Zagreus stammers for a moment, not expecting that hammer to fall, but he's not an unintelligent boy. Impulsive and brash at times, yes, but that didn't detract from his cleverness. If Hermes wanted to share that information, he would have. He certainly wouldn't have risked thieving one of these apples for him as a joke.
And, besides, he'd never given Zagreus any reason for him to doubt him. For all his father painted the Olympians as spiteful and perpetually ill-spirited, Zagreus knows better than anyone else that some opinions have to be taken with a grain of salt. Hermes will probably be able to physically see the way that Zagreus runs these calculations and relaxes.
"Well. In that case... thanks. You've done me an enormous favor." He eats the apple almost dutifully. It's unlike anything he's tasted before, but he's careful not to miss a single seed, a sliver of skin, and when he's finished he smiles a little lopsidedly at the god before him. "I feel it a bit already, I think. Or maybe I'm just imagining as much."
no subject
And, besides, he'd never given Zagreus any reason for him to doubt him. For all his father painted the Olympians as spiteful and perpetually ill-spirited, Zagreus knows better than anyone else that some opinions have to be taken with a grain of salt. Hermes will probably be able to physically see the way that Zagreus runs these calculations and relaxes.
"Well. In that case... thanks. You've done me an enormous favor." He eats the apple almost dutifully. It's unlike anything he's tasted before, but he's careful not to miss a single seed, a sliver of skin, and when he's finished he smiles a little lopsidedly at the god before him. "I feel it a bit already, I think. Or maybe I'm just imagining as much."