Basic Plot

Reverse where Persephone traps Hades in a garden. They tell her to release him, because no one is dying, or maybe there is an apocolypse, and the dead are wandering out of the Underworld. No Winter, and people aren't dying. Does Hades want to leave? How does that affect everyone?

Perhaps Persephone is tired of vising the Underworld for 6 months of the year, and she tricks him to come visit her, or this could be revenge for so long ago.

She is still angry at the other gods for not being more helpful, and she has become used to not being around them and being estranged, so she headed to the opposite side of the world in the North American Continent.

Lore

The entrance to the Underworld is found in a mine, which is known for collapsing and claiming lives.

Persephone lives in a delightful garden, but she likes to travel while she can, and it helps her spread spring.

The Greek gods are forgotten, even though they still live on top of Mt. Olympus where a cloud shields them from commoners below. The only way to get there is by the rainbow path, which keeps them concealed from any normal mortal. There is a large golden palace, which is the only material rich enough for them, with a grand throne room containing the thrones of all the major gods. They mainly feast on ambrosia and nectar the food of the gods. A large engraved wood table is brought in for them to feast at. If someone comes to visit, they are quick to have their servants move their thrones back into a formal majestic semi-circle, however, they are often used as seats around a huge feasting table. Hestia has a large blazing hearth on the other end, which she tends instead of sitting on a throne with the rest. (according to myth, we can change)

Characters

Hades by Quadropheniac

Persephone by Sir Frogginton

Greek Pantheon and the Rest of the World

The Underworld

The Underworld is the realm occupied by the dead: souls and spirits of people who once were. There are exactly three entrances/exits to the Underworld which can be accessed through the mortal realm. Only one of these entrances is widely known, while the location of the other two are secrets held only by a certain few. It probably helps that the other entrances tend to shift, moving about at random every few decades*. The main entrance is through a long abandoned mine shaft somewhere in North America. It's rumored to be haunted, due to its history as the scene of one of the most horrific mining disasters of the century.
*currently these other entrances are located in Northern France and Northeast China.

It, as its name implies, is located below the realm of the living, or the Aboveworld. It occupies an absolutely massive area, maybe even endless as far as anybody knows. Even its long-time residents don't know how far its borders extend. Most of its residents are contained within their own regions, and travel within the Underworld is practically unheard of. Along with unauthorized movement being prohibited, there are also barriers to prevent the dead from wandering outside their assigned resting places.

Although somewhat dull in color variety, it is not without some sense of eerie beauty to the mist soaked mountains, serpentine ridges, and simmering pools that mark the Underworld's landscape. There is an alien grace to this world, with its features existing as an upside down reflection of the living world that strikes just close enough to normal to make one queasy. Sunlight cannot reach the Underworld, so alternative light sources are common, most often in the form of luminescent fungi and some varieties of lichen, which don't require sunlight to grow. Plants and flowers cannot survive in such an environment, and if a green plant happens to find itself in the Underworld, it will languish and die. The overall light cast across the land is a subdued purple.

It is divided into four regions: Asphodel Meadows, the Mourning Fields, the Elysian Fields, and Tartarus. Each region is home to souls, who are sorted by their accomplishments and behaviors during life.

Asphodel Meadows: people of no particular affinity are admitted into this region. It is home to middle of the road, typical individuals, people who have neither distinguished themselves as extraordinarily good nor bad in life. The region has a cool, misty lavender hue due to the native fungi and is distinguished by a rocky terrain of granite boulders ranging from the size of a fist to larger than a man, cut through by thin, trickling creeks and streams. Delicate caches of amethyst and citrine crackle between stone and water.

The Mourning Fields: this region belongs to the souls who found themselves lost to love in life. Despite the name, it is more a despondent morass than a pleasant field. The air here hangs wet and humid, and the atmosphere has a tendency to linger even after leaving the area. The piles of limestone surrounding the foggy pools are studded with diamonds, rose quartz, and moonstones. The fungi and lighting of this region largely present as a smokey grey mauve.

