls, so he had shot down that idea almost immediately.He had at least informed Hecate of his encounter, mostly because she had kept bothering him about why he had asked her if she knew anyone by the name of Persi. Hecate had said she did not actually know that much about Demeter's daughter, only that her name was not Persi. She had suggested Hades try asking Hermes about her when he came to work, since he and Demeter were both Olympians, but Hades had shaken his head at the idea. Working with the young god cost Hades enough energy as it was. He did not need a favour from Hermes.The next day, Hades had wrapped up his paperwork as quickly as possible and sent a quick message to Hecate that he was taking a break and would be back within the hour. It was a Wednesday, and so she was currently on psychopomp duty, therefore by the time she texted back and asked what in the Underworld he was doing, he had already left.When he arrived at Cassie's Coffee this time, he did not have Cerberus with him. Even Cerberus had to work, after all. There were no guests that day either, just one lonely barista stood at the till. Thankfully, the one that Hades desired to converse with."Good morning," Hades said as he approached the till."Good… good morning," Persi stammered, her wide eyes tinted with teal."It is quiet today," Hades remarked as he looked around the empty shop. "Are you the only one here?""Oh, no. Cassandra is just out the back doing some work, and Arachne is on her break," Persi answered, leaning her elbows against the till. "Wednesdays are always quiet, probably because Psyche isn't in, so it's only us three. Did you… want something…?""A luxury hot chocolate. I found it was surprisingly tasty yesterday," he replied, and as she started to tap away on the till he added, "And this time I shall pay for the cream. I think you know I can certainly afford the extra.""Of course…" Persi muttered, taking in his ridiculously expensive attire. She took his money, handed him the change, and told him to wait for his drink at the end of the bar."What is the daughter of Demeter doing in a mortal coffee shop?" Hades asked, leaning over the end of the bar so he could watch her make a drink."And what is the god of the dead doing in a mortal coffee shop?" she asked in reply. "Also, please keep your voice down. The others don't know.""Ah, I apologise," he said. "And also, you cannot reply to my question with another question.""Oh, but I can, and I did," she mused, waiting for the drink to steam. "If the three-headed dog yesterday was anything to go by, you must be Hades.""And, if Hecate is right, you are Kore," Hades replied. "Goddess of spring?"Persi shrugged as she poured the drink into a mug. "Kore is what Mother named me, but here I go by Persi. I couldn't exactly go around with my 'god name' so I picked another. It's short for Persephone."Hades' eyebrows rose. "An interesting choice of name. Depending on the way you write it, it could translate to bringer of death."Persi blinked. "Well, uh, I meant it more to mean bringer of wisdom… but bringer of death seems to be accurate. You're here, after all.""Yes, but you said yourself I am the god of the dead. I am not the god of death; I merely keep it in check," Hades said. "I am here because Odysseus recommended the place. We run into each other on occasion when we take our dogs for walks.""Oh, Odysseus recommended us?" Persi asked as she swirled cream on top of the hot chocolate. "He's sweet. Always tips when he orders."Hades' back stiffened. Tip? Was he meant to tip? He pressed his lips firmly together. Tipping now would be awkward, surely. He would have to tip next time. He would just have to make sure there was, in fact, a next time."And what about you?" Hades asked as she handed him his drink. "If I am correct, Demeter does not let you leave Mount Olympus."Persi bit her lip, unable to look at him. "She does on occasion… like for some festivals, Thesmophoria in particular since that's her own festival, but, besides the odd visit to the corner shop if I run outta milk, that's it… She says it's for my protection, but it gets awfully boring with no one to talk to, you know?""I know," he said, reaching forward to peel her hands away from the mug.She squeaked at the touch, immediately pulling her hands away, and then her cheeks reddened as she looked up at him, losing the teal in her eyes as she gave a small, bashful smile. "Sorry, I was in my own world. But what I was saying was I only ever talk to Mother, and Hermes when he visits on the odd occasion for tea.""Hermes?" Hades asked."Yeah. I think he takes pity on me because we're both young," she said, reaching out to catch a marshmallow as it fell from his drink. "I ask Mother if I can visit him for a change instead of the other way around, but she won't let me. Thinks he's way too irresponsible to leave me on my own with him.""Hermes is irresponsible," Hades said. "He has a bad tendency to steal my cutlery.""He is the god of thieves, after all." Persephone giggled briefly, then sighed. "Other than that, it's just me. So, I sneak out to the mortal world to work a human job for something to do. Only on weekdays when Mother's also at work. I can't escape on the weekends.""Sounds…" Hades wanted to say something comforting, but comforting was not his forte. He didn't know what to say her story sounded like, so he let his voice trail away."It sounds like a privileged person unfairly complaining, I know," she said."I was not going to say that," he insisted, which was true. He had not planned on saying anything. "If anything, I am a privileged person complaining.""That might be a little more accurate," she said, her eyes flicking down to his waistcoat. "I mean you have… amethysts on your waistcoat buttons.""They are purple diamonds, not amethysts," he said. When she raised her eyebrows, he added, "I know, that makes it sound worse. They are a tad rarer than amethysts."It was perhaps best to not explain how expensive this waistcoat was.She chuckled at this, and he was once again struck by how beautiful her smile was. In fact, he could feel the colour rush to his cheeks. In an attempt to hide it, he mimicked her pose of chin in hands. Then he thought he must have looked ridiculous considering how frightening his corpse-like appearance was. He sat back up straight and stared down at his hands as if they had betrayed him, for he did not know what to do with them."The humans here don't know I'm a god," Persi explained as she drifted back behind the bar to wash some jugs. "It provides little freedom, but at least it is some.""I…" Hades frowned. He what? She waited for him to continue, a trait he wasn't used to amongst the people he conversed with. He paused to take a sip of his hot chocolate, a task that was not the easiest considering the amount of cream on top. "I somewhat understand your plight. Not entirely, but I was forced to live in the Underworld against my will."Persi tipped her head to one side. "Mother tells me you picked the Underworld.""Only because my brothers picked the heavens and the oceans first," Hades said. "I was therefore left with the Underworld. I remember the event clearly."
You look like you're dead already, so you might as well be in charge of them.
His gaze flickered down to his literally white hands, skinny enough that you could see the ligaments move when he wriggled his fingers. Corpse hands, for a corpse man. It made getting rings that fit exceedingly difficult to purchase."You don't enjoy the Underworld?" Persi asked."No, I do. I crafted it into a home I care for. But…" He sighed. "The other gods treat the Underworld as if is it a cursed place. As if being a chthonic deity is a punishment. We are strange, and the Olympians do not like strange.""The Olympians are uptight, aren't they? Acting all high and mighty calling themselves the Twelve." Persi drifted away so she could wash some jugs. "I wish I could craft my prison into a home I care for. At I least made my bedroom comfy, and Mother doesn't judge be for my choice of bedcovers. I just wish I had someone to spend time with, you know? Outside of work, I mean.""I somewhat understand that too," Hades said, looking her up and down as she had her back turned to him. She may have been on the shorter side like her mother was, but she certainly was not as slender as Demeter. A pleasant figure, Hades thought."You don't have friends?" Persi asked."Hecate claims I am too reluctant to use the word 'friend', but I would say I have a few, Hecate included.""Hecate? As in goddess of all things witchy?" Persi spun around, her eyes shining. "I always wanted to be a witch when I was younger, but Mother wouldn't let me. Apparently, they're dangerous.""I would hardly call Hecate dangerous. She is merely a secretary and is too glued to her phone to cause havoc. A hassle, yes, havoc, no."At least, not anymore."Well, I doubt being a witch will suit my aesthetic. I love my bright colours after all. I doubt you've ever seen a witch in green or pink.""I could imagine a forest witch in a dark green, perfect for a goddess of spring."Persi giggled as she tottered back to join him at the end of the bar. "I'll have to put in a request with Mother to see if she'll let me be a forest witch, though she'll probably say no.""You have my vote, at least, even though it counts to naught amongst the Twelve," Hades remarked. A tiny bit of red seeped into Persi's cheeks, and her eyes softened into a paler green as she smiled at him. He coughed. "I have a few friends in the Underworld. I have Hecate, Nyx and her children, the Judges of the Dead too, though Minos can be terribly grumpy and arrogant at times, especially for a dead man. I cannot forget Cerberus. If you want a good dog, he is the best. He has a large soft spot for Hecate, though. She and I still do not understand why one day the mortals started to associate her with dogs…""You named your dog Spot," Persi said."I did not," Hades said, even though, technically he did. He coughed. "Regardless of that, I was trying to make a point. I have a few friends but… sometimes I still feel lonely and unwanted. I fear I will never have a proper companion, no one to share my thoughts and desires with. It is lonely, though not to the extent that you are, I am sure.""I'm not here to compare who is lonelier. We all have our individual worries and they are all of equal importance," she said softly, and he made a mental note that those were wise words to live by. "The Underworld sounds fun. I wish I could see it.""I could always ask Demeter if she would let you."Persi puffed out her cheeks. "She would never let me go to the Underworld."Ah, yes, because the Underworld was a dangerous, hazardous place. Hades sighed."Persi, is everything—"Hades' head jerked up as a woman appeared from the back of the shop. It was the same dead-eyed one who had served him the day before, only he had distinctly remembered her glasses and matching earrings had been purple. Today they were a bright yellow."Is everything okay out here on your own?" The woman stared unfazed at Hades."Oh, yeah. I was just chatting to the only customer here. No biggie," Persi said, grinning as she waved a hand at Hades. "Perfectly fine.""I should be leaving. I have work to return to," Hades announced, and then he stared down at his hot chocolate, barely touched."Oh, you should have said so. Let me just decant that into a takeaway cup, though I might have to sacrifice some of the cream," Persi said, and before Hades could agree she had snatched up his mug and scurried away to the other end of the bar.The woman in the glasses was still staring intently at Hades. He knew that stare well—someone who wished to talk but felt too inferior to do so. Whilst Persi busied herself with pouring the hot chocolate into a takeaway cup, Hades said, "Please speak your mind."She took a moment before answering, perhaps hesitant to speak to an evident god. "I do not want trouble in my shop. And I do not want my girls scared."Her shop. Cassie's Coffee. Persi had mentioned a Cassandra, so this must be her."You do not have to fear about potential trouble. I have not come to cause any," he said. "And I shall try not to scare your girls.""Here you go," Persi trolled as she came skipping back, shoving the hot chocolate into Hades' hand. Her eyes once again had a real hint to them. "Enjoy!""I will, thank you," Hades said, and he left without another word.It was only when he was a few paces from the shop someone called out, "Hey! Hey!"Already, her smooth voice was feeling familiar. Persi had ran after him, and now she was beckoning him closer."Will your manager not get suspicious seeing you run after me?" Hades asked as he stepped closer to her. He was almost an entire head taller than her, perhaps even more, so he forced himself into a slouch so he would not seem too opposing directly in front of her."Oh, I told her you'd left your wallet behind," she said."But I did not?""Yeah, but she doesn't know that. I just wanted to ask something before you left.""Ask away.""Right, well, you see…" She laughed hesitantly as she tucked some strands of hair behind her ear, only for them to immediately fall back. "My days off are always Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but mother's always working Friday so I can do whatever I want. Can I come visit you in the Underworld?"Hades blinked, breath catching in his throat. "I would say yes, but I would also hate to incur the wrath of your mother if she were to catch you sneaking away.""Oh, but she won't find out if I'm careful." She clasped her hands together and stared up at him with large eyes. "You said yourself that you want a proper companion, and I'm so bored stuck at home. C'mon, only for a few hours. Please?"He had to look away to stop their eyes from meeting. He was unsure of why meeting her gaze was a bad thing, perhaps because she was so alluring, and he was the opposite.Perhaps it was simply because he was shy."If it were to please you, you may very well visit," Hades said. "It would please me too. I never get visits from the other gods.""Excellent," she chirped, clapping her hands together. "Friday it is then. I'll see about getting Hermes to take me there. He works with you, right?"Hades frowned. "He does, yes.""Double excellent," she said, and she stood up on her toes, reaching up to brush a hair behind his ear. "I can't wait.""Neither can I," Hades said, the colour rising to his cheeks again. Just as she turned to head back inside, he said, "Just one more question. You can say no if you like, but may I call you Persephone? The name suits you.""Bringer of death?" she asked, and then she grinned. "Of course, you can. Now, drink your hot chocolate before it goes cold. See you Friday!"Hades was left standing there, hands clutched around his hot chocolate. He raised one hand to his head, finding she had left a flower tucked behind his ear, not just his hair. With no one around to see, he smiled, and supposed he better head back to work, and prepare for Persephone's visit on Friday.
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Hades, god of the dead, was most noticeably feared amongst his kin.He'll send you to hell, they whispered.He'll kill your family, they rumoured.He's evil incarnate, they warned.But, Persephone thought, he had just looked like a cute dork when he had stood there, clutching his hot chocolate for dear life as she had run after him. Okay, so a kinda scary cute dork. He did look like a walking corpse, but it was only his face. He wasn’t that scary.“Kore. Kore. Kore!”Persephone yelped and dropped the cup she was currently cleaning in the sink. Thankfully, since the sink was full of soapy water, there was only a plop and no broken cup.“Honestly, you’ve been terribly distracted this morning,” Demeter said, as she entered the kitchen, wearing the same, dark green, pencil skirt suit she wore to work every day. She did, however, alternate what flower she wore in her short, dark hair. Today, it was a daisy, the type where the very tips of its petals were turning pink.“I’ve just been thinking about what to do today,” Persephone replied, picking up a cookie from the packet left next to the sink. “I’ll probably just watch TV or something.”“Don’t sit in bed and watch TV all day,” Demeter said as she glided across the kitchen. She took her daughter by the cheeks, leant down, and kissed her on the forehead. “Sometimes I regret letting you have one…”“Well, what else am I supposed to do all day?” Persephone asked. “And don’t say read a book.”“Just have a good day,” Demeter said as she drifted away. “And please don’t eat too many cookies. I only got you that packet the other day and half is already gone…”Persephone, who would never be as slender as her mother, shoved the rest of the cookie in her mouth. “Too late.”Demeter sighed. “Well, I have to go. Agriculture doesn’t produce itself, after all. Don’t forget to keep practising your powers.”“I won’t. Good luck at work!” Persephone called after her, turning back to finish the dishes from breakfast. And then, as soon as she heard the door click, she ran from the room.She could only ever do her washing on Fridays, the only day off she had when her mother was at work. She couldn’t exactly do it on the weekend—the work aprons would be a tad of a giveaway to her adventures outside. She had to hurry and get it sorted soon, though, before she went and spent the rest of the day in the Underworld.It was as she was in the midst of hanging up her underwear on the clothing horse outside her room that the doorbell rang. She squeaked, lobbed her work uniform into her room, slammed the door shut, then sprinted downstairs, past all the fancy furniture and dozens of indoor plants.Flinging open the front door, she grinned when she saw the yellow-haired god that stood there, and she exclaimed, “Hermes!”Hermes slouched, his hands shoved into the pockets of the white hoodie he always wore, the one with wings on the hood and his name in Greek letters scrawled across the front. Blue eyes sparkled as he tipped his head to one side and said, “Persi, you’re not even dressed. I can’t take you to the Underworld looking like that.”“Oh, give me a break. I had to do my washing,” Persephone said, looking down at her pyjamas which consisted of a thin shirt and short shorts that her mother did not approve of. Spinning around, she ran back into the house. “Make yourself at home!”Persephone ran straight back to her room, where she started pulling dresses from her wardrobe, tossing them on the floor one after another. She had to wear something perfect for her first trip to the Underworld. Nothing too boring, otherwise it would look like she didn’t care, but nothing too fancy either, otherwise it would look like she cared too much.Ugh, why was picking an outfit so hard? It didn’t help that she was going on a date with someone who’s wardrobe was probably more expensive than what she earned in an entire year. Hopefully a cheap dress would suffice.She settled on a knee length, pale green dress, decorated in a baby pink flowers. It was a little tight around her waist, but it fit snuggly over her thighs and showed off just the right amount of cleavage. Not that showing cleavage was hard for someone like Persephone, who found no one ever bothered to design clothes to comfortably fit someone with such a large bust. Talk about irritating.After strategically placing a few flowers in her hair, which she let fall to her knees in its natural, curly state, she skipped back downstairs where she found Hermes in the kitchen. Since he could never be bothered to stand, he had pulled his legs up, so he was sitting cross-legged mid-air, and he was eating a piece of toast slathered in jam and butter.“How do I look?” she asked, spinning around.“Like yourself,” Hermes replied through mouthfuls of toast.“Hermes,” she whined. “You’re supposed to say I look cute. Do I look appropriate enough for a date in the Underworld?”Hermes shrugged. “They wear all black in the Underworld, so I’m gonna say no.”“Hermes.”“Okay, okay, you look cute,” Hermes said, wagging his piece of toast through the air. “But I still think it needs saying that this is a terrible idea. Terrible with a capital T. If you get caught, you’re gonna be in so much trouble.”“I’m not going to get caught, obviously,” she replied, hands on hips. He frowned at her, and slowly took another bit of toast.“You won’t be the only one that gets in trouble,” he eventually said. “Demeter will probably cast me out of the Twelve if she finds out I took you there.”Persephone pouted and stubbed her toes against the floor. “But… but you don’t even like the Twelve.”“I don’t, but I like being one. Gives me a few perks and all,” he said, jumping down from the air. “Look, Persi, I’m still going to take you, just… be careful, okay? I mean, it’s the Underworld. It’s Hades.”“What’s wrong with Hades?” Persephone asked, still pouting as she crossed her arms. “He was really sweet to me.”“You’ve known him what…” Hermes paused to count on his fingers. Holding them up, he said, “Four days?”“The point about meeting someone is to get to know them better, and I’m not going to judge a man based on some silly rumours,” Persephone said, spinning around and leaving the room. “Come on. Finish your toast, or you’re going to be late to work.”“Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he replied as he trailed after her, stuffing the rest of his toast in his mouth. He followed it up with something else, but Persephone hadn’t the foggiest what he had said over all the toast he was still eating.“So, how are we getting there?” Persephone asked as she pulled on some kitten heels.“We’re flying, obviously.”“Flying?”“Yes, flying, unless you want to take the bus to the Underworld,” Hermes said. “Besides, I’m the god of travellers and whatever other adventurous disasters, so we’re travelling in style. My style. That, and I might as well use my winged sandals.”Once Persephone was ready, the pair stepped outside, Persephone locked the front door, then she turned to face Hermes. “Come on then. Fly time, sandal boy.”“I wish you would stop calling me sandal boy,” Hermes muttered as he scooped Persephone up into his arms. “Now, hold on to your skirts, for your own decency and all.”She only just managed to clamp her hands down against her dress before he spun around and leapt up into the air. Flying really wasn’t the best word to use for their, uh, method of travel. It was more zooming, really, and Persephone didn’t even get a chance to look at Mount Olympus rushing by beneath her. It was all just a gush of wind and a flash of blurry, bright colours, and then sudden darkness.Once she was back on her feet, she leant over hands pressed to her knees, and wheezed. “You call that flying?”“Don’t insult my flying,” Hermes said. “Anyway, welcome to the Underworld.”Persephone gasped as she took in her surroundings. They stood in the middle of a city, beneath a dark sky, and filled with dark buildings. Even all the citizens passing by were dark—or dressed in dark clothes at least. There were many chthonic nymphs and even gorgons and harpies too. Persephone and Hermes certainly stuck out like sore thumbs; her in her pale green, flowery dress, and him in his all white hoodie and shorts.“I didn’t know the Underworld was a massive city,” Persephone said as she took in the sight, trying to guess which crookedly built building was which. Rather, which one was Hades’ specifically.“It’s not. This is just the Underground, the city outside. People don’t live in the Underworld, and the chthonic deities need somewhere to live, so, Underground,” Hermes said, taking her by the shoulders and spinning her around. “The Underworld is over there.”Persephone sucked in a breath as the first thing she saw was the massive three-headed hell hound that stood before them, each wolf-like head snarling and bearing impossibly large teeth. Persephone grasped Hermes’ arm as all six of the hell hound’s red eyes fixed on her.He stood beneath a large gate embedded in the wall that guarded the area beyond. It was circled by a river of dark water, and there was no way to get across the bridge to the other side without passing by the snarling dog.“Don’t worry. It’s just Cerberus doing his job,” Hermes said, waving up at the hell hound as he strolled on past, dragging Persephone with him. Cerberus bowed his head and let the gods pass, but all six of his red eyes remained fixed on Persephone. The cute three-headed black dog Persephone had seen with Hades a couple days ago had been small, and it had certainly not had terrifying red eyes.The other side of the bridge still wasn’t what Persephone had expected of the Underworld. She had been raised to believe it was dark caverns and spooky caves but beyond the wall that guarded it… it was really just a fancy business complex. A business complex where it was permanently nighttime.In the centre of the courtyard stood a tall woman in a black suit, her black hair dead straight. She was busy typing something away on her phone and chewing and didn’t even look up as Hermes dragged Persephone over.“You’re late, Hermes,” the woman said, still on her phone. She blew a black bubble, and Persephone jumped when it popped.“Sorry, but I had to wait for this little one,” Hermes said, nudging Persephone towards the woman, who was much taller than Persephone. She had to have been as tall as Hades but seeing as she was wearing several-inch high stilettos she appeared way taller. Of course, the straps and heels of her stilettos were covered in rubies. Fancy.“Persephone! Or that’s what I heard you prefer to be called when not around your mother. It’s good to meet you,” the woman said, finally looking up from her phone and smiling, though even smiling didn’t make her blood red eyes any less unnerving—though they did match the fantastic colour of her lips and nails. And when she talked, was that a smiley piercing… with a ruby in it? Also, there might have been a ruby tongue piercing too.“Um, yes?” Persephone said. “And… you are…?”“Hecate, the one and only,” the woman announced, holding out a slender, white hand. Bloody hell, there were rubies on her nails too. How rich were these chthonic gods?Persephone gasped as she squeezed it. “Hecate? As in the Hecate?”“Yes, queen of the witches. I’ve been told you might be a fan,” Hecate said, looking Persephone up and down. Persephone at least tried to smile back, but it was absolutely forced. “Now, Hermes, darling, you really are late. I don’t care if you’re one of the Twelve, I am me, so shoo shoo. Thanatos has your assignment ready.”Hermes scowled when Hecate turned to him, her blood red smile stretching further across her face. He didn’t argue though, and turned to Persephone instead to say, “I’ll pick you up at the end of the day to take you back. Have fun, and don’t do anything stupid.”“I would never.” She gave her best I’m-a-goody-two-shoes smile. “Have fun!”“Yes, have fun,” Hecate said, waving Hermes away. Hermes groaned and trudged away without another word, whilst Hecate smiled back down at Persephone. “Boss just has to send a few important, last minute emails, so it’s just you and me for a minute. Let’s go and grab a drink.”Only a moment later where they stood in a bar, of all the places to find inside a business complex. Like everywhere else in the Underworld, it was black. The walls, the tables, the chairs, the uniforms of the workers. A little classier than the simple coffee shop Persephone worked at, and a lot creepier too. Persephone, in her bright colours, definitely stuck out like a sore thumb.“Why is there a bar at your workplace?” Persephone asked, sticking close to Hecate as the other goddess strutted towards the bar.“Organising the dead can get tediously stressful, trust me. And sometimes it’s easier to grab a drink here on your break rather than passing by Cerberus.”“But what about getting drunk on the job?”“Oh, trust me. People have learnt not to get drunk on the job.” Hecate smiled wickedly, then waved at the barkeep. “You drink wine?”“Me?” Persephone asked, and Hecate raised her eyebrows as if to ask who else? “Uh, yes! White, please!”“You really are from Mount Olympus,” Hecate said, looking Persephone up and down before turning back to the barkeep. “One white, one red, please. Put it on his tab.”When they’d been given two glasses, Hecate led Persephone to a small table in the corner of the bar, and Persephone frowned as she clutched her glass and said, “I’m really sorry if I’m intruding.”Hecate raised her eyebrows as she leant back in her chair, one leg crossed over the other. “Why would you be intruding?”“Hades is busy with work, and I’m just here disrupting things.” Persephone paused to take a sip of her wine. “I just wanted to do something for a change. It gets lonely at home. Mother doesn’t ever let me out even though I’m a fully-fledged adult, thank you very much.”“Demeter that strict, huh?” Hecate said, swishing around the wine in her glass. “Some things never change.”“You know my mother?”“Persephone, precious, I unfortunately know all the Olympians,” Hecate said. “They all literally have their heads in the clouds. It’s much more relaxing being down here.”“Even though it’s lonely?”Hecate tipped her head to one side, and even with that slight movement her hair remained dead straight. “What makes you think it’s lonely?”“Well, it doesn’t look that lonely,” Persephone remarked, waving a hand at the others sat in the bar. “But Hades said he was lonely, and I’m lonely. It made sense that two lonely people would make some not lonely people, right? Or perhaps we’d just make ourselves extra lonely, like, double our loneliness. Either way, I’m bored at home, and I wanted to have some fun. Is that weird? Does Hades think I’m weird? Do you think I’m weird?”Oh, for Olympus’ sake, she was already babbling away. Gods damn it.“It’s good if you’re weird. We’re in the Underworld, after all,” Hecate said. “And, you did say yourself you wanted to be a witch. I think you’d fit right in.”“Well, maybe if I wear black, but Hades said I could look like a forest witch if I wore dark green, but Mother likes dark green and I like to be different…” Persephone pressed one hand to her cheek. “Would a colourful witch be too weird?”“I already said, it’s good to be weird in the Underworld. And you’re also talking to the goddess of witchcraft,” Hecate said, and she peeled Persephone’s hand away from her face so she could kiss her on the knuckles. “You have my blessing to be the brightest and most colourful witch imaginable.”Persephone sucked in a breath, sure her cheeks were bright red. What was with these Underworld deities being way more enticing than the Olympian ones?“I’m witchy blessed?” she eventually asked.Hecate chuckled and took a sip of her wine. It was only now it occurred to Persephone she hadn’t seen Hecate get rid of the gum she had been chewing before. “Yes, you are witchy blessed, precious. I can see why Hades is already enamoured with you.”“E-enamoured with me?”Enamoured with her? What was there about her to be enamoured about? He’d only seen her with messy hair in a dirty apron after all. And you couldn’t be enamoured with someone you’d only known for four days, met twice, and had only one decent conversation with, right? Right, right, said Persephone, who’s heart was already erratically beating at the thought that of all the gods, it was Hades himself that had shown her attention.“Did I say enamoured? I meant…” Hecate pulled out her phone again. There was the sound of a text being sent, then the sound of one being received, then Hecate’s blood red smile stretched across her face. “He’s ready to see you now. Are you?”Nope, Persephone thought, heart racing.“Yep,” Persephone said, eyes sparkling.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
