Kingbury one-shots

Persephone and Hades

Samuel, God of spring, children, and fertility. The young god thought it had a nice ring to it. His mother had so agreed. Each god chose a human name to go by when they were on the earth, as their names tended to be long and easily miss pronounced. Samuel's original name was 'Persephone', which he liked because it reminded him of flowers, but children tended to call him 'purse-a-phone', so he had decided on a much more simple name. Samuel, God of spring, children, and fertility. Despite being the youngest god there was at the moment, Samuel was wise beyond his ears, and knew the differences between an awaiting parent and somebody who was not ready. He loved the children he gave, sending the babies off as healthy as he could, but sometimes the delivery of them went wrong. He really had to speak to Hermes about that.

Although he enjoyed the children and mothers, what he really loved was spring. He controlled the weather of the year, which was always pleasantly warm, and rained just enough for the crops to be watered. Of course, sometimes a family abusing the children he gave them would annoy him slightly, resulting in half their crops failing and them giving the children away. He knew the difference between abusive and not being able to support themselves. Those families got lustrous crops for the selling and might have found a coin or two on the road, courtesy of Tyche, god of luck (he called himself Taylor). He thought sometimes he might be too kind to them, but he did punish the ones in which did him or other humans wrong.

He lived with his mother on Mount Olympus, not because she was lonely, he just couldn't leave her alone. She was one of the oldest gods, and she was feeble. She was a demigod, still allowed to live in Olympus by the order of Zeus and Hera. She would die, and that time was creeping slowly towards them. She needed help, and Samuel had other gods help him out when he was doing rounds in the mortal world.

He had several mortal friends, as well as gods to whom he was close with. He had talked with Aphrodite (who went by Angelica) for the subject of beauty in children, and he was always talking to Hermes for deliveries (he went by Harry in the mortal world). He had met Zeus and Poseidon briefly, for terms of the human's well-being, seeing as he was the one who took care of them most of the time, but he had yet to meet Hades. He had a meeting with him today, after his rounds. He wondered what his attitude would be like. He expected the god to be sarcastic and melancholy, being the god of the underworld, but he also knew that he was judging a book by its cover. What if he was the kindest and most happy person to exist? He wouldn't know until he met him. So, he went on his usual rounds.

"Mother, I'm heading out." He called. The old woman looked up, curiosity in her eyes, clouded by age.

"For what?" She asked. Samuel smiled at her sadly. Her memory was going.

"My rounds. I'll be back shortly, but I've got a meeting with hades afterward" his mother's face turned to horror.

"But you are so young! Tell him to take me instead! I am too old for this world." She cried. Samuel rushed over and grabbed her hands.

"Mother no! We have to discuss some mortals. I'm not going to die." He answered softly. His mother sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness." Samuel turned back towards the door.

"Be careful Persephone! Mortals are cruel!" She called after him. Samuel shut the door and sighed. His mother's mind was going. He adjusted his basket on his arm and snapped, appearing in the nearby village of mortals. The marketplace buzzed heartily. A few young women waved at him, smiling as they held infants to their sides, moving the babies hands to wave. Samuel smiled and waved back. He loved the mortals and their attitudes towards him. Perhaps it was the fact he brought happiness and love. He started down the road to the house in which he would bestow a gift. He only could hope that they would accept. He stopped at the cottage and knocked promptly on the door. A woman with dark hair answered. A child in the background called for her, and she seemed frazzled.