The Elysian Fields: the region of heroes and demigods is seemingly one of the darkest regions, with the lighting here casting the land in a deep Byzantine purple. It is arguably the nicest of the regions, with gently sloping mountains that rest against the sky like sleeping titans and softly glowing lichen underfoot. Fungi hangs from towering marble features like Spanish moss, while veins of gold mingle with onyx and ruby just below the surface like a pulsing lifeblood.

Tartarus:

Hades, Lord of the Underworld and
Keeper of Riches

Age: Immortal and ageless, he most commonly appears as a man in his late 30's

Appearance: As a god, he has the ability to change his appearance at will, although he rarely does so. Unlike his more fanciful brothers, he has more or less kept his appearance the same over the millennia, with only minor changes here and there. As such, he maintains an oddly "classical" look that feels out of place in a contemporary world. This is partly because of his inherent stubbornness and desire for routine, and partly because he simply doesn't have reason to venture beyond the borders of the Underworld very often. He's perhaps a bit shorter than one might expect, standing about 5'10" with a lean build. In contrast to his golden skinned brothers who roam the sea and sky, he might appear somewhat undernourished and of an alien, almost poisonous charm, like a mushroom that blooms only in the dark.

He bears a soldier's countenance, with a short cropped, well-maintained beard and tightly curled black hair that falls to his shoulders. His skin is the pale ashen hue of birch trees, his cruel features cut from graveyard marble. His eyes are the cool gold of deeply buried riches, hard and unflinching. A smolder of life flickers low and slow in his golden brown gaze, like embers burnt down to the ground but ready to surge forth again at a moment's notice. There's a tiredness to his features, too, like a frazzled parent who hasn't had a good sleep in months of fretting over the erratic nature of their children.

As mentioned, Hades is...out of touch with the modern world, and has little to no experience with living mortals or their fashions and trends. Fittingly, he continues to dress as he always has: in the imperial regalia befitting an emperor of old, with elaborate golden accents and a crown of twisted white poplar branches. His toga is often purple, but is sometimes a dark grey wool of mourning to reflect the mood of his inhabitants. A ring of keys is always carried on a slim gold chain around his neck.

Personality: Overworked and under-appreciated for the better part of his existence, the god has a chip on his shoulder the size of the Grand Canyon. Even in the "good old days" of widespread paganism and public piety, men feared to speak his name and would turn away during sacrifice. He was never granted the adoration so easily given his brothers and sisters. While the respect and fear might have been validating at first, it eventually began to grate at his nerves, and now he longs for just a single act of appreciation or acknowledgment of all that he does to keep humanity from falling completely out of balance.

Despite his extreme diligence at keeping order in the Underworld, he continues to tolerate years of humanity's villainizing and fear, leading him to harbor a bitterness that threatens to slink from its hole and lash out sooner or later.

He's a workaholic and a micromanager, which is probably why he never leaves the Underworld. He doesn't trust others to do his job properly. Ruling over the realm of the dead isn't something you can just take a leave of absence from, either. He's stuck in place, sticking to routine and watching the end of the cycle of life over and over again. It grows tiresome.

He's a fairly cold individual, difficult to please and shake from his work-related apathy, and he doesn't forgive or forget easily. And while he's not exactly the nicest of gods, he's certainly not evil for the sake of being evil. He is a god who values routine and balance, and he will get the job done by any means necessary.

Age: Immortal, younger than Hades, she keeps a younger appearance of late 20's

Appearance: She is fair and beautiful at all times of the year. However, she changes her aesthetic depending on her mood. She has come to change her appearance according to popular earth trends to try to blend in, and still look great. She also becomes a little self consious around the other goddesses, and even the other gods, so she'll spruce herself up a bit. She normally only changes according to mood, depending on if she is in the Aboveworld or with Hades. She deems that there is an appropriate appearance for every time, and she doesn't want to look out of place besides Hades. Even though she would find it amusing and diverting to see newcomers expressions at her preferred bright and cheery appearance, she knows that Hades would appreciate some continuity. Persephone likes to change with the times. She has found pants more convenient, and they show off her form just as well. However, she continues to wear her old regalia in the Underworld where nothing has changed since Hades came to power.