When Hades had come back from seeing Persephone a couple of days prior, he had found Hecate sitting on his desk, scowling, her arms crossed.“You can’t just leave without telling me,” she had snapped.“I am entitled to a break, just as everyone else is, or are you trying to imply that I should subject everyone to unethical work conditions?” Hades had replied.“No. Of course you can go on a break, but you can’t just leave the Underworld without telling me. What if something bad had happened? An emergency? And we didn’t know where you were?”“Was there an emergency?”“No.”“Then your point is?”Hecate had thrown her hands up in the air as she had groaned. “There isn’t a point!”“Besides, you know you are to take charge if I am not here, and if not you, then Thanatos, and Minos is easily capable too,” he said, marching over to his desk and looping around to the back. Pushing aside his chair, he pulled out the bin that sat at his feet and dropped his empty hot chocolate cup inside. “So, I do not see the problem.”Hecate leant back against her hands and tipped her head back to she was looking at Hades upside down. “I’m just looking out for you. I always do.”“I know, but I also have Nyx to do that,” Hades had said when he had dropped down into his chair. “I only went to visit Persephone.”“Persephone?”“Kore. Demeter’s daughter, remember? Though she prefers the name Persephone when she is not around her mother.”“Oh, Persi. Hence the flower,” Hecate had said, still trying to look at Hades upside down, but not succeeding well, now he was sat down. She had plucked the flower from behind his ear and asked, “Why?”“Because she intrigued me,” Hades had said, taking the flower back. “She is coming to visit on Friday.”Hecate had leapt off the desk and spun around. “She’s coming to visit? On Friday?”“Yes? Is there a problem?”“Multiple! To start, you have work on Friday. Your psychopomp shift nonetheless.”“Then I will swap shifts. I will take either Ker’s Saturday or Sunday shifts.”Frowning, Hecate had said, “You can’t swap Friday. You have Friday precisely because there’s one less god on Fridays, and you’re better at collecting souls than most.”“I appreciate the compliment, but flattery does not work between you and I,” Hades has said, leaning back in his chair. “Ker is a suitable enough replacement, and Friday also has Hermes. A swap will be fine for now. Your next problem?”“You never have guests, ever! We never have guests, ever. Also, isn’t she supposed to stay at home? Demeter will smite you. Also, also, I am sceptical.”“Sceptical? Persephone only wishes to see the Underworld—”Hecate had leant really close to him then, her red eyes wide as only a few strands fell out of place. “Of course, I’m sceptical. I’ll be sceptical of anyone who’s suddenly interested in you and the Underworld. We don’t take chances, remember? Not after last time.”Not after last time. Hades had frowned. “She is a goddess, not a nymph.”“Even worse, then. We don’t trust those from Mount Olympus. So, when she comes here, I’m going to meet with her first, suss her out, and see if she’s good, okay?”“Hecate, there really is nothing wrong.”“I said okay?”“Okay,” he had said, and, satisfied, she had brushed her hair back into place and swept from the room, ready to go back to work. He had put the flower down on his desk, staring at it miserably as he had sighed.And, he was sighing once again now as he stared at the flower still, only now it was Friday, and the flower was in a vase. The vase was black, of course, just as the rest of his office was. The only bit of colour was the flower.Finally, as he was mindlessly scribbling down some notes, his phone buzzed.Hecate: I like her! She’s cute!Hades: I told you there was nothing to worry about.Hecate: Don’t care. Come meet us in the bar ^_^Why they were in the bar of all places, Hades did not know. After sending saying he was on his way, he stole one last look at Persephone’s flower, retrieved his coat from the stand in the corner, then left his office.It was not hard to find Hecate and Persephone tucked away in the corner of the bar. Persephone was swinging her legs as she nattered away, and Hecate was leaning forward, resting her chin against one hand, and swishing her wine glass around with the other.If Hades knew Hecate, that was the most expensive glass of wine available, she had, without a doubt, put it on his tab.“And he’s finally here,” Hecate said when she spotted Hades approaching the table. Hades rested a hand on the back of Persephone’s chair, who gasped when he spoke, and looked up with her wide, glittering eyes.“Hades!” For the love of the Underworld, she was unfairly pretty, and Hades was already feeling the heat rise to his cheeks when she grinned up at him.“Persephone, it is good to see you make it here in one piece,” Hades said. Hecate groaned, and Hades frowned. That could only mean he had said something wrong, but how was being thankful she made a successful journey wrong? Perhaps he should not have implied she could have turned up to the Underworld in more than one piece.“Romantic,” Hecate said, leaning back in her chair.Hades simply continued to frown. “Of all the places you could have taken her, you took her to the bar.”“Well, where else are we supposed to go and have a little chat?”“The staff room,” he said. “Or the other staff room. Or the third staff room. Or your office, perhaps. And there is the staff room that everyone forgets about since it is tucked away up a narrow flight of stairs.”“You have a lot of staff rooms,” Persephone remarked.“And this is also a staff room. It’s a room where staff hang out. A staff room,” Hecate said. “So, by definition, this is a staff room. Besides, I wanted a drink.”“Besides, is there not something else you should be doing right now?” Hades asked.“Oh, yes, I’ve got to see Nyx,” Hecate said, getting to her feet whilst pulling out her phone. As she started typing away, she picked up her glass and downed the rest of her wine. “She wants the gossip. She feels betrayed you didn’t tell her you have a date.”Hades sighed. “It is not a date.”“Oh, but I think it is. We could always ask Aphrodite for her opinion.”“You know my opinions on Aphrodite, and considering her numerous affairs and scandals, I would rather avoid asking for her opinion on my non-existent love life.”Hecate paused from texting, and looked down at Hades, eyebrows raised. “It's not non-existent if you have a date.”Hades sighed again. “Do you not have a job to do?”“Oh, right. I’m in charge today. I’ll have to summon Nyx on my lunch break,” Hecate said, putting her phone away as she started to chew. “Have fun and don’t do anything stupid.”“As if I would do anything stupid.”“You do, on occasion,” Hecate said, blowing a black bubble in his face, before spinning and sauntering away.Hades sighed for a third time and took up Hecate’s chair as Persephone asked, “Where did she get that gum from? I thought she’d swallowed it.”“Witchcraft.” Hades would not pretend to know how Hecate’s magic worked. “You look… exquisite today. Leaving your hair down suits you, especially with the flowers.”“Thanks, all home grown, obviously,” she said, touching one of the flowers in her hair. “You look… expensive. Are those diamonds on your waistcoat?”Hades glanced down at the pinstripes lined with crystals on his waistcoat. “No, they are rhinestones. A lot less expensive than diamonds, I assure you.”“Oh, first diamonds, now rhinestones. You love to be fancy, don’t you?”“It’s… the one thing I have going for me…” Hades muttered. A corpse had no right to look so stuck up, Poseidon would say. “Uh… anyway, I hope Hecate did not infuriate you. I treasure her, but she can be a handful and overprotective at times.”“Overprotective?” Persephone repeated, taking a slow sip of wine.“Well, yes. She did not want me seeing you until she vetted that you were… good.”“G-good?” Persephone took a large gulp of wine. “Good at what?”“Just good, in general,” Hades replied, searching the room for something else to stare at, something that wasn’t her. “Hecate does not trust those from Mount Olympus. For fair reasons, of course. She was only concerned you could be… taking advantage?”Persephone snorted, then put down her glass so she could cover her face with her hands. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh, but Hecate thought I could take advantage of you?”“She likes to worry about me. Sometimes thinks I cannot handle myself.”The sparkles in Persephone’s eyes faded, and she leant back in her chair as she stared down at her wine. “Sounds like my mother…”“Hecate is not…” Hades frowned. Hecate was nothing like Demeter, he would have said, but Hecate did needlessly worry on occasions. She always had, since she had first found him. “Hecate only does it out of my best interest.”“Still sounds like my mother…” Persephone whispered.“Then,” Hades said, “we must have more in common than we initially thought.”There was a long, long pause, and Hades was internally swearing at himself for already ruining Persephone’s first trip to the Underworld. Only, after a moment, she smiled again and said, “So, if was have more in common than we initially thought, is this where you tell me you like big, fat, fluffy marshmallows?”“I am not sure about those—it has been a while since I last had one—but I can certainly say I like small marshmallows, especially if they are on hot chocolates.”“So, you agree with me? Hot chocolates are the best?”“I think I may be growing fond of them, yes. I was not a fan of hot drinks before. Tea and coffee are overrated.”“We do have more in common!” Persephone exclaimed, grinning once again. “Red or white wine?”“Red. An Underworld delicacy.”“Eww. You’ve already lost me. Oh, oh, favourite film genre?”“Do not judge me, but I quite fancy a good romantic comedy.”Persephone held a hand to her chest and gasped. “You’ve won me back over. I love a good romcom. I promise I won’t tell anyone Hades, god of the dead, also likes them.”“Please, do not. I fear it would ruin my reputation. Sweets or chocolate?”“Oh, I love sweets, but I’m definitely a chocolate girl. Hot chocolate, cold chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate cookies, milk chocolate, white chocolate… not dark chocolate, though. That’s gross.”Taking a mental note that she loved chocolate and marshmallows, for it would surely be relevant in the future, Hades said, “Now you have lost me. Dark is my favourite.”“Eww! But it’s so bitter and gross! Next thing I know you’re gonna tell me that you like those coconut chocolates too.”“Let me simply say the next time you have a big box of chocolates you can leave all the nutty and coconut ones to me.”“You Underworld folk are gross,” she said, sticking out her tongue. “So… what about favourite season, hmm?”Hades’ initial thought was winter, as he was always at home in the cold and dead part of the year. But, as he looked at Persephone, he sucked in a breath. Was she aware of how beautiful she was? In her perfectly fitting, bright dress, with a neckline that showed… a decent amount. He was careful to keep his eyes away, but when he met her eyes, she smirked, and he knew he had been caught.“Spring, perhaps,” he said.“Perhaps?” she asked, leaning forward.“Perhaps,” he repeated.She was still smirking as she leant back in her chair, watching him over the top of her wine glass. “So, what’s the plan?”The heat drained from his face. “The plan?”“You must have a plan,” she chortled. “You invited me here.”“I do believe you invited yourself.”“I guess I did.” She giggled. “But I don’t know anything about the Underworld, so I can’t exactly make any plans. Come on, you had an entire day to come up with something.”Hades turned his attention to Hecate’s empty glass, now wishing he had gotten himself something to drink to take the edge off. “I apologise. I have never…”“Been on a date?” she finished. “Or not a date, since that’s what you told Hecate.”“I…” Hades frowned. “I will be honest; I am not sure what constitutes of a ‘date’.”“Well, a date is, um, a date is…” Persephone took a deep breath, and her bright green eyes were gaining a teal edge to them. “A date is like… when you like someone and want to get to know them better, and maybe see if you have a potential future together. You… know… that sort of thing. A date.”“A potential future together…” Hades echoed. He had thought Persephone had simply been interested in seeing the Underworld, but he had been telling Hecate the other day about how he wanted a companion, so was a date truly a bad idea? “Then, this is a date?”“Wait, wait, wait, really?” she asked, her cheeks bright red.“I thought that was what you said?” Hades said, and Persephone squeaked, nudged aside her wine glass, then flopped down on the table, covering her head with her arms. Hades blinked. “I… I apologise if I upset you.”“You didn’t,” Persephone mumbled. “I’m just not very good at socialising. I’m trying to be confident, but I think I’m just embarrassing myself.”“Well, I think I must be embarrassing myself too, so we have more in common than we initially thought, yes?”She peeked up at him through her arms. “Yeah, I guess so.”He smiled and held out a hand. “How about we take your mind off of things by having a look around the city?”“Sounds good,” she said, raising her head as she took his hand. “Also, you’re quite handsome when you smile.”After choking on the air for a second, Hades said, “I am commonly told I look like a corpse, so you must be mistaken.”Persephone’s eyes fluttered up and down as she examined him. “Well, I wouldn’t say corpse. You’re not exactly rotting, are you? But maybe freakishly pale. Like, really freakishly pale. You don’t get much sun, do you?”Hades held up a hand, examining his literally white fingers, the same literal white as his long hair. “I burn easily.”“Shame, because the sun feels really nice,” Persephone said, and she downed the rest of her wine. She grimaced. “For the love of Olympus, that is not made for gulping down. How did Hecate manage?”“Witchcraft,” Hades replied.After dropping off the empty glasses at the bar, Hades led Persephone back outside. Seeing her shiver as she looked up at Cerberus, Hades coaxed Cerberus to stand down for so Persephone could pet him. The tension in her limbs faded, and perhaps she was a little too pleased with petting Cerberus, and she was completely unfazed when all three heads licked her face. Hades had to gently nudge her away, otherwise she might end up stealing his dog.“You might be a little too noticeable in your bright colours,” Hades said, pulling off his black coat before they left the gate. “Take this. It will hopefully make you stand out a little less. If word somehow got back to Demeter, there would be trouble.”“Oh, so gentlemanly,” she crowed as she pulled on the coat. It wasn’t a perfect fit, as it was tailored to his overwhelmingly slim frame, and whilst it came down to his knees, it almost reached her ankles. Still, she hugged it to herself and said, “Very cosy. Let me guess. It’s pretty expensive, huh?”“Very,” Hades said. She did not need to know the exact price.She broke out into a beautiful grin. “Then I’ll just have to keep it safe, won’t I?”Even with the coat, she drew the citizens’ attention anyway, as she skipped on ahead and danced through the streets, giggling under the permanently dark sky. Hades found he could not watch her without his heart wanting to escape his chest. Maybe she did stand out but standing out was not bad; like the last drop of hope in a box of pain and sorrow.Admittedly, Hades was not the most familiar with the entire city. It was an awfully large city, after all, but mostly it was due to his lack of socialising. He woke up at home, went to work, then came back home, six days of the week without fail. He only went out when work required it, or if Cerberus needed a walk.They walked aimlessly around the city, where they ended up at a coffee shop. They paused to test the hot chocolate there, which Hades claimed could not contest against the hot chocolate at Cassie’s Coffee. The barista that had just served them frowned.“It’s because I make my hot chocolate with love and affection,” Persephone said. “That, and mortal hot chocolate isn’t black.”The barista frowned even more.As they continued to stroll through the city, Persephone looped her arm through Hades’, hugging close to him. He had stiffened at first, but relaxed when she started to natter away about whatever was on her mind, the current subject being the pros and cons of the Underground’s permanent nighttime. As she weighed in on her decision that, surely, it must get boring, and the poor, poor plants must suffer greatly, Hades’ phone buzzed, and he checked it to see a message from Hecate.Hecate: How’s the date going?Hades: Hecate, please.Hecate: Please what?Hades: Hecate, I could dock your pay if you so desire.Hecate: I do not desire. Have fun ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)Hades: What does that face even mean?But Hecate did not reply, though Persephone did squeeze a little closer to Hades, looking up at him with bright green eyes as she asked, “Anything interesting?”“Only Hecate being herself,” he replied honestly, glancing at the time. “We have spent a surprising amount of time simply wondering the city.”“Well, you know what they say. Time flies when you’re having fun,” Persephone said. “Still, I should probably be going back soon… I need to be home before Mother gets back. That, and there’s some mac and cheese in the fridge that needs to be eaten today. Sorry to cut it short…”“No need to be sorry. There will surely be a next time, yes?”Persephone pulled his coat closer around her as she peered up with her wide eyes. “A next time? Like… a second date?”He coughed, unable to meet her gaze. “Well, I was under the illusion that one did not just go on a single date, unless you did not like the person, perhaps.”Holding her hands to her face and hiding her smile, Persephone asked, “Does that mean you like me? I mean, not like you like like me, but like… you normal like me? Wow, I just used the word ‘like’ way too many times. Mother would be annoyed.”“Yes, I think I like you,” Hades said, with a small smile.“Then, I think I like you too,” Persephone said, smiling back.Arm in arm, they headed back to the Underworld, where Hermes and Hecate were waiting for them, just in front of Cerberus. Hermes was floating, cross-legged in the air, arms crossed and frowning, and Hecate was glued to her phone.“Thank Olympus, you’re finally here,” Hermes whined when the pair approached. “I was about to report Hecate for workplace harassment.”“I just said I was a better psychopomp,” Hecate said, not looking up from her phone.“Workplace harassment,” Hermes repeated.“If you would stop stealing the odd knick-knack then I wouldn’t have to harass you.”“Look! She just admitted to harassment. Also, I’m the god of thieves and—”“Other irritating scoundrels?” asked Hades.“Other adventurous disasters?” suggested Persephone.“Yes, I prefer that one,” Hermes said, dropped his feet to the floor. “Well, I hope you had a good time, and I guess I should thank you for cutting my workday short.”“We had a great time,” Persephone chirped as she handed Hades back his coat. “But there was so much more to see. I’m just going to have to come back.”Hermes groaned. “Am I going to have to act as a messenger every week now?”“It is your job,” Hecate said, still not looking up from her phone.“Have fun until then,” Persephone said, brushing a hair behind Hades’ ear. “And don’t be too dreary in the meantime.”“It was a pleasure to meet your acquaintance,” Hecate said, finally looking up from her phone to she could take Persephone’s hand and kiss her on the knuckles, causing Persephone to giggle. Hades frowned over the top of Persephone’s head, Hecate shrugged, and Hermes groaned.“Are we going now?” he asked.“Yeah, yeah, we’re going,” Persephone said, skipping back over to Hermes, who hoisted her up in his arms without a sweat. Hades frowned when Persephone curled up in Hermes’ arms, but then she blew Hades a kiss, wiping the frown from his face. It was not like when Hecate blew him a kiss to intentionally rile him up. When Hades smiled slightly in response, Hermes shook his head and spun around, disappearing up into the sky.After a moment of staring at where the other two had disappeared, Hades asked, “So, do you approve of her?”“Yes, most certainly,” Hecate said, pointing up at his ear. “Nice flower, by the way.”Hades touched the flower tucked behind his ear and smiled. “Thank you…”
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Once again, Hades was sat at his desk. The Underworld was not like Mount Olympus, after all, and required constant attention. Currently, he was taking down some notes about the recently departed souls and where the judges had deemed suitable for them to be sent. The black vase next to him now had both of Persephone’s flowers.“Oh, you’re doing work for once,” Hecate mused as she strutted into the room, a clipboard tucked beneath her arm.Hades looked over the top of his glasses at her. “Are you insinuating I do not do my work often enough? Also, please knock before entering. You know the rules.”“As if the rules apply to me, and that's exactly what I'm insinuating,” she said as she plonked herself down on his desk. She handed him her clipboard and said, “Minos flagged up a case and wanted me to check it with you.”“Why did you not email me?” Hades asked as he took the clipboard.“Because you never answer your emails, obviously.”He sighed as he flipped through the file. “A girl turned into gold?”“Yeah, Minos has temporarily declared her dead, but he’s not entirely sure,” Hecate answered, pulling out her packet of black bubble gum from her jacket. “Obviously, she didn’t have a coin under her tongue and can’t pay the fair to cross.”“Being turned into gold can only be the work of a god,” Hades said, waiting for Hecate to pop a stick of bubble gum into her mouth before handing her back the file.“But no god has reported such a deed,” Hecate said.“They never do,” Hades muttered. “See if she has any family. We can possibly track down a cause that way.”“If I have to,” Hecate said, attaching the file back to her clipboard, then pulling her phone from her pocket. “But first, I've got some great news for you.”Hades pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and returned to leafing through paperwork. “Oh, really?”“No need to act so disinterested,” she said, “I went to hell and back to get this information for you.”“Hecate, you live in hell. To go to hell and back to get something is impossible.”“All right, I went to Olympus and back. Happy?”“Terrifying.” He nudged his glasses back down and looked at her over the rim. “And this information is?”Hecate grinned as she held up her phone. “I got you Persephone's number.”“You... got me Persephone's number?”“Yes, like her phone number. Come on, act a little happier. How in the Underworld did you think you were going to see her again if you couldn't ask when she was free?”Hades frowned. “Visit her at the coffee shop.”“You're an imbecile. I can't believe I work with you. Gimme your phone.” She clicked her fingers, and Hades handed his own phone over, not wanting to get on her bad side. Once she’d typed in the number, she handed back the phone. “Here you go, now you can text and call her whenever you want. At least do the decency of introducing yourself first, so you don't appear to be a random stalker.”“I was not the one to travel to Olympus and back to get her phone number,” Hades pointed out. “How did you acquire it anyway?”“I can't tell you There'd be no point in keeping me around otherwise,” she said as she hopped off the desk, shoving her phone back into her pocket and scooping up her clipboard.“Hecate…”“Fine, I asked Hermes.” Hecate groaned. “I can’t believe I owe that thieving scoundrel a favour. Indebted to an Olympian! I have to take over his next psychopomp shift.”“What is wrong with that? I thought you were better than him.”“I am, but it doesn’t mean I enjoy it,” Hecate said, and she battered her eyelashes. “Hey, fancy taking the shift for me?”“No.”“Damn.”Hades sighed at he leant back in his chair. “Did I not just give you a task to do?”“Oh, right, the gold girl,” Hecate said, and she strutted towards the door. “Don’t forget to give her a call, okay?”“I will not,” Hades said as Hecate blew him a kiss and left the room.Hades tapped his fingers against the desk, then picked up his phone and examined the new number. Was it really Persephone's? He supposed there was no harm in checking, and so he called the number and waited for a reply. There was not one, only a constant ringing, and so he sighed and put the phone down, returning to his work.#“Persi! Oh my gods, did you see last night’s episode?” Psyche squealed when she stepped foot inside Cassie’s Coffee. Almost immediately, the customers’ heads shot up. After all, Psyche was the fan favourite barista. Almost every man fell for her and her bubble gum pink hair. Not that Persephone blamed them; she had done the same upon first seeing Psyche. Alas, Psyche was strictly into men, specifically the type who could literally sweep her off her feet, being the hopeless romantic she was. However, none of the boys ever took her fancy.“I know!” Persephone cried from the till. “That cliff hanger broke me!”“Uh, Persi, customers first,” Arachne hissed from the behind the machines.“Oh, right,” Persephone said, turning back to the customer she was supposed to be serving and flashing her most apologetic smile. “What was your order, again?”Once the order had been placed and made, Psyche danced back around the corner, clapping her hands together as she said, “So, that cliff hanger!”“I know!” Persephone squealed. “I can’t believe he’s also in love with her!” “Urgh, I knew I shouldn’t have come in,” Arachne said as she stomped to the sink to clean up the milk jugs. “You’re gonna spend the next several hours whining about your trashy romance shows, aren’t you?”“Trashily fun romance shows,” Persephone said, hands clutched to her chest as she recalled last night’s episode. So romantic.Psyche, who was already pouring milk in a blender so she could make a frappe, suddenly spun around. “Wait, Arachne? Whatcha doing here? Mondays are your day off. Where’s Merope?”“At the horse races. Glaucus is riding today,” Persephone said.“Urgh, and this is why I’m never having kids,” Arachne said as she tugged on her thin, black ponytails. “Imagine having to go to watch the horse races. Besides, Glaucus is a show off. A good for nothing brat like his dad.”“Hey, that’s not nice,” Persephone said.“To be fair, we all know Sisyphus is an arse,” Psyche said.“Someone get the till,” Cassandra said as she came out from the back of her house, back slung over shoulder. The three girls turned around and squeaked when they saw the queue that had formed whilst they’d been bickering. When Persephone and Arachne stepped back, Psyche put on her best customer service smile and sauntered up to the till. The few guys waiting were there for her, after all.As Persephone and Arachne waited for the order, Cassandra stared intently at the two of them. She was always weary-eyed, never really smiling, and when she frowned ever so slightly as she was doing then, it made her expression even colder.“Don’t let Merope hear you insult her family,” she said, pushing her glasses up her nose. Today, they were pink, as were her matching earrings.“But Sisyphus is an arse, though,” Arachne whined.“Just be careful,” Cassandra warned. “And don’t burn the shop down when I leave.”“You can trust us,” Persephone chirped. Cassandra was the manager, and Merope was the team leader, but Psyche was in training to be a shift supervisor so there was nothing to worry about. “Besides, Psyche and I do closes and opens on our own perfectly fine.”“And Psyche and I close well enough on weekends,” Arachne added.“But the three of you…?” Cassandra sighed, and she pointed to the queue at the till. “Just don’t get too excited. You’ve got orders, by the way. See you two tomorrow.”“See you tomorrow,” the Persephone and Arachne chorused as Cassandra left.When the next batch of orders were done and made, the three girls made themselves some drinks and sat back, ready to relax for a minute.Cassandra didn't mind the girls helping themselves to free drinks, as long as it wasn’t any of the bottled juices since they were expensive to order in, and they made t drinks when there wasn’t a queue. Arachne, being lactose intolerant, had a coconut milk latte, always with extra shots; Persephone had a hot chocolate, always extra hot so it would last longer; Psyche had coffee-less frappe, this time strawberry flavoured, but she was known to mix the syrups to create overly sweet abominations.“Oh, oh, Cassandra isn’t here anymore,” Psyche said between slurps of her frappe. “And neither is Merope, which means it’s time to talk about…”“Trashy romance shows?” Persephone suggested.“Eww, no,” Arachne said.“Hades,” Psyche squealed, the same glint in her eye as when she talked about her favourite romance shows.“Not so loud, you bubble gum bimbo,” Arachne hissed. Psyche only giggled.“Wh-what about Hades?” Persephone asked.“Well, he was here last Tuesday, wasn’t he?” Psyche said, keeping her voice low this time. “And we didn’t have a chance to talk about it on Thursday, and Friday you were busy so we couldn’t hang out.”Busy hanging out with Hades, of course. Not that Persephone was going to tell them.“And on the weekend Cassandra and Merope banned us from gossiping about him.” Arachne pouted. “Saying ‘Hades’ around Minthe upset her too much.”“Minthe? She’s the one who works on my days off, right?” Persephone asked.“The mint-haired one,” Psyche explained.“We’re not here to talk about Minthe!” Arachne cried, and she squeaked when she realised she was now raising her voice. “Well, whatever. So, Hades. I can’t believe a god came to our coffee shop. I mean, how dare he.”“Well, gods are allowed coffee too…” Persephone murmured.“Yeah, but they can get their fancy ambrosia filled coffee at Mount Olympus instead of our cheap stuff. The gods are scum and should stay away from the mortals,” Arachne said, and she downed the rest of her latte. “Man, I think I need a quadruple expresso.”“You already had four shots in your latte,” Psyche said. “And you’re really small, so you’ll be way too caffeinated. No more coffee for you.”“I am not small!” Arachne argued, even though she was stick thin and shorter than even Persephone. With a huff, she stomped around the back to put her empty cup in the sink.Persephone’s grip tightened on her hot chocolate mug. Of course, the girls at the shop thought she was only a mortal. What would Arachne think if they knew she was a god too…“How did he even find our shop anyway?” Arachne said as she appeared back around the front. “We aren’t the easiest to find.”“He said Odysseus recommended us,” Persephone explained as she stared down at her hot chocolate. She wasn’t thirsty anymore.“Aww, how sweet of Odysseus,” Psyche said, one hand to her chest as she gave a dreamy sigh. “He’s always so kind. And attractive. I bet he could sweep me off my feet.”“He’s also married,” Persephone reminded her.“Wait, wait, wait,” Arachne said, back to tugging on her ponytails now she wasn’t holding anything in her hands. “When did you learn that?”“That’s he’s married?” Persephone asked. “He talks about his wife all the time. Arachne, you really should pay more attention to the guests. Cassandra says it’s important.”“She also says you need to work on your customer service smile,” Psyche added.“I do not need to work on my customer service smile,” snapped Arachne, who got a fair few complaints about not smiling enough. “And I was talking about Hades. When did you find out he found out about us from Odysseus?”“Oh, uh, he told me when he came in on Wednesday.”Psyche gasped. “He came in on Wednesday too? I can’t believe he came in on both my days off. I missed Hades!”“Don’t sound so sad,” Arachne said. “You shouldn’t get all lovesick over gods.”“But you got to talk to a god, and I didn’t.” Psyche held a hand to one of her cheeks and sighed. “What I wouldn’t give to speak to a god. Do you think they’d like me? I think Aphrodite might. We both love love after all.”“You actually willingly spoke Hades?” Arachne asked.“We don’t know for sure he’s Hades. He never said his name…” Persephone said.Arachne rolled her eyes, as if she could sense Persephone’s obvious lie. “He has a three-headed dog! We all know he’s Hades. And you willingly talked to him?”Persephone giggled nervously. “Well, I was out the front on my own. I had no choice but to talk to him. Imagine if I was rude? He might… smite me…?”“Don’t care. All gods suck,” Arachne huffed. “Hades is probably the worst too. Not even the gods like him.”“I thought Athena was your personal enemy?” Psyche teased. “Something about how you’re always better than her?”“Athena’s the worst!”“Voice down. You don’t want a god to hear you…” Persephone urged, even though she, a god, had just heard them. What would Arachne say if she knew…It was at that moment Persephone’s phone started to blare her embarrassing ringtone (she had set it to a kid’s cartoon theme song so she would recognise it easily). Everyone in the shop turned to stare as she fumbled to silence it. Seeing as she didn’t recognise the number, she assumed it must be a wrong call, and so simply turned her phone off.
