spring is here again | skz | minlix | greek mythology au

10∆

'Minho!' Charon's ashen face lit up as his king appeared in front of him. 'I haven't seen you around here for ages!'

'Charon.' Minho nodded. 'Sorry. I've been... busy lately'

'Busy?' the other asked doubtfully.

'Yeah' Minho said in a tone that prevented him from digging further.

'I heard you've got problems with your boat?'

'Oh. Yeah. Lots of people are dying right now so it was always a little crowded on board - just a matter of time until something would break'

Charon's boat was actually missing a few planks.

'Do you think it's time after several thousand years to get yourself a new one? Or you wanna keep that old thing?'

Charon looked wordlessly between the boat and Minho.

Minho sighed.

'Okay, so no new boat. One day it's gonna sink and you'll end up on the ground of river Styx'

'There are worse places to end up in'

'Yeah right. I won't pull you out though'

'Nonsense. I know you would eventually'

'Why though? I don't need you. Every skeleton could do your job. And they wouldn't complain so much about it either'

Charon laughed.

If someone else would listen to their bickering they'd think they couldn't stand each other. And sometimes it was like that.

Most times not.

'You'd miss me' Charon said while shaking his head.

'I wouldn't be so sure'

They looked at the boat, silent for a few beats.

'I'll see what I can do'

Minho nodded, more to himself than to Charon.

'Thanks'

Charon just wanted to step onto his boat and get back to work when Minho remembered something else.

'Charon. Why? Why are so many people dying right now?'

He shrugged. 'There's some kind of a cold wave I think? It's freezing and snowing although it should be summer. Lots of people can't keep themselves warm or don't find anything to eat anymore'

Minho swallowed. His heart had stopped beating.

Charon continued, not noticing his king's state of shock.

'I've never seen something like that before. I heard it's got something to do with the new offspring. Persephone was her name? She's gone. Maybe dead. And Demeter's going berserk. She could save all of the people dying from famine and bring summer back, but she... doesn't. You know her. She can be a real bitch'

Minho didn't say anything. He just stared at the other, trying to comprehend the words.

'Minho?'

Charon frowned.

'Charon. Do you think there's any chance I can go up and see the other gods? And talk with them? It's kinda urgent'

He squirmed. 'I wouldn't do that in your place. First, you aren't allowed to. Second, they're all really stressed and in a bad mood so chances are good you'd be returning as a pile of ashes'

Minho sighed. 'I hate it so goddamn much.'

Charon gave his best at nodding sympathetically.

Minho's gaze wandered to the river, trying to see the other side of it.

It's been centuries since he last stepped into the upper world.

He used to be allowed to do that whenever he liked. A third of the world belonged him, after all.

But then he did some stupid things and the other gods thought it safer to ban him to his underworld realm.

As he realized he'd been staring at the horizon for a few minutes already, he turned back to Charon and awkwardly cleared his throat.

'Um. Can you maybe bring some flowers from the upper world?'

'I mentioned the snow didn't I?'

'I'm sure you can get hold of some flowers, Charon'

'I'll see what I can do' Charon repeated Minho's sentence from earlier.

'Thank you.'

Minho bowed slightly.

Charon waved. 'See you in a bit'

∆

Minho's head was spinning.

Persephone wasn't dead. She was just kidnapped. Chained in his palace.

The upper world was dying without her magic.

Thousands of thousands people dying.

Just because Minho was too much of a coward to free Felix and break his ban to bring him back up.

Minho hated himself.

'Sir Minho?'

He hated his cowardice.

Hated his fear of a conflict with the other gods.

Hated the small part of himself that desperately and selfishly wanted to keep Felix to himself.

'Sir?'

Hated that he felt like he was dependant on him already though he didn't know why.

'Sir??'

'What?!' he snapped at the skeleton.

They flinched hard.

'Sorry to interrupt, Sir, but I was sent to inform you that Sir Jeongin has arrived in you palace a while ago. He's waiting for you.'

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a/n

Um. Nothing related to the story but...

Draw on yourself. Draw on your body. You are art. No one is perfect, art is not perfect. But it's beautiful. And so are you.

You are beautiful.

I love you <3

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