She is often seen with a crown of flowers, when she is in the above world. She has rosy cheeks, and a light sprinkle of freckles over her cheeks. Her skin appears to be sun kissed, and lightly golden. Her hair comes down in waist length ripples, that are curly. It would be called red, even though it is more accurately described as orange or a bright coppery color. She has a shapely hourglass figure, and there is something about her that is solid and robust. She has bright green eyes, which are often squinted close in a smile. She has a small button nose. She has arched shape eyebrows. She has a slightly square face shape, which is filled with her slightly rounded cheeks. She has medium light pink lips, and a wide smile.

In the Underworld, even though she is still fair, she seems even lighter and more vampire. Her hair darkens to a flattering dark auburn color, and the curly ripples loosen slightly and become wavey. She appears to become smaller and more fragile. Her eyes change from the bright cheery green to a stormy gray with random blue, yellow, green, and amber flecks, which can't be seen from far away. The freckles melt away, and her skin becomes pale, lacking the healthy sunkissed color. Her eyes seem to become slightly more wider, as if her eyes are straining to capture all of the light possible in the dark.. (An exaggerated example of her eyes would be Gollum from the movies)

Personality:

As the queen of spring she was alway smiling, joyful and happy, but she has a bit of girlish mischievousness. She likes change, and new beginnings. On the outside, especially, when she is in the Aboveworld, she appears friendly, bright, and benevolent comparing to her grouchy hovering cloud of a husband. However, her amiableness conceals a great deal of repressed spite, which she prefers to release onto those who are lesser than her. She can be very fickle, changing her mind on a dime. Her moods can morph from kind, to pouty, to angry, to fearful, to annoyed in very little time.

Down in the Underworld, she gets tired of there being nothing to do. Hades does all the work, so she sits around and looks pretty, and gets paler, because there is no sun. As the saying goes, idle hands are the devil's playground, so she has plenty of time for plotting. She enjoys doing things that occupy her mind, including work. Most of the time she spends it plotting who knows what. She has a short memory, but a long grudge. She is bustling with energy.

In the Underworld she often appears to be solemn, and she is very stubborn once she makes up her mind. However, she tends to be a little more subtle when it comes to manipulation. She tries to avoid hard no's, and on the outside, she appears to be very laid back compared to the other goddesses. She can still be very bitter that Hades thinks she needs to be trapped in the Underworld for half of the year. She is becoming very tired of everyone hovering around her, trying to keep her trapped. First it was her helicopter mother, and now it's her husband.

Being reminded of that long ago history was still enough to make her seeth and boil, which she knew wasn’t healthy for their marriage. She had begun counting the days much like the excited school children counting down their days until their next holiday. Her blood thrummed with excitement, pulsing through her veins increasing slightly like the trees sap, beginning to make their circulation for the new growth. As the goddess of spring it was about time for her to make her yearly debut. She knew that she would have to at least try to sooth a grouchy Hades before she made her escape, but the surface in the Aboveworld was where she belonged.

Almost without Persephone having to think about it, her hair was gradually becoming lighter at the tips, and ombre back into her dark auburn hair. It would lighten even further as spring got into its full swing. She packed a few belongings for her journey upwards. It was hard for her to decide, if she wanted to bring her make up with her, or if she should leave the things that were Persephone’s behind and resume the mantle of Kore, if only for a short while. There wasn’t too much that she’d actually need.

She was ready to go, but she felt like she had better go find Hades and see what he was up to before she left. He had to give Cerberus permission for her to leave. She would find it easier here during the winter months, if Hades were more willing to hand out work, but he didn’t trust her enough. They had been together for millenia, and he didn’t trust her to oversee anything. It was exhausting and boring. "Hades," she called for him, her voice echoing around the empty halls. "Where are you?" Finally, she found him, after hearing a noise. "What are you doing here? Aren't you going to see me off?"

He had to, and she could make it hell for him, if he didn't tell Cerberus to let her go. She decided to try something, that she hadn't done before. Perhaps it would make her departure easier. Besides, she had an idea, but she wasn't sure how it was going to work out or how she was going to execute it. "I was wondering, perhaps, after things have settled down after I am gone, maybe you'd like to come up to the surface to visit me." She leaned back studying him before continuing, "I think it'll be good for you to get out and about for a while. When was the last time you left here?" She was sure that this well oiled machine could survive without him for a while.