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Whenever Persephone got back from work, she would head immediately to her room, change out of her uniform, and flop onto her bed. Sometimes she would get up and do some chores, to keep herself occupied, but that day she just wanted to stare at her ceiling and sigh.She never did like leaving her room, it was, unsurprisingly, her favourite room in the house. Everywhere else was dark green, like the suits Demeter wore, with dark plants and rustic furniture. Even at home she stuck out like she didn’t belong.Persephone’s room was much brighter. Bright green walls, with pink curtains, and pink and green striped covers. The only thing it had in common with the rest of the house were all the plants, though Demeter’s were always organised, whilst Persephone’s were chaotically placed. Most were her own flowers she’d made out of boredom, and others were gifts from Demeter. She had received a few as gifts from Zeus, though she let them wilt.“Kore! I’m home!”Persephone sighed and rolled off her bed, scooping up the uniform she’d left thrown across the floor and tossing it into her wardrobe. After pulling on some fluffy socks, she trudged out into Demeter’s section of the house (AKA the rest of the house) and found her mother sat on the bottom of the stairs.“Anything interesting at work today?” Persephone asked.“Same old, same old,” Demeter said as she took off her shoes. “Spring has been easy to handle this year. No mess ups. Hopefully another week of smooth sailing.”“As if anything would mess up when you’re in charge,” Persephone said. “You’re way too organised.”“I hope you meant that as a compliment.” Demeter stood up and chuckled, though, as always, there was never any heart in her laugh. “Did you get up to anything interesting?”“Same old, same old too,” Persephone said, picking at her hair. “TV and marshmallows…”Demeter turned around and frowned up at Persephone. “Kore, honey, are you okay? You sound a little down.”“Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking about things, you know,” Persephone said, lifting her head and forcing a smile.“Oh, Kore…” Demeter’s gaze flickered to the floor. A moment passed, and then she looked up and forced her own smile. “What do you fancy for dinner?”“Is vegetable sauce with rice an option?”“Always. With extra grated cheese on top?”“Always. Need any help?”“Oh, no. You know I don’t need any,” Demeter said, beckoning Persephone down the stairs for a kiss, before ushering away.Persephone was never forced to do the chores, with Demeter much preferring to treat her as a pampered princess above all else. It was never spoken aloud, but Persephone knew the reason for that was because she was already kept inside against her own will, forcing her to do the chores would make her feel too much a servant. Persephone always offered, though. Always wanted something to do.Upstairs, she flopped back down on her bed, pulling out her phone to continue watching cat videos. Only, there was a message from Hermes. Not unusual, seeing as was pretty much the only person she had to vent to about being locked up at home, though they weren’t exactly close. Mostly he liked to send her photos of his stolen silverware collection.Hermes: Persi I completely forgot to tell you earlier because I was busy with work and shit. Also please don’t hate me but I gave Hecate your number this morning. I know I know I should have asked you first, but Hecate is scary, and I wanted her to get off my back, especially since I want some peace before she finds out about the gold girlPersephone: Hecate wanted my number???Hermes: Obviously. How else were you going to meet up with Hades without being able to contact him? It’s not like you’re on social mediaPersephone: Uhhh I thought he would just meet me at the coffee shop?Hermes: Does all the dust in your room erode your brain cells or something?Persephone: Hey my room is very clean thank you!Hermes: Well whatever. If you get a random call and don’t recognise the number, it’s probably from Hecate or Hades. I still think this is a Terrible Idea. They both suckAll gods suck, Arachne had said. Persephone sighed as she sent her last message.Persephone: Don’t care! Thanks for the heads up though xWith another sigh, she tossed her phone to the side. Would Hades call her? Well, it made sense, right? They had talked about going out again so they would have to talk somehow. But Hermes had said he’d given Hecate her number in the morning, and Persephone hadn’t had any calls all day…She sat bolt upright. There had been a call! In the coffee shop when they’d been lamenting over the gods. She snatched up her phone, copied the unfamiliar number from earlier and sent it to Hermes asking if he recognised it. He said it was definitely Hades.Persephone: Oh my Olympus do I call him back????Hermes: Personally, I’d say no but logically I’d say yesPersephone: But I ignored him earlier! What if he hates me now??Hermes: You missed one phone call chill out. Just call him back or I’ll do it for youPersephone: Don’t you dareHermes: I can do what I want because I’m an Olympian >:)Persephone: Hermes, noPersephone: Hermes?Persephone: Hermeeeeeeeeeees???Hermes: The deed is doneA minute later, her phone rang, and she squeaked. “K-Kore speaking!”“Persephone?” the voice on the other end asked, a surprisingly silky voice considering the corpse-like figure it came from. “This is Hades. Hermes said you wanted to talk…?”“Hades!” She giggled nervously. “I, uh, think you called earlier but I was at work, so I ignored it. Hermes said he gave you my number?”“Technically he gave it to Hecate, and she gave it to me, but yes.” There was a long, long pause. “I am sorry. I am not used to making calls that are not business related.”Persephone giggled again, this time a little less nervously. “Don’t worry. I don’t think I’ve ever had a phone call in my life besides from those weird scammers insisting I’ve had a car accident when I don’t even drive. Maybe a call from Mother once or twice.”“Well… how was your weekend?”“Uninteresting. Just watched TV and hung out with Mother… Persephone said, rolling around onto her stomach and swinging her legs through the air. “Did you have an interesting weekend? Anything cool happen at work?”“We have an interesting case regarding a temporarily dead soul of a girl turned to gold. We pretend the Underworld always runs smoothly, but sometimes we get cases that certainly confuse us. Are you doing anything interesting now?”“Me?” Persephone rolled onto her back again and stared up at the ceiling. “I’m waiting for Mother to make dinner. Vegetable sauce, rice, and a hella lot of grated cheese. One of my favourite meals, you know. In case that’s relevant.”“I’ll note it down for the future,” he said. “Anyway, I called you earlier because…”After a minute, Persephone had to prompt, “Because…?”“I was curious as to when you were next free,” he said. He was good at disguising it, but she did hear the slight stammer in his voice. “Friday, again?”“Oh, Psyche and Arachne want to hang out this Friday. It’s the only day we all have off,” Persephone said, picking up a stuffed toy with one hand. “So, the Friday after that?”“But that is almost two weeks away.”“Aww, do you miss me already?”There was coughing on the other side of the phone, and Persephone giggled when Hades said, in a rather strained voice, “I can do next Friday. I can always visit you at Cassie’s Coffee as well, in between weeks.”“Oh…”“Oh…?”“Well, uh…” Persephone rolled over onto her side, curling up as she hugged the stuffed toy to her chest. “You see… the girls I work with…”“What about the girls you work with?” When she didn’t answer, his voice softened and he asked, “Persephone, is there something wrong?”“It’s nothing. I was just thinking about things,” she said, words running into one. As if she was about to unload a bunch of emotional baggage onto Hades, one of the biggest gods in the pantheon, even if they had been on a single date (emphasis on a single date).“Persephone, if…” A long, long, long pause, in which she held her breath. There were a thousand things he could have said after that if, but he said none of them. Instead he repeated, “What about the girls you work with?”She let out her breath and would have buried her face into her stuffed toy if she hadn’t been on the phone. “Oh, it’s nothing. They were just a bit shocked to see a god there.”She couldn’t exactly tell him Arachne had been slandering his name, could she?“I do not blame them,” Hades said, his voice no longer soft more… sad…? “Especially seeing as it was me. The mortals do not like me.”Dammit. He wasn’t supposed to suss it out.“Oh, no. It wasn’t about you specifically. They were just saying that all gods suck.”“But they do not know you are a god, do they? That must be why you are upset.”Dammit. He wasn’t supposed to suss that out either.“I-it’s nothing, just general mortal stuff,” she whispered a little too quietly, because he had to ask her to repeat it. “You don’t have to worry about me…”“But, if I am to date you, am I not supposed to worry about you?” he asked.A tiny fire lit up in her heart, and she said, “So… are we definitely dating?”“I was under the impression that going on a second date meant we were dating. If memory serves me correctly, on Friday a second date was, in fact, agreed upon.”“Oh, look at you sounding all business-y. A second date was agreed upon.” She giggled and hugged her stuffed toy a little tighter. “But Friday was also a whole three days ago, so forgive me if my memory is foggy.”Was that… was that a chuckle coming from his side? Persephone didn’t get a chance to process it, because he was already saying, “Three days is nothing to an immortal god.”“An immortal god of your age maybe,” she teased.“Persephone, you wound me,” he said, and she giggled again. “Your laugh is precious. I am glad you sound better.”Oh, how glad she was he couldn’t see her face over the phone, because she was a hundred percent sure that her cheeks were burning red. “My laugh is precious?”“Yes. I would like to hear it again, but I am afraid I do not know any jokes.”Still, she giggled again. “Well, apparently you don’t need jokes to make me laugh, but I do like jokes, so I recommend you learn some. Hermes is pretty good at it.”There wasn’t even a sigh this time, but rather a groan. “I do not want advice from Hermes. He would deliberately attempt to sabotage me, I am sure.”“Man, you don’t like Hermes, do you?” Persephone asked, letting go of her stuffed toy so she could roll back over onto her stomach and kick her legs again.“I do not like how he always argues with me over the Underworld. I am the king of the Underworld. I know how to run my own home,” Hades replied bitterly. “That, and whenever he says ‘I’m an Olympian’ a little part of my soul gets stuck in Tartarus. I fear at some point there will be too much of me in there that we shall need a new king of the Underworld.”Persephone snorted, and had to wipe tears from her eyes. “That was a good joke.”“I will be honest and say a part of me fears that was not a joke,” Hades said. “To stay on the safe side, if I am to disappear to Tartarus, Hermes is not to be the next king of the Underworld. Tell everyone I named Hecate, though she may prefer to be called queen.”“Well, you might have to give that to me in writing, or I might just accidentally say that you insisted I should be the next queen of the Underworld,” she teased as she idly drew hearts onto her pillow with her finger. “I absolutely look the part, after all. Hecate gave me her blessing to be the brightest and most colourful witch imaginable. I just actually need to learn to be a witch.”“If you fill out an application, I might consider you,” he said. “Anyway, I need to leave. I have to lock up my office for the day and head back home. Will I be seeing you next Friday, then?”“I’m gonna have to check my plan but since my plan is pretty much nada, I’m gonna say yes,” she said. “I can always text you later! I’m probably better at texting than calling.”“I might be better at texting too, considering how much Hecate likes to message me,” Hades said. “Anyway, I shall see you next Friday, potentially.”“Next Friday! Love you,” she chirped, then she let out a strangled cat type scream. “Oh my Olympus, I did not mean to say that! I’m so used to saying that when I hang up the phone with Mother. Oh my Olympus, pretend you heard nothing.”“I, uh, shall…” he said. “But… thank you anyway?”“You’re welcome,” she said, and then she let out a slightly quieter strangled cat type scream. “Um, good luck with the gold girl case.”She hung up before he could say anything else, sighed, and buried her face into her pillow. Talk about embarrassing.Then, remembering her final words to him, her head shot back up, but when she reached for her phone, it was not him she messaged.Persephone: Hermes??? What was this about a gold girl you mentioned earlier? Hades said something about it.Hermes: Shit
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“I cracked the case,” Hecate announced upon seeing Hades leave his office at the end of the day. He started to head down the corridor, and she hurried over and fell into step beside him. “The gold girl case, by the way.”“Yes, I gathered, since that was the task I set you this morning,” Hades said. It seemed the good luck Persephone had wished him just moments ago when he had gotten off the phone with her had truly worked.He was, of course, attempting to push the other part from his mind.“She’s called Zoë, or, was called Zoë. Depends if she’s dead or not,” Hecate said. “Daughter of a man called Midas. Word on the street is he helped out a satyr by the name of Silenus. Showed him hospitality and shit when he’d gotten lost.”“A satyr? So, Pan’s domain?”Pan. A god Hades had not seen in a long time and did not plan on seeing again any time soon. There was a reason ‘panic’ derived from his name.“No, no. Not every satyr is under Pan’s domain anymore,” Hecate said, and even she shivered at speaking his name—more out of disgust than anything. “This one is under Dionysus’ domain. It was his tutor.”“Dionysus?”Hecate rolled her eyes. “Your nephew, remember? One of Zeus’ sons.”“I do apologise, but I can barely remember all of Poseidon’s children. Do not expect me to remember all of Zeus’.”“Dionysus is the god, you twit,” Hecate said, jabbing him with her sharp elbow.Hades rubbed at his side and frowned. “The god? Oh, the one in which I avoided going to the naming ceremony several years ago? Somehow born of a mortal mother. How old is he currently? Five? I cannot imagine he turned someone to gold.”“Fourteen,” Hecate said, rolling her eyes again.“Oh…” Hades sighed. He ought to attempt reconnecting with his family. Evidently, he was not as aware of the goings on in the pantheon as he should have been.“Am I going to need to give you a printout of all the gods and their domains?” Hecate asked, and she pulled out her phone. “You need to get outside. Anyway. Dionysus. God of wine, fertility and, uh, it says here ritual madness and religious ecstasy.”“A fourteen-year-old is the god of ritual madness and religious ecstasy?”“Hey, I don’t pretend to understand either,” she said, tucking her phone away. “So, word on the street is he wanted to award Midas something for looking after the satyr, as you do, and Midas, the idiot, wanted everything he touched to turn to gold.”“Ah. Hence the gold girl.”“Yes. Zoë. So, technically she’s not dead yet. Kinda just… cursed.”“And Dionysus didn’t think about reporting it to me?”“To be fair, he’s still a kid, and quite a bit younger than you, so what does he know?” Hecate said, and they rounded the corner of the corridor they were heading down. Upon seeing other workers there, she pulled Hades back and spoke in a quieter voice. “But you want to know the best bit?”Hades sighed. “Go on.”She flashed him a wicked grin. “Dionysus is currently in Hermes’ care.”Hades snorted, then held a hand to his mouth and said, “Excuse me?”“Well, you know Zeus. Didn’t want to look raise a kid, obviously. Only Dionysus’ mother is dead so he can’t stay with her. Semele. It was an annoying case, remember?”Hades sighed again. “Yes, I remember. All cases regarding Zeus are annoying.”“Well,” Hecate said, hands pressed to her cheeks as she continued to grin wickedly. “He’s in Hermes’ care because you know how the gods are. They don’t like Hermes because he’s the youngest and annoying, so, to keep him busy, they gave him Dionysus to raise. He couldn’t exactly say no, now. It’s his half-brother after all.”Now, Hades let himself smile in a slight imitation of Hecate’s. “Hermes should have been the one to report it.”“Exactly! So, can we get him in trouble? Please?”Hades’ temporary smile had already faded. “We cannot. He is an Olympian and outside our domain. We settle it with peace, or we contest it with Zeus. You know the rules.”Groaning, Hecate threw her hands in the air. “But he’s so annoying! I just want to smite him every time I find a dick drawn on the psychopomp office door and he denies it was him. It’s always absolutely him!”“Actually, I think that is Eris’ work,” Hades said, feeling no need to keep their voices low, and so he strode around the corner.“Eris?” Hecate hurried after him. “Next time I see Eris, I’m going to strangle them!”“What did you expect? Eris is strife.”“Eris hasn’t seen the strife I can cause,” Hecate muttered, arms crossed as she pouted.“Worry not about it for now. We have finished with work,” Hades said, holding his arm out to her. “We shall leave the rest to the others, pick up Cerberus, and head back home for dinner. How about I cook for tonight?”Hecate took in a huge breath, sighed, and took his arm. “Fine, fine. We’re off work. Time to relax. Rich coming from the guy who insists on working six days a week.”“I am the god of riches. Anything I say would surely be so.”“I will smack you,” she warned, turning her displeased gaze to him, a single strand of hair falling out of place. “We’ll deal with Hermes and Dionysus tomorrow, then?”“Tomorrow,” Hades said. “Will you cheer up if I tell you that I recently got off the phone with Persephone?”Hecate brushed her hair back and grinned. “Oh, do tell me everything.”#The next day, Hades was sat straight-backed at his desk, fingers laced together, when Hecate strolled in. She smiled at him; the wide type of smile paired with wide eyes.“Hermes and Dionysus are here,” she bitterly chirped as she stepped aside.First came in Hermes, in his usual white hoodie and shorts, his hands stuffed into his pockets. Behind him was a young boy with wavy brown hair to his elbows. He wore an oversized tank top that said ‘Alcohol isn’t in my vodkabulary’ over a pair of girls’ skinny jeans, with chains, mismatched gloves, and a singular, smiley face badge pinned to his shirt. He could have easily passed for a girl if Hades did not know better. Not that Hades was one to judge someone on their gender or presentation—he worked with Eris, after all.“Hecate, you still have a favour to hold up on,” Hades said, nodding to Hecate. “Thanatos will have Hermes’ assignment ready for you,”“I don’t think I should honour this favour, but since I’m in a nice mood today, I will,” she said, a deliberate look in Hermes direction, though he refused to look back. “Have fun!”She strutted from the room, slamming the door shut behind her.“I apologise. She is not in a good mood today,” Hades said. “But just so we are clear, I did not have to spare you from her anger. I am also in a good mood today, and I would not recommend you ruin it.”“Since Hecate’s covering my shift, I don’t know why—” Hermes started as he pulled down his winged hood.“Wasting my time,” Hades coldly cut in, “will ruin my mood.”“Wasting my time will also ruin my mood,” Dionysus said. “I have parties to plan.”Hermes grimaced. “Ignore him. He eats sass for breakfast.”“We actually had burnt toast for breakfast,” Dionysus said. “Thanks to Hermes.”Hermes scowled. “Ignore him. He’s an irritating twerp.”“No wonder Zeus gave him to you. You are cut from the same cloth.” Hades stared at Dionysus, hopefully not too intently. This was surely going to be a fun meeting, if the first minute was anything to go by. “So, you are Dionysus?”“And you must be the uncle that never came to my naming ceremony.”Hades’ brow furrowed. Surely fun. “Is that relevant?”Dionysus shrugged. “I dunno, but I like keeping grudges against people I’ve never met regarding events I couldn’t possibly remember because I was a baby.”“I told you he was annoying, didn’t I?” Hermes asked.“You did…” Hades said, having to hold back a sigh.“That’s what happens when you’re raised by this dork,” Dionysus said, jerking a thumb towards Hermes. “Anyway, you’re not as scary as I thought you’d be.”“I am not?” Hades asked, leaning back in his chair.“Well, everyone treats my mysterious Uncle Hades as some sort of devil incarnate, but you kinda just look like a corpse,” Dionysus said, leaning against Hermes’ knee, causing the other god to wobble as he hovered in the air.“Dio,” Hermes hissed. “You can’t just call Hades a corpse.”“You call me a corpse,” Hades said, eyes narrow.“Yeah, but you already don’t like me, so it doesn’t matter.”“Enough frivolities; I have a case to discuss,” Hades said. “I would like you to explain to me what happened to Zoë and her father, Midas.”“We don’t know a Zoë,” Hermes blurted. As an afterthought, he added, “Or a Midas.”“Really?” Hades said, and he pushed forward the file left on his desk.Dionysus was not so snarky now as he gingerly approached the desk and picked up the file. Still, he peered closely at Hades, and thought it appropriate to say, “No wonder everyone else calls you stuck up. How many jewels does one guy need?”Always with the ‘stuck up’ comments. As if parading around and calling themselves ‘The Twelve’ made them any better. Hades scowled at Dionysus, who thankfully paled ever so slightly. “Insulting me will make matters worse.”“All right, all right, my bad,” Dionysus grumbled. “I guess there’s no point keeping secrets, huh?”“I would rather handle this case peacefully before I have to argue with Zeus over it,” Hades said. He never liked arguing with Zeus. Zeus liked to make things more difficult then they needed to be when Hades was concerned, and Hades did not appreciate the extra hassle.“Dad’s a right shit about these things, huh?” Dionysus said. It was good to know he agreed, at least. “All right, all right, I’ll tell you. My tutor, Silenus, went missing—”“I am aware of that part. And I know why you cursed Midas.”“In his defence, it wasn’t a curse. It was meant to be a gift,” Hermes said, hands behind his head. “It was Midas’ fault for not asking for a better gift.”“That is not what I care about,” Hades said as he leant forward, his attention focused on Dionysus as the teenage god flicked through the file. “I want to know why neither of you reported the incident to me—especially you, Hermes, as you are his legal guardian, and you should know better seeing as you are employed by the Underworld.”“I know the rules,” Dionysus said, crossing his arms and frowning down at Hades. “Hermes told me. A god kills someone, we have to tell you, right? Something about how a death caused by a god can throw a spanner in the works or something.”“Look, don’t have a go at Dio,” Hermes said, hopping down from his mid-air perch so he could approach the desk himself. He pulled Dionysus back by the shoulder and leant over the desk. “I was the one that chose not to tell you. Dionysus was just doing what I told him.”“And why did you not tell me?” Hades asked, his eyes narrowing. After a moment of staring at each other, Hermes was the first to look away. Good.“Because I messed up and I didn’t want people to know!” Dionysus blurted. When Hades turned his attention to him, Dionysus coughed. “Well, uh, you see.”“I’m not the only idiot in the house,” Hermes said, to which Dionysus elbowed him.“The thing is, I thought I could reverse the curse,” Dionysus explained, crossing his arms again. “I thought it would be easy to turn Zoë back to normal, and to reverse Midas’ gift but I can’t. I don’t know how.”“He’s only fourteen,” Hermes added, rubbing at his side. “And even if I could reverse the curse, I’m not allowed. Zeus has forbidden me from interfering with Dio’s stuff.”Hades leant back in his chair, and stared at his nephews, sure to keep his expression as blank as possible. When they both started to squirm, he finally said, “Are you not lucky I am the god of riches?”“God of what now?” Dionysus asked.“The god of riches, as well as the Underworld and the dead,” Hades said.Dionysus turned his attention to Hermes. “You said he wasn’t the god of death.”“God of the dead, not death. I rule over those who are deceased, not the act of them dying,” Hades corrected, tapping his fingers against his desk. Why was it nobody ever got that correct? “As the god of riches—”“That’s why you’re so jazzed up. I totally get it now. The jewels suit you.”“As the god of riches,” Hades repeated more sternly, “gold falls under my domain, so I can reverse the curse.”“Hold up, I know where this is going,” Dionysus said, holding his hands up in the air. “You’ll do this for us, only under certain conditions. Probably to act as your eternal slaves.”“I work here,” Hermes interjected. “I’m already his eternal slave.”“I have nothing I want from you, Dionysus. Simply consider this a warning,” Hades said, taking the file left on the desk and putting it in the top drawer of his desk. “Tell Midas he is to wash in the river Pactolus. Then, whatever he puts in the river will also be reversed of his curse. Make sure he is grateful to me for granting him not just the reversal, but the life of his daughter too.”“The river Pactolus is forever away,” Hermes whined.“I do not care. You are the god of travellers, so handle it,” Hades said. “Now, leave me. I have no further need of the pair of you. If the curse is not reversed by the end of the day, I assure you there will be trouble.”“I take what I said earlier back. You may be a tad scary, and I don’t think I wanna get on your bad side,” Dionysus said. Despite his words, he still grinned.“Yeah, you really don’t,” Hermes said, taking Dionysus by the arm and dragging him away. “Now, hurry up, you still gotta go to school. Zeus said no skipping.”“School? Really? I’ve already missed the morning, lemme miss the rest of the day. Unless you want to drag a girl made of gold all the way to this river thing by yourself.”“Your scrawny arse isn’t going to be of any help,” Hermes muttered, looking over his shoulder at Hades. “Well, see you on Friday.”“I will see you tomorrow,” Hades said, and Hermes frowned. “I said I wanted nothing from Dionysus. He is only fourteen, and children make mistakes.”“I’m only thirty-four,” whined Hermes, who barely looked older than twenty.Ignoring him, Hades said, “You will be taking over Hecate’s psychopomp shift tomorrow. I shall see you then.”Dionysus snorted, and Hermes grumbled something under his breath as he shoved Dionysus out the room, stomping out after him. Hades scooped up the vase that held Persephone’s flowers out from where he’d hidden it beneath the desk. It was only when he’d put the vase back where it belonged, he saw one of his paperweights was missing. Oh, Hermes. Hades sighed.#Halfway through the day, Hades headed down to the bar, which was a little fuller than it was in the mornings. He ordered a bottle of his and Hecate’s favourite red wine, told the barkeep to put it on his tab, then joined Hecate where she was already sat at their preferred table hidden away in the corner—the precise one she had been sat at when she’d taken Persephone there the week before.“Oh, you really do feel like treating me today,” she said, looking up from her phone when he first put down the bottle, then the two glasses he had been precariously carrying in one hand. “Tell me, was Dionysus a complete bonehead like Hermes?”“You should not call a child a bonehead. But he was just as irritating, yes,” Hades said, cracking open the bottle of wine. “Zeus will only ever have problematic children.”“Understatement of the millennium.” Hecate snorted. “So, everything sorted?”“For now. I have given them a method of reversing the curse, and if it is not done by the end of the day, then there will be trouble,” Hades said, pouring two rather full glasses of wine. “Hermes is taking over your psychopomp shift tomorrow. You are welcome.”Picking up her wine glasses, she clinked it against his. “Then I really owe you one. I suppose I’m cooking dinner tonight. What are you feeling?”Hades paused before saying, “Vegetable sauce, rice, and a lot of grated cheese.”“Specific,” Hecate replied, quirking an eyebrow. “If you get me a recipe, maybe.”“You will have to ask Persephone,” Hades said. “It is her favourite.”“Oh, it is, is it?” Hecate took a sip of her wine then grinned as she returned to texting. “Lucky me then that I was in the middle of talking to Persephone.”“Talking to Persephone?”“Wipe that look off your face. You look like a goof. Yes, I’m talking to Persephone. I got her number too. I thought I’d ask her how her day is going. Look, she sent me a selfie!”She held out her phone to Hades, and he had to put on his glasses so he could look at the photo properly. Persephone’s large eyes were bright green as she grinned at the camera. The other girl in the photo, with the thin black hair and Eastern features, was scowling.“She has not sent me a…” Hades frowned.“A selfie?”“A selfie,” Hades repeated, and Hecate snickered. He pulled out his phone to see Persephone had, however, sent him a message several hours earlier.Persephone: Good morning! How’s work going?Hecate’s eyebrows rose, he showed her the message and she rolled her eyes. “Don’t mope. She’ll understand you were at work. Reply now you have the chance, you twit.”Hades: I apologise for the late reply, but I was at work. It has been going well today. The case with the gold girl has been solved.Persephone: No worries! It’s not like I can reply all the time myself! Sooo can I know the juicy details or is it confidential :3Hades: It was an accidental curse that Dionysus had cast. Hermes had deliberately chosen not to report it. Nothing too complex and easily reversed. Being the god of riches is useful when it comes to golden curses.Hecate pulled down Hades’ phone for a second so she could read his messages and she rolled her eyes again as she said, “You sound really romantic.”Persephone: Oooh is dating the god of riches going to be a useful thing too??Hades: Is it?“See, she’s got it,” Hecate said, snatching Hades’ phone. “You really do not. Here.”She leant across the table, pressed her face close to his, then snapped a picture with his phone. Before he could protest, she had sent it to Persephone. When he got his phone back, he grimaced at how horrifically unphotogenic his startled face was. It did not help that he looked like a corpse, and Hecate certainly did not. Persephone thought differently. Persephone: You look so CUTE! Send me more selfies when you get the chance! Tell Hecate she also looks gorgeous! Anyway, a customer just walked in. Talk later xxHecate grinned. “So, you’re cute but I’m gorgeous. I see where her preferences lie.”Hades only sighed.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“What’s your plan today, sweetheart?”Demeter stood in the doorway of the sitting room, already dressed for work. Her dark green suit blended into the colour of the walls and surrounding plants, and there was a tulip in her hair today. Persephone was still in her too small pyjamas, sprawled across the sofa, one leg dangling over the edge. A bowl of toasted pancakes sat on her stomach, and Persephone ate them with her bare hands, licking the syrup from her fingers. Demeter frowned ever so slightly, but she has long since learnt not to question her daughter’s actions.“Going to go meet up with my friends,” Persephone said.“I thought Hermes had work on Fridays.”Of course, Demeter thought Persephone was only friends with Hermes. And that was only the case because Demeter never let Persephone out to meet other friends. Persephone loved her mother dearly, but sometimes she just wanted to scream. Only, she never wanted to upset Demeter (she’d seen Demeter angry once, it was not fun) and so she never screamed. Eating a lot of sugar helped her keep calm.“I was talking about my imaginary friends,” Persephone replied. “Y’know, the ones I can never see because I’m locked up here all the time.”Now Demeter’s frown wasn’t so slight. “Kore… we’ve talked about this…”
Kore, Kore, Kore. We’ve talked about this. It’s for your own protection.
Persephone, not Kore, glowered at her mother, then stuffed a pancake in her mouth.Demeter was no longer smiling, nor was she looking at Persephone. “Well… have fun… I’ll see you after work.”“Good luck,” Persephone grumbled, though since her mouth was still full of pancake, it sounded as if she had said nothing at all, and Demeter retreated with a defeated sigh.Persephone sighed herself, then stuffed another pancake into her mouth. She really needed a bunch of sugar in the morning to get her going.With Demeter gone, Persephone sullenly gobbled up the rest of her pancakes, finished washing the breakfast dishes, then got dressed. ready to head out on a date with her not so imaginary friends.It really wasn’t that hard to leave Mount Olympus. Persephone simply had to, well, walk away. No one really knew her face, apart from a few gods, and if a local stopped her to say she looked like Demeter, Persephone would shrug and say she was a nymph who worked for her. Not that she was ever really stopped. Persephone had found out if you walked anywhere quick enough, and with enough attention, no one would question that you weren’t even supposed to be there.Down in the mortal realm, Persephone made her way to the usual meeting place, a small pub by the name of The Dusty Chimpanzee, just one part of a large chain of small pubs by the name of Wetherforks. They were never fantastic places, but the food was decent, and decently priced too, and you could always rely on there being a Wetherforks in town.“Persi!” Psyche called out when Persephone had entered the pub. Psyche was already sat at the regular table in the corner, alongside Arachne, and was waving Persephone over. As Persephone trotted over to the table, Psyche clasped her hands to her chest and said, “Girl, you look super cute today.”“Thank you. I put in no effort whatsoever,” Persephone said, twirling around so her green maxi skirt could flutter around her ankles.“Really? Even with those flowers?” Arachne asked, nodding to the bright pink ones threaded through Persephone’s hair, something she asked every time they went out.“Even with these flowers,” Persephone chortled, because it was true. As a goddess whose whole schtick was growing flowers, decorating her hair with different ones every day really wasn’t that difficult. As she plonked down, she said, “And you girls look extra cute today too.”“Aw, shucks,” Psyche said, waving a hand through the air. She was wearing her favourite dark pink hoodie, and the tiniest pair of short possible, showing off the tattoo on her thigh—a heart with a halo, wings, and struck through with an arrow, ‘TRUE LOVE’ written beneath it. Persephone thought it was cute, Arachne thought it was trashy, but said it was cute to Psyche’s face.“I’m never cute,” Arachne huffed, which she huffed every time someone called her cute, as if she was so adamant that she could never let anyone be right. She was cute, though, in her handknitted, grey cardigan. It was such a big cardigan, she practically drowned in it, and the pockets were big enough she could fit anything in. A better made cardigan than Athena could ever make, she would always say.“Aw, don’t be such a Debbie downer,” Psyche said, giving one of Arachne’s ponytails a light tug. Arachne’s frown remained unchanged. “You are cute.”“Never.”“You are so cute.”“Never.”“You are so cute,” Persephone repeated, mimicking Psyche’s tone.Arachne finally sighed. “You guys are ridiculous.”“It’s why you love us,” Psyche chirped as she pulled out her phone. “Ready to order? I don’t have to ask what y’all want, right?”“The usual,” Persephone and Arachne chorused, and Psyche tapped away on the app she had downloaded, that let them order and pay directly from their table. It was nice not to have to get up and speak to an actual person to order. They had enough of that when they were the other side of the till at work.“Good morning so far?” Psyche asked as she fiddled with the hearts on the end of her hoodie ties.
Kore, Kore, Kore. We’ve talked about this. It’s for your own protection.
“Soooo,” Arachne said, leaning back in her chair, still frowning. Was she ever not frowning? “What’s up with you?”“With me?” Persephone asked, pointing a finger to herself.“Well, yeah, idiot. I’m looking at you.”“Oh, Arachne, why are you always so mean,” Psyche said, pressing her hands to her chest and pulling her best, melodramatically hurt expression.“Because someone has to balance out your perkiness,” Arachne said to the both of them. “So, Persi, what’s wrong? I mean, we know something’s bothering you. You’re frowning a little.”“Did you snap at your mum again?” Psyche asked. “Lemme guess; you snapped at her about how controlling she is and thought about arguing her but she looked kinda sad so you were like nah can’t do that, can’t make Mama sad. Yeah?”Persephone scrunched up her nose. “That obvious?”“You only whine about it every other day,” Arachne said, leaning forward against her elbows. “Helicopter mums suck.”“I wouldn’t call her a helicopter mum…” Persephone said, and Arachne looked like she had been about to refute this, only the waiter had just appeared with their drinks. They all had a soda, because even if it was late morning, it was still the morning, which was not the time for wine in Neo-Macedonia (no matter how things were down in the Underworld).“Did she finally tell you that your missing dad is magic?” Psyche asked. “I mean, your eyes gotta change colour for a reason.”Suddenly, the ceiling was looking very interesting, and Persephone flopped back in her chair as she looked up to examine it. Wow, the interior designer (or was it the architect?) had put a lot of effort into all that detail. Nice.“Lots of people’s eyes change colour,” Persephone said. “It’s not a magic thing.”It was totally a magic thing.“Normal people’s eyes don’t change colour based on mood though!”It was totally a magic thing.It had taken Persephone a while to realise her eyes changed colour. Well, not quite colour, but at least their hue. It explained how Demeter could easily tell what was thinking back when she was only a kid (which had been super infuriating). It had actually been Zeus that had pointed out the colour change to Persephone. Persephone hadn’t looked him in the eye since.“For the love of Olympus, Psyche. Keep your voice down,” Arachne hissed.Psyche shrugged and stared at Persephone, who remained staring at the ceiling. When she looked back down at the other two, she kept avoiding their gazes by focusing on her drink. Once that was finished, she said, “My dad isn’t magic, nor is he a god or a spirit or whatever. I just have weird eyes. I don’t even have a dad.”Which wasn’t actually a lie. It was extremely rare, but gods didn’t need a partner to have a kid. Persephone was one such kid. A mum, but no dad. Demeter had once mumbled something about flowers, and Persephone had decided she would really rather not know.“That’s why he’s your missing dad,” Psyche chirped. “Besides, everyone’s gotta have a dad to be born.”“I didn’t,” Arachne said. “I have two mums.”“Oh yeah,” Psyche said, drawing out her words. “Well, you gotta have another parental figure of an undetermined gender out there, you know. Maybe your mum is hiding a secret, whirlwind romance from you! That would be so romantic.”“A whirlwind romance with a god sounds totally romantic,” Persephone said, rolling her eyes. She had, of course, intended to be sarcastic, but then Hades’ face appeared in her mind and she felt her cheeks starting to warm. Oh, come on, Persephone, they had literally only been on one date. One.“A whirlwind romance with a god sounds terrifying,” Arachne said. “I think I would rather die than have a god for a parent.”“Yeah…” Persephone said, making sure to keep her eyes turned away as she hesitantly laughed. “Having a god as a parent really would suck…”“I think it would be great!” Psyche said, flinging her hands up in the air, her bubble gum pink hair bouncing as she rocked back in her chair. “Do you think Aphrodite would adopt me? I think she’d love me.”“I think she’d be jealous that everyone loves you,” Arachne grumbled, leaning to the side to avoid being hit in the head by one of Psyche’s hands.“I think Athena would love you,” Psyche said.“Athena better not love me,” Arachne blurted, then she cleared her throat and said in a calmer manner, “anyway, how about we stop talking about potential heritage and stupid gods and just check out the cute boys as we always do?”“Don’t worry, I’ve already scoped out all the cute boys,” Psyche said, clapping her hands together excitedly, for cute boys was her favourite topic, and one she was exceedingly well-versed in. With a wink in Persephone’s direction, she added, “I even spotted a few cute girls for my bisexual babe.”“You flatter me,” Persephone said, holding her hand to her forehead in a faux swoon, which garnered the expected giggle from Psyche, and the obvious eye roll from Arachne.Their food arrived, and any talk of parents was thankfully abandoned as Psyche rattled on about all the cute boys she had seen, making up wild tales about what she thought their lives must be like based on appearance alone (“That guy dropped out of uni to travel, then got into wild trouble with some highwaymen, but he was saved by a swoon-worthy female bounty hunter and now he’s waiting for her to turn up for their first date back at home,” she had said, to which Arachne had asked, “Do highwaymen even exist anymore?”)After they’d finished their meals and fussed over what tip to leave on the table, they left The Dusty Chimpanzee, with Psyche blowing a kiss to the waiter that had served them. It was time for some brief window shopping before they parted ways for the weekend, and so they strutted down the street, Psyche in the middle with her arms linked through both of theirs, as they continued to natter away about boys.“Oh, oh, oh, real hottie alert,” Psyche said, pulling them to a stop so suddenly the other two nearly fell over. She nodded to the guy she had seen, giggled, then said, “Okay, that was totally a lie, but it’s a god with a dog so we have to appreciate.”A god with a dog…?Persephone gasped as she followed Psyche’s gaze to see, of course, none other than Hades standing not too far away from them. Cerberus’ lead was wrapped around one palm as the dog sat dutifully at his feet, and Hades himself was focused on tapping something on his phone, constantly having to brush his long white hair back behind his ear due to the breeze.Absolutely everyone was stopping to stare. It wasn’t every day you saw a man who looked like he’d just climbed out of a coffin taking a three-headed dog for a walk.“What is Hades doing here?” Arachne hissed.“Taking his dog for a walk, it looks like,” Persephone said.“Yes, I can see. I do have eyes!”“Then why ask?” Psyche asked, earning herself an elbow in her side.When she squeaked, Cerberus’ head shot up in the girls’ direction, and Psyche squeaked again, along with Arachne. Cerberus started barking, causing Hades to look up as well, which only got Psyche and Arachne to squeak yet again. Persephone drew in a breath, praying to Olympus that the other two didn’t notice Hades’ gaze immediately fell upon Persephone, and lingered on her for a moment before he registered the others two with her.“Do you think he recognises us from work?” Arachne whispered, now clutching Psyche’s arm tightly.“Dunno. Maybe? I mean he’s staring,” Psyche whispered back. “Do you think he’s annoyed? Maybe we should say hi?”“Why would we say hi to Hades!?”“Don’t raise your voice! He’s still staring!?”Persephone had to press her lips together to stop herself from laughing when Hades frowned at them (and other spectators also frowned at them for being too loud). When she was calm enough, she suggested, “How about I go say hi?”“Persi,” the others whispered.“Well, we’ve been staring far too long, and we don’t want to get on a god’s bad side,” Persephone said. “I’ll go say hi, hope he forgives us, and you never know, maybe the next time he comes in he’ll give us a really big tip. He is the god of riches, after all.”Before the others could argue, Persephone had pulled her arm free. She would have skipped over to Hades, but she couldn’t exactly look overly familiar, being the supposed mortal she said she was, so she did her best, awkward, semi-confident shuffle. Hades’ eyebrows raised as he watched her approach.“What does a… mortal require of me?” Hades asked, his voice stern, but the corners of his mouth twitching up into a small smile. He lamented about how terrible he looked, but he genuinely had a cute smile, and he probably didn’t realise how gorgeous his deep purple eyes were. Persephone could have stared at them all day, but she couldn’t look too confident in talking to the god of the Underworld, so she turned her gaze away.“My friends were staring and are worried they might have offended you, so I came to apologise on their behalf,” Persephone said, clasping her hands together as she rocked back on her heels. “Oh god of the Underworld and riches and whatever. However, will I make it up to you?”“I think the apology is more than fine,” Hades said. “Oh, normal mortal, how will I award you for being the only one courageous enough to speak to me?”“Give us a real big tip the next time you order a hot chocolate?” Hades’ eyebrows rose again, and Persephone had to stifle a giggle as she said, “Can I stroke Cerberus?”“If that is the reward you wish for,” Hades said, and then he lowered his voice as he added, “do not take too long. I have a reputation to uphold amongst the mortals and I cannot be seen to be friendly for more than necessary.”“Oh, reputations, such fickle things,” she said, and she crouched down in front of Cerberus. All three heads grinned at her, and they attempted to lick her cheeks all at once. This time, Persephone couldn’t suppress her giggle, but she was currently being licked by a dog, so it was totally allowed.“Are you having a good day off?” Hades quietly asked.“Yeah,” Persephone said, though the conversation about how having a god for a parent interrupted her thoughts, and she had to push it away. “I was just out with the girls. We like to go to The Dusty Chimpanzee from time to time. It’s a good place. You should check it out sometime, unless you have a Wetherforks in the Underground.”Hades frowned. “What is Wetherforks?”“Probably too cheap for you,” Persephone said, and Hades’ cheeks reddened ever so slightly. Could have just been the breeze. “We’ll have to check if there is one. I want to see a chthonic Wetherforks. Anyway, I thought you usually worked Fridays?”“I do, but Cerberus was causing a hassle at the gates, so I had to take a break,” Hades said. “Which I am thankful for, because Fridays are my psychopomp shifts and it seems that nobody quite likes to spend their day collecting dead souls.”“Even you?” she asked.“Even me,” he replied.“Good thing I’m only available on Fridays,” she teased, standing back up and smoothing down her skirts. “Well, I should go before Arachne faints at the sight of me talking to you. You should probably disappear in a weird godly fashion now. Keep up that reputation of yours.”“It was about time we returned anyway. Hecate was asking for me,” Hades said slipping his phone into his jacket’s inside pocket. “I shall see you next Friday, yes?”“Yes, obviously,” she said as she curtsied. She had to keep up pretences that she was simply a mortal asking for forgiveness. “Thank you for letting me pet Cerberus, oh god of the Underworld. I will be sure to leave an offering at your temple.”“And thank you for talking to me, oh mortal of Neo-Macedonia,” Hades said. “I will be sure to leave a tip in your jar.”Persephone looked up and grinned, catching one last glimpse of his purple eyes before he… disappeared? He just up and vanished into the thin air, along with Cerberus, leaving Persephone blinking at where he had just been standing. Well, that was certainly disappearing in a weird, godly fashion.“Oh my gods, Persi, I can’t believe you actually spoke to Hades,” Psyche squealed when Persephone came back over. “That was so cool!”“It was so terrifying,” Arachne refuted. “Are you mad? What if he had been angry?”“Well, he wasn’t,” Persephone chirped. “In fact, he was rather sweet.”“You can’t just call Hades, god of the Underworld, sweet.”“He is, though,” Persephone insisted. “You haven't had a chance to talk to him properly. He let me pet his dog.”Psyche grinned. “I would like to pet his dog.”Persephone frowned. “I don’t think we mean the same thing here.”Arachne groaned. “Psyche, you’re gross. Can we just go shopping now? I’ve had enough of gods for one day.”“Shopping sounds great…” Persephone said, linking her arm through Psyche’s again, though she had to keep her gaze averted, just in case her eyes gave her away. Unlike Arachne, Persephone could never have enough of gods for one day.And perhaps, if Arachne had enough of gods for one day, she would eventually have enough of Persephone for one day too.
