For littlesprout

[messageforyou]

Athena may be the wisest of the Olympians, but Hermes is probably the cleverest. He's clever enough to recognize how messy his family gets, and to figure out how to get what he wants without anyone knowing he's involved. It's better that way, really. Hermes would hate to be dragged into any family conflicts. Fending off the ire of his stepmother, Hera, is hard enough.

At first Hermes kept mum about Persephone because he was very fond of his cousin and, well, he wasn't officially in the know of any Underworld goings on. Demeter's grief was surprisingly deep and devastated, but what good would the truth do? Hermes kept mum and kept out of the way.

And then Zagreus came along, and Zagreus wanted to get to the surface, and... well, okay. So Hermes has a soft side. And maybe it was pretty easy for Charon to convince him to help his cousin out. But what was Hermes to do? Say no to Charon? Charon never asked for favors. And besides, who was Hermes to deny his cousin a chance to meet his mother?

And then maybe Hermes grew to really like Zagreus, and maybe the idea of never meeting him in person made him sad, and maybe he ended up with one of Hera's jealously guarded golden apples and maybe he happened to be in the neighborhood when Zagreus breached the surface and defeated Hades again. Maybe. Hermes promises he's still being clever and not really, really stupid.

As the dust settles and Hades is claimed by the Styx, Hermes waits a beat from his spot hidden in one of the trees overlooking the arena, just to make sure his estranged uncle is gone.

Then he breaks into applause and whistles.

"Good job, coz! Really had him on the ropes! Guess you inherited the 'kill your father' gene. Except this time there's less gruesome dismemberment. Which is for the best, really."

Yes. This is how Hermes is going to introduce himself in person.

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[messageforyou]

Hermes would be the last person to deny his family's flaws. But they're hardly a monolith; Hermes has never been one to hold a grudge, Artemis has never been one too enamored with worship, and Dionysus is rarely in ill humor. But it's Hermes here now, and Hermes has no desire to spite his youngest cousin.

(If anything, it might be nice to have him as family.)

Hermes watches on pleasantly as Zagreus works through his thought process, then smiles with a little bow of the head as Zagreus thanks him and eats the apple down to the seed. "No trouble at all--well, actually, lots of trouble, especially if we're ever found out, but I'm happy to do it for you, Coz."

If Hera finds out and throws a fit, Hermes will just have to hide in Charon's boat for a while. It'd be like a slumber party, if a slumber party meant having a vengeful goddess out for his blood.

"So you should have some time, I think. Enough time to go have a lovely day and night with a certain someone you've been looking for." Hermes shrugs, feigning fond indifference. "Or... perhaps you could have that after a quick jaunt around the surface? See the sights? I could show you around."

[littlesprout]

The idea that he might be able to spend some time with his mother, properly, without fear of being claimed right away by the Styx- well, it's incredible, really, and he hopes Persephone feels the same way. (Privately, pettily, he hopes Father spends the next day burning with confused curiosity when Zagreus fails to come crawling from the Styx pool in the Hall in the usual amount of time.)

"Don't worry. I won't say a word," he pledges, holding up one hand as if to indicate his promise. And, well, yes, he is delighted by the thought of spending so much time in Persephone's private little garden, but isn't the thought of open access to the surface equally exciting? Would he ever really get another chance like this? And doesn't he owe Hermes, really, for the risk he'd taken for him unbidden?

"And if you're sure you don't mind playing tour guide, that would lovely." An outing with his cousin from Olympus. It felt positively fraternal. "You might have to lead the way, though. I don't really know much about the world up there, actually."

[messageforyou]

Hermes likes to think himself as hard to read. He is hard to read... provided a person doesn't pay attention to the wings on his head. When Zagreus agrees to come see the surface with Hermes, the wings on his head perk and fluff up even as his face keeps its opaque smile. He is very pleased with this.

(For such a large family, it's sometimes hard to find a person who wants to just be a family for a bit.)

If one pays closer attention to the wings on his head, Zagreus might notice that all his primary feathers look like the Lambent Plume he gave to Zagreus. So he must have plucked one of his own wings for it.

"Then Hermes the tour guide is at your service, boss." And Hermes actually stops hovering. He alights on the ground, his steps barely leaving an impression on the snow. He slings an arm around Zagreus' shoulder like they've known each other forever (cousin privileges) and he directs him to look out at the water. Dawn is coming, and it glitters on the sea. "What'll it be? Anything specific you had in mind when you came up here? Something you've always imagined? If not, I have a short list of must-sees I'd love to show off."