She gave him a rather cocky grin, "Don't miss me too much." Becoming more serious, she placed a hand on his chest, coming closer to him, so she could try to look him in the eye, "You know I'll be back. It won't be too long for immortals like us. I hope you know that I can take care of myself, and will be perfectly fine." If things went the way she was orchestrating, it would be a while before she returned here. Perhaps it would merely be an extended vacation, but she would leave here for longer than average. "Don't eat too many pomegranates. I'd like to see you up there this year," she shot at him.

Her feet were tapping the ground, and she kept on glancing at the way out. Her belongings were easily wrapped up. She didn't need money, or food, or clothing. She could wander the world as a waif. She was becoming impatient to leave now. Once she had made up her mind, she wanted to execute the plan as soon as possible. Staying around was only letting her grow older.

Hades | mood: drained

Hades was in a foul mood. Admittedly, he had acquired a reputation as a grumpy god in general, but today he was feeling extra irritable, his patience worn thin thanks to recent events. All three of Cerberus' heads had fallen asleep - an unlikely, but not unheard of event - leaving the massive canine's snoozing body to block the gates and cause a huge back up of souls awaiting admittance to the Underworld. By the time Hades himself grew aware of the situation, the line had grown about six hundred deep, and he'd spent the better part of the night laboriously picking his way through one by one and fielding questions from what had at that point developed into an apathetic and confused mob of souls.

Every soul that came his way seemed to be in a rush these days. It wasn't like before, when people had more than an ounce of patience and a hefty respect for the gods. Nowadays, by the time souls made their way to the Underworld, they came in practically running, rushing headlong into eternity, pushing and shoving and making demands this way and that. Nobody wanted to be last.

It was one thing to be a restless soul. It was another entirely to be rude. Most of the souls he dealt with now fell firmly under the latter category. Even now he was attending to some soul who called himself a CEO. Sitting in his audience chamber, Hades had more or less shut his ears to the man's complaints and was trying his figure out the day ahead while the man droned on.

Hades was a god, yes, but a tired god, nearly as lifeless as the souls who occupied his realm. In theory a god shouldn't get tired, but he hardly had time to waste entertaining theories and philosophical musings. The shadows hung heavy under his somber golden eyes, the corners of his mouth tugged down into a defeated sigh. He fit so smoothly into place here, like just another piece of glittering stone resting atop his throne, that some might wonder which had come into existence first: Hades, or his realm. In a way, he had sculpted the Underworld to his liking, and in turn, it had molded him to the surrounding environment as well. They complemented each other, completed each other like a pair of twins born of the same womb. To many mortals, Hades embodied the ideals of the Underworld so completely that the two names were interchangeable. He didn't bother to correct them.

No one understood the precarious nature of his position. No one bothered to give him a second thought.

His wife, Persephone, was the exception, and even she could only stomach the gloom of the Underworld for a scarce few months of the year. Every now and then, invasive thoughts rose unbidden, planting the noxious seed that maybe, just maybe, it was Hades himself that she truly loathed, rather than just his dismal domain. Most of the time he hadn't the energy to consider such bitterness, but it always lingered. He realized with a start that she was calling his name. His elbow knocked against sharp stone, echoing dully inside the empty chamber. How long had her voice, heady with a light he never saw, been slipping through the lifeless halls?

"Yes. I'm here." His mood lifted slightly when he saw her sweep into view, and he raised a hand to quiet the soul of the complaining CEO, dismissing him with a tone that rang steely and automatic, "Thank you for your service. I will take everything you've said into consideration."

Persephone was looking spritely, bright, different. Hades wasn't sure if he liked it. It took a few seconds too long for him to remember why she had come looking for him, and his expression grew cloudy, his lips tightening into a thin line. Already? Again, the time had come for him to sacrifice his wife to give the ungrateful mortals their spring. It happened every year, and yet he never grew accustomed to it. He massaged his temples with strong, spidery fingers, saying, "Oh, it hasn't been so long. When was it - 424, 425 maybe? Something like that. Besides, if I were to leave, these gutless heathens we call guests wouldn't know what to do with themselves. It would be like Olympus down here. Can you imagine the disorder? It's enough to give one a headache."