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The sound of excited barking meant Persephone was finally there. It had been an almost agonising wait, but Friday had arrived.On the bridge beyond the gate, Hermes sat floating in the air, and Persephone reached up as she tried to hug one of Cerberus’ huge heads. Cerberus was panting and wagging his tail, and he licked her from head to toe, leaving her somewhat frazzled. Hermes tried to bat Cerberus away, but Persephone only giggled.Hades could not help but smile as Persephone started to come his way, Hermes sulking behind. It was impossible not to when she was so beautiful, in her long, fluttering skirt, and the crop top that was tied together in the middle. With every step she took, her chest bounced.“I don’t think she’s wearing a bra underneath that,” Hecate remarked.“Hecate, you should not stare like that,” Hades said, frowning at her.“I’m pretty sure she wants us to stare,” Hecate said.“Hecate, it is rude.”“Hades, do you even know how girls work?”“Hecate, please.”She rolled her eyes, then blew a black bubble in his face, and he only frowned even more. “You really are boring, aren’t you? I don’t know why I put up—Persephone, darling!”Ignoring Hades, Hecate strutted straight towards Persephone, who giggled as Hecate kissed her knuckles. Hades only continued to frown. When had the pair of them gotten that close within the past two weeks?“I didn’t expect to see you here,” Persephone was saying as she grinned up at Hecate.“Oh, how could I not come and see how my favourite colourful witch is doing?”“Witch charm, am I right?” Hermes asked as he sidled up to Hades, hands shoved into his hoodie pockets. “Looks like you got some competition.”“I do not like how you say ‘competition’,” Hades said, holding out his hand, though he was still watching Persephone and Hecate giggle together. “Phone.”“You want my phone? No way, dude.”“Moros’ phone, thank you. It went missing yesterday.”Hermes sighed, pulled a phone out of his pocket, and slapped it into Hades’ hand. “I was gonna return it, promise. I only took it because I knew he was psychopomping today too, so I could give it back easy. It’s just too tempting to take things that are laying about when you’re the god of thieves. It’s not like you don’t flaunt being the god of riches all the time.”“Go and get your assignment from Thanatos,” Hades demanded.Hermes rolled his eyes, in a much too similar way to how Hecate would, and stretched his arms up behind his head. “All right. All right. Hey, Persi. See ya later.”“See you later,” she chirped, and she giggled when he planted a kiss on her forehead as he passed by. Hades, of course, continued to frown. Hecate managed to catch his eye and, from behind Persephone, mouthed ‘jerk’.“It’s been so long since we last saw each other!” Persephone said as she skipped over.“It was only a week ago we ran into each other,” Hades said as he blinked back to reality. “A week is—”“Is not long for an immortal god, I know, I know,” she said, rocking back on her heels as she clasped her hands in front of her. “But, as said last week, you’re an older immortal god than I am.”“Why must you continue to wound me?” he asked, and she giggled.Hecate sidled up next, plucking the phone from Hades’ hand. “Is that Moros’? Damn that little prick of an Olympian. I knew it was him!”“Please make sure it is returned to Moros safe and sound. I did not trust Hermes to return it himself,” Hades said. “I will see you later.”“Yeah, yeah, enjoy your date,” Hecate said, and she waved a dismissive hand at the pair before spinning around and strutting after Hermes.Hades and Persephone watched her leave, and, after a moment, Persephone piped up, “I wish I had a secretary like Hecate. Must be nice.”“Mostly irritating, but she can get things done,” Hades said, holding his arm out to her. “Want to get breakfast first?”“Well, if you’re going to treat me to free food, I’m not going to say no,” Persephone chortled as she linked her arm through his.Hades did not often eat breakfast at home and would instead order breakfast at the staff bar to eat in his office. He ordered his usual—yogurt with pomegranate, honey, and walnuts—which was on the menu almost exclusively for Hades. Persephone immediately ordered a stack of pancakes. Hades had been too busy watching in amusement at how she gobbled down her pancakes that he barely touched his own breakfast. Seeing as she was still hungry, he claimed that he was not, and she ate the rest of his too.Once they were done eating, Persephone insisted on being shown the staff room that everyone forgot existed due to it being tucked away up a flight of stairs, having been curious about it since Hades had mentioned it two weeks prior. “You need to show me that whole invisible thing again,” Persephone said, and Hades raised his eyebrows in question. “You know, last week when I ran into you taking Cerberus for a walk. And you went invisible. You explained afterwards over text it was because you have a helmet of invisibility or something. Can I see?”“Unfortunately, my helmet of invisibility resides in my bedroom, so maybe another day,” Hades replied. Persephone started wheezing, and he wondered if he had said something inappropriate. “I do not need my helmet to hide my presence. The ability is engrained in me.”“So… can I see?”They had just reached the stairs they had been looking for. Hades pulled his arm free from Persephone’s. “Head to the top of the stairs. I will meet you there.”A moment later, Persephone’s eyes widened, and she reached out a hand towards him. He took a step back to avoid any touch, and she spun around as she looked in every direction before sprinting up the stairs. Traipsing up after her, he found her in the hidden staffroom at the top, still spinning around to try and find him. He tapped her on the shoulder.“For the love of Olympus!” she squealed. Pressing a hand to her chest, she took in a deep breath. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”“Gods cannot get heart attacks.”“I know, I know. That just goes to show how much you scared me,” she replied as she fanned herself. “Whoa, you really can turn invisible. And Cerberus, too?”“I can turn anyone I desire.” He beckoned her over to the vending machine in the corner, still full for it was rarely emptied from the lack of use. “Would you like a drink?”“Depends what’s on offer,” Persephone said, following Hades to the machine.“I was thinking of pomegranate juice. A personal favourite of mine.”“I didn’t even know I liked pomegranate until five minutes ago, so sure,” Persephone said as Hades pushed coins into the machine. “Apart from the seeds. Gods, there were so many seeds. But the flavour was nice. I’m gonna have to try and ask mum somehow to get me some, in a way that doesn’t look super I’ve-totally-been-outside suspicious.”“That could potentially be because pomegranates are considered an Underworld delicacy, and their tales are not pleasant,” Hades said. “If one is to eat a pomegranate from the Underworld, they are to remain here for eternity.”Persephone froze, and her grip tightened on the bottle of juice. “If I eat a pomegranate I’ll be stuck here forever? B-but at breakfast…”“Oh, no, do not worry about that,” Hades assured her as he undid the cap of his bottle. “Those were not Underworld pomegranates. I keep all the Underworld pomegranates in my own orchard, so no one can get a hold of them. The pomegranates here are imported from one of your Mother’s farms to avoid any such mistakes as trapping someone here.”Persephone let out a long sigh. “Oh my gods I really thought you had tricked me into being trapped here forever for a hot minute. Not that being trapped here forever would be bad, it’s a real nice place and you’re a real nice guy, but mother would be furious.”“Do not worry, I have no intention on trapping anyone here against their will,” Hades said, taking a sip of his juice, then handing it to Persephone. “Would you like to try?”After a sip, she decided she would like her own, only under the promise she would recycle the bottle, and the pair took their juices as they went to sit on the sofas by the window. From the position they were in, they could see downwards and across a courtyard, straight into the soul ferrying suite beyond, where those at work were supposed to be helping Charon organise souls’ payments and sending them to the right judge. Or, they were supposed to be working.“Is she playing Galaga?” Persephone asked, getting up on her knees so it was easier for her to see out the window and pointing at one of the workers.“Pardon me, for a moment,” Hades said, pulling out his phone and searching for the soul ferrying work chat.Hades: Apate, I know you are Deceit, but that does not give you an excuse to play games whilst the others are working. I would like you to perform the tasks Charon has given you, or there will be a strike on your record. You are already on two. I am watching.From the soul ferrying suite, Apate lazily checked her phone, then sat up straight and whirled around to face the window, where Hades and Persephone ducked out of sight. A moment later, they peered outside again. Apate was being scolded by a man whose face was hidden by a hood. Next to Apate, another was wiping tears from his eyes as he laughed.“That is Apate, Deceit, and her twin brother, Dolos, Deception,” Hades said, pointing to each of the workers in question. “Two of Nyx’s children. The man in the hood is Charon.”“I thought he was supposed to be a ferryman?” Persephone asked, sitting back down comfortably on the sofa and taking a sip of her juice.“Yes, but times change, and it was painstakingly inefficient to ferry souls across a river,” Hades said, sitting down next to her, leaning forward to place his bottle on the coffee table at their feet. From within his waistcoat, he pulled out a folded piece of paper. “I almost forgot I had something for you.”“For me?” Persephone asked, putting her bottle of juice next to Hades’ so she could take the paper. As she unfolded it, he tensed. He was not one for humour, but she had said she would like to hear him joke more. He prayed to Tartarus it would not fall flat.“You said that you required it in writing that Hecate was to run the Underworld if I am to go missing, not Hermes,” he mumbled, his voice trailing away until it was almost inaudible. “Lest, of course, you name yourself as my successor.”Persephone started giggling, and Hades let out a breath. “You remembered that?”“You remember a lot of things when you are my age.”“And here I was thinking your memory ended up being really shoddy when you got older,” Persephone said. She did not need to know that she was right. He was, after all, the man that had completely forgotten his nephew’s existence. “But what about my application form? In case I wanted to be the head of the Underworld?”“Ah, yes, that was said,” Hades said. “Then I suppose we will have to a job interview. Is now a good time for you?”“Oh, interview me, please,” she said, lifting up her feet so she could curl up on the sofa as she faced him. “I want to know if I’ll make a good goddess of the Underworld.”“One moment,” he said, turning his attention back down to his phone. There were several messages on the soul ferrying chat of others teasing Apate, mostly Eris. Hades told them to get back to work too, and he pulled up Hecate’s number.Hades: Hecate, I require something to write on. Would you please send me a clipboard and some writing utensils?Hecate: You know it’s easier and quicker to just ask for a pen, right? Three letters compared to ‘writing utensils’ fifteen.Hades: Hecate, please.Hecate: Fiiiiine. On your way. (◔_◔)A few seconds later, a black flame erupted in Hades’ hand and vanished just as quickly. Now he held a clipboard, a pen slid under the clip, and ‘loser’ written across the first piece of paper in Hecate’s familiar, sharp handwriting. Hades turned that piece of paper over.Persephone gasped as she crawled over to look at the clipboard. She leant forward in such a way Hades feared her shirt might slip and reveal all. It was impolite to stare, though, as he had told Hecate earlier, and he kept his gaze locked onto her eyes instead. It was not hard, for they were currently a brilliant, bright and beautiful green. “Did you do that?” she asked.“I cannot claim that was me. That was all Hecate’s doing.”“Hecate can do wild stuff, huh? Magic gum. Magic clipboards. Is there anything a witch goddess can’t do?”“Stay off my nerves,” Hades said, holding his clipboard back so Persephone could not see. “You cannot look. This is an incredibly professional interview.”“Professional, huh?” Persephone asked, shuffling back over to her side of the sofa. The way she curled up, feet tucked beneath her, with her head leant back against the sofa and her hair falling over her shoulders made the words on the tip of Hades’ tongue vanish, like a flame dying out. After a moment, she raised her eyebrows at him. “So…?”He cleared his throat and lifted the clipboard higher as if it would help to hide his face. “Yes, professional. First question. Name?”“You know my name,” she said, kicking off her shoes so she could wiggle her toes.“Professional, remember?”“Very professional,” she chortled. “I go by Persephone, or Persi. Not Kore.”“Bringer of wisdom,” Hades recalled.“Bringer of death,” she corrected with a smile. He smiled back. “What about you? Any nicknames?”“Absolutely not. Hermes tried once, and it did not end well. Hades is more than fine. Some mortals call me Plouton out of fear. Others call me Zeus of the Underworld.”“Eww!”“My thoughts exactly. Any god who says that to my face will be thrown into Tartarus, I assure you,” he said, tapping his pen against the clipboard. “Birthday?”“Twentieth March. First day of spring,” she said, reaching forward to get her pomegranate juice. “I just turned twenty-three.”Hades frowned. “Your birthday was just before we met.”“It was, wasn’t it?” She grinned. “Sad you missed getting me a present? Not that I can really get presents from people that aren’t Hermes. It would be a little suspicious, unless it was something I used when Mother was at work.”“Noted,” Hades said, writing her birthday down. He may have missed it, but it would still be imperative to know for the following year. A little hopeful, perhaps, but to Hades a year was almost nothing. “Hmm… domains?”“As in what am I the goddess of?” Persephone asked. “So far spring and flowers. It’s not easy discovering your domain when you aren’t allowed outside and all.”“You must get tired during winter,” Hades said, and she gave a long, long sigh.“Yeah, I can get super tired. No spring, and the only flowers are the ones I grow and that’s not enough at times,” she pouted. “It sucks that we have to rely on what we’re gods of to keep us active. I bet you’re always awake, huh?”“Being the god of the Underworld whilst working here almost all of the time, I do not get tired often,” he affirmed, then he paused for his next question. He knew her favourite colour. Favourite meal. Favourite film genre. Preferred wine. He frowned. “Favourite chocolate flavour?”“Milk definitely. Dark is gross.”“Ah, a shame. I am fond of dark’s rich taste.” Knowing how fond she was of chocolate, he figured it vital to know her flavour of choice. “Favourite… ice cream flavour?”“Weirdly, it isn’t actually chocolate. I love a good strawberry. Strawberries dipped in chocolate are so good,” she mused. “Mint is disgusting, though. Mint chocolate is terrible and ruins such a good thing. The only good mint thing is toothpaste.”Hades grimaced at the mention of mint. “Yes… I agree with you on mint. I have had bad experiences with it. Favourite gemstone?”“Uh, I don’t actually know,” she said, stretching out her legs so she could rest her feet on the table, still wiggling her bare toes. “Probably something green? Maybe pink? Are there even any pink gemstones? I bet you know that being the god of riches and stuff.”“Rose quartz,” he immediately replied. “Pink topaz, opal or sapphire. Pearls, perhaps. Or a rhodonite stone if you want something mixed with black. Pink diamonds.”“Oh, pink diamonds sound nice. They’ll match your purple ones.”“They will indeed,” Hades said, noting it down. “They also do green diamonds.”“Well, I like the sound of those too,” Persephone chortled. “You know, I’m not sure these questions sound correct for an interview for Underworld leader.”Hades shrugged. “I need to know who I am leaving it to. If I do not like them, then they cannot have it.”“And do you like me?” Persephone asked, shuffling a little closer, her eyes twinkling.For a moment he could not answer, his heart frozen in his chest, but then he gave her a small smile and said, “I like you.”“So, my application is successful?”“It might be, but that is confidential information.”She giggled again, such a beautiful sound. “Then maybe one of my domains has been goddess of the Underworld the entire time.”“Yes,” Hades said, pulling back the clipboard when she tried to sneak a look. “Perhaps it is.”
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As Hades was never tired, he was always a morning person as a result. He rarely spent extra time in bed, not even to relax, as he preferred to relax in a warm bath. Specifically, a warm bath, as it was pleasant to feel a different temperature for once, instead of the Underworld’s usual coldness.So, whenever Cerberus attempted to leap up onto his bed to wake him up, Hades was already awake.“Cerberus, please,” Hades said, arms crossed as he stood at the foot of his bed.Cerberus lounged across it with his legs stuck up in the air. He blended into Hades’ bed sheets, because, of course, the sheets were black like everything else Hades owned. The only spot of colour in his room was the rack of purple ties in the corner.His room was rather… scarce. Just a bed, the usual drawers, a wardrobe, and a small shelf with some old books, on top of which sat his helmet of invisibility. It was about time he dusted it; it was losing its shine.Scooping his phone up from his bedside table, Hades headed to his en suite, meaning to check for the daily list of tasks that Hecate usually prepared in advance. That was there, as expected, but he paused with his hand on the door handle as he saw another message.Persephone: Good morning! Hope you have a good day today xxHades smiled as he slipped into his en suite—black like everything else—though he did wonder as to why Persephone was up so early. She did not strike him as an early bird. He sent her a good morning message back, then looked into his mirror. Even his pyjamas were expensive, made from black silk, and his slippers had not been cheap either. He did not like tying his hair back, but he had to braid it when going to bed. Long hair and bed head were an atrocious combination.Once he’d untied his hair, and was in the midst of brushing it, his phone buzzed. Putting down the brush, he checked to see there was another message from Persephone.Persephone: You’re up early too, so you can’t say much!Hades: I am sure I mentioned before I do not need much sleep. Besides, I must get ready for work.Persephone: That’s why I’m up! Opening shifts at work on Thursdays!! That means I get the afternoon to do whatever I want before Mother gets back home xxHades: Ah, I see. Then we could meet up this afternoon if you would like.Persephone: I would LOVE that xxHades: Then I will come up with a plan as I work. I must leave you now, for I need a bath. Do not let me get you distracted.He put down his phone, then returned to getting undressed. After nearly folding his shirt and leaving on top of the toilet seat, he looked back in the mirror and frowned. Perhaps the reason he dressed ‘flashy’ was to disguise how dissatisfied he was with himself physically. He ran a finger over his terrible pronounced collarbone. He may have been a god, but that did not make keeping an ideal weight easy.Hades had always been skin and bone, always insecure about how underweight he was. Hecate was not much better, being almost as slim as he was, but she never seemed bothered by it. She was always called beautiful and dangerous, whilst he was sickly and terrifying. Oh, how the beauty standards differed depending on one’s gender, though he was unsure as to who the standards were more unfair on.Another buzz from his phone pulled him from his thoughts, and he checked to see Persephone had replied, wishing him a good day at work. He wished her a good day too, and then frowned and sent another message.Hades: I have something to inquire. What do the ‘X’s mean?Persephone: They’re kisses, silly. It means I like you.Hades: Ah. I see. Have a good day, then.In fact, he didn’t see at all. Still, he paused and typed out another quick message.Hades: xxOnce he was washed and dressed, Hades finally coaxed Cerberus from the bed. Hades quickly smoothed out his sheets, then headed to the kitchen. Hecate was already there, in her usual three-piece suit, leaning against the kitchen island.It was highly irritating, but the rest of the pantheon had somehow led themselves to believe Hades and Hecate were romantically involved, even though she was not quiet about her lack of romantic attraction and desire. It was due to the fact they still lived together, as they had done for centuries. Platonic roommates, Hecate referees to themselves as, if she was not busy calling Hades her younger brother.It may not have been true, but he saw himself more her brother than Zeus’ or Poseidon’s.In one hand she held a mug of coffee, and in the other she held a pen as she poured over that morning’s paper. When Hades came to stand opposite her, she spun the paper around, handed him the pen, and said, “Help a goddess out.”It was the daily sudoku, and Hades jotted down a few numbers before spinning the paper back around and saying, “I am sure you can ha sleep the rest.”“Sweet,” she said, pausing to take a sip of her coffee before she took the pen back. “What’s on your mind?”“Work,” he said. Always work.“Yeah, but you’ve got this little frown on,” she said, putting down her coffee so she could lean over and flick him between the eyebrows. His frown only deepened. “You don’t usually frown about work this early in the morning, You’re thinking about something.”“It is standard to think about something,” Hades said as he headed around the island to her side, where the sink was on the counter behind her. He helped himself to a glass of water. It was the only thing he would drink before heading to work, where he would have his favourite pomegranate yogurt for breakfast.“But what are you thinking about?” Hecate persisted. She would keep persisting until he finally told her. In the end, he always told her everything. After all, he was more her brother than Zeus’ or Poseidon’s.“This.” Hades pulled out his phone and opened his conversation with Persephone. As she sighed and dropped her pen, he added, “I was wondering what she meant.”“The ‘I like you’ part, or the kisses?” Hecate asked as she scrolled back through his texts. “For the love of Tartarus, you are so emotionless in these texts. You have no charm.”“I do not see how I went wrong,” Hades said, looking over Hecate’s shoulder. Since she was currently barefoot, she was no longer taller than him, as she was when wearing her stilettos. “It is how I text everyone.”“Trust me, I know,” Hecate said. “You send me to sleep every time I read one.”Hades frowned, and he ignored Hecate’s whines as he plucked his phone from her hands. “If you are going to be rude, I will not ask for your help in the future.”“All right, all right, calm down,” Hecate said, and she spun around then lifted herself up onto the kitchen island. “Kisses in texts are just an affection thing, but don’t think too much into it. Affection can be platonic, you know. I send Nyx kisses all the time.”“You do not send them to me,” Hades said. She mostly insulted him in her text to him, and used strange faces made out of different characters that she called ‘emoticons’. It was much the same as how she talked to him in real life. She was, perhaps, the only one he let get away with it. Apart from Nyx. Erebus too. They did not count.“I can send you kisses if you want,” she said, picking her pen back up so she could add another number to her sudoku. Even at an awkward angle, her writing was still flawless. “Just don’t send them back. It will be weird. And don’t send them to anyone else. They’ll think you got soft and your reputation as scary Underworld king will be ruined.”“But I can send them to Persephone, yes?” he asked. “I am dating her.”“Yes, send them to Persephone, you dope,” Hecate said as she hopped off the counter. “Now, I need to go and do my makeup and nails. Can’t go to work looking like a corpse.”Hades frowned. He went to work looking like a corpse every day.Hecate patted his shoulder before strutting away. A second later, she spun around and said, “And no meeting up with Persephone! You have work this afternoon!”It was at that moment Cerberus plodded into the kitchen, and Hades gave Hecate one of his rare smiles. “Yes, but Cerberus always needs a walk.”At the word ‘walk’, Cerberus leapt at Hecate, who was the closest to him. She groaned as she pushed the excited dog down and said, “Fine.”#Persephone was lucky she always brought a spare pair of clothes to work, otherwise she would have had to go on a date in her uniform. She needed a spare pair of clothes, otherwise walking back home through Mount Olympus would have gotten some pretty odd looks.The dog park was named Kuon Park, which quite literally translated to ‘dog park’. Though there had been some chatter lately about potentially changing the name. Just as those in the West would use the term for a female dog to belittle a woman, people were getting in the habit of using ‘kuon’ as the same.There wasn’t really anything special about the park itself. There were walls and gates to keep the dogs from running away, and a few climbing frames for bored children to play on. There was an old ice cream truck in one corner (it was n desperate need of repair), and the newer more popular one in the other (it didn’t sell as good ice cream).Then, of course, there was the shrine in the centre dedicated to Hecate. For some reason, the people liked to associate dogs with her. Persephone snapped a picture of the statue in the centre, that looked nothing like Hecate, and sent it to the aforementioned goddess. Hecate had simply replied with a bung of laughing emojis.Persephone sat down by herself on a bench, pulling out her phone. She sent Hades a quick text to tell him she was already there, and it wasn’t long before she got a reply.Hades: I am in front of you.Hades: xxPersephone smirked at his last message. He was meant to be a super intimidating king of the Underworld, and he barely understood how relationships worked. He was trying though, and it just made him even more adorable.Hades was stood across the path from her, with Cerberus’ leash wrapped around his hand. She grinned at him, and he smiled back, though his smile quickly vanished when Cerberus started yapping. As Cerberus tried to bound towards Persephone, pulling a startled Hades behind him, Persephone giggled. Hades and Cerberus were getting enough looks as it was (a three-headed dog would do that) and now they were getting even more looks from how loud Cerberus was being.Persephone hopped off her bench and skipped over, first kneeling down to pet each of Cerberus’ heads as all three of his tongues licked her face. At the same time, Hades knelt down to unclip Cerberus’ leash.When they stood back up, Persephone linked her arm through Hades’ and asked, “Too afraid to come up and say hello?”“I… you… you were peaceful,” Hades murmured. “I did not wish to disturb you.”“We’re supposed to be hanging out today. You’re meant to disturb me,” she teased, pinching his cheek. Cerberus was bounding away, though Hades was too focused on Persephone to notice. In fact, most of the people in the park were too focused on Persephone to notice a literal three-headed dog, and Persephone gasped as she said, “Is it okay for me to be seen with you in public? Mother can’t know—”“Do not worry,” Hades said, and he smiled at her before fixing his attention on the closest people to them. He didn’t frown, but they scurried away, nonetheless. “Remember when I told you about my helmet of invisibility, and how I do not need to be wearing it for it to take effect? You are not invisible right now, but I can use my magic to mask who you are. People can try taking a photo, but they still won’t be able to identify you.”“Oh,” Persephone said, and she let out a long, long sigh. She really didn’t have to worry about anything when with Hades, and it was ridiculously nice for a change. “At least someone respects my privacy. Every time I’ve met another god, apart from Hermes, they never have. Always asking too many questions. You Underworld gods aren’t the same as the Olympians.”“Yes, but I did ask you plenty of questions the last time you visited the Underworld,” Hades said, wearing his signature frown. “I apologise if I was out of place.”“Oh, no,” Persephone said, giving Hades’ arm a squeeze. “You totally had my permission to ask questions. I mean, it was an interview for next god of the Underworld. And you asked questions you’re supposed to ask someone you’re dating. Some of the other gods, though, they ask way too personal questions.”She shuddered at the thought. Zeus was the worst, by far. He’d been around for dinner once, and Persephone had almost become a stammering mess whilst he’d been severely inquisitive. Demeter had been a normal, courteous host whilst Zeus was there. As soon as he was gone, and when Persephone was supposed to have been out of ear shot, that was when Demeter started cursing Zeus every name under the damn sun. Only Persephone understood why the gods’ harvest had been terrible the following week. The rest of the pantheon had simply accused Demeter of being lazy.For a moment, something dark flashed across Hades’ face, and his arm stiffened in Persephone’s grasp. It was brief but had been noticeable enough to make Persephone press her lips together in anticipation of whatever was to come.“I am familiar those gods, and the dirty things they do,” he said, quietly but firmly. Particularly those gods and not my family, as if Zeus and Poseidon weren’t his brothers. “If any of them attempt to bother you, they will have me to answer to.”Persephone’s heart fluttered. Hades spoke with such a severe sincerity that Persephone immediately knew he couldn’t be lying. He really would have the other gods answering to him if they tried anything funny with her. She almost felt like crying.Actually, she genuinely was going to start crying. Crap, crap, crap. Her eyes were actually stinging, and her throat was tickling, and for the love of Olympus she absolutely could not start crying in front of such a prolific god as Hades, and only on their third date too.Thankfully, Hades was too busy yanking his arm free from hers to notice her almost tears. He hurried away, yelling, “Cerberus! Cerberus get down! We are not here to terrorise the others!”As Hades ran over to where Cerberus was terrorising some smaller dogs, Persephone took the opportunity to take a deep breath and wipe her eyes. Blimey, that could have been embarrassing. Though, not as embarrassing as being the scary god of the Underworld and having to apologise to a mortal dog owner because your three-headed hell hound was terrorising their Pomeranian.“Everything okay?” Persephone asked as Hades dragged Cerberus back over.“Yes, fortunately,” Hades said. “I have told the owner to expect good fortune to come their way to make up for Cerberus’ actions. They will stumble across some forgotten money on the ground soon enough.”“You can get people to just stumble across money?”“I am the god of riches,” Hades reminded her, and he held the leash out to Cerberus. “Rewarding mortals in such a way is easiest for me. Not that I do it often.”“Because you still have a scary reputation to uphold,” Persephone said with her hands behind her back as she skipped forward. “Precisely,” Hades said, putting the leash away when Cerberus sat down and bowed all three heads to apologise for his behaviour.“Well, you could never scare me,” Persephone teased, and she slipped her arm back through Hades’ when he caught up to her.As they strolled side by side, with Cerberus at their feet, all the mortals kept staring. They were absolutely wondering who in Tartarus was the woman hanging off Hades’ arm. If Hades hadn’t been able to disguise her, she probably would have fainted from all the attention, but since no one could possibly recognise her, she giggled instead. Hades’ secret girlfriend was going to be the talk of Olympus, and no one would know it was her.It was only a moment later that Persephone spotted a familiar face not too far from them and called out, “Odysseus!”Odysseus was a tall, brown man with an athletic build, though his skin wasn’t as dark as Persephone’s own. His dark, dreadlocked hair was dyed blue at the ends, as was his beard, and he stood with a kind of suave that only a goddess’ chosen one could. At his feet was a large, grey, lupine dog called Argo, who wasn’t nearly as badly behaved as Cerberus was. It was rare for Odysseus to bring Argo to Cassie’s Coffee with him, but, whenever he did, all the girls made some sort of excuse to talk to Odysseus as he sat outside, all so they could pet the very good dog.“Persephone,” Hades said quietly. “There’s a reason I’m disguising you right now. We’re supposed to be keeping your identity a secret.”“Oh, but it’s only Odysseus,” Persephone said, giving Hades’ arms a squeeze. “We can trust him. I mean, he did basically introduce us.”“Athena is also his patron goddess,” Hades said. “Have you met Athena? If she wants to know something, she will get her way.”Persephone had actually met Athena. She’d come for dinner once and had been possibly one of the most arrogant people Persephone had ever met, even more so than Zeus. Every other time Athena came for dinner, Persephone tried to make herself as scarce as possible. Not that it was hard. Athena probably visited Demeter only once every year.“But it’s still only Odysseus. We can totally trust him,” Persephone said, even though Odysseus was well known amongst his fellow mortals to be a crafty man.“If you insist,” Hades said, and as Odysseus reached them, he added, “Odysseus, it is good to see you.”“Lord Hades, it’s been a while,” Odysseus said, first nodding to Hades before he turned to Persephone. His frowned for a moment, then said, “Persi, is that you? I almost didn’t recognise you. Maybe it’s because your hair is down.”His eyes flickered over her hair, and he must have been wondering how on Olympus did she appear to have twice at much hair when it was down than when it was up (magic, of course). She simply smiled, pressing a finger to her lips, and she said, “You’re not supposed to recognise me. My meetings with Hades are meant to be a secret.”“Ah, so when I recommended Cassie’s Coffee, you ordered a little more than just a coffee?” Odysseus said.“Actually, I ordered a hot chocolate,” Hades said as he nudged Cerberus away from Argos with his toes. The two dogs were already frowning at each other. Even now they did not get along.“A luxury hot chocolate,” Persephone corrected.“I did not. She gave me the cream of her own accord.”“Oh, I did, didn’t I?” She giggled as she pressed up against Hades and squeezed his arm. “But I couldn’t resist it. We like to give free stuff to those we want attention from.”Odysseus didn’t need to know that the luxury got chocolate was really just a bribe so Hades wouldn’t tell Demeter he’d seen Persephone outside of Mount Olympus.Odysseus snorted. “You were instantly smitten with him?”“Obviously,” Persephone said, mustering the most dramatic eye roll possible. “He’s the god of riches, why wouldn’t I be?”Odysseus didn’t need to know that was a complete lie too. She might as well play up the fascinated mortal approach, to further herself from the truth of why she was dating Hades. If Odysseus thought Persephone was simply a ditsy human girl obsessed with a god, then he would never suspect she was truly a god herself. Well, he shouldn’t suspect. Odysseus was a smart man, after all, but Persephone was positive she played a convincing mortal.“You got quite the catch there, Lord Hades,” Odysseus said, with a smirk in Persephone’s direction. “And a beautiful one too. My wife would surely agree.”“Aw, that’s a compliment coming from you,” Persephone said, a hand pressed to her cheek as she fluttered her eyelashes up at Odysseus. It truly was. Odysseus was an incredibly handsome man, and his wife was incredibly beautiful too (she’d visited the coffee shop only the once, but Persephone had been fawning over her ever since).Hades frowned when he looked between the flirting pair, but when Persephone fluttered her eyelashes at him instead, he smiled slightly. It was obvious he liked her constantly changing green eyes, but his bright purple ones were just as easy to get lost in.Odysseus sighed when the pair wouldn’t stop smiling each other, and he said, “Anyway, I must be returning to the wife. Besides, taking some time off for myself is a luxury these days. The Trojan gang are getting a little restless, and it’s a pain to deal with. Word on the street is any day now there will be a war.”“A war between gangs?” Persephone squeaked, and now she wasn’t squeezing Hades’ arm out of affection. She clutched it tightly as she stared up at Odysseus. A war between gangs sounded awful.“I am sure you will have nothing to worry about,” Hades assured Odysseus. “As long as you keep your best men on you, you will have nothing to fear.”“Unfortunately, our best man is currently at a boarding school on Mount Pelion,” Odysseus said. “Something about centaurs making better teachers. Anyway, good day to you, Lord Hades, Miss Persi.”“Don’t get lost!” Persephone called out as Odysseus left. He had a tendency to get lost. It was how he’d found Cassie’s Coffee in the first place.After that, Persephone declared it was time to play with Cerberus. They were at a dog park, after all. Only, Hades hadn’t brought any toys with him. In fact, he didn’t own any. Persephone scolded him and said he must make buying Cerberus some toys a priority, then they went to gather some sticks instead.“What do you think the other gods will say when they find out you’ve been seeing someone,” Persephone said as Hades tossed one of the sticks forward, and Cerberus bolted across the grass after it. She hadn’t been oblivious to the other park-goers that had been trying to sneak photos of her.“They can’t be any more bothersome then they are already about my relationship with Hecate,” Hades said as Cerberus came running back. When Persephone frowned at him, he added, “Not a relationship like that. The pantheon is obsessed with pairing us together, when we’re nothing about roommates. Whatever questions they ask me about you will not bother me, as long as your identity remains a secret.”“I wish it didn’t have to.” Persephone sighed. “I wish I was free to be whoever I wanted, and to see whoever I wanted, without having Mother worry too much.” “If you wish to tell your mother you refuse to remain a prisoner, I will be the first to support you,” Hades said as he wrestled the stick from Cerberus’ mouth. “Not even Zeus shall stop me.”“Maybe one day,” Persephone whispered, tucking a dark curl behind her ear as Hades handed her the stick. When she threw it, it didn’t go far, and Cerberus was back with the stick in only a few seconds.As Hades tossed the stick again, he said, “Do not forget that if any of the gods ever try to bother you, they will have me to answer to. I would fight the entire pantheon for you if I needed to. That is a promise.”Persephone’s heart fluttered again. No one had ever, ever said they would fight the entire pantheon for her. Not even Demeter, who preferred to keep Persephone hidden away from the other gods instead.“You would?” Persephone asked.“I would,” Hades repeated, with the same severe sincerity he had spoken with before. He smiled down at her, and she grinned back up at him. They may not have known each other for that long, but she knew her heart was never going to stop fluttering when around him.
