Bonus Content - Pyri POV

Hey all!

Today we have the last bonus content in the Chapter Nine series. It's Pyri's, and I had a lot of fun with it, because unlike most people, they're not trying all that hard to remain calm and composed about it. :)

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“It’s just—it’s not fair!”

Pyri had thought that about a lot of things in life, both after and, they’re sure, before they forgot everything that had once happened to them. But they aren’t sure they’ve ever been quite this angry about it.

“Whoa, Red.” Hermes holds his hands up, placatingly, tilting his head with a complicated expression. “You know you’re literally on fire right now, don’t you?”

“So? Who cares? It’s not like it’s burning me.” Even their clothes are exempt from the flames, which is probably a good thing, but one they can’t be bothered to think much about right now. “Why aren’t we going to get Persephone back right now?”

They can’t say they’d completely hate the opportunity to punch the so called King of the Gods in the face with a burning fist. That actually sounds like a great idea. If anyone’s ever deserved a real knock in the jaw, it’s got to be him, and Pyri knows this without even having met the guy. Knowing Hermes even for a little while is enough, but know that they know Persephone as well…

Hermes sighs. “You know it’s not that simple, Red. Hekate explained it earlier, remember?”

Pyri’s eyes, luminous with their anger, narrow at him. Of course Hekate had explained it all. Something about how they had to assemble a legal basis for giving Persephone the choice about what she wanted to do. Which on one level is ridiculous because Pyri knows she wants to be here, and surely just arguing for that would be easier.

But on another level, they get it. They do. They just also think the same result could probably be achieved by annoying Zeus enough that he gives them what they want to keep their ‘Chthonic stain’ or whatever out of Olympus. Blackmail, basically. If he was willing to be an ass who used coercion on people to get what he wanted, they don’t see why they can’t give him a taste of his own medicine.

Besides, if worse came to worst, Boss could take him in a fight. They’re sure of it.

“So,” Hermes continues, “we need to do this the slow and careful way. Believe me, Pyri, I miss her too, and it’s awful, not being able to just fly up there and tell her everything’s going to be okay. But if it means we have the best chance of actually making it okay, then isn’t it worth it?”

“I don’t know,” Pyri replies, frustration seeping into their tone. “Sure that all sounds logical or whatever, but what about what she’s going through while we’re doing all that? She could be in pain, you know? It’s not like she would have gone willingly!”

Of course, they have no idea what actually happened. Leks has figured out enough to trace major deific magic, and Hekate agrees that the most likely contributor is Demeter. But who knows exactly what’s going on up there? Besides, just because Demeter is Persephone’s mother doesn’t mean she should be making the decisions any more than Zeus should!

From what everyone’s said, she won’t hurt her daughter on purpose… but there’s a lot of ways to accidentally hurt someone, too.

Hermes approaches, reaching towards their shoulders with an uncertain smile. “Red. Turn down the heat for me?”

It takes them a moment to remember that they’re on fire, and then another few to make the growing inferno snuff out, but they manage it, and he places his hands on their shoulders, ducking to look into their eyes. “Hey,” he says, half his mouth pulling upwards into a smile.

Pyri grumbles something back at him that’s sort of meant to be a greeting, and he gives their shoulders a squeeze.

“I know this isn’t easy. It’s awful for everyone involved, and I know that’s part of the reason you’re so upset. And that’s okay—you can be upset. But—”

“I know,” Pyri says, expelling a deep sigh. “You want me to remember who I really need to be upset at. And it’s not anyone who’s stopping me from going there right now, because they’re only helping. I know. It just—I feel like I’ve done this before, you know? Been stuck doing nothing when someone I care about is in danger.” Maybe even… maybe even forced to rely on someone else? The feeling of it all is somehow familiar, and they don’t really want to explore it any further. The things they chose to forget were forgotten for a reason, after all, even if they don’t recall that either.

Hermes sighs quietly, moving one of his hands to ruffle their hair, then pulling them in for a tight hug. “I’m sorry, Pyri,” he says, soft and unusually sincere for him. It makes something squeeze in their chest, and they shut their eyes tightly. What would they do without their friends, honestly?

The hug saps the frustration and anger out of them, leaving only the embers behind. Pyri knows it won’t be long before they’re mad again, because the situation just won’t allow them to reach acceptance. But…

“Hey Featherhead. I want… if the others think we need to do a court thing. I want to be the one who gives our arguments.”

“Are you sure?” Hermes loosens his grip just enough to move them back out to arms’ length. “It’s not that I don’t think you could, Red, but it’s not going to be an easy argument, and you’re going to have to give it in front of my old man. I’m not sure I could do it, if I’m being perfectly honest here.”

And he’s a real god. One of the big important Olympian gods, in fact. They know that’s the part he’s not saying, because as kind as he’s being about it, they know people on Olympus won’t be. Pyri’s hardly more than a human to people like that.

But the thing is, they don’t care.

“If everyone thinks it makes our chances worse, I won’t,” they say. “But I want to. I want to stand up for her. I want to do that part at least, because we all know I’m pretty useless for the rest. I’ll memorize as much stuff as I have to. I’ll practice it a thousand times so I can say it right when I need to. But I want to do this.”

Hermes purses his lips, but he nods. “All right,” he says. “Then let’s go tell everyone else. You’ll need to get started right away, I think.”