Loathe though he was to distance himself from his business for even a few minutes, he knew that simply dismissing her here and now would come back to haunt him next winter. His golden gaze hesitated on her grey-green one, which was noticeably lighter and more vibrant than in recent months. Her gentle words tugged at him, her touch pleading, eager. It almost sickened him to see her so happy to leave. He sighed.

"I will escort you to the border. Besides, I must check on Cerberus. Do you know he fell asleep on duty, the lazy beast? He's been so undisciplined lately, it's downright shameful." His voice dragged in a resigned exhale as he agreed, rising to his feet and taking a moment to adjust his attire before offering his hand. As he made his way to the border, he continued to gripe about work, his mood steadily falling as they began to ascend the long path ahead. "I just don't know what's gotten into that dog lately. And these souls coming in. What is it about society these days that makes everybody think they were someone important? Every soul storming in making demands. Perhaps, Persephone, you could take a moment to talk some sense into the mortals? You spend enough time up there. It's the least you could do."

Hades | mood: a little hurt but mostly pretty pissed

Cerberus was less monstrous than some might expect, given his fearsome reputation. Sure, he had two more heads than the average dog, but he was really quite cute in his own way. He mostly resembled a mastiff type breed, with a heavy build that felt like a brick wall, squarish, blocky heads, and drooping jowls. His short coat was the reddish brown of wild boars and forest stags, coupled with a bristling ridge of stiff scales that ran down his spine. His ears were thin and small in comparison to his heads, with each set flopping forward to various degrees. Aside from the extra heads, his only truly abnormal feature was the curling, serpentine tail that lashed back and forth like a whip. Some claimed that, along with the snake-like tail, he possessed the venom of a serpent locked behind his steel jaws, but those who did encounter his fangs didn't linger long.

Although brighter and far more intuitive than the average dog, he still had a dog's nature. He trusted only a handful of individuals and obeyed even fewer, but Persephone was one of the massive canine's long time companions and he had doubtless developed a fondness for her kind ways and gentle voice. So when she came to visit unexpectedly in spring, he'd greeted her with a wagging tail and eager eyes, trusting and happy to see a friend. It hadn't been too difficult to lead the oversized brute away.

Hades, on the other hand, didn't usually spend much time up near the gates, too preoccupied with settling other business among his people, and he knew nothing of Cerberus' disappearance until word filtered through the ranks and finally got back to him. At first, he didn't really believe that the big dog was gone. Cerberus was getting on in years, true, but he was loyal to a fault, and would never abandon his post unless he were otherwise ordered - or stolen, as he had been once by that troublesome, bull headed Hercules. That had been quite a debacle, and Hades still squirmed to think of it. But the days of heroes were gone. The gods were forgotten. What sort of oracle would be out dispensing quests as in the days of old? And who would dare risk incurring the wrath of the Underworld?

A quick survey of the gates revealed what Hades had feared. Cerberus was indeed gone, and he'd left no signs of a fight behind, meaning that the culprit had been someone the dog knew and trusted. That narrowed the list down significantly. Even Zeus, king of the gods though he was, would have surely elicited a commotion and a struggle from the beastly canine were he to try and steal him away. Like his master Hades, Cerberus had only ever shown a begrudging tolerance for the trigger happy bolt thrower. After thoroughly grilling Charon (useless) and then Hermes, who tended to buzz around sources of drama like flies to shit, Hades made his way to some wretched mountain where, according to Hermes, he'd find his missing dog.

Much to his chagrin and much to Hermes' amusement, that meant leaving the Underworld. That never happened. Hades didn't just wander in and out of the Underworld like some careless summer child, nor did he allow the souls in his realm to do so. The god was static, immovable, tireless, as resistant to change as stone to wind. He resembled tedious stability as much as his wife resembled erratic metamorphoses. Irritation seethed within as he trudged upward, thinking of how this little distraction would impact his Underworld operation.

The Aboveworld was different now, though just as unpleasant as he remembered. It was too bright, too harsh, painfully day glo to his muted senses. He saw little beauty in its over-saturated intensity, but he would admit that it seemed a little less vivid than before. Good. Granted, the color of the sky still made him grimace, but it didn't feel outright painful, nor did the sun blind him.