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When Hades woke up early Sunday morning and checked his phone for daily reminders, he found a text Persephone had sent just gone midnight.Persephone: Happy one-month date anniversaryyyyyyy xxHades: Happy one-month date anniversary xxAh, yes, of course it was the one-month anniversary of their first date, when she had come to visit him in the Underworld for the first time. She had visited him in the Underworld three times now, with the latest time being the Friday prior to that Sunday morning. Hades did not think people usually celebrated the one-month anniversary of their first date, but he was not that well versed on relationships. If Persephone was excited about it, then he would be too. He hoped this was a good sign that she would visit him in the Underworld plenty more times in the future.However, the elated feeling that had arose from knowing they’d been dating for a full month did not last for long, not when Hades remembered what else that Sunday had in store for him.As god of the Underworld, Hades only thought it fair that he at least did one psychopomp shift a week, as Hecate did too. His shift was meant to be on Fridays, but since he had been with Persephone that last Friday, he had swapped shifts with Ker once again. That meant today was his psychopomp shift for that week.As he walked to work with Hecate, his phone buzzed, and he immediately checked it, despite the eye roll Hecate gave him.Persephone: Guess who convinced her mother to get some pomegranate juice! I’m going to be celebrating this anniversary in STYLE and she’ll NEVER KNOW!As Hades typed out his reply, congratulating her on managing to acquire some pomegranate juice, Hecate rolled her eyes again and said, “You know it’s rude to text when in company of others, right?”“That is rich coming from you,” Hades said, when he tucked his phone back into his jacket.“Yeah, but I’m me, so it’s different,” Hecate said, with a flick of her perfectly straight hair. “I’m the scariest bitch of the Underworld, so I can get away with anything.”“Nyx will contest with you on who the scariest goddess in the Underworld is,” Hades said. Nyx was pleasant most of the time, but her wrath was not something one wanted to occur. Not even Zeus would dare.“Okay, I’m the meanest bitch in the Underworld, then,” Hecate said, and she pursed her blood red lips. “And Nyx is not scary, trust me.”Once they’d dropped Cerberus off at the main gate, so he could take up his guard duties, Hades and Hecate bid each other farewell as they split ways. Hecate headed to the main building, where her and Hades’ offices were. As he was unavailable, it was up to her to manage the Underworld that day. Hades made his way to the building where the psychopomp department was housed.Outside the front door stood two figures. The taller figure had shaved the white hair on the left side of their head, but the black hair on their right was left a little longer and stuck out at every angle possible. They never used a hairbrush, ever. Their outfit was just a chaotic as their hair, with sleeves that were different lengths, shorts that were hot-pants on one leg but knee-length on the other, and shoes that did not match whatsoever.The second figure wasn’t much better. She had black and white hair like the other, but her hair was longer than the others, at was at least somewhat brushed, though she’d missed the back of her head. She was still in her pyjamas, over which she wore a bright pink hoodie. Her hoodie, along with her pink and white striped wellies was possibly the only bright colour in the whole of the Underworld. Well, that and the bright belts the previous figure wore.“Eris, you should not draw phalluses on the doors,” Hades said as he approached. The taller figure was grinning as she sketched on the front door. “You will get on Hecate’s bad side.“Hecate can’t stop me.” Eris snorted as she finished her current doodle. “I’m the kid of primordial gods.”Of course, as the first gods in existence, the primordial gods were feared by most. It was why Hades had corrected Hecate about who the scariest goddess of the Underworld was. Being the direct descendant of a primordial god was nothing to scoff at. Being the direct descendant of two primordial gods was something one should be extra wary of. Eris liked to constantly remind everyone they were not just the child of Nyx, but Erebus too. Her skin was closer to Erebus’ dark-grey tone than Nyx’s pure white.“Hecate is not scared of you,” Hades said.“Yeah, don’t care,” Eris said as they clicked the lid back onto their pen and shoved it into their pocket. “I’m literally strife. I’m supposed to cause chaos, and it’s great seeing the chaos my graffiti causes Hecate. She thought it was Hermes for so long!”As Eris cackled, Hades turned to the other goddess instead. “Lethe, please tell your mother to stop graffitiing the buildings.”“I won’t remember to,” Lethe said wistfully as she motioned to tuck her hair behind her ear but missed entirely. She didn’t react when her hair still fell in front of her face.Hades sighed. No one had known where Lethe had come from, only that Eris had once appeared with a young girl, declaring it was her daughter. She had named the girl Lethe, after the river of forgetfulness. Appropriate, seeing as Lethe barely remembered anything. It was why she always turned up to work in her pyjamas.“So, I hear you got a new plaything,” Eris said, deliberately standing in front of the door to prevent Hades from entering. “That’s why you’re psychopomping on Sunday again, yeah, yeah?”Hades merely sighed.“Can I see a photo?” Eris asked, and as Hades attempted to step around them, they stepped in front of him. “Come on, pretty please? Rumour has it she’s super pretty.”Hades frowned. “I am not sure how you have heard that.”Hades was well aware of the rumours currently spreading around Mount Olympus. Several blurry photos of Persephone had been posted online from their walk with Cerberus. Thankfully, his magic had prevented anyone from recognising her so far. For the last two weeks, many of the Olympians had been pestering him about his secret affair. Hades had immediately shut off his weekly work call with his brothers when they has started asking questions, and he had turned Athena away without a single glance at her when she had stomped into the Underworld demanding answers, for she was sure Odysseus knew and he was not telling her anything. Aphrodite had tried to invited Hades to dinner too. Hades always turned down invited from her.“I didn’t hear any rumours from Mount Olympus, if that’s what you’re asking,” Eris said. “No one there knows what she looks like. We heard from Mum, ‘cause she’d heard from Hecate, and Mum says that Hecate says that your new plaything is real pretty. I tried asking Hermes, but he wouldn’t tell me shit.”Hades sighed. There was a reason he preferred working the Friday psychopomp shift, when Eris and Lethe were working in soul ferrying with Charon. On Fridays it was only four gods working, including Hades. Moros kept mostly to himself, and Nemesis was mature and level-headed, as was expected from someone who micro-managed the judging department. Hermes was the final worker, and whilst he did not get along with Hades, he was dedicated to his work. This meant that no one asked questions on Friday. They all stuck to what they were meant to be doing, unlike Eris.Reluctantly, Hades pulled out his phone to show Eris a photo, only so they would stop pestering him. As Eris and Lethe leant over to peer at the photo, Eris said, “Wow, she really is pretty. Not as pretty as my Harmonia, though.”Hades frowned at the mention of Harmonia. Eris scowled right back at him.“Why’d you always gimme that look when I mention Harmonia, huh?” they asked.“Forgive me if I do not feel receptive towards someone who’s related to Aphrodite,” Hades said, finally stepping around Eris so he could enter the building. Every nymph he strode by nodded in respect.There was a reason he refused ever invite from Aphrodite. All the chthonic gods knew what had happened, and Hades had made sure no rumours had spread to Mount Olympus.“Harmonia ain’t her mother,” Eris said as she hurried after him. “And she had nothing to do with the incident?”“What incident?” Lethe asked as she followed behind, stumbling over her own feet.“The incident, you moppet,” Eris said. “Though, I wouldn’t put it behind you to forget the incident. You’d even forget your own name if I didn’t remind you every day.”“It’s… Lethe…” Lethe said. The hesitation was a little worrying.“Besides, Aphrodite didn’t even have anything to do with the incident,” Eris said, skipping beside Hades as they headed to the lift. “She doesn’t even know what happened. No one from Olympus does! If you would just give her a chance—”Hades stopped in the lift as the doors opened, then spun around and held his arms out to prevent Eris and Lethe from following behind. He wasn’t usually the type to get angry, but Eris knew how to push his buttons, and he scowled at her as he said, “We are done talking about this. If you are not quiet, you can take the stairs.”Eris pouted up at him. When Lethe nudged them with her elbow, Eris groaned and said, “Fine. No more talking about the incident. Your girl is still real pretty though.”Hades scowled at Eris for some time more, but dropped his arm when Lethe gave him her best pleading eyes and said, “I barely remembered to come to work today. Please, Uncle Hades, don’t make me late.”Hades sighed and let the pair into the lift. None of his actual nieces or nephews called him uncle, but Lethe always had, due to his status as Nyx’s and Erebus’ pseudo-son, and therefore Eris’ almost-brother.The group headed to the top floor, where they first went to the changing rooms. Whilst Hades went to the men’s room, Eris and Lethe went to the women’s. Eris has a habit of alternating between women’s and men’s bathrooms depending on their mood, but always went to the women’s changing rooms. Mostly it was to keep an eye on Lethe.The changing rooms on the top floor was only for the gods, whilst the nymphs’ space was on the floors below, so the rooms were small with only a few lockers. Hades frowned at the empty room before heading over to his locker and pulling out his uniform; black leather with jumpers up to their chins, and thick belt to attach bags to their hips, so they could carry essential supplies, such as emergency water—or ambrosia for particularly stressful days.Once he was dressed, he met Eris and Lethe out in the hallway. Wearing the psychopomp uniform was the only time Eris’ outfit wasn’t a chaotic, asymmetrical disaster, though the symmetry of the uniform brought out their uneven facial features; different sized eyes and thickness of eyebrows, their pointed ears sticking out in different directions, and a nose so crooked it appeared to have been broken several times, though it was entirely natural. Lethe’s features were oddly symmetrical, considering who her mother was.As it was only the two of them learnt against the wall in an identical manner, Hades asked, “No Apate?”“No Dolos either, I take it?” Eris asked.“No,” Hades said, and he sighed. Eris cackled, as she tended to do when he sighed.Whilst the nymphs and other beings employed in the psychopomp department managed themselves, the gods reported straight to Thanatos, whose office was also on the top floor, behind a door engraved with a huge skull. Hades held a hand in front of Eris to prevent them from simply strolling in, and he knocked before entering.Thanatos was sat behind his desk, tapping away at a laptop. He did not look up as he said, “Good morning, Lord Hades, Eris, Lethe. I was wondering if anyone was going to show up to work. Apate and Dolos are running late as it is.”Thanatos was a short man, at least in comparison with the other Underworld gods, with long black hair tied back into a ponytail. The area around his eyes were naturally black, which, combined with the pure white skin he’d inherited from his mother and the lines tattooed on his chin, resembled a skull. It went with his suit, which was decorated with a skeleton. Appropriate attire for the god of death.“I apologise for being late,” Hades said, even though he was technically a few minutes early. However, for Hades, that was late. “I was attempting to convince Eris to stop graffitiing the door. You will have to call maintenance later.”“Why must you make my job harder, sister?” Thanatos grumbled.“Ugh, don’t ‘sister’ me,” Eris said, with a hand pressed to their forehead as they mined fainting. “It’s ‘sibling’ today.”“All right, sibling,” Thanatos corrected, after giving a long, deep, sigh. If Hades has one thing in common with Thanatos, it was their love of sighing at the antics of those around them. That, and precious gems. Thanatos was well known for his fondness of this certain pair of skeleton earrings his always wore, with diamonds embedded into the bones.“I’ll have you know, Eris, the next time I have to pay to get that door cleaned it’s coming out of your pay cheque,” Thanatos said.“Don’t worry, Mother,” Lethe whispered, loud enough that everyone could hear. “I can share mine.”“It will come out of your pay cheque too, for encouraging them,” Thanatos said. Lethe simply blinked at him as she stared at him, completely gormless.“You can’t dock my pay,” Eris whined.“As the manager of the psychopomp department, I sure can,” Thanatos said as he leant back in his chair, one arm dangling over the back of it as he spun his pen around in his fingers. “And I’m sure I have Hades’ permission too.”“He does,” Hades said, and before Eris could whine again, he added, “and think on the positive side. Your annoyance at having your pay docked will only cause you chaos, and you will revel in it and feel revitalised.”“Oh, you are so right,” Eris said. They cackled again, then frowned. “Unfortunately, though, it’s Harmie’s birthday soon and I need to save up for a present.”Hades pressed his lips together and had to take a deep breath. Eris loved to bring up Harmonia whenever she could. It should have been a celebrated thing—the child of an Olympian dating the child of a chthonic god, the personification of harmony alongside the personification of strife—but neither the Olympians nor Hades were satisfied with the arrangement. Hades wished he would not be so bitter, but he had to vent his frustrations out on something. Unfortunately for Eris, they deliberately made themselves an easy victim.“Enough chat,” Thanatos said as he opened the top drawer of his desk. “Come get your scrolls and get to work. I have better things to do than argue about docking pay.” When Eris snickered, he added, “Don’t think I won’t argue about docking pay is necessary.”Eris groaned and rolled her eyes as Hades stepped forward first to collect his scroll. It was not a literal scroll, not as they had been back in the day. Rather the scrolls were a small tablet, and every psychopomp had one that listed all of their missions for that day. There had been a suggestion for an app instead, but not every nymph that worked in the department had a smartphone. In Lethe’s case, she would never remember to bring her phone to work.“What is the youngest today?” Hades asked as Thanatos handed him his scroll.“Two,” Thanatos replied bluntly.Hades nodded and said nothing. Collecting souls was grim enough as it was when only adults were involved but adding children’s souls into the equation made it even less unpleasant. Hades made sure to take as many young cases as he could when he was on shift. He ran the Underworld, after all, so it was only fair he took on that burden.“Off you go, then. I have things to do,” Thanatos said, waving the three of them away. As Death, he was unbothered by the collecting of souls. Most of his siblings were the same. As long as they were given cases that matched their domains—for example, Eris with the chaotic deaths, Ker with the violent deaths, and Oizys with the miserable deaths—they remained satisfied with their job.Before Eris could pick another argument with their brother, Hades dragged them and their daughter from the room. At the end of the hallway outside, there was a large, steel door locked behind a keypad. Once Hades had keyed in the code, he opened the door to reveal a swirling vortex of black air. It was designed to give a psychopomp a more corporal form. That way, it was easier to flit around to collect souls.“All right, see yeah later,” Eris said, and they saluted Hades before skipping through the doorway.“Good luck on your missions,” Lethe said, and she saluted Hades in a more half-hearted style before stumbling through the doorway after her mother.Hades sighed. With a deep breath, he stepped through the doorway, pulling the door shut behind him.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was Thursday afternoon, and Persephone was busy making drinks when Odysseus came into the shop. Usually, either Persephone or Psyche would serve at the till—Persephone because she was apparently the nicest, and Psyche because all the boys had a crush on her and it made up-selling easy—but as Persephone was in the middle of something, Arachne served Odysseus instead. As he was the last in line, it meant he was available for a chat.“Where’ve you been?” Arachne asked as she tapped in his order without asking. He was a regular, so they all knew his order by heart. Persephone was already readying the cup for when she’d finished making her current order.“Oh, it sounds like you’ve missed me,” Odysseus said as he leant one elbow against the counter. “I apologise; running a business can be stressful and busy.”Arachne snorted. “Understandable. Also, I don’t miss anyone. I just don’t like out usual boyish and annoying regulars more than our other regulars.”“I’m touched that you dislike me less than you like others,” Odysseus said as she handed back his change. Without looking, he put it into the tip jar next to him.“Yeah, well, you have a dog,” Arachne said, and she leant over the counter so she could peer through the front door, where Odysseus’s dog, Argo, was sat patiently at one of the outside tables.“Yes, and I hear Hades has also been coming here with his own dog,” Odysseus said. “You must truly be blessed to see a three-headed dog. It’s almost a three in one package.”“Ugh, don’t get me started on Hades,” Arachne said, and she scowled as she waved Odysseus over to Persephone’s side of the counter. “I would never pet a dog from hell in a million years.”Persephone, who had been listening in on Arachne’s and Odysseus’ chat, sighed as she returned to making drinks. She expected nothing less from Arachne.“I believe it’s a misconception that the Underworld is hell,” Odysseus said. “I assume you would get on Hades’ bad side if you referred to it as such.”Persephone didn’t imagine one would get on Hades’ bad side if they called the Underworld hell, but she definitely could imagine him painstakingly explaining the difference in the exasperated tone he typically reserved for when he was explaining he was the god of the dead, not death.“I don’t really care,” Arachne huffed. “I say gods shouldn’t be allowed here full stop, but Cassandra says Hades tips well, so there’s nothing we can do.”Gods shouldn’t be allowed here. Persephone sighed again.“What’s that downcast expression for?” Odysseus asked as he drifted over to Persephone’s side of the bar. He was in his typical laid-back attire, with his usual shorts and black beanie, but that day his vest shirt said home is where the heart is, but I lost mine at sea.“Oh, please don’t tell me you’re going to demand a smile like all the other men I have to serve,” Persephone said. She’d already handed off the previous set of drinks she’d been making, so she was now working on Odysseus’—a luxury hot chocolate, of course. “Legit the other day I was focused on making drinks, and a guy asked me why I wasn’t smiling. Because I’m focused on making your drink!”“I will fight him on your behalf the next time I see him, if that would please you,” Odysseus said as he leant against the bar. “And I was only asking because usually you’re rather cheerful. You don’t agree with Arachne’s view on gods?”He wore a slight knowing smile, which was fairly valid, in his defence. He had seen her with Hades in the dog park, exactly two weeks beforehand when she’d gone out with Hades after she had visited work. Of course, he’d think Persephone would disagree on Arachne’s views, especially when Hades was involved. She was dating him after all. Only, his knowing wasn’t entirely correct, seeing as he wasn’t aware that Persephone was a goddess herself.Persephone forced a fake smile, and she gave a half-hearted shrug as she finished off Odysseus’ drink, topped with extra whipped cream that day. She even filled a tiny cup with cream and said, “Don’t think I’ve forgotten Argo.”Odysseus’ eyebrows rose. “That’s a little more cream than usual.”“A thank you for being a gentleman,” Persephone said, and she winked.Hopefully Arachne, who was still in earshot, would see this as Persephone thanking Odysseus for offering to fight on her behalf. Really, she was thanking him for not telling anyone about her and Hades. By the way he smiled, he knew that was what she meant.When Odysseus had taken his drink to sit outside with Argo, Psyche skipped out from the back of house and chirped, “Persi, it’s time for your break now!”Persephone nodded, then grabbed herself a cup of water and waved goodbye to Psyche and Arachne as she rounded the corner to the back of house. After making her way around the boxes piled on the floor—no one had put away that day’s food delivery yet—she checked the fridge to see what food was available. Instead of throwing away food that has gone past their sell by date, the girls put it in a box out the back to eat the next day. Waste not want not, Cassandra would say. After picking out a yogurt with oats and cherries, Persephone headed to the office at the far end of the back of house.It was only a small place, with a computer a tiny table, a safe, and a microwave that they kept having to switch plugs with the printer, because there weren’t enough outlets in the room. Sat at the computer, typing out a few emails, was Cassie’s Coffee’s assistant manager, who was in charge on Thursday’s and Sunday’s, when Cassandra had her days off.Cassandra may have been the manager, but it was Merope that the younger girls saw as the resident barista mum. In all fairness, she was the only one that was married and with children, even though she didn’t look old enough. Well, she did look old enough (forty, maybe, but Persephone wasn’t the best at guessing ages) but Merope’s children were all Persephone’s age at least, and older too. Merope was either a lot older than she appeared or had kids at quite the young age.She had lightly tanned skin, almost like Hermes, and dark hair always pulled back into a Cinderella-esque bun. Unlike Cassandra, who rarely changed from a standard neutral expression, Merope was always smiling.“How has today been so far?” Merope asked as she paused in her email typing.“The usual. It’s going to get busier now Psyche is back from her break,” Persephone replied as she crouched by her bag to fish out the sandwiches she had made that morning. “Odysseus is here too.”“Oh, he hasn’t been here for a while,” Merope said as she turned her attention back to the computer. “I hope he’s doing well.”“Sounds it,” Persephone said as she sat down on the only chair at the tiny table, then she took her cup of water and poured a little of it into the plant pot in the middle of the table.Persephone had bought the plant to liven up the office, or that was what she had said. Really, it was because she liked to be around plants and flowers when she was relaxing. It certainly helped her calm down on her breaks after a busy period. The other girls had been curious as to how the plant had survived so long, when there was no sunlight in the office. Persephone always shrugged and said it must have been because she watered it every break. Really, it was because she used her magic to keep it alive, not that the others needed to know.Halfway through eating lunch, Arachne stomped into the office. Merope looked up in surprise and asked, “What’s wrong?”“Nothing, I’m just looking for some till roll,” Arachne said as she stepped up on her tip toes to look through the shelves.“Running out of till roll doesn’t require a scowl, dear,” Merope said.“Ugh, it’s just I want outside to pet Argo—Odysseus is here, by the way—and he brought up Hades again—Odysseus, I mean, not Argo—and I can’t help but be mad!” Arachne exclaimed, and Persephone automatically hunched her shoulders in response. “We can’t go a day without someone asking us about Hades. I wish we could go back to a god free zone. They shouldn’t be allowed here.”There it was again. The gods shouldn’t be allowed in the shop. Not that Persephone really blamed Arachne for her hatred of the gods. It wasn’t as if the gods were ever kind to humans, apart from a select few. Arachne was fully allowed to hate the gods, but that didn’t stop Persephone’s heart from breaking whenever Arachne mentioned it. It was worse now that Persephone was dating Hades, and she so wanted to defend him. Misunderstood by both gods and humans alike.But all Persephone could do was eat her lunch as she stared sullenly at the plant on the table. She couldn’t defend Hades, not when she couldn’t even defend herself. If she did, then Arachne would know she was a goddess, and Arachne would hate her. Persephone didn’t want any of her friends to hate her.“And then I might have accidentally mentioned how Athena’s the worst, and of course Odysseus somehow worship’s Athena so that was awkward,” Arachne huffed as she finally found the till roll. She spun around, aiming to leave. “As much as I’d like to whine, I can’t leave Psyche alone—wh-what happened to the plant?”Persephone blinked, then swore when she saw the plant in front of her had turned black and started to droop. She’d been staring at it so sullenly that she’d killed the poor thing.“Oh my gods, I’m sorry,” she squeaked, and she immediately reached for the plant and rejuvenated it, so it was alive and green once more. Silence filled the office.Oh, for the love of Olympus. Persephone must have lost her last few brain cells during her moping. What on Earth had she just done?“Persi… was that magic?” Arachne asked. Her mouth hung open as she dropped the till roll.“Yes, I mean no, oh my gods, ignore me,” Persephone babbled. “I didn’t mean to. Pretend you saw nothing. Oh my gods, maybe Hecate can wipe your memories.”“Hecate?” Merope asked, her eyebrows raised. “As in the goddess of witches?”Dammit, Dammit. Persephone was really digging herself into a deep, deep hole.“I’m sorry,” she mumbled again, and she stuffed the rest of her lunch into her bag. “I should go. Gods shouldn’t be here. Please tell Cassandra I’m sorry.”“P-persi, wait!” Arachne cried, but Persephone sprinted out the room.#It was only as Persephone trudged through the Underground that it dawned on her how badly she had messed up.Yes, she might have accidentally killed a plant in her misery, but she could have feigned ignorance. She could have played into Psyche’s theory that Persephone had a secret, magical father that had abandoned her and her mother. She could have pretended to be a demi-god or something who had only just discovered her magic. Arachne surely wouldn’t have hated her then. She wasn’t all too fond of demi-gods, but not on the same scale as her hatred of the gods. Demi-gods couldn’t help it, after all. Some of them were even worse off because of their status; case in point, every child of Zeus that Hera had tried to sabotage.But no, Persephone just had to go and panic. She couldn’t have been smart; she had to be an idiot and revive the dead plant. Then, to make it worse, she had run away instead of bothering to defend herself.Both Psyche and Odysseus had asked if she was okay, and she had muttered something about a family emergency. Psyche had said she’d see Persephone on Monday, then, and Persephone had hurried away without another word. That was if she was still going to be allowed to work at Cassie’s Coffee.It was only a matter of time before Persephone had found herself on a bus to the Underground. Now she was trudging through the city in the direction of the Underworld, and she was already regretting her choice. She had only wanted to talk to someone who would understand her, and all three of Hades, Hecate, and Hermes worked in the Underworld. The key word being worked, of course. Unless Cerberus needed a walk, then they would all be busy, especially Hermes as psychopomping was notoriously time consuming.But Persephone couldn’t just waltz into the Underworld and lament to Hades about what she had done. They hadn’t been dating that long, only a little over a month now. She had no right to barge into his workplace and demand his time and attention. Especially since he was a king, and an extremely powerful god, and she was a twenty-three-year-old mess.To make it even worse, she hadn’t changed out of her uniform before rushing away. She had stuffed her apron into her bag, but she needed a place to get changed out of the rest of her uniform. Guaranteed, the rest of her uniform was all black—compulsory black polo shirt, and s skirt to her knees—so she certainly fit into the gothic Underworld far more than she would normally.That didn’t stop people from staring at her, of course. Maybe she should stop standing in the middle of the street, wiping at her teary eyes. She should really head home before someone important found her—“Well, well, well, what have we here?” someone chortled behind her. “A spring goddess, huh? Ooh, I’m really scared!”Persephone squeaked and spun around. Behind her, there were two people. One was a young woman with long, pale blonde hair that fell past her hips. Almost everything about her was perfectly symmetrical, from her white dress, to the way her hair curled. Her deep pink eyes were eerily familiar.The other person, whom Persephone assumed was a woman too, but she couldn’t be sure, had deep grey skin and pointed ears. They weren’t dressed symmetrically at all. Half their hair was spikey and black, whilst the other half was shaved and white. Their eyes were different sizes, and their nose was crooked, and their sleeves and shorts were different lengths. It seemed they’d picked their outfit out in the dark, because nothing matched.The one that had spoken was the grey-skinned one, and they skipped forward as they continued to sing, “So you’re the one that everyone’s talking about!”“I’m sorry,” the blonde one said, and she smiled pleasantly. “That’s one of their favourite songs from one of their favourite movies, so you have to excuse them.”“Oh, um, I know that one…” Persephone said as she clutched her hands to her chest, wishing desperately to disappear. “The Christmas film, right?”“If you know it, then sing it with me!” the grey-skinned one said, and they took Persephone’s hands as they spun her around. “You’re joking, you’re joking, I can’t believe my eyes. You’re joking me, you gotta be, this can’t be the right guy! Or girl, I’d hate to misgender, y’know.”“Girl is fine…” Persephone said when they’d stopped spinning. She tried to shake her head clear, but only made herself feel worse.“I’m sorry,” the blonde one said again, and she was still smiling pleasantly. “They are compelled to cause chaos wherever they go.”“It’s fine,” Persephone said as she took a step back. The last thing she wanted was to be dragged into a mess with two strangers in the Underground city, not when no one was supposed to know she was there. “And you two are…?”“Oh, I’m Eris, if you couldn’t tell,” the grey-skinned one said, and they flashed Persephone a crooked grin. “This here is my girlfriend, Harmonia.”Persephone’s heart dropped right into her stomach. No wonder why Harmonia’s blonde hair and deep pink eyes had felt familiar. They were the same as Aphrodite’s. Persephone had never met Harmonia, but she had met Aphrodite several times, and she knew Aphrodite had a daughter named Harmonia.The thing was, Aphrodite was close friends with none other than Demeter, and Persephone only really knew Aphrodite from her visits to their house. Now Harmonia had seen Persephone in the Underworld, and was surely going to recognise her face, just as Persephone had recognised hers. She would tell Aphrodite that she had seen Persephone in the Underworld, and Aphrodite would tell Demeter, and Persephone would be in so much trouble that she wouldn’t even be able to call herself Persephone anymore. She would have to go back to Kore. She was so doomed.“Oh dear, why do you look so frightened?” Harmonia asked.“Please don’t tell Mother you saw me here,” Persephone begged. Her hands were shaking. She hadn’t been this terrified since her first meeting with Hades, but this time she had no extra whipped cream to bribe them with. “Please don’t tell her, I can’t get in trouble, otherwise I’ll never be able to go outside again…”Go outside to do what, though? Work in the coffee shop? Persephone had already messed that up. For the love of Olympus, Persephone might as well go and throw herself into Tartarus before everything got even worse.“Uh, why would we tell your mother we saw you here?” Eris said, and they snorted. “You’re Hades’ girl. If I got you into trouble, he’d make my job miserable, trust me.”“I-I’m not his g-girl,” Persephone stammered, and her eyes were stinging. She’d already been trying her best not to cry, and this wasn’t helping. “But we are dating—w-wait. You know?”“Uh, of course I know,” Eris said, and they snorted again. “Hecate told Mum that Hades was dating someone, because she tells Mum everything, and I overheard Mum talking about you, so I pestered Hades to show me a photo of you! Don’t worry, none of us are gonna tell the Olympians. We’re like family down here, so I’m not about to get someone who’s kinda, basically my dorky brother in trouble, right?”