Bonus Content - Hermes POV

Hey all!

This month's Hermes POV focuses on the time the PC (Seph, in this case) is on Olympus after their departure. The cast were certainly not idle during that time, and there were a few things besides research that they needed to do. 

I hope you enjoy this one. :)

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“I found them.”

Hermes alights on the floor of the throne room. Hades has just finished handling petitioners for the day, and though he doesn’t look any different from normal, the winged god can sort of pick up on his agitation anyway. He’d never be anything but patient in front of the subjects who bring their problems to him for arbitration or succor, but he must want to be in the library right now.

Where the others are, looking for ways to free Seph.

The elder god’s brows draw down over his eyes and he stands, descending the small dais to stand on level with Hermes. “I hope that’s all?” he asks softly.

A small shudder moves through Hermes’s wings, not quite puffing his feathers but certainly shifting the shape of them. “You can’t seriously think I was going to hurt a couple of idiot humans who didn’t know any better.”

“Idiot demigods,” Hades corrects, with a hint of humor and exhaustion both. “And no, Hermes, I didn’t think you were going to hurt them. But I would have understood if you had confronted them in another way.”

His hackles go back down, and the shape of his wings smooths out. “I was tempted, I’ll give you that.” He smiles, more baring teeth than expressing any sort of joy. Hermes has never considered himself the kind of person that gets attached to anyone or anything enough to be angry when it’s gone, but… Seph isn’t really just gone, are they? They’ve been taken. Styx was pretty clear about what happened—that they’d tried to get her help and she’d given it, only to be thwarted by what could only be the magic of a greater deity.

And the one they’d called on had been Demeter.

Hades’s own expression remains mild, but by now Hermes knows not to interpret that as indifference. There’s no one here who is indifferent to what’s happened to Seph, and that might be the only thing keeping him from doing several different kinds of stupid thing, rather than just one. “I still don’t see how they could have been so oblivious to what they were really doing. Are you sure you don’t want me to drag them back down here for judgement?”

Hades shakes his head. “Not at this time. It is important that the larger matters resolve themselves first, and then we will see what Seph wants to do, should they return.”

“Of course they’ll return.” Hermes huffs a breath out skeptically. He understands trying to account for all the possibilities and everything, but some things at least can be taken as a given.

“I think perhaps I am not as sure as you. After all, if they chose to remain on Olympus, they would still be quite able to be around the person they care for the most.” One snowy eyebrow lifts, just slightly, and Hermes feels his face warm, just a little bit. Good thing it’ll never show, on a complexion like his.

He shakes his head emphatically. “Even if that were the only factor—and it’s not—they know I like it better here. At this point, Zeus knows I like it better here, if only because of how little time I even spend on Olympus anymore.” It’s not that he’s forsaken it entirely. Hermes doesn’t think he could do that. But it’s become pretty obvious to everyone, himself included, where he prefers to be.

And he’s pretty sure Seph prefers to be here, too.

“I’ll take your word for it,” Hades replies, and Hermes knows he means it. It’s not sarcasm, not a way to end the conversation without actually changing his mind, or anything like that. He just is going to trust that his nephew knows what he’s talking about.

It’s hardly a wonder Hermes prefer to be here, is it? Then the closest he gets to anyone caring what he thinks on Olympus are the rare occasions he visits Hestia, or when his mother is lucid enough to speak with him.

“I just… what do we do now?” he asks. There has to be something.

Hades presses his lips together. “I’m sure Hekate wouldn’t say no to more help. We’ve found the loophole we think we’ll need; now it’s a matter of citing more cases that support it. We want every single instance we can find written down.”

“You think the old man is going to read anything for this?”

“Not really,” his uncle admits with a soft huff. “Some part of me thinks we could show up with blank scrolls for citations and be completely fine, but it’s not a risk anyone wants to take. Nor, fortunately, one that we need to.”

That’s reassuring. As confident as he’s always been that they’ll be able to figure out how to get Seph their own way in this, it’s still… pretty big to hear that the pieces are actually coming together. Hermes feels his shoulders relax, and then his wings, until now held with an almost aching rigidity tucked into his back.

“I’ll go help, then. Maybe bring some snacks.”

Hades smiles. “I’m sure they’ll appreciate that. Once I’m done for today, I’ll join you.”

“Yeah. No problem.” Hermes knows that if Hades didn’t have to keep running the Underworld right now, he’d be there too. Not just because he likes Seph and wants them to be able to live as they choose, either; he’s kind of a wonk about this sort of thing. Or at least, he’s scarily good at remembering what information is in each book in the massive library.

Either way, his help will be very welcome, when they have it again. In the meantime, though, there’s still plenty they can do.

Hang in there, Sunshine. We’re coming.