He didn't know exactly where he’d popped out on the surface world. Even in the long ago times, Hades was at best, distant from the realm of the living. Sure, where he walked now didn’t look much like when he’d visited before, but that had been so long ago that it was hard to remember exactly what he’d seen. Back then, he’d faced bloody battlefields and fallen soldiers at every turn. That ravaged landscape walked a delicate line between living and dead, and perhaps for that reason, Hades had found it somewhat agreeable. Certainly, it was a far cry from the balmy and idyllic environment around him. At present, he found himself surrounded by thick, sturdy trees that raised the sky up like pedestals, ferns unfurling at their shady roots, and a chorus of sounds that swept in and out and around. In sharp contrast, the Underworld was void of the usual background sounds that might make up an environment, whether city or forest or farm. Sounds are a largely living thing, and souls are well - not. Hades was used to dead silence. At most, he was intimately familiar with the sound of water, and even that was subtle, subdued as the five rivers wound their way through and around his realm.

Most of all as he approached what appeared to be a long abandoned garden, he noticed the flowers. Lots of flowers. Well, it was springtime up here, he supposed. He grumbled something about the pollen as he pushed forward, finally spotting his missing dog. All three heads of Cerberus were fast asleep, the middle head snoring lightly as he snoozed. A paw flexed in peaceful slumber. It would have been almost sweet, if the whole situation hadn’t been so infuriating.

His eyes locked on the massive beast first, and he cried out in disbelief and anger, “Cerberus! Awaken, you lazy behemoth!”

While the hound did flick an ear and open two and a half eyes in groggy response, it wasn't quite the reaction Hades had been looking for, and he quickly turned his fiery gaze on the person responsible. Persephone. She was cozied up beside Cerberus, stroking his fur and looking rather pleased with herself. Her? Hades hesitated for a moment as he realized the betrayal had come from his own wife, confusion and hurt overwhelming anger before his divine fury crashed forward.

“Persephone. What do you think you're doing?" Hades growled. His eyes burned like rubies trapped in a funeral pyre, his voice carried the unforgiving chill of hallowed ground, his shoulders snapped taunt as he stalked forward. An icy wind, a reminder of the recent winter, whipped at his back. "Summoning Cerberus away from his duties is beyond irresponsible, even for you. You will return him at once."

He continued to chastise Persephone as he placed a hand on the dog's rightmost head, fingers nestling among folds of loose skin. "This insidious stunt of yours has already caused immeasurable delays in the realm. I have wasted half a day chasing after you and Cerberus. I cannot abide this sort of indiscretion."

For some reason, his usually controlling touch didn't have quite the effect he'd expected, and the dog remained drifting blissfully in and out of consciousness. That was odd. Cerberus was a monster, nearly impossible to overpower physically, and yet - sleep could master even the strongest of monsters. In theory, the dog didn't need sleep, but that didn't mean that he was immune to the lull of dreams. Maybe he truly was tired after all this time. Maybe Persephone mistook desire for need and thought she was doing him a kindness by giving him a break. Regardless, her actions were misplaced and disastrous.

Hades | mood: triggered because hercules is a dognapping jerkules

It had taken a minute for him to register Persephone's appearance, but when he finally did notice, Hades couldn't help but be a little taken aback. His wife looked like an entirely different person, from her bright, coppery hued tresses to her vibrant - and stubborn - green gaze. He hadn't seen her like this in so long that the images had all but vanished from memory. Not since their first meeting, when he'd spied her alone in a garden so long ago. It was weirdly similar to the scenario he found himself facing presently. Except that then he'd known precisely what to expect, whereas now he felt rather in the dark, and annoyed because of it. Zeus hadn't bothered to pop down and mention anything about his wife going rogue. Thanks, brother.

If it wasn't for their blood relation, Hades would have probably cut those ties himself eons ago. As it was, he was the most distant of his brothers from Mount Olympus, and he was all the happier for it. The atmosphere on Olympus didn't really suit him. All that idle merriment and gossip and passive aggressive backstabbing. It didn't suit gods to lower themselves to petty mortal behaviors, and yet every time he heard news from Olympus, it seemed that there was some new ridiculous rumor flying around, some latest scandal. No, Hades was much better off skulking around the gloom and doom of his nice Underworld realm.