“Right,” Persephone said, and her eyes darted to Harmonia.Harmonia only smiled. “I would never tell, not if you don’t want me to. Besides if I maliciously spilled another’s secrets, I would tire myself out by the end of the day. My domain is harmony; therefore, I must keep everything in order to keep myself feeling well.”Persephone supposed that made sense, but it did nothing to calm her super-fast heartbeat.“Come on,” Eris said, their hands on their hips. “We should prolly get inside somewhere, in case anyone outside our little family circle recognises you.”“Your family circle isn’t little,” Harmonia said.“I know, Harmie, I know,” Eris said, and they clamped their hand over Harmonia’s mouth. Even beneath Eris’ hand, it was obvious Harmonia was still smiling pleasantly. “Anyway, we should go. You kinda look like you’re about to cry.”“I’ve had a really bad day, that’s all…” Persephone said. “I wanted to speak to Hades about it, but I feel bad for disturbing him…”“Well, we’ll have to try and make your day un-bad then, until Hades is available to do it for us, right, Harmie?”Harmonia wriggled free from Eris’ grasp, and smiled at Persephone. “I cannot have you being inharmonious, otherwise you might make me sleepy. I will gladly help put your day back in order, if you wish.”“Excellent,” Eris said, and they wrapped their arm around Persephone’s shoulder and started to steer her down the street. “Y’know, it was about time I paid Mum a visit. Besides, I’m sure she would love to meet you.”“Mum?” Persephone asked, and then she gasped, because she knew exactly who Eris’ mother was. A goddess far, far, far more powerful than Hades and Hecate combined, who was rumoured to be the only woman Zeus was scared of. “Wait, you don’t mean…?”“You know who I mean.” Eris grinned. “How’d you fancy having tea with Nyx?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“So, if you don’t mind me asking, how long have you been girlfriends?” Persephone asked as she was led down the streets of the Underground, sandwiched between Eris and Harmonia.“Oh, we’re not girlfriends,” Eris said.“But I thought you said…?”“I said Harmonia is my girlfriend, but I’m not hers,” Eris said, and they grinned at Persephone’s confused expression. “Though I am many things to Harmonia, depending on our moods. Lover, partner, consort, unmarried spouse, something more gender neutral, y’know?”“Eris, darling, you are Strife,” Harmonia said. “There’s nothing about you that’s neutral.”“That’s why I like being unmarried spouse, because the oxymoron really confuses people and I get a good laugh out of it,” Eris said, and they cackled whilst Harmonia giggled.When they’d quietened down, Harmonia said, “As for how long we’ve been together, how old are you, Persephone?”“Um, twenty-three?” Persephone said, phrasing it more like a question due to her confusion of how her age related to Eris and Harmonia.“Then we have been together for twenty-three years,” Harmonia said. “I specifically remember Demeter was pregnant with you at the time.”Dear Olympus. Harmonia barely looked older than Persephone, but she’d been dating Eris for longer than Persephone had even been alive. Not that Persephone should be surprised by the ages of literal immortal gods. Even Hermes, who Persephone was closest too out of the pantheon, was over a decade older, and she forgot about that a lot since he also looked roughly her age.She sighed. But that was life as a young goddess. At least she wasn’t the youngest; that honour went to Dionysus, whom she had never met, even though he was literally being raised by her best friend.It didn’t take long before they were stood in front of a large, gothic house, with a star and a moon engraved on the front doors. Everywhere about the Underground and the Underworld was dark, and Persephone was accustomed to it by now, but something about this place seemed a tad too dark, and she gulped as they approached the doors.“Mother!” Eris cried as they kicked open the front door. Persephone squeaked, but Harmonia only smiled. “I come with guests!”As the three of them made their way into the large, dark entrance hall, with Harmonia closing the front door behind them, someone called out, “That’s excellent, my little nightling. We’re in the drawing room!”Of course, Persephone thought, a place as fancy as this would have a drawing room.Eris and Harmonia led her to the drawing room, which was just as large, gothic, and dark as the rest of the house, and they ushered Persephone over to the two people who were playing chess by a purple stain glass window.The first was a frighteningly beautiful woman, and she had pure white skin that blended with her pure white dress. Her hair was completely out of the ordinary and didn’t look like hair at all. It was midnight black and floated around her, with tiny wisps constantly breaking away. Not to mention the constellations of twinkling stars decorated the strands.The next was a man who was also frighteningly beautiful, and he had charcoal grey skin, darker than even Eris’. He wore a black suit, with white highlights, and his hair was so dark there weren’t any highlights on it at all. In fact, it was as if his hair absorbed the light, and his hair even blurred around the edges slightly.The woman, who had been sat on the white side of the chess board, beamed as she stood up. “Oh, you must be Persephone! I am Nyx, and this here is my consort, Erebus.”Erebus smiled and nodded. “It is good to meet you, Persephone.”“A-and same here,” Persephone said, and she thought she might faint. So, these were Nyx and Erebus, the primordial gods of night and darkness. That would explain the strange hair; Nyx was said to have hair of literal night, and Erebus had hair of literal darkness.“Oh, dear, you look like you need to sit down,” Nyx said, and she waved her hand at her empty seat. “Please, feel free.”“Oh, no,” Persephone said, and she adamantly shook her head. “I can’t. I shouldn’t even be here. I’m no one and you’re a primordial! I’m really sorry for intruding!”“A no one? Do not be ridiculous,” Nyx said, and she cupped Persephone’s face so she could kiss her, and when she pulled back, she smiled. “You are family now, yes? Beloved of Hades and Hecate. There always comes a day when one is to meet their partner’s parents.”“Parents?” Persephone asked as she blinked up at Nyx. Olympus, she was pretty tall. And her midnight black eyes were distracting; one had a star in them, and one had a moon.“Not literally,” Nyx said. “But Erebus and I consider Hades and Hecate our own.”“Didn’t I say he was like an annoying brother?” Eris asked.“Actually,” Harmonia said, “you referred to him as your dorky brother.”“Harmonia, it has been a while,” Nyx then said, and she kissed Harmonia, then she kissed Eris. “You do need to bring Harmonia here more often.”“Yeah, I would, if a certain someone was a little more welcoming of her,” Eris said, and they rolled their eyes. “Well, Mum, we found Persephone out here on her own, and she was like kinda crying so we brought her here, to cheer her up!”Persephone’s cheeks burned. They really didn’t need to tell Nyx, of all the gods and goddesses, that she had been crying.“Oh, my little nightling, we cannot have that,” Nyx said. “How about you tell us what has upset you over a game of chess? Chess is an excellent way to relax.”“I, um, I’ve never played chess,” Persephone mumbled. She didn’t play many games back at home, apart from the odd solo card game.“Then we will have to fix that,” Nyx said, and she made a shooing action at Erebus.“But,” he said, “we have not finished our own game.”“Nonsense,” Nyx said, and she rearranged the pieces on the board. “Tada! I win! Now, Erebus, be a dear and fetch us some ambrosia.”“I don’t really drink ambrosia,” Persephone said. Dear Olympus, could she get any more awkward? “But I wouldn’t mind some pomegranate juice if you have any.”“Of course, we have some pomegranate juice, it is Hades’ favourite, after all,” Nyx said. “Come on, Erebus, dear. The pomegranate juice cannot wait!”Erebus rolled his eyes, in an almost identical manner to Eris, and stood up. “Yes, Your Majesty. Pomegranate juice coming right up.”As Erebus left, the room brightened a little, and Nyx ushered Persephone down into Erebus’ seat as she took her own again, and Eris and Harmonia pulled up their own chairs so they could watch the game.Whilst Nyx taught Persephone the rules, Persephone went over what had happened at Cassie’s Coffee, and how Arachne had every right to be made with the gods, but Persephone had gotten upset anyway, and then she had run away without explaining anything. She possibly couldn’t even go back to work now, and her heart ached at the thought. The girls there were some of her only friends, and she might not be able to see them again.“I thought about talking to Hades, I guess because he’s kinda involved,” Persephone said as she moved one of her chess pieces. “But I feel bad about bothering him. It’s not like we’ve been dating for long, and I can’t just demand a king’s attention when he’s working, right?”“Don’t be silly,” Nya said as Erebus returned with a tray of pomegranate juice. “Erebus, please be a dear again and fetch my phone so I can text Hecate. I left it upstairs.”“I see I am the errand boy today,” Erebus said, and Nyx blew him a kiss as he left the room again.“But I said I didn’t want to bother them!” Persephone squeaked.“You said you didn’t want to bother Hades, actually,” Harmonia said.“Harmonia is right,” Nyx said, and despite being the literal night, her smile was rather warm. “Now, my little nightling, let us drink our juice and finish our game of chess. We cannot cheer you up if you are too busy dwelling on misery now, can we?”“Oh, alright…” Persephone said, and she managed a tiny smile of her own.It turned out it was fairly difficult to beat Nyx at chess. But Persephone refused to let that stop her, and she persevered until she could throw her hands up in the air with glee.“I won!” she said. Nyx smiled. “I said you would get the hang of it in the end.”“For a beginner, you’ve done super well,” Eris said, and they rocked back on their chair. “Only Dad, Hades, or Hecate can ever beat Mum.”“It is because Nyx went easy on you that you won,” Harmonia explained. “I saw her deliberately make a few wrong moves.”“Harmie, I love you,” Eris said, “but your schtick of telling the truth can be irritating.”“I’m sorry,” Harmonia said, and she smiled innocently. “I have to be harmonious with myself, since it is my domain, but since chaos is your domain, you can revel in how irritating I accidentally am.”“Oh,” Eris said, and they started cackling. “That is a fair point.”Erebus, who had left the room when there had been a knock on the front door, cleared his throat. “Ladies, and Eris, we have another guest.”“Hades!” Persephone exclaimed.“I heard you were upset,” Hades said as he crossed the room. When he reached the others, his gaze momentarily settled on Harmonia, and he frowned.“Good afternoon, Lord Hades,” she said, and she smiled.“Good afternoon,” Hades mumbled.“Oh, he said good afternoon to me!” Harmonia exclaimed.“Yeah, only ‘cause he wants to be polite in front of his lady,” Eris said as they stood up. They picked Harmonia up from her chair and slung her over their shoulder. “I’m sure you can take it from here. We should be heading back home to check Lethe hasn’t burned the house down. You know what she’s like; always forgetting to turn off the over.”Eris spun around and strode from the room. Harmonia, still slung over their shoulder, giggled and waved goodbye to Persephone. Persephone blinked.“What was that about?” she asked, recalling when Eris had said that they would have brought Harmonia around more often if a certain someone was more welcoming of her. That certain someone couldn’t be Hades, surely?“Oh, do not worry yourself over that, little nightling,” Nyx said.“Are you feeling better now?” Hades asked as he sat down in Eris’ seat.“A little. I guess I was distracted by Nyx and chess,” Persephone said. “Chess and pomegranate juice will do that to you, huh? But really, you didn’t have to come. I know you’re super busy with the Underworld, and I don’t want to distract you from work.”“We are dating, are we not? What kind of partner would I be if I ignored you when you were upset?” Hades asked. “Besides, after the numerous times Hecate lets herself be distracted from work, it is only fair I repay the favour. She is currently covering me.”“That might be my fault.” Nyx chuckled. “I do text her a lot.”“You do, please do not…” Hades said, and he sighed when Nyx chuckled again. “That aside, what is wrong, Persephone?”“You remember Arachne, right?”“The black-haired one you work with?”Persephone nodded, and her eyes were already stinging again, not to mention her throat. She had to grab the glass of pomegranate juice Eris had left behind and gulp it down.Persephone once again recounted what had happened with Arachne, and Hades frowned. “That could be an issue. If you wish, I can get Hecate to erase their memories. They would be none the wiser.”“No!” Persephone exclaimed. “I mean, I appreciate the offer, but I can’t do that to my friends… I would rather them refuse to speak to me forever then mess with their—”Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out to check who had messaged her, and she froze as she read the name.“Is everything okay?” Hades asked.“It’s…” Persephone gulped. “It’s Arachne.”#That was how, the next morning, Persephone found herself stood in front of The Dusty Chimpanzee. Arachne had called the day before, asking if Persephone was still cool for their meet up on Friday. As Persephone lurked in the entrance way, she pulled out her phone.Persephone: Okay, so I’m here.Hades: Good luck.Persephone: What if they hate me???????Hades: You said yourself that Arachne sounded apologetic on the phone. She is your friend, and I do not think she hates you. Trust me. I know what it is like to be hated. You will be fine.Persephone: Okay okay I’m going in wish me luck again???Hades: Good luck.Hades: xxPersephone cracked a tiny smile at the kisses, then sent some of her own before she took a deep breath and stepped inside.“Persi!” Psyche called out, and she waved Persephone over to their usual table in the corner. Both she and Arachne were already there, and whilst Psyche was her typical, perky self, Arachne took one look at Persephone, then looked away, her face bright red.“Hey…” Persephone cautiously sat down at the table. “Have you ordered yet?“Nope,” Psyche said. “But I have the order ready on the app, want me to press send?”Persephone and Arachne nodded, and Psyche sent off the order with a flourish, then she leant forward against her elbows and stared expectantly at the other two.“So, um, what did you guys want to talk about?” Persephone asked.“Oh my gods, was that really your boyfriend we heard you talking to on the phone?” Psyche asked. Of course, her eyes twinkled at the prospect of Persephone having a partner.“Yes, but I’ll get to him in a minute—”“Oh, come on, Persi. You can’t keep us hanging,” Psyche said, and she nudged Arachne with her elbow. “Right, Arachne?”“Right,” Arachne mumbled.“So please,” Psyche said.Persephone sighed and kept her voice hushed as she said, “He’s called Hades, okay?”There was a moment of silence, then Psyche exclaimed, “You mean the Hades!?”“Keep it down,” Persephone hissed when several of the closest tables looked their way. They probably thought her some Hades worshipper, which, to be fair, she supposed was kinda true. “Yes, the Hades.”“As in god of the Underworld Hades?”“King of the Underworld Hades,” Persephone corrected. “But yes, that one.”“Oh my gods,” Arachne whispered. “I was trash talking your boyfriend; no wonder why you were upset. He’s going to smite me now isn’t he…”“No, he’s not. He understands why mortals would hate him, and why mortals would hate gods in general,” Persephone said. She paused before adding, “We both do.”“Both…?” Arachne said.“Well,” Persephone said, and she took in a deep breath. “I’m a goddess too.”Arachne stared with wide eyes, whilst Psyche gasped and exclaimed, “You’re a—!”“Please, keep it down,” Persephone said, and Psyche clamped her lips shut and nodded. “Let me… let me explain from the beginning, okay?”With a sigh, Persephone launched into her story. She told them how she was Kore, daughter of Demeter, and no, Psyche, she did not have a mysterious magical father; goddesses didn’t need fathers. She told them how she was trapped inside, so she picked up the name Persephone—bringer of wisdom or death, whichever one preferred. Then she came to work at the coffee shop, shortening her name to Persi.“Oh my gods,” Psyche said. “That’s why you can’t work weekends.”Arachne, who looked like she might start crying any second now, said, “I’m really sorry about trash talking the gods…”“You don’t have to be, the gods do suck, but thank you anyway,” Persephone said. “Though you should know that Zeus is the worst, not Athena.”“Unfortunately, Athena is already my arch-nemesis…” Arachne said as she started to aimlessly nudge the menus lying across the table.“You’re still gonna work at Cassie’s Coffee, right?” Psyche asked.“Obviously,” Persephone said. “But you can’t let anyone know. If Mother finds out, I’m in big trouble.”“Not telling anyone,” Psyche chirped.“But you should tell Merope,” Arachne said. “She was worried about you.”“But, all that aside, we’ve got something more important to talk about,” Psyche said, and she grinned as she leant across the table. “You started dating Hades after he visited the shop, right? It’s like your own coffee shop AU.”“A little, yeah,” Persephone said, and she smiled. “He’s really not what you think, either. He’s actually a huge softie, and a big dork. He only puts up a persona of being scary when outside the Underworld, but down there he’s such an adorable awkward mess.”“Oh wow,” Psyche said. “We love to see adorkable scary kings.”“Hey, how about I send him a selfie to show we’ve made up?” Persephone asked.“You mean you really don’t hate me?” Arachne asked.“No, silly,” Persephone said. “Come on!”So, they took a selfie, just as their drinks arrived, though they had to retake it several times to get an angle they all agreed on. Persephone then sent it to Hades, who replied that he was pleased that she had made up with her friends. Then he sent his own selfie, asking if he was ‘doing it right’ only the photo was taken at a pretty terrible angle, which made him look more corpse-like than usual.“You’re right, he’s a dork,” Psyche said. “Tell him he did a good job.”“You can’t lie,” Arachne said. “Tell him he did a bad job.”Persephone giggled as the typed out her reply.Persephone: I’ll have to teach you my secrets, but you did alright for a first try xHades: Thank you.Hades: xx
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The worst part of Hades’ month was always the work call with his brothers. Currently, he was leaning back in his seat as he scowled at his screen. Both Zeus and Poseidon were also leaning back in their seats. Zeus was in his typical white suit. Poseidon was shirtless as always, and he was using a knife to open to pry open a plate of mussels.“Come on, don’t be shy,” Poseidon said as he popped a mussel into his mouth, and so the next part of his sentence was said whilst chewing. “Tell us about the human you were with.”Hades held back a grimace as Poseidon pried open another mussel. Hades had never particularly been one for seafood—it was mostly the smell that bothered him—so watching Poseidon chew away on the mussels was not something Hades had ever been fond of.“I do not know what you are talking about,” Hades said as he crossed his arms.“Oh, sure you don’t,” Poseidon said, and he rolled his eyes. “Almost all of Olympus is talking about it. Rather, whispering about it. To be frank, no one wants to get on your bad side, so they like to speak quietly, lest they incur your oh so terrible wrath.”And Hades’ wrath was terrible, when he desired it to be so, but rarely did that come to be. He much preferred to deal with issues in a civil manner, and down in the Underworld he typically did just that. Yet, still he was somehow the ‘scary’ one of the three brothers.“It has been spreading amongst the humans for a while now that you were spotted with one of them,” Zeus said, his voice rather mellow at the moment. Judging by how his suit was still white, and had not darkened, he had yet to be put in a bad mood.“Something about a dog park,” Poseidon said. “Sounds like an exciting place to be.”Hades remained quiet for a moment, and his jaw clenched as he attempted to piece together the most sensible reply to give. Eventually, he said, “Cerberus grows tired of the Underground’s environments, so I commonly take him to Neo-Macedonia for a change in scenery. I simple met a young, attractive person whilst I was out and invited them to join me on my walk.”“I’m sure they were willing,” Poseidon said as he cracked open another mussel. Hades was unable to hold back his grimace that time. He was not the one that pestered innocent women against their wills, unlike his brothers.“I must admit, I am curious about who they are,” Zeus said, his voice still mellow. He barely sounded interested in Hades’ affairs, but yet he asked anyway.“I am not about to tell you their identity,” Hades said. “There is a reason I deliberately hid it from others’ perceptions. I won’t have you stalk some poor, innocent human.”“At least tell us their gender,” Poseidon said. “What do you think, Zeus? Man or woman?”Zeus paused before saying, “Man.”“Really? I think women,” Poseidon said as he reached for another mussel, but then he frowned when he saw he had cracked open his last one.“You are gods; learn to think outside the binary choices,” Hades said, but his brothers did not appear bothered by this. “And enough of my apparent romantic affairs. I am sure there are more important things we should be discussing.”As soon as he said this, Hades’ office door flung open and Hecate strutted in, though she did not look up from whoever she was texting. Before he could scold her for not knocking, she said, “I came at the right time. I do have more important things to discuss.”“Hecate, I am on call with my brothers,” Hades said, and Hecate smiled wickedly, but not in the joyous wicked way she tended to do. She tucked her phone into her pocket, placed her clipboard on his desk, then stood behind his chair. When she leant down, so she was eye level with his laptop’s camera, a few strands of her always perfectly straight hair fell loose.“Hecate,” Zeus said slowly. “Do not interrupt our calls.”“I will interrupt whatever I want,” Hecate said, her blood red eyes widening as she continued to smile. She did not blink as she blew a black bubble into the camera and let it pop. “Or would you prefer to whine to Nyx instead of me?”Zeus’ eyebrows creased, and his white suit darkened to a slight grey.“I thought not,” Hecate said, and, before either Zeus or Poseidon had a chance to say anything else, she slammed Hades’ laptop shut.“Hecate, please,” Hades said, and he sighed.“Hades, please,” she said as she stood up straight, and she blinked once as she brushed her hair back into place. “They know not to call you on Fridays. It’s supposed to be your psychopomp shift—if you’re not spending time with Persephone, that it. I always hated your brothers. They never consider that we have jobs to do.”“You are not the only one that hates them.”“Yes, but we know I hate them the most,” she said as she opened his top desk drawer and pulled out his glasses. “Silly, you know you should wear your glasses when on call.”He stayed still as she put them on him, and when she stepped back, he said, “You only claim to hate my brothers the most because you are worse at controlling your temper.”She tipped her head to the side and smiled. He stared up at her, unflinching. Eventually, she blinked again, and she rolled her eyes as she perched on the corner of his desk and said, “Whatever.”“What important things do you wish to discuss?” Hades asked as he picked up her clipboard and examined her notes, but they were her usual work notes.“Oh, not that.” Hecate plucked her clipboard from his hands. “That’s some boring stuff I’m trying to organise for Charon. You know how it is in Soul Ferrying. Everyone loves to be a hassle.”“Apate and Dolos being bothersome again?”“When are they not bothersome?” Hecate asked as she waved her clipboard through the air. “Anyway, what I came to talk about—”“Pardon me for a minute,” Hades said as his phone screen lit up. It was face up on his desk, though it had been on silent whilst he was on call with his brothers. The screen now told him he had a message from Persephone.Hecate rolled her eyes and looked over his shoulder as he checked the message, which was a photograph—selfie, if Hades remembered the word correctly—of Persephone and her two friends from work, whilst they were having breakfast out at their local restaurant. The pink-haired one was grinning, and even the black-haired one was smiling slightly, whilst Persephone herself beamed at the camera.“Aw, aren’t they all cute,” Hecate said as Hades tapped out a reply that he was pleased Persephone had made up with her friends, after the mishap from the day before, when she’d accidentally revealed she was a goddess. “Wait, Hades, what in the Underworld are you doing?”“Taking a selfie, as you call them,” Hades said as he snapped a picture of himself, and then sent it to Persephone asking is he was doing it correctly.Persephone: I’ll have to teach you my secrets, but you did alright for a first try xHades: Thank you.Hades: xx“She means you suck,” Hecate said as she read his texts. Hades frowned at her, and she blew her bubble gum into his face. “What? You got the angle all wrong. It doesn’t really help that you’re not exactly photogenic.”Hades’ frown only deepened. “You do not need to be insulting.”“Would you prefer if I lied?” Hecate asked, an eyebrow raised. When Hades did not reply, she said, “I thought not. I can teach you my secrets later, but right now, can we please go back to what I was trying to say?”“If we must,” Hades said. “But be quick. I need to return to my psychopomp shift soon.”“Nyx wants all the kids to come to dinner tonight,” Hecate said.“Is that it?”“Is that it! Don’t sound so unimpressed,” Hecate said, and she slapped Hades on the shoulder. “When was the last time we were all around hers? You know how much of a hassle it is to get everyone to dinner. Someone always has work.”“Someone would not always have work is a certain few did not insist on working overtime,” Hades said. Even he did not work overtime, unless absolutely necessary. He made sure every department employed enough workers for a reason, but still a few of the gods in charge kept working when they did not need to.“So, dinner?” Hecate asked. “Fancy dinner where everyone dresses like movie stars? Apart from Eris, of course, because they suck. Seriously, I don’t care if they’re Strife. Their fashion sense is the worst.”“At least they remember to get dressed in the morning, unlike Lethe,” Hades said, and he leant back in his chair as he contemplated how to handle dinner at Nyx and Erebus’.It was Friday, so Thanatos—and therefore Hypnos, as his twin—would be particularly bothersome, as would the Fates. Maybe he could postpone the dinner to Saturday evening instead, when the Fates had a day off, but Thanatos would still be bothersome, and Charon worked weekends so he would be bothersome in placement of the Fates. Hades sighed.“Whilst I return to my psychopomp shift, can you organise the others for dinner tonight? And tell them no is not an answer, lest they wish to upset their mother,” Hades said as he stood up, and he took off his glasses and hooked them over the collar of his waistcoat. “I will talk to Thanatos. Hermes is also working today, so he may be willing to work a few more hours.”Hecate snorted. “Hermes loves to slack off. He would never be willing.”“He will be if I promise he gets an extra day off next week.”Hecate groaned. “Hermes doesn’t deserve an extra day off. You know we just had to place a new order for glasses in the bar because they keep going missing.”Hades only sighed. Hecate did too.#Somehow, Hecate was successful in getting the others—via bullying them, Hades was sure—all to come to dinner at Nyx’s. Thankfully, Hermes had accepted Hades’ offer, albeit reluctantly. And so, after work, Hades and Hecate returned home to get changed, before they headed out to dinner.It was hard to ‘dress like a movie star’ when Hades regularly wore outfits that cost thousands. In the end he settled on a simple suit, bow tie, and a purple shirt. Hecate had opted for a black backless dress to her knees, with red silk gloves to her elbows. How she managed to wear gloves when her nails were long and sharp, Hades did not know.As Hades and Hecate approached Nyx’s manor, two others walked ahead of them. Hecate pulled her arm free from Hades’, then slipped up behind the other two. Somehow, her heels remained entirely silent.“How’s my favourite twins?” Hecate asked as she put her hands on their shoulders. Both of them jumped and spun around, then gave her identical frowns.Thanatos was still in his typical suit, with the skeleton printed on the front. Next to him stood Hypnos, who was still in his favourite black jumper, decorated in a red poppy pattern. Just like his twin brother, Hypnos also had pure white skin, with the area around his eyes turning black. He had the same golden eyes, and even the same fringe. In fact, Thanatos and Hypnos looked so alike, it would have been almost impossible to tell them apart if Hypnos hadn’t cut his hair to his chin, and Thanatos didn’t have lines tattooed on his chin.“That almost woke me up,” Hypnos said, and he yawned. Since the gods needed to actively work in their domains or suffer from tiredness and exhaustion, Hypnos was in a rather unfortunate position—or fortunate depending on one’s opinion. As the god of sleep, he was going to be tired no matter whether he practised his domain or not.“I highly doubt we’re your favourite twins,” Thanatos said, his arms crossed.“Well, you are the least annoying, so you’re automatically my favourites,” Hecate said, and she stood back to smooth down her dress. “But you’re only my favourite chthonic twins. My true favourite twins are Artemis and Apollo, clearly.”“Clearly,” Hypnos said, and he yawned again. “Though, if you wish to be deceitful, you should get lessons from Apate and Dolos.”“My least favourite twins? No thank you,” Hecate said, and she slipped her arm back through Hades’ as he came to stand next to her. “I’m good with my sarcastic lies. Enough of that, though. What in the Underworld are you still doing in your normal clothes?”As Hypnos pulled at his jumper and frown at it, Thanatos crossed his arms and said, “We came straight from work. There was no time to get changed.”Hecate narrowed her eyes down at Hades. “When you left work, did you not check to make sure Thanatos was following you?”“Thanatos was busy with Hermes, so I did not stay to check,” Hades said.“I had to make sure he wasn’t going to steal all my office supplies when I was gone,” Thanatos added.“Ugh. I hope everyone else looks fancy or I dressed up for nothing,” Hecate said, and she pulled Hades on ahead with her. “You know it is not often I get to wear nice dresses.”“You could wear them to work,” Hades said.“Yes, but if I wore them every day, they would feel less special,” Hecate retaliated.When the four of them entered the manor, they were greeted by a scream as Eris bolted out of the drawing room, followed by Lethe. Lethe was at least wearing a smart dress, though Eris was in their usually mismatched attire. Hecate was right about Eris not having a good fashion sense.Eris ran straight towards Hades, gripped his free arm, and then said, “You gotta help. Nemesis wants to kill me.”“Why would Nemesis want to kill you?” Hades asked.“Because Eris is deplorably annoying?” Hecate said.“Hey, I’m not deplorably annoying,” Eris whined. “I’m greatly annoying. Because I am annoying, and great.”“You are also deplorable.”“I am strifely annoying!”“That is not a word,” Thanatos grumbled.Hades sighed, then looked to Lethe, and asked, “What did your mother do?”“How is she gonna tell you when she has the memory of a goldfish?” Eris said. “She didn’t even remember her shoes.”Lethe looked down at her feet and wiggled her bare toes. “Oh, I forgot my shoes.”“Why are we even here?” Thanatos asked.Hypnos yawned again. “I could be at home sleeping right now.”“I dare you to go home,” Hecate said, and she smiled. “But your mother might be angry.”The twins both tensed, just as their mother came out of the drawing room. She beamed at the four newcomers. “Excellent, you have finally arrived! We were all just sitting down for a glass of ambrosia.”“I may have drunken Nemesis’ glass,” Eris whispered.“Then no wonder she wishes you harm,” Hades said.“And then you can tell me all about Persephone,” Nyx said as she beckoned everyone to follow her back into the drawing room. “I barely got a chance to talk about the two of you yesterday.”“Oh,” Hades said. He should have known this was why Nyx suddenly invited everyone over. She was about to pester him about Persephone over dinner. In fact, everyone was going to pester him.“Who’s Persephone?” Lethe asked.“Hades’ new girlfriend,” Eris said.“Uncle Hades has a new girlfriend?”“Yeah, he showed you a picture, dummy.”“Oh. I don’t remember.”“I shoulda named you after the river of remembrance.”“There’s a river of remembrance!?”“…I really shoulda named you after the river of remembrance.”“Eris, enough bickering with your daughter,” Nyx said. “And yes, Lethe, your Uncle Hades has a new girlfriend. Come on, I’ll tell you all about it over some ambrosia!”Nyx hummed to herself as she swept into the drawing room, and Lethe hurried after her. Eris snorted, rolled their eyes, and muttered something about how Lethe would forget everything said that day by the time she woke up tomorrow, then they followed their mother and daughter into the drawing room.Hades sighed, and Hecate snickered. He might as well get used to it, because Persephone was all he was going to hear about for the next two hours.As Hades and Hecate headed into the drawing room, Hypnos yawned, then turned to Thanatos and asked, “Hades has a new girlfriend?”“Who cares?” Thanatos asked, and he shrugged.
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When Persephone came back into work on the Monday, Cassandra breathed a sigh of relief, and Merope brightened a little.When the customers they had currently been serving had left to sit down, Cassandra awkwardly patted Persephone on the shoulder and, in her usually monotone way, said, “I am glad you are here. I heard about Thursday and was worried you would not show.”“Yeah, but I did text you that I was coming in,” Persephone said, just as Merope gave her an almost motherly hug.After taking Cassandra and Merope to the back to explain the truth about how she was a goddess, and how she was in fact dating Hades—yes, the Hades—and they couldn’t tell anyone, Monday proceeded pretty normally. Odysseus came in and asked if Persephone was okay after Thursday, and she convinced him it was simply family troubles. She then took a selfie of her, Psyche, Cassandra, and Merope to send to Hades, along with Merope’s advice that maybe Hades should avoid the shop for a little while, so his brothers wouldn’t be suspicious as to why he was visiting so often.When Persephone came into work on the Tuesday, things were a little more mellow. Still a little awkward, because they all knew they were working with a goddess now, and not just any goddess, but the daughter of an Olympian, and one of the big six at that.Once Persephone had tied up her hair and put on her apron, she came to join Arachne and Cassandra out the front. Cassandra was organising the muffins, and Arachne was leant against the till filling out a sudoku book Cassandra has bought to keep them all entertained when there was nothing to do, instead of having them all on their phones. They still all went on their phones anyway, but the sudoku book was fun regardless.“How’s today been so far?” Persephone asked Arachne.“Boring. I’ve already done one whole sudoku,” Arachne said as she scowled down at the book. Persephone peered over her shoulder. “At this rate, I might leave at midday.”“Well, that’s when Merope comes in, so it’s fine,” Persephone said as she also frowned down at the sudoku book, but neither of them were particularly great at sudoku. “Anything we gotta do today?”“Uh, no idea,” Arachne said, and she pushed the sudoku book aside as she raised her head. “Cassandra, are there any things we gotta do today?”Cassandra, who was wearing green glasses and earring today, though the shade was slightly off from matching their aprons, paused in rearranging the muffins. “I don’t think so. Minthe is coming in, though.”Arachne frowned. “What the hell is Minthe doing coming in on a Tuesday?”“Arachne, don’t wear so loudly in case a customer hears.”“Sorry, sorry. What on Earth is Minthe doing coming in on a Tuesday?”“She left her purse here on Sunday, and only realised yesterday,” Cassandra said. “She will come in when she has some free time, possibly lunch time.”“Oh, I might be gone by then,” Arachne said as Cassandra turned back to the muffins. “If I am, don’t worry; Minthe is really hard to miss.”Persephone had never met Minthe, the last person that worked at Cassie’s Coffee, due to Minthe working the weekend that Persephone didn’t, but she had heard a few things. “You said before she has mint green hair?”“Exactly. She’s as hard to miss as Psyche is,” Arachne said.Just after lunchtime, when Arachne had been sent home early, and Merope had arrived and was around the back getting changed into her uniform, a young woman walked in, and she definitely did not look like she belonged in a quaint little coffee shop hidden in the corner of the street.She had pale skin, and mint green hair to her waist, and was dressed entirely in black, with heavy black make up to match. With her stiletto boots and long, slender boots, she appeared pretty tall at first, but when she came up to the till, Persephone realised she was actually more on the shorter side. Possibly even as short as Persephone and Arachne.“You must be Minthe,” Persephone said as her gaze flitted down to the woman’s skirt. It was translucent, showing off all her legs, though she did wear some dark nylon tights for modesty. Persephone admired her confidence.The woman stared at her. “Obviously.”“Minthe, hello,” Cassandra said as she stood up. She had moved on from arranging the muffins, and had been arm deep in the fridge, reorganising the milk. “I’ll get your purse for you.”Cassandra drifted around the back, leaving only Persephone with Minthe. She tried smiling. “Can I get you a drink? On the house, of course, since you work here.”“Sure,” Minthe said. “Coffee. Black.”“Americano?”“What else would I have?”Well, she could have had a filter coffee, and Minthe should have known that, but whatever. An Americano was easy to make, and it meant Persephone didn’t need to bother switching on the filter machine.As Minthe drifted away to wait at the end of the bar, Persephone got to work on the coffee, making sure to write Minthe’s name on the cup, with a little heart over the I.“Do you want the special roast?” Persephone asked.“Sure.”“Do you want an extra shot?”“Sure.”“Any syrups?”“No.”Dear Olympus, she was a talkative one. She could give Arachne a fun for her money for the title of Cassie’s Coffee’s Mean Queen.“Here you go,” Persephone said, and she smiled brightly as she handed over the coffee. “I hope you enjoy! I’m Persi, by the way.”“Yeah, I know who you are. You send selfies of yourself and the others to the group chat all the time,” Minthe said, and she picked up her coffee and gulped some down, without even waiting for it to cool first.Persephone grimaced. Oh my Olympus, was she okay? Had she burnt her tongue? Minthe didn’t even twitch, so Persephone guessed she must have been okay.Eventually, Cassandra reappeared, with a black purse in her hands. As she passed it to Minthe, she said, “I’m sorry. I got a little distracted talking to Merope.”“It’s cool,” Minthe said as she put the purse into the tiny bag slung over her shoulder. “See you Friday.”Without another word, Minthe swiped her coffee from the counter, spun around, then strutted out the shop. A few customers turned to stare at her butt as she did so. To be fair, Persephone was also staring at her butt. It was kinda hard not to when her skirt was see-through.“She’s… nice…” Persephone said. Cassandra didn’t say anything.#At the end of the day, it was only Persephone and Merope left to close up, as was typical on Tuesdays. Since it hadn’t been busy, they were practically already done with the close down by the time it came to lock the front door. All Persephone had to do was mop the floor, and then she headed around the back where Merope was counting the money.“Would you like a lift back today?” Merope asked as Persephone stuffed her apron and work shirt into her bag.“A lift?” Persephone asked as she wiggled into one of her normal dresses. Merope made sure to keep her back to Persephone as she changed, but none of the girls at the shop really minded getting changed in front of each other. They were all friends, after all.“Yes, with my car,” Merope said, and she chuckled at how confused Persephone sounded. “You always turn down lifts because you didn’t want us to know where you lived, but now we know who you are, there’s no reason for you to deny one now. Besides, I might get you back home earlier than you could if you walked.”“Oh, that’s true,” Persephone mused. “Sure, I’d love a lift.”Once Merope had finished counting the money and had locked it away in the safe, they turned off all the lights and headed out to her car. For a family orientated person who worked in a tiny coffee shop, Merope had a pretty sweet car. Then again, her husband, Sisyphus, was known to be kinda rich, and their sons were pretty well off too. It would make sense that Sisyphus, no matter how much of an arse he was usually, would want to spoil his wife.“So, what did you think of Minthe?” Merope asked.“Minthe?” Persephone said. “She was… nice, I guess. As nice as Arachne, if you know what I mean.”Merope chuckled. “I do, I do, but I do think you could get along fairly well if you tried. Neither of you are human.”“Oh, makes sense,” Persephone said as she leant back in the car seat. Then she sat up straight and gasped, quick enough that her seatbelt locked into place. “She’s not human?”“She’s not immortal or a goddess like you, if that’s what you’re asking,” Merope said. “But she is a nymph. Didn’t you notice her pointed ears?”“Uh, I was too busy looking at her snake bite to notice her ears,” Persephone said, which wasn’t entirely a lie, but she had mostly been starting at Minthe’s slick hair and her slender legs. Persephone had always been a leg person. It was why she liked the fact Psyche always wore shorts on her days off, and tight-fitting leggings when at work.“We haven’t told her you’re a goddess, don’t worry,” Merope then added. ‘And we won’t, since you barely know her.”“But, uh, aren’t you kinda telling me that she’s a nymph?”Merope chuckled again. “Minthe doesn’t speak about it much, but it’s not a secret she’s a nymph. Though we don’t know what she’s a nymph of.”“Short goths, maybe,” Persephone suggested.“Maybe,” Merope said. “Still, you could try talking to her, if you ever get the time to. You could get along. She’s always a little huffy, a bit like Arachne, so she could do with someone as nice as you to cheer her up.”“Aww, you think I’m nice?”“You’re certainly the best at customer service, if we ignore how Psyche flirts with every attractive boy that walks in,” Merope said. “Though, if you do get a chance to talk to Minthe again, it’s best you don’t mention you’re dating Hades.”“Hey, why not?”“Minthe doesn’t exactly like the guy.”Persephone started pouting. Of course, Minthe didn’t like Hades, just like Arachne hadn’t (wow, they really were kinda the same). But, if Persephone could convince Arachne to stop hating Hades, Persephone was sure she could convince Minthe. Hades was simply misunderstood, that was all.Maybe she would text Hades about it later. She never knew, maybe he could have known a Minthe. He had plenty of nymphs working for him after all, so it wasn’t like it was a big stretch, right?Finally, Merope pulled her car to a stop. “You’ll want to get out here. I believe it’s only a few minutes away from Olympus.”“Awesome, thank you so much for the lift!” Persephone said as she clambered out. “I’ll see you Thursday!”“See you Thursday,” Merope repeated. “Now, hurry home. I know Demeter worries a lot, so don’t be late.”“I won’t be,” Persephone said, and she closed the door and waved through the car window, just before Merope drove away. “Hang on, wait up!”Merope knew Demeter worried a lot? Well, that was a bit weird. It sounded almost like she knew Demeter personally. But Merope was definitely a human, so whatever. Maybe she’d just heard stories. Then again, she had somehow known the directions to Olympus, or as close to Olympus as humans would dare go. Extra weird.As Persephone hoisted her bag up onto her shoulder and started to head home, she was too busy thinking about Merope and making up bizarre conspiracy theories that Psyche would certainly enjoy, to even remember that she had been meaning to test Hades asking if he knew a nymph called Minthe.
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“I had a wonderful time today,” Persephone said as she beamed up at Hades when they stood outside the Underworld. He’d taken her around more of the city, and they’d had more pomegranate juice, and they’d even stopped to have some ice cream, where Hades once again reiterated he really did not like mint flavour.As Persephone was preparing to head back home, there was a buzz in her pocket, and she pulled out her phone. As she frowned down at, Hades asked, “Is everything okay.”“Um, maybe not?” Persephone said as she stared at the contact name. Mum. Hades sucked in a breath, and Persephone hurriedly opened her text messages.Demeter: Persephone, dear, Aphrodite has asked if we want to come to dinner tonight. I’m coming back a little earlier, around half past, so please be ready by then xPersephone: Okaaaaaay will be xPersephone quickly checked her phone. Ten past. Oh shit.“M-mum’s coming home early,” she said. Dear Olympus was she really stammering? She really didn’t want to be caught.Hades took in another deep breath, then pulled out his own phone and dialled a number. “Thanatos? Yes, can you get Hermes for me? Immediately.”When Hades hung up his phone, he took Persephone by the hand and pulled her back across the bridge, past Cerberus and into the Underworld. As they approached a building (with a… dick drawn on the front door?) Hermes burst outside.“I knew there was going to be trouble one day,” he muttered. “You both owe me big time for this.”“I will see you soon,” Hades said to Persephone.“I’ll see—” she started, but Hermes grabbed her by the waist before she could finish, and suddenly they were flying through the air.As soon as they landed outside, Persephone pulled out her phone to check the time. Twenty past. She flung open the front door and cried, “Mother is so going to kill me!”“Quieten down,” Hermes said as he hung around in the doorway, pulling up his legs so he hovered cross-legged in the air. “She won’t know you weren’t here.”“But I only have ten minutes to wear something nice!”“Isn’t what you’re wearing already nice!”“Hermes, this is date nice, not dinner nice. Please learn the difference.”“I only wear the same hoodie and the same pair of shorts. I’m not gonna pretend I’m any good at fashion,” Hermes said, waving a hand at his name, printed across the front of his hoodie in Greek letters. “Anyway, I gotta leave before Demeter gets back, or she’ll question why I’m not at work, and things will look real sus. Good luck with dinner and whatever. And I really mean it when I say you owe me.”“Oh, thank you,” Persephone said, and she flung her arms around him to pull him into a tight hug. “What would I do without you?”“Get grounded for life, probably,” Hermes said as he peeled her off. “No hugs, I have enough of those from Dionysus and I’m not a hugging person. Now I really have to go. Thanks for the early finish, though.”He patted her on the head then took off into the air and disappeared. Persephone checked the time, swore, then hurried inside and slammed the front door. Only a few minutes to get herself looking nice before Demeter came home.When Demeter did arrive at home, she found Persephone sat on the sofa, in a nice dress, smiling innocently. Demeter smiled back.“You didn’t have to dress up so much,” Demeter said. “We are only visiting Aphrodite.”Persephone kept smiling. “But I wanted to though.”Demeter left the room to get changed from her usual work attire, and Persephone sighed. Olympus, dammit. She had put so much effort into getting herself glammed up in the past ten minutes, and it was all pointless! Well, not pointless. Time for a good selfie to send to Hades and the Cassie’s Coffee girls.She got an immediate response from Psyche, saying she looked cute. It was only when she and Demeter were walking to Aphrodite’s—Demeter refused to get a car, and Persephone never got the chance to get a licence—that she got a reply from Hades.Hades: You look wonderful. xxPersephone: Aw, thank you. I hope Aphrodite likes it!Hades: Aphrodite?Persephone: Oh yeah, didn’t I say we were going to Aphrodite’s for dinner.Hades: Good luck.Hades: xxPersephone: I don’t need good luck to see Aphrodite, but thanks anyway xxHades didn’t reply to this. Probably busy with work.“Kore, dear,” Demeter said. “Don’t distract Hermes from work. He gets in enough trouble as it is.”“My bad,” Persephone said as she slipped her phone back into her clutch bag, because of course her dress didn’t have pockets. Also, of course, Demeter thought she was texting Hermes. In Demeter’s eyes, Hermes was Persephone’s only friend.It wasn’t a long walk to Aphrodite’s. Persephone knew Aphrodite lives close by, from how often she visited Demeter on the weekends. Persephone never really stuck around to talk to Aphrodite whenever she visited, so she didn’t know her very well, but she at least knew Aphrodite was perhaps the only goddess in the pantheon that Demeter would willingly invite over for dinner. Well, at least the only Olympian; Demeter barely has anything nice to say about the others, excluding Hermes, who she was nice to for Persephone’s sake.Like Persephone and Demeter, Aphrodite lived in a large, snazzy house. She even had tons of plants growing outside, though, unlike Demeter’s various green and non-flowering plants, Aphrodite’s were explicitly all roses. There were also lots and lots of doves. There were so many, Persephone was worried her lovely dress was going to get shat on, and she held up a hand above her head as if it was going to protect her.The person who answered the door was a voluptuous blonde woman, with bright pink eyes and matching lipstick. Her pink dress was so sheer, it was practically see through and you could see basically everything. Persephone was finding it pretty damn hard to keep her focus on the woman’s face, but then again, this was Aphrodite. The point of her dress was for people to not look at her face.“Demeter, my lovely,” Aphrodite said, and she immediately brought Demeter in for a kiss. “And little Kore too!”Aphrodite also gave Persephone a kiss, leaving her a little startled. Demeter was not startled by Aphrodite’s affection at all.“It’s so good to finally have you visit, Kore,” Aphrodite said as she led Persephone and Demeter into her house, which was mostly pastel coloured and a lot different from Persephone’s place. “Demeter tells me about you all the time.”“I’m sure she does,” Persephone said, and she had to hold back a grimace at the use of her birth name. Sometimes she forgot she was meant to be Kore.Aphrodite led Persephone and Demeter to the living room, which was decorated with roses and swords, and had a shelf in the corner with an overflowing box of work tools. An interesting combination, to say the least. There were also canvas prints of Aphrodite in quite provocative attire hanging over the sofa.“Ares! Hephaestus!” Aphrodite called. “Come say hello to Kore!”A moment later, a man poked his head through the living room door. Persephone has never personally met Ares, but she had seen him at a distance at one of Zeus’ parties, which were held once every year and was the only time Persephone was allowed out. He was incredibly tall, and incredibly large, and could probably snap anyone in two by just prodding them. Always in his leather waistcoat, with tattoos along his arms and a red mohawk, he definitely looked like the type of guy you never wanted to mess with.“Who the hell is Kore?” Ares asked with a scowl.“Demeter’s daughter, silly,” Aphrodite said, undeterred by Ares’ expression as she waved a hand at Persephone, who most certainly wasn’t undeterred by Ares’ expression.Ares only scowled at her even more, just as another man poked his head through the doorway, right below Ares. Hephaestus had brown skin and black hair, pulled back into a loose, messy bun, with a bushy beard to match. He had a similar fashion sense—beard included—to Odysseus, with a vest shirt and knee length shorts, though where Odysseus wore shorts because he spent a lot of time outside, Hephaestus wore them to show off his metal left leg.“Aphrodite,” Hephaestus said sternly, “you know not to disturb us on our day.”“We can’t build Lego spaceships if you keep harping at us,” Ares said.“Ares, manners,” Hephaestus said.Ares sighed deeply, then grumbled, “Sorry. We would like some peace and quiet. To build spaceships.”“Sorry for disturbing you,” Aphrodite said, and she blew a kiss towards them. Ares grunted, got elbowed in the side by Hephaestus, then blew a kiss back before disappearing.“Thank you,” Hephaestus said to Aphrodite, then he nodded at Persephone to acknowledge her, and he disappeared after Ares.“Those two won’t ever change, will they?” Demeter asked as she brushed down her skirt and settled down on one of Aphrodite’s many fluffy pink sofas.“Boys will be boys,” Aphrodite said with a shrug. “Don’t ever interrupt then when playing with Lego.”“I didn’t take Ares for the Lego type,” Persephone said.“Oh, those boys love their Lego. It’s their favourite bonding activity,” Aphrodite said,“I didn’t think they’d get along that well,” Persephone admitted, and she also didn’t think she’d ever see one short burly man and one super tall burly man also being into building spaceships from Lego.“Oh, of course they get along. They’re brothers!” Aphrodite said, and she beamed as she talked about them. “They may be complete opposites, but they do have some things in common; they’re both dorks and they’re both completely and utterly in love with me. Now, enough of that. It’s time to bring out the ambrosia and have a bit of a gossip.”Persephone’s eyebrows rose. “We came all this way for a bit of a gossip? Can’t you do that over the phone?”“But gossiping about Hera isn’t as fun over the phone as it is over a glass of ambrosia,” Aphrodite said, and she smiled slyly at Demeter, who smiled back, and Persephone blinked. She had never taken her mother for a gossip.“What exactly has Hera done to the two of you?” Persephone asked.“She slut-shamed me, and she single-shamed your mother,” Aphrodite said, and she flicked some strands of hair over her shoulder. “She could at least make her mind up, for Olympus’ sake. She just can’t accept the fact that I’m happily polyamorous and she’s upsettingly not.”And so, they did have a bit of a gossip over some ambrosia—well, Aphrodite and Demeter did, Persephone stuck to soda—and soon it was ready for food. Aphrodite led Persephone and Demeter to the dining room, where Eros was setting the table. Like his mother, he was blonde with bright pink eyes. He wore booty shorts and fishnets, showing off the tattoo on his thigh—roses in the pansexual flag colours. He had a tattoo of a heart being shot with an arrow on his neck too, and Persephone figured he could bond over his love of thigh tattoos, hearts, and shorts with Psyche one day.“Eros, can you please fetch your fathers,” Aphrodite said. “And your brothers too, wherever they all are.”“Yes, but if Dad bite my head off for disturbing his Lego building, I’m not the one to blame,” Eros said, and he kissed Aphrodite on the cheek before he drifted from the room. Though he did pause to wink at Persephone, and she automatically giggled. Demeter frowned a little, and Persephone turned her attention to the table, as if she hadn’t been staring at Eros at all. He was unfairly pretty, just like his mother.“Anyway, I’m going to pop to the bathroom before we eat,” Demeter said. “Save me a seat.”A moment later, when Aphrodite and Persephone were sat down, and Persephone kept drooling at the sight of all the food on the table, someone else finally arrived in the room. Harmonia took one look at Persephone and smiled brightly.“Good afternoon, Persephone,” she said. “I did not expect to see you so soon.”Aphrodite leant forward against one elbow and raised an eyebrow at Persephone. “Persephone? You know each other?”Harmonia nodded. “Oh yes, we met when Eris and I—”“We don’t know each other!” Persephone blurted. “I mean, when would I, Kore, ever be able to meet each other, when I don’t leave the house? Because I never leave the house. Obviously.”Persephone laughed nervously. Oh shit. Oh shit.“Oh, um, yes,” Harmonia said, and she still smiled brightly, though her eyes widened slightly. “I have never met Perse—Kore ever.”Welp. Persephone would quite like to die, thank you. At least then no one could stop her from going to the Underworld.“Harmonia,” Demeter said when she’d returned. “It’s good to see you.”“You too,” Harmonia said, and still she smiled.Aphrodite sat up straight, and said, “Yes, I was just introducing Harmonia to Kore.”“Yes, because this is the first time we have met,” Harmonia said. Bless her soul. Persephone knew Harmonia’s domain was meant to be harmony and order, and therefore she only told the truth, so lying so directly must have been exhausting. In fact, she even yawned, but thankfully Demeter had turned her back to go and sit down.And bless Aphrodite too, for not giving the secret away. Still, Persephone’s heart hammered in her chest, and she couldn’t stop thinking oh shit oh shit. She’d been found out, at least not about her trips to the Underworld, but her trips outside at least.It was hard to continue smiling during dinner, even when Ares and Hephaestus properly introduced themselves, and even when Aphrodite’s and Ares’ other sons introduced themselves, and even when Dionysus said hello. Wait, Dionysus? That really was Dionysus, sat between Phobos and Deimos, Aphrodite’s and Ares’ fifteen-year-old twins.Phobos and Deimos looked like their father and nothing like their mother, just like how Eros and Harmonia looked like their mother and nothing like their father. Dionysus looked pretty odd sat between them. They had bright red hair and squared jaws like Ares, and also dressed like punks too. Dionysus was a lot more delicate, with long flowing hair, and an equally as long and flowing skirt, which he smoothed down before taking his seat.He didn’t look like the type to be friends with Phobos and Deimos, but, according to Aphrodite, that was what he was there for. Persephone supposed maybe it was hard being a fourteen-year-old god to try and find friends his age. Persephone, as one of the youngest of the pantheon at only twenty-three years old, knew full well what that was like. Even Hermes still struggled being so young, and he was thirty-four.After dinner, where Persephone had barely said a word, Aphrodite pulled Persephone aside and said, “How about we meet up again during the week, when Demeter is at work?”Persephone grimaced. Oh shit. She couldn’t meet up during the week, because that was when she had work! Unless it was a Friday, but that was either Hades’ day or Psyche’s and Arachne’s day…“Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell Demeter anything if you don’t want me to,” Aphrodite whispered.“I can… I can do Thursday afternoon…” Persephone muttered.“Good,” Aphrodite said, and she patted Persephone on the shoulder before pulling her back over to where Demeter was chatting to Ares and Hephaestus. “Demeter, my lovely, your Kore is so precious. I wish I could keep her.”“Unfortunately, I can’t let you,” Demeter said, and she chuckled slightly. “It is about time we start heading home.”Aphrodite sidled up to Demeter and linked her arm through hers. “Kore can head home, but why don’t you stay the night? It’s been forever since you, Ares, and I have had a little fun. Ares wants you to stay too, right, Ares?”Ares snorted. “I’m not saying shit in front of Demeter’s daughter.”Persephone’s mouth was probably hanging open right then as she stared at her mother. She knew Demeter and Aphrodite were basically best friends, all things considered, but had they really… and with Ares?Aphrodite’s gaze flickered over to Persephone and she winked, and Persephone gulped and said, “Sure, I’ll be fine at home one night by myself.”“But who’s going to take Persephone home…” Demeter said.“I can, if you want,” Hephaestus offered. “I won’t have anything else to do this evening if you’re all occupied.”“Or I can,” someone else said, and all the adults turned around to find Dionysus stood not too far from them. “I’m about to head home myself, so I can walk Persephone back first. It’s only through Mount Olympus, so nothing much can go wrong, anyway.”Everyone turned to stare at Demeter, who scrunched up her nose for a moment, sighed, and then smiled slightly. “Oh, all right, if you insist.”Okaaay then, Persephone thought.In the end, the adults relented in letting Dionysus walk Persephone home, even though he was only fourteen. Though, just as they were about to leave, Eros rushed over and stuck his head out the front door.“Say hello to Hermes for me!” he yelled at Dionysus. “And make sure he knows he’s welcome anytime!”“Oh, he knows,” Dionysus said coolly, “but he doesn’t care.”“Ouch, my poor heart,” Eros said.“Leave them alone,” Aphrodite said as she pulled her son back inside. She then blew a kiss to Persephone and Dionysus, and finally the front door closed.As Persephone and Dionysus left the garden, Persephone said, “I like your skirt, by the way. It suits you.”“Oh, thanks,” Dionysus said. “I guess you can call it one of my girly days.”“One of your girly days?” Persephone said. “Like, you’re genderfluid? I think Hermes said something about that.”Persephone had met Dionysus once briefly, when he’d been around Demeter’s house with Hermes, but they’d never had a chance to talk properly. The most she knew about him came from Hermes, who she knew was Dionysus’ guardian.“Not genderfluid, but a little genderqueer definitely,” Dionysus said. “You know, Hermes has said some things about you too. Says you go by Persephone when the other gods aren’t around.”Olympus, dammit, Hermes! He wasn’t supposed to say that!Persephone grimaced, and Dionysus shrugged. “I’m not going to tell anyone, especially if it’s going to get Hermes in trouble too. I’ve caused him enough trouble already. I assume he told you about the Midas thing?”“Oh boy, he did,” Persephone said. “He hasn’t told me anything about Eros, though. What was up with that?”“Nothing much,” Dionysus said. “They dated for a bit, and Eros can’t get over it. Hermes refuses to get back together.”“Hermes dated Eros?”“Yeah. Hasn’t he told you?”Persephone was already pulling out her phone to text Hermes, so she didn’t quite catch what Dionysus had said.Persephone: You’ve dated EROS?Hermes: Who the hell told you that??Persephone: Dionysus!Hermes: Dammit, Dio.
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Persephone was in the bath when she called Hades and said, “Guess who has the house to herself tonight?”“I would assume you,” Hades replied, “but that does make me curious as to where Demeter is.”“She’s staying the night at Aphrodite’s,” Persephone said as she created small flowers in her palm, then dropped them onto the surface of the water. “As in staying the night staying the night, not just staying the night, if you get what I mean.”There was a small hmm sound from Hades, as if he was listening to someone else for a moment, then he said, “I am aware of Demeter’s and Aphrodite’s relationship. I believe, a long time ago, Aphrodite once referred to themselves as friends with benefits.”“What?” Persephone sat up straight in the bath. “Really?”Why she was shocked, she didn’t know. That was the precise reason Demeter had stayed behind with Aphrodite and Ares that night.“But that’s not what matters,” Persephone said as she sunk back down into her water, miserably spinning her fingers through the water and making her flowers float away. “Aphrodite knows.”“Aphrodite knows what?” Hades asked, and Persephone sighed and told him what had happened over dinner, namely Harmonia accidentally messing up and calling her Persephone instead of Kore, and how Aphrodite had overheard. On the other end of the phone, Hades sighed. “I knew Aphrodite couldn’t be trusted.”“No, I think she can,” Persephone said as she drew flowers in the bubbles. “She had a chance to tell Mother, but she covered for me instead. Maybe if I can convince her to stay on my side, she can distract Mother a bit…”Hades hadn’t liked the idea of Persephone going to dinner again with Aphrodite, but Persephone figured she had no choice. If she didn’t turn up, that would be exceedingly suspicious, and Aphrodite could easily grill Harmonia for answers instead. If Aphrodite was going to know about Persephone’s adventures outside Mount Olympus, it had to come from Persephone herself. Only that way would Persephone be able to convince Aphrodite to keep everything a secret.And, if that failed, Hecate texted Persephone later saying she could always curse Aphrodite, but that was to be a strict last resort. Persephone had gulped. She was sure Hecate was the last person you would want to curse you, being the goddess of witchcraft and all.Soon, Thursday came around, and Persephone stood before Aphrodite’s house. She had left work a little earlier than usual, so she could go home and have enough time to get herself dolled up, only under the promise that she would tell Psyche and Arachne everything over lunch the next day.“Kore, my dear,” Aphrodite said as she opened the front door, and she beamed. “I’m so glad you could make it.”“I’m glad too,” Persephone said, and her eyebrows rose at Aphrodite’s attire. She wore only a think, silk, dressing gown—emphasis on only.“Oh, I’m sorry, I was in the middle of a photoshoot,” Aphrodite said, and she beckoned Persephone inside.“A photoshoot?” Persephone asked as the door was closed behind her. Aphrodite smirked, then Persephone added, “Oh, you’re a… model, aren’t you?”“A nude and lewd model, the most popular online,” Aphrodite mused as she beckoned Persephone to follow. “Not that I need any of the money that I actually earn, and neither does Eros. We give most of it away to other sex workers. Got to support our own domains, yes?”Persephone nodded. She’d been on the internet long enough to know of Aphrodite’s profession, though she’d never supported it herself. Aphrodite was, after all, her mother’s best friend. It would be a bit weird.“Mother, are we continuing with the photoshoot?” Eros asked as he appeared at the other end of the corridor, holding a camera. He was wearing booty shorts again, and a shirt with only half the buttons done up.“Not now, darling, we have a guest,” Aphrodite said, and she waved a hand at Persephone. Persephone waved awkwardly.Eros grinned. “Hello, darling. How’s my Hermes doing? You speak to him regularly, yeah?”“Oh, he’s doing fine,” Persephone said, and she still couldn’t get over Hermes and Eros having had a fling for several years. “But I think he’s a tad over you.”“A shame,” Eros said, and he held a hand dramatically to his forehead. “He was good in bed.”“Ew! I don’t want to hear that—Hermes is basically a brother to me!”“Go away, darling,” Aphrodite said, and she ushered Eros away.Eros gave Persephone one last wink, then strutted away. Persephone, being unashamed as she was, couldn’t help but look at his butt as he left. Psyche would definitely appreciate it too—maybe she and Persephone needed to spend an afternoon stalking his social media. Over lunch the next day could work, if Arachne let them.“How about you wait in the living room whilst I get changed?” Aphrodite said as she led Persephone to the front room. “Ares can keep you company. Oh, never mind.”Persephone and Aphrodite stuck their heads into the living room, where Ares was fast asleep on one of the sofas. A game controller had fallen from his hands, and on the TV in front of him were the big, bold words game over. It was a bit amusing to see someone as frightening looking as Ares, with his mohawk and leather vests and tattoos to be so peacefully asleep on the sofa.“Babe, wake up,” Aphrodite said, and she drifted over to kiss him on the forehead. “You died.”“I what…?” Ares mumbled as he opened an eye.“You died,” Aphrodite said, and she pointed to the TV screen.Ares blinked, then shot up, and yelled, “Fuck’s sake! Fuck—ugh!”“Now, now, it’s only a video game,” Aphrodite said, and she kissed him again before she drifted away back towards the doorway, where she patted Persephone on the shoulder. “Can you keep Kore company for a second whilst I go and get dressed.”“Sure,” Ares said, in the most unenthusiastic manner possible. Aphrodite blew him a kiss, then disappeared.“You’re, um, passionate about video games, aren’t you?” Persephone asked as she remained awkwardly hovering in the doorway.“I can’t get past this level, and I was almost there until I fell asleep,” Ares said as he picked up the controller and clicked restart. “Come on, don’t just stand there. I know I look like I would, but I don’t bite, especially if you’re Harmonia’s friend.”“R-right.” Persephone nodded, then sat down on the sofa next to him. She watched him play his game for a second—a violent hack and slash—noticing he was missing two fingers from his left hand, which probably didn't help with the game overs. “Sorry for waking you up from your nap.”Ares grunted. “I don’t care. I hate sleeping all day anyway.”“Sounds like you need a bit of ambrosia to wake you up.”“Unfortunately, ambrosia makes me go bloody apeshit,” Ares said, and he grunted again as his character was thrown across the screen. “And I’m not allowed to go apeshit.”Persephone snorted. “You’re the god of war, isn’t that your job?”“It’s supposed to be,” Ares said. “Unfortunately, war is bad, therefore I’m bad, therefore I’m forbidden from doing anything to do with my actual domain.”“Oh,” Persephone said. “Hence the naps.”“Hence the naps,” Ares repeated sullenly. “And the violent video games.”“Well, if I’m ever in need of a big strong guy to do some real fighting on my behalf, I know who to call,” Persephone said. Ares didn’t say anything, but the corner of his mouth did quirk into what she supposed was a smile.Ares had died again by the time Aphrodite returned in one of her usual sheer dresses. He gave up and quit the entire thing.“Go have a nap upstairs, babe,” Aphrodite said as she took his place on the sofa next to Persephone. She had two glasses of ambrosia, and even though Persephone didn’t really like that stuff, she still took a glass. She would need it for the upcoming conversation.“I’m not tired,” Ares said, and he yawned.“Go have a nap,” Aphrodite said, and she smiled. A little menacing, actually. “Then you will be nice and refreshed by the time you need to pick the kids up from school.”Ares sighed and left the room, and Persephone turned to Aphrodite and said, “it must be awful, not being able to do any domain stuff.”“He tried to get into wrestling once, but he crushed his opponents so badly he was forbidden from that too,” Aphrodite said, and now her smile was a little sadder. “He tries his best, bless him, but all he can do is help around the house when he can. He’s gotten quite good at building flat pack furniture, and he’s excellent at threatening and torturing creepy men.”Persephone didn’t know what building flat pack furniture and torturing creepy men had in common, but she supposed both were a good skill to have in some regards (especially if your girlfriend was Aphrodite, who probably got hit on a lot by creepy men). Still, something tugged at Persephone’s chest at the thought of Ares being barred from his godly duties, and she said, “I know what it’s like not being allowed to do anything.”“Speaking of which,” Aphrodite said, and Persephone’s stomach churned. Time to face the inevitable. “You don’t actually spend all of your time at home, do you?”“Did Harmonia tell you?”“Harmonia hasn’t told me anything, and I haven’t asked, because I didn’t want to stress her out,” Aphrodite said, and she paused to take a sip of her ambrosia. “But Harmonia knows you, and said she met you when she was with Eris. Eris barely comes to visit up here, so I can only assume you met them in the…”“Underworld,” Persephone finished.“Right, and what were you doing in the Underworld, behind Demeter’s back?” Aphrodite asked. When Persephone said nothing, Aphrodite rested a hand gently on her arm. “I promise I’m not going to tell Demeter, even if she’s my best friend. Trust me, I have never agreed with her for keeping you inside, even though she has her reasons.”“You know why she doesn’t let me outside?” Persephone asked. If anyone knew, Demeter’s best friend had to, right?”Aphrodite’s nose wrinkled slightly as she said, “Let’s just say she doesn’t trust the other gods, especially the men.”Persephone really didn’t need any elaboration on that.After a long sigh, Persephone gulped down her ambrosia, then said, “I have a job.”“In the Underworld?”“Olympus, no,” Persephone said, and she took another gulp of her ambrosia. “I have a job in the mortal world, in a coffee shop. I work Mondays to Thursdays, though I finish early on Thursdays. I was there this morning, actually.”“Oh, interesting,” Aphrodite said, and she leant back into the sofa, crossing one leg over the other.“And, as I was working there one day, a certain god from the Underworld came by unexpectedly,” Persephone said, and her cheeks warmed. “We got along so… so I secretly meet up with them from time to time, when I’m not hanging out with me human friends…”Aphrodite gasped, so melodramatically that some of her ambrosia spilled over the edge of her glass. “Are you dating Hades?”“Wh-what!?”“Well, you said secret meetings, which imply dating,” Aphrodite said, and she grinned wickedly. “It could be platonic, but I’m the goddess of love, darling, I know my differences between each type of love.”“But h-how did you guess Hades?”“Because he’s the only chthonic god that would dare step foot into the mortal realm. Usually to walk his dog, from what I’ve heard, but I’m not entirely sure. I haven’t spoken to Hades in quite some time.”Persephone sighed again, then downed the rest of her ambrosia. “I… I might be dating Hades. But he hasn’t done anything to hurt me, I promise! I know the bad rep he gets up here, but he’s really just a sweetheart, and he looks after me, and so does Hecate…”“Darling, I don’t judge someone based on a false reputation,” Aphrodite said. “I’m dating Ares after all, and I’ve got a pretty bad reputation myself. Apparently, it’s fine when men sleep with multiple people, but as soon as I start dating someone else, despite the fact my husband is perfectly okay with it, I’m the bad guy.”“It’s tough being a girl, huh?” Persephone said.Aphrodite rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it, darling. Now, Hades is the one that calls you Persephone, I assume? That is what Harmonia called you, I believe. Bringer of death?”“Bringer of wisdom,” Persephone whined. “But yeah, that’s the name I use whenever I’m not on Olympus. I couldn’t exactly call myself Kore when going to work for some mortals, could I? But Now all my friends call me Persephone… the girls at work, Hades and Hecate, and even Hermes, I don’t feel like Kore anymore.”“So, would you prefer if I called you Persephone when Demeter isn’t around?”Persephone smiled. “Persephone or Persi, whatever you want.”“Oh, Persi sounds so cute,” Aphrodite said, and she clinked her still half full glass against Persephone’s now empty one. “To my little Persi.”Persephone smiled some more, but then she frowned a little and said, “You really won’t tell Mother, will you?”“And ruin a budding romance?” Aphrodite snorted. “I’m the goddess of love, darling, I’m all about forbidden romances. If I ruined everything, that would be quite against my domain. I’d probably be asleep for a week. Besides, I don’t think Harmonia would like to see you upset. She’s already a little attached to you.”Oh, bless Harmonia, Persephone thought. And maybe now that meant Persephone could have another god friend that she didn’t have to hide from her mother, since Demeter would presumably trust her best friend’s daughter.“Anyway, I’ll keep everything a secret until you’re ready to tell others yourself,” Aphrodite said. “And I’ll even provide… distractions for Demeter, in case you want an evening to yourself.”Persephone let out a sigh of relief, then she grinned and said, “Thank you so much, Aphrodite.”