His scowl deepened the moment she mentioned Hercules, and he exhaled sharply, his lip curling in disdain. "I did not. Rest assured, should Hercules make the mistake of stepping into my realm again, he will not leave."

Yeah, that hit a sore spot. Hades had never cared for the pompous godling who journeyed to and fro begging handouts from his divine connections. Zeus favored him more than any other of his many, many children. It was pathetic to watch his brother fall over himself to please some brainless, half mortal offspring. As far as he was concerned, Hercules was no hero. Hercules was a child murderer who got off easy. More than half of his so-called heroic labors were accomplished only through divine intervention. Athena had helped here, Zeus had stepped in there, Hermes had even led him into the Underworld to bully poor Cerberus. It didn't count.

Oh yeah, and stealing his dog was just out of line.

Confused consternation crossed his face as he listened to her rant, and even then, he couldn't imagine why she was so unhappy, so unsatisfied that she had been driven to extreme dognapping lengths. Something to do? Hadn't he given her anything she'd ever asked for? A beautiful home, fine foods, servants to attend to her every whim? She was a queen in the Underworld. He'd given her everything. He didn't understand what drew her away, what coaxed her back every year to this bright and summery world above. Nothing here lasted for long, not even his wife. All the good and beautiful things that she might love up here died eventually, and they would always wind up washing into his realm like so much tidal debris. That was the way of things.

The whole scenario struck him as so ridiculous that he almost wanted to laugh, to deflect the insanity. Was she seriously suggesting that he just leave? She'd mentioned it earlier, right before departing the Underworld to go welcome spring, but Hades hadn't taken her seriously, of course. He'd assumed it to just be a little joke, a light tease. She knew he could never leave the Underworld for long. Even this short venture was unprecedented in recent times.

Maybe Hades was a disagreeable god, yes, and a gloomy and sullen god, but he was not inherently angry. The state of death was largely concerned with calm introversion and worldly contemplation than anger, which was rare, but not impossible. His temper could even be considered moderate by godly standards, his disposition more in line with a soft tremor than a raging hurricane. But right now, he was furious, his tolerance slipping away as his brow furrowed. While some might yell and rage and fling lightning bolts in a super sized tantrum in such situations, instead, his voice had turned dangerously low, with an edge that could cut diamonds.

"I have work to do. Return Cerberus." He ordered brusquely, his voice distant and vaguely pained. Her words of resentment cut him deeper than he cared to show, and he turned sharply to leave. "I will see you in six months."

So distraught by the dizzying turn of events, Hades didn't notice the form, black and fluid as a night at sea, lingering amid the flowering branches of an ancient tree. It was a patch of shifting darkness that seemed to flicker with distant starlight as it flowed over and among the pink blossoms.

Nyx, mistress of night, watched in silence as the god of the dead slowed, his shoulders falling, his eyes blinking rapidly as if to clear his mind. It was almost too easy. She was old, older than earth, older than mountain, older than sea. These children of titans stood no chance against her ancient power.

Only a few steps from the entrance he stopped and leaned heavily against the flowering tree, fingers trailing slowly downwards as they traced the grooves of bark. It took several long moments until he gradually succumbed to sleep, fighting but nevertheless subdued as his body slipped down the trunk until he was sprawled haphazardly on the fern-covered ground.

The goddess Nyx flowed forth to meet Persephone and survey her work. A patch of blackest night wrapped about her as she moved, sometimes resembling a hooded cloak, sometimes a cloud, sometimes appearing almost as wings. She hovered just above the ground, bare toes brushing the grasses as she peered down at the slumbering Hades. Her gaze, sharp as strife and twice as cold, shot over at Persephone. Her voice was velvet soft as an owl in flight but her face was expressionless, near impossible to read.

"Quite a change of pace, dear. Are you sure you know what you're doing? I don't care one way or another, of course, whether he kills you when he wakes up, but you may wish to reconsider your actions." She nodded towards the still snoozing hound, commenting in a flat tone, "Did my son do that? My, he's out of practice. He needs to get out of the Underworld more often if the best he can do on a three headed beast is a light doze."

She shook her head lightly as if to say, kids, am I right?