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On Thursday afternoon, whilst Persephone was at Aphrodite’s, Hades was sat his table in the corner of the bar at work, filling out some paperwork. He was getting agitated sitting alone in his room, so he came down to the bar, partially for a different atmosphere, and partially for the pomegranate flavoured ambrosia—it took too long to wait for it to be delivered personally to his office. As established before, Hades was not a fan of ambrosia, but sometimes the occasion was called for, and he would always opt for pomegranate flavour if necessary, as that was the only flavour he could typically stand. Though, sometimes he did fancy a good strawberry if pomegranate was unavailable or if he simply needed a change.Across from him sat Hecate, leant back in her chair, her clipboard laying untouched in front of her. She may not have been physically filling out forms, but Hades knew her mind was still at work as she blew black bubble gum until it popped. The only sound at their table was the tapping of her long, blood red nails.That was until: “Hey, fancy seeing the two of you here.”“Hermes,” Hecate said slowly, and she remained entirely still as her eyes darted over to him. “Aren’t you supposed to be working?”Seeing as there was no chair at the table, Hermes pulled his legs up so he was sitting cross-legged in the air, and he balanced a full pilsner glass precariously on one knee. “I could say the same to you.”“I was working,” Hades said, and he tapped his pen against his paperwork, “until you interrupted. Why are you not at Psychopomping?”“Sheesh, I’m entitled to a break guys,” Hermes said, and he took a sip of his drink. “It’s unusual to see you two down here though.”“We’re entitled to a break too,” Hecate said, and she idly tapped his knee. He wobbled slightly, but not enough to lose balance. Hecate sighed when he was quick enough to swipe his glass off from his other knee before it split.Hermes took another sip of his drink, then in a low voice he said, “I heard Aphrodite knows.”Keeping his voice as cool as possible, Hades asked, “Knows what?”“About you and Persi,” Hermes said, and he paused to take yet another sip. “And about her trips to the mortal world.”“And how would you know this?” Hecate asked coldly.“Because she’s one of my best mates? I’ve known her since she was a kid, you know,” Hermes huffed. Hecate’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she remained silent and simply blew a bubble at Hermes instead. “She’s been texting me regular updates, obviously, like every five minutes.”This bothered Hades a little, since he had not been getting regular updates, but he was not the type to get too jealous; Persephone was entitled to text whomever she wanted about whatever she wanted.“How would you know she’s been texting you every five minutes,” Hades asked, “if you are meant to be working?”“For starters, each text message comes with a time stamp,” Hermes said, “and secondly, you know I’m always on my phone anyway, but I’m still the best psychopomp you’ve got regardless, so who cares?”“I care,” Hecate said. “And I’m a better psychopomp than you.”“Hades, mate, you really need a politer secretary because your current one sucks,” Hermes said, and he ignored Hecate as she flipped him her middle finger. “Anyway, as I was saying, I hear Aphrodite knows. If Ares and the rest of Dite’s family know, I have no idea, but it seems that the whole pantheon might know sooner or later. I mean, I know, Aphrodite knows, Dio knows…”“Dionysus wouldn’t know if you hadn’t told him,” Hecate said briskly.“I told him about her name, she told him about her trips to the Underworld,” Hermes said, and though he spoke the truth, he was potentially withholding some too. Just because Persephone told Dionysus about her trips to the Underworld, did not mean Hermes had not also done the same.“All I am saying,” Hermes continued, “is maybe you should be a little more careful.”Hades did not hear the last of Hermes’ words, for he had sat upright and said, “Hecate, we have an issue.”“I feel it too,” Hecate said, and in a blink of any eye, she was gone.Hermes’ gaze drifted across the rest of the bar, and all of the patrons that were still unaware. Slowly, he slid into Hecate’s seat, and then he said, “Tartarus?”Hades only made a slight noise in reply as he focused his attention back on his paperwork.“You’re stressed, then,” Hermes said.“I am stressed for Persephone,” Hades said, for he saw no reason to lie.They sat in silence for a while, and by the time Hecate strode back into the room ten minutes later, Hermes had finished his drink and Hades his paperwork. When Hecate came back to her seat, Hermes got up without a fuss.“I suppose I should be going back to work, then,” Hermes said, his hands behind his head. “Though, I did finish all the tasks I was given already. Maybe I can go home early if Thanatos has nothing else for me. I am an Olympian, after all; I’ve plenty of stuff to do that isn’t babysitting chthonic gods and their not very secret secrets.”“Like stealing my pen?” Hecate held out a hand.Hermes sighed. After pulling her own from his hoodie pocket, he placed it firmly into his palm, waved goodbye, then left without another word.Hecate sighed next, and she stole a sip of Hades’ pomegranate ambrosia. “You cannot let your control of Tartarus slip.”“I will not let my control of Tartarus slip,” Hades said. “I cannot when you are here. I was simply worried about Persephone, that is all.”“Worry a little less about Persephone,” Hecate said. “She’s an adult. If she trusts Aphrodite not to spill secrets, so should we.”Hades only nodded, and the pair returned to work.#In all fairness, Aphrodite kept to her word and set up a distraction for a later date. Hades had been in his kitchen, boiling water for a hot chocolate, when Persephone called.“I did not think you would call so soon,” Hades said as he held the phone up to his ear. “You were only here a few hours ago.”“Yeah, I know, and I had a great time on our date earlier,” she said, and Hades’ heart sunk slightly as he expected a but. “But… Mother’s gone out for the evening! Aphrodite convinced her to go clubbing. Aphrodite also said they won’t be back until late tomorrow morning, so we could do something this evening if you want.”“Oh, I was actually making plans with Hecate. She wanted to watch a new show this evening,” Hades said. “Something about a haunted house and some creepy children.”“Oh,” Persephone said, and there was a long pause. “Well, would you mind if I watched with you?”“You would like to watch a horror show?”“I mean, it’s not my usual cup of tea, but if you and Hecate are there to keep me safe, I won’t mind!”Hades smiled slightly. “I am sure Hecate would love you over for the night.”“And what about you?”“I would love you over for the night too.”“Great!” Persephone said, and she giggled. “Oh, I should call Hermes, though he might be a little annoyed that he has to take me back to the Underworld.”“Tell Hermes he has no choice,” Hades said. “And, tell him to be quick. I’m about to make hot chocolate and I am sure you do not want to miss out.”“Hermes is always quick. Well, Eros might disagree. Oh my gods I can’t believe I just said that! Ew! Anyway, will do! Love you, bye!”Before Hades had a chance to reply, she had hung up. His heart swelled just a little at her last few words.Soon, before even Hecate had returned from work, there was a knock at the front door. As Hades went to answer it, Cerberus bounded after him. It was quite rare that there was a knock at the door, after all. Hades and Hecate never got guests, not even chthonic ones. If they were meeting up with family, it was always around Nyx’s.When Hades opened the door, he was greeted by a beaming Persephone, and a frowning Hermes. Persephone had a small bag hung over her shoulder.“Good evening, Persephone,” Hades said.“Good evening,” she said in reply, and she giggled. Her eyes were a bright, vibrant green that day.Hermes groaned. “I’ve said this once, and I’ll say it again, and I’ll probably say it again-again later, but just remember that secretly meeting up behind the whole pantheon’s back isn’t going to go well. Though, at this rate, the whole pantheon will know with how badly you two keep secrets.”Not wanting to be belittled by Hermes, Hades said, “If Persephone is ever in trouble with the Pantheon, Hecate and I can handle it.”“Really?” Hermes’ eyebrows rose. “I distinctively remember you being so stressed the other day your hold on Tartarus almost slipped.”“Your hold on what?” Persephone asked. Hades simply stared at Hermes.“Okay, I think that’s enough talking from you,” someone else said, and a long, blood red nail tapped Hermes on the shoulder. He opened his mouth to reply, closed it, then frowned. Hecate gave him her usual deadly smile, then gave Persephone a softer one. “Oh, Persephone, my dear, what are you doing here?”“Mother’s going clubbing with Aphrodite until, like, six in the morning,” Persephone said. “And Hades said you were going to be watching this new scary show, so I wanted in.”“Oh, this is going to be exciting,” Hecate said, and she pushed Hermes aside as she took Persephone and led her inside. “And the first time around ours, my, my.”Hecate had been about to swing the front door shut, when Hades gestured to the scowling Hermes. Hecate rolled her eyes.“But I do quite like him being silent,” she said as she waved her hand through the air.Hermes took a deep breath. “For the love of Olympus, I like none of you. Anyway, I actually have things to do on Friday evenings besides chauffeuring you around, like parenting my kid brother. I can tell none of you have any kids. And don’t expect me to be here to pick you up in the morning. I’m sleeping in.”He pointed a finger at Persephone, who smiled sheepishly as Hecate said, “I can handle the trip back, you know, even though it will physically pain me to step on to Olympus.”Hermes grunted and turned to leave, and Persephone called out, “Thank you!”“Yeah, whatever, you owe me, Persi,” Hermes said, and he waved goodbye before he took off into the sky and disappeared.Hecate kicked the front door shut. “Thank the Underworld. I thought he was never going to leave.”“You know, Hermes isn’t as bad as you think—” Persephone said, and then she yelped as Cerberus tackled her feet. When she got her feet free, she giggled and knelt in front of him so she could pat all of his heads. “I’ve missed you too, Cerbie.”When Persephone had stopped fawning over Cerberus, she stood up and smiled at Hades. Then she gasped when her gaze fell upon Hecate, who’s stiletto heels were now dangling off the ends of her fingers.“You’re not so tall anymore,” Persephone said as she looked down at Hecate’s bare feet. “I mean, you’re still tall, but not as tall.”“Yes, darling, that’s what happens when one takes off one’s shoes,” Hecate said with a smirk, then she strutted over to the shoe rack to one side. There were plenty of shoes in the rack, but mostly they were the same pairs of black work shoes and heels, encrusted in diamonds and rubies. “Now, be a gentleman and take her bag. Honestly, Hades, one would think you’re not used to having guests.”“We’re not used to having guests,” Hades corrected, but Hecate was already strutting down the corridor.“You know, your place isn’t as big as I thought it would be,” Persephone said as Hades led her through the house, pointing out the most noteworthy rooms. “I mean, it’s still big, especially for just two people, but even Nyx and Erebus’ house is bigger than yours.”“Nyx and Erebus do have quite w lot of children,” Hades said. “And they are primordial gods with nothing to do, so the large house keeps them occupied. I may be the god of riches, but I do not see a need for a large house myself when I do not need it.”“But you do need diamonds on your waistcoat buttons?”“I have no defence to that,” Hades said as she chuckled. “I spend frivolously in some regards, though not as much as I used to. Decades ago I used to spend money with a lot less care. I had nothing else to spend it on. Thankfully I have mellowed our and take more care in my finances.”Mellow was the term he used. Hecate accuses him of simply growing too sad and too lonely to bother keeping up pretences that he was a greedy, money hoarding god. He had only been so frivolous in the first place to prove a point to his brothers, that he had more than them.“Well,” Persephone said, “there’s always charity.”“Thankfully, I learnt that myself a while back,” Hades said. “I give away as much as I can, but Zeus says the gods are not to give too much charity to the mortals. We’re only supposed to aid when they give something in return.”“Zeus is awful,” Persephone said, and her bright green eyes darkened slightly. “Who cares if we help the mortals? I mean, Aphrodite spends all her money on sex workers to help them out and he doesn’t care.”“Do not quite me on this, for I might be mistaken, but I believe Aphrodite works through loopholes,” Hades said, recalling what Hecate had once told him, since she was the one with all the gossip from Olympus. “She gives money to the workers in exchange for something, usually photos, so it does not count as donations. Plus it is a part of her domain, so Zeus cannot stop her from doing her job.”“Oh,” Persephone said quietly, and the darkness faded from her eyes. “I suppose, as the god of riches and the dead, there’s not much you can claim under your domain to donate to.”“There is,” Hades said, and it had not occurred to him that he had come to a stop until Persephone gently rested a hand on his arm. “I fund a lot of funerals. Hospices too. Surgeries when I can, anything to make the death easier. An easier death means an easier time for their soul. Pain is not easy.”His voice trailed away. Being the god of the dead was not easy, not when it surrounded one with plenty of misery.“I never knew you did that,” Persephone said as she squeezed his arm.“No one does, because Zeus does not want anyone to,” Hades said, and he patted the back of her hand. “Not that I would want them to. Charity is not bragging about how much you give away.”“That is true,” Persephone said as she linked her arm through his. “Now, come on. Hurry up and show me your garden before it gets too dark. Though I bet it isn’t as big as mind.”“You are the goddess of spring and flowers, so I would expect you to have a large garden,” Hades said, and he smiled. “But I have an orchard.”Her eyes brightened once again as she grinned, and Hades smiled as he continued to lead her through the house.He and Hecate did not have a back garden, not really. There was a small patch of grass with two chairs and a small table, for when they felt like sitting outside, and the rest was full entirely of pomegranate trees. Persephone gasped, then ran forward and squealed.“You must be in heaven here,” she said. “You can eat pomegranates all day.”Hades smiled as he watched her. She was beautiful, with her long hair flying behind her as she danced up to the trees, her grin wide. She was far too beautiful, even for a goddess, and he did not deserve her at all.“I certainly do not eat these pomegranates all day,” Hades said as he came to stand next to her. “I only eat pomegranates imported from your mother’s farms, for they are safe for anyone to eat. Not these ones.”“These are your famous Underworld pomegranates,” Persephone said as she traced a finger down the closest one.“They used to be in the Underworld itself, but I had the trees moved when we adopted a more modern business etiquette,” Hades said. “People loved to steal a few, anyway, which caused a lot of problems with Olympus. Here in my personal gardens no one can get to them.”As Persephone gazed at the fruits, there was a cough behind them. Hecate stood at the back foot, hands on her hips.“I said take her bag, Hades, not on a tour of the whole house,” Hecate said. “And she still has her bag, honestly. Hurry up or the hot chocolates I just made you are going to go cold.”“You made us hot chocolate?” Persephone asked. “Oh, you’re a star.”“Not quite, but close considering who my mother was,” Hecate said, and though she played it she off as a joke, Hades was not oblivious to the slight edge to her voice. Hecate acted cool headed as often as she could, but, like with everyone, there were things that bothered her. Being reminded of her parents was one of those things.Hades beckoned Persephone to follow him inside, and her fingers fell from an empty pomegranate branch. Once they had finished their hot chocolates, Hecate announced it was time for scary shows. Persephone had brought her pyjamas with her, and so Hades led her to the communal bathroom, whilst he and Hecate disappeared to their bedrooms. Hades put on his silk pyjamas and braided his hair, then went to meet the others in the hallway. First, he ran into Hecate, who wore an exquisite black nightgown and no make up. Then they went to find Persephone, who was currently sitting down with Cerberus, playing fetch with a rag doll. She wore tiny cotton shorts with a floral pattern, and a strap vest that kept slipping from one shoulder.Before Persephone had noticed them, Hecate leant into Hades and whispered, “Aren’t you a lucky man? Look at those curves.”“She is certainly beautiful,” Hades agreed, especially with how her hair tumbled all across the floor. She had plucked out the flowers and strung them into a crown instead.“That’s not what I meant,” Hecate said, and before she could clarify, Cerberus looked up and bounded over.Persephone also looked up, and first her gaze fell on Hades, and then Hecate. “Gods, I love being bisexual.”Hecate chuckled, and Hades smiled, then they picked up Persephone from the floor, fetched some blankets to cuddle under, and went to go and watch some scary shows.
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Persephone didn’t know why she’d stolen one of the pomegranates from Hades’ orchard.She hadn’t meant to, truly, but one second she had been admiring them, and the next she had been slipping it into her bag when Hades had turned his back to her as he’d talked to Hecate. She hadn’t even thought about doing it; it was almost as if the pomegranate had forced her to steal it, which was weird, and absolutely not true, because a pomegranate couldn’t force anyone to do anything.Unless it was a magic pomegranate, which, to be fair, the ones from the Underworld probably were.Shame ate away at Persephone as she stared at the pomegranate sat on her desk. She’d been half tempted to tell Hades she’d stolen it, to say sorry for her wrongdoing, but when she’d opened up their text messages, she had frozen. What if he was mad at her? These things were dangerous, right?“Kore, I’m heading out now,” Demeter called as she knocked on Persephone’s door. Persephone squeaked and leapt you’re from her bed, snatched up the pomegranate from her desk, and tossed it into the closest plant pot. Just in time too, because that was when Demeter opened the door.“Have fun at work,” Persephone said as she idled across the room. She stopped in front of her mother so she could kiss her on the cheek. “I’ll be here, doing nothing as usual.”“You can always invite Harmonia over if you’re bored,” Demeter said. “Aphrodite says she thinks you’d be good friends, and we can certainly trust Harmonia, seeing as her domain is harmony.”Persephone smiled. “I’ll give her a call. Well, I’ll give Aphrodite a call, and she can give Harmonia a call for me.”“Wonderful,” Demeter said, and she kissed her daughter on the forehead. “It’s good to see you making friends besides Hermes. Have a good day.”When Demeter left, Persephone huffed. She already had friends, thanks, and quite a few too.Still, Persephone got dressed then sent Harmonia a text—Aphrodite had already given her Harmonia’s number. If Demeter was expecting the pair to meet up, then they needed to see each other at least briefly, if only so Harmonia had something to talk about if Demeter started asking questions. Soon enough, they met at the edge of Mount Olympus, and they headed to the mortal world together.Thankfully, Harmonia wasn’t easily recognised amongst the humans, especially since that day she’d put on a pair of fake glasses and had changed her usual pink eyes to a bright blue. Persephone said Harmonia looked cute, and Harmonia gave her a bashful smile.As they walked arm in arm, Harmonia said, “I think I need to give you my own nickname.”“You do?”“I do indeed,” Harmonia said wistfully. “It stresses me too much to call you Kore in front of Demeter, and Persephone in front of others. Being the goddess of harmony really is quite hard when lying does not agree with you.”“So, you need to give me a universal nickname, something you can call me in front of everyone?”“Yes! How about Petal? It is close to Persi, and it suits your love of flowers.”Persephone grinned. “I love the sound of Petal.”“Then, henceforth, you are my dear Petal,” Harmonia said, and she beamed.As they approached Cassie’s Coffee, Harmonia pulled Persephone to a stop and pointed towards a figure in front of them. A young woman in black with mint green hair.“Minthe?” Persephone said. That was strange, considering Minthe didn’t work on Mondays. Had she left her purse behind again?“Why do you work with a chthonic nymph?” Harmonia asked quietly.Persephone blinked. “A chthonic nymph? I mean, I know she’s a nymph, or so I’ve been told, but I don’t know about chthonic.”“Oh, I swear I sensed something,” Harmonia said. “I must be mistaken. Maybe Eris and Lethe are rubbing off on me.”Minthe had already disappeared around the back of house when Persephone and Harmonia finally arrived at the shop. Cassandra and Merope were both standing behind the bar, and they looked up as the pair entered.“Your girlfriend?” Cassandra asked as she eyed Harmonia, hanging off Persephone’s arm. Harmonia simply smiled, her mouth firmly shut.“Oh, I wish,” Persephone said—truly, Harmonia was gorgeous, like all the gods were. “But no, this is a family friend. I met her in the way here and thought she’d like to try a hot chocolate.”“I am very much a taken woman,” Harmonia mused, a little delayed. Cassandra only nodded.“Has anyone ever told you, Harmie, that you look like Aphrodite?” Merope asked, a slight smile tugging at her lips.“I get told that often,” Harmonia said, which wasn’t a lie; she was commonly told she looked like her mother. She smiled innocently, and Merope chuckled slightly. When she caught Persephone’s eye, she smiled herself, in the way people smiled when they were sharing a secret, only Persephone didn’t know what secret they were sharing.“You grab a table, and I’ll go clock in,” Persephone said to Harmonia before she hurried around the back of house.She almost crashed into Minthe as the nymph was leaving the office. Minthe was wearing the usual green apron and a tight skirt to her knees with a split up the side—a little inappropriate for work, maybe, but it wasn’t like they were a particularly fancy place.“I didn’t think you worked on Mondays,” Persephone said as she danced around Minthe.“I don’t,” Minthe said. “I’m covering Psyche’s shift because she’s ill.”“Oh,” Persephone said, and Minthe silently disappeared back around the front of house.Once Persephone was in her uniform and had clocked in, she sent Psyche a get well soon text, then came back out the front to order Harmonia a hot chocolate. They chatted for a bit, but eventually Harmonia had to leave, and Persephone was left with Minthe, Cassandra, and Merope. Then it was just Minthe and Cassandra, and soon after that it was just Minthe.“Persi, you’re in charge for now,” Cassandra said as she stood by the end of the bar with her coat on and bag slung over her shoulder, ready to go home. “Minthe hasn’t worked a close shift, so you’ll need to show her how. If you have any issues, call me.”“I’ll be perfectly fine,” Persephone said brightly. Three of her four shifts were closes, after all, so she knew perfectly well what she was doing, even if she was never in charge—usually it was Cassandra or Merope as the manager and assistant manager respectively, but when it was only Persephone and Psyche on shift it was typically Psyche that took over the role. The only thing she might need to call Cassandra about was counting the till at the very end.When Cassandra had left, Persephone turned to Minthe and said, “Let’s finish this drinks order, and then I can show you the start of the close down, yeah?”“Sure,” was all Minthe said.When there was a lull in their work, Persephone made herself a hot chocolate and tucked it away in the corner of the bar, out of sight of the customers. She then turned to Minthe and asked, “Want a drink? Black americano, special roast, extra shot, no syrups?”Persephone had expected a ‘sure’ in reply, but instead Minthe said, “Good memory.”This might have been as much of a compliment as Persephone was going to get from Minthe, so she grinned and got to work. She even got a thank you when she handed the drink over.“I love the colour of your hair by the way. Is it natural?” Persephone asked as they leant back to take a breather and sip their drinks. Minthe raised her eyebrows at the absurd question, and Persephone added, “Well, you are a nymph, mint hair could be natural.”Persephone pointed at Minthe’s pointed ears, to prove a point that she was a nymph. Now that Minthe wasn’t wearing distractingly cool facial jewellery, and had her long hair tied back, her ears were pretty noticeable.“It is natural, actually,” Minthe said. “What about your eyes?”“Wh-what about my eyes?”“Uh, the colour changing thing?”Persephone immediately looked away, focusing her attention on the nice, shiny coffee machine instead. The colour changing eyes really were a pain in the butt most times.“You got me,” Persephone said, supposing she might as well tell… a lie, but one a little close to the truth, at least. “I’m a nymph of Demeter.”“Huh,” Minthe said, and there was a long silence, and Persephone was starting to think that was the end of the conversation, but Minthe then spoke again. “If you’re a nymph of Demeter, why are you working here, and not with her?”Good question. Persephone hadn’t thought that far.“Haven’t you heard how controlling Demeter is?” Persephone asked, and she melodramatically rolled her eyes and hoped it added to the effect. “I left when I could. It’s much calmer working here. Anyway, what are you a nymph of, if you don’t mind me asking.”Minthe pursed her lips, then said, “I’m a nymph of the river Cocytus.”Persephone had to hold back a gasp. Harmonia had been right that Minthe was a chthonic nymph, but what was a chthonic nymph doing up here when they had a whole underground city to live in?Persephone finally let herself gasp, though she hoped it sounded more pleased than surprised. “A chthonic nymph? I’ve never met anyone chthonic before! Apart from Hades, of course, since he comes her sometimes.”Minthe had been softening a little, but now she had a rigidness to her shoulders, and she frowned as she scoffed, “Don’t talk about Hades to me.”“Why?” Persephone automatically said, a little too defensively. When Minthe scowled at her, Persephone quickly added, “I-I mean he’s really nice, and he tips well whenever he comes in. Don’t you want to be tipped well?”But Minthe’s scowl didn’t disappear, and Persephone’s heart had stopped for a moment. She knew that Minthe had told the other girls not to mention Hades around her, but Persephone had initially thought that was because, like Arachne, Minthe wasn’t a fan of gods, especially one with supposedly bad reputations. But that had been before Persephone had known Minthe was a chthonic nymph. Minthe, a nymph from the Underworld, no longer in the Underworld, because she had beef with the king of said Underworld…?What on Olympus had happened between them, if anything had even happened at all?Minthe gulped down the rest of her coffee, then grumbled, “Aren’t you supposed to be showing me how to do the close down?”“Y-yeah,” Persephone said, and she took a quick sip of her hot chocolate before the pair returned to work. For the rest of the shift, barely another non-work-related word was said between them.#On Tuesday, when Persephone and Merope had both come in to work the close shift, Merope had asked, “How did you get along with Minthe?”“It started off well. I actually got her talking for a bit,” Persephone said, and for a moment Merope had looked impressed, but then Persephone just had to add, “but then she stopped talking to me because I accidentally brought up Hades.”Merope sighed. “I warned you, Persi.”Persephone also sighed and explained that they’d been talking about Minthe being a nymph of the river Cocytus, and the topic of chthonic beings had naturally come up. She tried asking if Merope knew anything else about Minthe, and why she might have a thing against Hades, but Merope shook her head. Apparently, Minthe barely said anything about her personal life, especially from before she had worked at Cassie’s Coffee.Then, on Wednesday, Persephone finally decided she should ask Hades if he knew anyone called Minthe. She’d been tempted to ask him before, but every time over the past few days that she had written out the text, she had paused, then deleted the whole thing. Perhaps it would be better to ask him to his face.Thankfully, Wednesday was their second month anniversary, and Persephone was around the back of house, washing the dishes, when Arachne came over and said, “Hey, your boyfriend is here. At least I think it’s your boyfriend.”Persephone raised her eyebrows. “You think it’s my boyfriend? I assure you; Hades is pretty recognisable. It’s not like he always has a three-headed dog with him or anything.”“Uh, one, he doesn’t have that stupid dog with him,” Arachne huffed. She better not call Cerberus stupid within earshot of Hades or Hecate. That could get messy. “And I think he’s casting this weird spell. Like, I look at him and know it’s Hades, because he said he was hear for you, but my brain just doesn’t want to see it.”“That would probably be his helm of invisibility,” Persephone said.“Yeah, yeah, I don’t care. Just go serve him. It’s weird talking to him since he’s got to know I am—was—an infamous god hater.”Poor Arachne genuinely looked a little pale, so Persephone patted her on the shoulder and said, “He’s not going to smite you, I promise.”Leaving Arachne to finish off the dishes, Persephone drifted to the front of house, where Hades was waiting at the till. He smiled when he saw her, and Persephone’s hear fluttered as it always did. Even if he was nowhere near conventionally attractive, there was something about that awkward smile that always cheered her up.“I thought I should briefly stop by to wish you a happy second month anniversary,” Hades said as Persephone drifted over to the till and automatically started putting in his order. Of course, by now, she didn’t need to ask what he wanted.“Weren’t you the one that spent last night asking me why people celebrated month anniversaries when that wasn’t a long time at all?” Persephone asked, and she grinned up at him.“Yes, but seeing as you are excited, I thought I should be excited too,” he explained, in that matter of fact way he always explained things in, and he handed over the money for his drink.“Where’s Cerberus today?” Persephone asked as she handed Hades his change. He always told her to put it in the tip jar herself, but she felt too awkward doing that, so she had to hand it to him first.“When I said I should briefly stop by, I did mean briefly,” Hades said as he stuffed the change into the tip jar. “Unfortunately, someone filed a lot of souls in the wrong place, and it is taking a while to organise everything, so I must return as soon as I can, no walks for Cerberus today. Maybe tomorrow.”“Hence your invisibility spell,” Persephone said, and she waggled her fingers at him as she headed off to the coffee machine to set up the steamed milk. “It must be easier to mask your presence when you’re on your own than when Cerberus is with you.”“Precisely,” Hades said.As Hades stood at the end of the bar, and Persephone got to making his hot chocolate, she asked, “I was wondering, do you know a nymph called Minthe?”There was a short pause, then Hades said, “No. Why are you asking?”“There’s a girl called Minthe who works here on weekends,” Persephone explained as she put down the steamed drink and went to fetch the whipped cream. “Obviously, I’ve never worked with her, until Monday that is. She had to cover Psyche’s shift.”“And what does this possibly have to do with me?”“Because she’s a nymph of the river Cocytus, a chthonic nymph, that’s your domain,” Persephone said. After adding on the finishing touches, she ruined the drink by slapping a lid on top, and she handed it to Hades. “I thought you might know her.”She didn’t want to admit that the only reason she was asking was because Minthe clearly didn’t like him. Hades probably had enough of being told people didn’t like him.There was another short pause, and Hades frowned a little. “No, I do not. It is impossible for me to know every nymph, especially ones who do not live in the Undercity.”“But she must have once, if she’s a chthonic nymph—”“I do not know her, Persephone,” Hades said, and Persephone blinked at the sudden sharpness of his tone. Then again, he had said that they were busy in the Underworld today and filing errors must be awful to deal with in such a vast and important workplace. Maybe he was simply stressed.“I was only checking,” she said, and she smiled up at him. “Take care on your way back and enjoy the drink.”“I will, thank you,” he said, and he nodded his head to her before he left.#When Hades returned to the Underworld, drink in hand, he immediately started to head back to his office. As he made his way down the corridors, Hecate appeared as if from thin air, and fell into step beside him.“Wow, you really were brief,” she remarked, as she waved her clipboard at him. “Good, because I had something—why are you frowning?”Hades frowned. “I am not frowning.”“You are a hundred percent frowning, what happened?”She lowered her voice as she asked, even though there weren’t many around. Hades took a sip of his hot chocolate, then lowered his own voice as he replied, “Minthe works at Cassie’s Coffee, but only on weekends, hence why I have not run into her yet.”Hecate sucked in a breath, her eyes wide and her grip tightening on her clip board. A few strands of hair fell out of place. “Then remind me to pay Cassie’s Coffee a personal visit on Saturday so I can—”“No,” Hades said, and he reached up to brush Hecate’s hair back into place. She scowled at him, then took a deep breath and sighed. The last thing Hades wanted was for Hecate to unleash one of her infamous bad moods on a poor, mortal coffee shop.“Does Persephone know what happened with Minthe?” Hecate asked, and though her hair was perfectly straight again, she still scowled, and she still gripped her clipboard tightly.“No,” Hades said, “and she doesn’t need to.”Hecate nodded, and the pair stared at each other for a moment. Hecate then flipped a sheet of paper over her clipboard and announced, “Anyway, I have something I need to talk to you about, regarding the misfiling today.”Hades waved a hand for her to carry on, thankful to return to the more comfortable topic of work, rather than anything to do with relationships or chthonic nymphs.